d all the
apartments were filled with people, who were overcome with
amazement. The lord of Pesaro celebrated his betrothal to his wife,
and the Bishop of Concordia delivered a sermon. The only
ambassadors present, however, were the Venetian, the Milanese and
myself, and one from the King of France.

Cardinal Ascanio thought that I ought to present the gift during
the ceremony, so I had some one ask the Pope, to whom I remarked
that I did not think it proper, and that it seemed better to me to
wait a little while. All agreed with me, whereupon the Pope called
to me and said, "It seems to me to be best as you say";
consequently it was arranged that I should bring the present to the
palace late in the evening. His Holiness gave a small dinner in
honor of the bride and groom, and there were present the Cardinals
Ascanio, S. Anastasia, and Colonna; the bride and groom, and next
to him the Count of Pitigliano, captain of the Church; Giuliano
Orsini; Madonna Giulia Farnese, of whom there is so much talk (de
qua est tantus sermo); Madonna Teodorina and her daughter, the
Marchesa of Gerazo; a daughter of the above named captain, wife of
Angelo Farnese, Madonna Giulia's brother. Then came a younger
brother of Cardinal Colonna and Madonna Adriana Ursina. The last is
mother-in-law of the above mentioned Madonna Giulia. She had the
bride educated in her own home, where she was treated as a niece of
the Pope. Adriana is the daughter of the Pope's cousin, Pedro de
Mila, deceased, with whom your Excellency was acquainted.

When the table was cleared, which was between three and four
o'clock in the morning, the bride was presented with the gift sent
by the illustrious Duke of Milan; it consisted of five different
pieces of gold brocade and two rings, a diamond and a ruby, the
whole worth a thousand ducats. Thereupon I presented your
Highness's gift with suitable words of congratulation on the
marriage and good wishes for the future, together with the offer of
your services. The present greatly pleased the Pope. To the thanks
of the bride and groom he added his own expressions of unbounded
gratitude. Then Ascanio offered his present, which consisted of a
complete drinking service of silver washed with gold, worth about a
thousand ducats. Cardinal Monreale gav