THE SCARLET GOWN, Or the HISTORY Of all the preſent CARDINALS OF ROME.
Wherein is ſet forth the LIFE, BIRTH, Intereſt, Poſſibility, rich Offices, Dignities, and charges of every Cardinal now living.
Alſo their Merits, Vertues, and Vices; Together with the cariage of the POPE and Court of ROME.
Written originally in Italian, and tranſlated into Engliſh by H. C. Gent.
LONDON, Printed for Humphrey Moſeley, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the Prince's Armes in St Pauls Church-yard. 1653.
A CARDINAL in his HABIT as hee sitts in the CONSISTORY.
THis ſmall Treatiſe, which I have preſumed to recommend unto the world under your Honours Patronage, beſides the noveltie of the ſubject, ſo little, or not at all touched upon in any Booke, at leaſtwiſe that I have ſeen, ſpeaking our Tongue, cannot be but well received, as I conceive, by all ſuch as any way pretend to the knowledge of forraigne affaires, both for that it treates of ſo principall and active a body and ſociety of men, as that of the Colledge of Cadinalls, Princes Fellowes, as they are reputed, and the greate Councell, and Conſiſtory of that myſterious Head, the Pope of Rome; as alſo becauſe it diſcovers many particularities of the practique as wel in the elections of the ſaid Cardinalls, as likewiſe of their ſeverall intereſts, and hopes they may conceive to themſelves of arriving one day at Peters Chaire; and alſo what kind of Pope each of them is like to prove, in caſe he ſhould attaine to that honour. Moreover I make no queſtion but that it will be a very pleaſing thing to moſt men, to have ſuch a lively character by them, as my Author bere gives, of every one of thoſe Archpoliticians, and Councellors, who have ſuch an influence into all the debates and reſults of that pragmatique Superintendent Court, and Conſiſtory: which Lords and Lawes it, or would willingly doe ſo, over the whole world. Of no leſſe ſatisfaction too, ſuppoſe I, it will bee to ſee ſo clearely chalked out all the ſeverall applications of all the Popiſh Princes and States, eſpecially of the two great Kings of France and Spaine, by their Miniſters, ever Ledger about this Court, to the moſt politique, and powerfull of theſe Cardinals; out-vying each other in the offer of penſions, or indeavoring by the gift of ſpirituall dignities and preferments unto them, to inſure and ingage them as much as poſſible they may, to the eſpouſing the intereſts of that Crown, for which they ſerve; and yet what poore hold notwithſtanding, either of theſe Princes hath of them; and how apt they are upon very ſlight motives to range themſelves on the quite contrary faction, is a matter not unworthy of obſervation. Theſe and ſeverall other Remarques touching the now Cardinalls, the Pope at this day regnant, and his particular family, are preſented in this little Tract, which, I would willingly make my ſelfe beleeve, will bee as delightfull to the judicious, as it was pleaſing to mee in the tranſlating thereof. As for common and perfunctory Readers, I ſhall ſay as Antimachus Clarius ſaid, when in the very interim, as he was reciting a peece which hee had made, all but Plato left him, unus mihi Plato inſtar multorum; for, ſo as your Honour be pleaſed to approve of, and favorablely receive it, the paines I have taken therein are abundantly ſatisfied, what reception ſoever it may finde of others; as having attained the maine end I propoſed to my ſelfe in the publiſhing of it; which was, that it might be as acceptable to your Lordſhip, as it is heartily deſired it ſhould bee, by him, who in all himble affection is,
THE Prince Giovanni Carlo de Medici is Brother to the great Duke of Toſcan, and Nephew to the Cardinal Carlo de Med ci, at this day called the Cardinal of Toſcan. He was promoted by Innocent the tenth in the firſt Promotion, together with his Holyneſs Nephew, at the inſtance of the great Duke, and the Cardinal aforeſaid. He is a Prince of no mean Underſtanding, and an expert Souldier,2 but more at Sea than on Land, becauſe he was for ſome time imployed in the charge of Generaliſſimo at Sea, commanding the Catholique Fleets; for which cauſe he alwaies hath been, and will be, moſt devoted to the Houſe of Auſtria; beſides the open profeſſion all his Houſe makes thereof, which live under the protection of that Crown. He is a jovial Lord, and loves Women a little too much. He is by nature Covetous, nothing Bountifull, but rather Niggardly. All the Houſe of Medici is no great friend of the Family of the Barbarini, for divers publique, and private cauſes, and in particular for the War made with thoſe Princes, to all the world known.
DOmenico Cecchini, a Roman Gentleman, about fifty three years of age: He hath been long a Prelate, and alwayes held good correſpondence with the Cardinal Pamphilio, who coming to be Pope promoted him joyntly, though he did not3 name him in the firſt Promotion; but he was the firſt named in the ſecond. Before he was Cardinal, his Holyneſs conferred upon him the charge of Datarie Apoſtolical; an Office verily of great profit, which he exerciſes ſtill now that he is Cardinal. He is a Learned man, and well verſt in the matters of the Court. It is ſaid, that this Cardinal was promoted by his Holyneſs, to gratifie him for ſome ſervices he had done him in divers occurrences, and particularly in the ſute depending between the Marqueſs Giuſtiniano, and his Father; for that he had twice pronounced Sentence in favour of the Marqueſs, Nephew to his Holyneſs; beſides ſeveral other cauſes, for which he merited the Popes grace. This perſonage is old, but not enough for the Papacy. He is a man Affable, Prudent, and repleat with Virtuous qualities. In the time of his Prelateſhip he was alwaies accounted Juſt, no notable defect being known in him. When he was young he took ſome recreation, but without ſcandal; howbeit now that he is Cardinal, he ſhews himſelf more laſcivious, although he thinks his ſecrets & intelligences are not penetrated into, whilſt he is very much pleaſed with women. He4 pretends enough unto the Papacy, is well looked upon in the Court, being loved, and reverenced of all, and maintains himſelf neutral.
NIcolò Albergati of the Bologneſe Nobility, forty years of age: He was Archbiſhop of Bologna, which dignity was reſigned unto him in the beginning of the Papacy of Innocent the tenth by the Cardinal Colonna, being ſo charged with Penſions, that of the great Revenues of that Church the poor Lord could hardly receive two thouſand Crowns a year. The Prince Lodoviſio, who took to Wife the Popes Niepce, was deſirous to have a Cardinal in his Houſe for the new raiſing up the memory of his decayed Family; but becauſe he had no Brothers, nor other Kinſmen, he beſought his Holyneſs to grant him the grace to make the ſayd Nicolò Albergati, his Couſen by a Feminine line, Cardinal, and with a Brieve declare him Brother to his Excellency, upon condition that he ſhould call himſelf the Cardinal5 Lodiviſio, as accordingly his Holyneſs vouchſafed to gratifie him. The ſaid Prince is ſince dead without Heirs, ſo that the Lodoviſian Family remains extinct. The Cardinal aforeſaid is very poor, and therefore is now relieved, and lodged, as the Prince's Brother, in his houſe. When as he was going to the reſidence of his Church, the Pope ordained him to paſs by Florence, with the title of Legat Apoſtolical, and there in the name of his Holyneſs to Chriſten a Son that was born to the great Duke; in which voyage he was by him ſumptuouſly entertained, and afterwards, at his departure from that City, he was by his Highneſs preſented with very fair, and rich Hangings of Tapeſtry; and his ſervants alſo with great gifts; but when his Eminencie would in ſome ſort have recompenced the ſame to his Highneſs Courtiers, they were expreſly forbidden by him from taking of any thing. This Cardinal is of great underſtanding, rarely qualified, and of an holy converſation, never omitting any Function which is to be performed by him in his Church; and being of an Exemplary life, he is much eſteeemed of by all the City. I am perſwaded, that he will continually6 maintain himſelf in that conceit, which he hath at this preſent, that at length he may become Pope; and that happning, he would make the Church happy. He is affected to the Crown of Spain, for that the Prince Lodoviſio was much intereſſed with that Majeſty, in regard all his Eſtate lay in the Kingdome of Naples. The French will much oppoſe him for divers reſpects; the chief are, becauſe he is of the Spaniſh Faction; and that which is of greater conſequence, for that the ſaid French have deprived the Prince Lodoviſio his Brother, of the Principality of Piombino, which his Excellency bought of King Philip the fourth for the ſumme of five hundred thouſand Crowns; and now it is ſaid, that they will confer it on the Father of the Cardinal Mazarino.
HOratio Giuſtiniano, ſeventy yeares of age, and Father of the Congregation of the Lord Philippo Neri: He is by birth a Genoueſe, and Couſen to the deceaſed Marqueſs, Giuſtiniano, whom he perſwaded to make the preſent Prince his heir, at ſuch time as he ſerved him in the place of his Chamberlain, though he were far from that Line, ſeeing the Prince is a native of Sicilia, and the deceaſed Marqueſs was a Genoueſe. In the beginning of the Papacy of Innocent the tenth, it was held for an undoubted matter of every one, that the Prince would demand the Scarlet Gown, either for his Father, or his Brother; howbeit they were not onely not promoted, but by an Order, ore tenus, of his Holyneſs, they were baniſhed from Rome, with a Declaration that they ſhould return into Sicilia, their country: And what was the occaſion of theſe motives could not be truly penetrated into; but for ſo much as I can underſtand, it was, becauſe the Father of the ſaid Prince having cōmenced a8 ſute againſt his Son, upon pretence that he was to adminiſter the goods which the Marqueſs had left behind him, againſt the will of his Holyneſs, who, in the time when he was Cardinal, had with reiterated inſtances prayed him to deſiſt from his pretenſion, but with much arrogance he went peeviſhly on in his obſtinate purpoſe. The Prince, as it is ſayd, out of his gratitude to his benefactors, demanded the Scarlet Gown for Giuſtiniano, who had beſides been an intimate friend of his Holyneſs whilſt he was Cardinal. He is a man old in years, of good converſation, affable of acceſs, and of an exemplary life, but of mean underſtanding, and pretends not much to the Papacy; wherefore he declares not himſelf of any Faction, remaining independent and neutral. He ſeldom cuts his Beard, it may be for that he would ſeem older than he is. He is a poor Cardinal, having nothing elſe, than that his poor Patrimony, which he enjoyes in his Congregation, and what he comes to be ſupplyed with by his Holyneſs. He is Biſhop of Nocera in Umbria. He would not be any good Pope, either for the poor, or for the people, ſince, as a Genoueſe, he would encreaſe Taxes and Impoſitions. This9 Cardinal is not much favoured in the ſacred College; and although he ſhews himſelf neutral, yet is he inwardly much devoted to the Catholique King, but outwardly is French. Our holy Father hath declared him grand Penitentiary.
CIbò, thirty five years of age: He was a Prelate, and Sonne to the Prince of Maſſa & Canara, and as ſoon as the Cardinal Pamphilio was made Pope, his Holyneſs declared him Steward of the Apoſtolical Palace; and becauſe the ſaid Cibò his Palace was near unto that of his Holynes, he made him a liberal tender thereof, to the end he might enlarge it with his, but the Pope refuſed to accept of it as a gift, but took it by way of ſale; the rather, becauſe that Palace was ſubject to a ſtrict Feoffment in truſt. The ſaid Cibò held great correſpondence of friendſhip and confidence with the aboveſaid Pamphilio, who knowing his merit, did in contemplation of Innocent the eighth, of the moſt noble Family of the10 Cibòes in Genoua, that was the original of the greatneſs of the Pamphilian. Houſe, by exalting that Family unto Eccleſiaſtical dignities and Prelatures, promote him the ſayd Cibò to the Scarlet Gown; and for that cauſe alſo took upon him the name of Innocent the tenth. This young Cardinal is of much integrity, virtue, and goodneſs of life. He hath in all the time of his Prelateſhip alwayes imitated the behaviour and carriage of the Cardinal Pamphilio, retiring himſelf not onely from univerſal commerce, but alſo from that of Prelates, except it be in urgent occaſions. He is by nature Studious, and little given to Mirth, but is much delighted with hearing of Muſique. He is devoted to the Houſe of Auſtria, for that his Progenitors lived under the protection of that Crown. He is loved, and well regarded, as well by the Pope, as by all the ſacred College. He pretends enough to the Papacy, for which end, it is believed, he lives ſo retired.
PIer Luigi Caraffa was by Urban the eighth made Biſhop of Tricario in Rego; and afterwards by the ſame Pope ſent Nuntio into Germany, and to Liege in Elanders; at which time Sachetti, the Biſhop of Gravina, was by him alſo ſent into Spain, with a purpoſe to promote both of them to the Scarlet Gown; but at the inſtance of the Colonneſi, Caraffa remained excluded, Sachetti being onely promoted: And after he had abode a long time in that his employment of Nuntio he was recalled to the Court, where the poor Lord thought to receive the due reward of his labours; And being arrived at Rome, after his continuance there ſome weeks, he reſolved cunningly to try his fortune, by craving leave, as he did, to go unto his Reſidence, to the end that by the anſwer the Pope ſhould give him, he might conjecture what his good, or bad diſpoſition was towards him, and ſo might afterwards direct his life accordingly: But Urban, not onely gave him his benediction with both hands, but〈…〉12ſayd unto him, My Lord, goe the more cheerfully, becauſe we will not forget your deſerts; Which Caraffa hearing, abſented himſelf from the Court, and arriving at his Reſidence, he never went from it, untill his Holyneſs, after ſome ten or eleven years paſt of his Papacy, cauſed him to be called to the Court in the year 1642. ſo as all the world was perſwaded, that it was to promote him unto the Scarlet Gown; but being arrived there, it was publiſhed, that he was come to viſit the Temple of the Apoſtles; and not called by his Holyneſs; and the occaſion thereof was, becauſe the Colonneſi, foreſeeing that the Scarlet Gown was deſigned for him, upon his arrival, returned anew to preſs the Pope, that he ſhould not promote him; and among the reſt Donna Anna Barbarina, Wife to Don Tadeo, went unto him, and with reiterated prayers, and much weeping, perſwaded Urban not to make him Cardinal, as indeed he did not. But Urban himſelf repented him of it, for he was heard one day to utter theſe preciſe words, God forgive him, who was the cauſe, that I did not make Pier Luigi Caraffa Cardinal; and this he ſayd many times, according to report: howſoever he was fain to goe away from Rome,13 as he came: but Innocent the tenth, when as in the ſecond Promotion he promoted his Nephew, gave him the Scarlet Gown, becauſe he knew him worthy of that dignity; and Caraffa himſelf expected it from his hands, as ſoon as he heard of his Holyneſs aſſumption to the Papacy; for he well remembred theſe words which he ſpake to him, when as in the time of Urban he was departing towards the Reſidence of his Church; My Lord, it grieves me much, that your Lordſhip goes from Court with ſo little ſatisfaction, not having received the deſerved reward of your labours. Unto whom Caraffa anſwered, I will pray our Lord God, that he will make me worthy to receive it from your hands; to this Pamphilio replyed, I have no ſuch pretenſion, but be aſſured if it ſhould happen to be ſo, you ſhall be one of the firſt I will think upon; as indeed it fell out; for after the promotion of his Nephew, he was the next that he gave the Hat unto, being at that time in his biſhoprick of Tricaria: and beſides his Merits, there was a certain obligation of kindred between them; for whilſt Innocent was a Prelate, and Nuntio at Naples, having brought along with him thither all his Family, together with his brother and his wife, his Nephew, called Camillo Pamphilio,14 the now Husband of the Princeſs Roſſano, was born in the ſayd city of Naples, and the Prince Don Tiberio Caraffa, this Cardinals brother, was his Godfather. This perſon is moſt deſerving, both for his own good qualities, and the ſervices he hath done to the Apoſtolick Sea. He is exceeding well verſt in all matters of the Conſiſtories and Congregations; his Votes are held in great eſteem, and the Pope makes much account of him; ſo doth the ſacred College, and every one elſe. He is a man of approved goodneſs of life, and hath alwayes ſhunned converſations for the avoyding of ſcandals; he ſeeks, as much as may be, to live retired, devoutly reverencing God, and making all his Family to doe the like; and it is held for certain, by them which know him, that he is ſtill a Virgin. This Cardinal hath in the ſacred College no Enemies, either ſecret or open, unleſs it be the Colonneſi, who, as before, would not have had him Cardinal, ſo doe they not now for certain deſire he ſhould riſe to the Papacy, but will uſe all their force and power to keep him from it. He would be a good Pope, for the benefit, not onely of the Roman Church, but of all Chriſtendome. He15 hath many, and divers Nephews, but the moſt beloved, and neareſt to him, are the Sonnes of the Count Celano, of the Houſe of Piccolomini; and thoſe of the Marqueſs of Anſé: Howbeit if ever he ſhould come to be Pope, Teatino would be the reigning Cardinal, unto whom he hath reſigned the Biſhoprick of Tricario; a man Learned, of good Life, and great Authority. The Prince of Biſignano, Don Tiberio Caraffa, his Brother, is Knight of the Golden-Fleece. He is curteous, affable, of an exemplary life, and very charitable, ſo that for his noble qualities he is well looked upon, and univerſally beloved of all the City of Naples, which calls him Pater Patriae, for that he favours the poor ſo much.
FEderico Sforza, four and forty years of age, a Roman Nobleman, and Brother to the Duke of that Surname. He was a Prelate in the College of the participating Protonotaries in the time of Urban, and had no other imployment than to be16 Vice-Legat in Avignon, being ſent thither by the Cardinal Antonio the Legat, with an intent to promote him alſo to the Cardinalſhip, but it did not follow for ſome private intereſts. Innocent the tenth, for that he would not ſee a Houſe ſo renowned, and ſo well affected unto him, to be without the Scarlet Gown, made him Cardinal. He is a man of good underſtanding, but not very rich, and therefore ſomewhat miſerable. His Holyneſs after the flight of the Cardinal Antonio made him Vicechamberlain of the holy Church. He is a jovial Lord, loves Comedies and Feaſts; and in particular when he was a Prelate, he delighted much in company. His Inclination is French for two reaſons; the firſt, becauſe he was Vice-Legat at Avignon; and the ſecond, for that there is continually ſeen in his Palace great ſtore of French; but he ſeems to be neutral, except it be for the Pope: Others ſay, that he will become Spaniſh, in regard of the feudes, and eſtates, which Duke Sforza, his brother, poſſeſſeth in the State of Milan; being lately too left heir of many Gaſtles by the death of a Milaneſe Lord, his Kinſman. He is no great friend of Cardinal Antonio, becauſe he cauſed17 him, upon hope of making him Cardinal; to ſell him at a very low rate the Palace of Sforza's Court, ſince called Cardinal Antonio's; but being afterwards given by the ſaid Antonio to the Queen of France, it is now named the Royal Palace, where the Ambaſſador of the moſt Chriſtian King reſides; and where alſo the Princes and Lords that come out of France doe uſually lodge.
