CARDINAL BIBBIENA'S FLATTERY 49 during his stay in Rome. But the idea of union with a man old enough to have been her father seems to have repelled the fair Margarita herself, and Chigi wisely refrained from pressing a suit which he saw was distasteful, and consoled himself with a wife of less exalted degree. Another correspondent of the Marchesa, who had seen Federico at Bologna, sent her glowing accounts of the boy. This was il bel Bernardo, as Bibbiena was called by his friends. The Marquis's anger had lately been roused by the discovery of some intrigues among his enemies at Florence, in which Cardinal Medici was accused of taking part, and that prelate charged his secretary to assure his compare, the Marchesa, that he was as absolutely ignorant of the matter as the Grand Turk himself, and remained as ever entirely devoted to herself and her family. Bibbiena took occasion of this opportunity to tell Isabella that he had been supping that evening with her charming son, and was surprised to find him quick and wise and serious beyond his years. he exclaims,1 "you have indeed a think you will find more comfort in him than in anything else in the world." This accomplished courtier, it is plain, knew the best way to Isabella's heart. 1 Luzio, op. cit., p. 15. clever, as well as "O Madonna!" rare son, and I VOL. II. D CHAPTER XXIV 1511-1512 The Pope's campaign against Ferrara-Isabella's anxiety to restore peace-The Bishop of Gurk at Mantua-Bologna captured by the French-The Duke of Urbino murders Cardinal Alidosi-Dangerous illness of the Pope-His recovery ascribed to Federico's influence-Death of Isabella's pet dog, Aura-The Holy League against France-Victory and death of Gaston de Foix at Ravenna-The French driven out of Italy-Federico at the Vatican-The Belvedere Apollo and Tiber statue-Visit of the Duke of Ferrara to Rome. THE release of her husband, and the good accounts which she received of her absent son, brought back new happiness into Isabella's life. Duchess Elisabetta and her other friends in Rome satisfied her that the Pope, in spite of his violent bursts of anger, was kindly disposed towards herself and her husband, while Federico inspired him with genuine affection. But the fury with which Julius II. now attacked her brother, and his resolve to conquer Ferrara at all costs, caused her fresh distress. She grieved to see her husband and son-in-law in command of the forces which invaded Alfonso's territory, and used all her influence to bring about the restoration of peace. The Duke of Urbino succeeded in taking Modena and Mirandola, and the Pope satisfied his warlike spirit by climbing the walls on a scaling ladder, and entering the city through the breach made by his guns. But, in spite of these reverses, Alfonso still BISHOP LANG AT MANTUA 51 kept the papal forces at bay, and the advance of a Marchesa. 2 This haughty German prelate is described by Paride Grassi, papal master of ceremonies, as a tall and handsome man with long fair hair, and the manners of a barbarian. He assumed royal airs, wore lay dress, and sat down in the Pope's presence with his biretta on his head. But he was by no means insensible to feminine charms, and before long was completely captivated by the clever Marchesa, "The illustrious Signora Marchesana," wrote Guido Silvestri from Mantua to his master, Cardinal d'Este, "is bent on obtaining this peace, although that wretch Casola told her the other day, before us all, that Cupid's arrows were the only weapons she ought to fear, which sent us into fits of laughter! So now we are rejoicing at the prospect of peace, and hope to see all this ruin and misery end happily for the honour of your princely house." And Casola himself, a comic poet in the service of Cardinal d'Este, sent his master the following strange account of an interview between the German bishop and the Marchesa. "The other day the Bishop of 1 Pastor, "Hist. of the Popes," vi. 344. 4 ཐཱཀཀ ཨ ཝཎྞཡཱ ཎ༠༢ 52 MURDER OF CARDINAL ALIDOSI Gurk paid the Marchesa a visit, when I caused great amusement by acting as interpreter, and we all laughed till our sides ached." That day politics were not even mentioned. The whole talk was of kissing and romping, merry songs were sung and witty sayings repeated, and all manner of gay fooling went on between the German envoys and Isabella and her ladies. Unfortunately, when Lang proceeded to Bologna, the Pope quite refused to listen to the Emperor's proposals of peace, and the bishop left suddenly, with no attempt to conceal his disgust. Hostilities were immediately resumed, and hardly had the Pope left Bologna, than Trivulzio surprised and defeated the Duke of Urbino's army and seized the town. On the 23rd of May, the Bentivogli returned in triumph, Michel Angelo's bronze statue of Julius II. was overthrown by the mob, and the bronze melted down by Alfonso d'Este and cast into a cannon, which he christened La Giulia. The next day the papal legate, Cardinal Alidosi, was openly stabbed in the streets of Ravenna by the Duke of Urbino, who accused him of treacherously surrendering Bologna to the foe. A month afterwards the old Pope returned to Rome, broken in health and worn out with fatigue and anxieties. His armies were defeated, his hopes disappointed. Bologna was lost, and his favourite had been brutally murdered by his own nephew almost before his eyes. But his spirit was as high as ever. He checkmated the revolted Cardinals, who, supported by the Emperor and Louis XII., had summoned a general council at Pisa, by himself proclaiming a general council, to meet at the Lateran in April 1512. And he entered into negotiations with Spain and Venice to form a BY THE DUKE OF URBINO 53 league in defence of the Church and to drive the French out of Italy. At the same time he instituted legal proceedings against his nephew for the murder of Cardinal Alidosi. But his displeasure with the Duke had not diminished his affection for Francesco Maria's young brother-in-law. The boy was his constant companion, both at his meals in the Vatican and in his daily walks and rides. When any of the Cardinals came to dinner, they sat at other tables in the same hall, and Federico alone always ate at the Pope's little table. In the evenings they played backgammon together, or else went out to supper with Agostino Chigi in the gardens of his beautiful new villa in Trastevere. During that summer Julius the Second's own portrait was painted by Raphael, who introduced His Holiness, wearing the beard which he had vowed not to shave off till the French were driven out of Italy, in his fresco of Pope Gregory IX. giving the Decretals, to the right of the window in the Camera della Segnatura. And, on the 16th of August, Grossino informed Isabella that His Holiness had desired Raphael "to introduce Signor Federico's portrait in a room which he is painting in the palace, and in which he has drawn His Holiness with his beard, from life." In obedience to the Pope's command, Raphael introduced the boy's portrait in his great fresco of the School of Athens. Federico's head appears in the group on the left, behind the Oriental philosopher generally called Averroes, while the young man in a flowing garment of white and gold is said to be his brother-in-law, Francesco Maria. Early in August, the Pope took Federico with |