disorder or special tumult which he exspected would rise in his fauor A plot which happely had drawne some good yssue for him if fortune had not supplyed the negligence of his aduersaries for as in the beginning of the night he was lodged in the tabernacles certein smal houses vpon the high way with intencion to march the residue of the night so he was so hindred by wonderfull raynes and stormes continuing long that he could not present him selfe before Florence till long space after the sunne rising A chaunce which gaue leasure to such as made profession to be his particular enemies for the communaltie and all the rest of the Citisens stirred not exspecting quietly what woulde be the yssue of thinges to take armes with their frendes and followers and to prouide that the citisens suspected should be called restrayned in the publike pallaice by the Magistrats And lastly to make them selues stronge at the gate which leades to Siena was at their request Pavvle Vitelli ariuing there the night before in his returne from Mantua In so much as no commotion appearing in the citie Peter not stronge enough to force the gate which he had approched within a bow shoote And after he had remeyned there foure howers fearing with his daunger the suddeine comming of their men at armes whome he thought and his conceite was true the Florentyns had sent for from the seruice of Pysa he returned to Sienna where Aluiano parting from him and let into Tody by the Guâ—lffes he sacked almost all the houses of the Gebelyns and put to the slaughter liij of the principall bodies of that faction According to which example Anthonie Sauelle entred into Terny and Gattesquies by the fauor of the Colonnoys and lett into Viterby did the like execucions against the Guelffes in both the one and the other place and all the peeces thereabouts without that the Pope prouided for so great disorders in the state ecclesiastike because he abhorred all exspenses in like cases bearing by the propertie of his nature no compassion to the calamities of others he was nothing troubled with those thinges that offended his honor so that his profits or pleasures were nothinge hindered yet he coulde not auoyde the secret iustice of God expressed in domesticall miseries troubling his house with examples tragicall and a whordom and crueltie horrible aboue all the barbarous regions for where he had determined from the beginning of his election pontificall to appropriat all teÌ„porall greatnes to the Duke of Candia his eldest sonne The Cardinall of Valence who altogether estraunged from priesthood aspired to thexercise of armes hauing no patience to suffer that place to be vsurped by his brother enuying withall that he had better part then he in the loue of Madonne Lucrecia their common sister inflamed with lust and with ambicion mighty ministers to all mischiefs caused him to be killed one night as he rode alone in the streetes of Rome casting his bodye secretly in the riuer of Tyber The brute was if such an enormitie be worthy to be beleued that in the loue of Mad. Lucrecia were concurrant not onely the two brethren but also the father who when he was chosen Pope taking her from her husband being inferior to her degree he maried her to Iohn Sforce Lorde of Pesere And afterwards not able to suffer her husband to be his corriuall he made dissolucion of the mariage already consomated hauing made proofe before Iudges delegats of his owne creacion by witnesses subborned afterwards confirmed by apostolicall sentence that her husband was imperfect in the operacion of nature and vnable to cohabitacion The death of the Duke of Candia afflicted not a litle the Pope burning aboue all other Popes in a vehement loue to his children And as it is the greatest tryall of wisedom and courage of men to be temperat in mortall chaunces so such as are not accustomed to aduersities haue least rule ouer their passions they that neuer felt but prosperitie can litle iudge of the worthines of patience This Pope was so vnacquainted with the accidents of fortune much lesse enured with earthly losses and priuacions that from his infancie to that age all thinges had happely succeeded to him the same making this affliction so greeuous and intollerable to him that in the consistory after he had with a great compassion of minde and publike teares greeuously bewayled his miserie accusing many of his propper actions and manner of liuing which he had vsed till that day he assured with wordes full of efficacie that hereafter he would gouerne his life with other thoughtes and with a forme of liuing more moderat and ruled And for a beginning he assigned presently certeine of the number of Cardinalls to ioyne with him in the reformacion of maners orders of the Court wherein after he had employed certeine dayes at what tyme began to be manifest the author of the death of his sonne for the which at the first he