de fastidious. He always declared that he had been a loser by his
mission. He was accompanied by several young gentlemen of the best Roman
Catholic families in England, Ratcliffes, Arundells and Tichbornes. At
Rome he was lodged in the palace of the house of Pamfili on the south
of the stately Place of Navona. He was early admitted to a private
interview with Innocent: but the public audience was long delayed.
Indeed Castelmaine's preparations for that great occasion were so
sumptuous that, though commenced at Easter 1686, they were not complete
till the following November; and in November the Pope had, or pretended
to have, an attack of gout which caused another postponement. In January
1687, at length, the solemn introduction and homage were performed with
unusual pomp. The state coaches, which had been built at Rome for the
pageant, were so superb that they were thought worthy to be transmitted
to posterity in fine engravings and to be celebrated by poets in several
languages. [276] The front of the Ambassador's palace was decorated on
this great day with absurd allegorical paintings of gigantic size. There
was Saint George with his foot on the neck of Titus Cares, and Hercules
with his club crushing College, the Protestant joiner, who in vain
attempted to defend himself with his flail. After this public appearance
Castelmaine invited all the persons of note then assembled at Rome to a
banquet in that gay and splendid gallery which is adorned with paintings
of subjects from the Aeneid by Peter of Cortona. The whole city crowded
to the show; and it was with difficulty that a company of Swiss guards
could keep order among the spectators. The nobles of the Pontifical
state in return gave costly entertainments to the Ambassador; and poets
and wits were employed to lavish on him and on his master insipid and
hyperbolical adulation such as flourishes most when genius and taste are
in the deepest decay. Foremost among the flatterers was a crowned head.
More than thirty years had elapsed since Christina, the daughter of the
great Gustavus, had voluntarily descended from the Swedish throne. After
long wanderings, in the course of which she had committed many follies
and crimes, she had finally taken up her abode at Rome, where she busied
herself with astrological calculations and with the intrigues of the
conclave, and amused herself with pictures, gems, manuscripts, and
medals. She now composed some Italian stanzas in honour of