Alexander the inuestiture of the realme of Naples and prouision was made for recouerey of Rome and thother landes of the churche whiche within shorte time was broughte to passe ¶ Finally Lewys conducted an army out of France and augmentyng it with the Florentine and bishop of Romes powers entred the realme where in plaine battaile he so discomfited Ladislaus that if Lewys had knowen howe to vse his victorie he mighte haue had Ladislaus in his handes and also the whole realme as Ladislaus talkyng of this battaile was wonte to saie the firste daie saied Ladislaus if thei had folowed it thei might haue been lordes bothe of my realme and person the seconde daie of the realme but not of my person and the thyrde daie nother of my realme nor person For the leysure that Ladislaus had after this discomfiture serued hym so to fortifie the passages that Lewys notwithstandyng his victorie was faine to retyre to Rome and so backe into Fraunce By reason wherof Ladislaus remainyng quiete in his astate disposed him selfe of new to recouer Rome and partly by intelligence partly by force did so puttyng to sacke onely the Florentines gooddes that he founde there And at last sickened in Perugia some saie of a feuer some saie of poyson so that he died whan he had reigned .29 yeres And leâ—uyng none issue of his owne body the realme descended to his sister Iohan Da Durazzo ¶ Thue Iohan late Duchesse of Sterlich atteined the realme without impediment by reason of .xvi. thousand horsemen that serued hir brother at his deathe with good capitains as Sforza da Corigniola gli Aâ—â—endoli lacopuccio and diuers others But becaâ—se she was somewhat noted for keepyng companie with a goodly yonge man named Pandolfello whom she made hir chaÌ„berlaine hir barons persuaded hir to marie so that she toke to husbande Iames of Nerbona in Proâ—ance than Erle de La Marca in Italie vppon condicion that he shuld in no wyse take on hym the title of kyng But he was not longe maried till by comfort of the barons he toke the kyngly name vpon hym and caused Pandolfello to lose his head vsyng Sforza vâ—raie hardly and all thoroughe the instigacion of Iulio Caesar da Capuaâ— who therfore by the quenes policie lost his heade ¶ And thoughe the Erle Iames suspectyng his wyfes courage woulde not suffre hir to goe out of the Castell where thei laie yet at last with lowly behauiour growyng out of suspicion with hir housbande she had libertee to goe so often abroade into the towne of Naples that finally she made a conspyracie against him and gat hym into prison reignyng afterwardes hir selfe alone Than toke the Iohn Caracciolo to be hir hygh steward whom she loued more than enough so that by hym all thynges were gouerned And vpon contencion betwene hym and Sforza who was in maner as a generall amongest the men of warre the Queene defied Sforza Muche a dooe there was but at length Sforza was reconsiled and the stewarde banished And partly thorough the bishoppe of Romes intercession the Erle Iames was deliuered out of prison restored to the Quenes fauour But for all that not long after the Erle Iames beganne to worke against Sforza who perceiuing it founde the meane to bringe the steward home againe and therby not onely purchased the Quenes fauour but also brought the mattier so to passe that the Erle Iames fledde into Fraunce became an heremite and there died After whose departure by commission of the bishop of Rome Queene Iohan was crowned in Naples but er the yere was ended the Queene loste the bishops fauour and banished Sforza who by the bishops procurement became capitaine vnder Lewis the .iii. Duke of Angio than newly entitled kynge of Naples and reysyng an armie camped before Naples abydyng the comyng of Duke Lewys who with an other armie arriued there ¶ This meane whyle Queene Iohan seeyng the power of hir enemy Duke Lewis to be to stronge for hir alone practised with kyng Alfonse of Aragone to accepte hym as hir sonne to enherite the realme after hir and therof made sufficient writing with deliuerey of two strong Castelles in Naples Castell Nouo and Castell di Louo that in king Alfonse name were receiued as a pledge of possession Whervpon kyng Alfonse in person with a great armie by sea came to Naples and thâ—re fought with the Duke Lewys and his Capitaine Sforza And though fortune for a tyme was fauourable to Duke Lewys yet at length through practise and lacke of money Sforza became the Queenes man so that Lewys was fayne to leaue the enterprise and drawe to Rome by reason wherof the Queene with Alfonse remained in peace till discorde fell betweene theim The fyrst occasion was because the proclamacions were made in the Quenes name without any mencion of Alfonse which moued the barons of Aragone to conceiue a great dishonour that a kyng of suche reputacion shoulde lie there in that astate So muche grew this mattier that at last kyng Alfonse toke the Quenes best beloued steward prisoner and besieged the Queene How be it Sforza hauyng receiued hir letters came streight to Naples fought with Alfonse power had the better hand entred into Naples and conueighed the Queene awaie with