[22] While Alexander VI., the Borgia Pope, was staying at Perugia in the summer of 1495, he made an effort to rid the Church of the whole Baglioni family at one stroke, but to gather at once all its members into his net required some diplomacy. With Borgia cunning he called to him Guido, the head of the clan, and expressed a great desire to see, during his stay in the city, a joust or tournament, politely implying that if organised by the illustrious house of Baglioni it must surely be a magnificent success. Guido, as shrewd and crafty as any of his family, replied that he was ready to do anything to gratify the Pope, and that he could think of nothing more likely to be acceptable and pleasing to His Holiness than to see the people of Perugia fully armed and equipped for battle, with the _condottieri_ of the Baglioni house and their retainers ready for instant combat. Guido's covert threat was taken with a smile, but very soon afterwards Alexander left for Rome, and spoke no more of tournaments. [23] The well-known scholar, Francesco Matarazzo, was born at Perugia in 1443, studied there, married, and died there in 1518. It has been doubted whether he really was the author of the marvellous chronicle of the deeds of the Baglioni, but there is nothing to disprove this; the dates coincide, and the chronicle is always included in the list of his life-works. [24] The Baglioni are rarely mentioned without the title of _Magnifico_ being added to their name. "I Magnifici Baglioni" exclaimed a Perugian of the present day, "_I Magnifici Birbanti_" (The magnificent scoundrels) were for them a fitter title! [25] See John Addington Symonds, "Sketches in Italy." [26] "Both the one and the other appeared to be like two angels of Paradise." [27] Two lions had been given to Gianpaolo and Astorre by the Florentines in recognition of services rendered for them against the Pisans. A third was kept by Grifonetto. [28] "Unhappy Astorre, dying like a poltroon." [29] "Have no fear, Gismondo, my brother." [30] "Simonetto might have lived," sighs Matarazzo, "but his great courage killed him, for he scorned to flee." "Indomitusque Simon" had been written of him, and as the citizens drew near to look the last on these young brothers, they told each other that even now, struck down by so cruel a fate, Simonetto appeared still unvanquished and untamed. [31] "Now my time is come." Matarazzo tells us that Guido was a fatalist ("era homo che credeva al destenato sempre," p. 118). [32] "Here his lordship received upon his noble person so many wounds that he stretched his graceful limbs upon the earth." [33] The scholar, Francesco Matarazzo, went, as a matter of fact, to Greece in his youth in order to copy passages from the Greek classics. It is therefore possible that he acquired his love of the human form actually in Hellas.