kiss He was a man of so obliging a temper that no person went away sad out of his Presence And being so happy as to have a Contemporary Emperour like himself he designed to hold a Council vpon the account of the Monothelites Only he waited the time till Constantine should return from the War who had vanquish'd the Saracens and made them tributary to the Roman Empire But the Bulgarians advancing out of Scythia into Thrace and the Emperour endeavouring to put a check to their motion he was with great loss routed between Hungary and Moesia Hereupon he found himself obliged to strike up a peace with them upon disadvantageous terms permitting them to inhabit Hungary and Moesia though that Concession in the event proved a great benefit to the State of Christianity For these are the men who for this seven hundred and seventy years since have maintained a continual War and been the Bulwark of Christendom against the Turks Well a Peace being upon these Conditions concluded Pope Agatho sends to Constantinople his Legates John Bishop of Porto and John a Deacon of Rome Them Constantine receiv'd with all expressions of respect and very affectionately advised them to lay aside all Cavils and sophistical wranglings and Controversies and sincerely to endeavour the uniting the two Churches There were present at this Synod two hundred and eighty nine Bishops and by the Command of the Emperour there were brought out of the Library of Constantinople those Books from whence the Opinions and Determinations of the Ancients might be collected Gregory Patriarch of Constantinople and Macarius Bishop of Antioch perverting the sense of the Fathers maintain'd only one Will and Operation in Christ. But the Orthodox pressing hard with their Reasons and Authorities they thereby reclaimed Gregory and Macarius adhering obstinately to his Opinion they 〈◊〉 him and his Followers and made Theophanes an Orthodox Abbat Bishop of Antioch in his stead This Affair being thus successfully managed that thanks might be return'd to God for this Union of the two Churches in heart and mind John Bishop of Porto on the Octave of Easter in the presence of the Emperour Patriarch and the People of Constantinople in the Church of S. Sophia celebrates the Mass in Latin all that were present approving that way and condemning those that thought otherwise This was the sixth General Council consisting of two hundred and eighty nine Bishops held at Constantinople wherein upon the Authority of Cyril Athanasius Basil Gregory Dionysius Hilary Ambrose Augustine and Hierom it was concluded that there were two Wills and Operations in Christ and their pertinacy was exploded who asserted one Will only from whence they were called Monothelites The first General Council of three hundred and eighteen Bishops was as we have already said held at Nice in the Pontificate of Julius and the Reign of Constantine against Arius who asserted several Substances in the Trinity The second at Constantinople of an hundred and fifty Bishops in the Reign of Gratian and the Pontificate of Damasus against Macedonius and Eudoxus who denied the Holy Ghost to be God The third in Ephesus of two hundred Bishops in the Reign of Theodosius the second and the Pontificate of 〈◊〉 against Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople who denied the Blessed Virgin to be the Mother of God and made Christs Humanity and Divinity two Persons asserting separately one to be the Son of God the other the son of Man The fourth at Chalcedon a City over against Constantinople of six hundred and thirty Prelates in the Pontificate of Leo and the Reign of Martian against Eutyches Abbat of Constantinople who durst affirm that our Saviour after his Incarnation had but one Nature The fifth at Constantinople against Theodorus and all other Hereticks who asserted the Virgin Mary to have brought forth Man only not God-man in which Synod it was concluded that the Blessed Virgin should be styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Mother of God Concerning the sixth Synod we have spoken already in which the Letters of Damianus Bishop of Pavia and Mansuetus Arch-bishop of Milain were very prevalent the principal Contents of them these viz. The true Faith concerning Christ God and Man is that we believe two Wills and two Operations in him Our Saviour says with respect to his Divinity I and my Father are one but with relation to his Humanity My Father is greater than I. Moreover as Man he was found asleep in the Ship as God he commanded the Winds and the Sea As for our Agatho in whose time after two Ecclipses one of the Moon another of the Sun there followed a grievous Pestilence having been in the Chair two years six months sifteen days he died and was buried in S. Peter's January the 10th The See was then vacant one year five months LEO II. LEO the second a Sicilian Son of Paul was as appears by his Writings a person throughly learned in the Latin and Greek Languages Having also good skill in Musick he composed Notes upon the Psalms and very much improved all Church Musick He ordained likewise that at the Celebration of the Mass the Pax should be given to the people Moreover he so vigorously maintained and asserted the sixth Synod of which we have spoken in the Life of Agatho that he Excommunicated all those whom in the presence of Constantine that Synod had condemned He also repress'd the pride of the Bishops of Ravenna a matter before attempted by Pope Agatho and ordained that the Election of the Clergy of Ravenna should be invalid unless it were confirmed by the Authority of the Roman See whereas before they presuming upon the power of their Exarchs managed all things arbitrarily owning no subjection to any but mating even the Popes themselves He likewise solemnly decreed that no person promoted to the dignity of an Archbishop should pay any thing for the use of the Pall or upon any other score a Decree which I could wish it were observed at this day seeing how many Evils have arisen through Bribery While Leo was busied in these matters Rhomoaldus Duke of Beneventum having raised a great Army possess'd himself of Taranto Brindisi and all Puglia and his Wife Theodata a devout Lady out of the spoils of the War built a Church in honour to S. Peter not far from Beneventum and a Nunnery Rhomoaldus dying was succeeded by his Son Grimoaldus who deceasing without Issue male left the Dukedom to his Brother Gisulphus Our Leo who besides his great Learning and Eloquence was also an extraordinary person for Devotion and Charity and by his Doctrine and Example very much promoted Justice Fortitude Clemency and Good Will among all men having been in the Chair only ten months died and June the 28th was accompanied to his burial in the Church of S. Peter with the tears of all men who deplored the loss of him as of a Common Father After his Death the See was vacant eleven months twenty one days The time
Rosimund to drink out of a Cup which he had made of her own Fathers Skull whom he himself had slain Now there was in Alboinus's Army one Helmechild a very handsom young Gentleman and an excellent Soldier and who was Rosimund's particular Favourite Him she discourses privately and by proposing to him the hopes of succeeding in the Kingdom prevailed with him to murder Alboinus But they were both so hated for the Fact by the Lombards that they not only failed of their hopes but were glad to fly for protection to Longinus the Exarch of Ravenna where not long after they poisoned each other and died together At this time Italy by reason of the Incursions which the barbarous Nations made into it was in a very calamitous state which had been portended by Prodigies and Apparitions of flaming Armies in the Air and also by an extraordinary inundation of the River Tyber which had very much damaged the City of Rome In the mean time our John repaired the Coemeteries of the Saints and finished the Church of SS Philip and James which had been begun by Vigilius and drew Narses who had been an avowed Enemy to the Romans for their ill opinion of him and their misrepresenting him to the Empress Sophia from Naples to Rome where he not long after died and his Body was conveyed in a Coffin of Lead to Constantinople In such a consusion of things the State of Italy must needs certainly have been utterly ruined if some eminently holy men had not supported and prop'd up the tottering Nation Among others Paul Patriarch of Aquileia and Felix Bishop of Treviso interceded successfully with Alboinus when he first entred Italy in the behalf of the Inhabitants Moreover Fortunatus a person of extraordinary Learning and Eloquence very much civiliz'd and polish'd the Gauls by his Books and Example compiling a Treatise of Government inscribed to their King Sigebert and writing in an elegant style the Life of S. Martin Some write that at this time lived Germanus Bishop of Paris a person of wonderful Piety who kept the Kings of France within the bounds of their duty to such a Degree that each strove to excel the other in Religion and Piety in Goodness and Clemency So prevalent is the Example of a good Pastour such an one as Germanus was in whom they saw nothing but what was worthy of their imitation After this one farther Remark that in our John's time the Armenians