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Benvenuto Cellini
Selection copyright © 1997 by Rictor Norton. All
rights reserved. This edition may not be reproduced or
redistributed to third parties without permission of the
editor.
[From The Life of Benvenuto Cellini,
1888. Symonds's most popular work first appeared simultaneously
in two issues, 100 copies in a large paper issue, and in a de
luxe edition of 750 copies bound in quarter-calf, with
illustrations of Cellini's works printed in gold, silver and
bronze. The second edition, in ordinary octavo without
illustrations, was printed the same year, and the third edition
appeared the following year. It was very successful, and has been
in print ever since.]
The plague had by this time almost died out, so that the
survivors, when they met together alive, rejoiced with much
delight in one another's company. This led to the formation of
a club of painters, sculptors, and goldsmiths, the best that were
in Rome; and the founder of it was a sculptor with the name of
Michel Agnolo. He was a Sienese and a man of great ability, who
could hold his own against another workman in that art; but,
above all, he was the most amusing comrade and the heartiest good
fellow in the universe. Of all the members of the club, he was
the eldest, and yet the youngest from the strength and vigour of
his body. We often came together; at the very least twice a week.
I must not omit to mention that our society counted Giulio
Romano, the painter, and Gian Francesco, both of them celebrated
pupils of the mighty Raffaello da Urbino.
After many and many merry meetings, it seemed good to our
worthy president that for the following Sunday we should repair
to supper in his house, and that each one of us should be obliged
to bring with him his crow (such was the nickname Michel Agnolo
gave to women in the club), and that whoso did not bring one
should be sconced by paying a supper to the whole company. Those
of us who had no familiarity with women of the town, were forced
to purvey themselves at no small trouble and expense, in order
to appear without disgrace at that distinguished feast of
artists. I had reckoned upon being well provided with a young
woman of considerable beauty, called Pantasilea, who was very
much in love with me; but I was obliged to give her up to one of
my dearest friends, called Il Bachiacca, who on his side had
been, and still was, over head and ears in love with her. This
exchange excited a certain amount of lover's anger, because the
lady, seeing I had abandoned her at Bachiacca's first entreaty,
imagined that I held in slight esteem the great affection which
she bore me. In course of time a very serious incident grew out
of this misunderstanding, through her desire to take revenge for
the affront I had put upon her; whereof I shall speak hereafter
in the proper place.
Well, then, the hour was drawing nigh when we had to present
ourselves before that company of men of genius, each with his own
crow; and I was still unprovided; and yet I thought it would be
stupid to fail of such a madcap bagatelle; but what particularly
weighed upon my mind was that I did not choose to lend the light
of my countenance in that illustrious sphere to some miserable
plume-plucked scare-crow. All these considerations made me devise
a pleasant trick, for the increase of merriment and the diffusion
of mirth in our society.
 Having taken this resolve, I sent for a stripling of sixteen
years who lived in the next house to mine; he was the son of a
Spanish coppersmith. This young man gave his time to Latin
studies, and was very diligent in their pursuit. He bore the name
of Diego, had a handsome figure, and a complexion of marvellous
brilliancy; the outlines of his head and face were far more
beautiful than those of the antique Antinous: I had often copied
them, gaining thereby much honour from the works in which I used
them. The youth had no acquaintances, and was therefor quite
unknown; dressed very ill and negligently; all his affections
being set upon those wonderful studies of his. After bringing him
to my house, I begged him to let me array him in the woman's
clothes which I had caused to be laid out. He readily complied,
and put them on at once, while I added new beauties to the beauty
of his face by the elaborate and studied way in which I dressed
his hair. In his ears I placed two little rings, set with two
large and fair pearls: the rings were broken; they only clipped
his ears, which looked as though they had been pierced.
Afterwards I wreathed his throat with chains of gold and rich
jewels, and ornamented his fair hands with rings. Then I took him
in a pleasant manner by one ear, and drew him before a great
looking-glass. The lad, when he beheld himself, cried out with
a burst of enthusiasm: "Heavens! is that Diego?" I
said: "That is Diego, from whom until this day I never asked
for any kind of favour; but now I only beseech Diego to do me
pleasure in one harmless thing; and it is this þ I want him to
come in those very clothes to supper with the company of artists
whereof he has often heard me speak." The young man, who was
honest, virtuous, and wise, checked his enthusiasm, bent his eyes
to the ground, and stood for a short while in silence. Then with
a sudden move he lifted up his face and said: "With
Benvenuto I will go; now let us start."
