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.
And yet was he accompanied with a most rare, & almost perpetuall prosperitie euen from his yoong age, to the end of his life; desiring alwaies great things, and obteining most often that he desired. An example of much importance, to confound the arro|gancie of those men, who presuming to know and sée perfectlie with humane eies the depth of Gods iudge|ments doo assure, that what happeneth either good or ill to mortall men, procéedeth either of their merits or faults: as though we saw not dailie manie good men vniustlie tormented, & wicked persons aboue their deseruings liue in case and honour: wherein who makes an other interpretation, derogates the iustice and power of God, the greatnesse of which be|ing not to be conteined within any scripts or tearms present, knoweth how well and largely to discerne in an other time and place the iust from the vniust, and that with rewards and eternall punishments. In the meane time he powreth out his vengeance vpon the imaginers of mischéefe in this life; so prouiding, as that they are caught in their owne snares, and ouer|taken with such destruction as they had prepared for others, according to that saieng of the Psalmist:
Effodit puteum, foueámque eduxit ab imo,E [...]b. H [...]ss. & G Buch. in Psal. 7.Et miser in latebras incidit ipse suas.In verticem ipsius recurritPernicies, recidúntque fraudes.]