The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

6 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
account of the banishment from Perugia of his cousin
Gentile and the execution of his followers. Giampaolo,
who was aware of his guilt, would not obey the summons,
but sent his son Malatesta to Rome instead. He charged
him to find out whether any serious action were really
to be feared on the part of the Pope. But so skilful was
Leo in hiding his real intentions, that Giampaolo was
persuaded by his friends, especially by Camillo Orsini,
to go to Rome. He openly trusted to the protection of
that powerful noble, who had just before married his
daughter. There is no proof that the Pope gave him a
safe-conduct.*
On the 1 6th of March Giampaolo entered Rome with a
magnificent retinue, including several of the Orsini. Next
day he waited on the Pope, who was in the Castle of
St. Angelo ; where, as soon as he entered the gate, the
Castellan had him arrested. The Governor of Rome
tried him, and both Cardinals Bibbiena and Armellini
urged that he should suffer the extreme punishment of
Fabronius, 309 ; BONAZZI, II., 74. As to the extraordinary Congre-
gation held on March 9, 1520, on account of Giampaolo Baglioni, see
Ang. Germanello's reports in a *Letter dat. from Rome, March 10,
1520. Gonzaga Archives, Mantua.
* The assertion that a " safe-conduct, written by Leo X. himself,"
was given, made by Sismondi (XIV., 503), Sugenheim (422), De
Leva (I. 92), Gregorovius (VIII., 247), and Bonazzi (II., 78), is
pronounced of doubtful worth by Reumont (III., 2, 108). Balan
(VI., 27, n. 5) brings forward against it a number of valid reasons, the
most important of which is that Alfani directly implies that it was
not given by his remark (288)
: "Si dice N. S. aver detto che Giovan
Paolo andasse non avendo errato." The Ferrara Ambassador merely
says : " Baglione ed altri furono conducti dove sono da bone parole,"
This witness especially would have been sure to have mentioned a
safe-conduct, had such existed. Ang. Germanello, in his *Report of
March 17 (Appendix, No. 16), says nothing about a letter of safe-
conduct. Gonzaga Archives, Mantua.