generall consent of all the people; and he had not onely this Estate in see from the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 [ A] but also he was created the first duke of Vrbin. There is much written of the ver•••••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 exce〈…〉〈…〉f duke Frederic, among other things, that he was wise, eloquent, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 uer of le〈◊〉〈◊〉 fortunat in warre, respected in peace, honoured of the princes of Ita∣lie, and beloued deerely of his owne people. He did beautifie Vrbin with go••d••••e buil∣dings, and especially with that sumptuous palace, whereas he built a stately l••br••tie, re∣plenished with so great a number of rare bookes, couered and garnished with gold, sil∣uer, and silke, as it was an admirable thing to behold, before that Caesar Borgias made himselfe maister of Vrbin; which bookes were disperced here and there, in the time of the said Caesar Borgias, and so that worthie worke was ruined. He purchased Fossombrone for thirteene thousand florins of gold, of Galcazzo Malatesta, and died generall for the [ B] Venetians, against Hercules of Este, duke of Ferrata. After his death he left for heire
Guy Balde his sonne, who notwithstanding that he married, being in his younger yeres much giuen to war, continued full of the gout, and without hope to haue any chil∣dren. This prince, not able to attend any other thing, by reason of his indisposit••on, had a desseigne to haue a goodly court, and full of vertuous men, and rare in all professions. so as vsing courtesie to all men of merit, as well as Elizabeth of Gonzague, his wife, yea one striuing to exceed another in the entertainment of vertuous men, he drew together so great a number of such worthie persons, as the like hath not beene seene in the court of any prince, yea he gaue the forme and modell of a well ordered court, to other prin∣ces. [ C] He tried the frownes of fortune, for notwithstanding that he was generall to P••pe Alexander the sixt, against the Vrsini, whose armie was defeated, and he taken prisoner; yet afterwards being betraied by Caesar Borgias, sonne to Pope Alexander, he was in dan∣ger to be taken prisoner by him. Returning afterwards into his Estate, and hearing that Paulo Vrsini the duke of Grauina, Vitellozzi, and Leu••••otti of Fermo, had beene surpri∣sed at Senegallia by the said Caesar, he was forced to flie: but after the death of Pope Alexander he returned, and was very ioyfully receiued of his people. After which he li∣ued quietly, and in the end past to a better life, being much lamented by his subiects, hauing first adopted
Francis Maria de la Rouera, who was sisters sonne to Guy Balde, his father was captaine [ D] of Rome, and lord of Senegallia: he was nephew to Pope Sixtus, and base brother to Pope Iulio. This Francis gaue h••mselfe to the exercise of armes, wherein he grew so ex∣cellent, as he deserued to be called the light and beautie of Italie. He had many hono∣rable charges in the war: he was captaine generall for the common-weale of Ven••••••, and a little before his death, he was also made generall by land, of the league which was be∣twixt Pope Paul the third, the Emperor Charles the fist, and the seigneurie of Venice. Be∣sides the duchie of Vrbin, the countie of Montfeltre, and the towne of Senegallia, which was enoied by his father, he had also from the Pope, in recompence of much mony which was due vnto him from the Church, and for many good seruices done vnto the holie See, the towne of Pesate or Pisaure, which was wont to be held by the Ssorces. During [ E] the life of Pope Iulio the second, Franc••s Maria liued peaceably in his Estate, not char∣ging his people, but caring only to purchase their loues, the which princes should esteem much more than any treasure. But Leo hauing succeeded Pope Iulio, he had great crosses and troubles, for that the Pope in a short time depriued him of his Estate, and gaue it to Laurence de Medicis who was father to Katherine de Medicis the French quee••e. But hauing with the losse of his Estate, lost neither ••he greatnesse of his courage, his valour, militarie judgement, nor the loue of his people, he dared with foure thousand Spaniards (who followed him willingly in regard of his valour, being poore of money, and wan∣ting all other things) to encounter so great a power as that of the Pope, for there 〈◊〉〈◊〉∣rie of his Estate; and hauing made a great slaughter of his enemies, he recou••red all [ F] his countrie in a short time, except the towne of Pisare: but finding himselfe in extre••me necessitie of all things, and fearing some ••reason in his armie, he returned vic••••ous to Vrbin, where he was ioyfully re••eiued by his subiects, whom he gouerned 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and peacebly the rest of his daies, dying in the yeare 1538, and was lamented of them as if