- [first lines]
- Machiavelli: A handsome piece of work, Marco. Who's it for?
- Marco del Monte: Baglione.
- Machiavelli: So now you work for the Captain-General of de Medici's guard, hmm? I thought such people were your sworn enemies.
- Marco del Monte: Art knows no enemies, my friend - particularly amongst those can afford to pay as well as Baglione.
- Machiavelli: Bravo! I never expected you to be such a realist.
- Marco del Monte: Well, I haven't sat at the foot of Master Machiavelli for nothing.
- Baglione: I see you can still find *some* good work in Florence.
- Marco del Monte: Oh, better than anywhere in Italy, your excellency. Better than Rome, Sienna, Venice - anywhere.
- Baglione: And should I disagree with you? What do you say to that?
- Marco del Monte: The critical opinion most important to any artist is the customer's, your excellency.
- Baglione: You talk like a diplomat.
- Marco del Monte: Not I, my lord, but Master Niccolo Machiavelli says, "No diplomat can ever afford to speak frankly unless he holds all the cards."