etters of such authority
that, should he do you harm, he will be doing it to this Signory.'
Accordingly I took the letters, and went back to the Pope."

Condivi gives a graphic account of the transaction which ensued.
"During the months he stayed in Florence three papal briefs were sent
to the Signory, full of threats, commanding that he should be sent
back by fair means or by force. Piero Soderini, who was Gonfalonier
for life at that time, had sent him against his own inclination to
Rome when Julius first asked for him. Accordingly, when the first of
these briefs arrived, he did not compel Michelangelo to go, trusting
that the Pope's anger would calm down. But when the second and the
third were sent, he called Michelangelo and said: 'You have tried a
bout with the Pope on which the King of France would not have
ventured; therefore you must not go on letting yourself be prayed for.
We do not wish to go to war on your account with him, and put our
state in peril. Make your mind up to return.' Michelangelo, seeing
himself brought to this pass, and still fearing the anger of the Pope,
bethought him of taking refuge in the East. The Sultan indeed besought
him with most liberal promises, through the means of certain
Franciscan friars, to come and construct a bridge from Constantinople
to Pera, and to execute other great works. When the Gonfalonier got
wind of this intention he sent for Michelangelo and used these
arguments to dissuade him: 'It were better to choose death with the
Pope than to keep in life by going to the Turk. Nevertheless, there is
no fear of such an ending; for the Pope is well disposed, and sends
for you because he loves you, not to do you harm. If you are afraid,
the Signory will send you with the title of ambassador; forasmuch as
public personages are never treated with violence, since this would be
done to those who send them.'"

We only possess one brief from Julius to the Signory of Florence. It
is dated Rome, July 8, 1506, and contains this passage: "Michelangelo
the sculptor, who left us without reason, and in mere caprice, is
afraid, as we are informed, of returning, though we for our part are
not angry with him, knowing the humours of such men of genius. In
order, then, that he may lay aside all anxiety, we rely on your
loyalty to convince him in our name, that if he returns to us, he
shall be uninjured and unhurt, retaining our apostolic favour in the
same measure as he formerly enjoyed it."