IT pleased God, who rules all things for our good--I mean, for those who
acknowledge and believe in Him; such men never fail to gain His
protection--that about this time a certain rascal from Vecchio called
Piermaria d’Anterigoli, and surnamed Lo Sbietta, introduced himself to
me. He is a sheep-grazier; and being closely related to Messer Guido
Guidi, the physician, who is now provost of Pescia, I lent ear to his
proposals. The man offered to sell me a farm of his for the term of my
natural life. I did not care to go and see it, since I wanted to
complete the model of my colossal Neptune. There was also no reason why
I should visit the property, because Sbietta only sold it to me for the
income. [1] This he had noted down at so many bushels of grain, so much
of wine, oil, standing corn, chestnuts, and other produce. I reckoned
that, as the market then ran, these together were worth something
considerably over a hundred golden crowns in gold; and I paid him 650
crowns, which included duties to the state. Consequently, when he left a
memorandum written in his own hand, to the effect that he would always
keep up these products of the farm in the same values during my
lifetime, I did not think it necessary to inspect it. Only I made
inquiries, to the best of my ability, as to whether Sbietta and his
brother Ser Filippo were well off enough to give me good security. Many
persons of divers sorts, who knew them, assured me that my security was
excellent. We agreed to call in Ser Pierfrancesco Bertoldi, notary at
the Mercantanzia; and at the very first I handed him Sbietta’s
memorandum, expecting that this would be recited in the deed. But the
notary who drew it up was so occupied with detailing twenty-two
boundaries described by Sbietta, [2] that, so far as I can judge, he
neglected to include in the contract what the vendor had proposed to
furnish. While he was writing, I went on working; and since it took him
several hours, I finished a good piece of my Neptune’s head.
After the contract was signed and sealed, Sbietta began to pay me the
most marked attentions, which I returned in like measure. He made me
presents of kids, cheese, capons, fresh curds, and many sorts of fruits,
until I began to be almost ashamed of so much kindness. In exchange for
these courtesies I always took him from the inn to lodge with me when he
came into Florence, often inviting a relative or two who happened to
attend him. On one of these occasions he told me with a touch of
pleasantry that it was really shameful for me to have bought a farm,
and, after the lapse of so many weeks, not yet to have left my business
for three days in the hands of my workpeople, so as to have come to look
at it. His wheedling words and ways induced me to set off, in a bad hour
for my welfare, on a visit to him. Sbietta received me in his own house
with such attentions and such honours as a duke might covet. His wife
caressed me even more than he did; and these excellent relations
continued between us until the plans which he and his brother Ser
Filippo had in mind were fully matured.
Note 1. What Cellini means is that Sbietta was to work the farm, paying
Cellini its annual value. It appears from some particulars which follow
that the 'entrate' were to be paid in kind.
Note 2. The word 'confini,' which I have translated 'boundaries,' may
mean 'limiting conditions.'