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
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
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
foresaied realme And so folowyng that title the emperour besieged Naples but by reason of a great plage in his armie he was faine to leaue his siege and retourne into Almaine Before whose retourne whiche was .iiii. yeres after Tancredi dyed not reignyng fully .ix. yeres ¶ Immediately after his wife Sibile caused William their sonne to be crowned But the forenamed emperour pretendyng title in the right of his wyfe with a puissaunt army entred the realme and in maner without resistence obteined the whole driuing the Quene and hir son William from place to place so long that at length he besieged theim in a stronge holde where fallyng to composicion it was agreed that William should enioie the principate of Taranto with the Erledome of Leccio yeldyng therefore due obedience to the emperour who was sworen to obserue this couenaunt But contrary to his promyse the emperour assoone as he had the mother and sonne in his handes sent theim bothe into Almaine and made William to be gelded to the entente there should folow no more issue of that bloudde And so ended that noble house of the Normaines miserablie that about the space of .200 yeres had prospered and at length reigned in Italy Sicile as you haue heard ¶ After Henrie the .vi. emperour of Almaine borne of the house of Sueuia had thus extinguisshed the dominion and power of the Normaine bloudde in Italie he obteined the realme of Naples and Sicile and reigned ouer them well neere .iiii. yeres and died Leauyng the realme by testament vnto his sonne Federike whom his wife Constance bare after she was .50 yeres olde whiche being but a baabe he committed to the protection of his mother Constance of Innocent the .iii. than bishop of Rome and of his brother Phillip Duke of Sueuia ¶ So Federike not fully .iii. yeres olde was crowned kyng in Palermo shortly after whose Coronacion his mother Constance died commendyng the tuicion of the astate wholly to the bishop of Rome that accordyngly mainteigned the same to his power notwithstandyng that duryng the noâ—eage of Federike diuers businesses hapned in the realme Fyrst by Marquarde an Almain made Marques of Ancona by Henry the .vi. after by Gualtiero di Brenna a Frencheman who in the right of his wyfe one of the systers of the last kyng William the Normain pretended title to the realme Finally by Ottho Duke of Saxonie whiche after he had obteined the imperiall crowne at Rome disposed hym selfe wholly to conquere Naples and Sicile till the forenamed Innocent by waie of excommunicacion had made so many of his nobles and prelates to forsake hym that he was faine to leaue his enterprise At last Federike beyng grewen sufficiently in yeres was called into Almaine and there elected emperour after the deathe of Ottho so that returnyng to Rome he was triumphantly crowned by Honorius the .iii. than bishop in recompence wherof he gaue the Erledome of Fondi with certaine other landes to the churche but shortly after Honorius excommunicated Federike the cause why I find not so that Federike to annoy the landes of the church gathered together a noumbre of disperpled Sarasines placyng theim in Luceria and did so muche hurte that neither Honorius nor yet Gregorie the .ix. that was bishop after hym .xiiii. yeres had in maner any good daies rest Some holde opinion that Gregorie died onely for sorow Neuerthelesse this Federike was a woorthy man He had .iii. wyfes the fyrst named Constance syster to the kyng of Castile by whom he had a sonne named Henry that afterwardes for rebellyng against his father died in prison the seconde was Iolante daughter of Iohn di Brenna kyng of Ierusalem with whose maryage the tytle of the realme of Ierusalem was geuen him whiche title all the Napolitane kynges haue kepte euer sens as the emperour doth at this daie the thyrde was Isabell daughter to the kynge of Englande This Federike went into the holy lande with a puissaunt armie and there behaued hym selfe so valiauntly that the Soldane sued to hym for truce and vpon agrement deliuered to him the citee of Ierusalem with the whole realme thereunto belongyng a fewe small fortresses onely excepted insomuche that in the myddest of Lent he was in Ierusalem crowned and before his retourne reedified the citee of Ioppa now called Zaffo And after a notable victorie had againste the Milanese with other their confederates of Lumbardie he entred into Cremona in maner of a triumphe leadyng after hym a noumbre of prisoners with theyr Carroccio on the whiche Piero