all straungers to hym ¶ In conclusion the Frenchemen toke Rauenna with diuers other citees of the bishops whiche they enioyed not longe For the bishop immediately gatte into his league the emperour the kyng of England the Germaines and the Suizers So that the Frenche kynge beyng vexed on all sides was easily constreigned to forgoe his conquestes and dominions in Italie specially through force of the Suizers that vnder the leadyng of theyr Cardinall Sedunese came in great numbre to the bishops seruice who rewarded theim with the title of defendours of the churche and gaue them a gilt sword and an hatte of maintenaunce ¶ Somewhat before his death he established his cousin Francesco Maria Duke of Vrbine ¶ Leo the .x. of the house of Medici a Florentine borne was a pleasant man of nature and gaue him selfe more to humanitee and pleasures of this life than either to religion or to encrease of dominion ¶ He encreased muche the reputacion of his house but because he expulsed by force Francesco Maria Duke of Urbine out of his astate and placed in the same fyrst his brother Iulian and after his nephiew Laurence the worlde accused hym of tyrannie For he attempted to dooe the lyke vnto the Duke of Ferrare but he preuailed not ¶ Some ill was suspected of hym for his to muche delicatenesse in bringyng vp of children and for his opinion of immortalitee ¶ Adrian the .vii. by contencion amongest the Cardinalles happened to be elected reputed of theim for an ignoraunt man though some other had a good opinion bothe of his vertue and learnyng But because his life was nothyng courtely or agreable to the Cardinalles either through gods visitacion or as most men thinke thoroughe theyr poyson practises he was soone dispatched ¶ Clement the .vii. brother vnto Leo the .x. immediately after his election toke parte with the Frenche kyng against the emperour So that whan the frenche king was taken before Pauia the family of Colonna which hath ben alwaies imperiall through helpe of Don Hugo Moncada beganne to warre with the bishop and after diuers subtill practises and persuasions so handled the mattier that they entred into Rome and missed but a little to haue taken the bishop who hearyng the rumour sodeinly fled to Castel Sant ' Angelo Wherfore after the bishop had drawen Don Hugo Moncada to his parte the Colonnesi endured cruell warre to theyr great domage ¶ Than came the Duke of Bourbone who was slaine with the shotte of an handgun from the wallê of Rome â–ª but the emperours armie wherof he was capitaine toke the citee by assault sacked spoyled and burned it and for the space of .xv. daies vsed suche triumph that for theyr passetyme thei woulde make suche Cardinallê and prelates as were theyr prisoners ride scornefully about the towne vpon asses with theyr faces to the tayle and so streictly besieged Clement that he was faine to geue theim .400000 dukates for his raunsome and to yeld the castell into the emperours handes ¶ But within lesse than .iii. yeres after the emperour came him selfe into Italie and hauing made peace with the bishop receiued of hym the imperiall crowne in Bononia with so great triumph and pompe that the like hath not been hearde of in our daies Duryng the whiche there came ambassadours to Clement with letters from Preter IohnÌ„ of great commendacions desyre of amitee and vnion of religion ¶ Before theyr departure from Bononia the emperour graunted the bishop his armie against the Florentines and concluded the mariage of his bastarde daughter to Clementes nephiew Alexander di Medici that afterwardes was Duke of Florence But ere the Florentines would lose theyr libertees they susteigned a notable warre for the space of .xii. monethes ¶ And lyke as by force he oppressed the Florentines so by treason he subdued Ancona For vnder pretence of amitee and counsaile persuadyng them that the Turkes armie by sea was comyng against theim he sent a capitaine of his called Bernardin who with certaine men of warre was receiued into the citee and so vsurped the dominion for the churche ¶ In this bishops tyme happened suche a sodeine rage of water in Rome that the high toures were drowned and a great numbre of people with infinite richesse lost so that the bishop hym selfe had muche adooe to escape it whiche maie well be thought a plage of god sent for the abhominacion that reigneth there ¶ Finally Clement mette with the frenche kynge at Marseiles in Prouaunce and there concluded the mariage that folowed betwene Katherine Clementê neece and Henrie now frenche kyng than but secounde sonne to the frenche kynge Shortly after whose mariage Clement died ¶ Paule the .iii. that now is bishop before the tyme of his election helde hym selfe so indifferent betwene the factions imperiall and frenche that no man could know to whether part he was most inclined ¶ In the beginnyng of his tyme he procured all Christian princes to warre against the Turke so that the emperour that Uenetians and he made an armie by sea vnder the leadyng of Andrea Doria who mette with Barbarossa besydes Corfu but they foughte no battaile though the Christians were more in noumbre and better furnisshed than the Turkes whether Andrea Doria were blame woorthy I can not tell But ones the Uenetian Galeon a notable shippe was lefte alone in the middest of the Turkishe nauie that assaulted hir .iiii. or v. houres and yet at length came cleane awaie in despite of theim all ¶ This bishop went to Nisa in Prouaunce where by his procurement the emperour and frenche kyng mette and concluded a peace whiche dured not longe ¶ Than died the Duke of Urbine Incontinently vpon whose death the bishop made warre to the younge Duke Guido Vbaldo for the state of Camerino and constreigned him for a little summe of money to geue ouer the astate In in whiche the bishoppe establisshed his owne sonne Pietro Aluigi Duke ¶ After this vppon a light occasion the bishoppe made warre to Ascanio Colonna thiefe of that familie and Peter Aluigi beyng generall of the bishops army handled Ascanio Colonna and his adherentes so cruelly that they were faine to abandone theyr owne townes and castelles and to liue in exile as banished men till by the emperours meanes they were restored to the bishops fauour and absolucion ¶ This Paule to exalte his owne bloudde by consent of his Cardinalles exchaunged the Duchie of Camerino with the churche for the citees and territories of Placentia and Parma Wherof he inuested his forenamed son as Duke whose behauiour was suche that he continued not fully two yeres for the nobilitee of the same detestyng his wicked life and tyrannie conspyred against hym and slew hym in his owne house in Placentia yeldyng that citee the next daie into the emperours handes ¶ The bishop sent a fayre armie bothe of horsemen and footemen to succcour the emperour in his enterprise against the Germaines and made his sonnes sonne called the
Calimaco a simple man And further that one Luca Totio a banished Romaine had ben seen with a noumbre of banisshed men in the wooddes there by Upon whiche enformacions he caused diuers men of reputacion to be taken aswell courtiers as other and without any matter or good grounde of suspicion put theim to suche terrible tourmentê that it wold greeue and gentill hert to heare it ¶ He attempted the winnyng of Tolfa fyrst by treason than by siege and lastly whan he could not so get it he purchased it for .7000 dukates ¶ Likewyse he assaulted the citee of Rimino to haue taken it from the familie of Malaâ—esta but he failed of that enterprise ¶ He vsed verie great Symonie and whan any bishoprike fell he would translate the bishops from one see to an other for the gaine of theyr fyrst fruites by reason wherof he gathered a great treasure and delited verie muche in iewelles ¶ Finally he persuaded all men to kepe their children at schole till thei could write and reade and no longer and died sodeinly ¶ Sixtus the .iiii. was bothe learned and eloquent and contrarie to his predecessours nature delited in learned men ¶ He did his beste to succour the princes that were driuen out of theyr countreis by the Turke as the quene of Bossina the Paleologi the Despoti and diuers other And yet did he vniustly bothe reise warres him selfe and also cause other princes to dooe the lyke ¶ Fyrst he beganne with the Florentines because they had emprisoned his nephiew a Cardinall and had hanged the archebishop of Pisa for killyng of Iuliano di Medici ¶ He made warre to Ferdinando kyng of Naples because he had not ayded the Duke of Ferrara against the Uenetians ¶ He made warre also to the Uenetians and gathered all the astates of Italie into a leage against theim leauyng theim excommunicate whan he died ¶ He leuied many dismes and subsidies of the clergie through all Christendome and was verie beneficiall to his owne kynne and friendes ¶ Finally by his tyme Macomet the .ii. emperour of the Turkes had taken Otronto in Puglia and prepared hym selfe to the conquest of Italie Wherfore the bishop made hym readie to flee into France and had fledde in deede if God by preuentyng of that enterprise had not set a staie to the Turkisshe furie with Macometes death ¶ Innocence the .iiii. assoyled the Uenetians and trauailed muche to agree the Christian princes together Neuerthelesse because his last predecessour had released to the kyng of Naples certaine pretended duties of the churche therfore procuryng fyrste certaine astates of the realme to rebell he moued warre against Ferdinando and at length constreigned him