ive of Raffaello da Urbino, and
for that reason little the friend of Michelagnolo, perceiving that the
Pope held in great favour and estimation the works that he executed in
sculpture, was constantly planning with Raffaello in Michelagnolo's
absence to remove from the mind of his Holiness the idea of causing
Michelagnolo, after his return, to devote himself to finishing his
tomb; saying that for a man to prepare himself a tomb during his own
lifetime was an evil augury and a hurrying on of his death. And they
persuaded his Holiness that on the return of Michelagnolo, he should
cause him to paint in memory of his uncle Sixtus the vaulting of the
chapel that he had built in the Palace. In this manner it seemed
possible to Bramante and other rivals of Michelagnolo to draw him away
from sculpture, in which they saw him to be perfect, and to plunge him
into despair, they thinking that if they compelled him to paint, he
would do work less worthy of praise, since he had no experience of
colours in fresco, and that he would prove inferior to Raffaello, and,
even if he did succeed in the work, in any case it would make him
angry against the Pope; so that in either event they would achieve
their object of getting rid of him. And so, when Michelagnolo returned
to Rome, the Pope was not disposed at that time to finish his tomb,
and requested him to paint the vaulting of the chapel. Michelagnolo,
who desired to finish the tomb, believing the vaulting of that chapel
to be a great and difficult labour, and considering his own want of
practice in colours, sought by every means to shake such a burden from
his shoulders, and proposed Raffaello for the work. But the more he
refused, the greater grew the desire of the Pope, who was headstrong
in his undertakings, and, in addition, was being spurred on anew by
the rivals of Michelagnolo, and especially by Bramante; so that his
Holiness, who was quick-tempered, was on the point of becoming enraged
with Michelagnolo. Whereupon Michelagnolo, perceiving that his
Holiness was determined in the matter, resolved to do it; and the Pope
commanded Bramante to erect the scaffolding from which the vaulting
might be painted. Bramante made it all supported by ropes, piercing
the vaulting; which having perceived, Michelagnolo inquired of
Bramante how he was to proceed to fill up the holes when he had
finished painting it, and he replied that he would think of that
afterwards, and that it could not be done