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NOTES TO THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER snow, each of the two combatants did his duty right well. And at last my lord de Chaumont, who had appointed the ground and was umpire, caused them to retire with equal honour." Note 296, page 152. Cian inclines to regard this Master Marcantonio as identical with a certain eccentric physician of the same name, who lived at Urbino and was the author of a fantastic law book and a long comedy. Of BOTTONE DA Cesena nothing more is known than is contained in the text. Note 297, page 152. 'Three sticks,' i.e., the gallows. Note 298, page 152. Of the three persons bearing the name Andrea COSCIA and known to have lived at this time, it is uncertain which one is here referred to. Note 299, page 152. A MS. copy of The Courtier contains the following pas- sage: "Again a Venetian (forgive me, messer Pietro), coming to visit my lady Maddalena, sister to my lady Duchess, — as soon as he was near he offered her his hand, but without removing his cap. My lady Maddalena drew back a step, and drew back her hand too, saying: 'Gentle Sir, put on your cap; cover your head.' He still advanced and offered his hand; whereupon she replied: ' I will never do it, unless you cover.' Thus the poor man was so put to shame that he at last removed his cap." Under similar circumstances Madame Bernhardt is said to have reproved Edward VII (then Prince of W^ales) by feigning not to recognize him with his hat on. Note 300, page 152. My Lord Cardinal, i.e., Giovanni de' Medici, after- wards Leo X, (born 1475 ; died 1521). He was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici and Clarice Orsini, and an elder brother of the Magnifico of The Courtier. Made a cardinal at the age of thirteen, and exiled from Florence with the rest of his family in 1494, he was present at the election of Alexander VI, of whose character he is said to have shown true appreciation at the time by remarking: "^Ve are in the wolfs jaws; he will gulp us down, unless we make good our flight." During the reign of Julius II, he seems to have been subservient to that pontiff, and in 1511 was a member of the court of six cardi- nals which acquitted the young Duke of Urbino of the charge of murdering Cardinal Alidosi. The pontificates of Alexander and Julius had exhausted Italy with wars, and the Christian world, weary of their scandalous violence, hailed with relief the accession of the cultivated and seemingly gentle young prelate, Giovanni de' Medici. Of his reign, — so brilliant in art and letters, so disastrous to the Church,— it is enough to say that the key is found in the famous phrase with which, on his elevation to the Chair of St. Peter, he greeted his brother Giuliano: " Let us enjoy the Papacy, since God hath given it us." To him the immortality of the soul was an open topic for debate, while he regarded sound Latinity and a ready tongue as more important than true doc- trine and pure living. Sincerely zealous for the diffusion of liberal knowledge, he was extravagantly munificent to artists, scholars and authors. Like all his 380