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A62183 The opinion of Padre Paolo of the Order of the Servites, consultor of state given to the Lords the Inquisitors of state, in what manner the republick of Venice ought to govern themselves both at home and abroad, to have perpetual dominion.; Opinione come debba governarsi internamente ed esternamente la Repubblica di Venezia. English. Sarpi, Paolo, 1552-1623.; Aglionby, William, d. 1705. 1689 (1689) Wing S699; ESTC R9325 39,488 142

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careful Eye upon all those occasions wherein the pontifical Authority may be still enlarged because 't is observed that all Courtesies and Favours of Princes are in that Court turn'd to Debts and Claims in the space of a few years and to obtain the possession they do not spare for Exorcisms and Anathema's There is one Custom or rather Abuse introduc'd in that Court which deserves great consideration from Princes which is the power the Pope has assum'd of deposing Princes and Soveraigns and giving their Kingdoms and States to others under pretext of ill Government The Prodigal Son in the Gospel did not lose his Right to his portion though he was resolv'd to dissipate and consume it viciously because that Title which we receive from Nature can never be lost in our whole Life The Kings of Navar were sain to go Vagabonds about the World for the sake of a Bit of Parchment which Pope Julius the Second put out against them whereby King John the Second lost his Kingdom which was given to Ferdinand of Arragon and had not providence brought them to the Crown of France there would have been no mention in the World of the Kings of Navar From this Liberty of taking away Kingdoms the Popes assume that of Erecting them Pope Paul the Fourth made Ireland a Kingdom and Pius the Fifth Erected Tuscany into a great Dutchy Queen Elizabeth of England was deposed by Paul the Third and according to the usual custom her Kingdom given to Philip the Second of Spain who was to execute the Papal Sentence but he met with the Winds and Seas and the English Ships which quite defeated his Armada In France by a priviledge of the Gallican Church they admit of no Bulls that contain Deprivation of Kings but keep to the Right of Succession and indeed to depose an actual King and give away his Kingdom is not only to destroy a suppos'd Delinquent but to punish an Innocent Successour and likewise to prejudice the Right of Election in those who have it On the other hand England has often thought fit to make it self Tributary to the See of Rome by the Peter-Pence the first time under Pope Leo the Fourth and more remarkably under King John in 1214. to avoid the Invasion from France but Henry the Eighth delivered himself once for all and not only refused the Tribute but made himself amends by seizing the Church-Lands The fresh Example of Paul the Fifth towards this Republick is never to be forgot who charitably would have govern'd another bodies House under pretext that the Master did not understand how to do it himself And the constancy of the Venetian Republick will have given fair warning to the Court of Rome how they undertake such Quarrels since they were forced to come to an agreement with very little satisfaction or Honour on their side having been obliged tacitely to give up their claim for to demand peremptorily and then relinquish the Demand is a sign it was not well founded in Justice and the Absolution resus'd was proof enough that the Excommunication was void in it self So that the advantage that has accrew'd to the Venetian Government from the Contest has been much greater than the damage sustain'd in it If ever for the future which I scarce believe there should happen an occasion of an Interdict from the Court of Rome to the Republick I should advise presently to post up in Rome an Appellation to the future Council which is a cruel blow to them For first it insinuates the Superiority of the Council over the Pope and secondly it revives the memory of Councils and lets them see they are not things quite forgot all the World over If there be care taken to examine well all Bulls that come from Rome and the Observation of what has been hitherto practis'd be strictly continued it may be hop'd that the Republick shall not undergo any greater Subjection than other Princes but rather shall have some Liberty above them particularly more than the Spaniards who find their account in complying with the Tyranny of Rome because they receive at the same time great Favours from it and are proud of maintaining its Authority To say truth the Popes hitherto have shew'd little kindness to the Republick and except the Priviledges granted by Alexander the Third which serve more to register to the World the Action of the Republick in restoring and protecting him than for any thing else For the Doge might of himself without the Papal Concession have assum'd those other little Ornaments of the Ombrella the Standard and the Sword So that bating the Concessions of the Decimes upon the Clergy and the Nominations to the Bishopricks this Country of ours feels but slender Effects of the Pontifical Kindness which may be an advantage upon all Occurrences of Interest of State to stick the closer to that because there needs no Complements where every one desires but his own In considering the Secular Power of the Pope we will do it upon Five Heads which may serve to examine all other Princes Interests with the Republick First If it be advantageous to the Republick to have the Church grow greater Secondly What Title Inclination or Facility the Popes may have to acquire any part of the State of the Republick Thirdly What Inclination Title or Facility the Republick may have to acquire any part of the State of the Church Fourthly If the Church may unite with the Republick to acquire the State of any other Princes Fifthly If the Church can unite with other Princes to hinder the progress of the Arme of the Republick To begin with the First we will answer with a General Rule which is That it never is advantageous to a Prince who desires to remain free and powerful to let another grow great except it be to lessen a Third who is greater than them both and if he that is thus agrandiz'd be a Neighbour his advancement is so much more to be feared These Alterations indeed may not be so dangerous to a little Prince who does not fear depending upon a great one to avoid being molested by one who is already too strong for him But to come closer to the Case of the Republick we will say That if the Church could make it self Master of any part of the King of Spain's Dominions in Italy where he is the greatest Prince they might hope for the consent of the Republick which is the Second Great Italian Potentate because by that means the Republick might become the First and however the strength of the Church will always give less jealousie to the Republick than the Spanish Power in Italy for the Nature of the Pontifical Principality is Elective and Temporary and the Aims and Designs of that Court vary according to the Genius of the several Popes and sometimes it is subject to long Vacancies whereas the Monarchy of Spain is successive and as one may say Eternal and govern'd by standing lasting Maxims But if
