whan thei perceiued an outwarde ennemie than were they inwardly soone agreed and assoone as they were sure of peace abroade incontinently thei warred againe within them selfes Neuerthelesse thei vsed the emperour so well with giftes and fayre woordes that he not onely suffred theim to continue in theyr libertee but also encreased theyr common wealth with a noumbre of priuileges and was occasion that after long contencion with them of Pisa the Genowaies at length enioied quietely the one halfe of Sardegnia whiche before the Pisani had wholly to theim selfes ¶ About this tyme the Souldan of Aegypt gotte Ierusalem and dyuers other citees in Soria out of the Christians handes Wherfore kynge Richarde of Englande and kynge Phillip of Fraunce made their viage into those parties and kynge Richarde arriued at Genoa with .xv. galleys where he taried but one daie After whom the Genowaies sente .80 saile with men and municion to the assiege of Acon or Ptholemaida To the succours of whiche citie the Souldan sent a ship charged with vittaillê and armure and amongest other a cage full of fleeyng serpentes purposely sent to be seâ— foorth in the Christian army that with theyr venim thei might plage it But it was mette by the englishe nauie and taken And the emperour Federike comyng towardes the same enterprise beyng alreadie entred into Soria by mishappe was drowned in a riuer ¶ After whose death his sonne Henrie nexte emperour came to Genoa in his owne person requiring their helpe to the conquest of Sicilia promisyng theim the profite so that he myght haue the honour Whiche so muche enflambed the hertes of the people that they made out a great number of galleis and other vesselles and dyd so muche seruice that the emperour in maner by their power gatte the whole ile of Sicilia whiche he vnthankefully considered For whan they had done theyr best for hym he rewarded theim with all the spite he coulde threatnyng to oppresse their libertee and to make theim his subiectes insomuche that the Pisani through coumforte thereof molested the Genowaies of newe and fortifiyng Poggio di Bonifacio fell to spoilyng and riâ—lyng of the Genowaies goodes by sea But at length the losse tourned to theim selfes For the Genowaies armed theim and takyng Bonifacio by force not onely sacked and munited it for theim selfes but also toke a number of Pisane shippes as thei coulde finde theim Wherupon it folowed that the Pisani made out their power and so fought diuers times with the Genowaies with diuers fortune ¶ The inhabitauntes of Vintimiglia breakyng the articles of accorde betweene the Genowaies and theim were faine to come barefoote with crosses in theyr handes to Genoa and aske pardon for feare of the preparacion that the citee made against theim And the yeere folowyng the Genowaies purchased the dominion of Gaui of the enheritours therof and the inhabitauntes of the vale of Arocia submitted their countrey to the Genowaies dominion ¶ And because the Pisani prepared to assayle certaine Genowaie ships comyng out of Soria laded with riche merchandise the citee armed certain galleis and shippes to conducte theim safely whiche metyng togethers in the mouthe of the Adriatike sea determined to attempt to wynne the citee of Saragosa in Sicile lately gotten by the Pisani In the enterprise wherof they take certaine Pisane shippes and without great feight wonne the citee leauyng it fortified and gouerned for the common welth of Genoa Than the Pisani made out a newe armie and besieged it and of lykelyhod shoulde haue put it to great afterdele if Henry erle of Malea in Greece with certayne galleys of his owne and other shippes of the Genowaies that came from be easte had not comen to the succours who fought with the Pisane armie and with helpe of theim that were within the towne obteined the victory to the great slaughter and losse of theim of Pisa. ¶ And because the erle Henrie of Malea had done the Genowaies great seruice diuers waies therfore they aided hym to their great charge with galleis shippes men and horses to defende Candia whiche he had vsurped vpon the Uenetians so that the Uenetians beyng therwith agreued immediatelie publyshed the Genowaies to be their ennemies wherupon folowed sharpe warres betwene theim many yeres after ¶ Here is to be vnderstand that froÌ„ the yere .1080 vnto the yere .1190 the citee was gouerned freely by the citesins vnder the name of Consulles without entermedling of straunge rulers and so in maner to this tyme though for the space of .26 yeres some straungers had ben now and than brought in as Potestates the