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I T A L 



Hilary, conclave, the election fell on the archbishop of Bari, 

 % V-* who took the name of Urban VI. a person entirely de- 

 voted to their views. But his election was opposed by 

 the other cardinals ; and, as his character soon shewed 

 itself in his imprudent and violent conduct, his enemies 

 in the college having assembled, declared the election 

 illegal, and nominated Robert of Geneva, who took the 

 name of Clement VII. To him, Spain, France, and 

 Naples adhered; while Urban was acknowledged in 

 Italy, Germany, England, Hungary, and Portugal. 

 This schism almost completely destroyed the papal au- 

 thority ; for neither the one nor the other pontiff could, 

 from their individual character, command the respect 

 of the Christian world. 



The schism in the church was followed by general 

 revolutions in Italy. At Florence, the family of the 

 Albizzi having endeavoured to expel their political ri- 

 vals from the city by force of arms, were successfully 

 opposed by Salvestro di Medici and Benedetto Alberti ; 

 but during these commotions, the Ciompi, or lowest 

 class of artizans, having taken arms, defeated the ma- 

 gistrates and officers of justice, effected a temporary 

 change in the government ; but this new administration 

 was (as might be supposed) of no long duration; and, 

 after a few weeks, the Alberti and Medici families ac- 

 quired the ascendancy. 



The same year, Galeazzo Visconti died at Milan, and 

 was succeeded by John Galeazzo, his son. The death 

 of the emperor Charles IV. soon followed, and Wren- 

 ceslaus, his son, was elected king of the Romans. The 

 antipope Clement, hitherto protected by queen Jane, 

 was forced, by the machinations of Urban, to take re- 

 fuge at Avignon. The pope also raised up a rival 

 against the queen, in the person of Charles Durazzo, 

 her nephew, the legitimate heir of the crown ; al- 

 though Jane had adopted, as her son and successor, 

 Louis of Anjou, brother of king Charles V. of France. 

 The army of Charles, consisting chiefly of adventu- 

 rers, and a few Hungarians, passing through Tuscany, 

 made a conquest of Arezzo. At Rome, Charles recei- 

 ved the investiture of the kingdom, and took the title 

 Death of f Charles III. and then made himself master of Na- 

 Queen Jane pies, without opposition. The queen having surren- 

 of Naples, dered herself, was smothered to death by his orders. 

 A. D. 1382. Louis of Anjou immediately asserted his rights, and 

 A. D. 1384. invaded Naples with a powerful army ; but his death 

 at Bari dispersed his troops, and left Charles, for a 

 time, without a competitor. He, however, only survi- 

 ved one year, being murdered in Hungary, (whither 

 he was called by the barons of that country,) by order 

 of the widow and daughter of king Louis. His son 

 Ladislaus, only ten years old, was left under the care 

 of his mother Margaret ; but a powerful party in the 

 kingdom proclaimed Louis II. of Anjou, also a minor; 

 and Naples, torn by the contests of the rival factions, 

 remained in a state of anarchy. 



In the mean time, John Galeazzo Visconti having 

 poisoned his uncle Barnabas, and being now sole mas- 

 ter of Milan and its conquests, aimed at the dominion 

 of all Lombardy. The Venetians had incited Antonio 

 della Scala of Verona to make war against Francisco 

 Carrara of Padua, who had formerly assisted the king 

 of Hungary against them ; but Visconti, having al- 

 lied himself with the latter prince, made himself 

 master of Vicenza and Verona, and obliged della Sca- 

 la to take refuge at Venice. In order to evade his 

 promise of giving up Vicenza to Carrara, he next 

 agreed with the Venetians to divide the Paduan terri- 

 tories, and made war on his former ally. On this fgr- 



History. 



midable league being formed against him, the ekler 

 Carrara abdicated in favour,, of his son Francisco No- 

 vello, and retired to Treviso.' 



That prince, however, unable to defend himself, was, 

 with his father, obliged to surrender ; but the treache- 

 rous Visconti immediately threw them into prison. 

 Having thus overcome his two principal rivals, he 

 might now be considered as master of Lombardy, as 

 the families of Savoy, Monferrat, Gouzaga, and Este, 

 were his allies, or rather dependants. The character 

 of this new disturber of Italy differed greatly from 

 former conquerors. Incapable of heading an army, and 

 of a timid and suspicious nature, his plans as a states- 

 man were bold and enterprising : trusting to others 

 the execution of his designs, his measures were taken 

 with promptitude and decision ; while no feelings of 

 justice or humanity, of shame or remorse, ever impe- 

 ded his unprincipled ambition. 



His views were now directed to Tuscany, where he 

 attempted (though without success) to make himself 

 master of Pisa. He next endeavoured to excite the 

 jealousy of the other states against the Florentines, 

 whom he justly regarded as his most formidable oppo- 

 nents ; but they, aware of his designs, prepared, in 

 conjunction with the Bolognese, to defend themselves 

 against his attacks. In the mean time, Francisco " 

 Novello Carraro, having discovered that Visconti in- 

 tended to put him to death, escaped with his family 

 from his place of confinement, and, after a series of in- 

 teresting adventures, at length succeeded in reaching 

 Florence, where he left his wife and children. He 

 then proceeded to Bologna, and, receiving from that 

 republic promises of support, repaired to Bavaria, and 

 persuaded the duke to lead his army into Italy in be- 

 half of the Florentines. While he was thus employed, 

 the army of Visconti, and his allies, amounting to 

 15,000 horse, and 6000 infantry, proceeded into 'Pus- A. D. 1390. 

 cany. The united army of Florence and Bologna was 

 far inferior in number; but its commander, Hawk- 

 wood, was greatly superior to the Milanese generals. 

 But, before any action could take place, Carrara, at the 

 head of a few hundred men, had, without waiting for 

 the Bavarians, passed through the Venetian into the 

 Paduan territory. His former subjects received him 

 with enthusiasm ; and having, during the night, en- 

 tered the city by the bed of the Brenta, he easily over- 

 powered John Galeazzo's soldiers, and once more be- 

 came lord of Padua. But the Florentines were not so 

 fortunate in all their allies. The duke of Bavaria, who 

 soon after reached Padua, being prevailed on, by the 

 intrigues of Visconti, to desert the league, John, count 

 of Armagnac, who also brought his troops to their as- 

 sistance, was defeated by James del Verme, near Alex- 

 andria, and died soon after of his wounds. His defeat 

 exposed Hawkwood and the Florentine army, who had 

 advanced towards Milan, to the most imminent dan- 

 ger, the Milanese general having cut the dikes of the 

 Adige, and inundated the valley of Verona, where 

 they were encamped; but Hawkwood, leaving his 

 camp, to deceive the enemy, marched during the night 

 through the inundated plain, and, after much fatigue 

 and danger, at length arrived. in Tuscany. A short 

 peace followed, but was soon disturbed by the machi- 

 nations of Visconti ; and the next ten years contain no- 

 thing but events of the same nature. The emperor 

 Wenceslaus having in vain attempted to obtain money, 

 by offering his assistance against Visconti, at length 

 concluded an alliance with him, and erected his domi- 

 nions into a regular fief of the empire, with the title of 



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