Nicholo di Lorenzo Chancellor in the Campidoll draue the Senators out of Rome made himself vnder title of Tribuno chiefe of the Romane Common vveale reducing the same into the ancient forme of gouernment vvith so great reputation of iustice vertue as not only the tovvnes nere hand but also al Italy sent Embassadors vnto him Whereby the ancient prouinces seeing Rome restored looked vp and some of them moued vvith feare and some vvith hope honoured him But Nicholo notvvithstanding so great authoritie in the beginning of this action abandoned himselfe and dispairing as it seemeth to performe so great an enterprise not being inforced by any man secretly fled and vvent to King Carlo of Bohemia vvho by order of the pope in despite of Lodouico of Bauieria elected Emperour apprehended Nicholo sent him to the Pope prisoner A vvhile after as it vvere to imitate this Nicholo another man called Francesco Barocegli surprized the Tribunate and draue thence the Senators Vpon vvhich accident the Pope the rather to represse that disorder tooke Nicholo out of prison restored him to the Tribuneship sent him to Rome Nicholo there arriued exercised the office and put Francesco to death But the Colonnesi beeing enemies to Nicholo shortly after killed him also restored the Senators to their places In the meanetime the King of Vngaria hauing deposed the Queene Giouanna returned to his Kingdome The Pope liking better the neighborhood of the Queene than of that King found meanes that he vvas pleased to restore the Kingdome vpon condition that the Queenes husband should content himselfe vvith the title of Tarranto and not be called King The yeare 1350. being come the Pope thought good that the Giubileo erected by Pope Bonifacio octauo at the end of euerie hundred yeare might be reduced to fiftie yeare and made a Decree that aftervvards so it should be The Romanes receauing the same as a benefit vvere content the pope should send to Rome foure Cardinalls to reforme the state of that Cittie make Senators there those whom himselfe thought good The Pope also proclaymed Lodouico of Tarranto King of Napoli for which fauor the Queen Giouanna gaue vnto the Church the Citie of Auignion which was her patrimony By this time Luchino Visconti was dead wherby Giouanni Archbishop of Millan remained only Lord of that state who made many warres vpon Toscana other countries his neighbors and therby became exceeding mightie After his death succeeded Barnabo Galiazzo his nephewes but within short space Galiazzo died leauing one sonne called Giouan Galiazzo who diuided that State with Barnabo At this time Carlo K. of Bohemia was Emperor and Innocentio 6. Pope who sent into Italy Cardinall Egidio by Nation a Spaniard who with his vertue recouered great reputation to the Church not onely in Romagna Rome but also throughout al Italy He restored Bologna vsurped by the Archbishop of Millan he constrained the Romanes to receaue one Stranger to bee a Senator who yearely should be sent by the Pope he made honourable composition with the Visconti he vanquished and tooke prisoner Iohn Aguto an English-man who with foure thousand of his owne Nation serued in Toscana to the ayde of the Ghibelini Vrbano quinto being come to the Papacie and vnderstanding of so manie Victories determined to visite Italy and Rome whether also came Carlo the Emperour who after a few months went to the Kingdome and the Pope to Auignion Vrbano being dead Gregorio duodecimo was created and because then died the Cardinall Egidio Italy was returned to trouble occasioned by the Townes confederate against the Visconti Wherevpon the Pope sent first a Legate into Italy with sixe thousand Brittaines after in person followed himselfe and setled the Court in Rome in the yeare 1376. which had continued from thence in Fraunce 71. yeares After the death of this Pope was created Vrbano sexto Shortly after at Fondi ten Cardinals who said Vrbano was not well chosen elected Clemente octauo Then the Genouesi who diuers yeares had liued vnder gouernment of the Visconti rebelled Betwixt them and the Venetians for the Iland called Tenedo grew Warres of great importance and deuided all Italy In these Warres was great Shot and Artillarie first seene as Instruments then newly deuised by the Almaines And albeit the Genouesi had for a time in this Warre the aduantage and diuers moneths besieged Venice yet in the end the Venetians had the better and by mediation of the Pope made peace in the yeare 1381. Then chaunced a schisme in the Church and Queene Giouanna fauored the Antipope for which cause Vrbano practised an enterprise against her and sent Carlo Durezzo descended of the Kings of Napoli into the Kingdome who there arriued possessed himselfe and forced the Queene to flye vnto â—â—aunce The French King therewith offended sent Lodouico de Angio into Italy to recouer the Kingdome for the Queene remooue the Pope Vrbano and put the Antipope into possession but Lodouico in the midst of this enterprice died and his Souldiers returned into Fraunce The Pope in the meane while went vnto Napoli where hee imprisoned nine Cardinals for hauing followed the faction of France and the Antipope That done he quarelled vvith the king for not hauing made a nephew of his Prince of Capoua yet faining not to force much thereof desired to haue Nocera for his dvvelling vvhere aftervvards he assembled great forces and practised to depriue the king The king then marching tovvards him the Pope tarried not but fled to Genoua vvhere he executed those Cardinals vvhom he had before imprisoned From thence he vvent to Rome and there to giue himselfe reputation created 28. Cardinals At this time vvent Carlo king of Napoli to Vngaria and vvas created king and shortly after slaine hauing left in Napoli his vvife vvith tvvo children Ladislao and Giouanna At this time also Giouanni Galiazzo Visconti had murdered Barnabo his vncle taken into his hands the state of Milan And not content vvith the Dukedome of all Lombardy he sought to be also Lord of Toscana But vvhen he hoped to haue taken the possession and be crovvned king of Italy died Next vnto Vrbano sexto succeeded Bonifacio nono Then died also in Auignion the Antipope Clemente septimo And in his place vvas elected Benedetto 13. In these dayes liued in Italy many souldiers of forreine nations English men Almains and Britaines brought thither partly by those Princes vvho many times had serued in Italy and partly sent by the Popes vvhen they remained at Auignion Against these people the princes of Italy long time made vvarre and at length Lodouico da Conio arose vvho making a company of Italians calling the same S. Giorgio their vertue discipline tooke from the straungers all reputation and brought the same to the Italians of vvhom euer after the princes of Italy in all their vvars vvere serued The Pope by reason of the controuersie betwixt him and the
the Cittie which was the cause he failed to performe that enterprise for he knew not that the parts do more willingly follow the head then the head doth follow them After this ouerthrow the King Ferrando being fled into Naples thither resorted vnto him diuerse of his subiects who were driuen from their countreys then by all curteous meanes he leuied men and money to make a new Camp sending againe for aide to the Pope and Duke From the one and the other of whome he was aided more speedily and abundantly then before time he had bene bicause they greatly feared he should otherwise lose his Kingdome King Ferrando in this sort growne strong marched out of Naples and hauing gotten some reputation recouered also part of his lost townes During these warres in the Kingdome a chance happened that vtterly depriued Giouanni de Angio of reputation and meane to haue victorie in that enterprise The Genouesi being wearie of the French insolent and couetous gouernment tooke armes against the Kings Gouernour there and forced him to flee to the little Castle of Genoua The Fregosi and the Adorni were content to ioyne in that action and by the Duke of Milan they became furnished of money and men both for the winning and keeping the Cittie So that the King Rinato with his nauie came to the succour of his sonne and hoping to recouer Genoua by meane of the small Castle in landing his souldiers was ouerthrowne and forced with shame to returne vnto Prouenza These newes being carried to the Kingdome of Naples greatly dismaied Giouanni de Angio notwithstanding he still followed his enterprise and continued the warre being serued by those Barons who were rebelled and could not looke for fauour of Ferrando In the end after many accidents those two royall armies ioyned battell wherein neare vnto the Cittie of Troia Giouanni was vanquished the yeare 1463. This ouerthrow did not so much hinder the successe of the King Giouanni as did the reuolt of Giacopo Piccinino who left him and ioyned with King Ferrando whereby being spoiled of his forces he retired into Histria and from thence to Fraunce This warre continued foure yeares and was in the end lost by his owne negligence for it was many times in good way of victorie by the vertue of his souldiers Therein the Florentines intermedled not apparantly yet were they desired by Embassadors of the King Giouanni of Arragon newly come to that Kingdome by the death of Alfonso to assist the enterprise of Ferrando his nephew as they had bound themselues by the league lately made with Alfonso his father To whome by the Florentines it was answered that they were not by any obligation bound to aide the sonne in that warre which was begun by the father for as the same had bene without their counsell or knowledge taken in hand so without their assistance it should be performed and ended The Embassadors being thus to the request of their King answered protested the execution of their band and the Kings preiudice so in great displeasure with that Cittie departed The Florentines during these warres continued in peace abroad but within they rested not as in the next Booke shall be particulerly declared The ende of the sixt Booke THE SEVENTH BOOKE TO those that haue read the former Booke it may seeme in writing of Florence and the proceedings of the Florentines we haue ouermuch spoken of such accidents as hapned in Lombardy and the Kingdome Neuerthelesse as heretofore I haue so am I hereafter to continue with the like discourses For albeit I did not promise to write of matters concerning Italy yet haue I thought good to speake of those that were in that countrey most notable For if I should not make mention of them our historie would be with more difficultie vnderstood and to the Readers lesse pleasing Chiefely bicause the actions of other people and Princes of Italy did occasion the warres wherein the Florentines were forced to intermeddle as of the warre of Giouanni de Angio and King Ferrando great enimitie grew which was after betwixt Ferrando and the Florentines and particulerly with the house of Medici continued For the King complained that the Florentines did not onely leaue him in that warre vnaided but also that his enemies were by them fauoured which anger was the occasion of exceeding many inconuenients as shall be hereafter declared And for as much as I haue written at large those matters which happened without the Cittie till the yeare 1463. it behoueth me for the declaration of such troubles as happened in those daies within to looke back many yeares passed Yet first by way of discourse as is my custome I say that whosoeuer doth thinke that any Common-weale can continue vnited he greatlie deceiueth himselfe But true it is that some diuisions be preiudiciall to Common-weales and some others be profitable Those be preiudiciall which are with factions and followers accompanied And those are profitable which without factions and followers bee mainteined Seeing then it is a thing impossible for that man who frameth a Common-weale to prouide that no enimitie shall therein arise he ought at the least foresee that no factions be permitted It is then to be considered that the Citizens in euerie state do win reputation either by publike or priuate meanes Publike reputation is gotten by victorie in the field by surprizing of townes by wise and discreet performing of Embassages or by counsailing the State grauely and fortunately By priuate meanes men attain to reputatiō by pleasuring particuler citizēs by sauing them frō punishments by relieuing them with money by aduancing thē vnworthily to honors and offices and by enterteining the common people with sports publike gifts From these causes faction following and partaking do proceed And as reputation thus gotten is hurtful so the other not being intermedled with faction is the occasion of great good bicause it is grounded vpon no priuate but common commoditie And albeit among such Citizens so great displeasures wil grow as the wisdome of man is not able to preuēt yet wāting partakers to follow thē for proper profit they cannot by any way hinder the common-weale but shal rather help it for in aspiring to that they would come vnto it behoueth them to indeuor the aduancement of the state and particularly one to respect the other so much as the lawes ciuil orders be not infringed The enimities of Florēce were alwaies followed with factions and therfore hurtfull to the state neither was any victorious faction longer vnited then the contrary part continued in force for so soone as the enemies were extinguished the faction remaining no more in awe of the enemy nor hauing order to bridle it selfe became diuided The faction of Cosimo de Medici in the yeare 1434. remained with victorie Neuerthelesse bicause the partie oppressed was stil great and full of mightie men it continued vnited and tollerable so long as among those of the factiō no error was cōmitted and the people
Pope and King make war vpō the Florētines The death of Lorenzo di Medici 1492. FINIS AA ⧠THE FIRST BOOKE OF the Florentine Historie THE people inhabiting the North beyond the Riuers of Reyne and Danubio being borne in a cold Region yet wholesome apt to generation do many times encrease and become so populous that part of them are cōstrained to abandon their natiue countries and seeke new places where to remaine The order which those people hold in dispersing the inhabitants is to diuide themselues into three parts yet so as in euerie one may be some of the nobilitie and some of the people some of the rich and some of the poore equallie diuided which done the one part whose lot falleth so out leaueth that country and seeketh fortune elsewhere to abide The other two parts of the people there remaining doo possesse and enioy the landes of them that are departed These people were those which destroyed the Romane Empire whereunto the Emperours themselues gaue some occasion by forsaking Rome the antient Emperiall seate and setling themselues at Constantinople For thereby the West part of the Empire became weake lesse regarded more easie to be harmed both of their owne ministers and others their enemies Surely the destruction of so great an Empire builded vpon the blood of so many vertuous men could not be lost without the sloath of Princes infidelitie of ministers great forces and much obstinacie in them who assaulted the same for not onely one sort of people but many multitudes in that action conspired The first enemies which came to the destruction of the Roman Empire after the Cimbri vanquished by Marius the Romane were the Visigotti which name in our language may bee called Gotti of the West These people after some conflicts in the Empire and through the sufferance of the Emperours long time continued their dwellings vpon the Riuer of Danubio And although at sundrie occasions and sundrie times they assaulted the prouinces belonging to the Empire yet were they by the power of the Emperours from time to time impeached and at last by Theodotio gloriously vanquished So that thereby being brought vnder his obedience they could not againe make any King ouer them but contented with the Emperours paie vnder his gouernment and ensigne they liued and serued But Theodotio being dead and leauing Arcadio and Honorio his sonnes heires of the Empire but not of his vertue and fortune the time with the Prince clearly altered and chaunged Theodotio authorized vnto three parts of the Empire three gouernours In the East Ruffino in the West Stillicone and in Affrica Gildonio Euerie one of these determined after the death of their Prince not to gouerne as ministers but to possesse the countries as Princes Of these three Gildonio and Ruffino were at their beginnings oppressed but Stillicone better dissembling his intent sought to winne himselfe credit with the new Emperours neuerthelesse disturbe the quietnesse of their state Then to the end he might the rather atteine the possession thereof and procure the Visigotti to become enemies to the Empire he counselled the Emperour no more to paie them Besides that Stillicone imagining these enemies were not of force sufficient to disturbe the Empire found meanes that the Burgundi Fraunchi Vandali and Alani all people of the North and appointed to seeke themselues a new habitation assailed the Romane countries The Visigotti then being discharged from their paie determined as of an iniury to be reuenged creating Alarico their King assaulted the Empire destroyed Italy and sacked Rome After which victory Alarico died and to him succeeded Ataulfo who tooke to wife Placidia sister to the Emperours and through that alliance agreed with them to succour France and Spaine which countries