I

OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 3)5

with the same virtue the return of prosperity; chapand till the ruin of his declining age, the ances- LXIX -tors, the character, and the children of StephenColonna, exalted his dignity in the Roman re-public, and at the court of Avignon. II. The and Ursini.Ursini migrated from Spoleto; m the sons of Ur-sus, as they are styled in the twelfth century,from some eminent person, who is only knownas the father of their race. But they were soondistinguished among the nobles of Rome, by thenumber and bravery of their kinsmen, thestrength of their towers, the honours of the se-nate and sacred college, and the elevation of twopopes, Celestin the third and Nicholas the third,of their name and lineage.” Their riches maylie accused as an early abuse of nepotism: theestates of St. Peter were alienated in their fa-vour by the liberal Celestin;” and Nicholas was

-Vallis te proximo misit

Appenninigeuse qua prata virentia sylvaeSpolclana melunt armenta greges protervi.

Monaldesclii (tom. xii, Script. Ital. p. 533) gives the Ursini a Frenchorigin, which may be remotely true.

" In the metrical life of Celestin V , by the cardinal of St. George(Muratori, tom. iii, i, p. 613, &c.), we find a luminous, and not in-elegant, passage (1. i, c. 3, p. 203, &c.):

-genuit quem nobilis Urste (Urn *)

Progenies, Romana domus, veterataque magnisFascibus in clero, pompasque experta senates,

Bellornmque mann grandi stipata parentumCardineos apices necnon fastigia dudumPapatix iterata tenens

Muratori (Dissert. Iii, tom. xiii, p ) observes, that the first Ur.inipontificate of Celestine III. was unknown : he is inclined to read Urriprogenies.

" Filii Ursi, quondam Ccelestini papte nepotes, de bonis ecelesieeKomanre ditati (Vit. Innocent III , in Muratori, Script, tom. iii, p. i).

The partial prodigality of Nicholas III. is more conspicuous in Villa-in and Muratori. Yet the Ursini would disdain the nephews of amndrm pope.