during a solemn service in 1435; the sentence of the creed ‘Et incarnatus est’ was chosen for the signal.  Gian Maria Visconti was killed in San Gottardo (1412), Galeazzo Maria Sforza in San Stefano (1484).  Lodovico Moro only just escaped assassination in Sant’ Ambrogio (1484).  Machiavelli says that Lorenzo de’ Medici’s life was attempted by Batista Frescobaldi in the Carmine (see 1st.  Fior. book viii. near the end).  The Bagliani of Perugia were to have been massacred during the marriage festival of Astorre with Lavinia Colonna(1500).  Stefano Porcari intended to capture Nicholas V. at the great gate of S. Peter’s (1453).  The only chance of catching cautious princes off their guard was when they were engaged in high solemnities.  See above, p. 168.

Another peculiarity in the Pontificate of Sixtus deserves special mention.  It was under his auspices in the year 1478 that the Inquisition was founded in Spain for the extermination of Jews, Moors, and Christians with a taint of heresy.  During the next four years 2,000 victims were burned in the province of Castile.  In Seville, a plot of ground, called the Quemadero, or place of burning—­a new Aceldama—­was set apart for executions; and here in one year 280 heretics were committed to the flames, while 79 were condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and 17,000 to lighter punishments of various kinds.  In Andalusia alone 5,000 houses were at once abandoned by their inhabitants.  Then followed in 1492 the celebrated edict against the Jews.  Before four months had expired the whole Jewish population were bidden to leave Spain, carrying with them nothing in the shape of gold or silver.  To convert their property into bills of exchange and movables was their only resource.  The market speedily was glutted:  a house was given for an ass, a vineyard for a suit of clothes.  Vainly did the persecuted race endeavor to purchase a remission of the sentence by the payment of an exorbitant ransom.  Torquemada appeared before Ferdinand and his consort, raising the crucifix, and crying:  ’Judas sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver; sell ye him for a larger sum, and account for the same to God!’ The exodus began.  Eight hundred thousand Jews left Spain[1]—­some for the coast of Africa, where the Arabs ripped their bodies up in search for gems or gold they might have swallowed, and deflowered their women—­some for Portugal, where they bought the right to exist for a large head-tax, and where they saw their sons and daughters dragged away to baptism before their eyes.  Others were sold as slaves, or had to satisfy the rapacity of their persecutors with the bodies of their children.  Many flung themselves into the wells, and sought to bury despair in suicide.  The Mediterranean was covered with famine-stricken and plague-breeding fleets of exiles.  Putting into the Port of Genoa, they were refused leave to reside in the city, and died by hundreds in the harbor.[2] Their festering bodies, bred a pestilence along the