Page 86 sur 310

And the short life of a pope is also a cause of weakness; for in

the ten years, which is the average life of a pope, he can with

difficulty lower one of the factions; and if, so to speak, one

people should almost destroy the Colonnesi, another would arise

hostile to the Orsini, who would support their opponents, and yet

would not have time to ruin the Orsini. This was the reason why

the temporal powers of the pope were little esteemed in Italy.

[1] Charles VIII invaded Italy in 1494.