the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第24章

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de　himself　heir　of　the　　cardinals；　and；　indeed；　of　all　the　clergy　who　died　in　Rome；　and　this　by　　the　most　despotic　means；　but　he　murdered　or　poisoned　none　of　them。　That　　he　should　himself　lead　his　forces　to　battle　was　for　him　an　unavoidable　　necessity；　and　certainly　did　him　nothing　but　good　at　a　time　when　a　man　　in　Italy　was　forced　to　be　either　hammer　or　anvil；　and　when　per…　　sonality　was　a　greater　power　than　the　most　indisputable　right。　If　　despite　all　his　high…sounding　'Away　with　the　barbarians！　'　he　　nevertheless　contributed　more　than　any　man　to　the　firm　settlement　of　　the　Spaniards　in　Italy；　he　may　have　thought　it　a　matter　of　indifference　　to　the　Papacy；　or　even；　as　things　stood；　a　relative　advantage。　And　to　　whom；　sooner　than　to　Spain；　could　the　Church　look　for　a　sincere　and　　lasting　respect；　in　an　age　when　the　princes　of　Italy　cherished　none　but　　sacrilegious　projects　against　her？　Be　this　as　it　may；　the　powerful；　　original　nature；　which　could　swallow　no　anger　and　conceal　no　genuine　　good…will；　made　on　the　whole　the　impression　most　desirable　in　his　　situationthat　of　the　'Pontefice　terribile。'　26　He　could　even；　with　　comparatively　clear　conscience；　venture　to　summon　a　council　to　Rome；　　and　so　bid　defiance　to　that　outcry　for　a　council　which　was　raised　by　　the　opposition　all　over　Europe。　A　ruler　of　this　stamp　needed　some　great　　outward　symbol　of　his　conceptions；　Julius　found　it　in　the　　reconstruction　of　St。　Peter's。　The　plan　of　it；　as　Bramante　wished　to　　have　it；　is　perhaps　the　grandest　expression　of　power　in　unity　which　can　　be　imagined。　In　other　arts　besides　architecture　the　face　and　the　memory　　of　the　Pope　live　on　in　their　most　ideal　form；　and　it　is　not　without　　significance　that　even　the　Latin　poetry　of　those　days　gives　proof　of　a　　wholly　different　enthusiasm　for　Julius　than　that　shown　for　his　　predecessors。　The　entry　into　Bologna；　at　the　end　of　the　'Iter　Julii　　Secundi'　by　the　Cardinal　Adriano　da　Corneto；　has　a　splendor　of　its　own；　　and　Giovan　Antonio　Flaminio；　in　one　of　the　finest　elegies；　appealed　to　　the　patriot　in　the　Pope　to　grant　his　protection　to　Italy。

In　a　constitution　of　his　Lateran　Council；　Julius　had　solemnly　denounced　　the　simony　of　the　Papal　elections。　After　his　death　in　1513；　the　money…　loving　cardinals　tried　to　evade　the　prohibition　by　proposing　that　the　　endowments　and　offices　hitherto　held　by　the　chosen　candidate　should　be　　equally　divided　among　themselves；　in　which　case　they　would　have　elected　　the　best…endowed　cardinal；　the　incompetent　Raphael　Riario。　But　a　　reaction；　chiefly　arising　from　the　younger　members　of　the　Sacred　　College；　who；　above　all　things；　desired　a　liberal　Pope；　rendered　the　　miserable　combination　futile；　Giovanni　Medici　was　elected　the　famous　　Leo　X。

We　shall　often　meet　with　him　in　treating　of　the　noonday　of　the　　Renaissance；　here　we　wish　only　to　point　out　that　under　him　the　Papacy　　was　again　exposed　to　great　inward　and　outward　dangers。　Among　these　we　　do　not　reckon　the　conspiracy　of　the　Cardinals　Petrucci；　De　Sauli；　　Riario；　and　Corneto　（1517）；　which　at　most　could　have　occasioned　a　　change　of　and　to　which　Leo　found　the　true　antidote　in　the　un…heard…of　　creation　of　thirty…one　new　cardinals；　a　measure　which　additional　　advantage　of　rewarding；　in　some　cases　at　least；　real　merit。

But　some　of　the　paths　which　Leo　allowed　himself　to　tread　during　the　　first　two　years　of　his　office　were　perilous　to　the　last　degree。　He　　seriously　endeavored　to　secure；　by　negotiation；　the　kingdom　of　Naples　　for　his　brother　Giuliano；　and　for　his　nephew　Lorenzo　a　powerful　North　　Italian　State；　to　comprise　Milan；　Tuscany；　Urbino　and　Ferrara。　It　is　　clear　that　the　Pontifical　State；　thus　hemmed　in　on　all　sides；　would　　have　become　a　mere　Medicean　appanage；　and　that；　in　fact；　there　would　　have　been　no　further　need　to　secularize　it。