had the Cardinall Askanius and the Vrsins in stronge suspicion he left there his former holy intencion his teares and all his complaints and returned more disorderly then euer to those thoughtes and operacions wherin he had consumed his age till that day There hapned in those seasons new trauells within Florence by reason of thenterprise of Peter de medicis for thintelligence and faction which he had with certeyne particlers in the citie was disclosed by reason whereof many noble Citisens were imprisoned and some fled And after the Magistrates had vsed meanes iudicial to verifie the order of the conspiracie not onely many were condemned to death which had solicited him to come and giuen him releefe of money but also Bernardyn de Nero to whom was imputed no other thing then that knowing the practise he had not reuealed it which fault of it selfe punishable by the head by the statutes of the Florentyns and by thinterpretacion which most part of lawyers giue to the common lawes was found so much the more haynous in him by howe much he was chiefe Magistrate when Peter came to Florence as if he had bene more greatly bownd to do the office rather of a person publike then priuate But the parents and kindred appealing from the sentence to the great councell of the people and that by vertue of a law made when the popular gouernment was established Those that had bene authors of the condemnacion fearing least the compassion of the age of the nobility and of the multitude of parentes woulde moderat in the mindes of the people the straitnes of the iudgement wrought so muche that they obteyned that to the lesser nuÌ„ber of the Citisens should be referred the resolucion whether the appeale should be suffered to be prosecuted or restrayned wherein being more stronge the authoritie and number of them which held it a thing daungerous and no lesse drawing to sedicion seeinge that the Lawes them selues suffered that to
and made weake by the minoritie of their king who was gouerned by Priestes and the Barons of the Realme Others were of opinion that he had addressed all his thoughtes to thinuasion of Italie taking his encouragement vpon the discord of the Potentates and naturall princes whom he knewe to be muche shaken with the long warres of those regions To this was ioyned the memorie of Mahomet his grandfather who with a power farre lesse then his and with a small Nauie sente vppon the coastes of the Realine of Naples had wonne by assault the Citie of Otronto and sauing he was preuented by death had bothe opened the waye and established the meane to persecute the regions of Italie with continuall vexacions So that the Pope together with the whole Courte of Rome beeing made astonished with so greate successe and no lesse prouident to eschewe so great a daunger making their firste recourse to the ayde and succour of God caused to bee celebrated through Rome moste deuoute inuocations whiche he dyd assiste in presence bare foote And afterwardes calling vppon the helpe of men he wroate letters to all Christian Princes bothe admonishing them of the perill and perswading them to laye asyde all ciuill discordes and contentions and attende speedily to the defence of religion and their common safetie whiche he affirmed woulde more and more take encrease of most grieuous daunger if with the vnitie of mindes and concordances of forces they sought not to transferre the warre into thempire of the Turkes and inuade thenemie in his owne countrey Vpon this aduise and admonition was taken the examinacion and opinion of men of warre and persons skilfull in the discouerie of countreys the disposing of prouinces and of the nature and vsage of the forces and weapons of that kingdome and therevpon a resolucion being set downe to make great leauyes of money by voluntarie contribucions of Princes and vniuersall impostes of all people of Christendome it was thought necessarie that Caesar accompanied with the horsemen of Hungaria and Pollonia Nations warlike and practised in continuall warres agaynst the Turke and also with the footmen of Germanie should sayle along Danubi into Bossina called aunciently Misia and from thence to Thracia and so to drawe neare Constantinople the seate of the Empire of the Ottomanes That the Frenche king with all the forces of his kingdome the Venetians and the other potentates of Italie accompanied with the infanterie of Svvizzerlande should passe from the port of Brindisi in Albania a passage very easie and short to inuade Grece a contrey full of Christian inhabitantes and for the intollerable yoke of the Turkes moste ready to rebell That the kings of Spayne of Englande and Portugall assembling their forces together in Cartagenia and the portes thereaboutes should take their course with two hundred shippes full of Spanishe footemen and other souldiors to the straite of Galipoli to make roades vp to Constantinople hauing