,ver4#aj_/jd_/ja99;,,end99 ,this etext was produced by ,norman ,wolcott4 ,autobiography of ,benvenuto ,cellini ,redactor's ,note3 ,this version of the ,autobiography1 one of the most famous of all time1 was translated by ,john ,addington ,symonds 7#ahdj-ahic74 ,cellini lived from #aejj-aega4 ,this version is in ,,iso ,latin#a with #h bit accents1 and is also supplied in a single file ,,html version4 ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------- ,the ,autobiography of ,benvenuto ,cellini ,translated ,by ,john ,addington ,symonds ,with ,introduction and ,notes ,volume #ca ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------- ,introductory ,sonnet ,,this tale of my sore-troubled life ,i write1 ,to thank the ,god of nature1 who conveyed ,my soul to me1 and with such care hath stayed ,that divers noble deeds ,i've brought to light4 #8,twas ,he subdued my cruel fortune's spite3 ,life glory virtue measureless hath made ,such grace worth beauty be through me displayed ,that few can rival1 none surpass me quite4 ,only it grieves me when ,i understand ,what precious time in vanity ,i've spent- ,the wind it beareth man's frail thoughts away4 ,yet1 since remorse avails not1 ,i'm content1 ,as erst ,i came1 ,,welcome to go one day1 ,here in the ,flower of this fair ,tuscan land4 ,introductory ,note ,,among the vast number of men who have thought fit to write down the history of their own lives1 three or four have achieved masterpieces which stand out preeminently3 ,saint ,augustine in his 8,confessions10 ,samuel ,pepys in his 8,diary10 ,rousseau in his 8,confessions40 ,it is among these extraordinary documents1 and unsurpassed by any of them1 that the autobiography of ,benvenuto ,cellini takes its place4 ,the 8,life0 of himself which ,cellini wrote was due to other motives than those which produced its chief competitors for first place in its class4 ,st4 ,augustine's aim was religious and didactic1 ,pepys noted down in his diary the daily events of his life for his sole satisfaction and with no intention that any one should read the cipher in which they were recorded4 ,but ,cellini wrote that the world might know1 after he was dead1 what a fellow he had been2 what great things he had attempted1 and against what odds he had carried them through4 8,all men10 he held1 8whatever be their condition1 who have done anything of merit1 or which verily has a semblance of merit1 if so be they are men of truth and good repute1 should write the tale of their life with their own hand40 ,that he had done many things of merit1 he had no manner of doubt4 ,his repute was great in his day1 and perhaps good in the sense in which he meant goodness2 as to whether he was a man of truth1 there is still dispute among scholars4 ,of some misrepresentations1 some suppressions of damaging facts1 there seems to be evidence only too good-a man with ,cellini's passion for proving himself in the right could hardly have avoided being guilty of such-2 but of the general trustworthiness of his record1 of the kind of man he was and the kind of life he led1 there is no reasonable doubt4 ,the period covered by the autobiography is from ,cellini's birth in #aejj to #aefb2 the scene is mainly in ,italy and ,france4 ,of the great events of the time1 the time of the ,reformation and the ,counter-,reformation1 of the strife of ,pope and ,emperor and ,king1 we get only glimpses4 ,the leaders in these events appear in the foreground of the picture only when they come into personal relations with the hero2 and then not mainly as statesmen or warriors1 but as connoisseurs and patrons of art4 ,such an event as the ,sack of ,rome is described because ,benvenuto himself fought in it4 ,much more complete is the view he gives of the artistic life of the time4 ,it was the age of ,michelangelo1 and in the throng of great artists which then filled the ,italian cities1 ,cellini was no inconsiderable figure4 ,michelangelo himself he knew and adored4 ,nowhere can we gain a better idea than in this book of the passionate enthusiasm for the creation of beauty which has bestowed upon the ,italy of the ,renaissance its greatest glory4 ,very vivid1 too1 is the impression we receive of the social life of the sixteenth century2 of its violence and licentiousness1 of its zeal for fine craftsmanship1 of its abounding vitality1 its versatility and its idealism4 ,for ,cellini himself is an epitome of that century4 ,this man who tells here the story of his life was a murderer and a braggart1 insolent1 sensual1 inordinately proud and passionate2 but he was also a worker in gold and silver1 rejoicing in delicate chasing and subtle modelling of precious surfaces2 a sculptor and a musician2 and1 as all who read his book must testify1 a great master of narrative4 ,keen as was ,benvenuto's interest in himself1 and much as he loved to dwell on the splendor of his exploits and achievements1 he had little idea that centuries after his death he would live again1 less by his 8,perseus0 and his goldsmith's work than by the book which he dictated casually to a lad of fourteen1 while he went about his work4 ,the autobiography was composed between #aeeh and #aeff1 but it brings the record down only to #aefb4 ,the remainder of ,cellini's life seems to have been somewhat more peaceful4 ,in #aefe he married ,piera de ,salvadore ,parigi1 a servant who had nursed him when he was sick2 and in the care of his children1 as earlier of his sister and nieces1 he showed more tenderness than might have been expected from a man of his boisterous nature4 ,he died at ,florence1 ,may #ac1 #aega1 and was buried in ,the ,church of the ,annunziata in that city4 ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------- ,autobiography of ,benvenuto ,cellini ,i ,,all men of whatsoever quality they be1 who have done anything of excellence1 or which may properly resemble excellence1 ought1 if they are persons of truth and honesty1 to describe their life with their own hand2 but they ought not to attempt so fine an enterprise till they have passed the age of forty4 ,this duty occurs to my own mind now that ,i am travelling beyond the term of fifty-eight years1 and am in ,florence1 the city of my birth4 ,many untoward things can ,i remember1 such as happen to all who live upon our earth2 and from those adversities ,i am now more free than at any previous period of my career-nay1 it seems to me that ,i enjoy greater content of soul and health of body than ever ,i did in bygone years4 ,i can also bring to mind some pleasant goods and some inestimable evils1 which1 when ,i turn my thoughts backward1 strike terror in me1 and astonishment that ,i should have reached this age of fifty-eight1 wherein1 thanks be to ,god1 ,i am still travelling prosperously forward4 ,,ii ,,it is true that men who have laboured with some show of excellence1 have already given knowledge of themselves to the world2 and this alone ought to suffice them2 ,i mean the fact that they have proved their manhood and achieved renown4 ,yet one must needs live like others2 and so in a work like this there will always be found occasion for natural bragging1 which is of divers kinds1 and the first is that a man should let others know he draws his lineage from persons of worth and most ancient origin4 ,i am called ,benvenuto ,cellini1 son of ,maestro ,giovanni1 son of ,andrea1 son of ,cristofano ,cellini2 my mother was ,madonna ,elisabetta1 daughter to ,stefano ,granacci2 both parents citizens of ,florence4 ,it is found written in chronicles made by our ancestors of ,florence1 men of old time and of credibility1 even as ,giovanni ,villani writes1 that the city of ,florence was evidently built in imitation of the fair city of ,rome2 and certain remnants of the ,colosseum and the ,baths can yet be traced4 ,these things are near ,santa ,croce4 ,the ,capitol was where is now the ,old ,market4 ,the ,rotonda is entire1 which was made for the temple of ,mars1 and is now dedicated to our ,saint ,john4 ,that thus is was1 can very well be seen1 and cannot be denied1 but the said buildings are much smaller than those of ,rome4 ,he who caused them to built1 they say1 was ,julius ,csar1 in concert with some noble ,romans1 who1 when ,fiesole had been stormed and taken1 raised a city in this place1 and each of them took in hand to erect one of these notable edifices4 ,julius ,csar had among his captains a man of highest rank and valour1 who was called ,fiorino of ,cellino1 which is a village about two miles distant from ,monte ,fiascone4 ,now this ,fiorino took up his quarters under the hill of ,fiesole1 on the ground where ,florence now stands1 in order to be near the river ,arno1 and for the convenience of the troops4 ,all those soldiers and others who had to do with the said captain1 used then to say3 8,let us go to ,fiorenze20 as well because the said captain was called ,fiorino1 as also because the place he had chosen for his quarters was by nature very rich in flowers4 ,upon the foundation of the city1 therefore1 since this name struck ,julius ,csar as being fair and apt1 and given by circumstance1 and seeing furthermore that flowers themselves bring good augury1 he appointed the name of ,florence for the town4 ,he wished besides to pay his valiant captain this compliment2 and he loved him all the more for having drawn him from a very humble place1 and for the reason that so excellent a man was a creature of his own4 ,the name that learned inventors and investigators of such etymologies adduce1 as that ,florence is flowing at the ,arno1 cannot hold2 seeing that ,rome is flowing at the ,tiber1 ,ferrara is flowing at the ,po1 ,lyons is flowing at the ,saone1 ,paris is flowing at the ,seine1 and yet the names of all these towns are different1 and have come to them by other ways4 #a ,thus then we find2 and thus we believe that we are descended from a man of worth4 ,furthermore1 we find that there are ,cellinis of our stock in ,ravenna1 that most ancient town of ,italy1 where too are plenty of gentle folk4 ,in ,pisa also there are some1 and ,i have discovered them in many parts of ,christendom2 and in this state also the breed exists1 men devoted to the profession of arms2 for not many years ago a young man1 called ,luca ,cellini1 a beardless youth1 fought with a soldier of experience and a most valorous man1 named ,francesco da ,vicorati1 who had frequently fought before in single combat4 ,this ,luca1 by his own valour1 with sword in hand1 overcame and slew him1 with such bravery and stoutness that he moved the folk to wonder1 who were expecting quite the contrary issue2 so that ,i glory in tracing my descent from men of valour4 ,as for the trifling honours which ,i have gained for my house1 under the well-known conditions of our present ways of living1 and by means of my art1 albeit the same are matters of no great moment1 ,i will relate these in their proper time and place1 taking much more pride in having been born humble and having laid some honourable foundation for my family1 than if ,i had been born of great lineage and had stained or overclouded that by my base qualities4 ,so then ,i will make a beginning by saying how it pleased ,god ,i should be born4 ,note #a4 ,he is alluding to the name ',fluenzia1' which some antiquaries of his day thought to have been the earliest name of the city1 derived from its being near ',arno ,fluente4' ,i have translated the word 'fluente' in the text literally1 though of course it signifies 8situated on a flowing river40 ,i need not call attention to the apocryphal nature of ,cellini's own derivation from the name of his supposed ancestor4 ,,iii ,,my ancestors dwelt in ,val d' ,ambra1 where they owned large estates1 and lived like little lords1 in retirement1 however1 on account of the then contending factions4 ,they were all men devoted to arms and of notable bravery4 ,in that time one of their sons1 the younger1 who was called ,cristofano1 roused a great feud with certain of their friends and neighbours4 ,now the heads of the families on both sides took part in it1 and the fire kindled seemed to them so threatening that their houses were like to perish utterly2 the elders upon this consideration1 in concert with my own ancestors1 removed ,cristofano2 and the other youth with whom the quarrel began was also sent away4 ,they sent their young man to ,siena4 ,our folk sent ,cristofano to ,florence2 and there they bought for him a little house in ,via ,chiara1 close to the convent of ,s4 ,orsola1 and they also purchased for him some very good property near the ,ponte a ,rifredi4 ,the said ,cristofano took wife in ,florence1 and had sons and daughters2 and when all the daughters had been portioned off1 the sons1 after their father's death1 divided what remained4 ,the house in ,via ,chiara with some other trifles fell to the share of one of the said sons1 who had the name of ,andrea4 ,he also took wife1 and had four male children4 ,the first was called ,girolamo1 the second ,bartolommeo1 the third ,giovanni1 who was afterwards my father1 and the fourth ,francesco4 ,this ,andrea ,cellini was very well versed in architecture1 as it was then practised1 and lived by it as his trade4 ,giovanni1 who was my father1 paid more attention to it than any of the other brothers4 ,and since ,vitruvius says1 amongst other things1 that one who wishes to practise that art well must have something of music and good drawing1 ,giovanni1 when he had mastered drawing1 began to turn his mind to music1 and together with the theory learned to play most excellently on the viol and the flute2 and being a person of studious habits1 he left his home but seldom4 ,they had for neighbour in the next house a man called ,stefano ,granacci1 who had several daughters1 all of them of remarkable beauty4 ,as it pleased ,god1 ,giovanni noticed one of these girls who was named ,elisabetta2 and she found such favour with him that he asked her in marriage4 ,the fathers of both of them being well acquainted through their close neighbourhood1 it was easy to make this match up2 and each thought that he had very well arranged his affairs4 ,first of all the two good old men agreed upon the marriage2 then they began to discuss the dowry1 which led to a certain amount of friendly difference2 for ,andrea said to ,stefano3 8,my son ,giovanni is the stoutest youth of ,florence1 and of all ,italy to boot1 and if ,i had wanted earlier to have him married1 ,i could have procured one of the largest dowries which folk of our rank get in ,florence30 whereupon ,stefano answered3 8,you have a thousand reasons on your side2 but here am ,i with five daughters and as many sons1 and when my reckoning is made1 this is as much as ,i can possibly afford40 ,giovanni1 who had been listening awhile unseen by them1 suddenly broke in and said3 8,o my father1 ,i have sought and loved that girl and not their money4 ,ill luck to those who seek to fill their pockets by the dowry of their wife6 ,as you have boasted that ,i am a fellow of such parts1 do you not think that ,i shall be able to provide for my wife and satisfy her needs1 even if ,i receive something short of the portion you would like to get8 ,now ,i must make you understand that the woman is mine1 and you may take the dowry for yourself40 ,at this ,andrea ,cellini1 who was a man of rather awkward temper1 grew a trifle angry2 but after a few days ,giovanni took his wife1 and never asked for other portion with her4 ,they enjoyed their youth and wedded love through eighteen years1 always greatly desiring to be blessed with children4 ,at the end of this time ,giovanni's wife miscarried of two boys through the unskilfulness of the doctors4 ,later on she was again with child1 and gave birth to a girl1 whom they called ,cosa1 after the mother of my father4 #a ,at the end of two years she was once more with child2 and inasmuch as those longings to which pregnant women are subject1 and to which they pay much attention1 were now exactly the same as those of her former pregnancy1 they made their minds up that she would give birth to a female as before1 and agreed to call the child ,reparata1 after the mother of my mother4 ,it happened that she was delivered on a night of ,all ,saints1 following the feast-day1 at half-past four precisely1 in the year #aejj4 #b ,the midwife1 who knew that they were expecting a girl1 after she had washed the baby and wrapped it in the fairest white linen1 came softly to my father ,giovanni and said3 8,i am bringing you a fine present1 such as you did not anticipate40 ,my father1 who was a true philosopher1 was walking up and down1 and answered3 8,what ,god gives me is always dear to me20 and when he opened the swaddling clothes1 he saw with his own eyes the unexpected male child4 ,joining together the palms of his old hands1 he raised them with his eyes to ,god1 and said 8,lord1 ,i thank ,thee with my whole heart2 this gift is very dear to me2 let him be ,welcome40 ,all the persons who were there asked him joyfully what name the child should bear4 ,giovanni would make no other answer than 8,let him be ,welcome-,benvenuto20 #c and so they resolved1 and this name was given me at ,holy ,baptism1 and by it ,i still am living with the grace of ,god4 ,note #a4 ,cosa is ,florentine for ,niccolsa4 ,note #b4 ,the hour is reckoned1 according to the old ,italian fashion1 from sunset of one day to sunset of the next-twenty-four hours4 ,note #c4 ,benvenuto means ,welcome4 ,,iv ,,andrea ,,cellini was yet alive when ,i was about three years old1 and he had passed his hundredth4 ,one day they had been altering a certain conduit pertaining to a cistern1 and there issued from it a great scorpion unperceived by them1 which crept down from the cistern to the ground1 and slank away beneath a bench4 ,i saw it1 and ran up to it1 and laid my hands upon it4 ,it was so big that when ,i had it in my little hands1 it put out its tail on one side1 and on the other thrust forth both its mouths4 #a ,they relate that ,i ran in high joy to my grandfather1 crying out3 8,look1 grandpapa1 at my pretty little crab40 ,when he recognised that the creature was a scorpion1 he was on the point of falling dead for the great fear he had and anxiety about me4 ,he coaxed and entreated me to give it him2 but the more he begged1 the tighter ,i clasped it1 crying and saying ,i would not give it to any one4 ,my father1 who was also in the house1 ran up when he heard my screams1 and in his stupefaction could not think how to prevent the venomous animal from killing me4 ,just then his eyes chanced to fall upon a pair of scissors2 and so1 while soothing and caressing me1 he cut its tail and mouths off4 ,afterwards1 when the great peril had been thus averted1 he took the occurrence for a good augury4 ,when ,i was about five years old my father happened to be in a basement-chamber of our house1 where they had been washing1 and where a good fire of oak-logs was still burning2 he had a viol in his hand1 and was playing and singing alone beside the fire4 ,the weather was very cold4 ,happening to look into the fire1 he spied in the middle of those most burning flames a little creature like a lizard1 which was sporting in the core of the intensest coals4 ,becoming instantly aware of what the thing was1 he had my sister and me called1 and pointing it out to us children1 gave me a great box on the ears1 which caused me to howl and weep with all my might4 ,then he pacified me good-humouredly1 and spoke as follows3 8,my dear little boy1 ,i am not striking you for any wrong that you have done1 but only to make you remember that that lizard which you see in the fire is a salamander1 a creature which has never been seen before by any one of whom we have credible information40 ,so saying1 he kissed me and gave me some pieces of money4 ,note #a4 ,the word is 'bocche1' so ,i have translated it by 'mouths4' ,but ,cellini clearly meant the gaping claws of the scorpion4 ,v ,,my father began teaching me to play upon the flute and sing by note2 by notwithstanding ,i was of that tender age when little children are wont to take pastime in whistles and such toys1 ,i had an inexpressible dislike for it1 and played and sang only to obey him4 ,my father in those times fashioned wonderful organs with pipes of wood1 spinets the fairest and most excellent which then could be seen1 viols and lutes and harps of the most beautiful and perfect construction4 ,he was an engineer1 and had marvellous skill in making instruments for lowering bridges and for working mills1 and other machines of that sort4 ,in ivory he was the first who wrought really well4 ,but after he had fallen in love with the woman who was destined to become my mother-perhaps what brought them together was that little flute1 to which indeed he paid more attention than was proper-he was entreated by the fifers of the ,signory to play in their company4 ,accordingly he did so for some time to amuse himself1 until by constant importunity they induced him to become a member of their band4 ,lorenzo de' ,medici and ,pietro his son1 who had a great liking for him1 perceived later on that he was devoting himself wholly to the fife1 and was neglecting his fine engineering talent and his beautiful art4 #a ,so they had him removed from that post4 ,my father took this very ill1 and it seemed to him that they had done him a great despite4 ,yet he immediately resumed his art1 and fashioned a mirror1 about a cubit in diameter1 out of bone and ivory1 with figures and foliage of great finish and grand design4 ,the mirror was in the form of a wheel4 ,in the middle was the looking-glass2 around it were seven circular pieces1 on which were the ,seven ,virtues1 carved and joined of ivory and black bone4 ,the whole mirror1 together with the ,virtues1 was placed in equilibrium1 so that when the wheel turned1 all the ,virtues moved1 and they had weights at their feet which kept them upright4 ,possessing some acquaintance with the ,latin tongue1 he put a legend in ,latin round his looking-glass1 to this effect-0,whithersoever the wheel of ,fortune turns1 ,virtue stands firm upon her feet30 ,rota sum3 semper1 quoquo me verto1 stat ,virtus4 ,a little while after this he obtained his place again among the fifers4 ,although some of these things happened before ,i was born1 my familiarity with them has moved me to set them down here4 ,in those days the musicians of the ,signory were all of them members of the most honourable trades1 and some of them belonged to the greater guilds of silk and wool2 #b and that was the reason why my father did not disdain to follow this profession1 and his chief desire with regard to me was always that ,i should become a great performer on the flute4 ,i for my part felt never more discontented than when he chose to talk to me about this scheme1 and to tell me that1 if ,i liked1 he discerned in me such aptitudes that ,i might become the best man in the world4 ,note #a4 ,the ,medici here mentioned were ,lorenzo the ,magnificent1 and his son ,pietro1 who was expelled from ,florence in the year #adid4 ,he never returned1 but died in the river ,garigliano in #aejd4 ,note #b4 ,in the ,middle ,ages the burghers of ,florence were divided into industrial guilds called the ,greater and the ,lesser ,arts4 ,the former took precedence of the latter1 both in political importance and in social esteem4 ,,vi ,,as ,i have said1 my father was the devoted servant and attached friend of the house of ,medici2 and when ,piero was banished1 he entrusted him with many affairs of the greatest possible importance4 ,afterwards1 when the magnificent ,piero ,soderini was elected1 and my father continued in his office of musician1 ,soderini1 perceiving his wonderful talent1 began to employ him in many matters of great importance as an engineer4 #a ,so long as ,soderini remained in ,florence1 he showed the utmost good-will to my father2 and in those days1 ,i being still of tender age1 my father had me carried1 and made me perform upon the flute2 ,i used to play treble in concert with the musicians of the palace before the ,signory1 following my notes3 and a beadle used to carry me upon his shoulders4 ,the ,gonfalonier1 that is1 ,soderini1 whom ,i have already mentioned1 took much pleasure in making me chatter1 and gave me comfits1 and was wont to say to my father3 8,maestro ,giovanni1 besides music1 teach the boy those other arts which do you so much honour40 ,to which my father answered3 8,i do not wish him to practise any art but playing and composing2 for in this profession ,i hope to make him the greatest man of the world1 if ,god prolongs his life40 ,to these words one of the old counsellors made answer3 8,ah6 ,maestro ,giovanni1 do what the ,gonfalonier tells you6 for why should he never become anything more than a good musician80 ,thus some time passed1 until the ,medici returned4 #b ,when they arrived1 the ,cardinal1 who afterwards became ,pope ,leo1 received my father very kindly4 ,during their exile the scutcheons which were on the palace of the ,medici had had their balls erased1 and a great red cross painted over them1 which was the bearing of the ,commune4 #c ,accordingly1 as soon as they returned1 the red cross was scratched out1 and on the scutcheon the red balls and the golden field were painted in again1 and finished with great beauty4 ,my father1 who possessed a simple vein of poetry1 instilled in him by nature1 together with a certain touch of prophecy1 which was doubtless a divine gift in him1 wrote these four verses under the said arms of the ,medici1 when they were uncovered to the view3- ,these arms1 which have so long from sight been laid ,beneath the holy cross1 that symbol meek1 ,now lift their glorious glad face1 and seek ,with ,peter's sacred cloak to be arrayed4 ,this epigram was read by all ,florence4 ,a few days afterwards ,pope ,julius ,,ii4 died4 ,the ,cardinal de' ,medici went to ,rome1 and was elected ,pope against the expectation of everybody4 ,he reigned as ,leo ,x1 that generous and great soul4 ,my father sent him his four prophetic verses4 ,the ,pope sent to tell him to come to ,rome2 for this would be to his advantage4 ,but he had no will to go2 and so1 in lieu of reward1 his place in the palace was taken from him by ,jacopo ,salviati1 upon that man's election as ,gonfalonier4 #d ,this was the reason why ,i commenced goldsmith2 after which ,i spent part of my time in learning that art1 and part in playing1 much against my will4 ,note #a4 ,piero ,soderini was elected ,gonfalonier of the ,florentine ,republic for life in the year #aejb4 ,after nine years of government1 he was banished1 and when he died1 ,machiavelli wrote the famous sneering epitaph upon him4 ,see ,j4 ,a4 ,symonds' ',renaissance in ,italy1' vol4 i4 p4 #big4 ,note #b4 ,this was in #aeab1 when ,lorenzo's two sons1 ,giuliano and ,giovanni 7afterwards ,pope ,leo ,x71 came back through the aid of a ,spanish army1 after the great battle at ,ravenna4 ,note #c4 ,the ,medicean arms were 8or1 six pellets gules1 three1 two1 and one40 ,the ,florentine ,commune bore1 8argent a cross gules40 ,note #d4 ,cellini makes a mistake here4 ,salviati married a daughter of ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 and obtained great influence in ,florence2 but we have no record of his appointment to the office of ,gonfalonier4 ,,vii ,,when my father spoke to me in the way ,i have above described1 ,i entreated him to let me draw a certain fixed number of hours in the day2 all the rest of my time ,i would give to music1 only with the view of satisfying his desire4 ,upon this he said to me3 8,so then1 you take no pleasure in playing80 ,to which ,i answered1 8,no20 because that art seemed too base in comparison with what ,i had in my own mind4 ,my good father1 driven to despair by this fixed idea of mine1 placed me in the workshop of ,cavaliere ,bandinello's father1 who was called ,michel ,agnolo1 a goldsmith from ,pinzi di ,monte1 and a master excellent in that craft4 #a ,he had no distinction of birth whatever1 but was the son of a charcoal-seller4 ,this is no blame to ,bandinello1 who has founded the honour of the family-if only he had done so honestly6 ,however that may be1 ,i have no cause now to talk about him4 ,after ,i had stayed there some days1 my father took me away from ,michel ,agnolo1 finding himself unable to live without having me always under his eyes4 ,accordingly1 much to my discontent1 ,i remained at music till ,i reached the age of fifteen4 ,if ,i were to describe all the wonderful things that happened to me up to that time1 and all the great dangers to my own life which ,i ran1 ,i should astound my readers2 but1 in order to avoid prolixity1 and having very much to relate1 ,i will omit these incidents4 ,when ,i reached the age of fifteen1 ,i put myself1 against my father's will1 to the goldsmith's trade with a man called ,antonio1 son of ,sandro1 known commonly as ,marcone the goldsmith4 ,he was a most excellent craftsman and a very good fellow to boot1 high-spirited and frank in all his ways4 ,my father would not let him give me wages like the other apprentices2 for having taken up the study of this art to please myself1 he wished me to indulge my whim for drawing to the full4 ,i did so willingly enough2 and that honest master of mine took marvellous delight in my performances4 ,he had an only son1 a bastard1 to whom he often gave his orders1 in order to spare me4 ,my liking for the art was so great1 or1 ,i may truly say1 my natural bias1 both one and the other1 that in a few months ,i caught up the good1 nay1 the best young craftsmen in our business1 and began to reap the fruits of my labours4 ,i did not1 however1 neglect to gratify my good father from time to time by playing on the flute or cornet4 ,each time he heard me1 ,i used to make his tears fall accompanied with deep-drawn sighs of satisfaction4 ,my filial piety often made me give him that contentment1 and induce me to pretend that ,i enjoyed the music too4 ,note #a4 ,baccio ,bandinello1 the sculptor1 and a great rival of ,cellini's1 as will appear in the ensuing pages1 was born in #adhg1 and received the honour of knighthood from ,clement ,,vii and ,charles ,v4 ,posterity has confirmed ,cellini's opinion of ,bandinello as an artist2 for his works are coarse1 pretentious1 and incapable of giving pleasure to any person of refined intelligence4 ,,viii ,,at that time ,i had a brother1 younger by two years1 a youth of extreme boldness and fierce temper4 ,he afterwards became one of the great soldiers in the school of that marvellous general ,giovannino de' ,medici1 father of ,duke ,cosimo4 #a ,the boy was about fourteen1 and ,i two years older4 ,one ,sunday evening1 just before nightfall1 he happened to find himself between the gate ,san ,gallo and the ,porta a ,pinti2 in this quarter he came to duel with a young fellow of twenty or thereabouts4 ,they both had swords2 and my brother dealt so valiantly that1 after having badly wounded him1 he was upon the point of following up his advantage4 ,there was a great crowd of people present1 among whom were many of the adversary's kinsfolk4 ,seeing that the thing was going ill for their own man1 they put hand to their slings1 a stone from one of which hit my poor brother in the head4 ,he fell to the ground at once in a dead faint4 ,it so chanced that ,i had been upon the spot alone1 and without arms2 and ,i had done my best to get my brother out of the fray by calling to him3 8,make off2 you have done enough40 ,meanwhile1 as luck would have it1 he fell1 as ,i have said1 half dead to earth4 ,i ran up at once1 seized his sword1 and stood in front of him1 bearing the brunt of several rapiers and a shower of stones4 ,i never left his side until some brave soldiers came from the gate ,san ,gallo and rescued me from the raging crowd2 they marvelled much1 the while1 to find such valour in so young a boy4 ,then ,i carried my brother home for dead1 and it was only with great difficulty that he came to himself again4 ,when he was cured1 the ,eight1 who had already condemned out adversaries and banished them for a term of years1 sent us also into exile for six months at a distance of ten miles from ,florence4 #b ,i said to my brother3 8,come along with me20 and so we took leave of our poor father2 and instead of giving us money1 for he had none1 he bestowed on us his blessing4 ,i went to ,siena1 wishing to look up a certain worthy man called ,maestro ,francesco ,castoro4 ,on another occasion1 when ,i had run away from my father1 ,i went to this good man1 and stayed some time with him1 working at the goldsmith's trade until my father sent for me back4 ,francesco1 when ,i reached him1 recognised me at once1 and gave me work to do ,while thus occupied1 he placed a house at my disposal for the whole time of my sojourn in ,siena4 ,into this ,i moved1 together with my brother1 and applied myself to labour for the space of several months4 ,my brother had acquired the rudiments of ,latin1 but was still so young that he could not yet relish the taste of virtuous employment1 but passed his time in dissipation1 ,note #a4 ,cellini refers to the famous ,giovanni delle ,bande ,nere1 who was killed in an engagement in ,lombardy in ,november #aebf1 by the ,imperialist troops marching to the sack of ,rome4 ,his son ,cosimo1 after the murder of ,duke ,alessandro1 established the second ,medicean dynasty in ,florence4 ,note #b4 ,the ,eight1 or ,gli ,otto1 were a magistracy in ,florence with cognizance of matters affecting the internal peace of the city4 ,,ix ,,the ,,cardinal ,,de' ,,medici1 who afterwards became ,pope ,clement ,,vii41 had us recalled to ,florence at the entreaty of my father4 #a ,a certain pupil of my father's1 moved by his own bad nature1 suggested to the ,cardinal that he ought to send me to ,bologna1 in order to learn to play well from a great master there4 ,the name of this master was ,antonio1 and he was in truth a worthy man in the musician's art4 ,the ,cardinal said to my father that1 if he sent me there he would give me letters of recommendation and support4 ,my father1 dying with joy at such an opportunity1 sent me off2 and ,i being eager to see the world1 went with good grace4 ,when ,i reached ,bologna1 ,i put myself under a certain ,maestro ,ercole del ,piffero1 and began to earn something by my trade4 ,in the meantime ,i used to go every day to take my music lesson1 and in a few weeks made considerable progress in that accursed art4 ,however ,i made still greater in my trade of goldsmith2 for the ,cardinal having given me no assistance1 ,i went to live with a ,bolognese illuminator who was called ,scipione ,cavalletti 7his house was in the street of our ,lady del ,baraccan72 and while there ,i devoted myself to drawing and working for one ,graziadio1 a ,jew1 with whom ,i earned considerably4 ,at the end of six months ,i returned to ,florence1 where that fellow ,pierino1 who had been my father's pupil1 was greatly mortified by my return4 ,to please my father1 ,i went to his house and played the cornet and the flute with one of his brothers1 who was named ,girolamo1 several years younger than the said ,piero1 a very worthy young man1 and quite the contrary of his brother4 ,on one of those days my father came to ,piero's house to hear us play1 and in ecstasy at my performance exclaimed3 8,i shall yet make you a marvellous musician against the will of all or any one who may desire to prevent me40 ,to this ,piero answered1 and spoke the truth3 8,your ,benvenuto will get much more honour and profit if he devotes himself to the goldsmiths trade than to this piping40 ,these words made my father angry1 seeing that ,i too had the same opinion as ,piero1 that he flew into a rage and cried out at him3 8,well did ,i know that it was you1 you who put obstacles in the way of my cherished wish2 you are the man who had me ousted from my place at the palace1 paying me back with that black ingratitude which is the usual recompense of great benefits4 ,i got you promoted1 and you have got me cashiered2 ,i taught you to play with all the little art you have1 and you are preventing my son from obeying me2 but bear in mind these words of prophecy3 not years or months1 ,i say1 but only a few weeks will pass before this dirty ingratitude of yours shall plunge you into ruin40 ,to these words answered ,pierino and said3 8,maestro ,giovanni1 the majority of men1 when they grow old1 go mad at the same time2 and this has happened to you4 ,i am not astonished at it1 because most liberally have you squandered all your property1 without reflecting that your children had need of it4 ,i mind to do just the opposite1 and to leave my children so much that they shall be able to succour yours40 ,to this my father answered3 8,no bad tree ever bore good fruit2 quite the contrary2 and ,i tell you further that you are bad1 and that your children will be mad and paupers1 and will cringe for alms to my virtuous and wealthy sons40 ,thereupon we left the house1 muttering words of anger on both sides4 ,i had taken my father's part2 and when we stepped into the street together1 ,i told him ,i was quite ready to take vengeance for the insults heaped on him by that scoundrel1 provided he permit me to give myself up to the art of design4 ,he answered3 8,my dear son1 ,i too in my time was a good draughtsman2 but for recreation1 after such stupendous labours1 and for the love of me who am your father1 who begat you and brought you up and implanted so many honourable talents in you1 for the sake of recreation1 ,i say1 will not you promise sometimes to take in hand your flute and that seductive cornet1 and to play upon them to your heart's content1 inviting the delight of music80 ,i promised ,i would do so1 and very willingly for his love's sake4 ,then my good father said that such excellent parts as ,i possessed would be the greatest vengeance ,i could take for the insults of his enemies4 ,not a whole month had been completed after this scene before the man ,pierino happened to be building a vault in a house of his1 which he had in the ,via dello ,studio2 and being one day in a ground-floor room above the vault which he was making1 together with much company around him1 he fell to talking about his old master1 my father4 ,while repeating the words which he had said to him concerning his ruin1 no sooner had they escaped his lips than the floor where he was standing 7either because the vault had been badly built1 or rather through the sheer mightiness of ,god1 who does not always pay on ,saturday7 suddenly gave way4 ,some of the stones and bricks of the vault1 which fell with him1 broke both his legs4 ,the friends who were with him1 remaining on the border of the broken vault took no harm1 but were astounded and full of wonder1 especially because of the prophecy which he had just contemptuously repeated to them4 ,when my father heard of this1 he took his sword1 and went to see the man4 ,there1 in the presence of his father1 who was called ,niccolaio da ,volterra1 a trumpeter of the ,signory1 he said1 8,o ,piero1 my dear pupil1 ,i am sorely grieved at your mischance2 but if you remember it was only a short time ago that ,i warned you of it2 and as much as ,i then said will come to happen between your children and mine40 ,shortly afterwards1 the ungrateful ,piero died of that illness4 ,he left a wife of bad character and one son1 who after the lapse of some years came to me to beg for alms in ,rome4 ,i gave him something1 as well because it is my nature to be charitable1 as also because ,i recalled with tears the happy state which ,pierino held when my father spake those words of prophecy1 namely1 that ,pierino's children should live to crave succour from his own virtuous sons4 ,of this perhaps enough is now said2 but let none ever laugh at the prognostications of any worthy man whom he has wrongfully insulted2 because it is not he who speaks1 nay1 but the very voice of ,god through him4 ,note #a4 ,this ,cardinal and ,pope was ,giulio1 a natural son of ,giuliano1 ,lorenzo de' ,medici's brother1 who had been killed in the ,pazzi conspiracy1 year #adgh4 ,giulio lived to become ,pope ,clement ,,vii41 to suffer the sack of ,rome in #aebg1 and to make the concordat with ,charles ,v4 at ,bologna in #aebi-cj1 which settled for three centuries the destiny of ,italy4 ,we shall hear much more of him from ,cellini in the course of this narrative4 ,x ,,all this while ,i worked as a goldsmith1 and was able to assist my good father4 ,his other son1 my brother ,cecchino1 had1 as ,i said before1 been instructed in the rudiments of ,latin letters4 ,it was our father's wish to make me1 the elder1 a great musician and composer1 and him1 the younger1 a great and learned jurist4 ,he could not1 however1 put force upon the inclinations of our nature1 which directed me to the arts of design1 and my brother1 who had a fine and graceful person1 to the profession of arms4 ,cecchino1 being still quite a lad1 was returning from his first lesson in the school of the stupendous ,giovannino de' ,medici4 ,on the day when he reached home1 ,i happened to be absent2 and he1 being in want of proper clothes1 sought out our sisters1 who1 unknown to my father1 gave him a cloak and doublet of mine1 both new and of good quality4 ,i ought to say that1 beside the aid ,i gave my father and my excellent and honest sisters1 ,i had bought those handsome clothes out of my own savings4 ,when ,i found ,i had been cheated1 and my clothes taken from me1 and my brother from whom ,i should have recovered them was gone1 ,i asked my father why he suffered so great a wrong to be done me1 seeing that ,i was always ready to assist him4 ,he replied that ,i was his good son1 but that the other1 whom he thought to have lost1 had been found again2 also that it was a duty1 nay1 a precept from ,god ,himself1 that he who hath should give to him who hath not2 and that for his sake ,i ought to bear this injustice1 for ,god would increase me in all good things4 ,i1 like a youth without experience1 retorted on my poor afflicted parent2 and taking the miserable remnants of my clothes and money1 went toward a gate of the city4 ,as ,i did not know which gate would start me on the road to ,rome1 ,i arrived at ,lucca1 and from ,lucca reached ,pisa4 ,when ,i came to ,pisa 7,i was about sixteen years of age at the time71 ,i stopped near the middle bridge1 by what is called the ,fish-stone1 at the shop of a goldsmith1 and began attentively to watch what the master was about4 #a ,he asked me who ,i was1 and what was my profession4 ,i told him that ,i worked a little in the same trade as his own4 ,this worthy man bade me come into his shop1 and at once gave me work to do1 and spoke as follows3 8,your good appearance makes me believe you are a decent honest youth40 ,then he told me out gold1 silver1 and gems2 and when the first day's work was finished1 he took me in the evening to his house1 where he dwelt respectably with his handsome wife and children4 ,thinking of the grief which my good father might be feeling for me1 ,i wrote him that ,i was sojourning with a very excellent and honest man1 called ,maestro ,ulivieri della ,chiostra1 and was working with him at many good things of beauty and importance4 ,i bade him be of good cheer1 for that ,i was bent on learning1 and hoped by my acquirements to bring him back both profit and honour before long4 ,my good father answered the letter at once in words like these3 8,my son1 the love ,i bear you is so great1 that if it were not for the honour of our family1 which above all things ,i regard1 ,i should immediately have set off for you2 for indeed it seems like being without the light of my eyes1 when ,i do not see you daily1 as ,i used to do4 ,i will make it my business to complete the training of my household up to virtuous honesty2 do you make it yours to acquire excellence in your art2 and ,i only wish you to remember these four simple words1 obey them1 and never let them escape your memory3 ,in whatever house you be1 ,steal not1 and live honestly40 ,note #a4 ,the ,fish-stone1 or ,pietra del ,pesce1 was the market on the quay where the fish brought from the sea up the ,arno to ,pisa used to be sold4 ,,xi ,,this letter fell into the hands of my master ,ulivieri1 and he read it unknown to me4 ,afterwards he avowed that he had read it1 and added3 8,so then1 my ,benvenuto1 your good looks did not deceive me1 as a letter from your father which has come into my hands gives me assurance1 which proves him to be a man of notable honesty and worth4 ,consider yourself then to be at home here1 and as though in your own father's house40 ,while ,i stayed at ,pisa1 ,i went to see the ,campo ,santo1 and there ,i found many beautiful fragments of antiquity1 that is to say1 marble sarcophagi4 ,in other parts of ,pisa also ,i saw many antique objects1 which ,i diligently studied whenever ,i had days or hours free from the labour of the workshop4 ,my master1 who took pleasure in coming to visit me in the little room which he had allotted me1 observing that ,i spent all my time in studious occupations1 began to love me like a father4 ,i made great progress in the one year that ,i stayed there1 and completed several fine and valuable things in gold and silver1 which inspired me with a resolute ambition to advance in my art4 ,my father1 in the meanwhile1 kept writing piteous entreaties that ,i should return to him2 and in every letter bade me not to lose the music he had taught me with such trouble4 ,on this1 ,i suddenly gave up all wish to go back to him2 so much did ,i hate that accursed music2 and ,i felt as though of a truth ,i were in paradise the whole year ,i stayed at ,pisa1 where ,i never played the flute4 ,at the end of the year my master ,ulivieri had occasion to go to ,florence1 in order to sell certain gold and silver sweepings which he had2 #a and inasmuch as the bad air of ,pisa had given me a touch of fever1 ,i went with the fever hanging still about me1 in my master's company1 back to ,florence4 ,there my father received him most affectionately1 and lovingly prayed him1 unknown by me1 not to insist on taking me again to ,pisa4 ,i was ill about two months1 during which time my father had me most kindly treated and cured1 always repeating that it seemed to him a thousand years till ,i got well again1 in order that he might hear me play a little4 ,but when he talked to me of music1 with his fingers on my pulse1 seeing he had some acquaintance with medicine and ,latin learning1 he felt it change so much if he approached that topic1 that he was often dismayed and left my side in tears4 ,when ,i perceived how greatly he was disappointed1 ,i bade one of my sisters bring me a flute2 for though the fever never left me1 that instrument is so easy that it did not hurt me to play upon it2 and ,i used it with such dexterity of hand and tongue that my father coming suddenly upon me1 blessed me a thousand times1 exclaiming that while ,i was away from him ,i had made great progress1 as he thought2 and he begged me to go forwards1 and not to sacrifice so fine an accomplishment4 ,note #a4 ,i have translated 'spazzature' by 'sweepings4' ,it means all refuse of the precious metals left in goldsmith's trays4 ,,xii ,,when ,i had recovered my health1 ,i returned to my old friend ,marcone1 the worthy goldsmith1 who put me in the way of earning money1 with which ,i helped my father and our household4 ,about that time there came to ,florence a sculptor named ,piero ,torrigiani2 #a he arrived from ,england1 where he had resided many years2 and being intimate with my master1 he daily visited his house2 and when he saw my drawings and the things which ,i was making1 he said3 8,i have come to ,florence to enlist as many young men as ,i can2 for ,i have undertaken to execute a great work of my king1 and want some of my own ,florentines to help me4 ,now your method of working and your designs are worthy rather of a sculptor than a goldsmith2 and since ,i have to turn out a great piece of bronze1 ,i will at the same time turn you into a rich and able artist40 ,this man had a splendid person and a most arrogant spirit1 with the air of a great soldier more than a sculptor1 especially in regard to his vehement gestures and his resonant voice1 together with a habit he had of knitting his brows1 enough to frighten any man of courage4 ,he kept talking every day about his gallant feats among those beasts of ,englishmen4 ,in course of conversation he happened to mention ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti1 led thereto by a drawing ,i had made from a cartoon of that divinest painter4 #b ,this cartoon was the first masterpiece which ,michel ,agnolo exhibited1 in proof of his stupendous talents4 ,he produced it in competition with another painter1 ,lionardo da ,vinci1 who also made a cartoon2 and both were intended for the council-hall in the palace of the ,signory4 ,they represented the taking of ,pisa by the ,florentines2 and our admirable ,lionardo had chosen to depict a battle of horses1 with the capture of some standards1 in as divine a style as could possibly be imagined4 ,michel ,agnolo in his cartoon portrayed a number of foot-soldiers1 who1 the season being summer1 had gone to bathe in ,arno4 ,he drew them at the very moment the alarm is sounded1 and the men all naked run to arms2 so splendid in their action that nothing survives of ancient or of modern art which touches the same lofty point of excellence2 and as ,i have already said1 the design of the great ,lionardo was itself most admirably beautiful4 ,these two cartoons stood1 one in the palace of the ,medici1 the other in the hall of the ,pope4 ,so long as they remained intact1 they were the school of the world4 ,though the divine ,michel ,agnolo in later life finished that great chapel of ,pope ,julius1 #c he never rose half-way to the same pitch of power2 his genius never afterwards attained to the force of those first studies4 ,note #a4 ,torrigiani worked in fact for ,henry ,,viii41 and his monument to ,henry ,,vii4 still exists in the ,lady ,chapel of ,westminster ,abbey4 ,from ,england he went to ,spain1 where he modelled a statue of the ,virgin for a great nobleman4 ,not receiving the pay he expected1 he broke his work to pieces2 for which act of sacrilege the ,inquisition sent him to prison1 where he starved himself to death in #aebb4 ,such at least is the legend of his end4 ,note #b4 ,the cartoons to which ,cellini here alludes were made by ,michel ,angelo and ,lionardo for the decoration of the ,sala del ,gran ,consiglio in the ,palazzo ,vecchio at ,florence4 ,only the shadows of them remain to this day2 a part of ,michel ,angelo's1 engraved by ,schiavonetti1 and a transcript by ,rubens from ,lionardo's1 called the ,battle of the ,standard4 ,note #c4 ,the ,sistine ,chapel in the ,vatican4 ,,xiii ,,now let us return to ,piero ,torrigiani1 who1 with my drawing in his hand1 spoke as follows3 8,this ,buonarroti and ,i used1 when we were boys1 to go into the ,church of the ,carmine1 to learn drawing from the chapel of ,masaccio4 #a ,it was ,buonarroti's habit to banter all who were drawing there2 and one day1 among others1 when he was annoying me1 ,i got more angry than usual1 and clenching my fist1 gave him such a blow on the nose1 that ,i felt bone and cartilage go down like biscuit beneath my knuckles2 and this mark of mine he will carry with him to the grave40 #b ,these words begat in me such hatred of the man1 since ,i was always gazing at the masterpieces of the divine ,michel ,agnolo1 that although ,i felt a wish to go with him to ,england1 ,i now could never bear the sight of him4 ,all the while ,i was at ,florence1 ,i studied the noble manner of ,michel ,agnolo1 and from this ,i have never deviated4 ,about that time ,i contracted a close and familiar friendship with an amiable lad of my own age1 who was also in the goldsmith's trade4 ,he was called ,francesco1 son of ,filippo1 and grandson of ,fra ,lippo ,lippi1 that most excellent painter4 #c ,through intercourse together1 such love grew up between us that1 day or night1 we never stayed apart4 ,the house where he lived was still full of the fine studies which his father had made1 bound up in several books of drawings by his hand1 and taken from the best antiquities of ,rome4 ,the sight of these things filled me with passionate enthusiasm2 and for two years or thereabouts we lived in intimacy4 ,at that time ,i fashioned a silver bas-relief of the size of a little child's hand4 ,it was intended for the clasp to a man's belt2 for they were then worn as large as that4 ,i carved on it a knot of leaves in the antique style1 with figures of children and other masks of great beauty4 ,this piece ,i made in the workshop of one ,francesco ,salimbene2 and on its being exhibited to the trade1 the goldsmiths praised me as the best young craftsman of their art4 ,there was one ,giovan ,battista1 surnamed ,il ,tasso1 a wood-carver1 precisely of my own age1 who one day said to me that if ,i was willing to go to ,rome1 he should be glad to join me4 #d ,now we had this conversation together immediately after dinner2 and ,i being angry with my father for the same old reason of the music1 said to ,tasso3 8,you are a fellow of words1 not deeds40 ,he answered3 8,i too have come to anger with my mother2 and if ,i had cash enough to take me to ,rome1 ,i would not turn back to lock the door of that wretched little workshop ,i call mine40 ,to these words ,i replied that if that was all that kept him in ,florence ,i had money enough in my pockets to bring us both to ,rome4 ,talking thus and walking onwards1 we found ourselves at the gate ,san ,piero ,gattolini without noticing that we had got there2 whereupon ,i said3 8,friend ,tasso1 this is ,god's doing that we have reached this gate without either you or me noticing that we were there2 and now that ,i am here1 it seems to me that ,i have finished half the journey40 ,and so1 being of one accord1 we pursued our way together1 saying1 8,oh1 what will our old folks say this evening80 ,we then made an agreement not to think more about them till we reached ,rome4 ,so we tied our aprons behind our backs1 and trudged almost in silence to ,siena4 ,when we arrived at ,siena1 ,tasso said 7for he had hurt his feet7 that he would not go farther1 and asked me to lend him money to get back4 ,i made answer3 8,i should not have enough left to go forward2 you ought indeed to have thought of this on leaving ,florence2 and if it is because of your feet that you shirk the journey1 we will find a return horse for ,rome1 which will deprive you of the excuse40 ,accordingly ,i hired a horse2 and seeing that he did not answer1 ,i took my way toward the gate of ,rome4 ,when he knew that ,i was firmly resolved to go1 muttering between his teeth1 and limping as well as he could1 he came on behind me very slowly and at a great distance4 ,on reaching the gate1 ,i felt pity for my comrade1 and waited for him1 and took him on the crupper1 saying3 8,what would our friends speak of us to-morrow1 if1 having left for ,rome1 we had not pluck to get beyond ,siena80 ,then the good ,tasso said ,i spoke the truth2 and as he was a pleasant fellow1 he began to laugh and sing2 and in this way1 always singing and laughing1 we travelled the whole way to ,rome4 ,i had just nineteen years then1 and so had the century4 ,when we reached ,rome1 ,i put myself under a master who was known as ,il ,firenzuola4 ,his name was ,giovanni1 and he came from ,firenzuola in ,lombardy1 a most able craftsman in large vases and big plate of that kind4 ,i showed him part of the model for the clasp which ,i had made in ,florence at ,salimbene's4 ,it pleased him exceedingly2 and turning to one of his journeymen1 a ,florentine called ,giannotto ,giannotti1 who had been several years with him1 he spoke as follows3 8,this fellow is one of the ,florentines who know something1 and you are one of those who know nothing40 ,then ,i recognised the man1 and turned to speak with him2 for before he went to ,rome1 we often went to draw together1 and had been very intimate comrades4 ,he was so put out by the words his master flung at him1 that he said he did not recognise me or know who ,i was2 whereupon ,i got angry1 and cried out3 8,o ,giannotto1 you who were once my friend-for have we not been together in such and such places1 and drawn1 and ate1 and drunk1 and slept in company at your house in the country8 ,i don't want you to bear witness on my behalf to this worthy man1 your master1 because ,i hope my hands are such that without aid from you they will declare what sort of a fellow ,i am40 ,note #a4 ,the ,chapel of the ,carmine1 painted in fresco by ,masaccio and some other artist1 possibly ,filippino ,lippi1 is still the most important monument of ,florentine art surviving from the period preceding ,raphael4 ,note #b4 ,the profile portraits of ,michel ,angelo ,buonarroti confirm this story4 ,they show the bridge of his nose bent in an angle1 as though it had been broken4 ,note #c4 ,fra ,filippo ,lippi was a ,carmelite monk1 whose frescoes at ,prato and ,spoleta and oil-paintings in ,florence and elsewhere are among the most genial works of the pre-,raphaelite ,renaissance4 ,vasari narrates his love-adventures with ,lucrezia ,buti1 and ,robert ,browning has drawn a clever portrait of him in his 8,men and ,women40 ,his son1 ,filippo or ,filippino1 was also an able painter1 some of whose best work survives in the ,strozzi ,chapel of ,s4 ,maria ,novella at ,florence1 and in the ,church of ,s4 ,maria ,sopra ,minerva at ,rome4 ,note #d4 ,tasso was an able artist1 mentioned both by ,vasari and ,pietro ,aretino4 ,he stood high in the favour of ,duke ,cosimo de' ,medici1 who took his opinion on the work of other craftsmen4 ,,xiv ,,when ,i had thus spoken1 ,firenzuola1 who was a man of hot spirit and brave1 turned to ,giannotto1 and said to him3 8,you vile rascal1 aren't you ashamed to treat a man who has been so intimate a comrade with you in this way80 ,and with the same movement of quick feeling1 he faced round and said to me3 8,welcome to my workshop2 and do as you have promised2 let your hands declare what man you are40 ,he gave me a very fine piece of silver plate to work on for a cardinal4 ,it was a little oblong box1 copied from the porphyry sarcophagus before the door of the ,rotonda4 ,beside what ,i copied1 ,i enriched it with so many elegant masks of my invention1 that my master went about showing it through the art1 and boasting that so good a piece of work had been turned out from his shop4 #a ,it was about half a cubit in size1 and was so constructed as to serve for a salt-cellar at table4 ,this was the first earning that ,i touched at ,rome1 and part of it ,i sent to assist my good father2 the rest ,i kept for my own use1 living upon it while ,i went about studying the antiquities of ,rome1 until my money failed1 and ,i had to return to the shop for work4 ,battista del ,tasso1 my comrade1 did not stay long in ,rome1 but went back to ,florence4 ,after undertaking some new commissions1 ,i took it into my head1 as soon as ,i had finished them1 to change my master2 ,i had indeed been worried into doing so by a certain ,milanese1 called ,pagolo ,arsago4 #b ,my first master1 ,firenzuola1 had a great quarrel about this with ,arsago1 and abused him in my presence2 whereupon ,i took up speech in defence of my new master4 ,i said that ,i was born free1 and free ,i meant to live1 and that there was no reason to complain of him1 far less of me1 since some few crowns of wages were still due to me2 also that ,i chose to go1 like a free journeyman1 where it pleased me1 knowing ,i did wrong to no man4 ,my new master then put in with his excuses1 saying that he had not asked me to come1 and that ,i should gratify him by returning with ,firenzuola4 ,to this ,i replied that ,i was not aware of wronging the latter in any way1 and as ,i had completed his commissions1 ,i chose to be my own master and not the man of others1 and that he who wanted me must beg me of myself4 ,firenzuola cried3 8,i don't intend to beg you of yourself2 ,i have done with you2 don't show yourself again upon my premises40 ,i reminded him of the money he owed me4 ,he laughed me in the face2 on which ,i said that if ,i knew how to use my tools in handicraft as well as he had seen1 ,i could be quite as clever with my sword in claiming the just payment of my labour4 ,while we were exchanging these words1 an old man happened to come up1 called ,maestro ,antonio1 of ,san ,marino4 ,he was the chief among the ,roman goldsmiths1 and had been ,firenzuola's master4 ,hearing what ,i had to say1 which ,i took good care that he should understand1 he immediately espoused my cause1 and bade ,firenzuola pay me4 ,the dispute waxed warm1 because ,firenzuola was an admirable swordsman1 far better than he was a goldsmith4 ,yet reason made itself heard2 and ,i backed my cause with the same spirit1 till ,i got myself paid4 ,in course of time ,firenzuola and ,i became friends1 and at his request ,i stood godfather to one of his children4 ,note #a4 ,cellini's use of the word 'arte' for the 'art' or 'trade' of goldsmiths corresponds to 8the art0 as used by ,english writers early in this century4 ,see ,haydon's ,autobiography1 'passim4' ,note #b4 ,the ,italian is 'sobbillato1' which might be also translated 'inveigled' or 'instigated4' ,but ,varchi1 the contemporary of ,cellini1 gives this verb the force of using pressure and boring on until somebody is driven to do something4 ,,xv ,i ,,went on working with ,pagolo ,arsago1 and earned a good deal of money1 the greater part of which ,i always sent to my good father4 ,at the end of two years1 upon my father's entreaty1 ,i returned to ,florence1 and put myself once more under ,francesco ,salimbene1 with whom ,i earned a great deal1 and took continual pains to improve in my art4 ,i renewed my intimacy with ,francesco di ,filippo2 and though ,i was too much given to pleasure1 owing to that accursed music1 ,i never neglected to devote some hours of the day or night to study4 ,at that time ,i fashioned a silver heart's-key 7'chiavaquore'71 as it was then so called4 ,this was a girdle three inches broad1 which used to be made for brides1 and was executed in half relief with some small figures in the round4 ,it was a commission from a man called ,raffaello ,lapaccini4 ,i was very badly paid2 but the honour which it brought me was worth far more than the gain ,i might have justly made by it4 ,having at this time worked with many different persons in ,florence1 ,i had come to know some worthy men among the goldsmiths1 as for instance1 ,marcone1 my first master2 but ,i also met with others reputed honest1 who did all they could to ruin me1 and robbed me grossly4 ,when ,i perceived this1 ,i left their company1 and held them for thieves and black-guards4 ,one of the goldsmiths1 called ,giovanbattista ,sogliani1 kindly accommodated me with part of his shop1 which stood at the side of the ,new ,market near the ,landi's bank4 ,there ,i finished several pretty pieces1 and made good gains1 and was able to give my family much help4 ,this roused the jealousy of the bad men among my former masters1 who were called ,salvadore and ,michele ,guasconti4 ,in the guild of the goldsmiths they had three big shops1 and drove a thriving trade4 ,on becoming aware of their evil will against me1 ,i complained to certain worthy fellows1 and remarked that they ought to have been satisfied with the thieveries they practised on me under the cloak of hypocritical kindness4 ,this coming to their ears1 they threatened to make me sorely repent of such words2 but ,i1 who knew not what the colour of fear was1 paid them little or no heed4 ,,xvi ,,it chanced one day that ,i was leaning against a shop of one of these men1 who called out to me1 and began partly reproaching1 partly bullying4 ,i answered that had they done their duty by me1 ,i should have spoken of them what one speaks of good and worthy men2 but as they had done the contrary1 they ought to complain of themselves and not of me4 ,while ,i was standing there and talking1 one of them1 named ,gherardo ,guasconti1 their cousin1 having perhaps been put up to it by them1 lay in wait till a beast of burden went by4 #a ,it was a load of bricks4 ,when the load reached me1 ,gherardo pushed it so violently on my body that ,i was very much hurt4 ,turning suddenly round and seeing him laughing1 ,i struck him such a blow on the temple that he fell down1 stunned1 like one dead4 ,then ,i faced round to his cousins1 and said3 8,that's the way to treat cowardly thieves of your sort20 and when they wanted to make a move upon me1 trusting to their numbers1 ,i1 whose blood was now well up1 laid hands to a little knife ,i had1 and cried3 8,if one of you comes out of the shop1 let the other run for the confessor1 because the doctor will have nothing to do here40 ,these words so frightened them that not one stirred to help their cousin4 ,as soon as ,i had gone1 the fathers and sons ran to the ,eight1 and declared that ,i had assaulted them in their shops with sword in hand1 a thing which had never yet been seen in ,florence4 ,the magistrates had me summoned4 ,i appeared before them2 and they began to upbraid and cry out upon me-partly1 ,i think1 because they saw me in my cloak1 while the others were dressed like citizens in mantle and hood2 #b but also because my adversaries had been to the houses of those magistrates1 and had talked with all of them in private1 while ,i1 inexperienced in such matters1 had not spoken to any of them1 trusting in the goodness of my cause4 ,i said that1 having received such outrage and insult from ,gherardo1 and in my fury having only given him a box on the ear1 ,i did not think ,i deserved such a vehement reprimand4 ,i had hardly time to finish the word box1 before ,prinzivalle della ,stufa1 #c who was one of the ,eight1 interrupted me by saying3 8,you gave him a blow1 and not a box1 on the ear40 ,the bell was rung and we were all ordered out1 when ,prinzivalle spoke thus in my defence to his brother judges3 8,mark1 sirs1 the simplicity of this poor young man1 who has accused himself of having given a box on the ear1 under the impression that this is of less importance than a blow2 whereas a box on the ear in the ,new ,market carries a fine of twenty-five crowns1 while a blow costs little or nothing4 ,he is a young man of admirable talents1 and supports his poor family by his labour in great abundance2 ,i would to ,god that our city had plenty of this sort1 instead of the present dearth of them40 ,note #a4 ,the ,italian is 'appost che passassi una soma4' ,the verb 'appostare' has the double meaning of lying in wait and arranging something on purpose4 ,cellini's words may mean1 'caused a beast of burden to pass by4' ,note #b4 ,varchi says that a man who went about with only his cloak or cape by daytime1 if he were not a soldier1 was reputed an ill-liver4 ,the ,florentine citizens at this time still wore their ancient civil dress of the long gown and hood called 'lucco4' ,note #c4 ,this man was an ardent supporter of the ,medici1 and in #aeaj organized a conspiracy in their favour against the ,gonfalonier ,soderini4 ,,xvii ,,among the magistrates were some ,radical fellows with turned-up hoods1 who had been influenced by the entreaties and the calumnies of my opponents1 because they all belonged to the party of ,fra ,girolamo2 and these men would have had me sent to prison and punished without too close a reckoning4 #a ,but the good ,prinzivalle put a stop to that4 ,so they sentenced me to pay four measures of flour1 which were to be given as alms to the nunnery of the ,murate4 #b ,i was called in again2 and he ordered me not to speak a word under pain of their displeasure1 and to perform the sentence they had passed4 ,then1 after giving me another sharp rebuke1 they sent us to the chancellor2 ,i muttering all the while1 8,it was a slap and not a blow10 with which we left the ,eight bursting with laughter4 ,the chancellor bound us over upon bail on both sides2 but only ,i was punished by having to pay the four measures of meal4 ,albeit just then ,i felt as though ,i had been massacred1 ,i sent for one of my cousins1 called ,maestro ,annibale1 the surgeon1 father of ,messer ,librodoro ,librodori1 desiring that he should go bail for me4 #c ,he refused to come1 which made me so angry1 that1 fuming with fury and swelling like an asp1 ,i took a desperate resolve4 ,at this point one may observe how the stars do not so much sway as force our conduct4 ,when ,i reflected on the great obligations which this ,annibale owed my family1 my rage grew to such a pitch that1 turning wholly to evil1 and being also by nature somewhat choleric1 ,i waited till the magistrates had gone to dinner2 and when ,i was alone1 and observed that none of their officers were watching me1 in the fire of my anger1 ,i left the palace1 ran to my shop1 seized a dagger and rushed to the house of my enemies1 who were at home and shop together4 ,i found them at table2 and ,gherardo1 who had been the cause of the quarrel1 flung himself upon me4 ,i stabbed him in the breast1 piercing doublet and jerkin through and through to the shirt1 without however grazing his flesh or doing him the least harm in the world4 ,when ,i felt my hand go in1 and heard the clothes tear1 ,i thought that ,i had killed him2 and seeing him fall terror-struck to earth1 ,i cried3 8,traitors1 this day is the day on which ,i mean to murder you all40 ,father1 mother1 and sisters1 thinking the last day had come1 threw themselves upon their knees1 screaming out for mercy with all their might2 but ,i perceiving that they offered no resistance1 and that he was stretched for dead upon the ground1 thought it too base a thing to touch them4 ,i ran storming down the staircase2 and when ,i reached the street1 ,i found all the rest of the household1 more than twelve persons2 one of them had seized an iron shovel1 another a thick iron pipe1 one had an anvil1 some of them hammers1 and some cudgels4 ,when ,i got among them1 raging like a mad bull1 ,i flung four or five to the earth1 and fell down with them myself1 continually aiming my dagger now at one and now at another4 ,those who remained upright plied both hands with all their force1 giving it me with hammers1 cudgels1 and anvil2 but inasmuch as ,god does sometime mercifully intervene1 ,he so ordered that neither they nor ,i did any harm to one another4 ,i only lost my cap1 on which my adversaries seized1 though they had run away from it before1 and struck at it with all their weapons4 ,afterwards1 they searched among their dead and wounded1 and saw that not a single man was injured4 ,note #a4 ,cellini calls these magistrates 'arronzinati cappuccetti1' a term corresponding to our ,roundheads4 ,the democratic or anti-,medicean party in ,florence at that time1 who adhered to the republican principles of ,fra ,girolamo ,savonarola1 distinguished themselves by wearing the long tails of their hoods twisted up and turned round their heads4 ,cellini shows his ,medicean sympathies by using this contemptuous term1 and by the honourable mention he makes of ,prinzivalle della ,stufa ,note #b4 ,a convent of closely immured nuns4 ,note #c4 ,the word ,i have translated 'massacred' above is 'assassinato4' ,it occurs frequently in ,italian of this period1 and indicates the extremity of wrong and outrage4 ,,xviii ,i ,,went off in the direction of ,santa ,maria ,novella1 and stumbling up against ,fra ,alessio ,strozzi1 whom by the way ,i did not know1 ,i entreated this good friar for the love of ,god to save my life1 since ,i had committed a great fault4 ,he told me to have no fear2 for had ,i done every sin in the world1 ,i was yet in perfect safety in his little cell4 ,after about an hour1 the ,eight1 in an extraordinary meeting1 caused one of the most dreadful bans which ever were heard of to be published against me1 announcing heavy penalties against who should harbour me or know where ,i was1 without regard to place or to the quality of my protector4 ,my poor afflicted father went to the ,eight1 threw himself upon his knees1 and prayed for mercy for his unfortunate young son4 ,thereupon one of those ,radical fellows1 shaking the crest of his twisted hood1 stood up and addressed my father with these insulting words3 #a 8,get up from there1 and begone at once1 for to-morrow we shall send your son into the country with the lances40 #b ,my poor father had still the spirit to answer3 8,what ,god shall have ordained1 that will you do1 and not a jot or little more40 ,whereto the same man replied that for certain ,god had ordained as he had spoken4 ,my father said3 8,the thought consoles me that you do not know for certain20 and quitting their presence1 he came to visit me1 together with a young man of my own age1 called ,pierro di ,giovanni ,landi-we loved one another as though we had been brothers4 ,under his mantle the lad carried a first-rate sword and a splendid coat of mail2 and when they found me1 my brave father told me what had happened1 and what the magistrates had said to him4 ,then he kissed me on the forehead and both eyes1 and gave me his hearty blessing1 saying3 8,may the power of goodness of ,god be your protection20 and reaching me the sword and armour1 he helped me with his own hands to put them on4 ,afterwards he added3 8,oh1 my good son1 with these arms in thy hand thou shalt either live or die40 ,pier ,landi1 who was present1 kept shedding tears2 and when he had given me ten golden crowns1 ,i bade him remove a few hairs from my chin1 which were the first down of my manhood4 ,frate ,alessio disguised me like a friar and gave me a lay brother to go with me4 #c ,quitting the convent1 and issuing from the city by the gate of ,prato1 ,i went along the walls as far as the ,piazza di ,san ,gallo4 ,then ,i ascended the slope of ,montui1 and in one of the first houses there ,i found a man called ,il ,grassuccio1 own brother to ,messer ,benedetto da ,monte ,varchi4 #d ,i flung off my monk's clothes1 and became once more a man4 ,then we mounted two horses1 which were waiting there for us1 and went by night to ,siena4 ,grassuccio returned to ,florence1 sought out my father1 and gave him the news of my safe escape4 ,in the excess of his joy1 it seemed a thousand years to my father till he should meet the member of the ,eight who had insulted him2 and when he came across the man1 he said3 8,see you1 ,antonio1 that it was ,god who knew what had to happen to my son1 and not yourself80 ,to which the fellow answered3 8,only let him get another time into our clutches60 ,and my father3 8,i shall spend my time in thanking ,god that ,he has rescued him from that fate40 ,note #a4 ',un di queli arrovellati scotendo la cresto dello arronzinato cappuccio4' ,see above1 p4 #ca4 ,the democrats in ,cellini's days were called at ,florence ',arrabbiati' or ',arrovellati4' ,in the days of ,savonarola this nickname had been given to the ultra-,medicean party or ,palleschi4 ,note #b4 ',lanciotti4' ,there is some doubt about this word4 ,but it clearly means men armed with lances1 at the disposal of the ,signory4 ,note #c4 ',un converso1' an attendant on the monks4 ,note #d4 ,benedetto da ,monte ,varchi was the celebrated poet1 scholar1 and historian of ,florence1 better known as ,varchi4 ,another of his brothers was a physician of high repute at ,florence4 ,they continued throughout ,cellini's life to live on terms of intimacy with him4 ,,xix ,,at ,siena ,i waited for the mail to ,rome1 which ,i afterwards joined2 and when we passed the ,paglia1 we met a courier carrying news of the new ,pope1 ,clement ,,vii4 ,upon my arrival in ,rome1 ,i went to work in the shop of the master-goldsmith ,santi4 ,he was dead2 but a son of his carried on the business4 ,he did not work himself1 but entrusted all his commissions to a young man named ,lucagnolo from ,iesi1 a country fellow1 who while yet a child had come into ,santi's service4 ,this man was short but well proportioned1 and was a more skilful craftsman than any one whom ,i had met with up to that time2 remarkable for facility and excellent in design4 ,he executed large plate only3 that is to say1 vases of the utmost beauty1 basons1 and such pieces4 #a ,having put myself to work there1 ,i began to make some candelabra for the ,bishop of ,salamanca1 a ,spaniard4 #b ,they were richly chased1 so far as that sort of work admits4 ,a pupil of ,raffaello da ,urbino called ,gian ,francesco1 and commonly known as ,il ,fattore1 was a painter of great ability2 and being on terms of friendship with the ,bishop1 he introduced me to his favour1 so that ,i obtained many commissions from that prelate1 and earned considerable sums of money4 #c ,during that time ,i went to draw1 sometimes in ,michel ,agnolo's chapel1 and sometimes in the house of ,agostino ,chigi of ,siena1 which contained many incomparable paintings by the hand of that great master ,raffaello4 #d ,this ,i did on feast-days1 because the house was then inhabited by ,messer ,gismondo1 ,agostino's brother4 ,they plumed themselves exceedingly when they saw young men of my sort coming to study in their palaces4 ,gismondo's wife1 noticing my frequent presence in that house-she was a lady as courteous as could be1 and of surpassing beauty-came up to me one day1 looked at my drawings1 and asked me if ,i was a sculptor or a painter2 to whom ,i said ,i was a goldsmith4 ,she remarked that ,i drew too well for a goldsmith2 and having made one of her waiting-maids bring a lily of the finest diamonds set in gold1 she showed it to me1 and bade me value it4 ,i valued it at #hjj crowns4 ,then she said that ,i had very nearly hit the mark1 and asked me whether ,i felt capable of setting the stones really well4 ,i said that ,i should much like to do so1 and began before her eyes to make a little sketch for it1 working all the better because of the pleasure ,i took in conversing with so lovely and agreeable a gentlewoman4 ,when the sketch was finished1 another ,roman lady of great beauty joined us2 she had been above1 and now descending to the ground-floor1 asked ,madonna ,porzia what she was doing there4 ,she answered with a smile3 8,i am amusing myself by watching this worthy young man at his drawing2 he is as good as he is handsome40 ,i had by this time acquired a trifle of assurance1 mixed1 however1 with some honest bashfulness2 so ,i blushed and said3 8,such as ,i am1 lady1 ,i shall ever be most ready to serve you40 ,the gentlewoman1 also slightly blushing1 said3 8,you know well that ,i want you to serve me20 and reaching me the lily1 told me to take it away2 and gave me besides twenty golden crowns which she had in her bag1 and added3 8,set me the jewel after the fashion you have sketched1 and keep for me the old gold in which it is now set40 ,on this the ,roman lady observed3 8,if ,i were in that young man's body1 ,i should go off without asking leave40 ,madonna ,porzia replied that virtues rarely are at home with vices1 and that if ,i did such a thing1 ,i should strongly belie my good looks of an honest man4 ,then turning round1 she took the ,roman lady's hand1 and with a pleasant smile said3 8,farewell1 ,benvenuto40 ,i stayed on a short while at the drawing ,i was making1 which was a copy of a ,jove by ,raffaello4 ,when ,i had finished it and left the house1 ,i set myself to making a little model of wax1 in order to show how the jewel would look when it was completed4 ,this ,i took to ,madonna ,porzia1 whom ,i found with the same ,roman lady4 ,both of them were highly satisfied with my work1 and treated me so kindly that1 being somewhat emboldened1 ,i promised the jewel should be twice as good as the model4 ,accordingly ,i set hand to it1 and in twelve days ,i finished it in the form of a fleur-de-lys1 as ,i have said above1 ornamenting it with little masks1 children1 and animals1 exquisitely enamelled1 whereby the diamonds which formed the lily were more than doubled in effect4 ,note #a4 ,cellini calls this 'grosseria4' ,note #b4 ,don ,francesco de ,bobadilla4 ,he came to ,rome in #aeag1 was shut up with ,clement in the castle of ,s4 ,angelo in #aebg1 and died in #aebi1 after his return to ,spain4 ,note #c4 ,this painter1 ,gio4 ,francesco ,penni1 surnamed ,il ,fattore1 aided ,raphael in his ,roman frescoes and was much beloved by him4 ,together with ,giulio ,romano he completed the imperfect ,stanze of the ,vatican4 ,note #d4 ,cellini here alludes to the ,sistine ,chapel and to the ,villa ,farnesina in ,trastevere1 built by the ,sienese banker1 ,agostino ,chigi4 ,it was here that ,raphael painted his ,galatea and the whole fable of ,cupid and ,psyche4 ,,xx ,,while ,i was working at this piece1 ,lucagnolo1 of whose ability ,i have before spoken1 showed considerable discontent1 telling me over and over again that ,i might acquire far more profit and honour by helping him to execute large plate1 as ,i had done at first4 ,i made him answer that1 whenever ,i chose1 ,i should always be capable of working at great silver pieces2 but that things like that on which ,i was now engaged were not commissioned every day2 and beside their bringing no less honour than large silver plate1 there was also more profit to be made by them4 ,he laughed me in the face1 and said3 8,wait and see1 ,benvenuto2 for by the time that you have finished that work of yours1 ,i will make haste to have finished this vase1 which ,i took in hand when you did the jewel2 and then experience shall teach you what profit ,i shall get from my vase1 and what you will get from your ornament40 ,i answered that ,i was very glad indeed to enter into such a competition with so good a craftsman as he was1 because the end would show which of us was mistaken4 ,accordingly both the one and the other of us1 with a scornful smile upon our lips1 bent our heads in grim earnest to the work1 which both were now desirous of accomplishing2 so that after about ten days1 each had finished his undertaking with great delicacy and artistic skill4 ,lucagnolo's was a huge silver piece1 used at the table of ,pope ,clement1 into which he flung away bits of bone and the rind of divers fruits1 while eating2 an object of ostentation rather than necessity4 ,the vase was adorned with two fine handles1 together with many masks1 both small and great1 and masses of lovely foliage1 in as exquisite a style of elegance as could be imagined2 on seeing which ,i said it was the most beautiful vase that ever ,i set eyes on4 ,thinking he had convinced me1 ,lucagnolo replied3 8,your work seems to me no less beautiful1 but we shall soon perceive the difference between the two40 ,so he took his vase and carried it to the ,pope1 who was very well pleased with it1 and ordered at once that he should be paid at the ordinary rate of such large plate4 ,meanwhile ,i carried mine to ,madonna ,porzia1 who looked at it with astonishment1 and told me ,i had far surpassed my promise4 ,then she bade me ask for my reward whatever ,i liked2 for it seemed to her my desert was so great that if ,i craved a castle she could hardly recompense me2 but since that was not in her hands to bestow1 she added laughing that ,i must beg what lay within her power4 ,i answered that the greatest reward ,i could desire for my labour was to have satisfied her ladyship4 ,then1 smiling in my turn1 and bowing to her1 ,i took my leave1 saying ,i wanted no reward but that4 ,she turned to the ,roman lady and said3 8,you see that the qualities we discerned in him are companied by virtues1 and not vices40 ,they both expressed their admiration1 and then ,madonna ,porzia continued3 8,friend ,benvenuto1 have you never heard it said that when the poor give to the rich1 the devil laughs80 ,i replied3 8,quite true6 and yet1 in the midst of all his troubles1 ,i should like this time to see him laugh20 and as ,i took my leave1 she said that this time she had no will to bestow on him that favour4 ,when ,i came back to the shop1 ,lucagnolo had the money for his vase in a paper packet2 and on my arrival he cried out3 8,come and compare the price of your jewel with the price of my plate40 ,i said that he must leave things as they were till the next day1 because ,i hoped that even as my work in its kind was not less excellent than his1 so ,i should be able to show him quite an equal price for it4 ,,xxi ,,on the day following1 ,madonna ,porzia sent a major-domo of hers to my shop1 who called me out1 and putting into my hands a paper packet full of money from his lady1 told me that she did not choose the devil should have his whole laugh out3 by which she hinted that the money sent me was not the entire payment merited by my industry1 and other messages were added worthy of so courteous a lady4 ,lucagnolo1 who was burning to compare his packet with mine1 burst into the shop2 then in the presence of twelve journeymen and some neighbours1 eager to behold the result of this competition1 he seized his packet1 scornfully exclaiming 8,ou6 ou60 three or four times1 while he poured his money on the counter with a great noise4 ,they were twenty-five crowns in giulios2 and he fancied that mine would be four or five crowns 'di moneta4' #a ,i for my part1 stunned and stifled by his cries1 and by the looks and smiles of the bystanders1 first peeped into my packet2 then1 after seeing that it contained nothing but gold1 ,i retired to one end of the counter1 and1 keeping my eyes lowered and making no noise at all1 ,i lifted it with both hands suddenly above my head1 and emptied it like a mill hopper4 #b ,my coin was twice as much as his2 which caused the onlookers1 who had fixed their eyes on me with some derision1 to turn round suddenly to him and say3 8,lucagnolo1 ,benvenuto's pieces1 being all of gold and twice as many as yours1 make a far finer effect40 ,i thought for certain that1 what with jealousy and what with shame1 ,lucagnolo would have fallen dead upon the spot2 and though he took the third part of my gain1 since ,i was a journeyman 7for such is the custom of the trade1 two-thirds fall to the workman and one-third to the masters of the shop71 yet inconsiderate envy had more power in him than avarice3 it ought indeed to have worked quite the other way1 he being a peasant's son from ,iesi4 ,he cursed his art and those who taught it him1 vowing that thenceforth he would never work at large plate1 but give his whole attention to those brothel gewgaws1 since they were so well paid4 ,equally enraged on my side1 ,i answered1 that every bird sang its own note2 that he talked after the fashion of the hovels he came from2 but that ,i dared swear that ,i should succeed with ease in making his lubberly lumber1 while he would never be successful in my brothel gewgaws4 #c ,thus ,i flung off in a passion1 telling him that ,i would soon show him that ,i spoke truth4 ,the bystanders openly declared against him1 holding him for a lout1 as indeed he was1 and me for a man1 as ,i had proved myself4 ,note #a4 ',scudi di giuli' and 'scudi di moneta4' ,the 'giulio' was a silver coin worth #ef ,italian centimes4 ,the 'scudi di moneta' was worth #aj 'giulios4' ,cellini was paid in golden crowns1 which had a much higher value4 ,the 'scuda' and the 'ducato' at this epoch were reckoned at #g 'lire1' the 'lira' at #bj 'soldi4' ,note #b4 ,the packet was funnel-shaped1 and ,cellini poured the coins out from the broad end4 ,note #c4 ,the two slang phrases translated above are 'bordellerie' and 'coglionerie4' ,,xxii ,,next day1 ,i went to thank ,madonna ,porzia1 and told her that her ladyship had done the opposite of what she said she would2 for that while ,i wanted to make the devil laugh1 she had made him once more deny ,god4 ,we both laughed pleasantly at this1 and she gave me other commissions for fine and substantial work4 ,meanwhile1 ,i contrived1 by means of a pupil of ,raffaello da ,urbino1 to get an order from the ,bishop of ,salamanca for one of those great water-vessels called 'acquereccia1' which are used for ornaments to place on sideboards4 ,he wanted a pair made of equal size2 and one of them he entrusted to ,lucagnolo1 the other to me4 ,giovan ,francesco1 the painter ,i have mentioned1 gave us the design4 #a ,accordingly ,i set hand with marvellous good-will to this piece of plate1 and was accommodated with a part of his workshop by a ,milanese named ,maestro ,giovan ,piero della ,tacca4 ,having made my preparations1 ,i calculated how much money ,i should need for certain affairs of my own1 and sent all the rest to assist my poor father4 ,it so happened that just when this was being paid to him in ,florence1 he stumbled upon one of those ,radicals who were in the ,eight at the time when ,i got into that little trouble there4 ,it was the very man who had abused him so rudely1 and who swore that ,i should certainly be sent into the country with the lances4 ,now this fellow had some sons of very bad morals and repute2 wherefore my father said to him3 8,misfortunes can happen to anybody1 especially to men of choleric humour when they are in the right1 even as it happened to my son2 but let the rest of his life bear witness how virtuously ,i have brought him up4 ,would ,god1 for your well-being1 that your sons may act neither worse nor better toward you than mine do to me4 ,god rendered me able to bring them up as ,i have done2 and where my own power could not reach1 #8twas ,he who rescued them1 against your expectation1 out of your violent hands40 ,on leaving the man1 he wrote me all this story1 begging me for ,god's sake to practise music at times1 in order that ,i might not lose the fine accomplishment which he had taught me with such trouble4 ,the letter so overflowed with expressions of the tenderest fatherly affection1 that ,i was moved to tears of filial piety1 resolving1 before he died1 to gratify him amply with regard to music4 ,thus ,god grants us those lawful blessings which we ask in prayer1 nothing doubting4 ,note #a4 ,that is1 ,il ,fattore4 ,see above1 p4 #cd4 ,,xxiii ,,while ,i was pushing forward ,salamanca's vase1 ,i had only one little boy as help1 whom ,i had taken at the entreaty of friends1 and half against my own will1 to be my workman4 ,he was about fourteen years of age1 bore the name of ,paulino1 and was son to a ,roman burgess1 who lived upon the income of his property4 ,paulino was the best-mannered1 the most honest1 and the most beautiful boy ,i ever saw in my whole life4 ,his modest ways and actions1 together with his superlative beauty and his devotion to myself1 bred in me as great an affection for him as a man's breast can hold4 ,this passionate love led me oftentimes to delight the lad with music2 for ,i observed that his marvellous features1 which by complexion wore a tone of modest melancholy1 brightened up1 and when ,i took my cornet1 broke into a smile so lovely and so sweet1 that ,i do not marvel at the silly stories which the ,greeks have written about the deities of heaven4 ,indeed1 if my boy had lived in those times1 he would probably have turned their heads still more4 #a ,he had a sister1 named ,faustina1 more beautiful1 ,i verily believe1 than that ,faustina about whom the old books gossip so4 ,sometimes he took me to their vineyard1 and1 so far as ,i could judge1 it struck me that ,paulino's good father would have welcomed me as a son-in-law4 ,this affair led me to play more than ,i was used to do4 ,it happened at that time that one ,giangiacomo of ,cesena1 a musician in the ,pope's band1 and a very excellent performer1 sent word through ,lorenzo1 the trumpeter of ,lucca1 who is now in our ,duke's service1 to inquire whether ,i was inclined to help them at the ,pope's ,ferragosto1 playing soprano with my cornet in some motets of great beauty selected by them for that occasion4 #b ,although ,i had the greatest desire to finish the vase ,i had begun1 yet1 since music has a wondrous charm of its own1 and also because ,i wished to please my old father1 ,i consented to join them4 ,during eight days before the festival we practised two hours a day together2 then on the first of ,august we went to the ,belvedere1 and while ,pope ,clement was at table1 we played those carefully studied motets so well that his ,holiness protested he had never heard music more sweetly executed or with better harmony of parts4 ,he sent for ,giangiacomo1 and asked him where and how he had procured so excellent a cornet for soprano1 and inquired particularly who ,i was4 ,giangiacomo told him my name in full4 ,whereupon the ,pope said3 8,so1 then1 he is the son of ,maestro ,giovanni80 ,on being assured ,i was1 the ,pope expressed his wish to have me in his service with the other bandsmen4 ,giangiacomo replied3 8,most blessed ,father1 ,i cannot pretend for certain that you will get him1 for his profession1 to which he devotes himself assiduously1 is that of a goldsmith1 and he works in it miraculously well1 and earns by it far more than he could do by playing40 ,to this the ,pope added3 8,i am the better inclined to him now that ,i find him possessor of a talent more than ,i expected4 ,see that he obtains the same salary as the rest of you2 and tell him from me to join my service1 and that ,i will find work enough by the day for him to do in his other trade40 ,then stretching out his hand1 he gave him a hundred golden crowns of the ,camera in a handkerchief1 and said3 #c 8,divide these so that he may take his share40 ,when ,giangiacomo left the ,pope1 he came to us1 and related in detail all that the ,pope had said2 and after dividing the money between the eight of us1 and giving me my share1 he said to me3 8,now ,i am going to have you inscribed among our company40 ,i replied3 8,let the day pass2 to-morrow ,i will give my answer40 ,when ,i left them1 ,i went meditating whether ,i ought to accept the invitation1 inasmuch as ,i could not but suffer if ,i abandoned the noble studies of my art4 ,the following night my father appeared to me in a dream1 and begged me with tears of tenderest affection1 for ,god's love and his1 to enter upon this engagement4 ,methought ,i answered that nothing would induce me to do so4 ,in an instant he assumed so horrible an aspect as to frighten me out of my wits1 and cried3 8,if you do not1 you will have a father's curse2 but if you do1 may you be ever blessed by me60 ,when ,i woke1 ,i ran1 for very fright1 to have myself inscribed4 ,then ,i wrote to my old father1 telling him the news1 which so affected him with extreme joy that a sudden fit of illness took him1 and well-nigh brought him to death's door4 ,in his answer to my letter1 he told me that he too had dreamed nearly the same as ,i had4 ,note #a4 ',gli ,arebbe fatti pi uscire de' gangheri2' would have taken them still more off the hinges4 ,note #b4 ,lit41 8the largest piece left of me should be my ears40 ,note #c4 ,the ,camera ,apostolica was the ,roman ,exchequer4 ,,xxiv ,,knowing now that ,i had gratified my father's honest wish1 ,i began to think that everything would prosper with me to a glorious and honourable end4 ,accordingly1 ,i set myself with indefatigable industry to the completion of the vase ,i had begun for ,salamanca4 ,that prelate was a very extraordinary man1 extremely rich1 but difficult to please4 ,he sent daily to learn what ,i was doing2 and when his messenger did not find me at home1 he broke into fury1 saying that he would take the work out of my hands and give it to others to finish4 ,this came of my slavery to that accursed music4 ,still ,i laboured diligently night and day1 until1 when ,i had brought my work to a point when it could be exhibited1 ,i submitted it to the inspection of the ,bishop4 ,this so increased his desire to see it finished that ,i was sorry ,i had shown it4 ,at the end of three months ,i had it ready1 with little animals and foliage and masks1 as beautiful as one could hope to see4 ,no sooner was it done than ,i sent it by the hand of my workman1 ,paulino1 to show that able artist ,lucagnolo1 of whom ,i have spoken above4 ,paulino1 with the grace and beauty which belonged to him1 spoke as follows3 8,messer ,lucagnolo1 ,benvenuto bids me say that he has sent to show you his promises and your lumber1 expecting in return to see from you his gewgaws40 ,this message given1 ,lucagnolo took up the vase1 and carefully examined it2 then he said to ,paulino3 8,fair boy1 tell your master that he is a great and able artist1 and that ,i beg him to be willing to have me for a friend1 and not to engage in aught else40 ,the mission of that virtuous and marvellous lad caused me the greatest joy2 and then the vase was carried to ,salamanca1 who ordered it to be valued4 ,lucagnolo took part in the valuation1 estimating and praising it far above my own opinion4 ,salamanca1 lifting up the vase1 cried like a true ,spaniard3 8,i swear by ,god that ,i will take as long in paying him as he has lagged in making it40 ,when ,i heard this1 ,i was exceedingly put out1 and fell to cursing all ,spain and every one who wished well to it4 ,amongst other beautiful ornaments1 this vase had a handle1 made all of one piece1 with most delicate mechanism1 which1 when a spring was touched1 stood upright above the mouth of it4 ,while the prelate was one day ostentatiously exhibiting my vase to certain ,spanish gentlemen of his suite1 it chanced that one of them1 upon ,monsignor's quitting the room1 began roughly to work the handle1 and as the gentle spring which moved it could not bear his loutish violence1 it broke in his hand4 ,aware what mischief he had done1 he begged the butler who had charge of the ,bishop's plate to take it to the master who had made it1 for him to mend1 and promised to pay what price he asked1 provided it was set to rights at once4 ,so the vase came once more into my hands1 and ,i promised to put it forthwith in order1 which indeed ,i did4 ,it was brought to me before dinner2 and at twenty-two o'clock the man who brought it returned1 all in a sweat1 for he had run the whole way1 ,monsignor having again asked for it to show to certain other gentlemen4 #a ,the butler1 then1 without giving me time to utter a word1 cried3 8,quick1 quick1 bring the vase40 ,i1 who wanted to act at leisure and not to give up to him1 said that ,i did not mean to be so quick4 ,the serving-man got into such a rage that he made as though he would put one hand to his sword1 while with the other he threatened to break the shop open4 ,to this ,i put a stop at once with my own weapon1 using therewith spirited language1 and saying3 8,i am not going to give it to you6 ,go and tell ,monsignor1 your master1 that ,i want the money for my work before ,i let it leave this shop40 ,when the fellow saw he could not obtain it by swaggering1 he fell to praying me1 as one prays to the ,cross1 declaring that if ,i would only give it up1 he would take care ,i should be paid4 ,these words did not make me swerve from my purpose2 but ,i kept on saying the same thing4 ,at last1 despairing of success1 he swore to come with ,spaniards enough to cut me in pieces4 ,then he took to his heels2 while ,i1 who inclined to believe partly in their murderous attack1 resolved that ,i would defend myself with courage4 ,so ,i got an admirable little gun ready1 which ,i used for shooting game1 and muttered to myself3 8,he who robs me of my property and labour may take my life too1 and welcome40 ,while ,i was carrying on this debate in my own mind1 a crowd of ,spaniards arrived1 led by their major-domo1 who1 with the headstrong rashness of his race1 bade them go in and take the vase and give me a good beating4 ,hearing these words1 ,i showed them the muzzle of my gun1 and prepared to fire1 and cried in a loud voice3 8,renegade ,jews1 traitors1 is it thus that one breaks into houses and shops in our city of ,rome8 ,come as many of you thieves as like1 an inch nearer to this wicket1 and ,i'll blow all their brains out with my gun40 ,then ,i turned the muzzle toward their major-domo1 and making as though ,i would discharge it1 called out3 8,and you big thief1 who are egging them on1 ,i mean to kill you first40 ,he clapped spurs to the jennet he was riding1 and took flight headlong4 ,the commotion we were making stirred up all the neighbours1 who came crowding round1 together with some ,roman gentlemen who chanced to pass1 and cried3 8,do but kill the renegades1 and we will stand by you40 ,these words had the effect of frightening the ,spaniards in good earnest4 ,they withdrew1 and were compelled by the circumstances to relate the whole affair to ,monsignor4 ,being a man of inordinate haughtiness1 he rated the members of his household1 both because they had engaged in such an act of violence1 and also because1 having begun1 they had not gone through with it4 ,at this juncture the painter1 who had been concerned in the whole matter1 came in1 and the ,bishop bade him go and tell me that if ,i did not bring the vase at once1 he would make mincemeat of me2 #b but if ,i brought it1 he would pay its price down4 ,these threats were so far from terrifying me1 that ,i sent him word ,i was going immediately to lay my case before the ,pope4 ,in the meantime1 his anger and my fear subsided2 whereupon1 being guaranteed by some ,roman noblemen of high degree that the prelate would not harm me1 and having assurance that ,i should be paid1 ,i armed myself with a large poniard and my good coat of mail1 and betook myself to his palace1 where he had drawn up all his household4 ,i entered1 and ,paulino followed with the silver vase4 ,it was just like passing through the ,zodiac1 neither more nor less2 for one of them had the face of the lion1 another of the scorpion1 a third of the crab4 ,however1 we passed onward to the presence of the rascally priest1 who spouted out a torrent of such language as only priests and ,spaniards have at their command4 ,in return ,i never raised my eyes to look at him1 nor answered word for word4 ,that seemed to augment the fury of his anger2 and causing paper to be put before me1 he commanded me to write an acknowledgment to the effect that ,i had been amply satisfied and paid in full4 ,then ,i raised my head1 and said ,i should be very glad to do so when ,i had received the money4 ,the ,bishop's rage continued to rise2 threats and recriminations were flung about2 but at last the money was paid1 and ,i wrote the receipt4 ,then ,i departed1 glad at heart and in high spirits4 ,note #a4 ,the ,italians reckoned time from sundown till sundown1 counting twenty-four hours4 ,twenty-two o'clock was therefore two hours before nightfall4 ,one hour of the night was one hour after nightfall1 and so forth4 ,by this system of reckoning1 it is clear that the hours varied with the season of the year2 and unless we know the exact month in which an event took place1 we cannot translate any hour into terms of our own system4 ,note #b4 ,lit41 8the largest piece left of me should be my ears40 ,,xxv ,,when ,pope ,clement heard the story-he had seen the vase before1 but it was not shown him as my work-he expressed much pleasure and spoke warmly in my praise1 publicly saying that he felt very favourably toward me4 ,this caused ,monsignor ,salamanca to repent that he had hectored over me2 and in order to make up our quarrel1 he sent the same painter to inform me that he meant to give me large commissions4 ,i replied that ,i was willing to undertake them1 but that ,i should require to be paid in advance4 ,this speech too came to ,pope ,clement's ears1 and made him laugh heartily4 ,cardinal ,cibo was in the presence1 and the ,pope narrated to him the whole history of my dispute with the ,bishop4 #a ,then he turned to one of his people1 and ordered him to go on supplying me with work for the palace4 ,cardinal ,cibo sent for me1 and after some time spent in agreeable conversation1 gave me the order for a large vase1 bigger than ,salamanca's4 ,i likewise obtained commissions from ,cardinal ,cornaro1 and many others of the ,holy ,college1 especially ,ridolfi and ,salviati2 they all kept me well employed1 so that ,i earned plenty of money4 #b ,madonna ,porzia now advised me to open a shop of my own4 ,this ,i did2 and ,i never stopped working for that excellent and gentle lady1 who paid me exceedingly well1 and by whose means perhaps it was that ,i came to make a figure in the world4 ,i contracted close friendship with ,signor ,gabbriello ,ceserino1 at that time ,gonfalonier of ,rome1 and executed many pieces for him4 ,one1 among the rest1 is worthy of mention4 ,it was a large golden medal to wear in the hat4 ,i engraved upon it ,leda with her swan2 and being very well pleased with the workmanship1 he said he should like to have it valued1 in order that ,i might be properly paid4 ,now1 since the medal was executed with consummate skill1 the valuers of the trade set a far higher price on it than he had thought of4 ,i therefore kept the medal1 and got nothing for my pains4 ,the same sort of adventures happened in this case as in that of ,salamanca's vase4 ,but ,i shall pass such matters briefly by1 lest they hinder me from telling things of greater importance4 ,note #a4 ,innocenzio ,cibo ,malaspina1 ,archbishop of ,genoa1 and nephew of ,lorenzo de' ,medici4 ,he was a prelate of vast wealth and a great patron of arts and letters4 ,note #b4 ,marco ,cornaro was a brother of ,caterina1 the ,queen of ,cyprus4 ,he obtained the hat in #adib4 ,niccol ,ridolfi was a nephew of ,leo ,x4 ,giovanni ,salviati1 the son of ,jacopo mentioned above1 was also a nephew of ,leo ,x1 who gave him the hat in #aeag4 ,,xxvi ,,since ,i am writing my life1 ,i must from time to time diverge from my profession in order to describe with brevity1 if not in detail1 some incidents which have no bearing on my career as artist4 ,on the morning of ,saint ,john's ,day ,i happened to be dining with several men of our nation1 painters1 sculptors1 goldsmiths1 amongst the most notable of whom was ,rosso and ,gainfrancesco1 the pupil of ,raffaello4 #a ,i had invited them without restraint or ceremony to the place of our meeting1 and they were all laughing and joking1 as is natural when a crowd of men come together to make merry on so great a festival4 ,it chanced that a light-brained swaggering young fellow passed by2 he was a soldier of ,rienzo da ,ceri1 who1 when he heard the noise that we were making1 gave vent to a string of opprobrious sarcasms upon the folk of ,florence4 #b ,i1 who was the host of those great artists and men of worth1 taking the insult to myself1 slipped out quietly without being observed1 and went up to him4 ,i ought to say that he had a punk of his there1 and was going on with his stupid ribaldries to amuse her4 ,when ,i met him1 ,i asked if he was the rash fellow who was speaking evil of the ,florentines4 ,he answered at once3 8,i am that man40 ,on this ,i raised my hand1 struck him in the face1 and said3 8,and ,i am 'this' man40 ,then we each of us drew our swords with spirit2 but the fray had hardly begun when a crowd of persons intervened1 who rather took my part than not1 hearing and seeing that ,i was in the right4 ,on the following day a challenge to fight with him was brought me1 which ,i accepted very gladly1 saying that ,i expected to complete this job far quicker than those of the other art ,i practised4 ,so ,i went at once to confer with a fine old man called ,bevilacqua1 who was reputed to have been the first sword of ,italy1 because he had fought more than twenty serious duels and had always come off with honour4 ,this excellent man was a great friend of mine2 he knew me as an artist and had also been concerned as intermediary in certain ugly quarrels between me and others4 ,accordingly1 when he had learned my business1 he answered with a smile3 8,my ,benvenuto1 if you had an affair with ,mars1 ,i am sure you would come out with honour1 because through all the years that ,i have known you1 ,i have never seen you wrongfully take up a quarrel40 ,so he consented to be my second1 and we repaired with sword in hand to the appointed place1 but no blood was shed1 for my opponent made the matter up1 and ,i came with much credit out of the affair4 #c ,i will not add further particulars2 for though they would be very interesting in their own way1 ,i wish to keep both space and words for my art1 which has been my chief inducement to write as ,i am doing1 and about which ,i shall have only too much to say4 ,the spirit of honourable rivalry impelled me to attempt some other masterpiece1 which should equal1 or even surpass1 the productions of that able craftsman1 ,lucagnolo1 whom ,i have mentioned4 ,still ,i did not on this account neglect my own fine art of jewellery2 and so both the one and the other wrought me much profit and more credit1 and in both of them ,i continued to produce things of marked originality4 ,there was at that time in ,rome a very able artist of ,perugia named ,lautizio1 who worked only in one department1 where he was sole and unrivalled throughout the world4 #d ,you must know that at ,rome every cardinal has a seal1 upon which his title is engraved1 and these seals are made just as large as a child's hand of about twelve years of age2 and1 as ,i have already said1 the cardinal's title is engraved upon the seal together with a great many ornamental figures4 ,a well-made article of the kind fetches a hundred1 or more than a hundred crowns4 ,this excellent workman1 like ,lucagnolo1 roused in me some honest rivalry1 although the art he practised is far remote from the other branches of gold-smithery1 and consequently ,lautizio was not skilled in making anything but seals4 ,i gave my mind to acquiring his craft also1 although ,i found it very difficult2 and1 unrepelled by the trouble which it gave me1 ,i went on zealously upon the path of profit and improvement4 ,there was in ,rome another most excellent craftsman of ability1 who was a ,milanese named ,messer ,caradosso4 #e ,he dealt in nothing but little chiselled medals1 made of plates of metal1 and such-like things4 ,i have seen of his some paxes in half relief1 and some ,christs a palm in length wrought of the thinnest golden plates1 so exquisitely done that ,i esteemed him the greatest master in that kind ,i had ever seen1 and envied him more than all the rest together4 ,there were also other masters who worked at medals carved in steel1 which may be called the models and true guides for those who aim at striking coins in the most perfect style4 ,all these divers arts ,i set myself with unflagging industry to learn4 ,i must not omit the exquisite art of enamelling1 in which ,i have never known any one excel save a ,florentine1 our countryman1 called ,amerigo4 #f ,i did not know him1 but was well acquainted with his incomparable masterpieces4 ,nothing in any part of the world or by craftsman that ,i have seen1 approached the divine beauty of their workmanship4 ,to this branch too ,i devoted myself with all my strength1 although it is extremely difficult1 chiefly because of the fire1 which1 after long time and trouble spent in other processes1 has to be applied at last1 and not unfrequently brings the whole to ruin4 ,in spite of its great difficulties1 it gave me so much pleasure that ,i looked upon them as recreation2 and this came from the special gift which the ,god of nature bestowed on me1 that is to say1 a temperament so happy and of such excellent parts that ,i was freely able to accomplish whatever it pleased me to take in hand4 ,the various departments of art which ,i have described are very different one from the other1 so that a man who excels in one of them1 if he undertakes the others1 hardly ever achieves the same success2 whereas ,i strove with all my power to become equally versed in all of them3 and in the proper place ,i shall demonstrate that ,i attained my object4 ,note #a4 ,st4 ,john's ,day was the great ,florentine ,festival1 on which all the ,guilds went in procession with pageants through the city4 ,of the ,florentine painter1 ,,ii ,rosso1 or ,maitre ,roux1 this is the first mention by ,cellini4 ,he went to ,france in #aecd1 and died an obscure death there in #aeda4 ,note #b4 ,this ,rienzo1 ,renzo1 or ,lorenzo da ,ceri1 was a captain of adventurers or ,condottiere1 who hired his mercenary forces to paymasters4 ,he defended ,crema for the ,venetians in #aead1 and conquered ,urbino for the ,pope in #aeae4 ,afterwards he fought for the ,french in the ,italian wars4 ,we shall hear more of him again during the sack of ,rome4 ,note #c4 ,the ,italian1 'restando dal mio avversario1' seems to mean that ,cellini's opponent proposed an accommodation1 apologized1 or stayed the duel at a certain point4 ,note #d4 ,see ,cellini's ,treatise ',oreficeria1' cap4 vi41 for more particulars about this artist4 ,note #e4 ,his real name was ,ambrogio ,foppa4 ,the nickname ,caradosso is said to have stuck to him in consequence of a ,spaniard calling him ,bear's-face in his own tongue4 ,he struck ,leo ,x's coins2 and we possess some excellent medallion portraits by his hand4 ,note #f4 ,for him1 consult ,cellini's ',oreficeria4' ,,xxvii ,,at that time1 while ,i was still a young man of about twenty-three1 there raged a plague of such extraordinary violence that many thousands died of it every day in ,rome4 ,somewhat terrified at this calamity1 ,i began to take certain amusements1 as my mind suggested1 and for a reason which ,i will presently relate4 ,i had formed a habit of going on feast-days to the ancient buildings1 and copying parts of them in wax or with the pencil2 and since these buildings are all ruins1 and the ruins house innumerable pigeons1 it came into my head to use my gun against these birds4 ,so then1 avoiding all commerce with people1 in my terror of the plague1 ,i used to put a fowling-piece on my boy ,pagolino's shoulder1 and he and ,i went out alone into the ruins2 and oftentimes we came home laden with a cargo of the fattest pigeons4 ,i did not care to charge my gun with more than a single ball2 and thus it was by pure skill in the art that ,i filled such heavy bags4 ,i had a fowling-piece which ,i had made myself2 inside and out it was as bright as any mirror4 ,i also used to make a very fine sort of powder1 in doing which ,i discovered secret processes1 beyond any which have yet been found2 and on this point1 in order to be brief1 ,i will give but one particular1 which will astonish good shots of every degree4 ,this is1 that when ,i charged my gun with powder weighing one-fifth of the ball1 it carried two hundred paces point-blank4 ,it is true that the great delight ,i took in this exercise bid fair to withdraw me from my art and studies2 yet in another way it gave me more than it deprived me of1 seeing that each time ,i went out shooting ,i returned with greatly better health1 because the open air was a benefit to my constitution4 ,my natural temperament was melancholy1 and while ,i was taking these amusements1 my heart leapt up with joy1 and ,i found that ,i could work better and with far greater mastery than when ,i spent my whole time in study and manual labour4 ,in this way my gun1 at the end of the game1 stood me more in profit than in loss4 ,it was also the cause of my making acquaintance with certain hunters after curiosities1 who followed in the track #a of those ,lombard peasants who used to come to ,rome to till the vineyards at the proper season4 ,while digging the ground1 they frequently turned up antique medals1 agates1 chrysoprases1 cornelians1 and cameos2 also sometimes jewels1 as1 for instance1 emeralds1 sapphires1 diamonds1 and rubies4 ,the peasants used to sell things of this sort to the traders for a mere trifle2 and ,i very often1 when ,i met them1 paid the latter several times as many golden crowns as they had given giulios for some object4 ,independently of the profit ,i made by this traffic1 which was at least tenfold1 it brought me also into agreeable relations with nearly all the cardinals of ,rome4 ,i will only touch upon a few of the most notable and the rarest of these curiosities4 ,there came into my hands1 among many other fragments1 the head of a dolphin about as big as a good-sized ballot-bean4 ,not only was the style of this head extremely beautiful1 but nature had here far surpassed art2 for the stone was an emerald of such good colour1 that the man who bought it from me for tens of crowns sold it again for hundreds after setting it as a finger-ring4 ,i will mention another kind of gem2 this was a magnificent topaz2 and here art equalled nature2 it was as large as a big hazel-nut1 with the head of ,minerva in a style of inconceivable beauty4 ,i remember yet another precious stone1 different from these2 it was a cameo1 engraved with ,hercules binding ,cerberus of the triple throat2 such was its beauty and the skill of its workmanship1 that our great ,michel ,agnolo protested he had never seen anything so wonderful4 ,among many bronze medals1 ,i obtained one upon which was a head of ,jupiter4 ,it was the largest that had ever been seen2 the head of the most perfect execution2 and it had on the reverse side a very fine design of some little figures in the same style4 ,i might enlarge at great length on this curiosity2 but ,i will refrain for fear of being prolix4 ,note #a4 ',stavano alle velette4' ,perhaps 'lay in wait for4' ,,xxviii ,,as ,i have said above1 the plague had broken out in ,rome2 but though ,i must return a little way upon my steps1 ,i shall not therefore abandon the main path of my history4 ,there arrived in ,rome a surgeon of the highest renown1 who was called ,maestro ,giacomo da ,carpi4 #a ,this able man1 in the course of his other practice1 undertook the most desperate cases of the so-called ,french disease4 ,in ,rome this kind of illness is very partial to the priests1 and especially to the richest of them4 ,when1 therefore1 ,maestro ,giacomo had made his talents known1 he professed to work miracles in the treatment of such cases by means of certain fumigations2 but he only undertook a cure after stipulating for his fees1 which he reckoned not by tens1 but by hundreds of crowns4 ,he was a great connoisseur in the arts of design4 ,chancing to pass one day before my shop1 he saw a lot of drawings which ,i had laid upon the counter1 and among these were several designs for little vases in a capricious style1 which ,i had sketched for my amusement4 ,these vases were in quite a different fashion from any which had been seen up to that date4 ,he was anxious that ,i should finish one or two of them for him in silver2 and this ,i did with the fullest satisfaction1 seeing they exactly suited my own fancy4 ,the clever surgeon paid me very well1 and yet the honour which the vases brought me was worth a hundred times as much2 for the best craftsmen in the goldsmith's trade declared they had never seen anything more beautiful or better executed4 ,no sooner had ,i finished them than he showed them to the ,pope2 and the next day following he betook himself away from ,rome4 ,he was a man of much learning1 who used to discourse wonderfully about medicine4 ,the ,pope would fain have had him in his service1 but he replied that he would not take service with anybody in the world1 and that whoso had need of him might come to seek him out4 ,he was a person of great sagacity1 and did wisely to get out of ,rome2 for not many months afterwards1 all the patients he had treated grew so ill that they were a hundred times worse off than before he came4 ,he would certainly have been murdered if he had stopped4 ,he showed my little vases to several persons of quality2 amongst others1 to the most excellent ,duke of ,ferrara1 and pretended that he had got them from a great lord in ,rome1 by telling this nobleman that if he wanted to be cured1 he must give him those two vases2 and that the lord had answered that they were antique1 and besought him to ask for anything else which it might be convenient for him to give1 provided only he would leave him those2 but1 according to his own account1 ,maestro ,giacomo made as though he would not undertake the cure1 and so he got them4 ,i was told this by ,messer ,alberto ,bendedio in ,ferrara1 who with great ostentation showed me some earthenware copies he possessed of them4 #b ,thereupon ,i laughed1 and as ,i said nothing1 ,messer ,alberto ,bendedio1 who was a haughty man1 flew into a rage and said3 8,you are laughing at them1 are you8 ,and ,i tell you that during the last thousand years there has not been born a man capable of so much as copying them40 ,i then1 not caring to deprive them of so eminent a reputation1 kept silence1 and admired them with mute stupefaction4 ,it was said to me in ,rome by many great lords1 some of whom were my friends1 that the work of which ,i have been speaking was1 in their opinion of marvellous excellence and genuine antiquity2 whereupon1 emboldened by their praises1 ,i revealed that ,i had made them4 ,as they would not believe it1 and as ,i wished to prove that ,i had spoken truth1 ,i was obliged to bring evidence and to make new drawings of the vases2 for my word alone was not enough1 inasmuch as ,maestro ,giacomo had cunningly insisted upon carrying off the old drawings with him4 ,by this little job ,i earned a fair amount of money4 ,note #a4 ,giacomo ,berengario da ,carpi was1 in fact1 a great physician1 surgeon1 and student of anatomy4 ,he is said to have been the first to use mercury in the cure of syphilis1 a disease which was devastating ,italy after the year #adie4 ,he amassed a large fortune1 which1 when he died at ,ferrara about #aecj1 he bequeathed to the ,duke there4 ,note #b4 ,see below1 ,book ,,ii4 ,chap4 viii41 for a full account of this incident at ,ferrara4 ,,xxix ,,the ,,plague went dragging on for many months1 but ,i had as yet managed to keep it at bay2 for though several of my comrades were dead1 ,i survived in health and freedom4 ,now it chanced one evening that an intimate comrade of mine brought home to supper a ,bolognese prostitute named ,faustina4 ,she was a very fine woman1 but about thirty years of age2 and she had with her a little serving-girl of thirteen or fourteen4 ,faustina belonging to my friend1 ,i would not have touched her for all the gold in the world2 and though she declared she was madly in love with me1 ,i remained steadfast in my loyalty4 ,but after they had gone to bed1 ,i stole away the little serving-girl1 who was quite a fresh maid1 and woe to her if her mistress had known of it6 ,the result was that ,i enjoyed a very pleasant night1 far more to my satisfaction than if ,i had passed it with ,faustina4 ,i rose upon the hour of breaking fast1 and felt tired1 for ,i had travelled many miles that night1 and was wanting to take food1 when a crushing headache seized me2 several boils appeared on my left arm1 together with a carbuncle which showed itself just beyond the palm of the left hand where it joins the wrist4 ,everybody in the house was in a panic2 my friend1 the cow and the calf1 all fled4 ,left alone there with my poor little prentice1 who refused to abandon me1 ,i felt stifled at the heart1 and made up my mind for certain ,i was a dead man4 ,just then the father of the lad went by1 who was physician to the ,cardinal ,iacoacci1 #a and lived as member of that prelate's household4 #b ,the boy called out3 8,come1 father1 and see ,benvenuto2 he is in bed with some trifling indisposition40 ,without thinking what my complaint might be1 the doctor came up at once1 and when he had felt my pulse1 he saw and felt what was very contrary to his own wishes4 ,turning round to his son1 he said3 8,o traitor of a child1 you've ruined me2 how can ,i venture now into the ,cardinal's presence80 ,his son made answer3 8,why1 father1 this man my master is worth far more than all the cardinals in ,rome40 ,then the doctor turned to me and said3 8,since ,i am here1 ,i will consent to treat you4 ,but of one thing only ,i warn you1 that if you have enjoyed a woman1 you are doomed40 ,to this ,i replied3 8,i did so this very night40 ,he answered3 8,with whom1 and to what extent80 #c ,i said3 8,last night1 and with a girl in her earliest maturity40 ,upon this1 perceiving that he had spoken foolishly1 he made haste to add3 8,well1 considering the sores are so new1 and have not yet begun to stink1 and that the remedies will be taken in time1 you need not be too much afraid1 for ,i have good hopes of curing you40 ,when he had prescribed for me and gone away1 a very dear friend of mine1 called ,giovanni ,rigogli1 came in1 who fell to commiserating my great suffering and also my desertion by my comrade1 and said3 8,be of good cheer1 my ,benvenuto1 for ,i will never leave your side until ,i see you restored to health40 ,i told him not to come too close1 since it was all over with me4 ,only ,i besought him to be so kind as to take a considerable quantity of crowns1 which were lying in a little box near my bed1 and when ,god had thought fit to remove me from this world1 to send them to my poor father1 writing pleasantly to him1 in the way ,i too had done1 so far as that appalling season of the plague permitted4 #d ,my beloved friend declared that he had no intention whatsoever of leaving me1 and that come what might1 in life or death1 he knew very well what was his duty toward a friend4 ,and so we went on by the help of ,god3 and the admirable remedies which ,i had used began to work a great improvement1 and ,i soon came well out of that dreadful sickness4 ,the sore was still open1 with a plug of lint inside it and a plaster above1 when ,i went out riding on a little wild pony4 ,he was covered with hair four fingers long1 and was exactly as big as a well-grown bear2 indeed he looked just like a bear4 ,i rode out on him to visit the painter ,rosso1 who was then living in the country1 toward ,civita ,vecchia1 at a place of ,count ,anguillara's called ,cervetera4 ,i found my friend1 and he was very glad to see me2 whereupon ,i said3 8,i am come to do to you that which you did to me so many months ago40 ,he burst out laughing1 embraced and kissed me1 and begged me for the ,count's sake to keep quiet4 ,i stayed in that place about a month1 with much content and gladness1 enjoying good wines and excellent food1 and treated with the greatest kindness by the ,count2 every day ,i used to ride out alone along the seashore1 where ,i dismounted1 and filled my pockets with all sorts of pebbles1 snail shells1 and sea shells of great rarity and beauty4 ,on the last day 7for after this ,i went there no more7 ,i was attacked by a band of men1 who had disguised themselves1 and disembarked from a ,moorish privateer4 ,when they thought that they had run me into a certain passage1 where it seemed impossible that ,i should escape from their hands1 ,i suddenly mounted my pony1 resolved to be roasted or boiled alive at that pass perilous1 seeing ,i had little hope to evade one or the other of these fates2 #e but1 as ,god willed1 my pony1 who was the same ,i have described above1 took an incredibly wide jump1 and brought me off in safety1 for which ,i heartily thanked ,god4 ,i told the story to the ,count2 he ran to arms2 but we saw the galleys setting out to sea4 ,the next day following ,i went back sound and with good cheer to ,rome4 ,note #a4 ,probably ,domenico ,iacobacci1 who obtained the hat in #aeag4 ,note #b4 ',a sua provisione stava1 i4 e41' he was in the ,cardinal's regular pay4 ,note #c4 ',quanto4' ,perhaps we ought to read 'quando-when8' ,note #d4 ',come ancora io avevo fatto secondo l'usanza che promettava quell' arrabbiata stagione4' ,i am not sure that ,i have given the right sense in the text above4 ,leclanch interprets the words thus3 8that ,i too had fared according to the wont of that appalling season10 'i4 e41' had died of the plague4 ,but ,i think the version in my sense is more true both to ,italian and to ,cellini's special style4 ,note #e4 ',i4 e41' to escape either being drowned or shot4 ,,xxx ,,the ,,plague had by this time almost died out1 so that the survivors1 when they met together alive1 rejoiced with much delight in one another's company4 ,this led to the formation of a club of painters1 sculptors1 and goldsmiths1 the best that were in ,rome2 and the founder of it was a sculptor with the name of ,michel ,agnolo4 #a ,he was a ,sienese and a man of great ability1 who could hold his own against any other workman in that art2 but1 above all1 he was the most amusing comrade and the heartiest good fellow in the universe4 ,of all the members of the club1 he was the eldest1 and yet the youngest from the strength and vigour of his body4 ,we often came together2 at the very least twice a week4 ,i must not omit to mention that our society counted ,giulio ,romano1 the painter1 and ,gian ,francesco1 both of them celebrated pupils of the mighty ,raffaello da ,urbino4 ,after many and many merry meetings1 it seemed good to our worthy president that for the following ,sunday we should repair to supper in his house1 and that each one of us should be obliged to bring with him his crow 7such was the nickname ,michel ,agnolo gave to women in the club71 and that whoso did not bring one should be sconced by paying a supper to the whole company4 ,those of us who had no familiarity with women of the town1 were forced to purvey themselves at no small trouble and expense1 in order to appear without disgrace at that distinguished feast of artists4 ,i had reckoned upon being well provided with a young woman of considerable beauty1 called ,pantasilea1 who was very much in love with me2 but ,i was obliged to give her up to one of my dearest friends1 called ,il ,bachiacca1 who on his side had been1 and still was1 over head and ears in love with her4 #b ,this exchange excited a certain amount of lover's anger1 because the lady1 seeing ,i had abandoned her at ,bachiacca's first entreaty1 imagined that ,i held in slight esteem the great affection which she bore me4 ,in course of time a very serious incident grew out of this misunderstanding1 through her desire to take revenge for the affront ,i had put upon her2 whereof ,i shall speak hereafter in the proper place4 ,well1 then1 the hour was drawing nigh when we had to present ourselves before that company of men of genius1 each with his own crow2 and ,i was still unprovided2 and yet ,i thought it would be stupid to fail of such a madcap bagatelle2 #c but what particularly weighed upon my mind was that ,i did not choose to lend the light of my countenance in that illustrious sphere to some miserable plume-plucked scarecrow4 ,all these considerations made me devise a pleasant trick1 for the increase of merriment and the diffusion of mirth in our society4 ,having taken this resolve1 ,i sent for a stripling of sixteen years1 who lived in the next house to mine2 he was the son of a ,spanish coppersmith4 ,this young man gave his time to ,latin studies1 and was very diligent in their pursuit4 ,he bore the name of ,diego1 had a handsome figure1 and a complexion of marvellous brilliancy2 the outlines of his head and face were far more beautiful than those of the antique ,antinous3 ,i had often copied them1 gaining thereby much honour from the works in which ,i used them4 ,the youth had no acquaintances1 and was therefore quite unknown2 dressed very ill and negligently2 all his affections being set upon those wonderful studies of his4 ,after bringing him to my house1 ,i begged him to let me array him in the woman's clothes which ,i had caused to be laid out4 ,he readily complied1 and put them on at once1 while ,i added new beauties to the beauty of his face by the elaborate and studied way in which ,i dressed his hair4 ,in his ears ,i placed two little rings1 set with two large and fair pearls2 the rings were broken2 they only clipped his ears1 which looked as though they had been pierced4 ,afterwards ,i wreathed his throat with chains of gold and rich jewels1 and ornamented his fair hands with rings4 ,then ,i took him in a pleasant manner by one ear1 and drew him before a great looking-glass4 ,the lad1 when he beheld himself1 cried out with a burst of enthusiasm3 8,heavens6 is that ,diego80 ,i said3 8,that is ,diego1 from whom until this day ,i never asked for any kind of favour2 but now ,i only beseech ,diego to do me pleasure in one harmless thing2 and it is this-,i want him to come in those very clothes to supper with the company of artists whereof he has often heard me speak40 ,the young man1 who was honest1 virtuous1 and wise1 checked his enthusiasm1 bent his eyes to the ground1 and stood for a short while in silence4 ,then with a sudden move he lifted up his face and said3 8,with ,benvenuto ,i will go2 now let us start40 ,i wrapped his head in a large kind of napkin1 which is called in ,rome a summer-cloth2 and when we reached the place of meeting1 the company had already assembled1 and everybody came forward to greet me4 ,michel ,agnolo had placed himself between ,giulio and ,giovan ,francesco4 ,i lifted the veil from the head of my beauty2 and then ,michel ,agnolo1 who1 as ,i have already said1 was the most humorous and amusing fellow in the world1 laid his two hands1 the one on ,giulio's and the other on ,gian ,francesco's shoulders1 and pulling them with all his force1 made them bow down1 while he1 on his knees upon the floor1 cried out for mercy1 and called to all the folk in words like these3 8,behold ye of what sort are the angels of paradise6 for though they are called angels1 here shall ye see that they are not all of the male gender40 ,then with a loud voice he added3 8,angel beauteous1 angel best1 ,save me thou1 make thou me blest40 ,upon this my charming creature laughed1 and lifted the right hand and gave him a papal benediction1 with many pleasant words to boot4 ,so ,michel ,agnolo stood up1 and said it was the custom to kiss the feet of the ,pope and the cheeks of angels2 and having done the latter to ,diego1 the boy blushed deeply1 which immensely enhanced his beauty4 ,when this reception was over1 we found the whole room full of sonnets1 which every man of us had made and sent to ,michel ,agnolo1 ,my lad began to read them1 and read them all aloud so gracefully1 that his infinite charms were heightened beyond the powers of language to describe4 ,then followed conversation and witty sayings1 on which ,i will not enlarge1 for that is not my business2 only one clever word must be mentioned1 for it was spoken by that admirable painter ,giulio1 who1 looking round with meaning #d in his eyes on the bystanders1 and fixing them particularly upon the women1 turned to ,michel ,agnolo and said3 8,my dear ,michel ,agnolo1 your nickname of crow very well suits those ladies to-day1 though ,i vow they are somewhat less fair than crows by the side of one of the most lovely peacocks which fancy could have painted0 ,when the banquet was served and ready1 and we were going to sit down to table1 ,giulio asked leave to be allowed to place us4 ,this being granted1 he took the women by the hand1 and arranged them all upon the inner side1 with my fair in the centre2 then he placed all the men on the outside and me in the middle1 saying there was no honour too great for my deserts42 ,as a background to the women1 there was spread an espalier of natural jasmines in full beauty1 #e which set off their charms1 and especially ,diego's1 to such great advantage1 that words would fail to describe the effect4 ,then we all of us fell to enjoying the abundance of our host's well-furnished table4 ,the supper was followed by a short concert of delightful music1 voices joining in harmony with instruments2 and forasmuch as they were singing and playing from the book1 my beauty begged to be allowed to sing his part4 ,he performed the music better than almost all the rest1 which so astonished the company that ,giulio and ,michel ,agnolo dropped their earlier tone of banter1 exchanging it for well-weighed terms of sober heartfelt admiration4 ,after the music was over1 a certain ,aurelio ,ascolano1 #fremarkable for his gift as an improvisatory poet1 began to extol the women in choice phrases of exquisite compliment4 ,while he was chanting1 the two girls who had my beauty between them never left off chattering4 ,one of them related how she had gone wrong2 the other asked mine how it had happened with her1 and who were her friends1 and how long she had been settled in ,rome1 and many other questions of the kind4 ,it is true that1 if ,i chose to describe such laughable episodes1 ,i could relate several odd things which then occurred through ,pantasilea's jealousy on my account2 but since they form no part of my design1 ,i pass them briefly over4 ,at last the conversation of those loose women vexed my beauty1 whom we had christened ,pomona for the nonce2 and ,pomona1 wanting to escape from their silly talk1 turned restlessly upon her chair1 first to one side and then to the other4 ,the female brought by ,giulio asked whether she felt indisposed4 ,pomona answered1 yes1 she thought she was a month or so with a child2 this gave them the opportunity of feeling her body and discovering the real sex of the supposed woman4 ,thereupon they quickly withdrew their hands and rose from table1 uttering such gibing words as are commonly addressed to young men of eminent beauty4 ,the whole room rang with laughter and astonishment1 in the midst of which ,michel ,agnolo1 assuming a fierce aspect1 called out for leave to inflict on me the penance he thought fit4 ,when this was granted1 he lifted me aloft amid the clamour of the company1 crying3 8,long live the gentleman6 long live the gentleman60 and added that this was the punishment ,i deserved for having played so fine a trick4 ,thus ended that most agreeable supper-party1 and each of us returned to his own dwelling at the close of day4 ,note #a4 ,this sculptor came to ,rome with his compatriot ,baldassare ,peruzzi1 and was employed upon the monument of ,pope ,adrian ,,vi41 which he executed with some help from ,tribolo4 ,note #b4 ,there were two artists at this epoch surnamed ,bachiacca1 the twin sons of ,ubertino ,verdi1 called respectively ,francesco and ,antonio4 ,francesco was an excellent painter of miniature oil-pictures2 ,antonio the first embroiderer of his age4 ,the one alluded to here is probably ,francesco4 ,note #c4 ',mancare di una spazza cosa4' ,the 'pazza cosa' may be the supper-party or the 'cornacchia4' ,note #d4 ',virtuosamente4' ,cellini uses the word 'virtuoso' in many senses1 but always more with reference to intellectual than moral qualities4 ,it denotes genius1 artistic ability1 masculine force1 c4 ,note #e4 ',un tessuto di gelsumini naturali e bellissimi4 ,tessuto' is properly something woven1 a fabric2 and ,i am not sure whether ,cellini does not mean that the ladies had behind their backs a tapestry representing jasmines in a natural manner4 ,note #f4 ,probably ,eurialo d',ascoli1 a friend of ,caro1 ,molza1 ,aretino4 ,,xxxi ,,it would take too long to describe in detail all the many and divers pieces of work which ,i executed for a great variety of men4 ,at present ,i need only say that ,i devoted myself with sustained diligence and industry to acquiring mastery in the several branches of art which ,i enumerated a short while back4 ,and so ,i went on labouring incessantly at all of them2 but since no opportunity has presented itself as yet for describing my most notable performances1 ,i shall wait to report them in their proper place before very long4 ,the ,sienese sculptor1 ,michel ,agnolo1 of whom ,i have recently been speaking1 was at that time making the monument of the late ,pope ,adrian4 ,giulio ,romano went to paint for the ,marquis of ,mantua4 ,the other members of the club betook themselves in different directions1 each to his own business2 so that our company of artists was well-nigh altogether broken up4 ,about this time there fell into my hands some little ,turkish poniards2 the handle as well as the blade of these daggers was made of iron1 and so too was the sheath4 ,they were engraved by means of iron implements with foliage in the most exquisite ,turkish style1 very neatly filled in with gold4 ,the sight of them stirred in me a great desire to try my own skill in that branch1 so different from the others which ,i practiced2 and finding that ,i succeeded to my satisfaction1 ,i executed several pieces4 ,mine were far more beautiful and more durable than the ,turkish1 and this for divers reasons4 ,one was that ,i cut my grooves much deeper and with wider trenches in the steel2 for this is not usual in ,turkish work4 ,another was that the ,turkish arabesques are only composed of arum leaves a few small sunflowers2 #a and though these have a certain grace1 they do not yield so lasting a pleasure as the patterns which we use4 ,it is true that in ,italy we have several different ways of designing foliage2 the ,lombards1 for example1 construct very beautiful patterns by copying the leaves of briony and ivy in exquisite curves1 which are extremely agreeable to the eye2 the ,tuscans and the ,romans make a better choice1 because they imitate the leaves of the acanthus1 commonly called bear's-foot1 with its stalks and flowers1 curling in divers wavy lines2 and into these arabesques one may excellently well insert the figures of little birds and different animals1 by which the good taste of the artist is displayed4 ,some hints for creatures of this sort can be observed in nature among the wild flowers1 as1 for instance1 in snap-dragons and some few other plants1 which must be combined and developed with the help of fanciful imaginings by clever draughtsmen4 ,such arabesques are called grotesques by the ignorant4 ,they have obtained this name of grotesques among the moderns through being found in certain subterranean caverns in ,rome by students of antiquity2 which caverns were formerly chambers1 hot-baths1 cabinets for study1 halls1 and apartments of like nature4 ,the curious discovering them in such places 7since the level of the ground has gradually been raised while they have remained below1 and since in ,rome these vaulted rooms are commonly called grottoes71 it has followed that the word grotesque is applied to the patterns ,i have mentioned4 ,but this is not the right term for them1 inasmuch as the ancients1 who delighted in composing monsters out of goats1 cows1 and horses1 called these chimerical hybrids by the name of monsters2 and the modern artificers of whom ,i speak1 fashioned from the foliage which they copied monsters of like nature2 for these the proper name is therefore monsters1 and not grotesques4 ,well1 then1 ,i designed patterns of this kind1 and filled them in with gold1 as ,i have mentioned2 and they were far more pleasing to the eye than the ,turkish4 ,it chanced at that time that ,i lighted upon some jars or little antique urns filled with ashes1 and among the ashes were some iron rings inlaid with gold 7for the ancients also used that art71 and in each of the rings was set a tiny cameo of shell4 ,on applying to men of learning1 they told me that these rings were worn as amulets by folk desirous of abiding with mind unshaken in any extraordinary circumstance1 whether of good or evil fortune4 ,hereupon1 at the request of certain noblemen who were my friends1 ,i undertook to fabricate some trifling rings of this kind2 but ,i made them of refined steel2 and after they had been well engraved and inlaid with gold1 they produced a very beautiful effect2 and sometimes a single ring brought me more than forty crowns1 merely in payment for my labour4 ,it was the custom at that epoch to wear little golden medals1 upon which every nobleman or man of quality had some device or fancy of his own engraved2 and these were worn in the cap4 ,of such pieces ,i made very many1 and found them extremely difficult to work4 ,i have already mentioned the admirable craftsman ,caradosso1 who used to make such ornaments2 and as there were more than one figure on each piece1 he asked at least a hundred gold crowns for his fee4 ,this being so-not1 however1 because his prices were so high1 but because he worked so slowly-,i began to be employed by certain noblemen1 for whom1 among other things1 ,i made a medal in competition with that great artist1 and it had four figures1 upon which ,i had expended an infinity of labour4 ,these men of quality1 when they compared my piece with that of the famous ,caradosso1 declared that mine was by far the better executed and more beautiful1 and bade me ask what ,i liked as the reward of my trouble2 for since ,i had given them such perfect satisfaction1 they wished to do the like by me4 ,i replied that my greatest reward and what ,i most desired was to have rivalled the masterpieces of so eminent an artist2 and that if their lordships thought ,i had1 ,i acknowledged myself to be most amply rewarded4 ,with this ,i took my leave1 and they immediately sent me such a very liberal present1 that ,i was well content2 indeed there grew in me so great a spirit to do well1 that to this event ,i attributed what will afterwards be related of my progress4 ,note #a4 ',gichero1' arum maculatum1 and 'clizia1' the sunflower4 ,,xxxii ,i ,,shall be obliged to digress a little from the history of my art1 unless ,i were to omit some annoying incidents which have happened in the course of my troubled career4 ,one of these1 which ,i am about to describe1 brought me into the greatest risk of my life4 ,i have already told the story of the artists' club1 and of the farcical adventures which happened owing to the woman whom ,i mentioned1 ,pantasilea1 the one who felt for me that false and fulsome love4 ,she was furiously enraged because of the pleasant trick by which ,i brought ,diego to our banquet1 and she swore to be revenged on me4 ,how she did so is mixed up with the history of a young man called ,luigi ,pulci1 who had recently come to ,rome4 ,he was the son of one of the ,pulcis1 who had been beheaded for incest with his daughter2 and the youth possessed extraordinary gifts for poetry together with sound ,latin scholarship2 he wrote well1 was graceful in manners1 and of surprising personal beauty2 he had just left the service of some bishop1 whose name ,i do not remember1 and was thoroughly tainted with a very foul disease4 ,while he was yet a lad and living in ,florence1 they used in certain places of the city to meet together during the nights of summer on the public streets2 and he1 ranking among the best of the improvisatori1 sang there4 ,his recitations were so admirable1 that the divine ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti1 that prince of sculptors and of painters1 went1 wherever he heard that he would be1 with the greatest eagerness and delight to listen to him4 ,there was a man called ,piloto1 a goldsmith1 very able in his art1 who1 together with myself1 joined ,buonarroti upon these occasions4 #a ,thus acquaintance sprang up between me and ,luigi ,pulci2 and so1 after the lapse of many years1 he came1 in the miserable plight which ,i have mentioned1 to make himself known to me again in ,rome1 beseeching me for ,god's sake to help him4 ,moved to compassion by his great talents1 by the love of my fatherland1 and by my own natural tenderness of heart1 ,i took him into my house1 and had him medically treated in such wise that1 being but a youth1 he soon regained his health4 ,while he was still pursuing his cure1 he never omitted his studies1 and ,i provided him with books according to the means at my disposal4 ,the result was that ,luigi1 recognising the great benefits he had received from me1 oftentimes with words and tears returned me thanks1 protesting that if ,god should ever put good fortune in his way1 he would recompense me for my kindness4 ,to this ,i replied that ,i had not done for him as much as ,i desired1 but only what ,i could1 and that it was the duty of human beings to be mutually serviceable4 ,only ,i suggested that he should repay the service ,i had rendered him by doing likewise to some one who might have the same need of him as he had had of me4 ,the young man in question began to frequent the ,court of ,rome1 where he soon found a situation1 and enrolled himself in the suite of a bishop1 a man of eighty years1 who bore the title of ,gurgensis4 #b ,this bishop had a nephew called ,messer ,giovanni3 he was a nobleman of ,venice2 and the said ,messer ,giovanni made show of marvellous attachment to ,luigi ,pulci's talents2 and under the pretence of these talents1 he brought him as familiar to himself as his own flesh blood4 ,luigi having talked of me1 and of his great obligations to me1 with ,messer ,giovanni1 the latter expressed a wish to make my acquaintance4 ,thus then it came to pass1 that when ,i had upon a certain evening invited that woman ,pantasilea to supper1 and had assembled a company of men of parts who were my friends1 just at the moment of our sitting down to table1 ,messer ,giovanni and ,luigi ,pulci arrived1 and after some complimentary speeches1 they both remained to sup with us4 ,the shameless strumpet1 casting her eyes upon the young man's beauty1 began at once to lay her nets for him2 perceiving which1 when the supper had come to an agreeable end1 ,i took ,luigi aside1 and conjured him1 by the benefits he said he owed me1 to have nothing whatever to do with her4 ,to this he answered3 8,good heavens1 ,benvenuto6 do you then take me for a madman80 ,i rejoined3 8,not for a madman1 but for a young fellow20 and ,i swore to him by ,god3 8,i do not give that woman the least thought2 but for your sake ,i should be sorry if through her you come to break your neck40 ,upon these words he vowed and prayed to ,god1 that1 if ever he but spoke with her1 he might upon the moment break his neck4 ,i think the poor lad swore this oath to ,god with all his heart1 for he did break his neck1 as ,i shall presently relate4 ,messer ,giovanni showed signs too evident of loving him in a dishonourable way2 for we began to notice that ,luigi had new suits of silk and velvet every morning1 and it was known that he abandoned himself altogether to bad courses4 ,he neglected his fine talents1 and pretended not to see or recognise me1 because ,i had once rebuked him1 and told him he was giving his soul to foul vices1 which would make him break his neck1 as he had vowed4 ,note #a4 ,piloto1 of whom we shall hear more hereafter1 was a prominent figure in the ,florentine society of artists1 and a celebrated practical joker4 ,vasari says that a young man of whom he had spoken ill murdered him4 ,lasca's ,novelle1 ',le ,cene1' should be studied by those who seek an insight into this curious ,bohemia of the sixteenth century4 ,note #b4 ,girolamo ,balbo1 of the noble ,venetian family1 ,bishop of ,gurck1 in ,carinthia4 ,,xxxiii ,,now ,messer ,giovanni bought his favourite a very fine black horse1 for which he paid #aej crowns4 ,the beast was admirably trained to hand1 so that ,luigi could go daily to caracole around the lodgings of that prostitute ,pantasilea4 ,though ,i took notice of this1 ,i paid it no attention1 only remarking that all things acted as their nature prompted2 and meanwhile ,i gave my whole mind to my studies4 ,it came to pass one ,sunday evening that we were invited to sup together with the ,sienese sculptor1 ,michel ,agnolo1 and the time of the year was summer4 ,bachiacca1 of whom ,i have already spoken1 was present at the party2 and he had brought with him his old flame1 ,pantasilea4 ,when we were at table1 she sat between me and ,bachiacca2 but in the very middle of the banquet she rose1 and excused herself upon the pretext of a natural need1 saying she would speedily return4 ,we1 meanwhile1 continued talking very agreeably and supping2 but she remained an unaccountably long time absent4 ,it chanced that1 keeping my ears open1 ,i thought ,i heard a sort of subdued tittering in the street below4 ,i had a knife in hand1 which ,i was using for my service at the table4 ,the window was so close to where ,i sat1 that1 by merely rising1 ,i could see ,luigi in the street1 together with ,pantasilea2 and ,i heard ,luigi saying3 8,oh1 if that devil ,benvenuto only saw us1 shouldn't we just catch it60 ,she answered3 8,have no fear2 only listen to the noise they're making2 we are the last thing they're thinking of40 ,at these words1 having made them both well out1 ,i leaped from the window1 and took ,luigi by the cape2 and certainly ,i should then have killed him with the knife ,i held1 but that he was riding a white horse1 to which he clapped spurs1 leaving his cape in my grasp1 in order to preserve his life4 ,pantasilea took to her heels in the direction of a neighbouring church4 ,the company at supper rose immediately1 and came down1 entreating me in a body to refrain from putting myself and them to inconvenience for a strumpet4 ,i told them that ,i should not have let myself be moved on her account1 but that ,i was bent on punishing the infamous young man1 who showed how little he regarded me4 ,accordingly ,i would not yield to the remonstrances of those ingenious and worthy men1 but took my sword1 and went alone toward ,prati3-the house where we were supping1 ,i should say1 stood close to the ,castello gate1 which led to ,prati4 #a ,walking thus upon the road to ,prati1 ,i had not gone far before the sun sank1 and ,i re-entered ,rome itself at a slow pace4 ,night had fallen2 darkness had come on2 but the gates of ,rome were not yet shut4 ,toward two hours after sunset1 ,i walked along ,pantasilea's lodging1 with the intention1 if ,luigi ,pulci were there1 of doing something to the discontent of both4 ,when ,i heard and saw that no one but a poor servant-girl called ,canida was in the house1 ,i went to put away my cloak and the scabbard of my sword1 and then returned to the house1 which stood behind the ,banchi on the river ,tiber4 ,just opposite stretched a garden belonging to an innkeeper called ,romolo4 ,it was enclosed by a thick hedge of thorns1 in which ,i hid myself1 standing upright1 and waiting till the woman came back with ,luigi4 ,after keeping watch awhile there1 my friend ,bachiacca crept up to me2 whether led by his own suspicions or by the advice of others1 ,i cannot say4 ,in a low voice he called out to me3 8,gossip0 7for so we used to name ourselves for fun72 and then he prayed me for ,god's love1 using the words which follow1 with tears in the tone of his voice3 8,dear gossip1 ,i entreat you not to injure that poor girl2 she at least has erred in no wise in this matter-no1 not at all40 ,when ,i heard what he was saying1 ,i replied3 8,if you don't take yourself off now1 at this first word ,i utter1 ,i will bring my sword here down upon your head40 ,overwhelmed with fright1 my poor gossip was suddenly taken ill with the colic1 and withdrew to ease himself apart2 indeed1 he could not buy obey the call4 ,there was a glorious heaven of stars1 which shed good light to see by4 ,all of a sudden ,i was aware of the noise of many horses2 they were coming toward me from the one side and the other4 ,it turned out to be ,luigi and ,pantasilea1 attended by a certain ,messer ,benvegnato of ,perugia1 who was chamberlain to ,pope ,clement1 and followed by four doughty captains of ,perugia1 with some other valiant soldiers in the flower of youth2 altogether reckoned1 there were more than twelve swords4 ,when ,i understood the matter1 and saw not how to fly1 ,i did my best to crouch into the hedge4 ,but the thorns pricked and hurt me1 goading me to madness like a bull2 and ,i had half resolved to take a leap and hazard my escape4 ,just then ,luigi1 with his arm round ,pantasilea's neck1 was heard crying3 8,i must kiss you once again1 if only to insult that traitor ,benvenuto40 ,at that moment1 annoyed as ,i was by the prickles1 and irritated by the young man's words1 ,i sprang forth1 lifted my sword on high1 and shouted at the top of my voice3 8,you are all dead folk60 ,my blow descended on the shoulder of ,luigi2 but the satyrs who doted on him1 had steeled his person round with coasts of mail and such-like villainous defences2 still the stroke fell with crushing force4 ,swerving aside1 the sword hit ,pantasilea full in nose and mouth4 ,both she and ,luigi grovelled on the ground1 while ,bachiacca1 with his breeches down to heels1 screamed out and ran away4 ,then ,i turned upon the others boldly with my sword2 and those valiant fellows1 hearing a sudden commotion in the tavern1 thought there was an army coming of a hundred men2 and though they drew their swords with spirit1 yet two horses which had taken fright in the tumult cast them into such disorder that a couple of the best riders were thrown1 and the remainder took to flight4 ,i1 seeing that the affair was turning out well1 for me1 ran as quickly as ,i could1 and came off with honour from the engagement1 not wishing to tempt fortune more than was my duty4 ,during this hurly-burly1 some of the soldiers and captains wounded themselves with their own arms2 and ,messer ,benvegnato1 the ,pope's chamberlain1 was kicked and trampled by his mule4 ,one of the servants also1 who had drawn his sword1 fell down together with his master1 and wounded him badly in the hand4 ,maddened by the pain1 he swore louder than all the rest in his ,perugian jargon1 crying out3 8,by the body of ,god1 ,i will take care that ,benvegnato teaches ,benvenuto how to live40 ,he afterwards commissioned one of the captains who were with him 7braver perhaps than the others1 but with less aplomb1 as being but a youth7 to seek me out4 ,the fellow came to visit me in the place of by retirement2 that was the palace of a great ,neapolitan nobleman1 who had become acquainted with me in my art1 and had besides taken a fancy to me because of my physical and mental aptitude for fighting1 to which my lord himself was personally well inclined4 ,so1 then1 finding myself made much of1 and being precisely in my element1 ,i gave such answer to the captain as ,i think must have made him earnestly repent of having come to look me up4 ,after a few days1 when the wounds of ,luigi1 and the strumpet1 and the rest were healing1 this great ,neapolitan nobleman received overtures from ,messer ,benvegnato2 for the prelate's anger had cooled1 and he proposed to ratify a peace between me and ,luigi and the soldiers1 who had personally no quarrel with me1 and only wished to make my acquaintance4 ,accordingly my friend the nobleman replied that he would bring me where they chose to appoint1 and that he was very willing to effect a reconciliation4 ,he stipulated that no words should be bandied about on either side1 seeing that would be little to their credit2 it was enough to go through the form of drinking together and exchanging kisses2 he for his part undertook to do the talking1 and promised to settle the matter to their honour4 ,this arrangement was carried out4 ,on ,thursday evening my protector took me to the house of ,messer ,benvegnato1 where all the soldiers who had been present at that discomfiture were assembled1 and already seated at table4 ,my nobleman was attended by thirty brave fellows1 all well armed2 a circumstance which ,messer ,benvegnato had not anticipated4 ,when we came into the hall1 he walking first1 ,i following1 he speak to this effect3 8,god save you1 gentlemen2 we have come to see you1 ,i and ,benvenuto1 whom ,i love like my own brother2 and we are ready to do whatever you propose40 ,messer ,benvegnato1 seeing the hall filled with such a crowd of men1 called out3 8,it is only peace1 and nothing else1 we ask of you40 ,accordingly he promised that the governor of ,rome and his catchpoles should give me no trouble4 ,then we made peace1 and ,i returned to my shop1 where ,i could not stay an hour without that ,neapolitan nobleman either coming to see me or sending for me4 ,meanwhile ,luigi ,pulci1 having recovered from his wound1 rode every day upon the black horse which was so well trained to heel and bridle4 ,one day1 among others1 after it had rained a little1 and he was making his horse curvet just before ,pantasilea's door1 he slipped and fell1 with the horse upon him4 ,his right leg was broken short off in the thigh2 and after a few days he died there in ,pantisilea's lodgings1 discharging thus the vow he registered so heartily to ,heaven4 ,even so may it be seen that ,god keeps account of the good and the bad1 and gives to each one what he merits4 ,note #a4 ,the ,porta ,castello was the gate called after the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo4 ,prati1 so far as ,i can make out1 was an open space between the ,borgo and the ,bridge of ,s4 ,angelo4 ,in order to get inside ,rome itself1 ,cellini had to pass a second gate4 ,his own lodging and ,pantasilea's house were in the quarter of the ,bianchi1 where are now the ,via ,giulia and ,via de' ,banchi ,vecchi4 ,,xxxiv ,,the ,,whole world was now in warfare4 #a ,pope ,clement had sent to get some troops from ,giovanni de' ,medici1 and when they came1 they made such disturbances in ,rome1 that it was ill living in open shops4 #b ,on this account ,i retired to a good snug house behind the ,banchi1 where ,i worked for all the friends ,i had acquired4 ,since ,i produced few things of much importance at that period1 ,i need not waste time in talking about them4 ,i took much pleasure in music and amusements of the kind4 ,on the death of ,giovanni de' ,medici in ,lombardy1 the ,pope1 at the advice of ,messer ,jacopo ,salviati1 dismissed the five bands he had engaged2 and when the ,constable of ,bourbon knew there were no troops in ,rome1 he pushed his army with the utmost energy up to the city4 ,the whole of ,rome upon this flew to arms4 ,i happened to be intimate with ,alessandro1 the son of ,piero del ,bene1 who1 at the time when the ,colonnesi entered ,rome1 had requested me to guard his palace4 #c ,on this more serious occasion1 therefore1 he prayed me to enlist fifty comrades for the protection of the said house1 appointing me their captain1 as ,i had been when the ,colonnesi came4 ,so ,i collected fifty young men of the highest courage1 and we took up our quarters in his palace1 with good pay and excellent appointments4 ,bourbon's army had now arrived before the walls of ,rome1 and ,alessandro begged me to go with him to reconnoitre4 ,so we went with one of the stoutest fellows in our ,company2 and on the way a youth called ,cecchino della ,casa joined himself to us4 ,on reaching the walls by the ,campo ,santo1 we could see that famous army1 which was making every effort to enter the town4 ,upon the ramparts where we took our station several young men were lying killed by the besiegers2 the battle raged there desperately1 and there was the densest fog imaginable4 ,i turned to ,alessandro and said3 8,let us go home as soon as we can1 for there is nothing to be done here2 you see the enemies are mounting1 and our men are in flight40 ,alessandro1 in a panic1 cried3 8,would ,god that we had never come here60 and turned in maddest haste to fly4 ,i took him up somewhat sharply with these words3 8,since you have brought me here1 ,i must perform some action worthy of a man20 and directing my arquebuse where ,i saw the thickest and most serried troop of fighting men1 ,i aimed exactly at one whom ,i remarked to be higher than the rest2 the fog prevented me from being certain whether he was on horseback or on foot4 ,then ,i turned to ,alessandro and ,cecchino1 and bade them discharge their arquebuses1 showing them how to avoid being hit by the besiegers4 ,when we had fired two rounds apiece1 ,i crept cautiously up to the wall1 and observing among the enemy a most extraordinary confusion1 ,i discovered afterwards that one of our shots had killed the ,constable of ,bourbon2 and from what ,i subsequently learned1 he was the man whom ,i had first noticed above the heads of the rest4 #d ,quitting our position on the ramparts1 we crossed the ,campo ,santo1 and entered the city by ,st4 ,peter's2 then coming out exactly at the church of ,santo ,agnolo1 we got with the greatest difficulty to the great gate of the castle2 for the generals ,renzo di ,ceri and ,orazio ,baglioni were wounding and slaughtering everybody who abandoned the defence of the walls4 #e ,by the time we had reached the great gate1 part of the foemen had already entered ,rome1 and we had them in our rear4 ,the castellan had ordered the portcullis to be lowered1 in order to do which they cleared a little space1 and this enabled us four to get inside4 ,on the instant that ,i entered1 the captain ,pallone de' ,medici claimed me as being of the ,papal household1 and forced me to abandon ,alessandro1 which ,i had to do1 much against my will4 ,i ascended to the keep1 and at the same instant ,pope ,clement came in through the corridors into the castle2 he had refused to leave the palace of ,st4 ,peter earlier1 being unable to believe that his enemies would effect their entrance into ,rome4 #f ,having got into the castle in this way1 ,i attached myself to certain pieces of artillery1 which were under the command of a bombardier called ,giuliano ,fiorentino4 ,leaning there against the battlements1 the unhappy man could see his poor house being sacked1 and his wife and children outraged2 fearing to strike his own folk1 he dared not discharge the cannon1 and flinging the burning fuse upon the ground1 he wept as though his heart would break1 and tore his cheeks with both his hands4 #g ,some of the other bombardiers were behaving in like manner2 seeing which1 ,i took one of the matches1 and got the assistance of a few men who were not overcome by their emotions4 ,i aimed some swivels and falconets at points where ,i saw it would be useful1 and killed with them a good number of the enemy4 ,had it not been for this1 the troops who poured into ,rome that morning1 and were marching straight upon the castle1 might possibly have entered it with ease1 because the artillery was doing them no damage4 ,i went on firing under the eyes of several cardinals and lords1 who kept blessing me and giving me the heartiest encouragement4 ,in my enthusiasm ,i strove to achieve the impossible2 let it suffice that it was ,i who saved the castle that morning1 and brought the other bombardiers back to their duty4 #h ,i worked hard the whole of that day2 and when the evening came1 while the army was marching into ,rome through the ,trastevere1 ,pope ,clement appointed a great ,roman nobleman named ,antonio ,santacroce to be captain of all the gunners4 ,the first thing this man did was to come to me1 and having greeted me with the utmost kindness1 he stationed me with five fine pieces of artillery on the highest point of the castle1 to which the name of the ,angel specially belongs4 ,this circular eminence goes round the castle1 and surveys both ,prati and the town of ,rome4 ,the captain put under my orders enough men to help in managing my guns1 and having seen me paid in advance1 he gave me rations of bread and a little wine1 and begged me to go forward as ,i had begun4 ,i was perhaps more inclined by nature to the profession of arms than to the one ,i had adopted1 and ,i took such pleasure in its duties that ,i discharged them better than those of my own art4 ,night came1 the enemy had entered ,rome1 and we who were in the castle 7especially myself1 who have always taken pleasure in extraordinary sights7 stayed gazing on the indescribable scene of tumult and conflagration in the streets below4 ,people who were anywhere else but where we were1 could not have formed the least imagination of what it was4 ,i will not1 however1 set myself to describe that tragedy1 but will content myself with continuing the history of my own life and the circumstances which properly belong to it4 ,note #a4 ,war had broken out in #aeba between ,charles ,v and ,francis ,i1 which disturbed all ,europe and involved the ,states of ,italy in serious complications4 ,at the moment when this chapter opens1 the ,imperialist army under the ,constable of ,bourbon was marching upon ,rome in #aebg4 ,note #b4 ,these troops entered ,rome in ,october #aebf4 ,they were disbanded in ,march1 #aebg4 ,note #c4 ,cellini here refers to the attack made upon ,rome by the great ,ghibelline house of ,colonna1 led by their chief captain1 ,pompeo1 in ,september #aebf4 ,they took possession of the city and drove ,clement into the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo1 where they forced him to agree to terms favouring the ,imperial cause4 ,it was customary for ,roman gentlemen to hire bravi for the defence of their palaces when any extraordinary disturbance was expected1 as1 for example1 upon the vacation of the ,papal ,chair4 ,note #d4 ,all historians of the sack of ,rome agree in saying that ,bourbon was shot dead while placing ladders against the outworks near the shop ,cellini mentions4 ,but the honour of firing the arquebuse which brought him down cannot be assigned to any one in particular4 ,very different stories were current on the subject4 ,see ,gregorovius1 ',stadt ,rom41' vol4 viii4 p4 #ebb4 ,note #e4 ,for ,renzo di ,ceri see above4 ,orazio ,baglioni1 of the semi-princely ,perugian family1 was a distinguished ,condottiere4 ,he subsequently obtained the captaincy of the ,bande ,nere1 and died fighting near ,naples in #aebh4 ,orazio murdered several of his cousins in order to acquire the lordship of ,perugia4 ,his brother ,malatesta undertook to defend ,florence in the siege of #aecj1 and sold the city by treason to ,clement4 ,note #f4 ,giovio1 in his ,life of the ,cardinal ,prospero ,colonna1 relates how he accompanied ,clement in his flight from the ,vatican to the castle4 ,while passing some open portions of the gallery1 he threw his violent mantle and cap of a ,monsignore over the white stole of the ,pontiff1 for fear he might be shot at by the soldiers in the streets below4 ,note #g4 ,the short autobiography of ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 a man in many respects resembling ,cellini1 confirms this part of our author's narrative4 ,it is one of the most interesting pieces of evidence regarding what went on inside the castle during the sack of ,rome4 ,montelupo was also a gunner1 and commanded two pieces4 ,note #h4 ,this is an instance of ,cellini's exaggeration4 ,he did more than yeoman's service1 no doubt4 ,but we cannot believe that1 without him1 the castle would have been taken4 ,,xxxv ,,during the course of my artillery practice1 which ,i never intermitted through the whole month passed by us beleaguered in the castle1 ,i met with a great many very striking accidents1 all of them worthy to be related4 ,but since ,i do not care to be too prolix1 or to exhibit myself outside the sphere of my profession1 ,i will omit the larger part of them1 only touching upon those ,i cannot well neglect1 which shall be the fewest in number and the most remarkable4 ,the first which comes to hand is this3 ,messer ,antonio ,santacroce had made me come down from the ,angel1 in order to fire on some houses in the neighbourhood1 where certain of our besiegers had been seen to enter4 ,while ,i was firing1 a cannon shot reached me1 which hit the angle of a battlement1 and carried off enough of it to be the cause why ,i sustained no injury4 ,the whole mass struck me in the chest and took my breath away4 ,i lay stretched upon the ground like a dead man1 and could hear what the bystanders were saying4 ,among them all1 ,messer ,antonio ,santacroce lamented greatly1 exclaiming3 8,alas1 alas6 we have lost the best defender that we had40 ,attracted by the uproar1 one of my comrades ran up2 he was called ,gianfrancesco1 and was a bandsman1 but was far more naturally given to medicine than to music4 ,on the spot he flew off1 crying for a stoop of the very best ,greek wine4 ,then he made a tile red-hot1 and cast upon it a good handful of wormwood2 after which he sprinkled the ,greek wine2 and when the wormwood was well soaked1 he laid it on my breast1 just where the bruise was visible to all4 ,such was the virtue of the wormwood that ,i immediately regained my scattered faculties4 ,i wanted to begin to speak2 but could not2 for some stupid soldiers had filled my mouth with earth1 imagining that by so doing they were giving me the sacrament2 and indeed they were more like to have excommunicated me1 since ,i could with difficulty come to myself again1 the earth doing me more mischief than the blow4 ,however1 ,i escaped that danger1 and returned to the rage and fury of the guns1 pursuing my work there with all the ability and eagerness that ,i could summon4 ,pope ,clement1 by this1 had sent to demand assistance from the ,duke of ,urbino1 who was with the troops of ,venice2 he commissioned the envoy to tell his ,excellency that the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo would send up every evening three beacons from its summit accompanied by three discharges of the cannon thrice repeated1 and that so long as this signal was continued1 he might take for granted that the castle had not yielded4 ,i was charged with lighting the beacons and firing the guns for this purpose2 and all this while ,i pointed my artillery by day upon the places where mischief could be done4 ,the ,pope1 in consequence1 began to regard me with still greater favour1 because he saw that ,i discharged my functions as intelligently as the task demanded4 ,aid from the ,duke of ,urbino #a never came2 on which1 as it is not my business1 ,i will make no further comment4 ,note #a4 ,francesco ,maria della ,rovere1 ,duke of ,urbino1 commanded a considerable army as general of the ,church1 and was now acting for ,venice4 ,why he effected no diversion while the ,imperial troops were marching upon ,rome1 and why he delayed to relieve the city1 was never properly explained4 ,folk attributed his impotent conduct partly to a natural sluggishness in warfare1 and partly to his hatred for the house of ,medici4 ,leo ,x had deprived him of his dukedom1 and given it to a ,medicean prince4 ,it is to this that ,cellini probably refers in the cautious phrase which ends the chapter4 ,,xxxvi ,,while ,i was at work upon that diabolical task of mine1 there came from time to time to watch me some of the cardinals who were invested in the castle2 and most frequently the ,cardinal of ,ravenna and the ,cardinal de' ,gaddi4 #a ,i often told them not to show themselves1 since their nasty red caps gave a fair mark to our enemies4 ,from neighbouring buildings1 such as the ,torre de' ,bini1 we ran great peril when they were there2 and at last ,i had them locked off1 and gained thereby their deep ill-will4 ,i frequently received visits also from the general1 ,orazio ,baglioni1 who was very well affected toward me4 ,one day while he was talking with me1 he noticed something going forward in a drinking-place outside the ,porta di ,castello1 which bore the name of ,baccanello4 ,this tavern had for sign a sun painted between two windows1 of a bright red colour4 ,the windows being closed1 ,signor ,orazio concluded that a band of soldiers were carousing at table just between them and behind the sun4 ,so he said to me 8,benvenuto1 if you think that you could hit that wall an ell's breadth from the sun with your demi-cannon here1 ,i believe you would be doing a good stroke of business1 for there is a great commotion there1 and men of much importance must probably be inside the house40 ,i answered that ,i felt quite capable of hitting the sun in its centre1 but that a barrel full of stones1 which was standing close to the muzzle of the gun1 might be knocked down by the shock of the discharge and the blast of the artillery4 ,he rejoined3 8,don't waste time1 ,benvenuto4 ,in the first place1 it is not possible1 where it is standing1 that the cannon's blast should bring it down2 and even if it were to fall1 and the ,pope himself was underneath1 the mischief would not be so great as you imagine4 ,fire1 then1 only fire60 ,taking no more thought about it1 ,i struck the sun in the centre1 exactly as ,i said ,i should4 ,the cask was dislodged1 as ,i predicted1 and fell precisely between ,cardinal ,farnese and ,messer ,jacopo ,salviati4 #b ,it might very well have dashed out the brains of both of them1 except that just at that very moment ,farnese was reproaching ,salviati with having caused the sack of ,rome1 and while they stood apart from one another to exchange opprobrious remarks1 my gabion fell without destroying them4 ,when he heard the uproar in the court below1 good ,signor ,orazio dashed off in a hurry2 and ,i1 thrusting my neck forward where the cask had fallen1 heard some people saying2 8,it would not be a bad job to kill that gunner60 ,upon this ,i turned two falconets toward the staircase1 with mind resolved to let blaze on the first man who attempted to come up4 ,the household of ,cardinal ,farnese must have received orders to go and do me some injury2 accordingly ,i prepared to receive them1 with a lighted match in hand4 ,recognising some who were approaching1 ,i called out3 8,you lazy lubbers1 if you don't pack off from there1 and if but a man's child among you dares to touch the staircase1 ,i have got two cannon loaded1 which will blow you into powder4 ,go and tell the ,cardinal that ,i was acting at the order of superior officers1 and that what we have done and are doing is in defence of them priests1 #c and not to hurt them40 ,they made away2 and then came ,signor ,orazio ,baglioni1 running4 ,i bade him stand back1 else ,i'd murder him2 for ,i knew very well who he was4 ,he drew back a little1 not without a certain show of fear1 and called out3 8,benvenuto1 ,i am your friend60 ,to this ,i answered3 8,sir1 come up1 but come alone1 and then come as you like40 ,the general1 who was a man of mighty pride1 stood still a moment1 and then said angrily3 8,i have a good mind not to come up again1 and to do quite the opposite of that which ,i intended toward you40 ,i replied that just as ,i was put there to defend my neighbours1 ,i was equally well able to defend myself too4 ,he said that he was coming alone2 and when he arrived at the top of the stairs1 his features were more discomposed that ,i thought reasonable4 ,so ,i kept my hand upon my sword1 and stood eyeing him askance4 ,upon this he began to laugh1 and the colour coming back into his face1 he said to me with the most pleasant manner3 8,friend ,benvenuto1 ,i bear you as great love as ,i have it in my heart to give2 and in ,god's good time ,i will render you proof of this4 ,would to ,god that you had killed those two rascals2 for one of them is the cause of all this trouble1 and the day perchance will come when the other will be found the cause of something even worse40 ,he then begged me1 if ,i should be asked1 not to say that he was with me when ,i fired the gun2 and for the rest bade me be of good cheer4 ,the commotion which the affair made was enormous1 and lasted a long while4 ,however1 ,i will not enlarge upon it further1 only adding that ,i was within an inch of revenging my father on ,messer ,jacopo ,salviati1 who had grievously injured him1 according to my father's complaints4 ,as it was1 unwittingly ,i gave the fellow a great fright4 ,of ,farnese ,i shall say nothing here1 because it will appear in its proper place how well it would have been if ,i had killed him4 ,note #a4 ,benedetto ,accolti of ,arezzo1 ,archbishop of ,ravenna in #aebd1 obtained the hat in #aebg1 three days before the sack of ,rome4 ,he was a distinguished man of letters4 ,niccol ,gaddi was created ,cardinal on the same day as ,accolti4 ,we shall hear more of him in ,cellini's pages4 ,note #b4 ,alessandro ,farnese1 ,dean of the ,sacred ,college1 and afterwards ,pope ,paul ,,iii4 ,of ,giacopo ,salviati we have already heard1 p4 #ad4 ,note #c4 ',loro preti4' ,perhaps 'their priests4' ,,xxxvii ,i ,,pursued my business of artilleryman1 and every day performed some extraordinary feat1 whereby the credit and the favour ,i acquired with the ,pope was something indescribable4 ,there never passed a day but what ,i killed one or another of our enemies in the besieging army4 ,on one occasion the ,pope was walking round the circular keep1 #a when he observed a ,spanish ,colonel in the ,prati2 he recognised the man by certain indications1 seeing that this officer had formerly been in his service2 and while he fixed his eyes on him1 he kept talking about him4 ,i1 above by the ,angel1 knew nothing of all this1 but spied a fellow down there1 busying himself about the trenches with a javelin in his hand2 he was dressed entirely in rose-colour2 and so1 studying the worst that ,i could do against him1 ,i selected a gerfalcon which ,i had at hand2 it is a piece of ordnance larger and longer than a swivel1 and about the size of a demiculverin4 ,this ,i emptied1 and loaded it again with a good charge of fine powder mixed with the coarser sort2 then ,i aimed it exactly at the man in red1 elevating prodigiously1 because a piece of that calibre could hardly be expected to carry true at such a distance4 ,i fired1 and hit my man exactly in the middle4 ,he had trussed his sword in front1 #b for swagger1 after a way those ,spaniards have2 and my ball1 when it struck him1 broke upon the blade1 and one could see the fellow cut in two fair halves4 ,the ,pope1 who was expecting nothing of this kind1 derived great pleasure and amazement from the sight1 both because it seemed to him impossible that one should aim and hit the mark at such a distance1 and also because the man was cut in two1 and he could not comprehend how this should happen4 ,he sent for me1 and asked about it4 ,i explained all the devices ,i had used in firing2 but told him that why the man was cut in halves1 neither he nor ,i could know4 ,upon my bended knees ,i then besought him to give me the pardon of his blessing for that homicide2 and for all the others ,i had committed in the castle in the service of the ,church4 ,thereat the ,pope1 raising his hand1 and making a large open sign of the cross upon my face1 told me that he blessed me1 and that he gave me pardon for all murders ,i had ever perpetrated1 or should ever perpetrate1 in the service of the ,apostolic ,church4 ,when ,i felt him1 ,i went aloft1 and never stayed from firing to the utmost of my power2 and few were the shots of mine that missed their mark4 ,my drawing1 and my fine studies in my craft1 and my charming art of music1 all were swallowed up in the din of that artillery2 and if ,i were to relate in detail all the splendid things ,i did in that infernal work of cruelty1 ,i should make the world stand by and wonder4 ,but1 not to be too prolix1 ,i will pass them over4 ,only ,i must tell a few of the most remarkable1 which are1 as it were1 forced in upon me4 ,to begin then3 pondering day and night what ,i could render for my own part in defence of ,holy ,church1 and having noticed that the enemy changed guard and marched past through the great gate of ,santo ,spirito1 which was within a reasonable range1 ,i thereupon directed my attention to that spot2 but1 having to shoot sideways1 ,i could not do the damage that ,i wished1 although ,i killed a fair percentage every day4 ,this induced our adversaries1 when they saw their passage covered by my guns1 to load the roof of a certain house one night with thirty gabions1 which obstructed the view ,i formerly enjoyed4 ,taking better thought than ,i had done of the whole situation1 ,i now turned all my five pieces of artillery directly on the gabions1 and waited till the evening hour1 when they changed guard4 ,our enemies1 thinking they were safe1 came on at greater ease and in a closer body than usual2 whereupon ,i set fire to my blow-pipes1 #c ,not merely did ,i dash to pieces the gabions which stood in my way2 but1 what was better1 by that one blast ,i slaughtered more than thirty men4 ,in consequence of this manoelig2uvre1 which ,i repeated twice1 the soldiers were thrown into such disorder1 that being1 moreover1 encumbered with the spoils of that great sack1 and some of them desirous of enjoying the fruits of their labour1 they oftentimes showed a mind to mutiny and take themselves away from ,rome4 ,however1 after coming to terms with their valiant captain1 ,gian di ,urbino1 #d they were ultimately compelled1 at their excessive inconvenience1 to take another road when they changed guard4 ,it cost them three miles of march1 whereas before they had but half a mile4 ,having achieved this feat1 ,i was entreated with prodigious favours by all the men of quality who were invested in the castle4 ,this incident was so important that ,i thought it well to relate it1 before finishing the history of things outside my art1 the which is the real object of my writing3 forsooth1 if ,i wanted to ornament my biography with such matters1 ,i should have far too much to tell4 ,there is only one more circumstance which1 now that the occasion offers1 ,i propose to record4 ,note #a4 ,the ,mastio or main body of ,hadrian's ,mausoleum1 which was converted into a fortress during the ,middle ,ages4 ,note #b4 ',s'aveva messo la spada dinanzi4' ,perhaps 'was bearing his sword in front of him4' ,note #c4 ',soffioni1' the cannon being like tubes to blow a fire up4 ,note #d4 ,this captain was a ,spaniard1 who played a very considerable figure in the war1 distinguishing himself at the capture of ,genoa and the battle of ,lodi in #aebb1 and afterwards acting as ,lieutenant-,general to the ,prince of ,orange4 ,he held ,naples against ,orazio ,baglioni in #aebh1 and died before ,spello in #aebi4 ,,xxxviii ,i ,,shall skip over some intervening circumstances1 and tell how ,pope ,clement1 wishing to save the tiaras and the whole collection of the great jewels of the ,apostolic ,camera1 had me called1 and shut himself up together with me and the ,cavalierino in a room alone4 #a ,this cavalierino had been a groom in the stable of ,filippo ,strozzi2 he was ,french1 and a person of the lowest birth2 but being a most faithful servant1 the ,pope had made him very rich1 and confided in him like himself4 ,so the ,pope1 the ,cavaliere1 and ,i1 being shut up together1 they laid before me the tiaras and jewels of the regalia2 and his ,holiness ordered me to take all the gems out of their gold settings4 ,this ,i accordingly did2 afterwards ,i wrapt them separately up in bits of paper and we sewed them into the linings of the ,pope's and the ,cavaliere's clothes4 ,then they gave me all the gold1 which weighed about two hundred pounds1 and bade me melt it down as secretly as ,i was able4 ,i went up to the ,angel1 where ,i had my lodging1 and could lock the door so as to be free from interruption4 ,there ,i built a little draught-furnace of bricks1 with a largish pot1 shaped like an open dish1 at the bottom of it2 and throwing the gold upon the coals1 it gradually sank through and dropped into the pan4 ,while the furnace was working ,i never left off watching how to annoy our enemies2 and as their trenches were less than a stone's-throw right below us1 ,i was able to inflict considerable damage on them with some useless missiles1 #b of which there were several piles1 forming the old munition of the castle4 ,i chose a swivel and a falconet1 which were both a little damaged in the muzzle1 and filled them with the projectiles ,i have mentioned4 ,when ,i fired my guns1 they hurtled down like mad1 occasioning all sorts of unexpected mischief in the trenches4 ,accordingly ,i kept these pieces always going at the same time that the gold was being melted down2 and a little before vespers ,i noticed some one coming along the margin of the trench on muleback4 ,the mule was trotting very quickly1 and the man was talking to the soldiers in the trenches4 ,i took the precaution of discharging my artillery just before he came immediately opposite2 and so1 making a good calculation1 ,i hit my mark4 ,one of the fragments struck him in the face2 the rest were scattered on the mule1 which fell dead4 ,a tremendous uproar rose up from the trench2 ,i opened fire with my other piece1 doing them great hurt4 ,the man turned out to be the ,prince of ,orange1 who was carried through the trenches to a certain tavern in the neighbourhood1 whither in a short while all the chief folk of the army came together4 ,when ,pope ,clement heard what ,i had done1 he sent at once to call for me1 and inquired into the circumstance4 ,i related the whole1 and added that the man must have been of the greatest consequence1 because the inn to which they carried him had been immediately filled by all the chiefs of the army1 so far at least as ,i could judge4 ,the ,pope1 with a shrewd instinct1 sent for ,messer ,antonio ,santacroce1 the nobleman who1 as ,i have said1 was chief and commander of the gunners4 ,he bade him order all us bombardiers to point our pieces1 which were very numerous1 in one mass upon the house1 and to discharge them all together upon the signal of an arquebuse being fired4 ,he judged that if we killed the generals1 the army1 which was already almost on the point of breaking up1 would take flight4 ,god perhaps had heard the prayers they kept continually making1 and meant to rid them in this manner of those impious scoundrels4 ,we put our cannon in order at the command of ,santacroce1 and waited for the signal4 ,but when ,cardinal ,orsini #c became aware of what was going forward1 he began to expostulate with the ,pope1 protesting that the thing by no means ought to happen1 seeing they were on the point of concluding an accommodation1 and that if the generals were killed1 the rabble of the troops without a leader would storm the castle and complete their utter ruin4 ,consequently they could by no means allow the ,pope's plan to be carried out4 ,the poor ,pope1 in despair1 seeing himself assassinated both inside the castle and without1 said that he left them to arrange it4 ,on this1 our orders were countermanded2 but ,i1 who chafed against the leash1 #d when ,i knew that they were coming round to bid me stop from firing1 let blaze one of my demi-cannons1 and struck a pillar in the courtyard of the house1 around which ,i saw a crowd of people clustering4 ,this shot did such damage to the enemy that it was like to have made them evacuate the house4 ,cardinal ,orsini was absolutely for having me hanged or put to death2 but the ,pope took up my cause with spirit4 ,the high words that passed between them1 though ,i well know what they were1 ,i will not here relate1 because ,i make no profession of writing history4 ,it is enough for me to occupy myself with my own affairs4 ,note #a4 ,this personage cannot be identified4 ,the ,filippo ,strozzi mentioned as having been his master was the great opponent of the ,medicean despotism1 who killed himself in prison after the defeat of ,montemurlo in #aeci4 ,he married in early life a daughter of ,piero de' ,medici4 ,note #b4 ',passatojacci4' ,note #c4 ,franciotto ,orsini was educated in the household of his kinsman ,lorenzo de' ,medici4 ,he followed the profession of arms1 and married2 but after losing his wife took orders1 and received the hat in #aeag4 ,note #d4 ',io che non potevo stare alle mosse4' ,,xxxix ,,after ,i had melted down the gold1 ,i took it to the ,pope1 who thanked me cordially for what ,i had done1 and ordered the ,cavalierino to give me twenty-five crowns1 apologising to me for his inability to give me more4 ,a few days afterwards the articles of peace were signed4 ,i went with three hundred comrades in the train of ,signor ,orazio ,baglioni toward ,perugia2 and there he wished to make me captain of the company1 but ,i was unwilling at the moment1 saying that ,i wanted first to go and see my father1 and to redeem the ban which was still in force against me at ,florence4 ,signor ,orazio told me that he had been appointed general of the ,florentines2 and ,sir ,pier ,maria del ,lotto1 the envoy from ,florence1 was with him1 to whom he specially recommended me as his man4 #a ,in course of time ,i came to ,florence in the company of several comrades4 ,the plague was raging with indescribable fury4 ,when ,i reached home1 ,i found my good father1 who thought either that ,i must have been killed in the sack of ,rome1 or else that ,i should come back to him a beggar4 ,however1 ,i entirely defeated both these expectations2 for ,i was alive1 with plenty of money1 a fellow to wait on me1 and a good horse4 ,my joy on greeting the old man was so intense1 that1 while he embraced and kissed me1 ,i thought that ,i must die upon the spot4 ,after ,i had narrated all the devilries of that dreadful sack1 and had given him a good quantity of crowns which ,i had gained by my soldiering1 and when we had exchanged our tokens of affection1 he went off to the ,eight to redeem my ban4 ,it so happened that one of those magistrates who sentenced me1 was now again a member of the board4 ,it was the very man who had so inconsiderately told my father he meant to march me out into the country with the lances4 ,my father took this opportunity of addressing him with some meaning words1 in order to mark his revenge1 relying on the favour which ,orazio ,baglioni showed me4 ,matters standing thus1 ,i told my father how ,signor ,orazio had appointed me captain1 and that ,i ought to begin to think of enlisting my company4 ,at these words the poor old man was greatly disturbed1 and begged me for ,god's sake not to turn my thoughts to such an enterprise1 although he knew ,i should be fit for this or yet a greater business1 adding that his other son1 my brother1 was already a most valiant soldier1 and that ,i ought to pursue the noble art in which ,i had laboured so many years and with such diligence of study4 ,although ,i promised to obey him1 he reflected1 like a man of sense1 that if ,signor ,orazio came to ,florence1 ,i could not withdraw myself from military service1 partly because ,i had passed my word1 as well as for other reasons2 ,he therefore thought of a good expedient for sending me away1 and spoke to me as follows3 8,oh1 my dear son1 the plague in this town is raging with immitigable violence1 and ,i am always fancying you will come home infected with it4 ,i remember1 when ,i was a young man1 that ,i went to ,mantua1 where ,i was very kindly received1 and stayed there several years4 ,i pray and command you1 for the love of me1 to pack off and go thither2 and ,i would have you do this to-day rather than to-morrow40 ,note #a4 ,pier ,maria di ,lotto of ,s4 ,miniato was notary to the ,florentine ,signoria4 ,he collected the remnants of the ,bandle ,nere1 and gave them over to ,orazio ,baglioni1 who contrived to escape from ,s4 ,angelo in safety to ,perugia4 ,,xl ,i ,,had always taken pleasure in seeing the world2 and having never been in ,mantua1 ,i went there very willingly4 ,of the money ,i had brought to ,florence1 ,i left the greater part with my good father1 promising to help him wherever ,i might be1 and confiding him to the care of my elder sister4 ,her name was ,cosa2 and since she never cared to marry1 she was admitted as a nun in ,santa ,orsola2 but she put off taking the veil1 in order to keep house for our old father1 and to look after my younger sister1 who was married to one ,bartolommeo1 a surgeon4 ,so then1 leaving home with my father's blessing1 ,i mounted my good horse1 and rode off on it to ,mantua4 ,it would take too long to describe that little journey in detail4 ,the whole world being darkened over with plague and war1 ,i had the greatest difficulty in reaching ,mantua4 ,however1 in the end1 ,i got there1 and looked about for work to do1 which ,i obtained from a ,maestro ,niccol of ,milan1 goldsmith to the ,duke of ,mantua4 ,having thus settled down to work1 ,i went after two days to visit ,messer ,giulio ,romano1 that most excellent painter1 of whom ,i have already spoken1 and my very good friend4 ,he received me with the tenderest caresses1 and took it very ill that ,i had not dismounted at his house4 ,he was living like a lord1 and executing a great work for the ,duke outside the city gates1 in a place called ,del ,te4 ,it was a vast and prodigious undertaking1 as may still1 ,i suppose1 be seen by those who go there4 #a ,messer ,giulio lost no time in speaking of me to the ,duke in terms of the warmest praise4 #b ,that ,prince commissioned me to make a model for a reliquary1 to hold the blood of ,christ1 which they have there1 and say was brought them by ,longinus4 ,then he turned to ,giulio1 bidding him supply me with a design for it4 ,to this ,giulio replied3 8,my lord1 ,benvenuto is a man who does not need other people's sketches1 as your ,excellency will be very well able to judge when you shall see his model40 ,i set hand to the work1 and made a drawing for the reliquary1 well adapted to contain the sacred phial4 ,then ,i made a little waxen model of the cover4 ,this was a seated ,christ1 supporting his great cross aloft with the left hand1 while he seemed to lean against it1 and with the fingers of his right hand he appeared to be opening the wound in his side4 ,when it was finished1 it pleased the ,duke so much that he heaped favours on me1 and gave me to understand that he would keep me in his service with such appointments as should enable me to live in affluence4 ,meanwhile1 ,i had paid my duty to the ,cardinal his brother1 who begged the ,duke to allow me to make the pontifical seal of his most reverend lordship4 #c ,this ,i began2 but while ,i was working at it ,i caught a quartan fever4 ,during each access of this fever ,i was thrown into delirium1 when ,i cursed ,mantua and its master and whoever stayed there at his own liking4 ,these words were reported to the ,duke by the ,milanese goldsmith1 who had not omitted to notice that the ,duke wanted to employ me4 ,when the ,prince heard the ravings of my sickness1 he flew into a passion against me2 and ,i being out of temper with ,mantua1 our bad feeling was reciprocal4 ,the seal was finished after four months1 together with several other little pieces ,i made for the ,duke under the name of the ,cardinal4 ,his ,reverence paid me well1 and bade me return to ,rome1 to that marvellous city where we had made acquaintance4 ,i quitted ,mantua with a good sum of crowns1 and reached ,governo1 where the most valiant general ,giovanni had been killed4 #d ,here ,i had a slight relapse of fever1 which did not interrupt my journey1 and coming now to an end1 it never returned on me again4 ,when ,i arrived at ,florence1 ,i hoped to find my dear father1 and knocking at the door1 a hump-backed woman in a fury showed her face at the window2 she drove me off with a torrent of abuse1 screaming that the sight of me was a consumption to her4 ,to this misshapen hag ,i shouted3 8,ho6 tell me1 cross-grained hunchback1 is there no other face to see here but your ugly visage80 8,no1 and bad luck to you40 ,whereto ,i answered in a loud voice3 8,in less than two hours may it #e never vex us more60 ,attracted by this dispute1 a neighbour put her head out1 from whom ,i learned that my father and all the people in the house had died of the plague4 ,as ,i had partly guessed it might be so1 my grief was not so great as it would otherwise have been4 ,the woman afterwards told me that only my sister ,liperata had escaped1 and that she had taken refuge with a pious lady named ,mona ,andrea de' ,bellacci4 #f ,i took my way from thence to the inn1 and met by accident a very dear friend of mine1 ,giovanni ,rigogli4 ,dismounting at his house1 we proceeded to the piazza1 where ,i received intelligence that my brother was alive1 and went to find him at the house of a friend of his called ,bertino ,aldobrandini4 ,on meeting1 we made demonstrations of the most passionate affection2 for he had heard that ,i was dead1 and ,i had heard that he was dead2 and so our joy at embracing one another was extravagant4 ,then he broke out into a loud fit of laughter1 and said3 8,come1 brother1 ,i will take you where ,i'm sure you'd never guess6 ,you must know that ,i have given our sister ,liperata away again in marriage1 and she holds it for absolutely certain that you are dead40 ,on our way we told each other all the wonderful adventures we had met with2 and when we reached the house where our sister dwelt1 the surprise of seeing me alive threw her into a fainting fit1 and she fell senseless in my arms4 ,had not my brother been present1 her speechlessness and sudden seizure must have made her husband imagine ,i was some one different from a brother-as indeed at first it did4 ,cecchino1 however1 explained matters1 and busied himself in helping the swooning woman1 who soon come to4 ,then1 after shedding some tears for father1 sister1 husband1 and a little son whom she had lost1 she began to get the supper ready2 and during our merry meeting all that evening we talked no more about dead folk1 but rather discoursed gaily about weddings4 ,thus1 then1 with gladness and great enjoyment we brought our supper-party to an end4 ,note #a4 ,this is the famous ,palazzo del ,te1 outside the walls of ,mantua4 ,it still remains the chief monument of ,giulio ,romano's versatile genius4 ,note #b4 ,federigo ,gonzago was at this time ,marquis of ,mantua4 ,charles ,v erected his fief into a duchy in #aecj4 ,note #c4 ,ercole ,gonzaga1 created ,cardinal in #aebg4 ,after the death of his brother1 ,duke ,federigo1 he governed ,mantua for sixteen years as regent for his nephews1 and became famous as a patron of arts and letters4 ,he died at ,trento in #aefc while presiding over the ,council there1 in the pontificate of ,pius ,,iv4 ,note #d4 ,giovanni de' ,medici1 surnamed ,delle ,bande ,nere4 ,note #e4 ',i4 e41' your ugly visage4 ,note #f4 ,carpani states that between ,may and ,november #aebg about #dj1jjj persons died of plague in ,florence4 ,,xli ,,on the entreaty of my brother and sister1 ,i remained at ,florence1 though my own inclination led me to return to ,rome4 ,the dear friend1 also1 who had helped me in some of my earlier troubles1 as ,i have narrated 7,i mean ,piero1 son of ,giovanni ,landi7-he too advised me to make some stay in ,florence2 for the ,medici were in exile1 that is to say1 ,signor ,ippolito and ,signor ,alessandro1 who were afterwards respectively ,cardinal and ,duke of ,florence2 and he judged it would be well for me to wait and see what happened4 #a ,at that time there arrived in ,florence a ,sienese1 called ,girolamo ,marretti1 who had lived long in ,turkey and was a man of lively intellect4 ,he came to my shop1 and commissioned me to make a golden medal to be worn in the hat4 ,the subject was to be ,hercules wrenching the lion's mouth4 ,while ,i was working at this piece1 ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti came oftentimes to see it4 ,i had spent infinite pains upon the design1 so that the attitude of the figure and the fierce passion of the beast were executed in quite a different style from that of any craftsman who had hitherto attempted such groups4 ,this1 together with the fact that the special branch of art was totally unknown to ,michel ,agnolo1 made the divine master give such praises to my work that ,i felt incredibly inspired for further effort4 ,however1 ,i found little else to do but jewel-setting2 and though ,i gained more thus than in any other way1 yet ,i was dissatisfied1 for ,i would fain have been employed upon some higher task than that of setting precious stones4 ,just then ,i met with ,federigo ,ginori1 a young man of a very lofty spirit4 ,he had lived some years in ,naples1 and being endowed with great charms of person and presence1 had been the lover of a ,neapolitan princess4 ,he wanted to have a medal made1 with ,atlas bearing the world upon his shoulders1 and applied to ,michel ,agnolo for a design4 ,michel ,agnolo made this answer3 8,go and find out a young goldsmith named ,benvenuto2 he will serve you admirably1 and certainly he does not stand in need of sketches by me4 ,however1 to prevent your thinking that ,i want to save myself the trouble of so slight a matter1 ,i will gladly sketch you something2 but meanwhile speak to ,benvenuto1 and let him also make a model2 he can then execute the better of the two designs40 ,federigo ,ginori came to me1 and told me what he wanted1 adding thereto how ,michel ,agnolo had praised me1 and how he had suggested ,i should make a waxen model while he undertook to supply a sketch4 ,the words of that great man so heartened me1 that ,i set myself to work at once with eagerness upon the model2 and when ,i had finished it1 a painter who was intimate with ,michel ,agnolo1 called ,giuliano ,bugiardini1 brought me the drawing of ,atlas4 #b ,on the same occasion ,i showed ,giuliano my little model in wax1 which was very different from ,michel ,agnolo's drawing2 and ,federigo1 in concert with ,bugiardini1 agreed that ,i should work upon my model4 ,so ,i took it in hand1 and when ,michel ,agnolo saw it1 he praised me to the skies4 ,this was a figure1 as ,i have said1 chiselled on a plate of gold2 ,atlas had the heaven upon his back1 made out of a crystal ball1 engraved with the zodiac upon a field of lapis-lazuli4 ,the whole composition produced an indescribably fine effect2 and under it ran the legend ',summa tulisse juvat6' #c ,federigo was so thoroughly well pleased that he paid me very liberally4 ,aluigi ,alamanni was at that time in ,florence4 ,federigo ,ginori1 who enjoyed his friendship1 brought him often to my workshop1 and through this introduction we became very intimate together4 #d ,note #a4 ,i may remind my readers that the three ,medici of the ruling house were now illegitimate4 ,clement ,,vii was the bastard son of ,giuliano1 brother of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent4 ,ippolito1 the ,cardinal1 was the bastard of ,giuliano1 ,duke of ,nemours1 son of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent4 ,alessandro was the reputed bastard of ,lorenzo1 ,duke of ,urbino1 grandson of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent4 ,alessandro became ,duke of ,florence1 and after poisoning his cousin1 ,cardinal ,ippolito1 was murdered by a distant cousin1 ,lorenzino de' ,medici4 ,in this way the male line of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent was extinguished4 ,note #b4 ,this painter was the pupil of ,bertoldo1 a man of simple manners and of some excellence in his art4 ,the gallery at ,bologna has a fine specimen of his painting4 ,michel ,agnolo delighted in his society4 ,note #c4 ,cellini says ',summam4' ,note #d4 ,this was the agreeable didactic poet ,luigi ,alamanni1 who had to fly from ,florence after a conspiracy against ,cardinal ,giulio de' ,medici in #aebb4 ,he could never reconcile himself to the ,medicean tyranny1 and finally took refuge in ,france1 where he was honoured by ,franois ,i4 ,he died at ,amboise in #aeef4 ,,xlii ,,pope ,,clement had now declared war upon the city of ,florence1 which thereupon was put in a state of defence2 and the militia being organised in each quarter of the town1 ,i too received orders to serve in my turn4 ,i provided myself with a rich outfit1 and went about with the highest nobility of ,florence1 who showed a unanimous desire to fight for the defence of our liberties4 ,meanwhile the speeches which are usual upon such occasions were made in every quarter2 #a the young men met together more than was their wont1 and everywhere we had but one topic of conversation4 ,it happened one day1 about noon1 that a crowd of tall men and lusty young fellows1 the first in the city1 were assembled in my workshop1 when a letter from ,rome was put into my hands4 ,it came from a man called ,maestro ,giacopino della ,barca4 ,his real name was ,giacopo della ,sciorina1 but they called him della ,barca in ,rome1 because he kept a ferry boat upon the ,tiber between ,ponte ,sisto and ,ponte ,santo ,agnolo4 ,he was a person of considerable talent1 distinguished by his pleasantries and striking conversation1 and he had formerly been a designer of patterns for the cloth-weavers in ,florence4 ,this man was intimate with the ,pope1 who took great pleasure in hearing him talk4 ,being one day engaged in conversation1 they touched upon the sack and the defence of the castle4 ,this brought me to the ,pope's mind1 and he spoke of me in the very highest terms1 adding that if he knew where ,i was1 he should be glad to get me back4 ,maestro ,giacopo said ,i was in ,florence2 whereupon the ,pope bade the man write and tell me to return to him4 ,the letter ,i have mentioned was to the effect that ,i should do well if ,i resumed the service of ,clement1 and that this was sure to turn out to my advantage4 ,the young men who were present were curious to know what the letter contained2 wherefore ,i concealed it as well as ,i could4 ,afterwards ,i wrote to ,maestro ,giacopo1 begging him by no means1 whether for good or evil1 to write to me again4 ,he however grew more obstinate in his officiousness1 and wrote me another letter1 so extravagantly worded1 that if it had been seen1 ,i should have got into serious trouble4 ,the substance of it was that the ,pope required me to come at once1 wanting to employ me on work of the greatest consequence2 also that if ,i wished to act aright1 ,i ought to throw up everything1 and not to stand against a ,pope in the party of those hare-brained ,radicals4 ,this letter1 when ,i read it1 put me in such a fright1 that ,i went to seek my dear friend ,piero ,landi4 ,directly he set eyes on me1 he asked what accident had happened to upset me so4 ,i told my friend that it was quite impossible for me to explain what lay upon my mind1 and what was causing me this trouble2 only ,i entreated him to take the keys ,i gave him1 and to return the gems and gold in my drawers to such and such persons1 whose names he would find inscribed upon my memorandum-book2 next1 ,i begged him to pack up the furniture of my house1 and keep account of it with his usual loving-kindness2 and in a few days he should hear where ,i was4 ,the prudent young man1 guessing perhaps pretty nearly how the matter stood1 replied3 8,my brother1 go your was quickly2 then write to me1 and have no further care about your things40 ,i did as he advised4 ,he was the most loyal friend1 the wisest1 the most worthy1 the most discreet1 the most affectionate that ,i have ever known4 ,i left ,florence and went to ,rome1 and from there ,i wrote to him4 ,note #a4 ',fecesi quelle orazioni4' ,it may mean 8the prayers were offered up40 ,,xliii ,,upon my arrival in ,rome1 #a ,i found several of my former friends1 by whom ,i was very well received and kindly entertained4 ,no time was lost before ,i set myself to work at things which brought me profit1 but were not notable enough to be described4 ,there was a fine old man1 a goldsmith1 called ,raffaello del ,moro1 who had considerable reputation in the trade1 and was to boot a very worthy fellow4 ,he begged me to consent to enter his workshop1 saying he had some commissions of importance to execute1 on which high profits might be looked for2 so ,i accepted his proposal with goodwill4 ,more than ten days had elapsed1 and ,i had not presented myself to ,maestro ,giacopino della ,barca4 ,meeting me one day by accident1 he gave me a hearty welcome1 and asked me how long ,i had been in ,rome4 ,when ,i told him ,i had been there about a fortnight1 he took it very ill1 and said that ,i showed little esteem for a ,pope who had urgently compelled him to write three times for me4 ,i1 who had taken his persistence in the matter still more ill1 made no reply1 but swallowed down my irritation4 ,the man1 who suffered from a flux of words1 began one of his long yarns1 and went on talking1 till at the last1 when ,i saw him tired out1 ,i merely said that he might bring me to the ,pope when he saw fit4 ,he answered that any time would do for him1 and ,i1 that ,i was always ready4 ,so we took our way toward the palace4 ,it was a ,maundy ,thursday2 and when we reached the apartments of the ,pope1 he being known there and ,i expected1 we were at once admitted4 ,the ,pope was in bed1 suffering from a slight indisposition1 and he had with him ,messer ,jacopo ,salviati and the ,archbishop of ,capua4 #b ,when the ,pope set eyes on me1 he was exceedingly glad4 ,i kissed his feet1 and then1 as humbly as ,i could1 drew near to him1 and let him understand that ,i had things of consequence to utter4 ,on this he waved his hand1 and the two prelates retired to a distance from us4 ,i began at once to speak3 8,most blessed ,father1 from the time of the sack up to this hour1 ,i have never been able to confess or to communicate1 because they refuse me absolution4 ,the case is this4 ,when ,i melted down the gold and worked at the unsetting of those jewels1 your ,holiness ordered the ,cavalierino to give me a modest reward for my labours1 of which ,i received nothing1 but on the contrary he rather paid me with abuse4 ,when then ,i ascended to the chamber where ,i had melted down the gold1 and washed the ashes1 ,i found about a pound and a half of gold in tiny grains like millet-seeds2 and inasmuch as ,i had not money enough to take me home respectably1 ,i thought ,i would avail myself of this1 and give it back again when opportunity should offer4 ,now ,i am here at the feet of your ,holiness1 who is the only true confessor4 ,i entreat you to do me the favour of granting me indulgence1 so that ,i may be able to confess and communicate1 and by the grace of your ,holiness regain the grace of my ,lord ,god40 ,upon this the ,pope1 with a scarcely perceptible sigh1 remembering perhaps his former trials1 spoke as follows3 8,benvenuto1 ,i thoroughly believe what you tell me2 it is in my power to absolve you of any unbecoming deed you may have done1 and1 what is more1 ,i have the will4 ,so1 then1 speak out with frankness and perfect confidence2 for if you had taken the value of a whole tiara1 ,i am quite ready to pardon you40 ,thereupon ,i answered3 8,i took nothing1 most blessed ,father1 but what ,i have confessed2 and this did not amount to the value of #adj ducats1 for that was the sum ,i received from the ,mint in ,perugia1 and with it ,i went home to comfort my poor old father40 ,the ,pope said3 8,your father has been as virtuous1 good1 and worthy a man as was ever born1 and you have not degenerated from him4 ,i am very sorry that the money was so little2 but such as you say it was1 ,i make you a present of it1 and give you my full pardon4 ,assure your confessor of this1 if there is nothing else upon your conscience which concerns me4 ,afterwards1 when you have confessed and communicated1 you shall present yourself to me again1 and it will be to your advantage40 ,when ,i parted from the ,pope1 ,messer ,giacopo and the ,archbishop approached1 and the ,pope spoke to them in the highest terms imaginable about me2 he said that he had confessed and absolved me2 then he commissioned the ,archbishop of ,capua to send for me and ask if ,i had any other need beyond this matter1 giving him full leave to absolve me amply1 and bidding him1 moreover1 treat me with the utmost kindness4 ,while ,i was walking away with ,maestro ,giacopino1 he asked me very inquisitively what was the close and lengthy conversation ,i had had with his ,holiness4 ,after he had repeated the question more than twice1 ,i said that ,i did not mean to tell him1 because they were matters with which he had nothing to do1 and therefore he need not go on asking me4 ,then ,i went to do what had been agreed on with the ,pope2 and after the two festivals were over1 ,i again presented myself before his ,holiness4 ,he received me even better than before1 and said3 8,if you had come a little earlier to ,rome1 ,i should have commissioned you to restore my two tiaras1 which were pulled to pieces in the castle4 ,these1 however1 with the exception of the gems1 are objects of little artistic interest2 so ,i will employ you on a piece of the very greatest consequence1 where you will be able to exhibit all your talents4 ,it is a button for my priest's cope1 which has to be made round like a trencher1 and as big as a little trencher1 one-third of a cubit wide4 ,upon this ,i want you to represent a ,god the ,father in half-relief1 and in the middle to set that magnificent big diamond1 which you remember1 together with several other gems of the greatest value4 ,caradosso began to make me one1 but did not finish it2 ,i want yours to be finished quickly1 so that ,i may enjoy the use of it a little while4 ,go1 then1 and make me a fine model40 ,he had all the jewels shown me1 and then ,i went off like a shot #c to set myself to work4 ,note #a4 ,cellini has been severely taxed for leaving ,florence at this juncture and taking service under ,pope ,clement1 the oppressor of her liberties4 ,his own narrative admits some sense of shame4 ,yet we should remember that he never took any decided part in politics1 and belonged to a family of ,medicean sympathies4 ,his father served ,lorenzo and ,piero2 his brother was a soldier of ,giovanni delle ,bande ,nere and ,duke ,alessandro4 ,many most excellent ,florentines were convinced that the ,medicean government was beneficial2 and an artist had certainly more to expect from it than from the ,republic4 ,note #b4 ,nicolas ,schomberg1 a learned ,dominican and disciple of ,savonarola1 made ,archbishop of ,capua in #aebj4 ,he was a faithful and able minister of ,clement4 ,paul ,,iii gave him the hat in #aece1 and he died in #aecg4 ,note #c4 ',affusolato4' ,lit41 straight as a spindle4 ,,xliv ,,during the time when ,florence was besieged1 ,federigo ,ginori1 for whom ,i made that medal of ,atlas1 died of consumption1 and the medal came into the hands of ,messer ,luigi ,alamanni1 who1 after a little while1 took it to present in person to ,francis1 king of ,france1 accompanied by some of his own finest compositions4 ,the ,king was exceedingly delighted with the gift2 whereupon ,messer ,luigi told his ,majesty so much about my personal qualities1 as well as my art1 and spoke so favourably1 that the ,king expressed a wish to know me4 ,meanwhile ,i pushed my model for the button forward with all the diligence ,i could1 constructing it exactly of the size which the jewel itself was meant to have4 ,in the trade of the goldsmiths it roused considerable jealousy among those who thought that they were capable of matching it4 ,a certain ,micheletto had just come to ,rome2 #a he was very clever at engraving cornelians1 and was1 moreover1 a most intelligent jeweller1 an old man and of great celebrity4 ,he had been employed upon the ,pope's tiaras2 and while ,i was working at my model1 he wondered much that ,i had not applied to him1 being as he was a man of intelligence and of large credit with the ,pope4 ,at last1 when he saw that ,i was not coming to him1 he came to me1 and asked me what ,i was about4 8,what the ,pope has ordered me10 ,i answered4 ,then he said3 8,the ,pope has commissioned me to superintend everything which is being made for his ,holiness40 ,i only replied that ,i would ask the ,pope1 and then should know what answer ,i ought to give him4 ,he told me that ,i should repent1 and departing in anger1 had an interview with all the masters of the art2 they deliberated on the matter1 and charged ,michele with the conduct of the whole affair4 ,as was to be expected from a person of his talents1 he ordered more than thirty drawings to be made1 all differing in their details1 for the piece the ,pope had commissioned4 ,having already access to his ,holiness' ear1 he took into his counsel another jeweller1 named ,pompeo1 a ,milanese1 who was in favour with the ,pope1 and related to ,messer ,traiano1 the first chamberlain of the court2 #b these two together1 then1 began to insinuate that they had seen my model1 and did not think me up to a work of such extraordinary import4 ,the ,pope replied that he would also have to see it1 and that if he then found me unfit for the purpose1 he should look around for one who was fit4 ,both of them put in that they had several excellent designs ready2 to which the ,pope made answer1 that he was very pleased to hear it1 but that he did not care to look at them till ,i had completed my model2 afterwards1 he would take them all into consideration at the same time4 ,after a few days ,i finished my model1 and took it to the ,pope one morning1 when ,messer ,traiano made me wait till he had sent for ,micheletto and ,pompeo1 bidding them make haste and bring their drawings4 ,on their arrival we were introduced1 and ,micheletto and ,pompeo immediately unrolled their papers1 which the ,pope inspected4 ,the draughtsmen who had been employed were not in the jeweller's trade1 and therefore1 knew nothing about giving their right place to precious stones2 and the jewellers1 on their side1 had not shown them how2 for ,i ought to say that a jeweller1 when he has to work with figures1 must of necessity understand design1 else he cannot produce anything worth looking at3 and so it turned out that all of them had stuck that famous diamond in the middle of the breast of ,god the ,father4 ,the ,pope1 who was an excellent connoisseur1 observing this mistake1 approved of none of them2 and when he had looked at about ten1 he flung the rest down1 and said to me1 who was standing at a distance3 8,now show me your model1 ,benvenuto1 so that ,i may see if you have made the same mistake as those fellows40 ,i came forward1 and opened a little round box2 whereupon one would have thought that a light from heaven had struck the ,pope's eyes4 ,he cried aloud3 8,if you had been in my own body1 you could not have done it better1 as this proves4 ,those men there have found the right way to bring shame upon themselves60 ,a crowd of great lords pressing round1 the ,pope pointed out the difference between my model and the drawings4 ,when he had sufficiently commended it1 the others standing terrified and stupid before him1 he turned to me and said3 8,i am only afraid of one thing1 and that is of the utmost consequence4 ,friend ,benvenuto1 wax is easy to work in2 the real difficulty is to execute this in gold40 ,to those words ,i answered without moment's hesitation3 8,most blessed ,father1 if ,i do not work it ten times better than the model1 let it be agreed beforehand that you pay me nothing40 ,when they heard this1 the noblemen made a great stir1 crying out that ,i was promising too much4 ,among them was an eminent philosopher1 who spoke out in my favour3 8,from the fine physiognomy and bodily symmetry which ,i observed in this young man1 ,i predict that he will accomplish what he says1 and think that he will even go beyond it40 ,the ,pope put in3 8,and this is my opinion also40 ,then he called his chamberlain1 ,messer ,traiano1 and bade him bring five hundred golden ducats of the ,camera4 ,while we were waiting for the money1 the ,pope turned once more to gaze at leisure on the dexterous device ,i had employed for combining the diamond with the figure of ,god the ,father4 ,i had put the diamond exactly in the center of the piece2 and above it ,god the ,father was shown seated1 leaning nobly in a sideways attitude1 #c which made a perfect composition1 and did not interfere with the stone's effect4 ,lifting his right hand1 he was in the act of giving the benediction4 ,below the diamond ,i had place three children1 who1 with their arms upraised1 were supporting the jewel4 ,one of them1 in the middle1 was in full relief1 the other two in half-relief4 ,all around ,i set a crowd of cherubs1 in divers attitudes1 adapted to the other gems4 ,a mantle undulated to the wind around the figure of the ,father1 from the folds of which cherubs peeped out2 and there were other ornaments besides which made a very beautiful effect4 ,the work was executed in white stucco on a black stone4 ,when the money came1 the ,pope gave it to me with his own hand1 and begged me in the most winning terms to let him have it finished in his own days1 adding that this should be to my advantage4 ,note #a4 ,vasari calls this eminent engraver of gems ,michelino4 ,note #b4 ,messer ,traiano ,alicorno4 ,note #c4 ',in un certo bel modo svolto4' ,that means3 turned aside1 not fronting the spectator4 ,,xlv ,i ,,took the money and the model home1 and was in the utmost impatience to begin my work4 ,after ,i had laboured diligently for eight days1 the ,pope sent word by one of his chamberlains1 a very great gentleman of ,bologna1 that ,i was to come to him and bring what ,i had got in hand4 ,on the way1 the chamberlain1 who was the most gentle-mannered person in the ,roman court1 told me that the ,pope not only wanted to see what ,i was doing1 but also intended to intrust me with another task of the highest consequence1 which was1 in fact1 to furnish dies for the money of the ,mint2 and bade me arm myself beforehand with the answer ,i should give2 in short1 he wished me to be prepared1 and therefore he had spoken4 ,when we came into the presence1 ,i lost no time in exhibiting the golden plate1 upon which ,i had as yet carved nothing but my figure of ,god the ,father2 but this1 though only in the rough1 displayed a grander style than that of the waxen model4 ,the ,pope regarded it with stupefaction1 and exclaimed3 8,from this moment forward ,i will believe everything you say40 ,then loading me with marks of favour1 he added3 8,it is my intention to give you another commission1 which1 if you feel competent to execute it1 ,i shall have no less at heart than this1 or more40 ,he proceeded to tell me that he wished to make dies for the coinage of his realm1 and asked me if ,i had ever tried my hand at such things1 and if ,i had the courage to attempt them4 ,i answered that of courage for the task ,i had no lack1 and that ,i had seen how dies were made1 but that ,i had not ever made any4 ,there was in the presence a certain ,messer ,tommaso1 of ,prato1 his ,holiness' ,datary2 #a and this man1 being a friend of my enemies1 put in3 8,most blessed ,father1 the favours you are showering upon this young man 7and he by nature so extremely overbold7 are enough to make him promise you a new world4 ,you have already given him one great task1 and now1 by adding a greater1 you are like to make them clash together40 ,the ,pope1 in a rage1 turned round on him1 and told him to mind his own business4 ,then he commanded me to make the model for a broad doubloon of gold1 upon which he wanted a naked ,christ with his hands tied1 and the inscription ',ecce ,homo2' the reverse was to have a ,pope and ,emperor in the act together of propping up a cross which seemed to fall1 and this legend3 ',unus spiritus et una fides erat in eis4' ,after the ,pope had ordered this handsome coin1 ,bandinello the sculptor came up2 he had not yet been made a knight2 and1 with his wonted presumption muffled up in ignorance1 said3 8,for these goldsmiths one must make drawings for such fine things as that40 ,i turned round upon him in a moment1 and cried out that ,i did not want his drawings for my art1 but that ,i hoped before very long to give his art some trouble by my drawings4 ,the ,pope expressed high satisfaction at these words1 and turning to me said3 8,go then1 my ,benvenuto1 and devote yourself with spirit to my service1 and do not lend an ear to the chattering of these silly fellows40 ,so ,i went off1 and very quickly made two dies of steel2 then ,i stamped a coin in gold1 and one ,sunday after dinner took the coin and the dies to the ,pope1 who1 when he saw the piece1 was astonished and greatly gratified1 not only because my work pleased him excessively1 but also because of the rapidity with which ,i had performed it4 ,for the further satisfaction and amazement of his holiness1 ,i had brought with me all the old coins which in former times had been made by those able men who served ,popes ,giulio and ,leo2 and when ,i noticed that mine pleased him far better1 ,i drew forth from my bosom a patient1 #b in which ,i prayed for the post of stamp-master #c in the ,mint4 ,this place was worth six golden crowns a month1 in addition to the dies1 which were paid at the rate of a ducat for three by the ,master of the ,mint4 ,the ,pope took my patent and handed it to the ,datary1 telling him to lose no time in dispatching the business4 ,the ,datary began to put it in his pocket1 saying3 8,most blessed ,father1 your ,holiness ought not to go so fast2 these are matters which deserve some reflection40 ,to this the ,pope replied2 8,i have heard what you have got to say2 give me here that patent40 ,he took it1 and signed it at once with his own hand2 then1 giving it back1 added3 8,now1 you have no answer left2 see that you dispatch it at once1 for this is my pleasure2 and ,benvenuto's shoes are worth more than the eyes of all those other blockheads40 ,so1 having thanked his ,holiness1 ,i went back1 rejoicing above measure1 to my work4 ,note #a4 ,his full name was ,tommaso ,cortese4 ,the ,papal ,datario was the chief secretary of the office for requests1 petitions and patents4 ,his title was derived from its being his duty to affix the ',datum ,rom' to documents4 ,the fees of this office1 which was also called ,datario1 brought in a large revenue to the ,papacy4 ,note #b4 ',moto propio4' ,cellini confuses his petition with the instrument1 which he had probably drawn up ready for signature4 ,note #c4 ',maestro delle stampe della zecca1 i4 e41' the artist who made the dies4 ,,xlvi ,i ,,was still working in the shop of ,raffaello del ,moro4 ,this worthy man had a very beautiful young daughter1 with regard to whom he had designs on me2 and ,i1 becoming partly aware of his intentions1 was very willing2 but1 while indulging such desires1 ,i made no show of them3 on the contrary1 ,i was so discreet in my behaviour that ,i made him wonder4 ,it so happened that the poor girl was attacked by a disorder in her right hand1 which ate into the two bones belonging to the little finger and the next4 #a ,owing to her father's carelessness1 she had been treated by an ignorant quack-doctor1 who predicted that the poor child would be crippled in the whole of her right arm1 if even nothing worse should happen4 ,when ,i noticed the dismay of her father1 ,i begged him not to believe all that this ignorant doctor had said4 ,he replied that he had no acquaintance with physicians or with surgeons1 and entreated me1 if ,i knew of one1 to bring him to the house4 #b ,i sent at once for a certain ,maestro ,giacomo of ,perugia1 a man of great skill in surgery1 who examined the poor girl4 #c ,she was dreadfully frightened through having gained some inkling of the quack's predictions2 whereas1 my intelligent doctor declared that she would suffer nothing of consequence1 and would be very well able to use her right hand2 also that though the two last fingers must remain somewhat weaker than the others1 this would be of no inconvenience at all to her4 ,so he began his treatment2 and after a few days1 when he was going to extract a portion of the diseased bones1 her father called for me1 and begged me to be present at the operation4 ,maestro ,giacomo was using some coarse steel instruments2 and when ,i observed that he was making little way and at the same time was inflicting severe pain on the patient1 ,i begged him to stop and wait half a quarter of an hour for me4 ,i ran into the shop1 and made a little scalping-iron of steel1 extremely thin and curved2 it cut like a razor4 ,on my return1 the surgeon used it1 and began to work with so gentle a hand that she felt no pain1 and in a short while the operation was over4 ,in consequence of this service1 and for other reasons1 the worthy man conceived for me as much love1 or more1 as he had for two male children2 and in the meanwhile he attended to the cure of his beautiful young daughter4 ,i was on terms of the closest intimacy with one ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi1 who was a clerk of the ,camera1 and a great connoisseur of the arts1 although he had no practical acquaintance with any4 #d ,in his household were a certain ,messer ,giovanni1 a ,greek of eminent learning1 ,messer ,lodovico of ,fano1 no less distinguished as a man of letters1 ,messer ,antonio ,allegretti1 and ,messer ,annibale ,caro1 #e at that time in his early manhood4 ,messer ,bastiano of ,venice1 a most excellent painter1 and ,i were admitted to their society2 and almost every day we met together in ,messer ,giovanni's company4 #f ,being aware of this intimacy1 the worthy goldsmith ,raffaello said to ,messer ,giovanni3 8,good sir1 you know me2 now ,i want to marry my daughter to ,benvenuto1 and can think of no better intermediary than your worship4 ,so ,i am come to crave your assistance1 and to beg you to name for her such dowry from my estate as you may think suitable40 ,the light-headed man hardly let my good friend finish what he had to say1 before he put in quite at random3 8,talk no more about it1 ,raffaello2 you are farther from your object than ,january from mulberries40 ,the poor man1 utterly discouraged1 looked about at once for another husband for his girl2 while she and the mother and all the family lived on in a bad humour with me4 ,since ,i did not know the real cause of this-,i imagined they were paying me with bastard coin for the many kindnesses ,i had shown them-,i conceived the thought of opening a workshop of my own in their neighbourhood4 ,messer ,giovanni told me nothing till the girl was married1 which happened in a few months4 ,meanwhile1 ,i laboured assiduously at the work ,i was doing for the ,pope1 and also in the service of the ,mint2 for his ,holiness had ordered another coin1 of the value of two carlins1 on which his own portrait was stamped1 while the reverse bore a figure of ,christ upon the waters1 holding out his hand to ,s4 ,peter1 with this inscription ',quare dubitasti8' ,my design won such applause that a certain secretary of the ,pope1 a man of the greatest talent1 called ,il ,sanga1 #g was moved to this remark3 8,your ,holiness can boast of having a currency superior to any of the ancients in all their glory40 ,the ,pope replied3 8,benvenuto1 for his part1 can boast of serving an emperor like me1 who is able to discern his merit40 ,i went on at my great piece in gold1 showing it frequently to the ,pope1 who was very eager to see it1 and each time expressed greater admiration4 ,note #a4 ',ossicina che seguitano il dito1' c4 ,probably metacarpal bones4 ,note #b4 ',che gnene avviasse4' ,note #c4 ,giacomo ,rastelli was a native of ,rimini1 but was popularly known as of ,perugia1 since he had resided long in that city4 ,he was a famous surgeon under several ,popes until the year #aeff1 when he died at ,rome1 age seventy-five4 ,note #d4 ,giovanni ,gaddi of the ,florentine family was passionately attached to men of art and letters4 ,yet he seems to have been somewhat disagreeable in personal intercourse2 for even ,annibale ,caro1 who owed much to his patronage1 and lived for many years in his house1 never became attached to him4 ,we shall see how he treated ,cellini during a fever4 ,note #e4 ,some poems of ,allegretti's survive4 ,he was a man of mark in the literary society of the age4 ,giovanni ,greco may have been a ,giovanni ,vergezio1 who presented ,duke ,cosimo with some ,greek characters of exquisite finish4 ,lodovico da ,fano is mentioned as an excellent ,latin scholar4 ,annibale ,caro was one of the most distinguished writers of ,italian prose and verse in the later ,renaissance4 ,he spent the latter portion of his life in the service of the ,farnesi4 ,note #f4 ,messer ,bastiano is the celebrated painter ,sebastian del ,piombo1 born #adhe1 died #aedg4 ,note #g4 ,battista ,sanga1 a ,roman1 secretary to ,gianmatteo ,giberti1 the good ,archbishop of ,verona1 and afterwards to ,clement ,,vii4 ,he was a great ,latinist1 and one of those ecclesiastics who earnestly desired a reform of the ,church4 ,he died1 poisoned1 at an early age4 ,,xlvii ,,my brother1 at this period1 was also in ,rome1 serving ,duke ,alessandro1 on whom the ,pope had recently conferred the ,duchy of ,penna4 ,this prince kept in his service a multitude of soldiers1 worthy fellows1 brought up to valour in the school of that famous general ,giovanni de' ,medici2 and among these was my brother1 whom the ,duke esteemed as highly as the bravest of them4 ,one day my brother went after dinner to the shop of a man called ,baccino della ,croce in the ,banchi1 which all those men-at-arms frequented4 ,he had flung himself upon a settee1 and was sleeping4 ,just then the guard of the ,bargello passed by2 #a they were taking to prison a certain ,captain ,cisti1 a ,lombard1 who had also been a member of ,giovanni's troop1 but was not in the service of the ,duke4 ,the captain1 ,cattivanza degli ,strozzi1 chanced to be in the same shop2 #b and when ,cisti caught sight of him1 he whispered3 8,i was bringing you those crowns ,i owed2 if you want them1 come for them before they go with me to prison40 ,now ,cattivanza had a way of putting his neighbours to the push1 not caring to hazard his own person4 ,so1 finding there around him several young fellows of the highest daring1 more eager than apt for so serious an enterprise1 he bade them catch up ,captain ,cisti and get the money from him1 and if the guard resisted1 overpower the men1 provided they had pluck enough to do so4 ,the young men were but four1 and all four of them without a beard4 ,the first was called ,bertino ,aldobrandi1 another ,anguillotto of ,lucca2 ,i cannot recall the names of the rest4 ,bertino had been trained like a pupil by my brother2 and my brother felt the most unbounded love for him4 ,so then1 off dashed the four brave lads1 and came up with the guard of the ,bargello-upwards of fifty constables1 counting pikes1 arquebuses1 and two-handed-swords4 ,after a few words they drew their weapons1 and the four boys so harried the guard1 that if ,captain ,cattivanza had but shown his face1 without so much as drawing1 they would certainly have put the whole pack to flight4 ,but delay spoiled all2 for ,bertino received some ugly wounds and fell2 at the same time1 ,anguillotto was also hit in the right arm1 and being unable to use his sword1 got out of the fray as well as he was able4 ,the others did the same4 ,bertino ,aldobrandi was lifted from the ground seriously injured4 ,note #a4 ,the ,bargello was the chief constable or sheriff in ,italian towns4 ,i shall call him ,bargello always in my translation1 since any ,english equivalent would be misleading4 ,he did the rough work of policing the city1 and was consequently a mark for all the men of spirit who disliked being kept in order4 ,giovio1 in his ,life of ,cardinal ,pompeo ,colonna1 quite gravely relates how it was the highest ambition of young ,romans of spirit to murder the ,bargello4 ,he mentions1 in particular1 a certain ,pietro ,margano1 who had acquired great fame and popularity by killing the ,bargello of his day1 one ,cencio1 in the ,campo di ,fiore4 ,this man became an outlaw1 and was favourably received by ,cardinal ,colonna1 then at war with ,clement ,,vii4 ,note #b4 ,his baptismal name was ,bernardo4 ,cattivanza was a nickname4 ,he fought bravely for ,florence in the siege4 ,,xlviii ,,while these things were happening1 we were all at table2 for that morning we had dined more than an hour later than usual4 ,on hearing the commotion1 one of the old man's sons1 the elder1 rose from table to go and look at the scuffle4 ,he was called ,giovanni2 and ,i said to him3 8,for ,heaven's sake1 don't go6 ,in such matters one is always certain to lose1 while there is nothing to be gained40 ,his father spoke to like purpose3 8,pray1 my son1 don't go60 ,but the lad1 without heeding any one1 ran down the stairs4 ,reaching the ,banchi1 where the great scrimmage was1 and seeing ,bertino lifted from the ground1 he ran towards home1 and met my brother ,cecchino on the way1 who asked what was the matter4 ,though some of the bystanders signed to ,giovanni not to tell ,cecchino1 he cried out like a madman how it was that ,bertino ,aldobrandi had been killed by the guard4 ,my poor brother gave vent to a bellow which might have been heard ten miles away4 ,then he turned to ,giovanni3 8,ah me6 but could you tell me which of those men killed him for me80 #a ,giovanni said1 yes1 that it was a man who had a big two-handed sword1 with a blue feather in his bonnet4 ,my poor brother rushed ahead1 and having recognised the homicide by those signs1 he threw himself with all his dash and spirit into the middle of the band1 and before his man could turn on guard1 ran him right through the guts1 and with the sword's hilt thrust him to the ground4 ,then he turned upon the rest with such energy and daring1 that his one arm was on the point of putting the whole band to flight1 had it not been that1 while wheeling round to strike an arquebusier1 this man fired in self-defence1 and hit the brave unfortunate young fellow above the knee of his right leg4 ,while he lay stretched upon the ground1 the constables scrambled off in disorder as fast as they were able1 lest a pair to my brother should arrive upon the scene4 ,noticing that the tumult was not subsiding1 ,i too rose from the table1 and girding on my sword-for everybody wore one then-,i went to the bridge of ,sant' ,agnolo1 where ,i saw a group of several men assembled4 ,on my coming up and being recognised by some of them1 they gave way before me1 and showed me what ,i least of all things wished to see1 albeit ,i made mighty haste to view the sight4 ,on the instant ,i did not know ,cecchino1 since he was wearing a different suit of clothes from that in which ,i had lately seen him4 ,accordingly1 he recognised me first1 and said3 8,dearest brother1 do not be upset by my grave accident2 it is only what might be expected in my profession3 get me removed from here at once1 for ,i have but few hours to live40 ,they had acquainted me with the whole event while he was speaking1 in brief words befitting such occasion4 ,so ,i answered3 8,brother1 this is the greatest sorrow and the greatest trial that could happen to me in the whole course of my life4 ,but be of good cheer2 for before you lose sight of him who did the mischief1 you shall see yourself revenged by my hand4' ,our words on both sides were to the purport1 but of the shortest4 ,note #a4 ',oim1 saprestimi tu dire che di quelli me ,i'ha morto8' ,the 'me' is so emphatic1 that1 though it makes poor ,english1 ,i have preserved it in my version4 ,,xlix ,,the ,,guard was now about fifty paces from us2 for ,maffio1 their officer1 had made some of them turn back to take up the corporal my brother killed4 ,accordingly1 ,i quickly traversed that short space1 wrapped in my cape1 which ,i had tightened round me1 and came up with ,maffio1 whom ,i should most certainly have murdered1 for there were plenty of people round1 and ,i had wound my way among them4 ,with the rapidity of lightning1 ,i had half drawn my sword from the sheath1 when ,berlinghier ,berlinghieri1 a young man of the greatest daring and my good friend1 threw himself from behind upon my arms2 he had four other fellows of like kidney with him1 who cried out to ,maffio3 8,away with you1 for this man here alone was killing you60 ,he asked3 8,who is he80 and they answered3 8,own brother to the man you see there40 ,without waiting to hear more1 he made haste for ,torre di ,nona2 #a and they said3 8,benvenuto1 we prevented you against your will1 but did it for your good2 now let us go to succour him who must die shortly40 ,accordingly1 we turned and went back to my brother1 whom ,i had at once conveyed into a house4 ,the doctors who were called in consultation1 treated him with medicaments1 but could not decide to amputate the leg1 which might perhaps have saved him4 ,as soon as his wound had been dressed1 ,duke ,alessandro appeared and most affectionately greeted him4 ,my brother had not as yet lost consciousness2 so he said to the ,duke3 8,my lord1 this only grieves me1 that your ,excellency is losing a servant than whom you may perchance find men more valiant in the profession of arms1 but none more lovingly and loyally devoted to your service than ,i have been40 ,the ,duke bade him do all he could to keep alive2 for the rest1 he well knew him to be a man of worth and courage1 ,he then turned to his attendants1 ordering them to see that the brave young fellow wanted for nothing4 ,when he was gone1 my brother lost blood so copiously1 for nothing could be done to stop it1 that he went off his head1 and kept raving all the following night1 with the exception that once1 when they wanted to give him the communion1 he said3 8,you would have done well to confess me before2 now it is impossible that ,i should receive the divine sacrament in this already ruined frame2 it will be enough if ,i partake of it by the divine virtue of the eyesight1 whereby it shall be transmitted into my immortal soul1 which only prays to ,him for mercy and forgiveness40 ,having spoken thus1 the host was elevated2 but he straightway relapsed into the same delirious ravings as before1 pouring forth a torrent of the most terrible frenzies and horrible imprecations that the mind of man could imagine2 nor did he cease once all that night until the day broke4 ,when the sun appeared above our horizon1 he turned to me and said3 8,brother1 ,i do not wish to stay here longer1 for these fellows will end by making me do something tremendous1 which may cause them to repent of the annoyance they have given me40 ,then he kicked out both his legs-the injured limb we had enclosed in a very heavy box-and made as though he would fling it across a horse's back4 ,turning his face round to me1 he called out thrice-0,farewell1 farewell60 and with the last word that most valiant spirit passed away4 ,at the proper hour1 toward nightfall1 ,i had him buried with due ceremony in the church of the ,florentines2 and afterwards ,i erected to his memory a very handsome monument of marble1 upon which ,i caused trophies and banners to be carved4 ,i must not omit to mention that one of his friends had asked him who the man was that had killed him1 and if he could recognise him2 to which he answered that he could1 and gave his description4 ,my brother1 indeed1 attempted to prevent this coming to my ears2 but ,i got it very well impressed upon my mind1 as will appear in the sequel4 #b ,note #a4 ,the ,torre di ,nona was one of the principal prisons in ,rome1 used especially for criminals condemned to death4 ,note #b4 ,varchi1 in his ',storia ,florentina1' lib4 xi41 gives a short account of ,cecchino ,cellini's death in ,rome1 mentioning also ,bertino ,aldobrandi1 in the attempt to revenge whom he lost his life4 ,l ,,returning to the monument1 ,i should relate that certain famous men of letters1 who knew my brother1 composed for me an epitaph1 telling me that the noble young man deserved it4 ,the inscription ran thus3- '8,francisco ,cellino ,florentino1 qui quod in teneris annis ad ,ioannem ,medicem ducem plures victorias retulit et signifer fuit1 facile documentum dedit quant fortitudinis et consilii vir futurus erat1 ni crudelis fati archibuso transfossus1 quinto tatis lustro jaceret1 ,benvenutus frater posuit4 ,obiit die' xxvii ',maii' ,,md4,,xxix40 ,he was twenty-five years of age2 and since the soldiers called him ,cecchino del ,piffero1 #a his real name being ,giovanfrancesco ,cellini1 ,i wanted to engrave the former1 by which he was commonly known1 under the armorial bearings of our family4 ,this name then ,i had cut in fine antique characters1 all of which were broken save the first and last4 ,i was asked by the learned men who had composed that beautiful epitaph1 wherefore ,i used these broken letters2 and my answer was1 because the marvellous framework of his body was spoiled and dead2 and the reason why the first and last remained entire was1 that the first should symbolise the great gift ,god had given him1 namely1 of a human soul1 inflamed with his divinity1 the which hath never broken1 while the second represented the glorious renown of his brave actions4 ,the thought gave satisfaction1 and several persons have since availed themselves of my device4 ,close to the name ,i had the coat of us ,cellini carved upon the stone1 altering it in some particulars4 ,in ,ravenna1 which is a most ancient city1 there exist ,cellini of our name in the quality of very honourable gentry1 who bear a lion rampant or upon a field of azure1 holding a lily gules in his dexter paw1 with a label in chief and three little lilies or4 #b ,these are the true arms of the ,cellini4 ,my father showed me a shield as ours which had the paw only1 together with the other bearings2 but ,i should prefer to follow those of the ,cellini of ,ravenna1 which ,i have described above4 ,now to return to what ,i caused to be engraved upon my brother's tomb3 it was the lion's paw1 but instead of a lily1 ,i made the lion hold an axe1 with the field of the scutcheon quartered2 and ,i put the axe in solely that ,i might not be unmindful to revenge him4 ,note #a4 ,that is1 ,frank1 the ,fifer's son4 ,note #b4 ,i believe ,cellini meant here to write 8on a chief argent a label of four points1 and three lilies gules40 ,he has tricked the arms thus in a ,,ms4 of the ,palatine ,library4 ,see ,leclanch1 p4 #ajc2 see also ,piatti1 vol4 i4 p4 #bcc1 and ,plon1 p4 #b4 ,,li ,i ,,went on applying myself with the utmost diligence upon the gold-work for ,pope ,clement's button4 ,he was very eager to have it1 and used to send for me two or three times a week1 in order to inspect it2 and his delight in the work always increased4 ,often would he rebuke and scold me1 as it were1 for the great grief in which my brother's loss had plunged me2 and one day1 observing me more downcast and out of trim than was proper1 he cried aloud3 8,benvenuto1 oh6 ,i did not know that you were mad4 ,have you only just learned that there is no remedy against death8 ,one would think that you were trying to run after him40 ,when ,i left the presence1 ,i continued working at the jewel and the dies #a for the ,mint2 but ,i also took to watching the arquebusier who shot my brother1 as though he had been a girl ,i was in love with4 ,the man had formerly been in the light cavalry1 but afterwards had joined the arquebusiers as one of the ,bargello's corporals2 and what increased my rage was that he had used these boastful words3 8,if it had not been for me1 who killed that brave young man1 the least trifle of delay would have resulted in his putting us all to flight with great disaster40 ,when ,i saw that the fever caused by always seeing him about was depriving me of sleep and appetite1 and was bringing me by degrees to sorry plight1 ,i overcame my repugnance to so low and not quite praiseworthy an enterprise1 and made my mind up one evening to rid myself of the torment4 ,the fellow lived in a house near a place called ,torre ,sanguigua1 next door to the lodging of one of the most fashionable courtesans in ,rome1 named ,signora ,antea4 ,it had just struck twenty-four1 and he was standing at the house-door1 with his sword in hand1 having risen from supper4 ,with great address ,i stole up to him1 holding a large ,pistojan dagger1 #b and dealt him a back-handed stroke1 with which ,i meant to cut his head clean off2 but as he turned round very suddenly1 the blow fell upon the point of his left shoulder and broke the bone4 ,he sprang up1 dropped his sword1 half-stunned with the great pain1 and took to flight4 ,i followed after1 and in four steps caught him up1 when ,i lifted my dagger above his head1 which he was holding very low1 and hit him in the back exactly at the juncture of the nape-bone and the neck4 ,the poniard entered this point so deep into the bone1 that1 though ,i used all my strength to pull it out1 ,i was not able4 ,for just at that moment four soldiers with drawn swords sprang out from ,antea's lodging1 and obliged me to set hand to my own sword to defend my life4 ,leaving the poniard then1 ,i made off1 and fearing ,i might be recognised1 took refuge in the palace of ,duke ,alessandro1 which was between ,piazza ,navona and the ,rotunda4 #c ,on my arrival1 ,i asked to see the ,duke2 who told me that1 if ,i was alone1 ,i need only keep quiet and have no further anxiety1 but to go on working at the jewel which the ,pope had set his heart on1 and stay eight days indoors4 ,he gave this advice the more securely1 because the soldiers had now arrived who interrupted the completion of my deed2 they held the dagger in their hand1 and were relating how the matter happened1 and the great trouble they had to pull the weapon from the neck and head-bone of the man1 whose name they did not know4 ,just then ,giovan ,bandini came up1 and said to them4 #d 8,that poniard is mine1 and ,i lent it to ,benvenuto1 who was bent on revenging his brother40 ,the soldiers were profuse in their expressions of regret at having interrupted me1 although my vengeance had been amply satisfied4 ,more than eight days elapsed1 and the ,pope did not send for me according to his custom4 ,afterwards he summoned me through his chamberlain1 the ,bolognese nobleman ,i have already mentioned1 who let me1 in his own modest manner1 understand that his ,holiness knew all1 but was very well inclined toward me1 and that ,i had only to mind my work and keep quiet4 ,when we reached the presence1 the ,pope cast so menacing a glance towards me1 that the mere look of his eyes made me tremble4 ,afterwards1 upon examining my work his countenance cleared1 and he began to praise me beyond measure1 saying that ,i had done a vast amount in a short time4 ,then1 looking me straight in the face1 he added3 8,now that you are cured1 ,benvenuto1 take heed how you live40 #e ,i1 who understood his meaning1 promised that ,i would4 ,immediately upon this1 ,i opened a very fine shop in the ,banchi1 opposite ,raffaello1 and there ,i finished the jewel after the lapse of a few months4 ,note #a4 ',ferri4' ,i have translated this word 'dies2' but it seems to mean all the coining instruments1 'stampe' or 'conii' being the dies proper4 ,note #b4 ',pugnal pistolese2' it came in time to mean a cutlass4 ,note #c4 ,that is1 the ,pantheon4 ,note #d4 ,bandini bears a distinguished name in ,florentine annals4 ,he served ,duke ,alessandro in affairs of much importance2 but afterwards he betrayed the interests of his master1 ,duke ,cosimo1 in an embassy to ,charles ,v in #aedc4 ,it seems that he had then been playing into the hands of ,filippo ,strozzi1 for which offence he passed fifteen years in a dungeon4 ,see ,varchi and ,segni2 also ,montazio's ',prigionieri del ,mastio di ,volterra1' cap4 vii4 ,note #e4 ,this was the ,pope's hint to ,cellini that he was aware of the murder he had just committed4 ,,lii ,,the ,,pope had sent me all those precious stones1 except the diamond1 which was pawned to certain ,genoese bankers for some pressing need he had of money4 ,the rest were in my custody1 together with a model of the diamond4 ,i had five excellent journeymen1 and in addition to the great piece1 ,i was engaged on several jobs2 so that my shop contained property of much value in jewels1 gems1 and gold and silver4 ,i kept a shaggy dog1 very big and handsome1 which ,duke ,alessandro gave me2 the beast was capital as a retriever1 since he brought me every sort of birds and game ,i shot1 but he also served most admirably for a watchdog4 ,it happened1 as was natural at the age of twenty-nine1 that ,i had taken into my service a girl of great beauty and grace1 whom ,i used as a model in my art1 and who was also complaisant of her personal favours to me4 ,such being the case1 ,i occupied an apartment far away from my workmen's rooms1 as well as from the shop2 and this communicated by a little dark passage with the maid's bedroom4 ,i used frequently to pass the night with her2 and though ,i sleep as lightly as ever yet did man upon this earth1 yet1 after indulgence in sexual pleasure1 my slumber is sometimes very deep and heavy4 ,so it chanced one night3 for ,i must say that a thief1 under the pretext of being a goldsmith1 had spied on me1 and cast his eyes upon the precious stones1 and made a plan to steal them4 ,well1 then1 this fellow broke into the shop1 where he found a quantity of little things in gold and silver4 ,he was engaged in bursting open certain boxes to get at the jewels he had noticed1 when my dog jumped upon him1 and put him to much trouble to defend himself with his sword4 ,the dog1 unable to grapple with an armed man1 ran several times through the house1 and rushed into the rooms of the journeymen1 which had been left open because of the great heat4 ,when he found they paid no heed to his loud barking1 he dragged their bed-clothes off2 and when they still heard nothing1 he pulled first one and then another by the arm till he roused them1 and1 barking furiously1 ran before to show them where he wanted them to go4 ,at last it became clear that they refused to follow2 for the traitors1 cross at being disturbed1 threw stones and sticks at him2 and this they could well do1 for ,i had ordered them to keep all night a lamp alight there2 and in the end they shut their rooms tight2 so the dog1 abandoning all hope of aid from such rascals1 set out alone again on his adventure4 ,he ran down1 and not finding the thief in the shop1 flew after him4 ,when he got at him1 he tore the cape off his back4 ,it would have gone hard with the fellow had he not called for help to certain tailors1 praying them for ,god's sake to save him from a mad dog2 and they1 believing what he said1 jumped out and drove the dog off with much trouble4 ,after sunrise my workmen went into the shop1 and saw that it had been broken open and all the boxes smashed4 ,they began to scream at the top of their voices3 8,ah1 woe is me6 ,ah1 woe is me60 ,the clamour woke me1 and ,i rushed out in a panic4 ,appearing thus before them1 they cried out3 8,alas to us6 for we have been