I wrapped his head in a large kind of napkin, which is
called in Rome a summer-cloth; and when we reached the place of
meeting, the company had already assembled, and everybody came
forward to greet me. Michel Agnolo had placed himself between
Giulio and Giovan Francesco. I lifted the veil from the head of
my beauty; and then Michel Agnolo, who, as I have already said,
was the most humorous and amusing fellow in the world, laid his
two hands, the one on Giulio's and the other on Gian Francesco's
shoulders, and pulling them with all his force, made them bow
down, while he, on his knees upon the floor, cried out for mercy,
and called to all the folk in words like these: "Behold ye
of what sort are the angels of paradise! for though they are
called angels, here shall ye see that they are not all of the
male gender." Then with a loud voice he added:
Angel beauteous, angel best,
Save me thou, make thou me blest.
Upon this my charming creature laughed, and lifted the right
hand, and gave him a papal benediction, with many pleasant words
to boot. So Michel Agnolo stood up, and said it was the custom
to kiss the feet of the Pope and the cheeks of angels; and having
done the latter to Diego, the boy blushed deeply, which immensely
enhanced his beauty.
When this reception was over, we found the whole room full
of sonnets, which every man of us had made and sent to Michel
Agnolo. My lad began to read them, and read them all aloud so
gracefully, that his infinite charms were heightened beyond the
powers of language to describe. Then followed conversation and
witty sayings, on which I will not enlarge, for that is not my
business; only one clever word must be mentioned, for it was
spoken by that admirable painter Giulio, who, looking round with
meaning in his eyes on the bystanders, and fixing them
particularly upon the women, turned to Michel Agnolo and said:
"My dear Michel Agnolo, your nickname of crow very well
suits those ladies today, though I vow they are somewhat less
fair than crows by the side of one of the most lovely peacocks
which fancy could have painted."
When the banquet was served and ready, and we were going to
sit down to table, Guilio asked leave to be allowed to place us.
This being granted, he took the women by the hand, and arranged
them all upon the inner side, with my fair in the centre; then
he placed all the men on the outside and me in the middle, saying
there was no honour too great for my deserts. As a background to
the women, there was spread an espalier of natural jasmines in
full beauty, which set off their charms, and especially Diego's,
to such great advantage, that words would fail to describe the
effect. Then we all of us fell to enjoying the abundance of our
host's well-furnished table. The supper was followed by a short
concert of delightful music, voices joining in harmony with
instruments; and forasmuch as they were singing and playing from
the book, my beauty begged to be allowed to sing his part. He
performed the music better than almost all the rest, which so
astonished the company that giulio and Michel Agnolo dropped
their earlier tone of banter, exchanging it for well-weighed
terms of sober heart-felt admiration.
After the music was over, a certain Aurelio Ascolano,
remarkable for his gift as an improvisatory poet, began to extol
the women in choice phrases of exquisite compliment. While he was
chanting, the two girls who had my beauty between them never left
off chattering. One of them related how she had gone wrong; the
other asked mine how it had happened with her, and who were her
friends, and how long she had been settled in Rome, and many
other questions of the kind. It is true that, if I chose to
describe such laughable episodes, I could relate several odd
things which then occurred through Pantasilea's jealousy on my
account; but since they form no part of my design, I pass them
briefly over. At last the conversation of those loose women vexed
my beauty, whom we had christened Pomona for the nonce; and
Pomona, wanting to escape from their silly talk, turned
restlessly upon her chair, first to one side and then to the
other. The female brought by Giulio asked whether she felt
indisposed. Pomona answered, yes, she thought she was a month or
so with child; this gave them the opportunity of feeling her body
and discovering the real sex of the supposed woman. Thereupon
they quickly withdrew their hands and rose from table, uttering
such gibing words as are commonly addressed to young men of
eminent beauty. The whole room rang with laughter and
astonishment, in the midst of which Michel Agnolo, assuming a
fierce aspect, called out for leave to inflict on me the penance
he thought fit. When this was granted, he lifted me aloft amid
the clamour of the company, crying: "Long live the
gentleman! long live the gentleman!" and added that this was
the punishment I deserved for having played so fine a trick. Thus
ended that most agreeable supper-party, and each of us returned
to his own dwelling at the close of the day.
