ime
of this occurrence the Marquis of Mantua was at his headquarters with
the French army in Isola Farnese, a few miles from Rome. From there,
September 22, 1503, he wrote his consort, Isabella, as follows:

ILLUSTRIOUS LADY AND DEAREST WIFE: In order that your
Majesty may be familiar with the circumstances attending the Pope's
death, we send you the following particulars. When he fell sick, he
began to talk in such a way that anyone who did not know what was
in his mind would have thought that he was wandering, although he
was perfectly conscious of what he said; his words were, "I come;
it is right; wait a moment." Those who know the secret say that in
the conclave following the death of Innocent he made a compact with
the devil, and purchased the papacy from him at the price of his
soul. Among the other provisions of the agreement was one which
said that he should be allowed to occupy the Holy See twelve years,
and this he did with the addition of four days. There are some who
affirm that at the moment he gave up his spirit seven devils were
seen in his chamber. As soon as he was dead his body began to
putrefy and his mouth to foam like a kettle over the fire, which
continued as long as it was on earth. The body swelled up so that
it lost all human form. It was nearly as broad as it was long. It
was carried to the grave with little ceremony; a porter dragged it
from the bed by means of a cord fastened to the foot to the place
where it was buried, as all refused to touch it. It was given a
wretched interment, in comparison with which that of the cripple's
dwarf wife in Mantua was ceremonious. Scandalous epigrams are every
day published regarding him.

The reports of Burchard, of the Venetian ambassador Giustinian, of the
Ferrarese envoy Beltrando, and of numerous others describe Alexander's
end in almost precisely the same way, and the fable of the devil or
"babuino" that carried Alexander's soul off is also found in Marino
Sanuto's diary. The highly educated Marquis of Gonzaga, with a
simplicity equal to that of the people of Rome, believed it.

The Mephisto legend of Faust and Don Juan, which was immediately
associated with Alexander's death--even the black dog running about
excitedly in St. Peter's is included--shows what was the opinion of
Alexander's contemporaries regarding the terrible life of th