they least thought of it He did much affect this sort of Generosity or rather Soverainty for he never suffered any of his Relations to put their hands into his Coffers nay he was so absolute that once he banished a Kinsman of his because he found his House better furnished than it could be by those Gratifications which he had received from the Pope who used no more words with him but these We have given you so much and you have so much How came you by the rest And so without delay he banish'd him and divided his Fortune amongst his other Relations If the Nephews of other Popes become rich it is by the abuse they make of that Authority which they usurp in the Pope's Name But it was not so with the Nipotismo of Sixtus for he never gave blindly but with his eyes open and discreetly And if there were any Error committed in their growing rich it was the Pope that was the Author of it and not they who were meerly passive and did but receive their Uncles Liberalities There is no doubt but that under this Pope the Church received much more benefit than damage for the Nipotismo having no Power could not be otherwise than good and innocent and the Pope himself was so wise and vertuous a Prince that there were few Miscarriages in his time if we except that only occasion in which Sixtus by his too hasty Excommunication of King Henry the Third of France brought the Church in danger of losing for ever so noble and flourishing a part of Christendom as it had hapned already by the rashness of one Pope that the Kingdom of England was entirely lost only because Clement the Seventh would not yield a little of his Authority And indeed I think the greatest blemish upon the Reputation of Sixtus is that he suffer'd himself to be so far transported with anger as to Excommunicate Henry the Third of France for having caused the Cardinal of Guise to be killed and the Cardinal of Bourbon to be shut up in a close Prison with the Archbishop of Lyons who were indeed all three Traytors to the Kingdom and Conspirators against the Royal Person of Henry The Consistory of Cardinals did oppose this violent Resolution of Sixtus by remonstrating to him the terrible consequence of it and the danger that all the Church would incur by the loss of so noble a Christian Kingdom But the Pope laughing at all this answered the Cardinals in this manner If therefore you will have it so we will bring it to pass that from henceforward you shall be neither honour'd nor reverenc'd by Princes nor Kings but despis'd vilified and exposed to the hands both of the Oppressor and the Executioner Certainly if the killing of Cardinals be conniv'd at and pass'd over without resentment and chastisement it may very easily become the Case of every one of you However we will rather do that which Justice requires though you little care that Reason be done for the Violence committed not so much against you as the Sacred Purple Nevertheless the Pope was wary not to precipitate things so suddenly but suffered five Months to pass after the death of the Cardinal of Guise during which interval he made by Letters several Admonitions to the King all which proved to no purpose the King being resolute not to free the Cardinal out of Prison which the Pope so vehemently urged Whereupon seeing he could not prevail he thundered out the greater Excommunication with all the accustomed Forms against the King and against all those who in the said matter should afford Counsel to or in any manner whatsoever assist him Besides which he also cited the said King to make his personal Appearance at Rome within the term of seventy days there to give account of the Death of the Cardinal of Guise and the Imprisonment of the Cardinal of Bourbon The King conceived great indignation upon this proceeding of the Pope and began to advise with the Prelates Bishops and Counsellors of greatest trust with him how to ward off such a Storm and things were carried so far that the Council-Royal seem'd resolv'd to create a Patriarch in France particularly for the Gallicane Church who should not in any wise be subject to or have so much as the least Communication with the Church of Rome And 't is likely the French who affect Novelties would not have been backward to close with this Resolution But whilst Matters went on in this manner it so came to pass that the King as he lay with a great Army at S. Cloud two Leagues from Paris was on the first day of August in the year 1569. wounded in the belly with a two-edged Knife by a Dominican Fryar named Jaques Clement Native of the City of Lans and of the age of twenty three years as he was receiving Letters from the hand of the said Friar who was upon his knees of which Wound he died within fourteen hours in regard his Entrals were pierc'd having imploy'd this short in ordering such things as concerned his Soul This Murder hapned seventy eight days after the Summons by the Pope for his Appearance at Rome within seventy days and his Holiness rejoyced not a little at it since hereby the displeasure which the Consistory of Cardinals the People and Nobility had conceiv'd against him as one that car'd not much to see the destruction of a Kingdom which would breed disturbance to the common quiet of Italy from Age to Age both by Sea and Land Great were the Stirs which succeeded in France after the King's death inasmuch as Henry King of Navar next Heir to the Crown began to endeâ—vour the possession thereof by warring against the Lords of the Ligue who were back'd and upheld by the Spaniards by whom the Succession of Henry was infinitely opposed In these Commotions and Broils of France the Pope gave not those Assistances to the Ligue which they expected and required and this upon several accounts but especially because he would not condescend to the Instances of the Cardinals and the Spaniards who much solicited him giving them this Answer When we were against the dead Henry all you were our Opponents Now that you would persecute the living Henry we will not side with you for the sake of our own Interest It was not a little displeasing to the King of Spain that the Pope did not succour the Ligue nor declare Excommunicate those Princes and Prelates that followed the side of Navar so that the King resolv'd to make some Protestations to the Pope concerning this Tergiversation But his Holiness wanted not Pretexts to fence with and in a manner made sport with those Spanish Cardinals who importun'd him either to unite with the Ligue or send considerable Assistance to it Gregory the Thirteenth had Nephews who did not degenerate from the Name of Buoncompagno that is to say they little car'd to do good and less to do evil Nevertheless according to the Instinct which
humble themselves to the yoak of Christian Religion and indeed who would not obey that Pope that should prefer true merit and deserts before Relations and Kindred Vertue before Vice Learning before Ignorance Zeal before Ambition Poverty before Riches his Flock before his Kindred and Justice before Favour and Recommendations But if hitherto we have spoken of Rome without corruption and of Popes full of zeal and holiness so we must now consider Rome under another habit that is not holy but wicked not pure and innocent but defiled and full of ambition and avarice While the Popes lived in this retired manner devested of all earthly affections to their kindred and inclin'd only to recompence deserts and goodness Rome was happy and holy but as soon as Christian modesty began to be banish'd by worldly pomps that favour took place of merit that ambition overpowered humility and covetousness laughed at charity the Popes began to lose their credit Rome its goodness the Church its Saints and there started up another Church another Rome and other Popes And no sooner did the love of riches take possession of Rome but Christendom was engaged in desperate Schisms with no small affliction to the real and pious part of the Christian world Two hundred and twenty six years after the birth of Christ the Popes began to change their poverty into riches and with them introduced ambition into the Church this was done in the time of Vrban the first who ordained that the Church should possess land riches power command and all other conveniencies to the end that Church-men might be rewarded out of the revenues of the Church it self Before Vrban's time Ecclesiasticks were to trust to the