is assistant, Pietro
Urbano, a bungler without talent and incurably lazy, who, when he was
ordered to accompany the statue to Rome and to finish it, ruined it by
his awkwardness and left it there hopelessly marred.[38]

[Illustration: THE ERYTHREAN SIBYL

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512).]

Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, when he had extricated Michelangelo from
this hopeless enterprise, determined to turn his genius in a new
direction and one in which he could direct him more closely. He
entrusted him with the construction of the new sacristy of S. Lorenzo
and the tombs of the Medici. In November, 1520, Michelangelo submitted
to him a drawing which met with his approval. This original plan was for
four tombs: those of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Giuliano his brother, his
son Giuliano, Duke of Nemours, and his grandson Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino.
The work was begun before April, 1521, but was not pushed vigorously
until after the nomination on November 19, 1522, of Cardinal Giulio de'
Medici to the pontifical throne under the name of Clement VII.[39]

In May, 1524, Clement VII accepted the idea, suggested to him by the
flattering Salviati, of adding to the four sarcophagi already planned
tombs for Leo X and for himself and of giving them the place of honour.
In June Michelangelo sent him a new plan as well as the drawings for the
Library of S. Lorenzo, the building of which had also been entrusted to
him.

Clement VII wished to monopolise Michelangelo's services, and he
suggested to him in January, 1524, that he should join the order of the
Franciscans so that he might be given a benefice. Michelangelo refused
to do this, but the pope decided, nevertheless, to allow him a monthly
pension of three times the amount for which he had asked[40] and a house
in the neighbourhood of S. Lorenzo. Everything seemed to be going well
and the work on the chapel was progressing when Michelangelo suddenly
left the house which had been given to him and refused to accept Clement
VII's pension. He was going through another crisis of discouragement and
doubt. The heirs of Julius II could not forgive him for having abandoned
the work that he had undertaken. They accused him of unfaithfulness and
threatened him with the law. He was terrified at the idea of a lawsuit,
for his conscience told him that his adversaries were in the right, and
he was tormented by the thought that he had not kept his word. He felt
that he could not accept the m