als. Trophies of his skill and
artistic genius remain to confirm the verdict of his own time.
His great bronze statue of Perseus in Florence; the Nymph of
Fontainebleau, now in the Louvre; his golden salt-cellar, made
for Francis I., and now in Vienna--these are a few of his
masterpieces, and any one of them is of a quality to stamp its
maker as a master craftsman of imaginative genius and
extraordinary manual skill. A goldsmith and sculptor, he was
also a soldier, and did service as a fighter and engineer in
the wars of his time. Of high personal courage, he was a
braggart and a ruffian, who used the dagger as freely as the
tools of his craft. His many qualities and complex personality
are revealed in his "Autobiography"--one of the most vivid and
remarkable records ever penned. He began the work in 1558. In
its history his account is accurate, but his testimony
regarding his martial exploits is untrustworthy.

_I.--The Making of a Craftsman_

It is a duty incumbent on upright and credible men of all ranks, who
have performed anything noble or praiseworthy, to record the events of
their lives. Looking back on some delightful and happy events, and on
many misfortunes so truly overwhelming that the appalling retrospect
makes me wonder how I have reached my fifty-eighth year in vigour and
prosperity, through God's goodness, I have resolved to publish an
account of my life.

My name is Benvenuto, the son of Maestro Giovanni Cellini; my mother was
Maria Lisabetta, daughter to Stefano Granacci; and both my parents were
citizens of Florence. My ancestors lived in the valley of Ambra, where
they were lords of considerable domains; they were all trained to arms,
and distinguished for military prowess. Andrea Cellini, my grandfather,
was tolerably well versed in the architecture of those days; and made it
his profession. Giovanni, my father, acquired great proficiency in the
art of designing.

I was born on All Saints' Day, in the year 1500. A girl was anticipated;
but when my father saw with his own eyes the unexpected boy, clasping
his hands together, he lifted up his eyes to Heaven, saying: "Lord, I
thank Thee from the bottom of my heart for this present, which is very
dear and welcome to me." The standers-by asked him, joyfully, how he
proposed to call the child. He made no other answer than: "He is
Welcome." And this name of Welcome (Benvenu