330 COUNT BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE

later the Count himself fell dangerously ill of fever,
and for some days the court physicians despaired of
his life. He recovered from this attack, but it was
many weeks before he could leave his room.
' Would to God/ he wrote from his sick bed, ' that
while my body is ill my mind were at rest, and I
could hear that His Holiness was out of danger.
That medicine would, I am sure, heal all my ailments.'
The news of his friend Andrea Piperario s death
was a fresh shock, and cut off his last chance of com-
munication with the Vatican. Archbishop Schon-
berg was continually travelling two and fro between
Rome and Naples, with messages from the Pope and
Viceroy, and no letters reached the nuncio from the
time of Paolo d' Arezzo's departure until the begin-
ning of June.
'We are buried alive here,'wrote the Count on Lady-
day, ' and know nothing that is happening in Italy,
because any news that reaches the court is kept secret.
However, this did not prevent our hearing of the
Viceroy's defeat in a battle at Frosinone, in which both
Alarcon and Don Ugo narrowly escaped with their
lives. Aquila is said to be lost. We also hear that
an eight days' truce has been made, and many other
reports reach us, as I said, 3%^ %%&. But there is no
doubt that the war is very unpopular here. When,
a few days ago, the General of the Franciscans wrote
in hopeful terms of the prospects of peace, not only
the Emperor, but all these grandees and people of
every condition, were filled with joy. God grant
that I may live to see this long-desired and sorely-
needed good, although I do not understand how this
can be, unless it is sent to us straight from the hand
of God."

i Serassi, ii. 146.