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Book FirstPart LXX
Part LXX
I left Naples by night with my money in my pocket, and this I did to
prevent being set upon or murdered, as is the way there; but when I came to
Selciata, ^1 I had to defend myself with great address and bodily prowess from
several horsemen who came out to assassinate me. During the following days,
after leaving Solosmeo at his work in Monte Cassino, I came one morning to
breakfast at the inn of Adanagni; ^2 and when I was near the house, I shot
some birds with my arquebuse. An iron spike, which was in the lock of my
musket, tore my right hand. Though the wound was not of any consequence, it
seemed to be so, because it bled abundantly. Going into the inn, I put my
horse up, and ascended to a large gallery, where I found a party of Neapolitan
gentlemen just upon the point of sitting down to table; they had with them a
young woman of quality, the loveliest I ever saw. At the moment when I entered
the room, I was followed by a very brave young serving-man of mine holding a
big partisan in his hand. The sight of us, our arms, and the blood, inspired
those poor gentlemen with such terror, particularly as the place was known to
be a nest of murderers, that they rose from table and called on God in a panic
to protect them. I began to laugh, and said that God had protected them
already, for that I was a man to defend them against whoever tried to do them
harm. Then I asked them for something to bind up my wounded hand; and the
charming lady took out a handkerchief richly embroidered with gold, wishing to
make a bandage with it. I refused; but she tore the piece in half, and in the
gentlest manner wrapt my hand up with her fingers. The company thus having
regained confidence, we dined together very gaily; and when the meal was over,
we all mounted and went off together. The gentlemen, however, were not as yet
quite at their ease; so they left me in their cunning to entertain the lady,
while they kept at a short distance behind. I rode at her side upon a pretty
little horse of mine, making signs to my servant that he should keep somewhat
apart, which gave us the opportunity of discussing things that are not sold by
the apothecary. ^3 In this way I journeyed to Rome with the greatest enjoyment
I have ever had.
[Footnote 1: Ponte a Selice, between Capua and Aversa.]
[Footnote 2: Anagni, where Boniface VIII. was outraged to the death by the
French partisans of Philip le Bel.]
[Footnote 3: i.e., private and sentimental.]
When I got to Rome, I dismounted at the palace of Cardinal de` Medici,
and having obtained an audience of his most reverend lordship, paid my
respects, and thanked him warmly for my recall. I then entreated him to secure
me from imprisonment, and even from a fine if that were possible. The Cardinal
was very glad to see me; told me to stand in no fear; then turned to one of
his gentlemen, called Messer Pier Antonio Pecci of Siena, ordering him to tell
the Bargello not to touch me. ^4 He then asked him how the man was going on
whose head I had broken with the stone. Messer Pier Antonio replied that he
was very ill, and that he would probably be even worse; for when he heard that
I was coming back to Rome, he swore he would die to serve me an ill turn. When
the Cardinal heard that, he burst into a fit of laughter, and cried: "The
fellow could not have taken a better way than this to make us know that he was
born a Sienese." After that he turned to me and said: "For our reputation and
your own, refrain these four or five days from going about in the Banchi;
after that go where you like, and let fools die at their own pleasure."
[Footnote 4: This Pecci passed into the service of Caterina de` Medici. In
1551 he schemed to withdraw Siena from the Spanish to the French cause, and
was declared a rebel.]
I went home and set myself to finishing the medal which I had begun, with
the head of Pope Clement and a figure of Peace on the reverse. The figure was
a slender woman, dressed in very thin drapery, gathered at the waist, with a
little torch in her hand, which was burning a heap of arms bound together like
a trophy. In the background I had shown part of a temple, where was Discord
chained with a load of fetters. Round about it ran a legend in these words:
Clauduntur belli portae. ^5
[Footnote 5: The medal was struck to celebrate the peace in Christendom
between 1530 and 1536.]
During the time that I was finishing this medal, the man whom I had
wounded recovered, and the Pope kept incessantly asking for me. I, however,
avoided visiting Cardinal de` Medici; for whenever I showed my face before
him, his lordship gave me some commission of importance, which hindered me
from working at my medal to the end. Consequently Messer Pier Carnesecchi, who
was a great favourite of the Pope`s, undertook to keep me in sight, and let me
adroitly understand how much the Pope desired my services. ^6 I told him that
in a few days I would prove to his Holiness that his service had never been
neglected by me.
[Footnote 6: Pietro Carnesecchi was one of the martyrs of free-thought in
Italy. He adopted Protestant opinions, and was beheaded and burned in Rome,
August 1567.]
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