or three where vnder the fresshe herbers hedges and boowes amongest the delicate fruites they triumph in as muche pleasure as maie be imagined And for the most parte eche man hath his make with some instrumentê of musicke and suche other thynges as serue for his recreacion And if euer the tenaunt haue good daie than lycketh he his lippes of his maisters leauynges As for the women Some be wonders gaie And some goe as they maie Some at libertee dooe swymme a flot And some woulde faine but they can not Some be meerie I wote well why And some begile the housbande with finger in the eie Some be maried against theyr will And therfore some abyde MAIDENS still In effect they are women all Euer haue been and euer shall ¶ But in good earnest the gentilwomen generally for gorgeouse atyre apparaile and iewelles excede I thynke all other women of our knowen worlde I meane as well the courtisanes as the maried women For in some places of Italie speciallie where churchemen doe reigne you shall finde of that sorte of women in riche apparaill in furniture of householde in seruice in horse and hackeney and in all thynges that apperteyne to a delicate Ladie so well furnisshed that to see one of theim vnknowynglie â—he shoulde seeme rather of the qualitee of a princesse than of a common woman But because I haue to speake hereafter in perticuler I woull forbeare to treate any further of theym in this place Of the states of Italie THe greatest prince of dominion there at this present is Charles the .v. emperour of Almaine who for his part hath the realme of Naples and the Duchie of Mylaine whiche realme is diuided into .8 regions and to the entent the readers maie the better be satisfied I haue set foorth as well the auncient names of those regions as the present The realme of Naples ¶ The present names ¶ The auncient Parte of Campagnia di Roma Maremma Latium Terra di Lauoro Campania Principato Picentini Basilicata Lucania Calabria Brutij Grecia magna Puglia terra d'otranto Salentini Calabria antiqua Iapigia Mesapia Puglia Apulia Peucetia Aetholia Apulia Daunia Abruzzo Frentani Peligni Marrucini Vestini Precutij Marsi Valle Beneuentana Samnites As for that parte of the Duchie of Mylaine that the emperour hath it lieth in Lumbardie aunciently called Gallia Cisalpina for the most part on that side of the riuer Pò that was called Transpadana The bisshop of Rome hath for his parte the citee of Rome with these countreys folowyng ¶ The present names ¶ The auncient Parte of Campagnia Maremma Latium Parte of Tuscane Hetruria The Duchie of Sposeti Vmbria Marca D' Ancona Piceni Romagnia Flaminia Emilia The citee of Bononia  The Uenetians for theyr parte haue the Citee of Uenice with those townes in and about their marishe called La Contrada di Venetia La Marca Triuigiana and a great part of Lumbardy aunciently called Gallia Cisalpina on the same side of the Pò that was called Transpadana And parte of the countrey of Istria The common wealthe of Genoa haue the countrey about theim nowe called Jf Genouesato and auncientlie Liguria Tuscane auncientlie called Hetruria is diuided into diuers dominions wherof a small parte the bisshop of Rome hath but the greatest is the Duke of Florence who hath .vii. citees vnder him And than there be two common wealthes Siena and Lucca whose territories are not great The Duke of Ferrare hath parte of Romagnia and parte of Lumbardie The Duke of Mantua is all in Lumbardie And the Duke of Urbine is betweene Marca d' Ancona and Tuscane whose people are called of Plinie Metaurensi The Citees of Parma and Placentia in Lumbardie haue ben of late transposed from the churche vnto the astate of a Duchie but nowe it is diuided agayne as hereafter you shall perceiue ¶ Now here is to be noted that euery perticuler prince and common wealthe of Italie within his owne dominion accompteth him selfe absolute lorde and kyng and lyueth vpon the customes taxes and tallaiges that he raiseth of his subiectes For lightlie they haue littell or no landes at all of theyr owne And generallie they procede all together by the ciuile lawes and are so diligent in the administracion of iustice specially against murderers and theues that I thynke no countrey more quiete than it the realme of Naples and some part of the Romaine territorie excepted where many tymes happeneth muche robbyng by the waies ¶ An abbridgement of the state of Italie from the beginnyng vntill the Romaine empyre was vtterly diuided AFter the generall floudde remaigned no moe but Noe his .iii. soonnes and theyr wifes betweene whom it shoulde seeme the whole worlde was diuided Sem toke the easte parte Cham the southe and Iafet the weast Some write that Iafet was the same Ianus that fyrst reigned in Italie and some that Ianus was Iafettes soonne But whether so it be this Ianus was euer taken for father of the gods and was peinted with two faces either because he was father of two nacions the Greekes and Italians orels because the moneth of Ianuarie whiche hath two respectê one to the beginnyng and an other to the ende of the yeere toke name of hym While this Ianus reigned in Italie Saturne beyng chased out of the realme of Candia by his soonne Iupiter came in a maner naked vnto hym and Ianus not onely receiued hym But also gaue him the halfe of his dominion For memorie wherof either of theim builded a citee to his owne name that is to wete Ianicula and Saturnia from Ianus vnto Numitor were .xxi. kyngê of the latines whose names with the yeres of theyr reigne hereafter folow Ianus Saturnus Picus beyng a great talker was therfore feigned of the poetes to be conuerted into a pie Faunus was after woorshipped for a God of the wooddes Latinus chaunged the name of his people from Laurentini to Latini and gaue his daughter Lauinia to Eneas the Troiane promised before vnto Turnus sonne of kyng Daunus These .v. kynges reigned about .200 yeres Eneas maried the daughter of Latinus and after his death reigned .iii. yeres and builded the citee Lauinia Ascanius sonne of Eneas and of Creusa kyng Priamus daughter reigned .38 yeeres and builded Alba longa to the whiche he brought his fathers idollê called the gods Penates but they of theim selfes tourned iii. tymes backe againe to Lauinia Siluius Posthumius seconde son of Eneas and begotten on Lauinia reigned .xxix. yeres Of whom all the latine kynges afterwardes surnamed theim selfes Siluij and after some authours he was father to Brutus that first named this realme Britaine and that slewe his owne father by mischaunce whiche thyng Polidorus Virgilius doeth not grauâ—t Eneas Siluius reigned .31 yeres Latinus Siluius reigned .50 yeres Alba Siluius reigned .39 yeres and builded Alba whiche he made his royall citee but after it was destroyed by Tullus Hostilius Of that citee descended those that to this daie are called Albanesi though
feuer And than was his brother Florianus elected but he liued little more than .ii. monethes ¶ Probus reigned .vi. yeres .iiii. monethes he recouered France ouercame Saturninus and Proculus that had made theim selfes emperoures and finallie was slaine of his owne souldiours ¶ Carus with his two sonnes reigned .ii. yeres and achieued diuers worthy enterprises But his son Carinus became so great a tyranne and so viciouse withall that he was compared to Nero and at last slaine of his owne souldiours ¶ Dioclesianus reigned .xx. yeres a great persecutour of the Christian religion because reason persuaded him that whereas diuersitee of opinions continued there coulde be no peace but perill of commocions And because he thought not him selfe able to rule the whole empire alone he ioygned Maximianus with him and either of theim made a deputie Dioclesianus toke Galerius and Maximianus toke Constantius Finally whan thei had brought the empire to a good staie Dioclesian and Maximian both renounced their astates and became priuate though Maximian woulde gladly haue taken it vpon him again to haue exalted his son Maxentius Wherfore his son in law Constantine caused him to be slaine ¶ Galerius with Constantius reigned together .ii. yeres and deuided the empire betwene theym Galerius had the east parte and Constantius the west Constantius husbande to the Queene Eleyn died in Yorke and Galerius beyng fallen sicke slew him selfe Neuerthelesse er he dyed Maxentius had gotten the Romaine souldiours called Pretoriani on his parte and so vsurped the name of emperour Against whom Galerius first sent his capitaine Seuerus and afterwardes Licinius but thei preuailed not for Maxentius continued til the comyng of Constantine to Rome who fought with him and so discomfited him that in fleing he was drowned in Tyber CONSTANTINVS the first reduced the Romaine astate to tranquillitee and toke Licinius as compagnion in the empire to whom he gaue his owne syster in mariage But as discorde is common amonge princes so it happened that Licinius rebelled against Constantine and beyng ouercome was deposed and as some write slaine So that Constantine reigned alone the tyme of whose reigne in all was .xxx. yeres and .x. monethes He was conuerted to the Christian faieth by bisshoppe Siluester vnto whom as the clergie holde opinion he gaue his roiall seate in Rome with auctoritee to vse all the imperiall rites and honours and made him head of the Christian churche and thervpon remoued his imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople whiche citee he than had newly reedified And though authours agree that he in deede builded Constantinople and chaunged it from the auncient name which was Bizantium yet many allow not Constantines donacion to Siluester to be true but saie that some one of those bisshops of Rome longe after Siluester that vsurped the name of Peters successour to enlarge theyr creadite and auctoritee and to mainteigne theyr pompe inuented this donacion So that though Constantine or his successours remoued theyr dwellyng from Rome to Constantinople yet did thei neuerthelesse reteigne continually bothe the dominion of Rome and also the name of the Romaine empyre vntill the takyng of Rome by Alaricus kynge of the Gothes betweene whose comyng and the reigne of Constantine were these ix emperours folowyng COnstantinus Constantius and Constans sons of the first Constantine and had the empire deuided betwene theÌ„ But Constantine not contented with his part moued warre to Constans and was slaine and Constans at length was also slain by treason of one of his owne capitaines named Magnentius who vsurped the empire and after many battailes beyng ouercome by Conctantius at last slew him selfe So that Constantius remaigned emperour alone the time of whose reigne with his brethern togethers was .xxiiii. yeres ¶ Iulianus surnamed Apostata because beyng borne a Christian he became a painem reigned .ii. yeres First he rebelled agaynste his vncle Constantius that had made hym Caesar and after his death beyng made emperour he persecuted cruelly the Christian religion and at length was slaine in battaille against the Persians ¶ Iâ—â—mâ—â—nus reigned .vii. monethes restored the faieth of Christe and was constreigned of necessitee to graunt vnto the kyng of Persia a great parte of Mesopotamia Whiche was the fyrst tyme that euer the Romaines or any emperour consented to diminisshe the Romaine dominion ¶ Ualentinianus reigned .xii. yeres and was a good Christian. ¶ Ualens reigned .iiii. yeres fauoured muche the Artian secte and makyng warre agaynst the Gothes in Thracia was discoumfited besieged and burned ¶ Gratianus reigned .vi. yeres and he with his sonne were bothe slaine by treason of Maximus and Arbogastus theyr owne capitaynes ¶ Theodosius reigned .xi. yeres subdued the Gothes and discoumfited the traitours Maximus and Arbogastus that vsurped the empyre the fyrst of theim was slaine in the fielde the other for despayre slewe hym selfe and so he reuenged his predecessours death ¶ Archadius and Honorius reigned together .xiii. yeres and than died Archadius ¶ Honorius after his brothers death reigned .xv. yeres in whose time Alaricê° beforenamed king of the Gothes prouoked through treason of Stillicon themperours capitaine a Uandale borne tourned his armie that than was goyng into Fraunce against the emperour and so ouerrennyng all Italie at length besieged Rome and toke it rather by famine than force And here beganne the manifest decaie of the Romaine empyre For from this daie forward those Septentriâ—nall nacions that is to wete the Gothes the Vandales the Hunes and Lumbardes with dyuers others triumphed not onely ouer Italy but also ouer Fraunce Spaine and part of Affrike in suche wyse that though many of theyr armies were discoumfited by dyuers of the emperours capitaines and others yet in processe of tyme they myngled theim selfes so with the other nacions that they were no more knowen for strangers but became Italians Spaniardes Frenchemen and so foorth ¶ After this first destruction of Italy with the takyng and spoylyng of Rome the common people beganne to crie out saiyng that syns they lefte the woorshippyng of theyr auncient gods and had embraced the new faith of Christ all these afflictions through vengeance of the gods were fallen on theim so that many doubted whether it were good to beleue or not But surely the remouyng of the imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople was the greatest occasion of the Romaine empyres decaie For whan the emperours beganne to dwell in Greece and to leaue Italy now and than diuidyng the empyre one to rule in the orient and an other in the occident theyr auncient reputacion declined so muche that theyr owne priuate capitaines enterprised many tymes not onely to rebell but also to vsurpe the name of emperours â–ª By reason wherof it came to passe that within the space of â—0 yeres there entred .vii. straunge kinges into Italie with so puissaunt armies that thei put eyther the whole countrey or at least a great part therof to swoorde and fyre FYrst Alaricus kyng of the Gothes before named after he had
he came Narses repented hym and did what he coulde to haue letâ—ed it but as he trauailed therin being come to Rome with IohnÌ„ the thyrde bisshop of the same hauyng now delaied the Lumbardê coming a few yeres he died had his body caried to Constantinople and there was honorably buried ¶ This Narses with Bellisarius before named were two of the noblest capitaines that euer serued the Romayne Emperours ¶ Incontinently after the death of Narses the forenamed Alboinus with an infinite numbre of men women and childern entred into Italie and occupied all the countrey betwene the Alpes and the Appenine hilles naming it after theyr name Lumbardie And not withstandyng that the emperours for the space of .180 yeres made continuall warres agaynste theym by theyr generalles whom thei called Exarkes yet coulde they neuer so abate and vanquishe the glorie of those Lumbardes but that sometimes they wolde right well be reuenged so that in effecte they reigned ouer Lumbardie aboue 200. yeres till the comyng of Charlemaine who in fauour of the Romayne bishops warred agaynst Desiderius last kyng of the saied Lumbardes toke and ledde him prisoner into Fraunce ¶ In all whiche tyme of the Lumbardes prosperytee there reigned amongest theym .23 kynges whose names hereafter folow ALboinus slaine by procuremente of his wife Rosamunda ¶ Dapho slayne of his owne people for his tyrannie After whose death the Lumbardes wolde haue no kyng but in maner of a common wealthe elected .30 Dukes who occupied all Italie Rome and Naples excepted and so contynued the space of .xii. yeres till the Lumbardes beyng weery of theyr gouernaunce returned againe to the election of a kyng ¶ Antharis surnamed Flauius toke to wyfe Theodolinda the kynges doughter of Bauarie a woman that by persuasion of Gregorie the fyrst bisshop of Rome secretly embraced the Christian faieth and after conuerted hir nexte housdande to the same ¶ Agilulphus Duke of Turine maried Theodolinda after the death of hir other housbande and so beyng made kyng through his wifes procurement he became a Christian ¶ Adoaldus sonne of Agilulphus beyng very younge reigned about .x. yeres vnder the gouernaunce of his mother Theodolinda and after hir death was driuen out of his realme ¶ Arioldus of whom I fynde nothyng notable ¶ Rotharius a valiaunt warriour and so well learned withall that he prescribed lawes vnto the Lumbardes who from theyr coming into Italy till that time whiche was about .70 yeres had no written law ¶ Rodoaldus sonne of Rotharius was slain by one that founde hym in adoultrie with his wife ¶ Arithpertus through feigned flight obteyned a notable victorie against the frenchemen ¶ Gundibertus sonne vnto Arithpertus contended so longe with his brother for the dominion that at last thei were bothe chased awaie ¶ Grimoaldus toke the astate from the children of Arithpert and helde longe warre with the emperour Constantine the thyrd and so ouercame Theodorus the Exâ—rke that the emperour in a great rage came hym selfe with a myghty armie into Italie and after he had ouerranne the countrey of Puglia and taken the citee of Luceria whiche he put to fyre and swoorde at laste he besieged Beneuento where hapned one notable thyng woorthy the rehersall ¶ Romoaldus sonne to the king Grimoaldus was than within Beneuento and â—aliauntly defended the citee against the Greekes sendyng woorde by a foster father of his named Gensualdus â—nto his father that vnlesse he wolde shortly sende succours the citee must needes be taken Gensualde did his message and retournyng with answeare was taken of the enemies and brought before the emperour Where beyng straightly examined he confessed that Grimoalde withall the power of Lumbardie was departed from Pauia and came to reise the siege and that he hym selfe was the messenger of his comyng Wherfore the emperour hopyng incontinently to haue the towne and so to departe before the comyng of Grimoalde partely with thretenyng and partly with fayre offers persuaded Gensualde that beyng brought before the towne he should shewe Romoalde how his father through other businesse of importaunce coulde not than succour hym Gensualde promisyng so to dooe was brought to the walles and called for Romoalde who foorthwith appeared Romoalde saied he thy father is here at hand with a puissaunt armie to succour the. I lefte hym passyng the riuer of Sanguine be good to my wife and children for I am but dead and so it proued â–ª for his head was striken of and for despite with an engine throwen into the towne ¶ Whervpon Constantine with his armie retyred to Naples and from thense to Rome where he was most honourablie receiued of bishop Vitellian withall the clergie and nobilitee But he in recompence of that honour fell to robbyng and spoylyng of all the goodly thynges that he founde there aswell marble brasse and peinture as other richesse insomuche that he toke the tile of brasse wherwith the temple of Pantheon was couered and shipped all that he gotte So that Rome in a maner suffered more hurt and spoyle in .vii. daies that he remaigned there than it did by any ouerthrow from the fyrst comyng of the Lumbardes And yet he enioyed not for retournyng towardê Greece he was slaine by his owne men in the citee of Syracusa and all those preciouse thynges taken afterwardes by the Sarasines and caried to Alexandria in Aegypt where many of theim maie be seen at this daie But to retourne vnto my purpose Grimoaldus died of to muche streignyng his arme after he had been letten bloudde ¶ Garmaldus sonne of Grimoaldus reigned .iii. monethes onely and died ¶ Partharus soonne of Arithpert before named that from his youthe had been in continuall exile retourned home and was restored to the kyngdome ¶ Iunipertus or Compertus sonne of Partharus succeded after the death of his father ¶ Laimpertus or Luitpertus sonne of Iunipertus beyng a childe had not reigned vnder the tuicion of Asprandus fully .viii. monethes but that Raimpertus Duke of Turine rebelled and in plaine battaile ouercame Asprandus and so vsurped the kyngdome ¶ Raimpertus reigned not fully a yere ¶ Arithpertus son of Raimpertus was muche disturbed by the forenamed Luitpertus but at laste he slewâ— him in plaine battaile and in maner destroyed the whole house of Asprandus Neuerthelesse in the .xi. yere of his reigne Asprandus with helpe of the kyng of Bauarie retourned puissantly vnto Italy fought with Arithpert and so discomfited him that in his flight passyng the riuer of Tesino he was drowned by reason he had ouerladen him selfe with gold ¶ Asprandus reigned but .iii. monethes and died ¶ Luitprandus son of Asprandus was a great warriour insomuche that after he had gotten Rauenna and many other citees from the emperours Exarke at laste he besieged Rome Neuerthelesse at the intercession of his gossippe the frenche kyng he leauied his siege and restored to the Romains those castels and townes that he before had taken from theim ¶ Aldeprandus nephewe of Luitprandus liued not fully .v. monethes and
Roger remained quietely Duke of Puglia and Calabria from the beginnyng of his reigne aboute xxv yeres ¶ Next hym succeded his sonne Guglielmo that thynkyng to marie one of the daughters of Alessio emperour of Constantinople â—oke shippyng to goe thither and commended his astate to the protection of Calixt the seconde than bishop of Rome But while Guglielmo was absent Roger than Erle of Sicilâ— sonne vnto Roger brother of Robert Guiscardo without any regarde of the bishop assaulted Calabria and gotte the better parte ere euer Calixt coulde succour it And albeit the bishop reised suche an armie as the hastie tyme woulde serue and came foorth as farre as Beneuento sendyng a Cardinall before with exhortacions and excommunicacions yet wolde Roger nothyng decline from his purpose but was rather more hotte in his enterprise and fortune so muche fauoured hym that after a noumbre of the bishoppes armie were fallen sicke and many of his deere friendê dead the bishop him selfe sickened so sore that he was caried in a horselitter backe to Rome and all his people desperpled By reason wherof Roger in maner without resistence in short time gatte all Puglia and Calabria into his owne possession and so kepte it that whan Guglielmo retourned deceiued of his pretended mariage findyng him selfe also spoyled of his dominion he was fayne to repayred to his cousen the prince of Saern where not longe after he died leauing none issue ¶ So Roger remaignyng successour by inheritaunce woulde no more be called Duke but entitled hym selfe kynge of Italie whiche Calixt and Honorius next bishop after him dissembled because thei could not chose but Innocence the seconde theyr next successour would not abyde that name and therefore moued of disdeine without measuryng his force sodenlely assembled suche people as he coulde make and went against Roger with so great a furie that ere euer Roger coulde make any preparacion he draue hym from S. Germaines and out of all the abbey laudes where Roger thought to haue defended hym selfe and finally constreigned hym to flee into the castell Galuzzo and there besieged hym till William Duke of Calabria sonne of Roger coming with an army to succour his father discoumfited the bishops power finally toke the bishop him selfe withall his Cardinals prisoners whoÌ„ Roger the father entreated very courtesly and at last licenced them to depart at theyr pleasure In consideracion wherof the bishop graunted Roger all his owne requestes the title of kyng onely excepted and amongest other thinges the citee of Naples whiche till that tyme had alwaies ben the emperours For ioye wherof Roger at his entrie made an hundreth and fiftie knightes But Innocence returnyng to Rome founde a new bishop made in his absence one Peter sonne of Pierleone and was called Anacletus Wherfore Innocence fledde with certaine shippes of Pisa into Fraunce The meane whyle Roger visityng this other bishop Anaclete obteined of him the title of kyng of bothe the Siciles on this syde and beyonde the Faro But within three yeres after Innocence by helpe of the Pisani returned and brought with hym Lothayre Duke of Saxonie whom he crowned emperour After whiche Coronacion they bothe with a puissaunt armie went against Roger and toke from him all that he had gotten in Italie as farre as the Faro di Messina but within fewe yeeres whan Innocent was dead Roger recouered againe all that they toke from hym and did afterwarde many notable feates against Emanuell emperour of Constantinople whose ilandes and townes he toke by force as Corfu Corinthe Tebes and Negroponte and burned the suburbes of Constantinople assaulted the emperours palaice and for a memorie of his beyng there gathered apples in his Orcharde ¶ He also fought with the Sarasines and rescued Lewys the .vii. Frenche kynge out of their handes taken by theim by the waie goyng into the holie lande And so reigning .24 yeres lorde of Sicile he died in the citee of Palermo ¶ Than succeded his sonne William before named who immediately ouerran the churche landes and was therfore excommunicated insomuche that many of his owne barons conspired with Adrian bishop of Rome againste him But finally after muche a doe he humbled him selfe to the bishop of whom he was assoiled and inuested kynge of â—ewe in the dominion of bothe the Siciles And after that made an armie into Barbarie where by force he toke and sacked the citee of Tunyse In his retourne from thense he vanquished the Grekish armie by sea though they were manie moe in numbre than he But because he waxed afterwardê somewhat couetouse and burdeined the people with taxes and subsidies his barons rebelled toke him in his palaice at Palermo and put him in prison Than toke they his eldest sonne Roger and made him ryde through the streetes After whom the people went criyng Life to kynge Roger and death to the tiranne kyng William ¶ But the inconstante people repentyng theim of their errour or fearyng leste Roger woulde reuenge the iniurie done to his father retourned to the palaice with a new rumour and findyng it closed began to assaulte it so that Roger thinkyng to appease them came to a window and as he wolde haue spoken was shotte in to the heade with an arrowe wherof he died ¶ Than was William taken out of prison and restored to his kyngdome wherin after he had reigned in all .21 yeres he died â—euyng his sonne also named William in the astate ¶ This William for his good and peasible gouernance was surnamed The good kynge William For in 26. yeres reigne he neuer had warre with any christian prince excepte that littell that moued onelie of a noble courage he made againste Andronico who beyng lefte tutour to Emanuell the seconde a childe vsurped his empire of Constantinople But the Constantinopolitans theim selfes arose against him and hewed him to peeces creatyng Isaac emperour in his place ¶ Manie worthy feates did this William with his galleis against the infidelles specially in the vâ—age that the two kynges Phillip of France and Richard of Englande made into the holy lande Duryng whose beyng at the siege of Acres the good kynge William died in Palermo without issue of his body ¶ Than the barons fearyng the bishop of Rome should subdue theim whose subiectes thei wolde in no wise be incontinently elected Tancredi bastarde soonne of the last Roger before named to be their kyng But shortlie Celestine the .iii. bishop of Rome founde meane to trouble him on this wise ¶ He crowned Henry the .vi. emperour on condycion that he at his owne charges should conquere the realme of both Siciles to hold it in fee of the churche restoryng certain citees and paiyng a certaine tribute And to make his mattier the better he secretlie toke out of the monastarie of Palermo Constance a nunne doughter of the forenamed Roger and dispensyng withall gaue hir in mariage to this emperour Henrie crownyng them both with the title of the
so euer thei founde them they left not in all Sicile one frencheman on liue nor one woman that was knowen to be with childe of a frencheman Wherof yet vnto this daie the Sicilians euensonge is vsed as a prouerbe in Italie ¶ And than by accorde came the kynge of Aragone and receiued Sicile vnto his dominion the rather because he had a certaine title thervnto as in the right of his wyfe Constance daughter to the late kyng Manfredo Unto whom also the bishop of Rome graunted his consent and in deede inuested hym kyng therof by his ecclesiasticall power ¶ Many thynges happened betwene kyng Charles and kyng Peter amongest other a defiance to feight hand to hand with the place appoincted at Burdeaux before our prince Edwarde than ruler of Gascoygne where bothe kynges kepte theyr daie but nother mette nor fought And ere euer kynge Charles retourned Roger di Loria admyrall to kyng Peter had foughten by sea with Charles prince of Salâ—rn onely sonne of king Charles before Naples and taken hym prisoner with a numbre of the Neapolitane barons and gentilmen that were all sent except Charles with .ix. of the chiefest into Sicile and there for a reuengement of Corradinos death .200 of those nobles and gentilmen were beheaded on a daie ¶ Finally kyng Charles vpon his reiourne made excedyng great preparacion to inuade Sicile but er he could bringe it to passe he died for anger and melancolie after he had reigned .xix. yeres ¶ And for as muche as some holde opinion that this Charles was the fyrst Neapolitane kyng that obteined the title of kynge of Ierusalem it is necessarie to declare by what meane ¶ The ladie Marie doughter of the prince of Antioche resigned into the handes of this kynge Charles all hir tytle to the realme of Ierusalem whervpon be caused him selfe to be crowned kynge of Ierusalem and with helpe of the Uenetians sente Roger Di San Seuerino to be gouernour to receiue feaultee and homage of the christen barons there Thus and not by the interest of Federike the kynges of Naples vsed the title of Ierusalem though I fynde not who was Maries father by name nor yet by what reason that realme shoulde apperteine to hir ¶ Whan kynge Charles was deade his onely soonne and heire Charles prince of Salerne remained prisoner in Sicile vnder the kepyng of quene Constance wife to kyng Peter of Aragone and was by consente of the barons condemned to die as it were for a full reuengement of Corradinos death but the noble hert of Constance woulde not suffre it Excusyng the mattier that before she knew hir housbandes mynde she would not attempt so great a thyng Wherefore she sent hym into Aragone where he continued prisoner till kyng Peter died and than by procurement of prince Edwarde lorde of Gascoygne he was deliuered and restored to his realme of Naples Who was raunsomed at .30000 markes and for perfourmance of couenauntes .iii. of his sonnes and .100 gentilmen laie in hostage ¶ Here is to be noted that within the space of one yere died .iii. kynges and a bishop of Rome that is to weâ—e Phillip kyng of Fraunce Charles kyng of Naples Peter kyng of Aragon and Martine the .4 bishop of Rome ¶ After Peter succeded in the realme of Aragon his eldest sonne Aufus in Sicile his sonne Iames that helde in prison the forenamed Charles the secounde ¶ Finallie Aufus the elder brother beyng dead Iames to haue the kyngdome of Aragon in peace sore vexed at that time by the Frenche kyng fell at composicion with Charles to renounce Sicile vnto hym and so did But Federike yonger brother to Iames assoone as he heard therof gotte a certain power went into Sicile and gatte it to hym selfe by reason wherof betwene Charles and Federike was continuall warre manie yeres till at last Charles to haue Calabria in peace the most parte wherof Federike had gotten by force consented that Federike duryng his life shoulde quetlie enioy Sicile ¶ So Charles bringing all his thinges to a quiet reigned .24 yeres and died leauyng issue by his wife Mary doughter of kyng Stephen of Hungarie ix sonnes and v. doughters The eldeste named Charles Martell afterwardes kynge of Hungarie by the mothers title Lewis the secounde sonne bishop of Tolouse in Spaine Robert the thirde sonne kynge of Naples As for the reste though they were princes Quenes and princesses yet I passe theim ouer and will onely speake of Lewys Duke of Durazzo because Charles Da Durazzo who was next kyng after the firste quene Iohan descended of him ¶ At the death of Charles Robert his .iii. sonne beyng in Auignion was called from thens to the dominion of Naples and confirmed kyng by Clemente the .v. than bishop of Rome howebeit not longe after Caronumberto kynge of Hungarie and sonne of his elder brother Charles pretended title thervnto but after longe debatyng therof the lawiers finallie determined that Robert shoulde continue and Caronumberto shoulde contente hym with the realme of Hungarie And though Robert was muche troubled by the comyng of the emperour Henry the .vii. into Italie yet after the emperour was poisoned by a blacke frier in ministryng hym the sacrament of communion at Bonconuento besides Siena by order as thei saie of the Romish legate king Robert prospered so well in Italie by reason he was taken as heade of the Guelfi that he subdued Genoa and the Florentines with their whole astate submitted them selfes vnto him and accepted his sonne Carlo senza terra to be their lorde Whiche Charles not longe after his establishment in that dominion retourned to Naples and died ¶ Finally Robert hym selfe sickened and died without heyres males And so the inheritance remained in the iii. daughters of his forenamed sonne Charles Unto the eldest named Iohan he by his testament lefte the realme vpon condicion that she shoulde marie with his nephew Andrew younger son of the abouenamed Caronumberto In whose tyme liued Petrarcha and Bocchacio the one for verse and the other for prose famouse in theyr Italian tongue and for theyr vertues muche cherisshed of this kynge Robert ¶ Accordyng to the testament of kyng Robert his nephiew Andrew came out of Hungarie and maried Quene Iohan with whom he reigned scarcely .iii. yeeres but that she caused hym to bee hanged out at hir chambre wyndow because as the same wente he was not cockie enough to satisfie hir appetite ¶ Than maried she Lewys prince of Taranto an excellent beautifull man But Lewys kyng of Hungarie elder brother to Andrew to reuenge his brothers deathe came with a puissaunt armie into the realme insomuch that the Queene and hir husband bothe fledde to Auignion in Prouance leauyng Charles da Durazzo sonne of Lewys da Durazzo beforenamed theyr lieuetenant to defende but the Hungarien so muche prospered that in short space he gatte the whole realme and toke this Charles da
