XLIII. Again in Florence the first thing he did was to protect the
bell-tower of San Miniato, which was all broken by the continual
cannonading of the enemy, and had become very dangerous to those within.
The method of defence was in this wise: a large number of mattresses, well
filled with wool, were slung with stout cords from the top of the tower to
the bottom, covering parts likely to be hit. And as the cornice projected
considerably, the mattresses hung out from the main wall of the bell-tower
more than six hands, so that the cannon-balls of the enemy, partly on
account of the distance from which they were fired, and partly by the
opposition of these mattresses, did little or no damage, not even injuring
the mattresses themselves, because they were so yielding. Thus he held
that tower all the time of the siege, which lasted a year, without its
suffering any injury, and rejoicing greatly in the salvation of the land
and the damage he did to the enemy.
XLIV. But afterwards the enemy entered the city by treachery, and many of
the citizens were taken and killed. The court sent to the house of Michael
Angelo to seize him; all the rooms and the chests were searched by them,
even to the chimney and closet; but Michael Angelo, afraid of what might
follow, had taken refuge in the house of a great friend. Here he remained
in hiding many days, no one knowing that he was there except the friend
who saved him. When the fury was over, Pope Clement wrote to Florence that
Michael Angelo must be sought out, and ordered that, when found, he should
be set at liberty if he would go on with the work of the Medici tombs
formerly begun, and that he must be used courteously.
Pages:
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65