of Naples had not yet been judicially recognized by the holy see, which confessedly enjoyed the power of deciding who should be considered as the rightful sovereign of that kingdom; and his succession to the imperial throne on the death of his grandfather Maximilian, would depend on the will of the electors, by whom the extent of his hereditary possessions might be considered rather as an objection than an inducement to his becoming the object of their choice. Under these circumstances, Charles thought it advisable to apply to Leo X. to grant him a bull of investiture for his Neapolitan territories, and to endeavour, during the life time of his grandfather, to obtain the title of king of the Romans, which would secure to him the indisputable succession to the imperial dignity. The gratification of Charles in the accomplishment of these great objects was not, however, consistent with the views and wishes of the pontiff; who, whilst he could not contemplate without dissatisfaction the permanent establishment of any foreign power in Italy, still more justly dreaded the union of the Im perial, Spanish, and Neapolitan crowns in the same person. He therefore, by means of hist legate Bibbiena, communicated the request of Charles L. L 2 CHAP. XVIII. A. D. 1518. A. Et. 43. A. Pont. VI. XVIII. A. Et. 43. A. Pont. VI. CHAP. Charles to Francis I. who, although he had lately concluded with Charles a close alliance A. D. 1518. and had contracted to give him one of his daughters in marriage, was greatly alarmed at the ambitious views and active measures of the young sovereign, and earnestly entreated the pontiff not to comply with his request. To the nomination of Charles as king of the Romans, it was objected, that his grandfather Maximilian had never received the imperial crown, and that there was no instance in the history of the Germanic constitution, of a successor having been appointed under such circumstances.(a) On this account, Charles prevailed upon Maximilian to apply to the pope, and to request that he would send a nuncio to crown him at Vienna. He also endeavoured to engage the king of France to forward his views with the pontiff, but instead of complying with his request, Francis opposed himself to it with still greater earnestness, and advised the pope to declare to Maximilian, that in conformity to ancient custom he could not invest him with the imperial crown, unless he, like his predecessors, would repair (a) Guicciard. lib. xiii. ii. 158. Robertson's Life of Charles V. book i. ii. 49. repair in person to Rome. If Maximilian assented to this proposal, it was not likely that he would undertake such an expedition without a considerable military escort, which would afford a pretext for Francis to oppose his progress; for which purpose he declared that he should not only engage the Venetians to take an active part, but should hold himself in readiness to march into Italy with a great force, as soon as he was apprized of the necessity of such a measure. (a) By the vehemence of Francis on this occasion, his own projects were sufficiently disclosed. In order to engage the pope more firmly in his interests, he him the most solemn assurances of his gave attachment, obedience, and affection, and pretended that he was now ready to join him in an offensive league against the Turks, and would undertake to furnish, as his contingent, three thousand men at arms, forty thousand infantry, and six thousand light horse; that to these he would add a formidable train of artillery; and would, if required, accompany the expedition in person.(b) These magnificent offers seem (a) These particulars appear in a letter from the cardinal da Bibbiena, to the cardinal Giulio de' Medici. v. Lettere di Principi, vol. i. p. 56. (b) Lettere di Principi, vol. i, p. 57. CHAP. A. D. 1518. A. Pont. VI. A. Et. 43. CHAP. XVIII. A. D. 1518. 4. Pont. VI. A. Et. 43. seem, however, to have been duly appreciated by the pope, who stood in need of no inducements to oppose himself to the aggrandizement of Charles.(a) The reasons which Leo alleged for this opposition were, that with respect to Naples, it was a fundamental law of the kingdom that the sovereignty of that country could not be united with the imperial dignity, which Charles was evidently endeavouring to obtain ;(b) and that with respect to the title of king of the Romans, it was already enjoyed by Maximilian himself and consequently could not be conferred on another. The utmost efforts of both Charles and Maximilian to remove the difficulties of the Germanic succession in the diet of the empire were ineffectual; and as Leo still persevered in his refusal to transmit his bull for the coronation of Charles as king of Naples, that menarch (a) It appears to be in reference to these promises, that the cardinal Giulio d' Medici observes in one of his letters to the cardinal da Bibbiena, "Di tanti sogni, che fanno il "Re, la Regina, e Madama, par gran cosa a N. S. e a "tutti questi Signori; benchè non sia da prestar lor fede "alcuna." Lettere di Principi. i. 66. (b) This law was founded on a bull of Clement IV. v. Seckendorf. lib. i. sec. xxxiii. p. 123. XVIII. monarch was obliged for the present to relin- CHAP. quish all hopes of obtaining the objects which he had so ardently desired. A. D. 1518. A. Et. 43. A. Pont. VI. If, however, Francis imagined that on this occasion Leo was actuated by any desire to further his views, it is highly probable that he was mistaken. To the pontiff the two monarchs were alike objects of dread, and to have divested them of their Italian possessions, would have been considered by him as a triumph superior even to that of a victory over the Turkish sultan. But his enmity to Francis, who had deprived him of the territories of Parma and Piacenza, was perhaps the most implacable. Amidst all his professions of esteem and affection for the French monarch, he never for one moment relaxed in his determinations to seize the first opportunity that might present itself, of divesting him of the duchy of Milan; and at this very time his agents were employed in engaging large bodies of Swiss mercenaries, who had assembled under various pretexts, and were intended to be in readiness to act on the part of the pontiff, as circumstances might require.(a) In (a) v. Lettere di Principi, i. 38. b. |