Tiepolo Potestate of Myllaine was hanged by one of the armes with an halter about his necke This Carroccio was a carte drawen by certeine oxen trimmed about with greeces or steppes in maner of a kyngly seate and decked with ornamentes of tapestrie and silkes of the beste sorte with the standardes and baners of all the confederate citees and nobles Unto whiche as to the principall place of iudgement or of audience all men vsed to resort And whan so euer the Carroccio in any battaile was loste than was the fielde wonne for about it was alwaies the strength of the battaile ¶ Of this battaile and triumph one wrote these wordes Hae occisis non sufficiunt sepulturae nec Cremonae palatia multitudinem non capiunt captiuorum whiche is as much to saie To theim that are slaine sepultures suffise not nor the palaices of Cremona are not able to receiue the multitude of prisoners ¶ Than Gregorie lette crie the Croisie against him and so muche prouoked hym that all the priestes he toke he caused their shauen crownes to be cutte a crosse with a number of other despites And beyng at siege before the citee of Faenza whiche he toke at last by composition wantyng money to paie his souldiours he coygned leather and valewed it whiche for the tyme serued as well as siluer or golde Afterwardes beyng returned into the realme he receiued the lether and gaue the valewe in golde for it again ¶ Entio kyng of Sardegna and sonne of this emperour Federike by his fathers commaundement fought with the Genowaies by sea and ouercame .40 saile of theim in whiche .iii. of the bishop of Romes legates with a numbre of other prelates goyng to the counsayle at Rome made against Federike were taken prisoners And Entio writing to his father to know what he should doe with theim was aunswered thus in two verses Omnes praelati papâ—mandante vocati Et tres legati Veniant huc vsque ligati Whiche is as muche to saie Sende me those prelates called by the pope With their .iii. legates bounde in a rope ¶ Finally Gregory the .ix. as I sayd before seyng he coulde by no meane preuaile against Federike sickened for sorowe and died ¶ Than succeded Innocent the .iiii. who before beyng a Cardinall was faste friende to the emperour But assoone as he was bishop he became his mortall enemy as Federike him selfe saied whan
whan thei perceiued an outwarde ennemie than were they inwardly soone agreed and assoone as they were sure of peace abroade incontinently thei warred againe within them selfes Neuerthelesse thei vsed the emperour so well with giftes and fayre woordes that he not onely suffred theim to continue in theyr libertee but also encreased theyr common wealth with a noumbre of priuileges and was occasion that after long contencion with them of Pisa the Genowaies at length enioied quietely the one halfe of Sardegnia whiche before the Pisani had wholly to theim selfes ¶ About this tyme the Souldan of Aegypt gotte Ierusalem and dyuers other citees in Soria out of the Christians handes Wherfore kynge Richarde of Englande and kynge Phillip of Fraunce made their viage into those parties and kynge Richarde arriued at Genoa with .xv. galleys where he taried but one daie After whom the Genowaies sente .80 saile with men and municion to the assiege of Acon or Ptholemaida To the succours of whiche citie the Souldan sent a ship charged with vittaillê and armure and amongest other a cage full of fleeyng serpentes purposely sent to be seâ— foorth in the Christian army that with theyr venim thei might plage it But it was mette by the englishe nauie and taken And the emperour Federike comyng towardes the same enterprise beyng alreadie entred into Soria by mishappe was drowned in a riuer ¶ After whose death his sonne Henrie nexte emperour came to Genoa in his owne person requiring their helpe to the conquest of Sicilia promisyng theim the profite so that he myght haue the honour Whiche so muche enflambed the hertes of the people that they made out a great number of galleis and other vesselles and dyd so muche seruice that the emperour in maner by their power gatte the whole ile of Sicilia whiche he vnthankefully considered For whan they had done theyr best for hym he rewarded theim with all the spite he coulde threatnyng to oppresse their libertee and to make theim his subiectes insomuche that the Pisani through coumforte thereof molested the Genowaies of newe and fortifiyng Poggio di Bonifacio fell to spoilyng and riâ—lyng of the Genowaies goodes by sea But at length the losse tourned to theim selfes For the Genowaies armed theim and takyng Bonifacio by force not onely sacked and munited it for theim selfes but also toke a number of