Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini Vol 1 — Chapters 96-99

XCVI

WHEN we had reached the middle of the lake, we found a little bit of level ground where we could land, and I saw that those four German gentlemen had already come to shore there; but on our wishing to disembark, the boatmen would hear nothing of it.

Then I said to my young men: “Now is the time to show what stuff we are made of; so draw your swords, and force these fellows to put us on shore.

” This we did, not however without difficulty, for they offered a stubborn resistance.

When at last we got to land, we had to climb that mountain for two miles, and it was more troublesome than getting up a ladder.

I was completely clothed in mail, with big boots, and a gun in my hand; and it was raining as though the fountains of the heavens were opened.

Those devils, the German gentlemen, leading their little horses by the bridle, accomplished miracles of agility; but our animals were not up to the business, and we burst with the fatigue of making them ascend that hill of difficulty.

We had climbed a little way, when Ascanio’s horse, an excellent beast of Hungarian race, made a false step.

He was going a few paces before the courier Busbacca to whom Ascanio had given his lance to carry for him.

Well, the path was so bad that the horse stumbled, and went on scrambling backwards, without being able to regain his footing, till he stuck upon the point of the lance, which that rogue of a courier had not the wit to keep out of his way.

The weapon passed right through his throat; and when my other workman went to help him, his horse also, a black-coloured animal, slipped towards the lake, and held on by some shrub which offered but a slight support.

This horse was carrying a pair of saddle-bags, which contained all my money and other valuables.

I

cried out to the young man to save his own life, and let the horse go to the devil.

The fall was more than a mile of precipitous descent above the waters of the lake.

Just below the place our boatmen had taken up their station; so that if the horse fell, he would have come precisely on them.

I was ahead of the whole company, and we waited to see the horse plunge headlong; it seemed certain that he must go to perdition.

During this I said to my young men: “Be under no concern; let us save our lives, and give thanks to God for all that happens.

I am only distressed for that poor fellow Busbacca, who tied his goblet and his jewels to the value of several thousands of ducats on the horse’s saddle-bow, thinking that the safest place.

My things are but a few hundred crowns, and I am in no fear whatever, if only I get God’s protection.

” Then Busbacca cried out: “I am not sorry for my own loss, but for yours.

” “Why,” said I to him, “are you sorry for my trifles, and not for all that property of yours?

” He answered: “I will tell you in God’s name; in these circumstances and at the point of peril we have reached, truth must be spoken.

I know that yours are crowns, and are so in good sooth; but that case in which I said I had so many jewels and other lies, is all full of caviare.

” On hearing this I could not hold from laughing; my young men laughed too; and he began to cry.

The horse extricated itself by a great effort when we had given it up for lost.

So then, still laughing, we summoned our forces, and bent ourselves to making the ascent.

The four German gentlemen, having gained the top before us, sent down some folk who gave us aid.

Thus at length we reached our lodging in the wilderness.

Here, being wet to the skin, tired out, and famished, we were most agreeably entertained; we dried ourselves, took rest, and satisfied our hunger, while certain wild herbs were applied to the wounded horse.

They pointed out to us the plant in question, of which the hedges were full; and we were told that if the wound was kept continually plugged with its leaves, the beast would not only recover, but would serve us just as if it had sustained no injury.

We proceeded to do as they advised.

Then having thanked those gentlemen, and feeling ourselves entirely refreshed, we quitted the place, and travelled onwards, thanking God for saving us from such great perils.

XCVII

WE reached a town beyond Vessa, where we passed the night, and heard a watchman through all the hours singing very agreeably; for all the houses of that city being built of pine wood, it was the watchman’s only business to warn folk against fire.

Busbacca’s nerves had been quite shaken by the day’s adventures; accordingly; each hour when the watchman sang, he called out in his sleep: “Ah God, I am drowning!

” That was because of the fright he had had; and besides, he had got drunk in the evening, because he would sit boozing with all the Germans who were there’ and sometimes he cried: “I am burning,” and sometimes: “I am drowning;” and at other times he thought he was in hell, and tortured with that caviare suspended round his throat.

This night was so amusing that it turned all our troubles into laughter.

In the morning we rose with very fine weather, and went to dine in a smiling little place called Lacca.

Here we obtained excellent entertainment, and then engaged guides, who were returning to a town called Surich.

The guide who attended us went along the dyked bank of a lake; there was no other road; and the dyke itself was covered with water, so that the reckless fellow slipped, and fell together with his horse beneath the water.

I, who was but a few steps behind him, stopped my horse, and waited to see the donkey get out of the water.

Just as if nothing had happened, he began to sing again, and made signs to me to follow.

I broke away upon the right hand, and got through some hedges, making my young men and Busbacca take that way.

The guide shouted in German that if the folk of those parts saw me they would put me to death.

However, we passed forward, and escaped that other storm.

