as they were leading him to Punishment disposed of what he had to Stephen the Arch-deacon and afterwards upon the fifth of May was beheaded Lucina with some of the Clergy buried his body by night in a Grotto of hers in the Via Appia nor far from the Coemetery of Calistus There are some who write that the Bishop suffered under Gallus and Volusianus but I rather give credit to Damasus who affirms Decius to have been the Author of his Martyrdom Cornelius held two Ordinations in the Month of December in which he made four Presbyters four Deacons seven Bishops He sat in the Chair two years three days and by his death the See was vacant thirty five days S. LUCIUS I. LUCIUS by birth a Roman his Father's Name Porphyrius was chosen Bishop when Gallus Hostilianus was Emperour Gallus associated to himself in the Government his Son Volusianus in whose times there arose so great a Plague to revenge the cause of Christianity that there were few Families much less Cities and Provinces which had not their share in the publick Calamity But while Gallus and Volusianus were engaging in a Civil War against Aemilianus who had attempted an alteration of the Government they were both kill'd at 〈◊〉 before they had compleated the second year of their Empire Aemilianus a person of obscure birth was slain e're he had possess'd his usurped Power three months and soon after Valerianus and Gallienus were chosen Emperours the former by the Army in Rhetia and Noricum the latter at Rome by the Senate Their Government proved very pernicious to the Roman State by the means of their own Pusillanimity and the 〈◊〉 they exercised against the Christians For both the Germans had marched forward as far as Ravenna laying all 〈◊〉 where ever they came with Fire and Sword and also Valerianus himself making War in Mesopotamia was taken Prisoner by the Parthians and forced to live in the most ignominious servitude for Sapores King of Persia made use of him for a Footstool when he got up on Horseback A Punishment which justly 〈◊〉 him for this reason that as soon as he was seiz'd of the Empire he was the eighth from Nero who commanded that the Christians should be put to Tortures be made to worship Idols or upon their refusal be put to death Gallienus being terrisied by this manifest Judgment of God suffered the Christians to live quietly But it was now too late for by the Divine Permission the Barbarians had already made Inroads upon the Roman borders and certain pernicious Tyrants arose who overthrew at home what was left undestroyed by the forein Enemy 〈◊〉 hereupon leaves the care of the Publick and spending his time very dissolutely at 〈◊〉 was there slain Lucius upon the death of Volusianus being released from banishment at his return to Rome ordained that every Bishop 〈◊〉 be accompanied where-ever he went with two Presbyters and three Deacons as witnesses of his Life and Actions In his time suffered Saint Cyprian who was first a Professor of Rhetorick and afterward as St. Hierem tells us at the persuasion of Coecilius the Presbyter from whom he took his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 becoming a Christian he gave his Estate to the Poor Having 〈◊〉 first ordained a Presbyter and then Bishop of Carthage he was 〈◊〉 to death under 〈◊〉 and Volusianus His Life and Martyrdom were 〈◊〉 well written by Pontius a Presbyter and his Companion in 〈◊〉 And it ought not to be forgotten that Cyprian before he 〈◊〉 was reconciled to the Opinion of the Church of Rome that 〈◊〉 were not to be re-baptized but to be receiv'd without any further Ceremony than that of Imposition of Hands a matter about which there had been formerly a great Controversie between him and Cornelius But to return to Lucius before his Martyrdom which he suffered at the command of Valerianus he delivered up his Ecclesiastical Power to 〈◊〉 the Arch-deacon He conferred holy Orders thrice in the month of December ordaining four Presbyters four Deacons seven Bishops He was interred in the Coemetery of Calistus in the Via Appia Aug. the 25th He was in the Chair three years three months three days and by his death the See was vacant thirty five days S. STEPHANUS I. STEPHANUS a Roman the Son of Julius was chosen Bishop when the Roman Empire seem'd to be utterly ruin'd and particularly at the time when Posthumus 〈◊〉 his Usurped Power in Gallia though not without great advantage to the Publick For he governed very well ten years together freed the Countrey from Hostility and restored that Province to its ancient Form But being afterwards kill'd at Mentz in a tumult of the Soldiers Victorinus succeeded him who was indeed an excellent Soldier but being exces ssively incontinent and adulterous was slain at Cologne Stephanus applying himself to the Regulation of the Church ordained that the Priests and other Ministers should not use their sacred Vestments any where but in the Church and during the performance of Divine Offices lest otherwise they should incur the Punishment of Belshazzar King of Babylon for touching the holy Vessels with prophane hands Concerning the Re-baptization of those who returned to the Faith he was of the same Judgment with Cornelius his Predecessor and thought it by no means lawful to communicate with those who re-baptized them Whereupon Dionysius who had formerly concurred in opinion about the matter with those of Carthage and the East both his and their Sentiments of it being now altered writes to Stephen and encourages him from the assurance that both the Asian and African Churches were now reconciled to the Judgment of the Roman See concerning it About the same time Malchion a Presbyter of Antioch a person of extraordinary Eloquence became very useful to the Church of God in writing against Paulus Samosatenus the Bishop of that place who endeavoured to revive the Opinion of Artemon affirming Christ to have been a meer man and that he had no Existence till he was conceived by the Virgin Mary An Opinion which being afterwards condemned in the Council of Antioch by general consent this Malchion in the name of the Synod wrote a large Epistle to the Christians concerning it As for Stephanus when he had by his Example and Persuasion converted a multitude of Gentiles to Christianity being seized by Gallienus as some say or else by those who upon the Edict of Decius were appointed to persecute the Christians he himself together with many others his Proselytes was hurried away to Martyrdom and having suffered he was interred in the Coemetery of Calistus in the Via Appia August the 2d after that he had at two Decembrian Ordinations made six Presbyters five Deacons three Bishops He was in the Chair seven years five months two days and the See was vacant two and twenty days S. SIXTUS II. SIXTUS an Athenian of a Philosopher became a Christian the Decian and Valerian Persecution yet continuing But it
generally to adhere unto Monti to which also Cardinal Farnese assenting laboured with all his power to reconcile Ghisa and Monti which after some words and secret conferences together being happily concluded all parties concurred in the Election and on the ninth of February 1550. Monti being accompanied by 42 Cardinals descended into the Church of S. Peter where being seated in the Chappel of S. Andrew all the Cardinals paid their respects and obedience to him which they testified as was usual by kissing his feet which being finished he called himself by the name of Julius III. in memory of Julius II. from whom he derived the beginning of his greatness He was afterwards crowned by Cardinal Cibo on the 21. of the same month of February His Reign began with the year of Jubilee 1550. the which in its regular course ought to have commenced the Christmas before but in regard the Chair was then vacant that solemnity was deferred until the 24th of February being the Festival of S. Matthias when the four Gates were opened according to the accustomed manner and great numbers of people flocked from all parts of Italy who having visited the four principal Churches namely S. John of Lateran S. Peter's S. Pauls and S. Maries the Great received the Indulgences Privileges and Absolutions which are the fruits and rewards of that Devotion with which this Holy Year ended on the day of the Epiphany of the year following Amongst the other Pilgrims which were but few in number from the Western parts by reason of the Wars and confusions about Religion Stephen the Patriarch of the greater Armenia in company with an Arch-Bishop and two other Bishops came to Rome to gain the Jubilee This people who had been always of the Eastern Church and submitted to their own Supreme Patriarch called were persuaded by the Missionaries from Rome in the time of Paul III. to submit to the Roman Church upon promises of Preferments and increase of their Revenue in which Faith they have ever since continued adhering to all Points of that Church tho perhaps little regard hath been had to an augmentation of their Benefices for I have been acquainted with one of their Patriarchs accompanied with two Dominican Friars who were so poor that in their Travels to Rome they have begged Alms to defray their charges During this year of Jubilee and the first of his Reign the Pope Indicted the Council which Paul III. had transferred to Bologna to be held at Trent and to begin in May following Charles V. was then at the Diet of Augsburg when this Bull of the Pope was delivered to his hands which he caused to be promulged in the hearing of all the Princes who were present at the Diet. In obedience to these summons some of the Bishops of Germany Spain and Italy attended and made their personal appearance to which place also the Pope sent Cardinal Crescentio to reside as his Legate assisted by the Arch-Bishop of Sipontino and the Bishop of Verona and being desirous to perform acts of Favour and Grace soon after his Inauguration he bestowed twenty Cardinals Hats amongst which he gave one to a Youth of thirteen years of age called Innocent de Monte born at Piacenza one of poor and mean Parentage whom he received and adopted by that name into his Family none knowing the ground or reason for it which gave a large and copious Theme to the Pasquils at Rome About that time George Martinuno who governed the Affairs of Transilvania during the minority of that King was at the instance and request of Ferdinand created Cardinal by this Pope Julius but he afterwards secretly plotting and conspiring with the Turks against the Prince who was under his charge and tuition upon discovery and proof made of his treacherous designs was justly put to death This Pope who was of a pacifick temper and naturally inclined to peace had also farther inducements thereunto by the long experience he had in the affairs of the Church which he had observed to thrive and prosper most with the lenitives of peace rather than by Arms and Slaughter which were incongruous and dissentaneous to those principles on which the Church was originally founded howsoever the Pope contrary to these principles was unhappily forced and engaged in a War on this occasion which we shall here relate with as much brevity as we are able Paul the Third after Piacenza was lost and his Son Pier-luigi slain committed the charge and defence of Parma to Camillo Orsino who was reputed a great Soldier in his time to keep and defend that City in the name and behalf of the Church strictly commanding him not to resign or entrust that care into any other hands without express and positive Commission Paul being dead and Julius III. being in treaty for the Succession promised Cardinal Farnese who as we have said was Chief of a powerful Party to deliver Parma into the hands of his Brother Ottavio in case he would favour him with his Vote and Interest which he assenting unto and Julius being made Pope the conditions were complied with the Commission of Camillo being vacated and the Government of the City surrendred to Ottavio provided notwithstanding that it should not be in the power of Ottavio to consign the City into the hands of any Prince whatsoever without the knowledg license and consent of the Pope and that Ottavio might be the better enabled to maintain the Garrison against the force and temptation of the Imperialists a stipend was allowed him of 2000 Crowns a month In a short time Ottavio finding that the Imperialists were pressing upon him and that he was not able to defend the City against Charles V. without greater supplies both of men and mony desired the Pope that he would either augment his Allowance or else give him the liberty to joyn and enter into Alliance with some other Prince that was able to secure and defend him against the artifices and violences of the Emperor The Pope not penetrating the depth of the matter without due and mature consideration answered that confiding in his prudence he gave him license to provide for his safety in such manner as he thought most expedient Ottavio taking these words in the largest sense and supposing he had obtained license to do and act as he pleased agreed privately with Henry II. King of France to receive a French Garrison into Parma which being done and the Pope too late complaining thereof as a matter concluded without his knowledg or permission and also apprehending that the Emperor would certainly believe that this was acted by his assent and concurrence that he might disabuse the world and persuade the Emperor to the contrary he banished Cardinal Alexander Farnese to Florence and calling the Emperors Forces to his assistance made War upon Duke Ottavio so that all Italy on a sudden began to be embroiled and enflamed with War For Parma was presently besieged by Fernando Gonzaga who was Governour of Milan
regular management of Affairs during the vacancy of the Papal Chair The day following being the second day Cardinal Montalto acquainted the Congregation that he had received Orders from the Grand Duke to let them know that Cardinal de Medicis could not judg himself safe at Rome whilst the Power of the City and of the Militia remained in the hands of Taddeo Barberin his mortal Enemy and therefore he desired that either an other General of the Forces of the Church might be nominated or else that he might have license to enter Rome with his own Guards of Soldiers for defence and security of his Person and that otherwise in case of refusal he protested against the legality of the Conclave as not free nor secure to those Members who resorted to it After mature consideration of this Point the whole Congregation of Cardinals excepting some few agreed that it was not fit to remove Taddeo either from one or the other Office but in regard the Spanish Faction who were close Adherers to the House of Medicis were of Opinion that some satisfaction ought to be given to the Grand Duke herein it was concluded and agreed That the Sacred Colledg of Cardinals should by a Writing subscribed with their own hands give Security and Assurance to Cardinal de Medecis that nothing should be attempted in Rome against his Person Secondly That two other Cardinals should be joined in Commission with Taddeo the Prefect in the Government of the City And thirdly That a Lieutenant General should be created Independent of the Prefect with absolute Power over the Soldiery These Expedients having given satisfaction to Cardinal de Medicis and the Funeral Rites of Vrban being performed the Cardinals to the number of fifty five entered the Conclave The Persons which seemed to stand most fair for the Election were the Cardinals Pamphilio and Sachetti one of which Cardinal Barberin was desirous to promote though he was most inclined to the first for though Sachetti was esteemed for a great Lover and Friend of the Family of the Barberins in general yet Pamfilio was reputed to be more intimate with Cardinal Barberin and one who entertained a particular affection for his Person Howsoever Sachetti was the first in nomination but wanting the number of Votes required in the Scrutiny the Conclave proceeded to others all which by the contrariety of Factions and Interests were rejected But at length Pamfilio to whom Cardinal Barberin had passed some Promises and assurances of favour before the beginning of the Conclave was after a contest of six weeks by a general concurrence of all the Cardinals five only excepted assumed to the Pontifical Dignity to which the Power and Interest of the Barberins did much contribute who by the long Reign and Government of Vrban their Uncle had contracted great friendships as well as enmities Cardinal Pamfilio whose title was St. Eusebius was born at Rome his Father was Camillo Pamfilio his Mother Flaminia del Bufalo both antient Families of Rome His younger years were employed in profitable Studies in which he became so great a Proficient that at the years of twenty he took his Degree of Doctor of the Civil Law by vertue of which he was made one of the Advocates of the Consistory and thence promoted by Clement VIII to be Auditor of the Rota by Gregory XV. he was sent Nuntio to Naples by Vrban VIII he was sent with Cardinal Francisco his Nephew in quality of the first Minister of the Legation or Embassy into France and at his return was created Patriarch of Antioch Afterwards he was sent with Cardinal Francisco when he went Legate into Spain and bore the same Office and quality of the first Minister of the Legation as he had done in France in discharge of which he gave such testimonies of his Abilities and faithfulness that the Legate being intirely satisfied with his management and conduct of Affairs left him at his departure in the Residency of Nuntio in Ordinary for the Court of Rome In which Office he so well acquitted himself to the satisfaction of the Pope and contentment of his Catholick Majesty that in the year 1627. he was created Cardinal though by reason of his continuance in the Court of Spain his promotion was not published until the year 1629. And being returned to Rome in the year 1630. he received the Cardinals Hat in a full Consistory After which he was made Prefect of the Ecclesiastical Immunities and lastly Supreme Judg of the Inquisition and Protectour of the Kingdom of Poland And having risen by such degrees and steps of Honour he was at length elected Pope on the 15th of September 1644. calling himself by the name of Innocent X. in honour to the memory of Pope Innocent his Uncle by the Mothers side The Cardinals then present at the Conclave having after this Election performed according to the usual custom their acts of Adoration to the person of the Pope Francisco Barberino took the Cross and carried it before the Pope though that Office properly belonged to Cardinal de Medicis the Chief Deacon who perhaps for some dislike of the Choice and for want of concurrence in any thing pleasing to the Barberins had excused or absented himself And thus Cardinal Barberin carrying the Cross conducted the Pope before the High Altar of St. Peter where with a loud Voice he uttered these words Annuncio vobis gaudium magnum habemus Papam Eminentissimum Reverendissimum Joannem Baptistam Pamphilium qui sibi nomen imposuit Innocentius Decimus On the 4th of October Cardinal de Medicis set the tripple Crown on his Head with great applause and acclamations of the People for though this Cardinal had excused himself from carrying the Cross before him after his Election as his Office of Arch-Deacon did require upon imagnations perhaps that the Pope would become a favourer of the Barberins his mortal Enemies as his gratitude to that Family might require yet having in that Interval of time which was between his Election and Coronation discovered that his inclinations were otherwise disposed as we shall hereafter make appear he then altered his Affections to the Pope and became willing to plant the Crown upon his head On this occasion some Medals were stamped with the Image of our Lady with this Inscription Vnde venit Auxilium mihi But his own Motto was Da Servo Tuo Cor Docile ut Populum Tuum judicare possit And now all the Ceremonies of his Inauguration being past he began to apply his mind to the Government of Church and State and in the first place he ordained a Congregation to inspect and state the accounts of the Church and contrive some ways and means for payment of Debts and then according to the custom of former Popes he provided for a cheap year and to make Bread and other Victuals plentiful in the City than which nothing can be more acceptable to the People of Rome who always labour under the scarcity of
