to doubt that he ment to doe as the Emperours letters reported namely to enter into league with him and to forsake all his other friends and thus vnderhand the Emperour made the king himselfe the instrument to cut his owne throat and to seuer from him all his friends Whervnto I also adde that to draw the king of England to his partie to ioyne armes with him he offered him of the conquest of Fraunce what portion he would desire himselfe and by these meanes was the King of England wonne from the Kings friendship and sent a Herrault to defie the King and presently passed ouer his forces to ioyne with the Emperour before Landercy as alreadie you haue heard But to returne to the matter Cap. 15. The Turke ioyned with the kings forces take Nice in Prouince the Emperour entereth into Cambray Furstembergs successe in the duchie of Luxembourg The English spoyle the Countrey of Bouloynoys The warres in Piemont and the battayle of Serizoles The Emperour recouereth Luxembourg hee and the King of England inuade Fraunce The King of England winneth Boloyn peace betwene all these Princes The death of the Kings of England and Fraunce THe King seeing him selfe thus inuaded by the Emperour and the King of England was forced to pray in ayde of the Turke who sent his nauie to ioyne with the Kings in the siege of Nice in Prouince and the towne they tooke therein executed great crueltie but the Castle they could not take wherefore they retired themselues The Emperour on the other side by cunning entered into the towne of Cambray and in apparance left them in their auncient libertie but indeede so brideled them by a citadelle which he caused the Citizens thē selues at their owne charge to build and into the which he put a garison of his owne souldiours that he brought them to plaine slauerie and bondage Farther the sayd Emperour sent also Williā Eatle of Furstemberg with an army to recouer Luxembourg who recouered diuers places in the countrey went and layed his siege before Luxembourg it selfe but hearing of the prince of Melphes cōming to succour the towne he leuyed his siege retired into Allemayne the Frēch recouered all the places that before they had lost But the English on the other side spoiled and forraged all the countrey of Boulonoys The king hauing succoured Luxembourg sent an army into Pie mont vnder the leading of the Earle of Anghien a most valiant yong prince who wan diuers townes there in the Marquisat of Salusses from the Marques of Guast generall of the Emperours forces went and besieged Carignan whether the said Marques 1544. with the army Imperiall came to leuie the siege but the French at a place called Serizoles gaue him battaile and ouerthrew him slew 7000. of his armie and tooke 2000 prisoners After the which battaile the said Monsieur d'Anghien toke Carignan and diuers other townes in Piemont in the Marquisat of Montferrat But on the other side the Emperour with a huge armie inuaded the Duchie of Luxembourg and recouered Luxembourg the chiefe Citie thereof and diuers other townes and namely S. Disier which last was takē with great difficultie long defēded it selfe against the Imperial armie This yeare also the Emperour the king of Englād being cōfederated together inuaded France with so great forces that it is reported aboue 80000. mē to haue ben in both their armies Their purpose was to haue sacked Paris as vndoubtedly they had done if the king of England had marched forward according to his promis to the Emperour had not stayed at the siege of Bouloyne by meanes whereof the Emperour seeing his armie to be in distresse of victualls that the English armie marched not forward to his succour according to their agrement concluded peace with the king and retired his forces out of Fraunce In the meane time the king of England wan Boloyne which was yelded to him by Monsieur de Veruins the fourth of September which being done the king of England returned home and landed at Douer the first of October Notwithstanding the next yeare after many skirmishes and feates of armes done betwen the french 1545. and English as well by sea as land peace was treated off betwene these two Kings and in the ende after many difficulties concluded but not proclaymed before Whitsonday being the thirtenth of Iune 1546. thus God miraculously preserued the Realme of Fraunce which vndoubtedly had stood in great daunger if God had not put into the king of Englands head to stay at the siege of Boulonie and not to march forward to ioyne with the Emperour as hee ought to haue done which his error in all apparance was the preseruation of the Realme of Fraunce The Emperour hauing made peace with the king entered into warre against the Protestants of 1546. Germanie and both he they sent to king Frances for ayde but he refused to giue ayde to eyther of them promising to be an indifferent friend to both The eight and twenteth of Ianuarie folowing died Henry king of England which newes the king tooke grieuously when he heard it as well because of the great good will that had been betwene thē as also because the king was in hope to haue made a firme league with him lastly because they two hauing beene almost of one yeares and of one cōplexion he foresaw his owne ende to draw neere Notwithstanding after the sayd king of Englands death he renewed the league lately made betwene them twaine with king Edward king Henryes son and not long after dyed also himselfe at Rambollet the last day of March in the yeare 1546. after the French accompt who begin not the yeare till Easter hauing liued 53. yeares reigned two and thirtie and three moneths and sixe dayes This was a Prince endued with many excellent parts especially magnanimitie curtesie and liberalitie and farther so great a patron louer and aduauncer of learning that he may iustly be called the father sounder of good letters What his fortune was in this world may easely be gathered out of his Historie wherin it doth appeare that she was more froward then fauourable vnto him but one great grace of God he had that no aduersitie was able to diminish the magnanimitie of his minde besides that he was of an excellent memorie and exceding eloquent in his owne tongue HENRY THE SEcond of that name King of Fraunce Cap. 1. King Henry commeth to the Crowne The Emperours warres in Germanie The English inuade Scotland The rebellion of Guyenne TO King Francis the first succeded his onely sonne Henry the second being eight twentie yeares of age in the very beginning of whose reigne the Emperour as before you haue heard in the ende of king Francis his reigne was entered into a warre in Germanie against the Protestants 1547. namely the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantzgraue of Hessen and diuers other Princes
and townes confederated with them against him perswading the Pope who sent him ayde in these warrs that his quarel was Religion but to the princes Protestāts of Germanie many of the which were in his Camp ayded him he pretended that he made warr vppon them for their rebellion although in truth neither of both these were the cause motife of this warre but his owne ambition for his purpose was by vsing the Germanies help against the Germaines so to weaken both parts and in the meane time so to plant garrisons of Spaniards in the strong places of the countrey that in the ende he mought make the easier conquest of the whole And such successe he had at the beginning of these warrs that he toke the Duke of Saxonie prisoner made the Lantzgraue come yeld him selfe to his mercie but with this condition that he should not be detained in prison which article the Emperour so gloased with a Spanish exposition that that notwithstanding he emprisoned him alleadging that the article mentioned onely perpetual emprisonment The Palfzgraue also and the Duke of Wirtemberg and diuers other Princes and free Townes submitted them selues to him and with their money bought their peace You haue heard before how Henry the eight king of England dyed a little before king Francis and left behinde him Prince Edward his sonne a childe about tenne yeares of age the sayed King Henry before his death had practised a marriage in Scotland betwene the sayd prince his sonne afterward called Edward the vj and the heyre of Scotland being about foure yeares of age and so farre this matter was proceded in that the greatest part of the states of Scotland had giuen their consent thereunto but after king Henrys death by the perswasion of the Queene mother being of the house of Guyse and by the practise of the French faction who could not endure this vniting of these two Realmes by the sayd mariage the treatie made with king Henry was disauowed and a practise set on foote to bestow this yong Princes vpon the Daulphin of Fraunce for the which cause the English men entered into Scotland with a mightie armie spoiled all the countrie whom the Scotts encountering with all their forces at a place called Muscleborow were ouerthrowen and a great number of them slayne in September this yeare 1547. after the which victorie the English men tooke manie Castles and strong places and entered as farre as Edemborough the chiefe Citie of the Countrey and fortified Hedington a strong Towne where what happened what issue these warres had hereafter you shall heare The Emperour hauing ended his warres aboue mentioned in Germanie and established the 1548. Interim which was a forme of Religion to bee obserued till the assemblie of a generall counsell came downe into the low countries leading the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantzgraue with him as it were in triumph to the no small griefe of diuers Princes of the Empire especially of Duke MAVRICH sonne in law to the sayde Lantzgraue as the sequell shall well declare About this tyme also the Prince of Spaine the Emperours sonne came out of Spaine into Italie and from thence to Bruxelles to his father beeing honorably receaued in all places through which he passed But the Realme of Fraunce beeing deliuered from forrayne warres beeganne to bee vexed with domesticall seditions for a great rebellion was raysed at BOVRDEAVX and through all GVIENNE and XAINTOIGNE for a newe imposition increased vppon Sault for the appeasing whereof the Constable and Monsieur d'Aumalle were sent into those partes who punished very sharply them of BOVRDEAVX because they had slaine the kings officers and commited many disorders and tooke from them all their priuiledges and condemned both them and other townes that had offended in great summes of money and so appeased the tumult Cap. 2. The King aydeth the Scots against the English hee inuadeth the Countrey of Boulonoys The Queene of Scots is caried into Fraunce Paule the third dyeth Iulius the third succedeth peace betwene England and Fraunce YOu haue heard how the last yeare the English men were entered into Scotland as farre as Edingbourg and had ouerthrowen the Scots at Muscleborow for the which cause the Scots sent into Fraunce for ayde and the King knowing how preiudiciall it should bee for him and his Realme to suffer the English men to nestle in Scotland sent thether an armie of 6000. men vnder the leading of Monsieur d'Esse Strozzi the Rhingraue and others who made head against the English men and much endamaged them wanne Hedington which they had fortefied from them while in the meane time their nauie conueighed the young Queene into Fraunce notwithstanding the English nauie that lay vpon the Sea to stoppe their passage purposly to haue surprised the sayde young Queene and to haue brought hir into England but the French nauie escaped them and ariued safly in Fraunce After the conueighing away of the young Queene the king reuoqued d'Esse and sent de Thermes a valiant souldier and a wise man to take the charge of his armie in Scotland willing him to busie the English men on that side while the French forces entered into the Countrey of Boulonoys for notwithstanding that peace had beene concluded as before you haue heard betwene king Francis and king Henry before their death and afterward confirmed also betwene the two Realmes yet that notwithstanding the French perceauing the Realme of England to be vexed with seditions because of the alteration of Religion vsed that opportunitie and besieged Bouloyne but could not take it notwithstanding diuers other small peces held by the English in the countrey of Boulonoys namely Boulonberg Hambletow and Montlambert and diuers other they toke This yeare also the tenth of Nouember died Pope Paule the third to whom after three moneths dissencion in the Consistorie succeded Iulius the third and this yeare also in December died Margaret Queene of Nauarra sister to king Francis a Lady of an excelent spirit But after these wars aboue mentioned had thus passed as you haue hard since the beginning of this kings 1550. reigne betwene the French English nations as well in Scotland as in Boulonoys both parts disposed thēselues to peace England was afflicted not onely with sorraine warrs but also with domesticall seditions of the commons and dissentions among the nobles the French king was entered into practise against the Emperour both in Italie with Octauio Prince of Parma and in Germanie with duke Maurice and diuers other Princes who hated the Emperour deadly for his extreame tiranie vsed against the liberties of their country Wherefore the King meaning to attempt somewhat against the Emperour was the more inclined to make peace with England thereby to haue all cleere on that side of Fraunce Both the Realmes therfore being thus disposed to concord their commissioners met concluded peace with these cōditions Boloyne was restored to the French for the which they payed
