1509.

Ecclefiafticalitate.

vourable opportunity to affert them. I must now briefly fpeak of the other ftates of Italy, and firft of the ecclefiaftical state.

Before the kings of France and Spain had set foot in Italy, the popes were as fovereign arbiters of that country. But it was not fo much by their temporal arms as their spiritua', of which they made frequent ufe. For fome centuries paft they had loft great part of the demefns f rmerly belonging to the church. About the end of the reign of Otho I. the ecclefiaftical ftate confifted of the city of Rome and its territory, with Tufcany, the marquifate of Ancona, the duchy of Spoleto, Ravenna, all La Romagna, and the whole country in general comprifed formerly under the exarchate ". But afterwards, during the wars of the Guelphs and Gibelins, the emperors wrefted from the popes all Tuscany and feveral towns in other parts. Some of these towns had thought fit to withdraw their obedience from the church, and the popes themselves had been forced to grant others in fee to lords who ferved them, or from whom they expected affiftance. At length, the emperor Rodolphus I. having fold liberty to as many cities of Italy as would purchase it, there were feveral formerly belonging to the church that embraced the opportunity to fake off at the fame time both the emperor's and the pope's yoke. Hence there were quickly in Italy almoft as many fovereignties as cities. The ftrongest fubdued the weakeft, and fell at last themfelves under the dominion, or rather the tyranny of fome of their own citizens, who found means to feize the whole power. In this manner were formed in Italy feveral petty fates, out of the ruins of what the ancient kings of Italy, the emperors, and the popes had formerly poffeffed.

In the pontificate of Alexander VI. the ecclefiaftical state was reduced within narrower bounds than before, though the popes had preferved the fovereignty of feveral cities, of which they were no longer proprietors. Of this number, were Ravenna, Bologna, Ferrara,. Urbino, Faenzo, Rimini, Pezzaro, Imola, Cefena, Perufa. Notwithstanding all thefe lofies, they were ftill very powerful, because their fpiritual

So was this diftrict formerly called, because it was governed by the emperor of Conftantinople's general in the weft, named his exarch, who refided at Ravenna. The firft exarch was under Juftin the young, in 567, after Belifarius and Narfes had driven the barbarians out of Italy: the laft was

Eutychius, defeated by Aftolphus, king of the Lombards, in 751. Pepin, king of France, turned him out of the exarchate, and made a prefent of it to the pope.

As Florence, Genoa, Lucca, Bologna, &c.

arms

arms gave them great advantages over their neighbours. 1509. Moreover, befides the revenues of the ecclefiaftical state, they had very confiderable incomes from all Chriftendom.

But when Lewis XII. took poffeffion of the duchy of Milan, and Ferdinand of the kingdom of Naples, the affairs of Italy had quite another face. Then the temporal power of the popes was nothing in comparison of that of these two monarchs, who, befides their dominions in Italy, had moreover at their command the forces of two large kingdoms. On the other hand, the Roman pontiffs met with much more oppofition, when they had a mind to brandifh their fpiritual weapons, whofe force was in proportion to the weaknefs of those against whom they were darted. For that reafon they fought all forts of means to drive the foreigners out of Italy. But as they could not by their own ftrength execute fuch a defign, they were forced to make use of one of these kings to destroy the other, in which their policy was often deceived. For, they could not humble one without giving the other a fuperiority more deftructive of their interests, than the equality which was between them before. This for many years was the occafion of all the popes intrigues, and withal an incumbrance they could never get clear of. Sometimes they joined with one to pull down the other; fometimes setting them at variance, they remained fpectators of the war; and fometimes they called in foreigners to make the balance incline to the fide they intended to favour. But whatever was the success of these wars, the conqueror always became very formidable to the pope and all Italy. It is certain therefore that the conquefts of Naples and Milan gave a mortal wound to the temporal power of the popes, and were also very prejudicial to their fpiritual authority. As the popes from thenceforward had frequent occafions of quarrel with the kings of France, now become their neighbours, they fometimes used their fpiritual arms, but not with the fame fuccefs as formerly against the fovereigns of Italy. As they had to deal with princes who did not eafily bend, they only gave them occafion to examine the grounds of the papal authority; and this inquiry was not to the advantage of the popes.

