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XXIV（第1页）

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XXIV

KNOWINGnowthatIhadgratifiedmyfathershonestwish，Ibegantothinkthateverythingwouldprosperwithmetoagloriousandhonourableend.Accordingly，IsetmyselfwithindefatigableindustrytothepletionofthevaseIhadbegunforSalamanca.Thatprelatewasaveryextraordinaryman，extremelyrich，butdifficulttoplease.HesentdailytolearnwhatIwasdoing;andwhenhismessengerdidnotfindmeathome，hebrokeintofury，sayingthathewouldtaketheworkoutofmyhandsandgiveittootherstofinish.Thiscameofmyslaverytothataccursedmusic.StillIlaboureddiligentlynightandday，until，whenIhadbroughtmyworktoapointwhenitcouldbeexhibited，IsubmittedittotheinspectionoftheBishop.ThissoincreasedhisdesiretoseeitfinishedthatIwassorryIhadshownit.AttheendofthreemonthsIhaditready，withlittleanimalsandfoliageandmasks，asbeautifulasonecouldhopetosee.NosoonerwasitdonethanIsentitbythehandofmyworkman，Paulino，toshowthatableartistLucagnolo，ofwhomIhavespokenabove.Paulino，withthegraceandbeautywhichbelongedtohim，spokeasfollows:“MesserLucagnolo，Benvenutobidsmesaythathehassenttoshowyouhispromisesandyourlumber，expectinginreturntoseefromyouhisgewgaws.”Thismessagegiven，Lucagnolotookupthevase，andcarefullyexaminedit;thenhesaidtoPaulino:“Fairboy，tellyourmasterthatheisagreatandableartist，andthatIbeghimtobewillingtohavemeforafriend，andnottoengageinaughtelse.”Themissionofthatvirtuousandmarvellousladcausedmethegreatestjoy;andthenthevasewascarriedtoSalamanca，whoorderedittobevalued.Lucagnolotookpartinthevaluation，estimatingandpraisingitfarabovemyownopinion.Salamanca，liftingupthevase，criedlikeatrueSpaniard:“IswearbyGodthatIwilltakeaslonginpayinghimashehaslaggedinmakingit.”WhenIheardthis，Iwasexceedinglyputout，andfelltocursingallSpainandeveryonewhowishedwelltoit.