.xxv. yeres after Whiche other some doe disallow groundyng them vpon Peters age that reckenyng the time it was impossible Peter should liue so longe after Christes passion ¶ Neroe reigned .xiiii. yeres and .vii. monethes whose customes were odiouse to the whole worlde He killed his mother his wife his maister Seneca and dyuers other excellent men so that his owne souldiers rebelled agaynste hym and the whole Senate condemned him wherfore he fledde and because he coulde not escape desperately slewe him selfe ¶ Galba Sergius reigned but .vii. monethes by reason that his next successour laie in waite for hym and slew hym in the baines ¶ Otho Lucius reigned scarsely .iii. monethes till he was ouercome by his nexte successour so that throughe despayre he slew hym selfe ¶ Uitellius reigned but .vii. monethes For the Romaine armie that than was in the east parties elected Uespasian emperour so that in despite therof Vitellius chased Sabinus Uespasians brother with dyuers into the capitoll and there set fyre on theim Wherfore Uespasian came streight to Rome toke Vitellius made hym to be drawen through the stretes hewen to peecê ¶ Uespasianus reigned .x yeres and reduced the customes and lawes into a better ordre amonge the people whiche by Nero and the other emperours after hym were muche corrupted and beganne the Amphitheater now called Colliseo And this was he that destroied Ierusalem in fulfillyng of Christes prophecie ¶ Titus sonne to Uespasianus reigned .ii. yeres and ii monethes after his father and was a verie graciouse prince ¶ Domitianus reigned .xv. yeres .v. monethes he was brother vnto Titus but lyke Nero in condicions for he delited in vnnatural vices and in cruel death of men â–ª so that he slew diuers senatours persecuted lerned men and Christians had ill successe in his warres and finally through conspiracie was slaine ¶ Nerua reigned one yere and .iiii. monethes and was the fyrst straunger that is to wete no Romaine borne that euer was made emperour ¶ Traianus adopted son vnto Nerua and a Spaniarde borne reigned .xix. yeres and .vi. monethes so benigne and courteise a prince that for a prouerbe men vsed to saie God make the happier than August and better than Traiane For beyng sometime aduertised of his friendê that he vsed hym selfe to muche familiarly he aunsweared that a prince ought to be vnto his subiectes suche as thei should be to hym and geuyng the swoorde to a Pretor that he had newly made he saied vse this against mine enemies but see the cause be iust and if I deale vniustly than spare not me He prospered muche in his warres and greatly augmented the Romaine empyre ¶ Adrianus reigned .xxi. yeres the most part in peace for that was his studie He was well learned and yerely wrote a pronosticacion he builded a notable sepulchre whervpon Castell S. Angelo now standeth And in his tyme there rose vppe a false Messias amonge the Iewes whiche Adrian ouercame with muche a dooe ¶ Antonius Pius adopted sonne vnto Adrian reigned xxiii yeres so gentill a prince that all the worlde loued hym For he was wont to saie he had rather preserue one of his citesins than destroie a .1000 of his enemies ¶ Marcus Aurelius Antonius reigned .xix. yeres and one moueth At the first his brother Lucius Verus was ioigned with him but he liued not longe This Marcus was an excellent philosopher wrote dyuers good bokes prospered in the warres where finallie he died ¶ Commodus son to Marcus Aurelius reigned .13 yeres more lyke in condicions vnto Nero than to his father so that at last he was both poysoned and strangled ¶ Helius was surnamed Pertinax because he toke the empire on him in maner against his will and reigned not vi monethes but that his nexte successour caused hym to be slaine ¶ Didius Iulianus reigned not fully .vii. monethes for his next successour came against hym discoumfited his armie toke hym and caused hym to be beheaded ¶ Seuerus reigned .xviii. yeres and restored muche the Romaine empyre from the decaie that it was fallen in by his predecessours tyme prospered muche in his warres and died in the citee of Yorke where it is written he made a diche with a walle full of toures and bastilions from one sea to the other .132 miles of length ¶ Antonius Caracalla reigned .vi. yeres he caused his brother Geta to be slayne maried his stepmother Iulia vsed muche tyrannie and was at laste slaine by one of his owne souldiours ¶ Macrinus with his son reigned one yere and were bothe slaine ¶ Uarius Heliogabalus reigned .iiii. yeres so abhominable a man of liuyng that after he had tried all the waies of carnall vice he caused his owne membres to be cut of in hope to chaunge his kynd Wherfore his owne souldiours slewe him drewe his carcasse a longe the stretes tied a stoue about his necke and so threw him into Tyber ¶ Alexander Seuerus reigned .xiii. yeres full of vertue and good gouernaunce but because he was seuere in punysshyng his souldyours offences they rebelled agaynst him and slewe him ¶ Maximinus reigned .iii. yeres and because he was created of the armie without the Senatours consente therfore did the senate ordeine newe Emperours against hym so that his owne souldiours slewe him ¶ Gordianus reigned .vi. yeres and prospered muche in his warres but at last for lacke of vittayles the armie rebelled against him and elected his next successour emperour by whose order Gordianus was slaine ¶ Iulius Philippus with his sonne reigned .vii. yeres and were both christened but finally they were slayne by procurement of theyr next successour ¶ Decius with his sonne reigned .ii. yeres and .iii. monethes a great persecutour of the Christian religion In his time the Gothes first assailed the Romayne empyre and passed the riuer of Danubie where Decius and his sonne mette with theym and in the battayle were bothe slaine ¶ Uirius Gallus with his sonne reigned .ii yeres and were slaine bothe of theyr owne army as they were goyng against Emilianus that than woulde haue vsurped the empyre ¶ Ualerianus with his sonne Galienus reigned .xv. yeres But Valerian in the .v. yere was taken in battaile against Sapor kyng of Persia who put out his eies and vsed hym alwaies for his foote stoole whan he went to horsebacke and Galienus became so viciouse that he was faine to flee from Rome and finally was slaine of his owne men ¶ Claudius elected by the senate reigned one yere and ix monethes fought against the Gothes and Germaines and discoumfited bothe theyr powers but he sickened shortly and died Whervpon the armie elected his brother Quintilianus emperour who within .xvii. daies after was slaine ¶ Aurelianus reigned .v. yeres and .vi. monethes recouered a noumbre of regions that his predecessours had lost and was so prosperouse in the warres that Eutropius compareth hym vnto Alexander the great or Caesar But at last he was slaine through crafte of one of his owne souldiours ¶ Tacitus reigned not fully .vi. monethes but died of the
gotten Rome by suche famine that many mothers did eate theyr owne children ouerranne all Campaigne the realme of Naples and the lande of Brutij and finally died in the citee of Cosenza ¶ After whom succeded his kynsman Athaulfus that maried Placidia sister of the emperour Honorius taken amonge the prisoners of Rome so wise a woman that whan hir husbande folowyng the trade of Alaricus determined to goe to Rome and to rase it to the earthe she with faire wordes dissuaded hym and brought hym to accorde with hir brother in suche wise that throughe the emperours procuremente he with all his nacion of Gothes lefte Italie and wente to conquere Spayne where in the citee of Barcelona he was of his owne folke traiterously slayâ—e ¶ The seconde was Attila kyng of the Hunes who with an infinite numbre of people entred into Italy and puttyng all to fyre and swoorde passed ouer the countrey now called Lumbardie vnto the Appenine hillê and as farre as Florence which he rased to the erth not withstandyng it was yelded vnto hym without resistence But finallie as he was goyng to Rome entendyng to do likewise there Leo the first than bishop of the same met him by the way and so entreated him that ceasyng from further crueltee he withdrewe hym and all his into Hungarie where not longe after he died of a sodeine death ¶ Thirdlie Gensericus entred into Italie with a great numbre of Vandales through this occasion Theodosius the .ii. assigned his cousen Valentinian to rule the weast parte of the empire who died within few yeres so that Maximianus a Romayne by force toke on him the occidentall empieâ— and maried Eudossa late wife of the same Valentinian who disdeigning this Maximian practised secretly with Gensericus then reigning in Affrica and did so much that he came to Rome toke it by force slewe Maximian spoyled and burned the citee and finallie for a worthy rewarde led Eudossa and hir doughter prisoners with hym at his retourne into Affrike ¶ The fourthe was Biorgus kyng of the Alani afterwardes called Alemani who entred into Italie by the way of Trent and ouerran all Istria La Marca Triuisana and a great parte of Lumbardie till at last by Seuerianus one of the emperours capitaines he was fought withall slaine and his host discomfited ¶ The .v. was Odoacrus kyng of the Eruli that sometime were of the countrey of Valachia beyonde the riuer of Danubie who with an infinite numbre of men twise in .xiiii. yere ouerran all Italie callyng him selfe kyng therof till the emperour Zenon sent Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes against him who fought with him discomfited all his hoste and finally slewe him ¶ The .vi. was this Theodoricus him selfe who by the emperour Zenon was inuested kynge of Italie in the title wherof he caused muche slaughter and destruction er euer he vanquisshed Odoacrus but at laste he establisshed his royall seate in Rauenna where he reigned .25 yeres and died of the fluxe leauyng behynde hym a perpetuall fame of his worthynesse and vertue ¶ The .vii. was Gundebalde kynge of Gorgoyne who with a great multytude passed the Alpes ouerranne a great parte of Lumbardie and with an infinite numbre of prisoners and a wonderfull pray of richesse returned into his owne countrey ¶ Nowe ye shall vnderstande that after Theodoriche was made kyng of Italy by the emperours consent his doughter Amalasuntha folowed in succession of the dominion who after the deathe of hir owne son Atalaricus accepted hir cousin Theodatus for companion in hir kyngdome but he rendryng yll for good founde meanes not onely to exile hir but also to make hir die to the entent he myght reigne alone Whiche vnkynde dealyng so muche offended his owne Gothish nacion that they elected an other kynge in Rome named Vitigius who shortlie caused Theodatus to be slaine by treason and yet he hym selfe prospered not longe after For er he had fullie reigned .v. yeres Bellisarius a capitaine sent by the emperour Iustinian recouered all Italie besieged Vitigius in Rauenna and finallie toke hym prisoner and so led him to Constantinople ¶ Whan the Gothes had a litel renewed their strength they made Totila theyr kyng ouerranne all Italie and twise toke the citee of Rome by force reignyng ouer the whole countrey .ix. yeres till Narses an other of the emperours capitaines came puissantly into Lumbardy and in a sore foughten battaile slew Totila with a great numbre of his nacion ¶ Notwithstandyng that discoumfiture the Gothes a fresshe chose theim an other kyng called Teia a veraie valiaunt man that wonderfully defended his dominion against the power of Narses but finally in plaine battaile Narses slew hym and so discoumfited his armie that the Gothes were constreigned to submitte theim selfes vnto the emperours obeisaunce and from that tyme foorthe beyng borne of two or three descenâ—es in Italy they were no more knowen for Gothes but taken for Italians and there ended the Gothishe name Whiche from the comyng of Theodoricus before named had reigned in Italy the space of .72 yeres ¶ A meruailouse mattier to see the instabilitee of these worldely thynges that the Romaine empyre whiche so many yeres before had triumphed in richesse welth ouer the whole worlde should now be subiecte vnto all calamitee and affliction Rome it selfe .iiii. tymes taken by force within the space of .140 yeres the walles in many places throwen to the earth the inestimable goodly buildynges of temples and palaices burned and spoyled the infinite treasures of money iewelles and other ornamentê put to sacke or hidde vnder the ground by the owners where it could neuer be founde neither man woman nor childe spared of the enemies furiouse swoorde and finally brought to that case that it was more than an whole yere desolate without any creature to dwell in it other than the wilde beastes And not Rome alone but also the most parte of all the notable citees of Italie were thus afflicted for the tyme. ¶ But whan the Gothish nacion was thus subdued Italie returned to the obedience of the empyre and was gouerned by the forenamed Narses by the space of .17 yeres till after the death of the emperour Iustinian Iustine the secounde of that name succeded whose wyfe Sophia thorough instigacion of some gentilmen of the court that enuied the vertue and glory of Narses kendled hir housband the emperour so muche that he reuoked Narses from the rule of Italy with iniurious wordes of the empresse that had bosted she would set hym amongest hir women to spinne and to make clothe whiche she saied was meeter for hym than to rule suche a countrey But the noble hert of Narses conceiued so great an vnkyndnesse of this that after he had answeared hir he woulde spinne suche a clothe as nother she nor hir vile housbande should be hable to weare out he secreâ—ly sent into Pannonia to Alboinus kyng of the Longobardi now called Lumbardes exhortyng him to come into Italie how be it ere
appoinâ—tment Alexander came honorablie to Uenice to mete the emperour for a treatie of peace wherby the other historie of the cookish apparaile shoulde seeme vntrewe In effect howe so euer it were there they mette and the emperour in presence of all the people kneled downe to kisse the bishops foote At whiche kissyng some affyrme that the bishop vsed these woordes Super aspidem et Basiliscum ambulabis et conculcabis leonem et draconem And the emperour aunsweared Non tibi sed Petro. wherunto the bishop replied et Petro et mihi Neuerthelesse there they concluded suche a peace that the bishop retourned to Rome and enioyed his place Immediately whervpon he called a counsaile in Laterano in the whiche iiii bishops that sens his fyrst election had been created by the emperour were condemned body and soule ¶ In his tyme Thomas Beckette bishop of Caunterburie was slaine And the kynge of Englande as some write sent ambassadours to this Alexandre protestyng the same to be doen vnknowyng to hym But the bishoppe not credityng the ambassadours sent two Cardinalles into Englande to examine the trouth who compelled the kyng to sweare that he was not giltie of Beckettes death and neuerthelesse they enioigned him in penaunce to sende .200 souldiours to serue an whole yere in Hierusalem and within the terme of .iii. yeres to goe against the infidelles hym selfe to mainteine all the libertees of the churche and to permitte mattiers to be appealed to the courte of Rome ¶ Lucie the .iii. would haue depriued the Romaine Consules of theyr dignitee but the people so resisted that he was faine to flee and as many as were taken of his partie had theyr eies put out Wherefore the bishop went to Verona called a counsaile and there died ¶ Celestine the .iii. enuiyng the succession of Tancredi bastarde sonne of Roger brother to the good kyng William of Sicile called into Italie Henrie the .vi. than elected Caesar â–ª And after he had crowned him emperour in Rome toke Constantia a Nonne out of hir cloysâ—er and because of the Normanes royall bloud maried hir to this emperour endowyng him and hir bothe with the titles of the realmes of Naples and Sicile and so transferred the Napolitane astate from the Norman succession to the Germains wherof there folowed great bloudshedyng ¶ Innocence the .iii. because Philip Duke of Sueuia sonne vnto Barbarossa was chosen emperour against his will not onely excommunicated him but also caused Otho the .iiii. to be elected and crowned hym in Rome ¶ This bishop contendyng with the forenamed Philip was wont to saie either shall Philip take from me my myter or I from hym his crowne ¶ Otho had not longe enioyed the crowne but the bishop with his excoÌ„municacions made his princes to forsake hym and he the emperour hym selfe to forsake Italie because he had moued warres against the church and gotten Montefiascone and Radicofano entendyng also to inuade the realme of Naples than belongyng to younge Frederike sonne of Henry the .vi. who by his parentes was committed to the bishops protection ¶ Finally he deposed Otho and named this Frederike emperour Wherof there folowed so sharpe warres that at length whan Frederike had afterwardes receiued the crowne of Honorius the .iii. the Romaine bishops persecuted Frederike and he them ¶ This Innocence beeyng of the familie of Conti in Rome builded a notable fayre toure of bricke there whiche yet is to be seen called La torre d' i Conti. ¶ Honorius the .iii. crowned Frederike the .ii. emperour and after excoÌ„municated him for what cause I can not tell ¶ Gregory the .ix. did likewise excoÌ„municate the emperour because he wolde not at his appoinctment goe into Asia againste the infidelles Afterwardes he assâ—yled him vpon his humble submission at Anagnia for .120 thousand ounces of golde payed by the emperour ¶ Than fell he in contencion with the Romayns for the tribute of the territories about the citie whiche the Romayns alledged that the bishops vsurped vpon theyr coÌ„mon wealth And because Frederike fauoured the Romains cause the bishop did excommunicate him againe wherof folowed cruell warres betwene the emperour and the confederate citees of Lumbardie with the battail besides Corte noua where the Mylanese and Lumbardes were so miserablie slaine and theyr Caroccio taken ¶ Than began also the ciuile sedicion of the two parties in Italie Guelfi and Ghibellini that caused so muche mischiefe ¶ The Romayns after they had ben ones by force subdued of this bishop began to rebell agayn For the pacifiyng wherof the bishop caryed about saincte Peters and Paules heades in procession and so quyeted the people ¶ Finallie beyng hardly handled by the emperour Frederike who had taken diuers legates cardinalles and prelates prisoners in theyr comyng to Rome he died for sorowe ¶ Innocence the iiii before he was elected bishop was verie friende to the emperour Frederike but after he became so mortall enemy vnto him that they ceased not the one to persecute the other as longe as they liued not withstandyng that principally for respecte of his olde amitee with the emperour Innocence was elected bishop And the emperour againste this election set at libertee diuers cardinalles that he had taken prisoners in the warres betwene hym and Gregorie the .ix. ¶ This Innocence was occasion of the great discomfiture that Frederike had before Parma and yet was the auctoritie of the Romains so great in his later dais that he durst not come in Rome ¶ He firste ordeined the Cardinalles to ryde with redde hattes and went to the citee of Naples entendyng to haue conquered the realme where trauaylyng to sette foorthe an armie he died ¶ Urbane the .iiii. seyng the armie prepared of Innocence discomfited by Manfredo than gouernour of the realme of Naples and him selfe vnhable to resist bothe Manfredos power and the Romayns also that newelie had recouered theyr libertee practised with the Frenche kyng that Charles Duke of Angiowe might come to conquere Naples and Sicile but he died er his purpose coulde take effect ¶ Clement the .iiii. folowyng the practise of Vrbane receiued the forenamed Duke Charles that came with .30 galeys from Marsiles to Rome and there created hym Senatour Whiche office he exercised for a tyme. Afterwardes he inuested him kyng of Naples and of Sicile vpon condicion he should holde it of the churche in fee paiyng tribute yerelie .40000 ducketes and by this meane broughte the Frenchemen to warre agaynste Manfredo In whiche warres Charles preuayled and the Germaine bloud ceased not onely by the deathe of Manfredo slayne in the fielde but also by the death of Corradino the ryght heyre who beeyng taken prisoner through this bishops counsayle was beheaded ¶ After longe contencion amongest the Cardinalles and two yeres vacacion of the see Gregory the .x. was elected bishop He incontinently pacified the warres betwene the Uenetians and Genowaies and called a counsayle in Lyons vnto the whiche the emperour of Greece
came with a noble companie and amongest other certaine infidell Tartares who there receiued baptisme ¶ He confyrmed Radulphus Erle of Holsatia emperour though he came not to Rome to receiue the crowne ¶ Nicolas the .iii. depriued Charles kyng of Naples of the vicarage of the empyre that Clement the .iiii. had geuen hym in Tuscane and toke from him also the Senatourship of Rome takyng the vse of that office into his owne handes and made a lawe that no prince from thensfoorth shoulde be Senatour of Rome He repulsed the Uenetian ambassadours with foule woordes because of the siege that they had laied to the citee of Ancona He toke many citees in Flaminia by force and practise and brought theim from obedience of the emperour to the churches subiection He went about to make two of his owne kynne of the house of Vrsina in Rome kynges the one in Tuscane and the other in Lumbardie but he coulde not bringe it to passe ¶ Finally he procured Peter kyng of Aragon to chalenge the realmes of Naples and Sicile as the inheritaunce of his wyfe Constantia doughter to the kynge Manfredo Wherof there folowed sharpe warres ¶ Martine the .iiii. a frencheman borne after longe contencion amongest the Cardinalles was elected bishop who incontinently restored vnto Charles than kynge of Naples the office of Senatour of Rome against the Romaines will For the whiche there hapned muche bloudsheedyng But at last the frenchemen so preuailed that Richarde Hanniball chiefe of the Romaines was faine to come with an halter about his necke to aske pardon at the bishops feete Wherupon the bishop made two new Senatours and so ruled Rome at his will ¶ He excommunicated king Peter of Aragone and cried the croisie against him because he had preuailed in winnyng of the realme of Sicile against kynge Charles of Naples and the excommunicacion was suche that all men myght lawfully take his landes and goodes where or how so euer they could come by them But this letted not kyng Peter of his purpose ¶ Honorius the .iiii. confyrmed the excommunicacion of Martine against king Peter entitlyng the Frenche king to the realme of Aragone and the Erle of Arras the Frenche kynges sonne to the realme of Sicile Whiche bothe with seuerall powers enforced theim selfes to occupie bothe those realmes accordyng to the bishoppes gifte but in effect they preuailed not ¶ After longe contencion at length the Cardinals chose Celestine the .v. beyng an hermite who was so simple a man continuyng still the olde maner of his abstinent life that the Cardinalles could not well supporte hym ¶ Wherfore the Cardinall Benedicte Gaietane beganne a new practise and fell at composicion with his bretherne that if he could make Celestine resigne thei shuld electe hym So he made one with a caue thorough a wall crie to Celestine in the night as he laie in his bed that God commanded hym to resigne his bishoprike vnto Benedict Whervpon this simple man beleuyng the voyce to come from heauen gaue ouer his dignitee and caused Benedict to be chosen in his place namyng hym Boniface the .viii. who for rewarde fearyng least Celestines life myght be a trouble to his glorie caused the poore man to be taken by the waie as he retourned towardes his heremitage and laied in prison in Castel Fumone where shortly after he was famished to death ¶ Boniface the .viii. cleauyng earnestlie to the Guelfe part persecuted cruelly two Cardinalles of the house of Colonna that than were chiefe of the Ghibellines and did so muche hurt to that family that after he had rased theyr townes and houses to the earthe none of theym durst appeare For Sarra Colonna chiefe of that house fled so muche the persecucion of this bishop that after he had liued a certain space in the woddê poorely amongest the sheeppeherdes at last he was taken of Pirates vpon the sea costes and made a slaue to the ore in the galeys ¶ This bishop giuing asshes on ashewednesday to Porchetto archebishop of Genoa saied to him in latine remembre man that thou arte a Ghibelline and with the Ghibellines shalt retourne into asshes and therwithall threwe the asshes in his eies ¶ He also was the firste that ordeyned the yere of Iubiley amongest the Christians which caused wonderfull resorte from all parties to Rome ¶ He excommunicated Phiâ—ip the frenche kyng because he wolde not goe into the holy lande at his appointment and deposed him of his crowne entitlyng Albert Duke of Austriche to the same To the entent the Almaines might auenge his quarell agaynste the Frenchemen But at length Sarra Colonna happened to arriue in the porte of Marsicles in Fraunce where disclosyng hym selfe he was taken out of the galey had to the frenche court and finally sent so strongely into Italy with .200 â–ª men of armes that he came sodeynlie on a nyghte to Anagnia toke the bishop in his bed and led him to Rome prisoner where within lesse than .24 daies he died for sorow So that there folowed a saiyng of hym he entred like a foxe reigned like a woulfe and died as a dogge ¶ Benedict the .xi. assoyled the frenche kyng reconsiled the two Cardinalles of the house of Colonna and condemnyng the actes of his predecessour did neuerthelesse excommunicate the authours of his death ¶ Clement the .v. a Gascoygne borne and bishoppe of Burdeux was after .xii. monethes contencion amongest the Cardinalles elected bishop of Rome who for affection to his countrey transferred the see of Rome to Lyons in France and called all the Cardinals thyther to his consecracion Wherat the frenche kyng with many other princes was present and the Duke of Britaine and diuers other slaine with the fallyng of a wall For feare wherof Clement fell from his horse and lost a carboncle of his myter esteemed to be woorthe .vi. thousande duckates ¶ Than incontinently he made .xii. frenche Cardinallee three of the whiche he sent to Rome with senatours aucthoritee to rule the citee and all Italie He oppressed the secte called Fraticâ—lli that were than newly risen in Lumbardie who woulde haue had all thynges in common without magistrates or rulers ¶ He interdited the Uenetians because they succoured the house of Este against the churche ¶ The Cardinall Orsino than legate in Tuscane excuÌ„municated the citees of Florence and Luke because they woulde not be ordered by hym but the Florentines prouided a speedie remedie For they laied suche taxes on the spirituall men that the bishoppe for his membres sake was glad to assoyle theim ¶ The Frenche kynge practised with the bishop to reduce the imperiall astate vnto hym but at length they agreed so ill that Clement caused the Germaines to â—lecte emperour Henry the .vii. of Luxemburgh who by the bishops procurement passed into Italie with a mightie armie streigned sore the Italians was crowned of the Cardinalles in Rome and finally waxed so great that the bishop mistrustyng his power threatned to excommunicate hym
Durazzo with his son Charles prisoners The father was beheaded as giltie of the death of Andrew being of secrete faction in armes with the Quene the sonne was ledde prisoner into Hungarie Finally kynge Lewys after he had been .iii. monethes in the realme leauyng a stronge garrison of Hungariens at Naples retourned into his countrey ¶ Than Clement the .v. bishoppe of Rome entreated a peace betweene kyng Lewys and the Queene in suche wyse that Iohan retourned into hir state with couenaunt that hir housband shoulde in no wyse beare the title of kyng But what auailed that for she was no sooner in possession of the realme againe but she by fauour of Clement caused hir husband to be crowned king in Naples and by Clementê procurement gotte the consent of the kynge of Hungarie therunto For the whiche she gaue to the bishop the citee of Auignion that the churche euer sens hath kepte But Lewys couetyng to satisfie hir flesshely appetite fell in a consumpcion and died within .iii. yeres after ¶ Than she mariâ—d Iames of Taâ—racone a young gentilman borne in Maiorica than reputed the goodliest felow in the worlde But to hym she graunted not the title of kynge Within fewe yeres he died some saie by naturall infyrmitee other saie she caused his head to be stricken of for companiyng with an other woman ¶ After she maried Ottho Duke of Brainswich in Saxonie â–ª who than at that time serued in the warres of Italy reteigned with the bishop of Rome ¶ Finally Queene Iohan who fauoured not Urbane the .vi. elected bishop immediately procured certain Cardinalles to electe one of the Frenche faction so they elected Clement the .vii. by reason wherof grew a great schisme in the churche For Italy Hungarie and Almaine fauored Urbane Fraunce Spaine fauored Clemâ—nie And Urbane to be reuenged on the quene made an armie and did so muche that he constreigned bothe Clement and the quene to flee from Naples to Auignion where the quene consideryng she had no chylde adopted Lewys Luke of Angio secounde sonne to kynge Iohn of Fraunce to be hir heire of the realmes of Naples and Sicile and therof made sufficiente writyng whervpon the secounde line of the house of Angio haue euer sens mainteigned their tytle that they haue to the realme ¶ Shortly after the quene retourned to Naples But Urbane this meane while had inuested Charles da Durazzo who as you haue herde before was ledde prisoner into Hungarie kynge of Naples and wroughte so well that Charles by helpe of the kynge of Hungarie that than fauored him muche broughte a great armie with him and inconclusion toke Naples and the quene with hir husbande prisoners ¶ The husbande Ottho was sette at libertee vpon condicion he shoulde departe out of the realme But the quene by sentence of the kyng of Hungary was hanged at the same wyndowe where she caused hir firste husbande to be hanged Hir sister Marie of hir counsaill in that mattier was beheaded ¶ This Marie was she of whom Boccace was enamoured and for whose sake he wrote the two bokes Fâ—ammeâ—â—a and Filocolo And amongest other verses writen of this quene Iohan I finde .ii. veraie notable Regna regunt vuluae gens tota clamat simul oh veh Interitus regni est à muliere regi Whiche in english are of this effect Helas crien the people all A womans shappe weareth the crowne Womans rulyng the wealth turne shall Of realmes quite vpside downe ¶ Quene Iohan beyng thus dyspatched Charles remeigned peasablie in possession of the realme till Lewis Duke of Angio beforenamed heire adopted came with a greâ—t armie out of Fraunce to recouer the realme as his enheritaunce and by the helpe of certaine princes of Italy passed through Lumbardy La Romagnia and La Marca and so entred into Puglia where many townes yelded vnto hym continuyng so a yere and more and to strengthe his armie Mounser de Couci was sent after him with .12000 hâ—rsemen from the Frenche kyng But he not folowyng the Duke passed through Tuscane and besiegeyng the Castell of Arezzo taried so longe that er â—uâ—r he coulde come to the succours the Coâ—â—e Alberico genâ—rall of the kynges armie had discomfited the frenche armie and slayne the Duke in the fielde For whose death Charles withall his courte mourned in blacke a moneth Mounser de Couci hearyng of the Dukes death solde the towne of Arezzo to the Florentines for .40000 duckaâ—es and immediately retourned into Fraunce so Charles had the realme in peace till Urbane the bishop who called him vnto the realme fell out with him because Charles wold not coÌ„sent to make Butillo the bishops nephew borne of a vile stocke prince of Capua Upon which breache Urbane cursed him and because he had not power to reueÌ„ge him vpon Charles he tourned his wrath vpon .vii. Cardinalles that he suspected Of whom he put .v. into sackes and threw theim into the sea and the other two he putte to deathe at Genoa and dried their bodies in a furneise cariyng theim afterwardes on moyles before hym for an example to the reste ¶ Finallie kynge Lewys of Hungarie deceasyng without heire male the barons of the realme called kynge Charles to the dominion therof who at laste wente thither and was crowned in Alba but afterwardes goyng to Buda he was frendely called to a supper by the olde quene and hir doughter and there traitelously slaine at the table ¶ This Charles had geuen to hym to wife by Lewys kynge of Hungarie Margarete yongest sister of quene Iohan before mencioned on whom â—e begatte two children Ladislaus and Iohan. But assoone as the Napolitanes hearde of Charles death they toke their owne libertee vpon theim so that quene Margarete with hir children was faine to flee to Gaeâ—ta where she remained in muche care and trouble .iiii. yeres why lest the whole realme was tourned and tossed firste by Ottho late husbande to quene Iohan who gatte a great parte therof and died at Foggia than by Lewys the secounde Duke of Angio who folowyng his fathers title sente certain galleâ—s to Naples to mainteigne those Napolines that toke his parte ¶ Finallie Boniface the .ix. than bishop of Rome admitted the excommunicacion made againste Charles and caused Ladislaus to be crowned kyng at Gaetta And albeit the forenamed Lewys of Angio came to Naples with an armie by sea and was there receiued yet Ladislaus by littell and littell so allured the barons to hym that he not onely constreigned Lewys to withdraw him into Prouance but also brougte Naples and the reste of the realme obediente to hym Thries he attemted the gettyng of Rome whiche the fourth tyme he obteigned insomuche that entryng tryumphantly the Romain nobilitee did him homage But what folowed Alexander the .v. beyng made bishop of Rome in the counsaill at Pisa receiued the forenamed Lewys of Angio that than was newely comen thither to doe hym honour For the which he obteigned of
so great towardenesse to winne Florence that he caused a crowne of golde to be made to the intente to crowne him selfe kyng of Italy and had done it in dede if death had not preuented him ¶ Not longe after the commons vpon light occasion rebelled of new and in great noumbre ranne to the house of Veri di Medici offeryng hym the rule of the astate but he leadyng theim with hym to the high streete and leauyng theim there ascended into the palaice amongest the lordes excusyng him selfe that the people made him to come by force and so with thankes of theim returned to the people and persuaded them that thei should haue theyr willes so that thei woulde laie downe theyr weapons Whiche at his request they did Immediatly wherupon the rulers secretely armed theyr power and establisshyng the ordre of the citee putte dyuers of those commons to death that had been causers of this disorder ¶ Not longe after certaine of theim that were banished beyng at Bolognia determined vpon hope of the peoples inconstancie to attempt the recouerie of theyr countrey and to alter the astate of theyr citee and so thoroughe coumforte of one Piggiello and of Barroccio Cauicciâ—li than dwellyng in Florence secretly thei entred the towne and slewe one or two to the rumour wherof the people beyng assembled they declared how theyr comyng was to deliuer theyr countrey from the tirannie of theim that ruled c. But for all that there was none that woulde assist theim Wherfore they withdrew into a churche and there some in the takyng were slaine and the rest taken examined and put to execucion ¶ Besides this the Duke of Myllaine whilest he warred with the citee practised secretly by meane of the banished men to winne it but the thyng beyng discouered was occasion of the banishement of a noumbre of citesins and than within two yeres died Giangaleazzo after he had warred with the Florentines .xii. yeres So that the Florentines being peaced outwardely and indifferent quiete within theim selfes made out theyr power against Pisa and valiauntly gatte it ¶ Than had they warre with Ladislaus kynge of Naples about the citee of Cortona whiche the Florentines had before purchased And that warre was so perillouse that as most writers affyrme they procured a phisicion of the kynges to poyson hym By reason of whose death they recouered herâ— beyng before in maner desperate of the astate of theyr common wealth because the kynge hauyng already taken Rome Siena La Marca and Romagnia wanted no more but Florence onely to make his full waie into Lumbardie Where he determined with his power to proue his fortune So that the death of these two princes the Duke of Myllaine and the kynge of Naples was more auailable to the Florentines than theyr owne force But they whose nature coulde not well beare any rest liued not fully .viii. yeres in peace but that not onely the parties within them selfes renued theyr wonted contencion againe but also the citee attempted warre against Philip than Duke of Myllaine in whiche warre theyr armie at Zagonara was discoumfited and consequently all theyr holdes in Romagnia lost Castracaro and Modigliana excepted Whervpon they made suite to the Uenetians and obteined them in leage against the Duke By whose meane at length they recouered theyr townes in Romagnia notwithstandyng the charges of that warre had ben so great amountyng to the suÌ„me of thre millions and .500000 duckates and that the Florentines fell out amongest theim selfes about the paiement thereof whiche they called Catasto and the citee of Uolterra rebelled against theim though thei were soone brought to obedience againe ¶ After this beganne the Florentines to make warre against the towne of Lucca whiche endured .iii. yeeres with wonderfull domage on bothe sides specially on the Florentines whose armie was discomfited by Nicolo Piccinino sent by the Duke of Myllaine to succour the Lucchese ¶ Than beganne contencion within the citee betweene Cosmo de Medici and Rinaldo degli Albizi Not that Cosmo who was a iuste and a vertuouse man gaue any occasion thereof But vpon a consaite that Rinaldo suspected seeyng that Cosmo with his liberalitee and vertue had gotten the loue of the people he imagined streight waie that he went about to be lorde of al. Wherfore he so conspyred and wrought against hym that Cosmo was taken laied in prison and in daunger of death But finally he was confined vnto Padoa where he remaigned the space of a .xii. moneth till by meane of his friendes he was reconsiled home and his enemies some put to death and the reste banisshed and finally the whole astate of the common wealth refourmed after his owne maner Duryng whose tyme the Florentines endeuoured theim selfes muche to conquere the citee of Lucca to the entreprise wherof they enterteined Francesco Sforza that afterwardes was Duke of Myllaine to be theyr generall But because he than practised mariage with the daughter of Myllaine whose father Duke Philip was enemie to the Florentine astate he so coldly proceded that whan it came to passe that he myght haue streigned Lucca he neuerthelesse was occasion of peace beâ—wene the Florentines and the Lucchese in suche wyse that Lucca still remained in theyr libertee ¶ Not longe after folowed the counsaile of Florence at whiche the emperour of Greece with the chiefe of the Greekishe churche assembled and agreed with the Romaine churche though they stode not by it longe ¶ Than arose Nicolo Piccinino and without any iuste grounde moued warre to the Florentines wherin he did theim no small displeasures But finally he was discoumfited at Anghiari and immediately after the Conte di Poppi who before had assisted Piccinino was besieged in his owne towne and his whole astate with the towne of Poppi taken from hym by the Florentines ¶ And though the warre whiche Piccinino made was as well against the churche as the Florentines so that the bishop of Rome of the victorie of Anghiari enioied as well his parte as the Florentines yet the charge before and the cost that the bishop was at in pursuyng the victorie was suche that for verie neede of money he solde Borgo san Sepolchro vnto the Florentines for 25000. duckates All this whyle were the Florentines in league with the Uenetians against the Duke of Myllaine in suche wyse that the better to disburdeine his owne charge the Duke steered kyng Alfonse of Naples against the Florentines who entred vpon Tuscane and did theim muche hurt though at last laiyng siege to the towne of Piombino through sickenesse that fell in his armie he was constreigned to remoue his siege and vtterly to habandone his enterprise But after Duke Phillip of Millaine was deade and Francesco Sforza in possession of the astate the Florentines by meane of Cosmo di Medici did enter in amitee with hym for whiche occasion whan the Uenetians were out with Francesco they procured kyng Alfonse to warre of new on the Florentines whiche warre was not so
