again　at　Florence。　　He　had　also　painted　some；　and　with　such
  immediate　success　that　he　had　been　invited　to　assist　Da　Vinci　in
  decorating　a　hall　in　the　ducal　palace　at　Florence。　　But　sculpture
  was　his　chosen　art；　and　when　called　to　paint　the　Sistine　Chapel；　he
  implored　the　Pope　that　he　might　be　allowed　to　finish　the　mausoleum
  which　he　had　begun；　and　that　Raphael；　then　dazzling　the　whole　city
  by　his　unprecedented　talents；　might　be　substituted　for　him　in　that
  great　work。　　But　the　Pope　was　inflexible；　and　the　great　artist
  began　his　task；　assisted　by　other　painters；　however；　he　soon　got
  disgusted　with　them　and　sent　them　away；　and　worked　alone。　　For
  twenty　months　he　toiled；　rarely　seen；　living　abstemiously；　absorbed
  utterly　in　his　work　of　creation；　and　the　greater　portion　of　the
  compartments　in　the　vast　ceiling　was　finished　before　any　other
  voice　than　his；　except　the　admiring　voice　of　the　Pope；　pronounced
  it　good。
  It　would　be　useless　to　attempt　to　describe　those　celebrated
  frescos。　　Their　subjects　were　taken　from　the　Book　of　Genesis；　with
  great　figures　of　sibyls　and　prophets。　　They　are　now　half…concealed
  by　the　accumulated　dust　and　smoke　of　three　hundred　years；　and　can
  be　surveyed　only　by　reclining　at　full　length　on　the　back。　　We　see
  enough；　however；　to　be　impressed　with　the　boldness；　the　majesty；
  and　the　originality　of　the　figures；their　fidelity　to　nature；　the
  knowledge　of　anatomy　displayed；　and　the　disdain　of　inferior　arts；
  especially　the　noble　disdain　of　appealing　to　false　and　perverted
  taste；　as　if　he　painted　from　an　exalted　ideal　in　his　own　mind；
  which　ideal　is　ever　associated　with　creative　power。
  It　is　this　creative　power　which　places　Michael　Angelo　at　the　head
  of　the　artists　of　his　great　age；　and　not　merely　the　power　to　create
  but　the　power　of　realizing　the　most　exalted　conceptions。　　Raphael
  was　doubtless　superior　to　him　in　grace　and　beauty；　even　as　Titian
  afterwards　surpassed　him　in　coloring。　　He　delighted；　like　Dante；　in
  the　awful　and　the　terrible。　　This　grandeur　of　conception　was
  especially　seen　in　his　Last　Judgment；　executed　thirty　years
  afterwards；　in　completion　of　the　Sistine　Chapel；　the　work　on　which
  had　been　suspended　at　the　death　of　Julius。　　This　vast　fresco　is
  nearly　seventy　feet　in　height；　painted　upon　the　wall　at　the　end　of
  the　chapel；　as　an　altar…piece。　　No　subject　could　have　been　better
  adapted　to　his　genius　than　thisthe　day　of　supernal　terrors　（dies
  irae；　dies　illa）；　when；　according　to　the　sentiments　of　the　Middle
  Ages；　the　doomed　were　subjected　to　every　variety　of　physical
  suffering；　and　when　this　agony　of　pain；　rather　than　agony　of
  remorse；　was　expressed　in　tortured　limbs　and　in　faces　writhing　with
  demoniacal　despair。　　Such　was　the　variety　of　tortures　which　he
  expressed；　showing　an　unexampled　richness　in　imaginative　powers；
  that　people　came　to　see　it　from　the　remotest　parts　of　Italy。　　It
  made　a　great　sensation；　like　the　appearance　of　an　immortal　poem；
  and　was　magnificently　rewarded；　for　the　painter　received　a　pension
  of　twelve　hundred　golden　crowns　a　year；a　great　sum　in　that　age。
  But　Michael　Angelo　did　not　paint　many　pieces；　he　confined　himself
  chiefly　to　cartoons　and　designs；　which；　scattered　far　and　wide；
  were　reproduced　by　other　artists。　　His　most　famous　cartoon　was　the
  Battle　of　Pisa；　the　one　executed　for　the　ducal　palace　of　Florence；
  as　pendant　to　one　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　then　in　the　height　of　his
  fame。　　This　picture　was　so　remarkable　for　the　accuracy　of　drawing；
  and　the　variety　and　form　of　expression；　that　Raphael　came　to
  Florence　on　purpose　to　study　it；　and　it　was　the　power　of　giving
  boldness　and　dignity　and　variety　to　the　human　figure；　as　shown　in
  this　painting；　which　constitutes　his　great　originality　and
  transcendent　excellence。　　The　great　creations　of　the　painters；　in
  modern　times　as　well　as　in　the　ancient；　are　those　which　represent
  the　human　figure　in　its　ideal　excellence；which　of　course　implies
  what　is　most　perfect；　not　in　any　one　man　or　woman；　but　in　men　and
  women　collectively。　　Hence　the　greatest　of　painters　rarely　have
  stooped　to　landscape　painting；　since　no　imaginary　landscape　can
  surpass　what　everybody　has　seen　in　nature。　　You　cannot　improve　on
  the　colors　of　the　rainbow；　or　the　gilded　clouds　of　sunset；　or　the
  shadows　of　the　mountain；　or　the　graceful　form　of　trees；　or　the
  varied　tints　of　leaves　and　flowers；　but　you　can　represent　the
  figure　of　a　man　or　woman　more　beautiful　than　any　one　man　or　woman
