 Section 1 of Autobiography of Ben Venuto Salini Part II. I remained for some time in the Cardinal of Ferreira's Palace, very well regarded in general by everybody, and much more visited even than I had previously been. Everybody was astonished that I should have come out of prison and have been able to live through such indescribable afflictions, and while I was recovering my breath and endeavoring to resume the habit of my art, I had great pleasure in rewriting the Capitolo. Afterwards, with a view to re-establishing my strength, I determined to take a journey of a few days for change of air. My good friend the Cardinal gave me permission and lent me horses, and I had two young Romans for my companions, one of them a craftsman in my trade, the other only a comrade, in our journey. We left Rome and took the road to Tagliacoso, intending to visit my pupil Escanio, who lived there. On our arrival, I found the lad together with his father, brothers, sisters, and stepmother. I was entertained by them two days with indescribable kindness, then I turned my face towards Rome, taking Escanio with me. On the road, we fell to conversing about our art, which made me die of impatience to get back and recommence my labors. Having reached Rome, I got myself at once in readiness to work, and was fortunate enough to find again a silver basin which I had begun for the Cardinal before I was imprisoned. Together with this basin, I had begun a very beautiful little jug, but this had been stolen with a great quantity of other valuable articles. I set Pagallo, whom I have previously mentioned, to work upon the basin, at the same time I recommenced the jug, which was designed with round figures and bass reliefs. The basin was executed in a similar style, with round figures and fishes and bass relief. The whole had such richness and good keeping that everyone who beheld it expressed astonishment at the force of the design and the beauty of invention, and also at the delicacy with which these young men worked. The Cardinal came at least twice a day to see me, bringing with him Mr. Luigi Alamani and Mr. Gabriel Sasano, and here we used to pass an hour or two pleasantly together. Notwithstanding, I had very much to do, he kept giving me fresh commissions. Among others, I had to make his pontifical seal of the size of the hand of a boy of twelve. On it I engraved in Intaglio two little histories, the one of San Giovanni preaching in the wilderness, the other of Sant'Ambrogio expelling the Arians on horseback with a lash in his hand. The fire and correctness of design of this piece and its nicety of workmanship made everyone say that I had surpassed the great Letazio, who ranked alone in this branch of the profession. The Cardinal was so proud of it that he used to compare it complacently with the other seals of the Roman Cardinals, which were nearly all from the hand of Letazio. In addition to these things, the Cardinal ordered me to make the model for a salt cellar, but he said he should like me to leave the beaten track pursued by such as fabricated these things. Monsieur Luigi, a propose of this salt cellar, made an eloquent description of his own idea. Monsieur Gabriolo Sasano also spoke exceedingly well to the same purpose. The Cardinal, who was a very kindly listener, showed extreme satisfaction with the designs which these two able men of letters had described in words. Then he turned to me and said, My Ben Venuto, the design of Monsieur Luigi and that of Monsieur Gabriolo, please me both so well that I know not how to choose between them. Therefore I leave the choice to you, who will have to execute the work. I replied as follows. It is apparent, my lords, of what vast consequence are the sons of kings and emperors and what a marvelous brightness of divinity appears in them. Nevertheless, if you ask some poor humble shepherd, which he loves best, those royal children or his sons, he will certainly tell you that he loves his own sons best. Now I too have a great affection for the children which I bring forth from my art. Consequently, the first which I will show you, most reverend Monsignor, my good master, shall be of my own making and invention. There are many things beautiful enough in words which do not match together well when executed by an artist. Then I turned to the two scholars and said, You have spoken I will do. Upon this, Monsieur Luigi Alamani smiled and added a great many witty things, with the greatest charm of manner, in my praise. They became him well, for he was handsome of face and figure and had a gentle voice. Monsieur Gabriolo Sasano was quite the opposite, as ugly and displeasing as the other was agreeable. Accordingly, he spoke as he looked. Monsieur Luigi had suggested that I should fashion a Venus with cupid surrounded by a crowd of pretty emblems, all in proper keeping with the subject. Monsieur Gabriolo proposed that I should model an amphitrite, the wife of Neptune, together with those tritons of the sea, and many such like fancies, good enough to describe in words, but not to execute in metal. I first laid down an oval framework, considerably longer than half a cubit, almost two-thirds in fact, and upon this ground, wishing to suggest the interminglement of land and ocean, I modeled two figures considerably taller than a palm in height, which were seated with their legs interlaced, suggesting those lengthier branches of the sea, which run up into the continents. The sea was a man, and in his hand I placed a ship, elaborately wrought in all its details, and well adapted to hold a quantity of salt. Beneath him I grouped the four seahorses, and in his right hand he held his trident. The earth I fashioned like a woman, with all the beauty of form, the grace and charm of which my art was capable. She had a richly decorated temple, firmly based upon the ground at one side, and here her hand rested, this I intended to receive the pepper. In her other hand I put a cornucopia overflowing with all the natural treasures I could think of. Below this goddess, in the part which represented earth, I collected the fairest animals that haunt our globe. In the quarter presided over by the deity of ocean, I fashioned such choice kinds of fishes and shells as could be properly displayed in that small space. What remained of the oval I filled in with luxuriant ornamentation. Then I waited for the cardinal, and when he came, attended by the two accomplished gentlemen, I produced the model I had made in wax. Unbeholding it, Monsieur Gabriello Sasano was the first to lift his voice up and to cry, this is a piece which it will take the lies of ten men to finish, do not expect most Reverend Monsignor, if you order it, to get it in your lifetime. Ben Venuto, it seems, has chosen to display his children in a vision, but not to give them to the touch, as we did when we spoke of things that could be carried out, while he has shown a thing beyond the bounds of possibility. Monsieur Alemani took my side, but the cardinal said he did not care to undertake so important an affair. Then I turned to them and said, most Reverend Monsignor and you gentlemen, fulfilled with learning, I tell you that I hope to complete this piece for whosoever shall be destined to possess it, and each one of you shall live to see it executed a hundred times more richly than the model. Indeed I hope that time will be left me to produce far greater things than this. The cardinal replied in heat, unless you make it for the king, to whom I mean to take you, I do not think that you will make it for another man alive. Then he showed me letters in which the king, under one heading, bade him return as soon as possible, bringing Ben Venuto with him. With this I raised my hands to heaven, exclaiming, oh, when will that moment come, and quickly? The cardinal bade me put myself in readiness and arranged the affairs I had in Rome. He gave me ten days for these preparations. Chapter 3 When the time came to travel, he gave me a fine and excellent horse. The animal was called Tornon, because it was a gift from the cardinal Tornon. My apprentices, Pagolo and Iscantio, were also furnished with good mounts. The cardinal divided his household, which was very numerous, into two sections. The first, and the more distinguished, he took with him, following the route of Romagna, with the object of visiting Madonna del Loretto, and then making for Ferrara his own home. The other section he sent upon the road to Florence. This was the larger train. It counted a great multitude, including a flower of his horse. He told me that if I wished to make the journey without peril, I had better go with him, otherwise I ran some risk of my life. I expressed my inclination to his most reverent lordship to travel in his suite. But having done so, since the will of heaven must be accomplished, it pleased God to remind me of my poor sister, who had suffered greatly from the news of my misfortunes. I also remembered my cousins, who were nuns in Viterbo, the one Abes and the other Camerlinga, and who had, therefore, that rich convent under their control. They too had endured sore tribulation, for my sake, and to their fervent prayers I firmly believed that I owe the grace of my deliverance by God. Accordingly, when these things came into my mind, I decided for the route to Florence. I might have traveled free of expense with the cardinal or with that other train of his, but I chose to take my own way by myself. Eventually I joined company with a very famous clockmaker, called Maestro Sherbino, my esteemed friend. Thrown together by accident, we performed the journey with much enjoyment on both sides. I had left Rome on Monday in Passion Week, together with Pagolo and Escanio. At Mont Rossi we joined the company which I have mentioned. Since I had expressed my intention of following the cardinal, I did not anticipate that any of my enemies would be upon the watch to harm me, yet I ran a narrow risk of coming to grief at Mont Rossi, for a band of men had been sent forward, well armed, to do me mischief there. It was so ordained by God that while we were at dinner these fellows, on the news that I was not traveling in the cardinal's suite, made preparation to attack me. Just at that moment the cardinal's retino arrived, and I was glad enough to travel with their escorts safely to Viterbo. From that place onward I had no apprehension of danger, especially as I made a point of traveling a few miles in front, and the best men of the retino kept a good watch over me. I arrived by God's grace safe and sound at Viterbo, where my cousins and all the convent received me with the greatest kindness. CHAPTER IV I bought a new pair of stirrups, although I still hoped to regain my good-pad by persuasion, and since I was very well mounted and well armed with shirt and sleeves of mail, and carried an excellent archibus upon my saddle-bow, I was not afraid of the brutality and violence which that mad beast was said to be possessed of. I had also accustomed my young men to carry shirts of mail, and had great confidence in the Roman who, while we were in Rome together, had never left it off, so far as I could see. Ascanio, too, although he was but a stripling, was in the habit of wearing one. Besides, as it was Good Friday, imagine that the madnesses of madmen might be giving themselves a holiday. When we came to the Camolia Gate, I at once recognized the postmaster by the indications given me, for he was blind of the left eye. Writing up to him then, and leaving my young men and companions at a little distance, I courteously addressed him. Master of the post, if I assure you that I did not override your horse, why are you unwilling to give me back my pad and stirrups? The reply he made was precisely as mad and brutal as had been foretold me. This roused me to exclaim, How, then, are you not a Christian, or do you not want, upon Good Friday, to force us both into a scandal? He answered that Good Friday or the Devil's Friday was all the same to him, and that if I did not take myself away, he would fell me to the ground with a spon tune, which he had taken up. Me and Archibus I had my hand on. Upon hearing these truculent words, an old gentleman of Sienna joined us. He was dressed like a citizen, and was returning from the religious functions proper to that day. It seemed that he had gathered the sense of my arguments before he came up to where we stood. And this impelled him to rebuke the postmaster with warmth, taking my side, and reprimanding the man's two sons for not doing their duty to passing strangers, so that their manners were an offense to God and a disgrace to the city of Sienna. The two young fellows wagged their heads without saying a word, and withdrew inside the house. Their father, stung to fury by the scolding of that