to agree at his owne appoinctment ¶ He pacified also a great contencion betweene the families of Colonna and Orsina whose variaunce had been cause of no small fyre bloudde and spoyle He had a sonne and a daughter whom he left verie riche and was neuerthelesse reputed bothe liberall pitifull ¶ Alexander the .vi. was a Spaniarde borne and a great philosophier He entred in league with Alfonse king of Naples against Charles the .viii. Frenche kynge who than prepared hym selfe to come into Italie Neuerthelesse Charles power was suche that the bishop not onely gaue hym passage but also receiued hym in Rome honourablie And yet mistrustyng the frenche kynges hygh courage seyng he feared but little the ecclesiasticall power the bishop withdrew hym selfe into Castel Sant ' Angelo though by fayre entreatie he came out againe and yelded all his dominion at the kynges will and besides that deliuered hym Zizimo brother to the great Turke that before was the bishoppes prisoner ¶ But ere euer Charles retourned out of the realme of Naples which was within lesse than halfe a yere after the bishop had wrought a new league against him wherin the emperour Maximilian the kyng of Aragone the Uenetians and the Duke of Mylaine were his collegê So that Charles in his retourne towardes France was fought withall and sore handled ¶ Finally Charles beyng thus departed this bishop beganne to waxe hygh and imaginyng how to extoll his owne name he created his son Valentino Borgia Duke causyng hym fyrst to renounce his cardinall hatte whiche at his fathers creacion was geuen hym and than made he hym capitaine of an armie sent into Romagnia where fyrst he warred against Katherine ladie of Imola and Furli and not onely toke hir iust possessions from hir but also sent hir prisoner to Rome and than proceded further against the other lordes theraboutes So that hauyng chased awaie the families of Manfredi Ordelaffi Malateste Feltrani Veranei and diuers other in maner of no lesse astate than princes he gatte into his possession the countreis of Romagnia and Marca d' Ancona with the dukedomes of Vrbino Camerino and Spoleti Of all the whiche his father entitled hym Duke and entred into so great a pride with his sonnes prosperitee that he woulde saie to hym eyther a Caesar or nothyng ¶ Through coumfort wherof beyng geuen to ouermuche couetousenesse in hope of empyre he poysoned diuers riche Cardinallê to haue theyr goodes and amongest his other practises he appoincted poysoned coumfettes for a Cardinall that dined with his father but the father hym selfe was serued of the wronge boxe and died And the sonne not longe after slaine in the middest of all his glorie notwithstandyng that by his fathers tyme he was coupled in mariage with the daughter of the Duke of Ferrara ¶ Pius the .iii. died within a moneth not without suspicion of venim ¶ Iulie the .ii. beyng a man more geuen to armes than to praier more like Iulius Caesar than Symon Peter was wont to saie that Maximilian had been meete to be bishop and he emperour ¶ Fyrst he procured suche a league against the Uenetians that they had neuer a foote of grounde lefte theim on the maine lande so that he had for his parte Rauenna with the other citees of Romagnia ¶ He destroied the familie of Borgia and quieted muche the ciuile sedicion that had longe time reigned in the Romaine nobilitee ¶ He made warre against the Bentiuogli that thaÌ„ were lordes of Bononia and hauyng chased theim awaie entred into that citee with lyke triumph as the auncient Romaine conquerours were wont to dooe into Rome ¶ Many tymes he woulde goe armed hym selfe specially in the enterprise against Lodouicus Picus of Mirandula ¶ Finally fearyng the frenche kyngê to muche prosperitee he entred in league with the Uenetians and the kyng of Spaine against the Frenche kyng whiche was occasion of the notable battaile of Rauenna fought on Easter daie where on bothe sides were slaine aboute 30000. men For as I haue been crediblie enformed whaÌ„ both battailê were ioigned Spaniardes on the one syde and frenchemen on the other the Duke of Ferrara that came on the frenche parte shotte of his artillerie amongest the thickest and slewe a multitude aswell of his friendes as enemies but thei were
Alexander the inuestiture of the realme of Naples and prouision was made for recouerey of Rome and thother landes of the churche whiche within shorte time was broughte to passe ¶ Finally Lewys conducted an army out of France and augmentyng it with the Florentine and bishop of Romes powers entred the realme where in plaine battaile he so discomfited Ladislaus that if Lewys had knowen howe to vse his victorie he mighte haue had Ladislaus in his handes and also the whole realme as Ladislaus talkyng of this battaile was wonte to saie the firste daie saied Ladislaus if thei had folowed it thei might haue been lordes bothe of my realme and person the seconde daie of the realme but not of my person and the thyrde daie nother of my realme nor person For the leysure that Ladislaus had after this discomfiture serued hym so to fortifie the passages that Lewys notwithstandyng his victorie was faine to retyre to Rome and so backe into Fraunce By reason wherof Ladislaus remainyng quiete in his astate disposed him selfe of new to recouer Rome and partly by intelligence partly by force did so puttyng to sacke onely the Florentines gooddes that he founde there And at last sickened in Perugia some saie of a feuer some saie of poyson so that he died whan he had reigned .29 yeres And leâ—uyng none issue of his owne body the realme descended to his sister Iohan Da Durazzo ¶ Thue Iohan late Duchesse of Sterlich atteined the realme without impediment by reason of .xvi. thousand horsemen that serued hir brother at his deathe with good capitains as Sforza da Corigniola gli Aâ—â—endoli lacopuccio and diuers others But becaâ—se she was somewhat noted for keepyng companie with a goodly yonge man named Pandolfello whom she made hir chaÌ„berlaine hir barons persuaded hir to marie so that she toke to husbande Iames of Nerbona in Proâ—ance than Erle de La Marca in Italie vppon condicion that he shuld in no wyse take on hym the title of kyng But he was not longe maried till by comfort of the barons he toke the kyngly name vpon hym and caused Pandolfello to lose his head vsyng Sforza vâ—raie hardly and all thoroughe the instigacion of Iulio Caesar da Capuaâ— who therfore by the quenes policie lost his heade ¶ And thoughe the Erle Iames suspectyng his wyfes courage woulde not suffre hir to goe out of the Castell where thei laie yet at last with lowly behauiour growyng out of suspicion with hir housbande she had libertee to goe so often abroade into the towne of Naples that finally she made a conspyracie against him and gat hym into prison reignyng afterwardes hir selfe alone Than toke the Iohn Caracciolo to be hir hygh steward whom she loued more than enough so that by hym all thynges were gouerned And vpon contencion betwene hym and Sforza who was in maner as a generall amongest the men of warre the Queene defied Sforza Muche a dooe there was but at length Sforza was reconsiled and the stewarde banished And partly thorough the bishoppe of Romes intercession the Erle Iames was deliuered out of prison restored to the Quenes fauour But for all that not long after the Erle Iames beganne to worke against Sforza who perceiuing it founde the meane to bringe the steward home againe and therby not onely purchased the Quenes fauour but also brought the mattier so to passe that the Erle Iames fledde into Fraunce became an heremite and there died After whose departure by commission of the bishop of Rome Queene Iohan was crowned in Naples but er the yere was ended the Queene loste the bishops fauour and banished Sforza who by the bishops procurement became capitaine vnder Lewis the .iii. Duke of Angio than newly entitled kynge of Naples and reysyng an armie camped before Naples abydyng the comyng of Duke Lewys who with an other armie arriued there ¶ This meane whyle Queene Iohan seeyng the power of hir enemy Duke Lewis to be to stronge for hir alone practised with kyng Alfonse of Aragone to accepte hym as hir sonne to enherite the realme after hir and therof made sufficient writing with deliuerey of two strong Castelles in Naples Castell Nouo and Castell di Louo that in king Alfonse name were receiued as a pledge of possession Whervpon kyng Alfonse in person with a great armie by sea came to Naples and thâ—re fought with the Duke Lewys and his Capitaine Sforza And though fortune for a tyme was fauourable to Duke Lewys yet at length through practise and lacke of money Sforza became the Queenes man so that Lewys was fayne to leaue the enterprise and drawe to Rome by reason wherof the Queene with Alfonse remained in peace till discorde fell betweene theim The fyrst occasion was because the proclamacions were made in the Quenes name without any mencion of Alfonse which moued the barons of Aragone to conceiue a great dishonour that a kyng of suche reputacion shoulde lie there in that astate So muche grew this mattier that at last kyng Alfonse toke the Quenes best beloued steward prisoner and besieged the Queene How be it Sforza hauyng receiued hir letters came streight to Naples fought with Alfonse power had the better hand entred into Naples and conueighed the Queene awaie with hym Wherfore kyng Alfonse augmented his power and after harde feight with Sforza recouered Naples streignyng the realme so muche that by counsaile