I LEFT Naples by night with my money in my pocket, and this I did to
prevent being set upon or murdered, as is the way there; but when I came
to Selciata, [1] I had to defend myself with great address and bodily
prowess from several horsemen who came out to assassinate me. During the
following days, after leaving Solosmeo at his work in Monte Cassino, I
came one morning to breakfast at the inn of Adanagni; [2] and when I was
near the house, I shot some birds with my arquebuse. An iron spike,
which was in the lock of my musket, tore my right hand. Though the wound
was not of any consequence, it seemed to be so, because it bled
abundantly. Going into the inn, I put my horse up, and ascended to a
large gallery, where I found a party of Neapolitan gentlemen just upon
the point of sitting down to table; they had with them a young woman of
quality, the loveliest I ever saw. At the moment when I entered the
room, I was followed by a very brave young serving-man of mine holding a
big partisan in his hand. The sight of us, our arms, and the blood,
inspired those poor gentlemen with such terror, particularly as the
place was known to be a nest of murderers, that they rose from table and
called on God in a panic to protect them. I began to laugh, and said
that God had protected them already, for that I was a man to defend them
against whoever tried to do them harm. Then I asked them for something
to bind up my wounded hand; and the charming lady took out a
handkerchief richly embroidered with gold, wishing to make a bandage
with it. I refused; but she tore the piece in half, and in the gentlest
manner wrapt my hand up with her fingers. The company thus having
regained confidence, we dined together very gaily; and when the meal was
over, we all mounted and went off together. The gentlemen, however, were
not as yet quite at their ease; so they left me in their cunning to
entertain the lady, while they kept at a short distance behind. I rode
at her side upon a pretty little horse of mine, making signs to my
servant that he should keep somewhat apart, which gave us the
opportunity of discussing things that are not sold by the apothecary.
[3] In this way I journeyed to Rome with the greatest enjoyment I have
ever had.
When I got to Rome, I dismounted at the palace of Cardinal de’ Medici,
and having obtained an audience of his most reverend lordship, paid my
respects, and thanked him warmly for my recall. I then entreated him to
secure me from imprisonment, and even from a fine if that were possible.
The Cardinal was very glad to see me; told me to stand in no fear; then
turned to one of his gentlemen, called Messer Pier Antonio Pecci of
Siena, ordering him to tell the Bargello not to touch me. [4] He then
asked him how the man was going on whose head I had broken with the
stone. Messer Pier Antonio replied that he was very ill, and that he
would probably be even worse; for when he heard that I was coming back
to Rome, he swore he would die to serve me an ill turn. When the
Cardinal heard that, he burst into a fit of laughter, and cried: “The
fellow could not have taken a better way than this to make us know that
he was born a Sienese.” After that he turned to me and said: “For our
reputation and your own, refrain these four or five days from going
about in the Banchi; after that go where you like, and let fools die at
their own pleasure.”
I went home and set myself to finishing the medal which I had begun,
with the head of Pope Clement and a figure of Peace on the reverse. The
figure was a slender woman, dressed in very thin drapery, gathered at
the waist, with a little torch in her hand, which was burning a heap of
arms bound together like a trophy. In the background I had shown part of
a temple, where was Discord chained with a load of fetters. Round about
it ran a legend in these words: 'Clauduntur belli portæ.' [5]
During the time that I was finishing this medal, the man whom I had
wounded recovered, and the Pope kept incessantly asking for me. I,
however, avoided visiting Cardinal de’ Medici; for whenever I showed my
face before him, his lordship gave me some commission of importance,
which hindered me from working at my medal to the end. Consequently
Messer Pier Carnesecchi, who was a great favourite of the Pope’s,
undertook to keep me in sight, and let me adroitly understand how much
the Pope desired my services. [6] I told him that in a few days I would
prove to his Holiness that his service had never been neglected by me.
Note 1. Ponte a Selice, between Capua and Aversa.
Note 2. Anagni, where Boniface VIII. was outraged to the death by the
French partisans of Philip le Bel.
Note 3. 'I. e.,' private and sentimental.
Note 4. This Pecci passed into the service of Caterina de’ Medici. In
1551 he schemed to withdraw Siena from the Spanish to the French cause,
and was declared a rebel.
Note 5. The medal was struck to celebrate the peace in Christendom
between 1530 and 1536.
Note 6. Pietro Carnesecchi was one of the martyrs of free-thought in
Italy. He adopted Protestant opinions, and was beheaded and burned in
Rome, August 1567.