with to that city at the celebration of the
Feast of the Virgin Mary. This I did, and the Pope granted me a patent
of pardon for killing Pompeo, and caused it to be registered in the
Capitol.

About this time Charles V. returned victorious from his enterprise
against Tunis. When he made his triumphant entry into Rome he was
received with great pomp, and I was nominated by his holiness to carry
his presents of massive gold work and jewels, executed by myself, to the
emperor, who invited me to his court and ordered five hundred gold
crowns to be given me. Stories to my prejudice having been carried to
his holiness, I felt myself to be neglected, and set out for France, but
made no stay there, and returned to Rome. Here I was accused falsely by
a Perugian servant of being possessed of great treasure, the greatest
part of which was said to consist of jewels which belonged to the
Church, and whose booty I had possessed myself of in the Castle of St.
Angelo at the time of the sack of Rome. At the instigation of Pier
Luigi, the Pope's illegitimate son, I was taken as prisoner to the
Castle of St. Angelo, where I was put under examination by the governor
of Rome and other magistrates. I vindicated myself, saying that I got
nothing else in the Church's service at the melancholy sack of Rome but
wounds.

Accurate inquiry having been made, none of the Pope's jewels were found
missing; but I was left a prisoner in the castle, from which I made a
marvellous escape, only to be consigned again, at the instigation of
Luigi, to the deepest subterranean cell. I would have destroyed myself,
but I had wonderful revelations and visions of St. Peter, who pleaded my
cause with the beautiful Virgin Mary holding Christ in her arms. The
constable informed the Pope of the extraordinary things which I declared
I had seen. The pontiff, who neither believed in God nor in any other
article of religion, sent word that I was mad, and advised him to think
no more about me, but mind his own soul.

_IV.--At the French Court_

About this time the Cardinal of Ferrara came to Rome from the court of
France, and in the name of King Francis urged my release, to which he
got the Pope's consent during a convivial meeting without the knowledge
of Luigi. The Pope's order was brought to the prison at night, and I was
conducted to the palace of the Cardinal. The Cardinal was summoned by
Francis I. to Paris, and to bring me with him.

The French king receive