About the same period, Milan was the scene of a similar catastrophe. Galeazzo, duke of Milan, the unworthy son of Francis Sforza, had become, by his tyranny and licen tiousness, detested by the Milanese. having at last gross ly injured Jerome Olgiati, that gentleman, assisted by Car lo Visconti and John Lampugnani, determined to revenge himself by the assassination of the tyrant. Their plan was successful, and Sforza fell a victim, in the church of St. Ambrose, to their resentment, or patriotism. Visconti and Lampugnani were immediately put to death by the guards ; but Olgiati suffered, with heroic fortitude, a more cruel death by the hands of the executioner. The duke was suc ceeded by his son John Galcazzo, under the tutelage of his another, Bona of Savoy. This guardianship was disputed by the brothers of the late duke, who endeavoured to ex cite an insurrection ; which was suppressed by the prime minister Cecco Simoneta. Octavian Sforza was drowned in crossing the river Adda, and his brothers banished to dif ferent cities.
In the war between the pope and his ally, Ferdinand of Naples, against Florence, the latter state sustained the loss of many of their strongest fortresses, by the supineness, or the treachery, of Hercules, duke of Ferrara, their general, and was obliged to apply for aid to the duchess of Milan and the Venetians : but the former was occupied by the re volt of the Genoese ; and the latter, exhausted by their Turkish war, were unable to afford any assistance. At this period Rene, second duke of Lorraine, began to assert his claim to the throne of Naples, as representative of the house of Anjou; and Ferdinand, alarmed lest support should be afforded to him by the Florentines, began to show himself inclined towards peace. Lorenzo di Medici, whose affairs were now reduced to the greatest extremity, taking advantage of this inclination, determined to have a person al conference with the king, and proceeded to Naples, con trary to the advice of his friends, who dreaded the noto rious treachery of Ferdinand's character. His enterprize, however, succeeded; and Ferdinand, convinced that the friendship of Florence was his best protection against the French, concluded a treaty ; and Lorenzo returned to Flo rence, where his authority was now ed, and his power strengthened by that liberality and gene rosity, which acquired to him the title of the Magnificent. The capture of Otranto by the Turks, now terrified Sixtus into a peace with Florence, and the fortresses taken during the war were restored.
The last transaction of any consequence during his reign, was his war, in conjunction with the king of Naples, the duke of Milan, (now under the direction of his uncle Ludo VICO, commonly called the Moor,) and the Florentines, against the Venetians, whom he excommunicated. In a short time, however, the league concluded a separate trea ty, which so much enraged the pope, that it threw the gout into his head, and occasioned his death.
The suffrages of the cardinals were in favour of Baptis ta Cybo. This pope, who took the name of Innocent VIII.
'was no less lavish of the honours and treasures of the church to his natural sons, than Sixtus had been to his nephews ; and besides this scandal, his indolence of temper permitted the most unbounded licentiousness and venality in his court. His enmity to the king of Naples was soon evinced, by his interruption of the commerce formerly carried on ; and the barons, incensed by the tyranny of Alphonzo, duke of Cala bria, having revolted, were assisted by Innocent. But Fer dinand, having secured the friendship of Lorenzo di Medici and Ludovico Sforza, sent his son against Rome. The pa. pal troops were defeated, and a peace was granted to the pope, by the intercession of Ferdinand and Isabella of Ar ragon and Castile. The Neapolitan barons, though con cluded in the treaty, fell victims to the perfidy of Ferdi nand. • Innocent now courted the favour of Lorenzo, on whose son John, (afterwards Leo X.) he conferred a cardinal's hat, though at that time only eight years old. The reign of this pontiff presents little more that is interesting, except the greatness of Lorenzo di Medici, for which we must refer our readers to the interesting work of Mr. Roscoe. That illustrious statesman died in his 44th year, beloved and lamented by his countrymen. His death was followed by that of Innocent, who, on his death-bed, permitted his son to plunder the public treasury. His vices, however, were made to appear venial, when compared with the atrocities of Roderigo Borgia, who succeeded him by the name of Alexander VI. This pontiff united in his own person all the vices of which former popes either were ac cused or were guilty ; and the elevation of Borgia continues, to our own days, a lasting stain on the Romish church. The authority of Ludovico Slorza still continued paramount at Milan, notwithstanding the majority and marriage of his nephew ; but his ambition was still unsatisfied. The strict union which subsisted between Peter, son of Lorenzo di Medici, and Ferdinand of Naples, thwarted his views ; and this feeling, heightened by his jealousy of Isabella, duchess of Milan, his niece, who was the daughter of Alphonzo, duke of Calabria, urged him to the desperate step of invit ing Charles VIII. of France to assert his claims to the crown of Naples. This young and ambitious prince eagerly embraced the opportunity afforded him, and entering Italy by the Alps of Savoy, arrived at Arti, where he was seized with the smail-pox, and remained for a month in extreme danger. Having then proceeded into the Milanese, he was joined by Ludovico Sforza, who accompanied him for a lew days, but retired to Milan on the death of the duke, his nephew : an event ascribed to poison administered by Ludovico; whose conduct, in imprisoning the duchess and her infant son, and immediately assuming the title of duke, certainly gives probability to the suspicion.