- ble sufficiently large for his purpose, 
and was also accommodated with chi- 
toexecute his undertaking. Although 
this was lis first essay in sculpture, 
he in a few days brought his task 
to a conclusion ; with his own in- 
vention supplied what was imperfect 
in the original, and made some other 
additions. Lorenzo visiting his 
garden as usual, found Michel An- 
gelo polishing his mask, and thought 
‘it an, extraordinary work for. so 
young an artist; nevertheless, he 
_jestingly remarked, You have re- 
stored to the old ee all his teeth, 
but don’t you know that a man of 
such an age has generally some 
wanting 2”? Upon this observation 
Michel Angelo was impatient for 
‘Lorenzo’s absence, that he might 
_be alone to avail himself of his cri- 
ticism ; and immediately, on his reti- 
ring, broke a tooth from the upper 
jaw, and drilled a hole in the gum 
_to represent its having fallen out. 
_ £¢ When Lorenzo made his next 
visit, he immediately saw the alter- 
tion, and was delighted with the 
_aptness and simplicity of his scho- 
tar; he laughed exceedingly, and 
related the incident to his friends as 
an instauce of docility and quick. 
» ness of parts.”’* 
This circumstance made Lorenzo 
 resolye to take him under his own 
immediate patronage, and accord- 
ingly he sent for the father. ‘The 
_ father was greatly averse to this va 
- degradation, as he supposed it ; 
y be a painter was bad for a eres 
roti, to be a stone-mason still 
" worse ; and he lamented that Gra- 
_nacci had Jed his son astray, for it 
_was from him that Michel Angelo 
success. 
CH A: REACT. ELRS,, 
sels and whatever else was necessary 
831 
had first iearnt his love for the arts. 
When, however, upon waiting on 
Lorenzo, he found that Michel was 
to live in the palace, and sit at the 
table of Lorenzo, he became soon 
sensible of the importance of the 
art which he had despised. Ae- 
cordingly the young artist left Ghir. 
landaio, to reside with Lorenzo, 
and for his sake, an office-in the 
custom-house was given to his fa- 
ther, till something better should 
present itself. 
Here he enjoyed every advantage 
that the best models, the best pa- 
tronage, and the best society could 
afford. Unfortunately, after two 
years, Lorenzo died. His son and- 
successor Piero, considered the arts, 
says Mr. Duppa, without any re- 
ference to genius or to intellect, 
and encouraged them only to-admi- 
nister to his idle pleasures. Under 
the patronage of this man, Michel 
Angelo was called upon to make a 
statue of snow! Piero considered 
him with ‘¢ as much esteem as he 
had feeling to bestow,” and the 
measure of this may be pretty well 
estimated from the boast he made, 
that he had two extraordinary men 
in his house, Michel Angelo, and a 
running footman who could keep 
up with a horseman when going full 
speed. 
‘¢ In the house of Piero was a 
man of Cardiere, an improvisatoré 
of great ability, who, in the time of 
Lorenzo, sung improviso to the lyre 
in the evenings while he was at sup- 
per. Being a friend of Michel An- 
gelo, he told him of a vision that 
disturbed his mind: Lorenzo de’ 
Medici, he said, had appeared to 
him in a dream, with his body 
wrapped 
_ * This mask was preserved in the Florence gallery when I visited that city in the 
_ year 1798. It has been engraved im Gori’s edition of Condivi, but with little 
