He was out of conceit with the cardinall of Me|dicis,The pope [...] mal content for that he thought him to cleaue more to the king catholike, than to him. And bicause he knew he was not able to dispose of the citie of Florence as he thought, he studied alredie new plots, and new practises to alter that estate. He was ill contented with the cardinall of Sion, from whome he tooke the name of legat, and inioined him to come to Rome, for that in the duchie of Millan he had appropriat to himselfe a yearelie rent of more than thirtie thou|sand duckats, of the estates and goods of diuerse per|sons. The better to assure the duke of Urbin of Si|enna by intelligences of his neighbours, he had of new taken into his paie Charles Baillon, to chase out of Perousa Iohn Paule, who by affinitie was verie neere ioined to the sonnes of Pandolffe Pe|truccio successours to the greatnesse of their father. He would of new create duke of Genes, Octauian Fregosa, deposing Ianus from that dignitie: an action wherevnto did consent the others of the house of Fregosa, bicause for the degrée that his ancestors held in that state, it séemed best to apperteine vnto him.

EEBO page image 831He studied continuallie either how he might worke out of Italie the Spanish armie, or cut it in péeces by the aid of the Swizzers, whome aboue all others he exalted and imbraced. In this deuise hée had this intention, that the kingdome of Naples be|ing occupied by him, Italie should remaine frée from strangers; a speach that often passed out of his mouth: and to that end hée had hindered that the Swizzers did not confederate with the king catho|like. And yet, as though it had beene in his power to batter all the world at one time, he continued his ac|customed rigour against the French king. And not|withstanding he had hard a message from the queene, yet he stirred vp to make warre, the king of Eng|land, to whome he had transferred by publke decree of the councell of Lateran,The king of England in| [...]tuled Christia|n [...]s [...]imo by the p [...]pe. the name of Christianissimo, whereof there was alreadie a bull written, and in it likewise was conteined the priuation of the digni|tie & name of the king of France, giuing his king|dome to who could occupie it.

In these conceptions, no lesse strange for their varietie, than great for the importance they drew, and perhaps in other thoughts more secret and singu|lar (for in a mind so fierce and terrible, all sorts of i|maginations, how great and vaine so euer they be, are not incredible) after the continuation of his sick|nesse for manie daies, he declined towards death: and féeling the end of his mortalitie to hasten on, and the same to preuent the execution of his high thoughts, he caused to call togither the consistorie, which albeit he could not assist in person by reason of his disease; yet by the authoritie of it, he caused to be confirmed the bull which he had published before a|gainst such as by simonie would clime vp vnto the popedome.Against cli| [...]ing to the popedome by simonie. He declared, that the election of his suc|cessor apperteined to the college of cardinals, and not to the councell: and that the cardinals schisma|tikes could haue no presence or communitie there, to whom he protested there to pardon the iniuries they had doone him, and praied to God to forgiue them the wrongs they had doone to his church. After this he be|sought the college of cardinals, that in his fa|uor, and for his sake, they would grant to the duke of Urbin his nephew, the citie of Pesera in patro|nage or vicarage, alledging the consideration, that by meane of the duke it had béene recouered to the church after the death of Iohn Sforce. In no other matter he expressed anie priuate or particular af|fection.