and the Swiss, he could not conceal his anxiety and his desire that the Swiss might be victorious.  The Venetian ambassador at Rome, Marino Giorgi, whose feelings were quite the other way, took, in his diplomatic capacity, a malicious pleasure in disquieting him.  “Holy father,” said he, “the Most Christian King is there in person with the most warlike and best appointed of armies; the Swiss are afoot and ill armed, and I am doubtful of their gaining the day.”  “But the Swiss are valiant soldiers, are they not?” said the pope.  “Were it not better, holy father,” rejoined the ambassador, “that they should show their valor against the infidel?” When the news of the battle arrived, the ambassador, in grand array, repaired to the pope’s; and the people who saw him passing by in such state said, “The news is certainly true.”  On reaching the pope’s apartment the ambassador met the chamberlain, who told him that the holy father was still asleep.  “Wake him,” said he; but the other refused.  “Do as I tell you,” insisted the ambassador.  The chamberlain went in; and the pope, only half dressed, soon sallied from his room.  “Holy father,” said the Venetian, “your Holiness yesterday gave me some bad news which was false; to-day I have to give you some good news which is true:  the Swiss are beaten.”  The pope read the letters brought by the ambassador, and some other letters also.  “What will come of it for us and for you?” asked the pope.  “For us,” was the answer, “nothing but good, since we are with the Most Christian king; and your Holiness will not have aught of evil to suffer.”  “Sir Ambassador,” rejoined the pope, “we will see what the Most Christian king will do; we will place ourselves in his hands, demanding mercy of him.”  “Holy father, your Holiness will not come to the least harm, any more than the holy See:  is not the Most Christian king the church’s own son?” And in the account given of this interview to the Senate of Venice the ambassador added, “The holy father is a good sort of man, a man of great liberality and of a happy disposition; but he would not like the idea of having to give himself much trouble.”

[Illustration:  Leo X.——­21]

Leo X. made up his mind without much trouble to accept accomplished facts.  When he had been elected pope, he had said to his brother, Julian de’ Medici, “Enjoy we the papacy, since God hath given it us” [Godiamoci il papato, poiche Dio ci l’ ha dato].  He appeared to have no further thought than how to pluck from the event the advantages he could discover in it.  His allies all set him an example of resignation.  On the 15th of September, the day after the battle, the Swiss took the road back to their mountains.  Francis I. entered Milan in triumph.  Maximilian Sforza took refuge in the castle, and twenty days afterwards, on the 4th of October, surrendered, consenting to retire to France with a pension of thirty thousand crowns, and the promise of being recommended for a