to the king of England 400000. crownes The king of England promised to marie Elizabeth the eldest daughter of Fraunce afterward wife to Philip king of Spaine Both English and French departed Scotland which was ordained to be gouerned by one of their owne nation and both the Kings were made knights each of others order Cha. 3. The warres of Parma and Mirandula The kings nauie spoyleth diuers Holandish shippes The Turke winneth Tripoli THe king hauing thus established peace on that side of his realme began to attend to his forraine practises against the Emperor as well in Italie as in Germanie The first attempt that he made against the Emperour was the warre of Parma in Italie which began 1551. vpon this occasion Petrus Aloisius Franesius sonne to Pope Paule the third had giuen him by his father with the consent of the consistorie of Cardinalls Parma and Placencia in exchaunge of other lands and was created Duke thereof This Peter the tenth of September in the yeare 1547. was slaine in his owne house not without the consent of Ferdinando Gonzaga gouernour of Milan for the Emperour as it was thought For presently vpon his death the said Ferdinando came to Placencia and entered into it and placed a garrison in it to the Emperours vse and farther alowed Giouanni Aguzzolo who killed the sayde Peter with his owne hands twentie souldiours for his guard Octauius Peters sonne and sonne in law to the Emperour for he had married the Emperours base daughter widow of Alexander Medices duke of Florence demaunded of the Emperour against Gonzaga iustice of his fathers death and that Placentia mought bee restored to him againe but receauing frō him no thing but delatorie answers fearing to be spoiled of Parma as alreadie he was of Placentia hee sought for succour at the hands of Iulius tertius newly chosen Pope who misliking the Emperours greatnes in Italie perswaded Octauius to put himself vnder the protection of France not so much regarding Octauius good thereby as hoping by this meanes to set these two Princes at variaunce which hee accompted the onely preseruation of his owne estate But the Emperour on the other side beeing exceedingly offended with this reuolt of Octauio to the French practised with the Pope to claime Parma as the right of the Church and to excomunicate Octauio as the Church rebel promising him if he would so doe that hee would enter into these warres and besiege Parma and restore it to the Church if it were recouered Wherevpon the Pope respecting his owne profit more thē his credit or the goodnesse of the cause vtterly abandoned Octauio and ioyned with the Emperour in this warre But the king hauing receaued Octauio into his protection and that by the Popes owne perswasion promised to defend him both against the Emperors ambition and violence and likewise against the Popes trecherous inconstancie who as you haue heard being reuolted from Octauio ioyned with the Emperour in this warre in hope to recouer Parma for the Church wherefore the king fortefied Parma and manned it and likewise Mirandula the Earle whereof fearing continually to be surprised by Gonzague ioyned with the French and receaued into the towne certaine French bands sent thither out of Piemont by the marshal Brissac Gonzague on the other side by the Emperours commaundement went and besieged Parma but all in the Popes name for neither would the Emperour seeme to attempt any thing against the King but onely to aide the Pope in a iust cause neither would the King seeme to attempt any thing against the Emperour but onely to ayde Octauio beeing vnder his protection in his iust cause But this dissimulation betweene these two Princes held not long for as Monsieur d'Andelot passed through the Emperours dominions in Lombardie with certaine bandes of men to put himselfe into Parma by the Kings commandement notwithstanding that they passed quietlie without harme doing as in their friendes country yet was the said d'Andelot staied prisoner by the Imperialls and iustefied for a good przse wherevpon the King charged the Emperour with breach of the truce and beegan to make warre vpon him on all sides A man may thinke the King was not well aduised to enter into this warre for Octauios cause in whom being the Emperours sonne in law he could repose no assured trust and who hee mought assure himselfe vpon the restitution of Placentia would alwaies be ready to giue him the slip so in deede he did being restored therevnto in the yeare 1556. But you must know that the king vsed this matter but as a coulour to prouoke