Coronation of pope Leo the tenth.The first act of this new pope was his coronati|on, which was represented according to the vsage of his predecessors in the church of saint Iohn de Late|ran. The pompe was so great both of his familie and his court, and also of the prelates and multitudes that were there, togither with the popular and vniuersall assemblies of people, that by the opinion and iudge|ment of men, the pride and maiestie of that action did farre surpasse all the celebrations doone in Rome since the tyrannies of the Goths and sauage nations. In this same solemnitie the Gonfalon of the church was caried by Alfonso de Este, who hauing obtei|ned a suspension of his censures & paines, was come to Rome, with great hope, that by the clemencie and facilitie of the pope, he should be able to compound for his affaires. The Gonfalon of the religion of Rhodes was borne by Iulio de Medicis mounted vpon a statelie courser armed at all points: by his nature he bare an inclination to the profession of armes; but by destinie he was drawen to the life ec|clesiastike, in which estate he maie serue as a wonder|full example of the variation of fortune.

One matter that made the memorie of that daie wonderfull,Pope Leo a poore priso|ner the verie same daie twelue mo|neth of his e|lection and in|thronization. was this consideration; that the person who then in so high & rare pompe was honored with the most supreme and souereigne dignitie of the world, was the yéere before, and on the verie same daie miserablie made prisoner. The great magnifi|cence that appéered vpon his person, and his expenses, confirmed in the generalitie and multitude of men, the expectation that was had of him; euerie one pro|mising that Rome should be happie vnder a pope so plentifullie indued with the vertue of liberalitie, whereof that daie he had giuen an honorable experi|ence, his expenses being aboue an hundred thousand duckats. But wise men desired in him a greater grauitie and moderation: they iudged that neither such a maiestie of pompe was conuenient for popes, neither did the condition of the present time require, that he should so vnprofitablie disperse the treasures that had beene gathered by his predecessour to other vses.]

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The vessell of amitie betwéene the king of Eng|gland & the French being first broched by this popes letters, the French king by an herald at armes sent to the king of England, requiring of him a safe con|duct for his ambassadors, which should come to in|treat for a peace and attonement to be concluded be|twixt them and their realmes. Upon grant obteined thereof, the French king sent a commission with the president of Rome and others, to intreat of peace and aliance betwixt both the princes. And moreouer, bi|cause they vnderstood that the mariage was broken betwéene the prince of Castile and the ladie Marie,A mariage concluded. they desired that the said ladie might be ioined in mariage with the French king, offering a great dowrie and suerties for the same. So much was offe|red, that the king mooued by his councell, and name|lie by Woolsie the bishop of Lincolne, consented vp|on condition, that if the French king died, then [...]he should (if it stood with hir pleasure) returne into Eng|land againe with all hir dowrie and riches.