* * *
I shall be obliged to digress a little from the history of my
art, unless I were to omit some annoying incidents which have
happened in the course of my troubled career. One of these, which
I am about to describe, brought me into the greatest risk of my
life. I have already told the story of the artists' club, and of
the farcical adventures which happened owing to the woman whom
I mentioned, Pantasilea, the one who felt for me that false and
fulsome love. She was furiously enraged because of the pleasant
trick by which I brought Diego to our banquet, and she swore to
be revenged on me. How she did so is mixed up with the history
of a young man called Luigi Pulci, who had recently come to Rome.
He was the son of one of the Pulcis, who had been beheaded for
incest with his daughter; and the youth possessed extraordinary
gifts for poetry together with sound Latin scholarship; he wrote
well, was graceful in manners, and of surpassing personal beauty;
he had just left the service of some bishop, whose name I do not
remember, and was thoroughly tainted with a very foul disease.
While he was yet a lad and living in Florence, they used in
certain places of the city to meet together during the nights of
summer on the public streets; and he, ranking among the best of
the improvisatori, sang there. His recitations were so admirable,
that the divine Michel Agnolo Buonarroti, that prince of
sculptors and of painters, went, wherever he heard that he would
be, with the greatest eagerness and delight to listen to him.
There was a man called Piloto, a goldsmith, very able in his art,
who, together with myself, joined Buonarroti upon these
occasions. (Piloto was a prominent figure in the Florentine
society of artists, and a celebrated practical joker. Vasari says
that a young man of whom he had spoken ill murdered him.) Thus
acquaintance sprang up between me and Luigi Pulci; and so, after
the lapse of many years, he came, in the miserable plight which
I have mentioned, to make himself known to me again in Rome,
beseeching me for God's sake to help him. Moved to compassion by
his great talents, by the love of my fatherland, and by my own
natural tenderness of heart, I took him into my house, and had
him medically treated in such wise that, being but a youth, he
soon regained his health. While he was still pursuing his cure,
he never omitted his studies, and I provided him with books
according to the means at my disposal. The result was that Luigi,
recognising the great benefits he had received from me,
oftentimes with words and tears returned me thanks, protesting
that if God should ever put good fortune in his way, he would
recompense me for my kindness. To this I replied that I had not
done for him as much as I desired, but only what I could, and
that it was the duty of human beings to be mutually serviceable.
Only I suggested that he should repay the service I had rendered
him by doing likewise to some one who might have the same need
of him as he had had of me.
The young man in question began to frequent the Court of
Rome, where he soon found a situation, and enrolled himself in
the suite of a bishop, a man of eighty years, who bore the title
of Gurgensis. This bishop had a nephew called Messer Giovanni:
he was a nobleman of Venice; and the said Messer Giovanni made
show of marvellous attachment to Luigi Pulci's talents; and under
the pretence of these talents, he brought him as familiar to
himself as his own flesh and blood. Luigi having talked of me,
and of his great obligations to me, with Messer Giovanni, the
latter expressed a wish to make my acquaintance. Thus then it
came to pass, that when I had upon a certain evening invited that
woman Pantasilea to supper, had assembled a company of men of
parts who were my friends, just at the moment of our sitting down
to table, Messer Giovanni and Luigi Pulci arrived, and after some
complimentary speeches, they both remained to sup with us. The
shameless strumpet, casting her eyes upon the young man's beauty,
began at once to lay her nets for him; perceiving which, when the
supper had come to an agreeable end, I took Luigi aside, and
conjured him, by the benefits he said he owed me, to have nothing
whatever to do with her. To this he answered: "Good heavens,
Benvenuto! do you then take me for a madman?" I rejoined:
"Not for a madman, for but for a young fellow"; and I
swore to him by God: "I do not give that woman the least
thought; but for your sake I should be sorry if through her you
came to break your neck." Upon these words he vowed and
prayed to God, that, if ever he but spoke with her, he might upon
the moment break his neck. I think the poor lad swore this oath
to God with all his heart, for he did break his neck, as I shall
presently relate. Messer Giovanni showed signs too evident of
loving him in a dishonourable way; but we began to notice that
Luigi had new suits of silk and velvet every morning, and it was
known that he abandoned himself altogether to bad courses. He
neglected his fine talents, and pretended not to see or recognise
me, because I had once rebuked him, and told him he was giving
his soul to foul vices, which would make him break his neck, as
he had vowed.