an open warre beetweene the Emperour and him as hee was sure it would in the ende and the which thing he principally desired both because hee was yong and naturally enclined to martiall affaires and also because hee hoped while the Emperour was busied with the Princes of Allemaine with whom the king had good intelligence to recouer the duchie of Milan in the which as also in diuers other parts of Italie he had many good friends But the warrs of Germanie had a speedier end then hee expected after the which the Emperour held him play in so many places that hee had no leasure to looke ouer the mountaines in a good many yeares after this and sped but euill when he toke that enterprise in hand as heereafter you shall heere And so it appeereth that whatsoeuer man purposeth God disposeth afterwards thereof as it pleaseth him Gonzague as you haue heard besiged Parma the Pope on the other side to distract the kings forces besieged Mirandula But the King auowing the truce to bee broken beecause of Monsieur d'Andelots imprisonment aboue mentioned sent to Brissac new supplies into Piemont commaunding him not onely to succour Parma and Mirandula but also to endamage the Emperours dominions in those partes by all the meanes he mought Wherevpon the saide Brissac wanne diuers townes in Piemont in the Marquisate of Montferrate from the Imperialls and put the whole Duchie of Milan into so great feare that Gonzague was forced for the defence thereof to abandon the siege of Parma retire thether The Pope also preuailed no better beefore Mirandula but lost many of his men before the towne and among the rest his Nephew Giouanni Battista de Monte. Wherfore seing his hope frustrate for the recouerie of Parma and Mirandula and being cōsumed with the charges of the warres and farther perceauing a new tempest readie to arise against the Emperour from Duke Maurice and other princes of Germanie with whom while the Emperour was busied himselfe by the French mought be vtterly ruinated Wherevnto I also adde that the king had alreadie forbidden any cause whatsoeuer to be remoued out of his realme to Rome which was no small blow to the Popes purse and farther had vtterly refused to send any of the Clergie of his Realme to the counsell of Trent or to accept that as a generall counsell and had also perswaded the Swyssers to doe
Venetians beeing thus low brought and seeing so many princes against them determined to take some course to dissolue this cōfederacie wherfore they humbled themselues first vnto the Pope and found meanes to be reconciled vnto him for you shal vnderstand that after this victorie aboue mentioned partly commiseration of the venetians moued him to fauour them but especially the kings greatnesse in Italie beecame very odious terrible vnto him in such sort that he also secretly withdrew the king of Aragon from the kings friendship ioyned him in league with the Venetians they restoring vnto him the ports in Pouille aboue mencioned which they held and the Pope himselfe putting him into a continuall ielousie that if the french affaires prospered in Italie he should bee constrained againe to fight for the realme of Naples notwithstanding his mariage with the kings niece But in very truth the thing that most troubled the Pope most caused him to enuie the kings good successe was ielousie of his owne estate beecause many cardinalls hated him and obiected many crimes against him all the which had intelligence with the king wherfore the saide Pope to the ende hee mought omit no thing that tended to the ouerthrow of the kings proceedings these Cardinalls practises hiered the Swyssers 1510. to inuade the Duchie of Milan and to abandon their league with the french which being begun by Lewis the xi expired at this very instant could not be renewed beecause the Swyssers demanded proudly greater pēsions thē they had before which the king partly through disdaine partly through couetousnesse would not condescend vnto wherevpon they entered into league with the Pope against the king inuaded the dutchie of Milan but for wāt of victuals monie they were forced at this time to returne home without any exploit done Farther the said Pope now shewing himselfe openly to bee the kings enemy together with the Venetians prepared a nauie to surprise Genoua and so this Pope that was the first kindler of this warre against the Venetians the principall author of the league of Cambray was also himselfe the first that brake it notwithstanding all the kindenesse that hee had receaued at the kings hands But the