TIberio Cenci, a Roman, fifty five years old; he was a Biſhop, and promoted to the Scarlet Gown at the inſtance of the Prince Borgheſe, Nephew to Paul the fifth, as the neareſt of his Kinſmen that was capable of that dignity, for that there was none other of the houſe of Borgheſe which was fit, and of age to receive the Hat. He was poor, and therefore was aſſiſted with a good ſum of money by the ſayd Prince, who offered him for his habitation the lodgings of the Cardinal Borgheſe in his own Palace; but he was thanked by Cenci,18 without accepting thereof, ſaying, that he would make uſe of his favour upon occaſion; nevertheleſs the ſaid Prince beſtowed on him ſeveral ſuits of Tapeſtry hangings, and furnitures for chambers. The ſayd Cenci is Nephew to Cardinal Lanti, in whoſe houſe he remained ſome time after he had reeeived the Scarlet Gown, but now he is removed into the houſe where Cardinal Pio dwelt, in the Ceſarinies ſtreet. He is a perſon capable of being Pope, of ſome value, and well looked upon by the Court, but he is of no credit with the Princes, though he be a good man, as having been a long time exerciſed in the Congregation of the Lord Philippo Neri in the new Church. He hath no defect in him, and if he ſhould live to a Conclave, he might likewiſe pretend to the Papacy, and the great Duke of Toſcan would ayd him much, in regard he is the Kinſman of his Kinſmen; but I am perſwaded, that whoſoever ſhall goe about to raiſe him, will labour in vain, for that the memory is yet freſh of that cruell and infamous ſucceſs happening unto the Houſe of the Cenci, which I will not leave unrecounted. There were three children of the ſayd Houſe, one Daughter and two Sons, moſt19 noble Romans: whoſe Father being very rich, and well ſtricken in years, was ſo wretchedly covetous that he would allow his Sons in a manner nothing, nor marry his Daughter; who for her beauty was much deſired, & ſued unto by the beſt Nobility of Rome, becauſe he would not part with money. This old man too was ſomewhat crackt brain'd, ſo that he would oftentimes play many odde pranks; in regard whereof the Daughter one day calling her Nurſe, ſayd unto her, that they ſhould doe well to take her Father, and throw him out of the window, for ſo he being dead they ſhould be maſters of all. The Nurſe, together with one of the Sons, gave conſent to her motion, and having accordingly put it in execution, they fell a weeping & crying out as ſoon as the deed was done, that the old man in one of his frantick fits had caſt himſelf out of the window. This comming to the ears of the Magiſtrates, they were all three, together with the younger Son, committed to priſon; and diligent inquiſition being made on the body of the deceaſed, to ſee whither by force he had been thrown out by others, or that he had precipitated himſelf, there were ſignes found ſufficient to20 put the delinquents to torture. Whereupon being examined, and comming to be rack'd, the young mayd, that was ſome ſixteen years of age, ſuddenly confeſſed ever thing, which being acknowledged by the other two, they were condemned to death; and afterwards being brought to to the place of execution, the Maid and her Brother were both beheaded; and the other brother, that was in a manner but a child, and not reputed any way guilty, was onely made to ſtand under the Scaffold all the while. Now in regard of all this, I ſhould think it a ſtrange matter that ever this Cardinal ſhould attain to the Papacy: howſoever he is a man affable, courteous in his dealings, and of a good diſpoſition. He hath not declared himſelf of any party, but profeſſeth to be neutral.
BEnedetto Odeſchalco, a Nobleman of the City of Milan, 45 years of age; he was a rich Prelate, and a long time courted Barbarino, out of a deſire he had to be Clerk of the Chamber; which Don Barbarino promiſed unto him, having to that effect received the money for it before hand; yet for all that he could never obtain his intent. But after the death of Urban, he fell to courting the Lady Olimpia, Siſter-in-law to his Holyneſs, who reigneth at this preſent; and having divers times preſented her with gifts, he at length got into her favour, and in particular by an action uſed by him, which is worthy to be noted; and it was this. Going one day, about the beginning of the Aſſumption of Innocent the tenth, to the houſe of the ſaid Lady Olimvia, a Goldſmith came and ſhewed her a Cupbord of very fair Plate to ſell; which ſhe having viewed very well, in the preſence of the ſaid Odeſchalco, and other Lords, ſhe ſaid, that it was a curious and goodly Cupbord of Plate, but that ſhe was22 a poor Widdow, and was not able to buy it; and ſaying ſo, paſt into her chamber. Whereupon Odeſchalco calling the Goldſmith unto him, asked him what the price of it was; and being agreed, he paid him down eight thouſand Crowns for it; then, without ſaying any thing elſe, he ſent it in as a preſent from him to the ſaid Lady Olimpia: who ſeeing ſo noble a gift, was ſo taken with it, that ſhe went to the Pope, and begged of him for Odeſchalco not only the Clerkſhip of the Chamber, but afterwards alſo the Scarlet Gown. This Cardinal is of mean underſtanding, and though he hath ſpent much, yet he is rich, ſplendid, affable in his ſpeech, and well affected to all the Pamphilian Houſe. Whilſt he was a Prelate he was much given to Sports, Comedies, and Feaſts; now he abſtains both from common commerce, and converſation. He is a vaſſal to the Catholique King, and therefore will be alwaies of the Auſtrian Faction, unleſs it bee when his Country ſhall change its Maſter.
Innocent the tenth hath in theſe Promotions created eleven Cardinals, and two Hats remained vacant; but by the death of the Cardinal Borgia in Spain, of the23 Cardinal Capucino in Rome, and alſo of the Cardinal Farneſe, there comes to be five Hats vacant in the ſacred Colledge.
FAbritio Savelli, a Roman, and the ſon of Prince Savelli, Ambaſſacor in this Court for the Emperors Majeſty. He is old in years, having ſerved in the Wars of Germany with the title of General: He hath been oftentimes made a priſoner by the Switzers, and the laſt time that he was ſo, he corrupted his guard, and fled together with them to Rome; where rewarding them, he gave them a houſe and means to live withall. In the time of the War that Urban the eighth waged againſt the Princes of Italy, he was declared General of the Army that oppoſed the great Duke of Toſcan, wherein he carryed himſelf ſomewhat ſlackly, for that he might have damnified the enemy, and did it not; the reaſon of it was, becauſe he conſidered the decrepit age of Urban, and the little time that he was likely to live; ſo that he held24 it no wiſdom to make ſo potent a Prince, as he was, his enemy; wherefore he was called home from the Camp, and Don Taeo Barbarino, his Holyneſs Nephew, was ſent thither as Generaliſſimo. This Family, both for the Antiquity and Nobility of it, enjoyes divers prerogatives and priviledges; amongſt the which one is, that in the time of the vacancy of the Apoſtolick Sea, he keeps the Keyes of the Conclave, and may for the guard of his perſon raiſe ſouldiers at the charge of the Chamber, ſo far forth as need ſhall require: And he may alſo execute Juſtice on the lives, not only of private men, but likewiſe of thoſe of quality; and in that of Urban the eighth, he committed to priſon certain Regiſters, that by ſecret waies carried Letters into the Conclave to ſome Cardinals; and, it is ſaid, that he ſent them afterwards into the Galleys, having alſo threatned to hang them: Signior Giulca Donati, Auditor to Cardinal Antonio, was beheaded in the Caſtle of St. Angelo, for going about without leave to ſpeak with the ſaid Cardinal his Maſter; and to that effect are Gallows erected in St. Peters Piatza. This Family hath had two Popes, and a great many Cardinals; and it was25 verily beleeved, a little before Urban the eighths death, that the deceaſed Cardinal Savelli would have been Pope, becauſe he was a man of an approved good life, charitable, and indued with all the qualities appertaining to an high Biſhop; and it was the rather ſo beleeved, for that in certain mountainous places, as one goes towards the Sea-ſhore of Siena, there was a Marble ſtone found with an Epitaph upon it, which ſaid, that in the year 1645. there ſhould be a Pope of the houſe of Savelli, and in the very ſame ſtone were the armes of Savelli engraven. This Fabritio, whilſt his Uncle the Cardinal lived, was called the Abbot Savelli; but his ſaid Uncle being Arch-biſhop of Salerno, obtained leave to reſign his Arch-biſhoprick, to the end it might be conferred on his ſaid Nephew Fabritio, as accordingly it was; and going afterwards to his Reſidence there, he carried himſelf in ſuch ſort, as he was well regarded by the people of that place: In proceſs of time he began to grow ſo covetous, and deſirous of gain, that he would not have ſtuck to have made away half a ſcore men for money. It is not many moneths ſince he returned to the Court, where he abode till ſuch time as he was26 promoted; for Innocent being as ardent in raiſing the Roman Nobility, as Urban was intent in depreſſing it, he held it inconvenient, that ſo renowned a Houſe ſhould remain deprived of thoſe honors, with which in times paſt they alwaies ſuperabounded; wherefore his Holyneſs made this Fabritio a Cardinal; who is a man of good converſation, amiable, gratefull, and very underſtanding; but with all he is proud, making little account of other Families. Theſe Savelli are altogether Auſtrian, and are of near of kin to the Cardinal Montalto, whoſe heirs they ſhall be after his deceaſe; they are alſo allyed to the Orſini and Ceſarini. This Cardinal is no great friend to the Ambaſſador of France, who affronted him by denying him audience, becauſe he went firſt to viſit the Ambaſſador of Spain.
FRanceſco Cherubino da monte Bodio nella Marca; this man came privately to Rome, and ſerved the Cardinal Pamphilio, at this preſent Pope; a long time, with great ſatisfaction to his Holyneſs: afterwards finding himſelf able for it, he put himſelf into the Prelacie, and having exerciſed divers charges in the Eccleſiaſtical ſtate, it fortuned that Don Pamphilio was made Pope, who out of gratitude to reward him, received him anew into his ſervice in the Apoſtolical Palace, and declared him his ſecret Auditor: After ſome time of reſidence in the Apoſtolical Palace, he was promoted to the dignity of Cardinal, with five others. This perſon is a man of ripe years, prudent, and affable; divers will have him to be ſomewhat a kin to his Holyneſs. He hath great Penſions, is of a good diſpoſition, and a friend to the poor: He is not much for the Princes, becauſe he is a private man, but if he live, his Holyneſs, no doubt will confer on him ſome Apoſtolical, or Provincial28 Legateſhip, to the end he may give a proof of his abilities.
CHriſtoffero Vidman, a native of the City of Venice; ſome will have him deſcended of baſe parentage; and the truth is, his Anceſtors were but mean perſons, that in Venice made profeſſion of Merchants Factors, who in proceſs of time attaining to ſome wealth, began to trade in Merchandiſe themſelves; whereby Giovanni Vidman, the Father of the now reigning Sons, got no ordinary riches, in ſuch ſort as he bought divers Caſtles and Lands in Carinthia and Ortenburg: His Sons were in number five, that is, Giovanni Paolo, which is dead, Lodovico, Martin, David, and Chriſtofforo, the preſent Cardinal; who together with his brother David came to Rome in the time of Urban, where Chriſtoffero, putting himſelf into the Prelacy, bought the Clerk of the Chambers place, and ſo began to make ſhew of the Talent29 which God had given him. Afterwards the Auditor of the ſame Chambers place being voyd, by Urbans promoting him that enjoyed it to the Scarlet Gown, the ſaid Chriſtofforo received that charge alſo, upon paying the uſual price for it. But within a while Urban the eighth dyed, and Pamphilio, Innocent the tenth, was created Pope: who ſeeing the want the Chamber was in, ſupplyed it after the wonted manner, by ſelling the Offices of the Clerk and Auditor of the Apoſtolical Chamber, which Vidman poſſeſſed, who was therefore promoted to the Scarlet Gown, together with the Lord Raggi, Treaſurer General of the holy Church, and four other perſons, the ſeventh of October in the year 1647. This Cardinal is of a goodly preſence, of a luſty complexion, young, and one that loves the world. His Brother David is of the ſame condition he is of, delighting in Sports, Comedies, and Feaſts, and that not without Women. They are now Gentlemen of Venice, to which Nobilitie they attained by paying down an hundred thouſand Duckats for it, according to the Decree made by that Republique in the time of their neceſſities, occaſioned by their War againſt the Turk. 30This Cardinal is of a good diſpoſition, merry, facetious, amiable, friendly, and courteous, reſpecting every one, and honouring them that honour him; he is alſo very ſplendid, ſo that he may well be ſaid to be derived of the noble German and Venetian Nation.
LOrenzo Raggi, a Nobleman of Genoua of the new Nobility, Nephew to the deceaſed Cardinal of the ſame ſurname; which deceaſed Cardinal putting himſelf into the Prelacie in the time of Urban the eighth, bought the place of Clerk of the Chamber, as alſo that afterwards of Auditor of the ſame: And becauſe he was not onely ſimple, but altogether ignorant, he was every where known to be ſuch; for he never imployed himſelf in any other thing but in giving publique audience pro forma: His ignorance was openly diſcovered in all occaſions, and in particular in a ſute depending before him, where the Proctor of the one ſide, deſiring to defend31 his Clients cauſe, found that the Auditor Raggi adhered to the adverſe party, and therefore began to demonſtrate unto his honourable Lordſhip many lively reaſons for the maintainance thereof, alledging divers Authors, and in particular ſaid, that the Codice in ſuch a Law made good his Plea. My Lord Raggi, in regard that which the Proctor affirmed was prejudicial to the party he favoured, conceived according to his ignorant opinion, that the Codice was ſome witneſs to be produced in judgement, and therefore ſaid unto the Proctor theſe preciſe words, I will throughly chaſtiſe this Codice; and then demanded of him where he was, becauſe he would have him apprehended and ſent to the Gallyes. The Proctor anſwered that he was to be found in his Clients Advocates houſe; whereupon he commanded a Notary to ſend ſome Officers along with the Proctor to the ſaid Advocates houſe, to apprehend the Codice; which being accordingly performed, the Codice was delivered unto them, who thought it was ſome prohibited book, and that therefore they were ordered to ſeize upon it; ſo they carried it to my Lord Raggi, who was then Auditor of the Chamber;32 and the Proctor being arrived there with them, opened the book, and found out the Law by him before cited; which Raggi ſeeing, remained like a ſtatue, quite beſides himſelf. Now the ſport and paſtime that was made of this matter throughout the City came to the eares of Urban the eighth, who was ready to burſt with laughing at it. Another time it hapned, that another Proctor came before him to defend another cauſe at his houſe, which was juſt oppoſite to the Capranick College, where were divers mad wags, who as often as they ſaw him look out of his window, cryed out, Bragone, bragone, that is, great breeches or ſlops; ſo that after he was made Cardinal, the common people ever after called him, as they had done, Bragone. Now whilſt the Proctor was attentive in pleading of his cauſe, he anſwered the Scholars of the ſaid Colledge, ſaying, the Galleys, the Galleys. The Proctor beleeving that he ſpake in that manner againſt his Client, anſwered, My honorable Lord, the poor man, my Client, deſerves not the puniſhment of the Galleys; but in the mean time Raggi, ſeeing thoſe too inſolent Scholars continue on ſtill mocking him, cryed out with a loud voice, Not the33 Galleys, but the Gallows; which the Proctor hearing, ſaid, as it were vext, My Lord, ſince you will needs ſend to the Galleys, and hang one that no waies deſerves it, you may doe as you pleaſe; and ſo went away from him. Before he was made Cardinal, he cauſed a Cardinals garments to be made for him, and putting them on, he walked up and down his houſe, and asked of his friends how they became him, and whether he did not walk gravely enough in them: And out of the great deſire he had to be a Cardinal, he went one day to the Pope, who loved him for his harmleſs ſimplicity, and after he had kiſſed his foot, he ſaid, Holy Father, make me a Cardinal, and ſo give ſatisfaction to the poor old man my Father. After he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown, he went to thank his Holyneſs, and imbracing him ſaid, I cannot chuſe but hugge and kiſs you, for joy that you have made me a Cardinal. Pope Urban the eighth delighted ſo much in this man, as can hardly be expreſt, the truth whereof doth appear by the effects; for he not onely made him a Cardinal, but alſo at his inſtance gave the Treaſurorſhip General to Lorenzo Raggi, his Nephew; unto whom, for a cloſing up of all other his extravagancies, he ſaid34 openly; Nephew, if you will arrive unto that which I have attained unto, you muſt labour to carry your ſelf, and do as I have done. Whereat, not onely all the ſtanders by, but even his Nephew himſelf, could not forbear laughing. Not long after the Treaſurorſhip was conferred on Lorenzo, the Cardinal his Uncle died, and made his Brother, the Marqueſſe Raggi, his heir; for which cauſe there hath been a good while ſome diſtaſt between the two brothers, the Treaſuror and the Marqueſs. The ſaid Lorenzo Raggi was in the time of Urban Superintendant of the Impoſitions laid upon the State Eccleſiaſtical; during which charge of his, there fell out many diſorders; for in the Barbarini War, the Souldiers could not have their pay; ſo that two dayes after Innocent the tenth was aſſumed to the Papacy, thoſe Souldiers that were appointed for the guard of the Conclave began to mutinie, becauſe his Holyneſs having ordained that every one of them ſhould have four moneths pay, and ſo be diſmiſſed, Raggi would give them but two; wherewith they being very much incenſed, fell furiouſly to aſſaulting the houſe he was in, which they ſacked, and plundered all the money they found in it;35 chaſing the ſaid Raggi into Don Tadeos Palace, where he ſhut up himſelf for fear of his life; but the ſouldiers beſieged him in it, and were bringing two peeces of Cannon to beat down the gates, had not Innocent the tenth, newly elected, with his prudence given remedy thereunto. Howſoever his Holyneſs was much offended with him for this buſineſs, and every body thought, that he would have deprived him of his charge, and made him reſign up his Treaſurors place; but afterwards, at the interceſſion of divers perſons, the matter went no further, and in the end he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown in the ſecret conſiſtory of the fourth of October 1647. This Cardinal is young, about ſome five and twenty years of age, and of a good converſation, but ambitious, and covetous: He is not over-learned, nor ignorant, but holds the mean betwixt both.
FRanceſco Maidalchini, a native of the City of Viterbo, and Nephew by her Brother to the Lady Olimpia, the Siſter-inlaw of Pope Innocent the tenth. This Cardinal was a youth void of all manner of converſation, not being able to carry himſelf with any civility; and therefore he was kept in a Colledge, to learn not onely humane letters, but alſo good manners. Suddenly, upon the making of Innocent the tenth Pope, the Lady Donna Olimpia, his Aunt, procured an Abbots place for him; with which he lived reaſonably well, but altogether unknown to the world. Afterwards, the Lord Camillo Pamphilio, Sonne to the ſame Lady Donna Olimpia, and the Popes onely Nephew, being promoted to the Scarlet Gown, it hapned, that by the death of the Prince Don Paolo Borgheſe, the Lady Donna Olimpia Aldobrandina, Princeſs of Roſſana, his Wife, became a Widdow, with whoſe beauty and riches the Cardinal Pamphilio was ſo taken, as he abandoned the Scarlet Gown, and married her. 37But the poor Prince Don Camillo was much troubled thereupon, for that by the Papal Buls it was ordered, that the Cardinals which renounced their Hats, and took Wives, ſhould not enter into the Roman Court for a certain prefixed time of ſome moneths: Howbeit he obeyed, in hope he ſhould obtain of the Pope his Uncle a diſpenſation for his return unto the Court. But Donna Olimpia, his Mother, conſidering, that if he and his Wife ſhould come to abide in the Court, the authority and power which ſhe had with the Pope might be diſturbed, laboured with all her indeavour to keep the Pope from permitting their return thither; ſaying, that it was not fit to have ſo many Olimpian Ladies in the Court, becauſe one alone (meaning her ſelf) was enough. This comming to the eares of the Princeſs, Don Camillo's Wife, ſhe, as a Lady extracted of ſo illuſtrious an Houſe, could not chuſe but very much reſent it, inſomuch as ſhe imparted it to many Cardinals of the Court; and the like did alſo the Prince Don Camillo her Huſband, with threatning revenge. Which being underſtood by the widdow Mother, Donna Olimpia, who being of a man-like, bitter, and vindicative nature, was ſo provoked38 therewith, that hearing how his Holyneſs was minded to promote to the Scarlet Gown one of the Houſe of Pamphilio, ſhe went and ſo conjured him, as ſhe diverted him from that purpoſe, and withall drew him to promiſe to make the aforeſaid Franceſco Maidalchini Cardinal, as accordingly he did in the Conſiſtory of the ſeventh of October 1647. At which promotion, not onely the Court ſtood amazed, but all the forraign Princes likewiſe, who mightily blamed it: But it was brought to paſs by the cunning of Donna Olimpia, to the end ſhe might introduce him into the ſame command of the State Eccleſiaſtical, which Barbarino had enjoyed under Ʋrban the eighth; and having given a beginning unto it, in regard he was unfit for buſineſs, ſhe, with the conſent of his Holyneſs, put him under the ſchooling of the Cardinals Panzirolo and Cherubino, that he might be inſtructed by them in the affairs of the Court; and not contented herewith, ſhe oftentimes ſolicited the Pope, becauſe he had no Cardinal Nephew, to declare him for ſuch, to no other end but to take away all hope from the Prince, her Son, and his Wife, of future authority and adherence, & his Holyneſs was enclined to39 condiſcend thereunto. But it comming to the ears of the Nuns his Siſters, they all joyned together, with the Princeſs Lodoviſia, the Prince Camillo's Siſter, and going in great fury to the Pope, they with much reſentment gave him to underſtand, that it was very inconvenient for him to declare any perſon of a ſtrange Family Cardinal Nephew; and that yeelding thereunto, he would give all the world occaſion to talk of it: and in this manner they drew his Holyneſs to promiſe them, that he would never permit any ſuch thing. About the ſame time the Pope fell ſick of a retention of urine, ſo that it was thought he would have dyed: whereupon the Prince Camillo went in ſecret to viſit his Uncle, who received him very lovingly, and calling Cardinal Panziroli to him, he willed him to deliver unto the ſaid Prince his Nephew the money that was in his keeping, which amounted unto two millions and an half; and then to keep the Mother from beng diſtaſted at his coming to the Court, he cauſed it to be given out, that he was gone to Caprarola, whilſt in the mean time he lay cloſe in a private houſe unknown. But Donna Olimpia, underſtanding that the money was conſigned unto the Prince her40 Son, took on ſo exceedingly at it, that ſhe remained ſome daies ſick therwith; for ſhe verily beleeved that it ſhould have come unto her hands, according to the hope his Holyneſs had given her of it; and they continue ſtill with great diſturbance amongſt themſelves, in the tearms whereof I have before given ſome hint. It is held for certain, that our Lord the Pope very much repented the promoting of Maidalchini, in regard it is univerſally known how ignorant he is, being ſcarce able to talk; and therefore he is of ſo little eſteem with the other Cardinals, that they make, as it were, a gaming ſtock of him. Beſides, he himſelf never humours any one, nor returns a curteſie to any that honours him; and therefore he is accounted of according to his breeding.
