they least thought of it He did much affect this sort of Generosity or rather Soverainty for he never suffered any of his Relations to put their hands into his Coffers nay he was so absolute that once he banished a Kinsman of his because he found his House better furnished than it could be by those Gratifications which he had received from the Pope who used no more words with him but these We have given you so much and you have so much How came you by the rest And so without delay he banish'd him and divided his Fortune amongst his other Relations If the Nephews of other Popes become rich it is by the abuse they make of that Authority which they usurp in the Pope's Name But it was not so with the Nipotismo of Sixtus for he never gave blindly but with his eyes open and discreetly And if there were any Error committed in their growing rich it was the Pope that was the Author of it and not they who were meerly passive and did but receive their Uncles Liberalities There is no doubt but that under this Pope the Church received much more benefit than damage for the Nipotismo having no Power could not be otherwise than good and innocent and the Pope himself was so wise and vertuous a Prince that there were few Miscarriages in his time if we except that only occasion in which Sixtus by his too hasty Excommunication of King Henry the Third of France brought the Church in danger of losing for ever so noble and flourishing a part of Christendom as it had hapned already by the rashness of one Pope that the Kingdom of England was entirely lost only because Clement the Seventh would not yield a little of his Authority And indeed I think the greatest blemish upon the Reputation of Sixtus is that he suffer'd himself to be so far transported with anger as to Excommunicate Henry the Third of France for having caused the Cardinal of Guise to be killed and the Cardinal of Bourbon to be shut up in a close Prison with the Archbishop of Lyons who were indeed all three Traytors to the Kingdom and Conspirators against the Royal Person of Henry The Consistory of Cardinals did oppose this violent Resolution of Sixtus by remonstrating to him the terrible consequence of it and the danger that all the Church would incur by the loss of so noble a Christian Kingdom But the Pope laughing at all this answered the Cardinals in this manner If therefore you will have it so we will bring it to pass that from henceforward you shall be neither honour'd nor reverenc'd by Princes nor Kings but despis'd vilified and exposed to the hands both of the Oppressor and the Executioner Certainly if the killing of Cardinals be conniv'd at and pass'd over without resentment and chastisement it may very easily become the Case of every one of you However we will rather do that which Justice requires though you little care that Reason be done for the Violence committed not so much against you as the Sacred Purple Nevertheless the Pope was wary not to precipitate things so suddenly but suffered five Months to pass after the death of the Cardinal of Guise during which interval he made by Letters several Admonitions to the King all which proved to no purpose the King being resolute not to free the Cardinal out of Prison which the Pope so vehemently urged Whereupon seeing he could not prevail he thundered out the greater Excommunication with all the accustomed Forms against the King and against all those who in the said matter should afford Counsel to or in any manner whatsoever assist him Besides which he also cited the said King to make his personal Appearance at Rome within the term of seventy days there to give account of the Death of the Cardinal of Guise and the Imprisonment of the Cardinal of Bourbon The King conceived great indignation upon this proceeding of the Pope and began to advise with the Prelates Bishops and Counsellors of greatest trust with him how to ward off such a Storm and things were carried so far that the Council-Royal seem'd resolv'd to create a Patriarch in France particularly for the Gallicane Church who should not in any wise be subject to or have so much as the least Communication with the Church of Rome And 't is likely the French who affect Novelties would not have been backward to close with this Resolution But whilst Matters went on in this manner it so came to pass that the King as he lay with a great Army at S. Cloud two Leagues from Paris was on the first day of August in the year 1569. wounded in the belly with a two-edged Knife by a Dominican Fryar named Jaques Clement Native of the City of Lans and of the age of twenty three years as he was receiving Letters from the hand of the said Friar who was upon his knees of which Wound he died within fourteen hours in regard his Entrals were pierc'd having imploy'd this short in ordering such things as concerned his Soul This Murder hapned seventy eight days after the Summons by the Pope for his Appearance at Rome within seventy days and his Holiness rejoyced not a little at it since hereby the displeasure which the Consistory of Cardinals the People and Nobility had conceiv'd against him as one that car'd not much to see the destruction of a Kingdom which would breed disturbance to the common quiet of Italy from Age to Age both by Sea and Land Great were the Stirs which succeeded in France after the King's death inasmuch as Henry King of Navar next Heir to the Crown began to endeâ—vour the possession thereof by warring against the Lords of the Ligue who were back'd and upheld by the Spaniards by whom the Succession of Henry was infinitely opposed In these Commotions and Broils of France the Pope gave not those Assistances to the Ligue which they expected and required and this upon several accounts but especially because he would not condescend to the Instances of the Cardinals and the Spaniards who much solicited him giving them this Answer When we were against the dead Henry all you were our Opponents Now that you would persecute the living Henry we will not side with you for the sake of our own Interest It was not a little displeasing to the King of Spain that the Pope did not succour the Ligue nor declare Excommunicate those Princes and Prelates that followed the side of Navar so that the King resolv'd to make some Protestations to the Pope concerning this Tergiversation But his Holiness wanted not Pretexts to fence with and in a manner made sport with those Spanish Cardinals who importun'd him either to unite with the Ligue or send considerable Assistance to it Gregory the Thirteenth had Nephews who did not degenerate from the Name of Buoncompagno that is to say they little car'd to do good and less to do evil Nevertheless according to the Instinct which
having stabb'd him cast him half alive headlong into the Tyber and the same evening a barbarous action they had supped together very brotherly at their Mother Vanoccias house The Pope who was afraid of incurring the same danger from his son whose temper he knew to be wicked enough for such an undertaking was forced to dissemble this inhumane action of the Cardinal and to make no pursuits nor informations about the death of his eldest son Cesar being thus delivered of his brother began to give himself up to the life of a Souldier and the practise of Arms without any consideration of his being a Cardinal for his great motive in murdering his brother was that he might attain to the dignity of Gonfalonier or Standard-bearer of the Church and Captain General of the Popes Armies so that a little after his Fratricide he layed off his Cardinals Habit and the Pope invested him with all the honours of his dead brother Thus being made General of the Popes Army he united with the French and married Charlotte of Albret and had for her portion the Dutchy of Valenza from whence he was called over after Duke Valentine as being a particular acquisition of his own With the help of Lewis the twelfth and of his Father the Pope he gained a great estate in Italy his Father being still ready to supply him with vast sums of money which he spent to purchase greatness Having driven the Family of the Sforza's out of Milan and put them in prison by thâ— help of the French King he made himself Master with great cruelty of all the Cities of La Romagna except Bologna banishing and murdering the ancient and true Lords and Masters of them The first seized upon Forli and Imola causing the poor young Riarri who were Lords of those places to fly for safety and taking prisoner their Mother Catharine whom he carried in triumph to Rome exposing to the eyes of the Romans his barbarous cruelties From Forli he passed to Faenza which City he took by force putting to death Astorre Manfredi who was Lord of it He did the same by Arimino and Pesaro forcing Nulatesta and John Sforza to avoid by flight the infamy and cruelty of the death they were sure to undergo if they fell into his hands After this he besieged Sinigaglia and took it by force committing infinite acts of inhumanity in it With the same course of Victory though with craft and deceit mingled with force he deprived Guido Vbaldo di Feltro of his Dutchy of Vrbin making him fly to Mantua not without danger of falling into his net by the way After this he lead his Army against the City of Camerino which he took by force and put to a cruel death Giulio Cesare and Venantio Varrani who were and had been long in possession of it And with the same ardour and ambition he fell to persecuting all the neighbouring Princes in hopes to deprive them of their States At last he turned his rage upon the chiefest Families of Rome beginning with the noble Family of the Gaetani who were in possession of great Estates in the Country of the Volai putting to death Honorato and Cola Gaetani Next he fell upon the Colonna's Family and having dispossessed them of their Lands forced them to fly to Apulia and Sicily where they were extremely pitied by that people who had a perfect knowledge of their rare deserts But while he thought to do the same to the Vrsins they having leagued themselves with other Princes raised an Army in their defence and having at last encountred his defeated it and forced him to fly to Imola or as some say to Rome where the Pope being frightned with this sudden blow had recourse to craft and dissimulation he treats with the Confederates gives them such Conditions that they themselves even triumphant could hardly expect And having thus lull'd them asleep and made them lay down Armes in the mean while Borgia having recovered himself and got a new Army fell upon them most cruelly and persecuting them separately put to death some banish'd others and in a word used all barbarous means to compass their ruine All this while the Pope was taking his delight in the Vatican in Vanoccia's armes receiving every day with new joy and satisfaction the news of his Sons crimes The Revenue of the Church being not sufficient to maintain such an Army as Borgia's was and withall to supply the expence of his Court which was truly Royal and Prince-like Alexander made a new Colledge of fourscore Writers of Briefs selling every place for two hundred and fifty Crowns of Gold receiving besides into Rome those Moors that the King of Spain had driven out of his Dominions who to enjoy their liberty gave him great sums of money And yet all this seeming inconsiderable he sold divers Cardinals Caps and at last for fear of being unprovided of money in some urgent necessity he resolved to dispatch with poyson the â—â—chest Prelates of the Court and amongst them somâ— very rich Cardinals whose Estates he intended to make himself heir to and so satiate the barbarous greediness of his son But Divine Providence taking compassion of the innocency of so many persons disappointed this barbarous design most miraculously for just in the execution of it the Pope himself was by the mistake of his Cup-bearer sent out of the world and 〈◊〉 son Cesar in extreme danger And thus it happened Alexander invited to a Treat in his Garden of Belocdere all the richest Cardinals and Prelates under pretence of honouring them and had secretly given order to mingle some poyson with most exquisite Wines that they were to drink But the Cup-bearer in pouring out his Wine into Glasses mistook and poysoned the Pope and his Son Cesar. 'T is true that some do believe that the Cup-bearer did it on purpose being glad to be the Instrument that should deliver the State and Church from so much misery in which they were involved under this Popes tyranny Cesar perceiving himself to be poysoned presently had recourse to Remedies and with vomiting being strong and in the flower of his age freed himself from the poyson though very violent 'T is true that he remained impotent and unfit for action so that his Army immediately crumbled away for want of his personal assistance to keep them together But the Pope who was already seventy two years old was not able to resist the strength of the poyson though all the Remedies imaginable were put in use to save him So he dyed in the Vatican in the year one thousand five hundred and three As soon as the Pope was dead Cesar his son caused himself and all the Popes Treasure to be transported to the Vatican under the guard of twelve thousand Souldiers with an intention to force the Cardinals to make a Pope of his liking But he failed in his design for the Cardinals met in the Convent of La Minerva And Cesar having set Michrelletto
