The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini

by Benvenuto Cellini

  I went off home and set to work to finish the medal that I had already started,118 showing Pope Clement’s head on one side and an image of Peace on the reverse. I represented Peace by the small figure of a woman, dressed in very light clothes caught up by her girdle. In her hand she had a little torch, with which she was setting fire to a pile of weapons stacked together in the form of a trophy; you could also see the wall of a temple, where I showed the figure of Fury loaded with chains. Round this I had the words: Clauduntur belli portae.

  While I was finishing this medal the fellow I had knocked down recovered, and the Pope never left off asking for me. Meanwhile I avoided going to see Cardinal de’ Medici, since every time I went his Eminence gave me some important commission which hindered me from finishing the medal. So Pietro Carnesecchi,119 who was a great favourite of the Pope, undertook to keep an eye on me; he told me, very tactfully, how much the Pope wanted my services. In reply to this I said that in a few days I would show his Holiness that I had never left his service.

  A few days later, having finished the medal, I stamped three copies of it, in gold, silver, and copper. I showed the result to Pietro, and he at once took me to the Pope. It was after dinner, on a beautiful April day; and the Pope was in the Belvedere. When I came into the presence of his Holiness I handed him the medals and the steel dies. He took them from me, immediately recognized what brilliant craftsmanship they showed, looked Pietro straight in the face and said: ‘They never had such medals in the ancient world.’

  While he and the others were examining now the dies, and now the medals, I said very modestly:

  ‘If it hadn’t been for the fact that there was a greater power to prevent my hostile stars doing what they threatened so violently, your Holiness – not through any fault of yours or mine – would have lost a faithful and loving servant. So, your Holiness, no mistake can be made if, when we have to play a card once and for all, we follow the advice of poor simple men who say that we should mark seven times before cutting once. The wicked, lying tongue of my worst enemy easily talked your Holiness into such a rage that you ordered the Governor to seize and hang me straight away. But later, when you saw how unjust you had been, and that you had done yourself wrong by depriving yourself of a servant of the kind you said I was, I certainly think that you would have felt not a little remorseful before God and man. Good patrons, like good fathers, should not let their arm fall so precipitately on their sons and servants, since it is no use feeling regret after it’s too late. As God has frustrated the hostility of the stars and saved me for your Holiness, I beg you, another time, not to be so easily enraged against me.’

  The Pope had stopped looking at the medals and he sat there listening to me very attentively. As there were a number of very high-ranking noblemen present he blushed slightly and seemed ashamed. Not seeing any other way of escaping from his confusion, he said that he did not remember ever having given such an order. When I realized how embarrassed he was I began talking about other things in order to rescue him from his perplexity.

  Then his Holiness began to talk about the medals, and he asked me how, seeing their size, I had managed to stamp them so splendidly; he added that he had never come across any antique medals that were as large as them. We talked about this for a while, and, because of his fear that I might give him another lecture harsher than the first, he said that the medals were exquisitely beautiful and that he was delighted with them. He added that if it were possible to make another reverse for such a medal he would like one done according to an idea of his own. I said that it could be done. Then his Holiness commissioned me to make a design for the reverse, showing Moses striking the rock, and the water gushing from it, and, written above, the words: Ut bibat populus.

  Then he added: ‘Go off now, Benvenuto, and before it’s finished I shall see to all your wants.’

  After I had left, the Pope started boasting in front of everyone that he would be so generous towards me that I would be able to live in luxury, without ever needing to work for anyone else. I gave all my time to finishing the reverse.

  But meanwhile the Pope fell ill; and as his doctors decided that it might well prove fatal, that enemy of mine, frightened of what would happen, paid some Neapolitan to do to me what he feared I was going to do to him. So I was hard put to it to defend my own poor life. All the same, I carried on and finished the reverse. When I took it to the Pope I found him in bed, at a very low ebb. Still, he welcomed me affectionately and wanted to see the medals and the dies. He sent for his spectacles and for some lights, but he was unable to distinguish anything. He began feeling my work with his fingers, then, after doing this for a little while, he sighed deeply and said he was very concerned about me, but that if God restored his health he would settle everything.