wereby the Vandali Burgundi Alani and Fraunchi thereto moued by the occasions aforesayd assailed Whereof ensued that the Vandali who had alreadie conquered that part of Spaine which is called Betica were sore molested by the Visigotti and not hauing other helpe were forced to accept the offer of Bonifacio at that time gouerning Affrica for the Emperour who required them to take in hand the conquest thereof being by his meane in Rebellion and he fearing least his fault should be to the Emperour detected For these reasons aforesaid the Vandali most willingly tooke the enterprise in hand vnder Genserico their King possessed Affrica By this time Theodotio sonne to Archadio was become Emperour who litle regarding the affaires of the Empire in the West gaue great hope to these forrein people to enioy those things they had conquered So that the Vandali possessed Affrica the Alani and Visigotti gouerned Spaine the Fraunchi and Burgundi did not onely conquere Gallia but also vnto the parts thereof by them conquered gaue their owne names calling the one Francia the other Burgogna The happie successe of those encouraged new people to the destructiō of the Empire For at that time the people called Vnni assailed and possessed Pannonia a prouince adioyning to the Riuer Danubio which at this day hauing taken the name of these Vnni is called Vngheria Vpon consideration of these disorders the Emperour seeing himselfe on euerie side assailed to the end he might haue the fewer foes beganne to take truce sometimes with the Vandali and sometimes with the Franchi which did greatly encrease the reputatiō and power of the barbarous people disgracing and diminishing the credit of the Empire Neither was in those dayes the Iland of Bretagna at this day called England assured from such inuasion for the Bertoni fearing these people which had possessed France and not finding how the Emperour could defend them called to aide them the Angli a people of Germany so named These Angli vnder Votigerio their King tooke the enterprise in hand ouerthrew the enemy and in the end draue them out of the Iland themselues there remaining inhabiting By the name of which Angli that country was and yet is called Anglia The inhabitants whereof being thus spoiled and driuen from their country became desperate perswading themselues that although they could not defend their own country yet was it possible for them to conquere an other Whereupon they with their families passed the seas and planted them on the other side neare the shoare and called that country by their owne name Bretagna The people called Vnni who as is aforesaid had conquered Pannonia assembling themselues with other people called Zepedi Eruli Turinghi and Ostrogotti which word signifieth in that language Gotti of the East prepared themselues to seeke new countries but not being of force sufficient to enter France being defended by other barbarous forces they came vnto Italy conducted by Attila their king who not long before to gouerne alone in his kingdome had slaine Bleda his brother Thus Attila became mightie Andarico king of Zebedi and Velamer king of the Ostrogotti were made as it were his subiects
Attila being arriued in Italy besieged Aquilegia where without resistance hee continued two yeares and during the siege spoyled the country thereabouts and dispersed the inhabitants of the same which as hereafter shalbe declared was the beginning of the citie of Vinegia After the taking ruine of Aquilegia and many other cities he marched towards Rome from the spoyle whereof at the request of the Bishop he refrained The reuerence respect which Attila did bear towards this Bishop was such as perswaded him to leaue Italy and retire himselfe to Austria where he died After his death Velamer king of the Ostrogotti and other the leaders of forraine nations tooke Armes against Tenrico and Eurie his sonnes the one of them they slew and constrained the other with the Vnni to returne ouer Danubio into their owne countrey The Ostrogotti and the Tepedi were setled in Pannonia the Eruli and Turingi vpon the shoare on the other side of Danubio King Attila thus departed from Italy Valentiniano the Emperour in the West imagining to repaire the countrey and hoping with more commoditie to defend the same from the barbarous people abandoned Rome and setled himselfe in Rauenna These aduersities happened to the Empyre in the West occasioned the Emperours who then dwelt at Constantinople many times to graunt the possession thereof to others as a thing full of perils and expence And the Romanes otherwhiles seeing themselues abandoned without leaue created an other Emperour or some deputie to performe that office as did Massimo the Romane after the death of Valentiniano who constrained Eudossa lately wife to the Emperour to take him to her husband This woman beeing borne of Emperiall blood desirous to reuenge so great an iniurie and disdaining to bee married with a priuate Citizen secretly perswaded Genserico King of the Vandali and Lord of Affrica to come into Italy shewing him the facilitie and profit of that enterprise Hee enticed with hope of so great a spoyle came speedily thither and finding Rome abandoned sacked the Towne and there remained foureteene dayes Hee also tooke and spoyled diuerse other Townes in Italy and fraughting himselfe and his Army with spoyle returned into Affrica The Romanes came home to Rome and finding Massimo dead elected Auito a Romane for Emperour After the death of diuerse other Emperours the Empire of Constantinople came to the hands of Zenone and that of Rome to Oreste and his sonne Augustolo who through subtiltie had vsurped that Empyre While these men thus possessed and determined to holde the Empyre by force the Eruli and Turingi who as is aforesayd after the death of Attila remained vppon the shoare on the other side of Danubio conspired togither vnder the conduct of their Captaine Odoacre came into Italy and possessed such places as were by them left voyd Then the Longobardi people also toward the North entered Italy ledde thither by Godolio their King who were as heereafter shall be declared the greatest plague of that countrey Odoacre arriued in Italy conquered the same and neare vnto Pauia slew Oreste forcing Augustolo to flie away After which victorie to the ende that Rome varying in gouernment the gouernour might receiue a new title Odoacre leauing the name of the Empire caused himselfe to be called King of Rome and was the first Captaine of all the forraine people that inuaded Italy to inhabit there Because all the others either for feare not to enioy that they had gotten or else doubting to be driuen out by the Emperour in the East either else for some other hidden occasion onely spoyled the country and that done sought to plant their habitation elsewhere Thus we see that in those dayes the ancient Romane Empire was reduced to the gouernment of these Princes Zenone remaining in Constantinople commaunded all the Empire in the East The Ostrogotti gouerned Mesia and Pannonia The Visigotti Sueui and Alani possessed Guascognia and Spaine The Vandoli ruled Affrica The Franchi and Burgundi liued in France The Eruli and Turingi remained in Italy The kingdome of Ostrogotti came to the handes of Theodorico Nephewe of Velamer beeing in league with Zenone Emperour in the East wrote vnto him that it seemed a thing vniust to his people the Ostrogotti that they beeing in vertue superiours to all others should be inferiours in Empyre And therfore he could not by any meanes hold them within the consines of Pannonia It seemed therefore necessarie to suffer them to take armes and seeke new Countries But first hee thought good to let him vnderstand thereof to the intent hee might graunt them some country where with his good fauour and their greater commoditie they might inhabite The Emperour Zenone partly for feare and partly for the desire hee had to haue Odoacre driuen out of Italy graunted that Theodorico might come against Odoacre and take the possession thereof Then Theodorico departed from Pannonia leauing there the Zepedi his friends and being arriued in Italy slew Odoacre and his sonne by whose example hee tooke vnto him the title of King of Italy making Rauenna his royall seate moued by the same reasōs that induced Valentiniano there to dwell Theodorico was a man both for warre and peace moste excellent for in the one hee was alwaies victorious and in the other generally profited the cities and people to him subiect Hee diuided the Ostrogotti with their Captaines into sundry townes to the end that in the warre hee might commaund them and in the peace correct them hee enlarged the Citie of Rauenna and restored Rome in all thinges the discipline of warre except giuing to the Romanes euerie other honour with his only authoritie kept in awe all the barbarous Kings vsurpers of the Empyre Hee built townes and sortresses betweene the Alpes and the point of the sea Adriatico the rather to empeach the passage of other barbarous people that should assaile Italy And had not his great vertue bene in the end of his life blotted with some cruelties committed vppon suspition of his kingdome as the death of Simmaco and Boetio men of most godly life he had bene in all respects worthy of honour and memorie For the vertue and bountie of him did not only repaire Rome and Italy of the afliction committed by the barbarous nations but also reduced them into an order and gouernment moste fortunate And surely if any times were euer in Italy and the other Prouinces there-abouts by reason of barbarous oppression miserable they were those which happened from the time of Arcadio and Onorio till his dayes For who so shall consider the great mischiefs which happen to cōmon weales by the variatiō of gouernment or change of the Prince without any dissention and diuision shall finde the same alone of force inough to ruine any state or kingdome how mightie soeuer It may therefore be imagined how great miseries the Romane Prouinces endured for they did not only alter their gouernment but also their lawes their customes their maner of life
that day had bene euer there mainteined reducing all vnder one Duke who was yearely sent thither from Rauenna and his gouernment called the Romane Dukedome but the generall Gouernour who continually remained at Rauenna by the Emperours commaundement and gouerned all Italy vnder him was called Esarco This diuision made the ruine of Italy to be more easie and gaue opportunitie to the Longobardi to vsurpe the same The gouernment of that country gotten by the vertue and blood of Narsete thus taken from him he being also by Sophia iniured reuiled threatned to be called home and spinne with women moued him so greatly to chollor and offence that he perswaded Alboino King of the Lombardi who at that time reigned in Pannonia to come into Italy conquere it The Longobardi beeing as is aforesaid entered into those countries neare Danubio who had lately bene abandoned by the Heruli and Turingi when by their King Odoacre they were led into Italy for a time they there remained But the kingdome being come to Alboino a man couragious cruel they passed the riuer Danubio and fought with Comundo King of the Zepedi and ouerthrew him in Pannonia which hee then possessed Alboino in this victorie amongst others happened to take prisoner the daughter of Comundo called Rosmundo married her and thereby became Lord of Pannonia Then mooued by the crueltie of his nature hee made a cup of her fathers hed whereof in memorie of the victorie he vsed to drinke But then called into Italy by Narsete with whome in the warres of the Gotti hee had acquaintance and friendship left Pannonia to the Vuni who after the death of Attila as is aforesaid were returned into their countrey Then he came againe into Italy where finding the same into many partes diuided sodenly wan Pania Millan Verona Vicenza all Toscana and the more part of Flamminia now called Romagna So that perswading himselfe through so many and so speedie successes to haue already as it were gotten the victorie of all Italy hee celebrated a solemne feast in Verona whereat being by drinking much become very merry and seeing the skull of Comundo full of wine hee caused the same to be presented to the Queene Rosmunda who sat ouer against him at the table saying vnto her with so loude a voice that euerie one might heare him that she should now at this feast drinke with her father which speech pearced the Lady to the heart and she forthwith determined to reuenge the same Then knowing that Almachilde a valiant young gentleman of Lombardi loued a maiden of hers of whome hee obtained to lie with her and the Queene beeing priuy to that consent did her selfe tarry in the place of their meeting which beeing without light Almachilde came thither and supposing to haue lien with the mayden enioyed the Queene her mistresse which done the Queene discouered her selfe and said vnto him that it was in his power to kill Alboino and possesse her with her kingdome foreuer but if hee refused so to do shee would procure that Alboino should kill him as one that had abused his wife To this motion and murther of Alboino Almachilde consented After the murther performed finding that he could not according to his expectation enioy the kingdome and fearing to be slaine of the Lombardes for the loue they bare to Alboino the Queene and hee taking their princely treasure and iewels fled to Longino at Rauenna who honorably there receiued them During these troubles Iustiniano the Emperour died and in his place was elected Tiberio who beeing occupied in the warres against the Parthi could not go to the reliefe of Italy Whereby Longino hoped that time would well serue him with the countenance of Rosmunda and helpe of her treasure to become King of Lombardy and all Italy And conferring his intent with the Queene perswaded her to kill Almachilde and take him for her husband shee accepted and agreed vnto that which hee perswaded preparing a cup of wine poisoned and with her owne hand shee offered the same to Almachilde comming from a bath hote and thriftie hee hauing drunke halfe the wine and finding his bodie thereby greatly mooued mistrusting the poison enforced Rosmunda to drinke the rest whereof both the one and the other within fewe houres died and Longino bereft of his expectation to become King The Longobardi in the meane while assembling themselues in Pauia which was the chiefe Cittie of their kingdome elected there Clefi their King who reedified Imola which had bene ruinated by Narsete hee wan Rimino and almost euerie place from thence to Rome but in the midst of these his victories hee died This Clefi was so cruell not onely to strangers but also to his owne subiects the Longobardi as they were so terrified with his kingly authoritie that after his daies they determined no more to make anie King but elected amongst them selues thirtie persons whome they called Dukes giuing them iurisdiction ouer the rest which was the cause that the Longobardi did not proceed in the conquest of all Italy and that their kingdome did not extend further then Beneuento and that Rome Rauenna Cremona Mantoua Padoua Monselice Parma Bologna Faenza Furli and Cesena some of them defended them selues a time and some other were neuer taken Because the Lombardi wanting a King their warres proceeded the more slowlie and after the election of a new King by reason of their libertie were lesse obedient and more apt to mutinie among them selues which thing first hindered the victorie and in the end draue them out of Italy The Longobardi being come to this estate the Romanes and Longino made with them an agreement The effect thereof was that euerie one of them should lay downe their armes and enioy so much as they possessed In that time the Bishops of Rome began to aspire vnto more authoritie then they had in times past for by meane of the holy life of S. Peter and some other Bishops with their godly examples and the miracles by them done they became much reuerenced amongst men and greatly encreased the christian Religion In so much as Princes were occasioned the more easily thereby to appease the great disorder and confusion of the world to obey them The Emperour then being become a Christian and remooued from Rome to Constantinople it came to passe as is aforesaid that the Romane Empyre decaied and the Church of Rome the rather thereby encreased notwithstanding till the comming of the Longobardi Italy being subiect either to Emperours or Kings the Empyre still prospered and the Bishops of Rome had no greater authoritie then their learning and good life did deserue For in all other thinges either by the Kings or by the Emperours they were commaunded and as their ministers imploied and sometimes put to death But he that made the Bishops to become of greatest authoritie in Italy was Theodorico King of the Gotti when he remoued his royall seate to Rauenna For thereby Rome