France is in a condition to mind such acquisitions the past Examples prove that sufficiently but they do sufficiently bear Testimony likewise of the danger of such Union Now that the French are totally excluded Italy they would agree to very large conditions with the Republick and allow them a great share of the Kingdom of Naples and Dutchy of Milan but they would no sooner have made the acquisition of their share but they would begin to cast their Eyes upon that of the Republick and enter into a League against them with some other Prince just as it happened in the time of Lewis the Twelfth when to gain Cremona he was the first that consented to the League of Cambray deceiving all the while the Venetian Embassador at Court and affirming even with Oaths That he would never conclude any thing to the prejudice of the Republick tho he had sign'd the League above six weeks before the War began which he exercised likewise in a most barbarous manner hanging up the Noble Venetians that were Governours of the Towns he took I believe France to get footing in Italy would engage with any other Prince against the Republick except with the Spaniard and if that should happen it would be necessary to stir up the Factions of that Kingdom and bring upon them some powerful Neighbour such as England The Friendship of Savoy would likewise be useful to hinder the Passes of the Mountains and make some diversion in Provence and Dauphine if there could be any relying upon this present Duke but he is a Proteus that turns himself into many forms and with his Capricio's and Humours would soon empty the Treasures of S. Marc But these are things so remote that they may be left to the prudence of those who shall live in those times for according to the Times there must be alteration of Councils And so much for France Now let us turn to Spain A Family that from low beginnings is come by Marriages to the possession of Twelve Kingdoms and several Dukedoms in Europe besides what it has in the Indies does certainly evidence a great Favour of Fortune joyn'd with great application and industry So that if it be not stopp'd by Fatality may bid fair for an Universal Empire If Charles the Fifth had had as much prudence in his youth as he had in his old Age he would not have separated the Empire from Spain but would have made his Son Philip have been chosen King of the Romans instead of his Brother Ferdinand He understood his Errour and repented of it at last trying to perswade Ferdinand to a Renunciation but he shew'd as much prudence in keeping what he had got so wonderfully into his Hands as Charles would have shew'd folly in going to deprive him of it by Force Charles was not less unhappy in the other Act of Moderation he shew'd when he renounc'd all his Kingdoms to his Son and retired to a private Life For to one who on the Anniversary Day of that Famous Action congratulated King Philip for his Felicity he answered That Day was likewise the Anniversary of his Father's Repentance So that Actions of Moderation in Princes are but like that Insect called the Ephemera which lives and dies the same day The Greatness of Spain is therefore to be suspected it has Two Wild Beasts that follow it always close one on one side and the other on the other which is the Tark by Sea and France by Land and besides that it has that Issue of Holland as witty Boccalini calls it which will sufficiently purge it of all its ill Humours and it must be own'd that all the Spanish Sagacity has not hindered them from following the Fable of the Dog who forsook the Substance for the Shadow For for Forty years together France was sufficiently taken up with their own Intestine Broils during which time Spain might with great advantage have made a Truce with Holland and having likewise humbled the Turk by the Battle of Lepanto they might have applied their whole Force to Italy which had no Defence but its own Natives and not of them above half So that in all probability they could have met with no considerable opposition One might say That it was an Effect of King Philip's Moderation if he had not shew'd as great an Ambition of Dominion as possible in endeavouring first to unite France to Spain by conquest then to have his Daughter chosen Queen and lastly seiz'd upon as many Towns as he could Therefore we may give the Italians Joy that half an Age of so much danger passed without the least loss of their Liberty Now by reason of the French King's Minority the Jealousies against Spain are a-foot again but I think not with so much ground For if not France at least England would raise their old Enemies the Dutch particularly if the Italians should help with Money So that if Italy can but resist the first brunt it may hope for all sort of Relief for France has Forces and they would soon have a will to succour Italy against Spain Neither do I believe that Spain would hazard the Truce with Holland it having been compass'd with such Difficulties even to the loss of much of their Honour and Fast. 'T is enough that to all other Christian Princes except the Emperour the Greatness of Spain is of ill Consequence And therefore to be opposed by all secret means first and if need be at last openly and without a Mask If Spain has any Title Inclination or Facility to acquire part of the Republick's Dominions there will be little Difficulty to answer Their Title would be upon Brescia Crema and Bergamo ancient Members of the Dutchy of Milan And these Three Cities are so considerable that with their Territory they would perhaps make up as rich a Dutchy as any in Lombardy except Milan So that we need not doubt but the Spaniard looks upon these Cities with an Amorous Eye and with great Desire to enjoy them there remains only the Facility of doing it which is always the most important of the Three Points Upon this Subject we must distinguish whether they will make the Attempt by themselves or in Conjunction with others If alone and that the Republick have any Great Prince either Italian or Foreigner on their side they will meet with little Facility in their Designs because the Republick's Money joyn'd to the Forces of another Prince can give check to almost any great Power and particularly to that of Spain whose States and Possessions are large but disunited and they cannot but be afraid that while they are busied in Lombardy others would try to attack them in a more sensible part If Spain should therefore unite with any other Prince provided the Republick had France on their side they would not much hurt it because the Inundation of the French into Lombardy uses to be both powerful and sudden provided they be called in by an Italian Prince of some