kynge of Englande At the sumptuouse feaste of whose mariage Petrarcha hapned to be present How be it some haue written that she was maried to the Frenche kynges sonne with the dower of an .100000 crownes But how so euer it were hir husbande lyued not passyng fiue monethes after the mariage and shortly thervpon the father Galeazo also died ¶ After whose death his sonne Giangaleazo growen to sufficient yeres diuided the state with his vncle Bernabo on this maner He kept to hym selfe Pauia Tortona Alexandria Nouara and the other townes neere vnto the Alpes with the one halfe of Myllaine and gaue vnto Bernabo Parma Pâ—accuza Cremona Lodi Crema Bergamâ— Como and the other halfe of Myllaine with this aduauntage that for as muche as Bernabo was the more aunciente he should dwell in Myllaine and Giangaleazo in Pauia Thus beyng agreed after a certaine tyme Giangaleazo was aduertised by his wife howe Bernabo hir father and his vncle had diuers tymes sought his death to ridde hym out of the state so that Giangaleazo incontinentely determined to preuente hym and goyng vnto Millaine vnder pretence of pastyme or of some other busynesse Bernabo to honour hym the more issued out against him and so was taken died in prison and parte of his sonnes slayne parte banished Whiche acte onely excepted though it was not yet all against reason this Giangaleazo in all his doynges was accompted so worthy noble and valiaunt a prince that of the people he was called II Conte di Virtu that is to say The Eâ—le of vertue For he was not onely beautifull of personage but also lerned eloquent wise hardy and lyberall And was the fyrst that euer was inuested Duke of Millaine paiyng therfore to the emperour Vinceslao an .10000 duckates After the obteinyng of this honour he encreased his astate by the gettyng of Verona Vicenza Padoa and Bologna ¶ He discomfited the armies of the leage made betwene the Florentines and Bologniese with other their confederates at Casalecchio and broughte the Florentines at length to that takyng that had he not died the rather they muste nedes haue yelded to benne his subiectes ¶ He ouercame Antonio della Scala and buylded the fayre palayce in Pauia with that goodly librarie that yet is seen there walled the parke about beyng of a great circuite and edified the Charterhouse that to this houre amongest the beautifull buildynges of the worlde may be rekened one of the rarest ¶ He brought Italy into suche feare that the Pisani the Senesi the Perugini the Ascesiani and the Lucchesi willyngly became his men so that he founde him selfe lorde ouer .29 citees and thought to haue ben kynge of Italy if death had not so soone taken him ¶ He had two wifes the one called Lisabetta doughter to the kynge of Boeme by whom he had a doughter named La Valentina maried afterwardes to the Duke of Orliens with the dower of the Erledome of Aste that hath ben cause of no small trouble in Italie and the other wife named Caterina de Visconti by whom he had two sonnes Giouanni and Philippo Maria. ¶ He had one bastarde called Gabriello who afterwardes solde Pisa to the Florentines ¶ Finally this notable prince at Marignano died and accordyng to his owne order was from thense caried to the saied Charterhouse besides Pauia and there buried ¶ Than succeded in the astate Giaâ—maâ—â—a the eldest sonne whose dealynges were so greuouse to the Milanese without any their deseruyng that hearyng masse on a daie in the churche through the fury of the people and of his owne men together he was slayne firste causyng his mother to die in prison for ofte warnyng him of that that happened in dede ¶ He was wonte to say many times in excusyng of his errours that in a great house it was necessary there shoulde growe men of diuers sortes and that he therfore vsed the contrary of his fathers doinges so that through his crueltee and his death together many citees rebelled in suche wiâ—e that the Milanese were constreigned to call the sonnes of Bernabo to the Douchy who enioied the same vntill that Philippo maria recouered the dominion and driuing them out mette with one of them called Nestore in a skirmish and slew him ¶ This Philippo was first lorde of Pauia and had maried Beatrice the doughter or as other say sometime wife of Fazino Cane della Scala for none intente but because she was enheritour of many fayre lordeshippes beyonde the Pò and had also verie muche money By meane wherof sleayng Crabrino lorde of Verona he gatte that citee to him selfe ¶ He was constreigned to yelde Bologna Furli and Imola to the bishop of Rome Neuerthelesse he gatte Genoa though afterwardes he loste it againe ¶ He lykewyse toke Bressa whyche beyng recouered against him by the Uenetians caused betwene them verie longe and cruell warre Wherin on the Uenetian side were capitaines Francesco Carmignuola Giouanni Malauolta Gianfrancesco Gonzaga and Nanni Strozzi a Florentine knight And on the side of Philippo against the Uenetians were Francesco Sforza Agnola da Pergoletto the one and other Nicolo Guerriero and Piccinino and one Fierauante da Perugia with the helpe also of Alfonso kynge of Naples who beyng before tyme brought prisoner to Philippo by the Genowaies and by hym restored to libertee lyke a faythfull friende for a great whyle after succoured hym in all his businesse ¶ Thus whan Philippo had finyshed the enterprise againste the Uenetians and by meane of those his capitaines gotten Piacenza Como and Lodi he made the Marques of Monferrato so afearde of hym that wyllyngly he yelded vnto Philippo's handê Vercelli Alexandria and Aste And Nicolo da Este of Ferrara came to visite hym renderyng Parma that before had ben taken from Ottone and knowlageyng hym selfe to holde the citee of Reggio in fee of Philippo ¶ The citeee of Florence fearyng the power of this man entred in leage with the Uenetians whose two armies vnited togethers were foughten withall by certaine of Philippo's capitaines in the Countie of Faenza and there ouercomen ¶ Notwithstanding that the same victory was of much lesse importaunce than that whiche the noble Florentine Cosmo di Medici obteigned in the plaine of Anghiari against the army of Philippo ledde by Nicolo Piccinino towardes the Florentine damage for the whiche victory Cosmo at his retourne to Florence was called father of his countrey ¶ But for all that those warres had neuer ende as long as Philippo liued who finally fell out with the forenamed Alfonse kyng of Naples and by force restored the Queene Giouanna to hir possession ¶ He receiued into Myllaine Martine the .v. bishoppe of Rome as he retourned from the counsaile of Constance and maried his daughter Bianca vnto Francesco Sforza ¶ Finally findyng hym selfe fallen in great aduersitee what thoroughe blindenesse that toke hym in his age what through the losse of Genoa and what through the discoumfiture of his armie at Casale Maggiore
meanes the mattier was remedied and within shorte space after died Guido and his sonne Francesco bothe ¶ And than came the astate clerely to Luigi who builded the palaice wherin all his successours to this daie haue dwelled He begatte on his wife Alda a sonne named Francesco whom he maried verie yonge vnto Agnesa doughter of Bernabo Visconti and at last beyng knowen openly to haue committed auoutrie the people arose and cruelly slew hym ¶ After whose death the astate descended to his sonne Francesco than beyng of the age of .xiiii. yeres But growen afterwardes to more tyme he so muche loued peace that he refused to entre in confederacion with Giangaleazo Duke of Myllaine And vpon displeasure therfore folowyng betwene theim Francesco caused the adder that for the great amitee and aliaunce betwene those two houses had in tyme past been ioygned to the armes of Mantua to be cleane taken out therof For whiche despite Giangaleazo besieged Mantua and laie before the same an whole yere in whiche meane tyme there perisshed many notable men on bothe sydes and specially of the house of Gonzaga .4 that is to wete Guido Torello Bartolino and Galeazo Whiche Galeazo Gonzaga amongest all other was reputed the strongest and hardiest man of his daies hauing fought oftentymes bodie to bodie and remained euermore vainquisher namely against Buccialdo a notable stronge man than gouernour for the Frenche kynge in Genoa These businesses at length beeyng pacified and Francesco somewhat awakened in armes he enterprised warre in the name of Giangaleazo against the Bologniese and against Giouanni Bentiuogli in the thicke wherof he toke Iacopo Carraro of Padoa prisoner and ledde hym to Mantua geuyng him suche curteyse libertee there that yeldyng vnkyndnesse for kyndnesse Iacopo escaped awaie wherof folowed muche a dooe afterwardes For assoone as the Duke of Myllaine was dead the Uenetians consideryng the prouoked displeasure before rehersed elected the saied Francesco to be their generall in thenterprise against the Carrari and were so well serued of hym that after he had chased the Carrari out of Padoa and Verona he reduced bothe those citees to the Uenetian obedience And so after a gloriouse life died ¶ Leauyng after hym his sonne Gianfrancesco in the dominion of the age of .14 yeeres who by his wyfe Paola daughter of Malatesta lorde of Rimini had .4 sonnes Luigi Carlo Lucido and Alexandro To the fyrst wherof he obteined for wyfe Barbera daughter of the Marques of Brandenburgh and kynneswoman vnto the emperour Edmonde who at his comyng into Italie and passyng through Mantua was there honourablie receiued by Gianfrancesco insomuche that before his departure he made hym Marques and gaue hym in his armes the ensigne of the empyre ¶ After the atteignyng of whiche honours he was thre seuerall tymes made generall of the Uenetians and in euery enterprise gatte the vpper hand And at last forsakyng theim he was waged against theim by Philippo Duke of Myllaine and in that seruice in company of Niccolo Piccinino was parte of the occasion that the Uenetians than lost the citee of Verona with many other townes of the Bressane and Uicentine so he died leauyng his dominion diuided in .iiii. partes vnto his foure sonnes To Luigi as eldest the citee of Mantua with those other townes that he had about Verona to Carlo who was an excedyng stronge man Luceâ—a with the reste of those landes that he helde on the Cremonese territorie To Lucido yll shapen and weake of person Capriana La Volta and Ciregiaia and finally to Alexandro who was crokebacked and becomen religiouse Canneto with that lande that he hadde on the Bressane ¶ Thus Luigi the eldest toke the astate vpon hym and continued not longe in the same vnuexed of his brother Carlo whose mightinesse and force of body was coupled with suche an haultenesse of minde that for desire of atteignyng his elder brothers astate he coulde not be contented to liue in peace ¶ And albeit that in the warres betwene Francesco Sforza and the Milanese he fledde from one part to an other and backe again yet by his brothers meanes he recouered the fauour of Sforza at whose handes he receiued diuers benefites But Luigi seeyng now the yll disposicion of his vnquiete mynde finally toke from hym all the landes that his father lefte hym so that Carlo fledde to the Uenetians and became their captaine so longe till at lengthe through their helpe he assembled a power of men wente againste his brother and foughte with him to the ieopardy of the losse of the Mantuan astate But in conclusion the right of Luigi preuailed againste the force of Carlo who beyng discomfited and fledde died afterwardes verie poorely in exile ¶ This enterpryse beeynge thus ouercomen and the thynges of the astate quieted Luigi triumphantly receiued the emperour Federico the thyrde as he passed through Mantua to Rome and beyng than a wydower by the death of his first wife maried Margarite doughter of the Duke of Bauiera and cousen to the forenamed emperour ¶ He was so great of body that he was commonly called the Turke so well exercysed in armes and so beloued specially of the Dukes of Millaine that Duke Philippo called him sonne Francesco called him brother and Galeazo called him father ¶ He was noble of courage fine of witte and somewhat learned whiche thinges together with his liberall and courteise life made him beloued of all men ¶ Finally through some disorder in liuyng as he that loued to liue in pleasure he died somewhat before the full course of his naturall terme Leauyng by his first wife Barbara .v. sonnes Federico Francesco made Cardinall Luigi Gianfrancesco and Rodolfo all notable and vertuouse persons ¶ Federico as eldest succeded in the astate and was afterwardes generall to the Duke of Millaine and maried La Margerita Tedesca on whom he begatte a sonne named Francesco and in the Uenetian warres againste the Duke of Ferrara hauyng gotten Asola whiche afterwardes he was constreigned by force to restore sickened for sorow and died ¶ By reason wherof his sonne Francesco of the age of 18. yeres entred into the astate and at the age of .38 was made generall of the Uenetians in whose seruice he did wonders specially againste Charles the eighte Frenche kyng nere vnto the riuer of Taro besides Parma as the same kynge retournyng from the conquest of the realme of Naples laden with great richesse was goyng into Fraunce In whiche enterprise Francesco so behaued him selfe that he ledde many noble men prisoners with hym at his retourne insomuche that the Frenche kynge made verie great offers to haue had his seruice but all in vaine For continuyng his ennemie he afterwardes fought with the Frenche men in Puglia and so discomfited theim that he restored the kynge Ferrandino vnto his astate And leauyng three sonnes by his wife Beatrice doughter of Ercole Duke of Ferrara that is to wete Federico that next succeded him Ercole
made Cardinall and Don Ferrando that nowe is the emperours generall at Millaine finally he died ¶ After whose death Federico toke the astate vpon him and was made general of the Romaine churche by bishop Lyon the .x. confirmed by Adrian the .vi. and continued also vnder Clement the .vii. And as the emperour that now is retourned from his coronacion at Bologna passyng through Mantua where he was most honourably receiued his maiestee for the vertue worthinesse and nobilitee knowen in this Federico called hym from the degree of Marques and created hym Duke ¶ He maried Margerite doughter and heire of the lorde Guglielmo Paleologo Marques of Monferrato in whose righte by fauour of the emperours maiestee he obteigned hir fathers astate that is to saie the dominion of Monferrato And so notably fortifiyng the citee of Mantua he died leauyng .iiii. sons Francesco Guglielmo Lodouico and Federico ¶ Francesco after his fathers deathe entred into the dominion but because he was than of verie tender yeres and passeth not yet the age of .14 his father by testament committed the gouernaunce of hym vnto his wife with the helpe and counsaill of his brother Ercole the Cardinall vntill the yonge Duke shall be growen to sufficient yeres who by the parentes consente and by the emperours procurement hath ben contracted vnto one of kyng Ferdinando's doughters and shall marie hir verie shortly as the saiyng is ¶ Of the astate of Ferrara FErrara is one of the notablest citees of Lumbardie aswell for the beautie and greatnesse as also for the stronge site fortificacion ¶ Fyrst for beautie if that part that is called La terra nuoua had ben thoroughly finished as it was deuised it shoulde haue ben woorthie for faire stretes to haue been preferred before any other citee that I haue seen And now as it is I thynke it no lesse woorthy For you shall finde aboue a dousen streetes so iust and euenly setâ—e foorthe that I warrant you there is not so muche as the corner of a house to let a man of his full sight from the tone ende to the tother Some of whiche streetes lacke little of a myle longe with the goodly houses and buildynges on bothe sides so fayre and vniforme that it seemeth all dooen at one tyme and by one agreement as no doubte the most part hath been in deede And than in the middest it hath a verie fayre greene appoincted out for the markette place But the Duke that now is hath had no mynde to folow it although his father Alfonso bestowed the most trauaile of all his daies about it to his wonderful charge as he that shall see it maie wel consider So that the most habitacion of people resteth still in the olde parte of the citee whiche is also indifferent fayre but nothyng comparable to the new Than as touchyng the greatnesse I thynke the circuite by the walles be little lesse than .v. myles And finally for strength it hath the goodliest and strongest wall and the largest diche well watered that I haue seen specially for three partes to the lande warde And as for the fourth part though the wall be not so stronge yet is it reputed of no lesse force on that side than on the other by reason that within .20 yardes of the wall the great riuer of Pò hath his course downe towardes the sea whiche renneth so swifte and is so broade and deepe that it is not to be passed of any enemie to geue assaulte to the towne ¶ The Duke hath vnder his dominion two other citees that is to wete Modona and Reggio with a good parte of the low countreys of Romagna and maie dispende yerely by estimacion betwene .200 and .250000 duckates and is esteemed verie riche because he hath had no warre nor other charge of importaunce for the space of .xiii. yeres or more that he hath gouerned the astate The Originall and successe of the citee LYke as of other places be diuers opinions euen so is there of the beginnyng and name of Ferrara Some woull that the name therof hath growen of a certaine quantitee of yron that the same citee yelded for a tribute vnto the lorde of Rauenna as Argenta and Aureolo haue also dooen of the paiement of siluer and golde Some other woull that it be so called of the mynes of yron that haue been founde there whiche opinion is most sensible consideryng that Ferrara after the vse of the latine tounge signifieth none other but the place where yron is digged foorth as Caesare in his commentaries the .viii. boke of the Frenche warres and as Liuie in the fourthe of the Macedonicall warres dooe affyrme ¶ But to passe ouer these antiquitees and come nerer to our purpose I finde that the saied citee of Ferrara was firste closed with walles by one Smeraldo capitaine for the Greekish emperour in Rauenna and longe time after beyng a certaine space vnder the obedience of Henry the secounde emperour of Almaine it was recouered by the counteise Matilda doughter of the Conte Bonefacio as hir right enheritaunce through helpe of the Uenetians and of the lordes of Rauenna out of the handes of Henry the thirde than emperour whiche Countesse at hir death with other hir possessions lefte it vnto the vse of the Romaine churche insomuche that longe tyme it was gouerned of vicares and of legates vntill the house of Este gatte the rule therof Who firste obteigned is vnder condicion that thei shoulde for euer holde it in fee of the churche of Rome ¶ And to resite the beginnyng of that house some thinke the same is descended of those aunciente Troianes that came with Anthenor into Italy and some other woull that their sâ—ocke shoulde be of a certayne towne called Este now vnder the Uenetian dominion liyng .xv. miles from Padoa on the southeside of the Padoan hilles From whiche towne thei saie this family of Este came to dwell in Ferrara But how so euer it be the fyrst notable man of that house that ruled Ferrara was named Azo who at his death lefte issue two sonnes Aldobrandino and Azo the fyrste entred in possession and liuyng but a short space lefte the astate vnto Azo the seconde his younger brother ¶ This Azo was driuen out of it by Federike the emperour and one Salinguerra put there in his place insomuche that Azo for succour resorted vnto a certaine Ferrarese named Gregorio Montelungo beyng at that tyme Romysh legate in the citee of Bologna by whose meanes with helpe of the Uenetians of the Mantuanes and of Ezelino than lorde of Verona brother in lawe vnto this Azo Salinguerra was by force expulsed and Azo restored vnto his astate vpon condicion that he shoulde holde it for euer as vicare of the church and none otherwyse ¶ Now this Azo the seconde hauyng by his fyrst wife a soonne named Fresco maried agayne the secounde daughter of the kyng of Naples named Beatrice whiche mariage so muche offended
his sonne Fresco as he that was desirouse to reigne that prisonyng his father put hym vnto death and after with helpe of the Uenetians toke on hym the astate ¶ But his owne citesins abhorryng so great a crueltee procured so muche the Romysh legate Palagurra to the vengeaunce of Fresco that bothe Fresco and the Uenetians were excommunicated and warre moued against theim the generall wherof was named Diego Catelano a Spaniarde ¶ Now Fresco waxyng more cruell through these businesses than before put to death all those of his subiectes that were contrarie to hym and after burned the one halfe of the citee purposyng to destroie the whole But the furie of the people was so moued therby that takyng weapon in harde they sought hym and as he woulde haue fledde out at the Lyon gate slew hym And Rinaldo his brother to whom of right the astate ought to haue descended was also dead in prison ¶ So than Obizone sonne of Rinaldo toke on hym the astate and was the first that beganne to enlarge his dominion through the gettyng of Modena and Reggio ¶ And after Obizone succeded Azo his sonne the .iii. of that name who delited muche in armes many times attemptyng to conquere Parma and Bologna and at length 〈◊〉 without issue ¶ Leauyng his astate vnto his nephewes Rinaldo and Niccolo sonnes of his brother Aldobrandino ¶ This Rinaldo desirouse to encrease his dominion with the helpe of Passerino Buona Colsi than lorde of Mantua obteined Argenta after ioignyng his power with an armie of the lordes of Scala laied siege to the towne of San felice on the Modenese Whiche towne the kyng Manfredi together with .30 other townes had lefte in custodie of Charles sonne to the kyng of Boeme so that the same Charles with Manfredi and with Beltrame the bishop of Romes generall vnityng their campes together assaulted Rinaldo and discomfited him takyng parte of his men amongest whom Nicolo brother vnto Rinaldo rested prisoner insomuche that the Romish legate waxyng immoderately proude of this victory addressed his power towardes Ferrara and besieged it But at laste Rinaldo issued out and discomfited him takyng prysoners Galeotto da Rimini Francesco de gl' Ordelaffi Ricciardo Manfredi di Faenza and Astagio da Polenta whom he deliuered in exchaunge for his brother Nicolo and after lette the reste goe freely vpon theyr othes that they shoulde no more be against hym ¶ Finally this Rinaldo was so muche persuaded by his owne citesins that he restored Argenta to the byshop of Rome wherby he recouered the bishoppes blessyng and so at length died without issue ¶ Leauyng his astate vnto his nephewe Obizone the secounde of that name sonne vnto his brother Nicolo ¶ This Obizone through fauour of the legate was the first that was made generall of the churche and had therfore .10000 duckates of yerely prouision assygned vnto hym And shortely after was Parma also geuen into his handes by Azo da Correggio not withstandyng that it appertaigned vnto Mastino della Scala and that the same Azo also had before offered to sell it vnto the Florentines for .50000 duckates ¶ Not longe after there grewe a controuersy betwene Obizone and Philippino di Gonzaga for the citee of Reggio wherof there folowed so sharpe warre betwene them that Obizone mistrustyng his owne power yelded the citee of Parma into the handes of Lucchino Visconti and finally leauyng issue two sonnes Nicolo and Alberto died ¶ After whom Nicolo the eldest succeded beyng alwaies fast friende to the Romaine bishoppes in whose fauour many tymes he fought with Bernabo Visconti and had the better specially in that notable iourney that happened betwene theim on the Bressane territory nere to the hill Morlano ¶ He purchased also of Giouanni Aguto an English capitaine the citee of Faenza for .20000 duckates and bought also the towne of Baguacauallo though he kepte it not longe for Astorgio Manfredi gatte it from him by treason ¶ Finally he did muche for his citesins and greately augmented Ferrara ¶ He was eloquente mercifull and learned constante bothe of nature and of countenaunce and so liberall that he neuer repulsed person that soughte benefite at his handes At laste diyng without issue he lefte his astate vnto his brother Alberto who also at his deathe hauyng no laufull childe left it vnto Nicolo his bastard sonne than beyng but a childe ¶ Nowe was there one Azo of the house of Este that seyng Nicolo yet tender of yeres vnder the gouerne of tutours and vnapte to rule did as muche as he coulde to preuaile him selfe But with the helpe of the Uenetians of the Florentines and of the Bologniese Nicolo was not onely mainteined in the astate but Azo for his presumpcion confined also into Candia And afterwardes beyng growen vnto age this Nicolo became so mortall ennemie vnto Ottone lorde of Parma that feignyng at lengthe to mete with hym for a treatie of peace caused him secretly to beslayne by the waie by meane of Sforza Cotignola and so recouered the citees of Reggio and Parma that Ottone before had occupied ¶ After the whiche beyng all geuen vnto the commoditee of Ferrara he builded the great palaice or castell in the herte of the citee wherin the Dukes euer sens haue dwelled and besides that the palaices of Ficcarolo and of Bellosguardo and toke vnto wife the doughter of Francesco Vecchio da Carrara By reason wherof he became enemie to the Uenetians and prouoked against hym selfe a daungerouse warre ¶ But finally in feates of armes he became excellent and in the gouernyng of his astate verie prudent and of suche reputacion that he caused the generall counsaile of that tyme to be kepte in Ferrara At the whiche the emperour of Grece happened to be present and not longe after he died leauyng two bastarde sonnes Lionello and Borso and two laufull sonnes by his secounde wife of the bloudde of the Marqueses of Saluzo named Ercole and Gismondo ¶ Of whom Lionello beyng the eldest succeded in the astate by what reason I can not tell but that the father wolde so ¶ This Lionello was a verie wise man and in his tyme made of new the wall of Ferrara on the side of the Pò and amended the houses and stretes on that parte of the citee And because his sonne Nicolo whom he had begotten gotten on the doughter of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga was a verie childe at the time of his death on his death â—edde he committed his astate to his brother Borso besechyng him that whan his sonne Nicolo shulde be growen vnto sufficient age he wold vouchesafe to restore it vnto him ¶ Thus entred Borso into the dominion and incontinently reuoked his brethern Ercole Gismondo whom Lionello had before confined into the realme of Naples and to the entent there should grow none enuy betwene them he alwaies nourished theim together a like ¶ He fortified Ferrara with stronge walles and builded the Chatterhouse
Placentine of whiche there perished at one time with the fall of an holow banke aboue 50. persons so that what with one thyng and what with an other beyng also a man knowen full of abhominacion in all kinde of vices and specially in the vnnaturall in conclusion he became hated of all men insomuche that the Conte Giouanni Aguzzolo and the Conte Augustino di Pallauicini with certaine of theyr kynne and friendes conspired against hym and at theyr tyme appoincted findyng hym with a small garde in his owne hous in Plancense slew him hangyng afterwardê the deade body out at a window for a spectacle vnto the people ¶ Finally these gentilmen foreseeyng the daunger that for this doyng might folowe vnto them in case the state shoulde continue of the churche practised before with Don Ferrando Gonzaga to see whether he wolde backe them by receiuyng the stronge citee of Placense vnto the emperours behoufe so that beyng at a poinct with him the mattier was so handled that the nexte night after the Dukes death there were secretly receiued into the towne .800 of the emperours men and so the citee wonne without stroke strickyng ¶ All the money plate iewelles and stuffe that coulde be founde of the Dukes to the value of .30000 crownes and vpwardes were diuided amongest the confederates and the Conte Giouanni Aguzzolo who kylled the Duke his owne handes allowed by the emperour .20 men for his garde ¶ Finally the bishop of Rome being hereof aduertised incontinently caused Parma to be fortified and furnished with men of warre and tempted by corrupcion of money to haue had one of the gates of Placense deliuered hym by nighte but his practise was discouered and certaine Spaniardes therfore taken and hanged And euer sens for more than this halfe yere the emperours power vpon the Placentine and the bishoppes on the Parmesane haue kept diligent watche and warde loking euery houre for open warre What it woull proue to he best knoweth that gouerneth all ¶ Of the astate of Urbine THe citee of Urbine standeth almoste on the toppe of the Appeâ—yne hylles in maner betwene the marke of Ancona Tuscane the people wherof as Plinie writeth haue ben surnamed Metaurensi and it seemeth to haue taken name of Vrbes Binae two townes For who that well considereth the proporcion of it shall iudge by the miter facion therof that it hath been two townes ioigned together and the middell whiche is a holow descent betwene two hillê is the sklenderest part of the citee ¶ The Dukes palaice is a verie faire house but not so excellent as the Conte Baldasar in his Courtisane doeth commende it ¶ The Dukes dominion is two citees Vrbine and Pesaro his reuenew passeth not .60000 crownes by the yere But his auncestours for the most parte serued other astates as the Duke that now is also doth wherby they kepte muche greatter portes than their owne habilitee wolde beare ¶ Amongest other this Dukes father builded an house within a mile of Pesaro called Imperiale whiche in mine opinion is one of the best deuised litle thynges that may lightly be founde It standeth on the syde of an hyll and hath prospect bothe to the citee and to all the valey it hath many fine little chambers goodly open vaultes and excellent faire fountaines But that whiche most of all pleased myne eye was that being of a great height you may out of the highest gardeine â—yde about on the toppe of the house which is very faire paued with bricke and railed on bothe sides with fine pillers and railes of white marble ¶ As for the edificacion of Urbine or other notable memory before the yere .1345 I finde nothyng mete to be written At whiche time by reason of the variaunce betwene bishop Clement of Rome and the emperour Lewis of Bauarie who to make their parties stronge made diuers new lordes in Italy Galasso di Montefeltro was made vicare for the emperour in the citees of Urbine and Eugenio against the bishop of Rome and his adherentes in whiche his succession continued enheritours vnto the yere .1444 that Federike after made Duke obteigned the astate The occasion wherof was that Guido Conte di Vrbino hauyng no heire male by his firste wife feigned that he had gotten a Concubine with childe and so secretly toke the sonne of his nere kinnesman Bernardino della Corda whiche euen than was newly borne and namyng it Federike caused it to be nourished as his owne ¶ Not longe after his wife died and mariyng agayne engendred a sonne named Oddo who in deede succeded the father in his astate But he was so viciouse of liuyng and so busie with gentilmens wifes that in a sodein rumour of the people he was slaine and a Protonotary called Carpesiano with him ¶ Wherupon this Federike the putatiue sonne by the whole voice of the people was elected their prince who in his youthe had ben verie well brought vp specially in feates of armes in the exercise wherof he loste one of his eyes ¶ This Federike was not onely valiaunte but also verie well learned and so happie a man that in his tyme he was generall of .viii. seuerall armies and died capitaine of the Uenetians armie in the fielde before Ferrara ¶ The bishop of Rome for his worthinesse made hym Duke the kyng of Englande not onely gaue him money but also made hym of the Garter For whiche curtesy all Englishe men haue a certaine priuilege of freedome in his dominion and the Frenche kyng made him also of his order Besides that there was none astate in Italy but that at one tyme or other presented hym with some worthy gifte ¶ And aboue all the rest his fidelitee seemeth to me most worthy of commendacion For whan Francesco Sforza was forsaken of all his other friendes and pursued with 20000. men he onely receiued him and therby putte him selfe and his whole astate in ieopardy which he determined rather to lose than to seeme an vnfaithfull friende and in effecte mainteigned Sforza till time serued him to recouer ¶ After the death of Federike his sonne Guido Vbaldo of the age of .xii. yeres succeded who reigned quietly about .xxi. yeres till the comyng of Valentino Borgia sonne of Alexandre the .vi. bishop of Rome that fyrst by suche crafte gatte the astate into his handê that Guido Vbaldo was faine to flee disguised in plowmans clothyng Neuerthelesse through the good will of his subiectes he recouered his astate in shorte tyme againe But Ualentines force was suche that at length this Duke toke suche treasure as he had and fledde to the Marques of Mantua whose sister he had maried there diyng without issue ended the house of Montefeltro that had reigned in Urbine the space of .157 yeres ¶ Valentino Borgia helde it but a verie smalle space for shortly after his fathers death Iulie the seconde bishop of Rome persecuted him and brought the house of Borgia to naughtes and thervpon gaue
