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Book FirstPart XLIII
Part XLIII
Upon my arrival in Rome, ^1 I found several of my former friends, by whom
I was very well received and kindly entertained. No time was lost before I set
myself to work at things which brought me profit, but were not notable enough
to be described. There was a fine old man, a goldsmith, called Raffaello del
Moro, who had considerable reputation in the trade, and was to boot a very
worthy fellow. He begged me to consent to enter his workshop, saying he had
some commissions of importance to execute, on which high profits might be
looked for; so I accepted his proposal with goodwill.
[Footnote 1: Cellini has been severely taxed for leaving Florence at this
juncture and taking service under Pope Clement, the oppressor of her
liberties. His own narrative admits some sense of shame. Yet we should
remember that he never took any decided part in politics, and belonged to a
family of Medicean sympathies. His father served Lorenzo and Piero; his
brother was a soldier of Giovanni delle Bande Nere and Duke Alessandro. Many
most excellent Florentines were convinced that the Medicean government was
beneficial; and an artist had certainly more to expect from it than from the
Republic.]
More than ten days had elapsed, and I had not presented myself to Maestro
Giacopino della Barca. Meeting me one day by accident, he gave me a hearty
welcome, and asked me how long I had been in Rome. When I told him I had been
there about a fortnight, he took it very ill, and said that I showed little
esteem for a Pope who had urgently compelled him to write three times for me.
I, who had taken his persistence in the matter still more ill, made no reply,
but swallowed down my irritation. The man, who suffered from a flux of words,
began one of his long yarns, and went on talking, till at the last, when I saw
him tired out, I merely said that he might bring me to the Pope when he saw
fit. He answered that any time would do for him, and I, that I was always
ready. So we took our way toward the palace. It was a Maundy Thursday; and
when we reached the apartments of the Pope, he being known there and I
expected, we were at once admitted.
The Pope was in bed, suffering from a slight indisposition, and he had
with him Messer Jacopo Salviati and the Archbishop of Capua. ^2 When the Pope
set eyes on me, he was exceedingly glad. I kissed his feet, and then, as
humbly as I could, drew near to him, and let him understand that I had things
of consequence to utter. On this he waved his hand, and the two prelates
retired to a distance from us. I began at once to speak: "Most blessed Father,
from the time of the sack up to this hour, I have never been able to confess
or to communicate, because they refuse me absolution. The case is this. When I
melted down the gold and worked at the unsetting of those jewels, your
Holiness ordered the Cavalierino to give me a modest reward for my labours, of
which I received nothing, but on the contrary he rather paid me with abuse.
When then I ascended to the chamber where I had melted down the gold, and
washed the ashes, I found about a pound and a half of gold in tiny grains like
millet-seeds; and inasmuch as I had not money enough to take me home
respectably, I thought I would avail myself of this, and give it back again
when opportunity should offer. Now I am here at the feet of your Holiness, who
is the only true confessor. I entreat you to do me the favour of granting me
indulgence, so that I may be able to confess and communicate, and by the grace
of your Holiness regain the grace of my Lord God." Upon this the Pope, with a
scarcely perceptible sigh, remembering perhaps his former trials, spoke as
follows: "Benvenuto, I thoroughly believe what you tell me; it is in my power
to absolve you of any unbecoming deed you may have done, and, what is more, I
have the will. So, then, speak out with frankness and perfect confidence; for
if you had taken the value of a whole tiara, I am quite ready to pardon you."
Thereupon I answered: "I took nothing, most blessed Father, but what I have
confessed; and this did not amount to the value of 140 ducats, for that was
the sum I received from the Mint in Perugia, and with it I went home to
comfort my poor old father." The Pope said: "Your father has been as virtuous,
good, and worthy a man as was ever born, and you have not degenerated from
him. I am very sorry that the money was so little; but such as you say it was,
I make you a present of it, and give you my full pardon. Assure your confessor
of this, if there is nothing else upon your conscience which concerns me.
Afterwards, when you have confessed and communicated, you shall present
yourself to me again, and it will be to your advantage."
[Footnote 2: Nicolas Schomberg, a learned Dominican and disciple of
Savonarola, made Archbishop of Capua in 1520. He was a faithful and able
minister of Clement. Paul III gave him the hat in 1535, and he died in 1537.]
When I parted from the Pope, Messer Giacopo and the Archbishop
approached, and the Pope spoke to them in the highest terms imaginable about
me; he said that he had confessed and absolved me; then he commissioned the
Archbishop of Capua to send for me and ask if I had any other need beyond this
matter, giving him full leave to absolve me amply, and bidding him, moreover,
treat me with the utmost kindness.
While I was walking away with Maestro Giacopino, he asked me very
inquisitively what was the close and lengthy conversation I had had with his
Holiness. After he had repeated the question more than twice, I said that I
did not mean to tell him, because they were matters with which he had nothing
to do, and therefore he need not go on asking me. Then I went to do what had
been agreed on with the Pope; and after the two festivals were over, I again
presented myself before his Holiness. He received me even better than before,
and said: "If you had come a little earlier to Rome, I should have
commissioned you to restore my two tiaras, which were pulled to pieces in the
castle. These, however, with the exception of the gems, are objects of little
artistic interest; so I will employ you on a piece of the very greatest
consequence, where you will be able to exhibit all your talents. It is a
button for my priest`s cope, which has to be made round like a trencher, and
as big as a little trencher, one-third of a cubit wide. Upon this I want you
to represent a God the Father in half-relief, and in the middle to set that
magnificent big diamond, which you remember, together with several other gems
of the greatest value. Caradosso began to make me one, but did not finish it;
I want yours to be finished quickly, so that I may enjoy the use of it a
little while. Go, then, and make me a fine model." He had all the jewels shown
me, and then I went off like a shot ^3 to set myself to work.
[Footnote 3: Affusolato. Lit., straight as a spindle.]
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