kynge of Englande At the sumptuouse feaste of whose mariage Petrarcha hapned to be present How be it some haue written that she was maried to the Frenche kynges sonne with the dower of an .100000 crownes But how so euer it were hir husbande lyued not passyng fiue monethes after the mariage and shortly thervpon the father Galeazo also died ¶ After whose death his sonne Giangaleazo growen to sufficient yeres diuided the state with his vncle Bernabo on this maner He kept to hym selfe Pauia Tortona Alexandria Nouara and the other townes neere vnto the Alpes with the one halfe of Myllaine and gaue vnto Bernabo Parma Pâ—accuza Cremona Lodi Crema Bergamâ— Como and the other halfe of Myllaine with this aduauntage that for as muche as Bernabo was the more aunciente he should dwell in Myllaine and Giangaleazo in Pauia Thus beyng agreed after a certaine tyme Giangaleazo was aduertised by his wife howe Bernabo hir father and his vncle had diuers tymes sought his death to ridde hym out of the state so that Giangaleazo incontinentely determined to preuente hym and goyng vnto Millaine vnder pretence of pastyme or of some other busynesse Bernabo to honour hym the more issued out against him and so was taken died in prison and parte of his sonnes slayne parte banished Whiche acte onely excepted though it was not yet all against reason this Giangaleazo in all his doynges was accompted so worthy noble and valiaunt a prince that of the people he was called II Conte di Virtu that is to say The Eâ—le of vertue For he was not onely beautifull of personage but also lerned eloquent wise hardy and lyberall And was the fyrst that euer was inuested Duke of Millaine paiyng therfore to the emperour Vinceslao an .10000 duckates After the obteinyng of this honour he encreased his astate by the gettyng of Verona Vicenza Padoa and Bologna ¶ He discomfited the armies of the leage made betwene the Florentines and Bologniese with other their confederates at Casalecchio and broughte the Florentines at length to that takyng that had he not died the rather they muste nedes haue yelded to benne his subiectes ¶ He ouercame Antonio della Scala and buylded the fayre palayce in Pauia with that goodly librarie that yet is seen there walled the parke about beyng of a great circuite and edified the Charterhouse that to this houre amongest the beautifull buildynges of the worlde may be rekened one of the rarest ¶ He brought Italy into suche feare that the Pisani the Senesi the Perugini the Ascesiani and the Lucchesi willyngly became his men so that he founde him selfe lorde ouer .29 citees and thought to haue ben kynge of Italy if death had not so soone taken him ¶ He had two wifes the one called Lisabetta doughter to the kynge of Boeme by whom he had a doughter named La Valentina maried afterwardes to the Duke of Orliens with the dower of the Erledome of Aste that hath ben cause of no small trouble in Italie and the other wife named Caterina de Visconti by whom he had two sonnes Giouanni and Philippo Maria. ¶ He had one bastarde called Gabriello who afterwardes solde Pisa to the Florentines ¶ Finally this notable prince at Marignano died and accordyng to his owne order was from thense caried to the saied Charterhouse besides Pauia and there buried ¶ Than succeded in the astate Giaâ—maâ—â—a the eldest sonne whose dealynges were so greuouse to the Milanese without any their deseruyng that hearyng masse on a daie in the churche through the fury of the people and of his owne men together he was slayne firste causyng his mother to die in prison for ofte warnyng him of that that happened in dede ¶ He was wonte to say many times in excusyng of his errours that in a great house it was necessary there shoulde growe men of diuers sortes and that he therfore vsed the contrary of his fathers doinges so that through his crueltee and his death together many citees rebelled in suche wiâ—e that the Milanese were constreigned to call the sonnes of Bernabo to the Douchy who enioied the same vntill that Philippo maria recouered the dominion and driuing them out mette with one of them called Nestore in a skirmish and slew him ¶ This Philippo was first lorde of Pauia and had maried Beatrice the doughter or as other say sometime wife of Fazino Cane della Scala for none intente but because she was enheritour of many fayre lordeshippes beyonde the Pò and had also verie muche money By meane wherof sleayng Crabrino lorde of Verona he gatte that citee to him selfe ¶ He was constreigned to yelde Bologna Furli and Imola to the bishop of Rome Neuerthelesse he gatte Genoa though afterwardes he loste it againe ¶ He lykewyse toke Bressa whyche beyng recouered against him by the Uenetians caused betwene them verie longe and cruell warre Wherin on the Uenetian side were capitaines Francesco Carmignuola Giouanni Malauolta Gianfrancesco Gonzaga and Nanni Strozzi a Florentine knight And on the side of Philippo against the Uenetians were Francesco Sforza Agnola da Pergoletto the one and other Nicolo Guerriero and Piccinino and one Fierauante da Perugia with the helpe also of Alfonso kynge of Naples who beyng before tyme brought prisoner to Philippo by the Genowaies and by hym restored to libertee lyke a faythfull friende for a great whyle after succoured hym in all his businesse ¶ Thus whan Philippo had finyshed the enterprise againste the Uenetians and by meane of those his capitaines gotten Piacenza Como and Lodi he made the Marques of Monferrato so afearde of hym that wyllyngly he yelded vnto Philippo's handê Vercelli Alexandria and Aste And Nicolo da Este of Ferrara came to visite hym renderyng Parma that before had ben taken from Ottone and knowlageyng hym selfe to holde the citee of Reggio in fee of Philippo ¶ The citeee of Florence fearyng the power of this man entred in leage with the Uenetians whose two armies vnited togethers were foughten withall by certaine of Philippo's capitaines in the Countie of Faenza and there ouercomen ¶ Notwithstanding that the same victory was of much lesse importaunce than that whiche the noble Florentine Cosmo di Medici obteigned in the plaine of Anghiari against the army of Philippo ledde by Nicolo Piccinino towardes the Florentine damage for the whiche victory Cosmo at his retourne to Florence was called father of his countrey ¶ But for all that those warres had neuer ende as long as Philippo liued who finally fell out with the forenamed Alfonse kyng of Naples and by force restored the Queene Giouanna to hir possession ¶ He receiued into Myllaine Martine the .v. bishoppe of Rome as he retourned from the counsaile of Constance and maried his daughter Bianca vnto Francesco Sforza ¶ Finally findyng hym selfe fallen in great aduersitee what thoroughe blindenesse that toke hym in his age what through the losse of Genoa and what through the discoumfiture of his armie at Casale Maggiore
or three where vnder the fresshe herbers hedges and boowes amongest the delicate fruites they triumph in as muche pleasure as maie be imagined And for the most parte eche man hath his make with some instrumentê of musicke and suche other thynges as serue for his recreacion And if euer the tenaunt haue good daie than lycketh he his lippes of his maisters leauynges As for the women Some be wonders gaie And some goe as they maie Some at libertee dooe swymme a flot And some woulde faine but they can not Some be meerie I wote well why And some begile the housbande with finger in the eie Some be maried against theyr will And therfore some abyde MAIDENS still In effect they are women all Euer haue been and euer shall ¶ But in good earnest the gentilwomen generally for gorgeouse atyre apparaile and iewelles excede I thynke all other women of our knowen worlde I meane as well the courtisanes as the maried women For in some places of Italie speciallie where churchemen doe reigne you shall finde of that sorte of women in riche apparaill in furniture of householde in seruice in horse and hackeney and in all thynges that apperteyne to a delicate Ladie so well furnisshed that to see one of theim vnknowynglie â—he shoulde seeme rather of the qualitee of a princesse than of a common woman But because I haue to speake hereafter in perticuler I woull forbeare to treate any further of theym in this place Of the states of Italie THe greatest prince of dominion there at this present is Charles the .v. emperour of Almaine who for his part hath the realme of Naples and the Duchie of Mylaine whiche realme is diuided into .8 regions and to the entent the readers maie the better be satisfied I haue set foorth as well the auncient names of those regions as the present The realme of Naples ¶ The present names ¶ The auncient Parte of Campagnia di Roma Maremma Latium Terra di Lauoro Campania Principato Picentini Basilicata Lucania Calabria Brutij Grecia magna Puglia terra d'otranto Salentini Calabria antiqua Iapigia Mesapia Puglia Apulia Peucetia Aetholia Apulia Daunia Abruzzo Frentani Peligni Marrucini Vestini Precutij Marsi Valle Beneuentana Samnites As for that parte of the Duchie of Mylaine that the emperour hath it lieth in Lumbardie aunciently called Gallia Cisalpina for the most part on that side of the riuer Pò that was called Transpadana The bisshop of Rome hath for his parte the citee of Rome with these countreys folowyng ¶ The present names ¶ The auncient Parte of Campagnia Maremma Latium Parte of Tuscane Hetruria The Duchie of Sposeti Vmbria Marca D' Ancona Piceni Romagnia Flaminia Emilia The citee of Bononia  The Uenetians for theyr parte haue the Citee of Uenice with those townes in and about their marishe called La Contrada di Venetia La Marca Triuigiana and a great part of Lumbardy aunciently called Gallia Cisalpina on the same side of the Pò that was called Transpadana And parte of the countrey of Istria The common wealthe of Genoa haue the countrey about theim nowe called Jf Genouesato and auncientlie Liguria Tuscane auncientlie called Hetruria is diuided into diuers dominions wherof a small parte the bisshop of Rome hath but the greatest is the Duke of Florence who hath .vii. citees vnder him And than there be two common wealthes Siena and Lucca whose territories are not great The Duke of Ferrare hath parte of Romagnia and parte of Lumbardie The Duke of Mantua is all in Lumbardie And the Duke of Urbine is betweene Marca d' Ancona and Tuscane whose people are called of Plinie Metaurensi The Citees of Parma and Placentia in Lumbardie haue ben of late transposed from the churche vnto the astate of a Duchie but nowe it is diuided agayne as hereafter you shall perceiue ¶ Now here is to be noted that euery perticuler prince and common wealthe of Italie within his owne dominion accompteth him selfe absolute lorde and kyng and lyueth vpon the customes taxes and tallaiges that he raiseth of his subiectes For lightlie they haue littell or no landes at all of theyr owne And generallie they procede all together by the ciuile lawes and are so diligent in the administracion of iustice specially against murderers and theues that I thynke no countrey more quiete than it the realme of Naples and some part of the Romaine territorie excepted where many tymes happeneth muche robbyng by the waies ¶ An abbridgement of the state of Italie from the beginnyng vntill the Romaine empyre was vtterly diuided AFter the generall floudde remaigned no moe but Noe his .iii. soonnes and theyr wifes betweene whom it shoulde seeme the whole worlde was diuided Sem toke the easte parte Cham the southe and Iafet the weast Some write that Iafet was the same Ianus that fyrst reigned in Italie and some that Ianus was Iafettes soonne But whether so it be this Ianus was euer taken for father of the gods and was peinted with two faces either because he was father of two nacions the Greekes and Italians orels because the moneth of Ianuarie whiche hath two respectê one to the beginnyng and an other to the ende of the yeere toke name of hym While this Ianus reigned in Italie Saturne beyng chased out of the realme of Candia by his soonne Iupiter came in a maner naked vnto hym and Ianus not onely receiued hym But also gaue him the halfe of his dominion For memorie wherof either of theim builded a citee to his owne name that is to wete Ianicula and Saturnia from Ianus vnto Numitor were .xxi. kyngê of the latines whose names with the yeres of theyr reigne hereafter folow Ianus Saturnus Picus beyng a great talker was therfore feigned of the poetes to be conuerted into a pie Faunus was after woorshipped for a God of the wooddes Latinus chaunged the name of his people from Laurentini to Latini and gaue his daughter Lauinia to Eneas the Troiane promised before vnto Turnus sonne of kyng Daunus These .v. kynges reigned about .200 yeres Eneas maried the daughter of Latinus and after his death reigned .iii. yeres and builded the citee Lauinia Ascanius sonne of Eneas and of Creusa kyng Priamus daughter reigned .38 yeeres and builded Alba longa to the whiche he brought his fathers idollê called the gods Penates but they of theim selfes tourned iii. tymes backe againe to Lauinia Siluius Posthumius seconde son of Eneas and begotten on Lauinia reigned .xxix. yeres Of whom all the latine kynges afterwardes surnamed theim selfes Siluij and after some authours he was father to Brutus that first named this realme Britaine and that slewe his owne father by mischaunce whiche thyng Polidorus Virgilius doeth not grauâ—t Eneas Siluius reigned .31 yeres Latinus Siluius reigned .50 yeres Alba Siluius reigned .39 yeres and builded Alba whiche he made his royall citee but after it was destroyed by Tullus Hostilius Of that citee descended those that to this daie are called Albanesi though
