DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32873#0222
140 LIFE OF BENVENUTO CELLINI [BK. i
of yours within an arm's length (Vyr2wzb) *
of that sun, I believe that you will do a fine job, for I
hear a great noise, wherefore there ought to be men of
great importance there." I replied to his lordship: " I
have quite sufficient courage to hit that sun in the middle;
but that a tub full of stones which was there, near the
muzzle of the said gun, by the force of the explosion
and the blast of wind that the cannon would create
would be thrown to the ground." To which the said
lord responded: "Don't waste time, Benvenuto; in the
first place, it is impossible from the manner in which
it stands that the blast from the cannon will cause it
to fall; but even if it did fall and the Pope himself were
beneath it, it would be less serious than you think;
therefore fire away." I, troubling no more about it, fired
at the centre of the sun, exactly as I had promised. The
tub fell over, as I predicted, and its contents were dis-
charged exactly between Cardinal Farnese ^ and Misser
Jacopo Salviati, who might well have both been crushed:
the reason of this was that the said Cardinal Farnese
was just chiding the said Misser Jacopo because he
was the cause of the Sack of Rome; and in pouring
insults upon one another, they stood apart to give space
for their violent words, which was the reason that my
tub did not crush them both. Hearing the great noise
that was being made in the court below, the excellent lord
Horatio descended thither in great haste; wherefore I
* AVaorzh, lit. " the length of an arm," is a very common term
of measurement in Italy, being about twenty-three inches.
^ Alessandro Farnese, Dean of the Sacred College, who, in 1534?
succeeded Clement VII on the Papal Throne, under the name of
Paul III (1534-1549). For work executed by Cellini for this prelate
also r/i PLON,
of yours within an arm's length (Vyr2wzb) *
of that sun, I believe that you will do a fine job, for I
hear a great noise, wherefore there ought to be men of
great importance there." I replied to his lordship: " I
have quite sufficient courage to hit that sun in the middle;
but that a tub full of stones which was there, near the
muzzle of the said gun, by the force of the explosion
and the blast of wind that the cannon would create
would be thrown to the ground." To which the said
lord responded: "Don't waste time, Benvenuto; in the
first place, it is impossible from the manner in which
it stands that the blast from the cannon will cause it
to fall; but even if it did fall and the Pope himself were
beneath it, it would be less serious than you think;
therefore fire away." I, troubling no more about it, fired
at the centre of the sun, exactly as I had promised. The
tub fell over, as I predicted, and its contents were dis-
charged exactly between Cardinal Farnese ^ and Misser
Jacopo Salviati, who might well have both been crushed:
the reason of this was that the said Cardinal Farnese
was just chiding the said Misser Jacopo because he
was the cause of the Sack of Rome; and in pouring
insults upon one another, they stood apart to give space
for their violent words, which was the reason that my
tub did not crush them both. Hearing the great noise
that was being made in the court below, the excellent lord
Horatio descended thither in great haste; wherefore I
* AVaorzh, lit. " the length of an arm," is a very common term
of measurement in Italy, being about twenty-three inches.
^ Alessandro Farnese, Dean of the Sacred College, who, in 1534?
succeeded Clement VII on the Papal Throne, under the name of
Paul III (1534-1549). For work executed by Cellini for this prelate
also r/i PLON,