Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/488

Rh 450 A L B A L B ALBEROXI, GIULIO, cardinal and statesman, was born near Piacenza, probably at the village of Fiorenzuola, on the 31st May 1664. His father was a gardener, and he himself became first connected with the church in the humble position of verger in the cathedral of Piacenza. Having gained the favour of Bishop Barni, lie took priest s orders, and afterwards accompanied the son of his patron to Rome. During the war of the Spanish succession Alberoni laid the foundation of his political success by the services he rendered to the duke of Vendome, commander of the French forces in Italy; and when these forces were recalled in 1706, he accompanied the duke to Paris, where he was favourably received by Louis XIV. In 1711 he followed Vendome into Spain as his secretaiy. Two years later, the duke having died in the interval, Alberoni was appointed consular agent for Parma at the court of Philip V. of Spain, being raised at the same time to the dignity of count. On his arrival at Madrid he found the Princess des Ursins all but omnipotent with the king, and for a time he judged it expedient to use her influence in carrying out his plans. In concert with her he arranged the king s marriage with Elizabeth Farnese of Parma, whom he represented to be of such a facile disposition that the princess s power over Philip would be in no degree impaired by the union. Alberoni was already in Parma to conclude the negotiation ere the Princess des Ursins discovered that he had entirely deceived her as to the character of Elizabeth. A messenger was at once des patched to prevent, if possible, the ratification of the engagement; but he arrived too late. On reaching Spain Elizabeth s first act, prompted doubtless by Alberoni, was to demand the instant dismissal of the outwitted favourite, who was compelled to leave the Spanish dominions. The influence of the new queen being actively exerted on Alberoni s behalf, he speedily rose to high position. He was made a member of the king s council, bishop of Malaga, and in 1715 prime minister, and was raised to the dignity of cardinal in 1717. His internal policy was exceedingly vigorous, and, though carried out altogether regardless of popular rights and liberties, might have restored the lost greatness of Spain had it not been for his unscrupulous and audacious conduct of foreign affairs. The key to his daring and crafty schemes is probably to be found in the desire of Elizabeth to secure a throne for her son Don Carlos, born in 1716. Seizing the flimsiest pretext for making war upon Austria, he invaded the island of Sar dinia, then Austrian territory, and took possession of Sicily. In France he pressed the claims of Philip V. to the regency in opposition to the Duke of Orleans; he sought to keep England employed at home by encouraging the Pretender, and he pursued a similar policy towards Austria in connection with Ragotski of Transylvania and the Sultan. An alliance which he formed with Russia and Sweden led to no practical results, and his other schemes similarly failed. England, France, Austria, and Holland united themselves in what is known as the Quadruple Alliance against the aggressions of Spain; and though their first proposals were rejected fearlessly by Alberoni, they were strong enough to succeed when, in a second negotiation, they re quired of Philip the dismissal of his minister as an indispen sable condition of peace. On the 5th December 1719 he was ordered to leave Spain, Elizabeth herself having taken an active part in procuring the decree of banishment. He went to Italy, and there had to take refuge among the Apennines, Pope Clement, who was his bitter enemy, having given strict orders for his arrest. On the death of Clement, Alberoni boldly appeared at the Conclave, and took part in the election of Innocent XIII. (1721), after which he was for a short time imprisoned by the pontiff on the demand of Spain. At the next election he was himself proposed for the papal chair, and secured ten votes at the Conclave which elected Benedict XIII. Bene dict s successor, Clement XII., named him legate of Ravenna, in which capacity he incurred the pope s dis pleasure by the strong and unwarrantable measures he adopted to reduce the little republic of San Marino to subjection to Rome. He was consequently replaced by another legate in 1740, and soon after he retired to Pia cenza, where he founded a college which still bears his name. He died on the 16th June 1752, leaving a sum of 600,000 ducats to endow the seminary he had founded, and the residue of the immense wealth he had acquired in Spain to his nephew. Alberoni left a large quantity of manuscripts; but the gemu neness of the Political Testa ment, published in his name at Lausanne in 1753, has been questioned. ALBERT (ALBKECIIT) L, Duke of Austria, aud after wards King of Germany, born in 1248, was the son of Rudolph of Habsburg, the founder of the imperial Austrian dynasty. Rudolph having acquired the duchy of Austria by conquest, vested it in his son, with consent of the electors, in 1282, and thus founded the dynasty which still reigns. He also endeavoured to secure for Albert the suc cession to the throne of Germany, but was unsuccessful. On the death of his father in 1291, Albert seized the in signia of sovereignty, and with characteristic presumption declared himself king of Germany, without regard to the decision of the electors. Their choice fell (1292) upon Adolphus of Nassau, and Albert, who was called to sup press a revolt among his subjects in Switzerland, found it necessary to acknowledge the superior claims of his rival. The government of Adolphus having become displeasing to the electors, they formally deposed him in 1298, and named Albert his successor. As, however, the former refused to recognise their verdict, the matter had to be referred to the arbitrament of the sword. The forces of the rival kings met at Golheim, near Worms, where the army of Adolphus was defeated, and he himself slain by Albert s own hand. Upon this, Albert, wishing probably to show his moderation, resigned his claim to the throne; but he was re-elected, and crowned at Aix-la-Chapel!e on the 24th August 1298. Pope Boniface VI II., however, denied the right of the electors, and refused to confirm their choice, alleging that the empire belonged to him alone to hold or bestow at his pleasure. In league with Philip the Fair of France, Albert at first openly resisted the pope; but soon finding it advisable to change his policy, he deserted his ally, admitted the papal jurisdiction, and was rewarded with the kingdom of the deposed Philip. It should be noted, however, that he never received from the pope the crown of the Roman empire, though his name is generally included in the list of emperors. His reign as king of Germany was one of continual warfare. With a rapacity which seems to have known no bounds, he endea voured to subdue Holland, Zealand, Friesland, Hungary, and Bohemia; but was in each case unsuccessful. The attempt to bind his yoke more firmly upon the Swiss can tons caused the revolt of Unterwalden, Schwyz, and Uri, in January 1308, and thus laid the foundation of the Swiss Confederation. It was while endeavouring to check this revolt that Albert met his death at the hand of his nephew, John of Habsburg, whose claim to his father s dominion of Swabia had been refused in the most insulting terms by the king. Incensed at the denial of his rights, John formed a conspiracy with three noblemen of the king s suite. On the 1st May 1308 the four crossed the river Reuss at Windisch with Albert, who was slain immediately on landing, and before the eyes of the other members of the suite, who had been left on the opposite side. He died in the arms of a beggar woman, who happened to be passing.