respectable gentleman, poured out a volley of abusive blasphemies, and leveled his spon tune, swearing he would murder me. When I saw him determined to do some act of bestial violence, I pointed the muzzle of my archibus with the object only of keeping him at a distance. Doubly enraged by this, he flung himself upon me. Though I had prepared the archibus for my defense, I had not yet leveled it exactly at him. Indeed it was pointed too high. It went off of itself, and the ball striking the arch of the door and glancing backwards wounded him in the throat, so that he fell dead to earth. Upon this the two young men came running out, one caught up a partisan from the rack which stood there, the other seized the spon tune of his father. Springing upon my followers, the one who had the spon tune smote Pagalo the Roman first above the left nipple, the other attacked a Milanese, who was in our company and had the ways and manners of a perfect fool. This man screamed out that he had nothing in the world to do with me, and parried the point of the partisan with the little stick he held. But this availed him not. In spite of his words and fencing, he received a flesh wound in the mouth. Monsieur Cherubino wore the habit of a priest, for though he was a clockmaker by trade he held benefits of some value from the pope. Asciano, who was well armed, stood his ground without trying to escape, as the Milanese had done, so these two came off unhurt. I had set spurs to my horse, and while he was galloping had charged and got my archivus in readiness again, but now I turned back burning with fury and meaning to play my part this time in earnest. I thought that my young men had been killed and was resolved to die with them. The horse had not gone many paces when I met them riding toward me and asked if they were hurt. Asciano answered that Pagalo was wounded to the death. Then I said, oh Pagalo, my son, did the Spontoon then pierce through your armor? No, he replied, for I put my shirt of mail in the valet this morning. So then I suppose one wears chain mail in Rome to swagger before ladies, but where there is danger and one wants it, one keeps it locked up in a portmentu? You deserve what you have got, and you are now the cause of sending me back to die here, too. While I was uttering these words I kept riding briskly onward, but both the young men implored me for the love of God to save myself and them, and not to rush on certain death. Just then I met Monsieur Charabino and the wounded Milanese. The former cried out that no one was badly wounded. The blow given to Pagalo had only grazed the skin, but the old postmaster was stretched out dead. His sons, with other folk, were getting ready for attack, and we must almost certainly be cut to pieces. Accordingly, Benvenuto, since fortune has saved us from this first tempest, do not tempt her again, for things may not go so favorably a second time. To this I replied, if you are satisfied to have it thus, so also am I. And turning to Pagalo and Escanio, I said, strike spurs to your horses and let us gallop to Stagia without stopping. There we shall be in safety. The wounded Milanese groaned out. Apox upon our picadillos, the sole cause of my misfortune was that I sinned by taking a little brat this morning, having nothing else to break my fast with. In spite of the great peril we were in, we could not help laughing a little at the donkey and his silly speeches. Then we set spurs to our horses and left Monsieur Cerebino and the Milanese to follow at their leisure. End of Section 1, Recording by Pam Moscato. Section 2 of Autobiography of Benvenuto Salini Part 2 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Autobiography of Benvenuto Salini Part 2 Section 2, Chapters 5-9 Chapter 5 While we were making our escape, the sons of the dead man ran to the Duke of Melfi and begged for some light horsemen to catch us up and take us prisoners. The Duke, upon being informed that we were the Cardinal of Ferrerasmen, refused to give them troops or leave to follow. We, meanwhile, arrived at Stagia, where we were in safety. There we sent for a doctor. The best who could be had in such place, and on his examining Pago Lo, we discovered that the wound was only skin deep. So I felt sure that he would escape about mischief. Then he ordered dinner. And at this juncture there arrived Messer Cherubino, Milanes Simpleton, who kept always muttering a plague upon your quarrels and complaining that he was excommunicated because he had not been able to say a single pattern-ofster on that holy morning. He was very ugly, and his mouth, which nature, had been large, and Ben expanded at least three inches by his wound, so that with his ludicrous, milanese jargon and silly way of talking, he gave us so much matter for Murth that, instead of bemoaning our ill luck, we could not hold from laughing at every word he uttered. When the doctor wanted to sew up his wound, and had always made three stitches with his needle, the fellow told him to hold hard awhile since he did not want him out of malice to sew the whole mouth up. Then he took up a spoon and said he wished to have his mouth left open enough to take that spoon in, in order that he might return alive to his own folk. These things he said with such odd waggings of the head, that we never stopped from laughing, and so pursued our journey, Murthfully to Florence. We dismounted at the house of my poor sister, who together with her husband, overwhelmed us with kind attentions. Messer Charubino and the milanese went about their business. In Florence, we remained four days during which Pogolo got well. It was lucky for us that whenever we talked about that milanese donkey, we laughed as much as our misfortunes made us weep, so that we kept laughing and crying both at the same moment. Pogolo recovered, as I have said, with ease, and then we traveled toward Ferrera, where we found our Lord the Cardinal had not yet arrived. He had already heard of all our accidents, and said, when he expressed his concern for them, I pray to God that I may be allowed to bring you alive to the king. According to my promise in Ferrera he sent me to reside in a palace of his, a very handsome place called Belfior, close under the city walls. There he provided me with all things necessary for my work. A little later he arranged to leave for France without me, and observing that I was very ill pleased with us, he said to me, Benvenuto, I am acting for your welfare. Before I take you out of Italy, I want you to know exactly what you will have to do when you come to France. Meanwhile, push on my basin and the jug with all the speed you can. I shall leave orders with my factor to give you everything that you may want. He then departed, and I remained sorely dissatisfied, and more than once I was upon the point of taking myself off without license. The only thing which kept me back was that he had procured my freedom from Pope Paolo for the rest. I was ill, contented, and put to considerable losses. However, I closed my mind with the gratitude due to that great benefit, and disposed myself to be patient, and to await the termination of the business. So I set myself to work with my two men, and made great progress with the jug and basin. The air was unwholesome, where we lodged, and toward summer, we all of us suffered somewhat in our health. During our indisposition, we went about inspecting the domain. It was haunted too by multitudes of peacocks, which bred and nested there like wild fowl. This put it into my head to charge my gun with a noiseless kind of powder. Then I tracked some of the young birds, and every other day killed one, which furnished us with abundance of meat of such excellent quality that we shook our sickness off for several months following we went on working merrily, and got the jug and basin forward, but it was a task that required much time. Chapter 6 At that period, the Duke of Phara came to the terms with Pope Paul about some old matters in dispute between them relating to Modena and certain other cities. The church having a strong claim to them, the Duke was forced to purchase peace by paying down an enormous sum of money. I think that it exceeded 300,000 Ducats of the Camero. There was an old treasurer in the service of the Duke, who had been brought up by his father, Duke Alfonzo, and was called Messer Girolamo Gialiolo. He cannot endure to see so much money going to the Pope, and went about the streets crying, because Alfonzo, his father, would sooner have attacked and taken Rome with his money, than have shown it to the Pope. Nothing would induce him to disperse it. At last, however, the Duke compelled him to make the payments, which caused the old man such anguish that he sickened of a dangerous colic, and was brought to death's door. During this man's illness the Duke sent for me, and bade me take his portrait. This I did upon a circular piece of black stone, about the size of a little trencher. The Duke took so much pleasure in my work, and conversation that he, not unfrequently posed, through four or five hours at a stretch for his own portrait, and sometimes invited me to supper. It took me eight days to complete his likeness, then he ordered me to design the reverse. On it I modeled peace, giving her the form of a woman, with a torch in her hand, setting fire to a trophy of arms. I portrayed her in an attitude of cladness, with very thin drapery, and bellow her feet, lay fury into spare, downcast and sad, loaded with chains. I devoted much study and attention to his work, and it won me the greatest honor. The Duke was never tired of expressing his satisfaction, and gave me inscriptions for both sides of the metal. That on the reverse ran as follows. Pretyosa in conspectodomni, it meant that his peace with the Pope had been dearly brought. Chapter 7 While I was still engaged upon the reverse of this metal, the cardinal sent me letters, bidding me prepare for my journey. Since the King had asked after me, his next communication would contain full details respecting all that he had promised. Accordingly, I had my jug and bays unpacked up. After showing them to the Duke, now a Ferreras gentleman, named Alberto Bendidio, was the cardinal's agent, and he had been twelve years confined to his house, without once leaving it. By reason of some physical infirmity, one day he sent in a vast hurry for me, saying I must take the post at once, in order to present myself. Before the King of France, who had eagerly been asking for me, under the impression that I was in France, by way of apology the cardinal told him that I was staying, slightly indisposed, in his abbey at Lyons, but that he would have me brought immediately to his majesty. Therefore I must lose no time, but travel with the post. Now Messer Alberto was a man of sterling worth, but proud and illness made his haughty temper insupportable. As I have just said, he bade me to get ready on the spot, and take the journey by the common post. I said that it was not the custom to pursue my profession in the post, and that if I had to go it was my intention to make easy stages and to take with me the workmen, Ascanio and Pagolo, whom I had brought from Rome. Moreover I wanted a servant on horseback to be at my orders and money sufficient for my costs upon the way. The infirm old man replied, upon a tone of my haughtiness, and the sons of Dukes were wont to travel. As I had described, and in no other fashion, I retorted that the sons of my art traveled in the way I had informed them. And that not being a Dukes son, I knew nothing about the customs of such folk, if he treated me to language with which my ears were unfamiliar. I would not go at all, the coronal having broken faith in me, and such scurvy words having been spoken. I should make my mind up once for all to take no further trouble with the pharaohese. Then I turned my back, and he threatening, I grumbling, took my leave. I next went to the duke with my medal, which was finished. He received me with the highest marks of honor and esteem. It seems that he had given orders to Messer Girolamo Giliolo to reward me for my labor with a diamond ring worth two hundred crowns, which was to be presented by Fiascino, his chamberlain. Accordingly, his fellow, on the evening after, I had brought the medal at one hour past nightfall, headed me a ring with the diamond of showy appearance, and spoke as follows on the part of his master. Take this diamond as a remembrance of his excellency, to adorn the unique artist's hand, which has produced a masterpiece of so singular merit. When day broke, I examined the ring and found the stone to be a miserable, thin diamond, worth about ten crowns. I felt sure that the duke had not meant to accompany such magnificent compliments with so trifling a