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Rh authority was iinaxailuig, anid who was compelled to suffer these intestine feuds.

From time to time popes arose, such as Sixtus the Fifth, who repressed these abuses, but the short duration of the pontifiicate was insuficient to destroy the cause. The efforts of these pontifs were confined to the humiliation of one of the rival factions, which triumphed in its turn under his successor. It was thus that the military strength of the popes was exhausted; and with it all degree of consideration, both internal and external.

Things were in this situation when Alexander the Sixth was raised to the pontifical chair: none of those who preceded or folowed him, have shewn like him what a pontiff can do with men and money. I have mentioned elsewhere his conduct on the entry of the French into Italy by the Duke Valentino: undoubtedly his intention was less to aggrandize the church than the duke; yet she did not profit the less by it, on the death of that nobleman and the pontiff.

Julius the Second, the successor of Alexander, found therefore the dominions of the church increased by the addition of all Romagnia, and the factions of the Roman barons extinguished by the acute. wisdom and courage of his predecessor, who also taught him political economy. Julius