were converted to Christianity I shall say no more of him but that having been in the Chair twelve years eleven months twenty six days he died and was 〈◊〉 in S. Peters Upon his death the See was vacant ten months three days BENEDICT I. BENEDICT a Roman the Son of Boniface lived in the time of Tiberius the Second whom Justine had adopted and appointed his Heir to the Empire An Honour which he well deserved as being a Person adorn'd with all the Princely Accomplishments of Clemency Justice Piety Religion Wisdom Resolution and unshaken Fortitude Among his other Vertues he was eminent for his Bounty and Liberality towards all especially the poor and God supplied him in an extraordinary manner for it For walking once hastily in his Palace and spying the figure of the Cross upon one of the Marble stones in the Pavement that it might not be trampled under foot he devoutly caused it to be removed from thence and laid up in a more decent and honourable place At it's taking up there was found under it another stone with the same figure on it and then a third under which he discovered such a vast heap of Gold and Silver as was requisite to furnish and maintain his large Bounty a great part of which Treasure he distributed to the poor 'T is said also that he had brought to him out of Italy a great Estate which Narses had got there which in like manner he employed in Liberality and Munificence To Sigebert the French King who had sent Embassadours to him besides the other Presents that he made which were very considerable he sent certain Medals of Gold of very great weight on the one side of which was the Effigies of the Emperour with this Inscription Tiberii Constantini perpetuo Augusti on the other side was a Charriot with its Driver and this Inscription Romanorum Gloria And to complete his Successes the Army which he had sent against the Persians returning victoriously brought away with twenty Elephants so vast a Booty as no Army had ever done in any Expedition before Thus signally was he rewarded for his good services to mankind in general for his Religion towards God our Saviour and for his Beneficence particularly to the people of Rome whom he not only protected and desended from their Enemies as much as could be by his Arms but also at the Prayers and Intercession of our Bishop Benedict whom he had a wonderful Love and Esteem for he delivered them from Dearth and Famine by sending a supply of Corn out of Egypt For the Lombards by a long and tedious War had so harrassed Italy far and wide that from their devastations there arose a great want and 〈◊〉 of all things While things went thus in Italy John Bishop 〈◊〉 Constan inople by Reading Disputing Writing Admonishing and Teaching kept the Oriental Church as much as might be right in the Faith though he met with many opposers therein The same did also the equally Learned and Eloquent Leander Bishop of Toledo or as others think of Sevil who wrote several Treatises both to confirm the Orthodox Doctrine and to confute the Arian Heresie which like a contagious Pestilence the Vandals driven out of Africa by Belisarius had brought with them into Spain As for Benedict some write that he laying sadly to heart the 〈◊〉 which now befell Rome and all Italy died of grief after he had been in the Chair four years one month twenty eight days The See was then vacant two months ten days PELAGIUS II. PELAGIUS a Roman Son of Vinigildus was from the time of Tiberius to that of his Son-in-law the Emperour Mauritius To whom though he were a Cappadocian yet the Empire was committed upon the account of his great Courage and Ability in the management of Affairs At this time the Lombards having after the Death of Alboinus for twenty years 〈◊〉 govern'd by Dukes make Autharis their King whom they also called 〈◊〉 a Name which was afterwards used by all the Kings of Lombardy But Mauritius endeavouring to drive the Lombards out of Italy hires Sigebert the French King to engage in a War against them who forthwith raising a great Army of Gauls and Germans fights Autharis but with great loss is discomfited The Lombards being flush'd and heightened by this Victory march'd on as far as to the Streights of Sicily possessing themselves all along of the Cities of Italy and at length besieging for a long time Rome it self of which certainly they had made themselves Masters had they
Popedom at the same time that Michael Emperour of Constantinople died This Sergius 't is said was surnamed Bocca di Porco or Hog's Snout which for shame he changed into Sergius Anno 843. and from thence came the custom down to our times that when any one is made Pope he laid by his own Name and took one of some of his Predecessours though all have not observed it Thus far are the words of Platina And since that time the Popes have commonly out of gratitude taken the Name of that Pope by whose favour he was first created Cardinal In all Histories we read of great Divisions and Factions in the Elections of Popes even in the first times when the popular tumults proceeded to the heighth of Rage and Sedition causing sometimes such difficulties in the Elections that after the decease of Nicolas the First Platina reports that some Authors say that the See of Rome was vacant eight years seven months and nine days and then Hadrian the 2d was chosen in the year 868. Afterwards in the year 1051. when Nicolas the Second had cured these riotous courses by transferring the whole power of Election into the hands of the Cardinals the Elections were then carried more smoothly indeed and with less noise but the Factions were not abated but oftentimes kept up with such Art and Interest that after the decease of Clement the 4th the differences held for the space of two years before the election of Gregory X. who was the next Successour came to be determined And now even in these days many Intrigues are managed in the Conclave before an Election can be perfected for the Emperour and the Kings of France and Spain must first be consulted and every Cardinal hath some Patron or Friend or Interest of his own to advance every one takes his measures of the person that may best suit and agree with his designs And now of late years since the Monarchy of France hath over-topped all the other Sovereignties of Christendom which depend on the Papal See that King must first be consulted and his assent taken before the Pope can be created as appears by the election of this present Pope Innocent XI In some convenient time after the Election or upon the first great Festival ensuing a day is appointed for the Pope's Coronation It would perhaps be very long and tedious in a Preface of this nature to describe distinctly all the Ceremonies thereof the particulars of which take up the space of a whole day from Morning until Night so that in the midst of them the Pope and Cardinals are constrained to take a short repose and refreshment to support the labour of the day For in the Morning early the Pope goes from his Bed-chamber into the Chamber called Papagalli where he is clothed by the Cardinal-Deacons Sub-deacons and other Officers belonging to that Chamber with a white Cassock girt about with a long Girdle over it he wears his Stole and Pluvial or Robe of a Scarlet colour with a rich Mitre on his Head set with many pretious Stones And in this Habit having the train of his Robes carried up by the Emperour or some King then present or in their absence by one of the chiefest Princes then attending at that Ceremony and a Canopy of State over his Head supported by eight Ambassadours or Nobles and the Cardinals in their Habits walking before with a Cross for their Banner they orderly proceed to St. Peter's Church where being entered and having laid aside his Mitre and prayed a while he arises and goes in the Chappel of St. Gregory otherwise called the Chappel of St. Andrew where being sate in a Chair placed there for that purpose he receives all the Cardinals with their Caps on their Heads to kiss his Hand and other Prelates to kiss his Feet then the Pope arising stands up and blesses the people after which the Sub-deacon reads the Epistle and all the rest of the Office for the Coronation which being performed the Pope vests himself with the Pontifical Habit according to the Method prescribed for those Rites According to the antient constitution it belonged only to the Bishop of Hostia to consecrate the Pope but of late years the first Cardinal Bishop performs that function when the Pope is consecrated he is anointed with Oil on his Head and on the palms of his Hands but the day of his Consecration is not always the day of his Coronation All the Ceremonies as we have said being finished and the Pope himself having celebrated the Mass they proceed then to the solemnities of the Coronation And in the first place the Pope goes to the stairs ascending to the Altar of St. Peter and St. Paul where a Throne is erected for him on which being seated he is encompassed by his Prelats and the people commanded to withdraw at some distance then the Dean-Cardinal takes off the Mitre from the Head of the Pope and places it on the left hand and having the Triara ready or the Triple Crown he sets it on his Head the people making a loud Acclamation with a Kyrie Eleison or Lord have mercy upon us Then