Now Messer Giovanni bought his favourite a very fine black
horse, for which he paid 150 crowns. The best was admirably
trained to hand, so that Luigi could go daily to caracole around
the lodgings of that prostitute Pantasilea. Though I took notice
of this, I paid it no attention, only remarking that all things
acted as their nature prompted; and meanwhile I gave my whole
mind to my studies. It came to pass one Sunday evening that we
were invited to sup together with the Sienese sculptor, Michel
Agnolo, and the time of the year was summer. Bachiacca, of whom
I have already spoken, was present at the party; and he had
brought with him his old flame, Pantasilea. When we were at
table, she sat between me and Bachiacca; but in the very middle
of the banquet she rose, and excused herself upon the pretext of
a natural need, saying she would speedily return. We, meanwhile,
continued talking very agreeably and supping; but she remained
an unaccountably long time absent. It chanced that, keeping my
ears open, I thought I heard a sort of subdued tittering in the
street below. I had a knife in hand, which I was using for my
service at the table. The window was so close to where I sat,
that, by merely rising, I could see Luigi in the street, together
with Pantasilea; and I heard Luigi saying: "Oh, if that
devil Benvenuto only saw us, shouldn't we just catch it!"
She answered: "Have no fear; only listen to the noise
they're making; we are the last thing they're thinking of."
At these words, having made them both well out, I leaped from the
window, and took Luigi by the cape; and certainly I should then
have killed him with the knife I held, but that he was riding a
white horse, to which he clapped spurs, leaving his cape in my
grasp, in order to preserve his life. Pantasilea took to her
heels in the direction of a neighbouring church. The company at
supper rose immediately, and came down, entreating me in a body
to refrain from putting myself and them to inconvenience for a
strumpet. I told them that I should not have let myself be moved
on her account, but that I was bent on punishing the infamous
young man, who showed how little he regarded me. Accordingly I
would not yield to the remonstrances of those ingenious and
worthy men, but took my sword, and went alone toward Prati: the
house where we were supping, I should say, stood close to the
Castello gate, which led to Prati. Walking thus upon the road to
Prati, I had not gone far before the sun sank, and I re-entered
Rome itself at a slow pace. Night had fallen; darkness had come
one; but the gates of Rome were not yet shut.
Toward two hours after sunset, I walked along Pantasilea's
lodging, with the intention, if Luigi Pulci were there, of doing
something to the discontent of both. When I heard and saw that
no one but a poor servant-girl called Canida was in the house,
I went to put away my cloak and the scabbard of my sword, and
then returned to the house, which stood behind the Banchi on the
river Tiber. Just opposite stretched a garden belonging to an
innkeeper called Romolo. It was enclosed by a thick hedge of
thorns, in which I hid myself, standing upright, and waiting till
the woman came back with Luigi. After keeping watch awhile there,
my friend Bachiacca crept up to me; whether led by his own
suspicions or by the advice of others, I cannot say. In a low
voice he called out to me: "Gossip" (for so we used to
name ourselves for fun); and then he prayed me for god's love,
using the words which follow, with tears in the tone of his
voice: "Dear gossip, I entreat you not to injure that poor
girl; she at least has erred in no wise in this matter þ not, not
at all." When I heard what he was saying, I replied:
"If you don't take yourself off now, at this first word I
utter, I will bring my sword here down upon your head."
