Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-28
THE SIEGE OF FLORENCE.

uOAy Edluol
Well, my good Chamberlain; what
tidings do you bring me this EVENING""
Count VanEini, secret envoy Of the
Emperor Charles V. solicits a private IN
terview with Your Holiness
My patron saint, good Chamberlain,
the Emperor Charles v. is very i'm
pudent man to sent an envoy to me, when,
by his grasping, medalesome policy, he
has caused 50 much trouble in the last
few years.
Holy Father, shall I tel. Count Van
mini that you refuse to receive him?"
No, no. Usher him in. I want to
find cut what Charles V. is driving at"
And the Cardinal Secretary of State,
your Holiness?"
He need not know any thing about
all this, good Chamberlain" Call the
Imperial Envoy"
! As the chamberlain submissively left
the room in the Vatican, where this con-
versation had taken place, on the 18th Of
February, 1880, at an early hour in the
forenoon, the Holy Father, who was no
other than the astute Pope Clement VII.
drew himself up to his full height, and
exclaimed, in an undertone:
All, Charles ", you are. after all, no
match for mc!''
He sat down in sumptuous easy chair,
and the next moment handsome man,
dressed il the gorgeos costume Of the
aristocracy of the sixteenth century, step.
ped in.
"Count Vannini" said the Pope.
The new-co Ter bowed deeply. Then,
| lowering himself on one knee, he rever
emily kissed the Pope's slipper, and, at u
sign from the Holy Father, rose to his
feet again.
"Wen, Count" asked Clement the Sew
enth, what has your imperial master TO
say to me?"
II have an autograph letter from His
Majesty to your holiness"
Clement took the imperial missiye with
| feigned Indifference. He glanced over it
and then disdainfully dropped it.
sBah," he said, the emperor solicits
my armed assistance for breaking the
power of the Florentine Republic. What
have the Florentines done to incur the
hostility of the Holy See?"
+. "Florence, Holy Father, is q hot-bcd
Of political conspiracies. Its leading
politicians dream of a United Italy,"
Clement smiled and said:
"That is harmless dream, Count
| "Not altogether, Holy Father. The
plotters are fomenting conspiracies in va
rious parts of the States of the Chur oh,
as we'll as in the Italian Provinces be-
longing to my august master. The latter
proposes to nip the whole traitorous pro-
jject in the bud by taking Florence
"And annexing it to the German En-
pire, SUPPOSED" sneered Clement.
| "No, Holy Father"
I :Ah!" exclaimed Clement, opening
his eyes wonderingly.
/ Count Vannini looked cautiously about
the room.
( "These walls have no ears, Count, said
the Holy Father, smilingly.
| Count Vannini whispered a few words
to him.
Il Clements expression circumference I'M
derwent a sudden change.
1 you are not jcsting, Count?', he asked
at last, bending piercing glance upon
the envoy.
'Not at all, Your Holiness" replied the
latter.
!, "But no not trust your imperial mas
ter at all" said Clement.
"Bear in mind, Your Holiness, that
Alexander Medici is to be the Command.
er-in-chief of the united Papal and I'm
perial troops that are to attack Florence
and, after the city has fallen, he is to
become its ruler under Papal sovereignty
My imperial master has authorized me tC
pledge yon his word as Prince that he
will fnlfill this agreement to the letter.
Clement rose from his chair. Five
minutes he paced the room in silence. Al
last he turned to the Count, and said:
II accept the offer. How many auxili
aries does the Emperor want from me2'
give thousand. His Majesty himself
will furnish ten thousand German
lansquenets"
:'Very WE'LL Alexander Medici viii
communicate with the Emperor withou
delay. Goodbye, Count"
! A week late1, at an advanced hour o
the night, herculean man, with a mas
sive head on his shoulders, and the mos
intelligent face imaginable, was watkins
up and down large room, filled witt
plaster paris casts, not far from where tn
Sixtine Chapel is situated now in tn
atlCan.
h 1t was Michel Angelo Buonarotti, tn
most versatile artistic genius lily eve
l. gave birth to.
.. He was then engaged in adding to til
many architectural beauties of the Watt
d can, that priceless art gem, the Sixth
Chapel:
|. The illustrious artist, at the time c
l. our narrative was evidently buried i
e, profound thought
Suddenly he was aroused from bis re
n, Elections by low rap at his door.
t, GA visitor at this Late hour2" he sal
to himself, wonderingly.
N He opened the door.
" A closely yelled lady stepped in.
t: "Who are yous" demanded Micha
Angelo.