and bidding him remember to take from his Uncle an example of modesty and temperance and apply himself strongly to his study and the practise of vertue which would advance him without help of his kindred or at least very little Many others of his kindred even his Nephews came from Germany to Rome with a design to enrich their fortunes as other Popes Relations had done but they soon found they had abus'd themselves for the Pope angry at their journey sent them all back with no other Present then each of them a woollen Sute and just as much money as would suffice to bear their charges Nay even to one who out of necessity was come a foot he refused to give any more then would just defray his expences on foot back again 'T is true that some Cardinals were very Noble to them This Pope was continually blaming the Prodigality of those who had bestowed such great riches upon the Church In the year that this Pope liv'd Rome was so afflicted and visited with Warre Famine and Plague that it cannot be remembted without tears and the people very unjustly laid all the fault upon the Pope all mouths being open to clamour against him and sing the Latin Verse Semper de Sextis diruta Roma fuit To Adrian succeeded Clement the Seventh of the Family of the Medici who conserving the wonted ambition of this Family encreased their revenues and power with all his industry insomuch that after he had been imprison'd and extraordinarily ill us'd by the Emperour Charles the Fifth he nevertheless entred into a consederacy with him upon condition that he should give his bastard Daughter Margaret in Marriage to Alexander of Medici Lawrens his Son and by force of Arms oblige the Florentines to acknowledge him for their Lawful Prince All this was accordingly executed the Emperor having sent the Prince of Orange with a very great Army to settle the Medici in their new principality And Clement not content with this as soon as the Emperour was gone into Spain made a new league with Francis the First of France and to strengthen it Henry the Second the Daulphin of France married Catharina of Medicis Daughter to Laurens the wedding was kept at Marseillis where the King and the Pope were both present The Pope having thus happily setled his family returned to Rome and there died In September 1534. and in the same year in the Month of October Paul the Third was chosen to fill his place with great joy and applause of the people of Rome He was Alezander Farnese Cardinal and one who shewed himself worthy of so eminent a dignity His first work was to find out means to advance his Family and therefore in December following he created two of his Nephews Cardinals one Alexander Fernese Son to Pietro luigi Farnese his own Son for the Pope had been married before he was Cardinal and the other Guido ascanso Forza Costanza his daughters Son Alexander being suddenly dead the Cardinal Hippolito Medici was made Vice-Chancellour of the Church and Vice-Chamberlain after the death of Cardinal Spinola Thus from day to day as places and offices became vacant the Popes Nephews were sure to have them Paul was very desirous to procure a meeting between the Emperour and the King of France where he desir'd to be present in person also which thing being carried on by his Legat Cardinal Carpi was well accepted and agreed of by both Princes the Town of Nizza in Proâ—ence but bâ—longing to the Duke of Savoy was chosen for the place of meeting as being conveniently situated upon the Sea 〈◊〉 The Pope though old was the first that came to the place appointed having endured very great inconveniencies in his journey and yet he was disappointed at last of his desires for these two Princes having penetrated into the Popes design found that it was not out of any love to Christendome but only out of a fond affection to his family that he had desir'd their company So they refused to see one another in his presence but came separatly and kiss'd the Popes feet with no small mortification to his Holiness being thus deluded and almost derided And indeed this interparly was not desired nor procur'd by the Pope either with a design of appeasing the differences in Religion or of making a League betwixt the Christian Princes against the Turk though this were the pretext but with a purpose to get Margaret of Austria the widdow of Alexander Medici for Octavio Farneze his Grandchild and following the example of Clement the Seventh give Victoria afterwards married to Guido Vbaldo Duke of Vrbin his Neece to some Prince of the blood of France having chosen out the Duke of Vendosme who was a young Prince of great merit and hopes but for this time â—â—e â—ope was forced to return to Rome without having effected his designs as the King of France went to his own Kingdome and the Emperour to Marseilles where he visited the French King Some time after the Pope obtained from the Emperour the City of Novarâ—â— for his Son Pietro Luigi and made up the match between his Grandchild Octavio and the Princess 〈◊〉 Daughter to the Emperour and widdow of Alexander Medici this done the Pope undertook the recovery of the City of Lamerino which he pretended to be devoted to the Church by the death of Giovani Maria Varrano who had receiv'd the investiture of that place from Leo the Tenth and dyed without any male children and upon this Title made warre against the young Guido Vbaldo da Feltro who by the Womens side pretended a right to it but not being able to maintain it was fain to fly and leave the place to the Pope who having taken it presently gave the investiture to his Grand-child Octavio Farneze making him Duke of Camerino and Receivour General of the Church having before made him Prefect of Rome in the place of the Duke of Vrbin But this Popes ambition swell'd much higher for he went about to buy the Dutchy of Millan of the Emperour with the Churches money and make an unalienable Patrimony of the Family of the Farnezes But the Emperour though very necessitous and extreamly sollicited by the Pope with a vast summe of ready mony was nevertheless so prudent as not to dismember from his Empire so considerable a part of it Besides this the Pope gave to his Son Pietro Luigi against the consent of almost all the Cardinals the noble Cities of Parma and Placentia in Lombardy which were Fiefs of the Church The said Pietro Luigi was murdered by the principal Citizens of Placentia in a conjuration layed and carried on by the Emperours order who all along refused to confirm Pietro Luigi in this new Princâ—pality the Pope pretending that the Emperour should acknowledge him for lawful Lord and Master of these Cities which he was so far from doing that he endeavour'd to take them from him whereupon the Pope was forced that he might support his
unbridled Passion He would not allow that the City of Rome should enjoy certain holy priviledges peculiar to it alone and therefore in the year 1500 having publish'd an Universal Jubile he granted more Indulgences to those that staid at home than to those who as the custom is came to visit the Churches of Rome ordain'd for that purpose Nevertheless some were willing to think that he did this out of good policy as doubting lest all the people of Christendom being already offended with the wicked carriage of his Sons there might happen at Rome amidst the variety and confusion of sundry Nations some resolution to the prejudice of all his House But such reasons had no place in his mind for those that came to Româ— were led thither by devotion and the diversity of Nations hinders the Union of a People that would take Arms against their Lord. The principal cause lay in his own humour which was cruel and totally averse from doing good to any others besides his own Relations And whereas by so great a concourse the Romans were likely to gain something by the traffick of holy Merchandise to wit Medals Crowns and other consecrated works besides the Rent of Lodgings and sale of Provisions He would not that they should enjoy this benefit although the hindrance of it was accompanied with loss both to himself the Church of St. Peter and the Office of the Datary All the good he did to the Church was that he shew'd himself very liberal to Writers and Learned men of all sorts not out of any natural inclination towards them but only to oblige them to write well of himself and his Kindred And accordingly there were some infamous Writers as I may deservedly call them who made comparison between his Raign and that of Alexander with a parallel of the qualities of these two persons Amongst the rest one made a Book intituled The glories of the Papacy of Alexander the Sixth and the Borgian Family God give a thousand ill years to such Writers who flatter falsly and at their pleasure make Angels of Devils and Saints of Tyrants An other good thing which this Pope seem'd to do to the City of Rome was that there being a great dearth in the State he caused great plenty of corn to be brought from Sicily and by this means render'd the City very plentifully stored But 't was not any affection for the people that induc'd him to it but he did it out of consideration of great profit to himself for he sold corn at Rome for double the price it cost in Sicily trading with the Churches money and putting the gain into the purse of his Bastards Whence it may be concluded that he never had any intention to do good to the publick Innocent the eighth of the house of Cibo was as benign and inclin'd to do good as Alexander was cruel and addicted to do evil The truth is Innocent who gave neither Offices nor Riches to his Relations but with moderation as I have said in due place was a Pope worthy of that time when Christendom seem'd to be threatned with most heavy calamities This man studied from morning to night how to procure benefit to the Church ease to the People and comfort to the Catholicks so that no sooner was any thing mention'd to him but he presently answer'd So be that it bring good to the Publick From whence it may easily be gather'd that all his motions tended to do good and were far from the design of doing evil He rewarded all those Cardinals who had nominated and promoted him to the Papal Chair To the Monastick Orders he granted particular favours and priviledges especially to that of St. Dominique and St. Francis He lightned the Church and likewise the Palace and Court of all superfluous expenses He us'd great charity towards the Poor He lov'd his Country and caus'd most ample satisfaction to be given to the Genoeses who had been ill treated during the vacancy of the See He honour'd and requir'd others to honour all extraneous Nations of the World insomuch that the Turk himself sent an Embassadour to him with some Presents meerly because he had understood this generous demeanour of the Pope amongst which Presents was the Title of the Holy Cross and the Spear which pierc'd the side of our Saviour Thus the Romans report and believe and accordingly I write it He readily pardon'd injuries receiv'd provided his Pardon were desir'd with humility and he receiv'd Embassadours with so great curtesies that in those days the Princes of Christendom knew not how to do a greater favour to a deserving Officer of State than to send him Embassadour to Rome to negotiate with so worthy and good a Pope He re-bless'd the Venetians who had been interdicted by his Predecessor and although a Genoese yet he omitted not to bestow divers favours on the Senate being wont to say That Popes may receive great honour by keeping good correspondence with the Republick and great shame by breaking with it Whence during his Government he entred into League with the Venetians not in order to raise war against any but only for procuring an Universal peace and the tranquillity of all Christendom He suppress'd all those Tyrants who in several places tyrannis'ed over the State Ecclesiastical He reduc'd unto friendship the disunited hearts of the Romans particularly the Families of Colonna Orsini Margoni and Santa Croce which were all embroil'd together in civil feuds and he commanded all Governours of the State to use their utmost endeavour for extinguishing all other intestine combustions He reduc'd all the Kings and Princes of Europe to an Universal Peace and believe me 't is little less than a miracle to unite together so many disunited minds And indeed since the daies of Augustus Caesar never was there seen in Europe so great a peace and concord between all Princes who attributed this blessed tranquillity to the pious intention and good conduct of the Pope He brought to pass that three the most powerful Armies that ever appeared in the world were rais'd for the destruction of the Turk two by Land whereof one was commanded by the Emperour the other by the King of Hungary and the third was a very mighty Fleet commanded by the Pope in Person accompanied with the Kings of France Spain and England besides part of the Colledge of Cardinals and a great number of Princes But whilst all things were putting in order and eight months of the year allotted for preparation already elapsed this great Pope fell sick and his death shortly ensuing hindered Christendom from the most glorious expedition that ever was or perhaps will be undertaken against Asia and so much the more in that Alexander the Sixth was his Successor These examples are alledged by me to shame those Popes who are so infinitely strangers to the spirit and qualities of Innocent The Church indeed much needs in these daies such a Pope as he to remedy the innumerable disorders and