Urban the eighth in divers promotions created the following Cardinals, beſides many others which dyed, before and after the aſſumption of Innocent the tenth; but eſpecially he gave the Scarlet Gown to the Cardinal Franciſco Barberino, his Nephew, in the firſt Conſiſtory that he held.
FRanceſco Barberino, a Florentine, and Nephew to the deceaſed Pope Urban the eighth, the Son of his brother. He was a man, during his Uncles being a Prelate, and a Cardinal, which one would hardly have vouchſafed to ſalute if he had met him in the ſtreets of Rome; in ſo poor, and ill a plight he was; he went to ſchool in the Colledge, where he was no better eſteemed of then any one mean Artificers Sonne; ſo that he would have taken it for a great injury if any man had told him that he ſhould have been the Popes Nephew: yet afterwards Fortune, which hath no meaſure in her doings, lifted him up ſo high, as to think of it onely makes people amazed, and beſides themſelves. The Cardinals ſtood in the Conclave queſtioning about the making of a Pope, and after they had continued there a long time, being much wearied, they reſolved to elect ſuch a perſon, as not onely was not capable of the Papacie, in regard of his young years, but alſo that was not known to be42 of too ſtirring and high a ſpirit; inſomuch as they all unanimouſly confeſſed, that when they were in the Conclave they never thought, nor ever came it into their minds, to aſſume ſuch a perſon to the Papacie: and after he was elected, that old wiſe Cardinal Creſcentio cryed out in the ſame Conclave ſo lowd, that every one might hear him, ſaying, we have elected a piece of a Pope: which words verily were worthy of conſideration, and how they were afterwards made good in the time of his Papacie, every one may Imagine. At ſuch time as Urban the eighth was elected, Franceſco and Antonio were in the ſchools, when as a great clamor of voices were heard crying out, long live Pope Urban Barberino, and at the very ſame inſtant came many Princes, and a world of Caroches to take them from the ſchools, giving them the title of Excellencie, and reverencing them with great honors. Franceſco in the firſt Conſiſtory, which his Holineſs held, was created Cardinal, and in regard his young age was too unapt for the government, the Pope gave him my Lord Filomarini for his Governor, but with the title of Maſter of his Chamber, in which place he had ſerved43 before the ſame Urban. Barberino as ſoon as ſoon as he ſaw himſelf to have attained to the credit of managing affairs, he abhorred the converſation of Filomarini, inſomuch that he utterly declined it, and began to govern of himſelf, ſo far forth that out of his abſolute arrogance and pride he uſurped the Title of Cardinale Patrone, a Title verily which was never heard, nor ever will be heard, to be aſſumed by any Popes Nephew. Some months after, Urban promoted Antonio to the Scarlet Gown, and then ſent both of them Legates à Latere, Franceſco into Spain, and Antonio into France; and one of them took upon him the protection of the one Kingdome, and the other of the other. Franceſco afterwards had a large penſion from the Catholique King, and made profeſſion of obeying the commands of that Majeſty. Urban for ten years together governed abſolutely, in which time Franceſco had not the power, as one may ſay, to raiſe up a ſtraw from the ground, but thoſe ten years once paſt, Urban fell to decline through age, and ſickneſs, and then began he to lift up his head. This Cardinal had nothing elſe good in him but the gratifying a poor man, that in tomporibus had44 paid for a pot of Wine for him at the Tavern, whom he made Yeoman of his Horſe. In the time of his Empire he diſſtaſted all the Princes; and inprimis I may begin with the Emperor Ferdinand the ſecond, who upon his election to that State, ſent the Prince of Egenberg to Rome for his Ambaſſador of obedience to the Pope, where being arrived, that which enſued thereupon is known to every one. The King of Spain was ſo affronted by him and his Uncle, as more could not be: for what greater affront can be done to a Crown, then to give for mony, and not otherwiſe, the Scarlet Gown to a deſerveing perſon; ſuch a one as the Abbot Pereti was, unto whom they denyed it, out of the inward hate that they bore him. They lent mony to the French, to the end they might make and continue Warre on the Houſe of Auſtria; they gave aid againſt the State of Milan; uſed notable deceit in the diſpoſing of Mantoua and Caſale; cauſed the Marqueſs de los Velez, the Catholique Ambaſſador, to be aſſaulted by the French, and the Biſhop of Amega the Portugal, who by force would have been acknowledged by the Ambaſſador, that reputed him a Rebel; and gave a world of diſguſts45 beſides, which to recount would take up a whole year. The King of France too, notwithſtanding all the Houſe of Barberini ſeem to be well affected to that Crown, hath had his ſhare of diſguſts from them; by delaying the demand of the Hat for the Cardinal Mazzarino; by the diſhonor which Antonio did to his Majeſties Ambaſſador, in getting his daughter with child under colour of friendſhip, and afterwards poyſoning her, as it is verily believed, at Caprarola; inſomuch that the poor Lord not knowing elſe how to be revenged, was fain to ſerve under the command of the Duke of Parma in the War againſt the ſaid Barberini. Then the diſtaſt which they gave not onely to the Ambaſſador Coure, but even to the moſt Chriſtian King himſelf, by cauſing the head of Monſieur de Ronti, the ſaid Ambaſſadors Kinſman, to be ſtrucken of by the hangman; and laſtly the betraying of that Majeſtie in the Conclave, by helping to promote Pamphilio to the Papacie, whom the King deſired to exclude. Moreover the Internal and External diſguſts, known to all, which they gave to the great Duke of Toſcan, to the Duke of Parma, to the Duke of Modena, and to the46 Republique of Venice; by offering to take Borgo-ſanſepolcro from the great Duke; by taking from the Duke of Parma, Caſtro, Capralo, Ronaglione, and other States, as alſo indeavouring to take from him likewiſe Parma, and Placentia, becauſe he would not match with them; by making War on the Duke of Modena, upon their pretenſion to Comachio; and on the Republique of Venice, for to make them remove out of their Ducal Chamber the antient pictures of their Naval fight and Victory for the reſtitution of Pope Alexander the ſixth to his former Eſtate. They denyed the King of Polana the Hat for Monſieur Vicconti; they ſuffered the Cardinal Orſino to affront the deceaſed Queen Mother of France in the perſon of her Agent; in Rome they annihilated the Nobility; heheaded the Marqueſs Manzioli, alias Bentivoglio, who having been prime Clerke of the Chamber, had reſigned that office, and maried a wife, upon pretext that he had made a book againſt the Court of Rome; they put to death the Marqueſs Centini d' Aſcoli in Campo de fiore, alledging that he had complotted againſt the life of the Pope, onely to diſable his Uncle for the Papacie; they ſent Anarea Caſale to the Galleys, to the47 end his Wealth might come to the Cardinal Spada, and other their well-willers, cauſing him in fifteen daies to be baſtinadoed to death; they baniſhed the Duke of Cerinto the State of Avignon, upon pretence that he had framed infamous libells againſt the old deceaſed Cardinal Verospi; they kept Mario Frangipano a long time in priſon, although he was a Cavalier of quality, very old, and in a manner decrepit, and expoſed him to the torture, upon pretence that he had given order for the putting of a fellow to death, that was found hanged in the priſon of a certain Caſtle, notwithſtanding that they which had committed the fact confeſſed publiquely at the Gallows, how the ſaid Lord was altogether innocent therof; and this they did to no other end, but to force him to leave his eſtate unto them, with this reſervation, that he ſhould enjoy it ſo long as he lived, and then it ſhould fall unto the Church; but he would never conſent thereunto, ſaying alwaies thus, If I be innocent let me be freed, if I be not innocent let me be puniſhed; and had not the War with the Princes of Italy hapned, the poor Lord had been made an end of; for then they ſet him at liberty upon condition that he ſhould48 ingage himſelf in the war againſt the ſaid Princes. Furthermore they ſought to ruine the Houſe of Borgheſe, becauſe they had concluded matrimony with Donna Olimpia Aldobrandina, unto whom the Popes eldeſt Nephew was a ſuiter, and for that reaſon they diſgraced them all that ever they could. They deprived Vittaleſchi, General of the Jeſuits, and Ridolſi General of the Dominicans, of their General ſhips, under pretext of ſundry miſdemeanors committed by them. They moſt unjuſtly bereft the ſaid Princes Borgheſi of the ſtate of Meldola; and cauſed Don Paolo Borgheſe, the Prince his Son, and husband to the ſaid Donna Aldobrandina, to be baſely affronted by a common Captain of the watch. They drove a world of poor people, not onely from Rome, but alſo out of all the ſtate Eccleſiaſtical, and made them go and live in other parts, by reaſon of the grievous taxes and impoſitions which they laid upon them. They cauſed many thouſands of men, that ſerved under their enſignes, to periſh for hunger, whilſt they gave them no pay, and that bread too, which they provided to relieve them, was mixed with chalk, which fretted out the ſoldiers guts, and made them die like doggs. Innocent49 the tenth, in the beginning of his Papacie, was ſo tired with Petitions and complaints againſt Franceſco for his injuſtice and extortions, that he cauſed him to be cited to render an accompt of his adminiſtration, which he ſatisfied with his flight into France. This Cardinal enjoyed under Urban above forty ſeaven Abbacies, and Benefices, with other revenues, the leaſt of which yielded two or three thouſand crowns a year; beſides thoſe that came to thirty thouſand, and forty thouſand, as alſo the Vicechancellorſhip of the Holy Church, which hath eighteen protections of Monaſteries of Nunnes, and Convents of Friers. In ſum he was become a wardrobe of Eccleſiaſtical Benefices; and in the Court of Rome things were grown to that paſs, as no man took a ſervant, were it for never ſo vile an Office, unleſs he were preferred by this Cardinal Barberino; and this he did out of a diabolical policie; for by this means he held correſpondencie with all thoſe, which he had placed as ſpies upon their Maſters, and ſo came to diſcover whatſoever they ſaid, or did. He hath made ſhew of being a wonderous honeſt man, and under colour thereof hath deceived I know not how many women. 50I think now the world will confeſs there was never any Cardinal that ſo much tyrannized over the Church, and Chriſtendom: & hoc ſufficit.
ERneſto Adalberto d' Arach, is a rich Lord, of the German Nation: He was a Prieſt, and promoted by Urban the eighth to the Scarlet Gown, at the inſtance of the Emperor, in the place of Pier Luigi Caraffa, Biſhop of Tricario. This perſon is a man of great parts, & of good life, in regard wherof he was advanced to the Arch-Biſhoprick of Prague, where he hath behaved himſelf much to his own commendation, and the ſatisfaction of all the people there, being highly eſteemed for his good diſpoſition and qualities; howbeit I cannot ſay much of him, becauſe he reſides not in the Court, but continues alwaies at his Church in Prague, and therefore not without reaſon was it ſaid, when laſt he came to Rome a little before the death of Urban the51 eighth, that it was an ill Omen, and a bad ſign, when the Conſi were ſeen to approch the Citty, meaning that Arach not being wont to come unto Rome, his comming now thither was a foretoken of the Popes enſuing death, as accordingly it fell out. This Cardinal is well regarded of Caeſar, and as his ſubject, he is, and alwaies will be at his devotion. He is very Charitable, Bountifull, Courteous, Affable, and Friendly.
GIulio Sachetti, a Florentine, the Son of a Merchant, who was partner with the Father of Urban the eighth, whilſt they traded together, being thought to be of kin a far off. The ſaid Giulio was made Biſhop of Gravina, whether he never went, becauſe he was ſuddainly ſent by Urban Nuncio into Spain, where all the time that he exerciſed that charge, he carried himſelf very worthily, and to the great ſatiſfaction of that Crown; wherefore he was promoted by Urban to the Scarlet Gown,52 as likewiſe were all the other Nuntioes, except Caraffa. He was much eſteemed of by Urban, who conferred on him many benefits and graces, making him alſo Keeper of the Seal of Juſtice, which he ſtill exerciſeth. He is a Lord of great merit, and the Barberini thought without all doubt to have created him in the paſt Conclave Pope; but they failed in their purpoſe, whilſt by the power of the Spaniſh faction he was excluded, not becauſe he was not a deſerving perſon, but in regard he was too much affected and obliged to the ſaid Barberini: Others ſay he was excluded, for that upon the aſſembly of a Congregation touching the receiving of the Ambaſſador of the King of Portugal, he had ſhewed himſelf inclined to receive him; as alſo by reaſon he was too great a friend to Mazzarino, who had been a follower of his, ſo as neceſſarily he would have been an Enemy and depreſſor of the Spaniards, and would have followed the ſtepps of Urban. He is of an exemplary life, Charitable, Pleaſant, and Rich, but not very Liberal, for, as a Florentine, he is ſomewhat penurious, and niggardly. He hath two Brothers, Mattheo and Aleſſandro, whereof the firſt hath to wife a Lady53 of the Houſe of Rocellai, a Family amongſt the Florentines ſufficiently French; and he hath many Sonnes: the ſecond hath ſerv'd in the Warres of Flanders under the Catholique King. Mattheo; at ſuch time as the Sea was vacant, was qualified with a title of the Church by Barberino, who held Sachetti certainly for Pope, as in like manner did Mattheo, inſomuch that he cauſed the Cellar of his Palace to be ſet open for every body to drink as much Wine as he would for joy: whereupon, after they had well drunk, they cryed out publiquely, long live Pope Sachetti; but when as afterwards he ſaw that Pamphilio was made Pope, for very ſpight and rage he fell madd: And thus may every one judge, if Sachetti had been Pope, what a confuſion there would have been in the Roman Court, and in what a condition the State Eccleſiaſtical would have been; for through their avarice they would have ruined all. The greateſt confident Sachetti hath, is thought to be the Cardinal Falconieri, now Legate of Bologna, who was promoted by Urban at the inſtance of the ſaid Sachetti, after his return from being Nuncio in Flanders, from whence he was excluded by the Cardinal Infante, for that he knew54 him to be too much French. Sachetti hath divers times murmured againſt the Government of Monarchy; whence he was held by the Regal Miniſters to be alienated from deſiring the felicity of the Auſtrian Family, which hath done him but little good. The greateſt obſtacle he hath had, and hath, is the great Duke, who having found Pope Barberino little available to him, ſeeks with all his power to keep any Vaſſal of his from comming to the Papacie, and therefore Sachetti will never attain unto it, although the Spaniards ſhould concur with him; which is unlikely, notwithſtanding he ſeems to be devoted to Spain, whereas indeed he is contrary unto it; but I ſhould judge the Catholique King to be directly out of his wits, if ever he concur with him more, ſeeing he was the confident Counſellor firſt of Antonio's, and afterwards Franceſco's and Tadeo's flight into France. At the end of the Conclave a writing came forth, intituled the paſſion of Sachetti, beginning thus, Paſſio Domini noſtri ſecundum Matthaeum; which to avoid prolixity I will omit, the rather too becauſe it ſerves not for our purpoſe. Another writing alſo came forth, which55 ſaid, He that entred Pope, came out Cardinal.
