ou have in me; and I believe the reason of this is that your most illustrious Excellency lends too ready an ear to my calumniators, or else indeed that you do not understand my art. His Excellency argued that he did understand the arts and answered, I will listen patiently to any argument you can possibly produce in explanation of your statement, which may convince me of its probability. Cellini now explained how when filling the mould the nature of fire is to ascend, and therefore Medusas head will indeed come out famously. He also explained that since the nature of fire is not to descend that the foot would not come out whole. After listening to the convincing arguments, his Excellency stood shaking his head and departed without any further words (Cellini 410).Abandoned to our own resources, we took new courage banishing any sad thoughts which occurred. Cellini often wept bitter tears for ever leaving France. Nevertheless, he revealed to me he was convinced that when Perseus was accomplished, all sadness would be overturned to glorious well-being. We then set out with strength and what little money still remained to order loads of pinewood from the forests of Serristori. The reason we ordered pinewood was because it was abundant and offered a slow fire as opposed to oak-wood. While the wood was on its way Cellini wrapped Perseus with clay he had prepared many months before to assure that it was justly dry. After completing the clay tunic and properly fencing it with iron beams we started to draw out the wax by melting it with a slow fire. The wax issued through numerous air-vents leaving a hollow mould with a slightly smaller solid model inside. After the wax was drawn, I helped Cellini with his construction of a funnel-shaped furnace around the Perseus mould. It was built of bricks well spaced to allow numerous openings for the fire to exhale. The furnace was then fed wood and stood burning for a couple of days unt...