remaining without a Prince the Romanes were enforced to yeeld their obedience to the Pope Yet did not his authoritie thereby greatly encrease because he could not procure to him selfe more preheminence then that the Church of Rome should haue precedence before the Church of Rauenna But the Longobardi being come and Italy diuided into diuerse parts occasioned the Pope to take the more vppon him for he then beeing as it were chiefe of Rome the Emperour of Conctantinople and the Longobardi did respect him so much as the Romanes by his meanes not as subiects but as companions with the Longobardi and with Longino ioyned Thus the Popes sometimes by the fauour of the Longobardi and sometime with the countenance of the Grecians encreased their dignitie But after the destruction of the Empyre in the East which happened in the time of the Emperour Eracleo because the people called Sclaui assaulted conquered againe Iliria calling the same by their owne name Sclauonia the other partes of the Empyre were assailed first by the Persians and after by the Sarasins who came from Arabia conducted by Mahomet and last of all by the Turkes These people amongst them possessed Soria Affrica and Egipt So that the Empyre weakened the Pope dispaired to haue succour there in time of his necessitie On the other side the power of the Longobardi encreasing it behooued him to seeke some new friendship and for the same resorted to the Kinges of France So as after that time all the warres made vppon Italy by forraine people were by the Bishops of Rome occasioned and all the barbarous nations who repaired in so great multitudes to Italy were for the moste part by them called thither which manner of proceeding continueth in our dayes and hath heretofore kept and yet dooth keepe Italy weake and impotent Therefore in discourse of such thinges as haue happened since those to these our daies more shall not be said of the distruction of the Empyre which is altogither cast downe and ruined But wee will heerafter discourse by what meanes the Popes and those other Potentates which till the comming of Carlo the eight gouerned Italy haue atteined to their greatnes whereby we shal conceiue how the Popes first by their censures after with them and their armes mixed with indulgences became terrible venerable and how by euill vsing the one the other they haue altogither lost the vse of their armes in the other they stand at discretion But returning to the order of our matter I say that Gregorio the third beeing atteined to the Papacy Aistulpho to the kingdome of Lombardy contrarie to the agreement afore made surprized Rauenna and made warre against the Pope Gregorio who for the occasions aforesaid not trusting any more to the Emperour of Constantinople beeing then weake neither reposing trust in the Longobardi who had diuerse times distressed him fled for ayde to Pipino the second who from beeing Lord of Austracia and Brabancia was become King of France not so much for his owne vertue as his fathers Carlo Martello and his graundfathers Pipino because Carlo Martello beeing Gouernour of that Kingdome wonne that memorable victorie against the Sarasins neare vnto Torsci vpon the riuer of Era wherein were slaine two hundred thousand Sarasins For which cause Pipino his sonne for the reputation of his father and his owne vertue became after king in that kingdome vnto whome Pope Gregorio as is beforesaid sent for ayde against the Longobardi Pipino answered that hee was very willing to performe his request but first desired to see him and in his presence to honour him For which purpose Gregorio trauailed into France and without any let passed the townes of the Longobardi his enemies so great reuerence was then borne to that Religion Gregorio arriued in France was there greatly honoured by the King and sent back accompanied with the Kings forces who in Pauia besieged the Longobardi wherby Aistulpho was enforced to make peace with the Frenchmen which hee did at the request of the Pope who desired not the death of his enemie but that hee should conuert and liue In which peace Aistulpho promised to render vnto the Church all those townes thereto belonging and by him vsurped But the French souldiers returned home Aistulpho obserued not the conditions of the peace which beeing knowen to the Pope hee prayed ayde a new of Pipino who sent againe into Italy where hee ouerthrew the Lombardy tooke Rauenna and contrarie to the will of the Grecian Emperour gaue the same vnto the Pope with all other townes vnder his Esarcato adding also to them the countrie of Vrbino and La Marca during the time that these townes were in bestowing Aistulpho died and Desiderio a Lombard and Duke of Tuscan tooke armes to vsurpe the kingdome and praied ayde of the Pope to whome hee promised his friendship which request was graunted and the other Princes gaue place Desiderio at the beginning kept his promise and according to the conditions made with Pipino rendred the townes allotted vnto the Pope neither did the Esarco of Constantinople after that time come any more in Rauenna but all things were gouerned according to the pleasure and direction of the Pope Then died the King Pipino to whome succeeded his sonne called Carlo who for the great and memorable exploites by him done was called Magno To the Papacy was at that time aspired Theodoro Primo He falling into contention with Disiderio was by Disiderio besieged in Rome and constrained to craue ayde of Carlo who speedily passed the mountaines besieged Desiderio in Pauia and tooke him with all his Children And hauing sent them prisoners into France went in person to visit the Pope at Rome where hee pronounced this sentence That the Pope beeing Vicar of God could not be iudged of men For the which the Pope with the people of Rome created him Emperour In this manner Rome beganne to haue an Emperour againe in the West And where the Popes were woont to take their instaulation from the Emperours after this time the Emperours in their election would needes take their authoritie from the Pope wherby the reputation of the Empire decreased and the Church gained the same By these meanes the Popes grew great and kept downe the authoritie of temporall Princes The Longobardi hauing then bene in Italy 232. yeares there was of them none other marke of straungers then the name and Carlo being desirous to reforme that Countrey in the time of Pope Leo the third was pleased they should inhabit those places where they were borne and called that prouince of their name Lombardia But forasmuch as they had the name of Rome in great reuerence hee commaunded that all the next Countrey to it adioyning then in the obedience of the Esarcato of Rauenna should bee called Romagna Moreouer he created Pipino his sonne King of Italy the iurisdiction whereof extended to Beneuento the rest remained to the Emperour in Greece with
Christians did in the ende recouer all that before had bene gotten So were the Christians after foure scorce and tenne yeares driuen out of those Countries which with great honour and happinesse they had wonne and defended After the death of Vrbano Pascale secundo was created Pope and Enrico the fourth became Emperour who went to Rome pretending friendship to the Pope but beeing arriued there by force hee tooke the Pope prisoner and put him with all his Clergie in prison from whence they could not bee discharged till the Pope had graunted that the Emperour might dispose of the Churches in Germany as himselfe thought good Then died the Countesse Matilda and made the Church heire of all her Countrey After the death of Pascale and Enrico the fourth succeeded diuerse Popes and diuerse Emperours till at length to the Papacie was elected Alissandro tertio and to the Empire Federigo Sueuo called Barbarossa The popes in that time had manie quarrelles with the people of Rome and the Emperours which were encreased in the raigne of Barbarossa Federigo was a man of warre most excellent but therewith so haughtie of minde and courage as hee disdained to giue place to the pope notwithstanding hee came to Rome to bee Crowned Emperour and peaceably returned into Germanie though hee remayned there not very long contented For shortly after he came againe into Italy to reforme some Towns in Lombardy which would not obey him At that time it happened the Cardinal of S. Clement by Nation a Romane deuided himselfe from the Pope Alissandro found meanes by fauour of some Cardinalls to be also chosen Pope At that instant Federigo the Emperour was with his Armie before the Citie of Crema to whom Alissandro complained of the Antipope the Emperour answered that both he and the Antipope should come vnto him and then he would decide their controuersie and iudge which of them were true Pope This answere displeased Alissandro who conceauing thereby that the Emperour was inclined to fauour the Antipope did excommunicate him and fled to Phillip King of Fraunce Federigo in the meane while proceeding in the Warres of Lombardy tooke Millan and razed it which was the cause that Verona Padoua and Vicenza by common consent determined to resist him Then died the Antipope in whose place Federigo created Guido of Cremona The Romanes by meanes of the Popes absence and the busines of the Emperour in Lombardy had recouered a little authoritie in Rome began to command some Townes vnder them and because the Tusculani would not yeeld to their authoritie they went popularly to assaile them who being aided by Federigo the Romanes were ouerthrowne with so great slaughter as after that Ouerthrow Rome was neuer well peopled nor rich In this meane space Pope Alissandro was returned to Rome perswading himselfe that through the enmitie of the Romanes and Federigo he might there safely remaine and the rather by reason of the Enemies which the Emperour had in Lombardy Neuertheles Federigo setting aside all respectes besieged Rome where Alissandro tarried not his comming but fled to Gulielmo King of Puglia who after the death of Ruggiero remained Heire of that Kingdome Federigo driuen thence by the Plague left the Siege and returned into Germany The Townes of Lombardy which were rebelled to the end they might the rather recouer Pauia Tortona which stood for the Emperor built a new Cittie to be the refuge of that Warre calling the same Alissandria in honour of the Pope Alissandro and in despite of the Emperour Federigo Then died Guidone Antipope in whose place Giouanni of Fermo was created He through the fauour of the Emperours Faction in Montefiascone there dwelled Pope Alissandro in the meane time was gone into Tuscolo called thether by that People hoping that with his authoritie he might defend them from the Romanes Thither came Embassadors from Enrico King of England to declare vnto the Pope that their King was not culpable in the murther of Thomas Bishop of Canterbury as he had bene publiquely slandered For triall whereof the Pope sent two Cardinals into England to examine the truth of that matter who found the King not guiltie Neuertheles in respect of the infamie and that he had not honoured that holy Man according to his desert they enioyned the King for penance to assemble his Nobilitie and in their presence to sweare and protest his innocencie and was moreouer commanded that with all speed he should at his proper charge send two hundred Souldiers to Ierusalem and there paye them for one yeare and himselfe within three yeares to goe thither in person and lead with him an Armie the greatest that hee could possibly make besides that hee should disanull all things done within his Kingdome to the preiudice of the Libertie Ecclesiasticall and consent that all and euerie Subiect of his might appeale to Rome All which things Enrico graunted and notwithstanding hee were a mightie King submitted himselfe to that Iudgement which at this day euerie priuate man would be ashamed to yeeld vnto But notwithstanding the Popes great power ouer Princes farre off yet could he not make himselfe obeyed of the Romanes by whom hee was not suffered to dwell at Rome though he promised not to intermeddle in anie thing saue only the Ecclesiasticall gouernment Hereby may be noted that things vvhich seeme to bee and be not are dreaded more farre of then feared neare at hand By this time Federigo vvas returned to Italy and being prepared to make nevv vvarres vvith the Pope all his prelates and Barons gaue him to vnderstand that they intended to leaue him vnlesse he reconciled himselfe to the church vvhereby this Emperour vvas constrained to go vnto Venice and there to adore the pope vvhereof ensued a full pacification In this peace the pope depriued the Emperor of all his authoritie in Rome and named Gulielmo king of Sicilia and Puglia for his confederate Federigo not content to liue in peace but louing the warres determined to enterprise Asia so gain glory against Mahomet which against the Pope he could not But being arriued at the riuer Cidno enticed with the excellencie of that water hee washed himself therin sodenly died Wherby may be imagined that water did more good to the Mahumetans then the popes excōmunicatiō to the Christians because the excōmunicatiō did only allay the Emperors ambitiō but this water did vtterly quench it Federigo being dead it remained onely for the pope to reforme the disobedience of the Romans after many disputations touching the creation of the Consuls it was agreed that according to the ancient custom they shuld be elected by the Romans yet before they tooke their office vppon them they should sweare fidelitie to the church which agreement caused Giouanni the Antipope to flie to Monte Albano where shortly after hee died Then died also Gulielmo king of Napoli who hauing one onely sonne called Tancredi the pope determined to take that kingdome from him
but the nobilitie thereof would not consent to the pope resoluing to yeelde their obedience to Tancredi At that time Celestino tertio was pope who desirous to take the kingdome from Tancredi sought meanes that Enrico sonne of Federigo should be made Emperour and promised him the kingdome of Naples vpon condition that he should restore vnto the church all those townes thereunto belonging And to make that action the more easie hee tooke out of a monastery Gostanza an olde woman daughter of Gulielmo and married her vnto Federigo Thus passed the kingdome of Naples to the Germaines from the Normands who were the auncient founders thereof So soone as Enrico the Emperour had setled all thinges in Germany hee came into Italy accompanied with Gostanza his wife and his sonne but foure yeares old called Federigo Where with some difficultie because Tancredi was dead leauing onely a litle sonne called Rogeri he possessed the kingdom Within a small time after in Sicilia died Enrico to whome Federigo succeeded in the kingdome and to the Empire was elected Ottone Duke of Sassonia through fauour of pope Innocentio quarto But so soone as he was crowned Emperour contrary to all expectation hee became enemie to the pope surprised Romagna and prepared to assault the kingdome For which dooing the pope did excommunicate him all other men left him and the electors created Federigo king of Napoli Then came Federigo to Rome for the crowne but the pope fearing his greatnesse denied him and sought to remooue him out of Italy as hee had done before to Ottone Therewith Federigo offended went into Germany and made much vvarre against Ottone and at length ouerthrevv him In the meane vvhile died Innocentio vvho besides other his notable vvorkes builded the Hospitall of Santo spirito in Rome After him succeeded Honorio tertio in vvhose time beganne the orders of Santo Dominico and Francisco the yeare 1218. This pope crovvned Federigo vnto vvhome Giouanni descended of Bauldouino king of Ierusalem vvho vvith the remaine of the Christians in Asia still possessed that title gaue his kingdome to his daughter in marriage Hereof it commeth that vvho so euer is King of Napoli is also intituled king of Ierusalem Italy in those dayes vvas thus gouerned The Romaynes made no more Consuls in Rome but in steed of them they created with the same authoritie sometimes one sometime more Senators The league which the cities of Lombardy had made against Federigo Barbarossa still continued The Cities confedered against the Emperour were Milano Brescia Mantoua with the greater part of Romagna and with them Verona Vicenza Padoua and Treuigi On the Emperours part were Cremona Bargamo Parma Reggio Modena Trento The other Cities and Castles of Lombardy Romagna and La Marca Treuigiana according to their necessitie fauoured somtimes the one and sometimes the other part In the time of Ottone the third came into Italy a man called Ezelino of whom remained one sonne who likewise begot an other Ezelino he being rich mightie folowed Federigo the secōd who was as hath bene before said enemy to the Pope This Emperour brought into Italy by the fauour of Ezelino tooke Verona and Mantoua razed Vicenza surprized Padoua vanquished the army of the townes confederate in the end marched towards Toscana Ezelino in the meane time surprized La Marca Triuigiana but he could not take Ferrara being defended by Azone of Este other soldiers sent by the Pope frō Lombardy The siege then leuied the Pope gaue that citie in Feudo to Azone of Este of whome be descended all those princes that till this day haue there gouerned Federigo staied at Pisa being desirous to become Lord of Toscana the rather to possesse the same discouer those that fauoured him from the other that were his enemies practised diuision among the people of the country which was afterwards the ruine of all Italy Because then the factions of Guelfi Ghibellini encreased calling them Guelfi that followed the Pope and Ghibellini that followed the Emperour In Pistoia these names of faction were first begun Federigo leauing Pisa by many meanes assaulted spoiled the townes belonging to the church Insomuch that the Pope not hauing other remedie proclaimed his Crociata against him as did his predecessours against the Saraseni Federigo then fearing to be abandoned by his souldiers as Federigo Barbarossa and other Emperours had bene enterteined great numbers of Sarasins and to make them more willing to serue knowing that they feared not the Popes curses he gaue them the citie of Nocera in the kingdome perswading himselfe that they hauing that refuge might serue him with the more securitie Innocentio quarto became Pope and mistrusting Federigo went to Genoua and from thence into France and called a Councell at the citie of Lions Whereunto Federigo determined to goe but was withholden by the rebellion of Parma from which enterprise repulsed he went into Toscana and thence into Sicilia where he died leauing in Sucuia his eldest sonne Corrado and in Puglia his other sonne being base borne called Manfredi whome hee had made Duke of Beneuento Corrado beeing come for possession of the kingdome arriued at Napoli and there died leauing one litle sonne called Curradino who at that time remained in Germany Then Manfredi first as gouernour to Curradino and after reporting that Curradino was dead against the Popes will the Neapolitans also whom he forced to consent made himselfe king During these troubles in the kingdome happened many quarrels betweene the factions of Guelfi and Ghibilini the one being fauoured by the Popes Legate and the other by Ezelino who possessed welneare all Lombardy on the other side of the riuer Po. And because in this warre the citie of Padoua rebelled Ezelino put to death twelue thousand Cittizens thereof and he himselfe before the end of the warre being then thirtie yeares of age was slaine After his death all the townes by him possessed became free Manfredi king of Napoli according to the custome of his auncestors continued enemie to the church holding the Pope called Vrbano quarto in continuall distresse in so much as the Pope proclaymed the Crociata against him which done hee went vnto Perugia where hee remained aspecting his souldiers Who comming thither slowly and in small numbers thought that to vanquish Manfredi those forces were not sufficient He therefore praied aide in France of Carlo Duke of Angio brother to king Lodouico creating him king of Sicilia and Napoli desiring him to come into Italy take possession of those kingdomes But before Carlo could come to Rome that Pope died and Clemente quarto elected In whose time Carlo with thirtie gallies came to Ostia appointing the rest of his army to march thither by land During his aboad in Rome the Romanes to honour him made him a Senator of Rome and the Pope inuested him in the kingdome with condition he should paie yearely fiftie thousand florines to the