alms of the faithful and their charity and whilst that lasted they thought of nothing else then the conduct of Souls having no care to take either for the encrease or conservation of their Fortunes but as soon as they saw the Church enriched with Abbyes Canonicates and other revenues they fell to disputing among themselves every one desiring the possession of the richest benefice Vrban in doing this had neverthelesse no ill intention and if his Successors had followed his steps the revenues of the Church had certainly animated Romes greatness and yet deminish'd nothing of the Churches riches When I speak of the riches of the Church I mean not the temporal but the spiritual riches as St. Laurence understood it when being asked by the Emperour where were the riches of the Church he produced before him a multitude of poor impotent beggars but of a good life Therefore the Church became poor in Saints and rich in ambitious Ecclesiasticks who did now employ that time which they used to spend in the Churches and at the feet of our Saviour with the Popes and Bishops in reckoning up the Revenues of their Abbies and procuring preferments to themselves and others The bringing of temporal riches into the Church was a poison which infected the Church and made the Church-men swell 'till at last they were ready to burst with their own venome As the Church encreased in revenues Rome decreased in Holiness and Holy men and Saints forsook it when once Courtiers and men of business came into it I meane living Saints for as for dead Saints there are too many in it still it being a part of its Trade to doe now for Gold and Riches that which before was done by poverty and self-denial I mean Canonising of Saints Before the Church enjoyed temporal revenues there was modesty in the Church-mens Apparel but with the introduction of riches pride pomp and vanity took place then were invented Mitets Scarlet Robes with long Traines Copes and Tippets so that with the expense that one is at now to cloath a Prelate or a Cardinal many poor might be fed and covered and particularly poor Priests who are faine to beg from Laicks that which their own Prelates should bestow upon them Though things were carryed on with this corruption yet was it not come to that pass that the Popes durst bring their Nephewes to the Sterne and Government of St. Peters Vessel they were content to rule the temporal and spiritual without controle but did not think of entayling the Popedome upon their kindred which made their Nephews and Relations keep at a distance being unwilling to be seen in Rome without command and power Nicholas the third in the year 1229 went about to make two of his Nephewes of the House of the Vrsins Kings one of Toscany and the other Lumbardy to the end that one should keep the Germans in awe who have one part of the Alpes and the other the French who were then Masters of the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicily and that he might compass his designe with lesse trouble he perswaded Peter King of Arragon to undertake the recovery of the Kingdome of Sicily to which he had a right by Constantine his Wife But all these designes soon vanished and were buried in the Tombe of the Popes brain where they were first conceived 'T is true that many say that the Pope did this only to satisfie the pressing instances of his Nephewes but because he affected more the quiet of the Church then the advancement of his kindred he persisted not in his enterprise but just as long as was necessary to make his Kindred believe he had once well resolved it and thus the Vrsins who aspired to so much Grandeur remained disappointed and the Pope was pleased in the demonstration he had given them of his kindness The Popes were not yet perfect in the art of raising their kindred the carnal love of their Relations did but begin a combat with the spiritual zeal for the Church and as yet the last was too hard for the first and in all occasions did carry it before their kindness for their Relations From Nicolas to Sixtus the Fourth who was created in the year 1471 the Popes did by little and little humanise themselves and lay aside that rude severity to themselves and to their kindred who now began to come very willingly to Rome being sure to meet with kinder receptions then heretofore had been shewed to precedent Popes Relations and when once they were in Rome and in sight of their Uncle he to prevent them from leading an idle life would give them entrance into the Vatican and honour them with places of Honour and Profit Withall this things were carried so closely that though the Church did receive some detriment yet the people of Rome and the other Christian Nations had no great occasion of scandal given them neither from the Nephews nor from the Popes The first of which were well pleased with any thing that was given them and the last that is the Popes were so provident as to be liberal only of what was superfluous and not of that which the Church and Rome could not spare But in the time of Sixtus Ambition and Covetousness introduced themselves so openly with the utter destruction
and bidding him remember to take from his Uncle an example of modesty and temperance and apply himself strongly to his study and the practise of vertue which would advance him without help of his kindred or at least very little Many others of his kindred even his Nephews came from Germany to Rome with a design to enrich their fortunes as other Popes Relations had done but they soon found they had abus'd themselves for the Pope angry at their journey sent them all back with no other Present then each of them a woollen Sute and just as much money as would suffice to bear their charges Nay even to one who out of necessity was come a foot he refused to give any more then would just defray his expences on foot back again 'T is true that some Cardinals were very Noble to them This Pope was continually blaming the Prodigality of those who had bestowed such great riches upon the Church In the year that this Pope liv'd Rome was so afflicted and visited with Warre Famine and Plague that it cannot be remembted without tears and the people very unjustly laid all the fault upon the Pope all mouths being open to clamour against him and sing the Latin Verse Semper de Sextis diruta Roma fuit To Adrian succeeded Clement the Seventh of the Family of the Medici who conserving the wonted ambition of this Family encreased their revenues and power with all his industry insomuch that after he had been imprison'd and extraordinarily ill us'd by the Emperour Charles the Fifth he nevertheless entred into a consederacy with him upon condition that he should give his bastard Daughter Margaret in Marriage to Alexander of Medici Lawrens his Son and by force of Arms oblige the Florentines to acknowledge him for their Lawful Prince All this was accordingly executed the Emperor having sent the Prince of Orange with a very great Army to settle the Medici in their new principality And Clement not content with this as soon as the Emperour was gone into Spain made a new league with Francis the First of France and to strengthen it Henry the Second the Daulphin of France married Catharina of Medicis Daughter to Laurens the wedding was kept at Marseillis where the King and the Pope were both present The Pope having thus happily setled his family returned to Rome and there died In September 1534. and in the same year in the Month of October Paul the Third was chosen to fill his place with great joy and applause of the people of Rome He was Alezander Farnese Cardinal and one who shewed himself worthy of so eminent a dignity His first work was to find out means to advance his Family and therefore in December following he created two of his Nephews Cardinals one Alexander Fernese Son to Pietro luigi Farnese his own Son for the Pope had been married before he was Cardinal and the other Guido ascanso Forza Costanza his daughters Son Alexander being suddenly dead the Cardinal Hippolito Medici was made Vice-Chancellour of the Church and Vice-Chamberlain after the death of Cardinal Spinola Thus from day to day as places and offices became vacant the Popes Nephews were sure to have them Paul was very desirous to procure a meeting between the Emperour and the King of France where he desir'd to be present in person also which thing being carried on by his Legat