nauie aboue mentioned appoynted to inuade Genoua was ouerthrowen and dispersed by the French nauie and so all the Popes enterprises against the king fayled and came to naught farther you shall vnderstand that the Pope had a quarell to the Duke of Ferrara as well for certaine townes which hee withheld from the Church as also for selling of salt at Comache without the Popes permission which thing beeing his vassall hee mought not doe as the Pope sayde for the which cause hee inuaded his countries but the king to requite the Popes disloyaltie and ingratitude towards him receiued the Duke into his protection and defended him against the Pope which not a litle increased their euill will The king also to crie quittance with the Pope 1511. tooke Bolonia from him which not long beefore hee had deliuered to him and restored it to the Bentiuoli whom also hee receiued into his protection by meanes whereof extreame hatred grew beetweene the Pope and the King so farre foorth that the King withdrew his Realme from his obedience and celebrated a councell at Pisa against him which was afterward transported to Milan And the Pope on the otherside excomunicated the whole Realme of Fraunce and celebrated a counsell at Lateran against the king But not onely spirituall but also temporall armes were exercised betweene them for the Pope hiered the Swyssers to inuade the Dutchie of Milan the second time but they being corrupted with French crownes soone returned bome deluded the Popes hope which hee perceauing waged a great armie of Spaniards and Italians against the king and against the Counsell or as hee termed it the Conuenticle of Pisa and the king on the other side in the name of the sayde counsell of Pisa sent a mightie armie against the pope as a Simoniac a trobler of Christendome a drunkard and a periure And after diuers skirmishes beetweene the two armies and surprises of townes and such like feates of warre achieued ensewed the great battayle of Rauenna which was fought vpon Easter day It is written by diuers that Pope Iulius seeing his forces issew out of Rome 1512. tooke Peters keyes and threw them into the Riuer and withall girt himselfe with a sword adding these wordes that since Peters keyes could doe him no more seruice hee would see if Paules sword could stand him in any better steede which accion of his the learned Melanthon hath properly expressed by these verses folowing In Gallum vt fama est bellum gesturus a cerbum armatam educit Iulius vrbe manum accinctus gladio claues in Tibridis amnem proijcit saeuus talia verba facit Cum Petri nihil efficiant ad prelia claues auxilio Pauli for sitan ensis erit Which may bee thus Englished When Iulius against the force of Fraunce sent foorth his troups armed with pike launce this fury fell inflamde with ire and moode the sacred keyes into the famous flud of Tyber flange and tho with might and maine wayuing his glaiue thus spake in great disdaine sith Peters keyes auayle naught in this case the sword of Paule shall now supply their place But to returne to the Historie In the battaile of Rauenna aboue mentioned the Pope with his confederats namely the king of Aragon the Venetians wer ouerthrowen But Monsieur de Foix the kings nephew generall of his forces through his owne to great hardinesse or rather rashnesse pursuing his enimies with a small troupe was entrapped and slaine whose death the king tooke so greuously that he wished he had redemed his life with the losse of al that he held in Italie The said de Foix his death so astonished the French armie though victorious that for want of a generall sufficient to supplie his place they pursewed not the victorie as they ought to hauedone but gaue their enemies libertie to breath repaire their forces which if they had not done the king mought not onely haue recouered the realme of NAPLES but also haue disposed of all the rest of Italie as it had pleased himselfe Rauenna was sacked in reuenge of Monsieur de Foix his death Cap. 7. The king celebrateth the counsell of Pisa against the Pope and the Pope the counsell of Later an against him The Pope stirreth vp Maximilian the Emperor the kings of England Spaine the venetians the swissers against the king The king loseth Milan and Genoua The king of Spaine conquereth Nauarra Aeter this victorie the king returned to celebrate the counsell of Pisa and by authoritie thereof to deposse the Pope hauing the Emperour Maximilian in apparance concurring with him and as some report affecting the Papacie for himself meaning to resigne the empire to his nephew Charles though as yet but a childe
