Francis I

King Francis I used to brag about taking advantage of this fact to corner Francesco Taberna, ambassador for Francesco Sforza, the duke of Milan, and a man known to be a skillful communicator.

It comes as no surprise that he was recalled, having fouled up so miserably under King Francis’s keen nose.

When Pope Julius II sent an ambassador to the king of England,to encourage him to turn against King Francis,and after the ambassador made his case, the king of England had no answer for him.

Things turned out differently in Marseille, however, when Pope Clement met with King Francis.

In the expedition of the Emperor Charles V into Provence, King Francis was put to choose either to go meet him in Italy or to await him in his own dominions;

What we have here is rather an apology for King Francis, against the Emperor Charles V, than history.

In fine, whoever has a mind to have a perfect knowledge of King Francis and the events of his reign, let him seek it elsewhere, if my advice may prevail.

for my father, who governed it fifty years and upward, inflamed with the new ardor with which Francis the First embraced letters, and brought them into esteem, with great diligence and expense hunted after the acquaintance of learned men, receiving them into his house as persons sacred, and that had some particular inspiration of divine wisdom;

A prince, not long ago, told me that in his youth upon a solemn festival in the court of King Francis I, where everybody was finely dressed, he would needs put on his father’s hair shirt, which was still kept in the house;