  Three days later the Pope died;120 and there I was with all my efforts wasted. But I cheered up and told myself that my medals had brought me such a high reputation that whoever became Pope would want my services, and perhaps would reward me better. In that way I reassured myself, and I let all the great injuries that Pompeo had done me go clean out of my mind. Then I put on all my armour, took my sword and went along to St Peter’s where – not without tears – I kissed the dead Pope’s feet. After that I returned to the Banchi to have a look at the great disorder that always reigns on such occasions. And while I was sitting in the Banchi, along with a crowd of friends, Pompeo happened to walk past. He was surrounded by ten heavily-armed men, and when he came opposite where I was he stopped and gave the impression that he wanted to pick a quarrel with me.

  The friends I had with me – bold, dashing young men – made signs to me to draw my sword, but my immediate thought was that if I did so people who had nothing at all to do with the matter might suffer terribly. So I decided that it would be better if only I risked my life. After Pompeo had been standing there for the length of time it takes to say two Hail Marys he laughed scornfully in my direction, and then, all laughing together, he and his companions made off, snapping their fingers at me and provoking me with their insolent gestures.

  My friends wanted me to make a fight of it, but I said with some heat that I knew how to deal with my own feuds and I could fight well enough by myself, so they could all mind their own business. They were annoyed at this and left me in a huff. Among them was my very dear friend Albertaccio del Bene,121 a brother of Alessandro, and of Albizzo who is now a very rich man in Lyons. This Albertaccio was the most admirable young man I have ever known, and he was certainly the bravest. He loved me as much as himself; and as he realized well enough that my patient attitude did not result from cowardice but from some extraordinary daring – for he knew my character thoroughly – he took me up on what I had said and begged me to let him in on whatever I intended to do.

  I replied to him: ‘My dear Albertaccio, I’m fonder of you than I am of all the others, and the time will certainly come when you can help me. But in this matter, if you return my affection, leave me alone and mind your own business, and get away from here quickly like the others, because there’s no time to lose.’

  I said all this in a rush.

  Meanwhile those enemies of mine had walked slowly off towards the Chiavica, as the place was called, and had arrived at a crossroads. The streets went off in various directions, but the street where my enemy Pompeo lived led straight to the Campo di Fiore. For some reason Pompeo had gone into the chemist’s shop at the corner of the Chiavica, and he stayed there a little while transacting his business. In the meantime I was told that he was going around boasting of the bold way he thought he had defied me. At all events it turned out badly for him, because just as I arrived at the corner, he left the chemist’s, his hired ruffians made way for him and closed round him.

  I grasped my little sharp-edged dagger, forced my way through his guards, and put my hands on his chest so coolly and swiftly that none of them could stop me. I aimed to let him have it in the face, but he was so terrified that he turned his head and my dagger struck h
im just under the ear. I followed this up with only two stabs more, for at the second he fell dead;122 not that that had been my intention, but, as they say, there are no rules in war. Then I retrieved the dagger with my left hand, while with my right I drew my sword to defend my life. At this all those ruffians crowded round the dead body, and did not so much as make a move against me.

  So I went off alone along the Strada Julia, wondering where I would be safest. I had walked about three hundred paces, when my very good friend Piloto, the goldsmith, came up to me and said:

  ‘My friend, now that the harm’s done we must think about your safety.’

  I replied: ‘Let’s go along to Albertaccio del Bene’s house – only a little while ago I was telling him that the time would soon come when I would need his help.’

  When we arrived there I was given a tremendously enthusiastic welcome and very quickly all the best young men of the Banchi, of every city except Milan, flocked round; and they all offered their own lives in defence of mine. Luigi Rucellai123 as well, with remarkable generosity, sent round to offer me anything of his that I might need, and the same was done by many other fine men like him. Then they all blessed my hands, maintaining that Pompeo had insulted me intolerably and wondering why I had stood it so long.