all Europe as for the City of Rome I promise thee another Work much more worthy thy curiosity and sit for any body that hath a publick Employment which is Il Cardinalismo a Work which speaking in general only of that Dignity doth yet nevertheless now and then descend to particulars In a word I call the Cardinalismo and the Nipotismo Brothers but the Cardinalismo is the eldest because first conceived by me in a moneth it will be Printed if thou wilt have it thou mayest and I can assure you it will please you infinitely Farewell Il Nipotismo di Roma OR THE HISTORY OF THE POPE'S NEPHEWS The First Part. The FIRST BOOK The Contents IN which is treated of the difference that there is between the ancient and New Rome Of the manner of Governing of the ancient Romans And of the manner of the Popes governing Of the murmurs of the Gentiles Hereticks and Catholicks against the Church of Rome and the Popes How to come to the knowledg 〈◊〉 the present state of Rome by the said murmurs Of the time in which people began to talk ill of the Popes and of the cause of this their libertie Of the Popes firâ—t bringing their kindred into Rome Of the Infallibility of the Popes in admitting their kindred to the Government of the State of the Church Of the causes that ruin'd the old Roman Commonwealth and of those that lessen the Honour and Grandeur of the Church of Rome Why Christ chose to be Born in a time of Peace Of the Succession of Peter to Christ. Of the Apostles to Peter and of the Popes to the Apostles Of the Holiness of Church-men in the primitive Church Why the vertue of doing Miracles is failed in the Popes Why for many Ages the Popes Kindred did not much care to own their Relation to him How the Church came first to be so Rich. Of the Court of Rome Of the Politick Wit of Church-men Of the advantage that Politicians gain in frequenting Rome And of some particular maximes of Innocent the Tenth which were of utility to himself ROME alone amongst all the other Cities of the World can brag of the reputation of having been alwayes esteemed the Mother of Nations the whole Universe having almost alwayes taken a pride in paying to her a Tribute of filial Duties in acknowledgment of which she has also opened her breasts and pressed her Duggs for the nourishment of those who desired to encrease by their obedience to Her and be free from those dangers to which they are subject that have not Parents or powerful Protectors The glories of Rome were never equalled no more then Rome it self Rome hath been seen in all the Cities of the World not only commanding but triumphing and in Rome have been seen at divers times not only Cities but whole Provinces nay whole Kingdomes obeying and submitting Rome seems to be born to rule the World and with a great deal of reason since not only it hath done but doth still exerce its Empire over a great part of it It ruled while it was a Commonwealth and not content with that Empire which nature or to say better the valour of its Citizens had purchased for it it proposed to acquire all that it could think on and still the acquisitions seemed small in comparison of that which remained to be acquired It rul'd in the time of the Roman Emperours who made Lawes and domineered over mankind as they pleased nay which was worse tyranny it self came often from Rome to infect the rest of the Universe which was subject to this seat of Tyrants But why should we recall past Ages and renew those wounds which though not healed are nevertheless worn out by the length of time why should we praise Rome for having ruled the World if now at this present it rules it more then ever and domineers over it in a new manner In the time of the Commonwealth in the time of the Emperours Rome never pretended to command consciences and exact from soules that Tribute which now they pay to the Vatican Every City had its Bishop every Village its Curate and every Church its Preacher who in his Sermons did not make it his business to exalt Rome neither did the Bishop nor the Curate expect the rules of governing their flock from Rome But now quite contrary maximes have prevailed for Rome not content with the temporal power hath perverted the order of Government and made the temporal submit to the spiritual contrary to the received custome of so many Ages If the Commonwealth subdued Nations if the Roman Emperours commanded over kingdomes they did it in such a manner that those that obeyed seemed to have had more content then those that commanded for they let them enjoy the liberty of their souls and required only from them a Civil Obedience in compliance with the interest of the State But the Popes having confounded and mingled together the temporal and spiritual power laying the stress upon the spiritual do oblige Princes and people to so exact an obedience that the only mention of it is able to scare our hearts and minds The Popes shutting of Paradise and Heaven when they please their opening of Hell when they think good are things that oblige whole Nations to forget the Obedience due to their natural Princes and to prostrate themselves at his Holinesses his feet The Commonwealth which ruled with so much wisdome and Policie the Emperours who governed with the strength of Arms and the Tyrants who domineered with cruelty had they but known these secret maximes might have humbled Nations and reduced Cities with a great deal less paines and more security The Popes having being armed with the Soveraigne Authority over consciences have so increased the glories of Rome that there is scarce a corner in Europe not a place in Asia not a desart in Africa nor a hidden solitude in America where the name of the Pope hath not penetrated and where there is not some discourse of Rome The Gentiles praise the Popes and despise Rome the Hereticks praise Rome and despise the Popes and the Catholicks despise both Rome and Popes with a greater though secreter disdain then either the Gentiles or the Hereticks of which I shall give the reasons The Pagans attribute all the mischief of Rome to that great number of Church-men with which this City is pestred The Hereticks on the other side lay all the Church-mens disorders upon the Pope and therefore the Hereticks are willing enough to be reconcil'd to Rome but by no means will endure the Pope The Pagans on the contrary are content to be friends with the Pope but not with Rome This proceeds from the distinctions that the Heathens make in the person of the Popes separating the spiritual from the temporal and Religion from Civil Government therefore in the time of Sixtus the V. and Gregory the XV. the Persians and Japponeses sent their Ambassador to Rome taking no small pride in the
of that Honour Therefore at last and as it were by force he declar'd him Cardinal but with a strict Order not to meddle with state affairs without Commission Gregory the Thirteenth of the Family of the Buon Compagni who was chosen Pope after the death of Pius in the year 1572. followed not so good a path but declin'd to a great indulgence for his Relations First he presently made Philippo Buoncompagno his Nephew Cardinal to whom he gave many Abbyes which were vacant in his Predecessors time Besides he call'd about him all his Nephewes and Cozens to whom he gave Offices Dignities Governments and Lordships enough to make him great ' Tâ—â— true he shewed no great ambition of making them great Princes because he saw little probâ—â—ility of a good success but he heaped Abbâ—es and Prelatures upon them as many as they pleased He dyed 1585 the tenth of April and had for Successor upon the 24th of the same Month Sixtus the Fifth of the poor Family of the Peretti having been a Monk of that conventual Order of which Sixtus the fourth who lov'd his kindred so well was In his first beginning he seem'd a little averse from his kindred not that he despised them but he shewed no desire of making them Princes but they that made any foundation upon this exteriour were much deceiv'd for there never was a Pope that had a greater love for his relations then this and all well considered we shall find that Sixtus the fifth gave away much more to his Nipoâ—â—smo then Sixtus the Fourth for his Family of 〈◊〉 was very Noble and liv'd splendidly before his assumption to the pontificat whereas the Fâ—mily of Pâ—retti was so poor that they had not bread to eat being fain to beg here and there One of Sixtus the Fifth his Sisters was a Laundress in Etsâ—â—li and câ—me to see her Brother in 〈◊〉 upon an Ass which was led by a Halter by hâ—r â—ldest Son and with all this he left him all 〈◊〉 and great He lov'd this Sister of his Camdâ—a most tenderly insomuch that he could never see her enough and for her sake in the first month of his Popedome he made one of her Sons Cardinal giving him his own Cardinals Cap and câ—lling him by the name of Cardinal Mâ—ncealto though he was but one and twenty years old To him Sixtus gave in Abbyes and Church-lands above five and thirty thousand Duckats a yeâ—â— which was no small revenue in the hands of one who lov'd much to be thrifty To the other Brother who had led the Asse he gave the chiefest offices and places of Rome and married him with great pomp and solemnity to a rich Roman Lady He assigned 20 thousand Crowns a year to his said sister Camilla who drawing allwayes before her Eyes her ancient poor condition could never be brought to lead a great Ladyes life but liv'd allwayes like a country Woman Her two Daughters were both married one to Virginio Vrtino and the other to the high Constable of the Kingdome of Naples Caâ—onna to one of which he gave for portion a hundred thousand Crowns and made a Cardinal of the family of the Colonna together with great Offices and Revenues Besides this he made Alexander Beretto his brothers Son Cardinal and assign'd him a revenue of twenty thousand Duckats in Offices within Rome and in the Popes Territories in which he had great number of Benefices In a word Sixtus when he dyed left to his Family the sum of a hundred and fifty thousand Duckats yearly revenue besides money in speâ—â—e and the wonder of this was that it was all done without any prejudice to the Church but so much to the contrary for he surpassed in the stateliness of his edifices in Rome the ancient Romans and yet left behind him five millions of Crowns to the Church to the astonishment of all Christendome There is little or nothing to be said of Vrban the seventh who succeeded Sixtus in the year 1590 because he liv'd but 13 dayes after his election But his kindred of the house of Castagna in Genoa having suddenly heard the news of his elevation hastened to Rome but three dayes journey from Genoa they receiv'd the newes of his death Whereupon they were forced to return home and keep close for a great while to avoyd the derision and mocking of their Enemies And this was because that they had gone out of the City in great pompe and state beginning allready to carry themselves like so many Princes but their pretensions vanishd with the Popes death Nevertheless the Pope in so short a time shewed himself kind for he left them some considerable Legacies having given away to the company of the Nuntiâ—ta whose Protector he had been all that was in his power to distribute But that which Vrban could not compass in thirteen dayeâ— Gregory the fourteenth his Successor did in ten months This Pope was of the family Sfondrata of Milan and very desirous of adding to the greatness of his family And because that Paulo Emilio Sfondrato was at the time of his creation in Milan the Pope refus'd to dispatch any business before his coming to Rome where presently he was made Cardinal and had twelve thousand Crowns a year assigned him the same day besides a great number of Abbies and Offices which his Uncle gave him a little after The Pope was used to pass most part of his time with this Cardinal no business passing but what was sifted between them the Pope often saying to him Nephew make a good purse before I die And the Nephew who understood the means did not fail to obey him and out of every hundred take ninety for himself the rest he left to the Church and that was alwayes the worst money Two moneths after he made the Count Sfondrati another of his Nephews General of the holy Church and sent him to the Wars of France having first married him with the daughter of the Prince of Massa and made him Duke of Monte Marciano which Dutchy the Pope pretended to be devolved to the Church ever since the death of Alfonso Picolomini Duke of the said place whom the great Duke of Florence put to death and the Pope immediately confiscated all that he enjoyed in the Territories of the Church pretending that the said Alfonso was a Rebel to the Church Whereupon he gave his Nephew the investiture of the Dutchy Innocentius the ninth succeeded to Gregory the fourteenth in the year 1509. who lived but two months and by consequence was not in a capacity of leaving much to his Relations many of them nevertheless were already come from Bologne the Popes native Country amongst whom he made one Cardinal and that was Antonio Fachinetti but he gave him no other Office then that of a Referendary there being no other of any consideration vacant 'T is true I believe that he thought not of dying so soon for else he would have provided more largely for this Cardinal and