A Continuation of the Historie of France from the death of Charles the eight where Comines endeth till the death of Henry the second Collected By Thomas Danett Gentleman LONDON Printed by Thomas â—â—st for Thomas Charde 1600. To the Right honorable my very good Lord the Lord Buckhurst Lord high Treasorer of England and knight of the most noble order of the Garter AFter I had Right Honorable about three yeares sithence presented to the late LORD TREASORER of worthie memorie your Lordships predecessor the Commentaries of Comines translated into our English tongue I was earnestly pressed by some of my friends to continue the Historie of Fraunce from Charles the eight where he endeth till this our present age which a long time I vtterly refused to doe knowing that to annex my poore collections to the workes of so excellent a writer as Comines is should be as arrogant a part and as much to my discredit as if a Painter should haue attempted to finish the Image of Venus beegunne but not ended by Apelles which was a worke of so rare excellencie that no Paynter after him durst aduenture to perfect it Notwithstanding when I called to mynde that others before mee had attempted this that they required at my hands and withall not being able to withstand the importunitie of my friendes I beganne though somewhat timorously to take penne in hand And whereas there are in all learnings two kindes of methodes the one proceeding from the causes to the effectes and the other iudging of the causes by the effectes which is called Iudicium a posteriori my selfe not being able to performe the former as Comines doth who was priuie to the hidden misteries of Princes deseignes and of Counsell with their secret cogitations determined onely to follow the second course namely to set downe the effectes and the naked truth forbearing either to giue graue aduertisments as well to Princes themselues as to their seruaunts as hee doth or to enter into deepe discourses of high points of pollicie gouernment as a matter farre aboue my capacitie wherewith his workes are singularly beautified In the which course hauing waded in the Historie of Fraunce till the death of Henry the second and purposing to continew it further both my hart hand fainted and my pen fell foorth of my fingers of it owne accord For the actions of the ciuill warres of Fraunce are so blouddie cruell and barbarous and so farre I will not say srom all Christianitie but from all humanitie and militarie discipline vsed in former times that for my owne part I iudge them worthie to bee buried in the dongeon of eternall obliuion Agreeable to the which actions were also the effects wherof my selfe haue beene an eie witnesse For passing out of Spaine through France in the yeare 77 in companie of a Gentleman of good seruice not long sithens gone to God whom hir Maiestie employed at that time to the King of Spaine for hir affaires we found such a wildernes in all the country betwene Bayonne and Bourdeaux that whole forrests and woods were turned vp and consumed the townes vtterly desolated the people despearsed the churches quite subuerted and the children a lamentable thing to bee recorded remaining vnchristened by the space of ten yeares which bred in mee such a commiseration to see so noble a member of Christendome so miserablye torne in peeces with hir owne teeth that it did not onelie visiblie as it were set before mine eyes the destruction of Sodoma Gomorha and the rude Chaos wherein the world lay buried and hidden before God placed all things in this goodly order which wee now see them in but also made mee call to minde the example of Africanus Minor who wept bitterly with a certaine Sinpathie of sorrow whan he saw Carthage all on flaming fier calling to minde that the like mought happen to his owne countrey Rome in time to come The vices that ouerflowed Fraunce at the beeginning of their ciuile warres are noted to bee these three Magia Atheismus Libido which I pray God England bee free from at this day But I will no longer dwell vpon this argument least my Epistle become to your honourable Lordship odious and my booke beecome in it selfe monstrous by hauing to great a head to so small a bodie wherfore to returne to my principall purpose hauing reduced the Historie of Fraunce so farre as for the reasons aboue aledged I determined to proceede in it I was soone resolued to whom to dedicate these my simple labours for hauing presented Comines to your Lordships predecessor to whom could I fitlier consecrate this my continuaunce of his Historie then to your Lordship being his successor in office in honour in gouernment in Wisedome and in all other vertues beelonging to a most worthie counsellour so that GOD hath raysed you vp vnder hir most excellent Maiestie to bee no lesse famous in matters of Councell then others are in matters of warre which Cicero as your Lordship knowerh preserreth farre beefore warly actions beecause Councell preserueth the common welth without warrs but warre cannot desend it without counsell The handeling of the worke is meane I confesse and too vnworthie of so noble a patron yet notwithstanding it contayneth the principall matters of state that passed in thâ—se parts by the space of three score yeares Wherefore if your Lordship shall vouchsafe to accept it as our Sauiour in the Scripture dyd the poore Widowes Mite I shall thincke my selfe a happie man in hauing obtained the fruit of my desier and shall daylie pray to Almightie GOD long to preserue your Lordship in all honor and felicitie as well for the aduauncement of hir Maiesties seruice as for the benefit of the whole common wealth Your Lordships most humble and obedient to commaund Thomas Dannett In the Epistle in the first line last page for those read these Page 29. line 18. for Nauara reade Nouara Page 34. line 6 for in battaile read in a battaile Page 46. line 12. for estate read estates Page 69. line 12. for charge read great charge Page 81. line 7. for predecessors read predecessor Page 87. line 8. for vs read vp Page 94. line 23. for Rossam reade Rosseim Page 102. line 15. for Aughien read Anghien Page 121 line 2. for duchie read duchesse Page 139. line 21. for 20000. read 10000. For Aluiana reade in all places Aluiane A Continuation of the Historie of Fraunce from the death of Charles the eight where Comines endeth till the death of Henry the second namely till the yeere 1559. LEVVIS the twelfth of that name King of FRAVNCE Cap. 1. Lewis the twelfth commeth to the crowne hee is deuorced from his wife and marrieth the Lady Anne King Charles his widow and heire of Bretaine A briefe discourse of the euills that ensewed that marriage AFter the death of King Charles 1498. the eight Lewis Duke of Orleans as next male of the blood royall succeded to the crowne of Fraunce by
oath sent into Spayne to the king of ARAGON where after manie yeeres imprisonment hee marryed in the yeare 1522. with the LADIE GERMANE of FOIX widdow of the saide KING of ARAGON a rich LADIE but barrayne which marriage was made by the EMPEROVR CHARLES who greatly fauoured the saide Duke of Calabria because hee had refused to be taken out of La Rocca Sciatiua which was the prison wherin he lay and to bee made head of a rebellion that happened in Spaine called La Santa giunta whereof heereafter mention shall bee made This Ferdinand Duke of Calabria was the last of the race of the first Alfonse King of Naples for two of his bretheren died before him one in Italy the other in Fraunce But to returne to the History the treason of the King of Spaine towardes King Frederic was no greater in this action than the error of the king of Fraunce as the sequele well delared For whereas the saide Frederic offered King Lewis to hold the Realme of Naples of him and to pay him for it yeerely a great tribute by meanes whereof no man should haue commaunded in the saide Realme but his tributarie king who alwaies must haue depended vpon him and himselfe he now called in a neighbour PRINCE though not so mightie yet much more subtill than himselfe and deuided the kingdome with him beeing obtayned by his owne money and his owne subiectes blood and soone after lost the whole to his owne great dishonor and damage For you shall vnderstand that the very next yeere after the partition made of the sayde Realme beetweene 1502. these two Princes they fell at varience about the bounds of their territories and beecause the French were at that instant the stronger they tooke many places in the Countrey called the Capitanat which was the prouince in controuersie beetweene them from the Spaniards But the next yeere after the Spaniards haueing renforced their companies not onely recouered all their losses but also wanne diuers places frō the French namely 1503. RVBOS a towne not far from BARLETTA where also they tooke prisoner Monsieur de la Palisse And notwithstanding that by the entermise of Archduc Philip sonne in law to the king of Spaine who this yeere came into Fraunce a peace was concluded betweene the kings of Fraunce and Spaine vpon the securitie whereof king Lewis wholy reposing himselfe forbare to send new supplies to NAPLES yet the king of Spaine very cunningly delayed the confirmation of the sayde peace beecause hee saw his affaires to prosper well in Italie through the French kings ouergreat credulitie and negligence and in the end flatly disauowed al his sonne in laws actions And Consalue his Generall in the sayde Realme of NAPLES notwithstanding the Archducs commaundements often sent vnto him to surcease all Hostilitie in those parts not onely refused so to doe because hee receiued noe such commaundement from his Master but also proceeded still in his conquests and wanne from the French diuers townes defeated the Duke of ATRY who led certaine French bandes and tooke him prisoner and afterward also ouerthrew Monsieur d'Aubigny and tooke him prisoner and lastlie at the battayle of Cirignolles vanquished the whole power of france and slew in the fielde with diuers noble men the braue Duke of NEMOVRS generall of the French forces Farther the sayde Consalue vsing the benefit of this victorie marched presently before Naples and without resistance entered into the towne and reduced it to the obedience of the King of Spaine and soone after tooke also the Castles and conquered almost the whole Realme In the meane time dyed Pope ALEXANDER the sixt and PIVS the third was chosen Pope who dying also at the ende of sixe and twentie dayes the Cardinall Petri ad Vincula so often mentioned in the warrs of Charles the eight succeeded by the name of IVLIVS the second The King in the meane time made great preparation to recouer his Realme of NAPLES so shamefully and dishonorably lost and entered as farre as the Riuer GARILLIANO called LIRIS in auncient times where diuers attempts were made by the French to passe the sayde Riuer which all were ouerthrowen and brought to nought by the wisdome and industrie of Consalue In the ende what through want of victualls and lack of money which the kings officers most shamefullie detayned from them by meanes also whereof the companies that the King payed were not halfe compleat what through foule weather and what through the industrie and diligence of