The Life of Michelangelo BuonarrotiSymonds, John Addington
History
The Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti
Symonds, John Addington
Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475-1564
Talking with Michelangelo in 1549--that is, twenty years after the
event--Busini heard from his lips this account of the flight. "I asked
Michelangelo what was the reason of his departure from Florence. He
spoke as follows: 'I was one of the Nine when the Florentine troops
mustered within our lines under Malatesta Baglioni and Mario Orsini
and the other generals: whereupon the Ten distributed the men along
the walls and bastions, assigning to each captain his own post, with
victuals and provisions; and among the rest, they gave eight pieces of
artillery to Malatesta for the defence of part of the bastions at S.
Miniato. He did not, however, mount these guns within the bastions,
but below them, and set no guard.' Michelangelo, as architect and
magistrate, having to inspect the lines at S. Miniato, asked Mario
Orsini how it was that Malatesta treated his artillery so carelessly.
The latter answered: 'You must know that the men of his house are all
traitors, and in time he too will betray this town.' These words
inspired him with such terror that he was obliged to fly, impelled by
dread lest the city should come to misfortune, and he together with
it. Having thus resolved, he found Rinaldo Corsini, to whom he
communicated his thought, and Corsini replied lightly: 'I will go with
you.' So they mounted horse with a sum of money, and road to the Gate
of Justice, where the guards would not let them pass. While waiting
there, some one sung out: 'Let him by, for he is of the Nine, and it
is Michelangelo.' So they went forth, three on horseback, he, Rinaldo,
and that man of his who never left him. They came to Castelnuovo (in
the Garfagnana), and heard that Tommaso Soderini and Niccolò Capponi
were staying there. Michelangelo refused to go and see them, but
Rinaldo went, and when he came back to Florence, as I shall relate, he
reported how Niccolò had said to him: 'O Rinaldo, I dreamed to-night
that Lorenzo Zampalochi had been made Gonfalonier;' alluding to
Lorenzo Giacomini, who had a swollen leg, and had been his adversary
in the Ten. Well, they took the road for Venice; but when they came to
Polesella, Rinaldo proposed to push on to Ferrara and have an
interview with Galeotto Giugni. This he did, and Michelangelo awaited
him, for so he promised. Messer Galeotto, who was spirited and sound
of heart, wrought so with Rinaldo that he persuaded him to turn back
to Florence. But Michelangelo pursued his journey to Venice, where he
took a house, intending in due season to travel into France."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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