IF I did not confess that in some of these episodes I acted wrongly, the
world might think I was not telling the truth about those in which I say
I acted rightly. Therefore I admit that it was a mistake to inflict so
singular a vengeance upon Pagolo Micceri. In truth, had I believed him
to be so utterly feeble, I should not have conceived the notion of
branding him with such infamy as I am going to relate.
Not satisfied with having made him take a vicious drab to wife, I
completed my revenge by inviting her to sit to me as a model, and
dealing with her thus. I gave her thirty sous a day, paid in advance,
and a good meal, and obliged her to pose before me naked. Then I made
her serve my pleasure, out of spite against her husband, jeering at them
both the while. Furthermore, I kept her for hours together in position,
greatly to her discomfort. This gave her as much annoyance as it gave me
pleasure; for she was beautifully made, and brought me much credit as a
model. At last, noticing that I did not treat her with the same
consideration as before her marriage, she began to grumble and talk big
in her French way about her husband, who was now serving the Prior of
Capua, a brother of Piero Strozzi. [1] On the first occasion when she
did this, the mere mention of the fellow aroused me to intolerable fury;
still I bore it, greatly against the grain, as well as I was able,
reflecting that I could hardly find so suitable a subject for my art as
she was. So I reasoned thus in my own mind: “I am now taking two
different kinds of revenge. In the first place, she is married; and what
I am doing to her husband is something far more serious than what he did
to me, when she was only a girl of loose life. If then I wreak my spite
so fully upon him, while upon her I inflict the discomfort of posing in
such strange attitudes for such a length of time--which, beside the
pleasure I derive, brings me both profit and credit through my art--what
more can I desire?” While I was turning over these calculations, the
wretch redoubled her insulting speeches, always prating big about her
husband, till she goaded me beyond the bounds of reason. Yielding myself
up to blind rage, I seized her by the hair, and dragged her up and down
my room, beating and kicking her till I was tired. There was no one who
could come to her assistance. When I had well pounded her she swore that
she would never visit me again. Then for the first time I perceived that
I had acted very wrongly; for I was losing a grand model, who brought me
honour through my art. Moreover, when I saw her body all torn and
bruised and swollen, I reflected that, even if I persuaded her to
return, I should have to put her under medical treatment for at least a
fortnight before I could make use of her.
Note 1. Leone, son of Filippo Strozzi, Knight of Jerusalem and Prior of
Capua, was, like his brother Piero, a distinguished French general.