And when his years were already
beginning to decline, Vittoria Colonna came into his life, a semblance
and symbol of divine perfection. The love which took possession of him
transformed his whole life and lifted it into religion. In his
tempestuous soul this first love, coming so late in life, far exceeded
human limits; it became adoration and religious ecstasy. Michelangelo,
who could not tolerate in friendship any other relationship than that of
complete self-surrender and equality, threw himself into the very dust
before his love and debased himself almost to self-destruction.
His book of poems is filled with an unspeakable longing for the
perfection of earthly beauty and for eternity; and his beloved mistress
is the sole symbol of this metaphysical climax. Earthly beauty is but an
imperfect semblance of the divine beauty, the embodiment of which is his
love. We meet all the familiar motives; he is nothing before her; he is
unworthy of existence; he is like the moon receiving her light from the
sun; love has raised him from his base condition and is teaching him the
futility of all he had hitherto valued.
Pages:
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358