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Book FirstPart LXXII
Part LXXII
In the meantime the Pope was taken ill, and his physicians thought the
case was dangerous. Accordingly my enemy began to be afraid of me, and engaged
some Neapolitan soldiers to do to me what he was dreading I might do to him.
^1 I had therefore much trouble to defend my poor life. In course of time,
however, I completed the reverse; and when I took it to the Pope, I found him
in bed in a most deplorable condition. Nevertheless, he received me with the
greatest kindness, and wished to inspect the medals and the dies. He sent for
spectacles and lights, but was unable to see anything clearly. Then he began
to fumble with his fingers at them, and having felt them a short while, he
fetched a deep sigh, and said to his attendants that he was much concerned
about me, but that if God gave him back his health he would make it all right.
[Footnote 1: The meaning of this is, that if Clement died, Cellini would have
had his opportunity of vengeance during the anarchy which followed a vacancy
of the Papal See.]
Three days afterwards the Pope died, and I was left with all my labour
lost; yet I plucked up courage, and told myself that these medals had won me
so much celebrity, that any Pope who was elected would give me work to do, and
peradventure bring me better fortune. Thus I encouraged and put heart into
myself, and buried in oblivion all the injuries which Pompeo had done me. Then
putting on my arms and girding my sword, I went to San Piero, and kissed the
feet of the dead Pope, not without shedding tears. Afterwards I returned to
the Banchi to look on at the great commotion which always happens on such
occasions.
While I was sitting in the street with several of my friends, Pompeo went
by, attended by ten men very well armed; and when he came just opposite, he
stopped, as though about to pick a quarrel with myself. My companions, brave
and adventurous young men, made signs to me to draw my sword; but it flashed
through my mind that if I drew, some terrible mischief might result for
persons who were wholly innocent. Therefore I considered that it would be
better if I put my life to risk alone. When Pompeo had stood there time enough
to say two Ave Marias, he laughed derisively in my direction; and going off,
his fellows also laughed and wagged their heads, with many other insolent
gestures. My companions wanted to begin the fray at once; but I told them
hotly that I was quite able to conduct my quarrels to an end by myself, and
that I had no need of stouter fighters than I was; so that each of them might
mind his business. My friends were angry and went off muttering. Now there was
among them my dearest comrade, named Albertaccio del Bene, own brother to
Alessandro and Albizzo, who is now a very rich man in Lyons. He was the most
redoubtable young man I ever knew, and the most high-spirited, and loved me
like himself; and insomuch as he was well aware that my forbearance had not
been inspired by want of courage, but by the most daring bravery, for he knew
me down to the bottom of my nature, he took my words up and begged me to
favour him so far as to associate him with myself in all I meant to do. I
replied: "Dear Albertaccio, dearest to me above all men that live, the time
will very likely come when you shall give me aid; but in this case, if you
love me, do not attend to me, but look to your own business, and go at once
like our other friends, for now there is no time to lose." These words were
spoken in one breath.
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