Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/651

 The Republic of San Marino 641 It has even been asserted by some writers, that the Pope was entertained at San Marino during his campaign against Venice. ' At any rate, the Sammarinesi profited by his victory, and shortly afterward gave a double proof of their independence by refusing to give up to the duke of Urbino certain fugitives from Rimini, and by receiving the inhabitants of San Leo when they were driven out from that place by Lorenzo de' Medici. Under date of 1516, the archives contain a letter from Lorenzo, assuring the republic of his friendship and protection, which was confirmed by a document from Pope Leo X. During the disputes that raged around them at this period, the Sammarinesi preserved a wise and diplomatic neutralit}- which disarmed hostility. In 1543 the republic nearly lost its liberty forever. On the night of June 4 a certain Fabiano da Monte attempted to surprise San Marino with a force of over 500 men. Fortunately, the two columns into which this force was divided arrived late at the ren- dezvous, so that day dawned before they could begin the attack. A great hubbub arose out of this afTair ; the duke of Urbino, Cosimo of Florence, and the envoys of the Emperor Charles V. in Italy, offered their aid to the little republic, and diligent efforts were made to discover the real authors of the plot. Fattori, who wrote an essay on this question, ^ inclined to the opinion that Pope Paul III. was at the bottom of it, his object being to convert San Marino into a principality for his son, Pier Luigi, and that a French agent, Strozzi, had arranged the plan of campaign. The salvation of the republic was piously attributed to its patron and founder, and from this epoch Marinus is represented (like San Biagio at Ragusa) as holding in his hands the territory of the commonwealth, while the fourth of June is still kept as a festival, in commemora- tion of the event. The Pope seems to have become convinced by the scandal caused by this attempt, that the liberties of San Marino were not to be infringed, for we find him writing si.x years later to threaten with condign punishment all who should transgress the rights of the republic. But in the same year in which he wrote, a new attempt was made on the place by Leonardo Pio, lord of the neighboring castle of Verrucchio ; this plot was foiled by the inter- vention of the duke of Urbino, with whom the republic signed a treaty of defence. The text of this treaty is preserved in the archives, and is one of the most striking proofs of the secular friendship which existed between the rulers of Urbino and the com- ' Hauttecceur, 105 «., alludes to this, but Gregorovius does not mention it. 2 Sul Tentativo di Fabiano da Monte San Salvino, in the Alti e A/einoiie delta R. Diptitazione di Storia Patria per le Provincie di Romagna, 1889.