humbly to beseech his Holiness to pardon what was past and as a testimony and evidence of his reconciliation to send him his Blessing But Sixtus having neither by these reasons nor yet by the gentle and submissive terms of the Ambassadours abated the fury and anger which appeared in his countenance Replyed with a loud Voice That he was well assured that Gondi was dispatched on an other Errand than this and that by any thing they had said there was no judgment to be made of sorrow or repentance in the King for the Crimes he had committed or of such obedience which they professed to the Apostolical Sea so long as contrary to the priviledges thereof he detained the Prelates in Prison and that in case he expected absolution he was to seek it with tears and by a Person express and employed to no other purpose and that there ought to be a Session of Prelates thereupon to consider whether such repentance were real and unfeigned And at last concluded with these sharp words You said he think you have to do with some poor simple Frier that is unacquainted with Men and the World but you shall find that you have to do with Sixtus who is ready to expend blood in defence of the Dignity of the Holy See After which he dismissed the two Ambassadours and the next day called a Consistory in which he appeared with a countenance full of Choler which boiled in his breast and then began to exclaim against his Legat Morosini residing at Paris as if he had consented to the death of the Cardinal or at least might have prevented both that and the imprisonment of the Prelats in case he had vigorously appeared against such indirect Counsels In the next place he railed against some Cardinals who had the boldness to excuse the murther which the King had committed wondering that Cardinals should so little esteem their Dignity and degree as to expose the sanctity of their purple to be profaned by the unhallowed violences of an usurped jurisdiction As to us said he it concerns little what affronts are put on the Cardinals dignity but we are sure that it is of a high consequence to you for we cannot believe that you would readily consent to be dispoiled of their Authority your liberties prerogatives and other priviledges with which you are adorned of which you will certainly be if this murther of a Cardinal be connived at or passed by without any resentment We therefore are resolved to perform our duty and do that which God and his Laws require at Our hands and if from thence as you may possibly object ill consequences ensue to the Kingdom of France we shall remain acquitted in the sight of God for justice must be done though the World should be ruined and dissolved thereby The Cardinals remaining all silent none daring to make a Reply The Pope proceeded and said We shall depute a Congregation of Cardinals to examine this case and search farther into this matter and accordingly the persons nominated were Anthony Sorbellone the Arch bishop of Santa Severina Facchinetto Lancilotto Sastagna and others the which Deputation was now the common Discourse and filled all the World with high expectation of the success and issue thereof The King being informed of these proceedings redoubled his Guards and cautions in the Court of Rome to which place he dispatched the Bishop of Mans a person of singular probity and eloquence to make his defence and having received his Instructions and being fully informed of all the reasons and arguments which might be produced in behalf of the King he arrived at Rome where having first consulted the Ambassadours he was with them admitted unto Audience with the Pope to whom he began with most profound humility to argue and plead That the King had not incurred the punishment of any Ecclesiastical Censure having in no manner violated or infringed the Liberties or Immunities of the Church For that the Cardinal having been found guilty of high Treason against the King was by the fundamental Laws and constitutions of France subjected to the Secular Power and in regard he was a Peer of that Realm his Cause was more immediately triable in the Parliament of Paris and in a grand Assembly of all the Princes and Officers of the Crown so that if the King had trespassed against any Laws it was against the priviledges of his own Parliaments and not against the jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical State In the next place he argued that a King of France according to the priviledges of the Gallican Church could not incur the Censure of Excommunication But these Arguments and ways of reasonings were in no wise pleasing to the humour of Sixtus being against the Idea and Scheme that he had figured to himself of the Power of the Church and Keys but rather served to inflame his passion and therefore setting aside all those Arguments as not worth an Answer he declared and sentenced That in case within a certain time limited the King did not free and set at liberty the Cardinal of Bourbon and the Arch-bishop of Lions and that in case within the space of sixty days after such releasement the assurance thereof were not intimated to himself and the Apostolical See by writings under the King 's own hand and the Royal Signet That then in such case the King remained actually Excommunicated and incurred all the Ecclesiastical Censures as expressed in the Sacred Canons and Constitutions of the Church Farther The Pope cited the King to appear at Rome either in person or by his Proxy within the space of sixty days after intimation of these Summons should be given him to render an account and to give answer to the accusation charged upon him for having murthered the Cardinal of Guise and imprisoned the Cardinal of Bourbon and the Arch-bishop of Lions and for default of such appearance that then the King did actually incur the pain of Excommunication from which he could not be absolved by any other person whatsoever than onely by the Pope himself unless at the point of death nor then neither unless upon a confident and faithful assurance and Vows to act and obey all matters and Injunctions whatsoever which should be enjoyned and commanded by the Holy Church Two Months and some few days after the Pope had issued out this Excommunication it happened that the King being at the Head of a great Army near St. Clou about two Leagues from Paris was on the first day of August 1589. stabbed in the Belly by a Dominican Frier who was a youth of about twenty three years of age and with him ended his quarrel with the Pope Such being the fate of Henry III. the news thereof flew speedily to Rome where the Spaniards caused a report to be spread that the Affairs of the King of Navarre were reduced to a mean and a low condition and almost desperate and that not onely those of the League but also the whole Kingdom
endowed it with a plentiful Revenue But amongst all the magnificent structures which he hath raised there is none so famous and worthy of his Name as the Vatican Library being about three hundred and eighteen foot in length and sixty nine in breadth on the Walls are painted all the General Councils in Fresco with the famous Libraries mentioned by antient Authors as also the manner of raising the Guglia or Obelisque before St. Peters At the entry to this Library are two Statues of Marble that on the right hand represents Aristides an antient Philosopher of Smyrna that on the lest is Hypolitus who first invented the perpetual Kalendar he lived fourteen hundred years ago The Books are all kept in Presses containing twenty thousand Manuscripts and sixteen thousand Books which are printed round about thee first Chamber the Pictures are placed of all those who have been Library-keepers since Sixtus V. The Books commonly shewn here to Strangers are The antient Copy of the Septuagint a vast Bible in Hebrew a little Book written on the bark of a Tree certain Sermons with Annotations wrote by Thomas Aquinas and with his own hand an old Terence wrote one thousand two hundred years ago a Letter which Henry VIII of England wrote to Anne of Bolen with his own hand as also his Book against Luther hereunto is added the Duke of Vrbin's Library bequeathed to this place as also that of the Prince Palatine Frederick transported from Heidelberg to the Vatican after that Town was plundered by the Duke of Bavaria All which and many other rare Works of the like nature were performed at the charge of this Pope which are now extant at Rome and commonly seen and observed by Travellers Besides all which he built several other Colleges Monasteries and places of Charity at Bologna and in his own Country And at a vast expence he turned the poor Village of Montalto where he was born into a City encompassing it about with a Wall to perform which he was forced to cut through a Rock and threw down a high Hill to make it equal to the lower Level and to give some more esteem and honour to this place he made it a Bishoprick endowing it with a thousand Crowns of yearly Revenue besides many other priviledges and immunities which he bestowed both on the Diocese and the Government of the City during the time of which Work he built a Bridg at Rome over the Tybur which was of great use and benefit to the Trade and Commerce of the City called at this day il ponte Sisto tras Tevere Thus far have we discoursed concerning the humour and disposition of this Pope his Conduct and Wisdom in the management of Affairs relating to Rome and the Church together with his Munificence and greatness of his Soul in matters of building and stately Structures which have perpetuated his memory to these times Let us now proceed to other particulars which may demonstrate his dexterity and conduct of Affairs relating to Negotiations with forein Princes and in what manner he studied to fortifie the Ecclesiastical State as well with the Sword of St. Paul as the Keys of St. Peter In order whereunto in the first place he formed and setled the Militia of the Church in so good a method that he was able within the space of one Month to bring twenty thousand fighting Men into the Field and in the next place he consulted with the most knowing Enginiers in what manner the Ecclesiastical State might be most commodiously and with most advantage fortified the which was executed with most Labour and Art on that side which borders on the Kingdom of Naples which was a just cause of jealousie to the Spaniards who by the words and actions of this Pope had long suspected that his Intentions and Designs tended towards that Kingdom the possession of which he had for a long time swallowed in his thoughts resolving not longer to content himself with the bare feud or tribute for it the which jealousie was encreased when they found the Pope intent in building ten new Gallies for defraying the cost of which and of their maintenance he imposed a new Tax on the people of Rome and the whole Ecclesiastical State About this time the Cantons of Switzerland which continued firm to the Church of Rome sent their Ambassadours to the Pope not onely to make their acknowledgments of Obedience to the Papal Sea but likewise to inform his Holiness of the unhappy state and condition of their Country caused by the neighbourhood of the Protestant Cantons who daily sent Preachers into their Dominions who seducing many from the Catholick Doctrine their numbers and force did daily encrease For prevention of which and to confirm the doubtful in the Catholick Religion they desired that the Pope would be pleased to send his Nuntio into those parts which would be an encouragement to the people to continue in the way of truth as well as an honour to their Country The Pope with all readiness embracing the Proposition dispatched Baptista Santorio Bishop of Fricarico and Steward of his Houshold to be and remain his Nuntio within the Dominions of the Catholick Cantons Santorio being there arrived found all things in great disorder the people living without as it were any respect or dependance on the Roman Sea by reason that for many years the Popes had not thought this Country worthy the charge or maintenance of a Nuntio therein But now Santorio appearing there with the Character and in the quality of a Nuntio caused speedily a Diet to be convened in the Month of October 1586. at which two things were agreed and concluded highly advantageous to the Papal Authority The first was that all the Deputies which were present in great numbers received the Communion from the hand of the Nuntio and then entered into strict League and Confederacy together solemnly swearing before the Altar to maintain and uphold the Papal Authority and to sacrifice their lives and fortunes in the defence thereof In the second place they gave full power and Authority unto the Nuntio to exercise a free and Arbitrary Jurisdiction over all Ecclesiastical persons within their Dominions subjecting them to his Courts as well in criminal as in civil Causes which was a concession that the Wise Republick of Venice did never judge fit to grant notwithstanding all the bluster and noise with which the Popes required and challenged it from them But this Power given to the Nuntio was the cause soon after of some disturbance amongst the Cantons for it happened That one day the Nuntio having Complaints brought him against a certain Priest for scandal and misbehaviour he immediately issued out his Warrant to the chief Constable and his Officers to take and seize the person of that Priest and put him into safe custody the Priest hearing of this prosecution fled into the Dominions of the Protestant Cantons where the Officers pursuing him took him and by violence and force brought
THE LIVES OF THE POPES From the time of our Saviour Jesus Christ TO THE REIGN OF SIXTUS IV. Written Originally in Latine by BAPTISTA PLATINA Native of Cremona And Translated into ENGLISH And the same History continued from the Year 1471. to this present time wherein the most remarkable Passages of Christendom both in Church and State are Treated of and Described By PAUL RYCAUT Esq LONDON Printed for Christopher Wilkinson at the Black Boy over against S. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet 1685. TO THE READER THE History of Platina of the Lives of the Popes being rendred into English by an unknown hand was delivered to me by the Bookseller and considering that Platina was an Author of good Reputation and Authority in the World I often wished that he had lived in that Age in which he might have deduced his History from ancient to the present times or that some other of our learned men would have continued the same in the Language of our own Country for since our Tongue is so well refined and so copious it ought justly to comprehend all those Histories Sciences and Arts which are related and made known in forreign Languages But observing that this Work was neglected and not thought worthy the labour of better Pens I essayed to do it in my own rude and plain Style without affectation or ornament more than what the simplicity of naked truth would afford me in search of which I have always had recourse to the best and to the most impartial Authors who have neither disguised the Vices of Men by flattery nor out of prejudice branded those Actions with shame and obloquy which might have admitted of a fairer character Nor have I mixed any thing of Religion in this History but where the nature of the relation could not subsist without it for in regard the Court and not the Church of Rome is the subject on which I treat I have made the Points of Religion accidental only to the following Discourses But as to Platina himself Trithemius in his Treatise of Ecclesiastical Writers gives him this Character He was born sayes he at Cremona was Breviary to the Pope and a man learned in all Sciences he was an excellent Philosopher and a famous Orator of an acute and ready wit and perswasive eloquence he was couragious and so constant to his principles that under Pope Paul II. he was deprived of his Estate and Preferments and after having endured the wrack or torture he was cruelly cast into Prison where he remained during the Reign of this Paul II. afterwards he was set at liberty by Sixtus IV. to whom he dedicated this following History of the Popes He died at Rome of the Plague Aged 60 years A. D. 1481. Frederick III. being Emperour and Sixtus IV. being Pope AN INTRODUCTION To the following HISTORY THIS continuation of Plaetina the subject of which is the Lives and Reigns of the Popes is a Treatise purely historical collected from feveral Latin French and Italian Authors whose design being solely to transmit matter of Fact to posterity did not intermeddle with points of Religion but as they accidentally occurred in the connexion of History there being a vast difference between the Church of Rome and the Court of Rome To this latter Notion which consists of a Pope who is Sovereign and of seventy Cardinals or more who are his Counsellours besides a great number of Prelats we shall confine our Discourse And whereas the Pope is a Prince who hath a Temporal Dominion under his Government and Jurisdiction it is no wonder if he and the Creatures and Confidents who attend him in all his Counsels should act by Maximes purely civil and political whence it is that Popes are approached with so much more awe and profound Reverence than is performed towards Kings and Emperours because the Spiritual comes in to maintain and uphold the Authority of the Temporal and both being united do mutually support each other hence proceed all the flatteries used in that Court all the contrivances which Ambition can suggest to raise Families and make those great who are in Authority And in short nothing is omitted which the Wit of Man and the Artifices of the most refined Heads in the World such as those are at Rome can devise to conserve and exalt the Interest and Authority of that Court. The Original of this Jurisdiction which is encreased to such a degree of Power and Greatness as is become suspected by Kings and formidable to its people sprang at first from those words of our Saviour to his Apostles Whose sins ye shall forgive on Earth shall be forgiven in Heaven and whose sins ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven the which large and extensive priviledg was attended with a Commission to feed Christs Flock to preach the Gospel and to administer the Sacraments and with an exhortation to all the faithful to love one the other and to pardon and forgive each other their offences The Primitive Church which was always zealous to reconcile the Brethren and procure pardon of the Offender from the person offended did ordain according to the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians that the Saints or Christians should not maintain a process of Law one against the other at the Bar or Tribunals of Infidels but that they should rather appoint and constitute some of the Faithful who were Men of approved wisdom and integrity to hear and examine and determine all their differences This manner of trial was certainly submitted unto with great charity of the both parties and with an unbiassed sentence of the Judg for the first had no power over them to enforce execution unless the constraint of their own Consciences which bore witness that the adjudgment was from God Nor did the Ecclesiastical Judg pronounce sentence without regret sorrow and grief for the Delinquent as appears by the words of St. Paul 2 Cor. chap. 2. where the sorrow of the Offender is said to be so great as to require comfort and that the Judg also did partake in the like affliction and anguish of heart with him This dispensation of the Ecclesiastical Censures being a work of great Charity was an Office onely proper for such as had attained to a good esteem for piety and to the degree and dignity of a Bishop But as the Faithful encreased and the Churches became numerous so the deliberations on Causes were too heavy and burdensom for the Bishop alone and therefore though the Bills and Processes at Law were received by the hands of the Bishop they were yet afterwards transferred to the consideration of the Ancients who were called Presbyters which being digested by them received their ultimate determination and sentence from the General Assembly of the Church the which practice was in use in the year of our Lord 250. as appears by the Epistles of St. Cyprian wherein he writes to the Presbyters of his Diocese of Carthage that he intended not
strong place in Syria and fortified it that it might be a receptacle for the Christians in their War against the Infidels Boemund also the younger dying Tancred who was his Uncle and Guardian was by all the Christians declar'd Prince of Antioch which Principality having setled he was sent for by Baldwin King of Jerusalem to come with all his force to aid him against the Turks Saracens and Arabs who with a great Army had invaded his Kingdom Tancred arriving there and observing the small forces of the Christians dissuaded Baldwin from joyning Battel with the Enemy by that means putting the whole affair of Christendom under a great hazard but all in vain for Baldwin giving them an opportunity of fighting was overcome with great slaughter himself and a few Men retreating with great difficulty to Jerusalem and Tancred by several by-ways escaping to Antioch The Enemies puff'd up with this great Victory seiz'd Mount Tabor and pulling down the Monestery there put all the Monks to the sword Gelasius in the mean time could not be at rest from a forein Enemy for the Emperor Henry had entred Italy with his Army wasting all as he march'd was just about to enter Rome in a hostile manner to escape whom the Pope at first retir'd to the House of Volcamino a noble Citizen but not deeming that altogether safe he went with his Attendants aboard a couple of Gallies prepar'd for that purpose and sail'd down the Tiber to Ostia the German Soldiers pursuing him and shooting at him with Darts and Arrows Coming to Ostia he dared not venture any whither by Sea it was so stormy but he travell'd hy Land to Ardea accompanied still wherever he went by Hugh Cardinal of the Twelve Apostles an illustrious Prelate Soon after the Sea growing more calm he return'd to 〈◊〉 from whence he sail'd first to Terracina and then to Gaeta where he was very kindly entertain'd by his Countrymen Hither came to meet him William Duke of Puglia Robert Prince of Capua and Richard of Aquila who all promised him their utmost service as became loyal Feudataries of the Church of God Henry hearing these Princes were raising an Army against him set up for an Anti pope Maurice Archbishop of Braga by the name of Gregory to oppose Gelasius and recommended him to the Family of Frangipani and not content to have acted so pernicious a thing he entred the Country of Anagni and plunder'd and ruin'd all before him he had just laid Siege to Turricolo a strong place when on a sudden news was brought that Gelasius with the Princes of Puglia approach'd with a great Army whereupon he decamp'd and as he retreated out of Italy he sill'd all places with slaughter and rapine 〈◊〉 upon his retreat dismiss'd the 〈◊〉 Princes supposing now that Henry was gone all things would be in a peaceable condition at Rome hereafter but he was very much deceiv'd in his opinion for he was soon after inform'd that the Anti-pope upheld by the power of the Frangipani continued still at Rome out of fear of which Family he staid privately a while in the House of a Friend but afterward as he was saying Mass in the Church of Praxede his Enemies with their Party rush'd in and he had much ado to escape out of their hands by flight some of the Corsi and Normanni two great Families with his Nephew Crescentius fighting briskly in his defence The next day guarded by his Retinue and Friends in Arms he return'd to the City from S. Paul's whither he had fled and consulting with his Cardinals he resolv'd to leave the City lest the Uproars every day encreasing some great mischief might ensue Having therefore left to Peter Bishop of Porto the Vicegerency in Ecclesiastical affairs at Rome and to Hugo Cardinal of the Twelve Apostles the care of Benevento he sail'd first to Pisa not conceiving the way by Land to be secure for himself and the Cardinals who accompanied him where he in the audience of the whole City related the causes of his departure from Rome and was received with great kindness by the Pisans thence setting sail for France he arrived at S. Giles's and was there entertain'd by the Abbat of Clugni and his Monks with many others who came for that purpose very magnificently and splendidly Then he cross'd the middle of France with a venerable rather than sumptuous attendance which now adays is the fashion by the way dedicating the Churches of S. Cecily in Stagello S. Sylvester in Burgundy and S. Stephen in Tornay and with Stones determining the Bounds of each Church Coming at last to the Monastery of Clugni he was taken with a Plurisie and died having been Pope one year and five days He was a most holy Man and very praise-worthy both for his life and doctrin so that I cannot doubt considering the integrity of his life and his religious constancy amidst the many storms and troubles he underwent but that he now enjoys Eternity among the blessed in Heaven He was buried in the Porch of the said Monastery Some write that in his time the Order of Knights Templers first began who living not far from the Holy Sepulcre entertain'd Pilgrims and accompanied them in Arms in their journeys to and from the holy Places which by their means might be visited with all safety These Knights Cusentinus commends highly for their holy Christian Lives CALISTUS II. CALISTUS the Second first named Guy a Burgundian Arch-bishop of Vienna descended of the Blood Royal of France was chosen Pope by those Cardinals who were at Clugni at the death of Gelasius but he would not take upon him the 〈◊〉 till he heard the Election was approv'd by those Cardinals also who were left at Rome and elsewhere in Italy which being certified to him by Letters and Messengers he went to Rome and the Nobility and People meeting him congratulated his Promotion and their own good fortune not doubting but he would be a restorer of peace and tranquillity to the City of Rome Here he settled matters to his mind and went to Benevento where all the Princes thereabout were met to salute him according to custom of whom the principal were William Duke of Puglia Jordan Count of 〈◊〉 Arnulphus Count of Ariano and Robert Count of Lauretello all Men of great honour and without doubt the most powerful Lords of that part of Italy who took their Oath of fealty to the Pope But Calistus having nothing more in his thoughts than the holy War where it was much fear'd the Christian Cause would not be able to sustain it self against so many barbarous Nations returning to Rome dispatch'd away Lambert Bishop of Ostia a Saxon Cardinal of S. Stephen in monte Celio and Gregory Cardinal of S. Angelo to the Emperour to treat of a Peace which having procured without much difficulty they hang'd up a Table of the Articles thereof in the Lateran Church to the incredible joy of all People But this lasted not long for Roger Count
Thomas chiefly with the assistance of his Infantry gave the Enemy such a blow that of six thousand Horse which fought under Hawkwood few escaped and the Captain himself yielded Those that had revolted from the Church when they heard of this great Victory immediately surrender'd Vrban then came into Italy in the fourth year of his Pontificate to settle things and Giles the Legate met him at Corneto and rendring an account of what he had done was discharg'd from his Legateship and the Pope going on his way from Corneto to Rome he retired quietly in his old Age at Viterbo where he died in three months after He was a Man of singular Virtue and Courage and preserv'd the Honour of the Church whilst he lived most wonderfully His Body was carried to Assisi and buried in the Church of S. Francis in a Tomb that he built himself whilst he was living When Charles the Emperor understood that Vrban was gone to Rome he went thither too as fast as he could with his Wife and Children but by the way took Lucca from the Pisanes and Sancto Miniato from the Florentines Whether he went to Rome or no is not certain because 't is said he received his Imperial Crown from Pope Innocent the Sixth who sent the Cardinal of Ostia to Rome for that purpose But having received a great sum of mony of the Florentines to buy their own peace he march'd out of Italy the third month after he came thither in the year 1368. Vrban had sought a long time for the Heads of SS Peter and Paul which through the ignorance of the times had long been neglected and having light upon them at Sancta Sanctorum he put 'em up in Silver Cases next the great Altar of the Lateran where they were highly honourâ—d by a great concourse of all the Clergy and People of Rome The same Pope built one Palace in the old City and another in Montefiascone that he and other Popes might retire thither to avoid the Heat and bustle of the Town But resolving to go back shortly into France he made John Hawkwood an excellent Commander whom he released out of Prison General of all those Forces that had serv'd under Giles to guard the Church Patrimony till he return'd again For he design'd to return for Italy But going into France he died at Marseilies in the eighth year and the fourth month of his Pontificate or as others will have it he dy'd at Avignion just about the time when Briget a devout Woman who was a Princess of Switzerland came to Rome upon a Vow she had made There were at the same time some Commotions in Puglia after the death of Nicolas Acciolo who was Governour of that Province and a Stout Wise Man GREGORY XI GREGORY the Eleventh of Lymosin formerly call'd Peter Belford and Cardinal-Deacon of New S. Maries was made Pope at Avignion by a general consent Clement VI. his Uncle made him Cardinal when he was scarce seventeen years of age But that he might not seem to consult the good of his Kindred more than that of the Church he sent him to the best Masters he could find for breeding and especially to Baldus who at that time was a Professor at Perugia Under whom he made such progress in all sorts of Learning that Baldus often used his Authority to clear a Doubt And then he was a Man of such innocence good nature affability and piety that he was generally beloved At his entrance upon the Pontificate this was the state of things in Italy at Rome the Courts of Justice were held by Senators whom the Pope appointed for every six months but the Guard of the City and all the management of publick Affairs were in the hands of the Banderesii so named from their Banners a Teutonic word which they used in War by which every Decuria now called Capo di Regione or Head of a Ward was distinguish'd In Lombardy those Nobles who as I said before conspired against the Viconti surprised the City of Reggio by treachery which was before in their possession but the Castle holding out Bernabos entring the City that way at the first Onset overthrew the Enemy and driving away Lucius the German Commander repossess'd himself of the place Thus went matters in Italy when Perinus King of Cyprus who succeeded his Father Peter was the cause of great animosities between the Genoeses and the Venetians For when he was Crown'd at Famagosta and two Bailiffs as the Merchants call their Residents one from Genoa and the other from Venice were there attending they strove who should walk on the right hand the King which raised such a Tumult that the Genoeses were beaten and wounded basely the King favouring the Venetians The Genoeses hereupon got a Navy of 40 Ships together under the command of Peter Fregoso Brother to Dominick Fregoso and invaded Cyprus and landed fourteen thousand men to destroy all the Island with fire and sword for violating the Law of Nations The King being deserted on all sides submitted to their mercy and surrendering Famagosta promised the Genoeses to give them 40000. per annum to purchase his Peace The Popes Legate was now come into Italy and had setled the state of the Church he made a Peace with the Viconti when a new Tumult arose at Prato which was the original of great confusion For the Inhabitants of Prato endeavouring to vindicate themselves from the Dominion of the Florentines called the Church Forces into Tuscany by permission from the Legate But the Florentines so far corrupted them with money that they enter'd Prato by their assistance put the Conspirators to death and sent a great many Banners with Liberty written upon them by several Troops to several Towns exhorting the People as their Lords that they would remember the Liberty of the Church and cast off the yoke of Servitude The first that revolted from the Church were the Castellani then the Perugians those of Todi Spoleto Gubio Viterbo Forli and Ascoli follow'd their Example At that time too Astorgius Manfred under the Bavarian having tasted the sweetness of absolute Dominion had possess'd himself of Granariolo a Castle near Faenza against whom the Legate sent John Hawkwood with some Troops out of Bologna The Florentines and those of Bologna defended Astorgius and keeping out Hawkwood with all his men asserted their Liberty But Hawkwood seeing the Faenzeses ready to rebel he not onely plunder'd the City severely and kill'd all that his Soldiers met but he sold the very ground on which it stood to Nicolas and Albert d' Este two Brothers for 20000 l. reserving onely Bagnacavallo to himself where the Carriages of his Army lay The Pope hearing of such great Revolutions sent Cardinal Cevennes as his Legate with six thousand British Horse ito Italy who coming down through Piedmont march'd as far as the very Gates of Bologna without doing any hurt designing to besiege the City But when the Legate heard the Florentines were come to
