Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/518

 39 D OF THE STATE OF EUROPE. Pesaro and Sinigaglia are fortresses on the sea side, Urbino and Sanleo on the Appenine, well fortified. He holdeth three provinces, Monte- feltro, Massa Trebaria, and Vicariato di Mon- davio. There hath been good princes and valiant of that house, not so great exactors as the rest of Italy, therefore better beloved of their subjects, which love restored their house, being displaced by Pope LeoX. His wife Leonora, sister to the Duke of Fer- rara, by whom he hath no children, and now is divorced. He hath two sisters, the one married to the Duke of Gravina, the other to the Prince J3isignano,and a third is to marry, whose name is Lavinia. Ottaviano, first Duke of Castro, then of Came- rino, and after of Parma and Piacenza, with great trouble restored to his estate ; now is aged, and liveth quietly : his wife Marguerite, daughter to Charles the Fifth, first wife to Alexander de Me dici, first Duke of Florence. He hath one son called Alexander, now general for the King of Spain in the Low Countries; his daughter Vit- toria was mother to the duke of Urbin. The Cardinal Farnese, his uncle, of great credit in that college, longtime hath aspired to be pope, but withstood by the King of Spain ; on whom though now that house depend, yet forgetteth not, as he thinketh, the death of Pier Lugi, and the loss of Parma and Piacenza restored to their house by the French. The young princes of Mirandola, in the govern ment of their mother Fulvia Correggio, and under the protection of the King of France, who main- taineth there a garrison. The Duke of Savoy, Carlo Emanuel, a young prince of twenty-one years, very little of stature, but well brought up and disposed. His territory is the greatest of any Duke of Italy, having Pie- mont beyond the Alps, and Savoy on this side ; divers fair towns and strongholds, richly left of his father, who was accounted a very wise prince. This duke, as is thought, is advised to remain al ways indifferent between Spain and France, being neighbour to them both, unless some accident do counsel him to declare himself in behalf of either. Therefore both those princes go about by marriage to have him nearer allied to them. His mother was sister to King Francis the Great: his father being expulsed his dominions by the French, was restored by the King of Spain, with whom while he lived he had strait intelligence. As yet his inclination doth not appear, he retaineth his fa ther s alliances with Venice, especially in Italy, and with the emperor. With Florence he hath question for pre-eminence. His revenues are judged to be a million of crowns yearly; now he is in arms against Geneva, cud guarded against Bern. Of free estates, Lucca, the least, is under the protection of the King of Spain: small in ter ritory : the city itself well fortified and provided, because of the doubt they have of the Duke of Florence. Genoa is recommended to the King of Spain, their galleys serve under him, and the chiefest of their city are at his devotion. Though there is a faction for the French, whereto he doth hearken so weakly, that the Spaniard is there all in all ; by whom that state in few years hath made a marvellous gain. And the King of Spain hath great need of their friendship for their ports, where embark and land all men, and whatsoever is sent between Spain and Milan. They hold Corsica, an island, and Savona a fair city, and the goodliest haven in Italy, until it was destroyed by the Genevois; the which now make no profession but of merchandise. There is a dangerous faction amongst them, be tween the ancient houses and the new, which were admitted into the ancient families. St. George is their treasure-house and receiver, as at Venice, St. Mark. Venice, retaining still the ancient form of go vernment, is always for itself in like estate and all one; at this time between the Turk and the King of Spain, in continual watch, seeming to make more account of France, so much in hope of any great affiance at this present to be had in him, but for the reputation of that nation, and the amity always they have had with the same, and behoving them so to do. They use it with good foresight and speedy preventing, sparing for no charge to meet as they may with every accident. Of late they have had some jar with the pope, as well about the Inquisition as title of land. With Ferrara and the Venetians is ancient enmity, specially because he receiveth all their banished and fugitives. They make most account of the Duke of Savoy amongst the Princes of Italy. They maintain divers ambassadors abroad, with the Turk, the emperor, France, Spain, and at Rome; with them is an ambassador of France and Savoy, always resident, and an agent of Spain, because they gave the preseance to France. In this it seemeth all the potentates of Italy do agree to let all private grudges give place to foreign invasion, more for doubt of alteration in religion, than for any other civil cause. There is none amongst them at this day in any likelihood to grow to any greatness. For Venice is bridled by the Turk and Spain. The Duke of Tuscany seeketh rather title than territory, other wise than by purchasing. Savoy is yet young; the rest of no great force of themselves. France hath greatly lost the reputation they had in Italy, by neglecting the occasions offered, and suffering the King of Spain to settle himself. The Emperor Adolphe, of the house of Aus- triche, son to Maximilian, about thirty years of