S F O 



council of Lateran, and was promoted to the bifhopric of 

 Marleilles in 1 510, and to the archbilhopric of Turin in 

 1517. He died in 1520, leaving behind him a great number 

 of works, on theological, juridical, and hiftorical fubjefts. 

 He alfo tranflatcd into the French language Eufebius's Ec- 

 clefiaftical Hiitory, Thucydides, Appian, Diodorus, Xeno- 

 phon, Juilin, and Seneca. He is faid to have been the firft 

 who alleged the Salic law as influencing the fucceflion to 

 the crown of France. His " Grand Monarchic de France," 

 publilhed in 1519. and tranflatcd by Sleidan into the Latin 

 language, maintains that the French conititution is a mixed 

 monarchy, and that the king is dependent on the parliament. 

 In his " Hilloire de Louis XII. Pere du Peuple," he is 

 the perpetual pancgyrill of that prince, but gives fonie 

 curious fadls refpefting the reign of Lewis XL, whofe 

 vices are expofed by way of contraft. 



Seyssel, in Geography, a town of France, in the depart- 

 ment of the Ain, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrift 

 of Belley, feated on the Rhone, which here becomes navi- 

 gable, and divides it into two parts ; 13 miles N. of Belley. 

 The place contains 2260, and the canton 6032 inhabitants, 

 on a territory of 122^ kiliometres, in y communes. 



SEZ ANE, or Cezane, a town of France, in the depart- 

 ment of the Po, on the Dora ; 7 miles E. of Briangon. 



SEZANNES, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Marne, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrift of 

 Epernay ; 45 miles W. of Vitry le Fran<;ais. The place 

 contains 4149, and the canton 12,203 inhabitants, on a ter- 

 ritory of 300 kiliometres, in 27 communes. N. lat. 48° 

 42'. E. long. 3° 48'. 



SEZARNIK, a town of Hungary ; 4 miles W. of 

 Kapfdorf. 



SEZENEVA, a town of Ruffia, in the government of 

 Viatka ; 16 miles N.N.E. of Glazov. 



SEZULFE, a town of Portugal, in the province of 

 Tras los Moiitcs ; 7 miles N-E. of Mirandela. 



SEZZA, a town of the Campagna di Roma ; 35 miles 

 E.S.E. of Roma. — Alfo, a town of Naples, in Lavora, 

 the fee of a bifhop, fuffragan of Capua ; 29 miles N.N.W. 

 of Naples. N. lat. 41° 19'. E. long. 13^ 34'. 

 ' SFACCIA, a town of European Turkey, in Albania ; 

 S miles N. of Dulcigno. 



SFACHIA. See Sphaciiia. 



SFALASSA, a river of Naples, which runs into the 

 fea ; 4 miles E. of Cape Scigho. 



SFASACA, a town of Japan, on the S.W. coall of 

 Niphon ; 18 miles E. of Amanguchi. 



SFAX, or El Sfaktijfe, a town of Africa, in the king- 

 dom of Tunis, furrounded with walls. The trade of the 

 inhabitants in oil and cloth is confiderable ; 45 miles S.E. 

 ofCairoan. N. lat. 34° 49'. E. long. 10° 56'. 



SFORZA, GiAcO.Mliiizo, in Biography, named alfo At- 

 tendolo, founder of the illullrious houfe of Sforza, was born 

 in 1369 at Cotignola, in Romagna. He is faid to have been 

 originally a peaiant, and, according to a traditionary report, 

 being one day at work, he was foliciled to enlift for a foldicr, 

 when throwing his fpade on a tree, he faid he would enter 

 if the fpade did not fall down again, which proving to be 

 the cafe, he immediately engaged in that military life which 

 rendered him famous. He firll fervcd under general Albcric 

 de Barbiano, and had for his comrade in arms the celebrated 

 Br.iccio. Thcfe, in the early part of their career, were as 

 intimate as brother's, but as they advanced in tiie profclfion, 

 jealoufy intervened, and they became at length fuch deter- 

 mined enemies, that when one engaged in the fervice of a 

 prince or Hate, it was a fufficient motive for the other to 

 engage on the oppofitc fide. Sforza was foon dillinguifhed 



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for his bravery, and for a difpofition to feize by force what, 

 ever booty fell in his way. Braccio and he perfeiSly agreed 

 in felling their fervices as dearly as poflible, and in confidering 

 war as a trade whicli was to be kept up for their benefit. 

