Michael Angelo A Dramatic Poem Author:Henry Wadsworth Longfellow General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1884 Original Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin Subjects: Literary Criticism / General Art / History / General Art / European Art / History / Renaissance Art / Individual Artist Literary Criticism / General Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. ... more »It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: MICHAEL ANGELO. Let us now go to the old walls you spake of, Vossignoria -- VITTORIA. What, again, Maestro ? MICHAEL ANGELO. Pardon me, Messer Claudio, if once more I use the ancient courtesies of speech. I am too old to change. IV. CARDINAL IPPOLITO. A ricMy furnished apartment in the Palace of Cardinal Ippolito. Night. Jacopo Nardi, an old man, alone. NARDI. I am bewildered. These Numidian slaves, In strange attire ; these endless antechambers; This lighted hall, with all its golden splendors, Pictures, and statues ! Can this be the dwelling Of a disciple of that lowly Man Who had not where to lay his head ? These statues Are not of Saints; nor is this a Madonna, This lovely face, that with such tender eyes Looks down upon me from the painted canvas. My heart begins to fail me. What can he Who lives in boundless luxury at Rome Care for the imperilled liberties of Florence, Her people, her Republic ? Ah, the rich Feel not the pangs of banishment. All doors Are open to them, and all hands extended. The poor alone are outcasts; they who risked All they possessed for liberty, and lost; And wander through the world without a friend, Sick, comfortless, distressed, unknown, uncared for. Enter Cardinal Ippolito, in Spanish cloak and slouched hat. IPPOLITO. I pray you pardon me that I have kept you Waiting so long alone. The Cardinal. And you ? NARDI. I wait to...« less