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Hee sheweth that honours change manners, and that many men increasing in fortune and riches, change their first good vertues and qualities, be∣ing e•…•…her vnmiuafull or vnthankefull towards such f•…•… whom they haue receiued former cour∣tesies, & how his desire alwaies was to liue at his study and booke quietly, and with a small liuing.
Arioste writ this Satyre a little before hee got leaue to giue ouer his Liu•…•…nancie of Grassanana, which he so much misliked: and this Pistofil•…•… being Secretary to the Duke of Ferrara, obtained licence for him to come away, not long before which time he offred him to go Embassador to Pope Clement, but he would not in any wise accept it.
Written to the honorable Bo∣nauenter, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Secretary to Alphonso Duke of Ferrara.
Clement the seuenth, was base sonne to Iulio (Leo the tenths bro∣ther) he was called Iulio before, & was first made knight of the Rhodes, by the afore named Leo his kinsman, and after that, Cardinall and Legat of Bologna. He was so mightie when he was Cardinal, as making his entry into two Conclaues, he was absolute commander of 16. voices. He was at last made Pope within two yeares after the death of Leo, notwithstanding the ma∣ny obtrusions and emulations of the most ancient Cardinals. This man married Catherine di Medices, his Neece, vnto the second sonne of Francis the French king: and in his time was Rome sacked by the Emperial armie (whereof the Duke of Burbon was General, & was slaine before the walles) and the Pope himselfe, with certaine Cardinals, taken prisoners. Hee died hated of all his Court, suspected of most Princes, & for the order of his life, he left behind him a renowne, rather hatefull then acceptable: for hee was accounted couetous, of little fi∣delity, and naturally farre of from doing pleasure to any man, insomuch that hee was in a manner vnwilling his owne house of Medici should be aduanced.
Although our Poet was well acquainted with Pope Leo and all the house of Medi∣ci, when they were but pri∣uate Citizens, and after when they obtained greater dignities: yet hee like a wise man, looking into the world, and perceiuing the fashion of countries, how they would giue faire words, but doe few kind deedes, considering how well hee deserued at their hands, hee very cunningly drewe his necke out of the collar, and gaue ouer the Court. But to come to Leo the tenth againe, he was chosen Pope, the seuenth day after the Cardinals went into the Conclaue, being then bu•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉. yeares old, the young Cardinals being the occasion of his election, by their great industry, hauing long time before secretly agreed amongst themselues, to create the first Pope of their number: his name was Iohn before. He was a mightie Prince in his time for he pos∣sessed in peace, and great obedience, the large estate of the Church of Rome, and his whole court florisht wonderfully vnder him, in plentifull happinesse and felicitie. Hee had full authoritie ouer the sta•…•…e of Florence, which in those da•…•…es, was a common wealth mighty in people, policy, and riches. He was naturally inclined to pleasures, & therefore tooke no great delight in hearing of suits and busying himselfe about such a•…•…faires as concerned the Apostolicall sea: his custome was to consume the day in hearing of musick, in seeing of stage∣plaies, and trifling with scoffers and •…•…esters, and was so •…•…nate, a•…•… hee was altogether e∣stranged from warres, giuing himselfe so much to ease, that he grew so corpulent and fat, as though he was but a yong man, yet was he scarce able to goe vpon his legs. Besides, he was o∣uer liberall & m•…•…gnificall, insomuch that he not onely wasted the treasures that Iulio the 2. his Predecessor left him, but also was euer poore & needy. He had no great care to raise or make great his house or kindred, after his 2. brethren Iulio & Peter were dead, being greatly vnfor∣tunate in this, that he liued to see in himself the end of his own house, excepting one yong mai∣den, who was called Katherine de Medices, of whom we spake before. He died in •…•…ome of a feuer But as some say, he was poisoned by B•…•…rniby Malespina, his Chamberlain, whose office was al∣waies to giue him drink, & it was thought he was hired therunto by the French king then li∣•…•….
Vultes anno∣sahaud capitur laqueo. Ariosto had tried the Court so often, where he found onely words & no deedes.
•…•…lphonso duke of Ferrara vsed him very kindly, making him in some sort his compa∣nion, though otherwise hee got little in his seruice.
Fortune is fained by the Poets, to be slow in esca∣ping from the vessel of Epime∣theus: that is, an after w•…•… is bet∣ter then a fore∣wit, a good lucke commeth not so soone as an ill. Of this Epimetheus, you may read more in Plato.
Alluding to the common saying, Fortuna fauet fatuis: for commonly it is seene, who deserueth best, findeth least fa∣uour at he hands.
