eing urgently requested not to abandon his
undertaking there, and receiving a safe-conduct; and finally,
vanquished by love of her, he returned, but not without danger to his
life. At this time he finished the Leda that he was painting, as has
been related, at the request of Duke Alfonso; and it was afterwards
taken to France by Antonio Mini, his disciple. And at this same time
he saved the campanile of S. Miniato, a tower which sorely harassed
the enemy's forces with its two pieces of artillery, so that their
artillerists, having set to work to batter it with heavy cannon, had
half ruined it, and were like to destroy it completely, when
Michelagnolo protected it so well with bales of wool and stout
mattresses suspended by cords, that it is still standing. It is said,
also, that at the time of the siege there came to him an opportunity
to acquire, according to a desire that he had long had, a block of
marble of nine braccia which had come from Carrara, and which Pope
Clement, after much rivalry and contention between him and Baccio
Bandinelli, had given to Baccio. But Michelagnolo, now that such a
matter was in the hands of the Commonwealth, asked for it from the
Gonfalonier, who gave it to him that he might likewise try his hand
upon it, although Baccio had already made a model and hacked away much
of the stone in blocking it out. Thereupon Michelagnolo made a model,
which was held to be a marvellous and very beautiful thing; but on the
return of the Medici the marble was restored to Baccio.

When peace had been made, Baccio Valori, the Pope's Commissioner,
received orders to have some of the most partisan citizens arrested
and imprisoned in the Bargello, and the same tribunal sought out
Michelagnolo at his house; but he, fearing that, had fled secretly to
the house of one who was much his friend, where he remained hidden
many days. Finally, when the first fury had abated, Pope Clement,
remembering the ability of Michelagnolo, caused a diligent search to
be made for him, with orders that nothing should be said to him, but
rather that his former appointments should be restored to him, and
that he should attend to the work of S. Lorenzo, over which he placed
as proveditor M. Giovan Battista Figiovanni, the old servant of the
Medici family and Prior of S. Lorenzo. Thus reassured, Michelagnolo,
in order to make Baccio Valori his friend, began a figure of three
braccia in marble, which was an Apollo drawing an arrow from hi