  Meanwhile Cardinal Cornaro124 found out what had happened and on his own initiative sent round thirty soldiers, with as many halberdiers, pikemen, and gunners, to escort me to him with every mark of respect. I agreed to go, and I walked along accompanied by the soldiers and by more than as many of those young men of mine. While this was going on, Traiano,125 who was related to Pompeo and was the head Papal chamberlain, sent an important Milanese nobleman to tell Cardinal de’ Medici of the great crime I had committed and to say that his Eminence was bound to punish me.

  The Cardinal retorted: ‘He would have committed a great crime not to have committed this petty one. Thank Messer Traiano on my behalf for informing me of something I didn’t know.’

  Then, while that Milanese gentleman was still present, he turned to the Bishop of Forlì,126 one of his intimate attendants, and said:

  ‘Make a thorough search for Benvenuto and bring him here, because I intend to help and protect him – whoever interferes with him, interferes with me.’

  The Milanese flushed deeply, and made off; and then the Bishop of Forlì came and found me with Cardinal Cornaro. When he arrived he reported that Cardinal de’ Medici had sent for Benvenuto as he wanted to be the one to protect him. Cardinal Cornaro, who was as irritable as a bear with a sore head, replied that he was just as capable of protecting me as Cardinal de’ Medici. At this the Bishop asked if he might have a word with me about another matter that had to do with some business of the Cardinal’s. Cardinal Cornaro retorted that, as far as that day was concerned, he must reckon that he had already spoken to me. Cardinal de’ Medici was highly indignant at this, but the following night – without Cornaro’s knowing – I went along with a fair-sized escort and paid him a visit. I begged him to be kind enough to let me stay with Cornaro. I told him how hospitably I had been treated, and added that if his Eminence let me remain with Cornaro I would have yet one more friend in my troubles, but that in any case his Eminence might do with me just what he pleased. He replied that I should do whatever I thought best. So I returned to Cornaro’s palace; and a few days later Cardinal Farnese was made Pope.127

  As soon as the most important things had been seen to, the Pope sent for me, saying that he did not want anyone but me to design his coins. Hearing this, a nobleman called Latino Juvinale,128 who was very intimate with the Pope, said that I was in hiding because of a murder I had committed on the person of a Milanese called Pompeo, and then he went on to give all the reasons he could to justify me.

  The Pope answered: ‘I know nothing about Pompeo’s death, but plenty of the arguments used to justify Benvenuto. Make him out a safe-conduct then, so that he can be absolutely secure.’

  There was a Milanese present, called Messer Ambrogio,129 who was a friend of Pompeo, and also very close to the Pope.

  He said: ‘It would be very unwise to grant pardons of this kind in the first days of your Papacy.’

  The Pope turned to him and replied: ‘You don’t understand the matter as much as I do. Men like Benvenuto, who are unique as far as their art is concerned, are not to be subjected to the law – especially not him, for I know what good cause he had.’

  So my safe-conduct was made out,130 and I began to serve the Pope at once and was treated with great favour.

  The Latino Juvinale whom I mentioned sought me out and commissioned me to make the Pope’s coinage. This provoked all my enemies, and they began trying to obstruct me. When the Pope heard of this he gave them a thorough dressing-down and insisted that I was to do it. I then began to make the dies for the crown pieces, designing them with a figure of St Paul and an inscription which ran: Vas electionis.131 This coin made a far greater impression on the Pope than did anything my competitors produced, and as a result the Pope said that no one was to talk to him about the coins again, since he was determined that I, and no one else, should be responsible for them. So with this encouragement I set to work; and Latino Juvinale was given the duty of arranging my audience with his Holiness. I wanted to recover my post of die-stamper at the Mint, but the Pope let himself be advised on this matter, and told me that I must first be pardoned for the murder, and that I should obtain my pardon on Our Lady’s feast day in August, through the district officers. The reason for this was that every year on this solemn feast day it is the custom to grant these officials the freedom of twelve outlaws. Meanwhile, he said, he would make me out another safe-conduct which would protect me till then.

