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Book FirstPart XXV
Part XXV
When Pope Clement heard the story - he had seen the vase before, but it
was not shown him as my work - he expressed much pleasure and spoke warmly in
my praise, publicly saying that he felt very favourably toward me. This caused
Monsignor Salamanca to repent that he had hectored over me; and in order to
make up our quarrel, he sent the same painter to inform me that he meant to
give me large commissions. I replied that I was willing to undertake them, but
that I should require to be paid in advance. This speech too came to Pope
Clement`s ears, and made him laugh heartily. Cardinal Cibo was in the
presence, and the Pope narrated to him the whole history of my dispute with
the Bishop. ^1 Then he turned to one of his people, and ordered him to go on
supplying me with work for the palace. Cardinal Cibo sent for me, and after
some time spent in agreeable conversation, gave me the order for a large vase,
bigger than Salamanca`s. I likewise obtained commissions from Cardinal
Cornaro, and many others of the Holy College, especially Ridolfi and Salviati;
they all kept me well employed, so that I earned plenty of money. ^2
[Footnote 1: Innocenzio Cibo Malaspina, Archbishop of Genoa, and nephew of
Lorenzo de` Medici. He was a prelate of vast wealth and a great patron of arts
and letters.]
[Footnote 2: Marco Cornaro was a brother of Caterina, the Queen of Cyprus. He
obtained the hat in 1492. Niccolo Ridolfi was a nephew of Leo X. Giovanni
Salviati, the son of Jacopo mentioned above, was also a nephew of Leo X, who
gave him the hat in 1517.]
Madonna Porzia now advised me to open a shop of my own. This I did; and I
never stopped working for that excellent and gentle lady, who paid me
exceedingly well, and by whose means perhaps it was that I came to make a
figure in the world.
I contracted close friendship with Signor Gabbriello Ceserino, at that
time Gonfalonier of Rome, and executed many pieces for him. One, among the
rest, is worthy of mention. It was a large golden medal to wear in the hat. I
engraved upon it Leda with her swan; and being very well pleased with the
workmanship, he said he should like to have it valued, in order that I might
be properly paid. Now, since the medal was executed with consummate skill, the
valuers of the trade set a far higher price on it than he had thought of. I
therefore kept the medal, and got nothing for my pains. The same sort of
adventures happened in this case as in that of Salamanca`s vase. But I shall
pass such matters briefly by, lest they hinder me from telling things of
greater importance.
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