DURING the agitations of this time which I have just related, King
Francis received news of how the Pope was keeping me in prison, and with
what injustice. He had sent a certain gentleman of his, named Monsignor
di Morluc, as his ambassador to Rome; [1] to him therefore he now wrote,
claiming me from the Pope as the man of his Majesty. The Pope was a
person of extraordinary sense and ability, but in this affair of mine he
behaved weakly and unintelligently; for he made answer to the King’s
envoy that his Majesty need pay me no attention, since I was a fellow
who gave much trouble by fighting; therefore he advised his Majesty to
leave me alone, adding that he kept me in prison for homicides and other
deviltries which I had played. To this the King sent answer that justice
in his realm was excellently maintained; for even as his Majesty was
wont to shower rewards and favours upon men of parts and virtue, so did
he ever chastise the troublesome. His Holiness had let me go, not caring
for the service of the said Benvenuto, and the King, when he saw him in
his realm, most willingly adopted him; therefore he now asked for him in
the quality of his own man. Such a demand was certainly one of the most
honourable marks of favour which a man of my sort could desire; yet it
proved the source of infinite annoyance and hurt to me. The Pope was
roused to such fury by the jealous fear he had lest I should go and tell
the whole world how infamously I had been treated, that he kept
revolving ways in which I might be put to death without injury to his
own credit.
The castellan of Sant’ Angelo was one of our Florentines, called Messer
Giorgio, a knight of the Ugolini family. [2] This worthy man showed me
the greatest courtesy, and let me go free about the castle on parole. He
was well aware how greatly I had been wronged; and when I wanted to give
security for leave to walk about the castle, he replied that though he
could not take that, seeing the Pope set too much importance upon my
affair, yet he would frankly trust my word, because he was informed by
every one what a worthy man I was. So I passed my parole, and he granted
me conveniences for working at my trade. I then, reflecting that the
Pope’s anger against me must subside, as well because of my innocence as
because of the favour shown me by the King, kept my shop in Rome open,
while Ascanio, my prentice, came to the castle and brought me things to
work at. I could not indeed do much, feeling myself imprisoned so
unjustly; yet I made a virtue of necessity, and bore my adverse fortune
with as light a heart as I was able.
I had secured the attachment of all the guards and many soldiers of the
castle. Now the Pope used to come at times to sup there, and on those
occasions no watch was kept, but the place stood open like an ordinary
palace. Consequently, while the Pope was there, the prisoners used to be
shut up with great precautions; none such, however, were taken with me,
who had the license to go where I liked, even at those times, about it
precincts. Often then those soldiers told me that I ought to escape, and
that they would aid and abet me, knowing as they did how greatly I had
been wronged. I answered that I had given my parole to the castellan,
who was such a worthy man, and had done me such kind offices. One very
brave and clever soldier used to say to me: “My Benvenuto, you must know
that a prisoner is not obliged, and cannot be obliged, to keep faith,
any more than aught else which befits a free man. Do what I tell you;
escape from that rascal of a Pope and that bastard his son, for both are
bent on having your life by villainy.” I had, however, made my mind up
rather to lose my life than to break the promise I had given that good
man the castellan. So I bore the extreme discomforts of my situation,
and had for companion of misery a friar of the Palavisina house, who was
a very famous preacher. 3
Note 1. Jean de Montluc, brother of the celebrated Marshal, Bishop of
Valence, a friend of Margaret of Navarre, and, like her, a protector of
the Huguenots. He negotiated the election of the Duke of Anjou to the
throne of Poland.
Note 2. It is only known of this man that he was a Knight of Jerusalem,
and had been Commendatore of Prato in 1511.
Note 3. Cellini means Pallavicini. Nothing seems to be known about him,
except that his imprisonment is mentioned in a letter of Caro’s under
date 1540.