Cardinal Carpi was well accepted and agreed of by both Princes the Town of Nizza in Proâ—ence but bâ—longing to the Duke of Savoy was chosen for the place of meeting as being conveniently situated upon the Sea 〈◊〉 The Pope though old was the first that came to the place appointed having endured very great inconveniencies in his journey and yet he was disappointed at last of his desires for these two Princes having penetrated into the Popes design found that it was not out of any love to Christendome but only out of a fond affection to his family that he had desir'd their company So they refused to see one another in his presence but came separatly and kiss'd the Popes feet with no small mortification to his Holiness being thus deluded and almost derided And indeed this interparly was not desired nor procur'd by the Pope either with a design of appeasing the differences in Religion or of making a League betwixt the Christian Princes against the Turk though this were the pretext but with a purpose to get Margaret of Austria the widdow of Alexander Medici for Octavio Farneze his Grandchild and following the example of Clement the Seventh give Victoria afterwards married to Guido Vbaldo Duke of Vrbin his Neece to some Prince of the blood of France having chosen out the Duke of Vendosme who was a young Prince of great merit and hopes but for this time â—â—e â—ope was forced to return to Rome without having effected his designs as the King of France went to his own Kingdome and the Emperour to Marseilles where he visited the French King Some time after the Pope obtained from the Emperour the City of Novarâ—â— for his Son Pietro Luigi and made up the match between his Grandchild Octavio and the Princess 〈◊〉 Daughter to the Emperour and widdow of Alexander Medici this done the Pope undertook the recovery of the City of Lamerino which he pretended to be devoted to the Church by the death of Giovani Maria Varrano who had receiv'd the investiture of that place from Leo the Tenth and dyed without any male children and upon this Title made warre against the young Guido Vbaldo da Feltro who by the Womens side pretended a right to it but not being able to maintain it was fain to fly and leave the place to the Pope who having taken it presently gave the investiture to his Grand-child Octavio Farneze making him Duke of Camerino and Receivour General of the Church having before made him Prefect of Rome in the place of the Duke of Vrbin But this Popes ambition swell'd much higher for he went about to buy the Dutchy of Millan of the Emperour with the Churches money and make an unalienable Patrimony of the Family of the Farnezes But the Emperour though very necessitous and extreamly sollicited by the Pope with a vast summe of ready mony was nevertheless so prudent as not to dismember from his Empire so considerable a part of it Besides this the Pope gave to his Son Pietro Luigi against the consent of almost all the Cardinals the noble Cities of Parma and Placentia in Lombardy which were Fiefs of the Church The said Pietro Luigi was murdered by the principal Citizens of Placentia in a conjuration layed and carried on by the Emperours order who all along refused to confirm Pietro Luigi in this new Princâ—pality the Pope pretending that the Emperour should acknowledge him for lawful Lord and Master of these Cities which he was so far from doing that he endeavour'd to take them from him whereupon the Pope was forced that he might support his
counterfeit Nipotismo's transports of grief and sorrow to hear the complaints of the old and real Nipotismo Ambassadours came laughing and merry from one Visit to go sad and full of tears to another The Priests adherents to the old Nipotismo said Mass and implored patience from Heaven for them in their sufferings and the flatterers of the new offered thanksgivings and prayed for help from Heaven for the continuation of its power while the new and false Nipotismo went triumphant through Rome and received the respects of every one the true and real one was fain to sculk and lye close in the shadow of its afflictions and disgrace The Railleries the Pasquins and the Discourses about this new way of enriching the Church with a Nipotismo were infinite there being no body that could imagine from what Wits could spring so many different Conceits bad and good as were publish'd upon this new subject The Cardinal Sforza who had alwayes assum'd to himself the liberty of saying any thing as soon as he heard the news of this resolution of the Popes was the first that began to make Pasquins for the next day in presence of four of the chiefest Cardinals of the Colledge he said these very words Now that the Pope Innocent hath introduced the custome of making false Nephews the other Popes will never fail of Nephews for they will make whole Regiments of them and fill with such a generation our Colledge of Cardinals But the words of a certain Prelate of Parma were more sharp and biting which were these I foresee said he that one day the Popes will throw Dice for their Nipotismo and take what comes uppermost and so the affairs of the Church will be managed at an adventure Yet for all this the new Nephew had all the interest of the Church and State put into his hands though with some limitation for the Pope communicated all things to him and particularly matters of State not so much to lay the weight of them upon him as to instruct him how he should mannage them for he durst not yet trust to his small experience for fear of being deceiv'd Thus Astalii had properly nothing but the name and honour of Cardinal Padrone subscribing to all the Nuntioes Legates and Governours Commissions and receiving Embassadours when the Pope was indisposed though still with the obligation of reporting every thing to his Holiness As long as Cardinal Panzirollo liv'd Astalli's fortune was prosperous and good because that the Popes kindred durst not by any means go about to supplant him though they hated him perfectly knowing that the Cardinals perswasions would still prevail with their Uncle more then their credit whereupon they dissembled their design and according to the custom of Rome seem'd to rejoyce for that thing which they most abhorr'd But no sooner had Cardinal Panzirollo yeilded up his last breath but Astalli began to perceive the decay of his fortune and to mistrust that which afterwards befell him for no sooner had this Cardinal shut his eyes but the Popes kindred went about to undo him and easily compass'd their intention the Pope beginning to revive that affection which he had formerly born to his Sister in law One morning then as the Cardinal Padrone was rising out of his bed he receiv'd a Message from the Pope whereof the bearer told him That by his Holinesses Order he was banished from Rome and forbidden the Popes presence for ever that he should lay aside the title of Cardinal Padrone and renounce the name of Nephew as well as that of Pamphilio And in a word not only all his Revenue was seised on but he could not get leave to transport any thing of his houshold-stuffe or moveables So that the poor Cardinal was fain to forsake Rome seeing that all wayes to justifie himself were shut up and all the favour he could obtain was that he might depart in the night to avoid the derision and mocking of the people The motive of this so severe a sentence with which Astalli was treated as if he had been guilty of high Treason was this The Barbarines having been recall'd and reconcil'd to the Pope were now great with him and at their perswasion Innocent had begun to think of taking the Kingdom of Naples from the Spaniard upon which subject there were often Conferences held between him the Barbarines and his Kindred excluding still from their Counsels the Cardinal Astalli who thereby perceiving that the Popes kindness for him did begin to abate thought it would be prudently done to provide in time some other protection that so his fall might be less and he might have something to hang by which might hinder him from falling to the bottom of that precipice which was digging for him Having therefore penetrated into these secret designs of the Pope he gave the Spaniards notice of them closely and the advice came no sooner to the Catholick Kings ears but he immediately gave such Orders in the Kingdom of Naples as quite disappointed the Barbarines plot by shutting that