Voices from the Past Part 78

Cloux

It is satisfying to return to my study of curvilateral stars: evenings, after I have had supper, I begin-if there are no royal interruptions. The cat now curls at my feet, as I sit at my desk among my lamps.

Perhaps Michelangelo and I can become friends.

To amuse him I roll b.a.l.l.s of paper and snap them across the floor. He responds-with an obvious effort.

I work to reduce a segment of a circle proportionally so I can make any number of identical segments which in sum are equal to a segment subtended by a side of a hexagon inscribed in the circle. I can make any number of curvilateral stars of which the sum of the triangles is equal to the sum of the segments subtended by the side of a hexagon inscribed in a given circle.

I much prefer doing this to working on the plans for the chateau at Romorantin.

The point of the center, where there is no movement, suggests peace.

Cloux

April 9th

Today, I had a brief letter from Salai.

I remember the Arno at sunset, the yellow and the gold, the yellow underneath the gold, the gold identical to gold leaf, a metallic sunset overlaid with misty hues, the bridges silhouetted, the darkest spans cut out of charred steel. The force of sunlight lay between each bridge and turned the river banks violet, the violet merging into cobalt.

Ai, to walk there, to think there, again!

As a boy I used to fish there, but never had much luck.

Papa insisted that the tastiest fish came from the Arno.

He was a good fisherman and should have known. Maybe fishing was better in his day. I wonder if there are any fish in the Arno now?

Fishing or wading or splashing in the river-that was a half century ago.

April 11th

IL CAVALLO

I solved all the construction problems in 1493.

Bronze horse. Bronze rider. Weight of horse: 185,000 pounds. Horse to measure 23 feet from hoof to mane.

Total height: 34 feet from hoof to helmet of rider.

Total weight of horse and rider: 205,000 pounds.

THE HORSE:

We began to pour the metal at night, a team of sixteen men. We had metal from salvage. Our caldrons blazed as the metals combined. We had our supply of wood stacked under a thatch, another supply in a shed. As we worked the shed ignited and burned. Shouts. Orders. Warnings.

Shortly before dawn some militiamen arrived-drums, not sunrise. The commandante of the city fortresses-on the Duke's orders-requisitioned all bronze for armament. I read the Duke's order... I read, and stepped aside.

And the Duke lost his city, and his life. His horse.

Cloux

April 12th

ALBIERA AMADORI-My friend Albiera was as beautiful as her name, beautiful to me, beautiful to her family, her friends-all who knew her. In my sketches she appears as an angelic one, an ideal woman. She was delicate. Always.

Busy with her large family, her housework, yet stealing time for her lute. There in her garden, among her irises.

There in her garden, by her fountain. Singing as she played. Dark hair, dark tint under her eyes. Her voice a little frail. Perhaps she was too good for us, although we loved her dearly.

After she died I used to visit her grave and bring or arrange flowers. Her little bronze bust had a special place in my studio.

"Albiera," I hear Florentine voices calling.

Somewhere perhaps in the chateau garden-a bird sings and seems to say: "Al - bi - era."

Cloux

April 14, '18

Tomorrow evening, Pietro Papini will play his lira da braccio for us, music I composed in Milan, when friend Atalante and I played and sang. Papini is Court maestro and master of the lira. He'll be playing his amusing instrument-moustached mascherone on the sound box.

Good Francesco has searched through my ma.n.u.scripts for rebuses and notations, and he and Papini have put together a song that begins:

Amore sol la mi fa remirare, la sol mi fa sollecita.

Tomorrow is my birthday.

Princess d'Arezzo will wear a gold mask I designed for her. Pity to hide beauty behind a mask. The King is wearing my skeleton cloak. Three dwarfs will appear as miniature elephants. I will wear a replica of a camel's head. Francesco is to impersonate a Hindu seer. Countess Benci-sixteen years old-will be naked except for silver slippers and an Etruscan helmet of silver foil.

It will be gala!

Cloux