DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36839#0071
LEG S MUSICAL TASTES
51
of Titus. Bembo was still at Venice, Bibbiena in
France, and Canossa at his country-house near
Verona. Cardinal Riario, that venerable friend of
the Gonzaga princes, was seldom seen in Rome since
his disgrace, and had given up his noble palace of
La Cancellaria to the Pope. And Luigi of Aragon,
that other generous and free-handed Cardinal, whom
Castiglione had met at Mantua only a year before,
had died of fever in January at the early age of forty-
four. But Sadoleto and Beazzano, the merry singer
Tebaldeo, and young Marc Antonio Flaminio, the
boy-poet whom the Count had taken under his
special protection at Urbino, were all there. Cas-
tiglione, too, had several friends among the batch of
new Cardinals—thirty-one in all—who had been in-
cluded in the Pope's last creation. There was young
Ercole Rangone, his wife Ippolita's cousin, and Leo's
nephews, Innocenzo Cibo and Giovanni Salviati, while
both the Datary, Baldassare Turini, and the Chamber-
lain, Branconio dell' Aquila, the intimate friends of
Raphael, were often in the Count's company.
In spite of the critical state of ahairs, in spite of
rumours of war and foreign invasion, the Pope and his
favourite companions indulged in pastimes of every
description. They laughed and feasted, gave comedies
and concerts, listened to the Aretino's matchless impro-
visations or to those comical recitations given by the
budoon Strascino, who could imitate the lowing of
bulls and braying of donkeys by turn. Music especially
had always been one of Leo X.'s favourite diversions.
He sang and played well, took great interest in
Church music, and kept an instrument in his bed-
room. The best singers and musicians from all parts
of Europe entered his service, and were rewarded
with rich benehces and estates. It was his custom
4—2
51
of Titus. Bembo was still at Venice, Bibbiena in
France, and Canossa at his country-house near
Verona. Cardinal Riario, that venerable friend of
the Gonzaga princes, was seldom seen in Rome since
his disgrace, and had given up his noble palace of
La Cancellaria to the Pope. And Luigi of Aragon,
that other generous and free-handed Cardinal, whom
Castiglione had met at Mantua only a year before,
had died of fever in January at the early age of forty-
four. But Sadoleto and Beazzano, the merry singer
Tebaldeo, and young Marc Antonio Flaminio, the
boy-poet whom the Count had taken under his
special protection at Urbino, were all there. Cas-
tiglione, too, had several friends among the batch of
new Cardinals—thirty-one in all—who had been in-
cluded in the Pope's last creation. There was young
Ercole Rangone, his wife Ippolita's cousin, and Leo's
nephews, Innocenzo Cibo and Giovanni Salviati, while
both the Datary, Baldassare Turini, and the Chamber-
lain, Branconio dell' Aquila, the intimate friends of
Raphael, were often in the Count's company.
In spite of the critical state of ahairs, in spite of
rumours of war and foreign invasion, the Pope and his
favourite companions indulged in pastimes of every
description. They laughed and feasted, gave comedies
and concerts, listened to the Aretino's matchless impro-
visations or to those comical recitations given by the
budoon Strascino, who could imitate the lowing of
bulls and braying of donkeys by turn. Music especially
had always been one of Leo X.'s favourite diversions.
He sang and played well, took great interest in
Church music, and kept an instrument in his bed-
room. The best singers and musicians from all parts
of Europe entered his service, and were rewarded
with rich benehces and estates. It was his custom
4—2