DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32874#0463
CH. xiv] LIFE OF BENVENUTO CELLINI 383
awarded that the Duke should give me three thousand
five hundred gold in gold, which should not be
taken as payment for such a fine work, but merely as
a small sum towards my support; ^ it sufficed that I was
to be satisfied; with many other words, which entirely
fixed the said price. The Duke agreed to this letter as
gladly as I was dissatisfied with it. When the Duchess
heard it, she said: " It would have been much better for
that poor man if he had committed the matter to me;
for I would have made them give him five thousand gold
.y<r%<A'." And one day when I went to the Palace the
Duchess repeated the same words in the presence of
^ MlLANESl in his edition of CELLINI'S Y7*<2Z%3^z, <?Ar. (zvA rz'A,
pp. 259-260) publishes a copy of a AY/A?* written by Albizzi to the
Duke, which contains the following passage: "Although Benvenuto's
/yrs^zz.s' may be a wonderful object and rare, and perhaps unique
in Italy, nevertheless since Your Excellency has committed to me
the valuation of the same figure, it seems to me that you ought to
give him three thousand five hundred gold yrzzYz which are abund-
antly (sufficient) for his labour; and it is the labour which has to be
paid for, and not the figure itself. And Benvenuto is most satisfied,"
etc. The Duke was induced to make a that same day
(signed by Lelio Torelli) which ran : " His Excellency will remain
silent and content with whatsoever he has decided." But that Ben-
venuto was not satisfied with the decision given by one who did not
understand " the art of making sculpture " is shown by his Af^zzz<9rzzzz-
Yzzzzz, dated September 25th 1557 (z/1 RuscONi and VALERI, zy5. <rz'A,
pp. 583-4), in which he says: " It was adjudicated upon by the said
Jerolimo (yz'zr), adhering to the side of the Duke rather than to that
of Holy Justice and the Right, at three thousand five hundred gold
^czzYz in gold, at seven /zTV ten jzVAz 7V7* JczzY<?. ... At this the
Prince inspired by avarice to give me as little as he could, thus
had me adjudicated upon unjustly by the said Jerolimo degli Albizzi,
who was by profession a soldier, and a man of evil life; thus was
I ruined and I have placed all my revenge in the hands of God, for
too much is the evil that I have received to my great undoing."
awarded that the Duke should give me three thousand
five hundred gold in gold, which should not be
taken as payment for such a fine work, but merely as
a small sum towards my support; ^ it sufficed that I was
to be satisfied; with many other words, which entirely
fixed the said price. The Duke agreed to this letter as
gladly as I was dissatisfied with it. When the Duchess
heard it, she said: " It would have been much better for
that poor man if he had committed the matter to me;
for I would have made them give him five thousand gold
.y<r%<A'." And one day when I went to the Palace the
Duchess repeated the same words in the presence of
^ MlLANESl in his edition of CELLINI'S Y7*<2Z%3^z, <?Ar. (zvA rz'A,
pp. 259-260) publishes a copy of a AY/A?* written by Albizzi to the
Duke, which contains the following passage: "Although Benvenuto's
/yrs^zz.s' may be a wonderful object and rare, and perhaps unique
in Italy, nevertheless since Your Excellency has committed to me
the valuation of the same figure, it seems to me that you ought to
give him three thousand five hundred gold yrzzYz which are abund-
antly (sufficient) for his labour; and it is the labour which has to be
paid for, and not the figure itself. And Benvenuto is most satisfied,"
etc. The Duke was induced to make a that same day
(signed by Lelio Torelli) which ran : " His Excellency will remain
silent and content with whatsoever he has decided." But that Ben-
venuto was not satisfied with the decision given by one who did not
understand " the art of making sculpture " is shown by his Af^zzz<9rzzzz-
Yzzzzz, dated September 25th 1557 (z/1 RuscONi and VALERI, zy5. <rz'A,
pp. 583-4), in which he says: " It was adjudicated upon by the said
Jerolimo (yz'zr), adhering to the side of the Duke rather than to that
of Holy Justice and the Right, at three thousand five hundred gold
^czzYz in gold, at seven /zTV ten jzVAz 7V7* JczzY<?. ... At this the
Prince inspired by avarice to give me as little as he could, thus
had me adjudicated upon unjustly by the said Jerolimo degli Albizzi,
who was by profession a soldier, and a man of evil life; thus was
I ruined and I have placed all my revenge in the hands of God, for
too much is the evil that I have received to my great undoing."