his life. The end may not be just
now, but I fear greatly that it cannot be far off." The gray colour and
the uneasiness of an old man who has suffered a slight stroke are
evidently indicated here. During the next four days he lived in his
arm-chair. On the 15th, Diomede Leoni wrote to Lionardo, with a letter
enclosed, signed by Michael Angelo but written by Daniele da
Volterra.(183) After exhorting Lionardo to come to Rome, but to run no
risks by travelling too fast, he adds, "as you may be certain Messer
Tomaso dei Cavalieri, Messer Daniele, and I will not fail during your
absence in every possible service in your place. Besides, Antonio, the old
and faithful servant of the master, will give a good account of himself
under any circumstances. ... If the illness of the master be dangerous,
which God forbid, you could not be in time to find him alive, even if you
could make more haste than is possible. But to give you a little account
of the state of Messere up to this hour, which is the third of the
night,(184) I inform you that just now I left him quite composed and fully
conscious, but oppressed with continual drowsiness. In order to shake it
off, between twenty-two and twenty-three,(185) this very day he tried to
mount his horse and go for a ride, as he was wont to do every evening in
good weather, but the coolness of the season and the weakness of his head
and legs prevented him, so he went back to his seat a little way from the
fire. He greatly prefers this chair to his bed. We all pray God to
preserve him unto us still for some years and that He may bring you here
in safety, to whom I earnestly commend myself."

Two days later, on the 17th, Tiberio Calcagni wrote:(186) "This is only to
beg you to hasten your coming as much as possible, even though the weather
be bad. For your Messer Michael Angelo is going to leave us indeed, and he
would have this one satisfaction the more."

Michael Angelo died a little before five o'clock on the afternoon of
February 18, 1564. His physicians, Federigo Donati and Gherardo
Fidelissimi, were with him at the last. Giorgio Vasari tells us "he made
his will in three words, committing his soul into the hands of God, his
body to the earth, and his goods to his nearest relatives, telling them
when their hour came to remember the Passion of Jesus Christ."

The Florentine envoy sent a despatch to inform the Duke of the event, and
he tells him the arrangements made as to the inventory of