without a discernible cause for agitation--the crime surely lay with
the patrons who liked such decoration, and with the journeymen who
provided it. Michelangelo himself always made his manner serve his
thought. We may fail to appreciate his manner and may be incapable of
comprehending his thought, but only insincere or conceited critics
will venture to gauge the latter by what they feel to be displeasing
in the former. What seems lawless in him follows the law of a profound
and peculiar genius, with which, whether we like it or not, we must
reckon. His imitators were devoid of thought, and too indifferent to
question whether there was any law to be obeyed. Like the jackass in
the fable, they assumed the dead lion's skin, and brayed beneath it,
thinking they could roar."

VI

Continuing these scattered observations upon Michelangelo's character
and habits, we may collect what Vasari records about his social
intercourse with brother-artists. Being himself of a saturnine humour,
he took great delight in the society of persons little better than
buffoons. Writing the Life of Jacopo surnamed L'Indaco, a Florentine
painter of some merit, Vasari observes: "He lived on very familiar
terms of intimacy with Michelangelo; for that great artist, great
above all who ever were, when he wished to refresh his mind, fatigued
by studies and incessant labours of the body and the intellect, found
no one more to his liking and more congenial to his humour than was
Indaco." Nothing is recorded concerning their friendship, except that
Buonarroti frequently invited Indaco to meals; and one day, growing
tired of the man's incessant chatter, sent him out to buy figs, and
then locked the house-door, so that he could not enter when he had
discharged his errand. A boon-companion of the same type was
Menighella, whom Vasari describes as "a mediocre and stupid painter of
Valdarno, but extremely amusing." He used to frequent Michelangelo's
house, "and he, who could with difficulty be induced to work for
kings, would lay aside all other occupations in order to make drawings
for this fellow." What Menighella wanted was some simple design or
other of S. Rocco, S. Antonio, or S. Francesco, to be coloured for one
of his peasant patrons. Vasari says that Michelangelo modelled a very
beautiful Christ for this humble friend, from which Menighella made a
cast, and repeated it in papier-mache, selling these crucifixes
through the country-side. What would n