assemble more forces returned with thē into Italy had though hardly the victorie and then though with displeasure of the Legate returned to Bohemia leauing onely Reggio and Modena manned recommending Parma to Marsilio and Piero de Rossi who were in that citie of most power He being gone Bologna reuolted to the league and diuided among them foure Citties apperteining to the church allotting Parma to the house of Scala Reggio to Gonzaga Modena to Este and Lucca to the Florentines During the conquest of these Cities grew great warres but they were chiefly by the Venetians compounded It may perhaps be thought strange that among so many accidents of Italy I haue omitted to speake of the Venetians common weale being for the order and power thereof to be preferred before euerie other principallitie To satisfie that admiration the cause thereof being knowne I wil looke backward to time long since passed and declare what beginning that Cittie had King Attila at such time as he besieged Aquilegia the inhabitants of that towne hauing long defended themselues dispairing fled with their goods to the rocks within the point of Mare Adriatico The Padouani seeing the fire at hand and fearing that Aquilegia being wonne Attila would assault them carried all their moueables of most value into the same sea to a place there called Riuoalto whither they also sent their wiues children and aged men leauing the youth to defend the citie Aquilegia being taken Attila defaced Padoua Monselice Vicenza and Verona The Padouani and the chiefe of the others seated themselues in the marishes about Riuoalto Likewise all the people of that prouince which vvas aunciently called Venetia vvere driuen out by the same misfortune did also flie thither Thus constrained by necessitie they abandoned faire and fertile countries to inhabit these steril and paludious places void of all cōmoditie And yet because great numbers of people were at one instant come thither they made that place not onely habitable but also pleasant ordeining among themselues lawes and orders which amidst so great ruines of Italy they obserued and within short space encreased in force and reputation For besides the inhabitants aforesaid many of the cities of Lombardy chiefly those that feared the cruelty of their king Clefi fled thither which was no small encrease to that citie So that in the time of Pipino king of France when at the request of the Pope he came to driue the Lombardi out of Italy it was agreed in Capitulations betwixt him and the Emperour of Grecia that the Duke of Beneuento and the Venetians should be subiects neither to the one nor the other but among themselues enioy libertie Moreouer considering that as necessitie had driuen them to dwell within the water so it behoued them without helpe of the firme land to seeke meanes wherby they might procure their own liuelihood For which purpose they made ships gallies with them sailed throughout the world and filled their citie with sundry sorts of marchandise whereof other men hauing necessitie required free accesse vnto them At that time and many yeares after the Venetians thought not vppon other dominions then those where the traffique of their marchandise might safely arriue Then they wan diuers hauens in Grecia Soria and in the passages that the French men made in Asia because they oftentimes imploying the Venetian shippes appointed vnto them as a reward the Ile of Candia While in this estate and order they liued their name by sea was terrible and vpon the firme land of Italy venerable So that in all controuersies that happened they were for the most part arbitrators as in cōtrouersies which rose in the league by reason of those cities which they had diuided amongst them For that controuersie being recommended to the Venetians they ordered that Bargamo Brescia should appertaine to the Visconti But in processe of time hauing conquered Padoua Vicenza Triuigi Verona Bargamo Brescia with diuerse cities in the kingdom and Romagna entised with desire of gouernment they atteined so great an opinion of power and reputatiō that not only of the princes of Italy but also of the kings beyōd the mountaines they became feared Wherupon those princes conspiring togither tooke from them in one day all the states and countries vvhich they in many yeares and vvith infinite expences had gained And though in these late times they haue recouered part yet not recouering their forces and reputation do like all other princes of Italy remaine at the deuotion and discretion of others Now was Benedetto 12. come to the Papacy who seeing himselfe driuen out of Italy and fearing that the Emperour Lodouico should become Lord thereof determined to make all those his friends who had vsurped the townes which the Emperour possessed To the end that thereby they should haue cause to feare the Empire and ioyne with him in the defence of Italy For the more assurance of this attempt he made a decree that all tyrants of Lombardy should by iust title possesse the townes by them vsurped But the Pope presently vpon this grant died and Clemente sexto elected in his place The Emperour then seeing with what liberalitie the Pope had giuen the towns belōging to the Empire determined to be no lesse liberall of the Popes goods then the Pope had bene of his and therefore gaue freely all lands belonging to the church which any tyrant had vsurped and they to hold them by authoritie imperiall By meane whereof Galiotto Malatesti and his brethren became Lords of Rimino Pesaro Fano Anthonio di Montefeltro of la Marca and Vrbin Gentile da Varano of Camerino Guido di Polenta of Rauenna Sinibaldo Ordalaffi of Furli and Cesena Giouanni Manfredi of Faenza Lodouico Alidosi of Imola Besides these many others possessed towns belōging to the church so as fevv remained out of the hands of one Prince or other vvhich vvas the cause that the Church till the comming of Alissandro 6. vvas holden dovvne vveake but he vvith the ruine of these Lords or their posteritie restored the same At such time as the Emperor made this grant he remained at Trento seemed as thogh he vvould passe from thence into Italy wherby grevv many warres in Lombardy by that occasiō the Visconti became Lords of Parma Then died king Robarto of Napoli of vvhom remained only tvvo grand children vvomen begotten by Carlo his Son vvho long before vvas dead bequeathing his kingdom to the elder of them called Giouanna vvhom he vvilled to marrie vvith Andrea sonne to the K. of Vngaria his nephevv This Andrea continued not long her husband but vvas by her murdred she married anevv to a brother in lavv of his called Lodouico prince of Tarranto But K. Lodouico brother to Andrea to reuenge his death came vvith Forces into Italy draue the Q. Giouanna vvith her husband out of the kingdom About this time hapned in Rome a thing very memorable vvhich vvas that one called
Romanes went vnto Scesi where he remained till the Iubileo in the yeare 1400. At which time the Romanes for their profit were content he should returne to Rome and also place there one Senator at his election and therewith also to fortifie the Castle of S. Angelo With these conditions the Pope returned and the rather to enrich the Church he ordained that euerie Benefice falling void should pay the first frutes into the treasure house After the death of Gicuan Galiazzo Duke of Milan albeit he left two sonnes called Giouanniariangelo and Philippo yet his Countrey became diuided into manie parts And in the troubles which thereby happened Giouanniariangelo was slaine and Philippo for a time remained prisoner in the Castle of Pauia yet by good fortune and fauour of the Captaine was set at libertie Among others that vsurped the possessions of this Duke was Gulielmo Della Scalla who being a banished man remained in the hands of Francesco de Carrara Lord of Padoua through whom he recouered the State of Verona which hee enioyed not long because Francesco procured him to be poisoned and surprized the Cittie Thereuppon the Vicentini hauing liued quietly vnder the ensigne of the Visconti and fearing the greatnes of Francesco yeelded their obedience to the Venetians who presently tooke armes against the Lord of Padoua and first depriued him of Verona and afterwards wan the Cittie of Padoua In the meane space died Bonifacio and Innocentio septimo was elected Pope to whom the people of Rome presented an humble request desiring it might please his Holines to deliuer into theyr hands the Fortresses and restore them to their libertie which sute the Pope denied The people then praied aid of Ladislao King of Napoli yet afterwards falling to agreement the Pope returned to Rome being fled from thence for feare of the people and remained at Viterbo where he had created a nephew of his to bee Earle of La Marca which done hee shortly after died and Gregorio duodecimo was created Pope with condition that hee should resigne the Papacie whensoeuer the Antipope did the like By perswasion of the Cardinals intending to make proofe whether the Church could bee reunited or not Benedetto Antipope came to Porto Venere and Gregorio to Luca where they practised manie matters but nothing tooke effect so that the Cardinals both of the one and the other Pope did forsake them Pope Benedetto went into Spaine and Gregorio to Rimini The Cardinals on the other part with the fauour of Baldasarre Cossa Cardinall and Legate of Bologna ordained a Councell at Pisa where they created Alissandro quinto who did excommunicate Ladislao giuing that Kingdome to Luigi de Angio and then with the aide of the Florentines Genouesi and Venetians togither with Baldaser Cossa Legate assaulted Ladislao and tooke from him Rome But in the heate of this warre died Alissandro and Baldaser Cossa was elected calling himselfe Giouanni vicessimo tertio He departing from Bologna beeing there made Pope went from thence to Rome and there met Luigi deâ— Angio come thither with a Nauie from Prouenza Then presently they assaulted Ladislao and ouerthrew him yet through the default of their Leaders the victorie was not followed by meanes whereof within short space after the King recouered an Armie and againe surprized Rome The Pope then fled to Bologna and Luigi to the prouince The Pope imagining how he might diminish the greatnes of Ladislao found meanes that Sigismondo King of Vngaria should be chosen Emperour perswading him to come into Italy which he did and met with the Pope at Mantoua There they agreed to call a Councell generall and therein to reunite the Church the rather to become able to withstand the force of their enemies At that time were three Popes Gregorio Benedetto and Giouanni who made the Church exceeding weake and without reputation The place elected for this Councell was Costanza a Citie of Germanie But contrarie to the expectation of Giouanni the death of Ladislao remoued the occasion of Councell notwithstanding being alreadie bound by promise hee could not refuse to goe thither Being arriued at Costanza ouerlate knowing this errour he practised to flie thence but was there staied put in prison and constrained to resigne the Papacie Gregorio also the other Antipope by his messenger resigned Benedetto the third Antipope refusing to resigne was condemned for an heriticke and being abandoned by his Cardinals was in the end enforced to resigne The Councell then created Oddo Colonna who was called Pope Martino quarto And so the Church after fortie yeares of diuision was vnited hauing bene all that time in the hands of diuerse Popes In those dayes as hath bene beforesaid Philippo Visconti remained in the Castle of Pauia But Fantino Cane who during the troubles of Lombardy possessed himselfe of Vercelli Allisandria Nouara Tortona and had also gathered great riches then died And not hauing anie heire bequeathed his possessions to Beatrice his wife desiring his friendes to procure she might be married to Philippo By which marriage Philippo became potent and recouered Milan with all the state of Lombardy Afterwards to declare himselfe thankfull for so great a benefit he accused Beatrice of adulterie and put her to death Thus atteined to be a Prince most mightie he beganne to thinke vpon the warres of Toscana before entended by his father Giouan Galiazzo Ladislao King of Napoli at his death left vnto his sister Giouanna not onely the kingdome but also a a great Armie gouerned by the principall Leaders of all Italy Among the chiefe of whom was Sforza di Contignuola in those dayes a man of warre of singular reputation The Queene the rather to eschue a slaunder by one Pandolfello a man brought vp by her selfe tooke to husband Iacobo Della Marchia who was descended from the French Kings vpon condition that hee would content himselfe to be called Prince of Tarranto and suffer her to enioy the kingdome with the gouernment thereof Notwithstanding so soone as he arriued at Naples the souldiers called him King whereof great warres followed betwixt the wife and the husband and sometimes the one sometimes the other had the vpper hand But in the end the Queene remained gouernour of the state and afterwards became enemie to the Pope Thereupon Sforza intending to driue her to a disaduantage and inforce her to be glad of him contrarie to all expectation gaue vp his enterteinment by which meanes she remained vtterly disarmed and not hauing other fled for aide to Alfonso King of Arragon and Sicilia adopting him her sonne and enterteined Braccio di Montone who was in Armes no lesse esteemed then was Sforza therwithall enemy to the Pope for hauing surprized Perugia with some other townes belonging to the church Afterwards a peace was taken betweene her and the Pope Then the King Alfonso doubting least she wold entreat him as she had intreated her husband sought secretly to possesse the Fortresses But she being subtil fortified her self