of Sforza the Queene finally agreed with Duke Lewys and adopted hym for hir soonne and heyre by whose meanes Naples was recouered againe to the Queenes vse And so .x. yeres after the Quene and Duke Lewys reigned in peace and than died bothe The queene by hir testament lefte the realme to Raynolde Duke of Lorraine brother to the foresaied Lewys Thus ended the successioÌ„ of Charles of Angio first king of that hous ¶ Whether the Queenes testamente were feygned or true it was vncerteine For incontinently vppon hir death the citee of Naples ordeined amonge theim a common wealth and made no mencion of any testament vntill they saw plainely that the bishop of Rome went about to bringe theim vnder hym Than they not onely publisshed Raynolde to be theyr kynge but also sent for him to come and receiue the possession of the realme ¶ This meane while in the warres betwene Englande and Fraunce Raynolde hapned to be taken prisoner so that he coulde not come to Naples Than kynge Alfonse came into the realme through intelligence that he had with many of the nobles and besiegeyng the towne of Gaâ—erra than defended by certaine Genowaies sent thither by Duke Filippo Maria of Myllaine at last fought with the Genowaies army by sea in whiche conflicte were slaine of the kynges part about .5000 and the kynge hym selfe with his .ii. brethren the maister of sainct Iames in Galice dyuers of the greatest princes and barons of Spaine and of knyghtes to the numbre of .200 taken prisoners and all brought to the
forenamed Duke Phillip to Myllaine who after very gentill enterteinment deliuered theim without raunsome So Alfonse beyng restored to libertee waâ—yng strong through the amitee of the Duke of Myllaine disposed hym selfe to recouer the realme and came thither immediately with his power obteined Gaietta and wente to Capua whiche had been alwaies kept for him how be it during the time of his imprisonment the Neapolitanes seeyng they coulde not haue Raynolde fette his wyfe Isabell Duchesse of Angio vnto Naples and did theyr best by waie of assaulte to winne Capua But now that kyng Alfonse was reiourned the parte of Angio so muche declined that Isabell was faine to resort for helpe to Eugenio than bishop of Rome who sent the Patriarke Vitellesco to Naples ¶ This Patriarke was a stoute man meter for the fielde than for the churche For firste he discomfited the armie of the prince of Taranto and toke the prince him selfe prisoner and longe tyme valiauntely bare him selfe in the warres againste Alphonse one while with force an other while with policie so that beyng fallen with his armie in the daunger of the kyng through besettyng of the streictes and lacke of vittaile he handled him selfe so humbly that the kyng embracyng his faire offers graunted hym truce and vnder coloure of the same truce he beeyng armed and the kynge vnarmed came to Villa Giuliana and so narowly besette it that with muche adoe the kynge escaped his handes Leauyng all his baggage and cariage for a praie to the Patriarke Finally Raynolde beforenamed beyng putte to his raunsome came with .xii. Genowaie galleys to Naples where with kyngely honours he was tryumphantlye receiued and so muche encreaced his power that it was doubted whether of the two partes were the better Raynolde defied Alfonse bodie to bodie whiche Alfonse refused not Howbeit at the daie and place of battaill appointed Raynolde appeared not And albeit that Raynolde for a time prospered and gatte into his handes the castell Nouo and castell Di Loâ—o that kynge Alfonse had alwaies kept sens he receiued theim at quene Iohans handes till that tyme yet at last after the death of Iacomo Caldora one of the principallest of the Angioyne parte Alfonses power so muche encreased what by battaile and change of diuers of the barons affections who leauyng the Angioyne parte became Aragonese that he recouered Naples and all the whole realme entryng into the citee in maner of triumphe where for a perpetuall memorie of his victory the Napolitanes before the castell gate erected a notable faire arche of marble ¶ Thus Alfonse obteignyng the quiet possession of the realme â–ª vsed newe meanes of amitee with Eugenio than bishop of Rome and did so muche that Eugenio confirmed him in the astate and inuested his bastarde sonne Ferdinando successour to the crowne For whiche inuestiture kynge Alfonse vpon couenaunte inuaded the countrey De La Marca and takyâ—g it by force from Francesco Sforza afterwardes Duke of Myllayne restored it to the churche And than in recompence of the great courtesie receiued of Phillip Duke of Millaine he made warre in his fauour againste the Florentines and atchieued manie worthie enterprises beyng in maner the onelie staie of Duke Phillip in his later daies so that the Duke by his testament made hym his heire of the astate of Myllaine but he enioyed it not as in the history of Myllaine appereth ¶ Finallie after a generall leage made in Naples betwene all the astates of Italie excepte the Genowaies Alfonse made an armie and besieged Genoa for breache of certaine articles concluded longe before at the making of a peace betwene theim whiche the Genowaies were bounde to geue to the kynge yerely in maner of a tribute a bason of golde and the cause of their witholdyng was for that the kynge woulde neuer receyue it otherwyse than sittyng in his maiestee as thoughe he triumphed ouer theim ¶ The prouision made for the continuance of that siege was so great that by common opinion the citee muste nedes haue ben his had he not died the .66 yere of his age and the .22 yere of his reigne in Naples Leauyng for successours in the realme of Aragone and Sicile his brother Iohn and in the realme of Naples his sonne the forenamed Fernando ¶ Of this kynge Alfonse aâ—e written manie great praises for his valiauntnesse his temperaunce his learnyng his liberalitee and other like vertues ¶ Ferdinando bastarde sonne to kynge Alphonse succeded his father in the beginning of whose reigne Calisto than bishop of Rome preâ—endyng the title of the realme to be fallen to the churche for lacke of laufull heires excommunicated Fernando and made great preparacion to inuade but deathe preuented hym So that Fernando warned therby vsed suche meanes of frendship with Pio his nexte successour that he was not onelie confirmed in the astate but also crowned by certaine Cardinalles sente to Naples for the purpose ¶ Newe assoone as the newes of Alphonse deathe was knowen Duke Iohn sonne of the forenamed Raynolde in hope of mutacion in the realme made an armie by sea with helpe of the Genowaies and landyng within the territorie of the Duke of Sessa oueranne diuers prouinces and gotte daielie townes and friendes so that Fernando was like to be put to the worse had not the bishop of Rome and the Duke of Millaine taken his parte by whose helpe Duke Iohn at length was by force constreigned to leaue his enterprise and most parte of those barons that toke his parte came and submitted theim selfes vnto Ferdinando who graciously pardoned them and restored theim to their astates ¶ Than died Pio and Paule the secounde succeded who oftentimes troubled the realme ¶ After the death of kyng Iohn of Cyprus Ferdinando coueityng to conquere that realme was reâ—isted by the Uenetians betwene whom happened crewell warre so that the Uenetians toke truce with the Turke and as the fame wente were occasyon that he assaulted and toke Otronto in Puglia by force whiche shoulde haue caused greater mischiefe in Italie had not the Turke than Mahomet the .ii died ¶ Immediately vpon whose deathe kynge Ferdinando sente his eldest sonne Alfonse Duke of Calabria to conquere Otronto whiche after longe siege and sore feight was for lacke of succours recouered ¶ Next Paule the secounde succeded Sixte the .iiii. bishop of Rome and after hym Innocence the .iiii. who both wonderfull inconstantly one while were friendes and an other while foes to the kynge ¶ Finallie this Ferdinando was noted to be veray couetouse For callyng a counsaile of his barons in the citee of Chieti he wolde haue encreased his subsidies and taxes And because diuers of his nobles dissuaded him from it he put some of them to death some he imprisoned from some he toke their goodes and some willyngly rebelled against hym in which trauaile and tirannie he continued till he died leauyng issue males .ii. sonnes Alphons and Federike ¶ After the deathe of
