ADR 



Maximilian recommcnJtil Adiian to Leo X. and lie wn« 

 preferred by that pontiiT to the dignity of cardinal. In a 

 conteft with the Caililiaiis, when lie fulhiincd the ofBec of 

 regent during tlie emperor's abfcnce in 1520, he attempted 

 to enforce fubmiffion, by miUtary power, bnt faikd in the 

 attempt ; and he was under a neceirity of withdrawing his 

 forces, and to content himfelf with tlie mere (hadow of au- 

 thority. He was in a little time, and ina manner veiy unex- 

 pefted, removed from this unpleafant fitiuition, and ad- 

 vanced to the highell dignity of the church. Upon the 

 death of Leo X, m 1521, the conclave was divided about 

 the choice of a fucctffor. The yoimger members were at- 

 tached to Julio, Cardinal dc Medici, the nephew of Leo ; 

 but the old cardinals were avcrfe from chuling a pontifl" out 

 of the powerful family of the Medici, and yet they were 

 not agreed in their views with relpecl to any other perfon. 

 By a manoeuvre, which was merely defigncd to gain time, 

 the party of Julio voted for Cardinal Adrian in the pre- 

 paratory fcrutiny. The other party clofed with them ; 

 and thus a ilranger to Italy, and a man unquaUfied for the 

 office, was elefted, no lefs to tlieir own furprife than to the 

 aftoniftiment of Europe. The election was probably the 

 effect of intrigue, and of the fecret interference of the im- 

 perial ambaffador, John Manuel, who willied to obtain a 

 pope devoted to his mailer's intcrclt. See Robcrtfon's Hill. 

 Charles V. vol. ii. p. 210, &c. 8vo. 



Adrian's difpofition and views, as well as his principles 

 and manners, were ill adapted to the office, that had been 

 thus devolved upon him. At the time of his eleftion Rome 

 was afflicted wiih a peililence, its linances were exhaufted, 

 and literature and the arts required hberal and judicious 

 patronage. In thefe difadvantageous circumilanccs did 

 Adrian afcend the papal chair. However he entered on 

 his office with the bell intentions. He began by avoiding 

 every kind of expenlive parade, and by exhibiting an ex 

 ample of moderation and temperance, which tended to cor- 

 \x&. and reform the diffolute manners of the court and city. 

 He difcouraged the ambitious and felliih expectations of 

 liis own relations, he annulled many ordinances which the 

 cardinals had enafted for their own benefit, and he abohllied 

 many offices which Leo had created for the gratification of 

 his favourites. With this pope it was a ruling maxim, that 

 men were made for places, and not places for men. He re- 

 ftored the duchy of Urbino to its lawful proprietor, and 

 funendered to the Duke of Ferrara feveral places of 

 which he had been unjuiUy deprived. He alfo ilTued a 

 bull, requiring Chriftian princes to confent to a truce for 

 three years, fo that the Imperial, French, and Enghib am- 

 baffadors at Rome might deliberate on terms of pacifica- 

 tion. Whilil he demanded a zealous execution of the im- 

 perial edift againft Luther and his followers ; he declared a 

 difpofition to exercife his fpiritual autliority for the refonna- 

 tion of the church. Notwithftanding the juft claims on re- 

 fpeft which refulted from the pontitPs general conduft, his 

 beft aftions were mifmterpreted ; his ceconomy was called 

 parfimony, his plans of reform were imputed to unnecef- 

 iaiy aullerity, and his difuiterefted conduft to weaknefs 

 and inexperience. His unpopularity was partly owing to 

 liis being a ftranger in Italy, and to the attention which he 

 paid to fome of his former friends, whilil; lie declined repo- 

 ilng confidence in his brethren of the conclave. He \^as 

 alfo too much under the influence of Charles, and fuffered 

 liis attachment to his former mailer to miflead his judg- 

 ment. This led him to relinquifli his plan of a general pa- 

 cification, and to form an alliance with the emperor and the 

 king of England againll France. On the day when this 

 confederacy was figned, Adrian was ftized with a flow 



Vol. L 



ADR 



fever, wliich terminated his life and the anxieties of his cle. 

 vated llalion in December 15231 after he had pufTelTtd the 

 papal dignity one year and ten months. He v.-a.i buried i« 

 the cluircli of tit. Peter, and on his toinb was inleribcd the 

 following cjiitaph, which informs polleiity, that the grcatcd 

 misfortune which he had experienced in life, wa-., that he 

 had been called to govern. 



