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XLIV（第1页）

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XLIV

DURINGthetimewhenFlorencewasbesieged，FederigoGinori，forwhomImadethatmedalofAtlas，diedofconsumption，andthemedalcameintothehandsofMesserLuigiAlamanni，who，afteralittlewhile，tookittopresentinpersontoFrancis，kingofFrance，acpaniedbysomeofhisownfinestpositions.TheKingwasexceedinglydelightedwiththegift;whereuponMesserLuigitoldhisMajestysomuchaboutmypersonalqualities，aswellasmyart，andspokesofavourably，thattheKingexpressedawishtoknowme.

MeanwhileIpushedmymodelforthebuttonforwardwithallthediligenceIcould，constructingitexactlyofthesizewhichthejewelitselfwasmeanttohave.Inthetradeofthegoldsmithsitrousedconsiderablejealousyamongthosewhothoughtthattheywerecapableofmatchingit.AcertainMichelettohadjustetoRome;hewasverycleveratengravingcornelians，andwas，moreover，amostintelligentjeweller，anoldmanandofgreatcelebrity.HehadbeenemployeduponthePopestiaras;andwhileIwasworkingatmymodel，hewonderedmuchthatIhadnotappliedtohim，beingashewasamanofintelligenceandoflargecreditwiththePope.Atlast，whenhesawthatIwasnotingtohim，hecametome，andaskedmewhatIwasabout.“WhatthePopehasorderedme，”Ianswered.Thenhesaid:“ThePopehasmissionedmetosuperintendeverythingwhichisbeingmadeforhisHoliness.”IonlyrepliedthatIwouldaskthePope，andthenshouldknowwhatanswerIoughttogivehiHetoldmethatIshouldrepent，anddepartinginanger，hadaninterviewwithallthemastersoftheart;theydeliberatedonthematter，andchargedMichelewiththeconductofthewholeaffair.Aswastobeexpectedfromapersonofhistalents，heorderedmorethanthirtydrawingstobemade，alldifferingintheirdetails，forthepiecethePopehadmissioned.

HavingalreadyaccesstohisHolinessear，hetookintohiscounselanotherjeweller，namedPompeo，aMilanese，whowasinfavourwiththePope，andrelatedtoMesserTraiano，thefirstchamberlainofthecourt;thesetwotogether，then，begantoinsinuatethattheyhadseenmymodel，anddidnotthinkmeuptoaworkofsuchextraordinaryimport.ThePoperepliedthathewouldalsohavetoseeit，andthatifhethenfoundmeunfitforthepurpose，heshouldlookaroundforonewhowasfit.Bothofthemputinthattheyhadseveralexcellentdesignsready;towhichthePopemadeanswer，thathewasverypleasedtohearit，butthathedidnotcaretolookatthemtillIhadpletedmymodel;afterwards，hewouldtakethemallintoconsiderationatthesametime.

AfterafewdaysIfinishedmymodel，andtookittothePopeonemorning，whenMesserTraianomademewaittillhehadsentforMichelettoandPompeo，biddingthemmakehasteandbringtheirdrawings.Ontheirarrivalwewereintroduced，andMichelettoandPompeoimmediatelyunrolledtheirpapers，whichthePopeinspected.Thedraughtsmenwhohadbeenemployedwerenotinthejewellerstrade，andtherefore，knewnothingaboutgivingtheirrightplacetopreciousstones;andthejewellers，ontheirside，hadnotshownthemhow;forIoughttosaythatajeweller，whenhehastoworkwithfigures，mustofnecessityunderstanddesign，elsehecannotproduceanythingworthlookingat:andsoitturnedoutthatallofthemhadstuckthatfamousdiamondinthemiddleofthebreastofGodtheFather.ThePope，whowasanexcellentconnoisseur，observingthismistake，approvedofnoneofthem;andwhenhehadlookedataboutten，heflungtherestdown，andsaidtome，whowasstandingatadistance:“Nowshowmeyourmodel，Benvenuto，sothatImayseeifyouhavemadethesamemistakeasthosefellows.”Icameforward，andopenedalittleroundbox;whereupononewouldhavethoughtthatalightfromheavenhadstruckthePopeseyes.Hecriedaloud:“Ifyouhadbeeninmyownbody，youcouldnothavedoneitbetter，asthisproves.Thosementherehavefoundtherightwaytobringshameuponthemselves!”Acrowdofgreatlordspressinground，thePopepointedoutthedifferencebetweenmymodelandthedrawings.Whenhehadsufficientlymendedit，theothersstandingterrifiedandstupidbeforehim，heturnedtomeandsaid:“Iamonlyafraidofonething，andthatisoftheutmostconsequence.FriendBenvenuto，waxiseasytoworkin;therealdifficultyistoexecutethisingold.”TothosewordsIansweredwithoutmomentshesitation:“MostblessedFather，ifIdonotworkittentimesbetterthanthemodel，letitbeagreedbeforehandthatyoupaymenothing.”Whentheyheardthis，thenoblemenmadeagreatstir，cryingoutthatIwaspromisingtoomuch.Amongthemwasaneminentphilosopher，whospokeoutinmyfavour:“FromthefinephysiognomyandbodilysymmetrywhichIobservedinthisyoungman，Ipredictthathewillacplishwhathesays，andthinkthathewillevengobeyondit.”ThePopeputin:“Andthisismyopinionalso.”Thenhecalledhischamberlain，MesserTraiano，andbadehimbringfivehundredgoldenducatsoftheCamera.

Whilewewerewaitingforthemoney，thePopeturnedoncemoretogazeatleisureonthedexterousdeviceIhademployedforbiningthediamondwiththefigureofGodtheFather.Ihadputthediamondexactlyinthecenterofthepiece;andaboveitGodtheFatherwasshownseated，leaningnoblyinasidewaysattitude，whichmadeaperfectposition，anddidnotinterferewiththestoneseffect.Liftinghisrighthand，hewasintheactofgivingthebenediction.BelowthediamondIhadplacethreechildren，who，withtheirarmsupraised，weresupportingthejewel.Oneofthem，inthemiddle，wasinfullrelief，theothertwoinhalf-relief.AllaroundIsetacrowdofcherubs，indiversattitudes，adaptedtotheothergems.AmantleundulatedtothewindaroundthefigureoftheFather，fromthefoldsofwhichcherubspeepedout;andtherewereotherornamentsbesideswhichmadeaverybeautifuleffect.Theworkwasexecutedinwhitestuccoonablackstone.Whenthemoneycame，thePopegaveittomewithhisownhand，andbeggedmeinthemostwinningtermstolethimhaveitfinishedinhisowndays，addingthatthisshouldbetomyadvantage.

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