  that　has　ever　appeared。　　What　mortal　woman　ever　expressed　the
  ethereal　beauty　depicted　in　a　Madonna　of　Raphael　or　Murillo？　　And
  what　man　ever　had　such　a　sublimity　of　aspect　and　figure　as　the
  creations　of　Michael　Angelo？　　Why；　〃a　beggar；〃　says　one　of　his
  greatest　critics；　〃arose　from　his　hand　the　patriarch　of　poverty；
  the　hump　of　his　dwarf　is　impressed　with　dignity；　his　infants　are
  men；　and　his　men　are　giants。〃　　And；　says　another　critic；　〃he　is　the
  inventor　of　epic　painting；　in　that　sublime　circle　of　the　Sistine
  Chapel　which　exhibits　the　origin；　progress；　and　final　dispensation
  of　the　theocracy。　　He　has　personified　motion　in　the　cartoon　of
  Pisa；　portrayed　meditation　in　the　prophets　and　sibyls　of　the
  Sistine　Chapel　and　in　the　Last　Judgment；　traced　every　attitude
  which　varies　the　human　body；　with　every　passion　which　sways　the
  human　soul。〃　　His　supremacy　is　in　the　mighty　soaring　of　his
  intellectual　conceptions。　　Marvellous　as　a　creator；　like
  Shakspeare；　profound　and　solemn；　like　Dante；　representing　power
  even　in　repose；　and　giving　to　the　Cyclopean　forms　which　he　has
  called　into　being　a　charm　of　moral　excellence　which　secures　our
  sympathy；　a　firm　believer　in　a　supreme　and　personal　God；
  disciplined　in　worldly　trials；　and　glowing　in　lofty　conceptions　of
  justice；he　delights　in　portraying　the　stern　prophets　of　Israel；
  surrounded　with　an　atmosphere　of　holiness；　yet　breathing　compassion
  on　those　whom　they　denounce；　august　in　dignity；　yet　melting　with
  tenderness；　solemn；　sad；　profound。　　Thus　was　his　influence　pure　and
  exalted　in　an　art　which　has　too　often　been　prostituted　to　please
  the　perverted　taste　of　a　sensual　age。　　The　most　refined　and
  expressive　of　all　the　arts；as　it　sometimes　is；　and　always　should
  be；is　the　one　which　oftenest　appeals　to　that　which　Christianity
  teaches　us　to　shun。　　You　may　say；　〃Evil　to　him　who　evil　thinks；〃
  especially　ye　pure　and　immaculate　persons　who　have　walked
  uncorrupted　amid　the　galleries　of　Paris；　Dresden；　Florence；　and
  Rome；　but　I　fancy　that　pictures；　like　books；　are　what　we　choose　to
  make　them；　and　that　the　more　exquisite　the　art　by　which　vice　is
  divested　of　its　grossness；　but　not　of　its　subtle　poisons；like　the
  New　Heloise　of　Rousseau　or　the　Wilhelm　Meister　of　Goethe；the　more
  fatally　will　it　lead　astray　by　the　insidious　entrance　of　an　evil
  spirit　in　the　guise　of　an　angel　of　light。　　Art；　like　literature；　is
  neither　good　nor　evil　abstractly；　but　may　become　a　savor　of　death
  unto　death；　as　well　as　of　life　unto　life。　　You　cannot　extinguish　it
  without　destroying　one　of　the　noblest　developments　of　civilization；
  but　you　cannot　have　civilization　without　multiplying　the
  temptations　of　human　society；　and　hence　must　be　guarded　from　those
  destructive　cankers　which；　as　in　old　Rome；　eat　out　the　virtues　on
  which　the　strength　of　man　is　based。　　The　old　apostles；　and　other
  great　benefactors　of　the　world；　attached　more　value　to　the　truths
  which　elevate　than　to　the　arts　which　soften。　　It　was　the　noble
  direction　which　Michael　Angelo　gave　to　art　which　made　him　a　great
  benefactor　not　only　of　civilization；　but　also　of　art；　by　linking
  with　it　the　eternal　ideas　of　majesty　and　dignity；　as　well　as　the
  truths　which　are　taught　by　divine　inspiration；another
  illustration　of　the　profound　reverence　which　the　great　master　minds
  of　the　world；　like　Augustine；　Pascal；　and　Bacon；　have　ever
  expressed　for　the　ideas　which　were　revealed　by　Christianity　and　the
  old　prophets　of　Jehovah；　ideas　which　many　bright　but　inferior
  intellects；　in　their　egotistical　arrogance；　have　sought　to　subvert。
  Yet　it　was　neither　as　sculptor　nor　painter　that　Michael　Angelo　left
  the　most　enduring　influence；　but　as　architect。　　Painting　and
  sculpture　are　the　exclusive　ornaments　and　possession　of　the　rich
  and　favored。　　But　architecture　concerns　all　men；　and　most　men　have
  something　to　do　with　it　in　the　course　of　their　lives。　　What　boots
  it　that　a　man　pays　two　thousand　pounds　for　a　picture　to　be　shut　up
  in　his　library；　and　probably　more　valued　for　its　rarity；　or　from
  the　caprices　of　fashion；　than　for　its　real　merits？　　But　it　is
  something　when　a　nation　pays　a　million　for　a　ridiculous　building；
  without　regard　to　the　object　for　which　it　is　intended；to　be
  observed　and　criticised　by　everybody　and　for　succeeding
  generations。　　A　good　picture　is　the　admiration　of　a　few；　a
  magnificent　edifice　is　the　pride　of　thousands。　　A　picture
  necessarily　cultivates　the　taste　of　a　family　circle；　a　public
  edifice　educates　the　minds　of　millions。　　Even　the　Moses　of