Jeff Ford’s Reviews > The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini > Status Update

The story of his workman Pagolo and the French “little hussy” Caterina is one of the most entertaining. That he made the marry and later had her sit for him nude!

Broccardo is an interesting nickname. It stems from Old High German roots translating to "strong/brave badger" or Italian agricultural roots (brocco) implying something sharp, rugged, or projecting. It is likely also a pun on brocardo or brocard (legal maxim) which could be a witty joke that his gun was the only "unassailable law" or final judgment he needed to settle disputes.

“Let God defend the right!”

In Rome this kind of illness [the so-called French disease] is very partial to the priests, and especially to the richest of them.

“Friend Benvenuto, have you never heard it said that when the poor give to the rich, the devil laughs?”