not only into the rivers but also into the fountains of waters, must be such as having taken their rise from a difference and bloody conteft between the civil and ecclefiaftic powers of the empire, defcend to, and spread war and bloodshed among all the citizens.

The preceding vial brought us down to the thirteenth century. In that century, therefore, we may expect to find the commencement of the judgement predicted under this third vial. If we look into the hiftory of Rome, about the middle of the thirteenth century, we shall find the most exact accomplishment of this prediction, in the civil wars which, for near a hundred years, deluged Italy in blood: Wars too, which took their rife from a ftruggle for power between the Popes and the emperors, the ecclefiaftic and the civil powers of the empire. The fource of these civil wars is to be traced back to the eleventh century, in the famous contefts, which then began between Pope Gregory VII. and Henry IV. emperor of Germany, about investitures. The emperor claimed the right of inveftiture, that is of presenting to bishopricks and ecclefiaftic preferments, by delivering to the perfon presented the ring and crofier, the infignia of inveftiture, as belonging to the regalia, or prerogative of the crown. On the other hand, the Pope claimed it as an unquestionable part of the pontifical authority. The contest ran fo high

between

between them, that the emperor called a council, which, at his inftigation, depofed the Pope. The Pope, enraged at the fentence, excommunicated the emperor. They afterwards declared war against each other. The emperor befieged Rome itself, and made himself master of a part of the city; and the Pope was obliged to fly for safety. The fame conteft was carried on by fucceeding Popes and emperors, and much blood was fhed on both fides. Thus the judgement originated, and became blood in the fountains of waters, in the fource of the civil and ecclefiaftic powers of the empire.

These contefts between the emperors and Popes, as was naturally to be expected, spread their contagion among all the citizens of Rome, and enkindled the moft violent and bloody civil war in Italy, that was ever known in any country for fo great a length of time. The two parties, in this war, were diftinguished by the names of Guelphs and Gibellines. The former were the Papal, and the latter, the imperial party. This civil war began in the year of Chrift 1258, and continued for near a century. During that time cities, villages, and even families, were keenly engaged againft each other; and the confufion, cruelty, and bloodshed, which abounded during that time, is fhocking to humanity. Pope Boniface VIII. by perfecuting the Gibellines, and the illuftrious fa

mily of Colonna, inflamed the parties against each other. The Pope was taken prisoner by the Gibellines, and foon died of a wound he had received in his head, and of grief of mind for his defeat. Pope Clement V. not finding himself fafe in Italy, retired with his cardinals in the year 1305 to Avignon in France, where he and his fucceffors held their court, for above seventy years. This period the Italians call, by way of derifion, the Baby lonish captivity. For all this time the Guelphs and Gibellines made war on each other, and Rome was in the greatest confufion. For a confiderable time, the city of Rome itself was divided between the contending parties; and each defended by force the part which they poffeffed. The Colonnas, at the head of the Gibellines, feized on the Lateran, the Amphitheatre, and other principal places of the city. John, brother to the king of Naples, at the head of the Guelphs, poffeffed himself of the capitol, caftle St Angelo, the Mole of Adrian, and the Vatican.

Platina represents the Italians, in every place, thirsting after each others blood. Vita Bonifacii, VIII. pages 231, 233. "Inteftina mala quæ quotidie, cum magna hominum cæde, in unaquaque

66

civitate, in quo vis parvo etiam caftello commit"tebantur, cædebantur cives, necabantur fenes, "allidebantur infantes, nec ullus crudelitatis mo

dus aberat." That is, "Such were the inteftine

"evils, which were committed daily, with great

flaughter of men: In every ftate, even in every "little caftle, the citizens were flain, the old men 66 were maffacred, the infants were dashed to 'pieces, nor was any kind of cruelty awanting."

86

In the maffacre in Sicily, commonly called the Sicilian vefpers, A. D. 1282, the French were murdered throughout the whole island. They maffacred them at the very altars, they riped up the women with child, and dafhed out the childrens brains against the ftones. Eight thousand were murdered in two hours, and they fpared the life only of one fingle perfon. For the hiftory of this, confult Mezeray Hift. de France, Vol. i. page 674.

All thofe facts, and many more of the fame kind, relative to these bloody civil wars in Italy in this period, may be feen at great length, in Heis. bift. de l'Empire, vol. i. pages 270,-325. Platina in vita Bonifacii VIII. pages 231,-233. Mofheim. vol. i. centuries 13, and 14, and Sigonius de regno Italiæ, pages 92,-125. These paffages are too 'many and too large for being transcribed into this commentary. I fhall therefore, transcribe only one fhort paffage from Mofheim, a Lutheran ecclefiaftic hiftorian, juftly of very high character, and one from Sigonius, a Roman catholic, civil hiftorian, alfo of high character. From which it thall appear that these two hiftorians agree in their

accounts

accounts of the bloody civil wars in Italy, by the Guelphs and Gibellines; and in fixing the commencement of them to about the middle of the thirteenth century, the time which correfponds to this third vial.

Mosheim, vol. i. cent. 13, page 648, speaking of the Emperor Frederic, fays that he died in Apulia the 13th December 1250; and then adds

upon the death of this formidable and magna"nimous adversary, Innocent returned to Italy, "hoping now to enjoy, with fecurity, the fruits "of his ambition. It was principally from this period, that the two famous "factions called Guelphs and Gibellines, of which the latter ef"poufed the caufe of the emperors, and the for"mer that of the pontiffs, involved all the Italian "ftates in the most fatal diffentions, though their "origin is much earlier than this century."

Sigonius de regno Italiæ, page 92, oppofite to the year 1258, marked on the margin, thus writes, "Quinetian Bononiæ peftifer ille feditio"nis morbus, quem civitas jampridem occulte contraxerat, palam erupit. Namque aliquot ante annis, ex variis cædibusmutuo perpetratis, alienari ac disjungi multarum familiarum fenfim animi

66

66

66

cæperant; quæ, precedente tempore cum, inimi"cos fuos, opibus ulcifci feparatis non poffent, "vires inter fe, ac patrandarum rerum confilia con"tulerant atque in duas factiones fecretæ, quaVOL. II.

U

" rumi