and employ his private riches to the publick ornament of the City took care to provide his Ecclesiastical Nephews of Benefices and Church-lands and his secular Kinsmen of Places and Dignities as they became vacant The plenty into which this Pope brought his Family was such that they themselves did scarce know how to dispose of it there flowing in upon them every day vast sums of money from all parts of the world to procure by their means the Popes favour Whereupon they seeing no end of their riches began out of a complacence to the Popes humour who delighted in the ornament of the City to build certain publick Edifices so noble and stately that the King of France who hath a Kingdom so rich and powerful and hereditary would scarce have undertaken the like at the expence of his whole Kingdom The Cardinal begun the Fabrick of that Palazzo Borghese in the Campo Martio which is not yet ended and to perfect it according to the first design it would require the value of half the Churches Territories nay it is said that in the foundation alone were spent above two hundred thousand Crowns for they were fain to demolish great numbers of houses and level hills before they could bring the ground to that true evenness which the design required The Popes brothers began two Country houses of pleasure at the same time one hard by Rome and a little without the Porta Ponciana the other at Frascati in the little hills called Mendragone and we may easily conclude what treasure was expended in these by what the Spanish Ambassadour said one day to a Gentleman of the Family of Borghese who waited upon him thither for the Gentleman having shewed one of these houses asked his opinion of it and had for answer these words My King would not have undertaken in such calamitous times as these are so great a a fabrick for his diversion in Madrid His Holiness was so overjoyed to see such princely inclinations in his kindred that he did nothing but study night and day how he should enrich them more and more 'T is true he needed not to trouble himself much for his Cardinal Borghese who had the Popedom at his disposition took all the incomes for himself and the Family of the Borgheses allowing the Pope a small matter to please himself with the mending of a Street or a Church or some publick Edifice this Pope having surpassed all his Predecessors in erecting new Edifices and procuring by all wayes the ornament of the City In those dayes the Nipotismo was most triumphant all the former Popes Nephews having never been invested with so absolute an authority as that of the Cardinal Borghese and the rest of his Nephews Paul lived sixteen years in the Chair of the Popes so that the Nipotismo had time to give root and foundation to their greatness as indeed they did but forgot to strike a nail into the Wheel of Fortune to hinder it from turning about and therefore not long after it began to slide downwards as we shall declare in time and place At last in the year 1621. Paul dyed to the great grief of the Romans who lamented very much his loss and indeed he was a very good Pastour though he were a little too liberal of the Wool of his Flock to his Kindred for he left to the Prince of Salmona alone his Nephew above a hundred thousand Crowns yearly revenue to the Cardinal as much besides the vast sums of money layed out in those Buildings we have mentioned they were thought also to have vast sums of ready money unknown to their Uncle the Cardinal alone being supposed to have above a million in specie So that Paul left not a farthing to the Church His Successour was Gregory the fifteenth of Bologna of the noble Family Ludovisio pretty rich but very abundant in Relations and Kindred This Pope before he began to mannage the publick Affairs of Christendom resolved first to establish the particular Interest of his House and Family therefore having seen the example of Leo the tenth who by reason of the shortness of his life could not bestow the dignity of Cardinal upon any of his Relations three dayes after his creation he made Ludovico Ludovisio his brothers son Cardinal and the same day he made Oratio Ludovisio his brother General of the Church though he were absent and as soon as he came to Rome he made him Duke of Fiano and assigned him other Lands bought with the Churches money The same day he distributed amongst some other Nephews many considerable Offices both within and without Rome though 〈◊〉 of those upon whom they were confâ—rred 〈◊〉 â—bsent so that it mâ—y bâ— said of 〈…〉 this Pope that it was great almost before it was born or at least in its cradle entring into power and command before it entred into Rome The Cardinal Ludovisio was he that governed the weighty Affairs his Uncle depending upon him most absolutely so that often of Negotiations and Court business he would communicate little or nothing to the Pope and when his Uncle out of curiosity would sometimes go about to inform himself how things stood his Nephew would presumptuously answer him and say What need you trouble your head eat and drink and let me alone to serve you Every step of this Cardinal was towards the advancement of his Family and the Pope not only did let him alone but would often exhort him to make hast least of a sudden he should be depriv'd of the means which fell out for the Pope liv'd but seven and twenty moneths in which time the Ludovisi minded their business so well that at their Uncles decease they had amongst them two hundred and fifty thousand Crowns yearly revenue besides ready money and that which they spent in publick buildings So that this Nipotismo does deserve the title of the most subtle diligent of all the precedent Nipotismo's if we consider the proportion of their riches and measure the shortness of the time that they wâ—re purchased in With all this they much studied publick applause and to gain to themselves the good will of the people and Roman Nobility shewing great respect for them and offering their service wâ—llingly upon all occasions 'T is truâ— there was not much credit given to these demonstrations because that the Romans were already accustomed to see such Scenes of dissimulation But nevertheless their Uncle neither alive nor dead was not prosecuted with Pasquinades his government or rather his Nephews having not been so tyrannical as covetous And since the Romans leave them in peace so will we too and conclude this book with the death of Gregory the fifteenth Il Nipotismo di Roma OR THE HISTORY OF THE POPES NEPHEWS The First Part. The THIRD BOOK The Contents IN which is treated of the election of Urban the eighth to the Popedome Of the creation and disposition of Cardinal Barbarino a Capucin Of the Places and Offices given to
on his Brothers red Hat and tryes it to see how it sits upon his head But I am afraid he will loose his longing for the Nipotismo of the Chigi are much against it and the Pope himself hath declar'd that he will not make two Brothers Cardinals at the same time Withall this the Prior Courts his Cozens with the profoundest respect and the greatest submission that the lowest Courtier in Rome would employ and all to no purpose for they all see that he aimes at the red Cap which they are resolv'd to hinder him from attaining And the reason why they are so averse to his promotion is because they know him to be humorous and apt to sow discord and dissention amongst them which I believe he would go neer to do if he had the liberty of talking which a Cardinal hath Now if we will say something of the Women who also serve to make up the Nipotismo we must begin with the Lady Berenice Don Mario's Wife This Lady is of the Noble Family of La Civia one of the considerablest of the City of Siena but ill provided for by Fortune Her husband loves her and indeed she hath qualities that do deserve his love being very witty and civil she had not been two year in Rome but she was mistress of all the Court Arts and way of living to the great satisfaction of Embassadors and Princes who according to the custome of the Court go to wait upon her sometimes where they are not a little surpriz'd to hear her discourse so well and easily of things which they only which have been bred all their life amongst Queens and Princesses can talk of and they are the more pleased because she does shew amidst all this capacity a great deal of modesty which gaines the affection and respect of those that have occasion to treat with her Don Mario her Husband is above eighteen years older then she who is not above three and fifty and is so fresh at that age that one would scarce give her forty she being subject to no infirmity at all At her first coming to Rome the Pope declar'd that he would see her very seldome giving her leave to demand any favour by her Husbands means but nothing by word of mouth and he did this to show what a horrour he had for that impudence with which Donna Olympia used the Pope Innocent to his great dishonour and is thought that one of the great reasons that made this Pope keep his Kindred at such a distance for a great while was because he was afraid of bringing his Brothers Wife into the Vatican with his Brother the very name of a Sister in law being a most odious thing to the Romans for Donna Olympia's sake but indeed Donna Berenice is another sort of woman and one who shews modesty and reservedness in all her carriage being unwilling to meddle with any thing to which she is not call'd There is nothing to be said of this Ladies Daughters except that the Popedom is come in good time into the Family of the Chigi for else they and their Husbands had been brought very low for when they were married they had nothing and their Husbands but very little which was almost consum'd by the charge of children coming on every day The Pope to content the Father and Mother gave these Ladies leave to appear in Rome where they were receiv'd and treated very obligingly by their brother the Cardinal Padrone and were also visited by all the Roman Nobility and by the Ambassadours and Princes Don Agostino was also very kind to them though with reserve being somewhat jealous to see them so near the Pope whose benevolence and good will he would fain ingross for the Masculine line of the Family And in publick the Pope did not give any demonstrations of particular favour to them that he might not increase Agostino's jealousies and the Courts murmurs but in private he bestowed upon each of them three thousand Crowns and in giving them this money he said two or three times That what he did was out of charity and that it was not his design to dissipate and spend the Churches Revenue upon his Kindred And these Ladies who were born in Siena and not in Spain were not so scrupulously addicted to preserve the honour of their Gentility as to refuse such Almes as a Spaniard would have done And I believe Reader that you would be of the same mind and be well pleased if any body would give you a good sum of money for the love of God and out of pure charity Besides this Don Mario and his Lady have without doubt been liberal to them out of that heap of Treasure which they so well know how to get together so that these Ladies journey to Rome hath been no doubt a golden journey for them which we may conjecture by the state they live in now at Siena having bought divers Lands and Houses This is all that hitherto can be said of this Nipotismo But besides these the Pope hath another Nipotismo of a remoter consanguinity who are so many that they are innumerable and the Pope hath been hitherto averse to their coming to Rome I believe because he is unwilling to disoblige the nearest Nipotismo but if his Pontificate last as it is thought it may the Pope who is naturally inclin'd to do good may by little and little give them a share in his good fortune by Employments Benefices or some wayes Neither doth the Pope for all this set aside his own content which is to erect noble Buildings and stately Edifices wherefore he hath doubled the Workmen in that vast Enterprize of Saint Peter's Church being very desirous to see it finished and having often said to some Cardinals his Confidents that he should not dye content if he dyed before that were ended The Nipotismo is strangely displeased at this expensive humour of the Popes seeing him every day changing and streightning some Street and mending some publick Edifice for they would that that money were spared for them and the Family of the Chigi Some dayes ago Don Mario and Don Agostino went about to put some other less expensive design into the Popes head and particularly to oblige him to give over the Porch of Saint Peter which is of so vast a charge but the Pope is not to be remov'd from his inclination and takes it very ill that they should controul him in his pleasure he who not only doth not controul them but hath given them all the means they have and he persists in this resolution the rather because he is resolved to have the glory of this Enterprize and not leave it to his Successour who by a little addition would perfect so great a Work and then place his Armes in the front of it as his Of late Alexander hath been fain to furnish to another expence which is the Legation of the Cardinal Padrone to meet the Empress at Milan and the Spaniards