made Cardinall and Don Ferrando that nowe is the emperours generall at Millaine finally he died ¶ After whose death Federico toke the astate vpon him and was made general of the Romaine churche by bishop Lyon the .x. confirmed by Adrian the .vi. and continued also vnder Clement the .vii. And as the emperour that now is retourned from his coronacion at Bologna passyng through Mantua where he was most honourably receiued his maiestee for the vertue worthinesse and nobilitee knowen in this Federico called hym from the degree of Marques and created hym Duke ¶ He maried Margerite doughter and heire of the lorde Guglielmo Paleologo Marques of Monferrato in whose righte by fauour of the emperours maiestee he obteigned hir fathers astate that is to saie the dominion of Monferrato And so notably fortifiyng the citee of Mantua he died leauyng .iiii. sons Francesco Guglielmo Lodouico and Federico ¶ Francesco after his fathers deathe entred into the dominion but because he was than of verie tender yeres and passeth not yet the age of .14 his father by testament committed the gouernaunce of hym vnto his wife with the helpe and counsaill of his brother Ercole the Cardinall vntill the yonge Duke shall be growen to sufficient yeres who by the parentes consente and by the emperours procurement hath ben contracted vnto one of kyng Ferdinando's doughters and shall marie hir verie shortly as the saiyng is ¶ Of the astate of Ferrara FErrara is one of the notablest citees of Lumbardie aswell for the beautie and greatnesse as also for the stronge site fortificacion ¶ Fyrst for beautie if that part that is called La terra nuoua had ben thoroughly finished as it was deuised it shoulde haue ben woorthie for faire stretes to haue been preferred before any other citee that I haue seen And now as it is I thynke it no lesse woorthy For you shall finde aboue a dousen streetes so iust and euenly setâ—e foorthe that I warrant you there is not so muche as the corner of a house to let a man of his full sight from the tone ende to the tother Some of whiche streetes lacke little of a myle longe with the goodly houses and buildynges on bothe sides so fayre and vniforme that it seemeth all dooen at one tyme and by one agreement as no doubte the most part hath been in deede And than in the middest it hath a verie fayre greene appoincted out for the markette place But the Duke that now is hath had no mynde to folow it although his father Alfonso bestowed the most trauaile of all his daies about it to his wonderful charge as he that shall see it maie wel consider So that the most habitacion of people resteth still in the olde parte of the citee whiche is also indifferent fayre but nothyng comparable to the new Than as touchyng the greatnesse I thynke the circuite by the walles be little lesse than .v. myles And finally for strength it hath the goodliest and strongest wall and the largest diche well watered that I haue seen specially for three partes to the lande warde And as for the fourth part though the wall be not so stronge yet is it reputed of no lesse force on that side than on the other by reason that within .20 yardes of the wall the great riuer of Pò hath his course downe towardes the sea whiche renneth so swifte and is so broade and deepe that it is not to be passed of any enemie to geue assaulte to the towne ¶ The Duke hath vnder his dominion two other citees that is to wete Modona and Reggio with a good parte of the low countreys of Romagna and maie dispende yerely by estimacion betwene .200 and .250000 duckates and is esteemed verie riche because he hath had no warre nor other charge of importaunce for the space of .xiii. yeres or more that he hath gouerned the astate The Originall and successe of the citee LYke as of other places be diuers opinions euen so is there of the beginnyng and name of Ferrara Some woull that the name therof hath growen of a certaine quantitee of yron that the same citee yelded for a tribute vnto the lorde of Rauenna as Argenta and Aureolo haue also dooen of the paiement of siluer and golde Some other woull that it be so called of the mynes of yron that haue been founde there whiche opinion is most sensible consideryng that Ferrara after the vse of the latine tounge signifieth none other but the place where yron is digged foorth as Caesare in his commentaries the .viii. boke of the Frenche warres and as Liuie in the fourthe of the Macedonicall warres dooe affyrme ¶ But to passe ouer these antiquitees and come nerer to our purpose I finde that the saied citee of Ferrara was firste closed with walles by one Smeraldo capitaine for the Greekish emperour in Rauenna and longe time after beyng a certaine space vnder the obedience of Henry the secounde emperour of Almaine it was recouered by the counteise Matilda doughter of the Conte Bonefacio as hir right enheritaunce through helpe of the Uenetians and of the lordes of Rauenna out of the handes of Henry the thirde than emperour whiche Countesse at hir death with other hir possessions lefte it vnto the vse of the Romaine churche insomuche that longe tyme it was gouerned of vicares and of legates vntill the house of Este gatte the rule therof Who firste obteigned is vnder condicion that thei shoulde for euer holde it in fee of the churche of Rome ¶ And to resite the beginnyng of that house some thinke the same is descended of those aunciente Troianes that came with Anthenor into Italy and some other woull that their sâ—ocke shoulde be of a certayne towne called Este now vnder the Uenetian dominion liyng .xv. miles from Padoa on the southeside of the Padoan hilles From whiche towne thei saie this family of Este came to dwell in Ferrara But how so euer it be the fyrst notable man of that house that ruled Ferrara was named Azo who at his death lefte issue two sonnes Aldobrandino and Azo the fyrste entred in possession and liuyng but a short space lefte the astate vnto Azo the seconde his younger brother ¶ This Azo was driuen out of it by Federike the emperour and one Salinguerra put there in his place insomuche that Azo for succour resorted vnto a certaine Ferrarese named Gregorio Montelungo beyng at that tyme Romysh legate in the citee of Bologna by whose meanes with helpe of the Uenetians of the Mantuanes and of Ezelino than lorde of Verona brother in lawe vnto this Azo Salinguerra was by force expulsed and Azo restored vnto his astate vpon condicion that he shoulde holde it for euer as vicare of the church and none otherwyse ¶ Now this Azo the seconde hauyng by his fyrst wife a soonne named Fresco maried agayne the secounde daughter of the kyng of Naples named Beatrice whiche mariage so muche offended
of the same and was of so good a nature that he wolde offer no man wronge but rather forgettyng those that were done vnto him he was wonte to saie That sooner and with more ease should a man ouercome his enemy by benefites and curtesie than by swordâ— or vengeaunce ¶ He delited muche in cunnyng men and kept diuers about him as well of learned as of others And finally was so worthy a man that the emperour Federico passyng through his dominion of his owne mocion created him Duke ¶ After the death of Borso Nicolo the sonne of Lionello accordyng to the couenaunt made betwene Borso and his father succeded in the astate ¶ He ruled not longe but the right heyre Ercole before named with helpe of the Uenetians by force expulsed hym in suchewyse that for succour he â—ledde to his vncle to Mantua where after the terme of thre yeres assemblyng about an .800 banished men he attempted to recouer Ferrara and watchyng his time whilest Ercole was foorth of the citee by night skaled the wallê â–ª and came to the market place criyng Vela Vela which was his enseigne but there was none of his friendes so hardy as to aryse to succour him so that Gismondo brother to Ercole seeyng the weakenesse of Niccolo's succours gathered together suche power as that hastie rumour allowed and not onely discoumfited Niccolo's companie but also toke hym with .xx. of his men prisoners and brought hym vnto Lionora the wife of Ercole doughter to Ferrando kynge of Naples who sent for the Duke vnto Bellosguardo And so within .iii. daies after the Duke beyng retourned vnto Ferrara Nicolo lost his head and was neuerthelesse honourablie buried amongest his auncestours ¶ Not longe after the Florentines at that tyme troubled by the bishop of Rome and the kynge of Naples elected this Duke Ercole for theyr generall who accordyngly serued theim verie honourablie ¶ Finally fallyng out with the Uenetians for the breache of certaine articles betwene them what with warre and with hunger he was so oppressed that had he not obteyned the bishop of Romes fauour he myght easily haue lost his astate After whiche enterprises beyng generall of the Uenetians and of the Mylanese bothe and vtterly suppressing his aduersaries the Erles of saincte Bonifacio at last he disposed hym selfe altogethers to religiouse woorkes and amongest all other with his owne handes he daiely distributed to .13 poore men for goddes sake two poundes of flesshe a measure of wyne three loues of bread and a little peece of money vnto euery one of theim and than died ¶ Leauyng his astate vnto his sonne Alfonso who proued so woorthy a man that notwithstandyng he had maried Lucretia daughter of Alexandro bishop of Rome yet whan the same bishoppe by force offeâ—ed to take from hym the countrey of Romagna he resisted so valiantly that the bishop was faine to forgoe his enterprise ¶ The lyke wherof he did vnto bishop Leon the .x. that purposed to haue taken Ferrara from hym ¶ And thus hauyng by Lucretia his fyrste wyfe three sonnes Ercole Hippolito now Cardinall and Don Francesco and by Laura his secounde wyfe two sonnes Alfonso and Alfonsino he died ¶ After whose death Ercole as eldest sonne entred into the astate and at this daie enioyeth the same ¶ And albeit that hitherto there hath happened no notable occasion to trie his woorthinesse yet can he not chose but proue well For he is a goodly man of personage hygh of stature stronge and well proporcionate in all his membres balde on the crowne of the head and amiable enough of countenance He hath a good witte and is somewhat learned and indifferent in the administracion of iustice And one thyng speciall I remembre of hym worthy to be recited Themperour at his beyng in Italie borowed money of all handes And demaundyng amongest the rest .100000 crownes in loâ—e of this Duke he brought hym a bagge of .50000 crownes excusyng hym selfe that to lende .100000 crownes he was not hable but to geue his maiestee those .50000 he could be contended with all his hert and by this shifte kepte the other .50000 crownes in his purse ¶ Finally of religion he is no more earnest than moste princes are and in his life he foloweth the court of loue to lose no tyme of pleasure ¶ He is friendly to faire women and cherisheth change By his fathers daies he maried madame Renea daughter vnto Lewys the .xii. frenche kyng a verie graciouse ladie By whom he hath two sonnes Alfonso and Luigi Hitherto he hath mainteined his dominion in peace and is therfore thought as I haue saied to be very riche He is well furnisshed of artillerie and municion and of deuocion is altogether Frenche So that if there should happen any businesse in Italie betwene the emperour and frenche kyng his part is like to be therin The astate of Placentia and Parma ¶ PLacentia and Parma ar two notable citees of Lumbardie liyng betwene the Appepine hilles and the riuer of Pò whose territory and pastures are so fatte and sweete that it is thought no place of all Europe hable to compare with it for the excellent cheeses it maketh which by the name of Parmesanes are right well knowen ouer all ¶ These two citees of late apperteined vnto the churche of Rome But Paule the thyrde now bishop of the same â–ª a Romaine of nacion of the house of Farnesi to encrease his owne familie founde the meane to separate these two citees with theyr territories from the churches dominion and to geue it vnto his owne sonne named Peter Aluigi creatyng hym Duke therof And in recompence annexed vnto the churche the Duchie of Camerino that he before had taken by force from the Duke of Urbine ¶ This Pietro Aluigi beeyng the yeere of our lorde 1546. entred into the astate beganne to beare hym selfe ouerstoutely against the nobilitie of the same and specially towardê the Signor Ieronimo Pallauicini di Corte Maggiore who rather disdeigning then enuiyng this mans dominion was faine at last to flee and to habandone wyfe and children gooddes and landes Insomuche that this new Duke toke all vnto him selfe and furnished the castell of Corte maggiore beyng a veraie stronge holde with his owne men toke all the rentes beyng .12000 duckates a yere to his owne purse excepte a small porcion assigned to the ladie wife of Ieronimo for hir liuyng with condicion neuerthelesse that if she reliued hir husbande with any part therof she should lose the whole Besides this he oppressed his subiectes causyng theim to bie harneis and to furnishe them selfes for the warre on theyr owne cost But most of all he occupied a great noumbre of labourers in his woorkes beginnyng the foundacion of a stronge castell in the place where the Abbey of S. Bennettes in Placentia stode The monkes wherof he appoincted vnto a spittle hous called sainct Lazares in Champaine And these labourers were taken vp by force from all partes of the Parmesane and