good will and suffrage at his Election and according to the Politicks of former Popes he made some Laws and Orders for regulation of the Markets and for supplies of the City with Victuals and Provisions that the People might at the beginning of his Government find Peace and plenty But these plausible and specious appearances which cost little to the Pope great discontents arose in the Court of Rome by reason of the exorbitant Power of the Cardinal Nephew who assuming all matters into his own hands suffered no applications to be made unto the Pope but by his means and intercession nor would he suffer the Seals to pass for any Livings or Benefices without a payment of Mony for and in consideration thereof unto himself in which he was so strict that a Living of ten Crowns a year did not escape him without some acknowledgment And for better management of this Simonaical Traffick he appointed Brokers in the Palace to set up an Office and there publickly to profess and without shame to bargain and contract for Offices and Benefices This scandalous manner of dealing discouraged all Men of Virtue and Merit from hopes of obtaining Employments for since Money and not Desert was the step to all preferments good Men for the greatest part were excluded and none but a sort of progging and traffiquing Clergymen advanced to Benefices and Places of Trust Thus did this adopted Nephew play his part when a great swarm of Kindred appeared at Court pretending to be allied either by bloud or alliance to the Pope for though when he was onely a simple Prelat and had no great matter to dispose of few or none would own his Relation but being now advanced to the Pontifical Chair every Citizen of Rome would be his Kinsman and frame a Scheme or Tree of his Pedigree deducing their linage by one Branch or other from the Family of Altieri all which finding an adopted Nephew surreptitiously crept into the favour of their Kinsman and themselves excluded openly murmured against Paluzzi and complained of the injustice and ill fortune but he little regarded their clamours suffering none of them to approach the Pope or challenge kindred unless the Family of the Massimi of which he advanced some to Places of Trust and Profit The College of Cardinals though much divided in their inclinations yet the greatest part of them could not support the despotical Government of Altieri who though he could not absolutely restrain the Cardinals from access to the Pope yet he made their Audiences difficult to be obtained and often caused them upon I know not what excuses to be deferred until other days and times when he contrived to be always present that he might be a witness of their discourses and prevent that freedom which they designed with the Pope This design of Cardinal Altieri was greatly promoted by the retirement of Persons powerful for their Riches and Interest from Rome for soon after the Election of the Pope the Ambassadour of the most Christian King and the Cardinals of Retz and Boglion were returned into France and Cardinal de Este whose Power was sufficient to shake the mightiest Favourite was gone into his own Country Cardinal Antonio was sick and languishing in his Bed and the Flying Squadron whose pretences were onely pure zeal for the universal good of the Church were contented to let matters pass according to the humour of Altieri hoping that the Pope by reason of his age could not hold out long and that therefore it were better to employ their time in forming Parties against the next Conclave than to contrive means and Artifices to defeat and ruin the Power of Altieri but they were much deceived in their measures for the good old Man was so lusty and hearty living without much care that he was likely to out-live the youngest of the Squadron Nor was the Marquis of Astorgas Ambassadour for Spain much more concerned than others for he having other designs of gaining the good will and favour of the Citizens of Rome little cared in what nanner the Intrigues and Affairs of the Court succeeded Wherefore the onely dangerous and formidable Enemy was the Dean Cardinal Barberino a person of that Reputation and Wit as was only capable to stand in competition with the Power of Altieri But neither his Policy Art nor Interest could be available against this Cardinal Nephew who exercised a more absolute Power than any other Favourite had enjoyed in the Place before him the continuance of which being very uncertain he cast about him divers ways whereby to advance and establish the greatness of his Family which under the happy circumstances of his present flourishing condition was not difficult to procure For in Rome there are many Noble and rich Families which aspire to an alliance with the kindred of the Pope's Regnant which though it be an honour of no long continuance yet they have commonly had the opportunity to accumulate Riches during the life of the Pope and afterwards remained with the priviledg of being numbred amongst the Princes after his death The Prince Carbognano who was a principal branch of the House of Colonna which for its Power Riches and Nobility yields to none in Rome had two Sons the eldest of which was called the Duke of Basanello and the second Duke of Anticoli the first was married to the Sister of the Contestable Colonna but having no Children or Heirs the Riches and opulency of all that Family was to devolve by right of Inheritance to the Duke of Anticoli of which Cardinal Altieri having well considered treated of a marriage between him and Donna Tarquinia Great Niece to the Pope esteeming it the best and most advantageous Match in all Rome Prince Carbognano the Father who was of an open and easie temper gave ear to the Proposal with much satisfaction but the Duke of Basanello not suffering his younger Brother to be advanced by these means to a degree above himself refused to give his assent unto the Match unless he also might be received into en equal rank with his Brother and enjoy the honour of those prerogatives which appertain to Nephews and Princes allied to the Papal Throne Altieri declining all rubs and difficulties which might obstruct the Match entertained Basanello with hopes and expectations of the conditions he desired but so soon as the Marriage was celebrated and consummated he then excused himself saying that upon better thoughts he found that such an instance could not be given without drawing many ill consequences with it howsoever that the Pope would think upon it and do what was possible but in reality such words gave no satisfaction being interpreted for a flat and format denial Hence at first arose some coldness which afterwards proceeded to an open quarrel and defiance between Basanello on the one side and Altieri and Anticoli on the other so that both parties exercised their thoughts in ways of revenge upon each other The genius of Italians which
But such a Government as this was long in growing and required much time to bring it to a maturity because many difficulties interposed in the way For in the first place the very foundation of Christianity which was humility was diametrically opposite to Grandeur and Dominion then the Popes were chosen by the People to whom they were accountable for all their administrations and to the Clergy for their soundness in Faith and Orthodox Doctrine for which reason Pope Eugenius the first was Interdicted by the Clergy from celebrating Divine Service in Santa Maria Maggiore until he had disclaimed publickly the Heresie he held of one Operation or Will in Christ the Assertors of which were called Monothelites and this Choice of the People required a confirmation from the Emperour before the Pope could be legally invested in his Authority the which is apparent in all History and in regard the Seat of the Emperours was far distant a Power was delegated to the Exarch of Ravenna to confirm the suffrages of the people in case the person they had chosen was not obnoxious or displeasing to the Emperour and so it was when Severinus was made Pope that Isaacius the Exarch of Italy made a journey to Rome to confirm him though before his departure he plundered the Lateran of its Treasures in which attempt though he was opposed by some of the Clergy yet his Soldiers being too strong for them he carried away his prize upon a pretence that it was unreasonable the Clergy should grow rich and the State poor and that they should amass vast sums into their Coffers when the Soldiers who were their defence and guard were miserably necessitous and in a starving condition Nor had the See of Rome less difficulty in its advancement by reason of the long disputes and contentions between that and the Church of Constantinople for precedency to which several Princes gave encouragement who asserted that the Supremacy ought to be lodged at that place which was accounted and esteemed the Capital Seat of the Empire On the other side the Roman Bishops termed Constantinople but a Colony of Rome since the Greeks themselves stiled their Prince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Emperour of the Romans and the Constantinopolitans themselves even in that age were called Romans and not Greeks the which Controversie remained undecided until the time of Boniface the third who by great intercession and a powerful interest obtain'd of the Emperour Phocas that the See of Rome should be acknowledged and stiled the Head of all the Churches But notwithstanding this priviledg given to the See of Rome the Popes continued still in their dependence on the Emperor's confirmation without which their Election was not valid And though in the time of Mauritius the Emperour Pelagius the 2d was made Bishop of Rome without the Imperial consent and confirmation and though the same was excused by a cause of necessity occasioned by the Siege which the Lombards had laid to the City yet the Emperour was much displeased with this encroachment upon his Prerogative until such time as Gregory a Deacon a Person of great Piety and Learning was sent to Constantinople to appease his anger In this manner the Popes depended on the Emperours pleasure for their confirmation until about the year 705. when Benedict the second was created Pope a Person of so much piety and vertue and of compassion towards the poor that he gained an esteem aud veneration from all people of what degree soever and so great was his renown that the report of his Vertue and Devotion reaching the Ears of the Emperour he conceived such a high Opinion of his Sanctity that he sent him a Decree whereby he ordained and established that for the time to come He whom the Clergy and people of Rome should choose Pope should be immediately acknowledged without recourse to the Authority of the Emperour or his Exarchs according to former custom when the confirmation of the Emperour or his Lieutenant in Italy was esteemed necessary to the establishment of a Pope But whence this Temporal Power was derived in its first Original to the Popes hath been an enquiry of divers Authors There are those who pretend a Donation from the Emperour Constantine by which the City of Rome it self most part of Italy Africa and all the Islands of the Mediterranean Seas were conferred upon them But this Opinion is exploded by Guicciardin an Author without exception in this case And moreover in all History these particulars are very clear and apparent as namely That during the Exarchate the Popes had nothing to do with the Temporal Sword but lived as Subjects to the Emperour That after the overthrow of the Exarchate the Emperours neglecting Italy the Romans began to be governed by the advice and power of the Popes That Pepin of France having subdued the Kingdom of the Lombards gave unto Pope Gregory the 3d. and his Successours Ravenna Urbin Ancona Spoleto with many other Towns and Territories about Rome in testimony and remembrance of which there remains unto this day a Marble Stone ingraven in Latin with this Inscription thereupon and Englished thus Pepin the most pious King of France was the first who gave example to Posterity how and in what manner the Power and Authority of Holy Church was to be amplified and increased After which Charlemagne or Charles the Great the Son of Pepin having made his entrance into Rome in the time of Pope Adrian the first confirmed by Oath and amply enlarged the Donation which his Father Pepin had made to Gregory the 3d. which as our Platina saith contained in Liguria all that reaches from the long since demolished City Luna to the Alps the Isle of Corsica and the whole Tract between Luca and Parma together with Friuli the Exarchate of Ravenna and the Dukedoms of Spoleto and Beneventum And though the Popes having this Temporal Power began to set up for themselves maintaining That the Pontifical Dignity was to give Laws to the Emperours and not to receive them yet this Doctrine was not openly asserted during the Reign of Charlemagne who challenged and exercised the antient and original power to govern the Church to call Councils and to order the Papal Election The which Power continued for a long time in his posterity and so afterwards remained so long as wise and valiant Princes ruled but when weak Princes who were distracted with great and dangerous Wars governed then the Popes prevailed who were strong in their Councils being for the most part composed of subtil and designing Men Howsoever these turns of Fortune were carried in succeeding times with various changes and successes the Emperour sometimes tugging and plucking from the Pope and the Pope from the Emperour winning or losing ground as they were endued with abilities courage and understanding or as the circumstances of the World were ordered and disposed in different times So Hadrian the 3d. was a Man of so great a Spirit that
Barnabas having travelled through divers Cities upon his return to Jerusalem was by Peter John and James chosen an Apostle of the Gentiles In the twenty fifth year after the death of Christ which was the second of the Emperor Nero and the time when Festus succeeded Felix in the Procuratorship of Judoea he with his fellow-captive Aristarchus was as a free Denizon sent bound to Rome where continuing the space of two years under very little confinement he was daily engaged in disputation with the Jews Being at length set at liberty by Nero he both preached and wrote many things We have at this day fourteen of his Epistles one to the Romans two to the Corinthians one to the Galatians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Colossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothy one to Titus and one to Philemon that to the Hebrews is generally said to be his though because of the difference of style and phrase from the rest it be uncertain whether it were so or no and there have been anciently divers who have entituled it some to Luke some to Barnabas some to Clemens St. Peter also wrote two general Epistles though the latter be by many denied to be his for the same reason of the difference of style But being so taken up with Prayer and Preaching that he could not attend any other great variety of business he constituted two Bishops viz. Linus and Cletus who might exercise the sacerdotal Ministery to the Romans and other Christians The holy man applying himself entirely to these things gained thereby so great and universal a Reputation that men were ready to worship him as a God The Emperor Nero being displeased hereat began to contrive his death whereupon St. Peter with the advice of his Friends that he might avoid the Emperours envy and rage departed out of the City by the Via Appia and at the end of the first mile he travelled to use the words of Egesippus meeting with Christ in the way and falling down and worshipping him he said Lord whither goest thou to whom Christ replied I go to Rome to be crucified again There is yet remaining a Chappel built on the same place where these words were spoken Now St. Peter believing this saying of our Saviour to relate to his own martyrdom because Christ might seem to be ready to suffer again in him went back to the City and forth with consecrated Clemens a Bishop and in these words recommended to him his Chair and the Church of God I deliver to thee the same power of binding and loosing which Christ lest to me do thou as becomes a good Pastor promote the salvation of men both by Prayer and Preaching without regard to any hazard of Life or Fortune Having set these things thus in order at the Command of Nero in the last year of his Empire He was put to death together with St. Paul though the kinds of their Punishment were different For St. Peter was crucified with his Head towards the ground and his Feet upwards for so he desired it might be saying That he was unworthy to undergo the same kind of death with his Saviour He was buried in the Vatican in the Via Aurelia near Nero's Gardens not far from the Via Triumphalis which leads to the Temple of Apollo He continued in the See 25 years But St. Paul being on the same day beheaded was interred in the Via Ostiensis in the 37th year after the death of Christ. This is confirmed by the testimony of Caius the Historian who in a Disputation against one Proculus a Montanist has these words I says he can shew you the Victorious Ensigns of the Apostles for you cannot pass the Via Regalis that leads to the Vatican nor the Via Ostiensis but you will find the Trophies of those Hero's that established this Church where certainly he refers to these two St. Peter and St. Paul In the fore-mentioned Gardens of Nero were reposited the ashes of a multitude of holy Martyrs For a Fire happening in the time of Nero which raging for six days together had wasted a great part of the City and devoured the substance of many wealthy Citizens the blame of all which was laid upon the Emperour He as Tacitus tells us being very desirous to quell the rumour suborn'd false Witnesses to accuse and lay all the blame of that Calamity upon the Christians Whereupon so great a number of them were seiz'd and put to death that it is said the flame of their empaled bodies supplied the room of lights for some nights together There are those who say this Fire was kindled by Nero either that he might have before his Eyes the Resemblance of burning Troy or else because he had taken offence at the irregularity of the old Houses and the narrowness and windings of the streets neither of which are improbable of such a man as he who was profligately self-will'd intemperate and cruel and in all respects more lewd and wicked than his Uncle Caligula For he both put to death a great part of the Senate and also without any regard to Decency would in the fight of the People sing and dance in the publique Theatre His dissolute Luxury was such that he made use of perfum'd cold Baths and fished with golden Nets which were drag'd with Purple Cords Yet he took such care to conceal all these Vices in the beginning of his Empire that men had generally great hopes of him For being put in mind to sign a Warrant according to Custom for the Execution of one that was condemn'd to die How glad says he should I be that I had never learnt to write Howas very sumptuous in his Buildings both in the City and elsewhere for the Baths called by his Name and the Aurea Domus and the Portico three miles long were finish'd by him with with wondrous magnificence besides which he was at a vast expence to make the Haven at Antium at the sight of which I my self not long since was wonderfully pleased I return to his Cruelty which he exercised towards his Master Seneca towards M. Annoeus Lucanus the famous Poet towards his Mother Agrippina and his Wife Octavia towards Cornutus the Philosopher Perfius's Master whom he banish'd towards Piso and in a word towards all those who were in any reputation among the Citizens In the end he so highly provok'd the rage and hatred of the people against him that most diligent search was made after him to bring him to condign punishment Which punishment was that being bound he should be led up and down with a Gallows upon his neck and being whipped with Rods to Death his body should be thrown into the River Tyber But he making his escape four miles out of the City laid violent hands upon himself in the Countrey-house of one of his Freemen between the Via Salaria and Nomentana in the thirty second year of his Age and of his Reign the fourteenth S.
