Before Charles King of France passed himself into Italy, that Province was under the
Empire of the Pope, the Venetians, the King of Naples, Duke of Milan, and the Floren∣tines.
It was the interest of these Potentates, to have a care, some of them that no foreign
Prince should come with an Army into Italy, and some that none among themselves should
usurp upon the other. Those of whom the rest were concern'd to be most jealous,
were the Pope, and the Venetian: to restrain the Venetians, all the rest were us'd to con∣federate,
as in the defence of Ferrara. To keep under the Pope, the Roman Barons contri∣buted
much, who being divided into two factions (the Ursini, and Colonnessi in perpetual
contention, with their Arms constantly in their hands under the very nose of the Pope) they
kept the Pontifical power very low, and infirm: and although now and then there happened
a couragious Pope (as Sextus) yet neither his courage, wisdom, nor fortune was able to
disintangle him from those incommodities; and the shortness of their reign was the reason
thereof; for ten years time (which was as much as any of them reign'd) was scarce suf∣ficient
for the suppression of either of the parties, and when the Colonnesi as a man may say
were almost extinct, a new Enemy sprang up against the Ursini, which revived the Colonne∣si,
and reestablished them again. This emulation and animosity at home, was the cause
the Pope was no more formidable in Italy; after this Alexander VI. was advanc'd to the Pa∣pacy,
who more than all that had ever been before him, demonstrated what a Pope with
mony and power was able to do; having taken advantage of the French invasion, by the
Ministry and conduct of Duke Valentine, he performed all that I have mentioned else where
among the Actions of the said Duke. And though his design was not so much to advantage
the Church, as to aggrandize the Duke, yet what he did for the one, turned afterwards
to the benefit of the other, for the Pope being dead, and Valentine extinct, what both of
them had got, devolv'd upon the Church: after him Iulius succeeded, and found the
Church in a flourishing condition; Romagna was wholly in its possession, the Barons of
Rome exterminated, and gone, and their factions suppressed by Pope Alexander, and be∣sides,
a way opened for raising and hoarding of mony never practised before; which way
Iulius improving rather than otherwise, he began to entertain thoughts, not only of con∣quering
Bologna, but mastering the Venetians, and forcing the French out of Italy. All
which great enterprizes succeeding, it added much to his honor that he impropriated no∣thing,
but gave all to the Church. He maintained also the Colonnesi and Ursini in the same
condition as he found them, and though in case of sedition there were those ready on both
sides to have headed them, yet there were two considerations which kept them at Peace.
One was the greatness of the Church which kept them in awe; the other was their want of
Cardinals, which indeed was the Original of their discontents, and will never cease till
some of them be advanced to that dignity; for by them the Parties in Rome and without,
are maintained, aud the Barons oblig'd to defend them; so that the ambition of the pre∣lates
is the cause of all the dissention and tumults among the Barons.
His present Holiness Pope Leo had the happiness to be elected at a time when it was most
powerful, and it is hop'd, if they made the Church great by their Arms, he by the inte∣grity
of his conversation▪ and a thousand other virtues will enlarge it much more and make
it more venerable and august.