Consalue who tooke aduauntage of all these their disorders the French were forced to abandon their fortes vppon the sayde Riuer and to retire to CAIETTA which they yet held whether not onely the sayde inconueniences accompanied them but also Consalue with all speede pursued them and there beesieged them But they not beeing able to defend the towne 1504 yeelded it by composition and retourned into Fraunce and thus Consalue obtayned the Realme of NAPLES without bloudshed and had euer after the Title of great Captaine beecause of his noble exployts giuen vnto him Cap. 4. Frederic King of Naples and Elizabeth Queene of Spaine both dye by a mariage beetweene the King of Aragon and the Lady Germanie Foix peace is made beetweene Fraunce and Spaine Archduc Philip dyeth Bolonia is restored to the pope Genoua rebelleth and is soone reduced to the Kings obedience IN this yeere dyed FREDERIC king of Naples and likewise ELIZABETH 1504. Queene of Castile wife to king Ferdinand whose death caused the said king Ferdinand the rather to desire peace with Fraunce because hee doubted that the gouernment of Castile notwithstanding his wiues testament whereby hee was appointed Gouernour thereof during his life should bee taken from him and deliuered to Archduc Philip his sonne in law whose wife was heyre thereof The yeere 1505 was a yeere subiect to great Famine and Pestilence and in this yeere a secret 1505. consederacie beetweene the greatest Princes in Christendome against the Venetians beegan couertly to bee treated of which afterwards also tooke effect And the better to bring that matter to passe by practise of the Pope who was a deadly enemy to the Venetians as was also the King of Fraunce because for want of their help he lost the Realme of Naples as hee saide peace was concluded betweene Fraunce and Spaine the French king enclining therevnto to the end hee mought haue his reuenge of the said venetians the spaniard by that meanes to haue a rampar against his son in law the Archduc Philip wherfore in consideration of a marriage betweene the said King of Spaine and the Lady Germaine of Foix sisters daughter to the king of Fraunce the saide King yelded vp to the king of Spaine all his title interest to the Realme of Naples by the which meanes these two Princes that so long had continued in deadly warrs concluded peace and became friends allies And the king of Spaine heereby also fortified himselfe mightely
Vendosme recouered Hesdin and afterward all the other townes and on the other side the Marshall of Brissac in Piemom wâ—n from the Emperour the towne of Alba. But to returne to the siege of Metz. Notwithstanding that the Emperour vsed all warlike attempts for the taking of the towne and so coÌ„tinually beat it with artilerie that it is reported by some his batterie to haue beene heard as farre as Strausbourg and by othersome aboue 22. Duch miles from the towne yet was the industrie of those within the towne and the miserie of his souldiours without the towne such his camp being most grieuously afflicted with the plague famine bluddie flux and cold the siege continewing in the midst of an extreame winter as before you haue heard that hee was forced to leuie his siege returne into Flaunders the second day of Ianuarie 1553. after the Duch Italian accompt who begin the yeare the first of Ianuarie but 1552. after the French who begin it not till Easter At his departure to the ende hee mought returne with the more speede he cast into the Riuer a great part of his artilerie and munition for the warres farther hee lost in this siege 40000. men the ignominie thereof so much afflicted him that he forbare all communication with men and soone after resigned the Empire to his brother and his orher states to his sonne and put himselfe into an Abbie in Spaine where he ended his dayes Such misfortunes Princes often fall into when they are wedded to their owne wills and reiect all good aduise or rather when GOD is purposed to punish them and to chaunge their good fortune into bad It is reported that the Emperours armie sustayned so extreame miserie in this siege that one day as hee roade thorow his Campe a poore souldier beeing miserably afflicted with the bluddye fluxe cryed out thus to him as he passed by Thou sonne of a mad woman how much miserie doe I and many a thousand more endure heere through thy ambition and wilfull obstinancie If thou wert not tainted with thy mothers humor thou wouldest neuer haue brought vs to this siege at this time of the yeare which words the Emperour hearing gaue no euell answere therevnto but onely sayde good words souldiour this matter shall bee remedied ere long be and with that gaue the poore soule money wherewith to comfort himselfe and soone after raysed his siege leauing a great number behinde him sicke whom the enemies of very pitie succoured and relieued But notwithstanding the Emperours euell fortune here before Metz his armie in Picardie vnder the leading of Monsieur de Reux besieged Therouenne in the which siege the sayd de Reux dyed after whose death Monsieur de Lalain continued the siege with a mine ouerthrew the fortifications wherevpon Montmorency the Constables sonne Gouernour of the towne yeelded the place and withall himselfe and diuers other noble men of Fraunce prisoners Cap. 6. The Imperialls raze Hesdin The Duke of Arscot is taken prisoner The death of Edward the sixt King of England and of Duke Maurice The king inuadeth the Emperour with three armies the battaile of Renty THe Emperour because of the variance that was among his Captaines made the Duke of Sauoye generall of his armie who in Iulie recouered also Hesdin from the French in the which the duke of Bouillon was taken prisoner and razed the Castle as the Imperials before had done the Castell of Therouenne buylt a new Hesdin in a more conuenient place vppon the Riuer of Cauche which they called Hesdinfiert From thence the Duke of Sauoy marched towards Dourlans and Amiens where the Constable with part of the Kings armie met with certaine of his troupes vpon the fifteenth of August and hauing layde diuers ambushes to entrap them charged them and ouerthrew them and toke prisoner the Duke of Arscot who was led to Boys de Vincennes neere to Paris whence hee escaped in the yeare 1556 wherevpon the Emperour ieasted of him saying that he was taken like a begger and scaped away like a theefe Farther the king in person with a mightie armie entered into Artoys and came before Cambray where the Imperiall armie lay in such sort that the battaile was looked for there but it fell otherwise out wherevpon the king returned to Paris leauing the Marshall of Saint Andre to spoyle the Countrey In this yeare the sixth of Iulie dyed Edward king of England a young Prince of rare expectation and to him succeeded Marie his sister Cosin germaine to the Emperour who about Saynt Iames tide the nezt yeare maryed with the Prince of Spaine the Emperours sonne And the ninth of Iulie was a cruell battaile fought in Germanie betwene Duke MAVRICE and Albert Marques of Brandenbourg in the which the sayde Albert was vanquished and Duke MAVRICE lost his lise You haue heard how the king returned to Paris leauing the Marshall of Saint Andre behinde him 1554. to spoyle the Countrey of Artoys But the next sommer the king leuied three armies one vnder the leading of the Prince of Roche sur Yonne was sent into Artoys where it spoyled many townes villages The Constable with an other armie entered into Haynault and the Duke of Neuers with a third into the countrey of Ardennes and Liege where he burned and spoiled all the country before him The Constable likewise in Haynault burnt Cymay a towne appertaining to the Duke of Arsâ—ot Trelon and Glayon and tooke Mariembourg through the cowardise of him that defended it with the fame of the which victorie the king being incited came in person into his army and tooke Bouuines in Brabant and burned it and sacked Dinand But the Emperour leuied a mightie power to encounter him vnder the leading of the Duke of Sauoy Wherevpon the King returned againe into Haynault and destroyed Bins and Mariemount the Queene of Hungaries places of pleasure in reuenge of Folenbray in Picardie which the Imperialls burned in the yeare 1552. as before you haue heard thus hauing burned and spoiled all Haynault the King with his army entered into Artoys and besieged Renty But the Emperour with his whole force came to leauie the siege in such sort that a battaile was there fought betweene the king and him in the which the successe on both sides was so equall that the victorie can iustlie be attributed to neither part some call it but a halfe battaile Notwithstanding this was the battaile in the which it was first found by experience that the rutters with their Pistoles are not able to abide the force of the Launce if they be roughly and resolutely charged The next day as the King was returning to the siege of the towne he reccaued newes that his forces were ouerthrowen in Italie wherevpon he retired and returned to Montrueil and the Emperour likewise to Bruxelles Cap. 7. The warres of Siena Brissacs successe in Piemont Pope Iulius dieth Paule the fourth succedeth The French in Piemont take Vulpian The
his very braine which put this poore Prince to extreame paine Vpon the ninth of Iulie he caused the mariage of his sister the duke of Sauoy to bee accomplished without any pomp which should not haue bene solempnisated till eight dayes after and the next day he dyed of the sayde hurt The wound soone made an ende of his owne life but his realme hath bled of that wound euer since the blood is hardly stenched as yet This king liued one forty yeares and reigned twelue yeares and 3. moneths and tenne dayes Thus haue I continued as compendiously as I could the Historie of Fraunce frō Charles the eighth till the death of Henry the second namely til the beginning of their owne ciuill broyles and dissentiōs which because they cōtaine nothing but murthers massacers trecheries treasons and no orderly disciplined warres are nothing pleasaunt for mee to write nor I thinke acceptable to any man to reade much lesse fit to be annexed to the martiall actes of those Princes whom I haue here before in this Historie treated of Notwithstanding if any man shall take pleasure in writing them I had rather hee handeled such a bucherly argument then my selfe Cap. 12. The conclusion of the Historie NOw to conclude this Historie can we haue any more notable examples than these heere aboue mentioned to proue that mans cogitations are vaine and all his thoughts wicked for if you consider how all these Princes tossed and turmoiled themselues with continuall warres what infinit treasures they consumed what slaughters they made of their subiects what sacking and burning of townes defiling of yong Maidens and Virgins murthering of women and Children with all such like mischiefes as be appendant to the warrs and that is worst of all charging their owne soules with manie promises and oathes which they neuer ment to performe when they sware them neither performed at all when they had sworne them And if we farther consider how little they haue effected and brought to passe of their owne desires by all these their bloddy Martiall actions with the which they troubled the world by the space of many yeares we cannot but confesse and say with the Psalmist Hee that dwelleth in the Heauen shall laugh the Lord shall haue them in derision For first of all consider well the example of Lodouic Sforce surnamed the More Duke of Milan hee poisoned his nephew to obtaine therby the said Duchie and set all Italie on fier by calling in the French to establish him therin but himselfe was within 5. yeares after taken prisoner by the French and put into a dongeon wher he miserablie ended his life his eldest sonne Maximilian being restored to the said Duchie of Milan by meanes of the Swissers the Pope and the Venetians was within three yeares after likewise taken prisoner by the French and in Fraunce ended his daies Afterward his other sonne Francis was established in the said Dutchie by the Emperour Charles but with such slauish conditions that he rather deserued the name of a noble slaue than an honourable Prince and in the end died of poison as it was thought and was the last of this wicked race of Sforces after his death the Emperour seazed all the Duchie of Milan into his owne hands whose race holdeth it yet and shall doe so long as it pleaseth