take for her husband Andrea, son of the king of Hungary, his grandson.

  Andrea had not lived with her long, before she caused him to be

  murdered, and married another cousin, Louis, prince of Tarento. But

  Louis, king of Hungary, and brother of Andrea, in order to avenge his

  death, brought forces into Italy, and drove Queen Joan and her husband

  out of the kingdom.

  At this period a memorable circumstance took place at Rome. Niccolo di

  Lorenzo, often called Rienzi or Cola di Rienzi, who held the office of

  chancellor at Campidoglio, drove the senators from Rome and, under the

  title of tribune, made himself the head of the Roman republic;

  restoring it to its ancient form, and with so great reputation of

  justice and virtue, that not only the places adjacent, but the whole

  of Italy sent ambassadors to him. The ancient provinces, seeing Rome

  arise to new life, again raised their heads, and some induced by hope,

  others by fear, honored him as their sovereign. But Niccolo,

  notwithstanding his great reputation, lost all energy in the very

  beginning of his enterprise; and as if oppressed with the weight of so

  vast an undertaking, without being driven away, secretly fled to

  Charles, king of Bohemia, who, by the influence of the pope, and in

  contempt of Louis of Bavaria, had been elected emperor. Charles, to

  ingratiate himself with the pontiff, sent Niccolo to him, a prisoner.

  After some time, in imitation of Rienzi, Francesco Baroncegli seized

  upon the tribunate of Rome, and expelled the senators; and the pope,

  as the most effectual means of repressing him, drew Niccolo from his

  prison, sent him to Rome, and restored to him the office of tribune;

  so that he reoccupied the state and put Francesco to death; but the

  Colonnesi becoming his enemies, he too, after a short time, shared the

  same fate, and the senators were again restored to their office. The

  king of Hungary, having driven out Queen Joan, returned to his

  kingdom; but the pope, who chose to have the queen in the neighborhood

  of Rome rather than the king, effected her restoration to the

  sovereignty, on the condition that her husband, contenting himself

  with the title of prince of Tarento, should not be called king. Being

  the year 1350, the pope thought that the jubilee, appointed by

  Boniface VIII. to take place at the conclusion of each century, might

  be renewed at the end of each fifty years; and having issued a decree

  for the establishment of it, the Romans, in acknowledgment of the

  benefit, consented that he should send four cardinals to reform the

  government of the city, and appoint senators according to his own

  pleasure. The pope again declared Louis of Tarento, king, and in

  gratitude for the benefit, Queen Joan gave Avignon, her inheritance,

  to the church. About this time Luchino Visconti died, and his brother

  the archbishop, remaining lord of Milan, carried on many wars against

  Tuscany and his neighbors, and became very powerful. Bernabo and

  Galeazzo, his nephews, succeeded him; but Galeazzo soon after died,

  leaving Giovan Galeazzo, who shared the state with Bernabo. Charles,

  king of Bohemia, was then emperor, and the pontificate was occupied by

  Innocent VI., who sent Cardinal Egidio, a Spaniard, into Italy. He

  restored the reputation of the church, not only in Rome and Romagna,

  but throughout the whole of Italy; he recovered Bologna from the

  archbishop of Milan, and compelled the Romans to accept a foreign

  senator appointed annually by the pope. He made honorable terms with

  the Visconti, and routed and took prisoner, John Agut, an Englishman,

  who with four thousand English had fought on the side of the

  Ghibellines in Tuscany. Urban V., hearing of so many victories,

  resolved to visit Italy and Rome, whither also the emperor came; after

  remaining a few months, he returned to the kingdom of Bohemia, and the

  pope to Avignon. On the death of Urban, Gregory XI. was created pope;

  and, as the Cardinal Egidio was dead, Italy again recommenced her

  ancient discords, occasioned by the union of the other powers against

  the Visconti; and the pope, having first sent a legate with six

  thousand Bretons, came in person and established the papal court at

  Rome in 1376, after an absence of seventy-one years in France. To

  Gregory XI., succeeded Urban VI., but shortly afterwards Clement VI.

  was elected at Fondi by ten cardinals, who declared the appointment of

  Urban irregular. At this time, the Genoese threw off the yoke of the

  Visconti under whom they had lived many years; and between them and

  the Venetians several important battles were fought for the island of

  Tenedos. Although the Genoese were for a time successful, and held

  Venice in a state of siege during many months, the Venetians were at

  length victorious; and by the intervention of the pope, peace was made

  in the year 1381. In these wars, artillery was first used, having been

  recently invented by the Dutch.

