eared the life of his child
would peril his hopes for Alessandro, his own illegitimate son. Cosimo,
Giovanni's boy, must be kept out of the way at all hazards, and Maria
the widow was very soon well aware of the Pope's aims.

By every means in his power, Clement strove to obtain possession of
little Cosimo, but his mother was as watchful as she was prudent, and,
till her boy reached his twelfth year, she never let him go out of her
sight and keeping. She took him away to remote parts of Italy with
trusty attendants, that the Pope might not discover their whereabouts.
Then she chose a faithful friend of her family, Maestro Pierfrancesco
Riccio da Prato, to superintend his further education. If not the wisest
of teachers, he was admirable for the exact discharge of his duties and
inculcated the best traditions of the Medici.

Together tutor and pupil visited many parts of Central Italy and spent
some time at Venice, the chief subject of their studies being the heroic
doings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. This was the usual curriculum
for growing boys, and doubtless its observance induced that admiration
of tyrannicide which marked the character of so many young Florentines.

In 1523, when Clement so artfully persuaded the Florentine ambassadors
to request the despatch of the two bastards, Ippolito and Alessandro,
to Florence, the only man who maintained his opposition was Messer
Giacopo de' Salviati, and he again protested in person both to Clement
in Rome and before the _Signoria_ in Florence, against the creation of
Alessandro as Head of the Republic. Once more this "loyal citizen"
withstood the bastard Duke, when he put his hand to the building of the
fortress of San Giovanni. Naturally, Messer Giacopo's opposition excited
the animosity of Alessandro, who, if he did not actually inspire his
assassination, was, at all events, privy to it.

But in spite of all, Cosimo grew and flourished, displaying his father's
courage and his mother's prudence. At fifteen, his character appeared to
be already formed. He was grave of aspect and severe in manner, very
backward in forming friendships, and intolerant of familiarities.

In 1536, the Emperor Charles and his court were in residence at Bologna,
and, hearing that young Cosimo de' Medici was also in the city, the
monarch sent for him and received him with marked cordiality. Observing
the young man's bearing and evident force of character, Charles took him
by the arm and,