DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36838#0500
ELISABETTA RETURNS TO URBINO 425
and was received by Leo N. in a farewell audience.
This time he quite refused to listen to her prayers, and
told her curtly she must send the Duke at once to
the Vatican, or it would be the worse for him. Al-
ready the villa was bristling with armed men, and as
Elisabetta left the Pope's presence she saw Lorenzino
and his captains waiting in the hall. Even the
Duke's enemies, wrote the Mantuan envoy, could not
restrain their pity and admiration at the distress of
this noble lady, whose tears would have melted the
most savage heart/
These letters from Castiglione and the Duchess,
decided Francescos course of action. He wrote to
his father-in-law, enclosing Elisabetta's account of
her last ineffectual efforts to soften the Pope, and
begging the Marquis for help in the defence of his
dominions. At the same time he wrote to Cas-
tiglione from Pesaro, acknowledging his letter, and
saying that, if it were not a case of risking his life,
he would have hastened to throw himself at the
feet of His Holiness, but that, as it was, he felt it
best to ask his father the Marquis to intercede with
the Pope on his behalf. He ended by desiring the
Count to assure the Holy Father that he would
always remain his good and faithful servant, and was
ready to sacrifice everything at his bidding, ' saving/
he added significantly, 'my life and freedom, as I
have said above.But the Pope was in no mood to
brook delay, and on August 27 he published the bull
by which Francesco was excommunicated and de-
prived of all his States and honours. That week the
Duchess left Rome attended by Castiglione. Hardly
had she reached home before the Papal and Florentine
forces, under the command of Lorenzo de' Medici and
i Luzio, p. 70. 2 Martinati, 79.
and was received by Leo N. in a farewell audience.
This time he quite refused to listen to her prayers, and
told her curtly she must send the Duke at once to
the Vatican, or it would be the worse for him. Al-
ready the villa was bristling with armed men, and as
Elisabetta left the Pope's presence she saw Lorenzino
and his captains waiting in the hall. Even the
Duke's enemies, wrote the Mantuan envoy, could not
restrain their pity and admiration at the distress of
this noble lady, whose tears would have melted the
most savage heart/
These letters from Castiglione and the Duchess,
decided Francescos course of action. He wrote to
his father-in-law, enclosing Elisabetta's account of
her last ineffectual efforts to soften the Pope, and
begging the Marquis for help in the defence of his
dominions. At the same time he wrote to Cas-
tiglione from Pesaro, acknowledging his letter, and
saying that, if it were not a case of risking his life,
he would have hastened to throw himself at the
feet of His Holiness, but that, as it was, he felt it
best to ask his father the Marquis to intercede with
the Pope on his behalf. He ended by desiring the
Count to assure the Holy Father that he would
always remain his good and faithful servant, and was
ready to sacrifice everything at his bidding, ' saving/
he added significantly, 'my life and freedom, as I
have said above.But the Pope was in no mood to
brook delay, and on August 27 he published the bull
by which Francesco was excommunicated and de-
prived of all his States and honours. That week the
Duchess left Rome attended by Castiglione. Hardly
had she reached home before the Papal and Florentine
forces, under the command of Lorenzo de' Medici and
i Luzio, p. 70. 2 Martinati, 79.