robbed by some one1 who has broken and borne everything away60 ,these words wrought so forcibly upon my mind that ,i dared not go to my big chest and look if it still held the jewels of the ,pope4 ,so intense was the anxiety1 that ,i seemed to lose my eyesight1 and told them they themselves must unlock the chest1 and see how many of the ,pope's gems were missing4 ,the fellow were all of them in their shirts2 and when1 on opening the chest1 they saw the precious stones and my work with them1 they took heart of joy and shouted3 8,there is no harm done2 your piece and all the stones are here2 but the thief has left us naked to the shirt1 because last night1 by reason of the burning heat1 we took our clothes off in the shop and left them here40 ,recovering my senses1 ,i thanked ,god1 and said3 8,go and get yourselves new suits of clothes2 ,i will pay when ,i hear at leisure how the whole thing happened40 ,what caused me the most pain1 and made me lose my senses1 and take fright-so contrary to my real nature-was the dread lest peradventure folk should fancy ,i had trumped a story of the robber up to steal the jewels4 ,it had already been paid to ,pope ,clement by one of his most trusted servants1 and by others1 that is1 by ,francesco del ,nero1 ,zana de' ,biliotti his accountant1 the ,bishop of ,vasona1 and several such men3 #a 8,why1 most blessed ,father1 do you confide gems of that vast value to a young fellow1 who is all fire1 more passionate for arms than for his art1 and not yet thirty years of age80 ,the ,pope asked in answer if any one of them knew that ,i had done aught to justify such suspicions4 ,whereto ,francesco del ,nero1 his treasurer1 replied3 #b 8,no1 most blessed ,father1 because he has not as yet had an opportunity4 8,whereto the ,pope rejoined3 8,i regard him as a thoroughly honest man2 and if ,i saw with my own eyes some crime he had committed1 ,i should not believe it40 ,this was the man who #c caused me the greatest torment1 and who suddenly came up before my mind4 ,after telling the young men to provide themselves with fresh clothes1 ,i took my piece1 together with the gems1 setting them as well as ,i could in their proper places1 and went off at once with them to the ,pope4 ,francesco del ,nero had already told him something of the trouble in my shop1 and had put suspicions in his head4 ,so then1 taking the thing rather ill than otherwise1 he shot a furious glance upon me1 and cried haughtily3 8,what have you come to do here8 ,what is up80 8,here are all your precious stones1 and not one of them is missing40 ,at this the ,pope's face cleared1 and he said3 8,so then1 you're welcome40 ,i showed him the piece1 and while he was inspecting it1 ,i related to him the whole story of the thief and of my agony1 and what had been my greatest trouble in the matter4 ,during this speech1 he oftentimes turned round to look me sharply in the eyes2 and ,francesco del ,nero being also in the presence1 this seemed to make him half sorry that he had not guessed the truth4 ,at last1 breaking into laughter at the long tale ,i was telling1 he sent me off with these words3 8,go1 and take heed to be an honest man1 as indeed ,i know that you are40 ,note #a4 ,of these people1 we can trace the ,bishop of ,vasona4 ,he was ,girolamo ,schio or ,schedo1 a native of ,vicenza1 the confidential agent and confessor of ,clement ,,vii41 who obtained the ,see of ,vaison in the county of ,avignon in #aebc1 and died at ,rome in #aecc4 ,his successor in the bishopric was ,tomaso ,cortesi1 the ,datary1 mentioned above4 ,note #b4 ,varchi gives a very ugly account of this man1 ,francesco del ,nero1 who was nicknamed the ',cr del ,piccadiglio1' in his ,history of ,florence1 book iii4 8,in the whole city of ,florence there never was born1 in my belief1 a man of such irreligion or of such sordid avarice40 ,giovio confirms the statement4 ,note #c4 ',questo fu quello che4' ,this may be neuter3 ',this was the circumstance which4' ,,liii ,i ,,went on working assiduously at the button1 and at the same time laboured for the ,mint1 when certain pieces of false money got abroad in ,rome1 stamped with my own dies4 ,they were brought at once to the ,pope1 who1 hearing things against me1 said to ,giacopo ,balducci1 the ,master of the ,mint1 8,take every means in your power to find the criminal2 for we are sure that ,benvenuto is an honest fellow40 ,that traitor of a master1 being in fact my enemy1 replied3 8,would ,god1 most blessed ,father1 that it may turn out as you say2 for we have some proofs against him40 ,upon this the ,pope turned to the ,governor of ,rome1 and bade him see he found the malefactor4 ,during those days the ,pope sent for me1 and leading cautiously in conversation to the topic of the coins1 asked me at the fitting moment3 8,benvenuto1 should you have the heart to coin false money80 ,to this ,i replied that ,i thought ,i could do so better than all the rascals who gave their minds to such vile work2 for fellows who practice lewd trades of that sort are not capable of earning money1 nor are they men of much ability4 ,i1 on the contrary1 with my poor wits could gain enough to keep me comfortably2 for when ,i set dies for the ,mint1 each morning before dinner ,i put at least three crowns into my pocket2 this was the customary payment for the dies1 and the ,master of the ,mint bore me a grudge1 because he would have liked to have them cheaper2 so then1 what ,i earned with ,god's grace and the world's1 sufficed me1 and by coining false money ,i should not have made so much4 ,the pope very well perceived my drift2 and whereas he had formerly given orders that they should see ,i did not fly from ,rome1 he now told them to look well about and have no heed of me1 seeing he was ill-disposed to anger me1 and in this way run the risk of losing me4 ,the officials who received these orders were certain clerks of the ,camera1 who made the proper search1 as was their duty1 and soon found the rogue4 ,he was a stamper in the service of the ,mint1 named ,cesare ,macherone1 and a ,roman citizen4 ,together with this man they detected a metal-founder of the ,mint4 #a ,note #a4 ,the word in ,cellini is ovolatore di zecca4 ,,liv ,,on that very day1 as ,i was passing through the ,piazza ,navona1 and had my fine retriever with me1 just when we came opposite the gate of the ,bargello1 my dog flew barking loudly inside the door upon a youth1 who had been arrested at the suit of a man called ,donnino 7a goldsmith from ,parma1 and a former pupil of ,caradosso71 on the charge of having robbed him4 ,the dog strove so violently to tear the fellow to pieces1 that the constables were moved to pity4 ,it so happened that he was pleading his own cause with boldness1 and ,donnino had not evidence enough to support the accusation2 and what was more1 one of the corporals of the guard1 a ,genoese1 was a friend of the young man's father4 ,the upshot was that1 what with the dog and with those other circumstances1 they were on the point of releasing their prisoner4 ,when ,i came up1 the dog had lost all fear of sword or staves1 and was flying once more at the young man2 so they told me if ,i did not call the brute off they would kill him4 ,i held him back as well as ,i was able2 but just then the fellow1 in the act of readjusting his cape1 let fall some paper packets from the hood1 which ,donnino recognised as his property4 ,i too recognised a little ring2 whereupon ,i called out4 8,this is the thief who broke into my shop and robbed it2 and therefore my dog knows him20 then ,i loosed the dog1 who flew again upon the robber4 ,on this the fellow craved for mercy1 promising to give back whatever he possessed of mine4 ,when ,i had secured the dog1 he proceeded to restore the gold and silver and the rings which he had stolen from me1 and twenty-five crowns in addition4 ,then he cried once more to me for pity4 ,i told him to make his peace with ,god1 for ,i should do him neither good nor evil4 ,so ,i returned to my business2 and a few days afterwards1 ,cesare ,macherone1 the false coiner1 was hanged in the ,banchi opposite the ,mint2 his accomplice was sent to the galleys2 the ,genoese thief was hanged in the ,campo di ,fiore1 while ,i remained in better repute as an honest man than ,i had enjoyed before4 ,,lv ,,when ,i had nearly finished my piece1 there happened that terrible inundation which flooded the whole of ,rome4 #a ,i waited to see what would happen2 the day was well-nigh spent1 for the clocks struck twenty-two and the water went on rising formidably4 ,now the front of my house and shop faced the ,banchi1 but the back was several yards higher1 because it turned toward ,monte ,giordano2 accordingly1 bethinking me first of my own safety and in the next place of my honour1 ,i filled my pockets with the jewels1 and gave the gold-piece into the custody of my workmen1 and then descended barefoot from the back-windows1 and waded as well as ,i could until ,i reached ,monte ,cavallo4 ,there ,i sought out ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi1 clerk of the ,camera1 and ,bastiano ,veneziano1 the painter4 ,to the former ,i confided the precious stones1 to keep in safety3 he had the same regard for me as though ,i had been his brother4 ,a few days later1 when the rage of the river was spent1 ,i returned to my workshop1 and finished the piece with such good fortune1 through ,god's grace and my own great industry1 that it was held to be the finest masterpiece which had been ever seen in ,rome4 #b ,when then ,i took it to the ,pope1 he was insatiable in praising me1 and said3 8,were ,i but a wealthy emperor1 ,i would give my ,benvenuto as much land as his eyes could survey2 yet being nowadays but needy bankrupt potentates1 we will at any rate give him bread enough to satisfy his modest wishes40 ,i let the ,pope run on to the end of his rhodomontade1 #c and then asked him for a mace-bearer's place which happened to be vacant4 ,he replied that he would grant me something of far greater consequence4 ,i begged his ,holiness to bestow this little thing on me meanwhile by way of earnest4 ,he began to laugh1 and said he was willing1 but that he did not wish me to serve1 and that ,i must make some arrangement with the other mace-bearers to be exempted4 ,he would allow them through me a certain favour1 for which they had already petitioned1 namely1 the right of recovering their fees at law4 ,this was accordingly done1 and that mace-bearer's office brought me in little less than #bjj crowns a year4 #d ,note #a4 ,this took place on the #hth and #ith ,october1 #aecj4 ,note #b4 ,this famous masterpiece was preserved in the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo during the ,papal ,government of ,rome4 ,it was brought out on ,christmas1 ,easter1 and ,s4 ,peter's days4 ,note #c4 ',quella sua smania di parole4' ,note #d4 ,cellini received this post among the ,mazzieri 7who walked like beadles before the ,pope7 on ,april #ad1 #aeca4 ,he resigned it in favour of ,pietro ,cornaro of ,venice in #aece4 ,,lvi ,i ,,continued to work for the ,pope1 executing now one trifle and now another1 when he commissioned me to design a chalice of exceeding richness4 ,so ,i made both drawing and model for the piece4 ,the latter was constructed of wood and wax4 ,instead of the usual top1 ,i fashioned three figures of a fair size in the round2 they represented ,faith1 ,hope1 and ,charity4 ,corresponding to these1 at the base of the cup1 were three circular histories in bas-relief4 ,one was the ,nativity of ,christ1 the second the ,resurrection1 and the third ,s4 ,peter crucified head downwards2 for thus ,i had received commission4 ,while ,i had this work in hand1 the ,pope was often pleased to look at it2 wherefore1 observing that his ,holiness had never thought again of giving me anything1 and knowing that a post in the ,piombo was vacant1 ,i asked for this one evening4 ,the good ,pope1 quite oblivious of his extravagances at the termination of the last piece1 said to me3 8,that post in the ,piombo is worth more than #hjj crowns a year1 so that if ,i gave it you1 you would spend your time in scratching your paunch1 #a and your magnificent handicraft would be lost1 and ,i should bear the blame40 ,i replied at once as thus3 8,cats of a good breed mouse better when they are fat than starving2 and likewise honest men who possess some talent1 exercise it to far nobler purport when they have the wherewithal to live abundantly2 wherefore princes who provide such folk with competences1 let your ,holiness take notice1 are watering the roots of genius2 for genius and talent1 at their birth1 come into this world lean and scabby2 and your ,holiness should also know that ,i never asked for the place with the hope of getting it4 ,only too happy ,i to have that miserable post of mace-bearer4 ,on the other ,i built but castles in the air4 ,your ,holiness will do well1 since you do not care to give it me1 to bestow it on a man of talent who deserves it1 and not upon some fat ignoramus who will spend his time scratching his paunch1 if ,i may quote your holiness' own words4 ,follow the example of ,pope ,giulio's illustrious memory1 who conferred an office of the same kind upon ,bramante1 that most admirable architect40 ,immediately on finishing this speech1 ,i made my bow1 and went off in a fury4 ,then ,bastiano ,veneziano the painter approached1 and said3 8,most blessed ,father1 may your ,holiness be willing to grant it to one who works assiduously in the exercise of some talent2 and as your ,holiness knows that ,i am diligent in my art1 ,i beg that ,i may be thought worthy of it40 ,the ,pope replied3 8,that devil ,benvenuto will not brook rebuke4 ,i was inclined to give it him1 but it is not right to be so haughty with a ,pope4 ,therefore ,i do not well know what ,i am to do40 ,the ,bishop of ,vasona then came up1 and put in a word for ,bastiano1 saying3 8,most blessed ,father1 ,benvenuto is but young2 and a sword becomes him better than a friar's frock4 ,let your ,holiness give the place to this ingenious person ,bastiano4 ,some time or other you will be able to bestow on ,benvenuto a good thing1 perhaps more suitable to him than this would be40 ,then the ,pope turning to ,messer ,bartolommeo ,valori1 told him3 8,when next you meet ,benvenuto1 let him know from me that it was he who got that office in the ,piombo for ,bastiano the painter1 and add that he may reckon on obtaining the next considerable place that falls2 meanwhile let him look to his behaviour1 and finish my commissions40 #b ,the following evening1 two hours after sundown1 ,i met ,messer ,bartolommeo ,valori #c at the corner of the ,mint2 he was preceded by two torches1 and was going in haste to the ,pope1 who had sent for him4 ,on my taking off my hat1 he stopped and called me1 and reported in the most friendly manner all the messages the ,pope had sent me4 ,i replied that ,i should complete my work with greater diligence and application than any ,i had yet attempted1 but without the least hope of having any reward whatever from the ,pope4 ,messer ,bartolommeo reproved me1 saying that this was not the way in which one ought to reply to the advances of a ,pope4 ,i answered that ,i should be mad to reply otherwise-mad if ,i based my hopes on such promises1 being certain to get nothing4 ,so ,i departed1 and went off to my business4 ,messer ,bartolommeo must have reported my audacious speeches to the ,pope1 and more perhaps than ,i had really said2 for his ,holiness waited above two months before he sent to me1 and during that while nothing would have induced me to go uncalled for to the palace4 ,yet he was dying with impatience to see the chalice1 and commissioned ,messer ,ruberto ,pucci to give heed to what ,i was about4 #d ,that right worthy fellow came daily to visit me1 and always gave me some kindly word1 which ,i returned4 ,the time was drawing nigh now for the ,pope to travel toward ,bologna2 #e so at last1 perceiving that ,i did not mean to come to him1 he made ,messer ,ruberto bid me bring my work1 that he might see how ,i was getting on4 ,accordingly1 ,i took it2 and having shown1 as the piece itself proved1 that the most important part was finished1 ,i begged him to advance me five hundred crowns1 partly on account1 and partly because ,i wanted gold to complete the chalice4 ,the ,pope said3 8,go on1 go on at work till it is finished40 ,i answered1 as ,i took my leave1 that ,i would finish it if he paid me the money4 ,and so ,i went away4 ,note #a4 ',grattare il corpo1' which ,i have translated scratch your paunch1 is equivalent to 'twirl your thumbs4' ,note #b4 ,the office of the ,piombo in ,rome was a bureau in which leaden seals were appended to ,bulls and instruments of state4 ,it remained for a long time in the hands of the ,cistercians2 but it used also to be conferred on laymen1 among whom were ,bremante and ,sebastiano del ,piombo4 ,when the latter obtained it1 he neglected his art and gave himself up to 8scratching his paunch10 as ,cellini predicted4 ,note #c4 ,bartolommeo or ,baccio ,valori1 a devoted adherent of the ,medici1 played an important part in ,florentine history4 ,he was ,clement's commissary to the ,prince of ,orange during the siege4 ,afterwards1 feeling himself ill repaid for his services1 he joined ,filippo ,strozzi in his opposition to the ,medicean rule1 and was beheaded in #aecg1 together with his son and a nephew4 ,note #d4 ,roberto ,pucci was another of the devoted ,medicean partisans who remained true to his colours4 ,he sat among the forty-eight senators of ,alessandro1 and was made a ,cardinal by ,paul ,,iii4 in #aecd4 ,note #e4 ,on ,november #ah1 #aecb1 ,clement went to meet ,charles ,v4 at ,bologna1 where1 in #aebi1 he had already given him the ,imperial crown4 ,,lvii ,,when the ,pope took his journey to ,bologna1 he left ,cardinal ,salviati as ,legate of ,rome1 and gave him commission to push the work that ,i was doing forward1 adding3 8,benvenuto is a fellow who esteems his own great talents but slightly1 and us less2 look to it then that you keep him always going1 so that ,i may find the chalice finished on my return40 ,that beast of a ,cardinal sent for me after eight days1 bidding me bring the piece up4 ,on this ,i went to him without the piece4 ,no sooner had ,i shown my face1 than he called out3 8,where is that onion-stew of yours8 #a ,have you got it ready80 ,i answered3 8,o most reverend ,monsignor1 ,i have not got my onion-stew ready1 nor shall ,i make it ready1 unless you give me onions to concoct it with40 ,at these words the ,cardinal1 who looked more like a donkey than a man1 turned uglier by half than he was naturally2 and wanting at once to cut the matter short1 cried out3 8,i'll send you to a galley1 and then perhaps you'll have the grace #b to go on with your labour40 ,the bestial manners of the man made me a beast too2 and ,i retorted3 8,monsignor1 send me to the galleys when ,i've done deeds worthy of them2 but for my present laches1 ,i snap my fingers at your galleys3 and what is more1 ,i tell you that1 just because of you1 ,i will not set hand further to my piece4 ,don't send for me again1 for ,i won't appear1 no1 not if you summon me by the police40 ,after this1 the good ,cardinal tried several times to let me know that ,i ought to go on working1 and to bring him what ,i was doing to look at4 ,i only told his messengers3 8,say to ,monsignor that he must send me onions1 if he wants me to get my stew ready40 ,nor gave ,i ever any other answer2 so that he threw up the commission in despair4 ,note #a4 ',cipollata4' ,literally1 a show of onions and pumpkins2 metaphorically1 a mess1 gallimaufry4 ,note #b4 ',arai di grazia di4' ,i am not sure whether ,i have given the right shade of meaning in the text above4 ,it may mean3 ',you will be permitted4' ,,lviii ,,the ,,pope came back from ,bologna1 and sent at once for me1 because the ,cardinal had written the worst he could of my affairs in his despatches4 ,he was in the hottest rage imaginable1 and bade me come upon the instant with my piece4 ,i obeyed4 ,now1 while the ,pope was staying at ,bologna1 ,i had suffered from an attack of inflammation in the eyes1 so painful that ,i scarce could go on living for the torment2 and this was the chief reason why ,i had not carried out my work4 ,the trouble was so serious that ,i expected for certain to be left without my eyesight2 and ,i had reckoned up the sum on which ,i could subsist1 if ,i were blind for life4 ,upon the way to the ,pope1 ,i turned over in my mind what ,i should put forward to excuse myself for not having been able to advance his work4 ,i thought that while he was inspecting the chalice1 ,i might tell him of my personal embarrassments4 ,however1 ,i was unable to do so2 for when ,i arrived in the presence1 he broke out coarsely at me3 8,come here with your work2 is it finished80 ,i displayed it2 and his temper rising1 he exclaimed3 8,in ,god's truth ,i tell thee1 thou that makest it thy business to hold no man in regard1 that1 were it not for decency and order1 ,i would have thee chucked together with thy work there out of windows40 ,accordingly1 when ,i perceived that the ,pope had become no better than a vicious beast1 my chief anxiety was how ,i could manage to withdraw from his presence4 ,so1 while he went on bullying1 ,i tucked the piece beneath my cape1 and muttered under my breath3 8,the whole world could not compel a blind man to execute such things as these40 ,raising his voice still higher1 the ,pope shouted3 8,come here2 what say'st thou80 ,i stayed in two minds1 whether or not to dash at full speed down the staircase2 then ,i took my decision and threw myself upon my knees1 shouting as loudly as ,i could1 for he too had not ceased from shouting3 8,if an infirmidy has blinded me1 am ,i bound to go on working80 ,he retorted3 8,you saw well enough to make your way hither1 and ,i don't believe one word of what you say40 ,i answered1 for ,i noticed he had dropped his voice a little3 8,let your ,holiness inquire of your physician1 and you will find the truth out40 ,he said3 8,so ho6 softly2 at leisure we shall hear if what you say is so40 ,then1 perceiving that he was willing to give me hearing1 ,i added3 8,i am convinced that the only cause of this great trouble which has happened to me is ,cardinal ,salviati2 for he sent to me immediately after your holiness' departure1 and when ,i presented myself1 he called my work a stew of onions1 and told me he would send me to complete it in a galley2 and such was the effect upon me of his knavish words1 that in my passion ,i felt my face in flame1 and so intolerable a heat attacked my eyes that ,i could not find my own way home4 ,two days afterwards1 cataracts fell on both my eyes2 ,i quite lost my sight1 and after your holiness' departure ,i have been unable to work at all40 ,rising from my knees1 ,i left the presence without further license4 ,it was afterwards reported to me that the ,pope has said3 8,one can give commissions1 but not the prudence to perform them4 ,i did not tell the ,cardinal to go so brutally about this business4 #a ,if it is true that he is suffering from his eyes1 of which ,i shall get information through my doctor1 one ought to make allowance for him40 ,a great gentleman1 intimate with the ,pope1 and a man of very distinguished parts1 happened to be present4 ,he asked who ,i was1 using terms like these3 8,most blessed ,father1 pardon if ,i put a question4 ,i have seen you yield at one and the same time to the hottest anger ,i ever observed1 and then to the warmest compassion2 so ,i beg your ,holiness to tell me who the man is2 for if he is a person worthy to be helped1 ,i can teach him a secret which may cure him of that infirmity40 ,the ,pope replied3 8,he is the greatest artist who was ever born in his own craft2 one day1 when we are together1 ,i will show you some of his marvellous works1 and the man himself to boot2 and ,i shall be pleased if we can see our way toward doing something to assist him40 ,three days after this1 the ,pope sent for me after dinnertime1 and ,i found that great noble in the presence4 ,on my arrival1 the ,pope had my cope-button brought1 and ,i in the meantime drew forth my chalice4 ,the nobleman said1 on looking at it1 that he had never seen a more stupendous piece of work4 ,when the button came1 he was still more struck with wonder3 and looking me straight in the face1 he added3 8,the man is young1 ,i trow1 to be so able in his art1 and still apt enough to learn much40 ,he then asked me what my name was4 ,i answered3 8,my name is ,benvenuto40 ,he replied3 8,and ,benvenuto shall ,i be this day to you4 ,take flower-de-luces1 stalk1 blossom1 root1 together2 then decoct them over a slack fire2 and with the liquid bathe your eyes several times a day2 you will most certainly be cured of that weakness2 but see that you purge first1 and then go forward with the lotion40 ,the ,pope gave me some kind words1 and so ,i went away half satisfied4 ,note #a4 ',che mettessi tanta mazza4' ,,lix ,,it was true indeed that ,i had got the sickness2 but ,i believe ,i caught it from that fine young servant-girl whom ,i was keeping when my house was robbed4 ,the ,french disease1 for it was that1 remained in me more than four months dormant before it showed itself1 and then it broke out over my whole body at one instant4 ,it was not like what one commonly observes1 but covered my flesh with certain blisters1 of the size of six-pences1 and rose-coloured4 ,the doctors would not call it the ,french disease1 albeit ,i told them why ,i thought it was that4 ,i went on treating myself according to their methods1 but derived no benefit4 ,at last1 then1 ,i resolved on taking the wood1 against the advice of the first physicians in ,rome2 #a and ,i took it with the most scrupulous discipline and rules of abstinence that could be thought of2 and after a few days1 ,i perceived in me a great amendment4 ,the result was that at the end of fifty days ,i was cured and as sound as a fish in the water4 ,some time afterwards ,i sought to mend my shattered health1 and with this view ,i betook myself to shooting when the winter came in4 ,that amusement1 however1 led me to expose myself to wind and water1 and to staying out in marsh-lands2 so that1 after a few days1 ,i fell a hundred times more ill than ,i had been before4 ,i put myself once more under doctors' orders1 and attended to their directions1 but grew always worse4 ,when the fever fell upon me1 ,i resolved on having recourse again to the wood2 but the doctors forbade it1 saying that ,i took if it with the fever on me1 ,i should not have a week to live4 ,however1 ,i made my mind up to disobey their orders1 observed the same diet as ,i had formerly adopted1 and after drinking the decoction four days1 was wholly rid of fever4 ,my health improved enormously2 and while ,i was following this cure1 ,i went on always working at the models of the chalice4 ,i may add that1 during the time of that strict abstinence1 ,i produced finer things and of more exquisite invention than at any other period of my life4 ,after fifty days my health was re-established1 and ,i continued with the utmost care to keep it and confirm it4 ,when at last ,i ventured to relax my rigid diet1 ,i found myself as wholly free from those infirmities as though ,i had been born again4 ,although ,i took pleasure in fortifying the health ,i so much longed for1 yet ,i never left off working2 both the chalice and the ,mint had certainly as much of my attention as was due to them and to myself4 ,note #a4 ,that is1 ,guiacum1 called by the ,italians 'legno santo4' ,,lx ,,it happened that ,cardinal ,salviati1 who1 as ,i have related1 entertained an old hostility against me1 had been appointed ,legate to ,parma4 ,in that city a certain ,milanese goldsmith1 named ,tobbia1 was taken up for false coining1 and condemned to the gallows and the stake4 ,representations in his favour1 as being a man of great ability1 were made to the ,cardinal1 who suspended the execution of the sentence1 and wrote to the ,pope1 saying the best goldsmith in the world had come into his hands1 sentenced to death for coining false money1 but that he was a good simple fellow1 who could plead in his excuse that he had taken counsel with his confessor1 and had received1 as he said1 from him permission to do this4 ,thereto he added3 8,if you send for this great artist to ,rome1 your ,holiness will bring down the overweening arrogance of your favourite ,benvenuto1 and ,i am quite certain that ,tobbia's work will please you far more than his40 ,the ,pope accordingly sent for him at once2 and when the man arrived1 he made us both appear before him1 and commissioned each of us to furnish a design for mounting an unicorn's horn1 the finest which had ever been seen1 and which had been sold for #ag1jjj ducats of the ,camera4 ,the ,pope meant to give it to ,king ,francis2 but first he wished it richly set in gold1 and ordered us to make sketches for this purpose4 ,when they were finished1 we took them to the ,pope4 ,that of ,tobbia was in the form of a candlestick1 the horn being stuck in it like a candle1 and at the base of the piece he had introduced four little unicorns' heads of a very poor design4 ,when ,i saw the thing1 ,i could not refrain from laughing gently in my sleeve4 ,the ,pope noticed this1 and cried3 8,here1 show me your sketch60 ,it was a single unicorn's head1 proportioned in size to the horn4 ,i had designed the finest head imaginable2 for ,i took it partly from the horse and partly from the stag1 enriching it with fantastic mane and other ornaments4 ,accordingly1 no sooner was it seen1 than every one decided in my favour4 ,there were1 however1 present at the competition certain ,milanese gentlemen of the first consequence1 who said3 8,most blessed ,father1 your ,holiness is sending this magnificent present into ,france2 please to reflect that the ,french are people of no culture1 and will not understand the excellence of ,benvenuto's work2 pyxes like this one of ,tobbia's will suit their taste well1 and these too can be finished quicker4 #a ,benvenuto will devote himself to completing your chalice1 and you will get two pieces done in the same time2 moreover1 this poor man1 whom you have brought to ,rome1 will have the chance to be employed40 ,the ,pope1 who was anxious to obtain his chalice1 very willingly adopted the advice of the ,milanese gentlefolk4 ,next day1 therefore1 he commissioned ,tobbia to mount the unicorn's horn1 and sent his ,master of the ,wardrobe to bid me finish the chalice4 #b ,i replied that ,i desired nothing in the world more than to complete the beautiful work ,i had begun3 and if the material had been anything but gold1 ,i could very easily have done so myself2 but it being gold1 his ,holiness must give me some of the metal if he wanted me to get through with my work4 ,to this the vulgar courtier answered3 8,zounds6 don't ask the ,pope for gold1 unless you mean to drive him into such a fury as will ruin you40 ,i said3 8,oh1 my good lord1 will your lordship please to tell me how one can make bread without flour8 ,even so without gold this piece of mine cannot be finished40 ,the ,master of the ,wardrobe1 having an inkling that ,i had made a fool of him1 told me he should report all ,i had spoken to his ,holiness2 and this he did4 ,the ,pope flew into a bestial passion1 and swore he would wait to see if ,i was so mad as not to finish it4 ,more than two months passed thus2 and though ,i had declared ,i would not give a stroke to the chalice1 ,i did not do so1 but always went on working with the greatest interest4 ,when he perceived ,i was not going to bring it1 he began to display real displeasure1 and protested he would punish me in one way or another4 ,a jeweller from ,milan in the ,papal service happened to be present when these words were spoken4 ,he was called ,pompeo1 and was closely related to ,messer ,trajano1 the most favoured servant of ,pope ,clement4 ,the two men came1 upon a common understanding1 to him and said3 8,if your ,holiness were to deprive ,benvenuto of the ,mint1 perhaps he would take it into his head to complete the chalice40 ,to this the ,pope answered0 8,no2 two evil things would happen3 first1 ,i should be ill served in the ,mint1 which concerns me greatly2 and secondly1 ,i should certainly not get the chalice40 ,the two ,milanese1 observing the ,pope indisposed towards me1 at last so far prevailed that he deprived me of the ,mint1 and gave it to a young ,perugian1 commonly known as ,fagiuolo4 #c ,pompeo came to inform me that his ,holiness had taken my place in the ,mint away1 and that if ,i did not finish the chalice1 he would deprive me of other things besides4 ,i retorted3 8,tell his ,holiness that he has deprived himself and not me of the ,mint1 and that he will be doing the same with regard to those other things of which he speaks2 and that if he wants to confer the post on me again1 nothing will induce me to accept it40 ,the graceless and unlucky fellow went off like an arrow to find the ,pope and report this conversation2 he added also something of his own invention4 ,eight days later1 the ,pope sent the same man to tell me that he did not mean me to finish the chalice1 and wanted to have it back precisely at the point to which ,i had already brought it4 ,i told ,pompeo3 8,this thing is not like the ,mint1 which it was in his power to take away2 but five hundred crowns which ,i received belong to his ,holiness1 and ,i am ready to return them2 the piece itself is mine1 and with it ,i shall do what ,i think best40 ,pompeo ran off to report my speech1 together with some biting words which in my righteous anger ,i had let fly at himself4 ,note #a4 ,the word ,i have translated 'pyxes' is 'ciborii1' vessels for holding the ,eucharist4 ,note #b4 ,the ,master of the ,wardrobe was at that time ,giovanni ,aleotti4 ,i need hardly remind my readers that ',guardaroba' or wardrobe was the apartment in a palace where arms1 plate1 furniture1 and clothes were stored4 ,we shall find1 when we come to ,cellini's service under ,duke ,cosimo1 that princes spent much of their time in this place4 ,note #c4 ,vasari mentions a ,girolamo ,fagiuoli1 who flourished at this period but calls him a ,bolognese4 ,,lxi ,,after the lapse of three days1 on a ,thursday1 there came to me two favourite ,chamberlains of his ,holiness2 one of them is alive now1 and a bishop2 he was called ,messer ,pier ,giovanni1 and was an officer of the wardrobe2 the other could claim nobler birth1 but his name has escaped me4 ,on arriving they spoke as follows3 ,the ,pope hath sent us4 ,benvenuto2 and since you have not chosen to comply with his request on easy terms1 his commands now are that either you should give us up his piece1 or that we should take you to prison40 ,thereupon ,i looked them very cheerfully in the face1 replying3 8,my lords1 if ,i were to give the work to his ,holiness1 ,i should be giving what is mine and not his1 and at present ,i have no intention to make him this gift4 ,i have brought it far forward with great labour1 and do not want it to go into the hands of some ignorant beast who will destroy it with no trouble40 ,while ,i spoke thus1 the goldsmith ,tobbia was standing by1 who even presumptuously asked me for the models also of my work4 ,what ,i retorted1 in words worthy of such a rascal1 need not here be repeated4 ,then1 when those gentlemen1 the ,chamberlains1 kept urging me to do quickly what ,i meant to do1 ,i told them ,i was ready4 ,so ,i took my cape up1 and before ,i left the shop1 ,i turned to an image of ,christ1 with solemn reverence and cap in hand1 praying as thus3 8,o gracious and undying1 just and holy our ,lord1 all the things thou doest are according to thy justice1 which hath no peer on earth4 ,thou knowest that ,i have exactly reached the age of thirty1 and that up to this hour ,i was never threatened with a prison for any of my actions4 ,now that it is thy will that ,i should go to prison1 with all my heart ,i thank thee for this dispensation40 ,thereat ,i turned round to the two ,chamberlains1 and addressed them with a certain lowering look ,i have3 8,a man of my quality deserved no meaner catchpoles than your lordships3 place me between you1 and take me as your prisoner where you like40 ,those two gentlemen1 with the most perfect manners1 burst out laughing1 and put me between them2 and so we went off1 talking pleasantly1 until they brought me to the ,governor of ,rome1 who was called ,il ,magalotto4 #a ,when ,i reached him 7and the ,procurator-,fiscal was with him both waiting for me71 the ,pope's ,chamberlains1 still laughing1 said to the ,governor3 8,we give up to you this prisoner2 now see you take good care of him4 ,we are very glad to have acted in the place of your agents2 for ,benvenuto has told us that this being his first arrest1 he deserved no catchpoles of inferior station than we are40 ,immediately on leaving us1 they sought the ,pope2 and when they had minutely related the whole matter1 he made at first as though he would give way to passion1 but afterwards he put control upon himself and laughed1 because there were then in the presence certain lords and cardinals1 my friends1 who had warmly espoused my cause4 ,meanwhile1 the ,governor and the ,fiscal were at me1 partly bullying1 partly expostulating1 partly giving advice1 and saying it was only reason that a man who ordered work from another should be able to withdraw it at his choice1 and in any way which he thought best4 ,to this ,i replied that such proceedings were not warranted by justice1 neither could a ,pope act thus2 for that a ,pope is not of the same kind as certain petty tyrant princes1 who treat their folk as badly as they can1 without regard to law or justice2 and so a ,vicar of ,christ may not commit any of these acts of violence4 ,thereat the ,governor1 assuming his police-court style of threatening and bullying1 began to say3 8,benvenuto1 ,benvenuto1 you are going about to make me treat you as you deserve40 8,you will treat me with honour and courtesy1 if you wish to act as ,i deserve40 ,taking me up again1 he cried3 8,send for the work at once1 and don't wait for a second order40 ,i responded3 8,my lords1 grant me the favour of being allowed to say four more words in my defence40 ,the ,fiscal1 who was a far more reasonable agent of police than the ,governor1 turned to him and said3 8,monsignor1 suppose we let him say a hundred words1 if he likes3 so long as he gives up the work1 that is enough for us40 ,i spoke3 8,if any man you like to name had ordered a palace or a house to be built1 he could with justice tell the master-mason3',i do not want you to go on working at my house or palace2' and after paying him his labour1 he would have the right to dismiss him4 ,likewise1 if a nobleman gave commission for a jewel of a thousand crowns' value to be set1 when he saw that the jeweller was not serving him according to his desire1 he could say3',give me back my stone1 for ,i do not want your work4' ,but in a case of this kind none of those considerations apply2 there is neither house nor jewel here2 nobody can command me further than that ,i should return the five hundred crowns which ,i have had4 ,therefore1 monsignori1 do everything you can do2 for you will get nothing from me beyond the five hundred crowns4 ,go and say this to the ,pope4 ,your threats do not frighten me at all2 for ,i am an honest man1 and stand in no fear of my sins40 ,the ,governor and ,fiscal rose1 and said they were going to the ,pope1 and should return with orders which ,i should soon learn to my cost4 ,so ,i remained there under guard4 ,i walked up and down a large hall1 and they were about three hours away before they came back from the ,pope4 ,in that while the flower of our nation among the merchants came to visit me1 imploring me not to persist in contending with a ,pope1 for this might be the ruin of me4 ,i answered them that ,i had made my mind up quite well what ,i wished to do4 ,note #a4 ,gregorio ,magalotti was a ,roman4 ,the ,procurator-,fiscal was then ,benedetto ,valenti4 ,magalotti is said to have discharged his office with extreme severity1 and to have run great risks of his life in consequence4 ,,lxii ,,no sooner had the ,governor returned1 together with the ,procurator1 from the palace1 than he sent for me1 and spoke to this effect3 8,benvenuto1 ,i am certainly sorry to come back from the ,pope with such commands as ,i have received2 you must either produce the chalice on the instant1 or look to your affairs40 ,then ,i replied that 8inasmuch as ,i had never to that hour believed a holy ,vicar of ,christ could commit an unjust act1 so ,i should like to see it before ,i did believe it2 therefore do the utmost that you can40 ,the ,governor rejoined3 8,i have to report a couple of words more from the ,pope to you1 and then ,i will execute the orders given me4 ,he says that you must bring your work to me here1 and that after ,i have seen it put into a box and sealed1 ,i must take it to him4 ,he engages his word not to break the seal1 and to return the piece to you untouched4 ,but this much he wants to have done1 in order to preserve his own honour in the affair40 ,in return to this speech1 ,i answered1 laughing1 that ,i would very willingly give up my work in the way he mentioned1 because ,i should be glad to know for certain what a ,pope's word was really worth4 ,accordingly1 ,i sent for my piece1 and having had it sealed as described1 gave it up to him4 ,the ,governor repaired again to the ,pope1 who took the box1 according to what the ,governor himself told me1 and turned it several times about4 ,then he asked the ,governor if he had seen the work2 and he replied that he had1 and that it had been sealed up in his presence1 and added that it had struck him as a very admirable piece4 ,thereupon the ,pope said3 8,you shall tell ,benvenuto that ,popes have authority to bind and loose things of far greater consequence than this20 and while thus speaking he opened the box with some show of anger1 taking off the string and seals with which it was done up4 ,afterwards he paid it prolonged attention2 and1 as ,i subsequently heard1 showed it to ,tobbia the gold-smith1 who bestowed much praise upon it4 ,then the ,pope asked him if he felt equal to producing a piece in that style4 ,on his saying yes1 the ,pope told him to follow it out exactly2 then turned to the ,governor and said3 8,see whether ,benvenuto will give it up2 for if he does1 he shall be paid the value fixed on it by men of knowledge in this art2 but if he is really bent on finishing it himself1 let him name a certain time2 and if you are convinced that he means to do it1 let him have all the reasonable accommodations he may ask for40 ,the ,governor replied3 8,most blessed ,father1 ,i know the violent temper of this young man2 so let me have authority to give him a sound rating after my own fashion40 ,the ,pope told him to do what he liked with words1 though he was sure he would make matters worse2 and if at last he could do nothing else1 he must order me to take the five hundred crowns to his jeweller1 ,pompeo4 ,the ,governor returned1 sent for me into his cabinet1 and casting one of his catchpole's glances1 began to speak as follows3 8,popes have authority to loose and bind the whole world1 and what they do is immediately ratified in heaven4 ,behold your box1 then1 which has been opened and inspected by his ,holiness40 ,i lifted up my voice at once1 and said3 8,i thank ,god that now ,i have learned and can report what the faith of ,popes is made of40 ,then the ,governor launched out into brutal bullying words and gestures2 but perceiving that they came to nothing1 he gave up his attempt as desperate1 and spoke in somewhat milder tones after this wise3 8,benvenuto1 ,i am very sorry that you are so blind to your own interest2 but since it is so1 go and take the five hundred crowns1 when you think fit1 to ,pompeo40 ,i took my piece up1 went away1 and carried the crowns to ,pompeo on the instant4 ,it is most likely that the ,pope had counted on some want of money or other opportunity preventing me from bringing so considerable a sum at once1 and was anxious in this way to repiece the broken thread of my obedience4 ,when then he saw ,pompeo coming to him with a smile upon his lips and the money in his hand1 he soundly rated him1 and lamented that the affair had turned out so4 ,then he said3 8,go find ,benvenuto in his shop1 and treat him with all the courtesies of which your ignorant and brutal nature is capable1 and tell him that if he is willing to finish that piece for a reliquary to hold the ,corpus ,domini when ,i walk in procession1 ,i will allow him the conveniences he wants in order to complete it2 provided only that he goes on working40 ,pompeo came to me1 called me outside the shop1 and heaped on me the most mawkish caresses of a donkey1 #a reporting everything the ,pope had ordered4 ,i lost no time in answering that 8the greatest treasure ,i could wish for in the world was to regain the favour of so great a ,pope1 which had been lost to me1 not indeed by my fault1 but by the fault of my overwhelming illness and the wickedness of those envious men who take pleasure in making mischief2 and since the ,pope has plenty of servants1 do not let him send you round again1 if you value your life444 nay1 look well to your safety4 ,i shall not fail1 by night or day1 to think and do everything ,i can in the ,pope's service2 and bear this well in mind1 that when you have reported these words to his ,holiness1 you never in any way whatever meddle with the least of my affairs1 for ,i will make you recognise your errors by the punishment they merit40 ,the fellow related everything to the ,pope1 but in far more brutal terms than ,i had used2 and thus the matter rested for a time while ,i again attended to my shop and business4 ,note #a4 ',le pi isvenevole carezze d'asino4' ,,lxiii ,,tobbia the goldsmith meanwhile worked at the setting and the decoration of the unicorn's horn4 ,the ,pope1 moreover1 commissioned him to begin the chalice upon the model he had seen in mine4 ,but when ,tobbia came to show him what he had done1 he was very discontented1 and greatly regretted that he had broken with me1 blaming all the other man's works and the people who had introduced them to him2 and several times ,baccino della ,croce came from him to tell me that ,i must not neglect the reliquary4 ,i answered that ,i begged his ,holiness to let me breathe a little after the great illness ,i had suffered1 and from which ,i was not as yet wholly free1 adding that ,i would make it clear to him that all the hours in which ,i could work should be spent in his service4 ,i had indeed begun to make his portrait1 and was executing a medal in secret4 ,i fashioned the steel dies for stamping this medal in my own house2 while ,i kept a partner in my workshop1 who had been my prentice and was called ,felice4 ,at that time1 as is the wont of young men1 ,i had fallen in love with a ,sicilian girl1 who was exceedingly beautiful4 ,on it becoming clear that she returned my affection1 her mother perceived how the matter stood1 and grew suspicious of what might happen4 ,the truth is that ,i had arranged to elope with the girl for a year to ,florence1 unknown to her mother2 but she1 getting wind of this1 left ,rome secretly one night1 and went off in the direction of ,naples4 ,she gave out that she was gone by ,civit ,vecchia1 but she really went by ,ostia4 ,i followed them to ,civit ,vecchia1 and did a multitude of mad things to discover her4 ,it would be too long to narrate them all in detail2 enough that ,i was on the point of losing my wits or dying4 ,after two months she wrote to me that she was in ,sicily1 extremely unhappy4 ,i meanwhile was indulging myself in all the pleasures man can think of1 and had engaged in another love affair1 merely to drown the memory of my real passion4 ,,lxiv ,,it happened through a variety of singular accidents that ,i became intimate with a ,sicilian priest1 who was a man of very elevated genius and well instructed in both ,latin and ,greek letters4 ,in the course of conversation one day we were led to talk about the art of necromancy2 apropos of which ,i said3 8,throughout my whole life ,i have had the most intense desire to see or learn something of this art40 ,thereto the priest replied3 8,a stout soul and a steadfast must the man have who sets himself to such an enterprise40 ,i answered that of strength and steadfastness of soul ,i should have enough and to spare1 provided ,i found the opportunity4 ,then the priest said3 8,if you have the heart to dare it1 ,i will amply satisfy your curiosity40 ,accordingly we agreed upon attempting the adventure4 ,the priest one evening made his preparations1 and bade me find a comrade1 or not more than two4 ,i invited ,vincenzio ,romoli1 a very dear friend of mine1 and the priest took with him a native of ,pistoja1 who also cultivated the black art4 ,we went together to the ,coliseum2 and there the priest1 having arrayed himself in necromancer's robes1 began to describe circles on the earth with the finest ceremonies that can be imagined4 ,i must say that he had made us bring precious perfumes and fire1 and also drugs of fetid odour4 ,when the preliminaries were completed1 he made the entrance into the circle2 and taking us by the hand1 introduced us one by one inside it4 ,then he assigned our several functions2 to the necromancer1 his comrade1 he gave the pentacle to hold2 the other two of us had to look after the fire and the perfumes2 and then he began his incantations4 ,this lasted more than an hour and a half2 when several legions appeared1 and the ,coliseum was all full of devils4 ,i was occupied with the precious perfumes1 and when the priest perceived in what numbers they were present1 he turned to me and said3 8,benvenuto1 ask them something40 ,i called on them to reunite me with my ,sicilian ,angelica4 ,that night we obtained no answer2 but ,i enjoyed the greatest satisfaction of my curiosity in such matters4 ,the necromancer said that we should have to go a second time1 and that ,i should obtain the full accomplishment of my request2 but he wished me to bring with me a little boy of pure virginity4 ,i chose one of my shop-lads1 who was about twelve years old1 and invited ,vincenzio ,romoli again2 and we also took a certain ,agnolino ,gaddi1 who was a very intimate friend of both4 ,when we came once more to the place appointed1 the necromancer made just the same preparations1 attended by the same and even more impressive details4 ,then he introduced us into the circle1 which he had reconstructed with art more admirable and yet more wondrous ceremonies4 ,afterwards he appointed my friend ,vincenzio to the ordering of the perfumes and the fire1 and with him ,agnolino ,gaddi4 ,he next placed in my hand the pentacle1 which he bid me turn toward the points he indicated1 and under the pentacle ,i held the little boy1 my workman4 ,now the necromancer began to utter those awful invocations1 calling by name on multitudes of demons who are captains of their legions1 and these he summoned by the virtue and potency of ,god1 the ,uncreated1 ,living1 and ,eternal1 in phrases of the ,hebrew1 and also of the ,greek and ,latin tongues2 insomuch that in a short space of time the whole ,coliseum was full of a hundredfold as many as had appeared upon the first occasion4 ,vincenzio ,romoli1 together with ,agnolino1 tended the fire and heaped on quantities of precious perfumes4 ,at the advice of the necromancer1 ,i again demanded to be reunited with ,angelica4 ,the sorcerer turned to me and said3 8,hear you what they have replied2 that in the space of one month you will be where she is80 ,then once more he prayed me to stand firm by him1 because the legions were a thousandfold more than he had summoned1 and were the most dangerous of all the denizens of hell2 and now that they had settled what ,i asked1 it behoved us to be civil to them and dismiss them gently4 ,on the other side1 the boy1 who was beneath the pentacle1 shrieked out in terror that a million of the fiercest men were swarming round and threatening us4 ,he said1 moreover1 that four huge giants had appeared1 who were striving to force their way inside the circle4 ,meanwhile the necromancer1 trembling with fear1 kept doing his best with mild and soft persuasions to dismiss them4 ,vincenzio ,romoli1 who quaked like an aspen leaf1 looked after the perfumes4 ,though ,i was quite as frightened as the rest of them1 ,i tried to show it less1 and inspired them all with marvellous courage2 but the truth is that ,i had given myself up for dead when ,i saw the terror of the necromancer4 ,the boy had stuck his head between his knees1 exclaiming3 8,this is how ,i will meet death1 for we are certainly dead men40 ,again ,i said to him3 8,these creatures are all inferior to us1 and what you see is only smoke and shadow2 so then raise your eyes40 ,when he had raised them he cried out3 8,the whole ,coliseum is in flames1 and the fire is advancing on us20 then covering his face with his hands1 he groaned again that he was dead1 and that he could not endure the sight longer4 ,the necromancer appealed for my support1 entreating me to stand firm by him1 and to have assafetida flung upon the coals2 so ,i turned to ,vincenzio ,romoli1 and told him to make the fumigation at once4 ,while uttering these words ,i looked at ,agnolino ,gaddi1 whose eyes were starting from their sockets in his terror1 and who was more than half dead1 and said to him3 8,agnolo1 in time and place like this we must not yield to fright1 but do the utmost to bestir ourselves2 therefore1 up at once1 and fling a handful of that assafetida upon the fire40 ,agnolo1 at the moment when he moved to do this1 let fly such a volley from his breech1 that it was far more effectual than the assafetida4 #a ,the boy1 roused by that great stench and noise1 lifted his face little1 and hearing me laugh1 he plucked up courage1 and said the devils were taking to flight tempestuously4 ,so we abode thus until the matinbells began to sound4 ,then the boy told us again that but few remained1 and those were at a distance4 ,when the necromancer had concluded his ceremonies1 he put off his wizard's robe1 and packed up a great bundle of books which he had brought with him2 then1 all together1 we issued with him from the circle1 huddling as close as we could to one another1 especially the boy1 who had got into the middle1 and taken the necromancer by his gown and me by the cloak4 ,all the while that we were going toward our houses in the ,banchi1 he kept saying that two of the devils he had seen in the ,coliseum were gamboling in front of us1 skipping now along the roofs and now upon the ground4 ,the necromancer assured me that1 often as he had entered magic circles1 he had never met with such a serious affair as this4 ,he also tried to persuade me to assist him in consecrating a book1 by means of which we should extract immeasurable wealth1 since we could call up fiends to show us where treasures were1 whereof the earth is full2 and after this wise we should become the richest of mankind3 love affairs like mine were nothing but vanities and follies without consequence4 ,i replied that if ,i were a ,latin scholar ,i should be very willing to do what he suggested4 ,he continued to persuade me by arguing that ,latin scholarship was of no importance1 and that1 if he wanted1 he could have found plenty of good ,latinists2 but that he had never met with a man of soul so firm as mine1 and that ,i ought to follow his counsel4 ,engaged in this conversation1 we reached our homes1 and each one of us dreamed all that night of devils4 ,note #a4 ',fece una istrombazzata di coregge con tanta abundanzia di merda4' ,,lxv ,,as we were in the habit of meeting daily1 the necromancer kept urging me to join in his adventure4 ,accordingly1 ,i asked him how long it would take1 and where we should have to go4 ,to this he answered that we might get through with it in less than a month1 and that the most suitable locality for the purpose was the hill country of ,norcia2 #a a master of his in the art had indeed consecrated such a book quite close to ,rome1 at a place called the ,badia di ,farfa2 but he had met with some difficulties there1 which would not occur in the mountains of ,norcia2 the peasants also of that district are people to be trusted1 and have some practice in these matters1 so that at a pinch they are able to render valuable assistance4 ,this priestly sorcerer moved me so by his persuasions that ,i was well disposed to comply with his request2 but ,i said ,i wanted first to finish the medals ,i was making for the ,pope4 ,i had confided what ,i was doing about them to him alone1 begging him to keep my secret4 ,at the same time ,i never stopped asking him if he believed that ,i should be reunited to my ,sicilian ,angelica at the time appointed2 for the date was drawing near1 and ,i thought it singular that ,i heard nothing about her4 ,the necromancer told me that it was quite certain ,i should find myself where she was1 since the devils never break their word when they promise1 as they did on that occasion2 but he bade me keep my eyes open1 and be on the look out against some accident which might happen to me in that connection1 and put restraint upon myself to endure somewhat against my inclination1 for he could discern a great and imminent danger in it3 well would it be for me if ,i went with him to consecrate the book1 since this would avert the peril that menaced me1 and would make us both most fortunate4 ,i was beginning to hanker after the adventure more than he did2 but ,i said that a certain ,maestro ,giovanni of ,castel ,bolognese had just come to ,rome1 very ingenious in the art of making medals of the sort ,i made in steel1 and that ,i thirsted for nothing more than to compete with him and take the world by storm with some great masterpiece1 which ,i hoped would annihilate all those enemies of mine by the force of genius and not the sword4 #b ,the sorcerer on his side went on urging3 8,nay1 prithee1 ,benvenuto1 come with me and shun a great disaster which ,i see impending over you40 ,however1 ,i had made my mind up1 come what would1 to finish my medal1 and we were now approaching the end of the month4 ,i was so absorbed and enamoured by my work that ,i thought no more about ,angelica or anything of that kind1 but gave my whole self up to it4 ,note #a4 ,this district of the ,central ,apennines was always famous for witches1 poisoners1 and so forth4 ,the ,farfa mentioned below is a village of the ,sabine hills4 ,note #b4 ,gio4 ,bernardi had been in the ,duke of ,ferrara's service4 ,giovio brought him to ,rome1 where he was patronised by the ,cardinals ,salviati and ,de' ,medici4 ,he made a famous medal of ,clement ,,vii41 and was a ,pontifical mace-bearer4 ,he died at ,faenza in #aeee4 ,,lxvi ,,it happened one day1 close on the hours of vespers1 that ,i had to go at an unusual time for me from my house to my workshop2 for ,i ought to say that the latter was in the ,banchi1 while ,i lived behind the ,banchi1 and went rarely to the shop2 all my business there ,i left in the hands of my partner1 ,felice4 ,having stayed a short while in the workshop1 ,i remembered that ,i had to say something to ,alessandro del ,bene4 ,so ,i arose1 and when ,i reached the ,banchi1 ,i met a man called ,ser ,benedetto1 who was a great friend of mine4 ,he was a notary1 born in ,florence1 son of a blind man who said prayers about the streets for alms1 and a ,sienese by race4 ,this ,ser ,benedetto had been very many years at ,naples2 afterwards he had settled in ,rome1 where he transacted business for some ,sienese merchants of the ,chigi4 #a ,my partner had over and over again asked him for some moneys which were due for certain little rings confided to ,ser ,benedetto4 ,that very day1 meeting him in the ,banchi1 he demanded his money rather roughly1 as his wont was4 ,benedetto was walking with his masters1 and they1 annoyed by the interruption1 scolded him sharply1 saying they would be served by somebody else1 in order not to have to listen to such barking4 ,ser ,benedetto did the best he could to excuse himself1 swore that he had paid the goldsmith1 and said he had no power to curb the rage of madmen4 ,the ,sienese took his words ill1 and dismissed him on the spot4 ,leaving them1 he ran like an arrow to my shop1 probably to take revenge upon ,felice4 ,it chanced that just in the middle of the street we met4 ,i1 who had heard nothing of the matter1 greeted him most kindly1 according to my custom1 to which courtesy he replied with insults4 ,then what the sorcerer had said flashed all at once upon my mind2 and bridling myself as well as ,i was able1 in the way he bade me1 ,i answered3 8,good brother ,benedetto1 don't fly into a rage with me1 for ,i have done you no harm1 nor do ,i know anything about these affairs of yours4 ,please go and finish what you have to do with ,felice4 ,he is quite capable of giving you a proper answer2 but inasmuch as ,i know nothing about it1 you are wrong to abuse me in this way1 especially as you are well aware that ,i am not the man to put up with insults40 ,he retorted that ,i knew everything1 and that he was the man to make me bear a heavier load than that1 and that ,felice and ,i were two great rascals4 ,by this time a crowd had gathered round to hear the quarrel4 ,provoked by his ugly words1 ,i stooped and took up a lump of mud-for it had rained-and hurled it with a quick and unpremeditated movement at his face4 ,he ducked his head1 so that the mud hit him in the middle of the skull4 ,there was a stone in it with several sharp angles1 one of which striking him1 he fell stunned like a dead man3 whereupon all the bystanders1 seeing the great quantity of blood1 judged that he was really dead4 ,note #a4 ,the ,,ms4 has ,figi2 but this is probably a mistake of the amanuensis4 ,,lxvii ,,while he was still lying on the ground1 and people were preparing to carry him away1 ,pompeo the jeweller passed by4 ,the ,pope had sent for him to give orders about some jewels4 ,seeing the fellow in such a miserable plight1 he asked who had struck him2 on which they told him3 8,benvenuto did it1 but the stupid creature brought it down upon himself40 ,no sooner had ,pompeo reached the ,pope than he began to speak3 8,most blessed ,father1 ,benvenuto has this very moment murdered ,tobbia2 ,i saw it with my own eyes40 ,on this the ,pope in a fury ordered the ,governor1 who was in the presence1 to take and hang me at once in the place where the homicide had been committed1 adding that he must do all he could to catch me1 and not appear again before him until he had hanged me4 ,when ,i saw the unfortunate ,benedetto stretched upon the ground1 ,i thought at once of the peril ,i was in1 considering the power of my enemies1 and what might ensue from this disaster4 ,making off1 ,i took refuge in the house of ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi1 clerk of the ,camera1 with the intention of preparing as soon as possible to escape from ,rome4 ,he1 however1 advised me not to be in such a hurry1 for it might turn out perhaps that the evil was not so great as ,i imagined2 and calling ,messer ,annibal ,caro1 who lived with him1 bade him go for information4 ,while these arrangements were being made1 ,a ,roman gentleman appeared1 who belonged to the household of ,cardinal de' ,medici1 and had been sent by him4 #a ,taking ,messer ,giovanni and me apart1 he told us that the ,cardinal had reported to him what the ,pope said1 and that there was no way of helping me out of the scrape2 it would be best for me to shun the first fury of the storm by flight1 and not to risk myself in any house in ,rome4 ,upon this gentleman's departure1 ,messer ,giovanni looked me in the face as though he were about to cry1 and said3 8,ah me6 ,ah woe is me6 ,there is nothing ,i can do to aid you60 ,i replied3 8,by ,god's means1 ,i shall aid myself alone2 only ,i request you to put one of your horses at my disposition40 ,they had already saddled a black ,turkish horse1 the finest and the best in ,rome4 ,i mounted with an arquebuse upon the saddle-bow1 wound up in readiness to fire1 if need were4 #b ,when ,i reached ,ponte ,sisto1 ,i found the whole of the ,bargello's guard there1 both horse and foot4 ,so1 making a virtue of necessity1 ,i put my horse boldly to a sharp trot1 and with ,god's grace1 being somehow unperceived by them1 passed freely through4 ,then1 with all the speed ,i could1 ,i took the road to ,palombara1 a fief of my lord ,giovanbatista ,savello1 whence ,i sent the horse back to ,messer ,giovanni1 without1 however1 thinking it well to inform him where ,i was4 #c ,lord ,giovanbatista1 after very kindly entertaining me two days1 advised me to remove and go toward ,naples till the storm blew over4 ,so1 providing me with company1 he set me on the way to ,naples4 ,while travelling1 ,i met a sculptor of my acquaintance1 who was going to ,san ,germano to finish the tomb of ,piero de' ,medici at ,monte ,cassino4 #d ,his name was ,solosmeo1 and he gave me the news that on the very evening of the fray1 ,pope ,clement sent one of his chamberlains to inquire how ,tobbia was getting on4 ,finding him at work1 unharmed1 and without even knowing anything about the matter1 the messenger went back and told the ,pope1 who turned round to ,pompeo and said3 8,you are a good-for-nothing rascal2 but ,i promise you well that you have stirred a snake up which will sting you1 and serve you right60 ,then he addressed himself to ,cardinal de' ,medici1 and commissioned him to look after me1 adding that he should be very sorry to let me slip through his fingers4 ,and so ,solosmeo and ,i went on our way singing toward ,monte ,cassino1 intending to pursue our journey thence in company toward ,naples4 ,note #a4 ,ippolito de' ,medici was a ,cardinal1 much against his natural inclination4 ,when he went as ,papal ,legate to ,hungary in #aecb1 he assumed the airs and style of a ,condottiere4 ,his jealousy of his cousin ,alessandro led to his untimely death by poison in #aece4 ,note #b4 ,the gun was an 'arquebuso a ruola1' which had a wheel to cock it4 ,note #c4 ,a village in the ,sabina1 north of ,tivoli4 ,giov4 ,battista ,savelli1 of a great ,roman house1 was a captain of cavalry in the ,papal service after #aecj4 ,in #aedj he entered the service of ,duke ,cosimo1 and died in #aeec4 ,note #d4 ,this sculptor was ,antonio ,solosmeo of ,settignano4 ,the monument erected to ,piero de' ,medici 7drowned in the ,garigliano1 #aejd7 at ,monte ,cassino is by no means a brilliant piece of ,florentine art4 ,piero was the exiled son of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent2 and the ,medici1 when they regained their principality1 erected this monument to his memory1 employing ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 ,francesco da ,san ,gallo and a ,neapolitan1 ,matteo de' ,quaranta4 ,the work was begun in #aecb4 ,solosmeo appears from this passage in ,cellini to have taken the execution of it over4 ,,lxviii ,,when ,solosmeo had inspected his affairs at ,monte ,cassino1 we resumed our journey2 and having come within a mile of ,naples1 we were met by an innkeeper1 who invited us to his house1 and said he had been at ,florence many years with ,carlo ,ginori2 #a adding1 that if we put up at his inn1 he would treat us most kindly1 for the reason that we both were ,florentines4 ,we told him frequently that we did not want to go to him4 ,however1 he kept passing1 sometimes in front and sometimes behind1 perpetually repeating that he would have us stop at his hostelry4 ,when this began to bore me1 ,i asked if he could tell me anything about a certain ,sicilian woman called ,beatrice1 who had a beautiful daughter named ,angelica1 and both were courtesans4 ,taking it into his head that ,i was jeering him1 he cried out3 8,god send mischief to all courtesans and such as favour them60 ,then he set spurs to his horse1 and made off as though he was resolved to leave us4 ,i felt some pleasure at having rid myself in so fair a manner of that ass of an innkeeper2 and yet ,i was rather the loser than the gainer2 for the great love ,i bore ,angelica had come back to my mind1 and while ,i was conversing1 not without some lover's sighs1 upon this subject with ,solosmeo1 we saw the man returning to us at a gallop4 ,when he drew up1 he said3 8,two or perhaps three days ago a woman and a girl came back to a house in my neighbourhood2 they had the names you mentioned1 but whether they are ,sicilians ,i cannot say40 ,i answered3 8,such power over me has that name of ,angelica1 that ,i am now determined to put up at your inn40 ,we rode on all together with mine host into the town of ,naples1 and descended at his house4 ,minutes seemed years to me till ,i had put my things in order1 which ,i did in the twinkling of an eye2 then ,i went to the house1 which was not far from our inn1 and found there my ,angelica1 who greeted me with infinite demonstrations of the most unbounded passion4 ,i stayed with her from evenfall until the following morning1 and enjoyed such pleasure as ,i never had before or since2 but while drinking deep of this delight1 it occurred to my mind how exactly on that day the month expired1 which had been prophesied within the necromantic circle by the devils4 ,so then let every man who enters into relation with those spirits weigh well the inestimable perils ,i have passed through6 ,note #a4 ,a ,gonfalonier of the ,republic in #aebg4 ,,lxix ,i ,,happened to have in my purse a diamond1 which ,i showed about among the goldsmiths2 and though ,i was but young1 my reputation as an able artist was so well known even at ,naples that they welcomed me most warmly4 ,among others1 ,i made acquaintance with a most excellent companion1 a jeweller1 ,messer ,domenico ,fontana by name4 ,this worthy man left his shop for the three days that ,i spent in ,naples1 nor even quitted my company1 but showed me many admirable monuments of antiquity in the city and its neigbourhood4 ,moreover1 he took me to pay my respects to the ,viceroy of ,naples1 who had let him know that he should like to see me4 ,when ,i presented myself to his ,excellency1 he received me with much honour2 #a and while we were exchanging compliments1 the diamond which ,i have mentioned caught his eye4 ,he made me show it him1 and prayed me1 if ,i parted with it1 to give him the refusal4 ,having taken back the stone1 ,i offered it again to his ,excellency1 adding that the diamond and ,i were at his service4 ,then he said that the diamond pleased him well1 but that he should be much better pleased if ,i were to stay with him2 he would make such terms with me as would cause me to feel satisfied4 ,we spoke many words of courtesy on both sides2 and then coming to the merits of the diamond1 his ,excellency bade me without hesitation name the price at which ,i valued it4 ,accordingly ,i said that it was worth exactly two hundred crowns4 ,he rejoined that in his opinion ,i had not overvalued it2 but that since ,i had set it1 and he knew me for the first artist in the world1 it would not make the same effect when mounted by another hand4 ,to this ,i said that ,i had not set the stone1 and that it was not well set2 its brilliancy was due to its own excellence2 and that if ,i were to mount it afresh1 ,i could make it show far better than it did4 ,then ,i put my thumb-nail to the angels of its facets1 took it from the ring1 cleaned it up a little1 and handed it to the ,viceroy4 ,delighted and astonished1 he wrote me out a cheque #b for the two hundred crowns ,i had demanded4 ,when ,i returned to my lodging1 ,i found letters from the ,cardinal de' ,medici1 in which he told me to come back post-haste to ,rome1 and to dismount without delay at the palace of his most reverend lordship4 ,i read the letter to my ,angelica1 who begged me with tears of affection either to remain in ,naples or to take her with me4 ,i replied that if she was disposed to come with me1 ,i would give up to her keeping the two hundred ducats ,i had received from the ,viceroy4 ,her mother perceiving us in this close conversation1 drew nigh and said3 8,benvenuto1 if you want to take my daughter to ,rome1 leave me a sum of fifteen ducats1 to pay for my lying-in1 and then ,i will travel after you40 ,i told the old harridan that ,i would very gladly leave her thirty if she would give me my ,angelica4 ,we made the bargain1 and ,angelica entreated me to by her a gown of black velvet1 because the stuff was cheap at ,naples4 ,i consented to everything1 sent for the velvet1 settled its price and paid for it2 then the old woman1 who thought me over head and ears in love1 begged for a gown of fine cloth for herself1 as well as other outlays for her sons1 and a good bit more money than ,i had offered4 ,i turned to her with a pleasant air and said3 8,my dear ,beatrice1 are you satisfied with what ,i offered80 ,she answered that she was not2 thereupon ,i said that what was not enough for her would be quite enough for me2 and having kissed ,angelica1 we parted1 she with tears1 and ,i with laughter1 and off at once ,i set for ,rome4 ,note #a4 ,the ,spanish ,viceroy was at this time ,pietro ,alvarez de ,toledo1 ,marquis of ,villafranca1 and uncle of the famous ,duke of ,alva4 ,he governed ,naples for twenty years1 from #aecb onwards4 ,note #b4 ',mi fece una polizza4' ,a 'polizza' was an order for money1 practically identical with our 'cheque4' ,,lxx ,i ,,left ,naples by night with my money in my pocket1 and this ,i did to prevent being set upon or murdered1 as is the way there2 but when ,i came to ,selciata1 #a ,i had to defend myself with great address and bodily prowess from several horsemen who came out to assassinate me4 ,during the following days1 after leaving ,solosmeo at his work in ,monte ,cassino1 ,i came one morning to breakfast at the inn of ,adanagni2 #b and when ,i was near the house1 ,i shot some birds with my arquebuse4 ,an iron spike1 which was in the lock of my musket1 tore my right hand4 ,though the wound was not of any consequence1 it seemed to be so1 because it bled abundantly4 ,going into the inn1 ,i put my horse up1 and ascended to a large gallery1 where ,i found a party of ,neapolitan gentlemen just upon the point of sitting down to table2 they had with them a young woman of quality1 the loveliest ,i ever saw4 ,at the moment when ,i entered the room1 ,i was followed by a very brave young serving-man of mine holding a big partisan in his hand4 ,the sight of us1 our arms1 and the blood1 inspired those poor gentlemen with such terror1 particularly as the place was known to be a nest of murderers1 that they rose from table and called on ,god in a panic to protect them4 ,i began to laugh1 and said that ,god had protected them already1 for that ,i was a man to defend them against whoever tried to do them harm4 ,then ,i asked them for something to bind up my wounded hand2 and the charming lady took out a handkerchief richly embroidered with gold1 wishing to make a bandage with it4 ,i refused2 but she tore the piece in half1 and in the gentlest manner wrapt my hand up with her fingers4 ,the company thus having regained confidence1 we dined together very gaily2 and when the meal was over1 we all mounted and went off together4 ,the gentlemen1 however1 were not as yet quite at their ease2 so they left me in their cunning to entertain the lady1 while they kept at a short distance behind4 ,i rode at her side upon a pretty little horse of mine1 making signs to my servant that he should keep somewhat apart1 which gave us the opportunity of discussing things that are not sold by the apothecary4 #c ,in this way ,i journeyed to ,rome with the greatest enjoyment ,i have ever had4 ,when ,i got to ,rome1 ,i dismounted at the palace of ,cardinal de' ,medici1 and having obtained an audience of his most reverend lordship1 paid my respects1 and thanked him warmly for my recall4 ,i then entreated him to secure me from imprisonment1 and even from a fine if that were possible4 ,the ,cardinal was very glad to see me2 told me to stand in no fear2 then turned to one of his gentlemen1 called ,messer ,pier ,antonio ,pecci of ,siena1 ordering him to tell the ,bargello not to touch me4 #d ,he then asked him how the man was going on whose head ,i had broken with the stone4 ,messer ,pier ,antonio replied that he was very ill1 and that he would probably be even worse2 for when he heard that ,i was coming back to ,rome1 he swore he would die to serve me an ill turn4 ,when the ,cardinal heard that1 he burst into a fit of laughter1 and cried3 8,the fellow could not have taken a better way than this to make us know that he was born a ,sienese40 ,after that he turned to me and said3 8,for our reputation and your own1 refrain these four or five days from going about in the ,banchi2 after that go where you like1 and let fools die at their own pleasure40 ,i went home and set myself to finishing the medal which ,i had begun1 with the head of ,pope ,clement and a figure of ,peace on the reverse4 ,the figure was a slender woman1 dressed in very thin drapery1 gathered at the waist1 with a little torch in her hand1 which was burning a heap of arms bound together like a trophy4 ,in the background ,i had shown part of a temple1 where was ,discord chained with a load of fetters4 ,round about it ran a legend in these words3 ',clauduntur belli port4' #e ,during the time that ,i was finishing this medal1 the man whom ,i had wounded recovered1 and the ,pope kept incessantly asking for me4 ,i1 however1 avoided visiting ,cardinal de' ,medici2 for whenever ,i showed my face before him1 his lordship gave me some commission of importance1 which hindered me from working at my medal to the end4 ,consequently ,messer ,pier ,carnesecchi1 who was a great favourite of the ,pope's1 undertook to keep me in sight1 and let me adroitly understand how much the ,pope desired my services4 #f ,i told him that in a few days ,i would prove to his ,holiness that his service had never been neglected by me4 ,note #a4 ,ponte a ,selice1 between ,capua and ,aversa4 ,note #b4 ,anagni1 where ,boniface ,,viii4 was outraged to the death by the ,french partisans of ,philip le ,bel4 ,note #c4 ',i4 e41' private and sentimental4 ,note #d4 ,this ,pecci passed into the service of ,caterina de' ,medici4 ,in #aeea he schemed to withdraw ,siena from the ,spanish to the ,french cause1 and was declared a rebel4 ,note #e4 ,the medal was struck to celebrate the peace in ,christendom between #aecj and #aecf4 ,note #f4 ,pietro ,carnesecchi was one of the martyrs of free-thought in ,italy4 ,he adopted ,protestant opinions1 and was beheaded and burned in ,rome1 ,august #aefg4 ,,lxxi ,,not many days had passed before1 my medal being finished1 ,i stamped it in gold1 silver1 and copper4 ,after ,i had shown it to ,messer ,pietro1 he immediately introduced me to the ,pope4 ,it was on a day in ,april after dinner1 and the weather very fine2 the ,pope was in the ,belvedere4 ,after entering the presence1 ,i put my medals together with the dies of steel into his hand4 ,he took them1 and recognising at once their mastery of art1 looked ,messer ,pietro in the face and said3 8,the ancients never had such medals made for them as these40 ,while he and the others were inspecting them1 taking up now the dies and now the medals in their hands1 ,i began to speak as submissively as ,i was able3 8,if a greater power had not controlled the working of my inauspicious stars1 and hindered that with which they violently menaced me1 your ,holiness1 without your fault or mine1 would have lost a faithful and loving servant4 ,it must1 most blessed ,father1 be allowed that in those cases where men are risking all upon one throw1 it is not wrong to do as certain poor and simple men are wont to say1 who tell us we must mark seven times and cut once4 #a ,your ,holiness will remember how the malicious and lying tongue of my bitter enemy so easily aroused your anger1 that you ordered the ,governor to have me taken on the spot and hanged2 but ,i have no doubt that when you had become aware of the irreparable act by which you would have wronged yourself1 in cutting off from you a servant such as even now your ,holiness hath said he is1 ,i am sure1 ,i repeat1 that1 before ,god and the world1 you would have felt no trifling twinges of remorse4 ,excellent and virtuous fathers1 and masters of like quality1 ought not to let their arm in wrath descend upon their sons and servants with such inconsiderate haste1 seeing that subsequent repentance will avail them nothing4 ,but now that ,god has overruled the malign influences of the stars and saved me for your ,holiness1 ,i humbly beg you another time not to let yourself so easily be stirred to rage against me40 ,the ,pope had stopped from looking at the medals and was now listening attentively to what ,i said4 ,there were many noblemen of the greatest consequence present1 which made him blush a little1 as it were for shame2 and not knowing how else to extricate himself from this entanglement1 he said that he could not remember having given such an order4 ,i changed the conversation in order to cover his embarrassment4 ,his ,holiness then began to speak again about the medals1 and asked what method ,i had used to stamp them so marvelously1 large as they were2 for he had never met with ancient pieces of that size4 ,we talked a little on this subject2 but being not quite easy that ,i might not begin another lecture sharper than the last1 he praised my medals1 and said they gave him the greatest satisfaction1 but that he should like another reverse made according to a fancy of his own1 if it were possible to stamp them with two different patterns4 ,i said that it was possible to do so4 ,then his ,holiness commissioned me to design the history of ,moses when he strikes the rock and water issues from it1 with this motto3 ',ut bibat populus4' #b ,at last he added3 8,go ,benvenuto2 you will not have finished it before ,i have provided for your fortune40 ,after ,i had taken leave1 the ,pope proclaimed before the whole company that he would give me enough to live on wealthily without the need of labouring for any one but him4 ,so ,i devoted myself entirely to working out this reverse with the ,moses on it4 ,note #a4 ',segnar sette e tagliar uno4' ,a proverb derived possibly from felling trees2 or1 as some commentators interpret1 from the points made by sculptors on their marble before they block the statue out4 ,note #b4 ,the medal commemorated a deep well sunk by ,clement at ,orvieto4 ,,lxxii ,,in the meantime the ,pope was taken ill1 and his physicians thought the case was dangerous4 ,accordingly my enemy began to be afraid of me1 and engaged some ,neapolitan soldiers to do to me what he was dreading ,i might do to him4 #a ,i had therefore much trouble to defend my poor life4 ,in course of time1 however1 ,i completed the reverse2 and when ,i took it to the ,pope1 ,i found him in bed in a most deplorable condition4 ,nevertheless1 he received me with the greatest kindness1 and wished to inspect the medals and the dies4 ,he sent for spectacles and lights1 but was unable to see anything clearly4 ,then he began to fumble with his fingers at them1 and having felt them a short while1 he fetched a deep sigh1 and said to his attendants that he was much concerned about me1 but that if ,god gave him back his health he would make it all right4 ,three days afterwards the ,pope died1 and ,i was left with all my labour lost2 yet ,i plucked up courage1 and told myself that these medals had won me so much celebrity1 that any ,pope who was elected would give me work to do1 and peradventure bring me better fortune4 ,thus ,i encouraged and put heart into myself1 and buried in oblivion all the injuries which ,pompeo had done me4 ,then putting on my arms and girding my sword1 ,i went to ,san ,piero1 and kissed the feet of the dead ,pope1 not without shedding tears4 ,afterwards ,i returned to the ,banchi to look on at the great commotion which always happens on such occasions4 ,while ,i was sitting in the street with several of my friends1 ,pompeo went by1 attended by ten men very well armed2 and when he came just opposite1 he stopped1 as though about to pick a quarrel with myself4 ,my companions1 brave and adventurous young men1 made signs to me to draw my sword2 but it flashed through my mind that if ,i drew1 some terrible mischief might result for persons who were wholly innocent4 ,therefore ,i considered that it would be better if ,i put my life to risk alone4 ,when ,pompeo had stood there time enough to say two ,ave ,marias1 he laughed derisively in my direction2 and going off1 his fellows also laughed and wagged their heads1 with many other insolent gestures4 ,my companions wanted to begin the fray at once2 but ,i told them hotly that ,i was quite able to conduct my quarrels to an end by myself1 and that ,i had no need of stouter fighters than ,i was2 so that each of them might mind his business4 ,my friends were angry and went off muttering4 ,now there was among them my dearest comrade1 named ,albertaccio del ,bene1 own brother to ,alessandro and ,albizzo1 who is now a very rich man in ,lyons4 ,he was the most redoubtable young man ,i ever knew1 and the most high-spirited1 and loved me like himself2 and insomuch as he was well aware that my forbearance had not been inspired by want of courage1 but by the most daring bravery1 for he knew me down to the bottom of my nature1 he took my words up and begged me to favour him so far as to associate him with myself in all ,i meant to do4 ,i replied3 8,dear ,albertaccio1 dearest to me above all men that live1 the time will very likely come when you shall give me aid2 but in this case1 if you love me1 do not attend to me1 but look to your own business1 and go at once like our other friends1 for now there is no time to lose40 ,these words were spoken in one breath4 ,note #a4 ,the meaning of this is1 that if ,clement died1 ,cellini would have had his opportunity of vengeance during the anarchy which followed a vacancy of the ,papal ,see4 ,,lxxiii ,,in the meanwhile my enemies had proceeded slowly toward ,chiavica1 as the place was called1 and had arrived at the crossing of several roads1 going in different directions2 but the street in which ,pompeo's house stood was the one which leads straight to the ,campo di ,fiore4 ,some business or other made him enter the apothecary's shop which stood at the corner of ,chiavica1 and there he stayed a while transacting it4 ,i had just been told that he had boasted of the insult which he fancied he had put upon me2 but be that as it may1 it was to his misfortune2 for precisely when ,i came up to the corner1 he was leaving the shop and his bravi had opened their ranks and received him in their midst4 ,i drew a little dagger with a sharpened edge1 and breaking the line of his defenders1 laid my hands upon his breast so quickly and coolly1 that none of them were able to prevent me4 ,then ,i aimed to strike him in the face2 but fright made him turn his head round2 and ,i stabbed him just beneath the ear4 ,i only gave two blows1 for he fell stone dead at the second4 ,i had not meant to kill him2 but as the saying goes1 knocks are not dealt by measure4 ,with my left hand ,i plucked back the dagger1 and with my right hand drew my sword to defend my life4 ,however1 all those bravi ran up to the corpse and took no action against me2 so ,i went back alone through ,strada ,giulia1 considering how best to put myself in safety4 ,i had walked about three hundred paces1 when ,piloto the goldsmith1 my very good friend1 came up and said3 8,brother1 now that the mischief's done1 we must see to saving you40 ,i replied3 8,let us go to ,albertaccio del ,bene's house2 it is only a few minutes since ,i told him ,i should soon have need of him40 ,when we arrived there1 ,albertaccio and ,i embraced with measureless affection2 and soon the whole flower of the young men of the ,banchi1 of all nations except the ,milanese1 came crowding in2 and each and all made proffer of their own life to save mine4 ,messer ,luigi ,rucellai also sent with marvellous promptitude and courtesy to put his services at my disposal1 as did many other great folk of his station2 for they all agreed in blessing my hands1 #a judging that ,pompeo had done me too great and unforgivable an injury1 and marvelling that ,i had put up with him so long4 ,note #a4 ',tutti d'accordo mi benedissono le mani4' ,this is tantamount to approving ,cellini's handiwork in murdering ,pompeo4 ,,lxxiv ,,cardinal ,,cornaro1 on hearing of the affair1 despatched thirty soldiers1 with as many partisans1 pikes1 and arquebuses1 to bring me with all due respect to his quarters4 #a ,this he did unasked2 whereupon ,i accepted the invitation1 and went off with them1 while more than as many of the young men bore me company4 ,meanwhile1 ,messer ,traiano1 ,pompeo's relative and first chamberlain to the ,pope1 sent a ,milanese of high rank to ,cardinal de' ,medici1 giving him news of the great crime ,i had committed1 and calling on his most reverend lordship to chastise me4 ,the ,cardinal retorted on the spot3 8,his crime would indeed have been great if he had not committed this lesser one2 thank ,messer ,traiano from me for giving me this information of a fact of which ,i had not heard before40 ,then he turned and in presence of the nobleman said to the ,bishop of ,frulli1 #b his gentleman and intimate acquaintance3 8,search diligently after my friend ,benvenuto2 ,i want to help and defend him2 and whoso acts against thyself acts against myself40 ,the ,milanese nobleman went back1 much disconcerted1 while the ,bishop of ,frulli come to visit me at ,cardinal ,cornaro's palace4 ,presenting himself to the ,cardinal1 he related how ,cardinal de' ,medici had sent for ,benvenuto1 and wanted to be his protector4 ,now ,cardinal ,cornaro who had the touchy temper of a bear1 flew into a rage1 and told the ,bishop he was quite as well able to defend me as ,cardinal de' ,medici4 ,the ,bishop1 in reply1 entreated to be allowed to speak with me on some matters of his patron which had nothing to do with the affair4 ,cornaro bade him for that day make as though he had already talked with me4 ,cardinal de' ,medici was very angry4 ,however1 ,i went the following night1 without ,cornaro's knowledge1 and under good escort1 to pay him my respects4 ,then ,i begged him to grant me the favour of leaving me where ,i was1 and told him of the great courtesy which ,cornaro had shown me2 adding that if his most reverend lordship suffered me to stay1 ,i should gain one friend the more in my hour of need2 otherwise his lordship might dispose of me exactly as he thought best4 ,he told me to do as ,i liked2 so ,i returned to ,cornaro's palace1 and a few days afterwards the ,cardinal ,farnese was elected ,pope4 #c ,after he had put affairs of greater consequence in order1 the new ,pope sent for me1 saying that he did not wish any one else to strike his coins4 ,to these words of his ,holiness a gentleman very privately acquainted with him1 named ,messer ,latino ,juvinale1 made answer that ,i was in hiding for a murder committed on the person of one ,pompeo of ,milan1 and set forth what could be argued for my justification in the most favourable terms4 #d ,the ,pope replied3 8,i knew nothing of ,pompeo's death1 but plenty of ,benvenuto's provocation2 so let a safe-conduct be at once made out for him1 in order that he may be placed in perfect security40 ,a great friend of ,pompeo's1 who was also intimate with the ,pope1 happened to be there2 he was a ,milanese1 called ,messer ,ambrogio4 #e ,this man said3 8,in the first days of your papacy it were not well to grant-pardons of this kind40 ,the ,pope turned to him and answered3 8,you know less about such matters than ,i do4 ,know then that men like ,benvenuto1 unique in their profession1 stand above the law2 and how far more he1 then1 who received the provocation ,i have heard of80 ,when my safe conduct had been drawn out1 ,i began at once to serve him1 and was treated with the utmost favour4 ,note #a4 ,this was ,francesco1 brother to ,cardinal ,marco ,cornaro4 ,he received the hat in #aebh1 while yet a layman1 and the ,bishopric of ,brescia in #aeca4 ,note #b4 ,this was ,francesco1 brother to ,cardinal ,marco ,cornaro4 ,he received the hat in #aebh1 while yet a layman1 and the ,bishopric of ,brescia in #aeca4 ,note #c4 ,paul ,,iii41 elected ,october #ac1 #aecd4 ,note #d4 ,latino ,giovenale de' ,manetti was a ,latin poet and a man of humane learning1 much esteemed by his contemporaries4 ,note #e4 ,ambrogio ,recalcati4 ,he was for many years the trusted secretary and diplomatic agent of ,paul ,,iii4 ,,lxxv ,,messer ,,latino ,,juvinale came to call on me1 and gave me orders to strike the coins of the ,pope4 ,this roused up all my enemies1 who began to look about how they should hinder me2 but the ,pope1 perceiving their drift1 scolded them1 and insisted that ,i should go on working4 ,i took the dies in hand1 designing a ,s4 ,paul1 surrounded with this inscription3 ',vas electionis4' ,this piece of money gave far more satisfaction than the models of my competitors2 so that the ,pope forbade any one else to speak to him of coins1 since he wished me only to have to do with them4 ,this encouraged me to apply myself with untroubled spirit to the task2 and ,messer ,latino ,juvinale1 who had received such orders from the ,pope1 used to introduce me to his ,holiness4 ,i had it much at heart to recover the post of stamper to the ,mint2 but on this point the ,pope took advice1 and then told me ,i must first obtain pardon for the homicide1 and this ,i should get at the holy ,maries' day in ,august through the ,caporioni of ,rome4 #a ,i may say that it is usual every year on this solemn festival to grant the freedom of twelve outlaws to these officers4 ,meanwhile he promised to give me another safe-conduct1 which should keep me in security until that time4 ,when my enemies perceived that they were quite unable to devise the means of keeping me out of the ,mint1 they resorted to another expedient4 ,the deceased ,pompeo had left three thousand ducats as dowry to an illegitimate daughter of his2 and they contrived that a certain favourite of ,signor ,pier ,luigi1 the ,pope's son1 should ask her hand in marriage through the medium of his master4 #b ,accordingly the match came off2 but this fellow was an insignificant country lad1 who had been brought up by his lordship2 and1 as folk said1 he got but little of the money1 since his lordship laid his hands on it and had the mind to use it4 ,now the husband of the girl1 to please his wife1 begged the prince to have me taken up2 and he promised to do so when the first flush of my favour with the ,pope had passed away4 ,things stood so about two months1 the servant always suing for his wife's dower1 the master putting him off with pretexts1 but assuring the woman that he would certainly revenge her father's murder4 ,i obtained an inkling of these designs2 yet ,i did not omit to present myself pretty frequently to his lordship1 who made show of treating me with great distinction4 ,he had1 however1 decided to do one or other of two things-either to have me assassinated1 or to have me taken up by the ,bargello4 ,accordingly he commissioned a certain little devil of a ,corsican soldier in his service to do the trick as cleverly as he could2 #c and my other enemies1 with ,messer ,traiano at the head of them1 promised the fellow a reward of one hundred crowns4 ,he assured them that the job would be as easy as sucking a fresh egg4 ,seeing into their plot1 ,i went about with my eyes open and with good attendance1 wearing an under-coat and armlets of mail1 for which ,i had obtained permission4 ,the ,corsican1 influenced by avarice1 hoped to gain the whole sum of money without risk1 and imagined himself capable of carrying the matter through alone4 ,consequently1 one day after dinner1 he had me sent for in the name of ,signor ,pier ,luigi4 ,i went off at once1 because his lordship had spoken of wanting to order several big silver vases4 ,leaving my home in a hurry1 armed1 however1 as usual1 ,i walked rapidly through ,strada ,giulia toward the ,palazzo ,farnese1 not expecting to meet anybody at that hour of day4 ,i had reached the end of the street and was making toward the palace1 when1 my habit being always to turn the corners wide1 ,i observed the ,corsican get up and take his station in the middle of the road4 ,being prepared1 ,i was not in the least disconcerted2 but kept upon my guard1 and slackening pace a little1 drew nearer toward the wall1 in order to give the fellow a wide berth4 ,he on his side came closer to the wall1 and when we were now within a short distance of each other1 ,i perceived by his gestures that he had it in his mind to do me mischief1 and seeing me alone thus1 thought he should succeed4 ,accordingly1 ,i began to speak and said3 8,brave soldier1 if it had been night1 you might have said you had mistaken me1 but since it is full day1 you know well enough who ,i am4 ,i never had anything to do with you1 and never injured you1 but should be well disposed to do you service40 ,he replied in a high-spirited way1 without1 however1 making room for me to pass1 that he did not know what ,i was saying4 ,then ,i answered4 8,i know very well indeed what you want and what you are saying2 but the job which you have taken in hand is more dangerous and difficult than you imagine1 and may peradventure turn out the wrong way for you4 ,remember that you have to do with a man who would defend himself against a hundred2 and the adventure you are on is not esteemed by men of courage like yourself40 ,meanwhile ,i also was looking black as thunder1 and each of us had changed colour4 ,folk too gathered round us1 for it had become clear that our words meant swords and daggers4 ,he then1 not having the spirit to lay hands on me1 cried out3 8,we shall meet another time40 ,i answered3 8,i am always glad to meet honest men and those who show themselves as such40 ,when we parted1 ,i went to his lordship's palace1 and found he had not sent for me4 ,when ,i returned to my shop1 the ,corsican informed me1 through an intimate friend of his and mine1 that ,i need not be on my guard against him1 since he wished to be my good brother2 but that ,i ought to be much upon my guard against others1 seeing ,i was in the greatest peril1 for folk of much consequence had sworn to have my life4 ,i sent to thank him1 and kept the best look-out ,i could4 ,not many days after1 a friend of mine informed me that ,signor ,pier ,luigi had given strict orders that ,i should be taken that very evening4 ,they told me this at twenty2 whereupon ,i spoke with some of my friends1 who advised me to be off at once4 ,the order had been given for one hour after sunset2 accordingly at twenty-three ,i left in the post for ,florence4 ,it seems that when the ,corsican showed that he had not pluck enough to do the business as he promised1 ,signor ,pier ,luigi on his own authority gave orders to have me taken1 merely to stop the mouth of ,pompeo's daughter1 who was always clamouring to know where her dower had gone to4 ,when he was unable to gratify her in this matter of revenge on either of the two plans he had formed1 he bethought him of another1 which shall be related in its proper place4 ,note #a4 ',le sante ,marie4' ,so the ,feast of the ,assumption is called at ,florence1 because devotion is paid on that day to the various images of the ,virgin scattered through the town4 ,the ',caporioni' of ,rome were1 like aldermen1 wardens of the districts into which the city was divided4 ,note #b4 ,pier ,luigi ,farnese1 ,paul ,,iii's bastard1 was successively created ,gonfaloniere of the ,church1 ,duke of ,castro1 ,marquis of ,novara1 and finally ,duke of ,parma and ,piacenza in #aede4 ,he was murdered at ,parma by his own courtiers in #aedg4 ,he was a man of infamous habits1 quite unfit for the high dignities conferred on him4 ,note #c4 ',che la facessi pi netta che poteva4' ,,lxxvi ,i ,,reached ,florence in due course1 and paid my respects to the ,duke ,alessandro1 who greeted me with extraordinary kindness and pressed me to remain in his service4 ,there was then at ,florence a sculptor called ,il ,tribolino1 and we were gossips1 for ,i had stood godfather to his son4 #a ,in course of conversation he told me that a certain ,giacopo del ,sansovino1 his first master1 had sent for him2 and whereas he had never seen ,venice1 and because of the gains he expected1 he was very glad to go there4 #b ,on his asking me if ,i had ever been at ,venice1 ,i said no2 this made him invite me to accompany him1 and ,i agreed4 ,so then ,i told ,duke ,alessandro that ,i wanted first to go to ,venice1 and that afterwards ,i would return to serve him4 ,he exacted a formal promise to this effect1 and bade me present myself before ,i left the city4 ,next day1 having made my preparations1 ,i went to take leave of the ,duke1 whom ,i found in the palace of the ,pazzi1 at that time inhabited by the wife and daughters of ,signor ,lorenzo ,cibo4 #c ,having sent word to his ,excellency that ,i wished to set off for ,venice with his good leave1 ,signor ,cosimino de' ,medici1 now ,duke of ,florence1 returned with the answer that ,i must go to ,niccol de ,monte ,aguto1 who would give me fifty golden crowns1 which his ,excellency bestowed on me in sign of his good-will1 and afterwards ,i must return to serve him4 ,i got the money from ,niccol1 and then went to fetch ,tribolo1 whom ,i found ready to start2 and he asked me whether ,i had bound my sword4 ,i answered that a man on horseback about to take a journey ought not to bind his sword4 ,he said that the custom was so in ,florence1 since a certain ,ser ,maurizio then held office1 who was capable of putting ,s4 ,john the ,baptist to the rack for any trifling peccadillo4 #d ,accordingly one had to carry one's sword bound till the gates were passed4 ,i laughed at this1 and so we set off1 joining the courier to ,venice1 who was nicknamed ,il ,lamentone4 ,in his company we travelled through ,bologna1 and arrived one evening at ,ferrara4 ,there we halted at the inn of the ,piazza1 which ,lamentone went in search of some ,florentine exiles1 to take them letters and messages from their wives4 ,the ,duke had given orders that only the courier might talk to them1 and no one else1 under penalty of incurring the same banishment as they had4 ,meanwhile1 since it was a little past the hour of twenty-two1 ,tribolo and ,i went to see the ,duke of ,ferrara come back from ,belfiore1 where he had been at a jousting match4 ,there we met a number of exiles1 who stared at us as though they wished to make us speak with them4 ,tribolo1 who was the most timorous man that ,i have ever known1 kept on saying3 8,do not look at them or talk to them1 if you care to go back to ,florence40 ,so we stayed1 and saw the ,duke return2 afterwards1 when we regained our inn1 we found ,lamentone there4 ,after nightfall there appeared ,niccol ,benintendi1 and his brother ,piero1 and another old man1 whom ,i believe to have been ,jacopo ,nardi1 #e together with some young fellows1 who began immediately to ask the courier news1 each man of his own family in ,florence4 #f ,tribolo and ,i kept at a distance1 in order to avoid speaking with them4 ,after they had talked a while with ,lamentone1 ,niccol ,benintendi #g said3 8,i know those two men there very well2 what's the reason they give themselves such beastly airs1 and will not talk to us80 ,tribolo kept begging me to hold my tongue1 while ,lamentone told them that we had not the same permission as he had4 ,benintendi retorted it was idiotic nonsense1 adding 8,pox take them10 and other pretty flowers of speech4 ,then ,i raised my head as gently as ,i could1 and said3 8,dear gentlemen1 you are able to do us serious injury1 while we cannot render you any assistance2 and though you have flung words at us which we are far from deserving1 we do not mean on that account to get into a rage with you40 ,thereupon old ,nardi said that ,i had spoken like a worthy young man as ,i was4 ,but ,niccol ,benintendi shouted3 8,i snap my fingers at them and the ,duke40 #h ,i replied that he was in the wrong toward us1 since we had nothing to do with him or his affairs4 ,old ,nardi took our part1 telling ,benintendi plainly that he was in the wrong1 which made him go on muttering insults4 ,on this ,i bade him know that ,i could say and do things to him which he would not like1 and therefore he had better mind his business1 and let us alone4 ,once more he cried out that he snapped his fingers at the ,duke and us1 and that we were all of us a heap of donkeys4 #i ,i replied by giving him the lie direct and drawing my sword4 ,the old man wanting to be first upon the staircase1 tumbled down some steps1 and all the rest of them came huddling after him4 ,i rushed onward1 brandishing my sword along the walls with fury1 and shouting3 8,i will kill you all60 but ,i took good care not to do them any harm1 as ,i might too easily have done4 ,in the midst of this tumult the innkeeper screamed out2 ,lamentone cried1 8,for ,god's sake1 hold60 some of them exclaimed1 8,oh me1 my head60 others1 8,let me get out from here40 ,in short1 it was an indescribable confusion2 they looked like a herd of swine4 ,then the host came with a light1 while ,i withdrew upstairs and put my sword back in its scabbard4 ,lamentone told ,niccol ,benintendi that he had behaved very ill4 ,the host said to him3 8,it is as much as one's life is worth to draw swords here2 and if the ,duke were to know of your brawling1 he would have you hanged4 ,i will not do to you what you deserve2 but take care you never show yourself again in my inn1 or it will be the worse for you40 ,our host then came up to me1 and when ,i began to make him my excuses1 he would not suffer me to say a word1 but told me that he knew ,i was entirely in the right1 and bade me be upon my guard against those men upon my journey4 ,note #a4 ,niccol de' ,pericoli1 a ,florentine1 who got the nickname of ,tribolo in his boyhood1 was a sculptor of some distinction4 ,he worked on the bas-reliefs of ,san ,petronio at ,bologna1 and helped ,michel ,agnolo da ,siena to execute the tomb of ,adrian ,,vi4 at ,rome4 ,afterwards he was employed upon the sculpture of the ,santa ,casa at ,loreto4 ,he also made some excellent bronzework for the ,medicean villas at ,cestello and ,petraja4 ,all through his life ,tribolo served the ,medici1 and during the siege of ,florence in #aecj he constructed a cork model of the town for ,clement ,,vii4 ,born #adhe1 died #aeej4 ,note #b4 ,this is the famous ,giacopo ,tatti1 who took his artist's surname from his master1 ,andrea da ,monte a ,sansovino4 ,his works at ,florence1 ,rome1 and ,venice are justly famous4 ,he died in #aegj1 aged ninety-three4 ,note #c4 ,a brother of the ,cardinal1 and himself ,marquis of ,massa4 ,note #d4 ,ser ,maurizio was entitled ,chancellor1 but really superintended the criminal magistracy of ,florence4 ,varchi and ,segni both speak of him as harsh and cruel in the discharge of his office4 ,note #e4 ,jacopo ,nardi was the excellent historian of ,florence1 a strong anti-,medicean partisan1 who was exiled in #aecj4 ,note #f4 ,i have translated the word 'brigata' by 'family' above1 because ,i find ,cellini in one of his letters alluding to his family as 'la mia brigatina4' ,note #g4 ,niccol ,benintendi1 who had been a member of the ,eight in #aebi1 was exiled by the ,medici in #aecj4 ,note #h4 ,the ,florentine slang is ',io ho in culo loro e il duca4' ,note #i4 ',un monte di asini4' ,,lxxvii ,,after we had supped1 a barge-man appeared1 and offered to take us to ,venice4 ,i asked if he would let us have the boat to ourselves2 he was willing1 and so we made our bargain4 ,in the morning we rose early1 and mounted our horses for the port1 which is a few miles distant from ,ferrara4 ,on arriving there1 we found ,niccol ,benintendi's brother1 with three comrades1 waiting for me4 ,they had among them two lances1 and ,i had bought a stout pike in ,ferrara4 ,being very well armed to boot1 ,i was not at all frightened1 as ,tribolo was1 who cried3 8,god help us6 those fellows are waiting here to murder us40 ,lamentone turned to me and said3 8,the best that you can do is to go back to ,ferrara1 for ,i see that the affair is likely to be ugly2 for ,heaven's sake1 ,benvenuto1 do not risk the fury of these mad beasts40 ,to which ,i replied3 8,let us go forward1 for ,god helps those who have the right on their side2 and you shall see how ,i will help myself4 ,is not this boat engaged for us80 8,yes10 said ,lamentone4 8,then we will stay in it without them1 unless my manhood has deserted me40 ,i put spurs to my horse1 and when ,i was within fifty paces1 dismounted and marched boldly forward with my pike4 ,tribolo stopped behind1 all huddled up upon his horse1 looking the very image of frost4 ,lamentone1 the courier1 meanwhile1 was swelling and snorting like the wind4 ,that was his usual habit2 but now he did so more than he was wont1 being in doubt how this devilish affair would terminate4 ,when ,i reached the boat1 the master presented himself and said that those ,florentine gentlemen wanted to embark in it with us1 if ,i was willing4 ,i answered3 8,the boat is engaged for us and no one else1 and it grieves me to the heart that ,i am not able to have their company40 ,at these words a brave young man of the ,magalotti family spoke out3 8,benvenuto1 we will make you able to have it40 ,to which ,i answered3 8,if ,god and my good cause1 together with my own strength of body and mind1 possess the will and the power1 you shall not make me able to have what you say40 ,so saying ,i leapt into the boat1 and turning my pike's point against them1 added3 8,i'll show you with this weapon that ,i am not able40 ,wishing to prove he was in earnest1 ,magalotti then seized his own and came toward me4 ,i sprang upon the gunwale and hit him such a blow1 that1 if he had not tumbled backward1 ,i must have pierced his body4 ,his comrades1 in lieu of helping him1 turned to fly2 and when ,i saw that ,i could kill him1 instead of striking1 ,i said3 8,get up1 brother2 take your arms and go away4 ,i have shown you that ,i cannot do what ,i do not want1 and what ,i had the power to do ,i have not chosen to do40 ,then ,i called for ,tribolo1 the boatman1 and ,lamentone to embark2 and so we got under way for ,venice4 ,when we had gone ten miles on the ,po1 we sighted those young men1 who had got into a skiff and caught us up2 and when they were alongside1 that idiot ,piero ,benintendi sang out to me3 8,go thy ways this time1 ,benvenuto2 we shall meet in ,venice40 8,set out betimes then10 ,i shouted1 8for ,i am coming1 and any man can meet me where he lists40 ,in due course we arrived at ,venice1 when ,i applied to a brother of ,cardinal ,cornaro1 begging him to procure for me the favour of being allowed to carry arms4 ,he advised me to do so without hesitation1 saying that the worst risk ,i ran was that ,i might lose my sword4 ,,lxxviii ,,accordingly ,i girded on my sword1 and went to visit ,jacopo del ,sansovino1 the sculptor1 who had sent for ,tribolo4 ,he received me most kindly1 and invited us to dinner1 and we stayed with him4 ,in course of conversation with ,tribolo1 he told him that he had no work to give him at the moment1 but that he might call again4 ,hearing this1 ,i burst out laughing1 and said pleasantly to ,sansovino3 8,your house is too far off from his1 if he must call again40 ,poor ,tribolo1 all in dismay1 exclaimed3 8,i have got your letter here1 which you wrote to bid me come40 ,sansovino rejoined that men of his sort1 men of worth and genius1 were free to do that and greater things besides4 ,tribolo shrugged up his shoulders and muttered3 8,patience1 patience10 several times4 ,thereupon1 without regarding the copious dinner which ,sansovino had given me1 ,i took the part of my comrade ,tribolo1 for he was in the right4 ,all the while at table ,sansovino had never stopped chattering about his great achievements1 abusing ,michel ,agnolo and the rest of his fellow-sculptors1 while he bragged and vaunted himself to the skies4 ,this had so annoyed me that not a single mouthful which ,i ate had tasted well2 but ,i refrained from saying more than these two words3 8,messer ,jacopo1 men of worth act like men of worth1 and men of genius1 who produce things beautiful and excellent1 shine forth far better when other people praise them than when they boast so confidently of their own achievements40 ,upon this he and ,i rose from table blowing off the steam of our choler4 ,the same day1 happening to pass near the ,rialto1 ,i met ,piero ,benintendi in the company of some men2 and perceiving that they were going to pick a quarrel with me1 ,i turned into an apothecary's shop till the storm blew over4 ,afterwards ,i learned that the young ,magalotti1 to whom ,i showed that courtesy1 had scolded them roundly2 and thus the affair ended4 ,,lxxix ,a ,,few days afterwards we set out on our return to ,florence4 ,we lay one night at a place on this side ,chioggia1 on the left hand as you go toward ,ferrara4 ,here the host insisted upon being paid before we went to bed1 and in his own way2 and when ,i observed that it was the custom everywhere else to pay in the morning1 he answered3 8,i insist on being paid overnight1 and in my own way40 ,i retorted that men who wanted everything their own way ought to make a world after their own fashion1 since things were differently managed here4 ,our host told me not to go on bothering his brains1 because he was determined to do as he had said4 ,tribolo stood trembling with fear1 and nudged me to keep quiet1 lest they should do something worse to us2 so we paid them in the way they wanted1 and afterwards we retired to rest4 ,we had1 ,i must admit1 the most capital beds1 new in every particular1 and as clean as they could be4 ,nevertheless ,i did not get one wink of sleep1 because ,i kept on thinking how ,i could revenge myself4 ,at one time it came into my head to set fire to his house2 at another to cut the throats of four fine horses which he had in the stable2 ,i saw well enough that it was easy for me to do all this2 but ,i could not see how it was easy to secure myself and my companion4 ,at last ,i resolved to put my things and my comrade's on board the boat2 and so ,i did4 ,when the towing-horses had been harnessed to the cable1 ,i ordered the people not to stir before ,i returned1 for ,i had left a pair of slippers in my bedroom4 ,accordingly ,i went back to the inn and called our host1 who told me he had nothing to do with us1 and that we might go to ,jericho4 #a ,there was a ragged stable-boy about1 half a sleep1 who cried out to me3 8,the master would not move to please the ,pope1 because he has got a wench in bed with him1 whom he has been wanting this long while40 ,then he asked me for a tip1 and ,i gave him a few ,venetian coppers1 and told him to make the barge-man wait till ,i had found my slippers and returned4 ,i went upstairs1 took out a little knife as sharp as a razor1 and cut the four beds that ,i found there into ribbons4 ,i had the satisfaction of knowing ,i had done a damage of more than fifty crowns4 ,then ,i ran down to the boat with some pieces of the bed-covers #b in my pouch1 and bade the bargee start at once without delay4 ,we had not gone far before my gossip ,tribolo said that he had left behind some little straps belonging to his carpet-bag1 and that he must be allowed to go back for them4 ,i answered that he need not take thought for a pair of little straps1 since ,i could make him as many big ones as he liked4 #c ,he told me ,i was always joking1 but that he must really go back for his straps4 ,then he began ordering the bargee to stop1 while ,i kept ordering him to go on4 ,meanwhile ,i informed my friend what kind of trick ,i had played our host1 and showed him specimens of the bed-covers and other things1 which threw him into such a quaking fright that he roared out to the bargee3 8,on with you1 on with you1 as quick as you can60 and never thought himself quite safe until we reached the gates of ,florence4 ,when we arrived there1 ,tribolo said3 8,let us bind our swords up1 for the love of ,god2 and play me no more of your games1 ,i beg2 for all this while ,i've felt as though my guts were in the saucepan40 ,i made answer3 8,gossip ,tribolo1 you need not tie your sword up1 for you have never loosed it20 and this ,i said at random1 because ,i never once had seen him act the man upon that journey4 ,when he heard the remark1 he looked at his sword and cried out3 8,in ,god's name1 you speak true6 ,here it is tied1 just as ,i arranged it before ,i left my house40 ,my gossip deemed that ,i had been a bad travelling companion to him1 because ,i resented affronts and defended myself against folk who would have done us injury4 ,but ,i deemed that he had acted a far worse part with regard to me by never coming to my assistance at such pinches4 ,let him judge between us who stands by and has no personal interest in our adventures4 ,note #a4 ',e che noi andassimo al bordello4' ,note #b4 ',sarge4 ,sargia' is interpreted 'sopraccoperta del letto4' ,note #c4 ,the ,italian for straps1 'coregge1' has a double meaning1 upon which ,cellini plays4 ,,lxxx ,,no sooner had ,i dismounted that ,i went to visit ,duke ,alessandro1 and thanked him greatly for his present of the fifty crowns1 telling his ,excellency that ,i was always ready to serve him according to my abilities4 ,he gave me orders at once to strike dies for his coinage2 and the first ,i made was a piece of forty soldi1 with the ,duke's head on one side and ,san ,cosimo and ,san ,damiano on the other4 #a ,this was in silver1 and it gave so much satisfaction that the ,duke did not hesitate to say they were the best pieces of money in ,christendom4 ,the same said all ,florence and every one who saw them4 ,consequently ,i asked his ,excellency to make me appointments1 #b and to grant me the lodgings of the ,mint4 ,he bade me remain in his service1 and promised he would give me more than ,i demanded4 ,meanwhile he said he had commissioned the ,master of the ,mint1 a certain ,carlo ,acciaiuoli1 and that ,i might go to him for all the money that ,i wanted4 ,this ,i found to be true2 but ,i drew my monies so discreetly1 that ,i had always something to my credit1 according to my account4 ,i then made dies for a giulio2 #c it had ,san ,giovanni in profile1 seated with a book in his hand1 finer in my judgment than anything which ,i had done2 and on the other side were the armorial bearings of ,duke ,alessandro4 ,next ,i made dies for half-giulios on which ,i struck the full face of ,san ,giovanni in small4 ,this was the first coin with a head in full face on so thin a piece of silver that had yet been seen4 ,the difficulty of executing it is apparent only to the eyes of such as are past-masters in these crafts4 ,afterwards ,i made dies for the golden crowns2 this crown had a cross upon one side with some little cherubim1 and on the other side his ,excellency's arms4 ,when ,i had struck these four sorts1 ,i begged the ,duke to make out my appointments and to assign me the lodgings ,i have mentioned1 if he was contented with my service4 ,he told me very graciously that he was quite satisfied1 and that he would grant me my request4 ,while we were thus talking1 his ,excellency was in his wardrobe1 looking at a remarkable little gun that had been sent him out of ,germany4 #d ,when he noticed that ,i too paid particular attention to this pretty instrument1 he put it in my hands1 saying that he knew how much pleasure ,i took in such things1 and adding that ,i might choose for earnest of his promises an arquebuse to my own liking from the armoury1 excepting only this one piece2 he was well aware that ,i should find things of greater beauty1 and not less excellent1 there4 ,upon this invitation1 ,i accepted with thanks2 and when he saw me looking round1 he ordered his ,master of the ,wardrobe1 a certain ,pretino of ,lucca1 to let me take whatever ,i liked4 #e ,then he went away with the most pleasant words at parting1 while ,i remained1 and chose the finest and best arquebuse ,i ever saw1 or ever had1 and took it back with me to home4 ,two days afterward ,i brought some drawings which his ,excellency had commissioned for gold-work he wanted to give his wife1 who was at that time still in ,naples4 #f ,i again asked him to settle my affairs4 ,then his ,excellency told me that he should like me first to execute the die of his portrait in fine style1 as ,i had done for ,pope ,clement4 ,i began it in wax2 and the ,duke gave orders1 while ,i was at work upon it1 that whenever ,i went to take his portrait1 ,i should be admitted4 ,perceiving that ,i had a lengthy piece of business on my hands1 ,i sent for a certain ,pietro ,pagolo from ,monte ,ritondo1 in the ,roman district1 who had been with me from his boyhood in ,rome4 #g ,i found him with one ,bernardonaccio1 #h a goldsmith1 who did not treat him well2 so ,i brought him away from there1 and taught him minutely how to strike coins from those dies4 ,meanwhile1 ,i went on making the ,duke's portrait2 and oftentimes ,i found him napping after dinner with that ,lorenzino of his1 who afterwards murdered him1 and no other company2 and much ,i marvelled that a ,duke of that sort showed such confidence about his safety4 #i ,note #a4 ,these were the special patrons of the ,medicean family1 being physician-saints4 ,note #b4 ',che mi fermassi una provvisione4' ,note #c4 ,the 'giulio' was a coin of #ef ,italian centimes or #h ,tuscan 'crazie1' which in ,florence was also called 'barile' or 'gabellotto1' because the sum had to be paid as duty on a barrel of wine4 ,note #d4 ,see above1 p4 #abj1 for the right meaning of wardrobe4 ,note #e4 ,messer ,francesco of ,lucca1 surnamed ,il ,pretino4 ,note #f4 ,margaret of ,austria1 natural daughter of ,charles ,v41 was eventually married in #aecf to ,alessandro de' ,medici4 ,note #g4 ,pietro ,pagolo ,galleotti1 much praised by ,vasari for his artistic skill4 ,note #h4 ,perhaps ,bernardo ,sabatini4 ,note #i4 ,this is the famous ,tuscan ,brutus who murdered ,alessandro4 ,he was descended from ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 the brother of ,cosimo1 ',pater ,patri1' and the uncle of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent4 ,,lxxxi ,,it happened at this time ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 #a who to all appearances had got the government of everything in his own hands1 favoured the old ,master of the ,mint against the ,duke's will4 ,this man was called ,bastiano ,cennini1 an artist of the antiquated school1 and of little skill in his craft4 #b ,ottaviano mixed his stupid dies with mine in the coinage of crown-pieces4 ,i complained of this to the ,duke1 who1 when he saw how the matter stood1 took it very ill1 and said to me3 8,go1 tell this to ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 and show him how it is40 #c ,i lost no time2 and when ,i had pointed out the injury that had been done to my fine coins1 he answered1 like the donkey that he was3 8,we choose to have it so40 ,i replied that it ought not to be so1 and that ,i did not choose to have it so4 ,he said3 8,and if the ,duke likes to have it so80 ,i answered3 8,it would not suit me1 for the thing is neither just nor reasonable40 ,he told me to take myself off1 and that ,i should have no swallow it in this way1 even if ,i burst4 ,then ,i returned to the ,duke1 and related the whole unpleasant conversation between ,ottaviano de' ,medici and me1 entreating his ,excellency not to allow the fine coins which ,i had made for him to be spoiled1 and begging for permission to leave ,florence4 ,he replied3 8,ottaviano is too presuming3 you shall have what you want2 for this is an injury offered to myself40 ,that very day1 which was a ,thursday1 ,i received from ,rome a full safe-conduct from the ,pope1 with advice to go there at once and get the pardon of ,our ,lady's feast in mid-,august1 in order that ,i might clear myself from the penalties attaching to my homicide4 ,i went to the ,duke1 whom ,i found in bed1 for they told me he was suffering the consequence of a debauch4 ,in little more than two hours ,i finished what was wanted for his waxen medal2 and when ,i showed it to him1 it pleased him extremely4 ,then ,i exhibited the safe-conduct sent me at the order of the ,pope1 and told him how his ,holiness had recalled me to execute certain pieces of work2 on this account ,i should like to regain my footing in the fair city of ,rome1 which would not prevent my attending to his medal4 ,the ,duke made answer half in anger3 8,benvenuto1 do as ,i desire3 stay here2 ,i will provide for your appointments1 and will give you the lodgings in the ,mint1 with much more than you could ask for1 because your requests are only just and reasonable4 ,and who do you think will be able to strike the beautiful dies which you have made for me80 ,then ,i said3 8,my lord1 ,i have thought of everything1 for ,i have here a pupil of mine1 a young ,roman whom ,i have taught the art2 he will serve your ,excellency very well till ,i return with your medal finished1 to remain for ever in your service4 ,i have in ,rome a shop open1 with journeymen and a pretty business2 as soon as ,i have got my pardon1 ,i will leave all the devotion of ,rome #d to a pupil of mine there1 and will come back1 with your ,excellency's good permission1 to you40 ,during this conversation1 the ,lorenzino de' ,medici whom ,i have above mentioned was present1 and no one else4 ,the ,duke frequently signed to him that he should join in pressing me to stay2 but ,lorenzino never said anything except3 8,benvenuto1 you would do better to remain where you are40 ,i answered that ,i wanted by all means to regain my hold on ,rome4 ,he made no reply1 but continued eyeing the ,duke with very evil glances4 ,when ,i had finished the medal to my liking1 and shut it in its little box1 ,i said to the ,duke3 8,my lord1 pray let me have your good-will1 for ,i will make you a much finer medal than the one ,i made for ,pope ,clement4 ,it is only reasonable that ,i should since that was the first ,i ever made4 ,messer ,lorenzo here will give me some exquisite reverse1 as he is a person learned and of the greatest genius40 ,to these words ,lorenzo suddenly made answer3 8,i have been thinking of nothing else but how to give you a reverse worthy of his ,excellency40 ,the ,duke laughed a little1 and looking at ,lorenzo1 said3 8,lorenzo1 you shall give him the reverse1 and he shall do it here and shall not go away40 ,lorenzo took him up at once1 saying3 8,i will do it as quickly as ,i can1 and ,i hope to do something that shall make the whole world wonder40 ,the ,duke1 who held him sometimes for a fool and sometimes for a coward1 turned about in bed1 and laughed at his bragging1 words4 ,i took my leave without further ceremony1 and left them alone together4 ,the ,duke1 who did not believe that ,i was really going1 said nothing further4 ,afterwards1 when he knew that ,i was gone1 he sent one of his servants1 who caught me up at ,siena1 and gave me fifty golden ducats with a message from the ,duke that ,i should take and use them for his sake1 and should return as soon as possible2 8and from ,messer ,lorenzo ,i have to tell you that he is preparing an admirable reverse for that medal which you want to make40 ,i had left full directions to ,petro ,pagolo1 the ,roman above mentioned1 how he had to use the dies2 but as it was a very delicate affair1 he never quite succeeded in employing them4 ,i remained creditor to the ,mint in a matter of more than seventy crowns on account of dies supplied by me4 ,note #a4 ,this ,ottaviano was not descended from either ,cosimo or ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 but from an elder1 though less illustrious1 branch of the great family4 ,he married ,francesca ,salviati1 the aunt of ,duke ,cosimo4 ,though a great patron of the arts and an intimate friend of ,m4 ,a4 ,buonarroti1 he was not popular1 owing to his pride of place4 ,note #b4 ,cellini praises this man1 however1 in the preface to the ',oreficeria4' ,note #c4 ',mostragnene4' ,this is perhaps equivalent to 'mostraglielo4' ,note #d4 ',tutta la divozione di ,roma4' ,it is not very clear what this exactly means4 ,perhaps 8all the affection and reverence ,i have for the city of ,rome10 or merely 8all my ties in ,rome40 ,,lxxxii ,,on the journey to ,rome ,i carried