or truely it is vncertaine that the Colonnesi who alwayes haue beene and yet are Imperiall made secret assemblies against him in Rome for the which cause some of them hee emprisoned some hee banished and seazed all their lands and goods into his owne hands The Imperials say that this was but a quarell picked to them by the Pope because hee had secret intelligence with the king of Fraunce perswaded him to attempt the recouerie of the Realme of Naples as well therby to abate the Spaniards greatnes in Italie who held Naples Milan Siena disposed of the stats of Genoua Florence as of his owne as also hoping if the French had good successe in Italie that some part of the bootie would fall to his share which hee was the more desirous of because he was a Neapolitaine borne himselfe But howsoeuer it were the Colonnesi being thus iniuried complained to king Philip and desired his succour who sent the Duke Alua to their ayde yet offering the Pope any reasonable conditions of peace which he vtterly refused and sent to the king and the duke of Ferrara being his confederats for succours but before they could arriue the duke of Alua inuaded the Church dominions and toke Ostia Palestrina and much distressed Rome But the King with all speede sent the Duke of Guyse with a mightie armie into Italie who entering into Lombardie tooke Valentia in the duchie of Milan put a garison into it on an other side also the French inuaded Artoys and spoyled all the Countrey they besieged Douay but could not take it Notwithstanding Lens they toke and burned it Farther the kings forces in Piemont tooke Valfiniere and Cairas and thus the fiue yeares truce concluded the yeare before helde not one yeare great coÌ„trouersie is betwene the French and Spanish which of the two Princes first brake the truce The French say the Spaniard first brake it by inuading the Pope whom the king as an obedient sonne to the Church was bound to defend But the answere herevnto is easie for besides that the inuading of the Pope being an indifferent friend to both the Princes could not bee a breach of the truce towards the French king it is also most certaine that the first iniurie proceded froÌ„ the Pope towards the king of Spaines friends and coÌ„federats and therefore the French were not to ayde him in an euell cause But admit the ayding of the Pope were no breach of the truce yet the King ought not to haue proceded farther then to send the Pope ayde but hee inuaded king Philip before he tooke weapon in hand in Milan in Piemont in Artoys and in Flaunders which could not bee other then a flatte breach of the truce But to retourne to the warres of Italie The Duke of Guyse by the Popes perswasion and vppon promise of ayde from him was passing with his armie towards the realme of Naples with purpose to inuade it But seeing the Duke of Alua to make head against him and being also disapoynted of the ayde promised him by the Pope he was forced to retire with his armie being in very pore estate and cursing the Pope and all his trecheries While these matters thus passed in Italie the Queene of England by hir husbands perswasion entered into an vnnecessarie warre with Fraunce for she should haue done much better to haue continued as shee began a mediater for peace thâ—n vpon no occasion to become the French kings enemie but shee sped accordingly Cha. 10. The King of Spaine taketh Saint Quentin The battaile of Saint Laurens in the which the Constable is ouerthrowen and taken prisoner The duke of Guyse is reuoqued out of Italie The Pope maketh peace with the king of Spaine The French take Calais The marriage of the Daulphin The French take Theonuille BVt to proceede the king of Spaine seeing him selfe thus inuaded vpon a sodayne leuyed a mightie armie of Duch Flemish and English and went and besieged Saint Quentin a stronge towne in Vermandoys for the defence whereof the Admirall of Fraunce Gasper Chastillon with diuers bandes of men put himselfe into the towne But his brother d'Andelot issewing out of Perona with 15. enseignes of footmen purposing to doe the like was defeated Notwithstanding the king tendering greatly the saftie of the towne sent the CoÌ„stable to succour it with an armie of 16000. foot and 4000. horse who vpon Saint Laurence day very earely in the morning by certaine boates which he had brought with him vpon cartes put Mon sieur d'Andelot by the riuer with certaine bands of footmen into the towne But King Phillips army as the said Constable retired charged him brake