So we arrived at Surich, a marvellous city, bright and polished like a little gem.

There we rested a whole day, then left betimes one morning, and reached another fair city called Solutorno.

Thence we came to Usanna, from Usanna to Ginevra, from Ginevra to Lione, always singing and laughing.

At Lione I rested four days, and had much pleasant intercourse with some of my friends there; I was also repaid what I had spent upon Busbacca; afterwards I set out upon the road to Paris.

This was a delightful journey, except that when we reached Palissa [1] a band of venturers tried to murder us, [2] and it was only by great courage and address that we got free from them.

From that point onward we travelled to Paris without the least trouble in the world.

Always singing and laughing, we arrived safely at our destination.

Note 1. La Palice.

Note 2. Cellini, in the narrative of his second French journey, explains that these 'venturieri' were a notable crew of very daring brigands in the Lyonese province.

XCVIII

AFTER taking some repose in Paris, I went to visit the painter Rosso, who was in the King’s service.

I thought to find in him one of the sincerest friends I had in the world, seeing that in Rome I had done him the greatest benefits which one man can confer upon another.

As these may be described briefly, I will not here omit their mention, in order to expose the shamelessness of such ingratitude.

While he was in Rome, then, being a man given to back-biting, he spoke so ill of Raffaello da Urbino’s works, that the pupils of the latter were quite resolved to murder him.

From this peril I saved him by keeping a close watch upon him day and night.

Again, the evil things said by Rosso against San Gallo, [1] that excellent architect, caused the latter to get work taken from him which he had previously procured for him from Messer Agnolo da Cesi; and after this San Gallo used his influence so strenuously against him that he must have been brought to the verge of starvation, had not I pitied his condition and lent him some scores of crowns to live upon.

So then, not having been repaid, and knowing that he held employment under the King, I went, as I have said, to look him up.

I did not merely expect him to discharge his debt, but also to show me favour and assist in placing me in that great monarch’s service.

When Rosso set eyes on me, his countenance changed suddenly, and he exclaimed: “Benvenuto, you have taken this long journey at great charges to your loss; especially at this present time, when all men’s thoughts are occupied with war, and not with the bagatelles of our profession.

” I replied that I had brought money enough to take me back to Rome as I had come to Paris, and that this was not the proper return for the pains I had endured for him, and that now I began to believe what Maestro Antonio da San Gallo said of him.

When he tried to turn the matter into jest on this exposure of his baseness, I showed him a letter of exchange for five hundred crowns upon Ricciardo del Bene.

Then the rascal was ashamed, and wanted to detain me almost by force; but I laughed at him, and took my leave in the company of a painter whom I found there.

This man was called Sguazzella: [2] he too was a Florentine; and I went to lodge in his house, with three horses and three servants, at so much per week.

He treated me very well, and was even better paid by me in return.

Afterwards I sought audience of the King, through the introduction of his treasurer, Messer Giuliano Buonaccorti.

[3] I met, however, with considerable delays, owing, as I did not then know, to the strenuous exertions Rosso made against my admission to his Majesty.

When Messer Giuliano became aware of this, he took me down at once to Fontana Bilio, [4] and brought me into the presence of the King, who granted me a whole hour of very gracious audience.

Since he was then on the point of setting out for Lyons, he told Messer Giuliano to take me with him, adding that on the journey we could discuss some works of art his Majesty had it in his head to execute.

Accordingly, I followed the court; and on the way I entered into close relations with the Cardinal of Ferrara, who had not at that period obtained the hat.

[5] Every evening I used to hold long conversations with the Cardinal, in the course of which his lordship advised me to remain at an abbey of his in Lyons, and there to abide at ease until the King returned from this campaign, adding that he was going on to Grenoble, and that I should enjoy every convenience in the abbey.

When we reached Lyons I was already ill, and my lad Ascanio had taken a quartan fever.

The French and their court were both grown irksome to me, and I counted the hours till I could find myself again in Rome.

On seeing my anxiety to return home, the Cardinal gave me money sufficient for making him a silver bason and jug.

So we took good horses, and set our faces in the direction of Rome, passing the Simplon, and travelling for some while in the company of certain Frenchmen; Ascanio troubled by his quartan, and I by a slow fever which I found it quite impossible to throw off.

I had, moreover, got my stomach out of order to such an extent, that for the space of four months, as I verily believe, I hardly ate one whole loaf of bread in the week; and great was my longing to reach Italy, being desirous to die there rather than in France.

Note 1. Antonio da San Gallo, one of the best architects of the later Renaissance.

Note 2. A pupil of Andrea del Sarto, who went with him to France and settled there.

Note 3. A Florentine exile mentioned by Varchi.

Note 4. Fontainebleau.

Cellini always writes it as above.

