APPENDIX. APPENDIX I. (Page 19.) CORRESPONDENCE OF CLEMENT VII. WITH DUKE FRANCESCO MARIA BEFORE THE SACK OF ROME, 1527. THERE are several brieves preserved in the Archivio Diplomatico at Florence, affording evidence of the Pope's feeble and inconsistent policy. His missive, announcing to the Duke the truce with Lanoy, was dated the 16th of March, and was followed by one of the 20th of April, which we shall here translate : To our beloved Son, the noble Francesco Maria, Duke of Urbino, Beloved Son, health and apostolic benediction! We have written but once to your nobility since coming to this armistice with the enemy, for, matters not being yet fully settled, we had nothing certain to apprise you of. But we understood that, by the letters of our dear son and lieutenant, Francesco Guicciardini, you were already made aware of all we could have asked of you, and had by your own good conduct anticipated it, which is to us most pleasing and acceptable, and daily more realises our hopes of you. As to this suspension of arms, we stooped to it more readily from being destitute of means or assistance, and from measuring the inclinations of others by our own pacific dispositions. But now that our enemies' conduct seems rather to abuse our clemency and moderation than to approach any equitable course, we do not well see how we can safely come to any terms with them. Thus, induced by necessity, and by your worth and good will, as well as cheered by the entire justice of our cause, we desire to make your nobility aware that we have utterly dismissed from our mind all truce with adversaries so perfidious, and are willing and ready rather to hazard any peril of war than submit to such unworthy and iniquitous conditions; yet, believing victory much more imminent than danger, we trust that their obstinacy and insolence will be easily put down, provided your forces can timeously coalesce with our own, and you exercise all zeal and caution in effecting this. We therefore not only exhort your nobility to this, but we fully rely on your doing it, as matter at once of duty and propriety, and from your disposition in favour of the Italian liberties and the dignity of ourselves and this Holy See. We, on our part, shall maintain towards our beloved sons, the Venetian government, that firm attitude which shall satisfy all of our constancy, things being now come to such a pitch that we either must sink dishonoured on failure of your aid and support, or by your help shall emerge with credit. As regards our paternal and affectionate concern for your personal dignity and interests, we can add nothing to the promises already made you by letters and envoys, which we shall amply carry out. Let your nobility, therefore, go on as you have so well begun, nor relax until we and you and all Italy be rid of all these barbarian excesses. After perusing these brieves, your nobility will forward them to the Doge and Signory of Venice, for, news of the enemy's obstinacy and faithlessness reaching us by express at midnight, we had to write to your nobility before we could communicate anything to their ambassador. Given at St. Peter's, Rome, under the fisher's signet, the 20th April, 1527, in the fourth year of our pontificate. BLOSIUS. On the 22d and 30th the Pope wrote again, but in general terms, and referring for details to the accredited bearer and to former despatches. He exhorted the Duke, in formal and measured phrase, to do his utmost towards fulfilling the expectations reposed on him and the Venetians, upon whom were based all the Pontiff's hopes; but neither in letter nor spirit do these brieves indicate any perception of the extreme hazards of his position. APPENDIX II. (Page 19.) THE SACK OF ROME. I. Letter from the Bishop of Modula to the Generals of the League.* Most illustrious Lords of the League, Let your most illustrious Lordships speed on quickly without loss of time, seeing by these presents that the enemy have carried the Borgo, though our Lord and all Rome were well fortified. Monsignor de Bourbon is dead of an arquebus-shot below the abdomen, and a man has just come in who happened to aid in carrying off his body. More than three thousand of the * Sanuto Diarii MSS. Bib. Marciana, xlv. f. 132. enemy have fallen. Let your Lordships, then, press on, for the enemy are in the utmost disorder; quickly, quickly, without loss of time. Your servant, GUIDO, BISHOP OF MODULA. From Viterbo, the 7th of May, 1527, 3 P.M. To the most illustrious Lords, the Duke of Urbino and the Marquis of Saluzzo, Captains of the League. II. Letter from Scipione to Alessandro Moresino, alias Venezianello, Master of the Chamber of the Prince Guidobaldo, dated at Urbino, 20th of May, 1527, narrating the destruction of Rome. Most dear as an honoured brother, I wish I were fitter than at present, and more easy in mind, to write you of the strange, horrible, and atrocious event befallen the wretched, miserable, and ill-fated city of Rome. Although I feel assured that, from different advices, you will have had partial, if not full accounts, nevertheless, that I may not fail in duty, I have thought it best to inform you of all