with me that handsome arquebuse which the ,duke gave me2 and very much to my own pleasure1 ,i used it several times by the way1 performing incredible feats by means of it4 ,the little house ,i had in ,strada ,giulia was not ready2 so ,i dismounted at the house of ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi1 clerk of the ,camera1 to whose keeping ,i had committed1 on leaving ,rome1 many of my arms and other things ,i cared for4 ,so ,i did not choose to alight at my shop1 but sent for ,felice1 my partner1 and got him to put my little dwelling forthwith into excellent order4 ,the day following1 ,i went to sleep there1 after well providing myself with clothes and all things requisite1 since ,i intended to go and thank the ,pope next morning4 ,i had two young serving-lads1 and beneath my lodgings lived a laundress who cooked extremely nicely for me4 ,that evening ,i entertained several friends at supper1 and having passed the time with great enjoyment1 betook myself to bed4 ,the night had hardly ended1 indeed it was more than an hour before daybreak1 when ,i heard a furious knocking at the house-door1 stroke succeeding stroke without a moment's pause4 ,accordingly ,i called my elder servant1 ,cencio #a 7he was the man ,i took into the necromantic circle71 and bade him to go and see who the madman was that knocked so brutally at that hour of the night4 ,while ,cencio was on this errand1 ,i lighted another lamp1 for ,i always keep one by me at night2 then ,i made haste to pass an excellent coat of mail over my shirt1 and above that some clothes which ,i caught up at random4 ,cencio returned1 exclaiming3 8,heavens1 master6 it is the ,bargello and all his guard2 and he says that if you do not open at once1 he will knock the door down4 ,they have torches1 and a thousand things besides with them60 ,i answered3 8,tell them that ,i am huddling my clothes on1 and will come out to them in my shirt40 ,supposing it was a trap laid to murder me1 as had before been done by ,signor ,pier ,luigi1 ,i seized an excellent dagger with my right hand1 and with the left ,i took the safe-conduct2 then ,i ran to the back-window1 which looked out on gardens1 and there ,i saw more than thirty constables2 wherefore ,i knew that ,i could not escape upon that side4 ,i made the two lads go in front1 and told them to open the door exactly when ,i gave the word to do so4 ,then taking up an attitude of defence1 with the dagger in my right hand and the safe-conduct in my left1 ,i cried to the lads3 8,have no fear1 but open60 ,the ,bargello1 ,vittorio1 and the officers sprang inside at once1 thinking they could easily lay hands upon me2 but when they saw me prepared in that way to receive them1 they fell back1 exclaiming3 8,we have a serious job on hand here60 ,then ,i threw the safe-conduct to them1 and said3 8,read that6 and since you cannot seize me1 ,i do not mean that you shall touch me40 ,the ,bargello upon this ordered some of his men to arrest me1 saying he would look to the safe-conduct later4 ,thereat ,i presented my arms boldly1 calling aloud3 8,let ,god defend the right6 ,either ,i shall escape your hands alive1 or be taken a dead corpse60 ,the room was crammed with men2 they made as though they would resort to violence2 ,i stood upon my guard against them2 so that the ,bargello saw he would not be able to have me except in the way ,i said4 ,accordingly he called his clerk1 and while the safe-conduct as being read1 he showed by signs two or three times that he meant to have me secured by his officers2 but this had no effect of shaking my determination4 ,at last they gave up the attempt1 threw my safe-conduct on the ground1 and went away without their prize4 ,note #a4 ',i4 e41' ,vincenzio ,romoli4 ,,lxxxiii ,,when ,i returned to bed1 ,i felt so agitated that ,i could not get to sleep again4 ,my mind was made up to let blood as soon as day broke4 ,however1 ,i asked advice of ,messer ,gaddi1 and he referred to a wretched doctor-fellow he employed1 #a who asked me if ,i had been frightened4 ,now1 just consider what a judicious doctor this was1 after ,i had narrated an occurrence of that gravity1 to ask me such a question6 ,he was an empty fribbler1 who kept perpetually laughing about nothing at all4 ,simpering and sniggering1 then1 he bade me drink a good cup of ,greek wine1 keep my spirits up1 and not be frightened4 ,messer ,giovanni1 however1 said3 8,master1 a man of bronze or marble might be frightened in such circumstances4 ,how much more one of flesh and blood60 ,the quack responded3 8,monsignor1 we are not all made after the same pattern2 this fellow is no man of bronze or marble1 but of pure iron40 ,then he gave one of his meaningless laughs1 and putting his fingers on my wrist1 said3 8,feel here2 this is not a man's pulse1 but a lion's or a dragon's40 ,at this1 ,i1 whose blood was thumping in my veins1 probably far beyond anything which that fool of a doctor had learned from his ,hippocrates or ,galen1 knew at once how serious was my situation2 yet wishing not to add to my uneasiness and to the harm ,i had already taken1 ,i made show of being in good spirits4 ,while this was happening1 ,messer ,giovanni had ordered dinner1 and we all of us sat down to eat in company4 ,i remembered that ,messer ,lodovico da ,fano1 ,messer ,antonio ,allegretti1 ,messer ,giovanni ,greco1 all of them men of the finest scholarship1 and ,messer ,annibal ,caro1 who was then quite young1 were present4 ,at table the conversation turned entirely upon my act of daring4 ,they insisted on hearing the whole story over and over again from my apprentice ,cencio1 who was a youth of superlative talent1 bravery1 and extreme personal beauty4 ,each time that he described my truculent behaviour1 throwing himself into the attitudes ,i had assumed1 and repeating the words which ,i had used1 he called up some fresh detail to my memory4 ,they kept asking him if he had been afraid2 to which he answered that they ought to ask me if ,i had been afraid1 because he felt precisely the same as ,i had4 ,all this chattering grew irksome to me2 and since ,i still felt strongly agitated1 ,i rose at last from table1 saying that ,i wanted to go and get new clothes of blue silk and stuff for him and me2 adding that ,i meant to walk in procession after four days at the feast of ,our ,lady1 and meant ,cencio to carry a white lighted torch on the occasion4 ,accordingly ,i took my leave1 and had the blue cloth cut1 together with a handsome jacket of blue sarcenet and a little doublet of the same2 and ,i had a similar jacket and waistcoat made for ,cencio4 ,when these things had been cut out1 ,i went to see the ,pope1 who told me to speak with ,messer ,ambruogio2 for he had given orders that ,i should execute a large piece of golden plate4 ,so ,i went to find ,messer ,ambruogio1 who had heard the whole of the affair of the ,bargello1 and had been in concert with my enemies to bring me back to ,rome1 and had scolded the ,bargello for not laying hands on me4 ,the man excused himself by saying that he could not do so in the face of the safe-conduct which ,i held4 ,messer ,ambruogio now began to talk about the ,pope's commission1 and bade me make drawings for it1 saying that the business should be put at once in train4 ,meanwhile the feast of ,our ,lady came round4 ,now it is the custom for those who get a pardon upon this occasion to give themselves up to prison2 in order to avoid doing which ,i returned to the ,pope1 and told his ,holiness that ,i was very unwilling to go to prison1 and that ,i begged him to grant me the favour of a dispensation4 ,the ,pope answered that such was the custom1 and that ,i must follow it4 ,thereupon ,i fell again upon my knees1 and thanked him for the safe-conduct he had given me1 saying at the same time that ,i should go back with it to serve my ,duke in ,florence1 who was waiting for me so impatiently4 ,on hearing this1 the ,pope turned to one of his confidential servants and said3 8,let ,benvenuto get his grace without the prison1 and see that his 'moto proprio' is made out in due form40 ,as soon as the document had been drawn up1 his ,holiness signed it2 it was then registered at the ,capitol2 afterwards1 upon the day appointed1 ,i walked in procession very honourably between two gentlemen1 and so got clear at last4 ,note #a4 ,possibly ,bernardino ,lilii of ,todi4 ,,lxxxiv ,,four days had passed when ,i was attacked with violent fever attended by extreme cold2 and taking to my bed1 ,i made my mind up that ,i was sure to die4 ,i had the first doctors of ,rome called in1 among whom was ,francesco da ,norcia1 a physician of great age1 and of the best repute in ,rome4 #a ,i told them what ,i believed to be the cause of my illness1 and said that ,i had wished to let blood1 but that ,i had been advised against it2 and if it was not too late1 ,i begged them to bleed me now4 ,maestro ,francesco answered that it would not be well for me to let blood then1 but that if ,i had done so before1 ,i should have escaped without mischief2 at present they would have to treat the case with other remedies4 ,so they began to doctor me as energetically as they were able1 while ,i grew daily worse and worse so rapidly1 that after eight days the physicians despaired of my life1 and said that ,i might be indulged in any whim ,i had to make me comfortable4 ,maestro ,francesco added3 8,as long as there is breath in him1 call me at all hours2 for no one can divine what ,nature is able to work in a young man of this kind2 moreover1 if he should lose consciousness1 administer these five remedies one after the other1 and send for me1 for ,i will come at any hour of the night2 ,i would rather save him than any of the cardinals in ,rome40 ,every day ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi came to see me two or three times1 and each time he took up one or other of my handsome fowling-pieces1 coats of mail1 or swords1 using words like these3 8,that is a handsome thing1 that other is still handsomer20 and likewise with my models and other trifles1 so that at last he drove me wild with annoyance4 ,in his company came a certain ,matio ,franzesi #b and this man also appeared to be waiting impatiently for my death1 not indeed because he would inherit anything from me1 but because he wished for what his master seemed to have so much at heart4 ,felice1 my partner1 was always at my side1 rendering the greatest services which it is possible for one man to give another4 ,nature in me was utterly debilitated and undone2 ,i had not strength enough to fetch my breath back if it left me2 and yet my brain remained as clear and strong as it had been before my illness4 ,nevertheless1 although ,i kept my consciousness1 a terrible old man used to come to my bedside1 and make as though he would drag me by force into a huge boat he had with him4 ,this made me call out to my ,felice to draw near and chase that malignant old man away4 ,felice1 who loved me most affectionately1 ran weeping and crying3 8,away with you1 old traitor2 you are robbing me of all the good ,i have in this world40 ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi1 who was present1 then began to say3 8,the poor fellow is delirious1 and has only a few hours to live40 ,his fellow1 ,mattio ,franzesi1 remarked3 8,he has read ,dante1 and in the prostration of his sickness this apparition has appeared to him0 #c then he added laughingly3 8,away with you1 old rascal1 and don't bother our friend ,benvenuto40 ,when ,i saw that they were making fun of me1 ,i turned to ,messer ,gaddi and said3 8,my dear master1 know that ,i am not raving1 and that it is true that this old man is really giving me annoyance2 but the best that you can do for me would be to drive that miserable ,mattio from my side1 who is laughing at my affliction1 afterwards if your lordship deigns to visit me again1 let me beg you to come with ,messer ,antonio ,allegretti1 or with ,messer ,annibal ,caro1 or with some other of your accomplished friends1 who are persons of quite different intelligence and discretion from that beast40 ,thereupon ,messer ,giovanni told ,mattio in jest to take himself out of his sight for ever2 but because ,mattio went on laughing1 the joke turned to earnest1 for ,messer ,giovanni would not look upon him again1 but sent for ,messer ,antonio ,allegretti1 ,messer ,ludovico1 and ,messer ,annibal ,caro4 ,on the arrival of these worthy men1 ,i was greatly comforted1 and talked reasonably with them awhile1 not however without frequently urging ,felice to drive the old man away4 ,messer ,ludovico asked me what it was ,i seemed to see1 and how the man was shaped4 ,while ,i portrayed him accurately in words1 the old man took me by the arm and dragged me violently towards him4 ,this made me cry out for aid1 because he was going to fling me under hatches in his hideous boat4 ,on saying that last word1 ,i fell into a terrible swoon1 and seemed to be sinking down into the boat4 ,they say that during that fainting-fit ,i flung myself about and cast bad words at ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi1 to wit1 that he came to rob me1 and not from any motive of charity1 and other insults of the kind1 which caused him to be much ashamed4 ,later on1 they say ,i lay still like one dead2 and after waiting by me more than an hour1 thinking ,i was growing cold1 they left me for dead4 ,when they returned home1 ,mattio ,franzesi was informed1 who wrote to ,florence to ,messer ,benedetto ,varchi1 my very dear friend1 that they had seen me die at such and such an hour of the night4 ,when he heard the news1 that most accomplished man and my dear friend composed an admirable sonnet upon my supposed but not real death1 which shall be reported in its proper place4 ,more than three long hours passed1 and yet ,i did not regain consciousness4 ,felice having used all the remedies prescribed by ,maestro ,francesco1 and seeing that ,i did not come to1 ran post-haste to the physician's door1 and knocked so loudly that he woke him up1 and made him rise1 and begged him with tears to come to the house1 for he thought that ,i was dead4 ,whereto ,maestro ,francesco1 who was a very choleric man1 replied3 8,my son1 of what use do you think ,i should be if ,i came8 ,if he is dead1 ,i am more sorry than you are4 ,do you imagine that if ,i were to come with my medicine ,i could blow breath up through his guts #d and bring him back to life for you80 ,but when he saw that the poor young fellow was going away weeping1 he called him back and gave him an oil with which to anoint my pulses1 and my heart1 telling him to pinch my little fingers and toes very tightly1 and to send at once to call him if ,i should revive4 ,felice took his way1 and did as ,maestro ,francesco had ordered4 ,it was almost bright day when1 thinking they would have to abandon hope1 they gave orders to have my shroud made and to wash me4 ,suddenly ,i regained consciousness1 and called out to ,felice to drive away the old man on the moment1 who kept tormenting me4 ,he wanted to send for ,maestro ,francesco1 but ,i told him not to do so1 but to come close up to me1 because that old man was afraid of him and went away at once4 ,so ,felice drew near to the bed2 ,i touched him1 and it seemed to me that the infuriated old man withdrew2 so ,i prayed him not to leave me for a second4 ,when ,maestro ,francesco appeared1 he said it was his dearest wish to save my life1 and that he had never in all his days seen greater force in a young man than ,i had4 ,then he sat down to write1 and prescribed for me perfumes1 lotions1 unctions1 plasters1 and a heap of other precious things4 ,meanwhile ,i came to life again by the means of more than twenty leeches applied to my buttocks1 but with my body bore through1 bound1 and ground to powder4 ,many of my friends crowded in to behold the miracle of the resuscitated dead man1 and among them people of the first importance4 ,in their presence ,i declared that the small amount of gold and money ,i possessed1 perhaps some eight hundred crowns1 what with gold1 silver1 jewels1 and cash1 should be given by my will to my poor sister in ,florence1 called ,mona ,liperata2 all the remainder of my property1 armour and everything besides1 ,i left to my dearest ,felice1 together with fifty golden ducats1 in order that he might buy mourning4 ,at those words ,felice flung his arms around my neck1 protesting that he wanted nothing but to have me as he wished alive with him4 ,then ,i said3 8,if you want me alive1 touch me as you did before1 and threaten the old man1 for he is afraid of you40 ,at these words some of the folk were terrified1 knowing that ,i was not raving1 but talking to the purpose and with all my wits4 ,thus my wretched malady went dragging on1 and ,i got but little better4 ,maestro ,francesco1 that most excellent man1 came four or five times a day2 ,messer ,giovanni ,gaddi1 who felt ashamed1 did not visit me again4 ,my brother-in-law1 the husband of my sister1 arrived2 he came from ,florence for the inheritance2 but as he was a very worthy man1 he rejoiced exceedingly to have found me alive4 ,the sight of him did me a world of good1 and he began to caress me at once1 saying he had only come to take care of me in person2 and this he did for several days4 ,afterwards ,i sent him away1 having almost certain hope of my recovery4 ,on this occasion he left the sonnet of ,messer ,benedetto ,varchi1 which runs as follows3 #e 8,who shall1 ,mattio1 yield our pain relief8 ,who shall forbid the sad expense of tears8 ,alas6 #8tis true that in his youthful years ,our friend hath flown1 and left us here to grief4 8,he hath gone up to heaven1 who was the chief ,of men renowned in art's immortal spheres2 ,among the mighty dead he had no peers1 ,nor shall earth see his like1 in my belief4 ,o gentle sprite6 if love still sway the blest1 ,look down on him thou here didst love1 and view ,these tears that mourn my loss1 not thy great good4 8,there dost thou gaze on ,his beatitude ,who made our universe1 and findest true ,the form of ,him thy skill for men expressed40 ,note #a4 ,francesco ,fusconi1 physician to ,popes ,adrian ,,vi41 ,clement ,,vii41 and ,paul ,,iii4 ,note #b4 ,franzesi was a clever ,italian poet4 ,his burlesque ,capitoli are printed with those of ,berni and others4 ,note #c4 ',inferno1' iii41 the verses about ,charon4 ,note #d4 ',io ali possa soffiare in culo4' ,note #e4 ,this sonnet is so insipid1 so untrue to ,cellini's real place in art1 so false to the far from saintly character of the man1 that ,i would rather have declined translating it1 had ,i not observed it to be a good example of that technical and conventional insincerity which was invading ,italy at this epoch4 ,varchi was really sorry to hear the news of ,cellini's death2 but for his genuine emotion he found spurious vehicles of utterance4 ,cellini1 meanwhile1 had a right to prize it1 since it revealed to him what friendship was prepared to utter after his decease4 ,,lxxxv ,,my sickness had been of such a very serious nature that it seemed impossible for me to fling it off4 ,that worthy man ,maestro ,francesco da ,norcia redoubled his efforts1 and brought me every day fresh remedies1 trying to restore strength to my miserable unstrung frame4 ,yet all these endeavours were apparently insufficient to overcome the obstinacy of my malady1 so that the physicians were in despair and at their wits' ends what to do4 ,i was tormented by thirst1 but had abstained from drinking for many days according to the doctors' orders4 ,felice1 who thought he had done wonders in restoring me1 never left my side4 ,that old man ceased to give so much annoyance1 yet sometimes he appeared to me in dreams4 ,one day ,felice had gone out of doors1 leaving me under the care of a young apprentice and a servant-maid called ,beatrice4 ,i asked the apprentice what had become of my lad ,cencio1 and what was the reason why ,i had never seen him in attendance on me4 ,the boy replied that ,cencio had been far more ill than ,i was1 and that he was even at death's door4 ,felice had given them orders not to speak to me of this4 ,on hearing the news1 ,i was exceedingly distressed2 then ,i called the maid ,beatrice1 a ,pistojan girl1 and asked her to bring me a great crystal water-cooler which stood near1 full of clear and fresh water4 ,she ran at once1 and brought it to me full2 ,i told her to put it to my lips1 adding that if she let me take a draught according to my heart's content1 ,i would give her a new gown4 ,this maid had stolen from me certain little things of some importance1 and in her fear of being detected1 she would have been very glad if ,i had died4 ,accordingly she allowed me twice to take as much as ,i could of the water1 so that in good earnest ,i swallowed more than a flask full4 #a ,i then covered myself1 and began to sweat1 and fell into a deep sleep4 ,after ,i had slept about an hour1 ,felice came home and asked the boy how ,i was getting on4 ,he answered3 8,i do not know4 ,beatrice brought him that cooler full of water1 and he has drunk almost the whole of it4 ,i don't know now whether he is alive or dead40 ,they say that my poor friend was on the point of falling to the ground1 so grieved was he to hear this4 ,afterwards he took an ugly stick and began to beat the serving-girl with all his might1 shouting out3 8,ah6 traitress1 you have killed him for me then80 ,while ,felice was cudgelling and she screaming1 ,i was in a dream2 ,i thought the old man held ropes in his hand1 and while he was preparing to bind me1 ,felice had arrived and struck him with an axe1 so that the old man fled exclaiming3 8,let me go1 and ,i promise not to return for a long while40 ,beatrice in the meantime had run into my bedroom shrieking loudly4 ,this woke me up1 and ,i called out3 8,leave her alone2 perhaps1 when she meant to do me harm1 she did me more good than you were able to do with all your efforts4 ,she may indeed have saved my life2 so lend me a helping hand1 for ,i have sweated2 and be quick about it40 ,felice recovered his spirits1 dried and made me comfortable2 and ,i1 being conscious of a great improvement in my state1 began to reckon on recovery4 ,when ,maestro ,francesco appeared and saw my great improvement1 and the servant-girl in tears1 and the prentice running to and fro1 and ,felice laughing1 all this disturbance made him think that something extraordinary must have happened1 which had been the cause of my amendment4 ,just then the other doctor1 ,bernardino1 put in his appearance1 who at the beginning of my illness had refused to bleed me4 ,maestro ,francesco1 that most able man1 exclaimed3 8,oh1 power of ,nature6 ,she knows what she requires1 and the physicians know nothing40 ,that simpleton1 ,maestro ,bernardino1 made answer1 saying3 8,if he had drunk another bottle he would have been cured upon the spot40 ,maestro ,francesco da ,norcia1 a man of age and great authority1 said3 8,that would have been a terrible misfortune1 and would to ,god that it may fall on you60 ,afterwards he turned to me and asked if ,i could have drunk more water4 ,i answered3 8,no1 because ,i had entirely quenched my thirst40 ,then he turned to ,maestro ,bernardino1 and said3 8,look you how ,nature has taken precisely what she wanted1 neither more nor less4 ,in like manner she was asking for what she wanted when the poor young man begged you to bleed him4 ,if you knew that his recovery depended upon his drinking two flasks of water1 why did you not say so before8 ,you might then have boasted of his cure40 ,at these words the wretched quack sulkily departed1 and never showed his face again4 ,maestro ,francesco then gave orders that ,i should be removed from my room and carried to one of the hills there are in ,rome4 ,cardinal ,cornaro1 when he heard of my improvement1 had me transported to a place of his on ,monte ,cavallo4 ,the very evening ,i was taken with great precautions in a chair1 well wrapped up and protected from the cold4 ,no sooner had ,i reached the place than ,i began to vomit1 during which there came from my stomach a hairy worm about a quarter of a cubit in length3 the hairs were long1 and the worm was very ugly1 speckled of divers colours1 green1 black1 and red4 ,they kept and showed it to the doctor1 who said he had never seen anything of the sort before1 and afterwards remarked to ,felice3 8,now take care of your ,benvenuto1 for he is cured4 ,do not permit him any irregularities2 for though he has escaped this time1 another disorder now would be the death of him4 ,you see his malady has been so grave1 that if we had brought him the extreme unction1 we might not have been in time4 ,now ,i know that with a little patience and time he will live to execute more of his fine works40 ,then he turned to me and said3 8,my ,benvenuto1 be prudent1 commit no excesses1 and when you are quite recovered1 ,i beg you to make me a ,madonna with your own hand1 and ,i will always pay my devotions to it for your sake40 ,this ,i promised to do1 and then asked him whether it would be safe for me to travel so far as to ,florence4 ,he advised me to wait till ,i was stronger1 and till we could observe how ,nature worked in me4 ,note #a4 ',un fiasco1' holding more than a quart4 ,,lxxxvi ,,when eight days had come and gone1 my amendment was so slight that life itself became almost a burden to me2 indeed ,i had been more than fifty days in that great suffering4 ,so ,i made my mind up1 and prepared to travel4 ,my dear ,felice and ,i went toward ,florence in a pair of baskets2 #a and as ,i had not written1 when ,i reached my sister's house1 she wept and laughed over me all in one breath4 ,that day many friends came to see me2 among others ,pier ,landi1 who was the best and dearest friend ,i ever had4 ,next day there came a certain ,niccol da ,monte ,aguto1 who was also a very great friend of mine4 ,now he had heard the ,duke say3 8,benvenuto would have done much better to die1 because he is come to put his head into a noose1 and ,i will never pardon him40 ,accordingly when ,niccol arrived1 he said to me in desperation3 8,alas6 my dear ,benvenuto1 what have you come to do here8 ,did you not know what you have done to displease the ,duke8 ,i have heard him swear that you were thrusting your head into a halter40 ,then ,i replied3 8,niccol1 remind his ,excellency that ,pope ,clement wanted to do as much to me before1 and quite as unjustly2 tell him to keep his eye on me1 and give me time to recover2 then ,i will show his ,excellency that ,i have been the most faithful servant he will ever have in all his life2 and forasmuch as some enemy must have served me this bad turn through envy1 let him wait till ,i get well2 for ,i shall then be able to give such an account of myself as will make him marvel40 ,this bad turn had been done me by ,giorgetto ,vassellario of ,arezzo1 #b the painter2 perchance in recompense for many benefits conferred on him4 ,i had harboured him in ,rome and provided for his costs1 while he had turned my whole house upside down2 for the man was subject to a species of dry scab1 which he was always in the habit of scratching with his hands4 ,it happened1 then1 that sleeping in the same bed as an excellent workman1 named ,manno1 who was in my service1 when he meant to scratch himself1 he tore the skin from one of ,manno's legs with his filthy claws1 the nails of which he never used to cut4 ,the said ,manno left my service1 and was resolutely bent on killing him4 ,i made the quarrel up1 and afterwards got ,giorgio into ,cardinal de' ,medici's household1 and continually helped him4 ,for these deserts1 then1 he told ,duke ,alessandro that ,i had abused his ,excellency1 and had bragged ,i meant to be the first to leap upon the walls of ,florence with his foes the exiles4 ,these words1 as ,i afterwards learned1 had been put into ,vasari's lips by that excellent fellow1 #c ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 who wanted to revenge himself for the ,duke's irritation against him1 on account of the coinage and my departure from ,florence4 ,i1 being innocent of the crime falsely ascribed to me1 felt no fear whatever4 ,meanwhile that able physician ,francesco da ,monte ,varchi attended to my cure with great skill4 ,he had been brought by my very dear friend ,luca ,martini1 who passed the larger portion of the day with me4 #d ,note #a4 ',un paio di ceste1' a kind of litter1 here described in the plural1 because two of them were perhaps put together4 ,i have thought it best to translate the phrase literally4 ,from a letter of ,varchi to ,bembo1 we learn that ,cellini reached ,florence1 ,november #i1 #aece4 ,note #b4 ,this is the famous ,giorgio ,vasari1 a bad painter and worse architect1 but dear to all lovers of the arts for his anecdotic work upon ,italian artists4 ,note #c4 ',galantuomo1' used ironically1 ,note #d4 ,luca ,martini was a member of the best literary society in his days1 and the author of some famous burlesque pieces4 ,,lxxxvii ,,during this while ,i had sent my devoted comrade ,felice back to ,rome1 to look after our business there4 ,when ,i could raise my head a little from the bolster1 which was at the end of fifteen days1 although ,i was unable to walk upon my feet1 ,i had myself carried to the palace of the ,medici1 and placed upon the little upper terrace4 ,there they seated me to wait until the ,duke went by4 ,many of my friends at court came up to greet me1 and expressed surprise that ,i had undergone the inconvenience of being carried in that way1 while so shattered by illness2 they said that ,i ought to have waited till ,i was well1 and then to have visited the ,duke4 ,a crowd of them collected1 all looking at me as a sort of miracle2 not merely because they had heard that ,i was dead1 but far more because ,i had the look of a dead man4 ,then publicly1 before them all1 ,i said how some wicked scoundrel had told my lord the ,duke that ,i had bragged ,i meant to be the first to scale his ,excellency's walls1 and also that ,i had abused him personally2 wherefore ,i had not the heart to live or die till ,i had purged myself of that infamy1 and found out who the audacious rascal was who had uttered such calumnies against me4 ,at these words a large number of those gentlemen came round1 expressing great compassion for me2 one said one thing1 one another1 and ,i told them ,i would never go thence before ,i knew who had accused me4 ,at these words ,maestro ,agostino1 the ,duke's tailor1 made his way through all those gentlemen1 and said3 8,if that is all you want to know1 you shall know1 it at this very moment40 ,giorgio the painter1 whom ,i have mentioned1 happened just then to pass1 and ,maestro ,agostino exclaimed3 8,there is the man who accused you2 now you know yourself if it be true or not40 ,as fiercely as ,i could1 not being able to leave my seat1 ,i asked ,giorgio if it was true that he had accused me4 ,he denied that it was so1 and that he had ever said anything of the sort4 ,maestro ,agostino retorted3 8,you gallows-bird6 don't you know that ,i know it for most certain80 ,giorgio made off as quickly as he could1 repeating that he had not accused me4 ,then1 after a short while1 the ,duke came by2 whereupon ,i had myself raised up before his ,excellency1 and he halted4 ,i told him that ,i had come therein that way solely in order to clear my character4 ,the ,duke gazed at me1 and marvelled ,i was still alive2 afterwards he bade me take heed to be an honest man and regain my health4 ,when ,i reached home1 ,niccol da ,monte ,aguto came to visit me1 and told me that ,i had escaped one of the most dreadful perils in the world1 quite contrary to all his expectations1 for he had seen my ruin written with indelible ink2 now ,i must make haste to get well1 and afterwards take ,french leave1 because my jeopardy came from a quarter and a man who was able to destroy me4 ,he then said1 8,beware10 and added3 8,what displeasure have you given to that rascal ,ottaviano de' ,medici80 ,i answered that ,i had done nothing to displease him1 but that he had injured me2 and told him all the affair about the ,mint4 ,he repeated3 8,get hence as quickly as you can1 and be of good courage1 for you will see your vengeance executed sooner than you expect40 ,i the best attention to my health1 gave ,pietro ,pagolo advice about stamping the coins1 and then went off upon my way to ,rome without saying a word to the ,duke or anybody else4 ,,lxxxviii ,,when ,i reached ,rome1 and had enjoyed the company of my friends awhile1 ,i began the ,duke's medal4 ,in a few days ,i finished the head in steel1 and it was the finest work of the kind which ,i had ever produced4 ,at least once every day there came to visit me a sort of blockhead named ,messer ,francesco ,soderini4 #a ,when he saw what ,i was doing1 he used frequently to exclaim3 8,barbarous wretch6 you want them to immortalise that ferocious tyrant6 ,you have never made anything so exquisite1 which proves you our inveterate foe and their devoted friend2 and yet the ,pope and he have had it twice in mind to hang you without any fault of yours4 ,that was the ,father and the ,son2 now beware of the ,holy ,ghost40 ,it was firmly believed that ,duke ,alessandro was the son of ,pope ,clement4 ,messer ,francesco used also to say and swear by all his saints that1 if he could1 he would have robbed me of the dies for that medal4 ,i responded that he had done well to tell me so1 and that ,i would take such care of them that he should never see them more4 ,i now sent to ,florence to request ,lorenzino that he would send me the reverse of the medal4 ,niccol da ,monte ,aguto1 to whom ,i had written1 wrote back1 saying that he had spoken to that mad melancholy philosopher ,lorenzino for it2 he had replied that he was thinking night and day of nothing else1 and that he would finish it as soon as he was able4 ,nevertheless1 ,i was not to set my hopes upon his reverse1 but ,i had better invent one out of my own head1 and when ,i had finished it1 ,i might bring it without hesitation to the ,duke1 for this would be to my advantage4 ,i composed the design of a reverse which seemed to me appropriate1 and pressed the work forward to my best ability4 ,not being1 however1 yet recovered from that terrible illness1 ,i gave myself frequent relaxation by going out on fowling expeditions with my friend ,felice4 ,this man had no skill in my art2 but since we were perpetually day and night together1 everybody thought he was a first-rate craftsman4 ,this being so1 as he was a fellow of much humour1 we used often to laugh together about the great credit he had gained4 ,his name was ,felice ,guadagni 7,gain71 which made him say in jest3 8,i should be called ,felice ,gain-little if you had not enabled me to acquire such credit that ,i can call myself ,gain-much40 ,i replied that there are two ways of gaining3 the first is that by which one gains for one's self1 the second that by which one gains for others2 so ,i praised him much more for the second than the first1 since he had gained for me my life4 ,we often held such conversations2 but ,i remember one in particular on the day of ,epiphany1 when we were together near ,la ,magliana4 ,it was close upon nightfall1 and during the day ,i had shot a good number of ducks and geese2 then1 as ,i had almost made my mind up to shoot no more that time1 we were returning briskly toward ,rome4 ,calling to my dog by his name1 ,barucco1 and not seeing him in front of me1 ,i turned round and noticed that the well-trained animal was pointing at some geese which had settled in a ditch4 ,i therefore dismounted at once1 got my fowling-piece ready1 and at a very long range brought two of them down with a single ball4 ,i never used to shoot with more than one ball1 and was usually able to hit my mark at two hundred cubits1 which cannot be done by other ways of loading4 ,of the two geese1 one was almost dead1 and the other1 though badly wounded1 was flying lamely4 ,my dog retrieved the one and brought it to me2 but noticing that the other was diving down into the ditch1 ,i sprang forward to catch it4 ,trusting to my boots1 which came high up the leg1 ,i put one foot forward2 it sank in the oozy ground2 and so1 although ,i got the goose1 the boot of my right leg was full of water4 ,i lifted my foot and let the water run out2 then1 when ,i had mounted1 we made haste for ,rome4 ,the cold1 however1 was very great1 and ,i felt my leg freeze1 so that ,i said to ,felice3 8,we must do something to help this leg1 for ,i don't know how to bear it longer40 ,the good ,felice1 without a word1 leapt from his horse1 and gathering some thistles and bits of stick1 began to build a fire4 ,i meanwhile was waiting1 and put my hands among the breast-feathers of the geese1 and felt them very warm4 ,so ,i told him not to make the fire1 but filled my boot with the feathers of the goose1 and was immediately so much comforted that ,i regained vitality4 ,note #a4 ,he had been banished in #aecj as a foe to the ,medicean house4 ,,lxxxix ,,we mounted1 and rode rapidly toward ,rome2 and when we had reached a certain gently rising ground-night had already fallen-looking in the direction of ,florence1 both with one breath exclaimed in the utmost astonishment3 8,o ,god of heaven6 what is that great thing one sees there over ,florence80 ,it resembled a huge beam of fire1 which sparkled and gave out extraordinary lustre4 ,i said to ,felice3 8,assuredly we shall hear to-morrow that something of vast importance has happened in ,florence40 ,as we rode into ,rome1 the darkness was extreme2 and when we came near the ,banchi and our own house1 my little horse was going in an amble at a furious speed4 ,now that day they had thrown a heap of plaster and broken tiles in the middle of the road1 which neither my horse nor myself perceived4 ,in his fiery pace the beast ran up it2 but on coming down upon the other side he turned a complete somersault4 ,he had his head between his legs1 and it was only through the power of ,god himself that ,i escaped unhurt4 ,the noise we made brought the neighbours out with lights2 but ,i had already jumped to my feet2 and so1 without remounting1 ,i ran home1 laughing to have come unhurt out of an accident enough to break my neck4 ,on entering the house1 ,i found some friends of mine there1 to whom1 while we were supping together1 ,i related the adventures of the day's chase and the diabolical apparition of the fiery beam which we had seen4 ,they exclaimed3 8,what shall we hear to-morrow which this portent has announced80 ,i answered3 8,some revolution must certainly have occurred in ,florence40 ,so we supped agreeably2 and late the next day there came the news to ,rome of ,duke ,alessandro's death4 #a ,upon this many of my acquaintances came to me and said3 8,you were right in conjecturing that something of great importance had happened at ,florence40 ,just then ,francesco ,soderini appeared jogging along upon a wretched mule he had1 and laughing all the way like a madman4 ,he said to me3 8,this is the reverse of that vile tyrant's medal which your ,lorenzino de' ,medici promised you40 ,then he added3 8,you wanted to immortalise the dukes for us2 but we mean to have no more dukes20 and thereupon he jeered me1 as though ,i had been the captain of the factions which make dukes4 ,meanwhile a certain ,baccio ,bettini1 #b who had an ugly big head like a bushel1 came up and began to banter me in the same way about dukes1 calling out3 8,we have dis-duked them1 and won't have any more of them2 and you were for making them immortal for us60 with many other tiresome quips of the same kind4 ,i lost my patience at this nonsense1 and said to them3 8,you blockheads6 ,i am a poor goldsmith1 who serve whoever pays me2 and you are jeering me as though ,i were a party-leader4 ,however1 this shall not make me cast in your teeth the insatiable greediness1 idiotcy1 and good-for-nothingness of your predecessors4 ,but this one answer ,i will make to all your silly railleries2 that before two or three days at the longest have passed by1 you will have another duke1 much worse perhaps than he who now has left you40 #c ,the following day ,bettini came to my shop and said3 8,there is no need to spend money in couriers1 for you know things before they happen4 ,what spirit tells them to you80 ,then he informed me that ,cosimo de' ,medici1 the son of ,signor ,giovanni1 was made ,duke2 but that certain conditions had been imposed at his election1 which would hold him back from kicking up his heels at his own pleasure4 ,i now had my opportunity for laughing at them1 and saying3 8,those men of ,florence have set a young man upon a mettlesome horse2 next they have buckled spurs upon his heels1 and put the bridle freely in his hands1 and turned him out upon a magnificent field1 full of flowers and fruits and all delightful things2 next they have bidden him not to cross certain indicated limits3 now tell me1 you1 who there is that can hold him back1 whenever he has but the mind to cross them8 ,laws cannot be imposed on him who is the master of the law40 ,so they left me alone1 and gave me no further annoyance4 #d ,note #a4 ,alessandro was murdered by his cousin ,lorenzino at ,florence on the #eth of ,january #aecg4 ,note #b4 ,bettini was an intimate friend of ,buonarroti and a considerable patron of the arts4 ,note #c4 ,this exchange of ironical compliments testifies to ,cellini's strong ,medicean leanings1 and also to the sagacity with which he judged the political situation4 ,note #d4 ,cellini only spoke the truth on this occasion2 for ,cosimo soon kicked down the ladder which had lifted him to sovereignty1 and showed himself the absolute master of ,florence4 ,cosimo was elected ,duke upon the #ith of ,january #aecg4 ,,xc ,i ,,now began to attend to my shop1 and did some business1 not however of much moment1 because ,i had still to think about my health1 which was not yet established after that grave illness ,i had undergone4 ,about this time the ,emperor returned victorious from his expedition against ,tunis1 and the ,pope sent for me to take my advice concerning the present of honour it was fit to give him4 #a ,i answered that it seemed to me most appropriate to present his ,imperial ,majesty with a golden crucifix1 for which ,i had almost finished an ornament quite to the purpose1 and which would confer the highest honour upon his ,holiness and me4 ,i had already made three little figures of gold in the round1 about a palm high2 they were those which ,i had begun for the chalice of ,pope ,clement1 representing ,faith1 ,hope1 and ,charity4 ,to these ,i added in wax what was wanting for the basement of the cross4 ,i carried the whole to the ,pope1 with the ,christ in wax1 and many other exquisite decorations which gave him complete satisfaction4 ,before ,i took leave of his ,holiness1 we had agreed on every detail1 and calculated the price of the work4 ,this was one evening four hours after nightfall1 and the ,pope had ordered ,messer ,latino ,juvenale to see that ,i had money paid to me next morning4 ,this ,messer ,latino1 who had a pretty big dash of the fool in his composition1 bethought him of furnishing the ,pope with a new idea1 which was1 however1 wholly of his own invention4 ,so he altered everything which had been arranged2 and next morning1 when ,i went for the money1 he said with his usual brutal arrogance3 8,it is our part to invent1 and yours to execute2 before ,i left the ,pope last night we thought of something far superior40 ,to these first words ,i answered1 without allowing him to proceed farther3 8,neither you nor the ,pope can think of anything better than a piece of which ,christ plays a part2 so you may go on with your courtier's nonsense till you have no more to say40 ,without uttering one word1 he left me in a rage1 and tried to get the work given to another goldsmith4 ,the ,pope1 however1 refused1 and sent for me at once1 and told me ,i had spoken well1 but that they wanted to make use of a ,book of ,hours of ,our ,lady1 which was marvellously illuminated1 and had cost the ,cardinal de' ,medici more than two thousand crowns4 ,they thought that this would be an appropriate present to the ,empress1 and that for the ,emperor they would afterwards make what ,i had suggested1 which was indeed a present worthy of him2 but now there was no time to lose1 since the ,emperor was expected in ,rome in about a month and a half4 ,he wanted the book to be enclosed in a case of massive gold1 richly worked1 and adorned with jewels valued at about six thousand crowns4 ,accordingly1 when the jewels and the gold were given me1 ,i began the work1 and driving it briskly forward1 in a few days brought it to such beauty that the ,pope was astonished1 and showed me the most distinguished signs of favour1 conceding at the same time that that beast ,juvenale should have nothing more to do with me4 ,i had nearly brought my work to its completion when the ,emperor arrived1 and numerous triumphal arches of great magnificence were erected in his honour4 ,he entered ,rome with extraordinary pomp1 the description of which ,i leave to others1 since ,i mean to treat of those things only which concern myself4 #b ,immediately after his arrival1 he gave the ,pope a diamond which he had bought for twelve thousand crowns4 ,this diamond the ,pope committed to my care1 ordering me to make a ring to the measure of his holiness' finger2 but first he wished me to bring the book in the state to which ,i had advanced it4 ,i took it accordingly1 and he was highly pleased with it2 then he asked my advice concerning the apology which could be reasonably made to the ,emperor for the unfinished condition of my work4 ,i said that my indisposition would furnish a sound excuse1 since his ,majesty1 seeing how thin and pale ,i was1 would very readily believe and accept it4 ,to this the ,pope replied that he approved of the suggestion1 but that ,i should add on the part of his ,holiness1 when ,i presented the book to the ,emperor1 that ,i made him the present of myself4 ,then he told me in detail how ,i had to behave1 and the words ,i had to say4 ,these words ,i repeated to the ,pope1 asking him if he wished me to deliver them in that way4 ,he replied3 8,you would acquit yourself to admiration if you had the courage to address the ,emperor as you are addressing me40 ,then ,i said that ,i had the courage to speak with far greater ease and freedom to the ,emperor1 seeing that the ,emperor was clothed as ,i was1 and that ,i should seem to be speaking to a man formed like myself2 this was not the case when ,i addressed his ,holiness1 in whom ,i beheld a far superior deity1 both by reason of his ecclesiastical adornments1 which shed a certain aureole about him1 and at the same time because of his holiness' dignity of venerable age2 all these things inspired in me more awe than the ,imperial ,majesty4 ,to these words the ,pope responded3 8,go1 my ,benvenuto2 you are a man of ability2 do us honour1 and it will be well for you40 ,note #a4 ,cellini returns to the year #aece1 when ,charles ,v4 arrived in ,november from ,tunis4 ,note #b4 ,the entry into ,rome took place ,april #f1 #aecf4 ,,xci ,,the ,,pope ordered out two ,turkish horses1 which had belonged to ,pope ,clement1 and were the most beautiful that ever came to ,christendom4 ,messer ,durante1 #a his chamberlain1 was bidden to bring them through the lower galleries of the palace1 and there to give them to the ,emperor1 repeating certain words which his ,holiness dictated to him4 ,we both went down together1 and when we reached the presence of the ,emperor1 the horses made their entrance through those halls with so much spirit and such a noble carriage that the ,emperor and every one were struck with wonder4 ,thereupon1 ,messer ,durante advanced in so graceless a manner1 and delivered his speech with so much of ,brescian lingo1 mumbling his words over in his mouth1 that one never saw or heard anything worse2 indeed the ,emperor could not refrain from smiling at him4 ,i meanwhile had already uncovered my piece2 and observing that the ,emperor had turned his eyes towards me with a very gracious look1 ,i advanced at once and said3 8,sacred ,majesty1 our most holy ,father1 ,pope ,paolo1 sends this book of the ,virgin as a present to your ,majesty1 the which is written in a fair clerk's hand1 and illuminated by the greatest master who ever professed that art2 and this rich cover of gold and jewels is unfinished1 as you here behold it1 by reason of my illness3 wherefore his ,holiness1 together with the book1 presents me also1 and attaches me to your ,majesty in order that ,i may complete the work2 nor this alone1 but everything which you may have it in your mind to execute so long as life is left me1 will ,i perform at your service40 ,thereto the ,emperor responded3 8,the book is acceptable to me1 and so are you2 but ,i desire you to complete it for me in ,rome2 when it is finished1 and you are restored to health1 bring it me and come to see me40 ,afterwards1 in course of conversation1 he called me by my name1 which made me wonder1 because no words had been dropped in which my name occurred2 and he said that he had seen that fastening of ,pope ,clement's cope1 on which ,i had wrought so many wonderful figures4 ,we continued talking in this way a whole half hour1 touching on divers topics artistic and agreeable2 then1 since it seemed to me that ,i had acquitted myself with more honour than ,i had expected1 ,i took the occasion of a slight lull in the conversation to make my bow and to retire4 ,the ,emperor was heard to say3 8,let five hundred golden crowns be given at once to ,benvenuto40 ,the person who brought them up asked who the ,pope's man was who had spoken to the ,emperor4 ,messer ,durante came forward and robbed me of my five hundred crowns4 ,i complained to the ,pope1 who told me not to be uneasy1 for he knew how everything had happened1 and how well ,i had conducted myself in addressing the ,emperor1 and of the money ,i should certainly obtain my share4 ,note #a4 ,messer ,durante ,duranti1 ,prefect of the ,camera under ,paul ,,iii1 who gave him the hat in #aedd1 and the ,bishopric of ,brescia afterwards4 ,,xcii ,,when ,i returned to my shop1 ,i set my hand with diligence to finishing the diamond ring1 concerning which the four first jewellers of ,rome were sent to consult with me4 ,this was because the ,pope had been informed that the diamond had been set by the first jeweller of the world in ,venice2 he was called ,maestro ,miliano ,targhetta2 and the diamond being somewhat thin1 the job of setting it was too difficult to be attempted without great deliberation4 ,i was well pleased to receive these four jewellers1 among whom was a man of ,milan called ,gaio4 ,he was the most presumptuous donkey in the world1 the one who knew least and who thought he knew most2 the others were very modest and able craftsmen4 ,in the presence of us all this ,gaio began to talk1 and said3 8,miliano's foil should be preserved1 and to do that1 ,benvenuto1 you shall doff your cap2 #a for just as giving diamonds a tint is the most delicate and difficult thing in the jeweller's art1 so is ,miliano the greatest jeweller that ever lived1 and this is the most difficult diamond to tint40 ,i replied that it was all the greater glory for me to compete with so able a master in such an excellent profession4 ,afterwards ,i turned to the other jewellers and said3 8,look here6 ,i am keeping ,miliano's foil1 and ,i will see whether ,i can improve on it with some of my own manufacture2 if not1 we will tint it with the same you see here40 ,that ass ,gaio exclaimed that if ,i made a foil like that he would gladly doff his cap to it4 ,to which ,i replied3 8,supposing then ,i make it better1 it will deserve two bows40 8,certainly so10 said he2 and ,i began to compose my foils4 ,i took the very greatest pains in mixing the tints1 the method of doing which ,i will explain in the proper place4 #b ,it is certain that the diamond in question offered more difficulties than any others which before or afterwards have come into my hands1 and ,miliano's foil was made with true artistic skill4 ,however1 that did not dismay me2 but having sharpened my wits up1 ,i succeeded not only in making something quite as good1 but in exceeding it by far4 ,then1 when ,i saw that ,i had surpassed him1 ,i went about to surpass myself1 and produced a foil by new processes which was a long way better than what ,i had previously made4 ,thereupon ,i sent for the jewellers2 and first ,i tinted the diamond with ,miliano's foil3 then ,i cleaned it well and tinted it afresh with my own4 ,when ,i showed it to the jewellers1 one of the best among them1 who was called ,raffael del ,moro1 took the diamond in his hand and said to ,gaio3 8,benvenuto has outdone the foil of ,miliano40 ,gaio1 unwilling to believe it1 took the diamond and said3 8,benvenuto1 this diamond is worth two thousand ducats more than with the foil of ,miliano40 ,i rejoined3 8,now that ,i have surpassed ,miliano1 let us see if ,i can surpass myself40 ,then ,i begged them to wait for me a while1 went up into a little cabinet1 and having tinted the diamond anew unseen by them1 returned and showed it to the jewellers4 ,gaio broke out at once3 8,this is the most marvellous thing that ,i have ever seen in the course of my whole lifetime4 ,the stone is worth upwards of eighteen thousand crowns1 whereas we valued it at barely twelve thousand40 ,the others jewellers turned to him and said3 8,benvenuto is the glory of our art1 and it is only due that we should doff our caps to him and to his foils40 ,then ,gaio said3 8,i shall go and tell the ,pope1 and ,i mean to procure for him one thousand golden crowns for the setting of this diamond40 ,accordingly he hurried to the ,pope and told him the whole story2 whereupon his ,holiness sent three times on that day to see if the ring was finished4 ,at twenty-three o'clock ,i took the ring to the palace2 and since the doors were always open to me1 ,i lifted the curtain gently1 and saw the ,pope in private audience with the ,marchese del ,guasto4 #c ,the ,marquis must have been pressing something on the ,pope which he was unwilling to perform2 for ,i heard him say3 8,i tell you1 no2 it is my business to remain neutral1 and nothing else40 ,i was retiring as quickly as ,i could1 when the ,pope himself called me back2 so ,i entered the room1 and presented the diamond ring1 upon which he drew me aside1 and the ,marquis retired to a distance4 ,while looking at the diamond1 the ,pope whispered to me3 8,benvenuto1 begin some conversation with me on a subject which shall seem important1 and do not stop talking so long as the ,marquis remains in this room40 ,then he took to walking up and down1 and the occasion making for my advantage1 ,i was very glad to discourse with him upon the methods ,i had used to tint the stone4 ,the ,marquis remained standing apart1 leaning against a piece of tapestry2 and now he balanced himself about on one foot1 now on the other4 ,the subject ,i had chosen to discourse upon was of such importance1 if fully treated1 that ,i could have talked about it at least three hours4 ,the ,pope was entertained to such a degree that he forgot the annoyance of the ,marquis standing there4 ,i seasoned what ,i had to say with that part of natural philosophy which belongs to our profession2 and so having spoken for near upon an hour1 the ,marquis grew tired of waiting1 and went off fuming4 ,then the ,pope bestowed on me the most familiar caresses which can be imagined1 and exclaimed3 8,have patience1 my dear ,benvenuto1 for ,i will give you a better reward for your virtues than the thousand crowns which ,gaio tells me your work is worth40 ,on this ,i took my leave2 and the ,pope praised me in the presence of his household1 among whom was the fellow ,latino ,juvenale1 whom ,i have previously mentioned4 ,this man1 having become my enemy1 assiduously strove to do me hurt2 and noticing that the ,pope talked of me with so much affection and warmth1 he put in his word3 8,there is no doubt at all that ,benvenuto is a person of very remarkable genius2 but while every one is naturally bound to feel more goodwill for his own countrymen than for others1 still one ought to consider maturely what language it is right and proper to use when speaking of a ,pope4 ,he has had the audacity to say that ,pope ,clement indeed was the handsomest sovereign that ever reigned1 and no less gifted2 only that luck was always against him3 and he says that your ,holiness is quite the opposite2 that the tiara seems to weep for rage upon your head2 that you look like a truss of straw with clothes on1 and that there is nothing in you except good luck40 ,these words1 reported by a man who knew most excellently how to say them1 had such force that they gained credit with the ,pope4 ,far from having uttered them1 such things had never come into my head4 ,if the ,pope could have done so without losing credit1 he would certainly have taken fierce revenge upon me2 but being a man of great tact and talent1 he made a show of turning it off with a laugh4 ,nevertheless he harboured in his heart a deep vindictive feeling against me1 of which ,i was not slow to be aware1 since ,i had no longer the same easy access to his apartments as formerly1 but found the greatest difficulty in procuring audience4 ,as ,i had now for many years been familiar with the manners of the ,roman court1 ,i conceived that some one had done me a bad turn2 and on making dexterous inquiries1 ,i was told the whole1 but not the name of my calumniator4 ,i could not imagine who the man was2 had ,i but found him out1 my vengeance would not have been measured by troy weight4 #d ,note #a4 ,in the ',oreficeria' ,cellini gives an account of how these foils were made and applied4 ,they were composed of paste1 and coloured so as to enhance the effect of precious stones1 particularly diamonds4 ,note #b4 ',oreficeria1' cap4 i4 ,note #c4 ,alfonson d',avalos1 successor and heir to the famous ,ferdinando d',avalos1 ,marquis of ,pescara4 ,he acted for many years as ,spanish ,viceroy of ,milan4 ,note #d4 ',io ne arei fatte vendette a misura di carbone4' ,,xciii ,i ,,went on working at my book1 and when ,i had finished it ,i took it to the ,pope1 who was in good truth unable to refrain from commending it greatly4 ,i begged him to send me with it to the ,emperor1 as he had promised4 ,he replied that he would do what he thought fit1 and that ,i had performed my part of the business4 ,so he gave orders that ,i should be well paid4 ,these two pieces of work1 on which ,i had spent upwards of two months1 brought me in five hundred crowns3 for the diamond ,i was paid one hundred and fifty crowns and no more2 the rest was given me for the cover of the book1 which1 however1 was worth more than a thousand1 being enriched with multitudes of figures1 arabesques1 enamellings1 and jewels4 ,i took what ,i could get and made my mind up to leave ,rome without permission4 ,the ,pope meanwhile sent my book to the ,emperor by the hand of his grandson ,signor ,sforza4 #a ,upon accepting it1 the ,emperor expressed great satisfaction1 and immediately asked for me4 ,young ,signor ,sforza1 who had received his instructions1 said that ,i had been prevented by illness from coming4 ,all this was reported to me4 ,my preparations for the journey into ,france were made2 and ,i wished to go alone1 but was unable on account of a lad in my service called ,ascanio4 ,he was of very tender age1 and the most admirable servant in the world4 ,when ,i took him he had left a former master1 named ,francesco1 a ,spaniard and a goldsmith4 ,i did not much like to take him1 lest ,i should get into a quarrel with the ,spaniard1 and said to ,ascanio3 8,i do not want to have you1 for fear of offending your master40 ,he contrived that his master should write me a note informing me that ,i was free to take him4 ,so he had been with me some months2 and since he came to us both thin and pale of face1 we called him 8the little old man20 indeed ,i almost thought he was one1 partly because he was so good a servant1 and partly because he was so clever that it seemed unlikely he should have such talent at thirteen years1 which he affirmed his age to be4 ,now to go back to the point from which ,i started1 he improved in person during those few months1 and gaining in flesh1 became the handsomest youth in ,rome4 ,being the excellent servant which ,i have described1 and showing marvellous aptitude for our art1 ,i felt a warm and fatherly affection for him1 and kept him clothed as if he had been my own son4 ,when the boy perceived the improvement he had made1 he esteemed it a good piece of luck that he had come into my hands2 and he used frequently to go and thank his former master1 who had been the cause of his prosperity4 ,now this man had a handsome young woman to wife1 who said to him3 8,surgetto0 7that was what they called him when he lived with them71 8what have you been doing to become so handsome80 ,ascanio answered3 8,madonna ,francesca1 it is my master who has made me so handsome1 and far more good to boot40 ,in her petty spiteful way she took it very ill that ,ascanio should speak so2 and having no reputation for chastity1 she contrived to caress the lad more perhaps than was quite seemly1 which made me notice that he began to visit her more frequently than his wont had been4 ,one day ,ascanio took to beating one of our little shopboys1 who1 when ,i came home from out of doors1 complained to me with tears that ,ascanio had knocked him about without any cause4 ,hearing this1 ,i said to ,ascanio3 8,with cause or without cause1 see you never strike any one of my family1 or else ,i'll make you feel how ,i can strike myself40 ,he bandied words with me1 which made me jump on him and give him the severest drubbing with both fists and feet that he had ever felt4 ,as soon as he escaped my clutches1 he ran away without cape or cap1 and for two days ,i did not know where he was1 and took no care to find him4 ,after that time a ,spanish gentleman1 called ,don ,diego1 came to speak to me4 ,he was the most generous man in the world4 ,i had made1 and was making1 some things for him1 which had brought us well acquainted4 ,he told me that ,ascanio had gone back to his old master1 and asked me1 if ,i thought it proper1 to send him the cape and cap which ,i had given him4 ,thereupon ,i said that ,francesco had behaved badly1 and like a low-bred fellow2 for if he had told me1 when ,ascanio first came back to him1 that he was in his house1 ,i should very willingly have given him leave2 but now that he had kept him two days without informing me1 ,i was resolved he should not have him2 and let him take care that ,i do not set eyes upon the lad in his house4 ,this message was reported by ,don ,diego1 but it only made ,francesco laugh4 ,the next morning ,i saw ,ascanio working at some trifles in wire at his master's side4 ,as ,i was passing he bowed to me1 and his master almost laughed me in the face4 ,he sent again to ask through ,don ,diego whether ,i would not give ,ascanio back the clothes he had received from me2 but if not1 he did not mind1 and ,ascanio should not want for clothes4 ,when ,i heard this1 ,i turned to ,don ,diego and said3 8,don ,diego1 sir1 in all your dealings you are the most liberal and worthy man ,i ever knew1 but that ,francesco is quite the opposite of you2 he is nothing better than a worthless and dishonoured renegade4 ,tell him from me that if he does not bring ,ascanio here himself to my shop before the bell for vespers1 ,i will assuredly kill him2 and tell ,ascanio that if he does not quit that house at the hour appointed for his master1 ,i will treat him much in the same way40 ,don ,diego made no answer1 but went and inspired such terror in ,francesco that he knew not what to do with himself4 ,ascanio meanwhile had gone to find his father1 who had come to ,rome from ,tagliacozzo1 his birthplace2 and this man also1 when he heard about the row1 advised ,francesco to bring ,ascanio back to me4 ,francesco said to ,ascanio3 8,go on your own account1 and your father shall go with you40 ,don ,diego put in3 8,francesco1 ,i foresee that something very serious will happen2 you know better than ,i do what a man ,benvenuto is2 take the lad back courageously1 and ,i will come with you40 ,i had prepared myself1 and was pacing up and down the shop waiting for the bell to vespers2 my mind was made up to do one of the bloodiest deeds which ,i had ever attempted in my life4 ,just then arrived ,don ,diego1 ,francesco1 ,ascanio1 and his father1 whom ,i did not know4 ,when ,ascanio entered1 ,i gazed at the whole company with eyes of rage1 and ,francesco1 pale as death1 began as follows3 8,see here1 ,i have brought back ,ascanio1 whom ,i kept with me1 not thinking that ,i should offend you40 ,ascanio added humbly3 8,master1 pardon me2 ,i am at your disposal here1 to do whatever you shall order40 ,then ,i said3 8,have you come to work out the time you promised me80 ,he answered yes1 and that he meant never to leave me4 ,then ,i turned and told the shopboy he had beaten to hand him the bundle of clothes1 and said to him3 8,here are all the clothes ,i gave you2 take with them your discharge1 and go where you like40 ,don ,diego stood astonished at this1 which was quite the contrary of what he had expected2 while ,ascanio with his father besought me to pardon and take him back4 ,on my asking who it was who spoke for him1 he said it was his father2 to whom1 after many entreaties1 ,i replied3 8,because you are his father1 for your sake ,i will take him back40 ,note #a4 ,sforza ,sforza1 son of ,bosio1 ,count of ,santa ,fiore1 and of ,costanza ,farnese1 the ,pope's natural daughter4 ,he was a youth of sixteen at this epoch4 ,,xciv ,i ,,had formed the resolution1 as ,i said a short while back1 to go toward ,france2 partly because ,i saw that the ,pope did not hold me in the same esteem as formerly1 my faithful service having been besmirched by lying tongues2 and also because ,i feared lest those who had the power might play me some worse trick4 ,so ,i was determined to seek better fortune in a foreign land1 and wished to leave ,rome without company or license4 ,on the eve of my projected departure1 ,i told my faithful friend ,felice to make free use of all my effects during my absence2 and in the case of my not returning2 left him everything ,i possessed4 ,now there was a ,perugian workman in my employ1 who had helped me on those commissions from the ,pope2 and after paying his wages1 ,i told him he must leave my service4 ,he begged me in reply to let him go with me1 and said he would come at his own charges2 if ,i stopped to work for the ,king of ,france1 it would certainly be better for me to have ,italians by me1 and in particular such persons as ,i knew to be capable of giving me assistance4 ,his entreaties and arguments persuaded me to take him on the journey in the manner he proposed4 ,ascanio1 who was present at this debate1 said1 half in tears3 8,when you took me back1 ,i said ,i wished to remain with you my lifetime1 and so ,i have it in my mind to do40 ,i told him that nothing in the world would make me consent2 but when ,i saw that the poor lad was preparing to follow on foot1 ,i engaged a horse for him too1 put a small valise upon the crupper1 and loaded myself with far more useless baggage than ,i should otherwise have taken4 #a ,from home ,i travelled to ,florence1 from ,florence to ,bologna1 from ,bologna to ,venice1 and from ,venice to ,padua4 ,there my dear friend ,albertaccio del ,bene made me leave the inn for his house2 and next day ,i went to kiss the hand of ,messer ,pietro ,bembo1 who was not yet a ,cardinal4 #b ,he received me with marks of the warmest affection which could be bestowed on any man2 then turning to ,albertaccio1 he said3 8,i want ,benvenuto to stay here1 with all his followers1 even though they be a hundred men2 make then your mind up1 if you want ,benvenuto also1 to stay here with me1 for ,i do not mean elsewise to let you have him40 ,accordingly ,i spent a very pleasant visit at the house of that most accomplished gentleman4 ,he had a room prepared for me which would have been too grand for a cardinal1 and always insisted on my taking my meals beside him4 ,later on1 he began to hint in very modest terms that he should greatly like me to take his portrait4 ,i1 who desired nothing in the world more1 prepared some snow-white plaster in a little box1 and set to work at once4 ,the first day ,i spent two hours on end at my modelling1 and blocked out the fine head of that eminent man with so much grace of manner that his lordship was fairly astounded4 ,now1 though he was a man of profound erudition and without a rival in poetry1 he understood nothing at all about my art2 this made him think that ,i had finished when ,i had hardly begun1 so that ,i could not make him comprehend what a long time it took to execute a thing of that sort thoroughly4 ,at last ,i resolved to do it as well as ,i was able1 and to spend the requisite time upon it2 but since he wore his beard short after the ,venetian fashion1 ,i had great trouble in modelling a head to my own satisfaction4 ,however1 ,i finished it1 and judged it about the finest specimen ,i had produced in all the points pertaining to my art4 ,great was the astonishment of ,messer ,pietro1 who conceived that ,i should have completed the waxen model in two hours and the steel in ten1 when he found that ,i employed two hundred on the wax1 and then was begging for leave to pursue my journey toward ,france4 ,this threw him into much concern1 and he implored me at least to design the reverse for his medal1 which was to be a ,pegasus encircled with a wreath of myrtle4 ,i performed my task in the space of some three hours1 and gave it a fine air of elegance4 ,he was exceedingly delighted1 and said3 8,this horse seems to me ten times more difficult to do than the little portrait on which you have bestowed so much pains4 ,i cannot understand what made it such a labour40 ,all the same1 he kept entreating me to execute the piece in steel1 exclaiming3 8,for ,heaven's sake1 do it2 ,i know that1 if you choose1 you will get it quickly finished40 ,i told him that ,i was not willing to make it there1 but promised without fail to take it in hand wherever ,i might stop to work4 ,while this debate was being carried on ,i went to bargain for three horses which ,i wanted on my travels2 and he took care that a secret watch should be kept over my proceedings1 for he had vast authority in ,padua2 wherefore1 when ,i proposed to pay for the horses1 which were to cost five hundred ducats1 their owner answered3 8,illustrious artist1 ,i make you a present of the three horses40 ,i replied3 8,it is not you who give them me2 and from the generous donor ,i cannot accept them1 seeing ,i have been unable to present him with any specimen of my craft40 ,the good fellow said that1 if ,i did not take them1 ,i should get no other horses in ,padua1 and should have to make my journey on foot4 ,upon that ,i returned to the magnificent ,messer ,pietro1 who affected to be ignorant of the affair1 and only begged me with marks of kindness to remain in ,padua4 ,this was contrary to my intention1 for ,i had quite resolved to set out2 therefore ,i had to accept the three horses1 and with them we began our journey4 ,note #a4 ,he left ,rome1 ,april #a1 #aecg4 ,note #b4 ,i need hardly say that this is the ,bembo who ruled over ,italian literature like a dictator from the reign of ,leo ,x4 onwards4 ,he was of a noble ,venetian house2 ,paul ,,iii4 made him ,cardinal in #aeci4 ,he died1 aged seventy-seven1 in #aedg4 ,,xcv ,i ,,chose the route through the ,grisons1 all other passes being unsafe on account of war4 ,we crossed the mountains of the ,alba and ,berlina2 it was the #hth of ,may1 and the snow upon them lay in masses4 #a ,at the utmost hazard of our lives we succeeded in surmounting those two ,alpine ridges2 and when they had been traversed1 we stopped at a place which1 if ,i remember rightly1 is called ,valdista4 ,there we took up quarters1 and at nightfall there arrived a ,florentine courier named ,busbacca4 ,i had heard him mentioned as a man of character and able in his profession1 but ,i did not know that he had forfeited that reputation by his rogueries4 ,when he saw me in the hostelry1 he addressed me by my name1 said he was going on business of importance to ,lyons1 and entreated met to lend him money for the journey4 ,i said ,i had no money to lend1 but that if he liked to join me1 ,i would pay his expenses as far as ,lyons4 ,the rascal wept1 and wheedled me with a long story1 saying3 8,if a poor courier employed on affairs of national consequence has fallen short of money1 it is the duty of a man like you to assist him40 ,then he added that he was carrying things of the utmost importance from ,messer ,filippo ,strozzi2 #b and showing me a leather case for a cup he had with him1 whispered in my ear that it held a goblet of silver which contained jewels to the value of many thousands of ducats1 together with letters of vast consequence1 sent by ,messer ,filippo ,strozzi4 ,i told him that he ought to let me conceal the jewels about his own person1 which would be much less dangerous than carrying them in the goblet2 he might give that up to me1 and1 its value being probably about ten crowns1 ,i would supply him with twenty-five on the security4 ,to these words the courier replied that he would go with me1 since he could not do otherwise1 for to give up the goblet would not be to his honour4 ,accordingly we struck the bargain so2 and taking horse next morning1 came to a lake between ,valdistate and ,vessa2 it is fifteen miles long when one reaches ,vessa4 ,on beholding the boats upon that lake ,i took fright2 because they are of pine1 of no great size and no great thickness1 loosely put together1 and not even pitched4 ,if ,i had not seen four ,german gentlemen1 with their four horses1 embarking in one of the same sort as ours1 ,i should never have set my foot in it2 indeed ,i should far more likely have turned tail2 but when ,i saw their hare-brained recklessness1 ,i took it into my head that those ,german waters would not drown folk1 as ours do in ,italy4 ,however1 my two young men kept saying to me3 8,benvenuto1 it is surely dangerous to embark in this craft with four horses40 ,i replied3 8,you cowards1 do you not observe how those four gentlemen have taken boat before us1 and are going on their way with laughter8 ,if this were wine1 as indeed #8tis water1 ,i should say that they were going gladly to drown themselves in it2 but as it is but water1 ,i know well that they have no more pleasure than we have in drowning there40 ,the lake was fifteen miles long and about three broad2 on one side rose a mountain very tall and cavernous1 on the other some flat land and grassy4 ,when we had gone about four miles1 it began to storm upon the lake1 and our oarsmen asked us to help in rowing2 this we did awhile4 ,i made gestures and directed them to land us on the farther shore2 they said it was not possible1 because there was not depth of water for the boat1 and there were shoals there1 which would make it go to pieces and drown us all2 and still they kept on urging us to help them4 ,the boatmen shouted one to the other1 calling for assistance4 ,when ,i saw them thus dismayed1 my horse being an intelligent animal1 ,i arranged the bridle on his neck and took the end of the halter with my left hand4 ,the horse1 like most of his kind1 being not devoid of reason1 seemed to have an instinct of my intention2 for having turned his face towards the fresh grass1 ,i meant that he should swim and draw me after him4 ,just at that moment a great wave broke over the boat4 ,ascanio shrieked out3 8,mercy1 my father2 save me10 and wanted to throw himself upon my neck4 ,accordingly1 ,i laid hand to my little dagger1 and told them to do as ,i had shown them1 seeing that the horses would save their lives as well as ,i too hoped to escape with mine by the same means2 but that if he tried to jump on me1 ,i should kill him4 ,so we went forward several miles in this great peril of our lives4 ,note #a4 ,i have retained ,cellini's spelling of names upon this journey4 ,he passed the ,bernina and ,albula mountains1 descended the valley of the ,rhine to ,wallenstadt1 travelled by ,weesen and probably ,glarus to ,lachen and ,zurich1 thence to ,solothurn1 ,lausanne1 ,geneva1 ,lyons4 ,note #b4 ,filippo ,strozzi was leader of the anti-,medicean party1 now in exile4 ,he fell into the hands of ,duke ,cosimo on the #ast of ,august in this year1 #aecg4 ,,xcvi ,,when we had reached the middle of the lake1 we found a little bit of level ground where we could land1 and ,i saw that those four ,german gentlemen had already come to shore there2 but on our wishing to disembark1 the boatmen would hear nothing of it4 ,then ,i said to my young men3 8,now is the time to show what stuff we are made of2 so draw your swords1 and force these fellows to put us on shore40 ,this we did1 not however without difficulty1 for they offered a stubborn resistance4 ,when at last we got to land1 we had to climb that mountain for two miles1 and it was more troublesome than getting up a ladder4 ,i was completely clothed in mail1 with big boots1 and a gun in my hand2 and it was raining as though the fountains of the heavens were opened4 ,those devils1 the ,german gentlemen1 leading their little horses by the bridle1 accomplished miracles of agility2 but our animals were not up to the business1 and we burst with the fatigue of making them ascend that hill of difficulty4 ,we had climbed a little way1 when ,ascanio's horse1 an excellent beast of ,hungarian race1 made a false step4 ,he was going a few paces before the courier ,busbacca to whom ,ascanio had given his lance to carry for him4 ,well1 the path was so bad that the horse stumbled1 and went on scrambling backwards1 without being able to regain his footing1 till he stuck upon the point of the lance1 which that rogue of a courier had not the wit to keep out of his way4 ,the weapon passed right through his throat2 and when my other workman went to help him1 his horse also1 a black-coloured animal1 slipped towards the lake1 and held on by some shrub which offered but a slight support4 ,this horse was carrying a pair of saddle-bags1 which contained all my money and other valuables4 ,i cried out to the young man to save his own life1 and let the horse go to the devil4 ,the fall was more than a mile of precipitous descent above the waters of the lake4 ,just below the place our boatmen had taken up their station2 so that if the horse fell1 he would have come precisely on them4 ,i was ahead of the whole company1 and we waited to see the horse plunge headlong2 it seemed certain that he must go to perdition4 ,during this ,i said to my young men3 8,be under no concern2 let us save our lives1 and give thanks to ,god for all that happens4 ,i am only distressed for that poor fellow ,busbacca1 who tied his goblet and his jewels to the value of several thousands of ducats on the horse's saddle-bow1 thinking that the safest place4 ,my things are but a few hundred crowns1 and ,i am in no fear whatever1 if only ,i get ,god's protection40 ,then ,busbacca cried out3 8,i am not sorry for my own loss1 but for yours40 8,why10 said ,i to him1 8are you sorry for my trifles1 and not for all that property of yours80 ,he answered3 8,i will tell you in ,god's name2 in these circumstances and at the point of peril we have reached1 truth must be spoken4 ,i know that yours are crowns1 and are so in good sooth2 but that case in which ,i said ,i had so many jewels and other lies1 is all full of caviare40 ,on hearing this ,i could not hold from laughing2 my young men laughed too2 and he began to cry4 ,the horse extricated itself by a great effort when we had given it up for lost4 ,so then1 still laughing1 we summoned our forces1 and bent ourselves to making the ascent4 ,the four ,german gentlemen1 having gained the top before us1 sent down some folk who gave us aid4 ,thus at length we reached our lodging in the wilderness4 ,here1 being wet to the skin1 tired out1 and famished1 we were most agreeably entertained2 we dried ourselves1 took rest1 and satisfied our hunger1 while certain wild herbs were applied to the wounded horse4 ,they pointed out to us the plant in question1 of which the hedges were full2 and we were told that if the wound was kept continually plugged with its leaves1 the beast would not only recover1 but would serve us just as if it had sustained no injury4 ,we proceeded to do as they advised4 ,then having thanked those gentlemen1 and feeling ourselves entirely refreshed1 we quitted the place1 and travelled onwards1 thanking ,god for saving us from such great perils4 ,,xcvii ,,we reached a town beyond ,vessa1 where we passed the night1 and heard a watchman through all the hours singing very agreeably2 for all the houses of that city being built of pine wood1 it was the watchman's only business to warn folk against fire4 ,busbacca's nerves had been quite shaken by the day's adventures2 accordingly2 each hour when the watchman sang1 he called out in his sleep3 8,ah ,god1 ,i am drowning60 ,that was because of the fright he had had2 and besides1 he had got drunk in the evening1 because he would sit boozing with all the ,germans who were there' and sometimes he cried3 8,i am burning10 and sometimes3 8,i am drowning20 and at other times he thought he was in hell1 and tortured with that caviare suspended round his throat4 ,this night was so amusing that it turned all our troubles into laughter4 ,in the morning we rose with very fine weather1 and went to dine in a smiling little place called ,lacca4 ,here we obtained excellent entertainment1 and then engaged guides1 who were returning to a town called ,surich4 ,the guide who attended us went along the dyked bank of a lake2 there was no other road2 and the dyke itself was covered with water1 so that the reckless fellow slipped1 and fell together with his horse beneath the water4 ,i1 who was but a few steps behind him1 stopped my horse1 and waited to see the donkey get out of the water4 ,just as if nothing had happened1 he began to sing again1 and made signs to me to follow4 ,i broke away upon the right hand1 and got through some hedges1 making my young men and ,busbacca take that way4 ,the guide shouted in ,german that if the folk of those parts saw me they would put me to death4 ,however1 we passed forward1 and escaped that other storm4 ,so we arrived at ,surich1 a marvellous city1 bright and polished like a little gem4 ,there we rested a whole day1 then left betimes one morning1 and reached another fair city called ,solutorno4 ,thence we came to ,usanna1 from ,usanna to ,ginevra1 from ,ginevra to ,lione1 always singing and laughing4 ,at ,lione ,i rested four days1 and had much pleasant intercourse with some of my friends there2 ,i was also repaid what ,i had spent upon ,busbacca2 afterwards ,i set out upon the road to ,paris4 ,this was a delightful journey1 except that when we reached ,palissa #a a band of venturers tried to murder us1 #b and it was only by great courage and address that we got free from them4 ,from that point onward we travelled to ,paris without the least trouble in the world4 ,always singing and laughing1 we arrived safely at our destination4 ,note #a4 ,la ,palice4 ,note #b4 ,cellini1 in the narrative of his second ,french journey1 explains that these 'venturieri' were a notable crew of very daring brigands in the ,lyonese province4 ,,xcviii ,,after taking some repose in ,paris1 ,i went to visit the painter ,rosso1 who was in the ,king's service4 ,i thought to find in him one of the sincerest friends ,i had in the world1 seeing that in ,rome ,i had done him the greatest benefits which one man can confer upon another4 ,as these may be described briefly1 ,i will not here omit their mention1 in order to expose the shamelessness of such ingratitude4 ,while he was in ,rome1 then1 being a man given to back-biting1 he spoke so ill of ,raffaello da ,urbino's works1 that the pupils of the latter were quite resolved to murder him4 ,from this peril ,i saved him by keeping a close watch upon him day and night4 ,again1 the evil things said by ,rosso against ,san ,gallo1 #a that excellent architect1 caused the latter to get work taken from him which he had previously procured for him from ,messer ,agnolo da ,cesi2 and after this ,san ,gallo used his influence so strenuously against him that he must have been brought to the verge of starvation1 had not ,i pitied his condition and lent him some scores of crowns to live upon4 ,so then1 not having been repaid1 and knowing that he held employment under the ,king1 ,i went1 as ,i have said1 to look him up4 ,i did not merely expect him to discharge his debt1 but also to show me favour and assist in placing me in that great monarch's service4 ,when ,rosso set eyes on me1 his countenance changed suddenly1 and he exclaimed3 8,benvenuto1 you have taken this long journey at great charges to your loss2 especially at this present time1 when all men's thoughts are occupied with war1 and not with the bagatelles of our profession40 ,i replied that ,i had brought money enough to take me back to ,rome as ,i had come to ,paris1 and that this was not the proper return for the pains ,i had endured for him1 and that now ,i began to believe what ,maestro ,antonio da ,san ,gallo said of him4 ,when he tried to turn the matter into jest on this exposure of his baseness1 ,i showed him a letter of exchange for five hundred crowns upon ,ricciardo del ,bene4 ,then the rascal was ashamed1 and wanted to detain me almost by force2 but ,i laughed at him1 and took my leave in the company of a painter whom ,i found there4 ,this man was called ,sguazzella3 #b he too was a ,florentine2 and ,i went to lodge in his house1 with three horses and three servants1 at so much per week4 ,he treated me very well1 and was even better paid by me in return4 ,afterwards ,i sought audience of the ,king1 through the introduction of his treasurer1 ,messer ,giuliano ,buonaccorti4 #c ,i met1 however1 with considerable delays1 owing1 as ,i did not then know1 to the strenuous exertions ,rosso made against my admission to his ,majesty4 ,when ,messer ,giuliano became aware of this1 he took me down at once to ,fontana ,bilio1 #d and brought me into the presence of the ,king1 who granted me a whole hour of very gracious audience4 ,since he was then on the point of setting out for ,lyons1 he told ,messer ,giuliano to take me with him1 adding that on the journey we could discuss some works of art his ,majesty had it in his head to execute4 ,accordingly1 ,i followed the court2 and on the way ,i entered into close relations with the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 who had not at that period obtained the hat4 #e ,every evening ,i used to hold long conversations with the ,cardinal1 in the course of which his lordship advised me to remain at an abbey of his in ,lyons1 and there to abide at ease until the ,king returned from this campaign1 adding that he was going on to ,grenoble1 and that ,i should enjoy every convenience in the abbey4 ,when we reached ,lyons ,i was already ill1 and my lad ,ascanio had taken a quartan fever4 ,the ,french and their court were both grown irksome to me1 and ,i counted the hours till ,i could find myself again in ,rome4 ,on seeing my anxiety to return home1 the ,cardinal gave me money sufficient for making him a silver bason and jug4 ,so we took good horses1 and set our faces in the direction of ,rome1 passing the ,simplon1 and travelling for some while in the company of certain ,frenchmen2 ,ascanio troubled by his quartan1 and ,i by a slow fever which ,i found it quite impossible to throw off4 ,i had1 moreover1 got my stomach out of order to such an extent1 that for the space of four months1 as ,i verily believe1 ,i hardly ate one whole loaf of bread in the week2 and great was my longing to reach ,italy1 being desirous to die there rather than in ,france4 ,note #a4 ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 one of the best architects of the later ,renaissance4 ,note #b4 ,a pupil of ,andrea del ,sarto1 who went with him to ,france and settled there4 ,note #c4 ,a ,florentine exile mentioned by ,varchi4 ,note #d4 ,fontainebleau4 ,cellini always writes it as above4 ,note #e4 ,ippolito d',este1 son of ,alfonso1 ,duke of ,ferrara2 ,archbishop of ,milan at the age of fifteen2 ,cardinal in #aeci2 spent a large part of his life in ,france4 ,,xcix ,,when we had crossed the mountains of the ,simplon1 we came to a river near a place called ,indevedro4 #a ,it was broad and very deep1 spanned by a long narrow bridge without ramparts4 ,that morning a thick white frost had fallen2 and when ,i reached the bridge1 riding before the rest1 ,i recognised how dangerous it was1 and bade my servants and young men dismount and lead their horses4 ,so ,i got across without accident1 and rode on talking with one of the ,frenchmen1 whose condition was that of a gentleman4 ,the other1 who was a scrivener1 lagged a little way behind1 jeering the ,french gentleman and me because we had been so frightened by nothing at all as to give ourselves the trouble of walking4 ,i turned round1 and seeing him upon the middle of the bridge1 begged him to come gently1 since the place was very dangerous4 ,the fellow1 true to his ,french nature1 cried out in ,french that ,i was a man of poor spirit1 and that there was no danger whatsoever4 ,while he spoke these words and urged his horse forward1 the animal suddenly slipped over the bridge1 and fell with legs in air close to a huge rock there was there4 ,now ,god is very often merciful to madmen2 so the two beasts1 human and equine1 plunged together into a deep wide pool1 where both of them went down below the water4 ,on seeing what had happened1 ,i set off running at full speed1 scrambled with much difficulty on to the rock1 and dangling over from it1 seized the skirt of the scrivener's gown and pulled him up1 for he was still submerged beneath the surface4 ,he had drunk his bellyful of water1 and was within an ace of being drowned4 ,i then1 beholding him out of danger1 congratulated the man upon my having been the means of rescuing his life4 ,the fellow to this answered me in ,french1 that ,i had done nothing2 the important things to save were his writings1 worth many scores of crowns2 and these words he seemed to say in anger1 dripping wet and spluttering the while4 ,thereupon1 ,i turned round to our guides1 and ordered them to help the brute1 adding that ,i would see them paid4 ,one of them with great address and trouble set himself to the business1 and picked up all the fellow's writings1 so that he lost not one of them3 the other guide refused to trouble himself by rendering any assistance4 ,i ought here to say that we had made a purse up1 and that ,i performed the part of paymaster4 ,so1 when we reached the place ,i mentioned1 and had dined1 ,i drew some coins from the common purse and gave them to the guide who helped to draw him from the water4 ,thereupon the fellow called out that ,i might pay them out of my own pocket2 he had no intention of giving the man more than what had been agreed on for his services as guide4 ,upon this ,i retorted with insulting language4 ,then the other guide1 who had done nothing1 came up and demanded to be rewarded also4 ,i told him that the one who had borne the cross deserved the recompense4 ,he cried out that he would presently show me a cross which should make me repent4 ,i replied that ,i would light a candle at that cross1 which should1 ,i hoped1 make him to be the first to weep his folly4 ,the village we were in lay on the frontier between ,venice and the ,germans4 ,so the guide ran off to bring the folk together1 and came1 followed by a crowd1 with a boar-spear in his hand4 ,mounted on my good steed1 ,i lowered the barrel of my arquebuse1 and turning to my comrades1 cried3 8,at the first shot ,i shall bring that fellow down2 do you likewise your duty1 for these are highway robbers1 who have used this little incident to contrive our murder40 ,the innkeeper at whose house we had dined called one of the leaders1 an imposing old man1 and begged him to put a stop to the disorder1 saying3 8,this is a most courageous young man2 you may cut him to pieces1 but he will certainly kill a lot of you1 and perhaps will escape your hands after doing all the mischief he is able40 ,so matters calmed down3 and the old man1 their leader1 said to me3 8,go in peace2 you would not have much to boast of against us1 even if you had a hundred men to back you40 ,i recognised the truth of his words1 and had indeed made up my mind to die among them2 therefore1 when no further insults were cast at me1 ,i shook my head and exclaimed3 8,i should certainly have done my utmost to prove ,i am no statue1 but a man of flesh and spirit40 ,then we resumed our journey2 and that evening1 at the first lodging we came to1 settled our accounts together4 ,there ,i parted for ever from that beast of a ,frenchman1 remaining on very friendly terms with the other1 who was a gentleman4 ,afterwards ,i reached ,ferrara1 with my three horses and no other company4 ,having dismounted1 ,i went to court in order to pay my reverence to the ,duke1 and gain permission to depart next morning for ,loreto4 ,when ,i had waited until two hours after nightfall1 his ,excellency appeared4 ,i kissed his hands2 he received me with much courtesy1 and ordered that water should be brought for me to wash my hands before eating4 ,to this compliment ,i made a pleasant answer3 8,most excellent lord1 it is now more than four months that ,i have eaten only just enough to keep life together2 knowing therefore that ,i could not enjoy the delicacies of your royal table1 ,i will stay and talk with you while your ,excellency is supping2 in this way we shall both have more pleasure than if ,i were to sup with you40 ,accordingly1 we entered into conversation1 and prolonged it for the next three hours4 ,at that time ,i took my leave1 and when ,i got back to the inn1 found a most excellent meal ready2 for the ,duke had sent me the plates from his own banquet1 together with some famous wine4 ,having now fasted two full hours beyond my usual hour for supping1 ,i fell to with hearty appetite2 and this was the first time since four months that ,i felt the power or will to eat4 ,note #a4 ,probably the ,doveria in the ,valdivedro4 ,c ,,leaving ,ferrara in the morning1 ,i went to ,santa ,maria at ,loreto2 and thence1 having performed my devotions1 pursued the journey to ,rome4 ,there ,i found my most faithful ,felice1 to whom ,i abandoned my old shop with all its furniture and appurtenances1 and opened another1 much larger and roomier1 next to ,sugherello1 the perfumer4 ,i thought for certain that the great ,king ,francis would not have remembered me4 ,therefore ,i accepted commissions from several noblemen2 and in the meanwhile began the bason and jug ordered by the ,cardinal ,ferrara4 ,i had a crowd of workmen1 and many large affairs on hand in gold and silver4 ,now the arrangement ,i had made with that ,perugian workman #a was that he should write down all the monies which had been disbursed on his account1 chiefly for clothes and divers other sundries2 and these1 together with the costs of travelling1 amounted to about seventy crowns4 ,we agreed that he should discharge the debt by monthly payments of three crowns2 and this he was well able to do1 since he gained more than eight through me4 ,at the end of two months the rascal decamped from my shop1 leaving me in the lurch with a mass of business on my hands1 and saying that he did not mean to pay me a farthing more4 ,i was resolved to seek redress1 but allowed myself to be persuaded to do so by the way of justice4 ,at first ,i thought of lopping off an arm of his2 and assuredly ,i should have done so1 if my friends had not told me that it was a mistake1 seeing ,i should lose my money and perhaps ,rome too a second time1 forasmuch as blows cannot be measured1 and that with the agreement ,i held of his ,i could at any moment have him taken up4 ,i listened to their advice1 though ,i should have liked to conduct the affair more freely4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i sued him before the auditor of the ,camera1 and gained by suit2 in consequence of that decree1 for which ,i waited several months1 ,i had him thrown into prison4 ,at the same time ,i was overwhelmed with large commissions2 among others1 ,i had to supply all the ornaments of gold and jewels for the wife of ,signor ,gierolimo ,orsino1 father of ,signor ,paolo1 who is now the son-in-law of our ,duke ,cosimo4 #b ,these things ,i had nearly finished2 yet others of the greatest consequence were always coming in4 ,i employed eight work-people1 and worked day and night together with them1 for the sake alike of honour and of gain4 ,note #a4 ,in his ',ricordi' ,cellini calls the man ,girolamo ,pascucci4 ,note #b4 ,he was ,duke of ,bracciano1 father of ,duke ,paolo1 who married ,isabella de' ,medici1 and murdered her before his second marriage with ,vittoria ,accoramboni4 ,see my ',renaissance in ,italy1' vol4 vi4 ,,ci ,,while ,i was engaged in prosecuting my affairs with so much vigour1 there arrived a letter sent post-haste to me by the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 which ran as follows3- '8,benvenuto1 our dear friend1-,during these last days the most ,christian ,king here made mention of you1 and said that he should like to have you in his service4 ,whereto ,i answered that you had promised me1 whenever ,i sent for you to serve his ,majesty1 that you would come at once4 ,his ,majesty then answered3',it is my will that provision for his journey1 according to his merits1 should be sent him2' and immediately ordered his ,admiral to make me out an order for one thousand golden crowns upon the treasurer of the ,exchequer4 ,the ,cardinal de' ,gaddi1 who was present at this conversation1 advanced immediately1 and told his ,majesty that it was not necessary to make these dispositions1 seeing that he had sent you money enough1 and that you were already on the journey4 ,if then1 as ,i think probable1 the facts are quite contrary to those assertions of ,cardinal ,gaddi1 reply to me without delay upon the receipt of this letter2 for ,i will undertake to gather up the fallen thread1 and have the promised money given you by this magnanimous ,king40' ,now let the world take notice1 and all the folk that dwell on it1 what power malignant stars with adverse fortune exercise upon us human beings6 ,i had not spoken twice in my lifetime to that little simpleton of a ,cardinal de' ,gaddi2 nor do ,i think that he meant by this bumptiousness of his to do me any harm1 but only1 through lightheadedness and senseless folly1 to make it seem as though he also held the affairs of artists1 whom the ,king was wanting1 under his own personal supervision1 just as the ,cardinal of ,ferrara did4 ,but afterwards he was so stupid as not to tell me anything at all about the matter2 elsewise1 it is certain that my wish to shield a silly mannikin from reproach1 if only for our country's sake1 would have made me find out some excuse to mend the bungling of his foolish self-conceit4 ,immediately upon the receipt of ,cardinal ,ferrara's letter1 ,i answered that about ,cardinal de' ,gaddi ,i knew absolutely nothing1 and that even if he had made overtures of that kind to me1 ,i should not have left ,italy without informing his most reverend lordship4 ,i also said that ,i had more to do in ,rome than at any previous time2 but that if his most ,christian ,majesty made sign of wanting me1 one word of his1 communicated by so great a prince as his most reverend lordship1 would suffice to make me set off upon the spot1 leaving all other concerns to take their chance4 ,after ,i had sent my letter1 that traitor1 the ,perugian workman1 devised a piece of malice against me1 which succeeded at once1 owing to the avarice of ,pope ,paolo da ,farnese1 but also far more to that of his bastard1 who was then called ,duke of ,castro4 #a ,the fellow in question informed one of ,signor ,pier ,luigi's secretaries that1 having been with me as workman several years1 he was acquainted with all my affairs1 on the strength of which he gave his word to ,signor ,pier ,luigi that ,i was worth more than eighty thousand ducats1 and that the greater part of this property consisted in jewels1 which jewels belonged to the ,church1 and that ,i had stolen them in ,castel ,sant' ,angelo during the sack of ,rome1 and that all they had to do was to catch me on the spot with secrecy4 ,it so happened that ,i had been at work one morning1 more than three hours before daybreak1 upon the trousseau of the bride ,i mentioned2 then1 while my shop was being opened and swept out1 ,i put my cape on to go abroad and take the air4 ,directing my steps along the ,strada ,giulia1 ,i turned into ,chiavica1 and at this corner ,crespino1 the ,bargello1 with all his constables1 made up to me1 and said3 8,you are the ,pope's prisoner40 ,i answered3 8,crespino1 you have mistaken your man40 8,no10 said ,crespino1 8you are the artist ,benvenuto1 and ,i know you well1 and ,i have to take you to the ,castle of ,sant' ,angelo1 where lords go1 and men of accomplishments1 your peers40 ,upon that four of his under-officers rushed on me1 and would have seized by force a dagger which ,i wore1 and some rings ,i carried on my finger2 but ,crespino rebuked them3 8,not a man of you shall touch him3 it is quite enough if you perform your duty1 and see that he does not escape me40 ,then he came up1 and begged me with words of courtesy to surrender my arms4 ,while ,i was engaged in doing this1 it crossed my mind that exactly on that very spot ,i had assassinated ,pompeo4 ,they took me straightway to castle1 and locked me in an upper chamber in the keep4 ,this was the first time that ,i ever smelt a prison up to the age ,i then had of thirty-seven years4 ,note #a4 ,he had been invested with the ,duchy of ,castro in #aecg4 ,,cii ,,signor ,,pier ,,luigi1 the ,pope's son1 had well considered the large sum for which ,i stood accused2 so he begged the reversion of it from his most holy father1 and asked that he might have the money made out to himself4 ,the ,pope granted this willingly1 adding that he would assist in its recovery4 ,consequently1 after having kept me eight whole days in prison1 they sent me up for examination1 in order to put an end if possible to the affair4 ,i was summoned into one of the great halls of the papal castle1 a place of much dignity4 ,my examiners were1 first1 the ,governor of ,rome1 called ,messer ,benedetto ,conversini of ,pistoja1 #a who afterwards became ,bishop of ,jesi2 secondly1 the ,procurator-,fiscal1 whose name ,i have forgotten2 #b and1 thirdly1 the judge in criminal cases1 ,messer ,benedetto da ,cagli4 ,these three men began at first to question me in gentle terms1 which afterwards they changed to words of considerable harshness and menace1 apparently because ,i said to them3 8,my lords1 it is more than half-an-hour now since you have been pestering me with questions about fables and such things1 so that one may truly say you are chattering or prattling2 by chattering ,i mean talking without reason1 by prattling ,i mean talking nonsense3 therefore ,i beg you to tell me what it really is you want of me1 and to let me hear from your lips reasonable speech1 and not jabberings or nonsense40 ,in reply to these words of mine1 the ,governor1 who was a ,pistojan1 could no longer disguise his furious temper1 and began3 8,you talk very confidently1 or rather far too arrogantly2 but let me tell you that ,i will bring your pride down lower than a spaniel by the words of reason you shall hear from me2 these will be neither jabberings nor nonsense1 as you have it1 but shall form a chain of arguments to answer which you will be forced to tax the utmost of your wits4 ,then he began to speak as follows3 8,we know for certain that you were in ,rome at the time when this unhappy city was subject to the calamity of the sack2 at that time you were in this ,castle of ,sant' ,angelo1 and were employed as bombardier4 ,now since you are a jeweller and goldsmith by trade1 ,pope ,clement1 being previously acquainted with you1 and having by him no one else of your profession1 called you into his secret counsels1 and made you unset all the jewels of his tiaras1 mitres1 and rings2 afterwards1 having confidence in you1 he ordered you to sew them into his clothes4 ,while thus engaged1 you sequestered1 unknown to his ,holiness1 a portion of them1 to the value of eighty thousand crowns4 ,this has been told us by one of your workmen1 to whom you disclosed the matter in your braggadocio way4 ,now1 we tell you frankly that you must find the jewels1 or their value in money2 after that we will release you40 ,note #a4 ,bishop of ,forlimpopoli in #aecg1 and of ,jesi in #aedj4 ,note #b4 ,benedetto ,valenti4 ,,ciii ,,when ,i heard these words1 ,i could not hold from bursting into a great roar of laughter2 then1 having laughed a while1 ,i said3 8,thanks be to that ,god on this first occasion1 when it has pleased ,his ,divine ,majesty to imprison me1 ,i should not be imprisoned for some folly1 as the wont is usually with young men4 ,if what you say were the truth1 ,i run no risk of having to submit to corporal punishment1 since the authority of the law was suspended during that season4 ,indeed1 ,i could excuse myself by saying that1 like a faithful servant1 ,i had kept back treasure to that amount for the sacred and ,holy ,apostolic ,church1 waiting till ,i could restore it to a good ,pope1 or else to those who might require it of me2 as1 for instance1 you might1 if this were verily the case40 ,when ,i had spoken so far1 the furious ,governor would not let me conclude my argument1 but exclaimed in a burst of rage3 8,interpret the affair as you like best1 ,benvenuto2 it is enough for us to have found the property which we had lost2 be quick about it1 if you do not want us to use other measures than words40 ,then they began to rise and leave the chamber2 but ,i stopped them1 crying out3 8,my lords1 my examination is not over2 bring that to an end1 and go then where you choose40 ,they resumed their seats in a very angry temper1 making as though they did not mean to listen to a word ,i said1 and at the same time half relieved1 #a as though they had discovered all they wanted to know4 ,i then began my speech1 to this effect3 8,you are to know1 my lords1 that it is now some twenty years since ,i first came to ,rome1 and ,i have never been sent to prison here or elsewhere40 ,on this that catchpole of a ,governor called out3 8,and yet you have killed men enough here60 ,i replied3 8,it is you that say it1 and not ,i2 but if some one came to kill you1 priest as you are1 you would defend yourself1 and if you killed him1 the sanctity of law would hold you justified4 ,therefore let me continue my defence1 if you wish to report the case to the ,pope1 and to judge me fairly4 ,once more ,i tell you that ,i have been a sojourner in this marvellous city ,rome for nigh on twenty years1 and here ,i have exercised my art in matters of vast importance4 ,knowing that this is the seat of ,christ1 ,i entertained the reasonable belief that when some temporal prince sought to inflict on me a mortal injury1 ,i might have recourse to this holy chair and to this ,vicar of ,christ1 in confidence that he would surely uphold my cause4 ,ah me6 whither am ,i now to go8 ,what prince is there who will protect me from this infamous assassination8 ,was it not your business1 before you took me up1 to find out what ,i had done with those eighty thousand ducats8 ,was it not your duty to inspect the record of the jewels1 which have been carefully inscribed by this ,apostolic ,camera through the last five hundred years8 ,if you had discovered anything missing on that record1 then you ought to have seized all my books together with myself4 ,i tell you for a certainty that the registers1 on which are written all the jewels of the ,pope and the regalia1 must be perfectly in order2 you will not find there missing a single article of value which belonged to ,pope ,clement that has not been minutely noted4 ,the one thing of the kind which occurs to me is this3 ,when that poor man ,pope ,clement wanted to make terms with those thieves of the ,imperial army1 who had robbed ,rome and insulted the ,church1 a certain ,cesare ,iscatinaro1 if ,i rightly remember his name1 came to negotiate with him2 #b and having nearly concluded the agreement1 the ,pope in his extremity1 to show the man some mark of favour1 let fall a diamond from his finger1 which was worth about four thousand crowns1 and when ,iscatinaro stooped to pick it up1 the ,pope told him to keep it for his sake4 ,i was present at these transactions3 and if the diamond of which ,i speak be missing1 ,i have told you where it went2 but ,i have the firmest conviction that you will find even this noted upon the register4 ,after this you may blush at your leisure for having done such cruel injustice to a man like me1 who has performed so many honourable services for the apostolic chair4 ,i would have you know that1 but for me1 the morning when the ,imperial troops entered the ,borgo1 they would without let or hindrance have forced their way into the castle4 ,it was ,i who1 unrewarded for this act1 betook myself with vigour to the guns which had been abandoned by the cannoneers and soldiers of the ordnance4 ,i put spirit into my comrade ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 the sculptor1 who had also left his post and hid himself all frightened in a corner1 without stirring foot or finger2 ,i woke his courage up1 and he and ,i alone together slew so many of the enemies that the soldiers took another road4 ,i it was who shot at ,iscatinaro when ,i saw him talking to ,pope ,clement without the slightest mark of reverence1 nay1 with the most revolting insolence1 like the ,lutheran and infidel he was4 ,pope ,clement upon this had the castle searched to find and hang the man who did it4 ,i it was who wounded the ,prince of ,orange in the head down there below the trenches of the castle4 ,then1 too1 how many ornaments of silver1 gold1 and jewels1 how many models and coins1 so beautiful and so esteemed1 have ,i not made for ,holy ,church6 ,is this then the presumptuous priestly recompense you give a man who has served and loved you with such loyalty1 with such mastery of art8 ,oh1 go and report the whole that ,i have spoken to the ,pope2 go and tell him that his jewels are all in his possession2 that ,i never received from the ,church anything but wounds and stonings at that epoch of the sack2 that ,i never reckoned upon any gain beyond some small remuneration from ,pope ,paolo1 which he had promised me4 ,now at last ,i know what to think of his ,holiness and you his ,ministers40 ,while ,i was delivering this speech1 they sat and listened in astonishment4 ,then exchanging glances one with the other1 and making signs of much surprise1 they left me4 ,all three went together to report what ,i had spoken to the ,pope4 ,the ,pope felt some shame1 and gave orders that all the records of the jewels should be diligently searched4 ,when they had ascertained that none were missing1 they left me in the castle without saying a word more about it4 ,signor ,pier ,luigi felt also that he had acted ill2 and to end the affair1 they set about to contrive my death4 ,note #a4 ',sollevati4' ,it may mean 'half-risen from their seats4' ,note #b4 ,gio4 ,bartolommeo di ,gattinara4 ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 in his ,autobiography1 calls him ,cattinaro1 and relates how 8when he came one day into the castle to negotiate a treaty1 he was wounded in the arm by one of our arquebusiers40 ,this confirms what follows above4 ,,civ ,,during the agitations of this time which ,i have just related1 ,king ,francis received news of how the ,pope was keeping me in prison1 and with what injustice4 ,he had sent a certain gentleman of his1 named ,monsignor di ,morluc1 as his ambassador to ,rome2 #a to him therefore he now wrote1 claiming me from the ,pope as the man of his ,majesty4 ,the ,pope was a person of extraordinary sense and ability1 but in this affair of mine he behaved weakly and unintelligently2 for he made answer to the ,king's envoy that his ,majesty need pay me no attention1 since ,i was a fellow who gave much trouble by fighting2 therefore he advised his ,majesty to leave me alone1 adding that he kept me in prison for homicides and other deviltries which ,i had played4 ,to this the ,king sent answer that justice in his realm was excellently maintained2 for even as his ,majesty was wont to shower rewards and favours upon men of parts and virtue1 so did he ever chastise the troublesome4 ,his ,holiness had let me go1 not caring for the service of the said ,benvenuto1 and the ,king1 when he saw him in his realm1 most willingly adopted him2 therefore he now asked for him in the quality of his own man4 ,such a demand was certainly one of the most honourable marks of favour which a man of my sort could desire2 yet it proved the source of infinite annoyance and hurt to me4 ,the ,pope was roused to such fury by the jealous fear he had lest ,i should go and tell the whole world how infamously ,i had been treated1 that he kept revolving ways in which ,i might be put to death without injury to his own credit4 ,the castellan of ,sant' ,angelo was one of our ,florentines1 called ,messer ,giorgio1 a knight of the ,ugolini family4 #b ,this worthy man showed me the greatest courtesy1 and let me go free about the castle on parole4 ,he was well aware how greatly ,i had been wronged2 and when ,i wanted to give security for leave to walk about the castle1 he replied that though he could not take that1 seeing the ,pope set too much importance upon my affair1 yet he would frankly trust my word1 because he was informed by every one what a worthy man ,i was4 ,so ,i passed my parole1 and he granted me conveniences for working at my trade4 ,i then1 reflecting that the ,pope's anger against me must subside1 as well because of my innocence as because of the favour shown me by the ,king1 kept my shop in ,rome open1 while ,ascanio1 my prentice1 came to the castle and brought me things to work at4 ,i could not indeed do much1 feeling myself imprisoned so unjustly2 yet ,i made a virtue of necessity1 and bore my adverse fortune with as light a heart as ,i was able4 ,i had secured the attachment of all the guards and many soldiers of the castle4 ,now the ,pope used to come at times to sup there1 and on those occasions no watch was kept1 but the place stood open like an ordinary palace4 ,consequently1 while the ,pope was there1 the prisoners used to be shut up with great precautions2 none such1 however1 were taken with me1 who had the license to go where ,i liked1 even at those times1 about it precincts4 ,often then those soldiers told me that ,i ought to escape1 and that they would aid and abet me1 knowing as they did how greatly ,i had been wronged4 ,i answered that ,i had given my parole to the castellan1 who was such a worthy man1 and had done me such kind offices4 ,one very brave and clever soldier used to say to me3 8,my ,benvenuto1 you must know that a prisoner is not obliged1 and cannot be obliged1 to keep faith1 any more than aught else which befits a free man4 ,do what ,i tell you2 escape from that rascal of a ,pope and that bastard his son1 for both are bent on having your life by villainy40 ,i had1 however1 made my mind up rather to lose my life than to break the promise ,i had given that good man the castellan4 ,so ,i bore the extreme discomforts of my situation1 and had for companion of misery a friar of the ,palavisina house1 who was a very famous preacher4 #c ,note #a4 ,jean de ,montluc1 brother of the celebrated ,marshal1 ,bishop of ,valence1 a friend of ,margaret of ,navarre1 and1 like her1 a protector of the ,huguenots4 ,he negotiated the election of the ,duke of ,anjou to the throne of ,poland4 ,note #b4 ,it is only known of this man that he was a ,knight of ,jerusalem1 and had been ,commendatore of ,prato in #aeaa4 ,note #c4 ,cellini means ,pallavicini4 ,nothing seems to be known about him1 except that his imprisonment is mentioned in a letter of ,caro's under date #aedj4 ,,cv ,,this man had been arrested as a ,lutheran4 ,he was an excellent companion2 but1 from the point of view of his religion1 ,i found him the biggest scoundrel in the world1 to whom all kinds of vices were acceptable4 ,his fine intellectual qualities won my admiration2 but ,i hated his dirty vices1 and frankly taxed him with them4 ,this friar kept perpetually reminding me that ,i was in no wise bound to observe faith with the castellan1 since ,i had become a prisoner4 ,i replied to these arguments that he might be speaking the truth as a friar1 but that as a man he spoke the contrary2 for every one who called himself a man1 and not a monk1 was bound to keep his word under all circumstances in which he chanced to be4 ,i therefore1 being a man1 and not a monk1 was not going to break the simple and loyal word which ,i had given4 ,seeing then that he could not sap my honour by the subtle and ingenious sophistries he so eloquently developed1 the friar hit upon another way of tempting me4 ,he allowed some days to pass1 during which he read me the sermons of ,fra ,jerolimo ,savonarola2 and these he expounded with such lucidity and learning that his comment was even finer than the text4 ,i remained in ecstasies of admiration2 and there was nothing in the world ,i would not have done for him1 except1 as ,i have said1 to break my promised word4 ,when he saw the effect his talents had produced upon my mind1 he thought of yet another method4 ,cautiously he began to ask what means ,i should have taken1 supposing my jailers had locked me up1 in order to set the dungeon doors open and effect my flight4 ,i then1 who wanted to display the sharpness of my own wits to so ingenious a man1 replied that ,i was quite sure of being able to open the most baffling locks and bars1 far more those of our prison1 to do which would be the same to me as eating a bit of new cheese4 ,in order then to gain my secret1 the friar now made light of these assertions1 averring that persons who have gained some credit by their abilities1 are wont to talk big of things which1 if they had to put their boasts in action1 would speedily discredit them1 and much to their dishonour4 ,himself had heard me speak so far from the truth1 that he was inclined to think ,i should1 when pushed to proof1 end in a dishonourable failure4 ,upon this1 feeling myself stung to the quick by that devil of a friar1 ,i responded that ,i always made a practice of promising in words less than ,i could perform in deeds2 what ,i had said about the keys was the merest trifle2 in a few words ,i could make him understand that the matter was as ,i had told it2 then1 all too heedlessly1 ,i demonstrated the facility with which my assertions could be carried into act4 ,he affected to pay little attention2 but all the same he learned my lesson well by heart with keen intelligence4 ,as ,i have said above1 the worthy castellan let me roam at pleasure over the whole fortress4 ,not even at night did he lock me in1 as was the custom with the other prisoners4 ,moreover1 he allowed me to employ myself as ,i liked best1 with gold or silver or with wax according to my whim4 ,so then1 ,i laboured several weeks at the bason ordered by ,cardinal ,ferrara1 but the irksomeness of my imprisonment bred in me a disgust for such employment1 and ,i took to modelling in wax some little figures of my fancy1 for mere recreation4 ,of the wax which ,i used1 the friar stole a piece2 and with this he proceeded to get false keys made1 upon the method ,i had heedlessly revealed to him4 ,he had chosen for his accomplice a registrar named ,luigi1 a ,paduan1 who was in the castellan's service4 ,when the keys were ordered1 the locksmith revealed their plot2 and the castellan who came at times to see me in my chamber1 noticing the wax which ,i was using1 recognised it at once and exclaimed3 8,it is true that this poor fellow ,benvenuto has suffered a most grievous wrong2 yet he ought not to have dealt thus with me1 for ,i have ever strained my sense of right to show him kindness4 ,now ,i shall keep him straitly under lock and key1 and shall take good care to do him no more service40 ,accordingly1 he had me shut up with disagreeable circumstances1 among the worst of which were the words flung at me by some of his devoted servants1 who were indeed extremely fond of me1 but now1 on this occasion1 cast in my teeth all the kind offices the castellan had done me2 they came1 in fact1 to calling me ungrateful1 light1 and disloyal4 ,one of them in particular used those injurious terms more insolently than was decent2 whereupon ,i1 being convinced of my innocence1 retorted hotly that ,i had never broken faith1 and would maintain these words at the peril of my life1 and that if he or any of his fellows abused me so unjustly1 ,i would fling the lie back in his throat4 ,the man1 intolerant of my rebuke1 rushed to the castellan's room1 and brought me the wax with the model of the keys4 ,no sooner had ,i seen the wax than ,i told him that both he and ,i were in the right2 but ,i begged him to procure for me an audience with the castellan1 for ,i meant to explain frankly how the matter stood1 which was of far more consequence than they imagined4 ,the castellan sent for me at once1 and ,i told him the whole course of events4 ,this made him arrest the friar1 who betrayed the registrar1 and the alter ran a risk of being hanged4 ,however1 the castellan hushed the affair up1 although it had reached the ,pope's ears2 he saved his registrar from the gallows1 and gave me the same freedom as ,i had before4 ,,cvi ,,when ,i saw how rigorously this affair was prosecuted1 ,i began to think of my own concerns1 and said3 8,supposing another of these storms should rise1 and the man should lose confidence in me1 ,i should then be under no obligation to him1 and might wish to use my wits a little1 which would certainly work their end better than those of that rascally friar40 ,so ,i began to have new sheets of a coarse fabric brought me1 and did not send the dirty ones away4 ,when my servants asked for them1 ,i bade them hold their tongues1 saying ,i had given the sheets to some of those poor soldiers2 and if the matter came to knowledge1 the wretched fellows ran risk of the galleys4 ,this made my young men and attendants1 especially ,felice1 keep the secret of the sheets in all loyalty4 ,i meanwhile set myself to emptying a straw mattress1 the stuffing of which ,i burned1 having a chimney in my prison4 ,out of the sheets ,i cut strips1 the third of a cubit in breadth2 and when ,i had made enough in my opinion to clear the great height of the central keep of ,sant' ,angelo1 ,i told my servants that ,i had given away what ,i wanted2 they must now bring me others of a finer fabric1 and ,i would always send back the dirty ones4 ,this affair was presently forgotten4 ,now my workpeople and serving-men were obliged to close my shop at the order of the ,cardinals ,santi ,quattro #a and ,cornaro1 who told me openly that the ,pope would not hear of setting me at large1 and that the great favours shown me by ,king ,francis had done far more harm that good4 ,it seems that the last words spoken from the ,king by ,monsignor di ,morluc had been to this effect1 namely1 that the ,pope ought to hand me over to the ordinary judges of the court2 if ,i had done wrong1 he could chastise me2 but otherwise1 it was but reason that he should set me at liberty4 ,this message so irritated the ,pope that he made his mind up to keep me a prisoner for life4 ,at the same time1 the castellan most certainly did his utmost to assist me4 ,when my enemies perceived that my shop was closed1 they lost no opportunity of taunting and reviling those servants and friends of mine who came to visit me in prison4 ,it happened on one occasion that ,ascanio1 who came twice a day to visit me1 asked to have a jacket cut out for him from a blue silk vest of mine ,i never used4 ,i had only worn it once1 on the occasion when ,i walked in procession4 ,i replied that these were not the times nor was ,i in the place to wear such clothes4 ,the young man took my refusal of this miserable vest so ill that he told me he wanted to go home to ,tagliacozzo4 ,all in a rage1 ,i answered that he could not please me better than by taking himself off2 and he swore with passion that he would never show his face to me again4 ,when these words passed between us1 we were walking round the keep of the castle4 ,it happened that the castellan was also taking the air there2 so just when we met his lordship ,ascanio said3 8,i am going away2 farewell for ever60 ,i added3 8,for ever1 is my wish too2 and thus in sooth shall it be4 ,i shall tell the sentinels not to let you pass again60 ,then1 turning to the castellan1 ,i begged him with all my heart to order the guards to keep ,ascanio out1 adding3 8,this little peasant comes here to add to my great trouble2 ,i entreat you1 therefore1 my lord1 not to let him enter any more40 ,the castellan was much grieved1 because he knew him to be a lad of marvellous talents2 he was1 moreover1 so fair a person that every one who once set eyes on him seemed bound to love him beyond measure4 ,the boy went away weeping4 ,that day he had with him a small scimitar1 which it was at times his wont to carry hidden beneath his clothes4 ,leaving the castle then1 and having his face wet with tears1 he chanced to meet two of my chief enemies1 ,jeronimo the ,perugian1 #b and a certain ,michele1 goldsmiths both of them4 ,michele1 being ,jeronimo's friend and ,ascanio's enemy1 called out3 8,what is ,ascanio crying for8 ,perhaps his father is dead2 ,i mean that father in the castle60 ,ascanio answered on the instant3 8,he is alive1 but you shall die this minute40 ,then1 raising his hand1 he struck two blows with the scimitar1 both at the fellow's head2 the first felled him to earth1 the second lopped three fingers off his right hand1 though it was aimed at his head4 ,he lay there like a dead man4 ,the matter was at once reported to the ,pope1 who cried in a great fury3 8,since the ,king wants him to be tried1 go and give him three days to prepare his defence60 ,so they came1 and executed the commission which the ,pope had given them4 ,the excellent castellan went off upon the spot to his ,holiness1 and informed him that ,i was no accomplice in the matter1 and that ,i had sent ,ascanio about his business4 ,so ably did he plead my cause that he saved my life from this impending tempest4 ,ascanio meanwhile escaped to ,tagliacozzo1 to his home there1 whence he wrote begging a thousand times my pardon1 and acknowledging his wrong in adding troubles to my grave disaster2 but protesting that if through ,god's grace ,i came out from the prison1 he meant never to abandon me4 ,i let him understand that he must mind his art1 and that if ,god set me a large again ,i would certainly recall him4 ,note #a4 ,antonio ,pucci1 a ,florentine1 ,cardinal de' ,quattro ,santi ,coronati4 ,note #b4 ',i4 e41' ,girolamo ,pascucci4 ,,cvii ,,the ,,castellan was subject to a certain sickness1 which came upon him every year and deprived him of his wits4 ,the sign of its1 approach was that he kept continually talking1 or rather jabbering1 to no purpose4 ,these humours took a different shape each year2 one time he thought he was an oiljar2 another time he thought he was a frog1 and hopped about as frogs do2 another time he thought he was dead1 and then they had to bury him2 not a year passed but he got some such hypochondriac notions into his head4 ,at this season he imagined that he was a bat1 and when he went abroad to take the air1 he used to scream like bats in a high thin tone2 and then he would flap his hands and body as though he were about to fly4 ,the doctors1 when they saw the fit coming on him1 and his old servants1 gave him all the distractions they could think of2 and since they had noticed that he derived much pleasure from my conversation1 they were always fetching me to keep him company4 ,at times the poor man detained me for four or five stricken hours without ever letting me cease talking4 ,he used to keep me at his table1 eating opposite to him1 and never stopped chatting and making me chat2 