God And all these miseries fell vpon the said Lodouic and his sonnes within the space of 34. yeares Now way likewise the example of Pope Alexander the sixt and Valentinus Borgia his sonne The said Valentine in his fathers life time obtained so many conquests in Italie some by armes some by crueltie some by treason and trecheries some by periurie and by all other wicked meanes that may be imagined that all Italie stoode in feare of him and he was growen to such a pride in himselfe that hee gaue Aut Caesar aut nullus for his deuise The Father poisoned himselfe with the same wine that he had prepared for the poisoning of diuers cardinalls his enemies and so fell himselfe into the pit which he had digged for others and the son after his fathers death was spoiled by Pope Iulius of all that he had conquered in Italie and the King of Fraunce toke from him all his estates that he held in Fraunce Wherefore he fled to Consalue vnder his safe-conduct and remained with him a while at Naples in great kindnes in outward apparance But soone after by King Ferdinands commandement hee was sent prisoner into Spaine by the said Consalue who also tooke from him the safe-conduct that he had giuen him In Spaine he was emprisoned in the Rocque of Medina del Campo from whence by cunning he escaped and went into Nauarre where hee liued a while in very base and miserable estate and in the end was there slaine The Venetians likewise for hatred they bare against Lodouic Duke of Milan aboue mencioned called Lewis the twelfth into Italie to conquer the said Duchie and had for their part of the bootie the countrey of Guiradadda deliuered vnto them by the King But soone after the same king toke it from them againe became their deadly enemie so that notwithstanding all their charges employed in those warres and diuers other since yet hould they not at this day one foote of ground in Lombardie more then they did before those warres began and in other parts of Italie lesse Againe fower kings of Fraunce successiuely namely CHARLES the eight LEVVIS the twelfth FRANCIS the first HENRY the second by the space of three score yeares and better made continuall warres in Italie with infinit expences of money toyle of themselues and the death not of so few as a hundered thousand of their subiects for the duchie of Milan the realme of Naples and what haue they gotten in recompence therof onely this that they hould not at this day one foote of Land in neither of both those countreys Likewise Charles the Emperour who was so ambitious a Prince that hee thought to haue swalowed vp both Fraunce and Germanie was chaced out of both those countries with great ignominie and was neuer able to hould no not one pore towne in either of both those realmes in the end through moodinesse of his euell successe gaue a deffiance to all the world and dyed in an Abby among a companie of Monkes Lastly king Henry the eight who was so noble a Prince and obtained so many conquests in Fraunce both in his youth and in his age what hath he lest to his posteritie in that Countrey for his infinite charges employed in those warres not one towne no nor one foote of French land These examples I thinke may suffice to teach Princes to bee wise and not to attempt ambitiouslie vnnecessarie warrs seeing the sequell that enseweth therof but to liue peaceably at home to entertaine the good will of their neighbours by all the good meanes they may to se iustice done among their subiects which is their principall charge and especially to ground all their actions vpon God who is the guyder of all their enterprises and the giuer of all good successe Happie is the Prince that thus gouerneth his subiects and happie are the subiects that liue vnder such a Prince FINIS
the name of Lewis the twelfth a Prince as well beefore as after his comming to the crowne subiect to great varietie of fortune The first thing hee attempted after he had setled his estate was to bee deuorced from his wife the Lady Iane daughter to King Lewis the eleuenth pretending that hee had maried hir by constraint neuer had any carnall knowledge of hir But because hee doubted how his Realme would digest so great an iniurie offered to this Lady beeing a Kings daughter and sister a most vertuous Princesse who had also beene his wife a great number of yeares and had by excessiue sute and manie teares begged his life of king Charles hir brother after the wars of Bretaine ended wherein the saide Duke of Orleans as before you haue heard was taken prisoner hee sought to the Pope for reliefe hoping vnder coulour of religion to cloake his vngodly purpose and to iustifie by authoritie of the Church his ambitious desire to ioyne himselfe in marriage with Anne widdow of the late King Charles and heire of Bretaine thereby to hold still the said Dutchie of Bretaine vnited to the crowne of Fraunce which otherwise must haue beene seuered from it if this Lady had beene bestowed els where Alexander the seuenth so often mentioned in the warrs of Charles the eight a spaniard borne of the house of Borgia continewed still Pope at this time a man apt to imbrace any wicked motion that mought tend either to the filling of his cofers or to the aduancement of his house This Pope had a sonne named Valentinus Borgia a sinke of all fillthinesse the selfe same that had beene hostage with king charles in his Italian warrs being at that time a Church man and named Cardinall of Valence had escaped from him as in the said warres of Italy mention is already made This Borgia hauing lately renounced his Cardinals hatt had betaken himselfe to the warres was entred into the Kings pay And his father exchaunging spirituall graces for temporall possessions was contented to graunt the king a Bull of deuorce from the said Lady Iane his wise with these conditions that his said sonne Borgia mought be made Duke of Valence a Citie in Daulphine haue the charge of a company of men of armes vnder the king marry with Charlotte daughter of Monsieur d'Alebret a great Prince in Guyenne receaue a yearely pension of 20000. crownes and as much reuenew of inheritance all the which conditions were yelded vnto by that meanes the Bull of deuorce obtained and the King married the said Queene Anne heire of Bretaine I 1499. know not well who is most to be cried out of in this case either the Pope for graunting so wicked a Bull or the king for his extreme ambition and ingratitude towards his wife or his people for soothing him vp encouraging him to so detestable a fact or the Queene Dowager hir self in accepting so vngodly a marriage especially considering that she hauing been married before to a king of France whom shee could not enioy but by dismission of his former wife to giue hir place and beeing punished therefore as well by the sodaine death of the sayde king hir husband as by the losse of all hir children begotten in that vnlawfull marriage durst now notwithstanding aduenture vpon a second husband after the same sort But sure it well appeared that God was much offended with this match for if we consider first the Popes end his sonnes the one of the which poisoned himselfe with a flaggon of wine which his said sonne and he had prepared for the poisoning of certaine Cardinals their enemies and the other after al his great conquests in Italie his fauours in Fraunce was sodainely spoyled of all that he held in both those Countries sent prisoner into Spaine and lastly slaine being a miserable vagabond in the Realme of Nauarra Secondarely if we behold the miseries that fell vpon the king and the great dishonors and losses he receaued euen till the time of his death being tossed and chased like a tennis ball first cleane out of Italy by a prince in power much inferiour to himselfe and afterwards almost cleane out of his owne Realme by a confederacie of most of the Princes and states of Christendome against him in the last periode of his age Thirdly if we waie with our selues the continuall troubles the realme of Fraunce hath endured euer since this wicked marriage vnder the gouernment of this Ladies of-spring euen till this very day Lastly if wee obserue how in this our age hir discent is vtterly dispossessed of hir Dutchie of Bretayne which was the onely occasion of this vngodly match and the said Dutchie fallen to the hands of a king a meere stranger to hir none of hir line we must of necessitie confesse that God is a iust iudge and punisheth sharplie such offences howsoeuer flatterers that are about Princes sooth them vp and encourage them to such wicked acts cleane forgetting God and his commaundements if the breach thereof may further their affaires or enlarge their dominions Examples heerof are plentifull both in sacred and prophane Histories so that it were but lost labour to spend much breath in this discourse Cap. 2. The king conquereth the Dutchie of Milan Lodouic Sforce recouereth it and presently after loseth it againe and both hee and his brother Cardinall Ascanius are caried prisoners into France THis matter of deuorce hauing succeeded according to the Kings desier hee made peace with all his neighbours roūd about him namely with Ferdinande King of Aragon Maximilian King of Romaines and Archduc Philip his sonne and with Henry King of England which beeing done hee presently leuied men and made friends on all sides purposing to inuade the Dutchie of Milan held still as yet by Lodouic Sforce surnamed the Moore the selfe same that called King Charles the eight into Italie as before you haue heard which also the King soone conquered for you shall vnderstand that the saide Lodouic was hated of his owne people as well because of his great tirannie as also for poysoning his Nephew right heire of Milan at the least heire before him Farther hee was fallen out with his best friends the Venetians about Pisa who also partly for extreame hatred that they bare against him and partly for greedinesse of Cremona the countrey of Guyradadda which the king promised them for their part of the victorie dyd not onely incourage the king to passe into Italie and inuade Milan but entered also into league with him so that the saide Lodouic was destitute of all help the Pope and the Venetians beeing in league with the King and the poore King of Naples Frederic vnable to defend his owne much lesse to giue Lodouic any ayde So that after the French armie had taken La Roccad'Arazza Anon Valentia Basignane voghera Chasteauneuf Pontcorona and Tortona and that Galeas of Saint Seuerin to his great reproch had through cowardise
abandoned Alexandria and Dertona and that Pauia had of their owne accord receiued the French the Venetians also inuading the said Dutchie of Milan on the other side the said Lodouic astonished with the losse of so manie townes mistrusting his owne people and beeing abandoned of all his friends principall seruants fled with his children and a great masse of monie to the Emperour Maximilian into Germanie presently after whose departure the Citie of Milan yeelded to the French the Castle being also deliuered vnto them by the treason of Bernardin de Corte Captaine thereof Soone after the whole state of Genoua submitted it selfe likewise to the King and Cremona with the Countrey of Guyradadda were deliuered to the Venetians according to the Kings promise In eight daies Lodouic lost this ritch and noble Dutchie so small assurance is in worldly honors The king hauing setled the state of Milan abated the excessiue exactions that they paide in Lodouics time to the great though not to the full contentment of the people for they looked to haue had all paiments cleane abolished and taken away and hauing giuen forces to the Duke of Valentinoys for the recouerie of those townes in Romania that appertained to the Church returned to Lyons where hee was welcommed with new ioyes beecause of the birth of his Daughter Claude But 1500 this his good successe was soone altered for the Milanois beeing by nature variable and inconstant and also misliking the rough gouernement of Master Iames of Treuoul whom the king had left behinde him for his Lieutenant who beeing of the Guelph faction vsed to rudely those of the faction Guibeline and farther the people not beeing able to endure the insolencies of the French souldiours secretly solicited Lodouic to returne who not omitting this opportunitie but leuying with speed 12000 Swyssers by the fauour of the Emperour Maximilian but with his owne money and 8000. Italians entered into the Dutchie of