did him most prejudice, wherein he was •…•…axed for giving his mind to that mischievous husbandry of sowing jealousies, and plant∣ing contentions (by which he had made those Italian Potentates whose friendship he should have procured with all the skill he had, to be suspe∣cted by his King) more then to the Government of the people, yet were the difficulties of the heaviest accusations taken off by the conclu∣sive proof of his having been in Italy a prodigy of nature, a monster ne∣ver seen before, a Spanish Officer that hated money. For which things F•…•…ntes was declared to be very worthy of a residence in Pernassus. And because Apollo took him for a singular lover of Justice, and a ca∣pital enemy to roaring boyes, of which sort of rascallity he knew that he had purged the State of Millan, and that he had laden with it the Gallies of Spain, he gave him the superintendency over the Satyrick Poets, with full authority to punish some Poets that in Pernassus playing the Libellers with their defamatory Verses, wounded the ho∣nour, and maimed the reputation of persons of quality. And the Lord high Chancellor of the Court sent to the Count the Patent of his admission in a very rich Basin of Gold, together with all the Acts of Grace, Prerogatives, honours, and Pensions accustomed: But with a restraint under Apollo's own hand, wherein his Majesty strictly com∣manded him; that he should not by any means presume to stir out of dores in the month of March.
Bitterly did Fuentes make his moan to Apollo of this so strange a re∣straint, not used in the Letters Patents of Bartolomeo Alviano, of Pie∣tro Navarro, of Antonio di Leva, of the Marquiss of Pescara, and of other Commanders that were his Camerades there. And with all subtil∣ty of Rhetorick he besought him that it might be taken off: But all in vain; for Apollo bad him plainly be quiet: Since were not he himself in that Month withheld by the important respect of not leaving the world without light, he would have pretermitted his wonted journey, that he might not afflict mankind with an evil quality he hath, which is, to stir up pernicious humors in men, and not be able to dissolve them. That therefore he would not at that time have a person seen in Pernassus, which had the same defect, more then himself.
For all this, the Spanish Nation (liberal in making a great shew of mat∣ters that go on their side, and most skilfull in concealing such as go a∣gainst them) did with artificial fires, with squibs, and vollies of Cannon∣shot, make signes of extraordinary jollity for the admission of the Count into Pernassus. In which it hapned, that an hour within night, while the Court wherein the Royal Palace of the Monarchy of Spain stands, was thronged with Princes, who taking delight in beholding those rarities, went up and down disporting themselves; Fuentes, whe∣ther out of a seditious genius, or the dictate of a mind desirous of no∣velty; or out of some private distast, or to disturb the quiet of Italy, offered to dismount him in War, who commanded in Peace. Forth he came; and as he was going to fasten a long squib of wild-fire upon an Italian Prince, it took fire so suddenly, that it went off in his hand, and the flash did so singe his face, having monstrously besmutted him, that immediately he went out of Pernassus; some say, to get himself cured in some secret place: Others say 'twas for shame, that the dammage and affront which he would have done to another, was returned upon