but during those discourses ,i contrived to make a good meal4 ,he1 poor man1 could neither eat nor sleep2 so that at last he wore me out4 ,i was at the end of my strength2 and sometimes when ,i looked at him1 ,i noticed that his eyeballs were rolling in a frightful manner1 one looking one way and the other in another4 ,he took it into his head to ask me whether ,i had ever had a fancy to fly4 ,i answered that it had always been my ambition to do those things which offer the greatest difficulties to men1 and that ,i had done them2 as to flying1 the ,god of ,nature had gifted me with a body well suited for running and leaping far beyond the common average1 and that with the talents ,i possessed for manual art ,i felt sure ,i had the courage to try flying4 ,he then inquired what methods ,i should use2 to which ,i answered that1 taking into consideration all flying creatures1 and wishing to imitate by art what they derived from nature1 none was so apt a model as the bat4 ,no sooner had the poor man heard the name bat1 which recalled the humour he was suffering under1 than he cried out at the top of his voice3 8,he says true-he says true2 the bat's the thing-the bat's the thing60 ,then he turned to me and said3 8,benvenuto1 if one gave you the opportunity1 should you have the heart to fly80 ,i said if he would set me at liberty1 ,i felt quite up to flying down to ,prati1 after making myself a pair of wings out of waxed linen4 ,thereupon he replied3 8,i too should be prepared to take flight2 but since the ,pope has bidden me guard you as though you were his own eyes1 and ,i know you a clever devil who would certainly escape1 ,i shall now have you locked up with a hundred keys in order to prevent you slipping through my fingers40 ,i then began to implore him1 and remind him that ,i might have fled1 but that on account of the word which ,i had given him ,i would never have betrayed his trust3 therefore ,i begged him for the love of ,god1 and by the kindness he had always shown me1 not to add greater evils to the misery of my present situation4 ,while ,i was pouring out these entreaties1 he gave strict orders to have me bound and taken and locked up in prison4 ,on seeing that it could not be helped1 ,i told him before all his servants3 8,lock me well up1 and keep good watch on me2 for ,i shall certainly contrive to escape40 ,so they took and confined me with the utmost care4 ,,cviii ,i ,,then began to deliberate upon the best way of making my escape4 ,no sooner had ,i been locked in1 than ,i went about exploring my prison2 and when ,i thought ,i had discovered how to get out of it1 ,i pondered the means of descending from the lofty keep1 for so the great round central tower is called4 ,i took those new sheets of mine1 which1 as ,i have said already1 ,i had cut in strips and sewn together2 then ,i reckoned up the quantity which would be sufficient for my purpose4 ,having made this estimate and put all things in order1 ,i looked out a pair of pincers which ,i had abstracted from a ,savoyard belonging to the guard of the castle4 ,this man superintended the casks and cisterns2 he also amused himself with carpentering4 ,now he possessed several pairs of pincers1 among which was one both big and heavy4 ,i then1 thinking it would suit my purpose1 took it and hid it in my straw mattress4 ,the time had now come for me to use it2 so ,i began to try the nails which kept the hinges of my door in place4 #a ,the door was double1 and the clinching of the nails could not be seen2 so that when ,i attempted to draw one out1 ,i met with the greatest trouble2 in the end1 however1 ,i succeeded4 ,when ,i had drawn the first nail1 ,i bethought me how to prevent its being noticed4 ,for this purpose ,i mixed some rust1 which ,i had scraped from old iron1 with a little wax1 obtaining exactly the same colour as the heads of the long nails which ,i had extracted4 ,then ,i set myself to counterfeit these heads and place them on the holdfasts2 for each nail ,i extracted ,i made a counterfeit in wax4 ,i left the hinges attached to their door-posts at top and bottom by means of some of the same nails that ,i had drawn2 but ,i took care to cut these and replace them lightly1 so that they only just supported the irons of the hinges4 ,all this ,i performed with the greatest difficulty1 because the castellan kept dreaming every night that ,i had escaped1 which made him send from time to time to inspect my prison4 ,the man who came had the title and behaviour of a catch-poll4 ,he was called ,bozza1 and used always to bring with him another of the same sort1 named ,giovanni and nicknamed ,pedignone2 the latter was a soldier1 and ,bozza a serving-man4 ,giovanni never entered my prison without saying something offensive to me4 ,he came from the district of ,prato1 and had been an apothecary in the town there4 ,every evening he minutely examined the holdfasts of the hinges and the whole chamber1 and ,i used to say3 8,keep a good watch over me1 for ,i am resolved by all means to escape40 ,these words bred a great enmity between him and me1 so that ,i was obliged to use precautions to conceal my tools1 that is to say1 my pincers and a great big poniard and other appurtenances4 ,all these ,i put away together in my mattress1 where ,i also kept the strips of linen ,i had made4 ,when day broke1 ,i used immediately to sweep my room out2 and though ,i am by nature a lover of cleanliness1 at that time ,i kept myself unusually spick and span4 ,after sweeping up1 ,i made my bed as daintily as ,i could1 laying flowers upon it1 which a ,savoyard used to bring me nearly every morning4 ,he had the care of the cistern and the casks1 and also amused himself with carpentering2 it was from him ,i stole the pincers which ,i used in order to draw out the nails from the holdfasts of the hinges4 ,note #a4 ,the door seems to have been hung upon hinges with plates nailed into the posts4 ,cellini calls these plates 'bandelle4' ,,cix ,,well1 to return to the subject of my bed2 when ,bozza and ,pedignone came1 ,i always told them to give it a wide berth1 so as not to dirty and spoil it for me4 ,now and then1 just to irritate me1 they would touch it lightly1 upon which ,i cried3 8,ah1 dirty cowards6 ,i'll lay my hand on one of your swords there1 and will do you a mischief that will make you wonder4 ,do you think you are fit to touch the bed of a man like me8 ,when ,i chastise you ,i shall not heed my own life1 for ,i am certain to take yours4 ,let me alone then with my troubles and my tribulations1 and don't give me more annoyance than ,i have already2 if not1 ,i shall make you see what a desperate man is able to do40 ,these words they reported to the castellan1 who gave them express orders never to go near my bed1 and when they came to me1 to come without swords1 but for the rest to keep a watchful guard upon me4 ,having thus secured my bed from meddlers1 ,i felt as though the main point was gained2 for there lay all things needful to my venture4 ,it happened on the evening of a certain feast-day that the castellan was seriously indisposed2 his humours grew extravagant2 he kept repeating that he was a bat1 and if they heard that ,benvenuto had flown away1 they must let him go to catch me up1 since he could fly by night most certainly as well or better than myself2 for it was thus he argued3 8,benvenuto is a counterfeit bat1 but ,i am a real one2 and since he is committed to my care1 leave me to act2 ,i shall be sure to catch him40 ,he had passed several nights in this frenzy1 and had worn out all his servants1 whereof ,i received full information through divers channels1 but especially from the ,savoyard1 who was my friend at heart4 ,on the evening of that feast-day1 then1 ,i made my mind up to escape1 come what might2 and first ,i prayed most devoutly to ,god1 imploring ,his ,divine ,majesty to protect and succour me in that so perilous a venture4 ,afterwards ,i set to work at all the things ,i needed1 and laboured the whole of the night4 ,it was two hours before daybreak when at last ,i removed those hinges with the greatest toil2 but the wooden panel itself and the bolt too offered such resistance that ,i could not open the door2 so ,i had to cut into the wood2 yet in the end ,i got it open1 and shouldering the strips of linen which ,i had rolled up like bundles of flax upon two sticks1 ,i went forth and directed my steps towards the latrines of the keep4 ,spying from within two tiles upon the roof1 ,i was able at once to clamber up with ease4 ,i wore a white doublet with a pair of white hose and a pair of half boots1 into which ,i had stuck the poniard ,i have mentioned4 ,after scaling the roof1 ,i took one end of my linen roll and attached it to a piece of antique tile which was built into the fortress wall2 it happened to jut out scarcely four fingers4 ,in order to fix the band1 ,i gave it the form of a stirrup4 ,when ,i had attached it to that piece of tile1 ,i turned to ,god and said3 8,lord ,god1 give aid to my good cause2 you know that it is good2 you see that ,i am aiding myself40 ,then ,i let myself go gently by degrees1 supporting myself with the sinews of my arms1 until ,i touched the ground4 ,there was no moonshine1 but the light of a fair open heaven4 ,when ,i stood upon my feet on solid earth1 ,i looked up at the vast height which ,i had descended with such spirit1 and went gladly away1 thinking ,i was free4 ,but this was not the case2 for the castellan on that side of the fortress had built two lofty walls1 the space between which he used for stable and henyard2 the place was barred with thick iron bolts outside4 ,i was terribly disgusted to find there was no exit from this trap2 but while ,i paced up and down debating what to do1 ,i stumbled on a long pole which was covered up with straw4 ,not without great trouble ,i succeeded in placing it against the wall1 and then swarmed up it by the force of my arms until ,i reached the top4 ,but since the wall ended in a sharp ridge1 ,i had not strength enough to drag the pole up after me4 ,accordingly ,i made my mind up to use a portion of the second roll of linen which ,i had there2 the other was left hanging from the keep of the castle4 ,so ,i cut a piece off1 tied it to the pole1 and clambered down the wall1 enduring the utmost toil and fatigue4 ,i was quite exhausted1 and had1 moreover1 flayed the inside of my hands1 which bled freely4 ,this compelled me to rest awhile1 and ,i bathed my hands in my own urine4 ,when ,i thought that my strength was recovered1 ,i advanced quickly toward the last rampart1 which faces toward ,prati4 ,there ,i put my bundle of linen lines down upon the ground1 meaning to fasten them round a battlement1 and descend the lesser as ,i had the greater height4 ,but no sooner had ,i placed the linen1 than ,i became aware behind me of a sentinel1 who was going the rounds4 ,seeing my designs interrupted and my life in peril1 ,i resolved to face the guard4 ,this fellow1 when he noticed my bold front1 and that ,i was marching on him with weapon in hand1 quickened his pace and gave me a wide berth4 ,i had left my lines some little way behind2 so ,i turned with hasty steps to regain them2 and though ,i came within sight of another sentinel1 he seemed as though he did not choose to take notice of me4 ,having found my lines and attached them to the battlement1 ,i let myself go4 ,on the descent1 whether it was that ,i thought ,i had really come to earth and relaxed my grasp to jump1 or whether my hands were so tired that they could not keep their hold1 at any rate ,i fell1 struck my head in falling1 and lay stunned for more than an hour and a half1 so far as ,i could judge4 ,it was just upon daybreak1 when the fresh breeze which blows an hour before the sun revived me2 yet ,i did not immediately recover my senses1 for ,i thought my head had been cut off and fancied that ,i was in purgatory4 ,with time1 little by little1 my faculties returned1 and ,i perceived that ,i was outside the castle1 and in a flash remembered all my adventures4 ,i was aware of the wound in my head before ,i knew my leg was broken2 for ,i put my hands up1 and withdrew them covered with blood4 ,then ,i searched the spot well1 and judged and ascertained that ,i had sustained no injury of consequence there2 but when ,i wanted to stand up1 ,i discovered that my right leg was broken three inches above the heel4 ,not even this dismayed me3 ,i drew forth my poniard with its scabbard2 the latter had a metal point ending in a large ball1 which had caused the fracture of my leg2 for the bone1 coming into violent contact with the ball1 and not being able to bend1 had snapped at that point4 ,i threw the sheath away1 and with the poniard cut a piece of the linen which ,i had left4 ,then ,i bound my leg up as well as ,i could1 and crawled on all fours with the poniard in my hand toward the city gate4 ,when ,i reached it1 ,i found it shut2 but ,i noticed a stone just beneath the door which did not appear to be very firmly fixed4 ,this ,i attempted to dislodge2 after setting my hands to it1 and feeling it move1 it easily gave way1 and ,i drew it out4 ,through the gap thus made ,i crept into the town4 ,,cx ,i ,,had crawled more than five hundred paces from the place where ,i fell1 to the gate by which ,i entered4 ,no sooner had ,i got inside than some mastiff dogs set upon me and bit me badly4 ,when they returned to the attack and worried me1 ,i drew my poniard and wounded one of them so sharply that he howled aloud1 and all the dogs1 according to their nature1 ran after him4 ,i meanwhile made the best way ,i could on all fours toward the church of the ,trespontina4 ,on arriving at the opening of the street which leads to ,sant' ,agnolo1 ,i turned off in the direction of ,san ,piero2 and now the dawn had risen over me1 and ,i felt myself in danger4 ,when therefore ,i chanced to meet a water-carrier driving his donkey laden with full buckets1 ,i called the fellow1 and begged him to carry me upon his back to the terrace by the steps of ,san ,piero1 adding3 8,i am an unfortunate young man1 who1 while escaping from a window in a love-adventure1 have fallen and broken my leg4 ,the place from which ,i made my exit is one of great importance2 and if ,i am discovered1 ,i run risk of being cut to pieces2 so for heaven's sake lift me quickly1 and ,i will give you a crown of gold40 ,saying this1 ,i clapped my hand to my purse1 where ,i had a good quantity4 ,he took me up at once1 hitched me on his back1 and carried me to the raised terrace by the steps to ,san ,piero4 ,there ,i bade him leave me1 saying he must run back to his donkey4 ,i resumed my march1 crawling always on all fours1 and making for the palace of the ,duchess1 wife of ,duke ,ottavio and daughter of the ,emperor4 #a ,she was his natural child1 and had been married to ,duke ,alessandro4 ,i chose her house for refuge1 because ,i was quite certain that many of my friends1 who had come with that great princess from ,florence1 were tarrying there2 also because she had taken me into favour through something which the castellan had said in my behalf4 ,wishing to be of service to me1 he told the ,pope that ,i had saved the city more than a thousand crowns of damage1 caused by heavy rain on the occasion when the ,duchess made her entrance into ,rome4 ,he related how he was in despair1 and how ,i put heart into him1 and went on to describe how ,i had pointed several large pieces of artillery in the direction where the clouds were thickest1 and whence a deluge of water was already pouring2 then1 when ,i began to fire1 the rain stopped1 and at the fourth discharge the sun shone out2 and so ,i was the sole cause of the festival succeeding1 to the joy of everybody4 ,on hearing this narration the ,duchess said3 8,that ,benvenuto is one of the artists of merit1 who enjoyed the goodwill of my late husband1 ,duke ,alessandro1 and ,i shall always hold them in mind if an opportunity comes of doing such men service40 ,she also talked of me to ,duke ,ottavio4 ,for these reasons ,i meant to go straight to the house of her ,excellency1 which was a very fine palace situated in ,borgio ,vecchio4 ,i should have been quite safe from recapture by the ,pope if ,i could have stayed there2 but my exploits up to this point had been too marvellous for a human being1 and ,god was unwilling to encourage my vainglory2 accordingly1 for my own good1 ,he chastised me a second time worse even than the first4 ,the cause of this was that while ,i was crawling on all fours up those steps1 a servant of ,cardinal ,cornaro recognized me4 ,his master was then lodging in the palace2 so the servant ran up to his room and woke him1 crying3 8,most reverend ,monsignor1 your friend ,benvenuto is down there2 he has escaped from the castle1 and is crawling on all fours1 streaming with blood2 to all appearances he has broken a leg1 and we don't know whether he is going40 ,the ,cardinal exclaimed at once3 8,run and carry him upon your back into my room here40 ,when ,i arrived1 he told me to be under no apprehension1 and sent for the first physicians of ,rome to take my case in hand4 ,among them was ,maestro ,jacomo of ,perugia1 a most excellent and able surgeon4 ,he set the bone with dexterity1 then bound the limb up1 and bled me with his own hand4 ,it happened that my veins were swollen far beyond their usual size1 and he too wished to make a pretty wide incision2 accordingly the blood sprang forth so copiously1 and spurted with such force into his face1 that he had to abandon the operation4 ,he regarded this as a very bad omen1 and could hardly be prevailed upon to undertake my cure4 ,indeed1 he often expressed a wish to leave me1 remembering that he ran no little risk of punishment for having treated my case1 or rather for having proceeded to the end with it4 ,the ,cardinal had me placed in a secret chamber1 and went off immediately to beg me from the ,pope4 ,note #a4 ,margaret of ,austria1 who married ,ottavio ,farnese in ,november #aech1 after ,alessandro's murder4 ,,cxi ,,during this while all ,rome was in an uproar2 for they had observed the bands of linen fastened to the great keep of the castle1 and folk were running in crowds to behold so extraordinary a thing4 ,the castellan had gone off into one of his worst fits of frenzy2 in spite of all his servants1 he insisted upon taking his flight also from the tower1 saying that no one could recapture me except himself if he were to fly after me4 ,messer ,ruberto ,pucci1 the father of ,messer ,pandolfo1 #a having heard of the great event1 went in person to inspect the place2 afterwards he came to the palace1 where he met with ,cardinal ,cornaro1 who told him exactly what had happened1 and how ,i was lodged in one of his own chambers1 and already in the doctor's hands4 ,these two worthy men went together1 and threw themselves upon their knees before the ,pope2 but he1 before they could get a word out1 cried aloud3 8,i know all that you want of me40 ,messer ,ruberto ,pucci then began3 8,most blessed ,father1 we beg you for ,heaven's grace to give us up that unfortunate man2 surely his great talents entitle him to exceptional treatment2 moreover1 he has displayed such audacity1 blent with so much ingenuity1 that his exploit might seem superhuman4 ,we know not for what crimes you ,holiness has kept him so long in prison2 however1 if those crimes are too exorbitant1 your ,holiness is wise and holy1 and may your will be done unquestioned2 still1 if they are such as can be condoned1 we entreat you to pardon him for our sake40 ,the ,pope1 when he heard this1 felt shame1 and answered3 8,i have kept him in prison at the request of some of my people1 since he is a little too violent in his behaviour2 but recognising his talents1 and wishing to keep him near our person1 we had intended to treat him so well that he should have no reason to return to ,france4 ,i am very sorry to hear of his bad accident2 tell him to mind his health1 and when he is recovered1 we will make it up to him for all his troubles40 ,those two excellent men returned and told me the good news they were bringing from the ,pope4 ,meanwhile the nobility of ,rome1 young1 old1 and all sorts1 came to visit me4 ,the castellan1 out of his mind as he was1 had himself carried to the ,pope2 and when he was in the presence of his ,holiness1 began to cry out1 and to say that if he did not send me back to prison1 he would do him a great wrong4 8,he escaped under parole which he gave me2 woe is me that he has flown away when he promised not to fly60 ,the ,pope said1 laughing3 8,go1 go2 for ,i will give him back to you without fail40 ,the castellan then added1 speaking to the ,pope3 8,send the ,governor to him to find out who helped him to escape2 for if it is one of my men1 ,i will hang him from the battlement whence ,benvenuto leaped40 ,on his departure the ,pope called the ,governor1 and said1 smiling3 8,that is a brave fellow1 and his exploit is something marvellous2 all the same1 when ,i was a young man1 ,i also descended from the fortress at that very spot40 ,in so saying the ,pope spoke the truth3 for he had been imprisoned in the castle for forging a brief at the time when he was abbreviator 'di ,parco ,majoris4' #b ,pope ,alexander kept him confined for some length of time2 and afterwards1 his offence being of too ugly a nature1 had resolved on cutting off his head4 ,he postponed the execution1 however1 till after ,corpus ,domini2 and ,farnese1 getting wind of the ,pope's will1 summoned ,pietro ,chiavelluzi with a lot of horses1 and managed to corrupt some of the castle guards with money4 ,accordingly1 upon the day of ,corpus ,domini1 while the ,pope was going in procession1 ,farnese got into a basket and was let down by a rope to the ground4 ,at that time the outer walls had not been built around the castle2 only the great central tower existed2 so that he had not the same enormous difficulty that ,i met with in escaping2 moreover1 he had been imprisoned justly1 and ,i against all equity4 ,what he wanted was to brag before the ,governor of having in his youth been spirited and brave2 and it did not occur to him that he was calling attention to his own huge rogueries4 ,he said then3 8,go and tell him to reveal his accomplice without apprehension to you1 be the man who he may be1 since ,i have pardoned him2 and this you may assure him without reservation40 ,note #a4 ,see above1 p4 #aad4 ,note #b4 ,the ,collegium ,abbreviatorum di ,parco ,majori consisted of seventy-two members4 ,it was established by ,pius ,,ii4 ,onofrio ,panvinio tells this story of ,paul ,,iii4's imprisonment and escape1 but places it in the ,papacy of ,innocent ,,viii4 ,see ',vita ,pauli' ,,iii41 in continuation of ,platina4 ,,cxii ,,so the ,governor came to see me4 ,two days before he had been made ,bishop of ,jesi2 #a and when he entered he said3 8,friend ,benvenuto1 although my office is wont to frighten men1 ,i come to set your mind at rest1 and to do this ,i have full authority from his holiness' own lips1 who told me how he also escaped from ,sant' ,angelo1 but had many aids and much company1 else he would not have been able to accomplish it4 ,i swear by the sacraments which ,i carry on my person 7for ,i was consecrated ,bishop two days since7 that the ,pope has set you free and pardoned you1 and is very sorry for your accident4 ,attend to your health1 and take all things for the best2 for your imprisonment1 which you certainly underwent without a shadow of guilt1 will have been for your perpetual welfare4 ,henceforward you will tread down poverty1 and will have to go back to ,france1 wearing out your life in this place and in that4 ,tell me then frankly how the matter went1 and who rendered you assistance2 afterwards take comfort1 repose1 and recover40 ,i began at the beginning1 and related the whole story exactly as it had happened1 giving him the most minute countersigns1 down to the water-carrier who bore me on his back4 ,when the ,governor had heard the whole1 he said3 8,of a surety these are too great exploits for one man alone2 no one but you could have performed them40 ,so he made me reach my hand forth1 and said3 8,be of good courage and comfort your heart1 for by this hand which ,i am holding you are free1 and if you live1 shall live in happiness40 ,while thus conversing with me1 he had kept a whole heap of great lords and noblemen waiting1 who were come to visit me1 saying one to the other3 8,let us go to see this man who works miracles40 ,so1 when he departed1 they stayed by me1 and one made me offers of kindness1 and another made me presents4 ,while ,i was being entertained in this way1 the ,governor returned to the ,pope1 and reported all that ,i had said4 ,as chance would have it1 ,signor ,pier ,luigi1 the ,pope's son1 happened to be present1 and all the company gave signs of great astonishment4 ,his ,holiness remarked3 8,of a truth this is a marvellous exploit40 ,then ,pier ,luigi began to speak as follows3 8,most blessed ,father1 if you set that man free1 he will do something still more marvellous1 because he has by far too bold a spirit4 ,i will tell you another story about him which you do not know4 ,that ,benvenuto of yours1 before he was imprisoned1 came to words with a gentleman of ,cardinal ,santa ,fiore1 #b about some trifle which the latter had said to him4 ,now ,benvenuto's retort was so swaggeringly insolent that it amounted to throwing down a cartel4 ,the gentleman referred the matter to the ,cardinal1 who said that if he once laid hands on ,benvenuto he would soon clear his head of such folly4 ,when the fellow heard this1 he got a little fowling-piece of his ready1 with which he is accustomed to hit a penny in the middle2 accordingly1 one day when the ,cardinal was looking out of a window1 ,benvenuto's shop being under the palace of the ,cardinal1 he took his gun and pointed it upon the ,cardinal4 ,the ,cardinal1 however1 had been warned1 and presently withdrew4 ,benvenuto1 in order that his intention might escape notice1 aimed at a pigeon which was brooding high up in a hole of the palace1 and hit it exactly in the head-a feat one would have thought incredible4 ,now let your ,holiness do what you think best about him2 ,i have discharged my duty by saying what ,i have4 ,it might even come into his head1 imagining that he had been wrongly imprisoned1 to fire upon your ,holiness4 ,indeed he is too truculent1 by far too confident in his own powers4 ,when he killed ,pompeo1 he gave him two stabs with a poniard in the throat1 in the midst of ten men who were guarding him2 then he escaped1 to their great shame1 and yet they were no inconsiderable persons40 ,note #a4 ,cellini confuses ,jesi with ,forlimpopoli4 ,see above1 p4 #bjc1 note4 ,note #b4 ,ascanio ,sforza1 son of ,bosio1 ,count of ,santa ,fiore1 and grandson of ,paul ,,iii4 ,he got the hat in #aecd1 at the age of sixteen4 ,,cxiii ,,while these words were being spoken1 the gentleman of ,santa ,fiore with whom ,i had that quarrel was present1 and confirmed to the ,pope what had been spoken by his son4 ,the ,pope swelled with rage1 but said nothing4 ,i shall now proceed to give my own version of the affair1 truly and honestly4 ,this gentleman came to me one day1 and showed me a little gold ring which had been discoloured by quicksilver1 saying at the same time3 8,polish up this ring for me1 and be quick about it40 ,i was engaged at the moment upon jewel-work of gold and gems of great importance3 besides1 ,i did not care to be ordered about so haughtily by a man ,i had never seen or spoken to2 so ,i replied that ,i did not happen to have by me the proper tool for cleaning up his ring1 #a and that he had better go to another goldsmith4 ,without further provocation he retorted that ,i was a donkey2 whereupon ,i said that he was not speaking the truth2 that ,i was a better man than he in every respect1 but that if he kept on irritating me ,i would give him harder kicks than any donkey could4 ,he related the matter to the ,cardinal1 and painted me as black as the devil in hell4 ,two days afterwards ,i shot a wild pigeon in a cleft high up behind the palace4 ,the bird was brooding in that cleft1 and ,i had often seen a goldsmith named ,giovan ,francesco della ,tacca1 from ,milan1 fire at it2 but he never hit it4 ,on the day when ,i shot it1 the pigeon scarcely showed its head1 being suspicious because it had been so often fired at4 ,now this ,giovan ,francesco and ,i were rivals in shooting wildfowl2 and some gentlemen of my acquaintance1 who happened to be at my shop1 called my attention1 saying3 8,up there is ,giovan ,francesco della ,tacca's pigeon1 at which he has so often fired2 look now1 the poor creature is so frightened that it hardly ventures to put its head out40 ,i raised my eyes1 and said3 8,that morsel of its head is quite enough for me to shoot it by1 if it only stays till ,i can point my gun40 ,the gentlemen protested that even the man who invented firearms could not hit it4 ,i replied3 8,i bet a bottle of that excellent ,greek wine ,palombo the host keeps1 that if it keeps quiet long enough for me to point my good ,broccardo 7so ,i used to call my gun71 ,i will hit it in that portion of its head which it is showing40 ,so ,i aimed my gun1 elevating my arms1 and using no other rest1 and did what ,i had promised1 without thinking of the ,cardinal or any other person2 on the contrary1 ,i held the ,cardinal for my very good patron4 ,let the world1 then1 take notice1 when ,fortune has the will to ruin a man1 how many divers ways she takes6 ,the ,pope1 swelling with rage and grumbling1 remained revolving what his son had told him4 ,note #a4 ,cellini calls it 'isvivatoio4' ,it is properly 'avvivatoio1' a sort of brass rod with a wooden handle4 ,,cxiv ,,two days afterwards the ,cardinal ,cornaro went to beg a bishopric from the ,pope for a gentleman of his called ,messer ,andrea ,centano4 ,the ,pope1 in truth1 had promised him a bishopric2 and this being now vacant1 the ,cardinal reminded him of his word4 ,the ,pope acknowledged his obligation1 but said that he too wanted a favour from his most reverend lordship1 which was that he would give up ,benvenuto to him4 ,on this the ,cardinal replied3 8,oh1 if your ,holiness has pardoned him and set him free at my disposal1 what will the world say of you and me80 ,the ,pope answered3 8,i want ,benvenuto1 you want the bishopric2 let the world say what it chooses40 ,the good ,cardinal entreated his ,holiness to give him the bishopric1 and for the rest to think the matter over1 and then to act according as his ,holiness decided4 ,the ,pope1 feeling a certain amount of shame at so wickedly breaking his word1 took what seemed a middle course3 8,i will send for ,benvenuto1 and in order to gratify the whim ,i have1 will put him in those rooms which open on my private garden2 there he can attend to his recovery1 and ,i will not prevent any of his friends from coming to visit him4 ,moreover1 ,i will defray his expenses until his caprice of mine has left me40 ,the ,cardinal came home1 and sent the candidate for this bishopric on the spot to inform me that the ,pope was resolved to have me back1 but that he meant to keep me in a ground-floor room in his private garden1 where ,i could receive the visits of my friends1 as ,i had done in his own house4 ,i implored this ,messer ,andrea to ask the ,cardinal not to give me up to the ,pope1 but to let me act on my own account4 ,i would have myself wrapped up in a mattress1 and carried to a safe place outside ,rome2 for if he gave me up to the ,pope1 he would certainly be sending me to death4 ,it is believed that when the ,cardinal heard my petition he was not ill-disposed to grant it2 but ,messer ,andrea1 wanting to secure the bishopric1 denounced me to the ,pope1 who sent at once and had me lodged in the ground-floor chamber of his private garden4 ,the ,cardinal sent me word not to eat the food provided for me by the ,pope2 he would supply me with provisions2 meanwhile ,i was to keep my spirits up1 for he would work in my cause till ,i was set free4 ,matters being thus arranged1 ,i received daily visits and generous offers from many great lords and gentlemen4 ,food came from the ,pope1 which ,i refused to touch1 only eating that which came from ,cardinal ,cornaro2 and thus ,i remained awhile4 ,i had among my friends a young ,greek of the age of twenty-five years4 ,he was extremely active in all physical exercises1 and the best swordsman in ,rome2 rather poor-spirited1 however1 but loyal to the backbone2 honest1 and ready to believe what people told him4 ,he had heard it said that the ,pope made known his intention of compensating me for all ,i had gone through4 ,it is true that the ,pope began by saying so1 but he ended by saying quite the opposite4 ,i then determined to confide in the young ,greek1 and said to him3 8,dearest brother1 they are plotting my ruin2 so now the time has come to help me4 ,do they imagine1 when they heap those extraordinary favours on me1 that ,i am not aware they are done to betray me80 ,the worthy young man answered3 8,my ,benvenuto1 they say in ,rome that the ,pope has bestowed on you an office with an income of five hundred crowns2 ,i beseech you therefore not to let those suspicions deprive you of so great a windfall40 ,all the same ,i begged him with clasped hands to aid me in escaping from that place1 saying ,i knew well that a ,pope of that sort1 though he could do me much good if he chose1 was really studying secretly1 and to save appearances1 how he might best destroy me2 therefore we must be quick and try to save me from his clutches4 ,if my friend would get me out of that place by the means ,i meant to tell him1 ,i should always regard him as the saviour of my life1 and when occasion came would lay it down for him with gladness4 ,the poor young man shed tears1 and cried3 8,oh1 my dear brother1 though you are bringing destruction on your head1 ,i cannot but fulfil your wishes2 so explain your plan1 and ,i will do whatever you may order1 albeit much against my will40 ,accordingly we came to an agreement1 and ,i disclosed to him the details of my scheme1 which was certain to have succeeded without difficulty4 ,when ,i hoped that he was coming to execute it1 he came and told me that for my own good he meant to disobey me1 being convinced of the truth of what he had heard from men close to the ,pope's person1 who understood the real state of my affairs4 ,having nothing else to rely upon1 ,i remained in despair and misery4 ,this passed on the day of ,corpus ,domini #aeci4 ,,cxv ,,after my conversation with the ,greek1 the whole day wore away1 and at night there came abundant provisions from the kitchen of the ,pope2 the ,cardinal ,cornaro also sent good store of viands from his kitchen2 and some friends of mine being present when they arrived1 ,i made them stay to supper1 and enjoyed their society1 keeping my leg in splints beneath the bed-clothes4 ,an hour after nightfall they left me2 and two of my servants1 having made me comfortable for the night1 went to sleep in the antechamber4 ,i had a dog1 black as a mulberry1 one of those hairy ones1 who followed me admirably when ,i went out shooting1 and never left my side4 ,during the night he lay beneath my bed1 and ,i had to call out at least three times to my servant to turn him out1 because he howled so fearfully4 ,when the servants entered1 the dog flew at them and tried to bite them4 ,they were frightened1 and thought he must be mad1 because he went on howling4 ,in this way we passed the first four hours of the night4 ,at the stroke of four the ,bargello came into my room with a band of constables4 ,then the dog sprang forth and flew at them with such fury1 tearing their capes and hose1 that in their fright they fancied he was mad4 ,but the ,bargello1 like an experienced person1 told them3 8,it is the nature of good dogs to divine and foretell the mischance coming on their masters4 ,two of you take sticks and beat the dog off2 while the others strap ,benvenuto on this chair2 then carry him to the place you wot of40 ,it was1 as ,i have said1 the night after ,corpus ,domini1 and about four o'clock4 ,the officers carried me1 well shut up and covered1 and four of them went in front1 making the few passengers who were still abroad get out of the way4 ,so they bore me to ,torre di ,nona1 such is the name of the place1 and put me in the condemned cell4 ,i was left upon a wretched mattress under the care of a guard1 who kept all night mourning over my bad luck1 and saying to me3 8,alas6 poor ,benvenuto1 what have you done to those great folk80 ,i could now form a very good opinion of what was going to happen to me1 partly by the place in which ,i found myself1 and also by what the man had told me4 #a ,during a portion of that night ,i kept racking my brains what the cause could be why ,god thought fit to try me so1 and not being able to discover it1 ,i was violently agitated in my soul4 ,the guard did the best he could to comfort me2 but ,i begged him for the love of ,god to stop talking1 seeing ,i should be better able to compose myself alone in quiet4 ,he promised to do as ,i asked2 and then ,i turned my whole heart to ,god1 devoutly entreating ,him to deign to take me into ,his kingdom4 ,i had1 it is true1 murmured against my lot1 because it seemed to me that1 so far as human laws go1 my departure from the world in this way would be too unjust2 it is true also that ,i had committed homicides1 but ,his ,vicar had called me from my native city and pardoned me by the authority he had from ,him and from the laws2 and what ,i had done had all been done in defence of the body which ,his ,majesty had lent me2 so ,i could not admit that ,i deserved death according to the dispensation under which man dwells here2 but it seemed that what was happening to me was the same as what happens to unlucky people in the street1 when a stone falls from some great height upon their head and kills them2 this we see clearly to be the influence of the stars2 not indeed that the stars conspire to do us good or evil1 but the effect results from their conjunctions1 to which we are subordinated4 ,at the same time ,i know that ,i am possessed of free-will1 and if ,i could exert the faith of a saint1 ,i am sure that the angels of heaven would bear me from this dungeon and relieve me of all my afflictions1 yet inasmuch as ,god has not deemed me worthy of such miracles1 ,i conclude that those celestial influences must be wreaking their malignity upon me4 ,in this long struggle of the soul ,i spent some time2 then ,i found comfort1 and fell presently asleep4 ,note #a4 ,cellini thought he was going to have his throat cut4 ,and indeed the ,torre di ,nona was a suspicious place1 it being one of the worst criminal prisons in ,rome4 ,,cxvi ,,when the day dawned1 the guard woke me up and said3 8,oh1 unfortunate but worthy man1 you have no more time to go on sleeping1 for one is waiting here to give you evil news40 ,i answered3 8,the sooner ,i escape from this earthly prison1 the happier shall ,i be2 especially as ,i am sure my soul is saved1 and that ,i am going to an undeserved death4 ,christ1 the glorious and divine1 elects me to the company of ,his disciples and friends1 who1 like ,himself1 were condemned to die unjustly4 ,i too am sentenced to an unjust death1 and ,i thank ,god with humility for this sign of grace4 ,why does not the man come forward who has to pronounce my doom80 ,the guard replied3 8,he is too grieved for you1 and sheds tears40 ,then ,i called him by his name of ,messer ,benedetto da ,cagli1 #a and cried3 8,come forward1 ,messer ,benedetto1 my friend1 for now1 ,i am resolved and in good frame of mind2 far greater glory is it for me to die unjustly than if ,i had deserved this fate4 ,come forward1 ,i beg1 and let me have a priest1 in order that ,i may speak a couple of words with him4 ,i do not indeed stand in need of this1 for ,i have already made my heart's confession to my ,lord ,god2 yet ,i should like to observe the ordinances of our ,holy ,mother ,church2 for though she has done me this abominable wrong1 ,i pardon her with all my soul4 ,so come1 friend ,messer ,benedetto1 and despatch my business before ,i lose control over my better instincts40 ,after ,i had uttered these words1 the worthy man told the guard to lock the door1 because nothing could be done without his presence4 ,he then repaired to the house of ,signor ,pier ,luigi's wife1 who happened to be in company with the ,duchess of whom ,i spoke above4 #b ,presenting himself before them both1 he spoke as follows3 8,my most illustrious mistress1 ,i entreat you for the love of ,god to tell the ,pope1 that he must send some one else to pronounce sentence upon ,benvenuto and perform my office2 ,i renounce the task1 and am quite decided not to carry it through40 ,then1 sighing1 he departed with the strongest signs of inward sorrow4 ,the ,duchess1 who was present1 frowned and said3 8,so this is the fine justice dealt out here in ,rome by ,god's ,vicar6 ,the ,duke1 my late husband1 particularly esteemed this man for his good qualities and eminent abilities2 he was unwilling to let him return to ,rome1 and would gladly have kept him close to his own person40 ,upon this she retired1 muttering words of indignation and displeasure4 ,signor ,pier ,luigi's wife1 who was called ,signora ,jerolima1 betook herself to the ,pope1 and threw herself upon her knees before him in the presence of several cardinals4 ,she pleaded my cause so warmly that she woke the ,pope to shame2 whereupon he said3 8,for your sake we will leave him quiet2 yet you must know that we had no ill-will against him40 ,these words he spoke because of the cardinals who were around him1 and had listened to the eloquence of that brave-spirited lady4 ,meanwhile ,i abode in extreme discomfort1 and my heart kept thumping against my ribs4 ,not less was the discomfort of the men appointed to discharge the evil business of my execution2 but when the hour for dinner was already past1 they betook themselves to their several affairs1 and my meal was also served me4 ,this filled me with a glad astonishment1 and ,i exclaimed3 8,for once truth has been stronger than the malice of the stars6 ,i pray ,god1 therefore1 that1 if it be ,his pleasure1 ,he will save me from this fearful peril4 ,then ,i fell to eating with the same stout heart for my salvation as ,i had previously prepared for my perdition4 ,i dined well1 and afterwards remained without seeing or hearing any one until an hour after nightfall4 ,at that time the ,bargello arrived with a large part of his guard1 and had me replaced in the chair which brought me on the previous evening to the prison4 ,he spoke very kindly to me1 bidding me be under no apprehension2 and bade his constables take good care not to strike against my broken leg1 but to treat me as though ,i were the apple of their eye4 ,the men obeyed1 and brought me to the castle whence ,i had escaped2 then1 when we had mounted to the keep1 they left me shut up in a dungeon opening upon a little court there is there4 ,note #a4 ,it will be remembered that ,benedetto da ,cagli was one of ,cellini's three examiners during his first imprisonment in ,s4 ,angelo4 ,note #b4 ,the wife of ,pier ,luigi ,farnese was ,jeronima1 daughter of ,luigi ,orsini1 ,count of ,pitigliano4 ,,cxvii ,,the ,,castellan1 meanwhile1 ill and afflicted as he was1 had himself transported to my prison1 and exclaimed3 8,you see that ,i have recaptured you60 8,yes10 said ,i1 8but you see that ,i escaped1 as ,i told you ,i would4 ,and if ,i had not been sold by a ,venetian ,cardinal1 under ,papal guarantee1 for the price of a bishopric1 the ,pope a ,roman and a ,farnese 7and both of them have scratched with impious hands the face of the most sacred laws71 you would not have recovered me4 ,but now that they have opened this vile way of dealing1 do you the worst you can in your turn2 ,i care for nothing in the world40 ,the wretched man began shouting at the top of his voice3 8,ah1 woe is me6 woe is me6 ,it is all the same to this fellow whether he lives or dies1 and behold1 he is more fiery than when he was in health4 ,put him down there below the garden1 and do not speak to me of him again1 for he is the destined cause of my death40 ,so ,i was taken into a gloomy dungeon below the level of a garden1 which swam with water1 and was full of big spiders and many venomous worms4 ,they flung me a wretched mattress of course hemp1 gave me no supper1 and locked four doors upon me4 ,in that condition ,i abode until the nineteenth hour of the following day4 ,then ,i received food1 and ,i requested my jailers to give me some of my books to read4 ,none of them spoke a word1 but they referred my prayer to the unfortunate castellan1 who had made inquiries concerning what ,i said4 ,next morning they brought me an ,italian ,bible which belonged to me1 and a copy of the ,chronicles of ,giovanni ,villani4 #a ,when ,i asked for certain other of my books1 ,i was told that ,i could have no more1 and that ,i had got too many already4 ,thus1 then1 ,i continued to exist in misery upon that rotten mattress1 which in three days soaked up water like a sponge4 ,i could hardly stir because of my broken leg2 and when ,i had to get out of bed to obey a call of nature1 ,i crawled on all fours with extreme distress1 in order not to foul the place ,i slept in4 ,for one hour and a half each day ,i got a little glimmering of light1 which penetrated that unhappy cavern through a very narrow aperture4 ,only for so short a space of time could ,i read2 the rest of the day and night ,i abode in darkness1 enduring my lot1 nor ever without meditations upon ,god and on our human frailty4 ,i thought it certain that a few more days would put an end of my unlucky life in that sad place and in that miserable manner4 ,nevertheless1 as well as ,i was able1 ,i comforted my soul by calling to mind how much more painful it would have been1 on passing from this life1 to have suffered that unimaginable horror of the hangman's knife4 ,now1 being as ,i was1 ,i should depart with the anodyne of sleepiness1 which robbed death of half its former terrors4 ,little by little ,i felt my vital forces waning1 until at last my vigorous temperament had become adapted to that purgatory4 ,when ,i felt it quite acclimatised1 ,i resolved to put up with all those indescribable discomforts so long as it held out4 ,note #a4 ,this mention of an ,italian ,bible shows that we are still in the days before the ,council of ,trent4 ,,cxviii ,i ,,began the ,bible from the commencement1 reading and reflecting on it so devoutly1 and finding in it such deep treasures of delight1 that1 if ,i had been able1 ,i should have done naught else but study it4 ,however1 light was wanting2 and the thought of all my troubles kept recurring and gnawing at me in the darkness1 until ,i often made my mind up to put an end somehow to my own life4 ,they did not allow me a knife1 however1 and so it was no easy matter to commit suicide4 ,once1 notwithstanding1 ,i took and propped a wooden pole ,i found there1 in position like a trap4 ,i meant to make it topple over on my head1 and it would certainly have dashed my brains out2 but when ,i had arranged the whole machine1 and was approaching to put it in motion1 just at the moment of my setting my hand to it1 ,i was seized by an invisible power and flung four cubits from the spot1 in such a terror that ,i lay half dead4 ,like that ,i remained from dawn until the nineteenth hour1 when they brought my food4 ,the jailers must have visited my cell several times without my taking notice of them2 for when at last ,i heard them1 ,captain ,sandrino ,monaldi #a had entered1 and ,i heard him saying3 8,ah1 unhappy man6 behold the end to which so rare a genius has come60 ,roused by these words1 ,i opened my eyes1 and caught sight of priests with long gowns on their backs1 who were saying3 8,oh1 you told us he was dead60 ,bozza replied3 8,dead ,i found him1 and therefore ,i told you so40 ,then they lifted me from where ,i lay1 and after shaking up the mattress1 which was now as soppy as a dish of maccaroni1 they flung it outside the dungeon4 ,the castellan1 when these things were reported to him1 sent me another mattress4 ,thereafter1 when ,i searched my memory to find what could have diverted me from that design of suicide1 ,i came to the conclusion that it must have been some power divine and my good guardian angel4 ,note #a4 ,a ,florentine1 banished in #aecj for having been in arms against the ,medici4 ,,cxix ,,during the following night there appeared to me in dreams a marvellous being in the form of a most lovely youth1 who cried1 as though he wanted to reprove me3 8,knowest thou who lent thee that body1 which thou wouldst have spoiled before its time80 ,i seemed to answer that ,i recognized all things pertaining to me as gifts from the ,god of nature4 8,so1 then10 he said1 8thou hast contempt for ,his handiwork1 through this thy will to spoil it8 ,commit thyself unto ,his guidance1 and lose not hope in ,his great goodness60 ,much more he added1 in words of marvellous efficacy1 the thousandth part of which ,i cannot now remember4 ,i began to consider that the angel of my vision spoke the truth4 ,so ,i cast my eyes around the prison1 and saw some scraps of rotten brick1 with the fragments of which1 rubbing one against the other1 ,i composed a paste4 ,then1 creeping on all fours1 as ,i was compelled to go1 ,i crawled up to an angle of my dungeon door1 and gnawed a splinter from it with my teeth4 ,having achieved this feat1 ,i waited till the light came on my prison2 that was from the hour of twenty and a half to twenty-one and a half4 ,when it arrived1 ,i began to write1 the best ,i could1 on some blank pages in my ,bible1 and rebuked the regents of my intellectual self for being too impatient to endure this life2 they replied to my body with excuses drawn from all that they had suffered2 and the body gave them hope of better fortune4 ,to this effect1 then1 by way of dialogue1 ,i wrote as follows3- ',benvenuto in the body4 ',afflicted regents of my soul6 ,ah1 cruel ye6 have ye such hate of life8 ',the ,spirits of his soul4 ',if ,heaven against you roll1 ,who stands for us8 who saves us in the strife8 ,let us1 ,o let us go toward better life6 ',benvenuto4 ',nay1 go not yet awhile6 ,ye shall be happier and lighter far- ,heaven gives this hope-than ye were ever yet6 ',the ,spirits4 ',we will remain some little while1 ,if only by great ,god you promised are ,such grace that no worse woes on us be set4 ,after this ,i recovered strength2 and when ,i had heartened up myself1 ,i continued reading in the ,bible1 and my eyes became so used to that darkness that ,i could now read for three hours instead of the bare hour and a half ,i was able to employ before4 ,with profound astonishment ,i dwelt upon the force of ,god's ,spirit in those men of great simplicity1 who believed so fervently that ,he would bring all their heart's desire to pass4 ,i then proceeded to reckon in my own case too on ,god's assistance1 both because of ,his divine power and mercy1 and also because of my own innocence2 and at all hours1 sometimes in prayer and sometimes in communion with ,god1 ,i abode in those high thoughts of ,him4 ,there flowed into my soul so powerful a delight from these reflections upon ,god1 that ,i took no further thought for all the anguish ,i had suffered1 but rather spent the day in singing psalms and divers other compositions on the theme of ,his divinity4 ,i was greatly troubled1 however1 by one particular annoyance3 my nails had grown so long that ,i could not touch my body without wounding it2 ,i could not dress myself but what they turned inside or out1 to my great torment4 ,moreover1 my teeth began to perish in my mouth4 ,i became aware of this because the dead teeth being pushed out by the living ones1 my gums were gradually perforated1 and the points of the roots pierced through the tops of their cases4 ,when ,i was aware of this1 ,i used to pull one out1 as though it were a weapon from a scabbard1 without any pain or loss of blood4 ,very many of them did ,i lose in this way4 ,nevertheless1 ,i accommodated myself to these new troubles also2 at times ,i sang1 at times ,i prayed1 and at times ,i wrote by means of the paste of brick-dust ,i have described above4 ,at this time ,i began composing a ,capitolo in praise of my prison1 relating in it all the accidents which had befallen me4 #a ,this poem ,i mean to insert in its proper place4 ,note #a4 ,capitolo is the technical name for a copy of verses in 'terza rima' on a chosen theme4 ,poems of this kind1 mostly burlesque or satirical1 were very popular in ,cellini's age4 ,they used to be written on trifling or obscene subjects in a mock-heroic style4 ,berni stamped the character of high art upon the species1 which had long been in use among the unlettered vulgar4 ,see for further particulars ,symonds' ',renaissance in ,italy1' vol4 v4 chap4 xiv4 ,,cxx ,,the ,,good castellan used frequently to send messengers to find out secretly what ,i was doing4 ,so it happened on the last day of ,july that ,i was rejoicing greatly by myself alone while ,i bethought me of the festival they keep in ,rome upon the #ast of ,august2 and ,i was saying to myself3 8,in former years ,i kept the feast among the pleasures and the frailties of the world2 this year ,i shall keep it in communion with ,god4 ,oh1 how far more happy am ,i thus than ,i was then60 ,the persons who heard me speak these words reported them to the castellan4 ,he was greatly annoyed1 and exclaimed3 8,ah1 ,god6 that fellow lives and triumphs in his infinite distress1 while ,i lack all things in the midst of comfort1 and am dying only on account of him6 ,go quickly1 and fling him into that deepest of the subterranean dungeons where the preacher ,foiano was starved to death4 #a ,perhaps when he finds himself in such ill plight he will begin to droop his crest40 ,captain ,sandrino ,monaldi came at once into my prison with about twenty of the castellan's servants4 ,they found me on my knees2 and ,i did not turn at their approach1 but went on paying my orisons before a ,god the ,father1 surrounded with angels1 and a ,christ arising victorious from the grave1 which ,i had sketched upon the wall with a little piece of charcoal ,i had found covered up with earth4 ,this was after ,i had lain four months upon my back in bed with my leg broken1 and had so often dreamed that angels came and ministered to me1 that at the end of those four months the limb became as sound as though it never had been fractured4 ,so then these fellows entered1 all in armour1 as fearful of me as though ,i were a poison-breathing dragon4 ,the captain spoke as follows3 8,you must be aware that there are many of us here1 and our entrance has made a tumult in this place1 yet you do not turn round40 ,when ,i heard these words1 ,i was well able to conceive what greater harm might happen to me1 but being used and hardened to misfortune1 ,i said to them3 8,unto this ,god who supports me1 to ,him in heaven ,i have turned my soul1 my contemplation1 and all my vital spirits2 to you ,i have turned precisely what belongs to you4 ,what there is of good in me1 you are not worthy to behold1 nor can you touch it4 ,do then to that which is under your control all the evil you are able40 ,the captain1 in some alarm1 and not knowing what ,i might be on the point of doing1 said to four of his tallest fellows3 8,put all your arms aside40 ,when they had done so1 he added3 8,now upon the instant leap on him1 and secure him well4 ,do you think he is the devil1 that so many of us should be afraid of him8 ,hold him tight now1 that he may not escape you40 ,seized by them with force and roughly handled1 and anticipating something far worse than what afterwards happened1 ,i lifted my eyes to ,christ and said3 8,oh1 just ,god1 ,thou paidest all our debts upon that high-raised cross of ,thine2 wherefore then must my innocence be made to pay the debts of whom ,i do not even know8 ,nevertheless1 ,thy will be done40 ,meanwhile the men were carrying me away with a great lighted torch2 and ,i thought that they were about to throw me down the oubliette of ,sammabo4 ,this was the name given to a fearful place which had swallowed many men alive2 for when they are cast into it1 the fall to the bottom of a deep pit in the foundation of the castle4 ,this did not1 however1 happen to me2 wherefore ,i thought that ,i had made a very good bargain when they placed me in that hideous dungeon ,i have spoken of1 where ,fra ,foiano died of hunger1 and left me there without doing me further injury4 ,when ,i was alone1 ,i began to sing a ',de profundis clamavi1' a ',miserere1' and ',in te ,domine speravi4' ,during the whole of that first day of ,august ,i kept festival with ,god1 my heart rejoicing ever in the strength of hope and faith4 ,on the second day they drew me from that hole1 and took me back again to the prison where ,i had drawn those representations of ,god4 ,on arriving there1 the sight of them filled me with such sweetness and such gladness that ,i wept abundantly4 ,on every day that followed1 the castellan sent to know what ,i was doing and saying4 ,the ,pope1 who had heard the whole history 7and ,i must add that the doctors had already given the castellan over71 spoke as follows3 8,before my castellan dies ,i will let him put that ,benvenuto to death in any way he likes1 for he is the cause of his death1 and so the good man shall not die unrevenged40 ,on hearing these words from the mouth of ,duke ,pier ,luigi1 the castellan replied3 8,so1 then1 the ,pope has given me ,benvenuto1 and wishes me to take my vengeance on him8 ,dismiss the matter from your mind1 and leave me to act40 ,if the heart of the ,pope was ill-disposed against me1 that of the castellan was now at the commencement savage and cruel in the extreme4 ,at this juncture the invisible being who had diverted me from my intention of suicide1 came to me1 being still invisible1 but with a clear voice1 and shook me1 and made me rise1 and said to me3 8,ah me6 my ,benvenuto1 quick1 quick1 betake thyself to ,god with thy accustomed prayers1 and cry out loudly1 loudly60 ,in a sudden consternation ,i fell upon my knees1 and recited several of my prayers in a loud voice2 after this ,i said ',qui habitat in adjutorio2' then ,i communed a space with ,god2 and in an instant the same clear and open voice said to me3 8,go to rest1 and have no further fear60 ,the meaning of this was1 that the castellan1 after giving the most cruel orders for my death1 suddenly countermanded them1 and said3 8,is not this ,benvenuto the man whom ,i have so warmly defended1 whom ,i know of a surety to be innocent1 and who has been so greatly wronged8 ,oh1 how will ,god have mercy on me and my sins if ,i do not pardon those who have done me the greatest injuries8 ,oh1 why should ,i injure a man both worthy and innocent1 who has only done me services and honour8 ,go to6 instead of killing him1 ,i give him life and liberty3 and in my will ,i'll have it written that none shall demand of him the heavy debt for his expenses here which he would elsewise have to pay40 ,this the ,pope heard1 and took it very ill indeed4 ,note #a4 ,fra ,benedetto da ,foiano had incurred the wrath of ,pope ,clement ,,vii4 by preaching against the ,medici in ,florence4 ,he was sent to ,rome and imprisoned in a noisome dungeon of ,s4 ,angelo in the year #aecj1 where ,clement made him perish miserably by diminishing his food and water daily till he died4 ,see ,varchi's ',storia ,fiorentina1' lib4 xii4 chap4 #d4 ,,cxxi ,i ,,meanwhile continued to pray as usual1 and to write my ,capitolo1 and every night ,i was visited with the gladdest and most pleasant dreams that could be possibly imagined4 ,it seemed to me while dreaming that ,i was always in the visible company of that being whose voice and touch1 while he was still invisible1 ,i had so often felt4 ,to him ,i made but one request1 and this ,i urged most earnestly1 namely1 that he would bring me where ,i could behold the sun4 ,i told him that this was the sole desire ,i had1 and that if ,i could but see the sun once only1 ,i should die contented4 ,all the disagreeable circumstances of my prison had become1 as it were1 to me friendly and companionable2 not one of them gave me annoyance4 ,nevertheless1 ,i ought to say that the castellan's parasites1 who were waiting for him to hang me from the battlement whence ,i had made my escape1 when they saw that he had changed his mind to the exact opposite of what he previously threatened1 were unable to endure the disappointment4 ,accordingly1 they kept continually trying to inspire me with the fear of imminent death by means of various terrifying hints4 ,but1 as ,i have already said1 ,i had become so well acquainted with troubles of this sort that ,i was incapable of fear1 and nothing any longer could disturb me2 only ,i had that one great longing to behold the sphere of the sun1 if only in a dream4 ,thus then1 while ,i spent many hours a day in prayer with deep emotion of the spirit toward ,christ1 ,i used always to say3 8,ah1 very ,son of ,god6 ,i pray ,thee by ,thy birth1 by ,thy death upon the cross1 and by ,thy glorious resurrection1 that ,thou wilt deign to let me see the sun1 if not otherwise1 at least in dreams4 ,but if ,thou wilt grant me to behold it with these mortal eyes of mine1 ,i engage myself to come and visit ,thee at ,thy holy sepulchre40 ,this vow and these my greatest prayers to ,god ,i made upon the #bnd of ,october in the year #aeci4 ,upon the following morning1 which was the #crd of ,october1 ,i woke at daybreak1 perhaps an hour before the rising of the sun4 ,dragging myself from the miserable lair in which ,i lay1 ,i put some clothes on1 for it had begun to be cold2 then ,i prayed more devoutly than ever ,i had done in the past1 fervently imploring ,christ that ,he would at least grant me the favour of knowing by divine inspiration what sin ,i was so sorely expiating2 and since ,his ,divine ,majesty had not deemed me worthy of beholding the sun even in a dream ,i besought ,him to let me know the cause of my punishment4 ,,cxxii ,i ,,had barely uttered these words1 when that invisible being1 like a whirlwind1 caught me up and bore me away into a large room1 where he made himself visible to my eyes in human form1 appearing like a young man whose beard is just growing1 with a face of indescribable beauty1 but austere1 not wanton4 ,he bade me look around the room1 and said3 8,the crowd of men thou seest in this place are all those who up to this day have been born and afterwards have died upon the earth40 ,thereupon ,i asked him why he brought me hither1 and he answered3 8,come with me and thou shalt soon behold40 ,in my hand ,i had a poniard1 and upon my back a coat of mail2 and so he led me through that vast hall1 pointing out the people who were walking by innumerable thousands up and down1 this way and that4 ,he led me onward1 and went forth in front of me through a little low door into a place which looked like a narrow street2 and when he drew me after him into the street1 at the moment of leaving the hall1 behold ,i was disarmed and clothed in a white shirt1 with nothing on my head1 and ,i was walking on the right hand of my companion4 ,finding myself in this condition1 ,i was seized with wonder1 because ,i did not recognise the street2 and when ,i lifted my eyes1 ,i discerned that the splendour of the sun was striking on a wall1 as it were a house-front1 just above my head4 ,then ,i said3 8,oh1 my friend6 what must ,i do in order to be able to ascend so high that ,i may gaze upon the sphere of the sun himself80 ,he pointed out some huge stairs which were on my right hand1 and said to me3 8,go up thither by thyself40 ,quitting his side1 ,i ascended the stairs backwards1 and gradually began to come within the region of the sunlight4 ,then ,i hastened my steps1 and went on1 always walking backwards as ,i have described1 until ,i discovered the whole sphere of the sun4 ,the strength of his rays1 as is their wont1 first made me close my eyes2 but becoming aware of my misdoing1 ,i opened them wide1 and gazing steadfastly at the sun1 exclaimed3 8,oh1 my sun1 for whom ,i have passionately yearned6 ,albeit your rays may blind me1 ,i do not wish to look on anything again but this60 ,so ,i stayed awhile with my eyes fixed steadily on him2 and after a brief space ,i beheld in one moment the whole might of those great burning rays fling themselves upon the left side of the sun2 so that the orb remained quite clear without its rays1 and ,i was able to contemplate it with vast delight4 ,it seemed to me something marvellous that the rays should be removed in that manner4 ,then ,i reflected what divine grace it was which ,god had granted me that morning1 and cried aloud3 8,oh1 wonderful ,thy power6 oh1 glorious ,thy virtue6 ,how far greater is the grace which ,thou art granting me than that which ,i expected60 ,the sun without his rays appeared to me to be a bath of the purest molten gold1 neither more nor less4 ,while ,i stood contemplating this wondrous thing1 ,i noticed that the middle of the sphere began to swell1 and the swollen surface grew1 and suddenly a ,christ upon the cross formed itself out of the same substance as the sun4 ,he bore the aspect of divine benignity1 with such fair grace that the mind of man could not conceive the thousandth part of it2 and while ,i gazed in ecstasy1 ,i shouted3 8,a miracle6 a miracle6 ,o ,god6 ,o clemency ,divine6 ,o immeasurable ,goodness6 what is it ,thou hast deigned this day to show me60 ,while ,i was gazing and exclaiming thus1 the ,christ moved toward that part where his rays were settled1 and the middle of the sun once more bulged out as it had done before2 the boss expanded1 and suddenly transformed itself into the shape of a most beautiful ,madonna1 who appeared to be sitting enthroned on high1 holding her child in her arms with an attitude of the greatest charm and a smile upon her face4 ,on each side of her was an angel1 whose beauty far surpasses man's imagination4 ,i also saw within the rondure of the sun1 upon the right hand1 a figure robed like a priest2 this turned its back to me1 and kept its face directed to the ,madonna and the ,christ4 ,all these things ,i beheld1 actual1 clear1 and vivid1 and kept returning thanks to the glory of ,god as loud as ,i was able4 ,the marvellous apparition remained before me little more than half a quarter of an hour3 then it dissolved1 and ,i was carried back to my dark lair4 ,i began at once to shout aloud3 8,the virtue of ,god hath deigned to show me all ,his glory1 the which perchance no mortal eye hath ever seen before4 ,therefore ,i know surely that ,i am free and fortunate and in the grace of ,god2 but you miscreants shall be miscreants still1 accursed1 and in the wrath of ,god4 ,mark this1 for ,i am certain of it1 that on the day of ,all ,saints1 the day upon which ,i was born in #aejj1 on the first of ,november1 at four hours after nightfall1 on that day which is coming you will be forced to lead me from this gloomy dungeon2 less than this you will not be able to do1 because ,i have seen it with these eyes of mine and in that throne of ,god4 ,the priest who kept his face turned to ,god and his back to me1 that priest was ,s4 ,peter1 pleading my cause1 for the shame he felt that such foul wrongs should be done to ,christians in his own house4 ,you may go and tell it to whom you like2 for none on earth has the power to do me harm henceforward2 and tell that lord who keeps me here1 that if he will give me wax or paper and the means of portraying this glory of ,god which was revealed to me1 most assuredly shall ,i convince him of that which now perhaps he holds in doubt40 ,,cxxiii ,,the ,,physicians gave the castellan no hope of his recovery1 yet he remained with a clear intellect1 and the humours which used to afflict him every year had passed away4 ,he devoted himself entirely to the care of his soul1 and his conscience seemed to smite him1 because he felt that ,i had suffered and was suffering a grievous wrong4 ,the ,pope received information from him of the extraordinary things which ,i related2 in answer to which his ,holiness sent word-as one who had no faith either in ,god or aught beside-that ,i was mad1 and that he must do his best to mend his health4 ,when the castellan received this message1 he sent to cheer me up1 and furnished me with writing materials and wax1 and certain little wooden instruments employed in working wax1 adding many words of courtesy1 which were reported by one of his servants who bore me good-will4 ,this man was totally the opposite of that rascally gang who had wished to see me hanged4 ,i took the paper and the wax1 and began to work2 and while ,i was working ,i wrote the following sonnet addressed to the castellan3- 8,if ,i1 my lord1 could show to you the truth1 ,of that ,eternal ,light to me by ,heaven ,in this low life revealed1 you sure had given ,more heed to mine than to a monarch's sooth4 ,ah6 could the ,pastor of ,christ's flock in ruth ,believe how ,god this soul with sight hath shriven ,of glory unto which no wight hath striven ,ere he escaped earth's cave of care uncouth2 ,the gates of ,justice1 holy and austere1 ,would roll asunder1 and rude impious ,rage ,fall chained with shrieks that should assail the skies4 ,had ,i but light1 ah me6 my art should rear ,a monument of ,heaven's high equipage6 ,nor should my misery bear so grim a guise40 ,,cxxiv ,,on the following day1 when the servant of the castellan who was my friend brought me my food1 ,i gave him this sonnet copied out in writing4 ,without informing the other ill-disposed servants who were my enemies1 he handed it to the castellan4 ,at that time this worthy man would gladly have granted me my liberty1 because he fancied that the great wrong done to me was a main cause of his death4 ,he took the sonnet1 and having read it more than once1 exclaimed3 8,these are neither the words nor the thoughts of a madman1 but rather of a sound and worthy fellow40 ,without delay he ordered his secretary to take it to the ,pope1 and place it in his own hands1 adding a request for my deliverance4 ,while the secretary was on his way with my sonnet to the ,pope1 the castellan sent me lights for day and night1 together with all the conveniences one could wish for in that place4 ,the result of this was that ,i began to recover from my physical depression1 which had reached a very serious degree4 ,the ,pope read the sonnet several times4 ,then he sent word to the castellan that he meant presently to do what would be pleasing to him4 ,certainly the ,pope had no unwillingness to release me then2 but ,signor ,pier ,luigi1 his son1 as it were in the ,pope's despite1 kept me there by force4 ,the death of the castellan was drawing near2 and while ,i was engaged in drawing and modelling that miracle which ,i had seen1 upon the morning of ,all ,saint's day he sent his nephew1 ,piero ,ugolini1 to show me certain jewels4 ,no sooner had ,i set eyes on them than ,i exclaimed3 8,this is the countersign of my deliverance60 ,then the young man1 who was not a person of much intelligence1 began to say3 8,never think of that1 ,benvenuto60 ,i replied3 8,take your gems away1 for ,i am so treated here that ,i have no light to see by except what this murky cavern gives1 and that is not enough to test the quality of precious stones4 ,but1 as regards my deliverance from this dungeon1 the day will not end before you come to fetch me out4 ,it shall and must be so1 and you will not be able to prevent it40 ,the man departed1 and had me locked in2 but after he had remained away two hours by the clock1 he returned without armed men1 bringing only a couple of lads to assist my movements2 so after this fashion he conducted me to the spacious rooms which ,i had previously occupied 7that is to say1 in #aech71 where ,i obtained all the conveniences ,i asked for4 ,,cxxv ,,after the lapse of a few days1 the castellan1 who now believed that ,i was at large and free1 succumbed to his disease and departed this life4 ,in his room remained his brother1 ,messer ,antonio ,ugolini1 who had informed the deceased governor that ,i was duly released4 ,from what ,i learned1 this ,messer ,antonio received commission from the ,pope to let me occupy that commodious prison until he had decided what to do with me4 ,messer ,durante of ,brescia1 whom ,i have previously mentioned1 engaged the soldier 7formerly druggist of ,prato7 to administer some deadly liquor in my food2 #a the poison was to work slowly1 producing its effect at the end of four or five months4 ,they resolved on mixing pounded diamond with my victuals4 ,now the diamond is not a poison in any true sense of the word1 but its incomparable hardness enables it1 unlike ordinary stones1 to retain very acute angles4 ,when every other stone is pounded1 that extreme sharpness of edge is lost2 their fragments becoming blunt and rounded4 ,the diamond alone preserves its trenchant qualities2 wherefore1 if it chances to enter the stomach together with food1 the peristaltic motion #b needful to digestion brings it into contact with the coats of the stomach and the bowels1 where it sticks1 and by the action of fresh food forcing it farther inwards1 after some time perforates the organs4 ,this eventually causes death4 ,any other sort of stone or glass mingled with the food has not the power to attach itself1 but passes onward with the victuals4 ,now ,messer ,durante entrusted a diamond of trifling value to one of the guards2 and it is said that a certain ,lione1 a goldsmith of ,arezzo1 my great enemy1 was commissioned to pound it4 #c ,the man happened to be very poor1 and the diamond was worth perhaps some scores of crowns4 ,he told the guard that the dust he gave him back was the diamond in question properly ground down4 ,the morning when ,i took it1 they mixed it with all ,i had to eat2 it was a ,friday1 and ,i had it in salad1 sauce1 and pottage4 ,that morning ,i ate heartily1 for ,i had fasted on the previous evening2 and this day was a festival4 ,it is true that ,i felt the victuals scrunch beneath my teeth2 but ,i was not thinking about knaveries of this sort4 ,when ,i had finished1 some scraps of salad remained upon my plate1 and certain very fine and glittering splinters caught my eye among these remnants4 ,i collected them1 and took them to the window1 which let a flood of light into the room2 and while ,i was examining them1 ,i remembered that the food ,i ate that morning had scrunched more than usual4 ,on applying my senses strictly to the matter1 the verdict of my eyesight was that they were certainly fragments of pounded diamond4 ,upon this ,i gave myself up without doubt as dead1 and in my sorrow had recourse with pious heart to holy prayers4 ,i had resolved the question1 and thought that ,i was doomed4 ,for the space of a whole hour ,i prayed fervently to ,god1 returning thanks to ,him for so merciful a death4 ,since my stars had sentenced me to die1 ,i thought it no bad bargain to escape from life so easily4 ,i was resigned1 and blessed the world and all the years which ,i had passed in it4 ,now ,i was returning to a better kingdom with the grace of ,god1 the which ,i thought ,i had most certainly acquired4 ,while ,i stood revolving these thoughts in my mind1 ,i held in my hand some flimsy particles of the reputed diamond1 which of a truth ,i firmly believed to be such4 ,now hope is immortal in the human breast2 therefore ,i felt myself1 as it were1 lured onward by a gleam of idle expectation4 ,accordingly1 ,i took up a little knife and a few of those particles1 and placed them on an iron bar of my prison4 ,then ,i brought the knife's point with a slow strong grinding pressure to bear upon the stone1 and felt it crumble4 ,examining the substance with my eyes1 ,i saw that it was so4 ,in a moment new hope took possession of my soul1 and ,i exclaimed3 8,here ,i do not find my true foe1 ,messer ,durante1 but a piece of bad soft stone1 which cannot do me any harm whatever60 ,previously ,i had been resolved to remain quiet and to die in peace2 now ,i revolved other plans1 but first ,i rendered thanks to ,god and blessed poverty2 for though poverty is oftentimes the cause of bringing men to death1 on this occasion it had been the very cause of my salvation4 ,i mean in this way3 ,messer ,durante1 my enemy1 or whoever it was1 gave a diamond to ,lione to pound for me of the worth of more than a hundred crowns2 poverty induced him to keep this for himself1 and to pound for me a greenish beryl of the value of two carlins1 thinking perhaps1 because it also was a stone1 that it would work the same effect as the diamond4 ,note #a4 ,for ,messer ,durante1 see above1 p4 #ahj4 ,for the druggist of ,prato employed as a warder in ,s4 ,angelo1 see above1 p4 #baf4 ,note #b4 ',in quel girare che e' fanno e' cibi4' ,i have for the sake of clearness used the technical phrase above4 ,note #c4 ,the name of ,leone ,leoni is otherwise known as a goldsmith and bronze-caster4 ,he made the tomb for ,giangiacomo de' ,medici1 ,il ,medighino1 in the ,cathedral of ,milan4 ,,cxxvi ,,at this time the ,bishop of ,pavia1 brother of the ,count of ,san ,secondo1 and commonly called ,monsignor de' ,rossi of ,parma1 happened to be imprisoned in the castle for some troublesome affairs at ,pavia4 #a ,knowing him to be my friend1 ,i thrust my head out of the hole in my cell1 and called him with a loud voice1 crying that those thieves had given me a pounded diamond with the intention of killing me4 ,i also sent some of the splinters which ,i had preserved1 by the hand of one of his servants1 for him to see4 ,i did not disclose my discovery that the stone was not a diamond1 but told him that they had most assuredly poisoned me1 after the death of that most worthy man the castellan4 ,during the short space of time ,i had to live1 ,i begged him to allow me one loaf a day from his own stores1 seeing that ,i had resolved to eat nothing which came from them4 ,to this request he answered that he would supply me with victuals4 ,messer ,antonio1 who was certainly not cognisant of the plot against my life1 stirred up a great noise1 and demanded to see the pounded stone1 being also persuaded that it was a diamond2 but on reflection that the ,pope was probably at the bottom of the affair1 he passed it over lightly after giving his attention to the incident4 ,henceforth ,i ate the victuals sent me by the ,bishop1 and continued writing my ,capitolo on the prison1 into which ,i inserted daily all the new events which happened to me1 point by point4 ,but ,messer ,antonio also sent me food2 and he did this by the hand of that ,giovanni of ,prato1 the druggist1 then soldier in the castle1 whom ,i have previously mentioned4 ,he was a deadly foe of mine1 and was the man who had administered the powdered diamond4 ,so ,i told him that ,i would partake of nothing he brought me unless he tasted it before my eyes4 #b ,the man replied that ,popes have their meat tasted4 ,i answered3 8,noblemen are bound to taste the meat for ,popes2 in like measure1 you1 soldier1 druggist1 peasant from ,prato1 are bound to taste the meat for a ,florentine of my station40 ,he retorted with coarse words1 which ,i was not slow to pay back in kind4 ,now ,messer ,antonio felt a certain shame for his behaviour2 he had it also in his mind to make me pay the costs which the late castellan1 poor man1 remitted in my favour4 ,so he hunted out another of his servants1 who was my friend1 and sent me food by this man's hands4 ,the meat was tasted for me now with good grace1 and no need for altercation4 ,the servant in question told me that the ,pope was being pestered every day by ,monsignor di ,morluc1 who kept asking for my extradition on the part of the ,french ,king4 ,the ,pope1 however1 showed little disposition to give me up2 and ,cardinal ,farnese1 formerly my friend and patron1 had declared that ,i ought not to reckon on issuing from that prison for some length of time4 #c ,i replied that ,i should get out in spite of them all4 ,the excellent young fellow besought me to keep quiet1 and not to let such words of mine be heard1 for they might do me some grave injury2 having firm confidence in ,god1 it was my duty to await4 ,his mercy1 remaining in the meanwhile tranquil4 ,i answered that the power and goodness of ,god are not bound to stand in awe before the malign forces of iniquity4 ,note #a4 ,gio4 ,girolamo de' ,rossi1 known in literature as a poet and historian of secondary importance4 ,note #b4 ',me ne faceva la credenza4' ,note #c4 ,this was the ,cardinal ,alessandro1 son of ,pier ,luigi ,farnese4 ,,cxxvii ,a ,,few days had passed when the ,cardinal of ,ferrara arrived in ,rome4 ,he went to pay his respects to the ,pope1 and the ,pope detained him up to supper-time4 ,now the ,pope was a man of great talent for affairs1 and he wanted to talk at his ease with the ,cardinal about ,french politics4 ,everybody knows that folk1 when they are feasting together1 say things which they would otherwise retain4 ,this therefore happened4 ,the great ,king ,francis was most frank and liberal in all his dealings1 and the ,cardinal was well acquainted with his temper4 ,therefore the latter could indulge the ,pope beyond his boldest expectations4 ,this raised his ,holiness to a high pitch of merriment and gladness1 all the more because he was accustomed to drink freely once a week1 and went indeed to vomit after his indulgence4 ,when1 therefore1 the ,cardinal observed that the ,pope was well disposed1 and ripe to grant favours1 he begged for me at the ,king's demand1 pressing the matter hotly1 and proving that his ,majesty had it much at heart4 ,upon this the ,pope laughed aloud2 he felt the moment for his vomit at hand2 the excessive quantity of wine which he had drunk was also operating2 so he said3 8,on the spot1 this instant1 you shall take him to your house40 ,then1 having given express orders to this purpose1 he rose from table4 ,the ,cardinal immediately sent for me1 before ,signor ,pier ,luigi could get wind of the affair2 for it was certain that he would not have allowed me to be loosed from prison4 ,the ,pope's mandatary came together with two great gentlemen of the ,cardinal's1 and when four o'clock of the night was passed1 they removed me from my prison1 and brought me into the presence of the ,cardinal1 who received me with indescribable kindness4 ,i was well lodged1 and left to enjoy the comforts of my situation4 ,messer ,antonio1 the old castellan's brother1 and his successor in the office1 insisted on extracting from me the costs for food and other fees and perquisites claimed by sheriffs and such fry1 paying no heed to his predecessor's will in my behalf4 ,this affair cost me several scores of crowns2 but ,i paid them1 because the ,cardinal told me to be well upon my guard if ,i wanted to preserve my life1 adding that had he not extracted me that evening from the prison1 ,i should never have got out4 ,indeed1 he had already been informed that the ,pope greatly regretted having let me go4 ,,this ,,capitolo ,i ,,write ,,to ,,luca ,,martin ,,addressing ,,him ,,in ,,it ,,as ,,will ,,appear #a ,,whoso would know the power of ,god's dominion1 ,and how a man resembles that high good1 ,must lie in prison1 is my firm opinion3 ,on grievous thoughts and cares of home must brood1 ' ' ,oppressed with carking pains in flesh and bone1 ,far from his native land full many a rood4 ,if you would fain by worthy deeds be known1 ,seek to be prisoned without cause1 lie long1 ' ' ,and find no friend to listen to your moan4 ,see that men rob you of your all by wrong2 ,add perils to your life2 be used with force1 ,hopeless of help1 by brutal foes and strong4 ' ',be driven at length to some mad desperate course2 ,burst from your dungeon1 leap the castle wall2 ,recaptured1 find the prison ten times worse4 ' ',now listen1 ,luca1 to the best of all6 ,your leg's been broken2 you've been bought and sold2 ,your dungeon's dripping2 you've no cloak or shawl4 ,never one friendly word2 your victuals cold ' ' ,are brought with sorry news by some base groom ,of ,prato-soldier now-druggist of old4 ,mark well how ,glory steeps her sons in gloom6 ,you have no seat to sit on1 save the stool3 ' ' ,yet were you active from your mother's womb4 ,the knave who serves hath orders strict and cool ,to list no word you utter1 give you naught1 ,scarcely to ope the door2 such is their rule4 ' ',these toys hath ,glory for her nursling wrought6 ,no paper1 pens1 ink1 fire1 or tools of steel1 ,to exercise the quick brain's teeming thought4 ' ',alack that ,i so little can reveal6 ,fancy one hundred for each separate ill3 ,full space and place ,i've left for prison weal6 ,but now my former purpose to fulfil1 ' ' ,and sing the dungeon's praise with honour due- ,for this angelic tongues were scant of skill4 ,here never languish honest men and true1 ,except by placemen's fraud1 misgovernment1 ' ' ,jealousies1 anger1 or some spiteful crew4 ,to tell the truth whereon my mind is bent1 ,here man knows ,god1 nor ever stints to pray1 ,feeling his soul with hell's fierce anguish rent4 ' ',let one be famed as bad as mortal may1 ,send him in jail two sorry years to pine1 ,he'll come forth holy1 wise1 beloved alway4' ',here soul1 flesh1 clothes their substance gross refine2 ,each bulky lout grows light like gossamere2 ,celestial thrones before purged eyeballs shine4 ,i'll tell thee a great marvel6 ,friend1 give ear6 ' ' ,the fancy took me on one day to write3 ,learn now what shifts one may be put to here4 ,my cell ,i search1 prick brows and hair upright1 ,then turn me toward a cranny in the door1 ' ' ,and with my teeth a splinter disunite2 ,next find a piece of brick upon the floor1 ,crumble a part thereof to powder small1 ,and form a paste by sprinkling water o'er4 #b ' ',then1 then came ,poesy with fiery call ,into my carcass1 by the way methought ,whence bread goes forth-there was none else at all4 ' ',now to return unto my primal thought3 ,who wills to know what weal awaits him1 must ,first learn the ill that ,god for him hath wrought4 ,the jail contains all arts in act and trust2 ' ' ,should you but hanker after surgeon's skill1 ',twill draw the spoiled blood from your veins adust4 ,next there is something in itself that will ,make you right eloquent1 a bold brave spark1 ' ' ,big with high-soaring thoughts for good and ill4 ,blessed is the man who lies in dungeon dark1 ,languishing many a month1 then takes his flight ,of war1 truce1 peace he knows1 and tells the mark4 ' ',needs be that all things turn to his delight2 ,the jail has crammed his brains so full of wit1 ,they'll dance no morris to upset the wight4 ,perchance thou'lt urge3 8,think how thy life did flit2 ,nor is it true the jail can teach thee lore1 ,to fill thy breast and heart with strength of it60 ,nay1 for myself ,i'll ever praise it more3 ,yet would ,i like one law passed-that the man ,whose acts deserve it should not scape this score4 ,whoso hath gotten the poor folk in ban1 ,i'd make him learn those lessons of the jail2 ,for then he'd know all a good ruler can3 ,he'd act like men who weigh by reason's scale1 ,nor dare to swerve from truth and right aside1 ,nor would confusion in the realm prevail4 ,while ,i was bound in prison to abide1 ,foison of priests1 friars1 soldiers ,i could see2 ,but those who best deserved it least ,i spied4 ,ah6 could you know what rage came over me1 ,when for such rogues the jail relaxed her hold6 ,this makes one weep that one was born to be6 ,i'll add no more4 ,now ,i'm become fine gold1 ,such gold as none flings lightly to the wind1 ,fit for the best work eyes shall e'er behold4 ,another point hath passed into my mind1 ,which ,i've not told thee1 ,luca2 where ,i wrote1 ,was in the book of one our kith and kind4 #c ,there down the margins ,i was wont to note ,each torment grim that crushed me like a vice3 ,the paste my hurrying thoughts could hardly float4 ,to make an ,o1 ,i dipped the splinter thrice ,in that thick mud2 worse woe could scarcely grind ,spirits in hell debarred from ,paradise4 ,seeing ,i'm not the first by fraud confined1 ,this ,i'll omit2 and once more seek the cell ,wherein ,i rack for rage both heart and mind4 ,i praise it more than other tongues will tell2 ,and1 for advice to such as do not know1 ,swear that without it none can labour well4 ,yet oh6 for one like ,him ,i learned but now1 ,who'd cry to me as by ,bethesda's shore3 ,take thy clothes1 ,benvenuto1 rise and go6 ,credo ,i'd sing1 ,salve reginas pour ,and ,paternosters2 alms ,i'd then bestow ,morn after morn on blind folk1 lame1 and poor4 ,ah me6 how many a time my cheek must grow ,blanched by those lilies6 ,shall ,i then forswear ,florence and ,france through them for evermore8 #d ,if to the hospital ,i come1 and fair ,find the ,annunziata limned4 ,i'll fly3 ,else shall ,i show myself a brute beast there4 #e ,these words flout not ,her worshipped sanctity1 ,nor those ,her lilies1 glorious1 holy1 pure1 ,the which illumine earth and heaven high6 ,but for ,i find at every coign obscure ,base lilies which spread hooks where flowers should blow ,needs must ,i fear lest these to ruin lure4 #f ,to think how many walk like me in woe6 ,born what1 how slaved to serve that hateful sign6 ,souls lively1 graceful1 like to gods below6 ,i saw that lethal heraldry decline ,from heaven like lightning among people vain2 ,then on the stone ,i saw strange lustre shine4 ,the castle's bell must break ere ,i with strain ,thence issued2 and these things ,who speaketh true ,in heaven on earth1 to me made wondrous plain4 #g ,next ,i beheld a bier of sombre hue ,adorned with broken lilies2 crosses1 tears2 ,and on their beds a lost woe-stricken crew4 #h ,i saw the ,death who racks our souls with fears2 ,this man and that she menaced1 while she cried3 8,i clip the folk who harm thee with these shears60 ,that worthy one then on my brow wrote wide ,with ,peter's pen words which-for he bade shun ,to speak them thrice-within my breast ,i hide4 #i ,him ,i beheld who drives and checks the sun1 ,clad with its splendour #8mid his court on high1 ,seld-seen by mortal eyes1 if e'er by one4 #aj ,then did a solitary sparrow cry ,loud from the keep2 hearing which note1 ,i said3 8,he tells that ,i shall live and you must die60 ,i sang1 and wrote my hard case1 head by head1 ,asking from god pardon and aid in need1 ,for now ,if felt mine eyes outworn and dead4 ,ne'er lion1 tiger1 wolf1 or bear knew greed ,hungrier than that man felt for human blood2 ,nor viper with more venomous fang did feed4 #aa ,the cruel chief was he of robbers' brood1 ,worst of the worst among a gang of knaves2 ,hist6 ,i'll speak soft lest ,i be understood6 ,say1 have ye seen catchpolls1 the famished slaves1 ,in act a poor man's homestead to distrain1 ,smashing down ,christs1 ,madonnas1 with their staves8 ,so on the first of ,august did that train ,dislodge me to a tomb more foul1 more cold3- 8,november damns and dooms each rogue to pain60 #ab ,i at mine ears a trumpet had which told ,truth2 and each word to them ,i did repeat1 ,reckless1 if but grief's load from me were rolled4 ,they1 when they saw their final hope retreat1 ,gave me a diamond1 pounded1 no fair ring1 ,deeming that ,i must die if ,i should eat4 ,that villain churl whose office #8twas to bring ,my food1 ,i bade taste first2 but meanwhile thought3 8,not here ,i find my foe ,durante's sting60 ,yet erst my mind unto high ,god ,i brought ,beseeching ,him to pardon all my sin1 ,and spoke a ,miserere sorrow-fraught4 ,then when ,i gained some respite from that din ,of troubles1 and had given my soul to ,god1 ,contented better realms and state to win1 ,i saw along the path which saints have trod1 ,from heaven descending1 glad1 with glorious palm1 ,an angel3 clear he cried1 8,upon earth's sod ,live longer thou6 ,through ,him who heard thy psalm1 ,those foes shall perish1 each and all1 in strife1 ,while thou remainest happy1 free1 and calm1 ,blessed by our ,sire in heaven on earth for life60 ,note #a4 ,cellini's ,capitolo in ,praise of the ,prison is clearly made up of pieces written1 as escribed above1 in the dungeon of ,s4 ,angelo1 and of passages which he afterwards composed to bring these pieces into a coherent whole4 ,he has not displayed much literary skill in the redaction1 and ,i have been at pains to preserve the roughness of the original4 ,note #b4 ,the ,italian is 'acqua morta2' probably a slang phrase for urine4 ,note #c4 ',un nostro parente4' ,he says above that he wrote the ,capitolo on the leaves of his ,bible4 ,note #d4 ',un nostro parente4' ,he says above that he wrote the ,capitolo on the leaves of his ,bible4 ,note #e4 ,gabriel holds the lily in ,italian paintings when he salutes the ,virgin ,mary with ',ave ,virgo6' ,note #f4 ,that is1 he finds everywhere in ,italy the arms of the ,farnesi4 ,note #g4 ,allusion to his prevision of the castellan's death4 ,note #h4 ,allusion to his prevision of ,pier ,luigi ,farnese's murder4 ,note #i4 ,allusion to the angel who visited him in prison4 ,note #aj4 ,allusion to his vision of the sun in the dungeon4 ,note #aa4 ,an invective against ,pier ,luigi ,farnese4 ,note #ab4 ,allusion to the prophetic words he flung at the officers who took him to ,foiano's dungeon4 ,end of ,part ,one ,autobiography of ,benvenuto ,cellini ,part ,,ii ,i ,i ,,remained for some time in the ,cardinal of ,ferrara's palace1 very well regarded in general by everybody1 and much more visited even than ,i had previously been4 ,everybody was astonished that ,i should have come out of prison and have been able to live through such indescribable afflictions2 #a and while ,i was recovering my breath and endeavouring to resume the habit of my art1 ,i had great pleasure in re-writing the ,capitolo4 ,afterwards1 with a view to re-establishing my strength1 ,i determined to take a journey of a few days for change of air4 ,my good friend the ,cardinal gave me permission and lent me horses2 and ,i had two young ,romans for my companions1 one of them a craftsman in my trade1 the other only a comrade in our journey4 ,we left ,rome1 and took the road to ,tagliacozzo1 intending to visit my pupil ,ascanio1 who lived there4 ,on our arrival1 ,i found the lad1 together with his father1 brothers1 sisters1 and stepmother4 ,i was entertained by them two days with indescribable kindness2 then ,i turned my face towards ,rome1 taking ,ascanio with me4 ,on the road we fell to conversing about our art1 which made me die of impatience to get back and recommence my labours4 ,having reached ,rome1 ,i got myself at once in readiness to work1 and was fortunate enough to find again a silver basin which ,i had begun for the ,cardinal before ,i was imprisoned4 ,together with this basin ,i had begun a very beautiful little jug2 but this had been stolen1 with a great quantity of other valuable articles4 ,i set ,pagolo1 whom ,i have previously mentioned1 to work upon the basin4 ,at the same time ,i recommenced the jug1 which was designed with round figures and bas-reliefs4 ,the basin was executed in a similar style1 with round figures and fishes in bas-relief4 ,the whole had such richness and good keeping1 that every one who beheld it expressed astonishment at the force of the design and beauty of invention1 and also at the delicacy #b with which these young men worked4 ,the ,cardinal came at least twice a day to see me1 bringing with him ,messer ,luigi ,alamanni and ,messer ,gabriel ,cesano2 #c and here we used to pass an hour or two pleasantly together4 ,notwithstanding ,i had very much to do1 he kept giving me fresh commissions4 ,among others1 ,i had to make his pontifical seal of the size of the hand of a boy of twelve4 ,on it ,i engraved in intaglio two little histories1 the one of ,san ,giovanni preaching in the wilderness1 the other of ,sant' ,ambrogio expelling the ,arians #d on horseback with a lash in his hand4 ,the fire and correctness of design of this piece1 and its nicety of workmanship1 made every one say that ,i had surpassed the great ,lautizio1 who ranked alone in this branch of the profession4 ,the ,cardinal was so proud of it that he used to compare it complacently with the other seals of the ,roman cardinals1 which were nearly all from the hand of ,lautizio4 ,note #a4 ,this assertion is well supported by contemporary letters of ,caro and ,alamanni4 ,note #b4 ',pulitezza4' ,this indicates precision1 neatness1 cleanness of execution4 ,note #c4 ,the name of ,cesano is well known in the literary correspondence of those times4 ,note #d4 ,it will be remembered that the ,cardinal was ,archbishop of ,milan4 ,,ii ,,in addition to these things the ,cardinal ordered me to make the model for a salt-cellar2 but he said he should like me to leave the beaten track pursued by such as fabricated these things4 ,messer ,luigi1 apropos of this salt-cellar1 made an eloquent description of his own idea2 ,messer ,gabriello ,cesano also spoke exceedingly well to the same purpose4 ,the ,cardinal1 who was a very kindly listener1 showed extreme satisfaction with the designs which these two able men of letters had described in words4 ,then he turned to me and said3 8,my ,benvenuto1 the design of ,messer ,luigi and that of ,messer ,gabriello please me both so well that ,i know not how to choose between them2 therefore ,i leave the choice to you1 who will have to execute the work40 ,i replied as follows3 8,it is apparent1 my lords1 of what vast consequence are the sons of kings and emperors1 and what a marvellous brightness of divinity appears in them2 nevertheless1 if you ask some poor humble shepherd which he loves best1 those royal children or his sons1 he will certainly tell you that he loves his own sons best4 ,now ,i too have a great affection for the children which ,i bring forth from my art2 consequently the first which ,i will show you1 most reverend monsignor my good master1 shall be of my own making and invention4 ,there are many things beautiful enough in words which do not match together well when executed by an artist40 ,then ,i turned to the two scholars and said3 8,you have spoken1 ,i will do40 ,upon this ,messer ,luigi ,alamanni smiled1 and added a great many witty things1 with the greatest charm of manner1 in my praise2 they became him well1 for he was handsome of face and figure1 and had a gentle voice4 ,messer ,gabriello ,cesano was quite the opposite1 as ugly and displeasing as the other was agreeable2 accordingly he spoke as he looked4 ,messer ,luigi had suggested that ,i should fashion a ,venus with ,cupid1 surrounded by a crowd of pretty emblems1 all in proper keeping with the subject4 ,messer ,gabriello proposed that ,i should model an ,amphitrite1 the wife of ,neptune1 together with those ,tritons of the sea1 and many such-like fancies1 good enough to describe in words1 but not to execute in metal4 ,i first laid down an oval framework1 considerably longer than half a cubit--almost two-thirds1 in fact2 and upon this ground1 wishing to suggest the interminglement of land and ocean1 ,i modelled two figures1 considerably taller than a palm in height1 which were seated with their legs interlaced1 suggesting those lengthier branches of the sea which run up into the continents4 ,the sea was a man1 and in his hand ,i placed a ship1 elaborately wrought in all its details1 and well adapted to hold a quantity of salt4 ,beneath him ,i grouped the four sea-horses1 and in his right hand he held his trident4 ,the earth ,i fashioned like a woman1 with all the beauty of form1 the grace1 and charm of which my art was capable4 ,she had a richly decorated temple firmly based upon the ground at one side2 and here her hand rested4 ,this ,i intended to receive the pepper4 ,in her other hand ,i put a cornucopia1 overflowing with all the natural treasures ,i could think of4 ,below this goddess1 in the part which represented earth1 ,i collected the fairest animals that haunt our globe4 ,in the quarter presided over by the deity of ocean1 ,i fashioned such choice kinds of fishes and shells as could be properly displayed in that small space4 ,what remained of the oval ,i filled in with luxuriant ornamentation4 ,then ,i waited for the ,cardinal2 and when he came1 attended by the two accomplished gentlemen1 ,i produced the model ,i had made in wax4 ,on beholding it1 ,messer ,gabriel ,cesano was the first to lift his voice up1 and to cry3 8,this is a piece which it will take the lives of ten men to finish3 do not expect1 most reverend monsignor1 if you order it1 to get it in your lifetime4 ,benvenuto1 it seems1 has chosen to display his children in a vision1 but not to give them to the touch1 as we did when we spoke of things that could be carried out1 while he has shown a thing beyond the bounds of possibility40 ,messer ,alamanni took my side2 but the ,cardinal said he did not care to undertake so important an affair4 ,then ,i turned to them and said3 8,most reverend monsignor1 and you1 gentlemen1 fulfilled with learning2 ,i tell you that ,i hope to complete this piece for whosoever shall be destined to possess it2 #a and each one of you shall live to ,i see it executed a hundred times more richly than the model4 ,indeed1 ,i hope that time will be left me to produce far greater things than this40 ,the ,cardinal replied in heat3 8,unless you make if for the ,king1 to whom ,i mean to take you1 ,i do not think that you will make it for another man alive40 ,then he showed me letters in which the ,king1 under one heading1 bade him return as soon as possible1 bringing ,benvenuto with him4 ,at this ,i raised my hands to heaven1 exclaiming3 8,oh1 when will that moment come1 and quickly80 ,the ,cardinal bade me put myself in readiness1 and arrange the affairs ,i had in ,rome4 ,he gave me ten days for these preparations4 ,note #a4 ',a chi l'ard avere4' ,for whomsoever it in going to belong to4 ,,iii ,,when the time came to travel1 he gave me a fine and excellent horse4 ,the animal was called ,tornon1 because it was a gift from the ,cardinal ,tornon4 #a ,my apprentices1 ,pagolo and ,ascanio1 were also furnished with good mounts4 ,the ,cardinal divided his household1 which was very numerous1 into two sections4 ,the first1 and the more distinguished1 he took with him1 following the route of ,romagna1 with the object of visiting ,madonna del ,loreto1 and then making for ,ferrara1 his own home4 ,the other section he sent upon the road to ,florence4 ,this was the larger train2 it counted a great multitude1 including the flower of his horse4 ,he told me that if ,i wished to make the journey without peril1 ,i had better go with him1 otherwise ,i ran some risk of my life4 ,i expressed my inclination to his most reverend lordship to travel in his suite4 ,but1 having done so1 since the will of ,heaven must be accomplished1 it pleased ,god to remind me of my poor sister1 who had suffered greatly from the news of my misfortunes4 ,i also remembered my cousins1 who were nuns in ,viterbo1 the one abbess and the other camerlinga1 #b and who had therefore that rich convent under their control4 ,they too had endured sore tribulation for my sake1 and to their fervent prayers ,i firmly believed that ,i owed the grace of my deliverance by ,god4 ,accordingly1 when these things came into my mind1 ,i decided for the route to ,florence4 ,i might have travelled free of expense with the ,cardinal or with that other train of his1 but ,i chose to take my own way by myself4 ,eventually ,i joined company with a very famous clockmaker1 called ,maestro ,cherubino1 my esteemed friend4 ,thrown together by accident1 we performed the journey with much enjoyment on both sides4 ,i had left ,rome on ,monday in ,passion ,week1 together with ,pagolo and ,ascanio4 #c ,at ,monte ,ruosi we joined the company which ,i have mentioned4 ,since ,i had expressed my intention of following the ,cardinal1 ,i did not anticipate that any of my enemies would be upon the watch to harm me4 ,yet ,i ran a narrow risk of coming to grief at ,monte ,ruosi2 for a band of men had been sent forward1 well armed1 to do me mischief there4 ,it was so ordained by ,god that1 while we were at dinner1 these fellows1 on the news that ,i was not travelling in the ,cardinal's suite1 made preparation to attack me4 ,just at that moment the ,cardinal's retinue arrived1 and ,i was glad enough to travel with their escort safely to ,viterbo4 ,from that place onward ,i had no apprehension of danger1 especially as ,i made a point of travelling a few miles in front1 and the best men of the retinue kept a good watch over me4 #d ,i arrived by ,god's grace safe and sound at ,viterbo1 where my cousins and all the convent received me with the greatest kindness4 ,note #a4 ,this was the famous ,franois de ,tournon1 made ,cardinal in #aecj1 and employed as minister by ,franois4 ,i4 ,note #b4 ,this official in a convent was the same as cellarer or superintendent of the cellar and provisions4 ,note #c4 ,this was ,march #bb1 #aedj4 ,note #d4 ',tenevano molto conto di me4' ,this is perhaps equivalent to 'held me in high esteem4' ,but ,cellini uses the same phrase with the meaning ,i have given above1 in ,book ,i1 chap4 lxxxvi4 ,,iv ,i bought a new pair of stirrups1 although ,i still hoped to regain my good pad by persuasion2 and since ,i was very well mounted1 and well armed with shirt and sleeves of mail1 and carried an excellent arquebuse upon my saddle-bow1 ,i was not afraid of the brutality and violence which that mad beast was said to be possessed of4 ,i had also accustomed my young men to carry shirts of mail1 and had great confidence in the ,roman1 who1 while we were in ,rome together1 had never left it off1 so far as ,i could see2 ,ascanio too1 although he was but a stripling1 was in the habit of wearing one4 ,besides1 as it was ,good ,friday1 ,i imagined that the madnesses of madmen might be giving themselves a holiday4 ,when we came to the ,camollia gate1 ,i at once recognised the postmaster by the indications given me2 for he was blind of the left eye4 ,riding up to him then1 and leaving my young men and companions at a little distance1 ,i courteously addressed him3 8,master of the post1 if ,i assure you that ,i did not override your horse1 why are you unwilling to give me back my pad and stirrups80 ,the reply he made was precisely as mad and brutal as had been foretold me4 ,this roused me to exclaim3 8,how then6 are you not a ,christian8 or do you want upon ,good ,friday to force us both into a scandal80 ,he answered that ,good ,friday or the ,devil's ,friday was all the same to him1 and that if ,i did not take myself away1 he would fell me to the ground with a spontoon which he had taken up--me and the arquebuse ,i had my hand on4 ,upon hearing these truculent words1 an old gentleman of ,siena joined us2 he was dressed like a citizen1 and was returning from the religious functions proper to that day4 ,it seems that he had gathered the sense of my arguments before he came up to where we stood2 and this impelled him to rebuke the postmaster with warmth1 taking my side1 and reprimanding the man's two sons for not doing their duty to passing strangers2 so that their manners were an offence to ,god and a disgrace to the city of ,siena4 ,the two young fellows wagged their heads without saying a word1 and withdrew inside the house4 ,their father1 stung to fury by the scolding of that respectable gentleman1 poured out a volley of abusive blasphemies1 and levelled his spontoon1 swearing he would murder me4 ,when ,i saw him determined to do some act of bestial violence1 ,i pointed the muzzle of my arquebuse1 with the object only of keeping him at a distance4 ,doubly enraged by this1 he flung himself upon me4 ,though ,i had prepared the arquebuse for my defence1 ,i had not yet levelled it exactly at him2 indeed it was pointed too high4 ,it went off of itself2 and the ball1 striking the arch of the door and glancing backwards1 wounded him in the throat1 so that he fell dead to earth4 ,upon this the two young men came running out2 one caught up a partisan from the rack which stood there1 the other seized the spontoon of his father4 ,springing upon my followers1 the one who had the spontoon smote ,pagolo the ,roman first above the left nipple4 ,the other attacked a ,milanese who was in our company1 and had the ways and manners of a perfect fool4 ,this man screamed out that he had nothing in the world to do with me1 and parried the point of the partisan with a little stick he held2 but this availed him naught3 in spite of his words and fencing1 he received a flesh wound in the mouth4 ,messer ,cherubino wore the habit of a priest2 for though he was a clockmaker by trade1 he held benefices of some value from the ,pope4 ,ascanio1 who was well armed1 stood his ground without trying to escape1 as the ,milanese had done2 so these two came off unhurt4 ,i had set spurs to my horse1 and while he was galloping1 had charged and got my arquebuse in readiness again2 but now ,i turned back1 burning with fury1 and meaning to play my part this time in earnest4 ,i thought that my young men had been killed1 and was resolved to die with them4 ,the horse had not gone many paces when ,i met them riding toward me1 and asked if they were hurt4 ,ascanio answered that ,pagolo was wounded to the death4 ,then ,i said3 8,o ,pagolo1 my son1 did the spontoon then pierce through your armour80 8,no10 he replied1 8for ,i put my shirt of mail in the valise this morning40 8,so then1 ,i suppose1 one wears chain-mail in ,rome to swagger before ladies1 but where there is danger1 and one wants it1 one keeps it locked up in a portmanteau8 ,you deserve what you have got1 and you are now the cause of sending me back to die here too40 ,while ,i was uttering these words1 ,i kept riding briskly onward2 but both the young men implored me for the love of ,god to save myself and them1 and not to rush on certain death4 ,just then ,i met ,messer ,cherubino and the wounded ,milanese4 ,the former cried out that no one was badly wounded2 the blow given to ,pagolo had only grazed the skin1 #b but the old postmaster was stretched out dead2 his sons with other folk were getting ready for attack1 and we must almost certainly be cut to pieces3 8,accordingly1 ,benvenuto1 since fortune has saved us from this first tempest1 do not tempt her again1 for things may not go so favourably a second time40 ,to this ,i replied3 8,if you are satisfied to have it thus1 so also am ,i20 and turning to ,pagolo and ,ascanio1 ,i said3 8,strike spurs to your horses1 and let us gallop to ,staggia without stopping2 #c there we shall be in safety40 ,the wounded ,milanese groaned out3 8,a pox upon our peccadilloes6 the sole cause of my misfortune was that ,i sinned by taking a little broth this morning1 having nothing else to break my fast with40 ,in spite of the great peril we were in1 we could not help laughing a little at the donkey and his silly speeches4 ,then we set spurs to our horses1 and left ,messer ,cherubino and the ,milanese to follow at their leisure4 ,note #a4 ,the word ,i have translated by 8pad0 above is 'cucino' in the original4 ,it seems to have been a sort of cushion flung upon the saddle1 and to which the stirrups were attached4 ,note #b4 ,the ,italian is peculiar3 'il colpo di ,pagolo era ito tanto ritto che non era isfandato4' ,note #c4 ,staggia is the next post on the way to ,florence4 ,v ,,while we were making our escape1 the sons of the dead man ran to the ,duke of ,melfi1 and begged for some light horsemen to catch us up and take us prisoners4 #a ,the ,duke upon being informed that we were the ,cardinal of ,ferrara's men1 refused to give them troops or leave to follow4 ,we meanwhile arrived at ,staggia1 where we were in safety4 ,there we sent for a doctor1 the best who could be had in such a place2 and on his examining ,pagolo1 we discovered that the wound was only skin-deep2 so ,i felt sure #b that he would escape without mischief4 ,then we ordered dinner2 and at this juncture there arrived ,messer ,cherubino and that ,milanese simpleton1 who kept always muttering3 8,a plague upon your quarrels10 and complaining that he was excommunicated because he had not been able to say a single ,paternoster on that holy morning4 ,he was very ugly1 and his mouth1 which nature had made large1 had been expanded at least three inches by his wound2 so that what with his ludicrous ,milanese jargon and his silly way of talking1 he gave us so much matter for mirth1 that1 instead of bemoaning our ill-luck1 we could not hold from laughing at every word he uttered4 ,when the doctor wanted to sew up his wound1 and had already made three stitches with his needle1 the fellow told him to hold hard a while1 since he did not want him out of malice to sew his whole mouth up4 ,then he took up a spoon1 and said he wished to have his mouth left open enough to take that spoon in1 in order that he might return alive to his own folk4 ,these things he said with such odd waggings of the head1 that we never stopped from laughing1 and so pursued our journey mirthfully to ,florence4 ,we dismounted at the house of my poor sister1 who1 together with her husband1 overwhelmed us with kind attentions4 ,messer ,cherubino and the ,milanese went about their business4 ,in ,florence we remained four days1 during which ,pagolo got well4 ,it was lucky for us that whenever we talked about that ,milanese donkey1 we laughed as much as our misfortunes made us weep1 so that we kept laughing and crying both at the same moment4 ,pagolo recovered1 as ,i have said1 with ease2 and then we travelled toward ,ferrara1 where we found our lord the ,cardinal had not yet arrived4 ,he had already heard of all our accidents1 and said1 when he expressed his concern for them3 8,i pray to ,god that ,i may be allowed to bring you alive to the ,king1 according to my promise40 ,in ,ferrara he sent me to reside at a palace of his1 a very handsome place called ,belfiore1 close under the city walls4 ,there he provided me with all things necessary for my work4 ,a little later1 he arranged to leave for ,france without me2 and observing that ,i was very ill pleased with this1 he said to me3 8,benvenuto1 ,i am acting for your welfare2 before ,i take you out of ,italy1 ,i want you to know exactly what you will have to do when you come to ,france4 ,meanwhile1 push on my basin and the jug with all the speed you can4 ,i shall leave orders with my factor to give you everything that you may want40 ,he then departed1 and ,i remained sorely dissatisfied1 and more than once ,i was upon the point of taking myself off without license4 ,the only thing which kept me back was that he had procured my freedom from ,pope ,paolo2 for the rest1 ,i was ill-contented and put to considerable losses4 ,however1 ,i clothed my mind with the gratitude due to that great benefit1 and disposed myself to be patient and to await the termination of the business4 ,so ,i set myself to work with my two men1 and made great progress with the jug and basin4 ,the air was unwholesome where we lodged1 and toward summer we all of us suffered somewhat in our health4 ,during our indisposition we went about inspecting the domain2 it was very large1 and left in a wild state for about a mile of open ground1 haunted too by multitudes of peacocks1 which bred and nested there like wildfowl4 ,this put it into my head to charge my gun with a noiseless kind of powder2 then ,i tracked some of the young birds1 and every other day killed one1 which furnished us with abundance of meat1 of such excellent quality that we shook our sickness off4 ,for several months following we went on working merrily1 and got the jug and basin forward2 but it was a task that required much time4 ,note #a4 ,the ,duke of ,melfi1 or ,amalfi1 was at this time ,alfonso ,piccolomini1 acting as captain-general of the ,sienese in the interests of ,charles ,v4 ,note #b4 ',cognobbi4' ,the subject to this verb may be either ,cellini or the doctor4 ,,vi ,,at that period the ,duke of ,ferrara came to terms with ,pope ,paul about some old matters in dispute between them relating to ,modena and certain other cities4 ,the ,church having a strong claim to them1 the ,duke was forced to purchase peace by paying down an enormous sum of money2 ,i think that it exceeded three hundred thousand ducats of the ,camera4 ,there was an old treasurer in the service of the ,duke1 who had been brought up by his father1 ,duke ,alfonso1 and was called ,messer ,girolamo ,giliolo4 ,he could not endure to see so much money going to the ,pope1 and went about the streets crying3 8,duke ,alfonso1 his father1 would sooner have attacked and taken ,rome with this money than have shown it to the ,pope40 ,nothing would induce him to disburse it2 at last1 however1 the ,duke compelled him to make the payments1 which caused the old man such anguish that he sickened of a dangerous colic and was brought to death's door4 ,during this man's illness the ,duke sent for me1 and bade me take his portrait2 this ,i did upon a circular piece of black stone about the size of a little trencher4 ,the ,duke took so much pleasure in my work and conversation1 that he not unfrequently posed through four or five hours at a stretch for his own portrait1 and sometimes invited me to supper4 ,it took me eight days to complete his likeness2 then he ordered me to design the reverse4 ,on it ,i modelled ,peace1 giving her the form of a woman with a torch in her hand1 setting fire to a trophy of arms2 ,i portrayed her in an attitude of gladness1 with very thin drapery1 and below her feet lay ,fury in despair1 downcast and sad1 and loaded with chains4 ,i devoted much study and attention to this work1 and it won me the greatest honour4 ,the ,duke was never tired of expressing his satisfaction1 and gave me inscriptions for both sides of the medal4 ,that on the reverse ran as follows3 ',pretiosa in conspectu ,domini2' it meant that his peace with the ,pope had been dearly bought4 ,,vii ,,while ,i was still engaged upon the reverse of this medal1 the ,cardinal sent me letters bidding me prepare for my journey1 since the ,king had asked after me4 ,his next communication would contain full details respecting all that he had promised4 ,accordingly1 ,i had my jug and basin packed up1 after showing them to the ,duke4 ,now a ,ferrarese gentleman named ,alberto ,bendedio was the ,cardinal's agent1 and he had been twelve years confined to his house1 without once leaving it1 by reason of some physical infirmity4 ,one day he sent in a vast hurry for me1 saying ,i must take the post at once1 in order to present myself before the ,king of ,france1 who had eagerly been asking for me1 under the impression that ,i was in ,france4 ,by way of apology1 the ,cardinal told him that ,i was staying1 slightly indisposed1 in his abbey at ,lyons1 but that he would have me brought immediately to his ,majesty4 ,therefore ,i must lose no time1 but travel with the post4 ,now ,messer ,alberto was a man of sterling worth1 but proud1 and illness had made his haughty temper insupportable4 ,as ,i have just said1 he bade me to get ready on the spot and take the journey by the common post4 ,i said that it was not the custom to pursue my profession in the post1 and that if ,i had to go1 it was my intention to make easy stages and to take with me the workmen ,ascanio and ,pagolo1 whom ,i had brought from ,rome4 ,moreover1 ,i wanted a servant on horseback to be at my orders1 and money sufficient for my costs upon the way4 ,the infirm old man replied1 upon a tone of mighty haughtiness1 that the sons of dukes were wont to travel as ,i had described1 and in no other fashion4 ,i retorted that the sons of my art travelled in the way ,i had informed him1 and that not being a duke's son1 ,i knew nothing about the customs of such folk2 if he treated me to language with which my ears were unfamiliar1 ,i would not go at all2 the ,cardinal having broken faith with me1 and such scurvy words having been spoken1 ,i should make my mind up once for all to take no further trouble with the ,ferrarese4 ,then ,i turned my back1 and1 he threatening1 ,i grumbling1 took my leave4 ,i next went to the ,duke with my medal1 which was finished4 ,he received me with the highest marks of honour and esteem4 ,it seems that he had given orders to ,messer ,girolamo ,giliolo to reward me for my labour with a diamond ring worth two hundred crowns1 which was to be presented by ,fiaschino1 his chamberlain4 ,accordingly1 this fellow1 on the evening after ,i had brought the medal1 at one hour past nightfall1 handed me a ring with a diamond of showy appearance1 and spoke as follows on the part of his master3 8,take this diamond as a remembrance of his ,excellency1 to adorn the unique artist's hand which has produced a masterpiece of so singular merit40 ,when day broke1 ,i examined the ring1 and found the stone to be a miserable thin diamond1 worth about ten crowns4 ,i felt sure that the ,duke had not meant to accompany such magnificent compliments with so trifling a gift1 but that he must have intended to reward me handsomely4 ,being then convinced that the trick proceeded from his rogue of a treasurer1 ,i gave the ring to a friend of mine1 begging him to return it to the chamberlain1 ,fiaschino1 as he best could4 ,the man ,i chose was ,bernardo ,saliti1 who executed his commission admirably4 ,fiaschino came at once to see me1 and declared1 with vehement expostulations1 that the ,duke would take it very ill if ,i refused a present he had meant so kindly2 perhaps ,i should have to repent of my waywardness4 ,i answered that the ring his ,excellency had given me was worth about ten crowns1 and that the work ,i had done for him was worth more than two hundred4 ,wishing1 however1 to show his ,excellency how highly ,i esteemed his courtesy1 ,i should be happy if he bestowed on me only one of those rings for the cramp1 which come from ,england and are worth tenpence4 #a ,i would treasure that so long as ,i lived in remembrance of his ,excellency1 together with the honourable message he had sent me2 for ,i considered that the splendid favours of his ,excellency had amply recompensed my pains1 whereas that paltry stone insulted them4 ,this speech annoyed the ,duke so much that he sent for his treasurer1 and scolded him more sharply than he had ever done before4 ,at the same time he gave me orders1 under pain of his displeasure1 not to leave ,ferrara without duly informing him2 and commanded the treasurer to present me with a diamond up to three hundred crowns in value4 ,the miserly official found a stone rising a trifle above sixty crowns1 and let it be heard that it was worth upwards of two hundred4 ,note #a4 ',anello del granchio1' a metal ring of lead and copper1 such as are now worn in ,italy under the name of 'anello di salute4' ,,viii ,,meanwhile ,messer ,alberto returned to reason1 and provided me with all ,i had demanded4 ,my mind was made up to quit ,ferrara without fail that very day2 but the ,duke's attentive chamberlain arranged with ,messer ,alberto that ,i should get no horses then4 ,i had loaded a mule with my baggage1 including the case which held the ,cardinal's jug and basin4 ,just then a ,ferrarese nobleman named ,messer ,alfonso de' ,trotti arrived4 #a ,he was far advanced in years1 and a person of excessive affectation2 a great dilettante of the arts1 but one of those men who are very difficult to satisfy1 and who1 if they chance to stumble on something which suits their taste1 exalt it so in their own fancy that they never expect to see the like of it again4 ,well1 this ,messer ,alonso arrived1 and ,messer ,alberto said to him3 8,i am sorry that you are come so late2 the jug and basin we are sending to the ,cardinal in ,france have been already packed40 ,he answered that it did not signify to him2 and beckoning to his servant1 sent him home to fetch a jug in white ,faenzo clay1 the workmanship of which was very exquisite4 ,during the time the servant took to go and return1 ,messer ,alfonso said to ,messer ,alberto3 8,i will tell you why ,i do not care any longer to look at vases2 it is that ,i once beheld a piece of silver1 antique1 of such beauty and such finish that the human imagination cannot possibly conceive its rarity4 ,therefore ,i would rather not inspect any objects of the kind1 for fear of spoiling the unique impression ,i retain of that4 ,i must tell you that a gentleman of great quality and accomplishments1 who went to ,rome upon matters of business1 had this antique vase shown to him in secret4 ,by adroitly using a large sum of money1 he bribed the person in whose hands it was1 and brought it with him to these parts2 but he keeps it jealously from all eyes1 in order that the ,duke may not get wind of it1 fearing he should in some way be deprived of his treasure40 ,while spinning out this lengthy yarn1 ,messer ,alfonso did not look at me1 because we were not previously acquainted4 ,but when that precious clay model appeared1 he displayed it with such airs of ostentation1 pomp1 and mountebank ceremony1 that1 after inspecting it1 ,i turned to ,messer ,alberto and said3 8,i am indeed lucky to have had the privilege to see it60 #b ,messer ,alfonso1 quite affronted1 let some contemptuous words escape him1 and exclaimed3 8,who are you1 then1 you who do not know what you are saying80 ,i replied3 8,listen for a moment1 and afterwards judge which of us knows best what he is saying40 ,then turning to ,messer ,alberto1 who was a man of great gravity and talent1 ,i began3 8,this is a copy from a little silver goblet1 of such and such weight1 which ,i made at such and such a time for that charlatan ,maestro ,jacopo1 the surgeon from ,carpi4 ,he came to ,rome and spent six months there1 during which he bedaubed some scores of nobleman and unfortunate gentlefolk with his dirty salves1 extracting many thousands of ducats from their pockets4 ,at that time ,i made for him this vase and one of a different pattern4 ,he paid me very badly2 and at the present moment in ,rome all the miserable people who used his ointment are crippled and in a deplorable state of health4 #c ,it is indeed great glory for me that my works are held in such repute among you wealthy lords2 but ,i can assure you that during these many years past ,i have been progressing in my art with all my might1 and ,i think that the vase ,i am taking with me into ,france is far more worthy of cardinals and kings than that piece belonging to your little quack doctor40 ,after ,i had made this speech1 ,messer ,alfonso seemed dying with desire to see the jug and basin1 but ,i refused to open the box4 ,we remained some while disputing the matter1 when he said that he would go to the ,duke and get an order from his ,excellency to have it shown him4 ,then ,messer ,alberto ,bendedio1 in the high and mighty manner which belonged to him1 exclaimed3 8,before you leave this room1 ,messer ,alfonso1 you shall see it1 without employing the ,duke's influence40 ,on hearing these words ,i took my leave1 and left ,ascanio and ,pagolo to show it4 ,they told me afterwards that he had spoken enthusiastically in my praise4 ,after this he wanted to become better acquainted with me2 but ,i was wearying to leave ,ferrara and get away from all its folk4 ,the only advantages ,i had enjoyed there were the society of ,cardinal ,salviati and the ,cardinal of ,ravenna1 and the friendship of some ingenious musicians2 #d no one else had been to me of any good3 for the ,ferrarese are a very avaricious people1 greedy of their neighbours' money1 however they may lay their hands on it2 they are all the same in this respect4 ,at the hour of twenty-two ,fiaschino arrived1 and gave me the diamond of sixty crowns1 of which ,i spoke above4 ,he told me1 with a hang-dog look and a few brief words1 that ,i might wear it for his ,excellency's sake4 ,i replied3 8,i will do so40 ,then putting my foot in the stirrup in his presence1 ,i set off upon my travels without further leave-taking4 ,the man noted down my act and words1 and reported them to the ,duke1 who was highly incensed1 and showed a strong inclination to make me retrace my steps4 ,note #a4 ,this man was a member of a very noble ,ferrarese family1 and much esteemed for his official talents4 ,note #b4 ',pur beato che io l' ho veduto6' ,leclanch translates thus3 '8,par ,dieu6 il y a longtemps que je l' ai vu60' ,i think ,cellini probably meant to hint that he had seen it before4 ,note #c4 ,see above1 book i41 p4 #ea1 for this story4 ,note #d4 ,cardinal ,giovanni ,salviati was ,archbishop of ,ferrara2 ,cardinal ,benedetto ,accolti1 ,archbishop of ,ravenna1 was then staying at ,ferrara2 the court was famous for its excellent orchestra and theatrical display of all kinds4 ,,ix ,,that evening ,i rode more than ten miles1 always at a trot2 and when1 upon the next day1 ,i found myself outside the ,ferrarese domain1 ,i felt excessively relieved2 indeed ,i had met with nothing to my liking there1 except those peacocks which restored my health4 ,we journeyed by the ,monsanese1 avoiding the city of ,milan on account of the apprehension ,i have spoken of1 #a so that we arrived safe and sound at ,lyons4 ,counting ,pagolo and ,ascanio and a servant1 we were four men1 with four very good horses4 ,at ,lyons we waited several days for the muleteer1 who carried the silver cup and basin1 as well as our other baggage2 our lodging was in an abbey of the ,cardinal's4 ,when the muleteer arrived1 we loaded all our goods upon a little cart1 and then set off toward ,paris4 ,on the road we met with some annoyances1 but not of any great moment4 ,we found the ,court of the ,king at ,fontana ,beli2 #b there we presented ourselves to the ,cardinal1 who provided us at once with lodgings1 and that evening we were comfortable4 ,on the following day the cart turned up2 so we unpacked our things1 and when the ,cardinal heard this he told the ,king1 who expressed a wish to see me at once4 ,i went to his ,majesty with the cup and basin2 then1 upon entering his presence1 ,i kissed his knee1 and he received me very graciously4 ,i thanked his ,majesty for freeing me from prison1 saying that all princes unique for generosity upon this earth1 as was his ,majesty1 lay under special obligations to set free men of talent1 and particularly those that were innocent1 as ,i was2 such benefits1 ,i added1 were inscribed upon the book of ,god before any other good actions4 ,the ,king1 while ,i was delivering this speech1 continued listening till the end with the utmost courtesy1 dropping a few words such as only he could utter4 ,then he took the vase and basin1 and exclaimed3 8,of a truth ,i hardly think the ancients can have seen a piece so beautiful as this4 ,i well remember to have inspected all the best works1 and by the greatest masters of all ,italy1 but ,i never set my eyes on anything which stirred me to such admiration40 ,these words the ,king addressed in ,french to the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 with many others of even warmer praise4 ,then he turned to me and said in ,italian3 8,benvenuto1 amuse yourself for a few days1 make good cheer1 and spend your time in pleasure2 in the meanwhile we will think of giving you the wherewithal to execute some fine works of art for us40 ,note #a4 ,the ',monsanese' is the ',mont ,cenis4' ,cellini forgets that he has not mentioned this apprehension which made him turn aside from ,milan4 ,it may have been the fear of plague1 or perhaps of some enemy4 ,note #b4 ,it is thus that ,cellini always writes ,fontainebleau4 ,x ,,the ,,cardinal ,,of ,,ferrara saw that the ,king had been vastly pleased by my arrival2 he also judged that the trifles which ,i showed him of my handicraft had encouraged him to hope for the execution of some considerable things he had in mind4 ,at this time1 however1 we were following the court with the weariest trouble and fatigue2 the reason of this was that the train of the ,king drags itself along with never less than #ab1jjj horse behind it2 this calculation is the very lowest2 for when the court is complete in times of peace1 there are some #ah1jjj1 which makes #ab1jjj less than the average4 ,consequently we had to journey after it through places where sometimes there were scarcely two houses to be found2 and then we set up canvas tents like gipsies1 and suffered at times very great discomfort4 ,i therefore kept urging the ,cardinal to put the ,king in mind of employing me in some locality where ,i could stop and work4 ,the ,cardinal answered that it was far better to wait until the ,king should think of it himself1 and that ,i ought to show myself at times to his ,majesty while he was at table4 ,this ,i did then2 and one morning1 at his dinner1 the ,king called me4 ,he began to talk to me in ,italian1 saying he had it in his mind to execute several great works1 and that he would soon give orders where ,i was to labour1 and provide me with all necessaries4 ,these communications he mingled with discourse on divers pleasant matters4 ,the ,cardinal of ,ferrara was there1 because he almost always ate in the morning at the ,king's table4 ,he had heard our conversation1 and when the ,king rose1 he spoke in my favour to this purport1 as ,i afterwards was informed3 8,sacred ,majesty1 this man ,benvenuto is very eager to get to work again2 it seems almost a sin to let an artist of his abilities waste his time40 ,the ,king replied that he had spoken well1 and told him to arrange with me all things for my support according to my wishes4 ,upon the evening of the day when he received this commission1 the ,cardinal sent for me after supper1 and told me that his ,majesty was resolved to let me begin working1 but that he wanted me first to come to an understanding about my appointments4 ,to this the ,cardinal added3 8,it seems to me that if his ,majesty allows you three hundred crowns a year1 you will be able to keep yourself very well indeed1 furthermore1 ,i advise you to leave yourself in my hands1 for every day offers the opportunity of doing some service in this great kingdom1 and ,i shall exert myself with vigour in your interest40 ,then ,i began to speak as follows3 8,when your most reverend lordship left me in ,ferrara1 you gave me a promise1 which ,i had never asked for1 not to bring me out of ,italy before ,i clearly understood the terms on which ,i should be placed here with his ,majesty4 ,instead of sending to communicate these details1 your most reverend lordship urgently ordered me to come by the post1 as if an art like mine was carried on post-haste4 ,had you written to tell me of three hundred crowns1 as you have now spoken1 ,i would not have stirred a foot for twice that sum4 ,nevertheless1 ,i thank ,god and your most reverend lordship for all things1 seeing ,god has employed you as the instrument for my great good in procuring my liberation from imprisonment4 ,therefore ,i assure your lordship that all the troubles you are now causing me fall a thousand times short of the great good which you have done me4 ,with all my heart ,i thank you1 and take good leave of you2 wherever ,i may be1 so long as ,i have life1 ,i will pray ,god for you40 ,the ,cardinal was greatly irritated1 and cried out in a rage3 8,go where you choose2 it is impossible to help people against their will40 ,some of his good-for-nothing courtiers who were present said3 8,that fellow sets great store on himself1 for he is refusing three hundred ducats a year40 ,another1 who was a man of talent1 replied3 8,the ,king will never find his equal1 and our ,cardinal wants to cheapen him1 as though he were a load of wood40 ,this was ,messer ,luigi ,alamanni who spoke to the above effect1 as ,i was afterwards informed4 ,all this happened on the last day of ,october1 in ,dauphin1 at a castle the name of which ,i do not remember4 ,,xi ,,on leaving the ,cardinal ,i repaired to my lodging1 which was three miles distant1 in company with a secretary of the ,cardinal returning to the same quarters4 ,on the road1 this man never stopped asking me what ,i meant to do with myself1 and what my own terms regarding the appointment would have been4 ,i gave him only one word back for answer which was that--,i knew all4 ,when we came to our quarters1 ,i found ,pagolo and ,ascanio there2 and seeing me much troubled1 they implored me to tell them what was the matter4 ,to the poor young men1 who were all dismayed1 ,i said for answer3 8,to-morrow ,i shall give you money amply sufficient for your journey home4 ,i mean myself to go about a most important business without you1 which for a long time ,i have had it in my mind to do40 ,our room adjoined that of the secretary2 and ,i think it not improbable that he wrote to the ,cardinal1 and informed him of my purpose4 ,however1 ,i never knew anything for certain about this4 ,the night passed without sleep1 and ,i kept wearying for the day1 in order to carry out my resolution4 ,no sooner did it dawn than ,i ordered out the horses1 made my preparations in a moment1 and gave the two young men everything which ,i had brought with me1 and fifty ducats of gold in addition4 ,i reserved the same sum for myself1 together with the diamond the ,duke had given me2 ,i only kept two shirts and some well-worn riding-clothes which ,i had upon my back4 ,i found it almost impossible to get free of the two young men1 who insisted upon going with me1 whatever happened4 ,at last ,i was obliged to treat them with contempt1 and use this language3 8,one of you has his first beard1 and the other is just getting it2 and both of you have learned as much from me as ,i could teach in my poor art1 so that you are now the first craftsmen among the youths of ,italy4 ,are you not ashamed to have no courage to quit this go-cart1 but must always creep about in leading-strings8 ,the thing is too disgraceful6 ,or if ,i were to send you away without money1 what would you say then8 ,come1 take yourselves out of my sight1 and may ,god bless you a thousand times4 ,farewell60 ,i turned my horse and left them weeping4 ,then ,i took my way along a very fair road through a forest1 hoping to make at least forty miles that day1 and reach the most out-of-the-way place ,i could4 ,i had already ridden about two miles1 and during that short time had resolved never to revisit any of those parts where ,i was known4 ,i also determined to abandon my art so soon as ,i had made a ,christ three cubits in height1 reproducing1 so far as ,i was able1 that infinite beauty which ,he had ,himself revealed to me4 ,so then1 being thoroughly resolved1 ,i turned my face toward the ,holy ,sepulchre4 #a ,just when ,i thought ,i had got so far that nobody could find me1 ,i heard horses galloping after4 ,they filled me with some uneasiness1 because that district is infested with a race of brigands1 who bear the name of ,venturers1 and are apt to murder men upon the road4 ,though numbers of them are hanged every day1 it seems as though they did not care4 ,however1 when the riders approached1 ,i found they were a messenger from the ,king and my lad ,ascanio4 ,the former came up to me and said3 8,from the ,king ,i order you to come immediately to his presence40 ,i replied3 8,you have been sent by the ,cardinal1 and for this reason ,i will not come40 ,the man said that since gentle usage would not bring me1 he had authority to raise the folk1 and they would take me bound hand and foot like a prisoner4 ,ascanio1 for his part1 did all he could to persuade me1 reminding me that when the ,king sent a man to prison1 he kept him there five years at least before he let him out again4 ,this word about the prison1 when ,i remembered what ,i had endured in ,rome1 struck such terror into me1 that ,i wheeled my horse round briskly and followed the ,king's messenger4 ,he kept perpetually chattering in ,french through all our journey1 up to the very precincts of the court1 at one time bullying1 now saying one thing1 then another1 till ,i felt inclined to deny ,god and the world4 ,note #a4 ,see above1 p4 #bdj1 for ,cellini's vow in the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo4 ,,xii ,,on our way to the lodgings of the ,king we passed before those of the ,cardinal of ,ferrara4 ,standing at his door1 he called to me and said3 8,our most ,christian monarch has of his own accord assigned you the same appointments which his ,majesty allowed the painter ,lionardo da ,vinci1 that is1 a salary of seven hundred crowns2 in addition1 he will pay you for all the works you do for him2 also for your journey hither he gives you five hundred golden crowns1 which will be paid you before you quit this place40 ,at the end of this announcement1 ,i replied that those were offers worthy of the great ,king he was4 ,the messenger1 not knowing anything about me1 and hearing what splendid offers had been made me by the ,king1 begged my pardon over and over again4 ,pagolo and ,ascanio exclaimed3 8,it is ,god who has helped us to get back into so honoured a go-cart60 ,on the day following ,i went to thank the ,king1 who ordered me to make the models of twelve silver statues1 which were to stand as candelabra round his table4 ,he wanted them to represent six gods and six goddesses1 and to have exactly the same height as his ,majesty1 which was a trifle under four cubits4 ,having dictated this commission1 he turned to his treasurer1 and asked whether he had paid me the five hundred crowns4 ,the official said that he had received no orders to that effect4 ,the ,king took this very ill1 for he had requested the ,cardinal to speak to him about it4 ,furthermore1 he told me to go to ,paris and seek out a place to live in1 fitted for the execution of such work2 he would see that ,i obtained it4 ,i got the five hundred crowns of gold1 and took up my quarters at ,paris in a house of the ,cardinal of ,ferrera4 ,there ,i began1 in ,god's name1 to work1 and fashioned four little waxen models1 about two-thirds of a cubit each in height4 ,they were ,jupiter1 ,juno1 ,apollo1 and ,vulcan4 ,in this while the ,king returned to ,paris2 whereupon ,i went to him at once1 taking my models with me1 and my two prentices1 ,ascanio and ,pagolo4 ,on perceiving that the ,king was pleased with my work1 and being commissioned to execute the ,jupiter in silver of the height above described1 ,i introduced the two young men1 and said that ,i had brought them with me out of ,italy to serve his ,majesty2 for inasmuch as they had been brought up by me1 ,i could at the beginning get more help from them than from the ,paris workmen4 ,to this the ,king replied that ,i might name a salary which ,i thought sufficient for their maintenance4 ,i said that a hundred crowns of gold apiece would be quite proper1 and that ,i would make them earn their wages well4 ,this agreement was concluded4 ,then ,i said that ,i had found a place which seemed to me exactly suited to my industry2 it was his ,majesty's own property1 and called the ,little ,nello4 ,the ,provost of ,paris was then in possession of it from his ,majesty2 but since the ,provost made no use of the castle1 his ,majesty perhaps might grant it me to employ in his service4 #a ,he replied upon the instant3 8,that place is my own house1 and ,i know well that the man ,i gave it to does not inhabit or use it4 ,so you shall have it for the work you have to do40 ,he then told his lieutenant to install me in the ,nello4 ,this officer made some resistance1 pleading that he could not carry out the order4 ,the ,king answered in anger that he meant to bestow his property on whom he pleased1 and on a man who would serve him1 seeing that he got nothing from the other2 therefore he would hear no more about it4 ,the lieutenant then submitted that some small force would have to be employed in order to effect an entrance4 ,to which the ,king answered3 8,go1 then1 and if a small force is not enough1 use a great one40 ,the officer took me immediately to the castle1 and there put me in possession1 not1 however1 without violence2 after that he warned me to take very good care that ,i was not murdered4 ,i installed myself1 enrolled serving-men1 and bought a quantity of pikes and partisans2 but ,i remained for several days exposed to grievous annoyances1 for the ,provost was a great nobleman of ,paris1 and all the other gentlefolk took part against me2 they attacked me with such insults that ,i could hardly hold my own against them4 ,i must not omit to mention that ,i entered the service of his ,majesty in the year #aedj1 which was exactly the year in which ,i reached the age of forty4 ,note #a4 ,this was the castle of ,le ,petit ,nesle1 on the site of which now stands the ,palace of the ,institute4 ,the ,provost of ,paris was then ,jean d',estouteville1 lord of ,villebon4 ,,xiii ,,the ,,affronts and insults ,i received made me have recourse to the ,king1 begging his ,majesty to establish me in some other place4 ,he answered3 8,who are you1 and what is your name80 ,i remained in great confusion1 and could not comprehend what he meant4 ,holding my tongue thus1 the ,king repeated the same words a second time angrily4 ,then ,i said my name was ,benvenuto4 8,if1 then1 you are the ,benvenuto of whom ,i have heard10 replied the ,king1 8act according to your wont1 for you have my full leave to do so40 ,i told his ,majesty that all ,i wanted was to keep his favour2 for the rest1 ,i knew of nothing that could harm me4 ,he gave a little laugh1 and said3 8,go your ways1 then2 you shall never want my favour40 ,upon this he told his first secretary1 ,monsignor di ,villerois1 to see me provided and accommodated with all ,i needed4 #a ,this ,villerois was an intimate friend of the ,provost1 to whom the castle had been given4 ,it was built in a triangle1 right up against the city walls1 and was of some antiquity1 but had no garrison4 ,the building was of considerable size4 ,monsignor di ,villerois counselled me to look about for something else1 and by all means to leave this place alone1 seeing that its owner was a man of vast power1 who would most assuredly have me killed4 ,i answered that ,i had come from ,italy to ,france only in order to serve that illustrious ,king2 and as for dying1 ,i knew for certain that die ,i must2 a little earlier or a little later was a matter of supreme indifference to me4 ,now ,villerois was a man of the highest talent1 exceptionally distinguished in all points1 and possessed of vast wealth4 ,there was nothing he would not gladly have done to harm me1 but he made no open demonstration of his mind4 ,he was grave1 and of a noble presence1 and spoke slowly1 at his ease4 ,to another gentleman1 ,monsignor di ,marmagna1 the treasurer of ,languedoc1 he left the duty of molesting me4 #b ,the first thing which this man did was to look out the best apartments in the castle1 and to have them fitted up for himself4 ,i told him that the ,king had given me the place to serve him in1 and that ,i did not choose it should be occupied by any but myself and my attendants4 ,the fellow1 who was haughty1 bold1 and spirited1 replied that he meant to do just what he liked2 that ,i should run my head against a wall if ,i presumed to oppose him1 and that ,villerois had given him authority to do what he was doing4 ,i told him that1 by the ,king's authority given to me1 neither he nor ,villerois could do it4 ,when ,i said that he gave vent to offensive language in ,french1 whereat ,i retorted in my own tongue that he lied4 ,stung with rage1 he clapped his hand upon a little dagger which he had2 then ,i set my hand also to a large dirk which ,i always wore for my defence1 and cried out3 8,if you dare to draw1 ,i'll kill you on the spot40 ,he had two servants to back him1 and ,i had my two lads4 ,for a moment or two ,marmagna stood in doubt1 not knowing exactly what to do1 but rather inclined to mischief1 and muttering3 8,i will never put up with such insults40 ,seeing then that the affair was taking a bad turn1 ,i took a sudden resolution1 and cried to ,pagolo and ,ascanio3 8,when you see me draw my dirk1 throw yourselves upon those serving-men1 and kill them if you can2 ,i mean to kill this fellow at the first stroke1 and then we will decamp together1 with ,god's grace40 ,marmagna1 when he understood my purpose1 was glad enough to get alive out of the castle4 ,all these things1 toning them down a trifle1 ,i wrote to the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 who related them at once to the ,king4 ,the ,king1 deeply irritated1 committed me to the care of another officer of his bodyguard who was named ,monsignor lo ,iscontro d',orbech4 #c ,by him ,i was accommodated with all that ,i required in the most gracious way imaginable4 ,note #a4 ,m4 ,nicholas de ,neufville1 lord of ,villeroy4 ,note #b4 ,franois l',allemand1 ,seigneur de ,marmagne4 ,note #c4 ,le ,vicomte d',orbec4 ,it seems that by ',iscontro' ,cellini meant ,viscount4 ,,xiv ,,after fitting up my own lodgings in the castle and the workshop with all conveniences for carrying on my business1 and putting my household upon a most respectable footing1 ,i began at once to construct three models exactly of the size which the silver statues were to be4 ,these were ,jupiter1 ,vulcan and ,mars4 ,i moulded them in clay1 and set them well up on irons2 then ,i went to the ,king1 who disbursed three hundred pounds weight of silver1 if ,i remember rightly1 for the commencement of the undertaking4 ,while ,i was getting these things ready1 we brought the little vase and oval basin to completion1 which had been several months in hand4 ,then ,i had them richly gilt1 and they showed like the finest piece of plate which had been seen in ,france4 ,afterwards ,i took them to the ,cardinal1 who thanked me greatly2 and1 without requesting my attendance1 carried and presented them to the ,king4 ,he was delighted with the gift1 and praised me as no artist was ever praised before4 ,in return1 he bestowed upon the ,cardinal an abbey worth seven thousand crowns a year1 and expressed his intention of rewarding me too4 ,the ,cardinal1 however1 prevented him1 telling his ,majesty that he was going ahead too fast1 since ,i had as yet produced nothing for him4 ,the ,king1 who was exceedingly generous1 replied3 8,for that very reason will ,i put heart and hope into him40 ,the ,cardinal1 ashamed at his own meanness1 said3 8,sire1 ,i beg you to leave that to me2 ,i will allow him a pension of at least three hundred crowns when have taken possession of the abbey40 ,he never gave me anything2 and it would be tedious to relate all the knavish tricks of this prelate4 ,i prefer to dwell on matters of greater moment4 ,,xv ,,when ,i returned to ,paris1 the great favour shown me by the ,king made me a mark for all men's admiration4 ,i received the silver and began my statue of ,jupiter4 ,many journeymen were now in my employ2 and the work went onward briskly day and night2 so that1 by the time ,i had finished the clay models of ,jupiter1 ,vulcan1 and ,mars1 and had begun to get the silver statue forward1 my workshop made already a grand show4 ,the ,king now came to ,paris1 and ,i went to pay him my respects4 ,no sooner had his ,majesty set eyes upon me than he called me cheerfully1 and asked if ,i had something fine to exhibit at my lodging1 for he would come to inspect it4 ,i related all ,i had been doing2 upon which he was seized with a strong desire to come4 ,accordingly1 after this dinner1 he set off with ,madame de ,tampes1 the ,cardinal of ,lorraine1 and some other of his greatest nobles1 among whom were the ,king of ,navarre1 his cousin1 and the ,queen1 his sister2 the ,dauphin and ,dauphinss also attended him2 so that upon that day the very flower of the ,french court came to visit me4 #a ,i had been some time at home1 and was hard at work4 ,when the ,king arrived at the door of the castle1 and heard our hammers going1 he bade his company keep silence4 ,everybody in my house was busily employed1 so that the unexpected entrance of his ,majesty took me by surprise4 ,the first thing he saw on coming into the great hall was myself with a huge plate of silver in my hand1 which ,i was beating for the body of my ,jupiter2 one of my men was finishing the head1 another the legs2 and it is easy to imagine what a din we made between us4 ,it happened that a little ,french lad was working at my side1 who had just been guilty of some trifling blunder4 ,i gave the lad a kick1 and1 as my good luck would have it1 caught him with my foot exactly in the fork between his legs1 and sent him spinning several yards1 so that he came stumbling up against the ,king precisely at the moment when his ,majesty arrived4 ,the ,king was vastly amused1 but ,i felt covered with confusion4 ,he began to ask me what ,i was engaged upon1 and told me to go on working2 then he said that he would much rather have me not employ my strength on manual labour1 but take as many men as ,i wanted1 and make them do the rough work2 he should like me to keep myself in health1 in order that he might enjoy my services through many years to come4 ,i replied to his ,majesty that the moment ,i left off working ,i should fall ill2 also that my art itself would suffer1 and not attain the mark ,i aimed at for his ,majesty4 ,thinking that ,i spoke thus only to brag1 and not because it was the truth1 he made the ,cardinal of ,lorraine repeat what he had said2 but ,i explained my reasons so fully and clearly1 that the ,cardinal perceived my drift2 he then advised the ,king to let me labour as much or little as ,i liked4 ,note #a4 ,these personages were ,madame d',etampes1 the ,king's mistress2 ,john of ,lorraine1 son of ,duke ,rene ,,ii41 who was made ,cardinal in #aeah2 ,henri d',albret ,,ii4 and ,marguerite de ,valois1 his wife2 the ,duaphin1 afterwards ,henri ,,ii41 and his wife1 the celebrated ,caterina de' ,medici1 daughter of ,lorenzo1 ,duke of ,urbino4 ,,xvi ,,being very well satisfied with what he had seen1 the ,king returned to his palace1 after bestowing on me too many marks of favour to be here recorded4 ,on the following day he sent for me at his dinner-hour4 ,the ,cardinal of ,ferrara was there at meat with him4 ,when ,i arrived1 the ,king had reached his second course2 he began at once to speak to me1 saying1 with a pleasant cheer1 that having now so fine a basin and jug of my workmanship1 he wanted an equally handsome salt-cellar to match them2 and begged me to make a design1 and to lose no time about it4 ,i replied3 8,your ,majesty shall see a model of the sort even sooner than you have commanded2 for while ,i was making the basin1 ,i thought there ought to be a saltcellar to match it2 therefore ,i have already designed one1 and if it is your pleasure1 ,i will at once exhibit my conception40 ,the ,king turned with a lively movement of surprise and pleasure to the lords in his company--they were the ,king of ,navarre1 the ,cardinal of ,lorraine1 and the ,cardinal of ,ferrara--exclaiming as he did so3 8,upon my word1 this is a man to be loved and cherished by every one who knows him40 ,then he told me that he would very gladly see my model4 ,i set off1 and returned in a few minutes2 for ,i had only to cross the river1 that is1 the ,seine4 ,i carried with me the wax model which ,i had made in ,rome at the ,cardinal of ,ferrara's request4 ,when ,i appeared again before the ,king and uncovered my piece1 he cried out in astonishment3 8,this is a hundred times more divine a thing that ,i had ever dreamed of4 ,what a miracle of a man6 ,he ought never to stop working40 ,then he turned to me with a beaming countenance1 and told me that he greatly liked the piece1 and wished me to execute it in gold4 ,the ,cardinal of ,ferrara looked me in the face1 and let me understand that he recognised the model as the same which ,i had made for him in ,rome4 ,i replied that ,i had already told him ,i should carry it out for one who was worthy of it4 ,the ,cardinal1 remembering my words1 and nettled by the revenge he thought that ,i was taking on him1 remarked to the ,king3 8,sire1 this is an enormous undertaking2 ,i am only afraid that we shall never see it finished4 ,these able artists who have great conceptions in their brain are ready enough to put the same in execution without duly considering when they are to be accomplished4 ,i therefore1 if ,i gave commission for things of such magnitude1 should like to know when ,i was likely to get them40 ,the ,king replied that if a man was so scrupulous about the termination of a work1 he would never begin anything at all2 these words he uttered with a certain look1 which implied that such enterprises were not for folk of little spirit4 ,i then began to say my say3 8,princes who put heart and courage in their servants1 as your ,majesty does by deed and word1 render undertakings of the greatest magnitude quite easy4 ,now that ,god has sent me so magnificent a patron1 ,i hope to perform for him a multitude of great and splendid master-pieces40 8,i believe it1 8 said the ,king1 and rose from table4 ,then he called me into his chamber1 and asked me how much gold was wanted for the salt-cellar4 8,a thousand crowns10 ,i answered4 ,he called his treasurer at once1 who was the ,viscount of ,orbec1 and ordered him that very day to disburse to me a thousand crowns of good weight and old gold4 ,when ,i left his ,majesty1 ,i went for the two notaries who had helped me in procuring silver for the ,jupiter and many other things4 ,crossing the ,seine1 ,i then took a small hand-basket1 which one of my cousins1 a nun1 had given me on my journey through ,florence4 ,it made for my good fortune that ,i took this basket and not a bag4 ,so then1 thinking ,i could do the business by daylight1 for it was still early1 and not caring to interrupt my workmen1 and being indisposed to take a servant with me1 ,i set off alone4 ,when ,i reached the house of the treasurer1 ,i found that he had the money laid out before him1 and was selecting the best pieces as the ,king had ordered4 ,it seemed to me1 however1 that that thief of a treasurer was doing all he could to postpone the payment of the money2 nor were the pieces counted out until three hours after nightfall4 ,i meanwhile was not wanting in despatch1 for ,i sent word to several of my journeymen that they should come and attend me1 since the matter was one of serious importance4 ,when ,i found that they did not arrive1 ,i asked the messenger if he had done my errand4 ,the rascal of a groom whom ,i had sent replied that he had done so1 but that they had answered that they could not come2 he1 however1 would gladly carry the money for me4 ,i answered that ,i meant to carry the money myself4 ,but this time the contract was drawn up and signed4 ,on the money being counted1 ,i put it all into my little basket1 and then thrust my arm through the two handles4 ,since ,i did this with some difficulty1 the gold was well shut in1 and ,i carried it more conveniently than if the vehicle had been a bag4 ,i was well armed with shirt and sleeves of mail1 and having my sword and dagger at my side1 made off along the street as quick as my two legs would carry me4 ,,xvii ,,just as ,i left the house1 ,i observed some servants whispering among themselves1 who also went off at a round pace in another direction from the one ,i took4 ,walking with all haste1 ,i passed the bridge of the ,exchange1 #a and went up along a wall beside the river which led to my lodging in the castle4 ,i had just come to the ,augustines--now this was a very perilous passage1 and though it was only five hundred paces distant from my dwelling1 yet the lodging in the castle being quite as far removed inside1 no one could have heard my voice if ,i had shouted--when ,i saw four men with four swords in their hands advancing to attack me4 #b ,my resolution was taken in an instant4 ,i covered the basket with my cape1 drew my sword1 and seeing that they were pushing hotly forward1 cried aloud3 8,with soldiers there is only the cape and sword to gain2 and these1 before ,i give them up1 ,i hope you'll get not much to your advantage40 ,then crossing my sword boldly with them1 ,i more than once spread out my arms1 in order that1 if the ruffians were put on by the servants who had seen me take my money1 they might be led to judge ,i was not carrying it4 ,the encounter was soon over2 for they retired step by step1 saying among themselves in their own language3 8,this is a brave ,italian1 and certainly not the man we are after2 or if he be the man1 he cannot be carrying anything40 ,i spoke ,italian1 and kept harrying them with thrust and slash so hotly that ,i narrowly missed killing one or the other4 ,my skill in using the sword made them think ,i was a soldier rather than a fellow of some other calling4 ,they drew together and began to fall back1 muttering all the while beneath their breath in their own tongue4 ,i meanwhile continued always calling out1 but not too loudly1 that those who wanted my cape and blade would have to get them with some trouble4 ,then ,i quickened pace1 while they still followed slowly at my heels2 this augmented my fear1 for ,i thought ,i might be falling into an ambuscade1 which would have cut me off in front as well as rear4 ,accordingly1 when ,i was at the distance of a hundred paces from my home1 ,i ran with all my might1 and shouted at the top of my voice3 8,to arms1 to arms6 out with you1 out with you6 ,i am being murdered40 ,in a moment four of my young men came running1 with four pikes in their hands4 ,they wanted to pursue the ruffians1 who could still be seen2 but ,i stopped them1 calling back so as to let the villains hear3 8,those cowards yonder1 four against one man alone1 had not pluck enough to capture a thousand golden crowns in metal1 which have almost broken this arm of mine4 ,let us haste inside and put the money away2 then ,i will take my big two-handed sword1 and go with you whithersoever you like40 ,we went inside to secure the gold2 and my lads1 while expressing deep concern for the peril ,i had run1 gently chided me1 and said3 8,you risk yourself too much alone2 the time will come when you will make us all bemoan your loss40 ,a thousand words and exclamations were exchanged between us2 my adversaries took to flight2 and we all sat down and supped together with mirth and gladness1 laughing over those great blows which fortune strikes1 for good as well as evil1 and which1 what time they do not hit the mark1 are just the same as though they had not happened4 #c ,it is very true that one says to oneself3 8,you will have had a lesson for next time40 ,but that is not the case2 for fortune always comes upon us in new ways1 quite unforeseen by our imagination4 ,note #a4 ,the ,pont du ,change1 replaced by the ,pont ,neuf4 ,note #b4 ,the excitement of his recollection makes ,cellini more than usually incoherent about this episode4 ,the translator has to collect the whole sense of the passage4 ,note #c4 ,cellini's philosophy is summed up in the proverb3 8,a miss is as good as a mile40 ,,xviii ,,on the morning which followed these events1 ,i made the first step in my work upon the great salt-cellar1 pressing this and my other pieces forward with incessant industry4 ,my workpeople at this time1 who were pretty numerous1 included both sculptors and goldsmiths4 ,they belonged to several nations1 ,italian1 ,french1 and ,german2 for ,i took the best ,i could find1 and changed them often1 retaining only those who knew their business well4 ,these select craftsmen ,i worked to the bone with perpetual labour4 ,they wanted to rival me2 but ,i had a better constitution4 ,consequently1 in their inability to bear up against such a continuous strain1 they took to eating and drinking copiously1 some of the ,germans in particular1 who were more skilled than their comrades1 and wanted to march apace with me1 sank under these excesses1 and perished4 ,while ,i was at work upon the ,jupiter1 ,i noticed that ,i had plenty of silver to spare4 ,so ,i took in hand1 without consulting the ,king1 to make a great two-handled vase1 about one cubit and a half in height4 ,i also conceived the notion of casting the large model of my ,jupiter in bronze4 ,having up to this date done nothing of the sort1 ,i conferred with certain old men experienced in that art at ,paris1 and described to them the methods in use with us in ,italy4 ,they told me they had never gone that way about the business2 but that if ,i gave them leave to act upon their own principles1 they would bring the bronze out as clean and perfect as the clay4 ,i chose to strike an agreement1 throwing on them the responsibility1 and promising several crowns above the price they bargained for4 ,thereupon they put the work in progress2 but ,i soon saw that they were going the wrong way about it1 and began on my own account a head of ,julius ,csar1 bust and armour1 much larger than the life1 which ,i modelled from a reduced copy of a splendid antique portrait ,i had brought with me from ,rome4 ,i also undertook another head of the same size1 studied from a very handsome girl1 whom ,i kept for my own pleasures4 ,i called this ,fontainebleau1 after the place selected by the ,king for his particular delight4 ,we constructed an admirable little furnace for the casting of the bronze1 got all things ready1 and baked our moulds2 those ,french masters undertaking the ,jupiter1 while ,i looked after my two heads4 ,then ,i said3 8,i do not think you will succeed with your ,jupiter1 because you have not provided sufficient vents beneath for the air to circulate2 therefore you are but losing your time and trouble40 ,they replied that1 if their work proved a failure1 they would pay back the money ,i had given on account1 and recoup me for current expenses2 but they bade me give good heed to my own proceedings1 #a for the fine heads ,i meant to cast in my ,italian fashion would never succeed4 ,at this dispute between us there were present the treasurers and other gentlefolk commissioned by the ,king to superintend my proceedings4 ,everything which passed by word or act was duly reported to his ,majesty4 ,the two old men who had undertaken to cast my ,jupiter postponed the experiment1 saying they would like to arrange the moulds of my two heads4 ,they argued that1 according to my method1 no success could be expected1 and it was a pity to waste such fine models4 ,when the ,king was informed of this1 he sent word that they should give their minds to learning1 and not try to teach their master4 ,so then they put their now piece into the furnace with much laughter2 while ,i1 maintaining a firm carriage1 showing neither mirth nor anger 7though ,i felt it71 placed my two heads1 one on each side of the ,jupiter4 ,the metal came all right to melting1 and we let it in with joy and gladness2 it filled the mould of the ,jupiter most admirably1 and at the same time my two heads4 ,this furnished them with matter for rejoicing and me with satisfaction2 for ,i was not sorry to have predicted wrongly of their work1 and they made as though they were delighted to have been mistaken about mine4 ,then1 as the custom in ,france is1 they asked to drink1 in high good spirits4 ,i was very willing1 and ordered a handsome collation for their entertainment4 ,when this was over1 they requested me to pay the money due to them and the surplus ,i had promised4 ,i replied3 8,you have been laughing over what1 ,i fear1 may make you weep4 ,on reflection1 it seems to me that too much metal flowed into you mould4 ,therefore ,i shall wait until to-morrow before ,i disburse more money40 ,the poor fellows swallowed my words and chewed the cud of them2 then they went home without further argument4 ,at daybreak they began1 quite quietly1 to break into the pit of the furnace4 ,they could not uncover their large mould until they had extracted my two heads2 these were in excellent condition1 and they placed them where they could be well seen4 ,when they came to ,jupiter1 and had dug but scarcely two cubits1 they sent up such a yell1 they and their four workmen1 that it woke me up4 ,fancying it was a shout of triumph1 ,i set off running1 for my bedroom was at the distance of more than five hundred paces4 ,on reaching the spot1 ,i found them looking like the guardians of ,christ's sepulchre in a picture1 downcast and terrified4 ,casting a hasty glance upon my two heads1 and seeing they were all right1 ,i tempered my annoyance with the pleasure that sight gave me4 ,then they began to make excuses1 crying3 8,our bad luck60 ,i retorted3 8,your luck has been most excellent1 but what has been indeed bad is your deficiency of knowledge2 had ,i only seen you put the soul #b into your mould1 ,i could have taught you with one word how to cast the figure without fault4 ,this would have brought me great honour and you much profit4 ,i shall be able to make good my reputation2 but you will now lose both your honour and your profit4 ,let then this lesson teach you another time to work1 and not to poke fun at your masters40 ,note #a4 ',ma che io guardassi bene1 che1 c4' ,this is perhaps3 'but they bade me note well that4' ,note #b4 ,i have here translated the ,italian 'anima' literally by the ,english word soul4 ,it is a technical expression1 signifying the block1 somewhat smaller than the mould1 which bronze-founders insert in order to obtain a hollow1 and not a solid cast from the mould which gives form to their liquid metal4 ,,xix ,,about this time the illustrious soldier ,piero ,strozzi arrived in ,france1 and reminded the ,king that he had promised him letters of naturalisation4 ,these were accordingly made out2 and at the same time the ,king said3 8,let them be also given to ,benvenuto1 mon ami1 and take them immediately to his house1 and let him have them without the payment of any fees40 ,those of the great ,strozzi #a cost him several hundred ducats3 mine were brought me by one of the ,king's chief secretaries1 ,messer ,antonio ,massone1 #b ,this gentleman presented them with many expressions of kindness from his ,majesty1 saying3 8,the ,king makes you a gift of these1 in order that you may be encouraged to serve him12 they are letters of naturalisation40 ,then he told me how they had been given to ,piero ,strozzi at his particular request1 and only after a long time of waiting1 as a special mark of favour2 the ,king had sent mine of his own accord1 and such an act of grace had never been heard of in that realm before4 ,when ,i heard these words1 ,i thanked his ,majesty with heartiness2 but ,i begged the secretary to have the kindness to tell me what letters of naturalisation meant4 ,he was a man accomplished and polite1 who spoke ,italian excellently4 ,at first my question made him laugh2 then he recovered his gravity1 and told me in my own language what the papers signified1 adding that they conferred one of the highest dignities a foreigner could obtain3 8indeed1 it is a far greater honour than to be made a nobleman of ,venice40 ,when he left me1 he returned and told his ,majesty1 who laughed awhile1 and then said3 8,now ,i wish him to know my object in sending those letters of naturalisation4 ,go and install him lord of the castle of the ,little ,nello1 where he lives1 and which is a part of my demesne1 ,he will know what that means better than he understood about the letters of naturalisation40 ,a messenger brought me the patent1 upon which ,i wanted to give him a gratuity4 ,he refused to accept it1 saying that his ,majesty had so ordered4 ,these letters of naturalisation1 together with the patent for the castle1 ,i brought with me when ,i returned to ,italy2 wherever ,i go and wherever ,i may end my days1 ,i shall endeavour to preserve them4 #c ,note #a4 ,piero was the son of ,filippo ,strozzi1 and the general who lost the battle of ,montemurlo1 so disastrous to the ,florentine exiles1 in #aecg4 ,note #b4 ,antoine le ,macon1 secretary to ,margaret of ,navarre4 ,he translated the ',decameron' at her instance into ,french4 ,note #c4 ,the letter of naturalisation exists4 ,see ',bianchi1' p4 #ehc4 ,for the grant of the castle1 see 'ibid41' p4 #ehe4 ,,xx ,i ,,shall now proceed with the narration of my life4 ,i had on hand the following works already mentioned1 namely1 the silver ,jupiter1 the golden salt-cellar1 the great silver vase1 and the two bronze heads4 ,i also began to cast the pedestal for ,jupiter1 which ,i wrought very richly in bronze1 covered with ornaments1 among which was a bas-relief1 representing the rape of ,ganymede1 and on the other side ,leda and the ,swan4 ,on casting this piece it came out admirably4 ,i also made another pedestal of the same sort for the statute of ,juno1 intending to begin that too1 if the ,king gave me silver for the purpose4 ,by working briskly ,i had put together the silver ,jupiter and the golden salt-cellar2 the vase was far advanced2 the two bronze heads were finished4 ,i had also made several little things for the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 and a small silver vase of rich workmanship1 which ,i meant to present to ,madame d',etampes4 ,several ,italian noblemen1 to wit1 ,signor ,piero ,strozzi1 the ,count of ,anguillara1 the ,count of ,pitigliano1 the ,count of ,mirandola1 and many others1 gave me employment also4 #a ,for my great ,king1 as ,i have said1 ,i had been working strenuously1 and the third day after he returned to ,paris1 he came to my house1 attended by a crowd of his chief nobles4 ,he marvelled to find how many pieces ,i had advanced1 and with what excellent results4 ,his mistress1 ,madame d',etampes1 being with him1 they began to talk of ,fontainebleau4 ,she told his ,majesty he ought to commission me to execute something beautiful for the decoration of his favourite residence4 ,he answered on the instant3 8,you say well1 and here upon the spot ,i will make up my mind what ,i mean him to do40 ,then he turned to me1 and asked me what ,i thought would be appropriate for that beautiful fountain4 #b ,i suggested several ideas1 and his ,majesty expressed his own opinion4 ,afterwards he said that he was going to spend fifteen or twenty days at ,san ,germano del ,aia1 #c a place twelve leagues distant from ,paris2 during his absence he wished me to make a model for that fair fountain of his in the richest style ,i could invent1 seeing he delighted in that residence more than in anything else in his whole realm4 ,accordingly he commanded and besought me to do my utmost to produce something really beautiful2 and ,i promised that ,i would do so4 ,when the ,king saw so many finished things before him1 he exclaimed to ,madame d',etampes3 8,i never had an artist who pleased me more1 nor one who deserved better to be well rewarded2 we must contrive to keep him with us4 ,he spends freely1 is a boon companion1 and works hard2 we must therefore take good thought for him4 ,only think1 madam1 all the times that he has come to me or that ,i have come to him1 he has never once asked for anything2 one can see that his heart is entirely devoted to his work4 ,we ought to make a point of doing something for him quickly1 else we run a risk of losing him40 ,madame d',etampes answered3 8,i will be sure to remind you40 ,then they departed1 and in addition to the things ,i had begun1 ,i now took the model of the fountain in hand1 at which ,i worked assiduously4 ,note #a4 ,anguillara and ,pitigliano were fiefs of two separate branches of the ,orsini family4 ,the house of ,pico lost their lordship of ,mirandola in #aecf1 when ,galeotto ,pico took refuge with his sons in ,france4 ,his descendants renewed their hold upon the fief1 which was erected into a duchy in #afai4 ,note #b4 ',per quella bella fonte4' ,here1 and below1 ,cellini mixes up ,fontainebleau and the spring which gave its name to the place4 ,note #c4 ,s4 ,germain-en-laye is not so far from ,paris as ,cellini thought4 ,,xxi ,,at the end of a month and a half the ,king returned to ,paris2 and ,i1 who had been working day and night1 went to present myself before him1 taking my model1 so well blocked out that my intention could be clearly understood4 ,just about that time1 the devilries of war between the ,emperor and ,king had been stirred up again1 so that ,i found him much harassed by anxieties4 #a ,i spoke1 however1 with the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 saying ,i had brought some models which his ,majesty had ordered1 and begging him1 if he found an opportunity1 to put in a word whereby ,i might be able to exhibit them2 the ,king1 ,i thought1 would take much pleasure in their sight4 ,this the ,cardinal did2 and no sooner had he spoken of the models1 than the ,king came to the place where ,i had set them up4 ,the first of these was intended for the door of the palace at ,fontainebleau4 ,i had been obliged to make some alterations in the architecture of this door1 which was wide and low1 in their vicious ,french style4 ,the opening was very nearly square1 and above it was a hemicycle1 flattened like the handle of a basket2 here the ,king wanted a figure placed to represent the genius of ,fontainebleau4 ,i corrected the proportions of the doorway1 and placed above it an exact half circle2 at the sides ,i introduced projections1 with socles and cornices properly corresponding3 then1 instead of the columns demanded by this disposition of parts1 ,i fashioned two satyrs1 one upon each side4 ,the first of these was in somewhat more than half-relief1 lifting one hand to support the cornice1 and holding a thick club in the other2 his face was fiery and menacing1 instilling fear into the beholders4 ,the other had the same posture of support2 but ,i varied his features and some other details2 in his hand1 for instance1 he held a lash with three balls attached to chains4 ,though ,i call them satyrs1 they showed nothing of the satyr except little horns and a goatish head2 all the rest of their form was human4 ,in the lunette above ,i placed a female figure lying in an attitude of noble grace2 she rested her left arm on a stag's neck1 this animal being one of the ,king's emblems4 ,on one side ,i worked little fawns in half relief1 with some wild boars and other game in lower relief2 on the other side were hounds and divers dogs of the chase of several species1 such as may be seen in that fair forest where the fountain springs4 ,the whole of this composition was enclosed in an oblong1 each angle of which contained a ,victory in bas-relief1 holding torches after the manner of the ancients4 ,above the oblong was a salamander1 the ,king's particular device1 with many other ornaments appropriate to the ,ionic architecture of the whole design4 ,note #a4 ,cellini refers to the renewal of hostilities in ,may #aedb4 ,,xxii ,,when the ,king had seen this model1 it restored him to cheerfulness1 and distracted his mind from the fatiguing debates he had been holding during the past two hours4 ,seeing him cheerful as ,i wished1 ,i uncovered the other model1 which he was far from expecting1 since he not unreasonably judged that the first had work in it enough4 ,this one was a little higher than two cubits2 it figured a fountain shaped in a perfect square1 with handsome steps all round1 intersecting each other in a way which was unknown in ,france1 and is indeed very uncommon in ,italy4 ,in the middle of the fountain ,i set a pedestal1 projecting somewhat above the margin of the basin1 and upon this a nude male figure1 of the right proportion to the whole design1 and of a very graceful form4 ,in his right hand he raised a broken lance on high2 his left hand rested on a scimitar2 he was poised upon the left foot1 the right being supported by a helmet of the richest imaginable workmanship4 ,at each of the four angles of the fountain a figure was sitting1 raised above the level of the base1 and accompanied by many beautiful and appropriate emblems4 ,the ,king began by asking me what ,i meant to represent by the fine fancy ,i had embodied in this design1 saying that he had understood the door without explanation1 but that he could not take the conception of my fountain1 although it seemed to him most beautiful2 at the same time1 he knew well that ,i was not like those foolish folk who turn out something with a kind of grace1 but put no intention into their performances4 ,i then addressed myself to the task of exposition2 for having succeeded in pleasing him with my work1 ,i wanted him to be no less pleased with my discourse4 8,let me inform your sacred ,majesty10 ,i thus began1 8that the whole of this model is so exactly made to scale1 that if it should come to being executed in the large1 none of its grace and lightness will be sacrificed4 ,the figure in the middle is meant to stand fifty-four feet above the level of the ground40 ,at this announcement the ,king made a sign of surprise4 8,it is1 moreover1 intended to represent the god ,mars4 ,the other figures embody those arts and sciences in which your ,majesty takes pleasure1 and which you so generously patronise4 ,this one1 upon the right hand1 is designed for ,learning2 you will observe that the accompanying emblems indicate ,philosophy1 and her attendant branches of knowledge4 ,by the next ,i wished to personify the whole ,art of ,design1 including ,sculpture1 ,painting1 and ,architecture4 ,the third is ,music1 which cannot be omitted from the sphere of intellectual culture4 ,that other1 with so gracious and benign a mien1 stands for ,generosity1 lacking which the mental gifts bestowed on us by ,god will not be brought to view4 ,i have attempted to portray your ,majesty1 your very self1 in the great central statue2 for you are truly a god ,mars1 the only brave upon this globe1 and all your bravery you use with justice and with piety in the defence of your own glory40 ,scarcely had he allowed me to finish this oration1 when he broke forth with a strong voice3 8,verily ,i have found a man here after my own heart40 ,then he called the treasurers who were appointed for my supplies1 and told them to disburse whatever ,i required1 let the cost be what it might4 ,next1 he laid his hand upon my shoulder1 saying3 '8,mon ami' 7which is the same as 'my friend'71 ,i know not whether the pleasure be greater for the prince who finds a man after his own heart1 or for the artist who finds a prince willing to furnish him with means for carrying out his great ideas40 ,i answered that1 if ,i was really the man his ,majesty described1 my good fortune was by far the greater4 ,he answered laughingly3 8,let us agree1 then1 that our luck is equal60 ,then ,i departed in the highest spirits1 and went back to my work4 ,,xxiii ,,my ill-luck willed that ,i was not wide-awake enough to play the like comedy with ,madame d',etampes4 ,that evening1 when she heard the whole course of events from the ,king's own lips1 it bred such poisonous fury in her breast that she exclaimed with anger3 8,if ,benvenuto had shown me those fine things of his1 he would have given me some reason to be mindful of him at the proper moment40 ,the ,king sought to excuse me1 but he made no impression on her temper4 ,being informed of what had passed1 ,i waited fifteen days1 during which they made a tour through ,normandy1 visiting ,rouen and ,dieppe2 then1 when they returned to ,s4 ,germain-en-,laye1 ,i took the handsome little vase which ,i had made at the request of ,madame d',etampes1 hoping1 if ,i gave it her1 to recover the favour ,i had lost4 ,with this in my hand1 then1 ,i announced my presence to her nurse1 and showed the gift which ,i had brought her mistress2 the woman received me with demonstrations of good-will1 and said that she would speak a word to ,madame1 who was still engaged upon her toilette2 ,i should be admitted on the instant1 when she had discharged her embassy4 ,the nurse made her report in full to ,madame1 who retorted scornfully3 8,tell him to wait40 ,on hearing this1 ,i clothed myself with patience1 which of all things ,i find the most difficult4 ,nevertheless1 ,i kept myself under control until the hour for dinner was past4 ,then1 seeing that time dragged on1 and being maddened by hunger1 ,i could no longer hold out1 but flung off1 sending her most devoutly to the devil4 ,i next betook myself to the ,cardinal of ,lorraine1 and made him a present of the vase1 only petitioning his ,eminence to maintain me in the ,king's good graces4 ,he said there was no need for this2 and if there were need he would gladly speak for me4 ,then he called his treasurer1 and whispered a few words in his ear4 ,the treasurer waited till ,i took my leave of the ,cardinal2 after which he said to me3 8,benvenuto1 come with me1 and ,i will give you a glass of good wine to drink40 ,i answered1 not understanding what he meant3 8,for ,heaven's sake1 ,mr4 ,treasurer1 let me have but one glass of wine and a mouthful of bread2 for ,i am really fainting for want of food4 ,i have fasted since early this morning up to the present moment1 at the door of ,madame d',etampes2 ,i went to give her that fine piece of silver-gilt plate1 and took pains that she would be informed of my intention2 but she1 with the mere petty will to vex me1 bade me wait2 now ,i am famished1 and feel my forces failing2 and1 as ,god willed it1 ,i have bestowed my gift and labour upon one who is far more worthy of them4 ,i only crave of you something to drink2 for being rather too bilious by nature1 fast upsets me so that ,i run the risk now of falling from exhaustion to the earth40 ,while ,i was pumping out these words with difficulty1 they brought some admirable wine and other delicacies for a hearty meal4 ,i refreshed myself1 and having recovered my vital spirits1 found that my exasperation had departed from me4 ,the good treasurer handed me a hundred crowns in gold4 ,i sturdily refused to accept them4 ,he reported this to the ,cardinal1 who swore at him1 and told him to make me take the money by force1 and not to show himself again till he had done so4 ,the treasurer returned1 much irritated1 saying he had never been so scolded before by the ,cardinal2 but when he pressed the crowns upon me1 ,i still offered some resistance4 ,then1 quite angry1 he said he would use force to make me take them4 ,so ,i accepted the money4 ,when ,i wanted to thank the ,cardinal in person1 he sent word by one of his secretaries that he would gladly do me a service whenever the occasion offered4 ,i returned the same evening to ,paris4 ,the ,king heard the whole history1 and ,madame d',etampes was well laughed at in their company4 ,this increased her animosity against me1 and led to an attack upon my life1 of which ,i shall speak in the proper time and place4 ,,xxiv ,,far back in my autobiography ,i ought to have recorded the friendship which ,i won with the most cultivated1 the most affectionate1 and the most companionable man of worth ,i ever knew in this world4 ,he was ,messer ,guido ,guidi1 an able physician and doctor of medicine1 and a nobleman of ,florence4 #a ,the infinite troubles brought upon me by my evil fortune caused me to omit the mention of him at an earlier date2 and though my remembrance may be but a trifle1 ,i deemed it sufficient to keep him always in my heart4 ,yet1 finding that the drama of my life requires his presence1 ,i shall introduce him here at the moment of my greatest trials1 in order that1 as he was then my comfort and support1 ,i may now recall to memory the good he did me4 #b ,well1 then1 ,messer ,guido came to ,paris2 and not long after making his acquaintance1 ,i took him to my castle1 and there assigned him his own suite of apartments4 ,we enjoyed our lives together in that place for several years4 ,the ,bishop of ,pavia1 that is to say1 ,monsignore de' ,rossi1 brother of the ,count of ,san ,secondo1 also arrived4 #c ,this gentleman ,i removed from his hotel1 and took him to my castle1 assigning him in like manner his own suite of apartments1 where he sojourned many months with serving-men and horses4 ,on another occasion ,i lodged ,messer ,luigi ,alamanni and his sons for some months4 ,it was indeed ,god's grace to me that ,i should thus1 in my poor station1 be able to render services to men of great position and acquirements4 ,but to return to ,messer ,guido4 ,we enjoyed our mutual friendship during all the years ,i stayed in ,paris1 and often did we exult together on being able to advance in art and knowledge at the cost of that so great and admirable prince1 our patron1 each in his own branch of industry4 ,i can indeed1 and with good conscience1 affirm that all ,i am1 whatever of good and beautiful ,i have produced1 all this must be ascribed to that extraordinary monarch4 ,so1 then1 ,i will resume the thread of my discourse concerning him and the great things ,i wrought for him4 ,note #a4 ,son of ,giuliano ,guidi and ,costanza1 a daughter of ,domenico ,ghirlandajo4 ,franois ,i sent for him some time before #aedb1 appointed him his own physician1 and professor of medicine in the ,royal ,college4 ,he returned to ,florence in #aedh4 ,note #b4 ,qui mi faccia memoria di quel bene4 ,this is obscure4 ',quel bene' may mean 'the happiness of his friendship4' ,note #c4 ,we have already met with him in the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo4 ,his brother1 the ,count1 was general in the ,french army4 ,this brought the ,bishop to ,paris1 whence he returned to ,italy in #aede4 ,,xxv ,i ,,had a tennis-court in my castle1 from which ,i drew considerable profit4 ,the building also contained some little dwellings inhabited by different sorts of men1 among whom was a printer of books of much excellence in his own trade4 ,nearly the whole of his premises lay inside the castle1 and he was the man who printed ,messer ,guido's first fine book on medicine4 #a ,wanting to make use of his lodging1 ,i turned him out1 but not without some trouble4 ,there was also a manufacturer of saltpetre2 and when ,i wished to assign his apartments to some of my ,german workmen1 the fellow refused to leave the place4 ,i asked him over and over again in gentle terms to give me up my rooms1 because ,i wanted to employ them for my work-people in the service of the ,king4 ,the more moderately ,i spoke1 the more arrogantly did the brute reply2 till at last ,i gave him three days' notice to quit4 ,he laughed me in the face1 and said that he would begin to think of it at the end of three years4 ,i had not then learned that he was under the protection of ,madame d',etampes2 but had it not been that the terms on which ,i stood toward that lady made me a little more circumspect than ,i was wont to be1 ,i should have ousted him at once2 now1 however1 ,i thought it best to keep my temper for three days4 ,when the term was over1 ,i said nothing1 but took ,germans1 ,italians1 and ,frenchmen1 bearing arms1 and many hand-labourers whom ,i had in my employ1 and in a short while gutted all his house and flung his property outside my castle4 ,i resorted to these somewhat rigorous measures because he had told me that no ,italian whom he knew of had the power of spirit to remove one ring of iron from its place in his house4 ,well1 after the deed was done1 he came to find me1 and ,i said to him3 8,i am the least of all ,italians in ,italy1 and yet ,i have done nothing to you in comparison with what ,i have the heart to do1 and will do if you utter a single further word10 adding other terms of menace and abuse4 ,the man1 dumbfounded and affrighted1 got his furniture together as well as he was able2 then he ran off to ,madame d',etampes1 and painted a picture of me like the very fiend4 ,she being my great enemy1 painted my portrait still blacker to the ,king1 with all her greater eloquence and all her greater weight of influence4 ,as ,i was afterwards informed1 his ,majesty twice showed signs of irritation and was minded to use me roughly3 but ,henry the ,dauphin1 his son1 now ,king of ,france1 who had received some affronts from that imperious woman1 together with the ,queen of ,navarre1 sister to ,king ,francis1 espoused my cause so cleverly that he passed the matter over with a laugh4 ,so with ,god's assistance ,i escaped from a great danger4 ,note #a4 ',chirurgia e ,grco in ,latinum ,conversa1 ,vido ,vidio ,florentino interprete1 c4 ,excudebat ,petrus ,galterius ,luteci ,parisiorum1 prid4 ,cal4 ,mai4' #aedd4 ,so this printer was ,pierre ,sauthier4 ,,xxvi ,i ,,had to deal in like manner with another fellow1 but ,i did not ruin his house2 ,i only threw all his furniture out of doors4 ,this time ,madame d',etampes had the insolence to tell the ,king3 8,i believe that devil will sack ,paris one of these days40 ,the ,king answered with some anger that ,i was only quite right to defend myself from the low rabble who put obstacles in the way of my serving him4 ,the rage of this vindictive woman kept continually on the increase4 ,she sent for a painter who was established at ,fontainebleau1 where the ,king resided nearly all his time4 ,the painter was an ,italian and a ,bolognese1 known then as ,il ,bologna2 his right name1 however1 was ,francesco ,primaticcio4 #a ,madame d',etampes advised him to beg that commission for the fountain which his ,majesty had given me1 adding that she would support him with all her ability2 and upon this they agreed4 ,bologna was in an ecstasy of happiness1 and thought himself sure of the affair1 although such things were not in his line of art4 ,he was1 however1 an excellent master of design1 and had collected round him a troop of work-people formed in the school of ,rosso1 our ,florentine painter1 who was undoubtedly an artist of extraordinary merit2 his own best qualities indeed were derived from the admirable manner of ,rosso1 who by this time had died4 ,these ingenious arguments1 and the weighty influence of ,madame d',etampes1 prevailed with the ,king2 for they kept hammering at him night and day1 ,madame at one time1 and ,bologna at another4 ,what worked most upon his mind was that both of them combined to speak as follows3 8,how is it possible1 sacred ,majesty1 that ,benvenuto should accomplish the twelve silver statues which you want8 ,he has not finished one of them yet4 ,if you employ him on so great an undertaking1 you will1 of necessity1 deprive yourself of those other things on which your heart is set4 ,a hundred of the ablest craftsmen could not complete so many great works as this one able man has taken in hand to do4 ,one can see clearly that he has a passion for labour2 but this ardent temper will be the cause of your ,majesty's losing both him and his masterpieces at the same moment40 ,by insinuating these and other suggestions of the same sort at a favourable opportunity1 the ,king consented to their petition2 and yet ,bologna had at this time produced neither designs nor models for the fountain4 ,note #a4 ,primaticcio1 together with ,rosso1 introduced ,italian painting into ,france4 ,vasari says he came to ,paris in #aeda4 ,he died in #aegj4 ,he was1 like many other of the ,lombard artists1 an excellent master of stucco4 ,,xxvii ,,it happened that just at this period an action was brought against me in ,paris by the second lodger ,i had ousted from my castle1 who pretended that on that occasion ,i had stolen a large quantity of his effects4 ,this lawsuit tormented me beyond measure1 and took up so much of my time that ,i often thought of decamping in despair from the country4 ,now the ,french are in the habit of making much capital out of any action they commence against a foreigner1 or against such persons as they notice to be indolent in litigation4 ,no sooner do they observe that they are getting some advantage in the suit1 than they find the means to sell it2 some have even been known to give a lawsuit in dowry with their daughters to men who make a business out of such transactions4 ,they have another ugly custom1 which is that the ,normans1 nearly all of them1 traffic in false evidence2 so that the men who buy up lawsuits1 engage at once the services of four or six of these false witnesses1 according to their need2 their adversary1 if he neglect to produce as many on the other side1 being perhaps unacquainted with the custom1 is certain to have the verdict given against him4 ,all this happened in my case1 and thinking it a most disgraceful breach of justice1 ,i made my appearance in the great hall of ,paris1 to defend my right4 ,there ,i saw a judge1 lieutenant for the ,king in civil causes1 enthroned upon a high tribunal4 ,he was tall1 stout1 and fat1 and of an extremely severe countenance4 ,all round him on each side stood a crowd of solicitors and advocates1 ranged upon the right hand and the left4 ,others were coming1 one by one1 to explain their several causes to the judge4 ,from time to time1 too1 ,i noticed that the attorneys at the side of the tribunal talked all at once3 and much admiration was roused in me by that extraordinary man1 the very image of ,pluto1 who listened with marked attention first to one and then to the other1 answering each with learning and sagacity4 ,i have always delighted in watching and experiencing every kind of skill2 so ,i would not have lost this spectacle for much4 ,it happened that the hall being very large1 and filled with a multitude of folk1 they were strict in excluding every one who had no business there1 and kept the door shut with a guard to hold it4 ,sometimes the guardian1 in his effort to prevent the entrance of some improper person1 interrupted the judge by the great noise he made1 and the judge in anger turned to chide him4 ,this happened frequently1 so that my attention was directed to the fact4 ,on one occasion1 when two gentlemen were pushing their way in as spectators1 and the porter was opposing them with violence1 the judge raised his voice1 and spoke the following words precisely as ,i heard them3 8,keep peace1 ,satan1 begone1 and hold your tongue40 ,these words in the ,french tongue sound as follows3 ',phe phe1 ,satan1 ,phe1 ,phe1 al1 phe6' #a ,now ,i had learned the ,french tongue well2 and on hearing this sentence1 the meaning of that phrase used by ,dante came into my memory1 when he and his master ,virgil entered the doors of ,hell4 ,dante and the painter ,giotto were together in ,france1 and particularly in the city of ,paris1 where1 owing to the circumstances ,i have just described1 the hall of justice may be truly called a hell4 ,dante then1 who also understood ,french well1 made use of the phrase in question1 and it has struck me as singular that this interpretation has never yet been put upon the passage2 indeed1 it confirms my opinion that the commentators make him say things which never came into his head4 ,note #a4 ',paix1 paix1 ,satan1 allez1 paix4' ,the line in ,dante to which ,cellini alludes is the first of the seventh canto of the ',inferno4' ,his suggestion is both curious and ingenious2 but we have no reason to think that ,french judges used the same imprecations1 when interrupted1 in the thirteenth as they did in the sixteenth century1 or that what ,cellini heard on this occasion was more than an accidental similarity of sounds1 striking his quick ear and awakening his lively memory4 ,,xxviii ,,well1 then1 to return to my affairs4 ,when certain decisions of the court were sent me by those lawyers1 and ,i perceived that my cause had been unjustly lost1 ,i had recourse for my defence to a great dagger which ,i carried2 for ,i have always taken pleasure in keeping fine weapons4 ,the first man ,i attacked was the plaintiff who had sued me2 and one evening ,i wounded him in the legs and arms so severely1 taking care1 however1 not to kill him1 that ,i deprived him of the use of both his legs4 ,then ,i sought out the other fellow who had brought the suit1 and used him also in such wise that he dropped it4 ,returning thanks to ,god for this and every other dispensation1 and hoping to be left awhile without worries1 ,i bade the young men of my household1 especially the ,italians1 for ,god's sake to attend each diligently to the work ,i set him1 and to help me till such time as ,i could finish the things ,i had in hand4 ,i thought they might soon be completed1 and then ,i meant to return to ,italy1 being no longer able to put up with the rogueries of those ,frenchmen2 the good ,king too1 if he once grew angry1 might bring me into mischief for many of my acts in self-defence4 ,i will describe who these ,italians were2 the first1 and the one ,i liked best1 was ,ascanio1 from ,tagliacozzo in the kingdom of ,naples2 the second was ,pagolo1 a ,roman of such humble origin that he did now know his own father4 ,these were the two men who had been with me in ,rome1 and whom ,i had taken with me on the journey4 ,another ,roman had also come on purpose to enter my service2 he too bore the name of ,pagolo1 and was the son of a poor nobleman of the family of the ,macaroni2 he had small acquirements in our art1 but was an excellent and courageous swordsman4 ,i had another from ,ferrara called ,bartolommeo ,chioccia4 ,there was also another from ,florence named ,pagolo ,micceri2 his brother1 nicknamed 8,il ,gatta10 was a clever clerk1 but had spent too much money in managing the property of ,tommaso ,guadagni1 a very wealthy merchant4 ,this ,gatta put in order for me the books in which ,i wrote the accounts of his most ,christian ,majesty and my other employers4 ,now ,pagolo ,micceri1 having learned how to keep them from his brother1 went on doing this work for me in return for a liberal salary4 ,he appeared1 so far as ,i could judge1 to be a very honest lad1 for ,i noticed him to be devout1 and when ,i heard him sometimes muttering psalms1 and sometimes telling his beads1 ,i reckoned much upon his feigned virtue4 ,accordingly ,i called the fellow apart and said to him1 8,pagolo1 my dearest brother1 you know what a good place you have with me1 and how you had formerly nothing to depend on2 besides1 you are a ,florentine4 ,i have also the greater confidence in you because ,i observe that you are pious and religious1 which is a thing that pleases me4 ,i beg you therefore to assist me1 for ,i cannot put the same trust in any of your companions3 so then ,i shall ask you to keep watch over two matters of the highest importance1 which might prove a source of much annoyance to me4 ,in the first place1 ,i want you to guard my property from being stolen1 and not touch it yourself4 ,in the next place1 you know that poor young girl1 ,caterina2 ,i keep her principally for my art's sake1 since ,i cannot do without a model2 but being a man also1 ,i have used her for my pleasures1 and it is possible that she may bear me a child4 ,now ,i do not want to maintain another man's bastards1 nor will ,i sit down under such an insult4 ,if any one in this house had the audacity to attempt anything of the sort1 and ,i were to become aware of it1 ,i verily believe that ,i should kill both her and him4 ,accordingly1 dear brother1 ,i entreat you to be my helper2 should you notice anything1 tell it me at once2 for ,i am sure to send her and her mother and her fellow to the gallows4 ,be you the first upon your watch against falling into this snare40 ,the rascal made a sign of the cross from his head to his feet and cried out3 8,o blessed ,jesus6 ,god preserve me from ever thinking of such a thing6 ,in the first place1 ,i am not given to those evil ways2 in the next place1 do you imagine ,i am ignorant of your great benefits toward me80 ,when ,i heard these words1 which he uttered with all appearance of simplicity and affection for me1 ,i believed that matters stood precisely as he asserted4 ,,xxix ,,two days after this conversation1 ,m4 ,mattio del ,nazaro took the occasion of some feast-day to invite me and my workpeople to an entertainment in a garden4 #a ,he was an ,italian in the ,king's service1 and practised the same art as we did with remarkable ability4 ,i got myself in readiness1 and told ,pagolo that he might go abroad too and amuse himself with us2 the annoyances arising from that lawsuit being1 as ,i judged1 now settled down4 ,the young man replied in these words3 8,upon my word1 it would be a great mistake to leave the house so unprotected4 ,only look how much of gold1 silver1 and jewels you have here4 ,living as we do in a city of thieves1 we ought to be upon our guard by day and night4 ,i will spend the time in religious exercises1 while ,i keep watch over the premises4 ,go then with mind at rest to take your pleasure and divert your spirits4 ,some other day another man will take my place as guardian here40 ,thinking that ,i could go of with a quiet mind1 ,i took ,pagolo1 ,ascanio1 and ,chioccia to the garden1 where we spent a large portion of the day agreeably4 ,toward the middle of the afternoon1 however1 when it began to draw toward sundown1 a suspicion came into my head1 and ,i recollected the words which that traitor had spoken with his feigned simplicity4 ,so ,i mounted my horse1 and with two servants to attend me1 returned to the castle1 where ,i all but caught ,pagolo and that little wretch ,caterina 'in flagrante4' ,no sooner had ,i reached the place1 than that ,french bawd1 her mother1 screamed out3 8,pagolo6 ,caterina6 here is the master60 ,when ,i saw the pair advancing1 overcome with fright1 their clothes in disorder1 not knowing what they said1 nor1 like people in a trance1 where they were going1 it was only too easy to guess what they had been about4 ,the sight drowned reason in rage1 and ,i drew my sword1 resolved to kill them both4 ,the man took to his heels2 the girl flung herself upon her knees1 and shrieked to ,heaven for mercy4 ,in my first fury ,i wanted to strike at the male2 but before ,i had the time to catch him up1 second thoughts arose which made me think it would be best for me to drive them both away together4 ,i had so many acts of violence upon my hands1 that if ,i killed him ,i could hardly hope to save my life4 ,i said then to ,pagolo3 8,had ,i seen with my own eyes1 scoundrel1 what your behaviour and appearance force me to believe1 ,i should have run you with this sword here ten times through the guts4 ,get out of my sight2 and if you say a ,paternoster1 let it be ,san ,giuliano's40 #b ,then ,i drove the whole lot forth1 mother and daughter1 lamming into them with fist and foot4 ,they made their minds up to have the law of me1 and consulted a ,norman advocate1 who advised them to declare that ,i had used the girl after the ,italian fashion2 what this meant ,i need hardly explain4 #c ,the man argued3 8,at the very least1 when this ,italian hears what you are after1 he will pay down several hundred ducats1 knowing how great the danger is1 and how heavily that offence is punished in ,france40 ,upon this they were agreed4 ,the accusation was brought against me1 and ,i received a summons from the court4 ,note #a4 ,matteo del ,nassaro1 a native of ,verona1 was employed in ,france as engraver1 die-caster1 and musician4 ,note #b4 ,see ,boccaccio1 ',decam41' ,gior4 ii4 ,nov4 ii4 ,note #c4 ',qual modo s'intendeva contro natura1 cio in soddomia4' ,,xxx ,,the ,,more ,i sought for rest1 the more ,i was annoyed with all sorts of embarrassments4 ,being thus daily exposed to divers persecutions1 ,i pondered which of two courses ,i ought to take2 whether to decamp and leave ,france to the devil1 or else to fight this battle through as ,i had done the rest1 and see to what end ,god had made me4 ,for a long while ,i kept anxiously revolving the matter4 ,at last ,i resolved to make off1 dreading to tempt my evil fortune1 lest this should bring me to the gallows4 ,my dispositions were all fixed2 ,i had made arrangements for putting away the property ,i could not carry1 and for charging the lighter articles1 to the best of my ability1 upon myself and servants2 yet it was with great and heavy reluctance that ,i looked forward to such a departure4 ,i had shut myself up alone in a little study4 ,my young men were advising me to fly2 but ,i told them that it would be well for me to meditate this step in solitude1 although ,i very much inclined to their opinion4 ,indeed1 ,i reasoned that if ,i could escape imprisonment and let the storm pass over1 ,i should be able to explain matters to the ,king by letter1 setting forth the trap which had been laid to ruin me by the malice of my enemies4 ,and as ,i have said above1 my mind was made up to this point2 when1 just as ,i rose to act on the decision1 some power took me by the shoulder and turned me round1 and ,i heard a voice which cried with vehemence3 8,benvenuto1 do as thou art wont1 and fear not60 ,then1 on the instant1 ,i changed the whole course of my plans1 and said to my ,italians3 8,take your good arms and come with me2 obey me to the letter2 have no other thought1 for ,i am now determined to put in my appearance4 ,if ,i were to leave ,paris1 you would vanish the next day in smoke2 so do as ,i command1 and follow me40 ,they all began together with one heart and voice to say3 8,since we are here1 and draw our livelihood from him1 it is our duty to go with him and bear him out so long as we have life to execute what he proposes4 ,he has hit the mark better than we did in this matter2 for on the instant when he leaves the place1 his enemies will send us to the devil4 ,let us keep well in mind what great works we have begun here1 and what vast importance they possess2 we should not know how to finish them without him1 and his enemies would say that he had taken flight because he shrank before such undertakings40 ,many other things bearing weightily upon the subject were said among them4 ,but it was the young ,roman1 ,macaroni1 who first put heart into the company2 and he also raised recruits from the ,germans and the ,frenchmen1 who felt well disposed toward me4 ,we were ten men1 all counted4 ,i set out1 firmly resolved not to let myself be taken and imprisoned alive4 ,when we appeared before the judges for criminal affairs1 ,i found ,caterina and her mother waiting2 and on the moment of my arrival1 the two women were laughing with their advocate4 ,i pushed my way in1 and called boldly for the judge1 who was seated1 blown out big and fat1 upon a tribunal high above the rest4 ,on catching sight of me1 he threatened with his head1 and spoke in a subdued voice3 8,although your name is ,benvenuto1 this time you are an ill-comer40 ,i understood his speech1 and called out the second time3 8,despatch my business quickly4 ,tell me what ,i have come to do here40 ,then the judge turned to ,caterina1 and said3 8,caterina1 relate all that happened between you and ,benvenuto40 ,she answered that ,i had used her after the ,italian fashion4 ,the judge turned to me and said3 8,you hear what ,caterina deposes1 ,benvenuto40 ,i replied3 8,if ,i have consorted with her after the ,italian fashion1 ,i have only done the same as you folk of other nations do40 ,he demurred3 8,she means that you improperly abused her40 ,i retorted that1 so far from being the ,italian fashion1 it must be some ,french habit1 seeing she knew all about it1 while ,i was ignorant2 and ,i commanded her to explain precisely how ,i had consorted with her4 ,then the impudent baggage entered into plain and circumstantial details regarding all the filth she lyingly accused me of4 ,i made her repeat her deposition three times in succession4 ,when she had finished1 ,i cried out with a loud voice3 8,lord judge1 lieutenant of the ,most ,christian ,king1 ,i call on you for justice4 ,well ,i know that by the laws of his ,most ,christian ,majesty both agent and patient in this kind of crime are punished with the stake4 ,the woman confesses her guilt2 ,i admit nothing whatsoever of the sort with regard to her2 her go-between of a mother is here1 who deserves to be burned for either one or the other offence4 ,therefore ,i appeal to you for justice40 ,these words ,i repeated over and over again at the top of my voice1 continually calling out3 8,to the stake with her and her mother60 ,i also threatened the judge that1 if he did not send her to prison there before me1 ,i would go to the ,king at once1 and tell him how his lieutenant in criminal affairs of justice had wronged me4 ,when they heard what a tumult ,i was making1 my adversaries lowered their voices1 but ,i lifted mine the more4 ,the little hussy and her mother fell to weeping1 while ,i shouted to the judge3 8,fire1 fire6 to the stake with them60 ,the coward on the bench1 finding that the matter was not going as he intended1 began to use soft words and excuse the weakness of the female sex4 ,thereupon ,i felt that ,i had won the victory in a nasty encounter2 and1 muttering threats between my teeth1 ,i took myself off1 not without great inward satisfaction4 ,indeed1 ,i would gladly have paid five hundred crowns down to have avoided that appearance in court4 ,however1 after escaping from the tempest1 ,i thanked ,god with all my heart1 and returned in gladness with my young men to the castle4 ,,xxxi ,,when adverse fortune1 or1 if we prefer to call it1 our malignant planet1 undertakes to persecute a man1 it never lacks new ways of injuring him4 ,so now1 when ,i thought ,i had emerged from this tempestuous sea of troubles1 and hoped my evil star would leave me quiet for a moment1 it began to set two schemes in motion against me before ,i had recovered my breath from that great struggle4 ,within three days two things happened1 each of which brought my life into extreme hazard4 ,one of these occurred in this way3 ,i went to ,fontainebleau to consult with the ,king2 for he had written me a letter saying he wanted me to stamp the coins of his whole realm1 and enclosing some little drawings to explain his wishes in the matter2 at the same time he left me free to execute them as ,i liked2 upon which ,i made new designs according to my own conception1 and according to the ideal of art4 ,when ,i reached ,fontainebleau1 one of the treasurers commissioned by the ,king to defray my expenses 7he was called ,monsignor della ,fa #a7 addressed me in these words3 8,benvenuto1 the painter ,bologna has obtained commission from the ,king to execute your great ,colossus1 and all the orders previously given as on your behalf have been transferred to him4 #b ,we are all indignant2 and it seems to us that that countryman of yours has acted towards you in a most unwarrantable manner4 ,the work was assigned you on the strength of your models and studies4 ,he is robbing you of it1 only through the favour of ,madame d',etampes2 and though several months have passed since he received the order1 he has not yet made any sign of commencing it40 ,i answered in surprise3 8,how is it possible that ,i should have heard nothing at all about this80 ,he then informed me that the man had kept it very dark1 and had obtained the ,king's commission with great difficulty1 since his ,majesty at first would not concede it2 only the importunity of ,madame d',etampes secured this favour for him4 ,when ,i felt how greatly and how wrongfully ,i had been betrayed1 and saw a work which ,i had gained with my great toil thus stolen from me1 ,i made my mind up for a serious stroke of business1 and marched off with my good sword at my side to find ,bologna4 #c ,he was in his room1 engaged in studies2 after telling the servant to introduce me1 he greeted me with some of his ,lombard compliments1 and asked what good business had brought me hither4 ,i replied3 8,a most excellent business1 and one of great importance40 ,he then sent for wine1 and said3 8,before we begin to talk1 we must drink together1 for such is the ,french custom40 ,i answered3 8,messer ,francesco1 you must know that the conversation we have to engage in does not call for drinking at the commencement2 after it is over1 perhaps we shall be glad to take a glass40 ,then ,i opened the matter in this way3 8,all men who wish to pass for persons of worth allow it to be seen that they are so by their actions2 if they do the contrary1 they lose the name of honest men4 ,i am aware that you knew the ,king had commissioned me with that great ,colossus2 it had been talked of these eighteen months past2 yet neither you nor anybody else came forward to speak a word about it4 ,by my great labours ,i made myself known to his ,majesty1 who approved of my models and gave the work into my hands4 ,during many months ,i have heard nothing to the contrary2 only this morning ,i was informed that you have got hold of it1 and have filched it from me4 ,i earned it by the talents ,i displayed1 and you are robbing me of it merely by your idle talking40 ,note #a4 ,his name in full was ,jacques de la ,fa4 ,he and his son ,pierre after him held the office of 'trsorier de l'epargne4' ,see ,plon1 p4 #fc4 ,note #b4 ,by ,colossus1 ,cellini means the fountain with the great statue of ,mars4 ,note #c4 ',i4 e41' ,primaticcio4 ,,xxxii ,,to this speech ,bologna answered3 8,o ,benvenuto6 all men try to push their affairs in every way they can4 ,if this is the ,king's will1 what have you to say against it8 ,you would only throw away your time1 because ,i have it now1 and it is mine4 ,now tell me what you choose1 and ,i will listen to you40 ,i replied3 8,i should like you to know1 ,messer ,francesco1 that ,i could say much which would prove irrefragably1 and make you admit1 that such ways of acting as you have described and used are not in vogue among rational animals4 ,i will1 however1 come quickly to the point at issue2 give close attention to my meaning1 because the affair is serious40 ,he made as though he would rise form the chair on which he was sitting1 since he saw my colour heightened and my features greatly discomposed4 ,i told him that the time had not yet come for moving2 he had better sit and listen to me4 ,then ,i recommenced3 8,messer ,francesco1 you know that ,i first received the work1 and that the time has long gone by during which my right could be reasonably disputed by any one4 ,now ,i tell you that ,i shall be satisfied if you will make a model1 while ,i make another in addition to the one ,i have already shown4 ,then we will take them without any clamour to our great ,king2 and whosoever in this way shall have gained the credit of the best design will justly have deserved the commission4 ,if it falls to you1 ,i will dismiss from my mind the memory of the great injury you have done me1 and will bless your hands1 as being worthier than mine of so glorious a performance4 ,let us abide by this agreement1 and we shall be friends2 otherwise we must be enemies2 and ,god1 who always helps the right1 and ,i1 who know how to assert it1 will show you to what extent you have done wrong40 ,messer ,francesco answered3 8,the work is mine1 and since it has been given me1 ,i do not choose to put what is my own to hazard40 ,to this ,i retorted3 8,messer ,francesco1 if you will not take the right course which is just and reasonable1 ,i will show you another which shall be like your own1 that is to say1 ugly and disagreeable4 ,i tell you plainly that if ,i ever hear that you have spoken one single word about this work of mine1 ,i will kill you like a dog4 ,we are neither in ,rome1 nor in ,bologna1 nor in ,florence2 here one lives in quite a different fashion2 if then it comes to my ears that you talk about this to the ,king or anybody else1 ,i vow that ,i will kill you4 ,reflect upon the way you mean to take1 whether that for good which ,i formerly described1 or this latter bad one ,i have just now set before you40 ,the man did not know what to say or do1 and ,i was inclined to cut the matter short upon the spot rather than to postpone action4 ,bologna found no other words than these to utter3 8,if ,i act like a man of honesty1 ,i shall stand in no fear40 ,i replied3 8,you have spoken well1 but if you act otherwise1 you will have to fear1 because the affair is serious40 ,upon this ,i left him1 and betook myself to the ,king4 ,with his ,majesty ,i disputed some time about the fashion of his coinage1 a point upon which we were not of the same opinion2 his council1 who were present1 kept persuading him that the monies ought to be struck in the ,french style1 as they had hitherto always been done4 ,i urged in reply that his ,majesty had sent for me from ,italy in order that ,i might execute good work2 if he now wanted me to do the contrary1 ,i could not bring myself to submit4 ,so the matter was postponed till another occasion1 and ,i set off again at once for ,paris4 ,,xxxiii ,i ,,had but just dismounted from my horse1 when one of those excellent people who rejoice in mischief-making came to tell me that ,pagolo ,micceri had taken a house for the little hussy ,caterina and her mother1 and that he was always going there1 and whenever he mentioned me1 used words of scorn to this effect3 8,benvenuto set the fox to watch the grapes1 #a and thought ,i would not eat them6 ,now he is satisfied with going about and talking big1 and thinks ,i am afraid of him4 ,but ,i have girt this sword and dagger to my side in order to show him that my steel can cut as well as his1 and that ,i too am a ,florentine1 of the ,micceri1 a far better family than his ,cellini40 ,the scoundrel who reported this poisonous gossip spoke it with such good effect that ,i felt a fever in the instant swoop upon me2 and when ,i say fever1 ,i mean fever1 and no mere metaphor4 ,the insane passion which took possession of me might have been my death1 had ,i not resolved to give it vent as the occasion offered4 ,i ordered the ,ferrarese workman1 ,chioccia1 to come with me1 and made a servant follow with my horse4 ,when we reached the house where that worthless villain was1 ,i found the door ajar1 and entered4 ,i noticed that he carried sword and dagger1 and was sitting on a big chest with his arm round ,caterina's neck2 at the moment of my arrival1 ,i could hear that he and her mother were talking about me4 ,pushing the door open1 ,i drew my sword1 and set the point of it at his throat1 not giving him the time to think whether he too carried steel4 ,at the same instant ,i cried out3 8,vile coward6 recommend your soul to ,god1 for you are a dead man40 ,without budging from his seat1 he called three times3 8,mother1 mother1 help me60 ,though ,i had come there fully determined to take his life1 half my fury ebbed away when ,i heard this idiotic exclamation4 ,i ought to add that ,i had told ,chioccia not to let the girl or her mother leave the house1 since ,i meant to deal with those trollops after ,i had disposed of their bully4 ,so ,i went on holding my sword at his throat1 and now and then just pricked him with the point1 pouring out a torrent of terrific threats at the same time4 ,but when ,i found he did not stir a finger in his own defence1 ,i began to wonder what ,i should do next2 my menacing attitude could not be kept up for ever2 so at last it came into my head to make them marry1 and complete my vengeance at a later period4 ,accordingly1 ,i formed my resolution1 and began3 8,take that ring1 coward1 from your finger1 and marry her1 that ,i may get satisfaction from you afterwards according to your deserts40 ,he replied at once3 8,if only you do not kill me1 ,i will do whatever you command40 8,then10 said ,i1 8put that ring upon her hand40 ,when the sword's point was withdrawn a few inches from his throat1 he wedded her with the ring4 ,but ,i added3 8,this is not enough4 ,i shall send for two notaries1 in order that the marriage may be ratified by contract40 ,bidding ,chioccia go for the lawyers1 ,i turned to the girl and her mother1 and1 using the ,french language1 spoke as follows3 8,notaries and witnesses are coming2 the first of you who blabs about this affair will be killed upon the spot2 nay1 ,i will murder you all three4 ,so beware1 and keep a quiet tongue in your heads40 ,to him ,i said in ,italian3 8,if you offer any resistance to what ,i shall propose1 upon the slightest word you utter ,i will stab you till your guts run out upon this floor40 ,he answered3 8,only promise not to kill me1 and ,i will do whatever you command40 ,the notaries and witnesses arrived2 a contract1 valid and in due form1 was drawn up2 then my heat and fever left me4 ,i paid the lawyers and took my departure4 ,on the following day ,bologna came to ,paris on purpose1 and sent for me through ,mattio del ,nasaro4 ,i went to see him2 and he met me with a glad face1 entreating me to regard him as a brother1 and saying that he would never speak about that work again1 since he recognised quite well that ,i was right4 ,note #a4 ',aveva dato a guardia la lattuga ai paperi4' ,,xxxiv ,,if ,i did not confess that in some of these episodes ,i acted wrongly1 the world might think ,i was not telling the truth about those in which ,i say ,i acted rightly4 ,therefore ,i admit that it was a mistake to inflict so singular a vengeance upon ,pagolo ,micceri4 ,in truth1 had ,i believed him to be so utterly feeble1 ,i should not have conceived the notion of branding him with such infamy as ,i am going to relate4 ,not satisfied with having made him take a vicious drab to wife1 ,i completed my revenge by inviting her to sit to me as a model1 and dealing with her thus4 ,i gave her thirty sous a day1 paid in advance1 and a good meal1 and obliged her to pose before me naked4 ,then ,i made her serve my pleasure1 out of spite against her husband1 jeering at them both the while4 ,furthermore1 ,i kept her for hours together in position1 greatly to her discomfort4 ,this gave her as much annoyance as it gave me pleasure2 for she was beautifully made1 and brought me much credit as a model4 ,at last1 noticing that ,i did not treat her with the same consideration as before her marriage1 she began to grumble and talk big in her ,french way about her husband1 who was now serving the ,prior of ,capua1 a brother of ,piero ,strozzi4 #a ,on the first occasion when she did this1 the mere mention of the fellow aroused me to intolerable fury2 still ,i bore it1 greatly against the grain1 as well as ,i was able1 reflecting that ,i could hardly find so suitable a subject for my art as she was4 ,so ,i reasoned thus in my own mind3 8,i am now taking two different kinds of revenge4 ,in the first place1 she is married2 and what ,i am doing to her husband is something far more serious than what he did to me1 when she was only a girl of loose life4 ,if then ,i wreak my spite so fully upon him1 while upon her ,i inflict the discomfort of posing in such strange attitudes for such a length of time--which1 beside the pleasure ,i derive1 brings me both profit and credit through my art--what more can ,i desire80 ,while ,i was turning over these calculations1 the wretch redoubled her insulting speeches1 always prating big about her husband1 till she goaded me beyond the bounds of reason4 ,yielding myself up to blind rage1 ,i seized her by the hair1 and dragged her up and down my room1 beating and kicking her till ,i was tired4 ,there was no one who could come to her assistance4 ,when ,i had well pounded her she swore that she would never visit me again4 ,then for the first time ,i perceived that ,i had acted very wrongly2 for ,i was losing a grand model1 who brought me honour through my art4 ,moreover1 when ,i saw her body all torn and bruised and swollen1 ,i reflected that1 even if ,i persuaded her to return1 ,i should have to put her under medical treatment for at least a fortnight before ,i could make use of her4 ,note #a4 ,leone1 son of ,filippo ,strozzi1 ,knight of ,jerusalem and ,prior of ,capua1 was1 like his brother ,piero1 a distinguished ,french general4 ,,xxxv ,,well1 to return to ,caterina4 ,i sent my old serving-woman1 named ,ruberta1 who had a most kindly disposition1 to help her dress4 ,she brought food and drink to the miserable baggage2 and after rubbing a little bacon fat into her worst wounds1 they ate what was left of the meat together4 ,when she had finished dressing1 she went off blaspheming and cursing all ,italians in the ,king's service1 and so returned with tears and murmurs to her home4 ,assuredly1 upon that first occasion1 ,i felt ,i had done very wrong1 and ,ruberta rebuked me after this fashion3 8,you are a cruel monster to maltreat such a handsome girl so brutally40 ,when ,i excused my conduct by narrating all the tricks which she and her mother had played off upon me under my own roof1 ,ruberta scoldingly replied that 'that' was nothing--that was only ,french manners1 and she was sure there was not a husband in ,france without his horns4 ,when ,i heard this argument1 ,i laughed aloud1 and then told ,ruberta to go and see how ,caterina was1 since ,i should like to employ her again while finishing the work ,i had on hand4 ,the old woman took me sharply up1 saying that ,i had no 'savoir vivre3' 8,only wait till daybreak1 and she will come of herself2 whereas1 if you send to ask after her or visit her1 she will give herself airs and keep away40 ,on the following morning ,caterina came to our door1 and knocked so violently1 that1 being below1 ,i ran to see whether it was a madman or some member of the household4 ,when ,i opened1 the creature laughed and fell upon my neck1 embracing and kissing me1 and asked me if ,i was still angry with her4 ,i said1 8,no60 ,then she added3 8,let me have something good to break my fast on40 ,so ,i supplied her well with food1 and partook of it at the same table in sign of reconciliation4 ,afterwards ,i began to model from her1 during which occurred some amorous diversions2 and at last1 just at the same hour as on the previous day1 she irritated me to such a pitch that ,i gave her the same drubbing4 ,so we went on several days1 repeating the old round like clockwork4 ,there was little or no variation in the incidents4 ,meanwhile1 ,i completed my work in a style which did me the greatest credit4 ,next ,i set about to cast it in bronze4 ,this entailed some difficulties1 to relate which would be interesting from the point of view of art2 but since the whole history would occupy too much space1 ,i must omit it4 ,suffice it to say1 that the figure came out splendidly1 and was as fine a specimen of foundry as had ever been seen4 #a ,note #a4 ,this figure was undoubtedly the ,nymph of ,fontainebleau4 ,,xxxvi ,,while this work was going forward1 ,i set aside certain hours of the day for the salt-cellar1 and certain others for the ,jupiter4 ,there were more men engaged upon the former than ,i had at my disposal for the latter1 so the salt-cellar was by this time completely finished4 ,the ,king had now returned to ,paris2 and when ,i paid him my respects1 ,i took the piece with me4 ,as ,i have already related1 it was oval in form1 standing about two-thirds of a cubit1 wrought of solid gold1 and worked entirely with the chisel4 ,while speaking of the model1 ,i said before how ,i had represented ,sea and ,earth1 seated1 with their legs interlaced1 as we observe in the case of firths and promontories2 this attitude was therefore metaphorically appropriate4 ,the ,sea carried a trident in his right hand1 and in his left ,i put a ship of delicate workmanship to hold the salt4 ,below him were his four sea-horses1 fashioned like our horses from the head to the front hoofs2 all the rest of their body1 from the middle backwards1 resembled a fish1 and the tails of these creatures were agreeably inter-woven4 ,above this group the ,sea sat throned in an attitude of pride and dignity2 around him were many kinds of fishes and other creatures of the ocean4 ,the water was represented with its waves1 and enamelled in the appropriate colour4 ,i had portrayed ,earth under the form of a very handsome woman1 holding her horn of plenty1 entirely nude like the male figure2 in her left hand ,i placed a little temple of ,ionic architecture1 most delicately wrought1 which was meant to contain the pepper4 ,beneath her were the handsomest living creatures which the earth produces2 and the rocks were partly enamelled1 partly left in gold4 ,the whole piece reposed upon a base of ebony1 properly proportioned1 but with a projecting cornice1 upon which ,i introduced four golden figures in rather more than half-relief4 ,they represented ,night1 ,day1 ,twilight1 and ,dawn4 ,i put1 moreover1 into the same frieze four other figures1 similar in size1 and intended for the four chief winds2 these were executed1 and in part enamelled1 with the most exquisite refinement4 #a ,when ,i exhibited this piece to his ,majesty1 he uttered a loud outcry of astonishment1 and could not satiate his eyes with gazing at it4 ,then he bade me take it back to my house1 saying he would tell me at the proper time what ,i should have to do with it4 ,so ,i carried it home1 and sent at once to invite several of my best friends2 we dined gaily together1 placing the salt-cellar in the middle of the table1 and thus we were the first to use it4 ,after this1 ,i went on working at my ,jupiter in silver1 and also at the great vase ,i have already described1 which was richly decorated with a variety of ornaments and figures4 ,note #a4 ,this salt-cellar is now at ,vienna4 ,it is beautifully represented by two photogravures in ,plon's great book on ,cellini4 ,,xxxvii ,,at that time ,bologna1 the painter1 suggested to the ,king that it would be well if his ,majesty sent him to ,rome1 with letters of recommendation1 to the end that he might cast the foremost masterpieces of antiquity1 namely1 the ,laocoon1 the ,cleopatra1 the ,venus1 the ,commodus1 the ,zingara1 and the ,apollo4 #a ,these1 of a truth1 are by far the finest things in ,rome4 ,he told the ,king that when his ,majesty had once set eyes upon those marvellous works1 he would then1 and not till then1 be able to criticise the arts of design1 since everything which he had seen by us moderns was far removed from the perfection of the ancients4 ,the ,king accepted his proposal1 and gave him the introductions he required4 ,accordingly that beast went off1 and took his bad luck with him4 ,not having the force and courage to contend with his own hands against me1 he adopted the truly ,lombard device of depreciating my performances by becoming a copyist of antiques4 ,in its own proper place ,i shall relate how1 though he had these statues excellently cast1 he obtained a result quite contrary to his imagination4 ,i had now done for ever with that disreputable ,caterina1 and the unfortunate young man1 her husband1 had decamped from ,paris4 ,wanting then to finish off my ,fontainebleau1 which was already cast in bronze1 as well as to execute the two ,victories which were going to fill the angles above the lunette of the door1 ,i engaged a poor girl of the age of about fifteen4 ,she was beautifully made and of a brunette complexion4 ,being somewhat savage in her ways and spare of speech1 quick in movement1 with a look of sullenness about her eyes1 ,i nicknamed her ,scorzone2 #b her real name was ,jeanne4 ,with her for model1 ,i gave perfect finish to the bronze ,fontainebleau1 and also to the two ,victories4 ,now this girl was a clean maid1 and ,i got her with child4 ,she gave birth to a daughter on the #gth of ,june1 at thirteen hours of the day1 in #aedd1 when ,i had exactly reached the age of forty-four4 ,i named the infant ,costanza2 and ,mr4 ,guido ,guidi1 the ,king's physician1 and my most intimate friend1 as ,i have previously related1 held her at the font4 ,he was the only godfather2 for it is customary in ,france to have but one godfather and two godmothers4 ,one of the latter was ,madame ,maddalena1 wife to ,m4 ,luigi ,alamanni1 a gentleman of ,florence and an accomplished poet4 ,the other was the wife of ,m4 ,ricciardo del ,bene1 our ,florentine burgher1 and a great merchant in ,paris2 she was herself a ,french lady of distinguished family4 ,this was the first child ,i ever had1 so far as ,i remember4 ,i settled money enough upon the girl for dowry to satisfy an aunt of hers1 under whose tutelage ,i placed her1 and from that time forwards ,i had nothing more to do with her4 ,note #a4 ,the ,cleopatra is that recumbent statue of a sleeping ,ariadne or ,bacchante now in the ,vatican4 ,the ,venus 7neither the ,medicean nor the ,capitoline7 represents the goddess issuing from the bath2 it is now in the ,museo ,pio ,clementino of the ,vatican4 ,the ,commodus is a statue of ,hercules1 with the lion's skin and an infant in his arms1 also in the ,vatican4 ,the ,zingara may be a statue of ,diana forming part of the ,borghese collection4 ,the ,apollo is the famous ,belvedere ,apollo of the ,vatican4 ,note #b4 ,that is1 in ,italian1 8the rough rind10 a name given to rustics4 ',scorzone' is also the name for a little black venomous serpent4 ,,xxxviii ,,by labouring incessantly ,i had now got my various works well forward2 the ,jupiter was nearly finished1 and the vase also2 the door began to reveal its beauties4 ,at that time the ,king came to ,paris2 and though ,i gave the right date of the year #aedd for my daughter's birth1 we were still in #aedc2 but an opportunity of mentioning my daughter having arisen1 ,i availed myself of it1 so as not to interrupt the narrative of more important things4 ,well1 the ,king1 as ,i have said1 came to ,paris1 and paid me a visit soon after his arrival4 ,the magnificent show of works brought well-nigh to completion was enough to satisfy anybody's eye2 and indeed it gave that glorious monarch no less contentment than the artist who had worked so hard upon them desired4 ,while inspecting these things1 it came into his head that the ,cardinal of ,ferrara had fulfilled none of his promises to me1 either as regarded a pension or anything else4 ,whispering with his ,admiral1 he said that the ,cardinal of ,ferrara had behaved very badly in the matter2 and that he intended to make it up to me himself1 because he saw ,i was a man of few words1 who in the twinkling of an eye might decamp without complaining or asking leave4 ,on returning home1 his ,majesty1 after dinner1 told the ,cardinal to give orders to his treasurer of the ,exchequer that he should pay me at an early date seven thousand crowns of gold1 in three or four instalments1 according to his own convenience1 provided only that he executed the commission faithfully4 ,at the same time he repeated words to this effect3 8,i gave ,benvenuto into your charge1 and you have forgotten all about him40 ,the ,cardinal said that he would punctually perform his ,majesty's commands2 but his own bad nature made him wait till the ,king's fit of generosity was over4 ,meanwhile wars and rumours of wars were on the increase2 it was the moment when the ,emperor with a huge army was marching upon ,paris4 #a ,seeing the realm of ,france to be in great need of money1 the ,cardinal one day began to talk of me1 and said3 8,sacred ,majesty1 acting for the best1 ,i have not had that money given to ,benvenuto4 ,first1 it is sorely wanted now for public uses4 ,secondly1 so great a donation would have exposed you to the risk of losing ,benvenuto altogether2 for if he found himself a rich man1 he might have invested his money in ,italy1 and the moment some caprice took of him1 he would have decamped without hesitation4 ,i therefore consider that your ,majesty's best course will be to present him with something in your kingdom1 if you want to keep him in your service for any length of time40 ,the ,king1 being really in want of money1 approved of these arguments2 nevertheless1 like the noble soul he was1 and truly worthy of his royal station1 he judged rightly that the ,cardinal had acted thus in order to curry favour rather than from any clear prevision of distressed finances in so vast a realm4 ,note #a4 ,in #aedd ,charles ,v4 advanced toward ,champagne and threatened ,paris1 while the ,english were besieging ,boulogne4 ,,xxxix ,,as ,i have just said1 his ,majesty affected to concur with the ,cardinal1 but his own private mind was otherwise made up4 ,accordingly1 upon the day after his arrival1 without solicitation upon my part1 he came of his own accord to my house4 ,i went to meet him1 and conducted him through several rooms where divers works of art were on view4 ,beginning with the less important1 ,i pointed out a quantity of things in bronze2 and it was long since he had seen so many at once4 ,then ,i took him to see the ,jupiter in silver1 now nearly completed1 with all its splendid decorations4 ,it so happened that a grievous disappointment which he had suffered a few years earlier1 made him think this piece more admirable than it might perhaps have appeared to any other man4 ,the occasion to which ,i refer was this3 ,after the capture of ,tunis1 the ,emperor passed through ,paris with the consent of his brother-in-law1 ,king ,francis1 #a who wanted to present him with something worthy of so great a potentate4 ,having this in view1 he ordered a ,hercules to be executed in silver1 exactly of the same size as my ,jupiter4 ,the ,king declared this ,hercules to be the ugliest work of art that he had ever seen1 and spoke his opinion plainly to the craftsmen of ,paris4 ,they vaunted themselves to be the ablest craftsmen in the world for works of this kind1 and informed the ,king that nothing more perfect could possibly have been produced in silver1 insisting at the same time upon being paid two thousand ducats for their filthy piece of work4 ,this made the ,king1 when he beheld mine1 affirm that the finish of its workmanship exceeded his highest expectations4 ,accordingly he made an equitable judgment1 and had my statue valued also at two thousand ducats1 saying3 8,i gave those other men no salary2 ,cellini1 who gets about a thousand crowns a year from me1 can surely let me have this masterpiece for two thousand crowns of gold1 since he has his salary into the bargain40 ,then ,i exhibited other things in gold and silver1 and a variety of models for new undertakings4 ,at the last1 just when he was taking leave1 ,i pointed out upon the lawn of the castle that great giant1 which roused him to higher astonishment than any of the other things he had inspected4 ,turning to his ,admiral1 who was called ,monsignor ,aniballe1 #b he said3 8,since the ,cardinal had made him no provision1 we must do so1 and all the more because the man himself is so slow at asking favours--to cut it short1 ,i mean to have him well provided for2 yes1 these men who ask for nothing feel that their masterpieces call aloud for recompense2 therefore see that he gets the first abbey that falls vacant worth two thousand crowns a year4 ,if this cannot be had in one benefice1 let him have two or three to that amount1 for in his case it will come to the same thing40 ,as ,i was standing by1 ,i could hear what the ,king said1 and thanked his ,majesty at once for the donation1 as though ,i were already in possession4 ,i told him that as soon as his orders were carried into effect1 ,i would work for his ,majesty without other salary or recompense of any kind until old age deprived me of the power to labour1 when ,i hoped to rest my tired body in peace1 maintaining myself with honour on that income1 and always bearing in mind that ,i had served so great a monarch as his ,majesty4 ,at the end of this speech the ,king turned toward me with a lively gesture and a joyous countenance1 saying1 8,so let it then be done40 ,after that he departed1 highly satisfied with what he had seen there4 ,note #a4 ,in the year #aeci ,charles ,v obtained leave to traverse ,france with his army on the way ,flanders4 ,note #b4 ,claude d' ,annebault2 captured at ,pavia with ,franois2 ,marshall in #aech2 ,admiral of ,france in #aedc4 ,,xl ,,madame ,d',,etampes1 when she heard how well my affairs were going1 redoubled her spite against me1 saying in her own heart3 8,it is ,i who rule the world to-day1 and a little fellow like that snaps his fingers at me6 ,she put every iron into the fire which she could think of1 in order to stir up mischief against me4 ,now a certain man fell in her way1 who enjoyed great fame as a distiller2 he supplied her with perfumed waters1 which were excellent for the complexion1 and hitherto unknown in ,france4 ,this fellow she introduced to the ,king1 who was much delighted by the processes for distilling which he exhibited4 ,while engaged in these experiments1 the man begged his ,majesty to give him a tennis-court ,i had in my castle1 together with some little apartments which he said ,i did not use4 ,the good ,king1 guessing who was at the bottom of the business1 made no answer2 but ,madame d',etampes used those wiles with which women know so well to work on men1 and very easily succeeded in her enterprise2 for having taken the ,king at a moment of amorous weakness1 to which he was much subject1 she wheedled him into conceding what she wanted4 ,the distiller came1 accompanied by ,treasurer ,grolier1 a very great nobleman of ,france1 who spoke ,italian excellently1 and when he entered my castle1 began to jest with me in that language4 #a ,watching his opportunity1 #b he said3 8,in the ,king's name ,i put this man here into possession of that tennis-court1 together with the lodgings that pertain to it40 ,to this ,i answered3 8,the sacred ,king is lord of all things here3 so then you might have effected an entrance with more freedom3 coming thus with notaries and people of the court looks more like a fraud than the mandate of a powerful monarch4 ,i assure you that1 before ,i carry my complaints before the ,king1 ,i shall defend my right in the way his ,majesty gave me orders two days since to do4 ,i shall fling the man whom you have put upon me out of windows if ,i do not see a warrant under the ,king's own hand and seal40 ,after this speech the treasurer went off threatening and grumbling1 and ,i remained doing the same1 without1 however1 beginning the attack at once4 ,then ,i went to the notaries who had put the fellow in possession4 ,i was well acquainted with them2 and they gave me to understand that this was a formal proceeding1 done indeed at the ,king's orders1 but which had not any great significance2 if ,i had offered some trifling opposition the fellow would not have installed himself as he had done4 ,the formalities were acts and customs of the court1 which did not concern obedience to the ,king2 consequently1 if ,i succeeded in ousting him1 ,i should have acted rightly1 and should not incur any risk4 ,this hint was enough for me1 and next morning ,i had recourse to arms2 and though the job cost me some trouble1 ,i enjoyed it4 ,each day that followed1 ,i made an attack with stones1 pikes and arquebuses1 firing1 however1 without ball2 nevertheless1 ,i inspired such terror that no one dared to help my antagonist4 ,accordingly1 when ,i noticed one day that his defence was feeble1 ,i entered the house by force1 and expelled the fellow1 turning all his goods and chattels into the street4 ,then ,i betook me to the ,king1 and told him that ,i had done precisely as his ,majesty had ordered1 by defending myself against every one who sought to hinder me in his service4 ,the ,king laughed at the matter1 and made me out new letters-patent to secure me from further molestation4 #c ,note #a4 ,jean ,grolier1 the famous ,french ,mcenas1 collector of books1 antiquities1 c4 ,note #b4 ',vedendo il bello4' ,note #c4 ,this document exists1 and is dated ,july #ae1 #aedd4 ,see ',bianchi1' p4 #ehe4 ,,xli ,,in the meantime ,i brought my silver ,jupiter to completion1 together with its gilded pedestal1 which ,i placed upon a wooden plinth that only showed a very little2 upon the plinth ,i introduced four little round balls of hard wood1 more than half hidden in their sockets1 like the nut of a crossbow4 ,they were so nicely arranged that a child could push the statue forward and backwards1 or turn it round with ease4 ,having arranged it thus to my mind1 ,i went with it to ,fountainebleau1 where the ,king was then residing4 ,at that time1 ,bologna1 of whom ,i have already said so much1 had brought from ,rome his statues1 and had cast them very carefully in bronze4 ,i knew nothing about this1 partly because he kept his doings very dark1 and also because ,fontainebleau is forty miles distant from ,paris4 ,on asking the ,king where he wanted me to set up my ,jupiter1 ,madame d',etampes1 who happened to be present1 told him there was no place more appropriate than his own handsome gallery4 ,this was1 as we should say in ,tuscany1 a loggia1 or1 more exactly1 a large lobby2 it ought indeed to be called a lobby1 because what we mean by loggia is open at one side4 ,the hall was considerably longer than #ajj paces1 decorated1 and very rich with pictures from the hand of that admirable ,rosso1 our ,florentine master4 ,among the pictures were arranged a great variety of sculptured works1 partly in the round1 and partly in bas-relief4 ,the breadth was about twelve paces4 ,now ,bologna had brought all his antiques into this gallery1 wrought with great beauty in bronze1 and had placed them in a handsome row upon their pedestals2 and they were1 as ,i have said1 the choicest of the ,roman antiquities4 ,into this same gallery ,i took my ,jupiter2 and when ,i saw that grand parade1 so artfully planned1 ,i said to myself3 8,this is like running the gauntlet2 #a now may ,god assist me40 ,i placed the statue1 and having arranged it as well as ,i was able1 waited for the coming of the ,king4 ,the ,jupiter was raising his thunderbolt with the right hand in the act to hurl it2 his left hand held the globe of the world4 ,among the flames of the thunderbolt ,i had very cleverly introduced a torch of white wax4 ,now ,madame d',etampes detained the ,king till nightfall1 wishing to do one of two mischiefs1 either to prevent his coming1 or else to spoil the effect of my work by its being shown off after dark2 but as ,god has promised to those who trust in ,him1 it turned out exactly opposite to her calculations2 for when night came1 ,i set fire to the torch1 which standing higher than the head of ,jupiter1 shed light from above and showed the statue far better than by daytime4 ,at length the ,king arrived2 he was attended by his ,madame d',etampes1 his son the ,dauphin and the ,dauphinss1 together with the ,king of ,navarre his brother-in-law1 ,madame ,marguerite his daughter1 #b and several other great lords1 who had been instructed by ,madame d',etampes to speak against me4 ,when the ,king appeared1 ,i made my prentice ,ascanio push the ,jupiter toward his ,majesty4 ,as it moved smoothly forwards1 my cunning in its turn was amply rewarded1 for this gentle motion made the figure seem alive2 the antiques were left in the background1 and my work was the first to take the eye with pleasure4 ,the ,king exclaimed at once3 8,this is by far the finest thing that has ever been seen2 and ,i1 although ,i am an amateur and judge of art1 could never have conceived the hundredth part of its beauty40 ,the lords whose cue it was to speak against me1 now seemed as though they could not praise my masterpiece enough4 ,madame d',etampes said boldly3 8,one would think you had no eyes6 ,don't you see all those fine bronzes from the antique behind there8 ,in those consists the real distinction of this art1 and not in that modern trumpery40 ,then the ,king advanced1 and the others with him4 ,after casting a glance at the bronzes1 which were not shown to advantage from the light being below them1 he exclaimed3 8,whoever wanted to injure this man has done him a great service2 for the comparison of these admirable statues demonstrates the immeasurable superiority of his work in beauty and in art4 ,benvenuto deserves to be made much of1 for his performances do not merely rival1 but surpass the antique40 ,in reply to this1 ,madame d',etampes observed that my ,jupiter would not make anything like so fine a show by daylight2 besides1 one had to consider that ,i had put a veil upon my statue to conceal its faults4 ,i had indeed flung a gauze veil with elegance and delicacy over a portion of my statue1 with the view of augmenting its majesty4 ,this1 when she had finished speaking1 ,i lifted from beneath1 uncovering the handsome genital members of the god2 then tore the veil to pieces with vexation4 ,she imagined ,i had disclosed those parts of the statue to insult her4 ,the ,king noticed how angry she was1 while ,i was trying to force some words out in my fury2 so he wisely spoke1 in his own language1 precisely as follows3 8,benvenuto1 ,i forbid you to speak2 hold your tongue1 and you shall have a thousand times more wealth than you desire40 ,not being allowed to speak1 ,i writhed my body in a rage2 this made her grumble with redoubled spite2 and the ,king departed sooner than he would otherwise have done1 calling aloud1 however1 to encourage me3 8,i have brought from ,italy the greatest man who ever lived1 endowed with all the talents40 ,note #a4 ',questo si come passare in fra le picche4' ,note #b4 ,born #aebc4 ,married ,emmanuele ,filiberto1 ,duke of ,savoy1 in #aeei4 ,died #aegd4 ,,xlii ,i ,,left the ,jupiter there1 meaning to depart the next morning4 ,before ,i took horse1 one thousand crowns were paid me1 partly for my salary1 and partly on account of monies ,i had disbursed4 ,having received this sum1 ,i returned with a light heart and satisfied to ,paris4 ,no sooner had ,i reached home and dined with merry cheer1 than ,i called for all my wardrobe1 which included a great many suits of silk1 choice furs1 and also very fine cloth stuffs4 ,from these ,i selected presents for my workpeople1 giving each something according to his own desert1 down to the servant-girls and stable-boys1 in order to encourage them to aid me heartily4 ,being then refreshed in strength and spirits1 ,i attacked the great statue of ,mars1 which ,i had set up solidly upon a frame of well-connected woodwork4 #a ,over this there lay a crust of plaster1 about the eighth of a cubit in thickness1 carefully modelled for the flesh of the ,colossus4 ,lastly1 ,i prepared a great number of moulds in separate pieces to compose the figure1 intending to dovetail them together in accordance with the rules of art2 and this task involved no difficulty4 ,i will not here omit to relate something which may serve to give a notion of the size of this great work1 and is at the same time highly comic4 ,it must first be mentioned that ,i had forbidden all the men who lived at my cost to bring light women into my house or anywhere within the castle precincts4 ,upon this point of discipline ,i was extremely strict4 ,now may lad ,ascanio loved a very handsome girl1 who returned his passion4 ,one day she gave her mother the slip1 and came to see ,ascanio at night4 ,finding that she would not take her leave1 and being driven to his wits' ends to conceal her1 like a person of resources1 he hit at last upon the plan of installing her inside the statue4 ,there1 in the head itself1 he made her up a place to sleep in2 this lodging she occupied some time1 and he used to bring her forth at whiles with secrecy at night4 ,i meanwhile having brought this part of the ,colossus almost to completion1 left it alone1 and indulged my vanity a bit by exposing it to sight2 it could1 indeed be seen by more than half ,paris4 ,the neighbours1 therefore1 took to climbing their house-roofs1 and crowds came on purpose to enjoy the spectacle4 ,now there was a legend in the city that my castle had from olden times been haunted by a spirit1 though ,i never noticed anything to confirm this belief2 and folk in ,paris called it popularly by the name of ,lemmonio ,bore4 #b ,the girl1 while she sojourned in the statue's head1 could not prevent some of her movements to and fro from being perceptible through its eye-holes2 this made stupid people say that the ghost had got into the body of the figure1 and was setting its eyes in motion1 and its mouth1 as though it were about to talk4 ,many of them went away in terror2 others1 more incredulous1 came to observe the phenomenon1 and when they were unable to deny the flashing of the statue's eyes1 they too declared their credence in a spirit--not guessing that there was a spirit there1 and sound young flesh to boot4 ,note #a4 ,this was what he called the ,colossus above1 p4 #caj4 ,he meant it for the fountain of ,fontainebleau4 ,see p4 #bie4 ,note #b4 ,properly1 ',le ,moine ,bourru1' the ghost of a monk dressed in drugget 7'bure'74 ,le ,petit ,nesle had a bad reputation on account of the murders said to have been committed there in the fourteenth century by ,queen ,jeanne1 wife of ,philip ,v4 ,,xliii ,,all this while ,i was engaged in putting my door together1 with its several appurtenances4 ,as it is no part of my purpose to include in this autobiography such things as annalists record1 ,i have omitted the coming of the ,emperor with his great host1 and the ,king's mustering of his whole army4 #a ,at the time when these events took place1 his ,majesty sought my advice with regard to the instantaneous fortification of ,paris4 ,he came on purpose to my house1 and took me all round the city2 and when he found that ,i was prepared to fortify the town with expedition on a sound plan1 he gave express orders that all my suggestions should be carried out4 ,his ,admiral was directed to command the citizens to obey me under pain of his displeasure4 ,now the ,admiral had been appointed through ,madame d',etampes' influence rather than from any proof of his ability1 for he was a man of little talent4 ,he bore the name of ,m4 d',annebault1 which in our tongue is ,monsignor d',aniballe2 but the ,french pronounce it so that they usually made it sound like ,monsignore ,asino ,bue4 #b ,this animal then referred to ,madame d',etampes for advice upon the matter1 and she ordered him to summon ,girolamo ,bellarmato without loss of time4 #c ,he was an engineer from ,siena1 at that time in ,dieppe1 which is rather more than a day's journey distant from the capital4 ,he came at once1 and set the work of fortification going on a very tedious method1 which made me throw the job up4 ,if the ,emperor had