d great trouble in convincing
the other members of the Government, but that he could never convince
Niccolo. However, he began the work, in the way you know, with those
fascines of tow. But Niccolo made him abandon it, and sent him to
another post; and when he was elected to the Nine, they despatched him
twice or thrice outside the city. Each time, on his return, he found
the hill neglected, whereupon he complained, feeling this a blot upon
his reputation and an insult to his magistracy. Eventually, the works
went on, until, when the besieging army arrived, they were tenable."

Michelangelo had hitherto acquired no practical acquaintance with the
art of fortification. That the system of defence by bastions was an
Italian invention (although Albert Duerer first reduced it to written
theory in his book of 1527, suggesting improvements which led up to
Vauban's method) is a fact acknowledged by military historians. But it
does not appear that Michelangelo did more than carry out defensive
operations in the manner familiar to his predecessors. Indeed, we
shall see that some critics found reason to blame him for want of
science in the construction of his outworks. When, therefore, a
difference arose between the controller-general of defences and the
Gonfalonier upon this question of strengthening S. Miniato, it was
natural that the War Office should have thought it prudent to send
their chief officer to the greatest authority upon fortification then
alive in Italy. This was the Duke of Ferrara. Busini must serve as our
text in the first instance upon this point. "Michelangelo says that,
when neither Niccolo Capponi nor Baldassare Carducci would agree to
the outworks at S. Miniato, he convinced all the leading men except
Niccolo of their necessity, showing that Florence could not hold out a
single day without them. Accordingly he began to throw up bastions
with fascines of tow; but the result was far from perfect, as he
himself confessed. Upon this, the Ten resolved to send him to Ferrara
to inspect that renowned work of defence. Thither accordingly he went;
nevertheless, he believes that Niccolo did this in order to get him
out of the way, and to prevent the construction of the bastion. In
proof thereof he adduces the fact that, upon his return, he found the
whole work interrupted."

Furnished with letters to the Duke, and with special missives from the
Signory and the Ten to their envoy, Galeotto Giugni, Michelangelo left