_Don Mario_ is five years older then the Pope, and though by consequence he be threescore and ten, yet he is strong and lusty. The Pope and he are very different in their constitution, humour, and actions; for the first is tall, the other low; the Pope is inclin’d to learning, _Don Mario_ is strangely ignorant; the Pope is lean, and _Don Mario_ is fat; the Pope is noble and generous, and _Don Mario_ is covetous and miserable, thinking of nothing, but of gathering and heaping together of money, little troubling himself at the peoples murmurings; and yet they cry out more against him, then ever they did against _Don Tadeo_, nay, more then they did against _Donna Olympia_ her self; he hath invented so many new subtleties to get money out of those Offices which are ordinarily bestowed upon the Popes nearest Relations, that the _Barbarines_, who thought themselves masters in that Craft, do remain astonish’d to see themselves outdone by a new beginner. The Pope shewes him the respect due to an elder Brother, and that is all; ’tis true, that of late he hath afforded him more liberty, and a greater share in the Government then he was wont to have, and he uses it to his advantage, missing no occasion to improve his fortune; nay, he is so passionately bent to getting, that he ordinarily uses to say of a thing he does not like, _There is nothing to be got there_. The good opinion which the Pope hath of his integrity, is the poison which corrupts all the present Government; for being prepossess’d to his advantage, he lets him do any thing, so he do but maintain plenty of Corn and Meat in _Rome_, and keep the people from murmuring; but things do not go well, nor with any honour to the Pope, for if _Don Mario_ was honest and sincere in _Siena_, he no sooner came to _Rome_, but he chang’d his nature, and made it his business to grow rich by any means whatsoever; though the people send their cryes up to Heaven against him, they come not to the Popes eares, who all this while thinks, that _Don Mario_ of _Rome_ is _Don Mario_ of _Siena_, and there’s the mischeif. The Cardinal _Flavio Chigi_ his Son deserves neither to be praised, nor blamed for any thing that regards the Government of the Church, in which he is little concern’d; for having the Title of _Padrone_, or _Master_, he exercises his mastership in taking his pleasure, avoiding with all possible means to have any hand in business, least he should perplex his mind, and be diverted from the taste of sensual delights, to which he hath given himself up. In his Uncles last fit of sickness, that he might not be liable to the imputation of ignorance or incapacity, he bestirr’d himself pretty well, and perform’d the duties belonging to so important a place as his is. His assiduity and care appeared much, and the Embassadours, and people of business were pretty well satisfyed with the goodwill he shewed, being the apter to bear with the smallness of his sufficiency.