and a close intimacy has begun to exist between him and the cardinal's
family.

The cardinal is a venerable man of sixty, with a majestic aspect, but
full of gayety and good health. He is said to be the richest prelate
throughout all the dominions of the republic. He is reported to manage
his immense fortune in a very liberal manner, and, although prudently
economical, to despise none of the joys of this life. This nephew, who
is his sole heir, is not always on the best of terms with his uncle.
For, although the cardinal is anything but an enemy to youthful
pleasures, the conduct of the nephew must exhaust the utmost tolerance.
His loose principles and dissipated manner of living, aided unhappily by
all the attractions which can make vice tempting and excite sensuality,
have rendered him the terror of all fathers and the bane of all
husbands; this last attack also was said to have been caused by an
intrigue he had begun with the wife of the ambassador, without speaking
of other serious broils from which the power and the money of the
cardinal could scarcely extricate him. But for this the cardinal would
be the happiest man in Italy, for he possesses everything that can make
life agreeable; but by this one domestic misfortune all the gifts of
fortune are annulled, and the enjoyment of his wealth is embittered to
the cardinal by the continual fear of finding nobody to inherit it.

The whole of this information I have obtained from Biondello. The
prince has found in this man a real treasure. Every day he becomes more
indispensable, and we are continually discovering in him some new
talent. Some days ago the prince felt feverish and could not sleep; the
night-lamp was extinguished, and all his ringing failed to arouse the
valet-de-chambre, who had gone to sleep out of the house with an
opera-dancer. At length the prince determined to rise himself, and to
rouse one of his people. He had not proceeded far when a strain of
delicious melody met his ear. Like one enchanted, he followed the sound,
and found Biondello in his room playing upon the flute, with his
fellow-servants assembled around him. The prince could hardly believe his
senses, and commanded him to proceed. With a surprising degree of
facility he began to vary a touching adagio air with some fine extempore
variations, which he executed with all the taste of a virtuoso. The
prince, who, as you know, is a judge of music, says that he might play
with confidence in t