feuer And than was his brother Florianus elected but he liued little more than .ii. monethes ¶ Probus reigned .vi. yeres .iiii. monethes he recouered France ouercame Saturninus and Proculus that had made theim selfes emperoures and finallie was slaine of his owne souldiours ¶ Carus with his two sonnes reigned .ii. yeres and achieued diuers worthy enterprises But his son Carinus became so great a tyranne and so viciouse withall that he was compared to Nero and at last slaine of his owne souldiours ¶ Dioclesianus reigned .xx. yeres a great persecutour of the Christian religion because reason persuaded him that whereas diuersitee of opinions continued there coulde be no peace but perill of commocions And because he thought not him selfe able to rule the whole empire alone he ioygned Maximianus with him and either of theim made a deputie Dioclesianus toke Galerius and Maximianus toke Constantius Finally whan thei had brought the empire to a good staie Dioclesian and Maximian both renounced their astates and became priuate though Maximian woulde gladly haue taken it vpon him again to haue exalted his son Maxentius Wherfore his son in law Constantine caused him to be slaine ¶ Galerius with Constantius reigned together .ii. yeres and deuided the empire betwene theym Galerius had the east parte and Constantius the west Constantius husbande to the Queene Eleyn died in Yorke and Galerius beyng fallen sicke slew him selfe Neuerthelesse er he dyed Maxentius had gotten the Romaine souldiours called Pretoriani on his parte and so vsurped the name of emperour Against whom Galerius first sent his capitaine Seuerus and afterwardes Licinius but thei preuailed not for Maxentius continued til the comyng of Constantine to Rome who fought with him and so discomfited him that in fleing he was drowned in Tyber CONSTANTINVS the first reduced the Romaine astate to tranquillitee and toke Licinius as compagnion in the empire to whom he gaue his owne syster in mariage But as discorde is common amonge princes so it happened that Licinius rebelled against Constantine and beyng ouercome was deposed and as some write slaine So that Constantine reigned alone the tyme of whose reigne in all was .xxx. yeres and .x. monethes He was conuerted to the Christian faieth by bisshoppe Siluester vnto whom as the clergie holde opinion he gaue his roiall seate in Rome with auctoritee to vse all the imperiall rites and honours and made him head of the Christian churche and thervpon remoued his imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople whiche citee he than had newly reedified And though authours agree that he in deede builded Constantinople and chaunged it from the auncient name which was Bizantium yet many allow not Constantines donacion to Siluester to be true but saie that some one of those bisshops of Rome longe after Siluester that vsurped the name of Peters successour to enlarge theyr creadite and auctoritee and to mainteigne theyr pompe inuented this donacion So that though Constantine or his successours remoued theyr dwellyng from Rome to Constantinople yet did thei neuerthelesse reteigne continually bothe the dominion of Rome and also the name of the Romaine empyre vntill the takyng of Rome by Alaricus kynge of the Gothes betweene whose comyng and the reigne of Constantine were these ix emperours folowyng COnstantinus Constantius and Constans sons of the first Constantine and had the empire deuided betwene theÌ„ But Constantine not contented with his part moued warre to Constans and was slaine and Constans at length was also slain by treason of one of his owne capitaines named Magnentius who vsurped the empire and after many battailes beyng ouercome by Conctantius at last slew him selfe So that Constantius remaigned emperour alone the time of whose reigne with his brethern togethers was .xxiiii. yeres ¶ Iulianus surnamed Apostata because beyng borne a Christian he became a painem reigned .ii. yeres First he rebelled agaynste his vncle Constantius that had made hym Caesar and after his death beyng made emperour he persecuted cruelly the Christian religion and at length was slaine in battaille against the Persians ¶ Iâ—â—mâ—â—nus reigned .vii. monethes restored the faieth of Christe and was constreigned of necessitee to graunt vnto the kyng of Persia a great parte of Mesopotamia Whiche was the fyrst tyme that euer the Romaines or any emperour consented to diminisshe the Romaine dominion ¶ Ualentinianus reigned .xii. yeres and was a good Christian. ¶ Ualens reigned .iiii. yeres fauoured muche the Artian secte and makyng warre agaynst the Gothes in Thracia was discoumfited besieged and burned ¶ Gratianus reigned .vi. yeres and he with his sonne were bothe slaine by treason of Maximus and Arbogastus theyr owne capitaynes ¶ Theodosius reigned .xi. yeres subdued the Gothes and discoumfited the traitours Maximus and Arbogastus that vsurped the empyre the fyrst of theim was slaine in the fielde the other for despayre slewe hym selfe and so he reuenged his predecessours death ¶ Archadius and Honorius reigned together .xiii. yeres and than died Archadius ¶ Honorius after his brothers death reigned .xv. yeres in whose time Alaricê° beforenamed king of the Gothes prouoked through treason of Stillicon themperours capitaine a Uandale borne tourned his armie that than was goyng into Fraunce against the emperour and so ouerrennyng all Italie at length besieged Rome and toke it rather by famine than force And here beganne the manifest decaie of the Romaine empyre For from this daie forward those Septentriâ—nall nacions that is to wete the Gothes the Vandales the Hunes and Lumbardes with dyuers others triumphed not onely ouer Italy but also ouer Fraunce Spaine and part of Affrike in suche wyse that though many of theyr armies were discoumfited by dyuers of the emperours capitaines and others yet in processe of tyme they myngled theim selfes so with the other nacions that they were no more knowen for strangers but became Italians Spaniardes Frenchemen and so foorth ¶ After this first destruction of Italy with the takyng and spoylyng of Rome the common people beganne to crie out saiyng that syns they lefte the woorshippyng of theyr auncient gods and had embraced the new faith of Christ all these afflictions through vengeance of the gods were fallen on theim so that many doubted whether it were good to beleue or not But surely the remouyng of the imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople was the greatest occasion of the Romaine empyres decaie For whan the emperours beganne to dwell in Greece and to leaue Italy now and than diuidyng the empyre one to rule in the orient and an other in the occident theyr auncient reputacion declined so muche that theyr owne priuate capitaines enterprised many tymes not onely to rebell but also to vsurpe the name of emperours â–ª By reason wherof it came to passe that within the space of â—0 yeres there entred .vii. straunge kinges into Italie with so puissaunt armies that thei put eyther the whole countrey or at least a great part therof to swoorde and fyre FYrst Alaricus kyng of the Gothes before named after he had
gotten Rome by suche famine that many mothers did eate theyr owne children ouerranne all Campaigne the realme of Naples and the lande of Brutij and finally died in the citee of Cosenza ¶ After whom succeded his kynsman Athaulfus that maried Placidia sister of the emperour Honorius taken amonge the prisoners of Rome so wise a woman that whan hir husbande folowyng the trade of Alaricus determined to goe to Rome and to rase it to the earthe she with faire wordes dissuaded hym and brought hym to accorde with hir brother in suche wise that throughe the emperours procuremente he with all his nacion of Gothes lefte Italie and wente to conquere Spayne where in the citee of Barcelona he was of his owne folke traiterously slayâ—e ¶ The seconde was Attila kyng of the Hunes who with an infinite numbre of people entred into Italy and puttyng all to fyre and swoorde passed ouer the countrey now called Lumbardie vnto the Appenine hillê and as farre as Florence which he rased to the erth not withstandyng it was yelded vnto hym without resistence But finallie as he was goyng to Rome entendyng to do likewise there Leo the first than bishop of the same met him by the way and so entreated him that ceasyng from further crueltee he withdrewe hym and all his into Hungarie where not longe after he died of a sodeine death ¶ Thirdlie Gensericus entred into Italie with a great numbre of Vandales through this occasion Theodosius the .ii. assigned his cousen Valentinian to rule the weast parte of the empire who died within few yeres so that Maximianus a Romayne by force toke on him the occidentall empieâ— and maried Eudossa late wife of the same Valentinian who disdeigning this Maximian practised secretly with Gensericus then reigning in Affrica and did so much that he came to Rome toke it by force slewe Maximian spoyled and burned the citee and finallie for a worthy rewarde led Eudossa and hir doughter prisoners with hym at his retourne into Affrike ¶ The fourthe was Biorgus kyng of the Alani afterwardes called Alemani who entred into Italie by the way of Trent and ouerran all Istria La Marca Triuisana and a great parte of Lumbardie till at last by Seuerianus one of the emperours capitaines he was fought withall slaine and his host discomfited ¶ The .v. was Odoacrus kyng of the Eruli that sometime were of the countrey of Valachia beyonde the riuer of Danubie who with an infinite numbre of men twise in .xiiii. yere ouerran all Italie callyng him selfe kyng therof till the emperour Zenon sent Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes against him who fought with him discomfited all his hoste and finally slewe him ¶ The .vi. was this Theodoricus him selfe who by the emperour Zenon was inuested kynge of Italie in the title wherof he caused muche slaughter and destruction er euer he vanquisshed Odoacrus but at laste he establisshed his royall seate in Rauenna where he reigned .25 yeres and died of the fluxe leauyng behynde hym a perpetuall fame of his worthynesse and vertue ¶ The .vii. was Gundebalde kynge of Gorgoyne who with a great multytude passed the Alpes ouerranne a great parte of Lumbardie and with an infinite numbre of prisoners and a wonderfull pray of richesse returned into his owne countrey ¶ Nowe ye shall vnderstande that after Theodoriche was made kyng of Italy by the emperours consent his doughter Amalasuntha folowed in succession of the dominion who after the deathe of hir owne son Atalaricus accepted hir cousin Theodatus for companion in hir kyngdome but he rendryng yll for good founde meanes not onely to exile hir but also to make hir die to the entent he myght reigne alone Whiche vnkynde dealyng so muche offended his owne Gothish nacion that they elected an other kynge in Rome named Vitigius who shortlie caused Theodatus to be slaine by treason and yet he hym selfe prospered not longe after For er he had fullie reigned .v. yeres Bellisarius a capitaine sent by the emperour Iustinian recouered all Italie besieged Vitigius in Rauenna and finallie toke hym prisoner and so led him to Constantinople ¶ Whan the Gothes had a litel renewed their strength they made Totila theyr kyng ouerranne all Italie and twise toke the citee of Rome by force reignyng ouer the whole countrey .ix. yeres till Narses an other of the emperours capitaines came puissantly into Lumbardy and in a sore foughten battaile slew Totila with a great numbre of his nacion ¶ Notwithstandyng that discoumfiture the Gothes a fresshe chose theim an other kyng called Teia a veraie valiaunt man that wonderfully defended his dominion against the power of Narses but finally in plaine battaile Narses slew hym and so discoumfited his armie that the Gothes were constreigned to submitte theim selfes vnto the emperours obeisaunce and from that tyme foorthe beyng borne of two or three descenâ—es in Italy they were no more knowen for Gothes but taken for Italians and there ended the Gothishe name Whiche from the comyng of Theodoricus before named had reigned in Italy the space of .72 yeres ¶ A meruailouse mattier to see the instabilitee of these worldely thynges that the Romaine empyre whiche so many yeres before had triumphed in richesse welth ouer the whole worlde should now be subiecte vnto all calamitee and affliction Rome it selfe .iiii. tymes taken by force within the space of .140 yeres the walles in many places throwen to the earth the inestimable goodly buildynges of temples and palaices burned and spoyled the infinite treasures of money iewelles and other ornamentê put to sacke or hidde vnder the ground by the owners where it could neuer be founde neither man woman nor childe spared of the enemies furiouse swoorde and finally brought to that case that it was more than an whole yere desolate without any creature to dwell in it other than the wilde beastes And not Rome alone but also the most parte of all the notable citees of Italie were thus afflicted for the tyme. ¶ But whan the Gothish nacion was thus subdued Italie returned to the obedience of the empyre and was gouerned by the forenamed Narses by the space of .17 yeres till after the death of the emperour Iustinian Iustine the secounde of that name succeded whose wyfe Sophia thorough instigacion of some gentilmen of the court that enuied the vertue and glory of Narses kendled hir housband the emperour so muche that he reuoked Narses from the rule of Italy with iniurious wordes of the empresse that had bosted she would set hym amongest hir women to spinne and to make clothe whiche she saied was meeter for hym than to rule suche a countrey But the noble hert of Narses conceiued so great an vnkyndnesse of this that after he had answeared hir he woulde spinne suche a clothe as nother she nor hir vile housbande should be hable to weare out he secreâ—ly sent into Pannonia to Alboinus kyng of the Longobardi now called Lumbardes exhortyng him to come into Italie how be it ere
