The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 386 pages of information about The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters.

The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 386 pages of information about The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters.
out, and that will secure him from all other manner of dangers.”  A Milanese, who was a favourite of the pontiff, told his holiness that it might be of dangerous consequence to grant such favours immediately on being raised to his new dignity.  The Pope instantly said:  “You do not understand these matters; I must inform you that men who are masters in their profession, like Benvenuto, should not be subject to the laws; but he less than any other, for I am sensible that he was in the right in the whole affair.”  So I entered into the Pope’s service.

However, the Pope’s natural son having become my enemy, and having employed a Corsican soldier to assassinate me, I escaped to Florence, where I was appointed master of the mint by Duke Alessandro de Medici.  The coins which I stamped, with the duke’s head on one side and a saint on the other, his excellency declared were the finest in Christendom.  Shortly after I received from Rome an ample safe-conduct from the Pope, directing me to repair forthwith to that city at the celebration of the Feast of the Virgin Mary.  This I did, and the Pope granted me a patent of pardon for killing Pompeo, and caused it to be registered in the Capitol.

About this time Charles V. returned victorious from his enterprise against Tunis.  When he made his triumphant entry into Rome he was received with great pomp, and I was nominated by his holiness to carry his presents of massive gold work and jewels, executed by myself, to the emperor, who invited me to his court and ordered five hundred gold crowns to be given me.  Stories to my prejudice having been carried to his holiness, I felt myself to be neglected, and set out for France, but made no stay there, and returned to Rome.  Here I was accused falsely by a Perugian servant of being possessed of great treasure, the greatest part of which was said to consist of jewels which belonged to the Church, and whose booty I had possessed myself of in the Castle of St. Angelo at the time of the sack of Rome.  At the instigation of Pier Luigi, the Pope’s illegitimate son, I was taken as prisoner to the Castle of St. Angelo, where I was put under examination by the governor of Rome and other magistrates.  I vindicated myself, saying that I got nothing else in the Church’s service at the melancholy sack of Rome but wounds.

Accurate inquiry having been made, none of the Pope’s jewels were found missing; but I was left a prisoner in the castle, from which I made a marvellous escape, only to be consigned again, at the instigation of Luigi, to the deepest subterranean cell.  I would have destroyed myself, but I had wonderful revelations and visions of St. Peter, who pleaded my cause with the beautiful Virgin Mary holding Christ in her arms.  The constable informed the Pope of the extraordinary things which I declared I had seen.  The pontiff, who neither believed in God nor in any other article of religion, sent word that I was mad, and advised him to think no more about me, but mind his own soul.

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The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.