.xxv. yeres after Whiche other some doe disallow groundyng them vpon Peters age that reckenyng the time it was impossible Peter should liue so longe after Christes passion ¶ Neroe reigned .xiiii. yeres and .vii. monethes whose customes were odiouse to the whole worlde He killed his mother his wife his maister Seneca and dyuers other excellent men so that his owne souldiers rebelled agaynste hym and the whole Senate condemned him wherfore he fledde and because he coulde not escape desperately slewe him selfe ¶ Galba Sergius reigned but .vii. monethes by reason that his next successour laie in waite for hym and slew hym in the baines ¶ Otho Lucius reigned scarsely .iii. monethes till he was ouercome by his nexte successour so that throughe despayre he slew hym selfe ¶ Uitellius reigned but .vii. monethes For the Romaine armie that than was in the east parties elected Uespasian emperour so that in despite therof Vitellius chased Sabinus Uespasians brother with dyuers into the capitoll and there set fyre on theim Wherfore Uespasian came streight to Rome toke Vitellius made hym to be drawen through the stretes hewen to peecê ¶ Uespasianus reigned .x yeres and reduced the customes and lawes into a better ordre amonge the people whiche by Nero and the other emperours after hym were muche corrupted and beganne the Amphitheater now called Colliseo And this was he that destroied Ierusalem in fulfillyng of Christes prophecie ¶ Titus sonne to Uespasianus reigned .ii. yeres and ii monethes after his father and was a verie graciouse prince ¶ Domitianus reigned .xv. yeres .v. monethes he was brother vnto Titus but lyke Nero in condicions for he delited in vnnatural vices and in cruel death of men â–ª so that he slew diuers senatours persecuted lerned men and Christians had ill successe in his warres and finally through conspiracie was slaine ¶ Nerua reigned one yere and .iiii. monethes and was the fyrst straunger that is to wete no Romaine borne that euer was made emperour ¶ Traianus adopted son vnto Nerua and a Spaniarde borne reigned .xix. yeres and .vi. monethes so benigne and courteise a prince that for a prouerbe men vsed to saie God make the happier than August and better than Traiane For beyng sometime aduertised of his friendê that he vsed hym selfe to muche familiarly he aunsweared that a prince ought to be vnto his subiectes suche as thei should be to hym and geuyng the swoorde to a Pretor that he had newly made he saied vse this against mine enemies but see the cause be iust and if I deale vniustly than spare not me He prospered muche in his warres and greatly augmented the Romaine empyre ¶ Adrianus reigned .xxi. yeres the most part in peace for that was his studie He was well learned and yerely wrote a pronosticacion he builded a notable sepulchre whervpon Castell S. Angelo now standeth And in his tyme there rose vppe a false Messias amonge the Iewes whiche Adrian ouercame with muche a dooe ¶ Antonius Pius adopted sonne vnto Adrian reigned xxiii yeres so gentill a prince that all the worlde loued hym For he was wont to saie he had rather preserue one of his citesins than destroie a .1000 of his enemies ¶ Marcus Aurelius Antonius reigned .xix. yeres and one moueth At the first his brother Lucius Verus was ioigned with him but he liued not longe This Marcus was an excellent philosopher wrote dyuers good bokes prospered in the warres where finallie he died ¶ Commodus son to Marcus Aurelius reigned .13 yeres more lyke in condicions vnto Nero than to his father so that at last he was both poysoned and strangled ¶ Helius was surnamed Pertinax because he toke the empire on him in maner against his will and reigned not vi monethes but that his nexte successour caused hym to be slaine ¶ Didius Iulianus reigned not fully .vii. monethes for his next successour came against hym discoumfited his armie toke hym and caused hym to be beheaded ¶ Seuerus reigned .xviii. yeres and restored muche the Romaine empyre from the decaie that it was fallen in by his predecessours tyme prospered muche in his warres and died in the citee of Yorke where it is written he made a diche with a walle full of toures and bastilions from one sea to the other .132 miles of length ¶ Antonius Caracalla reigned .vi. yeres he caused his brother Geta to be slayne maried his stepmother Iulia vsed muche tyrannie and was at laste slaine by one of his owne souldiours ¶ Macrinus with his son reigned one yere and were bothe slaine ¶ Uarius Heliogabalus reigned .iiii. yeres so abhominable a man of liuyng that after he had tried all the waies of carnall vice he caused his owne membres to be cut of in hope to chaunge his kynd Wherfore his owne souldiours slewe him drewe his carcasse a longe the stretes tied a stoue about his necke and so threw him into Tyber ¶ Alexander Seuerus reigned .xiii. yeres full of vertue and good gouernaunce but because he was seuere in punysshyng his souldyours offences they rebelled agaynst him and slewe him ¶ Maximinus reigned .iii. yeres and because he was created of the armie without the Senatours consente therfore did the senate ordeine newe Emperours against hym so that his owne souldiours slewe him ¶ Gordianus reigned .vi. yeres and prospered muche in his warres but at last for lacke of vittayles the armie rebelled against him and elected his next successour emperour by whose order Gordianus was slaine ¶ Iulius Philippus with his sonne reigned .vii. yeres and were both christened but finally they were slayne by procurement of theyr next successour ¶ Decius with his sonne reigned .ii. yeres and .iii. monethes a great persecutour of the Christian religion In his time the Gothes first assailed the Romayne empyre and passed the riuer of Danubie where Decius and his sonne mette with theym and in the battayle were bothe slaine ¶ Uirius Gallus with his sonne reigned .ii yeres and were slaine bothe of theyr owne army as they were goyng against Emilianus that than woulde haue vsurped the empyre ¶ Ualerianus with his sonne Galienus reigned .xv. yeres But Valerian in the .v. yere was taken in battaile against Sapor kyng of Persia who put out his eies and vsed hym alwaies for his foote stoole whan he went to horsebacke and Galienus became so viciouse that he was faine to flee from Rome and finally was slaine of his owne men ¶ Claudius elected by the senate reigned one yere and ix monethes fought against the Gothes and Germaines and discoumfited bothe theyr powers but he sickened shortly and died Whervpon the armie elected his brother Quintilianus emperour who within .xvii. daies after was slaine ¶ Aurelianus reigned .v. yeres and .vi. monethes recouered a noumbre of regions that his predecessours had lost and was so prosperouse in the warres that Eutropius compareth hym vnto Alexander the great or Caesar But at last he was slaine through crafte of one of his owne souldiours ¶ Tacitus reigned not fully .vi. monethes but died of the
feuer And than was his brother Florianus elected but he liued little more than .ii. monethes ¶ Probus reigned .vi. yeres .iiii. monethes he recouered France ouercame Saturninus and Proculus that had made theim selfes emperoures and finallie was slaine of his owne souldiours ¶ Carus with his two sonnes reigned .ii. yeres and achieued diuers worthy enterprises But his son Carinus became so great a tyranne and so viciouse withall that he was compared to Nero and at last slaine of his owne souldiours ¶ Dioclesianus reigned .xx. yeres a great persecutour of the Christian religion because reason persuaded him that whereas diuersitee of opinions continued there coulde be no peace but perill of commocions And because he thought not him selfe able to rule the whole empire alone he ioygned Maximianus with him and either of theim made a deputie Dioclesianus toke Galerius and Maximianus toke Constantius Finally whan thei had brought the empire to a good staie Dioclesian and Maximian both renounced their astates and became priuate though Maximian woulde gladly haue taken it vpon him again to haue exalted his son Maxentius Wherfore his son in law Constantine caused him to be slaine ¶ Galerius with Constantius reigned together .ii. yeres and deuided the empire betwene theym Galerius had the east parte and Constantius the west Constantius husbande to the Queene Eleyn died in Yorke and Galerius beyng fallen sicke slew him selfe Neuerthelesse er he dyed Maxentius had gotten the Romaine souldiours called Pretoriani on his parte and so vsurped the name of emperour Against whom Galerius first sent his capitaine Seuerus and afterwardes Licinius but thei preuailed not for Maxentius continued til the comyng of Constantine to Rome who fought with him and so discomfited him that in fleing he was drowned in Tyber CONSTANTINVS the first reduced the Romaine astate to tranquillitee and toke Licinius as compagnion in the empire to whom he gaue his owne syster in mariage But as discorde is common amonge princes so it happened that Licinius rebelled against Constantine and beyng ouercome was deposed and as some write slaine So that Constantine reigned alone the tyme of whose reigne in all was .xxx. yeres and .x. monethes He was conuerted to the Christian faieth by bisshoppe Siluester vnto whom as the clergie holde opinion he gaue his roiall seate in Rome with auctoritee to vse all the imperiall rites and honours and made him head of the Christian churche and thervpon remoued his imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople whiche citee he than had newly reedified And though authours agree that he in deede builded Constantinople and chaunged it from the auncient name which was Bizantium yet many allow not Constantines donacion to Siluester to be true but saie that some one of those bisshops of Rome longe after Siluester that vsurped the name of Peters successour to enlarge theyr creadite and auctoritee and to mainteigne theyr pompe inuented this donacion So that though Constantine or his successours remoued theyr dwellyng from Rome to Constantinople yet did thei neuerthelesse reteigne continually bothe the dominion of Rome and also the name of the Romaine empyre vntill the takyng of Rome by Alaricus kynge of the Gothes betweene whose comyng and the reigne of Constantine were these ix emperours folowyng COnstantinus Constantius and Constans sons of the first Constantine and had the empire deuided betwene theÌ„ But Constantine not contented with his part moued warre to Constans and was slaine and Constans at length was also slain by treason of one of his owne capitaines named Magnentius who vsurped the empire and after many