DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32873#0496
382 LIFE OF BENVENUTO CELLINI [BK. i
for the importance lay in his documents, which were
worth many tens of and it seemed that he said
these words to me in anger, all dripping and stuttering.
Upon this I turned to certain guides that we had, and
directed them to assist that animal, and that I would pay
them. One of those guides, cleverly and with great
labour, set to work to help him, and fished out his docu-
ments, so that he lost none of them; that other guide
never turned to take any pains to assist him. When then
we had arrived at that above-mentioned place, we had
made up a purse, which it was my business to disburse,
and when we had dined I gave certain monies out of this
purse belonging to the party to that guide who had helped
to drag him (the notary) from the water; upon which he
told me that I must give that money out of my own
pocket, for he did not intend to give him anything else
but what we had agreed upon for performing the duty
of guide. At this I uttered to him many opprobrious
remarks. Then the other guide put himself in my way,
who had taken no trouble, and wanted me to pay him
also; and* I therefore said: "He only deserves the re-
ward who has borne the cross": he answered me that he
would soon show me a cross at which I should weep. I
said to him that I would light a taper to that cross,
for the which I hoped that it would fall to him first
to weep. And since this place is on the frontier be-
tween the Venetians and the Germans, this man ran
off to fetch the populace, and came with them with a
great spear in front of him. I, for I was mounted upon
my excellent horse, lowered the barrel * of my arque-
' In ancient times the name(orlit. "a tinder box,"
was applied to the hint, which, held steady by the cock, struck
for the importance lay in his documents, which were
worth many tens of and it seemed that he said
these words to me in anger, all dripping and stuttering.
Upon this I turned to certain guides that we had, and
directed them to assist that animal, and that I would pay
them. One of those guides, cleverly and with great
labour, set to work to help him, and fished out his docu-
ments, so that he lost none of them; that other guide
never turned to take any pains to assist him. When then
we had arrived at that above-mentioned place, we had
made up a purse, which it was my business to disburse,
and when we had dined I gave certain monies out of this
purse belonging to the party to that guide who had helped
to drag him (the notary) from the water; upon which he
told me that I must give that money out of my own
pocket, for he did not intend to give him anything else
but what we had agreed upon for performing the duty
of guide. At this I uttered to him many opprobrious
remarks. Then the other guide put himself in my way,
who had taken no trouble, and wanted me to pay him
also; and* I therefore said: "He only deserves the re-
ward who has borne the cross": he answered me that he
would soon show me a cross at which I should weep. I
said to him that I would light a taper to that cross,
for the which I hoped that it would fall to him first
to weep. And since this place is on the frontier be-
tween the Venetians and the Germans, this man ran
off to fetch the populace, and came with them with a
great spear in front of him. I, for I was mounted upon
my excellent horse, lowered the barrel * of my arque-
' In ancient times the name(orlit. "a tinder box,"
was applied to the hint, which, held steady by the cock, struck