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

94
HISTORY OF THE POPES.
life.^ One of the richest and most respected bankers in Rome,
the Sienese de Vecchi, having been convicted of adultery, was
pubhcly whipped in December, 1568, " as a salutary example
for the nobles," says the chronicler. ^ In the following year
it was rumoured that the Pope intended to expel from Rome
all married women who fell into this sin^, and this penalty
was often inflicted after the culprit had been whipped for
the first offence.^ In June, 1570, the Governor of Rome
had great difficulty in dissuading the Pope from inflicting
the death penalty for adultery, but at length Pius V. agreed
that adulterers should be punished by whipping, imprison-
ment, or banishment.^
The Pope watched over the morals of his own servants
with a special strictness.^ The Governor of Anagni was be-
1 *Avviso di Roma, of September 25, 1568, Urb. 1040, p. 585
Vatican Library.
^ *" Dicta die [veneris 3 decembris] fuit fustigatus per Urbem
nobilis Senensis dominus de Vecchiis, qui fuerat ditissimus et
superbissimus banchcrius, postea decoxerat et propter quaedam
adulteria fuit carceratus per multos dies et tandem favoribus non
suffragantibus, sic mandante S°^° 1)^° N^", ad exemplum delinquentium
nobilium, fuit, ut dixi, per loca solita fustigatus/'
(FiRMANUs, *Diarium, loc. cit., p. 272b. Papal Secret Archives).
Cf. Bertolotii, loc. cit, 11.
' Tiepolo in Mutinelli, I., 80 seq.
^ Soriano in Brosch, I., 243. In the lace of Pius V.'s strong
sense of justice, one can only treat as uncalled for Brosch's remark,
" We do not know what sort of proofs of this crime were obtained.'
^ See the report of Capilupi of June 26, 1570, in Bertolotti,
loc. cit. 12. Cf. *Avviso di Roma of June 28, 1570, Urb. 1041,
P. 296 Vatican Library.
" Giulio Orsini for example was forced to send away his con-
cubine ; see the *reports of Arco of March 30 and April 4, 1566,
State Archives, Vienna :
*" Die XV. dicti mensis [ianuarii]
pontifex creavit magistrum capelle r^^ dominum sacristam, qui
eius pedes fuit osculatus, cui mandavit ut reformaret cantores,
inter quos sciebat esse aliques concubinarios et discolos ; et
verum dicebat." C. Firmanus, *Diarium in Miscall,, Arm. XII.,
31, p. 40, Papal Secret Archives,