BErnardino Spada, a native of Briſighella, of an ordinary Family, being diſcended of Colliers. He put himſele into the Prelacie, and was by Urban the eigth exerciſed in many Charges, and then ſent into France, where he reſided a good while, and ſpent there a great part of his Patrimony. Urban, knowing his merits, promoted him to the Scarlet Gown, the rather becauſe in his Nuntioes place he had carried himſelf to the ſatisfaction of both parts. He is a perſon of great abilities, is well verſt in all manner of Negotiations, and is an excellent Stateſman. He was picked out and choſen by Uban the eighth, as a man of Authority and worth, to compoſe the differences depending between him and the Duke of Parma, who was come with a great Army to the confines of the Eccleſiaſtical State. and had ſeazed on divers Lands and Caſtles of the Apoſtolick Sea,56 and in particular Aquapendente, where the ſaid Duke had intrenched himſelf: In front of whom ſtood Antonio with an Army of twelve thouſand foot, and four thouſand horſe to keep him from overrunning the Eccleſiaſtical State; and Spada was ſent with the title of Plenipotentiary, to conclude an agreement: He went, acted, and returned, but was by Urban very ill rewarded; for after he had concluded, and ſigned the Capitulations of the accord, wherein the great Duke of Toſcan, the Republique of Venice, and the Duke of Modena, intervened as mediators, Urban, ſeeing the Duke departed, and gone to his States of Parma and Placentia, declared the ſaid Capitulations null, and invalid; ſaying that Spada motu proprio, and without his conſent, had ſigned them. Herewith the aforeſaid Princes held themſelves juſtly offended, and ſeeing the Pope leavy ſoldiers to ſend againſt the Duke of Parma, each of thoſe Princes took up arms to defend him. But Cardinal Spada, beholding his reputation blemiſhed in this ſort, without any fear at all publiſhed a Manifeſt of his Reaſons, ſaying, that all that he had done, and capitulated, was with his Holineſs, goodwill and approbation. 57When the world plainly ſaw that the poor Cardinal had no way faulted, but had exactly obſerved the commandments of the Pope, he was by all men pittied: but the Warre which enſued thereupon with the ſpilling of ſo much blood, was that which cleared the buſineſs, and brought the Cardinal into greater credit then before; for in proceſs of time the Pope was fain with the damage of the holy Church, and his own reputation, to make a peace, with giving full ſatisfaction to the pretendants, which had made Warre in divers places; and in particular the great Duke of Toſcan on Perugia ſide, and the Duke of Parma, the Republique of Venice, and the Duke of Modena, in the Bologneſe. This Cardinal is no great friend to the Houſe of the Barberini, for the cauſes afore-mentioned. Spada is obſtinately devoted o the Crown of France, quite contrary to the Cardinal Rocci his Kinſman, who is altogether for the Spaniard. In the paſt Conclave he laboured much for the election of Innocent the tenth, and therfore is well regarded of him. This Cardinal is a great perſon, hath a wiſe head, and is full of high thoughts. He is a Poet, an Hiſtorian, and a Polititian, ſo that he will leave all58 the paſtime of the world for to ſtudy. He was one that inherited the greateſt part of the ſtate of Andrea Caſale the Bolognoſe, and was alſo the principal inſtrument of his ignominious death in the Galleyes; but God, as a juſt Judge, will not leave ſuch a wickedneſs unpuniſhed. Now becauſe there are many that have not been made acquainted with this doubtful Hiſtory, & may be deſirous to know it, I will not omit the relation of it as ſuccinctly as I can. Andrea Caſale, the Son of a rich and Noble Senator of Bologna, his Father being dead, remained a child under the Government of his Mother, together with two Siſters which were made Nunnes. This Andrea, being come to mans Eſtate, and full of generoſity and ſpirit, thought it too baſe a thing for him to live drown'd in idleneſs and delights; wherefore he reſolved, though againſt his Mothers will, to go into Hungary, and there for the acquiring of fame to ſerve the Emperor in his Warres againſt the Turk, as accordingly he did: And being arrived in Hungary, had the Charge of a Captain of a Troop of Horſe conferred on him. Now it happened certain months after, that the Turkes gave the Emperors forces a great defeat, wherein59 many Lords were ſlain, and many were made priſoners, and in particular the ſaid Signor Andrea Caſale. The report of this defeat being ſpread over all Italy, they that pretended to the inheritance of Andrea's eſtate were very deſirous to know whither he we alive, or dead; whereupon divers Bologneſe ſoldiers being returned to Bologna, whether it were that they were ſuborned with money, as for ſome other end, they gave out that the ſaid Andrea Caſale was dead; and further they made Affidavit, that they had ſeen him dead, and alſo had buried him with their own hands. In the mean time the poor Cavalier remained in the hands of the Turkes, and continually wrote letters unto his Mother, to ſend mony for the ranſoming of him; which letters for the moſt part fell into the hands of thoſe, that pretended to the inheriting of his eſtate, and were ſtill by them ſecretly burnt: Nevertheleſs it could not chuſe but that ſome of them ſhould come unto his Mother, who with great joy imparted them to their kinred, by whom ſhe was condemned for a fooliſh and imprudent old woman, telling her that her Son Andrea was dead, and that thoſe letters were forged by ſome one,60 that meant to cheat her; ſo the good Lady; being put of in this manner, at length dyed with grief, and, after many years, it was the will of God, that the poor Signior was redeemed by the holy Company of the Trinity, with many other men, and women, who were, as it were in tryumph, all clad in white, conducted after a Proceſſion manner to Rome; where being arrived, the poor Cavalier knew not which way to turn himſelf: but God, which never abandons any, made him call to mind, how one Giovanni Antonio, who had formerly received many curteſies from him at Bologna, was at that inſtant Captain of the watch in Rome; wherefore he went unto him, and having acquainted him with his fortunes, the Captain, moved with pity to ſee a perſon of that quality reduced to ſuch termes; and very well knowing him to be the true Andrea Caſale, aſſigned him a Caroach, with two Lackies, and forty Crowns a month; which after he had continued unto him for the ſpace of ſeaven or eight weeks, he brought him to the preſence of the Pope, who received him very graciouſly, and ſhewed to be glad of his recovered liberty; little thinking then that he himſelf ſhould be he, that afterwards61 ſhould not onely deprive him of liberty, but of his life alſo. Andrea having informed his Holineſs, how all his eſtate had been ſeized upon, and was wrongfully poſſeſſed by others, humbly beſought him to doe him that grace and juſtice, as to reſtore him to his own againe; which the Pope had a good intention to grant: whereupon he commenced a ſuit againſt them that had gotten his eſtate, who came running with all ſpeede to the Court, to oppoſe him, and proved that Andrea Caſale was dead, and that this was a meere counterfit, and an impoſtor; wherefore Signior Andrea was conſtrained to become a priſoner, and ſo to defend himſelf, and prove, that he was the true Andrea Caſale. His Holineſs cauſed a proceſs thereof to bee framed in the City of Bologna, where the nurſe that gave him ſuck then lived, who upon her examination averred that he had a certain marke upon his left ſhoulder, which upon ſearch was accordingly found there; beſides divers other teſtimonies, that manifeſted, he was the true Andrea. Cardinall Spada, ſeeing the matter goe ſo ill on his ſide, ſought with fraud to beguile him, and gave him to underſtand, that if he would deſiſt from his ſuite, and revoke62 all his pretenſions, he would aſſign him a Caroach with four ſervants, and revenewes yearly, able to maintain him like a Cavalier, as long as he lived: Which Andrea hearing, cryed out publiquely, ſaying: Either I am Andrea Caſale, and will have all that is mine; or I am not he, and will have nothing. This comming to the knowledge of Spada, he went as it were in a deſperate moode to the Pope, and ſo earneſtly beſought him not to ſuffer his, and many other Families, amongſt whom the inheritance of Andrea Caſale was diſtributed, to be undone by takeing the ſame from them, that his Holineſs, I know not how, did moſt unjuſtly, not onely not put him in Poſſeſſion of his eſtate, but wickedly ſent him to the Galleys; where, leaſt upon change of the Pope he might ſet a foot his claim anew, Cardinal Spada wrought in ſuch ſort with the Commanders of the Galleyes, that in the ſpace of fifteen daies he was baſtinadoed to death. A caſe verily worthy of compaſſion, and the mishap of this poor infortunate Cavalier deſerves for example ſake to be publiſhed to all the World; his death being bewailed not onely by the common people, but by all the Nobility of Rome, and Bologna.
FEderico Cornaro, a Noble man of Venice; he was Biſhop of Vicenza in Lombardie, and afterwards was made Biſhop of Padon. He was promoted to the Scarlet Gown at the inſtance of his Rebublique, as a man deſerving, and of a good life. He is ſixty years of age, or thereabout; wherefore he pretends much to Peters Chair, and it will not be hard for him to attain thereunto, being devoted as he is to the Houſe of Auſtria; whereof not onely he, but his whole Family makes open profeſſion; his Country alone may be contrary, and an obſtacle unto him: He is a perſon of no mean underſtanding, Affable and Courteous, and is therefore much eſteemed of by the ſacred Colledge. He hath divers Nephews, who are little ſeen in the Court; but the eldeſt of them, at ſuch time as his Uncle was Biſhop of Padoa, led a moſt wicked & diſſolute life in Rome, which was accompanied with ſo infinite a pride, that it was able, as one may ſay, to cauſe another64 fall of Angels from Heaven; And this alone will be enough to keep Cornaro farre from the Papacie; otherwiſe he hath no defects of any conſideration, being charitable, and worthy of all Honor. The Family of the Cornari is one of the principal of that Republique, having had many Dukes, and Senators iſſued from it, as alſo a Queen of Cyprus, who gave that Kingdome to the Venetians, by which donation they held it a long time. He reſigned the Biſhoprick of Padoa, and had the Patriarchſhip of Venice, which after ſome years he alſo reſigned. He is much eſteemed of his Republique, although there hath paſt ſome diſguſts between them.
MArtio Ginetti, born in the Citty of Veletri, of vile deſcent, the Son of a common Artificer: He came to Rome in the beginning of the creation of Urban the eighth, where he courted divers Cardinals, and in the end putting himſelf into the Prelacy, he got into the favour of the Cardinal Franceſco Barberino, who brought him into ſuch credit with the Pope his Uncle, that he held him in great eſteem, and promoted him to the Scarlet Gown, to the end he ſhould acknowledge no other dependancie, then that of the houſe of Barberini. His holineſs enriched him with many benefices, and made him Vicar of the Papacie; which Office is during life; he made him alſo Protector of the whole order of the Carmelites, and cauſed him to lodge continually in the Apoſtolical Palace. Now becauſe he was altogether unknown to Princes, and was of no account abroad, the Barberini reſolved to illuſtrate him in the ſight of the World, and ſo ſent him Legate into Germany to treat of a univerſal66 peace, to the end all Chriſtendom might acknowledge him for the principal inſtrument of the publique good; but the unhappy iſſue of that his charge ſhewed his ignorance rather, and imprudence, rendring himſelf ridiculous in ſo ſublime an employment, whereby he no way profited Chriſtendom, but exceedingly profited himſelf and his Houſe; for living very ſparingly, he purſed up the moſt part of that great entertainment which was aſſigned him for his Legateſhip: In his return back towards Rome, and as he was upon the way, there was ſent him by an expreſs poſt to Ferrara a Grant of the Legates place of that Citty, where he heaped up no little riches; and after his arrival at Rome, Cardinal Capucino paid him all the profits accruing of his Vicarſhiſh by him adminiſtred in his abſence. This Cardinal hath given to his Kinſmen all the Offices and Dignities that poſſibly he can: He is not very learned, although he hath taken great pains in ſtudying. The Barberini will never nominate him in the Conclave, for they are ſure it will not ſucceed, in regard he is known to be too much their partial obligee. He is but little reſpected in the ſacred Colledge, though by reaſon of his67 age he is capable of being Pope. Whoſoever looks upon the houſe of this Cardinal, will alwaies behold it void of all reſort, none going thither but thoſe which have buſineſs appertaining to the Vicarſhip, and that are of neceſſity to paſs thorough his hands; ſo that one ſhall never ſee any viſitant Coches there, he being no otherwiſe accounted of, then as of a forelorn Cardinal. He ſhews himſelf to be no way depending on any of the Princes, out of the pretenſion he hath to the Papacie; and albeit he was Lagate à Latere with the Emperor for the univerſal peace, as aforeſaid, yet is he not for all that devoted to the Houſe of Auſtria; becauſe he, being wholly dependant on the Barberini, will, as ſuch, be allwaies French, if not openly, at leaſtwiſe ſecretly. His behaviour is familiar and flegmatick, ſeeming to favour every one, and is of an indifferent good nature, but melancholick.
DON Antonio Barberino, the crookback, Nephew to Urban the eighth, and the brother of Franceſco and Tadeo; he was born in Rome, and therefore intitles himſelf a Roman. He was by the Pope created Prior of the great Croſs of Malta, with an intention not to make him a Cardinal, it ſeeming ſufficient unto him, that he had already promoted to that dignity Franceſco his eldeſt Nephew, and the Capuchin his brother; but Antonio ſo importuned his Uncle, that at length he promoted him alſo to the Scarlet Gown, which above all things he he was ambitious of. This Cardinal was even from his birth ever bountifull, and hath with donatives and magnanimitie drawn many to his devotion, inſomuch that although he hath commited ſome errors and exceſſes, yet is he not therefore ſo rigorouſly envyed, whilſt being poſſeſt of the goods of fortune he hath alſo made others partakers thereof, and hath prodigally ſpent his own. He hath69 not been a little taken with the beauties of women, on whom he hath waſted great ſummes of Gold: La Checa Buffona in temporibus was his Miſtriſs, who out of the confidence that ſhe had in the protection of the Cardinal Antonio, went up and down maſked in the Carneval time, for which the Governor of Rome cauſed her without any reſpect at all to be whipped thorough the City. He got with child the Daughter of the Marqueſs of Couré, Ambaſſador of France: To a Neapolitan Curteſan, which dwelt in the Giulian ſtreet, he gave for the firſt time a thouſand crownes: but, not to ſay more, this alone ſhall ſerve for a cloſing up of ſo many indignities this Cardinal hath committed, that to a Pedant, which had the charge of a very fair boy, the Sonne of a Gentleman, whom he let him enjoy ſeveral times, he gave for a reward thereof a Biſhoprick, nella Marca di Marcantonio. I will not ſpeak of his bardache, whom being but the Sonne of a barber, he hath reduced to ſuch a paſs, as not content with having inriched him, he hath cauſed him to be adorned with the title of a Marqueſs. The ſaid Cardinal was ſent Legate Apoſtolical, and Generaliſſimo, into the States of Bologna, Ferrara, and Romagna,70 againſt the Princes of Italy, where he caried himſelf valiantly, and with the ſatisfaction not onely of all thoſe people, but alſo of the ſouldierie; and if any one hath traduced his good name, ſaying, that he was privy to the death of the convert Nunnes of Magdalens in Bologna, he lies; for Antonio was not of Councel with that fact; but indeed after the Delinquents were diſcovered, in ſtead of chaſtiſing, he favoured and protected them, the one being Carlo Poſcente, and the other Manente his Secretary; nay more, he ſent Carlo Poſcente for his Vice-Duke into the ſtate of Segni, and alſo kept the Archbiſhop of Bologna from proceeding againſt them, enjoyning him to ſpeak no more thereof. I cannot deny but Antonio committed an error in having ſo little regard to his reputation; for as Legate Apoſtolical à Latere, as General, and as the Popes Nephew, he might with all rigor have taken information of the matter, and then arraigned and condemned them to the puniſhment, which the heynouſneſs of their offence requited, and afterwards he might graciouſly have pardoned them; for ſo he had ſhewed himſelf a juſt Judge, and they too, as if they had been ſufficiently chaſtiſed,71 had not incurred that, which after the death of the Pope his Uncle, arrived unto them; being both of them firſt confined unto his Palace, and after that ſent priſoners to Bologna, where they were put to death; & Antonio himſelf was neceſſitated to fly into France, very much pittied by moſt men, whereas every one wiſhed all the miſchief they could deviſe to Franceſco, and Tadeo. This Cardinal is Chamberlain of the holy Church, Archprieſt della Baſilica diſanta Maria Maggiore, hath many Abbacies and Protections, and will alwaies be at the devotion of the French King, by whom he is defended, and protected in theſe his misfortunes; but it is believed, that he is now returned again into the Popes favor by the mediation of the Crown of France.
GIrolamo Colonna, of the Title di Santo Euſtachio, and of a moſt antient and noble Roman family, which hath had many Popes, and a world of Cardinals. He was promoted to the Scarlet Cown by Urban the eighth, together with Cardinal Antonio, at the inſtance of the Prince Prefect, of Donna Anna Barberina, and of the Conſtable, in regard of the affinitie, that was contracted between them. This Cardinal is richly furniſhed with the goods of fortune, and eſtates; he is underſtanding, prudent; well eſteemed of in the Court, and reverenced in the ſacred Colledge, both for his blood, and wiſedom: And his carriage doth not diſpleaſe, although he goes proudly, and ſtately through the City, like another Martin the fifth; but withall he is courteous, honours every one, is exceeding liberal, and well affected to the Pope, who therefore loves him, as alſo for that he was very partial in his election. Urban the eighth made him Archbiſhop of Bologna, which Archbiſhoprick,73 after he had held it certain years, he reſigned in the time of Innocent the tenth unto my Lord Albergati, a Bologneſe Gentleman, who is now a Cardinal, by the name of Lodoviſio Colonna. Albeit the Coloneſi and the Barberini have matched together, yet have there no effects of friendſhip paſt betwixt them for divers private intereſts: Neither are the Coloneſi any great friends to the Houſe of the Gaetani, alſo a moſt antient and noble Roman family; for that Don Gregorio Gaetano, the brother of the Duke of Sermoneta, and Uncle of the Prince of Caſerta, was in a manner treacherouſly killed by Don Carlo Colonna; who for that fact was by Urban the eighth condemned to death, and afterwards pardoned, to the end no future Pope ſhould take any further cognizance of that cauſe; and to ſave his life, that was in danger by reaſon of that enmity, he made himſelf a fryer of the order of Saint Benedict, and then was by Urban the eighth preferred to be Archbiſhop in partibus infidelium. The ſaid Houſe of Colonna likewiſe doth not much love the Houſe of the Ceſarini, although the occaſion of Don Gregorio Gaetanoe's death proceeded from Don Carlo his defending the reputation of the Duke Ceſarino his74 Nephew, who being under age, pretended that he had received an affront from the ſaid Gregorio Gaetano, in making him by force to ſtay in his way, that his Caroach might have the precedence. The Houſe of the Conſtable Colonna holds little correſpondence with the houſe of the Prince of Galliclano, and of the Prince of Carbognano, alias Duke of Baſſanella, all of the houſe of Colonna; who though they be all ſprung out of one ſtock, yet doth each of them pretend to be better, then the other, for the preheminence: the truth is, that the houſe of the Prince of Carbognano is the right family, derived from Sciano Colonna; and therefore with reaſon is the Piatza, where his Palace is ſcitunted, called the Piatza of Sciana. Theſe Lords at firſt were all for the Catholique Crown, but upon the matching of the Conſtable Colonnaes Houſe with the Pope, the Spaniards for their own intereſt honoured them with ſuch Titles, and States, as the Duke of of Baſſanello, of a differing Houſe, was therewith to diſtaſted, that he ſet up the ames of the moſt Chriſtian King, and took to wife the baſe daughter of the Duke of Parma. The Prince of Gallieano was made a priſoner at Naples, upon pretext75 of rebellion, a little before the riſing of that people, for that there were many ſaddles, armes, and much ammunition found in his Caſtles, which he poſſeſſed in the Province of Abruzzo: and whilſt all things ſeemed to be compoſed, and that he was ready to be abſolved, and ſet at libertie, a new conſpiracie of divers Princes and Barons of the Kingdom of Naples againſt the Catholique King was diſcovered, amongſt whom the Prince of Gallicano was included; for a certain Neapoletan Apoſtate Theatin, named Andrea Paolucci, being intercepted and apprehended with letters about him to ſeveral Neapolitan Lords from France, and put to the torture, named many, and in particular the ſaid Prince of Gallicano. The Conſtable alſo, brother to the Cardinal, was not long ſince, at ſuch time as Gallicano was a priſoner, ſummoned by the Vice-Roy to come to Naples, and he put himſelf in the way to have gone thither, but in the midſt of his journey he returned, and in his ſtead ſent a gentleman of his family to feign that he was ſo indiſpoſed in his health, as he could not come himſelf: for had he gone in perſon, I am perſwaded he likewiſe would have fallen into the ſame76 labyrinth. This Houſe hath ever been devoted to that of Auſtria, and the preſent Cardinal will alwaies be of the Spaniſh faction, if diſguſts do not ariſe from new diſcoveries. He is a haughty Lord, and very ſenſible, inſomuch as he was for a good while diſtaſted with the old Cardinal de Medici about precedence; but the differences between them were compoſed by Innocent the tenth, immediately upon his creation.
CIrriaco Rocci, a Roman, his Original deſcent was from the City of Cremona in the ſtate of Milan; He was a Prelate, & ſent Nuntio by Urban the eighth to the Emperors Majeſtie, after which he promoted him to the Scarlet Gown. This Cardinal in not very intelligent, but ſeeemes to know much; he is an old man, pretends greatly to the Papacie, and is not aſhamed to ſpeak of it to every one, promiſing in that caſe, Dignities, Graces, and Favors. 77In the laſt Conclave he indeavoured much for his exaltation thereunto, repoſing all his hopes in the hands of Cardinal Spada, his kinſman; but for all that he would not propound him, knowing full well, that for his reſpect he would have been excluded, and ſo he ſhould have had his fortune diſcompoſed for the future, as the Barberini did in the perſon of Sachetti: and the reaſon of it is, that if Rocci were Pope, the ſaid Cardinal Spada would command all; who is not much deſired of any, and in particular abhorred of the Barberini, becauſe they know him to be of a too ſtirring, and fantaſtical a humor. He hath one Nephew, that is the Abbot Rocci, who would be he, that ſhould reign; but in regard of his young years he would not be fit for the Government. He is a very affable Lord, of a good life, and moſt devoted to the Houſe of Auſtria, making open profeſſion thereof; wherefore he will alwaies be Spaniſh, though he be the Barberinies creature. He is well regarded of the preſent Pope Innocent the tenth.