him defeated his forces slew 2500 of his men with the losse onely of 50. on their part and tooke him prisoner with two of his sonnes and likewise the Dukes of Montpensier and Longueuille the Marshall of Saint Andre the Rheingraue and diuers other great personages Wherevpon the King presentlie reuoqued the Duke of Guise with his forces out of Italy commaunded the Duke of Neuers to leauy a new army In the meane time King Phillip tooke Saint Quentin by assault and tooke prisoners therin the Admirall and d'Andelot his brother but d'Andelot soone after escaped away The King of Spaine wan also Catelet and Han and diuers other places The Duke of Alua on the other side in Italie tooke diuers places from the Pope who in the end seeing the Dukes forces so great that he came without resistance euen to Rome gates and that the Duke of Guise in verie poore estate was reuoqued home into Fraunce made peace at Caui with King Philip contraty to his promise made to the French King and obtayned better conditions of him than he deserued and among the rest of the conditions this was one that the Duke of Guise should returne home in safetie and he his armie bee well intreated wheresoeuer they passed through king Philips dominions which was all the recompence the French receaued at the Popes handes for the great losses they had receaued in Italie by his meanes such commonly is the ende of all vnnecessarie warres The King being much grieued with these his manifolde losses and supposing his honour to be stayned if he atchieued not some enterprise that might counteruaile these his misfortunes so soone as the Duke of Guise and Strozzi were returned with his forces out of Italie by sea and Monsieur d'Aumalle by land ioyned to them a great army of Swissers and Almaines who vnder the leading of the said Duke of Guise were sent to besiege Calais in the verie middest of winter Strozzi not long before the comming of the army thether had beene brought in disguised apparaile into the towne by a French man an inhabitant thereof and had veiwed all the fortisications both within the towne and without and the garison within it for the defence thereof which was very weake and to say the truth the said Strozzi was the onely author of
Emperour inuadeth Biscay recouereth Fontarabia The King of England inuadeth Picardie Bourbon inuadeth Burgundie Boniuet inuadeth Milan for the king but with euell successe Pope Adrian dyeth Clement the seuenth succedeth The Emperour inuadeth FrauÌ„ce but with euell successe THE treatie aboue mentioned with the Venetians was so earnestly pursued 1523. that in the ende they forsoke the king entered into league with the Emperour with the Archduc Ferdinande his brother and with Francis Sforce inuested by the Emperour Duke of Milan so that it was thought the king would now attempt no thing in Italie hauing so many enimies his especial frieÌ„ds namely the Venetians being become his foes but it fell otherwise out as hereafter you shall heare In the meane time Pope Adrian being come out of Spaine into Italie compounded the controuersie betwene the Duke of Ferrare and the Church and endeuoured to reconcile all those Princes together and to conuert their Armes against the Turke but all in vaine About this tyme also Charles Duke of Bourbon Constable of Fraunce and the greatest prince in the Realme reuolted from the king to the Emperour Diuers causes are alleadged by diuers men of his reuolt But I think ambition to haue bene the onely cause thereof For he being a Prince of great courage and greatly beloued in the Realme was perswaded that he could haue drawen the greatest part of the Realme after him and was promised in mariage Elenor the Emperours sister widow of Emanuell king of Portugale and to haue the earledome of Prouince conquered by the armes of the Emperour and the King of England and erected into a Kingdome deliuered to him And he for his part promised if the Emperour would giue him the leading of twelue thousand Lancknights to conquere all Burgundie from the king and to restore it to the sayde Emperour who claimed it as heire to Charles the last Duke of Burgundie slaine by the Swyssers at the battaile of Naucy in the yeare 1476. Thus oftentime are the noblest witts so drowned with an ouergreat opinion of themselues that they hould those enterprises for easie which are indeede impossible to be atchieued Notwithstanding the Emperour vsed his help in the warres and hee shewed extreame hatred against the king and his countrey all the time of his life for the which most men blame