gift. But that he must have intended to reward me handsomely. Being then convinced that the trick proceeded from his rogue of his treasurer, I gave the ring to a friend of mine, begging him to return it to the chamberlain. Fiascino, as he best could, the man I chose was Bernardo Saliti, who executed his commission abirably. Fiascino came at once to see me and declared with vehement expostolations that the duke would take it very ill if I refuse a present he had meant so kindly. Perhaps I should have to repent of my waywardness. I answered that the ring his excellency had given me, his worth about ten crowns, and that the work I had done for him was worth more than two hundred, wishing, however, to show his excellency how highly I esteemed his courtesy. I should be happy if he bestowed on me only one of those rings for the cramp, which come from England, and we are worth ten pence. I would treasure that so long as I lived in remembrance of his excellency, together with the honorable message he had sent me, for I consider that the splendid favors of his excellency had amply recompensed my pains, whereas that paltry stone insulted them. This speech annoyed the duke so much that he sent for his treasurer, and scolded him more sharply than he had ever done before. At the same time he gave me orders under pain of his displeasure, not to leave Ferrera without duty informing him, and commanded the treasurer to present me with a diamond up to three hundred crowns in value. The miserly official found a stone rising, a trifle above sixty crowns, and let it be heard that it was worth upwards of two hundred. CHAPTER VIII. Meanwhile, Messer Alberto returned to reason, and provided me with all I had demanded. My mind was made up to quit Ferrera without fail that very day. But the duke's attentive chamberlain arranged with Messer Alberto that I should get no horses then. I had loaded a mule with my baggage, including the case, which held the cardinal's jug and basin. Just then a fairer East noblemen named Messer Alfonso di Torrotti arrived. He was far advanced in years, and a person of excessive affectation. A great dillante of the arts, but one of those men who are very difficult to satisfy, and who, if they chance to stumble on something which suits their taste, exalt it so their own fancy that they never expect to see the like of it again. Well, this Messer Alfonso arrived. And Messer Alberto said to him, I am sorry that you are come so late. The jug and basin we are sending to the cardinal in France have been already backed. He answered that it did not signify to him, and beckoning to his servant sent him home to fetch a jug in white faines au clay, the workmanship of which was very exquisite. During the time the servant took to go and return, Messer Alfonso said to Messer Alberto, I will tell you why I do not carry any longer to look at vases. It is that I once beheld a piece of silver antique of such beauty and such finish that the human imagination cannot possibly conceive its rarity. Therefore I would rather not inspect any objects of the kind for fear of spoiling the unique impression I retrain of that. I must tell you that a gentleman of great quality and accomplishments who went to Rome upon matters of business had this antique vase shown to him in secret. By adroitly using a large sum of money, he bribed the person in whose hands it was and brought it with them to these parts, but he keeps it jealously from all eyes in order that the duke may not get wind of it. Fearing he should in some way be deprived of his treasure while spinning out this lengthy yarn, Messer Alfonso did not look at me because we were not previously acquainted. But when that precious clay model appeared, he displayed it with such errors of oncentation, pomp, and mont-bank ceremony that after inspecting it, I turned to Messer Alberto and said, I am indeed lucky to have had the privilege to see it. Messer Alfonso quite affronted, let some contemptuous words escape him and exclaimed, Who are you, then? You who do not know what you are saying? I replied, listen for a moment, and afterwards judge which of us knows best what he is saying. Then turning to Messer Alberto, who was a man of great gravity and talent, I began this as a copy from a little silver goblet of such and such weight, which I have made at such and such a time, for that charlatan Maestro Jacopo, the surgeon from Carpi, he came to Rome and spent six months there, during which he had bedodged some scores of noblemen and unfortunate gentlefolk with his dirty salves. Extracting many thousands of do-cats from their pockets, at that time I made for him this face and one of a different pattern. He paid me very badly, and at the present moment in Rome, all the miserable people who use his ointment are crippled, and a deplorable state of health. It is indeed great glory for me that my works are held in such a repute among you wealthy lords, but I can assure you that during these many years past I have been progressing in my art with all my might, and I think that the vase I am taking with me into France is far more worthy of cardinals and kings than that piece belonging to your little quack doctor. After I had made the speech, Messer Alfonso seemed dying with desire to see the Judge in Basin, but I refused to open the box. We remained some while disputing the matter, when he said that he would go to the Duke and get an order from his Excellency to have it shown him. Then Messer Alberto Bendidio, in the high and mighty manner, which belonged to him, exclaimed, Before you leave this room, Messer Alfonso, you shall see it without employing the Duke's influence. On hearing these words I took my leave, and left Excenio and Pagolo to show it, they told me afterwards that he had spoken enthusiastically in my praise. After this, he wanted to become a better acquainted with me, but I was wearing to leave Ferrera and get away from all its folk. The only advantages I had enjoyed there were the Society of Cardinal Salviati and the Cardinal Ravina and the friendship of some ingenious musicians no one else bent to me of any good. For the Ferreras are a very avaricious people, greedy of their neighbor's money, however they may lay their hands on it. They are all the same in this respect. At the hour of twenty-two, Fiascino arrived and gave me the diamond of sixty crowns, of which I spoke above. He told me with a haig-dog look and a few brief words that I might wear it for his Excellency's sake. I replied I will do so, then putting my foot in the stirrup and his presence, I set off upon my travels without further leave taking. The man noted down my act and words and reported them to the Duke, who was highly incensed and showed a strong inclination to make me retrace my steps. CHAPTER IX That evening I rode more than ten miles, always at a trot, and when upon the next day I found myself outside Farer East Domain, I fell excessively relieved. Indeed I had met with nothing to my liking there, except those peacocks which restored my health. We journeyed by the monies, avoiding the city of Milan, on account of the apprehension that I had spoken of, so that we arrived safe and sound at Lyons, Counting, Pagolo, and Ascanio, and a servant. We were four men, with four very good horses. At Lyons we waited several days for the Muelter, who carried the silver cup and basin, as well as our other baggage. Our lodging was in an abbey of the cardinals. When the Muelter arrived, we loaded all our goods for Paris. On the road we met with some annoyances, but not of any great moment. We found on the court of the king at Fontana Belio. There we presented ourselves to the cardinal, who provided us at once with lodgings, and that evening we were comfortable. On the following day the cart turned up, so we unpacked our things, and when the cardinal heard this he told the king, who expressed a wish to see me at once. I went to his majesty with a cup and basin, then upon entering his presence I kissed his knee, and he received me very graciously. I thanked his majesty for freeing me with prison, saying that all prince is unique for generosity upon the earth. As was his majesty lay under special obligations to set free men of talent, and particularly those that were innocent. As I was such benefits I added, were inscribed upon the Book of God before any other good actions. The king, while I was delivering this speech, continued listening till the end, with the utmost courtesy, dropping a few words such as only he could utter. Then he took the basin and basin and exclaimed, of a truth I hardly think the ancients can have seen a peace so beautiful as this, I well remember to have inspected all the best works, and by the greatest masters of all Italy, but I never set my eyes on anything which stirred me to such admiration. These words the king addressed in French to the Cardinal Ferreira, with many others to even warmer praise. Then he turned to me and said in Italian, Ben Venuto, amuse yourself for a few days, make good cheer and spend your time in pleasure, in the meanwhile we will think of giving you the werewithal to execute the works of art for us. End of Section 2 Section 3 of Autobiography of Ben Venuto, Salini Part 2 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Chris Koran. Autobiography of Ben Venuto, Salini Part 2, Section 3 Chapters 10-13 Chapter 10 I saw that the king had been vastly pleased by my arrival. He also judged that the trifles which I showed him of my handicraft and had encouraged him to hope for the execution of considerable things he had in mind. At this time, however, we were following the court with the various trouble and fatigue. The reason of this was that the train of the king dragged itself along with never less than 12,000 horses behind it. This calculation is very lowest. Then the court is complete in times of peace. There are some 18,000 which makes 12,000 less than the average. Consequently, we had to journey after it through places where sometimes there were scarcely two houses to be found. And then we set up canvas tents like gypsies and suffered at times very great discomfort. I therefore kept urging the cardinal to put the king in mind of employing me in some locality where I could stop the cardinal answered that it was far better to wait until the king should think of it himself and that I ought to show myself at times to his majesty while he was at table. This I did then, and one morning at his dinner the king called me he began to talk to me in Italian saying he would had it in his mind to execute several great works and that he would soon give orders where I was to labor and provide me with all necessarys. These communications he mingled with discord on diverse pleasant matters. The cardinal of Ferrero was there because he almost always ate in the morning at the king's table. He had heard our conversation and when the king rose he spoke in my favor to this purport as I afterwards was informed sacred majesty this benvenuto is very eager to get to work again. It seems almost a sin to let an artist of his abilities waste his time. The king replied that he had spoken well and told him to arrange with me all the things for my support according to my wishes. Upon the evening of the day when he received this commission the cardinal sent for me after supper and told me that his majesty was resolved to let me begin working but that he wanted me first to come to an understanding about my appointments. To this the cardinal added it seems to me that if his majesty allows you 300 crowns a year you will be able to keep yourself very well indeed. Furthermore I advise you to leave yourself in my hands for every day offers the opportunity of doing some service in this great kingdom and I shall exert myself with vigor in your interest. Then I began to speak as follows when your most reverent lordship left me in Ferrero you gave me a promise which I had never asked for not to bring me out of Italy before I clearly understood the terms on which I should be placed here with his majesty instead of sending to communicate these details your most reverent lordship urgently ordered me to come by the post as if an art like mine was carried on post haste had you written to tell me of 300 crowns as you have now spoken I would not have stirred a foot for twice that sum. Nevertheless I thank God and your most reverent lordship for all things seeing God has employed you as the instrument for my great God in procuring my liberation from imprisonment therefore I assure your lordship that all the troubles you are now causing me fall a thousand times short of the great God which you have done me with all my heart I thank you and take good leave of you wherever I may be so long as I have life I will pray God for you the cardinal was greatly