DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42861#0344
302
THE POPE AT URBINO
I saw, above all, the Pope, who represents God
upon earth, surrounded by the whole Roman court,
which is second to none. I confess that these things
which Your Signory has seen with so much pleasure,
are also splendid, but if you had seen these other
great sights, you would, I do not doubt, hold them
to be very inferior. But of one thing I can boast
with far greater reason than Your Excellency, which
is that, although I have only once visited Rome,
Rome and the Roman court has been, not once, but
twice to visit me at Urbino. Now Your Excellency
will see if I cannot challenge you to a glorious duel
and carry off an honourable victory! And further,
I will tell you of other things, which will, I am
certain, cause Your Signory voluntarily to retire
from the fray, and perhaps make you regret that
you ever entered the lists, seeing that you are en-
tirely vanquished. The Most Serene Catholic King,
being at Gaeta, desired to imitate the example of the
Pope and Sacred College, and himself proposed to
come to visit me at Urbino, which he would have
done had he not been afterwards obliged to change
his plans and take another voyage elsewhere.” This
was Ferdinand the Catholic, who came to visit his
newly conquered kingdom of Naples with his new
wife, Germaine de Foix, in October 1506, and re-
mained there until the following June, when he met
Louis XII. at Savona, before that monarch returned
to France. “And the great King of the Romans,
after holding many Diets, was unable to obtain the
Electors’ consent to his journey into Italy, so that
till now it has been impossible for him to visit
Urbino in person and keep his promise of showing
me His Majesty. All this will help Your Highness
THE POPE AT URBINO
I saw, above all, the Pope, who represents God
upon earth, surrounded by the whole Roman court,
which is second to none. I confess that these things
which Your Signory has seen with so much pleasure,
are also splendid, but if you had seen these other
great sights, you would, I do not doubt, hold them
to be very inferior. But of one thing I can boast
with far greater reason than Your Excellency, which
is that, although I have only once visited Rome,
Rome and the Roman court has been, not once, but
twice to visit me at Urbino. Now Your Excellency
will see if I cannot challenge you to a glorious duel
and carry off an honourable victory! And further,
I will tell you of other things, which will, I am
certain, cause Your Signory voluntarily to retire
from the fray, and perhaps make you regret that
you ever entered the lists, seeing that you are en-
tirely vanquished. The Most Serene Catholic King,
being at Gaeta, desired to imitate the example of the
Pope and Sacred College, and himself proposed to
come to visit me at Urbino, which he would have
done had he not been afterwards obliged to change
his plans and take another voyage elsewhere.” This
was Ferdinand the Catholic, who came to visit his
newly conquered kingdom of Naples with his new
wife, Germaine de Foix, in October 1506, and re-
mained there until the following June, when he met
Louis XII. at Savona, before that monarch returned
to France. “And the great King of the Romans,
after holding many Diets, was unable to obtain the
Electors’ consent to his journey into Italy, so that
till now it has been impossible for him to visit
Urbino in person and keep his promise of showing
me His Majesty. All this will help Your Highness