He founded the knightly Order of S.Peter to replenish his treasury, and turned the conspiracy of the Cardinal Petrucci against his life to such good account--extorting from the Cardinal Riario a fine of 5,000 ducats, and from the Cardinals Soderini and Hadrian the sum of 125,000--that Von Hutten was almost justified in treating the whole of that dark business as a mere financial speculation.

The creation of thirty-nine Cardinals in 1517 brought him in above 500,000 ducats.

Yet, in spite of these expedients for getting gold, the bankers of Rome were half ruined when he died.

The Bini had lent him 200,000 ducats; the Gaddi, 32,000; the Ricasoli, 10,000; the Cardinal Salviati claimed a debt of 80,000; the Cardinals Santi Quattro and Armellini, each 150,000.[1] These figures are only interesting when we remember that the mountains of gold which they denote were squandered in aesthetic sensuality.
When the Pope was made, he said to Giuliano (Duke of Nemours): 'Let us enjoy the Papacy since God has given it us--_godiamoci il Papato, poiche Dio ce l' ha dato_.[2]' It was in this spirit that Leo administered the Holy See.

The keynote which he struck dominated the whole society of Rome.