The　plan　found　an　insuperable　obstacle　in　the　political　conditions　of　　the　time。　Giuliano　died　early。　To　provide　for　Lorenzo；　Leo　undertook　to　　expel　the　Duke　Francesco　Maria　della　Rovere　from　Urbino；　but　reaped　　from　the　war　nothing　but　hatred　and　poverty；　and　was　forced；　when　in　　1519　Lorenzo　followed　his　uncle　to　the　grave；　to　hand　over　the　hard…won　　conquests　to　the　Church。　He　did　on　compulsion　and　without　credit　what；　　if　it　had　been　done　voluntarily；　would　have　been　to　his　lasting　honour。　　What　he　attempted　against　Alfonso　of　Ferrara；　and　actually　achieved　　against　a　few　petty　despots　and　Condottieri；　was　assuredly　not　of　a　　kind　to　raise　his　reputation。　And　this　was　at　a　time　when　the　monarchs　　of　the　West　were　yearly　growing　more　and　more　accustomed　to　political　　gambling　on　a　colossal　scale；　of　which　the　stakes　were　this　or　that　　province　of　Italy。　Who　could　guarantee　that；　since　the　last　decades　had　　seen　so　great　an　increase　of　their　power　at　home；　their　ambition　would　　stop　short　of　the　States　of　the　Church？　Leo　himself　witnessed　the　　prelude　of　what　was　fulfilled　in　the　year　1527；　a　few　bands　of　Spanish　　infantry　appeared　of　their　own　accord；　it　seems　at　the　end　of　1520；　　on　the　borders　of　the　Pontifical　territory；　with　a　view　to　laying　the　　Pope　under　contribution；　but　were　driven　back　by　the　Papal　forces。　The　　public　feeling；　too；　against　the　corruptions　of　the　hierarchy　had　of　　late　years　been　drawing　rapidly　to　a　head；　and　men　with　an　eye　for　the　　future；　like　the　younger　Pico　della　Mirandola；　called　urgently　for　　reform。　Meantime　Luther　had　already　appeared　upon　the　scene。

Under　Adrian　VI　（1521…1523）；　the　few　and　timid　improvements；　carried　　out　in　the　face　of　the　great　German　Reformation；　came　too　late。　He　　could　do　little　more　than　proclaim　his　horror　of　the　course　which　　things　had　taken　hitherto；　of　simony；　nepotism；　prodigality；　　brigandage；　and　profligacy。　The　danger　from　the　side　of　the　Lutherans　　was　by　no　means　the　greatest；　an　acute　observer　from　Venice；　Girolamo　　Negro；　uttered　his　fears　that　a　speedy　and　terrible　disaster　would　　befall　the　city　of　Rome　itself。

Under　Clement　VII　the　whole　horizon　of　Rome　was　filled　with　vapors；　　like　that　leaden　veil　which　the　sirocco　drew　over　the　Campagna；　and　　which　made　the　last　months　of　summer　so　deadly。　The　Pope　was　no　less　　detested　at　home　than　abroad。　Thoughtful　people　were　filled　with　　anxiety；　hermits　appeared　upon　the　streets　and　squares　of　Rome；　　foretelling　the　fate　of　Italy　and　of　the　world；　and　calling　the　Pope　by　　the　name　of　Antichrist；　the　faction　of　the　Colonna　raised　its　head　　defiantly；　the　indomitable　Cardinal　Pompeo　Colonna；　whose　mere　　existence　was　a　permanent　menace　to　the　Papacy；　ventured　to　surprise　　the　city　in　1526；　hoping　with　the　help　of　Charles　V；　to　become　Pope　　then　and　there；　as　soon　as　Clement　was　killed　or　captured。　It　was　no　　piece　of　good　fortune　for　Rome　that　the　latter　was　able　to　escape　to　　the　Castel　Sant'　Angelo；　and　the　fate　for　which　he　himself　was　reserved　　may　well　be　called　worse　than　death。　By　a　series　of　those　falsehoods　　which　only　the　powerful　can　venture　on；　but　which　bring　ruin　upon　the　　weak；　Clement　brought　about　the　advance　of　the　Germano…Spanish　army　　under　Bourbon　and　Frundsberg　（1527）。　It　is　certain　that　the　Cabinet　of　　Charles　V　intended　to　inflict　on　him　a　severe　castigation；　and　that　it　　could　not　calculate　beforehand　how　far　the　zeal　of　its　unpaid　hordes　　would　carry　them。　It　would　have　been　vain　to　attempt　to　enlist　men　in　　Germany　without　paying　any　bounty；　if　it　had　not　been　well　known　that　　Rome　was　the　object　of　the　expedition。　It　may　be　that　the　written　　orders　to　Bourbon　will　be　found　some　day　or　other；　and　it　is　not　　improbable　that　they　will　prove　to　be　worded　mildly。　But　historical　　criticism　will　not　allow　itself　to　be　led　astray。　The　Catholic　King　and　　Emperor　owed　it　to　his　luck　and　nothing　else　that　Pope　and　cardinals　　were　not　murdered　by　his　troops。　Had　this　happened；　no　sophistry　in　the　　world　could　clear　him　of　his　share　in　the　guilt。　The　massacre　of　　countless　people　of　less　consequence；　the　plunder　of　the　rest；　and　all　　the　horrors　of　torture　and　traffic　in　human　life；　show　clearly　enough　　what　was　possible　in　the　'Sacco　di　Roma。'

Charles　seems　to　have　wished　to　bring　the　Pope；　who　had　fled　a　second　　time　to　the　Castel　Sant'　Angelo；　to　Naples；　after　extorting　from　him　　vast　sums　of　money；　and　Clement's　flight　to　Orvieto　must　hav