isposition of Duke Alessandro toward him,
and being in great dread on this account, also because he bore love
and reverence to the memory of Pope Julius and to the illustrious
house of Della Rovere, strained every nerve to remain in Rome and busy
himself about the tomb. What made him more anxious was that every one
accused him of having received from Pope Julius at least 16,000
crowns, and of having spent them on himself without fulfilling his
engagements. Being a man sensitive about his reputation, he could not
bear the dishonour of such reports, and wanted the whole matter to be
cleared up; nor, although he was now old, did he shrink from the very
onerous task of completing what he had begun so long ago. Consequently
they came to strife together, and his antagonists were unable to prove
payments to anything like the amount which had first been noised
abroad; indeed, on the contrary, more than two thirds of the whole sum
first stipulated by the two Cardinals was wanting. Clement then
thinking he had found an excellent opportunity for setting him at
liberty and making use of his whole energies, called Michelangelo to
him, and said: 'Come, now, confess that you want to make this tomb,
but wish to know who will pay you the balance.' Michelangelo, knowing
well that the Pope was anxious to employ him on his own work,
answered: 'Supposing some one is found to pay me.' To which Pope
Clement: 'You are a great fool if you let yourself believe that any
one will come forward to offer you a farthing.' Accordingly, his
attorney, Messer Tommaso, and the agents of the Duke, after some
negotiations, came to an agreement that a tomb should at least be made
for the amount he had received. Michelangelo, thinking the matter had
arrived at a good conclusion, consented with alacrity. He was much
influenced by the elder Cardinal di Monte, who owed his advancement to
Julius II., and was uncle of Julius III., our present Pope by grace of
God. The arrangement was as follows: That he should make a tomb of one
facade only; should utilise those marbles which he had already blocked
out for the quadrangular monument, adapting them as well as
circumstances allowed; and finally, that he should be bound to furnish
six statues by his own hand. In spite of this arrangement, Pope
Clement was allowed to employ Michelangelo in Florence or where he
liked during four months of the year, that being required by his
Holiness for his undertakings at S. Lorenzo. Su