ABOUT this time Bernardone Baldini, [1] broker in jewels to the Duke,
brought a big diamond from Venice, which weighed more than thirty-five
carats. Antonio, son of Vittorio Landi, was also interested in getting
the Duke to purchase it. [2] The stone had been cut with a point; but
since it did not yield the purity of lustre which one expects in such a
diamond, its owners had cropped the point, and, in truth, it was not
exactly fit for either point or table cutting. [3] Our Duke, who greatly
delighted in gems, though he was not a sound judge of them, held out
good hopes to the rogue Bernardaccio that he would buy this stone; and
the fellow, wanting to secure for himself alone the honour of palming it
off upon the Duke of Florence, abstained from taking his partner Antonio
Landi into the secret. Now Landi had been my intimate friend from
childhood, and when he saw that I enjoyed the Duke’s confidence, he
called me aside (it was just before noon at a corner of the Mercato
Nuovo), and spoke as follows: “Benvenuto, I am convinced that the Duke
will show you a diamond, which he seems disposed to buy; you will find
it a big stone. Pray assist the purchase; I can give it for seventeen
thousand crowns. I feel sure he will ask your advice; and if you see
that he has a mind for it, we will contrive that he secures it.” Antonio
professed great confidence in being able to complete the bargain for the
jewel at that price. In reply, I told him that if my advice was taken, I
would speak according to my judgment, without prejudice to the diamond.
As I have above related, the Duke came daily into our goldsmith’s
workshop for several hours; and about a week after this conversation
with Antonio Landi he showed me one day after dinner the diamond in
question, which I immediately recognised by its description, both as to
form and weight. I have already said that its water was not quite
transparent, for which reason it had been cropped; so, when I found it
of that kind and quality, I felt certainly disinclined to recommend its
acquisition. However, I asked his Excellency what he wanted me to say;
because it was one thing for jewellers to value a stone after a prince
had bought it, and another thing to estimate it with a view to purchase.
He replied that he bought it, and that he only wanted my opinion. I did
not choose to abstain from hinting what I really thought about the
stone. Then he told me to observe the beauty of its great facets. [4] I
answered that this feature of the diamond was not so great a beauty as
his Excellency supposed, but came from the point having been cropped. At
these words my prince, who perceive that I was speaking the truth, made
a wry face, and bade me give good heed to valuing the stone, and saying
what I thought it worth. I reckoned that, since Landi had offered it to
me for 17,000 crowns, the Duke might have got it for 15,000 at the
highest; so, noticing that he would take it ill if I spoke the truth, I
made my mind up to uphold him in his false opinion, and handing back the
diamond, said: “You will probably have paid 18,000 crowns.” On hearing
this the Duke uttered a loud “Oh!” opening his mouth as wide as a well,
and cried out: “Now am I convinced that you understand nothing about the
matter.” I retorted: “You are certainly in the wrong there, my lord. Do
you attend to maintaining the credit of your diamond, while I attend to
understanding my trade. But pray tell me at least how much you paid, in
order that I may learn to understand it according to the way of your
Excellency.” The Duke rose, and, with a little sort of angry grin,
replied: “Twenty-five thousand crowns and more, Benvenuto, did that
stone cost me!”
Having thus spoken he departed. Giovanpagolo and Domenico Poggini, the
goldsmiths, were present; and Bachiacca, the embroiderer, who was
working in an adjacent room, ran up at the noise. [5] I told them that I
should never have advised the Duke to purchase it; but if his heart was
set on having it, Antonio Landi had offered me the stone eight days ago
for 17,000 crowns. I think I could have got it for 15,000 or less. But
the Duke apparently wishes to maintain his gem in credit; for when
Antonio Landi was willing to let it go at that price, how the devil can
Bernardone have played off such a shameful trick upon his Excellency?
Never imagining that the matter stood precisely as the Duke averred, we
laughingly made light of his supposed credulity.
Note 1. Varchi and Ammirato both mention him as an excellent jeweller.
Note 2. Antonio Landi was a Florentine gentleman, merchant, and author.
A comedy of his called 'Commodo' is extant.
Note 3. Italians distinguished cut diamonds of three sorts: 'in tavola,
a faccette,' and 'in punta.' The word I have translated 'cropped' is
'ischericato,' which was properly applied to an unfrocked or degraded
ecclesiastic.
Note 4. 'Filetti,' the sharp lines which divide one facet from another.
Note 5. Antonio Ubertini, called Il Bachiacca, a brother of Cellini’s
friend in Rome. See p. 56. He enjoyed great reputation, and was praised
by Varchi in a sonnet for his mastery of embroidery.