He succéeded Alexander the sixt, who went to supper in a vineyard néere the Uatican to reioise in the de|light & plesure of the fresh aire, & was suddenlie caried for dead to the bishops palace; his sonne also commu|nicating in the same accident, but with better for|tune. For the day folowing, which was the eightenth day of August, the dead corps of the pope (according to custome) was borne into the church of saint Pe|ter, blacke, swolne, and most deformed; most mani|fest signes of poison. But Ualentinois, what by the vigour and strength of his youth, and readie helpe of EEBO page image 795 strong medicines and counterpoisons, had his life sa|ued, remaining notwithstanding oppressed with long and greeuous sickenesse: it was assuredlie beléeued that the accident proceeded of poison, the discourse whereof (according to common report) was in this sort.

The duke Ualentinois, who was to be present at that supper, had determined to poison Adrian cardi|nall of Cornette,A practis [...] of [...]word by [...] to an [...] purpose [...]. reseruing that time and place to ex|ecute his bloudie resolution: for it is most certeine that in his father and him were naturall customes to vse poison, not onelie to be reuenged of their eni|mies, or to be assured of suspicions; but also vpon a wicked couetousnesse, to despoile rich men of their goods, whether they were cardinals or courtiers, al|though they had neuer doone them wrong, as hapned to the cardinall saint Ange, who was verie rich. This maner of rage they would vse also against their greatest friends & familiars, and such as had bin their most faithfull seruants, such as were the cardinals of Cap [...]a and Modeno: a recompense vnworthie the merits of good men, and not disagréeable to the dis|position of such a father and sonne, whereof the one made all things lawfull by vile dispensation; and with the other nothing was dishonest wherein was opportunitie to his purposes. The duke Ualentinois seat before certeine flagons with wine infected with poison, which he gaue to a seruant that knew nothing of the matter, commanding that no person should touch them.

A commandemeent preiudiciall to his maister, as the ignorance of the seruant was the instrument in the euill that happened both to the father and son. Such is the sufferance of God, who in the execution of his iudgements raiseth one murtherer to kill ano|ther, & breaketh the brands of the fire vpon the head of him that first kindled it: for the pope comming by aduenture somewhat before supper, and ouercome with the drought and immoderate heat of the time, called for drinke. And bicause his owne prouision was not yet brought from the palace, [...]xpope [...] with the [...] that his [...] son had [...] poison [...] cardinall [...] Cornette. he that had the infected wine in charge, thinking it to be recommen|ded to his keeping for a wine most excellent, gaue the pope to drinke of the same wine which Ualentinois had sent; who arriuing while his father was drinking drunke also of the same wine, being but iust that they both should tast of the same cup which they had brued for the destruction of others. All the towne of Rome ran with great gladnesse to saint Peters about the dead bodie of the pope, their eies not satisfied to sée ded and destroied a serpent, who with his immode|rate ambition and poisoned infidelitie, togither with all the horrible examples of crueltie, luxurie, and monstruous couetousnesse, selling without distincti|on both holie things and prophane things, had infec|ted the whole world.