rudiments of Latin, but was still so young that he could not yet relish
the taste of virtuous employment, but passed his time in dissipation,

Note 1. Cellini refers to the famous Giovanni delle Bande Nere, who was
killed in an engagement in Lombardy in November 1526, by the Imperialist
troops marching to the sack of Rome. His son Cosimo, after the murder of
Duke Alessandro, established the second Medicean dynasty in Florence.

Note 2. The Eight, or Gli Otto, were a magistracy in Florence with
cognizance of matters affecting the internal peace of the city.



IX

THE CARDINAL DE' MEDICI, who afterwards became Pope Clement VII., had us
recalled to Florence at the entreaty of my father. [1] A certain pupil
of my father's, moved by his own bad nature, suggested to the Cardinal
that he ought to send me to Bologna, in order to learn to play well from
a great master there. The name of this master was Antonio, and he was in
truth a worthy man in the musician's art. The Cardinal said to my father
that, if he sent me there he would give me letters of recommendation and
support. My father, dying with joy at such an opportunity, sent me off;
and I being eager to see the world, went with good grace.

When I reached Bologna, I put myself under a certain Maestro Ercole del
Piffero, and began to earn something by my trade. In the meantime I used
to go every day to take my music lesson, and in a few weeks made
considerable progress in that accursed art. However I made still greater
in my trade of goldsmith; for the Cardinal having given me no