it bee imagined how great authoritie and force that Cittie in short space atteined vnto So that it became not onely chiefe of Toscana but also was accounted amongst the best Cities of Italy and should haue so continued had not the often and new diuisions disturbed the same vnder this gouernment the Florentines liued tenne yeares within which time they enforced the Pistoiesi Aretini and Senesi to make league with them Returning from Sienna with their Army they surprized Volterra and demolished some castles leading the inhabitants of them to Florence All which enterprises were performed by counsell of the Guelfi who could do much more then the Ghibilini because they for their insolencie during the raigne of Federigo were hated of the people The faction of the church also much more loued then the faction of the Emperour because the Florentines hoped thereby to preserue their libertie but beeing vnder the Emperour they feared to loose it The Ghibilini then seeing themselues bereft of authoritie could not liue contented but still aspecting occasion to recouer the gouernment and seeing Manfredi sonne of Federigo possessed of the kingdome of Napoli who had also discomforted the forces of the church thought the time come to serue their purpose Secretly then they practised with him to take their authoritie vppon him but their practise was not so cunningly handled but that the same was discouered to the Antiani who presently sent for the Vbarti They not onely refused to appeare but also tooke Armes and fortified themselues in their houses wherwith the people offended likewise tooke Armes and ayding the Guelfi enforced them and all the rest of the Ghibilini to abandon Florence and go vnto Siena From whom they prayed aide of Manfredi king of Napoli and by the industry of Farrinata Vberti the Guelfi vpon the riuer Arbia receiued so great an ouerthrow and slaughter as those that were saued returned not to Florence but supposing their Cittie lost fled into Lucca The chiefe Captaine of those souldiers sent by Manfredi was Earle Giordano a man of war in that time greatly esteemed Hee after the victorie went with the Ghibilini to Florence reducing the citie wholly to the obedience of Manfredi deposing the magistrates and altering euerie other order whereby might appeare any forme of libertie Which iniurie with small wisdom committed was generally of the people taken in great disdaine and of friends to the Ghibilini they became mortal enemies wherof with time grew their vtter ruine The Earle Giordano hauing occasion to return to Napoli for the seruice of that kingdome left in Florence as deputie for the king the Earle Guido Nouella Lord of Casentino who at Empoli assembled a Councell of Ghibilini it was necessarie to raze Florence as apt by reason the people were Guelfi to recouer force for the aide of the church To this so cruell a sentence in preiudice of that noble citie there was no citizen nor friend Farinata Vbarti excepted that apposed himself He openly without respect spake in fauour therof laid that he had not laboured nor aduentured himselfe in so many perils but to the end he might inhabit his natiue country would not loose that he had so long sought nor shunne that which fortune had laid vpō him Yea being no lesse enemy to them that should so determine then he had bene to the Guelfi he wold not refuse to fauour his country hoping that his vertue which had chased out the Guelfi from Florence should also defend the same Farinata was a man of great courage excellent in the wars chief of the Ghibilini and greatly esteemed of Manfredi his opinion therefore preuailed and new means were thought vpō how to preserue the state The Guelfi before fled to Lucca for feare of the Earles threatning were sent away from thence and went to Bologna frō whence they were called by the Guelfi of Parma to go with them to an enterprise against the Ghibilini wherin by their vertue the enimies were vanquished and they recouered their owne possessions So that encreasing in riches honour knowing also that Pope Clemente had sent for Carlo of Angio to take the kingdome from Manfredi by Ambassaders they offered him their seruice and the Pope did not onely receiue them for his friendes but also gaue them his Ensigne which euer sithence the Guelfi haue carried in their warres and is that which at this day is vsed in Florence Then was Manfredi by Carlo dispossessed of his kingdome and slain In which enterprise the Guelfi of Florence happening to be present their faction gained reputation and the Ghibilini became the weaker Whereupon those that gouerned with the Earle Guido at Florence thought it meere by some benefit to winne the loue of the people which with many iniuries had before that time bene lost For those remedies which before this time of necessitie would haue preuailed vsing them now without order and out of time did not onely hurt but also hasten their ruine They then thought good to make the people friends and partakers of such honours and authoritie as had bene taken from them and elected thirtie sixe Citizens Commoners who with two Gentlemen called from Bologna should reforme the state of the Citie They thus assembled presently diuided the Citie into Arts or Misteries ouer euery one of which Misteries they appointed one Magistrate to do iustice to all those within his gouernment They ordeined also an Ensigne to euerie Misterie to the end that all men might repaire therunto armed whensoeuer occasion did serue These Misteries were in the beginning twelue seuen great and fiuelesse Afterwards the lesse Misteries encreased to fourteene so then the number was as at this present it is twenty one The thirtie six men appointed for reformation practised many things for the benefit of the people The Earle Guido for the paying of the souldiers imposed a Subsidie vppon the Citizens whom hee found so vnwilling therewith as hee durst not enforce them to paie those summes that were imposed And supposing to haue lost the state he ioyned himselfe with the chiefe of the Ghibilini which done determined to take that frō the people by force which they for want of iudgement had graunted For that purpose assembling the souldiers Armed and accompanied with the thirtie sixe Reformers hee made an Alarum and foorthwith the Reformers retired themselues to their houses and the Ensignes of the Misteries came foorth followed by many Armed men who vnderstanding that the Earle Cuido with his followers were at Saint Giouanni they made head at Saint Trinita and there elected Giouanni Sodarini theyr Captaine The Earle on the other side hearing where the people were marched towardes them who fled not but assoone as the Earle drew neare charged him neare vnto the place called Loggio delli Tornaquinci There they forced the Earle to retire with the slaughter and losse of many his souldiers The Earle fearing that his enemy seeing his souldiers maimed and weary would
helpe him for not hurting himselfe returned backe Corso thus ending his life which happened in the yeare 1308. was the cause that all tumults ceased and the citie continued quiet till such time as intelligence was giuen that Arrigo the Emperour who fauoured by the Florentine Rebelles was come into Italy followed by them and intending to put them againe in possession of their country For preuenting of which mischiefe the Magistrates of the citie thought good to call home all those that had not bene by speciall name banished whereby the number of their enemies should be the lesse The greater number that remained in exile were Ghibilini and some fewe of the faction Bianca among whom were Dante Alighieri the sonnes of Veri de Cerchi and Giano della Bella. They sent also for aide to Roberto King of Napoli which not obteined at his hand as their friend they were enforced to giue him the citie for fiue yeares to the end he might defend them as his subiects Then the Emperour passed into Italy and by the way of Pisa went to Rome there to be crowned in the yeare 1312. Afterwards determining to reforme Florence hee returned thither by Perugia and Arezzo and lodged his Campe at the Monastery of S. Salui distant one myle from the citie where he remained fiftie dayes without any good done and therfore as desperate of successe remoued to Pisa where he agreed with Federigo King of Sicilia to assault the kingdom of Napoli Being with his Army there arriued in great hope of victorie and the King Roberto in great feare of his distruction at Buouconuento he died It happened shortly after that Vguccione di Faggiola became Prince of Pisa and not long after of Lucca brought thither by the faction of Ghibilini with whose aide he greatly iniured his neighbours Amongst whom the Florentines to be deliuered gaue vnto the brother of King Roberto the gouernment of their Army Vguccione on the other side for the encreasing of his power laboured continually till by force and subtiltie he had gotten many Castles in the vale of Arno and Nieuole Then marching towards Monte Catini with intent to besiege the same the Florentines thought it necessarie to rescue that place least the losse thereof might disturbe the whole countrey Then assembling a great Army they passed into the vale Nieuole where they fought with Vguccione and in the end of their battaile two thousand or more of their men were slaine with Piero the Kings brother their Generall whose bodie afterwards was neuer found neither was this victorie without losse to Vguccione whose sonne was also killed with many Captaines and Leaders of his Armie The Florentines after this ouerthrow fortified the townes about them and the King Roberto sent them a new Generall called Andrea Earle Nouello By whose gouernment or rather by the naturall inclination of the Florentines discontented with euerie state and diuided by euerie accident notwithstanding the warres they lately had with Vguccione fell to faction The one part whereof called themselues the Kings friends the other the Kings enemies The chiefe of the Kings enemies were Simon della Tosa the house of Magalotti with certaine other populer men in whom rested the chiefe of the gouernment These men found meanes to send into France and Germany to leauie Captaines and souldiers to remoue the Earle Andrea Gouernour for the King But their fortune was such as could not bring to passe that they desired yet did they not abandon the enterprise but beeing disappointed both by France and Germany they found out a Gouernour in Agobio and before his comming remoued Andrea Lando de Agobio being come was made their minister or rather their hangman hauing receiued absolute authoritie ouerall the citizens He being a man couetous and cruell accompanied with his souldiers all armed visited euerie streete murthering euerie man whom those that elected him would require Yea such was his insolencie that he caused false mony to be quoined with the stampe of Florence and no man durst gainsay the doing therof so great was the authoritie whereunto the discord of the citie had brought him Great and lamentable was the estate of this towne which neither the memorie of passed diuision neither the feare of Vguccione nor the authoritie of the King could reforme In most miserable plight it then remained when the country abroad was spoyled by Vguccione and the citie within by Lando of Agobio sacked The Kings friends were all contrary to Lando and his followers Likewise all Noble houses the chiefe of the people al the Guelfi Notwithstanding because the aduerse party had the gouernment they could not without perill to themselues be discouered Yet resoluing to be deliuered from so dishonest a tyrannie they wrote secretly vnto the King Roberto to make the Earle Guido Buttifolle his Lieftenant in Florence which the King presently did and the aduerse part notwithstanding that the Senators were contrarie to the King durst not for the respect they bare to the Earle finde fault But the Earle had not therby much authoritie because the Senators the Gonfaloniere were by Lando and his partie fauoured During the continuance of these troubles in Florence the daughter of King Alberto comming from Germany passed that way in her iourny towards Carlo the sonne of Roberto her husband She was greatly honoured by the Kings friends and they imparted vnto her the state of the citie and the tyrannie of Lando with his followers In so much as by the fauour of her before her departure the citie was pacified Lando remoued from his authoritie and with riches blood and spoile sent home to Agobio The gouernment also of the King ouer the citie for three yeares was continued And whereas there had bene before seuen Senators elected by Lando six more were chosen for the King so the Magistrates were for a time thirteene After they were reduced to the auncient number of seuen About this time Vguccione was depriued of his authoritie in Lucca Pisa and Castruccio Castracani from a priuate Cittizen aspired to be Lord of Lucca for hee being a yoong man of great courage in euerie enterprise fortunate became in short space the principall Leader of all the Chibilini in Toscana For which respect the Florentines setting aside priuate discord deuised with themselues by what meanes Castruccio might be kept downe and how his forces alreadie growne might be resisted And to the end that the Senators might with better counsell be aduised with more authoritie execute the same they elected twelue Cittizens whome they called Boni Homini without whose consent and counsell the Senators might not do any thing of importance In this mean while the gouernment of king Roberto was expired the citie became Prince ouer it selfe with the auncient Magistrates and gouernors therof Also the great feare they had of Castruccio did hold the same vnited hee hauing done many things against the Lords of Lunigiana and assembled Prato The
greater tyrannie then that of the Duke of Athene but the bountie of Lando was such as suffred no thoght to enter his mind that might be preiudiciall to the vniuersall quiet His wisedom directed all things so as many of his fellowship gaue him place his aduersaries by force of armes were oppressed Which maner of proceeding caused the multitude to stand dismaied and the better sort of Artificers to looke about them thinke how great their shame was hauing oppressed the great mens pride to endure the populer dregs At such time as Michele obteined this victorie against the multitude a new Senate was chosen wherin were two men of so vile and vnworthie condition as euery man desired to be acquit of that great infamie When these officers were created which was the first day of September the Market place was full of armed men So soone as the olde Senators came out of the Pallace there was a brute giuen out among the armed men that they would not that any of the base people should be of the number of Senators Whereupon the Senate for their satisfaction depriued two the one called Tira the other Baroccio in whose roomes they placed Georgio Scali and Francesco di Michele They also deposed the mysteries of the base people and all officers excepting Michele-Lando Lorenzo di Puccio and a fewe others of the better sort They diuided the honours into two parts allotting the one to the greater mysteries the other to the lesse Of the Senate they willed there should be euer fiue of the lesse mysteries and foure of the great And the Gonfaloniere to be chosen sometimes of the one and sometimes of the other The state thus ordeined for the present appeased the citie And albeit the gouernment was taken away from the base people yet the Artificers of meanest condition remained more mightie then the populer Nobilitie who were forced to giue place to winne from the base people the fauoure of the mysteries and content them which was also fauoured by such as desired that those should be oppressed who vnder the name of Guelfi had with great insolencie iniured many Cittizens Among others that allowed this manner of gouernment Georgio Scali Benedetto Alberti Saluestro di Medici and Tomazo Strozzi were made as Princes of the citie These matters thus proceeding and handled the diuision alreadie begunne betwixt the populer Nobilitie and the meane Artificers through ambition of Ricci and Albizi became confirmed Whereof because afterwardes followed greeuous effects and of them we shall be often occasioned to speake we will call the one populer the other plebeiall The state continued thus three yeares full of banishments and murthers For they that gouerned knowing there were both within and abroade manie euill contented did liue in great suspition The Cittizens within discontented either they continually attempted some newe practise or deuised with themselues how they might do it And those that liued without hauing no bridle by meane of some Prince or some Common weale here and there sowed sedition At this time Giannozzo di Salerno Lieutenant to Durazzo descended of the Kings of Napoli hapned to be at Bologna intending to assault the kingdom take the same frō Queene Giouanna At the same time also were in Bologna many banished Florentines who with the Pope and with Carlo practised diuerse things which was the cause that they who gouerned in Florence did liue in great suspition and gaue credit easily to the slaunders of those Citizens that were suspected During this doubtfull time it was reuealed to the Magistrates that Giannozzo of Salerno should with the banished men present himselfe before Florence and that many within would take armes and deliuer the citie to his hand Vpon this report many were accused the chiefe of whom were Piero delli Albizi and Carlo Strozzi and next to them the Cipriani Giaccomo Sacchetti Donati Barbadori Filippo Strozzi and Giouanni Anselini who were all taken sauing Carlo Strozzi that fled And the Senate to the end none should take armes in their fauour appointed Tomazo Strozzi and Benedetto Alberti with many armed men to guard the citie These Citizens were apprehended and examined but the accusation and their answere conferred togither no fault was in them found Insomuch that the Captaine not willing to condemne them their enemies in the meane space moued the people to mutinie and by force they were iudged to death Neither was Piero degli Albizi any whit fauoured either for the greatnesse of his house or for that long time he had in the citie more reputation then any other and had bene there more honoured and feared During his prosperitie some friend of his either to perswade him to curtesie in his greatnesse or else some enemie to threaten him with the inconstancie of fortune at such time as hee made a solemne banquet to diuerse Citizens sent him a siluer dish full of Comfits and in those Comfits was hidden a naile which being founde and seene of diuerse his guestes it was imagined that thereby he should remember to staie the wheele because fortune hauing set him on the height thereof the wheele keeping course must needes cast him downe Which interpretation was first by his decaie and after by his death verified After this execution the citie remained full of confusion because both the victored and the victorious stood in feare but the worst of all was that the gouernours themselues liued in continuall suspition For euerie accident were it neuer so litle made them to do new iniuries to the factions condemning admonishing and sending the Citizens into exile Whereunto they ioyned new lawes and new orders many times made onely to fortifie their authoritie All which was done to the iniurie of them who were to their faction suspected And they created fortie sixe men who with the Senate should discouer men suspected to the state These officers admonished thirtie nine Citizens making many populer persons great men many great men populer Also the rather to withstand all external forces they enterteined Iohn Aguto an English Captain who in those daies was accounted of great experience in the war had long serued the Pope others in Italy The suspition abroad proceeded of intelligence giuen how certain companies of men at armes belonging to Carlo Durazzo were put in readinesse to assault the kingdome Among whom as was reported were many banished Florentines For the meeting with those perils besides the ordinarie forces a summe of mony was prouided Carlo arriued in Arezzo receiued of the Florentines fortie thousand Duckets promising not to molest them After that time he atchiued his enterprise and happily surprized the kingdome of Napoli tooke the Queen Giouanna sent her prisoner into Hungary Which victorie encreased a new suspition of those that in Florence feared the state Because they could not beleeue that their money should do more with the King then the auncient friendship which that house had with the Guelfi who with manifold