  CHAPTER VII

  Schism in the church--Ambitious views of Giovanni Galeazzo

  Visconti--The pope and the Romans come to an agreement--Boniface

  IX. introduces the practice of Annates--Disturbance in Lombardy--

  The Venetians acquire dominion on terra firma--Differences between

  the pope and the people of Rome--Council of Pisa--Council of

  Constance--Filippo Visconti recovers his dominion--Giovanna II. of

  Naples--Political condition of Italy.

  A schism having thus arisen in the church, Queen Joan favored the

  schismatic pope, upon which Urban caused Charles of Durazzo, descended

  from the kings of Naples, to undertake the conquest of her dominions.

  Having succeeded in his object, she fled to France, and he assumed the

  sovereignty. The king of France, being exasperated, sent Louis of

  Anjou into Italy to recover the kingdom for the queen, to expel Urban

  from Rome, and establish the anti-pope. But in the midst of this

  enterprise Louis died, and his people being routed returned to France.

  In this conjuncture the pope went to Naples, where he put nine

  cardinals into prison for having taken the part of France and the

  anti-pope. He then became offended with the king, for having refused

  to make his nephew prince of Capua; and pretending not to care about

  it, requested he would grant him Nocera for his habitation, but,

  having fortified it, he prepared to deprive the king of his dominions.

  upon this the king pitched his camp before the place, and the pope

  fled to Naples, where he put to death the cardinals whom he had

  imprisoned. From thence he proceeded to Rome, and, to acquire

  influence, created twenty-nine cardinals. At this time Charles, king

  of Naples, went to Hungary, where, having been made king, he was

  shortly afterward killed in battle, leaving a wife and two children at

  Naples. About the same time Giovanni Galeazzo Visconti murdered

  Bernabo his uncle and took the entire sovereignty upon himself; and,

  not content with being duke of Milan and sovereign of the whole of

  Lombardy, designed to make himself master of Tuscany; but while he was

  intent upon occupying the province with the ultim
ate view of making

  himself king of Italy, he died. Boniface IX. succeeded Urban VI. The

  anti-pope, Clement VI., also died, and Benedict XIII. was appointed

  his successor.

  Many English, Germans, and Bretons served at this period in the armies

  of Italy, commanded partly by those leaders who had from time to time

  authority in the country, and partly by such as the pontiffs sent,

  when they were at Avignon. With these warriors the princes of Italy

  long carried on their wars, till the coming of Lodovico da Cento of

  Romagna, who formed a body of Italian soldiery, called the Company of

  St. George, whose valor and discipline soon caused the foreign troops

  to fall into disrepute, and gave reputation to the native forces of

  the country, of which the princes afterward availed themselves in

  their wars with each other. The pope, Boniface IX., being at enmity

  with the Romans, went to Scesi, where he remained till the jubilee of

  1400, when the Romans, to induce him to return to the city, consented

  to receive another foreign senator of his appointing, and also allowed

  him to fortify the castle of Saint Angelo: having returned upon these

  conditions, in order to enrich the church, he ordained that everyone,

  upon vacating a benefice, should pay a year's value of it to the

  Apostolic Chamber.

  After the death of Giovanni Galeazzo, duke of Milan, although he left

  two children, Giovanmaria and Filippo, the state was divided into many

  parts, and in the troubles which ensued Giovanmaria was slain. Filippo

  remained some time in the castle of Pavia, from which, through the

  fidelity and virtue of the castellan, he escaped. Among others who

  occupied cities possessed by his father, was Guglielmo della Scala,

  who, being banished, fell into the hands of Francesco de Carrera, lord

  of Padua, by whose means he recovered the state of Verona, in which he

  only remained a short time, for he was poisoned, by order of

  Francesco, and the city taken from him. These things occasioned the

  people of Vicenza, who had lived in security under the protection of

  the Visconti, to dread the greatness of the lord of Padua, and they

  placed themselves under the Venetians, who, engaging in arms with him,

  first took Verona and then Padua.