the Dean publishes the Indulgences which the Pope is pleased to 〈…〉 and when he proclaims them on the right hand he recites them in Latin and on the left in the vulgar Language After which a Dinner is prepared for the Pope and Cardinals at the Palace of the Arch-Presbyter of St. Peter's and for the other Prelats at the Houses of the Canons and having taken their repast the Cardinals mount on their Mules and the Pope on his Horse and with a Noble train of all the Officers and Nobles in their due rank and order they march in solemn procession to the Lateran where the Pope alighting from his Horse is met by the chief Canon of the Church who offers the Cross to be kissed by him which the Dean-Cardinal taking from his hands puts it to the mouth of the Pope Then the triple Crown being taken from off his Head is delivered to the custody of the Auditor of the Rota who is one of the chief Justices and the Mitre is again planted on the Pope's head for the burden of the Triple Crown is so heavy with the Gold and Jewels that it is not born on the head without much trouble Platina saith That Paul the Second so delighted to see his Triple Crown studded with precious Stones that he exhausted the Treasury of the Church to purchase Jewels at any rate which being fixed in his Crown and Mitre he looked like the picture of a Cybele with Turrets on her Head and were so weighty and so burdensom on his Brow that they put his gross body into a violent heat and sweat which produced an Apoplexy of which soon after he died But to proceed The Pope wearing his Mitre is conducted to the Sedes stercoraria on which he seems rather to lye than to sit from whence being raised with honour by
will not be foreign to our present purpose to go on as we have begun to give some account of the other Tyrants till we come to the true Successour Victorinus therefore being slain in Gallia Tetricus a Senator being at that time Governour of Aquitain was in his absence chosen Emperour by the Soldiers But while these things were transacting in Gallia Odenatus overcomes the the Persians defends Syria and 〈◊〉 Mesopotamia as far as Ctesiphon At this time in Ptolemais anciently called Barce a City of Pentapolis there was broach'd a Doctrine full of blasphemies against God the Father and against Christ whom it denied to be the Son of the most high God and the first-born of every Creature and against the Holy Ghost whose being it disowned The Assertors of it were called 〈◊〉 from Sabellius the author of this perverse Sect. What shall I say of that carnal opinion of Cerinthus who affirmed that Christ should personally Reign upon the earth a thousand years from whence by the Greeks he was called a Chiliast Being himself a man of unbounded Lust and Luxury he feigned a great plenty of delicious Viands and a great variety of beautiful Women to be the principal Ingredients of the happiness of that Kingdom Of the same opinion likewise was Nepos a Bishop in some parts of Egypt who affirmed that the Saints were to Reign with Christ on the Earth in the highest enjoyment of all sensual delights and pleasures from whom his brutish followers were called Nepotiani Sixtus had it some time in his mind to baffle and suppress these opinions but being accused for preaching the faith of Christ contrary to the Emperours Edict he was taken and led to the Temple of Mars where he must either offer sacrifice to the Idol or upon his 〈◊〉 be put to death As he was going forth to punishment Laurence his Arch-deacon thus bespake him Whither art thou going O my Father without thy Son Whither O best of Bishops art thou hastning without thy Attendants To whom Sixtus answered I do not forsake thee O my Son there are yet greater conflicts behind which thou art to undergo for the faith of Christ within three days thou as a dutiful Deacon shalt follow me thy Bishop in the mean time if thou hast any stock lying by thee distribute it all to the Poor On the same day with Sixtus which was the eighth of August there were executed six Deacons viz. Felicissimus Agapetus Januarius Magus Innocentius Stephanus And on the third day after August the tenth the same Lawrence with Claudius the Sub-deacon and Seuerus the Presbyter and Crescentius the Reader and Romanus the Door-keeper were all put to death together though with several kinds of Tortures among which it is said that Laurence was broiled upon a Gridiron Vincentius who had been Scholar to Sixtus being gone into Spain could not be present at this Martyrdom Sixtus during his Pontificate having at two Decembrian Ordinations made four Presbyters seven Deacons two Bishops his body was interr'd in the Coemetery of Calistus in the Via Appia The other Martyrs lye in the Coemetery of Proetextatus in the Via Tiburtina Sixtus sat in the Chair two years ten months twenty three days And the See was vacant thirty five days S. DIONYSIUS DIONYSIUS whose original Damasus could not trace being of a Monk advanced to the Pontifical Dignity forthwith allotted to the several Presbyters in the City of Rome their several Churches and Coemeteries and to others elsewhere 〈◊〉 their respective Parishes and Dioceses that so every one might be confined within his own bounds and limits His contemporary Emperour I take to have been Claudius who when by consent of the Senate he had undertaken the Government made War upon and with incredible slaughter defeated the Goths who had for fifteen years together wasted Illyricum and Macedonia Hereupon it was decreed by the Senate that in the Council-house a golden Shicld in the Capital a golden Statue should be erected to his Honour But falling sick at Sirmium he died before the second year of his Empire was compleated Upon his death Quintillus his Brother was straightway chosen Emperour by the Army a person of singular moderation and the only man who deserved to succeed his Brother but he also governed a very little time being slain in the seventeenth day of his Reign During the Pontificate of Dionysius Paulus Samosatenus deserting the Orthodox Faith revived the Heresie of Artemon This Paul being made Bishop of Antioch in the room of Demetrianus behaved himself with excessive haughtiness and affectation for as he passed along he affected to read and dictate Letters a great throng of Attendants going before and following him so that for the sake of his Arrogance multitudes were very strongly prejudiced against the Christian Religion But had they lived in our times wherein Pride and Pomp not to say Luxury it self are at their heighth what would they think to see Prelates led on by so many young Sparks and brought up by a crowd of Presbyters all mounted upon high-fed and gay-trapped Horses Certain I am they would abhor and execrate them and say that they were false and hypocritical pretenders to the Religion of the blessed Jesus But I return to Paul whom I may more securely reprove He was highly self-opinionated and ambitious and denied our Saviours eternal Generation or that he had a being till his conception of the blessed Virgin For this reason at the Council of 〈◊〉 he was publickly condemned by the consent of all the Bishops that were present but especially by the sentence of Gregory Bishop of Coesarea a most holy man who was present at the Council and afterwards suffered Martyrdom for the faith of Christ. Malchion also a Presbyter of Antioch disputed and wrote much against this Paul for the reason that I have already mentioned Dionysius himself could not be at this Council because of his great Age but of all the transactions there he had full intelligence given him by Maximus Bishop of Alexandria Dionysius dying was buried in the Coemetery of Calistus after that at two Decembrian Ordinations he had made twelve Presbyters six Deacons seven Bishops He sat in the Chair six years two months four days and the See was vacant six days S. FELIX I. FELIX a Roman Son of Constantinus lived in the time of Aurelianus Who came to the Empire A.U.C. 1027 and being an excellent Soldier gain'd a great Victory over the Goths at the River Danow From thence passing into Asia at a place not far from Antioch by the terrour of his name rather than by fighting he overcame Zenobia who from the time that her Husband Odenatus had been slain was possess'd of the Eastern Empire Her he led in Triumph together with Tetricus by his defeating of whom at Chaalons Gallia was again recovered Yet by the Humanity and Clemency of Aurelianus Zenobia lived all her time very honourably in the City from