were affixed in all publick places denouncing and publishing a Council to be held and celebrated on the first day of September following at Pisa where the Pope himself was also cited to appear This Council was convened by the Authority of the dissenting Cardinals such as Bernardino Carvagiale a Spaniard who was the chief leader and director of the Schism William Brisoner a French Bishop Francis Borgia a Spaniard Cardinal of S. Cecilia Renat de Brie a Frenchman Cardinal of S. Sabina and Frederick Sanseverino an Italian Cardinal of S. Angelo all which agreed and pretended that a Council might where was apparent necessity be judicially convoked by them and that when a Pope was guilty of Simony infamous and damnable in his manners Author of so many Wars and notoriously incorrigible to the universal scandal of all Christendom that then the power of convocating a Council which was the only remedy and redress for so many evils did lawfully devolve unto them especially having the Authority of the Emperor and the consent of the most Christian King together with the Clergy of Germany and France concurring The Pope enraged with this bold attempt of his contumacious Cardinals issued out his Excommunications against them depriving them of their Hats Honors and Dignities Ecclesiastical notwithstanding which the design of the Council proceeded and on the first day of September the Proctors of the Cardinals being come to Pisa did there celebrate the Acts for opening of the same with which the Pope conceiving yet higher indignation against the Florentines for that they had suffered the Conventicle for so he called it to take beginning in their State did declare and publish that whosoever did favour the Conventicle of Pisa did stand actually Excommunicated Interdicted and subject to all the Penalties severely ordained by Laws against Schismaticks and Hereticks and that accordingly Lewis XII King of France together with the Cities of Florence and Pisa did stand actually Excommunicated and Interdicted And farther to countermine this Council he published a General Council to be held at the Lateran and to do the greatest despight imaginable to the Florentines he constituted Cardinal John de Medices who with his whole Family was exiled from Florence Legate of Bologna Romagna and of the whole Army of the League and to give farther diversion and trouble in France he incited Henry VIII King of England and Ferdinand King of Spain to joyn in a League with him the first to enter his Forces into Aquitaine and the latter to wage War on the King of Navarre who being joyned in Confederacy with Lewis did likewise lie under the censure of Excommunication Matters being thus disposed he finished the Articles of a League made with the Catholick King and the Senate of Venice which was solemnly published on the 5th of October in the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo the Pope and Cardinals being present where it was solemnly declared that the intent thereof was to preserve the Unity of the Church to defend her from the present Schism to recover the City of Bologna which was the right of the Church to confound the Assembly at Pisa and finally to chase and expel the French by force of Arms out of Italy Lewis finding himself on all sides hardly beset hastned the Recruits of his Army and withdrawing the Forces he had in Brescia which he had lately recovered from the Venetians and from Bologna which composed in all a Body of about 15500 men he marched by Ravenna in order to joyn with the Troops of the Duke of Ferrara who was then Confederate with France The Popes Army with the Allies consisting of about 13000 Foot and 1800 men at Arms marched towards the relief of Ravenna which was then hardly besieged by the French Army under the Command of Gaston de Foix a valiant and experienced General The Papal Army being encamped at no far distance from the French endeavoured to avoid a Battel which the Enemy frequently offered them but finding that unless they did fight Ravenna would be taken for such wide breaches were made in the Walls by the Cannon that the Enemy was ready to enter and in sight of their Army to make themselves Masters of the City to prevent which and the disgrace of such a mischief time was not farther to be lost nor an Engagement to be longer declined so that on Easter day both Armies joyned Battel The Fight continued so very long and bloody that in the space of six hours it was scarcely discernable to which side the Victory inclined At length by direction of the Duke of Ferrara the Cannon being brought by a long compass about to play on the Flank of the Army the Spaniards and Italians began to fly leaving their Baggage and the glory of the day unto the French which they gained with so much blood and loss of the principal Commanders and flower of their Army that they seemed rather vanquished than Conquerors and to remain in a condition which afforded them no cause of triumph in their Victory It is said that twenty thousand men were slain in this Battel and the numbers almost equal on each side amongst which 150 Gentlemen belonging to the Court of the French King were killed five of the Family of Colonna with Gaston de Foix their General Of the Popes Army the Legate John de Medices with several other Captains was taken Prisoner The first news of this Defeat and the ill consequences thereof which was the taking and sacking of Ravenna was entertained at Rome with great fear and tumult so that the Cardinals running hastily to the Pope urged and pressed him with earnest and vehement Petitions to conclude the War and accept such reasonable and moderate conditions as they were assured the King of France would be ready to offer On the other side the Embassadors of the King of Aragon and the Senate of Venice entertained other sentiments judging from the advices they had received that matters were not reduced to such extremities as the fears and melancholy fancies of the Cardinals suggested for that the French Army had not gained this Victory with so little loss but that the great effusion of blood which it had cost had weakened their Force to a degree as was not in a short time to be recovered nor was the death of that valiant and wise General Gaston de Foix and other Captains slain on the French side to be repaired in this age Likewise it was further urged that the Vice-Roy was escaped with the greater part of the Cavalry and that the Spanish Infantry were retreated from the Battel in good order which being joyned with the Swissers which were daily expected there would be no necessity at present of yielding to the conditions of the French which in this conjuncture would be very unequal and dishonorable and that therewith they must expect to receive Laws from the pride of Bernardin Carvagiale and the insolence of Frederick de Sancta Severin and the
desirous of the repose and quiet of Italy proposed to Francis the French King in behalf of the Vice-King of Naples a Truce for five years with condition that during that time he should quietly enjoy all the Country on the other side of the River Adda the Town of Loda only excepted yet he could not prevail the French King refusing this fair offer which afterwards turned to his great misfortune Wherefore the Pope finding the difficulty or impossibility almost of making this Peace he remained doubtful to which of these two Princes it was most to the interest of the Church and security of Italy for him to incline in which suspense the Count Carpy arriving at Rome with character of Embassador from the King of France so well mannaged his design that he persuaded the Pope to lay aside and forget those ancient discontents and animosities which arose between his Master the King and Pope Leo the 10th his Kinsman and to enter into a firm Alliance with him as the most secure and wholesome means to preserve the quiet of Italy Clement hereby being well affected towards France dispatched an Embassador to the King for confirmation of the Alliance advising him to undertake the Conquest of Naples which he represented as an enterprise easily effected in regard that there was no Garrison there all the Emperors Forces being at that time employed in the Dukedom of Milan The King well approving this design ordered John Stuart Duke of Albania who was of the Blood of the Kings of Scotland and his Lieutenant-General in Italy to march with a considerable force into the Kingdom of Naples asking license of the Pope to pass thro his Dominions But the Pope seeming outwardly and in appearance averse hereunto persuaded the King to desist from this design as a matter of jealousie to the Venetians and all Italy with arguments also inciting to Peace and accommodation as best became the Office and quality of a Pope But the Duke of Albania without attending an answer had as assured of the Popes consent passed the River Po but before he had marched five days he was called back again by the King who understanding that some Forces and new Supplies were already arrived in the Enemies Camp and more daily expected he judged it more advisable to keep his Army entire until the new Recruits of Switzers and Grisons were come which he had sent to levy rather than to weaken his Army by that considerable detachment which the enterprise of Naples would require during which time the King continued the Siege of Pavia But the Switzers and Grisons being at length arrived in the Kings Camp the Duke of Albania repassed the Po to invade the Kingdom of Naples in which design that the Pope might seem to have had no contrivance he dispatched away Paul Vettorio Captain of his Gallies to the Vice-Roy letting him know that tho he had used all diligence to divert the King from his purpose to invade Naples yet he could not prevail nor could oppose or obstruct his passage thro his Country unless he would draw upon himself the difficulties of that War which he was not able to master and that tho he was forced to secure himself by new Articles and Contracts yet he would never assent or agree co any thing which might be prejudicial to the interest of the Emperor In fine he exhorted both Parties to a Peace and in order thereunto proposed several expedients for accommodation but nothing prevailed the Duke of Albania continuing his march and the King the Siege of Pavia And now the Imperialists drawing near to the relief of Pavia the treaties and practices of Princes and the endeavours and studies of Embassadors availed little all the difficulties and dangers of many months being reduced to the fortune and success of a few hours In short the Battel of Pavia was fought on the 24. of February 1525. in which the French Army was entirely defeated and the King himself taken Prisoner and all the flower of the Nobility of France either slain or taken of which the Duke of Albania having received intelligence he raised his Camp from Monte Rotondo near Aquila where he was lodged and returned into France but the greatest part of this Soldiery being composed of Italians and Corsicans returning to Rome were for the most part rifled and pillaged in their way by the people of Campagna who were Subjects to the Prince Colonna and by some Imperialists who belayed the ways for them killing them within the very Walls of Rome to which place they fled for sanctuary All the Princes of Italy especially the Pope being extremely affected with this unexpected success obtained by the Imperial Forces conducted chiefly by the valour and wisdom of the Marquess of Pescara remained doubtful in what manner to govern and mannage their affairs for the ballance being now no longer in an equality but carried down with too much weight on the side of the Emperor his Captains were elevated with this Victory that they became insolent beyond all human sufferance seeming to aspire to an universal Monarchy the which insolences were also rendered more intolerable by the complaints brought daily to Rome from Parma and Piacenza which Countries the Imperialists had exposed to plunder and desolation and the suspicions and jealousies of the Pope were increased by the refusal the Emperor made of restoring Francis Sforza to his right of the possession of Milan whom the Imperialists besieged in the Castle and afterwards banished from the precincts of that Country And farther these misunderstandings were increased for want of a faithful compliance on the Emperors side with the Pope who having paid a considerable sum of mony to Charles de Lanoia the Emperors Agent on condition to have Reggio restored to the Popedom which after the death of Adrian had been seized by Alfonso Duke of Ferrara when these conditions came to be performed and the ancient League renewed with Charles the Fifth he disowned the agreement lest thereby the Pope should grow more potent and enlarge his Dominions endeavouring to lessen his power by the loss of his mony and exclusion from the possession of Reggio All these umbrages and matters of displeasure being revolved in the mind of Clement with extreme melancholy and desire of redress administred cause sufficient to him of ill will towards the Emperor moving in him at the same time compassion of the unfortunate state of Francis the French King then a Prisoner in respect to whom he sent the Bishop of Pistoia to condole with him for his unhappy success Whilst the Pope meditated on these matters with some sort of indignation and fear the Venetians who were troubled at the same time with the like thoughts unexpectedly sent with many pressing instances to persuade the Pope to joyn with them in the good cause for preventing the total servitude of all Italy which they proposed to effect by a force of ten thousand Switzers which they might cause in
to the French interest yet now upon the change of Affairs he sided with them against the Emperor Thus the Pope being distracted between the different Councils of these bosom Friends he that was irresolute in his own nature suffering himself to be guided by the last advice of different judgments seemed always so tottering and wavering that he rendred himself contemptible and ridiculous to all that knew him The Arguments used by Scomberg to dissuade the League were that according to observation Leagues and Alliances of several Princes had seldom or never any good effect for that the conjunction of the Armies and the due provisions for them do seldom arrive in season or at convenient times that where so many minds and opinions are to concur and divers interests are carried on there distrusts and discontentments do easily happen whereby the favour of fortune and benign occasions are disappointed howsoever at length being over-born by Giberto he inclined to go through with the League and in company with the other Confederates to begin a War against the Emperor For Francis the French King being now at liberty and holding himself not obliged to the terms he had made encouraged and gave life to the League and the people of the Dutchy of Milan being greatly oppressed by the Imperialists were ready on all occasions to make insurrections and mutinies in the City against the Soldiery and Collectors of the Contributions so that the Pope being well settled and confirmed in his opinion of the necessity of a War readily entered into confederacy with the French King and the Venetians making the subject and ground of the War to be the re-possession of Francis Sforza into the Dutchy of Milan and the restoring to liberty the Kings Children which were given for Hostages so that the Forces of these Princes being united together a most cruel War was again renewed in Italy the success of which in short was this Lodi was at the beginning of all taken and then the Confederate Forces joyning with the Switzers took also Cremona and besieging the Castle of Milan forced it to surrender upon Articles and then resigned it into the possession of Sforza the Pope also sending some Forces against Arimino which was seized and possessed by Sigismondo Malatesta he recovered the City and expelled the Usurper but all these successes received some alloys by the ill news arrived from the King of Hungary who being overcome and slain in battel the City of Buda yielded to the Turk the which being grievously resented by the Pope he called the Cardinals into the Consistory where having complained of the great ignominy and damage to the Christian Cause by this late disgrace he with great gravity proposed that for the common good of Christendom it was necessary to surcease the Wars in Italy and that in order thereunto laying aside all the considerations of incommodity danger and dignity of his person he resolved to meet the Christian Princes in some convenient place where he would with Tears and Prayers incline them to an universal Peace and unite them in a Holy League and Confederacy against the common Enemy of Christendom But whilst these things were meditating all the design was diverted by the treason and conspiracy of the Family of Colonna which succeeded in this manner The Family of Colonna which was always favourable to the Imperial interest observing the proceedings of the Pope was desirous to act some thing in prejudice to the Allies and of advantage to the Emperor and therefore Cardinal Pompeo a near Kinsman of that Family retiring from Rome to Frescate with pretence of remaining there to watch against any attempts that might be made upon the Kingdom of Naples made great levies of men to be ready at any time to execute his designs The Pope growing jealous hereof increased his own Forces and commanded the Colonnians to depart and withdraw their Soldiers out of the Dominion of the Church the which being effected at the instance of the Cardinal De la Valle who persuaded them to quit the Ecclesiastical State which they could not disturb without great scandal the Pope thereby judged himself secure and trusting to the power and protection of the League did against the common advice and persuasion of all his Friends for the cause only of saving charges disband his Forces The Colonnians observing now the Pope deprived of all his Guards and exposed as it were naked to their pleasure assembled their Forces being about 3000 Foot and 800 Horse near Anagnia assuming to their society Caesar Filettin their Confederate and taking a compass to Rome to be the less suspected they surprised three Gates of the City making their entry by that of S. John de Lateran and having passed the Bridg of Sistus with their Battalions orderly drawn up they entered some Forces by the Burg of S. Spirito At this action there were present Don Hugo de Moncada Ascanio Colonna and Vespasian Colonna which last had been instrumental in soliciting the late accord and given his Faith to the Pope as well for himself as for the residue of his Companions Likewise Cardinal Pompeo was there being so far transported with ambition that he not only conspired and resolved to put the Pope to death but to constrain the Cardinals by force of Arms to elect him to the Papal Chair The Pope surprised with the unexpected arrival of these Guests who by break of day on the 20th of September entered Rome resolved once after the example of Pope Boniface VIII to seat himself in his Pontifical Chair and there receive the utmost violence of these Traitors but being dissuaded from that resolution by his Friends he retired to the Castle of S. Angelo where he in vain called for the assistance and succor of his friends For Clement notwithstanding the great opinion which at his first Inauguration the world conceived of his worth and merit was now fallen so low in the esteem of the people by his avarice and mean practices that there was not one man who seeing him betrayed and contrary to Religious Oaths and the common Faith of mankind falsly treated conceived any kind remorse or compassion of his fate But on the contrary they began to enumerate the many miscarriages of his Government That he had laden the Benefices of the Clergy with new and unusual decimations That he had taken away the Revenues belonging to certain Colleges made void the Stipends which were given to the Professors and Readers of Diverse Sciences Nor was the Commonalty less disgusted against the Pope than others of greater note for by reason of the Monopolies he had granted upon Corn to increase the benefit and income of his Exchequer Bread was risen to that excessive price that it seemed as if a Famin had been in the City He had also destroyed and plucked down several houses for making the Streets more large and beautiful without consideration given to the Proprietors tho to the enriching of his own Creatures
after that Controversie had been opened heard and examined by many Doctors and Testimonies and Writings produced the Emperor according to the counsel and report made him pronounced that Modena and Reggio appertained of right to the Duke of Ferrara who paying a hundred thousand Ducats to the Pope the Tributes should be reduced to their ancient custom and he invested in the Jurisdiction of Ferrara But the Pope would neither allow that part of the Sentence nor accept the payment of the mony wherein the Duke was condemned refusing the Tribute which was offered to him according to the usual custom so that there was neither open War nor a setled Peace between the Pope and the Duke of Ferrara for having a regard and some respect to the Emperors Award and Sentence he feared to assail him with open force contriving in the mean time secret plots and devices wherewith to ensnare him Matters thus continued with some tranquillity until the year 1532. which was more signal for Forein Wars than for the Commotions of Italy For Francis the French King not forgetting the sufferings he had sustained by the Emperor contrived all ways imaginable for his revenge not being scrupulous or ashamed of secret practices and treaties with Soliman Emperor of the Turks in despight of his Title of Most Christian to stir him up and incite him to a War against Charles the Emperor inviting him to make a second attempt by laying siege to Vienna Soliman being full of anger and disdain for the late foil he had received before that City was easily persuaded to try his fortune in another Expedition but the Princes and Free Towns of Germany concurring with their Forces and uniting them to the Imperial Troops composed a most formidable Army which being conducted by Charles the Emperor who was the greatest Captain of his age and his name terrible to the Turks Soliman made only some incursions into Hungary and then returned again to Constantinople But before this news came and whilst these things were in action Henry VIII King of England and Francis the French King being both highly displeased with the Emperor met together at Boloign in France where they held several Consultations how to improve the present state of Affairs to their own advantage And giving it for granted that the Turk would Winter in Hungary and afford the Emperor sufficient employment for the year following they resolved to make use of this conjuncture of Affairs to their mutual benefit in pursuance of which it was determined between them that the French King was to invade the State of Milan and the Pope was to be induced to assist in the same design and to determin the cause of Divorce of Queen Catharine in favour of King Henry then depending in the Court of Rome with which message and instructions the Cardinals of Ternon and Gramont were sent Embassadors to the Pope But King Henry having not the patience to attend the result contemned the authority of a Divorce by the Papal Power contenting and satifying his own Conscience with what had before been disputed and determined in the Courts of England about that matter and having understood that the Legate Campeius had been sent into England with a Bull of Divorce which afterwards upon change of the Pope's mind he had burnt the King was so enraged thereat that he resolved not to have farther dealings with the Pope and thereupon Proclamation was published that no person of what estate or condition soever should purchase or attempt to purchase from the Court of Rome any thing prejudicial to the Jurisdiction or Prerogative of this Realm upon pain of Imprisonment or other punishment according to the pleasure of the King But the retirement of the Turks out of Hungary put a period to the design of Invading the Dutchy of Milan and to the expectation the King of England had of receiving a favourable sentence at Rome in the point of Divorce for the result of the Interview of these two Kings being known at Rome hastned the Pope to make a League with the Emperor which was concluded at a second meeting at Bologna where the same Ceremonies and terms of amity and friendship passed between them as had been formerly at the first After which the Emperor by the way of Genoua passed into Spain and the Pope returned to Rome accompanied thither by the two Cardinals Ternon and Gramont the which according to their Commission insisted greatly to have the Divorce of Queen Catharine confirmed by the Popes Authority alledging the great damage and ruine that an obstinate persistance to the contrary might bring to the Church but the Cardinals of the Emperors Faction labouring to the contrary and the Pope understanding what Henry had already acted in that point in England issued an Excommunication against him and his whole Realm unless before the end of September following he did revoke all the Acts he had made to the prejudice of the Apostolical Sea and the Papal Authority These French Cardinals finding their Negotiations in reference to England to be unsuccessful and desperate treated notwithstanding an interview between the Pope and the French King to be held at Marseille colouring their design with the specious pretence of finding some expedient to accommodate matters between King Henry and the Pope a Charity so great and Christian and of that high importance as might challenge the labors and endeavours of the most Christian King and farther it was pretended that a League and Union between the Christian Princes was there to be negotiated against the Turk But the desire of the Pope being in reallity to marry his Niece Catharine de Medicis to the second Son of the King of France was easily persuaded to condescend to a proposition so agreeable to his own inclinations in pursuance whereof the Pope with a great retinue of Cardinals Embarked at Pisa on his own Gallies and in a few days of prosperous Navigation he landed at Marseille where being saluted with three hundred pieces of Cannon at his arrival he was lodged for the first night in the Palace of the Duke of Montmorency Grand Master and Mareschal of France The next day he made his entry through the City habited in his Pontifical Vestments and carried in his Chair upon mens shoulders before him a White Horse was led by two men with silken Reins carrying the Sacrament of the Altar then followed the Cardinals in their Habits mounted upon their Mules after which came Catharine de Medicis Dutchess of Vrbin attended with a great number of Ladies and Gentlemen both of the French and Italian Nation in which equipage the Pope passed the Streets to the Lodgings which were provided for him The day following the French King came and with great solemnity went to perform the Offices of Duty and Obedience to the Pope These Solemnities and Ceremonies being past matters of publick concernment were in the first place taken into consideration by those who were by the King and
the Pope delegated to consult thereof and tho the Marriage was the main point which moved the Pope to undertake this Journey yet it was in the last place and as it were accidentally and by the by treated of The first thing assumed was the proposal about a General Council but that was soon rejected and executed with the same reasons and replies as were given to the Emperor In the next place the King of Englands case was warmly insisted upon by the Commissioners of the French King as it had been formerly agreed between the two Kings at Bulloin but those instances produced little effect for the Ministers of the King of England being in a huff were always to the diminution of the Popes Authority appealing to a Council with which the Pope referred their Cause to be farther debated at his return to Rome and the French King being desirous in all things to satisfie and comply with the Pope he told him that it would not be displeasing to him in case he proceeded against that King according to the Rule of Justice and the ancient Canons of Ecclesiastical Censure by which fair and friendly compliance the Pope would not refuse at the instance of the French King to create four Cardinals tho much against his own inclinations fearing thereby to have rendered the French Faction too strong which already was more prevalent in the Court of Rome than the Pope desired In the last place tho the first in design the Marriage between the Duke of Orleans and the Pope's Niece was treated and concluded and the parties married by the Pope himself by which a strict and firm Alliance and friendship being created between the French King and the Pope it seemed as if all those professions of amity and good will which had lately interceded at Bologna between the Emperor and the Pope had vanished or signified little and now amongst other Articles it being capitulated that the Duke of Orleans should be invested in the Dukedom of Milan it was with no less wonder considered that the interest of Francis Sforza the true and right Heir to that Dutchy and for which both this and other Popes had so earnestly contended could so easily be made void and transferred over to a Forein Prince who could pretend no other right thereunto than the might and power of his own Arms. With entertainment of these Affairs a months time being spent at Marseille the Pope returned to Rome where so soon as he arrived he foretold his own death acquainting his Friends and Domesticks about his person that he had not long to live and therefore in order to his Burial he commanded the Ring to be provided and the Vestments in which Popes were usually interred howsoever before his death he thundered out his Bulls of Excommunication against Henry VIII King of England and all the people of his Realm with which the King being highly incensed immediately withdrew his Obedience from the Papal Sea and declared himself Head under Jesus Christ of the Church of England forbidding mony to be transported out of England to Rome and commanded the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to renounce his Title of Legate from the Pope the which was the beginning of that blessed Reformation which hath purged the Church of England from Errors rendred it pure in its Doctrin introduced the true and glorious light of the Gospel which will with Gods assistance for ever remain sure and immovable in despight of all the contrivances either of the Fanatical irreligious malice or the power or policies of the Roman Church And moreover it was the beginning of that liberty which we now enjoy and the enrichment of this flourishing Nation which now keeps its Treasures and Acquisitions to its self which in former days were emptied into the Coffers of the Pope to make Foreiners opulent and its people poor But to return to Pope Clement being taken with a pain in his stomach a Fever ensued upon it of which according to his own prediction he departed this life the 25th day of September 1534. leaving behind him in the Castle of S. Angelo many Jewels in the Pontifical Chamber infinite Offices but a very small sum of mony he had at divers Ordinations created three and thirty Cardinals all which except Cardinal De Medicis were made to please others rather than himself He had been exalted to the Popedom with wonderful felicity and with the general applauses and grand expectations of the world but in a short time he fell strangely in their opinion for being of a temper naturally irresolute and diffident suffered himself to be divided by his two familiar friends men differing in their humors affections and interests which laid him low in the esteem of mankind and hated and detested by the Romans and yet he was sober abstemious and a greater conqueror of himself but accounted covetous of no fidelity or faithfulness to his word nor readily inclined to do any man a good office unless forced thereunto by some constraining necessity and yet he was grave and well advised in his actions if timorousness had not oftentimes corrupted his judgment He proved such diversity of fortunes that it is hard to determin whether his bad or his good fortune was greatest for what evil can be compared to the sacking of Rome which he beheld with his own eyes his own and the long imprisonment of the Cardinals the desolation of his own Country of which he was an instrument for the promotion only of the Family of the Medices He died in the 67th year of his age having held the Papal Chair ten years ten months and seven days His Corps were first interred in the Church of S. Peter but afterwards transported to the Minerva by his own Relations and laid by the Body of Pope Leo the tenth over which they erected a stately Monument of Marble PAVL III. THE Funeral Rites of Clement VII being performed with due solemnity the Cardinals entered the Conclave the 12th of October 1534. and the same day towards night agreed unanimously in their Election and published Alexander Farnese Dean of the College of Cardinals to be with general consent chosen Pope The motives which the Cardinals might have to hasten with such facility and unanimous assent this election might be various for his family was great and ancient He had been forty years a Cardinal and thereby acquired a competent knowledg of the Affairs of the world and of the practices of the Court of Rome and being 68 years of age and of a weak and tender constitution of body the more robust and ambitious Cardinals expected that his Reign could not be long before he made way for one of them And in regard that in all the actions and negotiations of his life he had ever shewed an indifferency not inclining either to the Imperial or French Faction the parties of neither side did make it their business or concernment to oppose him for tho the Family of Farnese were Guelfs and