pushed forward at this time1 he might easily have taken ,paris4 ,people indeed said that1 when a treaty of peace was afterwards concluded1 ,madame d',etampes1 who took more part in it than anybody else1 betrayed the ,king4 #d ,i shall pass this matter over without further words1 since it has nothing to do with the plan of my ',memoirs4' ,meanwhile1 ,i worked diligently at the door1 and finished the vase1 together with two others of middling size1 which ,i made of my own silver4 ,at the end of those great troubles1 the ,king came to take his ease awhile in ,paris4 ,that accursed woman seemed born to be the ruin of the world4 ,i ought therefore to think myself of some account1 seeing she held me for her mortal enemy4 ,happening to speak one day with the good ,king about my matters1 she abused me to such an extent that he swore1 in order to appease her1 he would take no more heed of me thenceforward than if he had never set eyes upon my face4 ,these words were immediately brought me by a page of ,cardinal ,ferrara1 called ,il ,villa1 who said he had heard the ,king utter them4 ,i was infuriated to such a pitch that ,i dashed my tools across the room and all the things ,i was at work on1 made my arrangements to quit ,france1 and went upon the spot to find the ,king4 ,when he had dined1 ,i was shown into a room where ,i found his ,majesty in the company of a very few persons4 ,after ,i had paid him the respects due to kings1 he bowed his head with a gracious smile4 ,this revived hope in me2 so ,i drew nearer to his ,majesty1 for they were showing him some things in my own line of art2 and after we had talked awhile about such matters1 he asked if ,i had anything worth seeing at my house1 and next inquired when ,i should like him to come4 ,i replied that ,i had some pieces ready to show his ,majesty1 if he pleased1 at once4 ,he told me to go home and he would come immediately4 ,note #a4 ,toward the end of ,august #aedd1 the ,imperial army advanced as far as ,epernay1 within twenty leagues of ,paris4 ,note #b4 ',i4 e41' ass-ox1 ',ane-et-bo4' ,note #c4 ,girolamo ,bellarmati1 a learned mathematicians and military architect1 banished from ,siena for political reasons4 ,he designed the harbour of ,havre4 ,note #d4 ,there is indeed good reason to believe that the ,king's mistress1 in her jealousy of the ,dauphin and ,diane de ,poitiers1 played false1 and enabled the ,imperialists to advance beyond ,epernay4 ,,xliv ,i ,,went accordingly1 and waited for the good ,king's visit1 who1 it seems1 had gone meanwhile to take leave of ,madame d',etampes4 ,she asked whither he was bound1 adding that she would accompany him2 but when he informed her1 she told him that she would not go1 and begged him as a special favour not to go himself that day4 ,she had to return to the charge more than twice before she shook the ,king's determination2 however1 he did not come to visit me that day4 ,next morning ,i went to his ,majesty at the same hour2 and no sooner had he caught sight of me1 than he swore it was his intention to come to me upon the spot4 ,going then1 according to his wont1 to take leave of his dear ,madame d',etampes1 this lady saw that all her influence had not been able to divert him from his purpose2 so she began with that biting tongue of hers to say the worst of me that could be insinuated against a deadly enemy of this most worthy crown of ,france4 ,the good ,king appeased her by replying that the sole object of his visit was to administer such a scolding as should make me tremble in my shoes4 ,this he swore to do upon his honour4 ,then he came to my house1 and ,i conducted him through certain rooms upon the basement1 where ,i had put the whole of my great door together4 ,upon beholding it1 the ,king was struck with stupefaction1 and quite lost his cue for reprimanding me1 as he had promised ,madame d',etampes4 ,still he did not choose to go away without finding some opportunity for scolding2 so he began in this wise3 8,there is one most important matter1 ,benvenuto1 which men of your sort1 though full of talent1 ought always to bear in mind2 it is that you cannot bring your great gifts to light by your own strength alone2 you show your greatness only through the opportunities we give you4 ,now you ought to be a little more submissive1 not so arrogant and headstrong4 ,i remember that ,i gave you express orders to make me twelve silver statues2 and this was all ,i wanted4 ,you have chosen to execute a salt-cellar1 and vases and busts and doors1 and a heap of other things1 which quite confound me1 when ,i consider how you have neglected my wishes and worked for the fulfillment of your own4 ,if you mean to go on in this way1 ,i shall presently let you understand what is my own method of procedure when ,i choose to have things done in my own way4 ,i tell you1 therefore1 plainly3 do your utmost to obey my commands2 for if you stick to your own fancies1 you will run your head against a wall40 ,while he was uttering these words1 his lords in waiting hung upon the ,king's lips1 seeing him shake his head1 frown1 and gesticulate1 now with one hand and now with the other4 ,the whole company of attendants1 therefore1 quaked with fear for me2 but ,i stood firm1 and let no breath of fear pass over me4 ,,xlv ,,when he had wound up this sermon1 agreed upon beforehand with his darling ,madame d',etampes1 ,i bent one leg upon the ground1 and kissed his coat above the knee4 ,then ,i began my speech as follows3 8,sacred ,majesty1 ,i admit that all that you have said is true4 ,only1 in reply1 ,i protest that my heart has ever been1 by day and night1 with all my vital forces1 bent on serving you and executing your commands4 ,if it appears to your ,majesty that my actions contradict these words1 let your ,majesty be sure that ,benvenuto was not at fault1 but rather possibly my evil fate or adverse fortune1 which has made me unworthy to serve the most admirable prince who ever blessed this earth4 ,therefore ,i crave your pardon4 ,i was under the impression1 however1 that your ,majesty had given me silver for one statue only2 having no more at my disposal1 ,i could not execute others2 so1 with the surplus which remained for use1 ,i made this vase1 to show your ,majesty the grand style of the ancients4 ,perhaps you never had seen anything of the sort before4 ,as for the salt-cellar1 ,i thought1 if my memory does not betray me1 that your ,majesty on one occasion ordered me to make it of your own accord4 ,the conversation falling upon something of the kind which had been brought for your inspection1 ,i showed you a model made by me in ,italy2 you1 following the impulse of your own mind only1 had a thousand golden ducats told out for me to execute the piece withal1 thanking me in addition for my hint2 and what is more1 ,i seem to remember that you commended me highly when it was completed4 ,as regards the door1 it was my impression that1 after we had chanced to speak about it at some time or other1 your ,majesty gave orders to your chief secretary1 ,m4 ,villerois1 from whom the order passed to ,m4 de ,marmagne and ,m4 de la ,fa1 to this effect1 that all these gentlemen should keep me going at the work1 and see that ,i obtained the necessary funds4 ,without such commission ,i should certainly not have been able to advance so great an undertaking on my own resources4 ,as for the bronze heads1 the pedestal of ,jupiter and other such-like things1 ,i will begin by saying that ,i cast those heads upon my own account1 in order to become acquainted with ,french clays1 of which1 as a foreigner1 ,i had no previous knowledge whatsoever4 ,unless ,i had made the experiment1 ,i could not have set about casting those large works4 ,now1 touching the pedestals1 ,i have to say that ,i made them because ,i judged them necessary to the statues4 ,consequently1 in all that ,i have done1 ,i meant to act for the best1 and at no point to swerve from your ,majesty's expressed wishes4 ,it is indeed true that ,i set that huge ,colossus up to satisfy my own desire1 paying for it from my own purse1 even to the point which it has reached1 because ,i thought that1 you being the great ,king you are1 and ,i the trifling artist that ,i am1 it was my duty to erect for your glory and my own a statue1 the like of which the ancients never saw4 ,now1 at the last1 having been taught that ,god is not inclined to make me worthy of so glorious a service1 ,i beseech your ,majesty1 instead of the noble recompense you had in mind to give me for my labours1 bestow upon me only one small trifle of your favour1 and therewith the leave to quit your kingdom4 ,at this instant1 if you condescend to my request1 ,i shall return to ,italy1 always thanking ,god and your ,majesty for the happy hours which ,i have passed in serving you40 ,,xlvi ,,the ,,king stretched forth his own hands and raised me very graciously4 ,then he told me that ,i ought to continue in his service1 and that all that ,i had done was right and pleasing to him4 ,turning to the lords in his company1 he spoke these words precisely3 8,i verily believe that a finer door could not be made for ,paradise itself40 ,when he had ceased speaking1 although his speech had been entirely in my favour1 ,i again thanked him respectfully1 repeating1 however1 my request for leave to travel2 for the heat of my indignation had not yet cooled down4 ,his ,majesty1 feeling that ,i set too little store upon his unwonted and extraordinary condescension1 commanded me with a great and terrible voice to hold my tongue1 unless ,i wanted to incur his wrath2 afterwards he added that he would drown me in gold1 and that he gave me the leave ,i asked2 and over and above the works he had commissioned1 #a he was very well satisfied with what ,i had done on my account in the interval2 ,i should never henceforth have any quarrels with him1 because he knew my character2 and for my part1 ,i too ought to study the temper of his ,majesty1 as my duty required4 ,i answered that ,i thanked ,god and his ,majesty for everything2 then ,i asked him to come and see how far ,i had advanced the ,great ,colossus4 ,so he came to my house1 and ,i had the statue uncovered2 he admired it extremely1 and gave orders to his secretary to pay me all the money ,i had spent upon it1 be the sum what it might1 provided ,i wrote the bill out in my own hand4 ,then he departed saying3 8,adieu1 mon ami10 which is a phrase not often used by kings4 ,note #a4 ,the ,,mss4 in this phrase vary1 and the meaning is not quite clear4 ,according to one reading1 the sense would be3 8,though the works he had commissioned were not yet begun40 ,but this involves an awkward use of the word 'dipoi4' ,,xlvii ,,after returning to his palace1 he called to mind the words ,i had spoken in our previous interview1 some of which were so excessively humble1 and others so proud and haughty1 that they caused him no small irritation4 ,he repeated a few of them in the presence of ,madame d',etampes and ,monsignor di ,san ,polo1 a great baron of ,france4 #a ,this man had always professed much friendship for me in the past1 and certainly1 on that occasion1 he showed his good-will1 after the ,french fashion1 with great cleverness4 ,it happened thus3 the ,king in the course of a long conversation complained that the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 to whose care he had entrusted me1 never gave a thought to my affairs2 so far as he was concerned1 ,i might have decamped from the realm2 therefore he must certainly arrange for committing me to some one who would appreciate me better1 because he did not want to run a farther risk of losing me4 ,at these words ,monsieur de ,saint ,paul expressed his willingness to undertake the charge1 saying that if the ,king appointed him my guardian1 he would act so that ,i should never have the chance to leave the kingdom4 ,the ,king replied that he was very well satisfied1 if only ,saint ,paul would explain the way in which he meant to manage me4 ,madame sat by with an air of sullen irritation and ,saint ,paul stood on his dignity1 declining to answer the ,king's question4 ,when the ,king repeated it1 he said1 to curry favour with ,madame d',etampes3 8,i would hang that ,benvenuto of yours by the neck1 and thus you would keep him for ever in your kingdom40 ,she broke into a fit of laughter1 protesting that ,i richly deserved it4 ,the ,king1 to keep them company1 began to laugh1 and said he had no objection to ,saint ,paul hanging me1 if he could first produce my equal in the arts2 and although ,i had not earned such a fate1 he gave him full liberty and license4 ,in this way that day ended1 and ,i came off safe and sound1 for which may ,god be praised and thanked4 ,note #a4 ,franois de ,bourbon1 ,comte de ,saint ,paul1 one of the chief companions in arms and captains of ,franois ,i4 ,,xlviii ,,the ,,king had now made peace with the ,emperor1 but not with the ,english1 and these devils were keeping us in constant agitation4 #a ,his ,majesty had therefore other things than pleasure to attend to4 ,he ordered ,piero ,strozzi to go with ships of war into the ,english waters2 but this was a very difficult undertaking1 even for that great commander1 without a paragon in his times in the art of war1 and also without a paragon in his misfortunes4 ,several months passed without my receiving money or commissions2 accordingly1 ,i dismissed my work people with the exception of the two ,italians1 whom ,i set to making two big vases out of my own silver2 for these men could not work in bronze4 ,after they had finished these1 ,i took them to a city which belonged to the ,queen of ,navarre2 it is called ,argentana1 and is distant several days' journey from ,paris4 #b ,on arriving at this place1 ,i found that the ,king was indisposed2 and the ,cardinal of ,ferrara told his ,majesty that ,i was come4 ,he made no answer1 which obliged me to stay several days kicking my heels4 ,of a truth1 ,i never was more uncomfortable in my life2 but at last ,i presented myself one evening and offered the two vases for the ,king's inspection4 ,he was excessively delighted1 and when ,i saw him in good homier1 ,i begged his ,majesty to grant me the favour of permitting me to travel into ,italy2 ,i would leave the seven months of my salary which were due1 and his ,majesty might condescend to pay me when ,i required money for my return journey4 ,i entreated him to grant this petition1 seeing that the times were more for fighting than for making statues2 moreover1 his ,majesty had allowed a similar license to ,bologna the painter1 wherefore ,i humbly begged him to concede the same to me4 ,while ,i was uttering these words the ,king kept gazing intently on the vases1 and from time to time shot a terrible glance at me2 nevertheless1 ,i went on praying to the best of my ability that he would favour my petition4 ,all of a sudden he rose angrily from his seat1 and said to me in ,italian3 8,benvenuto1 you are a great fool4 ,take these vases back to ,paris1 for ,i want to have them gilt40 ,without making any other answer he then departed4 ,i went up to the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 who was present1 and besought him1 since he had already conferred upon me the great benefit of freeing me from prison in ,rome1 with many others besides1 to do me this one favour more of procuring for me leave to travel into ,italy4 ,he answered that he should be very glad to do his best to gratify me in this matter2 ,i might leave it without farther thought to him1 and even if ,i chose1 might set off at once1 because he would act for the best in my interest with the ,king4 ,i told the ,cardinal that since ,i was aware his ,majesty had put me under the protection of his most reverend lordship1 if he gave me leave1 ,i felt ready to depart1 and promised to return upon the smallest hint from his reverence4 ,the ,cardinal then bade me go back to ,paris and wait there eight days1 during which time he would procure the ,king's license for me2 if his ,majesty refused to let me go1 he would without fail inform me2 but if ,i received no letters1 that would be a sign that ,i might set off with an easy mind4 ,note #a4 ,the peace of ,crpy was concluded ,september #ah1 #aedd4 ,the ,english had taken ,boulogne four days earlier4 ,peace between ,france and ,england was not concluded till ,june #g1 #aedf4 ,note #b4 ,argentan1 the city of the ,duchy of ,alencon4 ,margaret1 it will be remembered1 had been first married to the ,duc d',alencon1 and after his death retained his fiefs4 ,,xlix ,i ,,obeyed the ,cardinal1 and returned to ,paris1 where ,i made excellent cases for my three silver vases1 ,after the lapse of twenty days1 ,i began my preparations1 and packed the three vases upon a mule4 ,this animal had been lent me for the journey to ,lyons by the ,bishop of ,pavia1 who was now once more installed in my castle4 ,then ,i departed in my evil hour1 together with ,signor ,ippolito ,gonzaga1 at that time in the pay of the ,king1 and also in the service of ,count ,galeotto della ,mirandola4 ,some other gentlemen of the said count went with us1 as well as ,lionardo ,tedaldi1 our fellow-citizen of ,florence4 ,i made ,ascanio and ,pagolo guardians of my castle and all my property1 including two little vases which were only just begun2 those ,i left behind in order that the two young men might not be idle4 ,i had lived very handsomely in ,paris1 and therefore there was a large amount of costly household furniture3 the whole value of these effects exceeded #aejj crowns4 ,i bade ,ascanio remember what great benefits ,i had bestowed upon him1 and that up to the present he had been a mere thoughtless lad2 the time was now come for him to show the prudence of a man2 therefore ,i thought fit to leave him in the custody of all my goods1 as also of my honour4 ,if he had the least thing to complain of from those brutes of ,frenchmen1 he was to let me hear at once1 because ,i would take post and fly from any place in which ,i found myself1 not only to discharge the great obligations under which ,i lay to that good ,king1 but also to defend my honour4 ,ascanio replied with the tears of a thief and hypocrite3 8,i have never known a father better than you are1 and all things which a good son is bound to perform for a good father will ,i ever do for you40 ,so then ,i took my departure1 attended by a servant and a little ,french lad4 ,it was just past noon1 when some of the ,king's treasurers1 by no means friends of mine1 made a visit to my castle4 ,the rascally fellows began by saying that ,i had gone off with the ,king's silver1 and told ,messer ,guido and the ,bishop of ,pavia to send at once off after his ,majesty's vases2 if not1 they would themselves despatch a messenger to get them back1 and do me some great mischief4 ,the ,bishop and ,messer ,guido were much more frightened than was necessary2 so they sent that traitor ,ascanio by the post off on the spot4 ,he made his appearance before me about midnight4 ,i had not been able to sleep1 and kept revolving sad thoughts to the following effect3 8,in whose hands have ,i left my property1 my castle8 ,oh1 what a fate is this of mine1 which forces me to take this journey6 ,may ,god grant only that the ,cardinal is not of one mind with ,madame d',etampes1 who has nothing else so much at heart as to make me lose the grace of that good ,king40 ,l ,,while ,i was thus dismally debating with myself1 ,i heard ,ascanio calling me4 ,on the instant ,i jumped out of bed1 and asked if he brought good or evil tidings4 ,the knave answered3 8,they are good news ,i bring2 but you must only send back those three vases1 for the rascally treasurers keep shouting1 #8,stop thief6' ,so the ,bishop and ,messer ,guido say that you must absolutely send them back4 ,for the rest you need have no anxiety1 but may pursue your journey with a light heart40 ,i handed over the vases immediately1 two of them being my own property1 together with the silver and much else besides4 #a ,i had meant to take them to the ,cardinal of ,ferrara's abbey at ,lyons2 for though people accused me of wanting to carry them into ,italy1 everybody knows quite well that it is impossible to export money1 gold1 or silver from ,france without special license4 ,consider1 therefore1 whether ,i could have crossed the frontier with those three great vases1 which1 together with their cases1 were a whole mule's burden6 ,it is certainly true that1 since these articles were of great value and the highest beauty1 ,i felt uneasiness in case the ,king should die1 and ,i had lately left him in a very bad state of health2 therefore ,i said to myself3 8,if such an accident should happen1 having these things in the keeping of the ,cardinal1 ,i shall not lose them40 ,well1 to cut the story short1 ,i sent back the mule with the vases1 and other things of importance2 then1 upon the following morning1 ,i travelled forward with the company ,i have already mentioned1 nor could ,i1 through the whole journey1 refrain from sighing and weeping4 ,sometimes1 however1 ,i consoled myself with ,god by saying3 8,lord ,god1 before whose eyes the truth lies open6 ,thou knowest that my object in this journey is only to carry alms to six poor miserable virgins and their mother1 my own sister4 ,they have indeed their father1 but he is very old1 and gains nothing by his trade2 ,i fear1 therefore1 lest they might too easily take to a bad course of life4 ,since1 then1 ,i am performing a true act of piety1 ,i look to ,thy ,majesty for aid and counsel40 ,this was all the recreation ,i enjoyed upon my forward journey4 ,we were one day distant from ,lyons1 and it was close upon the hour of twenty-two1 when the heavens began to thunder with sharp rattling claps1 although the sky was quite clear at the time4 #b ,i was riding a cross-bow shot before my comrades4 ,after the thunder the heavens made a noise so great and horrible that ,i thought the last day had come2 so ,i reined in for a moment1 while a shower of hail began to fall without a drop of water4 ,a first hail was somewhat larger than pellets from a popgun1 and when these struck me1 they hurt considerably4 ,little by little it increased in size1 until the stones might be compared to balls from a crossbow4 ,my horse became restive with fright2 so ,i wheeled round1 and returned at a gallop to where ,i found my comrades taking refuge in a fir-wood4 ,the hail now grew to the size of big lemons4 ,i began to sing a ,miserere2 and while ,i was devoutly uttering this psalm to ,god1 there fell a stone so huge that it smashed the thick branches of the pine under which ,i had retired for safety4 ,another of the hailstones hit my horse upon the head1 and almost stunned him2 one struck me also1 but not directly1 else it would have killed me4 ,in like manner1 poor old ,lionardo ,tedaldi1 who like me was kneeling on the ground1 received so shrewd a blow that he fell grovelling upon all fours4 ,when ,i saw that the fir bough offered no protection1 and that ,i ought to act as well as to intone my ,misereres1 ,i began at once to wrap my mantle round my head4 ,at the same time ,i cried to ,lionardo1 who was shrieking for succour1 8,jesus6 ,jesus60 that ,jesus would help him if he helped himself4 ,i had more trouble in looking after this man's safety than my own4 ,the storm raged for some while1 but at last it stopped2 and we1 who were pounded black and blue1 scrambled as well as we could upon our horses4 ,pursuing the way to our lodging for the night1 we showed our scratches and bruises to each other2 but about a mile farther on we came upon a scene of devastation which surpassed what we had suffered1 and defies description4 ,all the trees were stripped of their leaves and shattered2 the beasts in the field lay dead2 many of the herdsmen had also been killed2 we observed large quantities of hailstones which could not have been grasped with two hands4 ,feeling then that we had come well out of a great peril1 we acknowledged that our prayers to ,god and ,misereres had helped us more than we could have helped ourselves4 ,returning thanks to ,god1 therefore1 we entered ,lyons in the course of the next day1 and tarried there eight days4 ,at the end of this time1 being refreshed in strength and spirits1 we resumed our journey1 and passed the mountains without mishap4 ,on the other side ,i bought a little pony1 because the baggage which ,i carried had somewhat overtired my horses4 ,note #a4 ',con l'argento e ogni cosal4' ,these words refer perhaps to the vases3 'the silver and everything pertaining to them4' ,note #b4 ',e l'aria era bianchissima4' ,perhaps this ought to be3 'and the air blazed with lightnings4' ,goethe takes it as ,i do above4 ,,li ,,after we had been one day in ,italy1 the ,count ,galeotto della ,mirandola joined us4 ,he was travelling by post2 and stopping where we were1 he told me that ,i had done wrong to leave ,france2 ,i ought not to journey forwards1 for1 if ,i returned at once1 my affairs would be more prosperous than ever4 ,on the other hand1 if ,i persisted in my course1 ,i was giving the game up to my enemies1 and furnishing them with opportunities to do me mischief4 ,by returning ,i might put a stop to their intrigues2 and those in whom ,i placed the most confidence were just the men who played most traitorously4 ,he would not say more than that he knew very well all about it2 and1 indeed1 the ,cardinal of ,ferrara had now conspired with the two rogues ,i left in charge of all my business4 ,having repeated over and over again that ,i ought absolutely to turn back1 he went onward with the post1 while ,i1 being influenced by my companions1 could not make my mind up to return4 ,my heart was sorely torn asunder1 at one moment by the desire to reach ,florence as quickly as ,i could1 and at another by the conviction that ,i ought to regain ,france4 ,at last1 in order to end the fever of this irresolution1 ,i determined to take the post for ,florence4 ,i could not make arrangements with the first postmaster1 but persisted in my purpose to press forward and endure an anxious life at ,florence4 #a ,i parted company with ,signor ,ippolito ,gonzaga1 who took the route for ,mirandola1 while ,i diverged upon the road to ,parma and ,piacenza4 ,in the latter city ,i met ,duke ,pier ,luigi upon the street1 who stared me in the face1 and recognised me4 #b ,since ,i knew him to have been the sole cause of my imprisonment in the castle of ,st4 ,angelo1 the sight of him made my blood boil4 ,yet being unable to escape from the man1 ,i decided to pay him my respects1 and arrived just after he had risen from table in the company of the ,landi1 who afterwards murdered him4 ,on my appearance he received me with unbounded marks of esteem and affection1 among which he took occasion to remark to the gentlemen present that ,i was the first artist of the world in my own line1 and that ,i had been for a long while in prison at ,rome4 ,then he turned to me and said3 8,my ,benvenuto1 ,i was deeply grieved for your misfortune1 and knew well that you were innocent1 but could not do anything to help you1 ,in short1 it was my father1 who chose to gratify some enemies of yours1 from whom1 moreover1 he heard that you had spoken ill of him4 ,i am convinced this was not true1 and indeed ,i was heartily sorry for your troubles40 ,these words he kept piling up and repeating until he seemed to be begging my pardon4 ,afterwards he inquired about the work ,i had been doing for his ,most ,christian ,majesty2 and on my furnishing him with details1 he listened as attentively and graciously as possible4 ,then he asked if ,i had a mind to serve him4 ,to this ,i replied that my honour would not allow me to do so2 but that if ,i had completed those extensive works begun for the ,king1 ,i should be disposed to quit any great prince merely to enter his ,excellency's service4 ,hereby it may be seen how the power and goodness of ,god never leave unpunished any sort or quality of men who act unjustly toward the innocent4 ,this man did what was equivalent to begging my pardon in the presence of those very persons who subsequently took revenge on him for me and many others whom he had massacred4 ,let then no prince1 however great he be1 laugh at ,god's justice1 in the way that many whom ,i know are doing1 and who have cruelly maltreated me1 as ,i shall relate at the proper time4 ,i do not write these things in any worldly spirit of boasting1 but only to return thanks to ,god1 my deliverer in so many trials4 ,in those too which daily assail me1 ,i always carry my complaint to ,him1 and call on ,him to be my defender4 ,on all occasions1 after ,i have done my best to aid myself2 if ,i lose courage and my feeble forces fail1 then is the great might of ,god manifested1 which descends unexpectedly on those who wrongfully injure their neighbours1 or neglect the grave and honourable charge they have received from ,him4 ,note #a4 ,the text here is obscure4 ,the words 'venire a tribulare' might mean 8to get1 by any means1 however inconvenient1 to ,florence40 ,i have chosen another interpretation in the text1 as more consonant with the ,italian idiom4 ,for ,cellini's use of 'tribulare' or 'tribolare1' see lib4 i4 #aab1 'andando a tribolare la vita tua4' ,note #b4 ,pier ,luigi ,farnese was not formally invested with the ,duchy of ,parma and ,piacenza until ,september #aede4 ,cellini1 therefore1 gives him this title as ,duke of ,castro4 ,he was assassinated on ,september #aj1 #aedg4 ,the ,landi1 among other noblemen of the duchy1 took part in a conspiracy which had its ground in ,pier ,luigi's political errors no less than in his intolerable misgovernment and infamous private life4 ,,lii ,,when ,i returned to my inn1 ,i found that the ,duke had sent me abundance to eat and drink of very excellent quality4 ,i made a hearty meal1 then mounted and rode toward ,florence4 ,there ,i found my sister with six daughters1 the eldest of whom was marriageable and the youngest still at nurse4 ,her husband1 by reason of divers circumstances in the city1 had lost employment from his trade4 ,i had sent gems and ,french jewellery1 more than a year earlier1 to the amount of about two thousand ducats1 and now brought with me the same wares to the value of about one thousand crowns4 ,i discovered that1 whereas ,i made them an allowance of four golden crowns a month1 they always drew considerable sums from the current sale of these articles4 ,my brother-in-law was such an honest fellow1 that1 fearing to give me cause for anger1 he had pawned nearly everything he possessed1 and was devoured by interest1 in his anxiety to leave my monies untouched4 ,it seems that my allowance1 made by way of charity1 did not suffice for the needs of the family4 ,when then ,i found him so honest in his dealings1 ,i felt inclined to raise his pension2 and it was my intention1 before leaving ,florence1 to make some arrangement for all of his daughters4 #a ,note #a4 ,though this paragraph is confused1 the meaning seems to be that ,cellini's brother-in-law did not use the money which accrued from the sale of jewellery1 and got into debt1 because his allowance was inadequate1 and he was out of work4 ,,liii ,,the ,,duke ,,of ,,florence at this time1 which was the month of ,august #aede1 had retired to ,poggio a ,cajano1 ten miles distant from ,florence4 ,thither then ,i went to pay him my respects1 with the sole object of acting as duty required1 first because ,i was a ,florentine1 and next because my forefathers had always been adherents of the ,medicean party1 and ,i yielded to none of them in affection for this ,duke ,cosimo4 ,as ,i have said1 then1 ,i rode to ,poggio with the sole object of paying my respects1 and with no intention of accepting service under him1 as ,god1 who does all things well1 did then appoint for me4 ,when ,i was introduced1 the ,duke received me very kindly2 then he and the ,duchess put questions concerning the works which ,i had executed for the ,king4 #a ,i answered willingly and in detail4 ,after listening to my story1 he answered that he had heard as much1 and that ,i spoke the truth4 ,then he assumed a tone of sympathy1 and added3 8,how small a recompense for such great and noble masterpieces6 ,friend ,benvenuto1 if you feel inclined to execute something for me too1 ,i am ready to pay you far better than that ,king of yours had done1 for whom your excellent nature prompts you to speak so gratefully40 ,when ,i understood his drift1 ,i described the deep obligations under which ,i lay to his ,majesty1 who first obtained my liberation from that iniquitous prison1 and afterwards supplied me with the means of carrying out more admirable works than any artist of my quality had ever had the chance to do4 ,while ,i was thus speaking1 my lord the ,duke writhed on his chair1 and seemed as though he could not bear to hear me to the end4 ,then1 when ,i had concluded1 he rejoined3 8,if you are disposed to work for me1 ,i will treat you in a way that will astonish you1 provided the fruits of your labours give me satisfaction1 of which ,i have no doubt40 ,i1 poor unhappy mortal1 burning with desire to show the noble school #b of ,florence that1 after leaving her in youth1 ,i had practised other branches of the art than she imagined1 gave answer to the ,duke that ,i would willingly erect for him in marble or in bronze a mighty statue on his fine piazza4 ,he replied that1 for a first essay1 he should like me to produce a ,perseus2 he had long set his heart on having such a monument1 and he begged me to begin a model for the same4 #c ,i very gladly set myself to the task1 and in a few weeks ,i finished my model1 which was about a cubit high1 in yellow wax and very delicately finished in all its details4 ,i had made it with the most thorough study and art4 #d ,the ,duke returned to ,florence1 but several days passed before ,i had an opportunity of showing my model4 ,it seemed indeed as though he had never set eyes on me or spoken with me1 and this caused me to augur ill of my future dealings with his ,excellency4 ,later on1 however1 one day after dinner1 ,i took it to his wardrobe1 where he came to inspect it with the ,duchess and a few gentlemen of the court4 ,no sooner had he seen it than he expressed much pleasure1 and extolled it to the skies2 wherefrom ,i gathered some hope that he might really be a connoisseur of art4 ,after having well considered it for some time1 always with greater satisfaction1 he began as follows3 8,if you could only execute this little model1 ,benvenuto1 with the same perfection on a large scale1 it would be the finest piece in the piazza40 ,i replied3 8,most excellent my lord1 upon the piazza are now standing works by the great ,donatello and the incomparable ,michel ,angelo1 the two greatest men who have ever lived since the days of the ancients4 #e ,but since your ,excellence encourages my model with such praise1 ,i feel the heart to execute it at least thrice as well in bronze40 #f ,no slight dispute arose upon this declaration2 the ,duke protesting that he understood these matters perfectly1 and was quite aware what could be done4 ,i rejoined that my achievements would resolve his dubitations and debates2 ,i was absolutely sure of being able to perform far more than ,i had promised for his ,excellency1 but that he must give me means for carrying my work out1 else ,i could not fulfil my undertaking4 ,in return for this his ,excellency bade me formulate my demands in a petition1 detailing all my requirements2 he would see them liberally attended to4 ,it is certain that if ,i had been cunning enough to secure by contract all ,i wanted for my work1 ,i should not have incurred the great troubles which came upon me through my own fault4 ,but he showed the strongest desire to have the work done1 and the most perfect willingness to arrange preliminaries4 ,i therefore1 not discerning that he was more a merchant than a duke1 dealt very frankly with his ,excellency1 just as if ,i had to do with a prince1 and not with a commercial man4 ,i sent in my petition1 to which he replied in large and ample terms4 ,the memorandum ran as follows3 8,most rare and excellent my patron1 petitions of any validity and compacts between us of any value do not rest upon words or writings2 the whole point is that ,i should succeed in my work according to my promise2 and if ,i so succeed1 ,i feel convinced that your most illustrious ,excellency will very well remember what you have engaged to do for me40 ,this language so charmed the ,duke both with my ways of acting and of speaking that he and the ,duchess began to treat me with extraordinary marks of favour4 ,note #a4 ,this ,duchess was ,eleonora di ,toledo1 well known to us through ,bronzino's portrait4 ,note #b4 ,this school was the ,collegio dei ,maestri di ,belle ,arti in ,florence1 who had hitherto known of ,cellini mainly as a goldsmith4 ,note #c4 ,cosimo chose the subject of ,perseus because it symbolised his own victory over the ,gorgon of tyrannicide and ,republican partisanship4 ,donatello's ,judith1 symbolising justifiable regicide1 and ,michel ,angelo's ,david1 symbolising the might of innocent right against an overbearing usurper1 already decorated the ,florentine piazza4 ,until lately1 both of these masterpieces stood together there with the ,perseus of ,cellini4 ,note #d4 ,this is probably the precious model now existing in the ,bargello ,palace at ,florence1 in many points more interesting than the completed bronze statue under the ,loggia de' ,lanzi4 ,note #e4 ,donatello's ,judith and ,holofernes2 ,michel ,angelo's ,david4 ,note #f4 ,it is difficult to give the exact sense of 'pertanto' and 'perch' in the text1 but ,i think the drift of the sentence is rendered above4 ,,liv ,,being now inflamed with a great desire to begin working1 ,i told his ,excellency that ,i had need of a house where ,i could install myself and erect furnaces1 in order to commence operations in clay and bronze1 and also1 according to their separate requirements1 in gold and silver4 ,i knew that he was well aware how thoroughly ,i could serve him in those several branches1 and ,i required some dwelling fitted for my business4 ,in order that his ,excellency might perceive how earnestly ,i wished to work for him1 ,i had already chosen a convenient house1 in a quarter much to my liking4 #a ,as ,i did not want to trench upon his ,excellency for money or anything of that sort1 ,i had brought with me from ,france two jewels1 with which ,i begged him to purchase me the house1 and to keep them until ,i earned it with my labour4 ,these jewels were excellently executed by my workmen1 after my own designs4 ,when he had inspected them with minute attention1 he uttered these spirited words1 which clothed my soul with a false hope3 8,take back your jewels1 ,benvenuto6 ,i want you1 and not them2 you shall have your house free of charges40 ,after this1 he signed a rescript underneath the petition ,i had drawn up1 and which ,i have always preserved among my papers4 ,the rescript ran as follows3 '8,let the house be seen to1 and who is the vendor1 and at what price2 for we wish to comply with ,benvenuto's request40' #b ,i naturally thought that this would secure me in possession of the house2 being over and above convinced that my performances must far exceed what ,i promised4 ,his ,excellency committed the execution of these orders to his majordomo1 who was named ,ser ,pier ,francesco ,riccio4 #c ,the man came from ,prato1 and had been the ,duke's pedagogue4 ,i talked1 then1 to this donkey1 and described my requirements1 for there was a garden adjoining the house1 on which ,i wanted to erect a workshop4 ,he handed the matter over to a paymaster1 dry and meagre1 who bore the name of ,lattanzio ,gorini4 ,this flimsy little fellow1 with his tiny spider's hands and small gnat's voice1 moved about the business at a snail's pace2 yet in an evil hour he sent me stones1 sand1 and lime enough to build perhaps a pigeon-house with careful management4 ,when ,i saw how coldly things were going forward1 ,i began to feel dismayed2 however1 ,i said to myself3 8,little beginnings sometimes have great endings20 and ,i fostered hope in my heart by noticing how many thousand ducats had recently been squandered upon ugly pieces of bad sculpture turned out by that beast of a ,buaccio ,bandinelli4 #d ,so ,i rallied my spirits and kept prodding at ,lattanzio ,gorini1 to make him go a little faster4 ,it was like shouting to a pack of lame donkeys with a blind dwarf for their driver4 ,under these difficulties1 and by the use of my own money1 ,i had soon marked out the foundations of the workshop and cleared the ground of trees and vines1 labouring on1 according to my wont1 with fire1 and perhaps a trifle of impatience4 ,on the other side1 ,i was in the hands of ,tasso the carpenter1 a great friend of mine1 who had received my instructions for making a wooden framework to set up the ,perseus4 ,this ,tasso was a most excellent craftsman1 the best1 ,i believe1 who ever lived in his own branch of art4 #e ,personally1 he was gay and merry be temperament2 and whenever ,i went to see him1 he met me laughing1 with some little song in falsetto on his lips4 ,half in despair as ,i then was1 news coming that my affairs in ,france were going wrong1 and these in ,florence promising but ill through the luke-warmness of my patron1 ,i could never stop listening till half the song was finished2 and so in the end ,i used to cheer up a little with my friend1 and drove away1 as well as ,i was able1 some few of the gloomy thoughts which weighed upon me4 ,note #a4 ,this house is in the ,via del ,rosaio1 entered from ,via della ,pergola1 ,no4 #febg4 ,note #b4 ,the petition and the rescript are in existence1 and confirm ,cellini's veracity in this transaction4 ,see ,bianchi1 p4 #ehg4 ,note #c4 ,varchi1 ',st4 ,fior41' lib4 ,,xv4 #dd1 gives to this man the character of a presumptuous conceited simpleton4 ,note #d4 ,cellini calls this man1 his bitter foe and rival1 ',buaccio' or the 'great ox1 blockhead1' instead of ,baccio1 which is shortened for ,bartolommeo4 ,note #e4 ,see p4 #be4 ,vasari introduced him1 together with ,cosimo's other favoured artists1 in a fresco of the ,palazzo ,vecchio at ,florence4 ,see ,plon1 p4 #abd4 ,,lv ,i ,,had got all the above-mentioned things in order1 and was making vigorous preparations for my great undertaking--indeed a portion of the lime had been already used--when ,i received sudden notice to appear before the majordomo4 ,i found him1 after his ,excellency's dinner1 in the hall of the clock4 #a ,on entering1 ,i paid him marked respect1 and he received me with the greatest stiffness4 ,then he asked who had installed me in the house1 and by whose authority ,i had begun to build there1 saying he marvelled much that ,i had been so headstrong and foolhardy4 ,i answered that ,i had been installed in the house by his ,excellency1 and that his lordship himself1 in the name of his ,excellency1 had given the orders to ,lattanzio ,gorini4 8,lattanzio brought stone1 sand1 and lime1 and provided what ,i wanted1 saying he did so at your lordship's orders40 ,when ,i had thus spoken1 the brute turned upon me with still greater tartness1 vowing that neither ,i nor any of those whom ,i had mentioned spoke the truth4 ,this stung me to the quick1 and ,i exclaimed3 8,o majordomo1 so long as your lordship #b chooses to use language befitting the high office which you hold1 ,i shall revere you1 and speak to you as respectfully as ,i do to the ,duke2 if you take another line with me1 ,i shall address you as but one ,ser ,pier ,francesco ,riccio40 ,he flew into such a rage that ,i thought he meant to go mad upon the spot1 anticipating the time ordained by ,heaven for him to do so4 #c ,pouring forth a torrent of abuse1 he roared out that he was surprised at himself for having let me speak at all to a man of his quality4 ,thereupon my blood was up1 and ,i cried3 8,mark my words1 then1 ,ser ,pier ,francesco ,riccio6 ,i will tell you what sort of men are my equals1 and who are yours--mere teachers of the alphabet to children60 ,his face contracted with a spasm1 while he raised his voice and repeated the same words in a still more insulting tone4 ,i1 too1 assumed an air of menace1 and matching his own arrogance with something of the same sort1 told him plainly that men of my kind were worthy to converse with popes and emperors1 and great kings1 and that perhaps there were not two such men alive upon this earth1 while ten of his sort might be met at every doorway4 ,on hearing these words he jumped upon a window-seat in the hall there1 and defied me to repeat what ,i had said4 ,i did so with still greater heat and spirit1 adding ,i had no farther mind to serve the ,duke1 and that ,i should return to ,france1 where ,i was always welcome4 ,the brute remained there stupefied and pale as clay2 ,i went off furious1 resolved on leaving ,florence2 and would to ,god that ,i had done so6 ,the ,duke cannot1 ,i think1 have been informed at once of this diabolical scene1 for ,i waited several days without hearing from him4 ,giving up all thoughts of ,florence1 except what concerned the settlement of my sister's and nieces' affairs1 ,i made preparations to provide for them as well as ,i could with the small amount of money ,i had brought1 and then to return to ,france and never set my foot in ,italy again4 ,this being my firm purpose1 ,i had no intention to ask leave of the ,duke or anybody1 but to decamp as quickly as ,i could2 when one morning the majordomo1 of his own accord1 sent very humbly to entreat my presence1 and opened a long pedantic oration1 in which ,i could discover neither method1 nor elegance1 nor meaning1 nor head1 nor tail4 ,i only gathered from it that he professed himself a good ,christian1 wished to bear no man malice1 and asked me in the ,duke's name what salary ,i should be willing to accept4 ,hearing this1 ,i stood a while on guard1 and made no answer1 being firmly resolved not to engage myself4 ,when he saw that ,i refused to reply1 he had at least the cleverness to put in3 8,benvenuto1 dukes expect to be answered2 and what ,i am saying to you1 ,i am saying from his ,excellency's lips40 ,then ,i rejoined that if the message came from his ,excellency1 ,i would gladly reply1 and told him to report to the ,duke that ,i could not accept a position inferior to that of any one employed by him as artist4 ,the majordomo answered3 8,bandinello receives two hundred crowns a year2 if then you are contented with that1 your salary is settled40 ,i agreed upon these terms1 adding that what ,i might earn in addition by the merit of my performances1 could be given after they were seen2 that point ,i left entirely to the good judgment of his ,excellency4 ,thus1 then1 against my will1 ,i pieced the broken thread again1 and set to work2 the ,duke continually treating me with the highest imaginable marks of favour4 ,note #a4 ,one of the rooms in the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 so called because the famous cosmographical timepiece1 made about #adhd for ,lorenzo de' ,medici by ,lorenzo della ,volpaia1 stood there4 ,note #b4 ,it was the custom at that epoch to address princes by the title of ',signore' or ',vostra ,signoria2' gentlemen 7armigeri7 had the title of ',messer2' simple ',ser' was given to plebeians with some civil or ecclesiastical dignity4 ,note #c4 ,vasari1 in his ',life of ,montorsoli1' says in effect that this ,riccio died about #aeei1 after having been insane several years4 ,,lvi ,i ,,received frequent letters from ,france1 written by my most faithful friend ,messer ,guido ,guidi4 ,as yet they told nothing but good news2 and ,ascanio also bade me enjoy myself without uneasiness1 since1 if anything happened1 he would let me know at once4 ,now the ,king was informed that ,i had commenced working for the ,duke of ,florence1 and being the best man in the world1 he often asked3 8,why does not ,benvenuto come back to us80 ,he put searching questions on the subject to my two workmen1 both of whom replied that ,i kept writing ,i was well off where ,i was1 adding they thought ,i did not want to re-enter the service of his ,majesty4 ,incensed by these presumptuous words1 which were none of my saying1 the ,king exclaimed3 8,since he left us without any cause1 ,i shall not recall him2 let him e'en stay where he is40 ,thus the thievish brigands brought matters exactly to the pass they desired2 for if ,i had returned to ,france1 they would have become mere workmen under me once more1 whereas1 while ,i remained away1 they were their own masters and in my place2 consequently1 they did everything in their power to prevent my coming back4 ,,lvii ,,while the workshop for executing my ,perseus was in building1 ,i used to work in a ground-floor room4 ,here ,i modelled the statue in plaster1 giving it the same dimensions as the bronze was meanst to have1 and intending to cast it from this mould4 ,but finding that it would take rather long to carry it out in this way1 ,i resolved upon another expedient1 especially as now a wretched little studio had been erected1 brick on brick1 so miserably built that the mere recollection of it gives me pain4 ,so then ,i began the figure of ,medusa1 and constructed the skeleton in iron4 ,afterwards ,i put on the clay1 and when that was modelled1 baked it4 ,i had no assistants except some little shopboys1 among whom was one of great beauty2 he was the son of a prostitute called ,la ,gambetta4 ,i made use of the lad as a model1 for the only books which teach this art are the natural human body4 ,meanwhile1 as ,i could not do everything alone1 ,i looked about for workmen in order to put the business quickly through2 but ,i was unable to find any4 ,there were indeed some in ,florence who would willingly have come1 but ,bandinello prevented them1 and after keeping me in want of aid awhile1 told the ,duke that ,i was trying to entice his work-people because ,i was quite incapable of setting up so great a statue by myself4 ,i complained to the ,duke of the annoyance which the brute gave me1 and begged him to allow me some of the labourers from the ,opera4 #a ,my request inclined him to lend ear to ,bandinello's calumnies2 and when ,i noticed that1 ,i set about to do my utmost by myself alone4 ,the labour was enormous3 ,i had to strain every muscle night and day2 and just then the husband of my sister sickened1 and died after a few days' illness4 ,he left my sister1 still young1 with six girls of all ages1 on my hands4 ,this was the first great trial ,i endured in ,florence1 to be made the father and guardian of such a distressed family4 ,note #a4 ,that is1 the ,opera del ,duomo1 or permanent establishment for attending to the fabric of the ,florentine ,cathedral4 ,,lviii ,,in my anxiety that nothing should go wrong1 ,i sent for two hand-labourers to clear my garden of rubbish4 ,they came from ,ponte ,vecchio1 the one an old man of sixty years1 the other a young fellow of eighteen4 ,after employing them about three days1 the lad told me that the old man would not work1 and that ,i had better send him away1 since1 beside being idle1 he prevented his comrade from working4 ,the little ,i had to do there could be done by himself1 without throwing money away on other people4 ,the youth was called ,bernardino ,mannellini1 of ,mugello4 ,when ,i saw that he was so inclined to labour1 ,i asked whether he would enter my service1 and we agreed upon the spot4 ,he groomed my horse1 gardened1 and soon essayed to help me in the workshop1 with such success that by degrees he learned the art quite nicely4 ,i never had a better assistant than he proved4 ,having made up my mind to accomplish the whole affair with this man's aid1 ,i now let the ,duke know that ,bandinello was lying1 and that ,i could get on famously without his workpeople4 ,just at this time ,i suffered slightly in the loins1 and being unable to work hard1 ,i was glad to pass my time in the ,duke's wardrobe with a couple of young goldsmiths called ,gianpagolo and ,domenico ,poggini1 #a who made a little golden cup under my direction4 ,it was chased in bas-relief with figures and other pretty ornaments1 and his ,excellency meant it for the ,duchess to drink water out of4 ,he furthermore commissioned me to execute a golden belt1 which ,i enriched with gems and delicate masks and other fancies4 ,the ,duke came frequently into the wardrobe1 and took great pleasure in watching me at work and talking to me4 ,when my health improved1 ,i had clay brought1 and took a portrait of his ,excellency1 considerably larger than life-size1 which ,i modelled while he stayed with me for pastime4 ,he was highly delighted with this piece1 and conceived such a liking for me that he earnestly begged me to take up my working quarters in the palace1 selecting rooms large enough for my purpose1 and fitting them up with furnaces and all ,i wanted1 for he greatly enjoyed watching the processes of art4 ,i replied that this was impossible2 ,i should not have finished my undertakings in a hundred years4 ,note #a4 ,these two brothers were specially eminent as die-casters4 ,gianpagolo went to ,spain1 and served ,philip ,,ii4 ,,lix ,,the ,,duchess also treated me with extraordinary graciousness1 and would have been pleased if ,i had worked for her alone1 forgetting ,perseus and everything besides4 ,i for my part1 while these vain favours were being showered upon me knew only too well that my perverse and biting fortune could not long delay to send me some fresh calamity1 because ,i kept ever before my eyes the great mistake ,i had committed while seeking to do a good action4 ,i refer to my affairs in ,france4 ,the ,king could not swallow the displeasure he felt at my departure2 and yet he wanted me to return1 if only this could be brought about without concessions on his part4 ,i thought that ,i was entirely in the right1 and would not bend submissively1 because ,i judged that if ,i wrote in humble terms1 those enemies of mine would say in their ,french fashion that ,i had confessed myself to blame1 and that certain misdoings with which they wrongfully taxed me were proved true4 ,therefore ,i stood upon my honour1 and wrote in terms of haughty coldness1 which was precisely what those two traitors1 my apprentices1 most heartily desired4 ,in my letters to them ,i boasted of the distinguished kindness shown me in my own birthplace by a prince and princess the absolute masters of ,florence4 ,whenever they received one of these despatches1 they went to the ,king1 and besieged his ,majesty with entreaties for the castle upon the same terms as he had granted it to me4 ,the ,king1 who was a man of great goodness and perspicacity1 would never consent to the presumptuous demands of those scoundrels1 since he scented the malignity of their aims4 ,yet1 wishing to keep them in expectation1 and to give me the opportunity of coming back1 he caused an angry letter to be written to me by his treasurer1 ,messer ,giuliano ,buonaccorsi1 a burgher of ,florence4 ,the substance was as follows3 ,if ,i wanted to preserve the reputation for honesty which ,i had hitherto enjoyed1 it was my plain duty1 after leaving ,france with no cause whatsoever1 to render an account of all that ,i had done and dealt with for his ,majesty4 ,the receipt of this letter gave me such pleasure that1 ,if ,i had consulted my own palate1 ,i could not have wished for either more or less4 ,i sat down to write an answer1 and filled nine pages of ordinary paper4 ,in this document ,i described in detail all the works which ,i had executed1 and all the adventures ,i had gone through while performing them1 and all the sums which had been spent upon them4 ,the payments had always been made through two notaries and one of his ,majesty's treasurers2 and ,i could show receipts from all the men into whose hands they passed1 whether for goods supplied or labour rendered4 ,i had not pocketed one penny of the money1 nor had ,i received any reward for my completed works4 ,i brought back with me into ,italy nothing but some marks of favour and most royal promises1 truly worthy of his ,majesty4 8,now1 though ,i cannot vaunt myself of any recompense beyond the salaries appointed for my maintenance in ,france1 seven hundred golden crowns of which are still due1 inasmuch as ,i abstained from drawing them until ,i could employ them on my return-journey2 yet knowing that malicious foes out of their envious hearts have played some knavish trick against me1 ,i feel confident that truth will prevail4 ,i take pride in his ,most ,christian ,majesty and am not moved by avarice4 ,i am indeed aware of having performed for him far more than ,i undertook2 and albeit the promised reward has not been given me1 my one anxiety is to remain in his ,majesty's opinion that man of probity and honour which ,i have always been4 ,if your ,majesty entertains the least doubt upon this point1 ,i will fly to render an account of my conduct1 at the risk even of my life4 ,but noticing in what slight esteem ,i am held ,i have had no mind to come back and make an offer of myself1 knowing that ,i shall never lack for bread whithersoever ,i may go4 ,if1 however1 ,i am called for1 ,i will always answer40 ,the letter contained many further particulars worthy of the ,king's attention1 and proper to the preservation of my honour4 ,before despatching it1 ,i took it to the ,duke1 who read it with interest2 then ,i sent it into ,france1 addressed to the ,cardinal of ,ferrara4 ,,lx ,,about this time ,bernardone ,baldini1 #a broker in jewels to the ,duke1 brought a big diamond from ,venice1 which weighed more than thirty-five carats4 ,antonio1 son of ,vittorio ,landi1 was also interested in getting the ,duke to purchase it4 #b ,the stone had been cut with a point2 but since it did not yield the purity of lustre which one expects in such a diamond1 its owners had cropped the point1 and1 in truth1 it was not exactly fit for either point or table cutting4 #c ,our ,duke1 who greatly delighted in gems1 though he was not a sound judge of them1 held out good hopes to the rogue ,bernardaccio that he would buy this stone2 and the fellow1 wanting to secure for himself alone the honour of palming it off upon the ,duke of ,florence1 abstained from taking his partner ,antonio ,landi into the secret4 ,now ,landi had been my intimate friend from childhood1 and when he saw that ,i enjoyed the ,duke's confidence1 he called me aside 7it was just before noon at a corner of the ,mercato ,nuovo71 and spoke as follows3 8,benvenuto1 ,i am convinced that the ,duke will show you a diamond1 which he seems disposed to buy2 you will find it a big stone4 ,pray assist the purchase2 ,i can give it for seventeen thousand crowns4 ,i feel sure he will ask your advice2 and if you see that he has a mind for it1 we will contrive that he secures it40 ,antonio professed great confidence in being able to complete the bargain for the jewel at that price4 ,in reply1 ,i told him that if my advice was taken1 ,i would speak according to my judgment1 without prejudice to the diamond4 ,as ,i have above related1 the ,duke came daily into our goldsmith's workshop for several hours2 and about a week after this conversation with ,antonio ,landi he showed me one day after dinner the diamond in question1 which ,i immediately recognised by its description1 both as to form and weight4 ,i have already said that its water was not quite transparent1 for which reason it had been cropped2 so1 when ,i found it of that kind and quality1 ,i felt certainly disinclined to recommend its acquisition4 ,however1 ,i asked his ,excellency what he wanted me to say2 because it was one thing for jewellers to value a stone after a prince had bought it1 and another thing to estimate it with a view to purchase4 ,he replied that he bought it1 and that he only wanted my opinion4 ,i did not choose to abstain from hinting what ,i really thought about the stone4 ,then he told me to observe the beauty of its great facets4 #d ,i answered that this feature of the diamond was not so great a beauty as his ,excellency supposed1 but came from the point having been cropped4 ,at these words my prince1 who perceive that ,i was speaking the truth1 made a wry face1 and bade me give good heed to valuing the stone1 and saying what ,i thought it worth4 ,i reckoned that1 since ,landi had offered it to me for #ag1jjj crowns1 the ,duke might have got it for #ae1jjj at the highest2 so1 noticing that he would take it ill if ,i spoke the truth1 ,i made my mind up to uphold him in his false opinion1 and handing back the diamond1 said3 8,you will probably have paid #ah1jjj crowns40 ,on hearing this the ,duke uttered a loud 8,oh60 opening his mouth as wide as a well1 and cried out3 8,now am ,i convinced that you understand nothing about the matter40 ,i retorted3 8,you are certainly in the wrong there1 my lord4 ,do you attend to maintaining the credit of your diamond1 while ,i attend to understanding my trade4 ,but pray tell me at least how much you paid1 in order that ,i may learn to understand it according to the way of your ,excellency40 ,the ,duke rose1 and1 with a little sort of angry grin1 replied3 8,twenty-five thousand crowns and more1 ,benvenuto1 did that stone cost me60 ,having thus spoken he departed4 ,giovanpagolo and ,domenico ,poggini1 the goldsmiths1 were present2 and ,bachiacca1 the embroiderer1 who was working in an adjacent room1 ran up at the noise4 #e ,i told them that ,i should never have advised the ,duke to purchase it2 but if his heart was set on having it1 ,antonio ,landi had offered me the stone eight days ago for #ag1jjj crowns4 ,i think ,i could have got it for #ae1jjj or less4 ,but the ,duke apparently wishes to maintain his gem in credit2 for when ,antonio ,landi was willing to let it go at that price1 how the devil can ,bernardone have played off such a shameful trick upon his ,excellency8 ,never imagining that the matter stood precisely as the ,duke averred1 we laughingly made light of his supposed credulity4 ,note #a4 ,varchi and ,ammirato both mention him as an excellent jeweller4 ,note #b4 ,antonio ,landi was a ,florentine gentleman1 merchant1 and author4 ,a comedy of his called ',commodo' is extant4 ,note #c4 ,italians distinguished cut diamonds of three sorts3 'in tavola1 a faccette1' and 'in punta4' ,the word ,i have translated 'cropped' is 'ischericato1' which was properly applied to an unfrocked or degraded ecclesiastic4 ,note #d4 ',filetti1' the sharp lines which divide one facet from another4 ,note #e4 ,antonio ,ubertini1 called ,il ,bachiacca1 a brother of ,cellini's friend in ,rome4 ,see p4 #ef4 ,he enjoyed great reputation1 and was praised by ,varchi in a sonnet for his mastery of embroidery4 ,,lxi ,,meanwhile ,i was advancing with my great statue of ,medusa4 ,i had covered the iron skeleton with clay1 which ,i modelled like an anatomical subject1 and about half an inch thinner than the bronze would be4 ,this ,i baked well1 and then began to spread on the wax surface1 in order to complete the figure to my liking4 #a ,the ,duke1 who often came to inspect it1 was so anxious lest ,i should not succeed with the bronze1 that he wanted me to call in some master to case it for me4 ,he was continually talking in the highest terms of my acquirements and accomplishments4 ,this made his majordomo no less continually eager to devise some trap for making me break my neck4 ,now his post at court gave him authority with the chief-constables and all the officers in the poor unhappy town of ,florence4 ,only to think that a fellow from ,prato1 our hereditary foeman1 the son of a cooper1 and the most ignorant creature in existence1 should have risen to such a station of influence1 merely because he had been the rotten tutor of ,cosimo de' ,medici before he became ,duke6 ,well1 as ,i have said1 he kept ever on the watch to serve me some ill turn2 and finding that he could not catch me out on any side1 he fell at last upon this plan1 which meant mischief4 ,he betook himself to ,gambetta1 the mother of my apprentice ,cencio2 and this precious pair together--that knave of a pedant and that rogue of a strumpet--invented a scheme for giving me such a fright as would make me leave ,florence in hot haste4 ,gambetta1 yielding to the instinct of her trade1 went out1 acting under the orders of that mad1 knavish pedant1 the majordomo--,i must add that they had also gained over the ,bargello1 a ,bolognese1 whom the ,duke afterwards dismissed for similar conspiracies4 ,well1 one evening1 after sunset1 ,gambetta came to my house with her son1 and told me she had kept him several days indoors for my welfare4 ,i answered that there was no reason to keep him shut up on my account2 and laughing her whorish arts to scorn1 ,i turned to the boy in her presence1 and said these words3 8,you know1 ,cencio1 whether ,i have sinned with you60 ,he began to shed tears1 and answered1 8,no60 ,upon this the mother1 shaking her head1 cried out at him3 8,ah6 you little scoundrel6 ,do you think ,i do not know how these things happen80 ,then she turned to me1 and begged me to keep the lad hidden in my house1 because the ,bargello was after him1 and would seize him anywhere outside my house1 but there they would not dare to touch him4 ,i made answer that in my house lived my widowed sister and six girls of holy life1 and that ,i wanted nobody else there4 ,upon that she related that the majordomo had given orders to the ,bargello1 and that ,i should certainly be taken up3 only1 if ,i would not harbour her son1 ,i might square accounts by paying her a hundred crowns2 the majordomo was her crony1 and ,i might rest assured that she could work him to her liking1 provided ,i paid down the hundred crowns4 ,this cozenage goaded me into such a fury that ,i cried3 8,out with you1 shameful strumpet6 ,were it not for my good reputation1 and for the innocence of this unhappy boy of yours here1 ,i should long ago have cut your throat with the dagger at my side2 and twice or thrice ,i have already clasped my fingers on the handle40 ,with words to this effect1 and many ugly blows to boot1 ,i drove the woman and her son into the street4 ,note #a4 ,this is an important passage1 which has not1 ,i think1 been properly understood by ,cellini's translators4 ,it describes the process he now employed in preparing a mould for bronze-casting4 ,first1 it seems1 he made a solid clay model1 somewhat smaller than the bronze was meant to be4 ,this he overlaid with wax1 and then took a hollow mould of the figure thus formed4 ,farther on we shall see how he withdrew the wax from the hollow mould1 leaving the solid model inside1 with space enough between them for the metal to flow in4 ,,lxii ,,when ,i reflected on the roguery and power of that evil-minded pedant1 ,i judged it best to give a wide berth to his infernal machinations2 so early next morning ,i mounted my horse and took the road for ,venice1 leaving in my sister's hands jewels and articles to the value of nearly two thousand crowns4 ,i took with me my servant ,bernardino of ,mugello2 and when ,i reached ,ferrara1 ,i wrote word to his ,excellency the ,duke1 that though ,i had gone off without being sent1 ,i should come back again without being called for4 ,on arriving at ,venice1 and pondering upon the divers ways my cruel fortune took to torment me1 yet at the same time feeling myself none the less sound in health and hearty1 ,i made up my mind to fence with her according to my wont4 ,while thus engrossed in thoughts about my own affairs1 ,i went abroad for pastime through that beautiful and sumptuous city1 and paid visits to the admirable painter ,titian1 and to ,jacopo del ,sansovino1 our able sculptor and architect from ,florence4 ,the latter enjoyed an excellent appointment under the ,signoria of ,venice2 and we had been acquainted during our youth in ,rome and ,florence4 ,these two men of genius received me with marked kindness4 ,the day afterwards ,i met ,messer ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 #a who took me by the hand at once1 giving me the warmest welcome which could be imagined1 because we had known each other in ,florence when ,i was coining for ,duke ,alessandro1 and afterwards in ,paris while ,i was in the ,king's service4 ,at that time he sojourned in the house of ,messer ,giuliano ,buonaccorsi1 and having nowhere else to go for pastime without the greatest peril of his life1 he used to spend a large part of the day in my house1 watching me working at the great pieces ,i produced there4 ,as ,i was saying1 our former acquaintance led him to take me by the hand and bring me to his dwelling1 where ,i found the ,prior degli ,strozzi1 brother of my lord ,peiro4 ,while making good cheer together1 they asked me how long ,i intended to remain in ,venice1 thinking that ,i was on my return journey into ,france4 ,to these gentlemen ,i replied that ,i had left ,florence on account of the events ,i have described above1 and that ,i meant to go back after two or three days1 in order to resume my service with the ,duke4 ,on hearing this1 the ,prior and ,messer ,lorenzo turned round on me with such sternness that ,i felt extremely uneasy2 then they said to me3 8,you would do far better to return to ,france1 where you are rich and well known2 for if you go back to ,florence1 you will lose all that you have gained in ,france1 and will earn nothing there but annoyances4 ,i made no answer to these words1 and departed the next day as secretly as ,i was able1 turning my face again towards ,florence4 ,in the meanwhile that infernal plot had come to a head and broken1 for ,i had written to my great master1 the ,duke1 giving him a full account of the causes of my escapade to ,venice4 ,i went to visit him without any ceremony1 and was received with his usual reserve and austerity4 ,having maintained this attitude awhile1 he turned toward me pleasantly1 and asked where ,i had been4 ,i answered that my heart had never moved one inch from his most illustrious ,excellency1 although some weighty reasons had forced me to go a roaming for a little while4 ,then softening still more in manner1 he began to question me concerning ,venice1 and after this wise we conversed some space of time4 ,at last he bade me apply myself to business1 and complete his ,perseus4 ,so ,i returned home glad and light-hearted1 and comforted my family1 that is to say1 my sister and her six daughters4 ,then ,i resumed my work1 and pushed it forward as briskly as ,i could4 ,note #a4 ,this is ,lorenzino de' ,medici1 the murderer of ,alessandro1 who was himself assassinated by two ,tuscan bravi in #aedh4 ,see ',renaissance in ,italy1' vol4 vi4 chap4 #f4 ,,lxiii ,,the ,,first piece ,i cast in bronze was that great bust1 the portrait of his ,excellency1 which ,i had modelled in the goldsmith's workroom while suffering from those pains in my back4 #a ,it gave much pleasure when it was completed1 though my sole object in making it was to obtain experience of clays suitable for bronze-casting4 ,i was of course aware that the admirable sculptor ,donatello had cast his bronzes with the clay of ,florence2 yet it seemed to me that he had met with enormous difficulties in their execution4 ,as ,i thought that this was due to some fault in the earth1 ,i wanted to make these first experiments before ,i undertook my ,perseus4 ,from them ,i learned that the clay was good enough1 but had not been well understood by ,donatello1 inasmuch as ,i could see that his pieces had been cast with the very greatest trouble4 ,accordingly1 as ,i have described above1 ,i prepared the earth by artificial methods1 and found it serve me well1 and with it ,i cast the bust2 but since ,i had not yet constructed my own furnace1 ,i employed that of ,maestro ,zanobi di ,pagno1 a bell-founder4 ,when ,i saw that this bust came out sharp and clean1 ,i set at once to construct a little furnace in the workshop erected for me by the ,duke1 after my own plans and design1 in the house which the ,duke had given me4 ,no sooner was the furnace ready than ,i went to work with all diligence upon the casting of ,medusa1 that is1 the woman twisted in a heap beneath the feet of ,perseus4 ,it was an extremely difficult task1 and ,i was anxious to observe all the niceties of art which ,i had learned1 so as not to lapse into some error4 ,the first cast ,i took in my furnace succeeded in the superlative degree1 and was so clean that my friends thought ,i should not need to retouch it4 ,it is true that certain ,germans and ,frenchmen1 who vaunt the possession of marvellous secrets1 pretend that they can cast bronzes without retouching them2 but this is really nonsense1 because the bronze1 when it has first been cast1 ought to be worked over and beaten in with hammers and chisels1 according to the manner of the ancients and also to that of the moderns--,i mean such moderns as have known how to work in bronze4 ,the result of this casting greatly pleased his ,excellency1 who often came to my house to inspect it1 encouraging me by the interest he showed to do my best4 ,the furious envy of ,bandinello1 however1 who kept always whispering in the ,duke's ears1 had such effect that he made him believe my first successes with a single figure or two proved nothing2 ,i should never be able to put the whole large piece together1 since ,i was new to the craft1 and his ,excellency ought to take good heed he did not throw his money away4 ,these insinuations operated so efficiently upon the ,duke's illustrious ears1 that part of my allowance for workpeople was withdrawn4 ,i felt compelled to complain pretty sharply to his ,excellency2 and having gone to wait on him one morning in the ,via de' ,servi1 ,i spoke as follows3 8,my lord1 ,i do not now receive the monies necessary for my task1 which makes me fear that your ,excellency has lost confidence in me4 ,once more then ,i tell you that ,i feel quite able to execute this statue three times better than the model1 as ,i have before engaged my word40 ,note #a4 ,now in the ,museum of the ,bargello ,palace at ,florence ,,lxiv ,i ,,could see that this speech made no impression on the ,duke1 for he kept silence2 then1 seized with sudden anger and a vehement emotion1 ,i began again to address him3 8,my lord1 this city of a truth has ever been the school of the most noble talents4 ,yet when a man has come to know what he is worth1 after gaining some acquirements1 and wishing to augment the glory of his town and of his glorious prince1 it is quite right that he should go and labour elsewhere4 ,to prove the truth of these words1 ,i need only remind your ,excellency of ,donatello and the great ,lionardo da ,vinci in the past1 and of our incomparable ,michel ,angelo ,buonarroti in the present2 they augment the glory of your ,excellency by their genius4 ,i in my turn feel the same desire and hope to play my part like them2 therefore1 my lord1 give me the leave to go4 ,but beware of letting ,bandinello quit you2 rather bestow upon him always more than he demands2 for if he goes into foreign parts1 his ignorance is so presumptuous that he is just the man to disgrace our most illustrious school4 ,now grant me my permission1 prince6 ,i ask no further reward for my labours up to this time than the gracious favour of your most illustrious ,excellency40 ,when he saw the firmness of my resolution1 he turned with some irritation and exclaimed3 8,benvenuto1 if you want to finish the statue1 you shall lack for nothing40 ,then ,i thanked him and said ,i had no greater desire than to show those envious folk that ,i had it in me to execute the promised work4 ,when ,i left his ,excellency1 ,i received some slight assistance2 but this not being sufficient1 ,i had to put my hand into my own purse1 in order to push the work forward at something better than a snail's pace4 ,it was my custom to pass the evening in the ,duke's wardrobe1 where ,domenico ,poggini and his brother ,gianpagolo were at work upon that golden cup for the ,duchess and the girdle ,i have already described4 ,his ,excellency had also commissioned me to make a little model for a pendent to set the great diamond which ,bernardone and ,antonio ,landi made him buy4 ,i tried to get out of doing it1 but the ,duke compelled me by all sorts of kindly pressure to work until four hours after nightfall4 ,he kept indeed enticing me to push this job forward by daytime also2 but ,i would not consent1 although ,i felt sure ,i should incur his anger4 ,now one evening ,i happened to arrive rather later than usual1 whereupon he said3 8,i'll come may you be60 #a ,i answered3 8,my lord1 that is not my name2 my name is ,welcome6 ,but1 as ,i suppose your ,excellency is joking1 ,i will add no more40 ,he replied that1 far from joking1 he meant solemn earnest4 ,i had better look to my conduct1 for it had come to his ears that ,i relied upon his favour to take in first one man and then another4 ,i begged his most illustrious ,excellency to name a single person whom ,i had ever taken in4 ,at this he flew into a rage1 and said3 8,go1 and give back to ,bernardone what you have of his4 ,there6 ,i have mentioned one40 ,i said3 8,my lord1 ,i thank you1 and beg you to condescend so far as to listen to four words4 ,it is true that he lent me a pair of old scales1 two anvils1 and three little hammers1 which articles ,i begged his workman1 ,giorgio da ,cortona1 fifteen days ago1 to fetch back4 ,giorgio came for them himself4 ,if your ,excellency can prove1 on referring to those who have spoken these calumnies1 or to others1 that ,i have ever1 from the day of my birth till now1 got any single thing by fraud from anybody1 be it in ,rome or be it in ,france1 then let your ,excellency punish me as immoderately as you choose40 ,when the ,duke saw me in this mighty passion1 he assumed the air of a prudent and benevolent lord1 saying3 8,those words are not meant for well-doers2 therefore1 if it is as you say1 ,i shall always receive you with the same kindness as heretofore40 ,to this ,i answered3 8,i should like your ,excellency to know that the rascalities of ,bernardone compel me to ask as a favor how much that big diamond with the cropped point cost you4 ,i hope to prove on what account that scoundrel tries to bring me into disgrace40 ,then his ,excellency replied3 8,i paid #be1jjj ducats for it2 why do you ask me80 8,because1 my lord1 on such a day1 at such an hour1 in a corner of ,mercato ,nuovo1 ,antonio ,landi1 the son of ,vittorio1 begged me to induce your ,excellency to buy it1 and at my first question he asked #af1jjj ducats for the diamond2 #b now your ,excellency knows what it has cost you4 ,domenico ,poggini and ,gianpagolo his brother1 who are present1 will confirm my words2 for ,i spoke to them at once about it1 and since that time have never once alluded to the matter1 because your ,excellency told me ,i did not understand these things1 which made me think you wanted to keep up the credit of your stone4 ,i should like you to know1 my lord1 that ,i do understand1 and that1 as regards my character1 ,i consider myself no less honest than any man who ever lived upon this earth4 ,i shall not try to rob you of eight or ten thousand ducats at one go1 but shall rather seek to earn them by my industry4 ,i entered the service of your ,excellency as sculptor1 goldsmith1 and stamper of coin2 but to blab about my neighbour's private matters1--never6 ,what ,i am now telling you ,i say in self-defence2 ,i do not want my fee for information4 #c ,if ,i speak out in the presence of so many worthy fellows as are here1 it is because ,i do not wish your ,excellency to believe what ,bernardone tells you40 ,when he had heard this speech1 the ,duke rose up in anger1 and sent for ,bernardone1 who was forced to take flight as far as ,venice1 he and ,antonio ,landi with him4 ,the latter told me that he had not meant that diamond1 but was talking of another stone4 ,so then they went and came again from ,venice2 whereupon ,i presented myself to the ,duke and spoke as follows3 8,my lord1 what ,i told you is the truth2 and what ,bernardone said about the tools he lent me is a lie4 ,you had better put this to the proof1 and ,i will go at once to the ,bargello40 ,the ,duke made answer3 8,benvenuto1 do your best to be an honest man1 as you have done until now2 you have no cause for apprehension40 ,so the whole matter passed off in smoke1 and ,i heard not one more word about it4 ,i applied myself to finishing his jewel2 and when ,i took it to the ,duchess1 her ,grace said that she esteemed my setting quite as highly as the diamond which ,bernardaccio had made them buy4 ,she then desired me to fasten it upon her breast1 and handed me a large pin1 with which ,i fixed it1 and took my leave in her good favour4 #d ,afterwards ,i was informed that they had the stone reset by a ,german or some other foreigner--whether truly or not ,i cannot vouch--upon ,bernardone's suggestion that the diamond would show better in a less elaborate setting4 ,note #a4 ,benvenuto and ',malvenuto4' ,note #b4 ,he forgets that he has said above that it was offered him by ,landi for #ag1jjj ducats4 ,note #c4 ,this fee was 'il quarto1' or the fourth part of the criminal's fine1 which came to the delator4 ,note #d4 ,it is worthy of notice that from this point onward the ,,ms4 is written by ,cellini in his own hand4 ,,lxv ,i ,,believe have already narrated how ,domenico and ,giovanpagolo ,poggini1 goldsmiths and brothers1 were at work in the ,duke's wardrobe upon some little golden vases1 after my design1 chased with figures in bas-relief1 and other ornaments of great distinction4 ,i oftentimes kept saying to his ,excellency3 8,my lord1 if you will undertake to pay some workpeople1 ,i am ready to strike coins for your mint and medals with your portrait4 ,i am willing to enter into competition with the ancients1 and feel able to surpass them2 for since those early days in which ,i made the medals of ,pope ,clement1 ,i have learned so much that ,i can now produce far better pieces of the kind4 ,i think ,i can also outdo the coins ,i struck for ,duke ,alessandro1 which are still held in high esteem2 in like manner ,i could make for you large pieces of gold and silver plate1 as ,i did so often for that noble monarch1 ,king ,francis of ,france1 thanks to the great conveniences he allowed me1 without ever losing time for the execution of colossal statues or other works of the sculptor's craft40 ,to this suggestion the ,duke replied3 8,go forward2 ,i will see20 but he never supplied me with conveniences or aid of any kind4 ,one day his most illustrious ,excellency handed me several pounds weight of silver1 and said3 8,this is some of the silver from my mines2 #a take it1 and make a fine vase40 ,now ,i did not choose to neglect my ,perseus1 and at the same time ,i wished to serve the ,duke1 so ,i entrusted the metal1 together with my designs and models in wax1 to a rascal called ,piero di ,martino1 a goldsmith by trade4 ,he set the work up badly1 and moreover ceased to labour at it1 so that ,i lost more time than if ,i had taken it in hand myself4 ,after several months were wasted1 and ,piero would neither work nor put men to work upon the piece1 ,i made him give it back4 ,i moved heaven and earth to get back the body of the vase1 which he had begun badly1 as ,i have already said1 together with the remainder of the silver4 ,the ,duke1 hearing something of these disputes1 sent for the vase and the models1 and never told me why or wherefore4 ,suffice it to say1 that he placed some of my designs in the hands of divers persons at ,venice and elsewhere1 and was very ill served by them4 ,the ,duchess kept urging me to do goldsmith's work for her4 ,i frequently replied that everybody1 nay1 all ,italy1 knew well ,i was an excellent goldsmith2 but ,italy had not yet seen what ,i could do in sculpture4 ,among artists1 certain enraged sculptors laughed at me1 and called me the new sculptor4 8,now ,i hope to show them that ,i am an old sculptor1 if ,god shall grant me the boon of finishing my ,perseus for that noble piazza of his most illustrious ,excellency40 ,after this ,i shut myself up at home1 working day and night1 not even showing my face in the palace4 ,i wished1 however1 to keep myself in favour with the ,duchess2 so ,i got some little cups made for her in silver1 no larger than two penny milk-pots1 chased with exquisite masks in the rarest antique style4 ,when ,i took them to her ,excellency1 she received me most graciously1 and repaid the gold and silver ,i had spent upon them4 ,then ,i made my suit to her and prayed her tell the ,duke that ,i was getting small assistance for so great a work2 ,i begged her also to warn him not to lend so ready an ear to ,bandinello's evil tongue1 which hindered me from finishing my ,perseus4 ,in reply to these lamentable complaints the ,duchess shrugged her shoulders and exclaimed3 8,of a surety the ,duke ought only too well to know that this ,bandinello of his is worth nothing40 ,note #a4 ,cosimo's silver mines were at ,campiglia and ,pietrasantra4 ,he worked them1 however1 rather at a loss than profit4 ,,lxvi ,i ,,now stayed at home1 and went rarely to the palace1 labouring with great diligence to complete my statue4 ,i had to pay the workmen out of my own pocket2 for the ,duke1 after giving ,lattanzio ,gorini orders to discharge their wages1 at the end of about eighteen months1 grew tired1 and withdrew this subsidy4 ,i asked ,lattanzio why he did not pay me as usual4 ,the man replied1 gesticulating with those spidery hands of his1 in a shrill gnat's voice3 8,why do not you finish your work8 ,one thinks that you will never get it done40 ,in a rage ,i up and answered3 8,may the plague catch you and all who dare to think ,i shall not finish it60 ,so ,i went home with despair at heart to my unlucky ,perseus1 not without weeping1 when ,i remembered the prosperity ,i had abandoned in ,paris under the patronage of that marvellous ,king ,francis1 where ,i had abundance of all kinds1 and here had everything to want for4 ,many a time ,i had it in my soul to cast myself away for lost4 ,one day on one of these occasions1 ,i mounted a nice nag ,i had1 put a hundred crowns in my purse1 and went to ,fiesole to visit a natural son of mine there1 who was at nurse with my gossip1 the wife of one of my workpeople4 ,when ,i reached the house1 ,i found the boy in good health1 and kissed him1 very sad at heart4 ,on taking leave1 he would not let me go1 but held me with his little hands and a tempest of cries and tears4 ,considering that he was only two years old or thereabouts1 the child's grief was something wonderful4 ,now ,i had resolved1 in the heat of my despair1 if ,i met ,bandinello1 who went every evening to a farm of his above ,san ,domenico1 that ,i would hurl him to destruction2 so ,i disengaged myself from my baby1 and left the boy there sobbing his heart out4 ,taking the road toward ,florence1 just when ,i entered the piazza of ,san ,domenico1 ,bandinello was arriving from the other side4 ,on the instant ,i decided upon bloodshed2 but when ,i reached the man and raised my eyes1 ,i saw him unarmed1 riding a sorry mule or rather donkey1 and he had with him a boy of ten years old4 ,no sooner did he catch sight of me than he turned the colour of a corpse1 and trembled from head to foot4 ,perceiving at once how base the business would be1 ,i exclaimed3 8,fear not1 vile coward6 ,i do not condescend to smite you40 ,he looked at me submissively and said nothing4 ,thereupon ,i recovered command of my faculties1 and thanked ,god that ,his goodness had withheld me from so great an act of violence4 ,then1 being delivered from that fiendish fury1 my spirits rose1 and ,i said to myself3 8,if ,god but grant me to execute my work1 ,i hope by its means to annihilate all my scoundrelly enemies2 and thus ,i shall perform far greater and more glorious revenges that if ,i had vented my rage upon one single foe40 ,having this excellent resolve in heart1 ,i reached my home4 ,at the end of three days news was brought me that my only son had been smothered by his nurse1 my gossip1 which gave me greater grief than ,i have ever had in my whole life4 ,however1 ,i knelt upon the ground1 and1 not without tears1 returned thanks to ,god1 as ,i was wont1 exclaiming1 8,lord1 ,thou gavest me the child1 and ,thou hast taken him2 for all ,thy dealings ,i thank ,thee with my whole heart40 ,this great sorrow went nigh to depriving me of reason2 yet1 according to my habit1 ,i made a virtue of necessity1 and adapted myself to circumstances as well as ,i was able4 ,,lxvii ,,about this time a young fellow called ,francesco1 the son of a smith1 ,matteo1 left ,bandinello's employment1 and inquired whether ,i would give him work4 ,i agreed1 and sent him to retouch my ,medusa1 which had been new cast in bronze4 ,after a fortnight he mentioned that he had been speaking with his master1 that is1 ,bandinello1 who told him1 if ,i cared to make a marble statue1 he would give me a fine block of stone4 ,i replied at once3 8,tell him ,i accept his offer2 perhaps this marble will prove a stumbling block to him1 for he keeps on provoking me1 and does not bear in mind the great peril he ran upon the piazza of ,san ,domenico4 ,tell him ,i will have the marble by all means4 ,i never speak about him1 and the beast is perpetually causing me annoyance4 ,i verily believe you came to work here at his orders for the mere purpose of spying upon me4 ,go1 then1 and tell him ,i insist on having the marble1 even against his will3 see that you do not come back without it40 ,,lxviii ,,many days had elapsed during which ,i had not shown my face in the palace1 when the fancy took me to go there one morning just as the ,duke was finishing his dinner4 ,from what ,i heard1 his ,excellency had been talking of me that morning1 commending me highly1 and in particular praising my skill in setting jewels4 ,therefore1 when the ,duchess saw me1 she called for me by ,messer ,sforza2 #a and on my presenting myself to her most illustrious ,excellency1 she asked me to set a little point-diamond in a ring1 saying she wished always to wear it2 at the same time she gave me the measure and the stone1 which was worth about a hundred crowns1 begging me to be quick about the work4 ,upon this the ,duke began speaking to the ,duchess1 and said3 8,there is no doubt that ,benvenuto was formerly without his peer in this art2 but now that he has abandoned it1 ,i believe it will be too much trouble for him to make a little ring of the sort you want4 ,i pray you1 therefore1 not to importune him about this trifle1 which would be no trifle to him owing to his want of practice40 ,i thanked the ,duke for his kind words1 but begged him to let me render this trifling service to the ,duchess4 ,then ,i took the ring in hand1 and finished it within a few days4 ,it was meant for the little finger2 accordingly ,i fashioned four tiny children in the round and four masks1 which figures composed the hoop4 ,i also found room for some enamelled fruits and connecting links1 so that the stone and setting went uncommonly well together4 ,then ,i took it to the ,duchess1 who told me graciously that ,i had produced a very fine piece1 and that she would remember me4 ,she afterwards sent the ring as a present to ,king ,philip1 and from that time forward kept charging me with commissions1 so kindly1 however1 that ,i did my best to serve her1 although ,i saw but very little of her money4 ,god knows ,i had great need of that1 for ,i was eager to finish my ,perseus1 and had engaged some journeymen1 whom ,i paid out of my own purse4 ,i now began to show myself more often than ,i had recently been doing4 ,note #a4 ,sforza ,almeni1 a ,perugian gentleman1 the ,duke's chamberlain4 ,cosimo killed this man with his own hand in the year #aeff4 ,,lxix ,,it happened on one feast-day that ,i went to the palace after dinner1 and when ,i reached the clockroom1 ,i saw the door of the wardrobe standing open4 ,as ,i drew nigh it1 the ,duke called me1 and after a friendly greeting said3 8,you are welcome6 ,look at that box which has been sent me by my lord ,stefano of ,palestrina4 #a ,open it1 and let us see what it contains40 ,when ,i had opened the box1 ,i cried to the ,duke3 8,my lord1 this is a statue in ,greek marble1 and it is a miracle of beauty4 ,i must say that ,i have never seen a boy's figure so excellently wrought and in so fine a style among all the antiques ,i have inspected4 ,if your ,excellency permits1 ,i should like to restore it--head and arms and feet4 ,i will add an eagle1 in order that we may christen the lad ,ganymede4 ,it is certainly not my business to patch up statues1 that being the trade of botchers1 who do it in all conscience villainously ill2 yet the art displayed by this great master of antiquity cries out to me to help him40 ,the ,duke was highly delighted to find the statue so beautiful1 and put me a multitude of questions1 saying3 8,tell me1 ,benvenuto1 minutely1 in what consists the skill of this old master1 which so excites your admiration40 ,i then attempted1 as well as ,i was able1 to explain the beauty of workmanship1 the consummate science1 and the rare manner displayed by the fragment4 ,i spoke long upon these topics1 and with the greater pleasure because ,i saw that his ,excellency was deeply interested4 ,note #a4 ,stefano ,colonna1 of the princely house of ,palestrina4 ,he was a general of considerable repute in the ,spanish1 ,french1 and ,florentine services successively4 ,,lxx ,,while ,i was thus pleasantly engaged in entertaining the ,duke1 a page happened to leave the wardrobe1 and at the same moment ,bandinello entered4 ,when the ,duke saw him1 his countenance contracted1 and he asked him drily3 8,what are you about here80 ,bandinello1 without answering1 cast a glance upon the box1 where the statue lay uncovered4 ,then breaking into one of his malignant laughs and wagging his head1 he turned to the ,duke and said3 8,my lord1 this exactly illustrates the truth of what ,i have so often told your ,excellency4 ,you must know that the ancients were wholly ignorant of anatomy1 and therefore their works abound in mistakes40 ,i kept silence1 and paid no heed to what he was saying2 nay1 indeed1 ,i had turned my back on him4 ,but when the brute had brought his disagreeable babble to an end1 the ,duke exclaimed3 8,o ,benvenuto1 this is the exact opposite of what you were just now demonstrating with so many excellent arguments4 ,come and speak a word in defence of the statue40 ,in reply to this appeal1 so kindly made me by the ,duke1 ,i spoke as follows3 8,my lord1 your most illustrious ,excellency must please to know that ,baccio ,bandinello is made up of everything bad1 and thus has he ever been2 therefore1 whatever he looks at1 be the thing superlatively excellent1 becomes in his ungracious eyes as bad as can be4 ,i1 who incline to the good only1 discern the truth with purer sense4 ,consequently1 what ,i told your ,excellency about this lovely statue is mere simple truth2 whereas what ,bandinello said is but a portion of the evil out of which he is composed40 ,the ,duke listened with much amusement2 but ,bandinello writhed and made the most ugly faces--his face itself being by nature hideous beyond measure--which could be imagined by the mind of man4 ,the ,duke at this point moved away1 and proceeded through some ground floor rooms1 while ,bandinello followed4 ,the chamberlains twitched me by the mantle1 and sent me after2 so we all attended the ,duke until he reached a certain chamber1 where he seated himself1 with ,bandinello and me standing at his right hand and his left4 ,i kept silence1 and the gentlemen of his ,excellency's suite looked hard at ,bandinello1 tittering among themselves about the speech ,i had made in the room above4 ,so then ,bandinello began again to chatter1 and cried out3 8,prince1 when ,i uncovered my ,hercules and ,cacus1 ,i verily believe a hundred sonnets were written on me1 full of the worst abuse which could be invented by the ignorant rabble40 #a ,i rejoined3 8,prince1 when ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti displayed his ,sacristy to view1 with so many fine statues in it1 the men of talent in our admirable school of ,florence1 always appreciative of truth and goodness1 published more than a hundred sonnets1 each vying with his neighbour to extol these masterpieces to the skies4 #b ,so then1 just as ,bandinello's work deserved all the evil which1 he tells us1 was then said about it1 ,buonarroti's deserved the enthusiastic praise which was bestowed upon it40 ,these words of mine made ,bandinello burst with fury2 he turned on me1 and cried3 8,and you1 what have you got to say against my work80 8,i will tell you if you have the patience to hear me out40 8,go along then10 he replied4 ,the ,duke and his attendants prepared themselves to listen4 ,i began and opened by oration thus3 8,you must know that it pains me to point out the faults of your statue2 ,i shall not1 however1 utter my own sentiments1 but shall recapitulate what our most virtuous school of ,florence says about it40 ,the brutal fellow kept making disagreeable remarks and gesticulating with his hands and feet1 until he enraged me so that ,i began again1 and spoke far more rudely than ,i should otherwise have done1 if he had behaved with decency4 8,well1 then1 this virtuous school says that if one were to shave the hair of your ,hercules1 there would not be skull enough left to hold his brain2 it says that it is impossible to distinguish whether his features are those of a man or of something between a lion and an ox2 the face too is turned away from the action of the figure1 and is so badly set upon the neck1 with such poverty of art and so ill a grace1 that nothing worse was ever seen2 his sprawling shoulders are like the two pommels of an ass' pack-saddle2 his breasts and all the muscles of the body are not portrayed from a man1 but from a big sack full of melons set upright against a wall4 ,the loins seem to be modelled from a bag of lanky pumpkins2 nobody can tell how his two legs are attached to that vile trunk2 it is impossible to say on which leg he stands1 or which he uses to exert his strength2 nor does he seem to be resting upon both1 as sculptors who know something of their art have occasionally set the figure4 ,it is obvious that the body is leaning forward more than one-third of a cubit1 which alone is the greatest and most insupportable fault committed by vulgar commonplace pretenders4 ,concerning the arms1 they say that these are both stretched out without one touch of grace or one real spark of artistic talents1 just as if you had never seen a naked model4 ,again1 the right leg of ,hercules and that of ,cacus have got one mass of flesh between them1 so that if they were to be separated1 not only one of them1 but both together1 would be left without a calf at the point where they are touching4 ,they say1 too1 that ,hercules has one of his feet underground1 while the other seems to be resting on hot coals40 ,note #a4 ,vasari confirms this statement4 ,the statue1 which may still be seen upon the great piazza1 is1 in truth1 a very poor performance4 ,the ,florentines were angry because ,bandinello had filched the commission away from ,michel ,angelo4 ,it was uncovered in #aecd1 and ,duke ,alessandro had to imprison its lampooners4 ,note #b4 ,cellini alludes of course to the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 designed by ,michel ,angelo1 with the portraits of the ,medici and statues of ,day1 ,night1 ,dawn1 and ,twilight4 ,,lxxi ,,the ,,fellow could not stand quiet to hear the damning errors of his ,cacus in their turn enumerated4 ,for one thing1 ,i was telling the truth2 for another1 ,i was unmasking him to the ,duke and all the people present1 who showed by face and gesture first their surprise1 and next their conviction that what ,i said was true4 ,all at once he burst out3 8,ah1 you slanderous tongue6 why don't you speak about my design80 ,i retorted3 8,a good draughtsman can never produce bad works2 therefore ,i am inclined to believe that your drawing is no better than your statues40 ,when he saw the amused expression on the ,duke's face and the cutting gestures of the bystanders1 he let his insolence get the better of him1 and turned to me with that most hideous face of his1 screaming aloud3 8,oh1 hold your tongue1 you uglyhellip20 #a ,at these words the ,duke frowned1 and the others pursed their lips up and looked with knitted grows toward him4 ,the horrible affront half maddened me with fury2 but in a moment ,i recovered presence of mind enough to turn it off with a jest2 8,you madman6 you exceed the bounds of decency4 ,yet would to ,god that ,i understood so noble an art as you allude to2 they say that ,jove used it with ,ganymede in paradise1 and here upon this earth it is practised by some of the greatest emperors and kings4 ,i1 however1 am but a poor humble creature1 who neither have the power nor the intelligence to perplex my wits with anything so admirable40 ,when ,i had finished this speech1 the ,duke and his attendants could control themselves no longer1 but broke into such shouts of laughter that one never heard the like4 ,you must know1 gentle readers1 that though ,i put on this appearance of pleasantry1 my heart was bursting in my body to think that a fellow1 the foulest villain who ever breathed1 should have dared in the presence of so great a prince to cast an insult of that atrocious nature in my teeth2 but you must also know that he insulted the ,duke1 and not me2 for had ,i not stood in that august presence1 ,i should have felled him dead to earth4 ,when the dirty stupid scoundrel observed that those gentlemen kept on laughing1 he tried to change the subject1 and divert them from deriding him2 so he began as follows3 8,this fellow ,benvenuto goes about boasting that ,i have promised him a piece of marble40 ,i took him up at once4 8,what6 did you not send to tell me by your journeyman1 ,francesco1 that if ,i wished to work in marble you would give me a block8 ,i accepted it1 and mean to have it40 ,he retorted3 8,be very well assured that you will never get it40 ,still smarting as ,i was under the calumnious insults he had flung at me1 ,i lost my self-control1 forgot ,i was in the presence of the ,duke1 and called out in a storm of fury3 8,i swear to you that if you do not send the marble to my house1 you had better look out for another world1 for if you stay upon this earth ,i will most certainly rip the wind out of your carcass4 #b ,then suddenly awaking to the fact that ,i was standing in the presence of so great a duke1 ,i turned submissively to his ,excellency and said3 8,my lord1 one fool makes a hundred2 the follies of this man have blinded me for a moment to the glory of your most illustrious ,excellency and to myself4 ,i humbly crave your pardon40 ,then the ,duke said to ,bandinello3 8,is it true that you promised him the marble80 ,he replied that it was true4 ,upon this the ,duke addressed me3 8,go to the ,opera1 and choose a piece according to your taste40 ,i demurred that the man had promised to sent it home to me4 ,the words that passed between us were awful1 and ,i refused to take the stone in any other way4 ,next morning a piece of marble was brought to my house4 ,on asking who had sent it1 they told me it was ,bandinello1 and that this was the very block which he had promised4 #c ,note #a4 ',oh sta cheto1 soddomitaccio4' ,note #b4 ',in questo' 7'mondo'7 'ti sgonfier a ogni modo4' ,note #c4 ,vasari1 in his ',life of ,bandinello1' gives a curious confirmation of ,cellini's veracity by reporting this quarrel1 with some of the speeches which pdssed between the two rival artists4 ,yet he had not read ,cellini's ',memoirs1' and was far from partial to the man4 ,comparing ,vasari's with ,cellini's account1 we only notice that the latter has made ,bandinello play a less witty part in the wordy strife than the former assigned him4 ,,lxxii ,i ,,had it brought at once in to my studio1 and began to chisel it4 ,while ,i was rough-hewing the block1 ,i made a model4 ,but my eagerness to work in marble was so strong1 that ,i had not patience to finish the model as correctly as this art demands4 ,i soon noticed that the stone rang false beneath my strokes1 which made me often-times repent commencing on it4 ,yet ,i got what ,i could out of the piece--that is1 the ,apollo and ,hyacinth1 which may still be seen unfinished in my workshop4 ,while ,i was thus engaged1 the ,duke came to my house1 and often said to me3 8,leave your bronze awhile1 and let me watch you working on the marble40 ,then ,i took chisel and mallet1 and went at it blithely4 ,he asked about the model ,i had made for my statue2 to which ,i answered3 8,duke1 this marble is all cracked1 but ,i shall carve something from it in spite of that2 therefore ,i have not been able to settle the model1 but shall go on doing the best ,i can40 ,his ,excellency sent to ,rome post-haste for a block of ,greek marble1 in order that ,i might restore his antique ,ganymede1 which was the cause of that dispute with ,bandinello4 ,when it arrived1 ,i thought it a sin to cut it up for the head and arms and other bits wanting in the ,ganymede2 so ,i provided myself with another piece of stone1 and reserved the ,greek marble for a ,narcissus which ,i modelled on a small scale in wax4 ,i found that the block had two holes1 penetrating to the depth of a quarter of a cubit1 and two good inches wide4 ,this led me to choose the attitude which may be noticed in my statue1 avoiding the holes and keeping my figure free from them4 ,but rain had fallen scores of years upon the stone1 filtering so deeply from the holes into its substance that the marble was decayed4 ,of this ,i had full proof at the time of a great inundation of the ,arno1 when the river rose to the height of more than a cubit and a half in my workshop4 #a ,now the ,narcissus stood upon a square of wood1 and the water overturned it1 causing the statue to break in two above the breasts4 ,i had to join the pieces2 and in order that the line of breakage might not be observed1 ,i wreathed that garland of flowers round it which may still be seen upon the bosom4 ,i went on working at the surface1 employing some hours before sunrise1 or now and then on feast-days1 so as not to lose the time ,i needed for my ,perseus4 ,it so happened on one of those mornings1 while ,i was getting some little chisels into trim to work on the ,narcissus1 that a very fine splinter of steel flew into my right eye1 and embedded itself so deeply in the pupil that it could not be extracted4 ,i thought for certain ,i must lose the sight of that eye4 ,after some days ,i sent for ,maestro ,raffaello d ,pilli1 the surgeon1 who obtained a couple of live pigeons1 and placing me upon my back across a table1 took the birds and opened a large vein they have beneath the wing1 so that the blood gushed out into my eye4 ,i felt immediately relieved1 and in the space of two days the splinter came away1 and ,i remained with eyesight greatly improved4 ,against the feast of ,s4 ,lucia1 #b which came round in three days1 ,i made a golden eye out of a ,french crown1 and had it presented at her shrine by one of my six nieces1 daughters of my sister ,liperata2 the girl was ten years of age1 and in her company ,i returned thanks to ,god and ,s4 ,lucia4 ,for some while afterwards ,i did not work at the ,narcissus1 but pushed my ,perseus forward under all the difficulties ,i have described4 ,it was my purpose to finish it1 and then to bid farewell to ,florence4 ,note #a4 ,cellini alludes to a celebrated inundation of the year #aedg4 ,note #b4 ,s4 ,lucy1 ,i need hardly remark1 is the patroness of the eyes4 ,in ,italian art she is generally represented holding her own eyes upon a plate4 ,,lxxiii ,,having succeeded so well with the cast of the ,medusa1 ,i had great hope of bringing my ,perseus through2 for ,i had laid the wax on1 and felt confident that it would come out in bronze as perfectly as the ,medusa4 ,the waxen model produced so fine an effect1 that when the ,duke saw it and was struck with its beauty--whether somebody had persuaded him it could not be carried out with the same finish in metal1 or whether he thought so for himself--he came to visit me more frequently than usual1 and on one occasion said3 8,benvenuto1 this figure cannot succeed in bronze2 the laws of art do not admit of it40 ,these words of his ,excellency stung me so sharply that ,i answered3 8,my lord1 ,i know how very little confidence you have in me2 and ,i believe the reason of this is that your most illustrious ,excellency lends too ready an ear to my calumniators1 or else indeed that you do not understand my art40 ,he hardly let me close the sentence when he broke in3 8,i profess myself a connoisseur1 and understand it very well indeed40 ,i replied3 8,yes1 like a prince1 not like an artist2 for if your ,excellency understood my trade as well as you imagine1 you would trust me on the proofs ,i have already given4 ,these are1 first1 the colossal bronze bust of your ,excellency1 which is now in ,elba2 #a secondly1 the restoration of the ,ganymede in marble1 which offered so many difficulties and cost me so much trouble1 that ,i would rather have made the whole statue new from the beginning2 thirdly1 the ,medusa1 cast by me in bronze1 here now before your ,excellency's eyes1 the execution of which was a greater triumph of strength and skill than any of my predecessors in this fiendish art have yet achieved4 ,look you1 my lord6 ,i constructed that furnace anew on principles quite different from those of other founders2 in addition to many technical improvements and ingenious devices1 ,i supplied it with two issues for the metal1 because this difficult and twisted figure could not otherwise have come out perfect4 ,it is only owing to my intelligent insight into means and appliances that the statue turned out as it did2 a triumph judged impossible by all the practitioners of this art4 ,i should like you furthermore to be aware1 my lord1 for certain1 that the sole reason why ,i succeeded with all those great arduous works in ,france under his most admirable ,majesty ,king ,francis1 was the high courage which that good monarch put into my heart by the liberal allowances he made me1 and the multitude of workpeople he left at my disposal4 ,i could have as many as ,i asked for1 and employed at times above forty1 all chosen by myself4 ,these were the causes of my having there produced so many masterpieces in so short a space of time4 ,now then1 my lord1 put trust in me2 supply me with the aid ,i need4 ,i am confident of being able to complete a work which will delight your soul4 ,but if your ,excellency goes on disheartening me1 and does not advance me the assistance which is absolutely required1 neither ,i nor any man alive upon this earth can hope to achieve the slightest thing of value40 ,note #a4 ,at ,portoferraio4 ,it came afterwards to ,florence4 ,,lxxiv ,,it was as much as the ,duke could do to stand by and listen to my pleadings4 ,he kept turning first this way and then that2 while ,i1 in despair1 poor wretched ,i1 was calling up remembrance of the noble state ,i held in ,france1 to the great sorrow of my soul4 ,all at once he cried3 8,come1 tell me1 ,benvenuto1 how is it possible that yonder splendid head of ,medusa1 so high up there in the grasp of ,perseus1 should ever come out perfect80 ,i replied upon the instant3 8,look you now1 my lord6 ,if your ,excellency possessed that knowledge of the craft which you affirm you have1 you would not fear one moment for the splendid head you speak of4 ,there is good reason1 on the other hand1 to feel uneasy about this right foot1 so far below and at a distance from the rest40 ,when he heard these words1 the ,duke turned1 half in anger1 to some gentlemen in waiting1 and exclaimed3 8,i verily believe that this ,benvenuto prides himself on contradicting everything one says40 ,then he faced round to me with a touch of mockery1 upon which his attendants did the like1 and began to speak as follows3 8,i will listen patiently to any argument you can possibly produce in explanation of your statement1 which may convince me of its probability40 ,i said in answer3 8,i will adduce so sound an argument that your ,excellency shall perceive the full force of it40 ,so ,i began3 8,you must know1 my lord1 that the nature of fire is to ascend1 and therefore ,i promise you that ,medusa's head will come out famously2 but since it is not in the nature of fire to descend1 and ,i must force it downwards six cubits by artificial means1 ,i assure your ,excellency upon this most convincing ground of proof that the foot cannot possibly come out4 ,it will1 however1 be quite easy for me to restore it40 8,why1 then10 said the ,duke1 8did you not devise it so that the foot should come out as well as you affirm the head will80 ,i answered3 8,i must have made a much larger furnace1 with a conduit as thick as my leg2 and so ,i might have forced the molten metal by its own weight to descend so far4 ,now1 my pipe1 which runs six cubits to the statue's foot1 as ,i have said1 is not thicker than two fingers4 ,however1 it was not worth the trouble and expense to make a larger2 for ,i shall easily be able to mend what is lacking4 ,but when my mould is more than half full1 as ,i expect1 from this middle point upwards1 the fire ascending by its natural property1 then the heads of ,perseus and ,medusa will come out admirably2 you may be quite sure of it40 ,after ,i had thus expounded these convincing arguments1 together with many more of the same kind1 which it would be tedious to set down here1 the ,duke shook his head and departed without further ceremony4 ,,lxxv ,,abandoned thus to my own resources1 ,i took new courage1 and banished the sad thoughts which kept recurring to my mind1 making me often weep bitter tears of repentance for having left ,france2 for though ,i did so only to revisit ,florence1 my sweet birthplace1 in order that ,i might charitably succour my six nieces1 this good action1 as ,i well perceived1 had been the beginning of my great misfortune4 ,nevertheless1 ,i felt convinced that when my ,perseus was accomplished1 all these trials would be turned to high felicity and glorious well-being4 ,accordingly ,i strengthened my heart1 and with all the forces of my body and my purse1 employing what little money still remained to me1 ,i set to work4 ,first ,i provided myself with several loads of pinewood from the forests of ,serristori1 in the neighbourhood of ,montelupo4 ,while these were on their way1 ,i clothed my ,perseus with the clay which ,i had prepared many months beforehand1 in order that it might be duly seasoned4 ,after making its clay tunic 7for that is the term used in this art7 and properly arming it and fencing it with iron girders1 ,i began to draw the wax out by means of a slow fire4 ,this melted and issued through numerous air-vents ,i had made2 for the more there are of these1 the better will the mould fill4 ,when ,i had finished drawing off the wax1 ,i constructed a funnel-shaped furnace all round the model of my ,perseus4 #a ,it was built of bricks1 so interlaced1 the one above the other1 that numerous apertures were left for the fire to exhale at4 ,then ,i began to lay on wood by degrees1 and kept it burning two whole days and nights4 ,at length1 when all the wax was gone1 and the mould was well baked1 ,i set to work at digging the pit in which to sink it4 ,this ,i performed with scrupulous regard to all the rules of art4 ,when ,i had finished that part of my work1 ,i raised the mould by windlasses and stout ropes to a perpendicular position1 and suspending it with the greatest care one cubit above the level of the furnace1 so that it hung exactly above the middle of the pit1 ,i next lowered it gently down into the very bottom of the furnace1 and had it firmly placed with every possible precaution for its safety4 ,when this delicate operation was accomplished1 ,i began to bank it up with the earth ,i had excavated2 and1 ever as the earth grew higher1 ,i introduced its proper air-vents1 which were little tubes of earthenware1 such as folk use for drains and such-like purposes4 #b ,at length1 ,i felt sure that it was admirably fixed1 and that the filling-in of the pit and the placing of the air-vents had been properly performed4 ,i also could see that my work people understood my method1 which differed very considerably from that of all the other masters in the trade4 ,feeling confident1 then1 that ,i could rely upon them1 ,i next turned to my furnace1 which ,i had filled with numerous pigs of copper and other bronze stuff4 ,the pieces were piled according to the laws of art1 that is to say1 so resting one upon the other that the flames could play freely through them1 in order that the metal might heat and liquefy the sooner4 ,at last ,i called out heartily to set the furnace going4 ,the logs of pine were heaped in1 and1 what with the unctuous resin of the wood and the good draught ,i had given1 my furnace worked so well that ,i was obliged to rush from side to side to keep it going4 ,the labour was more than ,i could stand2 yet ,i forced myself to strain every nerve and muscle4 ,to increase my anxieties1 the workshop took fire1 and we were afraid lest the roof should fall upon our heads2 while1 from the garden1 such a storm of wind and rain kept blowing in1 that it perceptibly cooled the furnace4 ,battling thus with all these untoward circumstances for several hours1 and exerting myself beyond even the measure of my powerful constitution1 ,i could at last bear up no longer1 and a sudden fever1 #c of the utmost possible intensity1 attacked me4 ,i felt absolutely obliged to go and fling myself upon my bed4 ,sorely against my will having to drag myself away from the spot1 ,i turned to my assistants1 about ten or more in all1 what with master-founders1 hand-workers1 country-fellows1 and my own special journeymen1 among whom was ,bernardino ,mannellini of ,mugello1 my apprentice through several years4 ,to him in particular ,i spoke3 8,look1 my dear ,bernardino1 that you observe the rules which ,i have taught you2 do your best with all despatch1 for the metal will soon be fused4 ,you cannot go wrong2 these honest men will get the channels ready2 you will easily be able to drive back the two plugs with this pair of iron crooks2 and ,i am sure that my mould will fill miraculously4 ,i feel more ill than ,i ever did in all my life1 and verily believe that it will kill me before a few hours are over4 #d ,thus1 with despair at heart1 ,i left them1 and betook myself to bed4 ,note #a4 ,this furnace1 called 'manica1' was like a grain-hopper1 so that the mould could stand upright in it as in a cup4 ,the word 'manica' is the same as our 'manuch1' an antique form of sleeve4 ,note #b4 ,these air-vents1 or 'sfiatatoi1' were introduced into the outer mould1 which ,cellini calls the 'tonaca1' or clay tunic laid upon the original model of baked clay and wax4 ,they served the double purpose of drawing off the wax1 whereby a space was left for the molten bronze to enter1 and also of facilitating the penetration of this molten metal by allowing a free escape of air and gas from the outer mould4 ,note #c4 ',una febbre efimera4' ,lit41 'a fever of one day's duration4' ,note #d4 ,some technical terms require explanation in this sentence4 ,the 'canali' or channels were sluices for carrying the molten metal from the furnace into the mould4 ,the 'mandriani1' which ,i have translated by 'iron crooks1' were poles fitted at the end with curved irons1 by which the openings of the furnace1 'plugs1' or in ,italian 'spine1' could be partially or wholly driven back1 so as to the molten metal flow through the channels into the mould4 ,when the metal reached the mould1 it entered in a red-hot stream between the 'tonaca1' or outside mould1 and the 'anima1' or inner block1 filling up exactly the space which had previously been occupied by the wax extracted by a method of slow burning alluded to above4 ,i believe that the process is known as 'casting cire perdue4' ,the 'forma1' or mould1 consisted of two pieces2 one hollow 7'la tonaca'71 which gave shape to the bronze2 one solid and rounded 7'la anima'71 which stood at a short interval within the former1 and regulated the influx of the metal4 ,see above1 p4 #ced1 note4 ,,lxxvi ,,no sooner had ,i got to bed1 than ,i ordered my serving-maids to carry food and wine for all the men into the workshop2 at the same time ,i cried3 8,i shall not be alive tomorrow40 ,they tried to encourage me1 arguing that my illness would pass over1 since it came from excessive fatigue4 ,in this way ,i spent two hours battling with the fever1 which steadily increased1 and calling out continually3 8,i feel that ,i am dying40 ,my housekeeper1 who was named ,mona ,fiore da ,castel del ,rio1 a very notable manager and no less warm-hearted1 kept chiding me for my discouragement2 but1 on the other hand1 she paid me every kind attention which was possible4 ,however1 the sight of my physical pain and moral dejection so affected her1 that1 in spite of that brave heart of hers1 she could not refrain from shedding tears2 and yet1 so far as she was able1 she took good care ,i should not see them4 ,while ,i was thus terribly afflicted1 ,i beheld the figure of a man enter my chamber1 twisted in his body into the form of a capital ,s4 ,he raised a lamentable1 doleful voice1 like one who announces their last hour to men condemned to die upon the scaffold1 and spoke these words3 8,o ,benvenuto6 your statue is spoiled1 and there is no hope whatever of saving it40 ,no sooner had ,i heard the shriek of that wretch than ,i gave a howl which might have been heard from the sphere of flame4 ,jumping from my bed1 ,i seized my clothes and began to dress4 ,the maids1 and my lads1 and every one who came around to help me1 got kicks or blows of the fist1 while ,i kept crying out in lamentation3 8,ah6 traitors6 enviers6 ,this is an act of treason1 done by malice prepense6 ,but ,i swear by ,god that ,i will sift it to the bottom1 and before ,i die will leave such witness to the world of what ,i can do as shall make a score of mortals marvel40 ,when ,i had got my clothes on1 ,i strode with soul bent on mischief toward the workshop2 there ,i beheld the men1 whom ,i had left erewhile in such high spirits1 standing stupefied and downcast4 ,i began at once and spoke3 8,up with you6 ,attend to me6 ,since you have not been able or willing to obey the directions ,i gave you1 obey me now that ,i am with you to conduct my work in person4 ,let no one contradict me1 for in cases like this we need the aid of hand and hearing1 not of advice40 ,when ,i had uttered these words1 a certain ,maestro ,alessandro ,lastricati broke silence and said3 8,look you1 ,benvenuto1 you are going to attempt an enterprise which the laws of art do not sanction1 and which cannot succeed40 ,i turned upon him with such fury and so full of mischief1 that he and all the rest of them exclaimed with one voice3 8,on then6 ,give orders6 ,we will obey your least commands1 so long as life is left in us40 ,i believe they spoke thus feelingly because they thought ,i must fall shortly dead upon the ground4 ,i went immediately to inspect the furnace1 and found that the metal was all curdled2 an accident which we express by 8being caked40 #a ,i told two of the hands to cross the road1 and fetch from the house of the butcher ,capretta a load of young oak-wood1 which had lain dry for above a year2 this wood had been previously offered me by ,madame ,ginevra1 wife of the said ,capretta4 ,so soon as the first armfuls arrived1 ,i began to fill the grate beneath the furnace4 #b ,now oak-wood of that kind heats more powerfully than any other sort of tree2 and for this reason1 where a slow fire is wanted1 as in the case of gun-foundry1 alder or pine is preferred4 ,accordingly1 when the logs took fire1 oh6 how the cake began to stir beneath that awful heat1 to glow and sparkle in a blaze6 ,at the same time ,i kept stirring up the channels1 and sent men upon the roof to stop the conflagration1 which had gathered force from the increased combustion in the furnace2 also ,i caused boards1 carpets1 and other hangings to be set up against the garden1 in order to protect us from the violence of the rain4 ,note #a4 ',essersi fatto un migliaccio4' ,note #b4 ,the ,italian is 'bracciaiuola1' a pit below the grating1 which receives the ashes from the furnace4 ,,lxxvii ,,when ,i had thus provided against these several disasters1 ,i roared out first to one man and then to another3 8,bring this thing here6 ,take that thing there60 ,at this crisis1 when the whole gang saw the cake was on the point of melting1 they did my bidding1 each fellow working with the strength of three4 ,i then ordered half a pig of pewter to be brought1 which weighed about sixty pounds1 and flung it into the middle of the cake inside the furnace4 ,by this means1 and by piling on wood and stirring now with pokers and now with iron rods1 the curdled mass rapidly began to liquefy4 ,then1 knowing ,i had brought the dead to life again1 against the firm opinion of those ignoramuses1 ,i felt such vigour fill my veins1 that all those pains of fever1 all those fears of death1 were quite forgotten4 ,all of a sudden an explosion took place1 attended by a tremendous flash of flame1 as though a thunderbolt had formed and been discharged amongst us4 ,unwonted and appalling terror astonished every one1 and me more even than the rest4 ,when the din was over and the dazzling light extinguished1 we began to look each other in the face4 ,then ,i discovered that the cap of the furnace had blown up1 and the bronze was bubbling over from its source beneath4 ,so ,i had the mouths of my mould immediately opened1 and at the same time drove in the two plugs which kept back the molten metal4 ,but ,i noticed that it did not flow as rapidly as usual1 the reason being probably that the fierce heat of the fire we kindled had consumed its base alloy4 ,accordingly ,i sent for all my pewter platters1 porringers1 and dishes1 to the number of some two hundred pieces1 and had a portion of them cast1 one by one1 into the channels1 the rest into the furnace4 ,this expedient succeeded1 and every one could now perceive that my bronze was in most perfect liquefaction1 and my mould was filling2 whereupon they all with heartiness and happy cheer assisted and obeyed my bidding1 while ,i1 now here1 now there1 gave orders1 helped with my own hands1 and cried aloud3 8,o ,god6 ,thou that by ,thy immeasurable power didst rise from the dead1 and in ,thy glory didst ascend to heaven60hellip24 even thus in a moment my mould was filled2 and seeing my work finished1 ,i fell upon my knees1 and with all my heart gave thanks to ,god4 ,after all was over1 ,i turned to a plate of salad on a bench there1 and ate with hearty appetite1 and drank together with the whole crew4 ,afterwards ,i retired to bed1 healthy and happy1 for it was now two hours before morning1 and slept as sweetly as though ,i had never felt a touch of illness4 ,my good housekeeper1 without my giving any orders1 had prepared a fat capon for my repast4 ,so that1 when ,i rose1 about the hour for breaking fast1 she presented herself with a smiling countenance1 and said3 8,oh6 is that the man who felt that he was dying8 ,upon my word1 ,i think the blows and kicks you dealt us last night1 when you were so enraged1 and had that demon in your body as it seemed1 must have frightened away your mortal fever6 ,the fever feared that it might catch it too1 as we did60 ,all my poor household1 relieved in like measure from anxiety and overwhelming labour1 went at once to buy earthen vessels in order to replace the pewter ,i had cast away4 ,then we dined together joyfully2 nay1 ,i cannot remember a day in my whole life when ,i dined with greater gladness or a better appetite4 ,after our meal ,i received visits from the several men who had assisted me4 ,they exchanged congratulations1 and thanked ,god for our success1 saying they had learned and seen things done which other masters judged impossible4 ,i too grew somewhat glorious2 and deeming ,i had shown myself a man of talent1 indulged a boastful humour4 ,so ,i thrust my hand into my purse1 and paid them all to their full satisfaction4 ,that evil fellow1 my mortal foe1 ,messer ,pier ,francesco ,ricci1 majordomo of the ,duke1 took great pains to find out how the affair had gone4 ,in answer to his questions1 the two men whom ,i suspected of having caked my metal for me1 said ,i was no man1 but of a certainty some powerful devil1 since ,i had accomplished what no craft of the art could do2 indeed they did not believe a mere ordinary fiend