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XCII（第1页）

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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.

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