Milan with all diligence and as sodainely recouered the whole countrey as beefore hee had lost it all saue the Castle of Milan with some other few places and the state of Genoua which held still for the king such mutabilitie is not onely in the people of this estate but in all the vulgare sort throughout Italie Beesides all this d'Aubigny and Treuoul Gouernours of the French in the sayde Duchie were at great variance which vtterly subuerted the kings afflicted affaires in such sort that hee was forced to remoue them both and to commit the gouernement of the armie to Trimouille who by his wisdome hauing reconciled them together ioyned them in equall authoritie with himselfe so that the armie for two gouernours had three But the king beeing exceedingly moued with this sodaine losse of the Duchie of Milan leuyed 600 Launces and a great armie of Swyssers and sent them with all diligence to Milan which Lodouic vnderstanding retired to Nouara where the French armie beesieged him And notwithstanding that he were in state to fight with his enemies and ment also so to doe yet the Swyssers that serued him beeing corrupted with French crownes by meanes of the Swyssers Captaines that were in the French Campe refused to fight against their countrey men and kinsmen wherewith Lodouic beeing in vtter despaire and doubting to bee deliuered by them into his enemies hands with great difficultie obtained of them that hee might march among them as a common Swysser souldiour till hee should bee conueyed to some place of saftie But the matter beeing discouered to Trimouille whose mony made euery thing knowen vnto him he was apprehended as he marched like a common souldier among them presently sent into Fraunce where hee remayned prisoner in the tower of Loches till his death not once being admitted to the kings presence nor speech And so this Prince whose ambitious desires caused him first to poison his Nephew and then to set all Italie on fier by calling in the French and likewise to depart from his league with the Venetians being his onely saftie for greedines of hauing the towne of Pisa which he sought to draw out of their subiection to his obedience and lastly who neuer held faith nor promise with any man longer then it serued for his owne profit was now abandoned of all men and betrayed by those whom hee had brought into Italy for his principall succour and defence and ended his daies in a miserable dongeon where all his extrauagant thoughts were cloased vp within the compasse of a narrow rome his brother the Cardinall Ascanius found meanes to conueigh his brothers children safe into Germany but was himselfe soone after his brother taken prisoner by the Venetians and sent likewise by the Kings commaundement though not without great dishonor to the Venetian estate into Fraunce where he was vsed with much more fauour and liberty than his brother was for he had the whole Realme of Fraunce for his prison and in the end by the meanes or rather through the simplicitie of the Cardinall of Amboyse returned againe into Italie where hee was restored to his former estate and dignitie And thus the King soone recouered the Dutchie of Milan Cap. 3. By a confederacie betweene the kings of Fraunce and Spaine Frederick King of Naples looseth his realme The two Kings part it beetweene them the King of Spaine in the end obtaineth the whole Pope Alexauder dyeth Iulius the second succedeth BVT this Ptinces minde not beeing satisfied with one good 1501. successe but the more hee conquered the more his ambition being inflamed he determined to attempt the conquest of the Realme of NAPLES not long beefore reuolted from his predecessor as in KING CHARLES his warrs of Italy ample mention is already made And to the end hee mought obtayne the victorie without any resistaunce hee determined to make the KING of SPAINE partaker with him of the bootie least hee beeing a neighbour in the I le of SICILE to the Realme of NAPLES and a kinseman to the King thereof and hauing also forces alreadie entered into the Countrey for the sayde Kings defence should hinder his conquest of the saide Realme This offer was soone embraced by the KING of SPAINE who beeing receyued into the strong places of the saide Realme of NAPLES vnder colour of defending them for KING FREDERIC detayned them for him selfe and vtterlie ruinated the sayde FREDERIC notwithstanding both the trust that hee had reposed in the KING of SPAINE and the neere kindred that was beetweene them Thus FREDERIC beeing at one instant inuaded by the FRENCH and beetrayed by the SPANIARD yeelded his Realme in despite of the sayde KING of SPAINE into the handes of KING LEVVIS and went with him into FRAVNCE where hee liued in verye honourable estate till his death But his sonne Ferdinand Duke of Calabria whome Consalue the king of Spaines generall in the saide Realme of Naples had giuen his oath to set at libertie so soone as he should bee deliuered into his hands was notwithstanding the sayd
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
Notwithstanding soone after secretly hee reconciled himselfe to the Pope vtterly abandoned the French But the Pope by the ouerthrow which he had receiued at Rauenna and the great charges he had sustained in these wars the burthē wherof had lyen vppon his shoulders beeing brought to great pouertie and doubting also what would bee the isheu of the schisme in the Church sought for peace with the king onely crauing at his hands that hee would relinquish the protection of the duke of Ferrara which the king vtterly refusing the Pope fell farther out of pacience with him then euer hee was beefore And so happely it came to passe at that very instant for the Popes affaires that the king of Aragon sent him a secret message to perswade him to continue the warres against the French assuring him of his ayde which thing the king of Aragon dyd thereby to distract the kings forces while hee inuaded the Realme of Nauarra which hee was fully resolued to attempt And farther Monsieur de la Palisse generall of the Kings forces after Monsieur de Foix his death was constrayned to depart out of Romania with his victorious armie to the defence of the Duchie of Milan fearing that the Swyssers would inuade it as indeede they dyd wherefore the Pope by these occasions hauing recouered his spirits and being now more animated against the king then euer first continued his spirituall armes by celebrating the counsell of Lateran against him and afterwards stirred vp not onely the Venetians but also Maximilian the Emperour the King of England Spaine and the Swyssers to bee his enemies These Swyssers as before you haue heard had abandoned the kings seruice because through couetousnesse hee would not augment their wages and were entered into the Popes paye which his error the king wold willingly haue reformed afterwards and haue recouered them to his seruice againe but neuer could till his dying day The king seeing all the Princes his neighboures in armes against him by the Popes practises was constrained to withdraw his forces out of Italie for the defence of his owne Realme by meanes wherof the Pope and the Venetians preuayled so mightely in Italie that they recouered all the townes that were helde by the French namely Bolonia Cremona and diuers other Parma also and Placentia yeelded themselues to the Pope yea and the King lost his Duchie of Milan which was deliuered to Maximilian Sforce sonne of Lodouic that died prisoner in France vnder the protection and defence of the Swyssers The state of Genoua likewise reuolted from the king by meanes of Ianus Fregose who was made duke thereof the Duke of Ferrara was forced to make his submission to the Pope and to abandon the French so that the king held nothing at all in Italie saue a few castles namely that of Milan the castle of Cremona which continued French still till the next yeare after the battayle of Nouara when for want of victualls they were forced to yeeld themselues into the Duke of Milans hands but all the rest the King lost almost in a moment and withall all his friends a strange conuersion of Fortune that the King being conquerour lost all and the Pope and the Venetians being conquered wanne all But in truth they sayled not with their owne winde but with other mens for the Realme of Fraunce had at that time to many enemies by the Popes practises and to few friends Now to leaue a while the affaires of Italie and to come to the warres in Fraunce you shall vnderstand that the kings of England and Spaine determined to inuade Guyenne But the king of Spaine pretending the Realme of Nauarra to bee of great importance for the defence of the sayde Countrey of Guyenne perswaded the english men first to assault that from thence to enter into Guyenne according wherevnto they did soone toke it being void of desēce not expecting any war which cōquest being achieued and the sayde Realme of Nauarra deliuered into the king of Spaines hands the said king with faier words dismissed the English men giuing his son in law the king of England leaue to inuade Guyenne with his owne forces if he would For he had alredie obtained his pray by meanes wherof the English men being disappointed of his ayde were forced to returne home And notwithstanding that the king of Fraunce after the English mens departure attempted to recouer the said realme of Nauarra yet could he not doe it because of his great affaires else where Cap. 8. Pope Iulius dyeth Leo the tenth succedeth the King maketh truce with the King of Spaine being confederated with the Venecians recouereth Milan Genoua which notwithstanding presently after the battaile of Nouarahee loseth againe The Venetians are ouerthrowen nere to Vincense ABout this time died Pope Iulius to whome succeded Leo the tenth of the house of Medices 1513. which fell out well for the kings affaires for Pope Iulius while he liued so animated all the Princes of Christendome against the King that none of them would encline to make peace or truce with him but after his death the Kings affaires began to haue a better course for notwithstanding that Pope Leo were not frend to the French but had iust cause to hate them first because of the schisme in the Church maintained by them secondarily because by them Peter of Medices his brother and their whole house was ouerthrowen and chaced out of Florence as in the warrs of Charles the eight mention is alreadie made and lastly because him selfe was taken prisoner by them at the battaile of Rauenna being than Pope Iulius Legat yet proued he not so deadly an enemie to them nor such an annimater of Christian Princes against them as his predecessor had been all the which proceded of the Popes owne disposition who was a Prince by nature more enclined to pleasures than to warrs by meanes whereof the King burning with a desier to recouer his Duchie of Milan the rather because the Castles of Milan and Cremona held yet for him as before you haue heard sought first to make truce with the King of Spaine which the sayd King easelie enclined to to the ende that in the meane tyme without any impediment of Fraunce he mought setle his late conquest of the Realme of Nauarra Farther the king entered also into league with the Venetians who promised to ayde him with 800 men of armes 1500 light horse and 10000 foote men for the recouerie of Ast Genoua the Duchie of Milan and hee promised to ayde them till they had recouered all that they held in Lombardie and in the Marca Treuisana before the league of Cambray Thus the king being ioyned with the Venetians in truce with the king of Aragon inuaded the Duchie of Milan with a mightie armie and first recouered Genoua and then all the Duchie of Milan saue Nouara and Coma which held yet for Maximilian Sforce Farther the French armie vnder the
