Once, in the fall of the year 1433, Pope Eugenius, accompanied by the pompous Cardinal Angelotto, arrived in the city of Florence. There, the pontiff agreed to interview a youth who had impressed many prominent citizens of that place with a profound wisdom well beyond his eleven years.
For several hours the Pope conversed with the prodigy until he was also overwhelmed with the child’s intelligence. At last the Pope sent for Cardinal Angelotto and asked his opinion:
"If this boy possesses an intellect of such magnitude as it seems to me," observed the Pope, "he could go far in the service of the Church."
The Cardinal, who took no pleasure in discovering something or someone new that might someday challenge his authority, hesitated and then muttered,
"I will question him."
"Now," Angelotto began, as he addressed the boy, "I shall put to you several questions in the areas of theology, logic, mathematics, astronomy, and history. You will answer each question within five seconds of the asking."
He then commenced an intensive examination that he hoped would result in the boy’s immediate dismissal. The youth confounded him, however, by answering each of the difficult questions promptly and correctly. At length the Cardinal surrendered, but not without one last stratagem.
"Holiness," he began, once more addressing the Pope, "It may be that this boy his a genius, but I have found that children of such great mind gradually lose their cleverness as they grow older until, when they are of mature age, they finally become stupid."
The Pope addressed the boy and asked,
"What do you have to say to that?"
"Your Eminence," replied the boy, "Cardinal Angelotto must have been much smarter than I when he was a boy ..."
- Poggio Bracciolini (1380 - 1459)