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

4l6 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
in his account by the public opinion which was often very
strong in the Curia, and by his own relations with his patron,
Cardinal Alessandro Farnese.
The first edition of the Vita Pii IV. of Panvinio appeared
in 1562 as an appendix to the new edition of Platina issued
by the Cologne editor, Maternus Cholinus.^ This very
brief sketch (p. 340-342) the mere embryo of the later biog-
raphy, went as far as the end of 1561 ; it is all rather colourless,
and at times may be altogether discounted on account
of its brevity. Thus, for example, according to this account
we should be led to believe that Cardinal Medici remained
in Rome daring the whole of the pontificate of Paul IV.
Although it does not lack the usual words of praise, of which
the humanist writers were never sparing, it is nevertheless
very far from being a panegyric. According to all appearances
the thing was much felt at the Papal court. Above all it
was bound to cause talk that a point so well known and
discussed as the Florentine origin of the Medici of Milan
was passed over in silence. As far as other defects were
concerned, the haste used in its composition might have been
urged as an excuse, but this omission implied an attack
on the upstart. It is not difficult to understand what led
Panvinio to act in this way. He who had had relations with
the new Pope while he was still a Cardinal, found himself
disappointed in his ambitious expectations when the Cardinal
had been raised to the supreme dignity.^ Susta (p. 161)
conjectures, and not without good grounds, that Panvinio's
relations with Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, whose own
relations with Pius IV. had become strained, helped to prepossess
him against Pius IV. But in court circles, and indeed
with Pius IV. himself, the attitude adopted by Panvinio
could not be a matter of indifference, since an author who
was so popular and gifted exercised a considerable influence
on public opinion. It was thought well to win him over.
Panvinio was given a position in the Vatican Library, with
a monthly salary of ten ducats, in addition to a money present
of 500 ducats.^ He then wrote, with the greatest possible
speed, a new Vita Pii IV. He received from the Pope himself
' Cf. ScHRORS in tho Annalen des Hist. Vereins f iir den Niederrliein,
LXXXV., Cologne, 1908, 150 seq.
^ The 200 scudi given to Panvinio by Pius IV. was considered insufficient
(see Perini, O. Panvinio, Roma, 1899, 24, 219).
' See Perini, 219 ; Merkle, II., cxxvi.