hym Wherfore kyng Alfonse augmented his power and after harde feight with Sforza recouered Naples streignyng the realme so muche that by counsaile of Sforza the Queene finally agreed with Duke Lewys and adopted hym for hir soonne and heyre by whose meanes Naples was recouered againe to the Queenes vse And so .x. yeres after the Quene and Duke Lewys reigned in peace and than died bothe The queene by hir testament lefte the realme to Raynolde Duke of Lorraine brother to the foresaied Lewys Thus ended the successioÌ„ of Charles of Angio first king of that hous ¶ Whether the Queenes testamente were feygned or true it was vncerteine For incontinently vppon hir death the citee of Naples ordeined amonge theim a common wealth and made no mencion of any testament vntill they saw plainely that the bishop of Rome went about to bringe theim vnder hym Than they not onely publisshed Raynolde to be theyr kynge but also sent for him to come and receiue the possession of the realme ¶ This meane while in the warres betwene Englande and Fraunce Raynolde hapned to be taken prisoner so that he coulde not come to Naples Than kynge Alfonse came into the realme through intelligence that he had with many of the nobles and besiegeyng the towne of Gaâ—erra than defended by certaine Genowaies sent thither by Duke Filippo Maria of Myllaine at last fought with the Genowaies army by sea in whiche conflicte were slaine of the kynges part about .5000 and the kynge hym selfe with his .ii. brethren the maister of sainct Iames in Galice dyuers of the greatest princes and barons of Spaine and of knyghtes to the numbre of .200 taken prisoners and all brought to the
appoinâ—tment Alexander came honorablie to Uenice to mete the emperour for a treatie of peace wherby the other historie of the cookish apparaile shoulde seeme vntrewe In effect howe so euer it were there they mette and the emperour in presence of all the people kneled downe to kisse the bishops foote At whiche kissyng some affyrme that the bishop vsed these woordes Super aspidem et Basiliscum ambulabis et conculcabis leonem et draconem And the emperour aunsweared Non tibi sed Petro. wherunto the bishop replied et Petro et mihi Neuerthelesse there they concluded suche a peace that the bishop retourned to Rome and enioyed his place Immediately whervpon he called a counsaile in Laterano in the whiche iiii bishops that sens his fyrst election had been created by the emperour were condemned body and soule ¶ In his tyme Thomas Beckette bishop of Caunterburie was slaine And the kynge of Englande as some write sent ambassadours to this Alexandre protestyng the same to be doen vnknowyng to hym But the bishoppe not credityng the ambassadours sent two Cardinalles into Englande to examine the trouth who compelled the kyng to sweare that he was not giltie of Beckettes death and neuerthelesse they enioigned him in penaunce to sende .200 souldiours to serue an whole yere in Hierusalem and within the terme of .iii. yeres to goe against the infidelles hym selfe to mainteine all the libertees of the churche and to permitte mattiers to be appealed to the courte of Rome ¶ Lucie the .iii. would haue depriued the Romaine Consules of theyr dignitee but the people so resisted that he was faine to flee and as many as were taken of his partie had theyr eies put out Wherefore the bishop went to Verona called a counsaile and there died ¶ Celestine the .iii. enuiyng the succession of Tancredi bastarde sonne of Roger brother to the good kyng William of Sicile called into Italie Henrie the .vi. than elected Caesar â–ª And after he had crowned him emperour in Rome toke Constantia a Nonne out of hir cloysâ—er and because of the Normanes royall bloud maried hir to this emperour endowyng him and hir bothe with the titles of the realmes of Naples and Sicile and so transferred the Napolitane astate from the Norman succession to the Germains wherof there folowed great bloudshedyng ¶ Innocence the .iii. because Philip Duke of Sueuia sonne vnto Barbarossa was chosen emperour against his will not onely excommunicated him but also caused Otho the .iiii. to be elected and crowned hym in Rome ¶ This bishop contendyng with the forenamed Philip was wont to saie either shall Philip take from me my myter or I from hym his crowne ¶ Otho had not longe enioyed the crowne but the bishop with his excoÌ„municacions made his princes to forsake hym and he the emperour hym selfe to forsake Italie because he had moued warres against the church and gotten Montefiascone and Radicofano entendyng also to inuade the realme of Naples than belongyng to younge Frederike sonne of Henry the .vi. who by his parentes was committed to the bishops protection ¶ Finally he deposed Otho and named this Frederike emperour Wherof there folowed so sharpe warres that at length whan Frederike had afterwardes receiued the crowne of Honorius the .iii. the Romaine bishops persecuted Frederike and he them ¶ This Innocence beeyng of the familie of Conti in Rome builded a notable fayre toure of bricke there whiche yet is to be seen called La torre d' i Conti. ¶ Honorius the .iii. crowned