ng upon twangling lutes and frescoed
chambers. Truly Adrian is one of the most grotesque and significant
figures upon the page of modern history. His personal worth, his
inadequacy to the needs of the age, and his incompetence to control
the tempest loosed by Della Roveres, Borgias, and Medici around him,
give the man a tragic irony.

After his death, upon the 23rd of September 1523, the Cardinal Giulio
de' Medici was made Pope. He assumed the title of Clement VII. upon
the 9th of November. The wits who saluted Adrian's doctor with the
title of "Saviour of the Fatherland," now rejoiced at the election of
an Italian and a Medici. The golden years of Leo's reign would
certainly return, they thought; having no foreknowledge of the tragedy
which was so soon to be enacted, first at Rome, and afterwards at
Florence, Michelangelo wrote to his friend Topolino at Carrara: "You
will have heard that Medici is made Pope; all the world seems to me to
be delighted, and I think that here at Florence great things will soon
be set on foot in our art. Therefore, serve well and faithfully."

II

Our records are very scanty, both as regards personal details and
art-work, for the life of Michelangelo during the pontificate of
Adrian VI. The high esteem in which he was held throughout Italy is
proved by three incidents which may shortly be related. In 1522, the
Board of Works for the cathedral church of S. Petronio at Bologna
decided to complete the facade. Various architects sent in designs;
among them Peruzzi competed with one in the Gothic style, and another
in that of the Classical revival. Great differences of opinion arose
in the city as to the merits of the rival plans, and the Board in July
invited Michelangelo, through their secretary, to come and act as
umpire. They promised to reward him magnificently. It does not appear
that Michelangelo accepted the offer. In 1523, Cardinal Grimani, who
was a famous collector of art-objects, wrote begging for some specimen
of his craft. Grimani left it open to him "to choose material and
subject; painting, bronze, or marble, according to his fancy."
Michelangelo must have promised to fulfill the commission, for we have
a letter from Grimani thanking him effusively. He offers to pay fifty
ducats at the commencement of the work, and what Michelangelo thinks
fit to demand at its conclusion: "for such is the excellence of your
ability, that we shall take no thought of money-value." Grimani was