Roger remained quietely Duke of Puglia and Calabria from the beginnyng of his reigne aboute xxv yeres ¶ Next hym succeded his sonne Guglielmo that thynkyng to marie one of the daughters of Alessio emperour of Constantinople â—oke shippyng to goe thither and commended his astate to the protection of Calixt the seconde than bishop of Rome But while Guglielmo was absent Roger than Erle of Sicilâ— sonne vnto Roger brother of Robert Guiscardo without any regarde of the bishop assaulted Calabria and gotte the better parte ere euer Calixt coulde succour it And albeit the bishop reised suche an armie as the hastie tyme woulde serue and came foorth as farre as Beneuento sendyng a Cardinall before with exhortacions and excommunicacions yet wolde Roger nothyng decline from his purpose but was rather more hotte in his enterprise and fortune so muche fauoured hym that after a noumbre of the bishoppes armie were fallen sicke and many of his deere friendê dead the bishop him selfe sickened so sore that he was caried in a horselitter backe to Rome and all his people desperpled By reason wherof Roger in maner without resistence in short time gatte all Puglia and Calabria into his owne possession and so kepte it that whan Guglielmo retourned deceiued of his pretended mariage findyng him selfe also spoyled of his dominion he was fayne to repayred to his cousen the prince of Saern where not longe after he died leauing none issue ¶ So Roger remaignyng successour by inheritaunce woulde no more be called Duke but entitled hym selfe kynge of Italie whiche Calixt and Honorius next bishop after him dissembled because thei could not chose but Innocence the seconde theyr next successour would not abyde that name and therefore moued of disdeine without measuryng his force sodenlely assembled suche people as he coulde make and went against Roger with so great a furie that ere euer Roger coulde make any preparacion he draue hym from S. Germaines and out of all the abbey laudes where Roger thought to haue defended hym selfe and finally constreigned hym to flee into the castell Galuzzo and there besieged hym till William Duke of Calabria sonne of Roger coming with an army to succour his father discoumfited the bishops power finally toke the bishop him selfe withall his Cardinals prisoners whoÌ„ Roger the father entreated very courtesly and at last licenced them to depart at theyr pleasure In consideracion wherof the bishop graunted Roger all his owne requestes the title of kyng onely excepted and amongest other thinges the citee of Naples whiche till that tyme had alwaies ben the emperours For ioye wherof Roger at his entrie made an hundreth and fiftie knightes But Innocence returnyng to Rome founde a new bishop made in his absence one Peter sonne of Pierleone and was called Anacletus Wherfore Innocence fledde with certaine shippes of Pisa into Fraunce The meane whyle Roger visityng this other bishop Anaclete obteined of him the title of kyng of bothe the Siciles on this syde and beyonde the Faro But within three yeres after Innocence by helpe of the Pisani returned and brought with hym Lothayre Duke of Saxonie whom he crowned emperour After whiche Coronacion they bothe with a puissaunt armie went against Roger and toke from him all that he had gotten in Italie as farre as the Faro di Messina but within fewe yeeres whan Innocent was dead Roger recouered againe all that they toke from hym and did afterwarde many notable feates against Emanuell emperour of Constantinople whose ilandes and townes he toke by force as Corfu Corinthe Tebes and Negroponte and burned the suburbes of Constantinople assaulted the emperours palaice and for a memorie of his beyng there gathered apples in his Orcharde ¶ He also fought with the Sarasines and rescued Lewys the .vii. Frenche kynge out of their handes taken by theim by the waie goyng into the holie lande And so reigning .24 yeres lorde of Sicile he died in the citee of Palermo ¶ Than succeded his sonne William before named who immediately ouerran the churche landes and was therfore excommunicated insomuche that many of his owne barons conspired with Adrian bishop of Rome againste him But finally after muche a doe he humbled him selfe to the bishop of whom he was assoiled and inuested kynge of â—ewe in the dominion of bothe the Siciles And after that made an armie into Barbarie where by force he toke and sacked the citee of Tunyse In his retourne from thense he vanquished the Grekish armie by sea though they were manie moe in numbre than he But because he waxed afterwardê somewhat couetouse and burdeined the people with taxes and subsidies his barons rebelled toke him in his palaice at Palermo and put him in prison Than toke they his eldest sonne Roger and made him ryde through the streetes After whom the people went criyng Life to kynge Roger and death to the tiranne kyng William ¶ But the inconstante people repentyng theim of their errour or fearyng leste Roger woulde reuenge the iniurie done to his father retourned to the palaice with a new rumour and findyng it closed began to assaulte it so that Roger thinkyng to appease them came to a window and as he wolde haue spoken was shotte in to the heade with an arrowe wherof he died ¶ Than was William taken out of prison and restored to his kyngdome wherin after he had reigned in all .21 yeres he died â—euyng his sonne also named William in the astate ¶ This William for his good and peasible gouernance was surnamed The good kynge William For in 26. yeres reigne he neuer had warre with any christian prince excepte that littell that moued onelie of a noble courage he made againste Andronico who beyng lefte tutour to Emanuell the seconde a childe vsurped his empire of Constantinople But the Constantinopolitans theim selfes arose against him and hewed him to peeces creatyng Isaac emperour in his place ¶ Manie worthy feates did this William with his galleis against the infidelles specially in the vâ—age that the two kynges Phillip of France and Richard of Englande made into the holy lande Duryng whose beyng at the siege of Acres the good kynge William died in Palermo without issue of his body ¶ Than the barons fearyng the bishop of Rome should subdue theim whose subiectes thei wolde in no wise be incontinently elected Tancredi bastarde soonne of the last Roger before named to be their kyng But shortlie Celestine the .iii. bishop of Rome founde meane to trouble him on this wise ¶ He crowned Henry the .vi. emperour on condycion that he at his owne charges should conquere the realme of both Siciles to hold it in fee of the churche restoryng certain citees and paiyng a certaine tribute And to make his mattier the better he secretlie toke out of the monastarie of Palermo Constance a nunne doughter of the forenamed Roger and dispensyng withall gaue hir in mariage to this emperour Henrie crownyng them both with the title of the
so euer thei founde them they left not in all Sicile one frencheman on liue nor one woman that was knowen to be with childe of a frencheman Wherof yet vnto this daie the Sicilians euensonge is vsed as a prouerbe in Italie ¶ And than by accorde came the kynge of Aragone and receiued Sicile vnto his dominion the rather because he had a certaine title thervnto as in the right of his wyfe Constance daughter to the late kyng Manfredo Unto whom also the bishop of Rome graunted his consent and in deede inuested hym kyng therof by his ecclesiasticall power ¶ Many thynges happened betwene kyng Charles and kyng Peter amongest other a defiance to feight hand to hand with the place appoincted at Burdeaux before our prince Edwarde than ruler of Gascoygne where bothe kynges kepte theyr daie but nother mette nor fought And ere euer kynge Charles retourned Roger di Loria admyrall to kyng Peter had foughten by sea with Charles prince of Salâ—rn onely sonne of king Charles before Naples and taken hym prisoner with a numbre of the Neapolitane barons and gentilmen that were all sent except Charles with .ix. of the chiefest into Sicile and there for a reuengement of Corradinos death .200 of those nobles and gentilmen were beheaded on a daie ¶ Finally kyng Charles vpon his reiourne made excedyng great preparacion to inuade Sicile but er he could bringe it to passe he died for anger and melancolie after he had reigned .xix. yeres ¶ And for as muche as some holde opinion that this Charles was the fyrst Neapolitane kyng that obteined the title of kynge of Ierusalem it is necessarie to declare by what meane ¶ The ladie Marie doughter of the prince of Antioche resigned into the handes of this kynge Charles all hir tytle to the realme of Ierusalem whervpon be caused him selfe to be crowned kynge of Ierusalem and with helpe of the Uenetians sente Roger Di San Seuerino to be gouernour to receiue feaultee and homage of the christen barons there Thus and not by the interest of Federike the kynges of Naples vsed the title of Ierusalem though I fynde not who was Maries father by name nor yet by what reason that realme shoulde apperteine to hir ¶ Whan kynge Charles was deade his onely soonne and heire Charles prince of Salerne remained prisoner in Sicile vnder the kepyng of quene Constance wife to kyng Peter of Aragone and was by consente of the barons condemned to die as it were for a full reuengement of Corradinos death but the noble hert of Constance woulde not suffre it Excusyng the mattier that before she knew hir housbandes mynde she would not attempt so great a thyng Wherefore she sent hym into Aragone where he continued prisoner till kyng Peter died and than by procurement of prince Edwarde lorde of Gascoygne he was deliuered and restored to his realme of Naples Who was raunsomed at .30000 markes and for perfourmance of couenauntes .iii. of his sonnes and .100 gentilmen laie in hostage ¶ Here is to be noted that within the space of one yere died .iii. kynges and a bishop of Rome that is to weâ—e Phillip kyng of Fraunce Charles kyng of Naples Peter kyng of Aragon and Martine the .4 bishop of Rome ¶ After Peter succeded in the realme of Aragon his eldest sonne Aufus in Sicile his sonne Iames that helde in prison the forenamed Charles the secounde ¶ Finallie Aufus the elder brother beyng dead Iames to haue the kyngdome of Aragon in peace sore vexed at that time by the Frenche kyng fell at composicion with Charles to renounce Sicile vnto hym and so did But Federike yonger brother to Iames assoone as he heard therof gotte a certain power went into Sicile and gatte it to hym selfe by reason wherof betwene Charles and Federike was continuall warre manie yeres till at last Charles to haue Calabria in peace the most parte wherof Federike had gotten by force consented that Federike duryng his life shoulde quetlie enioy Sicile ¶ So Charles bringing all his thinges to a quiet reigned .24 yeres and died leauyng issue by his wife Mary doughter of kyng Stephen of Hungarie ix sonnes and v. doughters The eldeste named Charles Martell afterwardes kynge of Hungarie by the mothers title Lewis the secounde sonne bishop of Tolouse in Spaine Robert the thirde sonne kynge of Naples As for the reste though they were princes Quenes and princesses yet I passe theim ouer and will onely speake of Lewys Duke of Durazzo because Charles Da Durazzo who was next kyng after the firste quene Iohan descended of him ¶ At the death of Charles Robert his .iii. sonne beyng in Auignion was called from thens to the dominion of Naples and confirmed kyng by Clemente the .v. than bishop of Rome howebeit not longe after Caronumberto kynge of Hungarie and sonne of his elder brother Charles pretended title thervnto but after longe debatyng therof the lawiers finallie determined that Robert shoulde continue and Caronumberto shoulde contente hym with the realme of Hungarie And though Robert was muche troubled by the comyng of the emperour Henry the .vii. into Italie yet after the emperour was poisoned by a blacke frier in ministryng hym the sacrament of communion at Bonconuento besides Siena by order as thei saie of the Romish legate king Robert prospered so well in Italie by reason he was taken as heade of the Guelfi that he subdued Genoa and the Florentines with their whole astate submitted them selfes vnto him and accepted his sonne Carlo senza terra to be their lorde Whiche Charles not longe after his establishment in that dominion retourned to Naples and died ¶ Finally Robert hym selfe sickened and died without heyres males And so the inheritance remained in the iii. daughters of his forenamed sonne Charles Unto the eldest named Iohan he by his testament lefte the realme vpon condicion that she shoulde marie with his nephew Andrew younger son of the abouenamed Caronumberto In whose tyme liued Petrarcha and Bocchacio the one for verse and the other for prose famouse in theyr Italian tongue and for theyr vertues muche cherisshed of this kynge Robert ¶ Accordyng to the testament of kyng Robert his nephiew Andrew came out of Hungarie and maried Quene Iohan with whom he reigned scarcely .iii. yeeres but that she caused hym to bee hanged out at hir chambre wyndow because as the same wente he was not cockie enough to satisfie hir appetite ¶ Than maried she Lewys prince of Taranto an excellent beautifull man But Lewys kyng of Hungarie elder brother to Andrew to reuenge his brothers deathe came with a puissaunt armie into the realme insomuch that the Queene and hir husband bothe fledde to Auignion in Prouance leauyng Charles da Durazzo sonne of Lewys da Durazzo beforenamed theyr lieuetenant to defende but the Hungarien so muche prospered that in short space he gatte the whole realme and toke this Charles da
