§ 53. INNOCENT VIII. 1484-1492. 435
the doctrine of the immaculate conception, but he declared her sinlessness from the instantofconceptiona matter undecided by the Roman Church and the Apostolic see — nondum ah ecclesia romana et apostolica sede decisum. ^ In all matters of ritual and outward religion, he was of all men most punctilious. The chronicler, Volterra, abounds in notices of his acts of devotion, ^s a patron of art, his name has a high place. He supported Platina with four assistants in cataloguing the archives of the Vatican in three volumes.
Such was Sixtus I V. , the unblushing promoter of the interests of his relatives, many of them as worthless as they were insolent, the disturber of the peace of Italy, revengeful, and yet the liberal patron of the arts. The enlightened diarist of Rome, Infessura,^ calls the day of the pontiff's decease that most happy day, the day on which God liberated Christendom from the hand of an impious and iniquitous ruler, who had before him no fear of God nor love of the Christian world nor any charity whatsoever, but was actuated by avarice, the love of vain show and pomp, most cruel and given to sodomy. ^
During his reign, were born in obscure places in Saxony and Switzerland two men who were to strike a mighty blow at the papal rule, themselves also of peasant lineage and the coming leaders of the new spiritual movement.
§ 53. Innocent VIIL 1484-1492.
Under Innocent VIII. matters in Rome were, if anything, worse than under his predecessor, Sixtus IV. Innocent was an easy-going man without ideals, incapable of conceiving or
1 Mansi, XXXII. 374 sqq., gives the bull on the immaculate conception dated Sept. 5, 1483 ; also Mirbt, p. 170.
2 In quo felicissimo die, etc., pp. 155-158.
3 This charge, which Infessura elaborates, Creighton, III. 115,285, dismisses as unproved ; Pastor, II. 640, also, but less confidently. Infessura was a friend of the Colonna, to whom Sixtus was bitterly hostile. Burchard, I. 10 sqq., gives a very detailed account of Sixtus' obsequies. He spoke from observation as one of the masters of ceremonies. Pastor makes a bold effort to rescue Sixtus from most of the charges made against his character by Infessura.
436 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1294-1517.
carrying out high plans. He was chiefly notable for his open avowal of an illegitimate family and his bull against witchcraft.
At Sixtus' death, wild confusion reigned in Rome. Nobles and cardinals barricaded their residences. Houses were pillaged. The mob held carnival on the streets. The palace of Jerome Riario was sacked. Relief was had by an agreement between the rival families of the Orsini and Colonna to withdraw from the city for a month and Jerome's renunciation of the castle of S. Angelo, which his wife had defended, for 4,000 ducats. Not till then did the cardinals feel themselves justified in meeting for the election of a new pontiff.
The_conclaves of 1484 and 1492 have been pronouncedj3y high catholic authority among the '^ saddest in the history of thejpapacy." ^ Into the conclave of 1484, 25 cardinals entered, 21 of them Italians. Our chief account is from the hand of the diarist, Burchard, who was present as one of the officials. His description goes into the smallest details. A protocol was again adopted, which every cardinal promised in a solemn formula to observe, if elected pope. Its first stipulation was that 100 ducats should be paid monthly to members of the sacred college, whose yearly income from benefices might not reach the sum of 4,000 ducats (about 200,000 francs in our present money). Then followed provisions for the continuance of tlie crusade against the Turks, the reform of the Roman curia in head and members, the appointment of no cardinal under 30 for any cause whatever, the advancement of not more than a single relative of the reigning pontiff to the sacred college and the restriction of its membership' to 24. ^
Rodrigo Borgia fully counted upon being elected and, in expectation of that event, had barricaded his palace against being looted. Large bribes, even to the gift of his palace, were offered by him for the coveted prize of the papacy. Cardinal Barbo had 10 votes and, when it seemed likely that he would be the successful candidate, Julian Rovere and Borgia, renouncing their aspirations, combined their forces, and, during the night, went from cell to cell, securing by promises of benefices and money the votes of all but six of
1 Pastor, III. 178. 2 Burchard, I. 33-55