me to time
surround him. In a word, it will be as useful to him to persevere in
the path of rectitude, while he feels no inconvenience in doing so, as
to know how to deviate from it when circumstances dictate such a
course. He should make it a rule, above all things, never to utter
anything which does not breathe of kindness, justice, good faith, and
piety; this last quality it is most important for him to appear to
possess, as men in general judge more from appearance than from
reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.
Every one sees your exterior, but few can discern what you have in
your heart; and those few dare not oppose the voice of the multitude,
who have the majesty of their prince on their side. Now, in forming a
judgment of the minds of men, and more especially of princes, as we
can not recur to any tribunal, we must attend only to results. Let it
then be the prince's chief care to maintain his authority; the means
he employs, be what they may, will, for this purpose, always appear
honorable and meet applause; for the vulgar are ever caught by
appearances, and judge only by the event. And as the world is chiefly
composed of such as are called the vulgar, the voice of the few is
seldom or never heard or regarded.

BENVENUTO CELLINI

Born in Florence in 1500, died in 1571; worked in Pisa from
1516 to 1517; in Rome from 1523-40; assisted in the defense
of the castle of St. Angelo during the siege and sacking of
Rome by the Constable De Bourbon in 1527; imprisoned in St.
Angelo in 1528, his account of his escape being the gem of
his "Autobiography"; in France at the court of Francis I in
1540-44; in Florence serving the Medici, 1544-71, and for
them produced the Perseus now standing in Florence; his
"Autobiography" not printed until 1730, altho well known
previously in manuscript form.

THE CASTING OF HIS "PERSEUS AND MEDUSA"[31]

As I had been particularly successful in casting my Medusa, I made a
model of my Perseus in wax, and flattered myself that I should have
the same success in casting the latter in bronze as I had had with the
former. Upon its appearing to such advantage and looking so beautiful
in wax, the duke,[32] whether somebody else put it into his head, or
whether it was a notion of his own, as he came to my house oftener
than usual, once took occasion to say to me, "Benvenuto, this statue
can not be cast