VII. A. Æt. 30. of his dissensions with his son-in-law the arch- CHAP. duke Philip, was earnestly desirous of male offspring, should marry the young and beauti- A. D. 1505. ful Germaine de Foix, niece of Louis XII. who should bring with her as her dower all such parts of the kingdom of Naples as had been allotted to the French monarch; and in return for these favours, Ferdinand engaged to pay to Louis XII. one million of gold ducats, by annual payments of one hundred thousand ducats, as an indemnity for his expenses in the Neapolitan war. (a) With these favourable indications of returning tranquillity other circumstances.concurred. The power of the Borgia family had been suddenly annihilated by the death of Alexander VI. and by the consequent imprisonment and exile of Cæsar Borgia; whilst the death of Piero de' Medici seemed to promise repose to the agitated republic of Florence. Many of the principal Italian leaders, or Condottieri, had perished in these contests; others had been stript of their possessions (a) This treaty, by which these ambitious rivals agreed to become "tanquam duæ animæ in uno et eodem corpore, "amici amicorum, et inimici inimicorum," was concluded at Blois on the twelfth day of October, 1505, and ratified by the king of Spain at Segovia, the sixteenth of the sanie month. It is preserved in the Collection of Du Mont. vol. iv. par. i. p. 72. VII. A. Et. 80. CHAP. possessions and so far reduced as to be no longer able to follow the trade of blood; A. D. 1505, whilst the people, wearied and exhausted by a continual change of masters, by unavailing carnage, by incessant alarms, exorbitant exactions, and by all the consequences of prolonged hostilities, sighed for that peace which they ought to have commanded, and which alone could remedy those evils of which they had so long been the victims. Julius II. rugia and Bologna. 1506. But whilst every thing seemed to conspire in securing the public tranquillity, the happy effects of which had already begun to be experienced, the supreme pontiff was revolving in his mind how he might possess himself of seizes on the the smaller independent states in the vicinity cities of Pe of the Roman territories, and compleat the great work which Alexander VI. had so vigorously begun. He had already announced in the consistory, his determination to free the domains of the church from tyrants; alluding, as it was well understood, to the cities of Perugia and Bologna, the former of which was held by the Baglioni and the latter by the Bentivogli. Nor was he slow in carrying his threats into execution. Having preconcerted his measures with the king of France, who still retained the government of Milan, he placed himself at the head of his army, and accompanied VII. A. Et. 31. accompanied by twenty-four cardinals, left CHAP. Rome on the twenty-sixth day of August, taking his course towards Perugia. (a) The A.D. 1506. well-known character of the pontiff and the resolution exhibited by him in these measures, gave just alarm to Gian-Paolo. Baglioni, who being totally unprepared to resist such an attack consulted his safety by a timely submission, and proceeding to Orvieto, humiliated himself before the pope and tendered to him his services. This proceeding in some degree disarmed the resentment of Julius, who received Baglioni into his employ, on condition of his surrendering up the town and citadel of Perugia, and accompanying him with one hundred and fifty men at arms on his intended expedition into Romagna. (b) On the twelfth day of September, 1506, the pope entered the city of Perugia and assumed the sovereignty, which he soon afterwards delegated to the cardinal de' Medici, who from this time began to act a more conspicuous part in the concerns of Italy than he had hitherto done. From Perugia the pontiff hastened to Imola, whence he summoned Giovanni Bentivolio to surrender to him (a) Muratori, Annali d' Įtal. v. x. p. 30. (b) Murat. Annal, d' Ital. v. x. p. 31, VII. A. Et. 31. CHAP. him the city of Bologna, on pain of bringing down on himself all the power of his temA. D. 1506. poral and spiritual arms. Bentivolio had, however, prepared for his approach, and relying on the promises of support given him by Louis XII. had determined to resist the attack till the arrival of his allies might relieve him from his dangers. A body of eight thousand infantry and six hundred horse had been dispatched from Milan to his assistance; but in the present situation of affairs in Italy Louis had no further occasion for the services of Bentivolio, whilst the favour of the pope might still be of important use to him. He therefore directed the troops intended for the assistance of Bentivolio, to join the army of his assailants. The duke of Ferrara and the republic of Florence also sent considerable reinforcements to the pontiff, and Francesco Gonzaga marquis of Mantua was declared with great solemnity captain general of the Roman army.(a) These preparations convinced Bentivolio that all resistance would not only be ineffectual, but ruinous to him. Quitting, therefore, the city by night, he repaired (a) The pontifical brief on this occasion, which commemorates the great services of the Marquis, is given in the Appendix, No. LVI. VII. A. Æt. 31. paired to the French commander Sciomonte, CHAP. and having received a safe conduct for himself and his family, he privately hastened into the A. D. 1506. Milanese, leaving the citizens of Bologna to effect such terms of reconciliation with the pope as they might think proper. A deputa tion from the inhabitants speedily arranged the preliminaries for the admission of the pontiff within the walls, and on the eleventh day of November, 1506, he entered as a conqueror, at the head of his army, amidst the rejoicings and congratulations of the people.(a) After establishing many necessary and salutary regulations for the due administration of justice, he entrusted the government of the city to the cardinal Regino. On his return to Rome he passed through the city of Urbino, where he remained for several days, partaking of the splendid amusements which the duke and duchess had prepared for him.(b) Among (a) Muratori, Annal. d' Ital. x. 31. These events are also celebrated by Mantuanus Vincentius, in the fourth book of his Latin poem, entitled Alba. v. Carm. illust. Poet. Ital, v. xi. p. 338, &c. And yet more particularly by cardinal Adrian, one of the companions of the pontiff on his military expedition, in his Iter Julii II. Pont. Max. which will be found in the Appendix, No. LVII. (b) To this precise period Castiglione has assigned his celebrated dialogue on the character and duties of a courtier, called |