nce Benvenuto began to crawl
towards the palace of Duke Ottavio, whose wife, a daughter of the
emperor's, had brought many of Cellini's friends from Florence to Rome
in her train. She was well disposed towards the great artist, and he
felt that beneath her roof he would be in safety. Unluckily, as he
struggled along, he was seen and recognised by a servant of Cardinal
Cornaro's, who had apartments in the Vatican. The man hurried to his
master's room, woke him up, and cried: 'Most reverend lord, Benvenuto is
below; he must have escaped from the Castle, and is all bleeding and
wounded. He appears to have broken his leg, and we have no idea where he
is going.'

'Run at once,' exclaimed the Cardinal, 'and fetch him here, to my room.'

When Benvenuto appeared the Cardinal assured him he need have no fears,
and sent off for the first surgeons in Rome to attend to him. Then he
shut him up in a secret room, and went off to try and obtain his pardon
from the Pope.

Meantime a great commotion arose in Rome, for the linen ropes dangling
from the great tower had attracted notice, and all the town was running
out to see the strange sight. At the Vatican Cardinal Cornaro met a
friend, to whom he related all the details of Benvenuto's escape, and
how he was at that very moment hidden in a secret chamber. Then they
both went to the Pope, who, as they threw themselves at his feet, cried,
'I know what you want with me.'

'Holy Father,' said the Cardinal's friend, 'we entreat you to grant us
the life of this poor man. His genius deserves some consideration; and
he has just shown an almost superhuman amount of courage and dexterity.
We do not know what may be the crimes for which your Holiness has seen
fit to imprison him, but if they are pardonable we implore you to
forgive him.'

The Pope, looking somewhat abashed, replied that he had imprisoned
Benvenuto for being too presumptuous; 'however,' he added, 'I am well
aware of his talents and am anxious to keep him near me, and am resolved
to treat him so well that he shall have no desire to return to France. I
am sorry he is ill; bid him recover quickly, and we will make him forget
his past sufferings.'

I am sorry to say the Pope was not so good as his words, for Benvenuto's
enemies plotted against him, and after a time he was once more shut up
in his former prison, from which, however, he was eventually delivered
at the urgent request of the King of France, who warmly welcomed the