onely by sale of holy things for the Pope made money of al ecclesiasticall liuings dignities againe when the king heard that the Pope had extremely cursed him hee aunswered that this was a Pope made to curse but not to pray sarther the Pope called the french Micturi vinos that is to say wine pissers noting thereby their immoderate drincking of wyne which as he said issued as it entered but this gibe euell besemed the Pope being himselfe more giuen to drinke then any man in his time But the French partly to requite this scoffe partly to content the king made these verses of the Pope Patria cui Genua est genitricem Graecia partum Pontus vnda dedit qui bonus esse potest sunt vani Ligures mendax est Graecia ponto nulla fides malus est haec tria quis quis hahet Which you may thus English Whose countrie is liguria whose damme of Greekish bloud whose cradle is the sourging seas can ought in him be good Ligurians are counted vaine Greekes lyers so I finde the sea inconstant all these three hath Iulius by kinde But these verses are answered thus on the Popes beehalfe Est venus orta mari Graium sapientia solers ingenium est ligurum qui malus esse potest cui genus vt veneri a Graijs sapientia solers ingenium a Genua est Mome proterâ—e tace Which you may thus English Out of the sea dame Venus sprang with learning grece is clad Ligurians are full of wit how can hee then bee bad whose birth is like a Godesses whose learning is of Grece whose wit is of Liguria iack gyber hold thy peace But to returne to king Lewis he was a prince subiect to great varietie of Fortune through the whole course of his life both before he was King after but especially towards his later end she most frouned vpon him as in this briefe discourse of his actioÌ„s is plainely to bee seene his vices were in his youth loue of women and in his age couetousnesse which caused him to loose many opportunities besides that hee was a prince wholy gouerned by others but his good fortune was to fall into the hands of honorable personages and such as gouerned his Realme well Farther he was also charged with ingratitude both towards his wife who had saued his life and also towards some with whom hee had liued familiarlie beefore his comming to the crowne namely the Marshall Gyé whom also hee banished the court notwithstanding the great seruice that hee had done the Realme But herein he is partly to be excused for the said Marshalls banishment proceeded principally from the Queene who hated him extreamlie because the sayde marshall had oncc stayed hir cariage vpon the Riuer of Loyre wherein she had packed vp all the kings principall Iuells Plate and other things of great price and the which shee was conueighing downe the sayde Riuer to Nantes the King being at that time very sick and in great daunger of death This king was also giuen to suspicions but that is a fault all princes are subject to especially all those that be wise on the other side this king was beautified with many goodly vertues first hee was so louing and carefull of his people that in all his forraine warres hee could neuer be induced to increase his impositions vpon his subiects true it is that when he was inuaded in his owne Realme he was forced to leauie of them somewhat more then ordinarie for the which his milde gouernment he was called Pater patriae so iusta Prince he was where the necessitie of his affaires enforced him not to the contrarie that the Archduc Philip committed to him at his death the gouernment of his sonne Charles omitting both his owne father and his father in law being both Graundfathers to the said Childe which charge king Lewis most princely performed as well in the education of the sayde Charles afterwards Emperour as also in the preseruation of all his estate Farther he was a prince voide of all pride affable and curteous to all men and liuing in great quietnesse mildenesse with those that were familiar with him and the soonest forgetting all iniuries past so that I caÌ„not better coÌ„pare him to any prince then to the Emperour ADRIAN whose pleasant answeres and Apophthegmes being voide of all scurrilitie hee was also much addicted vnto some of the which because they bee worthie of memorie I will be bould to rehearse Hee had in king Charles his time beene euell vsed by diuers of whom hee was aduised to take reuenge at his comming to the crowne wherevnto hee aunswered that it became not a king of Fraunce to reuenge the iniuries done to a Duke of Orleans Likewise looking vppon the roule of King Charles his seruaunts he found two that had been his deadly enimies in King Charles his time vpon each of whose names he made a crosse wherewith they being in a wonderfull perplexitie supposed the galowes to be prepared for them which their feare being discouered to the king he sent them word to bee of good cheare for hee had crossed all their euell deedes out of his remembraunce hee vsed to say that the condition of horsses was much worse then Asses for Horsses were killed vp in running post to Rome to fetch liuing for Asses meaning vnlearned prelats when the Queene his wife by importunitie thought to bring to passe a mariage betwene hir daughter Claude Archduc Charles afterwards Emperour the king told hir that shee sought to make a mariage betwene Cats and Mice Againe when a certaine courtier complained grieuously of his wiues vnchastnesse the king hearing thereof bad him bee of good cheare for hee that respected his wyues incontinencie or the Popes curse should neuer sleepe quiet night Diuers other such like sayings of his I could rehearce which for breuitie I ouerpasse FRANCIS THE FIRST OF that name King of Fraunce Cap. 1. King Francis commeth to the crowne surpriseth Prospero Colonna vanquisheth the Swyssers recouereth Milan The Pope and hee meete at Bolonia TO Lewis the twelfth succeded King Francis the first beeing both his sonne 1515. in law and the next of his bloud a Prince of yong yeares but of goodly personage great magnanimitie who finding a mighty armie in a redines that his predecessor had leuied to inuade the Duchie of Milan burning with no lesse desier to recouer the said duchie theÌ„ his predecessor had done determined to lose no time but hauing renewed the league made by the late king with Henry king of England and with the selfe same coÌ„ditions likewise with the Venetians and receaued homage at Paris by the Earle of Nassau of the Archduc Charles afterwards Eemperor for Flaunders and hauing also made peace with him with promes of mariage beetwene the said Charles and the Lady Renee daughter to king Lewis sister to the Queene and withall Genoua beeing reduced to his obedience by the meanes of Octauian Fregose
Duke therof who stood in continuall feare of the Duke of Milan and the Swyssers hee presently marched with his armie towards the mountaines Maximilian duke of Milan seing the tempest that hunge ouer his head sent to the Swyssers and to Pope Leo for aide The Pope sent to his ayde Prospero Coulonna with 1500. horse whom the french vpon a sodaine as they passed the Alpes by a secret way neuer passed before by horsemen surprised toke prisoner at villa francha and defeated al his troupes Frō thence the king marched beesieged Nouara which yeelded vnto him as did also Alexandria Tortona Pauia with diuers other townes Farther to make his conquest the easier he practised to pacifie with monie the Swiffers who were bound to the defence of the duchie of Milan as before you haue heard to cause thē to returne home wherevnto they agreed and rceaued some small part of the kings money in such sort that the king accompted his conquest to bee at an ende But the Cardinall of Syon so preached vnto them their league made with the Duke of Milan that they altered their mindes And when the king thought they had beene telling their money they came in a great furie and inuaded his armie which valiantly receaued their charge And what with force of canon shot and valour of the Gendarmerie of France who made a 1515. mends this day for their cowardise at the battell of Nouara but especially through the great magnanimitie of the king himselfe they were repulsed and so hewed in pieces two dayes together for so long the battayle endured that in the ende they were put to flight slaine at the least 16000. of them their courages so daunted that after this they reigned not ouer princes as before times they had done This battaile is called the battaile of Marignian which was fought the thirteenth of September in the yeare 1515. and was so bloudie on both sides that Master Iames of Treuoul who had beene in nineteene battayles reported this to haue beene a battayle of Gyaunts and all the other eighteene that hee had been in in comparison of this to haue beene but battailes of boyes These Swyssers purpose was if they had ouerthrowne the king to haue disposed at theyr pleasure of the Duchie of Milan which wholy depended vpon them But their hope was frustrate and being thus vanquished they returned home whervpon Maximilian Sforce Duke of Milan and the whole Countrey yeelded to the king The sayde Maximilian was sent into Fraunce where hee was so honorably entertained of the King that notwithstanding that he mought afterwards haue returned home yet would he neuer so do alledgeing that hee was deliuered from the seruitude of the Swyssers the euell vsage of the Emperour and the trecherie of the Spaniards wherfore hee chose rather to remaine in France wher he cōtinued till his death which happened in the yeare 1530. After this victorie the Pope and all the Princes of Italie sought the kings amitie so far forth that the Pope met with him at Bolonia yeelded vnto him Parma and Placencia as members of the Duchie of Milan which Iulius his predecessor had taken before as the possessions of the Church About the ende of this yeare dyed the valyaunt Captaine Aluiane hauing done great seruice at the battayle of Marignian aboue mentioned and was very honorably buried at Venis in the Church of Saint Stephan Cha. 2. The King returneth into Fraunce recouereth the Swissers to his seruice Ferdinande King of Spaine dyeth Maximilian the Emperour inuadeth the Duchie of Milan The Venetians recouer Bressa Verona a treatie betwene the king and Charles king of Castile at Noyon The wars of Vrbine Luther preacheth against the Pope THE King at his retourne into Fraunce lest the 1516. Duke of Burbon gouernour of Milan and so soone as hee was come into his Realme practised to recouer the Swyssers to his seruice and to make a new league with them which also was brought to passe and they promised from time to time to ayde him in his warrs against all men the Pope and the Empire onelie excepted But fiue of theyr Cantons would not agree to this accord at this time Notwithstanding about the ende of this yeare these fiue also were contented to enter into league with him but not so far foorth as the other eight for they entered into a league offensiue with the King but these fiue onely for the defence of his owne estates In this yeare dyed Ferdinande king of Aragon and Consalue otherwise surnamed the great Captaine about a moneth before him The Duke of Borbon gouernour of Milan for the King according to the kings league with the Venetians sent vnto them vnder the leading of Monsieur de Lautrech 3000. footemen and 1000. horse to recouer Bressa Verona But because the Emperour Maximilian enuying the kings great successe as did also the king of England leauied men of the fiue Swysser Cantons that were as yet not in league with the king and hauing receaued 50000. angels of the king of England and being confederated with Francis Sforce brother to Maximilian aboue mentioned inuaded the Duchie of Milan with a mightie armie of Swyssers Lanceknights and Spaniards the sayd Lautrech was constrained to returne againe with his forces to Milan The sayd Maximilian came before Milan with this mightie armie but being by nature verie inconstant and hauing receaued out of England a new supply of monie he sodainly gaue forth that he was aduertised of the king of Hungaries death which occasiō reuoked him of necessitie into Allemayne wherevppon presently he dismissed his armie without doing any matter of moment and departed home hauing filled his baggs with the king of Englands angells After his departure Lautrech returned againe to ayd the Venetians who recouered Bressa and Verona Farther Charles Duke of Austrich by his grandfathers death king of Castile seeing the kings great successe doubting that he would inuade the realme of Naples which easely at that time he mought haue done and was also purposed to haue done if the Emperour Maximilians descent into Italie had not staied him cōcluded peace with the king at Noyon wher were great demonstrations of amitie betwene these two princes promise of mariage betwene the said king of Castile Louyse the kings daughter diuers other articles agreed vpon which neuer wer performed for the said king of Castile ment onely by this dissimulation to preserue his realme of Naples which if the king would haue inuaded he was not at that time in case to defend by reason he was not as yet setled in his kingdome of Spaine the people wherof seemed better affected to Ferdinand his brother because he had been bred vp among thē then to him You haue heard beefore how the King and the Pope met at Bolonia after the battaile of Marignian 1517. where also the Pope restored to the king Parma and Placentia but with this