disposed theim all at his pleasure causyng him selfe openlie to be called Duke ¶ Than died Clemente the Bishop whervpon the Cardinalles Di Medici and Saluiati with the principall of the other banished Florentines couetyng the recouerie of their citees libertee sent ambassadours to the emperour besechyng hym to consider the tyrannie of Duke Alexandre who than newly had builded the Cittadella and to regarde the condicions of peace Whiche ambassadours arriued at Barcelona euen as the emperour was takyng shippe towardes the enterprise of Tunise so that beyng returned to Rome the Cardinall Hippolito di Medici disposed hym selfe to goe vnto Tunise therfore And takyng his iourney towardes Naples died at Itri by the waie poysoned as the voice wente by procurement of Duke Alexander ¶ This Duke Alexander was yet but yonge who by bishop Clementes procurement had maried the emperours bastarde doughter he was so stoute that without any respecte he wolde haue his will in all thynges and namely in feates of loue and chaunge of women was his speciall delite And amongest all other he delited more in the company of Laurence di Medici that should succede him in the astate than of any other man But Laurence in steede of that loue hated the Duke and had longe time determined to slea him whan he might finde occasion whether he did it in hope the rather to atteigne to the dominion him selfe or to restore to the citee hir auncient libertee be diuers opinions ¶ In effecte without makyng any man priuie to his entent other than a seruante of his owne the Duke beyng on a nighte all alone in Laurences house and slepyng on a bedde Laurence and his man slewe him and thervpon counsailyng with certayne of his friendes and seeyng no man disposed to stande with him in pursuyng of his purpose the selfe same nighte he fledde and went straight to Uenice where in company of the Sâ—â—ozzi he liued till of laâ—e certaine persons in hope of the Taglia a rewardâ— prâ—claimed for the kyllyng of notable offenders he was also slayne ¶ Immediately vpon knowlage of the death of Duke Alexander the three Florentine Cardinalles that were than in Rome departed thense and makyng all the men they coulde by the waie come with an armie towarde Florence Wherfore the Medici with their friendes in Florence to make their party good that the banished men shoulde not preuayle to their destruction elâ—cted Cosmo di Medici to be their Duke a yonge man of .20 yeres of age whâ—se father Iohn Di Medici had ben a man righte valiaunt in armes And therupon senâ—e to the Cardinalles praiyng theim to state their armie by the waie and to come them selfes priuately to Florence where they shoulde finde so muche reason offered them that they shoulde neede to vse no force So thei staied their power besides Cortona and beyng come to Florence were entreated with so faire promises that thei licenced theyr men to depart By reason wherof the Duke that nâ—we is with his friendes had time to make theim selfes stronge and than wolde consent to nothing that the Cardinalles loked for so that with a playne mocke they departed lamentyng their folie that they had chaunged the suretee of their force for the vnsuretee of fayre wordes ¶ This chaunge in Florence and the mocke that the Cardinalles receiued so muche encreased their malice that they with the helpe of Phillip Strozzi and Bartholomew Valori assembled and waged the number of 4000. men whiche by Peter Strozzi that yet liueth and serueth the Frenche kynge shoulde haue be conducted to Monte Murlo and from thense to Florence had not Phillip and Bartholomew who with a smalle companie came before to Monte Murlo ben sette vpon by Alexander Vitelli taken and ledde awaie prâ—soners to Florence where the whole conspiracy of those confederates that were in the towne was discouered and diuers taken and put to execucion and so the whole enterprise broken and destroied Amongest the rest onely Phillip Strozzi was preserued from deathe notwithstandyng he was kepte in prysâ—n in the Cittadella and there died Some saie he killed him selfe rather than he woâ—â—e vndoe his children by paiyng the raunsome that was required of him beyng in dede one of the rychest priuate men that was in his time as it dothe well appeare by the wealth of his sonne Peter and of his other children whiche beyng banished men and hauyng nothyng in their owne countrey doe neuerthelesse lyue abroade in so muche reaputacion that fewe brethern of christendome vnder the degree of prynces doe the like ¶ I haue spoken before of Cittadella buylded by Duke Alexander for the more suretee of his dominion whiche at his deathe remaigned in the kepynge of one of the Dukes capitaines But assoone as Alexander Vitelli one that had serued well the emperour in his warres hearde of the Dukes deathe he came to Florence and entred into the castell to speake with the capitaine where he handled the mattâ—er so well that he excluded the capitaine and kepte it him selfe And thoughe he made many faire promises to Duke Cosmo yet at length he deliuered it to the emperour who therfore rewarded hym with fayre possessions in the realme of Naples ¶ This Duke Cosmo sued first to marrie with the wife of Duke Alexander the emperours doughter but the bishop of Rome that nowe is purchaced hir to his no small coste for his sonnes sonne Duke Octauio For the whiche there hath ben mortall hate betwene Duke Cosmo and the bishop And beyng thus preuented the Duke to obteigne the more stay towardes the emperour maried the doughter of Don Diego di Tolledo Uice Re of Naples by whose meane he hath redeemed the Cittadella of the emperour for the summe of .400000 duckates and is nowe absolute lorde and kynge within him selfe ¶ He hath diuers faier children by his wyfe and loueth hir so well that in maner he neuer goeth abrode vnlesse it be to churche without hir and is reputed to be a very chaste man He is learned and wyse he vseth fewe wordes and is neuerthelesse in his owne tounge eloquente In the administracion of iustice he is so sincere that syns the tyme of his reigne whiche is nowe aboue .x. yeres I haue not hearde that he hath pardoned any person condemned to die He hath restreigned the Uice of Sodomie which heretofore reigned more in Florence than elswhere in Italy with paine of death and hath broughte his astate to suche quietnesse as it hath not ben this .300 yeres past so that Florence may well saie that in hym she hath founde hir longe desired libertee For though he absolutely hath the whole reuenewes to his owne vse yet the suretee that the Florentynes haue in their owne thynges whiche heretofore they neuer had is muche more worthe to theym than the common reuenew was beneficiall to the citee ¶ Finally the vertue of this Duke Cosmo besides the woorthinesse of his dominion hath brought hym in suche reputacion that
confyrmed in the same as vicare of the empire ¶ Within two yeres after Ramondo Torrigiani bishop of Como and Patriarke of Aquileia retourned with a great armie to dryue Ottone out and did muche hurte in the Milanese territory But at laste he receiued a sore discomfiture by Ottone through helpe of the families of Duarosi and Palauisini whiche houses together with those of Lampugnani descended of the Goti and those of Pietrasanta comen out of Tuscane those of Porri of Caimi of Bossi of Marliani and of Triulsi were all at that time most noble and puissaunte in Millaine ¶ After the death of Ottone his brother Iacopo hauyng a sonne named Tibaldo and Tibaldo a sonne named Matteo who for his lusty courage and deedes was surnamed Magno the reputacion and state of the Visconti beganne to grow more and more For this Matteo gatte Alexandria Pauia Tortona and manie other townes ¶ Finally this Matteo puttyng Pietro Visconti in pryson whom after he deliuered beyng aduertised howe the same Pietro conspyred with the chiefe of the Torrigiani to driue him out of his astate and mistrustyng his owne power to defend the same committed the whole to Alberto Scoto lorde of Piacenza and fledde hym selfe into the marishes of the lake of Garda where he lyued longe time of his onely labour of fishyng He had .iiii. soonnes by his wife Bona Cosa the fyrste named Galeazo so called because in the nighte of his birthe the cockes crowed more than thei were wonte the secounde Giouanni the .iii. Stefano and the .iiii. Lucchino ¶ This Galeazo succeded his father and goyng afterwardes with Henrie the emperour to Rome was there made capitaine of the light horsemen and about that tyme begatte two sonnes the one called Azone and the other Marco His courage was so great that whan the emperour Lodouico di Bauiera requyred a certaine summe of money of the Mylanese Galeazo withstode it Upon displeasure wherof Lodouico toke hym prisoner and banished his sonnes Azone and Marco But at length at the instaunce of Castruccio Lucchese Galeazo was deliuered And finally beyng in company of the same Castruccio at the siege of Pistoia sickened and died in the towne of Pestia ¶ After whose death Azone and Marco for a certaine summe of money paied before hand obteined of the emperour Lodouico the restitucion of the state of Myllaine And so Azone as elder brother hauyng the dominion Marco in his name gatte the citee of Lucca and his vncle Lucchino the citees of Bergamo Bressa and Pauia wherby Azone became great and so high of stomacke that remembryng the iniuries doen to hym by the emperour Lodouico whan he wold haue passed through Myllaine as lorde of all Italy he closed the gates against hym refusyng to accepte him for his better Therfore not without good cause was he bothe feared and esteemed specially for his approued valiautnesse for beyng sent of his father to helpe Castruccio he fought with the Florentines neere to Fucecchio discomfited and pursued theim euin to the gates of Florence and laiyng siege to the citee remaigned there idell certaine daies for no man durst issue out to meddle with hym Whiche was the fyrst enterprise of the Visconti against the Florentines ¶ After whiche Azone through helpe of Castruccio became lorde of the Alco Pascio and of Bologna and as some saie beyng in campe on a daie after he had broken his fast puttyng his sallette on his head whiche before had lien on the earth there issued out an adder that glyded downe alongest his face without dooyng hym any hurte wherof it folowed that the Visconti vsed the adder in theyr armes And thoughe it so maie well be true yet this seconde opinion of the adder dooeth not so muche satisfie me as the fyrst ¶ Finally Azone diyng without issue his vncles Lucchino and Giouanni rested in his place and were confirmed in the astate by Benedetto the .xi. bishop of Rome as vicares of the churche with condicion that after the death of the emperour Lodouico di Bauiera the state of Myllaine shoulde be holden of the dominion of the churche ¶ Lucchino as elder brother toke vpon hym to gouerne and proued a veray rightuous and mercifull man He granted reconcilement vnto many of the citesins before tyme confyned by Azone and builded many deuoute places in Myllaine He gatte many townes part by force and part with loue and in maner renued the walles of Bergamo at his owne coste He reformed many thynges in Bressa and so finally died ¶ After him his brother Giouanni succeded who incontinently called home Matteo Bernabo and Galeazo sonnes of his brother Stefano before time banisshed by Lucchino ¶ And all be it that this Giouanni was an archebishop yet beyng more geuen to armes than to the churche thorough the valiantnesse of Galeazo he gatte Parma Lodi Cremona Bergamo Genoua Sauona and many other townes and finally died leauyng his astate diuided betwene Bernabo and Galeazo ¶ This Bernabo helde warre longe tyme with the bishoppe of Rome for the citee of Bologna that together with Genoua had rebelled against hym and finally toke for Bologna a great summe of money and forbare Genoa because it had been before redeemed at his handes for the summe of .600000 duckates But some saie he was enforced to lette it alone by reason that in one selfe tyme he was troubled of the Romish legate of Philippino di Gonzaga and of Cane della Scala for the thynges of Bressa where he had been ones discoumfited ¶ He had to wyfe one of the daughters of Mastino della Scala a woman that for hir vnreasonable pride was surnamed La Reina the Queene And had by hir .14 children wherof .iiii. were sonnes To Lodouico the eldest he gaue the citee of Cremona To Carlo Parma To Ridolfo Bergamo and to Mastino Lodi ¶ The rest beyng daughters he maried on this wyse La Verde vnto Leâ—poldo Duke of Austria graundfather to the emperour Federico the thyrde La Taddea to the Duke of Bauiera La Valentina to Peter kyng of Cyprus La Catherina to Giangaleazo Visconti his nephew L' Antonia to Federico kynge of Sicilia La Maddalena to the Duke of Bauiera againe L' Agnesa to Francesco Gonzaga La Lisabetta to Ernesco Duke of Monaco in Bauiera L' Angiolella to Federico the younger And La Lucia to Lodouico Duke of Angiers eldest sonne to the Frenche kynge And after to Baldasar Marques of Misna and finally to Edmonde Erle of Kent sonne to the kynge of Englande And with the mariage of euerie of these daughters he paied all .100000 duckatê ¶ Besides these he had .iiii. bastarde daughters Bernarda Ricciarda Lisaberta and Margherita And fiue bastarde sonnes Ambrosio Nestore Lancilotto Galeotto and Sagramoro ¶ On the other syde Galeazo begatte on his wyfe Bianca daughter of Amone Duke of Sauoie a sonne named Giangaleazo and a daughter named La Violante whiche afterwardes was maried to Lionell Duke of Clarence and sonne to the