Amongstotherbeautifulornaments，thisvasehadahandle，madeallofonepiece，withmostdelicatemechanism，which，whenaspringwastouched，stooduprightabovethemouthofit.WhiletheprelatewasonedayostentatiouslyexhibitingmyvasetocertainSpanishgentlemenofhissuite，itchancedthatoneofthem，uponMonsignorsquittingtheroom，beganroughlytoworkthehandle，andasthegentlespringwhichmoveditcouldnotbearhisloutishviolence，itbrokeinhishand.Awarewhatmischiefhehaddone，hebeggedthebutlerwhohadchargeoftheBishopsplatetotakeittothemasterwhohadmadeit，forhimtomend，andpromisedtopaywhatpriceheasked，provideditwassettorightsatonce.Sothevasecameoncemoreintomyhands，andIpromisedtoputitforthwithinorder，whichindeedIdid.Itwasbroughttomebeforedinner;andattwenty-twooclockthemanwhobroughtitreturned，allinasweat，forhehadrunthewholeway，Monsignorhavingagainaskedforittoshowtocertainothergentlemen.Thebutler，then，withoutgivingmetimetoutteraword，cried:“Quick，quick，bringthevase.”I，whowantedtoactatleisureandnottogiveuptohim，saidthatIdidnotmeantobesoquick.Theserving-mangotintosucharagethathemadeasthoughhewouldputonehandtohissword，whilewiththeotherhethreatenedtobreaktheshopopen.TothisIputastopatoncewithmyownweapon，usingtherewithspiritedlanguage，andsaying:“Iamnotgoingtogiveittoyou!GoandtellMonsignor，yourmaster，thatIwantthemoneyformyworkbeforeIletitleavethisshop.”Whenthefellowsawhecouldnotobtainitbyswaggering，hefelltoprayingme，asonepraystotheCross，declaringthatifIwouldonlygiveitup，hewouldtakecareIshouldbepaid.Thesewordsdidnotmakemeswervefrommypurpose;butIkeptonsayingthesamething.Atlast，despairingofsuccess，hesworetoewithSpaniardsenoughtocutmeinpieces.Thenhetooktohisheels;whileI，whoinclinedtobelievepartlyintheirmurderousattack，resolvedthatIwoulddefendmyselfwithcourage.SoIgotanadmirablelittlegunready，whichIusedforshootinggame，andmutteredtomyself:“Hewhorobsmeofmypropertyandlabourmaytakemylifetoo，andwele.”WhileIwascarryingonthisdebateinmyownmind，acrowdofSpaniardsarrived，ledbytheirmajor-domo，who，withtheheadstrongrashnessofhisrace，badethemgoinandtakethevaseandgivemeagoodbeating.Hearingthesewords，Ishowedthemthemuzzleofmygun，andpreparedtofire，andcriedinaloudvoice:“RenegadeJews，traitors，isitthusthatonebreaksintohousesandshopsinourcityofRome?Comeasmanyofyouthievesaslike，aninchnearertothiswicket，andIllblowalltheirbrainsoutwithmygun.”ThenIturnedthemuzzletowardtheirmajor-domo，andmakingasthoughIwoulddischargeit，calledout:“Andyoubigthief，whoareeggingthemon，Imeantokillyoufirst.”Heclappedspurstothejennethewasriding，andtookflightheadlong.Themotionweweremakingstirredupalltheneighbours，whocamecrowdinground，togetherwithsomeRomangentlemenwhochancedtopass，andcried:“Dobutkilltherenegades，andwewillstandbyyou.”ThesewordshadtheeffectoffrighteningtheSpaniardsingoodearnest.Theywithdrew，andwerepelledbythecircumstancestorelatethewholeaffairtoMonsignor.Beingamanofinordinatehaughtiness，heratedthemembersofhishousehold，bothbecausetheyhadengagedinsuchanactofviolence，andalsobecause，havingbegun，theyhadnotgonethroughwithit.Atthisjuncturethepainter，whohadbeenconcernedinthewholematter，camein，andtheBishopbadehimgoandtellmethatifIdidnotbringthevaseatonce，hewouldmakemincemeatofme;butifIbroughtit，hewouldpayitspricedown.

Thesethreatsweresofarfromterrifyingme，thatIsenthimwordIwasgoingimmediatelytolaymycasebeforethePope.

Inthemeantime，hisangerandmyfearsubsided;whereupon，beingguaranteedbysomeRomannoblemenofhighdegreethattheprelatewouldnotharmme，andhavingassurancethatIshouldbepaid，Iarmedmyselfwithalargeponiardandmygoodcoatofmail，andbetookmyselftohispalace，wherehehaddrawnupallhishousehold.Ientered，andPaulinofollowedwiththesilvervase.ItwasjustlikepassingthroughtheZodiac，neithermorenorless;foroneofthemhadthefaceofthelion，anotherofthescorpion，athirdofthecrab.However，wepassedonwardtothepresenceoftherascallypriest，whospoutedoutatorrentofsuchlanguageasonlypriestsandSpaniardshaveattheirmand.InreturnIneverraisedmyeyestolookathim，noransweredwordforword.Thatseemedtoaugmentthefuryofhisanger;andcausingpapertobeputbeforeme，hemandedmetowriteanacknowledgmenttotheeffectthatIhadbeenamplysatisfiedandpaidinfull.ThenIraisedmyhead，andsaidIshouldbeverygladtodosowhenIhadreceivedthemoney.TheBishopsragecontinuedtorise;threatsandrecriminationswereflungabout;butatlastthemoneywaspaid，andIwrotethereceipt.ThenIdeparted，gladatheartandinhighspirits.

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