door which was to give an entrance to the execution of their design Azzolini a Confident and Spy of Olympia's took upon him to discover who it was that had betrayed them and after an exact search found that it could be no body but Astalli whereupon the Pope banish'd him and made Azzolini Cardinal for his recompence This sudden fall of the false Nephew opened all the mouthes in Rome who did not know of the reason of it to exclaim against the Popes inconstancy but no sooner was the Nipotismo down but that Donna Olympia raised her self upon its ruines for the Pope a weary of being alone call'd his Sister in Law once more to him and gave her back again all her former power and more if more could be the true Nipotismo remaining neglected and despised in all these changes for except some Offices and Places which they got they were little more advanced in the Popes favour and in those places they had it is true a liberty of getting money by all Arts but still with the condition of dependance upon Donna Olympia The avidity of the Barbarines was but a shadow of what this Lady perform'd in reallity for under her government Cardinalships Bishopricks Abbies Canonicates and generally all Church revenues were sold as in a Market to him that bid most She little cared how full the Town was of murmurs if her purse were full of Gold and that which was most intollerable was that not only the meritorious and deserving people were neglected but banished from Rome There was no more talk then of the Pope all the discourse was of Donna Olympia many taking occasion to say That it were sit likewise to introduce the women to the administration of the Sacrament since that Donna Olympia was Pope At last it pleased Almighty God to deliver the Church from so great a scandal and so unheard of one before this age which gave so fair an occasion to
forsook their Country and withdrew into Protestant Princes Territories where they might freely follow the Rites of their Religion Particularly they went to Geneva where great numbers resorted every day and above all many Lucheses of which some are now aggregated amongst the principal Families of that City This Pope though so zealous for the Church was nevertheless very Indulgent to his Family who did usurp a power and authority as prejudicial to the Church as it was offensive to Princes with whom the Borgheses as well as the Barberins would often enter into contest In the time of this Pope Italy had like to have seen sixteen Cities of it become Protestants as Monsieur De Lion the French King's Embassadour told the Pope and thus the occasion was Paul and his Kindred for I know not what reasons did bear a secret grudge to the State of Venice and did wait for nothing more than for some occasion of shewing their spleen and it falling out that the State of Venice according to their ancient Form of Government did put some Church-men in Prison the Pope upon the notice of it excommunicated not only the Senate but the whole Nation of the Venetians as if they had been guilty of their Magistrates fault But these wise Senators were not so easily daunted but resolving either to preserve their power and authority within their Government or to hazard the ruine of it set some of their Divines on work to write against the Pope's authority and his Excommunication which writings did then and have since produced so great an effect in the minds of most men that now there is not any little Prince of Italy that cares for the Popes Excommunication as it has been clearly seen by the examples of the Duke of Parma the Commonwealth of Lucca the Duke Charles of Lorain and many others The constancy of the Venetians was invincible in this occasion and so great that they sent the Pope word That if he did not recall his Excommunication they would provide for their own preservation by such remedies as should become the dignity of their State and its ancient Majesty And that they might the sooner bring the Pope to their desires they politickly sent to Geneva to require that City to send them some of their most able Ministers to instruct them in the Protestant Religion This Artifice having frighted the Pope into a condescendency he was fain to come to an agreement very disadvantageous for the honour of the Sea of Rome If this Pope had not been so unjustly severe towards the State of Venice he would have left a much better name behind him For to say truth he did the Church much more good than evil but it was and will be a great spot to his reputation to have gone about to undo the Bulwark of Christendom for such has the State of Venice alwaies been reputed We must be forced to skip Leo the eleventh for his short life gave him no time to do good and hindred him from doing any harm to the Church and come to Clement the eighth who was a Pope that lived both with his Kindred and for them a good while Christendom was involved in great troubles when he came to the Pontificate there being nothing but Wars and Divisions The Turks did assault Germany and the Protestants did torment the rest of the Catholick Princes besides that the banish'd Criminals of the Kingdom of Naples had made themselves Masters of a great part of it and spread themselves over all the Country The Pope's main end amongst all these disorders was first to provide for his Kindred and that care took up so much of his time and treasure that he was not in a condition to succour those Princes that were fighting for the defence of that Religion of which he was the Head In the mean time the Spaniards who had a mind to hinder Henry King of Navar from possessing the Crown of France which he was lawful Heir of foreseeing that of themselves they would not be able to resist Henry's Right nor hold out against so generous and warlike a Prince they did their utmost Endeavours to get the Pope on their side and declare against the King of Navar as against an Heretick and by consequent incapable of receiving the Crown At first the Pope refused to engage openly in a business which would be necessarily expensive and troublesom and therefore for a while he let the Spaniards alone hoping that of themselves they would be strong enough to effect the Work without him But they having perceived his intention soon made a breach in it by the means of the Nipotismo which they gained and at whose perswasion the Pope sent an Army under the Conduct of Appio Conti who was kill'd in an Encounter by some of Henry's Forces The Catholick Princes of the Realm of France who were on Henry's side together with the greatest part of the Nation sent upon this the Marquis of Pisani to Rome to desire the Pope to recall his Army and not to oppose a Prince who had promised to be instructed in the Catholick Religion But the Pope not only refused their Request but would not so much as endure that the Marquis should set his foot in any part of the State of the Church Things being in this posture Henry at last resolved to dash all his Adversaries Machines to pieces at one blow and therefore he solemnly renounced his Heresie and was reconciled to the Church So in spite of the Pope and the Spaniards he obtained a Crown which could never have encompassed a more worthy Head than his After this the Pope's Army was fain to retire having done little or nothing The same hapned in Flanders whither he sent another Army to help the Spaniards against the Vnited Provinces who since the death of the Duke of Parma had obtained many Victories but it was with as little success as the first So that the Pope weary of spending the Treasure of the Church to no purpose commanded his Forces home leaving the Spaniards to look after their own Affairs The Expences of this Pope were exorbitant for he did undertake every thing rashly and more out of Capriccio than ripe judgment and deliberation So that he undoubtedly did the Church more hurt than good There is little to be said of Innocent the Ninth Gregory the Fourteenth and Urban the Seventh for the greatest mischief they did the Church was that they liv'd so little We will therefore come to Sixtus the Fifth The Nipotismo of this Pope was one of the most innocent ones that ever was seen for he hindred them from taking any part in the Government So that they were in the Court like Beggars at a Church door of whom few People take notice Not that he was so severe as to hinder them from a share in his Fortune for he did bestow large Revenues upon them all observing nevertheless to refuse always every thing that they begg'd and to give them when