to that King And whereas the former Pope was always averse to the instances which the Emperor and French King and other Princes made to him for a General Council to be held for reforming abuses crept into the Church and suppressing the Opinions of Luther which they called heretical and which began to dilate and spread themselves in all parts of Christendom Now this Paul the Third was of such a different sense herein to his Predecessor that he freely declared for a Council shewing himself willing to meet the desires of the Princes and promised in a short space to appoint the time and place where such a Council should be held and celebrated And farther to confirm and improve this good correspondence with the Christian Courts he dispeeded his Emissaries and Legates into all parts whose care it was as well to advance the private interests of his Family as the common benefit of the Church and particularly to solicit and promote such a good correspondence and peace between the Emperor and the King of France that uniting their Forces for the common safety of Christendom might joyntly make War upon the Turk and other enemies to the Christian Faith but herein his desires found little success for the French being beaten out of Italy could not support the prosperity of the Emperor against whom breathing nothing but revenge could never be induced to unite their Arms in a common Cause or joyn in a design then preparing by the Emperor against the Kingdom of Tunis which one Barbarosso had usurped who having by the help of Soldiers and a strong Fleet furnished and equipped at the expence of Soliman Emperor of the Turks droven Mulcasses King of Tunis out of his own Country did with the pyracies he committed very much infest the Coasts of Spain and Sicily and being arrived to a considerable power threatned to invade the Kingdom of Naples This growing greatness of Barbarosso and the daily Pyracies he committed were sufficient provocation to Charles the Fifth to wage War against him and being a Tyrant and an Infidel the Pope also became concerned in this Holy Cause to concur with the Emperor for whose assistance he furnished out nine Gallies which were fitted at Genoua besides three others which were the usual Guard of the Coast over this Fleet Virginio Orsinio a person of great quality was constituted Admiral to whom was joyned Paulo Giustiniano a Noble Venetian and one of great experience in Sea Affairs The preparations of the Emperor also were very great his Fleet was commanded by Prince Doria who was made Commander in Chief at Sea to whom the Pope made a present of a short Sword or Poniard with a Hilt set with Jewels and the Scabbard rarely Engraved and consecrated with the usual Ceremonies likewise a Cap of Velvet Embroidered with Pearls which were the accustomary Donatives which Popes made to Generals that were employed in a Holy War against Infidels The Marquiss Del Vasso was created General of the Italian and German Infantry and being on his Voyage towards Tunis he touched in his way thither at Civita Vecchia to which place the Pope went in person to bless the Army that he might evidence to the world the great zeal he had for the Christian cause the which office of Benediction he performed on the top of a high Tower from whence surveying the Fleet of Ships and Gallies he solemnly prayed with a Choire of Priests for the happy success of this enterprise making thousands of Crosses on the empty Air and then descending into the Church he delivered the Banner and Scepter of the Christian Religion into the hands of Viâ—ginio Orsino his General The success of this Expedition was that the Emperor having landed a great Army on the Coast of Tunis defeated Barbarosso and put his Forces to flight took the City of Tunis and restored Mulcasses the vanquished Prince to his Kingdom on conditions of Homage and Tribute for better security of which payment and performance he built two Castles at the Goleta which being Garrisoned with Spaniards served for Block Houses to that Port and having released twenty thousand Christians from Captivity which Barbarossa had by his depredations at Sea and Land taken and enslaved he returned with his Fleet to Sicily and then to Naples where he solemnly entered in a triumphant manner with such joy and festivals as are due to such successes Nor was this good news less welcome to Rome where Processions of Thanksgivings were made and Te Deum sang in the most solemn manner and farther to â—estifie the great joy which the Pope conceived for this success John Piccolomini and Alexander Cesarini were sent from him to congratulate with the Emperor for this glorious and happy Victory Whilst the Emperor was in his passage between Sicily and Naples advices were brought him of the decease of Francis Sforza who was the last Duke of Milan by whose death that Dutchy devolved to the Empire being afterwards governed by Antonio de Levae in form of a Province howsoever the Title thereunto was not so clear on the Emperors side but that the King of France laid his claim unto it not only by right of inheritance as descended from his Great-Grand-Mother Valentina but by virtue also of a concession granted by publick Act from Maximilian the Emperor to King Lewis XII of France on a valuable consideration of mony paid for it after Lodowick Sforza had been taken and droven from thence But this pretence seemed of little moment to the Emperor who judging this Dukedom of great importance to his State came from Naples to Rome with intent to persuade the Pope to joyn with him in a League against the French that so Italy might be more in repose and quiet by expulsion of the French who were always esteemed great disturbers of the peace of it On the 5th of April 1536. the Emperor came to Rome where being received by the Cardinals Bishops and all the Orders of the Clergy with the Citizens he was conducted to the Church of S. Peter where the Pope attended him on the steps of the Porch and the usual Ceremonies being passed he was lodged in that apartment of the Vatican Palace which was built by Innocent VIII During the residence which the Emperor made at Rome he entertained frequent Conferences with the Pope concerning a League to be entered into between them and the other Princes of Italy for expelling the French out of that Country who having been always known under the character and notion of the disturbers of their peace they could neyer hope or expect quietness whilst that restless people had any hold or possession in their Quarters And farther the Emperor in a publick Assembly of the Pope and all the Cardinals and Forein Ministers did most severely inveigh against Francis the French King as the most ungratetul and faithless of all the Princes of the Universe but being sharply answered and replied upon by Monsieur Bellay the Embassador of France
intreaties he could use This and other matters raising and exalting these feuds the Pope applied himself to the French King intending to joyn in League with him and other Princes of that party and the Emperor finding no effects or issue of Affairs at Trent repaired to the Diet at Ausburg The Diet there began on the first of September where the Emperor presiding in person laboured with all the earnestness and with all the art and endeavours he was able to compose the differences and settle a Peace in Germany but in regard the point of Religion was the cause of all their Troubles whensoever that came into question it occasioned great Commotions For the Ecclesiastical Electors or such as belonged to the Church did desire and urge that an entire and absolute reference of all things should be given to the Council at Trent without any reserve or condition The Secular Electors who adhered to the Doctrin of Luther were contented also to refer the matters in dispute to the Council provided that neither the Pope nor any other deputed from him should preside thereat and that the Council should be free and holy and that what Bishop soever was thereunto admitted should be absolved from any Oath he had taken which might render him partial to the Papal Sea During the time of this Diet at Ausbourg the Pope remained in a continual trouble of spirit not knowing what those Sessions might produce During which on the 10th of September advice was brought him that his Son Pier-luigi Duke of Piacenza was murdered in his own Palace by certain Gentlemen who had conspired against him and who in an ignominious manner had thrown his Body into the Streets to be a spectacle to the people and in a few hours after several Troops arrived from Milan by order of Ferrand Gonzaga Governor to take possession of the City The which unhappy fate and violent death of a Son as it sensibly touched the Pope with natural grief so the loss of so fair a City did serve to augment the sence of this mischief which by all the circumstances of it did appear to have been perpetrated by the knowledg and contrivance of the Emperor This unexpected outrage caused great consternation at Bologna and gave interruption to the proceedings of the Council at that place for the Pope in his great affliction could not bend his thoughts to any transactions there only he forced his mind to read the particulars of what was debated and concluded at Ausbourg which were twice a week dispatched thence by an express the which Diet being held until the year 1548. with various discourses and arguments and nothing as yet concluded But being the general sense of all that it was necessary for the common quiet of Germany to center at length in some resolutions and that such resolutions tending to a composure could not be expected from the Council which was now transferred from Trent to Bologna at least during the Reign of this Pope wherefore it was proposed to make choice of some few persons to whom the care of this work should be committed but not being able to agree in the persons to be elected the choice was remitted solely to the Emperor who at length pitched upon three persons namely Julius â—flug Michael S. don and John Islebe to be the Compilers of a Formulary of Religion the which after several consultations being reduced to a method it was reviewed and examined so often by such different Heads and Judgments with additions and retrenchments puttings out and in that at length being finished it looked like a patched piece compounded by men of dissenting Judgments and differing designs Howsoever being compleated it contained five and thirty Chapters or Heads a Copy of which was delivered to the Legat by order of the Emperor to be sent to Rome to receive the Pope's Opinion and Approbation thereunto But lest this Formulary of Religion should give scandal to the Pope and Cardinals as if the Emperor in a Diet had given new forms of Faith and Religion the Title Page of this Book was qualified by an Interim that is that the same Heads and Points contained in that Book should be no longer Authentick or esteemed Catholick or obliging Doctrins than until such time as the same should be altered and changed by the more unerring determinations of a General Council to whose judgment they were submitted When this Book came to Rome where the Pope was now retired it caused great consternation and noise The Clergy exclaimed highly That a Temporal Prince in an Assembly composed only of Seculars should adventure to handle all matters and Points of Religion upon which the Learned Men and such as were read in Histories called to mind the Henoticon in the time of Zenon the Ecthesis in the time of Heraclius and the Typus of Constance who were Emperors and the Schisms and Divisions in the Church caused by the Imperial Constitutions relating to Religion with which they compared and adjoyned this Interim of Charles V. And farther that which gave the greatest cause of fear was lest this Interim should be an Introduction to a greater Change and that the Emperor intended this compliance with the Protestant Doctrins to be a prelude or a preparative to a total defection from the Church of Rome after the manner and example of Henry VIII King of England The Pope who was wise and accustomed to dissemble matters until such time as he was able to remedy or revenge them reflecting with mature consideration on this present emergency did make an other judgment thereof than appeared to ordinary understandings for he concluded that this new Formulary did tend more to the prejudice of the Emperor than to the Ecclesiastical State wondering greatly that a Prince of so much Prudence should so far be elated with his late Successes as to believe himself able to be the Arbitrator and Moderator of all mankind or to be in a capacity by his single Interest to oppose both the great and prevailing parties in the world It was possible for a Prince adhering to one of them to suppress the other but to oppose both at the same time would be a match unequal For the Pope wisely foresaw that these Doctrins for the most part would be as displeasing to all Catholicks in general as to the Court of Rome and would be no less contradicted by the Protestants so that being oppugned on all sides it would consequently fall by the contrariety of Factions To which end the Pope seeming in himself little concerned did yet under-hand suggest jealousies in the minds of the German Prelates the which being dexterously insinuated by the Cardinal Sfodrato the Popes Legate who according to his Instructions gave in a memorial to the Emperor representing the ill foundation and consequences of this new Formulary of Doctrins and then took his leave and departed that he might not be present when the same was published In short this matter succeeded according to the
The next day being the 25th of January which was the day of the Session all things were managed with great Order and Solemnity and after Mass was ended the Council sat and in the first place determined all points relating to the Sacrifice of the Mass and Sacrament of Ordination that those material Points might be passed before the arrival of the Protestants in expectation of whom as was then declared and in hopes that they came provided with real and peaceable intentions to acquiesce in the truth and confirm the Decrees of their Mother the Church and not to ruine and destroy its fundamental Principles they had prorogued their next Session until the 19th of March following and as to the form of the Safe Conduct it appeared to them so large and ample that nothing could be devised or imagined to render it more extensive or of greater validity With this and the like tenderness of brotherly compassion the Council seemed to outward appearance to treat the Protestants though the chief motive thereunto was to please the Emperor who apprehending great confusions and Wars in Germany on the score of Religion was earnest by all the Sollicitations his Ministers could make to bring matters to some tolerable accommodation The Emperor also being desirous to abate something of the Authority and arrogance of the Church imagined that the Protestants might be made use of as the happy Instruments to effect the same and that the depression of the Papal Power might encrease the grandeur of the Imperial The Pope and his Party discovering these secret agitations did after this last Session think little of the farther proceedings of the Council and therefore on force of this jealousie entertained private Treaties with France managed by the Cardinal Tournon in behalf of that King in pursuance and execution of which it was believed that an entire and absolute dissolution of the Council would necessarily follow of it self without any Act of the Pope therein Howsoever these matters not as yet discovered the Protestants testified their dislike of the Narrowness of the Passport as not comprehending that amplitude which their Princes required And also observing that the general Congregation proceeded to prepare all matters in Controversie concerning Marriage adoration of Images worship of Saints Purgatory and the like which they called Minute Points to be offered against the next Session all which were to be passed without the intervention of the Protestants they took just offence against the proceedings and complained thereof to the Emperor's Ministers of which also the Emperor himself taking notice dispatched an Express both to Trent and Rome giving them notice that this hasty precipitation of Affairs gave just cause to suspect that nothing was intended fairly towards the Protestants who on these due and reasonable Resentments would become more obdurate in their Opinions to prevent which he laid his Commands on the Prelats not to act or join in any farther proceedings which resolution being signified at a General Congregation all Synodical actions and Decrees were ordered to surcease until the pleasure of the Council should be known to the contrary The Pope being greatly incensed at this and other actions of the Emperor gave license to this Prorogation for a few days onely and that afterwards they should again assemble and reassume their Debates with such Christian fortitude as became their Ecclesiastical functions without respect to any worldly consideration During this vacation a Frier preaching on the Parable of the Tares sowed amongst the Wheat applyed that Doctrine to the present dissenting Opinions which he called Heresies and which ought as he said to be extirpated with fire and the gallows at which and other affronts the Protestants taking particular exceptions greatly complained of their ill usage which tended to make the breach wider and the Elector of Triers took this pretence to depart feigning also an excuse of his health though in reality a secret intelligence which he held with the French King was the cause thereof About the beginning of March the Ambassadours of Saxony received Letters from their Prince to prosecute their Demands with new instances to the Council giving them to understand that for the more effectual dispatch thereof he intended personally to wait on the Emperor which was cause of great amusement to the Papal Party but in a few days it was generally bruited that a League was made between the French King and the Protestant Princes to make War upon the Emperor which news giving an Alarm to the Electors of Mâ—tz and Cologne they departed taking Auspruck in their way homewards entered into serious and private consultations with the Emperor The Ambassadours likewise of Maurice Duke of Saxony fearing least in those rumours their Pesons were not safe privately withdrew from Trent and by different ways returned to their own Country Notwithstanding which the Ambassadours and Divines of Wirtemberg and two of Strasbourg remained still in Trent where not having been able to procure License for their Confession to be received and read in Council they printed several Copies of them and caused them to be dispersed in all places which gave publick offence to the whole Council nor could the Interest of the Imperial Ambassadours prevail farther for the Papal Party suspecting that all those instances made by the Emperour in behalf of the Protestants tended to no other end than to depress the Court of Rome embraced all occasions of excuses and delays for now the Emperor's interest was grown weak at Trent by the retirement of the German Bishops who upon the Alarm of Wars in their Country were retired to their own homes indeed the report of Wars raised by the French King in confederacy with the Princes of Germany against the Emperor was confirmed and Manifests and Protests in defence of Religion and the liberty of Germany were printed and published and in pursuance thereof on the first of April the Elector of Saxony laid siege to Augsbourg the which combustions had so great influence on the Affairs of Trent that the Italian Bishops departed as did also the Protestants and a small number of Prelats remaining and the Legat greatly indisposed in his health the Council broke up being prorogued for the space of two years during which time it was hoped and expected that the present storms would be blown over and Men return to a more mild and calm temper of spirit In this manner the Gown gave way to the Sword which commonly decides the most knotty difficulties and puts an end to long Disputes of Councils and the Schools For now Henry II. King of France having joyned his Arms with Maurice Duke of Saxony and other discontented Princes of Germany made War on the Emperor the King was inveterately angry for the injury he had received in the matter of Parma the Duke incensed by reason of the ill treatment of his Father-in-law Philip the Lantgrave of Hesse whom the Emperor suffered to languish in a tedious imprisonment and all in general
of the Catholick Religion had by the Authority of the Inquisition established condemned some to the Gallies and others to the Fire yet finding that these severities operated little upon minds already prepossessed with an Opinion of Religion and Conscience he was desirous to make trial of the more gentle and soft means of Instructions lest his People becoming desperate under their hardship and torments should be persuaded to believe it lawful to take up Arms in defence of their Persons and their Religion The Pope ill relished this Proposal declaring that he would never consent to have his Authority put to compromise or his Power compounded for that he was well acquainted with what obstinacy the Hereticks maintained their Doctrines which were never to be confuted but by the Sword the which he esteemed to be the most effectual way of Instruction and having persuaded the Duke to that remedy a War was begun in the Valleys which continued for a long time Nor were the disturbances in France less grievous than in Savoy where many were put to death for no other cause than for their zeal to the true reformed Religion and the salvation of their own Souls though it is true that many who were ambitious and desirous of Novelty did under this guise and cloak of Religion and with pretence of rescuing the King and the Dignity of the Sovereign Magistrate from the usurpations and tyranny of the Duke of Guise and his Party take up Arms and enter into Rebellion against their King but being afterwards beaten and many killed others were afterwards tried and for their Offences justly condemned to die and to all others who being misguided by Religion should lay down their Arms in the space of twenty four hours Proclamation was made that they should be received to mercy by a full and plenary Pardon from his Majesty But now the humours of the People being moved and hopes conceived of obtaining liberty of Conscience great tumults were raised in Provence Languedoc Poitou and other places so that how to suppress these tumults and quiet the minds of the people which were feavered with the heats of Religion was the great matter debated in the Councils of France and whereas it was objected by the Cardinal Armagnac that no Ecclesiastical remedy could be applyed without the assent and concurrence of the Pope this scruple was soon exploded by the contrary Opinion of the most of the Council who alledged that God had given to every Nation a full Power and Authority within it self to provide remedies necessary and agreeable to the present government of their State without having recourse to forein and far distant Powers for as it were unreasonable in case of fire and terrible incendiations within the City of Paris to expect till waters were brought from the Tybur to extinguish the flames and in the mean time neglect the use of the more near and convenient streams of the Seine and Mearne so also would it be in this great conflagration of civil-War to neglect remedies at home until we can fetch them from remote and distant Countries In short therefore it was agreed that a National Council should be assembled composed of all the Prelats of the Kingdom whose business it should be to consult and find out means to give a stop to the growing evils and to the course of those infections which were ready to poison and overwhelm the whole Kingdom Howsoever lest this Edict for summoning a National Council should be ill taken by the Pope and interpreted for a point of disrespect to the Apostolical Sea without his consent thereunto or at least an intimation given thereof it was ordered that the Ambassadour residing at Rome should by word of mouth represent the many dangers and growing evils within the Kingdom of France which could be cured by no other remedy than a National Assembly and that the dangers thereof were so pressing as not to admit the slow Methods of forein Assistance These matters being exactly in this manner represented to the Pope were very ill resented by him judging that such an Assembly of Prelats could not be convened without a breach of the Ecclesiastical Canons nor without prejudice to the Papal Authority which to make more clearly appear he resolved to dispatch the Bishop of Viterbo into France to make known unto his Majesty That such an Assembly was never admitted by former Popes in any Country or Kingdom whatsoever they being well assured that such a meeting would serve to no other end than to administer unto greater division and confusion and produce a Schism in the Church Catholick and That it would serve farther to exalt the pride of the Prelats inspiring them with an Opinion of some superiour Authority inherent in them above that of the Pope or of the King but if he would apply a true and an effectual remedy none could be so successful as a General Council which he had resolved shortly to assemble and that in the mean time nothing could be so available as that the Bishops be commanded to repair to their respective Dioceses and the Curats to their Parishes and there to watch over their Flocks and hinder Thieves and Wolves from breaking within the Fold and finally desired that their Spiritual Authority might be reinforced by the Power of the Civil Magistrate and the Arms of Regal force The Bishop of Viterbo being with these Instructions dispeeded into France he was farther commanded in his Journey thither to negotiate matters in the same form at the Court of Savoy and to incite the Duke to make War upon Geneva which they called the Nest of Heresie and the root from whence sprang all the false Doctrines of the new Religion the Bishop accordingly did not fail on his part to represent all matters to the Duke agreeable to his Instructions and found in him a ready disposition to embrace all the Proposals made him by the Pope especially the Enterprise against Geneva provided that with the consent both of Spain and France he might possess and enjoy that City This Demand was easily admitted on the side of Spain but they well knew that it would never be granted by France which had long aspired to that Dominion to which the Spaniards would accord being more willing to see that place the Capital Throne of the new Religion than a Seat of the French Power for that being near to the Dukedom of Burgundy might prove an ill Neighbour to that part of the Spanish Dominions Howsoever that the King of Spain might follow the Pope's inclinations in concurrence with the French as far as prudence and caution directed he dispatched Don Antonio de Toledo his Ambassadour into France to offer unto that King his utmost assistance and to joyn his Arms unto his for the total ruin and extirpation of Heresie But the Court of France would yield no ear to either of these Propositions they would gladly indeed have had the possession of Geneva but the Enterprise seemed difficult
the principal Legats By this addition the Council began to be numerous the Prelats onely amounting to the number of two hundred and eighteen which though much inferiour to Antient Councils were howsoever a greater appearance than any that had yet been known in Trent The favourers of the Roman Party looked on this increase as a recruit of Auxiliaries which were come in to reinforce their Enemies and therefore to redouble their vigilance and augment their force the Pope dispeeded all the Power he had of Cardinals and Bishops to the Council fearing that the Union which was formed between the Spaniards French and Germans would be too powerful for his Italian Adherents The 23d of November was the day when the Cardinal of Lorain made his first appearance in the Congregation when as a Prologue to all the rest the King's Letters were first read containing little more than to pray and exhort the Council in general terms that they would bend all their labours and endeavours towards a Reformation and to those means which might restore Peace and Unity in the Church The Letters being read the Cardinal in an elaborate and pathetical Speech began to relate the calamities which the Wars about Religion had caused in France desiring the Council that for a remedy thereof they would be pleased to be indulgent to the Protestants in condescending to their weak and tender Consciences so far as was consistent with the Doctrines of Faith and then declaiming against the corruptions which were crept into the Church he instantly desired that an inspection might be made into the many abuses of which the Clergy were guilty to whom he ingeniously applyed the History of the Prophet Jonas We said he are the cause of all these storms we that have departed and fled from the face of God cast us into the Seas and the tempest will abate This Discourse was seconded by the French Ambassadour du Ferrier much to the same purpose and then concluded thus If you ask me why France is not in Peace and what is the cause of all these divisions which thus miserably rend and tear out the bowels of that distressed Nation I must answer you in the same manner as Jehu did to Joram 2 Kings c. 9. v. 22. when he asked Is it peace Jehu How can it be peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many In fine he frankly told them That in case they took not some course to reform the disorders in France all the bloud that was there spilt would be laid to their charge and though this plain dealing did infinitely displease the favourers of the Court of Rome yet they judged it seasonable to dissemble their Resentments fearing lest France in that doubtful state should make a total defection from the Sea of Rome And now it is curious and worthy our observation to consider that whilest the specious Proposal of Reformation was offered it was plausible and consented unto in general terms by every Party and Interest but when they descended to particulars and would apply the remedies to the respective abuses then there appeared a strange and prodigious diversity in their Opinions every one being willing to reform others but not himself or his Party easily observing the Moat in their Brothers Eye but not the Beam in their own The Court of Rome would gladly assent to a reformation of Princes and Bishops but not yield to any inspection which might be made into the corruptions of their Consistories or into the Power which they had usurped The Bishops could easily agree to a reformation of Manners in the Courts of the Pope and of their respective Princes but could not hear of having their Authority or Revenues retrenched The Kings and Princes instantly pressed to have a reformation of the Clergy both of the Head and of the Members but could not endure to hear of having their Regalia diminished or the Power of conferring and disposing Benefices according to their pleasure Wherefore it was impossible that all their different Interests could ever be reconciled or at the end concenter in a single Tertio or common agreement Wherefore being wearied with these Debates and finding out new Expedients which could never square with the form of such Dissenting Interests they again re-assumed the old and wearisom Debates about the being of Residencies and Episcopacy by Divine Right in which nothing of the former heats were abated The Bishop of Auranch declared positively that his Opinion was that Episcopacy was by Divine Right and that the Authority of the Pope differed not from that of an ordinary Bishop but onely in degree and was restrained within the limits of the Canons He farther applauded the Decrees of the Parliament of Paris which declared the abusive Bulls of the Pope to be void in their own nature and forbad to have them put into Execution and thus much said he the Power of my Master is able to verify and make good But the heats about Residencies began to abate it being made appear that if that Point were once gained it would not onely be an eclipse but a total ruin of the Papal Authority for if the Residence of Bishops were declared to be by Divine Right it would follow that the Pope thenceforth remains devested of all Power to transfer diminish divide or make any change or alteration in the Episcopal Seas All which though the Spaniards knew very well and that their aim was onely to advance their own Interest and Authority yet they would seem to maintain the contrary and that this Concession would serve to render the Papal Power more considerable and glorious In fine it was agreed to send this Point about Residencies to the Pope by the Bishop of Ventimille Thus was this whole year consumed in these Controversies the last day of December concluding with a Congregation at which it was resolved that the Session should be deferred for fifteen days At the beginning of this year 1563. the French proposed thirty four Articles in order to a Reformation the most part of which respected the Clergy tending to the correction of abuses in Ordinations and promotion of unworthy Persons both for their lives and knowledg to places of eminence and honour in the Church Some also related to the Court of Rome and to the retrenchment of its Revenue the exaction whereof was an agrievance to the People of France Other Articles forbad Plurality of Benefices and Moneys or rewards to be given for administration of the Sacraments It was also required that Divine Service might be rendred and performed in the French Tongue at least that the principal Prayers be pronounced both in the French and in the Latin Tongue That the Communion be delivered in both kinds That Bishops within their respective Dioceses have a jurisdiction over the Religious in Monasteries as well as over Seculars That all abuses be taken away in the superstitious worship of Images and the fond and vain