Pisane shippes as thei coulde finde theim Wherupon it folowed that the Pisani made out their power and so fought diuers times with the Genowaies with diuers fortune ¶ The inhabitauntes of Vintimiglia breakyng the articles of accorde betweene the Genowaies and theim were faine to come barefoote with crosses in theyr handes to Genoa and aske pardon for feare of the preparacion that the citee made against theim And the yeere folowyng the Genowaies purchased the dominion of Gaui of the enheritours therof and the inhabitauntes of the vale of Arocia submitted their countrey to the Genowaies dominion ¶ And because the Pisani prepared to assayle certaine Genowaie ships comyng out of Soria laded with riche merchandise the citee armed certain galleis and shippes to conducte theim safely whiche metyng togethers in the mouthe of the Adriatike sea determined to attempt to wynne the citee of Saragosa in Sicile lately gotten by the Pisani In the enterprise wherof they take certaine Pisane shippes and without great feight wonne the citee leauyng it fortified and gouerned for the common welth of Genoa Than the Pisani made out a newe armie and besieged it and of lykelyhod shoulde haue put it to great afterdele if Henry erle of Malea in Greece with certayne galleys of his owne and other shippes of the Genowaies that came from be easte had not comen to the succours who fought with the Pisane armie and with helpe of theim that were within the towne obteined the victory to the great slaughter and losse of theim of Pisa. ¶ And because the erle Henrie of Malea had done the Genowaies great seruice diuers waies therfore they aided hym to their great charge with galleis shippes men and horses to defende Candia whiche he had vsurped vpon the Uenetians so that the Uenetians beyng therwith agreued immediatelie publyshed the Genowaies to be their ennemies wherupon folowed sharpe warres betwene theim many yeres after ¶ Here is to be vnderstand that froÌ„ the yere .1080 vnto the yere .1190 the citee was gouerned freely by the citesins vnder the name of Consulles without entermedling of straunge rulers and so in maner to this tyme though for the space of .26 yeres some straungers had ben now and than brought in as Potestates the consules neuerthelesse remainyng after the olde maner but from this tyme forewarde the Consulles ceased and straunge Potestates bare the rule a great tyme after ¶ The generall armie of the Christians liyng at the siege of Damiata in Aegypte was relieued with .10 galleis sente by the Genowaies through whose helpe the citee was gotten with wonderfull richesse and an infinite number of slaues besides the multitude of infidelles that were slaine howbeit the christians kepte not the citee longe for the yere folowyng the Sarasines recouered it againe ¶ Thei of Vintimiglia reâ—elled against the Genowaies so that after many light bickeringê at last an army was sente out against them whiche laie longe at siege before the towne and could not preuaile so that the Potestate to be assured of that enterprise edified an other towne betwene theim and the sea and with a garryson helde theim so streight that at last thei yelded wherupon the towne beyng recouered the Genowaies builded there two fortresses for the more suretee of the same ¶ In lyke maner thei of Sauona and of Albenga rebelled and were to their despite reduced to theyr former obedience But the warre that happened betwene Alexandria in Lumbardy and Genoa for the dominion of Capriata and other townes in the confynes betwene them was not so sone appeased though in effect the Genowaies at length preuailed ¶ Gregorie the .ix. bishop of Rome trauailyng to sende an armie into the holy lande agreed the Uenetians and Genowaies togethers for .ix. yeres and bounde theim to kepe peace on payne of cursyng But lyke as his enterprise came to naughte so his curse coulde not kepe those two astates from renewyng of their malyce as by their ofte fightyng with variable fortune appered after And beyng than in contencion with the emperour Federike and calling a counsail in Rome against themperour he sente to the Genowaies praiyng theim to conueyghe in saufetee the legates and prelates that came out of the west partes towardes that counsaill Wherfore they armed .27 galleis and receiuyng two Cardinalles and other prelates to the numbre of .40 at Niza in Prouance broughte theim solemnely to Genoa and goyng from thense with theim towardes Rome mette with Ansaldo admirall of the emperours nauie who foughte with them and toke .22 of those galleis withall those goodly prelates and diuers of the chiefe
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