gaue great reputation to the faction of Cosimo and much terror to the enemy that so mightie a Common weale refused not to sell their libertie to the Florentines Which was thought to be done not so much to gratifie Cosimo as to exasperate the factions in Florence make by meanes of bloud the diuision of our citie the more daungerous Because the Venetians found that there was nothing that so much hindred their greatnes as the vniting thereof Thus the citie being acquite both of the enemies persons suspected to the state the gouernours studying to pleasure other people make their own part the stronger restored the house of Alberti with all other Rebels All the great Citizens a few except were brought into the order of the people the possessions of the rebels at smal prices among them sold Moreouer with new lawes and orders they strengthened themselues making new Squittini taking out the names of their enemies putting in the names of their friends Also being warned by the ruine of their enemies and iudging that it sufficed not for the holding of the state to haue the Squittini full of their friends they also thought good that the Magistrates of life and death should be chosen of the chiefe of their faction It was therfore required that the makers of the new Squittini togither with the old Senate should haue authoritie to create the new They gaue vnto the Eight authoritie ouer life and death and prouided that those that were banished should not though their time were expired return vnlesse of the Senat and the Colledges being in number 37. were thereunto consenting or at the least thirtie foure of them To write vnto those that were confined or receiue any letters from them was forbidden Also euery word euery signe euery action that offended the Gouernours was greeuously punished And if in Florence remained any suspitiō it was the Impositions lately imposed so hauing driuē out their aduersaries or brought thē to great pouerty assured themselues of the state Also not to want forrein aid but preuent such as thereby determined to offend them they did confederate and make league with the Pope the Venetians and the Duke of Milan The state of Florence resting in these tearmes Giouanna Queene of Naples dyed making by her testament Rinieri de Angio heyre of her Kingdome At that time Alfonso King of Aragon happened to be in Sicilia and hauing the friendship of many Barrons there prepared himselfe to possesse that Kingdome The Napolitanes and many of the Lords fauoured Rinieri The Pope on the other side would neither that Rinieri nor Alfonso might possesse it but desired that himselfe should gouerne it by a Deputy of his owne Yet Alfonso being arriued in the Kingdome was by the Duke of Sessa receiued and there enterteined some other Princes hoping to surprize Capoua which the Prince of Tarranto in the name of Alfonso possessed and by that meane to constraine the Napolitanes to yeeld to his will For that purpose he sent his Nauie to assault Gaietta which was holden for the Neapolitanes The Napolitanes then prayed ayde of Philippo who perswaded the Genouesi to take that enterprise in hand They not onely to satisfie the Duke their Prince but also to saue the merchandize they had in Naples and Gaietta armed a mightie Nauie Alfonso on the contrary side vnderstanding thereof encreased his forces and went in person to encounter the Genouesi with whom he fought neere vnto the Island of Pontio and there his Nauie was vanquished himselfe with diuerse other Princes taken and sent by the Genouesi to Philippo This victorie dismayd all the Princes of Italy because thereby they thought he might become owner of all But he so diuerse are the opinions of men tooke a course cleane contrary to expectation This Alfonso being a man verie wise so soone as he could come to the speech of Philippo tolde how greatly he deceiued himselfe to fauour Rinieri and disfauour him because if Rinieri were King of Naples he would labour with all his force to bring the Dukedome of Milan to the hands of the French King by reason his ayde was at hand his furniture of all things necessarie and the way open for his reliefe Neither could he looke for better then his owne ruine if he made that state to become French But the contrarie would follow if himselfe might be Prince For he not fearing any other enemy then the French should be enforced to loue honour and obey him who had the onely power to open the way to his enemies So that although the Kingdome should rest with Alfonso yet the authoritie and power thereof would remaine in the hands of Philippo Wherefore it would much more import him then himselfe to consider the perill of the one and the profit of the other vnlesse he desired more to satisfie his fantesie then assure the state Because in doing the one he should be Prince and free by the other in the middest of two mightie enemies either sure to lose the state vtterly liue alwayes in suspition or as a subiect obey them These words wrought so deepe in the Dukes mind that changing his intent he deliuered Alfonso honorably returned him to Genoua and from thence to the Kingdome There he imbarked againe and being arriued at Gaietta his deliuery was knowne and that Countrey sodeinly surprized by certaine Lords his followers The Genouesi seeing that without respect to them the Duke had deliuered the King and that he whome they with their charge and perill had honoured did not make them aswell partakers of the honor in the Kings inlargement as of the iniurie to him done and his ouerthrow grew greatly offended In the Cittie of Genoua when it liueth in libertie there is created one head whome they call Doge not to be a Prince absolute nor to determine alone but as chiefe to propound those matters whereof the Magistrates and Councels should consult Within that Towne be many noble Families which are so mightie that with difficultie they yeeld to the authoritie of Magistrates And of them the houses of Fregosa and Adorna be of greatest force From these the diuisions of that Cittie and the causes of ciuill disorders did proceed For they many times contending for gouernment not onely ciuilly but also by armes it falleth out that euer the one faction is afflicted and the other gouerneth It also happeneth many times that those who are deposed from authoritie do pray ayde of forreine armes and yeeld that gouernment to others which they themselues could not enioy Hereof it proceedeth that those who gouerned in Lombardy do for the most part commaund in Genoua as it happened at such time as Alfonso was taken Among the chiefe of the Genouesi that caused the Cittie to be giuen into the hands of Philippo was Francesco Spinola who not long after he had brought his countrey in bondage as in like cases it euer happeneth became suspected to
was passed without any enterprise of importance In so much as Nicholo Piccinino being returned into Lombardy and the winter begun all the souldiers repaired to their lodgings the Earle to Verona the Duke to Cremona the Florentines to Toscana and the Popes forces to Romagna After the victorie at Anghiari they assaulted Furli and Bologna with intent to take them from Francesco Piccinino who in the name of his father kept them But that enterprise tooke none effect yet their comming thither did so much terrifie the people of Rauenna that with the consent of Ostacio di Polenta they abandoned the Pope and yeelded their obedience to the Venetians who in recompence of the towne and to the end that Ostacio should neuer recouer that from them by force which for want of wit he had giuen them sent him and his sonne to die in Candia In which enterprises notwithstanding the victorie of Anghiari the Pope wanting money sould the Castell of Borgo Saint Sepulcro for twentie fiue thousand Florins In this estate all things being in respect of the winter euery man supposed himselfe in safetie and therefore of peace thought not at all chiefely the Duke held himselfe by Nicholo and the winter season assured For that consideration the parle of peace with the Earle was broken and Nicholo with all diligence was set on horseback with euery other furniture for a future warre necessarie Hereof the Earle being aduertised went vnto Venice to consult with the Senators what was to be done the yeare following Nicholo on the other side was readie and seeing the enemy vnprepared tarried not for the Spring but in the depth of winter passed Adda and entred Bresciano possessing himselfe of all that Countrey Adula and Acri excepted and there spoyling and taking prisoners two thousand of the Dukes horses who vnwares were there assaulted But that which more displeased the Earle and Venetians was the reuolt of Ciarpellone one of his chiefe Captaines The Earle receiuing these newes went sodeinly from Venice and being arriued at Brescia found that Nicholo had done those displeasures and was returned to his lodging so as he thought not good to kindle the warre againe being in that sort quenched And sith the enemy and time did giue opportunitie thought good to prepare himselfe hoping the rather with the new yeare to be reuenged of old iniuries He therefore procured that the Venetians should call back their forces which serued the Florentines in Toscana and commaunded that the place of Gattamelata being dead should by Micheletto be supplied The Spring being come Nicholo Piccinino was the first that marched to the field and besieged Cignano a Castle distant from Brescia twelue miles To the rescue whereof came the Earle and betwixt these two Captaines according to their custome the warre was made The Earle standing in doubt of Bergamo besieged Martinengo which Castle being easily wonne the succour of Bergamo could not be hard That Cittie being by Nicholo greatly distressed and hauing prouided so as it could not receiue harme but by the way of Martinengo they manned it so fully as behoued the Earle to goe vnto the siege thereof with all forces Whereupon Nicholo with his whole Army placed himselfe where he might impeach the Earle of his victuall and was with trenches and bulwarks so fortified as the Earle without his apparant danger could not assault him and brought the matter to that passe that the besieger was in more perill then the people of Martinengo who were besieged in so much as the Earle for want of victuall could neither continue the siege nor for the peril he was in depart thence Thus the Dukes victorie was thought assured and the Venetians and Earles ouerthrow seemed apparant But fortune who neuer faileth of meane to fauour her friends and disfauour her foes made Nicholo Piccinino with hope of this victorie to become so ambitious and insolent as without respect to the Duke and himselfe also by a messenger signified vnto him that he had long time serued vnder his ensigne and yet had not gained so much land as he could therein burie himselfe and was therefore desirous to know wherewith his seruice should be rewarded sith now it was in his power to make him Lord of Lombardy and oppresse all his enemies And to the end that of certaine victorie he might aspect a certaine recompence desired to haue of his gift the Cittie of Piacenza where being wearie of long trauell he might sometimes repose himselfe and in conclusion somewhat threatned to abandon the enterprise if the Duke refused to satisfie his demaund This presumptuous and insolent sute so highly offended the Duke as he made choise rather to lose the victorie then consent thereunto And that which so many dangers and threatnings of enemies could not compasse the insolent behauiour of friends brought to passe and the Duke resolued to make a peace with the Earle To whome he sent Antonio Guidobuono of Tortona and by him offered his daughter with the conditions of peace which offer was by the Earle and all his Collegats greedily accepted and the particularities betwixt them secretly concluded The Duke then sent vnto Nicholo willing him to take a truce with the Earle for one yeare alleaging he had bene so sore burthened with charges as he could not refuse a certaine peace for a doubtfull victorie Nicholo meruailed much at this resolution as one that knew not what might moue the Duke to shunne a victorie so certaine and could not beleeue that for want of good will to reward friends he would saue his enemies Wherefore in the best manner he could opposed himselfe to this determination In so much as the Duke was constrained to threaten him that if he were not conformable he would giue him either as a prisoner to the enemy or as a spoile to his owne souldiers Then Nicholo obeied but with no other minde then he that by force abandoneth his friends and countrey complaining his hap to be hard sith sometimes fortune and sometimes the Duke had taken from him the victorie ouer his enemies This peace made the marriage betwixt the Ladie Bianca and the Earle was solemnized and to her was allotted for dowrie the Cittie of Cremona Which done the peace was ratified in Nouember the yeare 1441. where for the Venetians Francesco Barbarigo and Pagolo Trono and for the Florentines Agnolo Acciaiuolo were Commissioners In this contract the Venetians gained Peschiera Asola and Lonato a Castle belonging to the Marquesse of Mantoua The warre thus stayed in Lombardy it remained to take order for the troubles in the kingdome which not being pacified would be an occasion to renew the warres in Lombardy The King Rinato during the warres in Lombardy had bene spoiled by Alfonso of Arragon of all his Kingdome saue only the Cittie of Naples so that Alfonso thinking to haue victorie in his owne hand determined during the siege of Naples to take from the Earle Beneuento and other