first subdued the Castles and fortes standing vpon the mouth of the straite And the Pope to take the same course embarking at Antona with an hundred shippes armed With these preparacions seeming sufficient to couer the lande and ouerspread the sea it was thought that of a warte so full of deuocion and pyetie there coulde not be but hoped a happie ende specially adding the inuocation of God and so many seuerall inuasions made at one tyme agaynst the Turkes who make their principall fundacion of defence to fight in the playne fielde These matters were solicited with no small industrie and to stoppe all matter of imputacion agaynst thoffice of the Pope the mindes of Princes were throughly sounded and an vniuersal truce for fiue yeres betwene all the Princes of Christendome published in the consistory vpon payne of most grieuous censure to suche as should impugne it So that the negociacion cōtinuing for all things apperteining to so great an enterprise he assigned Embassadors to all Princes to the Emperour he sent the Cardinall S. Sisto to the Frenche king he dispatched the Cardinall of S. Maria in Portico the Cardinall Giles to the king of Spayne and the Cardinall Campeius to the king of Englande All Cardinalles of authoritie eyther for their experience in affayres or for opinion of their doctrine or for their familiaritie with the Pope All which things albeit they were begonne with greate hope and exspectacion And the vniuersall truce accepted of all men And all men with no litle ostentacion and brauerie of words made shewe of their readines with their forces to aduaunce so good a cause yet what with the consideracion of the perill esteemed vncerteine and farre of and extending more to one Prince then to an other And what by the difficulties long tract of time that appeared to introduce a zeale and vnion so vniuersall priuat interests and respects perticular seemed to preuayle more then the pietie of the expedicion Insomuch as the negoclacion stoode not onely naked of all hope and yssue but also it was followed very lightly and as it were by ceremonie this beeing one propertie in the nature of men that those things which in their beginnings appeare fearefull doe daily take such degrees of diminucion and vanishing that onles the first feares be reuiued by new accidents they leade men in processe of tyme to securitie which propertie of negligence both touching the affayres publike affection of priuate and perticular men was well confirmed by the death that succeeded not longe after to Selym who hauing by a longe maladie suspended the preparacions of the warre was in the ende consumed by the passions of his disease and so passed into the other life leauing so greate an Empire to Solyman his sonne young in yeares and iudged to beare a witte and minde not so disposed to the warres although afterwardes theffectes declared the contrarie At this tyme appeared betweene the Pope and the Frenche kinge A moste greate and strayght coniunction for the kinge gaue to wife to Lavvrence his Nephewe the Ladye Magdaleyne noblye descended of the bludde and house of Bolognia with a yearely reuenue of tenne thowsande crownes whereof parte was of the kinges gifte and the residue rising of her owne patrimonye Besides the kinge hauing borne to him a sonne the Pope requyred that in his Baptisme he woulde impose vppon him his name By which occasion Lavvrence making preparacions to goe to marye his newe wife for his more speede performed his iorney by poste into Fraunce where he was receiued with many amities and much honor of the king to whom he became very gracious of deare accompt the rather for that besides other general respects he made a dedication of him selfe wholly to the king with promise to follow in all accidents his fortune he brought also to the king a writ or warrant from the Pope by the which he graunted to him that till the moneyes collected of the tenthes and by other meanes of contribucion were expended vppon the holy warre against the Turkes he might
farre from Parma when Federike departed was called in by an vniuersall consent of the people and made his entrie The Capteines and Assistantes of the League deuised howe to recouer the residue of the estate vnder this foundacion to make no more so greate expences And accordingly they dispatched from Millan at the same tyme the Marquis of Pisquairo with his bandes of Spaniardes and the Launceknightes and Grisons to laye siege to Coma In whiche enterprise in maye be doubted whether was more forwarde his desire or his fortune for he had no sooner begonne to enforce the terrour of his artilleries then the defendantes dispayring of reskew agreed to render vp the place vnder condicion of sauetie of life and goods aswell to the Frenche bandes as to thinhabitantes of the towne And yet when the Frenche men were vppon their departure the Spaniardes made their entrie and sacked it to