thei conuerted it to a fortresse and haue edified many goodly lodgeynges vpon it so that oftentymes the bishop hym selfe lieth in it and kepeth his courte there Of buildynges in generall FYnally there be a noumbre of as fayre palaices in Rome as in any other place of the worlde wherof it should be to longe here to make perticuler mencion but specially the palaice that Paule now bisshoppe there hath builded by the place called Campo di fiore where Pompeius house stode in the olde time deserueth not to be forgotten For he hath rooted out of the ruines of the antiquitees suche goodly marble pillers and other fine stone whiche he hath bestowed on that house that if he finisshe it as it is begunne it woull be the galauntest thyng olde or new that shall be founde againe in all Europe and he hath called it after his owne name Palazzo Farnese Abbridgement of the liues of the Romaine Bishoppes BEcause my principal purpose tendeth to descriue the astates of Italie I neede not to vse muche circumstance either in mattiers of religion or yet in writyng all the liues of the bishops of Rome Wherfore entendyng to beginne at Siluester the fyrst bishop there that had any thing in perpetuitee I haue thought good to declare the diuers opinions of theyr originall ¶ Some auncient authours affirme that Peter one of Christes Apostles after that he had sufficientlie confirmed the churche in Asia and confuted the errour of those Christians that allowed circumsicion came to Rome the seconde yere of Claudius Empire and there was receiued of the congregacion as bishop In whiche office he ministred .25 yeres and at last was crucified with the heade downewardes the same daie that Paule the apostle was beheaded the laste yere of Neros reigne and the 37. yere after Christes death ¶ Contrariwyse manie learned men at these daies are of opinion that Peter neuer came in Rome groundyng them selfes vpon diuers reasons as this If Peter had commen thither it coulde not haue been vnwriten in the holie scriptures either by Luke in the actes of the apostelles or elles by Paule in some of his epistelles Or if Peter were of that age that it shoulde seme he was at Christê death and after continued in Antioche and other places so manie yeres as is to be proued it semeth impossyble he shoulde come to Rome and there liue .25 yeres Wherfore they saie the ambiciouse bishops of Rome to couer theyr vsurped auctoritee haue feygned this comyng of Peter thither ¶ But this is clere that from Peter to Siluester they recken .33 bishops whiche for the moste parte were persecuted and many of theym martyred by the emperours officers So that in maner they alwaies kept theim selfes out of sight preachyng and ministryng secretlie without pompe astate or solemne ceremonie But from the tyme of Siluester hitherwardes as they grewe in wealthe so encreased theyr worldely maiestee and ambicion as hereafter more plainely appeareth ¶ As for the bisshops names the tyme of theyr reygne and the date of our Lorde because that in a table I haue put theim all togethers I neede not perticulerly to reherse euery one of theim but suche as the occasion of my purpose shall necessarily requyre SIluester the fyrst of that name after he had been a certaine space in the hill Soratto now called Monte di San Siluestro where for feare of persecucion he hydde hym selfe hearyng of the good inclinacion that the emperour Constantine the fyrst was of towardes Christian religion came to Rome and so discretely behaued him selfe that the emperour was conuerted to the right faieth and baptised ¶ Some write that the occasion therof proceded of a myracle doen on Constantine in recoueryng his health from the leaprie But Platina thynketh that to be a fable and in maner proueth it thynkyng rather it proceded of the signe of the crosse that Constantine did see in the firmament vnder whiche he was promysed victorie and so cariyng a redde crosse in his standarde before hym he ouercame his enemie Maxentius wherevpon he gaue eare to Siluesters preachyng and was conuerted But what so euer the occasion was it is agreed that Siluester baptised Constantine who being christened turned many of the gentiles temples to Christian churches enduyng theim with ornamentes and possessions ¶ Not longe after leauyng Rome to Siluester and his successours as the clergie saie Constantine wente to dwell at Bizantium whiche he had than newly reedified callyng it Constantinople after his owne name So that from thensfoorth the Christian faieth began to flourishe ouer all the worlde and therfore most part of all Christian churches sent to the bishops of Rome to learne of them the cerimonies and ordres necessary to be vsed in the churche by reason wherof the emperours beyng residente elswhere the Romayne bishops grewe in such reputacion that at lengthe they became emperours theym selfes ¶ And there is an auncient writyng in the Vaticane librarie called the Donacion of Constantine whiche is so vehement liberall that it shoulde seeme the emperour spoyled him selfe of all his glorie and honour and of a great part of his dominion to geue theim to the churche of Rome by aucthoritee wherof the Romaine bishops haue taken vpon theim the imperiall vestementes maiestee commaundementes and dominion ouer some countreys ¶ In deede Laurentius Valla an excellent learned man and a Romaine borne hath written a boke to confound this Donacion of Constantine and proueth by so many reasons that it hath been feigned by some bishop of later tyme than Siluester that I am persuaded rather to beleue hym than the Donacion In effect this Siluester was the fyrst that prescribed a direct ordre of ministers in the churche and how they shoulde be knowen in theyr degrees from the highest to the lowest by whose tyme there spronge dyuers sectes amongest the Christians as the Arrianes Photines Sabellianes and others for whose reformacion the Nicene counsaile was called but for all that those errours ceased not many yeeres after ¶ Next vnto Siluester Marke succeded who made his clergie like vnto a common wealth exemptyng the same from all temporall iurisdiction and further established a certaine ordre for the solemne consecracion of the Romaine bishops that before vsed no pompe at all ¶ Iulie the fyrst contended with the churche of the Orient partely for the Arrian sect but most of all for the supremacie of the churche For this Iulie was the fyrst that claimed the inheritaunce of Peters keyes for the whiche Constantius the sonne of Constantine banished hym out of Rome But ere he had fully been awaie .x. monethes the emperour died and than retourned he from exile ¶ Liberius the first was bishop after him who by the power of the Arrianes after the counsaile holden at Myllaine was banished and Felix the second chosen in his place But at length through the emperours displeasure Felix was deposed and Liberius restored who from that time
power than before tyme it had dooen in aucthoritee ¶ True it is that the emperour sent his ambassadouâ—rs vnto Pepine to claime this exarkate wherof he and his predecessours had ben in possession .170 yeres but those ambassadours could not be heard ¶ Blondus saieth that these thynges happened in the time of bishop Gregorie the .iii. ¶ Of this Paule I finde nothyng notable sauyng he did his beste to dissuade Constantine the .v. emperour from the defacyng and hurlyng of images out of the christian churches but Constantine folowyng the exaumple of his father Leo not onelie extirped the images but also put diuers to deathe that wente about to resist it ¶ After the death of Paule Desiderius king of the Lumbardes made Constantine bishop by force but within a yere the clergie of Rome deposed him and elected Stephen the .iii. in his place in whose tyme happened no notable thyng in the churche sauyng that he with all the clergie immediatly after his election in token of humilitee wente barefoote in procession from the Laterane churche to Saint Peters ¶ This Adrian was so haulte of courage that whan Desiderius the kyng sent ambassadours to congratulate his election and to enter in amitee with him he answeared theim howe maie I trust him that so ofte hath broken his faith wherwith Desiderius toke suche displeasure that he inuaded the churches dominion and tooke by force Faenza Ferrara Comacchio Montefeltro Vrbino Senegalia and was come as farre as Spoleti entendyng to goe to Rome had not .iii. bishops mette hym there with an excomunicacion for feare wherof he retourned to Pauia without anie more adoe But because he helde still in possession the foresaied citees the bishop of Rome procured Charlemaigne than frenche kyng to come into Italie who with a mightie power besieged Pauia tooke Desiderius with his wife and children prisoners restored to the churche all that his father Pepine had geuen with more and reserued vnto him selfe the dominion of Lumbardie ¶ In this bishops time Tyber rose so high that Rome was in maner cleane drowned ¶ After Adrian succeded Leo the .iii. who because the Romaines conspyred against him fledde vnto Charlemaigne and by hym was restored with great pompe into his astate for pacifiyng this Romayn furie against the bishop Charlemaigne him selfe with a great army came to Rome where for the high seruice he had doen to holie churche the Romaine bishop annointed and proclaimed him emperour August and his sonne Pepine kyng of Italie So that from this time forewardes the emperours of Constantinople were no more reputed Romayne emperours but emperours of Greece For Charlemaigne did so muche that at lengthe the empires were deuided by confines and the Greeke Emperours consented to suffer the Frenchemen in quyette bothe with the name and dominion of the Occidentall empire ¶ After the death of Charlemaigne and of Pepine this Leo remembryng the olde conspiracie made against him caused many of the chiefe Romaines his enemies to be put to death For the whiche at laste he was faine to withdrawe him from Rome and liyng at Blera the Romaynes in a sodayne rage spoyled and rased to the earth all the buildynges that he had made or procured to be made in Rome And because the bishop died shortelie thervpon Lewys the frenche kynge and emperour sent his cousin Bernarde as kyng into Italie to be a staie against the inconueniences that of this furie might haue folowed whiche Bernarde within few yeres after rebelled but at last he was constreigned to yelde him selfe and so beyng brought into Fraunce was beheaded ¶ This Stephen went into Fraunce and there crowned the forenamed Lewys emperour who for his great curtesie and gentilnesse was called Lewys the meeke and at his retourne to Rome this bishop brought many Romains home with him that his predecessour had exiled ¶ After Stephen succeded Pascall who crowned Lotharius sonne of Lewys the meeke kyng of Italie and successour to his father in the empyre and with faire persuasions obteined of Lewys the election or confyrmacion of all bishops whiche before that time depended onely vpon the emperours pleasure And further procured the confines and limites of the churches dominion to be made certaine and that with the largest ¶ But Gregorie the .iiii. woulde not take vpon hym the bishoprike till he had receiued his confyrmacion from the emperour Lewys before named ¶ In his tyme the Sarasines in great noumbre landed in Italie besieged Rome toke it spoyled it and all the countrey about but at last they were repulsed by the Marques Guido of Lumbardie with helpe of the frenchemen ¶ Sergius the secounde fyrst gaue president to all his successours to change theyr names by reason that his owne name Bocca di porco that is to saie swynesmouth was so vnseemely that he thought it not agreable to his dignitee He repayred the walles of the Vaticane and builded Castel Sant ' Angelo vpon the tombe of Adrian ¶ Iohan the .viii. was an englishe woman that in hir youthe disguised in a boies apparaile was brought to Athenes in Greece where she profited so muche in learnyng that whan she returned to Rome for hir good behauiour and singler reputacion she was elected bishop and so continued more than two yeres till at last goyng in procession towardes sainct Iohn Lateranes she fell in trauaile of childe in the high waie and there died For whiche cause the bishops to this daie dooe forsake that waie and as they saie whan any new bishop is elected he is brought to sainct Iohn Lateranes and there set in a chayre with an hole that the eldest Deacon of the Cardinalles maie feele vtrum habet testiculos ¶ Adrian the seconde was elected and establisshed bishop without the emperours consent wherwith the emperours ambassadours than resident in Rome beganne somewhat to be moued but at length the emperour him selfe was so contented withall that from thensefoorth the clergie in maner esteemed not the emperours ¶ Iohn the .ix. succeded Adrian and willyng to crowne Lodouicus Balbus frenche kynge emperour the Romaines that fauoured more Charles the .iii. kynge of Germanie who than was entred into Italy with an armie put the bishoppe in prison but he was shortly conueighed out and fledde into Fraunce where he annointed the kyng emperour Neuerthelesse within a while after the frenche kyng dyed and than was the bishop reconsiled to the foresaied kyng Charles whom he afterwarde crowned emperour ¶ Adrian the .iii. bishop made a law that from thensfoorth the emperours shoulde haue naught to dooe with his successours elections ¶ Stephen the .vi. bearyng malice in his hert against his predecessour Formosus caused hym to be taken out of his graue to be spoyled of his pontificall vestementes his fingers to be cut of and his body to be throwen into Tyber as an excomunicate and damned person For whiche act there grewe heynous contencion amongest the Romains that ceased
the churche than he requyred Pascall to confirme his bishops who refusyng so to doe he with diuers of his cardinals and prelatê were taken spoyled of their myters and copes and so ledde into the armie that laie without the citee and from thense into a stronge holde till the bishop so consented to the emperours will that he not onely crowned him there but also confyrmed his bishops How be it shortlie after the emperours retourne into Germanie Pascall called a counsaile in Laterano and reuoked all his doynges to the emperour because they had ben doen through compulsion and not of free will Wherfore the emperour with a puisaunt armie retourned to Rome and findyng that Pascall was withdrawen into Puglia for feare of displeasure he caused him selfe to be crowned a newe by the archebishop of Barcare of whom he also toke auctoritee to dispose the bishoprikes at his pleasure ¶ Aboute this tyme died the Countesse Matilda that gaue vnto the churche of Rome all the territorie from the riuer Pissea and San Quirico vpon the Senese vnto Ceperano betwene the Appenine hilles and the sea with the Feodariship of Ferrara ¶ And in this bishops tyme was the great viage made of the Christians into the holy lande where Hierusalem was wonne and Godfrey of Boloigne crowned kynge ¶ Gelasius the .ii. succeded Pascall by the clergies election but the familie of Frangipani in Rome which were of the imperiall faction toke hym by force and put hym the fyrst nyght in prison but there was suche a commocion of the people the nexte mornyng that the chiefe of his enemies was faine to kysse his feete and to let hym goe Wherfore shortly after the emperour came so soddeinly to Rome that no man knew thereof till he was in sainct Peters churche so that the bishop incontinently fledde and by boote escaped downe Tyber vnto Ostia and so into Fraunce where he died After whose departure the emperour created the abouenamed bishoppe of Bracare in his place callyng hym Clement and so committyng hym to the protection of the Frangipani retourned into Almaigne ¶ Calixt the seconde before archebishop of Vienna was elected successour vnto Gelasius by the Cardinallê that than were resident in Fraunce how be it he would not take the dignitee vpon hym till he had woorde from Rome that the clergie there were contented withall Upon good aduertisement wherof he repayred thither and findyng the imperiall bishop to be fledde settled his astate there sendyng to the emperour for peace and fauour whiche he easilie obteined ¶ And hearyng that the imperiall bishop was gone to Sutri and there had fortified he made an armie went thither besieged Sutri toke his aduersarie brought hym to Rome made hym ride about the stretes on a camell with the taile in his hande and at last closed him vp in an abbey He trauailed muche for William Duke of Puglia in the defence of his countrey against Roger Erle of Sicile but it auailed not ¶ Innocent the seconde immediately after his coronacion sodeinly reised an army and went against the forenamed Roger that than wrote him selfe kyng of Sicile whom he founde so vnprouided that he made hym flee to Castell Galuzzo and there besieged him till his son William with a great power came to the rescue fought with the bishops armie and toke the bishop withall his Cardinalles prisoners Neuerthelesse they were afterwardes courtesly let goe and accompanied towardê Rome where in the meane season was a newe bishoppe made named Anaclete And this new bishoppe vsyng the iewelles of sainct Peters as his owne made so many friendê that Innocent was faine to flee from thense to Pisa from Pisa to Genoa and so into Fraunce Finally he went vnto Lotharius the .iii. than elected Caesar and by his meanes was restored to his bishoprike againe For the whiche he rewarded Lotharius with the imperiall crowne as the custome was causyng hym afterwardes so to inuade the realme of Naples that Roger who than called hym selfe kyng therof forsoke Italie cleane for a tyme. ¶ The emperour was no sooner retourned into Germanie but the bishop thinkyng hym selfe in peace fell at variaunce with the Romains for chosyng of senatours because somewhat before that tyme the other bishops his predicessours had taken all temporall power clerely from the citesins and vsed it priuately as theyr own In the heate of whiche contencion Innocence died ¶ Eugenius the .iii. incontinently vpon his election forsoke Rome because the Romains were resolutely determyned to mainteigne theyr Senatours and he to the contrarie vsyng his vttermost power constreigned them to crie him mercie and to committe the ordre of all magistrates vnto him Neuerthelesse after his retourne the people that coulde not brooke the losse of theyr lybertees so rebelled agaynste him that he was faine to flee and went into Fraunce where declaryng his case vnto Lewys the kyng he obteined suche succours that in maner by force he retourned to Rome and had his owne will ¶ Adrian the .iiii. an englishman borne constreigned the Consulles and Senatours of Rome to depose theym selfes and to committe all theyr rule vnto the churche He crowned Frederike Barbarossa emperour thoughe afterwardes he did excommunicate hym He also graunted the title of kyng to William the third descended of the Normaine bloud beyng than lorde of Sicile and of the realme of Naples He encreased not a litle the Churches territorie but he was muche hated of the Romains for takyng awaie of their libertees Finally before his death he repented the excoÌ„municacion of the emperour saiyng that there coulde be none so miserable an astate as the Romaine bishoprike gotten with bloudde ¶ Alexander the .iii. had vnto his election the voyces of 22. Cardinalles and Octauian had but .iii. as moste authours agree Neuerthelesse betwene theim two grewe so great a Schisme that the emperour Frederike was faine to call diuers counsayles for the mattyer cityng both the parties there to appeare that the mattier might be rightuously iudged Octauian came at the emperours callyng but Alexander wolde neuer appeare Wherfore the emperour became so muche his ennemie that he was fayne to flee from Rome into Fraunce and other regions to procure helpe of other princes So that there happened much bloudde fyre and destruction for this mattier manie yeres together ¶ Some write that Alexander was so pursued of the emperour that in a cookes apparayle he was fayne to flee vnknowen from place to place till at laste he came to Uenice and there in a monastarie toke a gardeyners wages and serued in the kitchin Where he was discouered by a pilgrime and therupon apparailed and brought in Pontificalibus with procession to S. Markes churche remaignyng there honorably enterteigned till after fore feight by sea betwene the emperour and the Uenecians Otho the emperours son was taken prisoner by whose meanes a peace was made betwene Alexander and the emperour Some writers make no mencion of this historie but saie that by
if he departed not the rather out of Italie Wherfore the emperour fortified hym selfe and his armie in the Theatres and Thermes of Rome resistyng the bishops fauters and specially theim of the house of Orsina but at length for lacke of victualles he was faine to forsake Rome and to retyre into Tuscane where beyng at Arezzo he somoned Robert king of Naples to appeare before hym and for lacke of apparaunce deposed hym of his realme by imperiall sentence whiche was by Clement disanulled ¶ Finally the emperour by meanes of the bishoppes legate was poysoned in receiuyng the sacrament of communion in the towne of Bonconuento After whose death the bishop hym selfe liued not longe ¶ Whan IohnÌ„ the .xxii. had receiued the myter in Lyons he went streigthe to Auignion and there created viii Cardinalles of the whiche two onely were Italians ¶ Shortly after he degraded a frenche bishop and put hym cruelly to death for a conspiracie that he was accused of ¶ In this tyme the electours of Germanie not agreeyng togethers chose two emperours Lewys of Bauarie and Frederike of Austriche eche of theim hauyng iii. voices but the bishop allowyng Frederike did excommunicate Lewys Wherfore Lewys after he had fought and taken Frederike prisoner wente with a power into Italie and receiued in Rome the imperiall crowne at the handes of the Cardinall Colonna bothe by assent of all the clergie there and of the Romaines who than had recouered to theim selfes a maner of libertee to chose theyr owne officers and vsed yerely to take for theyr rulers two presidentes of theyr owne nobilitee namyng theim vicars of the empyre And because the emperour had dyuers waies sought to the bishop for his absolution and could not obteine it therfore immediately after his coronacion he created a new bishop in Rome namyng hym Nicolas the .vii. who toke it vpon hym gaue bishoprikes and graunted dispensacions till after the emperours departure out of Italie he was taken by the Conte Bonifacio of Pisa and sent prisoner to the bishop IohnÌ„ in Auignion where he was laied in a stinkyng prison and miserablie died ¶ This IohnÌ„ condemned theim as haeretikes that wold haue had the churchemen liue poorely as Christes disciples did and burned diuers of the .iii. ordre of saincte Fraunces that than folowed this profession ¶ Finally he died in Auignion leauyng to his friendes muche more treasure than euer any of his predecessours had dooen ¶ Benedict the .xii. confyrmed the excommunicacion against the emperour Lewys of Bauarie not of his owne will as some write but in maner by constreinct of the kynges of Fraunce and Naples And the better to mainteine his quarell he assoyled all the astates of Italie of theyr feaultie to the empyre confyrmyng theim free princes in the same as vicars of the churche So that euer sens the Dukes of Mylaine with the houses of Este of Gonzaga and the common wealthes of Florence Lucca and others esteemed themperours lesse than they did before ¶ Besydes this he made the Senatours of Rome confesse theim selfes subiectes to the churche onely and not to any other power And by his tyme Frauncis Petrarke as a Laureate poete was crowned with Laurell in the Capitoll of Rome by Orso Erle of Anguillara than Senatour there ¶ Finally this bishop died verie riche in Auignion and lefte his gooddes to the churche ¶ Clement the .vi. chaunged the Iubiley that was first ordeined to be but ones euerie hundreth yeres to be kept euerie .50 yere and to holde the astates of Italie in amitee with him he confyrmed eche lorde as vicare of the churche in his owne astate Visconti in Mylaine Malatesta in Rimino Pesâ—ro and Fano Feltrano in Vrbino and a noumbre of other ¶ In his tyme the Romains recouered theyr libertee againe and created theyr officers without the bishops consent so that one Nicolas Renzo a Romaine beyng entred into a wonderfull fauour and credite with the people toke vpon hym the name and aucthoritee of emperour writyng hym selfe Nicolaus Seuerus et Clemens Tribunus libertatis pacis et iustitiae et liberator illustris sacrae reipublicae Romanae At whose beginnyng all Italie was in suche admiracion that euerie prince sent to salute him as emperour thinking he shuld restore the Romaine empyre to his auncient astate But his owne folie destroied hym For he toke part with one of the factions that were than in Rome so that where before he had no man against hym now had he a great noumbre whiche brought hym at last into suche a feare that sodeinly he disguised hym selfe and fledde from Rome to Charles the .iiii. than emperour in Almaine who toke hym as a lewde person and for a present sent hym to bishoppe Clement to Auignion and he cast him in prison sendyng certaine Cardinallê to Rome to settle the astate there whiche by meanes aforesaied had been a certaine space disobedient ¶ In this bishops tyme fell the yere of Iubiley whiche caused great noumbres of people from all countreis to resorte to Rome by reason wherof there fell suche a plague of pestilence as the like hath not been heard of For as some aucthours affyrme it endured continually the space of three yeres throughout all Italie and in most partes of the whole worlde so vehemently that of euery hundred there remaigned not .x. persons aliue and in many countreys not .x. of a thousande Some write that this plague began in the east partes of Asia ¶ Finally this Clement procured the restitucion of the realme of Naples to Queene Iohan the fyrst For the whiche and for his other good practises at hir beyng with hym in Auignion she solde the citee of Auignion with the dominion apperteignyng to the same to the churche and was contented to accept for paiement therof the arrerages of suche tributes as the bishoppe pretended that she and hir predecessours did owe vnto the churche for the realme of Naples wherof they claimed to be lordes in chiefe ¶ Innocence the .vi. was more geuen to religion than diuers of his predecessours For he reformed the courtly pompe that the Cardinals and prelates before tyme vsed and commanded spirituall men to be resident vpon theyr benefices with diuers other good ordres whiche toke litle effecte ¶ The Romaines in his time toke on theim theyr libertee creatyng a Senatour of theyr owne so that the bishop to recouer his astate deliuered Nicolas Renzo out of prison and sent hym to Rome where on the bishops behalfe he preuailed But through parttakyng he was againe constreigned to flee disguised and beyng mette was knowen and slaine ¶ This Innocence trauailed muche to haue appeased our kyng Edwarde the .iii. with the frenche kyng IohnÌ„ in the tyme of the sharpe warres betwene theim trustyng alwaies to haue brought theim to some good ende till he hearde that kyng IohnÌ„ was taken and ledde prisoner into Englande ¶ He caused Charles the .iiii. to be crowned emperour in Rome and woulde haue quieted
the Christian princê and powers and vnited them in an enterprise against the Turkes but his purpose could not take place ¶ Urbane the .v. sent Giles a Spaniarde as his legate into Italie whiche Giles with helpe of the other Italian princes so sore oppressed the house of Visconti that it was lyke to haue been destroied had not the kinges of Englande Fraunce and Cypres by theyr ambassadours procured a peace ¶ This Urbane withal his court went to Rome where after longe serche as they write he founde the heades of saincte Peter and Paule ¶ Finally returnyng into Fraunce he died by the waie of poyson as some thynke ¶ Gregorie the .xi. remoued the seate of his bishoprike from Auignion to Rome after it hadde been holden in Fraunce .70 yeres Some saie he did it because of the cruell warres that were amonge the princê and lordes of Italie whiche was ascribed to the bishoppe of Romes absence for theyr residence there staied the Italian nacion in peace ¶ Some saie he did it vpon a checke geuen hym by a bishop that was his familiare whom he asked why he was not resident vpon his bishoprike as the Canon lawes commaunded Wherunto the bishop answeared And why holy father are not you resident vpon yours But what so euer the occasion was he conueighed hym selfe with all his court from Auignion to Rome where of the Romaines and clergie he was receiued with Iubilate ¶ After whan he had pacified most parte of the Italian princê because the Florentines would neither be entreated nor refourmed by excommunicacion he made warre against theim and duryng the same died of the stone ¶ In his tyme IohnÌ„ Acton with .v. or .vi. thousande englishe horsemen sought the aduenture of the warres in Italie and fyrst serued the citesins of Pisa against the Florenâ—â—nes than the Visconti against the churche in whiche seruice he was taken prisoner but afterwardes the bishop of Rome made him his generall whilest the bishop laie in Fraunce And than did IohnÌ„ Acton gette the townes of Faenza and Bagnacauallo wherof he sold one to the Marques of Este for .20000 crownes and the other he kept to hym selfe But whan the bishop was come to Rome and had not so rewarded hym as he deserued he forsoke the bishop and was made generall of the Florentines Under whom he serued verie honourablie with suche a numbre of our nacion both horsemen and footemen that all Italie feared him and glad was that prince that myght reteigne hym For in all his enterprises he behaued hym selfe so woorthyly that the Florentines after his death buried hym honourablie in theyr cathedrall churche as a singuler defender of theyr common wealth ¶ Urbane the .vi. was elected by .xvii. Cardinalles wherof .xiii. were frenchemen that would faine haue chosen a bishop of theyr owne nacion But for feare of the people that cried a Romaine or an Italian they consented to this election and did honour Urbane the space of .iii. monethes and more ¶ The season than waxyng hote they desyred licence to goe abroade into the realme of Naples where by maintenaunce of Queene Iohan .viii. of the frenche Cardinalles elected a new bishop of their owne nacion namyng hym Clement the .vii. wherof folowed a great Schisme For Germanie Italie and Hungarie held with Urbane and the other realmes with Clement So that Urbane beyng of nature a cruell man to make his partie the stronger called Charles Durace out of Hungarie to conquere Naples from Queene Iohan. ¶ This Clement vpon displeasure depriued Charles gaue the title of the realme of Naples to Lewys Duke of Aâ—giowe who with a puissant armie of frenchemen entred into Italie purposyng not onely to expell Charles but also to take Peters mantel from Urbane but he prospered not For after he had made warre in Puglia about .xii. monethes at last he was slaine in battaile Wherof Urbane waxed so proude that because Charles kyng of Naples wolde not consent to make his nephiew prince of Campania he did excommunicate hym and if his power had been equall to his will had deposed him of his crowne But Charles handled the bishop so streictely that he was faine to flee to Genoa In whiche iourney he sacked .v. of his Cardinalles and threw theim into the sea and caused two other to be baken to poudre cariyng theyr asshes in sackes vpon moyles before hym for a terrour to the rest ¶ After this Charles death he retourned to Rome and did as muche as in him laie to destroie Charles children Wherin he preuailed not but rather procured him selfe a great daunger if he had not preuented his mischiefe with creatyng of .xxix. Cardinalles wherof .xxvi. were Napolitanes And finally by most opinions he was poysoned and died in Rome to the peoples great contentacion that for his crueltee muche abhorred hym ¶ Boniface the .ix. of .xxx. yeres of age succeded him whiche had not ben seen before And because he woulde bridle the Romaines from the libertee that the people had vsed many yeres in chosyng of theyr officers he absented him selfe with his courte from Rome and laie at Ascisa so that whan the yere of Iubiley came the Romains could by no meane get him to Rome till thei had promised to renounce theyr libertees vnto hym whiche sens that time thei could neuer recouer For incontinently as he was entred into the citee he made Castel Sant ' Angelo so strong that it hath ben and shal be a continuall bridle to the people and a great staie against emperours ¶ This bishop ordeyned the Annates that all spirituall promocions shoulde paie to the churche of Rome halfe a yeres value at euery chaunge whiche decre toke place in all realmes sauyng in Englande For the kynge and his barons woulde suffre none other but bishops to be bounde to this Annates ¶ In his tyme the yere before the Iubiley a certaine priest passed the mountaines into Italie clothed in lynnen who drew a worlde of people after hym called the white company persuadyng them that a certaine crucifixe whiche he caried before theim did many tymes weepe All the daie longe they shoulde trauaile on theyr iourney and at nyght lyke beastê lie theim downe wheras the daie light failed theim But the bishoppe fearyng this multitude as they were comyng towardê Rome sent men of warre against theim dispersed the company and brought the priest to Rome where for his abusion he was burned After whose death partely through this fonde assemblie and partely throughe the great resorte of people to Rome for the Iubiley there folowed a wonderfull great pestilence ouer all Italy ¶ About this tyme Crisolora a Constantinopolitane reuiued the Greeke letters in Italie where thei had not been vsed .500 yeres before ¶ And like as this Boniface succeded Urbane in Rome euen so did one Peter Luna succede Clement in Auignion and was called Benedict the .xiii. ¶ Innocence gouerned the Romaines with so muche tirannie that they openly murmured
one agreement cited .iii. times Eugenie to come thither with his Cardinalles And because he came not they threatned to depose hym Wherfore he sent his apostolicall bulles thyther with certaine Cardinalles to confyrme all thynges there determined ¶ Than sent he the Patriarke Vitelesco to Rome who there vsed many cruell tourmentes and deathes against the enemies of Eugenie and after went into the realme of Naples pretendyng title therunto in the churches right In whiche quarell he fought with the prince of Taranto and toke hym prisoner with two thousand horse and missed little of takyng the kyng Alfonse vnder colour of truese ¶ In his retourne to Rome he vtterly destroied Preneste the chiefe towne belongyng to the house of Colonna but at last his chaunce was to be betraied and slain hym selfe ¶ After this Eugenie called a counsaile in Ferrara wherunto Iohn Paleologo emperour of Constantinople with the principall of the greeke churche came and disputed certaine articles of religion whiche were agreed vpon in the counsaile folowyng at Florence And all be it that Eugenie had great assemblies at both these counsailes yet were there a noumbre of bishops that sate still at Basile alwaies sommonyng Eugenie to repayre thither and at last for lacke of apparance partly through instaunce of Philip Duke of Mylaine than enemie to Eugenie the counsaile of Basile deposed him and created in his place one Amideus than beyng an heremite that before had been Duke of Sauoie namyng hym Felix By reason whereof Christendome was diuided into .iii. partes Two helde with these .ii. bishops and the .iii. with nother of bothe ¶ Than retourned Eugenie vnto Rome where he was ioyfully receiued of the people and lodged the fyrste night at the gate Flaminia but the seconde daie as he went in Pontificalibus towarde sainct Peters because the custome of the citee was reysed double the people beganne to crie downe with the customes and with the inuentours of theim so that the bishop was faine to promyse theim it should be no more leuied ¶ Shortly after he made warre in the Marke of Ancona and recouered it out of the handes of Francesco Sforza and finally prouoked Charles than Dolphin of Fraunce by plaine force to driue awaie the bishops that helde the counsaile at Basile and so remaigned in his astate till he died ¶ Nicolas the .v. succeded Eugenie vnto whom Amideus renounced his title by compulsion of the emperour Frederike For whiche renunciacion Nicolas created hym Cardinall and legate in Germanie He crowned the same Frederike and his wyfe with the imperiall crownes in Rome and trauailed muche partly by fayre meanes and partly by threatningê to appease the warre betweene the princes and states of Italie but his excommunicacions could not rule theim ¶ Calixt the .iii. incontinently after his election prepared an armie against the Turkes armed .xvi. galeys of his owne and vnder the leadyng of the patriarke of Aquileia sent theim into the Leuant seas and ceased not to persuade all Christian princes as muche as in hym laie to that expedicion Amongest whom Alfonse kyng of Naples and Lewys Duke of Burgoyne toke ones the crosse on theim towardes that viage but thorough some occasions they chaunged purpose ¶ Not longe after the kynge Alfonse died Whervpon Calixt vnder pretence of title to the realme of Naples made great preparacion of warre against Ferdinando sonne to Alfonse but beyng preuented by death bothe the rumour and feare therof ceased ¶ Whan he died he lefte .150 thousande dukates in his coffers whiche he saied he had prepared for the warres against the Turke ¶ Pius the secounde shortly after his election called a counsaile in Mantua Unto the whiche came ambassadours from all Christen princes And all be it that through the bishops persuasion who was hym selfe an excellent Oratour it was there concluded that to the expedicion against the Turkes at the bishops deuise euery prince and astate shoulde be contributour as well for sendyng of men and municion as also for maintenance with money yet whan it came to the poinct there was nothyng dooen ¶ Duryng this counsaile manie rumours were reised in Tuscane yea and in Rome that one Tiburtio sonne of Angelo Massiano with certaine companions had taken the temple of Pantheon and there fortifiyng him disturbed the whole citee ¶ The partie called Auersana enemies to the bishop had also taken Viterbo whiche the bishoppe at his retourne recouered ¶ All whiche thynges with a noumbre of commocions in the Marke of Ancona in Vmbria and in the confines there at length the bishop appesed either by policie or by force ¶ He caused Lewys the frenche kynge to renounce certaine exactions granted him of the churche in the counsaile at Basile and defended Ferdinando kyng of Naples against IohnÌ„ sonne to Raynolde Duke of Angiow ¶ Finally disposyng hym selfe altogether to the enterprise against the Turkes and beyng arriued in Ancona to meete with the Uenetian galeys and capitaine named Christofer Moro for the same purpose he died of a continuall feuer ¶ And leauyng behynd hym .40000 dukates with certaine ships and galeys prepared for that viage the Cardinalles deliuered bothe the one and other to the Uenetian capitaine The money to be sent to the kynge of Hungarie to relieue his neede and the shippes to serue on the seas with the Uenetian armie ¶ Paule the secounde so muche abhorred learned men that he accoumpted all theim that were of Platos Academie to be heretikes and depriued a noumbre of vertuouse and learned men of suche offices and promocions as his predecessours had called theim to amongest whom was Platina And beyng entreated to be more graciouse vnto theim consideryng thei were olde men had folowed the courte all theyr daies and many also had bought theyr liuynges deere so that neither by law nor yet by reason he ought to depriue theim he aunsweared that forasmuche as the law and reason rested in his brest to allow or disallow what he thought good his will being so it was bothe sufficient law and reason ¶ Than picked he a quarell to the familie of Auersa and with helpe of certaine men of warre sent to him by Ferdinando kynge of Naples he assaulted theim and toke .9 of theyr castels Of the whiche â—ame were so stronge that they seemed impossible to be wonne And because the bishop through the kynges helpe had atteined these fortresses and possessions the kyng required certaine small benefites at his handes but the vncourteyse bishop would graunt nothyng wherfore thei squared a little and than agreed againe ¶ After this the bishop gaue hym selfe to idlenesse and plaies and in the shrouyng tyme deuised a noumbre of games prices to be won and distributed muche money amongest boies the better to mainteine his pastyme In the ende wherof hapned hym suche a feare that he wist not what to dooe For it was tolde hym that certaine younge men had conspyred against hym by the procurement of one
