ed
attitude seems to require some explanation. That might have been given
by the trampling form and robes of a Genius. Still it is difficult to
comprehend why the left arm and hand, finished, I feel almost sure, by
Michelangelo, should have been so carefully executed. The Genius, if
draped, would have hidden nearly the whole of that part of the statue.
The face of this Adonis displays exactly the same type as that of the
so-called Victory and of Giuliano de' Medici. Here the type assumes
singular loveliness.

CHAPTER XII

I

After the death of Clement VII. Michelangelo never returned to reside
at Florence. The rest of his life was spent in Rome. In the year 1534
he had reached the advanced age of fifty-nine, and it is possible that
he first became acquainted with the noble lady Vittoria Colonna about
1538. Recent students of his poetry and friendships have suggested
that their famous intimacy began earlier, during one of his not
infrequent visits to Rome. But we have no proof of this. On the
contrary, the only letters extant which he sent to her, two in number,
belong to the year 1545. It is certain that anything like friendship
between them grew up at some considerable time after his final
settlement in Rome.

Vittoria was the daughter of Fabrizio Colonna, Grand Constable of
Naples, by his marriage with Agnesina di Montefeltro, daughter of
Federigo, Duke of Urbino. Blood more illustrious than hers could not
be found in Italy. When she was four years old, her parents betrothed
her to Ferrante Francesco d'Avalos, a boy of the same age, the only
son of the Marchese di Pescara. In her nineteenth year the affianced
couple were married at Ischia, the fief and residence of the house of
D'Avalos. Ferrante had succeeded to his father's title early in
boyhood, and was destined for a brilliant military career. On the
young bride's side at least it was a love-match. She was tenderly
attached to her handsome husband, ignorant of his infidelities, and
blind to his fatal faults of character. Her happiness proved of short
duration. In 1512 Pescara was wounded and made prisoner at the battle
of Ravenna, and, though he returned to his wife for a short interval,
duty called him again to the field of war in Lombardy in 1515. After
this date Vittoria saw him but seldom. The last time they met was in
October 1522. As general of the Imperial forces, Pescara spent the
next years in perpetual military operations. Under his leadersh