irritated and cried out in a rage go where you choose it is impossible to help people against their will some of his good for nothing courtiers who are present said that fellow gets great store on himself for he is refusing 300 do cuts a year another who was a man of talent replied the king will never find his equal and our cardinal wants to cheapen him as though we were a load of wood this was Mr. Luigi Al-Amani who spoke to the above effect as I was afterwards informed all this happened on the last day of October in Dufin at a castle the name of which I do not remember chapter 11 on leaving the cardinal I repaired to my lodging which was three miles distant in company with the secretary of the cardinal returning to the same quarters on the road this man never stopped asking me what I meant to do with myself and what my own terms regarding the appointment would have been I gave him only one word back for answer which was that I knew all when we came to our quarters I found Pagolo and Ascani there and seeing me too much trouble they implored me to tell them what was the matter to the poor young men who are all dismayed I said for answer tomorrow I shall give you money amplifies sufficient for your journey home I mean myself go out a most important business without you which for a long time I have had it in my mind to do our room adjoined that of the secretary and I think it not improbable that he wrote to the cardinal and informed him of my purpose however I never knew anything for certain about this the night passed without sleep and I kept wearing for the day in order to carry out my resolution no sooner did it done than I ordered out the horses made my preparations in a moment and gave the two young men everything which I had brought with me and fifty Ducats of gold in addition I reserved the same some for myself together with the diamond taught together with the diamond the Duke had given me I only wept I only kept two shirts and some well-worn riding clothes which I had upon my back I found it almost impossible to get free of the two young men who insisted upon going with me whatever happened at last I was obliged to treat them with contempt and use this language one of you has the his first beard and the other is just getting it and both of you have learned as much as for me I could teach in my poor art so that you are now the first craftsman among the youths of Italy are you not ashamed to have no courage to quit this go-kart but must always creep about in leading strings the thing is too disgraceful or if I were to send you away without money what would you say then come take yourselves out of my sight and may God bless you a thousand times farewell I turned my horse and left them weeping then I took my way along a very fair road through a forest hoping to make at least forty miles that day and reached the most out of the way place I could I had already ridden about two miles in that short time had resolved never to revisit any of those parts where I was known I also determined to abandon my art so soon as I had made cry three cubits in height reproducing so far as I was able that infinite beauty which he had himself revealed to me so then being thoroughly resolved I turned my face toward the Holy Sepulcher just when I thought I had got so far that nobody could find me I heard horses galloping after they filled me with some uneasiness because that district is infested with a race of brigands who bear the name of venturers and are apt to murder men upon the road though numbers of them are hanged every day it seems as though they did not care however when the riders approached I found they were a messenger from the king and my lad Ascanio the former came up to me and said from the king I order you to come immediately to his presence I replied you have been sent by the cardinal and for this reason I will not come the man said that since gentle usage would not bring me he had authority to raise the folk and they would take me bound hand and foot like a prisoner Ascanio for his part did all he could to persuade me reminding me that when the king sent a man to prison he kept him there for a few years at least before he let him out again this word about the prison when I remembered what I had endured in Rome struck such terror into me that I wheeled my horse round briskly and followed the king's messenger he kept perpetually chattering and French through all our journey up to the very pristinks of the court at one time bowling now saying one thing then another till I felt inclined to deny a god on the world chapter 12 on our way to the lodgings if the king we pass before those of the cardinal Farera standing at his door he called to me and said our most Christian monarch has of his own accord assigned you the same appointments which his majesty allowed the painter Leonardo da Vinci that is a salary of 700 crowns in addition he will pay you for all the works you do for him also for your journey hither he gives you 500 golden crowns which will be paid which will be paid you before you quit this place at the end of this announcement I replied that those were offers worthy of the great king he was the messenger not knowing anything about me and hearing what splendid offers had been made me by the king begged my pardon over and over again Pagolo and Ascanio exclaimed it is god who had helped us to get onto our honored into so honored a go kart on the day following I went to thank the king who ordered me to take the models of 12 silver statues which were to stand as candelabra candelabra round his table he wanted them to represent six gods and six goddesses and to have exactly the same height as his majesty which was a trifle under four cubits having dictated this commission he returned to his treasurer and asked whether he had paid me the 500 crowns the official said that he had received no orders to that effect the king took this very ill for he had requested the cardinal to speak to him about it furthermore he had told me to go to Paris and seek out a place to live in fitted in the execution of such work he could see that I obtained it I got the 500 crowns of gold and took up my quarters at Paris in a house of the cardinal of Ferrera where I began in god's name to work and fashion four little wax and models about two-thirds of a cubit in each height about two-thirds of a cubit each in height they were Jupiter, Juno, Apollo and Vulcan in this while the king returned to king in this while the king returned to Paris whereupon I went to him at once taking my models with me and my two parenthesis, Ascanio and Pagolo unperceiving that the king was pleased with my work and being commissioned to execute the Jupiter in silver of the height above described I introduced the two young men and said that I had brought them with me out of Italy to serve his majesty for in so much as they had been brought up by me I could at the beginning get more help from them than from the Paris workmen to this the king replied that I might name a salary which I thought is efficient for their maintenance I said that a hundred crowns of gold a piece would be quite proper and that I would make them earn their wage as well this agreement was concluded that I had found a place which seemed to be exactly suited to my industry it was his majesty's own property and called the Little Mnello the provost of Paris was then in possession of it from his majesty but since the provost made no use of the castle his majesty perhaps might grant it to me to employ it in his service he replied upon the instant that place is my own house and I know well that the man I gave it to does not inhabit or use it so you shall have it for the work you have to do he then told his lieutenant to install me in the Nello this officer made some resistance pleading that he could not carry out the order the king answered in anger that he meant to bestow his property on whom he pleased and on a man who would serve him seeing that he got nothing from the other therefore he would hear no more about it the lieutenant then submitted that some small force would have to be employed in order to effect an entrance to which the king answered go then and if a small force is not enough use a great one the officer took me immediately to the castle there he put me in profession if not however without violence after that he warned me to take very good care that I was not murdered I installed myself in roles serving men and bought a quantity of pikes and partisans but I remained for several days with various annoyances for the provost was a great nobleman of Paris and all the other gentile folk took part against me they attacked me with such insults that I could hardly hold my own against them I must not admit to mention that I entered the service of his majesty in the year 1540 which was exactly the year in which I reached the age of 40 Chapter 13 the affronts and insults I received from the king begging his majesty to establish me in some other place he answered who are you and what is your name I remained in great confusion and could not cover head what he meant holding my tongue thus the king repeated the same words a second time angrily then I said my name was ben venuto if then you are ben venuto of whom I have heard replied the king told his majesty that all I wanted was to keep his favor for the rest I knew nothing that could harm me he gave a little laugh and said go your ways then you shall never want my favor upon this he told his first secretary to see me provided and accommodated with all I needed this villaroy was an intimate friend of the provost to whom the castle had been given it was built in a triangle it stands the city walls and was of some antiquity but had no garrison the building was of considerable size Montsignore de Villaroy counseled me to look about for something else and by all means to leave this place alone seeing that its owner was a man of vast power who would most absurdly have me killed I answered that I had come from Italy to France only in order to serve that illustrious king and as for dying that die I must a little earlier or a little later was the matter of supreme indifference to me now villaroy was a man of the highest talent exceptionally distinguished in all points and possessed of vast wealth there was nothing he would not gladly have done to harm me but he made no open demonstration of his mind he was grave and a noble presence and spoke slowly at his ease to another gentleman the treasurer of Langedoc he left the duty of molesting me the first thing which this man was to look out the best apartments in the castle and to have them fitted up for himself I told him that the king had given me the place to serve him in and that I did not choose it should be occupied by any but myself and my attendants the fellow who was haughty bold and spirited replied that he meant to do just what he liked that I should run my head against the wall if I presumed to oppose him and that villaroy had given him authority had given him authority to do what he was doing I told him that by the king's authority given to me neither he nor villaroy could do it when I said that he gave vent to offensive language in French where I retorted in my own tongue that he lied stung with rage he clapped his hand upon a little dagger which he had then I set my hand also to a large dirk which I always wore for my defense and cried out if you dare to draw I'll kill you on the spot he had two servants to back him and I had only my two lads for a moment or two marb magna stood in doubt not knowing exactly what to do with my mischief and muttering I will never put up with such insults seeing then that the affair was taking a bad turn I took a sudden resolution and cried to bagolo and oscanio when you see me draw my dirk throw yourselves upon those serving men and kill them if you can I mean to kill this fellow at the first stroke and then we will de-camp together with god's grace marb magna when he understood my purpose was glad enough to get alive out of the castle all these things tonight all these things toning them down a trifle I wrote to the cardinal who related them at once to the king the king deeply irritated committed me to the care of another officer of his bodyguard who was named monsignor de escantrio de orbex by him I was accommodated with all that I required in the most gracious way imaginable end of section 3 recording by chris karan section 4 of autobiography of benvenu to salini part 2 this is a livervox recording all livervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit livervox.org recording by chris karan ham lake minnesota january 2010 autobiography of benvenu to salini part 2 section 4 chapters 14 through 18 chapter 14 after fitting up my own lodging is in the castle and the