Page:The Life of Benvenuto Cellini Vol 2.djvu/96

Rh 

Ah! could the Pastor of Christ's flock in ruth Believe how God this soul with sight hath shriven Of glory unto which no wight hath striven Ere he escaped earth's cave of care uncouth;

The gates of Justice, holy and austere, Would roll asunder, and rude impious Rage Fall chained with shrieks that should assail the skies.

Had I but light, ah me! my art should rear A monument of Heaven s high equipage! Nor should my misery bear so grim a guise."

On the following day, when the servant of the castellan who was my friend brought me my food, I gave him this sonnet copied out in writing. Without informing the other ill-disposed servants who were my enemies, he handed it to the castellan. At that time this worthy man would gladly have granted me my liberty, because he fancied that the great wrong done to me was a main cause of his death. He took the sonnet, and having read it more than once, exclaimed: "These are neither the words nor the thoughts of a madman, but rather of a sound and worthy fellow." Without delay he ordered his secretary to take it to the Pope, and place it in his own hands, adding a request for my deliverance. While the secretary was on his way with my sonnet to the Pope, the castellan sent me lights for day and night, together with all the conveniences one could wish for in that place. The result of this was that I