AS I have said, my father was the devoted servant and attached friend of
the house of Medici; and when Piero was banished, he entrusted him with
many affairs of the greatest possible importance. Afterwards, when the
magnificent Piero Soderini was elected, and my father continued in his
office of musician, Soderini, perceiving his wonderful talent, began to
employ him in many matters of great importance as an engineer. [1] So
long as Soderini remained in Florence, he showed the utmost good-will to
my father; and in those days, I being still of tender age, my father had
me carried, and made me perform upon the flute; I used to play treble in
concert with the musicians of the palace before the Signory, following
my notes: and a beadle used to carry me upon his shoulders. The
Gonfalonier, that is, Soderini, whom I have already mentioned, took much
pleasure in making me chatter, and gave me comfits, and was wont to say
to my father: “Maestro Giovanni, besides music, teach the boy those
other arts which do you so much honour.” To which my father answered: “I
do not wish him to practise any art but playing and composing; for in
this profession I hope to make him the greatest man of the world, if God
prolongs his life.” To these words one of the old counsellors made
answer: “Ah! Maestro Giovanni, do what the Gonfalonier tells you! for
why should he never become anything more than a good musician?”
Thus some time passed, until the Medici returned. [2] When they arrived,
the Cardinal, who afterwards became Pope Leo, received my father very
kindly. During their exile the scutcheons which were on the palace of
the Medici had had their balls erased, and a great red cross painted
over them, which was the bearing of the Commune. [3] Accordingly, as
soon as they returned, the red cross was scratched out, and on the
scutcheon the red balls and the golden field were painted in again, and
finished with great beauty. My father, who possessed a simple vein of
poetry, instilled in him by nature, together with a certain touch of
prophecy, which was doubtless a divine gift in him, wrote these four
verses under the said arms of the Medici, when they were uncovered to
the view:-
These arms, which have so long from sight been laid
Beneath the holy cross, that symbol meek,
Now lift their glorious glad face, and seek
With Peter’s sacred cloak to be arrayed.
This epigram was read by all Florence. A few days afterwards Pope Julius
II. died. The Cardinal de’ Medici went to Rome, and was elected Pope
against the expectation of everybody. He reigned as Leo X, that generous
and great soul. My father sent him his four prophetic verses. The Pope
sent to tell him to come to Rome; for this would be to his advantage.
But he had no will to go; and so, in lieu of reward, his place in the
palace was taken from him by Jacopo Salviati, upon that man’s election
as Gonfalonier. [4] This was the reason why I commenced goldsmith; after
which I spent part of my time in learning that art, and part in playing,
much against my will.
Note 1. Piero Soderini was elected Gonfalonier of the Florentine
Republic for life in the year 1502. After nine years of government, he
was banished, and when he died, Machiavelli wrote the famous sneering
epitaph upon him. See J. A. Symonds’ 'Renaissance in Italy,' vol. i. p.
297.
Note 2. This was in 1512, when Lorenzo’s two sons, Giuliano and Giovanni
(afterwards Pope Leo X), came back through the aid of a Spanish army,
after the great battle at Ravenna.
Note 3. The Medicean arms were “or, six pellets gules, three, two, and
one.” The Florentine Commune bore, “argent a cross gules.”
Note 4. Cellini makes a mistake here. Salviati married a daughter of
Lorenzo de’ Medici, and obtained great influence in Florence; but we
have no record of his appointment to the office of Gonfalonier.