the greate infamie of the Marquis who beeing afterwardes accused of fayth breaking by Iohn Chabannes chiefe of the Frenche bandes within Coma was by him defyed and chalenged to the combat At the same instant they of the League sent the Bishop of Verula to the Svvizzers to assure them of their willes neuerthelesse assoone as he was come to Belinsone they committed hym to warde for that standing yll contented that their regimentes of footemen had marched agaynst the French king they did not onely complayne of the Cardinall of Syon and the Pope but also of all their ministers and officers But chiefly they inueyed agaynst the Bishoppe of Verula for that being the Popes Nuncio with them at suche tyme as they leauyed their men he laboured to induce them to goe agaynst thexception vnder the which they had bene accorded The estate and affayres of the warre was reduced into these tearmes with a wonderfull hope in the Pope and Caesar to confirme the victorie bothe for that the French king had no meane to dispatche with expedicion newe companies into Italie and also for them selues they thought the power of those who had wonne Millan vpon him with the moste parte of the Duchie was sufficient not onely to preserue it but also to runne through all the residue that remayned in the handes of thenemie Yea suche a thing is terrour that the Senate of Venice fearing least the warre begonne agaynst others would not fall vpon them gaue hope to the Pope to cause the French bandes to depart out of their landes But of thoughtes sodaine began to spring an accident vnlooked for for newes came that the Pope was dead sodenlye the first day of December As he laye at the village of Magliana whither he went oftentimes for his recreation he heard the first reapport of the taking of Millan which stirred in him suche an extreme passion of ioye that the same night he entred into a small feauer and for his better remedie he caused himselfe the next daye to be remoued to Rome where he dyed within very fewe dayes after notwithstanding the Phisitions in the beginning made no great reckoning of his disease There was great suspicion that he was poysoned by Barnabie Malespina his Chamberleine whose office was alwayes to giue him drinke And yet though he was made prisoner through the suspicion of the fact and the vehement reasons of the same yet the matter was dashed and thexaminacion thereof for that the Cardinall Medicis assone as he came to Rome set him at libertie fearing to fall further into the disgrace of the Frenche king by whose practise it was supposed that Barnabie gaue him the fatall drinke This was but whispred secretly the author being no lesse doubtfull then the coniectures vncertayne He dyed if we consider the cōmon opinion of men in very great glory felicity not so much for that by the surprising of Millan he saw himself deliuered of daungers and exspences intollerable whiche hauing drayned him of all store of money and treasor he was constrayned to aduaunce all meanes and maners for his supply and releeuing But also that a very fewe dayes affore his death he receyued aduertisement of the taking of Plaisanca and the very day he dyed newes came to him of the winning of Parma A matter so greatly desired by him that at such time as he debated to moue warre agaynst the Frenche men it is very well remembred that he sayde to the Cardinall de Medicis laboring to disswade him that as he was in nothing more caryed to the desire of that warre then to recouer to the Churche those two Cities so when so euer God should blesse him with theffect of that desire it would not greue him to dye He was a prince in whom were many thinges worthy to be commended and blamed and in the estate and discourse of his life he deceyued greatly thexpectation that was had of him when he was created Pope for that his gouernment was with a greater discression but with farre lesse bountie then was looked for The death of the Pope did greatly diminishe th affayres of Caesar in Italie as also it was not vnlikely that suche an enemie beeing taken away with whose money the whole warre was both begon and continued both the French king would enter into a newe sprite and dispatche a newe armie into Italie and also the Venetians for the same causes would recontinue the confederacion they had with him So that it seemed that by this accident the deuises to assayle Cremona and Genes vanished were dissolued and the officers of Caesar who till then had payed the Spanishe bandes with great difficultie were constrayned to dismisse a great part of them A matter not without daunger since there were holden yet for the king Cremona Genes Alexandria the Castell of Millan the Castells of Nouaro and Tressa Pisqueton Domussolo Arona and all the Lake maior Besides the Rocke of Pontremo was eftsones returned to his deuocion which being lost before was reconquered by Sinibaldo de Fiesquo and the