  At this time Pope Boniface died, and was succeeded by Innocent VII.

  The people of Rome supplicated him to restore to them their fortresses

  and their liberty; but as he would not consent to their petition, they

  called to their assistance Ladislaus, king of Naples. Becoming

  reconciled to the people, the pope returned to Rome, and made his

  nephew Lodovico count of La Marca. Innocent soon after died, and

  Gregory XII. was created, upon the understanding to renounce the

  papacy whenever the anti-pope would also renounce it. By the advice of

  the cardinals, in order to attempt the reunion of the church,

  Benedict, the anti-pope, came to Porto Venere, and Gregory to Lucca,

  where they made many endeavors, but effected nothing. Upon this, the

  cardinals of both the popes abandoned them, Benedict going to Spain,

  and Gregory to Rimini. On the other hand, the cardinals, with the

  favor of Balthazar Cossa, cardinal and legate of Bologna, appointed a

  council at Pisa, where they created Alexander V., who immediately

  excommunicated King Ladislaus, and invested Louis of Anjou with the

  kingdom; this prince, with the Florentines, Genoese, and Venetians,

  attacked Ladislaus and drove him from Rome. In the head of the war

  Alexander died, and Balthazar Cossa succeeded him, with the title of

  John XXIII. Leaving Bologna, where he was elected, he went to Rome,

  and found there Louis of Anjou, who had brought the army from

  Provence, and coming to an engagement with Ladislaus, routed him. But

  by the mismanagement of the leaders, they were unable to prosecute the

  victory, so that the king in a short time gathered strength and retook

  Rome. Louis fled to Provence, the pope to Bologna; where, considering

  how he might diminish the power of Ladislaus, he caused Sigismund,

  king of Hungary, to be elected emperor, and advised him to come to

  Italy. Having a personal interview at Mantua, they agreed to call a

  general council, in which the church should be united; and having

  effected this, the pope thought he should be fully enabled to oppose

  the forces of his enemies.

  At this time there were three popes, Gregory, Benedict, and Giovanni,

  which kept the church weak and in disrepute. The city of Constance, in

  Germany, was appointed for the holding of the council, contrary to the

  expectation of Pope John. And although the death of Ladislaus had

  removed the cause which induced the pope to call the council, still,

  having promised to attend, he could not refuse to go there. In a few

  months after his arrival at Constance he discovered his error, but it

  was too late; endeavoring to escape, he was taken, put into prison,

  and compelled to renounce the papacy. Gregory, one of the anti-popes,

  sent his renunciation; Benedict, the other, refusing to do the same,

  was condemned as a heretic; but, being abandoned by his cardinals, he

  complied, and the council elected Oddo, of the Colonnesi family, pope,

  by the title of Martin V. Thus the church was united under one head,

  after having been divided by many pontiffs.

  Filippo Visconti was, as we have said, in the fortress of Pavia. But

  Fazino Cane, who in the affairs of Lombardy had become lord of

  Vercelli, Alessandria, Novara, and Tortona, and had amassed great

  riches, finding his end approach, and having no children, left his

  wife Beatrice heiress of his estates, and arranged with his friends

  that a marriage should be effected between her and Filippo. By this

  union Filippo became powerful, and reacquired Milan and the whole of

  Lombardy. By way of being grateful for these numerous favors, as

  princes commonly are, he accused Beatrice of adultery and caused her

  to be put to death. Finding himself now possessed of greater power, he

  began to think of warring with Tuscany and of prosecuting the designs

  of Giovanni Galeazzo, his father.

