DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42863#0148
126
DEATH OF GIULIANO
remained at Fiesole, wrote to Isabella, saying that he
had given his dying friend her kind messages, but
that he feared there was little hope of the Duke’s
recovery. A month later Giuliano died—on the 17th
of March—lamented by all the friends of his family as
the best of the Medici. His office of Gonfaloniere of
the Church was immediately bestowed on his nephew,
Lorenzo, and the Duke of Urbino was summoned to
appear in Rome and answer a long list of charges,
including the murder of Cardinal Alidosi, under Pope
Julius II.
In vain young Federico Gonzaga interceded with
Francis I. on his brother-in-law’s behalf; in vain the
widowed Duchess Elisabetta herself hastened to
Rome to see the Pope, and remind Lorenzo of the
days when his father had sought refuge at Urbino,
and she had nursed him in her own arms. His
Holiness received her with the greatest cordiality,
the Cardinals flocked to pay her court, and Bembo
once more assured her of his unalterable devotion.
But when at a subsequent audience the Duchess
appealed to the Holy Father’s compassion, and re-
minded him of their old friendship, and of the
hospitality which he and his dead brother had en-
joyed at Urbino during their exile, the Pope only
shrugged his shoulders and looked at her through
his eye-glass. “Ah! Holy Father,” continued the
Duchess, gathering courage as she spoke, “ do you
not remember how in those days we used to pray
that you might be restored to your own ? And do
you wish to drive us out of house and home, and
turn us out to beg our way in the world ? Do
you not remember yourself how bitter a thing it
is to roam over Italy as exiles and beggars ? ” But
DEATH OF GIULIANO
remained at Fiesole, wrote to Isabella, saying that he
had given his dying friend her kind messages, but
that he feared there was little hope of the Duke’s
recovery. A month later Giuliano died—on the 17th
of March—lamented by all the friends of his family as
the best of the Medici. His office of Gonfaloniere of
the Church was immediately bestowed on his nephew,
Lorenzo, and the Duke of Urbino was summoned to
appear in Rome and answer a long list of charges,
including the murder of Cardinal Alidosi, under Pope
Julius II.
In vain young Federico Gonzaga interceded with
Francis I. on his brother-in-law’s behalf; in vain the
widowed Duchess Elisabetta herself hastened to
Rome to see the Pope, and remind Lorenzo of the
days when his father had sought refuge at Urbino,
and she had nursed him in her own arms. His
Holiness received her with the greatest cordiality,
the Cardinals flocked to pay her court, and Bembo
once more assured her of his unalterable devotion.
But when at a subsequent audience the Duchess
appealed to the Holy Father’s compassion, and re-
minded him of their old friendship, and of the
hospitality which he and his dead brother had en-
joyed at Urbino during their exile, the Pope only
shrugged his shoulders and looked at her through
his eye-glass. “Ah! Holy Father,” continued the
Duchess, gathering courage as she spoke, “ do you
not remember how in those days we used to pray
that you might be restored to your own ? And do
you wish to drive us out of house and home, and
turn us out to beg our way in the world ? Do
you not remember yourself how bitter a thing it
is to roam over Italy as exiles and beggars ? ” But