Frederike the .ii. emperour and after excoÌ„municated him for what cause I can not tell ¶ Gregory the .ix. did likewise excoÌ„municate the emperour because he wolde not at his appoinctment goe into Asia againste the infidelles Afterwardes he assâ—yled him vpon his humble submission at Anagnia for .120 thousand ounces of golde payed by the emperour ¶ Than fell he in contencion with the Romayns for the tribute of the territories about the citie whiche the Romayns alledged that the bishops vsurped vpon theyr coÌ„mon wealth And because Frederike fauoured the Romains cause the bishop did excommunicate him againe wherof folowed cruell warres betwene the emperour and the confederate citees of Lumbardie with the battail besides Corte noua where the Mylanese and Lumbardes were so miserablie slaine and theyr Caroccio taken ¶ Than began also the ciuile sedicion of the two parties in Italie Guelfi and Ghibellini that caused so muche mischiefe ¶ The Romayns after they had ben ones by force subdued of this bishop began to rebell agayn For the pacifiyng wherof the bishop caryed about saincte Peters and Paules heades in procession and so quyeted the people ¶ Finallie beyng hardly handled by the emperour Frederike who had taken diuers legates cardinalles and prelates prisoners in theyr comyng to Rome he died for sorowe ¶ Innocence the iiii before he was elected bishop was verie friende to the emperour Frederike but after he became so mortall enemy vnto him that they ceased not the one to persecute the other as longe as they liued not withstandyng that principally for respecte of his olde amitee with the emperour Innocence was elected bishop And the emperour againste this election set at libertee diuers cardinalles that he had taken prisoners in the warres betwene hym and Gregorie the .ix. ¶ This Innocence was occasion of the great discomfiture that Frederike had before Parma and yet was the auctoritie of the Romains so great in his later dais that he durst not come in Rome ¶ He firste ordeined the Cardinalles to ryde with redde hattes and went to the citee of Naples entendyng to haue conquered the realme where trauaylyng to sette foorthe an armie he died ¶ Urbane the .iiii. seyng the armie prepared of Innocence discomfited by Manfredo than gouernour of the realme of Naples and him selfe vnhable to resist bothe Manfredos power and the Romayns also that newelie had recouered theyr libertee practised with the Frenche kyng that Charles Duke of Angiowe might come to conquere Naples and Sicile but he died er his purpose coulde take effect ¶ Clement the .iiii. folowyng the practise of Vrbane receiued the forenamed Duke Charles that came with .30 galeys from Marsiles to Rome and there created hym Senatour Whiche office he exercised for a tyme. Afterwardes he inuested him kyng of Naples and of Sicile vpon condicion he should holde it of the churche in fee paiyng tribute yerelie .40000 ducketes and by this meane broughte the Frenchemen to warre agaynste Manfredo In whiche warres Charles preuayled and the Germaine bloud ceased not onely by the deathe of Manfredo slayne in the fielde but also by the death of Corradino the ryght heyre who beeyng taken prisoner through this bishops counsayle was beheaded ¶ After longe contencion amongest the Cardinalles and two yeres vacacion of the see Gregory the .x. was elected bishop He incontinently pacified the warres betwene the Uenetians and Genowaies and called a counsayle in Lyons vnto the whiche the emperour of Greece
all straungers to hym ¶ In conclusion the Frenchemen toke Rauenna with diuers other citees of the bishops whiche they enioyed not longe For the bishop immediately gatte into his league the emperour the kyng of England the Germaines and the Suizers So that the Frenche kynge beyng vexed on all sides was easily constreigned to forgoe his conquestes and dominions in Italie specially through force of the Suizers that vnder the leadyng of theyr Cardinall Sedunese came in great numbre to the bishops seruice who rewarded theim with the title of defendours of the churche and gaue them a gilt sword and an hatte of maintenaunce ¶ Somewhat before his death he established his cousin Francesco Maria Duke of Vrbine ¶ Leo the .x. of the house of Medici a Florentine borne was a pleasant man of nature and gaue him selfe more to humanitee and pleasures of this life than either to religion or to encrease of dominion ¶ He encreased muche the reputacion of his house but because he expulsed by force Francesco Maria Duke of Urbine out of his astate and placed in the same fyrst his brother Iulian and after his nephiew Laurence the worlde accused hym of tyrannie For he attempted to dooe the lyke vnto the Duke of Ferrare but he preuailed not ¶ Some ill was suspected of hym for his to muche delicatenesse in bringyng vp of children and for his opinion of immortalitee ¶ Adrian the .vii. by contencion amongest the Cardinalles happened to be elected reputed of theim for an ignoraunt man though some other had a good opinion bothe of his vertue and learnyng But because his life was nothyng courtely or agreable to the Cardinalles either