could work such miracles as ,i in other ways had shown4 ,they exaggerated the whole affair so much1 possibly in order to excuse their own part in it1 that the majordomo wrote an account to the ,duke1 who was then in ,pisa1 far more marvellous and full of thrilling incidents than what they had narrated4 ,,lxxviii ,,after ,i had let my statue cool for two whole days1 ,i began to uncover it by slow degrees4 ,the first thing ,i found was that the head of ,medusa had come out most admirably1 thanks to the air-vents2 for1 as ,i had told the ,duke1 it is the nature of fire to ascend4 ,upon advancing farther1 ,i discovered that the other head1 that1 namely1 of ,perseus1 had succeeded no less admirably2 and this astonished me far more1 because it is at a considerably lower level than that of the ,medusa4 ,now the mouths of the mould were placed above the head of ,perseus and behind his shoulders2 and ,i found that all the bronze my furnace contained had been exhausted in the head of this figure4 ,it was a miracle to observe that not one fragment remained in the orifice of the channel1 and that nothing was wanting to the statue4 ,in my great astonishment ,i seemed to see in this the hand of ,god arranging and controlling all4 ,i went on uncovering the statue with success1 and ascertained that everything had come out in perfect order1 until ,i reached the foot of the right leg on which the statue rests4 ,there the heel itself was formed1 and going farther1 ,i found the foot apparently complete4 ,this gave me great joy on the one side1 but was half unwelcome to me on the other1 merely because ,i had told the ,duke that it could not come out4 ,however1 when ,i reached the end1 it appeared that the toes and a little piece above them were unfinished1 so that about half the foot was wanting4 ,although ,i knew that this would add a trifle to my labour1 ,i was very well pleased1 because ,i could now prove to the ,duke how well ,i understood my business4 ,it is true that far more of the foot than ,i expected had been perfectly formed2 the reason of this was that1 from causes ,i have recently described1 the bronze was hotter than our rules of art prescribe2 also that ,i had been obliged to supplement the alloy with my pewter cups and platters1 which no one else1 ,i think1 had ever done before4 ,having now ascertained how successfully my work had been accomplished1 ,i lost no time in hurrying to ,pisa1 where ,i found the ,duke4 ,he gave me a most gracious reception1 as did also the ,duchess2 and although the majordomo had informed them of the whole proceedings1 their ,excellencies deemed my performance far more stupendous and astonishing when they heard the tale from my own mouth4 ,when ,i arrived at the foot of ,perseus1 and said it had not come out perfect1 just as ,i previously warned his ,excellency1 ,i saw an expression of wonder pass over his face1 while he related to the ,duchess how ,i had predicted this beforehand4 ,observing the princes to be so well disposed towards me1 ,i begged leave from the ,duke to go to ,rome4 ,he granted it in most obliging terms1 and bade me return as soon as possible to complete his ,perseus2 giving me letters of recommendation meanwhile to his ambassador1 ,averardo ,serristori4 ,we were then in the first years of ,pope ,giulio de ,monti4 #a ,note #a4 ,gio ,maria del ,monte ,sansovino was elected ,pope1 with the title of ,julius ,,iii41 in ,february #aeej4 ,,lxxix ,,before leaving home1 ,i directed my workpeople to proceed according to the method ,i had taught them4 ,the reason of my journey was as follows4 ,i had made a life-sized bust in bronze of ,bindo ,altoviti1 #a the son of ,antonio1 and had sent it to him at ,rome4 ,he set it up in his study1 which was very richly adorned with antiquities and other works of art2 but the room was not designed for statues or for paintings1 since the windows were too low1 so that the light coming from beneath spoiled the effect they would have produced under more favourable conditions4 ,it happened one day that ,bindo was standing at his door1 when ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti1 the sculptor1 passed by2 so he begged him to come in and see his study4 ,michel ,agnolo followed1 and on entering the room and looking round1 he exclaimed3 8,who is the master who made that good portrait of you in so fine a manner8 ,you must know that that bust pleases me as much1 or even more1 than those antiques2 and yet there are many fine things to be seen among the latter4 ,if those windows were above instead of beneath1 the whole collection would show to greater advantage1 and your portrait1 placed among so many masterpieces1 would hold its own with credit40 ,no sooner had ,michel ,agnolo left the house of ,bindo than he wrote me a very kind letter1 which ran as follows3 8,my dear ,benvenuto1 ,i have known you for many years as the greatest goldsmith of whom we have any information2 and henceforward ,i shall know you for a sculptor of like quality4 ,i must tell you that ,master ,bindo ,altoviti took me to see his bust in bronze1 and informed me that you had made it4 ,i was greatly pleased with the work2 but it annoyed me to notice that it was placed in a bad light2 for if it were suitably illuminated1 it would show itself to be the fine performance that it is40 ,this letter abounded with the most affectionate and complimentary expressions towards myself2 and before ,i left for ,rome1 ,i showed it to the ,duke1 who read it with much kindly interest1 and said to me3 8,benvenuto1 if you write to him1 and can persuade him to return to ,florence1 ,i will make him a member of the ,forty-eight40 #b ,accordingly ,i wrote a letter full of warmth1 and offered in the ,duke's name a hundred times more than my commission carried2 but not wanting to make any mistake1 ,i showed this to the ,duke before ,i sealed it1 saying to his most illustrious ,excellency3 8,prince1 perhaps ,i have made him too many promises40 ,he replied3 8,michel ,agnolo deserves more than you have promised1 and ,i will bestow on him still greater favours40 ,to this letter he sent no answer1 and ,i could see that the ,duke was much offended with him4 ,note #a4 ,this man was a member of a very noble ,florentine family4 ,born in #adia1 he was at this epoch ,tuscan ,consul in ,rome4 ,cellini's bust of him still exists in the ,palazzo ,altoviti at ,rome4 ,note #b4 ,this was one of the three ,councils created by ,clement ,,vii4 in #aecb1 when he changed the ,florentine constitution4 ,it corresponded to a ,senate4 ,,lxxx ,,when ,i reached ,rome1 ,i went to lodge in ,bindo ,altoviti's house4 ,he told me at once how he had shown his bronze bust to ,michel ,agnolo1 and how the latter had praised it4 ,so we spoke for some length upon this topic4 ,i ought to narrate the reasons why ,i had taken this portrait4 ,bindo had in his hands #abjj golden crowns of mine1 which formed part of #ejjj he had lent the ,duke2 #djjj were his own1 and mine stood in his name1 while ,i received that portion of the interest which accrued to me4 #a ,this led to my taking his portrait2 and when he saw the wax model for the bust1 he sent me fifty golden scudi by a notary in his employ1 named ,ser ,giuliano ,paccalli4 ,i did not want to take the money1 so ,i sent it back to him by the same hand1 saying at a later time to ,bindo3 8,i shall be satisfied if you keep that sum of mine for me at interest1 so that ,i may gain a little on it40 ,when we came to square accounts on this occasion1 ,i observed that he was ill disposed towards me1 since1 instead of treating me affectionately1 according to his previous wont1 he put on a stiff air2 and although ,i was staying in his house1 he was never good-humoured1 but always surly4 ,however1 we settled our business in a few words4 ,i sacrificed my pay for his portrait1 together with the bronze1 and we arranged that he should keep my money at #ae per cent4 during my natural life4 ,note #a4 ,to make the sum correct1 #ebjj ought to have been lent the ,duke4 ,,lxxxi ,,one of the first things ,i did was to go and kiss the ,pope's feet2 and while ,i was speaking with his ,holiness1 ,messer ,averardo ,serristori1 our ,duke's ,envoy1 arrived4 #a ,i had made some proposals to the ,pope1 which ,i think he would have agreed upon1 and ,i should have been very glad to return to ,rome on account of the great difficulties which ,i had at ,florence4 ,but ,i soon perceived that the ambassador had countermined me4 ,then ,i went to visit ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti1 and repeated what ,i had written from ,florence to him in the ,duke's name4 ,he replied that he was engaged upon the fabric of ,s4 ,peter's1 and that this would prevent him from leaving ,rome4 ,i rejoined that1 as he had decided on the model of that building1 he could leave its execution to his man ,urbino1 who would carry out his orders to the letter4 ,i added much about future favours1 in the form of a message from the ,duke4 ,upon this he looked me hard in the face1 and said with a sarcastic smile3 8,and you6 to what extent are you satisfied with him80 ,although ,i replied that ,i was extremely contented and was very well treated by his ,excellency1 he showed that he was acquainted with the greater part of my annoyances1 and gave as his final answer that it would be difficult for him to leave ,rome4 ,to this ,i added that he could not do better than to return to his own land1 which was governed by a prince renowned for justice1 and the greatest lover of the arts and sciences who ever saw the light of this world4 ,as ,i have remarked above1 he had with him a servant of his who came from ,urbino1 and had lived many years in his employment1 rather as valet and housekeeper than anything else2 this indeed was obvious1 because he had acquired no skill in the arts4 #b ,consequently1 while ,i was pressing ,michel ,agnolo with arguments he could not answer1 he turned round sharply to ,urbino1 as though to ask him his opinion4 ,the fellow began to bawl out in his rustic way3 8,i will never leave my master ,michel ,agnolo's side till ,i shall have flayed him or he shall have flayed me40 ,these stupid words forced me to laugh1 and without saying farewell1 ,i lowered my shoulders and retired4 ,note #a4 ,his despatches form a valuable series of historical documents4 ',firenze1' ,le ,monnier1 #ahec4 ,note #b4 ,upon the death of this ,urbino1 ,michel ,agnolo wrote a touching sonnet and a very feeling letter to ,vasari4 ,,lxxxii ,,the ,,miserable bargain ,i had made with ,bindo ,altoviti1 losing my bust and leaving him my capital for life1 taught me what the faith of merchants is2 so ,i returned in bad spirits to ,florence4 ,i went at once to the palace to pay my respects to the ,duke1 whom ,i found to be at ,castello beyond ,ponte a ,rifredi4 ,in the palace ,i met ,messer ,pier ,francesco ,ricci1 the majordomo1 and when ,i drew nigh to pay him the usual compliments1 he exclaimed with measureless astonishment3 8,oh1 are you come back80 and with the same air of surprise1 clapping his hands together1 he cried3 8,the ,duke is at ,castello60 then turned his back and left me4 ,i could not form the least idea why the beast behaved in such an extraordinary manner to me4 ,proceeding at once to ,castello1 and entering the garden where the ,duke was1 ,i caught sight of him at a distance2 but no sooner had he seen me than he showed signs of surprise1 and intimated that ,i might go about my business4 ,i had been reckoning that his ,excellency would treat me with the same kindness1 or even greater1 as before ,i left for ,rome2 so now1 when he received me with such rudeness4 ,i went back1 much hurt1 to ,florence4 ,while resuming my work and pushing my statue forward1 ,i racked my brains to think what could have brought about this sudden change in the ,duke's manner4 ,the curious way in which ,messer ,sforza and some other gentlemen close to his ,excellency's person eyed me1 prompted me to ask the former what the matter was4 ,he only replied with a sort of smile3 8,benvenuto1 do your best to be an honest man1 and have no concern for anything else40 ,a few days afterwards ,i obtained an audience of the ,duke1 who received me with a kind of grudging grace1 and asked me what ,i had been doing at ,rome4 ,to the best of my ability ,i maintained the conversation1 and told him the whole story about ,bindo ,altoviti's bust4 ,it was evident that he listened with attention2 so ,i went on talking about ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti4 ,at this he showed displeasure2 but ,urbino's stupid speech about the flaying made him laugh aloud4 ,then he said3 8,well1 it is he who suffers60 and ,i took my leave4 ,there can be no doubt that ,ser ,pier ,francesco1 the majordomo1 must have served me some ill turn with the ,duke1 which did not1 however1 succeed2 for ,god1 who loves the truth1 protected me1 as ,he hath ever saved me1 from a sea of dreadful dangers1 and ,i hope will save me till the end of this my life1 however full of trials it may be4 ,i march forward1 therefore1 with a good heart1 sustained alone by ,his divine power2 nor let myself be terrified by any furious assault of fortune or my adverse stars4 ,may only ,god maintain me in ,his grace6 ,,lxxxiii ,i ,,must beg your attention now1 most gracious reader1 for a very terrible event which happened4 ,i used the utmost diligence and industry to complete my statue1 and went to spend my evenings in the ,duke's wardrobe1 assisting there the goldsmiths who were working for his ,excellency4 ,indeed1 they laboured mainly on designs which ,i had given them4 ,noticing that the ,duke took pleasure in seeing me at work and talking with me1 ,i took it into my head to go there sometimes also by day4 ,it happened upon one of those days that his ,excellency came as usual to the room where ,i was occupied1 and more particularly because he heard of my arrival4 ,his ,excellency entered at once into conversation1 raising several interesting topics1 upon which ,i gave my views so much to his entertainment that he showed more cheerfulness than ,i had ever seen in him before4 ,all of a sudden1 one of his secretaries appeared1 and whispered something of importance in his ear2 whereupon the ,duke rose1 and retired with the official into another chamber4 ,now the ,duchess had sent to see what his ,excellency was doing1 and her page brought back this answer3 8,the ,duke is talking and laughing with ,benvenuto1 and is in excellent good-humour40 ,when the ,duchess heard this1 she came immediately to the wardrobe1 and not finding the ,duke there1 took a seat beside us4 ,after watching us at work a while1 she turned to me with the utmost graciousness1 and showed me a necklace of large and really very fine pearls4 ,on being asked by her what ,i thought of them1 ,i said it was in truth a very handsome ornament4 ,then she spoke as follows3 8,i should like the ,duke to buy them for me2 so ,i beg you1 my dear ,benvenuto1 to praise them to him as highly as you can40 ,at these words ,i disclosed my mind to the ,duchess with all the respect ,i could1 and answered3 8,my lady1 ,i thought this necklace of pearls belonged already to your most illus trious ,excellency4 ,now that ,i am aware you have not yet acquired them1 it is right1 nay1 more1 it is my duty to utter what ,i might otherwise have refrained from saying1 namely1 that my mature professional experience enables me to detect very grave faults in the pearls1 and for this reason ,i could never advise your ,excellency to purchase them40 ,she replied3 8,the merchant offers them for six thousand crowns2 and were it not for some of those trifling defects you speak of1 the rope would be worth over twelve thousand40 ,to this ,i replied1 that 8even were the necklace of quite flawless quality1 ,i could not advise any one to bid up to five thousand crowns for it2 for pearls are not gems2 pearls are but fishes' bones1 which in the course of time must lose their freshness4 ,diamonds1 rubies1 emeralds1 and sapphires1 on the contrary1 never grow old2 these four are precious stones1 and these it is quite right to purchase40 ,when ,i had thus spoken1 the ,duchess showed some signs of irritation1 and exclaimed3 8,i have a mind to possess these pearls2 so1 prithee1 take them to the ,duke1 and praise them up to the skies2 even if you have to use some words beyond the bounds of truth1 speak them to do me service2 it will be well for you60 ,i have always been the greatest friend of truth and foe of lies3 yet compelled by necessity1 unwilling to lose the favour of so great a princess1 ,i took those confounded pearls sorely against my inclination1 and went with them over to the other room1 whither the ,duke had withdrawn4 ,no sooner did he set eyes upon me than he cried3 8,o ,benvenuto6 what are you about here80 ,i uncovered the pearls and said3 8,my lord1 ,i am come to show you a most splendid necklace of pearls1 of the rarest quality1 and truly worthy of your ,excellency2 ,i do not believe it would be possible to put together eighty pearls which could show better than these do in a necklace4 ,my counsel therefore is1 that you should buy them1 for they are in good sooth miraculous40 ,he responded on the instant3 8,i do not choose to buy them2 they are not pearls of the quality and goodness you affirm2 ,i have seen the necklace1 and they do not please me40 ,then ,i added3 8,pardon me1 prince6 ,these pearls exceed in rarity and beauty any which were ever brought together for a necklace40 ,the ,duchess had risen1 and was standing behind a door listening to all ,i said4 ,well1 when ,i had praised the pearls a thousandfold more warmly than ,i have described above1 the ,duke turned towards me with a kindly look1 and said4 8,o my dear ,benvenuto1 ,i know that you have an excellent judgment in these matters4 ,if the pearls are as rare as you certify1 ,i should not hesitate about their purchase1 partly to gratify the ,duchess1 and partly to possess them1 seeing ,i have always need of such things1 not so much for her ,grace1 as for the various uses of my sons and daughters40 ,when ,i heard him speak thus1 having once begun to tell fibs1 ,i stuck to them with even greater boldness2 ,i gave all the colour of truth ,i could to my lies1 confiding in the promise of the ,duchess to help me at the time of need4 ,more than two hundred crowns were to be my commission on the bargain1 and the ,duchess had intimated that ,i should receive so much2 but ,i was firmly resolved not to touch a farthing1 in order to secure my credit1 and convince the ,duke ,i was not prompted by avarice4 ,once more his ,excellency began to address me with the greatest courtesy3 8,i know that you are consummate judge of these things2 therefore1 if you are the honest man ,i always thought you1 tell me now the truth40 ,thereat ,i flushed up to my eyes1 which at the same time filled with tears1 and said to him3 8,my lord1 if ,i tell your most illustrious ,excellency the truth1 ,i shall make a mortal foe of the ,duchess2 this will oblige me to depart from ,florence1 and my enemies will begin at once to pour contempt upon my ,perseus1 which ,i have announced as a masterpiece to the most noble school of your illustrious ,excellency4 ,such being the case1 ,i recommend myself to your most illustrious ,excellency40 ,,lxxxiv ,,the ,,duke was now aware that all my previous speeches had been1 as it were1 forced out of me4 ,so he rejoined3 8,if you have confidence in me1 you need not stand in fear of anything whatever40 ,i recommenced3 8,alas6 my lord1 what can prevent this coming to the ears of the ,duchess80 ,the ,duke lifted his hand in sign of troth-pledge1 #a and exclaimed3 8,be assured that what you say will be buried in a diamond casket60 ,to this engagement upon honour ,i replied by telling the truth according to my judgment1 namely1 that the pearls were not worth above two thousand crowns4 ,the ,duchess1 thinking we had stopped talking1 for we now were speaking in as low a voice as possible1 came forward1 and began as follows3 8,my lord1 do me1 the favour to purchase this necklace1 because ,i have set my heart on them1 and your ,benvenuto here has said he never saw a finer row of pearls40 ,the ,duke replied3 8,i do not choose to buy them40 8,why1 my lord1 will not your ,excellency gratify me by buying them80 8,because ,i do not care to throw my money out of the window40 ,the ,duchess recommenced3 8,what do you mean by throwing your money away1 when ,benvenuto1 in whom you place such well-merited confidence1 has told me that they would be cheap at over three thousand crowns80 ,then the ,duke said2 8,my lady6 my ,benvenuto here has told me that1 if ,i purchase this necklace1 ,i shall be throwing my money away1 inasmuch as the pearls are neither round nor well-matched1 and some of them are quite faded4 ,to prove that this is so1 look here6 look there6 consider this one and then that4 ,the necklace is not the sort of thing for me40 ,at these words the ,duchess cast a glance of bitter spite at me1 and retired with a threatening nod of her head in my direction4 ,i felt tempted to pack off at once and bid farewell to ,italy4 ,yet my ,perseus being all but finished1 ,i did not like to leave without exposing it to public view4 ,but ,i ask every one to consider in what a grievous plight ,i found myself6 ,the ,duke had given orders to his porters in my presence1 that if ,i appeared at the palace1 they should always admit me through his apartments to the place where he might happen to be4 ,the ,duchess commanded the same men1 whenever ,i showed my face at that palace1 to drive me from its gates4 ,accordingly1 no sooner did ,i present myself1 than these fellows left their doors and bade me begone2 at the same time they took good care lest the ,duke should perceive what they were after2 for if he caught sight of me before those wretches1 he either called me1 or beckoned to me to advance4 ,at this juncture the ,duchess sent for ,bernardone1 the broker1 of whom she had so often complained to me1 abusing his good-for-nothingness and utter worthlessness4 ,she now confided in him as she had previously done in me4 ,he replied3 8,my princess1 leave the matter in my hands40 ,then the rascal presented himself before the ,duke with that necklace in his hands4 ,no sooner did the ,duke set eyes on him than he bade him begone4 ,but the rogue lifted his big ugly voice1 which sounded like the braying of an ass through his huge nose1 and spoke to this effect3 8,ah6 my dear lord1 for ,heaven's sake buy this necklace for the poor ,duchess1 who is dying to have it1 and cannot indeed live without it40 ,the fellow poured forth so much of this stupid nonsensical stuff that the ,duke's patience was exhausted1 and he cried3 8,oh1 get away with you1 or blow your chaps out till ,i smack them60 ,the knave knew very well what he was after2 for if by blowing out his cheeks or singing ',la ,bella ,frances-china1' #b he could bring the ,duke to make that purchase1 then he gained the good grace of the ,duchess1 and to boot his own commission1 which rose to some hundreds of crowns4 ,consequently he did blow out his chaps4 ,the ,duke smacked them with several hearty boxes1 and1 in order to get rid of him1 struck rather harder than his wont was4 ,the sound blows upon his cheeks not only reddened them above their natural purple1 but also brought tears into his eyes4 ,all the same1 while smarting1 he began to cry3 8,lo6 my lord1 a faithful servant of his prince1 who tries to act rightly1 and is willing to put up with any sort of bad treatment1 provided only that poor lady have her heart's desire60 ,the ,duke tired of the ribald fellow1 either to recompense the cuffs which he had dealt him1 or for the ,duchess' sake1 whom he was ever most inclined to gratify1 cried out3 8,get away with you1 with ,god's curse on you6 ,go1 make the bargain2 ,i am willing to do what my lady ,duchess wishes40 ,from this incident we may learn to know how evil ,fortune exerts her rage against a poor right-minded man1 and how the strumpet ,luck can help a miserable rascal4 ,i lost the good graces of the ,duchess once and for ever1 and thereby went close to having the ,duke's protection taken from me4 ,he acquired that thumping fee for his commission1 and to boot their favour4 ,thus it will not serve us in this world to be merely men of honesty and talent4 ,note #a4 ',alz la fede4' ,note #b4 ,a popular ballad of the time4 ,,lxxxv ,,about this time the war of ,siena broke out1 #a and the ,duke1 wishing to fortify ,florence1 distributed the gates among his architects and sculptors4 ,i received the ,prato gate and the little one of ,arno1 which is on the way to the mills4 ,the ,cavaliere ,bandinello got the gate of ,san ,friano2 ,pasqualino d',ancona1 the gate at ,san ,pier ,gattolini2 ,giulian di ,baccio d',agnolo1 the wood-carver1 had the gate of ,san ,giorgio2 ,particino1 the wood-carver1 had the gate of ,santo ,niccol2 ,francesco da ,san ,gallo1 the sculptor1 called ,il ,margolla1 got the gate of ,santa ,croce2 and ,giovan ,battista1 surnamed ,il ,tasso1 the gate ,pinti4 #b ,other bastions and gates were assigned to divers engineers1 whose names ,i do not recollect1 nor indeed am ,i concerned with them4 ,the ,duke1 who certainly was at all times a man of great ability1 went round the city himself upon a tour of inspection1 and when he had made his mind up1 he sent for ,lattanzio ,gorini1 one of his paymasters4 ,now this man was to some extent an amateur of military architecture2 so his ,excellency commissioned him to make designs for the fortifications of the gates1 and sent each of us his own gate drawn according to the plan4 ,after examining the plan for mine1 and perceiving that it was very incorrect in many details1 ,i took it and went immediately to the ,duke4 ,when ,i tried to point out these defects1 the ,duke interrupted me and exclaimed with fury3 8,benvenuto1 ,i will give way to you upon the point of statuary1 but in this art of fortification ,i choose that you should cede to me4 ,so carry out the design which ,i have given you40 ,to these brave words ,i answered as gently as ,i could1 and said3 8,my lord1 your most illustrious ,excellency has taught me something even in my own fine art of statuary1 inasmuch as we have always exchanged ideas upon that subject2 ,i beg you then to deign to listen to me upon this matter of your fortifications1 which is far more important than making statues4 ,if ,i am permitted to discuss it also with your ,excellency1 you will be better able to teach me how ,i have to serve you40 ,this courteous speech of mine induced him to discuss the plans with me2 and when ,i had clearly demonstrated that they were not conceived on a right method1 he said3 8,go1 then1 and make a design yourself1 and ,i will see if it satisfies me40 ,accordingly1 ,i made two designs according to the right principles for fortifying those two gates1 and took them to him2 and when he distinguished the true from the false system1 he exclaimed good humouredly3 8,go and do it in your own way1 for ,i am content to have it so40 ,i set to work then with the greatest diligence4 ,note #a4 ,in the year #aeeb1 when ,piero ,strozzi acted as general for the ,french ,king1 ,henri ,,ii41 against the ,spaniards4 ,the war ended in the capitulation of ,siena in #aeee4 ,in #aeeg it was ceded by ,philip ,,ii4 to ,cosimo de' ,medici4 ,note #b4 ,these artists1 with the exception of pasqualino1 are all known to us in the conditions described by ,cellini4 ,francesco da ,san ,gallo was the son of ,giuliano1 and nephew of ,antonio da ,san ,gallo4 ,,lxxxvi ,,there was on guard at the gate of ,prato a certain ,lombard captain2 he was a truculent and stalwart fellow1 of incredibly coarse speech1 whose presumption matched his utter ignorance4 ,this man began at once to ask me what ,i was about there4 ,i politely exhibited my drawings1 and took infinite pains to make him understand my purpose4 ,the rude brute kept rolling his head1 and turning first to one side and then to the other1 shifting himself upon his legs1 and twirling his enormous moustachios2 then he drew his cap down over his eyes and roared out3 8,zounds6 deuce take it6 ,i can make nothing of this rigmarole40 ,at last the animal became so tiresome that ,i said3 8,leave it then to me1 who do understand it10 and turned my shoulders to go about my business4 ,at this he began to threaten me with his head1 and1 setting his left hand on the pommel of his sword1 tilted the point up1 and exclaimed3 8,hullo1 my master6 you want perhaps to make me cross blades with you80 ,i faced round in great fury1 for the man had stirred my blood1 and cried out3 8,it would be less trouble to run you through the body than to build the bastion of this gate40 ,in an instant we both set hands to our swords1 without quite drawing2 for a number of honest folk1 citizens of ,florence1 and others of them courtiers1 came running up4 ,the greater part of them rated the captain1 telling him that he was in the wrong1 that ,i was a man to give him back as good as ,i got1 and that if this came to the ,duke's ears1 it would be the worse for him4 ,accordingly he went off on his own business1 and ,i began with my bastion4 ,after setting things in order there1 ,i proceeded to the other little gate of ,arno1 where ,i found a captain from ,cesena1 the most polite1 well-mannered man ,i ever knew in that profession4 ,he had the air of a gentle young lady1 but at need he could prove himself one of the boldest and bloodiest fighters in the world4 ,this agreeable gentleman observed me so attentively that he made me bashful and self-conscious2 and seeing that he wanted to understand what ,i was doing1 ,i courteously explained my plans4 ,suffice it to say1 that we vied with each other in civilities1 which made me do far better with this bastion than with the other4 ,i had nearly finished the two bastions when an inroad of ,piero ,strozzi's people struck such terror into the countryfolk of ,prato that they began to leave it in a body1 and all their carts1 laden with the household goods of each family1 came crowding into the city4 ,the number of them was so enormous1 cart jostling with cart1 and the confusion was so great1 that ,i told the guards to look out lest the same misadventure should happen at this gate as had occurred at the gates of ,turin2 for if we had once cause to lower the portcullis1 it would not be able to perform its functions1 but must inevitably stick suspended upon one of the waggons4 ,when that big brute of a captain heard these words1 he replied with insults1 and ,i retorted in the same tone4 ,we were on the point of coming to a far worse quarrel than before4 ,however1 the folk kept us asunder2 and when ,i had finished my bastions1 ,i touched some score of crowns1 which ,i had not expected1 and which were uncommonly welcome4 ,so ,i returned with a blithe heart to finish my ,perseus4 ,,lxxxvii ,,during those days some antiquities had been discovered in the country round ,arezzo4 ,among them was the ,chimra1 that bronze lion which is to be seen in the rooms adjacent to the great hall of the palace4 #a ,together with the ,chimra a number of little statuettes1 likewise in bronze1 had been brought to light2 they were covered with earth and rust1 and each of them lacked either head or hands or feet4 ,the ,duke amused his leisure hours by cleaning up these statuettes himself with certain little chisels used by goldsmiths4 ,it happened on one occasion that ,i had to speak on business to his ,excellency2 and while we were talking1 he reached me a little hammer1 with which ,i struck the chisels the ,duke held1 and so the figures were disengaged from their earth and rust4 ,in this way we passed several evenings1 and then the ,duke commissioned me to restore the statuettes4 ,he took so much pleasure in these trifles that he made me work by day also1 and if ,i delayed coming1 he used to send for me4 ,i very often submitted to his ,excellency that if ,i left my ,perseus in the daytime1 several bad consequences would ensue4 ,the first of these1 which caused me the greatest anxiety1 was that1 seeing me spend so long a time upon my statue1 the ,duke himself might get disgusted2 which indeed did afterwards happen4 ,the other was that ,i had several journeymen who in my absence were up to two kinds of mischief2 first1 they spoilt my piece1 and then they did as little work as possible4 ,these arguments made his ,excellency consent that ,i should only go to the palace after twenty-four o'clock4 ,i had now conciliated the affection of his ,excellency to such an extent1 that every evening when ,i came to him he treated me with greater kindness4 ,about this time the new apartments were built toward the lions2 #b the ,duke then wishing to be able to retire into a less public part of the palace1 fitted up for himself a little chamber in these new lodgings1 and ordered me approach to it by a private passage4 ,i had to pass through his wardrobe1 then across the stage of the great hall1 and afterwards through certain little dark galleries and cabinets4 ,the ,duchess1 however1 after a few days1 deprived me of this means of access by having all the doors upon the path ,i had to traverse locked up4 ,the consequence was that every evening when ,i arrived at the palace1 ,i had to wait a long while1 because the ,duchess occupied the cabinets for her personal necessities4 #c ,her habit of body was unhealthy1 and so ,i never came without incommoding her4 ,this and other causes made her hate the very sight of me4 ,however1 nothwithstanding great discomforts and daily annoyances1 ,i persevered in going4 ,the ,duke's orders1 meanwhile1 were so precise1 that no sooner did ,i knock at those doors1 than they were immediately opened1 and ,i was allowed to pass freely where ,i chose4 ,the consequence was that occasionally1 while walking noiselessly and unexpectedly through the private rooms1 ,i came upon the ,duchess at a highly inconvenient moment4 ,bursting then into such a furious storm of rage that ,i was frightened1 she cried out3 8,when will you ever finish mending up those statuettes8 ,upon my word1 this perpetual going and coming of yours has grown to be too great a nuisance40 ,i replied as gently as ,i could3 8,my lady and sole mistress1 ,i have no other desire than to serve you loyally and with the strictest obedience4 ,this work to which the ,duke has put me will last several months2 so tell me1 most illustrious ,excellency1 whether you wish me not to come here any more4 ,in that case ,i will not come1 whoever calls me2 nay1 should the ,duke himself send for me1 ,i shall reply that ,i am ill1 and by no means will ,i intrude again40 ,to this speech she made answer3 8,i do not bid you not to come1 nor do ,i bid you to disobey the ,duke2 but ,i repeat that your work seems to me as though it would never be finished40 ,whether the ,duke heard something of this encounter1 or whatever the cause was1 he began again as usual4 ,toward twenty-four o'clock he sent for me2 and his messenger always spoke to this effect3 8,take good care1 and do not fail to come1 for the ,duke is waiting for you40 ,in this way ,i continued1 always with the same inconveniences1 to put in an appearance on several successive evenings4 ,upon one occasion among others1 arriving in my customary way1 the ,duke1 who had probably been talking with the ,duchess about private matters1 turned upon me in a furious anger4 ,i was terrified1 and wanted to retire4 ,but he called out3 8,come in1 friend ,benvenuto2 go to your affairs2 ,i will rejoin you in a few moments40 ,while ,i was passing onward1 ,don ,garzia1 then quite a little fellow1 plucked me by the cape1 and played with me as prettily as such a child could do4 ,the ,duke looked up delighted1 and exclaimed3 8,what pleasant and friendly terms my boys are on with you60 ,note #a4 ,now in the ,uffizzi4 ,note #b4 ,lions from a very early period had always been kept in part of the ,palazzo ,vecchio4 ,note #c4 ',alle sue comodit4' ,,lxxxviii ,,while ,i was working at these bagatelles1 the ,prince1 and ,don ,giovanni1 and ,don ,arnando1 and ,don ,garzia kept always hovering around me1 teasing me whenever the ,duke's eyes were turned4 #a ,i begged them for mercy's sake to hold their peace4 ,they answered3 8,that we cannot do40 ,i told them3 8,what one cannot is required of no one6 ,so have your will6 ,along with you60 ,at this both ,duke and ,duchess burst out laughing4 ,another evening1 after ,i had finished the small bronze figures which are wrought into the pedestal of ,perseus1 that is to say1 the ,jupiter1 ,mercury1 ,minerva1 and ,dan1 with the little ,perseus seated at his mother's feet1 ,i had them carried into the room where ,i was wont to work1 and arranged them in a row1 raised somewhat above the line of vision1 so that they produced a magnificent effect4 ,the ,duke heard of this1 and made his entrance sooner than usual4 ,it seems that the person who informed his ,excellency praised them above their merit1 using terms like 8far superior to the ancients10 and so forth2 wherefore the ,duke came talking pleasantly with the ,duchess about my doings4 ,i rose at once and went to meet them4 ,with his fine and truly princely manner he received me1 lifting his right hand1 in which he held as superb a pear-graft as could possibly be seen4 8,take it1 my ,benvenuto60 he exclaimed2 8plant this pear in your garden40 ,to these words ,i replied with a delighted gesture3 8,o my lord1 does your most illustrious ,excellency really mean that ,i should plant it in the garden of my house8 8,yes10 he said1 8in the garden of the house which belongs to you4 ,have you understood me80 ,i thanked his ,excellency1 and the ,duchess in like manner1 with the best politeness ,i could use4 ,after this they both took seats in front of the statues1 and for more than two hours went on talking about nothing but the beauties of the work4 ,the ,duchess was wrought up to such an enthusiasm that she cried out3 8,i do not like to let those exquisite figures be wasted on the pedestal down there in the piazza1 where they will run the risk of being injured4 ,i would much rather have you fix them in one of my apartments1 where they will be preserved with the respect due to their singular artistic qualities40 ,i opposed this plan with many forcible arguments2 but when ,i saw that she was determined ,i should not place them on the pedestal where they now stand1 ,i waited till next day1 and went to the palace about twenty-two o'clock4 ,ascertaining that the ,duke and ,duchess were out riding1 and having already prepared the pedestal1 ,i had the statues carried down1 and soldered them with lead into their proper niches4 ,oh1 when the ,duchess knew of this1 how angry she was6 ,had it not been for the ,duke1 who manfully defended me1 ,i should have paid dearly for my daring4 ,her indignation about the pearls1 and now again about this matter of the statues1 made her so contrive that the ,duke abandoned his amusements in our workshop4 ,consequently ,i went there no more1 and was met again with the same obstructions as formerly whenever ,i wanted to gain access to the palace4 ,note #a4 ,the ,prince was ,don ,francesco1 then aged twelve2 ,don ,giovanni was ten1 ,don ,garzia was six1 and ,don ,ferdinando four4 ,,lxxxix ,i ,,returned to the ,loggia1 #a whither my ,perseus had already been brought1 and went on putting the last touches to my work1 under the old difficulties always2 that is to say1 lack of money1 and a hundred untoward accidents1 the half of which would have cowed a man armed with adamant4 ,however1 ,i pursued my course as usual2 and one morning1 after ,i had heard mass at ,san ,piero ,scheraggio1 that brute ,bernardone1 broker1 worthless goldsmith1 and by the ,duke's grace purveyor to the mint1 passed by me4 ,no sooner had he got outside the church than the dirty pig let fly four cracks which might have been heard from ,san ,miniato4 ,i cried3 8,yah6 pig1 poltroon1 donkey6 is that the noise your filthy talents make80 and ran off for a cudgel4 ,he took refuge on the instant in the mint2 while ,i stationed myself inside my housedoor1 which ,i left ajar1 setting a boy at watch upon the street to warn me when the pig should leave the mint4 ,after waiting some time1 ,i grew tired1 and my heat cooled4 ,reflecting1 then1 that blows are not dealt by contract1 and that some disaster might ensue1 ,i resolved to wreak my vengeance by another method4 ,the incident took place about the feast of our ,san ,giovanni1 one or two days before2 so ,i composed four verses1 and stuck them up in an angle of the church where people go to ease themselves4 ,the verses ran as follows3-- 8,here lieth ,bernardone1 ass and pig1 ,spy1 broker1 thief1 in whom ,pandora planted ,all her worst evils1 and from thence transplanted ,into that brute ,buaccio's carcass big40 #b ,both the incident and the verses went the round of the palace1 giving the ,duke and ,duchess much amusement4 ,but1 before the man himself knew what ,i had been up to1 crowds of people stopped to read the lines and laughed immoderately at them4 ,since they were looking towards the mint and fixing their eyes on ,bernardone1 his son1 ,maestro ,baccio1 taking notice of their gestures1 tore the paper down with fury4 ,the elder bit his thumb1 shrieking threats out with that hideous voice of his1 which comes forth through his nose2 indeed he made a brave defiance4 #c ,note #a4 ,that is1 the ,loggia de' ,lanzi1 on the great piazza of ,florence1 where ,cellini's statue still stands4 ,note #b4 ,if ,i understand the obscure lines of the original1 ,cellini wanted to kill two birds with one stone by this epigram--both ,bernardone and his son ,baccio4 ,but by ,buaccio he generally means ,baccio ,bandinelli4 ,note #c4 ,to bite the thumb at any one was1 as students of our old drama know1 a sign of challenge or provocation4 ,,xc ,,when the ,duke was informed that the whole of my work for the ,perseus could be exhibited as finished1 he came one day to look at it4 ,his manner showed clearly that it gave him great satisfaction2 but afterwards he turned to some gentlemen attending him and said3 8,although this statue seems in our eyes a very fine piece1 still it has yet to win the favour of the people4 ,therefore1 my ,benvenuto1 before you put the very last touches on1 ,i should like you1 for my sake1 to remove a part of the scaffolding on the side of the piazza1 some day toward noon1 in order that we may learn what folk think of it4 ,there is no doubt that when it is thrown open to space and light1 it will look very differently from what it does in this enclosure40 ,i replied with all humility to his ,excellency3 8,you must know1 my lord1 that it will make more than twice as good a show4 ,oh1 how is it that your most illustrious ,excellency has forgotten seeing it in the garden of my house8 ,there1 in that large extent of space1 it showed so bravely that ,bandinello1 coming through the garden of the ,innocents to look at it1 was compelled1 in spite of his evil and malignant nature1 to praise it1 he who never praised aught or any one in all his life6 ,i perceive that your ,excellency lends too ready an ear to that fellow40 ,when ,i had done speaking1 he smiled ironically and a little angrily2 yet he replied with great kindness3 8,do what ,i ask1 my ,benvenuto1 just to please me40 ,when the ,duke had left1 ,i gave orders to have the screen removed4 ,yet some trifles of gold1 varnish1 and various other little finishings were still wanting2 wherefore ,i began to murmur and complain indignantly1 cursing the unhappy day which brought me to ,florence4 ,too well ,i knew already the great and irreparable sacrifice ,i made when ,i left ,france2 nor could ,i discover any reasonable ground for hope that ,i might prosper in the future with my prince and patron4 ,from the commencement to the middle and the ending1 everything that ,i had done had been performed to my great disadvantage4 ,therefore1 it was with deep ill-humour that ,i disclosed my statue on the following day4 ,now it pleased ,god that1 on the instant of its exposure to view1 a shout of boundless enthusiasm went up in commendation of my work1 which consoled me not a little4 ,the folk kept on attaching sonnets to the posts of the door1 which was protected with a curtain while ,i gave the last touches to the statue4 ,i believe that on the same day when ,i opened it a few hours to the public1 more than twenty were nailed up1 all of them overflowing with the highest panegyrics4 ,afterwards1 when ,i once more shut it off from view1 every day brought sonnets1 with ,latin and ,greek verses2 for the ,university of ,pisa was then in vacation1 and all the doctors and scholars kept vying with each other who could praise it best4 ,but what gratified me most1 and inspired me with most hope of the ,duke's support1 was that the artists1 sculptors and painters alike1 entered into the same generous competition4 ,i set the highest value on the eulogies of that excellent painter ,jacopo ,pontormo1 and still more on those of his able pupil ,bronzino1 who was not satisfied with merely publishing his verses1 but sent them by his lad ,sandrino's hand to my own house4 #a ,they spoke so generously of my performance1 in that fine style of his which is most exquisite1 that this alone repaid me somewhat for the pain of my long troubles4 ,so then ,i closed the screen1 and once more set myself to finishing my statue4 ,note #a4 ,jacopo ,carrucci da ,pantormo was now an old man4 ,he died in #aeeh1 aged sixty-five years4 ,angelo ,allori1 called ,il ,bronzino1 one of the last fairly good ,florentine painters1 won considerable distinction as a writer of burlesque poems4 ,he died in #aega1 aged sixty-nine years4 ,we possess his sonnets of the perseus4 ,,xci ,,the ,,great compliments which this short inspection of my ,perseus had elicited from the noble school of ,florence1 though they were well known to the ,duke1 did not prevent him from saying3 8,i am delighted that ,benvenuto has had this trifling satisfaction1 which will spur him on to the desired conclusion with more speed and diligence4 ,do not1 however1 let him imagine that1 when his ,perseus shall be finally exposed to view from all sides1 folk in general will be so lavish of their praises4 ,on the contrary1 ,i am afraid that all its defects will then be brought home to him1 and more will be detected than the statue really has4 ,so let him arm himself with patience40 ,these were precisely the words which ,bandinello had whispered in the ,duke's ears1 citing the works of ,andrea del ,verrocchio1 who made that fine bronze of ,christ and ,s4 ,thomas on the front of ,orsammichele2 at the same time he referred to many other statues1 and dared even to attack the marvellous ,david of divine ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti1 accusing it of only looking well if seen in front2 finally1 he touched upon the multitude of sarcastic sonnets which were called forth by his own ,hercules and ,cacus1 and wound up with abusing the people of ,florence4 ,now the ,duke1 who was too much inclined to credit his assertions1 encouraged the fellow to speak thus1 and thought in his own heart that things would go as he had prophesied1 because that envious creature ,bandinello never ceased insinuating malice4 ,on one occasion it happened that the gallows bird ,bernardone1 the broker1 was present at these conversations1 and in support of ,bandinello's calumnies1 he said to the ,duke3 8,you must remember1 prince1 that statues on a large scale are quite a different dish of soup from little figures4 ,i do not refuse him the credit of being excellent at statuettes in miniature4 ,but you will soon see that he cannot succeed in that other sphere of art40 ,to these vile suggestions he added many others of all sorts1 plying his spy's office1 and piling up a mountain of lies to boot4 ,,xcii ,,now it pleased my glorious ,lord and immortal ,god that at last ,i brought the whole work to completion3 and on a certain ,thursday morning ,i exposed it to the public gaze4 #a ,immediately1 before the sun was fully in the heavens1 there assembled such a multitude of people that no words could describe them4 ,all with one voice contended which should praise it most4 ,the ,duke was stationed at a window low upon the first floor of the palace1 just above the entrance2 there1 half hidden1 he heard everything the folk were saying of my statue4 ,after listening through several hours1 he rose so proud and happy in his heart that he turned to his attendant1 ,messer ,sforza1 and exclaimed3 8,sforza1 go and seek out ,benvenuto2 tell him from me that he has delighted me far more than ,i expected3 say too that ,i shall reward him in a way which will astonish him2 so bid him be of good courage40 ,in due course1 ,messer ,sforza discharged this glorious embassy1 which consoled me greatly4 ,i passed a happy day1 partly because of the ,duke's message1 and also because the folk kept pointing me out as something marvellous and strange4 ,among the many who did so1 were two gentlemen1 deputed by the ,viceroy of ,sicily #b to our ,duke on public business4 ,now these two agreeable persons met me upon the piazza3 ,i had been shown them in passing1 and now they made monstrous haste to catch me up2 then1 with caps in hand1 they uttered an oration so ceremonious1 that it would have been excessive for a ,pope4 ,i bowed1 with every protestation of humility4 ,they meanwhile continued loading me with compliments1 until at last ,i prayed them1 for kindness' sake1 to leave the piazza in my company1 because the folk were stopping and staring at me more than at my ,perseus4 ,in the midst of all these ceremonies1 they went so far as to propose that ,i should come to ,sicily1 and offered to make terms which should content me4 ,they told me how ,fra ,giovan ,agnolo de' ,servi #c had constructed a fountain for them1 complete in all parts1 and decorated with a multitude of figures2 but it was not in the same good style they recognised in ,perseus1 and yet they had heaped riches on the man4 ,i would not suffer them to finish all their speeches1 but answered3 8,you give me much cause for wonder1 seeking as you do to make me quit the service of a prince who is the greatest patron of the arts that ever lived2 and ,i too here in my own birthplace1 famous as the school of every art and science6 ,oh1 if my soul's desire had been set on lucre1 ,i could have stayed in ,france1 with that great monarch ,francis1 who gave me a thousand golden crowns a year for board1 and paid me in addition the price of all my labour4 ,in his service ,i gained more than four thousand golden crowns the year40 ,with these and such like words ,i cut their ceremonies short1 thanking them for the high praises they had bestowed upon me1 which were indeed the best reward that artists could receive for their labours4 ,i told them they had greatly stimulated my zeal1 so that ,i hoped1 after a few years were passed1 to exhibit another masterpiece1 which ,i dared believe would yield far truer satisfaction to our noble school of ,florence4 ,the two gentlemen were eager to resume the thread of their complimentary proposals1 whereupon ,i1 lifting my cap and making a profound bow1 bade them a polite farewell4 ,note #a4 ,april #bg1 #aeed4 ,note #b4 ,don ,juan de ,vega4 ,note #c4 ,giovanni ,angelo ,montorsoli entered the ,order of the ,servites in #aecj4 ,this did not prevent him from plying his profession of sculptor4 ,the work above alluded to is the fountain at ,messina4 ,,xciii ,,when two more days had passed1 and the chorus of praise was ever on the increase1 ,i resolved to go and present myself to the ,duke1 who said with great good-humour3 8,my ,benvenuto1 you have satisfied and delighted me2 but ,i promise that ,i will reward you in such wise as will make you wonder2 and ,i tell you that ,i do not mean to delay beyond to-morrow40 ,on hearing this most welcome assurance1 ,i turned all the forces of my soul and body to ,god1 fervently offering up thanks to ,him4 ,at the same moment ,i approached the ,duke1 and almost weeping for gladness1 kissed his robe4 ,then ,i added3 8,o my glorious prince1 true and most generous lover of the arts1 and of those who exercise them6 ,i entreat your most illustrious ,excellency to allow me eight days first to go and return thanks to ,god2 for ,i alone know what travail ,i have endured1 and that my earnest faith has moved ,him to assist me4 ,in gratitude for this and all other marvellous mercies1 ,i should like to travel eight days on pilgrimage1 continually thanking my immortal ,god1 who never fails to help those who call upon ,him with sincerity40 ,the ,duke then asked me where ,i wished to go4 ,i answered3 8,to-morrow ,i shall set out for ,vallombrosa1 thence to ,camaldoli and the ,ermo1 afterwards ,i shall proceed to the ,bagni di ,santa ,maria1 and perhaps so far as ,sestile1 because ,i hear of fine antiquities to be seen there4 #a ,then ,i shall retrace my steps by ,san ,francesco della ,vernia1 and1 still with thanks to ,god1 return light-hearted to your service40 ,the ,duke replied at once with cheerful kindness3 8,go and come back again1 for of a truth you please me2 but do not forget to send a couple of lines by way of memorandum1 and leave the rest to me40 ,i wrote four lines that very day1 in which ,i thanked his ,excellency for expected favours1 and gave these to ,messer ,sforza1 who placed them in the ,duke's hands4 ,the latter took them1 and then handed them to ,messer ,sforza1 remarking3 8,see that you put these lines each day where ,i can see them2 for if ,benvenuto comes back and finds ,i have not despatched his business1 ,i think that he will murder me40 ,thus laughing1 his ,excellency asked to be reminded4 ,messer ,sforza reported these precise words to me on the same evening1 laughing too and expressing wonder at the great favour shown me by the ,duke4 ,he pleasantly added3 8,go1 ,benvenuto1 and come again quickly1 for indeed ,i am jealous of you40 ,note #a4 ,the ,ermo is more correctly ,eremo1 and ,vernia is ,alvernia4 ,,xciv ,,in ,god's name then ,i left ,florence1 continually singing psalms and prayers in ,his honour upon all that journey4 ,i enjoyed it extremely2 for the season was fine1 in early summer1 and the country through which ,i travelled1 and which ,i had never seen before1 struck me as marvellously beautiful4 ,now ,i had taken with me to serve as guide a young workman in my employ1 who came from ,bagno1 and was called ,cesare4 ,thanks to him1 then1 ,i received the kindest hospitality from his father and all his family1 among whom was an old man of more than seventy1 extremely pleasant in his conversation4 ,he was ,cesare's uncle1 a surgeon by profession1 and a dabbler in alchemy4 ,this excellent person made me observe that the ,bagni contained mines of gold and silver1 and showed me many interesting objects in the neighbourhood2 so that ,i enjoyed myself as much as ,i have ever done4 ,one day1 when we had become intimate and he could trust me1 he spoke as follows3 8,i must not omit to tell you a thought of mine1 to which his ,excellency might with advantage pay attention4 ,it is1 that not far from ,camaldoli there lies a mountain pass so ill defended1 that ,piero ,strozzi could not only cross it without risk1 but might also seize on ,poppi #a unmolested40 ,not satisfied with this description1 he also took a sheet of paper from his pouch1 upon which the good old man had drawn the whole country1 so that the seriousness of the danger could be manifest upon inspection of the map4 ,i took the design and left ,bagno at once1 travelling homeward as fast as ,i could by ,prato ,magno and ,san ,francesco della ,vernia4 ,on reaching ,florence1 ,i only stopped to draw off my riding-boots1 and hurried to the palace4 ,just opposite the ,badia ,i met the ,duke1 who was coming by the palace of the ,podesta4 ,when he saw me he gave me a very gracious reception1 and showing some surprise1 exclaimed3 8,why have you come back so quickly2 ,i did not expect you for eight days at least40 ,i answered3 8,the service of your most illustrious ,excellency brings me back1 else ,i should very willingly have stayed some few days longer on my journey through that lovely country40 8,well1 and what good news have you80 said he4 ,i answered3 8,prince1 ,i must talk to you about things of the greatest importance which ,i have to disclose40 ,so ,i followed him to the palace1 and when we were there1 he took me privately into a chamber where we stayed a while alone together4 ,i then unfolded the whole matter and showed him the little map1 with which he seemed to be much gratified4 ,when ,i told his ,excellency that one ought to take measures at once1 he reflected for a little while and then said3 8,i may inform you that we have agreed with the ,duke of ,urbino that he should guard the pass2 but do not speak about it40 ,then he dismissed me with great demonstrations of good-will1 and ,i went home4 ,note #a4 ,a village in the ,castenino4 ,piero ,strozzi was at this time in ,valdichiana4 ,,xcv ,,next day ,i presented myself1 and1 after a few words of conversation1 the ,duke addressed me cheerfully2 8,to-morrow1 without fail1 ,i mean to despatch your business2 set your mind at rest1 then40 ,i1 who felt sure that he meant what he said1 waited with great impatience for the morrow4 ,when the longed-for day arrived1 ,i betook me to the palace2 and as it always happens that evil tidings travel faster than good news1 ,messer ,giacopo ,guidi1 #a secretary to his ,excellency1 called me with his wry mouth and haughty voice2 drawing himself up as stiff as a poker1 he began to speak to this effect3 8,the ,duke says he wants you to tell him how much you ask for your ,perseus40 ,i remained dumbfounded and astonished2 yet ,i quickly replied that it was not my custom to put prices on my work1 and that this was not what his ,excellency had promised me two days ago4 ,the man raised his voice1 and ordered me expressly in the ,duke's name1 under the penalty of his severe displeasure1 to say how much ,i wanted4 ,now ,i had hoped not only to gain some handsome reward1 trusting to the mighty signs of kindness shown me by the ,duke1 but ,i had still more expected to secure the entire good graces of his ,excellency1 seeing ,i never asked for anything1 but only for his favour4 ,accordingly1 this wholly unexpected way of dealing with me put me in a fury1 and ,i was especially enraged by the manner which that venomous toad assumed in discharging his commission4 ,i exclaimed that if the ,duke gave me ten thousand crowns ,i should not be paid enough1 and that if ,i had ever thought things would come to this haggling1 ,i should not have settled in his service4 ,thereupon the surly fellow began to abuse me1 and ,i gave it him back again4 ,upon the following day1 when ,i paid my respects to the ,duke1 he beckoned to me4 ,i approached1 and he exclaimed in anger3 8,cities and great palaces are built with ten thousands of ducats40 ,i rejoined3 8,your ,excellency can find multitudes of men who are able to build you cities and palaces1 but you will not1 perhaps1 find one man in the world who could make a second ,perseus40 ,then ,i took my leave without saying or doing anything farther4 ,a few days afterwards the ,duchess sent for me1 and advised me to put my difference with the ,duke into her hands1 since she thought she could conduct the business to my satisfaction4 ,on hearing these kindly words ,i replied that ,i had never asked any other recompense for my labours than the good graces of the ,duke1 and that his most illustrious ,excellency had assured me of this2 it was not needful that ,i should place in their ,excellencies' hands what ,i had always frankly left to them from the first days when ,i undertook their service4 ,i farther added that if his most illustrious ,excellency gave me but a 'crazia1' #b which is worth five farthings1 for my work1 ,i should consider myself contented1 provided only that his ,excellency did not deprive me of his favour4 ,at these words the ,duchess smiled a little and said3 8,benvenuto1 you would do well to act as ,i advise you40 ,then she turned her back and left me4 ,i thought it was my best policy to speak with the humility ,i have above described2 yet it turned out that ,i had done the worst for myself1 because1 albeit she had harboured some angry feelings toward me1 she had in her a certain way of dealing which was generous4 ,note #a4 ,it appears from a letter written by ,guidi to ,bandinelli that he hated ,cellini1 whom he called 'pessimo mostro di natura4' ,guidi was made ,bishop of ,penna in #aefa1 and attended the ,council of ,trent4 ,note #b4 ,a small ,tuscan coin4 ,,xcvi ,,about that time ,i was very intimate with ,girolamo degli ,albizzi1 #a commissary of the ,duke's militia4 ,one day this friend said to me3 8,o ,benvenuto1 it would not be a bad thing to put your little difference of opinion with the ,duke to rights2 and ,i assure you that if you repose confidence in me1 ,i feel myself the man to settle matters4 ,i know what ,i am saying4 ,the ,duke is getting really angry1 and you will come badly out of the affair4 ,let this suffice2 ,i am not at liberty to say all ,i know40 ,now1 subsequently to that conversation with the ,duchess1 ,i had been told by some one1 possibly a rogue1 that he had heard how the ,duke said upon some occasion which offered itself3 8,for less than two farthings ,i will throw ,perseus to the dogs1 and so our differences will be ended40 ,this1 then1 made me anxious1 and induced me to entrust ,girolamo degli ,albizzi with the negotiations1 telling him anything would satisfy me provided ,i retained the good graces of the ,duke4 ,that honest fellow was excellent in all his dealings with soldiers1 especially with the militia1 who are for the most part rustics2 but he had no taste for statuary1 and therefore could not understand its conditions4 ,consequently1 when he spoke to the ,duke1 he began thus3 8,prince1 ,benvenuto has placed himself in my hands1 and has begged me to recommend him to your ,excellency40 ,the ,duke replied3 8,i too am willing to refer myself to you1 and shall be satisfied with your decision40 ,thereupon ,girolamo composed a letter1 with much skill and greatly to my honour1 fixing the sum which the ,duke would have to pay me at #cejj golden crowns in gold2 and this should not be taken as my proper recompense for such a masterpiece1 but only as a kind of gratuity2 enough to say that ,i was satisfied2 with many other phrases of like tenor1 all of which implied the price which ,i have mentioned4 ,the ,duke signed this agreement as gladly as ,i took it sadly4 ,when the ,duchess heard1 she said3 8,it would have been better for that poor man if he had placed himself in my hands2 ,i could have got him five thousand crowns in gold40 ,one day1 when ,i went to the palace1 she repeated these same words to me in the presence of ,messer ,alamanno ,salviati1 #b and laughed at me a little1 saying that ,i deserved my bad luck4 ,the ,duke gave orders that ,i should be paid a hundred golden crowns in gold per month1 until the sum was discharged2 and thus it ran for some months4 ,afterwards1 ,messer ,antonio de' ,nobili1 who had to transact the business1 began to give me fifty1 and sometimes later on he gave me twenty-five1 and sometimes nothing4 ,accordingly1 when ,i saw that the settlement was being thus deferred1 ,i spoke good-humouredly to ,messer ,antonio1 and begged him to explain why he did not complete my payments4 ,he answered in a like tone of politeness2 yet it struck me that he exposed his own mind too much4 ,let the reader judge4 ,he began by saying that the sole reason why he could not go forward regularly with these payments1 was the scarcity of money at the palace2 but he promised1 when cash came in1 to discharge arrears4 ,then he added3 8,oh heavens6 if ,i did not pay you1 ,i should be an utter rogue40 ,i was somewhat surprised to hear him speak in that way2 yet ,i resolved to hope that he would pay me when he had the power to do so4 ,but when ,i observed that things went quite the contrary way1 and saw that ,i was being pillaged1 ,i lost temper with the man1 and recalled to his memory hotly and in anger what he had declared he would be if he did not pay me4 ,however1 he died2 and five hundred crowns are still owing to me at the present date1 which is nigh upon the end of #aeff4 #c ,there was also a balance due upon my salary which ,i thought would be forgotten1 since three years had elapsed without payment4 ,but it so happened that the ,duke fell ill of a serious malady1 remaining forty-eight hours without passing water4 ,finding that the remedies of his physicians availed nothing1 it is probable that he betook himself to ,god1 and therefore decreed the discharge of all debts to his servants4 ,i too was paid on this occasion1 yet ,i never obtained what still stood out upon my ,perseus4 ,note #a4 ,a warm partisan of the ,medici4 ,he was a cousin of ,maria ,salviati1 ,cosimo's mother4 ,it was rumoured that he caused the historian ,francesco ,guicciardini's death by poison4 ,we find him godfather to one of ,cellini's children4 ,note #b4 ,this ,salviati and the ,de' ,nobili mentioned afterwards occupied a distinguished place in ,florentine annals as partisans of the ,medici4 ,note #c4 ,cellini began to write his ',memoirs' in #aeeh4 ,eight years had therefore now elapsed4 ,,xcvii ,i ,,had almost determined to say nothing more about that unlucky ,perseus2 but a most remarkable incident1 which ,i do not like to omit1 obliges me to do so2 wherefore ,i must now turn back a bit1 to gather up the thread of my narration4 ,i thought ,i was acting for the best when ,i told the ,duchess that ,i could not compromise affairs which were no longer in my hands1 seeing ,i had informed the ,duke that ,i should gladly accept whatever he chose to give me4 ,i said this in the hope of gaining favour2 and with this manifestation of submissiveness ,i employed every likely means of pacifying his resentment2 for ,i ought to add that a few days before he came to terms with ,albizzi1 the ,duke had shown he was excessively displeased with me4 ,the reason was as follows3 ,i complained of some abominable acts of injustice done to me by ,messer ,alfonso ,quistelli1 ,messer ,jacopo ,polverino of the ,exchequer1 and more than all by ,ser ,giovanbattista ,brandini of ,volterra4 ,when1 therefore1 ,i set forth my cause with some vehemence1 the ,duke flew into the greatest rage conceivable4 ,being thus in anger1 he exclaimed3 8,this is just the same as with your ,perseus1 when you asked those ten thousand crowns4 ,you let yourself be blinded by mere cupidity4 ,therefore ,i shall have the statue valued1 and shall give you what the experts think it worth40 ,to these words ,i replied with too much daring and a touch of indignation1 which is always out of place in dealing with great princes3 8,how is it possible that my work should be valued at its proper worth when there is not a man in ,florence capable of performing it80 ,that increased his irritation2 he uttered many furious phrases1 and among them said3 8,there is in ,florence at this day a man well able to make such a statue1 and who is therefore highly capable of judging it40 ,he meant ,bandinello1 ,cavaliere of ,s4 ,jacopo4 #a ,then ,i rejoined3 8,my lord1 your most illustrious ,excellency gave me the means of producing an important and very difficult masterpiece in the midst of this the noblest school of the world2 and my work has been received with warmer praises than any other heretofore exposed before the gaze of our incomparable masters4 ,my chief pride is the commendation of those able men who both understand and practise the arts of design--as in particular ,bronzino1 the painter2 this man set himself to work1 and composed four sonnets couched in the choicest style1 and full of honour to myself4 ,perhaps it was his example which moved the whole city to such a tumult of enthusiasm4 ,i freely admit that if sculpture were his business instead of painting1 then ,bronzino might have been equal a to task like mine4 ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti1 again1 whom ,i am proud to call my master2 he1 ,i admit1 could have achieved the same success when he was young1 but not with less fatigue and trouble than ,i endured4 ,but now that he is far advanced in years1 he would most certainly be found unequal to the strain4 ,therefore ,i think ,i am justified in saying that no man known upon this earth could have produced my ,perseus4 ,for the rest1 my work has received the greatest reward ,i could have wished for in this world2 chiefly and especially because your most illustrious ,excellency not only expressed yourself satisfied1 but praised it far more highly than any one beside4 ,what greater and more honourable prize could be desired by me8 ,i affirm most emphatically that your ,excellency could not pay me with more glorious coin1 nor add from any treasury a wealth surpassing this4 ,therefore ,i hold myself overpaid already1 and return thanks to your most illustrious ,excellency with all my heart40 ,the ,duke made answer3 8,probably you think ,i have not the money to pay you4 ,for my part1 ,i promise you that ,i shall pay you more for the statue than it is worth40 ,then ,i retorted3 8,i did not picture to my fancy any better recompense from your ,excellency2 yet ,i account myself amply remunerated by that first reward which the school of ,florence gave me4 ,with this to console me1 ,i shall take my departure on the instant1 without returning to the house you gave me1 and shall never seek to set my foot in this town again40 ,we were just at ,s4 ,felicita1 and his ,excellency was proceeding to the palace4 ,when he heard these choleric words1 he turned upon me in stern anger and exclaimed3 8,you shall not go2 take heed you do not go60 ,half terrified1 ,i then followed him to the palace4 ,on arriving there1 his ,excellency sent for the ,archbishop of ,pisa1 named ,de1 ,bartolini1 and ,messer ,pandolfo della ,stufa1 #b requesting them to order ,baccio ,bandinelli1 in his name1 to examine well my ,perseus and value it1 since he wished to pay its exact price4 ,these excellent men went forthwith and performed their embassy4 ,in reply ,bandinello said that he had examined the statue minutely1 and knew well enough what it was worth2 but having been on bad terms otherwise with me for some time past1 he did not care to be entangled anyhow in my affairs4 ,then they began to put a gentle pressure on him1 saying3 8,the ,duke ordered us to tell you1 under pain of his displeasure1 that you are to value the statue1 and you may have two or three days to consider your estimate4 ,when you have done so1 tell us at what price it ought to be paid40 ,he answered that his judgment was already formed1 that he could not disobey the ,duke1 and that my work was rich and beautiful and excellent in execution2 therefore he thought sixteen thousand crowns or more would not be an excessive price for it4 ,those good and courteous gentlemen reported this to the ,duke1 who was mightily enraged2 they also told the same to me4 ,i replied that nothing in the world would induce me to take praise from ,bandinello1 8seeing that this bad man speaks ill of everybody40 ,my words were carried to the ,duke2 and that was the reason why the ,duchess wanted me to place the matter in her hands4 ,all that ,i have written is the pure truth4 ,i will only add that ,i ought to have trusted to her intervention1 for then ,i should have been quickly paid1 and should have received so much more into the bargain4 ,note #a4 ,bandinelli was a ,knight of ,s4 ,james of ,compostella4 ,note #b4 ,onofrio de' ,bartolini was made ,archbishop of ,pisa in #aeah1 at the age of about seventeen4 ,he was a devoted adherent of the ,medici4 ,he was shut up with ,clement in ,s4 ,angelo1 and sent as hostage to the ,imperial army4 ,pandolfo della ,stufa had been cup-bearer to ,caterina de' ,medici while ,dauphinss4 ,,xcviii ,,the ,,duke sent me word by ,messer ,lelio ,torello1 #a his ,master of the ,rolls1 #b that he wanted me to execute some bas-reliefs in bronze for the choir of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore4 ,now the choir was by ,bandinello1 and ,i did not choose to enrich his bad work with my labours4 ,he had not indeed designed it1 for he understood nothing whatever about architecture2 the design was given by ,giuliano1 the son of that ,baccio d',agnolo1 the wood-carver1 who spoiled the cupola4 #c ,suffice it to say that it shows no talent4 ,for both reasons ,i was determined not to undertake the task1 although ,i told the ,duke politely that ,i would do whatever his most illustrious ,excellency ordered4 ,accordingly1 he put the matter into the hands of the ,board of ,works for ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 #d telling them to come to an agreement with me2 he would continue my allowance of two hundred crowns a year1 while they were to supply the rest out of their funds4 ,in due course ,i came before the ,board1 and they told me what the ,duke had arranged4 ,feeling that ,i could explain my views more frankly to these gentlemen1 ,i began by demonstrating that so many histories in bronze would cost a vast amount of money1 which would be totally thrown away1 giving all my reasons1 which they fully appreciated4 ,in the first place1 ,i said that the construction of the choir was altogether incorrect1 without proportion1 art1 convenience1 grace1 or good design4 ,in the next place1 the bas-reliefs would have to stand too low1 beneath the proper line of vision2 they would become a place for dogs to piss at1 and be always full of ordure4 ,consequently1 ,i declined positively to execute them4 ,however1 since ,i did not wish to throw away the best years of my life1 and was eager to serve his most illustrious ,excellency1 whom ,i had the sincerest desire to gratify and obey1 ,i made the following proposal4 ,let the ,duke1 if he wants to employ my talents1 give me the middle door of the cathedral to perform in bronze4 ,this would be well seen1 and would confer far more glory on his most illustrious ,excellency4 ,i would bind myself by contract to receive no remuneration unless ,i produced something better than the finest of the ,baptistery doors4 #e ,but if ,i completed it according to my promise1 then ,i was willing to have it valued1 and to be paid one thousand crowns less than the estimate made by experts4 ,the members of the ,board were well pleased with this suggestion1 and went at once to report the matter to the ,duke1 among them being ,piero ,salviati4 ,they expected him to be extremely gratified with their communication1 but it turned out just the contrary4 ,he replied that ,i was always wanting to do the exact opposite of what he bade me2 and so ,piero left him without coming to any conclusion4 ,on hearing this1 ,i went off to the ,duke at once1 who displayed some irritation when he saw me4 ,however1 ,i begged him to condescend to hear me1 and he replied that he was willing4 ,i then began from the beginning1 and used such convincing arguments that he saw at last how the matter really stood1 since ,i made it evident that he would only be throwing a large sum of money away4 ,then ,i softened his temper by suggesting that if his most illustrious ,excellency did not care to have the door begun1 two pulpits had anyhow to be made for the choir1 and that these would both of them be considerable works1 which would confer glory on his reign2 for my part1 ,i was ready to execute a great number of bronze bas-reliefs with appropriate decorations4 ,in this way ,i brought him round1 and he gave me orders to construct the models4 ,accordingly ,i set at work on several models1 and bestowed immense pains on them4 ,among these there was one with eight panels1 carried out with far more science than the rest1 and which seemed to me more fitted for the purpose4 ,having taken them several times to the place1 his ,excellency sent word by ,messer ,cesare1 the keeper of his wardrobe1 that ,i should leave them there4 ,after the ,duke had inspected them1 ,i perceived that he had selected the least beautiful4 ,one day he sent for me1 and during our conversation about the models1 ,i gave many reasons why the octagonal pulpit would be far more convenient for its destined uses1 and would produce a much finer effect4 ,he answered that he wished me to make it square1 because he liked that form better2 and thus he went on conversing for some time very pleasantly4 ,i meanwhile lost no opportunity of saying everything ,i could in the interests of art4 ,now whether the ,duke knew that ,i had spoken the truth1 or whether he wanted to have his own way1 a long time passed before ,i heard anything more about it4 ,note #a4 ,a native of ,fano4 ,cosimo's ,auditore1 #aeci2 first ,secretary or ,grand ,chancellor1 #aedf4 ,he was a great jurist4 ,note #b4 ',suo auditore4' ,note #c4 ,it was ,baccio d',agnolo who altered ,brunelleschi's plan for the cupola4 ,buonarroti used to say that he made it look like a cage for crickets4 ,his work remained unfinished4 ,note #d4 ',operai di ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore4' ,note #e4 ,he means ,ghiberti's second door1 in all probability4 ,,xcix ,,about this time the great block of marble arrived which was intended for the ,neptune4 ,it had been brought up the ,arno1 and then by the ,grieve #a to the road at ,poggio a ,caiano1 in order to be carried to ,florence by that level way2 and there ,i went to see it4 ,now ,i knew very well that the ,duchess by her special influence had managed to have it given to ,bandinello4 ,no envy prompted me to dispute his claims1 but rather pity for that poor unfortunate piece of marble4 ,observe1 by the way1 that everything1 whatever it may be1 which is subject to an evil destiny1 although one tries to save it from some manifest evil1 falls at once into far worse plight2 as happened to this marble when it came into the hands of ,bartolommeo ,ammanato1 #b of whom ,i shall speak the truth in its proper place4 ,after inspecting this most splendid block1 ,i measured it in every direction1 and on returning to ,florence1 made several little models suited to its proportions4 ,then ,i went to ,poggio a ,caiano1 where the ,duke and ,duchess were staying1 with their son the ,prince4 ,i found them all at table1 the ,duke and ,duchess dining in a private apartment2 so ,i entered into conversation with the ,prince4 ,we had been speaking for a long while1 when the ,duke1 who was in a room adjacent1 heard my voice1 and condescended very graciously to send for me4 ,when ,i presented myself before their ,excellencies1 the ,duchess addressed me in a very pleasant tone2 and having thus opened the conversation1 ,i gradually introduced the subject of that noble block of marble ,i had seen4 ,i then proceeded to remark that their ancestors had brought the magnificent school of ,florence to such a pitch of excellence only by stimulating competition among artists in their several branches4 ,it was thus that the wonderful cupola and the lovely doors of ,san ,giovanni had been produced1 together with those multitudes of handsome edifices and statues which made a crown of artistic glory for their city above anything the world had seen since the days of the ancients4 ,upon this the ,duchess1 with some anger1 observed that she very well knew what ,i meant1 and bade me never mention that block of marble in her presence1 since she did not like it4 ,i replied3 8,so1 then1 you do not like me to act as the attorney of your ,excellencies1 and to do my utmost to ensure your being better served8 ,reflect upon it1 my lady2 if your most illustrious ,excellencies think fit to open the model for a ,neptune to competition1 although you are resolved to give it to ,bandinello1 this will urge ,bandinello for his own credit to display greater art and science than if he knew he had no rivals4 ,in this way1 my princes1 you will be far better served1 and will not discourage our school of artists2 you will be able to perceive which of us is eager to excel in the grand style of our noble calling1 and will show yourselves princes who enjoy and understand the fine arts40 ,the ,duchess1 in a great rage1 told me that ,i tired her patience out2 she wanted the marble for ,bandinello1 adding3 8,ask the ,duke2 for his ,excellency also means ,bandinello to have it40 ,when the ,duchess had spoken1 the ,duke1 who had kept silence up to this time1 said3 8,twenty years ago ,i had that fine block quarried especially for ,bandinello1 and so ,i mean that ,bandinello shall have it to do what he likes with it40 ,i turned to the ,duke and spoke as follows3 8,my lord1 ,i entreat your most illustrious ,excellency to lend a patient hearing while ,i speak four words in your service40 ,he told me to say all ,i wanted1 and that he would listen4 ,then ,i began3 8,you will remember1 my lord1 that the marble which ,bandinello used for his ,hercules and ,cacus was quarried for our incomparable ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti4 ,he had made the model for a ,samson with four figures1 which would have been the finest masterpiece in the whole world2 but your ,bandinello got out of it only two figures1 both ill-executed and bungled in the worst manner2 wherefore our school still exclaims against the great wrong which was done to that magnificent block4 ,i believe that more than a thousand sonnets were put up in abuse of that detestable performance2 and ,i know that your most illustrious ,excellency remembers the fact very well4 ,therefore1 my powerful prince1 seeing how the men to whose care that work was entrusted1 in their want of taste and wisdom1 took ,michel ,agnolo's marble away from him1 and gave it to ,bandinello1 who spoilt it in the way the whole world knows1 oh6 will you suffer this far more splendid block1 although it belongs to ,bandinello1 to remain in the hands of that man who cannot help mangling it1 instead of giving it to some artist of talent capable of doing it full justice8 ,arrange1 my lord1 that every one who likes shall make a model2 have them all exhibited to the school2 you then will hear what the school thinks2 your own good judgment will enable you to select the best2 in this way1 finally1 you will not throw away your money1 nor discourage a band of artists the like of whom is not to be found at present in the world1 and who form the glory of your most illustrious ,excellency40 ,the ,duke listened with the utmost graciousness2 then he rose from table1 and turning to me1 said3 8,go1 my ,benvenuto1 make a model1 and earn that fine marble for yourself2 for what you say is the truth1 and ,i acknowledge it40 ,the ,duchess tossed her head defiantly1 and muttered ,i know not what angry sentences4 ,i made them a respectful bow and returned to ,florence1 burning with eagerness to set hands upon my model4 ,note #a4 ,instead of the ,grieve1 which is not a navigable stream1 it appears that ,cellini ought to have written the ,ombrone4 ,note #b4 ,this sculptor was born in #aeaa1 and died in #aeib4 ,he worked under ,bandinelli and ,sansovino4 ,c ,,when the ,duke came to ,florence1 he sought me at my house without giving me previous notice4 ,i showed him two little models of different design4 ,though he praised them both1 he said that one of them pleased him better than the other2 ,i was to finish the one he liked with care2 and this would be to my advantage4 ,now his ,excellency had already seen ,bandinello's designs1 and those of other sculptors2 but1 as ,i was informed by many of his courtiers who had heard him1 he commended mine far above the rest4 ,among other matters worthy of record and of great weight upon this point1 ,i will mention the following4 ,the ,cardinal of ,santa ,fiore was on a visit to ,florence1 and the ,duke took him to ,poggio a ,caiano4 ,upon the road1 noticing the marble as he passed1 the ,cardinal praised it highly1 inquiring of his ,excellency for what sculptor he intended it4 ,the ,duke replied at once3 8,for my friend ,benvenuto1 who has made a splendid model with a view to it40 ,this was reported to me by men whom ,i could trust4 ,hearing what the ,duke had said1 ,i went to the ,duchess1 and took her some small bits of goldsmith's work1 which greatly pleased her ,excellency4 ,then she asked what ,i was doing1 and ,i replied3 8,my lady1 ,i have taken in hand for my pleasure one of the most laborious pieces which have ever been produced4 ,it is a ,christ of the whitest marble set upon a cross of the blackest1 exactly of the same size as a tall man4 ,she immediately inquired what ,i meant to do with it4 ,i answered3 8,you must know my lady1 that ,i would not sell it for two thousand golden ducats2 it is of such difficult execution that ,i think no man ever attempted the like before2 nor would ,i have undertaken it at the commission of any prince whatever1 for fear ,i might prove inadequate to the task4 ,i bought the marbles with my own money1 and have kept a young man some two years as my assistant in the work4 ,what with the stone1 the iron frame to hold it up1 and the wages1 it has cost me above three hundred crowns4 ,consequently1 ,i would not sell it for two thousand4 ,but if your ,excellency deigns to grant me a favour which is wholly blameless1 ,i shall be delighted to make you a present of it4 ,all ,i ask is that your ,excellency will not use your influence either against or for the models which the ,duke has ordered to be made of the ,neptune for that great block of marble40 ,she replied with mighty indignation3 8,so then you value neither my help nor my opposition80 8,on the contrary1 ,i value them highly1 princess2 or why am ,i offering to give you what ,i value at two thousand ducats8 ,but ,i have such confidence in my laborious and well-trained studies1 that ,i hope to win the palm1 even against the great ,michel ,agnolo ,buonarroti1 from whom and from no one else ,i have learned all that ,i know4 ,indeed1 ,i should be much better pleased to enter into competition with him who knows so much than with those others who know but little of their art4 ,contending with my sublime master1 ,i could gain laurels in plenty1 whereas there are but few to be reaped in a contest with these men40 ,after ,i had spoken1 she rose in a half-angry mood1 and ,i returned to work with all the strength ,i had upon my model4 ,when it was finished1 the ,duke came to see it1 bringing with him two ambassadors1 one from the ,duke of ,ferrara1 the other from the ,signory of ,lucca4 ,they were delighted1 and the ,duke said to those two gentlemen3 8,upon my word1 ,benvenuto deserves to have the marble40 ,then they both paid me the highest compliments1 especially the envoy from ,lucca1 who was a person of accomplishments and learning4 #a ,i had retired to some distance in order that they might exchange opinions freely2 but when ,i heard that ,i was being complimented1 ,i came up1 turned to the ,duke1 and said3 8,my lord1 your most illustrious ,excellency ought now to employ another admirable device3 decree that every one who likes shall make a model in clay exactly of the same size as the marble has to be4 ,in this way you will be able to judge far better who deserves the commission2 and ,i may observe that if your ,excellency does not give it to the sculptor who deserves it1 this will not wrong the man so much1 but will reflect great discredit upon yourself1 since the loss and shame will fall on you4 ,on the other hand1 if you award it to the one who has deserved it1 you will acquire great glory in the first place1 and will employ your treasure well1 while artists will believe that you appreciate and understand their business40 ,no sooner had ,i finished speaking than the ,duke shrugged his shoulders1 and began to move away4 ,while they were taking leave the ambassador of ,lucca said to the ,duke3 8,prince1 this ,benvenuto of yours is a terrible man60 ,the ,duke responded3 8,he is much more terrible than you imagine1 and well were it for him if he were a little less terrible2 then he would possess at the present moment many things which he has not got40 ,these precise words were reported to me by the envoy1 by way of chiding and advising me to change my conduct4 ,i told him that ,i had the greatest wish to oblige my lord as his affectionate and faithful servant1 but that ,i did not understand the arts of flattery4 ,several months after this date1 ,bandinello died2 and it was thought that1 in addition to his intemperate habits of life1 the mortification of having probably to lose the marble contributed to his decline4 ,note #a4 ,probably ,girolamo ,lucchesini4 ,,ci ,,bandinello had received information of the crucifix which1 as ,i have said above1 ,i was now engaged upon4 ,accordingly he laid his hands at once upon a block of marble1 and produced the ,piet which may be seen in the church of the ,annunziata4 ,now ,i had offered my crucifix to ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 and had already fixed up the iron clamps whereby ,i meant to fasten it against the wall4 ,i only asked for permission to construct a little sarcophagus upon the ground beneath the feet of ,christ1 into which ,i might creep when ,i was dead4 ,the friars told me that they could not grant this without the consent of their building committee4 #a ,i replied3 8,good brethren1 why did not you consult your committee before you allowed me to place my crucifix8 ,without their leave you suffered me to fix my clamps and other necessary fittings40 ,on this account ,i refused to give those fruits of my enormous labours to the church of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 even though the overseers of the fabric came and begged me for the crucifix4 ,i turned at once to the church of the ,annunziata1 and when ,i explained the terms on which ,i had sought to make a present of it to ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 those virtuous friars of the ,nunziata unanimously told me to place it in their church1 and let me make my grave according to my will and pleasure4 ,when ,bandinello became aware of this1 he set to work with great diligence at the completion of his ,piet1 and prayed the ,duchess to get for him the chapel of the ,pazzi for his monument4 ,this he obtained with some difficulty2 and on receiving the permission1 he erected his ,piet with great haste4 ,it was not altogether completed when he died4 ,the ,duchess then said that1 even as she had protected him in life1 so would she protect him in the grave1 and that albeit he was dead1 ,i need never try to get that block of marble4 ,apropos of which1 the broken ,bernardone1 meeting me one day in the country1 said that the ,duchess had assigned the marble4 ,i replied3 8,unhappy piece of stone6 ,in the hands of ,bandinello it would certainly have come to grief2 but in those of ,ammanato its fate is a hundred times worse40 ,now ,i had received orders from the ,duke to make a clay model1 of the same size as the marble would allow2 he also provided me with wood and clay1 set up a sort of screen in the ,loggia where my ,perseus stands1 and paid me one workman4 ,i went about my business with all diligence1 and constructed the wooden framework according to my excellent system4 ,then ,i brought the model successfully to a conclusion1 without caring whether ,i should have to execute it in marble1 since ,i knew the ,duchess was resolved ,i should not get the commission4 ,consequently ,i paid no heed to that4 ,only ,i felt very glad to undergo this labour1 hoping to make the ,duchess1 who was after all a person of intelligence1 as indeed ,i had the means of observing at a later period1 repent of having done so great a wrong both to the marble and herself4 ,giovanni the ,fleming also made a model in the cloister of ,s4 ,croce2 ,vinzenzio ,danti of ,perugia another in the house of ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici2 the son of ,moschino began a third at ,pisa1 and ,bartolommeo ,ammanato a fourth in the ,loggia1 which we divided between us4 #b ,when ,i had blocked the whole of mine out well1 and wanted to begin upon the details of the head1 which ,i had already just sketched out in outline1 the ,duke came down from the palace1 and ,giorgetto1 the painter1 #c took him into ,ammanato's workshed4 ,this man had been engaged there with his own hands several days1 in company with ,ammanato and all his workpeople4 ,while1 then1 the ,duke was inspecting ,ammanato's model1 ,i received intelligence that he seemed but little pleased with it4 ,in spite of ,giorgetto's trying to dose him with his fluent nonsense1 the ,duke shook his head1 and turning to ,messer ,gianstefano1 #d exclaimed3 8,go and ask ,benvenuto if his colossal statue is far enough forward for him to gratify us with a glance at it40 ,messer ,gianstefano discharged this embassy with great tact1 and in the most courteous terms4 ,he added that if ,i did not think my work quite ready to be seen yet1 ,i might say so frankly1 since the ,duke knew well that ,i had enjoyed but little assistance for so large an undertaking4 ,i replied that ,i entreated him to do me the favour of coming2 for though my model was not far advanced1 yet the intelligence of his ,excellency would enable him to comprehend perfectly how it was likely to look when finished4 ,this kindly gentleman took back my message to the ,duke1 who came with pleasure4 ,no sooner had he entered the enclosure and cast his eyes upon my work1 than he gave signs of being greatly satisfied4 ,then he walked all round it1 stopping at each of the four points of view1 exactly as the ripest expert would have done4 ,afterwards he showed by nods and gestures of approval that it pleased him2 but he said no more than this3 8,benvenuto1 you have only to give a little surface to your statue40 ,then he turned to his attendants1 praising my performance1 and saying3 8,the small model which ,i saw in his house pleased me greatly1 but this has far exceeded it in merit40 ,note #a4 ',i loro ,operai4' ,note #b4 ,gian ,bologna1 or ,jean ,boullogne1 was born at ,douai about #aecj4 ,he went1 while a very young man1 to ,rome1 and then settled at ,florence4 ,there he first gained reputation by a ,venus which the ,prince ,francesco bought4 ,the ,neptune on the piazza at ,bologna1 which is his work1 may probably have been executed from the model he made in competition upon this occasion4 ,vincenzo ,danti was born at ,perugia in #aecj4 ,he produced the bronze statute of ,pope ,julius ,,iii41 which may still be seen in his native city4 ,simone ,cioli1 called ,il ,mosca1 was a very fair sculptor who died in #aeed1 leaving a son1 ,francesco1 called ,il ,moschino1 who was also a sculptor1 and had reached the age of thirty at this epoch4 ,it is therefore to this ,moschino probably that ,cellini refers above4 ,note #c4 ,giorgio ,vasari4 ,note #d4 ,probably ,gianstefano ,lalli4 ,,cii ,,it pleased ,god1 who rules all things for our good--,i mean1 for those who acknowledge and believe in ,him2 such men never fail to gain ,his protection--that about this time a certain rascal from ,vecchio called ,piermaria d',anterigoli1 and surnamed ,lo ,sbietta1 introduced himself to me4 ,he is a sheep-grazier2 and being closely related to ,messer ,guido ,guidi1 the physician1 who is now provost of ,pescia1 ,i lent ear to his proposals4 ,the man offered to sell me a farm of his for the term of my natural life4 ,i did not care to go and see it1 since ,i wanted to complete the model of my colossal ,neptune4 ,there was also no reason why ,i should visit the property1 because ,sbietta only sold it to me for the income4 #a ,this he had noted down at so many bushels of grain1 so much of wine1 oil1 standing corn1 chestnuts1 and other produce4 ,i reckoned that1 as the market then ran1 these together were worth something considerably over a hundred golden crowns in gold2 and ,i paid him #fej crowns1 which included duties to the state4 ,consequently1 when he left a memorandum written in his own hand1 to the effect that he would always keep up these products of the farm in the same values during my lifetime1 ,i did not think it necessary to inspect it4 ,only ,i made inquiries1 to the best of my ability1 as to whether ,sbietta and his brother ,ser ,filippo were well off enough to give me good security4 ,many persons of divers sorts1 who knew them1 assured me that my security was excellent4 ,we agreed to call in ,ser ,pierfrancesco ,bertoldi1 notary at the ,mercantanzia2 and at the very first ,i handed him ,sbietta's memorandum1 expecting that this would be recited in the deed4 ,but the notary who drew it up was so occupied with detailing twenty-two boundaries described by ,sbietta1 #b that1 so far as ,i can judge1 he neglected to include in the contract what the vendor had proposed to furnish4 ,while he was writing1 ,i went on working2 and since it took him several hours1 ,i finished a good piece of my ,neptune's head4 ,after the contract was signed and sealed1 ,sbietta began to pay me the most marked attentions1 which ,i returned in like measure4 ,he made me presents of kids1 cheese1 capons1 fresh curds1 and many sorts of fruits1 until ,i began to be almost ashamed of so much kindness4 ,in exchange for these courtesies ,i always took him from the inn to lodge with me when he came into ,florence1 often inviting a relative or two who happened to attend him4 ,on one of these occasions he told me with a touch of pleasantry that it was really shameful for me to have bought a farm1 and1 after the lapse of so many weeks1 not yet to have left my business for three days in the hands of my workpeople1 so as to have come to look at it4 ,his wheedling words and ways induced me to set off1 in a bad hour for my welfare1 on a visit to him4 ,sbietta received me in his own house with such attentions and such honours as a duke might covet4 ,his wife caressed me even more than he did2 and these excellent relations continued between us until the plans which he and his brother ,ser ,filippo had in mind were fully matured4 ,note #a4 ,what ,cellini means is that ,sbietta was to work the farm1 paying ,cellini its annual value4 ,it appears from some particulars which follow that the 'entrate' were to be paid in kind4 ,note #b4 ,the word 'confini1' which ,i have translated 'boundaries1' may mean 'limiting conditions4' ,,ciii ,,meanwhile ,i did not suspend my labours on the ,neptune1 which was now quite blocked out upon an excellent system1 undiscovered and unknown before ,i used it4 ,consequently1 although ,i knew ,i should not get the marble for the reasons above narrated1 ,i hoped to have it soon completed1 and to display it on the piazza simply for my satisfaction4 ,it was a warm and pleasant season2 and this1 together with the attentions of those two rascals1 disposed me to set out one ,wednesday1 which happened to be a double holiday1 for my country-house at ,trespiano4 #a ,having spent some time over an excellent lunch1 it was past twenty o'clock when ,i reached ,vicchio4 ,there1 at the towngate1 ,i met ,ser ,filippo1 who appeared to know already whither ,i was bound4 ,he loaded me with attentions1 and took me to ,sbietta's house1 where ,i found that fellow's strumpet of a wife1 who also overwhelmed me with caresses4 ,i gave the woman a straw hat of the very finest texture1 the like of which she told me she had never seen4 ,still1 up to this time1 ,sbietta had not put in his appearance4 ,toward the end of the afternoon we all sat down to supper in excellent spirits4 ,later on1 they gave me a well appointed bedroom1 where ,i went to rest in a bed of the most perfect cleanliness4 ,both of my servants1 according to their rank1 were equally well treated4 ,on the morrow1 when ,i rose1 the same attentions were paid me4 ,i went to see my farm1 which pleased me much2 and then ,i had some quantities of grain and other produce handed over4 ,but when ,i returned to ,vicchio1 the priest ,ser ,filippo said to me3 8,benvenuto do not be uneasy2 although you have not found here quite everything you had the right to look for1 yet put your mind to rest2 it will be amply made up in the future1 for you have to deal with honest folk4 ,you ought1 by the way1 to know that we have sent that labourer away1 because he was a scoundrel40 ,the labourer in question bore the name of ,mariano ,rosegli2 and this man now kept frequently repeating in my ear3 8,look well after yourself2 in the end you will discover which of us here is the greatest villain40 ,the country-fellow1 when he spoke those words1 smiled with an evil kind of sneer1 and jerked his head as though to say3 8,only go up there1 and you will find out for yourself40 ,i was to some extent unfavourably influenced by these hints1 yet far from forming a conception of what actually happened to me4 ,so1 when ,i returned from the farm1 which is two miles distant from ,vicchio1 toward the ,alpi1 #b ,i met the priest1 who was waiting for me with his customary politeness4 ,we then sat down together to breakfast2 it was not so much a dinner as an excellent collation4 ,afterwards ,i took a walk through ,vicchio--the market had just opened--and noticed how all the inhabitants fixed their eyes upon me1 as on something strange4 ,this struck me particularly in the case of a worthy old man1 who has been living for many years at ,vicchio1 and whose wife bakes bread for sale4 ,he owns some good property at the distance of about a mile2 however1 he prefers this mode of life1 and occupies a house which belongs to me in the town of ,vicchio4 ,this had been consigned to me together with the farm above mentioned1 which bears the name of ,della ,fonte4 ,the worthy old man spoke as follows3 8,i am living in your house1 and when it falls due ,i shall pay you your rent2 but if you want it earlier1 ,i will act according to your wishes4 ,you may reckon on never having any disputes with me40 ,while we were thus talking ,i noticed that he looked me hard in the face1 which compelled me to address him thus3 8,prithee1 tell me1 friend ,giovanni1 why you have more than once stared at me in that way80 ,he replied3 8,i am quite willing to tell you1 if1 being the man of worth ,i take you for1 you will promise not to say that ,i have told you40 ,i gave the promise and he proceeded3 8,you must know then that that worthless priest1 ,ser ,filippo1 not many days since1 went about boasting of his brother ,sbietta's cleverness1 and telling how he had sold his farm to an old man for his lifetime1 and that the purchaser could hardly live the year out4 ,you have got mixed up with a set of rogues2 therefore take heed to living as long as you are able1 and keep your eyes open1 for you have need of it4 ,i do not choose to say more40 ,note #a4 ,from ,cellini's ',ricordi' it appears that he bought a farm at this village1 north-east of ,florence1 on ,october #bf1 #aedh4 ,in #aeef he also purchased land there4 ,note #b4 ,the ,alpi are high mountain pastures in the ,apennines4 ,,civ ,,during my promenade through the market1 ,i met ,giovan ,battista ,santini1 and he and ,i were taken back to supper by the priest4 ,as ,i have related above1 we supped at the early hour of twenty1 because ,i made it known that ,i meant to return to ,trespiano4 ,accordingly they made all ready2 the wife of ,sbietta went bustling about in the company of one ,cecchino ,buti1 their knave of all work4 ,after the salads had been mixed and we were preparing to sit down to table1 that evil priest1 with a certain nasty sort of grin1 exclaimed3 8,i must beg you to excuse me1 for ,i cannot sup with you2 the reason is that some business of importance has occurred which ,i must transact for my brother ,sbietta4 ,in his absence ,i am obliged to act for him40 ,we all begged him to stay1 but could not alter his determination2 so he departed and we began our supper4 ,after we had eaten the salads on some common platters1 and they were preparing to serve the boiled meat1 each guest received a porringer for himself4 ,santini1 who was seated opposite me at table exclaimed3 8,do you notice that the crockery they give you is different from the rest8 ,did you ever see anything handsomer80 ,i answered that ,i had not noticed it4 ,he also prayed me to invite ,sbietta's wife to sit down with us2 for she and that ,cecchino ,buti kept running hither and thither in the most extraordinary fuss and hurry4 ,at last ,i induced the woman to join us2 when she began to remonstrate3 8,you do not like my victuals1 since you eat so little40 ,i answered by praising the supper over and over again1 and saying that ,i had never eaten better or with heartier appetite4 ,finally1 ,i told her that ,i had eaten quite enough4 ,i could not imagine why she urged me so persistently to eat4 ,after supper was over1 and it was past the hour of twenty-one1 ,i became anxious to return to ,trespiano1 in order that ,i might recommence my work next morning in the ,loggia4 ,accordingly ,i bade farewell to all the company1 and having thanked our hostess1 took my leave4 ,i had not gone three miles before ,i felt as though my stomach was on fire1 and suffered such pain that it seemed a thousand years till ,i arrived at ,trespiano4 ,however1 it pleased ,god that ,i reached it after nightfall with great toil1 and immediately proceeded to my farm1 where ,i went to bed4 ,during the night ,i got no sleep1 and was constantly disturbed by motions of my bowels4 ,when day broke1 feeling an intense heat in the rectum1 ,i looked eagerly to see what this might mean1 and found the cloth covered with blood4 ,then in a moment ,i conceived that ,i had eaten something poisonous1 and racked my brains to think what it could possibly have been4 ,it came back to my memory how ,sbietta's wife had set before me plates1 and porringers1 and saucers different from the others1 and how that evil priest1 ,sbietta's brother1 after giving himself such pains to do me honour1 had yet refused to sup with us4 ,furthermore1 ,i remembered what the priest had said about ,sbietta's doing such a fine stroke of business by the sale of his farm to an old man for life1 who could not be expected to survive a year4 ,giovanni ,sardella had reported these words to me4 ,all things considered1 ,i made my mind up that they must have administered a dose of sublimate in the sauce1 which was very well made and pleasant to the taste1 inasmuch as sublimate produces all the symptoms4 ,i was suffering from4 ,now it is my custom to take but little sauce or seasoning with my meat1 excepting salt2 and yet ,i had eaten two moderate mouthfuls of that sauce because it was so tasteful4 ,on further thinking1 ,i recollected how often that wife of ,sbietta had teased me in a hundred ways to partake more freely of the sauce4 ,on these accounts ,i felt absolutely certain that they had given me sublimate in that very dish4 ,,cv ,,albeit ,i was suffering so severely1 ,i forced myself to work upon my ,colossus in the ,loggia2 but after a few days ,i succumbed to the malady and took to my bed4 ,no sooner did the ,duchess hear that ,i was ill1 than she caused the execution of that unlucky marble to be assigned to ,bartolommeo ,ammanato4 #a ,he sent word to me through ,messerhellip24 livinghellip24 ,street1 that ,i might now do what ,i liked with my model since he had won the marble4 ,this ,messerhellip24 was one of the lovers of ,bartolommeo ,ammanato's wife2 and being the most favoured on account of his gentle manners and discretion1 ,ammanato made things easy for him4 ,there would be much to say upon this topic2 however1 ,i do not care to imitate his master1 ,bandinello1 who always wandered from the subject in his talk4 ,suffice it to say that ,i told ,ammanato's messenger ,i had always imagined it would turn out thus2 let the man strain himself to the utmost in proof of gratitude to ,fortune for so great a favour so undeservedly conferred on him by her4 ,all this while ,i stayed with sorry cheer in bed1 and was attended by that most excellent man and physician1 ,maestro ,francesco da ,montevarchi4 ,together with him ,maestro ,raffaello de' ,pilli undertook the surgical part of my case1 forasmuch as the sublimate had so corroded the intestines that ,i was unable to retain my motions4 ,when ,maestro ,francesco saw that the poison had exerted all its strength1 being indeed insufficient in quantity to overcome my vigorous constitutions1 he said one day3 8,benvenuto1 return thanks to ,god1 for you have won the battle4 ,have no anxiety1 since ,i mean to cure you in spite of the rogues who sought to work your ruin40 ,maestro ,raffaello then put in3 8,this will be one of the finest and most difficult cures which was ever heard of2 for ,i can tell you1 ,benvenuto1 that you swallowed a good mouthful of sublimate40 ,thereupon ,maestro ,francesco took him up and said3 8,it may possibly have been some venomous caterpillar40 ,i replied3 8,i know for certain what sort of poison it was1 and who gave it to me20 upon which we all were silent4 ,they attended me more than six full months1 and ,i remained more than a whole year before ,i could enjoy my life and vigour4 ,note #a4 ,what follows has been so carefully erased1 possibly by ,cellini's own hand1 in the autograph1 that it is illegible4 ,laura ,battiferra1 ,ammanato's wife1 was a woman of irreproachable character1 whom ,cellini himself praised in a sonnet4 ,,cvi ,,at this time #a the ,duke went to make his triumphal entry into ,siena1 and ,ammanato had gone there some months earlier to construct the arches4 ,a bastard of his1 who stayed behind in the ,loggia1 removed the cloths with which ,i kept my model of ,neptune covered until it should be finished4 ,as soon as ,i knew this1 ,i complained to ,signor ,don ,francesco1 the ,duke's son1 who was kindly disposed toward me1 and told him how they had disclosed my still imperfect statue2 had it been finished1 ,i should not have given the fact a thought4 ,the ,prince replied with a threatening toss of his head3 8,benvenuto1 do not mind your statue having been uncovered1 because these men are only working against themselves2 yet if you want me to have it covered up1 ,i will do so at once40 ,he added many other words in my honour before a crowd of gentlemen who were there4 ,i then begged his ,excellency to give me the necessary means for finishing it1 saying that ,i meant to make a present of it together with the little model to his ,highness4 ,he replied that he gladly accepted both gifts1 and that he would have all the conveniences ,i asked for put at my disposal4 ,thus1 then1 ,i fed upon this trifling mark of favour1 which1 in fact1 proved the salvation of my life2 for having been overwhelmed by so many evils and such great annoyances all at one fell swoop1 ,i felt my forces failing2 but this little gleam of encouragement inspired me with some hope of living4 ,note #a4 ,october #bh1 #aefj4 ,,cvii ,a ,,year had now passed since ,i bought the farm of ,della ,fonte from ,sbietta4 ,in addition to their attempt upon my life by poisoning and their numerous robberies1 ,i noticed that the property yielded less than half what had been promised4 ,now1 in addition to the deeds of contract1 ,i had a declaration written by ,sbietta's own hand1 in which he bound himself before witnesses to pay me over the yearly income ,i have mentioned4 ,armed with these documents1 ,i had recourse to the ,lords ,counsellors4 ,at that time ,messer ,alfonso ,quistello was still alive and ,chancellor of the ,exchequer2 he sat upon the ,board1 which included ,averardo ,serristori and ,federigo de' ,ricci4 ,i cannot remember the names of all of them1 but ,i know that one of the ,alessandri was a member4 ,suffice it to say1 the counsellors of that session were men of weight and worth4 ,when ,i had explained my cause to the magistracy1 they all with one voice ruled that ,sbietta should give me back my money1 except ,federigo de' ,ricci1 who was then employing the fellow himself2 the others unanimously expressed sorrow to me that ,federigo de' ,ricci prevented them from despatching the affair4 ,averardo ,serristori and ,alessandri in particular made a tremendous stir about it1 but ,federigo managed to protect matters until the magistracy went out of office2 whereupon ,serristori1 meeting me one morning after they had come out upon the ,piazza dell' ,annunziata1 cried aloud1 without the least regard to consequences3 8,federigo de' ,ricci has been so much stronger than all of us put together that you have been massacred against our will40 ,i do not intend to say more upon this topic1 since it would be too offensive to the supreme authorities of state2 enough that ,i was cruelly wronged at the will of a rich citizen1 only because he made use of that shepherd-fellow4 ,,cviii ,,the ,,duke was staying at ,livorno1 where ,i went to visit him in order merely to obtain release from his service4 ,now that ,i felt my vigour returning1 and saw that ,i was used for nothing1 it pained me to lose time which ought to have been spent upon my art4 ,i made my mind up1 therefore1 went to ,livorno1 and found my prince1 who received me with exceeding graciousness4 ,now ,i stayed there several days1 and went out riding daily with his ,excellency4 ,consequently ,i had excellent opportunities for saying all ,i wanted1 since it was the ,duke's custom to ride four miles out of ,livorno along the sea-coast to the point where he was erecting a little fort4 ,not caring to be troubled with a crowd of people1 he liked me to converse with him4 ,so then1 on one of these occasions1 having observed him pay me some remarkable attentions1 ,i entered into the affair of ,sbietta and spoke as follows3 8,my lord1 ,i should like to narrate to your most illustrious ,excellency a very singular incident1 which will explain why ,i was prevented from finishing that clay model of ,neptune on which ,i was working in the ,loggia4 ,your ,excellency must know that ,i bought a farm for my life from ,sbietta--0 ,to cut the matter short1 ,i related the whole story in detail1 without contaminating truth with falsehood4 ,now when ,i came to the poison1 ,i remarked that if ,i had ever proved an acceptable servant in the sight of his most illustrious ,excellency1 he ought not to punish ,sbietta or those who administered the poison1 but rather to confer upon them some great benefit1 inasmuch as the poison was not enough to kill me1 but had exactly sufficed to cleanse me of a mortal viscosity from which ,i suffered in my stomach and intestines4 8,the poison10 quoth ,i1 8worked so well1 that whereas1 before ,i took it1 ,i had perhaps but three or four years to live1 ,i verily believe now that it has helped me to more than twenty years by bettering my constitution4 ,for this mercy ,i return thanks to ,god with greater heartiness than ever2 and this proves that a proverb ,i have sometimes heard spoken is true1 which runs as follows3-- #8,god send us evil1 that may work us good4'0 ,the ,duke listened to my story through more than two miles of travel1 keeping his attention fixed1 and only uttering3 8,oh1 the villains60 ,i said1 in conclusion1 that ,i felt obliged to them1 and opened other and more cheerful subjects of conversation4 ,i kept upon the look-out for a convenient day2 and when ,i found him well disposed for what ,i wanted1 ,i entreated his most illustrious ,excellency to dismiss me in a friendly spirit1 so that ,i might not have to waste the few years in which ,i should be fit to do anything4 ,as for the balance due upon my ,perseus1 he might give this to me when he judged it opportune4 ,such was the pith of my discourse3 but ,i expanded it with lengthy compliments1 expressing my gratitude toward his most illustrious ,excellency4 ,to all this he made absolutely no answer1 but rather seemed to have taken my communication ill4 ,on the following day ,messer ,bartolommeo ,concino1 #a one of the ,duke's secretaries1 and among the chiefest1 came to me1 and said with somewhat of a bullying air3 8,the ,duke bids me tell you that if you want your dismissal1 he will grant it2 but if you choose work1 he will give you plenty3 ,god grant you may have the power to execute all he orders40 ,i replied that ,i desired nothing more than work to do1 and would rather take it from the ,duke than from any man whatever in the world4 ,whether they were popes1 emperors1 or kings1 ,i should prefer to serve his most illustrious ,excellency for a halfpenny than any of the rest of them for a ducat4 ,he then remarked3 8,if that is your mind1 you and he have struck a bargain without the need of further speech4 ,so1 then1 go back to ,florence1 and be unconcerned2 rely on the ,duke's goodwill towards you40 ,accordingly ,i made my way again to ,florence4 ,note #a4 ,this man was the son of a peasant at ,terranuova1 in ,valdarno4 ,he acquired great wealth and honour at the court of ,duke ,cosimo1 and was grandfather of the notorious ,marchal d',ancre4 ,,cix ,,immediately after my arrival1 there came to visit me a certain ,raffaellone ,scheggia1 whose trade was that of a cloth-of-gold weaver4 ,he began thus3 8,my ,benvenuto1 ,i should like to reconcile you with ,piermaria ,sbietta40 ,i replied that nobody could settle the affairs between us except the ,lords ,counsellors2 in the present court ,sbietta would not have a ,federigo de' ,ricci to support him1 a man willing1 for the bribe of a couple of fatted kids1 without respect of ,god or of his honour1 to back so infamous a cause and do so vile a wrong to sacred justice4 ,when ,i had uttered these words1 and many others to the like effect1 ,raffaello kept on blandly urging that it was far better to eat a thrush in peace than to bring a fat capon to one's table1 even though one were quite sure to get it1 after a hot fight4 ,he further reminded me that lawsuits had a certain way of dragging on1 and that ,i could employ the time far better upon some masterpiece of art1 which would bring me not only greater honour1 but greater profit to boot4 ,i knew that he was speaking the mere truth1 and began to lend ear to his arguments4 ,before long1 therefore1 we arranged the matter of this way3 ,sbietta was to rent the farm from me at seventy golden crowns in gold the year during the whole term of my natural life4 ,but when we came to the contract1 which was drawn up by ,ser ,giovanni1 son of ,ser ,matteo da ,falgano1 ,sbietta objected that the terms we had agreed on would involve our paying the largest duties to the revenue4 ,he was not going to break his word2 therefore we had better draw the lease for five years1 to be renewed on the expiry of the term4 ,he undertook to abide by his promise to renew1 without raising further litigation4 ,that rascal1 the priest1 his brother1 entered into similar engagements2 and so the lease was drawn for five years4 ,,cx ,,though ,i want to enter upon other topics1 and to leave all this rascality alone awhile1 ,i am forced to narrate what happened at the termination of this five years' contract4 ,instead of abiding by their promised word1 those two rogues declared they meant to give me up my farm1 and would not keep it any longer upon lease4 ,i not unnaturally complained1 but they retorted by ostentatiously unfolding the deed2 and ,i found myself without any defense against their chicanery4 ,when it came to this1 ,i told them that ,duke and ,prince of ,florence would not suffer folk to be so infamously massacred in their cities4 ,that menace worked so forcibly upon their minds that they once more despatched ,raffaello ,schegcia1 the same man who negotiated the former arrangement4 ,i must add that they professed their unwillingness to pay the same rent of seventy crowns as during the five years past1 while ,i replied that ,i would not take a farthing less4 ,so then ,raffaello came to look me up1 and spoke to this effect3 8,my ,benvenuto1 you know that ,i am acting in your interest4 ,now these men have placed themselves entirely in my hands20 and he showed me a writing to this effect signed by them4 ,not being aware that he was their close relative1 ,i thought he would be an excellent arbitrator1 and therefore placed myself also absolutely in his hands4 ,this man of delicate honour then came one evening about a half hour after sunset1 in the month of ,august1 and induced me with the strongest pressure to draw up the contract then and there4 ,he did so because he knew that if he waited till the morning1 the deceit he wished to practise on me must have failed4 ,accordingly the deed was executed1 to the effect that they were to pay me a rent of sixty-five crowns1 in two half-yearly installments1 during the term of my natural life4 ,notwithstanding ,i rebelled against it1 and refused to sit down quietly under the injustice1 all was to no purpose4 ,raffaello exhibited my signature1 and every one took part against me4 ,at the same time he went on protesting that he acted altogether in my interest and as my supporter4 ,neither the notary nor any others who heard of the affair1 knew that he was a relative of those two rogues2 so they told me ,i was in the wrong4 ,accordingly1 ,i was forced to yield with the best grace ,i could2 and what ,i have now to do is to live as long as ,i can manage4 ,close after these events1 that is to say1 in the ,december of #aeff following1 ,i made another blunder4 ,i bought half of the farm ,del ,poggio from them1 or rather from ,sbietta1 for two hundred crowns4 #a ,it marches with my property of ,la ,fonte4 ,our terms were that the estate should revert at the term of three years1 #b and ,i gave them a lease of it4 ,i did this for the best2 but ,i should have to dilate too long upon the topic were ,i to enter into all the rascalities they practised on me4 ,therefore1 ,i refer my cause entirely to ,god1 knowing that ,he hath ever defended me from those who sought to do me mischief4 ,note #a4 ',scudi di moneta1' not 'd'oro4' ,note #b4 ,this seems to be the meaning of 'compare con riservo di tre anni4' ,cellini elsewhere uses the equivalent term 'patto resolutivo4' ,see ,tassi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ehc4 ,,cxi ,,having quite completed my crucifix1 ,i thought that if ,i raised it some feet above the ground1 it would show better than it did upon a lower level4 ,after ,i had done so1 it produced a far finer effect than even it had made before1 and ,i was greatly satisfied4 ,so then ,i began to exhibit it to every one who had the mind to see it4 ,as ,god willed1 the ,duke and the ,duchess heard about it4 ,on their arrival then from ,pisa1 both their ,excellencies arrived one day quite unexpectedly1 attended by all the nobles of their court1 with the sole purpose of inspecting my crucifix4 ,they were so much delighted1 that each of these princes lavished endless praises on it1 and all the lords and gentlefolk of their suites joined in chorus4 ,now1 when ,i saw how greatly they were taken with the piece1 ,i began to thank them with a touch of humour1 saying that1 if they had not refused me the marble for the ,neptune1 ,i should never have undertaken so arduous a task1 the like whereof had not been attempted by any sculptor before me40 8,it is true10 ,i added1 8that this crucifix has cost me hours of unimaginable labour2 yet they have been well expended1 especially now when your most illustrious ,excellencies have bestowed such praises on it4 ,i cannot hope to find possessors of it worthier than you are2 therefore ,i gladly present it to you as a gift40 #a ,after speaking to this effect1 ,i prayed them1 before they took their leave1 to deign to follow me into the ground-floor of my dwelling4 ,they rose at once with genial assent1 left the workshop1 and on entering the house1 beheld my little model of the ,neptune and the fountain1 which had not yet been by the ,duchess4 ,this struck her with such force that she raised a cry of indescribable astonishment1 and turning to the ,duke1 exclaimed3 8,upon my life1 ,i never dreamed it could be one-tenth part so beautiful60 ,the ,duke replied by repeating more than once3 8,did ,i not tell you so80 ,thus they continued talking together for some while greatly in my honour4 ,afterwards the ,duchess called me to her side2 and when she had uttered many expressions of praise which sounded like excuses 7they might indeed have been construed into asking for forgiveness71 she told me that she should like me to quarry a block of marble to my taste1 and then to execute the work4 ,in reply to these gracious speeches ,i said that1 if their most illustrious ,excellencies would provide me with the necessary accommodations1 ,i should gladly for their sakes put my hand to such an arduous undertaking4 ,the ,duke responded on the moment3 8,benvenuto1 you shall have all the accommodations you can ask for2 and ,i will myself give you more besides1 which shall surpass them far in value40 ,with these agreeable words they left me1 and ,i remained highly satisfied4 ,note #a4 ,the ,duchess would not take the crucifix as a gift4 ,the ,duke bought it for fifteen hundred golden crowns1 and transferred it to the ,pitti in #aefe4 ,it was given by the ,grand ,duke ,francesco in #aegf to ,philip ,,ii41 who placed it in the ,escorial1 where it now is4 ,,cxii ,,many weeks passed1 but of me nothing more was spoken4 ,this neglect drove me half mad with despair4 ,now about that time the ,queen of ,france sent ,messer ,baccio del ,bene to our ,duke for a loan of money1 which the ,duke very graciously supplied1 as rumour went4 ,messer ,baccio del ,bene and ,i had been intimate friends in former times2 so when we renewed our acquaintance in ,florence1 we came together with much mutual satisfaction4 ,in course of conversation he related all the favours shown him by his most illustrious ,excellency1 and asked me what great works ,i had in hand4 ,in reply1 ,i narrated the whole story of the ,neptune and the fountain1 and the great wrong done me by the ,duchess4 ,he responded by telling me how her ,majesty of ,france was most eager to complete the monument of her husband ,henri ,,ii41 and how ,daniello da ,volterra #a had undertaken a great equestrian statue in bronze1 but the time had already elapsed in which he promised to perform it1 and that a multitude of the richest ornaments were required for the tomb4 ,if1 then1 ,i liked to return to ,france and occupy my castle1 she would supply me with all the conveniences ,i could ask for1 provided only ,i cared to enter her service4 ,these proposals he made on the part of the ,queen4 ,i told ,messer ,baccio to beg me from the ,duke2 if his most illustrious ,excellency was satisfied1 ,i should very willingly return to ,france4 ,he answered cheerfully3 8,we will travel back together60 and considered the affair settled4 ,accordingly1 next day1 in course of conversation with the ,duke1 he alluded to myself1 declaring that if his ,excellency had no objection1 the ,queen would take me into her employ4 ,the ,duke replied without a moment's hesitation3 8,benvenuto's ability in his profession is known to the whole world2 but at the present time he does not care to go on working40 ,then they touched on other topics2 and upon the day following ,i called on ,messer ,baccio1 who reported what had passed between them4 ,then ,i lost all patience1 and exclaimed3 8,oh1 me6 ,his most illustrious ,excellency gave me nothing to do1 while ,i was bringing to perfection one of the most difficult master-pieces ever executed in this world2 and it stands me in more than two hundred crowns1 which ,i have paid out of my poverty6 ,oh1 what could ,i not have done if his ,excellency had but set me to work6 ,i tell you in pure truth1 that they have done me a great wrong60 ,the good-natured gentleman repeated to the ,duke what ,i had answered4 ,the ,duke told him we were joking1 and that he wanted me for his own service4 ,the result was that in my irritation ,i more than once made up my mind to make off without asking leave4 ,however1 the ,queen preferred to drop negotiations1 in fear of displeasing the ,duke2 and so ,i remained here1 much to my regret4 ,note #a4 ,this painter is chiefly famous for his 8,descent from the ,cross0 in the ,church of the ,trinit de' ,monti at ,rome4 ,he died in #aeff4 ,,cxiii ,,about that time the ,duke went on a journey1 attended by all his court and all his sons1 except the prince1 who was in ,spain4 ,they travelled through the ,sienese ,maremma1 and by this route he reached ,pisa4 ,the poison from the bad air of those marshes first attacked the ,cardinal1 who was taken with a pestilential fever after a few days1 and died at the end of a brief illness4 ,he was the ,duke's right eye1 handsome and good1 and his loss was most severely felt4 ,i allowed several days to elapse1 until ,i thought their tears were dried1 and then ,i betook myself to ,pisa4 ,end of ,part ,two ,end of ,autobiography of ,benvenuto ,cellini