Overwhelmed with fright, my poor gossip was suddenly taken ill
with the colic, and withdrew to ease himself apart; indeed, he
could not but obey the call. There was a glorious heaven of
stars, which shed good light to see by. All of a sudden I was
aware of the noise of many horses; they were coming toward me
from the one side and the other. It turned out to be Luigi and
Pantasilea, attended by a certain Messer Benvegnato of Perugia,
who was chamberlain to Pope Clement, and followed by four doughty
captains of Perugia, with some other valiant soldiers in the
flower of youth: altogether reckoned, there were more than twelve
swords. when I understood the matter, and saw not how to fly, I
did my best to crouch into the hedge. But the thorns pricked and
hurt me, goading me to madness like a bull; and I had half
resolved to take a leap and hazard my escape. Just then Luigi,
with his arm round Pantasilea's neck, was heard crying: "I
must kiss you once again, if only to insult that traitor
Benvenuto." At that moment, annoyed as I was by the
prickles, and irritated by the young man's words, I sprang forth,
lifted my sword on high, and shouted at the top of my voice:
"You are all dead folk!" My blow descended on the
shoulder of Luigi; but the satyrs who doted on him, had steeled
his person round with coats of mail and such-like villainous
defences; still the stroke fell with crushing force. Swerving
aside, the sword hit Pantasilea full in nose and mouth. Both she
and Luigi grovelled on the ground, while Bachiacca, with his
breeches down to his heels, screamed out and ran away. Then I
turned upon the others boldly with my sword; and those valiant
fellows, hearing a sudden commotion in the tavern, thought there
was an army coming of a hundred men; and though they drew their
swords with spirit, yet two horses which had taken fright in the
tumult cast them into such disorder that a couple of the best
riders were thrown, and the remainder took to flight. I, seeing
that the affair was turning out well for me, ran as quickly as
I could, and came off with honour from the engagement, not
wishing to tempt fortune more than was my duty. During this
hurly-burly, some of the soldiers and captains wounded themselves
with their own arms; and Messer Benvegnato, the Pope's
chamberlain, was kicked and trampled by his mule. One of the
servants also, who had drawn his sword, fell down together with
his master, and wounded him badly in the hand. Maddened by the
pain, he swore louder than all the rest in his Perugian jargon,
crying out: "By the body of God, I will take care that
Benvegnato teaches Benvenuto how to live." He afterwards
commissioned one of the captains who wherewith him (braver
perhaps that the others, but with less aplomb, as being but a
youth) to seek me out. The fellow came to visit me in the place
of my retirement; that was the palace of a great Neapolitan
nobleman, who had become acquainted with me in my art, and had
besides taken a fancy to me because of my physical and mental
aptitude for fighting, to which my lord himself was personally
well inclined. So, then, finding myself made much of, and being
precisely in my element, I gave such answer to the captain as I
think must have made him earnestly repent of having come to look
me up. After a few days, when the wounds of Luigi, and the
strumpet, and the rest were healing, the great Neapolitan
nobleman received overtures from Messer Benvegnato; for the
prelate's anger had cooled, and he proposed to ratify a peace
between me and Luigi and the soldiers, who had personally no
quarrel with me, and only wished to make my acquaintance.
Accordingly my friend the nobleman replied that he would bring
me where they chose to appoint, and that he was very willing to
effect a reconciliation. He stipulated that no words should be
bandied about on either side, seeing that would be little to
their credit; it was enough to go through the form of drinking
together and exchanging kisses; he for his part undertook to do
the talking, and promised to settle the matter to their honour.
This arrangement was carried out. On Thursday evening my
protector took me to the house of Messer Benvegnato, where all
the soldiers who had been present at that discomfiture were
assembled, and already seated at table. My nobleman was attended
by thirty brave fellows, all well armed; a circumstance which
Messer Benvegnato had not anticipated. When we came into the
hall, he walking first, I following, he spake to this effect:
"God save you gentlemen; we have come to see you, I an
Benvenuto, whom I love like my own brother; and we are ready to
do whatever your propose." Messer Benvegnato, seeing the
hall fill with such a crowd of men, called out: "It is only
peace, and nothing else, we ask of you." Accordingly he
promised that the governor of Rome and his catchpoles should give
me no trouble. Then we made peace, and I returned to my shop,
where I could not stay an hour without that Neapolitan nobleman
either coming to see me or sending for me.
Meanwhile Luigi Pulci, having recovered from his wound, rode
every day upon the black horse which was so well trained to heel
and bridle. One day, among others, after it had rained a little,
and he was making his horse curvet just before Pantasilea's door,
he slipped and fell, with the horse upon him. His right leg was
broken short off in the thigh; and after a few days he died there
in Pantasilea's lodgings, discharging thus the vow he registered
to heartily to Heaven. Even so may it be seen that God keeps
account of the good and the bad, and gives to each one what he
merits.
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