the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第21章

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he　Popes　themselves。

Let　us；　for　this　moment；　leave　out　of　consideration　the　countries　　beyond　the　Alps。　At　the　time　when　the　Papacy　was　exposed　to　mortal　　danger　in　Italy；　it　neither　received　nor　could　receive　the　slightest　　assistance　either　from　France；　then　under　Louis　XI；　or　from　England；　　distracted　by　the　Wars　of　the　Roses；　or　from　the　then　disorganized　　Spanish　monarchy；　or　from　Germany；　but　lately　betrayed　at　the　Council　　of　Basle。　In　Italy　itself　there　was　a　certain　number　of　instructed　and　　even　uninstructed　people　whose　national　vanity　was　flattered　by　the　　Italian　character　of　the　Papacy；　the　personal　interests　of　very　many　　depended　on　its　having　and　retaining　this　character；　and　vast　masses　of　　the　people　still　believed　in　the　virtue　of　the　Papal　blessing　and　　consecration；　among　them　notorious　transgressors　like　Vitelozzo　　Vitelli；　who　still　prayed　to　be　absolved　by　Alexander　VI；　when　the　　Pope's　son　had　him　strangled。　But　all　these　grounds　of　sympathy　put　　together　would　not　have　sufficed　to　save　the　Papacy　from　its　enemies；　　had　the　latter　been　really　in　earnest；　and　had　they　known　how　to　take　　advantage　of　the　envy　and　hatred　with　which　the　institution　was　　regarded。

And　at　the　very　time　when　the　prospect　of　help　from　without　was　so　　small；　the　most　dangerous　symptoms　appeared　within　the　Papacy　itself。　　Living　as　it　now　did；　and　acting　in　the　spirit　of　the　secular　Italian　　principalities；　it　was　compelled　to　go　through　the　same　dark　　experiences　as　they；　but　its　own　exceptional　nature　gave　a　peculiar　　color　to　the　shadows。

As　far　as　the　city　of　Rome　itself　is　concerned；　small　account　was　taken　　of　its　internal　agitations；　so　many　were　the　Popes　who　had　returned　　after　being　expelled　by　popular　tumult；　and　so　greatly　did　the　presence　　of　the　Curia　minister　to　the　interests　of　the　Roman　people。　But　Rome　　not　only　displayed　at　times　a　specific　anti…papal　radicalism；　but　in　　the　most　serious　plots　which　were　then　contrived；　gave　proof　of　the　　working　of　unseen　hands　from　without。　It　was　so　in　the　case　of　the　　conspiracy　of　Stefano　Porcari　against　Nicholas　V　（1453）；　the　very　Pope　　who　had　done　most　for　the　prosperity　of　the　city。　Porcari　aimed　at　the　　complete　overthrow　of　the　papal　authority；　and　had　distinguished　　accomplices；　who；　though　their　names　are　not　handed　down　to　us；　are　　certainly　to　be　looked　for　among　the　Italian　governments　of　the　time。　　Under　the　pontificate　of　the　same　man；　Lorenzo　Valla　concluded　his　　famous　declamation　against　the　gift　of　Constantine　with　the　wish　for　　the　speedy　secularization　of　the　States　of　the　Church。

The　Catilinarian　gang　with　which　Pius　II　had　to　（1460）　avowed　with　　equal　frankness　their　resolution　to　overthrow　the　government　of　the　　priests；　and　its　leader；　Tiburzio；　threw　the　blame　on　the　soothsayers；　　who　had　fixed　the　accom…　plishment　of　his　wishes　for　this　very　year。　　Several　of　the　chief　men　of　Rome；　the　Prince　of　Taranto；　and　the　　Condottiere　Jacopo　Piccinino；　were　accomplices　and　supporters　of　　Tiburzio。　Indeed；　when　we　think　of　the　booty　which　was　accumulated　in　　the　palaces　of　wealthy　prelatesthe　conspirators　had　the　Car…　dinal　of　　Aquileia　especially　in　viewwe　are　surprised　that；　in　an　almost　　unguarded　city；　such　attempts　were　not　more　frequent　and　more　　successful。　It　was　not　without　reason　that　Pius　II　preferred　to　reside　　anywhere　rather　than　in　Rome；　and　even　Paul　II　was　exposed　to　no　small　　anxiety　through　a　plot　formed　by　some　discharged　abbreviators；　who；　　under　the　command　of　Platina；　besieged　the　Vatican　for　twenty　days。　The　　Papacy　must　sooner　or　later　have　fallen　a　victim　to　such　enterprises；　　if　it　had　not　stamped　out　the　aristocratic　factions　under　whose　　protection　these　bands　of　robbers　grew　to　a　head。

This　task　was　undertaken　by　the　terrible　Sixtus　IV。　He　was　the　first　　Pope　who　had　Rome　and　the　neighbourhood　thoroughly　under　his　control；　　especially　after　his　successful　attack　on　the　House　of　Colonna；　and　　consequently；　both　in　his　Italian　policy　and　in　the　internal　affairs　of　　the　Church；　he　could　venture　to　act　with　a　defiant　audacity；　and　to　set　　at　nought　the　complaints　and　threats　to　summon　a　council　which　arose　　from　all　parts　of　Europe。　He　supplied　himself　with　the　necessary　funds　　by　simony；　which　suddenly　grew　to　unheard…of　proportions；　and　which　　extended　from　the　appointment　of　cardinals　down　to　the　granting　of　the　　smallest　favours。　Sixtus　himself　had　not　obtained　the　papal　dignity　　without　recourse　to　the　same　means。