beautifying the Churches restoring the Aqueducts and such like publick Works which I need not particularly enumerate performed at his vast Expence But while he was employed in these matters there happened such an Inundation of the River Tyber as bore down a principal Gate and Bridg and several Buildings of the City and did otherwise great Damage In this Extremity Adrian took care to send Boats to convey Provisions to such as while the Waters were so high could not stir out of their Houses And afterwards he comforted with his Advice and supported with his Charity the principal sufferers in that Calamity nor did he spare any Cost in repairing the publick Loss In short Adrian left nothing undone that became a good Prince and excellent Pope defending the Christian Religion maintaining the Roman Liberty and asserting the Cause of the Poor the Orphans and Widows After he had held the Chair with great honour twenty three years ten months he died and was buried in S. Peters December the 27th LEO III. LEO the third a Roman Son of Azzupius was upon the account of Merit advanced to the Pontificate having been from his Youth so throughly educated and instructed in Ecclesiastical Learning that he deserved to be preferred before all others A modest upright and well-spoken Person and such a Favourer of learned Men that he encouraged them by the Proposal of generous Rewards to resort from all Parts to him and was wonderfully pleased with their Conversation Moreover to visit and exhort the sick to relieve the Poor to comfort the dejected and to reduce the erroneous by his Preaching and Admonition in which through his Art and Eloquence he had gained a great Perfection was his peculiar Providence He was naturally of a meek Temper a Lover of all Mankind slow to Anger ready to commiserate eminent for Piety and a vigorous Promoter and Defender of the Honour of God and his Church Hereupon he was as I have said unanimously elected to the Papal See on S. Stephen's day and the day following with general Acclamations seated in S. Peter's Chair At this time Irene Mother of Constantine the Emperour not being able to bear her Son 's ill Courses and being instigated thereto by certain of the Citizens returns to Constantinople puts out his Eyes and throws him into Prison where as an undutiful Son he miserably ended his days In the mean time Charles having Disturbance given him on many sides sends his Son Pipin against the Hungarians whom having worsted in several Engagements he at length totally subdued Adelphonsus likewise King of Asturia and Gallicia having received Auxiliary Forces from Charles vanquished the Saracens and took Lisbon upon the hearing of which Victory of his the Garrison of Barcelona forthwith yielded up to Charles Moreover the Bavarians who made Inroads upon the Inhabitants of Friuli were now overcome by Henry Charle's Lieutenant there At this time Leo with the Clergy and People being employed in the Solcmn Procession 〈◊〉 by Pope Gregory he was through the treachery of Paschal and Campulus two of the principal Clergy seized near the Church of S. Sylvester stripped of his Pontifical Habit so cruelly beaten and misused that it was thought he had been deprived both of his Sight and Speech and then closely imprisoned in the Monastery of S. Erasmus From whence yet soon after by the diligence of Albinus one belonging to his Bed-chamber he made his Escape and was secretly conveyed to the Vatican where he lay concealed till Vinigisius Duke of Spoleto being privately invited thereunto came and with a 〈◊〉 Guard of Soldiers to secure him on his way from any Violence which his Enemies might offer to him carried him off safely to Spoleto The Factious being not now able to wreak their malice upon the Persons of Leo and Albinus express their Rage in pulling down their Houses nay so hardy and daring were they as to go to Charles who was now making War upon the Saxons and to whom they understood Leo had repaired on purpose to complain of and accuse the Pope But Charles deferring the debate of the matter to another time sends the Pope to Rome with an honourable Retinue promising that himself would be there in a little time in order to the composing of the Affairs of Italy Leo in his passage being come as far as Ponte Molle was there in Honour met by the Clergy and People of Rome who congratulated his Return and introduced him into the City And Charles without making any long stay passing through Mentz and Noremberg into Friuli severely chastises the Citizens of Treviso for having put to Death Henry their Governour and having constituted another to succeed him in that Office he thence goes first to Ravenna and presently after to Rome where his Presence was earnestly desired and expected At his Entrance into the City all imaginable expressions of Honour as good reason was were made to him On the eighth day of his being there in the presence of the People and Clergy assembled in S. Peter's Church he asked all the Bishops who had come thither out of all the parts of Italy and France what their Opinion was concerning the Life aud Conversation of the Pope But Answer was made by all with one Voice that the Apostolick See the Head of all Churches ought to be judged by none especially not by a Laick Hereupon Charles laying aside any farther Enquiry into the matter Pope Leo who extreamly wished that he might be put upon that way of purging himself going up into the Pulpit and holding the Gospels in his hands declared upon his Oath that he was innocent of all those things which were laid to his Charge This was done on the thirteenth day of December A. D. 800. While things went thus at Rome Pipin by his Fathers Order advancing against the Beneventans who under Grimoald's Conduct made Inroads upon their Neighbours and having given them so many Defeats that at length they were scarce able to defend themselves within the Walls of their City he left the farther management of that War to Vinigisius Duke of Spoleto and returned to his Father who was now in a short time to be crowned Emperour For the Pope that he might make some Requital to Charles who had deserved so well of the Church and also because he saw that the Emperours of Constantinople were hardly able to maintain that Title upon which account Rome and all Italy had suffered great Calamities after Mass in S. Peter's Church with the Consent and at the Request of the People of Rome declares with a loud Voice the said Charles to be Emperour and put the Imperial Diadem upon his Head the People repeating thrice this Acclamation Long Life and Victory to Charles Augustus whom God has Crowned the Great and Pacifick Emperour Then the Pope annointed him and his Son Pipin whom in like manner he pronounced King of Italy Charles being now invested with Imperial Power gave Order that Campulus and Paschal the
laid by his habit and entred Rome as a private Man accusing himself that he had chosen to obey the Emperor rather than God The Roman Clergy then by the persuasion of Hildebrand elected Baunon Pope and so much the more readily because he had prosess'd the right of electing Popes ought not to be in the Emperor but in the Clergy And yet the Vices of several Popes were as we have said so great that it seem'd to be done by the judgment of God that this Power should be taken from the Clergy that they might amend their flagitious lives and sinful inclinations and that the Church of Christ might not suffer ruin in the hands of such evil Prelates Thus Baunon having got the Papacy and having chang'd his name to Leo IX he immediately created Hildebrand a Cardinal-Deacon and gave him the Government of S. Paul's Church so that it seem'd as if they had divided the Pontifical charge between them one ruling the Church of S. Peter the other that of S. Paul In the mean time Drogo Chieftain of the Normans in Apulia dying his Brother Gisulphus succeeded him and possess'd himself by force of the City of Benevent which was the Popes by surrender for when the Emperor Henry having built a Church at Bamberg to the honour of S. George and had a great mind it should be made a Cathedral Benedict VIII consented upon condition the said Church should pay yearly as a kind of Tribute a hundred Marks of Silver and a white Horse with his caparisons which yearly payment Leo IX remitted to the Church of Bamberg receiving of the Emperor in lieu thereof the City of Benevent Leo therefore strengthened with the justice of his Title and the Emperor's Forces marches against Gisulphus with an undisciplin'd Army and is by him defeated and taken Prisoner but was soon remitted to Rome with an honourable retinue T is storied that in his time Robert Guiscardi bringing an Army out of France into Italy and driving the Greeks and Saracens before him possess'd himself of Apulia where he chanc'd to find a Statue with these words engraven in a brass Circle round the head The first day of May at Sun-rising I shall have a golden head which words being well considered by a certain Saracen who was Robert's Prisoner a skilful Magician he mark'd how far the shadow of the Statue extended and on the first day of May at Sun-rise having dug up the place he found a great Treasure with which he bought his liberty of Robert But to return to Leo who was certainly a Man of great devotion innocence benignity and religion particularly so eminent sor hospitality that his Palace was always free for Pilgrims and poor People nay once when he found a poor Leper at his door he with pity ordered him to be taken in and laid in his own bed but in the Morning when the Door-keeper opened the door the Leper being not to be found it was thought that it was Christ himself that lay there as a poor Man In matters relating to the Faith he used great diligence and industry for in a Council holden at Vercelli he condemned Berengarius for a Heretick and by his Monitories put the Emperor of Constantinople upon repairing the holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem which had been spoil'd by the Barbarians At this same time lived Theobald a noble French-man famous for