being once celebrated is of force and not to be again dissolved but by Authority and dispensation of the Church After divers debates thereupon the Bishop of Metz was so happy as to find a form of words for that Canon which contented all Parties which was this That though the Church hath ever forbidden and detested Clandestine Marriages yet whosoever denies Clandestine Marriage to be a Sacrament let him be Anathema The marriage of Priests admitted now of no farther difficulty for though the Emperor the King of France and the Duke of Bavaria demanded that priviledg in behalf of their People yet that Point was now laid aside and all instances in that matter were denied to be heard or admitted to farther question or examination in the Council After this the Legats proposed thirty eight Articles in order to a Reformation which contained the many abuses and encroachments which Secular Princes had made upon the Rights of the Church but the Cardinal of Lorain was for abbreviating the Articles and for cutting off all those which might administer matter of Controversie so that by a speedy dispatch thereof the Council might tend towards a conclusion which caused many to wonder that the zeal which he had so warmly evidenced at first for a Reformation should so soon vanish and be evaporated A Copy of these Articles being communicated to the Ambassadours every one made his observations reflections and additions thereunto as was most consistent with the affairs of their respective Masters For the chief Remarks and alterations of the Ambassadours tended to something which might abate the Power and Authority of the Pope over the Ordinaries and the jurisdiction of the Bishops themselves over the Civil and Municipal Courts But the French were the most severe of any in the rules of Reformation For they would have the number of Cardinals restrained to twenty four that the Nephews of Popes during the life of the Pope should not be capable to receive a Cardinals Hat that Cardinals should be made uncapable to hold Bishopricks that criminal causes against Bishops should not be judg'd at other Tribunals than such as are within the Dominions of France That Bishops should be endued with plenary Power to give absolution in all Cases That Ecclesiastical persons should not be concerned or intermedle in secular Affairs and in short that they do no act or thing which may infringe the Law of France or intrench on the Liberties of the Gallican Church These particulars for reformation of the Church thus delivered were to be prepared against the next Session and as resolved so to be enacted and for Reformation of the Courts of Princes it was by agreement of the Ambassadours reserved as the chief matter and subject for a subsequent Session These Proposals were in no manner acceptable to the Pope who could not endure such fatal attempts on the Power and prerogative of the Church to avoid which nothing could be a defence or remedy but onely the dissolution of the Council to which end he earnestly wrote to all his Nuncios residing in the Courts of forein Princes commanding them to use their utmost art and skill to persuade the respective Princes to be aiding and concurring herein And farther gave orders to his Legats at Trent to grant freely whatsoever could not be refused and with all decent speed to put a final end and conclusion to the Council but this Design encountred some rubs and obstructions from the Spanish Ambassadour and others of that Party who complained of the private Cabals which the Legats held with certain Cardinals and other Confidents in exclusion of the Spanish Interest But their complaints were little regarded by the Legats whose greatest incumbence then was to satisfy the Bishops without whose concurrence the Council could not be dissolved For now the intention of the Bishops being to make use of this occasion to enlarge their Power and obtain some priviledges which were derogatory to the Papal Chair made that point of gaining the good will of the Bishops to be the more difficult because that their pretences of subjecting Monasteries and regulation of Friers and certain priviledged Churches to the Episcopal Jurisdiction which were exempted from it by Orders of the Pope found most opposition from the Generals of the respective Orders and indeed the Ambassadours themselves did not much favour this Demand which seem'd too highly to advance and exalt the pride and power of the Bishops Whilest these things were under Debate the French Ambassadours received a large Pacquet from their Master in answer to the late Proposals projected for a Model to reform abuses in the Courts of Princes the which much displeased the King and his Ministers of State who wondered at the daring attempts of the Clergy on the King 's Royal Power and Authority under a pretence of Reformation contenting themselves in the mean time with a slight and superficial review of their own abuses and therefore persuaded the Fathers of the Council to attend unto matters purely Spiritual and to such Acts as might serve to reform corruptions crept into the Church and to correct the debauched lives of Priests and Monks the scandal of which had been the cause of all the Schism in the Church rather than to intermedle with the sacred Prerogative of Kings or abett and maintain the Clergy in their opposition and contumacy against their Sovereign Thus much the Ambassadours had Orders to signifie to the Council with farther Instructions that in case they should notwithstanding this intimation proceed to encroach on the King's Regalia that then they should make their Protest and retire to Venice all which the Ambassadours made known to the Cardinal of Lorain and declared to the Legats requiring the Bishops to supersede their pretensions to those honours and priviledges which were the sole Right and Prerogative of Kings The Bishops who were resolutely bent to maintain those Emoluments which so nearly concerned them protested before the Legats that they would neither enter more into the Congregation nor give their advice or Voice in any matter unless they were first secured of the Rights to which they pretended which a hundred of them obliged themselves by solemn Oath never to remit All which violent Contests took up so much time that when the 15th of September was come which was the day before the Session nothing was duly prepared in order to pass into a Canon and therefore the time was prorogued until the 11th of November that so in the interim the Cardinal of Lorain might have sufficient time to make his Journey to Rome where he was greatly desired by the Pope and all that Party The Cardinal being arrived at Rome was received with all the joy and honours imaginable he was lodged in the Pope's Palace and immediately in Person visited by him which was a Complement that never Pope had made before to any under that character of a Cardinal After which there passed such kindness between them at several private
Conferences that the Pope seemed to refuse nothing which might engage and oblige the Cardinal having at his instance granted an alienation from the Church of three hundred thousand Livers a year to the King of France which Bene had formerly been demanded and sollicited with great importunity but could never be obtained until this endearment happened between the Cardinal and the Pope For now their mutual intimacy and friendship began to be so great that the Pope opened his bosom and heart to him giving him to understand that the Council being become a burden to him which he could not support he had therefore sent a private Bull to his Legats either to prorogue or adjourn it to some other place as should be most agreeable to the state of Affairs but the Cardinal who professed to have the same Interest for that his occasions required his presence in France yet could not concur in Opinion either to have the Council prorogued or adjourned to an other place but rather to dispose matters in order to a Conclusion which might easily be effected by laying aside all those Points which might administer matter or cause of Dispute promising to contribute to this Design all the Power and Interest he had with the Ambassadours and Bishops that so every thing might terminate happily and to the satisfaction of the Court of Rome The Pope being overjoyed with these Promises was comforted in the highest degree by the consolatory expressions of the Cardinal in return for which he promised to use all his endeavours to create him his Successour by engaging such a number of Cardinals in his favour as should secure his Election promising in the mean time to make him the chief Instrument of all his grand Designs Thus was the one elevated in his hopes and expectations of high preferments and the other encouraged against the refractory opposition of the French Prelats who were now grown mutinous and the Papal Authority rendered contemptible to them For at that time Chatillion had voluntarily renounced his character of Cardinal and called himself by the title of Count de Beauvais and in contempt of that Dignity was married in the habit of a Cardinal as if he intended by that action to have rendered that Honour ridiculous The French Prelats also being disgusted five of them retired from Trent having easily obtained their license from the Legats whose chief endeavours and labour was now to appease the Sedition and mutinies of the Bishops who were come to that unbridled usurpation and entrenchments on the temporal jurisdiction of Princes and Magistrates that they constrained the Legats to read in the Congregation that Model of a Decree which they had projected for Reformation of Secular Magistrates the particulars of which were so licentious and extravagant as deserve to be noted for discovery of that Pride which reigned amongst the Clergy of those days the contents of which were these That a Clergy-man was not liable to the Sentence of a Secular Court nor could he be tryed at that Bar though he himself should consent thereunto that the Secular Judges should not intermedle with causes relating to Matrimony to Heresie to Tenths Advowsons or rights of Patronage nor with any other causes whether civil or criminal wherein the Ecclesiastical Censure was or might be concerned That no Injunction be issued out of a Secular Court to hinder the proceedings of the Ecclesiastical in points of Excommunication though taken out against the Emperor himself or against Kings Nor shall the Civil Law contradict or interfere with the Ecclesiastical in matters which relate to the Affairs Goods or possessions of the Church which is endued with a Power of constituting its own Courts and Officers of several degrees ranks and qualities That the Clergy shall be exempt from Taxes Imposts Tithes or Subsidies whatsoever That Princes or Magistrates shall not have Power to quarter Soldiers Officers or Horse within the Houses or on the possessions of the Clergy with several other Articles of like tenure which were so repugnant to the Power of Kings that is seemed to shake their Authority and set up an other Soveraignty within their own Kingdoms independant of the Regal Jurisdiction for which reason the French Ambassadours having made their Protest against these Articles in the space of fifteen days afterwards retired from Trent to Venice according to the Orders which they had received from France The news of this retreat of the Ambassadours was very unwelcome to the Court of Rome and especially to the Cardinal of Lorain who apprehended that this unexpected accident would much eclipse his Credit and Reputation with the Pope and defeat the hopes he had conceived of his new preferment which that he might still keep up he promised the Pope to write and accordingly did write unto the King in such terms as plainly evidenced how far he had abandoned the Principles he brought from France and sacrificed them to a new aad strange Interest which he had acquired at Rome After which the Pope wrote to the Legats to prepare for the following Session according to the time appointed and to commence immediately after the return of the Cardinal to Trent and then speedily to wind all things up so as to put a final conclusion to the Council in which there seemed no great difficulty for that the French and Germans being drawn off they had none to deal with but onely with the Spaniards Howsoever the Pope resenting highly the retirement of the five French Bishops accused them of Heresie and cited them to make their defence before the Tribunal of Inquisition at Rome in like manner he issued out Process against Jane Queen of Navarre Widow of Anthony of Bourbon upon an accusation of Heresie in order to depose her from her Crown and Dignity the which Decrees were divulged and affixed on all publick places And though the Cardinal did in dislike thereof represent unto the Pope that this manner of proceeding was contrary to the received Maxims of France and the liberties of the Gallican Church and that it was not seasonable to proceed with such rigour against a Queen who was an Ally of France and the Relict of one lately slain in Battel against the Hugenots and that it was too early to summon Bishops to receive judgment at Rome against which the Council of France had so lately protested yet the Cardinal having performed this Office in a cold and perfunctory manner as if he intended rather to acquit himself with his Master than gain his Point gave no satisfaction to the Government of France which therefore making use of the Ambassadour Monsieur d' Oisel in this Negotiation his endeavours succeeded so well that the Process against the Queen of Navarre and the five Bishops was superseded and the whole matter buried in silence And that the King might shew how little he regarded the Decrees of the Council he proceeded actually to alienate the Lands of the Church before the License and Grant of the Pope
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
the Oar in the Gallies of the Turks Of the Christians after the fight was ended upon the numbers wanting in every Vessel the account of the slain amounted to seven thousand six hundred fifty six This signal Victory was attributed as much to the devout Prayers and Benediction of the Pope as to the valour of the Soldiers and conduct of the Captains the report of which as it filled all Europe with joy so it made way for the glories of Don John who was received into Messina with all the Triumphs and Festivals which that City could express also Antonio Colonna was with the like honour and triumph received at Rome Nor did the Venetian General want such encouragements and honours as that Republick commonly bestows in reward of Valour and Merit In memory of which signal Victory they stamped divers Medals with this Inscription Anno Magnae Navalis Victoriae Dei gratiâ contra Turcas This memorable Victory was obtained in the time of this Pius V. who was certainly one of the best of the Popes and therefore I know not why we may not say without offence to any that this happy success might be given in reward of the Devotion and Piety of this Pope for I am persuaded that God hath a particular care of godly Kings and Princes for whose sake as he often blesseth their people so he bestows some memorable blessings on them of signal Remark in their Reign On which persuasion I am apt to believe that as God bestowed this Victory on the Christians in the time of this Pius V. against that great Sultan Selim II. So now in these our days he hath given Victory and unexpected success to the Christians before the Walls of Vienna against Mahomet IV. in reward of the great Piety and Devotion of Leopold the Emperour whose Devotion and Prayers joyned to the Arms of the King of Poland and of other Princes have operated Miracles and delivered Germany in a wonderful manner from the power of the Turk And yet notwithstanding the religious temper of this Pope we find that he excommunicated Queen Elizabeth as far as his Bull would operate he deposed her from Royal Dignities and conferred her Crown on Mary Queen of Scots and persuaded Philip King of Spain to seize on the effects of the English Merchants at Antwerp and other parts of the Low-Countries and to assist the Catholick Subjects in England in their godly and religious Conspiracies as Gabutius calls them against the Queen their natural Sovereign Pius oblatam occasionem haud contemnendam esse ratus efflatigabat ab Rege ut Anglorum in Elizabetham pie conspirantium studia foveret Thus we see how far a mistaken zeal may transport good Men which though it may in some measure excuse from the aggravation of a Crime yet it cannot prove sufficient to set Men entirely upright at the great day of the just Ballance This Pope added also to his other Excellencies the Virtue of loving wife and learned Men and such as were endued with a vivacity and acuteness of parts for he scarce preferred any to considerable Dignity but such as were excellent in some degree or other and of the twenty one Cardinals which he created at three several times there were five of them at least who were Men of extraordinary Abilities and famous in their Generation He founded certain publick places for Learning and Piety amongst which he endowed a College in the University of Pavia for the Education of Youth and affixed over it the Arms of the Ghislers at Boschi the place of his Birth he built a Monastery for Dominican Friers and endowed it with a competent Revenue and to demonstrate his gratitude to his Antient Benefactors he created a Magnificent Sepulcre in memory of Paul V. by whom he was created Cardinal and in short he made many new Buildings and repaired several that were decayed in the Vatican and both within and without the City of Rome After all which about the middle of March 1572. he became indisposed by a stoppage of Urin of which he commonly had a fit in that Month the which illness encreasing upon him gave him notice that his end approached from which time converting all his thoughts to holy and pious meditations he spent the short remainder of his time in the preparation of his Soul for death which happened on the first of May following the same day he died his Body was embowel'd and three little stones found at the neck of his bladder which the Physitians declared to be the cause of his death He was generally lamented by all and especially by vertuous Men for considering his principles his Enemies had nothing worse to object than that he gave a Dispensation to Philip King of Spain to marry with the Daughter of his Sister and of Maximilian his near Kinsman and yet would never be induced to consent unto the Marriage of Margaret of Valois Sister of the King of France with Henry King of Navarre making the difference of Religion a greater bar to Marriage than the degrees of consanguinity forbidden by the Levitical Law The day after his death his Body being clothed in the habit of a Jacobin was carried into the Church of St. Peter where the people assembled in great numbers to render him Honour and Veneration every one touching their Beads and Rosaries at his Body in the same manner as was their practice at the Reliques of Saints and afterwards he was honourably buried in the same Church where his Body lay deposited until afterwards Sixtus V. in grateful remembrance of the benefits he had received from him transported it to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and erected a stately Monument over it in a Chappel built for that purpose with this Epitaph inscribed upon it Pio V. Pont. Max ex Ordine Praedicatorum Sixtus V. Pont. Max. ex Ordine Minorum grati animi monumentum posuit GREGORY XIII PIVS the Fifth being dead and his Funeral Rites after the accustomed manner being performed the Cardinals entred the Conclave and with common consent elected Hugo Buoncompagno who was Priest and Cardinal of S. Sixtus to the dignity of Pope he was born at Bologna of the antient Family of the Buoncompagni his Father was called Christopher and his Mother Agnola Marascalchi by whom he was at first educated in the Studies of the Civil Law in which having made great proficiency he took his degree of Doctor in the University of Bologna at the age of twenty eight years and in a short time was made Judg of the Court of Trade erected in that City for tryal of Mercantile Causes afterwards in hopes of better preferment he went to Rome where he was constituted an Assistant to the Senator who was Judg of the Court held in the Capitol and the year following he was made Clerk of the Signet for Dispensasations and other Beneficences In the time of Paul III. he was employed at the Council of Trent and made Vice-Auditor of the
which they knew or of which they could accuse their Judges who had for the space of five or six years sat in the Seat of Judicature By these means every day one poor Judg or other who perhaps also was out of employment was dragged away to Prison and close shut up for what Crime he knew not or perhaps had forgot the Sentence he had passed in the Case for which he was accused These and many such like cases of severity strook such a terrour into the minds of those who sat on the Tribunals of Justice or managed any publick employment that every one became cautious and nice in the Sentences he gave or how by fear or bribery he remitted the least scruple or severity which the Law enjoyned or required Farther he gave strict charge to all Sindics and Governours of Towns and Castles to give in a particular List or account of all Felons within their respective Precincts who had for the space of ten years past been accused or branded with Capital Crimes and also of all such who had been convicted for scandalous and infamous persons and Incorrigible during the time of their Sindicate In which Lists he required such an exact impartiality that upon Information given against the Sindic of Albano how in the List of the Dissolute and Incorrigible he had omitted to insert the name of his Nephew he was sentenced by the Pope himself to undergo the Strapado in the publick Market-place from which punishment all the Intercession and Prayers and Interest which the Spanish Ambassadour could make in his behalf was not able to deliver him By these means the Lists of Dissolute Persons which were immediately directed to the hand of the Pope were so very exact that no person was exempted who was guilty of the least Crime Which when the Pope saw and observed every Week as they were sent him he was greatly pleased and especially with those which were filled with a great number of names for in reading of them he would often say Oh happy Gallies which I intend to build O happy I who have first found Men for my Gallies before I found Gallies for my Men. The which severity of the Pope from whom there could never be any expectation of Pardon so terrified all sorts and conditions of People that every one comported himself with the greatest modesty and gravity imaginable that an Oath or a rude or uncivil word was not heard through any of the streets of Rome but every one being alarm'd and dreading as if he had always a Constable or a Pursuivant at his back walked with his beads in his hand repeating a Pater-Noster or some other Prayer with a sorrowful and penitential countenance By these Methods all the Banditi who being grown licentious under the gentle Government of other Popes and who spoiled and destroyed all Italy were now by the Justice of this Pope almost wholly extirpated for such as fled out of the State of the Church to the Dominions of other Princes he so prosecuted by laying Fines on any who secured or succoured them and setting a price on the head of every considerable Bandito that in a short time he reduced them to a small number and totally suppressed the pride and insolence of that pest of mankind And thus resolutely was Sixtus bent to punish the Enormities of wicked Men that whereas it had been the custom of former Popes to shew acts of mercy and pardon on the day of their Coronation opening the Prison Gates and enlarging the Prisoners this Sixtus absolutely refused to grant releasement to any though instantly urged by the Cardinals alledging That there were Rogues sufficient about the streets without ransacking the Prisons for them That he had taken a resolution when he was first made Pope to chastise the wicked and not suffer their Villanies to corrupt and intermix with the Vertues of good Men. By these severities all people lived in quiet and peace one with the other no Sword was drawn in the City nor quarelsom words or uncivil language uttered it being a common saying to Men at variance together Remember these are the times of Sixtus Thus when the Banditi were suppressed the good and benefit was so great to all Italy that the Citizens of Rome erected a Statue of Brass to the memory of this Rome on which these words were engraven Sixto V. Pont. Max. ob quietem publicam compressa Sicariorum Exulumque licentiâ restitutam Annonae inopiam sublevatam urbem edificiis viis aquaeductu illustratam SPQR And farther to demonstrate the inflexible humour of this Pope it is observable that a poor Youth of about seventeen years of age making a resistance against the Bayliffs who came to distrain an Ass for some Duties owing and by Law ordained to be paid in which seizure though the Officers made a mistake for that the Ass did not belong to the party who owed the Mony yet because he offended against the course of Justice by making opposition to it he was condemned to die nor could the persuasions or Intercessions of the G. Duke's Ambassadour nor of the Cardinal of Medici prevail in his behalf or mitigate the rigour of the Sentence and when the Governour of Rome alledged that the youth being under age could not by Law be put to death for this Crime the Pope replyed If he want years I will lend him ten of mine Nor did Sixtus exercise this severity onely towards his own People but he was brisk and haughty towards all Christian Princes for in a few days after his Coronation or at most in two months after he quarrelled with Henry III. King of France with Henry King of Navarre and with Philip II. King of Spain The occasion of his quarrel with Spain seemed to have had no other cause or foundation than his own pride and desire of usurpation and which happened in this manner It had been the custom ever since the time of the Emperour Charles V. for the King of Spain by his Ambassadour at Rome to present yearly on the 29th day of June which is the Festival of St. Peter a white Horse with a Purse of seven thousand Ducats in Gold to the Pope for a Tribute and acknowledgment for the Kingdom of Naples which that King holds as feudatary to the Ecclesiastical State And now on the usual day Sixtus appearing on a Throne with pomp and mignificence to receive his Tribute which the Ambassadour in a quaint Speech and with fine Complements presented he seemed not very well satisfied therewith but returned this tart and Satyrical Reply You think now said he that you have made a fine Speech and indeed so you have for you have made us change a Kingdom for a Beast and still seeming uneasie as he was about to rise he added these suspitious words But we believe that this business will not proceed long in this manner These words immediately touched the Ambassadour to the quick and giving him just cause of reflection
thereupon he dispatched them for Spain by the first Post and to the Duke of Ossuna then vice-Vice-King of Naples the which administred not onely cause of jealousie and incited the vice-Vice-King to be watchful against the least commotions but was the cause of misunderstanding and ill correspondence between Sixtus and Philip of Spain But the quarrel which he had with the French King was of another nature and grounded on more substantial differences and considering the fierce resolution of Sixtus might have produced more prejudicial consequences The Dispute had its beginning from a Message sent by the Pope to the French Ambassadour signifying to him by break of day in the morning that it was the Pope's pleasure that in tâ—â— space of two days time he should depart from Rome and from the jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical State the occasion of this intimation was this The Pope for reasons best known to himself had recalled from the Court of France his Nuntio the Bishop of Bergamo with intention to dispeed Fabio Mirto the Arch-bishop of Nazaret to reside in his place for he being a Person of prudence and noted for his admirable conduct and dexterity in the management of Affairs the Pope took an extraordinary liking to him especially for having managed the Office of Nuntio at other times with great success but the French King so soon as he received Intelligence that this Arch-bishop of Nazaret was coming Nuntio to Paris and understood by his Character that he was a Person zealous and entirely devoted to the Interest of the Pope he immediately dispatched an Express to him with Letters desiring him that wheresoever those Letters should be delivered to his hands he should remain and abide until new Orders should come to the Pope whom he had instantly desired that the Bishop of Bergamo might still continue in his Office The Arch-bishop of Nazaret being proceeded as far as Lions when he received the King's Orders seemed greatly surprized with this unexpected interruption saying that his Master the Pope who was impatient of Injuries would highly resent an Affront of this nature and that whereas he had Instructions to return back from what place soever he found the least difficulty or interruption in his Journey he was resolved the next day to set his face towards Rome the which would produce an ill correspondence with France for the Bishop of Bergamo would certainly be recalled and the Kingdom left without the residence of a Nuntio So soon as this News was brought to Rome the Pope resented it in a fierce manner and with high words against the French King threatned revenge with Thunderbolts of Excommunication and other Ecclesiastical Censures and in the heat of this fury without the consultation of a Consistory he sent immediately to the French Ambassadour to depart from Rome and out of the Dominion of the Church On the other side when this news arrived at the French Court the King expressed his resentments thereof to his Council and calling together all the Ministers of forein Princes he in their presence stated the difference in the case between himself and the Pope protesting against the Injuries he had received In fine after several Letters which passed by Expresses between the King and the Pope without any good understanding on either side for the Pope was resolved not to yield his Point at length by the mediation of forein Ambassadours at Paris and the interposition of Cardinal d' Este and other Cardinals at Rome the matter was accommodated so that the King received the Arch-bishop of Nazaret at Paris and the Pope recalled the French Ambassadour the Sieur St. Godart to Rome whom in his fury he had lately dispeeded from thence But such quarrels as these were like the fallings out of Friends which are easily reconcileable and of small importance in respect of those grand Feuds which were commenced between the Pope and Henry King of Navarre on the score of Religion for in regard that in the Reign of Gregory XIII a League was made against the Protestant Religion and directed against the Person of the said Henry which Pope Gregory refused to subscribe but now this Sixtus V. who was of a towring Spirit and one who delighted out of the pride of his heart to mortifie Princes and contend with great Personages not onely subscribed to the League in a most solemn manner but with terrible maledictions issued out his Bulls of Excommunication against the person of Henry King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde declaring them guilty of Heresie and to be the chief Fomenters and Protectors of the heretical party and that consequently the said Henry his Heirs and all descended from him was by the just Censures of the Canonical Law rendered uncapable to succeed in the right of any Principality and particularly to the Crown of France and accordingly he did absolve all his Subjects from their Oath of Allegiance and the Obedience they had sworn to him Notwithstanding all these Menaces of the Pope and the power of the League Henry comported himself with that Courage and generosity of mind that the Pope could not but much admire the heroick spirit of that King and conceived such an extraordinary Opinion of his Abilities and worth that he would frequently say that there were onely two Princes in the World namely the King of Navarre and Elizabeth Queen of England whose friendship and correspondence he would court and desire but that the guilt of Heresie had rendered them uncapable of his Acquaintance And in such esteem those two were with him notwithstanding the prejudice he had to them for the cause of Religion that in his ordinary Discourse he would use this saying That to make things go well in the World there was need onely of three Persons viz. Elizabeth Henry and Sixtus It is said also that Queen Elizabeth conceived such an esteem for this Pope Sixtus that she would often commend his Talent and excellent Qualities for Government And that when some would discourse of her Marrying she would often say that if she did marry she would have no other Husband than Pope Sixtus which being reported to him again he replyed thereupon That if they two should lie one night together they should beget an other Alexander for the World The Duke of Ossuna in the time of this Sixtus was Vice King of Naples a Person esteemed the wisest Governour and the best Politician of his Age and yet was highly blamed by this Pope for not revenging the murther of Starace who in a popular Insurrection was assassinated by the people for no other reason than that he was esteemed a Confident and a Creature of Ossuna upon which neglect and default the Pope entertaining Discourses frequently with the Spanish Ambassadour would often say That two Instruments were necessary for the people that is Bread and cold Iron repeating those words often Bread I say and cold Iron But Ossuna who had no need of those Admonitions not long after or so
him thence and secured him in the Nuntio's Prison The news of this Attempt allarm'd all the Protestant Cantons who by way of Reprisals seized the first Priest they could meet and confined him within their own Prison resolving not to set him at liberty without the release or enlargement of the other This Accident caused great disturbance and commotions both amongst the Protestants and Catholicks Diets being called on both sides matters ran so high that a general rupture or War was feared of all the Cantons The Nuntio being also sensible of these disorders and not knowing unto what they might amount wrote to the Pope the whole sum of this matter to which he returned answer in this manner We have sent you to pacifie and quiet matters and not to make disturbances to give ease and repose to the Catholicks and not to put Arms into the hands of the Hereticks to convert the one and not to put the others into danger no people will be contented to lose their own right the point of Jurisdiction is more nice and brittle than a Christal Glass and therefore those cases are to be managed tenderly and with severe caution troubles and disquiets are dangerous to Catholicks but to Hereticks it may be profitable to fish in troubled Waters to give to Hereticks is a great evil but to take from them is highly dangerous Be therefore prudent in this case both for your own quiet and for mine The Nuntio collecting from this Answer that it was the Pope's pleasure to accommodate these matters He ordered it so that the Priest should be set at liberty but by way of escape rather than by formal enlargement the like expedient the Protestants took as to the other Priest by which means these matters were pacified and concluded Henry III. King of France as before related having composed his quarrel with the Pope about reception of his Nuntio the Bishop of Nazaret so good and fair a correspondence passed between them that the King adventured to demand license of the Pope to raise a hundred thousand Crowns from the revenue of the Church Sixtus who was unwilling to deprive the Church of such a sum nor yet to disoblige the King by a plain and positive refusal entertained his Ambassadour the Marquess Pisani with a delatory Answer such as this We shall consider we shall do nothing rashly but with Mature consideration which being often repeated and the Ambassadours wearied with such insignificant puts off which according to the stile of Italy and Rome imported no less than a civil denial acquainted the King with their Sentiments in the case which were that nothing could be expected from the Pope's bounty or concession upon which advice and upon a belief that this refusal was instilled by such Instruments as were employed in the Catholick League and particularly by the Duke of Guise and his party the King resolved to stand on his own bottom and to steer a course between the League and the Hugonots for as he durst not confide in the Catholick League so he feared the issue of the War against his Protestant Subjects both which though to appearance were equally dangerous yet a peace with the latter seemed most safe and desireable in pursuance of this Counsel a peace being concluded with the Protestants by negotiation of the Queen the promotors of the League of which the Duke of Guise was the Chief dispatched an Express immediately to Rome giving the Pope to understand the matter in these precise words That the cause of Religion was betrayed That the Cause of the Hugonots was openly and publickly favoured That the measures of the War were broken and all expectation of good and benefit lost which might redound by means of the League to the Catholick Cause That the heart of the King seemed much estranged to the Catholick party resolving to espouse protect and maintain the Heresie in France The Pope so soon as he received this Intelligence called the French Ambassadour to whom with words full of disdain and fury he complained of the proceedings of the King whom he mentioned as one infected with Heresie and already alienated and estranged from the Papal Sea and having called a Consistory Letters were wrote to the Nuntio Nazaret with Orders to intimate the Pope's just complaints to the King giving him to understand how much he did resent the Resolution he had taken to the prejudice of the Catholick Church which was of such ill consequence as took deep impression in the mind of the Pope and would be recorded with everlasting Characters of Infamy in the Histories of his Reign The Nuntio having received these Instructions and being backed by the instigation of the Duke of Guise represented the Pope's sence in warm and passionate terms In return unto which the King contrary to the equal temper of his nature retorted an Answer in brisk and sharp Expressions That it was a fine and easie matter for the Pope to stand and behold at a distance the miseries and afflictions of his Country and to give Counsel without assistance or contribution to the War for want of which and of a license to alienate so much of the Lands of the Church as might serve to raise the sum of a hundred thousand Crowns he was forced for preservation of his Kingdom and Regal Dignity to accept those Conditions which they called ruinous to the Church And then moderating his passion a little in more gentle and mild terms he desired the Nuntio to assure the Pope That he would ever adhere and remain constant to the faith of the Catholick Church and act in every thing to the advancement of it so far as he was able and that the want onely of Money had forced him to this resolution These particulars being wrote to Rome quieted a little the mind of the Pope who did all the time before do nothing either in the Consistory with the Cardinals or in his Discourses with the forein Ministers but rail and storm against the French King But being now satisfied by his Nuntio that the King had changed his mind and would be induced to continue the War against the Protestants provided he could be assisted with Aid from the Church the Pope immediately appointed a Bull to be drawn up and sealed giving Authority and Power to the King not onely to raise a hundred thousand Crowns out of the Estate of the Church as the King had demanded but also twenty thousand Crowns more for better encouragement to continue and persevere in the assurances given enjoyning the Nuntio to raise those sums on the Clergy without any contradiction or delatory proceedings Thus as Sixtus was zealous and profuse in such Expences as he judged conducive to the support of the Papal Authority so he was no less generous in works which might tend to the honour and ornament of it In which consideration reflecting one day on the manner and garb in which he desired his Nuntios might live in the Courts of forein
