THE MISERABLE bargain I had made with Bindo Altoviti, losing my bust and
leaving him my capital for life, taught me what the faith of merchants
is; so I returned in bad spirits to Florence. I went at once to the
palace to pay my respects to the Duke, whom I found to be at Castello
beyond Ponte a Rifredi. In the palace I met Messer Pier Francesco Ricci,
the majordomo, and when I drew nigh to pay him the usual compliments, he
exclaimed with measureless astonishment: “Oh, are you come back?” and
with the same air of surprise, clapping his hands together, he cried:
“The Duke is at Castello!” then turned his back and left me. I could not
form the least idea why the beast behaved in such an extraordinary
manner to me.
Proceeding at once to Castello, and entering the garden where the Duke
was, I caught sight of him at a distance; but no sooner had he seen me
than he showed signs of surprise, and intimated that I might go about my
business. I had been reckoning that his Excellency would treat me with
the same kindness, or even greater, as before I left for Rome; so now,
when he received me with such rudeness. I went back, much hurt, to
Florence. While resuming my work and pushing my statue forward, I racked
my brains to think what could have brought about this sudden change in
the Duke’s manner. The curious way in which Messer Sforza and some other
gentlemen close to his Excellency’s person eyed me, prompted me to ask
the former what the matter was. He only replied with a sort of smile:
“Benvenuto, do your best to be an honest man, and have no concern for
anything else.” A few days afterwards I obtained an audience of the
Duke, who received me with a kind of grudging grace, and asked me what I
had been doing at Rome. To the best of my ability I maintained the
conversation, and told him the whole story about Bindo Altoviti’s bust.
It was evident that he listened with attention; so I went on talking
about Michel Agnolo Buonarroti. At this he showed displeasure; but
Urbino’s stupid speech about the flaying made him laugh aloud. Then he
said: “Well, it is he who suffers!” and I took my leave.
There can be no doubt that Ser Pier Francesco, the majordomo, must have
served me some ill turn with the Duke, which did not, however, succeed;
for God, who loves the truth, protected me, as He hath ever saved me,
from a sea of dreadful dangers, and I hope will save me till the end of
this my life, however full of trials it may be. I march forward,
therefore, with a good heart, sustained alone by His divine power; nor
let myself be terrified by any furious assault of fortune or my adverse
stars. May only God maintain me in His grace!