his holy life at Vicenza and Vincentius Bishop of Liege a person remarkable for Learning and Piety wrote many things skilfully and acutely concerning the Quadrature of the Circle to Hermannus a Man of an excellent Wit Leo died when he had been Pope five years two months and six days VICTOR II. VICTOR the Second before called Glaberdus a Bavarian succeeded Leo rather by the favour of the Emperor Henry than by a free Election For the Clergy and People of Rome stood in great fear of the Power of Henry whom they had before offended by putting up new Popes and therefore lest contrary to their Oath they should seem to make any Innovations they propose this Victor and by Hildebrand their Embassadour to Henry all things were managed to both their satisfactions Victor being by universal consent plac'd in the Chair with the approbation of the Emperour he called a Council at Florence where he depriv'd a multitude of Bishops of their Bishopricks for Simony and for Fornication and admonish'd the Clergy of their duty threatning severity against those that should transgress the Canons Some write that Victor made a Visit to Henry and that he was splendidly entertain'd by him but I am of opinion that Hildebrand onely went thither who by vertue of his Legantine power created Henry III. the Son of Henry Coesar Capua was now besieg'd by the Saracens which strook terror into all the neighbouring Cities but Robert Guiscardi taking up Arms set upon the Saracens and defeated them thereby delivering at once Capua from a Siege and their Neighbours from their fears Of what extraction this Robert was is not certain some accounting him a French-man others a Norman however it be 't is sure he was a person of a noble Spirit and an excellent understanding so that he deserv'd the Crown he held of Apulia Pope Victor whose life we are upon died in the second year third month and fourteenth day of his Pontificate after which the Sea was vacant eleven days STEPHEN IX STEPHEN the Ninth before nam'd Frederick a Lorainer Abbat of Monte-Cassino was no sooner made Pope but he took care that the Church of Milan which for almost two hundred years had withdrawn its subjection to that of Rome was now at length reduc'd to obedience thereto as to the Mother and Nurse of all Churches which obedience she has since persevered in as becomes true Daughters to do to a pious Mother Near about this time Henry III. succeeded his Father deceased and Alexius succeeded Nicephorus Emperor of Constantinople Robert Guiscardi also in a mighty Battel overthrew the Greeks and drove them out of Calabria leaving none but Greek Priests who even to our times kept their own Language and Customs Indeed the Constantinopolitan Empire was now so broken by the Saracens that they had much ado to preserve Thrace Galatia Pontus Thessaly Macedon and Achaia and even out of these either the Turks or Saracens every day cantled out one place or other But Stephen when he had been Pope seven months and eight days died at Florence where he was honourably buried as Martinus writes Some say that Pope Stephen accused the Emperor Henry of Heresie for endeavouring to diminish the Papal Authority without regard to Religion and the immortal God BENEDICT X. BENEDICT the Tenth a Capuan before named Nuntius Bishop of Veletri was by a faction of Noblemen created Pope at the same time that Agnes Mother of Henry III. constituted Gilbert of Parma a Man of great abilities Viceroy of Italy There was then in Italy also Godfrey the Husband of the Countess Mathild a most noble Lady who was
Thomas chiefly with the assistance of his Infantry gave the Enemy such a blow that of six thousand Horse which fought under Hawkwood few escaped and the Captain himself yielded Those that had revolted from the Church when they heard of this great Victory immediately surrender'd Vrban then came into Italy in the fourth year of his Pontificate to settle things and Giles the Legate met him at Corneto and rendring an account of what he had done was discharg'd from his Legateship and the Pope going on his way from Corneto to Rome he retired quietly in his old Age at Viterbo where he died in three months after He was a Man of singular Virtue and Courage and preserv'd the Honour of the Church whilst he lived most wonderfully His Body was carried to Assisi and buried in the Church of S. Francis in a Tomb that he built himself whilst he was living When Charles the Emperor understood that Vrban was gone to Rome he went thither too as fast as he could with his Wife and Children but by the way took Lucca from the Pisanes and Sancto Miniato from the Florentines Whether he went to Rome or no is not certain because 't is said he received his Imperial Crown from Pope Innocent the Sixth who sent the Cardinal of Ostia to Rome for that purpose But having received a great sum of mony of the Florentines to buy their own peace he march'd out of Italy the third month after he came thither in the year 1368. Vrban had sought a long time for the Heads of SS Peter and Paul which through the ignorance of the times had long been neglected and having light upon them at Sancta Sanctorum he put 'em up in Silver Cases next the great Altar of the Lateran where they were highly honourâ—d by a great concourse of all the Clergy and People of Rome The same Pope built one Palace in the old City and another in Montefiascone that he and other Popes might retire thither to avoid the Heat and bustle of the Town But resolving to go back shortly into France he made John Hawkwood an excellent Commander whom he released out of Prison General of all those Forces that had serv'd under Giles to guard the Church Patrimony till he return'd again For he design'd to return for Italy But going into France he died at Marseilies in the eighth year and the fourth month of his Pontificate or as others will have it he dy'd at Avignion just about the time when Briget a devout Woman who was a Princess of Switzerland came to Rome upon a Vow she had made There were at the same time some Commotions in Puglia after the death of Nicolas Acciolo who was Governour of that Province and a Stout Wise Man GREGORY XI GREGORY the Eleventh of Lymosin formerly call'd Peter Belford and Cardinal-Deacon of New S. Maries was made Pope at Avignion by a general consent Clement VI. his Uncle made him Cardinal when he was scarce seventeen years of age But that he might not seem to consult the good of his Kindred more than that of the Church he sent him to the best Masters he could find for breeding and especially to Baldus who at that time was a Professor at Perugia Under whom he made such progress in all sorts of Learning that Baldus often used his Authority to clear a Doubt And then he was a Man of such innocence good nature affability and piety that he was generally beloved At his entrance upon the Pontificate this was the state of things in Italy at Rome the Courts of Justice were held by Senators whom the Pope appointed for every six months but the Guard of the City and all the management of publick Affairs were in the hands of the Banderesii so named from their Banners a Teutonic word which they used in War by which every Decuria now called Capo di Regione or Head of a Ward was distinguish'd In Lombardy those Nobles who as I said before conspired against the Viconti surprised the City of Reggio by treachery which was before in their possession but the Castle holding out Bernabos entring the City that way at the first Onset overthrew the Enemy and driving away Lucius the German Commander repossess'd himself of the place Thus went matters in Italy when Perinus King of Cyprus who succeeded his Father Peter was the cause of great animosities between the Genoeses and the Venetians For when he was Crown'd at Famagosta and two Bailiffs as the Merchants call their Residents one from Genoa and the other from Venice were there attending they strove who should walk on the right hand the King which raised such a Tumult that the Genoeses were beaten and wounded basely the King favouring the Venetians The Genoeses hereupon got a Navy of 40 Ships together under the command of Peter Fregoso Brother to Dominick Fregoso and invaded Cyprus and landed fourteen thousand men to destroy all the Island with fire and sword for violating the Law of Nations The King being deserted on all sides submitted to their mercy and surrendering Famagosta promised the Genoeses to give them 40000. per annum to purchase his Peace The Popes Legate was now come into Italy and had setled the state of the Church he made a Peace with the Viconti when a new Tumult arose at Prato which was the original of great confusion For the Inhabitants of Prato endeavouring to vindicate themselves from the Dominion of the Florentines called the Church Forces into Tuscany by permission from the Legate But the Florentines so far corrupted them with money that they enter'd Prato by their assistance put the Conspirators to death and sent a great many Banners with Liberty written upon them by several Troops to several Towns exhorting the People as their Lords that they would remember the Liberty of the Church and cast off the yoke of Servitude The first that revolted from the Church were the Castellani then the Perugians those of Todi Spoleto Gubio Viterbo Forli and Ascoli follow'd their Example At that time too Astorgius Manfred under the Bavarian having tasted the sweetness of absolute Dominion had possess'd himself of Granariolo a Castle near Faenza against whom the Legate sent John Hawkwood with some Troops out of Bologna The Florentines and those of Bologna defended Astorgius and keeping out Hawkwood with all his men asserted their Liberty But Hawkwood seeing the Faenzeses ready to rebel he not onely plunder'd the City severely and kill'd all that his Soldiers met but he sold the very ground on which it stood to Nicolas and Albert d' Este two Brothers for 20000 l. reserving onely Bagnacavallo to himself where the Carriages of his Army lay The Pope hearing of such great Revolutions sent Cardinal Cevennes as his Legate with six thousand British Horse ito Italy who coming down through Piedmont march'd as far as the very Gates of Bologna without doing any hurt designing to besiege the City But when the Legate heard the Florentines were come to
