DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32874#0426
358 LIFE OF BENVENUTO CELLINI [BK. 11
me if you do not wish me to come here any more. I
will not come for any reason whatsoever, let who will
summon me. And although the Duke should summon me
I will say that I am ill, and in no sort of way will I ever
come here." To these words of mine she replied: " I do
not tell you not to come here, and I do not tell you not to
obey the Duke. But it appears plainly to me that these
works of yours will never have an end." Whether the
Duke received some information about it, or that it fell
out in some other way, His Excellency began again; as
soon as it drew near to 24 of the clock he used to
send to summon me; and the person who came to sum-
mon me said to me: "I warn you not to fail to come,
for the Duke is waiting for you:" and thus I continued
under the same difficulties for several evenings. And
upon one evening amongst the others, on entering ac-
cording to my custom, the Duke, who must have been
talking with the Duchess, perhaps upon private matters,
turned upon me with the greatest fury in the world;
and when I, somewhat terrifed, wished to withdraw
quickly, all of a sudden he said: "Enter, Benvenuto!
and go on with your work, and in a little while I will
come and join you." As I was passing along, there
seized me by the cloak the Lord Don Gratia/ a little boy
of a few years of age, and he played with me in the
most charming manner that such a child could possibly
do: whereat the Duke marvelling said: "Oh! What a
charming friendship is this that my children have for
you." Whilst I was occupied in these articles of small
* Don Garzia was then six years of age. CELLINI calls him in
vulgar parlance Azw and so the name is to be found in
certain prints and MSS.
me if you do not wish me to come here any more. I
will not come for any reason whatsoever, let who will
summon me. And although the Duke should summon me
I will say that I am ill, and in no sort of way will I ever
come here." To these words of mine she replied: " I do
not tell you not to come here, and I do not tell you not to
obey the Duke. But it appears plainly to me that these
works of yours will never have an end." Whether the
Duke received some information about it, or that it fell
out in some other way, His Excellency began again; as
soon as it drew near to 24 of the clock he used to
send to summon me; and the person who came to sum-
mon me said to me: "I warn you not to fail to come,
for the Duke is waiting for you:" and thus I continued
under the same difficulties for several evenings. And
upon one evening amongst the others, on entering ac-
cording to my custom, the Duke, who must have been
talking with the Duchess, perhaps upon private matters,
turned upon me with the greatest fury in the world;
and when I, somewhat terrifed, wished to withdraw
quickly, all of a sudden he said: "Enter, Benvenuto!
and go on with your work, and in a little while I will
come and join you." As I was passing along, there
seized me by the cloak the Lord Don Gratia/ a little boy
of a few years of age, and he played with me in the
most charming manner that such a child could possibly
do: whereat the Duke marvelling said: "Oh! What a
charming friendship is this that my children have for
you." Whilst I was occupied in these articles of small
* Don Garzia was then six years of age. CELLINI calls him in
vulgar parlance Azw and so the name is to be found in
certain prints and MSS.