DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36839#0158
184 COUNT BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE
opinion was that Cardinal de' Medici would succeed
his kinsman. His claims were strongly supported by
the Emperor, and Don Juan Manuel, who, as Clerk
remarked in a letter to Wolsey, ' is a very great per-
sonage here,' did his utmost to bring about this
choice. But Cardinal Soderini, who had hastened
back to Rome on Leo's death, opposed Medici in
violent terms, declaring openly that he would make
an even worse Pope than Leo, and Francis 1. sent
the Cardinals word that if this man, who was the cause
of all the war, was elected, neither he nor any of his
subjects would obey the Church of Rome/ Conse-
quently the betting, which had risen to 50 per cent,
on Medici, fell to 20 and even 12 per cent., and the
names of Farnese, Fiesco, and other Cardinals began
to be mentioned. By Castiglione's urgent advice,
Cardinal Gonzaga came to Rome, and at one moment
considerable hopes of his election seem to have been
entertained.
Meanwhile, both in Rome and Mantua, the Duke
of Urbino's movements were followed with the
keenest interest. Hardly had the news of Pope
Leo's death reached Lombardy than Francesco dew
to Ferrara, and with the help of Alfonso d' Este and
Lautrec succeeded in raising a small force, with which
he set out to recover his duchy. The Baglioni of
Perugia and several other exiles joined his banner as
he marched through Romagna, and when he reached
Rimini on December 20, his old subjects rose in arms
with one accord. At Urbino the people dung the
Papal governor out of the palace windows. On the
28rd Pesaro opened its gates and welcomed the Duke
with shouts of ' / PPPro /' Sinigaglia followed
i Sanuto, xxxii. 288 ; Brewer, iii. 836.
opinion was that Cardinal de' Medici would succeed
his kinsman. His claims were strongly supported by
the Emperor, and Don Juan Manuel, who, as Clerk
remarked in a letter to Wolsey, ' is a very great per-
sonage here,' did his utmost to bring about this
choice. But Cardinal Soderini, who had hastened
back to Rome on Leo's death, opposed Medici in
violent terms, declaring openly that he would make
an even worse Pope than Leo, and Francis 1. sent
the Cardinals word that if this man, who was the cause
of all the war, was elected, neither he nor any of his
subjects would obey the Church of Rome/ Conse-
quently the betting, which had risen to 50 per cent,
on Medici, fell to 20 and even 12 per cent., and the
names of Farnese, Fiesco, and other Cardinals began
to be mentioned. By Castiglione's urgent advice,
Cardinal Gonzaga came to Rome, and at one moment
considerable hopes of his election seem to have been
entertained.
Meanwhile, both in Rome and Mantua, the Duke
of Urbino's movements were followed with the
keenest interest. Hardly had the news of Pope
Leo's death reached Lombardy than Francesco dew
to Ferrara, and with the help of Alfonso d' Este and
Lautrec succeeded in raising a small force, with which
he set out to recover his duchy. The Baglioni of
Perugia and several other exiles joined his banner as
he marched through Romagna, and when he reached
Rimini on December 20, his old subjects rose in arms
with one accord. At Urbino the people dung the
Papal governor out of the palace windows. On the
28rd Pesaro opened its gates and welcomed the Duke
with shouts of ' / PPPro /' Sinigaglia followed
i Sanuto, xxxii. 288 ; Brewer, iii. 836.