 From the command of loo men he rofe to that of 7000: he 

 obtained the office of gonfalonier to the holy fee, and by 

 pope John XXIII. he was created count Cotignola, an ho- 

 nour that was given by way of payment of a fum of money 

 due to him. He commanded in the kingdom of Naples 

 againfl Alphonfo of Aragon, and was made conltable of 

 the kingdom. In marching to the relief of Aquila, he was 

 drowned in the pafFage of the river Aterno or Pefcara, in the 

 year 1424. He is reprefented to have been robuft in body, 

 and when elevated to his higheR rank, that he prefervedthe 

 peafant's difregard of luxury, and franknefs of manners. 



Sforza, Francesco, firll duke of Milan of that family, 

 natural fon of the preceding, was born in 1401. In 142 1 he 

 was viceroy to Louis, duke of Anjou, who had been adopted 

 by queen Joan II. of Naples, and in 1424 he defeated the 

 troops of Braccio ; but his father, as we have feen, being 

 drowned, he could make no advantage of his fuccefs. Al- 

 though an illegitimate fon, Joan conferred upon him all his 

 father's eftates, and he ferved fuccefsfully againft the Arago- 

 nefe commanders. He afterwards entered into the fervice 

 of the duke of Milan, and defeated a fleet of the Venetians 

 in the Po, in 143 1. After the death of the queen, in 1435, 

 he attached himfelf to her heir, Rene, duke of Anjou, and 

 made himfelf mailer of feveral places in the Marche of 

 Ancona. He even feized fome of the pope's poflcflions, 

 which brought on him an excommunication from Euge- 

 nius IV. whom he had formerly ferved. He had long 

 wiflied to marry Bian^a, the natural daughter of Philip-Maria 

 Vifconti, duke of Milan, and being in the Venetian fervice 

 againft that prince, he gained fuch advantages as induced 

 Philip, v.'ho had often deceived him, to enter into a treaty 

 in 1441, by which he made peace with the Venetians, and 

 gave his daughter to Sforza, with Cremona and its territory 

 for her portion. 



The father and fon-in-Iaw did not long continue united, 

 and Sforza commanded, as general, the troops of the pope, 

 Venetians, and Florentines, in a war againft Philip. He was, 

 however, at length, induced to go over to the party of 

 the duke of Milan, who, in 1447, died without legitimate 

 iilne. Sforza was now ambitious of fuccecding him, and 

 took a commiffion, as general of tlie troops of Milan, againft 

 the Venetians. But he foon made a treaty with the latter, 

 and then led an allied army to the gates of Milan, to which 

 he laid fiege. The diftrefs of the city occafioncd a popular 

 commotion, the leaders of which propofed the clcfting of 

 Sforza for their duke. The majority concurred in the pro- 

 polal, and in February 1450 he was received with great ac- 

 clamations in that quality. Sforza remained in policfiion of 

 the duchy, and in 1464 made himfelf mailer of Genoa, 

 Lewis XI. of France having made over to him all the right 

 of France to that city. Sforza died in 1466, and tranfmitted 

 the fovercignty to his fon. He had (hewn himfelf a brave 

 and (liilful commander ; but with feveral traits of grandeur 

 in his charaftcr, he was not a man of principle, and was 

 ready to change fides as fuited his inteicit. Mod. Univ. 

 Hift. 



Sforza, Catherine, an heroine of the fame family, 

 the natural daughter of Galeazzo Sforza, duke of Milan, 

 who was allaflinated in 1476. She married Jerome Riario, 

 lord of Forli and of Imola, which was her own dowry ; 

 but fhe was left a widow at tlic age of twenty-two, with 

 feveral children. In 1500 Forli was bcfiegcd by the duke 

 of Valeutinois, fon of pope Alexander VJ. but flic defended 



tht 