the said Court is so Magnificent Of the Friendships of the Cardinals towards Princes and of the Correspondence of Princes with the said Cardinals Of the passage of a certain Cardinal from the Spanish Faction to the French Of the Spiritual Power of the Pope and how it is upheld by the Temporal and Of the nature of Money in Church-mens hands ALL that we have said hitherto is but the Foundation of what we have to say For to what end would it be to have seen the Nipotismo in Rome if we did not see Rome in the Nipotismo And we have been curious to pry into that which the Popes have done for their Kindred we may much more justly examine that which the Kindred does for the Popes A German Prelate who now lives and has some Opinions very different from the profession he makes of a Church-man That is Who is more Heretick than Catholick does upon all occasions and whensoever he happens into any company where there is a liberty of talking profess his mind in few words and without any ambiguity by saying That the Popes Kindred acquire this world by their Uncles Indulgence and that the Uncle loses the other world by his Nephews Vices This opinion which by many Catholicks would be condemned as Heretick has nevertheless a great foundation in reason and I am sure that the most able and ingenious men of the Court of Rome do allow of it and maintain it as being a Prelate's opinion David who was King Priest and Prophet was continually in fear of being damned for others sins and as we see did every day desire of God to be delivered from that imputation And yet the Popes not only do not apprehend that they may be damned for their Kindreds sins but do furnish them with the means of offending his Divine Majesty Certainly the Pope's Relations would take another course if they thought they were out of the way to Heaven neither would they be so covetous in heaping riches together if they knew that the treasure of the Church is but in trust and not in propriety to the Popes The Duke Valentine Son to Alexander the 6th did commit all sort of crimes imaginable breaking both Divine and Humane Laws without any regard or consideration But that which was worst of all was that he covered his Vices with the Cloak of the Popes Authority Saying whensoever he was about to commit a crime That he did very well know what he was about to do was just for his Father who did give him leave to do it had the Holy Ghost This is the mischief that the Popedom does to the Popes or rather that the Popes do to the Popedom For to say true the Popedom would be holy if the Popes were so too But they do not desire it or they cannot desire it being governed by their Relations if not as Popes at least as private persons To this purpose I remember a Story which hapned about twenty years ago and to which I give the greater credit because I have it from a worthy Person and one who heard the words which were said A Swedish Gentleman had left Stockholm the Capital of the Kingdom with a design to travel over all Europe as Gentry uses to do But his principle aim was to be instructed in the way of Worship of the Church of Rome and be well informed of the difference between the Protestant and Catholick Religion with a resolution to follow that which he should like best and he thought no place fitter for his design than Rome as being the City which gives the rule to others having in it the Head of the Church and an infinity of Church-men and Prelates In his way thither he met with another German a Protestant who had the same design whereupon having contracted a great Friendship together they continued their Journey and hapned to come to Rome in the beginning of the holy Week which is the week before Easter Being lodged they began by little and little to frequent the Churches see the Ceremonies enquire into the Pope's Power into his Court and a thousand other particularities all relating to the same end The Magnificence of the Pope's Habit the rich Ornaments of the Altars the variety of Ceremonies the Majesty of the Cardinals and Prelates the Devotion of the Monks and Fryars and the great concourse of people to the Churches did at first surprize these young Gentlemen and inflame in them that desire which curiosity had already kindled Having observed all these things with great care and exactness they began to inform themselves of the Civil Power of the Pope of the Entrigues of the Court of the Government of the City and State And in their exact Inquisition they found that indeed all that Policy and Humane Wit could produce was to be seen in the Church-Government and did not much disapprove of it But no sooner had they following still their first curiosity pryed into the business of the Nipotismo and discovered the interests of the Nephew towards the Uncle and the Uncle towards the Nephew but they presently resolved to return home and live and die in the Protestant Religion The German whether it was that he had dived into the secret of the Nipotismo or for some other reason was not altogether averse from changing his Religion though by no means he would not remain in Rome But the Swede was so scandalized at the Church-mens lives that having conceived a perfect hatred for them he said to the German That he would never be the Subject of a Bishop who should be the Slave of his own Relations Of this Gentleman's opinion there are many not only in Protestant Countries but in the middle of Italy it self and I wish to God that many of those sins which lie so heavy upon the Romans consciences had not been occasioned by the scandal which they continually receive from the Nipotismo That which I have related of a Swede is not much different from what I have to say of an English or Scottish man I know not well which but I am a very fit person to relate the Story for I was present at the dispute which he had with a French Bishop which was thus This Stranger had been two years in Rome in which time he had had divers occasions of being known to the Pope and his Nephews as likewise of knowing them and had been infinitely scandalized to see the small care the Pope did take to correct his Nephews extravagancies both in Morals and Polities But above all he was much grieved to see that the Pope had taken out of the Treasure of the Church the richest Jewels to bestow them upon his Nephews and that they made no scruple of robbing the Church to enrich themselves Having met in France with this French Bishop they fell upon the discourse of Religion The Bishop perceiving the ill impressions he had received at Rome thought it was a part of his duty to endeavour to blot them
If the Walls of Rome could speak and the Fabricks of so many stately Cloysters had mouths to make themselves heard if those vast Palaces of the Nipotismos were animated Oh! How many tender-hearted Christians would be fain to forsake the City and retire into desarts that they might not hear the stones complain for the poor and lament their misfortune Ferdinand Second Duke of Toscany having a great deal of reason to complain of the Barberins proceedings towards him said one day to one who was about to go in Pilgrimage to Rome That the holiest Temple that he should see there would be the Barberins Palace for that it was cemâ—nted and built with the bloud of many Martyrs If any body in Rome should steal but the value of six pence in his greatest necessity from a Priest without doubt the Nipotismo who has the Government of the City in their hands would cause him to be hang'd immediately and yet they that rob and spoyl the Church go off free and without any punishment Every day there comes out some new Order from the Datary-Office for the reformation of the abuses committed by Church-men in their employments and the Popes do give often particular Commissions to This and That Cardinal to enquire into the lives of the Monks and take away those Scandals which do every day encrease And yet for all this the Romans observe that the more the Decrees of Reformation are the more are the Vices multiplied the disease being so stâ—bborn and inveterate that it grows worse when the Physician goes about to apply remedies to it The Pope's subjects curse the Nipotismo for their Tyranny and Extortions Christendom is scandalized to see that they little believe that Religion of which they make so great Profession The Church weeps and sheds tears to see its bowels gnawn and torn by the Nipotismo The State weakned by so many Taxes and Oppressions sends its cries to Heaven against them The Monks exclaim seeing that the Nipotismo's Avarice deprives them of their Profit and makes them contribute towards the maintenance of their Grandeur Princes and Embassadours retire discontented from Rome not being able to endure the Nipotismo's insolence The Altars themselves are often forsaken and stand empty the Nephews refusing to grant Indulgences without money Certainly these abuses these disorders these scandals should drive the Popes out of Rome That Gardener that does only cut the top of the Weeds and not root them out is but an ill Gardener But how can the Popes reform the abuses of the Church if they do not begin with their Nephews For it would also else be a very preposterous Reformation that should begin with the Effect and leave the Cause untouched Some say that the Popes are holy in the Reformations of the Breviary and the chastizing of the Romans for their faults But they are devils in leaving the crimes of their Nephews unpunished for they trusting to their Uncles Indulgence do slack the Reins which should curb the natural inclination which we all have to do ill But it is now time to enter into a particular Narration of the good and hurt the Church has received from the Nipotismo and as we begun their History at Sixtus the fourth and continued it down to Alexander the seventh now reigning So we will now begin at Alexander and trace it backwards up to Sixtus the fourth The first mischief and indeed the most considerable one caused by the Nipotismo of Alexander was the change made by them in the Pope whom from godly pious and inclin'd to mortification they have made sensual and ambitious Alexander in the first months of his elevation to the Popedom had so taken upon him the profession of an Evangelical life that he was wont to season his his meat with ashes to sleep upon a hard Couch to hate Riches Glory and Pomp taking a great pleasure to give audience to Embassadours in a Chamber full of dead mens skuls and in the sight of his Coffin which stood there to put him in mind of his death The Cardinals the Princes the Prelates the Romans were all touched with so pious an Example and did begin to think of reforming their lives The Hereticks themselves did bear that respect to his Holiness as to prostrate themselves in the streets when he went through Rome not so much in fear of his Majesty as in honour of his Vertue Divers French Protestants came on purpose to Rome to know whether his words did answer his reputation and if he did really lead the life he was said to lead The noyse of his Sanctity being so great in France that it was almost impossible to believe all that was said of it Thus lived Alexander while he lived without a Nipotismo But no sooner had they set their feet in Rome but the Pope changed his nature or rather came to himself for instead of Humiiity succeeded Vanity his Mortification vanished and his hard Couch was changed into a soft Feather-bed his dead-mens skuls into so many Jewels and his thoughts of death into eternal designs of Ambition and Grandeur Filling up his empty Coffin with Money as if he had a design to corrupt death and purchase life with Riches Hereupon a publick Minister returning from his Audience the very same day that the Nipotismo came to Rome and having felicitated his Holiness upon their arrival said as soon as he came home to one of his friends these very words He is not of the same humour he was went to be he was us'd to stand with his eyes fixed upon the ground and now he does nothing but fix them upon Don Agostino Heretofore we did hear him sigh often and now he is as inclined to laugh I am afraid the Nipotismo has already spoyled him This is the first harm that they have done the Church I do not know what good they may do hereafter but hitherto they have done so little that it is invisible whereas the mischief they are Authors of is obvious to all eyes Don Mario who is the Pope's Brother and the Head of the Nipotismo does exercise his place of Governour of Rome with so much Tyranny that the City it self is become odious to many Families of quality who have left and removed to other Towns that they might not be any longer subject to one who gives occasion of complaint to the People the Gentry and Strangers For he is not only averse from doing curtesies and inexorable in punishments but he is inclin'd to disgust all those who having to do with him do not appease his angry genius with money Besides assuming to himself in the Government of the Borgo a greater Authority than does belong to him of right he does as it were eclipse and stifle the jurisdiction of the Governour of Rome who often is forced to own those faults of which he is innocent Don Mario laying upon him all the miscarriages and taking to himself all the profit of both places For proof of this I