presence of several Brethren taking hold of my hand This says he is the person whom having been my assistant in all affairs since I came to Rome I constitute Bishop of that City and when I shewed my willingness eo decline so great a Burden he exposulated with me in this manner Wilt thou consult only thine own convenience and deny thy assistance to the poor fluctuating Church of God when it is in thy power to steer it But he being a person of wonderful modesty did freely prefer Linus and Cletus to that dignity before himself undertook it He wrote in the name of the Roman Church a very useful Epistle to the Corinthians not differing in style from that of the Hebrews which is said to be St. Pauls This Epistle was formerly read publickly in several Churches there is another bearing his name which the Ancients did not thing authentick and Eufebius in the third Book of his History does find fault with a long Disputation between St. Peter and Appion said to be written by our Clement 'T is certain that John the Apostle son of Zebedee and Brother of James lived till this time who was the last Penman of the Gospel and confirmed what had been before written by Matthew Mark and Luke The reason why he wrote last is said to be that he might confront and defeat the Heresie of the Ebionites who impudently denied Christ to have had a being before his Birth of the Blessed Virgin and accordingly we find him very particular in demonstrating the Divinity of our Saviour He wrote several other things and among the rest his Revelation during his banishment into the Island Patmos by Domitian who being afterwards slain and his Acts for their excessive severity rescinded by the Senate he returned to Ephesus in the time of Nerva where he continued till the Reign of Trajan supporting the Churches of Asia by his Counsel and Writings till at last being worn out with Age he rested in the Lord the sixty eighth year after the Passion of Christ. Our Clemens by his Piety Religion and Learning made daily many Proselytes to Christianity whereupon P. Tarquinius the High Priest and Mamertinus the City Praefect stir'd up the Emperour against the Christians at whose command Clement was banish'd to an Island where he found near two thousand Christians condemn'd to hew Marble in the Quarries In this Island there being at that time a great scarcity of water which they were forced to fetch at six miles distance Clement going going to the top of a little Hill hard by sees there a Lamb under whose right foot flowed miraculously a plentiful Spring with which all the Islanders were refresh'd and many of them thereupon converted to the Christian faith At which Trajan being enraged sent some of his Guards who threw Clement into the Sea with an Anchor tied about his neck But his blessed Body was not long after cast on the shore and being buried at the place where this miraculous fountain had sprung up a Temple was built over it This is said to have happened September the fourteenth in the third year of the Emperor Trajan He was in the Chair nine years two months and ten days he divided the Wards of the City among seven Notaries who were to register the Acts of the Martyrs and at the Ordinations which he held according to Custom in the Month of December he made ten Presbyters two Deacons and fifteen Bishops By his death the See was vacant two and twenty days S. ANACLETUS ANACLETUS an Athenian son of Antiochus was successor to Clement in the time of Trajanus This Trajans Predecessor Nerva Cocceius was an excellent person both in his private and publick capacity just and equal in all his proceedings and one whose Government was very advantageous to the Republick Through his procurement the Acts of Domitian being repeal'd by Decree of the Senate multitudes thereupon return'd from banishment and several by his bounty had the Goods of which they had before been plundered restor'd to them But being now very old and drawing near to the time of his Death out of his care of the Publick Weal he adopted Trajan and then died in the sixteenth Month of his Reign and of his Age the seventy second year Trajan himself a Spaniard surnamed Ulpius Crinitus coming to the Empire surpassed the best of Princes in in the glory of his Arms the the Goodness of his Temper and the moderation of his Government He extended the bounds of the Empire far and wide reduced that part of Getmany beyond the Rhine to its former state subdued Dacia and several other Nations beyond the Danow recovered Parthia gave a King to the Albanians made Provinces beyond Euphrates and Tygris overcame and kept Armenia Assyria Mesopotamia Seleucia Ctesiphon and Babylon and proceeded as far as the borders of India and the Red Sea where he left a Fleet to infest those Borders The Ecclesiastical Laws and Constitutions of Anacletus were as followeth viz. That no Prelate or other Clerk should suffer his beard or hair to grow long that no Bishop should be ordained by less than three other Bishops that the Clergy should be admitted into holy Orders in publick only and that all the faithful should after Consecration communicate or be put out of the Church By this means the Christian interest encreas'd that Trajan fearing lest the Roman State might be impaired thereby gave allowance to a third Persecution of the Christians in which multitudes were put to Death and particularly Ignatius the third Bishop of the Church of Antioch after St. Peter Who being taken and condemn'd to suffer by wild beasts as he was carried to Rome by his Guards whom he called his Ten Leopards he all along in his passage encourag'd and confirm'd the Christians by Discourse with some and by Epistle to others declaring his readiness to suffer in this manner Come Cross come Beasts come Wrack come the torture of my whole body and the torments of the Devil upon me so I may enjoy Christ. And upon the occasion of his hearing the Lions roar Corn says he I am let me be ground by the teeth of these beasts that I may be found fine bread He died in Trajan's eleventh year and his bones were afterwards buried in the Suburbs of Antioch But Plinius Secundus who was then Governour of that Province being moved with compassion to see so many executed wrote to the Emperour Trajan informing him that incredible numbers of men were daily put to Death who were persons of an unblameable life and who in no point transgressed the Roman Laws save only that before day-break they would sing Hymns to Christ their God but that Adulteries and the like Crimes were disallowed and abominated by them Hereupon Trajan gave order that the Magistrates should not make search after the Christians but only punish those who voluntarily offered themselves During this Persecution Simeon the kinsman of our Lord son of
all manner of Vice and wickedness and if he had any time to spare from his lusts he spent it in Hunting and not in Prayer The Romans had at this time two Consuls annually and one Prefect who was a Judg among the Citizens Out of the People were created twelve Decarchons who were instead of the Senate neither were the Romans without some kind of Dominions for the neighbouring Towns of Tuscany between Orvieto and Todi and all that lies between the City and Benevent Naples Tagliacozzo and Riete were subject to the City of Rome What lies beyond was possessed partly by the Greeks and partly by the Saracens It is not altogether certain who then held Marca di Ancona and the Dutchy of Spoleto In the City thus free Octavian favour'd by the power of his Father assumes the Papal Dignity a weight for which his shoulders were very unfit which gave so great offence that two Cardinals who were nettled at it sent to Otho beseeching him to come and deliver the Clergy and the People of Rome out of the hands of Berengarius and this Pope John otherwise telling him that the Christian Religion and the Empire too would both be ruin'd Otho was at that time great in the estimation of all people having as we said before conquered Boleslaus King of Bohemia and routed the Hungarians that 〈◊〉 Germany in three fierce Battels taking three of their Princes who were hanged up by the Germans against the mind of the Emperor While Otho was expected the whole design was betray'd to John who took both the Cardinals and cut off the Nose of the one and the hand of the other This mov'd Otho to hasten his march into Italy where first he took Berengarius and his Son Albertus Prisoners and banish'd one to Constantinople the other into Austria and soon after entring Rome he was splendidly received even of John himself and Crown'd as some write Emperor of Germany and Hungary the Empire being now first translated to the Germans There are Authors yet that place this to the times of Leo VIII of whom we shall speak hereafter whose Opinion is follow'd by Gratian in his Decree though Ricardus and Cuseulinus disallow not the former but the Lateran Library-keeper writes that Otho came to Rome in John's time but says not a word of his Coronation so perplex'd and confused are the Affairs of those times by the carelesness and neglect of their Writers Otho however having somewhat setled the State of the City had some conference in private with John dissuading him kindly from his naughty way of life and exhorting him to reform but when he found fair words would not avail he made use of threats and declar'd for a General Council convening all the Bishops of Italy to judg of the way of life of this wicked Fellow The Censures of these good Men he apprehended would be heavy and therefore fled to Anagni sculking up and down in by-places like a wild Beast So that Otho by the persuasion of the Clergy creates Leo a Roman a keeper of the Archives in the Lateran Pope But upon the departure of the Emperor the Kinsmen and Friends of John turn out Leo and recall him who within few days after was struck dead as was thought from Heaven lest the Church of God should be ruin'd by so pernicious a Sedition as was then growing on Some indeed write that this wicked Wretch or Monster rather was taken in Adultery and there stabb'd However this put not an end to the Schism for the Romans upon the death of John put up Benedict in his room and were earnest with the Emperor who was then at Spalato to confirm their choice But the Emperor was highly displeased and not onely denied their request as unjust but as shall hereafter be told compelled them by force of Arms to abrogate Benedict and receive Leo. Many Prodigies are said to have been seen at this present time in Italy for in a mighty tempest of wind and rain there fell a stone of a wonderful 〈◊〉 from the Sky and in the garments of many persons the figure of a bloody Cross appeared miraculously which portents were look'd upon to 〈◊〉 great Slaughters and calamities to the Church This John who was certainly the most pernicious profligate Fellow of any that preceded him in the Pontifical Chair died in the ninth year third month and fifth day of his Popedom upon whose death during the Sedition the Sea was vacant twelve days BENEDICT V. BENEDICT the Fifth a Roman in the Sedition was of a Deacon made Pope chiefly by the assistance of the kinred and Dependents of John to whom the Preferment of Leo by Otho gave great disgust But the Emperor disapproving this Election flatly the confirmation of it to the Romans who earnestly sought it and wasting the territories of the City with fire and sword forced them not onely to turn out but to yield up Benedict and submit to Leo with an Oath not to attempt any alteration in what the Emperor had establish'd in the affair of the Popedom Matters thus composed in Italy Otho goes back for Germany taking Benedict with him who soon after died at Hapspurg whither he was banish'd He held the Papacy six months and five days The Sea was after vacant thirty days LEO VIII LEO the Eighth the Proloscriniary as I said before upon the expulsion of John was created Pope by the Clergy and People of Rome For when John led such an abominable and exorbitant life that the Romans urg'd the Emperor to depose him and set up another Pope he answered that the Election belong'd to the Clergy and People and let them chuse a Man they took to be most fit he would confirm him immediately Hereupon when they had chosen Leo and the Emperor had confirm'd him soon after altering their minds they deposed him and put up Benedict which so angred Otho that he compelled them by force of Arms to yield up Benedict and accept of Leo again who was so teiz'd with the mutinous humour of the Romans that he transferred the whole power of electing of Popes from the Clergy and People to the Emperor But he liv'd not long after dying in the sixteenth month of his Popedom JOHN XIV JOHN the Fourteenth Bishop of Narni a Roman Son of John a Bishop succeeded Leo. But the Romans having got the trick of expelling their Popes vex'd this Man also with seditions for having call'd to their assistance Geffrey Lord of Terra de Lavoro they broke into the Lateran Palace and feiz'd upon John whom they first cast into the Prison of Castle S. Angelo and soon after banish'd to Capua but Geffrey with his onely Son being slain by John Prince of Capua the Pope return'd straight to Rome in the eleventh month of his Exile Otho also upon notice of the Pope's distress together with his Son Otho and a good Army by long journeys came to Rome and immediately threw the Consuls the Praetor and the Decarchons
Boniface lived seven months and five days in his Pontificate and then the Sea was vacant twenty days BENEDICT VII BENEDICT the Seventh a Roman as soon as he was made Pope he call'd a Council in which he restored Arnulphus Bishop of Rhemes who had been expell'd in a Sedition At this time Otho II. having conquer'd Henry Duke of Bavaria who had endeavoured some Alterations in the State march'd against Lotharius who had possess'd himself of Lorain a Province of the Empire and laid waste the Territory of Aken and gaining a Victory over him he over-ran the Country of Soissons and set fire to the Suburbs of Paris but upon his retreat with his Forces he received some damage near the River Aisne After this raising a greater Army he brought it into Italy against Basilius and Constantine the Greek Emperors who had seiz'd Calabria and that part of Italy that lies toward Sicily but receiving a defeat at Basanello he was forced to make his escape by Sea where he was by chance taken by Pirates and carried into Sicily The Sicilians paid his Ransom and sent him to Rome and soon after caught the Pirates and put them to death Otho now gets his Army together again and design'd to chastise severely the Romans and Beneventans because they occasion'd the loss of the Battel at Basanello by flying first but it was not thought safe to begin with the Romans and therefore he turns against Benevent which he takes and consumes with fire translating from thence the body of S. Bartholomew and placing it at Rome in an Island of the Tiber formerly called Hostia Jovis Lycaonia which was of the shape of the poop of a Galley Nay even to this day as you view it from Tivertino the Island resembles a Galley so made I suppose to represent that which brought Aesculapius to Rome there is also to be seen engraven in stone the Serpent in the form whereof that God is said to have arriv'd and the Ribs of the Galley so studious were the excellent Men of those times to bring Nature to Art as well as Art to Nature But to return to Otho he soon after the aforesaid translation of the Body of S. Bartholomew died at Rome and was honourably buried in a Porphyry Tomb still to be seen on the left hand as you go in in the Portico of S. Peter's Church call'd Paradise Whilst Consultations were held about chusing a new Emperor some insisting upon Otho III. Son of Otho II. Others standing up for Henry Duke of Bavaria Otho's Nephew by his Brother the Italians being earnest for one Crescentius of Lamentana an eminent Man the Germans on the sudden of whom there were many then at Rome chose Otho III. The Pope good man all the while urging them that in their Election they would have a regard to the Church of Christ which needed a Governour of great ability and diligence but at last to prevent tumults he approv'd of what the Germans had done He died after he had been Pope eight years and six months upon which the Sea was vacant five days In his time Valdericus Bishop of Hamburg was famous for his great Learning and Sanctity JOHN XV. JOHN the Fifteenth a Roman or as some will have it a Pavian had not been Pope three months but he was taken by the Romans and put into the publick Jail of Castle S. Angelo where he pin'd away so long with the stink of the Prison want of necessaries and trouble of mind that he died Some write that he was made away by Ferruccio Father of Boniface VII a Man of great Power because he had been an Enemy to his Son in his Pontificate However that be 't is certain he died in Prison and was buried in S. Peter's Church Whether he was deposed for his Tyranny and Arrogance or by the malice and envy of seditious people is not certain so confused are the Accounts we have of those times In his time lived Odo Abbot of Clugnis and Berengarius of Tours Men famous for Learning and holy Lives though 't is said of Berengarius that through his confidence in his vast Learning he err'd in the Faith holding a wrong Opinion of the Eucharist which in a General Council holden at Rome he afterward recanted and leaving off his study of controversial matters though he were Arch-Deacon of Anjou he gave all that he had to the poor and got his living by the labour of his hands JOHN XVI JOHN the Sixteenth a Roman Son of Leo a Priest born in the Ward of Gallina bianca being got into the Popedom hated the Clergy strangely and was deservedly for the same mutually hated of them and more especially because whatever he could get either of things sacred or profane he gave to his Kinred and Relations without any regard to the glory of God or the honour of the Church and this evil humour has descended to his Successors even to our own times than which naughty custom nothing can be more pernicious when our Clergy seem not to seek the Popedom for the sake of Religion and the Worship of God but that they may with the profits of it satisfie the luxury and avarice of their Brethren Nephews or Domesticks They write that a Comet appeared about this time portending the coming Calamity for there follow'd a long Pestilence and Famine and both Benevent and Capua suffered much by an Earth quake and these were generally look'd upon as judgments for the Pride and rapacious temper of the Pope and his contempt of God and Man But it pleased God that after a Pontificate of eight months he died and was buried in S. Peter's Church JOHN XVII JOHN the Seventeenth a Roman succeeded when Otho was Emperor but had not yet been Crown'd He was a Man of great Learning and as Martinus Writes was the Author of several elegant things He was so teiz'd with Seditions by Crescentius the Consul of Rome who claim'd to himself an absolute Power in the City that he gave place to the Mans Ambition and withdrew into Tuscany But Crescentius understanding that John was so extreamly enrag'd that he had sent for Otho and his Army into Italy he dispatch'd all the Pope's Kinsmen and Friends that were left in Rome to him to desire him to lay by all thoughts of bringing Otho to his assistance but to come to the City there to exercise his most ample Power promising perfect obedience in all matters John being mov'd with the intreaties of his Friends and partly fearing lest if Otho should enter Italy with his Army he might do more hurt than good went to Rome where Crescentius with all the Magistrates and a multitude of Citizens meeting him he was brought to the Palace of Lateran in the Porch whereof Crescentius and all the heads of the Faction kiss'd his feet and begg'd his Pardon and thus matters being composed they afterward lived quietly together At this time Henry Abbat of Loby in Lorain Adolfus Bishop of Utrecht who
