爱看文学网

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

XCII（第1页）

一秒记住【xiaoyanwenxue.com】精彩无弹窗免费！“TheAutobiographyofBenvenutoCellini（.shg.tw）”！

XCII

WHENIreturnedtomyshop，Isetmyhandwithdiligencetofinishingthediamondring，concerningwhichthefourfirstjewellersofRomeweresenttoconsultwithme.ThiswasbecausethePopehadbeeninformedthatthediamondhadbeensetbythefirstjewelleroftheworldinVenice;hewascalledMaestroMilianoTarghetta;andthediamondbeingsomewhatthin，thejobofsettingitwastoodifficulttobeattemptedwithoutgreatdeliberation.Iwaswellpleasedtoreceivethesefourjewellers，amongwhomwasamanofMilancalledGaio.Hewasthemostpresumptuousdonkeyintheworld，theonewhoknewleastandwhothoughtheknewmost;theotherswereverymodestandablecraftsmen.InthepresenceofusallthisGaiobegantotalk，andsaid:“Milianosfoilshouldbepreserved，andtodothat，Benvenuto，youshalldoffyourcap;forjustasgivingdiamondsatintisthemostdelicateanddifficultthinginthejewellersart，soisMilianothegreatestjewellerthateverlived，andthisisthemostdifficultdiamondtotint.”Irepliedthatitwasallthegreatergloryformetopetewithsoableamasterinsuchanexcellentprofession.AfterwardsIturnedtotheotherjewellersandsaid:“Lookhere!IamkeepingMilianosfoil，andIwillseewhetherIcanimproveonitwithsomeofmyownmanufacture;ifnot，wewilltintitwiththesameyouseehere.”ThatassGaioexclaimedthatifImadeafoillikethathewouldgladlydoffhiscaptoit.TowhichIreplied:“SupposingthenImakeitbetter，itwilldeservetwobows.”“Certainlyso，”saidhe;andIbegantoposemyfoils.

Itooktheverygreatestpainsinmixingthetints，themethodofdoingwhichIwillexplainintheproperplace.Itiscertainthatthediamondinquestionofferedmoredifficultiesthananyotherswhichbeforeorafterwardshaveeintomyhands，andMilianosfoilwasmadewithtrueartisticskill.However，thatdidnotdismayme;buthavingsharpenedmywitsup，Isucceedednotonlyinmakingsomethingquiteasgood，butinexceedingitbyfar.Then，whenIsawthatIhadsurpassedhim，Iwentabouttosurpassmyself，andproducedafoilbynewprocesseswhichwasalongwaybetterthanwhatIhadpreviouslymade.ThereuponIsentforthejewellers;andfirstItintedthediamondwithMilianosfoil:thenIcleaneditwellandtinteditafreshwithmyown.WhenIshowedittothejewellers，oneofthebestamongthem，whowascalledRaffaeldelMoro，tookthediamondinhishandandsaidtoGaio:“BenvenutohasoutdonethefoilofMiliano.”Gaio，unwillingtobelieveit，tookthediamondandsaid:“Benvenuto，thisdiamondisworthtwothousandducatsmorethanwiththefoilofMiliano.”Irejoined:“NowthatIhavesurpassedMiliano，letusseeifIcansurpassmyself.”ThenIbeggedthemtowaitformeawhile，wentupintoalittlecabinet，andhavingtintedthediamondanewunseenbythem，returnedandshowedittothejewellers.Gaiobrokeoutatonce:“ThisisthemostmarvellousthingthatIhaveeverseeninthecourseofmywholelifetime.Thestoneisworthupwardsofeighteenthousandcrowns，whereaswevalueditatbarelytwelvethousand.”Theothersjewellersturnedtohimandsaid:“Benvenutoisthegloryofourart，anditisonlyduethatweshoulddoffourcapstohimandtohisfoils.”ThenGaiosaid:“IshallgoandtellthePope，andImeantoprocureforhimonethousandgoldencrownsforthesettingofthisdiamond.”AccordinglyhehurriedtothePopeandtoldhimthewholestory;whereuponhisHolinesssentthreetimesonthatdaytoseeiftheringwasfinished.