I have yet heard, notwithstanding that I tell it with aching heart and tearful eye. I therefore inform you that eight days ago last Monday, being the 18th inst., about 22 o'clock [half-past 5 P.M.], the Spanish imperial army presented itself at the bastion of the gate. Their object was to make trial, and see how and by whom it was guarded, not having courage to attack; but after consulting together, and deciding to assault, and even to make their way into the city, they took some food, and then suddenly and all in a mass attempted with furious impetuosity to force the bastion, which is said to have been ill guarded, there being but four thousand regular infantry in Rome. In this attack, both sides behaved with great bravery, and were supposed to have lost about one thousand men, including the flower of the Spaniards. Bourbon, observing the slaughter and immense confusion, rushed on with all the lansquenets. The castle maintained a fire of artillery as they best could; but the air being obscured by a dense fog, they could not see the effect of it, and battered down a piece of wall.* Through it, and by storming the bastion, the Imperialists entered, and there Bourbon met his death from an arquebus-shot, which passed quite through his belly. The papal troops, unable to offer more resistance, fled towards the castle, into which most of them were admitted, especially those who arrived first. It is rumoured, but not confirmed, that the Lord Stefano Colonna, who commanded the guard at that bastion, capitulated. Next day, being Tuesday, the enemy, though within the town, made no aggressions, but proceeded cautiously, dreading some ambush. Having, however, assured themselves * This letter, though inaccurate in several details, the author writing at a distance from the events, affords curious evidence of the consternation generally occasioned by the sack of Rome. that there was no cause for mistrust, they began to spread over the city, and to plunder the monasteries, nunneries, and hospitals, with great slaughter of those found therein. The hospital of San Spirito was destroyed, and the patients were thrown into the Tiber, after which they commenced attacking the palaces of cardinals and gentlemen, with much bloodshed and cruelty; and I have been told this morning by Francesco, son of Battista Riceco, that one Maestro Jacomo, the first perfumer in Rome, is come to his house, having escaped with four other chance companions, whom, being a very old friend, he has thought it necessary to receive kindly in his house; and he learned from him as certain, having been witness to it, that the lansquenets, that inhuman and villanous race of Lutheran infidels, slew without mercy those of all ages, sexes, and conditions whom they found in the streets; also, that they attacked Cardinal Cesarini's palace, wherein were many Roman gentlemen, guarded by two hundred infantry; and having stormed it, put them all to the sword, it being uncertain if the Cardinal himself were there. Thence they proceeded to the Spanish Archbishop of Cosenza's palace, wherein were some five hundred of his countrymen, men of credit inhabiting Rome, who had retired thither as to a place of safety; but all, without exception, were cut to pieces. They next went to the house of Messer Domenico de' Massimi, a Roman gentleman, who had there his wife and two children, with many noble persons of the city of all ages, every individual of whom were slain-men, women, children, servants, maids; and it was the same in many others, whose names I do not remember, so that the dead bodies lie in heaps in the houses and palaces of the nobility, each day getting worse. Fancy the affliction of the poor ladies, seeing husbands, brothers, children massacred before their eyes, without the power of aiding them, and worse still, they were themselves killed next moment. It is not believed that had the Turk come on such an enterprise, his barbarity would have equalled that daily, continuously, and perseveringly practised by these ruffians. I cannot imagine a greater purgatory or hell than to hear the weeping and lamentation there must be in that afflicted city. But I forgot that he told me they were barricading the Marchioness of Mantua's palace, as he left Rome, in which were her Excellency, with many Roman ladies, who had fled there as to an asylum, but the result was not known. He also said that the Bande nere of the late Lord Giovanni de' Medici were to have from the Pope double pay for their services, which his Holiness refusing, a part of them remained in Rome, and the rest went off in disgust and joined the Spaniards in plundering, being the foremost to assault that bastion which was defended by their comrades, and having, in fact, secured the Imperialists their victory, as without them neither the lansquenets nor Spaniards had ever got into the city. The Pope is in the castle, with many cardinals and other persons of station they are said to have a year's provisions, with ample ammunition and artillery. This Maestro Giacomo says he heard that the Imperialists, dubious of succours, thought of fortifying the bridges, with the intention of |