workshop with all the conveniences for carrying on my business and putting my household upon a most respectful footing I began at once to construct three models exactly of the size which the silver statues were to be there were jupiter vulcan and mars I molded them in clay and set them well up on irons then I went to the king who disturbed 300 pounds weight of silver if I remember rightly for the commencement of the undertaking while I was getting these things ready we bought the little vase and oval basin to completion which had been several months in hand then I had them richly guilt and they showed like the finest piece of plate which had been seen in France afterwards I took them to the cardinal who thanked me greatly and without requesting my attendance carried and presented them to the king he was delighted with the gift and praised me as no artist was ever praised before in return he bestowed upon the cardinal an abbey worth 7000 crowns a year and expressed his intention of rewarding me too the cardinal however prevented him telling his majesty that he was going ahead too fast since I had as yet produced nothing for him the king who was exceedingly generous replied for that very reason will I put heart and hope into him the cardinal ashamed at his own meaningness said sire I beg you to leave that to me I will allow him a pension of at least 300 crowns when have taken possession of the abbey he never gave me anything and would be tedious to relay all the navish tricks of this perlate I prefer to dwell on matters of greater moment CHAPTER XV when I returned to Paris the great favor shown to me by the king made me a mark for all men's admiration I received the silver and began my statue of Jupiter many journeymen were now in my employ and the work went onward briskly day and night so that by the time I had finished the clay models of Jupiter Vulcan and Mars I had begun to get the silver statue forward my workshop made already a grand show the king now came to Paris and I went to pay him my respects no sooner had his majesty set my eyes upon me than he called me cheerfully and asked if I had something fine to exhibit at my lodging for he would come to inspect it I related all I had been doing upon which he was seized with a strong desire to come accordingly after this dinner he set off with Madame de Tampus the cardinal of Lorraine and some other of his greatest nobles among whom were the king of Navarre his cousin and the queen his sister the Dauphin and Dauphinus also attended him so that upon the day the very flower of the French court came to visit me I had been some time at home and was hard at work when the king arrived at the door of the castle and heard our hammers going he bade his company keep silence everybody in my house was busily employed so that the unexpected entrance of his majesty took me by surprise the first thing he saw on coming into the great hall was myself with a huge plate of silver in my hand which I was beating for the body of my Jupiter one of my men was finishing the head another the legs and it is easy to imagine what a dim we made between us what happened that a little French lad was working at my side who had just been guilty of something tripping blunder I gave the lad a kick and as my good luck would have it caught him with my foot exactly in the fork between his legs and sent him spinning several yards so that he came stumbling up against the king precisely at the moment when his majesty arrived the king was vastly amused but I felt covered with confusion he began to ask me that I was engaged upon and told me to go on working then he said that he would much rather have me not employ my strength on manual labor but take as many men as I wanted and make them do the rough work he should like me to keep myself in health in order that he might enjoy my services through many years to come I replied to his majesty that the moment I left off working I shall fall ill also that my art itself would suffer and not attain the mark I aimed at for his majesty thinking that I spoke thus only to brag and not because it was the truth he made the cardinal Lorraine repeat what he had said but I explained my reasons so fully and clearly that the cardinal perceived my drift he then advised the king to let me labor as much or little as I liked Chapter 16 being very well satisfied with what he had seen the king returned to his palace knowing on me too many marks of favor to be here recorded on the following day he sent for me at his dinner hour the cardinal Pharah was there at meet with him when I arrived the king had reached his second course he began at once to speak to me saying with a pleasant cheer that having now so find a basin and jug of my workmanship he wanted an equally handsome salt seller to match them and begged me to make a design and to lose no time about it your majesty shall see a model of the sort even sooner that you have commanded for while I was making the basin I thought there ought to be a salt seller to match it therefore I have already designed one and if it is your pleasure I will at once exhibit my conception the king turned with a lively movement of surprise and pleasure to the lords in his company they were the king of Mver, the cardinal of Lorraine and the cardinal of Pharah exclaiming as he did so upon my word this is a man to be loved and cherished by everyone who knows him then he told me that he would very gladly see my model I set off and returned in a few minutes for I had only to cross the river that is, the scene I carried with me the wax model which I had made in Rome at the cardinal of Pharah's request when I appeared again before the king and uncovered my peace he cried out in astonishment at times more divine a thing that I had ever dreamed of what a miracle of a man he ought never to stop working then he turned to me with a beaming continence and told me he greatly liked the peace and wished me to execute in gold the cardinal of Pharah looked me in the face and let me understand that he recognized the model as the same which I had made for him in Rome I replied that I had already told him that he was worthy of it the cardinal remembering my words and nettle by the revenge he thought that I was taking on him remarked to the king Sire, this is an enormous undertaking I am only afraid that we shall never see it finished these able artists who have great conceptions in their brain are ready enough to put the same in execution without duly considering when they are to be accomplished I therefore, if I gave commission when I was likely to get them the king replied that if a man was so scrupulous about the termination of a work he would never begin anything at all these words be uttered with a certain look which implied that such enterprises were not for folk of little spirit I began to say my say princes who put heart and courage in their servants as your majesty does by deed and word render undertakings of the greatest magnitude quite easy now that God has sent me so magnificent a patron I hope to perform for him a multitude of great and splendid masterpieces I believe it said the king and rose from table then he called me into his chamber and asked me how much gold was wanted for the salt seller a thousand crowns I answered he called his treasurer at once who was the Viscount of Orbeck and ordered him that very day to disperse me a thousand crowns of good weight and old gold when I left his majesty I went for the two notaries who had helped me in procuring silver for the Jupiter and many other things crossing the scene I then took a small handbasket which one of my cousins a nun had given me on my journey through Florence it made for my good fortune that I took this basket and not a bag so then thinking I could do the business by daylight for it was still early and not caring to interrupt my workman and being indisposed to take a servant with me I set off alone when I reached the house of the treasurer I found that he had the money laid out before him and was selecting the best pieces as the king has ordered it seemed to me however that the thief of a treasurer was doing all he could to postpone the payment of the money nor were the pieces counted out until three hours after nightfall I meanwhile was not wanting in dispatch for I sent word several of my journeymen that they should come and attend me since the matter was one of serious importance when I found that they did not arrive I asked the messenger if he had done my errand the rascal of a groom whom I sent replied that he had done so but that they answered that they could not come he however would gladly carry the money for me I answered that I meant to carry the money myself but this time the contract was drawn up and signed on the money being counted I put it all into my little basket and then thrust my arm through the two handles since I did this and some difficulty the gold was well shut in and I carried it more conveniently than if the vehicle had been a bag I was well armed with shirt and sleeves of mail and having my sword and dagger at my side made off along the street as quick as my two legs would carry me Chapter 17 just as I left the house I observed some servants whispering among themselves who also went off at a round pace in another direction from the one I took walking with all haste I passed the bridge of the exchange and went up along a wall besides the river which led to my lodging in the castle I had come to the Augustines now this was a very period less passage and though it was only 500 paces distant from my dwelling yet the lodging in the castle being quite as far removed inside no one could have heard my voice if I had shouted when I saw four men with forced swords in their hands advancing to attack me my resolution was taken in an instant I covered the basket with my cape drew my sword and seeing that they were pushing hotly forward cried aloud with soldiers there is only the cape and sword to gain and these before I give them up I hope you'll get not much to your advantage then crossing my sword boldly with them I more than once spread out my arms in order that if the Ruffians were to put on by the servants who had seen me to take my money they might be led to judge I was not carrying it the encounter was soon over for they retired step by step carrying along themselves in their own language this is a brave Italian and certainly not the man we are after or if he be the man he cannot be carrying anything I spoke Italian and kept herring them with thrush and slash so hotly that I narrowly miss killing one of the other my skill in using the sword made them think I was a soldier rather than a fellow of some other calling they drew together and began to fall back monitoring all the while beneath their breath in their own tongue I mean while continued always calling out not too loudly that those who wanted my cape and blade would have to get them with some trouble then I quicken pace while they still followed slowly at my heels this augmented my fear for I thought I might be falling into an emboss which would have cut me off in front as well as rare accordingly when I was at the distance of a hundred paces from my home I ran with all my might and shouted at the top of my voice two arms two arms out with you I am being murdered in a moment four of my young men came running with four pikes in their hands they wanted to pursue the ruffians who could still be seen but I stopped them calling back so as to let the villains here those cowards yonder for against one man alone had not pluck enough to capture a thousand golden crowns in metal which have almost broken this arm of mine let us haste inside and put the money away then I will take my big two-handed sword and go with you with or so ever you like we went inside to secure the gold and my lads while expressing the deep concern for the peril I had run gently chided me and said you risk yourself too much alone the time will come when you will make us all bemoan your loss a thousand words and exclamations were exchanged between us my adversaries took to flight and we all sat down and sub together with mirth and gladness laughing over to those great blows which fortune strikes for good as well as evil and which what time they do not hit the mark are just the same as though they had not happened it is very true that one says to oneself you will have had a lesson for the next time but that is not the case for fortune always comes upon us in new ways quite unforeseen by our imagination Chapter 18 on the morning which followed these events I made the first step in my work upon the great salt seller pressingness in my other pieces forward with incessant industry my workplace at this time who were pretty numerous included both sculptors and goldsmiths they belong