swer at once. However, it consoles me to think that, when you
know the cause, you will hold me excused. On the day your letter
reached me, I was attacked with vomiting and such high fever that I
was on the point of death; and certainly I should have died, if it
(i.e., the letter) had not somewhat revived me. Since then, thank God,
I have been always well. Messer Bartolommeo (Angelini) has now brought
me a sonnet sent by you, which has made me feel it my duty to write.
Some three days since I received my Phaethon, which is exceedingly
well done. The Pope, the Cardinal de' Medici, and every one, have seen
it; I do not know what made them want to do so. The Cardinal expressed
a wish to inspect all your drawings, and they pleased him so much that
he said he should like to have the Tityos and Ganymede done in
crystal. I could not manage to prevent him from using the Tityos, and
it is now being executed by Maestro Giovanni. Hard I struggled to save
the Ganymede. The other day I went, as you requested, to Fra
Sebastiano. He sends a thousand messages, but only to pray you to come
back.--Your affectionate,

"Thomao Cavaliere.
"Rome, _September 6_."

All the drawings mentioned by Vasari as having been made for Cavalieri
are alluded to here, except the Bacchanal of Children. Of the Phaethon
we have two splendid examples in existence, one at Windsor, the other
in the collection of M. Emile Galichon. They differ considerably in
details, but have the same almost mathematical exactitude of pyramidal
composition. That belonging to M. Galichon must have been made in
Rome, for it has this rough scrawl in Michelangelo's hand at the
bottom, "Tomao, se questo scizzo non vi piace, ditelo a Urbino." He
then promises to make another. Perhaps Cavalieri sent word back that
he did not like something in the sketch--possibly the women writhing
into trees--and that to this circumstance we owe the Windsor drawing,
which is purer in style. There is a fine Tityos with the vulture at
Windsor, so exquisitely finished and perfectly preserved that one can
scarcely believe it passed through the hands of Maestro Giovanni.
Windsor, too, possesses a very delicate Ganymede, which seems intended
for an intaglio. The subject is repeated in an unfinished pen-design
at the Uffizi, incorrectly attributed to Michelangelo, and is
represented by several old engravings. The Infant Bacchanals again
exist at Windsor, a