ctised poetry
for his amusement, and not as a profession, always depreciating his
own talent, and appealing to his ignorance in these matters. Just in
the same way he has perused the Holy Scriptures with great care and
industry, studying not merely the Old Testament, but also the New,
together with their commentators, as, for example, the writings of
Savonarola, for whom he always retained a deep affection, since the
accents of the preacher's living voice rang in his memory.

"He has given away many of his works, the which, if he had chosen to
sell them, would have brought him vast sums of money. A single
instance of this generosity will suffice--namely, the two statues
which he presented to his dearest friend, Messer Ruberto Strozzi. Nor
was it only of his handiwork that he has been liberal. He opened his
purse readily to poor men of talent in literature or art, as I can
testify, having myself been the recipient of his bounty. He never
showed an envious spirit toward the labours of other masters in the
crafts he practised, and this was due rather to the goodness of his
nature than to any sense of his own superiority. Indeed, he always
praised all men of excellence without exception, even Raffaello of
Urbino, between whom and himself there was of old time some rivalry in
painting. I have only heard him say that Raffaello did not derive his
mastery in that art so much from nature as from prolonged study. Nor
is it true, as many persons assert to his discredit, that he has been
unwilling to impart instruction. On the contrary, he did so readily,
as I know by personal experience, for to me he unlocked all the
secrets of the arts he had acquired. Ill-luck, however, willed that he
should meet either with subjects ill adapted to such studies, or else
with men of little perseverance, who, when they had been working a few
months under his direction, began to think themselves past-masters.
Moreover, although he was willing to teach, he did not like it to be
known that he did so, caring more to do good than to seem to do it. I
may add that he always attempted to communicate the arts to men of
gentle birth, as did the ancients, and not to plebeians."

V

To this passage about Michelangelo's pupils we may add the following
observation by Vasari: "He loved his workmen, and conversed with them
on friendly terms. Among these I will mention Jacopo Sansovino, Rosso,
Pontormo, Daniele da Volterra, and Giorgio Vasari. To the last of