much out of hopes of success that upon hearing this ill news of the misfortune of his Friends and Allies he began to think of retiring to Rome though his coming thither was opposed by one John Cincio a potent Citizen and Senator whose intolerable arrogance yet was so curb'd by James Capocio another Roman Citizen that the Pope was received into Rome with great splendor magnificence This was that James whose name is yet to be seen and read in the little Chappel of Mosaic Work which was built at his charge in the Church of S. Mary Maggiore in which also was buried Peter Capocio who was a Cardinal of the Church of Rome and while he liv'd a bitter Enemy of this Schismatical Emperour Frederic at whose expence the Hospital of S. Anthony not far from the aforesaid Church and the College for Scholars at Perugia now call'd la Sapientia was also erected Gregory having quieted the minds of Men in the City again pronounces an Anathema against Frederic and declares him to have forfeited his right to the Empire and deprives him of it then he sends for the Ambassadours of the States of Venice and Genoa between whom there was so great a quarrel as it was fear'd a War would ensue to mediate their differences which he did so effectually as that he procur'd an Agreement between 'em to a Peace upon condition that without mutual consent neither of the two States should make Peace with the Emperor of Constantinople that they should be Enemies to the Enemies of each other and join their Forces upon every occasion for the common defence and this Treaty to be in force and complied withal for nine years by them both under pain of Excommunication to be denounc'd by the Pope upon the Infractor About this time died Baldwin who upon the Death of John had succeeded to the Empire of Greece and made shift to hold it for two years but with so great difficulty by reason of his poor Treasury that he could hardly defend himself from his Enemies being forc'd to deliver his Son for a Pledg to the Venetian Merchants for Money that he had borrow'd of 'em and to make Money of the Lead that belong'd to the Churches beside he sold to the Venetians who were wealthy and able to purchase 'em the Spear with which our Saviour Christ's Body was pierc'd and the Sponge which was reach'd to him to drink out of Frederic had a great spight at these Venetians because they were on the Pope's side and drove them into their Marishes where their City stands for security and did them great damage but in the mean while happened a general revolt of the Cities of Lombardy by the Procurement and instigation of Gregory Monte-longo who was Legat at Bononia and Ferrara which had revolted before from the Pope to the Emperour was retaken by them though Salinguerra a valiant Commander was in it and made a brave defence As soon as it was taken it was put into the hands of Azo of the House of Este who was a considerable Person in this Enterprize to be govern'd by him in the name of the Church An. Dom. 1240. This so alarm'd the Emperour who was then at Pisa that being under great uncertainty whom to look upon as Friends to himself or Wellwishers to the Pope he divided first the Cities of Italy into two Factions giving the name of Guelphs to those who were for the Pope's Interest and that of Gibellines to them that were for the Imperial These most pernicious names of distinction invented surely for the mischief of mankind were first made use of at Pistoia where when the Magistrates expell'd the Panzatichi who were Gibellines out of the City there chanc'd to be two Brothers Germans the one of which whose name was Guelph was for the Pope the other for the Emperour and his name was Gibel from which these two Parties were discriminated by those different appellations On the other side those of Arezzo and Sienna drive out the Guelphs whose example being follow'd by many other Cities of Italy gave occasion and rise to a worse than Civil War Several Cities after this revolted from the Pope as well in Vmbria as in Tuscany and particularly the Citizens of Viterbo threw off their obedience The Romans also would fain have been doing the same thing but that the Pope carrying the heads of the Apostles SS Peter and Paul through the City in Procession moved the People to commiserate the State of the Church and then making a most excellent Oration in S. Peters Church he had the power and good fortune by it to persuade even the Seditious who were ready to mutiny to take his part and to list themselves under the holy Cross for the defence of the Church of God These when some time after Frederic came in hostile manner before the Walls of Rome gave him a repulse which so enrag'd him that whatsoever Prisoners he had taken he put to death with divers tortures and retir'd towards Beneventum which City he took by force sack'd and dismantled it Then returning by the Via Latina with his heart full of fury toward the City by the way he plunder'd the Monastery of Monte-Cassino and turn'd out the Monks he destroy'd also with fire and sword the City of Sora formerly belonging to the Samnites situate at the head of the River Garigliano and pillag'd any thing that belong'd to the Templers wherever he could meet with it He was so great a Lover of the Saracens that he made use of them rather than any other People in his Wars made Magistrates of them and gave them a City for themselves which is call'd to this day Nocera di Pagani He threaten'd the Brother of the King of Tunis because he was come as far as Palermo to receive the Sacrament of Baptism By a sudden Onset he also made himself Master of Ravenna which appertain'd to the Church All which Gregory well considering he appointed a Council to be holden in the Lateran there to find out means to depose Frederic but the Emperour had so beset all the ways that with the help of the Pisans he took several Cardinals and Prelates as they were travelling both by Sea and Land and cast them into Prison Which so griev'd the good Pope that he liv'd not long after dying when he had been Pope fourteen years and three months There happen'd an Eclipse of the Sun a little before his death greater than ever was seen Raymund of Barcelona flourish'd in his time and assisted him in compiling his Book of Decretals whom many Authors so commend that nothing can be added to his Praise CELESTINE IV. CELESTINE the Fourth a Milanese of the Family of the Castiglioni Bishop of Sabina famous in his time for his exemplary life and great Learning being very old and sickly was yet chosen Pope in the room of Gregory but died on the eighteenth day of his Pontificate and was buried in S. Peter's Church to the great
their blow at the same time make themselves Masters of the Monastery of S. Saba which they demolish'd The Genoeses rather enrag'd than terrified at this disaster fit out another Fleet to encounter the Venetians at Tyre but they industriously avoiding a Battel sail towards the Euxine and take Selymbria from the Saracens and plunder it after which both Nations recruiting their Forces they steer for Tyre the common Seat of War The Pope fearful of the fatal consequences of this Contention sends for the Ambassadours of both Countries and makes himself a Mediator of Peace which was welnigh agreed to when news comes that the Venetians with their Allies the Pisans had between Tyre and Ptolemais routed the Genoeses taking and sinking twenty five of their Ships that thereupon the Victors were retreated to Ptolemais and the vanquish'd were sled to Tyre that all the Edifices of the Genoeses at Ptolemais were pull'd down all their Merchandizes seiz'd as spoil and the Citizens of that Nation expell'd the place This havock made by the Venetians so highly displeased the Pope that he would not admit their Ambassadour to Audience till they had set free all the Genoese Prisoners they had taken Neither did this Calamity come alone to be the subject of the Pope's care for Baldwin Emperour of Constantinople during whose prosperity there seem'd yet to be some hopes left of recovering the holy Land was about to quit that City for Michael Palaeologus who by the last Will of Theodore Lascari was left Guardian to his two Sons did the Latins all the mischief that lay in his power driving out of Achaia William a Frenchman and teizing Baldwin with Seditions at home and open War abroad who afterward going toward the Euxine Shore in order to secure it from the Enemy the Citizens of Constantinople in the mean time at midnight let Michael Palaeologus into the City upon news whereof Baldwin and the Patriarch Pantaleo retire from Pontus into Europe and lay by all thoughts of War Palaeologus having thus rid himself of his Competitor and Enemy murders his two Pupils and assumes the Empire which after having been possess'd by the Latins forty eight years now was transferred to the Greeks In the mean time Octavian Cardinal Vbaldino return'd to the Pope without having had any great luck in his negotiation at Naples and the Pope having first at Anagni canoniz'd S. Clara a Franciscan Nun went to Viterbo to endeavour a Peace between the Venetians and Genoeses in which Affair he met so much trouble and so many delays that he died for grief in the seventh year of his Pontificate and was honourably interred in St. Laurence's Church The Sea was then vacant three months and four days The life of this Pope is certainly much commended by all Writers he being said to have been bountiful and kind to all but especially to the poor Religious to whom the great love he bore caus'd him to comdemn by a perpetual Edict some Books written by William de sancto Amore against that sort of Poverty wherein the wicked Fellow asserted that those who took upon them religious Habits to live by the Alms of other Men were not capable of Salvation He also publickly burnt another abominable Book in which the Author affirm'd that a State of Grace was not to be obtain'd by the Law of the Gospel but by the Law of the Spirit which Opinion he said was taken out of the Writings of Abbat Joachim This Book was call'd by those of that Sect the Eternal Gospel It was Alexander's custom when he got leisure from publick Affairs to busie himself about somewhat that savour'd of Learning for he compil'd Decretal Epistles and gave such countenance to learned Men that he promoted several of them to Cardinalates particularly Henry Cardinal of Ostia a good Divine and an excellent Lawyer He was also very liberal and munificent to Bartholomew a Canonist of Brescia who wrote much upon the Decretals by which and by his extraordinary abilities and sanctity he got great renown By this means moreover the vaulted Church near that of S. Agnes which had in old time been dedicated to Bacchus was made capable of Divine Worship and the Inscription in the Porch of the Church of S. Constance shews that the Altar there was consecrated by him VRBAN IV. URBAN the fourth born at Troyes in France Patriarch of Jerusalem was made Pope and immediately listed French Soldiers to assist him against Manfredus who infested the Patrimony of S. Peter for fear of whom Jordanes General of Manfredus his forces in Tuscany against the Guelphs was recall'd to Naples which gave some breathing time to the Guelphs especially those of Florence and Lucca who had been by the Gibellines mark'd out for destruction Lombardy was also plagu'd with the like Seditions Hubert Pallavicino carrying on now the Interests of the Gibelline faction and persecuting the adverse party though before by his Policy and moderate behaviour to both sides he had got the Command of Brescia by an universal consent But the Citizens of Modena and Reggio instigated by those of Ferrara and Bononia fearing lest Pallavicino should over-pour them all at last revolted to the Popes side and turn'd the Gibellines out of their Cities giving their goods and effects to the Florentines who had been banish'd for Guelphism by this means adding great strength to their faction And thus went matters in Lombardy the Pope still earnestly endeavouring a Peace At Constantinople the Venetians attempted to dethrone Palaeologus and had done it but for his Friends and Associates the Genoese this gave him the greater Power so that having taken Malvasia he easily made resistance against the Venetians and William Prince of Achaia The Pope was now intent upon sending a Legate to procure a Peace betwixt the Venetians and Genoese when Manfredus with a new body of Saracens seizes la Marca the Inhabitants being before inclin'd to a Rebellion The Pope therefore sends the same Legate to France with order to make use of all manner of Promises and Intreaties to persuade those French who had taken upon them the Croisado who had been inform'd of the thing before-hand to hasten their march thither they presently under the conduct of Guy Bishop of Auxerre descend into Italy and vanquishing Pallavicino at Brescia without meeting any resistance they come to Viterbo from whence a little while after having first receiv'd the Popes blessing continuing their march through Vmbria and the Countrey of Tagliacozzo they beat the Saracens who had fled thither and pursu'd them as far as the Garigliano At the same time the Romans though they medled not with the Patrimony of the Church yet they threw off obedience to the Pope making what Magistrates they pleased particularly contrary to custom by which they were to chuse for Senator a Roman onely they elected one Brancaleon of Bononia a man of a great spirit and very politick to this high dignity and promised him great advantages but this humour held not
long for they soon altered their minds and clap'd him in Prison This affront gave great offence to the Bononians who seizing several Romans protested they would never release them but upon the delivery of their Brancaleon which so wrought upon the cautious Romans that they not onely released him but restor'd him to his former dignity setting up also another Court of men chosen out of every Ward in the City whom they called Banderese to whom they committed the Power of life and death The Pope plainly found the reason of this insolence of the Romans to be that they observ'd how Manfredus had plagu'd him and that he was not able to help himself That he might therefore at last free the Church from the tyranny of these men he sent Legates to Lewis King of France to exhort him that he would assoon as possible send his Cousin and Son-in-law Charles Earl of Provence and Anjou with an Army into Italy he intending upon the expulsion of Manfredus to create him King of both Sicilies And this no doubt he had done so high were his resentments of the Ingratitude of Manfredus if sickness had not taken him off from business Which yet was brought to pass as is supposed by the following Pope To the times of this Pope is ascribed Albertus a High German of the Order of Friers Predicant who for the vastness of his learning got the Surname of Magnus He Commented upon all the Works of Aristotle and explain'd the Christian Religion with great acuteness beside he wrought very accurately concerning the secrets of Nature He also put forth a Book de Coaequaevis wherein he endeavours to shew the little difference that is between Theology and Natural Philosophy He expounded a great part of the Holy Bible and illustrated the Gospels and S. Paul's Epistles with excellent Notes He began also a Body of Divinity but liv'd not to perfect it He was a man so modest and so much given to Study that he refused the Bishoprick of Ratisbon because it could not be manag'd without trouble and force of Arms sometimes as the Bishops of Germany are wont to do He liv'd therefore in private at Cologn reading onely some publick Lectures At length he died there in the eightieth year of his age leaving behind him many Scholars for the good of Posterity especially Thomas Aquinas who leaving his Countrey and his noble kinred for he deriv'd his pedigree from the Counts of Apulia and going to Cologn he made such progress in learning that after a few years he was made Professor at Paris where he published four Books upon the Sentences and wrote a Book against William de St. Amour a pernicious Fellow Beside he put forth two Books one de qualitate essentiis the other de principiis naturae At last he was sent for to Rome by Vrban but refusing those promotions that were offered him he gave himself wholly to Reading and Writing He set up a School at Rome and at the desire of Vrban he wrote several Pieces and ran through almost all Natural and Moral Philosophy with Commentaries and set forth a Book contra Gentiles He expounded the Book of Job and compiled the Catena aurea He composed also an Office for the Sacrament in which most of the Types of the old Testament are explained But to return to Vrban he died at Perugia in the third year first month and fourth day of his Pontificate and was buried in the Cathedral Church The Sea then was vacant five months CLEMENT IV. CLEMENT the fourth formerly called Guidodi Fulcodio a Narbonnese of S. Giles's deserv'd to be made Pope upon the account of his Holiness and Learning For he being without question the best Lawyer in France and pleading with great integrity in the Kings Court was created after the death of his Wife by whom he had several Children first of all Bishop of Pois and then of Harbonne and last of all a Cardinal by universal consent and afterward was chosen out as the onely Person whose sincerity and Authority had qualified him to compose the Differences between Henry King of England and Simon Earl of Montford As soon as he was chosen Pope some say he put on the Habit of a Religious Mendicant and went incognito to Perugia Thither immediately went the Cardinals who having chosen him Pope though in his absence attended upon him pompously to Viterbo In the mean time Charles whom we said Pope Vrban sent for to bestow a Kingdom upon him set out from Marseilles with thirty Ships and coming up the Tiber arriv'd at Rome Where he lived as a Senator so long by the Popes order till certain Cardinals sent from his Holiness came and declared him King of Jerusalem and Sicily in the Palace of St. Giovanni Laterano upon this condition that Charles should take an Oath to pay the Sea of Rome a yearly acknowledgment of forty thousand Crowns and should not accept of the Roman Empire though it were freely offer'd to him For there was at that time a great contest for the Empire between Alphonsus King of Castile who sought to procure it by Power and bribery too and the Earl of Corâ—wall the King of Englands Brother whom the Electors had no great thoughts of Therefore lest Manfred should hope to make use of any quarrels between Alphonsus and Charles to whom many people said the Empire was justly due though he could not challenge it the Pope animated Charles against Manfred as one that stood in Contempt of the Roman Church For Charles's Army was already gotten over the Alpes into Italy and marching through Romagnia had brought all the Soldiers of the Guelphs Party as far as Rome From whence Charles removed and took not onely Ceperane having beaten out Manfred's men but posted himself in a Forest near Cassino which Manfred himself had undertaken to defend although his mind was soon alter'd and he resolv'd to march for Benevento to expect the Enemy in plain and spacious places because his forces consisted most of Cavalry Thither also did Charles move and assoon as he had an opportunity to fight did not decline it though his Soldiers were very weary with travelling Each of them encouraged their men to engage But Charles coming to relieve a Troop of his Soldiers that were like to be worsted more eagerly than usually as in such cases Military Men will do he was knock'd down from his Horse at which the Enemy was so transported that Manfred fought carelesly out of rank and file and was kill'd which when Charles appeared again straight turn'd the fortune of the Day For many of his men that ran away were kill'd and a great many others taken Prisoners Charles having obtain'd so great a Victory removes to Benevento and marches into it upon a voluntary surrender of the Citizens From thence he went to storm Nocera de Pagani where both the modern and the ancient Saracens lived but sent his Mareschal into Tuscany with five hundred Horse to restore
appears in his Titles And yet he had his faults too amidst all these commendations For he is said to have lov'd his Relations to such a degree as that he would rob others to give to them For he took Castles from some Noble Romans and gave 'em to his own kindred particularly that at Soriano Where though he was a most temperate man yet he died suddenly in the third year eighth month and fifteenth day of his Pontificate Whose death they say some body foretold by a presage drawn from the swelling of the River Tiber. For it rose so high that it was four feet and more above the Altar in round S. Maries But his body was carried to Rome and buried in the Chappel of S. Nicolas which he built in S. Peter's in a Marble Tomb beautified with Fret-work still to be seen An. Dom. 1280. eight days after the Assumption This year Charles the King adorn'd and honour'd the Body of S. Magdalen which S. Maximin had buried in a Town of his own name with a more magnificent Tomb and a bigger Chappel and laid her head up in a Silver Case separate from her body Now they say that upon the death of Nicolas the Sea was vacant five months For whilst the Cardinals were about electing a new Pope at Viterbo and one Richard of the Family of the Hannibals which is the best in all Rome was Keeper of the Conclave two Cardinals of the Vrsini did what they could to hinder the Election unless Richard who was a bitter Enemy to the Vrsini would restore Vrsus Nephew to Nicolas lately deceased to his Government of Viterbo from which he had not long before deposed him For this reason the people of Viterbo sided with Richard went into the Conclave took the Cardinals and imprison'd them Which when it was known at Rome the same faction of the Hannibals drove the Vrsini out of the City who seeing they were forced to depart went all together and retir'd as far as Proeneste So that the French Cardinals when the Vrsini were gone out-voted the Italians and chose a French Pope about the end of the fifth month MARTIN IV. MARTIN the fourth formerly called Simon a Cardinal Priest of S. Caecilie and a French man of Tours being chosen Pope would not be crown'd at Viterbo because he thought that City ought not to be made use of in such a solemn occasion where the Cardinals had been so assaulted And therefore he went to Orvieto an ancient City and there performed all the Ceremonies upon the 23d day of March. And upon Easter day he created six Cardinals of which the Earl of Millain had the Title of S. Marcellin and Peter and Benedict Cajetanus had that of S. Nicolas in the Prison As for Charles the King he not onely receiv'd him kindly when he came to him but he gave him his former Senatorian Dignity whereof Nicolas had deprived him But this was not so very well approv'd on by all because it was like to cause great Tumults in the City the Vrsini being now restored and the Hannibali banish'd For Charles was a mighty Enemy to the Vrsini for Nicolas's sake whom he hated For this reason John to revenge the injuries done to his Brother Latinus and in defence of the Dignity conferr'd upon himself by the Romans got a good Army together and marching toward Viterbo spoiled all their Countrey far and near But Martin who was then in Montefiascone being concern'd at the misery of the Viterbeses sent Matthew a Cardinal of the Vrsine Family to Rome in all haste to compose the business who took John the Captain of the Roman People whom he met upon the Road along with him Thither came all the Heads of the Factions by command from the Legat especially Richard Hannibal to be absolved by the Legat from that Interdiction that he incurr'd at Viterbo for breaking into the Conclave and imprisoning the Cardinals Vrsini He therefore laid himself at the Cardinals feet with a Rope about his neck as the greatest sign of penitence and after he had beg'd pardon was absolv'd Peace being thus made between both the factions and the Roman Army called back from plundering the Viterboses the Pope immediately grants the Romans a Power to choose two Senators out of themselves that should govern the City Accordingly two were chosen Hannibal Son of Peter Hannibali and Pandulphus Savelli who ruled the City very well all the time they were in Office Especially at that time when Pope Martin at the request of Charles King of Sicily excommunicated Palaeologus for not keeping the Articles of Alliance made between them But then Palaeologus fearing Charles's Power made a private League with Peter King of Aragon who laid claim to the Kingdom of Sicily in right of his Wife Constantia Manfred's Daughter and Corradin's Niece Hereupon they prepared a great Navy at the common charge of 'em both which made the Pope send to Peter to know of him what he meant by all those preparations Peter told him that if he thought his Shirt could know what his intentions were he would tear it from his Body So the Legat went away without any satisfaction And Peter when he had gotten his Navy ready sails into Africa where he pillaged the Coast at Tunis extreamly and then returning into Sardinia expected to hear of some new commotions in Sicily by the contrivance of John Prochita according to an agreement they had made In the mean time new broils arose in Lombardy For the Viconti a noble Family there under the command of Luchino drave the Turriani another potent Family out of Millain Which Luchino was afterwards sent as Lieutenant to the Emperor into Tuscany where he resided at St. Miniato and plagued the Flâ—rentines and Luccases with grievous incursions not regarding the Popes interdictions with which he thought to have affrighted him from troubling these his Friends and Allies Those also of Perugia were now in Arms and did so press the Fuligneses that they took their City and demolish'd part of the Walls Thereupon the Pope excommunicated 'em but paying a good sum of money to him for penance they soon obtained his pardon In the mean time the Sicilians whose motions Peter attended in Sardinia could no longer endure the pride and licentiousness of the French and therefore were persuaded by John Prochita to enter into a Conspiracy against Charlâ—s that upon such a day in the Evening when they should hear such a Bell ring they should fall on and kill the French without respect to Sex or Age. In which action 't is said they were so true to their barbarous Promise that even those Sicilian Women were killed who were with Child by French men Hence comes it that the Sicilian Vespers is grown a By-word for any great Massacre At this time Guido Appius met with ill fortune when he was sent in the Popes name with eight hundred French Horse to recover Roâ—agna For as they sate before Forli and the Citizens would fain
