At the end of the year my master Ulivieri had occasion to go to
Florence, in order to sell certain gold and silver sweepings which he
had; [1] and inasmuch as the bad air of Pisa had given me a touch of
fever, I went with the fever hanging still about me, in my master's
company, back to Florence. There my father received him most
affectionately, and lovingly prayed him, unknown by me, not to insist on
taking me again to Pisa. I was ill about two months, during which time
my father had me most kindly treated and cured, always repeating that it
seemed to him a thousand years till I got well again, in order that he
might hear me play a little. But when he talked to me of music, with his
fingers on my pulse, seeing he had some acquaintance with medicine and
Latin learning, he felt it change so much if he approached that topic,
that he was often dismayed and left my side in tears. When I perceived
how greatly he was disappointed, I bade one of my sisters bring me a
flute; for though the fever never left me, that instrument is so easy
that it did not hurt me to play upon it; and I used it with such
dexterity of hand and tongue that my father coming suddenly upon me,
blessed me a thousand times, exclaiming that while I was away from him I
had made great progress, as he thought; and he begged me to go forwards,
and not to sacrifice so fine an accomplishment.

Note 1. I have translated 'spazzature' by 'sweepings.' It means all
refuse of the precious metals left in goldsmith's trays.



XII

WHEN I had recovered my health, I returned to my old friend Marcone, the
worthy goldsmith, who put me in the way of earning money, with which I