When Don Giovanni was of the age of seven years (the age of reason, technically,) the Christian King named him Abbot of Fonte Dolce, on the nineteenth of May 1483, in which preferment the Lord Sixtus P.P IV. confirmed him twelve days later by Brief dated the thirty-first of May 1843. On the first of June he received the ecclesiastical tonsure, when episcopal hands wielded scissors to cut the child-clerk’s hair in five places—on the front, the back, the right, the left, and the crown, of the head—while bishop and boy recited the psalm verse: “The Lord is the portion— “_Dominus pars_— “Of mine inheritance— “_Haereditatis meae_— “And of my cup— “_Et calicis mei_— “Thou art He Who shall restore— “_Tu es Qui restitues_— “Mine inheritance to me— “_Haereditatem meam mihi_— and finally the bishop endued him with the fair white linen surplice, (super pellicem) the official vesture of his clerical estate. The symbolism of this mystery seems to be that the clerk enlists himself in the regular army of the Church Militant, sacrificing an actual piece of his person as a pledge of his fidelity, and receiving as handsel, so to speak, his uniform. From this date the child was called in his family Messer Giovanni, (Mr. John). On the first of March 1484, he was named Abbot of Passignano. He grew up a good and manly boy, fond of nice things, grave, quietly merry, and a perfect gentleman. On the third of March 1489, his father’s friend the Lord Innocent P.P. VIII created him Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria _in Domnica_; but, as he was only of the age of thirteen years, the creation was reserved _in petto_, while he continued his studies under Canon Angelo Ambrogini (detto Poliziano); who, in 1492 wrote to the Pope about his pupil, “This youth is so formed by nature and education that, being inferior to none in genius, he yields not to his equals in industry, nor to his teachers in learning, nor to old men in gravity of demeanour. He naturally is honest and ingenuous, and he has been so strictly bred that never from his mouth there comes a lewd, or even a light, expression. Though he be so young, his judgement is so secure that even the old respect him as a father. He sucked piety and religion with his mother’s milk, preparing himself for his sacred office even from his cradle. (Ep. v. Lib. VIII)” In the Publick Consistory of the twenty-second of March 1492, he was admitted to the Sacred College, receiving the scarlet hat and the cardinalitial sapphire ring, (whose value was six hundred zecchini d’oro—say, £1200); and he was of the age of sixteen years, three months, eleven days.