vpon Notwithstanding Gherardo being still sollicited by the King at length consented to the practise And hauing concluded the same the King sent to the Vale of Bagno a Knight of Ierusalem called Puccio and with him diuerse bands of souldiers to take possession of the Castles and Townes belonging to Gherardo But those people of Bagno being affectionate to the Florentines verie vnwillinglie promised their obedience to the Kings Commissaries Puccio hauing taken possession of all that state wanted onely to possesse himselfe of the fortresse of Corzano When Gherardo deliuered this possession there was present among many others one called Antonio Gualandi of Pisa a yong man verie valiant and such a one as was with the treason of Gherardo greatly discontented He considering the scite of the fortresses and finding by the countenance of those souldiers who guarded it that they were likewise displeased While Gherardo stood at the gate to let in the Kings souldiers Antonio came betwixt him and the Castle and with both his hands forcibly thrust him out commaunding the Guard to shut the gates against so wicked a Traytor and keepe the same to the vse of the Florentines This rumor being heard in the Vale of Bagno and other places neare vnto it all the people tooke armes against the King and followed the Florentines ensigne This matter aduertised to Florence the Florentines caused the sonne of Gherardo remaining with them in hostage to be put in prison and sent souldiers to Bagno to defend the countrey for them changing that gouernment from a principalitie into a Vicariato But Gherardo hauing thus betraied both his Lords and his owne sonne with great difficultie fled leauing his wife his daughter and his substance at the discretion of the enemy This accident stood the Florentines greatly in stead For if the King had possessed that Countrey he might with small charge and easily haue gotten the Vale of Teueri and spoiled Casentino whereby he should haue so much troubled the state that the Florentines could not haue bene able to encounter the forces of Arragon which remained at Siena The Florentines besides their owne preparation in Italy the rather to oppresse their enemies had sent Agnolo Acciaiuoili Embassador to the French King to perswade him to licence Rinato de Angio to come in the aide of the Duke and them By which meanes he should defend his friends and afterwards being in Italy attend the surprizing of the Kingdome whereunto they offered him aide both of men and money During the warres in Lombardy and in Toscana as is before said the Embassador concluded with King Rinato of Angio that before the end of Iune he should come into Italy with two thousand and foure hundred horse and that at his arriuall in Alessandria the League should giue him thirtie thousand Florins readie paiment and euery moneth after during the warres tenne thousand The King then by vertue of this league comming into Italy was by the Duke of Sauoia and the Marquesse of Monferato impeached for they being friends to the Venetians would not permit him to passe Whereupon the King was perswaded by the Embassador of Florence to returne to Prouenza with certaine of his army and from thence to passe into Italy by sea And on the other side to perswade with the French King to procure so much fauour of that Duke that the rest of his souldiers might come through Sauoia According to this counsell the matter was handled and the King Rinato went by Sea into Italy conueying the rest of his Army through Sauoia by the French Kings mediation The King Rinato was by the Duke Francesco most honorably receiued and hauing ioyned the Italian forces with the Kings they assaulted the Venetians with so great furie that within short space they recouered all those Townes in Cremonesi which they had before lost and not so content they surprized almost all the countrey of Brescia The Venetian army fearing to tarry in the field retired to the walles of Brescia But the winter being come the Duke thought good to withdraw his souldiers to their lodgings appointing for the Kings aboad the Cittie of Piacenza where he remained all that winter in the yeare 1453. without any other action performed So soone as the time of yeare serued and that the Duke was going to the field in hope to dispossesse the Venetians of the rest of their Countries vpon the firme land the King Rinato signified vnto him that of necessitie he was to returne into Fraunce This intention of the Kings seemed to the Duke not onely strange but also vnlooked for and therefore greatly offended him and albeit he went in person presently to disswade him yet neither his intreatie nor promises could take effect but onely promised to leaue behinde him part of his forces and to send his sonne Giouanni to supplie his place in seruice of the League This resolution grieued not the Florentines for they hauing recouered their Castles feared not the King any longer And on the other side they desired that the Duke should not recouer more then the townes in Lombrdy to him belonging The King Rinato being gone sent according to promise his sonne into Italy who stayed not in Lombardy but went presently vnto Florence where he was very honorably receiued The matter thus handled by the King did occasion the Duke to be content with peace and the Venetians Alfonso and the Florentines being likewise wearied desired the same The Pope also by all meanes laboured to bring it to passe bicause the same yeare Mahumetto the great Turk had taken Constantinople and made himselfe Lord of all Greece which victorie terrified greatly all Christians but chiefely the Venetians and the Pope who thought Italy was thereby in great danger The Pope therefore desired the Potentates of Italy to send Embassadors vnto him with authoritie to establish an vniuersall peace which commission was performed and notwithstanding that altogither they ioyned and seemed all to allow of the motion they found neuerthelesse therein great difficultie The King required that the Florentines should pay his charges in the warre past and the Florentines would be paid themselues The Venetians demaunded Cremona of the Duke and the Duke asked of them Bergamo Brescia and Crema so that these difficulties seemed impossible to be remoued notwithstanding that which at Rome seemed hard to be concluded at Milan and Venice prooued easie For when at Rome the peace vniuersall was practised the Duke and the Venetians betwixt themselues made an agreement on the ninth of Aprill in the yeare 1451. By vertue whereof euery of them should repossesse those townes which were theirs before the warre And it was graunted to the Duke that he might recouer his townes taken from him by the Lords of Monferato and Sauoia And to the other Princes of Italy one moneth was allowed to ratifie the same The Pope the Florētines the Sanesi and the lesser Potentates within the time appointed made their ratification
Moreouer betwixt the Florentines the Duke and the Venetians a peace was concluded for fifteene yeares Onely the King Alfonso among all the Italian Princes seemed therewith discontented bicause he thought it was contrary to his reputation to be named in the contract of peace not as a principall but as an adherent For which consideration he pawsed long before he would lay downe his resolution But being sollicited by sundrie solemne Embassages of other Princes he was at length content and chiefely by the Pope to be perswaded and with his sonne entred this league for thirtie yeares confirming the same with alliances and crosse marriages betwixt the Duke and the King their sonnes marrying one the others daughters Notwithstanding to the end that some seeds of the warre might remaine in Italy he consented not to make the peace before such time as those of the League would giue him leaue without their iniurie to make warres vpon the Genouesi Gismondo Malatesti and Astor Prince of Faenza This conclusion made Ferrando his sonne then being at Siena returned to the Kingdome hauing sithence his arriuall in Toscana not gained any dominion but lost great numbers of souldiers This vniuersall peace being concluded it was onely feared least King Alfonso for the displeasure he bare to the Genouesi would disturbe the common quiet but the matter came otherwise to passe for the King did not openly moue any disturbance but as it hath alwaies happened by the ambition of mercinarie souldiers the peace was by them interrupted The Venetians had as their manner is the warres being ended discharged their Generall Giacopo Piccinino who taking vnto him certaine other Captaines likewise discharged went into Romagna and from thence to the countrey of Siena where Giacopo staying begun the warre and surprized certaine Townes belonging to the Sanesi At the beginning of these troubles in the yeare 1455. died Pope Nicholo and to him succeeded Calisto tertio This Pope to represse the new warre assembled all the forces he was able making Giouanni Ventimiglia his Generall who with certaine Florentines and other souldiers sent from the Duke for that purpose went against Giacopo and fought with him neare vnto Bolcena where notwithstanding that Ventimiglia was taken prisoner yet Giacopo had the worst and was forced to retire to Castalione della Piscaia and had he not bene by Alfonso relieued with money he should then vtterly haue bene ouerthrowne which reliefe discouered that Giacopo had taken that enterprise in hand with the priuitie and direction of that King Alfonso finding himselfe discouered to be reconciled to the other Princes consenting to the peace whose fauour by meanes of this weake warre he had almost lost procured that Giacopo should restore to the Sanesi all the townes he had taken from them and they to giue him twentie thousand Florins And this agreement made the King receiued Giacopo with his souldiers into the Kingdome In those dayes notwithstanding that the Pope intended to bridle Giacopo Piccinino yet was he mindfull also of the defence of Christendome likely to be oppressed by the Turks For which purpose he sent into all Christian Countries Embassadors and Preachers to perswade with Princes and people to arme themselues for the aide of Religion and to giue money and personall seruice to this enterprise against the common enemy He caused also solemne processions to be made declaring both publiquely and priuately that he himselfe would be among the first of the Christians that should assist that action with counsell money and men But the heate of this Crociata was cooled with aduertisements that the Turke and his army being at Bellgrado a Castle of Hungary vpon the riuer of Danubio was by the Hungarians hurt in his person and his Camp broken so that the Popes and Christians feare conceiued by the losse of Constantinople was thereby ceased and the preparation they made for the warre proceeded coldly In Hungary likewise by the death of Giouanni Vaiuoda Captaine of that victorie the warre was discontinued But returning to the matters of Italy I say that in the yeare 1456. the tumults moued by Giacopo Piccinino were ended so that euery man hauing laid aside armes it seemed as though God had taken them in hand For there happened in Toscana most tempestuous windes such as neuer before had bene heard of nor shall be which wrought most meruailous and memorable effects Vpon the 24. of August one houre before day there arose from the Sea towards Ancona a great and darke clowd crossing Italy and entering the Sea towards Pisa stretching two miles in compasse This storme was furiously carried and whither by naturall or supernaturall force diuided into many parts as it were fighting amongst themselues And of those broken clowds some were hoised vp towards heauen some violently cast downe and some with wonderfull speed were turned round but alwaies before them came a winde with lightnings and flashing of fire so terrible as cannot be expressed Of these broken and confused clowds and of those furious winds and great flames there grew so strange a noise as moued the people to greater feare then any Earthquake or thunder euer had done in so much as euery man thought the world was ended and that the earth the water and the heauen should haue returned to the old Chaos This fearefull storme wheresoeuer it passed wrought meruailous and wonderfull effects But the most notable of all happened about the Castle of S. Cassiano This Castle is builded vpon the hill which parteth the Vales of Pisa and Grieue eight miles distant from Florence Betwixt that said Castle and the towne of S. Andrea builded vpon the same hill this furious tempest passed not comming to S. Andrea but at S. Cassiano threw downe certaine turrets and chimneys and neare thereunto subuerted whole houses euen to the ground and carried away whole roofes of the Churches of S. Martino a Bagnolo and S. Maria della pace bearing them from thence vnbroken the space of more then one mile One man also a Carrier was taken vp and in the valley next vnto the way both he and his Moyles found dead Moreouer all the greatest okes and strongest trees which would not bend at the furie of the tempest were not onely broken but also with violence borne farre from the place where they grew Whereat the next day when the tempest was ceased and men returned to those places they were greatly astonied for they found the Countrey desolate and spoiled the houses and the temples ouerthrowne the people lamenting and beholding their houses cast downe and vnder them their goods their cattle and their parents slaine Which thing both in the beholders and hearers thereof moued a maruellous compassion By this meane it pleased God rather to threaten then punish Toscana For if so great a tempest had fallen vpon any Citie full of houses and inhabitants as it fell vpon these oakes trees and small houses one farre from the other without all doubt the destruction would
haue bene greater then the mind of man could haue conceiued But it pleased God by that small example to reuiue in mens mindes the memory of his power But now to returne to our matter The King Alfonso as is before said discontented with the peace and seeing that the warre which he caused Giacopo Piccinino to make vpon the Sanesi without any reasonable occasion had wrought no effect he thought to moue an other with the allowance of the league And in the yeare 1456. he assaulted the Genouesi both by sea and land as desirous to giue that state to the Adorni and depriue the Frigosi who then gouerned Besides that he caused Giacopo Piccinino to passe Tronto and assault Gismondo Malatesti who hauing well manned his townes regarded not much the assault of Giacopo so as the enterprise of the King on this side tooke no effect at all But that warre of Genoua occasioned more warre to him and his Kingdome then himselfe looked for At that time Pietro Fregoso was Duke of Genoua he fearing himselfe to be of force vnable to withstand the Kings assault determined to giue that to an other which himselfe could not hold and yeeld it into the hands of such a one that would at the least in that respect defend him so might he also hope in time to come to be reacquited Then sent he Embassadors to Carlo the seauenth King of France and offered him the dominion of Genoua Carlo accepted this offer and to take possession of that Cittie sent thither Giouanni de Angio sonne to King Rinato who not long before was departed from Florence and returned into Fraunce For Carlo was perswaded that Giouanni hauing bene before imployed in Italy knew how to gouerne that Cittie better then any other hoping also that being there he might deuise vpon the enterprise of Naples of which Kingdome Alfonso had dispossessed his father Rinato Then went Giouanni to Genoua and being there was receiued as Prince All the fortresses belonging to the Cittie with the whole gouernment were deliuered to his hand This accident displeased Alfonso thinking he had drawne in an enemy ouer mightie yet not dismayed therewith couragiously followed his enterprise and sayled on with his Nauie till he came vnder Villa Marina at Ponto Fino where taken with a sodeine disease he died By death of this King Giouanni and the Genouesi were deliuered of the warre and Ferrando who succeeded his father Alfonso in the Kingdome grew suspitious least an enemy of so great reputation in Italy might happily win the fauour of many his Barons whose fidelitie he doubted and whose mindes he knew desirous of Innouation for which respects they might percase be perswaded to ioyne with the French He also instructed the Pope whose ambitious mind as he thought aspired to take from him this new Kingdome His onely trust was in the Duke of Milan he being indeed no lesse carefull of the Kingdome then was Ferrando for he mistrusted that if the French did preuaile they would also labour to surprize his state which they had some colour to claime as to them apperteining That Duke therfore presently vpon the death of Alfonso determined to giue that Kingdome vnto Pietro Lodouico Borgia his nephew Also to make that enterprise seeme more honest and acceptable to the rest of the Italian Princes he published that his intent was to reduce that Kingdom vnder the Church of Rome perswading the Duke in that respect not to fauour Ferrando offering him those townes which of auncient time he possessed in the Kingdome But in the middest of these imaginations and new troubles Pope Calisto died and in his place was created Pio secundo borne in Siena and of the family of Piccolhuomini This Pope minding onely to benefite the Christians and honor the Church setting aside all priuate passion at the Duke of Milans request crowned the King Ferrando thinking he should better appease the warres by mainteining of him in possession then by fauouring the French to giue them the Kingdome or if he should as Calisto did challenge it for himselfe For this benefite Ferrando gaue vnto Antonio the Popes nephew the principallitie of Malfi and married him vnto his owne base daughter He restored also Beneuento and Terracina to the Church Then all men supposing that the armes of Italy were laid downe the Pope tooke order to mooue the Christians to make warre vpon the Turks as it was before deuised by Pope Calisto At which time there rose great dissention betwixt the Fregosi and Giouanni de Angio Lord of Genoua which dissention reuiued a warre of more importance then was the other alreadie passed At that time Pietrino Fregoso happened to be at a Castle of his in Riuiera He not holding himselfe according to his merits rewarded by Giouanni de Angio who by help of him and others of his house was made Prince became open enemy to Giouanni This discord pleased Ferrando as that which might onely be the meanes of his good speed Then sent he men and money to Pietrino hoping by his aide to driue Giouanni from that state Which he knowing sent into Fraunce to encounter Pietrino There finding much fauour he receiued a great supply and went against Pietrino who was become strong also so as Giouanni retired into the Cittie where also in the night Pietrino entred and possessed some places thereof but the next morning was by the souldiers of Giouanni assaulted and slaine and all his men likewise either slaine or taken This victorie encouraged Giouanni to set vpon the Kingdome and in October 1459. with a mightie nauie he departed from Genoua And landing at Baia marched from thence to Sessa where he was by the Duke of that countrey receiued Then came vnto Giouanni the Prince of Tarranto the Cittizens of Aquila with many other townes and Princes in so much as that Kingdome was almost ruined Ferrando seeing that desired aide of the Pope and the Duke Also to haue the fewer foes made peace with Gismondo Malatesti wherewith Giacopo Piccinino being naturall enemy to Gismondo became so much displeased as he discharged himselfe from the seruice of Ferrando and ioyned with Giouanni Ferrando also sent money to enterteine Federigo Lord of Vrbino and within short space he assembled according vnto that time a great army Then marched he to the riuer of Sarni where he found the enemy and fought with him in which conflict the forces of King Ferrando were ouerthrowne and many of his principall Captaines taken But notwithstanding this ouerthrow the Cittie of Naples with a fewe other townes and some Princes continued faithfull to Ferrando though all the rest of the Realme and Nobilitie yeelded their obedience to Giouanni Giacopo Piccinino perswaded Giouanni to follow the victorie and presently to marche to Naples thereby to possesse himselfe of the chiefe Cittie of the Kingdome which Giouanni refused to do saying he would first spoile all the countrey and then it would be more easie to surprize
