is works--nay,
destroyed many of them; and I know that a little before he died he
burned a great number of designs, sketches, and cartoons made with his
own hand, to the end that no one might see the labours endured by him
and his methods of trying his genius, and that he might not appear
less than perfect. Of such I have some by his hand, found in Florence,
and placed in my book of drawings; from which, although the greatness
of that brain is seen in them, it is evident that when he wished to
bring forth Minerva from the head of Jove, he had to use Vulcan's
hammer. Thus he used to make his figures in the proportion of nine,
ten, and even twelve heads, seeking nought else but that in putting
them all together there should be a certain harmony of grace in the
whole, which nature does not present; saying that it was necessary to
have the compasses in the eyes and not in the hand, because the hands
work and the eye judges; which method he used also in architecture.

No one should think it strange that Michelagnolo delighted in
solitude, he having been one who was enamoured of his art, which
claims a man, with all his thoughts, for herself alone; moreover, it
is necessary that he who wishes to attend to her studies should shun
society, and, while attending to the considerations of art, he is
never alone or without thoughts. And those who attributed it to
caprice and eccentricity are wrong, because he who wishes to work well
must withdraw himself from all cares and vexations, since art demands
contemplation, solitude, and ease of life, and will not suffer the
mind to wander. For all this, he prized the friendship of many great
persons and of learned and ingenious men, at convenient times; and
these he maintained. Thus the great Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici loved
him greatly, and, having heard that a Turkish horse that he possessed
pleased Michelagnolo because of its beauty, it was sent as a present
to him by the liberality of that lord, with ten mules laden with
fodder, and a serving-man to attend to it; and Michelagnolo accepted
it willingly. The illustrious Cardinal Pole was much his friend,
Michelagnolo being enamoured of his goodness and his talents; also
Cardinal Farnese, and Santa Croce, which latter afterwards became Pope
Marcellus, Cardinal Ridolfi, Cardinal Maffeo, Monsignor Bembo, Carpi,
and many other Cardinals, Bishops, and Prelates, whom it is not
necessary to name. Others were Monsignor Claudio Tolomei, the
Ma