Briga But being pursued thither by the Enemy he was there besieged and afterwards taken Prisoner towards the end of January 1588. The Pope who was greatly concerned for this disgrace of Maximilian dispeeded Cardinal Aldobrandino into Poland to treat a Peace and an Accommodation between Maximilian and the Prince the which after various difficulties and Disputes was happily concluded about the beginning of March 1589. The Articles of which were that Maximilian should renounce all Title and pretence to the Crown of Poland by reason of the late Election or any other demand whatsoever and that the Prince of Sweden should remain the lawful and undoubted King which being agreed the Prince took possession and was named Sigismond III. The Pope who was no less zealous for the success of the King's Arms in France against his Protestant Subjects sent a Sword to the Duke of Guise who was chief of the Catholick League as he had lately done to the Prince Farnese who was Governour of Flanders the which was delivered by a Bishop who was purposely sent to present it and therewith to tender his paternal love and benediction to the Duke assuring him that he possessed a large room in the heart and breast of the Pope The Ceremony of delivering this Sword was performed with such pomp and triumph at Paris and with such popular acclamations of the multitude in favour of Guise as administred just cause of jealousie and fear to the King and though Guise was ambitious enough to be pleased therewith yet being immoderate and irregular his modesty told him that they were undecent The King in the mean time being eclipsed by the popular grandeur of Guise and by the troubles of a Civil War with which his Kingdom was infested did seem to resent the favours which the Pope shewed to Guise as unseasonable of which when Sixtus had knowledg and of the popular acclamations at the delivery of his Sword he was much troubled for he being of a humour always desirous to maintain Sovereignty in its highest degree of Honour and Power did by a Letter to the King exhort him to maintain his Prerogatives and conserve the honour of his Crown against the Insolencies and rebellions of his Subjects adding That a Canker in the bowels of his State was curable onely by cauterizing and by fire and Sword and that it was necessary to vent some of that blood which was too redundant in the veins of his Subjects The King made frequent reflections on this Letter and often gave it to the Duke of Guise to read and consider and being one day in Parliament where many Debates arose touching the ways and means by which the Civil Wars might be accommodated and a good understanding produced between him and his Subjects the King declared the great aversion of his mind to blood or other extremities which though he might justly by the Counsels and persuasions of the Pope yet he was more tender of the lives of his Subjects than to cure his troubles by such severe Remedies and to confirm the truth thereof he produced the Pope's Letter causing it publickly to be read in that Assembly which when the Parliament heard they Blessed themselves and as well the Catholicks as Protestants remained astonished and scandalized at this cruelty of the Universal Pastor who with such little remorse could suck the blood of Christ's Sheep as if he had rather been the Wolf than Shepherd of the Christian Flock Which when the Pope understood and was informed of all the Satyrs and Libels which the Protestants had composed on this occasion he was greatly disturbed that the King should so publickly expose his Counsels which he designed for his secret directions and having signified his resentment thereof by his Nuntio he would never afterwards adventure to write him a Letter but on all occasions of business referred himself by word of mouth to the report of his Nuntio And now Sixtus whose thoughts were ever employed on means which might enlarge or make great the Church did much incite Philip II. King of Spain to make War on Elizabeth Queen of England pressing him to re-assume his Right to that Kingdom which he had once governed and for encouragement thereunto he promised Count Olivarez the King's Ambassadour at Rome that so soon as the Spanish Army should be landed on any part of the English shoar he would immediately contribute a million of Crowns to that Design Nor was the Pope moved hereunto out of a zeal onely to Religion but out of a secular Design supposing that the chief Flower of the Nobility and Soldiery of Naples being drained thence on this Enterprize he might have a more facil passage to the possession of that Kingdom In pursuance therefore of this Design a great and wonderful Fleet of vast Caracks to the number of one hundred and fifty Sail being set to Sea on which were twenty three thousand Land Soldiers with two thousand pieces of Cannon of which the Duke of Medina Sidonia was made General they entered the Channel of England where being met by a small Fleet of Ships under the Command of Sir Francis Drake several broad-sides passed between them but at length the Divine Providence assisting England and defending the Protestant Cause the valour of the English and the successful direction of the Fire-ships prevailed with admirable fortune over the Spaniards against whom also God himself fighting as we may say by his Storms and Tempests totally defeated and destroyed this invincible Armada as we may more at large read in our Chronicles of England Sixtus having received the news of this unhappy defeat wrote Letters to Philip to condole with him for the loss and therewith taking an occasion to blame the management and conduct of his Officers he attributed the miscarriage of all to the want of care and experience of the Chief Commanders by which reflection of disgrace his intent was to prevent all Demands from him of reparation for this loss and on this subject he proceeded in a publick Consistory to blame and tax every Individual Chief both in the Army and in the Council of ill administration onely he took upon him to excuse Alexander Farnese Governour of the Low-Countries and to answer the aspersions which his Enemies had charged upon him declaring him to be the onely person who for his personal Valour and excellency of his Conduct was the most approved Captain of that Age. This Letter of Condolance wrote by the Pope was dispatched to his Nuntio at Madrid to be delivered to the King whose constancy of mind and evenness of temper was such that though the Nuntio well knew he had no need of Cordials or consolatory Exhortations yet the Commands of his Master were to be obeyed and the formality observed Whilest King Philip was reading the Letter he often smiled as if the Stile had rather been to congratulate his Victory than to condole for his loss Howsoever he thanked the Nuntio and promised to return an Answer thereunto
which though it be a year of repentance yet it is also a year of Jubilee and of spiritual joy and comfort Now because the love of Christ for whom we are Ambassadours to all Nations constraineth us and the zeal which we have for your Souls doth consume our spirit we exhort and beseech you all by the blood which Jesus Christ hath spilt and by his coming in the last day of Judgment especially at this time of Jubilee That every one be converted from the evil of his way and turn unto the Lord with a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned because the Lord is gracious and merciful full of compassion and long-suffering Wherefore according to the duty of our Pastoral Office we do call and chearfully invite you Our dear Children in Christ namely the Emperor the Kings and Catholick Princes with all the faithful of Christ wheresoever dispersed in the most remote parts of the World that they would be present at this joyful solemnity of the Jubilee though we cannot but at the same time be miserably afflicted with consideration of the great numbers of people who have separated themselves from the union and Communion of the Catholick and Apostolical Church within the last Age of one hundred years past did with one mind and heart celebrate this holy year of Jubilee for the eternal salvation of whose souls we would gladly and willingly spill our blood and give our lives Wherefore you who are obedient Children and Catholick and beloved of God and us Venite Ascendite ad locum quem elegit Dominus Come unto this spiritual Jerusalem and to this holy Mount of Sion not according to the letter but Allegorically and by spiritual understanding because that from this place the holy light of Evangelical truth hath from the first beginning of the Primitive Church been diffused through all Nations This is that happy City whose faith the Apostle praises and commends in these words I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole World This is the City where the Chief of the Apostles Peter and Paul did vent their Doctrine with the effusion of their blood that Rome being the sacred Seat of St. Peter might become the capital City of the World the Mother of all the Faithful and the Majesty of all the other Churches Here is the Rock of Faith placed and from hence springs the fountain of the Priestly unity from hence are derived the clear streams of the purest Doctrine here are found the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven with full power to bind and loose and lastly here is conserved that Treasure of Indulgences which shall never fail of which the Roman High Priest is the principal keeper and Dispenser And though he doth dispense some part hereof every year as occasion doth require yet more especially in this Holy year of Jubilee a greater affluence thereof is dispersed when according to the solemnity of the most antient Churches of Rome when the gates are opened by the pious and liberal hands that so entering into the presence of God with joy and having cast off from their shoulders the yoke of sin and the tyranny of the Enemy you may be reconciled unto God by means of the Sacrament and therefore come you as true Children Heirs of Heaven and Possessours of Paradise Given at Rome near St. Peters in the year of our Lord's Incarnation 1599. June 18. in the 8th year of our Pontificate The Copy of this Letter being sent to all Christian Princes in communion with the Court of Rome the Pope busily employed himself in making preparations and provisions for entertainment of Pilgrims who in the following year of Jubilee crouded in those numbers to gain the Indulgences and Pardons as of Men and Women the account made amounted unto three Millions of Persons But the Pope was not so busily employed in his preparations for the Jubilee but that he attended to the decision of the Controversie of the Marquisat of Saluces which as we have said was at the late Treaty at Vervins put into his hands and power to be concluded and determined in the space of one year In order unto which the President Bruslard was dispatched to Rome in behalf of the French King and the Count d' Archonas of the Duke of Savoy and both met there about the beginning of this year 1599. the Cause being pleaded before the Pope both Parties pressed the Arguments so home in favour of the right of their respective matters that the Pope esteeming the Point difficult to be decided required some longer time before he would undertake to pass his judgment and in the interim proposed that the Marquisat should remain in his hands as a Depositary and an indifferent person between both Parties And though neither the King nor the Duke were well pleased with these delatory proceedings yet the King was contented to allow two Months for such determination but the Duke who had been possessed by the suggestions of his Minister at Rome that the Pope required to be the Depositary with design to bestow the Marquisat on one of his Nephews conceived such a jealousie of the Pope's intentions that he began to decline the Umpirage which when the Pope understood he with great indignation refused to interpose farther resolving neither to meddle with the Arbitration nor the Deposite The King who knew well in what manner to do right unto himself by his Sword was not much concerned for the rejection which the Pope had made of the Arbitration and the Duke being contented to have his Cause pass by other formalities than that of the Consistory judged his right more secure and more easily convincing by a personal Treaty with the King himself which matter being now taken out of the hand of the Pope we leave to the temporal determination of these Princes and proceed to other matters more agreeable to this History Henry IV. of France being in good favour and correspondence with Clement VIII treated with him about obtaining a Divorce or rather a dissolution of marriage between him and Margaret Dutchess of Valois to which this Pope might perhaps be more inclinable and easie on some reflections he made on the ill consequences which the delays of the like Divorce to Henry VIII of England produced to the Papal Power The Cardinal d' Ossac with the President Monsieur de Silery having Orders to prosecute this matter in the Court of Rome represented to the Pope the state of the marriage with Queen Margaret and that though the King their Master had ever since his conversion to the Catholick Religion entertained reverend and obedient thoughts towards the Papal Sea and might on score of being the eldest Son of the Church expected more than ordinary favours yet on consideration of the Nullity of this Marriage he desired nothing more than common justice The Pope who was very desirous to favour and
oblige the King referred the disquisition and examination of the Marriage to the Cardinal Joyeuse the Bishop of Modena who was Nuntio for the Pope in France and the Arch-bishop of Arles whom he delegated to consider of those reasons which were offered to invalidate the legality of the Marriage In the mean time Henry treating a Contract of marriage with his Mistris Gabriele d' Estrees God disposed otherwise of that intention and the Delegates who were willing to comply with the desires of the King declared the Marriage Null having been in the third degree of consanguinity by which both parties were set at liberty and put in the same estate and condition as before their Matrimony Of which the King having received information from his Ambassadour Monsieur de Sillery then residing at Rome he immediately dispatched the Sieur d' Alincourt Governour of Pontois to render his humble thanks to the Pope for his obliging determination and to demand his Counsel concerning the Alliance which he intended to make with the House de Medicis having placed his affections on the Princess Mary Niece to the Grand Duke of Florence The Sieur de Sillery taking Post upon this Errand arrived at Rome the 6th of February being Ash-wednesday in the year 1600. and the year of Jubilee which made that Lent the more Solemn and devout than that of common years for it was commanded that Prayers of forty hours continuance should be made in the Churches of the Jesuits the Pope himself with the Colledg of Cardinals began the first hour and every hour afterwards was employed in Prayers and ended with an Exhortation made by some Cardinal or Learned Prelat To gain the Indulgences of this Jubilee though many personages of great quality did resort to Rome yet none was of higher dignity than the Duke de Bar who Incognito and with a small train and equipage travelled to Rome to gain a Dispensation for his Marriage which he had celebrated between himself and the Princess Catharine the Onely Sister of the French King for having performed the same within the degrees of consanguinity forbidden by the Church the Bishop of Lorain and others had refused to admit him to the Sacrament and Communion of the Church Thus we see whilest the King sues for a Divorce the Duke desires a confirmation and dispensation of his Marriage and both were granted though the same reasons and considerations were in both cases the same ground which might dissolve the one might null the other and the same salve might serve for both Cures In short the Duke de Bar applyed himself with all the humility and submission imaginable to the Papal Chair and carrying with him the King 's recommendatory Letters to the Cardinals Aldobrandino Ossac and his Ambassadour he obtained as much favour in his Cause as he could expect or desire On the other side in pursuance of the late Divorce the Sieurs de Sillery and Alincourt went to Florence to treat a new Marriage between the King and the Princess Mary de Medicis As the Duke of Florence received the honour of this Match with great readiness it being an addition to the grandeur of his House so the Pope to forward the same contributed on his part a hundred thousand Crowns with many Jewels by way of Dowry or Portion which was agreed to be six hundred thousand Crowns in ready Mony So soon as the Articles were signed the Duke of Florence published the intended Marriage and the King to bring it to a consummation being then at Lions in order to his Journey to Grenoble deputed Bellegarde his Grand Escuyer with Commission to the Grand Duke to espouse Mary de Medicis in his name and the Pope to have a farther hand in this work deputed his Nephew Cardinal Aldobrandino to be his Legat at Florence and to be present at the Nuptials which he accordingly performed and bestowed the Benediction in the Pope's Name The Cardinal having performed this piece of service hastned away by order of the Pope to Tortona there to find the Duke and stipulate with him the conditions of a firm Peace for the King had already commenced a War and taken several places both in Savoy and Bresse The Cardinal representing before the Duke the danger and inequality of a War with France persuaded him to resign his pretensions and interest to the Marquisat of Saluses and having obtained this promise he proceeded to Lions where managing this Affair with the King a Peace was concluded and published in the year 1601. on Conditions that the Duke should quit all claim to the Marquisat of Saluces in exchange for Bresse and some other Countries In the mean time the Queen embarqued at Ligorne with seventeen Gallies arrived happily at Marseille and thence was conducted with great honour and pomp to Lions where meeting with the King the marriage was consummated and the Nuptial Benediction given by Cardinal Aldobrandino the Pope's Legat before the great Altar of St. John's Church in the City of Lions All these kindnesses passed between the Pope and the King the Pope resolved to make use of this good Correspondence to intercede in behalf of the Jesuits whose whole Order having for certain reasons been banished and exterminated from the Dominions of France was now at the instance and desire of the King restored again under certain Conditions to their possessions and habitations in that Kingdom And in regard the Emperor was at the same time hardly pressed by the Turk the Pope as at other times furnished him with a hundred thousand Crowns which was a seasonable Recruit and supply in those exegencies of the Empire And now it was about the year 1603. that Elizabeth Queen of England dying and James VI. King of Scotland succeeding to the Crown when the Pope conceived great hopes and expectations that by means of this King whom he fancied to be a favourer of the Roman Church the Kingdoms of Great Britain would submit unto and acknowledg the Papal Authority but what ground or reasons there were for such an Opinion or why the Roman Catholicks in England had conceived and for forty years together had framed such a fancy to themselves no rational account can be given but this conceit soon vanishing by the contrary effects which appeared the Papists of England made two Remonstrances to the new King in favour of their Religion desiring at least that a liberty of Conscience might be granted to them but these had no more effect than the Declaration which the Protestants made the same year in favour of their Religion in France The Cardinals Bonvisi and Ossac dying this year at Rome Henry the French King did greatly urge the Pope for a promotion of Cardinals recommending several of his own Creatures and Friends to that Dignity And though the Pope was very desirous to have reduced the Order of Cardinals to their ancient number yet being overcome by the instances of some Friends he bestowed a Cardinals Cap on the
any Tax or Imposition on Christian Princes and require from them whatsoever they judged for the common good and welfare of Christendom But the Pope did not think this ground to have sufficient foundation on which to build and commence a quarrel but rather on the matters which did more neerly relate to the Interest of the Papal Sea It was not long before an occasion of this nature offered it self by means of one Scipio Saraceno a Prebend of Vicenza who had contemptuously torn off and broken the Seals which the Magistrates had fixed on the Episcopal Chancery during the vacancy of that Office and likewise finding that he could not debauch a Lady of known Vertue whom he tempted in the Churches and Streets and in all places where he could have any convenience to meet her he became so enraged with lust and malice that he besmeared with filthiness and tar the Gate and front of her House which being a high affront and disgrace to the Lady she with the advice of her Friends cited this insolent Prebend before the Court of Justice at Venice who as readily and willingly appeared being encouraged and bolstred up by the Bishop of Citta Nuova a person of great esteem in Venice and one who was Director of the Affairs of all the Nuntios and Papal Ministers at that place The Nuntio who was desirous to obtain a licentious exemption of all Priests from the Secular Power embraced the cause of the Prebendary with all readiness imaginable and immediately dispatched the news hereof to the Pope and to the Bishop of Vicenza who was then at Rome where after divers Consultations it was resolved as an essential Point relating to the Ecclesiastical liberty that the Cause of the Prebend should be maintained and defended and therefore the Pope who was glad of this occasion to assert the Authority and Rites of the Churches stormed and raved with the Venetian Ambassadour telling him that he would not endure or suffer the imprisonment of an Ecclesiastical Person by the Precepts of a Secular Tribunal nor would he admit that a Judg of temporal matters should take cognisance of any Cause wherein a Priest or Churchman was concerned Of all which the Ambassadour gave advice to the Senate The Pope at an other Audience complained to the said Ambassadour that the Senate of Venice had since the death of Clement VIII made a Statute of Mortmain whereby Lay-persons were forbidden and restrained from bequeathing or bestowing their Estates on the Church which Statute though it were founded on an old Law yet the new one was more restrictive but both of them being against the antient Canons Councils and Imperial Laws were in themselves void and null being scandalous and impious in that they made the state and condition of Churchmen worse than that of infamous persons and therefore those who made these Laws did incur the Censures of the Church in the like terms the Nuntio at Venice explained the mind of the Pope unto the Senate and when the Ambassadours arrived at Rome to congratulate the Pope for his exaltation to that dignity he could not refrain even before the Ceremony was ended to make his resentments and complaints of those Laws made in derogation of the Rites and immunities belonging to the Church And thus we have laid down the true state of the quarrel between the Pope and the Venetians to which we shall add a third Point namely a Law made at Venice in the year 1603. prohibiting the building of Churches without consent and license for it obtained from the Senate which the Pope termed a piece of Heresie These being the three Points in Controversie the Senate for answer thereunto commanded their Ambassadour to represent in their name unto his Holiness That the just Right and Title they had to judg Ecclesiastical Persons in Secular Causes was founded in the natural Power of the Supreme Prince and confirmed by an uninterrupted course of a thousand years the which may be proved by the Pontifical Briefs extant in their publick Archives or Records That the Law of Mort-main or Statute restraining Laymen from alienation of their Estates to the Church was not onely enacted at Venice or peculiar to the Cities under that Metropolis but exercised in other Christian Kingdoms and States and that this Law was more conducing to the welfare of Venice than to any other people being that which could onely conserve its Forces entire against the common Enemy of Christendom which would otherwise be enfeebled by those daily Legacies and Endowments which were bequeathed and conferred on the Church The Pope was so netled with this way of reasoning that he sat all the time uneasie in his Seat shrugging his shoulders and turning his head which intimated the unquietness of his mind At length he replyed That those arguments were invalid and of no force for that there was no foundation to be made on the accustomed course of their Judicature which was so much the worse by how much more they pretended Antiquity And as to the Briefs there was no authentick Register or Record of them but what was found at Rome and that the others were forged Copies and cheats imposed on the Clergy And as to their Acts and Ordinances he was so well acquainted and versed in them since the time of his youthful Studies and that having passed the Offices of Vice-Legat Auditor of the Chamber and Vicar of the Pope he was sufficiently assured that that Law could not stand and that the old Act made in the year 1536. which takes from the Laiety a power of disposing of their own private Estates was in it self void and of no force and a tyrannical imposition on the Subject That the Senate themselves were so sensible of this injurious Law that they were ashamed to issue forth any Copies of it and if in case a Law of this nature were found in any other Country it was established by the Authority and with the concurrence of the Popes and then he concluded that he was resolved not to make a long work of it for that in case he were not obeyed he would make use of such Remedies as he thought convenient being so positive in this matter and zealous for the Church that he was ready to spill his blood in this righteous Cause and in the defence thereof That in case it were necessary to give a stop to the alienation of Lands or a restraint of building Churches he would always have been ready to have followed the sentiments of the State and to have concurred in just causes with the desires of the Secular Council but as to the point of drawing the Clergy to the Secular Tribunals he would never admit that such as were his Subjects should be liable to the sentence of an other Jurisdiction this in fine was his resolution on the three foregoing Cases in which he was resolved to be obeyed and make use of that Power which God had given him over all things and over all
convenient to erect more a license to build was not onely granted but contributions made thereunto by the publick liberality and munificence so when it was necessary to set bounds and limits thereunto this Senate made use of their own Power alone without any diminution to the Canons of the Church And whereas the Pope hath a Power to restrain the Clergy from alienating their Lands and Estates to the Laiety without his consent and dispensation so also hath the temporal Prince the like Authority to forbid and inhibit all Lay-persons from making alienation of their Estates unto the Church Nor do Ecclesiastical persons lose any thing by this restriction but rather procure a benefit for when the temporal Power is weakned by such alienation this State which is the Bulwark of Christendom will not be able to withstand the common Enemy nor afford due protection either to the Clergy or Laiety And therefore the Senate doth not believe that they have incurred the Ecclesiastical Censure considering that Secular Princes have received that Power from God of making Laws which no other humane Authority is able to take from them and much less have the Briefs of your Holiness any place or prevalence in matters purely temporal which are clearly distinct from those which are spiritual to which the Papal Power doth singly extend Nor can this Senate imagine that your Holiness who is full of Piety and Religion will persist in these your Comminations until the cause hath first been fully examined and discussed And thus much they thought fit in short to make known unto your Holiness referring all things to be treated and explained more at large by their Ambassadour Extraordinary These Letters of the Senate being arrived at Rome were presented to the Pope by the hands of the Ambassadour who immediately opened and read them but the Contents so little pleased him that he was angry and froward all the time that they were in reading and in fine he told the Ambassadour that those Letters were no Answer to his Admonitory Briefs that the Answer was frivolous and insignificant that the matter was clear and evident on his side and that therefore he was resolved to proceed unto Sentence that the Senate must resolve to submit and obey for his cause was the cause of God Et Portae Inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam If the Monks of Padoua had purchased more Lands than were requisite or consistent with the welfare of the State upon address made to him he could have applyed a Remedy but the Senate proceeding in another manner were Tyrants Usurpers and Men of Principles different from their Ancestours wherefore he exhorted them not to deceive themselves with the thoughts of protracting the time in hopes of deciding the Dispute by his death for that in case he received not satisfaction therein in the space of fifteen days he would then proceed to execution of his Sentence The fifteen days were scarce expired when the Ambassadour Nani acquainted the Pope that Duodo was dispatched from Venice in quality of Ambassadour Extraordinary to inform his Holiness more amply of all matters to which the Pope replied that there was no need of farther expostulations the matter was clear and he would be obeyed But notwithstanding the Pope's hast time was protracted till towards the end of March when Duodo the Ambassadour Extraordinary arrived at Rome to whom the Pope would not have patience to grant all the methods of Complements but immediately at his arrival admitted him to Audience when the Ambassadour largely discoursing on every point in Controversie concluded that the Senate could not yield to the Demands of his Holiness without betraying that Power which God had put into their hands But the Pope making no reply to the Arguments in particular adhered close to the Conclusion that Ecclesiastical persons were exempted Jure Divino from the Secular Dominion that he had heard enough from Nani of this kind of reasoning that the Cause was God's and must prevail This resolution of the Pope being made known at Venice the Senate thought fit to communicate these their differences to the Ministers of forein Princes desiring their Opinions on those Points From which the Spanish Ambassadour excused him not desiring to concern his Master in those matters which might yield the least displeasure to the Pope but the Imperial and French Ambassadours were much more frank and open in their Opinions for the first did allow and approve the reasons of the Senate alledging the Customs of his own Country the French Comte where the same things were practised and Monsieur de Fresnes the French Ambassadour declared that he could not understand those Papal Laws which deny unto Princes the Government of their own State and therefore the Republick was much to be commended for preferring their liberty before any other respect At Rome the Cardinals of Verona and Vicenza used all the Interest and persuasions they were able to induce the Pope to defer the promulgation of his Sentence for some time putting him in mind that the Spiritual Arms were not to be exercised but in cases where they were sure to prevail Then said the Pope I shall make use of the Temporal and in the mean time to manifest to the World my patience and tenderness towards them I shall grant them the term of twenty four days to consider and repent and accordingly having formed and printed his Monitory on the 17th of April he caused it to be read and published in the Consistory After which he added That he had greatly studied this Point and having consulted with the most famous Canonists the general Opinion of them all was that the Republick acted contrary to the Authority of the Apostolick Sea and against the liberties and immunities of the Church alledging in his favour the Council of Simmaco and of Lions under Pope Gregory with other Decrees made by the Councils of Constance and Basil and that the same was so declared in the case against Henry II. against the Kings of Castile and other Kings and caused a Constitution made by Innocent III. to be read and to proceed the more regularly in this important matter the Votes of the Cardinals were distinctly required the number of Cardinals then present in the Consistory were forty one all which did either in few words assent or more at large produce the Authority of the Canonists in confirmation of the Pope's reasons And indeed little less than this free concurrence could be expected from them for though some few out of a zeal towards the Ecclesiastical liberty might really be possessed with this Opinion yet the generality were guided by other Principles some perhaps were unwilling to displease the Pope in expectation of preferments of themselves or Friends others had a prospect of arising to the Popedom and for that cause were willing to exalt its Power every one had some consideration or other for his own benefit but not such consideration as was required in study of the