GIovanni Battiſta Palotta, is of an honeſt family of the little Country of Calderola nella Marca: He is Nephew to the late Cardinal Palotta, unto whom he is no way inferior, and is well accommodated with the goods of fortune; for the Cardinal his Uncle left him a great eſtate. Having put himſelf into the Prelacie, he was by Urban the eighth exerciſed in divers Charges, and in particular was made Lord Governor of Rome, wherein he carried himſelf with much integrity, and to the great ſatisfaction of the people, being ſevere, and ſo upright, that in point of juſtice he made no reckoning of his Holineſs Nephewes. For whereas it was the cuſtome a little before the Carnival time to make proclamation, that no woman whatſoever ſhould during the ſaid Carnival goe thorough the Courſe masked, on pain of being whipped, or ſuffring ſome ſuch other puniſhment, as to the Governor ſhould ſeem meet, the famous Checa Buffona was ſeen going in that time thorough79 the Courſe masked; and albeit ſhe was oftentimes admoniſhed to forbear doing ſo, yet would ſhe not deſiſt. Whereat Palotta being diſpleaſed, cauſed her ſuddainly to be impriſoned, and then having ordained that ſhe ſhould be publiquely whipped thorough the City, to avoid the interceſſions, that might be made to him in her behalf, he ſhut himſelf up in his Cabinet, and gave order to his ſervants not to come at him, or diſturb him, during the ſpace of two houres, for any cauſe, or meſſage whatſoever, but that they ſhould in the mean time entertain thoſe that came to ſpeak with him; whereupon arrived a Gentleman from Cardinal Antonio, who kept a great coil to ſpeak with the ſaid Palotta, the Governor; but he was put of with good words untill the prefixed time was paſt, and then he was admitted to the preſence of the Governor, unto whom he brought an order from Cardinal Antonio, for the ſpeedy ſetting at liberty of the ſaid Checa Buffona. Palotta anſwered, that his Eminencie ſhould be obeyed, and preſently made a Warrant for the releaſing of her out of priſon; but when it came thither, Checa had already been whipped thorough the City; which Antonio underſtanding,80 took on like a mad man, and mightily threatned to be revenged. Palotta, foreſeeing the danger he was likely to incur, acquainted the Pope with the buſineſs, who commended him for that he had done; but his Holineſſe, knowing well, that Antonio was wreakful, and vindicative, to take away the inconvenience, that might ariſe upon that occaſion, deprived Palotta of his Government, and ſent him Collector into the Kingdome of Portugal; where having remained ſome months; he took upon him to maintain certain Ecceſiaſtical jurisdictions, and excommunicated all the Royal Councell of the City of Lisbon, for which he was forced to leape out of a window to ſave himſelf by flight towards Rome; and there being arrived, he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown for divers reſpects. The firſt was, for the merit of his labors, his Holineſs knowing him to be a man of great abilities and knowledge; and the ſecond, for to ſhield him from the malice of Antonio, who for all that, together with his brother Franceſco, hath given him hundreds of diſguſts, continually contrarying him in the cauſe and ſuite depending between the General of the Auguſtinian Order, and the ſaid Palotta, who81 deſired to have chaſtiſed him for divers miſdemeanors committed by him in his place; and Antonio, to croſſe Palotta, protected and defended him, and in the end to deſpight him, got him by an Apoſtolical brieve to be confirmed in the Generalſhip for ſeaven years more, beſides many other abuſes no way deſerved by the ſaid Cardinal, who is a perſon capable of the Papacie, and Rome would be happy if he ſhould come to be Pope, that ſo it might ſee the pride of the Barberini brought down. If he lives to ſome vacant Sea, he may attain thereunto; for he is much eſteemed of, and reputed very deſerving by all the Princes, unto whom his vertues, merits, and excellent qualities are well known; beſides, he is highly regarded by Innocent the tenth, the now reigning Pope; but for his too free ſpeech no ſmall hatred was conceived againſt him by ſome of his Holineſſe principal kindred; for he was one day deſired by the Pope, to tell him, what was ſaid of him in Rome; and Palotta anſwered, Bleſſed Father, all the City murmures at your Siſter-in-law the Lady Olimpia's too frequent comming to, and abiding in the Palace; whereunto the Pope replyed, well, we will remedy it; and the next time Donna Olimpia82 came to him, he told her what Palotta had ſaid, and therefore deſired her to forbear comming ſo often to the Apoſtolical Palace. Hereupon Donna Olimpia took ſuch a ſpleen againſt the ſaid Palotta, that meeting him upon a time, ſhe drew the Curtain of her Caroach againſt the very face of him; which Palotta ſeeing, begged leave of his Holineſſe to go unto Calderola his Country, about ſome affairs that he had there, and gave it out in the Court, that he went to viſit the Fortreſſe of Marina nella Marca. His Votes, as well in the Congregations, as in the Conſiſtory, are greatly eſteemed: He hath no Enemy, nor any that is contrary to him: He honors all, and where he can do any ſervice, he doth it willingly: he is affable in entertainment, leades an holy and retired life, loves not light converſations, and is very ſtudious. He hath many Nephews, whereof one is in Flanders, another was a ſtudent in Bologna ', where he ſlew a ſcholler that was his Rival, for which his Uncle cares not much for him; but his darling is he that is in the Engliſh Colledge, who is a youth reaſonably well learned, and that in caſe he ſhould become Pope, would be he that ſhall reign. This Cardinal is not of any83 faction, but he is thought to be devoted to the Houſe of Austria.
THeodoro Trivultio, of a moſt noble family of the City of Milan; he was a Prince, and had a wife, by whom he had children; but after her death he reſigned his Principality to his eldeſt Son, and went to Rome, where puting himſelf into the Prelacie, he bought the Clerk of the Chambers place, and after ſome years he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown by Urban the eighth, both to make mony by the ſale of that Office, and alſo to ſhew that he would promote a vaſſal of the Catholique King. This Cardinal merited the Hat as he was a Prince, yet was he fain to make uſe of the Prelacie before he could attain unto it. He is a good ſoldier, and is much beloved and reverenced by the King of Spain, being reputed the moſt faithfull Italian Vaſſal, that he hath; for when he ſees that his Majeſties Miniſters in the State of Milan do not behave themſelves84 with that fidelity as they ought, he ſpeedily advertiſes the Catholique King of it. He is not very rich, but is alwaies ſupplyed as he hath occaſion by his ſaid Majeſty. At ſuch time as he lived in the Court, after the aſſumption of Innocent the tenth, he ſhewed himſelf very bountiful, ſo farre as he was able; but he contracted many debts, which before his departure from the Court he ſatisfied very punctually. He uſed to go up and down the City with a great and ſtately train, but to ſpeak without paſſion, there was much boaſt, but litle roſt. He could not part from the Court ſo ſoon, as he purpoſed to have done, for want of mony, and therefore he was fain to ſtay the comming of four thouſand crownes from Naples which were ſent him by the Vice-Roy: It is thought he will not return again to the Court, before he hath eſtabliſhed ſome good revenue for the maintaining of himſelf there. He is a Lord indifferently well eſteemed of in the Roman Court, full of reſentment, very ſtirring, and will talk enough, eſpecially when the intereſt of Kings is in queſtion; wherefore he is much favoured by their Miniſters. He alwaies keeps his promiſe, being never worſe then his word; he is very well accompliſhed,85 and lacks nothing but the poſſibility of mony.
STeffano Durazzo, a Noble man of Genoua, of the new Nobility; he put himſelf into the Prelacie, and bought one after another both the Clerk of the Chambers, and the Apoſtolical General Treaſurors place, which he poſſeſſed but a little time, for that he was promoted by Urban to the Scarlet Gown. His holineſs imployed him in many Charges, and in particular, before the Warre, he ſent him Legate to the City of Ferrara; which Government he left, when as Antonio came thither to the aſſiſtance of the Army, and went to his Archbiſhoprick of Genoua, from whence he never parted, but at ſuch time, as upon the vacancie of the Sea he repaired to the Conclave. He had a great deal of controverſie about the getting of that Archbiſhoprick, but it was Urbans pleaſure,86 that, in ſpight of his competitors, he ſhould enjoy it. In his Legateſhip of Ferrara he carried himſelf very wiſely, and to the ſatisfaction of thoſe people, as the Citizens themſelves ſay, but he was not much Courted by the Nobilitie. He is a rich Cardinal, becauſe he is a Genoueſe, whoſe Wealth doth multiply with Merchandiſing. Whilſt he was a Prelate he gamed away no ſmall ſummes of mony, and ſpent little leſs upon Women. He is purblind, and ſquints with one eye. In negotiating he is exceeding affable, but when the humor takes him, one muſt leave off negotiating with him. He ſeemes to be devoted to the Houſe of Auſtria, but indeed is wholly French, and holds but little eſteem in the Court.
MArc 'Antonio Franciotti, a principal Gentleman of the Common-wealth of Lucca; he came to Rome, where putting himſelf into the Prelacie, he bought the Clerk of the Chambers place, and afterwards that alſo of the Auditor thereof; but within a while he was by Urban promoted to the Scarlet Gown, and honored with many worthy Charges, and in particular was created Biſhop of Lucca, his Country. He was ſent Legate to Ravenna, and Romagna, where he was very well regarded by that Nobilitie, and people. He grievouſly afflicted his Country, for the cauſe which I will here now deliver. The brother of this Cardinal, being one of the Miniſters in the Government of the Common-wealth, was diſcoverd to have plotted ſome ſuch thing againſt his Country, as to have made himſelf Maſter of it; and in particular, there were found in his houſe a great many of Armes, not onely common, but alſo prohibited; and the88 ſuſpition grew ſo much the greater, by how much they are in that City exceeding vigilant, and carefull, to ſee that no man enters armed into it, not ſo much as with a knife: Now the tranſgreſſors of this Law being alwaies rigorouſly puniſhed, the ſaid Cardinals brother was, together with his ſervants, committed to priſon, where being thoroughly examined and ſifted, the treaſon which they had contrived was made manifeſt in ſuch manner, as they purpoſed within a ſhort time to put them all to death. The Cardinal finding no other way to repair the ruine of his Family, had recourſe unto Pope Urban, unto whom he recounted the matter, quite otherwiſe, then as indeed it was, ſaying, that his brother was made a priſoner, out of the hatred, and enmity, that the Nobles and Magiſtrates of Lucca bore unto him; and that they had charged him with rebellion, becauſe ſome of the ſervants of the Biſhops Palace were found Armed. Hereupon the Pope diſpatched away an expreſs poſt with letters, that commanded them to ſet the Delinquents at liberty; but the Common-wealth refuſing to obey, his Holineſs, ſeeing their contumacy, interdicted, and excommunicated them;89 ſo that for a long time the exerciſe of the Divine Offices were not uſed, the Church dores remaining continually ſhut up. The Common-wealth publiſhed many proteſtations, and writings, whereof they cauſed copies to be preſented to all Chriſtian Princes, but it nothing availed them; wherefore in the end they were conſtrained to yield unto the Popes power, and in this manner was the ſaid Cardinals brother, and all his complices ſet free. This Cardinal hath good abilities, is intelligent, and capable of the Papacie, but is not ripe enough for it. He is poor, and much affected to the Crown of Spain, both he and all his Houſe living under the protection thereof. He is a wiſe man, and experimented in matters of the Court; he is well eſteemed of by the preſent Pope; in the ſacred Colledge he hath no Enemies of conſideration, and is friend enough to the Barberini: he may alſo with time break his Lance in Peters chair.
FEderico Carpegna, a Noble man of the City of Ʋrbin: He was a poor Prelate; but Barberino having made uſe of him in ſome affairs of his, was ſo pleaſed with his carriage therein, that he took an affection to him, and at his inſtance he was by the Pope promoted to the Scarlet Gown, and therefore he is, and alwaies will be faithfull and affected to them. The Count Carpegna, his brother, continually aſſiſted in the Warre of Urban againſt the Princes of Italy. This Cardinals endowments are mean, but he is able for buſineſs, and he may one day have ſome hope in the common pretenſions of the Scarlet Gownes, if the Barberini do not ſpoil his promotion, becauſe he is too much their ſervant. His vote will ever be, as that of the Barberini is, and therefore in time to come he will alwaies be French; beſides the affection he hath ſtill born to that Crown, although he makes no open profeſſion thereof. He is a man ſtudious, melancholick, and ſomewhat charitable. He hath91 many brothers, whereof the Count is one, and another is a Canon of Santa Maria in Via lata.
FRanceſco Maria Brancaccio, a Neopolitan Cavalier; he was Biſhop of the City of Capuccio in the Kingdom of Naples, where by reaſon of certain Eccleſiaſtical juriſdictions, he fell into ſome difference with a Spaniſh Captain of foot, who was ſent unto that City by the Vice-Roy of Naples, and paſſing from words to blowes, he cauſed him to be killed by a bardaſh of his with a muſket ſhot; for which Brancaccio was cited to appeare befor the Vice-Roy, to render an account of the man-ſlaughter committed by him. Brancaccio obeying, went to Naples; but the very ſame night he came thither, that he might not put himſelf into the ſecular power of the Royall Court, he ſtole away in a felouque, and fled towards Rome; where being arrived, he imparted the whole matter unto Urban92 the eighth, who for the hate that he bore to the Spaniards, not onely commended him for that he had done, but alſo defended him. Which the Vice-Roy ſeeing, cauſed all his goods, and the revenues of his Biſhoprick to be ſequeſtred; ſo that this Prelate remained in Rome in ſuch neceſſity and miſerie, as he could hardly make ſhift to live; but after that his proceſſe was compiled, and that the Pope had abſolved him, he craved leave to return unto the reſidence of his Church, although the Kings Miniſters had expresſly forbidden him ſo to doe, ſaying, that his Catholique Majeſtie deſired of the Pope another Prelate for that City, & had withall ordained, that the inhabitants therof ſhould not permit him to enter into the poſſeſſion of it, upon pain of rebellion. It was the fortune of this Lord, that whilſt he was leaving the Court, and departing to his reſidence, the Pope was upon the point of promoting Cardinals, with an intent to give the Hat unto my Lord Pier Luigi Caraffa, Biſhop of Tricario; and to my Lord Caraffa, Biſh, of Averſa, but both their promotions were hindred by the Colonneſi; the Barberini too preſt their Uncle to confer the Scarlet Gown on Serlupi their Couſin; but his holineſs93 being moleſted and vext with theſe controverſies, would needs make the proverb good: Inter duos litigantes tertius gaudet, and in ſtead of the reſt made Brancaccio Cardinal. Others ſay, that he promoted him to deſpight the Spaniards, by whom he was exceedingly hated, to the end that as a Prince of the holy Church he might be honored, and upon reſtoring of him to his Biſhoprick, he might alſo be reverenced. A litle after his departure to the reſidence of his ſaid Church, and upon his arrival at Naples, he found two other Cardinals there, namely Aldobrandino, and Boncompagno; the one of them being come thither to have his part in the tiltings, hunting, and other feſtivals, which in that City were to be made for ſome victories of Spain, and for the birth of a Son of the Kings; and the other was Archbiſhop of Naples. Brancaccio having continued there ſome monthes, the Count of Monte-Rei, at that time Vice-Roy of that Kingdome, preſented him with a paper from his Catholique Majeſtie, whereby he enjoyned him to depart with all ſpeed, not onely from Naples, but alſo quite out of the whole Kingdom; inſomuch that the poor Cardinal was forced to get him away94 in all haſt towards Rome, with all his family: Which Urban ſeeing, moved with indignation againſt the Spaniards, and with compaſſion to the Cardinal, he conferred the Biſhoprick of Viterbo on him, and giving him many Penſions, he not long after beſtowed on his Vicar the Biſhoprick of Aramo in Regno. This Cardinal is much obliged to the Barberini; but in the Conclave, that he might not damnifie his kinſmen, he ſhewed himſelf affected to the Crown of Spain, and gave his vote to the Albernoz; with which ſtratagem, and to free himſelf from his obligation, he doth ſeek to draw unto him his kinſmen, and Nephewes, and accordingly hath already begun ſo to do, having maried one of them to one of the houſe of the Urſini. He is not well looked upon by Innocent the tenth, nor the Pamphilian family, for that he hath inconſiderately manifeſted himſelf too much interreſſed in certain differences about territories, between ſome of his Church, and others, the creatures of Donna Olimpia, in the City of Vitenbo. His Nephew, being Governor of Spoleti, was deprived thereof, and never ſince hath had any charge at all. To conclude, this Cardinal is poor, and proud.
RInaldo d'Eſte, a Modeneſe, and brother to the Duke of Modena: This Prince was promoted to the Scarlet Gown at the inſtance of the Emperour by Vrban the eighth; after which promotion the warre of Italy fell out between the Duke of Parma, and the Barberini; in regard whereof, though all differences were wholly compoſed, yet hath he ſtill ſhewed himſelfe an enemy to the Barberini, and therefore in all the time that they raigned, he would never come to take the Hat, which afterwards he received from the hands of Innocent the tenth, being preſent in the conclave at his election. Some moneths being paſt, the ſaid Cardinall tooke notice, that the Auſtrians made divers Congregations about the intereſt of that Crown in the Pallace of Albernoz, whereunto his Eminencie was never called nor invited, as if they accompted him altogether indiffident: now one day there was a conſiſtory to be held concerning the intereſt of Portugal, wherin ſome courſe was to be taken for96 the proviſion of thoſe Churches in the name of that King; and the Spaniſh Miniſters had by the Catholique Kings order forbidden all the Cardinalls of their faction from going to it: eſpecially the Cardinall of Eſte was by the Duke of Savelli, the Emperours Embaſſadour, adviſed by no meanes to come at it; but he would not obey giving him this for an anſwer; That as the Spaniards had eſteemed his perſon of no conſideration in their Congregations, ſo his preſence would be of as little conſideration in the Conſiſtorie, & therefore he would goe unto it. Upon this occaſion then he openly declared himſelfe diſtaſted with the Spaniards, and he had a brieve granted to him for the protection of the Kingdome of France; whereupon this Cardinall of Eſte publiſhed a manifeſt, containing the reaſons he had for his declaring himſelfe French, which was anſwered by the Spaniards, and replyed unto by the Cardinall; who tooke downe the Auſtrian Armes from his Pallace, and in the place thereof ſet up the moſt Chriſtian Kings. This Eſte began to defend the intereſt of the Barberini, becauſe they had offered him the Abbacie of Honantala, whereunto hee made ſome claime; wherefore the97 Pope ſaid one day unto him theſe words: My Lord, I ſee you labour much to protect the Barberini, and I doe not know the cauſe of ſuch a mutation, for you alwaies contraried them heretofore, and now you ſtand for them; but I veri•y beleeve you doe it out of intereſt, for that they will reſigne unto you the Abbacie, whereunto you have ſo long pretended, or for ſome other end; howſoever know, that though it be in them to reſigne it, the paſſing of the Brieve thereof is in us. Eſte hearing this, thus anſwered; I doe not pretend, bleſſed Father, to defend the Barberini for any intereſt of mine, but to ſupplicate your Holineſs for juſt things: wherefore when as my abiding at court ſhall be diſpleaſing unto you, to give you ſatisfaction I will be gone. To this the Pope ſaid without any other reply, Bee you bleſſed; which in plaine termes is as much as to ſay, God be with you; and at the ſame inſtant the Cardinall getting into a Caroach with ſixe horſes went to Caprarola, and from thence to Modena his Country. Afterwards Eſte underſtanding that the Admirall of Caſtile was come to Rome as Embaſſador extraordinary from the Catholique King, to yeeld obedience to the Pope, and that he had declared hee would viſit all the Cardinalls, except him98 the ſaid Eſte, hee repaired againe to the Court; where, by reaſon of divers differences that fell out between him and that Ambaſſador, they came to armes, and waged, what on the one ſide, and what on the other, above ſix hundred perſons; ſo that there was a great combuſtion in Rome, and ſome daily ſlaine, as is more amply delivered in a little printed relation thereof: but the Pope raiſed men to ſuppreſſe this tumult, and ſo it was quieted by the meanes of certaine interpoſing Princes; but firſt this poore Lord, for the maintayning of his ſouldiers, was fain to pawne his jewells to the Cardinall Queva for the ſum of two and twenty thouſand crowns, by reaſon the mony which he expected from France came not time enough to him, and for that the Duke his brother could not ſupply him ſufficiently, in regard his ſtate was much exhauſted by the former warre with the Barberini. This Cardinall is bountifull enough, but his purſe failes him, and will not permit him to doe as he would do: he is of a good life, very converſable, merry, and friendly.