consules neuerthelesse remainyng after the olde maner but from this tyme forewarde the Consulles ceased and straunge Potestates bare the rule a great tyme after ¶ The generall armie of the Christians liyng at the siege of Damiata in Aegypte was relieued with .10 galleis sente by the Genowaies through whose helpe the citee was gotten with wonderfull richesse and an infinite number of slaues besides the multitude of infidelles that were slaine howbeit the christians kepte not the citee longe for the yere folowyng the Sarasines recouered it againe ¶ Thei of Vintimiglia reâ—elled against the Genowaies so that after many light bickeringê at last an army was sente out against them whiche laie longe at siege before the towne and could not preuaile so that the Potestate to be assured of that enterprise edified an other towne betwene theim and the sea and with a garryson helde theim so streight that at last thei yelded wherupon the towne beyng recouered the Genowaies builded there two fortresses for the more suretee of the same ¶ In lyke maner thei of Sauona and of Albenga rebelled and were to their despite reduced to theyr former obedience But the warre that happened betwene Alexandria in Lumbardy and Genoa for the dominion of Capriata and other townes in the confynes betwene them was not so sone appeased though in effect the Genowaies at length preuailed ¶ Gregorie the .ix. bishop of Rome trauailyng to sende an armie into the holy lande agreed the Uenetians and Genowaies togethers for .ix. yeres and bounde theim to kepe peace on payne of cursyng But lyke as his enterprise came to naughte so his curse coulde not kepe those two astates from renewyng of their malyce as by their ofte fightyng with variable fortune appered after And beyng than in contencion with the emperour Federike and calling a counsail in Rome against themperour he sente to the Genowaies praiyng theim to conueyghe in saufetee the legates and prelates that came out of the west partes towardes that counsaill Wherfore they armed .27 galleis and receiuyng two Cardinalles and other prelates to the numbre of .40 at Niza in Prouance broughte theim solemnely to Genoa and goyng from thense with theim towardes Rome mette with Ansaldo admirall of the emperours nauie who foughte with them and toke .22 of those galleis withall those goodly prelates and diuers of the chiefe
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
so euer thei founde them they left not in all Sicile one frencheman on liue nor one woman that was knowen to be with childe of a frencheman Wherof yet vnto this daie the Sicilians euensonge is vsed as a prouerbe in Italie ¶ And than by accorde came the kynge of Aragone and receiued Sicile vnto his dominion the rather because he had a certaine title thervnto as in the right of his wyfe Constance daughter to the late kyng Manfredo Unto whom also the bishop of Rome graunted his consent and in deede inuested hym kyng therof by his ecclesiasticall power ¶ Many thynges happened betwene kyng Charles and kyng Peter amongest other a defiance to feight hand to hand with the place appoincted at Burdeaux before our prince Edwarde than ruler of Gascoygne where bothe kynges kepte theyr daie but nother mette nor fought And ere euer kynge Charles retourned Roger di Loria admyrall to kyng Peter had foughten by sea with Charles prince of Salâ—rn onely sonne of king Charles before Naples and taken hym prisoner with a numbre of the Neapolitane barons and gentilmen that were all sent except Charles with .ix. of the chiefest into Sicile and there for a reuengement of Corradinos death .200 of those nobles and gentilmen were beheaded on a daie ¶ Finally kyng Charles vpon his reiourne made excedyng great preparacion to inuade Sicile but er he could bringe it to passe he died for anger and melancolie after he had reigned .xix. yeres ¶ And for as muche as some holde opinion that this Charles was the fyrst Neapolitane kyng that obteined the title of kynge of Ierusalem it is necessarie to declare by what meane ¶ The ladie Marie doughter of the prince of Antioche resigned into the handes of this kynge Charles all hir tytle to the realme of Ierusalem whervpon be caused him selfe to be crowned kynge of Ierusalem and with helpe of the Uenetians sente Roger Di San Seuerino to be gouernour to receiue feaultee and homage of the christen barons there Thus and not by the interest of Federike the kynges of Naples vsed the title of Ierusalem though I fynde not who was Maries father by name nor yet by what reason that realme shoulde apperteine to hir ¶ Whan kynge Charles