gave Orders to all his People to treat the Ambassadour and his Retinue with all kindness and due respect and moreover wrote a Letter to the Pope complaining of the late design of his Nuntio attempting to publish Ecclesiastical Censures against forein Princes within his Kingdom which was a new and an unknown practice within his State and had been refused in the Case of Henry III. King of France and in the Cause of Cesare d' Este Duke of Ferrara much less could he be induced to allow of such proceedings against the State of Venice whose Cause was the same with that of his own Kingdom And considering that that State had merited well of Christendom by the opposition they made with their Arms against the common Enemy he exhorted his Holiness to supersede farther proceedings for Causes which ought to be stifled and which for better peace of the Church ought never to be brought into question or Dispute Francis Soranzo a Cavalier of Venice being at this time Ambassadour at the Emperor's Court did rightly inform the Imperial Ministers with the true state of the difference between the Pope and that Republick and in regard the Constitutions of all Germany were the same they could not do less than approve the Cause of the Venetians and condemn the Cause of the Pope which confirmed the Protestants in their reasons which they alledged for detaining Ecclesiastical Benefices in their own hands Howsoever the Great Chancellour and Marshal Prainer were of different Opinions taking part with the Pope against the affections sence and Interest of the whole Court When news came first to the Court of Spain of the differences between the Pope and the Venetians the constancy and firmness of that State to the Principles of their Government was highly applauded being the common Cause of all Secular Princes Howsoever the Nuntio made it his business to have the Venetian Ambassadour declared in all Pulpits to be under Excommunication The Genoeses also who were powerful in that Court being touched with envy on old grudges and for having lately yielded that Point of their liberty to the Pope which Venice still conserved did all the ill offices they were able against the Republick but above all the Ambassadour of Tuscany joyning with the Jesuits shewed himself an open Enemy and so prevailed with the King and Council that a Congregation of twelve Divines was held at Madrid in presence of the Cardinal of Toledo to consider whether the Ambassadour of Venice ought to be admitted into the Church at the time of Celebration of Divine Offices the result of which was that the Ambassadour should not be excluded every one concurring in that Opinion the Nuntio and Jesuits onely excepted So soon as the news came to Paris that the Monitory was published against Venice Barberino the Pope's Nuntio made urgent addresses to the King that Priuli the Venetian Ambassadour should be excluded from admission into the Church but his desire was positively rejected both because the King was willing to remain Neuter and because it was and is a Maxim of that Kingdom That Popes have no power over the Temporal Government of Princes and have no Authority on account for Secular matters to proceed against them or their Officers by Ecclesiastical Censures In England we may easily imagine what Opinion was conceived of these proceedings for when Giustiniano the Ambassadour of Venice had acquainted King James with the state of the difference between the Pope and the Republick the King did much applaud the Laws and Constitutions of Venice and the constancy and resolution of the Senate in the maintenance of them adding That he would gladly see a free Council established which was the onely means to reform the Church of God and put an end to all Controversies amongst Christians which had no other original or source than onely from the usurpation of Popes and ambition of the Clergy in which holy and sacred Design he did not doubt but that the French King and all other Christian Princes would readily concur and that perhaps a beginning thereof might arise from these troubles and labours of the Republick And farther the King added That the Popes exalting themselves above God were the ruin of the Church and that it was no wonder that their Pride admitted of no serious reflections or moderate advices being puffed up and elated by the common adulation and flattery which was used towards them The States of the Vnited Provinces wrote very obliging Letters to Venice proffering to assist them with Arms and Provisions in case they came to an open rupture and acts of hostility with the Pope In the mean time many effectual good Offices were performed both at Rome and Venice by the Dukes of Mantoua and Savoy and by Guicciardin Ambassadour of the Great Duke of Tuscany and more especially by Monsieur de Fresnes the French Ambassadour at Venice To all which instances and applications from several Princes the Senate thought fit to make this general Answer First they returned thanks for the good endeavours and labours towards a Mediation and then complained of the firm resolutions of the Pope which could not be shaken or made plyable by any reasonable terms which the Republick could offer That there could be no hopes of accommodation until the Pope by taking off his Censures did open a way to Treaties and terms of Peace That the Pope had proceeded so far in his injuries and affronts as were past all manner of reconciliation and yet the Republick which was truly Catholick would still bear their due respect to the Pope so far as was consistent with their liberty and with that right of Government which was committed to them by God But whilest matters were thus in Treaty at Venice and Rome and in the Courts of Princes the Jesuits who were vigilant and intent to do all the mischiefs they were able against the Republick did not cease to disperse Scandals and Libels as well without Italy as within and to preach and rail against them in their Pulpits and Schools endeavouring to possess their Auditories with the most malicious impressions they could beget or frame in minds of Men they also wrote Letters into all places defaming the Republick some who would not adventure into the Dominions of Venice treated on the Confines with their Disciples and Votaries and others in disguise entered within the Dominions sowing Division and Faction in all parts promising extraordinary Indulgences to all such as should observe the Interdict They also forged several Letters entitling one from the Republick of Genoua to the Senate of Venice another from the City of Verona to the City of Brescia which were most scandalous and abominable Papers Then in other Writings they justified themselves for having in their Sermons inveighed against the Republick calling it a Lutheran Heretical and tyrannical Government with infinite other abominable Epithets In fine it was proved that the Jesuits were the causes of all these disturbances having instigated the
Principle That no way or concession was to be given to the least point or particle which might prejudice the publick Liberty News came about the beginning of September that a new Congregation was erected in Rome called the Congregation of War which was appointed to assemble twice every Week to consult of the manner and means of waging the Temporal War This new term of a Congregation of War which was never heard of before in Rome administred subject of Discourse to all Italy both because it was contrary to the antient practices of that Court which did always cover their temporal Designs with Spiritual names and because the management thereof was committed to the care of fifteen Cardinals who were all Men of Letters but not of Arms howsoever they served the present turn for being Men of the Spanish faction and depending upon Spain it was believed that their Interest and Power would have been very available in that Court for carrying forward the War and engageing the principal Ministers in their quarrel All Princes of Christendom being now concerned in this difference and great endeavours made for reconciliation it was encharged to Giustiniano Ambassadour to the Court of England to represent unto that King the provisions which were making at Rome for a War desiring that his Majesty would prepare those Forces which he had already promised in defence of their Republick for that Spain was arming and threatned on all sides to invade them To which the King answered That he was resolved to defend their Cause not out of any grudge or quarrel of his own with the Pope but as he called God to witness out of a principle of duty to conserve that Liberty which God had given to Princes nor had he any respect to his own particular benefit or hopes to receive Rewards from the Republick but onely to the justice of that Cause which was most just and pleasing to God and that therefore he would speedily perform his Promise with more sincerity and constancy of mind towards the Republick than the King of Spain had done to the Pope whose Letters and Promises contained nothing but froth and vanity Thus were all Christian Princes concerned in this quarrel on one side or the other some being intent to accommodate differences by middle and moderate terms and others to take Parties and assist with Arms and open Violence until at length about the middle of October the Pope taking it into his consideration that so much the longer that this quarrel continued and that the Venetians remained in their separation from the Church so much more did his Reputation suffer and the Power of the Spiritual Authority discover its own weakness wherefore calling Monsieur d' Alincourt the French Ambassadour unto him he declared and protested that he was infinitely desirous of an Accommodation and was ready to accept of any terms which were not prejudicial or derogatory to the honour of the Papal Sea Upon which Alincourt entering into consultation with the French Cardinals some Proposals were sent to the Republick and communicated by the hand of de Fresnes containing a Project for making and establishing a Peace Nor was the King of Spain unactive herein but to shew his zeal he dispatched an Ambassadour Extraordinary to Venice upon this occasion who declared in the Senate that his Master was so passionate in this business That if he had two Sons he would be contented to sacrifice one of them on condition it might be an offering of atonement and reconciliation between the Pope and the Venetian State Whilest all these Treaties and Instances were a foot Letters were dispatched from the Court of Spain to the Count de Fuentes Governour of Milan that he should levy an Army to be in a readiness for assistance of the Pope and accordingly three thousand Italian Foot were raised for this Service which with the other Forces already prepared and levied in other parts the King designed to compose an Army of twenty five thousand Foot and four thousand Horse The Senate of Venice observing that the Spaniards armed did not think it agreeable to the Rules of good Government for them to sit idle but to put themselves in a posture of War to repel Force with Force and to be in a readiness on all occasions which might happen And accordingly they added six hundred Italian Foot and one thousand Albanians to the nine thousand six hundred Foot and six hundred Men at Arms and one hundred and fifty Albanian Horse which were already listed and in a readiness They also ordered Count Martinengo to raise four thousand French Soldiers and six hundred Curassiers and not to be wanting in their Fleet at Sea they ordered that to the thirty eight Sail of Gallies already equipped twelve more should be set out with addition of five more which were recalled from the Islands in the Levant Whilest the Spaniards and Venetians were arming in this manner on one side and the other Priuli Ambassadour for the Republick in France acquainted the King with all these preparations desiring his Majesty would be pleased to declare himself in favour of the Senate to which the King gave Answer That it was not as yet time and that there remained still hopes of Accommodation and that being moved and sollicited herein by all the Princes of Italy he was dispatching the Cardinal Joyeuse to Venice and thence to Rome to interpose effectually in this Mediation And indeed this Cardinal was the most fit and proper Instrument of any to effect this accord for he was not onely a Person of great Esteem and Authority in the Court of Rome being a Cardinal of the first degree and rank but also of great reputation with the Senate of Venice who being desirous to commit the Office of mediation to the Interest of the French King whom they had found more sincere and real to them than the King of Spain and his Adherents they received the Cardinal with entire satisfaction who arrived at Venice about the middle of February The Cardinal spending little time in formal Ceremonies and Visits immediately entered on his business delivered his Credential Letters and opened his Commission and in the first place insisting that as it was necessary to provide for the security and reputation of the Republick so also it was necessary to contrive such means as might give satisfaction to the Pope whose Proposals were these That an Ambassadour be sent from the Republick to desire his Holiness that he would be pleased to take off the Ecclesiastical Censures which he had passed upon them That all the Religious as well Jesuits as others who had left and abandoned their dwelling and Habitations should be again restored That the King should give his word to the Pope that during this Treaty at Rome the Laws about which this Controversie arose should be suspended And the Cardinal insisting more on this Point than on any other earnestly urged that some resolution might be taken speedily and with
secrecy on which the King might with confidence establish this his promise and assurance On this last Point the Cardinal insisted with more than ordinary pressures declaring that the season of the year which was now only proper for Consultations and Treaties was but short and that the time of War and action approached and therefore it was necessary to come to a determination and that the Senate would more especially declare themselves concerning the Laws for as the King did not desire nor approve that any Decree or Law should be made and recorded for suspension of these Laws nor any other thing which might prejudice the dignity of the State and the publick Liberty so he also did consider That as the Pope had passed these Censures openly and in the sight of the World so he could not take them off without some apparent reasons and causes which might salve his reputation and his honour And because the King his Master did well know that the Republick was extreamly averse to such suspension he was willing to touch that Point very tenderly and ease them therein by taking the whole burden on his own shoulders giving his word to the Pope that those Laws should be suspended during this Treaty without any Decree or Declaration on part of the Republick conditionally that as the Pope shall hereupon without farther delay take off the Censures so the Republick shall promise unto the King not to execute these Laws during the time of this Treaty the which being assented unto by the Senate he did not doubt but to give satisfaction unto the Pope and maintain and secure their Liberty and conclude all with a happy and blessed Peace As to that Article which concerned the Jesuits his Master's desire was that they should be restored it being an ordinary concession and grant in the conclusion of all Treaties that such as have been Parties Fomenters or Abettors on either side should be remitted and included in the Articles for that indeed it was not consistent with the honour of the Pope that those who had suffered for his Cause and for their Obedience to the Apostolical Sea should be excluded and suffer for the performance of their duty To this Speech of the Cardinal the Senate made this Answer That the expulsion of the Jesuits was resolved and decreed upon very sound and mature considerations and the Law against them so firmly established as could not be repealed and yet to salve the Pope's reputation herein all other Religious such as Friers and others who were Parties and Abettors of the Pope's Cause should be included and restored to their pristine state and condition but as to the Point of giving their word to the King for non-execution or suspension of the Laws during this Treaty they could not recede from the determination so often repeated which was That in the use of these Laws they will not depart from their antient Piety and Religion professed But the Cardinal insisted and desired to have had some thing more plain and agreeable to his Proposition but howsoever being well acquainted with the Pope's mind to agree almost on any terms he made this Reply to the Senate that though he expected to receive an Answer more satisfactory to his Demands yet considering that it was the King's pleasure that the Republick should have entire contentment he rested satisfied with this Answer which he desired might be kept as a Secret lest being divulged it might be interrupted by the contrivances of unquiet and malitious spirits Howsoever the Senate resolved to communicate all that passed to Don Francisco the Spanish Ambassadour who had offered a like Equivolent and having been to make the Cardinal a Visit had desired to joyn with him in this Negotiation which the Cardinal refusing Don Francisco was very urgent to know all particulars which the Senate very readily communicated to him Thus were the Treaties so far proceeded as administred great hopes of Peace had not the great preparations made for War by the Count de Fuentes Governour of Milan and the disturbances amongst the Grisons rendered all things cloudy and tending to a storm howsoever the Cardinal Joyeuse with such Answer and Proposals as he had obtained from the Senate resolved for Rome and accordingly departed from Venice on the 17th of March The Cardinal was no sooner departed but the Marquess de Castiglione arrived at Venice with Character of Ambassadour from the Emperor to the Pope And though the Duke of Savoy was employed for the Emperour and then resided at Venice in quality of his Ambassadour yet Castiglione had Orders in his way to stop there and encline the Senate as well as he was able towards a Peace but this Marquess could obtain nothing more than what was delivered to the Ministers of France and Spain of which the Ambassadour Don Francisco made collections in writing with the proceedings of all the Treaty Copies of which he sent with diligence to Rome and were not onely shewed to the Pope but dispersed through all the Court to the intent that it might be made known to the World that the French were not able to procure or gain other terms from the Senate than such as had been already granted to the Ministers of Spain and other Princes Of which the Senate having information thought fit for prevention of false Reports to send authentick Copies of all proceedings to their Ministers in forein Courts and particularly that of their last resolution The arrival of the Cardinal at Rome filled all the Town with Discourse every one speaking variously as his passion guided some being of Opinion that the matters were all concluded others of different sentiments believed that they were impossible and indeed the Pope himself being distracted by both sides remained unresolved for the space of three or four days during which time he confessed himself to have been as it were tormented on the wrack For he considered that to yield unto the Venetians almost in every Point was a scandalous diminution to the Papal Power and to abandon the Jesuits his faithful Officers was yet more hard and intolerable for if for two Clergymen onely there had been such a clutter how much more ought he to be concerned for a whole Order and for the conservation and re-establishment of his most beloved Emissaries But in regard the Venetians seemed resolute in that Point the Cardinal Perron persuaded the Pope to wave the Dispute lest when all other Points were agreed it should be said that the particular Cause of the Jesuits should become the Universal Concernment of the whole Church and that it was necessary in the first place to establish the Papal Authority in Venice before he could hope to gain admission for the Jesuits and that herein he would do well to follow the Example of Clement VIII who in a Controversie he had with France on the same Subject was contented to wave the Point concerning the restoration of the Jesuits and in the time obtained
that which at that present seemed impossible upon which Advice the Pope was contented to leave that matter wholly to the management of the Cardinal with Instructions to perform the best he could therein but not to break off upon the refusal of it The Cardinal having agreed all matters with the Pope and received Instructions how to manage his Interest for he confided more in the Cardinal than in any other of the Ministers he in the first place gave account to the King his Master of his success and then taking Post rode very hard to Ancona from whence taking a Boat he arrived in hast at Venice hoping in the Holydays of Easter to operate better in favour of the Pope and prevail on the minds of the Senate which he expected to find more gently disposed in the days preparatory to that Festival The next day after his arrival the Cardinal had Audience of the Senate to whom he declared the substance of his Negotiations but did not yet so far open himself as to specifie the particulars which were contained in the Pope's Breviate though the Senate was well advised that the Cardinal had no other Writing than certain Instructions subscribed by the Pope's own hand but yet the reputation which the Cardinal had of being one of the first Degree in the Court of Rome forbad all farther enquiry into his Power or Authority The Cardinal therefore in the first place enlarged himself in a Rhetorical Speech concerning the good will and intention of the Pope which was directed to no other end than the good and welfare of the Christian Church being desirous to support and maintain the Papal Dignity with a constancy becoming the Apostolical Chair and though the Pope had long since endeavoured to accommodate his differences with the Serene Republick yet the conclusion had been often interrupted by the ill Offices and contrivances of Men not well inclined to the publick Peace Howsoever his Holiness being willing to surmount all Controversie the difficulties were reduced unto two Heads The first Point was that an Ambassadour should be designed unto Rome before the Censures were taken off and the second that the Jesuits should be restored howsoever since the Senate had made so much difficulty on the first Point he had received Instructions to yield it unto them and in the first place to take off the Censures but as to that concerning the Jesuits it admitted of longer Dispute of which he desired to be heard at a more private Audience In conclusion after that matters were debated for three or four days in the Senate all came to be resolved in this manner That the Cardinal should publickly in the Palace of St. Mark and in the face of the whole Senate declare that the Censures were taken off or that he did then make them void and null For though the Senate did still insist on their Innocence and that they had never justly incurred the penalty of the Ecclesiastical Censure yet however it being judged an Act of no prejudice to their Cause the Cardinal's Declaration was admitted though the Senate would not consent to accompany the Cardinal to St. Mark 's Church and there after Mass was ended to receive a Benediction from him lest it should appear to the People as if the Censures were taken off by that Benediction which would be a tacite Confession that the State was guilty of some fault which they in no wise yielding unto would not admit of the least colour or appearance of Absolution Secondly That at the same time when the Cardinal declared the Censures taken off the Doge should deliver to his hand a revocation of the Protest which the Senate had made when the Censures were published Thirdly The manner and form was agreed for delivery of the Prisoners Fourthly It was agreed that all Friers and other Religious should be restored again to their Monasteries and Convents excepting onely the Jesuits and fourteen other Friers who were fled for their Crimes and not on account of the Pope's quarrel Fifthly It was agreed that an Ambassadour should be immediately chosen and with all convenient speed sent to the Pope The Articles being thus agreed and confirmed the 21th of April was the day appointed for putting matters in Execution which were performed in this manner The Cardinal being lodged in the Palace of the Duke of Ferrara Monsieur de Fresnes early attended him at that House where Mark Ottobon the Secretary accompanied with two Notaries belonging to the Ducal Office of Chancery and with other Officers of the Prison brought before the Ambassadour the two Prisoners viz. the Abbot of Nervesa and Scipio Saraceno Canon of Vicenza and then the Secretary having made his Obeysance to the Ambassadour said These are my Lord the Prisoners which our most Serene Prince according to a late agreement hath sent to be consigned to your Excellency Protesting howsoever that the same was done with intent and design onely to gratifie his most Christian Majesty without prejudice or infringment of that Authority and Right which the Republick hath to pass Judgment on Ecclesiastical Persons and to cite them before their Secular Tribunals of Justice To which the Ambassadour replyed That he understood it so and in that manner he received them Of which the Ducal Notaries taking notice entered the same in their publick Registers This being done the Prisoners recommended themselves to the Ambassadour's protection who promised them his favour and causing them to follow him into a withdrawing Room where the Cardinal was seated He said to him These are the Prisoners which are to be delivered into the hands of the Pope Then said the Cardinal consign them into the hands of this Person pointing to the Officer who was Claudio Montano the Pope's Commissary sent to that end and purpose who having touched them in token of seizure and possession he desired the Ministers of Justice that they would be pleased to take the care and custody of them This matter being past the Cardinal with the Ambassadour went to the Doge who after Mass returned to the College attended with the Signory and the Savii and having there taken their Seats the Cardinal entered and declared himself in these words I rejoyce much to see this most happy day greatly desired by me in which I declare to your Serene Highness That all the Censures of the Church are taken off from you as in reality they are and hereof I cannot but testifie a most sensible satisfaction in respect to that great benefit which all Christendom and Italy in particular will receive thereby Then the Doge delivered into the hands of the Cardinal the revocation of the Protest which was in this form directed to all the Prelats to whom the Protest was sent and was to this purpose That whereas expedients and means have been found to make the Pope sensible of the true candour of mind and the sincere actions of this Republick so that all Causes are removed of the present
differences And whereas this Republick hath always endeavoured to maintain a perfect good understanding with the Apostolical Chair so now more especially it remains satisfied in having at length obtained this their most just desire of which it is thought fit to give them notice Adding farther That all matters being performed on both sides which were most equal and the censures taken off the Protest also was revoked In the Evening the Senate assembled for choice of an Ambassadour to be sent to Rome and reside with his Holiness the Person elected was the Cavalier Contarini who in Company with three others had formerly been employed to congratulate with the Pope for his assumption to the Papal Chair and herewith ended this great Controversie between the Pope and the Venetians which had disturbed all Christendom and might have been the ruin and destruction of the Papal Authority had not the Pope wisely in time been made sensible thereof and granted every thing almost which the Venetians required In the beginning and progress of this whole matter we may observe the spirit of this Paul V. who aspired to make himself as great as Sixtus V. and seemed to follow much of his way and method but he undertok an Enterprise which was too difficult and out of his power his Errour in which was grounded on a mistake that he was better able to cope or deal with a Republick than with a Monarch for that the first being composed of divers Heads and humours might sooner admit a division in Councils than in a single person and that many of them being zealous and most of them superstitious in Religion might be affected by Ecclesiastical Censures and terrified by Excommunications But the contrary was made to appear by the effects which most evidently have signalized the Wisdom and Constancy of this Republick which would never be obliged to become pliant and flexible by all the fires of Hell and damnation which the Pope could threaten And indeed it farther appears that as the Republick was of Opinion that the Censures of the Pope were invalid when they were not established on just and legal causes so likewise they believed that they could not depart from the least scruple of their temporal Power which God had given them without betraying that Trust which God had committed to their charge and herein they were so resolute and constant that lest they should seem to acknowledg a fault in any one step of the late transactions they would not so much as accept of the Cardinals Blessing lest it should seem to be given in form of Absolution This Controversie being ended which had hitherto allayed all the joy and contentment which the Pope conceived for his late exaltation to the Papal Dignity the Venetians in pursuance of the Articles agreed dispatched the four Ambassadours to Rome namely Francisco Molino Procurator of St. Mark John Mocenigo Peter Dudo Francisco Contareno all Knights and Senatours of Chief Renown whom the Pope received with all imaginable honour being overjoyed to have put an end to a business so full of danger to himself and in which his measures having failed him he no longer argued in defence of his Cause nor entertained the Ambassadours with Expostulations concerning matters past which having had little foundation in any reasons he was desirous to pretermit and to have buried in silence Soon after the promotion of this Pope in the Month of November 1605. that diabolical Plot of the Gun-powder Treason to blow up the King and Queen of England all the Nobles and Commons assembled in Parliament was happily and by God's immediate Providence discovered the particulars of which being recorded in our Chronicles and believed to have been contrived at Rome we shall not need to relate in this place onely that King James for security of himself and his Dominions issued forth a Proclamation commanding all Roman Priests Seminaries and Jesuits as being the chief Incendiaries of troubles to depart the Kingdom of England and not to return upon pain of the severity of those Laws which were made against them as also all Recusants to return home to their Dwellings and not to remain in London or come within ten miles of the Court without special License After which Proclamation the Oath of Allegiance was presently administred to all sorts of people and their names certified to the Lords of the Council who refused to take it The form of this Oath administred to the Recusants in England was brought to Rome and examined and discussed by the College of Cardinals who after mature and serious deliberation did unanimously concur that the said Oath could not be lawfully taken by any true Catholick with a safe Conscience Wherefore the Pope signified so much by his Brief exhorting his people in England to refuse the said Oath and with patience constancy and faith to suffer those persecutions which for this cause were laid upon them In the year 1607. the King of Congo sent an Ambassadour to this Pope called Anthony Emanuel Vunthi for so the Jesuits and other Missionaries into those parts had named him he was received honourably at Rome where the Pope promised to furnish him with several learned and godly Preachers which should return with him into his own Country and there labour to encrease and propagate the Gospel but this Ambassadour falling sick soon after his arrival at Rome was buried in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and with him ceased the design of sending Apostles into those parts Howsoever the Arch-Bishop of Goa in imitation of the late Ambassadour from Congo procured Letters from the King of Persia to this Pope dated at Spahaun the 20th day of January 1608. and were afterwards followed by an Ambassadour called Ali Golikek Mordar who arrived at Rome in the year 1609. and was received into the Vatican where the Pope sate on his Throne and on each side the Cardinals in form and manner of a Consistory Those Writers who favour the Papal Cause pretend that the King of Persia sent then to acknowledg Obedience to the Pope who for that cause returned solemn thanks to God for having enlightned those remote parts with the rays of his Gospel and that the Sun of Righteousness was arisen in those parts after so long a Night of obscure Gentilism and false Religion But the success of following times proved the mistake of this matter the King 's of Persia continuing still in the Doctrine of their Prophet Ali and therefore it may with more reason be asserted and believed that this Ambassadour from Persia was sent in favour and at the instigation of some of the Persian Subjects who were or had been Christians of the Armenian Church which by some Friers crept in amongst them had been seduced from their own to the Roman Church which was not difficult to perform if we consider the poverty of those poor Armenians who were easily inclined to the profession of that Faith upon promises of preferments in the Church so that