through gods visitacion or as most men thinke thoroughe theyr poyson practises he was soone dispatched ¶ Clement the .vii. brother vnto Leo the .x. immediately after his election toke parte with the Frenche kyng against the emperour So that whan the frenche king was taken before Pauia the family of Colonna which hath ben alwaies imperiall through helpe of Don Hugo Moncada beganne to warre with the bishop and after diuers subtill practises and persuasions so handled the mattier that they entred into Rome and missed but a little to haue taken the bishop who hearyng the rumour sodeinly fled to Castel Sant ' Angelo Wherfore after the bishop had drawen Don Hugo Moncada to his parte the Colonnesi endured cruell warre to theyr great domage ¶ Than came the Duke of Bourbone who was slaine with the shotte of an handgun from the wallê of Rome â–ª but the emperours armie wherof he was capitaine toke the citee by assault sacked spoyled and burned it and for the space of .xv. daies vsed suche triumph that for theyr passetyme thei woulde make suche Cardinallê and prelates as were theyr prisoners ride scornefully about the towne vpon asses with theyr faces to the tayle and so streictly besieged Clement that he was faine to geue theim .400000 dukates for his raunsome and to yeld the castell into the emperours handes ¶ But within lesse than .iii. yeres after the emperour came him selfe into Italie and hauing made peace with the bishop receiued of hym the imperiall crowne in Bononia with so great triumph and pompe that the like hath not been hearde of in our daies Duryng the whiche there came ambassadours to Clement with letters from Preter IohnÌ„ of great commendacions desyre of amitee and vnion of religion ¶ Before theyr departure from Bononia the emperour graunted the bishop his armie against the Florentines and concluded the mariage of his bastarde daughter to Clementes nephiew Alexander di Medici that afterwardes was Duke of Florence But ere the Florentines would lose theyr libertees they susteigned a notable warre for the space of .xii. monethes ¶ And lyke as by force he oppressed the Florentines so by treason he subdued Ancona For vnder pretence of amitee and counsaile persuadyng them that the Turkes armie by sea was comyng against theim he sent a capitaine of his called Bernardin who with certaine men of warre was receiued into the citee and so vsurped the dominion for the churche ¶ In this bishops tyme happened suche a sodeine rage of water in Rome that the high toures were drowned and a great numbre of people with infinite richesse lost so that the bishop hym selfe had muche adooe to escape it whiche maie well be thought a plage of god sent for the abhominacion that reigneth there ¶ Finally Clement mette with the frenche kynge at Marseiles in Prouaunce and there concluded the mariage that folowed betwene Katherine Clementê neece and Henrie now frenche kyng than but secounde sonne to the frenche kynge Shortly after whose mariage Clement died ¶ Paule the .iii. that now is bishop before the tyme of his election helde hym selfe so indifferent betwene the factions imperiall and frenche that no man could know to whether part he was most inclined ¶ In the beginnyng of his tyme he procured all Christian princes to warre against the Turke so that the emperour that Uenetians and he made an armie by sea vnder the leadyng of Andrea Doria who mette with Barbarossa besydes Corfu but they foughte no battaile though the Christians were more in noumbre and better furnisshed than the Turkes whether Andrea Doria were blame woorthy I can not tell But ones the Uenetian Galeon a notable shippe was lefte alone in the middest of the Turkishe nauie that assaulted hir .iiii. or v. houres and yet at length came cleane awaie in despite of theim all ¶ This bishop went to Nisa in Prouaunce where by his procurement the emperour and frenche kyng mette and concluded a peace whiche dured not longe ¶ Than died the Duke of Urbine Incontinently vpon whose death the bishop made warre to the younge Duke Guido Vbaldo for the state of Camerino and constreigned him for a little summe of money to geue ouer the astate In in whiche the bishoppe establisshed his owne sonne Pietro Aluigi Duke ¶ After this vppon a light occasion the bishoppe made warre to Ascanio Colonna thiefe of that familie and Peter Aluigi beyng generall of the bishops army handled Ascanio Colonna and his adherentes so cruelly that they were faine to abandone theyr owne townes and castelles and to liue in exile as banished men till by the emperours meanes they were restored to the bishops fauour and absolucion ¶ This Paule to exalte his owne bloudde by consent of his Cardinalles exchaunged the Duchie of Camerino with the churche for the citees and territories of Placentia and Parma Wherof he inuested his forenamed son as Duke whose behauiour was suche that he continued not fully two yeres for the nobilitee of the same detestyng his wicked life and tyrannie conspyred against hym and slew hym in his owne house in Placentia yeldyng that citee the next daie into the emperours handes ¶ The bishop sent a fayre armie bothe of horsemen and footemen to succcour the emperour in his enterprise against the Germaines and made his sonnes sonne called the