Befides the intereft of their fee, the Roman pontiffs had also that of their family, of which they were no less mindful. Each of them feeking to raife his nephews or other relations, all the cities formerly belonging to the church were fo many objects that inflamed their defires. Alexander VI. who of all the popes his predeceffors was the leaft fcrupulous,

had

1509. had formed the defign of making Cæfar Borgia his baftard a great prince, by erecting him a state out of feveral cities of La Romagna, which ftill owned the pope's fovereignty, and were under his protection. To execute this defign it was, that Cæfar Borgia, either by fraud or force, became master of Perufa, Urbino, Imola, Faenza, Rimini, Pezzaro, Cefena, under colour that the poffeffors had not been punctual in paying the tribute or annual relief to the holy fee. But Alexander VI. dying before his fon was wel fettled in his conquefts, it happened, during the short pontificate of Pius III. and the interval between his death and the election of Julius II. that the former owners of thefe cities found means to recover them. This was chiefly by the affiftance of the Venetians, who for their pains kept Faenza and Rimini.

Character

Guicciard,

Julius II. who fucceeded Pius III. formed for the house of and defign la Rovere, of which he was, the fame projects as Alexanof Julius II. der VI. had formed for that of Borgia. He was no fooner in the papal chair, but he began the execution of his defigns with imperiously acquainting the Venetians, that his intention was to reannex to the church whatever had been alienated, and therefore they muft reftore Faenza and Rimini. Upon their refufal he demanded aid of the emperor Maximilian. This was properly the first rife of the league of Cambray, mentioned in the foregoing reign, and of which I fhall be obliged to fpeak more fully hereafter.

nice.

Paruta.

Doglioni.
Sabell.co.

The repubThe fenate of Venice had long paffed for the wifeft and Jack of Ve- moft politick affembly in the world. By their prudence and abilities they had by degrees formed in terra firma a ftate, which being fupported by a very strong naval force, was inferior to none in Italy. This ftate confifted of Friuli, TreBembo, &c. vifo, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Bargamo, Brefcia, Crema, Cremona, Rovigo, and the whole Zolefin, Ravenna, Faenza, Rimini. Most of these cities with their territories were formerly part of the kingdom of Italy. After that, they fell under the dominion of the German emperors, who governed them by their vicars. At length, either thefe vicars were become fovereigns, or being expelled, the cities had recovered their liberty, to fall again afterwards under the tyranny of fome private perfons, who had ufurped an absoJute power. Of thefe it was that the Venetians had acquired them either by money or arms. But however it be, when

The towns belonging to the republick of Venice are of two forts: thofe in Lombardy, that compofe terra firma,

or the firm land ftate; the reft are maritime, and called the fea ftate.

they

they had made thefe acquifitions, it is certain, the authority 1509. of the emperors was feldom acknowledged. Mean while the emperors ftill preferved their pretenfions to all these cities, as having been formerly parts of the empire, or rather of the kingdom of Italy, enjoyed by fome of their predeceffors. Friuli was conquered upon the church of Aquileia, to whom it was prefented by Otho I. Ravenna, Faenza, Rimini, formerly belonged to the fee of Rome. Rovigo and the Polefin were conquered upon the duke of Ferraro. Cremona and Gierradadda, appertained to the duchy of Milan, having been refigned by Lewis XII. Brefcia was taken from the dukes of Milan, and Crema freely given up by duke Francis Sforza. They had ftill in the kingdom of Naples five maritime places, mortgaged to them by one of the kings.

Alberti.