of Ravenna Yet still relying upon the assistance of the Scaligeri they attaqu'd the Castle of S. Felix in Modena till Charles the King of Bohemia's Son came upon them with Manfred surnamed Pius who was Lord of Carpo and by these two Confederates they were routed and beaten out of the Field 'T is certain that eight hundred of their Soldiers fell in that Battel and many of their Nobles were taken and among others of the greatest note one Nicolas d' Este Brother to Rainaldo the Marquess The Legat of Bologna took this occasion and getting a considerable Army together commanded by Galeot Malatesta of Rimini Francisco Ordelapo of Forli Richard Manfred of Faenza and Hostasio Polentano of Ravenna at that time Lords of their respective Cities he besieged Ferrara which was then sharply attaqued and the Suburbs of S. Antony taken when Auxiliary Forces sent by Philippino Gonzaga Mastino Scala and Vbertino of Carrara encouraged the Ferrarians to sally forth which they did with such success that they routed the Enemy and took most of their Captains But the Earl of Romagna who was taken was chang'd for Nicolas d' Este and the rest were sent safe home upon condition that they should take up Arms no more against the House of Este Rainaldo d' Este proud of such a Victory march'd into Bologna where he spoiled all the Country round about and had very near taken the Town They of Bologna well hoped that the King of Bohemia would have assisted the Legat and it was reported that he was on his way thither when on the sudden news was brought to him that Mastino Scala had taken Brescia and Bergamo by surrender and that Accio Viconti was got into Pavia and storming the Castle For this reason he desisted from any farther attempts and leaving his Son at Parma went himself with some Troops to Pavia where seeing he could not take in the Forts that the Viconti had raised he only plunder'd the Country about Millain and went back again to Parma without effecting his Design There he understood that Americk Son to Castruccio had gotten Lucca by means of some friends within but that the Castle held out still though the King for a sum of Money surrendred that too because he was to go shortly into Germany being weary of the Italian Factions For the Viconti having taken the Castle of Pavia made excursions far and near Wherefore placing a German Garison in Modena and Rheggio and committed the care of Parma to Marsilio and Piedro Rubeo he went into Germany but promised to come suddenly back again with a greater Army When the King was gone the Bologneses with the aid of the Florentines and the Marquess d' Este beat out the Legat and recover'd their Liberty killing all the Ecclesiastical forces both within and without the City So that the Legat growing helpless writ to Avignion in the year 1334. just when John the Pope died in the ninetieth year of his Age and in the nineteenth year and the fourth month of his Pontificate and left behind him in the Treasury such a mass of Gold as never any Pope did before him He was buried in the Cathedral in great State Some say that Petro Mutroneo once Pope was canonized by John and that Gentilis of Fuligno and Dyno of Florence two famous Physicians were at the same time rewarded by him with money and honour for he was reckon'd a great Lover of learned Men. BENEDICT XII BENEDICT the Twelfth of Tholouse a Cistercian formerly call'd James Cardinal Priest of S. Prisca was made Pope at Avignion the sixteenth day after John's death and presently confirm'd the Censures which John had laid upon the Bavarian as one that usurped the Empire By this means the Empire was vacant and every thing tended toward a War when every one though never such a petit Lord endeavour'd to encroach upon his Neighbour For the Scaligeri were not content to be sole Governours of Verona Brescia and Bergamo but strove to get Parma too from the Rubei Gonzaga had a mind to get Rheggio d' Este Modena and the Florentines Lucca But the Scaligeri seeing they could not take Parma because the Soldiers within especially the Germans who hated the Scaligeri defended it so briskly they march'd toward Vincenza But they could do no good upon it and therefore hearing that the Germans were gone from Parma they return'd thither and straight took it by surrender of the very Rubeans themselves Nicolas d' Este also took Modena by the assistance of his Father-in-law one Guido Gonziaco whose Daughter he had married And Philippino Gonzaza had Rheggio voluntarily yielded to him by the Citizens But at the same time the growing Power of Mastino Scala who had gotten into Parma Lucca and Padua by surrender from Vbertino Carrara made all the Princes and States almost in Italy conspire to ruin his Grandeur but the most zealous of 'em were the Venetians Gonzaga and d' Este besieged Verona whilst Lucino with another Army took Brescia and Bergamo But the Venetians fearing lest by their endeavours to lessen the power of one they might augment that of another they make a Peace with Mastino Scaliger upon Condition that if he would let the Carrareses have Padua and the Viscount Brescia and Bergamo as he formerly had he should keep Verona Vincenza Parma and Lucca This Peace was very offensive to the Florentines who were their friends and Allies and had a great mind to have Lucca yet they deferr'd their complaint till another time and at that present held their Tongues But the Pope sent a Legat into Italy who persuaded the Senate and People of Rome that they would exercise the Senatorian Office in the name of him and the Church though they had done it for a long time in the name of the King For this reason Stephano Columna was continu'd Senator for five years and Collegues or Partners in the Office were assigned him annually But when the Pope had sent for Stephano to Avignion Vrsus Earl of Anguillaria who was Stephano's Collegue made Francis Petrarcha a man very eloquent especially in his Mother-tongue and famous for the Poems he had publish'd Poet Laureat in the Capitol before all the Nobility and people of Rome in the year 1338. But the Pope fearing lest when the Empire was vacant Italy might be invaded by any forein Enemy he made Viscount Luchino and John his Brother Arch bishop of Millain Lieutenants of Millain and other Cities that were in their possession The same Power he delegated to Mastino Scala over Verona and Vincenza to Philippino Gonzaga in Mantua and Reggio to Albertino in Carrara and Padua and to Obicio d' Este in Ferrara Modena and Argentae and that very justly as he pretended for the Empire being vacant all the Power belonging to it devolves upon the Pope who is the sole Vicar of Jesus Christ upon the Earth But he set a Tribute upon Obicio d' Este that he should pay ten
of Bavaria whom the Electors of the Empire having deposed Wenceslaus of Bohemia for his sloth had chosen Emperor to come into Italy upon condition that he should not have the promised reward till he was advanc'd as far as the Dutchy of Millain But when he was come to Brescia near the Lago di Grada and had receiv'd part of the Money he engaged with Galeatius and losing the day fled to Trent The Venetians and Florentines promised him great things to keep him from going back into Germany but all would not do At that time Boniface whether out of fear of the Power of the Viconti or out of covetousness to enlarge the Churches Patrimony was the first that imposed Annates or yearly payments upon Ecclesiastical Benefices upon this condition that whoever got a Benefice should pay half an years Revenue into the Apostolical Treasury Yet there are those who attribute this Invention to John XXII Now all Countreys admitted of this usage except the English who granted it onely in case of Bishopricks but not in other Benefices Being thus strengthened with Money and choosing Magistrates as he pleased both in the City and all over the Church Dominions the Pope restored Ladislaus a Youth Son to Charles King of Naples into his Fathers Kingdom which was usurp'd by such as sided at that time with Lewis of Anjou And to do it the more easily and honourably he abolish'd that deprivation of Charles which Vrban had promulged at Nocera and sent Cardinal Florentino to Cajeta which was the onely place that had continu'd Loyal to crown the Youth there where he had been so loyally preserv'd Galeatius thus rid of the Emperor sent his Army under the command of Albrick against John Bentivoglio who had turn'd out the Garison and made himself Master of Bologna At this time Francis Gonzaga fought in Galeatius's Army for they two were friends again as also Pandulphus Malatesta Charle's Brother and Ottobon Rossi of Parma The names of these Men terrified the Florentines so that they sent Bernardo their General to assist the Bolognians their Allies which so encourag'd the Bolognians that they engaged the Enemy before their Walls but had the worst and lost all their Horse as also Bernardo who was kill'd in the fight James Carrara was taken but preserv'd at the request of Francis Gonzaga Bentivoglio fled with a small number into the City which whilst he stoutly defended he fell into an Ambuscade where he was kill'd the Enemy not being able to take him alive so that now Galeatius easily became Master of Bologna and struck great terrour into the Florentines threatning suddenly to turn all the force of his Arms upon them But not long after he died at Marignan of a Fever Anno Dom. 1402. whose death long wish'd for by the Florentines freed them from many fears and was presignified by a Comet which appear'd some time before Upon this many Usurpers arose either those who were chief in their Cities or who had command among the Soldiery by corrupting the Garisons seiz'd their several Towns there being now no one Man of Authority and Power to correct their ambitions and excesses infinite mischiefs hapned That fatal Sedition too of the Guelphs and Gibellins was renew'd which ran through Italy two hundred years and above and raised such civil Wars among the several Cities that they fought till they had almost destroy'd each other Vgolinus Cavalcabos having vanquish'd the Gibellins was Lord of Cremona whilst Otho the third got Parma expelling the Rossi The Soardi seiz'd Bergamo the Rusconii took Como the Vignati possess'd themselves of Lodi and Fazino Cane an excellent General made himself Master of Vercelli Alessandria and many other Towns thereabout I omit others who having been expell'd by Galeatius then were in some hopes of recovering their usurped Dominions especially William Scala and Charles Viconti Son to Bernabos who sollicited all the Princes and People to revolt Upon this account Piras Ordelaphus was banish'd his Country and got possession of Forli and Albrick Earl of Cuni would have reduced Faenza then brought to extremity if he had not been sent for in haste by Ladislaus by the Popes advice and made Great Constable of Naples The Pope had sent his Brother also thither with a competenr Army to assist the King but he being expelled by the Neapolitans moved toward Perugia and soon made that City subject to the Pope Baltesar Cassa also a Neapolitan Cardinal of S. Eustachius compell'd the Bolognians to return to the Church-party after he had besieged them for some time in which expedition Brachius Montonius led the Church-forces as being a Person well skill'd in Military Affairs and left for that reason in Romagna by Albrick For he had fought under him from his youth and been a Commander as had Sfortia who was born in Cotignola a Town of Romagna By whose valour and prowess the Militia of Italy so improved that whoever wanted a Commander would make use of one of them Hence those Military Factions so increased that all the troubles of Italy for sixty years might be imputed to one of them For he that was oppress'd by the Brachians immediately hired the Sfortians to revenge his quarrel But Albrick from whom as from the Trojan Horse so many Generals did come made Naples yield to Ladislaus after a long Siege At which Victory all the Princes of the Kingdom and all the Cities surrender'd themselves to the King But Ladislaus over desirous of enlarging his Kingly power before he had laid a good foundation in Naples was sent for into Hungary to accept of that Kingdom by hereditary right and in order thereunto sent over his Forces But whilst he was besieging Zara his Friends sent him word that the Neapolitans were like to revolt wherefore having taken Zara and sold it to the Venetians he return'd to Naples and calling back Albrick out of Romagna he deposed all the Nobles and banish'd those that refused to obey him But he was very severe upon the Family of Sanseverino and put the chiefest of them to death Boniface being troubled at such a tedious confusion of Affairs at length died of a Pleurisie in the fourteenth year and the ninth month of his Pontificate Anno Dom. 1404. He was buried at S. Peters in a Marble Tomb of Mosaic work still to be seen with his Coat of Arms which shews also that he built much in S. Angelo the Capitol and the Vatican Nor had any thing been wanting to the glory of this Pope if he had not been too partial to his Relations Simony being often committed by reason that his Brethren and Friends who came to Rome in great multitudes to get Money ask'd for every thing that fell in his gift without any reason As for Indulgencies and those plenary too they were sold about at such a rate that the Authority of the Keys and the Popes Bulls was brought into contempt Boniface indeed endeavour'd to amend these things but was forced
his Men and drove Picenninus and the Mantuan who distrusted the Citizens fidelity quite out of the City within four days after he had taken it Then Philip that he might draw Francis from the Venetians by infesting the Florentines who had given him the same pay as the Venetians did sent Picenninus into Tuscany with six thousand Horse in the midst of Winter The Florentines seeing that sent presently for Piergianpaulo an excellent Commander and desired Eugenius that he would assist 'em according to the League by which he was bound to defend Tuscany and so were resolv'd to meet Picenninus But when they found that John Viteleschus had conspired with Philip though he were at that time Legate and General of the Church-Forces and that he would not prove a friend as he pretended when he came into Tuscany but an Enemy in the Head of six thousand Horse and would fight against the Florentines on Picenninus's side the Magistrates of Florence contrived by real or feigned Letters no matter which from Eugenius to have him kill'd by Anthony Ridius the Governour of Castel S. Angelo just as his Men were passing the Bridg. And so he was for he could not be aided by those that were gone over the Bridg and therefore was as it were alone because he brought up the Reer The Count Aversus who fought under the Patriarch having lost his General convey'd his Carriages along with his own to Roncillione But the Florentines being freed from so great a Terrour deal cunningly with Eugenius to let Lewis of Padua who succeeded Viteleschus muster up all the Church-Forces and come to their assistance This Lewis was a politick Man and it was supposed that by his means Viteleschus was taken off But Picenninus marching down into the Vale of Mugello kill'd and plunder'd all before him as far as Fiesole Then turning toward Castentino he by the assistance of Count Popio made many Towns revolt Thence going to Perugia he went quietly into the City and sent the Legat who was then Governour there to the Pope Eugenius upon a certain Message And in the mean time he took the Treasurer and alter'd the whole State of the City For he chose ten Citizens who had Power of life and death over all the rest But the Perugians fearing lest he should set up a Tyranny upon them they bargain'd with him to depart the City for fifty thousand pound He did so and went to Cortona hoping to take that place by treachery but the Plot was discover'd and the Conspirators either kill'd or banish'd upon which he march'd to Citta di Castello The Florentines also moved to Aughiera a Town in their Dominions to help their Countrymen if Picenninus should offer 'em any violence These things pass'd in Tuscany whilst Francis Sfortia conquer'd Philip's Navy at the Lago di Garda of which Italiano Furlano was Admiral and not onely raised the Siege from before Brescia and Bergamo but the same Summer vanquish'd Philip's Army at Soncino having taken one thousand five hundred Horse and in a short time took and subdu'd all the Castles of Brescia part of Cremona and Mantoua with all Gerradadua and made them tributary to the Venetians At that time the Prince of Mantoua lost Asola Lonato and Pescheria three Towns of a good bigness without opposition for when Picenninus was absent he never durst engage with an Enemy in the open Field But Picenninus hearing how the state of Affairs was alter'd in Venice and being sent for by many Messengers and Letters as well from Philip as the Prince of Mantoua as also being tired out with the importunities of the Soldiers who were most of 'em Natives of that part of Italy which is near the Alps he removed his Camp from Cita di Castello to Borgo di Sancto Sepolcro a Town in his Territories which lies over against Angliera with design either by compulsion or stratagem to fight the Florentines and the Pope's Army that lay as I told you near Angliera On the 29 of June S. Peter and S. Paul's day Picenninus set his Army in Array which took up a Plain of four thousand paces but was unfortunately forc'd to choose a disadvantageous place to fight in because he understood that the common Soldiers of the Enemy were gone a foraging and was not willing to lose the opportunity For he was to go up the side of an Hill and so his Enemies upon the higher ground easily kept him off Yet they fought five hours very smartly till at last Picenninus what with the multitude of his Enemies and the folly of his Son Francis who had forsaken his Post was overcome and retreated to Borgo with great damage and the loss of his Ensigns And the next day leaving Borgo in the hands of the Townsmen and some few of his Soldiers that survived the Battel he went back through Romagna to Philip. The Townsmen of Borgo fearing they might be hardly dealt withal because they had revolted from the Pope employ'd Agents to get their Pardon and surrender'd themselves to the Legat without loss of limbs or goods That Victory was very welcom both to Eugenius and the Florentines and they say Alonisius Patavinus was made a Cardinal for that reason The same Summer the Florentines beat Count Poppio who was Picenninus's Ally out of Tuscany But Philip who was environ'd with so many Enemies fought out for forein Aid and entreated Alphonso who had got possession of the Kingdom of Naples to storm all the Towns which the Sfortians had in that Kingdom to draw Francis Sfortia from the Venetians Alphonso comply'd with his request but never could recal Francis from the War that he was engaged in For he when a sufficient quantity of forage came in march'd from Pescheria to Brescia with fifteen thousand Horse and six thousand Foot and met Picenninus at Cignano with a design to fight him Picenninus was as willing to fight as he and though he had a less number of Men yet they were stout Fellows and he rely'd upon their Valour They fought briskly for some time and parted upon equal terms Francis thinking he had gotten honour enough in the Wars for that he had challenged his Enemy into the Field lead his Army round the Country and retook several Towns which Picenninus had taken that Winter and made them subject to the Venetians From thence he went to Martinengo which Picenninus had fortified with a strong Garrison and besieged it But when Picenninus had augmented his Army by the arrival of Francis his Son and the Prince of Mantoua he went thither and pitch'd his Camp a mile off the Enemy provoking him by Skirmishes to come and decide the matter in a set Battel but he not now desiring to fight the Enemy in the Field grew wholly intent upon taking the Town Picenninus therefore removed his Camp every day so much nearer the Enemy and put Francis in such dangerous circumstances that neither his Soldiers could forrage nor any