Count Nocero Neither had the affayres of the French king any good successe beyonde the Mountes for that Caesar bringing warre vpon Flaunders had taken from him the Citie of Tornay and not long after the Castell wherein were no small quantities of artilleries and municions In so muche that by reason of the Popes death newe gouernmentes newe counsells and newe estates of affayres and doings were introduced into the Duchie of Millan The Cardinalles of Syon and Medicis made foorthwith to Rome to communicate in thelection of the newe Pope The Imperials kept retayned with them fifteene hundred footemen Svvizzers and dismissed all the others together with the Launceknightes who went their waye The bandes of the Florentines tooke their way to returne into Tuskane Touching the regimentes of the Church Guido Rangon ledde one part of them to Modona and the other remayned in the state of Millan with the Marquis of Mantua and that more of his proper resolucion then by the consent of the College of Cardinalles who standing deuided amongest themselues could bring
both had gone out of the right way but it was with a greater infamie and calamitie to him who raysed into greater degree made profession with his wisedom to be the guide of all others This resolucion and accord of P. de medicis did not onely assure the king of the things of Tuskane but it tooke out of his way all blockes and obstacles in Romagnia where the Aragons beganne now much to declyne for as it is a thing very hard to him that skarcely defendes him selfe from daungers imminent to prouide in one season for the perills of an other So whilest Ferdinand remeyned in sewertie within the strong fort of Faenza thennemie returned to the contrey of Ymola where after they had with a part of th armie assailed the borow of Bubane but in vaine because by his litle circuite a small strength sufficed to defend it and for his base situacion the contrey ronne ouer with waters They tooke by force the towne of Mordane notwithstanding it was very strong and plentifully furnished with souldiers to defend it But such was the furie of thartillerie and such the desperat hardines of the french in thassalt many being drowned as they passed ouer the waterie ditches that there was no abilitie of resistance by those that were within against whom the victors accompanied their fortune with such bluddy crueltie without regard to age or sex that they filled all Romania with generall feares and astonishments By reason of this accident Kathern Sforce despairing of succors accorded with the frenchmē to avoid the perill present and promised to their armie all commodities of the estates subiect to her sonne the same being the cause that Ferdinand now dowting of the wills of them of Faenza yea held it so much the more daungerous to remeyne in the middest of Ymola and Furly by how much he was wel aduertised of the going of P. de medicis to Serazana retyred neare to the walls of Cesena showing so great a feare that because he would not passe neare to Furly he led his armie by the hills a way more long and combersom neare to Castrocare a borow of the Florentyns And within few dayes after hearing of the conuencion which Peter had made with the french for which cause the bandes of the Florentyns forsooke him he tooke the way to Rome Like as also Dom Federyk being parted from the port of Lyuorne retyred with his armie towards the kingdom of Naples where begonne to be necessary for Alphonso those armies which he had sent abroad with so great hopes to inuade the estates of others for his affayres were ful of many aduersities on his side seeing that the seege of the port of Neptune not succeeding he had ledd backe his armie to Terracina And the armie by sea for the french whereof were leaders the Prince of Salerne and M. de Serenon were discouered aboue Ostia but yet giuing it out that they would not offend the states of the Church they put no men on lande nor showed any token of displeasure to the Pope notwithstanding their king many dayes before had refused to heare Frauncis Piccolhomini Cardinall of Siena Legat sent by the Pope to his maiestie But to returne to P. de medicis after the Florentyns were aduertised of the conuentions he had made so greatly to the diminucion of their territories with so slaunderous and dangerous a wound and gall to the common weale there was no litle displeasure and discontentement through out all the citie besides their great losses their hartes were moued against him for that with a newe forme and order of dealing and contrary to thexamples of his predecessors he had alyened without the councell of his citie and solemne decree of the Magistrates so great a parte of the state of Florence in so much that to the bitter complaintes made against him were ioyned the murmures and secret grudgings of the people incensing one an other to rise and recouer their libertie without