In December, 1532, the Emperor returned to Italy, and was met near
Vicenza by Francesco Maria, who welcomed him in his own name, and
in that of the Signory. Dispensing with complimentary formalities,
Charles received him at once to easy intercourse, and, requesting
his continued attendance, spent much time in conversing with him on
the art of war. At Bologna another congress was held by the Pontiff
and the Emperor, in which were discussed the affairs of Italy, the
proposed general council, and the matrimonial speculations of Clement
for advancement of his house. The marriage of Alessandro de' Medici,
now created Duke of Florence, was arranged with Margaret of Austria,
natural daughter of Charles; but the hand of Caterina de' Medici,
which the latter wished to be given to Francesco Sforza, was reserved
by her ambitious uncle for a French prince. Charles left Bologna on
the 28th of February, 1533, and embarked at Genoa for Spain, after
giving some hope to Francesco Maria of a satisfactory settlement of
his claims upon Sora. Clement in ten days after set out for Rome. The
estrangement between these potentates, which at this meeting began
to chill their intercourse, was greatly widened by the voyage of his
Holiness in the following autumn to Marseilles, where he celebrated
the nuptials of Caterina with Henry, second son and successor of
Francis I. At this second congress of Bologna, Titian met the Emperor
by special command; and it was perhaps on that occasion that he
had commissions for portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino,
which now ornament the Uffizi gallery. The former is engraved as a
frontispiece for this volume; of the latter we have lately spoken:
both will demand further notice in our fifty-fourth chapter, and in
the last No. of the Appendix.
In April the Duchess Leonora gave birth to a son at Mantua, who
was named after Julius II., and was destined to holy orders. His
father had at the same time a severe fit of gout; and, on his return
home, the painful duty devolved upon him of providing against the
visitation of a scarcity which then lamentably affected Italy. The
close of the year found him a suitor with the Pope in the affair of
Camerino, which we shall now briefly explain.
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