ays, "before I would let him go again." This
fervent worship was hardly enjoyed by its object, who avoided the
Spanish enthusiast. One Sunday, however, d'Ollanda had gone to San
Silvestre finding there Tolomei, to whom he was also devoted, and
Vittoria Colonna, both of whom had gone to hear the celebrated Fra
Ambrosia of Siena expound the Epistles of St. Paul. The Marchesa di
Pescara observed that she felt sure their Spanish friend would far
rather hear Michael Angelo discuss painting than to hear Fra Ambrosia on
the wisdom of St. Paul. Summoning an attendant she directed him to find
Michael Angelo and tell him how cool and delightful was the church that
morning and to beg him to join Messer Tolomei and herself; but to make
no mention of the presence of d'Ollanda. Her woman's tact and her
faultless courtesy were successful in procuring this inestimable
privilege for the Spanish painter. Michael Angelo came, and began the
conversation--which was a monologue, rather, as all three of the friends
wished only to listen to the master--by defending artists from the
charge of eccentric and difficult methods. With somewhat startling
candor Michael Angelo proceeded:--

"I dare affirm that any artist who tries to satisfy the better
vulgar rather than men of his own craft will never become a
superior talent. For my part, I am bound to confess that even his
Holiness wearies and annoys me by begging for too much of my
company. I am most anxious to serve him, ... but I think I can do
so better by studying at home than by dancing attendance on my legs
in his reception room."

Another meeting of this little group was appointed for the next Sunday
in the Colonna gardens behind the convent, under the shadow of the
laurel trees in the air fragrant with roses and orange blossoms, where
they sat with Rome spread out like a picture at their feet. That
beautiful terrace of the Colonna gardens, to which the visitor in Rome
to-day always makes his pilgrimage, with the ruined statues and the
broken marble flights of steps, is the scene of this meeting of Vittoria
Colonna, Michael Angelo, and Francesco d'Ollanda. On this second
occasion the sculptor asserted his belief that while all things are
worthy the artist's attention, the real test of his art is in the
representation of the human form. He extolled the art of design. He
emphasized the essential nature of nobleness in the artist, and added:--

"In or