•' Adriamis Papa VI. hie fitus eft, 

 Qi^ii nihil fibi infehciui 



In vita, 



Qiiam quod imperarct, 



duxlt." 



Notwithftanding many excellencies that dillinguidied ti-.e 

 charafter of Adrian, he was dellitute of that fjrmnefn and 

 energy of mind, which the duties of his high and ardiioui 

 iUition required. Few men that have been fo i\xe from 

 faults, incurred fuch unpopularity, and became obnoxious 

 to fo many calumnies. The door of his phyfician, in the 

 night after his deceafe, was ailorned with garlands, and 

 marked with this infeription ; " To the deliverer of hi» ' 

 country." However fuch kind of reproach, on tiie part 

 of the dilTulute and licentious, redounds to his honour. 

 The piety of Adrian, it has been obferved, was jnore dif- 

 tinguithed than his talle for the fine arts. From the llatuc 

 of Laocoon, he turned away his head in token of liis dif- 

 like of pagan images, and he exprefled his contempt of 

 poets, by calling them Terenlians. With theology and 

 fcholallic philofophy he was well acquainted. Whilft he 

 was profeffor of divinity at Louvain he wrote " a Commen- 

 tary upon the Book of Sentences, by Peter Lombard." 

 " Epillles," and " Qiixftiones Qiiodlibetica:," printed at 

 Louvain in 1515, and at Paris in ijiGand 1531. Dupin's 

 Hift. of the 1 6th century. Bower's Popes. Robertlbn'* 

 Charles V. vol. ii. b. i. p. 2. Gen. Biog. 



ADRIAN, (De Cailello) bifliop of Bath and Wells; 

 in the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII. and cardinal prieil 

 of the Roman church, was defccnded of an obfcure family, 

 and born at Cornelto, a fmall town in Tufcany. Having 

 diftinguillied himfelf by his parts and learning, he obtained 

 feveral employments at the court of Rome. In 1488, he was 

 fent by pope Innocent VIII. as his Nuncio extraordlnaiy, 

 to appeafe the troubles in Scotland, and to exercife the of- 

 fice of quseftor or treafurer to his hollnefs, in collefting his 

 tribute or Peter pence. He was alfo agent for tlie Englirti 

 affairs at the court of Rome, and in recompence of his fer- 

 vices, was promoted firft to the fee of Heniford in 1 504, 

 and afterwards to that of Bath and Wells. He farmed out 

 his bifliopric and refided at Rome, in a magnificent palace 

 which he erected, and which he bequeathed to Henry V II. 

 whofe name was infcrlbed upon the front of it, and to his 

 fucceffors. He was fecretary and vicar-general to pope 

 Alexander VI. and created by him in 1503, a cardii..il pricll, 

 under the title of St. Chryfogonus ; foon after which erent 

 he narrowly efcaped being poifoned at a feall, to which he 

 was invited by the pope and his fon Ctcfar Borgia. In the 

 pontificate of Julius II. he baniilied himfelf from Rome ; 

 nor did he return till a conclave was held for the eledion of 

 a new pope. Soon after the elevation of Leo X. he con- 

 curred in a confpira-cy againll his hfe ; and being unable to 

 pay the fine of 12,500 ducats, which was the penally in. 

 flifted upon him, lie w-ithdrew fom Rome, av.d was ex. 

 communicated, and deprived of his benefices and ecclcfiatli- 

 cal orders, July 6th, 15 18. Four vchrs before this period, 

 he had been removed from his office of the pope's colkflor 

 in England by Henry VIII. at th.e iniligation of cardinal 

 Wolley, who employed lum us his folicitor at Roirx, ar.d wa» 

 betrayed by him in his attempts to obtain the dignity of 

 K k ctudinuk 



