THAT evening I rode more than ten miles, always at a trot; and when,
upon the next day, I found myself outside the Ferrarese domain, I felt
excessively relieved; indeed I had met with nothing to my liking there,
except those peacocks which restored my health. We journeyed by the
Monsanese, avoiding the city of Milan on account of the apprehension I
have spoken of, [1] so that we arrived safe and sound at Lyons. Counting
Pagolo and Ascanio and a servant, we were four men, with four very good
horses. At Lyons we waited several days for the muleteer, who carried
the silver cup and basin, as well as our other baggage; our lodging was
in an abbey of the Cardinal’s. When the muleteer arrived, we loaded all
our goods upon a little cart, and then set off toward Paris. On the road
we met with some annoyances, but not of any great moment.
We found the Court of the King at Fontana Beliò; [2] there we presented
ourselves to the Cardinal, who provided us at once with lodgings, and
that evening we were comfortable. On the following day the cart turned
up; so we unpacked our things, and when the Cardinal heard this he told
the King, who expressed a wish to see me at once. I went to his Majesty
with the cup and basin; then, upon entering his presence, I kissed his
knee, and he received me very graciously. I thanked his Majesty for
freeing me from prison, saying that all princes unique for generosity
upon this earth, as was his Majesty, lay under special obligations to
set free men of talent, and particularly those that were innocent, as I
was; such benefits, I added, were inscribed upon the book of God before
any other good actions. The King, while I was delivering this speech,
continued listening till the end with the utmost courtesy, dropping a
few words such as only he could utter. Then he took the vase and basin,
and exclaimed: “Of a truth I hardly think the ancients can have seen a
piece so beautiful as this. I well remember to have inspected all the
best works, and by the greatest masters of all Italy, but I never set my
eyes on anything which stirred me to such admiration.” These words the
King addressed in French to the Cardinal of Ferrara, with many others of
even warmer praise. Then he turned to me and said in Italian:
“Benvenuto, amuse yourself for a few days, make good cheer, and spend
your time in pleasure; in the meanwhile we will think of giving you the
wherewithal to execute some fine works of art for us.”
Note 1. The 'Monsanese' is the 'Mont Cenis.' Cellini forgets that he has
not mentioned this apprehension which made him turn aside from Milan. It
may have been the fear of plague, or perhaps of some enemy.
Note 2. It is thus that Cellini always writes Fontainebleau.
X
THE CARDINAL OF FERRARA saw that the King had been vastly pleased by my
arrival; he also judged that the trifles which I showed him of my
handicraft had encouraged him to hope for the execution of some
considerable things he had in mind. At this time, however, we were
following the court with the weariest trouble and fatigue; the reason of
this was that the train of the King drags itself along with never less
than 12,000 horse behind it; this calculation is the very lowest; for
when the court is complete in times of peace, there are some 18,000,
which makes 12,000 less than the average. Consequently we had to journey
after it through places where sometimes there were scarcely two houses
to be found; and then we set up canvas tents like gipsies, and suffered
at times very great discomfort. I therefore kept urging the Cardinal to
put the King in mind of employing me in some locality where I could stop
and work. The Cardinal answered that it was far better to wait until the
King should think of it himself, and that I ought to show myself at
times to his Majesty while he was at table. This I did then; and one
morning, at his dinner, the King called me. He began to talk to me in
Italian, saying he had it in his mind to execute several great works,
and that he would soon give orders where I was to labour, and provide me
with all necessaries. These communications he mingled with discourse on
divers pleasant matters. The Cardinal of Ferrara was there, because he
almost always ate in the morning at the King’s table. He had heard our
conversation, and when the King rose, he spoke in my favour to this
purport, as I afterwards was informed: “Sacred Majesty, this man
Benvenuto is very eager to get to work again; it seems almost a sin to
let an artist of his abilities waste his time.” The King replied that he
had spoken well, and told him to arrange with me all things for my
support according to my wishes.
Upon the evening of the day when he received this commission, the
Cardinal sent for me after supper, and told me that his Majesty was
resolved to let me begin working, but that he wanted me first to come to
an understanding about my appointments. To this the Cardinal added: “It
seems to me that if his Majesty allows you three hundred crowns a year,
you will be able to keep yourself very well indeed, furthermore, I
advise you to leave yourself in my hands, for every day offers the
opportunity of doing some service in this great kingdom, and I shall
exert myself with vigour in your interest.” Then I began to speak as
follows: “When your most reverend lordship left me in Ferrara, you gave
me a promise, which I had never asked for, not to bring me out of Italy
before I clearly understood the terms on which I should be placed here
with his Majesty. Instead of sending to communicate these details, your
most reverend lordship urgently ordered me to come by the post, as if an
art like mine was carried on post-haste. Had you written to tell me of
three hundred crowns, as you have now spoken, I would not have stirred a
foot for twice that sum. Nevertheless, I thank God and your most
reverend lordship for all things, seeing God has employed you as the
instrument for my great good in procuring my liberation from
imprisonment. Therefore I assure your lordship that all the troubles you
are now causing me fall a thousand times short of the great good which
you have done me. With all my heart I thank you, and take good leave of
you; wherever I may be, so long as I have life, I will pray God for
you.” The Cardinal was greatly irritated, and cried out in a rage: “Go
where you choose; it is impossible to help people against their will.”
Some of his good-for-nothing courtiers who were present said: “That
fellow sets great store on himself, for he is refusing three hundred
ducats a year.” Another, who was a man of talent, replied: “The King
will never find his equal, and our Cardinal wants to cheapen him, as
though he were a load of wood.” This was Messer Luigi Alamanni who spoke
to the above effect, as I was afterwards informed. All this happened on
the last day of October, in Dauphiné, at a castle the name of which I do
not remember.