, a sculptor and architect of Florence, was born in 1460, and was first distinguished for the beauty of his inlaid
, a sculptor and architect of Florence, was born in 1460, and was first distinguished for the beauty of his inlaid work, which he applied to articles of furniture, and with which he ornamented the stalls in the choir of the church of St. Maria-Novelle. He also executed the carved wooden work on the organ of the same church, and on the altar of de la Nunziata. Having been led to the study of architecture, he came to Rome to devote his attention to it, but did not give up the practice of carving, and soon had a favourable opportunity to exercise both. When Leo X. travelled in Italy, all the cities through which he passed wished to receive him with honour, and Baccio gave designs for many of the triumphal arches ordered to be erected. On his return to his country, his workshop became a sort of academy to which amateurs, artists, and strangers resorted. Raphael, then very young, and Michael Angelo are said to have been of these parties. By this means Baccio acquired great reputation, and was employed on many splendid buildings in Florence. Conjointly with Cronaca, he executed the decorations of the grand saloon of the palace, and the beautiful staircase leading to it. But his best work is to be seen in the Bartolini palace and garden. Here he shewed the first specimen of square windows surmounted by pediments, and doors ornamented by columns, a mode which although followed generally since, was much ridiculed by his countrymen as an innovation. In other palaces he executed some beautiful ornaments in wood. He preserved his vigour and reputation to a great age, dying in 1543, in his eightythird year. He left three sons, one of whom, Giuliano, inherited his skill in architecture, but designed more than he executed.
lustrious house of Amboise in France, so called from their possessing the seignory of that name, was born in 1460. Being destined at a very early age for the church,
a French cardinal and statesman of the illustrious house of Amboise in France, so called
from their possessing the seignory of that name, was born
in 1460. Being destined at a very early age for the
church, he was elected bishop of Montauban when only
fourteen. He was afterwards made one of the almoners to
Lewis XI. to whom he behaved with great prudence. After
the death of this prince in 1480, he entered into some of
the intrigues of the court with a design to favour the duke
of Orleans, with whom he was closely connected; but
those intrigues being discovered, d‘Aniboise and his protector were both imprisoned. The duke of Orleans was
at last restored to his liberty; and this prince having negotiated the marriage of the king with the princess Anne
of Britanny, acquired great reputation and credit at court.
Of this his favourite d’Amboise felt the happy effect as,
soon after, the archbishopric of Narbonne was bestowed on
him; but being at too great a distance from the court, he
changed it for that of Rouen, to which the chapter elected
him in 1493. As soon as he had taken possession of his
new see, the duke of Orleans, who was governor of Normandy, made him lieutenant-general, with the same power
as if he had been governor in cbief. This province was
at that time in great disorder: the noblesse oppressed the
people, the judges were all corrupted or intimidated; the
soldiers, who had been licentious since the late wars, infested the high-ways, plundering and assassinating all
travellers they met; but in less-than a year, d‘Amboise by
his care and prudence established public tranquillity. The
king dying in 1498, the duke of Orleans ascended the
throne, by the name of Lewis XII. and d’Amboise became
his prime minister. By his first operation in that office, he
conciliated the affection of the whole nation. It had been
a custom when a new monarch ascended the throne, to lay
an extraordinary tax on the people, to defray the expences of the coronation, but by the counsel of d‘Amboise
this tax was not levied, and the imposts were soon reduced
one tenth. His virtues coinciding with his knowledge, he
made the French nation happy, and endeavoured to preserve the glory they had acquired. By his advice Lewis
XII. undertook the conquest of the Milanese in 1499.
Lewis the Moor, uncle and vassal of Maximilian, was then
in possession of that province. It revolted soon after the
conquest, but d’Amboise brought it back to its duty. Some
time after he was received at Paris with great magnificence, in quality of legate from the pope. During his
legation, he laboured to reform many of the religious orders, as the jacobins, the cordeliers, and those of St. Germain des Pres. His disinterestedness was equal to his zeal.
He never possessed more than one benefice, two thirds of
which he employed for the relief of the poor and the support of the churches. Contenting himself with his archbishopric of Rouen and his cardinal’s hat, he was not,
like his contemporaries, desirous to add abbeys to it. A
gentleman of Normandy having offered to sell him an estate
at a very low price, in order to portion his daughter, he
made him a present of a sum sufficient for that purpose,
and left him the estate. He obtained the purple after the
dissolution of the marriage between Lewis XII. and Joan
of France, to which he greatly contributed: and, on having
procured for Caesar Borgia, son of pope Alexander VI.
the duchy of Valentinois, with a considerable pension, his
ambition was to be pope, with a view to the reform of
abuses, and the correction of manners. After the death of
Pius III. he might have succeeded in his wishes, and
took measures to procure the tiara, but cardinal Julian de
Rovera (afterwards Julius II.) found means to circumvent
him; and the Venetians having contributed to his exclusion, he took the first opportunity to excite Lewis XII. to
make war on them, a circumstance which seems not a little
to detract from his character. This celebrated cardinal
died in 15 10, in the convent of the Celestines at Lyons,
of the gout in his stomach, aged 50 years. It is reported
that he often repeated to the friar who attended him in his
illness, “Brother John, why have I not during my whole
life been brother John?
” This minister has been greatly
praised for having laboured for the happiness of France;
but he has been equally censured for having advised his
master to sign the treaty of Blois in 1504, by which France
ran the risk of being dismembered. He governed both
the king and the state; laborious, kind, honest, he possessed good sense, firmness, and experience, but he was
not a great genius, nor were his views extensive. The
desire he had to ease the people in their taxes, procured
him during his life, but much more after his death, the
title of father of the people. He merited this title still
more, by the care he took to reform the administration of
justice. Most of the judges were venal, and the poor,
and those who had no support, could never obtain justice,
when their opposers were either powerful or rich. Another
evil not less enormous troubled the kingdom; law-suits
were spun out to such a length, were so expensive, and
accompanied by so much trick and chicanery, that most
people rather chose to abandon their rights than engage in
the recovery of them by suits which had no prospect of
coming to an end. D‘Amboise resolved to remedy this
abuse. He called to his assistance many lawyers and civilians, the most learned and of the greatest integrity;
and charged them to form a plan, by which justice might
be administered without partiality, the duration of lawsuits abridged and rendered less ruinous, and the corruption of the judges prevented. When these commissioners
had made their report, d’Amboise undertook the laborious
task of examining into the changes they had proposed in
the old laws, and the new regulations they designed to
establish; and after having made some changes, these new
regulations were published throughout the kingdom. As
he was governor of Normandy, he made a progress through
that province for the express purpose of seeing his new
code properly established.
, born in 1460, of an illustrious family of Milan, was selected by
, born in 1460, of an illustrious
family of Milan, was selected by duke Lewis Sforza, surnamed Maurus, for composing the history of his country;
but the French having got possession of the Milanese, and
the duke his patron being taken prisoner, he died of grief
in 1500. The best edition of his history, “Storia di Milano,
” is that of Milan in Portrait of the city of Milan,
” in which are collected the monuments, ancient and modern, of that unfortunate city.