History of the World/History of the World (Bureau Development, Inc.)(1992).BIN/dp/0036/00364.txt

Text File | 1992-10-11 | 16KB | 259 lines

$Unique_ID{how00364}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Autobiography Of Benvenuto Cellini
Part XIII}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Cellini, Benvenuto}
$Affiliation{}
$Subject{duke
excellency
upon
illustrious
now
sbietta
years
time
without
crowns}
$Date{1566}
$Log{}
Title:       Autobiography Of Benvenuto Cellini
Book:        Book Second
Author:      Cellini, Benvenuto
Date:        1566
Translation: Symonds, John Addington

Part XIII

     The Duke was staying at Livorno, where I went to visit him in order
merely to obtain release from his service. Now that I felt my vigour
returning, and saw that I was used for nothing, it pained me to lose time
which ought to have been spent upon my art. I made my mind up, therefore, went
to Livorno, and found my prince, who received me with exceeding graciousness.
Now I stayed there several days, and went out riding daily with his
Excellency. Consequently I had excellent opportunities for saying all I
wanted, 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 fort. Not caring
to be troubled with a crowd of people, he liked me to converse with him. So
then, on one of these occasions, having observed him pay me some remarkable
attentions, I entered into the affair of Sbietta and spoke as follows: "My
lord, I should like to narrate to your most illustrious Excellency a very
singular incident, which will explain why I was prevented from finishing that
clay model of Neptune on which I was working in the Loggia. Your Excellency
must know that I bought a farm for my life from Sbietta -" To cut the matter
short, I related the whole story in detail, without contaminating truth with
falsehood. Now when I came to the poison, I remarked that if I had ever proved
an acceptable servant in the sight of his most illustrious Excellency, he
ought not to punish Sbietta or those who administered the poison, but rather
to confer upon them some great benefit, inasmuch as the poison was not enough
to kill me, but had exactly sufficed to cleanse me of a mortal viscosity from
which I suffered in my stomach and intestines. "The poison," quoth I, "worked
so well, that whereas, before I took it, I had perhaps but three or four years
to live, I verily believe now that it has helped me to more than twenty years
by bettering my constitution. For this mercy I return thanks to God with
greater heartiness than ever; and this proves that a proverb I have sometimes
heard spoken is true, which runs as follows: -

'God send us evil, that may work us good.'"

     The Duke listened to my story through more than two miles of travel,
keeping his attention fixed, and only uttering: "Oh, the villains!" I said, in
conclusion, that I felt obliged to them, and opened other and more cheerful
subjects of conversation.

     I kept upon the look-out for a convenient day; and when I found him well
disposed for what I wanted, I entreated his most illustrious Excellency to
dismiss me in a friendly spirit, so that I might not have to waste the few
years in which I should be fit to do anything. As for the balance due upon my
Perseus, he might give this to me when he judged it opportune. Such was the
pith of my discourse: but I expanded it with lengthy compliments, expressing
my gratitude toward his most illustrious Excellency. To all this he made
absolutely no answer, but rather seemed to have taken my communication ill. On
the following day Messer Bartolommeo Concino, ^1 one of the Duke's
secretaries, and among the chiefest, came to me, and said with somewhat of a
bullying air: "The Duke bids me tell you that if you want your dismissal, he
will grant it; but if you choose work, he will give you plenty: God grant you
may have the power to execute all he orders." I replied that I desired nothing
more than work to do, and would rather take it from the Duke than from any man
whatever in the world. Whether they were popes, emperors, or kings, I should
prefer to serve his most illustrious Excellency for a halfpenny than any of
the rest of them for a ducat. He then remarked: "If that is your mind, you and
he have struck a bargain without the need of further speech. So, then, go back
to Florence, and be unconcerned; rely on the Duke's goodwill towards you."
Accordingly I made my way again to Florence.

[Footnote 1: This man was the son of a peasant at Terranuova, in Valdarno. He
acquired great wealth and honour at the court of Duke Cosimo, and was
grandfather of the notorious Marechal d'Ancre.]