He saith that euery one that is lifted vp vp∣on the wheele of Fortune loo∣keth hie, for-getting his old friends, & be∣commeth a new man as it were, not re∣membring his old poore ac∣quaintance, with whom he so familiarly conuersed before.
Meaning honours changeth manners: Affirming that a meane man raised to dignity, and then humbling himselfe, as he did before, shall bee rather hindred then aduanced thereby, and therefore he must keepe state still.
He meane th Leo the tenth of whom wee spake before.
An excellent saying of Ario∣sto, and a wor∣thy precept to know the in∣constancie of common friendship.
He applieth his hasty po∣sting to Rome, to be aduanced by Leo when hee was made Pope (of which hee was decei∣ued) and the suddaine rising of Leo and the Medici, & his chiefe friends, to the sprouting of this Gourd, which as it ro•…•…e hastily, so did it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 suddainly, and so did they all, Ariosto of his expect•…•…ō, the Pope and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his followers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their gloue.
Although the chiefe of the house of Medi∣ci, had but ill fortune, which were Pope Le∣os brethren, yet Clement his kinseman, who within two yeares after succeeded him in the Papacie, aised vp againe (although in a manner constrained therunto) his familie in Florence; for hee sent for his nephew Alexandre, out of Flaunders, where he followed the Emperour Char•…•…es the fift, who comming to Florence, pro∣clai•…•…ed himself absolute Duke of that City. He married the Emperours base daughter, and carried himselfe very stoutly towards the people, insomuch as in the end hee was slaine by a kinseman of his owne, called Laurence di Medices; who thereupon •…•…ed to Venice, & was after∣ward slaine by certaine men, in hope of a reward which was proclaimed to be giuen to him that could take the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 either aliue or dead. Alexander being thus dispatcht, Cosmo the son of Iohn di Medices, was chosen Duke of the Florentins, who liued some 23-yeares after his election. He married Don Diego di Tolledos daughter, Viceroy of Naples, & had diuers chil∣dren by her, of which Francesco succeded him, & after his death then Ferdinando his brother who was called Ferdinando di Medices, gran Du•…•…a di Tuscano. This Ferdinando married the daughter of the Duke of Lorrain, grandchild & executrix to Katherine di Medices, late Queene mother of Fraunce.
This So•…•…na was a noble man of Romagna in Italy, allied to the Strozzi of Florence, and therefore one that could not brooke the greatnesse of the Medici.
When Leo the tenth was Pope (as I said before) hee vn∣iustly expulst the Duke of Vrbin out of his lawfull e∣state, & placed his nephew Laurence in that Dukedo•…•…e, who had to wife through the fauour of Francis the French King, Lady Magdalena, nobly de∣scended of the Duke of •…•…on, with a yearely re•…•…enewe of ten thousand crownes, during her life. But this mariage proued but fatall vnto them both, for after hee had beene a while in France where he consūmated his wedding, his wife died, and he within a while after follow∣ed her, leauing none other heire of his bodie lawfully begotten, then one young daughter called Katherine who as I said before, was maried to the French King Henry the second: she dyed in Anno 1588, about the same time that the Duke of Guise was slaine in the Castel of Bloise by her sonne Henry the third, king of France and Poland. In this foresaid Katherine en∣ded the direct and right line (speaking of those which were lawfully begotten) of Cosmo di Medices, surnamed the great. The aforenamed Laurence, was a man of great hope for his yeares, for his valour and learning, and was a great Mecenas and fauourer of the learned: he left a base sonne behind him called Alexander first Duke of Florence, who, as I said but euen now, was afterward sla•…•…ne by his owne kin•…•…man.
He meaneth Don Iulian, Pope Leo brother, who died of a consuming and languishing disease in Florence, whose w•…•…fe Philib•…•…rta of Sauoy, although she was but yong, and with all passing 〈◊〉〈◊〉, when her husband left her widowe, notwithstanding she had many great offers of diuerse Priaces which then liued: yet did she (to the wondring of euery one) giue ouer the world voluntarily, retiring her selfe into a Nunnery, which she her selfe had built, where she liued in deuotion vnto her dying daie.
This was a noble man of Florence, a follower of the Medices, and by Leo made Car∣dinall.
He meaneth Barnard Di•…•…itio of Bibiena, who was a mightie man of wealth, and a true friend vnto the Medices in all their troubles, aiding them continually with men and mo∣ney. A man of that good conscience, that Don Iulio Duke of Nemours made him his executor when he died, although as then he had two brethren aliue, which were Pope Leo, and Peter the eldest of the three.
Torsy was Bibienas cheefe house or place, not farre from Casentino. The Poet saith, he had beene better to haue liued quietly at home, then to haue beene Cardinall, because it cost him so much in assisting the Medices in their troubles, and again•…•…, because hee did not long enioy that honour, but dyed.