was excluded Campori made the greater bustle and so also did Aquino but great and strong Parties opposing against them vacated their Elections At length Cardinal Borghese naming Ludovisio was followed by a general concurrence of almost all the Cardinals almost we may say because Campori upon the news thereof turned pale and ready to fall into a swoon Aldobrandino also and Aquino fell sick and were carried out of the Conclave and Aquino having now lost all hopes of being made Pope took it so grievously to heart that in two days he departed this life Thus Ludovisio being elected he was conducted into the Chappel Parlina where he was vested in his Pontificalibus and acknowledged and adored for Pope on the 21th of February 1621. and took the name of Gregory XV. This Pope was born at Bologna on the third of January 1554. his Father was Count Pompeo Ludovisio and his Mother Camilla Blanchina he was in his youthful years educated in the Jesuits Colledg at Rome where he was instructed in all sorts of Humane and Philosophical Learning returning afterwards to Bologna he studied the Civil Law in which he arrived to the degree of Doctor and thence again setling himself at Rome he gained the friendship of three succeeding Popes by Gregory XIII he was chosen and created Principal Judg of the Capitol by Clement VIII he was made Referendary of both Signatures and presided in all Civil Causes in the place of Deputy to Cardinal Rusticuccio the Pope's Vicar he was afterwards assumed into Commission with the Auditors of the Rota which Office one of his Ancestors named Lodowick Ludovisio had about one hundred and fifty years before with great satisfaction and prudence admitted He was likewise by the same Clement VIII adjoyned in Commission with Maffeo Barbarini Clerk of the Apostolical Chamber who afterwards was Pope and sent to Beneventum to appease Tumults and Seditions arisen between the Officers of the Pope and those of the King of Spain And lastly Paul V. created him Arch-bishop of Bologna upon promotion to which Prelacy he wrote a Letter to his Diocesans full of Charity and paternal affection which was printed at Bologna and is extant at this day About this time a War was begun between Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy and Ferdinand Duke of Mantoua grounded on certain differences about some places in the Dutchy of Montferrat which were the cause of great trouble in Milan and other places of Italy in regard that Philip III. King of Spain took part with the Duke of Mantoua to appease which disturbances and compose which differences Pope Paul employed this Alexander Ludovisio qualifying him with the Title of his Nuntio in those three Provinces to confer with the Ambassadours of France and Spain in which negotiation he so well acquitted himself and with such honour towards the Papal Sea that Peace being concluded and all Disputes ended the Pope in reward of the pains and prudence of Ludovisio on the 20th of November 1616. promoted him to the degree of Cardinal with which Title he resided in his Diocese until news came of the death of Paul V when he immediately repaired to Rome and entred the Conclave on the 8th of February with the other Cardinal and on the 21th of that month was himself created Pope Some few days after which being crowned in St. Peter's Church with the usual pomp he took possession of the Sovereign Power of the Church in the Church of St. John de Lateran which Ceremonies being past he published Jubilies and Pardons over all Christendom to all such who should with sincere minds pray for the prosperity and happiness of his Reign At this time a War began to be inflamed between the Inhabitants and Neighbours of the Valteline in which the Kings of Spain and France became involved the causes and original of which doth not appertain to this History Spain being desirous to interest Gregory in this Cause offered to deposite the Forts of the Valteline in his hands making great ostentations of their desires to Peace and quietness but in Rome the Opinions and Counsels upon an offer of such importance were doubtful and divided for those who penetrated the most deeply into matters of Policy were not willing that the Authority of the Church and Power of the Pope should be so far engaged or that the professed neutrality and mediation should run so much hazard for that being once accepted by the Pope the Conditions of Peace would be rendered more difficult and perhaps impossible for if in case an agreement should happen between two Kings of restoring all things to their former estate it would be difficult to conceive with what decency the Pope could restore into the hands of the Protestants whom he esteemed Hereticks those places which were committed to his Guardianship and custody The Venetian Republick being of the same Opinion sent Soranzo Ambassadour Extraordinary to Rome to disuade the Pope from lending his Name and Authority to the interests of Spain but he yielding an Ear to his Nephews who were overcome by Pensions and Benefices from Spain was possessed with an Opinion and belief that at the appearing of his Colours all the Arms of the Enemy would out of Veneration fall from their hands upon which the glorious memorial of Peace preserved and Religion protected would remain as an Ornament to his Name and a Crown upon his Sepulcre But the French shewed themselves displeased that Gregory had not expected the sence of that Crown upon the matter before he resolved to accept the Deposite howsoever in the French Councils the Opinion prevailed that the Pope should accept of the Deposite with certain limitations and reserves and it was declared that the Deposite should remain until the end of July it being now the month of May within which time the Forts being demolished and all restraints upon the Grisons and Armies removed which did oppress them affairs should be restored to their former State which not being performed the League should supplicate the Pope to join himself to their Arms thereby to obtain the effect In pursuance of these resolutions the Duke of Fiano the Pope's own Brother a dull and sottish Man was sent with fifteen thousand Foot and five hundred Horse to take possession of the Towns to be deposited but had been resisted in the Valley had not the Governour of Milan removed all obstacles but these matters came to no maturity for amidst these transactions the Pope departed this life In the year 1622. Lewis XIII of France was involved in great Wars against his Protestant Subjects and rendered himself Master of the Provinces of Poictou Xantonge Gascony Dauphino and Languedoc Philip IV. King of Spain was employed in Wars against the Hollanders likewise the Emperour Ferdinand II. waged Wars with the Protestants in Germany and with assistance of Marquis Spinola and the Duke of Bavaria despoiled the Prince Palatine of the Rhine of his Dominions and having the plunder of Heidelberg the Duke of Bavaria
and prejudice not allowing them for true and legal excepting against the sum with which they had charged themselves which the Auditors would have to be eight Millions But Counsel pleading in behalf of the Barberins desired for justification of them it might be permitted to examine the Books of Accounts which were remaining in the Apostolical Chamber to which for their own discharge they referred themselves But this Demand gave no satisfaction or stop to the proceedings of Court whereby in an extraordinary manner and without form of Law the Estate belonging to the Barberins in the Monte was sequestred with all the other Rents belonging to them within the City of Rome or any other place within the Ecclesiastical Dominions wherefore the Barberins being apprehensive of farther proceedings against their Persons after consideration held with their Friends both Cardinal Francisco and Taddeo the Prefect retired from Rome and other parts within the Dominions of the Church to places of Sanctuary and Refuge In the mean time proceedings of Court against them were carried on with greater rigour and severity so that the news of their arrival in France was the common Discourse of all Rome and their resolution therein greatly applauded by all indifferent persons to be prudent and agreeable to their present circumstances considering that the French King had espoused their quarrel and taken them into his care and protection But the little esteem and great neglect which the Pope seemed to shew to those instances which the King made in behalf of the Barberins were so highly resented by his Majesty that both the Senate of Venice and the Great Duke though an Enemy to them greatly fearing that this Cause might introduce the French Arms into Italy interceded with the Pope to moderate the anger he had conceived against the Barberins and to allow of some Conditions and expedients of Reconciliation but all their good Offices were not able to give any stop or arrest of judgment seisure being made of their Estates and Revenue without any other reason than quia hic placet The news hereof being extreamly ill resented at the Court of France it was judged fit to send the Bishop of Angiers to Rome to confer with Cardinal Grimaldi upon this matter that so a greater Authority might be given to his Negotiations The Ambassadour of Venice being recalled from Rome by the Senate before his departure thence consulted with Cardinal Grimaldi and the Bishop of Angiers in what manner to govern his Discourse at his last Audience and having taken his directions from them he warmly applied himself to the Pope representing the danger of a War with France and that it was not prudent for the Cause of a private Family and to gratifie some particular grudges to engage the Church and all Italy in publick calamities but the Pope seeming regardless of all those considerations replied That it became not his greatness to capitulate with his Subjects but in case the Barberins would voluntarily come in and throw themselves at the feet of his mercy he would shew them such favour as the World might take notice how much the instances of his most Christian Majesty and the Republick of Venice in their behalf had prevailed upon him But these general terms and uncertain expressions giving no satisfaction to the French Court the King wrote to his Ambassadours at Munster where the general Peace of Christendom was then in Treaty Ordering them to give that Assembly to understand the Passion he conceived for the Cause of the Barberins was such as would obstruct all proceedings unless some Expedients were contrived and some Conditions provided for their security and restoration by which the Pope was made sensible that the King resolved to carry these matters to the highest extremity The Abbot of St. Nicolas having now for some time remained at Rome and informed himself of the true state of the Controversie with the Barberins he demanded Audience and being thereunto admitted he presented his Letters of Credence which the Pope received with many obliging expressions letting fall a few tears from his Eyes when he declared how much he loved the French Interest and how affectionate he had shewed himself thereunto even to a Passion of which his Christian Majesty was so sensible that had the whole Power of the Conclave been in the King he was persuaded he would have created him Pope in exclusion of all others in the World But the Abbat was little surprised with those tears esteeming them no indications of his mind but his usual preparations to important Treaties proceeded to discourse in favour of the Barberins whom he beseeched to receive again into his grace and good will which though his Master might expect from him as a point of Justice yet he would take it as an act of kindness and Obligation to himself That the Barberins should make their submission in such humble terms as he should require and direct and all things ordered to the greater reputation and glory of his Holiness that the refusal hereof would disturb the quiet of Christendom obstruct the general Peace in Treaty at Munster and hinder the succours which were then preparing to give the Catholicks in England and in fine would be the cause of great confusion and disturbance in Europe In answer hereunto the Pope desired the Abbat to represent unto the Queen Regent how much the Barberins had ruined the Church by the expence of more than twenty Millions which they had charged upon the People by unsupportable Impositions to maintain a War against the Duke of Parma for which no justifiable account could be given that they had so abused the Authority and Government of the Church in the last years of their Uncle's Pontificate that all the World cryed out for justice and vengeance against them and if now after all these mischiefs they should find refuge and protection for their crimes in France the Nephews of Popes would for the future become licentious and not fear what they acted or designed when after the example of the Barberins they might hope to find a Sanctuary and impunity for their crimes if not in France yet at least in Spain or Germany or some other Prince where they were able to make an Interest or a friendship That the Avarice and ambition of the Barberins was beyond all example having purchased a Revenue of above two hundred and fifty thousand Crowns a year besides their many Benefices and immense Riches which they had concealed and the magnificent furniture of their Palaces which out of respect to their Majesties of France he had suffered to remain without seisure or confiscation With these and the like Arguments was the cause of the Barberins debated between the Pope and the Abbat without any effect and the Audience ending without satisfaction to either side the Cardinals of the French Interest concluded that nothing would be done until such time as that the success of the Siege of Orbetello were known and the Fate of
it was thought a convenient season in the heat of these Negotiations for the Pope to propose the restoration of the Jesuits to their possessions on the Dominions of Venice from whence they had been banished on occasion of the differences between Paul V. and the Venetians Carlo Carafa Bishop of Antwerp then Nuntio at Venice represented the Pope's desires herein at a full Senate laying before them the conveniences they might expect and benefits they might reap by closing with the Pope's demands in this Case which seemed to be much changed since the first Original Decree and bando against them for that those Jesuits who had fomented the divisions and Sedition were already dead and that those who were to supply their places would be more cautious and careful for the future in what manner they incurred the displeasure of the Republick these considerations being seconded by warm instances of the French Ambassadour to the same purpose the matter was carried in the Senate for restoration of the Jesuits and though the antient Decrees of the Senate in this case were positive and rigorous to the contrary and that Cavalier Soranzo greatly opposed the admission yet the pressure of Affairs and the necessity of gratifying the Pope was such that the former Decrees were repealed and the Laws against the Jesuits made void and in this manner and on this occasion in the year 1657. they again restored to their possessions within the Venetian Dominions the Church of the Crociferi being conferred upon them in the City of Venice The whole Court of Rome being gratified by this concession not onely the Pope but the Cardinals also concurred in their liberal contributions towards maintenance of the War against the Turk of which five especially were signally bountiful and munificent above the others namely Antonio Barberino who gave one hundred thousand Ducats in Gold Cardinal Mazarine gave two hundred thousand Francisco Barberino and Flavio Ghigi agreed to maintain three Gallies at their own expence and lastly Cardinal Nicholas who was a Count of the Bath not having sufficient Estate in ready Money to make such a contribution as he desired sold his Palace and Houshold-stuff and Vineyards that he might be registred amongst the Benefactors to this War At this time also the Ottoman Arms prevailed against the Emperour in the upper parts of Hungary so that Varadin was taken and the Turks became very formidable Wherefore that Pope Alexander might not seem less sollicitous for conservation of the Emperour than he was for the Venetians he issued considerable sums out of his Treasury and laid a Decimation on the Revenue of the Clergy over all Italy wherewith to assist the Imperial Arms and farther wrote Letters to the Kings of France and Spain then busily employed in a Treaty at the Pyreneans that having concluded a Peace amongst themselves and confirmed and strengthned the Alliance by the ties and Obligations of a Marriage they would have respect to the Wars in Hungary which were carried on by the Turk to the destruction and ruin of the Christian Cause But we are not here to omit that this Treaty of the Pyreneans which was held in the Island of Pheasants where the Marriage was concluded between the present King Lewis XIV and Maria Teresa Infanta of Spain was acted and carried on between Cardinal Mazarini and Don Luis d' Haro without the mediation and concurrence of this Pope Alexander which seems the more strange in regard that this very Pope was Nuntio at Munster and once managed that Treaty there in behalf of Innocent X. with great applause and proof of his abilities and integrity and was personally known to the Cardinal many therefore and various were the reflections on this Point by the Politicians of those times and many Writers on this Subject have assigned divers Causes and reasons for it Some would have it that during the time that Cardinal Mazarine and the Pope then in quality of Nuntio were together in Germany several differences had arisen between them not then reconciled and that the Nuntio had always shewn some partiality towards the Court of Spain for which cause Mazarine had opposed the election of him to be Pope and though afterwards he had been sweetned by the character and commendations which Sachetti had given of him yet still some acrimony remained on the spirits of the Pope because he observed an aversion in the Cardinal to treat the Peace in any part where the Pope did reside he also observed with what indignity to the Papal Sea he had treated the Cardinal of Retz and with what neglect and almost contempt he comported himself towards his Nuntio at Paris Moreover the Pope was not a little displeased to observe what backwardness and delay was used by the Court of France no onely in sending the Extraordinary Embassy of Obedience to Rome but the Ordinary also of Residency nor was the Pope ignorant of those slight and contemptible expressions which both the Cardinal and his Favourite the Bishop of Omodei publickly uttered with ill reflections on his Person On the other side the Cardinal complained of the Pope's Ingratitude for that after he had so freely concurred in his Election he always evidenced an aversness to comply with him in the most reasonable Demands and ever favoured that Party which interfered with the Interest of France so that the Cardinal would often say that the Pope offered him frequently injuries that so if at any time he did him right it might seem to proceed from favour rather than from the motives of Justice These matters and the like occasioning coldness of correspondence it is no wonder that Writers should attribute the reason of the Pope's exclusion from this Treaty of Peace to the preceding Causes Whenas the most reasonable Obstacle might be the Pope's incapacity to moderate and concur in the terms of this Peace for whereas the foundation of this Peace between the two Crowns was established on the Articles concluded and agreed at the Treaty of Munster which the Pope having condemned disanulled and protested against it could not be expected that the Pope should be called and made a Party to that Treaty unless they had resolved to raise difficulties by that opposition and obstructions which would have been made by the Pope and his Ministers In short the Marriage being celebrated between the most Christian King and the Infanta Maria Teresa the onely cause and Object of the Peace was afterwards the original of many quarrels and disorders in Christendom For the Spaniards not having been so strict and wary as the importance of the matter required did not take care to pen the Instrument of Renuntiation which the Infanta signed to the Dominions of her Father and all her Paternal Inheritance with such strict terms but that there was still a Gate open to pretensions nor was the form of the Oath so strict and expressive but that there was place left for evasions as the ambition of Men and their desire of
produced for those Cities and Fortresses which in other times had valiantly stood out for many months against the Sieges and storms of their Enemies did now shamefully yield so soon as they discovered the French Banners displayed before their Walls To this success the surprise of the action did much contribute for had the King deferred this enterprise until the Summer 't is more than probable that he might have encountred a greater opposition by the union of the German Princes who in a season fit for Armies to take the Field would scarce have suffered so considerable a part as the Franch Compte to be lopped off and dismembred from the Body of the Empire This sudden and unexpected success begat a jealousie in the neighbouring Princes and was the first moving Cause which gave beginning to the Triple League between England the Vnited Provinces and Sweden leaving a door open to other Princes to be comprehended as they should see cause in the same Agreement This Sacred Alliance became the common discourse of all Europe and many happy effects were expected as consequences thereof In which conjuncture our Clement IX renewing his former sollicitations for Peace procured a suspension of Arms and though he desired that Rome or Venice should be the places appointed for this Treaty yet Aquisgrane being esteemed a place more convenient for the Electoral Princes who were much concerned in this Accommodation it was by common consent ordained for the onely place of Treaty And now France at the instant pressures of so many powerful Princes inclining to hearken unto Propositions of Peace and the King calling to remembrance his Articles with the King of Portugal not to make a Peace with Spain in exclusion of him he immediately sent his Advices to Lisbon advising that King to dispatch his Plenipotentiary to Aquisgrane which was appointed for the place of Treaty This intimation being given to the Court of Portugal the Count Olivarez Son of the late Favourite being then a Prisoner at Lisbon taken at the Battel of Canal began to propose several Conditions in order to a Peace for which afterwards receiving a Commission from Madrid a Treaty was separately set on foot without concerning France in it At this time the Earl of Sandwich resided at the Court of Spain in quality of Ambassadour from his Majesty of Great Britain a Person so well affected by both Courts that by mutual consent of both Parties he was in the place of the King his Master chosen Umpire of the Peace between the two Kingdoms This Overture being acceptable to our gratious King he sent his Orders and Instructions to the Earl of Sandwich to remove from Madrid to Lisbon there to be Arbitrator of the Peace and in order thereunto to perform all the good Offices of Mediation The Plenipotentiaries being accordingly assembled at Lisbon after some few Conferences between the Earl of Sandwich and Count Olivarez a Peace was concluded and published in the month of March without any respect or consideration to the agreement contracted the year before with France or the endeavours of the Abbat of St. Romain to the contrary And indeed the People were grown so weary of a War which had continued for the space of twenty eight years that they were ready to have broken out into a common mutiny had the least interruption been given thereunto the Commonalty scarce tempering their rage against the French Minister for labouring to disappoint that happiness they had so long desired Some few days after the Peace was proclaimed a Sentence of Divorce declaring the Marriage void between the King Alphonso and the Queen was published grounded on the suppos'd impotency of the King her Husband whereby the Matrimonial knot was dissolved and both Parties freed and stated in a lawful separation with power to dispose of their own Persons The confirmation of this act of Divorce was a subject of serious consideration to the Pope but afterwards when it was to extend so far as to make the Prince lawful possessour of his Brother's Wife and Dominions it was so much the more weighty and worthy consideration but at length reasons of State and conveniences of that Kingdom overswayed the strict Rules and Canons of the Church But in the first place we must understand that this Divorce was the consequence of a general revolt of the People from their King for they being guided by a prevailing Party in opposition to the Conde de Cassel Meglior Chief Minister of State murmured against the Government and perhaps not without some cause for the King himself being given to Wine practised such extravagancies as were intolerable and which did not pass without some reflections on the Favourite though as to himself he managed all things with prudence and good conduct Moreover the Conde opposing the Peace with Castile on other terms than such as were agreeable to the method and Articles concluded with France became so displeasing to the People that he was displaced from his Office and the Prince admitted to the sole management and direction of Affairs But the Conspiracy stopped not its course at this period for the Queen hereupon retiring into a Monastery and declaring the dissatisfaction she had to the King her Husband demanded the justice of the Country upon the causes given to dissolve the Matrimonial knot by a sentence of lawful Divorce The People at this news were stirred with great commotions and being naturally enclined to Novelty joined with the Prince's Party to chuse him Governour of the Kingdom committing the Person of the King to safe custody until the States of Portugal should otherwise provide in cases of this great emergency The States being assembled about the beginning of the year approved the reasons for deposing the King and confirmed the Regency on the Prince and upon hearing the Cause between the King and Queen the Marriage was found void and null and accordingly an Instrument of Divorce was formed and published and license given to the Prince to take the Queen for his Wife on supposition that she was still a Virgin and unknown to his Brother The case though strange to scrupulous Ears and Consciences was not yet without former examples For in Poland John Casimiro succeeded to the Crown and to the Wife of his Brother Vladislaus And in former Histories of Portugal it is recorded that the Nobility desired John III. to match with the Queen Fâ—â—â—â—ora relict of King Emanuel his Father and therefore this case was not without a Precedent which after dissolution of the Marriage and publication of the Queen's divorce from Alfonso VI. might confirm and make lawful the espousals with the Prince his Brother A particular account of all these Occurrences being given at Paris by the Sicur Verius who then resided at Lisbon for the Crown of France The Cardinal Vandosme then Legat à Latere from the Pope to the most Christian King immediately dispatched a Brief of dispensation into Portugal in the name and by the Authority
conjectures as these could have no foundation nor gain belief amongst those who understand the constitution of Rome and the nature of the Cardinal who was more inclined to heap up for himself than sow for others But the more probable Opinion was that Spain was desirous to stand fair with the Pope because France was at odds with him giving thereby a testimony to the World of the unquietness of that Nation which is contentedy with nothing of moderation and in fine that their behaviour towards all is insolent and insupportable The year 1675. which was the Jubily or holy year being entered the City of Rome was after the usual manner filled with multitudes of Pilgrims and Strangers who crowded to obtain the benefit of Pardons and Indulgences which are plentifully issued and bestowed at that time That year six Cardinals were created namely Alexander Crescentio a Roman Marescotti of Bologna Rocci a Roman Albritii a Neapolitan Spada a Roman and Philip Howard of the Illustrious Family of Norfolk who was a Dominican having been Great Almoner to the Queen of England this advancement was much facilitated by her Majesties recommendations The which promotions the French King would not own because the Bishop of Marseglia whom the King of Poland had recommended as we have related at the beginning of this Pope's Reign was rejected to please the humour of the Spaniards And indeed herein his most Christian Majesty seemed to have just cause of discontent for though in the year 1671. Cesar d' Estreé Brother of the Duke of that name and called Bishop of Laon was created Cardinal yet that honour being conferredat the nomination of the King of Portugal in recompence of some services rendered to that Crown and united onely to the bare recommendations of France it was not esteemed as a favour done to that King but to Portugal onely of which Kingdom d' Estreé was made Protectour Howsoever Altieri would not understand it for other than a favour done to France without which and the interest of the Duke d' Estreé his Brother then Ambassadour at Rome it had scarce been obtained for that Duke amongst other Commissions brought from Rome had particular instructions to demand of the Pope the restitution of Castro and Ronciglione to the Duke of Parma according to the Treaty of Pisa but that being a morsel not easily digested by the Pope Monsieur d' Estreé made his way thereupon to gain the Cardinal's Cap for his Brother by a relaxation of that demand About the beginning of the year 1676. there arose a Controversie between the Pope and the Vice-King of Naples concerning the seizure of certain Banditi within the jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical State by Officers from the Vice-King upon which Dispute the Son of the Duke of Sora was banished from Rome upon pain of death in case he should return This Pope Canonized Cajetan Tienne founder of the Order of Regular Clarks Francis Borgia General of the Jesuits Philip Beniti restorer of the Order of the Servillians Lewis Bertran and Rose of St. Mary both of the Dominican Order Under these Circumstances Altieri remained with France when Pope Clement the 10th died some few hours before whose death Altieri pressed him to fill up the four vacant places of Cardinals and though the Queen of Sweden and Cardinal Barbarino joyned with him in the same request yet the Pope would not hearken to them nor grant their desire And when at last Altieri became more importunate with him than before designing to supply the four vacant places with Creatures of his own who might be able to fortifie his Interest against the next Conclave the good Pope turned to him and with some Anger said You may well content your self that you have been Pope for six years Suffer me now to follow my own inclinations and be Pope for six hours onely It was now generally concluded and believed that Altieri was so fallen into disreputation with the whole College of Cardinals and with the People of Rome and so hated by all the Prelates that immediately after the Pope's death he would be removed from all his Offices and deprived of his Suffrage in the ensuing Conclave But Altieri had so well feathered his Nest during his Reign under his reputed Uncle that his Riches procured him Friends and reconciled the minds of those who were most estranged from him so that he conserved his Office of Chamberlain with other honourable Charges and obtained a confirmation for his Nephew Don Gasparo in his place of General and afterwards entered triumphant into the Conclave onely his main task was in what manner to reconcile himself to the favour of the most Christian King in regard the Cardinals of that Party declared that they would neither act nor treat with Altieri until he had first given satisfaction to his Majesty INNOCENT XI SO soon as Clement X. had expired his last breath Altieri who was Cardinal Chamberlain gave notice thereof to all the Officers of the Houshold upon which news all the Prelates and Grooms of the Bedchamber in decent and mourning Habits repaired to the Palace of Monte-Cavallo where they found the Body of the Pope laid out on a Pallet covered with Crimson Velvet and there in presence of them all Altieri whose Office it was brake the Sigillum Piscatorium or the Pope's Seal in pieces and the Notaries of the Camera took an Inventory of all the Goods found in the Palace After which the body of the Pope was dedivered to those who were to embalm it and then the Bell of the Capitol was rung out to give notice of the death of the Pope to all the City And now Cardinal Altieri having nothing more to do at Monte-Cavallo repaired to his own new Palace near the Jesu attended with a numerous train where he received the Visits of Cardinals Princes Ambassadours Prelates and Nobles who came to condole with him for the death of his Uncle During the time that the Funeral Obsequies were solemnizing the Cardinals were busied in forming Parties against the time of Election the first day of which was the second of August when a considerable number of Cardinals being assembled in St. Peter's entered in form of Procession two by two with gravity and Order into the Conclave the next day some others were added to them in all to the number of fifty two so on the third day of August the Conclave was shut and Guards set by the Prince Savelli to whose Office it appertained as Marshal of the Conclave On the 4th instant the Mass of Veni Creator being sung the Cardinals began the Choice by way of Scrutiny The Persons nominated were Vidone Barberigo Odescalchi Spinola and Cerri all which had almost an equality of Votes Odescalchi had eleven but proceeding towards the Evening by way of Accession seven Votes only appeared for him On the sixth day in the Morning Scrutiny being made twenty seven Votes were given for Cardinal Corsini but in the Evening
