in the maritime towns on the shores of the Adriatic.  The pope, Julius ii., the most grasping, perfidious and selfish of them all, demanded Ravenna, Cervia, Faenza, Rimini, Immola and Cesena.  His exorbitant claims were assented to, as it was infinitely important that the piratic expedition should be sanctioned by the blessing of the Church.  Maximilian was to receive, in addition to some territories which Venice had wrested from him, Roveredo, Verona, Padua, Vicenza, Trevigi, and the Friuli.  As Maximilian was bound by a truce with Venice, and as in those days of chivalry some little regard was to be paid to one’s word of honor, Maximilian was only to march at the summons of the pope, which no true son of the Church, under any circumstances, was at liberty to disobey.  Sundry other minor dukes and princes were engaged in the plot, who were also to receive a proportionate share of the spoil.

After these arrangements were all completed, the holy father, with characteristic infamy, made private overtures to the Venetians, revealing to them the whole plot, and offering to withdraw from the confederacy and thwart all its plans, if Venice would pay more as the reward of perfidy than Rome could hope to acquire by force of arms.  The haughty republic rejected the infamous proposal, and prepared for a desperate defense.

All the powers of the confederacy were now collecting their troops.  But Maximilian was dependent upon the German diet for his ability to fulfill his part of the contract.  He assembled the diet at Worms on the 21st of April, 1509, presented to them the plan of the league, and solicited their support.  The diet refused to cooperate, and hardly affecting even the forms of respect, couched its refusal in terms of stinging rebuke.

“We are tired,” they said, “of these innumerable calls for troops and money.  We can not support the burden of these frequent diets, involving the expense of long journeys, and we are weary of expeditions and wars.  If the emperor enters into treaties with France and the pope without consulting us, it is his concern and not ours, and we are not bound to aid him to fulfill his agreement.  And even if we were to vote the succors which are now asked of us, we should only be involved in embarrassment and disgrace, as we have been by the previous enterprises of the emperor.”

Such, in brief, was the response of the diet.  It drew from the emperor a long defense of his conduct, which he called an “Apology,” and which is considered one of the most curious and characteristic documents of those days.  He made no attempt to conceal his vexation, but assailed them in strong language of reproach.