Contesina is the name of Leo the tenths mother.
This was the King of France kins∣woman, & wife to Laurence the Popes nephew, of whom wee spake before.
This was Alfonzina the Pope•…•… sister, & mother vnto Laurence di Me∣dices, vnto whō Leo graunted a donation of the profits, and exactions of the indulgen∣ces in many places in Ger∣many, vpon which occasion Martin Luther began first to take exception against the Pope for the same, and so consequently against the popish religion.
The Co•…•…onation of Leo was so sumptuous and costly, that many tooke exceptions against the same, as in Guychardine more at large apeareth.
All that were at the coronation of Leo in their iollitie (I meane the greatest persons) died within a while after, first Peter the elder brother was drowned, •…•…ulian the second consumed to death shortly after, Laurence their •…•…ephew died of a languishing disease in France, and his wife a li•…•…le before him, left her life there also, so likewise Contesina the Popes mother, Alfonzina his sister, the Cardinals of Rossi and Bib•…•…na, yea and the Pope Leo himselfe, all these I say dyed one after another in a short space, as namely in the space of eight yeares and lesse.
He intrea∣teth (rather thé to be troubled any more) to be rid first of his liuetenancy of Graffigna∣na, the coun∣try beeing so full of factions and diuisions, & such a num∣ber of rebels & Banditi swar∣ming euery where, as he was in a maner wearie of his life.
These are the names of certaine lear∣ned men, then abiding in Rome, and fa∣miliar friends and acquain∣tances with our Poet.
Circus was a place like our tik-yards, where the ancient Romanes vsed to runne with Charriots and horses for certaine games or prises.
Saburra was a streete most of all frequented in Rome, by reason there dwelled many Curtezans, for Vbi cadauer ibi Coru•…•… and therefore like enough to giue occasion of much qua∣rell and misrule amongst youths, as appeareth by Iuue•…•…all and Mortiall in these verses.
One of the rarest libraries in the world, built in the Popes pallace of Saint Peter in Rome by Sistus Quartus, and much aug∣mented by Si∣stus Quintus, it is thought there are not so fewe as ten thousād bookes little & great within the same.
This Emi∣liut was a no∣ble Roman, who hauing maried a ma•…•…ailous faire & beautifull yong Lady, put her away, and be∣ing blamed of his frie•…•…ds for so doing, held out his foote vnto them, saying, see you this my shooe how fine it is made, how well it sits vpon my foote, and how handsome it is for me, and yet none of you all know∣eth in what parte of my foote it wringeth and pincheth m•…•… eu•…•…n so my wife, although as you say, she is faire, courteous, wittie and well spoken, yet none of you know in what sort she offendeth me.
He meaneth the two statues in the market place of Ferra∣ra as you go to the Domo, (which is the Cathedrall Church of the same Citie) the one of Lionel, and the other of Bozre, two Princes of the house of Esta.
Argento & Bondend are Cities belong∣ing to the Dukedome of Ferrara, to which Ariosto was often sent by the Duke, & many times vp and downe about his busi∣nes, which hee 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 •…•…ry much.
Hee frankly confesseth that hee cannot liue except hee en∣ioy the compa∣ny of his Mi∣stresse.
The f•…•…rst a notable old mother baud, and the other a fam•…•…us Cour∣tezan of Ferra∣ra, in those daies.
He meaneth his Mistresse, whom he saith he had rather attendon, then vpon any Prince in the worl•…•…
This Pistofi∣lo, Secretary to Alphonso, Duke of Ferrara, was a mā low of sta∣ture, and little in body, but of so excellent a wit, and happy memory, that none liued in those daias like vnto him. Be∣sides hee was of a sweet con∣uersation, and an humble car∣riage towards all men, inso much as being of the Dukes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Counsell, hee was greatly fauoured and beloued, as wel of his Prince as of the people. Duke Alphonso, would merrily say, that what through his little Pi•…•…ce, the Bo•…•…re and his strong Castell Barletto (alluding to the name of his, Secretary, which was Bon•…•…enter Po•…•… and his chiefe General of all his forces, called Galeazo Barletto, a famous Soldier) he thought himselfe st•…•…ong inough to encounter with any of his neighbour Princes. This Secretary was an inward friend and of great acquaintance with Nicholas 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Peter A•…•…tine who 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Henry the eight, of famous memory King of England. He died in Ferrara 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with solemne pompe was conuaicd to be buried at Modena, where he was 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 being in∣terred in the Monasterie of S. Francis, there where his monument is at this day to be •…•…eene.
Pisto•…•…lo performed this request of A•…•…iosto, for within a while after, he had libertie to come to Ferrara, where he liued quietly, and in great credit, vntill his dying day.