     Immediately after my arrival, there came to visit me a certain
Raffaellone Scheggia, whose trade was that of a cloth-of-gold weaver. He
began thus: "My Benvenuto, I should like to reconcile you with Piermaria
Sbietta." I replied that nobody could settle the affairs between us except the
Lords Counsellors; in the present court Sbietta would not have a Federigo de'
Ricci to support him, a man willing, for the bribe of a couple of fatted kids,
without respect of God or of his honour, to back so infamous a cause and do so
vile a wrong to sacred justice. When I had uttered these words, and many
others to the like effect, 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 table, even
though one were quite sure to get it, after a hot fight. He further reminded
me that lawsuits had a certain way of dragging on, and that I could employ the
time far better upon some masterpiece of art, which would bring me not only
greater honour, but greater profit to boot. I knew that he was speaking the
mere truth, and began to lend ear to his arguments. Before long, therefore, we
arranged the matter of this way: Sbietta was to rent the farm from me at
seventy golden crowns in gold the year during the whole term of my natural
life. But when we came to the contract, which was drawn up by Ser Giovanni,
son of Ser Matteo da Falgano, Sbietta objected that the terms we had agreed on
would involve our paying the largest duties to the revenue. He was not going
to break his word; therefore we had better draw the lease for five years, to
be renewed on the expiry of the term. He undertook to abide by his promise to
renew, without raising further litigation. That rascal, the priest, his
brother, entered into similar engagements; and so the lease was drawn for five
years.

     Though I want to enter upon other topics, and to leave all this rascality
alone awhile, I am forced to narrate what happened at the termination of this
five years' contract. Instead of abiding by their promised word, those two
rogues declared they meant to give me up my farm, and would not keep it any
longer upon lease. I not unnaturally complained, but they retorted by
ostentatiously unfolding the deed; and I found myself without any defense
against their chicanery. When it came to this, I told them that Duke and
Prince of Florence would not suffer folk to be so infamously massacred in
their cities. That menace worked so forcibly upon their minds that they once
more despatched Raffaello Schegcia, the same man who negotiated the former
arrangement. I must add that they professed their unwillingness to pay the
same rent of seventy crowns as during the five years past, while I replied
that I would not take a farthing less. So then Raffaello came to look me up,
and spoke to this effect: "My Benvenuto, you know that I am acting in your
interest. Now these men have placed themselves entirely in my hands;" and he
showed me a writing to this effect signed by them. Not being aware that he was
their close relative, I thought he would be an excellent arbitrator, and
therefore placed myself also absolutely in his hands. This man of delicate
honour then came one evening about a half hour after sunset, in the month of
August, and induced me with the strongest pressure to draw up the contract
then and there. He did so because he knew that if he waited till the morning,
the deceit he wished to practise on me must have failed. Accordingly the deed
was executed, to the effect that they were to pay me a rent of sixty-five
crowns, in two half-yearly installments, during the term of my natural life.
Notwithstanding I rebelled against it, and refused to sit down quietly under
the injustice, all was to no purpose. Raffaello exhibited my signature, and
every one took part against me. At the same time he went on protesting that he
acted altogether in my interest and as my supporter. Neither the notary nor
any others who heard of the affair, knew that he was a relative of those two
rogues; so they told me I was in the wrong. Accordingly, I was forced to yield
with the best grace I could; and what I have now to do is to live as long as I
can manage.

     Close after these events, that is to say, in the December of 1566
following, I made another blunder. I bought half of the farm Del Poggio from
them, or rather from Sbietta, for two hundred crowns. ^1 It marches with my
property of La Fonte. Our terms were that the estate should revert at the term
of three years, ^2 and I gave them a lease of it. I did this for the best; but
I should have to dilate too long upon the topic were I to enter into all the
rascalities they practised on me. Therefore, I refer my cause entirely to God,
knowing that He hath ever defended me from those who sought to do me mischief.

[Footnote 1: Scudi di moneta, not d'oro.]

[Footnote 2: This seems to be the meaning of compare con riservo di tre anni.
Cellini elsewhere uses the equivalent term patto resolutivo. See Tassi, vol.
ii. p. 583.]

     Having quite completed my crucifix, I thought that if I raised it some
feet above the ground, it would show better than it did upon a lower level.
After I had done so, it produced a far finer effect than even it had made
before, and I was greatly satisfied. So then I began to exhibit it to every
one who had the mind to see it.

     As God willed, the Duke and the Duchess heard about it. On their arrival
then from Pisa, both their Excellencies arrived one day quite unexpectedly,
attended by all the nobles of their court, with the sole purpose of inspecting
my crucifix. They were so much delighted, that each of these princes lavished
endless praises on it, and all the lords and gentlefolk of their suites joined
in chorus. Now, when I saw how greatly they were taken with the piece, I began
to thank them with a touch of humour, saying that, if they had not refused me
the marble for the Neptune, I should never have undertaken so arduous a task,
the like whereof had not been attempted by any sculptor before me." "It is
true," I added, "that this crucifix has cost me hours of unimaginable labour;
yet they have been well expended, especially now when your most illustrious
Excellencies have bestowed such praises on it. I cannot hope to find
possessors of it worthier than you are; therefore I gladly present it to you
as a gift." ^1

[Footnote 1: The Duchess would not take the crucifix as a gift. The Duke
bought it for fifteen hundred golden crowns, and transferred it to the Pitti
in 1565. It was given by the Grand Duke Francesco in 1576 to Philip II., who
placed it in the Escorial, where it now is.]