FRanceſco Peretti, alias Cardinall Montalto, he is the Nephewes Son of Sixtus quintus of happie memorie. This Lord was the onely ſonne of the Prince Perétti, who, being old, propoſed to give a wife to Franceſco, that was in love with a Lady of the Houſe of Ceſi, wherewith he acquainted his father, who put him in good hope, and accordingly went, treated and concluded the marriage, not for his Son, but for himſelfe, for the old dotard being infinitly taken with the Angelicall ſight of a moſt beautifull Lady, thought her more fitter for himſelfe, than for his ſonne. Franceſco, ſeeing he was in this ſort betrayed, and ill intreated by his Father, departed in a manner deſperate, and ſecretly, from the Court, and made himſelfe a Prieſt; by which meanes the father deceaſing not long after without heires, and all his States falling to Franceſco, upon his death the family of the Peretti will be extinct. This Lord uſed much diligence to get the Scarlet Gowne, but could not attaine it, becauſe100 Urban was diſpleaſed with him, for that he would neither give, nor ſell unto him the delicious Villa of Mentana. Montalto would not give it unto him, leaſt the World ſhould ſay, that ſo deſerving a perſon as himſelf attained to the Hat by briberie; and ſo was contented rather to be without it. The moſt part of the States he poſſeſſeth, are ſcituated in the Kingdom of Naples; for which cauſe he is devoted to the Catholique Crown, and hath many times ſupplyed that Majeſtie with mony for the ſervice of his Warres. Hs is Prince of the City of Venafro, and Count of Celano, enjoying alſo many places in the State of the Church: The King of Spain did oftentimes deſire the Scarlet Gown of Pope Urban for this Lord, but was by him continually refuſed; at length being earneſtly preſt by the King of France, who demanded it alſo for Giulio Mazzarini, the Pope, that he might not ſeem to be too much affected to the French, did at one and the ſame time promote both Mazzarino, and Montalto, as declared Nationals, and nominated by France and Spain. He is a rich Lord, and bountifull, keepes a Royal Court, and little cares what he ſpends, knowing well that after his deceaſe his eſtate is to fall unto divers101 Families, and in part cular to the Savelli, as his neereſt kinred. Sixtus quintus made a Bull, wherein he declared, that the Scarlet Gown ſhould be given to his deſcendants without any demand or inſtance at all; and indeed the Roman Church can ow no leſs to that blood of his, ſeeing it hath received ſo many benefits from that worthy high Biſhop of eternal memorie. All the Popes indevoured, but Sixtus quintus alone ſetled the Papal power, reduced unto obedience all the Barons, how great and potent ſoever they were, rooted the Banditi, and theeves out of the Eccleſiaſtical State, bridled the Chriſtian Princes, in a few years adorned Rome with ſumptuous fabricks, and inriched the Adrian Mole with a huge ſumme of Gold, intending to perform ſome great enterpriſe, which ſucceeded not by reaſon of his enſuing death. This Cardinal holds good correſpondence with all the ſacred Colledge, except it be with the Cardinal Trivultio his kinſman; for there fell ought ſome difference between them in the paſt Conclave, becauſe the ſaid Trivultio had heard, that Montalto was united with the French faction; but now, it is thought, they are reconciled. He is much eſteemed of by the Pope, is well conditioned, ſtudious, learned, and102 worthy of the Papacie for his goodneſs, and excellent qualities. He is of kinne to very near all the Roman Nobilitie, and was not long ſince honored by the Catholique King with the charge of conducting the Emperors Daughter, his new Spouſe, out of Germany into Spain; in which imployment the Cardinal ſtood not upon expence, but ſhewed himſelf exceeding ſplendid and liberal.
GIulio Mazzarini, the Sonne of Pier Mazzarini, a Sicilian, who being a Merchant, became bankrupt for certain ſummes of mony, and therefore fled with all his family to Rome, where the ſaid Giulio was born, as alſo his brother, named Michael; who made himſelf a Frier of the Dominican Order. Giulio ſerved for ſometime the Colonneſies Nephewes, and afterwards Sachetti, who employed him in the managing of his monies; wherewith trading for his Maſter, and with gaming,103 he got together no little ſummes for himſelf: Then he became a ſoldier; but returning again to the Court, he applied himſelf anew to the ſame Cardinals. The affection which Sachetti bore to this man, brought him into ſuch eſteem with the Cardinal Antonio, as he employed him in all his ſervices, and putting himſelf into the Prelacie, he was, at his inſtance, ſent by the Pope Nuncio Apoſtolical into Savoy, and alſo to take in his Holineſs name, out of the hands of the French, the City of Caſale, to be kept by him in depoſito, till ſuch time as the Spantards, and Germanes ſhould go out of, and leave the City of Mantoua, which they had ſeized upon, becauſe the Duke thereof had declared himſelf French, and would not acknowledge to hold of the Emperor. Mazzarini goes accordingly, and takes the City of Caſale in depoſito, but after he had cauſed the Spaniards, and Germans to iſſue out of Mantoua, he gave Caſale again unto the French; by meanes whereof both the Emperor, and the King of Spain remain'd flouted, and cheated; and from this difference ſprung the bloody Warre in the State of Milan, and Monferrato. The ſaid Mazzarini, by this treaſon done unto the Spaniards, got104 the favour of the Cardinal Richelieu, together with that of the moſt Chriſtian King; who finding him to be a man of a wit proper for the deſignes of his Crown, demanded the purple Gown of the Pope for him, in reward of the betraying the King of Spain his Lord, whoſe Vaſſal he is. Urban at that time denyed to give it him, becauſe he had alſo deceived him, in conſigning the City of Caſale anew into the hands of the French, without his knowledge; and anſwered the moſt Chriſtian King, that he would grant it unto him for any other perſon that he would nominate: But his Majeſtie perſiſted ſtill with great obſtinacie in that his demand; which Urban ſeeing, could do no leſs then content him, and in this manner was he promotd to the Scarlet Gown. After the deceaſe of the Cardinal Richelieu, he had the whole Command; but his Maſters favor got him much hatred with the Grandees of the Kingdom. His Majeſtie greatly honored him; made him a Councellor of State, with authority to ſit in Parliament; and alſo at his death left him one of the Executors of his Teſtament. This Cardinal is grown ſo rich, that he is held to be the wealthieſt feuditary Prince that105 is. He had often craved leave of that King to return unto Rome, and take the Hat at ſuch time as Urban lived, but it would never be granted to him. He hath been ſo high in the Court of France, that the Princes of the blood could by no means endure it; which hath been the cauſe of ſuch revolutions in that Kingdome, and of ſuch inteſtine Wars as have followed thereupon; but this matter is ſo well known to every one, that I will paſſe from it, to diſcourſe of that, which further concernes him. This Cardinal is he, that, though a far off, did in the Conclave ſo oppoſe the election of Innocent the tenth; and not contented therewith, labored alſo to terrifie him, by ſending great armies into Italy; the operations whereof hath manifeſted to the World, that the Cardinal had indeed other thoughts, then the ſole acquiſition of Piombino. The Catholique King hath declared him, and all his kinred Rebells and Traitors. At ſuch time, as this Cardinal ſerved in the Warres, he was a very vitious gamſter, and oftentimes received many hurts about women; but now he lives with much gravitie, and whoſoever hath to deal with him, finds him alwaies in apparance, gentle in106 ſpeech, and gratefull for benefits received, wherefore he hath openly defended Barberino, ſo far forth, that he hath incurred the hatred of the Parliament of Paris for it. With his authority he cauſed his brother, being in a manner but a youth, to be elected General of the Order of the Dominicans, made him Maſter of the ſacred Palace, procured him the Archbiſhoprick of Aix in France, and finally not contented herewith, he obtained the Scarlet Gown for him; with all which honors the ſaid Michael is paſt into a better life.
MArc 'Antonio Bragadino, a Nobleman of Venice: he was made Biſhop of the City of Vicenza, upon the nomination of the Republique, which knew him to be a good man, and of great integritie. This Biſhoprick of his enjoyes the tytle of Duke, Marqueſſe, and Count. All the time of his reſidence at his Church he was107 held in great eſteem, and lived with great reputation; I my ſelf have often ſeen him in that City, as he was going with his Clergy to the Domo, and me thought, that even then he ſhewed, and looked like a Cardinal, as within leſs then two years after he was made one, at the inſtance of the Signoria of Venice, which highly account of him. He is a Lord endowed with many excellent qualities, is very courteous in ſalutes, and entertainments, loves not light converſations, is a man ſtudious, and curious; but his curioſitie ceaſes, when matters of intereſt are handled. All the time, that he was at Court, he was never ſeen to give any alms, for which he was blamed; but it may well be, that he delights to give in ſecret, that he may not appear vain-glorious. This Cardinal cannot be Pope in haſt, for two reaſons; the one is, becauſe he is a Venetian, and the other is becauſe he is too young. He is not devoted to any Crown, but onely to his Republique, and his vote will be alwaies at the diſpoſing thereof.
PIetro Donato Ceſis, of a moſt Noble Roman Family; he was Clerk of the Chamber, was alſo made Treaſuror General of the holy Church, and afterwards promoted by Urban to the Scarlet Gown, and ſent by him Legate to Perugia, at ſuch time as the War was made againſt the Princes of Italy. The Apoſtolicall Chamber, whilſt he had the adminiſtration of it, was well ſerved, and not oppreſſed, as it had been by ſo many others, which robbed it. In this ſaid Legateſhip he caried himſelf very wiſely, but with rigor. He is a man of a good and ſincere life, and may be one day Pope, being a Roman. He hath no hair on his Chin, ſo that he ſeems to be an Eunuch; and comming to be greyhaired, he would look like one of thoſe antient Popes; and not without cauſe was there a Paſquil made of him during the Vacancie of the Sea, which ſaid; Ceſis is made Pope, verily he will be a Pope de Malangonate. He would be no bad Pope, for that he is a lover of the poor,109 and a man of conſcience. He is learned, and naturally merry in converſation. He was Abbot of the Abbey of Saint Angelo à Sazanella in the Kingdom of Naples. He is much devoted to the houſe of Austria, and in particular to the Catholique King, making open profeſſion thereof; and having his Majeſties armes ſet over his gate; and is loved and eſteemed of that Crown, as alſo of the great Duke. He is not much reckoned of in the Court, but is reverenced in the ſacred Colledge. He hath no enemies, except it be the Barberini, who fear him for the abuſes they have done to the Duke of Ceſis, beſides other diſguſts received in his own perſon from them. There hath ſome diſtaſt alſo paſt between him and the Cardinal Theodoli, in a Chappel held by the Cardinals for the love of Lerida. His Government would be good for the holy Church; for ſome of his confidents have reported, that if ever he ſhould attain to that degree, he would with all his intereſt make a league againſt the Turke; and would alſo, if God gave himliſe, lay up as many millions of Gold in the Caſtle, as Sixtus quintus did, for the benefit of the Apoſtolick Sea. His kindred are the Orſini,110 the Duke Acquaſparta, the Duke of Ceſis, the Soovelli, and others.
FFranceſco Maria Machiavelli, a Noble man of Florence, and Couſin to the Barberini. He was a firſt but a ſimple Prelate, then was made Biſhop of Ferrara, and afterwards promoted to the Scarlet Gowne for divers reaſons, but the moſt intimate of them was, becauſe he was a kinne to the Barberini by the mothers ſide; another was, for that the Cavalier Matthia Machiavelli, who was Captain of the light-horſe of his Holineſſe guard, and had done many ſervices for the Pope in the paſt Warre againſt the Princes of Italy, was an earneſt ſuitor to him for it. This Cardinal is very affable in his demeanor, of a good diſpoſition, curteous, and a friend to the poor, but yet ſpends not much upon them of his own purſe. He is not diſliked of by the great Duke of Toſcan, though he be the Barberinies Couſin, becauſe he hath never111 diſtaſted that Prince, but hath held good correſpondence with him by all manner of ſervices, if not openly, at leaſtwiſe ſecretly, for otherwiſe he had loſt the Popes favor. He is neither Spaniſh nor French, feigning himſelf neutral, but in effect is wholly Auſtrian; and in the paſt Conclave he alwaies ſided with Albernoz againſt Franceſco. He was not diſpleaſed to ſee the Barberini perſecuted by the Pope, knowing their miſdeanors deſerved that, and worſe. He is well regarded by his holineſſe, and is now reſident at his Church of Ferara. He is a man of an indifferent underſtanding, hath no conſiderable enemies, nor any contrarietie, but ſuch as he may have by reaſon of his affinitie with the Barberini: he is of a goodly preſence, and young; he maintaines himſelf in his Biſhoprick with much decorum and gravitie, carrying himſelf with the great ſatisfaction of the people there, by whom he is loved, reverenced and ſerved.
Verginio Orſini, a Roman, Nephew to the Duke of Bracciano, and the brother of the Duke of Santo Gemini; he was onely an Abbot, and thought to have caſt off his Clerical habit, and have maried the Princeſs Lodoviſia: but Urban, envying this match, and whilſt it was a making up, promoted him in a Conſiſtory to the Scarlet Gown. Others ſay, that the Duke of Bracciano, finding his houſe without the red Hat, courted the Cardinal Antonio a long time with donatives, and exorbitant expences; and in the end, with a great ſumme of Gold drew him to get his Holineſs to promote him: howſoever the Scarlet Gown was due to him, as a deſerving Lord, and of a moſt antient family, which, as one may ſay, hath had as many Cardinals as daies; and the Roman Church is exceedingly obliged to this houſe, their anceſtors having fought for it, and kept the Barbarians far enough from Rome; maintaining the Apoſtolical Sea in all ſecuritie. This Houſe, as alſo that of the Colonneſi113 alone, have a place with the Ambaſſadors in the Chappel, but in regard of precedencie they never meet there both together. This Cardinal according to his authority is not very rich; no more than his anceſtors were, who warred a long time with the Colonneſi, in ſuch ſort as they put not only the neighbouring Princes in fear, but alſo the very Popes themſelves, who were fain to obſerve them; but they have now reduced them to that paſſe, as the Orſini may with juſt reaſon ſay, ſaſtiditum in ques, & opprebrium gentibus, & abjectio plebis; howſoever this Lord is bountiful, as farre forth as his ſmall abilitie will extend, carrying along with him the liberalitie of his race. He was much beloved and regarded of Innocent the tenth, becauſe at ſuch time as the aſſuming of Cardinal Pamphilio to the Papacie was in agitation, he being not entred into the Conclave, by reaſon of ſome indiſpoſition of his, when there was need of his vote, he preſently entred, and gave it for him; the ſaid Orſini too were great furtherers of the match between his holineſſe Neece and the Prince Lodoviſio: Nevertheleſs at this preſent, the French having deprived the Prince Lodoviſio of the Principalitie of Piombino, the ſaid Orſini114 indeavour all that ever they may to obtain it, for that the Duke of Braccianoes Wife is of the Appian houſe, from whom the Spaniards formerly took away the ſaid Principalitie, and ſold it to the Prince Lodoviſio for the ſum of five hundred thouſand Crownes, being worth threeſcore thouſand a year. The Orſini were heretofore devoted to the houſe of Auſtria, but now have declared themſelves French, inſomuch that the Duke of Bracciano and the Cardinal have ſet up the Armes of the moſt Chriſtian King, from whom they have a Penſion of two and twenty thouſand Crownes a year; beſides the Duke of Bracciano continually expects the Brieve of the. Inveſtiture of Piombino: For which cauſe it is believed, that the friendſhip and familiaritie, which hath been between Innocent the tenth and them, will turn into hatred and difference, and all-ready there is a beginning thereof; for his holineſs hath cauſed the Duke of Bracciano to be cited, to make payment of his debts to the Montiſti his Creditors, otherwiſe threatning to make ſale of his goods to ſatisfie them. This Cardinal is a man proud enough, and for matter of precedence, he, by making ſtay of his Caroach,115 affronted & ill intreated the family of the Reſident of the deceaſed Queen Mother, Maria de Medici. He is a Lord full of reſentment, and Vindicative, and therefore is feared in the Court, and reverenced in the Colledge.
GIulio Gabrielli, a Roman Nobleman: he was Clerk of the Chamber, and was promoted to the Scarlet Gown by Urban the eighth, for the making of mony by ſale of that Office; and afterwards was ſent, as it were in exile, unto a miſerable Biſhoprick, charged with penſions, in the City of Aſcoli; the greateſt part of his meanes he acknowledgeth from the houſe of Lancelloti. He hath received many diſguſts from Barberino, yet can he not for all that ſeparate himſelf from him. He ſeemes to be devoted to the houſe of Auſtria, but is internally French. He is an intelligent man, ſtudious, curious, and affable in his dealing. He is a poor Cardinal,116 and therefore give not much almes. He is but young, in regard whereof nothing is to be ſaid of him concerning the Papacie. He is well qualified, leades a retired life, hath no enemies in the ſacred Colledge, and in the Court carries a good port; he hath ſome Nephewes, which are of no ill condition. He is a kinne to divers Noble Roman Families, and in particular to the Altieri, Lancelloti, and Coccini. This Cardinal hath in his Biſhoprick been at ſome variance with the people thereof, inſomuch that they roſe up tumultuouſly againſt him, about ſome taxes impoſed by him upon them.
