JULIUS. 



and fucceeded to the papal fee on the death of Mark, in the 

 year 337. At this period the celebrated Athanafius lived in 

 a ftate of exile at Treve?, but in the following year he was 

 permitted to return to Alexandria by the emperors Conftan- 

 tine, Contlantius, and Conftans. This circumdance excited 

 the alarm of the Arian party, who, at a council affembledat 

 Antioch, got Athanalius depofed, and Gregory, bi(hop of 

 Alexandria, appointed in his ftead. But in the Roman 

 council, Athanaih'.s was pronounced innocent of the crimes 

 alleged agaiiift him, and was admitted by Julius to liis com- 

 munion, as an orthodox pillar of the church. The orthodox 

 party confirmed the acl^i of the council of Rome, and, in the 

 height of their zeal, they introduced for the fird time, and 

 authorized the practice of appealing to the pope, in contellcd 

 ccclefialtical concerns, of which the fnccefibrs of Julius 

 availed themfelves in etlahiiDiing the enormous fpiriltial ty- 

 ranny, which, by degrees, they erefted in the church. Julius 

 died in ^52, having fat upon the ponli'ical throne fomewhat 

 more than fifteen years. Two of the letters of this pope are 

 extant, one addreticd to the Oriental bifhops, and the other 

 to the peoplu of Alexandria in favour of Athanafius. 



Jui-ius II. pope, formerly known by the name of "Ju- 

 lian della Rovere," nephew of pope Sixtus IV , wa^ born 

 in the year 1443. He is faid to have been of very mean ex- 

 traction, and to have followed for fome time the occupation 

 of a waterman ; he was preferred by his uncle Sixtus to the 

 fee of Carpentras, and raifcd to the purple in the year 1471. 

 By the fame pope he was raifed fuccefiively to other valuable 

 bifhoprics, and upon tlie breaking out of an infurredtion in 

 Ombria, his uncle gave him the command of the pajjal 

 troops, which was an employment pcrfeftly adapted to liis 

 genius. He put an end to the rebellion which gave him vail 

 influence and power at Rome. In 1480 he took an aftive 

 part in the elevation of Innocent VIII. to the papacy, and 

 while that pontiff lived he was in high favour at the papal 

 court ; but during the popedom of his fucceffor Alex- 

 ander VI., thinking his life in danger, he retired into France, 

 and attended king Charles in his expedition againil Naples. 

 In 1503 he washimfelf ek-aed pope, in the Itead of Pius III. 

 who had held the facred office only twenty-fix days. He 

 took the name of Julius II , and, being poffeffed of a bold 

 and martial fpirit, determined to extend the temporal em- 

 pire of the church by the force of arms. The emperor Maxi- 

 milian, with the kings of France and Arragon, endeavoured to 

 depofe him, but he fruftrated their defigns, and in the year 

 1 joS the famous league of Cambray againil the republic of 

 Venice was concluded between the pope, the emperor, the 

 king of France, and the king of Spain, which threatened the 

 entire ruin of tliat (late. Before Julius figned this league, 

 his unwillingnefs to increafe the power of either the emperor, 

 or the French king in Italy, induced him privately to com- 

 municate the term.s of it to the Venetian ambaflador, at the 

 fame time offering not to confirm it, provided that the re- 

 puiilic reftored to him the cities of Rimini and Faenza. 

