of Altimura, Salerno, and Bisignano to take arms against him.  The king, finding himself so suddenly involved in war, had recourse to the Florentines and the duke of Milan for assistance.  The Florentines hesitated with regard to their own conduct, for they felt all the inconvenience of neglecting their own affairs to attend to those of others, and hostilities against the church seemed likely to involve much risk.  However, being under the obligation of a League, they preferred their honor to convenience or security, engaged the Orsini, and sent all their own forces under the Count di Pitigliano toward Rome, to the assistance of the king.  The latter divided his forces into two parts; one, under the duke of Calabria, he sent toward Rome, which, being joined by the Florentines, opposed the army of the church; with the other, under his own command, he attacked the barons, and the war was prosecuted with various success on both sides.  At length, the king, being universally victorious, peace was concluded by the intervention of the ambassadors of the king of Spain, in August, 1486, to which the pope consented; for having found fortune opposed to him he was not disposed to tempt it further.  In this treaty all the powers of Italy were united, except the Genoese, who were omitted as rebels against the republic of Milan, and unjust occupiers of territories belonging to the Florentines.  Upon the peace being ratified, Roberto da San Severino, having been during the war a treacherous ally of the church, and by no means formidable to her enemies, left Rome; being followed by the forces of the duke and the Florentines, after passing Cesena, found them near him, and urging his flight reached Ravenna with less than a hundred horse.  Of his forces, part were received into the duke’s service, and part were plundered by the peasantry.  The king, being reconciled with his barons, put to death Jacopo Coppola and Antonello d’Aversa and their sons, for having, during the war, betrayed his secrets to the pope.

CHAPTER VII

The pope becomes attached to the Florentines—­The Genoese seize Serezanello—­They are routed by the Florentines—­Serezana surrenders—­Genoa submits to the duke of Milan—­War between the Venetians and the Dutch—­Osimo revolts from the church—­Count Girolamo Riario, lord of Furli, slain by a conspiracy—­Galeotto, lord of Faenza, is murdered by the treachery of his wife—­The government of the city offered to the Florentines—­Disturbances in Sienna—­Death of Lorenzo de’ Medici—­His eulogy—­Establishment of his family—­Estates bought by Lorenzo—­His anxiety for the defense of Florence—­His taste for arts and literature—­The university of Pisa—­The estimation of Lorenzo by other princes.