that any of those that in their hartes bare fauors to the doings of Peter durst either with force or perswacion set them selues against so great an inclinacion Albeit the Florentyns hauing no strength to defend Pysa and Lyuorne had also no hope to turne the kinges will from hauing them yet because they would separate the councells of the common weale from the councels of Peter or at least that that should not be attributed to one in particular which apperteyned to them all in publike they addressed to him many Embassadors of those families which were ill contented with the Medicis But Peter knowing that that was a beginning of a mutacion of estate to th ende to prouide for his affayres afore greater disorders hapned applyed his deliberacions to the time tooke leaue of the king vnder couler to giue perfection to that he had promised At this tyme also the king parted from Serazana to goe to Pysa and Lodovvyk Sforce returned to Myllan hauing obteyned for money that thinuestiture of Genes graunted by the king a few yeres before to Iohn Galeas for him and his yssue should be transferred to him and his posteritie he went away very much discontented for that the king woulde not leaue in his keeping as he sayd he had promised S. Peter and Serazane which places seruing him as a ladder to rayse him to the citie of Pysa he demaunded as vniustly taken from the Genovvays a fewey ere 's before by the Florentyns But when Peter was returned to Florence he found the citie estraunged from him and the minds of his chiefe friendes in suspence for that against their councell and against thoportunitie of the time he had vndiscreetly gouerned all thinges The communaltie also was drawne into such an vprore mutinie that as the next day after his returne he would haue entred into the pallace wherein rested the authoritie and great magistracie of the common weale it was forbidden him by certeine Magistrats which kept the gate armed of whom the chiefest was Iacques de Nerly a yong man of equal nobilitie and riches This being spred abroad thorow the citie the people ronne with swift tumult to armes being the more moued to this vproare for that Pavvle Vrsin whom Peter had sent for was at hand with his band of armed men The aspect and consideracion of these daungers caused Peter eftsoones returned to his house and hauing lost both courage and councell and whilest the state declared him rebell to flee in great hast out of Florence following him Iohn Cardinal of the Church of Rome and Iulyan his brethren vppon whom in like sort were imposed the paynes ordeyned against Rebells he went directly to Bolognia where Iohn Bentyuole desiring in an other that constancie and resolucion of courage which he could not showe since in his owne aduersities reproued him bitterly at the beginning for that not onely to his owne preiudice but also to the ill example of all that oppressed the libertie of their contreyes
he had so cowardly without the death of one man abandoned such a greatnes In this sort by the rashnes of one yong man did at that time fall the house of Medicis from that rule and power which vnder the name and apparance almost of a ciuill administracion it had obteyned in Florence lx yeares it began in Cosmo his great grandfather a citisen of singular wisedom infinit wealth and for those regardes very notable through all the parts of Europe But much more was he recommended for that with a wonderful magnificencie and hart truely royall regarding more theternitie of his name then the profit of his posteritie he employed more then fowre hundreth thowsand duckats in building of Churches erecting of Monasteries with other buildings of sumptuous costes not onely in his owne countrey but also in many partes of the world And his sonnes sonne Lavvrence a man for vnderstanding and iudgement excellent in councell graue and singular in liberalitie equall with his grandfather and for greatnes of hart nothing inferior for ministracion in the common weale of authoritie more absolute but for wealth of lesse abilitie and of life farre more short gat generall reputacion through out Italy with many straūg Princes which after his death was turned into a cleare monument and memorie for that it hath semed euer since that the concord and felicitie of Italy ended with his life The same day the state of Florence fell into chaunge the french king being in the citie of Pysa the townesmen in popular trowpes with cryes and showtinges ronne to him and demaunded libertie complayning greeuously of the oppressions and wrongs which they sayd they had receiued vnder the gouernment of the Florentyns certeyne of the kinges councell assisting assured him that their demaund was iust for that the Florentyns held them in to hard seruitude The king not seing into thimportance of their request nor how farre it was contrary to the contract of Serazane told them they should haue libertie