ived a letter from the Cardinal de Medici to return to Rome without
loss of time, I repaired thither on horseback. On reaching my own house
I finished a medal with the head of Pope Clement, and on the reverse a
figure representing Peace, and stamped upon gold, silver, and copper.
His holiness, when presented with the medals, told me they were very
fine, that he was highly pleased with them, and asked me to make another
reverse representing Moses striking the rock, and the water issuing from
it. This I did.

Three days afterwards, Pope Clement died. I put on my sword, and
repaired to St. Peter's, where I kissed the feet of the deceased
pontiff, and could not refrain from tears. On returning, near the Campo
di Fiore, I met my adversary Pompeo, encircled with his bravoes. I
thereupon clapped my hand to a sharp dagger, forced my way through the
file of ruffians, laid hold of Pompeo by the throat, struck him under
the ear, and, upon repeating my blow, he fell down dead. I escaped, and
was protected by Cardinal Cornaro in his own palace.

A few days after, Cardinal Farnese was elected as Pope Paul III. The new
pontiff inquired after me, and declared he would employ nobody else to
stamp his coins, A gentleman said that I was obliged to abscond for
having killed one Pompeo in a fray, to which the Pope made answer: "I
never heard of the death of Pompeo, but I have often heard of
Benvenuto's provocation; so let a safe-conduct be instantly made out,
and that will secure him from all other manner of dangers." A Milanese,
who was a favourite of the pontiff, told his holiness that it might be
of dangerous consequence to grant such favours immediately on being
raised to his new dignity. The Pope instantly said: "You do not
understand these matters; I must inform you that men who are masters in
their profession, like Benvenuto, should not be subject to the laws; but
he less than any other, for I am sensible that he was in the right in
the whole affair." So I entered into the Pope's service.

However, the Pope's natural son having become my enemy, and having
employed a Corsican soldier to assassinate me, I escaped to Florence,
where I was appointed master of the mint by Duke Alessandro de Medici.
The coins which I stamped, with the duke's head on one side and a saint
on the other, his excellency declared were the finest in Christendom.
Shortly after I received from Rome an ample safe-conduct from the Pope,
directing me to repair forth