Placentine of whiche there perished at one time with the fall of an holow banke aboue 50. persons so that what with one thyng and what with an other beyng also a man knowen full of abhominacion in all kinde of vices and specially in the vnnaturall in conclusion he became hated of all men insomuche that the Conte Giouanni Aguzzolo and the Conte Augustino di Pallauicini with certaine of theyr kynne and friendes conspired against hym and at theyr tyme appoincted findyng hym with a small garde in his owne hous in Plancense slew him hangyng afterwardê the deade body out at a window for a spectacle vnto the people ¶ Finally these gentilmen foreseeyng the daunger that for this doyng might folowe vnto them in case the state shoulde continue of the churche practised before with Don Ferrando Gonzaga to see whether he wolde backe them by receiuyng the stronge citee of Placense vnto the emperours behoufe so that beyng at a poinct with him the mattier was so handled that the nexte night after the Dukes death there were secretly receiued into the towne .800 of the emperours men and so the citee wonne without stroke strickyng ¶ All the money plate iewelles and stuffe that coulde be founde of the Dukes to the value of .30000 crownes and vpwardes were diuided amongest the confederates and the Conte Giouanni Aguzzolo who kylled the Duke his owne handes allowed by the emperour .20 men for his garde ¶ Finally the bishop of Rome being hereof aduertised incontinently caused Parma to be fortified and furnished with men of warre and tempted by corrupcion of money to haue had one of the gates of Placense deliuered hym by nighte but his practise was discouered and certaine Spaniardes therfore taken and hanged And euer sens for more than this halfe yere the emperours power vpon the Placentine and the bishoppes on the Parmesane haue kept diligent watche and warde loking euery houre for open warre What it woull proue to he best knoweth that gouerneth all ¶ Of the astate of Urbine THe citee of Urbine standeth almoste on the toppe of the Appeâ—yne hylles in maner betwene the marke of Ancona Tuscane the people wherof as Plinie writeth haue ben surnamed Metaurensi and it seemeth to haue taken name of Vrbes Binae two townes For who that well considereth the proporcion of it shall iudge by the miter facion therof that it hath been two townes ioigned together and the middell whiche is a holow descent betwene two hillê is the sklenderest part of the citee ¶ The Dukes palaice is a verie faire house but not so excellent as the Conte Baldasar in his Courtisane doeth commende it ¶ The Dukes dominion is two citees Vrbine and Pesaro his reuenew passeth not .60000 crownes by the yere But his auncestours for the most parte serued other astates as the Duke that now is also doth wherby they kepte muche greatter portes than their owne habilitee wolde beare ¶ Amongest other this Dukes father builded an house within a mile of Pesaro called Imperiale whiche in mine opinion is one of the best deuised litle thynges that may lightly be founde It standeth on the syde of an hyll and hath prospect bothe to the citee and to all the valey it hath many fine little chambers goodly open vaultes and excellent faire fountaines But that whiche most of all pleased myne eye was that being of a great height you may out of the highest gardeine â—yde about on the toppe of the house which is very faire paued with bricke and railed on bothe sides with fine pillers and railes of white marble ¶ As for the edificacion of Urbine or other notable memory before the yere .1345 I finde nothyng mete to be written At whiche time by reason of the variaunce betwene bishop Clement of Rome and the emperour Lewis of Bauarie who to make their parties stronge made diuers new lordes in Italy Galasso di Montefeltro was made vicare for the emperour in the citees of Urbine and Eugenio against the bishop of Rome and his adherentes in whiche his succession continued enheritours vnto the yere .1444 that Federike after made Duke obteigned the astate The occasion wherof was that Guido Conte di Vrbino hauyng no heire male by his firste wife feigned that he had gotten a Concubine with childe and so secretly toke the sonne of his nere kinnesman Bernardino della Corda whiche euen than was newly borne and namyng it Federike caused it to be nourished as his owne ¶ Not longe after his wife died and mariyng agayne engendred a sonne named Oddo who in deede succeded the father in his astate But he was so viciouse of liuyng and so busie with gentilmens wifes that in a sodein rumour of the people he was slaine and a Protonotary called Carpesiano with him ¶ Wherupon this Federike the putatiue sonne by the whole voice of the people was elected their prince who in his youthe had ben verie well brought vp specially in feates of armes in the exercise wherof he loste one of his eyes ¶ This Federike was not onely valiaunte but also verie well learned and so happie a man that in his tyme he was generall of .viii. seuerall armies and died capitaine of the Uenetians armie in the fielde before Ferrara ¶ The bishop of Rome for his worthinesse made hym Duke the kyng of Englande not onely gaue him money but also made hym of the Garter For whiche curtesy all Englishe men haue a certaine priuilege of freedome in his dominion and the Frenche kyng made him also of his order Besides that there was none astate in Italy but that at one tyme or other presented hym with some worthy gifte ¶ And aboue all the rest his fidelitee seemeth to me most worthy of commendacion For whan Francesco Sforza was forsaken of all his other friendes and pursued with 20000. men he onely receiued him and therby putte him selfe and his whole astate in ieopardy which he determined rather to lose than to seeme an vnfaithfull friende and in effecte mainteigned Sforza till time serued him to recouer ¶ After the death of Federike his sonne Guido Vbaldo of the age of .xii. yeres succeded who reigned quietly about .xxi. yeres till the comyng of Valentino Borgia sonne of Alexandre the .vi. bishop of Rome that fyrst by suche crafte gatte the astate into his handê that Guido Vbaldo was faine to flee disguised in plowmans clothyng Neuerthelesse through the good will of his subiectes he recouered his astate in shorte tyme againe But Ualentines force was suche that at length this Duke toke suche treasure as he had and fledde to the Marques of Mantua whose sister he had maried there diyng without issue ended the house of Montefeltro that had reigned in Urbine the space of .157 yeres ¶ Valentino Borgia helde it but a verie smalle space for shortly after his fathers death Iulie the seconde bishop of Rome persecuted him and brought the house of Borgia to naughtes and thervpon gaue
¶ The historie of Italie a boke excedyng profitable to be redde Because it intreateth of the astate of many and diuers common weales how thei haue ben now be gouerned ANNO DOMINI M. D. XLIX TB The contentes of this boke THe descripcion of Italie ¶ Of the astate of Italie in generall ¶ Abbrigement of the astate of Italie from the beginnyng vntill the Romaine empire was vtterly diuided ¶ The descripcion of Rome and of the meruailouse antiquitees there ¶ Of the present astate of Rome ¶ Abbrigement of the liues of the Romaine bishoppes ¶ The Uenetian astate and the order of their common weale ¶ The descripcion of Naples ¶ The Historie of Naples ¶ The descripcion of Florence ¶ The astate of Florence ¶ The descripcion of Genoa ¶ The astate of Genoa ¶ The descripcion of Millayne ¶ The astate of Millayne ¶ The astate of Mantua ¶ The astate of Ferrara ¶ The astate of Placentia and Parma ¶ The astate of Urbine ¶ To the right honourable and mine especiall good lorde IohnÌ„ Erle of Warrewike Uisconte Lisle knight of the most noble ordre of the Garter lorde great chambrelaine and highe admyrall of Englande THough many wise and lerned men haue so substancially set foorth the infinite coÌ„modities that grow of the readyng of histories that my wittes can not atteigne to a small part of the due commendacion therof Yet seeyng my trauaile at this present hath been to publishe vnto our owne nacion in our mother tounge the dooynges of straungers and specially of the Italian nacion whiche semeth to flourisshe in ciuilitee moste of all other at this daie me thought I coulde no lesse dooe for the incourageyng of theim that shall take this boke in hande than partely reherse what profite thei maie gather by trauailyng therin First thei shall see vpon what little beginnyng many great astates haue risen and how thei that haue had the power to rule by vsyng their auctoritees well and prudently haue merited immortall fame of honour and preise and by vsyng tyrannie and ill gouernaunce haue contrariwise borne eternall sklaunder and shame It encourageth the vertuouse men by the exaumples that thei reade to encreace in vertue and nobilitee and sheweth the viciouse what the fruite of their abuses are and how naughtie dooynges haue moste commonly naughtie endyng It moueth the noble prince to mainteigne peace and iustice and sheweth the tyraâ—ne what plagues folow of warre and crueltee and that though his tyrannie passe vnplagued in this worlde whiche hapneth seldome yet shall his name be hated and cursed in all ages and amongest all nacions as Nero Heliogabalus and suche other princes be It sheweth also howe mutable fortune is and howe that whiche hath been gotten with extreeme peines vnmeasurable expences and vnreasonable effusion of bloudde hath ben loste in a moment and that commonly he that hath conquered most in warre at the beste is yet a loser and finally that of diuision either amongest the nobilitee or the commons there ensueth vtter destruction of realmes and subuercion of common wealthes Wherunto there is none so great a minister as the alteracion of auncient lawes and customes ¶ All these thynges with infinite moe histories dooe so set foorth to the eies of princes if thei reade theim well that their hertes shal be more enclined with peace and iustice to enriche their subiectes and therby procure theim selfes glorie than by murtheryng