But the
Gonfaloniere, hearing of this, sent for him and dissuaded him, saying:
"_That it was better to die with the Pope than to live with the Turk;
nevertheless, there was nothing to fear, for the Pope was kind, and sent
for him because he loved him well, not because he wished him harm; and if
he was still afraid, the Signoria would send him as ambassador, because
violence was not offered to public persons without it being offered to
those who sent them._" By reason of these and other arguments Michael
Angelo prepared to return.
XXXI. Whilst he was still in Florence two things happened. One was that he
finished the marvellous cartoon he had begun for the Sala del Consiglio,
which represented the war between Florence and Pisa, and the many and
various events that occurred in it, which cartoon of consummate art was a
light to all those who afterwards took pencil in hand. I cannot tell what
evil fortune happened to it afterwards, it was left by Michael Angelo in
the Sala del Papa (a place so called in Florence) at Santa Maria Novella.
Fragments of it can be seen in the various places, preserved with greatest
care like something sacred.(38) The other thing was, that Pope Julius had
taken Bologna and had gone there; he was delighted with the acquisition,
and this gave courage to Michael Angelo to appear before him more
hopefully.
CHAPTER V
THE COLOSSAL BRONZE FOR THE FACADE OF SAN PETRONIO
XXXII. So he arrived at Bologna one morning, and going to San Petronio to
hear mass,(39) behold, the grooms of the Pope, who recognised him and
conducted him to his Holiness, who was at table in the Palazzo de' Sedici.
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