126 COUNT BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE

the exultation with which the news had been received
in Rome/ His next letter was in a graver tone. The
Pope was laid up with a sharp attack of fever. He
had caught a chill on Sunday night standing on the
balcony at his villa ' rapt in thought/ while the Swiss
guards celebrated the victory of their countrymen
with salvoes of artillery and bonfires. On Monday
when he returned to Rome, although it was bright
and sunny, he was so cold that he dismounted, and
walked part of the way to warm himself. In the
excitement of this reception he forgot his ailments,
but on Tuesday he had to break off an audience with
the Cardinals suddenly and take to his bed, and the
doctors said that His Holiness was suffering from
tertian fever, and must keep quiet for a few days.
On Saturday afternoon he was able to transact some
important business with his secretaries, and listened
with pleasure to several of his favourite melodies. But
in the evening he fell into another long fainting-fit,
which lasted two hours, and alarmed his attendants so
much that they sent an express to summon Cardinal de'
Medici from Milan. The next day—Advent Sunday
—His Holiness seemed decidedly better, and heard
with great joy the news which Castiglione received of
the surrender of Parma, Piacenza, and Asti. His sister
Lucrezia Salviati, her son Giacomo, and Cardinals
Pucci and Ridolfi were with him some time in the
evening, and did not leave his bedside till nine.
Two hours later the Pope was seized with a violent
shivering fit, and, feeling his end to be near,
asked for holy unction. Cardinal Pucci, who had
been hastily summoned, found him already uncon-
scious, and at midnight he passed away.-
i ' Esenzioni,' 28 ; Contin, 19-
- Sanuto, xxxii. 204, 240 ; Bergenroth, ii. 88.