By his will, his states were divided among his sons, under the care of their mother Catharine, daughter of Barnabas Visconti. But one year had scarcely elapsed, before many of his conquests had returned to their former owners. Bologna again obeyed Boniface IX : Sienna as serted her liberty ; and the duchess Catharine, seized by the Milanese, died in prison, by poison. Carrara took Verona and Vicenza ; but the Venetians, retaining their ancient hatred against the family, soon deprived him of his conquest, and excited a conspiracy at Padua against him. Ile was at length forced to throw himself on their mercy ; but the supreme council were inflexible, and this gallant and unfortunate prince perished, with all his family, in the dungeons of Venice.
The same year is distinguished by the capture of Pisa by the Florentines, and the final destruction of the indepen dence of that state. This was the first departure of that republic from its former liberal policy ; and the era of the decay of its civil liberties, may be dated from its first war of conquest. The papal chair was now filled by Gregory XII and Benedict XIII. was the antipope at Avignon ; but the clergy, weary of the schism, endeavoured to prevail on them to refer their claims to a general council. The popes at first consented, but afterwards refused to appear ; but their cardinals, with deputies of the clergy, and ambassa dors from the different states, assembled at Pisa. The first result of their deliberations, was to condemn both the popes as guilty of heresy and schism, and to declare the pontificate vacant. The archbishop of Milan was elected by the name of Alexander V. under the promise of soon calling another council, for the reformation of the clergy.
The states of the church were, however, in the hands of Ladislaus, king of Naples, who, under pretence of em bracing the party of Gregory XII. retained them in his name. But the Florentines and Siennese determined to the rights of the church ; and, bribing into their ser vice Braccio Montane, a celebrated leader of condottieri, and many other of his associates then in the pay of Ladis laus, prepared to combat the king of Naples with his own troops. That prince first commenced the war by the in vasion of Tuscany, but his projects were thwarted by the military skill of Montone ; while the Florentines, assisted by Louis II. of Anjou, who had received the investiture of Naples, carried the war into the states of the church, and made themselves masters of Rome. But Alexander V. did not live to enter that city, having died at Bologna. His death was generally ascribed to the effects of poison, admi nistered to hint by Cardinal Cossa, who was elected his suc cessor, under the name of John XXIII. Louis of Anjou, after two unsuccessful campaigns, at length defeated La dislaus at Rocca-seeca ; but, unable to improve his victory, was again forced to return to France, and interfere no more with the affairs of Italy. The pope was forced to leave
Rome, and take refuge at Florence ; and that state, me naced by the Neapolitan troops, commanded by Sforza, were on the point of concluding a treaty with him, w hen Ladislaus was attacked by a disease, said to have been oc casioned by his excesses, which soon terminated in his death.
In Lombardy, John Maria Visconti, duke of Milan, and .Facino Cane, his principal general, were murdered by Hec tor, a natural son of Barnabas Visconti ; but Philip Maria, the second son of John Galeazzo, having married the wi dow of Cane, (aged 40, while he was only 20,) was followed by the soldiery, and soon regained the city of Milan.
The death of the emperor Rupert was followed by the election of Sigismund, king of Hungary, who, anxious to put an end to the schism in the church, prevailed on John XXIII. to call another general council at Constance. On the proceedings of this celebrated assembly, it is impossi ble to dwell here. After lung deliberations, John XXIII. and his two rivals, Gregory IX. and Benedict XIII. were deposed : the abuses in the church, and the vices of the clergy, were exposed without any steps being taken for their reformation ; while their zeal against reformers was shewn by the cruel execution of John Huss, and his disci ple Jerome of Prague, although the former had received a guarantee of safety from the emperor. At length a new head was given to the church, in the person of Martin V. of the Colonna family, and his first act was to dissolve the council, and reserve to himself the farther reformation of the clergy.
At Naples, Jane II. the sister and successor of Ladis laus, had married James of Bourbon, Count de la Marche ; but that prince, irritated by the irregularities of his wife, treated her so ill,•that the people of Naples revolted against him ; and, the pope having declared in favour of the queen, he returned to France, where he soon after died in a con vent. But Louis III. of Anjou, having asserted his claims to Naples, succeeded in obtaining the concurrence of Mar tin, and the assistance of Sforza. On the other hand, Jane had recourse to the alliance of Alphonzo of Arragon, to whose family the crown of Sicily had again returned, whom she adopted as her heir. She also engaged in her service, Braccio 'Montane, who had now established himself in the principality of Perugia, his native city. This war was ter minated in two years, by the intervention of the pope, and Louis again retired to Provence. But Alphonzo, jealous of the influence of Caraccioli, the queen's favourite, caused him to be arrested, and attempted to seize the queen, who had recourse to the protection of Sforza, who defeated Al phonzo, but was obliged to retreat to Aversa. Jane now chose Louis as her successor, and was assisted by the ar mies of the Duke of Milan, and Francis Sforza, the suc cessor to the command of the troops of his father, who was drowned in crossing the river Pescara.