Note 5. Ippolito d’Este, son of Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara; Archbishop of Milan at the age of fifteen; Cardinal in 1539; spent a large part of his life in France.

XCIX

WHEN we had crossed the mountains of the Simplon, we came to a river near a place called Indevedro.

[1] It was broad and very deep, spanned by a long narrow bridge without ramparts.

That morning a thick white frost had fallen; and when I reached the bridge, riding before the rest, I recognised how dangerous it was, and bade my servants and young men dismount and lead their horses.

So I got across without accident, and rode on talking with one of the Frenchmen, whose condition was that of a gentleman.

The other, who was a scrivener, lagged a little way behind, jeering the French gentleman and me because we had been so frightened by nothing at all as to give ourselves the trouble of walking.

I turned round, and seeing him upon the middle of the bridge, begged him to come gently, since the place was very dangerous.

The fellow, true to his French nature, cried out in French that I was a man of poor spirit, and that there was no danger whatsoever.

While he spoke these words and urged his horse forward, the animal suddenly slipped over the bridge, and fell with legs in air close to a huge rock there was there.

Now God is very often merciful to madmen; so the two beasts, human and equine, plunged together into a deep wide pool, where both of them went down below the water.

On seeing what had happened, I set off running at full speed, scrambled with much difficulty on to the rock, and dangling over from it, seized the skirt of the scrivener’s gown and pulled him up, for he was still submerged beneath the surface.

He had drunk his bellyful of water, and was within an ace of being drowned.

I then, beholding him out of danger, congratulated the man upon my having been the means of rescuing his life.

The fellow to this answered me in French, that I had done nothing; the important things to save were his writings, worth many scores of crowns; and these words he seemed to say in anger, dripping wet and spluttering the while.

Thereupon, I turned round to our guides, and ordered them to help the brute, adding that I would see them paid.

One of them with great address and trouble set himself to the business, and picked up all the fellow’s writings, so that he lost not one of them: the other guide refused to trouble himself by rendering any assistance.

I ought here to say that we had made a purse up, and that I performed the part of paymaster.

So, when we reached the place I mentioned, and had dined, I drew some coins from the common purse and gave them to the guide who helped to draw him from the water.

Thereupon the fellow called out that I might pay them out of my own pocket; he had no intention of giving the man more than what had been agreed on for his services as guide.

Upon this I retorted with insulting language.

Then the other guide, who had done nothing, came up and demanded to be rewarded also.

I

told him that the one who had borne the cross deserved the recompense.

He cried out that he would presently show me a cross which should make me repent.

I replied that I would light a candle at that cross, which should, I hoped, make him to be the first to weep his folly.

The village we were in lay on the frontier between Venice and the Germans.

So the guide ran off to bring the folk together, and came, followed by a crowd, with a boar-spear in his hand.

Mounted on my good steed, I lowered the barrel of my arquebuse, and turning to my comrades, cried: “At the first shot I shall bring that fellow down; do you likewise your duty, for these are highway robbers, who have used this little incident to contrive our murder.

” The innkeeper at whose house we had dined called one of the leaders, an imposing old man, and begged him to put a stop to the disorder, saying: “This is a most courageous young man; you may cut him to pieces, but he will certainly kill a lot of you, and perhaps will escape your hands after doing all the mischief he is able.

” So matters calmed down: and the old man, their leader, said to me: “Go in peace;

you would not have much to boast of against us, even if you had a hundred men to back you.

” I recognised the truth of his words, and had indeed made up my mind to die among them; therefore, when no further insults were cast at me, I shook my head and exclaimed: “I should certainly have done my utmost to prove I am no statue, but a man of flesh and spirit.

” Then we resumed our journey; and that evening, at the first lodging we came to, settled our accounts together.

There I parted for ever from that beast of a Frenchman, remaining on very friendly terms with the other, who was a gentleman.

Afterwards I reached Ferrara, with my three horses and no other company.

Having dismounted, I went to court in order to pay my reverence to the Duke, and gain permission to depart next morning for Loreto.

When I had waited until two hours after nightfall, his Excellency appeared.

I

kissed his hands; he received me with much courtesy, and ordered that water should be brought for me to wash my hands before eating.

To this compliment I made a pleasant answer: “Most excellent lord, it is now more than four months that I have eaten only just enough to keep life together; knowing therefore that I could not enjoy the delicacies of your royal table, I will stay and talk with you while your Excellency is supping; in this way we shall both have more pleasure than if I were to sup with you.

” Accordingly, we entered into conversation, and prolonged it for the next three hours.

At that time I took my leave, and when I got back to the inn, found a most excellent meal ready; for the Duke had sent me the plates from his own banquet, together with some famous wine.

Having now fasted two full hours beyond my usual hour for supping, I fell to with hearty appetite; and this was the first time since four months that I felt the power or will to eat.

Note 1. Probably the Doveria in the Valdivedro.