AScanio Filomarini, a Neapolitan Cavalier, born in a little Village ſubject to Benevento, called Chianchiſella: He was ſo poor, that to repair the miſerie he was in, he reſolved to goe, and ſerve ſome Cardinal in the Court of Rome; where being arrived, he addreſſed himſelf to a Cardinal, his Countriman, and friend, to the end that with his authoritie he might be preferred to the place of Maſter of the Chamber, to ſome perſon that was capable of the Papacie; but he to gull him, rather then otherwiſe, recommended him to Barberino, that was not in a predicament of being Pope, who entertained him for Maſter of his Chamber; and it was his fortune to have the ſame inclination, that his Lord had; both of them delighted in Aſtrologie; for which cauſe Maffeo carried the greater affection unto him. In proceſſe of time Gregory the fifteenth hapned to die, and after long conteſtation in the Conclave amongſt the Cardinals of ſeveral〈◊〉factions they elected the ſaid Maffeo Barberino118 for Pope, by the name of Urban the eighth; who after he had promoted Franceſco Barberino his Nephew, to the Scarlet Gown, appointed the ſaid Fidomarini to be his ſuperintendant, with the Title of Maſter of his Chamber, and authoritie to wear purple; in regard Franceſco was by reaſon of his youth too unapt, and not fit for the Government. Barberino, ſome time being paſt, not able longer to endure to ſee himſelf under the charge of the Maſter of his Chamber, began to withdraw himſelf from it with the greateſt arrogancie, that might be; and had indeed driven him out of his Court, had it not been for the Pope, his Uncle, who protected him: howſoever he would not make uſe of him in any thing, but about the Chamber. Filomarini, having ſerved the Popes houſe for the ſpace of ten years, reſolved to trie his fortune, to ſee if he could get the Scarlet Gown, becauſe it had been often promiſed to him by his holineſſe, but it little availed him; wherefore when he ſaw that the Pope had made many promotions, and that he was ſtill excluded, he began to fall from the hope, which continually he had of it. The truth is, that Urban had an intent to promote119 him; but he was by Franceſco with a malicious policie kept from it; for he would ſay to his holineſs, Father, Filomarini is to me a right hand for the Government of my affairs, and I ſhall not be able to meet with ſuch another, as he is; wherefore you may be pleaſed to preferre him ſome other time; and this he did alwaies at ſuch time, as the promotions were to be made, more for the hate that he bore him, then for any other end, hoping that by meanes of this ſuſpenſion, his Uncle comming to die, he ſhould not ſee a ſervant of his exalted to the ſame Dignitie that he was in. The Arch-biſhoprick of Naples becomming void by the death of the Cardinal Buoncompagno, Filomarini, ſeeing that four and twenty years were already paſt, and he had not been remunerated with any thing, determined to craveit for a reward of his labors, as indeed he did, ſaying, Bleſſed Father, I have long ſerved your Holineſſe, and your Houſe, and never had any occaſion to demand any grace of you, till now, that the Church of Naples is void, which I humbly beſeech your Holineſſe to beſtow on me; And this he ſpake even with tears in his eyes, becauſe he had loſt all hope of the Scarlet Gown: the Pope, to make himſelf merry with him,120 anſwered him thus; This is not a morſell for you, my Aſcanio, but for a Cardinal; and wee have already ſo deſtinaled it: Which Filomarini hearing, made no reply, but ſhrinking up his ſhoulders took his leave. Not long after this Urban communicated unto Franceſco the promotion of the Cardinals, which he meant to make, and in particular of Filomarini; but Franceſco, having uſed all the perſwaſions he might to divert him from it, and not prevailing, reſolved to give him all the diſguſts in the mean time, that poſſibly he could; and for a beginning, one day when Barberino was going forth into the City, Filomarini brought his cloak, as he was wont, to put it on him; but Franceſco in a rage ſnatched it out of his hand, ſaying, you ſhall ſerve me no longer, and turning him about to another Gentleman of his there preſent, he gave it to him, and ſaid, you ſhall ſerve me hereafter for the Maſter of my Chamber: which Filomarini ſeeing and hearing, remained as one dead, to find himſelf ſo diſgraced by his Lord, ſaying in his mind; Is this my Guerdon for ſo many yeares ſervice, which I have done to the Pope, and his Nephews? curſed be he which truſteth in the deceitful hopes of the World. Now the monday morning121 came, appointed for the ſitting of the Conſiſtory, where preparation being made for things neceſſary thereunto, Filomarini alſo began to go about, as he uſed to doe at other times; but Barberino with bitter words commanded him to get him from that place: as he did, retiring to his lodging very melancholick, and exceedingly caſt down. The time of the Conſiſtory being come, which laſted ſix whole hours together, his holineſſe in the beginning propounded the Archbiſhoprick of Naples for Filomarim, and afterward together with many others, promoted him to the Scarlet Gown. The Conſiſtory being finiſhed, there was heard, according to the uſual cuſtome, crying out, long live Cardinal ſuch a one: Filomarini, who knew nothing of that which had paſt, deſirous to hear ſomewhat, went out of his lodging, and preſently met with ſome Prelates and Cardinals, which did all reverence unto him, ſaying, your Eminencies ſervant, my Lord Cardinal Aſcanio; he thinking he was mocked, anſwered each of them, I had as lieve be flouted by you as another: but at length Barberino himſelf was forced to goe to him, and give him the Title of Eminencie: Filomarini hearing what he, and the reſt had122 ſaid unto him, began to come to himſelf again, and call to mind the Popes words, when he told him, that it was not a morſel for him, and that he had deſtinated it to a Cardinal. This Lord got the Hat with the ſweat of four and twenty years ſervice; and in the laſt Conclave, he met ſufficiently with Barberino, when as he told him, that his obligation for the Scarlet Gown was due to the good memory of Urban, and that he being dead, his obligation was alſo extinct, knowing well, that he had alwaies oppoſed him in his attaining to the Hat, and that therefore he was obliged to give his vote for the Catholick King his Lord. Urban tooke the greater affection to this Cardinal, becauſe when he was grievouſly ſick in his laſt infirmity, he had demanded of his Phyſitian in what ſtate of health his holineſſe was, and being put in good hope thereof by him, he gave him a chain of Gold, which the Phyſitian ſhewed to the Pope; who thereby perceiving the love he bore to him, promoted him afterwards to the Scarlet Gown. In the time of the Warre of the Barberini, he ſent twelve thouſand Piaſtre to the relief of the Papal Army, for which he got no litle credit with the123 Pope, and ſacred Colledge. He is a very intelligent man, and given to Aſtrologie, but is exceeding proud; ſo that in regard thereof, there is no Cavalier how mean ſoever, that Courts and viſits him: And I well remember, that the Counteſſe of Saponara at ſuch time as he was Maſter of the Chamber to Barberino, ſent him certain letters, ſuperſcribed with the Title of my Lord, and becauſe they had not the Title of moſt illuſtrious, he returned them back, ſaying, that they were not ſent unto him; and as much he did, when as he was illuſtrious, ſaying, that they were not directed to him: in ſumme, no man knowes, how to negotiate with him, and therefore every one abſtaines from writing unto him.
GIeronimo Veroſpi, a Roman Gentleman; He was Auditor della Rota, as in like manner his Uncle had been, who during the time of his being ſo, faling at odds with the great Duke of Toſcan, madly undertook wth certain Muſketiers to diſpute the difference that was between them about ſome waters, without regarding the danger of his life, that hung over his head; after which returning to Rome, he was by Urban thought worthy of the Scarlet Gown; and having obtained it, he lived but a while, for ſome diſguſts that were given him broke his heart, and ſo he dyed. Urban, after the death of that Cardinal, ſeeing his houſe as it were ruined & undone, and bearing a great affection to it, promoted the preſent Geronimo Veroſpi his Nephew to the Hat; he conferred alſo upon him the Church of Oſimo nella Marca, and further confirmed the Auditors place della Rota on his brother, beſides many other benefits and graces. Franceſco and Antonio both made great ſuite to have the Scarlet125 Gown as well for Verospi as for Gabrieli, becauſe they were but ſmall friends to Pamphilio, and as ſuch, they ſhewed themſelves obſtinate againſt his election; and therefore after his aſſumption the ſaid Verospi hath alwaies abſented himſelf from the Court, to avoid thoſe diſguſts which might happen unto him, reſiding continually at his Biſhoprick. He is a poor Cardinal, and hath many brothers, who all live together with their Mother, except it be one which hath ever kept himſelf apart from the reſt; and after the death of Urban he went to ſerve Cardinal Antonio in the place of Maſter of his Chamber, before he left the Court of Rome to go into France. This Cardinal is learned, but the Auditor della Rota his brother is more intelligent; his vote will be altogether for the Barberini, and his inclination is more to France then to Spain, although, to maintain himſelf in the common pretenſions, he ſeemes in apparance to be neutral. If this ſame Lord ſhould be Pope, he would ſpoil the ſeat of Peter to accommodate his bretheren, which are many.
GAspare Matthei, brother to the Duke of that ſurname; He was a Prelate of a moſt Noble and antient Roman family; and was ſent by Ʋrban the eighth Nuneio to the Emperors Majeſtie; in which Charge he carried himſelf with much ſatisfaction of both parts. He was promoted to the Scarlet Gown, as other Nuncioes were: Upon his return to Rome he was preſently ſet upon by Sachetti for the repayment of ſix thouſand crownes, lent him at his going into Germany, cauſing him to be cited for it, in regard whereof he is no great friend to him, but greatly oppoſed his fortune in the Conclave, and behaved himſelf with much vigilancie, care, & affection towards the Houſe of Auſtria, in favor of the Cardinal Phamphilio: And he it was alſo that made a great coil, ſaying, they would have no forreign, but Roman Popes; and in the ſame Conclave he defended the reputation of the houſe of Austria, threatning the Cardinal127 Rapacioli, who had ſpoken amiſſe againſt the Auſtrians; he ſhewed himſelf alſo averſe to the Cardinal Fiorenzola for the ſame cauſe. This Cardinal is poor, intelligent, opinnative, haughty, proud, full of reſentment, and lookes more like a ſouldier then a Cardinal: He ſpeakes freely againſt any one whatſoever he be, when he ſees things ill done, His vote is, and ever will be Auſtrian, and for that Crown would he ſhed his owne blood. He is well eſteemed of by the Pope, and feared of the Court, as a vindicative perſon. He hath allied himſelf with the houſe of Gonzaga, having given his Siſter in mariage to the Prince of Pozzolo, who was heretofore Ambaſſador in this Court from the Emperor.
GIrolamo Grimaldi, a Nobleman of Genoua, and kinſman to the Prince of128 Montehonorato. This Girolamo was a ſoldier, having ſerved the Emperor in the Warres of Germany; returning into his Country he put on the long robe, and comming to Rome, he bought the Clerk of the Chambers place, was by Urban the eighth made Governor of Rome, in which Charge he carried himſelf with much ſatisfaction of the people; at the end whereof he was ſent Nuntio into France, and having remained ſome monthes in that imployment, he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown for two reſpects; the one was to make the Clerke of the Chambers place void for the ſelling of it; and the other, to ſhew the promoting of a French Nuntio. Some ſay that this Lord was he which cauſed the Prince of Monaco to fall from the Spaniards; but others more certainly ſay, that it was a French Cavalier, named Mounſieur Bordon, of the ſelf ſame Houſe of Grimaldi; for there are in France many of that Family, ſo that it cannot be denyed but that the Cardinal had an hand in it. And the cauſe of this defection was, for that the Kings Miniſters would not pay the Garriſon which was kept in the fortreſs of Monaco; in regard whereof the poor Prince, having no poſſibility to pay129 them, by reaſon he was not ſatisfied thoſe few aſſignments which had been ſetled for it, was forced to expel the Spaniards, and introduce the French, as moſt profitable for him, reſtoring to the Catholique King his Golden Fleece again. This Cardinal is well accommodated with the goods of fortune, and yet he cannot be ſaid to be rich, if one conſider the bountifullneſſe of his mind, which is ſuch, as his meanes, though ſufficient enough, is not able to anſwer. In his negotiating and dealings he is very affable and courteous, honoring all without exception of any. He lives under the protection of the Crown of France, as all his kinred beſides doth. He is intelligent enough, and ſtudious, but much more curious. The moſt Chriſtian King honored him for ſome monthes with his comprotection of France, in default of Antonioes abſence from the Court, it having been exerciſed before by Cardinal Brichi; and now it is exerciſed by the Cardinal of Eſte, with the Title of Legitimate Protector, for which he hath received a Brieve from his Majeſtie. Grimaldi got but little favor with the Pope in the time that he exerciſed the ſaid comprotection, having too openly130 ſpoken overmuch in the behalfe of the Barberini; in regard whereof his Holineſſe, before the Cardinal of Eſtes arrival at Rome, oftentimes denyed him audience. He is very open in the expreſſion of his ſence, eſpecially when he comes to have any buſineſſe impoſed upon him. He is of ſome account in the Court, becauſe he is of a principal Family, and a Nobleman of the City of Genoua. He is not a little glad at any loſſe, or miſadventure hapning to the Auſtrian Monarchy, and in particular to that of Spain. He is an amiable Lord, merry, and jovial; is well pleaſed with the delights of the World, and eſpecially with faire Women. He is much eſteemed of by the Crown of France.
CEſare Fachinetti, Nephew to Innocent the ninth, and a Nobleman of Bologna; he was a deſerving Prelate, and ſent Nuncio to the Catholique King; at the end of which imployment he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown by Urban the eighth, and afterwards had conferred on him the Biſhoprick of Sinigaglia, a City of the State of Urbin. In his Church he was obſerved to be a good and vigilant man, behaving himſelf gently and charitably towards his flock. None of the Cardinals in the ſacred Colledge are enemies to him, becauſe he is loving to them all. He is not very old, but comming to ſome riper age he may attain to Peters Chair; the rather for that he is devoted to the houſe of Auſtria; he hath no vices of conſideration; holds good correſpondence with the Popes Family. The Spaniards would condiſcend to his election, ſo that it might be propounded by ſome head of a faction; for if they ſhould do it themſelves, he might be eaſily excluded. He would be no bad Pope132 for the good of the Church. Innocent the tenth hath conferred on his brother the Charge of Governor of the Armes in Romagna; who in caſe of his being Pope, would be he that will reign, and hath no conſiderable defect, ſaving that he is ſomewhat amorous, being now in love with one Nina Barcarola, a famous Roman Dame, otherwaies they are both good Cavaliers. The vote of this Cardinal will be alwaies for Spain.
FRanceſco Rapaccioli, a Roman, deſcended from a Caſtle, called Caſtel di Scepoli, ſcituated betwixt the City of Narni and Trani, and was the Sonne of a Lilettaro, for ſo they call thoſe in Rome which ſell Shirts, Smocks, Handkerchers, and other kind of linnen in the City. Being a Prelate, he was Clerk of the Chamber, and by Urban was againſt the will of the whole Colledge made Treaſuror General of the holy Church; having been firſt honored with133 the charge of Commiſſary General of the Papal Army in Perugia: After ſometime he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown, to make mony of the Clerks place for the uſe of the Warre, and a leſſe while did he enjoy and exerciſe the Treaſurorſhip, being daily and continually imployed in the ſaid Warre. He is a rich Cardinal according to his qualitie, and is moſt intelligent in the Civil and Cannon Lawes. He is of the Barberinies faction, and conſequently French; wherefore in the Conclave he ſpake amiſſe of the houſe of Auſtria, for which Matthei anſwered him as he deſerved, and with threats told him, that he were beſt take heede in what manner he ſpake of the houſe of Auſtria, for elſe he might be made to repent it, although he were a Cardinal. He is but litle eſteemed of in the Court, and in the ſacred Colledge he is reputed as a meer Scarlet Gown, and no otherwiſe. Innocent the tenth hath conferred on him the Church of Terni his Country.
GIovanni Giacomo Panzirolo, a Roman, the Sonne of Virgilio della valle, ſo ſirnamed, ſometime a publique Taylor in Rome. Giovanni Giacomo, having profited well in vertue, and proceeded Doctor in the Lawes, applied himſelf to the Court, where he was entertained by the now Pope for his Auditor, at ſuch time as he was a Prelate, and Nuntio at Naples; He alſo followed the ſaid Pamphilio into Spain, upon his going likewiſe Nuntio thither. After Pamphilio was promoted to the Scarlet Gown, Panzirolo put himſelf into the Prelacie, and having exerciſed many Charges and Governments, he was at laſt ſent Nuntio into Spain, where he caried himſelf very worthyly, and to the great contentment of that Majeſtie; inſomuch that the Pope finding him to be very intelligent, and deſerving, promoted him to the Scarlet Gown. He is a learned man, and expert in all matters of Negotiation: He hath gotten much credit with the Crown of Spain; is greatly approved of in135 the Court, and is much eſteemed by the ſacred Colledg, but farre more by Innocent the tenth, ſo that if he live, he may be Pope. He is of a ſweet coverſation, excellently qualified, of a good behaviour, friendly, and thankful for all benefits received. He arrived at Rome from Spain when as the Cardinals were in a manner all ſhut up in the Conclave, and brought along with him divers pacquets of letters written from his Catholique Majeſtie, to all the ſacred Colledge, in favor of the Cardinal Pamphilio, inſomuch that it was he who gave the firſt ſtart to his greatneſs; which benefit, together with the goodwill Pamphilio bore him before, cauſed him preſently upon his aſſumption to place him near about him; he gave him lodgings alſo in the Pontifical Palace, and made him his chief Counſellor of State; ſo that the whole Government of the Papacie is in a manner reſting upon his ſhoulders. He is not very rich, but with the Penſions and Benefices beſtowed on him by the Pope, he is thought to be exceeding well accommodatep. He leades a very retired life, and is of a good diſpoſition; for I remember that in the time of his Prelacie he told me one day, how he never136 fell out with, nor miſuſed any ſervant of his houſe, to the end they ſhould not have occaſion to murmure at him, or his birth, and loſe the reſpect which they owed unto him; a matter verily worthy of commendation. He is a truſty friend of the great Duke of Toſcans, but he is not confided in by the Barberini for private intereſts, and becauſe, as it is thought, he was one of them that Counſelled the Pope to proſecute them in that ſort, as he did; He received the Hat from the hands of Innocent the tenth, together with the Cardinal of Eſte, becauſe they were not preſent in the Court at ſuch time as Urban was living.
MAttheo Theodoli, a Roman, deſcended of a Noble family in the City of Forlin Popoli nella Romagna. He was a poor Prelate that could hardly live, but at the inſtance of Antonio he was by Urban the eighth made Auditor of the Chamber,137 and not having mony enough to pay for it, the ſaid Cardinal Antonio lenthim ſome, out of the affection he bore to his houſe: He exerciſed the ſaid Auditorſhip but a ſhort while, ſo that he could hardly recover any part of his disburſment, becauſe he was promoted to the Scarlet Gown out of a neceſſity of ſelling that Office to make mony of, for the ſupplying of the Warre againſt the Princes of Italy; by which meanes he became exceeding poor, and therefore he reſolved to abandon the Spaniſh, and betake himſelf to the French party, upon promiſe from that Crown of mony and penſions. This Cardinal is of little eſteem in the ſacred Colledge, inſomuch that when he meant to give himſelf to the French, he ſent a Gentleman of his to excuſe him to Cardinal Montalto, ſaying, that his Eminencie was to pardon him for leaving the Auſtrian, and cleaving to the French devotion, in regard he was reduced thereunto by meer neceſſitie; whereunto the ſaid Montalto made anſwer, that his Catholique Majeſtie in loſing him loſt nothing, and the King of France by geting him got litle. Not long after inſued the Conclave, where, it is ſaid, he carried himſelf with little fidelity to the moſt138 Chriſtian King; for being promiſed I know not what ſumme of mony, together with the Biſhoprick of Imola, he falſifyed the Marqueſs of Sanſciamont the Ambaſſador of France his hand to certain letters, in the behalf of the Cardinal Pamphilio, for which he was turned out of his Majeſties favor, and likewiſe deprived of all the benefits and revenues which he enjoyed in that Kingdom; whereupon, not being able to live as a Cardinal, he, very much dejected, abſented himſelf from the Court and went to the Marqueſſe ſanto Vito his brother; where out of rage and diſcontent he became almoſt frantick, and the Pope having granted him the Church of Imola, took it away again from him, and conferred it on my Lord Cocino Romano, who was Biſhop of Turſi. After he had remained ſome time with his ſaid brother, he returned to the Court, where unknown he lived miſerably: but at length having received ſome letters from France, it is ſaid that he ſpake thus publiquely to the Pope; Bleſſed Father, the moſt Chriſtian King hath vouochſaſed to receive me a new into his priſtine favor, as much as to ſay, in de spight of all my il willers, and of ſuch as would not have it ſo. There can no certaine judgement be139 made what this Cardinals vote will be, for he turnes like a leafe with every breath of winde. Both the King of France, and the Pope make but little account of him, and yet they ſeem to look upon him with a good eye.
FAuſto Poli, born in Caſſia, a place upon the confines of Abbuozzo within the Dioceſſe of Norcia; He was a poor man at firſt, and ſerved Urban the eighth at ſuch time as he was Biſhop of Spoletto, and had the good hap to continue in his ſervice untill his exaltation to the Papacie; and then putting himſelf into the Prelacie, he was after ſome time as a confident ſervant of his promoted by Urban to the Scarlet Gown, together with many other ſervants of the Apoſtolical Palace. Poli hath alwaies been much eſteemed of, and loved by all the Barberini, for his ſerviceableneſs to them in the managing of their houſehold affaires, for which he is onely good,140 being otherwiſe altogether ignorant, and without any known vertue in him. The Barberini would not exclude him from the Papacie, in regard he is their creature; but he is not deſired of the Auſtrians, and then too there are other perſons of qualitie, and age in the ſacred Colledge, which farre excel him in all requiſites appertaining to a Pope; and therefore he may ſet his heart at reſt, and never think of it. This Cardinal is ſo much for the Barberini, that he will alwaies be at their diſpoſing, and conſequently will ever ſide with the French. He is rich, and in caſe he ſhould be Pope, the Biſhop of Amelia his Nephew will be he that ſhall reigne; who is not very intelligent, is of litle eſteeme in the ſacred Colledge, and leſſe regarded in the Court.