A　corruption　so　universal　might　sooner　or　later　bring　disastrous　　consequences　on　the　Holy　See；　but　they　lay　in　the　uncertain　future。　It　　was　otherwise　with　nepotism；　which　threatened　at　one　time　to　destroy　　the　Papacy　altogether。　Of　all　the　'nipoti；'　Cardinal　Pietro　Riario　　enjoyed　at　first　the　chief　and　almost　exclusive　favour　of　Sixtus。　He　　soon　drew　upon　him　the　eyes　of　all　Italy；　partly　by　the　fabulous　luxury　　of　his　life；　partly　through　the　reports　which　were　current　of　his　　irreligion　and　his　political　plans。　He　bargained　with　Duke　Galeazzo　　Maria　of　Milan　（1473）；　that　the　latter　should　become　King　of　Lombardy；　　and　then　aid　him　with　money　and　troops　to　return　to　Rome　and　ascend　the　　papal　throne；　Sixtus；　it　appears；　would　have　voluntarily　yielded　to　　him。　This　plan；　which；　by　making　the　Papacy　hereditary；　would　have　　ended　in　the　secularization　of　the　papal　State；　failed　through　the　　sudden　death　of　Pietro。　The　second　'nipote；'　Girolamo　Riario；　remained　　a　layman；　and　did　not　seek　the　Pontificate。　From　this　time　the　　'nipoti；'　by　their　endeavors　to　found　principalities　for　themselves；　　became　a　new　source　of　confusion　to　Italy。　It　had　already　happened　that　　the　Popes　tried　to　make　good　their　feudal　claims　on　Naples　un　favour　of　　their　relatives；　but　since　the　failure　of　Calixtus　III。　such　a　scheme　　was　no　longer　practicable；　and　Girolamo　Riario；　after　the　attempt　to　　conquer　Florence　（and　who　knows　how　many　others　places）　had　failed；　was　　forced　to　content　himself　with　founding　a　State　within　the　limits　of　　the　papal　dominions　themselves。　This　was　in　so　far　justifiable　as　　Romagna；　with　its　princes　and　civic　despots；　threatened　to　shake　off　　the　papal　supremacy　altogether；　and　ran　the　risk　of　shortly　falling　a　　prey　to　Sforza　or　the　Venetians；　when　Rome　interfered　to　prevent　it。　　But　who；　at　times　and　in　circumstances　like　these；　could　guarantee　the　　continued　obedience　of　'nipoti'　and　their　descendants；　now　turned　into　　sovereign　rulers；　to　Popes　with　whom　they　had　no　further　concern？　Even　　in　his　lifetime　the　Pope　was　not　always　sure　of　his　own　son　or　nephew；　　and　the　temptation　was　strong　to　expel　the　'nipote'　of　a　predecessor　　and　replace　him　by　one　of　his　own。　The　reaction　of　the　whole　system　on　　the　Papacy　itself　was　of　the　most　serious　character；　all　means　of　　compulsion；　whether　temporal　or　spiritual；　were　used　without　scruple　　for　the　most　questionable　ends；　and　to　these　all　the　other　objects　of　　the　Apostolic　See　were　made　subordinate。　And　when　they　were　attained；　　at　whatever　cost　of　revolutions　and　proscriptions；　a　dynasty　was　　founded　which　had　no　stronger　interest　than　the　destruction　of　the　　Papacy。

At　the　death　of　Sixtus；　Girolamo　was　only　able　to　maintain　himself　in　　his　usurped　principality　of　Forli　and　Imola　by　the　utmost　exertions　of　　his　own；　and　by　the　aid　of　the　House　of　Sforza；　to　which　his　wife　　belonged。　In　the　conclave　（1484）　which　followed　the　death　of　Sixtus　that　in　which　Innocent　VIII　was　electedan　incident　occurred　which　　seemed　to　furnish　the　Papacy　with　a　new　external　guarantee。　Two　　cardinals；　who；　at　the　same　time；　were　princes　of　ruling　houses；　　Giovanni　d'Aragona；　son　of　King　Ferrante；　and　Ascanio　Sforza；　brother　　of　Lodovico　il　Moro；　sold　their　votes　with　shameless　effrontery；　so　　that；　at　any　rate；　the　ruling　houses　of　Naples　and　Milan　became　　interested；　by　their　participation　in　the　booty；　in　the　continuance　of　　the　papal　system。　Once　again；　in　the　following　conclave；　when　all　the　　cardinals　but　five　sold　themselves；　Ascanio　received　enormous　sums　in　　bribes；　not　without　cherishing　the　hope　that　at　the　next　election　he　　would　himself　be　the　favored　candidate。

Lorenzo　the　Magnificent；　on　his　part；　was　anxious　that　the　House　of　　Medici　should　not　be　sent