all straungers to hym ¶ In conclusion the Frenchemen toke Rauenna with diuers other citees of the bishops whiche they enioyed not longe For the bishop immediately gatte into his league the emperour the kyng of England the Germaines and the Suizers So that the Frenche kynge beyng vexed on all sides was easily constreigned to forgoe his conquestes and dominions in Italie specially through force of the Suizers that vnder the leadyng of theyr Cardinall Sedunese came in great numbre to the bishops seruice who rewarded theim with the title of defendours of the churche and gaue them a gilt sword and an hatte of maintenaunce ¶ Somewhat before his death he established his cousin Francesco Maria Duke of Vrbine ¶ Leo the .x. of the house of Medici a Florentine borne was a pleasant man of nature and gaue him selfe more to humanitee and pleasures of this life than either to religion or to encrease of dominion ¶ He encreased muche the reputacion of his house but because he expulsed by force Francesco Maria Duke of Urbine out of his astate and placed in the same fyrst his brother Iulian and after his nephiew Laurence the worlde accused hym of tyrannie For he attempted to dooe the lyke vnto the Duke of Ferrare but he preuailed not ¶ Some ill was suspected of hym for his to muche delicatenesse in bringyng vp of children and for his opinion of immortalitee ¶ Adrian the .vii. by contencion amongest the Cardinalles happened to be elected reputed of theim for an ignoraunt man though some other had a good opinion bothe of his vertue and learnyng But because his life was nothyng courtely or agreable to the Cardinalles either through gods visitacion or as most men thinke thoroughe theyr poyson practises he was soone dispatched ¶ Clement the .vii. brother vnto Leo the .x. immediately after his election toke parte with the Frenche kyng against the emperour So that whan the frenche king was taken before Pauia the family of Colonna which hath ben alwaies imperiall through helpe of Don Hugo Moncada beganne to warre with the bishop and after diuers subtill practises and persuasions so handled the mattier that they entred into Rome and missed but a little to haue taken the bishop who hearyng the rumour sodeinly fled to Castel Sant ' Angelo Wherfore after the bishop had drawen Don Hugo Moncada to his parte the Colonnesi endured cruell warre to theyr great domage ¶ Than came the Duke of Bourbone who was slaine with the shotte of an handgun from the wallê of Rome â–ª but the emperours armie wherof he was capitaine toke the citee by assault sacked spoyled and burned it and for the space of .xv. daies vsed suche triumph that for theyr passetyme thei woulde make suche Cardinallê and prelates as were theyr prisoners ride scornefully about the towne vpon asses with theyr faces to the tayle and so streictly besieged Clement that he was faine to geue theim .400000 dukates for his raunsome and to yeld the castell into the emperours handes ¶ But within lesse than .iii. yeres after the emperour came him selfe into Italie and hauing made peace with the bishop receiued of hym the imperiall crowne in Bononia with so great triumph and pompe that the like hath not been hearde of in our daies Duryng the whiche there came ambassadours to Clement with letters from Preter IohnÌ„ of great commendacions desyre of amitee and vnion of religion ¶ Before theyr departure from Bononia the emperour graunted the bishop his armie against the Florentines and concluded the mariage of his bastarde daughter to Clementes nephiew Alexander di Medici that afterwardes was Duke of Florence But ere the Florentines would lose theyr libertees they susteigned a notable warre for the space of .xii. monethes ¶ And lyke as by force he oppressed the Florentines so by treason he subdued Ancona For vnder pretence of amitee and counsaile persuadyng them that the Turkes armie by sea was comyng against theim he sent a capitaine of his called Bernardin who with certaine men of warre was receiued into the citee and so vsurped the dominion for the churche ¶ In this bishops tyme happened suche a sodeine rage of water in Rome that the high toures were drowned and a great numbre of people with infinite richesse lost so that the bishop hym selfe had muche adooe to escape it whiche maie well be thought a plage of god sent for the abhominacion that reigneth there ¶ Finally Clement mette with the frenche kynge at Marseiles in Prouaunce and there concluded the mariage that folowed betwene Katherine Clementê neece and Henrie now frenche kyng than but secounde sonne to the frenche kynge Shortly after whose mariage Clement died ¶ Paule the .iii. that now is bishop before the tyme of his election helde hym selfe so indifferent betwene the factions imperiall and frenche that no man could know to whether part he was most inclined ¶ In the beginnyng of his tyme he procured all Christian princes to warre against the Turke so that the emperour that Uenetians and he made an armie by sea vnder the leadyng of Andrea Doria who mette with Barbarossa besydes Corfu but they foughte no battaile though the Christians were more in noumbre and better furnisshed than the Turkes whether Andrea Doria were blame woorthy I can not tell But ones the Uenetian Galeon a notable shippe was lefte alone in the middest of the Turkishe nauie that assaulted hir .iiii. or v. houres and yet at length came cleane awaie in despite of theim all ¶ This bishop went to Nisa in Prouaunce where by his procurement the emperour and frenche kyng mette and concluded a peace whiche dured not longe ¶ Than died the Duke of Urbine Incontinently vpon whose death the bishop made warre to the younge Duke Guido Vbaldo for the state of Camerino and constreigned him for a little summe of money to geue ouer the astate In in whiche the bishoppe establisshed his owne sonne Pietro Aluigi Duke ¶ After this vppon a light occasion the bishoppe made warre to Ascanio Colonna thiefe of that familie and Peter Aluigi beyng generall of the bishops army handled Ascanio Colonna and his adherentes so cruelly that they were faine to abandone theyr owne townes and castelles and to liue in exile as banished men till by the emperours meanes they were restored to the bishops fauour and absolucion ¶ This Paule to exalte his owne bloudde by consent of his Cardinalles exchaunged the Duchie of Camerino with the churche for the citees and territories of Placentia and Parma Wherof he inuested his forenamed son as Duke whose behauiour was suche that he continued not fully two yeres for the nobilitee of the same detestyng his wicked life and tyrannie conspyred against hym and slew hym in his owne house in Placentia yeldyng that citee the next daie into the emperours handes ¶ The bishop sent a fayre armie bothe of horsemen and footemen to succcour the emperour in his enterprise against the Germaines and made his sonnes sonne called the
the Uenetians succoured the citee of Bari than besieged of the Sarasines Finally after he had dooen many charitable deedes in Uenice he was persuaded by a pilgrimme monke of Gascoygne to forsake the worlde And so habandonyng wife children and friendê staâ—e awaie and died a frier in Gascoygne ¶ Than folowed Vitale Candiano who fallyng sicke renounced the astate became a friere and so died ¶ After whom Tribuno Memmo succeded whiche either for feare of the emperour Ottone or throughe the great debate betwene the families of Morosini and Caloprini than the chiefe of Uenice forsoke the dignitee became a friere and within .vi. daies after sickened and died for sorow ¶ Than folowed Pietro Orseolo who conquered Dalmaâ—ia with the ilandes ioygnyng therunto And therfore obteined the fyrste title of Duke of Dalmatia and Venetia ¶ The emperours Basilio and Alesso graunted hym free passage for the Uenetians throughe theyr dominions without custome paiyng And the emperour Ottone helde his sonne at the crisme and for his sake granted many libertees vnto Uenice ¶ After whose death as a recompense of the fathers merite Ottone Orseolo his sonne of the age of .18 yeres was elected Duke who ouercame the Adrianesi with the kyng of Coruatia and so retournyng victoriousely out of Dalmatia fell into the handes of Domenico Fâ—abenio with others that had conspyred against him who shauâ—d his bearde for despite and finally confined hym into Greece where shortly after he died ¶ Than folowes Pietro Barbolano who endeuoured hym selfe to pacifie the rumour of the people offended for the oultrage dooen vnto Ottone but all in vaine For at length by meane of Orso Patriarke of Grado brother vnto Ottone Barbolano was taken his beard cutte of clothed in a friers weede and banisshed ¶ And because the death of Ottone was than vnknowen the Patriarke Orso supplied the place as his liuetenaunte But incontinently vpon knowlage of his death the Patriarke called a counsaile and after a long Oracion lamentyng the iniurie dooen vnto his brother surrendred the astate ¶ Wherupon craftily and in maner by force Domenico Orseolo toke the dignitee vpon hym But finally beyng expuâ—sed of the people he fledde vnto Rauenna and there miserablie died ¶ Than succeded Domenico Flabenico who made a a law that from thensfoorthe no Duke shoulde take a companion to hym He was the principall cause of Ottones exile as it well appeared after For he found the meane that the familie of Orseoli was clerely put besydes the counsaile And finally hauyng well pacified and refourmed all thynges he died ¶ After whom succeded Domenico Contarini that in his tyme recouered Zara whiche before rebelled by returnyng vnto the obedience of the kyng of Coruatia He ouercame Roberto Guistardo in Puglia and reedified the citee of Grado that was halfe destroyed by Pepo Patriarke of Aquileia and after died ¶ Than was chosen Domenico Siluio the greatest man of reputacion that thitherto had ruled Uenice He maried the syster of the emperour Niceforo and at his requeste sente an armie vnto Durazo against Roberte Duke of Puglia and Calabria whiche armie fyrst preuailed but at length was so discoumfited that Domenico was therfore deposed Though some write that he died in the astate His wife was so delicate a woman that she woulde haue dewe gathered to make hir vaine withall with many other curiouse perfumes and trickes to longe here to reherse and yet ere she died hir fleshe did rotte that no creature could abide hir ¶ Domenico beyng thus deposed Vitale Falero was elected who in fauour of Alesso the Greekish emperour renewed an armie against the forenamed Duke Robert whiche armie was also discoumfited Neuertherlesse he caused the Uenetians to be called lordes of Dalmatia because he valiauntly conquered the same bothe by sea and lande ¶ After whose death succeded Vitale Michele a worthy warriour on the sea in whose tyme the Uenetian nauie was rekened .200 saile armed of shippes and galleis whiche beyng sent into Asia with Michele his sonne fell out with the Pisani a littell besydes Rodes and fought with theim and toke .22 of their galleis ¶ After whiche victorie he and many other Christians went against the Infidels and gatte Smirna Soria and Ierusalem ¶ Finally this armie beyng retourned vnto Uenice was agayne sente out into Puglia and there toke Brundizi and ouerranne all those seas about and so retourned loded with glorie and riche praie ¶ After hym Ordelaffo Falero was created Duke In whose tyme the Uenetians sent an other armie into Soria to succour Bawdewyne kynge of Ierusalem to gette Ptholemaido otherwise called Acres ¶ About the same seasone the emperour Henrie the .iiii. agreed the Uenetians and Padoanes togither for theyr confines after the Padoanes with great slaughter had ben ones discomfited ¶ There chaunced also a fyre begun in the house of one Henry Zeno that burned a great parte of Uenice Whiche fyre was no soner ceased but newes came that Calonâ—ano kynge of Hungarie had passed the mountaines of Coroatia and constreigned the citee of Zara to rebell Wherfore an armie was made out vnder the leading of Ordelaffo who not onely recouered Zara but also passed the mountaynes and conquered the countrey of Coruatia and so victoryously retourned to Uenice where he rested not longe but woorde came that the Hungariens were commâ—n againe before Zara. To the succour wherof he sped hym and there in the fighte was slayne with a darte and his armie discomfited so that the Uenetians were fayne to sue to the Hungariens for truce whiche for .v. yeres with muche adoe they obteyned ¶ Nexte folowed Domenico Michele who at the intercession of Calixto bishop of Rome with .200 sayle toke his waie into Soria â–ª to rescue Ioppe that tyme besieged with .700 saile of Infidelles againste whom he obteined the victorie And folowyng the same went vnto Tyro toke it and gaue it vnto Ualmondo Patriarke of Ierusalem ¶ The prosperouse successe of whyche victories was occasion that Emanuell emperour of the Greekes sent and forbâ—dde him to procâ—de any further But he beyng offended with that commaundemente bent him selfe against the emperour and by force toke from hym the ylandes of Scâ—o Rodes Samo Metellino and Andro and so with great honour retourned to Uenice where he died ¶ Than was Pietro Polano chosen his successour who broughte the citee of Fano vnder the Uenetian obedience and fought first with the Pisani and after with the Padoani bothe whose armies he ouercame so that of the Padoani he brought 35â— prisoners vnto Uenice and after released theim without raunsome ¶ This Duke fauouryng the parte of the emperoure Emanuell against Rogier Duke of Puglia wente in his owne person vnto that enterprise recouered Corfu and ouerronne and sacked all Sicilia And thorough his great trauayle syckened and died was broughte to Uenice and buried ¶ After hym Domenico Morosini entred into thastate who besieged Pola
he had taken from them in those warres the castelles of Gieradadda onely excepted that the kynge of Naples shoulde do the like to the Florentines Castiglione excepted and the Florentines to doe the lyke to the Senese And that whan anie controuersy shoulde happen of newe betwene them the bishop of Rome should order the mattier without any businesse of warre ¶ The Genowaies were left out of this peace by meane of the kyng of Naples ¶ Federike emperour of Almaine requyred ambassadours from all the princes of Europe to make a newe league against the Turke ¶ But this meane whyle Bartholomeo Marcello retourned from Constantinople with an ambassadour of the Turkes that brought certeine articles of agreement to the senate whiche the Uenetians accepted and thervpon was confyrmed amitee betweene the Turke and theim ¶ After the death of Foscaro succeded Pasquale Malipiero of whom I fynde nothyng of importaunce sauyng that in his time hapned the terrible earthquake in Italie that specially in the realme of Naples did so muche hurte and that emprintyng was than fyrste inuented ¶ After him succeded Christofero Moro in whose time the Turkes wanne by force and rased to the earth the Uenetian walle made vpon Istmus of Morea and after didde in maner what they woulde thoroughout all that region ¶ This Morea aunciently called Peloponnessuâ— is the chiefe parte of Greece a verie riche countrey compassed about with the sea except in one narow place that it seemeth racked vnto the maine lande in whiche place beyng about sixe myle ouer was suche a walle made as with reasonable furniture had been sufficient to resiste a wonderfull power But the Uenetians because they fyrste of Christian princes entred in amitee with those infidelles trustyng to muche in theyr newe friendship attended more to the vndoyng of theyr neighbours at home than to the earnest prouision that so worthie a countrey agaynst so puissaunte an ennemie the Turke requyred So that shortly after the losse of that wall thei were shamefully discoumfited at Patrasso Iames Barbarico beyng theyr Proueditore And than also they loste Negroponte where was suche a slaughter of Christians as woulde make any Christian herte wepe to heare it Besides a huge summe of money that they were constreigned to geue to the kyng of Hungarie to resist the Turkes passage that with an other armie by lande was than comyng towardes Dalmatia ¶ Than succeded Nicolo Trono who was cause of the establishemeÌ„t of Ercole da Este in the duchie of Ferrara ¶ He entred in league with Vsnucassan kyng of Persia whose successour is nowe called Sophie against the Turke ¶ In his tyme the Uenetians gatte the realme of Cyprus by this meane Iames last kyng of the same for the great amitee betweene his forefathers and the Uenetians came vnto Uenice and requyred the Signoria to adopte one of theyr daughters as daughter of theyr common wealth and than woulde he be contented to accepte hir vnto his wyfe ¶ This large offer was soone accepted and Katheryn Cornaro a goodly yonge gentilwoman espowsed to the kynge who therupon retourned into his realme continuyng in peace the tyme of his life At his deathe leauyng his wife great with childe he ordeined that she and hir childe not yet borne shoulde enioy the realme â–ª But the childe after the birth liued not longe Assoone as the Uenetians hearde of the kynges death they armed certaine galleis and sent them with Georgio Cornaro brother to the Quene into Cyprus to comforte hir on the Signorias behalfe with this wile that whan Cornaro shoulde arriue before Famagosta the principall citee of Cyprus he should feigne him selfe so sicke that he might not goe out of the shippe and whan his sister the Quene with hir barons shoulde come to visite hym than shoulde he kepe theim sure from retournyng and sodeinelye entre the citee subduyng it with the whole realme vnto the Uenetian obedience As it was deuised so it happened from poinct to poinct albeit that the Quene was counsailed not to go abourde the galey and that some businesse was made after for it yet in effect the Uenetians preuailed the Quene was brought to Uenice where she passed the rest of hir yeres ¶ Some esteme this doing treason but many men allow it for a good policie ¶ After Trono folowed Nicolas Marcello in whose tyme happened no notable thyng other than the victoriouse defence of the towne of Scodra in Albania against an infinite numbre of Turkes ¶ Next hym succeded Peter Mocenigo whiche at the tyme of his election was capitaine of an armie by sea wherwith he had in Cyprus quieâ—ed a great rebellyon preserued Scodra from the Turkes furie and restored the kynge of Carramania to his astate ¶ For these woorthie deedes and for his other vertues was in his absence first made Proctour of S. Marke and than as I saied created Duke And beyng called home from the armie to gouerne the dominion Antonio Loredano was sent foorth in his stede who deliuered Lepanto frâ—m the Turkes siege and vsed great diligence in the conseruacion of the countrey of Morea ¶ After Mocenigo Andrea Vendramino was elected Duke In whose tyme the Turkes retournyng into Albania came fyrste before Croâ—a and after ouerran all the countreis betwene that and the riuer of Tagliamento in Fâ—riuli so that the Uenetians were faine to call backe the capitaine Carlo Montone who not long before put out of wages was than gone into Tuscane ¶ This Duke attempted a peace with the Turkes but his purpose was interrupted by meanes of the kynge of Hungarie and of Naples ¶ After Vendramino folowed Iohn Mocenigo brother to Peter beforenamed ¶ This man agreed with the Turke after they had warred with him .17 yeres The articles of accorde were that the Uenetians shoulde yelde into the Turkes handes Scodra the principall citee of Albania with the ilandes of Corfu Tenaro and Lemno and besides that shoulde paie him .8000 duckates a yere In consideracion wherof the Turke for his parte graunted theim safe passage for trafficque of merchaundise into the sea nowe called Mare Maggiore and auncientlie named Pontus Euxinus and that the Uenetians shoulde haue power to sende an officer of theirs vnder the name of Bailo to Constantinople to iudge and order all their merchauntes businesse ¶ Not longe after this agreement the I le of Corritta in Dalmatia was broughte vnder the Uenetian dominion ¶ And in the .iiii. yere of this mans rule warre was moued against Ercole Duke of Ferrara for the breache of certeine articles betwene hym and the Uenetians ¶ After that Robert of S. Seuerino was sente with an armie against Ferrando kyng of Naples in whiche enterprise the Uenetians discomfited Alfonse Duke of Calabria sonne of the foresaied kynge But those warres by meane of the other Princes of Italie were soone appeased whan the Duke of Ferrara besides the losse of Comacchio had susteined verie great damage for his parte
Grymoalde a noble man descended of the Lumbardes nacion the realme of Naples rested in peace aboutes the space of .27 yeres till the comyng of the Sarasines into Italie who landed at Ciuita Vecchia rased it to the earth went to Rome spoylyng and burnyng there what they wolde passed by Monte Casino and by the monastary of S. Bennet destroiyng all before theim and laded with wonderfull rychesse retourned to their nauie in the riuer Garigliano and so passed home into their owne countrey againe ¶ Not longe after the Sarasines vnder their Capitaine Sabba retourned into the realme and besieged Taranto to the succours wherof the Greekish emperour sente his capitaine Theodosius with a great army by sea of the whiche .60 saile were Uenetians who metyng with the Sarasines fought with theim were discoumfited many taken slaine and drowned and finally Theodoâ—ius hym selfe put to flight ¶ Than the Sarasines toke the ile of Candia and the more parte of them arriuyng in Italie toke all the townes on the sea costes from Ancona to Otranto and so about to Taranto spoylyng and burnyng ouer all vntill at laste the Uenetian armie mette with theim discoumfited theim and droue theim cleane awaie ¶ Within a while after Constantine a childe sonne vnto Leo late emperour of Constantinople was depriued of his astate by one Romano generall of his fathers 〈◊〉 And this Romano beyng also a Romaine borâ—e 〈…〉 condicion vsurped the empyre by force â–ª whiche 〈◊〉 muche rufflyng namely the 〈…〉 Puglia rebelled against hym 〈…〉 on theim caused the Sarasines 〈…〉 who not onely ouerronne those two countreys but also all the rest of the realme of Naples and Campaine almost to Rome entendyng to assaulte and sacke it had not Iohn the .x. than bishop of the same made a great armie that so fought with and discoumfited them that they were faine to flee vnto the mount of Gargano now called sainct Angelo where they fortified theim selfes and dwelled many yeres rennyng now here now there through the realme burnyng spoylyng and killyng in suche wyse that whan they came before any towne and promised not to kyll the people nor to burne the houses incontinently the inhabitantes woulde yelde them selfê because they had been so often beten that they thought resistence naught auayleable ¶ And thus triumphed the Sarasines in one parte and an other of the realme but most in Calabria and Puglia till the comyng of Otho the fyrst of that name emperour of Almaine into Italie Who beyng arriued at Rome for pacifiyng of certaine rumours moued against Iohn the .xiii. than bishop there was persuaded by Pandolfe prince of Capua to sende the armie he had brought out of Germanie into the realme it shoulde be an easie mattier for hym to driue all the Sarasines awaie And so it proued for the emperour had no sooner sent his sonne also named Otho with his power into those partes but incontinently the Sarasens made what they coulde to carie with theim and so departed By reason whereof this Otho the secounde helde the realme as his owne certeine yeres till the Greekish emperour Basilio sent a mighty armie of Greekes and Sarasines into Puglia and there discomfited Otho in suche wyse that if the Greekes had knowen how to haue vsed theyr victorie they myght easily haue recouered Rome and all Italie But thei contented with the recouerey of Calabria and Puglia fortified the same and kepte it not without warre sometime of one prince sometyme of an other and many tymes of the Sarasines that still enioiyng the I le of Sicilia wold by stelth here and there be doyng mischiefe against their Christian neyghbours ¶ Finally Henrie the fyrst emperour of Almaine Mighell Catalaico emperour of Constantinople and Sergius the .iiii. bishop of Rome the realme of Naples stode thus diuided into sundrie dominions Calabria and Puglia as I haue saied was in possession of the Greekes the Romaines some here some there in Campaine and theraboutê had theyr partes and some other vnder the name of princes occupied the rest ¶ Than one Tanâ—redi Conte d' alta villa a Normain borne came into Italie who hauyng .xii. sonnes of his owne and a certaine noumbre of other Normaines besydes toke wages of Pandolfe prince of Capua to serue in his warres against Guaimaro prince of Salerne in whiche warres the Normains serued so well that Pandolfe preuailed as he would wishe him selfe But because he seemed to set little by those Normaines after he had obteined his purpose therfore whan the tyme of theyr appoinctment was expired they lefte Pandolfe and wente to serue Guaimato whose astate by theyr helpe was shortly after muche encreased ¶ Finallie Tancredi beyng dead his sonne Guglielmo Ferrabach was made generall ouer the Normains that were than a great noumbre insomuche that the emperour of Constantinople determinyng vtterly to dryue awaie the Sarasines that than occupied the ile of Sicile required his helpe promisyng for his rewarde the iiii parte of all that shoulde be gotten But whan the Sarasines were all dryuen awaie Molocco the emperours capitaine toke the whole realme of Sicile into his owne handes to the emperours vse and wolde assygne no parte therof to the Normains Whiche wronge Ferrabach dissembled for the time and so withdrew him withall his into Puglia takyng the moste parte of the countrey by force and entryng into Melfi a veraie stronge place before fortified by the Normans for safegarde of their goodes wifes and children he prepared all thynges necessarie for the warre And taried till the forenamed Molocco came to besiege him with a notable armie and than as an expert capitaine consideryng the Grekes to be werie of their great trauaile from Sicile thither incontinently yssued out againste theim and discomfited Molocco slewe the moste parte of his armie and draue hym in maner cleane out of Puglia takyng the possession of it into his owne handê and naming him selfe Erle of Puglia and so continued the rest of his life whiche was not longe ¶ This Guglielmo Ferrabach than beyng deade his brother Drogone succeded in the dominion of Puglia who had diuers conflictes with the Grekish armies and diuers fortune withall but finally in a great battile betwene the ryuer Ofanto and the castell Oliueâ—â—o the Grekes were ouerthrowen and from that tyme foorth the Normains enioyed the whole countrey of Puglia as their owne quiete possession ¶ After the deth of Drogone folowed his brother Hunfredo who continued .vii. yeres in the astate without any notable thyng that happened in his tyme. ¶ Than succeded Godfrey an other brother in whose tyme the prince of Salern happened to be slayne of his owne men and Gisulfo a Normaine made prince in his place This Gisulfo had diuers tymes attempted the gettyng of Beneuento and now of newe made preperacion for the same wherfore Leo the .ix. than bishop of Rome required succours of Henry the .ii. emperour of Almaine than beyng in
Rome So the emperour sent for his Germaines that laie at Uercelly in Lumbardie and deliuered theim to the bishop that in his owne person with the reste of those Italians he coulde make entred into the realme entendyng vtterly to expulse the Normans But Gisulfo heryng of his comyng hasted to Beneuento toke and fortified it and afterwardes abyd the bishoppes armie at a place called Ciuita where in conclusion was stricken a sore battayle but the Normains gatte the victorie takyng the bishop with certain of his Cardinalles prysoners whom after veray gentill intreatyng they lette goe without raunsome For rewarde of whiche courtesie the byshop afterwardes confirmed vnto the Normaines all that they helde in Italy to be their laufull possessions ¶ Not longe after this died Godfrey and left the Erledome of Puglia to his sonne Bagelardo Wherwith Roberte surnamed Guiscardo brother vnto Godfrey was so muche offended that by force he chased his nephew out of the astate and than occupied both the countreys of Puglia and Calabria adioignyng also vnto it the citee of Troia whyche vnto that daie perteined to the Romaines ¶ This Robert was a man strong hardy and wise who perceiuyng the great contencion betwene the Romaines and Nicolas the secounde their bishop the better to establisshe his dominion he sente his ambassadours to the bishop who in company of those ambassadours came to the citee Aquila and there mette with Robert and had suche communicacion to gethers that Robert was contented to restore to the bishop the citees of Beneuento and Troia with those other landes that he before had taken from the churche for the whiche the bishop created him laufull Duke of Puglia and Calabria and inuested him in the same duchy with gifte of the standarde of the churche so that Robert became liege man and vassaile of the Romain see and by the bishops commaundement broughte his armie to Rome where he so chastised the Romaines that they gladlie obeied theyr holie Romaine father ¶ Not longe after leauyng his brother Guglielmo in Puglia he passed into Calabria and fortified the towne of S. Marke and departyng thense encamped besides the riuer Moccato nere to the baynes and shortly after gatte Cosenza and Martirano Than went he to Squillaci and so a long the sea costes to Reggio whiche he besieged and finally did so much that he gatte whole Puglia and Calabria the lande of Brutij and the reste of the whole realme of Naples geuyng vnto certaine of his brethern suche part as pleased hym By reson wherof the same bretherne who a little before had ben his contraries consented wholy to call him from thensfoorth Duke of Calabria and Puglia ¶ And though I couet to be briefe yet I woull not passe ouer one thyng that happened in the tyme of this Roberte ¶ There was found in Puglia a certeine image of marble with a cercle of brasse in maner of a garlande about his heade in whiche were written these wordes Kalendis Maijs Oriente Sole aureum caput habebo the exposicion or meanyng of this sentence was diligentlie sought for by Robert but none coulde declare it tyll at last a Sarasine learned in artemagike came foorth and beyng prysoner required his libertee for the intrepreting of it which beyng graunted incontinently he saied The first daie of the kalendes of Maie at the risyng of the son marke where the end of the shadow of this head shal be and diggyng there you shall know the meanyng of these wordes whiche time was obserued and ere thei had dygged depe they founde a wonderfull treasure â–ª that afterwarde did no small seruice vnto Roberte in his warres ¶ Than was the realme of Sicile vnder the Moores whose prince Bestauetto made one Bettimino his admyrall or chiefe capitaine ouer the same This Bettimino came secretely into Puglia to Roger Duke Robertes brother and shewed hym how Sicile was in poincte to rebell so that for a rewarde and other agreementes betwene theim he finally opened to Roger the meanes how he might get it Whiche Roger by the helpe of his brother Robert immediatly enterprised and passyng with a power into Sicile the fyrste towne he toke was Messina and at length chased awaie all the Sarasines the whole ilande became subiecte vnto hym and his brother so that for a token of this victorie Roger sent vnto Alexandre the secounde than bishoppe of Rome .iiii. camelles laden with part of the praie of the Sarasines for a present And wonder it was to see the speede of these victories for Robert Guiscardo and his brethren had brought all these dominions before rehersed vnder theim within the space of .xviii. yeres ¶ Not longe after Gregorie the .vii. bishop of Rome fyrste fell out with Robert but afterwarde beeyng sore persecuted by Henrie the .iii. emperour of Almaine he agreed with Roberte and receiuyng of hym onely the marke of Ancona he confyrmed to him all that Nicolas the .ii. had before graunted with rather more For the whiche whan the same Gregorie was after besieged in the castell S. Angelo at Rome by the forenamed emperour Robert Guiscardo came thither with an armie and reysed the siege leadyng the bishop who was muche hated of the Romaines with him to Salerno for his more suretie where he shortly after died ¶ Thus Robert after many woorthie feates dooen in Italie and Sicile by occasion at last minded to driue Alessio emperour of Constantinople out of his astate and to be emperour hym selfe so that he passed the sea with an huge armie conquered Durazo Valona and dyuerse other citees in Dalmatia Albania and Gretia fought by sea with the Greekishe and Uenetian armies bothe and ouercame theim and was lyke to haue preuailed in his enterprise had not death preuented him ¶ Finally as he was goyng into Greece at Cassiopoli in the I le of Corfu he sickened and died ledyng a gloriouse and victoriouse lyfe .60 yeres ¶ Than succeded him in the duchie of Calabria and puglia Roger his yonger son who in the couÌ„sail holden at Melfi was confyrmed by Urbane the seconde bishop of Rome But Boemonde the elder brother who euer had folowed the father and at that tyme remained capitaine ouer the armie in Grece heryng that no part of the dominion in Italie was reserued for him waxed so wrothe withall that habandonyng all his fathers enterprise passed the sea with his armie to driue his brother out of the astate and did so muche that after muche feyghtyng by agreement parte of Puglia was assigned vnto hym though he enioied it not longe For immediatly after folowed the great viage into the holy lande vpon the conclusion of the counsaile made in Chiaramonâ—e d' aluerina in Fraunce In whiche viage amongest the other princes Boemonde hym selfe woulde nedes goe and so woorthily behaued him that by assent of all men he was made prince of Antioche and so continued honorablie till his laste daie By reson wherof his brother