covetousness for he had been brought up in a Convent amongst Religious persons who professed voluntary poverty and to whose principles he seemed to be so inured as not to be able to forsake them For all the while he managed pâ—blick business before he was a Cardinal it was with a great deal of candour and disinteressment that he did it and when he came to be made Cardinal he was so far from keeping a Court and living in that splendour which others thought became that dignity that his Family and Retinue looked rather like a Convent then like a train of Attendants But as soon as he was Pope he changed of a sudden and lived like a Prince never troubling himself at what the world said of him but cared only to please himself and make his kindred great Sixtus being dead Innocentius the eighth was made Pope in the year 1484. being of the noble Family of Cibo which hath had many eminent persons in it This Pope remembring the complaints of the Romans against his predecessour for being too indulgent to his kindred resolved to be very cautious in that point and give no occasion of scandal that way Which he observed so well that when any one of his kindred came to Rome and that he had notice of it he would say Our kindred had much better stay in Geneva without us then come to Rome for our sakes and indeed he was very reserved to them For to Mauritius Cibo who was a very accomplish'd Gentleman he gave nothing but the Government of the Dutchy Spoleto and made him President of the State of the Church Employments which in those dayes were not of any great honour or profit though now they are both rich and honourable So he made Lawrens Cibo his Nephew Cardinal but with very little authority forbidding him to meddle with publick business of importance without being called to it And yet was he forced as it were to honour him thus far for many whispering about the Court that he was a Bastard he was fain to shew the world that he did own him as being lawfully born of one of his Cozens which he proved by a process and strict examination before Cardinal Balbo a Venetian and one who had no wayes interest to favour the Family of Cibo The greatest advantage that this Pope procured his Family was that he married Francesco Cibo with Magdalen of Medicis sister of Leo the tenth that was afterwards giving him the County of Anguillara which was not of any importance in those dayes and making him Captain General of the Forces of the Church And in this he ended all the favours that he ever shewed his Family which was very noble besides Alexander the sixth succeeded Innocentius in the Popedom who was a barbarous lascivious Pope making no difficulty of bringing desolation upon the Church and imbrewing his hands in innocent bloud to advance and make great his kindred In the reign of this Pope the Romans used to say That the Emperours had taught tyranny and the Popes practised it He was cruel covetous and insatiable in heaping riches together He spent his retired hours all in lascivious pleasures taking great delight to be embraced and caress'd by fair Ladies whence the numbers of his Bastards was very great many taking from thence occasion to say That he had filled Rome with Bastards and Spain with Whores 'T is true that he declared for his Heirs only four male children and two female And though he used to change Ladies often for variety and greater pleasure yet he gave himself up to Vanoccia a Roman Curtizan whom he loved as his lawful Wife and with whom he would sport and toy in publick keeping her at his table and in his house as if she had been his true Wife and this while he was Archbishop and Cardinal Being made Pope in the year 1492. the second of August he introduced into Rome not a Nipotismo but rather a Filiolismo nay indeed a Bastardismo that is a company of Bastards whom he brought with him in his return from his Legation in Spain And his first way to make him great was by force of Arms making league with this Prince then with that then with another but still upon these conditions to give Principalities which he nam'd to his bastard sons For this end he joyned in a Confederacy which proved fatal to all Italy with Lewis the twelfth of France with the Catholick King the Venetians and the Florentines the Conditions of which League were that they should dispossess the true and ancient Owners of the Provinces of La Romagna La Marca and Vmbria and that the whole should be made over to Cesar Borgia the Popes son who to this end had laid aside his Cardinals Cap and taken in marriage Charlotte of Albret daughter to the King of Navarre and allyed to the French King and divers other great Princes But this design having taken no effect because of the dispute that rise between the French and the Spaniard about the dividing of the Kingdom of Naples which at last ended in the utter ruine of the French the Spaniards remaining Masters of the whole Kingdom the Pope thought it was easier for him to compass his ends and establish the Grandeur of his Bastards by great and powerful Alliances From hence proceeded that having promised his daughter Lucretia while he was Cardinal to a certain Spaniard as soon as he was Pope he took her away from him and bestowâ—d her in marriage upon John Sforza Lord of Pesaro with whom being also fallen out he took her away from him and bestowed her upon Lewis of Arragon natural son to King Alfonse joyning thus two bastards that they might not reproach one another And he likewise dying some months after his marriage he gave her to Alfonse d'Este Duke of Ferrare with whom she lived and dyed 'T was in the pomp of her Wedding that the Pope caused to be celebrated in Rome Turnaments and Tiltings together with the representation of a hunting Match and many say that in the Ball and Dances the Pope danced every night masked with some of his intimate Friends Of his sons he made Godfrey the youngest Prince of Squillace a City in Vlterior Calabria and the Country of Saint Cassindorus He made Cesar who was the second Cardinal and his eldest named John was by the great entreaties and instances of the Pope made Duke of Candia in Spain much against the inclination of the Catholick King for this John he procured in marriage a bastard daughter of Alfonse King of Naples and thus he filled the Vatican with bastards whereupon Pasquin with a great deal of reason call'd it Il Bastardismo Cesar his second son being troubled to see his brother John above him and more beloved by his Father resolved to take him out of the way so one night as John was going in Rome about some business he caused him to be set upon by some of his Confidents who
and employ his private riches to the publick ornament of the City took care to provide his Ecclesiastical Nephews of Benefices and Church-lands and his secular Kinsmen of Places and Dignities as they became vacant The plenty into which this Pope brought his Family was such that they themselves did scarce know how to dispose of it there flowing in upon them every day vast sums of money from all parts of the world to procure by their means the Popes favour Whereupon they seeing no end of their riches began out of a complacence to the Popes humour who delighted in the ornament of the City to build certain publick Edifices so noble and stately that the King of France who hath a Kingdom so rich and powerful and hereditary would scarce have undertaken the like at the expence of his whole Kingdom The Cardinal begun the Fabrick of that Palazzo Borghese in the Campo Martio which is not yet ended and to perfect it according to the first design it would require the value of half the Churches Territories nay it is said that in the foundation alone were spent above two hundred thousand Crowns for they were fain to demolish great numbers of houses and level hills before they could bring the ground to that true evenness which the design required The Popes brothers began two Country houses of pleasure at the same time one hard by Rome and a little without the Porta Ponciana the other at Frascati in the little hills called Mendragone and we may easily conclude what treasure was expended in these by what the Spanish Ambassadour said one day to a Gentleman of the Family of Borghese who waited upon him thither for the Gentleman having shewed one