Sieneses and sending them away to solicite their Fellow-Citizens he promised them to be there in such a time But Nicolas the Pope who was a lover of peace and quietness after he had kept his Coronation as the fashion is and made many Processions on foot in his own Person he sent Cardinal Morinensis to Ferrara a place which being neutral was fit for the Treaty that by the persuasion and Authority of his Legat the Factions might be the more induced to a composure Thither also did Alphonsa Philip the Venetians and Florentines send their Embassadours who after a long Debate gave Philip leave to choose whether he would make a Truce with the Venetians and Florentines for five years both sides keeping what they had or conclude a Peace and change Crema for those Towns which the Venetians had taken upon the River Adda leaving onely Cassan at the Pope's disposal as being his due by compact to make amends for the injuries which he first received But that also was afterward thrown in to make the Peace more lasting And one of Philip's Embassadours was sent to make the Proposal to him who found him dead of an Apoplexy the day before he came to Millain August 8. 1447. Morinensis hearing of Philip's death sent for all the Embassadours in haste to his House and urg'd for Peace as earnestly as ever The Venetians when they were ask'd if they would continue of their former Opinion made answer That they could not tell what they might do now Philip was dead but that they would write to the Senate concerning that Affair and do as they should order them In the mean time the other Embassadours that were there knowing the Venetians ambition to govern all Italy dissolv'd the Assembly and went every one to their own Home the Pope's Legat exhorting them to Concord but all in vain But the Venetians whose Camp was at Sorefina near Cremona in hopes to take that tumultuous City by surrender with the help of the Guelphs when they heard of Philip's death march'd presently to Lody which having taken they receiv'd those of Piacenza into their Alliance upon the same terms as them of Lodi and sent one thousand five hundred Horse thither immediately to assist the people of Piacenza if any body should molest ' em Francis Sfortia who at that time was beaten out of Ancona and quartered in Bologna to refresh his Army whose Arms Horses and Men were almost spent with this long War when he heard that the Venetians had seiz'd all upon his Father-in-law's death went great days Journeys till he came to Cremona and was chosen General by the universal consent of the Millaineses over all their Forces against the Venetians And having made a Bridg over the River Po which he fortified with Castles and Artillery to hinder the Venetians from coming with a Navy to Piacenza he passed the Adda at Picigitono and encamp'd not far from the Enemy who lay at Camurago And there they had some light Skirmishes to try I suppose the Enemies courage The People of Pavia were so much encouraged at Francis's coming and so glad to see him because they hated to be subject to the Millaineses upon an old grudg that was between them and on the other hand would rather suffer any thing than submit to the Venetians who had formerly despised their Alliance insomuch that they deliver'd their City up to Francis without any more ado by consent of the Governour of the Castle which was such an Addition to his grandieur that Sfortia presently affected to be Lord of the whole Dutchy of Millain These things passed in Lombardy and thereabouts whilst Alphonso at the same time fell down with his Army into the Sea-coast of Siena and had subdued them though the Pope was against it had not the Florentines who knew the King's intention sent a Messenger to Siena to advise them that Alphonso who was covetous of Dominion was no less their Enemy than the Florentines The Sieneses hearing what danger they were in they did not deny the King any kind of provisions but yet they would not suffer any of his Soldiers to come within their Walls So that the King when he observ'd their caution march'd down into Volaterra and Pisa and took many Castles there partly by surrender and partly by storm which yet the Florentines recover'd not long after all but Castiglione under the command of Sigismund Malatesta whom they had corrupted to come over from Alphonso to their side In the mean time Nicolas the Pope continually persuaded the King and the Venetians to Peace rather than War but they who were grown proud and unruly would not hearken to his good Advice Thereupon Francis raised a great Army out of the main strength of Italy uniting the Brachian and Sfortian Soldiers and pitch'd his Camp in the middle of Autumn at Piacenza in which was a good Garrison of Venetians and beating down part of the Walls with Cannon he stay'd before it so long till the Po rose to that prodigious heighth that his Galeoones came up to the very Walls and so attacking it both by Land and Water at last he took and plunder'd it This was a great Honour to Francis to take so great a City and that in the Winter-time when it rained so hard that the Soldiers were ready to leave their Tents Yet Nicolas was even then still talking of Peace and the Florentines were urgent with their Allies the Venetians because they fear'd the King's Power who was then with his Army in Tuscany But nothing was done in it because the Venetians were unwilling to restore Lodi to the Millaineses which they earnestly sought So that Nicolas after so many attempts to no purpose laid aside all thoughts of making Peace by such means and applying himself to religious exercises he order'd Days of Humiliation to be kept for appeasing God's anger and Prayers for the Peace of Christendom And at the Solemnities the Pope himself assisted with all the Clergy in Procession from S. Peter's to S. Mark 's with great Piety and Religion But the wrath of God was not abated for all that so much had Men probably deserved it For two years after there was such a Plague in almost all places that few survived out of great numbers And this Calamity was foretold by frequent Earthquakes and an Eclipse of the Sun nay it had been often foretold by the Friers Predicants especially one Robert a Franciscan and famous Preacher who so moved the people of Rome with his Sermons that the Women and Children ran about the City desiring God to be merciful unto them And least any misfortune should be lacking in Italy the Wars which we told you were begun before did so increase that one would have thought it impossible to have put an end to them For Francis Sfortia the next Summer having taken some Castles from the Venetians went with his Land and Sea-forces against their Navy which block'd up the Cremoneses and forced it to
retire to Casal thither also he follow'd it and with his Cannon disabled all their Ships as they lay in the Harbour driving the Admiral of Venice to such despair that he burn'd his Navy which he could not keep and ran into the Town as fast as he could Francis then went from thence and took no farther care about Cremona having destroy'd the Enemies Navy but march'd toward Geradada and encamp'd before Caravagio which was well fortified by the Enemies The Venetians moved thither too fearing they should lose their reputation if the Millaineses took the Town and therefore they lay about a mile off the Enemy and shew'd the Townsmen that if occasion were they would come in and assist them They had Skirmishes every day they were so near one another but when they came to joyn Battel it happen'd to be in a narrow way surrounded with Fens where the Vanguard of the Venetians was so straighten'd that they could not give back as sometimes in War it may be convenient to do nor yet fight the Enemy came so thick upon them insomuch that they must of necessity have perish'd if the Reer had not begun to run away Francis pursu'd 'em as they gave ground and not onely made himself Master of their wealthy Camp but took about five thousand Horse and Foot After that the Brachians were without Francis his consent ordered by the Millaineses to attaque Lodi and he moved toward Brescia with his Army and besieged it Which so alarm'd the Venetians that they concluded themselves lost if they did not make Peace with Francis now he had a quarrel with the Millaineses and a Peace they did make upon condition That joyning their Forces against the Millaineses all that they should take beyond the River Adda and Po should be Francis's and that on this side the Adda should be the Venetians that they should allow him the Florentines and the Venetians betwixt 'em sixteen thousand pounds a month and send him in aid still till he got possession of Millain Having made this League and drawn what Commanders he could to his side by Promises and Presents he turn'd toward the Millaineses and took most of their Cities by surrender At this success of his the Venetians were so concern'd when they saw his fortune much better than they expected that they took Crema according to agreement and recalling all their Soldiers they made Peace with the Millaineses as fearing the power of Francis if he once got into Millain But Francis pretended a kindness to the Venetians and being assisted and supply'd more out of Cosmo di Medices's private Pocket than out of the Treasury of Florence after a long and tedious Siege and many bloody Skirmishes in the middle of Winter though some of his Men forsook him and joined with the Enemy and Alphonso was against him who claimed Millain as his Birthright and therefore kept Lewis Gonzaga in pay whom he sent against the Bolognians that his Men might pass with more safety into Lombardy he at last took Millain in the year 1449. 'T is true the Venetians did assist the Millaineses under the conduct of Sigismund Malatesta who was to join with Picenninus that fought under the Millaineses but after such a lame rate that they were famish'd and yielded up the City rather to the Venetians than to Francis Wherefore the Venetians seeing the thing went quite contrary to their expectation they treated with Alphonso who was an utter Enemy to Francis and made a League with him to rout the ambitious Man out of Millain before he grew too strong They also sollicited the Florentines to do the same who said they would never be against Francis and therefore the Venetians banish'd their Merchants out of their Dominions and prevailed with Alphonso to do the like Nicolas the Pope seeing all Italy in Arms did often interpose his Authority to make a Peace that all people might come the next year freely out of all Europe to the Jubilee for the fiftieth year was acoming wherein the Jubilee was to be celebrated after the usual manner Besides he made six Cardinals of which number were Latinus Vrsinus and his own Brother by the Mothers side called Philip Cardinal of S. Laurence in Lucina a very good Man and of a generous disposition Mean time Frederick the Emperour at the Pope's request forced Felix to renounce the Popedom because he saw how pernicious and destructive so much Sedition had been to the Church of Rome Yet Nicolas was so civil and kind to Amadeus that he sent him a Cardinals Hat with Legantine Power in Germany that he might not live without some Honour at least And those Cardinals also which Amadeus had made submitted This agreement of theirs did so rejoyce not onely all the Clergy but the people of Rome that the Night after they heard of it April 23. 1449. they rode about the City with Flambeaus in their Hands and cry'd out Long live Nicolas The Pope that he might not seem unthankful to God for so extraordinary a benefit went publickly to Prayers in the Vatican along with the Clergy and the people The like was done all Italy over when they saw the Church of God freed from such a pernicious Sedition Nay the Pope's Authority and esteem was so great that he restrain'd even Princes for some time when they had a mind to make War For James Picenninus Sigismund Malatesta and Charles Gonzaga who were Francis Sfortia's bitter mortal Enemies incited the Venetians to that War The Venetians also had drawn the Duke of Savoy into their Alliance together with the Marquis of Montferrat and the Lords of Corregio and try'd to bring over the Bolognians and those of Perugia but in vain for the Pope was against it and threaten'd 'em with his displeasure if they offer'd to do it They likewise indented with Alphonso that whilst they attaqued Francis he should engage the Florentines But Francis relying upon the friendship and power of the Florentines and having taken Lewis Gonzaga Prince of Mantoua into his Alliance he prepared himself with courage for the War Hence arose great Animosities between Charles and Lewis that Lewis should court his Alliance who was Charles's Enemy and because he had kept some Towns from him which his Father left him by his Will For Lewis was his Brother's security when he was once arrested for eighty thousand pounds and Charles having no mind to part with his Land he chose rather to pay the Money to Francis who was for Money or Towns either and keep the Towns in his own hands as being near and conveniently situated For this reason Charles blamed his Brother and accused him as a Robber not onely to the Venetians on whose side he was but to the Emperour by whose assistance he expected to have right done him And now the Year of Jubilee was come when such a multitude of people flock'd to Rome as never were seen there before So that when they came from seeing our Saviours
good as my word and would often boast what a kindness he had for me and what great things he would do for me as soon as Borsius d' Este was gone who coming to the City with a great Equipage was very magnificently and splendidly received by him The same he had often promised to the Ambassadours of Venice and Milan who had spoken on my behalf For two years I was led on or rather beguil'd with these hopes till at length I resolv'd to go with the Cardinal of Mantua to Bononia of which he was Legat. But Paul forbad me and after his jesting manner said I had wit enough already and wanted Wealth rather than Learning And now while I was in expectation that I should be reliev'd after so many troubles and afflictions behold the Pope dies of an Apoplexy about two hours within night being alone in his Chamber having been well that day and held a Consistory His death happened July 28. 1471. in the sixth year and tenth month of his Pontificate As to his Personage it was Majestic and becoming a Pope for he was so portly and tall that he was easily distinguishable from the rest when at Mass In his dress though he was not curious yet he was not reputed negligent Nay 't is said that when he was to appear in public he would use to paint his face In his Pontifical Vestments he outwent all his Predecessors especially in his Regno or Mitre upon which he laid out a great deal of Mony in purchasing at vast rates Diamonds Sapphyrs Emeralds Chrysoliths Jaspers Unions and all manner of precious stones wherewith adorn'd like another Aaron he would appear abroad somewhat more august than a Man delighting to be seen and admir'd by every one To this purpose sometimes by deferring some usual Solemnities he would keep Strangers in Town that so he might be view'd by greater numbers But lest he alone should seem to differ from the rest he made a Decree that none but Cardinals should under a Penalty wear red Caps to whom he had in the first year of his Popedom given Cloth of that colour to make Horse-Cloths or Mule-Cloths of when they rode He was also about to order that Cardinals Caps should be of Silk Scarlet but some Persons hindred it by telling him well that the Ecclesiastical Pomp was rather to be diminished than encreased to the detriment of the Christian Religion Before he was made Pope he used to give out that if ever he came to that good fortune he would give each Cardinal a Castle in the Country where they might retire conveniently to avoid the Summer-heats of the City but when he was once got into the Chair he thought of nothing less However he endeavour'd by his Authority and by force too to augment the Power of the Papacy For he sent the Bishop of Tricarico into France to hear the Cause of quarrel between the Duke of Burgundy and the People of Liege and upon their reconciliation to take off the Interdict laid upon the Liegeois for wrongfully expelling their Bishop but while the Legat took great pains to subject all matters to the Pope's Judgment he and their Bishop too were clapt up by the Liegeois Hereupon the Duke of Burgundy makes Peace with the French King with whom he was before at War and with his aid gives those of Liege several great defeats and at length sacks their City and sets free the imprison'd Bishops Moreover Paul hearing of the Apostasie of the King of Bohemia he by his Legat Lorenzo Roverella Bishop of Ferrara raised the Hungarians and Germans upon him so that he had certainly cut off both the King George and his Progeny and utterly rooted out the Heretics had not the Polanders who laid claim to that Kingdom held Matthias King of Hungary employ'd in War lest he should have made himself Master of it He undertook two Wars of no great moment in Italy which being not openly declared but begun by picqueering Parties he afterwards abandon'd For first he attempted the seizing the Signeury of Tolfa by cunning wiles which failing with open force under the conduct of Vianesius he set upon it and besieged it but the King's Army in which the Vrsini serv'd returning from the War they had now ended with Bartholomew of Bergamo on a sudden he raised the Siege in great disorder though the Enemy was not within sixty miles of the place so that after a long contention in which he had extreamly disobliged and almost enrag'd the Vrsini against him he was fain to purchase Tolfa for seventeen thousand Ducats of Gold for fear of that potent Family who were related to the Lords of the place After the same manner he set upon Robert Malatesta Son of Sigismund when having taken the Suburbs of Rimini by a Stratagem and for sometime having besieged the City Lorenzo Arch-Bishop of Spalato being the chief in the Enterprise Frederick D. of Vrbin came upon him with the King's Forces and those of the Florentines who forc'd him to raise his Siege and foil'd his Army shamefully so that he accepted of a Peace upon very dishonourable terms Lorenzo charg'd the reason of the loss of Rimini upon the niggardliness of his pay to the Soldiers and to the great slowness of his Resolution while through ignorance in affairs of that nature he deliberated long about actions which should be done in a moment Paul was indeed so awkward at business that except he were driven to it he would not enter upon any Affair however plain and unencumbred nor when begun would he bring it to peofection This humour of his he was wont to boast had done him great service in many concerns whereas to speak truth it had been very mischievous both to himself and the Church of Rome He yet was very diligent in getting Mony so that he generally intrusted the disposal of Bishopricks and Benefices to such Courtiers whose Places being saleable nothing could be bestowed without a Present All Offices indeed in his time were set to sale whereby it came to pass that he who had a mind to a Bishoprick or Benefice would purchase of him at a good rate some other Office and so get what he would have in spight of any other Candidates who could pretend upon the score of either Learning or good Life to be capable of whatsoever honour or preferment Beside when Bishopricks were vacant he would remove the more worthy as he call'd them to the more wealthy Seat by these Translations raising vast Sums of Mony because more Annates became due at the same time He also allow'd the purchasing of Salaries With these Moneys he would sometimes be very liberal giving exhibitions to the poorer Cardinals and Bishops and to Princes or Noblemen that were driven out of their Country and relieving poor Maidens Widows and sick People He took great care too that Corn and all manner of Victuals should be afforded cheaper at Rome than formerly He was at the charge of several
