Why then was this affront done to Visconti? I’le tell you; while he was in Polonia, he serv’d the Church, and not the Barbarines; and the others, in their Nuntiatures, did the quite contrary.
Naturally Urban was averse from making of Cardinals; and if some urgent necessity did not force him, could hardly be brought to it; and yet for his family, he made no difficulty of breaking the precedent Popes Decrees, and the Laws of the Church, which forbid to make two brothers Cardinals, while they are both alive: but he did this only to satisfie his Nephews; and at last, was brought by them to make great numbers of other Cardinals; for they, being towards the end of the Pontificat weary of heaping together, began to think, how they should preserve their treasure and power; and therefore, to fortifie their party, they obliged their Uncle, to make a numerous promotion of their Creatures.
If ever the Romans murmured and made Pasquins, it was in the time of his Nipotismo; for when the Barbarines took away from the Church called the Rotunda, that excellent piece of workmanship of Bronze, (for which we have no name but Bell-metal) to make that piece of Architecture and Pillars, which adorns the Altar in Saint Peters Church, which is one of the most noble and magnificent Works that ever was undertook, all the people cryed in the streets, Quod non fecerunt Barbari, secerunt Barbarini; and they thought they had a great deal of reason to exclaim thus against them, because it was certainly affirmed, that the Barbarines had diverted above half the metal to their private use in their Palace; and some say, that they made racks for their Chimneys of it, but I scarce believe it.
But that Pasquin, which was made in the time that Gustave Adolse, King of Swede, invaded Germany, was fuller of curiosity; for there were certain Images in paper, that represented the Church of God, all naked upon a little bed, and full of the wounds she had received from Gustave, and covered over with Flies or Bees, which were the Barbarines Armes; near the bed, was the Emperour upon his knees, craving aid from the Church, that he might fight for the Church; from whom he did receive this answer; I have nothing to give thee, O my Defender, for the Flies have sucked me even to the very bones, making allusion to the Barbarines Armes.
Another time were found in the streets of Rome, a great quantity of Pictures; in every one of which was drawn a poor Prelate, asking Alms from the Church to content himself withall; to whom the Church made answer, For my part, I have not a farthing, the Barbarines have taken all from me.
Almost at the same time, was seen a Medal, which represented Pasquin, loaden with Swords, Musquets, Daggers, and other Weapons, with an inscription that said,
To drive away the Flies;
which thing displeased the Barbarines beyond measure, conceiving that all this was nothing but a design to make the people rise in Armes against them; so that though they set a good face upon it, yet secretly they disposed things to their defence, in case of a sedition.
And certainly had it not been, that the Romans did every day look for the Popes death, there would have happened some revolution, for the hatred of the people to the Barbarines encreased more and more the longer the Pope lived; one thing particularly exciting publick envy and jealousie, which was, that the Barbariens did every day plant their Armes in some place or another of the City, to eternize their Name and Family.
One of my friends had the curiosity, to reckon all the Bees (that is, the Barbarines Armes) that the Barbarines had placed here and there, as well in the City, as in the State of the Church, and found their number to be above ten thousand, in Painting, Stone and Marble.