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Book FirstPart LXXXIX
Part LXXXIX
We mounted, and rode rapidly toward Rome; and when we had reached a
certain gently rising ground-night had already fallen-looking in the direction
of Florence, both with one breath exclaimed in the utmost astonishment: "O God
of heaven! what is that great thing one sees there over Florence?" It
resembled a huge beam of fire, which sparkled and gave out extraordinary
lustre.
I said to Felice: "Assuredly we shall hear to-morrow that something of
vast importance has happened in Florence." As we rode into Rome, the darkness
was extreme; and when we came near the Banchi and our own house, my little
horse was going in an amble at a furious speed. Now that day they had thrown a
heap of plaster and broken tiles in the middle of the road, which neither my
horse nor myself perceived. In his fiery pace the beast ran up it; but on
coming down upon the other side he turned a complete somersault. He had his
head between his legs, and it was only through the power of God himself that I
escaped unhurt. The noise we made brought the neighbours out with lights; but
I had already jumped to my feet; and so, without remounting, I ran home,
laughing to have come unhurt out of an accident enough to break my neck.
On entering the house, I found some friends of mine there, to whom, while
we were supping together, I related the adventures of the day`s chase and the
diabolical apparition of the fiery beam which we had seen. They exclaimed:
"What shall we hear to-morrow which this portent has announced?" I answered:
"Some revolution must certainly have occurred in Florence." So we supped
agreeably; and late the next day there came the news to Rome of Duke
Alessandro`s death. ^1 Upon this many of my acquaintances came to me and said:
"You were right in conjecturing that something of great importance had
happened at Florence." Just then Francesco Soderini appeared jogging along
upon a wretched mule he had, and laughing all the way like a madman. He said
to me: "This is the reverse of that vile tyrant`s medal which your Lorenzino
de` Medici promised you." Then he added: "You wanted to immortalise the dukes
for us; but we mean to have no more dukes;" and thereupon he jeered me, as
though I had been the captain of the factions which make dukes. Meanwhile a
certain Baccio Bettini, ^2 who had an ugly big head like a bushel, came up and
began to banter me in the same way about dukes, calling out: "We have
dis-duked them, and won`t have any more of them; and you were for making them
immortal for us!" with many other tiresome quips of the same kind. I lost my
patience at this nonsense, and said to them: "You blockheads! I am a poor
goldsmith, who serve whoever pays me; and you are jeering me as though I were
a party-leader. However, this shall not make me cast in your teeth the
insatiable greediness, idiotcy, and good-for-nothingness of your predecessors.
But this one answer I will make to all your silly railleries; that before two
or three days at the longest have passed by, you will have another duke, much
worse perhaps than he who now has left you." ^3
[Footnote 1: Alessandro was murdered by his cousin Lorenzino at Florence on
the 5th of January 1537.]
[Footnote 2: Bettini was an intimate friend of Buonarroti and a considerable
patron of the arts.]
[Footnote 3: This exchange of ironical compliments testifies to Cellini`s
strong Medicean leanings, and also to the sagacity with which he judged the
political situation.]
The following day Bettini came to my shop and said: "There is no need to
spend money in couriers, for you know things before they happen. What spirit
tells them to you?" Then he informed me that Cosimo de` Medici, the son of
Signor Giovanni, was made Duke; but that certain conditions had been imposed
at his election, which would hold him back from kicking up his heels at his
own pleasure. I now had my opportunity for laughing at them, and saying:
"Those men of Florence have set a young man upon a mettlesome horse; next they
have buckled spurs upon his heels, and put the bridle freely in his hands, and
turned him out upon a magnificent field, full of flowers and fruits and all
delightful things; next they have bidden him not to cross certain indicated
limits: now tell me, you, who there is that can hold him back, whenever he has
but the mind to cross them? Laws cannot be imposed on him who is the master of
the law." So they left me alone, and gave me no further annoyance. ^4
[Footnote 4: Cellini only spoke the truth on this occasion; for Cosimo soon
kicked down the ladder which had lifted him to sovereignty, and showed himself
the absolute master of Florence. Cosimo was elected Duke upon the 9th of
January 1537.]
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