of any service to him for a week; besides, that town belonged to the emperor, and to dispose of it in that manner was to set the whole empire against us. Everybody agreed with my opinion, and yet it was carried against us; and Monsieur de Ligny was made the governor of Siena, with large promise of a revenue, but he never received any. This trifling debate detained us six or seven days, during which time the king diverted himself among the ladies; and he left in this town above three hundred of his choicest troops, to the great weakening of his army. He then advanced towards Pisa[400], by the way of Poggibonzi, a castle belonging to the Florentines; but those who were left at Siena were driven out in a month. CH. III.—Of the memorable Preachings of Friar Jerome of Florence.—1495. I had almost forgotten to mention that while I was at Florence, on my way to join the king, I went to pay a visit to a certain friar called Friar Jerome[401], who, by report, was a very holy man, and had lived in a reformed convent fifteen years. There went along with me one John Francis[402], a very prudent person, and steward of the king’s household. The occasion of my going to visit him was upon the account that he had always, both in the pulpit and elsewhere, spoken much in the king’s favour, and his words had kept the Florentines from confederating against us; for never any preacher had so much authority in a city. Whatever had been said or written to the contrary, he always affirmed that our king would come into Italy, saying that he was sent by God to chastise the tyranny of the princes, and that none would be able to oppose him. He foretold likewise that he would come to Pisa and enter it, and that the State of Florence should be dissolved on that day. And so it fell out; for Peter de Medicis was driven out that very day. Many other things he presaged long before they came to pass: as, for instance, the death of Laurence de Medicis; and he openly declared that he knew it by revelation; as likewise he predicted that the reformation of the Church should be owing to the sword. This is not yet accomplished; but it very nearly occurred, and he still maintains that it shall come to pass.