the newes of his election was brought hym nowe of a good friende shall I haue an ennemie For in dede Innocent all his daies ceased not to woorke against Federike all the mischiefe he coulde imagine He fledde into Fraunce and called a generall counsaile in Lyons where Federike was double accursed but he esteemed it not answearyng alwaies that as longe as the bishop went about temporall persecucion he would defend him selfe temporally ¶ Finally after many notable battailes and victories he finisshed his life in Fiorentino a little towne of Puglia leauyng generall heyre of the realme of Naples his sonne Conrado borne of his seconde wyfe Iolante who by election of the princes of Germanie succeded his father in the empyre One other laufull childe he had named Henry borne of Isabell his .iii. wyfe to whom he assigned the ilande of Sicile from the Faro di Messina forewardes Than of bastardes he had Entio beforenamed kynge of Sardegna Manfredo prince of Taranto and Federike Prince of Antioche with diuers others not so notable ¶ As soone as Conrade beyng in Almaine heard of his fathers deathe he came with a great armie fyrste into Lumbardie where he recouered many citees that newly had rebelled and after passed into the realme reducyng also vnto his obedience those townes that before his comyng were in a rumour of whiche some he destroied and put to sacke as Capua and Aquino and so finally besieged Naples whiche at length he toke by famine ouerthrowing the walles and principall houses therof with banisshement of diuers of the nobles Thus whan he had gotte Naples the whole realme was clerely his owne so after he gaue him selfe altogether to huntyng and haâ—kyng with other lyke pastymes And beyng so in peace his mother Isabell sent his brother Henry than tendre of yeres to dooe reuerence vnto him whom Conrade caused secretely to be murdered by the waie A childe in witte and beautie very towarde But the crueltee was not longe vnpunished For Conrade him selfe by procurement of his bastarde brother Manfredo as it was saied was poysoned within .v. monethes after ¶ Now it is to be vnderstanded that Henry the eldest sonne of themperour Federike who as I saied before died in prison had a laufull sonne named Corradino to whom after the death of Conrade all the dominion of Federike descended But Innocent the .iiii. yet liuyng and coÌ„sidering Corradino being but a child in Almaine made an armie and withall speede wente to Naples where he was receiued and as it was thought had in short space obteined the realme had he not died immediately ¶ By reason of whose death Manfredo by title of tutour of the younge Corradino yet still in Germanie sodeynely assaulted and discoumfited the bishops army and within very short space brought the whole realme to obedience ere the ryght tutours of Corradino in Almaine knew of this victorie ¶ Than craftily he hyred certaine Almaines to feigne that thei came streight out of their countrei with newes of Corradines death wherfore Manfredo with all his clothed in blacke seemed greatly to lamente the thyng insomuch that he caused the funeralles honorably to be executed ¶ Not longe after appered him selfe in kyngelie habite and was saluted and called kyng Wherwith Alexander the .iiii. than bishop of Rome was sore offended excommunicated Manfredo and sente an armie againste him whiche was discomfited For Manfredo gathering into his handes the treasures of his predecessours waged so many Sarasynes and banisshed men of the Florentines and Lumbardes that he was alwaies to stronge for the bishop ¶ After Alexander succeded Urbane the .iiii. who to ouercome Manfredo lette crie a Croysie vnder colour to expulse the Sarasines out of Italie and Sicile But the armie of that Croysie was not sufficient to furnish the enterprise So that Urbane of newe began to deuise a better waie callyng Charles Duke of Angio and erle of Prouance brother vnto Lewys the .x. French kynge vnto Rome where firste he made him Senatour and after crowned hym kynge of Sicile and of Ierusalem vpon condicion that he shoulde paie yerelie to the churche .48000 duckates Pursuyng the title Charles with his frenche armie inuaded the realme and at laste in plaine battaill fought with Manfredo besides Beneuentâ— where Manfredo was slaine and his power discomfited so that Charles findyng after in maner no resistence gatte the dominion ouer the whole realme and at lengthe toke the wife and sonne of Manfredo prysoners whiche sonne bad his eies put out and after died miserablie in prison in the castell De Louo ¶ Than went Charles royally to Naples where he founde an infinite treasure that Manfredo had gathered the thirde part wherof he destributed amongest his souldiours and waxed so great that Clemente the .iiii. who succeded Urbane made him vicare of the empire in Italie so that at his pleasure he rode about to Utterbo and into Tuscane vntill the comyng of Corradino beforenamed righte heire by title of the house of Sueuia vnto the crowne of Naples who hauyng certaine intelligence in Italie came with a mightie power out of Almaine to recouer his enheritaunce But Charles ouercame him more by policie than strength in the plaine of Palenta ¶ And albeit Corradino and his cousen the Duke of Austriche veray yonge men fledde in the discomfiture of the battail and did disguise them selfes in vile apparaâ—l trustyng to escape yet their yll fortune at last discouered them so that they were taken brought to Naples and there after a yeres imprisonment against all law of armes or reason openly beheaded some saie through counsaille of the bishop of Rome For whan Charles had asked counsaile of the bishop what he shoulde doe with Corradino he aunswered these wordes Vita Corradini mors Caroli mors Corradini uiâ—a Caroli ¶ But surely Peter than kynge of Aragone iustly reproued this crueltee in a letter written to Charles with these wordes Tu Nerone Neronior et Sarracenis crudelior that is to saie thou arte more Nero than Nero him selfe and more crewell than the Sarasines For in dede Charles wente into the holy lande with his brother Lewys the Frenche kynge and there beyng taken prisoners of the Sarasines were courteisly entreated and sette to theyr raunsome Whiche thyng gentilnesse and reason wolde he shoulde haue vsed towardes Corradino ¶ But see what folowed The frenche officers and souldiours in Sicile behaued them selfe to proudly with a certaine kynde of tyrannie as well against women as men that the Sicilians conspyred against them through the instigacion of one Iohn di Procida sometyme phisicion to the kyng Manfredo who after he had obteined promyse of maintenaunce by kynge Peter of Aragone wrought this conspiracie the space of .xviii. monethes a wonder it coulde so longe be kept secrete and so well it came to passe that at the daie appoincted with the fyrst ringyng of a bell to euensonge the Sicilians beyng armed slew all the frenchemen where
Alexander the inuestiture of the realme of Naples and prouision was made for recouerey of Rome and thother landes of the churche whiche within shorte time was broughte to passe ¶ Finally Lewys conducted an army out of France and augmentyng it with the Florentine and bishop of Romes powers entred the realme where in plaine battaile he so discomfited Ladislaus that if Lewys had knowen howe to vse his victorie he mighte haue had Ladislaus in his handes and also the whole realme as Ladislaus talkyng of this battaile was wonte to saie the firste daie saied Ladislaus if thei had folowed it thei might haue been lordes bothe of my realme and person the seconde daie of the realme but not of my person and the thyrde daie nother of my realme nor person For the leysure that Ladislaus had after this discomfiture serued hym so to fortifie the passages that Lewys notwithstandyng his victorie was faine to retyre to Rome and so backe into Fraunce By reason wherof Ladislaus remainyng quiete in his astate disposed him selfe of new to recouer Rome and partly by intelligence partly by force did so puttyng to sacke onely the Florentines gooddes that he founde there And at last sickened in Perugia some saie of a feuer some saie of poyson so that he died whan he had reigned .29 yeres And leâ—uyng none issue of his owne body the realme descended to his sister Iohan Da Durazzo ¶ Thue Iohan late Duchesse of Sterlich atteined the realme without impediment by reason of .xvi. thousand horsemen that serued hir brother at his deathe with good capitains as Sforza da Corigniola gli Aâ—â—endoli lacopuccio and diuers others But becaâ—se she was somewhat noted for keepyng companie with a goodly yonge man named Pandolfello whom she made hir chaÌ„berlaine hir barons persuaded hir to marie so that she toke to husbande Iames of Nerbona in Proâ—ance than Erle de La Marca in Italie vppon condicion that he shuld in no wyse take on hym the title of kyng But he was not longe maried till by comfort of the barons he toke the kyngly name vpon hym and caused Pandolfello to lose his head vsyng Sforza vâ—raie hardly and all thoroughe the instigacion of Iulio Caesar da Capuaâ— who therfore by the quenes policie lost his heade ¶ And thoughe the Erle Iames suspectyng his wyfes courage woulde not suffre hir to goe out of the Castell where thei laie yet at last with lowly behauiour growyng out of suspicion with hir housbande she had libertee to goe so often abroade into the towne of Naples that finally she made a conspyracie against him and gat hym into prison reignyng afterwardes hir selfe alone Than toke the Iohn Caracciolo to be hir hygh steward whom she loued more than enough so that by hym all thynges were gouerned And vpon contencion betwene hym and Sforza who was in maner as a generall amongest the men of warre the Queene defied Sforza Muche a dooe there was but at length Sforza was reconsiled and the stewarde banished And partly thorough the bishoppe of Romes intercession the Erle Iames was deliuered out of prison restored to the Quenes fauour But for all that not long after the Erle Iames beganne to worke against Sforza who perceiuing it founde the meane to bringe the steward home againe and therby not onely purchased the Quenes fauour but also brought the mattier so to passe that the Erle Iames fledde into Fraunce became an heremite and there died After whose departure by commission of the bishop of Rome Queene Iohan was crowned in Naples but er the yere was ended the Queene loste the bishops fauour and banished Sforza who by the bishops procurement became capitaine vnder Lewis the .iii. Duke of Angio than newly entitled kynge of Naples and reysyng an armie camped before Naples abydyng the comyng of Duke Lewys who with an other armie arriued there ¶ This meane whyle Queene Iohan seeyng the power of hir enemy Duke Lewis to be to stronge for hir alone practised with kyng Alfonse of Aragone to accepte hym as hir sonne to enherite the realme after hir and therof made sufficient writing with deliuerey of two strong Castelles in Naples Castell Nouo and Castell di Louo that in king Alfonse name were receiued as a pledge of possession Whervpon kyng Alfonse in person with a great armie by sea came to Naples and thâ—re fought with the Duke Lewys and his Capitaine Sforza And though fortune for a tyme was fauourable to Duke Lewys yet at length through practise and lacke of money Sforza became the Queenes man so that Lewys was fayne to leaue the enterprise and drawe to Rome by reason wherof the Queene with Alfonse remained in peace till discorde fell betweene theim The fyrst occasion was because the proclamacions were made in the Quenes name without any mencion of Alfonse which moued the barons of Aragone to conceiue a great dishonour that a kyng of suche reputacion shoulde lie there in that astate So muche grew this mattier that at last kyng Alfonse toke the Quenes best beloued steward prisoner and besieged the Queene How be it Sforza hauyng receiued hir letters came streight to Naples fought with Alfonse power had the better hand entred into Naples and conueighed the Queene awaie with hym Wherfore kyng Alfonse augmented his power and after harde feight with Sforza recouered Naples streignyng the realme so muche that by counsaile of Sforza the Queene finally agreed with Duke Lewys and adopted hym for hir soonne and heyre by whose meanes Naples was recouered againe to the Queenes vse And so .x. yeres after the Quene and Duke Lewys reigned in peace and than died bothe The queene by hir testament lefte the realme to Raynolde Duke of Lorraine brother to the foresaied Lewys Thus ended the successioÌ„ of Charles of Angio first king of that hous ¶ Whether the Queenes testamente were feygned or true it was vncerteine For incontinently vppon hir death the citee of Naples ordeined amonge theim a common wealth and made no mencion of any testament vntill they saw plainely that the bishop of Rome went about to bringe theim vnder hym Than they not onely publisshed Raynolde to be theyr kynge but also sent for him to come and receiue the possession of the realme ¶ This meane while in the warres betwene Englande and Fraunce Raynolde hapned to be taken prisoner so that he coulde not come to Naples Than kynge Alfonse came into the realme through intelligence that he had with many of the nobles and besiegeyng the towne of Gaâ—erra than defended by certaine Genowaies sent thither by Duke Filippo Maria of Myllaine at last fought with the Genowaies army by sea in whiche conflicte were slaine of the kynges part about .5000 and the kynge hym selfe with his .ii. brethren the maister of sainct Iames in Galice dyuers of the greatest princes and barons of Spaine and of knyghtes to the numbre of .200 taken prisoners and all brought to the
forenamed Duke Phillip to Myllaine who after very gentill enterteinment deliuered theim without raunsome So Alfonse beyng restored to libertee waâ—yng strong through the amitee of the Duke of Myllaine disposed hym selfe to recouer the realme and came thither immediately with his power obteined Gaietta and wente to Capua whiche had been alwaies kept for him how be it during the time of his imprisonment the Neapolitanes seeyng they coulde not haue Raynolde fette his wyfe Isabell Duchesse of Angio vnto Naples and did theyr best by waie of assaulte to winne Capua But now that kyng Alfonse was reiourned the parte of Angio so muche declined that Isabell was faine to resort for helpe to Eugenio than bishop of Rome who sent the Patriarke Vitellesco to Naples ¶ This Patriarke was a stoute man meter for the fielde than for the churche For firste he discomfited the armie of the prince of Taranto and toke the prince him selfe prisoner and longe tyme valiauntely bare him selfe in the warres againste Alphonse one while with force an other while with policie so that beyng fallen with his armie in the daunger of the kyng through besettyng of the streictes and lacke of vittaile he handled him selfe so humbly that the kyng embracyng his faire offers graunted hym truce and vnder coloure of the same truce he beeyng armed and the kynge vnarmed came to Villa Giuliana and so narowly besette it that with muche adoe the kynge escaped his handes Leauyng all his baggage and cariage for a praie to the Patriarke Finally Raynolde beforenamed beyng putte to his raunsome came with .xii. Genowaie galleys to Naples where with kyngely honours he was tryumphantlye receiued and so muche encreaced his power that it was doubted whether of the two partes were the better Raynolde defied Alfonse bodie to bodie whiche Alfonse refused not Howbeit at the daie and place of battaill appointed Raynolde appeared not And albeit that Raynolde for a time prospered and gatte into his handes the castell Nouo and castell Di Loâ—o that kynge Alfonse had alwaies kept sens he receiued theim at quene Iohans handes till that tyme yet at last after the death of Iacomo Caldora one of the principallest of the Angioyne parte Alfonses power so muche encreased what by battaile and change of diuers of the barons affections who leauyng the Angioyne parte became Aragonese that he recouered Naples and all the whole realme entryng into the citee in maner of triumphe where for a perpetuall memorie of his victory the Napolitanes before the castell gate erected a notable faire arche of marble ¶ Thus Alfonse obteignyng the quiet possession of the realme â–ª vsed newe meanes of amitee with Eugenio than bishop of Rome and did so muche that Eugenio confirmed him in the astate and inuested his bastarde sonne Ferdinando successour to the crowne For whiche inuestiture kynge Alfonse vpon couenaunte inuaded the countrey De La Marca and takyâ—g it by force from Francesco Sforza afterwardes Duke of Myllayne restored it to the churche And than in recompence of the great courtesie receiued of Phillip Duke of Millaine he made warre in his fauour againste the Florentines and atchieued manie worthie enterprises beyng in maner the onelie staie of Duke Phillip in his later daies so that the Duke by his testament made hym his heire of the astate of Myllaine but he enioyed it not as in the history of Myllaine appereth ¶ Finallie after a generall leage made in Naples betwene all the astates of Italie excepte the Genowaies Alfonse made an armie and besieged Genoa for breache of certaine articles concluded longe before at the making of a peace betwene theim whiche the Genowaies were bounde to geue to the kynge yerely in maner of a tribute a bason of golde and the cause of their witholdyng was for that the kynge woulde neuer receyue it otherwyse than sittyng in his maiestee as thoughe he triumphed ouer theim ¶ The prouision made for the continuance of that siege was so great that by common opinion the citee muste nedes haue ben his had he not died the .66 yere of his age and the .22 yere of his reigne in Naples Leauyng for successours in the realme of Aragone and Sicile his brother Iohn and in the realme of Naples his sonne the forenamed Fernando ¶ Of this kynge Alfonse aâ—e written manie great praises for his valiauntnesse his temperaunce his learnyng his liberalitee and other like vertues ¶ Ferdinando bastarde sonne to kynge Alphonse succeded his father in the beginning of whose reigne Calisto than bishop of Rome preâ—endyng the title of the realme to be fallen to the churche for lacke of laufull heires excommunicated Fernando and made great preparacion to inuade but deathe preuented hym So that Fernando warned therby vsed suche meanes of frendship with Pio his nexte successour that he was not onelie confirmed in the astate but also crowned by certaine Cardinalles sente to Naples for the purpose ¶ Newe assoone as the newes of Alphonse deathe was knowen Duke Iohn sonne of the forenamed Raynolde in hope of mutacion in the realme made an armie by sea with helpe of the Genowaies and landyng within the territorie of the Duke of Sessa oueranne diuers prouinces and gotte daielie townes and friendes so that Fernando was like to be put to the worse had not the bishop of Rome and the Duke of Millaine taken his parte by whose helpe Duke Iohn at length was by force constreigned to leaue his enterprise and most parte of those barons that toke his parte came and submitted theim selfes vnto Ferdinando who graciously pardoned them and restored theim to their astates ¶ Than died Pio and Paule the secounde succeded who oftentimes troubled the realme ¶ After the death of kyng Iohn of Cyprus Ferdinando coueityng to conquere that realme was reâ—isted by the Uenetians betwene whom happened crewell warre so that the Uenetians toke truce with the Turke and as the fame wente were occasyon that he assaulted and toke Otronto in Puglia by force whiche shoulde haue caused greater mischiefe in Italie had not the Turke than Mahomet the .ii died ¶ Immediately vpon whose deathe kynge Ferdinando sente his eldest sonne Alfonse Duke of Calabria to conquere Otronto whiche after longe siege and sore feight was for lacke of succours recouered ¶ Next Paule the secounde succeded Sixte the .iiii. bishop of Rome and after hym Innocence the .iiii. who both wonderfull inconstantly one while were friendes and an other while foes to the kynge ¶ Finallie this Ferdinando was noted to be veray couetouse For callyng a counsaile of his barons in the citee of Chieti he wolde haue encreased his subsidies and taxes And because diuers of his nobles dissuaded him from it he put some of them to death some he imprisoned from some he toke their goodes and some willyngly rebelled against hym in which trauaile and tirannie he continued till he died leauyng issue males .ii. sonnes Alphons and Federike ¶ After the deathe of
Ferdinando his sonne Alphonse than Duke of Calabria with consente of all the barons and nobles was admitted kynge and sendyng to Rome to Alexander than bishop for his confirmacion the Cardinall Borgia with a numbre of prelates was sente to Naples where by auctoritee of the Romish bulles he inuested and crowned the kyng ¶ Than the kyng fell at variance with Lodouico Sforza Duke of Myllaine because he vsurped the astate that of right apperteined to his nephiewe Giangaleazzo sonne in law to kyng Alfonse so that Lodouico mistrustyng the kynges power that in deede was bent against hym founde the meane to bringe Charles the viii Frenche kynge into Italie who pretendyng to goe against the Turkê founde no resistence by reason wherof he not onely ouerronne Tuscane and toke thastate of Rome from the bishoppe but also conquered the whole realme of Naples although he enioyed it not long For all the princes of Italie immediately so colleged theim selfes against hym that he was faine to retyre with spede and was neuerthelesse ouertaken and fought with besides Parma where he lost the greatest parte of his câ—tâ—ages and dyuers of his nobilitee were taken prisoners ¶ Now assoone as kyng Alfonse heard that the frenche kynge was arriued in Lumbardy consideryng him selfe to be hated of his barons and his son Ferrandino contrariwise welbeloued incontinently renounced the astate vnto his soonne toke his treasure with hym and sayled into Sicile where for the tyme of his shorte life that dured scarce one yere he disposed hym selfe to studie solitarinesse and religion ¶ Than Ferrandino was embraced of all men in suche wyse that he was thought hable to resist the Frenche kyng Yet notwithstandyng that the streictes and passages were kept and the Neapolitanes armie great in the fielde the frenche men preuailed not onely in the conquest of the realme but also in the gettyng of that disease that for euer shall be a memorie vnto theyr name ¶ In effect kyng Ferrandino seeyng his owne debilitee in respecte of Charles force determined with pacience to ouercome his aduerse fortune and so with .vii. galleis departed out of the realme and went into the I le of Procida where he remained till he heard of the Frenche kynges departure and than beyng reuoked by the Neapolitanes not onely Naples but also diuers other citees theraboutes expulsed the Frenchemen and raysed theyr owne kynges standardes ¶ Upon this Ferrandino sent for succours to the Uenecians offeryng theim Brundusio and .iii. other hauen townes in Puglia to helpe hym to expell the Frenchemen out of the realme Whiche offer was accepted and Frauncesco Gonzaga Marques of Mantua with an armie sent thither who together with the Neapolitane power within the space of one yere draue the frenchemen cleane awaie Not longe after recouerey of his whole astate Ferrandino without issue died of the fluxe Leauyng his vncle Federike inheritour to the realme ¶ Note here that within the space of .xvi. monethes were .iiii â–ª seueralle kynges of Naples that is to wete Ferdinando Alphonso Ferrandino and Charles ¶ Finally Federike brother to the laste Alfonse succeded to the crowne but er he had fully reigned .iiii. yeres hearyng of the Frenche kynges comyng Lewys the .xii. and consideryng hym selfe destitute of money friendship and abilitee to resist he solde his armures and municion for .30000 duckates to the Duke Valentino Borgia sonne to the bishop of Rome and with the rest of his treasure and implementes went into France and there yelded bothe hym selfe and his realme into the Frenche kynges handes who receiued hym and appoinctyng hym an honourable prouision kepte hym in Fraunce till he died And thus ended the reigne of the house of Aragone in the realme of Naples ¶ And though vpon the surrendre of this Federike whoÌ„ many charge with cowardise for the vile submittyng of him selfe without any proufe of force the frenche king obteined the whole realme yet he died not loÌ„ge enioiyng it either by reason of the intollerable proude behauiour of the Frenche gouernours or els through the inconstant nature of the Neapolitanes Ferdinando king of Spaine commonly called Il Re Catholico coumforted therevnto vnto by many of the barons and specially by the citesins of Naples sent a puissaunt armie into the realme against the Frenchemen Who within lesse than two yeres partly by force and partly by treatie were cleane expulsed so that in fine the realme rested wholly in peasable possession of the Spanishe kyng ¶ Ferdinando the .v. of that name kynge of Spaine chasyng awaie the Frenchemen enioyed quietely the realme of Naples vnto his death and easily recouered of the Uenetians the foure portes in Puglia that Ferrandino had geuen theim By reason that whan all the Christian princes were entred into a league at Cambray against the Uenetians thei at that time made none offer of resistence but rather consented vnto the renderyng of theim lyke as in hope of peace they graunted vnto all the other princes what they woulde axe Uenice onely excepted ¶ Finally Ferdinando deceasyng Charles the .v. now emperour of Almaine sonne and heyre of Phillip Duke of Burgoyne and of Iohan his wyfe eldest daughter and heyre of the forenamed kyng Ferdinando suceeded in the realme of Naples as he did in all the other realmes and dominions that Ferdinando had and hitherto enioyeth the same ¶ It is true that the Frenche kynge sente Mounser de Lautrech his generall with a puissaunte armie to conquere the realme Where betwene the parties Frenche and Spanish were done manie worthy deedes of armes Naples it selfe was besieged by sea and lande vntill Andrea Doria generall of the frenche kynges armie by sea reuolted from the Frenche kyng to the seruice of the emperour From whiche tyme the hope of the Frenche armies prosperitee began to abate and fortune so much to goe againste theim that what through extreme plage and through the hardinesse of the imperialles that began to take courage the Frenchemen were constreigned to reise their assiâ—ge Mounser de Lautrech with many other of the best Frenche capitaines beyng deade some of the plage and some of the sworde so that of .60000 whiche vnder the Frenche standarde came thither to the siege escaped not fullie .2000 on liue From whiche tyme hitherwardes the emperour hath had no notable trouble there sauyng that now of late is begonne a little striefe betwene the Vicere Don Diego di Tolledo and the barons of the realme for makyng of certain lawes and some bicketing and slaughter hath hapned betwene the Spaniardes and theim and manie gentilmen are fledde to Rome and other places for feare of punishmente But because the thyng is not of suche importaunce as should seeme to moue warre I shall not nede to make further rehersall The descripcion of Florence Florence an excellent faire citee standeth at the foote of the Appenine hilles in a little valey named Arno of the riuer Arno that renneth through it
Florentines were discomfited loste .2000 men and the kynges brother slaine in the fielde ¶ And though the kynge did his beste to succour theim yet of their naturall inconstancie thei beganne a newe diuision amonge theim selfes parte with and parte against the kynge And for lacke of other the kynges aduersaries gatte one Lando d' Agobio to be theyr capitaine who with the multitude folowyng hym wolde kyll and murder as he wente by the stretes suche as the people appointed so that the citee was no lesse afflicted with bloudshedde within than scourched without by Vguicione that euen than ouerranne all the countrey about ¶ Net longe after Castruccio Castracani a citesin of Lucca gatte the dominion of Lucca and of Pisa and became so great that he was made chief capitain of al the Ghibellines in Tuscane so that folowyng his good fortune he attempted to gette Prato which the Florentines prepared theim selfes to defende so makynge out an armie and promisyng reconsilement to their banished men Castruccio retired to Lucca wherof folowed two inconueniences one the commons and rulers were deuided â–ª for the people woulde haue pursued the ennemie but the rulers wolde not the other by reason their enterprise toke small effecte they refused their promyse concernyng their banished men who therfore diuers tymes attempted by force to haue their promise kepte ¶ Finallie makyng out a newe armie against Castruccio vnder the leadyng of Raimondo da Cardona the Florentines a little besides Alto Pastio were discomfited and Raimondo slaine in suche wise that the Florentines were no more able to holde vp their heades but suffered Castruccio to ouerronne all their countrey spoilyng and burnyng what he wolde Wherfore the Florentines were faine to sue to king Robert of Naples for helpe who enforced them to take his sonne Charles Duke of Calabria to be their lorde and consequentelie sent the Duke of Athens as his liuetenaunt to gouerne the citee vntill the comyng of Charles ¶ And like as the coming of Charles was a stay against Castruccio euen so it was in maner as painefull to the citesins For within lesse than a yere he leuied of the citee .400000 Florines notwithstandyng he had couenanted before not to take of them aboue .200000 besides that after thei had gotten Pistoia Castruccio laied siege therunto so longe that at last he gatte it from the Florentines how be it he immediately therupon died and about the same tyme the forenamed Charles lorde of Florence died also So that the citee was at ones deliuered bothe of the tyranne as they call hym and of the enemie and therupon recoueryng theyr libertee thei retourned to a new ordre of theyr common wealth ¶ Not longe after themperour returnyng from Rome and passyng towardes Lumbardie .800 horsemen of his retinue taried behind him and sodeinly toke Lucca whiche they offred to sell to the Florentines for .20000 Florines and beyng refused solde it to a Genowaie for â—0000 pounde wherwith the Florentines were so offended that they made open warre to gette it but all in vaine though they spent yet a great quantitee of money more than the summe that quietely they might haue had it for ¶ As for ciuile contencion within the citee hapned none from the death of Castruccio vntill the yere .1340 ¶ Certaine of the chiefe of the citee the better to mainteine theyr owne auctoritee called strangers to gouerne some offices whiche apperteined to the election of the commons Amongest all other one Iacomo Gabrielâ— da Gobbi was made capitaine of a warde and did dyuers iniuries namely to some of the nobilitee as to Pietro Bardi and Bardo Frescobaldi So that they not well supportyng the wronge specially at a straungers hand conspyred with dyuers other against the rulers mindyng not onely to be reuenged but also to reforme the astate of the whole citee And as it hapneth moste commonly the deferryng of the mattier was occasion that some fearefull conspiratour disclosed it so that the larme bell being ronge and the people armed assemblyng in the markette place the houses of Bardi and Frescobaldi were assaulted in such wise that thei with the moste parte of theyr friendes forsoke the citee and were banished some that remained were taken and beheaded ¶ Not longe after the Florentines and Pisani practised with Mastino della Scala for the purchase of Lucca that than was in his possession so that the Pisani seing theyr bargaine ouerdeere through the offers of the Florentines disposed theim selfes with helpe of Visconti than lorde of Myllaine to gette it by force and so laied siege to it That notwithstandyng the Florentines went foorth with theyr bargaine and bought it duryng the siege Wherin the Pisani perseuered with suche force that in despite of all the Florentines succours at last they gatte it so that the Florentines not onely lost theyr money but also purchased theim selfes dishonour ¶ This meane while the Florentines seyng theyr owne debilitee and ill fortune procured succours of the kyng of Naples who sent the Duke of Athenes to be theyr capitaine But he in steede of a capitaine that should defende and preserue theyr common wealth contrarywyse to get into fauour with the commons and by displeasyng and persecutyng of the nobilitee toke vppon hym selfe the absolute power and vsed the whole as his owne He prohibited the rulers any more to assemble in the palaice toke the ensignes from the Gonfaloners brake the orders of iustice deliuered all prisoners reconsiled them that were exiled ordeined new taxes and waged straungers so that the citee was full of Frenchemen who forbare not to violate all sortes of women ¶ Thus he continued .x. monethes encreasyng daiely in tyrannie to the hygh offence of the chiefe and great hate of the people who before fauoured hym that at last the whole citee in .iii. dyuers partes nobles people and artificers conspyred against hym and in conclusion assaulted and discoumfited his men and besieged hym in the palaice Out of the whiche they enforced him to sende Guglielmo da Scesi and his sonne Whom they hewed and gnawed to peâ—ces in the market place ¶ Finally the Duke fell to accorde and renouncyng his astate and title to the dominion departed with bagge and baggage Whervpon not onely Florence but also Arezzo Volterra Pistoia and other citees theraboutes toke on theim theyr libertees though they within short space after yelded to Florence theyr wonted obedience Than the citesins deuised a new ordre in their common wealth wherin the nobles had so great auctoritee that they vsed theyr libertee in all thynges ouer the people but that endured not longe for the people rebelled and by force depriued theim erectyng magistrates of theim selfes And though the nobles openly practised with theyr frendes abroade for succours and fortified theyr houses withinfoorth in suche wise that Florence was full of armes whervpon thei attempted to recouer theyr astate Yet at length after many skyrmishes muche bloudsheed and fyre the people preuailed and
brought the nobilitee so low that they neuer durst arme theim selfes more but became in maner vile and abiecte so that from that tyme foorth Florence decaied bothe in courtesie and chiualrie ¶ Thus they rested in quiete till the yere .1353 In whiche tyme happened that notable plague that Iohn Boccaccio so pitifully mencioneth in the beginnyng of his Decamerone thoroughe whiche died in Florence 96000. persones And thoughe the nobilitee was than oppressed yet fortune wanted not meane to reyse new discencion amongest theim againe ¶ Two families in Florence Albizi and Ricci fell at variaunce betwene whom the whole citee was no lesse deuided than it was firste betwene Bondelmonti and Vberti or betwene Donati and Cerchi And where as longe before this time the names of Guelfe and Ghibelline was in maner extincted and forgotten Vguicione de Ricci thynkyng to abate the reputacion of the Albizi renued the olde law that no Ghibelline should enioie magistrate within the citee But the purpose of Ricci was cleane disapoincted For where he thought to proue the Albizi to be Ghibellines they contrary wise not onely proued them selues Guelfes but chiefe of the Guelfes and became so great in the citee that at length they determined to vsurpe the dominion whiche beyng discouered to the people was occasion that their houses were sacked and some burned and they for the moste parte fledde and those lawes that the Guelfes had made before in preiudice of the other citesins were reuoked So that those whiche were noted for Ghibellines findyng them selfes recouered in credite not contented to be partetakers but rather desiryng to rule their whole common wealthe practised a newe meane howe by force they myghte aâ—chieue their enterprise and persuadyng the multitude to rebell against the lordes they did so muche that notwithstandyng the conspiracy was discouered before yet the people so assembled out of all order rennyng vp and downe here and there spoilyng and burnyng where as liked theim beste that the power of the rulers coulde not refourme the mattier and at length it grew to so great inconuenience that the lordê wer constreigned not onely to habandone the palaice but also the whole dominion vnto the peoplê furie so that Michell di Lando a carder of woull bare legged and all to torne mounted vppe in to the hall of the palaice with the standarde in his hande and findyng no man there tourned hym towardes the people saieyng Now you see this palayce with the whole citee at your commaundement what woull you due wherunto the multitude aunswered they wolde haue hym theyr Gonfalonere and lorde whiche incontinentlie he toke vpon him and disposyng him selfe to quiet the rumour to finde the people occupied he sente theym straighte to seke one Nuto that had been minister of iustice before whom he caused to be hanged by the legge in the market place and there torne to peeces and consequentelie proceded to other reformacions and lawes as it seemed beste to him But because the commons perceiued that he preferred the chiefe men to dignitees and offices and dyd not so muche regarde the commons as they loked for thei rebelled againe against him and drew them together to the churche of Santa Maria di Nouella where they beganne to erecte newe officers and to make newe lawes after their owne maner The meane while Michell makyng him selfe stronge departed out of the palaice to mete theym but missyng one an other by a wronge waie Michell at his retourne founde theym in the high streete assaultyng of the palaice Where he sette on theim and so discomfited them that part he constreigned to flee out of the citee and part to caste awaie their weapons And notwithstandyng his vile birthe he was a man him selfe of a righte good nature wise and able to gouerne yet coulde not his auctoritee so muche bridell the communaltee but that thei deuided theim selfes in partes the one of men of estimacion whiche called theim selfes the people and the other of the meane craftes whiche called theim selfes the commons ¶ Thus as thei liued fightyng and braulyng togethers newes came to the counsaill that Giannozo da Salerno a capitaine of Charles of Duras than bente to conquere Naples liyng at Boloigne determined with helpe of the banished men to assaulte the citee beyng promised by theim of the citee to haue a gate deliuered vnto theim Wherupon diuers were accused amongest whom Piero the chiefe of the Albizi was taken and put to execucion and Charles Strozi fledde ¶ The Florentines the better to mainteine theim selfes reteigned Iohn Sharpe surnamed Acuto by them an english capitaine than abidyng in Italie with a great retinewe whose reputacion was suche that well was that prince in Italie that mighte haue his seruice in tyme of neede For his power was so great that whan he was out of wages he woulde take one citee or an other and vse it as his owne for the tyme till occasion of seruice happened againe and than wolde he sell it to that prince or common wealthe that wolde geue moste for it ¶ About this tyme two the chiefest citesins in Florence George Scali and Thomas Strozzi with their aucthoritee and credite amongest the people dyd what they wolde righte or wronge so that whan the capitaine of iustice wolde haue put to execucion a certaine offender their friende they by force assaulted and sacked the capitaines palaice and deliuered the giltie whiche acte offended not the capitaine alonelie but also the magistrates so that George Scali was therfore taken and against the common opinion notwithstandyng the great â—auour of the people whiche euermore proueth inconstante was beheaded and diuers of his deerest friendes with him Upon occasion of whose death moste parte of the citee was armed to strengthe the iustice But whan he was deade thei were not so soone vnarmed again For the parties betwene the people of reputacion and the commons did so kendle that for the space of a whole yere there was daielie fightyng betwene theim in suche wyse that at lengthe by agreement of bothe partes the Guelfes were reconsiled and restored to their wonted honour and rule ouer the citee and the other magistrates and rulers were deposed amongest whom Michell Lando before named was one whose vertues and merites beyng so notable as they were coulde not yet saue hym from the peoples fury ¶ Thus the Guelfes being in auctoritee and fearing no man but Benedetto d' Alberti a good man riche and of great auctoritee because he was not of their secte they found the meane to banish hym and dyuers others that they thoughte contrarie to theim and so settled the common wealth after their maner and kepte it in quiet till the yere .1387 At whiche time Giangalcazo Visconti Duke of Millaine toke his vncle Bernabo prisoner and made sharpe warres to the Florentines so that notwithstandyng their valiaunte resistence gettyng all the countreis about as Bolognia Pisa Perugia and Siena he was in