condition that the king should ayde him to chace Francis Maria de la Rouere Nephew to Pope Iulius owt of the Duchie of Vrbin which also the king did in the yeare 1516. And the Pope gaue the saide Duchie of Vrbin to Laurens of Medices his nephew to whom also the king the more to content the Pope gaue in mariage the lady Magdelaine heire of the Earledome of Bouloyne in France of the which mariage issued Catherin of Medices queene of france Notwithstanding in the yeare 1517. the sayde Francis Maria recouered his Duchie againe out of the Popes hands notwithstanding that afterwards by aide of the French the Pope draue the said Francis Maria to a hard cōpositiō whereby he left the saide duchie to the Pope was constrained to take a Pension in regarde therof yet cōtinued he not long in this estate for so soone as pope Adrian was chosen Pope he restored Francis Maria to his Duchie of Vrbin againe who quietly enioyed it to his dying day which happened in the yeer 1538. Thus much I thought good to write in this place of the successe of this warr of Vrbin because hereafter I meane not to make farther mention thereof This yeare also Martin Luther beegan openly to preach against the Popes pardons in Germanie Cap. 3. Maximilian the Emperour dyeth Charles king of Castile succeedeth him The King confederateth himselfe with the King of England who restoreth Tournay to him The two Kings meete beetweene Ardres and Calais The King of England and the Emperor mete also together at Calais and Grauelin a rebellion in Spain THE King perceauing by diuers apparent 1518. reasons that the King of Castile ment to performe nothing of that which was promised at Noyon and farther vnderstanding that the Emperour Maximilian laboured the electors of the Empire to choose king of Romaines the sayde king of Castile his Nephew a thing greatly displeasing the king because the Empire being ioyned to his Patrimoniall seniories the sayd king of Castile should bee so mightie that no Prince in Christendome should bee able to withstand his power dyd both with his money and by his ministers disswade the electors from that election and stayed it during Maximilians lyfe Notwithstanding after the sayde Maximilians death which happened the twelfth of Ianuary 1519 after the Duch and Italian accompt who beginne the yeare at Newyerstide but 1518. after the French who begin it not till Easter the said Charles king of Castile was elected Emperour notwithstāding all the impediments of the king and the great sute both he and his friends had made to obtaine the Empire for himselfe but god had otherwise disposed of it Wherefore the king hauing failed of his hope for the obtaining of the Empire and seeing the powre of the Emperour elect so greatly to increase determined to enter into a straight confederacie alliance with the king of England to whom he sent Ambassadors to treate of a mariage betwen 1519. their children which was concluded and as well performed as the other treatise of mariage with the king of Castile had bene Farther the king laboured the king of England to restore Tournay vnto him because it was a towne that serued the English men to small purpose being far from their dominions and the defence thereof being yearely to the King of England a great charge but stoode verie commodiously for the king to offend at his pleasure the Emperour in his low coūtries which matter was so earnestly pursued that for the summe of 400000. crownes the towne was deliuered into the kings hands and a straight league concluded betwene the king of England and him and it was agreed that the next yeare an enteruiew should be of the two kings betwen Calais and Ardres which also was accomplished accordingly with so great 1520. triumph brauerie on both sides that the French called the place of the enteruiew Le Camp de drap d'or and with so great demonstrations of loue betweene the two Princes that the like was not seene in many hūdred yeares before For besides the roiall sumptuous entertainment that they gaue each to other such brotherly loue and assurance was betwene them that in one day the two kings went dined each with others Queene and farther one morning verie earely the king of Fraūce came with a small traine to Guysnes before the king of England was stirring and tould him that he was come to yeld him selfe his prisoner in his Castle of Guysnes whereunto the King of England answered that he was come to take his hart his prisoner which was a verie readie an apt answere To conclude such signes of perfect loue amitie passed betwen these two princes by the space of 15. or 16. dayes for so long they were together that all men thought their friendship to be indissoluble that war could neuer arise betwene thē but it happened otherwise afterwards whereby it appereth that he spake truth that said Princes amitie to be no inheritance Not long after this enteruiew aboue mētioned the new Emperour elect ariued in England where contrarie to the king of Fraunce his expectation he was most honorably receaued in such sort that the King of England accompanied him to Calais afterwards to Grauelin where they were together a certaine space in great friendship and fraternitie and where diuers things were concluded betwene them no whit to the contentation of the King of Fraunce Among other articles this was one that what controuersie soeuer happened beetweene the Emperour and the King the King of England should bee the iudge thereof which article beecause the king would not agre vnto the king of England toke occasion to become his enemie therevpon Notwithstanding the warres brake not out betwene them this yeare as well because they had no apparant quarell on either side as also because they had not as yet made their prouisions for the warres beesides that Spaine was troubled with a great rebellion which the Spaniards called La Santa giunta which could not bee appeased till the next yeare that feare of the forraine enemy namely the French inuading Spaine caused the Spaniards to forget all the domesticall dissentions and to attend to the defence of their countrey Cha. 4. VVars betwene the king the Emperour The French conquer Nauarre and presently lose it againe The Imperials winne many places from the French in the Duchie of Milan The French win Fontarabia Nassau inuadeth Picardie The Emperour recouereth Tournay BVt to proceede the long dissembled euill will 1521. betweene these two mightie Princes could no longer be hidden but like a fier that had long been smothered brake sodainely forth into a great flame partly by the solicitation of the King of England Francis Sforce and partly by a quarell that happened betweene Robert de la Marche and Monsieur d'Emeriez about a Castell called Hiergie This la Marche beeing in league with the King in his protection inuaded his
the which reasons caused the king of England by little and little to straunge himselfe from the Emperours friendship But the thing that most wrought the alteration of his minde was that the Lady Regent of Fraunce the kings mother sent vnto him a gentleman with letters very humbly wrtiten wherein she signified vnto him that it was not honorable for so noble a Prince as he was to inuade a king beeing Captiue a Christian Realme afflicted with the captiuitie of their Prince which submission pearced so depely into the breast of this couragious king that presently he not onely dismissed his armie which he had leuyed to his charge not demaunding one penie in regarde thereof but also from that day forward became the greatest friend that the Realme of Fraunce had and entered into league with the Regent for the deliuerie of the king hir sonne for the accomplishment also whereof the sayd king of England so earenestly trauayled with all the states of Christendome that in the ende he effected it in such sort that so soone as king Francis had set foote in Fraunce the first thing he dyd was that presently hee wroat a letter of thanckes to king Henry aduertising him of his libertie for the which hee acknowledged himselfe more beehoulding to him then to all the Princes of Christendome besides Such true nobilitie reigned in Princes being in hostilitie at those dayes wheras now this age is so farr degenerated frō the magnanimitie of their fathers that one Prince seeketh to take away an others lyfe by treason murther poyson and such like vilanous attempts which the heathen themselues detested and abhorred But to returne to our Historie The kings captiuitie astonished not onely Fraunce but also all Italie beecause all the Princes and states thereof semed now wholy to depend vpon the Emperours clemencie none of thē being able to stand vpon his owne strength The Pope especially was not a litle grieued with this accident who notwithstanding that for his present saftie hee made an accord with the Imperials as did also the Venetians yet their hart was farr from it as the sequell wel declared for secretly vnder hand they practised to make a league betweene the state of Fraunce the Pope the Venetians and the duke of Milan against the Emperour which confederacie the Imperialls hauing discouered presently seazed all the Duchie of Milan to the Emperours vse saue the Castell of Milan into the which the Duke put himselfe and endured the siege and the Castell of Cremona both the which notwithstanding the Imperialls enuyroned with trenches on all sides But this seazing of the sayde Duchie caused the league to discouer it selfe sooner then otherwise it would The king to the ende he mought the sooner recouer his libertie went into Spaine hoping by present conference with the Emperour the sooner to compound all their controuersies But the Emperours rigor was such in rude handeling him neuer once vouchsafing to come to see him and propounding such vnreasonable conditions as the king without the ruine of his Realme could not accept that the King fell into a most daungerous and almost desperate disease for verie griefe of minde Wherefore the Emperour doubting to lose the fruits of his victorie by the kings death came visited him so in the end peace was cōcluded betwene thē at Madrid the 14 of Februarie 1525. after the French but after the Italians 1526. being iust a yeare lacking but 10. daies since the kings captiutie But you shall vnderstand that the conditions of this treatie were so vnreasonable that as it is reported the King protested hee would not obserue them when he should be returned into his Realme especially the articles for the restitution of Burgundy to the Emperour and the releasing of his soueraintie ouer Flaunders Notwithstanding for the performance of this treatie Francis and Henry the kings Children were deliuered in hostage to the Emperour and for farther continuance of amitie beetweene these two Princes it was agreed that the king should marie Elenor the Emperours sister promised as before you haue heard to the Duke of Bourbon but neuer with any meaning to performe it And thus was the King deliuered with promise that if he would not performe the treatie he should returne prisoner into Spaine Cap. 9. The Emperour marieth Fraunce refuseth the treatie of Madrid The kings confederates in Italie beesiege Milan twice but in vayne The Pope is twice taken prisoner by the Imperialls Rome is sacked Bourbon is slayne at the asault The King of England and Fraunce defie the Emperour The Pope is restored to libertie Genoua returneth to the Kings obedience The King inuadeth Milan and the Realme of Naples but by reason of the reuoult of Andre D'oria to the Emperour and the plague that entered into the French camp his enterprise was ouerthrowne ABout the beginning of this yeare 1526. the Emperour hauing refused 1526. the king of Englands daughter as beefore you haue heard maried Isabella Daughter of Emanuel and sister to Ihon King of Portugale The king being returned into his Realme complayned greatly of the Emperours great inhumanitie towards him and his vnprincely vsage of him being farre different from the entertainment that Edward the third king of England gaue to king Ihon of Fraunce taken prisoner by the Prince of Wales at the battaile of Poicters Farther hee assembled the estates of his Realme who according to the Kings minde vtterly condempned the treatie of Madrid as forced vppon a prisoner by violence and not being in the kings powre to performe and thus was the treatie broken and the Emperour deluded and so his owne councell tould him he should be before the Kings deliuerie vnlesse he altered some points of the treatie Notwithstanding the King offered him two millions of crownes for the deliuerie of his children and diuers other honorable conditions in consideration of the articles for the restitution of Burgundie and the release of the Soueraintie of Flaunders which the Emperour vtterly reiected charging the king with periurie because not performing the treatie he returned not prisoner againe according to his promise But the Pope voluntarely without intreatie had assoyled him of that oath The king perceuing the Emperours obstinacie renewed his league with the king of England and farther cōfederated himselfe in Italie with the Pope the Venetians the Duke of Milan and diuers other states against the Emperour who all ioyntly sent vnto him for the deliuerie of the kings children offering him verie honorable conditions in consideration thereof if he would accept of them but finding him to stande stifly vppon the treatie of Madrid and that hee would admit no other conditions they iointly began war vpon him inuaded his dominiōs in Italic came with their armie before Milan hoping to take it to deliuer the duke of Milan who held the Castle as yet but they failed of their purpose were constrained with dishonor to leuie their siege notwithstanding that their armie came
