the Pope might be able to come at his convenience to see him at
work, he had caused a drawbridge to be constructed between the
corridor and that room, which led to a great intimacy between them.
But in time these favours brought much annoyance and even persecution
upon him, and stirred up much envy against him among his
fellow-craftsmen.

[Illustration: VICTORY

(_After =Michelagnolo=. Florence: Museo Nazionale_)

_Anderson_]

Of this work Michelagnolo executed during the lifetime and after the
death of Julius four statues completely finished and eight only
blocked out, as will be related in the proper place; and since the
work was designed with extraordinary invention, we will describe here
below the plan that he adopted. In order to produce an effect of
supreme grandeur, he decided that it should be wholly isolated, so as
to be seen from all four sides, each side in one direction being
twelve braccia and each in the other eighteen, so that the proportions
were a square and a half. It had a range of niches running right round
the outer side, which were divided one from another by terminal
figures clothed from the middle upwards, which with their heads
supported the first cornice, and each terminal figure had bound to it,
in a strange and bizarre attitude, a naked captive, whose feet rested
on a projection of the base. These captives were all provinces
subjugated by that Pontiff and rendered obedient to the Apostolic
Church; and there were various other statues, likewise bound, of all
the noble arts and sciences, which were thus shown to be subject to
death no less than was that Pontiff, who made such honourable use of
them. On the corners of the first cornice were to go four large
figures, the Active and the Contemplative Life, S. Paul, and Moses.
The structure rose above the cornice in steps gradually diminishing,
with a frieze of scenes in bronze, and with other figures, children
and ornaments all around, and at the summit, as a crown to the work,
were two figures, one of which was Heaven, who, smiling, was
supporting a bier on her shoulder, together with Cybele, the Goddess
of Earth, who appeared to be grieving that she was left in a world
robbed of all virtue by the death of such a man; and Heaven appeared
to be smiling with gladness that his soul had passed to celestial
glory. The work was so arranged that one might enter and come out
again by the ends of the quadrangular structure, between the niches,
and t