Attwenty-threeoclockItooktheringtothepalace;andsincethedoorswerealwaysopentome，Iliftedthecurtaingently，andsawthePopeinprivateaudiencewiththeMarchesedelGuasto.TheMarquismusthavebeenpressingsomethingonthePopewhichhewasunwillingtoperform;forIheardhimsay:“Itellyou，no;itismybusinesstoremainneutral，andnothingelse.”IwasretiringasquicklyasIcould，whenthePopehimselfcalledmeback;soIenteredtheroom，andpresentedthediamondring，uponwhichhedrewmeaside，andtheMarquisretiredtoadistance.Whilelookingatthediamond，thePopewhisperedtome:“Benvenuto，beginsomeconversationwithmeonasubjectwhichshallseemimportant，anddonotstoptalkingsolongastheMarquisremainsinthisroo”Thenhetooktowalkingupanddown，andtheoccasionmakingformyadvantage，IwasverygladtodiscoursewithhimuponthemethodsIhadusedtotintthestone.TheMarquisremainedstandingapart，leaningagainstapieceoftapestry;andnowhebalancedhimselfaboutononefoot，nowontheother.ThesubjectIhadchosentodiscourseuponwasofsuchimportance，iffullytreated，thatIcouldhavetalkedaboutitatleastthreehours.ThePopewasentertainedtosuchadegreethatheforgottheannoyanceoftheMarquisstandingthere.IseasonedwhatIhadtosaywiththatpartofnaturalphilosophywhichbelongstoourprofession;andsohavingspokenfornearuponanhour，theMarquisgrewtiredofwaiting，andwentofffuming.ThenthePopebestowedonmethemostfamiliarcaresseswhichcanbeimagined，andexclaimed:“Havepatience，mydearBenvenuto，forIwillgiveyouabetterrewardforyourvirtuesthanthethousandcrownswhichGaiotellsmeyourworkisworth.”

OnthisItookmyleave;andthePopepraisedmeinthepresenceofhishousehold，amongwhomwasthefellowLatinoJuvenale，whomIhavepreviouslymentioned.Thisman，havingbeemyenemy，assiduouslystrovetodomehurt;andnoticingthatthePopetalkedofmewithsomuchaffectionandwarmth，heputinhisword:“ThereisnodoubtatallthatBenvenutoisapersonofveryremarkablegenius;butwhileeveryoneisnaturallyboundtofeelmoregoodwillforhisowncountrymenthanforothers，stilloneoughttoconsidermaturelywhatlanguageitisrightandpropertousewhenspeakingofaPope.HehashadtheaudacitytosaythatPopeClementindeedwasthehandsomestsovereignthateverreigned，andnolessgifted;onlythatluckwasalwaysagainsthim:andhesaysthatyourHolinessisquitetheopposite;thatthetiaraseemstoweepforrageuponyourhead;thatyoulooklikeatrussofstrawwithclotheson，andthatthereisnothinginyouexceptgoodluck.”Thesewords，reportedbyamanwhoknewmostexcellentlyhowtosaythem，hadsuchforcethattheygainedcreditwiththePope.Farfromhavingutteredthem，suchthingshadnevereintomyhead.IfthePopecouldhavedonesowithoutlosingcredit，hewouldcertainlyhavetakenfiercerevengeuponme;butbeingamanofgreattactandtalent，hemadeashowofturningitoffwithalaugh.Neverthelessheharbouredinhisheartadeepvindictivefeelingagainstme，ofwhichIwasnotslowtobeaware，sinceIhadnolongerthesameeasyaccesstohisapartmentsasformerly，butfoundthegreatestdifficultyinprocuringaudience.AsIhadnowformanyyearsbeenfamiliarwiththemannersoftheRomancourt，Iconceivedthatsomeonehaddonemeabadturn;andonmakingdexterousinquiries，Iwastoldthewhole，butnotthenameofmycalumniator.Icouldnotimaginewhothemanwas;hadIbutfoundhimout，myvengeancewouldnothavebeenmeasuredbytroyweight.

三月初三出生沈南辞顾崇明  薄太太今天又被扒马甲了阮苏薄行止  偏执前夫深情不改  七十年代娇媳妇  弃妃小神医齐静月楚祈端  满眼星光信秋郑明川  情未了：夫君不请自来木清兰玉轩  天富神兵陆铭苏婉  报告王爷，王妃又写和离书了楚慕词谢淮安  姐姐的操作好下饭  双胞胎小孩沈轩睿霍轩城  莫一辰女装大佬莫一辰羊牛牛  偏执前夫深情不改慕云曦傅沉衍  傲娇邪帝：绝宠爆萌小狂妃颜倾凰帝九宸  布衣神婿唐昊苏嫣然  陆云拜老道士为师陆云叶倾城  他不配喜欢我宋雎程邃  妈咪太要强：总裁爹地别傲娇洛溪傅一航  王者：荣耀巅峰林宇甄清纯  Poems and Songs of Robert Burns