DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36839#0249
ANGRY THREATS
219
' The King tells him that he feels greatly obliged
to His Holiness because, after being his greatest
enemy as long as he was Cardinal, and being the
cause of all the evils which he endured in Italy, now
that he has become Pope he behaves properly, and
shows him no enmity, although His Majesty opposed
his elevation to the Papal chair with all his power.
He also charged the envoy to tell His Holiness that
he did not care a straw for this Imperial army which
was about to invade France, and swore that before
the month of July was over he would descend upon
Italy at the head of 80,090 infantry and 2,000 lances.
This he bade the envoy tell the Pope from him,
adding that if his words did not come true His
Holiness might count him the greatest liar in the
world, and unworthy to be King/
In a cipher postscript the Count adds :
' According to what I have heard on good authority,
Signor Renzo told Monsig. di St. Pol some time ago
that, if the Pope showed himself the enemy of the
Most Christian King, he would soon settle him
with a shot from his gun. Monsig. St. Pol replied
that he hoped the Pope would keep friends with the
King, but that even if this were not the case, His
Majesty would never consent to authorize such a
crime, but would certainly punish it. Some one who
overheard the conversation repeated it to the Pope,
who told Monsig. di Vendome that he was much
obliged to St. Pol for his goodwill. When the thing
came to the King s ears, he ordered Signor Renzo to
make an apology to His Holiness; but this will not
be accepted, as, however much he may deny that he
used the words, the person who repeated them to the
Pope maintains that he heard them.'*
Another distinguished captain who came to Rome
that summer and paid assiduous court to Castiglione
i Serassi, 'Neg./ i. 189.
219
' The King tells him that he feels greatly obliged
to His Holiness because, after being his greatest
enemy as long as he was Cardinal, and being the
cause of all the evils which he endured in Italy, now
that he has become Pope he behaves properly, and
shows him no enmity, although His Majesty opposed
his elevation to the Papal chair with all his power.
He also charged the envoy to tell His Holiness that
he did not care a straw for this Imperial army which
was about to invade France, and swore that before
the month of July was over he would descend upon
Italy at the head of 80,090 infantry and 2,000 lances.
This he bade the envoy tell the Pope from him,
adding that if his words did not come true His
Holiness might count him the greatest liar in the
world, and unworthy to be King/
In a cipher postscript the Count adds :
' According to what I have heard on good authority,
Signor Renzo told Monsig. di St. Pol some time ago
that, if the Pope showed himself the enemy of the
Most Christian King, he would soon settle him
with a shot from his gun. Monsig. St. Pol replied
that he hoped the Pope would keep friends with the
King, but that even if this were not the case, His
Majesty would never consent to authorize such a
crime, but would certainly punish it. Some one who
overheard the conversation repeated it to the Pope,
who told Monsig. di Vendome that he was much
obliged to St. Pol for his goodwill. When the thing
came to the King s ears, he ordered Signor Renzo to
make an apology to His Holiness; but this will not
be accepted, as, however much he may deny that he
used the words, the person who repeated them to the
Pope maintains that he heard them.'*
Another distinguished captain who came to Rome
that summer and paid assiduous court to Castiglione
i Serassi, 'Neg./ i. 189.