was deade his onely soonne and heire Charles prince of Salerne remained prisoner in Sicile vnder the kepyng of quene Constance wife to kyng Peter of Aragone and was by consente of the barons condemned to die as it were for a full reuengement of Corradinos death but the noble hert of Constance woulde not suffre it Excusyng the mattier that before she knew hir housbandes mynde she would not attempt so great a thyng Wherefore she sent hym into Aragone where he continued prisoner till kyng Peter died and than by procurement of prince Edwarde lorde of Gascoygne he was deliuered and restored to his realme of Naples Who was raunsomed at .30000 markes and for perfourmance of couenauntes .iii. of his sonnes and .100 gentilmen laie in hostage ¶ Here is to be noted that within the space of one yere died .iii. kynges and a bishop of Rome that is to weâ—e Phillip kyng of Fraunce Charles kyng of Naples Peter kyng of Aragon and Martine the .4 bishop of Rome ¶ After Peter succeded in the realme of Aragon his eldest sonne Aufus in Sicile his sonne Iames that helde in prison the forenamed Charles the secounde ¶ Finallie Aufus the elder brother beyng dead Iames to haue the kyngdome of Aragon in peace sore vexed at that time by the Frenche kyng fell at composicion with Charles to renounce Sicile vnto hym and so did But Federike yonger brother to Iames assoone as he heard therof gotte a certain power went into Sicile and gatte it to hym selfe by reason wherof betwene Charles and Federike was continuall warre manie yeres till at last Charles to haue Calabria in peace the most parte wherof Federike had gotten by force consented that Federike duryng his life shoulde quetlie enioy Sicile ¶ So Charles bringing all his thinges to a quiet reigned .24 yeres and died leauyng issue by his wife Mary doughter of kyng Stephen of Hungarie ix sonnes and v. doughters The eldeste named Charles Martell afterwardes kynge of Hungarie by the mothers title Lewis the secounde sonne bishop of Tolouse in Spaine Robert the thirde sonne kynge of Naples As for the reste though they were princes Quenes and princesses yet I passe theim ouer and will onely speake of Lewys Duke of Durazzo because Charles Da Durazzo who was next kyng after the firste quene Iohan descended of him ¶ At the death of Charles Robert his .iii. sonne beyng in Auignion was called from thens to the dominion of Naples and confirmed kyng by Clemente the .v. than bishop of Rome howebeit not longe after Caronumberto kynge of Hungarie and sonne of his elder brother Charles pretended title thervnto but after longe debatyng therof the lawiers finallie determined that Robert shoulde continue and Caronumberto shoulde contente hym with the realme of Hungarie And though Robert was muche troubled by the comyng of the emperour Henry the .vii. into Italie yet after the emperour was poisoned by a blacke frier in ministryng hym the sacrament of communion at Bonconuento besides Siena by order as thei saie of the Romish legate king Robert prospered so well in Italie by reason he was taken as heade of the Guelfi that he subdued Genoa and the Florentines with their whole astate submitted them selfes vnto him and accepted his sonne Carlo senza terra to be their lorde Whiche Charles not longe after his establishment in that dominion retourned to Naples and died ¶ Finally Robert hym selfe sickened and died without heyres males And so the inheritance remained in the iii. daughters of his forenamed sonne Charles Unto the eldest named Iohan he by his testament lefte the realme vpon condicion that she shoulde marie with his nephew Andrew younger son of the abouenamed Caronumberto In whose tyme liued Petrarcha and Bocchacio the one for verse and the other for prose famouse in theyr Italian tongue and for theyr vertues muche cherisshed of this kynge Robert ¶ Accordyng to the testament of kyng Robert his nephiew Andrew came out of Hungarie and maried Quene Iohan with whom he reigned scarcely .iii. yeeres but that she caused hym to bee hanged out at hir chambre wyndow because as the same wente he was not cockie enough to satisfie hir appetite ¶ Than maried she Lewys prince of Taranto an excellent beautifull man But Lewys kyng of Hungarie elder brother to Andrew to reuenge his brothers deathe came with a puissaunt armie into the realme insomuch that the Queene and hir husband bothe fledde to Auignion in Prouance leauyng Charles da Durazzo sonne of Lewys da Durazzo beforenamed theyr lieuetenant to defende but the Hungarien so muche prospered that in short space he gatte the whole realme and toke this Charles da