them by right of inheritance which for many years they maintained against the power of the Turk who made many attempts to make seizure of it About the same time also Dabuson the Great Master of Rhodes valiantly defended his City against Mahomet causing him to raise his Siege and retire with disgrace The fear of the Turk by their Retreat out of Italy being extinguished Sixtus re-assumed his former designs and in order thereunto favoured the party of the Venetians who made War upon Hercules da Este Duke of Ferrara by these means all Italy was put into a new flame of War being divided into diverse Parties and Factions On one side were the Pope the Venetians Genoueses and those of Siena with other Cities allied in a Confederacy On the other were Ferdinand King of Naples the Florentines Lodowick Sforza Protector of the State of Milan during the minority of the young Duke The Pope in favour of his own Party managed his War with the Spiritual as well as with the Temporal Arms for in the year 1482. he Excommunicated all his Enemies and as many as took their part or favoured their Cause and encouraged René Duke of Lorain and Anjou to return into Italy and recover his Kingdom of Naples But René being otherwise employed could not make use of this opportunity which was offered and therewith Ferdinand being enraged entered the Dominions of the Pope with a great Army and approached to the Gates of Rome with which Sixtus being greatly incensed issued out an Army against him under the command of Robert Malatesta and both Armies joyning Battel in a place called Campo Morto near Velitri Sixtus had the fortune of the day and to overthrow his Enemy many were slain on the place many principal Officers taken and carried in triumph into Rome and Ferdinand himself narrowly escaped by flight Three days after which Victory Malatesta died not without some suspicion of being poisoned Not long after a Peace being concluded between Pope Sixtus and the King of Naples all the Prisoners were set at liberty amongst which were the Cardinals Colonna and Savelli who at the beginning of the War were as disaffected persons committed to custody This War being in this manner ended the Pope turned his Arms upon the Venetians in favour of Hercules Duke of Ferrara lest that State being too powerful for him should augment their Force by the addition of that Dukedom and in regard that State would not give ear to his admonitions and desist from prosecution of their War at his command the Pope made use of his spiritual Arms Excommunicating all the Subjects under the Dominions of Venice and entering into League with all the Confederate Princes of Italy waged the most dangerous War that ever the Venetians had sustained and certainly had proved fatal to them had not Lodowick Sâ—forza Duke of Milan made a separate Peace with them against the sense and opinion of all the other Confederates Sixtus having by these many Wars and several ways exhausted his Treasury contrived by sale of new Offices never before known to replenish his Coffers he also imposed new Taxes and raised the old ones but that which most reflected on his Reputation and blemished him with the character of a covetous person was that he decimated the Prelates and laid new impositions on the Clergy but to do this Pope justice and give him his due never was any more generous or munificent in his gifts or more delighted to do good offices than this for he freely and at his own charge maintain'd Andrew Paleologo Prince of the Morea with Leonard di Focco Despor of Albania who had been deposed and exterminated their Dominions by the Turk he likewise with great magnificence and courtesie treated the Queens of Cyprus and Bosna whom the Turk had forced to abandon their Dominions and fly for refuge under his protection Also when the Kings of Denmark Swedeland Norway and Gothland with the Dukes of Saxony and Calabria being moved and guided by their Devotion came to visit the Roman Sea he received them with great State and treated them with a magnificence becoming Kings And when in the year of Jubile Ferdinand of Aragon King of Naples came to gain Indulgences at Rome he remitted to him the yearly Tribute which he was obliged to pay for that Kingdom and in lieu thereof contented himself with the yearly acknowledgment of a White Horse with its Furniture which is continued to this day And farther to demonstrate his generous and great Soul he re-built the Hospital of S. Spirito for maintainance and education of young Children he built the Church of S. Mary of Peace he adorned the Basilicon of S. Peter with new Windows making the Church more lightsome and pleasant than before he repaired the Palace of Lateran as also the Churches of the Holy Apostles with several other Churches The Pons Janicularis or the Bridg of Janicula being ruined he took up all the Stones and built an other Bridg over Tybur in the place thereof which since that time is called by the name of Ponte Sesto or the Bridg of Sixtus He cleared all the Common sewers of Rome making conveyances for the sullage of the City to run into the Tybur he repaired many Aquaeducts and Fountains and brought the brazen Statue of M. Aurelius from an obscure place and erected it in the more open Area of the Capitol It was he that reduced the Vatican Library into such a condition as hath made it famous through all the world for he not only brought Books thither from all parts of Europe but left also certain Rents and Revenues for the increase of them with Pensions also to the Library-keepers and under-Officers On the Pedestal of his Statue in the Library these Verses are written Templa Domum expositis vicos fora maenia pontes Virgineam Trivii quod reparatis aquam Prisc a licet Nautis Statuas dare commoda Portus Et Vaticanum cingere Christe jugum Plus tamen urbs debet nam quae squalore latebat Cernitur in celebri Bibliotheca loco In short there was nothing which tended to the glory and ornament of the City which was neglected by him and such was his zeal and power in defence of the Privileges of the Church that he would never suffer them to be infringed nor did any Prince offer him an injury or indignity which he did not return with due revenge As for instance appears by the War he made in confederacy with Venice and Genoua against the Duke of Ferrara and his Allies the which he managed with so much heat that when the Venetians made a separate Peace without his consent or approbation he so highly resented it that it brought him to a fit of the Gout which increased on him with that violence that he died thereof on the 13th of August 1484. having held the Pontifical Sea for the space of 13 years and four days having arrived the age of 70 years and 22 days At
his Death this Distick was made Sistere qui nullo potuit cum foedere Sixtus Audito tantum nomine pacis obit His Body was interred in S. Peters Church under a Monument of Brass which Julian Cardinal of Liens caused to be erected for him before the High-Altar After which the Chair was vacant 16 days INNOCENT VIII SIXTVS being dead the Cardinals entered the Vatican where in the space of 16 days after the decease of the former Pope they elected John Baptista Cibo Cardinal of S. Balbina to succeed in the Papal Chair He was a Native of Genoua and born of an illustrious Family in the year 1432. his Father being a Knight and Count of the Empire and Senator of Rome He lived a long time in the Family and Service of Ferdinand King of Naples and afterwards coming to Rome was received into the Family of the Cardinal of Bologna Brother of Pope Nicolas V. He was created Bishop of Savona by Paul II. and of Melfy and Priest Cardinal with the Title of S. Balfina by Sixtus IV. after whose Decease he was by the common suffrages of 24 Cardinals elected Pope and on the 29th of August 1484. was Crowned by Francis Piccolomini calling himself by the name of Innocent the Eighth and at his Inauguration he used these words Ego autem in Innocentia mea ingressus sum Tho Guiccardin will not allow this Motto to correspond with his manners and Onufrius saith that he often covered his avarice and covetous desires with Drollery and some pleasant expressions Howsoever he is stiled by most Writers with the honorable character of pious and affable and commended for his sanctity of life and profound learning The first business he took in hand after he came to the Papal Chair was to take off the Excommunication which Pope Sixtus had laid on the Venetians and being himself in perfect amity and maintaining a fair correspondence with the Christian Princes he endeavoured so to reconcile them one with another that being united in a strict confederacy they might convert their Arms against the Turk who was now become the formidable and common enemy of Christendom for tho he was naturally averse to War yet his zeal for the Christian Religion moved him to equippe a Fleet at the cost and expence of 150 thousand Crowns which being successful in their enterprise gained him great renown and esteem with all the Christian Princes the which he also improved by various good offices â—nd acts of justice performed towards them for he re-blessed the Venetians after they had been desecrated and attainted by the Excommunication of Sixtus he eased the Church from the burden of extraordinary Taxes he retrenched many superfluous charges of his own Family he conferred many benefits favours and privileges on the Orders of S. Francis S. Augustin and S. Dominick and thundered out his Excommunications against Women that used Poisons and Incantations and such as cheated and purloined from the Dataria or Exchequer But all these good actions and just intentions were interrupted by civil Discords at Rome arisen between the Families of Colonna and Orsini on the ground of ancient hatred and resentments between them and had proceeded to worse effects and more evil consequences had they not been asswaged for a while by the breaking forth of a forein War with Ferdinand King of Naples who having oppressed and ill treated many Lords and great personages and particularly the Count De Montorio who was of great repute and popular in the City of Aquila they all together with the City of Abruzzo had recourse to the Pope for sanctuary protesting that in case he would not receive them into his protection that they should be forced to yield and resign themselves into the hands and power of some Forein Prince The Pope being moved by their supplications and incensed against Ferdinand for his ill deportment towards the Papal See for he had denied to pay the yearly tribute of twenty thousand Ducats and had disposed of the Ecclesiastical Benefices according to his own will and pleasure he therefore resolved to receive Aquila and Abruzzo and the other complainants into his care and protection and to declare War against the King of Naples for carrying on of which with better success he entered into a League with the Venetians and drew to his Party the Princes of Colonna of Bisignano Salerno Altamura and Duke of Oliveto with many other Lords and great men of Naples making Robert Sanseverino the General of his Army On the other side the King combined with the Florentines and joyned the Orsiâ—i to his party and such were the animosities on both sides that a furious and bloody War began which was maintained for some time with changes and variety of fortune the evil consequences of which being by good and wise men esteemed fatal to Italy induced the Count De Pitigliano and the Cardinals of Angioio and Sforza to intercede and mediate between the two parties for a Peace but the Pope who conceived that he had reason and justice on his side refused to condescend unto equal terms and being farther encouraged by the aids given him from Charles the Eighth King of France of 300 thousand Crowns in mony with the recruits of 4000 Savoyards and 3000 Switzers he became inflexible and for some time continued resolute to maintain the War but at length considering the fatal conquences of it and how ill the effusion of blood becomes the gentle spirit of a Prelate he hearkened and condescended to Articles of peace on these following conditions That the King should pardon and forgive all the Lords and Barons who were his Subjects whether they belonged to the City of Aquila or to any other Town or part of his Dominions who had fled to the Pope for his succour and protection That he should not farther pretend to any Collation of Benefices That he should pay all the arrears of his Tribute at a convenient time appointed That Verginio Orsino should humble himself at the foot-stool of the Pope and demand his pardon All which Articles being agreed the King of Spain Lodowick Sforza and Lorenzo de Medicis with two Cardinals and James Trivoltii a great Favourite of the Popes became Guarrenties for the peace But no sooner had the Pope disbanded his Forces and Ferdinand freed from the apprehensions of War but with violation of his own Faith and in despight of the obligation of those who were engaged for him he refused compliance with the conditions he had agreed and concluded for he not only imprisoned the Barons and others who had sided with the Pope and four months after cut off their Heads and confiscated their Estates but likewise denied to pay his annual Tribute to the Papal Sea covering the breach of his Faith and the persidiousness of these acts with vain and frivolous pretences The Pope greatly incensed with extreme indignation against this dishonest treachery in which the Guarantees for the late Peace acknowledged him to have
without any appearance of outward force over-awing their Election or practices of Simony and corruption or other bad Arts by which it was manifest that the two former Popes had acquired their Dignity and so on the 11th of March being the seventh day after the Cardinals entered the Conclave John de Medicis of that great and illustrious Family in Florence now Dukes of Tuscany was by the common Suffrages of 23 Cardinals elected Pope taking upon himself the name of Leo X. At the age of 13 years he was made a Cardinal by Innocent VIII and now was about the age of 37 years when he was created Pope a thing rare and unusual to have a Pope so young and which had not otherwise been practicable but by the concurrence of the young Cardinals such as the Cardinal of Aragon Gonzaga Cornaro Petrucci c. the Conclave before they came to this Election proposed and with many warm Debates considered of the ways how the Secular Power which the late Popes had exercised in a disorderly manner sacrificing all to their lust and ambition might be restrained within some limits and bounds of moderation but those rules and terms agreed upon were speedily relaxed and dispensed with so soon as a new Lord or Governor appeared whom every one courted being desirous with humble obsequiousness to gratifie and freeing him from all the clogs and limits to his power endeavoured to testifie the confidence they had in him Being thus chosen on the 11th of March he was crowned on the 19th and on the 11th of April following in a most pompous and solemn manner he went to visit the Church of S. John Lateran and with such magnificence and State as was never equalled by former Popes The world conceived great joy and expectations of good at the first news of his Election for being a person of unspotted Chastity of exemplary Piety and unblemished in his manners and the Papal Dignity obtained fairly by him without Simony Corruption or evil Arts it was reasonable to expect and presage from such happy beginnings times of more calmness and blessings to the Church than under the turbulent Reigns of the two former Popes The exiled Cardinals of which those of greatest note were S. Croia and S. Severin hearing of the death of Julius II. began their Journey towards Rome and being landed at Livorn they went to Pisa and thence had safe conduct to Florence The Pope having received intelligence of their arrival in that City sent the Bishop of Orvietto to advise them not to proceed farther until such time as it should be determined in what manner they should be received at Rome For considering they had been judicially deprived and their deprivation confirmed in the Council of Lateran that they should forbear to go in the habit of Cardinals but present and offer themselves in some other modest and penitential dress whereby they might testifie their repentance and humility which would be the best motive and arguments to restore them again to their pristine condition the which being accordingly agreed the Cardinals renouncing their late Schism with all submission and humility returned to Rome and kissed the feet of the Pope Notwithstanding which it was judged fit that the Council of Lateran should still be continued until many disorders which had crept lately into the Church were wholly redressed And now Leo being setled in the Papal Chair shewed himself desirous to continue and conserve the Peace of Christendom which he thought would be most easily effected by persuading the warlike and martial spirits of those times to spend their fury upon the Turk and in the mean time endeavoured to accommodate and compose the differences between Maximilian the Emperor and the Venetians touching Verona and Piacenza by an amicable agreement At the same time also he hired the Switzers with a great sum of mony to assist Sforza Duke of Milan against the French for notwithstanding his inclinations in the general were towards a peace yet his dislikes to that Nation and the displeasures he had taken on many accounts against Charles the 12th moved him with earnest desires to chase the French out of Italy To perform which the Switzers were esteemed the only instruments capable for this exploit and to engage them therein a largess was sent them of 42 thousand Ducats with pretence in case the matter should come to light that twenty thousand of them were upon account of their yearly Pensions and that the other twenty two thousand were due on Arrear by preceding Popes to the three Cantons The Switzers being satisfied and animated with this payment resolved to accept of no conditions with the French who being now in Lombardy had forced Milan to surrender with all other Cities belonging to that Dutchy except Novaro and Coma which being defended by the Switzers held out as yet in the name of Maximilian Sforza Wherefore the French having no other work remaining besieged Novaro and had so battered the Walls and made such breaches that they were ready to enter their men Howsoever fearing the Resolution of the Besieged who all the time of the Siege had not so much as shut their Gates against the Enemy and understanding that Relief was coming to the Town and an Army under the command of that renowned Captain Altosasso they retired at two miles distance from the Walls of Novaro with which the Switzers were so encouraged that not staying for the Relief expected they made a Sally on the Enemy and gave them a total Defeat taking all their Baggage with two and twenty pieces of Artillery remaining a prey to the Conquerors After which the City of Milan with all the places belonging to it returned again into the possession and power of their Duke the people of Milan giving two hundred thousand Ducats as a Reward to the Switzers for the restoration of their Liberty All things now putting on a face of Liberty and Peace in Italy the French King seemed willing to demonstrate a filial obedience and submission to the Church and declared himself well pleased with the Pope for receiving the Dissenting and Schismatical Cardinals to pardon and Grace The Pope was also in like manner successful in his Negotiations of Peace between the Emperor and the Venetians for both Parties having referred the determination of their case to his Arbitration and compromise a Peace ensued tho the Sentence and Determination was not Pronounced and Published until the year following Lewis likewise the French King at the persuasions and instigation of the Clergy was very desirous to come in and be reconciled to the Papal See and to that end sent the Bishop of Marseilles his Embassador to Rome to treat and conclude all matters in dispute either relating to Spiritual or Temporal Affairs At the arrival of this Embassador the Pope by a Decree of the Lateran Council which still continued gave Licence to the Bishop of France and other Prelates against whom his Predecessor Pope Julius had proceeded
opinion of the Emperor he called for a review of the cause of Divorce between Henry VIII of England and Catharine his Queen and Aunt to the Emperor for which having at the time of those great oppressions he lay under from the Emperor granted a Bull did now on terms of reconciliation cause the same to be revoked And now the Pope following his resolution and closely attending a fair conclusion with the Emperor a Peace was concluded between them at Barcelona much to the advantage of the Pope proceeding perhaps as may be believed from a sense the Emperor might have conceived of the unjust and hard usage he had exercised towards him and because the urgency of his Affairs did call him into Italy he might imagin that the countenance and favor of the Pope might be useful and for these reasons it was accorded and agreed That a perpetual Peace and Confederation be made between the Emperor and the Pope That the Pope should grant free passage to the Emperors Army through the Ecclesiastical State in case it should depart out of the Kingdom of Naples That the Emperor should re-instate the Son of Laurence de Medicis in the same condition of greatness and power at Florence as they had been in before their expulsion thence or their Predecessors had enjoyed at any time before That the Emperor should by such ways and terms as were most convenient either by force of Arms or otherwise cause the possession of Cervia Modena Reggio and Rubiera to be restored to the Pope That these particulars being performed the Pope should in consideration thereof yield unto the Emperor the whole and absolute Investitute of the Kingdom of Naples with the Tribute only of a White Horse yearly to be given in acknowledgment of Fealty together with the nomination of four and twenty Cathedral Churches which had formerly been in dispute but now were determined to belong to the Emperor the Churches only which were not under Patronage to be reserved to the Pope That when the Emperor should have passed into Italy that the Pope and he should have an interview and meet at Bologna or some other convenient place to consult about their Affairs and matters relating to the Peace and settlement of the Church And that the Emperor and his Brother Ferdinand should exercise their Temporal Arms against the Lutherans and others who had revolted from the Roman Church and second the Spiritual Weapons of Excommunications and Ecclesiastical censures which were issued against them That the Pope should grant Plenary Absolution to all those who had lately been injurious to the Apostolical Sea or had by any violent or hostile acts committed outrages against it And lastly to confirm and consummate all these Articles by the more endearing terms of Alliance the Emperor was to give Margaret of Austria his natural Daughter in Marriage to Alexander de Medicis Son of Laurence late Duke of Vrbin with twenty thousand Ducats of yearly Revenue on whom the Pope intended to establish the temporal greatness of his Family having not long since created Hippolito Cardinal who was the Son of Julian This Peace was soon afterwards followed by another between the Emperor and the French King treated at Cambray of which the Pope was the chief Mediator by the Arch-Bishop of Capua who was sent thither as Legate The conclusion of this grand Affair did much facilitate the Emperors design upon Florence which he committed to the charge and management of the Prince of Orange who in pursuance of those commands having mustered his Forces about Aquila he was desired by the Pope to come to Rome that he might the better consult and resolve with him upon the provisions and ways of carrying on the War The Prince of Orange accordingly coming was received by the Pope with great respect to whom towards payment of the Army thirty thousand Ducats were issued out of the Popes Treasury and soon after forty thousand more with which and with three pieces of Cannon taken out of the Castle S. Angelo the Prince departing he encamped before Perusa which was in the first place to be reduced to the obedience of the Church This place being held by Malatesta Baillon was surrendred upon composition and thence the Prince entering on the Lands and Country belonging to the Florentines encamped before Spella which was in a short time delivered to him Whilst these things were acting the Emperor departed from Barcelona with a great Fleet wherein were a thousand Horsemen and nine thousand Foot with which he arrived at Genoua to the great terror of all Italy and especially of the Florentines who thereupon made choice of four Embassadors to congratulate his arrival and endeavour to make some agreement with them for composition of their Affairs When these Embassadors were admitted to the presence of the Emperor and that the Ceremonies of Congratulation were past they declared That their City was not ambitious or desirous of great enlargements or extents of jurisdictions but only to conserve their own with their Rights and liberties being willing to be beholding to the power of any mighty Monarch who would be pleased to take them into his protection That they had associated and entered into Confederacy with France it was no matter of their own choice but in obedience and compliance with the Pope who at that time commanded them but that now they had thrown off all considerations of his Temporal Power or his Families over them and that their Commission extending no farther than to a Treaty with the Emperor they could not give ear to any thing which had reference to the Pope This answer being unpleasing to the Emperor the Embassadors were refused farther Audience at Piacenza tho they had followed the Court of the Emperor with that expectation from Genoua to that place so that their Negotiation was at an end for that time By this time being about the beginning of the year 1530. the Pope arrived first at Bologna and the Emperor soon after came to him where he was received by the Pope with great honor and lodged in the same Palace with him and such signs of familiarity and friendship passed as if there had never happened any of those disgusts and violent actions between them which we have formerly mentioned or at least that they had with a real and unfeigned pardon been entirely forgotten Thus matters appearing fair and clear between them the Emperor intended to pass some time in Italy in regard his Affairs in other parts seemed not much to require his presence for that Soliman the Magnificent who was then Grand Signior and had besieged Vienna was forced to raise his Camp and return to Constantinople and the Peace being newly concluded with France nothing seemed in outward appearance which might give him cause of avocation or diversion from the Affairs of Italy Wherefore it was resolved that the Emperor should proceed to Rome and there be Crowned taking Siena in his way for better dispatch
