At these words the King turned to me, and, in the old boy’s presence, asked if what he had said was true. I replied: Most assuredly, and that the work appeared to me admirable. Whereupon the King said: ‘Then God be praised that here in our own day there be yet men born who can turn out so much more beautiful things than the ancients.’
Therewith he smiled, and gave old M. de Marmagna back his statuette, for of course he saw that the intention had been to disparage my work beside the antique. Hundreds of most graceful & complimentary things did he continue to say about my work, so much so that I never wished for any better remuneration for it than I got that day.
FOOTNOTES:
[50] Cornus sanguinea, or dogwood.
[51] E con quello stesso lo ammarginano, a tale; che viene a essere per tutto una equal durezza.
[52] Or it might be rendered: ‘You must put in the ready-made solder a little of the alloy,’ which is softer in the fire; each new soldered piece having to be softer than the last to avoid the running again of the earlier work: the alloy is presumably half copper and half silver, though Cellini does not say so; elsewhere he talks of one copper to two silver, so it might well be one carat of silver and the half carat of copper.
[53] Occorre adoperare il bronzo.
[54] Mi s’appicorno a dosso.
[55] Tassetino tondo.
[56] Spiccando dal suo campo.
[57] E gran cosa la forza che ha la virtù.
[58] See Cellini’s Autobiography, Symonds’ translation.
[59] See Cellini’s Autobiography, Symonds’ translation.
[60] Punte di pietre.
[61] Una certa grana sotilissima.
[62] This might be better rendered as ‘matting’ or ‘posting.’
[63] Possibly what we should call a ‘scorper.’
[64] Ricercando.
[65] See Autobiography.