will bring an example which will never be forgot by Posterity In the time that the Duke of Crequy received that affront to see his Coach assaulted and fired upon by the Pope's Guards the Cardinal Imperiale who was then Governour of Rome was so innocent of this accident that he did not so much as know of it till it was past and then he found that Don Mario had so engag'd him in it that there was no retiring and indeed though he have since made a Journey into France to justifie himself nevertheless the French Court who cannot forget the affront done the King and Nation can less avoid remembring of Cardinal Imperiale who was charged as the Author of it And yet they are very well informed that the design was laid by Don Mario and the execution only charged upon Cardinal Imperiale who has been fain to endure that humiliation and punishment which did belong to the other Indeed if the Pope had not in good time made satisfaction for the Injury the French King was resolved to seek his reparation by his Sword not against the Pope who knew nothing of the business till after it was brought about but against his Brother who had set Imperiale upon the execution of it But in the reparation the Church was the most endammaged for besides the loss of its honour and that respect which was wont to be borne to it it received a very great blow in its strength and riches for not only the Pope's Nuncio was immediately sent away from the French Court but also his Vice-Legat was driven from Avignon and the Court of Rome was forced to entertain an Army all the time of the Treaty and before for fear of being surpriz'd by the Kings Forces and when it did come to an agreement it was concluded in a dishonourable and shameful way for Rome and for the Church This is the good and profit that the Signor Don Mario has brought to the Church and yet in the Articles of Peace there was little or no mention made of his person The Pope for all this is so pre-possessed with a good opinion of him that he does give him thereby an occasion and almost an invitation of committing more mischief than he would do otherwise But if Don Mario has been useless or rather prejudicial to the Church certainly Don Agostino his Nephew has been little better He is one that would seem to be born to an Empire and were it Alexander's or Caesar's he did enjoy he would not show a more lofty carriage nor affect a greater insolence When he goes through the City he does so little regard any body that he is scarce induced to salute those Gentlemen that civilly do prevent him by pulling off their hats first but he never begins to any body no not to a Prince which is so odious that for that only pleasure of seeing his pride abated the Romans do wish the Pope's death He did what lay in his power to make an eternal Enemy of the Family of the Colonna's which is the noblest and best beloved of Rome and countenanced by the greatest Monarchs of Christendom and if the Pope had not wisely caused satisfaction to be made for the affront done to the Colonnas at the Theatre the Family of the Chigi would have incurred the enmity of a House which in time might have been revenged or at least in the quarrel the City of Rome would have been divided and in a kinde of War within its self The Cardinal Padrone too on his side giving himself too much up to sensual pleasures is the cause of great disorders in the Court and Church for all the Congregations of Cardinals of which he is the head are much puzled how to deal with and humour a man who cares for nothing less than that which is committed to his care Some of the Cardinals and Prelates take example by him and do commit great scandals for which they excuse themselves by saying That the Cardinal Padrone does commit greater And thus betwixt them the poor Church is ill serv'd in both its Temporal and Spiritual I have nothing to say of the other Nephews and Kindred of the Pope for supposed they had good inclinations they have little or no occasion to bring them to effect for the publick good they being not admitted to any publick employment And indeed it would be but loss of time for any body to summe up the good this Nipotismo has done the Church for it is so little and their ill actions are so many that it would be stifled by them like good Corn by Tares The people is more oppressed than ever the City is ill provided and all things are dear and scarce the Prelates are discontented and the money it self is condemned to a perpetual confinement in Don Mario's and the Nipotismo's Coffers It is a strange thing to see that the Popes should have the power to perswade others to renounce their fortunes to run into Monasteries to embrace Pilgrimages and Mortifications and yet not be able to perswade a little moderation to their Nephews and make them content themselves with that lawful encrease of their Fortunes which every body is well pleased to allow them but they must still be laying taxes upon the people and discontent upon Princes and States I have a friend that is of opinion that by the means of Indulgences the peoples vices do daily diminish I know not whether it be true or no but I am sure that the Nipotismos do daily increase they little caring for Indulgences and being of opinion that the Pope is obliged to open them the door of Paradise by force And though this may be taken as a facetious conceit yet I am certain that the Nipotismos in good earnest do little frequent Churches but are more employed in getting of money and taking their pleasure But now it is time to speak of Innocentius the 10th his Nipotismo of which it may be said that it did a little good and no hurt because it was alwayes under the Popes disgrace and Donna Olympia's oppression so that none of it were able to show either their malice or their bounty if they had any for that good which they did do may be as well interpreted to proceed from a design of winning the peoples favour to whom only they could have recourse in their disgrace as from any good Principles of their own But however it were the poor Church was never the better for what between Innocentio's Capriccios and Olympia's tyranny it was most miserably governed and the Court brought into such a disorder that the like was never seen before nor I hope will not be hereafter since the impression and mark of those blows which it received then are still to be seen in the face of the Church and will appear to fright all those that should go about to bring a like scandal upon it And first the renunciation of the Cardinals Cap made by Prince Pamphilio though it
forsook their Country and withdrew into Protestant Princes Territories where they might freely follow the Rites of their Religion Particularly they went to Geneva where great numbers resorted every day and above all many Lucheses of which some are now aggregated amongst the principal Families of that City This Pope though so zealous for the Church was nevertheless very Indulgent to his Family who did usurp a power and authority as prejudicial to the Church as it was offensive to Princes with whom the Borgheses as well as the Barberins would often enter into contest In the time of this Pope Italy had like to have seen sixteen Cities of it become Protestants as Monsieur De Lion the French King's Embassadour told the Pope and thus the occasion was Paul and his Kindred for I know not what reasons did bear a secret grudge to the State of Venice and did wait for nothing more than for some occasion of shewing their spleen and it falling out that the State of Venice according to their ancient Form of Government did put some Church-men in Prison the Pope upon the notice of it excommunicated not only the Senate but the whole Nation of the Venetians as if they had been guilty of their Magistrates fault But these wise Senators were not so easily daunted but resolving either to preserve their power and authority within their Government or to hazard the ruine of it set some of their Divines on work to write against the Pope's authority and his Excommunication which writings did then and have since produced so great an effect in the minds of most men that now there is not any little Prince of Italy that cares for the Popes Excommunication as it has been clearly seen by the examples of the Duke of Parma the Commonwealth of Lucca the Duke Charles of Lorain and many others The constancy of the Venetians was invincible in this occasion and so great that they sent the Pope word That if he did not recall his Excommunication they would provide for their own preservation by such remedies as should become the dignity of their State and its ancient Majesty And that they might the sooner bring the Pope to their desires they politickly sent to Geneva to require that City to send them some of their most able Ministers to instruct them in the Protestant Religion This Artifice having frighted the Pope into a condescendency he was fain to come to an agreement very disadvantageous for the honour of the Sea of Rome If this Pope had not been so unjustly severe towards the State of Venice he would have left a much better name behind him For to say truth he did the Church much more good than evil but it was and will be a great spot to his reputation to have gone about to undo the Bulwark of Christendom for such has the State of Venice alwaies been reputed We must be forced to skip Leo the eleventh for his short life gave him no time to do good and hindred him from doing any harm to the Church and come to Clement the eighth who was a Pope that lived both with his Kindred and for them a good while Christendom was involved in great troubles when he came to the Pontificate there being nothing but Wars and Divisions The Turks did assault Germany and the Protestants did torment the rest of the Catholick Princes besides that the banish'd Criminals of the Kingdom of Naples had made themselves Masters of a great part of it and spread themselves over all the Country The Pope's main end amongst all these disorders was first to provide for his Kindred and that care took up so much of his time and treasure that he was not in a condition to succour those Princes that were fighting for the defence of that Religion of which he was the Head In the mean time the Spaniards who had a mind to hinder Henry King of Navar from possessing the Crown of France which he was lawful Heir of foreseeing that of themselves they would not be able to resist Henry's Right nor hold out against so generous and warlike a Prince they did their utmost Endeavours to get the Pope on their side and declare against the King of Navar as against an Heretick and by consequent incapable of receiving the Crown At first the Pope refused to engage openly in a business which would be necessarily expensive and troublesom and therefore for a while he let the Spaniards alone hoping that of themselves they would be strong enough to effect the Work without him But they having perceived his intention soon made a breach in it by the means of the Nipotismo which they gained and at whose perswasion the Pope sent an Army under the Conduct of Appio Conti who was kill'd in an Encounter by some of Henry's Forces The Catholick Princes of the Realm of France who were on Henry's side together with the greatest part of the Nation sent upon this the Marquis of Pisani to Rome to desire the Pope to recall his Army and not to oppose a Prince who had promised to be instructed in the Catholick Religion But the Pope not only refused their Request but would not so much as endure that the Marquis should set his foot in any part of the State of the Church Things being in this posture Henry at last resolved to dash all his Adversaries Machines to pieces at one blow and therefore he solemnly renounced his Heresie and was reconciled to the Church So in spite of the Pope and the Spaniards he obtained a Crown which could never have encompassed a more worthy Head than his After this the Pope's Army was fain to retire having done little or nothing The same hapned in Flanders whither he sent another Army to help the Spaniards against the Vnited Provinces who since the death of the Duke of Parma had obtained many Victories but it was with as little success as the first So that the Pope weary of spending the Treasure of the Church to no purpose commanded his Forces home leaving the Spaniards to look after their own Affairs The Expences of this Pope were exorbitant for he did undertake every thing rashly and more out of Capriccio than ripe judgment and deliberation So that he undoubtedly did the Church more hurt than good There is little to be said of Innocent the Ninth Gregory the Fourteenth and Urban the Seventh for the greatest mischief they did the Church was that they liv'd so little We will therefore come to Sixtus the Fifth The Nipotismo of this Pope was one of the most innocent ones that ever was seen for he hindred them from taking any part in the Government So that they were in the Court like Beggars at a Church door of whom few People take notice Not that he was so severe as to hinder them from a share in his Fortune for he did bestow large Revenues upon them all observing nevertheless to refuse always every thing that they begg'd and to give them when
