you, if you have it not; although I have but
little myself, as I have told you, I will contrive to borrow it,
so that you need not take money out of the Monte,(74) as Bonarroto
says. Do not wonder that I have sometimes written irritably, for I
often get very angry, owing to the many annoyances that happen to
one away from his home.

"I had an order to do a work for Piero de' Medici and bought the
marble; but I never began it because he did not do as he had
promised, so I stayed at home and carved a figure for my pleasure.
I bought a piece of marble for five ducats; it was not good; the
money was thrown away. Afterwards I bought another piece, another
five ducats, and worked at it for my pleasure; so you must believe
that I also have expenses and troubles, and you must make
allowances. I will send you the money, though I should have to
sell myself into slavery.

"Buonarroto arrived in safety and has returned to his inn; he has
a room; he is all right and lacks nothing for as long as he likes
to stay. I have no accommodation for him to stay with me, because
I am living in another's house. It suffices that I do not let him
want for anything. Well, as I hope you are.

"MICHAEL ANGELO, in Rome."

(In the hand of Lodovico.)

"He says he will help me to pay Consiglio."(75)

Nevertheless, Milanesi tells us in a note, Lodovico settled with
Consiglio, to whom he owed ninety gold florins, in the way Michael Angelo
did not approve and after going to law about it. A letter of Lodovico's
refers to the kindness of Michael Angelo in establishing his brothers in
the cloth business. It is dated December 19, 1500. "... and more, I know
that you have advanced money, and the love you have for your brothers; it
is a great consolation to me. About this matter of the money with which
you wish to set up Buonarroto and Giansimone in a shop, I have hunted and
I am still hunting, but as yet I have not found anything to please me.
True it is I have my hands on a good thing, but it is necessary to keep
one's eyes open and to take care not to get into difficulties; I want to
go slowly and with good counsel, and I will tell you all about it day by
day. Buonarroto tells me how you live yonder, very economically, or rather
penuriously; economy is good, but penuriousness is evil, for it is a vice
displeasing to God and m