battailes beyng ouercome by Conctantius at last slew him selfe So that Constantius remaigned emperour alone the time of whose reigne with his brethern togethers was .xxiiii. yeres ¶ Iulianus surnamed Apostata because beyng borne a Christian he became a painem reigned .ii. yeres First he rebelled agaynste his vncle Constantius that had made hym Caesar and after his death beyng made emperour he persecuted cruelly the Christian religion and at length was slaine in battaille against the Persians ¶ Iâ—â—mâ—â—nus reigned .vii. monethes restored the faieth of Christe and was constreigned of necessitee to graunt vnto the kyng of Persia a great parte of Mesopotamia Whiche was the fyrst tyme that euer the Romaines or any emperour consented to diminisshe the Romaine dominion ¶ Ualentinianus reigned .xii. yeres and was a good Christian. ¶ Ualens reigned .iiii. yeres fauoured muche the Artian secte and makyng warre agaynst the Gothes in Thracia was discoumfited besieged and burned ¶ Gratianus reigned .vi. yeres and he with his sonne were bothe slaine by treason of Maximus and Arbogastus theyr owne capitaynes ¶ Theodosius reigned .xi. yeres subdued the Gothes and discoumfited the traitours Maximus and Arbogastus that vsurped the empyre the fyrst of theim was slaine in the fielde the other for despayre slewe hym selfe and so he reuenged his predecessours death ¶ Archadius and Honorius reigned together .xiii. yeres and than died Archadius ¶ Honorius after his brothers death reigned .xv. yeres in whose time Alaricê° beforenamed king of the Gothes prouoked through treason of Stillicon themperours capitaine a Uandale borne tourned his armie that than was goyng into Fraunce against the emperour and so ouerrennyng all Italie at length besieged Rome and toke it rather by famine than force And here beganne the manifest decaie of the Romaine empyre For from this daie forward those Septentriâ—nall nacions that is to wete the Gothes the Vandales the Hunes and Lumbardes with dyuers others triumphed not onely ouer Italy but also ouer Fraunce Spaine and part of Affrike in suche wyse that though many of theyr armies were discoumfited by dyuers of the emperours capitaines and others yet in processe of tyme they myngled theim selfes so with the other nacions that they were no more knowen for strangers but became Italians Spaniardes Frenchemen and so foorth ¶ After this first destruction of Italy with the takyng and spoylyng of Rome the common people beganne to crie out saiyng that syns they lefte the woorshippyng of theyr auncient gods and had embraced the new faith of Christ all these afflictions through vengeance of the gods were fallen on theim so that many doubted whether it were good to beleue or not But surely the remouyng of the imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople was the greatest occasion of the Romaine empyres decaie For whan the emperours beganne to dwell in Greece and to leaue Italy now and than diuidyng the empyre one to rule in the orient and an other in the occident theyr auncient reputacion declined so muche that theyr owne priuate capitaines enterprised many tymes not onely to rebell but also to vsurpe the name of emperours â–ª By reason wherof it came to passe that within the space of â—0 yeres there entred .vii. straunge kinges into Italie with so puissaunt armies that thei put eyther the whole countrey or at least a great part therof to swoorde and fyre FYrst Alaricus kyng of the Gothes before named after he had
he came Narses repented hym and did what he coulde to haue letâ—ed it but as he trauailed therin being come to Rome with IohnÌ„ the thyrde bisshop of the same hauyng now delaied the Lumbardê coming a few yeres he died had his body caried to Constantinople and there was honorably buried ¶ This Narses with Bellisarius before named were two of the noblest capitaines that euer serued the Romayne Emperours ¶ Incontinently after the death of Narses the forenamed Alboinus with an infinite numbre of men women and childern entred into Italie and occupied all the countrey betwene the Alpes and the Appenine hilles naming it after theyr name Lumbardie And not withstandyng that the emperours for the space of .180 yeres made continuall warres agaynste theym by theyr generalles whom thei called Exarkes yet coulde they neuer so abate and vanquishe the glorie of those Lumbardes but that sometimes they wolde right well be reuenged so that in effecte they reigned ouer Lumbardie aboue 200. yeres till the comyng of Charlemaine who in fauour of the Romayne bishops warred agaynst Desiderius last kyng of the saied Lumbardes toke and ledde him prisoner into Fraunce ¶ In all whiche tyme of the Lumbardes prosperytee there reigned amongest theym .23 kynges whose names hereafter folow ALboinus slaine by procuremente of his wife Rosamunda ¶ Dapho slayne of his owne people for his tyrannie After whose death the Lumbardes wolde haue no kyng but in maner of a common wealthe elected .30 Dukes who occupied all Italie Rome and Naples excepted and so contynued the space of .xii. yeres till the Lumbardes beyng weery of theyr gouernaunce returned againe to the election of a kyng ¶ Antharis surnamed Flauius toke to wyfe Theodolinda the kynges doughter of Bauarie a woman that by persuasion of Gregorie the fyrst bisshop of Rome secretly embraced the Christian faieth and after conuerted hir nexte housdande to the same ¶ Agilulphus Duke of Turine maried Theodolinda after the death of hir other housbande and so beyng made kyng through his wifes procurement he became a Christian ¶ Adoaldus sonne of Agilulphus beyng very younge reigned about .x. yeres vnder the gouernaunce of his mother Theodolinda and after hir death was driuen out of his realme ¶ Arioldus of whom I fynde nothyng notable ¶ Rotharius a valiaunt warriour and so well learned withall that he prescribed lawes vnto the Lumbardes who from theyr coming into Italy till that time whiche was about .70 yeres had no written law ¶ Rodoaldus sonne of Rotharius was slain by one that founde hym in adoultrie with his wife ¶ Arithpertus through feigned flight obteyned a notable victorie against the frenchemen ¶ Gundibertus sonne vnto Arithpertus contended so longe with his brother for the dominion that at last thei were bothe chased awaie ¶ Grimoaldus toke the astate from the children of Arithpert and helde longe warre with the emperour Constantine the thyrd and so ouercame Theodorus the Exâ—rke that the emperour in a great rage came hym selfe with a myghty armie into Italie and after he had ouerranne the countrey of Puglia and taken the citee of Luceria whiche he put to fyre and swoorde at laste he besieged Beneuento where hapned one notable thyng woorthy the rehersall ¶ Romoaldus sonne to the king Grimoaldus was than within Beneuento and â—aliauntly defended the citee against the Greekes sendyng woorde by a foster father of his named Gensualdus â—nto his father that vnlesse he wolde shortly sende succours the citee must needes be taken Gensualde did his message and retournyng with answeare was taken of the enemies and brought before the emperour Where beyng straightly examined he confessed that Grimoalde withall the power of Lumbardie was departed from Pauia and came to reise the siege and that he hym selfe was the messenger of his comyng Wherfore the emperour hopyng incontinently to haue the towne and so to departe before the comyng of Grimoalde partely with thretenyng and partly with fayre offers persuaded Gensualde that beyng brought before the towne he should shewe Romoalde how his father through other businesse of importaunce coulde not than succour hym Gensualde promisyng so to dooe was brought to the walles and called for Romoalde who foorthwith appeared Romoalde saied he thy father is here at hand with a puissaunt armie to succour the. I lefte hym passyng the riuer of Sanguine be good to my wife and children for I am but dead and so it proued â–ª for his head was striken of and for despite with an engine throwen into the towne ¶ Whervpon Constantine with his armie retyred to Naples and from thense to Rome where he was most honourablie receiued of bishop Vitellian withall the clergie and nobilitee But he in recompence of that honour fell to robbyng and spoylyng of all the goodly thynges that he founde there aswell marble brasse and peinture as other richesse insomuche that he toke the tile of brasse wherwith the temple of Pantheon was couered and shipped all that he gotte So that Rome in a maner suffered more hurt and spoyle in .vii. daies that he remaigned there than it did by any ouerthrow from the fyrst comyng of the Lumbardes And yet he enioyed not for retournyng towardê Greece he was slaine by his owne men in the citee of Syracusa and all those preciouse thynges taken afterwardes by the Sarasines and caried to Alexandria in Aegypt where many of theim maie be seen at this daie But to retourne vnto my purpose Grimoaldus died of to muche streignyng his arme after he had been letten bloudde ¶ Garmaldus sonne of Grimoaldus reigned .iii. monethes onely and died ¶ Partharus soonne of Arithpert before named that from his youthe had been in continuall exile retourned home and was restored to the kyngdome ¶ Iunipertus or Compertus sonne of Partharus succeded after the death of his father ¶ Laimpertus or Luitpertus sonne of Iunipertus beyng a childe had not reigned vnder the tuicion of Asprandus fully .viii. monethes but that Raimpertus Duke of Turine rebelled and in plaine battaile ouercame Asprandus and so vsurped the kyngdome ¶ Raimpertus reigned not fully a yere ¶ Arithpertus son of Raimpertus was muche disturbed by the forenamed Luitpertus but at laste he slewâ— him in plaine battaile and in maner destroyed the whole house of Asprandus Neuerthelesse in the .xi. yere of his reigne Asprandus with helpe of the kyng of Bauarie retourned puissantly vnto Italy fought with Arithpert and so discomfited him that in his flight passyng the riuer of Tesino he was drowned by reason he had ouerladen him selfe with gold ¶ Asprandus reigned but .iii. monethes and died ¶ Luitprandus son of Asprandus was a great warriour insomuche that after he had gotten Rauenna and many other citees from the emperours Exarke at laste he besieged Rome Neuerthelesse at the intercession of his gossippe the frenche kyng he leauied his siege and restored to the Romains those castels and townes that he before had taken from theim ¶ Aldeprandus nephewe of Luitprandus liued not fully .v. monethes and
