In Obizzo's time the foundation of the domiuion of the house of Este over Ferrara was first laid. The family of Adelardi had loo; been the popular leaders at Ferrara, and enjoyed the chief authority in that community. Marchesella, the last offspring of this family, was betrothed by her uncle and guardian Guglielmo on his death-bed to one of the Torelli, a rival family ; but the girl was carried away and compelled to marry Azzo of Este, the sou of Obizzo, and from that time the Este were considered as citizens of Ferrara. " A. veil has been thrown over the whole transaction, which seems to imply that fitted or violence lied been committed." (Litter, Famiglie celebri ltaliane.) This Azzo, styled the Fifth, died about the end of the 12th century, anti was succeeded by his sou Azzo VI., who was elected iu 1208 by the citizens of Ferrara es vicar or lord of that city, with power to appoiut his successor. " This," says Litta, " Wan the first example of a free Italian city giving itself over to a lord, and the beginning of those numerous principalities into which Italy became divides." Aldobrandino succeeded his father Azzo VI. in 1212, and was him self succeeded by Azzo VII., called also Azzo Novelle., who took part with the pope against Frederio II.; for the Rate were naturally of the Guelph party. He was mainly instrumeutal lu the fall of the tyrant Eccelino : lie favoured teeming, patronised the Provençal troubedors who resorted to his court at Ferrara, and establiehed schools in that city. Ile was succeeded by Rinaldo, and the latter by Obizeo in 1252. Ubizzo was elected lord of Modeua in 1258, and of Reggie in the folbot lug year, according to the prevailing fashion of the Italian cities et that p• riod. These lordships of Ferrara, Modeua, and Reggio how ever were not held by the Eat,' in undisturbed pes.esslou, fur they were repeatedly invaded and recovered during the frequent wars of the Italian states iu the 14th cuutury. While the family of Este were acquiring a priucely dominion, they lost the original fief (ruin which they derived their name. About 4293 the !Weans took pus-session of the town and territory of Este by conquest, and annexed It to their community. It afterwards, in 1405, passed into the hands of tho Venetians.
Nicholas, called 'the Lame,' one of the successors of Obizza, was vicar of Ferrara from 1377 to 1359 : he fought for the pope alpinist Parnabs Viseouti, duke of Milan. Ile was succeeded in 1369 by his brother Albert, and Albert by another Nicholas, who died in 1440, leaving two illegltiumeo sous yet in their infancy, anti sovsral natural eons groan up, to one of whom, Liouel, he bequeaths:a his tiumiuions. Lignite proved a good prince : he restored tee university of Ferrara, eud after nine years of a mild and liberal administratiun he died in 1450, leaving the goverment:it of the state to his brother Borate who Was illegitimate like himself. Bum was one of the most distinguished prince. of his ago. Its WILY a patron of arts and letters, mud was generous, enlightened, and just. Ile recalled his two legitimate brothers, Ercole and Sigismuudo, from Naples, treated them with brotherly affection, and, in order to secure the succession to them after his death, he abstained from marrying. In 1452 Horse received from the emperor Frederic III. the titles of Duke of Modena and Reggio and Count of Rovigo ; and in 1471 Pope Paul IL gave him the title of Duke of Ferrara, upon which town the Roman see claimed a right of patronage. Horse died soon after, leaving a large and
proaperous state to his brother Ercole.
His successor Ercole I. was likewise a man of considerable talents and a patron of literature. He was also remarkable for that wary and cautious policy which has been stigmatised as peculiarly Italian, but which was in reality indispensable to the Italian princes in order to protect themselves from the overbearing violence of foreign invaders, after Ludovico Sferza through ambition committed the suicidal act of calling the French into Italy. Ercole checked the fury of Louis XIL, who, after he had driven the Sforzas from Milan, was bent on exter minating all the other Italian princes. Ercole was fond of travelling : he visited the various Italian courts, and encouraged tournaments, festivals, and hunting parties. Ile gave the first theatrical entertain ments exhibited at Ferrara, where the Menmehmi of Plautus was per formed in 1486. His court was frequented by Bojardo, Collenuccio, Tibaldeo, Guarino of Verona, and other learned men of his time. He caused many Greek manuscripts to be translated, and had a Hebrew press established at Ferrara in 1476.
Alfonso I., son of Ercole, succeeded him in 1505. He married the daughter of Pope Alexander VI. (Bowie, LUCRIZZIA.] Alfonso had a long and troubled reign. He was attacked by Julius II. and the Venetians ; he lost Modena and Reggio, and the Venetians also threatened Ferrara The death of Julius afforded him some respite. Leo X. continued to withhold Reggio and Modena from him, and made also an attempt to surprise Alfonso displayed conside rable abilities and great perseverance. He and his brother, Cardinal Ippolito, the patron of Arloato, often took the field in person : their artillery was the best served in Europe; and they defeated the Venetians. After the death of Leo X., Alfonso, who had till then aided with the French, made his peace with Charles V., who by an imperial decree dated 21st April 1531, confirmed the rights of the house of Este over Modena, Reggio, and Rublera, upon the duke paying him 150,000 aequina ; and thus Alfonso was restored to the possession of those states. Alfonso died in 1534 and was succeeded by Ercole II., and the latter by Alfonso IL, who is unfavourably known by the misfortunes of T13,73170, which however the poet in a great measure brought upon himself. (Thaw.] Alfonso II. dying in October 1597, without issue, Pope Clement VIII. immediately sent Cardinal Aldobrandino with troops to take possession of Ferrara as having devolved to the see of Rome, which had first invested Borso with tha title of Duke. Cesare d'Eate, AlfOnao's cousin and heir, entrusted Lucrezia, Alfonso's sister, with full power to negotiate. Lucrezia, who had hated the Marquis of MoutecChio, son of Alfonso I. and father to Cesare, on account of the share he had taken in the transactions of 1575 relative to Tease, disliked Cesare also. Cardinal Aldobrandino having offered her the title and revenues of Duchess of Bertinoro in the Romagna, she signed a hasty convention, by which she gave up in the name of the house of Este, Ferrara, Comacchio, and their dependencies, to the see of Rome. Cesare transferred his court to Modena, and Lucrezia died at Ferrara a few days after the entrance of the Papal troops, in February 1598. The city of Ferrara, which, under the house of Este, had a population of 60,000 inhabitants, gradually beeame'reduced to 20,000.