s have been painted on the walls.
Churchwardens' whitewash would here be well applied. If the visitor will
wait in this church until dusk, when all the tawdry paintings vanish into
darkness, then the great columns will stand out in all their dignity, and
the noble cornice cast a splendid shadow over the pillars of the huge
hall. The roof and the pavement, with their expression of space and
distance, will whisper "Michael Angelo!"

When Henry II. of France died, in 1559, his widow, Catherine de' Medici,
wrote to Michael Angelo asking him to supply at least the design for the
equestrian statue of the late King she desired to set up in the courtyard
of the royal chateau at Blois. The sketch was prepared and the work given
to Daniele da Volterra. Catherine wrote again in 1560,(171) telling the
sculptor that she had deposited 6000 golden scudi with Gianbattista Gondi
for the said work, "therefore, since on my side nothing remains to be
done, I entreat you by the love you have always shown to my house, to our
country,(172) and lastly to genius, that you will endeavour with all
diligence and assiduity, so far as your years permit, to carry out this
noble work, so that we may see and recognise my lord as in life by the
accustomed excellence of your unique genius. Although you cannot add to
your fame, yet you will at least augment your reputation for a most
grateful and loving spirit toward myself and my ancestors, and will
through centuries keep fresh the memory of my lawful and only love, for
which I shall be ready and willing to reward you liberally." The Queen had
seen Michael Angelo's sketch, and she adds in a postscript that "the
king's head must be without curls, and the modern rich style of armour and
trappings must be employed." She is very particular about the likeness and
sends a portrait; evidently she did not want anything like the Roman
generals in the Medici Chapel at Florence. When Michael Angelo died the
work was left in the hands of Daniele, who was a slow workman, as Cellini
tells us. In 1566 Daniele died also, and only the horse was cast; it now
serves as part of Biard's statue of Louis XIII.

In 1560 Leone Leoni made the well-known medal of Michael Angelo, which is
our best portrait of him. It represents him in old age. Vasari relates the
incident: "At this time the Cavaliere Leone made a very lovely portrait of
Michael Angelo upon a medal, and to meet his wishes modelled on the
reverse a blind man led by a