     After speaking to this effect, I prayed them, before they took their
leave, to deign to follow me into the ground-floor of my dwelling. They rose
at once with genial assent, left the workshop, and on entering the house,
beheld my little model of the Neptune and the fountain, which had not yet been
by the Duchess. This struck her with such force that she raised a cry of
indescribable astonishment, and turning to the Duke, exclaimed: "Upon my life,
I never dreamed it could be one-tenth part so beautiful!" The Duke replied
by repeating more than once: "Did I not tell you so?" Thus they continued
talking together for some while greatly in my honour. Afterwards the Duchess
called me to her side; and when she had uttered many expressions of praise
which sounded like excuses (they might indeed have been construed into asking
for forgiveness), she told me that she should like me to quarry a block of
marble to my taste, and then to execute the work. In reply to these gracious
speeches I said that, if their most illustrious Excellencies would provide me
with the necessary accommodations, I should gladly for their sakes put my hand
to such an arduous undertaking. The Duke nesponded on the moment: "Benvenuto,
you shall have all the accommodations you can ask for; and I will myself give
you more besides, which shall surpass them far in value." With these agreeable
words they left me, and I remained highly satisfied.

     Many weeks passed, but of me nothing more was spoken. This neglect drove
me half mad with despair. Now about that time the Queen of France sent Messer
Baccio del Bene to our Duke for a loan of money, which the Duke very
graciously supplied, as rumour went. Messer Baccio del Bene and I had been
intimate friends in former times; so when we renewed our acquaintance in
Florence, we came together with much mutual satisfaction. In course of
conversation he related all the favours shown him by his most illustrious
Excellency, and asked me what great works I had in hand. In reply, I narrated
the whole story of the Neptune and the fountain, and the great wrong done me
by the Duchess. He responded by telling me how her Majesty of France was most
eager to complete the monument of her husband Henri II., and how Daniello da
Volterra ^1 had undertaken a great equestrian statue in bronze, but the time
had already elapsed in which he promised to perform it, and that a multitude
of the richest ornaments were required for the tomb. If, then, I liked to
return to France and occupy my castle, she would supply me with all the
conveniences I could ask for, provided only I cared to enter her service.
These proposals he made on the part of the Queen. I told Messer Baccio to beg
me from the Duke; if his most illustrious Excellency was satisfied, I should
very willingly return to France. He answered cheerfully: "We will travel back
together!" and considered the affair settled. Accordingly, next day, in course
of conversation with the Duke, he alluded to myself, declaring that if his
Excellency had no objection, the Queen would take me into her employ. The Duke
replied without a moment's hesitation: "Benvenuto's ability in his profession
is known to the whole world; but at the present time he does not care to go on
working." Then they touched on other topics; and upon the day following I
called on Messer Baccio, who reported what had passed between them. Then I
lost all patience, and exclaimed: "Oh, me! His most illustrious Excellency
gave me nothing to do, while I was bringing to perfection one of the most
difficult master-pieces ever executed in this world; and it stands me in more
than two hundred crowns, which I have paid out of my poverty! Oh, what could I
not have done if his Excellency had but set me to work! I tell you in pure
truth, that they have done me a great wrong!" The good-natured gentleman
repeated to the Duke what I had answered. The Duke told him we were joking,
and that he wanted me for his own service. The result was that in my
irritation I more than once made up my mind to make off without asking leave.
However, the Queen preferred to drop negotiations, in fear of displeasing the
Duke; and so I remained here, much to my regret.

[Footnote 1: This painter is chiefly famous for his "Descent from the Cross"
in the Church of the Trinita de' Monti at Rome. He died in 1566.]

     About that time the Duke went on a journey, attended by all his court and
all his sons, except the prince, who was in Spain. They travelled through the
Sienese Maremma, and by this route he reached Pisa. The poison from the bad
air of those marshes first attacked the Cardinal, who was taken with a
pestilential fever after a few days, and died at the end of a brief illness.
He was the Duke's right eye, handsome and good, and his loss was most severely
felt. I allowed several days to elapse, until I thought their tears were
dried, and then I betook myself to Pisa.