In folowyng the victorie wherof the Uenetians had alreadie passed the riuer of Adda and scoured the countrey euen to the gates of Myllaine he at last a little before his deathe bequethed his astate by testamente vnto the kynge Alfonso as to one the deerest friende he had ¶ This Philippo had ben a prince of a subtill nature wittie a louer of trauaile couetouse to learne and to haue and yet liberall in geuyng easie of pardonyng but suspiciouse out of measure and so light of credence that many tymes he wrongefully ridde out of the waie the deerest friendes he had Wherof it folowed that in his most businesse he founde him selfe vtterly habandoned leauyng the state of Myllaine in maner naked For the Duke of Orliens in the right of his wyfe Valentina daughter of Giangaleazo enforced hym selfe to atteine the possession whiche the emperour Federico for his parte in titell of the empyre denyed But Francesco Sforza as soonne in lawe of the deade Philippo withstode theim bothe insomuche that thorough this rumour the Mylanese rent the testament in peeces and toke on theim theyr libertee electyng .xii. men to diuise order for the gouernaunce of theyr citees whervnto they had the helpe of Carlo Gonzaga who beyng lately departed from the campe of Sforza was present in Mylaine the same time And so the new officers beyng ordeined there were many of those nobles slaine that were knowen fauourable to the part of Francesco whose power courage the Mylanese feared muche more than the puissance of France or of themperour ¶ The father of this Francesco named Mutio was borne besydes the castell of Cotignuola and folowyng the warres fyrst serued the souldiours with cariyng of woodde and water Than gettyng a little with sackyng here and there became so stronge and hardie that many tymes he would by force take the bootie from his owne companions and therfore was called Sforza ¶ From whiche base condicion he beganne to waxe an aduenturer and to feight on horsbacke so that finally he became a capitaine and in short space was iudged equall vnto Braccio Montone the valiauntest and honourablest generall of those daies ¶ But at last after he had long time serued the Queene Giouanna against kyng Alfonse in the realme of Naples and in other places dooen many notable enterprises couetyng to saue a lakey in the riuer of Pescara he was drowned hym selfe and coulde neuer after be founde nor heard of ¶ Than was this Francesco his sonne fyrst waged of the forenamed Queene and after of the Uenetians than of Philippo and after Philippo of the Mylanese against the Uenetians and lastely of the Uenetians against the Mylanese In all whiche doynges as well in the realme as in Lumbardie he euermore shewed great prouffes of his worthinesse and at last with helpe of the Uenetians came against Myllaine and besieged it Insomuche that after longe resistence constreigned with hunger and deceiued of theyr promised helpe from the Uenetians the Mylanese fyrst sleayng the Uenetian ambassadour accepted Francesco for theyr prince Who not longe after stablishyng the thynges of Mylaine at his pleasure made warre to kynge Alfonso and to the Uenetians bothe in whiche warres he was serued of these valiaunt capitaines Tiberio Brandolino Nicolo Guerriero Dolce dell ' Anguillara Carlo di CaÌ„po Basso and Iacopo Piccinino whiche Iacopo was promysed to haue to wyfe his daughter Drusiana before tyme maried vnto Iano Fregoso Duke of Genoa How be it the Duke Francesco afterwardes for suspicion caused this Iacopo to be slaine ¶ Aboutes the same tyme whylest Eugenio bishoppe of Rome was occupied at the counsaile of Basile Francesco as his enemie attempted to take the state of Marca from hym And there kept warre longe tyme with kynge Alfonso whom the saied bishop had sent thither against hym where they saie Francesco was defied by Nicolo Piccinino and beyng chalenged to feight hande to hande would in no wyse accept it That notwithstandyng he was vndoubtedly a worthie man of armes the most happie and valiaunt of all other in his tyme. For in those .xvi. yeres that he reigned Duke he in maner extinguisshed the sedicion of the parties of Guelâ—i and Ghibellini insomuche that the Genowaies fallen in discorde amongest theim selfes seeyng the good gouernaunce of this Duke Francesco with the louyng enterteinement of his subiectes willingly embraced him for theyr lorde He loued muche Cosmo di Medici of Florence by whose helpe and counsaile it is thought he prospered not a little in the beginnyng of his astate seyng that Cosmo assoone as he was made Duke sent ambassadours vnto hym reioysyng at his prosperitee For the friendship wherof Francesco afterwardes succoured Piero di Medici in the coniuracion made against hym by Luca Pitti whom Borso Duke of Ferrara fauoured ¶ This Duke Francesco reedified the little Forte in the Castell of Myllaine called Gioue and builded many deuoute places Neuerthelesse in his age he was somewhat blamed for his disordinate loue to women more than his astate his age and his passed vertues did allowe ¶ Finally finisshyng the course of this life he lefte by his wife Bianca .v. sons Galeazo Lodouico surnamed Moro Ascanio Philippo Oâ—tauiano and a daughter named Hippolita Maria that afterwardes was maried to Alfonso Duke of Calabria ¶ Whan Galeazo beyng in the warres in France with kynge Lewys heard of his fathers death he retourned to Myllaine where he was receiued as Duke And all be it he was expert in armes yet did he neuer shew any honourable prouffe thereof as he that entred into an astate ouermuche wealthie and quiete And because he had so muche felicitee that he thought it impossible euer to decaie he set so little by men and by vertue that many of his owne citesins and seruauntes hated him And thei whom he fauoured most conspyred his death and slew hym The principall wherof was oâ—e Gianandrea Lampugnano that with his owne handes fyrst strake hym in the churche of saincte Stephen whan Galeazo had his garde of Halberders rounde about hym Whiche Halberders incontinently slewe the same Giauandrea that fleeyng through the women happened to be tangled by the spurre muche after the maner as he was serued that slew Asdruball in Spaine ¶ And albeit that this Galeazo through his delicate or wanton life became odiouse and vnworthy to theim that delited in chieualry and also hated of them that had the fairest wifes and doughters with whom he wolde be familiar as the fame went yet the commons lamented hym a great deale more than many of his predecessours because that duryng his life thei remaigned in peace For in peace whan the souldiour doeth begge the plow prospereth and in warre whan the plow man is fledde the souldiour plaieth the swyne ¶ These thynges beyng thus happened Giouanni the sonne of Galeazo than but a childe succeded in the astate vnder the gouernaunce of his mother Bona and of one Cecco that longe tyme had ben broughte vp in that
house ¶ This Cecco was borne in Calabria of verie lowe degree But through his wisedome he became noble and of so good credite with Francesco Sforza that he gouerned most thynges in Millaine ¶ Finally whan Galeazo was deade to the entente that Giouanni might the more quietly enioy the dominion he sente away his other brethern into exile But at length Lodouico Moro vncle to Giouanni was reuoked by the people and ineontinently vpon his retourne Cecco beheaded and Bianca the mother exiled ¶ After whiche time Giouanni remayned in the astate aboutes .xii. yeres But his proufe was so simple that in maner by force he committed the rule of all thynges to Lodouico By whose meanes as he that was not yet contented some say Giouanni at length was poisoned and died in Pauia leauyng issue a sonne called Francesco Sforza begotten on his wife Isabella doughter of Alfonso kyng of Naples ¶ Now incontinently as Giouanni was deade this Lodouico Moro bothe of the people and also by consent of the emperour Maximilian was proclaymed Duke and shortely after maried his neece Bianca doughter of his brother Galeazo vnto the same Maximilian takyng also vpon him the protection of his nephew the yonge Francesco Sforza and of his mother Isabella ¶ Than maried he Beatrice the doughter of Ercole Duke of Ferrara and begatte on hir Francesco Sforza with a secounde sonne in whose birth the mother died ¶ This Moro was a wittie man of veray gooo disposicion and one that delited muche in the administracion of iustice in peintyng and in cunnyng men ¶ In the beginnyng of his astate he entred in amytee with the Florentines the Senese the Bologniese with Ercole da Este with the Marques of Mantua with Lewis kyng of Fraunce and with Alfonso kyng of Naples But lyke as he was easy to enter into frendeship so for a trifle wolde he sodeinly breake with the best of theim ¶ He helped Charles Duke of Sauoy against Lodouico Marques of Saluzzo and confined his brother the Cardinall Ascanio because in Ferrara he had practised diuers new thynges against him ¶ He toke Boccalino by siege that had rebelled against the Romayne churche and therby gratyfied the bishop of Rome ¶ With his great policie he recouered Genoa that before had rebelled against him He founde the meanes to bryng Charles the .viii. Frenche kyng into Italy to expulse kyng Alfonso out of Naples because he had before taken him for his ennemie for sekyng to mainteigne the astate of Giouanni the sonne of Galeazo againste him ¶ This comyng of the Frenche kynge not onely annoied Alfonso but also troubled all Italy ¶ Finally he made warre against the Uenetians which dured till that after the death of kynge Charles Lewys succeded in the realme of Fraunce who hated so muche this Duke Moro that beyng entred in leage with the Uenetians Moro was constreigned to flee into Almaine where he remained whilest the Frenchemen toke Millaine and the Uenetians Cremona and Gieradadda How be it not longe after the Frenchemen through their yll gouernaunce were driuen from Millaine and Lodouico reuoked home out of Douchelande who after his arriuall takyng Neuara and trauaylyng to chace the Frenche men out of Italy was betraied of the Douchemen and bothe he and Ascanio taken and ledde into Fraunce where finally he died ¶ This Lodouico reignyng in his dominion vsed to answere them that counsailed him to encrease his treasure with taxes and tallages that the office of a good shepeherde was to shere his sheepe and not to flaie theim ¶ Thus Lodouico Moro taken and deade as is beforesaied his sonne Francesco shortely after the battaill of Rauenna beyng than but tender of yeres was astablished Duke of Millaine by the emperours meanes and continued in the astate till the comyng of Fraunces the Frenche kynge into Italy who with the helpe of the Uenetians chaced him away and gatte the state of Millaine by force leauyng Mounser de Lautrech gouernour of the same so that Francesco Sforza withdrew him to Trent and there remained till the Frenche men through their tyranny and yll gouernaunce became so hated of the Milanese that at length they were chased away and Francesco reuoked home though in effect he enioyed it not longe For the Frenche kynge shortly after with a great power came in his owne person into Italy and so chaced Francesco againe out of the state of Millaine and prospered muche in his warres there vntill the iourney of Pauia where he with many of his nobles were taken prisoners After whiche discomfiture Francesco Sforza by the emperours fauour was ones again restored to the Douchie of Millaine and continued in the same till through enuy and malyce of some piâ—â—ethankes the emperour was vniustly persuaded that the saied Francesco was not so faithfull towardes his maiestee as his goodnesse had merited so that the emperour conceiuyng an vnkyndenesse and a mistrust in hym constreigned him by force not onely to habandone Millaine but also for his saufegarde to flee into the castell whiche after a verie longe siege he yelded vnto the imperialles to departe freely with bagge and baggage ¶ And so beyng letted of the imperialles from goyng to Como where he entended to sodgiourne tyll he might cleere his innocency towardes the emperour in maneâ— halfe desperate he agreed with the Frenche men drew to the campe of the leage that than was made against the emperour ¶ Finally he went vnto Cremona till after the taking of sainct Polo the Frenchemens dooynges in Italie went all to wracke Wherfore seeyng the emperour Charles the .v. that nowe is come to Bologna to bee crowned he went simplie thither vnto hym and there submittyng hym selfe with iust excuses recouered his magistees fauour with restitucion of the astate of Myllaine vpon these condicions folowyng That the Duke shoulde marie the emperours neece daughter of the kynge of Denmarke and of the emperours syster that he shoulde paie the emperour nine hundreth thousande duckates in tenne yeres by equall porcions And finally that diyng without issue he should leaue his astate of inheritaunce to the emperour ¶ Incontinently vpon which agrement Alexandro Bentiuogli as vice Duke with diuers other officers were sent to Myllaine to leauey the fyrste paiemente of this money whiche was easily gathered vp For the Mylanese couetyng the retourne of theyr Duke whom for his gentill and temperate gouernance in tymes past thei hertilie loued sticked not to streigne them selfes for his reliefe in suche wyse that thoughe theyr customes and taxes were doubled by reason of these paiementes yet theyr hope of better life to come vnder their Duke made theim not to esteeme theyr present charges ¶ Than came themperours neece the daughter of Denmarke to Myllaine and there was most solemnely receiued with infinite triumphes and finally maried to the Duke in presence of the Cardinall of Mantua with suche feastes and plaies afterwardes as so great a mariage requyred ¶ But ere a yere went about the Duke through
meanes the mattier was remedied and within shorte space after died Guido and his sonne Francesco bothe ¶ And than came the astate clerely to Luigi who builded the palaice wherin all his successours to this daie haue dwelled He begatte on his wife Alda a sonne named Francesco whom he maried verie yonge vnto Agnesa doughter of Bernabo Visconti and at last beyng knowen openly to haue committed auoutrie the people arose and cruelly slew hym ¶ After whose death the astate descended to his sonne Francesco than beyng of the age of .xiiii. yeres But growen afterwardes to more tyme he so muche loued peace that he refused to entre in confederacion with Giangaleazo Duke of Myllaine And vpon displeasure therfore folowyng betwene theim Francesco caused the adder that for the great amitee and aliaunce betwene those two houses had in tyme past been ioygned to the armes of Mantua to be cleane taken out therof For whiche despite Giangaleazo besieged Mantua and laie before the same an whole yere in whiche meane tyme there perisshed many notable men on bothe sydes and specially of the house of Gonzaga .4 that is to wete Guido Torello Bartolino and Galeazo Whiche Galeazo Gonzaga amongest all other was reputed the strongest and hardiest man of his daies hauing fought oftentymes bodie to bodie and remained euermore vainquisher namely against Buccialdo a notable stronge man than gouernour for the Frenche kynge in Genoa These businesses at length beeyng pacified and Francesco somewhat awakened in armes he enterprised warre in the name of Giangaleazo against the Bologniese and against Giouanni Bentiuogli in the thicke wherof he toke Iacopo Carraro of Padoa prisoner and ledde hym to Mantua geuyng him suche curteyse libertee there that yeldyng vnkyndnesse for kyndnesse Iacopo escaped awaie wherof folowed muche a dooe afterwardes For assoone as the Duke of Myllaine was dead the Uenetians consideryng the prouoked displeasure before rehersed elected the saied Francesco to be their generall in thenterprise against the Carrari and were so well serued of hym that after he had chased the Carrari out of Padoa and Verona he reduced bothe those citees to the Uenetian obedience And so after a gloriouse life died ¶ Leauyng after hym his sonne Gianfrancesco