to several nations Italian French and German for I took the best I could find and change them often retaining only those who knew their business well these select craftsmen I worked to the bone with perpetual labor they wanted me but I had a better constitution consequently in their inability to bear up against such a continuous strain they look to eating and drinking copiously some of the Germans in particular who are more skilled than their comrades and wanted to march up a pace with me sank under these excesses and perished while I was at work upon the Jupiter I noticed that I had plenty of silver to spare so I took in hand without consulting the king to make a great two handled vase about one cubit and a half in height I also conceived the notion of casting the large model of my Jupiter and bronze having up to this date done nothing of the sort I conferred with certain old men experienced in that art of Paris and described to them the methods in use which us in Italy they told me they had never gone that way about the business but that if I gave them leave to act upon their own principles they would bring the bronze out as clean and perfect as the clay I chose to strike an agreement throwing on them the responsibility and promising several crowns above the price they bargained for there upon they put would work in progress but I soon saw that they were going the wrong way about it and began on my own account ahead of Julius Caesar bust an armor much larger than the life which I modeled from a reducted copy of a splendid antique portrait I had brought with me from Rome I also undertook another head of the same size studied from a very handsome girl whom I've kept for my own pleasures I called this Fontainebleu after the place selected by the king for his particular delight we constructed an admirable little furnace for the casting of the bronze got all things ready and baked our molds those French masters undertaking the Jupiter while I looked after my two heads then I said I do not think you will succeed with your Jupiter because you have not provided sufficient vents beneath for the air to circulate therefore you are but losing your time in trouble they replied that if there were proved a failure they would pay back the money I had given on account and regroup me for current expenses but they bade me give good heed to my own proceedings for the fine heads I meant to cast in my Italian fashion would never succeed at this dispute between us they were present the treasures and other gentlefolk commissioned by the king to super intend my proceedings everything which passed by word or act was duly reported to his majesty the two old men who had undertaken to cast my Jupiter postponed the experiment saying they would like to arrange the molds of my two heads they argued that according to my method no success could be expected and it was a pity to weigh such fine models when the king was informed of this he said a word that they should give their minds to learning and not try to teach their master so then they put their now piece into the furnace with much laughter while I maintaining a firm carriage showing neither mirth nor anger though I felt it placed my two heads one on each side of the Jupiter the metal came all right to melting and we let it and gladness it filled the mold of the Jupiter most admirably and at the same time my two heads this furnished them with matter for rejoicing and me with satisfaction for I was not sorry to have predicted wrongly of their work and they made as though they were delighted to have been mistaken about mine then as the custom in France's they asked to drink in high good spirits I was very willing and ordered a handsome collation for their argument when this was over they requested me to pay the money due to them and the surplus I had promised I replied you have been laughing over what I fear may make you weep on reflection it seems to me that too much metal flowed into you mold therefore I shall wait until tomorrow before I disperse more money the poor fellow swallowed my words and chewed the cut of them then they went home without further argument at daybreak they began quite quietly to break into the pit of the furnace they could not uncover their large mold until they had extracted my two heads these were in excellent condition and they placed them where they could be well seen when they came to Jupiter had dug but scarcely two cubits they sent up such a yell they had foreworkment that it woke me up fancying it was a shout of triumph I set off running for my bedroom of more than 500 paces on reaching the spot I found them looking like the guardians of Christ's spaltry in a picture downcast and terrified casting a hasty glance upon my two heads and seeing they were all right I tempered my annoyance with the pleasure that sight gave me then they began to make excuses crying our bad luck your luck has been most excellent but what has been indeed bad is your deficiency of knowledge I have seen you put the soul into your mold I could have taught you with the one word how to cast a figure without fault this would have brought me great honor and you much profit I shall be able to make good my reputation but you will now lose both your honor and your profit let then this lesson teach you another time to work and not to poke fun at your masters End of Section 4 Recording by Chris Caron, Ham Lake, Minnesota as of January 2010 Section 5 of Autobiography of Benvenuto Salini Part 2 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Chris Caron, Ham Lake, Minnesota Autobiography of Benvenuto Salini Part 2 Section 5 Chapters 19-24 Chapter 19 About this time the illustrious soldier Perot Strozi arrived in France and reminded the king that he had promised him letters of naturalization these were accordingly made out and at the same time the king said let them be also given to Benvenuto Manami and take them immediately to his house and let him have them without the pavement of any fees those of the great Strozi cost him several hundred do-cots mine were brought to me by one of the king's chief secretaries Messeratonio Messon this gentleman presented them with many expressions of kindness from his majesty saying the king makes you a gift of these in order that you may be encouraged to serve him they are letters of naturalization then he told me how they had been given to Perot Strozi at his particular request and only after a long time of waiting as a special mark of favor of his own accord and such an act of grace had never been heard of in that realm before when I heard these words I thanked his majesty with heartiness but I begged the secretary to have the kindness to tell me what letters of naturalization he was a man accomplished and polite who spoke Italian excellently at first my question made him laugh then he recovered his gravity and told me in my own language what the paper signified acting that they conferred one of the highest corner could obtain indeed it is a far greater honor than to be made a nobleman of Venice when he left me he returned and told his majesty who laughed a while and then said now I wish him to know my object in sending those letters of naturalization go and install him lord of the castle of the little nello where he lives and which is a part of my demands he will know what it means better than he understood about the letters of naturalization a messenger brought me the patent upon which I wanted to give him a gratuity he refused to accept it saying that his majesty had so ordered these letters of naturalization together with the patent for the castle I brought with me then I returned to Italy wherever I go and wherever I may end my days I shall endeavor to preserve them Chapter 20 I shall now proceed with the narration of my life I had on hand the following works already mentioned namely the silver jupiter, the golden salt cellar the great silver vase and the two bronze heads I also began to cast the pedestal for jupiter which I wrought very richly in bronze covered with ornaments among with was a bas-relief representing the rape of Ganna Mead and on the other side Lida and the swan on casting this piece it came out admirably with the pedestal of the same sword for the statue of Giuno intending to begin that too if the king gave me silver for that purpose by working briskly I had put together the silver jupiter and the golden salt cellar the vase was far advanced the two bronze heads were finished I had also made several little things for the Cardinal Ferrera and a small silver vase of rich workmanship which I meant to present to Madame di Atampus several Italian noblemen the Count of Anguillara the Count of Pitiglogno the Count of Mirandola and many others gave me employment also for my great king as I have said I had been working strenuously and the third day after he returned to Paris he came to my house attended by a crowd of his chief nobles he marveled to find how many pieces I had advanced and with what excellent results Madame di Atampus being with him they began to talk of Fontainebleu she told his majesty he ought to commission me to execute something beautiful for the decoration of his favorite residence he answered on the instant you may well and here upon the spot I will make up my mind what I mean him to do then he turned to me and asked me what I thought would be appropriate for that beautiful fountain I suggested several ideas and his majesty expressed his own opinion afterwards he said that he was going to spend 15 or 20 days at Saint Germain Del Ayia a place 12 leagues distant from Paris during his absence he wished me to make a model for that fair fountain of his in the richest style I could invent seeing he delighted in that residence more than in anything else in this whole realm accordingly he commanded and besought me to do my utmost to produce something really beautiful he promised that I would do so when the king saw so many finished things before him he exclaimed to Madame de Attampus I never had an artist who pleased me more nor one who deserved better to be well rewarded we must contrive to keep him with us he spends freely is a boon companion and works hard we must therefore take good thought for him only think madam all the times that he has come to me or that I have come to him he has never once asked for anything one can see that his heart is entirely devoted to his work we ought to make a point of doing something for him quickly else we run a risk of losing him Madame de Attampus answered I will be sure to remind you then they departed and in addition to the things I had begun I now took the model of the fountain in hand at which I worked eduously Chapter 21 and a half the king returned to Paris and I, who had been working day and night went to present myself before him taking my model so well blocked out that my intention could be clearly understood just about that time the devil rise of war between the emperor and king had been stirred up again so that I found him much harassed by anxieties I spoke however with the cardinal of Ferrera saying I had brought some models which his majesty adored and begging him I found an opportunity to put in a word whereby I might be able to exhibit them the king I thought would take much pleasure in their sight this the cardinal did and no sooner had he spoken of the models then the king came to the place where I had sent them up the first of these was intended for the door of the palace at Fontainebleu I had been obliged to make some alterations in the altertexture of this door which was wide and low in their vicious French style the opening was very nearly square and above it was a hemicycle flattened like the handle of a basket here the king wanted a figure placed to represent the genius of Fontainebleu I corrected the proportions of the doorway and placed above it an exact half circle at the sides I introduced projections with scodes and conuses properly corresponding then instead of the columns demanded by this disposition of parts I fashioned two sadders one upon each side the first of these was in somewhat more than half relief lifting one hand to support the cornice and holding a thick club in the other his face was fiery and menacing instilling fear into the beholders the other had the same posture of support but I varied his features and some other details in his hand for instance he held a lash with three balls attached to chains though I call them sadders they show nothing of the sadder except little horns and a gotish head all the rest of their form was human in the lunette above I placed a female figure lying in an attitude of noble grace she rested her left arm on a stag's neck the animal being one of the king's emblems on one side I worked little fawns in half relief with some wild