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

68 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
family, Morone, to accept a free place in the college founded
by Cardinal Branda. He continued his juridical studies in
the hope of succeeding in his efforts to obtain a position as
notary in Milan. ^ His manner of life, however, was com-
pletely altered by the turn of political affairs in the north of
Italy.
In consequence of the capture of Milan by the Papal-
Imperial army on November 19th, 1521, and the return of
Francesco Sforza to his capital, everything was changed.
Better days had now come for the Medici family, while, more
important still, Gian Giacomo had won the implicit confidence
of the all-powerful chancellor, Morone. The reckless soldier
became a tool in the hands of Morone, and as a reward for a
political murder he received the fortress of Musso in feudal
tenure from the Duke .^ In this eyrie, on the steep western bank
of ihe Lake of Como, between Dongo and Rezzonico, of which
only picturesque ruins now remain, he made the whole neigh-
bourhood unsafe, under the pretence of fighting the French.
In the confusion which prevailed in the whole district round
Milan, and protected by Morone, the Castellan of Musso,
generally spoken of as II Musso, was able to allow himself
many liberties and became the terror of the neighbourhood.
His aspirations were plainly directed to the foundation of an
independent sovereignty. This soldier, now twenty-eight
years old, thus stands out as a type of those daring, ruthless
and powerful condottieri, of whom the days of the Renaissance
offer so many examples.^
The prosperity of Gian Giacomo was naturally of the greatest
1 Cf. Lettere di G. Morone, loc. cit., 690 ; Girol. Soranzo, 70 ;
SusTA, Pius IV., II.
2 See MissAGLiA, 1 5 seq. The romantic episode included in
Ranke (Papste, I«., 206) and Brosch (I., 225) in their account
as to the way in which Gian Giacomo became master of Musso,
has been shown by Susta (Pius IV., 12) to be a fable, though of
very ancient date, since it appears in Mocenigo, 50.
^ Cf. BuRCKHARDT, Kultur der Renaissance, I^"., 29 and 181,
Leipsic, 1908, the latter dealing with Gian Giacomo's relations
with Aretino.