WHILE I was at work upon that diabolical task of mine, there came from
time to time to watch me some of the cardinals who were invested in the
castle; and most frequently the Cardinal of Ravenna and the Cardinal de’
Gaddi. [1] I often told them not to show themselves, since their nasty
red caps gave a fair mark to our enemies. From neighbouring buildings,
such as the Torre de’ Bini, we ran great peril when they were there; and
at last I had them locked off, and gained thereby their deep ill-will. I
frequently received visits also from the general, Orazio Baglioni, who
was very well affected toward me. One day while he was talking with me,
he noticed something going forward in a drinking-place outside the Porta
di Castello, which bore the name of Baccanello. This tavern had for sign
a sun painted between two windows, of a bright red colour. The windows
being closed, Signor Orazio concluded that a band of soldiers were
carousing at table just between them and behind the sun. So he said to
me “Benvenuto, if you think that you could hit that wall an ell’s
breadth from the sun with your demi-cannon here, I believe you would be
doing a good stroke of business, for there is a great commotion there,
and men of much importance must probably be inside the house.” I
answered that I felt quite capable of hitting the sun in its centre, but
that a barrel full of stones, which was standing close to the muzzle of
the gun, might be knocked down by the shock of the discharge and the
blast of the artillery. He rejoined: “Don’t waste time, Benvenuto. In
the first place, it is not possible, where it is standing, that the
cannon’s blast should bring it down; and even if it were to fall, and
the Pope himself was underneath, the mischief would not be so great as
you imagine. Fire, then, only fire!” Taking no more thought about it, I
struck the sun in the centre, exactly as I said I should. The cask was
dislodged, as I predicted, and fell precisely between Cardinal Farnese
and Messer Jacopo Salviati. [2] It might very well have dashed out the
brains of both of them, except that just at that very moment Farnese was
reproaching Salviati with having caused the sack of Rome, and while they
stood apart from one another to exchange opprobrious remarks, my gabion
fell without destroying them. When he heard the uproar in the court
below, good Signor Orazio dashed off in a hurry; and I, thrusting my
neck forward where the cask had fallen, heard some people saying; “It
would not be a bad job to kill that gunner!” Upon this I turned two
falconets toward the staircase, with mind resolved to let blaze on the
first man who attempted to come up. The household of Cardinal Farnese
must have received orders to go and do me some injury; accordingly I
prepared to receive them, with a lighted match in hand. Recognising some
who were approaching, I called out: “You lazy lubbers, if you don’t pack
off from there, and if but a man’s child among you dares to touch the
staircase, I have got two cannon loaded, which will blow you into
powder. Go and tell the Cardinal that I was acting at the order of
superior officers, and that what we have done and are doing is in
defence of them priests, [3] and not to hurt them.” They made away; and
then came Signor Orazio Baglioni, running. I bade him stand back, else
I’d murder him; for I knew very well who he was. He drew back a little,
not without a certain show of fear, and called out: “Benvenuto, I am
your friend!” To this I answered: “Sir, come up, but come alone, and
then come as you like.” The general, who was a man of mighty pride,
stood still a moment, and then said angrily: “I have a good mind not to
come up again, and to do quite the opposite of that which I intended
toward you.” I replied that just as I was put there to defend my
neighbours, I was equally well able to defend myself too. He said that
he was coming alone; and when he arrived at the top of the stairs, his
features were more discomposed that I thought reasonable. So I kept my
hand upon my sword, and stood eyeing him askance. Upon this he began to
laugh, and the colour coming back into his face, he said to me with the
most pleasant manner: “Friend Benvenuto, I bear you as great love as I
have it in my heart to give; and in God’s good time I will render you
proof of this. Would to God that you had killed those two rascals; for
one of them is the cause of all this trouble, and the day perchance will
come when the other will be found the cause of something even worse.” He
then begged me, if I should be asked, not to say that he was with me
when I fired the gun; and for the rest bade me be of good cheer. The
commotion which the affair made was enormous, and lasted a long while.
However, I will not enlarge upon it further, only adding that I was
within an inch of revenging my father on Messer Jacopo Salviati, who had
grievously injured him, according to my father’s complaints. As it was,
unwittingly I gave the fellow a great fright. Of Farnese I shall say
nothing here, because it will appear in its proper place how well it
would have been if I had killed him.
Note 1. Benedetto Accolti of Arezzo, Archbishop of Ravenna in 1524,
obtained the hat in 1527, three days before the sack of Rome. He was a
distinguished man of letters. Niccolò Gaddi was created Cardinal on the
same day as Accolti. We shall hear more of him in Cellini’s pages.
Note 2. Alessandro Farnese, Dean of the Sacred College, and afterwards
Pope Paul III. Of Giacopo Salviati we have already heard, p. 14.