and expedition in the design upon Florence but whilst these things were meditating Letters came from the Electoral College to the Emperor earnestly intreating him that he would be pleased speedily to return into Germany to consider about the matter of Summoning a General Council for Reformation of Religion and Election of his Brother Ferdinand to be King of the Romans and also to prepare matters for resistance of the Turk who had sworn to return thither again in a short time These matters seeming of considerable importance were the cause that the Emperor changed his resolution of proceeding to Rome and was Crowned at Bologna by the hand of the Pope at which there was a great confluence of people tho not that magnificence and pomp as had been usual at the Inauguration of other Emperors The day of his Coronation was the Feast of S. Matthias a day thrice auspicious to him being the day of his Nativity the day on which he took the French King Prisoner and the day on which he was invested in the Imperial Dignity This Solemnity being past the Emperor prepared for his Journey into Germany howsoever before his departure the Pope having setled his own business with him touching the subjection of Florence other matters of difference relating to the Venetians to the Investiture of Francis Sforza into the Dutchy of Milan and Alfonso d' Este Duke of Ferrara were referred by compromise to the sentence and determination of the Emperor the expectation of which judgment gave for some time quiet and repose to the Affairs of Italy After which the Emperor proceeded to Germany and the Pope returned to Rome where after some short time he received the joyful news of the surrender of Florence which having endured a long Siege by the Emperors Army under the command of the Prince of Aurange and after his death of Don Ferrand de Gonzaga yielded it self by common consent of the people to the government of twelve Citizens who being of the Faction of the Medices did without attending the Declaration of the Emperor leave Florence entirely to the pleasure and disposal of the Pope at whose instance and persuasion the Emperor declared Alexander de Medicis Prince and Duke of Florence and the same right of Honor and Dignity to descend from him to his Heirs for ever the which power and title hath since that time continued in that Illustrious Family Whilst these things were acted in Italy a Diet was assembled at Ausbourg at which Ferdinand the Emperors Brother was elected King of the Romans where also notice being taken of the great increase of the Lutheran Doctrin which had spread it self in all parts of Germany and had taken root in the greatest and most Princely Families it was concluded by all sides and parties as well Lutherans as others that the only means to reform Affairs and confirm those Doctrins which were sound and Orthodox was only in the Power and Authority of a General Council for the moderate Party which was inclined to the Papal Interest considering the many abuses crept into the Church and the exorbitant power of the Clergy hoped that a Council would reduce matters to more equal terms The Lutherans on the other side having formed a great and numerous Party did apprehend that many of the dignified Clergy that were to be Members of that Council would prove well inclined and affected to them where matters being debated with freedom and candor the nakedness of the Church of Rome would be exposed and its Corruptions discovered This being the general sense of all Germany which the Emperor was willing to satisfie he sent to the Pope urging him to summon a Council to persuade him whereunto he desired him to recal unto his memory the personal Conferences they had entertained at Bologna and the assurances he had there given him of faithfulness and adherence to the Church promising him that neither his Authority nor Dignity should be brought into any danger for that he would be there present in person to over-awe any contrivances which might be designed against either Nothing could come more ungrateful than this Proposition to the Pope and Cardinals who were not willing to expose the excessive abuses and exactions of the Court of Rome to the test of a Council where perhaps the authority of Indulgences the largeness of Dispensations and other Errors being discussed would give admission into those secrets which were not to be touched or opened The Pope also had some secret reserves of his own which he would not have committed to the scrutiny of a a Council he was not willing perhaps to have it debated that he was born Illigitimate which incapacitates him of being a Cardinal and consequently of being Pope Nor would he have the suspicion of Simony with which he practised with Cardinal Colonna called into question besides many other particulars of which he feared to be censured by the Council upon consideration of all which after consultations had with the Cardinals deputed to the discussion of that matter many reasons were given to the Emperor against the present Assembling of such a Council but when the time should appear more seasonable that then the Indictions might be regulated with many proper and cautious circumstances as that the Council should be celebrated in Italy and that the Pope should be personally present at it and that the Lutherans should promise to submit the determination and decision of their Controversies and Opinions to the judgment and sentence of a Council and in the mean time desist from the declaration or propagation of their Doctrins the which being a matter difficult and unpracticable the proposition for a Council became ineffectual and the thoughts thereof laid aside until the Reign of another Pope Tho the Pope did not think fit to gratifie the desires of the Emperor and all Germany with a General Council yet the Emperor not unmindful of the Arbitration he had accepted for settlement of the Affairs of Italy did about the beginning of the year 1531. reassume the consideration of those matters In the first place therefore he decreed that the City of Florence should be governed by the same Magistrates and by the same model and form of rule as it had formerly been in the time of the Medices that Alexander the Popes Nephew should be chief in the Government and so successively his Heirs for ever all the ancient Privileges and Immunities formerly granted by him or his Predecessors were again restored and confirmed with condition notwithstanding of forfeiture in case the Magistrates or People of that City should attempt any thing against the authority and greatness of the Medices the which Sentence he pronounced with a Despotick power not by virtue of a compromise or reference to him by the parties concerned but by an Authority inherent in the Imperial Dignity And tho this determination was pleasing to the Pope yet by the other relating to the Duke of Ferrara he was much offended for
by common Voice that the intention of the Council in all and every of their Canons was to maintain the Papal Dignity in its antient Power and Authority without any abatement or diminution thereof And finally an Act was read and published whereby it was declared That the place or rank which any Ambassadour or Representative had holden or possessed in that Council should give no Title or ground of claim for the like degree or place for the future the Council not pretending to determine any thing in prejudice of the rights and priviledges of Kings Princes or States Lastly at the breaking up of the Council Excommunications and Anathemas were read against all Hereticks in general mentioning Luther Zuinglius or others in particular And then the period was closed with loud acclamations in praise of the Pope the Emperor the Kings the Legats and all the Fathers which was performed in a different manner to the practice of other Councils which ended with acclamations and blessings pronounced with the confused noise or murmurings of the whole Assembly but at Trent it was performed by way of Responses or Antiphonas in which the Cardinal of Lorain pronounced the first Sentence and was again answered by all the Prelats which being the part of a Deacon or Chanter seemed an Office too mean to be personated by his Eminence and not onely gave subject of railery to the World but subjected him to a thousand Censures at his return home where it was charged upon him that in the Acclamations or Antiphonas then made there was no mention of the King of France And in the last place it was ordained That all the Prelats should sign the Decrees before their departure upon pain of Excommunication for execution whereof a form of Congregation being appointed the Hands or subscriptions consisted of four Legats two Cardinals three Patriarchs twenty five Arch-Bishops two hundred sixty eight Bishops seven Abbots thirty nine Procurators or Substitutes in behalf of such as were absent and seven Generals of the Religious Orders the subscriptions of the Ambassadours were not required to avoid the late Contestations and Disputes about place And yet notwithstanding this number of Bishops there was not one of Germany present in the last Convocation which was far the most numerous and solemn of any for Hungary or Poland there were very few Bishops present there appeared not one for Sweden Denmark England or the Low-Countries The Bishops of France which came onely towards the latter end being joyned with the Bishops of Spain could not in all make above the number of forty so that of the two hundred and odd Bishops of which this Council was composed there was at least one hundred and fifty of them Italians who were Creatures and Pensioners of the Pope For which reason this Assembly was justly termed the Council of the Pope and his Italians The Council being in this manner broken up every one returned to his home and Country and all things being concluded to the satisfaction of the Pope caused great joy in the Court of Rome where the Legats and the other Favourers thereof were received and welcomed with applause and commendations and the Pope to gratifie his Friends who had taken such pains and served so well in this important Affair promoted nineteen of them to the Dignity of Cardinals and amongst the rest the Arch-Bishop of Taranto was in a singular manner remembred and gratified Nor had the Pope so much taken up his thoughts with the Council but that being transported with a spirit of munificence and Building he could attend to raise and continue his Name by mighty and Excellent Structures and figuring to himself a model of the antient Rome as if he intended to have restored it to its antique glory he commanded the antient Monuments to be conserved the Streets restored and at his great expence the Aqueducts which brought the Water from distant places to the City to be again repaired It was this Pope who re-built the Baths of Diocletian upon Mount Quirinus converting them into a Church and to a Monastery which he personally consecrated He fortified the Castle of St. Angelo and repaired the ruins of the Castle of Civita Vecchia and made many other Structures for convenience and Ornament of the City Whilest he was intent upon these Affairs a certain number of Villains designed to have murthered him and to have perpetrated this wickedness at the time when he was busied in reading a Paper which they were to consign into his hand the Person who was to deliver him the Writing was one Acolti and the Contents or substance thereof was a persuasion to resign up his Papal Authority into the hands of such a Person whom they should describe to him for they pretended to have received a Revelation and seen a Vision that the Successour to this Pope should be of an Angelical Spirit elected by the common consent of all Christendom that he should become the Universal Monarch of all the World reform the Manners of Mankind teach them to live up to the perfection of humane Life and in short convert all People and Nations to the Christian Faith Acolti having delivered his Paper and being about to strike the fatal blow his heart failed him upon which one of the Assassinates discovering the Conspiracy they were all seized and justly executed with such torments as the blackness of the Crime deserved Not long after this being on the 10th of December 1565. the Pope died having governed five years eleven months and a half he had during his time created forty five Cardinals some out of favour to Princes and others in reward of their own worth and merit and had he lived his intention was to have made up his number a full hundred so that they might have been called Centum Patres But he died in the 77th year of his age and his body was buried in the Baths of Diocletian lately converted into a Church by him and called Sancta Maria Angelorum And the Sea was vacant twenty nine days PIVS V. PIVS the Fourth being dead and his funeral Rites after the accustomed manner being performed the Cardinals entered the Conclave to the number of fifty two and by common consent with the concurrence of Cardinal Borromeus afterwards canonized for a Saint and of Cardinal Farnese the two leading Men at that time elected Anthony Ghisler to the Succession in the Papal Chair This Anthony Ghisler so called by Papyrius Massonius but by Cicarella named Michael was born of mean and ordinary Parents at a Town called Boschi not far from Alexandria della paglia which lies between Montferrat and the State of Milan he was entered into the Order of Jacobin Friers at the age of fourteen years and then changed his name to Michael he was ordained Priest at Genua and proved a most strenuous Preacher and Master of a most powerful and moving Eloquence he was afterwards constituted Prior of his Convent of Vigevani and Commissary
occasions of this King with Money he gave license to sell and alienate so much of the Church Lands in France as might suffice for the carrying on of this War in which Trust of Sales the Cardinals of Lorain and Bourbon being made Commissioners the Lands belonging to the Church which were then sold amounted to the value of one hundred and fifty thousand Crowns of yearly Revenue In the next place it was this Pope Pius V. who out of his great zeal excommunicated Elizabeth Queen of England with all her Subjects of the same profession And in the year 1569. conferred on Cosmo de Medicis Duke of Florence the Title of Great Duke of Tuscany in Gratitude for which the Duke coming to Rome to acknowledg the honour done him was there crowned with a Ducal Crown by the hands of the Pope about the Circle of which this Motto was engraven Pius quintus Pont. Max. ob eximiam Dilectionem ac Catholicae Religionis Zelum praecipuumque Justitiae studium donavit Then to demonstrate his zeal against the Turks the prevailing Enemies over Christianity under the conduct of Solyman the Magnificent who at that time was entered into Hungary with an Army of two hundred thousand fighting Men He instantly desired and exhorted the Christian Princes unto Unity amongst themselves that they might repulse the common Enemy of the Christian Faith and to shew that he would not persuade others to that performance in which he did not readily offer himself to be an Example he freely sent unto the Emperour a Present of ninety thousand Ducats with promise to furnish fifty thousand Crowns more every year so long as the Wars should continue And indeed at that time there needed Counsel and Arms and Money to resist Solyman who had besieged the strong Fortress of Segeth which was then commanded by Count Serini whose Family like that of Hanibal against the Romans had ever sworn enmity and irreconcileable hatred to the Turks It happened that though Solyman died in the Siege against this City yet the assaults and force were continued by Mahomet the Grand Visier who concealed the death of Solyman until he had first advised the news thereof unto his Successour Sultan Selim the Second during which time he plied the Town with such continual storms as reduced the Defendants to the last extremity and to a resolution of selling their Lives at the dearest rate which they accordingly performed by a Sally of five hundred Men in which all of them being slain with their Leader Count Serini the Town was soon after surrendered into the hands of the Turk It was now the year 1570. when Sultan Selim succeeding his Father the Great Solyman and being a Prince as ambitious and as desirous to enlarge his Empire as was his Predecessour resolved upon the Conquest of Cyprus then belonging to the Venetian Dominions But that he might not seem to attempt the Countries of his Neighbour before he had first denounced War he dispatched a Chiaus to Venice demanding the surrender of the Kingdom of Cyprus as a dependance on the City of Constantinople and a Member of the Grecian Empire to which he had gained a Title by the power of his Sword This Message or Summons being delivered in full Senate was seconded by many Incursions made into Dalmatia and Sclavonia and great preparations for transporting Soldiers into Cyprus The Venetians being thus assaulted by the potent Enemy of Christendom applyed themselves to the Pope desiring him that he would be pleased out of his paternal commiseration to the Christian Cause to administer some effectual help from his own hand and exhort all other Christian Princes to enter into a League and unite their Forces against the common Enemy of the Christian Faith In compliance with this Request the Pope prevailed with the King of Spain to furnish the Venetians with fifty Sail of Galleys under the Command of John Andrew d' Oria a valiant and experienced General requiring him to obey Mark Anthony Colonna Commander in Chief of the Pope's Gallies and accordingly in the Month of August 1570. a very considerable Force met at the Rendezvouz in Candia consisting of one hundred and eighty Gallies eleven Galeasses and six Ships of War But the Turks being more forward in this Expedition had a Month before that time landed a formidable Army in the Island of Cyprus where after having taken the Cities of Nicosia and Famagosta with great effusion of blood they made themselves Masters of the whole Island whilest in the mean time the two great Commanders Colonna and D' Oria being at variance for D' Oria refused to yield to Colonna the design was frustrated and the Fleets returned home without any Action considerable in that Voyage which verified the truth of that saying of Livy Quam plurium imperium bello inutile However â—his ill success did not discourage these Allies from making farther trial of their fortune for being all concerned to resist the Turk they renewed their League again for the succeeding year which was An. 1571. And that they might prevent the misunderstandings which the year before had happened between the two Generals it was agreed that Don John d' Austria who was natural Brother to the King of Spain should be Commander or Generalissimo of the whole Navy that Mark Anthony Colonna General of the Pope's Gallies should be his Lieutenant and accordingly preparations being made Messina in the Island of Sicily was appointed for the place of Rendezvouz where about the Month of August the whole Fleet joined together consisting of one hundred Venetian light Gallies 6 Galleasses two Ships besides Brigantines Felucas and other smaller Vessels under Dominico a Nobleman of Venice The Pope's Gallies were twelve commanded by Mark Anthony Colonna and the Fleet or Spain commanded by Don John d' Austria consisted of eighty one Gallies amongst which the three Gallies of Malta were comprehended and twenty two Sail of Ships With this Force this mighty Fleet departed from Messina on the 16th of September 1571. and sailed to Corfu a safe Port belonging to the Venetians in the Adriatick Sea where having advice that the Turks Armata was in the Gulf of Lepanto they weighed Anchor and stood directly for that place where on the 3d of October they joined Battel with the Turks and gave them that memorable overthrow which hath ever since disabled them from forming any considerable Force at Sea against the Christians for in that fight the which continued not above five hours the most formidable Fleet that was ever equipped or set out from Constantinople was destroyed for they lost one hundred and seventeen Gallies eighty Brigantines or smaller Vessels which were sunk or burn'd or put ashoar forty Sail of Gallies or thereabouts were taken in the pursuit Of the Turks were killed thirty two thousand Men amongst which were many Bashaws and Beglerbeges and three thousand five hundred Captives were taken and fifteen thousand poor Christians were released who had been chained to