Humiliati

Written at Lodi, January 3rd, 1560 we dwell particularly on the pride and pleasure that at this period of his life the young count took in his ancient lineage in order to accentuate the deep humility that was so marked a trait in his character in after years it would certainly have seemed incredible to him then if a prophet had foretold that in a few short years the sign of an illustrious house the haughty noble would for the love of christ divest himself of all things and renounce his benefices which having he was great and casting away greater he not only did this but he ruthlessly turned out from the duomo of milan the beards of the dukes of that city they had hitherto been suspended in the apse between columns but the saintly ascetic would have none of them he reformed away all these superb dead visconti and sforza and he also banished the noisy life of the city that had found its way like the jews of jerusalem of old into the house of god making a mart for worldly affairs buying selling and trafficking even in the sacred precincts thus the austere reformer banished all that was not pure and sacred from the cathedral at the time of which we write charles had not shown signs of the wonderful sanctity extreme austerity and devout zeal for god's glory that afterwards distinguished him in so marked a degree he was it is true a good and practical catholic but he was also a haughty noble proud of his ancient name and intensely pleased not only at the new lustre the election of his uncle to the see of st peter would confer upon his family but also quite alive to the material advantages he and his brother were likely to enjoy as nephews of the new pontiff when pious the fourth created him cardinal deacon grand penitentiary secretary of state and administrator of the see of milan he gladly accepted these dignities soon afterwards he was nominated legate of bologna Romagno, and Ancona, protected Portugal, part of Germany, and of the Catholic cantons of Switzerland.

The orders of Carmel and of the Humiliati, of the canons regular of the Holy Cross of Coimbra, the Knights of St. John, of Jerusalem, of Malta, and of the Holy Cross of Christ, were also placed under his protection, and at that period the dignity of protector of a religious order entailed grave responsibilities.

decidedly count charles was overwhelmed with honour and wealth and the wonder is not that their splendour dazzled his eyes but that he did not sink hopelessly beneath their weight and become an arrogant self-sufficient priest or clergyman yet though he apparently led a life of ostentation and luxury surrounded by a princely train of retainers and dependants sumptuously installed in a magnificent palace in the midst of all this pride of life this pomp and circumstance of high position charles never forgot but always practised the duties of a devout christian every day he spent a considerable time in prayer and meditation he assisted at holy mass and frequently received the sacraments of penance and the eucharist the desire to enter the sacred ministry grew upon him when quite a young lad he had received the tonsure and later on minor orders and it was understood in the family that he would probably one day be ordained in the solitude of his own apartment he lifted his soul to god praying the holy ghost to enlighten and direct him begging for guidance in the splendid thorny path it was his destiny to tread and imploring that the grace of the sacrament of holy orders might be given him and that the almighty might deem him worthy to serve him as a minister of his gospel nor did he omit in the midst of all the pomp of place and power to practice constant mortification and even severe corporal penances Yet, to a certain extent, he reveled in this outward show, and he certainly took advantage of his exalted position to arrange advantageous marriages for his brother and sisters.

Count Frederick espoused in 1560 Virginia de la Rovere, the daughter of the Duke of Urbino, in every respect a most desirable match, and about the same time his sister Camilla married Cesare Gonzaga, Prince of Mantua.