of innocentes rauishyng of honest wiues and maidens burnyng spoilyng and destruction of countreis whiche are the effectes of warre to make theim selfes conquerours of that thei can not longe enioie For surely more preise shall that prince deserue that leaueth his realme quiete and welthie vnto his successour than he that for the conquest of other countreis enpouerissheth and disturbeth his owne ¶ And because this little woorke declareth bothe these extremitees as well what a numbre of beautifull citees haue been edified and what great countreis haue been enriched by peace and concorde as also how many goodly thynges and wonderfull regions haue been destroied by striefe and warre Therfore woulde I wishe all noble men to reade it to the ende thei maie hereof take occasion so honourablie to spende their life time that after their death thei maie shine in fame for euer ¶ And knowyng your lordshippe for your excellent feates of chiualrie bothe by sea and lande to be suche a one as is hable to iudge whether mine opinion be good or not like as your wonderfull knowlage in ciuile orders hath made you woorthie to be no lesse esteemed excellent in counsaile than as you haue been tried a moste valiaunt capitaine in the warres I therfore coulde finde none to whom I might so woorthily dedicate my little trauaile as to you Most humblie besechyng your lordeship to accepte it at my poore handes as the giefte of him that wisheth you all health and honour At London the .xx. daie of September 1549. Your good lordeshippes most humble at commaundement William Thomas ¶ The descripcion of Italie ITalie conteigneth in length from Augusta Pretoria vnto Otranto .1020 miles and in breadth from the riuer Varo in Prouance to the riuer Arsia in Friuli whiche is the brodest place 410. miles and in the narowe places as frome the mouthe of Pescara to the mouthe of Tyber .126 miles So that to compasse it by sea from Varo to Arsia are .3038 miles whiche with the .410 miles by lande maketh the whole circuite to be .3448 miles Thus it appeareth that it is almost an ilande closed on the east side with the sea Adriaticum and on the southe and weast with the sea Tirrhenum whiche is a parte of the great sea Mediterraneum And from the North it hath the mightiest mountaines of all Europe called Alpes whiche diuideth it from all other regions ¶ The facion as Plinie descriueth it is like vnto an oken leefe with the stalke but it endeth in maner of the Amazones targatte ¶ It hath a verie temperate and wholesome ayre fertile fieldes pleasaunt hilles batfull pastures shadowyng wooddes plentie of all kinde of trees and groues haboundaunce of corne vines and oliues good wouliê fayre cattaile and so many springes fountaines lakes riuers and hauens that it is an open lappe to receiue the trade of all countreys and as it were to offre all men helpe it semeth willingly to put it selfe into the sea ¶ It lieth betwene the .vi. houre and the first of the winter in maner halfe waie betweene the Equinoctiall and the Pole betwene I saie the heate of the sonne and the colde of the northe For the citee of Bononia where the great resorte of scholers from all nacions is wonte to be standeth almost in the hert of Italie and hath in his eleuacion .44 degrees so that diuidyng the quarter from the Equinoctiall to the Septentrion into .90 accordyng to the rule of Cosmographie and takyng the one halfe therof whiche is .45 the difference is little to proue
the Christian princê and powers and vnited them in an enterprise against the Turkes but his purpose could not take place ¶ Urbane the .v. sent Giles a Spaniarde as his legate into Italie whiche Giles with helpe of the other Italian princes so sore oppressed the house of Visconti that it was lyke to haue been destroied had not the kinges of Englande Fraunce and Cypres by theyr ambassadours procured a peace ¶ This Urbane withal his court went to Rome where after longe serche as they write he founde the heades of saincte Peter and Paule ¶ Finally returnyng into Fraunce he died by the waie of poyson as some thynke ¶ Gregorie the .xi. remoued the seate of his bishoprike from Auignion to Rome after it hadde been holden in Fraunce .70 yeres Some saie he did it because of the cruell warres that were amonge the princê and lordes of Italie whiche was ascribed to the bishoppe of Romes absence for theyr residence there staied the Italian nacion in peace ¶ Some saie he did it vpon a checke geuen hym by a bishop that was his familiare whom he asked why he was not resident vpon his bishoprike as the Canon lawes commaunded Wherunto the bishop answeared And why holy father are not you resident vpon yours But what so euer the occasion was he conueighed hym selfe with all his court from Auignion to Rome where of the Romaines and clergie he was receiued with Iubilate ¶ After whan he had pacified most parte of the Italian princê because the Florentines would neither be entreated nor refourmed by excommunicacion he made warre against theim and duryng the same died of the stone ¶ In his tyme IohnÌ„ Acton with .v. or .vi. thousande englishe horsemen sought the aduenture