JULIUS II., CARDINAL DELLA ROVER;., nephew to Pope Sixtus IV., succeeded Pius 111. in the year 1503. Ile had distinguished himself under preceding pontifiattes by his haughty temper and warlike dis position, which were fitter fur the sword than the crosier. After his exaltation to the papal throne he began by driving Cesare Borgia out of his ill-gotten possessions in the Romagna; but there ho found another power, the 'Venotinue, who, during the preceding troubles, had taken possession of Raveuns, Rimini, and other places. Tim Venetians to pay tribute to the see ()f Rome for those territories, but Julius refused, and demanded their absolute restitution to the Church. After fruitless negoelations, Julius, iu 1503, made a league with Louis XII., the Emperor Maximilian, and the Duke of Ferrara, against Venice. This was called the League of Cambrai, and its object was the destruction of the republic of Venice and the partition of its territories. Venice however stood firm, although its armies were defeated and its territories were ravaged by both Germans and French with their usual atrocity. At last Julius himself, having recovered the town of Romagna, perceived tho impolicy of uniting with ultra montane sovereigns against the oldest Italian state, and accordingly in Feb. 1510, be made peace with Venice. Wishing to undo the mischief which he had done, and to drive the foreigners, whom he styled "barbarians," out of Italy, he first sought to arm the Germans against the French, whom he dreaded most; but not succeeding, he called to his aid the Swiss. The pope himself took the field against the French
In Lombardy, and attacked and took the town of La Mirandola, entering it by a breach, in January 1511. The next campaign was unfavourable to Julius, and he lost Bologna. But in the following October his legates succeeded in forming a league, which be called "holy," with Ferdinand of Spain, Henry of England, the Venetians, and the Swiss. The campaign subsequent, in 1512, was marked by the battle of Ravenna and the death of Gaston de Foix, the French commander, followed by the total expulsion of the French from Lom bardy. But this was effected by the Swiss, German, and Spanish troops, and Julius merely succeeded in driving one party of foreigners out of Daly by means of other foreigners, who meantime subverted the republic of Florence, and gave it to the Medici. In the midst of these events. Julius died of an inflammatory disease, on the 21st of February 1513. He was succeeded by Leo X. Julius was fond of the fine arts ; he patronised Bramante, Michel Angelo, and Raffaelle, and he began the structure of St. Peter's church.