disposed theim all at his pleasure causyng him selfe openlie to be called Duke ¶ Than died Clemente the Bishop whervpon the Cardinalles Di Medici and Saluiati with the principall of the other banished Florentines couetyng the recouerie of their citees libertee sent ambassadours to the emperour besechyng hym to consider the tyrannie of Duke Alexandre who than newly had builded the Cittadella and to regarde the condicions of peace Whiche ambassadours arriued at Barcelona euen as the emperour was takyng shippe towardes the enterprise of Tunise so that beyng returned to Rome the Cardinall Hippolito di Medici disposed hym selfe to goe vnto Tunise therfore And takyng his iourney towardes Naples died at Itri by the waie poysoned as the voice wente by procurement of Duke Alexander ¶ This Duke Alexander was yet but yonge who by bishop Clementes procurement had maried the emperours bastarde doughter he was so stoute that without any respecte he wolde haue his will in all thynges and namely in feates of loue and chaunge of women was his speciall delite And amongest all other he delited more in the company of Laurence di Medici that should succede him in the astate than of any other man But Laurence in steede of that loue hated the Duke and had longe time determined to slea him whan he might finde occasion whether he did it in hope the rather to atteigne to the dominion him selfe or to restore to the citee hir auncient libertee be diuers opinions ¶ In effecte without makyng any man priuie to his entent other than a seruante of his owne the Duke beyng on a nighte all alone in Laurences house and slepyng on a bedde Laurence and his man slewe him and thervpon counsailyng with certayne of his friendes and seeyng no man disposed to stande with him in pursuyng of his purpose the selfe same nighte he fledde and went straight to Uenice where in company of the Sâ—â—ozzi he liued till of laâ—e certaine persons in hope of the Taglia a rewardâ— prâ—claimed for the kyllyng of notable offenders he was also slayne ¶ Immediately vpon knowlage of the death of Duke Alexander the three Florentine Cardinalles that were than in Rome departed thense and makyng all the men they coulde by the waie come with an armie towarde Florence Wherfore the Medici with their friendes in Florence to make their party good that the banished men shoulde not preuayle to their destruction elâ—cted Cosmo di Medici to be their Duke a yonge man of .20 yeres of age whâ—se father Iohn Di Medici had ben a man righte valiaunt in armes And therupon senâ—e to the Cardinalles praiyng theim to state their armie by the waie and to come them selfes priuately to Florence where they shoulde finde so muche reason offered them that they shoulde neede to vse no force So thei staied their power besides Cortona and beyng come to Florence were entreated with so faire promises that thei licenced theyr men to depart By reason wherof the Duke that nâ—we is with his friendes had time to make theim selfes stronge and than wolde consent to nothing that the Cardinalles loked for so that with a playne mocke they departed lamentyng their folie that they had chaunged the suretee of their force for the vnsuretee of fayre wordes ¶ This chaunge in Florence and the mocke that the Cardinalles receiued so muche encreased their malice that they with the helpe of Phillip Strozzi and Bartholomew Valori assembled and waged the number of 4000. men whiche by Peter Strozzi that yet liueth and serueth the Frenche kynge shoulde haue be conducted to Monte Murlo and from thense to Florence had not Phillip and Bartholomew who with a smalle companie came before to Monte Murlo ben sette vpon by Alexander Vitelli taken and ledde awaie prâ—soners to Florence where the whole conspiracy of those confederates that were in the towne was discouered and diuers taken and put to execucion and so the whole enterprise broken and destroied Amongest the rest onely Phillip Strozzi was preserued from deathe notwithstandyng he was kepte in prysâ—n in the Cittadella and there died Some saie he killed him selfe rather than he woâ—â—e vndoe his children by paiyng the raunsome that was required of him beyng in dede one of the rychest priuate men that was in his time as it dothe well appeare by the wealth of his sonne Peter and of his other children whiche beyng banished men and hauyng nothyng in their owne countrey doe neuerthelesse lyue abroade in so muche reaputacion that fewe brethern of christendome vnder the degree of prynces doe the like ¶ I haue spoken before of Cittadella buylded by Duke Alexander for the more suretee of his dominion whiche at his deathe remaigned in the kepynge of one of the Dukes capitaines But assoone as Alexander Vitelli one that had serued well the emperour in his warres hearde of the Dukes deathe he came to Florence and entred into the castell to speake with the capitaine where he handled the mattâ—er so well that he excluded the capitaine and kepte it him selfe And thoughe he made many faire promises to Duke Cosmo yet at length he deliuered it to the emperour who therfore rewarded hym with fayre possessions in the realme of Naples ¶ This Duke Cosmo sued first to marrie with the wife of Duke Alexander the emperours doughter but the bishop of Rome that nowe is purchaced hir to his no small coste for his sonnes sonne Duke Octauio For the whiche there hath ben mortall hate betwene Duke Cosmo and the bishop And beyng thus preuented the Duke to obteigne the more stay towardes the emperour maried the doughter of Don Diego di Tolledo Uice Re of Naples by whose meane he hath redeemed the Cittadella of the emperour for the summe of .400000 duckates and is nowe absolute lorde and kynge within him selfe ¶ He hath diuers faier children by his wyfe and loueth hir so well that in maner he neuer goeth abrode vnlesse it be to churche without hir and is reputed to be a very chaste man He is learned and wyse he vseth fewe wordes and is neuerthelesse in his owne tounge eloquente In the administracion of iustice he is so sincere that syns the tyme of his reigne whiche is nowe aboue .x. yeres I haue not hearde that he hath pardoned any person condemned to die He hath restreigned the Uice of Sodomie which heretofore reigned more in Florence than elswhere in Italy with paine of death and hath broughte his astate to suche quietnesse as it hath not ben this .300 yeres past so that Florence may well saie that in hym she hath founde hir longe desired libertee For though he absolutely hath the whole reuenewes to his owne vse yet the suretee that the Florentynes haue in their owne thynges whiche heretofore they neuer had is muche more worthe to theym than the common reuenew was beneficiall to the citee ¶ Finally the vertue of this Duke Cosmo besides the woorthinesse of his dominion hath brought hym in suche reputacion that
¶ Likewise the emperour of the Tartares made warre on the Genowaies and besieged them in Caffa a towne situate in the confines of Tartarie out of the whiche the Genowaies issuyng by night burned the Tartares engines and slewe .5000 men so that their emperour sent to Genoa for peace and vnder colour therof obteignyng it did them muche more hurte by treason than he had done in open warre For he spoiled them at one time of .200000 poundes ¶ The Nobilitee of Genoa that than were banished seeyng the astate ruled all by the people assembled theyr powers and came before the citee so that Bocanegra seeyng also the nobilitee and people within the citee in maner at an open contencion for the same deposed hym selfe of his dignitee and departed out of the citee In whose place Iohn di Morta was by the people elected and the nobilitee kepte out till by the awarde of Lucchino Visconti lorde of Millaine to whose iudgement the mattier was committed they were restored to the citee and to parte of their goodes the rule remaignyng neuerthelesse at the peoples will ¶ All this while thei of Monacho mainteigned warre against Genoa and had newly armed .34 galleis wherfore they of Genoa armed also .29 so that because they wolde not meete togethers thei of Monaco went to serue Phillip the Frenche kynge against our kynge Edwarde the .iii. in whiche warres they had so good successe that one galley of theim neuer retourned home agayne but the other army of Genoa vnder the leadyng of Simonde Vignioso prospered veray muche For after diuers enterprises atchieued in the realme of Naples he entred into the Archipelago otherwise called Mare Egeum and there gatte the ile of Sio whiche in processe of tyme hath been occasion of wonderfull gayne and wealth to the Genowaies and besides that at the same tyme he gatte the two citees called Foglie Vecchie ¶ Than renewed the warre betwene the Uenetians and the Genowaies wherin were diuers battailles stricken one before Constantinople where the Uenetians were discomfited with the losse of .30 galleis an other in Sardegnia where the Genowaies were discomfited with the losse of .41 galleis and an other at the I le of Sapientia where the Uenetians lost .40 saile besides dyuers others of lesse importaunce ¶ And though it seeme that the Genowaies gotte moste in these last warres with the Uenetians yet their gaine was so blouddie costly that in maner of necessitee thei submitted theim selfes to Iohn than archebishop and lorde of Millaine Under whom it continued scarcely .iii. yeres but that the people beyng offended with the taxes that â—he bishop required of theim restored Simonde Bocanegra to the astate of Duke wherof he had deposed him selfe before and he in recompence therof deposed all the nobilitee and gaue the offices amongest the people For whiche were dyuers conspiracies wroughte against him and as some holde opinion at length he was poysoned at a bankette made to the kyng of Cyprus as he passed that waie into Fraunce ¶ Gabriell Adorno was made Duke nexte after hym who continued the space of .v. yeres till the people misliked his rule and by force deposyng him created Domenyke Di Campo Fregoso in his roome In whose tyme happened the businesse in Cyprus betwene the Uenetians and Genowaies for goyng on the vpper hande whiche afterwardes was occasion of cruell warres ¶ It happened vpon the death of kyng Peter of Cyprus who in the nighte was slayne by his brethern that as his sonne Peter shoulde goe to the cerimony of his coronacion the Uenetians and Genowaies than presente contended veray ernestly for the vpper hande whiche at length by order of the kynges counsaill was geuen to the Uenetians so that the Genowaies preparyng theim selfes to be reuenged were discouered taken and slayne that of as many as wer in Cyprus there escaped but one to bryng home newes of this mattier whiche at length caused the destruction of that lande ¶ For the Genowaies made out an armie and the same daie .xii. monethes that thei were beaten thei entred by force into Famagosta the chiefe citee of Cyprus and toke all the nobilitee of the realme .iii. of the chiefe they put to death because they had been their enemies and hauynge all the realme at theyr disposicion they restored it to the yonge kyng Peter reseruing Famagosta to theim selfes with a trybute of .40000 Florines whiche they enioyed vnto the yere of our lorde .1464 and besides that thei brought diuers noble men and gentilmen of the Cipriottes prisoners vnto Genoa amongest whom was the kynges vncle Iames Lusigniano who beyng kept in the tower Capo di Faro begatte a sonne called Iano and was afterwardes kyng him selfe ¶ And albeit that Domenyke di Campo Fregoso who for the space of .viii. yeres had been Duke ruled the astate so well that no man coulde iustly reproue him yet the inconstant multitude with a little steryng of some that were great made a commocion against him and not onely deposed hym and put hym and his brother Peter generall of the enterprise of Cyprus in prison but also banished all theim of the house of Fregoso who for a great space had ben notable ministers of the common wealth ¶ But this ingratitude of the people can be no wonder to theim that haue redde histories For it is almost ordinarie with the people to render yll for good ¶ Than was Nicolas di Guarco elected Duke By whose tyme happened that notable warre betwene the Genowaies and Uenetians wherin after dyuers fortunes and victories on bothe partes the Uenetians loked to be beaten out of theyr houses For the Genowaies with helpe of theyr colleges so sore oppressed theyr power by sea that they were driuen into theyr owne hauen and Peter Doria came with the armie before the two castelles at Lio within two mile of Uenice so that if the Site of the place made not the citee imprenable of likelihode the Uenetians had been subdued For they sent their ambassadours to Peter Doria to require peace with large condicions who not beyng contented to haue the honour with a reasonable aduantage wold needes thei should yelde theim selfes and theyr citee to be at his discreacion The extremitee of whiche aunswere made the Uenetians so desperate that strainyng their vttermoste powers togethers at length they discoumfited the Genowaies army slew Peter Doria toke .xix. galleis and more than .4000 prisoners and so recouered Chiozza withall theyr other places about theyr marisshes that were before taken from theim And than encreased their courage so muche that Carlo Zeno with certaine Uenetian galleis entred the riuer of Genoa and helde the Genowaies short till by meane of the Duke of Sauoie the peace was made betweene theim ¶ Than died kynge Peter of Cyprus whom to succede the barons elected his vncle Iames then prisoner in Genoa who vpon aduertisement therof was not onely put at libertee but also after
great feastes and honor sent home with .x. galleis of the common wealthes fyrste binding him selfe to certaine articles aswell for the paiment of a yerely tribute as also for the citee of Famagosta whiche remained in the Genowaies possession ¶ About this tyme were so many commocions in the citee for chosing of theyr Dukes that I thinke there was neuer so muche alteracion of rulers in one coÌ„mon welth for the tyme. And because the rehersall therof wolde occupie a greatter roume than my purpose dooeth here allow it shall suffise to saie that as longe as the rule of the common wealth consisted in the wil of the multitude neuer was so inconstant an astate as that of Genoa For amongest other in the chaunge betwene Domenyke di Campo Fregoso and Nicolas Guarco were .iii. Dukes in a daie Fregoso deposed in the mornyng and Adorno incontinently made and at after noone Adorno deposed and Guarco made Wherfore as superfluouse to treate of all the Dukes elections I woulle hensfoorth speake no more of theyr chaunges without great cause ¶ The Moores of Barbarie in this tyme scoured all the middle seas robbyng and spoilyng all that euer thei coulde take Wherfore the Genowaies with dyuers others made suite vnto the Frenche kynge for an enterprise to be made against the kynge of Tunise Whiche the Frenche kyng graunted and sent the Duke of Bourbonâ— as generall not onely with a greatte power of FraÌ„ce but also with aide that was sent him out of Englande in whose company the Genowaies sent .40 galleis and .xx. shippes of theirs vnder the leadyng of Iohn Centurione And theyr Chronicle maketh mencion how our Englishe archers behaued them selfes at theyr landyng in Barbarie so wel that the Moores gaue theim plaâ—e wheras without theim the armie shoulde haue had muche adooe to lande The ende of whiche iourney was that the kynge of Tunise released all Christian slaues wherof there wer a noumbre in his realme and paied the Christians .10000 duckates with promyse to trouble the seas no more ¶ From the yere .1390 till .1396 was so muche adooe for makyng and deposyng of Dukes that Antoniotto Adorno had been .iiii. tymes Duke besides .viii. or ix others that had been put in and out the meane tyme with so muche bloudshed burnyng and spoilyng that at length for veraie desperacion the citee sent ambassadours to Charles the .vi. Frenche kyng besechyng hym to take the dominion therof into his handes Who at theyr request sent the Counte of sainct Paule and the bishop of Meaux to be rulers there and to receiue the fortresses into his possession whiche immediately were deliuered to them feaultie sworne by all the subiectes ¶ The Frenche Gouernour had not been there fully a yere but the sectes of Guelfes and Ghibellines renued so sore that after muche burnyng spoilyng and kyllyng in the countrey theraboutes the Ghibellines entred into the citee and from the .xvi. of Iulie to the .v. of September fought daie by daie with the Guelfes and fortifiyng the one halfe of the citee against the other they neuer ceased till bothe parties were tyred with the fury of theyr owne bloudde and flambe For amongest their feightyng it was a common matter to set one an others house on fyre so that the losse that the common wealth susteigned in this rage was esteemed muche more than a myllion of golde ¶ The bishoppe of Meaulx than gouernour of the citee for feare of his owne life fledde in the middest of this furie So that whan it was past the Frenche kynge sent thither in his steede one Collarde a counsailour of his who by the Genowaies was honourably receiued He gouerned not muche more than a yere but by meane of a new secte called La Scorzola he was faine to habandone the citee leauyng theim together by the eares after theyr old maner feightyng and burnyng amongest theim selfes daie by daie whiche ceased not till the comyng of Bouciquart marshall of Fraunce who beyng the kynges lieuetenant entred into Genoa with a thousand souldiours and incontinently proceded against the steerrers of the common wealthe causyng two of the chiefe of the citee Battista Boccanegra and Battista de Frauchi to be taken brought to the palaice and beheaded Boccanegra vpon whose death the people beganne suche a crie that they whiche had the other in kepyng lette hym go so that whan the rumour was past Bouciquart in a great rage caused the chiefe officer of the wardes head to be stricken of because through his mens negligence happened the escape ¶ Than did Bouciquart also fortifie the little castell now called Castelletto and put a garrison into it and whan he had taken aswell from the men of the countrei as of the towne all kynde of armure theyr swordes excepted than spared he none of theim But for euerie occasion of any importaunce woulde behead the offendour without any respect to his qualitee or kinne And his procedynges were suche that the Frenche kyng confyrmed hym in that office for terme of life to the great contentacion of the citesins who in his rigorous iustice founde greater ease than in the softe procedynges of the other gouernours whose gentilnesse gaue libertee to the presumptuouse multitude to doe what thei wolde whiche was theyr owne destruction ¶ Than Iano kynge of Cyprus who had been borne bredde vp well intreated in Genoa laied siege to the citee of Famagosta intendyng to gette it from the Genowaies but an armie of .18 saâ—â—e was incontinently made thither vnder the leading of Bouciquart who not onely raysed the siege but also constreigned the kynge to paie their charges and atchieued diuers other enterprises on the costes of Soria neuerthelesse in his retourne the Uenetians mette with hym and puttyng him to flight toke .iii. of his galeis and yet was the mattier so handled that the warre betweene the Uenetians and Genowaies ceassed for this time In dede Bouciquart in his owne quarell defied the Duke of Uenice and Carlo Zeno capitaine of the Uenetian galleis to feight either hande to hande or number for number but he was not aunswered ¶ This Bouciquart for the space of .viii. yeres ruled the common wealth of Genoa by whiche tyme the citee of Serezana with the countee about came to the obedience of the Genowaies Because they were of them selfes no more able to resiste the Florentines and Bouciquart solde to the common wealthe the Porte of Ligorno besides Pisa for .26000 duckates ¶ By his tyme also Benedict the .xii. Scismatike bishop of Rome came to Genoa and was there triumphantly receiued And the office of S. George was than deuised whiche endureth to this day ¶ The Siotes also rebelled in so muche that Bouciquart with .vi. galleis went thither and reduced them to their former obedience ¶ Finally couetyng to haue the rule of the astate of Millaine he made an armie of .6000 footemen and .5000 horsmen and not mistrustyng any alteracion in
of the time would allow amongest whiche one was that the Genowaies shoulde yerely sende hym a basen of golde as a present or rather as a tribute as he toke it ¶ Rafaell Adorno beyng persuaded that the common wealth should amende if he renounced the Duchie lefte it willyngly Whervpon Barnabas Adorno toke vpon hym but Ianus Di Campo Fregoso entred by nyght into the citee and deposyng Barnabas by force toke the astate vpon hym and died within two yeres ¶ After whom succeded Lewys Fregoso and after him Peter Fregoso In whose tyme the dominion of Corsica with the profittes comyng out of Caffa and out of the other places subiecte to the Genowaies in the easte were all conuerted to the magistrate of saincte George and the citee of Pera against Constantinople whiche apperteined before to the Genowaies was yelded to the Turke whan Constantinople was gotten ¶ Iohn Duke of Angio sonne to the forenamed Raynolde came this yere vnto Genoa where by accorde of the citesins he receiued the citee into the dominion of the Frenche kyng and therupon toke their feaultee But than came kyng Alfonse before the hauen with a notable army and so sore streigned the citee by siege that if death had not taken hym the rather out of the waie he muste needes haue gotten it Wheras his death vnloked for caused the whole armie to skatter here and there by reason whereof the Genowaies were delyuered euen whan they despaired of all mercy knowyng how muche the kynge was bent to their destruction ¶ Than incontinently thei made out an army in fauour of Duke IohnÌ„ towardes the recouerie of the realme of Naples whiche did hym notable seruice though in effecte his purpose proued not ¶ This meane while Peter Fregoso that had been Duke seeyng the power of the citee well abated by sendyng out of this armie made a power and imagenyng howe he myghte recouer his astate entred the citee by nyght But this Duke Iohn with the citesins resisted fought with hym all nyght and a part of the daie and at last repulsyng his men by chaunce locked hym with a few moe within the gates where at last he was slaine and some of his alies and confederates taken and beheaded ¶ But Duke IohnÌ„ after this victorie rested not longe till the commons beganne to contende for paiement of taxes and findyng faulte with the burdein that was laied vpon theim toke their weapons in hande and constreigned the Duke with all his frenchemen to flee into the Castell Where they besieged him and than made Prospero Adorno theyr Duke so that Raynolde father vnto the besieged Duke with helpe of the frenche kynge made a great armie by sea and lande and came to Genoa where he was well fought withall discoumfited and lost .2500 men so that the Genowaies remained in theyr libertee and yet were the ennemies no sooner retyred but ciuile sedicion sprange vp amongest theim within the citee For the Duke Adorno could not be contented to suffre the Fregosi to tarie within the citee whervpon either of theim made what power they coulde And the Fregosi hauyng the better hande expulsed Adorno made one of theyr owne name Duke ¶ This ouerthrow was so displeasaunt to the Frenche kynge that kepyng Sauona a certaine space in his handes and seeyng the maintenaunce therof ouerchargeable for hym gaue it vnto Fraunces Sforza than Duke of Myllaine withall his right vnto the astate of Genoa Whervpon Sforza sent an armie thither vnder the leadyng of Gasparo di Vicomercato and easely obteined the dominion of the citee by reason that Paule Fregoso than bothe Duke and archebishop of Genoa fledde without makyng any resistence knowing that the people hated hym for his great tyrannie ¶ Thus Gasparo beyng in the Dukes name placed in the rule of the citee the Genowaies sent .xxiiii. of their chiefest citesins in ambassade to Myllaine to gratifie the Duke that amiably receiued them And glad were the Genowaies that thei had gotteÌ„ him to be theyr lorde because the good gouernaunce of his owne subiectes made them to hope for lyke wealth and rest as it proued in deede But he lyued not fully .ii. yeres after ¶ Than succeded his sonne Galeazzo In whose time the Turke gatte the citee of Caffa with dyuers other townes in the easte parties apperteinyng to the Genowaies Whiche was not onely a great hyndraunce to theyr wealth but also to theyr reputacion ¶ And because this Galeazzo shewed hym selfe some what vnthankefull to the Genowaies beyng in deede a wilfull yonge man therfore the people murmoured against him and ones rebelled by procurement of Ierome Gentile whiche neuerthelesse without muche a doe was pacifiâ—d so that Galeazzo continued lorde thereof tyll he was slayne in Millaine through a conspiracie made againste hym As in the Milanese historie appereth ¶ But incontinently vpon his death the commons arose again and expulsyng the gouernour there for the Duke toke a newe order for the rule of their common wealth Wherfore incontinently a great armie was sente from Millaine whiche by the helpe of the Adorni with theyr parttakers discomfited Obietto di Flisco with the comminaltee and so beyng entred into the citee Prospero Adorno was established as the Duke of Millains liuetenaunte there But he continued scarcely one yere till by meane of new practises that he helde with Ferdinando kynge of Naples he was had in suspicion to the Milanese who willyng to depose hym raised a newe commocion of the people so that where he was before the Dukes liuetenaunte nowe he was made gouernour absolutely of the common wealth Wherupon a new armie was sente from Millaine to Genoa and there foughte withall and so discomfited that of .15000 men whiche departed from Millaine retourned not fully 3000. the rest some were slaine but the most parte taken This battaill beyng thus atchieued the Genowaies had no rather recouered their libertee but that their olde ciuile sedicion renewed For the Fregosi coulde not suffer the Adorni to rule wherfore within the citee they fell together by the eares And albeit that for a season the Adorni preuailed yet at length they were oppressed and constreigned to flee and Battista Fregoso made Duke after their olde maner who the .iiii. yere after his election was deposed by the procurement of Cardinall Fregoso and the Cardinall made Duke in his steede by whose tyme the Florentines made warre againste the Genowaies and gatte from theim the townes of Serezana and Pietra Santa whiche with the countreis aboute theym were of notable importaunce to the common wealth But it is no meruaile though the Florentines preuailed For the Genowaies were at that time habandoned of all the astates about them Wheras the Florentines were in leage with the bishop of Rome with the Uenetians and diuers others ¶ Than were the commons so wery of the Cardinalles rule that Obietto Flisco vpon compforte therof entred by night into the citee and
after muche fighte and longe contencion made the Cardinall to renounce so that the citesins remembryng how thei were best in quiet whan they were subiectes to the Duke of Millaine returned of newe to be vnder the Milanese dominion and than was Antony Adorno made gouernour of the citee for the Duke By whose time truce was taken with the Florentines to the Genowaies disaduauntage and Charles the .viii. Frenche kynge was ayded by the Genowaies towardes the winnyng of the realme of Naples but in his retourne thense they not onely discomfited a good parte of his army by lande but also toke .x. galleis and a great gallion that were retournyng into Fraunce from the kynges saied enterprise of Naples Whervpon diuers townes that before rebelled againste the common wealth retourned than vnto theim as Vintimiglia with others And Serezana was bought of the Castellane there for .25000 duckates ¶ The emperour Maximilian came also to Genoa and was there honourablie receiued ¶ This tyme was Lewys surnamed Moro Duke of Millaine and sins the last submission of the astate of Genoa vnto the Duke the house of Adorni had borne all the rule And because they had persuaded the common wealth to aide the Duke against the frenche kyng with 1000. men paied for .iii. monethes therefore whan the Frenche kyng had chaced the Duke from Millaine the citesins toke occasion to expulse the Adorni and sent ambassadours to kyng Lewys the .xi. than beyng at Millaine to offer them selfes to him who amiably receiued theim and made his cousen Philip of Cleues their gouernour who with .xviii. saile Frenche and Genowaies together toke his viage towardes the enterprise of Meteline to the whiche the Uenetians also sent .34 galleis But thei returned all without atchieuing their purpose ¶ Than came kynge Lewys to sporte him at Genoa and makyng great preparacion to receiue hym the nobles contended with the auncientes of the commons who shoulde goe before whiche for that tyme was iudged by Rocabertino lieuetenaunt for the gouernour that they should goe by age and nother by bloudde nor dignitee ¶ And albeit that this contencion was appeased for that time yet for this and other light causes there grew suche hate betwene the nobilite and commons that at length the multitude arose and constreignyng the gentilmen to flee out of the citee spoyled and robbed diuers of theyr houses ¶ Upon knowlage of whiche rumour the Frenche kyng sente the gouernour thither Who with .150 horse and 750. footemen entred the citee thinkyng with his presence and power to oppresse the peoples fury ¶ Than Aloise di Flisco with most parte of the nobiliteâ— had assembled a power and were come to Quarto in hope by the gouernours meanes to be reconsiled But than beganne the Artisanes with the rascall of the citee whiche for their pouertee were called Capette to assemble together in companies some of our ladie and some of saincte Iohn Baptist with other like and so to â—enne about doyng infinite harmes that the gouernour durst no more offer to beare any auctoritee For they made them .viii. rulers by the name of tribunes against whom no man mighte speake so that the gouernour seeyng his auctoritee cleane taken from hym departed ¶ A little before whose departure kynge Ferdinando of Spaine with .x. galleis and .vii. foystes entred the hauen and tariyng there a daie departed on his waie to Naples ¶ Than did they of the citee sende .iiii. ambassadours to the Frenche kynge who scarcely woulde loke vpon theim beyng determined by force to chastise theim and therfore sente commission to the Castellane that kepte the Castelletto to domage the citee all that he coulde who therupon secretly made an issue whan he knew he shoulde finde the chiefest in the churche of S. Fraunces and toke a number and ledde theim prisoners in to the castell where for their raunsomes the capitaine gatte aboue .10000 duckates But that letted him not from the execucion of his maisters commaundement for he neuer ceased but shotte of all maner of artillery into the citee and into the hauen to the great terrour and annoyaunce of the people ¶ Yet for all that these rascall Capette were so obstinate in theyr rebellion that with helpe of theyr new tribunes they made them a Duke one Paule Da Noue a dier of silke ¶ And though that the Cardinall Finaro with dyuers of the best citesins did what they could by counsaile to cause the people to submitte theim selfes to the frenche kynge who than newly was entred with an armie into Lumbardie yet would they neuer stowpe till the frenche kynge with his owne armie and with suche power as the nobilitee of Genoa could make came before the citee where the commons made a little resistence but at length he entred in armes made his armie to passe thoroughe the citee putte dyuers of the principall offenders to deathe receiued homage of the citesins sittyng in his magistee placed the nobilitie in their accustomed dignitees burned the bokes of couenauntes in steede whereof he graunted them some priuileges made theim paie .200000 crownes for his costes and .40000 to the buildyng of a fortresse at Capo di Faro encreased the garrison with .200 souldiours and finally bound theim to kepe .iii. galleis continually armed at theyr cost and charge And thus to his seemyng establisshyng all thynges retourned towardes Fraunce And at Sauona was ouertaken by the kyng of Spaine who in his retourne from Naples landed there to visite and salute the frenche kynge that lykewyse receiued hym with solemne cheere ¶ After this the Genowaies rested scarcely .ii. yeres in quiete vnder the Frenche kynges dominion Radolfo de La Noi beyng gouernour but there spronge vp a company in the citee called the felowship of the touÌ„ne whiche betokened that as the barell staues of the touÌ„nâ— were perfectly ioyned so were they knitte togethers in one will And these waxed so sâ—oute that they sente ambassadours to the Frenche kynge requiryng amongest other thynges a change of theyr gouernour whom they reputed to be an extorcioner and a tyranne But they spedde not of theyr purpose ¶ The meane whyle the bishop of Rome tempted and alteracion of the astate in so muche that the bishoppe of Vintimiglia came to the citee to the entent to slea the gouernour and to make a commocion And though he myst of his purpose yet did the great bishoppes purpose proue at length For Iano Fregoso with a certaine noumbre of men sent from the bishoppes campe entred the citee without any resistence thoroughe the gouernours cowardely flight And beyng made Duke forced the castell so sore that the Castellaine for .12000 duckates yelded it Neuerthelesse the Castell of the Lanterne helde still frenche and was besieged of the Fregosi But the Adorni rescued it and by coumforte of the frenche kynges armie by sea entred the citee Whervpon the Fregosi fledde so that the astate returned Frenche and Antoniotto Adorno
for artificers But for notable or sumptuouse buildynges it maie not be compared with Uenice Rome or Florence For all be it the houses be great and fayre within yet outwardely it is nothyng of that beautie and pompe that those other citees be by reason that for the most parte the Mylanese buildyng is all of bricke because harde stone and marble is not to be had by a great waie of ¶ Neuerthelesse the Domo of Myllaine beyng theyr Cathedrall churche is one of the rarest woorkes of our tyme built all of fine marble so well grauen and cutte that the woorkemanship is a wonder But it is of so vnmeasurable greatnesse that most men doubt whether euer it woull be finished or not thoughe it haue many thousande duckates of yerely reuenew in good land towardes the continuaunce and a noumbre of woorkemen daiely labouryng theron ¶ But what speake I of the churche the castell of Mylaine being so neere whiche in mine opinion is the worthiest and strongest of all Europe For it hath warde within warde fortresse diuided from fortresse that one maie holde against an other walles of endlesse strength and large dyches well watered as fayre built ouer all as nedeth to be and so well fortified that without famine it is impregnable And this concernyng the countrey citee and people of Myllaine in generall shall suffice ¶ The beginnyng and successe of the State of Myllaine AS Liuie and diuers other authors write the yere before the comyng of Christ .259 from the edificacion of Rome .460 and from the beginnyng of the worlde .4860 in the tyme of Assueâ—e otherwise called Cirus and Longimanus sonne of Xerses and nephew to Dario kynges of Persie The citee of Mylaine was rather augmented than newly built by certaine frenchemen called Senoni or Iusubrij people of low Britaine now called Semans where likewyse is a towne called Myllaine These were the frenchemen that fyrst passed the mountaines and settled them selfes in Lumbardie and that afterwardes went vnder the leadyng of Brenne to Rome burned the citee and besieged the Campidoglio though at last they were discomfited ¶ Finally in processe of tyme beeyng becomen Mylanese and made subiectes to the Romaines Amilcare the Affricane at his comyng into Italy persuaded theim to rebell wherfore they were foughten with and twise ouerthrowen firste by Furio the Pretor and after by Claudio Marcello who in the later conflict slew Mago brother of Hanniball with .37000 Affricanes and Mylanese together and therfore at his returne vnto Rome was receyued with triumphe ¶ Nowe wherfore it was called Millaine be two opinions the one is that it toke that name of the other Millaine in Brittaine the other by reason the forme of a farowyng sowe halfe couered with woulle signifiyng fattenesse was founde at the diggyng of the foundacion they called it Milana as who shoulde saie halfe woulle But howe so euer the occasion therof proceded I finde that it had diuers names as Subria Mesopia Paucentia Alba and Ercolea of Ercole Massimino that furnished it with houses and closed it with walles and also builded a temple in it to the honour of Hercules whiche is nowe conuerted to be the churche of S. Laurence ¶ Thus after the tryumphe of Claudio Marcello Millaine encreased more and more and rested in peace about 500. yeres beyng in maner the chiefe markette of all Italy Insomuche that many Romaines came thither to dwell and many tymes the selfe emperours came thither to solace But at length in the time of saincte Ambrose bishop there whan the secte of Arrians began it was somewhat troubled and shortly after destroied by kynge Attila called of the Italians Flagellum Dei ¶ And albeit that it was after reedified yet by Totila and the emperour Iustinians capitaines it was for the more parte again and again destroied And by the Lumbardes also it was many tymes sore vexed But laste of all Galuano who beyng taken prisoner by the emperour Barbarossa by escape was retourned seeyng afterwardes the same Federico occupied with the Frenche warres reedified it of new and diyng without issue left it to his citesins who with fauour of their neighbours gouerned the same as a common wealth the space of .52 yeres tyll Giouanni Torrigiani a principall citesin vsurped the dominion by force ¶ This Torrigiani as he that was cruell and desyrouse to make his astate durable feigned daiely newe crimes and offences against his citesins and specially against the Visconti to rydde theim out of the waie And though he cloked his crueltee with the beste colour of iustice that he coulde imagine outwardesly so that no man for feare durste withstande hym yet God takyng vengeaunce suffered hym to be discomfited and slayne before Parma where he had ben two yeres generall of the emperours army against the bishop of Rome ¶ Now vpon the death of Torrigiani the Mâ—lanese beganne to contende amongest theim selfes so longe that at laste Martino Turrigiani toke the dominion vpon him and kepte it two yeres in whiche time beyng aduertised that Ezelino lorde of Uerona with many banished Mylanese caâ—e in armes against him he issued out into the fielde with his power fought with Ezelino hurt and toke hym prisoner and so beeyng victoriouse and of the age of .80 yeres died at Souzino ¶ After hym succeded his sonne Philippo who beyng but weake herted and grosse witted made neuerthelesse warre againste the Cremonese sacked Como toke Bergamo and Nouara and finally expulsed the familie of Tornielli After whiche enterprises he died leauyng the astate to his sonne Napoleone that after happened to be slaine Unto whom succeded his sonne named Philippo that by meane of the archebishop Ottone Visconti was afterwardes expulsed ¶ It is to be vnderstand that before the time of Giouanni Torrigiani the house of Visconti was equall with the beste of Millaine beyng descended of the Erles of Angiera that before tyme had ben lordes of Millaine for the name of Visconti was taken of Ottone sonne of Elipandro who by reason he was lorde both of Angiera and of Millaine called him selfe Bisconte as who should say twise Erle ¶ This Ottone being gone in a croisy with other princê to conquere the holy lande foughte there with a Sarasine hande to hande and ouercame him and because the Sarasine for his enseigne caried on his crest an adder with a littell childe in his mouthe Ottone as a perpetuall memory of his victorie vsed the same euer after in his armes ¶ But nowe to come to the purpose aboute the yere of grace .1262 there remained .iiii. bretherne of the house of visconti on liue that is to wete Ottone before named Vberto Iacopo and Gasparo sonnes of Vberto de Visconti ¶ This Ottone the archebishop beyng than a banished man through helpe of his kinsman Gregorie bishop of Rome by force expulsed out of Millaine the foresaied Philippo Torrigiani sonne of Napoleone and finally became lorde therof beyng afterwardes
