za to
his Excellency, receiving in return enough money to complete the
monument." Of the marbles in the Via Mozza at Florence, where
Michelangelo's workshop stood, I have seen no catalogue, but they
certainly comprised the Victory, probably also the Adonis and the
Apollino. There had been some thought of adapting the Victory to the
tomb in S. Croce. Vasari, however, doubted whether this group could be
applied in any forcible sense allegorically to Buonarroti as man or as
artist.

Eventually, as we know, the very mediocre monument designed by Vasari,
which still exists at S. Croce, was erected at Lionardo Buonarroti's
expense, the Duke supplying a sufficiency of marble.

III

It ought here to be mentioned that, in the spring of 1563, Cosimo
founded an Academy of Fine Arts, under the title of "Arte del
Disegno." It embraced all the painters, architects, and sculptors of
Florence in a kind of guild, with privileges, grades, honours, and
officers. The Duke condescended to be the first president of this
academy. Next to him, Michelangelo was elected unanimously by all the
members as their uncontested principal and leader, "inasmuch as this
city, and peradventure the whole world, hath not a master more
excellent in the three arts." The first great work upon which the Duke
hoped to employ the guild was the completion of the sacristy at S.
Lorenzo. Vasari's letter to Michelangelo shows that up to this date
none of the statues had been erected in their proper places, and that
it was intended to add a great number of figures, as well as to adorn
blank spaces in the walls with frescoes. All the best artists of the
time, including Gian Bologna, Cellini, Bronzino, Tribolo, Montelupo,
Ammanati, offered their willing assistance, "forasmuch as there is not
one of us but hath learned in this sacristy, or rather in this our
school, whatever excellence he possesses in the arts of design." We
know already only too well that the scheme was never carried out,
probably in part because Michelangelo's rapidly declining strength
prevented him from furnishing these eager artists with the necessary
working drawings. Cosimo's anxiety to gain possession of any sketches
left in Rome after Buonarroti's death may be ascribed to this project
for completing the works begun at S. Lorenzo.

Well then, upon the news of Michelangelo's death, the academicians
were summoned by their lieutenant, Don Vincenzo Borghini, to
deliberate upon the best way of