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Book FirstPart XXXVI
Part XXXVI
While I was at work upon that diabolical task of mine, there came from
time to time to watch me some of the cardinals who were invested in the
castle; and most frequently the Cardinal of Ravenna and the Cardinal de`
Gaddi. ^2 I often told them not to show themselves, since their nasty red caps
gave a fair mark to our enemies. From neighbouring buildings, such as the
Torre de` Bini, we ran great peril when they were there; and at last I had
them locked off, and gained thereby their deep ill-will. I frequently
received visits also from the general, Orazio Baglioni, who was very well
affected toward me. One day while he was talking with me, he noticed something
going forward in a drinking-place outside the Porta di Castello, which bore
the name of Baccanello. This tavern had for sign a sun painted between two
windows, of a bright red colour. The windows being closed, Signor Orazio
concluded that a band of soldiers were carousing at table just between them
and behind the sun. So he said to me "Benvenuto, if you think that you could
hit that wall an ell`s breadth from the sun with your demi-cannon here, I
believe you would be doing a good stroke of business, for there is a great
commotion there, and men of much importance must probably be inside the
house." I answered that I felt quite capable of hitting the sun in its centre,
but that a barrel full of stones, which was standing close to the muzzle of
the gun, might be knocked down by the shock of the discharge and the blast of
the artillery. He rejoined: "Don`t waste time, Benvenuto. In the first place,
it is not possible, where it is standing, that the cannon`s blast should bring
it down; and even if it were to fall, and the Pope himself was underneath, the
mischief would not be so great as you imagine. Fire, then, only fire!" Taking
no more thought about it, I struck the sun in the centre, exactly as I said I
should. The cask was dislodged, as I predicted, and fell precisely between
Cardinal Farnese and Messer Jacopo Salviati. ^3 It might very well have dashed
out the brains of both of them, except that just at that very moment Farnese
was reproaching Salviati with having caused the sack of Rome, and while they
stood apart from one another to exchange opprobrious remarks, my gabion fell
without destroying them. When he heard the uproar in the court below, good
Signor Orazio dashed off in a hurry; and I, thrusting my neck forward where
the cask had fallen, heard some people saying; "It would not be a bad job to
kill that gunner!" Upon this I turned two falconets toward the staircase, with
mind resolved to let blaze on the first man who attempted to come up. The
household of Cardinal Farnese must have received orders to go and do me some
injury; accordingly I prepared to receive them, with a lighted match in hand.
Recognising some who were approaching, I called out: "You lazy lubbers, if you
don`t pack off from there, and if but a man`s child among you dares to touch
the staircase, I have got two cannon loaded, which will blow you into powder.
Go and tell the Cardinal that I was acting at the order of superior officers,
and that what we have done and are doing is in defence of them priests, ^4 and
not to hurt them." They made away; and then came Signor Orazio Baglioni,
running. I bade him stand back, else I`d murder him; for I knew very well who
he was. He drew back a little, not without a certain show of fear, and called
out: "Benvenuto, I am your friend!" To this I answered: "Sir, come up, but
come alone, and then come as you like." The general, who was a man of mighty
pride, stood still a moment, and then said angrily: "I have a good mind not to
come up again, and to do quite the opposite of that which I intended toward
you." I replied that just as I was put there to defend my neighbours, I was
equally well able to defend myself too. He said that he was coming alone; and
when he arrived at the top of the stairs, his features were more discomposed
that I thought reasonable. So I kept my hand upon my sword, and stood eyeing
him askance. Upon this he began to laugh, and the colour coming back into his
face, he said to me with the most pleasant manner: "Friend Benvenuto, I bear
you as great love as I have it in my heart to give; and in God`s good time I
will render you proof of this. Would to God that you had killed those two
rascals; for one of them is the cause of all this trouble, and the day
perchance will come when the other will be found the cause of something even
worse." He then begged me, if I should be asked, not to say that he was with
me when I fired the gun; and for the rest bade me be of good cheer. The
commotion which the affair made was enormous, and lasted a long while.
However, I will not enlarge upon it further, only adding that I was within an
inch of revenging my father on Messer Jacopo Salviati, who had grievously
injured him, according to my father`s complaints. As it was, unwittingly I
gave the fellow a great fright. Of Farnese I shall say nothing here, because
it will appear in its proper place how well it would have been if I had killed
him.
[Footnote 2: Benedetto Accolti of Arezzo, Archbishop of Ravenna in 1524,
obtained the hat in 1527, three days before the sack of Rome. He was a
distinguished man of letters. Niccolo Gaddi was created Cardinal on the same
day as Accolti. We shall hear more of him in Cellini`s pages.]
[Footnote 3: Alessandro Farnese, Dean of the Sacred College, and afterwards
Pope Paul III. Of Giacopo Salviati we have already heard.]
[Footnote 4: Loro preti. Perhaps their priests.]
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