in the dominion of the age of .14 yeeres who by his wyfe Paola daughter of Malatesta lorde of Rimini had .4 sonnes Luigi Carlo Lucido and Alexandro To the fyrst wherof he obteined for wyfe Barbera daughter of the Marques of Brandenburgh and kynneswoman vnto the emperour Edmonde who at his comyng into Italie and passyng through Mantua was there honourablie receiued by Gianfrancesco insomuche that before his departure he made hym Marques and gaue hym in his armes the ensigne of the empyre ¶ After the atteignyng of whiche honours he was thre seuerall tymes made generall of the Uenetians and in euery enterprise gatte the vpper hand And at last forsakyng theim he was waged against theim by Philippo Duke of Myllaine and in that seruice in company of Niccolo Piccinino was parte of the occasion that the Uenetians than lost the citee of Verona with many other townes of the Bressane and Uicentine so he died leauyng his dominion diuided in .iiii. partes vnto his foure sonnes To Luigi as eldest the citee of Mantua with those other townes that he had about Verona to Carlo who was an excedyng stronge man Luceâ—a with the reste of those landes that he helde on the Cremonese territorie To Lucido yll shapen and weake of person Capriana La Volta and Ciregiaia and finally to Alexandro who was crokebacked and becomen religiouse Canneto with that lande that he hadde on the Bressane ¶ Thus Luigi the eldest toke the astate vpon hym and continued not longe in the same vnuexed of his brother Carlo whose mightinesse and force of body was coupled with suche an haultenesse of minde that for desire of atteignyng his elder brothers astate he coulde not be contented to liue in peace ¶ And albeit that in the warres betwene Francesco Sforza and the Milanese he fledde from one part to an other and backe again yet by his brothers meanes he recouered the fauour of Sforza at whose handes he receiued diuers benefites But Luigi seeyng now the yll disposicion of his vnquiete mynde finally toke from hym all the landes that his father lefte hym so that Carlo fledde to the Uenetians and became their captaine so longe till at lengthe through their helpe he assembled a power of men wente againste his brother and foughte with him to the ieopardy of the losse of the Mantuan astate But in conclusion the right of Luigi preuailed againste the force of Carlo who beyng discomfited and fledde died afterwardes verie poorely in exile ¶ This enterpryse beeynge thus ouercomen and the thynges of the astate quieted Luigi triumphantly receiued the emperour Federico the thyrde as he passed through Mantua to Rome and beyng than a wydower by the death of his first wife maried Margarite doughter of the Duke of Bauiera and cousen to the forenamed emperour ¶ He was so great of body that he was commonly called the Turke so well exercysed in armes and so beloued specially of the Dukes of Millaine that Duke Philippo called him sonne Francesco called him brother and Galeazo called him father ¶ He was noble of courage fine of witte and somewhat learned whiche thinges together with his liberall and courteise life made him beloued of all men ¶ Finally through some disorder in liuyng as he that loued to liue in pleasure he died somewhat before the full course of his naturall terme Leauyng by his first wife Barbara .v. sonnes Federico Francesco made Cardinall Luigi Gianfrancesco and Rodolfo all notable and vertuouse persons ¶ Federico as eldest succeded in the astate and was afterwardes generall to the Duke of Millaine and maried La Margerita Tedesca on whom he begatte a sonne named Francesco and in the Uenetian warres againste the Duke of Ferrara hauyng gotten Asola whiche afterwardes he was constreigned by force to restore sickened for sorow and died ¶ By reason wherof his sonne Francesco of the age of 18. yeres entred into the astate and at the age of .38 was made generall of the Uenetians in whose seruice he did wonders specially againste Charles the eighte Frenche kyng nere vnto the riuer of Taro besides Parma as the same kynge retournyng from the conquest of the realme of Naples laden with great richesse was goyng into Fraunce In whiche enterprise Francesco so behaued him selfe that he ledde many noble men prisoners with hym at his retourne insomuche that the Frenche kynge made verie great offers to haue had his seruice but all in vaine For continuyng his ennemie he afterwardes fought with the Frenche men in Puglia and so discomfited theim that he restored the kynge Ferrandino vnto his astate And leauyng three sonnes by his wife Beatrice doughter of Ercole Duke of Ferrara that is to wete Federico that next succeded him Ercole
his sonne Fresco as he that was desirouse to reigne that prisonyng his father put hym vnto death and after with helpe of the Uenetians toke on hym the astate ¶ But his owne citesins abhorryng so great a crueltee procured so muche the Romysh legate Palagurra to the vengeaunce of Fresco that bothe Fresco and the Uenetians were excommunicated and warre moued against theim the generall wherof was named Diego Catelano a Spaniarde ¶ Now Fresco waxyng more cruell through these businesses than before put to death all those of his subiectes that were contrarie to hym and after burned the one halfe of the citee purposyng to destroie the whole But the furie of the people was so moued therby that takyng weapon in harde they sought hym and as he woulde haue fledde out at the Lyon gate slew hym And Rinaldo his brother to whom of right the astate ought to haue descended was also dead in prison ¶ So than Obizone sonne of Rinaldo toke on hym the astate and was the first that beganne to enlarge his dominion through the gettyng of Modena and Reggio ¶ And after Obizone succeded Azo his sonne the .iii. of that name who delited muche in armes many times attemptyng to conquere Parma and Bologna and at length 〈◊〉 without issue ¶ Leauyng his astate vnto his nephewes Rinaldo and Niccolo sonnes of his brother Aldobrandino ¶ This Rinaldo desirouse to encrease his dominion with the helpe of Passerino Buona Colsi than lorde of Mantua obteined Argenta after ioignyng his power with an armie of the lordes of Scala laied siege to the towne of San felice on the Modenese Whiche towne the kyng Manfredi together with .30 other townes had lefte in custodie of Charles sonne to the kyng of Boeme so that the same Charles with Manfredi and with Beltrame the bishop of Romes generall vnityng their campes together assaulted Rinaldo and discomfited him takyng parte of his men amongest whom Nicolo brother vnto Rinaldo rested prisoner insomuche that the Romish legate waxyng immoderately proude of this victory addressed his power towardes Ferrara and besieged it But at laste Rinaldo issued out and discomfited him takyng prysoners Galeotto da Rimini Francesco de gl' Ordelaffi Ricciardo Manfredi di Faenza and Astagio da Polenta whom he deliuered in exchaunge for his brother Nicolo and after lette the reste goe freely vpon theyr othes that they shoulde no more be against hym ¶ Finally this Rinaldo was so muche persuaded by his owne citesins that he restored Argenta to the byshop of Rome wherby he recouered the bishoppes blessyng and so at length died without issue ¶ Leauyng his astate vnto his nephewe Obizone the secounde of that name sonne vnto his brother Nicolo ¶ This Obizone through fauour of the legate was the first that was made generall of the churche and had therfore .10000 duckates of yerely prouision assygned vnto hym And shortely after was Parma also geuen into his handes by Azo da Correggio not withstandyng that it appertaigned vnto Mastino della Scala and that the same Azo also had before offered to sell it vnto the Florentines for .50000 duckates ¶ Not longe after there grewe a controuersy betwene Obizone and Philippino di Gonzaga for the citee of Reggio wherof there folowed so sharpe warre betwene them that Obizone mistrustyng his owne power yelded the citee of Parma into the handes of Lucchino Visconti and finally leauyng issue two sonnes Nicolo and Alberto died ¶ After whom Nicolo the eldest succeded beyng alwaies fast friende to the Romaine bishoppes in whose fauour many tymes he fought with Bernabo Visconti and had the better specially in that notable iourney that happened betwene theim on the Bressane territory nere to the hill Morlano ¶ He purchased also of Giouanni Aguto an English capitaine the citee of Faenza for .20000 duckates and bought also the towne of Baguacauallo though he kepte it not longe for Astorgio Manfredi gatte it from him by treason ¶ Finally he did muche for his citesins and greately augmented Ferrara ¶ He was eloquente mercifull and learned constante bothe of nature and of countenaunce and so liberall that he neuer repulsed person that soughte benefite at his handes At laste diyng without issue he lefte his astate vnto his brother Alberto who also at his deathe hauyng no laufull childe left it vnto Nicolo his bastard sonne than beyng but a childe ¶ Nowe was there one Azo of the house of Este that seyng Nicolo yet tender of yeres vnder the gouerne of tutours and vnapte to rule did as muche as he coulde to preuaile him selfe But with the helpe of the Uenetians of the Florentines and of the Bologniese Nicolo was not onely mainteined in the astate but Azo for his presumpcion confined also into Candia And afterwardes beyng growen vnto age this Nicolo became so mortall ennemie vnto Ottone lorde of Parma that feignyng at lengthe to mete with hym for a treatie of peace caused him secretly to beslayne by the waie by meane of Sforza Cotignola and so recouered the citees of Reggio and Parma that Ottone before had occupied ¶ After the whiche beyng all geuen vnto the commoditee of Ferrara he builded the great palaice or castell in the herte of the citee wherin the Dukes euer sens haue dwelled and besides that the palaices of Ficcarolo and of Bellosguardo and toke vnto wife the doughter of Francesco Vecchio da Carrara By reason wherof he became enemie to the Uenetians and prouoked against hym selfe a daungerouse warre ¶ But finally in feates of armes he became excellent and in the gouernyng of his astate verie prudent and of suche reputacion that he caused the generall counsaile of that tyme to be kepte in Ferrara At the whiche the emperour of Grece happened to be present and not longe after he died leauyng two bastarde sonnes Lionello and Borso and two laufull sonnes by his secounde wife of the bloudde of the Marqueses of Saluzo named Ercole and Gismondo ¶ Of whom Lionello beyng the eldest succeded in the astate by what reason I can not tell but that the father wolde so ¶ This Lionello was a verie wise man and in his tyme made of new the wall of Ferrara on the side of the Pò and amended the houses and stretes on that parte of the citee And because his sonne Nicolo whom he had begotten gotten on the doughter of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga was a verie childe at the time of his death on his death â—edde he committed his astate to his brother Borso besechyng him that whan his sonne Nicolo shulde be growen vnto sufficient age he wold vouchesafe to restore it vnto him ¶ Thus entred Borso into the dominion and incontinently reuoked his brethern Ercole Gismondo whom Lionello had before confined into the realme of Naples and to the entent there should grow none enuy betwene them he alwaies nourished theim together a like ¶ He fortified Ferrara with stronge walles and builded the Chatterhouse
the astate of Urbine to his nephiew Francesco Maria Prefettino della Rouere whom he created Duke there ¶ This Francesco Maria was a verie wise and valiant prince nothing inferiour to Federike beforenamed who reigned not fully .x. yeres but Leo the x. that succeded Iulie the .ii. made a puissaunt armie and expulsed him out of his astate and rased the walles of the citee euen to the earth Whervpon he established his nephiew Iuliano di Medici Duke in his place and after his death for he liued but a while his brother Laurence di Medici who continued in the same till Adrian the .vi. that succeded Leo expulsed him and restored the astate vnto Francesco Maria that enioyed it till he died the space of .xvi. yeres in so great reputacion that all princes and astates of Italie loued and honored him and the greatest of them were glad to enterteine hym for their generall in the warres Wherin he gatte infinite summes of money But he was so great a builder and so liberall vnto his souldiours that whan he died he lefte no kynde of money in his coffers ¶ By his life tyme he builded the palaice besides Pesaro called Imperiale and fortified the citee of Pesaro and the castel there with diuers other goodly buildyngê and gatte Katherine daughter and heyre to the Duke of Camerine to be maried vnto his sonne Guido Vbaldo that now liueth In whose right he enioyed that astate duryng the fathers lyfe ¶ Assoone as Francesco Maria was dead Paule the iii. now bishop of Rome seyng this Duke that now lyueth a younge man without money or great friendes made so great a power against him that for feare to lose the whole he was contente for a little money and some other small recompences to yelde to the bishoppe the astate of Camerine whiche the bishop hitherto enioyeth And yet for all this the same bishoppe hath founde the meanes to marie his neece to the same Duke wherat many men meruaile not a little ¶ Finally this Duke Guido Vbaldo is generall ouer all the Uenetians landes townes and fortresses and hath of theim .10000 crownes annuitee But hitherto he hath had none occasion of triall in the warres He is meane of strature hard of fauour and very graue in countinaunce And though he be well learned his wysedome hath had no great triall as yet but men trust he woll proue as vertuouse as his predecessours ¶ The conclusion ¶ THere be dyuers other astates in Italy specially the common wealthes of Siena and Lucca the byshoprike of Trent called Tridentum in latine Piombino Mirandula Castell Geffroie and suche like but because they are not of suche reputacion either for dominion power or continuaunce of yeres that they shoulde be numbred amongest the principall I haue forborne to speake particulerly of theim though some in deede deserue notable praise besechyng all gentill readers to accept my trauaile and deligence vsed in this behalfe as a thyng done for their commoditees And thoughe I want learnyng and eloquence to accomplishe so high an enterprise as to descriue pithily the astates of countreis and commom wealthes yet sens I spared no paine nor labour to doe profite I wolde at the leaste wise for my rewarde craue good report JMPRINTED AT LONDON IN FLETESTRETE IN THE HOVSE OF THOmas Berthelet Cum priuilegio as imprimendum solum ANNO. M. D. XLIX ¶ The table of this present boke by letter AEbrigement of the astate of Italy froÌ„ the begynnyng vntill the Romain empire was vtterly diuided folâ—o 8. Abbrigement of the lyues of the Romaine bishops fo 41. Abbrigement of the Uenecian histories from the edificacion of the citee to this daie 85. Academie in Florence 139. Adoaldus 18. Adrianus 12. Agilulphus 18. Agostino Barbarico 110. Agrippa 9. Alaricus kyng of Gothes 15. Alba Siluius 8. Alboinus 18. Alberto 210. Aldeprandus 20. Aldobrandino 208. Alfonse kyng of Naples 66. Alfons adopted heire to quene Iohan. 