of the warres in Italie and fyrst serued the citesins of Pisa against the Florenâ—â—nes than the Visconti against the churche in whiche seruice he was taken prisoner but afterwardes the bishop of Rome made him his generall whilest the bishop laie in Fraunce And than did IohnÌ„ Acton gette the townes of Faenza and Bagnacauallo wherof he sold one to the Marques of Este for .20000 crownes and the other he kept to hym selfe But whan the bishop was come to Rome and had not so rewarded hym as he deserued he forsoke the bishop and was made generall of the Florentines Under whom he serued verie honourablie with suche a numbre of our nacion both horsemen and footemen that all Italie feared him and glad was that prince that myght reteigne hym For in all his enterprises he behaued hym selfe so woorthyly that the Florentines after his death buried hym honourablie in theyr cathedrall churche as a singuler defender of theyr common wealth ¶ Urbane the .vi. was elected by .xvii. Cardinalles wherof .xiii. were frenchemen that would faine haue chosen a bishop of theyr owne nacion But for feare of the people that cried a Romaine or an Italian they consented to this election and did honour Urbane the space of .iii. monethes and more ¶ The season than waxyng hote they desyred licence to goe abroade into the realme of Naples where by maintenaunce of Queene Iohan .viii. of the frenche Cardinalles elected a new bishop of their owne nacion namyng hym Clement the .vii. wherof folowed a great Schisme For Germanie Italie and Hungarie held with Urbane and the other realmes with Clement So that Urbane beyng of nature a cruell man to make his partie the stronger called Charles Durace out of Hungarie to conquere Naples from Queene Iohan. ¶ This Clement vpon displeasure depriued Charles gaue the title of the realme of Naples to Lewys Duke of Aâ—giowe who with a puissant armie of frenchemen entred into Italie purposyng not onely to expell Charles but also to take Peters mantel from Urbane but he prospered not For after he had made warre in Puglia about .xii. monethes at last he was slaine in battaile Wherof Urbane waxed so proude that because Charles kyng of Naples wolde not consent to make his nephiew prince of Campania he did excommunicate hym and if his power had been equall to his will had deposed him of his crowne But Charles handled the bishop so streictely that he was faine to flee to Genoa In whiche iourney he sacked .v. of his Cardinalles and threw theim into the sea and caused two other to be baken to poudre cariyng theyr asshes in sackes vpon moyles before hym for a terrour to the rest ¶ After this Charles death he retourned to Rome and did as muche as in him laie to destroie Charles children Wherin he preuailed not but rather procured him selfe a great daunger if he had not preuented his mischiefe with creatyng of .xxix. Cardinalles wherof .xxvi. were Napolitanes And finally by most opinions he was poysoned and died in Rome to the peoples great contentacion that for his crueltee muche abhorred hym ¶ Boniface the .ix. of .xxx. yeres of age succeded him whiche had not ben seen before And because he woulde bridle the Romaines from the libertee that the people had vsed many yeres in chosyng of theyr officers he absented him selfe with his courte from Rome and laie at Ascisa so that whan the yere of Iubiley came the Romains could by no meane get him to Rome till thei had promised to renounce theyr libertees vnto hym whiche sens that time thei could neuer recouer For incontinently as he was entred into the citee he made Castel Sant ' Angelo so strong that it hath ben and shal be a continuall bridle to the people and a great staie against emperours ¶ This bishop ordeyned the Annates that all spirituall promocions shoulde paie to the churche of Rome halfe a yeres value at euery chaunge whiche decre toke place in all realmes sauyng in Englande For the kynge and his barons woulde suffre none other but bishops to be bounde to this Annates ¶ In his tyme the yere before the Iubiley a certaine priest passed the mountaines into Italie clothed in lynnen who drew a worlde of people after hym called the white company persuadyng them that a certaine crucifixe whiche he caried before theim did many tymes weepe All the daie longe they shoulde trauaile on theyr iourney and at nyght lyke beastê lie theim downe wheras the daie light failed theim But the bishoppe fearyng this multitude as they were comyng towardê Rome sent men of warre against theim dispersed the company and brought the priest to Rome where for his abusion he was burned After whose death partely through this fonde assemblie and partely throughe the great resorte of people to Rome for the Iubiley there folowed a wonderfull great pestilence ouer all Italy ¶ About this tyme Crisolora a Constantinopolitane reuiued the Greeke letters in Italie where thei had not been vsed .500 yeres before ¶ And like as this Boniface succeded Urbane in Rome euen so did one Peter Luna succede Clement in Auignion and was called Benedict the .xiii. ¶ Innocence gouerned the Romaines with so muche tirannie that they openly murmured