I WAS still working in the shop of Raffaello del Moro. This worthy man
had a very beautiful young daughter, with regard to whom he had designs
on me; and I, becoming partly aware of his intentions, was very willing;
but, while indulging such desires, I made no show of them: on the
contrary, I was so discreet in my behaviour that I made him wonder. It
so happened that the poor girl was attacked by a disorder in her right
hand, which ate into the two bones belonging to the little finger and
the next. [1] Owing to her father’s carelessness, she had been treated
by an ignorant quack-doctor, who predicted that the poor child would be
crippled in the whole of her right arm, if even nothing worse should
happen. When I noticed the dismay of her father, I begged him not to
believe all that this ignorant doctor had said. He replied that he had
no acquaintance with physicians or with surgeons, and entreated me, if I
knew of one, to bring him to the house. [2] I sent at once for a certain
Maestro Giacomo of Perugia, a man of great skill in surgery, who
examined the poor girl. [3] She was dreadfully frightened through having
gained some inkling of the quack’s predictions; whereas, my intelligent
doctor declared that she would suffer nothing of consequence, and would
be very well able to use her right hand; also that though the two last
fingers must remain somewhat weaker than the others, this would be of no
inconvenience at all to her. So he began his treatment; and after a few
days, when he was going to extract a portion of the diseased bones, her
father called for me, and begged me to be present at the operation.
Maestro Giacomo was using some coarse steel instruments; and when I
observed that he was making little way and at the same time was
inflicting severe pain on the patient, I begged him to stop and wait
half a quarter of an hour for me. I ran into the shop, and made a little
scalping-iron of steel, extremely thin and curved; it cut like a razor.
On my return, the surgeon used it, and began to work with so gentle a
hand that she felt no pain, and in a short while the operation was over.
In consequence of this service, and for other reasons, the worthy man
conceived for me as much love, or more, as he had for two male children;
and in the meanwhile he attended to the cure of his beautiful young
daughter.
I was on terms of the closest intimacy with one Messer Giovanni Gaddi,
who was a clerk of the Camera, and a great connoisseur of the arts,
although he had no practical acquaintance with any. [4] In his household
were a certain Messer Giovanni, a Greek of eminent learning, Messer
Lodovico of Fano, no less distinguished as a man of letters, Messer
Antonio Allegretti, and Messer Annibale Caro, [5] at that time in his
early manhood. Messer Bastiano of Venice, a most excellent painter, and
I were admitted to their society; and almost every day we met together
in Messer Giovanni’s company. [6]
Being aware of this intimacy, the worthy goldsmith Raffaello said to
Messer Giovanni: “Good sir, you know me; now I want to marry my daughter
to Benvenuto, and can think of no better intermediary than your worship.
So I am come to crave your assistance, and to beg you to name for her
such dowry from my estate as you may think suitable.” The light-headed
man hardly let my good friend finish what he had to say, before he put
in quite at random: “Talk no more about it, Raffaello; you are farther
from your object than January from mulberries.” The poor man, utterly
discouraged, looked about at once for another husband for his girl;
while she and the mother and all the family lived on in a bad humour
with me. Since I did not know the real cause of this-I imagined they
were paying me with bastard coin for the many kindnesses I had shown
them-I conceived the thought of opening a workshop of my own in their
neighbourhood. Messer Giovanni told me nothing till the girl was
married, which happened in a few months.
Meanwhile, I laboured assiduously at the work I was doing for the Pope,
and also in the service of the Mint; for his Holiness had ordered
another coin, of the value of two carlins, on which his own portrait was
stamped, while the reverse bore a figure of Christ upon the waters,
holding out his hand to S. Peter, with this inscription 'Quare
dubitasti?' My design won such applause that a certain secretary of the
Pope, a man of the greatest talent, called Il Sanga, [7] was moved to
this remark: “Your Holiness can boast of having a currency superior to
any of the ancients in all their glory.” The Pope replied: “Benvenuto,
for his part, can boast of serving an emperor like me, who is able to
discern his merit.” I went on at my great piece in gold, showing it
frequently to the Pope, who was very eager to see it, and each time
expressed greater admiration.
Note 1. 'Ossicina che seguitano il dito,' &c. Probably metacarpal bones.