De•ing the course of the four Following years, France was 'educed to the greatest extremities, and Louis made several attempts to negotiate, but with no success, and peace seemed still far distant, when two unexpected events, which took place much about the same time, con tributed to accelerate its approach. The one was the death of the emperor Joseph 1. who, leaving no heirs, was succeeded by his only brother the archduke Charles, who under the title of Charles Ill. was in possession of part of Spain, with the kingdom of Naples, and who was named Charles VI. The dismissal of the Whig ministry in England, and the consequent recall of the duke of Marl borough, tended still farther to prepare the way for the peace which was at length concluded at Utretch, by the kings of France and Spain, with the queen of Eng land and duke of Savoy, the emperor still persisting in carrying on hostilities. The articles relating to Italy, were the acknowledgment of the duke of Savvy's right of succession to the crown of Spain, in default of issue of Philip V. and his acquisition of the island of Sicily, with the title of king. Charles VI. thus deserted by his allies, also made peace the following year. By this treaty, which was concluded at Rastadt, Philip V. was acknowledged king of Spain, while the kingdom of Naples, and duchy of Milan, were left in the possession of the emperor.
But the peace was not destined to be of long endurance in Italy. On the death of his first wife, Philip V. espoused Elizabeth Farnese, grand-daughter of Francis duke of Parma. This princess soon acquired great influence with Philip, while she in her turn was ruled by the intriguing and ambitious Alberoni.
The first attempt of this celebrated statesman was the sudden invasion of Sicily, which was so successful, that only two small towns were left in the possession of Victor Amadeus. This sudden aggression allied the emperor with the regent Orleans and the courts of Britain and Savoy against Spain. Sardinia, with the title of king, was bestowed on Victor Amadeus, in lieu of Sicily, which was ceded to the emperor. At length, Philip, alarmed at the number of his enemies, dismissed Alberoni, and peace was again restored.
The question of the right of succession to the duchies of Tuscany and Parma, now excited considerable interest ; and by an agreement, concluded by the emperor and Philip V. it had been settled, that on the demise of the two dukes, neither of whom had any issue, the infant Don Carlos sl.ould receive the investitures, and on the death of Antonio Farnese, he was accordingly acknowledged duke of Palma. But the contest for the crown of Poland again divided the European powers ; and France, Spain, and Sardinia, w ere leagued against the emperor. The result was fatal to the German interest in Italy ; Naples and Sicily fell again into the hands of Spain, and Milan, with many other cities in Lombardy, wine taken by Villars. In
the mean time, John Gaston di Medici, erand duke of Tuscany, died, and the investiture was eculerred by the emperor on Francis Stephen of Lorraine, his son-in-law, the Spaniards, however, remaining in actual possession. A peace was then concluded, by which Don Cat ics was to remain king of Naples. Alilan and Parma were to be restored to the emperor, and Tuscany to Francis of Lor rain:. But this treaty was never executed, and the death of Charles VI. rekindled with double vigour the flames of war. His daughter Maria Theresa, queen of Ilungary, and her husband Francis of Tuscany, were attacked by the French, Prussians, and Saxons ; and Charles, elector of Bavaria, was crowned emperor by the name of Charles VII. In Italy, the queen was assisted by Charles Emanuel, king of Sardinia, while considerable British subsidies aided her in carrying on the war. But the troops of the infant Don Philip and the prince of Conti made themselves masters of all Savoy, and most of Piedmont.
The empress queen having now expelled Charles VII. from his hereditary states, and concluded a peace with the king of Prussia, was now able to assist her ally ; and Charles Emanuel re-entered his dominions. The im perial troops then entered Genoa, but were soon after expelled by the people, who admitted a French garrison, and repelled the repeated attacks of the imperialists.
War at length was terminated by the peace of Aix-la Chapelle, by which the states of Italy were distributed in the way in which they remained till our own times. The king of Sardinia, and the duke of Modena, (who had also been expelled) were reinstated in their dominions. Charles remained king of Naples and Sicily ; but it was secured, that these crowns should not be united with that of Spain; Don Philip was left duke of Parma and Placentia ; while Milan was restored to Austria, and the archduke Leopold, second son of the empress, became grand duke of Tus cany.
Between this period and the French Revolution, an era of profound peace intervenes, diversified by few events of general interest, if we except the gradual expulsion of the order of Jesuits from the different states, and their final abolition by the papal bull of Clement XIV. Sec JESUITS.
Under the government of the well-meaning, though in judicious emperor Joseph II. and his benevolent and libe ral brother Leopold of Tuscany, abuses were reformed, the situation of the people ameliorated, agriculture im proved; and the progress of science, and the arts, at Milan and Florence, attests their encouragement of philo sophy and literature. Nor were these improvements con fined to the Austrian dominions : at Rome, science equally flourished under the philosophic Clement XIV. and agri culture and the arts under the polished Pius VII. Turin, amid all the bigotry of the Sardinian court, produced the brilliant talents of Alfieri, and even Naples could boast of a Filangieri, and Caractioli.