great surprise survived that terrific attack. When better, I made some
vases of silver for the eminent surgeon, Giacomo Carti, who afterwards
showed them to the Duke of Ferrara and several other princes, assuring
them that they were antiques, and had been presented to him by a great
nobleman. Others were assured that there had not been a man these 3,000
years able to make such figures. Encouraged by these declarations, I
confessed that they were my performances, and by this work I made
considerable gain.

_II.--A Soldier and Goldsmith_

All Europe was now (1527) up in arms, involved in the wars between
Charles V. of Germany and Francis I. of France. Pope Clement VII.
alternately declared in favour of Charles and Francis, hoping to
preserve the balance of political power in Europe, and disbanded the
troops which had garrisoned Rome. Learning this, Charles, Duke of
Bourbon, Constable of France, advanced with a large army of Germans and
Spaniards through Italy, carrying terror and desolation, and appeared
before the walls of Rome.

I raised a company of fifty brave young men, whom I led to the Campo
Santo. When the enemy was scaling the walls I determined to perform some
manly action, and, levelling my arquebuse where I saw the thickest
crowd, I discharged it with a deliberate aim at a person who seemed to
be lifted above the rest, and he fell wounded. He was, as I understood
afterwards, the Duke of Bourbon. On another day I shot at and wounded
the Prince of Orange. Leaving the Campo Santo I made for the Castle of
St. Angelo, just as the castellan was letting down the portcullis. When
I found myself on the castle walls, the artillery was deserted by the
bombardiers, and I took direction of the fire of the artillery and
falcons, and killed a considerable number of the enemy. This made some
cardinals and others bless me, and extol my activity to the skies.
Emboldened by this, I used my utmost exertions; let it suffice that it
was I who preserved the castle that morning. I continued to direct the
artillery with such signal execution as to acquire the favour and good
graces of his holiness the Pope.

One day the Pope happened to walk upon the ramparts, when he saw me fire
a swivel at a Spanish colonel who had formerly been in his service, and
split the man into two pieces. Falling upon my knees, I entreated his
holiness to absolve me from the guilt of homicide and other crimes I had
committed in the castle in the serv