  When my enemies saw that there was no way they could prevent my getting the Mint they hit on another expedient. The dead Pompeo had left three hundred ducats to his bastard daughter for her dowry. They arranged it so that a certain favourite of Signor Pier Luigi,132 the Pope’s son, should use his master’s help to ask for her as his wife. And this was done. This favourite was a young peasant who had been brought up by Pier Luigi, and it was said that he saw very little of the money, which was grabbed by Pier Luigi who meant to use it himself. Anyhow in order to please his wife the girl’s husband kept begging his master to have me arrested. In fact Pier Luigi promised to do so as soon as he reckoned that the Pope felt less favourably towards me. The matter rested at this for about two months, and then when the servant tried to get his hands on the dowry Pier Luigi evaded the issue, but he assured the man’s wife that whatever happened he would revenge her father. Although I had got wind of what was going on I frequently presented myself to Pier Luigi, and he pretended to regard me very highly. Meanwhile, he had made up his mind to do one of two things: either to have me murdered, or to have me arrested by the chief constable.

  He commissioned a little devil of a Corsican soldier to arrange matters as neatly as he could; and at the same time my other enemies – led by Traiano – had promised the little Corsican a reward of a hundred crowns. He said that he could do the job as easily as sucking a fresh egg. I knew all about this and went around with my eyes skinned, with a good escort and wearing a mail coat and armlets, for which I had official permission. The Corsican, who was greedy to get all that money without running any risk, imagined he could do the work by himself.

  So one day, after dinner, he had me sent for on behalf of Signor Pier Luigi, and I set off at once, because he had in fact been talking to me about commissioning some large silver vases. I left home in a hurry, though as usual I was well armed, and I strode along Strada Julia not expecting to meet anyone at that time of day. I had reached the end of the street, and was turning towards the Farnese palace – giving the corner a wide berth as usual – when I saw the Corsican stand up and walk into the middle of the road. I was completely unruffled and merely prepared to defend myself, slowing down a little and moving nearer to the wall in order to give him plenty of room. At this, he did the same. We were alr
eady quite close to each other, and I saw from his attitude that he intended to do me some harm, and that, as I was alone, he reckoned he had as good as succeeded. I began to talk to him.

  ‘My brave fellow,’ I said, ‘if it were night-time you could say that you’d mistaken me for someone else, but as it’s still daylight you must know quite well who I am. I’ve never had anything to do with you, and I’ve never done you any harm; but I shall be only too ready to oblige you.’

  In reply to this, he still blocked my path, struck up a threatening attitude, and said that he did not know what I was talking about.

  Then I went on: ‘I know perfectly well what it is you’re after and what you’re talking about, but the job you’ve taken on is more difficult and dangerous than you think, and you may find the tables turned on you. Remember, you’re dealing with a man who’d take on a hundred attackers. This isn’t at all the sort of enterprise for a brave man like you.’

  Meanwhile I too began to look aggressive, and we both changed colour. While this was going on a crowd had gathered round, since they realized that our words meant bloodshed. As a result he could not pluck up the courage to lay hands on me, and he said: ‘We shall meet again.’

  I replied: ‘I’m always ready to meet men who are worth while, or who seem it.’

  Then I walked away and made for Pier Luigi’s house, only to find that he had not sent for me. When I arrived back at my shop the Corsican sent word through a close mutual friend that I had no need to guard against him any more as he wanted to act like a comrade to me, but that I should be on the look-out against others, since I was in great danger and some very prominent men had sworn to have me killed. I sent back my thanks, and then I took as many precautions as I could. Not many days later I was informed by a friend of mine that Pier Luigi had given definite orders that I was to be arrested that very evening. I heard this news a few hours before nightfall and talked it over with some of my friends, who advised me to make my escape at once. As the order was to be carried out an hour after sunset, an hour before sunset I rode off with the post train towards Florence. What had happened was that when the Corsican showed he lacked the courage to do what he had promised, Pier Luigi, on his own authority and merely to appease Pompeo’s daughter who kept wanting to know where her dowry had gone to, gave orders for my arrest. When he failed to satisfy her by taking revenge on me in either of the two ways he had planned he hit on yet another, which I shall tell about when the time comes.