P ORTRAI T OF M I CH AEL ANGEL O At t r ib u t ed t o Mar cello V en u st i TH E L IFE B Y R O M A I N R o i L KNb BY FREDERIC L E E S ‘ L O NDO N WI L AM H EI N E M A N N r oiz 'r m r r o r MK ‘ HAE L ANG EL O Al h l i mwd ( a M ir e lla) Ven nfifl TH E L IFE O F VIIC H AEL AN GEL O B Y R O M A I N R O L L A N D AU TH OR O F “ O CH RISTO PH ER ” ETC J H N . TRANSL ATED FRO M TH E FRENCH B Y F RE D E R IC L E E S I L L U STRATED L O ND O N W I L L I AM H E I N E M A N N 1 9 1 2 P R EF AC E I N the Nation al Mu seum in Florence is a marble statue ” Th o e e en which Michael Angel o called e Vict r . It r pr s ts ea n e e of a o n man the b utiful ud figur y u g , with curly o o an di n e e h has a e o e a l w e ea . e hair v r f r h d St g r ct , pl c d n on the a of a ea e one who en his k ee b ck b rd d pris r , b ds the and e an ox e e ea o a . , lik , str tch s his h d f rw rd But en a o t o e he victor looks not upon him . Wh b ut strik a an and n a a sad o and st ys his h d , tur s w y his m uth ar a a o a o e . irresolute eyes . His m f lls b ck t w rds his sh uld r a A e e for o no He throws himself b ckwards . d sir vict ry — t o o he longer fills his heart it is repulsive him . Th ugh has n e e he in n an e . co qu r d , tur is v quish d e e en a on of e o o o This r pr s t ti h r ic D ubt , this vict ry with shattered wi ngs (which was the only one of all t he works of Michael Angelo t o remain in his Florence studi o until ' the da of hi s ea an d hi Daniell o da Vo e a the y d th , w ch lt rr , o o en who was a a n e o h b s m fri d cqu i t d with his th ug ts , wished t o use in the ornamentati on of his catafalque) is ae o and th o of s o e Mich l Angel himself e symb l hi wh le lif . Suffering is infinite an d assumes a multitude of o n n f rms . At one time it is caused by the bli d tyra ny vi PREFACE — ne the n e of a e or of thi ngs poverty , sick ss , i justic F t , n an o e e has the wickedness of ma . At th r tim it its ’ n en n o e a e seat in one s very bei g . It is th l ss piti bl a For the o e of our e n was nor less fat l . ch ic b i g n ot ours we asked n either t o live nor t o b e What we are . The latter form of suffering was the one whi ch afflicted — a n o H e had the en h he had the a e Mich el A gel . str gt r r good fortune t o b e fashi oned for struggling and con n W a H e had no e e e n He o e e . qu ri g . c qu r d But h t d sir - for o a was not a he an e . a e e vict ry . Th t wh t w t d H ml t lik tragedy l Poignan t contradiction between an heroic en and a was n ot e o een e o g ius will which h r ic , betw imp ri us passions and a will which willed n ot I Do not e e m e t o see in a e so an o e xp ct this , ft r m y th r oo of ea ne an a ona a of an e pr fs gr t ss , dditi l m rk gr d ur . e e I a a e a e a man e ea N v r will dmit th t , b c us is v ry gr t , the o not ffi en for nea ne of n w rld is su ci t him . U si ss mi d not a n of an An o i o een is sig gr deur . y want f hat n ny betw a e n and n e een e and a o e b i g thi gs , b tw lif its l ws , pr c eds , e en in the a e of ea men not o e ea ne v c s gr t , fr m th ir gr t ss e ea n but th ir w k ess . Why endeavour t o hide this weak n ess Is he who is weaker less worthy of love He is n n e o e of na as h a a i fi it ly w rthi r it , i smuch e h s gre ter need of . I a e not a e t o na e e o it r is st tu s i cc ssible h roes . C wardly ea i e o id l sm , which div rts ur eyes from the woes of life an d the ea ne e of the o I a o w k ss s s ul , bh r . We must tell this h t o trut a people who are t oo sensitive t o the deceptive u o f ill si ns o sonorous words : the heroic lie is a piece of o a e c w rdic . There is onl y one form of heroism in the PREFACE o and on in ee n the o as —and w rld , it c sists s i g w rld it is o n in l vi g it . The tragedy of destiny presen ted in the following a e a of nn a e f e n has o n at p g s is th t i t su f ri g , which its rigi the oo of a e n na n e an and r t b i g , which g ws it i c ss tly will f on o e not leave it until its work o destructi is v r . It shows us one of t he most p owerful of t he types of that great huma n race which for nin eteen centuries has — filled the West with its cries of s orrow an d faith the an Christi . o e da en e an d en e a ea o n S m y , c turi s c turi s h d (supp si g a our ea l e o e e t he eo e the e th t rth is sti l r c ll ct d) , p pl Of futur will ben d over t he abyss into which our race has dis a ea e as an e on the e e of a e o e pp r d , D t did dg M l b lg , with in Of a a on o o an who n e ee d . mi gl d f l gs dmir ti , h rr r pity But l ee e eene an we a e one—we who as wi l f l th m k r th h v d , d en a e e e en e e e a u e we who chil r , h v xp ri c d th s ng ish s ; have seen those who were dearest t o us strive against them we whose throats know the acrid and intoxicating o o an e mi we who on e t a n d ur Of Christi p ssi sm , c r i o a on a e had t o a e an ef o in o e not t o cc si s , h v m k f rt rd r e wa e o e in o en of o t o the en giv y, lik th rs , m m ts d ubt , fr zy of the Divine Nothingness God ! e n a o o o not Et r l life ! Refuge of. th se wh d ee in n e e e o ! a hi e succ d livi g h r b l w F ith , w ch is v ry o en a a of a in li e a a of a in the ft but l ck f ith f , l ck f ith e a a k of a in one e a a of o a e and a futur , l c f ith s lf , l ck c ur g , lack of j oy We are aware of the numb er of defeats on which your sorrowful victory is based l viii PREFACE I o e ou a on an a , And it is for that re s , Christi s , th t l v y o I ou and a e o e an .