DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36839#0180
152 COUNT BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE
face to face, and I come to rejoice with you, and once
more enjoy that serene sky and those fair regions. . . .
May God make you as joyous and happy as the
wicked world has made you sad and suffering in the
past A
But until the Popes arrival the Duke could not
obtain the investiture of the duchy, and the utmost
vigilance was needed to avoid a breach between him
and the Imperialist party in Rome. Ascanio Colonna
lost no opportunity of instilling suspicion into Don
Juan Manuels mind, and openly asked Cardinal de'
Medici to assist him in attacking Francesco Maria.
Castiglione once more came to the rescue, and was
able to unmask Ascanio's treacherous intrigues, and
satisfy both Medici and the Imperial ambassador as to
the Duke's loyalty. But there was one thing which
neither Francesco's arms nor Castiglione's diplomacy
were able to avert. This was the ruin of Sigismondo
Varano, the young Duke of Camerino, who was once
more driven out by his uncle, Giovanni Maria, with
the help of the Orsini, and forced to take refuge in
Rome. Here this hapless young Prince, who had
married a niece of Cardinal Colonna, was attacked
and murdered by a band of ruffians one June evening,
when he was riding in the Campagna with only a few
attendants. All Rome was shocked at this brutal
outrage, which was commonly ascribed to his uncle ;
and Castiglione grieved bitterly for the promising
youth, whom he had known from his childhood.^
After all these exertions in favour of the Duke, the
Count was greatly disturbed to hnd how unfairly his
conduct was misrepresented by lying tongues at the
court of Urbino. In a long and eloquent letter to
i ' Lettere/ v. 39.
3 Serassi, ' Neg./ 49, 86 ; ' Lettere di Principi/ i. 79^
face to face, and I come to rejoice with you, and once
more enjoy that serene sky and those fair regions. . . .
May God make you as joyous and happy as the
wicked world has made you sad and suffering in the
past A
But until the Popes arrival the Duke could not
obtain the investiture of the duchy, and the utmost
vigilance was needed to avoid a breach between him
and the Imperialist party in Rome. Ascanio Colonna
lost no opportunity of instilling suspicion into Don
Juan Manuels mind, and openly asked Cardinal de'
Medici to assist him in attacking Francesco Maria.
Castiglione once more came to the rescue, and was
able to unmask Ascanio's treacherous intrigues, and
satisfy both Medici and the Imperial ambassador as to
the Duke's loyalty. But there was one thing which
neither Francesco's arms nor Castiglione's diplomacy
were able to avert. This was the ruin of Sigismondo
Varano, the young Duke of Camerino, who was once
more driven out by his uncle, Giovanni Maria, with
the help of the Orsini, and forced to take refuge in
Rome. Here this hapless young Prince, who had
married a niece of Cardinal Colonna, was attacked
and murdered by a band of ruffians one June evening,
when he was riding in the Campagna with only a few
attendants. All Rome was shocked at this brutal
outrage, which was commonly ascribed to his uncle ;
and Castiglione grieved bitterly for the promising
youth, whom he had known from his childhood.^
After all these exertions in favour of the Duke, the
Count was greatly disturbed to hnd how unfairly his
conduct was misrepresented by lying tongues at the
court of Urbino. In a long and eloquent letter to
i ' Lettere/ v. 39.
3 Serassi, ' Neg./ 49, 86 ; ' Lettere di Principi/ i. 79^