of the Transteverine part of the city moves even deeper scorn.  ’It still remained for the Imperial troops to enter the populous and wealthy quarters; and these they had to reach by one of three bridges.  They numbered hardly more than 25,000 men, all told.  In Rome were at least 30,000 men fit to bear arms between the ages of sixteen and fifty, and among them were many trained soldiers, besides crowds of Romans, swaggering braggarts used to daily quarrels, with beards upon their breasts.  Nevertheless, it was found impossible to get 500 together in one band for the defense of one of the three bridges.’  What immediately follows gives so striking a picture of the sack:  that a translation of it will form a fit conclusion to this volume.  ’The soldiers slew at pleasure; pillaged the houses of the middle classes and small folk, the palaces of the nobles, the convents of both sexes, and the churches.  They made prisoners of men, women, and even of little children, without regard to age, or vows, or any other claim on pity.  The slaughter was not great, for men rarely kill those who offer no resistance:  but the booty was incalculable, in coin, jewels, gold and silver plate, clothes, tapestries, furniture, and goods of all descriptions.  To this should be added the ransoms, which amounted to a sum that, if set down, would win no credence.  Let any one consider through how many years the money of all Christendom had been flowing into Rome, and staying there in a great measure; let him remember the Cardinals, Bishops, Prelates, and public officers, the wealthy merchants, both Roman and foreign, selling at high prices, letting their houses at dear rents, and paying nothing in the way of taxes; let him call to mind the artisans, the poorer folk, the prostitutes; and he will judge that never was a city sacked of which the memory remains, whence greater store of treasure could be drawn.  Though Rome has at other times been taken and pillaged, yet never before was it the Rome of our days.  Moreover, the sack lasted so long that what might not perhaps have been discovered on the first day sooner or later came to light.  This disaster was an example to the world that men proud, avaricious, envious, murderous, lustful, hypocritical, cannot long preserve their state.  Nor can it be denied that the inhabitants of Rome, especially the Romans, were stained with all these vices, and with many greater.’

[1] Pp. 372-82.

INDEX

A

Abelard, 9. 
Adrian VI., 441. 
Agrippa quoted, 459. 
Ahmed, 589. 
Albigenses, 9. 
Aldi, the, 23. 
Aleander, 27. 
Alexander VI., 406, 407 seq.., 603;
  death, 430 (see Papacy). 
Alfonso I. of Naples, 568. 
Alfonso II., 119, 572. 
Allegre, 418,
Allegretti, works, 292;
  cited, 165;
  quoted, 616
America, effects of its discovery, 540. 
Ammanati, works, 489. 
Anjou, house of, transfers its claims to Sicily, 539.