New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-09
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
BY CHARLES T. CONGD0N.
BENVENUTO CELLINI,

Sunday of Mr. George w. Smalley, apropos Oh INC
new French translation of the autobiography Oh
Benvenuto Cellini, may have disposed the reader
to know something more of that remarkable man. !"
whom have always intended to devote a on'p,0i
of this series Cellini had high idea of the value
and inheritance of autobiography. for ne begins his
book by declaring that ut is duty lncuinpen' on
nnr;cbt and credible men of all ranks, who nave
,,erformed ANYTHING noble or Praseworthy, TO
record in their own writing the events OF their
livesp This honorable task, however, he thinks,
thew should not undertake before their fortieth
vear-he was himself ffty-eight years old when
he began to write.
Cellipi was born at Florence on All-Saints Day
November ~ in the year 1900, at half an hour
past iou :" For certain reasons girl was expected
/ uote from Roscoe's translation: " The midwife
who was sensible that the family expected the
birth of female. as soon as she had washed inc
child and wrapped it up in fine swaddllng clothes,
came softly up to my father and said to him: i
here bring you fine present which you niue eA,
pected., Nv father, who was of a philosophical
d;sposition. ana happened to be then about, said:
what God gives me shall always receive thank
fuliv.,D When Giovanni Celln "saw with his
own ewes the unexpected boy" he cried out with
clasped hands and uphfted eyes Lord thahK
Thee from the bottom of my heart for TINS present.
which is very dear and welcome to me- Ana ne
called the child Belvenuto, which being inter
preted signifies Welcome The child came at
stormy time grew up familiar with revolutionary
violence and was trained to recognize the law oi
the strongest. which all his life he held in son G.
what pndue reverence There is a curious and sig
ni6cant anecdote which he tells of his boyhood;
9When | was about five years of age, my father
happened TO be in little room in which they had
been washing; and where there was good OAK
fire burning; with Eddie in his hand he sang and
played near the fire. the weather being exceedingly
cold. Looking into the fire he saw lizard whlch
lived and enjoyed itself in the hottest flames. In
stantly pcrceiving what it was. ae called 10 my
sister and alter he had shown us the creature ne
gave me box on the ear; fell a crying while he
soothing Inc with his caresses, said My dear child
/ don't give you the blow for any fault you nave
committed. but that you may remember that The
little lizard which you in the fire is salaman-
der; O creature which no one that have heard OF
ever beheld before So saying he embraced me,
and gave me some money"
The father of Cellini beng a musician. designed
the lad for the pro fesson. and especially Tor
a player of the flute. for which he had special
avers,on He made some progress however in
finite playing and once when he was very young
was carried upon "A mans shoulders to play before
the Senate. After his performance, the father was
asked by an old man present why the boy should
aim at no hing higher all his life than being good
musician But Giovaun was obstinate. and Kept
the lad piping infinitely against his will. AT fifteen
he declared his independence of the flute. ecu
tinued. however" he says ito play sometimes
through compalsanco TO my father. either upon the
flute or the horn and constantly drew tears and
deep signs from him every time he heard me.
From feeling of flial pioty often gave him that
satisfaction. endeavoring to persuade him that 1t
gave me also particular pleasure" Cellini was
already apprenticed 10 goldsmith, and had given
Dronisc of future excellence. But the first or the
first recorded of his many trays was at hand. Th"
play at that time in Florence was of the toughest
description Younger brother of Colllni chal-
lenged a to single combat which TOOK
place on Sunday evcning between the gates OF St
Gallo and Pitt The crowd took the part of the
brothors antagonist and sent u shower of stones
at the head of the victor Celllni rs soon as hc
saw his brother fall ran to him. took his sword anu
single-handod confronted the mob. He was saved
probably from death by some soldiers, but carried
ho,ns senseless his brother VIII was with difficulty
restored The consequence of this combat was that
Ceu was banished to the distance of ten miles
FROM the city for six months. He went hrst to
Sena and then to Bologna. Afterward he was at
Pisa working at his art. and receiving letters from
his father exhorting him not to neglect the hute"
Upon this" says Celln, Z" | entirely lost all IN
clination to return TO him" After another
stay in Florence he dccamped for Rome.
He was just nineteen years old upon DIS
first visit to that capital. He went back
to Florence, again involved i'll trou bic on ac-
couut of his duarresOme disposition. and so went TO
Rome again. where he entered the service OF
Clement VII. as a goldsmith and musician. When
the news came to old Ccllini that his son was
actually playing the flute in the Pope's band he
.of Nfasl bod HiEnrf
which brought him almost to deaths door. 1t was
Mt this time that Cellini made his celebrated
for the Bishop of Salamanca" an extraordinary
psrson and exceedingly rich. but very difficult to
please" The story of the Bishop and tho Vase is
worth repeating as an excellent illustration of the
character of Cen The work having been under
taken, the Bishop was IN a prodglous haste 10
have it completcd and as the artist was not to be
hurried his Reverence of Salamanca threatened
to take the work out of his hands and give 1t to
another to finish. When il was done and carried
home the Bishop said, y BY c. will he as slow
In paying him rs he was i'll finishing the work
But Celn after all. was match for the Bishop.
There was handle to this vase which by means of
r spring stood exactly upon the mouth of 1t. This
being broken by careless usage. without the
knowledge of the Bishop the servants took it to
Cellni ordering him to mend it without delay.
Luck had delivered it into his hands. lie repaired
Il at once but the same night came the person
who had brought il in most violent hurry, saying
that the Bishop had called for it to show to other
gentlemen. Celni. remembering that he had not
yet been paid for it. merely said al will not let
Won have it, go tell your master that it shall not be
taken out Of my shop till / paid for my
trouble" Bullying and begging and praying on
the part of the servant availed not. OF went the
messenger, swearing that he would return with a
body of Spaniards and cut the artist to pieces Col
lini had heard of Spanish assassnations and he put
in order his gun. Back camo the crowd of Span
iards, prepared to break into the shop. Ceni
grimly sho we'd them the muzzle of his loaded fusil
- LII. L. Ii HON