appoinâ—tment Alexander came honorablie to Uenice to mete the emperour for a treatie of peace wherby the other historie of the cookish apparaile shoulde seeme vntrewe In effect howe so euer it were there they mette and the emperour in presence of all the people kneled downe to kisse the bishops foote At whiche kissyng some affyrme that the bishop vsed these woordes Super aspidem et Basiliscum ambulabis et conculcabis leonem et draconem And the emperour aunsweared Non tibi sed Petro. wherunto the bishop replied et Petro et mihi Neuerthelesse there they concluded suche a peace that the bishop retourned to Rome and enioyed his place Immediately whervpon he called a counsaile in Laterano in the whiche iiii bishops that sens his fyrst election had been created by the emperour were condemned body and soule ¶ In his tyme Thomas Beckette bishop of Caunterburie was slaine And the kynge of Englande as some write sent ambassadours to this Alexandre protestyng the same to be doen vnknowyng to hym But the bishoppe not credityng the ambassadours sent two Cardinalles into Englande to examine the trouth who compelled the kyng to sweare that he was not giltie of Beckettes death and neuerthelesse they enioigned him in penaunce to sende .200 souldiours to serue an whole yere in Hierusalem and within the terme of .iii. yeres to goe against the infidelles hym selfe to mainteine all the libertees of the churche and to permitte mattiers to be appealed to the courte of Rome ¶ Lucie the .iii. would haue depriued the Romaine Consules of theyr dignitee but the people so resisted that he was faine to flee and as many as were taken of his partie had theyr eies put out Wherefore the bishop went to Verona called a counsaile and there died ¶ Celestine the .iii. enuiyng the succession of Tancredi bastarde sonne of Roger brother to the good kyng William of Sicile called into Italie Henrie the .vi. than elected Caesar â–ª And after he had crowned him emperour in Rome toke Constantia a Nonne out of hir cloysâ—er and because of the Normanes royall bloud maried hir to this emperour endowyng him and hir bothe with the titles of the realmes of Naples and Sicile and so transferred the Napolitane astate from the Norman succession to the Germains wherof there folowed great bloudshedyng ¶ Innocence the .iii. because Philip Duke of Sueuia sonne vnto Barbarossa was chosen emperour against his will not onely excommunicated him but also caused Otho the .iiii. to be elected and crowned hym in Rome ¶ This bishop contendyng with the forenamed Philip was wont to saie either shall Philip take from me my myter or I from hym his crowne ¶ Otho had not longe enioyed the crowne but the bishop with his excoÌ„municacions made his princes to forsake hym and he the emperour hym selfe to forsake Italie because he had moued warres against the church and gotten Montefiascone and Radicofano entendyng also to inuade the realme of Naples than belongyng to younge Frederike sonne of Henry the .vi. who by his parentes was committed to the bishops protection ¶ Finally he deposed Otho and named this Frederike emperour Wherof there folowed so sharpe warres that at length whan Frederike had afterwardes receiued the crowne of Honorius the .iii. the Romaine bishops persecuted Frederike and he them ¶ This Innocence beeyng of the familie of Conti in Rome builded a notable fayre toure of bricke there whiche yet is to be seen called La torre d' i Conti. ¶ Honorius the .iii. crowned Frederike the .ii. emperour and after excoÌ„municated him for what cause I can not tell ¶ Gregory the .ix. did likewise excoÌ„municate the emperour because he wolde not at his appoinctment goe into Asia againste the infidelles Afterwardes he assâ—yled him vpon his humble submission at Anagnia for .120 thousand ounces of golde payed by the emperour ¶ Than fell he in contencion with the Romayns for the tribute of the territories about the citie whiche the Romayns alledged that the bishops vsurped vpon theyr coÌ„mon wealth And because Frederike fauoured the Romains cause the bishop did excommunicate him againe wherof folowed cruell warres betwene the emperour and the confederate citees of Lumbardie with the battail besides Corte noua where the Mylanese and Lumbardes were so miserablie slaine and theyr Caroccio taken ¶ Than began also the ciuile sedicion of the two parties in Italie Guelfi and Ghibellini that caused so muche mischiefe ¶ The Romayns after they had ben ones by force subdued of this bishop began to rebell agayn For the pacifiyng wherof the bishop caryed about saincte Peters and Paules heades in procession and so quyeted the people ¶ Finallie beyng hardly handled by the emperour Frederike who had taken diuers legates cardinalles and prelates prisoners in theyr comyng to Rome he died for sorowe ¶ Innocence the iiii before he was elected bishop was verie friende to the emperour Frederike but after he became so mortall enemy vnto him that they ceased not the one to persecute the other as longe as they liued not withstandyng that principally for respecte of his olde amitee with the emperour Innocence was elected bishop And the emperour againste this election set at libertee diuers cardinalles that he had taken prisoners in the warres betwene hym and Gregorie the .ix. ¶ This Innocence was occasion of the great discomfiture that Frederike had before Parma and yet was the auctoritie of the Romains so great in his later dais that he durst not come in Rome ¶ He firste ordeined the Cardinalles to ryde with redde hattes and went to the citee of Naples entendyng to haue conquered the realme where trauaylyng to sette foorthe an armie he died ¶ Urbane the .iiii. seyng the armie prepared of Innocence discomfited by Manfredo than gouernour of the realme of Naples and him selfe vnhable to resist bothe Manfredos power and the Romayns also that newelie had recouered theyr libertee practised with the Frenche kyng that Charles Duke of Angiowe might come to conquere Naples and Sicile but he died er his purpose coulde take effect ¶ Clement the .iiii. folowyng the practise of Vrbane receiued the forenamed Duke Charles that came with .30 galeys from Marsiles to Rome and there created hym Senatour Whiche office he exercised for a tyme. Afterwardes he inuested him kyng of Naples and of Sicile vpon condicion he should holde it of the churche in fee paiyng tribute yerelie .40000 ducketes and by this meane broughte the Frenchemen to warre agaynste Manfredo In whiche warres Charles preuayled and the Germaine bloud ceased not onely by the deathe of Manfredo slayne in the fielde but also by the death of Corradino the ryght heyre who beeyng taken prisoner through this bishops counsayle was beheaded ¶ After longe contencion amongest the Cardinalles and two yeres vacacion of the see Gregory the .x. was elected bishop He incontinently pacified the warres betwene the Uenetians and Genowaies and called a counsayle in Lyons vnto the whiche the emperour of Greece
one agreement cited .iii. times Eugenie to come thither with his Cardinalles And because he came not they threatned to depose hym Wherfore he sent his apostolicall bulles thyther with certaine Cardinalles to confyrme all thynges there determined ¶ Than sent he the Patriarke Vitelesco to Rome who there vsed many cruell tourmentes and deathes against the enemies of Eugenie and after went into the realme of Naples pretendyng title therunto in the churches right In whiche quarell he fought with the prince of Taranto and toke hym prisoner with two thousand horse and missed little of takyng the kyng Alfonse vnder colour of truese ¶ In his retourne to Rome he vtterly destroied Preneste the chiefe towne belongyng to the house of Colonna but at last his chaunce was to be betraied and slain hym selfe ¶ After this Eugenie called a counsaile in Ferrara wherunto Iohn Paleologo emperour of Constantinople with the principall of the greeke churche came and disputed certaine articles of religion whiche were agreed vpon in the counsaile folowyng at Florence And all be it that Eugenie had great assemblies at both these counsailes yet were there a noumbre of bishops that sate still at Basile alwaies sommonyng Eugenie to repayre thither and at last for lacke of apparance partly through instaunce of Philip Duke of Mylaine than enemie to Eugenie the counsaile of Basile deposed him and created in his place one Amideus than beyng an heremite that before had been Duke of Sauoie namyng hym Felix By reason whereof Christendome was diuided into .iii. partes Two