d Cellini meanwhile escapes.
Balducci and his daughter calling for help, all the female servants and
women of the neighborhood appear armed with brooms and wooden spoons.
They fall upon the hapless lover and finally force him to escape
through the window.

In the second act we find Cellini in a tavern with his pupils and
friends. They have no money {28} left to pay for their wine, when
Ascanio brings gold from the Pope, which however he only delivers after
Cellini has given a solemn promise to finish at once the statue of
Perseus he is engaged upon. Great is the general wrath, when they find
the money consist of but a paltry sum, and they resolve to avenge
themselves on the avaricious treasurer Balducci, by personating him in
the theatre. Fieramosca, who has again been eaves-dropping turns for
help to his friend Pompeo, a bravo.--And they decide to outwit Cellini,
by adopting the same costumes as he and his pupil.

The scene changes; we see the Piazza di Colonna and the theatre, in
which the pantomime of King Midas is acted. Balducci who is there with
his daughter among the spectators recognizes in the snoring King a
portrait of himself and furiously advances to grapple with him.
Cellini profits by the ensuing tumult to approach Teresa, but at the
same time Fieramosca comes up with Pompeo, and Teresa cannot discern
which is the true lover, owing to the masks.--A fight ensues, in which
Cellini stabs Pompeo. He is arrested and Teresa flies with the
Capuchin Ascanio to Cellini's atelier. The enraged people are about to
lynch the murderer, when three cannon shots are fired announcing that
it is Ash-Wednesday; the lights are extinguished and Cellini escapes in
the darkness.

The third act represents Cellini's atelier with the workmen in it.
Teresa, not finding her lover is in great distress. Ascanio consoles
her, and {29} when the Miserere of the Penitents is heard, both join in
the prayer to the Holy Virgin.

Suddenly Cellini rushes in, and embracing Teresa, relates that he fled
the night before into a house. A procession of penitent monks passing
by in the morning, he joined them, as their white cowls were similar to
his own disguise. He decides to escape at once to Florence with
Teresa, but is already pursued by Balducci, who appears with Fieramosca
and insists on his daughter's returning and marrying the latter. At
this moment the Cardinal Salviati steps in to look for the statue. He
is highly indignant,