boars another game in lower relief on the other side were hounds and divers hogs of the chase of several species such as may be seen in that fair forest in springs the whole of this composition was enclosed in an oblong each angle of which obtained a victory in bas-relief holding torches after the manner of the ancients above the oblong was a salamander the king's particular device with many other ornaments appropriate to the ionic architecture of the whole design Chapter 22 when the king had seen this model it restored him to cheerfulness and distracted his mind from the fatiguing debates he had been holding during the past two hours seeing him cheerful as I wished I uncovered the other model which he was far from expecting since he not unreasonably judged that the first had worked in it enough this one was a little higher than two cubits it figured a fountain shaped in a perfect square with handsome steps all round intersecting each other in a way which was unknown in France as indeed very uncommon in Italy the middle of the fountain I set a pedestal projecting somewhat above the margin of the basin and upon this a nude male figure of the right proportion to the whole design and of a very graceful form in his right hand he raised a broken lance on high he left hand rested on a skimitar he was poised upon the left foot and right being supported by a helmet of the richest imaginable workmanship at each of the four angles of the fountain the figure was sitting raised above the level of the base and accompanied by many beautiful and appropriate emblems the king began by asking me what I meant to represent by the fine fancy I had embodied in this design saying that he understood the door without explanation but that he could not take the conception of my fountain although it seemed to him most beautiful at the same time he knew well that I was not like the foolish folk of grace but no attention into the performances I then addressed myself to the task of exposition for having succeeded in pleasing him with my work I wanted him to be no less pleased with my discourse let me inform your sacred majesty I thus began that the whole of this model is so exactly made to scale that if it should come to being executed enlarge none of its grace and lightness will be sacrificed the figure in the middle to stand 54 feet above the level of the ground at this announcement the king made a sign of purpose it is moreover intended to represent the god Mars the other figures embody those arts and sciences in which your majesty takes pleasure and which you so generously patronize this one upon the right hand is designed for learning you will observe that the accompanying emblems indicate philosophy and are attendant branches of knowledge by the next I wish to justify the whole art of design including sculpture painting and artic texture the third is music which cannot be emitted from the sphere of intellectual culture that other which so gracious and being in a mean stands for generosity lacking which the mental gifts bestowed on us by god will not be brought to view I have attempted to portray your majesty your very self in the great central statue for you are truly a god Mars the only brave upon this globe and all your bravery you use with justice and with piety in the defense of your own glory scarcely had he allowed me to finish this oration when he broke forth with a strong voice verily I found a man here after my own heart then he called the treasurers who were appointed for my supplies and told them to disperse whatever I required let the cost be what it might next he laid his hand upon my shoulder saying manami which is the same as my friend I know not whether the pleasure be greater for the prince who finds a man after his own heart or for the artist who finds a prince willing to furnish him with means for carrying out his great ideas I answered that if I was really the man his majesty described my good fortune was by far the greater he answered laughingly let us agree then that our luck is equal then I departed in the highest spirits and went back to my work three my ill luck willed that I was not wide awake enough to play the light comedy with madame diatampus that evening when she heard the whole course of events from the king's own lips it bred such poisonous fury in her breast that she exclaimed with anger if benvinutu had shown me those fine things of his he would have given me some reason to be mindful of him at the proper moment the king sought to excuse me but he made no impression on her temper being informed of what had happened in the past I waited fifteen days during which they made a tour through normandy visiting roan and dipe then when they returned to s german and laie I took the handsome little vase which I made at the request of madame diatampus hoping if I gave it to her to recover the favor I had lost with this in my hand then I announced my presence to her nurse and showed the gift which I brought her mistress to me with demonstrations of good will and said that she would speak a word to madame who was still engaged upon her toilette I should be admitted on the instant when she had discharged her embassy the nurse made her report in full to madame who retorted scornfully tell him to wait on hearing this I clothed myself with patience which all of things I find the most difficult nevertheless I kept myself under control until the hour the dinner was passed then seeing what time dragged on and being maddened by hunger I could no longer hold out but flung off sending her most devoutly to the devil I next betook myself to the cardinal of laurain and made him a present of the vase only petitioning his eminence to maintain me in the king's good graces he said there was no need for this and if there were need he would gladly speak for me then he called his treasurer and whispered a few words in his ear the treasurer waited till I took my leave of the cardinal after which he said to me benvenutu come with me and I will give you a glass of good wine to drink I answered not understanding what he meant for heaven's sake mr. treasurer let me have but one glass of wine and a mothful of bread for I am really fainting for a want of food I have fasted since early this morning up to the present moment at the door of madame the atampus I went to give her that fine piece of silver gilt plate and took pains that she would be informed of my intention but she with the mere pretty will to vex me bade me wait now I am famished and feel my forces failing and as God willed it I have bestowed my gift and labor upon one who is far more worthy of them I only crave of you something to drink for being rather tubilius my nature fast upsets me so that I run the risk now of falling from passion to the earth while I was pumping out of these words with difficulty they brought some admirable wine and other delicacies for a hearty metal I refreshed myself and having recovered my vital spirits found that my exasperation had departed from me the good treasurer handed me a hundred crowns in gold I sturdily refused to accept them he reported this to the cardinal who swore at him and told him to make me take the money by force and not to show himself again till he returned the treasurer returned much irritated saying that he had never been so scolded before by the cardinal but when he pressed the crowns upon me I still offered some resistance then quite angry he said he would use force to make me take them so I accepted the money when I wanted to thank the cardinal in person he sent word by one of his secretaries that he would gladly do me a service whenever the occasion offered I returned the same evening to Paris the king heard the whole history and Madame d'etampus was well laughed at in their company this increased her animosity against me and led to attack upon my life of which I shall speak in the proper time and place chapter 24 far back in my autobiography I ought to have recorded the friendship which I won with the most cultivated the most affectionate and the most companionable man of worth I ever knew in this world he was Messergudo Guti an able physician and doctor of medicine and a noble man of Florence the infinite troubles brought upon me by my evil fortune caused me to admit the mention of him at an earlier date and though my remembrance may be but a trifle I deemed it sufficient to keep him always in my heart yet finding that the drum of my life requires his presence I shall introduce him here at the moment of my greatest trials in order that as he was when my comfort and support I may now recall to memory the good he did me well then Mr. Gudo came to Paris and not long after making his acquaintance I took him to my castle and there he assigned him his own suite of apartments we enjoyed our lives together in that place for several years the Bishop of Pavia that is to say Monsignor de Rossi brother of the Count of San Segando also arrived this gentleman I removed from his hotel and took assigning him in like manner of his own suite of apartments where he sojourned many months with serving men and horses on another occasion I lodged Mr. Luigi Alamani and his sons for some months it was indeed God's grace to me that I should thus in my poor station be able to render services to men of great position and requirements but to return to Mr. Gudo we enjoyed our mutual friendship during all the years I stayed in Paris and often did we exalt together on being able to advance in art and knowledge at the cost of that so great and admirable Prince our patron each in his own branch of industry I can indeed and with good conscience affirm that all I am whatever of good and beautiful I have produced all this must be ascribed to that extraordinary monarch so then I will resume the thread of my discourse concerning him and the great things I wrought for him section 6 of autobiography of Benvenu to Salini part 2 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Chris Karan autobiography of Benvenu to Salini part 2 section 6 chapters 25 through 29 chapter 25 I had a tennis court in my castle from which I drew considerable profit the building also contained some little dwellings inhabited by different sorts of men among whom was a printer of books of much excellence in his own trade nearly the whole of his premises lay inside the castle and he was the man who printed Messer Gudo's first fine book on medicine wanting to make use of his lodging I turned him out but now without some trouble there was also a manufacturer of self-petray and when I wished to assign his apartments to some of my German workmen the fellow refused to leave the place I asked him over and over again in gentle terms to give me up my rooms because I wanted to employ them for my work of the king the more moderately I spoke the more arrogantly did the brute reply to at last I gave him three days notice to quit he laughed me in the face and said that he would begin to think of it at the end of three years I had not then learned that he was under the protection of Madame Diantampus but had it not been that the terms on which I stood toward that lady made me say that I should have outstead him at once now however I thought it best to keep my temper for three days when the term was over I said nothing but took Germans Italians and Frenchmen bearing arms as many hand laborers whom I had in my employ and in a short while guttered all his house and flung his property outside my castle I resorted the first measures because he had told me that no Italian whom he knew of had the power of spirit to remove one ring of iron from its place in his house well after the deed was done he came to find me and I said to him I am the least of all Italians in Italy and yet I have done nothing to you in comparison with what I have the heart to do and will do if you utter a single further word adding other terms of minutes and abuse the man dumbfounded and frightened got his furniture together as well as he was able then he ran off to Madame de Attampus and painted a picture of me like the very fiend she being my great enemy painted my portrait still blacker to the king with all her greater eloquence and all her greater weight of influence as I was afterwards informed his majesty twice showed signs of temptation and was minded to use me roughly but Henry the Dauphin his son now king of France who had received some affronts from that imperious woman together with the queen of Navarre sister to King Francis exposed my cause so cleverly that he passed the matter over with a laugh so with God's assistance I escaped from a great danger Chapter 26 I had to deal in like manner with another fellow but I did not ruin his house I only threw all his furniture out of doors this time Madame de Attampus had the insolence to tell the