Bologna was a rich and powerful city, but not fo con-Bologna. fiderable as formerly. Civil difcords had at length com- Ghirard, pelled her upon certain terms to fubmit to the church. After that, the city was governed by the pope's legates, fent thither from time to time. But their dominion fuffered frequent interruptions. The legates oppreffing the people forced them often to shake off their yoke, and expel them the city. But it was only to fall again under the tyranny of the heads of faction, who by their oppreffions forced them to have recourfe to the pope and receive his legates again. This is what happened feveral times. In the year 1440, Hannibal Bentivoglio became fo powerful, that he was little less than a fovereign. From that time to 1506 fome one of the family of Bentivoglio held the government, though the pope's legates were ftill admitted and honoured, but without having any real power. At laft Julius II. not content with this fhadow of authority, demanded in 1506 aid of Lewis XII. to make himself mafter of Bologna. Though France had hitherto protected the Bentivoglios, Lewis however ordered the governor of Milan to fend the pope troops. Whereupon John Bentivoglio, head of that houfe, feeing himfeif forfaken by the king of France, quitted Bologna with all his family, and retired to Milan, leaving the city to the pope.

The duchy of Ferrara was a fief of the church, long Ferrara. poffeffed by the family of Efte, who were invested by the Sardi. pope, and paid a yearly relief in money. This petty state bordering upon the pope and the Venetians, and being very

The fecond city of the ecclefiaftical ftate, and the third of th- four most confiderable univerfities in the world, Paris, Oxford, Bologna, and SalamanVOL. VI.

B

ca, fays la Foreft.

The birth place of the poet Ariofto, who has a tomb and epitaph in the benedictines church.

convenient

1509. Convenient for both, preferved itself by their mutual jealousy, but however, the Venetians had taken from them Rovigo and the Polefin. But Julius II. had greater views, and thought seriously of annexing the whole duchy to the church.

Modena and

G. Batt.

Pigna,

Modena and Reggio were likewife under the dominion of Reggio. the family of Efte, not as belonging to the duchy of Ferrara, but as a diftinct state acquired by that family after being poffeffed of Ferrara. Julius II. had alfo pretenfions to these two cities, as having been formerly given to the church by Charles the Great, and perhaps on the fole pretence that they belonged to the duke of Ferrara his vaffal.

Urbino.
Cimarelli.

Parma and

Alberti.

Urbino had formerly been of the church's demefn. But the popes had not for many years challenged more than the right of fovereignty. Cæfar Borgia had feized this city, and expelled duke Guidobaldi Ubaldini, who recovered it after the death of Alexander VI. As Guidobaldi had no children, Julius II. perfuaded him to adopt Francis Maria de la Rovere, nephew to both, fon of the pope's brother and the duke's fifter. Shortly after, la Rovere became duke of Urbino, by the death of Guidobaldi his adoptive father.

Parma and Placentia had been under the dominion of fePlacentia, veral lords or tyrants, till at last they became fubject to the dukes of Milan. Lewis XII. took poffeffion of them after his conqueft of the Milanefe.

Florence.
Machiavel.

Pifa,

Alberti.

Genoa,

Pizarre.

Florence, a very potent city, and the chief of Tuscany, was fallen at length under the dominion of the family of Medicis. But afterwards an oppofite faction prevailing, they were driven from thence, and were now in exile, attempting however from time to time to be restored to their country.

Pifa had been formerly a very confiderable city by reason of her naval forces, but at length becoming fubject to the dukes of Milan, a bastard of that family, to whom it was given, fold it to the Florentines. The Pifani were against the fale, and would have recovered their liberty, but were overcome. After that, Charles VIII. in his way to Naples, restored Pifa to her liberty; but as foon as the Florentines had nothing more to fear from him, they befieged Pifa, though affifted by the Venetians, and the fiege was ftill carrying on at the time of the league of Cambray.

The city of Genoa, after fundry refolutions caufed by the factions of the Fregoffas and the Adornos, was at length

The birth place of the famous painter Raphael, and Polydore Virgil, who wrote the English hiftory.

fallen