  Ladislaus, king of Naples, at his death, left to his sister Giovanna

  the kingdom and a large army, under the command of the principal

  leaders of Italy, among the first of whom was Sforza of Cotignuola,

  reputed by the soldiery of that period to be a very valiant man. The

  queen, to shun the disgrace of having kept about her person a certain

  Pandolfello, whom she had brought up, took for her husband Giacopo

  della Marca, a Frenchman of the royal line, on the condition that he

  should be content to be called Prince of Tarento, and leave to her the

  title and government of the kingdom. But the soldiery, upon his

  arrival in Naples, proclaimed him king; so that between the husband

  and the wife wars ensued; and although they contended with varying

  success, the queen at length obtained the superiority, and became an

  enemy of the pope. Upon this, in order to reduce her to necessity, and

  that she might be compelled to throw herself into his lap, Sforza

  suddenly withdrew from her se
rvice without giving her any pervious

  notice of his intention to do so. She thus found herself at once

  unarmed, and not having any other source, sought the assistance of

  Alfonzo, king of Aragon and Sicily, adopted him as her son, and

  engaged Braccio of Montone as her captain, who was of equal reputation

  in arms with Sforza, and inimical to the pope, on account of his

  having taken possession of Perugia and some other places belonging to

  the church. After this, peace was made between the queen and the

  pontiff; but King Alfonzo, expecting she would treat him as she had

  her husband, endeavored secretly to make himself master of the

  strongholds; but, possessing acute observation, she was beforehand

  with him, and fortified herself in the castle of Naples. Suspicions

  increasing between them, they had recourse to arms, and the queen,

  with the assistance of Sforza, who again resumed her service, drove

  Alfonzo out of Naples, deprived him of his succession, and adopted

  Louis of Anjou in his stead. Hence arose new contests between Braccio,

  who took the part of Alfonzo, and Sforza, who defended the cause of

  the queen. In the course of the war, Sforza was drowned in endeavoring

  to pass the river Pescara; the queen was thus again unarmed, and would

  have been driven out of the kingdom, but for the assistance of Filippo

  Visconti, the duke of Milan, who compelled Alfonzo to return to

  Aragon. Braccio, undaunted at the departure of Alfonzo, continued the

  enterprise against the queen, and besieged L'Aquilla; but the pope,

  thinking the greatness of Braccio injurious to the church, received

  into his pay Francesco, the son of Sforza, who went in pursuit of

  Braccio to L'Aquilla, where he routed and slew him. Of Braccio

  remained Oddo, his son, from whom the pope took Perugia, and left him

  the state of Montone alone; but he was shortly afterward slain in

  Romagna, in the service of the Florentines; so that of those who had

  fought under Braccio, Niccolo Piccinino remained of greatest

  reputation.

  Having continued our general narration nearly to the period which we

  at first proposed to reach, what remains is of little importance,

  except the war which the Florentines and Venetians carried on against

  Filippo duke of Milan, of which an account will be given when we speak

  particularly of Florence. I shall, therefore, continue it no further,

  briefly explaining the condition of Italy in respect of her princes

  and her arms, at the period to which we have now come. Joan II. held

  Naples, La Marca, the Patrimony and Romagna; some of these places

  obeyed the church, while others were held by vicars or tyrants, as

  Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio, by those of the House of Este; Faenza by

  the Manfredi; Imola by the Alidossi; Furli by the Ordelaffi; Rimini

  and Psaro by the Malatesti; and Camerino by those of Varano. Part of

  Lombardy was subject to the Duke Filippo, part to the Venetians; for

  all those who had held single states were set aside, except the House

  of Gonzaga, which ruled in Mantua. The greater part of Tuscany was

  subject to the Florentines. Lucca and Sienna alone were governed by

  their own laws; Lucca was under the Guinigi; Sienna was free. The

  Genoese, being sometimes free, at others, subject to the kings of

  France or the Visconti, lived unrespected, and may be enumerated among

  the minor powers.

  None of the principal states were armed with their own proper forces.

  Duke Filippo kept himself shut up in his apartments, and would not

  allow himself to be seen; his wars were managed by commissaries. The

  Venetians, when they directed their attention to terra firma, threw

  off those arms which had made them terrible upon the seas, and falling

  into the customs of Italy, submitted their forces to the direction of

  others. The practice of arms being unsuitable to priests or women, the

  pope and Queen Joan of Naples were compelled by necessity to submit to

  the same system which others practiced from defect of judgment. The

  Florentines also adopted the same custom, for having, by their