The pope, delighted at having made so good a bargain in the city of merchants, embarked on the 20th of November to return to Rome. Excess of joy was hurtful to him, as it had been to his cousin Leo X. The threats of the emperor, who demanded a council; the pressure of Francis I., who claimed Catherine's _three rings_;[481] the quarrels of his two nephews, who were fighting at Florence,—all filled poor Clement with uneasiness and sorrow. He told his attendants that his end was near; and immediately after his return, he had the ring and the garments prepared which are used at the burial of the popes.[482] His only consolation, the approaching destruction of the protestants, seemed to fail him in his last days. Even during his interview with the pope, Francis was secretly intriguing to unite with the most formidable of the enemies of Rome. After embracing the old papacy with apparent emotion, the chivalrous king gallantly held out his hand to the young Reformation. In the space of two months he had two interviews as opposite as possibly could be. These two contradictory conferences point out one of the traits that best characterise the versatile and ambitious Francis. This modern Janus had a head with two faces. We have just seen that which looked backwards into the past; we shall soon see that which looked forwards into the future. But before we follow the King of France in his oscillation towards Germany and the protestants, we must return to Calvin. In October 1533, Francis and Clement had met at Marseilles; and on the 1st of November, while those princes were still diplomatising, a great evangelical demonstration took place at Paris. [Footnote 458: Henry VIII. to Norfolk, Aug. 8, 1533. _State Papers_, vii. p. 493.] [Footnote 459: Du Bellay, _Mémoires_, p. 195.] [Footnote 460: Ibid. p. 185.] [Footnote 461: 'En grand branle.'] [Footnote 462: Du Bellay, _Mém._ p. 195.] [Footnote 463: 'Non licere ejus Sanctitati sine Maurorum periculo illuc accedere.'—Vanner to Cromwell. _State Papers_, vii. p. 508.] [Footnote 464: 'Ob insulas de Yeres, ubi piratarum classis posset ad intercipiendum pontificem in insidiis latitare.'—Vanner to Cromwell, _State Papers_, vii. p. 508.] [Footnote 465: Guicciardini, _Wars of Italy_, ii. bk. xx.] [Footnote 466: Guicciardini, _Wars of Italy_, ii. bk. xx. p. 901.] [Footnote 467: 'Papam aut subversum, aut restitutum iri in suam et inveteratam tyrannidem.'—Sturm to Bucer. Strasburg MSS.] [Footnote 468: 'Alterum ego expecto magno cum desiderio, alterum non mediocriter extimesco.'—Ibid.] [Footnote 469: Du Bellay, _Mémoires_, p. 204.] [Footnote 470: 'Quod illi soli licet pro temporis necessitate novas leges condere.'—_Dict. Gregorii._] [Footnote 471: 'Veri Dei vicem gerit in terris.'—_De Translatione Episc._] [Footnote 472: Du Bellay, _Mém._ p. 205. _State Papers_, vii. p. 515.] [Footnote 473: Guicciardini, _Wars of Italy_, ii. bk. xx. p. 901.] [Footnote 474: Du Bellay, _Mém._ p. 205.]