Furthermore he exterminated some Tyrants who studied innovations out of the Church Dominions but never medled with any one till he had first sent an Embassadour or Legate to 'em to reduce 'em if it were possible by fair means After that he sent Frederick of Vrbino his General with Alexander Sfortia to Tagliacozzo to stop James Picennenus who fought under Renatus from going into Puglia to assist the French against Ferdinand And besides he succour'd Ferdinand at Sarno when he had like to have lost his Kingdom for fear the French when they had once gotten that Kingdom would make use of their Victory to subvert the Liberty of Italy He slighted the Threat and Promises of the French Embassadours that endeavour'd to bring him over from Ferdinand to Renatus and by his Censures as well as Arms he tamed the fury of Sigismund Malatesta who was a Feudatary of the Church and yet contemning the League which the Pope had made between him and Ferdinand storm'd and took all the Castles which he had given for caution against Law and Reason and having driven the Churches Legate as far as Nulasture he made War upon the Anconeses But his extravagance was corrected the year after at Sinigaglia under the conduct of Frederick of Vrbino and Neapolio Vrsin in a sharp engagement wherein they retook Sinigaglia the Town called Fortunae Fanum was taken by Nicolas of Pistoia Cardinal Legate of St. Cecilys and great part of Rimini taken from him lest he should rebel any more Ferdinand also had the same happy success not long after at Troja a Town in Puglia by which the Prince of Tarento and many others who being desirous of change were on the French side were so consternated that they came all upon their knees to the King and begg'd pardon of him but some few continued obstinate whom the King afterward prosecuted so severely that he either drove 'em out of the Kingdom or brought 'em to know themselves When this was over Pius now freed from two great and troublesom Wars renew'd the thoughts of his Expedition into Asia which had been so long omitted from the time of the Mantuan Council through the ambition and avarice of the several Kings and Princes and makes the King of Hungary the Duke of Burgundy and the Venetians his Confederates because they seemed more inclined to it than any body else He likewise sent Nuncioes with Letters Apostolick to the several Nations of Christendom to exhort the Princes and people to so great and necessary a War Himself in the mean time went to Siena with a design to go as soon as the Season permitted to the Baths at Petriolana that seemed best for his Distemper And there he heard the Duke of Burgundy who had vowed to come with a Navy well Man'd had desisted from his resolution as also that many other Princes and people not onely Foreiners but of Italy led by ambition and envy endeavour'd to frustrate that great Design because they saw that they were likely to have the richest spoils and rewards that underwent the greatest brunt of that War Thereupon as it became a Pope to do he try'd to persuade 'em by kind words at a distance and soon after leaving the Bath he went to Rome where he lay sick for some days of the Gout and a Fever and therefore could not be at Ancona upon the seventh of June as he had publickly declared he would But when his distemper was somewhat asswaged he gave Audience to certain Embassadours that came from the King of France and Duke of Burgundy to excuse their delay And then calling all the Cardinals before him he appointed a day to hear the charge against the King of Bohemia who was said to be heretically inclined and when he had done he was carried in a Litter through Sabina Ombria and the Marcha till he came to the City of Ancona By the way be found great numbers of Men that came out of Germany Spain and France intending for the War against the Turks of whom he sent a great part especially of the Germans having absolv'd 'em back into their own Country because he thought 'em unfit for the toil of War and because they had not brought their pay along with 'em as he had order'd in the Letters Apostolical But in the mean time whilst he waited at Ancona for the Navy that was a building in the several Ports of the Tyrrhene and Adriatick Seas and also for the Duke of Venice his Ally he was afflicted with a tedious Fever and dy'd in the year 1464. upon the 13th of August about three of the Clock in the Night six years wanting six days after he was made Pope He was a Man of such constancy and courage of mind that in all his sickness which was long and painful he never omitted any business that concern'd his understanding onely whether it were to hear the causes of several Nations to inhibit to decree to judg to sign to admonish to chastise or correct And that day whereon he dy'd about two hours before he expired he call'd the Cardinals about him and with a resolute Heart and a good audible Voice exhorted 'em to Unity in the choice of a new Pope commending to their care in a grave Speech the honour of God the dignity of the Church the War which he had undertaken against the Turks the salvation of his Soul all his Family and especially his Nephews if they proved worthy of commendations He desired all the Sacraments of his own accord and shew'd great tokens of a true Christian But besides that he dispued very acutely with Laurentius Roverella Bishop of Ferrara a learned Divine whether it were lawful for him to receive the Extreme Unction again having been anointed once before at Basil when he was sick of the Plague Nor could he be entreated by all his domestick Servants to forbear saying the Canonical Prayers though he were in such an Agony He repeated the Athanasian Creed with great strength and Emphasis and when he had done he said it was most true and most holy He was not affraid to die nor did he shew any sign of trouble or inconstancy to his last breath But indeed he may be said rather to have been kill'd than to have died he was so tortur'd with tedious Diseases He commanded his Friends to carry his Body to Rome where those that embalm'd him affirmed that his heart was very sound and vivid His funeral pomp from Ancona to Rome was made up of his Family who were all in mourning and in tears And when that was over he was buried in St. Peter's at the Altar of St. Andrew in a Tomb which was built at the charge of Francis Cardinal of Siena with this Epitaph Pius II. Pont. Max. natione Tuscus patriâ Senensis gente Pocolhominea He enjoy'd the Sea onely six years But though his Pontificate were short yet it was full of great Actions He held a Council at Mantua to maintain the Faith resisted all
be receiv'd upon its own credit though it had never been back'd with Miracles That there were three Persons in the Godhead not proved to be so by Reason but by considering who said so That those Men who pretended to measure the Heavens and the Earth were rather bold than certain what they did was right That to find out the motion of the Stars had more pleasure in it than proâ—it That God's Friends enjoy'd both this Life and that to come That without Vertue there was no true Joy That as a covetous Man is never satisfied with Money so a Learned Man should not be with Knowledg But that he who knew never so much might yet find somewhat to be studied That common Men should value Learning as Silver Noblemen as Gold and Princes as Jewels That good Physitians did not seek the Money but the health of the party diseas'd That a florid Speech did not move wise Men but Fools That those Laws are Sacred which restrain Licentiousness That the Laws had Power over the Commonalty but were feeble to the greater sort That great Controversies were decided by the Sword and not by the Laws A Citizen should look upon his Family as subject to the City the City to his Country his Country to the World and the World to God That the chief place with Kings was slippery That as all Rivers run into the Sea so do all Vices into Courts That Flatterers draw Kings whether they please That Kings hearken to none more easily than to Sycophants That the tongue of a Flatterer was a King's greatest Plague That a King who would trust no body was good for nothing and he that believed every body was no better That it is necessary he that governs many should himself be rul'd by many That