of these houses asked his opinion of it and had for answer these words My King would not have undertaken in such calamitous times as these are so great a a fabrick for his diversion in Madrid His Holiness was so overjoyed to see such princely inclinations in his kindred that he did nothing but study night and day how he should enrich them more and more 'T is true he needed not to trouble himself much for his Cardinal Borghese who had the Popedom at his disposition took all the incomes for himself and the Family of the Borgheses allowing the Pope a small matter to please himself with the mending of a Street or a Church or some publick Edifice this Pope having surpassed all his Predecessors in erecting new Edifices and procuring by all wayes the ornament of the City In those dayes the Nipotismo was most triumphant all the former Popes Nephews having never been invested with so absolute an authority as that of the Cardinal Borghese and the rest of his Nephews Paul lived sixteen years in the Chair of the Popes so that the Nipotismo had time to give root and foundation to their greatness as indeed they did but forgot to strike a nail into the Wheel of Fortune to hinder it from turning about and therefore not long after it began to slide downwards as we shall declare in time and place At last in the year 1621. Paul dyed to the great grief of the Romans who lamented very much his loss and indeed he was a very good Pastour though he were a little too liberal of the Wool of his Flock to his Kindred for he left to the Prince of Salmona alone his Nephew above a hundred thousand Crowns yearly revenue to the Cardinal as much besides the vast sums of money layed out in those Buildings we have mentioned they were thought also to have vast sums of ready money unknown to their Uncle the Cardinal alone being supposed to have above a million in specie So that Paul left not a farthing to the Church His Successour was Gregory the fifteenth of Bologna of the noble Family Ludovisio pretty rich but very abundant in Relations and Kindred This Pope before he began to mannage the publick Affairs of Christendom resolved first to establish the particular Interest of his House and Family therefore having seen the example of Leo the tenth who by reason of the shortness of his life could not bestow the dignity of Cardinal upon any of his Relations three dayes after his creation he made Ludovico Ludovisio his brothers son Cardinal and the same day he made Oratio Ludovisio his brother General of the Church though he were absent and as soon as he came to Rome he made him Duke of Fiano and assigned him other Lands bought with the Churches money The same day he distributed amongst some other Nephews many considerable Offices both within and without Rome though 〈◊〉 of those upon whom they were confâ—rred 〈◊〉 â—bsent so that it mâ—y bâ— said of 〈…〉 this Pope that it was great almost before it was born or at least in its cradle entring into power and command before it entred into Rome The Cardinal Ludovisio was he that governed the weighty Affairs his Uncle depending upon him most absolutely so that often of Negotiations and Court business he would communicate little or nothing to the Pope and when his Uncle out of curiosity would sometimes go about to inform himself how things stood his Nephew would presumptuously answer him and say What need you trouble your head eat and drink and let me alone to serve you Every step of this Cardinal was towards the advancement of his Family and the Pope not only did let him alone but would often exhort him to make hast least of a sudden he should be depriv'd of the means which fell out for the Pope liv'd but seven and twenty moneths in which time the Ludovisi minded their business so well that at their Uncles decease they had amongst them two hundred and fifty thousand Crowns yearly revenue besides ready money and that which they spent in publick buildings So that this Nipotismo does deserve the title of the most subtle diligent of all the precedent Nipotismo's if we consider the proportion of their riches and measure the shortness of the time that they wâ—re purchased in With all this they much studied publick applause and to gain to themselves the good will of the people and Roman Nobility shewing great respect for them and offering their service wâ—llingly upon all occasions 'T is truâ— there was not much credit given to these demonstrations because that the Romans were already accustomed to see such Scenes of dissimulation But nevertheless their Uncle neither alive nor dead was not prosecuted with Pasquinades his government or rather his Nephews having not been so tyrannical as covetous And since the Romans leave them in peace so will we too and conclude this book with the death of Gregory the fifteenth Il Nipotismo di Roma OR THE HISTORY OF THE POPES NEPHEWS The First Part. The THIRD BOOK The Contents IN which is treated of the election of Urban the eighth to the Popedome Of the creation and disposition of Cardinal Barbarino a Capucin Of the Places and Offices given to
in some occasions show a great deal of affection and desire to oblige a Crown which did seek after his protection Vrban having thus assigned the care of the interest of these two Potent Princes to his Nephews could not chuse but be perfectly informed of their designs and secret intrigues of their Courts whose Ministers and Ambassadours in order to a further discovery of the Pope's inclinations were forced to communicate before hand a great part of their secrets to the Cardinal Protector of their Kingdom in hopes by his means of diving further into that which was yet hidden to them but most commonly they got little light and intelligence by it for the Nephews following exactly their Uncle's Instructions did endeavour to pump every body else and keep themselves close Their Uncle in the mean time well informed on both hands was sure to take just measures and by an even carriage so to entertain the affections of both Kings as to make them both his Friends and really one who could govern a Popedom so well and easily betwixt so opposed and different Interests did deserve to govern as long as Vrban did Innocentius might have been named for one of the greatest Politicians in the world if his Sister-in-law had not lead him astray or rather if he had been guilty of an unparalell'd inconstancy in changing so often his Nipotismo For they that were disgraced did immediately reveal to Princes all the secrets of his Court and they who came in their room could never penetrate into the hidden designs of Forreign Courts for the Princes of those Kingdoms and States durst not trust them with any thing as being alwayes afraid lest they should be turned off as the first And in effect as soon as the news of the adoption of Cardinal Astalli was spread abroad there were many that laid great wagers that he would not conserve himself in his post long and the grounds they went upon was the unconstant humour of the Pope which no body could trust to Cardinal Mazarine himself being weary of so many extravagant changes in the Nipotismo of Innocentius and seeing Astalli fallen out of his favour and the Barberins in his place said to one of his Confidents in the presence of a French Protestant these words I have never relyed much upon the Cardinal Astalli and I shall now scarce rely upon the Pope himself Many Princes both of Italy and Germany were of Cardinal Mazarine's minde in this and became very cautious in all their negotiations avoiding all occasions of treating with his Holiness as knowing that nothing could be well managed in such divisions and changes Thus we see that not only the Popes must have near them those that have the title of Nephews but they must be really such as by consanguinity may be obliged to the same interest with the Pope if he means that others should trust them This is the only way to make the Popes appear Sovereigns as really they desire to be and any other way they will seem rather to be the Heads of a Commonwealth than absolute Princes It is fit therefore that they should be allowed a Nipotismo for their own and others safety but it is not just that they should so indulge this Nipotismo as to set it above themselves and become its slaves Let them treat with Princes but let them not become so themselves and usurp the Pope's Authority so far as to use it without his knowledge