DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32874#0328
272 LIFE OF BENVENUTO CELLINI [nx. 11
taining the reputation of your precious stone, and I will
attend to understanding my own business. Tell me at
least what you have spent upon it, so that I may learn
to understand matters according to Your Excellency's
ideas." The Duke rising with a slightly scornful sneer
said: "Twenty-five thousand and more, Benve-
nuto! it cost me: " and went away. At this discussion
there were present Gianpagolo and Domenico Poggini,
the goldsmiths; and Bachiacca the embroiderer,' he
also, for he worked in an apartment near to ours, ran up
at that noise. Whereupon I said: " I should never have
advised him to buy it. But if he had had a desire for it,
Antonio Landi offered it to me eight days ago for seven-
teen thousand jvwrA; I believe that I could have got it
for him for fifteen or less. But the Duke wishes to
maintain the reputation of his stone: for since Antonio
Landi offered it to me at such a price, how the devil
has Bernardone put upon the Duke such a shameful
fraud?" And never believing that such was the truth
—as it was—we laughingly passed over that simplicity
of the Duked
Having already constructed the figure of the large
Medusa, as I have said, I had fashioned its framework
of iron. Afterwards having made it in clay,
like an anatomical specimen (TMAwVry), and thinner by
half a finger, I baked it most thoroughly, then I put
wax over it and finished it off after the fashion in which
' Antonio Lippini. Regarding this embroiderer r/i Book I,
Chap. V, Vol. I, p. 105 n. 1.
^ The same courtier hand has altered this passage in the MS. to
"that single-minded faith C7VzfY7zAzz) of the excellent Duke
(<%K<772 zAzra).
taining the reputation of your precious stone, and I will
attend to understanding my own business. Tell me at
least what you have spent upon it, so that I may learn
to understand matters according to Your Excellency's
ideas." The Duke rising with a slightly scornful sneer
said: "Twenty-five thousand and more, Benve-
nuto! it cost me: " and went away. At this discussion
there were present Gianpagolo and Domenico Poggini,
the goldsmiths; and Bachiacca the embroiderer,' he
also, for he worked in an apartment near to ours, ran up
at that noise. Whereupon I said: " I should never have
advised him to buy it. But if he had had a desire for it,
Antonio Landi offered it to me eight days ago for seven-
teen thousand jvwrA; I believe that I could have got it
for him for fifteen or less. But the Duke wishes to
maintain the reputation of his stone: for since Antonio
Landi offered it to me at such a price, how the devil
has Bernardone put upon the Duke such a shameful
fraud?" And never believing that such was the truth
—as it was—we laughingly passed over that simplicity
of the Duked
Having already constructed the figure of the large
Medusa, as I have said, I had fashioned its framework
of iron. Afterwards having made it in clay,
like an anatomical specimen (TMAwVry), and thinner by
half a finger, I baked it most thoroughly, then I put
wax over it and finished it off after the fashion in which
' Antonio Lippini. Regarding this embroiderer r/i Book I,
Chap. V, Vol. I, p. 105 n. 1.
^ The same courtier hand has altered this passage in the MS. to
"that single-minded faith C7VzfY7zAzz) of the excellent Duke
(<%K<772 zAzra).