LXX. modern law of the city; and, if the popular af- CHAP. femblies have been abolished, a foreign fenator, with the three confervators, ftill refides in the palace of the Capitol 4. The policy of the Cæfars has been repeated by the popes; and the bishop of Rome affected to maintain the form of a republic, while he reigned with the abfolute powers of a temporal, as well as spiritual, monarch. * Confpiracy of Porcaro, A. D. 1453, It is an obvious truth, that the times must be fuited to extraordinary characters, and that the genius of Cromwell or Retz might now expire in obfcurity. The political enthusiasm of Rienzi January 9. had exalted him to a throne; the fame enthusiasm, in the next century, conducted his imitator to the gallows. The birth of Stephen Porcaro was noble, his reputation fpotlefs; his tongue was armed with eloquence, his mind was enlightened with learning; and he afpired, beyond the aim of vulgar ambition, to free his country and immortalize his name. The dominion of priests is most odious to a liberal fpirit: every fcruple was removed by the recent knowledge of the fable and forgery of Conftantine's donation; Petrarch was now the oracle of the Italians; and as often as Porcaro revolved the ode which defcribes the and antiquarian, was appointed to act as the modern Tribonian. Yet I regret the old code, with the rugged cruft of freedom and barbarism. 84 In my time (1765), and in M. Grofley's (Obfervations fur I'Italie, tom. ii. p. 361.), the fenator of Rome was M. Bielke, a noble Swede, and a profelyte to the Catholic faith. The pope's right to appoint the fenator and the confervator is implied, rather than affirmed, in the Statutes. patriot LXX. CHAP. patriot and hero of Rome, he applied to himself the vifions of the prophetic bard. His first trial of the popular feelings was at the funeral of Eugenius the fourth in an elaborate speech he called the Romans to liberty and arms; and they listened with apparent pleasure, till Porcaro was interrupted and anfwered by a grave advocate, who pleaded for the church and state. By every law the feditious orator was guilty of treafon; but the benevolence of the new pontiff, who viewed his character with pity and esteem, attempted by an honourable office to convert the patriot into a friend. The inflexible Roman returned from Anagni with an increase of reputation and zeal ; and, on the first opportunity, the games of the place Navona, he tried to inflame the cafual dif pute of fome boys and mechanics into a general rifing of the people. Yet the humane Nicholas was still averse to accept the forfeit of his life; and the traitor was removed from the scene of temptation to Bologna, with a liberal allowance for his fupport, and the eafy obligation of prefenting himself each day before the governor of the city. But Porcaro had learned from the younger Brutus, that with tyrants no faith or gratitude should be obferved: the exile declaimed against the arbitrary fentence; a party and a confpiracy was gradually formed; his nephew, a daring youth, affembled a band of volunteers; and on the appointed evening a feaft was prepared at his house for the friends of the republic. Their leader, who had escaped from Bologna, appeared LXX. appeared among them in a robe of purple and CHAP gold: his voice, his countenance, his gestures, bespoke the man who had devoted his life or death to the glorious caufe. In a studied oration, he expatiated on the motives and the means of their enterprise: the name and liberties of Rome; the floth and pride of their ecclefiaftical tyrants; the active or paffive confent of their fellow citizens; three hundred foldiers and four hun. dred exiles, long exercised in arms or in wrongs; the licence of revenge to edge their fwords, and a million of ducats to reward their victory. It would be eafy (he faid), on the next day, the festival of the Epiphany, to feize the pope and his cardinals before the doors, or at the altar, of St. Peter's; to lead them in chains under the walls of St. Angelo; to extort by the threat of their inftant death a furrender of the castle; to afcend the vacant Capitol; to ring the alarmbell; and to restore in a popular affembly the ancient republic of Rome. While he triumphed, he was already betrayed. The fenator, with a strong guard, invested the house: the nephew of Porcaro cut his way through the crowd; but the unfortunate Stephen was drawn from a cheft, lamenting that his enemies had anticipated by three hours the execution of his defign. After fuch manifeft and repeated guilt, even the mercy of Nicholas was filent. Porcaro, and nine of his accomplices, were hanged without the benefit of the facraments; and amidst the fears and invectives of the papal court, the Romans pitied, and almost applauded, these martyrs of their VOL. XII. Сс country. LXX. CHAP. Country ". But their applause was mute, their pity ineffectual, their liberty for ever extinct; and, if they have fince rifen in a vacancy of the throne or a fcarcity of bread, fuch accidental tumults may be found in the bofom of the most abject fervitude. Laft diforders of the nobles of Rome. But the independence of the nobles, which was fomented by discord, furvived the freedom of the commons, which must be founded in union. A privilege of rapine and oppreffion was long maintained by the barons of Rome; their houses were a fortrefs and a fanctuary: and the ferocious train of banditti and criminals whom they protected from the law, repaid the hospitality with the service of their fwords and daggers. private interest of the pontiffs, or their nephews, fometimes involved them in thefe domestic feuds. Under the reign of Sixtus the fourth, Rome was distracted by the battles and fieges of the rival houses; after the conflagration of his palace, the protonotary Colonna was tortured and beheaded; and Savelli, his captive friend, was murdered on the spot, for refusing to join in the acclamations The 5 Befides the curious though concise narrative of Machiavel (Iftoria Florentina, 1. vi. Opere, tom. i. p. 210, 211. edit. Londra, 1747, in 4to), the Porcarian conspiracy is related in the Diary of Stephen Infeffura (Rer. Ital. tom. iii. P. ii. p. 1134, 1135.), and in a separate tract by Leo Baptifta Alberti (Rer. Ital. tom. xxv. p. 609-614.). It is amufing to compare the style and fentiments of the courtier and citizen. Facinus profecto quo.... neque periculo horribilius, neque audaciâ detestabilius, neque crudelitate tetrius, a quoquam perditiffimo ufpiam excogitatum fit.... Perdette la vita quell' huomo da bene, e amatore dello bene et libertâ di Roma. of the victorious Urfini 86. But the pope's no longer trembled in the Vatican: they had strength to command, if they had refolution to claim, the obedience of their fubjects; and the ftrangers, who obferved these partial diforders, admired the eafy taxes and wife administration of the ecclefiaftical state $7. 87 The fpiritual thunders of the Vatican depend on the force of opinion: and, if that opinion be fupplanted by reafon or paffion, the found may idly waste itself in the air; and the helpless priest is expofed to the brutal violence of a noble or a plebeian adverfary. But after their return from Avignon, the keys of St. Peter were guarded by the fword of St. Paul. Rome was commanded by an impregnable citadel: the ufe of cannon is a powerful engine against popular feditions: a regular force of cavalry and infantry was enlisted under the banners of the pope: his ample revenues fupplied the refources of war; and, from the extent of his domain, he could bring down on a rebellious city an army of hoftile neighbours 86 The disorders of Rome, which were much inflamed by the partiality of Sixtus IV. are exposed in the Diaries of two spectators, Stephen Infeffura, and an anonymous citizen. See the troubles of the year 1484, and the death of the protonotary Colonna, in tom. iii. P. ii. p. 1083. 1158. 87 Eft toute la terre de l'eglise troublée pour cette partialité (des Colonnes et des Urfins), come nous dirions Luce et Grammont, ou en Hollande Houc et Caballan; et quand ce ne feroit `ce differend la terre de l'eglife feroit la plus heureuse habitation pour les fujets, qui foit dans tout le monde (car ils ne payent ni tailles ni gueres autres chofes), et feroient toujours bien conduits (car toujours les papes font fages et bien confeillés); mais très fouvent en advient de grands et cruels meurtres et pilleries. |