and often contrary to the Interests of the Church and State Let them not do as Gregory the 15th who had given to the Cardinal Ludovisio his Nephew so great an Authority of doing and saying what he pleased without so much as consulting his Uncle that he was really become Pope and the Pope as if he had been the Nephew and if ever he come and give him part of any secret negotiation it was because the thing was so intricate that he either could not or durst not undertake to come to execution without being first fortified with his Uncle's advice and approbation But the best was that the Pope himself did not dare to ask him any questions about business or inform himself otherwise but sometimes would be whole weeks together without so much as seeing the face of an Ambassadour or publick Minister his Nephew in the mean time giving Audience and concluding all business with them And the Pope was so customed to this usage that it never came into his minde to be offended at it but would very contentedly make amends for those faults which his Nephew did often commit in his administration and whensoever he did see his Nephew come into his presence he would say Nephew I am sure 't is some very hard and intricate business that brings you hither for else we should scarce be repaired to for counsel And he had a great deal of reason to say so for his Nephew did never communicate to him any negotiation except he had first spoiled it and brought himself to a non-plus and then the Pope would oblige the Congregations of the Cardinals to take the business into their care and set right again that which had been spoiled by his inability The second reason for the Nipotismo is that the Popes may be able to govern with more care and affection There is nothing that forces more a Prince to answer the ends of Government and to oblige his people than when he considers that the Government is to descend to his Heirs for a Prince without a Successor does often dissipate and spoil that which he would preserve if he had any body to leave it to The State of Venice which never established any Law without having first deliberated upon it and sifted it in their Council of Pregadi does think fit to oblige the kindred of the dead Duke to answer for their Kinsman's misdemeanours and miscarriages fining them in great summes of money for a reparation of his faults so that often they are fain to endure for the dead Duke those punishments which his Dignity when he was alive and his death have preserved him from The effect of this is that the Dukes of Venice do comport themselves with all moderation and equity following exactly those rules of Government which they receive from the State And the fear they are in of leaving their Relations engaged in a painful satisfaction for their faults does oblige them to study night and day how they may serve the publick in doing which they do at the same time oblige their Countrey themselves and their Kindred whereas else they might be subject to follow their own private interests to the prejudice and detriment of all the Commonwealth The Popes have almost the same fear upon them and by consequent the like obligation for the only consideration of leaving their Relations engaged with too powerful enemies has often made them desist from enterprizes which would have proved fatal to their State and all Christendom Vrban the 8th did often protest that
but by delayes and promises keeping still the Emperour and King of Poland in hopes they made them neglect to make peace with their Enemies and refuse those conditions which else they would have accepted had not the Barberins entertain'd them with the hopes now of an Army then of a great summe of Money and at last disappointed them of all However the people of the State belonging to the Church were the worse for it for the Barberins taking occasion from the obligation the Pope was in to assist these Princes did thereupon lay most heavy Taxes and Impositions upon both Church-men and Layes The simple people stirred up by the exhortations of some Preachers who made it their business to declare in their Sermons That God could not be better pleased then by that assistance given to the distressed Catholicks did sell all their Jewels and preciousest Houshold-stuff to give away to those that had the Commission of gathering their Benevolence Out of these summes which were thus raised the Barberins did send it may be one or two in the hundred and this after so long waiting and by such chargeable wayes that half of the money was absorbed in the exchange which the Emperour and King of Poland having perceived they were fain to give over their soliciting the Barberins and defend themselves as well as they could The Protestants themselves though much rejoycing at the decaying state of the Catholick Religion in Germany were nevertheless infinitely scandalized at the Pope's proceedings saying as it was true That the Barberins did the Catholicks more mischief by denying them succour with such dilatory wayes than the Protestants by the force of Arms. In a word I think it is not a hard thing to perswade that the Barberins in the time of their reign did the Church a great deal of mischief it would be much a harder to convince any body of the good they have done and it is so difficult a business thar for my part I shall not undertake it only I will give the Barberins this good counsel which is that if they desire to make posterity lose the memory of their ill conduct under their Uncle they endeavour to get Cardinal Francesco Barberino made Pope after the death of Alexander for so it may be that as in their Uncle's time they did much more hurt then good they will under Cardinal Francesco who is pious and vertuous do more good than hurt There is an example of this already in the two Popes of the Family of la Rovere Sixtus the 4th and Julius the second for in the time of Sixtus the Nipotismo was most highly guilty towards the Church and did much harm and little good but under Julius it did much good and little harm so the same thing may happen for the Barberins if Francesco be made Pope Gregory the 15th who was Vrban's Predecessor lived to do mischief enough but it seems had no time to do good of the four parts of the Popedom his Nephew had three and he one All this Popes thoughts were bent upon the Protestants ruine particularly he had a spight to Geneva calling it the nest of the Devil and therefore he pressed the Duke of Savoy to besiege it promising him great succors of men and money He likewise assisted with all might and main the Emperour in his War against the Protestants of Germany He failed not to solicit the King of France to torment and molest the Huguenots of his Kingdom and prevailed with him to do it which cost him dear and had like to have proved fatal to his Monarchy though at last he remained victorious The Cardinal Ludovisio his Nephew quite contrary did what lay in his power to quell in his Uncle this unmeasurable desire of ruining the Protestants and engaging all Christendom into bloody Wars but the Pope would never hearken to any thing that he could say about that particular answering him alwayes in these words 'T is enough that I let you do what you will with the Catholicks pray let me have the liberty of doing what I please against the Hereticks our enemies His Remonstrances to Ambassadors upon this Subject were so frequent at every audience that they were tired with them and when sometimes the Cardinal Ludovisio would interpose and say something to qualifie the heat of the Pope's exaggerations he would command him to hold his tongue and sometimes say to him you have a touch of an Heritick in you He did all his endeavours by a thousand plots and Artifices to reduce England again under the obedience of the Church of Rome but all to no purpose at last seeing himself disappointed in this his main design after such pains and expense he resolved to get back to Rome Marc Antony de Dominis who in the time of Pâ—al the fifth Gregories Predecessor had left Italy and was fled into England where having declared himself Protestant he did write many shrewd books against the Pope and the Court of Rome as one who was well informed of all its disorders The Pope the better to compass his intention sent to London certain Prelates disguised who had been heretofore intimate with Marc Antony These coming to him secretly promised