DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36839#0056
36 COUNT BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE
his native Florence. Two days afterwards a report
reached Rome that the Catholic King had been
elected. A standard bearing the imperial arms was
raised on the Spanish embassy in the Borgo, trumpets
were sounded, and wine was freely given to the crowd,
while Spanish soldiers stood at the gates and cursed
anyone who dared say the news was not true. ' Soon
the shell will burst/ remarked Castiglione, ' and we
shall know if these are true prophets or astrologers/
When on July 5 the news of Charles's election
reached the Eternal City, the exultation of the
Spaniards knew no bounds. A thousand troops
paraded the streets in battle array with music and
banners, shouting ' Empire and Spain!' and serenad-
ing the Spanish Cardinals, much to the disgust of
the Germans, who complained that the cries of
Austria and Burgundy were never heard. ' As for
the French/ wrote Castiglione, ' they are like dead
men.'i The news plunged the Pope into deep
despondency. ' What am I to do/ he asked the
Venetian envoy, 'if the new King of the Romans
chooses to come to Italy with all Germany at his
back?'^ vexation was increased by the insolence
of the French ambassador, the Bishop of St. Mato,
who openly reproached him with having deserted
Francis, and spoke in such a way that Leo, contrary
to his nature, hew into a violent rage, and declared
that the man should never enter his presence again.
Fortunately, the newly-elected Emperor behaved with
great tact and modesty. On July 18, a Spanish
gentleman arrived at the Vatican bearing a letter
from Charles, in which he informed the Pope of the
1 Archivio Gonzaga, Corrispondenza di Roma, 1519; Pastor, iv.
196-198 ; Brown, ii. 541.
2 Brown, ii. 542.
his native Florence. Two days afterwards a report
reached Rome that the Catholic King had been
elected. A standard bearing the imperial arms was
raised on the Spanish embassy in the Borgo, trumpets
were sounded, and wine was freely given to the crowd,
while Spanish soldiers stood at the gates and cursed
anyone who dared say the news was not true. ' Soon
the shell will burst/ remarked Castiglione, ' and we
shall know if these are true prophets or astrologers/
When on July 5 the news of Charles's election
reached the Eternal City, the exultation of the
Spaniards knew no bounds. A thousand troops
paraded the streets in battle array with music and
banners, shouting ' Empire and Spain!' and serenad-
ing the Spanish Cardinals, much to the disgust of
the Germans, who complained that the cries of
Austria and Burgundy were never heard. ' As for
the French/ wrote Castiglione, ' they are like dead
men.'i The news plunged the Pope into deep
despondency. ' What am I to do/ he asked the
Venetian envoy, 'if the new King of the Romans
chooses to come to Italy with all Germany at his
back?'^ vexation was increased by the insolence
of the French ambassador, the Bishop of St. Mato,
who openly reproached him with having deserted
Francis, and spoke in such a way that Leo, contrary
to his nature, hew into a violent rage, and declared
that the man should never enter his presence again.
Fortunately, the newly-elected Emperor behaved with
great tact and modesty. On July 18, a Spanish
gentleman arrived at the Vatican bearing a letter
from Charles, in which he informed the Pope of the
1 Archivio Gonzaga, Corrispondenza di Roma, 1519; Pastor, iv.
196-198 ; Brown, ii. 541.
2 Brown, ii. 542.