LEllio Falconieri, was alſo an aſſidual ſervant to Urban the eighth; but becauſe he was too talkative, the Barberini did not regard him, neither did the Pope in like manner much care for him He was a poor Prelate, but his father dying, left him a great ſumme of money; wherefore Urban thought good to ſend him abroad, that he might ſpend ſome of it, and accordingly he diſpatched him away Nuntio into Flanders, where the Cardinal Infante, being advertiſed that the ſaid Falconieri was too much a favorer of the French, and conſequently a depreſſor of the Spaniards, would not receive him, and ſo excluded him from that imployment. Afterwards he was by the ſame Urban publiſhed for a good Prelate, eſpecially by cauſing him to execute the place of Secretary of the Congregations of the Biſhops & Regulars, and then was promoted by him to the Scarlet Gown, with other ſervants of his holineſſe, for two reaſons; the firſt was, at the inſtance of Cardinal Sachetti, and142 the ſecond, that imported moſt, was, becauſe in the Warre of the Barberini, the ſaid Falconieri and his brethren had lent round ſummes of mony to the Apoſtolick See, for otherwiſe he had never had the Hat. This Cardinal is no great friend to the Barberini, and in particular to Cardinal Franceſco, becauſe when the Pope lay a dying, he opened unto him all the miſdemeanors, and tyrannical actions which the ſaid Franceſco had perpetrated, for the which he hath ever ſince hated him to the death. He is well enough accommodated with the goods of fortune, but is very much wanting in good parts, for he can hardly read and write his own name. The preſent Pope, Innocent the tenth, ſent him Legate to Bologna, where he hath reſided a long time, and at this inſtant the Magiſtrates of that City are ſuitors unto his holineſſe for the continuing of him in that Charge, alledging that they are exceedingly well ſatisfied with his Government; and this they do for no other reaſon, but becauſe he is altogether ignorant, and that therefore they rule all things at their pleaſure, ſo that he is there onely as it were pro forma, the whole weight of affairs reſting upon the ſhoulders of my143 Lord Zeccadoro, who is ſaid to be his holineſſe kinſman. Falconieri, in regard of his age, is capable of the Papacie; but as for wiſdome, and vertue he is moſt inſufficient. In diſcourſing his ſpeech is ruſtical, and is no way ſplendid, nor liberal, for it is enough to ſay that he is a Florentine. He is much delighted with ſports, plaies, and feaſts, and therefore goes continually to the publique Comedies, which are frequently acted in Bologna.
FRanceſco Adriano Ceva, the Duke of Savoy his Subject: He was a long time an aſſidual ſervant to Urban the eighth, and after he was a Prelate, whenſoever his holineſſe made any promotions, he was ſtill kept back from being promoted by Franceſco Barberino, ſo that if the Pope had dyed he had been excluded: for the ſaid Barberino, in regard there was no good correſpondence between them, laboured alwaies to put him in diffidence with Urban; that he might not give him the Scarlet144 Gown, which notwithſtanding at length he obtained. This Cardinal is rich in meanes, but poor in vertue and knowledge. He hath many Nephewes, but the moſt beloved is Signior Carlo Franceſco Bayla, the Sonne of my Lord Bayla, the Conſiſtorial Advocate, who lives with this his Uncle, which allows him ſcarce a penny in his purſe, ſuch is his avarice: nevertheleſſe, in caſe he ſhould attain to the Papacie, this would be the reigning Nephew. Ceva is not much affected by the Princes of Savoy his Lords, becauſe when there is any benefice, or Abbacie void in his Country, or other places of their States, he never cares to have it demanded for any of thoſe Princes deſerving ſervants, but alwaies ſeekes to apply it to his own, and his kinſmens benefit; neither is he greatly regarded by the Crown of France, although he was Nuntio with that Majeſtie, by reaſon he is alwaies inclined to the Auſtrian devotion, & therfore I cannot ſee how he ſhould ever get to Peters Chair, becauſe in every event of the Conclave, they would exclude him for the cauſes aforeſaid: The Auſtrians too confide little in him, believing, that even as the Dukes of Savoy his Lords uſe to doe, who play the turne-coates145 upon every motive according to their intereſt, ſo Ceva their ſubject would do the like.
ANgelo Giorio, a Native of the City of Camerino, of a vile progenie, and a poor Prieſt in Rome; where having for ſome time kept a ſchool, he left that, and put himſelf to ſerve the Cardinal Maffeo Barberino for a tutor to his Nephewes, Franceſco, Antonio, and Thadeo, leading them daily to the Roman Colledge; and withall imploying himſelf very diligently in divers other affairs of the houſe, he wonne his Maſters goodwill and love. Afterwards, Maffeo being elected Pope, Ciorio entred into the Prelacie, and in a ſhort time thrived ſo well, that he got together a good eſtate; whereupon having a long while continued, performing many good ſervices to Urban, it ſeemed convenient to his holineſſe to do him right, and ſo together with other ſervants of his he promoted him to the Scarlet Gown. He146 hath brothers, and Nephewes, which in regard of their ruſtical conditions will not let themſelves be ſeen, nor known in the Court. He delights greatly in hunting, and for that he was much made of by the whole houſe of the Barberini, and particularly by the Pope. This Cardinal, becauſe he was exalted from nothing, will alwaies be at the diſpoſing and command of the Barberini, and conſequently will of force be for the French againſt the Auſtrians. He is a man of a luſty age, not very old, is little reſpected in the ſacred Colledge, and at Court is eſteemed as a raking, covetous Cardinal, that for mony would ſell himſelf to do any vile thing. He hath no other good in him, but that he is not ſo ignorant, as the reſt of Urbans ſervants are, becauſe he hath been continually exerciſed in pedantiſm.
VIcenzo Coſtaguti, a Nobleman of Genoua He was Clerk of the Chamber, and did not hope to come ſo ſoon to the Scarlet147 Gown, becauſe he was too young, and alſo for that the Court abounded with many other aged & deſerving perſons; but well-fare the War of the Barberini, which made many riſe, that otherwiſe peradventure had never been promoted. For Urban, being loth to medle with any of the accumulated treaſure, which he had buried under ground for the benefit of his Nephewes, and wanting mony to maintain the Warre, exalted many Officers of the Chamber, and then ſold their places to other Prelates; in which manner Coſtaguti was promoted. This Cardinal, before he received the Scarlet Gown, together with his father lent a great ſum of mony to the Chamber, and had for ſecuritie thereof the five millions which were laid up in the Caſtle Saint Angelo by Sixtus quintus. He is a ſplendid, amiable, ſociable, gentle, affable and courteous Lord; he is much eſteemed of by Innocent the tenth, is charitable, well qualified, and of a goodly preſence: He is of no faction, but keeps himſelf neutral, is learned, and intelligent; and may truly be called the Cardinal of Gold, in regard he paid treble for the Hat. He is held to be very grateful; and therefore he is loved and reverenced148 of all, as he in like manner honors all.
PAolo Emilio Rondanino, a Roman Gentleman, and Nephew to the late Cardinal Zachia, that ſought to advance his pretenſions by the help of the Spaniſh Cardinals, who being diſtaſted with Ʋrban the eighth, for that he ſhewed himſelf, as in effect he was, too much French, oftentimes met together, and made divers Congregations to depoſe the ſaid Urban, after he had held the Papacie thirteen years: And whilſt his holineſſe by reaſon of his ſickneſſe was gone to the Caſtle of Gandolfo for change of air, the ſaid Spaniſh Cardinals ſecretly aſſembled in a Congregation, to make Cardinal Zachia Pope inſtead of the ſaid Urban, and depoſe him under the pretext of diſabilitie: But it did not ſucceed, for all was made known to his holineſſe, who returning privily to Rome, called a conſiſtory, where all the Cardinals being preſent, Urban with an149 high voice, ſaid alowd, Where is the new Pope whom you mean to adore? which the Spaniſh faction hearing, and perceiving they were diſcovered, remained as it were all dead and confounded. Hereupon it was, that Urban made the Bull, which enjoyned every Cardinal, Archbiſhop, Biſhop, and others whatſoever, that had cure of Souls, to go and reſide at their Churches, upon pain of excommunication, and deprivation of their Dignities and Benefices; ſo that the poor Cardinal Lodoviſio, who lay grievouſly ſick of the Gout, was forced to get him away to his Church of Bologna, where not long after he dyed with exceſſive pain; and all thoſe beſides which had a hand in that conſpiracie dyed diſcontented, and contemned; particularly Cardinal Zachia. Rondanino was Clerk of the Chamber, and was promoted together with the other Officers of the Chamber, as the ſaid Coſtaguti was; but eſpecially for that he had at his own charge in the time of the War raiſed a company of Cuiraſiers, beſides divers other ſervices. This Cardinal is but of a mean underſtanding, and proud in the higheſt degree, inſomuch as he deignes not to render a ſalute unto any perſon that is not150 his equal; a diſcurteſie verily worthy of blame. He is wealthy, loves his pleaſure, and is taken with every Roman delight.
GIovanni Steffano Donghi, a Gentleman of Genoua. He was Clerk of the Chamber, and was ſent by Urban the eighth, after the unhappy ſucceſs of Cardinal Spada's Negoti ation, Nuntio Apoſtolical, with the Title of Plenipotentiarie, into Lombardy, for the concluding of a peace with the Princes of Italy, where he cauſed him to ſpend the ſecond Clerkſhip of the Chamber, without any profit at all redounding to himſelf thereby. He was promoted to the Scarlet Gown for the ſame end, as his other fellow Clerks were. This Cardinal is a man learned, and curious; he is well reſpected of the Pope, who made him Legate of Ferrara, in which Charge he demeaned himſelf with great commendation. He hath many good parts, is affable, courteous, and alſo charitable. He is very rich, and151 ſpends enough, but to purpoſe, and not idlely. He is much devoted to the Catholique King, and makes open profeſſion thereof, having his armes ſet up over the Gate of his Palace. In the paſt Conclave he abandoned the Barberini, and followed the faction of Spain, which holds him in ſome eſteem, all his whole houſe living under the protection thereof.
CArlo Roſcetti, a Nobleman of Ferrara. He came a young man to Rome, where, putting himſelf into the Prelacie, and being imployed by Franceſco Barberino in many buſineſſes, he effected them ſo well to his ſatisfaction, that he took a great liking to him, in ſuch ſort as by his mediation he was ſent Nuntio into Cermany, and returning from that Charge, he was after ſome years diſpatched alſo as Nuntio into Ireland, to ſupply the Iriſh Catholiques with mony, and animate them to fight for their Religion againſt the Parliament of England. Upon his comming back from thence, he was promoted152 to the Scarlet Gown, at the inſtance of the ſaid Franceſco, to the end he might thereby oblige him to be ſtill of his faction in all Conclaves, and other occurrences, as accordingly he hath ſhewed himſelf. He was made Biſhop of Faenza in Romagna, where he was highly eſteemed, and commended for a worthy man, and of a Noble diſpoſition. He is a poor Cardinal, and yet for all that he is not ſlack in giving of almes. He is not much devoted to the houſe of Auſtria, is but young, and of a mean underſtanding. The preſent Pope regards him well, albeit he declared himſelf but litle affected to him in his election. He hath brothers, and many kinſmen, which are Counts, and Marqueſſes in Lombardy.
GIovanni De Lugo, a Spaniſh Gentleman. He was a Jeſuit, and a great Divine, of whom Urban the eighth made uſe in divers occurrences to his no little ſatisfaction; wherefore he promoted him to the153 Scarlet Gown. This Cardinal was ever an honeſt man, and of an exemplary life; but his being a Ieſuit, is that which I cannot abide, for he was Maſter of the Schooles of the Colledge, & hoc ſufficiat. Some ſay that he was aſſiſted and ſupplyed by his Company; others ſay no, becauſe he hath ſhewed himſelf as it were an enemy to the Ieſuits; but that he was aſſiſted by his kinred, and had alſo got together ſome ſtore of mony to ſuch a uſe, as the manner of the Ieſuits is to do, cum cantionibus, & aliis adminiculis. His deſcent was not ignoble, and he hath had many men renowned for learning in his houſe. This Lugo, by reaſon of the obligation wherein he ſtood farre ingaged to the Barberini, made ſhew in the Conclave of following their faction; but afterwards with a ſtratagem he gave his vote to the Spaniards, and when as the Pope was elected, publiquely declared himſelf of the Auſtrian party: ſo that in him is verified the ſaying; As ingratefull as a Ieſuit.
ALfonſo della Queva, Marqueſſe of Medmar, a Spaniard; He was ſent by the Catholique King, Ledger Ambaſſador to the Republique of Venice; in the time of whoſe reſidence there, the Duke of Oſſona, Vice-Roy of Naples, ſent a very mighty Fleet to take that City by ſurpriſe; for holding intelligence with ſome traitors in it. He had made an agreement with them, that they ſhould ſet the famous Arſenal thereof on fire, to the end that whilſt every one was running thither for to help to quench it, the Fleet might enter at their pleaſure, and ſeize on the moſt important places of the City; but the plot being diſcovered before it came to execution, and the Nobilitie believing that the Marqueſſe of Queva was privie and conſenting to that treaſon; went to155 the Palace where he dwelt, to cut him and all his Family in pieces; but being forewarned thereof, he fled with all ſpeed in a Gondola towards Rome, where a few monthes after he was by Gregory the fifteenth with the aſſent of the Catholique King promoted to the Scarlet Gown; and after ſome yeares he was by his Majeſtie made Governor of Flanders and the Low-Countries, where he carried himſelf with the little ſatisfaction of thoſe people, by ſeeking the ruine of that Country for the inriching of himſelf; but the Catholique King being advertiſed of his ill Government, deprived him of that Charge, and diſgraced him in ſuch manner, as he was alſo bereft of all the revenues and profits which he enjoyed in the Kingdomes of Spain; by reaſon wherof he was ſo exhauſted, that he ran mightily in debt. After the aſſumption of Innocent the tenth, followed the death of Cardinal Creſcentio, whereby the Biſhoprick of Paleſtina became void, which by way of ſenioritie appertained unto the ſaid Cardinal della Queva, who therefore was deſired by Cardianl Carlo de Medici to reſign it unto him, to the end that remaining in that City, which bore the Title of Don Tadeos Principalitie,156 he might croſſe and vex the Barberini; and this he promiſed Don Carlo to doe, but never performed it; for the Barberini prevented this diſorder by giving Queva I know not how many thouſands of crownes not to reſigne the Biſhoprick, ſo that he was not ſo good as his word to the ſaid Prince Cardinal, for which he was very much blamed of every one. He is a very learned man, and a great wit. He is ſomewhat eſteemed in the Colledge, but little reſpected in the Court, having no other train but his own Caroches, as one that is not capable of the Papacie, becauſe he is a Spaniard: and the very Spaniards themſelves too make no great reckoning of him, holding him as inconfident, although he ſtrives with all ardor to ſhew himſelf more affectionate and diligent in the Kings ſervice and affairs, then any other perſon whatſoever. He is of a good and exemplary life, and for his knowledge and doctrine is beloved of his holineſs.
MArcello Lanti, a Roman Nobleman, Deane of the ſacred Colledge, and Nephew to Paul the fifth, being the Son of a Siſter of his. He was promoted to the Scarlet Gown by the ſaid Paul, is a very old man, of an holy converſation, of a moſt innocent life, and marvellous charitable. He is of kinne to the greateſt part of the Roman Nobilitie, and alſo to the Great Duke of Toſcan. He hath enjoyed the Scarlet Gown forty years, and yet is for all that ignorant, teſty, & obſtinate. He was not nominated in the laſt Conclave, for that the Barberini durſt not conſide in him, by reaſon of his affinitie with the Borgheſi, and Great Duke, as aforeſaid. he is head of the Congregation of the Biſhops, and Regulars, and if he live to a vacant Sea, he may chance get into Peters Chair. He makes open profeſſion of his devotion to the houſe of Auſtria, although the Marqueſſe his brother, lately dead, was alwaies French. This Cardinal would not be amiſſe for the good, and Government158 of the Church, for he is a peaceable man, is excedingly well eſteemed of by the Sacred Colledge, and Roman Court, is alſo greatly reſpected by the Princes, and hath not any Cardinal his Enemy; wherefore he may very well attain to the Papacie, as is much deſired of all he ſhould; but whilſt the Barberini live, he will hardly come to be Pope, for they have been ſufficiently puniſhed by the election of Innocent the tenth Pamphilio.
CArlo de Medeci, a Florentine, Uncle to the Great Duke of Toſcan, and brother to the late Queen Mother of France. He was promoted to the Scarlet Gown as a great Prince, and therefore he is in high eſteem, and Authoritie with the ſacred Colledge, and all the Court. He was the principal Author of the election of Innocent the tenth, who out of his Obligation and Gratitude beares a great affection to this Prince. He was, and is an Enemy159 to all the houſe of the Barberini for divers occaſions, but the chiefeſt was their War with the Great Duke. He is a Lord of a clear underſtanding, beloved of every one, courteous, ſplendid, and delighting in pleaſures, and recreations. He is mightily affected to the Family of Auſtria, ſo that he could be contented, as one may ſay, to have even his ſkinne plucked over his eares for the King of Spain. He is of a great age, but appeares not to be ſo, by reaſon of the corpulencie of his body. No more is, or ought to be ſaid of this Cardinal, being a great Prince, and as ſuch a one, I leave him.
BAldaſſare di Sandoval, a Spaniard, and Biſhop of Sivil. He was promoted to the Scarlet Gown at the inſtance of the Catholique King, by whom he was afterwards ſent Ambaſſador to Rome, in which Charge he carried him ſelf with the ſatisfaction and commendation of both the parties. Upon the end of that imployment he returned into Spain, where being kept from receiving audience of the King by the Count-Duke, he one day baſtinadoed him with the ſame battoon, wherewith he ſuſtained himſelf being lame of the goute; in revenge whereof the Count-Duke, cauſed the horſes of his Caroach to be cudgeld whilſt he was in it. Sandoval was he, that in his firſt Audience diſcovered the miſdemeanors of the ſaid Count-Duke, and alſo the loſſe of the Kingdom of Portugal, of Catalogna, and other States; whereof the King perceiving the truth, turned him out of his favor, and reduced him to thoſe termes, that he was fain to live exiled from the Court in a Country161 houſe of his. This Cardinal is very highly eſteemed, and exceedingly beloved of the King, is very old, of a good converſation, bountiful, of great authority, and well liked of every one. He is a great friend of Innocent the tenths, having held a ſtrickt correſpondence with him at ſuch time as he was Nuntioia Naples, and in Spain, which he continued with him whilſt he was at Rome. He was not preſent in the laſt Conclave, by reaſon of the lenggth of the voyage, and his great age, which is ſuch, as he can ſtand no man in any ſtead hereafter, becauſe he will never be able to come into the Conclave again.
AGoſtino Spinola, a Genoueſe of the old Nobilitie, and brother to the late Marqueſſe Spinola, that moſt famous Captain. He was promoted to the Scarlet Gown by Paul the fifth, at the inſtance of the Catholique King. He was Archbiſhop of Compoſtella, from which he is removed, and hath the Archbiſhoprick of Toledo in lieu thereof conferred on him, with a penſion of ten thouſand Crownes a year. He is exceedingly beloved of his Catholique Majeſtie, for his brothers merits; is of kinne to the greateſt part of the Genoueſe Nobilitie, is very rich, and ſo old, that in regard of the length of the way he could not come to the laſt Conclave, nor can he be at the next, unleſſe he ſets forth two monthes before the death of the Pope. He is a Lord of a good diſpoſition, ſplendid, and charitable. His vote, according to his obligation to the Catholique King, will alwaies be for the Spaniſh faction. When he was young, he delighted in taking all the pleaſure that poſſibly he could, never ſtanding upon mony.
GIulio Cardinal Roma, of a Noble Family in the ſtate of Milan, who having put himſelf into the Prelacie, was promoted to the Scarlet Gown by Paul the fifth, becauſe he knew him to be both learned, and deſerving. The City of Rome in regard of his excellent qualities expects great things from him; for being a good and conſciencious man, it is believed that he will be Pope if he live; but ſhould that come to paſſe, I doubt he would be too rigorous, eſpecially when Eccleſiaſtical matters are concerned: for he could be contented to put not onely his houſe, but his own life in jeopardie, for the Maintenance of the Churches decorum; being naturally ſtiffe and obſtinate in favor of the Eccleſiaſtical jurisdiction. Franceſco Barberino would willingly have ſtickled in the laſt Conclave for his advancement to the Papacie, but that he could not truſt him, becauſe he was a Milaneſe; fearing, leaſt as one of that Country, he ſhould deal with him, and all the houſe of the162 Barberini, as Pius quartus, who was likewiſe a Milaneſe, did with the Caraffeſchi; and bring him to make reſtitution of the mony taken out of Caſtle Angelo; as alſo render a ſtrict accompt of his adminiſtration. This Cardinal is head of the Congregations, which are held in his own houſe. He is a very knowing Lord, of a good diſpoſition, and of an exemplary life. In negotiating he ſhewes himſelf very affectionate, is much reſpected of the ſacred Colledge, and is greatly eſteemed in the Court. He is beloved of the Catholique King, and is exceedingly deſired by the Great Duke, and the Republique of Venice, but little enough by the Crown of France.
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