he deserv'd not the name of a King who measur'd the Publick by his private abvantage That he who neglected holy Duties did not deserve the Church Revenue nor a King his Taxes that did not constant Justice He said those that went to Law were the Birds the Court the Field the Judg the Net and the Lawyers the Fowlers That Men ought to be presented to Dignities and not Dignities to the Men. That some Men had Offices and did not deserve 'em whilst others deserv'd 'em and had 'em not That the burthen of a Pope was heavy but he was happy who bore it stoutly That an illiterate Bishop was like an Ass That ill Physicians kill'd the body and ignorant Priests the Soul That a wandring Monk was the Devil's Bondslave That Virtue had enriched the Clergy but Vice made 'em poor That there was great reason for the prohibiting of Priests to marry but greater for allowing it again That no Treasure was preferrable to a faithful Friend That Life was like a Friend and Envy like Death That he cherishes an Enemy who pardons his Son too often That a covetous Man never pleases any body but by his Death That Mens faults are conceal'd by Liberality and discover'd by Avarice That it was a slavish Vice to tell Lyes That the Use of Wine had augmented the Cares and the Distempers of mankind That a Man ought to take as much Wine as would raise and not overwhelm his Soul That Lust did fully and stain every age of Man but quite extinguish old Age. That Gold it self and Jewels could not purchase Content That it was pleasant to the good but terrible to the bad to die That a noble Death was to be preferr'd before a dishonourable Life in the Opinion of all Philosophers And this is all or most that can be written of Pius except I add that he canonized St. Catharine of Siena and laid up St. Andrew's head that was sent from Morea to Rome in St. Peter's Church with great Veneration and Processions perform'd by the Clergy and People in a Chappel built on purpose after he had clear'd the Church in that place especially and removed the Sepulchres of some Popes and Cardinals that took up too much room PAVL II. PAVL the Second formerly called Peter Barbo a Venetian whose Father 's Name was Nicolas and his Mothers Polyxena Cardinal Priest of St. Marks was made Pope August 30. 1664. being Pope Eugenius's Nephew by his Sister he was just going as a Merchant to Sea an Employment not ungentile among the Venetians and not disapproved of by Solon and having carry'd his Scritore and other Implements on Board he heard that his Uncle Gabriel Condelmerius was chosen Pope Whereupon he stay'd ashore and at the request of his Friends and his elder Brother Paul Barbo apply'd himself to his Book though he was pretty well in years under the Discipline and tutelage of James Ricionius who used to commend his Diligence He had also other Masters but made no great proficency considering his Age however he preferr'd 'em all when he came to be Pope excepting only Ricion to shew that it was none of their faults he was not made a Scholar But Paul Barbo who was a stout and a wise Man and knew his Brother's nature inclined him rather to ease than business intreated Eugenius whom he went to visit at Florence to send for Peter and give him some Ecclesiastical preferment He did so and Peter was made first Arch-Deacon of Bologna with which not long after he held the Bishoprick of Cervia in Commendam and was made a Protonotary one of that Rank who receive the greatest Fees In this condition he lived for some years till at last he was made a Cardinal at the same time with Alouisius a Physician of Padua whom they afterward call'd Patriarch and Chamberlain which was done at the request of some Friends of Eugenius's who desired to have a Man that might thwart Alouisius upon occasion And indeed it happened afterward that they grew such Enemies as never were known by the insinuations of others especially whose interest it was to foment the Quarrel For Peter was vexed that he should be inferiour to any Man about Eugenius since he was his Nephew and of a Patrician Family in Venice Upon this account he fell out most grievously with Francis Condelmerius the Vice-Chancellour who was Eugenius's Cousin-german and when he died he turn'd all his fury upon the Patriarch though they two had been often seemingly reconcil'd by the intercession of Friends Hereupon they were such Enemies to one another in several Popes Reigns that they did not spare each others either Estate or honour but mutually reviled each other in words which I will not relate lest I should seem to believe ' em But when Eugenius was dead and Nicolas the Fifth in his place he prevailed so far upon him by his kindness and flattery that he not onely got the uppermost place of all his Nation in Nicolas's Court but by assistance of Nicolas's Brother did so animate him against Alouisius that he retrenched the Chamberlain's Office For Peter Barbo was naturally fair spoken and could feign good nature when occasion serv'd But he was
he commanded his Followers to revenge this affront with their Arms which they readily obeying immediately shot Rustici dead from his Horse and so mortally hurt Orsini and Savello that in two days after they died of their wounds This unhappy accident troubled all Rome but especially incensed the party and Creatures of Orsini to that degree that rising in a tumult they ran with Weapons in their hands to kill all the Sbiri or Bayliffs they could find and having way-laid all the Avenues where they could make an escape the confusion continued for the space of two days and rendered the City a sad spectacle of blood and massacre In the mean time the Pope and civil Government not being able to apply a Remedy gave way to the fury of the people which as it was believed would have been inflamed higher by opposition of the civil Magistrate The Head bayliff having hidden himself for some days was at length taken and beheaded at Rome But this evil ended not here for from this fatal accident another quarrel arose between Vitelli who was Deputy to Buoncompagno General of the Church and Lodwick Orsino Brother of Raimond who was lately killed in prosecution of which Orsino taking with him several persons in disguise and Masks assaulted Vitelli in his way from Monte Magnopoli to Rome and shot him dead with a Carbine in his Coach for which offence Orsino being condemned to banishment he departed from Rome and went to live at Padoua where having taken up his Lodgings he soon after committed a like murther on Vittoria the Wife of Paul Giordano and her Brother for which Crime being prosecuted by the Justice of Venice he fortified himself within his House resolving to preserve himself by force of Arms but not being long able to hold out against the Soldiers which were sent against it the House was almost levelled to the ground and the Defendants taken Prisoners which being all punished by death or other Sentences of Justice this fatal Tragedy was at length ended After these sorrowful Stories the Pope being willing to cheer and comfort the City created nineteen Cardinals amongst which his Nephew was made one with the title of St. Sixtus and John Anthony Fachinesti of Bologna who was afterwards made Pope by the name of Innocent IX After which he received no small contentment to see his Stately Structure of the Jesuits College finished at Rome over the Gate of which these words were Engraven Greg. XIII P.M. Religioni Bonis Artibus MDLXXXIII in memory and in gratitude for which the Jesuits at their own expence painted in their wide Court or Area all the Colleges and Foundations which this Pope had built and endowed in divers parts of the World and particularly in reference to their own College this Inscription was engraven in Capital Letters Gregorio XIII Pont. Max. Hujus Collegii Fundatori Societatis Jesu amplissimis ab eo Privelegiis Munita Ingentibus Aucta Beneficiis Vniversa in hoc totius Ordinis Seminario parentis Optimi Maximi Memoriam suique grati animi Monumentum P. Nor were these favours ill bestowed on the Jesuits who had always been so industrious and true Drudges to the Sea of Rome that they brought Proselytes from the most remote parts of the World and in the year 1585. after a long Navigation of three years conducted four Ambassadours to Rome from the Island of Japan in the East-Indies sent from some great Lords and from the Community of Christians converted in that Country to the Faith of the Gospel The arrival of such Strangers at Rome filled all the City with Discourse and Novelty and were entertained with free treatment at the expence of the Church being lodged in the Jesuits College who were the Authors or Apostles of their conversion though some years afterwards by the indiscreet management of the Jesuits who usurped too much on the civil Jurisdiction and temporal Power of that Kingdom Christianity was totally extirpated by the most cruel persecution that the most fierce Enemies to the Gospel of Christ had ever exercised against his People for the particulars whereof which are most doleful and Tragical to relate and not pertinent to this History we shall refer the Reader to the Writers of the Description of Japan But as to these four Ambassadours who were all young Men not much exceeding the age of twenty years they had remained