gaged in the common cause, was not inactive. Having first warned the Venetians to desist from the further progress of the war, and finding his remonstrances disregarded, he solemnly excommunicated his late allies (a). The Venetians however persisted in their purpose, regardless of his denunciations, and having captured the town of Ficarola, laid siege to the city of Ferrara itself. At this important juncture a congress was held at Cremona, for the purpose of considering on the most effectual means of repressing the growing power of the Venetians, and of securing the rest of Italy from the effects of their ambition. The persons who assembled on this occasion were Alfonso duke of Calabria, Lodovico Sforza, Lorenzo de' Medici, Lodovico Gonzaga marquis of Mantua, the duke of Ferrara, and on the part of the pope, Girolamo Riario, and the cardinal of Mantua, with others of inferior note. The king of France, aware of the character of Riario, advised Lorenzo by letter not to trust himself to this interview (b), but the important consequences expected from it induced him to disregard the precaution. Among other arrangements it was determined, that the Milanese should endeavour to form a diversion by an attack on the Venetian territory, and that the duke of Calabria should repair with a Congress of (a) Fabr. in vitá Laur. ii. 234. (b) Thus he addresses Lorenzo in a letter dated xiii. Kal. Febr. 1482, ap. Fabr. u. ii. p. 243. "Alla Giornata di Ferrara dove dite avere promesso an"dare, vi avrei consigliato non andasse punto, ma che guardaste bene tener "sicura vostra persona; perchè non conosco nè i personaggi nè il luogo, dove " v' habbiate a trovare, e v' avrei mandato uno imbasciatore di quà in vostra "excusatione; nientidimanco, poichè l'avete promesso, me ne reporto a a voi; "et alla buona hora sia, et a Dio. "LUIS." Death of Sixtus IV. a powerful body of troops to the relief of the duke of Ferrara. By these decisive measures, a speedy and effectual stop was put to the further progress of the Venetian arms, whilst the allied troops over-ran the the territories of Bergamo, of Brescia, and of Verona. Finding their attempt to subjugate the city of Ferrara frustrated, and solicitous for the safety of their own dominions, the Venetians had recourse to negotiation, and had sufficient influence with Lodovico Sforza to prevail upon him to desert the common cause. His dereliction induced the allies to accede to propositions for peace, which though sufficiently favourable to the Venetians, secured the duke of Ferrara from the ambition of his powerful neighbours, and repressed that spirit of incroachment which the Venetians had manifested, as well on that as on former occasions. As soon as the affairs of Italy were so adjusted as to give the first indications of permanent tranquillity, Sixtus died. The coincidence of these events, gave rise to an opinion, which was rendered in some degree credible by the knowledge of his restless disposition, that his death was occasioned by vexation at the prospect of a general peace(a). Of the character of this successor of St. Peter, we have already had sufficient proof. It must indeed be acknowledged, that no age has exhibited such flagrant instances of the depravity of the Roman see, as the close of the fifteenth (a) He died on the 12th of August 1484, being the fifth day after peace was proclaimed at Rome. Murat. Ann. v. ix. p. 546. 549. "O perchè fusse il "termine di sua vita venuto, o perchè il dolore della pace fatta, come nemica a quella l'amazzasse.” Mac. Hist. Lib. 8. 66 teenth century, when the licentiousness of Sixtus IV. led the way, at a short interval, to the still more outrageous and unnatural crimes of Alexander VI. The avarice of Sixtus was equal to his ambition. He was the first Roman pontiff who openly exposed to sale the principal offices of the church; but not satisfied with the disposal of such as became vacant, he instituted new ones, for the avowed purpose of selling them, and thereby contrived to obtain a certain emolument from the uncertain tenure by which he held his see. To Sixtus IV. posterity are also indebted for the institution of inquisitors of the press, without whose license no work was suffered to be printed. In this indeed he gave an instance of his prudence, it being extremely consistent, that those who are conscious of their own misconduct, should endeavour to stifle the voice that publishes and perpetuates it. Even Muratori acknowledges, that this pontiff had a heavy account to make up at the tribunal of God. (a) The death of Sixtus IV. who for the space of thirteen years, had embroiled the states of Italy in constant dissentions, was a favourable omen of the continuance of tranquillity; and the choice made by the conclave of his successor, seemed still further to secure so desirable an object. Giambattista Cibò, who obtained on this occasion the suffrages of the sacred college, was a Genoese by birth, though of Greek extraction. The urbanity and mildness of his manners, formed a striking contrast to the VOL. II. C Succeeded by Giambattista Cibo, who assumes the name of In nocent VIII. (a)" Di grossi conti avrà avuto questo pontefice nel tribunale di Dio." Annal. v. ix. p. 538. Lorenzo gains of the popc. new the inflexible character of his predecessor. From his envoys at Rome, Lorenzo became early acquainted with the disposition of the new pope, who assumed the name of Innocent VIII. At the time of his elevation to the supremacy, he was about fifty-five years of age, and had several natural children. Vespucci, the correspondent of Lorenzo, represents him as a weak but well-disposed man, rather formed to be directed himself, than capable of directing others. (a) Lorenzo had perceived the disadvantages under which the confidence he laboured in his political transactions, on account of his dissentions with the papal see, and he therefore learnt with great satisfaction, that the pope, soon after his elevation, had expressed a very favourable opinion of him, and had even avowed an intention of consulting him on all important occurrences. The power of the other Italian potentates was bounded by the limits of their respective dominions, but Lorenzo was well aware, that the Roman pontiff, independent of his temporal possessions, maintained an influence that extended throughout all Christendom, and which might be found of the utmost importance to the promotion of his views. He therefore sedulously improved the occasion which the favourable opinion of Innocent afforded him; and in a short time obtained his confidence to such a degree, as to be intrusted with his most secret transactions and most (a) Many particulars respecting this pontiff, may be found in the letter from Vespucci to Lorenzo, extracted from the documents of Fabroni. App. No. XLIV. most important concerns (a). This fortunate event also first opened to the Medici the dignities and emoluments of the church, and thereby led the way to that eminent degree of splendour and prosperity which the family afterwards experienced. To the carrying into effect the pacific intentions of The Florentines Lorenzo, several obstacles yet remained. During the commotions in Italy, consequent on the conspiracy of the Pazzi, the town of Sarzana, situated near the boundaries of the Genoese and Florentine dominions, and which the Florentines had purchased from Lodovico Fregoso, had been forcibly wrested from them by Agostino, one of his sons. The important contests in which the Florentines were engaged, had for some time prevented them from attempting the recovery of a place, to which, according to the established custom of the times, they had undoubted pretensions; but no sooner were they relieved from the anxiety and expense of external war, than they bent their whole attention to this object. In order to secure himself against the expected attack, Agostino had made a formal surrender of the town to the republic of Genoa, under which he professed to exercise the government. Lorenzo therefore entertained hopes, that by the mediation of the new pope, his to attempt recover the town of Sar zana. 1483. (a)" Assettate che saranno queste vostre cose co' Genovesi Lorenzo cono"scerà che non fu mai Pontefice, che amassi tanto la casa sua quanto io. Et "avendo visto per esperienza, quanta sia la fede, integrità & prudentia sua, ❝io farò tosto governarmi secondo i ricordi & pareri sua." Such was the language in which Innocent addressed himself to Pier Filippo Pandolfini, the Florentine ambassador. Fabroni in vitá v. ii. p. 263. |