'To check the fury of his victorious army, the king has been pleased to send you, my lord cardinal, hither, with full powers to act according to your discretion; and this you have done with such prudence that you have saved the town to the king,--for which we, our children, and our successors, shall be ever beholden to you. 'We also thank my aforesaid lord the bishop of Como for his good recommendations of us to you, and for the means he has taken for the preservation of his country. 'Since, most reverend father in God, you have been pleased, out of your bounty and clemency, following the kind will of our lord the king, to grant to us, the inhabitants of Milan, this public audience, they have commissioned me to make, in their name, the following requests. 'In the first place, that it may be your good pleasure, when you shall return to the king, to recommend us most humbly to his good graces,--and to assure his majesty that the people of Milan will never again rise in rebellion to his power and authority. They somewhat resemble St Peter, who, having denied God the Redeemer, had afterwards such grief for his sin that he was more ardent and determined in his service than ever, continually supplicating mercy for his crime. In like manner, most reverend father in God, and in the name of the king our lord, do I, on my bended knees, for myself, the nobles, burghers, and the inhabitants of Milan, beseech you to pardon the rebellion perpetrated by us, which was contrary to the usual custom of the Milanese, celebrated for their fidelity and loyalty. 'Secondly, most reverend father, in respect to the expenses the king our lord has been put to in countermanding the troops sent hither to punish us for our ill conduct, we have promised to pay the sum of three hundred thousand crowns: fifty thousand on the 12th of this month, fifty thousand on the 1st day of May, and the remaining two hundred thousand at his pleasure. We beseech you to intercede for us to his majesty, that he would be graciously inclined to remit payment of the balance of the two hundred thousand crowns,--for it will be impossible to raise so large a sum without totally ruining the town. Its whole wealth consists in merchandize, and in cloths of silk and woollen,--and should so large a sum be withdrawn from trade, all these works must stop, to the utter ruin of the city and duchy of Milan, which depends so much upon it. The duty of a king is to enrich and not impoverish his subjects. 'Thirdly, we most humbly supplicate, that you would dismiss all the men at arms from the duchy as speedily as possible, that the fruits of the coming harvest may be preserved for the use of our lord's subjects. 'Fourthly, we beseech you, that all persons may be restored to the offices they before enjoyed.