From the Diet of Worms to the Augsburg Confession - James Aitken Wylie

The sack of Rome lasted ten days. "It was
reported," says Guiciardini, "that the booty taken
might be estimated at a million of ducats; but the
ransoms of the prisoners amounted to a far larger
sum." The number of victims is estimated at from
5,000 to 10,000. The population on whom this
terrible calamity fell were, upon the testimony of
their own historians, beyond measure emasculated
by effeminacy and vice. Vettori describes them as
"proud, avaricious, murderous, envious, luxurious,
and hypocritical." There were then in Rome, says
Ranke, "30,000 inhabitants capable of bearing
arms. Many of these men had seen service." But,
though they wore arms by their side, there was
neither bravery nor manhood in their breasts. Had
they possessed a spark of courage, they might have
stopped the enemy in his advance to their city, or
chased him from their walls after he appeared.
This stroke fell on Rome in the very prime of
her mediaeval glory. The magnificence then so
suddenly and terribly smitten has never revived. A
few days sufficed to wellnigh annihilate a splendor
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