others. Accordingly, when he had learned my business, he answered with a
smile: "My Benvenuto, if you had an affair with Mars, I am sure you
would come out with honour, because through all the years that I have
known you, I have never seen you wrongfully take up a quarrel." So he
consented to be my second, and we repaired with sword in hand to the
appointed place, but no blood was shed, for my opponent made the matter
up, and I came with much credit out of the affair. [3] I will not add
further particulars; for though they would be very interesting in their
own way, I wish to keep both space and words for my art, which has been
my chief inducement to write as I am doing, and about which I shall have
only too much to say.

The spirit of honourable rivalry impelled me to attempt some other
masterpiece, which should equal, or even surpass, the productions of
that able craftsman, Lucagnolo, whom I have mentioned. Still I did not
on this account neglect my own fine art of jewellery; and so both the
one and the other wrought me much profit and more credit, and in both of
them I continued to produce things of marked originality. There was at
that time in Rome a very able artist of Perugia named Lautizio, who
worked only in one department, where he was sole and unrivalled
throughout the world. [4] You must know that at Rome every cardinal has
a seal, upon which his title is engraved, and these seals are made just
as large as a child's hand of about twelve years of age; and, as I have
already said, the cardinal's title is engraved upon the seal together
with a great many ornamental figures. A well-made article of the kind
fetches a hundred, or more than a hundred crowns. This excellent
workman, like Lucagnolo, roused in me some honest rivalry, although the
art he practised is far remote from the other branches of gold-smithery,
and consequently Lautizio was not skilled in making anything but seals.
I gave my mind to acquiring his craft also, although I found it very