nt of his death, that they should cause his
tomb to be finished, but on a smaller scale than before. To this work
Michelagnolo set himself once again, and so made a beginning gladly
with the tomb, hoping to carry it once and for all to completion
without so many impediments; but he had from it ever afterwards
vexations, annoyances, and travails, more than from any other work
that he did in all his life, and it brought upon him for a long time,
in a certain sense, the accusation of being ungrateful to that Pope,
who had so loved and favoured him. Thus, when he had returned to the
tomb, and was working at it continually, and also at times preparing
designs from which he might be able to execute the facades of the
chapel, envious Fortune decreed that that memorial, which had been
begun with such perfection, should be left unfinished. For at that
time there took place the death of Pope Julius, and the work was
abandoned on account of the election of Pope Leo X, who, being no less
splendid than Julius in mind and spirit, had a desire to leave in his
native city (of which he was the first Pope), in memory of himself and
of a divine craftsman who was his fellow-citizen, such marvels as only
a mighty Prince like himself could undertake. Wherefore he gave orders
that the facade of S. Lorenzo, a church built by the Medici family in
Florence, should be erected for him, which was the reason that the
work of the tomb of Julius was left unfinished; and he demanded advice
and designs from Michelagnolo, and desired that he should be the head
of that work. Michelagnolo made all the resistance that he could,
pleading that he was pledged in the matter of the tomb to Santiquattro
and Aginense, but the Pope answered him that he was not to think of
that, and that he himself had already seen to it and contrived that
Michelagnolo should be released by them; promising, also, that he
should be able to work in Florence, as he had already begun to do, at
the figures for that tomb. All this was displeasing to the Cardinals,
and also to Michelagnolo, who went off in tears.

[Illustration: THE NEW SACRISTY

(_After =Michelangelo=. Florence: S. Lorenzo_)

_Alinari_]

Many and various were the discussions that arose on this subject, on
the ground that such a work as that facade should have been
distributed among several persons, and in the matter of the
architecture many craftsmen flocked to Rome to see the Pope, and made
designs; Baccio d'Agnolo,