“Why, of course,” said the other, “the King of France is pretty well informed about all these things.  You know old King Charles, when he marched through Italy, had more than half a mind, they say, to pull the old Pope out of his place; and he might have done it easily.  My father was in his train at that time, and he says the Pope was frightened enough.  Somehow they made it all up among them, and settled about their territories, which is the main thing, after all; and now our new King, I fancy, does not like to meddle with him:  between you and me, he has his eye in another direction here.  This gay city would suit him admirably, and he fancies he can govern it as well as it is governed now.  My father does not visit here with his eyes shut, I can tell you.  But as to the Pope——­Well, you see such things are delicate to handle.  After all, my dear Agostino, we are not priests,—­our business is with this world; and, no matter how they came by them, these fellows have the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and one cannot afford to quarrel with them,—­we must have the ordinances, you know, or what becomes of our souls?  Do you suppose, now, that I should live as gay and easy a life as I do, if I thought there were any doubt of my salvation?  It’s a mercy to us sinners that the ordinances are not vitiated by the sins of the priests; it would go hard with us, if they were:  as it is, if they will live scandalous lives, it is their affair, not ours.”

“And is it nothing,” replied the other, “to a true man who has taken the holy vows of knighthood on him, whether his Lord’s religion be defamed and dishonored and made a scandal and a scoffing?  Did not all Europe go out to save Christ’s holy sepulchre from being dishonored by the feet of the Infidel? and shall we let infidels have the very house of the Lord, and reign supreme in His holy dwelling-place?  There has risen a holy prophet in Italy, the greatest since the time of Saint Francis, and his preaching hath stirred all hearts to live more conformably with our holy faith; and now for his pure life and good works he is under excommunication of the Pope, and they have seized and imprisoned him, and threaten his life.”

“Oh, you mean Savonarola,” said the other.  “Yes, we have heard of him,—­a most imprudent, impracticable fellow, who will not take advice nor be guided.  My father, I believe, thought well of him once, and deemed that in the distracted state of Italy he might prove serviceable in forwarding some of his plans:  but he is wholly wrapt up in his own notions; he heeds no will but his own.”

“Have you heard anything,” said Agostino, “of a letter which he wrote to the King of France lately, stirring him up to call a General Council of the Christian Church to consider what is to be done about the scandals at Rome?”

“Then he has written one, has he?” replied the young man; “then the story that I have heard whispered about here must be true.  A man who certainly is in a condition to know told me day before yesterday that the Duke had arrested a courier with some such letter, and sent it on to the Pope:  it is likely, for the Duke hates Savonarola.  If that be true, it will go hard with him yet; for the Pope has a long arm for an enemy.”