I MUST beg your attention now, most gracious reader, for a very terrible
event which happened.
I used the utmost diligence and industry to complete my statue, and went
to spend my evenings in the Duke’s wardrobe, assisting there the
goldsmiths who were working for his Excellency. Indeed, they laboured
mainly on designs which I had given them. Noticing that the Duke took
pleasure in seeing me at work and talking with me, I took it into my
head to go there sometimes also by day. It happened upon one of those
days that his Excellency came as usual to the room where I was occupied,
and more particularly because he heard of my arrival. His Excellency
entered at once into conversation, raising several interesting topics,
upon which I gave my views so much to his entertainment that he showed
more cheerfulness than I had ever seen in him before. All of a sudden,
one of his secretaries appeared, and whispered something of importance
in his ear; whereupon the Duke rose, and retired with the official into
another chamber. Now the Duchess had sent to see what his Excellency was
doing, and her page brought back this answer: “The Duke is talking and
laughing with Benvenuto, and is in excellent good-humour.” When the
Duchess heard this, she came immediately to the wardrobe, and not
finding the Duke there, took a seat beside us. After watching us at work
a while, she turned to me with the utmost graciousness, and showed me a
necklace of large and really very fine pearls. On being asked by her
what I thought of them, I said it was in truth a very handsome ornament.
Then she spoke as follows: “I should like the Duke to buy them for me;
so I beg you, my dear Benvenuto, to praise them to him as highly as you
can.” At these words I disclosed my mind to the Duchess with all the
respect I could, and answered: “My lady, I thought this necklace of
pearls belonged already to your most illus trious Excellency. Now that I
am aware you have not yet acquired them, it is right, nay, more, it is
my duty to utter what I might otherwise have refrained from saying,
namely, that my mature professional experience enables me to detect very
grave faults in the pearls, and for this reason I could never advise
your Excellency to purchase them.” She replied: “The merchant offers
them for six thousand crowns; and were it not for some of those trifling
defects you speak of, the rope would be worth over twelve thousand.” To
this I replied, that “even were the necklace of quite flawless quality,
I could not advise any one to bid up to five thousand crowns for it; for
pearls are not gems; pearls are but fishes’ bones, which in the course
of time must lose their freshness. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and
sapphires, on the contrary, never grow old; these four are precious
stones, and these it is quite right to purchase.” When I had thus
spoken, the Duchess showed some signs of irritation, and exclaimed: “I
have a mind to possess these pearls; so, prithee, take them to the Duke,
and praise them up to the skies; even if you have to use some words
beyond the bounds of truth, speak them to do me service; it will be well
for you!”
I have always been the greatest friend of truth and foe of lies: yet
compelled by necessity, unwilling to lose the favour of so great a
princess, I took those confounded pearls sorely against my inclination,
and went with them over to the other room, whither the Duke had
withdrawn. No sooner did he set eyes upon me than he cried: “O
Benvenuto! what are you about here?” I uncovered the pearls and said:
“My lord, I am come to show you a most splendid necklace of pearls, of
the rarest quality, and truly worthy of your Excellency; I do not
believe it would be possible to put together eighty pearls which could
show better than these do in a necklace. My counsel therefore is, that
you should buy them, for they are in good sooth miraculous.” He
responded on the instant: “I do not choose to buy them; they are not
pearls of the quality and goodness you affirm; I have seen the necklace,
and they do not please me.” Then I added: “Pardon me, prince! These
pearls exceed in rarity and beauty any which were ever brought together
for a necklace.” The Duchess had risen, and was standing behind a door
listening to all I said. Well, when I had praised the pearls a
thousandfold more warmly than I have described above, the Duke turned
towards me with a kindly look, and said. “O my dear Benvenuto, I know
that you have an excellent judgment in these matters. If the pearls are
as rare as you certify, I should not hesitate about their purchase,
partly to gratify the Duchess, and partly to possess them, seeing I have
always need of such things, not so much for her Grace, as for the
various uses of my sons and daughters.” When I heard him speak thus,
having once begun to tell fibs, I stuck to them with even greater
boldness; I gave all the colour of truth I could to my lies, confiding
in the promise of the Duchess to help me at the time of need. More than
two hundred crowns were to be my commission on the bargain, and the
Duchess had intimated that I should receive so much; but I was firmly
resolved not to touch a farthing, in order to secure my credit, and
convince the Duke I was not prompted by avarice. Once more his
Excellency began to address me with the greatest courtesy: “I know that
you are consummate judge of these things; therefore, if you are the
honest man I always thought you, tell me now the truth.” Thereat I
flushed up to my eyes, which at the same time filled with tears, and
said to him: “My lord, if I tell your most illustrious Excellency the
truth, I shall make a mortal foe of the Duchess; this will oblige me to
depart from Florence, and my enemies will begin at once to pour contempt
upon my Perseus, which I have announced as a masterpiece to the most
noble school of your illustrious Excellency. Such being the case, I
recommend myself to your most illustrious Excellency.”