him and few commend him The Emperour hauing stirred vp almost all the Princes of Christendome against the king ment to assault him on all sides and so to destract his forces that he should haue enough to doe to defend his owne and by that meanes not bee able to offend him in Italie Wherefore first hee sent an armie to inuade Biscay which besieged Bayonne but could not take it but Fontarabia they recouered from the French God so disposing of this matter that each partie should hould their owne and no more on the other side the king of England sent the Duke of Suffolke with a mightie armie to inuade Picardie But God hauing commiseration as it is to be thought of the poore Realme of Fraunce caused the sayde English armie for want of victualles and money to retourne home without any matter of moment done The Duke of Bourbon likewise inuading Burgundie had no better successe for beeing entered with his twelue thousand Lansknights into the countrey both his money and his intelligences fayled him and his souldiours wanting pay left him and the most part of them went to serue the king Thus God fought for the king as long as hee stoode vpon the defence of his owne Realme but out of his owne Realme his successe was farre otherwise God as it is to be thought punishing his ambition in mouing vnnecessary warrs abroad to trouble the state of Italie and not being contented with his large ritch and florishing Realme at home For you shall vnderstand that at this time he was him selfe passing with a mightie army into Italie to recouer the Duchie of Milan as though without Milan the king of Fraunce were not worthie the name of king And notwithstanding that Bourbons reuolt and the inuasions aboue mentioned stayed his owne person in Fraunce yet his armie consisting of 34000. men hee sent into Italie vnder the leading of the Admirall Boniuet to recouer the sayd Duchie of Milan Prospero Colonna being gouernour of Milan for the Emperour and Francis Sforce met with this French armie at the Riuer of Thâ—sin with purpose to stoppe their passage but that notwithstanding they passed the riuer and Prospero was forced to retire to Milan whether if Boniuet had presently solowed him and giuen him no leasure to fortefie the towne it is thought he mought haue taken it without any resistance But the actions of great souldiers are not to bee censured by the iudgement of the vulgare sort many reasons great daungers mought moue him to forbeare to giue Prospero the chace attempt to take the towne by force which he being generall concealed to himselfe and deliuered not to the notice of men About this time dyed Pope Adrian to him succeded Iulius Cardinall of Mâ—dices by the name of Clement the seuenth The French armie aboue mentioned vnder the leading of Boniuet besieged Milan during the which siege Prospero Coulonne dyed in his bed to the reliefe of the towne came the Marques of Pescara with new supplies and likewise the Duke of Bourbon hauing fayled of his enterprise in Burgundie with 7000. Landsknights leuied in Allmaigne by Ferdinand the Emperours brother by meanes whereof the Venetians also ioyning with the Imperials and the Swyssers that came to the succour of the French traiterously refusing to passe the riuer of Seuze to ioine with the Admirals armie the French were forced not onely to abandon the siege but also with great losse of men especially of the noble captaine Bayarde to retire into France Bourbon and the Imperials continually charging them on the backe as they marched This successe had the king in Italie and no better had the Emperour in Fraunce who about the ende of this yeare inuaded in person with a mightie armie the Realme of Fraunce from the frontiers of Spaine supposing the small exploict done beefore Bayonne to haue proceded from the negligence of his Captaines Sauueterre he tooke a place of small importance which being done his courage being greater theÌ„ his abilitie to entertaine so mightie an armie lacking both money victuals which could hardly folow him in those straight passages beesides that the harde weather comming on which is verie terrible in that rockie and mountaine countrey he was forced to dismisse his armie returne home to abandoÌ„ this enterprise which he had attempted against the aduice of all his best souldiours and Captaines Cap. 7. Queene Claude of France dieth Bourbon inuadeth Prouince but is soone forced to retire The king inuadeth Milan and is taken prisoner at the battaile of Pauia IN Iulie in the yeare 1524. dyed Queene Claude 1524. at Bloys greatly to