CELLIER
489
CELLINI
places of interment, it is conjectured that, except in
the more rigorous persecutions, the Christians may
have sometimes held their regular Sunday liturgical
services in the manner described, under the pretext
of memorial services for the dead.
VENABLEa in Diet. Christ. Antii]., a. v.: Kraus, Gesch. der chrisU. Kunst (Freiburg, 1896), I; Kacfmann, Handbuch der christl. Archaologic (Paderborn, 1905).
Maurice M. Hassett.
Cellier, Elizabeth, a noted London midwife, who came into prominence through the pretended " Meal- Tub Plot" of 16S0. Nothing seems known of her life till her marriage with Peter Cellier, a Frenchman, and her conversion from Anglicanism. In 1678 the prisons were filled with Catholics in consequence of the national alarm caused by the fabricated plots of Titus Oates. Mrs. Cellier's charity led her to visit and relieve these prisoners, and as her profession procured for her the acquaintance of many leading Catholic ladies, she often became the channel of their charity towards the prisoners. Among these ladies was the Countess of Powis, whose kindness was shown to, among others, a clever impos- tor, Thomas Danger- field. Becoming aware of this man's true character, Lady Powis ceased to assist him further, and he, in revenge, decided to denounce her to the Government as con- cerned in a new popish plot. His story was that he had been re- leased from prison through the good offi- cesof Lady Powis and Mrs. Cellier, on con- dition that he would assassinate the king, Lord Shaftesbury, and others. He further pretended that he was to be engaged in manu- facturing false plots
to be foisted on those who were known to be un- favourable to the Catholic cause. One of these shams was to be based on a document which, he alleged, was hidden in a meal-tub in Mrs. Cellier's house. Search was made, and in a meal-tub the paper in question was found. It charged with treason most of the leading Protestants, including the Icing's natural son, the Duke of Monmouth, the Earl of Shaftesbury, and Sir Thomas Waller, who was the very official charged with the search. In consequence of Dangerfield's accusation founded on this document. Lady Powis and Mrs. Cellier were ar- rested, as well as some other Catholics, among them the Earl of I lastlemain. Mrs. Cellier's trial took place on 11 June. 1680. She was charged with high treason, but practically the only evidence against her was that of Dangerfield himself, and she had little difficulty in proving him a witness entirely unworthy of credence. She w:is found not guilty. and Dangerfield himself was arrested on account of a felony, for which he had been previously outlawed. After her acquittal she published a briel relation of the whole affair, under t lie t it le of "Malice Defeated",
This led not only to a long series of pamphlets for and against her, but also to her second prosecution. The charge this time was that of libel against the king and ministry, because she alleged that two witnesses in the Edmundbury Godfrey case had !>een tortured. But the real object of this prosecution, according
to Roger North, was to prevent her from giving
evidence in favour of the imprisoned Catholic peers.
For this she was sentenced to pay a fine of £1,000
and to stand three times in the pillory. During the
reign of James II she planned the foundation of a
corporation of skilled midwives and a foundling
hospital. It is stated that she is buried in Great
Missenden Church, Buckinghamshire. She wrote:
(1) "Malice Defeated; or a brief relation of the Accu-
sation and Deliverance of Elizabeth Cellier" (Lon-
don, 1680); (2) "A scheme for the Foundation of a
Royal Hospital and raising a revenue of £5000 or
£6000 a year by and for the maintenance of a Cor-
poration of skilful midwives" (London, 16S7),
printed in the " Harleian Miscellany" (IV, 142) and
m the "Somers Tracts" (11,243); (3) "ToDr. ,
An answer to his Queries concerning the College of Midwives" (London. 1687-88).
Trial and Sentence of Elizabeth Cellier for writing, printing, and pul'lixhing a scandfilims libit called Malice Defeated (Lon- don, 1680); Linoard, Hixtani of England (London. 1SS3I, IX. 461; Gillow, Bibl. Diet. Eng. Cath. (London, 1SS5). I. 441; Cooper in /) (London, 1SS7), IX, 417. Edwin Burton.
Cellini, Bexvenuto, goldsmith, medallist, and sculptor, b. in Florence 3 November, 1500; d. there 13 Feb- ruary. L571. He came of old Florentine stock, his father being Gio- vanni ( lellini, an archi- tect and musician, and his mother Eliza bet ta Granacci. Benvenuto's musical education was begun very early by his father, but since the boy's ambitions and longings were all for plastic art, he was permitted, at the age of fourteen, to enter on a career that made him the most fa- mous goldsmith of the world. It was not until his fortieth year that he commenced his efforts in statuary. Cellini was ever a dutiful son and unselfishly devoted to his brother and sister. He was brave, generous, self-reliant, notoriously hot- tempered, and quick to avenge a slight or an insult. His self-confessed crimes are mostly street fights, where his ungovernable temper overmastered him, as, forinstance, when the taunts of Pompeo, with his band of friends, provoked a blow from Cellini that proved immediately fatal. It was a street brawl, not unusual among the Florentines of the sixteenth century, and the blow was meant to wound but not to kill. Pope Paul III investigated the affair and Cellini was pardoned.
To please his old father, Cellini did not dis- continue his musical studies, and became for a
time a member of Pope Clement's band of musicians, but all his energies were given to the goldsmith's art. He became "unique in his profession"
(Pope Paul til). He began bis studies under Marcone and Francesco Salimbene in Florence, and continued them at Rome under Giovanni, called
"II l'irenzuola". with whom he quarrelled, choosing, later. Pagolo Arvago as :i master. With ArsagO he
remained two years and then went back to Florence and his old master Salimbene. He wrote treatises 0D the goldsmith's art . sculpture, and bronze-casting; he composed verses, and acquired world-wide fame by his minute and lengthy autobiography. In his
