, ▁shortly ▁after ▁his ▁return , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁clever ▁but ▁exceed ingly ▁sc urr il ous ▁sat ires ▁on ▁the ▁Roman ▁Cur ia ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁powerful ▁house ▁of ▁the ▁Bar ber ini , ▁held ▁together ▁by ▁the ▁frame ▁story ▁expressed ▁in ▁its ▁title , ▁Il ▁Cor ri ero ▁s val igi ato ▁(" The ▁Post - boy ▁Rob bed ▁of ▁his ▁Bag "). ▁In ▁this ▁nov ella ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 1 , ▁four ▁cour ti ers ▁read ▁and ▁comment ▁on ▁a ▁post - bag ▁of ▁letters ▁that ▁their ▁noble ▁master ▁has ▁ordered ▁st olen ▁from ▁a ▁cou rier , ▁which ▁include ▁some ▁political ▁ones ▁written ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁governor ▁of ▁Milan . ▁The ▁basis ▁of ▁his ▁story ▁allowed ▁Pal lav ic ino ▁to ▁express ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁diver gent ▁opinions , ▁which ▁included ▁those ▁critical ▁of ▁contemporary ▁r ul ers ▁in ▁Italy , ▁who ▁included ▁Pope ▁Urban ▁VIII ▁Bar ber ini , ▁" the ▁bar ber ▁who ▁cut ▁the ▁be ard ▁of ▁Christ "; ▁the ▁Jes uits , ▁who ▁were ▁attempting ▁to ▁mon opol ize ▁all ▁education ▁and ▁intellectual ▁life ; ▁the ▁Roman ▁In quisition , ▁which ▁ru ined ▁publish ers ▁through ▁its ▁pro sec utions ; ▁and ▁the ▁Spanish , ▁who ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁occupied ▁parts ▁of ▁Italy . ▁" The ▁only ▁powers ▁to ▁escape ▁condem n ation ▁in ▁the ▁letters ", ▁according ▁to ▁Mu ir , ▁" w ere ▁the ▁val i ant ▁republic s , ▁Gen oa , ▁Lu cca , ▁and ▁especially