but few days in Rome before Pope Gregory departed this life He was rather surprized with death than reduced thereunto by long sickness his indisposition being discovered by his countenance before he was really sensible thereof within himself his Distemper was esteemed by the Physitians to be a Quinsy with which he was suffocated and died the tenth day of April 1585. being aged eighty three years and three months He may be numbred amongst the good Popes having ended his days with a general good esteem of all and especially of the people of Rome who bewailed his death and in honour to his memory engraved these words under his Statue of Brass which he had in his life-time caused to be erected in the Capitol Gregorio XIII Opt. Max. ob farinae vectigal sublatum Vrbem Templis Operibus Magnificentis exornatam H.S. Octingenties Singulari beneficentiâ in egenos distributum Ob Seminaria Exterarum Nationum in urbe ac toto pene Terraram Orbe Religionis propagandae causa instituta Ob paternam in omnes gentes caritatem Qua ex ultimis Novi Orbis insulis Japoniorum Regum Legatos Triennii Navigatione Ad obedientiam Apostolicae Sedi Exhibendam Primum venientes Romam Pro Pontificia dignitate accepit S.P.Q.R. The Pope being dead his Corps were with funeral Pomp brought into St. Peter's Church and buried in a Chappel which he himself had erected which was afterwards richly adorned and beautified by his Kindred and Relations He was naturally of a cheerful Countenance and pleasing Aspect and being of a good habit of Body and sound temperament by temperance and sobriety he conserved that good constitution unto old Age he used much Exercise and delighted in Riding being so active that to his latter time he could mount on Horseback without the help of his Servants the place of his Recreation and retirement was Monte Dragone at Frescati about ten Miles distant from Rome where he frequently enjoyed the fresh Air which is accounted the most healthful of all Italy This Palace now belongs to the Prince Borghese and is situated in a most delightful prospect from one of the open Galleries of which I copied these Verses Thessala quid Tempe qui quaeris Adonidis hortos Haec tibi pro cunctis villa Dragonis erit Prospicis hinc Tybur colles rura Catonis Pulchrior aspectu quae tibi Scena subit The greatest care and trouble which this Pope susteined in the time of his Reign was to suppress the unruly numbers of the Banditi who were grown to that bold insolence that they commanded and
by the Venetian Ambassadour the Pope as is reported was so affected therewith that grief taking a deep impression in his heart he suddenly fell into a species of Apoplexy from which first Fit though he at present revived yet melancholy suppressed his spirits in such manner that in the space of one month following he on the ninth of December 1669. expired his last breath having lived seventy one years or thereabouts and governed the Pontificate two years five months and eighteen days He was universally lamented being a Man of a publick Spirit and great generosity so that his Family was rather impoverished than enriched by his advancement to the Papal Authority He was a Person not ambitious or desirous of the vain glory of this World of which that he might give a testimony at his death he forbad his Relations to raise any magnificent Monument in recommendation of him to posterity leaving behind him some few words for a short Epitaph to be inscribed on the Marble which was to cover him which were scarce sufficient to denote the Character by which he was to be known and recommended to Posterity to supply which his Successour Clement X. at the desire of the Publick and in gratitude to the memory of his deceased Friend and Benefactor inscribed on the pedestal of a Pillar which Clement IX at the foot of the Bridg Aelius had repaired at his own charge a brief Narrative of his life and having likewise erected a stately Monument with his Statue thereupon in the Church of S. Peter he adorned it with this Inscription Clementis IX Aeternae memoriae Pontificis Magni Cineres Ne absque ullo Sepulchri Honore Sicut Ipse jusserat Humi laterent Clemens X. Pont. Max. Benefactori Suo Et ob Spectatum Fidei Zelum Ob Egregiam Erga Omnes Beneficentiam Et Charitatem De Re Christiana Optime Merito Grati Animi Monumentum Posuit Anno Domini MDCLXXI This Pope being dead was generally lamented by all People of what Degree or Nation or Quality soever for he was of a most gentle and easie temper delightful and pleasant in his Conversation and studied sincerely the welfare of the Church without much regard to the advancement of his Family in his Diet he was very abstemious and lived much after the fashion of the Primitive Christians He was ever zealous of a good correspondence with Kings and Princes subjected to the Papal Sea and always endeavoured to reconcile them one to the other as appears by his endeavours at Aix la Chapelle where a Peace was concluded between the two Crowns of Spain and France And when the difference arose between the Queen Regent and Don John of Austria he interposed in such manner by his Nuntio Cardinal Borromeo that with much success he reconciled matters and diverted a storm which might have engaged Spain in ruinous troubles Though this Pope from the humility of his Spirit was not very forward to raise Columns of his own praise or engraven Inscriptions like other Popes on every fair Marble that was erected in the most publick and conspicuous places of the City yet the People of Rome did voluntarily and of their own accord supply several Euloges to the honour of his memory of which we shall add this one which is worthy to be rehearsed for being engraven in the Area of the Capitol on the Triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus being a comparison of this Pope with that Emperour in these words Triumphale Septimii Severi Caesaris Nomen ne quaeras Lector Ad Orientem Clementis IX P.O.M. Majestatem obscuratur Quid prodeat Severus Vbi Clemens elucet Legationem ille Gallicam suâ ferociâ funestavit Hispanicam iste munificentiâ beavit suâ sibi purpuram ille cruore tinxit Hic sudore manu ille hic mente firmavit Imperium bellorum ille flammas accendit hic conatur extinguere Tributa ille auxit hic levavit uterque rei frumentariae Amplificandae studiosus sed ille Ambitionis Ingenio hic Genio Charitatis Supra Caesarem in cunctis Pontifex Spectacula ille Pop. Rom. dedit hic unum se Gentibus Omnibus adorandum Spectaculum fecit CLEMENT X. CLEMENT the Ninth dying as we have said on the ninth of December 1669. his Funeral Obsequies were celebrated with the usual Rites and Ceremonies practised in honour to deceased Popes After which the Cardinals entered the Conclave to make election of an other Successour to S. Peter but such were the difficulties which arose thereupon by reason of the many Candidates which appeared to the number of no lesâ— than twenty two all which both for years gravity wisdom and Auâ—hority seemed worthy of the Papal Dignity that until the end of four months and twenty days the different Interests could not agree and be reconciled and at length concurred in the Election rather out of weariness than satisfafaction in their Choice Cardinal Chigi was then at Florence when he received the first news of the death of Clement IX where entering into a private Cabal with the Great Duke and Cardinal Medici and with some other Associates of the Spanish Interest they pitched upon one of these four namely Elci Celsi Bonvisi and Vidoni but with especial regard to the exclusion of Barberino but as this was an account made up without their Hoast so it had a success accordingly and they forced to an other reckoning Chigi to strengthen his Party made his addresses to the French pretending great services for that Crown and in the mean time despised the interest of the Flying Squadron but the Duke of Scion being then arrived from France in quality of Ambassadour made scorn of the applications of Chigi so soon as he discovered his practices with the Spaniards and indeed his double dealing abated much of his reputation in the Conclave where he might have formed a strong Party had not his ambition to become sole Arbitrator weakened his Interest and brought all his words and actions under a suspition This Opinion of Chigi gave a beginning to a Combination between Barberino Rospigliosi and the Flying Squadron which strong Parties standing in opposition each to other fifty days were passed without any effect and so resolved were Chigi and Barberino that one said He would eat Cherries and the other Figs in the Conclave with which sayings all Parties growing warm Cardinal Este declared openly with exclusion against Chigi Retz against Medici and the French King against Elci with which Medici growing angry replied that if France excluded Elci that Spain should do the like by Vidoni Thus Factions daily increasing and new difficulties arising Chigi and Medici the two great sticklers in the Conclave grew more calm and less concerned for those whom they had once designed to promote and to make appear how disinterested they were put every Person that was qualified into some hopes of being chosen Amongst the rest they complemented Câ—rpegna one of the Spanish Faction and a favourite of the Great Duke