ending to stay
there without revealing himself, this became known in that way to the
Duke, who was very glad, because he had already become his friend.
That Prince was a man of lofty mind, delighting constantly in persons
of ability all his life long, and he straightway sent some of the
first men of his Court with orders to conduct him in the name of his
Excellency to the Palace, where the Duke was, to remove thither his
horses and all his baggage, and to give him a handsome lodging in that
Palace. Michelagnolo, finding himself in the power of another, was
constrained to obey and to make the best of a bad business, and he
went with those courtiers to the Duke, but without removing his
baggage from the inn. Thereupon the Duke, after first complaining of
his reserve, gave him a great reception; and then, making him rich and
honourable presents, he sought to detain him in Ferrara with the
promise of a fine salary. He, having his mind set on something else,
would not consent to remain; but the Duke again made him a free offer
of all that was in his power, praying him that he should at least not
depart as long as the war continued. Whereupon Michelagnolo, not
wishing to be outdone in courtesy, thanked him warmly, and, turning
towards his two companions, said that he had brought twelve thousand
crowns to Ferrara, and that, if the Duke had need of them, they were
at his disposal, together with himself. The Duke then took him through
the Palace to divert him, as he had done on another occasion, and
showed him all the beautiful things that he had there, including a
portrait of himself by Tiziano, which was much commended by
Michelagnolo. However, his Excellency was not able to keep him in the
Palace, for he insisted on returning to the inn; wherefore the host
who was lodging him received from the Duke a great abundance of
things wherewith to do him honour, and also orders that at his
departure he should not accept anything for his lodging. From Ferrara
he made his way to Venice, where many gentlemen sought to become known
to him; but he, who always had a very poor opinion of their knowledge
of his profession, departed from the Giudecca, where he had his
lodging. There, so it is said, he made for that city at that time, at
the request of the Doge Gritti, a design for the bridge of the Rialto,
which was very rare in invention and in ornamentation.

Michelagnolo was invited with great insistence to go back to his
native country, b