happened, and what the magistrates had said to him. Then he kissed me on
the forehead and both eyes, and gave me his hearty blessing, saying:
"May the power of goodness of God be your protection;" and reaching me
the sword and armour, he helped me with his own hands to put them on.
Afterwards he added: "Oh, my good son, with these arms in thy hand thou
shalt either live or die." Pier Landi, who was present, kept shedding
tears; and when he had given me ten golden crowns, I bade him remove a
few hairs from my chin, which were the first down of my manhood. Frate
Alessio disguised me like a friar and gave me a lay brother to go with
me. [3] Quitting the convent, and issuing from the city by the gate of
Prato, I went along the walls as far as the Piazza di San Gallo. Then I
ascended the slope of Montui, and in one of the first houses there I
found a man called Il Grassuccio, own brother to Messer Benedetto da
Monte Varchi. [4] I flung off my monk's clothes, and became once more a
man. Then we mounted two horses, which were waiting there for us, and
went by night to Siena. Grassuccio returned to Florence, sought out my
father, and gave him the news of my safe escape. In the excess of his
joy, it seemed a thousand years to my father till he should meet the
member of the Eight who had insulted him; and when he came across the
man, he said: "See you, Antonio, that it was God who knew what had to
happen to my son, and not yourself?" To which the fellow answered: "Only
let him get another time into our clutches!" And my father: "I shall
spend my time in thanking God that He has rescued him from that fate."

Note 1. 'Un di queli arrovellati scotendo la cresto dello arronzinato
cappuccio.' See above, p. 31. The democrats in Cellini's days were
called at Florence 'Arrabbiati' or 'Arrovellati.' In the days of
Savonarola this nickname had been given to the ultra-Medicean party or
Palleschi.