In folowyng the victorie wherof the Uenetians had alreadie passed the riuer of Adda and scoured the countrey euen to the gates of Myllaine he at last a little before his deathe bequethed his astate by testamente vnto the kynge Alfonso as to one the deerest friende he had ¶ This Philippo had ben a prince of a subtill nature wittie a louer of trauaile couetouse to learne and to haue and yet liberall in geuyng easie of pardonyng but suspiciouse out of measure and so light of credence that many tymes he wrongefully ridde out of the waie the deerest friendes he had Wherof it folowed that in his most businesse he founde him selfe vtterly habandoned leauyng the state of Myllaine in maner naked For the Duke of Orliens in the right of his wyfe Valentina daughter of Giangaleazo enforced hym selfe to atteine the possession whiche the emperour Federico for his parte in titell of the empyre denyed But Francesco Sforza as soonne in lawe of the deade Philippo withstode theim bothe insomuche that thorough this rumour the Mylanese rent the testament in peeces and toke on theim theyr libertee electyng .xii. men to diuise order for the gouernaunce of theyr citees whervnto they had the helpe of Carlo Gonzaga who beyng lately departed from the campe of Sforza was present in Mylaine the same time And so the new officers beyng ordeined there were many of those nobles slaine that were knowen fauourable to the part of Francesco whose power courage the Mylanese feared muche more than the puissance of France or of themperour ¶ The father of this Francesco named Mutio was borne besydes the castell of Cotignuola and folowyng the warres fyrst serued the souldiours with cariyng of woodde and water Than gettyng a little with sackyng here and there became so stronge and hardie that many tymes he would by force take the bootie from his owne companions and therfore was called Sforza ¶ From whiche base condicion he beganne to waxe an aduenturer and to feight on horsbacke so that finally he became a capitaine and in short space was iudged equall vnto Braccio Montone the valiauntest and honourablest generall of those daies ¶ But at last after he had long time serued the Queene Giouanna against kyng Alfonse in the realme of Naples and in other places dooen many notable enterprises couetyng to saue a lakey in the riuer of Pescara he was drowned hym selfe and coulde neuer after be founde nor heard of ¶ Than was this Francesco his sonne fyrst waged of the forenamed Queene and after of the Uenetians than of Philippo and after Philippo of the Mylanese against the Uenetians and lastely of the Uenetians against the Mylanese In all whiche doynges as well in the realme as in Lumbardie he euermore shewed great prouffes of his worthinesse and at last with helpe of the Uenetians came against Myllaine and besieged it Insomuche that after longe resistence constreigned with hunger and deceiued of theyr promised helpe from the Uenetians the Mylanese fyrst sleayng the Uenetian ambassadour accepted Francesco for theyr prince Who not longe after stablishyng the thynges of Mylaine at his pleasure made warre to kynge Alfonso and to the Uenetians bothe in whiche warres he was serued of these valiaunt capitaines Tiberio Brandolino Nicolo Guerriero Dolce dell ' Anguillara Carlo di CaÌ„po Basso and Iacopo Piccinino whiche Iacopo was promysed to haue to wyfe his daughter Drusiana before tyme maried vnto Iano Fregoso Duke of Genoa How be it the Duke Francesco afterwardes for suspicion caused this Iacopo to be slaine ¶ Aboutes the same tyme whylest Eugenio bishoppe of Rome was occupied at the counsaile of Basile Francesco as his enemie attempted to take the state of Marca from hym And there kept warre longe tyme with kynge Alfonso whom the saied bishop had sent thither against hym where they saie Francesco was defied by Nicolo Piccinino and beyng chalenged to feight hande to hande would in no wyse accept it That notwithstandyng he was vndoubtedly a worthie man of armes the most happie and valiaunt of all other in his tyme. For in those .xvi. yeres that he reigned Duke he in maner extinguisshed the sedicion of the parties of Guelâ—i and Ghibellini insomuche that the Genowaies fallen in discorde amongest theim selfes seeyng the good gouernaunce of this Duke Francesco with the louyng enterteinement of his subiectes willingly embraced him for theyr lorde He loued muche Cosmo di Medici of Florence by whose helpe and counsaile it is thought he prospered not a little in the beginnyng of his astate seyng that Cosmo assoone as he was made Duke sent ambassadours vnto hym reioysyng at his prosperitee For the friendship wherof Francesco afterwardes succoured Piero di Medici in the coniuracion made against hym by Luca Pitti whom Borso Duke of Ferrara fauoured ¶ This Duke Francesco reedified the little Forte in the Castell of Myllaine called Gioue and builded many deuoute places Neuerthelesse in his age he was somewhat blamed for his disordinate loue to women more than his astate his age and his passed vertues did allowe ¶ Finally finisshyng the course of this life he lefte by his wife Bianca .v. sons Galeazo Lodouico surnamed Moro Ascanio Philippo Oâ—tauiano and a daughter named Hippolita Maria that afterwardes was maried to Alfonso Duke of Calabria ¶ Whan Galeazo beyng in the warres in France with kynge Lewys heard of his fathers death he retourned to Myllaine where he was receiued as Duke And all be it he was expert in armes yet did he neuer shew any honourable prouffe thereof as he that entred into an astate ouermuche wealthie and quiete And because he had so muche felicitee that he thought it impossible euer to decaie he set so little by men and by vertue that many of his owne citesins and seruauntes hated him And thei whom he fauoured most conspyred his death and slew hym The principall wherof was oâ—e Gianandrea Lampugnano that with his owne handes fyrst strake hym in the churche of saincte Stephen whan Galeazo had his garde of Halberders rounde about hym Whiche Halberders incontinently slewe the same Giauandrea that fleeyng through the women happened to be tangled by the spurre muche after the maner as he was serued that slew Asdruball in Spaine ¶ And albeit that this Galeazo through his delicate or wanton life became odiouse and vnworthy to theim that delited in chieualry and also hated of them that had the fairest wifes and doughters with whom he wolde be familiar as the fame went yet the commons lamented hym a great deale more than many of his predecessours because that duryng his life thei remaigned in peace For in peace whan the souldiour doeth begge the plow prospereth and in warre whan the plow man is fledde the souldiour plaieth the swyne ¶ These thynges beyng thus happened Giouanni the sonne of Galeazo than but a childe succeded in the astate vnder the gouernaunce of his mother Bona and of one Cecco that longe tyme had ben broughte vp in that
house ¶ This Cecco was borne in Calabria of verie lowe degree But through his wisedome he became noble and of so good credite with Francesco Sforza that he gouerned most thynges in Millaine ¶ Finally whan Galeazo was deade to the entente that Giouanni might the more quietly enioy the dominion he sente away his other brethern into exile But at length Lodouico Moro vncle to Giouanni was reuoked by the people and ineontinently vpon his retourne Cecco beheaded and Bianca the mother exiled ¶ After whiche time Giouanni remayned in the astate aboutes .xii. yeres But his proufe was so simple that in maner by force he committed the rule of all thynges to Lodouico By whose meanes as he that was not yet contented some say Giouanni at length was poisoned and died in Pauia leauyng issue a sonne called Francesco Sforza begotten on his wife Isabella doughter of Alfonso kyng of Naples ¶ Now incontinently as Giouanni was deade this Lodouico Moro bothe of the people and also by consent of the emperour Maximilian was proclaymed Duke and shortely after maried his neece Bianca doughter of his brother Galeazo vnto the same Maximilian takyng also vpon him the protection of his nephew the yonge Francesco Sforza and of his mother Isabella ¶ Than maried he Beatrice the doughter of Ercole Duke of Ferrara and begatte on hir Francesco Sforza with a secounde sonne in whose birth the mother died ¶ This Moro was a wittie man of veray gooo disposicion and one that delited muche in the administracion of iustice in peintyng and in cunnyng men ¶ In the beginnyng of his astate he entred in amytee with the Florentines the Senese the Bologniese with Ercole da Este with the Marques of Mantua with Lewis kyng of Fraunce and with Alfonso kyng of Naples But lyke as he was easy to enter into frendeship so for a trifle wolde he sodeinly breake with the best of theim ¶ He helped Charles Duke of Sauoy against Lodouico Marques of Saluzzo and confined his brother the Cardinall Ascanio because in Ferrara he had practised diuers new thynges against him ¶ He toke Boccalino by siege that had rebelled against the Romayne churche and therby gratyfied the bishop of Rome ¶ With his great policie he recouered Genoa that before had rebelled against him He founde the meanes to bryng Charles the .viii. Frenche kyng into Italy to expulse kyng Alfonso out of Naples because he had before taken him for his ennemie for sekyng to mainteigne the astate of Giouanni the sonne of Galeazo againste him ¶ This comyng of the Frenche kynge not onely annoied Alfonso but also troubled all Italy ¶ Finally he made warre against the Uenetians which dured till that after the death of kynge Charles Lewys succeded in the realme of Fraunce who hated so muche this Duke Moro that beyng entred in leage with the Uenetians Moro was constreigned to flee into Almaine where he remained whilest the Frenchemen toke Millaine and the Uenetians Cremona and Gieradadda How be it not longe after the Frenchemen through their yll gouernaunce were driuen from Millaine and Lodouico reuoked home out of Douchelande who after his arriuall takyng Neuara and trauaylyng to chace the Frenche men out of Italy was betraied of the Douchemen and bothe he and Ascanio taken and ledde into Fraunce where finally he died ¶ This Lodouico reignyng in his dominion vsed to answere them that counsailed him to encrease his treasure with taxes and tallages that the office of a good shepeherde was to shere his sheepe and not to flaie theim ¶ Thus Lodouico Moro taken and deade as is beforesaied his sonne Francesco shortely after the battaill of Rauenna beyng than but tender of yeres was astablished Duke of Millaine by the emperours meanes and continued in the astate till the comyng of Fraunces the Frenche kynge into Italy who with the helpe of the Uenetians chaced him away and gatte the state of Millaine by force leauyng Mounser de Lautrech gouernour of the same so that Francesco Sforza withdrew him to Trent and there remained till the Frenche men through their tyranny and yll gouernaunce became so hated of the Milanese that at length they were chased away and Francesco reuoked home though in effect he enioyed it not longe For the Frenche kynge shortly after with a great power came in his owne person into Italy and so chaced Francesco againe out of the state of Millaine and prospered muche in his warres there vntill the iourney of Pauia where he with many of his nobles were taken prisoners After whiche discomfiture Francesco Sforza by the emperours fauour was ones again restored to the Douchie of Millaine and continued in the same till through enuy and malyce of some piâ—â—ethankes the emperour was vniustly persuaded that the saied Francesco was not so faithfull towardes his maiestee as his goodnesse had merited so that the emperour conceiuyng an vnkyndenesse and a mistrust in hym constreigned him by force not onely to habandone Millaine but also for his saufegarde to flee into the castell whiche after a verie longe siege he yelded vnto the imperialles to departe freely with bagge and baggage ¶ And so beyng letted of the imperialles from goyng to Como where he entended to sodgiourne tyll he might cleere his innocency towardes the emperour in maneâ— halfe desperate he agreed with the Frenche men drew to the campe of the leage that than was made against the emperour ¶ Finally he went vnto Cremona till after the taking of sainct Polo the Frenchemens dooynges in Italie went all to wracke Wherfore seeyng the emperour Charles the .v. that nowe is come to Bologna to bee crowned he went simplie thither vnto hym and there submittyng hym selfe with iust excuses recouered his magistees fauour with restitucion of the astate of Myllaine vpon these condicions folowyng That the Duke shoulde marie the emperours neece daughter of the kynge of Denmarke and of the emperours syster that he shoulde paie the emperour nine hundreth thousande duckates in tenne yeres by equall porcions And finally that diyng without issue he should leaue his astate of inheritaunce to the emperour ¶ Incontinently vpon which agrement Alexandro Bentiuogli as vice Duke with diuers other officers were sent to Myllaine to leauey the fyrste paiemente of this money whiche was easily gathered vp For the Mylanese couetyng the retourne of theyr Duke whom for his gentill and temperate gouernance in tymes past thei hertilie loued sticked not to streigne them selfes for his reliefe in suche wyse that thoughe theyr customes and taxes were doubled by reason of these paiementes yet theyr hope of better life to come vnder their Duke made theim not to esteeme theyr present charges ¶ Than came themperours neece the daughter of Denmarke to Myllaine and there was most solemnely receiued with infinite triumphes and finally maried to the Duke in presence of the Cardinall of Mantua with suche feastes and plaies afterwardes as so great a mariage requyred ¶ But ere a yere went about the Duke through
great infyrmitee blinded of one eye died without issue leauyng the astate of Myllaine wholly to the emperour who euer sens hath gouerned the same by his lieuetenauntes The fyrst wherof was named Antonio di Leua so lame a man of his limmes that he vsed to be caried on mens shoulders but on the other side so prudent and ware a capitaine in his doyngê as in his daies was not lyghtly to be founde againe ¶ Next vnto whom folowed the Marques of Vasco a verie honourable and courtly man but not altogether man but not altogether so happie in his procedinges as suche noble men couette to be ¶ Finally after his death the emperour hath placed there the famouse Don Ferrando Gonzaga vncle to the Duke of Mantua whose prosperitee hath not onely been great in feates of warre but also wonderfull in purchasyng of fame through the sincere and rare administracion of iustice that he vseth ¶ I call it not rare for other cause than for the rare correction he hath vsed against the offendours wherby he hath wonne the hertes of theim that loue iustice ¶ As for the progresse of the thynges happened in the state of Myllaine sens the death of Francesco Sforza in whom it semeth the house of Visconti to haue taken his ende I shall not neede here to make any rehersall because on the one syde the dooynges of the same haue not been verie great and on the other side they are present and fimiliare ¶ Of the astate of Mantua THe citee of it selfe is very fayre and stronge and standeth richely by reason the countreis about are plaine and no lesse plentiful than the other partes of Lumbardie be It is stronge because the riuer of Meltio or Mentio as some call it fallyng out of the lake of Garda thoroughe the towne of Peschiera passeth to the Pò by Mantua and maketh about it suche a poole that thre partê of the citee are defended with the bredth of a quarter of a myle of water euery waie whiche in some places is deepe and in some shalow that it can not be passed with botes And than in the necessarie places suche bulwarkes are made to defende that it semeth impossible to be wonne by assaulte on that side ¶ And for the .iiii. parte whiche is towarde the weast it is verie well fortified with stronge wallê and bulwarkes and a large byche well watered besides that the grounde on that side is in maner all marisshe or at the least so ranke that in the driest of the sommer there can none artillerie passe so that the citee is vndoubtedly one of the strongest that I haue seen ¶ The dominion that the Duke hath is not great neyther of circuite nor of reuenew For at the best as I haue ben enformed the rentes neuer passed an .100000 duckates a yere and many times it hath ben much lesse by reason it is not standyng but riseth of customes and casualtees ¶ It is true that the state is muche encreased by reason of Monferrato that the last Duke had by the mariage of his wyfe so that now the Duke of Mantoa's rentes by estimacion are reckened at .130000 duckates or theraboutes ¶ And as for notable buildinges in Mantua other than suche as be vniuersall in the goodly citees of Italie I finde none sauyng certaine propre lodgeynges that the Duke Federico deceased hath made on the southe part of his palaice whiche vndoubtedly are galaunt and riche Wherfore procedyng now to the originall of the citesins and citee with the successe therof hitherwardê ¶ The Originall of Mantua BY agreement of most aucthours I fynde that the people of Mantua are descended of those auncient Tuscanes that before the siege of Troie departed out of Lydia in Asia and vnder the leadyng of theyr prince Tirreno came and enhabited the region of Italie Part of whiche Tuscanes chosyng afterwardes the place of Mantua for theyr habitacion builded the citee before the comyng of Eneas into Italie and before the edificacion of Rome more than .300 yeres The capitaine of which people at that time was named Ogno a verie expert man in Astronomie or in the science of diuinacion For his vertue in whiche science folowyng the Greeke woorde Mantia he named the citee Mantua How be it Dante speakyng therof referreth the beginnyng of Mantua to Manto daughter of Tiresia kynge of Thebes whom the poetes feigne lost his sight for iudgeyng betwene Iupiter and Iuno that the woman in the vse of nature had more pleasure than the man taken for iudge in this mattier because through the killyng of certayne serpentes he before tyme had ben chaunged from a man to a woman and had vsed in bothe kyndes So that Iupiter in recompence of his sight that Iuno had taken from him gaue hym the science of diuinacion and he hauyng a doughter afterwardê according to that science named hir Manto who comyng into Italy was aucthour bothe of the beginnyng and also of the name of Mantua But howe so euer it were I finde that ones it was destroied by Attila kyng of the Goti and after by Agilulfo kynge of the Lumbardes thyrdely by Cacciano kyng of Bauiera and lastly by the Hungariens And than beyng reedified Nicolas the secounde bishop of Rome helde a generall counsaill there in the which these holy Pilates I wold say Prelates decreed that from thense forth the bishops of Rome shulde be elected by the college of Cardinalles to the intent the emperours shoulde haue no more to doe withall At the tyme oâ— whiche counsaill Matilda doughter of the Conte Bonifacio was ladie of Mantua ¶ This Conte Bonifacio was lorde of the citees of Luca Parma Reggio Mantua and Ferrara called altogethers at that tyme Il Patrimonio and was so great a man that he obteigned vnto wife Beatrice sister of Henry the secounde emperour of Almaine Whiche Beatrice after hir husbandes death gouerned the whole dominion 15. yeres and was finally buried in Pisa leuyng hir doughter Matilda before named with an husbande named Godfrey in the astate ¶ Matilda after the death of hir husbande Godfrey maried againe and at length founde meane to be diuorsed insomuche that diyng without issue she lefte hir whole astate vnto the churche of Rome and was buried in the abbey of S. Benette di Bondeno besides Mantua ¶ After whose death the citee of Mantua was gouerned by Romaine vicares and legates vntill aboutes the yere of grace .1220 one Sordello founde the meanes to be principall gouernour therof the mightiest man of body and strength that was in those daies insomuche that beyng prouoked many tymes to feighte he alwaies remained vanquisher Through the notable fame wherof the Frenche kynge sente for hym and beyng arriued in his presence merily saied vnto him he belieued not that he shoulde be Sordello wherwith Sordello beyng offended incontinently tourned his backe without speakyng any worde and beyng called againe was demaunded by the Frenche kyng what he meaned so sodeinly to tourne
his backe he aunswered I wolde haue retourned to Mantua to bryng witnesse that I am Sordello ¶ He maried one of the doughters of Ezelino da Romano who first beyng enamoured on him vsed secretly to departe from hir fathers house and goe to Mantua vnto him Wherof Ezelino at length hauyng knowlage tempted by meane of his doughter that Sordello shoulde haue betraied the Mantuanes into his handes but Sordello wolde neuer consent therunto insomuche that at laste Ezelino came him selfe and besieged Mantua hopyng to gette it by force But all in vayne for after he had lien before it certaine daies he finally was constreigned to raise his siege and not longe after died So that the Mantuanes prouoked through that example immediately endeuored them selfes to fortify their citee with diches and water to the ende that in tyme to come their vittailes might not easily be cutte from theim And in shorte space after fell in contencion with the Cremonese for the possession of the ryuer of Oglio In whiche time the notablest families of Mantua were the Poledroni that had chaced awaie the Crabrosi and next theim were the Arloâ—â—i the Caccialodi the Grassolani and the Agnelli but at length the Buona Colsi became most puissaunte of all the rest the heade of whiche house was named Pinamonte who beyng conspired against by all the other forenamed families founde the meane to ouercome all their forces And beyng elected with an other named Ottonello vnto the chiefest office of iudgement vpon life and death for terme of .vi. monethes he founde the meane also to slea his colleage and to vsurpe the dominion ouer the citee by force ¶ Neuerthelesse afterwardes he behaued hym selfe so well that throughe his gentile and iuste dealynges he gatte the citesins fauour and continued in the astate .18 yeres After whom succeded Bardelaio yll beloued of all men and nexte him Botticello indifferently well beloued on the other side But last of all Passerino enioied the dominion whose sonne named Francesco caused the destruction of his father of him selfe and of their other kynne and friendes by this meane ¶ Amongest his many friendes Philippino sonne of Luigi Gonzaga was one Of whom this Francesco beganne to conceiue a ialousy touchyng his wife and so muche encreased this suspicion that beyng on a day as â—he maner is greeted by Philippino he churlishly aunswered that he wolde be euen with him by forsyng his wife again openly in the markette place The arrogancy of whiche aunswere so muche enflambed the innocent hert of Philippino that incontinently he began to imagine how to be auenged not on Francesco alone but also on the father Passerino considering that the one coulde not be well done without the other And so declaryng the terrible wordes of Francesco lamented the case vnto his brother Guido Gonzaga and to diuers other of his friendes and kynne who all togethers with the helpe of Cane lorde of Scala determined to dispatche Passerino And at the daie appoyncted assemdled in armes in the markette place and there slewe Passerino as he fledde towardes his owne house to haue saued hym selfe So that whan Passerino was slayne the house of Gonzaga toke on it the dominion banished diuers of the contrary part beheaded Francesco and therwith ceased from further crueltee against their enemies by commaundement of the forenamed Luigi Gonzaga that firste of that name was lorde of Mantua ¶ This familie of Gonzaga had his beginnyng of one Luigi Tedesco an Almaine of royall bloudde who in the tyme that all Italie was in armes and so many armies about Robicone had taken place for hym and all his familie at Mantua Of whom afterwardes descended this Luigi Gonzaga before named that aboutes the yere of grace .1328 beganne his dominion ouer Mantua and gouerned the same afterwardes the space of 53. yeres He had three wifes and by euery wife three sonnes By the fyrst he had Guido Philippino and Feltrino By the seconde Currado Alberto and Federico And by the thyrde Azo Iacopo and Giouanni Insomuche that there hapned in Mantua three notable mariagê of that house in one time Luigi him selfe to his last wife of the house of Malespini Currado his son to the sister of Mastino della Scala and Vgolino his sons son borne of Guido vnto a little girle of Becacci da Pauia At whiche mariagê there assembled a wonderful nuÌ„bre of people insomuche that Luigi him selfe gaue away amongest nobles gentilmen .120 goodly horses ¶ After the successe of these thynges whylest Philippino was folowyng the warres in seruice of the kynge of Hungarie against the kynge of Naples there hapned a mischaunce vnto the house of Gonzaga ¶ Isabell wyfe of Lucchino Visconti lorde of Myllaine a verie fayre woman feigned to hir husbande that she had made a vow to goe in pylgrimage vnto Uenice and vnder that colour obteignyng licence she toke Mantua in hir waie where she lodged in the house of Gonzaghi auncient friendes vnto hir husbande And after she hadde supped secretely sent for Vgolino vnto whom she declared that for the feruent loue she bare to hym she had taken on hir that iourney praiyng hym therfore to kepe hir company vnto Uenice ¶ This thyng came to the eares of Lucchino who prouoked therby laied siege to Mantua Neuerthelesse findyng the friendes of Vgolino innocent of the fault and that Guido the father did his best to correcte hym Lucchino through intercession leueied the siege And shortly after Luigi Gonzaga of the age of .93 died hauing ledde an happie life to see so many forewarde persones to the .iii. and fourthe degree of his owne generacion ¶ After whom Guido his eldest sonne entred into the astate and whilest the empyre was vacant by the helpe of his brother Philippino gatte Lamporeggio and contended longe tyme in armes with Obizone Marques of Ferrara who at length was ouercomen by Philippino and with great losse constreigned to withdraw hym home vnto Ferrara ¶ This Guido had .iii. soonnes Vgolino Francesco and Luigi And because the two younger perceiued that the father fououred more the eldest they takyng counsaile together determined to ridde hym out of the waie and so biddyng hym to supper on an euenyng slew hym ¶ This vnnaturall part of the sonnes was supported of the dolorouse father as well as nature woulde suffre it But because the correction therof shoulde haue drawen more bloudde of his owne he therfore sought to abate his passion with the new mariage of his sonne Francesco vnto the doughter of Guido Polenta lorde of Rauenna Neuerthelesse Bernabo Visconti vncle to the wife of Vgolino to auenge Vgolino's death after he had first fette awaie his neece laied siege to Mantua by reason wherof Guido was constreigned to sue for helpe to the emperour Charles that than warred in Italie who before time goyng towardes his coronacion and passyng through Mantua had been there most honourablie receiued by Luigi father of Guido so that by the emperours
the astate of Urbine to his nephiew Francesco Maria Prefettino della Rouere whom he created Duke there ¶ This Francesco Maria was a verie wise and valiant prince nothing inferiour to Federike beforenamed who reigned not fully .x. yeres but Leo the x. that succeded Iulie the .ii. made a puissaunt armie and expulsed him out of his astate and rased the walles of the citee euen to the earth Whervpon he established his nephiew Iuliano di Medici Duke in his place and after his death for he liued but a while his brother Laurence di Medici who continued in the same till Adrian the .vi. that succeded Leo expulsed him and restored the astate vnto Francesco Maria that enioyed it till he died the space of .xvi. yeres in so great reputacion that all princes and astates of Italie loued and honored him and the greatest of them were glad to enterteine hym for their generall in the warres Wherin he gatte infinite summes of money But he was so great a builder and so liberall vnto his souldiours that whan he died he lefte no kynde of money in his coffers ¶ By his life tyme he builded the palaice besides Pesaro called Imperiale and fortified the citee of Pesaro and the castel there with diuers other goodly buildyngê and gatte Katherine daughter and heyre to the Duke of Camerine to be maried vnto his sonne Guido Vbaldo that now liueth In whose right he enioyed that astate duryng the fathers lyfe ¶ Assoone as Francesco Maria was dead Paule the iii. now bishop of Rome seyng this Duke that now lyueth a younge man without money or great friendes made so great a power against him that for feare to lose the whole he was contente for a little money and some other small recompences to yelde to the bishoppe the astate of Camerine whiche the bishop hitherto enioyeth And yet for all this the same bishoppe hath founde the meanes to marie his neece to the same Duke wherat many men meruaile not a little ¶ Finally this Duke Guido Vbaldo is generall ouer all the Uenetians landes townes and fortresses and hath of theim .10000 crownes annuitee But hitherto he hath had none occasion of triall in the warres He is meane of strature hard of fauour and very graue in countinaunce And though he be well learned his wysedome hath had no great triall as yet but men trust he woll proue as vertuouse as his predecessours ¶ The conclusion ¶ THere be dyuers other astates in Italy specially the common wealthes of Siena and Lucca the byshoprike of Trent called Tridentum in latine Piombino Mirandula Castell Geffroie and suche like but because they are not of suche reputacion either for dominion power or continuaunce of yeres that they shoulde be numbred amongest the principall I haue forborne to speake particulerly of theim though some in deede deserue notable praise besechyng all gentill readers to accept my trauaile and deligence vsed in this behalfe as a thyng done for their commoditees And thoughe I want learnyng and eloquence to accomplishe so high an enterprise as to descriue pithily the astates of countreis and commom wealthes yet sens I spared no paine nor labour to doe profite I wolde at the leaste wise for my rewarde craue good report JMPRINTED AT LONDON IN FLETESTRETE IN THE HOVSE OF THOmas Berthelet Cum priuilegio as imprimendum solum ANNO. M. D. XLIX ¶ The table of this present boke by letter AEbrigement of the astate of Italy froÌ„ the begynnyng vntill the Romain empire was vtterly diuided folâ—o 8. Abbrigement of the lyues of the Romaine bishops fo 41. Abbrigement of the Uenecian histories from the edificacion of the citee to this daie 85. Academie in Florence 139. Adoaldus 18. Adrianus 12. Agilulphus 18. Agostino Barbarico 110. Agrippa 9. Alaricus kyng of Gothes 15. Alba Siluius 8. Alboinus 18. Alberto 210. Aldeprandus 20. Aldobrandino 208. Alfonse kyng of Naples 66. Alfons adopted heire to quene Iohan. 131. Alfonse the seconde 134. Alfonso 212. Alexander Seuerus 12. Amalasuntha 17. Amulius 9. Ancus Martius 10. Andrea Dandolo 102. Andrea Contarini 104. Andrea Uendramino 109. Andrea â—ritti 111. Andrea â—oria 185.186.187 Angelo Particiaco 90. Annates 63. Antonio Ueniero 105. Antonio Grimani 111. Antonio di Leua 200. Antonius Pius 12 â–ª Antonius Caracalla 12. Antharis Flauius 18. Arches of Triumphe 29. Archadius 14. Arrigo Dandolo 96. Arno the riuer 137. Artificers of Italie 5. Arioldus 18. Aristolphus 20. Arithpertus 19.20 Ascanius 8. Asprandus 20. Astate of Mantua 200. Astate of Ferrara 207. Astate of Placentia Parma 212. Athalphus 16. Athis or Egyptus Siluius 9 Attila 10. and 190. Auentinus 9. Augustus 50. Auogadori 91. Aurelianus 13. Azone 191. Azo the fyrste and secounde 208. Azo the .iii. 209. B. BAgelardo 117. Bartholomeo Gradenico 101. Beginning and successe of the astate of Myllaine 189. Belles 91. Berengarius 48. Bernabo 191. Bishoppes palaice with Beluedere 4â— Bishoppe of Rome besieged 118. Biorgus 16. Boccatius 127. Borso 211. Bouâ—iquart 177. Bridges in Rome 23. Brâ—dges in Florence 137. Buildynges in Rome 41. Buildynges of Uenice 74. Buildyng of Genoa 163. C. Caesar. fol. 50. Cains Caligula 11. Caesar Fregoso 188. Capi Siluins 9. Cardinall hattes 56. Cardinalles sacked and baked 62. Cardinall Sauli 185. Carlo duca de Angio. 125. Carlo ii 126. Carlo iii. 129. Carpentus 9. Carus 13. Castell Cantâ— Angelo 41. Castell â—ouo 113. Caroccio 122. Castell of Millaine 189. Cercles 31. Charles Martell 45. Charles sonne taken prisoner 126. Charles the .v. emperour 136. Chilperike deposed 45. Christoforo Moro. 108. Circuite of Italie 1. Citee of Florence 137. Citee of Naples gotten by the Normaines 120. Citee of Urbine 214. Citta della 159. Claudius 11.13 Colosses and images 34. Comodus 12. Commoditees of Italie 1. Common prouision and charitable deedes in Uenice 82. Common people 149. Conrade 124. Constantius 14. Constantinus eodem Consules 10. Conduites of water in Rome 27. Counsaile of Uenice 78. Corradino .124 beheaded 125 Cortogoâ—â— 184. Cosino di Medici 152. Couetousnesse 134. Crueltee 96 98.124.125.12â—.208.209 Customes in theyr liuyng in Uenice 8â— Cyprus wonne 109. D. DApho fol. 18. Decius 13. Deâ—dato 89. DescripcioÌ„ of Italy 1. Descripcion of Rome 22. Descripcion of Naples 11â— Descripcion of Florence 137 Descripcion of Millaine 187 Desyderius 18.20 Didius Iulius 12. Dignitees and offyces in Uenice 77. Dioclesianus 11. Diuidyng of the empire 15. Diuision 141. Discorde 131. Dominion of Uenice 7â— Domenico â—â—one 89. Domenico Menicaccio eo Domenico Orseolo 9â— Domenico Flabenico eodem Domenico Contarini eod Domenico Siluâ—o eod Domenico Michele 94. Domenico Morosini 45. Dominion and gouernaunce of Genoa 161. Domitianus 11. Don Ferrando Gonzaga 188.200.213 Donacion of Constantine 14.43 Douchemens haull in Uenice 111. Drogone 116. Duke of Florence dominion and reuenew 139. Duke Cosmo. 159. E. EDificacion of Rome 9. Edificacion and successe of the citee of Florence 140. Edifices in Florence 137. Election of the emperour whan and by whom it was