with the which aunswere the Pysans ronne to armes and throwing downe to the earth all the enseignes and armories of the Florentyns they put them selues into an absolute libertie so long desired Notwithstanding the king contrary to him selfe and no lesse ignorant in the thinges he had accorded would that the Florentyn officers should still administer their accustomed iurisdictions and of the other part left the olde citadell in the handes of the Pysans and kept to him selfe the new of farre more importance In these accidents of Pysa and Florence may be wel discerned a true experience of the olde saying or common prouerbe as we call it That men when their aduersities approche lose chiefly that wisedom with the which they might haue hindred or auoyded the ills that happen And this is common to men and kingdoms that draw towardes their destinies that when their ill fortune comes it blyndes their eyes that they can not discerne it and bynds their hands that they can not help it making them instruments against them selues in thexecucion of their mishaps for both the Florentyns who in all tymes haue held the fidelitie of the Pysans suspected seeing so daungerous a warre at their gates forgat to reuoke to Florence the principall Citisens of Pysa as for their better sewertie they had wont to call home a great number of them vppon neuer so light occasions or litle accidents And P. de medicis seing a concurrance of so many great difficulties togither was to much ouerseene that he did not arme the place publike pallaice with such strength of straungers as he had often tymes done before in farre lesser suspicions That foresight had kept him stil in his estate and rule such prouisions had much hindred those great mutacions But touching the affayres of Pysa it is manifest that that which gaue them greatest incouragement to make this commocion naturally hating the name of the Florentyns was thauthoritie of Lodovvyk Sforce who to that ende had interteyned certeyne intelligences and practises with some Citisens of the place banished for priuat offences And the day present of the reuolt Galeas de S. Seueryn whom he had left to be alwayes about the king incensed the people to the tumult by which meane Lodovvyk perswaded him selfe that the dominion of Pysa would fall speedely into his handes not knowing that a litle after in such a matter was wrought the cause of all his miseries But it is also manifest that certeyne of the Citisens communicating the night before with the Cardinall S. P. ad vincla what they had desire and resolucion to doe The Cardinall who perhaps till that day had neuer bene author of peasible councells admonished them with wordes graue and well instructing that they should not consider onely the superficiall and beginning of thinges but see deepely that which with time and in tyme may happen he told them libertie was a thing precious and of very vehement desire well meriting that men should oppose them selues to all daungers hauing a true sensible hope to be able to defend it on all sides But as touching their citie naked of peoples and mearely drayned of wealth and substance he sawe very weake possibilities to iustefie it against the power of the Florentyns and to promise to them selues that thauthoritie of the french king should be turned to their protection were hopes deceitfull and an expectacion too full of incerteynties dowtes for that albeit the moneyes and treasors of Florence should doe litle with him as it is like they may preuayle a great deale specially looking into the contract of Serazana yet his armies would not be alwaies in Italy according to thexperience iudgement of examples past Besides it were too great an indiscression to bind them selues to a perpetuall perill vnder foundacions frayle and not perpetuall And for most vncerteyne hopes to leuye against ennemies farre more mighty then they a warre certeyne and absolute wherein they could promise them selues no succors seeing they depended vpon the will of an other and that which more is of very diuerse accidents yea be it they should obteyne succors much lesse were that to auoyde or shake of but rather to redouble and make greater the calamities of the warre being vexed at one tyme by the inuasions and souldiers of thennemie and tormented with thoppressions insolencies of the men of warre that come to their succors Which miseries he sayd would be so much the more greeuous to them to beare by how much in the ende they would come to see and know that it was not for their proper liberty they tooke armes but for thimperie of a straunger chaunging one seruitude for an other for that this is proper to all Princes not to enter into the trauells and expenses of a warre but to raigne ouer those for whom they fight And yet your warre sayth he seeing the great wealth and neighbourhedd of the Florentyns by whom you shall find many and perpetuall vexacions