Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/303

Rh Baccio was also much addicted to litigation, and would go to law for all kinds of matters; he lived in a perpetual succession of law-suits in short, and seemed to delight and triumph therein: even before the magistrates he would assail his fellow citizens with the most opprobrious words and without the least respect, for which reason he was compelled to hear the like from them, insomuch that his life was a never-ceasing contention. But since his attainments in the purpose, but seeing that he was unarmed, and on a wretched mule but little bigger than a mouse, pale as death too, and trembling from head to foot, I felt that I was about to commit an act of frightful baseness, and contented myself with saying to him, e You need not shake so violently, pitiful coward; you are not worthy of the blows I had intended for you:* at this he looked somewhat re-assured, but said never a word.” And again, “One festival day I went to the palace after dinner, when the Duke called me to him, and in the most gracious manner said, c You are welcome, Benvenuto, let us examine the contents of this case which Stefano da Palestrina has just sent me.’ When the case was opened, I perceived a beautiful statue, and said, (This is a Greek production of admirable workmanship; among all the antiquities possessed by your Excellency, there is no figure of a child more beautiful, or in a purer style than this is.’ The Duke was delighted, and answered in these words, c Explain to me wherein the great merit of the artist who executed this work consists, my dear Benvenuto.” I spoke therefore at considerable length on that subject, and perceived that the Duke heard me with pleasure. In the midst of this agreeable conversation, Baccio entered, and the Duke, seeming almost angry, asked him in a severe tone what he came to do. To this Bandinelli did not reply, but looking at the statue and smiling maliciously, he said, (My Lord, here is one of the things of which I have often spoken to you. You may easily see that the ancients knew nothing of anatomy, for which cause their works are full of errors.’ When this blunder-head had finished his prate, the Duke said, 'You hear that, Benvenuto; it is exactly the contrary of what you were affirming but now, wherefore defend your opinion as you may.’ To this I replied in these words, ( Your Excellency does not need to be told that Baccio Bandinelli is himself a very compound of all evil, insomuch that whatever he looks on with his viperous eyes, that thing becomes instantly bad: but I, who see the good as it is, can assure your Excellency that this beautiful work is a figure of the highest perfection.’ While I spoke, Bandinelli was making the most hideous contortions, and exhibited the most detestable visage in the world, for he was indeed uglv to such a degree that nothing human could well be more so.” Instances of the kind are not rare in the Autobiography of Cellini, but this specimen shall suffice..The passage is taken from a French copy of the work, which is not for the moment accessible to the present writer in the original, but it is without doubt sufficiently faithful for our purpose, although the French are not to be depended on, as the Germans so safely may be, for their fidelity as translators.