 This propo'al was moft unwifely rejefted by the Venetian 

 fenate, and Julius confirmed tlie league. The Venetians 

 were wholly unable to withiland fuch powerful enemies, and 

 being reduced to the grcatefl extremities, they were obliged 

 to fnbmit. Tlie pope abfolved them from the efecis of the 

 fentence of excommunication iffued againil them, and with- 

 out hefitation granted leave to all the fubjefts of tlie church 

 to ferve under their banners. He now formed the defign of 

 driving the French out of Italy, and with this view he laid 

 fiege to Mirandola, which he entered in triumph in 151 1, 

 but fortime turning againfl him, he was driven to Rome. In 

 tlie courfe of his journey he received the unwelcome intelli- 



gence, that an order for the afTcmbling of a general council 

 at Pifa was polled up at Modcna, Bologna, and other cities 

 ia Italy, and that hiinfelf was fummoncd to ap[>ear at it i:i 

 perfon. To counteract their proceedings, of which he had 

 reafon to entertain apprehenfions, tlie pope fummoncd a ge- 

 nera! council to meet the fol'owing year at Rome, pretending, 

 by that meafure, to have fnperfeded the council convoked 

 at Pifa. An end, however, was not put to the feffions of 

 this council before a decree had been palled declaring pope 

 Julius II. a dillurber of the public peace, a fower of difcord 

 among the peop'e of God, a rebel to tlie church, a public 

 incendiary, a blood thirlly tyrant, and as fuch fulpended 

 from all fpiritual and temporal adininillration of the churc'o, 

 and forbidding the faithful thenceforth to acknowledge or 

 obcy him. In revenge, Julius excommunicated the king of 

 France, laid his kingdom under an interdicl, and abfolved 

 his fubjefts from their oath of allegiance. In May 151 2 

 the council met at Rome, in oppofition to that of Pifa, but 

 during the fifth feffion, the pope was fcizcd with an illnefs 

 which proved fatal to him in Feb. 1513, at the age of 

 feventy, and after a pontificate of bet«-ecn nine and ten 

 years. Julius was a perfon of great abilities, courage, and 

 refolution, but arrogant and of infatiable ambition ; pof- 

 felfingthe moll extravagant pafhon for war and bloodlhed; 

 fo that it was faid of him, if he w.inted tlie qualities of a 

 good bilhop, he had at lead thoL- of a conquering prince. 

 He has been accufed of every crime, but his faults have been 

 probably much exaggerated. He was much lefs chargeable 

 with nepotifm than many preceding popes ; for of the twenty- 

 feven cardinals created by him, four only were in any degree 

 related to him, and thefe were men of unblemiflicd charafters. 

 He was an encourager of the arts of painting, fculpture, 

 and architecture, and begun the eredlion of the magnificent 

 church of St. Peter. 



Jt'Lli.s HI. pope, formerly known by the name of John- 

 Maria del Monte, was a perfon of mean extraftion, and 

 born in Rome about the year 14S8. His uncle Anthony 

 del Monte was made a cardinal by pope Julius II , and thus 

 had the means of raifing his family from obfcurity. Under 

 his patronage John-Maria was educated for the church, and 

 diftinguifhed himfelf by his proficiency in literature and ju- 

 rifprudence. By his uncle's influence he obtained an arch- 

 bifiiopric, and afterwards filled various polls under the holy 

 fee. In I5'36 he was created a cardinal by pope Paul III. 

 who afterwards employed him on different legations. He 

 acquitted himfelf fo well in thefe employments, that he ob- 

 tained the character of a perfon of vail application and un- 

 common abilities, and he recommended himfelf fo power- 

 fully to his holinefs, that in the year 1 54J he appointed him 

 his principal legate in the council of Trent, and confided to 

 him his mod fecret intentions. In February I5J0 he was 

 eleded to the popedom, and took the name of pope Ju« 

 lius III. out of refpecl to the memory of the pontiff, who, 

 by raifing his uncle to the cardinalfliip, had laid tlie found- 

 ation of his good fortune. One of his fird afts gave great 

 offence to evci-y decent perfon ; he conferred a cardinal's hat, 

 with ample ecciefiadical revenues, upon a youth of fixtcen, 

 born of obfcure parents, and known by the name of Ape, 

 from his having been enlrulled with the care of an animal of 

 that fpccies, in the cardinal del Monte's family. Such an 

 indecent promotion was regarded by the cardinals as a grofs 

 afiront oftered to their body, but v. hen they reproached him 

 for introducing fuch an unworthy member into the facred 

 college, who had neither learning nor virtue, nor m.crit of 

 any kind : he afked them " what virtue or merit they had 

 found in him, that could induce them to place him in the 



papal 



