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Book FirstPart VI
Part VI
As I have said, my father was the devoted servant and attached friend of
the house of Medici; and when Piero was banished, he entrusted him with many
affairs of the greatest possible importance. Afterwards, when the magnificent
Piero Soderini was elected, and my father continued in his office of musician,
Soderini, perceiving his wonderful talent, began to employ him in many matters
of great importance as an engineer. ^1 So long as Soderini remained in
Florence, he showed the utmost good-will to my father; and in those days, I
being still of tender age, my father had me carried, and made me perform upon
the flute; I used to play treble in concert with the musicians of the palace
before the Signory, following my notes: and a beadle used to carry me upon his
shoulders. The Gonfalonier, that is, Soderini, whom I have already mentioned,
took much pleasure in making me chatter, and gave me comfits, and was wont to
say to my father: "Maestro Giovanni, besides music, teach the boy those other
arts which do you so much honour." To which my father answered: "I do not wish
him to practise any art but playing and composing; for in this profession I
hope to make him the greatest man of the world, if God prolongs his life." To
these words one of the old counsellors made answer: "Ah! Maestro Giovanni, do
what the Gonfalonier tells you! for why should he never become anything more
than a good musician?"
[Footnote 1: Piero Soderini was elected Gonfalonier of the Florentine Republic
for life in the year 1502. After nine years of government, he was banished,
and when he died, Machiavelli wrote the famous sneering epitaph upon him. See
J. A. Symonds` Renaissance in Italy, vol. i. p. 297.]
Thus some time passed, until the Medici returned. ^2 When they arrived,
the Cardinal, who afterwards became Pope Leo, received my father very kindly.
During their exile the scutcheons which were on the palace of the Medici had
had their balls erased, and a great red cross painted over them, which was the
bearing of the Commune. ^3 Accordingly, as soon as they returned, the red
cross was scratched out, and on the scutcheon the red balls and the golden
field were painted in again, and finished with great beauty. My father, who
possessed a simple vein of poetry, instilled in him by nature, together with a
certain touch of prophecy, which was doubtless a divine gift in him, wrote
these four verses under the said arms of the Medici, when they were uncovered
to the view: -
[Footnote 2: This was in 1512, when Lorenzo`s two sons, Giuliano and Giovanni
(afterwards Pope Leo X), came back through the aid of a Spanish army, after
the great battle at Ravenna.]
[Footnote 3: The Medicean arms were "or, six pellets gules, three, two, and
one." The Florentine Commune bore, "argent a cross gules."]
These arms, which have so long from sight been laid
Beneath the holy cross, that symbol meek,
Now lift their glorious glad face, and seek
With Peter`s sacred cloak to be arrayed.
This epigram was read by all Florence. A few days afterwards Pope Julius
II. died. The Cardinal de` Medici went to Rome, and was elected Pope against
the expectation of everybody. He reigned as Leo X, that generous and great
soul. My father sent him his four prophetic verses. The Pope sent to tell him
to come to Rome; for this would be to his advantage. But he had no will to go;
and so, in lieu of reward, his place in the palace was taken from him by
Jacopo Salviati, upon that man`s election as Gonfalonier. ^4 This was the
reason why I commenced goldsmith; after which I spent part of my time in
learning that art, and part in playing, much against my will.
[Footnote 4: Cellini makes a mistake here. Salviati married a daughter of
Lorenzo de` Medici, and obtained great influence in Florence; but we have no
record of his appointment to the office of Gonfalonier.]
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