elangelo renowned for prudence, that Michelangelo whom all admire,
has chosen to display to the whole world an impiety of irreligion only
equalled by the perfection of his painting! Is it possible that you,
who, since you are divine, do not condescend to consort with human
beings, have done this in the greatest temple built to God, upon the
highest altar raised to Christ, in the most sacred chapel upon earth,
where the mighty hinges of the Church, the venerable priests of our
religion, the Vicar of Christ, with solemn ceremonies and holy
prayers, confess, contemplate, and adore his body, his blood, and his
flesh?

"If it were not infamous to introduce the comparison, I would plume
myself upon my virtue when I wrote _La Nanna_. I would demonstrate the
superiority of my reserve to your indiscretion, seeing that I, while
handling themes lascivious and immodest, use language comely and
decorous, speak in terms beyond reproach and inoffensive to chaste
ears. You, on the contrary, presenting so awful a subject, exhibit
saints and angels, these without earthly decency, and those without
celestial honours.

"The pagans, when they modelled a Diana, gave her clothes; when they
made a naked Venus, hid the parts which are not shown with the hand of
modesty. And here there comes a Christian, who, because he rates art
higher than the faith, deems it a royal spectacle to portray martyrs
and virgins in improper attitudes, to show men dragged down by their
shame, before which things houses of ill-fame would shut the eyes in
order not to see them. Your art would be at home in some voluptuous
bagnio, certainly not in the highest chapel of the world. Less
criminal were it if you were an infidel, than, being a believer, thus
to sap the faith of others. Up to the present time the splendour of
such audacious marvels hath not gone unpunished; for their very
superexcellence is the death of your good name. Restore them to repute
by turning the indecent parts of the damned to flames, and those of
the blessed to sunbeams; or imitate the modesty of Florence, who hides
your David's shame beneath some gilded leaves. And yet that statue is
exposed upon a public square, not in a consecrated chapel.

"As I wish that God may pardon you, I do not write this out of any
resentment for the things I begged of you. In truth, if you had sent
me what you promised, you would only have been doing what you ought to
have desired most eagerly to do in your own int