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Book FirstPart LXXX
Part LXXX
No sooner had I dismounted that I went to visit Duke Alessandro, and
thanked him greatly for his present of the fifty crowns, telling his
Excellency that I was always ready to serve him according to my abilities. He
gave me orders at once to strike dies for his coinage; and the first I made
was a piece of forty soldi, with the Duke`s head on one side and San Cosimo
and San Damiano on the other. ^1 This was in silver, and it gave so much
satisfaction that the Duke did not hesitate to say they were the best pieces
of money in Christendom. The same said all Florence and every one who saw
them. Consequently I asked his Excellency to make me appointments, ^2 and to
grant me the lodgings of the Mint. He bade me remain in his service, and
promised he would give me more than I demanded. Meanwhile he said he had
commissioned the Master of the Mint, a certain Carlo Acciaiuoli, and that I
might go to him for all the money that I wanted. This I found to be true; but
I drew my monies so discreetly, that I had always something to my credit,
according to my account.
[Footnote 1: These were the special patrons of the Medicean family, being
physician-saints.]
[Footnote 2: Che mi fermassi una provvisione.]
I then made dies for a giulio; ^3 it had San Giovanni in profile, seated
with a book in his hand, finer in my judgment than anything which I had done;
and on the other side were the armorial bearings of Duke Alessandro. Next I
made dies for half-giulios on which I struck the full face of San Giovanni
in small. This was the first coin with a head in full face on so thin a piece
of silver that had yet been seen. The difficulty of executing it is apparent
only to the eyes of such as are past-masters in these crafts. Afterwards I
made dies for the golden crowns; this crown had a cross upon one side with
some little cherubim, and on the other side his Excellency`s arms.
[Footnote 3: The giulio was a coin of 56 Italian centimes or 8 Tuscan crazie,
which in Florence was also called barile or gabellotto, because the sum had to
be paid as duty on a barrel of wine.]
When I had struck these four sorts, I begged the Duke to make out my
appointments and to assign me the lodgings I have mentioned, if he was
contented with my service. He told me very graciously that he was quite
satisfied, and that he would grant me my request. While we were thus talking,
his Excellency was in his wardrobe, looking at a remarkable little gun that
had been sent him out of Germany. ^4 When he noticed that I too paid particular
attention to this pretty instrument, he put it in my hands, saying that he
knew how much pleasure I took in such things, and adding that I might choose
for earnest of his promises an arquebuse to my own liking from the armoury,
excepting only this one piece; he was well aware that I should find things of
greater beauty, and not less excellent, there. Upon this invitation, I
accepted with thanks; and when he saw me looking round, he ordered his Master
of the Wardrobe, a certain Pretino of Lucca, to let me take whatever I
liked. ^5 Then he went away with the most pleasant words at parting, while I
remained, and chose the finest and best arquebuse I ever saw, or ever had, and
took it back with me to home.
[Footnote 4: See above for the right meaning of wardrobe.]
[Footnote 5: Messer Francesco of Lucca, surnamed Il Pretino.]
Two days afterward I brought some drawings which his Excellency had
commissioned for gold-work he wanted to give his wife, who was at that time
still in Naples. ^6 I again asked him to settle my affairs. Then his
Excellency told me that he should like me first to execute the die of his
portrait in fine style, as I had done for Pope Clement. I began it in wax; and
the Duke gave orders, while I was at work upon it, that whenever I went to
take his portrait, I should be admitted. Perceiving that I had a lengthy piece
of business on my hands, I sent for a certain Pietro Pagolo from Monte
Ritondo, in the Roman district, who had been with me from his boyhood in Rome.
^7 I found him with one Bernardonaccio, ^8 a goldsmith, who did not treat him
well; so I brought him away from there, and taught him minutely how to strike
coins from those dies. Meanwhile, I went on making the Duke`s portrait; and
oftentimes I found him napping after dinner with that Lorenzino of his, who
afterwards murdered him, and no other company; and much I marvelled that a
Duke of that sort showed such confidence about his safety. ^9
[Footnote 6: Margaret of Austria, natural daughter of Charles V, was
eventually married in 1536 to Alessandro de` Medici.]
[Footnote 7: Pietro Pagolo Galleotti, much praised by Vasari for his artistic
skill.]
[Footnote 8: Perhaps Bernardo Sabatini.]
[Footnote 9: This is the famous Tuscan Brutus who murdered Alessandro. He was
descended from Lorenzo de` Medici, the brother of Cosimo, Pater Patriae, and
the uncle of Lorenzo the Magnificent.]
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