and wise Men who conceived hopes by an instance of this nature that Vertue and wisdom would return again into use and fashion and the Court of Rome in general rejoyced to find themselves freed from the pride insolence and covetousness of Nephews Howsoever the Family of Altieri was continued in their Military Employments and others confirmed in their respective Offices but because War was extrinsecal and not the Trade or profession of the Church which was now in peace with all the World he retrenched the pay or Pension belonging to the Officers of the Papal Army causing them to remain satisfied with the Name and Dignity without the benefit or profits of their respective Commands which proved of great ease to the Apostolical Chamber Howsoever knowing that Authority is not to be maintained without Power and force and resolving to become Master of Rome he encreased the number of his Archers in the listing of which he took not every fellow that came to offer his service but such onely as were sober Men not given to quarrels or to commit such insolences as the Corsi who were the cause of great disturbance to Alexander VII Howsoever on the other side not to receive insults from Ambassadours or other Representatives of Kings or Nobles and Princes of Rome in prejudice to Justice and the rules of severe Government he absolutely denied to them the priviledg to protect Miscreants and Criminals within the Precincts or certain limits assigned by themselves to be Sanctuaries for all Villains and Murtherers that should fly for refuge to those quarters and in pursuance of this resolution he seized a certain famous Bandito at Riccia where the Prince and Princess Chigi have a Seat and possession the which was admitted without any opposition made thereunto Farther the Pope confirmed the seventeen Articles which were signed as we have said in the Conclave by all the Cardinals being such as for the most part tended to a Reformation of manners and to an amendment of those abuses which were crept into the Church And farther to demonstrate his great zeal for the welfare and reputation of the Papal See he openly reproved the vanity of those Cardinals who pleased themselves with fine Coaches and rich Liveries giving them to understand the incongruity there was between those worldly Gayeties and the profession of those who had devoted themselves to that sober and serious life which becomes the gravity of a good and a holy Prelat And in regard that in times of preceding Popes many unworthy persons by the force of Money and Simonaical dealings were arisen to Episcopal Dignities the Pope appointed four Cardinals and four other Clergymen to examine the lives and manners of such who aspired to the degree of Bishops ordering them to admit none thereunto suspected or in the least blemished with an ill fame or taxed of ignorance as well as of a debauched conversation And in order to a thorough reformation the Pope drove out all the Courtesans and Strumpets from Rome and persons openly scandalous and dissolute in their manners and amongst others he banished a Gentleman of quality into Germany for having made a violent attempt on the chastity of a Lady of approved modesty All Houses of Play or gaming for Money were put down and all leud and unlawful Assemblies were fobridden And in regard the Barons of Rome had by the priviledg of their Nobility raised themselves above the reach of their Creditors The Pope ordered Cardinal Cibo to make a narrow inspection thereinto and to pay the Debts of the Barons out of the Money of the Chamber by which means these Debts being assigned over to the Chamber a payment of the same might more easily be forced by vigour of that Law which enforces the proceedings of the Exchequer To these Acts of Justice the Pope added one of great generosity towards Christina Queen of Sweden who having by the late Wars lost the greatest part of her Revenue in Sweden in recompence thereof he allowed unto her a Pension of twelve thousand Crowns a year And having laid these first foundations and beginnings of good Government the Pope's next work was to labour in the promotion of a Peace between the two Crowns and all other Christian Princes that laying aside all differences and quarrels amongst themselves they might unite their forces for the good and welfare of Christendom against the common Enemy the Turk to this effect he wrote Letters to the Emperour and to the Kings of France and Spain exhorting them to Peace and Concord of which he offered himself to be the Mediator and to be assistant thereunto in Person provided that the place appointed for the Treaty were assigned in some City of the Catholick Religion On the other side he animated the King of Poland to continue his War against the Turk and not to lay down his Arms until he had recovered Kaminiec and revenged himself of the Affront put upon him by the late Visier Kuperlee who had taken Contribution under the notion of Tribute from his City of Leopolis and to enable and encourage him thereunto he remitted to him the sum of fifty thousand Crowns But whilst the Pope laboured for Peace abroad he was not able to keep himself nor his Court free from disturbances at home for the Marquis del Carpio who resided at Rome in quality of Ambassadour for his Catholick Majesty being informed of the great want his Master had of Soldiers to send into Sicily adventured to make some levies of men in Rome pretending that the French on some occasions had practised the like but the People not being ignorant of the bad pay and ill treatment of the Spaniards came very slowly to enroll their names and moreover a report was rumoured abroad that many people were wanting who were hid in Cellars by the Spaniards till an opportunity presented to transport them into Sicily This report whether it were true or false yet served the turn of such who delighted in troubles and Seditions for being entertained with some malice in the minds of the people they conceived such an abhorrence of the Spanish Nation that they affronted them in all places which sometimes proceeded to fightings and scuffles in which several were killed and wounded but the Spaniards being few in number and the weaker side were at last forced to keep within their quarters for fear of the multitude The Pope to suppress these tumults and prevent disorders punished several persons who were guilty of the Riots with just severity but the Spanish Ambassadour not contented herewith pretended some higher and more exemplary satisfaction at which the Pope grew angry declaring that the Ambassadour was in arrear to him and obliged rather to give than to demand satisfaction upon which the Ambassadour to shew his resentment refused to appear at Court and at the same time the Vice-King of Naples without any cause or reason denied Audience to the Pope's Nuntio at that City This manner of proceeding was highly
which by some side-wind or far-fetched notion of Spiritual Concernment reduced almost every thing under cognisance of the Church According to this natural course of worldly affairs Lewis the 14th the most Christian King being high and prosperous in his fortune resolved to put a period to the process for the Regale which had continued near thirty years and at last in the year 1673. came to a conclusion and Declaration was made That the King had Right of Regale in all his Dominions without distinction except onely in those Sees that had purchased their exemption from it And therefore all Bishops who had not yet registred their Oaths of Fidelity in the Chambers of Accounts were required to do it and to take out a Writ upon it for closing the Regale otherwise rheir Bishopricks were still to be looked on as under it All the Bishops of France unwilling to incurr the displeasure of their successful Monarch submitted excepting the Bishops of Alet and Pamiers It was now under the Reign of Clement X. an old doating Pope who having his parts and understanding enfeebled by old Age he committed the management of the Pontificate to the sole direction of Cardinal Paluzzi afterwards adopted by the Pope and called Altieri a Person who from his first beginning was distastful to the Court of France and not until this time well reconciled unto it as we have at large declared in the foregoing Life This was the time I say when open Claim to the Regale was renewed in favour of the King and when the Pope himself was scarce able to distinguish his Interest and Altieri was so thwarted and opposed by the Court of France that he had enough to do to conserve his own personal Interest much less to vindicate and contend for the Rights of the Church in a case so litigious as this In January 1676. the King 's Right was claimed in disposal of the Deanry of Alet the Dispute of which was left unto the Bishop to maintain for the Pope being under the foregoing Circumstances took little cognisance thereof either by himself or his Cardinal But this good Pope dying in the month of August next following the Controversie fell to the lot of Innocent the 11th to maintain and to dispute in opposition to the eldest Son of the Church This quarrel was increased by a Contest at Pamiers where one Paucet was provided in Right of the Regale to be Arch-deacon of Pamiers but was rejected by the Bishop and Chapter howsoever the Regale prevailed for the Arch-Bishop of Tholouse was on their side and gave judgment in favour of the Regalist But on the contrary the Bishop of Pamiers acquiesced not with this Sentence but made his appeal to the Pope who was now engaged in the Controversie and the matter lodged in his hands Wherefore the Pope in the year 1678 wrote his Brief to the French King and in soft and yet pressing terms complained of the Innovasions made on the Liberties of the Church and the Authority of the Council of Lions and after several Arguments to persuade him to desist from this Enterprise he concludes that he cannot forget those Popes his Predecessours who upon the like occasions had endured long and great afflictions But these Allegations satisfied not the King who pretended that the Rights of the Regale were inherent in the Crown and had been enjoyed by his Ancestors and by them derived down to himself The Pope on the other side affirmed that the Secular Powers had no right to things sacred but as it was derived to them by the Authority of the Church and that the Church had not granted any such Right having expresly limited it by the Council of Lions which hath now been observed four hundred years This Controversie seemed to lie dormant from September 1678. to December 1679. until it was again revived and stirred in the See of Pamiers in that point which concerned the vacant Benefices and the mean Profits for the King's Officers seized on them likewise so that the good old Bishop had nothing to live on the last twenty months of his life but the Oblations and Charities of his People On this occasion the Pope wrote to the Cardinal d' Estreé to interpose in this Affair as being a Person more than ordinarily concerned in the dignity of the Apostolical See To which the Cardinal made answer in the style of a Court-Bishop extolling the King's merit his zeal for the Faith and respect for the Apostolical Chair what he had done for the suppression of Calvinism and Heresie within his Dominions and how bravely he had defended the Christian Cause against the Turks and in fine he laid down the dangers which would follow if any dissention should arise between the King and the Church At length Cardinal d' Estreé was dispatched to Rome with a Letter of Credence and Orders to treat immediately with the Pope himself but it seems his Negotiations produced little alteration for the Pope continued steddy and constant to his Principles And on the other side the Parliament of Paris became as zealous for the King 's Right and Authority for which the King's Attorney General pleading made little esteem of the Pope's Censures which were passed for Obedience to the King's Orders The Church said he may indeed have an Authority to punish Men for Heresie and an ill life but the World was now too well enlightned not to discern that the Thunders of Rome had been for several Ages vainly employed for extending its Authority beyond all due bounds the limits of which were to be found in the Canons of the Church by which the Pope as well as others ought to govern himself And therefore desired that the last Brief sent by the Pope might be suppressed which was accordingly done by a Judgment of the Court of Parliament on the last of March 1681. And to give a farther Authority to this Judgment an Extraordinary Assembly was called of all the Bishops then residing at Paris where were present six Arch-Bishops twenty six Bishops and six that were named to Bishopricks to whom the Agents of the Clergy represented the Invasions made on the Liberties of the Gallican Church by the Pope's Briefs both in general concerning the Regale and in particular in the Affair at Pamiers and the Nunneries and concerning a Book of Gerbais a Dr. of Sorbonne De causis Majoribus which were equally contrary both to Church and State to the Canons and the Concordate by which the Pope upon a simple Complaint without any Appeal did by the plenitude of his Power judg at Rome concerning the validity of Elections and the Authority of Arch-Bishops and Primats c. The issue of which Assembly was this They asserted the Authority of National Churches for judging of all matters both of Faith and Manners and in the conclusion agreed to make an Address to the King praying him to give leave either for a National Council or an Assembly General the latter
the Papal Power 106. her Ambassadours how receiv'd at Rome ibid. and 111. Matthias King of Hungary 3 Maurice Duke of Saxony 104 Medicis the Family disoblig'd by Sixtus IV. 4. a Plot against 'em 4.5 one of 'em murther'd ibid. John of that House made Pope with the name of Leo X. 29. Julio another Pope with the name of Clement VII 46. the Family driven out of Florence 57. Alexander made first Hereditary Duke of Florence 62. John Angelo de Medicis Pope by the name of Pius IV. 119. Cosmo de Medicis made Great Duke of Tuscany 159. Alexander chosen Pope and call'd Leo XI 205 Messina seized by the French 374 Milan its various fortune 15.27.30.31.39.49.52.71 Modena taken by the Pope's Forces 24 Monasteries suppress'd by the Pope's permission 328.348 Montalto Cardinal chosen Pope with the name of Sixtus V. 172 Monti Cardinal chosen Pope by the name of Julius III. 90 Munster the Treaty of Peace there 307 N Naples besieged by the French 59 Nepotism declar'd against by Alexander VII 325. but practis'd ib. Nerius Philip Canoniz'd 263.270 Nitardo Inquisitor General of Spain made a Cardinal 368 Novaro its stout resistance of the French 30 Nuntio's from the Popes denied admittance by several Princes 126.180 O Obelisc raised by Sixtus V. 186 Odescalchi Cardinal chosen Pope and call'd Innocent XI 380 Donna Olympia her Character 298. and managements 299.300.301.310.311.312.313.319 confined to Orvieto 324. dies of the Plague ibid. Orsini see Vrsini Osnaburg a Peace concluded there 308 Otranto seiz'd by the Turks 6 P Palace of the Farnese 68 Palatine of the Rhine despoil'd of his Dominions 269 Pamfilio Cardinal made Pope and call'd Innocent X. 594 Paris made an Arch-Bishoprick 270 Parma Edward Duke thereof his Contest with Vrban VIII 284 to 292. Pasquil upon Sixtus V. 191 Pavia the Cardinal thereof assassinated 24. the City besieged by French King 48. taken by Lautrec 56. Persia an Embassie from thence to the Pope 262 Pescara the Marquess a noble Commander 48 Peter-pence the paying of 'em a great Duty 111 Philip de Comines sent with succours to the Florentines 5 Piccolomini Francis chosen Pope with the name of Pius III. 20 Pinarolo Tutor to Sixtus IV. 1 Pius V. Canoniz'd 368 Plague in Italy 168.324.326 Plot of Sixtus IV. against the lives of the Medici 4.5 Of some Villains against Pius IV. 156 Poland great Contests there about chusing a King 167.195.369 Pool Reginald made a Cardinal 68. sent Legat to the Council at Trent 80. almost chosen Pope 89. recall'd from his Office of Legat in England 116 Portugal great troubles there 168 Priests Secular and Mendicant Friers a long Dispute between 'em determin'd by the Pope 4 Progress of Clement VIII from Rome to Ferrara 216 Protest of the King of France to the Pope 94 Protestants routed by the Imperialists 84 Q Queens of Cyprus and Bosna entertain'd by the Pope 7 R Ravenna taken by the French 26 Ravillac murthers Henry IV. of France 263 Reformation design'd by Adrian VI. 44. by Marcellus II. 108. by Marcellus II. 108. by Paul IV. 117. by Pius V. 158 Relations See Kinred Rhodes taken by the Turks 42 Rome taken and sack'd by the Imperial Army 56. and spoil'd by the Vrsins 59 Rospigliosi Cardinal created Pope with the name of Clement IX 346 Rovere Francis created Pope with the name of Sixtus IV. 1 Rovere Julian made Cardinal 2. and Pope with the name of Julius II. 20 S Salvian Arch-bishop of Pisa in a Plot with the Pope against the lives of the Medici 5. hang'd ib. Saraceno Prebendary of Vicenza occasion of the quarrel of Paul V. with the Venetians 230 Saxony the Duke excommunicated 38 Sebastian K. of Portugal slain 168 Sfondrati Nicolas created Pope and call'd Gregory XIV 207 Sforza D. of Milan taken and sent into France 31. his Heir restor'd to his Dukedom 52. dies 71 Shoomaker of Macerata a Story of him 183 Siena revolts from the Emperour 104. recover'd 105 Simony practised and punished by the Pope 12. Debate about its qualifications 117 Sobietzki John chosen King of Poland 369 Soliman the Magnificent 42.52.61 Spalato A. de Dominis the Archbishop thereof 270 Spain the Kings thereof when first honour'd with the Title of Catholick 13 Statue of Paul IV. ignominiously used by the People 119 Strozzi General for the French in Tuscany defeated 105 Stuart John D. of Albany of the Scotch Bloud-Royal General of the French in Naples 48 Swiss-Cantons their Embassie to the Pope 187 Switzers their actions in the Pope's Cause 27.30.31 T Teresa the Virgin Canoniz'd 203.270 Theatines the Order when first instituted 110 Title of Catholick given to the King of Spain 13. of Defender of the Faith to the King of England 37 Treaty at Munster 307. at Osnaburg 308. of the Pyreneans 329. at Aix la Chappelle 352 Trent a General Council appointed there 78. begun 80 Trivulse General of the French takes Bologna 24 Tunis taken by Charles V. 71 Turks seize Otranto 6. alarm Christendom 35. take Rhodes 42. and Buda 52. besiege Vienna 61. invade Dalmatia 75.160 demand Cyprus of the Venetians 160 take it 161. receive a great overthrow at Lepanto 161. successful in Hungary 214. invading Poland are defeated 270 U Vanoccia Harlot to Alexander IV. 16 Vatican Library much improv'd by Sixtus IV. 7. much more by Sixtus V. 186. by Paul V. 265. by the addition of the Palatine Library 269. by Alexander VII 344 Venetians bandy against the Pope 5. are excommunicated by him 7. absolv'd 9. a formidable League against them 22. strip'd of all their Acquisitions in Italy 23. regain some Towns 27. their Victory at Lepanto 162. make Peace with the Turks 166. kind to the Nuntio of Sixtus V. 190. they are quarrel'd with by Paul V. 230 to 261. disoblig'd by Vrban VIII 283 Vienna besieg'd by the Turks 61 Vitelli Count of Tiferno against the Pope 4 Vladislaus King of Bohemia excommunicated 4 Vrbin the Dutchy seiz'd into the Pope's hands 32.35 restor'd 42. devolves to the Church 281 Vrsini and Colonneses a Discord between the two Families 9. are reconcil'd 10. both spoil'd by Caesar Borgia 16. Vrsini cause a great tumult at Rome 170 W Wednesdays auspicious to Sixtus V 137. X Xaverius Francis a Jesuite Canoniz'd 270 Z Zizime Brother to the Grand Signior brought to Rome 11. dies 14 Zuinglius opposes the Pope 37 FINIS Div. S. The Original of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction 1 Cor. cap. 6. The degrees by which the greatness of the Clergy did arise The difficulties which the Clergy met in making themselves great The Popes depended on the Emperor How the Temporal Power was derived to the Popes Charles the Bald resigns the power of Election of the Emperour to the Pope How the Election of Emperours was transferred to the seven Electors Presbyters called Cardinals and when Election of Popes by Cardinals and when begun The form and manner of Electing Popes The several ways by which Popes are Elected and the methods and forms thereof The
Garrison at Ferrara with a thousand Foot he likewise banished all Strangers from Marca and Romagna and commanded the Natives thereof to return into their own Country But to the management of this War designed many difficulties occurred for in the first place there was an excessive scarcity of all Provisions in Rome and the Ecclesiastical State as also in Naples and Abruzzo by reason of which the People cryed out nothing but Peace and Bread and on the contrary there was great abundance of all things within the Dominions of Venice from whence the People of the Pope's Country receiving the most part of their Provisions were kindly affected to the Venetian State but notwithstanding all these difficulties the Pope resolved to proceed in his War and to recruit his Troops and for maintenance thereof new Impositions were laid on Salt Flesh and Paper with intention also to lay a Tax on Wine and Timber if occasion should require And in the mean time the Count de Fuentes Governour of Milan gave out that he would have an Army speedily in the Field consisting of twenty five thousand Men composed of Germans Napolitans Switzers and Spaniards Though the Venetians did not neglect all due care towards the provisions of War and to make their Defence whensoever they should be attacked yet with more especial regard they had an Eye to Plots and Conspiracies within the State giving Orders to their Sea-Captains to stop all Vessels which sailed in the Gulf unless such as had Passes from the King of Spain for his own particular Affairs which caused great embroils along the Coast of Romagna and the Marca d' Ancona which seemed as it were to be blocked up Orders were likewise given to hinder all exportation of Corn out of the Dominions of Venice and Sequestrations laid on the Revenues of the Clergy who had quitted or abandoned the Venetian Countries for which cause many Prelats at Rome were forced to retrench their Families But notwithstanding the Promises made by the Spaniards of administring Aid to the Pope which at the first heat were positive and large yet the Court at Madrid coming to make more mature reflections on the tenure of their former Letters thought fit to explicate their sence more at large and to signifie to the State of Venice That it was not the intention of his Catholick Majesty to make a War on the Republick but onely to demonstrate unto the World that that Crown would on all occasions be joyned to the Apostolical Sea And accordingly D. Inigo de Cardenas Ambassadour residing in Ordinary at Venice did on the 13th of July present a memorial to the Senate signifying That the King being desirous of doing good Offices in the mediation of Peace between the Pope and that Republick had commanded him his Ambassadour to interpose therein assuring him that whatsoever he should act in order thereunto would be most pleasing to his Majesty And that some Overtures might be made in order to this Accommodation Cardenas desired that for a beginning thereunto the Senate would give him leave in their name to desire and supplicate the Pope that he would be pleased to take off his Censures from them being much troubled that they had ever given his Holiness any cause of displeasure which being words of formality and Complement onely could not in reality be prejudicial to the right of their Cause and yet were in this state of things of importance and absolute necessity To which the Doge made Answer That neither by himself nor by the Senate was there ever any just cause of displeasure given to the Pope and therefore to Scandals and Disgusts voluntarily taken and not given there was no other remedy than voluntary Acknowledgments The same day the French Ambassadour urged the Senate to be the first to make Overtures of Peace to the Pope which could be no dishonour to the Republick considering with what respect and duty all Christian Princes treated the Pope and that it is Jus Commune to submit and humble themselves before his Holiness for other matters they might with all confidence rely on the directions of his Majesty herein whom they had always found a true Friend and a faithful Ally That considering on what terms the King of Spain stood with them and how he had declared himself of the Papal Party it was not now seasonable to disgust the King his Master and that therefore they would be pleased to think of some Answer which he might with confidence communicate to the King The Senate having taken these particulars into consideration gave almost the same Answer as they had newly done to the Spanish Ambassadour Adding onely to the French That by way of Mediation he would be pleased to represent unto the Pope That the Senate was troubled that his Holiness would take displeasure at the actions of a Republick which was entirely devoted and dedicated to the glory and service of God to the publick quiet and tranquillity of the World and to the maintenance of that liberty and Power which was committed to them by Divine Right These Negotiations being ineffectual and fruitless the Senate gave Order to Giustiniano their Ambassadour in England to inform King James with the progress and success of all these Affairs and differences with the Pope which when the King had rightly understood he returned this Answer That he was highly satisfied with the constancy of the People and unanimous resolution of the Senate in defence of their Native liberty and justice and of that Power which God hath bestowed upon Princes That the Declaration made by Spain in a Letter was ridiculous and that matters of such importance required more than words That he was highly sensible of the honour which the Republick had done him in sending him an Ambassadour Ordinary and Extraordinary wherefore that he might return them the like demonstrations of sincere Friendship he promised to grant and condescend to all the desires of the Senate for that he should be very ungrateful and unjust in case he should deny protection to that righteous Cause of the Republick which was engaged in the maintenance of that liberty and Authority which is the common Right of all Princes in the Universe And therefore in case the Senate should at any time be engaged in War for this Cause they might be assured and rely on the word of a Prince that he would assist them with all the power he was able and that he had given Commission to his Ambassadour at Venice to assure the Senate the like in his name And farther the Earl of Salisbury by the King's Order added That the King was not induced to grant them these succours on expectation that they should leave Communion with the Church of Rome but onely from a principle of Justice by which he esteemed himself obliged to vindicate the Cause of Princes and the Authority of the Secular Power as also from a Spirit of Animosity being resolved to take that side to which
Spain was declared an Enemy in return for which the Senate made their due acknowledgments to the King Whilest these things were in Treaty the Spaniards endeavoured to raise a War between the Turk and the Venetians supposing thereby to drive the Senate to those streights as would inevitably compel them to a composition with the Pope To perform which the Marquiss of Santa Croce having received the Nuntio's Benediction departed from Naples with a Fleet of twenty six Gallies and having advice that the Venetian Armata was then at Corfu he privately crossed the Gulf and on the 10th of August arrived at Durazzo a City of Albania which being empty almost of all its People at that season of the year when the Inhabitants are for the most part in their Fields and Gardens gathering their Fruits he easily surprized the place sacked and burnt it carrying away Captives about one hundred fifty five Men Women and Children together with thirty pieces of Canon The news hereof coming to Venice did much trouble the Senate who apprehending lest the Turks should attribute this act of Hostility ro the Venetians would in revenge thereof make War upon them to prevent which they immediately dispatched advice to their Bailo at Constantinople giving him to undestand the truth of this Aggression which being performed by the Spaniards and not by them ought to be represented to the Grand Signior in such manner as might not be occasion of any Rupture The Grand Signior being rightly informed of the truth of this matter did believe that this attempt was performed by the Spaniards with Artifice and design and therefore gave Order to the Captain Pasha or Admiral of his Gallies to entertain a perfect good correspondence with the Venetians and joyn with them to the confusion of the Pope and the Spaniards Some few days after this the Turkish Fleet consisting of fifty five Gallies came to an Anchor not far from Corfu commanded by Gieffier Pasha to whom General Pasqualigo who then commanded the Venetian Fleet and was at Corfu sent a Complement by his Secretary to the Pasha which was in like manner returned with many obliging Expressions telling him of the great Esteem and honour which the Grand Signior had for the Republick and as a demonstration thereof had given him Commission to joyn with the Venetian Fleet and to make War on the Pope and the King of Spain in such manner as he should receive direction from the Venetians acting a part or in the same body with them as they should think convenient and necessary and in farther assurance hereof he dispeeded three Gallies commanded by the Bei of Damiata to inform Pasqualigo of these Resolutions which he had received in Commission from his Master the Grand Signior to which friendly offer Pasqualigo returned a like courteous acknowledgment saying howsoever that he could neither do nor act any thing herein without Orders and directions from the Senate and in the mean time whilest these Advices were in going and Answers expected he prevailed with the Turks to withdraw their Forces from those Seas promising to give them timely notice in case there should be occasion to desire their Assistance About this time being in the Month of August the Pope in justification of these his proceedings employed Scipio Gobellucci to write the reasons and arguments which moved and directed him in this Cause which Papers were dispersed over Mantoua Milan Cremona and Ferrara and Copies thereof sent into Spain and other parts which Writings the Senate taking into consideration It was proposed that they should be answered by some learned Hand and that all the Letters Reasons and Proceedings in this Cause should be printed and published to the World but this Proposal was generally disliked by the Senate as a matter which would exasperate and keep alive the difference and rub on the Sore which already smarted too much that the Cause of the Senate was sufficiently known to the World and that silence would look more like contempt esteeming such Pamphlets not worthy the publick notice or consideration and would argue greater reverence to the Apostolical Sea than to expose and lay it open even in those matters wherein the Republick had received most manifest Injuries Howsoever it was impossible to restrain the Wit and Pens of some working Heads and Spirits who still were writing Papers on one side and the other which being as yet onely in Manuscript could not be so publick to common view as when they were issued from the Press howsoever in Milan there was a scandalous Pamphlet printed and set out by some Churchmen in which against the Rules of all Sense and Reason it was intimated that during this Interdict all Marriages being a Sacrament of the Church were invalid the copulation adulterous and the Children Bastards the which Paper being spread over all Bergamo Brescia and Crema it was thought fit that in confutation hereof a Treatise wrote about one hundred and fifty years ago by Gerson should be re-printed and divulged which was so opposite to the matter in hand and so properly accommodated to the present times and differences that nothing could then have been better nor more fitly applyed to which was annexed a Letter without name exhorting all Curates to attend their Flock and Charge without fear of giving any offence to God by not observing the Interdict This Treatise of Gerson being wrote so many years past carried such Authority and weight that Bellarmine esteemed it worth his Answer and Baronius cryed it down with such passion as if the belief thereof had been a total subversion of the Christian Religion The Authority of these two learned Cardinals was so great and considerable that the Senate of Venice thought fit for the better ease of pious and tender Consciences to give a License to certain learned Writers to publish their Reasons and Arguments in defence of the Republick restraining themselves always within the compass of those Rules which the Laws prescribe that is That nothing should be asserted contrary to Faith good Customs and manners and the Authority of the Prince for perusal and approbation of which five Divines were appointed to assemble in the House of the Patriarchal Vicar and to allow all writings of that nature with their Imprimatur before any Printer should dare to put them in the Press or publish the same Thus were all the Wits set at work in writing some on one side and some on the other the chief Heads which those who wrote in favour of the Republick were these That God had constituted two sorts of Government in the World one Spiritual and the other Temporal The Spiritual was committed to the Apostles and their Successours the Temporal unto Princes and both were restrained within such limits as that one ought not to meddle or interfere with the other That the Pope hath no Power to annull the temporal Laws made by Princes nor to depose them or free their Subjects from their Allegiance to them