helde with these .ii. bishops and the .iii. with nother of bothe ¶ Than retourned Eugenie vnto Rome where he was ioyfully receiued of the people and lodged the fyrste night at the gate Flaminia but the seconde daie as he went in Pontificalibus towarde sainct Peters because the custome of the citee was reysed double the people beganne to crie downe with the customes and with the inuentours of theim so that the bishop was faine to promyse theim it should be no more leuied ¶ Shortly after he made warre in the Marke of Ancona and recouered it out of the handes of Francesco Sforza and finally prouoked Charles than Dolphin of Fraunce by plaine force to driue awaie the bishops that helde the counsaile at Basile and so remaigned in his astate till he died ¶ Nicolas the .v. succeded Eugenie vnto whom Amideus renounced his title by compulsion of the emperour Frederike For whiche renunciacion Nicolas created hym Cardinall and legate in Germanie He crowned the same Frederike and his wyfe with the imperiall crownes in Rome and trauailed muche partly by fayre meanes and partly by threatningê to appease the warre betweene the princes and states of Italie but his excommunicacions could not rule theim ¶ Calixt the .iii. incontinently after his election prepared an armie against the Turkes armed .xvi. galeys of his owne and vnder the leadyng of the patriarke of Aquileia sent theim into the Leuant seas and ceased not to persuade all Christian princes as muche as in hym laie to that expedicion Amongest whom Alfonse kyng of Naples and Lewys Duke of Burgoyne toke ones the crosse on theim towardes that viage but thorough some occasions they chaunged purpose ¶ Not longe after the kynge Alfonse died Whervpon Calixt vnder pretence of title to the realme of Naples made great preparacion of warre against Ferdinando sonne to Alfonse but beyng preuented by death bothe the rumour and feare therof ceased ¶ Whan he died he lefte .150 thousande dukates in his coffers whiche he saied he had prepared for the warres against the Turke ¶ Pius the secounde shortly after his election called a counsaile in Mantua Unto the whiche came ambassadours from all Christen princes And all be it that through the bishops persuasion who was hym selfe an excellent Oratour it was there concluded that to the expedicion against the Turkes at the bishops deuise euery prince and astate shoulde be contributour as well for sendyng of men and municion as also for maintenance with money yet whan it came to the poinct there was nothyng dooen ¶ Duryng this counsaile manie rumours were reised in Tuscane yea and in Rome that one Tiburtio sonne of Angelo Massiano with certaine companions had taken the temple of Pantheon and there fortifiyng him disturbed the whole citee ¶ The partie called Auersana enemies to the bishop had also taken Viterbo whiche the bishoppe at his retourne recouered ¶ All whiche thynges with a noumbre of commocions in the Marke of Ancona in Vmbria and in the confines there at length the bishop appesed either by policie or by force ¶ He caused Lewys the frenche kynge to renounce certaine exactions granted him of the churche in the counsaile at Basile and defended Ferdinando kyng of Naples against IohnÌ„ sonne to Raynolde Duke of Angiow ¶ Finally disposyng hym selfe altogether to the enterprise against the Turkes and beyng arriued in Ancona to meete with the Uenetian galeys and capitaine named Christofer Moro for the same purpose he died of a continuall feuer ¶ And leauyng behynd hym .40000 dukates with certaine ships and galeys prepared for that viage the Cardinalles deliuered bothe the one and other to the Uenetian capitaine The money to be sent to the kynge of Hungarie to relieue his neede and the shippes to serue on the seas with the Uenetian armie ¶ Paule the secounde so muche abhorred learned men that he accoumpted all theim that were of Platos Academie to be heretikes and depriued a noumbre of vertuouse and learned men of suche offices and promocions as his predecessours had called theim to amongest whom was Platina And beyng entreated to be more graciouse vnto theim consideryng thei were olde men had folowed the courte all theyr daies and many also had bought theyr liuynges deere so that neither by law nor yet by reason he ought to depriue theim he aunsweared that forasmuche as the law and reason rested in his brest to allow or disallow what he thought good his will being so it was bothe sufficient law and reason ¶ Than picked he a quarell to the familie of Auersa and with helpe of certaine men of warre sent to him by Ferdinando kynge of Naples he assaulted theim and toke .9 of theyr castels Of the whiche â—ame were so stronge that they seemed impossible to be wonne And because the bishop through the kynges helpe had atteined these fortresses and possessions the kyng required certaine small benefites at his handes but the vncourteyse bishop would graunt nothyng wherfore thei squared a little and than agreed againe ¶ After this the bishop gaue hym selfe to idlenesse and plaies and in the shrouyng tyme deuised a noumbre of games prices to be won and distributed muche money amongest boies the better to mainteine his pastyme In the ende wherof hapned hym suche a feare that he wist not what to dooe For it was tolde hym that certaine younge men had conspyred against hym by the procurement of one
imperiall armie kyng Pepine and the Uenetians to their great contentacion For if Pepine in that voyage had preuayled thei had bene in a daungerouse case ¶ This meane while the Uenetians had banished Obelerio and Beato as parciall of the frenche parte and elected to theyr Duke Angelo Particiaco that before had dissuaded theim from Pepines amitee Who obteined of the Frenche kyng a confirmacion of the passed peace and after reedified the towne of Eraclea where he was borne callyng it Citta nuoua and in it beganne the palaice of the Signoria that the Dukes hitherto vse to dwell in And obteinyng his sonne Giustiniano to be ioigned with him after he had builded dyuers fayre churches and doen many good deedes he died ¶ Giustiniano thus confyrmed Duke incontinentelie called home his brother Giouanni that for his yll behauiour had been before banisshed and toke hym as his companion in the astate In whose time at the instance of the Greekishe Emperour the Uenetians sente an armie by sea against the Turkes to defende Sicilia And certaine merchauntes of Uenice comyng from Alexandria in Aegypt brought with theim as thei saie the bodie of S. Marke vnto whose honour the saied Giustiniano began the churche of Sainct Marke before rehersed and the whole citee euer sens haue taken him for their aduocate ¶ Finally vpon his death bedde he toke an order for the continuance of that buyldyng and died Leauyng his brother Giouanni alone in the astate who ioygned the churche of Sainte Marke vnto the Dukes palaice and founde prouision for priestes to synge and serue in the same And the warre beyng begunne betwene the Uenetians and the Narentani he made an armie and wente vnto Veglia in the I le of Corcia and toke it with Obelerio before named in it who had begunne a preparacion there to recouer his olde astate Wherfore Giouanni caused hym to lose his head and afterwardê burned Malamoco because certeine of Obelerio his olde friendes fledde thither for refuge ¶ Finally this Duke Giouanni had two conspiracies made against hym the fyrst was occasion that he fledde into Fraunce the secounde after he was reconsiled ones againe vnto his astate made hym to forsake the worlde and become a friere in Grado where he died ¶ After Giouanni succeded Peter Gradenico who ioigned his sonne Giouanni in the astate with hym and at the request of the Greekishe emperour sent .60 sayle armed against the Moores that were than newly landed besides Rome Whiche .60 saile were all taken or drowned In folowyng the victorie the same Moores scoured all the Adriatike seas euin to Caorle and in â—â—eyr waie toke certaine Uenetian shippes laden with merchaundise comyng out of Soria So that whether it were for this ill lucke or through sedicion that than reigned in the citee a conspyracy was made against this Pietro and was finally slaine in the churche of saincte Zacheria hearyng of euensong Whiche sodeine death troubled not a little the citee and caused the office of the thre Auogadori to be made to pursue the triall of manslaughters and murders An office vnto this daie of no small auctoritee amongest the Uenetians ¶ Than was Orso Particiaco made Duke who with helpe of his sonne Giouanni discoumfited the Sarasines that a little before had gotten Candia robbed alongest all the costes of Dalmaria and had ronne euen vnto Grado For the worthie and valiant dooyng wherof the Greekish emperour Basilio rewarded Orso with muche honour who for his parte againe not to seeme vncurteyse sent .xii. brasen belles vnto the emperour for a present beyng as they saie the fyrst belles that euer were vsed amongest the Greekes ¶ After Orso his son Giouanni as well for his fathers merites as for his owne woorthinesse was confirmed Duke In whose tyme the Rauennates receyued extreeme damages by the Uenetians and the citee of Comacchio was gotten Finally this man beyng fallen sycke and hauyng his brother ioigned with hym in the astate a man not the meâ—est to rule suche a common wealth deposed both him selfe and his brother remittyng the counsaile to the election of a newe Duke An acte surely not onely rare and meruailouse but also worthie of high commendacion ¶ Than Pietro Candiano was elected who proued so worthy in armes that twyse he fought with the Schlauone armies and ouercame theim althoughe in the last battaile he was slayne ¶ After whose deathe Giouanni Particiaco before named was ones again called vnto the dignitee and continued in the same till the Schlauone warres were fully quieted and than agayne was contented that Pietro Tribuno shoulde be chosen in his place ¶ This Pietro discomfited the Hungariens that before had ouercomen themperour Berengario and ouerranne all Lumbardie approched so nere to Uenice that thei wanne Eraclea Equilo and Capo d'aggere and were mynded to passe vnto the Rialto geuyng suche cause of feare to the Uenetians as afterwardes both doubled the glorie of Peters victorie and exalted highly the Uenenetian name ¶ Some write that after this enterprise Pietro fortified the citee with a wall from Santa Maria in Zubenico vnto the Rio del Castello and that he cast chaines of yron ouerthwart the Canale grande but at this daie there remaineth no memory therof ¶ After Pietro folowed Orso Baduaro that fyrste coygned money in Uenice a man so muche geuen to religion that at length renouncyng his astate he became a frier and so died ¶ Than succeded Pietro Candiano who conquered many townes of Istria and other places and ouercame Alberto sonne of the emperour Berengario which beyng lorde of Rauenna vsed to spoyle and take the Uenetian shippes in their passage ¶ He recouered certain gorgeous damselles rauished by the Schlauons at a feaste in the churche S. Peter Di Castello and for memorie of that victory ordeyned yerely certeine plaies called Le Marie And as some write in his time the Schlauons were made tributaries to the Uenetians to paie theim yerely an hundreth barelles of wyne ¶ After his deathe folowed Pietro Baduaro In whose tyme no notable thyng happened ¶ Than was Pietro Candiano sonne of the other Pietro reuoked from exile whiche for his naughty lyfe was before banished by his father And albeit that in the helpe of Alberto di Rauenna he had shewed him self enemie to his owne countrey the vnkyndenesse wherof was cause of his fathers deathe yet did the Uenetians create hym their Duke But finally his procedynges were suche that the people rose againste hym sette fyre on the palaice and as he fledde with his sonne in his armes they slewe hym Wherwith theyr furie was sooner appeased than the kendeled fyre quenched For ere it ceased it burnte a great parte of the churche of S. Marke with two other churches and aboue three hundreth houses ¶ This rumour beyng pacified Pietro Orseolo a man muche geuen to religion was elected Duke The notablest thyng in his tyme was that
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
great infyrmitee blinded of one eye died without issue leauyng the astate of Myllaine wholly to the emperour who euer sens hath gouerned the same by his lieuetenauntes The fyrst wherof was named Antonio di Leua so lame a man of his limmes that he vsed to be caried on mens shoulders but on the other side so prudent and ware a capitaine in his doyngê as in his daies was not lyghtly to be founde againe ¶ Next vnto whom folowed the Marques of Vasco a verie honourable and courtly man but not altogether man but not altogether so happie in his procedinges as suche noble men couette to be ¶ Finally after his death the emperour hath placed there the famouse Don Ferrando Gonzaga vncle to the Duke of Mantua whose prosperitee hath not onely been great in feates of warre but also wonderfull in purchasyng of fame through the sincere and rare administracion of iustice that he vseth ¶ I call it not rare for other cause than for the rare correction he hath vsed against the offendours wherby he hath wonne the hertes of theim that loue iustice ¶ As for the progresse of the thynges happened in the state of Myllaine sens the death of Francesco Sforza in whom it semeth the house of Visconti to haue taken his ende I shall not neede here to make any rehersall because on the one syde the dooynges of the same haue not been verie great and on the other side they are present and fimiliare ¶ Of the astate of Mantua THe citee of it selfe is very fayre and stronge and standeth richely by reason the countreis about are plaine and no lesse plentiful than the other partes of Lumbardie be It is stronge because the riuer of Meltio or Mentio as some call it fallyng out of the lake of Garda thoroughe the towne of Peschiera passeth to the Pò by Mantua and maketh about it suche a poole that thre partê of the citee are defended with the bredth of a quarter of a myle of water euery waie whiche in some places is deepe and in some shalow that it can not be passed with botes And than in the necessarie places suche bulwarkes are made to defende that it semeth impossible to be wonne by assaulte on that side ¶ And for the .iiii. parte whiche is towarde the weast it is verie well fortified with stronge wallê and bulwarkes and a large byche well watered besides that the grounde on that side is in maner all marisshe or at the least so ranke that in the driest of the sommer there can none artillerie passe so that the citee is vndoubtedly one of the strongest that I haue seen ¶ The dominion that the Duke hath is not great neyther of circuite nor of reuenew For at the best as I haue ben enformed the rentes neuer passed an .100000 duckates a yere and many times it hath ben much lesse by reason it is not standyng but riseth of customes and casualtees ¶ It is true that the state is muche encreased by reason of Monferrato that the last Duke had by the mariage of his wyfe so that now the Duke of Mantoa's rentes by estimacion are reckened at .130000 duckates or theraboutes ¶ And as for notable buildinges in Mantua other than suche as be vniuersall in the goodly citees of Italie I finde none sauyng certaine propre lodgeynges that the Duke Federico deceased hath made on the southe part of his palaice whiche vndoubtedly are galaunt and riche Wherfore procedyng now to the originall of the citesins and citee with the successe therof hitherwardê ¶ The Originall of Mantua BY agreement of most aucthours I fynde that the people of Mantua are descended of those auncient Tuscanes that before the siege of Troie departed out of Lydia in Asia and vnder the leadyng of theyr prince Tirreno came and enhabited the region of Italie Part of whiche Tuscanes chosyng afterwardes the place of Mantua for theyr habitacion builded the citee before the comyng of Eneas into Italie and before the edificacion of Rome more than .300 yeres The capitaine of which people at that time was named Ogno a verie expert man in Astronomie or in the science of diuinacion For his vertue in whiche science folowyng the Greeke woorde Mantia he named the citee Mantua How be it Dante speakyng therof referreth the beginnyng of Mantua to Manto daughter of Tiresia kynge of Thebes whom the poetes feigne lost his sight for iudgeyng betwene Iupiter and Iuno that the woman in the vse of nature had more pleasure than the man taken for iudge in this mattier because through the killyng of certayne serpentes he before tyme had ben chaunged from a man to a woman and had vsed in bothe kyndes So that Iupiter in recompence of his sight that Iuno had taken from him gaue hym the science of diuinacion and he hauyng a doughter afterwardê according to that science named hir Manto who comyng into Italy was aucthour bothe of the beginnyng and also of the name of Mantua But howe so euer it were I finde that ones it was destroied by Attila kyng of the Goti and after by Agilulfo kynge of the Lumbardes thyrdely by Cacciano kyng of Bauiera and lastly by the Hungariens And than beyng reedified Nicolas the secounde bishop of Rome helde a generall counsaill there in the which these holy Pilates I wold say Prelates decreed that from thense forth the bishops of Rome shulde be elected by the college of Cardinalles to the intent the emperours shoulde haue no more to doe withall At the tyme oâ— whiche counsaill Matilda doughter of the Conte Bonifacio was ladie of Mantua ¶ This Conte Bonifacio was lorde of the citees of Luca Parma Reggio Mantua and Ferrara called altogethers at that tyme Il Patrimonio and was so great a man that he obteigned vnto wife Beatrice sister of Henry the secounde emperour of Almaine Whiche Beatrice after hir husbandes death gouerned the whole dominion 15. yeres and was finally buried in Pisa leuyng hir doughter Matilda before named with an husbande named Godfrey in the astate ¶ Matilda after the death of hir husbande Godfrey maried againe and at length founde meane to be diuorsed insomuche that diyng without issue she lefte hir whole astate vnto the churche of Rome and was buried in the abbey of S. Benette di Bondeno besides Mantua ¶ After whose death the citee of Mantua was gouerned by Romaine vicares and legates vntill aboutes the yere of grace .1220 one Sordello founde the meanes to be principall gouernour therof the mightiest man of body and strength that was in those daies insomuche that beyng prouoked many tymes to feighte he alwaies remained vanquisher Through the notable fame wherof the Frenche kynge sente for hym and beyng arriued in his presence merily saied vnto him he belieued not that he shoulde be Sordello wherwith Sordello beyng offended incontinently tourned his backe without speakyng any worde and beyng called againe was demaunded by the Frenche kyng what he meaned so sodeinly to tourne
his 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