II. died. The Cardinal de' Medici went to Rome, and was elected Pope
against the expectation of everybody. He reigned as Leo X, that generous
and great soul. My father sent him his four prophetic verses. The Pope
sent to tell him to come to Rome; for this would be to his advantage.
But he had no will to go; and so, in lieu of reward, his place in the
palace was taken from him by Jacopo Salviati, upon that man's election
as Gonfalonier. [4] This was the reason why I commenced goldsmith; after
which I spent part of my time in learning that art, and part in playing,
much against my will.

Note 1. Piero Soderini was elected Gonfalonier of the Florentine
Republic for life in the year 1502. After nine years of government, he
was banished, and when he died, Machiavelli wrote the famous sneering
epitaph upon him. See J. A. Symonds' 'Renaissance in Italy,' vol. i. p.
297.

Note 2. This was in 1512, when Lorenzo's two sons, Giuliano and Giovanni
(afterwards Pope Leo X), came back through the aid of a Spanish army,
after the great battle at Ravenna.

Note 3. The Medicean arms were "or, six pellets gules, three, two, and
one." The Florentine Commune bore, "argent a cross gules."

Note 4. Cellini makes a mistake here. Salviati married a daughter of
Lorenzo de' Medici, and obtained great influence in Florence; but we
have no record of his appointment to the office of Gonfalonier.



VII