his treasure in euerie place of Europe did perticipate of his felicitie Also many excessiue rich houses in Florence had their beginning from him as Tornabuoni Benchi Portinari and Sassetti Besides all these euerie man depending vppon his counsell and fortune became wealthie And albeit that his building of Temples and giuing of almes was knowne throughout the world yet would he to his friends many times lament that he had not spent and bestowed so much to the honor of God but that he found himselfe still in his booke a debtor He was of meane stature in complexion browne and of presence venerable vnlearned yet eloquent and full of naturall wisedome friendlie to his friends and pittifull to the poore In conuersation he was frugall in counsell aduised in execution speedie in speech and answering wittie and graue Rinaldo de gli Albizi in the beginning of his exile sent him a message saying that the hen did sit whereunto Cosimo answered that she could neuer hatch being farre from her nest To other Rebels who sent him word they slept not he answered that he beleeued the same bicause there sleepe was taken from them Vnto the Pope Pio perswading Princes to take Armes against the Turke Cosimo said An old man taketh in hand a yong enterprise To the Embassadors of Venice who came with the messengers of Alfonso to complaine of the Florentines he shewed his head bare and asked of what colour it was they answered white Then he replying said that ere it belong your Senators will also haue white heads like vnto mine His wife a few houres before his death seeing him shut his eyes asked him for what cause he so did He answered to bring them in vse Some Citizens saying vnto him after his returne from exile that he hindered the Cittie and offended God in banishing so many honest men To them hee answered It was better to haue a Cittie hindered then lost and that the State was not defended with beades in mens hands Which words gaue his enemyes matter to speake euill of him as a man that loued himselfe more then his Countrey and that esteemed more this world then the world to come Many other sayings as things not necessarie I omit Cosimo was also a louer and preferrer of learned men for he brought vnto Florence Argiropolo a Grecian borne and in that time of singuler learning to the end that the youth of Florence might be by him instructed in the Greeke toong and other his good learnings He enterteyned in his house Marsilio Ficino a second father of the Philosophie of Plato and him he entirely loued Also to the end he might with commoditie exercise the studie of learning and more aptly vse his help therein he gaue him certaine land neare vnto his house of Careggi This his wisedome these his riches this manner of life and this fortune were the causes that in Florence he was both feared and loued and of the Princes not onely of Italy but also of all Europe esteemed so as he left vnto his posteritie such a foundation as they might with vertue equall him and in fortune farre excell him Whatsoeuer authoritie Cosimo had either in Florence or elsewhere in Christendome he deserued the same notwithstanding in the end of his life he had great sorrowes For of two onely sonnes Pietro and Giouanni the one of whome he had most hope dyed the other was continually sick and therefore vnable either for publique or priuate function In so much as his sonne being dead he caused him to be carried about the house and he following the Coarse sighed and saide this house is ouer great for so small a familie It also offended the greatnesse of his minde that he had not in his owne opinion inlarged the Florentine dominion with some honorable conquest And it grieued him the more knowing that Francesco Sforza had deceiued him who being but Earle promised that so soone as hee was possessed of Milan hee would winne the Cittie of Lucca for the Florentines Which was not performed bicause the Earle with his fortune changed his minde and being become Duke determined to enioy that state with peace which he had gotten by warre Therefore he would neither keepe touch with Cosimo nor any other neither would he after he was Duke make anie more warres then those that for his owne defence hee was enforced vnto Which grieued Cosimo greatly finding that he had endured great paines and spent much to aduance a man vnthankfull and perfidious Moreouer by the weaknesse of his bodie he found himselfe vnfit to follow either priuate or publique affaires whereby the one and the other miscarried Because the Citie was destroyed by the Citizens and his owne substance by his confidents and children consumed All these things in the later end of his age did greatly disquiet his minde Notwithstanding he died with glorie And all the principall Citizens and all the Christian Princes did condole his death with Pietro his sonne and accompanied his coarse to the Temple of S. Lorenzo where with great pompe it was buried and by publique consent was written vpon his Tombe Pater Patriae If in this discourse of Cosimo I haue imitated those which haue written the liues of Princes and not those which write vniuersall histories let no man marueile thereat For hee being a rare man in our Citie deserued I should affoard him extraordinary commendation In those dayes that Florence and Italy stood in the conditions aforesaide Lewes King of France was with greeuous warres assaulted For the Lords of his owne Countrey assisted by the Dukes of Bretagne and Burgogne made the war so great vpon the King that he had no meane to aide the Duke Giouanni de Angio in his enterprise of Genoua and the kingdome But iudging that he had neede of ayd whatsoeuer he gaue the Citie of Sauona then in his hand and kept by French men to Francesco Duke of Milan letting him vnderstand that if he so pleased he might also with his fauour assault Genoua Which offer was accepted by Francesco and either through the reputation of the Kings friendship or the fauour of the Adorni he became Lord of Genoua Then to declare himselfe thankfull for the benefit receiued of the King he sent into France to the Kings aide a thousand fiue hundreth horse conducted by Galiazzo his eldest sonne Thus Ferrando of Aragon and Francesco Sforza were become the one Duke of Lombardy and Prince of Genoua the other King of all the kingdome of Naples And hauing married their children the one to the other they deuised by what meanes they might during their liues maintaine their countries with securitie and after their deaths so leaue the same to their heires For which purpose they thought it necessarie that the King should assure himselfe of those Barons which in the war of Giouanni de Angio had disobeyed him and that the Duke should endeuour himselfe to extinguish those that had bene brought vp in the warres by
Benedetto Alberti suspected and enuied The speech of Benedetto Alberti at his banishment The death of Benedetto Alberti Gâ—ouan Galiazzo becom prince of Lombardy 1393. The death of Galiazzo Veri di Medici The speech of Veri di Medici to the Senat of Florence Donati Acciaiuoli Donati Acciaiuoli with others confined Conspiracie in Florence against Masso Deili Albizi and others Conspiracy by the Duke of Milan against Florence The famely of Alberti confined An. 1402. The death of Ladislao king of Naples Error committed by the populer nobilitie Aduice of Nicolo Vzano against the Medici Leage betwixt the Florentins and the Duke of Milan Consultation in Florence The Florentines ouerthrowne The speech of Rinaldo de Albizi to appeaze the people Braccâ—o Piccinino Rinaldo di Albizi The answere of Giouanni di Medicito Rinaldo Biagio of Milan Zanobi Pino Piccinino reuolted from the league Carmignuola generall for the league Catasto Peace betwixt the League the Duke The speech of cosimo de Medici at his death Volterra rebelled Giusto vsurped Volterra Pagolo Guinigi Lord of Lucca Giusto slaine Volterra recouered by the Florentines A warre against Lucca perswaded by Ri. de Allâ—â—zi The perswation of Ni. de Vzano to the contrary The warre of Lucca resolued Cruelty of the Florentine Generall The complaint of the Sarauezesi Astore condemned and Rislandred The speech of Ri. in his purgation Filippo Brunelsco The Lucchesi pray aide of the Duke of Milan Francesco Sforsa sent to relieue Lucca Pagolo Lord of Lucca deposed The Florentines defeated Peace betweene the Florentines and Lucchesi Perswasion of Barbadori to Nicholo Vzano against Cosimo di Medici Answere of Nicholo Vzano to Barbadori Cosimo di Medici cited committed Cosimo di Medici banished Rinaldo and his friends armed against the Medici Pope Eugenio laboureth a Pacificatâ—on in Florence Cosimo reuoked and Rinaldo with others confined The words of Rinaldo at his banishment Two sorts of souldiers in Italy 1433. The Duke of MilaÌ„s daughter offered to Fran. Sforza The Pope assaulted by Fran. Sforza VVarre betweene the Pope and the Duke of Milan Fran. Sâ—oâ—za Generall of the League Peace betweene the League and the Duke New ordinances in FloreÌ„ce VVarre between Rinieri de Angio and King Alfonso of Aragon King Alfonso taken by the Genouesi King Alfonso deliuered Fregosi and Adorni Francesco Spinola The libertie of Genoua recouered The Oration of Ri. de Albizi to the Duke of Milan Genoua reuolted from the Duke Lucca distressed The Oration of the Lucchese to the other Cittizens The Lucchesi pray â—ide of the Duke Diffidence betweene the Venetians and the Earle Francesco The Venetians and Florentines of diuers opinions touching the pay of the Earle their Generall The Earle Francesco abandoneth the Venetians and Florentines The Earle of Poppi The Gretian Church submitteth to the Church of Rome New troubles in Lombardy and Toscana The Popes countrey spoyled by Ni. Piccinino Gatamelata Generall for the VenetiaÌ„s Perswasions of the Venetians and Florentines to the Earle not to abandon them The Oration of Neri Capponi to the Senate of Venice The Campe of Nicholo Piccinino defeated Nicholo Piccinino desirous to recouer his honor Verona surprized by Nicholo Piccinino Verona recouered by the Earle Francesco The Duke perswaded by Nicholo and the banished Florentines to assault Toscana The Patriarke of Alessandria Generall for the Pope The Pa. friend to Rinaldo de Albizi The pope seeketh to depose the Patriarke The Patriarke made prisoner Resolution of the League against the Duke The speech of the Earle FraÌ„cesco to the Senate of Venice The Venetians answer to the Earle Resolution of the Venetians with the Earle Francesco The Earle of Poppi rebelled from the Florentines Nicholo euill counselled by the Earle of Poppi Practise to surprise Cortona The siere of Brescia remoued The battle of Anghiari Nicholo Piccintino defeated VVant of discipline in the Florentines Campe. The death of Rinaldo de Aâ—bâ—zi Poppi besieged The speech of the Earle of Poppi to the Florentines commissaries The Earle answered by N. Capponi The Duke desireth peace The VenetiaÌ„s mistrust the Earle Francesco their Generall Ingratitude of the Venetians Micheletto Generall for the League A proude request of Nicholo Peace betweene the League and Duke and his daughter married to the Harle Francesco The warre betweene King Rinato and Alfonso reuiued The Cittie of Naples wonne by Alfonso Neri Capponi Cosimo de Medici Baldaccio Generall of the Florentine footmen Baldaccio murdâ—red by Bâ—rtholomeo Orlandini Florence reformed Ni. Piccinino discomfited Death of Ni. Piccinino Trouble in Bologna Santi Bentiuogli New warres in Lombardy The Earle his friendship desired both by the Duke and Venetians Death of Duke Philippo of Milan The Earle made Generall for the Milanesi The Venetians aspire to vsurpe the Duchie of Milan King Alfonso assaulteth the Florentines The Milanesi iealious of the Earle The Venetians defeated by the Earle Francefco The Venetians fortunate Peace betweene the Earle and Venetianâ— without consent of the Milanesi The Oration of the Milanesi to the Earle The Earles answere Expostulation of the Florentines to the Senate of Venice The Venetians desirous to abandon the Earle Cosimo de Medici friend to the Earle Francesco Neri Capponi against the Earle The Venetians aide the Mâ—lanesi against the Earle Gasparo Vicomercato his counsell The Earle Francesco become Duke of Milan 1450. League betwixt King Alfonso and the Venetians Embassadors from Venice to Florence The Embassador answered League betweene the Florentines and Duke Preparation for warre in Florence The Emperour Federigo in Florence The Duke of Milan assaulted Foiano assaulted by Ferrando Steffano Porcari Some do suppose this Canto to be written not vnto S. Porcari but to Nicholo di Renzo a gentleman Romane by Petrarche who therin serueth to diuine that in Rome shuld arise a Knight famous thorowout all Italy Steffano put to death The Vale of Bagno reuolted from the Florentines Rinato de Angio called into Italy by the Florentines Peace betweene the Venetians and the Duke Troubles moued by Giacopo Piccinino and supported by King Alfonso Pope Calisto perswadeth a generall war against the Turks A meruailous rempest in Toscana The Genouesi assaulted by King Alfonso Genoua in the possession of the French King The death of King Alfonso The death of Pope Calisto The Genouesi reuolted froÌ„ the french The kingdome of Naples assaulted by Giouanni de Aâ—gio King Ferrando defeated Giouanni de Angio vanquished in battell Cosimo de Medici Neri Capponi Lucca Pitti Girolamo Machiauelli Ordinances by Lucca â—â—tti The death of Cosimo di Medici The description of Cosimo his person and his wit The Duke of Milan Lord of Genoua Giacopo Piccinino supected to the Duke Giacopo Piccinino murthered The death of the Duke FraÌ„cesco Piero di Medici Dissimulation of Diotisalui Neroni A practise against Piero di Medici Offence between the Acciaiuoli and the Medici League betweene the Duke Galiiazzo and the Florentines Consultation to oppresse the Medici Perswasions of Nicholo Soderini against the Medici The speech of the Citizens to Piero di Medici The answerâ— of Piero. The enemies of the Medici vanquished The fall of Lucca Pitti The letter of Agnolo Acciaiuoli to Piero di Medici The answere of Piero. Complaint of the banished Florentines to the Senate of Venice The Florentines assaulted by the Venetians Marquesse of Farrara Peace betweene the Florentines and Venetians Pope Sisto The Oration of P. di Medici to the Florentines Death of Piero di Medici Tomaso Soderini Giuliano and Lorenzo di Medici Conspiracy of the Nardi The enterprise of Barnardo defeated The Duke of Milan in Florence Tumults in Volterra Volterra sacked Castello besieged by Pope Sisto Italy diuided into sactions Trouble in Toscana Conspiracie against the Duke of Milan The Duke murdered Displeasure betweene the Pope and the Medici Enimitie betweene the Pazzi and Medici Conspiracie against Giuliano and Lorenzo di Medici The euent of this conspiracie The Pope and King moue warre against the Florentiâ—es The speâ—ch of Lorenzo de Medici to the Florentines The Florentines carelesse of the Popes curse The Pope and King assault the Florentines Genoua rebelled from the Duke of Milan The Florentines gratefull to their seruants The Popes forces discomfired by the Florentines The Florentines seeke the King Ferrando his fauour Lorenzo de Medici Embassador for the Florentines Antonio Tassino Lodouico Sforza Gouernor of the Duke of Milan Lorenzo de Medici arriued at Naples Peace and league betweene the King the Florentines The Isle of Rodi assaulted by the Turkes The Turks landed in Italy The speech of the FloreÌ„tine Embassadors to the Pope The Popes answere New leagues in Italy The Duke of Calauria discomfited by the Pope New leagues in Italy Castello besieged by the Pope The Coâ—onnâ—â—i oppâ—essed by the Pope The first erection of S. George in Genoua Warre betweene the Genouâ—si and the Fâ—orentines Pietrasanta taken Aquila rebelled from the K. of Naples The Pope defendeth the rebels of Aquila Peace betweene the K. of Naples and the Pope 1486. Lorenzo di Medici his daughter married vnto the Popes sonne The Genouesi assaulted by the Florentines The Genouesi discomfited The Venetians broken and their Generall slaine Tumults in Romagna The Earle Girolamo murdered The Earles wife reuenged Galeotto Lord of Faenza murdered Lorenzo de Medici Lorenzo in marchandize infortunato LoreÌ„zo magnificent Lorenzo a louer of learning Lorenzo vniuersally loued Lorenzo honored of princes The death of Lorenzo di Medici