¶About this time the pope, by lingering sicknes, (whose grée [...]e in the first apprehension was the pains of the stomach, Guic. pag. 1182, &c. which drawing with them to pa [...]ions of a feuer and other accidents, kept him long time vexed and tormented) sometimes séeming to be re|duced to the point of death, and sometimes so eased and reléeued,Death of pope Clement the seuenth. that he gaue to others but not to him|selfe a kind of hope of recouering, being no longer able to make resistance against his maladie, exchan|ged his life the fiue and twentith of September, lea|uing behind him in the castell of saint Angcomanie rich stones and iewels, more than was expected of him, and in the chamber of the sée apostolike infinit offices, contrarie to custome and good order, but in the treasurie a verie small store of monie, wherin he beguiled the opinion of all men. He was raised from base degrée to the place of the popedome with woon|derfull felicitie, but in managing the place he proo|ued a verie great variation of fortune, wherein if both the properties of fortune be euenlie balanced the one with the other, the woorser fortune without all comparison was farre more familiar with him than the better.

For as there could happen to him no greater in|felicitie than the aduersitie of his imprisonment (for that with his owne eies he beheld with so great a ruine and destruction the sacke of Rome;Pope Cle|ment more infortunate than fortu|nate. a desola|tion which his fortune suffered him to bewaile with pitie and compassion, but not to turne awaie or re|medie the harme) so also by him mooued the generall desolation of his naturall countrie, to the which by how much more he was bound by perpetuall obliga|tions, by so much greater was his aduersitie to be a chiefe instrument in the ruine of the place where he had taken his first being.

He died hated of all the court, suspected to most princes, and for the discourse of his life, he left behind him a renowme rather hatefull than acceptable: for he was accounted couetous, of little fidelitie, and naturallie farre off from dooing pleasures to men. And in that humor albeit during his time of pope he created one and thirtie cardinals;How manie cardinals he created du|ring his popedome. yet vpon none of them did he impose that dignitie to content himselfe but was drawne as it were by the violent law of ne|cessitie and to please others: yea he called to that dig|nitie the cardinall of Medicis, not of his proper and frée election, but at the contemplation and persuasion of others, and at that time when being oppressed with a dangerous maladie, if he had died, he had left his friends and kindred in the state of beggers and de|priued of all aid. Neuerthelesse he was in counsell verie graue, and in his actions much foreséeing; tou|ching passions and affections a conqueror of him|selfe, and for the facultie of his mind & spirit of great capacitie and power, if timorousnesse had not often|times corrupted his iudgement.