him not only the Pope's and the Churches pardon but also assured him that he should be made Cardinal at the next promotion The Archbishop trusting to the Oaths and Engagement of these Prelates left England and return'd once more to Rome where he made a recantation of all his Errours as they call'd them But a little after being carefully watched by the Pope's Spies they took hold of some words that he said and having clapt him up in the Inquisition Prison began to question him for Heresie and without doubt he had undergone the dreadful fire of the Roman Purgatory if timely death had not prevented the Pope's revenge In a word this Pope had undertaken the ruine of all Protestant Princes wherefore he sent great Succours to the Emperour in his war against the Prince Palatine of Rhine who after some resistance was driven out of his Country and proclaimed Traytor to the Empire whereupon his dignity of Prince Elector was conferred upon Maximilian Duke of Baviere a Catholick Prince much protected by the Pope And the Emperour in acknowledgment of the Pope's zeal and affection presented him with the Prince Palatines Library esteemed for the great number of Manuscripts in all Tongues one of the most famous of all Europe The Pope having thanked his Imperial Majesty caused the Library to be transported to Rome with great charge and expence and as soon as it came he solemnly sanctified it with his blessing and so laid it up Paul the fifth was almost of the same humour though he did not undertake things so rashly but would wisely consider the good and evil that might come of them It is believed that in his time an infinite number of Hereticks return'd to the Church of Rome but I am sure that above a hundred Italian Families
to be at their liberty Some will not allow it to be meerly charity in Alexander to assume to himself the load of all Civil Affairs of importance but only a design to lighten his Nephews of it and leave them more time to bestow on contrivance to fill their Coffers Better perhaps 't would be for the Church and the State too if all Popes would do the like for to lay the weight of great affairs upon such weak shoulders is to confound their understandings and put them in danger of shaming themselves by discovering their addle brains in business As a good Nephew did in discourse with the French Embassadour about the number of Protestants in France for meaning to say How many Hereticks are there in France He mistook and said How many Pistols are there in France Which errour the Embassadour well observing and knowing the Cardinal Nephew more intent on the money of his Coffers than the benefit of the Church he answer'd The King my Master hath not so many Hereticks in his Kingdom as he hath Pistols in his Exchequer 'T is not 2000 Ages since a certain Pope's Nephew said to a familiar friend of his who brought him notice that the Spanish Embassadour was coming to negotiate with him These Embassadours bring us business and not money talking all day long with us so tediously as if we were slaves and not Padroni Masters of the Church and State The same Cardinal as often as he return'd to his Chamber from accompanying the publick Ministers who had visited him to the door as the custom is would fall into a passion and scornfully say to his Servants I have lost two hours time with this pitiful Embassadour and he has gain'd some with me if any other come say I am not at home But worse was that other not long since dead who as much as he could avoyded the audience of such Ministers sometimes pretending indisposition and sometimes that he was not at home which the Pope his Uncle understanding ask'd him the reason Why he did so The Cardinal answer'd plainly Whilst I am with Embassadours my Coffers fill with nothing but wind but when I am alone they fill with money The same good Nephew had another custome that when notice was given of the arrival of an Embassadour at the Gate he would in displeasure cry I would his neck were broke But when 't was told him that an Officer of the Datary that is the Exchequer was at the door he would cry with joy He is welcome A certain Embassadour knowing this Nephew's humour contriv'd how to make his Visits not grievous and to that purpose before he desired Audience or at least at the same time he thought fit to give him notice that he desir'd to speak with him for nothing else but the resignation of a certain Benefice which the Prince his Master intended to make into the hands of his Holiness's Nephews The device took well for the greedy Nephew believing it true receiv'd him with a very good countenance and the Embassadour fail'd not to usher in his publick business with a Preface about resigning the foresaid Benefice or Abbey although the Prince his Master knew no more of any such thing than I and so got a fair reception 'T were good that all publick Agents would put the same tricks upon those avaricious Nephews and not be so scrupulous as they are since the Nephews make no scruple to slight their addresses to breake off all Negotiations and to confound whatsoever is offer'd to them Without such such inventions they are like to get little good from the visits to the Nephews who consider nothing but their own Interests and are indifferent to those of Princes whence 't is easie to judge they will do little good in those matters in which they are engag'd with an ill will This may serve concerning the difficulties which Princes Ministers meet with in their affairs with the Popes and their Nephews and how to avoid the same Let us now proceed to the Enquiry Why the Families of Popes continue not long in Grandeur Some compare the Nipotismo to a Tree which is guarded by all whilst laden with fruit but as soon as it happens to be deprived thereof either by the hands of men or progress of time every body forsakes it and nature her self leaves it barren dry and hateful even to the eye of the beholders I do not altogether like this comparison because Trees bear fruit for others whereas the good Nephews of Popes take all to themselves and I should rather compare them to Pismires which all day long go from place to place seeking provisions wherewith to fill their Nests and stop not a moment till they see them full There is no body but wonders to behold how the Families of Popes daily decline there being scarce two found that have continued one intire Age or which remain in the same splendour wherein they were seen to shine not only during the Reign of the Popes their Kinsmen but for some lustres after and although some may seem at present to be found great yet my Observation cannot therefore be decry'd as false in regard of other reasons to be alledged concerning this matter There is no doubt but many Families are found at this day in Rome of good quality and esteem who have had Popes descended from them before Sixtus the fourth as the Family of Conti hath had two Popes in the Vatican Innocent the third and Gregory the ninth The Family of Fiesco reputed at present the chief Family of Genoa hath likewise afforded two Popes Innocent the fouth and Adrian the fifth And so that of Orsini hath had Nicholas the third That of Savelli Honorius the fourth La Gaettana hath had Boniface the eighth Picolomini Pius the second Colonna Martin the fifth not to mention others that have had their Popes too But this is the difference 't is one thing for Popes to issue from a Noble Family and another for Families to rise from the Popes The foresaid Houses received not their Splendour Nobility and Wealth from the Papal Grandeur but it may rather be said that the Papal Grandeur received splendour from those Families Besides in those daies the Nephews of Popes remain'd at home and did not come to Rome if they did they brought not with them that insatiable avarice which Nephews bring or have brought hitherto when they enter into possession of the Vatican I mean not therefore to speak of those Families which have been in great esteem as well since they have had Popes of them as before None of these is advanc'd by the Papacy but remains in the same manner without growth in Ambition Riches or Glory Particularly the House of Colonna which is at present one of the most considerable not of Rome only but of all Italy hath so little valu'd the Papal Grandeur in its lot that they have often persecuted it only to let the World see that the Colonneses pretended not to