king I believe that devil will sack Paris one of these days the king answered with some anger that I was only quite right to defend myself from the low rabble who put obstacles in the way of my serving him the rage of this vindictive woman kept continually on the increase she sent for a painter who was established at Fontainebleau where the king resided nearly all this time the painter was an Italian and a Bolognese known then as Il Bologni his right name however was Francisco Primaticio Madame de Attampus advised him to beg that commission for the fountain which his majesty had given me adding that she would support him with all her ability and upon this they agreed Bologni was in an estacy of happiness and thought himself sure of the affair although such things were not in this line of art he was however an excellent master of design and had collected round him a troop of work people formed in the school of Rosso who was a warranty painter who was undoubtedly an artist of extraordinary merit his own best qualities indeed were derived from the admirable manner of Rosso who by this time had died these ingenious arguments and the weighty influence of Madame de Attampus prevailed with the king for they kept hammering at him night and day Madame at one time and Bologni at another what worked most upon his mind was that both of them combined to speak as follows how is it possible sacred majesty that Benvenuti should accomplish the twelve silver statues which you want he has not finished one of them yet if you employ him on so great an undertaking you will of necessity deprive yourself of those other things on which your heart is set a hundred of the fabulous craftsmen could not complete so many great works as this one able man has taken in hand to do one can see clearly that he has a passion for labor but this ardent temper will be the cause of your majesties losing both him and his masterpieces at the same moment by insinuating these and other suggestions of the same sort of favorable opportunity the king consented to their petition and yet Bologni had at this time produced neither designs nor models for the fountain chapter twenty-seven it happened that just as this period in action was brought against me in Paris by the second lodger I had upstead from my castle who pretended that on that occasion I had stolen a large quantity of his effects this lawsuit tormented me beyond measure and took up so much of my time that I often thought of decamping despair from the country now the French are in the habit of making such capital out of any action they commence against a foreigner or against such persons as they notice to be indolent in litigation no sooner do they observe that they are getting some advantage in the suit than they find the means to sell it some have been known to give a lawsuit in Dari with their daughters to men who make a business with such transactions they have another ugly custom which is that the Normans nearly all of them traffic in false evidence so that the men who buy up lawsuits engage at once the services of four or six of these false witnesses according to their need their adversary if he neglect to produce as many on the other side being perhaps unacquainted with the custom is certain to have a verdict given against him all this happened in my case and thinking it a most disgraceful breach of justice I made my appearance in the great hall of Paris to defend my right there I saw a judge, lieutenant for the king in civil causes and thrown upon a high tribunal he was tall, stout and fat and of an extremely severe continence all around him on each side stood a crowd of solicitors and advocates ranged upon the right hand and the left others were coming one by one to explain their several causes to the judge from time to time too I noticed that the attorney at the side of the tribunal talked all at once and much administration was roused in me by that extraordinary man the very image of Pluto who listened with marked attention first to one and then to the other answering each with learning and saga city I have always delighted in watching and experiencing every kind of skill so I would not have lost the spectacle for much it happened that the hall being very large and filled with a multitude of folk they were strict in excluding everyone who had no business there and kept the door shut with the guard to hold it sometimes the guardian in his effort to prevent the entrance of some improper person interrupted the judge by the great noise he made and the judge in anger said to him this happened frequently so that my attention was directed to the fact on one occasion when two gentlemen were pushing their way in as spectators and the porter was opposing them with violence the judge raised his voice and spoke the following words precisely as I heard them keep peace satan be gone and hold your tongue those words in the french tongue now I had learned the french tongue well and on hearing this sentence the meaning of that phrase used by Dante came into my memory when he and his master Virgil entered the doors of hell Dante and the painter Giotto worked together in France and particularly in the city of Paris were owing to the circumstances I have just described the hall of justice may be truly called a hell Dante then who also understood french well made use of the phrase in question and it has struck me as a singular that this interpretation has never been put upon the passage indeed it confirms my opinion that the commentators make him say things which never came into his head chapter 28 well then to return to my affairs when certain decisions of the court were sent me by those lawyers perceived that my cause had been unjustly lost I had recourse for my defense to a great dagger which I had carried for I have always taken pleasure in keeping fine weapons the first man I attacked was the plaintiff who had sued me and one evening I wounded him in the legs and armed so severely taken care however not to kill him that I deprived him of the use of both his legs then I sought out the other fellow who had dropped the suit and used him also in such wise that he had dropped it returning thanks to God for this and every other dispensation and hoping to be left a while without worries I bade the young men of my household especially the Italians for God's sake to attend each diligently to the work I set him and to help me tell such time as I could finish the things I had in hand I thought they might soon be completed and then I meant to return to Italy being no longer able to put up the rogueries of those Frenchmen the good king too if he once grew angry he might bring me into mischief for many of my acts in self-defense I will describe who these Italians were the first and the one I liked best was Escanio from Talagasso in the kingdom of Naples the second was Pagolo a Roman of such humble origin that he did now know his own father these were the two men who had been with me in Rome and whom I had taken with me on the journey another Roman had also come on purpose to enter my service he too bore the name of Pagolo and was the son of a poor nobleman of the family of the macaroni he had small requirements in our art but was excellent and courageous swordsman I had another from Ferrera called Tolomio Chiosia there was also another from Florence named Pagolo Massiri his brother nicknamed Il Gatta was a clever clerk but had spent too much money in managing the property of Tommaso Goudagini a very wealthy merchant this Gatta put in order for me the books in which I wrote the accounts of his most Christian majesty and my other employers Pagolo Massiri having learned how to keep them from his brother went on doing this work for me in return for a liberal salary he appeared so far as I could judge to be a very honest lad for I noticed him to be devout and when I heard him sometimes muttering Psalms and sometimes telling his beats I reckoned much upon his fiend virtue accordingly I called the fellow of heart and said to him you know what a good place you have with me and how you had formally nothing to depend on besides you are a Florentine I have also the greater confidence in you because I observe that you are pious and religious which is a thing that pleases me I beg you therefore to assist me for I cannot put the same trust in any of your companions so then I shall ask you to keep watch over two matters of the highest importance which might prove a source of much annoyance to me in the first place I want you to guard my property from being stolen and not touch it yourself in the next place you know that poor young girl Catarina I keep her principally for my art sink since I cannot do without a model but being a man also I have used her for my pleasures and it is possible that she may bear me a child now I do not want to maintain another man's bastards nor will I sit down under such an insult if any one of this house had the audacity to attempt anything of the sort and I were to become aware of it I verily believe that I should kill both her and him accordingly dear brother I entreat you to be my helper should you notice anything tell it me at once for I am sure to send her and her mother and her fellow to the gallows be you the first upon your watch against falling into this snare the rascal made a sign of the cross from his head to his feet and cried out, oh blessed Jesus God preserve me from ever thinking of such a thing in the first place I am not given to those evil ways in the next place do you imagine I am ignorant of your great benefits toward me when I heard these words which he uttered with all appearance of simplicity and affection for me I believe that matter stood precisely as he asserted two days after this conversation M. Matteo del Nazaro took the occasion of some feast day to invite me and my work people to an entertainment in a garden he was an Italian in the king's service and practiced the same art as we did with remarkable ability I got myself in readiness and told Pagolo that he might go abroad too and amuse himself with us the annoyance is arising from that lawsuit being the judge now settled down the young man replied in these words upon my word it will be a great mistake to leave the house so unprotected only look how much of gold silver and jewels you have here living as we do in a city of thieves we ought to be upon our guard by day and night I will spend my time in religious exercises while I keep watch over the premises go then with mind at rest to take your pleasure and divert your spirits from other day another man will take my place as guardian here thinking that I could go out with a quiet mind I took Pagolo, Ascanio and Chiosia to the garden where we spent a large portion of the day agreeably toward the middle of the afternoon however when it began to draw towards sundown a suspicion came into my head and I recollected the words which what trader had spoken with his fiend simplicity so I mounted my horse and with two servants to attend me I returned to the castle where I all but caught Pagolo and in that little wretch Catarina in flagrante no sooner had I reached the place than that French bod her mother screamed out Pagolo, Catarina, here is the master when I saw the pair advancing overcome with fright their clothes in disorder not knowing what they said nor like people in a trance where they were going it was only too easy to guess what they had been about a sight drowned reason and rage and I drew my sword resolved to kill them both the man took to his heels the girl flung herself upon her knees and shrieked a heaven for mercy in my first fury I wanted to strike at the mail but before I had time to catch him up second thoughts arose which made me think it would be best for me to drive them both together I had so many acts of violence upon my hands that if I killed them I could hardly hope to save my life I said then to Pagolo had I seen with my own eyes ground all what your behavior at a parent's to force me to believe I should have run you with this sword here ten times through the guts get out of my sight and if you say a paternoster let it be sang Giuliano's then I drove the whole lot forth mother and daughter lambing into them with fist and foot they made their minds up to have the law of me and consulted a Norman affigate who advised them to declare that I had used the girl after Italian fashion what this meant I need hardly explain the man argued at the very least when this Italian hears what you are after you will pay down several hundred do cuts knowing how great the danger is and how heavily that offense is punished in France upon this they were agreed the accusation was brought against me and I received a summons from the court end of section 6 recording by Chris Caron Ham Lake Minnesota