men in the world Of services performed by the House of Farnese Some examples concerning the same A notable saying of Eugenio the fourth concerning the Farnese Of the Ambition the Popes had to be served by them O the ingratitude of Urban the eighth and Innocent the tenth towards the Family of Farnese Of the interest that moved Paul the third to make them great Of the great persecution it hath receiv'd for above these forty years Of the Government of Parma and Piacenza how it came to the hands of the Farnesi Of the house of Monte how little a while it lasted in great splendor although raised by Julius the third Of the House of Caraffa Of its fall how near to the birth of its good fortune Of the disdain of Paul the fourth and Pius the fourth to the Caraffies Of the glory in which the House of Caraffa shines now in Naples Of the House of Buon Compagnii of Gregory the thirteenth Of the House of Perotti of Sixtus the fifth To what greatness raised How long it continued in that state Of its failing Of the House of Sfondrata of Gregory the fourteenth Of its rise and fall Of the house of Aldobrandina what it was and what it is Of the Family of Burghesi and Ludovisi and of some other particulars touching the failing of the Pontificial Families THe difficulties which the Ministers of Princes meet with in their treaties with the Pope's Nephews are so great that the most refined Wits and politick Heads of the Universe cannot easily fathom them every one losing himself in an Abyss of wonder to see the Court of Rome in all her own concerns and with all persons so selfish and singular whilst she alone glories in the Title of Universal It would be no great matter if the Nephews would rest satisfied with embroyling and discomposing the minds only of the principal Ministers of State and did not likewise make themselves the unhappy instruments of bringing Treaties and Negotiations of the greatest weight to irreparable confusion the ruine whereof must necessarily draw the consequence of damage to the Pontifical State disorder to Christianity and perpetual distaste to those Princes who know themselves obliged to send their Agents to a Court where they shall rather receive occasion of disgust than profit For the Church-men cannot treat with any Prince without wounding his reputation with secret reproaches and back-biting language There are two things Ignorance and malice the usual Patrimony of Popes Nephews which are predominant in the Nipotismo which subvert and drown even those appearances of good that might otherwise be found in the Court of Rome And the mischief of it is that these two are inseparable and go alwaies hand in hand together in the Nipotismo their ignorance is not accompanied with that honest simplicity which often is seen in some of weak understanding but quite contrary an ignorant Nephew no sooner marches into the Vatican which thing God knows too often happens but Artificial Malice displaies her Banners and if by chance within the Camp there happens to be found out any one that 's good and vertuous she doth her utmost to make him pass for an ignorant lack wit Whence the Church Christendom and the Court do all suffer by the malice and ignorance of those Lordly Nephews who matter not by which of these two abject qualities they govern There have been several Princes in our Age who finding themselves deluded in some of their affairs have blam'd their own Officers judging the errors which occasioned their damage and were indeed committed by the Nipotismo to be caused by the inability of their Ministers as if it had been in their power to overwhelm the Course of nature and thwart a malicious Ignorance Odoardo Farnese Duke of Parma a Prince truly worthy of a Crown seeing the business of Castro and his other Affairs with the Church not to succeed according to his desire rebuked his Minister who was at Rome believing him a person of very slender experience in the management of the matters committed to his charge But when it hapned that his occasions drew himself thither and consequently oblig'd him to treate personally with the Nephews of Pope Urban he speedily reform'd the ill impression made in his mind agaainst his Ministers knowing then very well by his own experience that all the damages he sustain'd in that affair were derived from the ill-will was borne him by the Barberini Whereupon as he went from Rome he let these words fall That the Church indeed is a holy body of which the Princes are the Members and the Pope the Head but the Nephews by their ill management do daily discompose the Members not at all regarding how thereby they prejudiced the Head And to say the truth the Pope's Nephews cannot oftentimes distinguish what difference there is betwixt a Prince and his Minister nor what respect the Court ought to shew to them which come to honour it The Church-mens understanding to accommodate the Church so well to the benefit of their proper interest makes many believe the subtilty of them in politick affairs to be very great And truly the conceipt is not ordinary which most men have of the politick understanding of the Ecclesiasticks every one knowing that the City of Rome in the Art of Governing and making others reasons conform to its will hath ever been in all times and ages the truest School of Policy and almost if not altogether the Mistris of all Nations as she who at her birth from the belly of the rest by a special gift of nature brought with her into the world the most polite Endowments and refined Customs she could bestow upon her Such were alwaies the Customs of Rome who for the space of more than twelve Ages past knew very well to frame conformable maximes to their own designs But after that the Nipotismo began to take possession of an Authority not limited otherwise than by their own passions every thing began to put on a new countenance And having renounced the true and ancient Rules of Government and found new methods of deport to those who make addresses to them the Agents and Ministers of Foraign Princes who come thither to negotiate their Masters affairs mistake the way that others use to walk in with so much reputation From whence it happens that there are very few return from their Negotiations there without just occasion of complaint not only that they have not met with due civilities but that they have likewise been deluded in all their transactions The Court of Rome indeed whilst the Popes liv'd without the Nipotismo were instrumental in the world to resolve the greatest intricacies of Christendom but after they were introduced they served only to confound and entangle the easiest matters who interposing in things not at all concerning them they ruin'd others business and affairs besides their own For they will do nothing now in Rome without pretence of perfect Zeal unto Religion and yet that
above 300 years together in greatness and I believe will so continue because it stands not on the same foundation with other Families of Popes First because as I said before it has rather given Popes to the Church than receiv'd Being from the Popes without need of whom it kept it self long in grandeur And though at first view the great height of this House may seem to be of right attributed to the force which Clement the seventh us'd to enslave his Countrey and render his Kindred Princes Yet this is not pertinent to the question for Clement took not from the Church to give to them but only destroy'd a Republick which was an obstacle to the eyes of all Popes and where his Family was already in chief command Besides the Medici were therein as much oblig'd to the House of Austria by whose Force and Power they undoubtedly receiv'd the Principality which they possess with so much glory And accordingly Ferdinand the second and his Ancestors have alwayes shewed themselves most grateful for the benefit The Family of Farnese which is that of Paul the third Successor to Clement came out of Germany into Italy in company of the Emperours who often made this Voyage attended by a great number of Dutch Gentlemen here the chief of this Family gave in divers cases great proofs of their valour and were therefore preferr'd by the chief and most Potent Princes of Italy to greater Dignities and Offices than those which they had possess'd at home as well Civil as Military whereof they acquitted themselves well The Popes especially were ambitious to have them at their service and by their means obtain'd sundry Victories without which 't is likely the Church would have been in great distress In the Papacy of Paschal the second in the year 1100. Pietro Farnese Captain of the Cavalry of the Church did wonders in its service having obtain'd a most glorious Victory against the Pope's Enemies on the Coasts of Tuscany restoring to Costano the name of Orbitello a very ancient Colony and replenishing the same with much people Prudentio Son of this Pietro under the Papacy of Lucius the second and Pepone and Panuccio Sons of Prudentio under the Papacy of Innocent the third effected great things in defence of the Church which was greatly afflicted with the Schism of the Emperors The Grandfather of Paul the third was Ramecio Farnese who overcame subdu'd and destroy'd all the Rebels of the Holy Church which in great numbers molested the State Ecclesiastical and almost all Christendom he being Captain of the Papal Army in the time of Eugenio the fourth who indeed was a very worthy Pope if for nothing else yet for the good intention he had to reward the valour of this great Captain and I think he rewarded him abundantly by this testimony which he gave him The Church is ours because Farnese hath given it us In short in the Civil Broils which continu'd for aboue four Ages between the Popes and the Emperors the Family of Farnese with incredible valour and felicity reliev'd the drooping state of the Holy Church Nevertheless the last Popes Vrban and Innocent ingrateful for these benefits went about to ruine this well deserving Family Now if they persecute those who with their own Blood and Fortunes have serv'd the Church what man will ever serve it for the future These two Cities were indeed separated from the Church and given to the Farnesi who at first found great opposition and became Masters of it with great difficulty and that not before the time of Pope Julius the third in the year 1550. which Pope gave them investiture in despite of Charles the fifth who could never be perswaded to consent and assigned them a considerable summe of money for the keeping them Within this last forty years the Popes have persecuted these innocent Princes in that manner that without the assistance of Forreign Crowns and some of the Princes of Italy they had been exterminate before this and received so notable a loss that had it been compared with what they had received from Paulus the third it would doubtless have been found they had received less than they had lost from whence it may be justly said they have not enjoyed that Principality which they possest as a feud of the Church in that peace and repose for this last half age as they ought in reason to have done For those Popes that gave it them first gave them also priviledges to enjoy it without molestation and therefore those Popes that have of late troubled the Farnesi with so much expense ought in reason if there be any such thing in Rome to have forfeited their feudale Rights Julius the third he also failed not to do his part towards the raising of his Family which was of the De Montes by giving them several offices and sums of money by which means in a short time they became very great but half an age was not past but it began by degrees to decay and shrink into that mediocrity it is in at this day which is but small in respect of the condition it was in after the death of Julius who saw them advanc'd but did not live to see their declension it being a general Maxime amongst all the Popes Nephews that they see them advanc'd but to the highest pitch of honour but live not to see them fall to the lowest point of disgrace But the greatest Family of all was the Caraffi rais'd to that height by Paul the fourth though of it self for several Ages before very illustrious The authority they had in Rome with the command of several Lands and Castles belonging to the Church made this name like to be eternal and being fortified with such strong banks not at all subject to the injury of time But if ever any Family of the Popes were in a short time precipitated from the greatest height to the lowest of meanness it was this of the Caraffi from Paul the fourth which continued not four year in that Splendour and Eminence the Pope had plac'd it he himself having laid the foundation of their greatness and ruine Notwithstanding Paul the fourth left his Nephews no small store of Riches although they were banisht from Rome which they enjoyed till Pius the fourth was preferr'd to the Chair who being Pope and not able to endure their insolencies he got them into his hands and forming a Process against them he hang'd some of them beheaded others and sequestred their Estates destroying in that manner the House of the Caraffi with no small gust to the Romans who frequently declared their dissatisfaction with the behaviour of the Caraffi But some will object that the House of Caraffi do at this present flourish in Naples in great honour and wealth and may be reckoned amongst the Principal there as well for Splendour and Magnificence as Wealth of which they enjoy not a little To this may be answered with the same reason I have alledged before