131. Alfonse the seconde 134. Alfonso 212. Alexander Seuerus 12. Amalasuntha 17. Amulius 9. Ancus Martius 10. Andrea Dandolo 102. Andrea Contarini 104. Andrea Uendramino 109. Andrea â—ritti 111. Andrea â—oria 185.186.187 Angelo Particiaco 90. Annates 63. Antonio Ueniero 105. Antonio Grimani 111. Antonio di Leua 200. Antonius Pius 12 â–ª Antonius Caracalla 12. Antharis Flauius 18. Arches of Triumphe 29. Archadius 14. Arrigo Dandolo 96. Arno the riuer 137. Artificers of Italie 5. Arioldus 18. Aristolphus 20. Arithpertus 19.20 Ascanius 8. Asprandus 20. Astate of Mantua 200. Astate of Ferrara 207. Astate of Placentia Parma 212. Athalphus 16. Athis or Egyptus Siluius 9 Attila 10. and 190. Auentinus 9. Augustus 50. Auogadori 91. Aurelianus 13. Azone 191. Azo the fyrste and secounde 208. Azo the .iii. 209. B. BAgelardo 117. Bartholomeo Gradenico 101. Beginning and successe of the astate of Myllaine 189. Belles 91. Berengarius 48. Bernabo 191. Bishoppes palaice with Beluedere 4â— Bishoppe of Rome besieged 118. Biorgus 16. Boccatius 127. Borso 211. Bouâ—iquart 177. Bridges in Rome 23. Brâ—dges in Florence 137. Buildynges in Rome 41. Buildynges of Uenice 74. Buildyng of Genoa 163. C. Caesar. fol. 50. Cains Caligula 11. Caesar Fregoso 188. Capi Siluins 9. Cardinall hattes 56. Cardinalles sacked and baked 62. Cardinall Sauli 185. Carlo duca de Angio. 125. Carlo ii 126. Carlo iii. 129. Carpentus 9. Carus 13. Castell Cantâ— Angelo 41. Castell â—ouo 113. Caroccio 122. Castell of Millaine 189. Cercles 31. Charles Martell 45. Charles sonne taken prisoner 126. Charles the .v. emperour 136. Chilperike deposed 45. Christoforo Moro. 108. Circuite of Italie 1. Citee of Florence 137. Citee of Naples gotten by the Normaines 120. Citee of Urbine 214. Citta della 159. Claudius 11.13 Colosses and images 34. Comodus 12. Commoditees of Italie 1. Common prouision and charitable deedes in Uenice 82. Common people 149. Conrade 124. Constantius 14. Constantinus eodem Consules 10. Conduites of water in Rome 27. Counsaile of Uenice 78. Corradino .124 beheaded 125 Cortogoâ—â— 184. Cosino di Medici 152. Couetousnesse 134. Crueltee 96 98.124.125.12â—.208.209 Customes in theyr liuyng in Uenice 8â— Cyprus wonne 109. D. DApho fol. 18. Decius 13. Deâ—dato 89. DescripcioÌ„ of Italy 1. Descripcion of Rome 22. Descripcion of Naples 11â— Descripcion of Florence 137 Descripcion of Millaine 187 Desyderius 18.20 Didius Iulius 12. Dignitees and offyces in Uenice 77. Dioclesianus 11. Diuidyng of the empire 15. Diuision 141. Discorde 131. Dominion of Uenice 7â— Domenico â—â—one 89. Domenico Menicaccio eo Domenico Orseolo 9â— Domenico Flabenico eodem Domenico Contarini eod Domenico Siluâ—o eod Domenico Michele 94. Domenico Morosini 45. Dominion and gouernaunce of Genoa 161. Domitianus 11. Don Ferrando Gonzaga 188.200.213 Donacion of Constantine 14.43 Douchemens haull in Uenice 111. Drogone 116. Duke of Florence dominion and reuenew 139. Duke Cosmo. 159. E. EDificacion of Rome 9. Edificacion and successe of the citee of Florence 140. Edifices in Florence 137. Election of the emperour whan and by whom it was
The site of Italie Merchandise Pleasures â–ª Feedyng in Italie Resort of straungers into Italy Gentilmen Merchantes Artificers Husbandmen Women The edificacion of Rome The fyrste king of the Romains The ende of the Romaine kinges Consules The firste emperour Donacion of ConstaÌ„tine Gothes Uandales â–ª Hunes Lumbardes Diuidyng of the empyre Rome destroied .iiii. tymes Desiderius The ende of the Lumbardes reigne Elecion of the emperour The headâ— of Tyber Ponte di S â–ª Angelo Ponte del Castello Ponte Sisto Ponte rotto Ponte de Pisona Ponte di S. Bertholomeo Ponte di quatuor Capora Ponte di S. Maria â–ª Sublicius Palatinus Fabricius Cestius Januclensis Vaticanus Elius Miluius Porta de popolo flu tuentana Flaminia P. Pinciana Collatina P. Salaria Quirinalis Aegonalis P. di sant ' Agnese Uiminalis Figulensis Numentana P. di San Lorenzo Tiburtina Exquilina P. Maggi ore Neuia Labicana Prenestina P. di San Hioanni CelimoÌ„tana Asinaria P. Latina â–ª P. di S. sebastiano Appia Capena Triumphalis P. di San Paolo Trigemina P. Portese di Ripa P. di S. Pancratio Aurelia P. del Torrione P. Portusa P. di Beluedere di San Piero. del Giardino di S. Peregrino P. del Castello Posterula Auentinus Capitolinus Palatinus Celius Exquilius Viminalis Quirinalis Transtyberim Vaticane Porta Septimiana Subtus Janum Fontinalis Janiculum Aqua Appia Aqua Martia Anfeia Traiana Claudia Pli. li. 36. nat histor Auiena Triuiana Virginia Opinions of the decai of the antiquitees Adrians curtesie and wisedome Arcus Constantini Arcus Titi. Arcus Seâ—eri Arcus Domitiani Theatrum Amphitheatrum Coliseo Arena Circuâ—â— Pantheon S. Maria Rotonda Templuni Romuli T. Paâ—is T. Jani T. Iâ—idis T. Minerue T. Palladis â–ª Structiles â–ª Columna Traiani Piazza Colonna La Guglia SepulchruÌ„ Bâ—cchi The saiyng of Fuluius Kyndes of Marbles Peter the â—postle Siluester .1 The donacion of Constantine Ualla againste the donacion â–ª Nicene counsaile Marcus Iulius Liberius Felix .2 Damasus Hierome Syritius Supremacie of the churche Gredoriâ—s .2 Images put out of churches Gregorius â— Charles Martell â–ª Zacharias â–ª Chilperike deposed Stephanus .2 Paulus Images Constantinus .2 Stephanus .3 Adrianus Leo .3 Thempire diuided Stephanus .4 Pascalis â–ª Gregorius .4 Sergius â–ª â— Iohannes .8 Adrianus .2 Iohannes .9 Adrianus â— Stephanus .6 Chaunge of the empire Berengarius .1 Berengarius .2 Raulfe Duke of Burgoyne â–ª Hugo Câ—nte d' Arli Berengarius .3 Iohannes .11 Agapitus .2 Otho Iohannes .12 Iohannes .13 Benedictus .6 Bonifatius .7 Gregorius .5 Electours of the empire Cesar. Augustus Benedictus .8 Benedictus .9 Shiftyng and poysonyng of Romayne bishops Leo .9 â–ª Stephanus .9 Nicolaus 2. Alexandre .2 Gregorius .7 Priestes mariage Uictor .3 Pascalis â–ª Matilda Uâ—age into the holy lande Gelasius .2 Calixtus â— Innocenâ—ius .2 Eugenius .3 Adrianus â–ª 4. Alexander â— Thomas Beckette â–ª Lucius .3 â–ª Celestinus â–ª 3 â–ª Innocenâ—ius .3 Honorius .3 Gregorius 9. Innocentius .4 Cardinall hattes Urbanus .4 Manfredo Clemens 4 Gregorius 1â— â–ª Nicolaus .3 Martinê° .4 Honorius .4 Celestinus 5. Bonifaâ—ius .8 yere of Iubiliâ— Benedictê° .11 Clemens .5 Iohannes .22 Benedictus â–ª 12 â–ª Frauncis Petrarke â–ª Clemens Iubiley â–ª Iubiley Plague of pestilence Innocentius .6 Urbanus â— â–ª Gregorius 11. 1â—76 Sir Iohn Acton â–ª Urbanus .6 Cardinals sacked and baked Bonifaâ—â—us .9 Annates Innocentius .7 Gregorius 12. Alexandre .5 Iohannes .23 Martinus 5. Eugenius .4 A wittie policie Nicolaus .5 Amideus Calixtus .3 Alfonse Pius 2â— Paulus .2 Sixtus .4 Innocentius .4 Alexander .6 Pius .3 Iulius .2 â–ª Leo .10 Adrian .7 Clemeâ—s â–ª 7 â–ª Paulus .3 Poore people Hospitals Prisonerâ— Paolo Lucio Lawes Marcello Orso 737 Deodato .737 Domenico Menicaccio .747 Mauritio 7â—2 Giouanni .768 Obelerio â–ª 78â— Angelo â–ª Particiaco .792 Giustiniano .810 Giouanni â–ª 813. Pietro Gradenico â–ª 82â— Auogadori Orso Particiaco â—65 Belles Giouanni â—84 Pietro Landiano 890. Pietro Tribuno .893 Orso Baduaro .915 â–ª Pietro Candiano 938. Pietro Baduaro .956 Pietro Candiano .958 Pietro Orseolo .973 Uitale Candiano 97â— Tribuno Memmo â–ª 975. Pietro Orseolo 9â—7 Ottone Orseolo .1007 Pietro Barbolano .1026 Orso Orseolo .1030 Domenico Orseolo .1031 Domenico Flabenico 1031. Domenico Contarini .1042 Domenico Siluio .1068 Uitale Falero 108â— Uitale Michele .1095 Ordelaffo â–ª Falero .1098 Domenico Michele .1115 Pietro Polano .1130 Domenico Morosini â–ª 1147. Uitale Michele 1â—â—4 â–ª Sebastian Ziani â–ª 1171 â–ª Emanuel â–ª Crueltee Orio Malipiero 1180 Arrigo Dandolo â–ª 1194 Pietro Ziani .1203 Iames Tiepolo .1225 Marino Morosini .1247 Crueltee Ezelino di Romano Rinieri Zeno 12â—0 Lorenzo Tiepolo .1267 Iacopo Contarini â–ª 1275. Giouanni Dandolo .1281 Pietâ—â— Gradenigo .1290 Marino Giorgio .1312 Iohn Soranzo .1313 Fraunces Dandolo .1329 Bartholomeo Gradenigo .1340 Andrea Dandolo â–ª 1343. Marino Falerio .1354 Iohn Gradenico .1355 Iohn Delfino .1356 Lorenzo Celso 13â—0 Marco Cornaro .1365 Andrea Contarini â–ª 1367. Michele Morosini .1383 Antonio Ueniero â–ª 138â— Michele Steno .1400 Thomas Mocenigo 1413. Fraunces Foscaro 14â—4 Liberalitee Pasquale Malipiero 14â—7 Christofero Moro 14â—2 Morea Nicolo Trono .1471 Cyprus wonne Nicolo Marcello 147â— Pietro Mocenâ—go .1474 Andrea Vendramino .1476 Iohn Mocenigo 1478. Marco Barbarico 1485. Agostino Barbarico 1486. Leonardo Loredano 15â—1 Douchemens hall in Uenice Antonio Gâ—imani Andrea Gritti Petro Lando Francesco Donato Castell Nouo Temperature of Naples Plinies death Hotte baynes Fire breakyng out of the erth Fertilitee of Naples 829. The fyrste comyng of the Sarasines into Italie 845. 864. Otho the firste 964. Otho the ii 100â— Taneredâ— the Normain Guglielmo Ferrabach Drogone Hunfredo Godfrey Bagelardo Robert Guiscardo Roberte created Duke Treasure founde vnder grounde 〈◊〉 conquered by the Normains Bishoppe of Rome besieged 108â— Roger. 1094. Guglielmo .2 Roger .2 The citiâ— of Naples gotten by the Normains Roger entitled kyng of Sicile â–ª 11â—9 Guglielmo iii. William deposed William restored Guglielmo iiii 1191. Tancredâ— â–ª 1191. Guglielmo .5 1195. End of the house of Normains Henrico .6 Imperatoâ—e 119â— Federike â–ª 122â— â–ª the kynges of Naples entitled kynges of Ierusalem 1229. Carroccio â—eather â—oygned for money â–ª 1250 â–ª Conrade Crueltee â–ª Corradino neri heire vnto Conrade 1254 â–ª Manfredo 1265. Ende of the house of Sueuia in the dominion of Naples Carlo Duca d' Angio 1268. Corradino beheaded â–ª Crueltee Rebellion in Sicile Slaughter of Frenchmen Peter kynge of Aragone Charles sonne take prisoner Crueltee 1274. Title of the kyngdome of Ierusalem 1276. Carlo 2. Prince Edwarde of Englande Federike kyng of Sicile 1309. Robert 1342. Petrarcha Bocchaciê° Giouanna prima Quene Iohans Husbande strangled 135â— â—itle of the seconde lyne of the house of Angio. 1â—â—1 Quene Iohan hanged Marie Carlo .3 Murder 13â—6 Ladislaus â–ª 1370. Rome gotten .1408 Rome the secounde tyme gotteÌ„ by Ladislaus 1414. Giouanna â— 141â— â–ª Alfonse adopted heire to Quene Iohan. Discorde 1424. 1434. Ende of the house of Durazzo Alfonse Kyng Alphonse taken prisoner Patriarke Uitelesco Rainoldes comyng to Naples 145â— Ferdinando The Turke in Italie Couetousnesse .1489 1494. Alfonse .2 Ferrandino Morbâ—â— Gallicus 1496. Federike Ende of the house of Aragone in Naples Lewys the .12 of Fraunce 1501. Kynge Ferdinando of Spaigne Charles the .v. Emperour 1515. 1528. 1547. The circuit of the citee Bridges Arno. Edifices Wilde beastes Hospitalles â–ª The Academie Women Florence destroied and reedified 1080. Diuision Guelfi and Ghibellines faction FloreÌ„tines common wealthe constituted 1308. â—326 1328. Nobilitee suppressed 1357. Iohn Sharpe Common people 138â— 1390 â–ª 1400. 1409. 1414 â–ª 1428. 1432. 1464. Cosmo di Medici Practise of a prelate 1486. Laurence d' i Medici â–ª 1495. 1495. 1530. 1532. 1534. Cittadella Duke Cosmo â–ª Wonder â—58 19â—9 Policy 1100 â–ª 1127. 1146. 1190. Richarde kynge of England 1194. 1201. 1204. 120â— 1216. 122â— â–ª 1222. 1227. 1238. 1243. 1251. 1â—57 1258. 1261 â–ª 1266. 1â—70 1376. 1282. Giudice 1284. 1289. 1290. 12â—â— 1294. 1295. 1296. 12â—â— â–ª 1304. 1306. 1â—12 1315. 1318 â–ª 133â— Policie 1332. 1335. 1338. 1339. 1340. 1344. 1345. 1346. 1350. 135â— 1356. 1363. 1370.1372 1373. 1378. Ingratitude of people 1381. 1383. 1389. 1396. 1397. 1398. 1399. 1400. 1401. 1402. 1403. Bouciquart 1409. 1413. 1415. 1416. 1421. 1422. 1437. 1434. 1436. 1442. 1443 1444 â–ª 1447. 1454. 1458. 1459. 1490. 1462. 1464. 1466. 1475. 1476. 1477. 1478. 14â—â— 1487. 1488. 149â— 149â— 149â— 1501. 1502. 1506. 1507. 15â—â— 1512. 1513. 1514. 1515. 1516. 1517. Poyson that worketh not till a time 1519. 1521. 1522. 1524. 1525. 1526. 1527. 1528. 1536. 1546 Andrea Doria Wiues of Millaine Millaine Sâ—â—â—ate Castell of Millaine Millaines â—ame Attila 1161. Giouanni Torrigiani Tiranny Martino Torrigiani Philippo Torrig Napoleone Uisconti â–ª Ottone Ottone Uisconti Matteo Magno Galeazo â—â—ene Lucchino Giouanni Bernabo Galeazo Giangaleazo 1402. Giouannâ— Maria. 1433. Philippo Maria. Philippo Maria descriued Testament â—â—oken Francesco Sforza Mutio father to Fraunces Sforza Galeazo â–ª Giouanni Lodouico Moro. Francesco 1063. Matilda Sordello Pinamonte Passerino Gonzaga Luigi Gonzaga Guido Luigi Francesco 1407. Gianfrancesco 144â— Luigi Federico Francesco Federico â—520 1539 â–ª Francesco 700. 1020 â–ª Azo 1. Aldobrandino Azo .2 Crueltee Fresco. Crueltee Obizone Azo .3 Rinaldo Obizone .2 Nicolo Alberto â–ª Nicolo Lionello Borso Nicolo Ercole Alfonso Ercole â–ª Galasso di Montefeltro .1345 Conte Guido .1428 Oddo .1440 Federico â–ª 1444. Guido Ubaldo 14â—2 Ualentino Borgia .1503 Francesco Maria .1504 1514. Iulianio di Medici Laurence di Medici 1522. Guido Ubaldo .2 1538. 1547 â–ª