only there were produced more than 250 statues, forty-two bas-reliefs, and an immense number of other ornaments in marble suitable to the principles of Gothic architecture, which prevailed in this temple, and which was generally persevered in.

The boldness of Giovan Galeazzo Visconti will appear in its true light, when we consider that he was lord of a small part of Italy, that his power was but of recent date, and that he was engaged in the most dangerous wars during the whole time of his government. Although the family Visconti was ancient, it was, however, inferior to many which it afterwards subjected, even so late as the middle of the thirteenth century. Its elevation may be dated from about 1260, when Pope Urban IV. caused Ottone Visconti to be chosen Archbishop of Milan, at the insinuation of Cardinal Ottaviano degli Ubaldini, a furious Ghibelline, and the same whom Dante places in Hell among the materialists; as he is reported to have said that, if he had a soul, he had lost it for the Ghibellines.

The family della Torre, who then lorded over the city, and a member of which had been supported by the Guelphic party in his claims to the Archbishopric of Milan, would never allow the elected prelate to take possession of his church, spite of all the bulls and excommunications of Clement IV., who succeeded Urban IV. in the pontifical chair. Gregory X., who mounted the throne after Clement, was so pleased with the manner in which he was received at Milan, on his way to the Council of Lyons in 1274, by Napoleone della Torre, then the head of the family, that he forsook the protegé of the Holy Church,

Visconti, and conferred the dignity of Patriarch of Aquileja on Raimondo della Torre, brother to Napoleone, the same person who had aspired to be elected, instead of Visconti, Archbishop of Milan. This circumstance greatly increased the influence of the house of della Torre, on account of the temporal power which then belonged to the see of Aquileja; but Visconti, finding that the spiritual arms had been of little use to him, and now having lost even this support, determined to try other weapons to obtain possession of his church, and to humble his enemies. He left Rome, where he had been staying to plead his cause and to solicit assistance, and, having arrived in the neighbourhood of the city, all the enemies of della Torre joined him. By his talents and activity he succeeded in driving him and his family from Milan. His episcopal character gave him the support of the populace, who were accustomed to see the bishops at the head of the Guelphs; and his principles, his connexions, and the hatred of the della Torre family, gave him the command of the Ghibellines, and of the nobility. His commanding talents rendered it easy for him to master both parties. On his entering Milan he was not only received by the inhabitants as their Archbishop, but it was unanimously agreed to proclaim him temporal lord of the city.

Visconti was endowed with great prudence and a consummate knowledge of the world and of government; to which he united a mild, though firm, disposition; so that he succeeded in seizing the sovereign power without bloodshed, and preserved it without staining his episcopal character: a very rare occurrence

in those times. When, soon after his entrance into Milan, the family della Torre tried to muster their partisans to recover possession of their city, the Archbishop concluded an alliance with William Lungaspada (Long-sword), Marquess of Montferrato, one of the bravest generals of his day, who was chosen governor of Milan for five years. The della Torre were by this means prevented from entering Milan, and subsequently they made their peace with the Archbishop, who stipulated that they should retire from his dominions and enjoy their property far from Milan.

The Marquess of Montferrato then formed the design of depriving the Archbishop of his power in Milan, which he fancied the more easy as he had contrived to obtain the government of some of the cities near Milan, without opposition from the Milanese. He had, moreover, appointed one of his vassals as governor of Milan; and possessed ample means from his other dominions for enforcing obedience to his will. But the Archbishop, having seized the occasion when the Marquess had left the city for a short time to go to Vercelli, drove out of Milan the governor left there by him, and let Lungaspada understand that his services were no longer wanted, and that he was not to approach Milan again.

Although the Marquess was highly exasperated at so unceremonious a proceeding, yet he did not find himself strong enough immediately to avenge it. He therefore began to collect his forces for effecting it on a fitting occasion, and spared no pains to increase his power and diminish that of the Archbishop, by means

of treaties and alliances.

The town of Asti, which had

mainly contributed to the elevation of the Marquess, being dissatisfied with him, joined several of the small republics against him, and engaged in a war to accomplish his destruction, together with the Count of Savoy. The Marquess was moreover informed that the people of Asti had some secret negociations with those of Alexandria, to induce them to revolt against him; and he hastened to that city to crush the rebels. On seeing themselves discovered, the conspirators were driven by desperation into rebellion, and succeeded beyond their most sanguine expectations. They took the Marquess prisoner, and put him into an iron cage, in which he was confined till he died, about two years afterwards.

The Archbishop Visconti, now perceiving the risk of trusting strangers with the command of his forces, had a nephew of his own elected commander of the forces of Milan and of some of the neighbouring cities. Neither the uncle nor the nephew (Maffeo or Matteo Visconti) forgot to profit by the misfortunes of the Marquess of Montferrato. They seized upon such parts of the dominions of Lungaspada as were conveniently situated with respect to their own territory, and obtained the largest share of the spoil.

On the election of Adolph of Nassau to be King of the Romans, the Archbishop succeeded in obtaining the appointment of his nephew Maffeo as Imperial Vicario (locum tenens) in Lombardy; and the dignity was conferred with unusual splendour, and accompanied with the most ample powers. Maffeo, not to give grounds

of suspicion to the good people of Milan, affected not to accept the honor till he had been permitted, or rather requested, by them. This imperial vicar, raised to so high a power, was ten years before an exile, and nearly reduced to beggary.

On the death of his uncle, Maffeo preserved the dominion of Milan, notwithstanding the endeavours of his enemies to wrest it from him, and also obtained from the Emperor Albert, who succeeded Adolph, a confirmation of his vicariat of Lombardy. Such was his influence that towards the end of the thirteenth century he acted as a sovereign arbitrator between the republics of Venice and Genoa. But not satisfied with his present power, and being ambitious to become absolute master of Lombardy, he thought of connecting himself closely with Azzo VIII. of Este, one of the most powerful tyrants of Italy, and the chief of the Guelphic party. Azzo had no children; but a sister of his, Beatrice, was then widow of Nino da Gallura, a powerful chief of Pisa, and lord or Giudice of the judgeship of Gallura in Sardigna, that is, one-fourth of that island. Although Beatrice was of a certain age, yet Maffeo and Azzo agreed that she should marry Galeazzo, son of Maffeo; by which alliance the two families of Este and Visconti expected to become absolute lords of Italy. But they were deceived; for the other Italian princes, becoming jealous of Maffeo Visconti, supported the della Torre in retaking possession of Milan, and Maffeo was obliged to withdraw to the court of Este, where, resigned to his loss of power, he was supported only by Azzo's generosity.