where I spake of the house of Borgia divided into two Branches one in Spain the other in Naples for the House of the Caraffi when Paul the fourth was made Pope was divided also into two Branches one of them remaining in Rome by the acquisition of a new Estate the other in Naples in possession of what they had got before The Lords of the Caraffi enjoy at present in Naples many Signiories as particularly the Dutchy of Matalone which they had enjoyed a hundred years before Paul the fourth without interruption being anciently Dukes from the time of Ferdinando first King of Naples and reckon'd amongst his principal Favourites and are still esteem'd of very well by the Crown of Spain though in the revolutions of Naples upon I know not what considerations the affection Philip the fourth had for a long time for the Duke of Matalone was observed to grow cold This Branch that remained in Naples received no benefit or advantage by that which was establish'd in Rome which last being extinguish'd by the two Popes aforesaid by the death and sequestration of so many Caraffi the other remained in Naples daily augmenting by the favours and priledges they receive from the Crown of Spain Neither are the Neopolitan Caraffi of the same condition with the Roman they having nothing as many believe or at least very little of the Church Lands in their possession which continued not long to the other House not so much as to the second Generation and therefore these Lords are still so considerable in Naples because their Estates sprang rather from the reward of their valour than the oppression of the poor All this notwithwanding the People of Naples were always disaffected to the House of Matalone for which reason in the Revolution of Masanello Don Joseph Caraffa was slain by the fury of the People his heart pull'd out of his breast and his body drawn all about the City with this Exclamation This is he that betray'd the most faithful People of Naples Besides there were several Palaces of the Dukes full of inestimable Furniture burnt without being able to preserve one and I being then in Naples heard several cry We must burn all to purge the House of Caraffa from the Leprosie of the rest of the Caraffi alluding to them who in the time of Paul the Fourth had made themselves odious to all the World as well as to Rome The Family of the Buoncompagni was considerable above thirty years after the death of Gregory the Thirteenth which was the Person rais'd them to that height for though before they were in some degree of Nobility yet their Estate was but narrow and small however in the twelve years of his Papacy he let them get so much that without any great difficulty they liv'd like Princes after the death of that Pope who died in March 1585. Giacomo Buoncompagno General for the Holy Church left many Sons all rich and allied to good Houses notwithstanding in a short time all was consumed and though there was not one lavish or profuse person in the Family though they had several Cardinalships and other Charges in Rome yet could not all prevent their growing worse every day And had not two Marriages sustained them and put them into the condition they are in which yet is but mean in respect of the gâ—andeur they were in before they had certainly before this been destroy'd But the greatest wonder in the particular of the sudden destruction of the Popes Families was in the House of Peretti rais'd by Sixtus the Fifth That Pope to immortalize his Name and the Grandeur of his House which was but of very low extraction married two of his Nephews or Nephews Sons I know not which into the principallest Families in Rome giving each of them considerable Estates in Land and an infinite quantity of Money and that it might not meet with any untoward accident to subvert it he settled their Estates in the surest and best places he could thinking thereby to secure and establish his Family Ten years after the death of Sixtus there were seven Males of the House of Peretti alive that is in the year 1600. all of them very rich but particularly they which had the Inheritance of Cardinal Montalto who left his Nephews an Estate of a hundred thousand Crowns in yearly Rent besides what they had afore Many People conceiv'd this Family was establish'd for ever and who would not have thought so considering the number and fertility of the Males their Alliance with the greatest Families their Riches and in short their enjoyment of all things necessary to the immortalizing a Family Yet the Name the Wealth the Granduer of this House did all vanish like smoak at the death of Cardinal Froncesco Peretti who died in the beginning of Innocent the Tenth's Papacy with no small trouble to the Romans who loved his person exceedingly having found him full of actions of generosity and nobleness to all that had to do with him And so was the House of Peretti extinct not being able to continue half an Age. Yet notwithstanding the death of the Cardinal was the rise of another Family from the Pope which is called the Savelli into which one of his Sisters was married who remained Heir to a vast and inestimable Patrimony Some People are confident That if the House of Peretti had continued the Savelli would have been in an ill condition so as there was no great hurt done to lose one Family and have another rais'd The House of che Sfondrati yielded to the Papacy Gregory the Fourteenth who though sprung from Milan himself yet nevertheless as to his Original he may not improperly be styl'd both the Son and the Father of Cremona a Town considering its Antiquity amongst the principal of Italy besides that it has in all times produc'd men very eminent both in Learning and Wars In this City amongst the most considerable Citizens was this House of Sfondrati always enjoying the greatest Office in the Council which procur'd no small envy in the hearts of many insomuch as some people excited the Cambiaghi which was then a Family of great credit and esteem in the City to oppose themselves against the Ambition of the Sfondrati who at that time appear'd to carry all before them The Cambiaghi back'd and supported by other of the Citizens endeavour'd what they could the diminution of the Sfondrati and from hence arose not to say Civil Wars great feuds and animosities between them which continued till such time as Girolamo Sfondrati was called to Milan where meeting with greater Advancements he resolved to leave Cremona for ever And from this Family now become Milanese Gregory the Fourteenth descended who would always acknowledge Cremona to be his Country yet would declare often whilst he was a young Student there He would never return to Cremona till he was made Bishop of that place Afterwards arriving at a competency of years and other qualifications he begg'd
and obtain'd very readily the Bishoprick of Pius Quartus being a person of great worth He was also made Cardinal whilst he was in Cremona with no small joy to the whole City who made great Expressions of their Satisfactions by Bonfires and other Ceremonies at the news of his Promotion How careful this Pope was of his Relations we have sufficiently shewed in its proper place 't is enough that not contented with the Marriage of two of his Nephews towards the perpetuation of his Family and one of them in particular with the Daughter of the Prince of Massa he design'd also to make Emilius Sfondrato his Brothers Son who was already entred to the Degree of Holy Orders to resign his Cardinals Cap but propounding of it to the Consistory the Cardinals apprehended it a business of so great scandal they intreated him to content himself that he had married two Nephews that were already furnished with Children to secure the continuance of his Family for ever without any such hainous and unjustifiable courses But all this avail'd not at all for in a short time after the death of the Pope in a Months time there were three Males of that Family died as it were by Judgment from Heaven to mortifie the ambition of those Popes who destroy Heaven it self to fill the World with their Nephews And thus by little and little the House of Sfondrati declined with all the diligence and care they could use to hold out full forty years though they made another Person take their Name upon him that had neither Alliance nor Friendship with them Of the House of Aldobrandini from whence Clement the Eighth proceeded who was created Pope in January 1592. we cannot speak without touching the Cardinal Aldobrandino too neerly who is the only person sustains the Name of a Family that seem'd for the Reasons before impossible to be irradicated which may notwithstanding be said to be extinct although the Cardinal bears the Name and the Princess of Rossano enjoys the Estate as Heir to the House of Aldobrandino yet the one being a Woman and the other a Priest they cannot hope to recover it unless some By-blow should be produc'd which though it would be a neat piece of invention I cannot imagine because the Cardinal was not at all scandalous in his Life but always obsequious and respectful of the Princess who made him Cardinal and without which he might have been a Brandino a Jugler but no Aldobrandino But to return to Pope Clement I will affirm That he not having fail'd in any thing might furnish Rome with the Family of the Aldobrandini was not in arrear to his Name In the time that he was Pope there were eighteen Males of the Name of Aldobrandini the greater part of which were married and it was no small satisfaction to him to have so great a number of his Relations upon which score he us'd to say He was Pope of Rome and Prince or Chief of the Aldobrandini That which was most observable was He took great pleasure in caressing his Relations for when any of his Brothers or Nephews that were married came to him he would tell them Let it be your business to provide Children and it shall be mine to provide them Estates His good Kindred did not neglect to make their advantage of the Counsel of Clement nor he to maintain their Honours by which means there was scarce any other Family taken notice of in Rome but the reputation of this made a noise in every corner This House of the Aldobrandini was well founded in the Papacy of Vrban the Eighth by the assistance of seven Brothers Grand-children to Clement all of them of so strong and lusty complexions the Physicians by common consent did assert there could not be any defect of Posterity Nevertheless it has fail'd and which is very considerable there is not now one Male remaining of the Name The House of Borghese descended from Paul the Fifth who succeeded Clement though Leo the Eleventh who liv'd but five end twenty days was betwixt them ran the same fortune but being of a later Plantation in Rome it conserves still some weak and decrepit Branches One of the principal designs Alexander had to marry Don Agostin with the young Princess Borghesâ— was ro unite the Estate and Patrimony of that tottering and declining House with the House of Chigi which at that time was rising to great Emminence though for a while they came not to Rome There was but one sprig left of the House of the Borghesi and which was worse even that of a weak temper and much subject to infirmities which Alexander considering and what accidents the vicissitudes of the world might bring upon the house of the Borghesi he applyed all his endeavours to make a match which succeeded well with his Nephew and gave him fair hopes of seeing the Patrimony of the Borghesi in his own house And this is the state of the Borghesi at present who in the time of Paul the fifth had above a dozen males of that name of which there were not above six married which was very considerable But I return to speak how squares go in the world The Families of the Ludovisi Barbarini Panfili and Chigi who yielded the four last Popes I shall speak nothing of because they have not enjoy'd the Benefits of the Papacy full out thirty years so as it behoving us to let them rest in peace I shall leave the observations of their Catastrophe to them which come after us One thing only I shall insert that the Aldobrandini had at one time many more males alive than are at present left of all these four houses together God Almighty bless them according to their own desire which I do heartily pray as having no animosity against those that are good Some have observ'd and not with much difficulty that the greatest part of the Popes Families were before their advancement to the Papacy of great antiquity and grandeur but for many that rais'd themselves by the treasure of the Triple Crown it is not so easie to finde for instead of attaining to a perpetuation of their Families they have not been prolifique enough to defend them against a perpetual annihilation The house of the Medici in Milan was of above two hundred years antiquity maintaining it self in great Honour and Magnificence But after Pius the fourth was elected Pope out of it it grew worse and worse declining with much more speed than it was rais'd and that after so extravagant a manner they could discern themselves rise but could not perceive their decay So the house of Gregory the fourteenth who was born as I have said of the ancient Family of the Sfondrati who had made themselves as it were immortal in Milan not only in respect of the greatness of their Authority but in the multitude of their Issue yet in less than forty years after Pope Gregory its leaves fell and the whole Tree of the Sfondrati