the vast quantity of jewels belonging to the apostolical chamber.  I was ordered to take off the gold in which they were set.  I did as directed, and, wrapping up each jewel in a little piece of paper, we sewed them in the skirts of the Pope’s clothes, and those of the master of the horse.  The gold, which amounted to about a hundred pounds’ weight, I was ordered to melt with the utmost secrecy, which I did, and carried to his holiness without being observed by anyone.

A few days after, a treaty was concluded with the Imperialists, and hostilities ceased.  Worn out with my exertions during the siege, I returned to Florence and thence to Mantua, where, on the introduction of the excellent painter, Giulio Romano, I executed many commissions for the duke, including a shrine in gold in which to place the relic of the Blood of Christ, which the Mantuans boast themselves to be possessed of, and a pontifical seal for the duke’s brother, the bishop.  An attack of fever and a quarrel with the duke induced me to return to Florence, to find that my father and all belonging to my family, except my youngest sister and brother, were dead of the plague.  I opened a shop in the New Market, and engraved many medals, which received the highest praise from the divine Michael Angelo.

On the invitation of Pope Clement VII.  I retired from Florence, and repaired to Rome.  His holiness commissioned me to execute a button for the pontifical cope, and to set into it the jewels which I had taken out of the two crowns in the Castle of St. Angelo.  The design was most beautiful, and so pleased and astonished was the Pope that he employed me to make new coinage, and appointed me stamp-master of the mint.  My gold coins were pronounced by the Pope’s secretary to be superior to those of the Roman emperors.  When I finished my great work upon the pontifical button it was looked upon as the most exquisite performance of the kind that had ever been seen in Rome The Pope, I thought, would never tire of praising it, and he appointed me to a post in the College of Mace-Bearers, which brought me about 200 crowns a year.  About this time a tumult occurred in the city near the bridge of St. Angelo, in which my soldier brother was wounded, and died the next day.  I was consumed with desire of revenge upon the musketeer who shot him.  One night I saw him standing at his door, and, with a long dagger, hit him exactly upon the nape of the neck.  The weapon penetrated so deep that, though I made a great effort to recover it again, I found it impossible.  I took refuge in the palace of Duke Alesandro, and more than eight days afterwards the Pope sent for me.  When I came into his presence he frowned upon me very much.  However, upon viewing some work which I submitted to him, his countenance grew serene, and he praised me highly.  Then, looking attentively at me, he said:  “Now that you have recovered your health, Benvenuto, take care of yourself.”  I understood his meaning, and told him I should not neglect his advice.