for the defence thereof besides that to stay the French from attempting aught against the sayd Duchie of Milan the Marques of Guast was sent into Piemont to make head against the French where betwene him and Monsieur de Langey generall of the French forces who dyed during these warrs and afterward betwene him and the Marshall'd Annebault many feats of armes but no great exploit was done thus these foure armies stode the king in an excessiue charge and turned him neither to honor nor profit Notwithstanding the armie that was in Picardie vnder the leading of the Duke of Vendosme winter being past put it selfe againe into the field and toke diuers places in Artoys and namely Lilliers a little 1543. but a strong towne likewise Bapaulme burned thē both finding almost no resistāce in the coūrey because the Emperour had withdrawen all his forces out of the strong places and sent for them to ayde him against the Duke of Cleues vppon whom hee made warre and whose countrey hee conquered and subdewed at this present But the King in the meane time to withdraw the Emperour from inuading the sayde Duke of Cleues being the kings confederate entered with a mightie armie into the Emperours dominions tooke Landersey and fortefied it and afterward also sent the Duke of Orleans againe to inuade the Duchie of Luxembourg who wan diuers townes in that Countrey and namely recouered Luxembourg it selfe which was now the second tyme taken by the French The Emperour on the other side being ayded by the king of England besieged Landersey fortefied by the French as you haue heard whether the King came in person with a mightie armie to relieue the towne in such sort that the two armies ioyned so nere together that the battell was assuredly looked for But the king hauing sufficiently victualed and relieued the towne which was the onely cause of his comming retired safly with his armie into France and the Emperour soone after for want of victuals and because of the continuall raine that fell the winter that approched about the seuenth or eighth of Nouember leuyed his siege A man may maruayle heere how it shoule come to passe that the King of England betwene whom and the King had bene so straight a league and from whom so many curtesies had proceded towards the king and his Realme in their most troubles and greatest aduersities should now become his foe and ioyne with the Emperour whom hee had so deadly hated in the inuasion of the kings dominions But you shal vnderstand that this proceded partly of the king of Englands owne disposition partly through the kings fault and partly through the Emperours cunning First as touching the King of England trew it is that as himselfe was a Prince of a noble and a franck minde and one that would endeuour to pleasure his friend to his vttermost power so if himselfe likewise were not satisfied in all his demaunds at his friends hands hee was by nature apte to strange himselfe from his friend not alwayes so depely considering as was requisit his friends abilitie to accomplish that which hee desired And because hee had shewed himselfe a firme yea almost an onely friend to the realme of France during the time of the kings captiuitie and afterwards at the deliuerie of the Children of Fraunce as before mention is made he toke it very vnkindely at the kings hand First that hee payed not his money dew vnto him for the which he had giuen the king fiue yeares day of payment and the payment whereof the Emperour had turned ouer vppon the king of purpose to set these two Princes at variance as before you haue heard Secondarely he was grieued that the king obtained not for him the Bull of deuorce at the Popes hāds which he was perswaded the king by his authoritie mought haue procured if he had delt so earnestly in that businesse as friendship required that he should Now as touching the king he fayled towards the king of England in the first point that is the payment of his monie through want of abilitie for the Emperor held him in such continuall wars that he was forced to leauie extreamly of his subiects neuer could be in case to pay debts as touching the second point namely the Bull of deuorce trew it is that the king after the restitution of his children trauailed not so earnestly in the busines as before he had done either because he held somwhat of the disposition of his countrey men who are saide to remember good turnes no longer thē they be in doing or because he was loth to offend the Emperour with whom he had cōcluded peace whose sister he had maried or because he found the Pope obstinate or a feard to graūt the Bull in respect of the Emperors greatnes in Italie or lastly because he held the case desperate especially after the king of Englands reuolt from the Pope Whether any of these reasons or all of them or some other vnknowne to vs caused him to deale cowldly in the king of Englands businesse we can but deuine but certaine it is that the kings remisnesse in this cause mightely grieued the King of England and diminished a great part of his loue towards the king Lastly as touching the Emperour hee vsed exceding cunning to seuer these two Princes whose amitie hee saw to bee the countermine of all his practises and procedings For first hee turned ouer his owne debt to the king of England vpon the king of Fraunce of purpose to cast a boane betweene them to set them at variance as before you haue heard Farther so soone as he perceued the king of Englands minde to bee a little alienated from the king hee fayled not to doe his endeuour to aggrauate euerie small vnkindenesse and to make a mountaine of euerie moulehill Beesides this hee wroate passing kinde letters to the king of England desiring him to remember the oulde friendship that had euer beene betwene the house of Burgundie and the Realme of England and likewise not to forget the auncient enmitie and the many quarells that were yet depending beetweene England and Fraunce adding that if any vnkindenesse had passed betweene them two in regard of his Aunts cause it was now cleane forgotten on his part by his Aunts death intimating farther vnto him that if hee the sayde Emperour would embrace the king of France his friendship the king offered to enter into league with him and to abandon his league with the sayd king of England or any other prince in Christendome that the sayde Emperour should mislike of And at such times as the Emperour had these purposes in his head hee would in apparance make so much of the king of Fraunce and haue such conference with him and his Ambassadors and seeme so wholy in all matters to depend vppon his direction and aduise that hee made not onely the king of England but all the kings other confederats in Christendome
this enterprise They began the siege the first day of Ianuarie and tooke the towne the morrow after twelfth day and soone after also Hams and Guysnes and all that the English helde on that side the sea In Aprill following Frauncis the Daulphin maryed Marie daughter and heire of Iames the fift King of Scotland in Iune following the French besiged Theonuille held for an impregnable towne in the Dutchie of Luxembourg Yet notwithstanding they tooke it but in that siege was Peter Strozzi slaine to the Kings great griefe for he had beene a most valiant and expert Captaine Cap. II. The French inuade Flaunders and sacke Dunkerke they are ouerthrowen in their retrait to Calais The English Nauy taketh Conquet Peace betweene the Kings of Spaine and Fraunce and Elizabeth Queene of England Bourg and other Councellours of the law are sent to the Bastile The Kings daughter is maried to the King of Spaine The King is slaine at the iusts BVt the King supposing this reuenge of his losses not to be sufficiēt as yet determined to attempt farther Wherfore in the beginning of Iulie he sent Monsieur de Termes to inuade Flaunders who tooke Dunkerke and burned it But the Earle of Egmont leuying an army of 12000. foote and 3000 horse met with the French as they retired towards Calais vpon the sandes betweene Dunkerke and Grauelin where he charged them and by the helpe of the English Nauy which by chaunce sailed at that time close by the shoare and discharged their great shot into the middest of the French troups they were deseated and Termes himselfe taken prisoner to the great astonishment of all Fraunce which in sower yeares space had receaued three great ouerthrowes the first in Italie the second at Saint Quentin and the third this heere mentioned And thus the King not beeing contented with a reasonable reuenge but seeking to recouer all his honour lost euen that which hee had in part recouered before and put both himselfe and his Realme into greater daungers than euer heeretofore they had beene in Termes had left behinde him three enseignes of footemen to spoile and fier Dunkerke who being in the middest of their blouddie execution were all surprized by the Burgundians and cut in peeces The Duke of Guise hearing of this ouerthrow retired into Picardie and held himselfe in places of safetie After this victorie the English Nauy consisting of 100. saile of ships and 10000. men and 20. great hulks ioyned with them inuaded Bretaine and toke Conquet but partlie by the force of the countrey that came downe vpon them partlie by tempest they were forced to returne home with speed King Phillip being encouraged by this his good successe and many victories leuied a mightie army and encamped neere to Dourlans in Picardie beeing a French towne his whole force was 30000. foote 15000. horse all his souldiours being well paied The king on the other side neere to Amiens leuyed a great armie but seemed not willing to hazerd an other battayle considering the losses hee had alreadie receaued Notwithstanding in the ende both the Princes to auoyde the effusion of Christian blood enclined their mindes to peace The two and twentith of Ianuarie Charles Duke of LORRAINE maryed the Ladie Claude the kings younger Daughter and the Februarie after peace was treated of at Cambresis beetweene the two Kings and ELIZABETH Queene of England latelie succeded to the Crowne of that Realme by the death of hir Sister MARIE who dyed the seauententh of Nouember 1558. The Commissioners agreede reasonably well about euerie thing saue CALAIS which King Philip would haue in any case restored to the English againe and the French would by noe meanes part with which matter was so whotlie debated betweene them that all the treatie had assuredlie broaken of if newes had not beene brought from the Queene of England that shee was contented to accept of the peace with these conditions that at eyght yeares ende Calais should bee restored to hir agayne or fiue hunfiftie thousand crownes in lieu thereof for assuraunce whereof shee should haue delyuered vnto hir foure hostages of the nobilytie of Fraune such as shee would demaund This article beeing agreed vpon peace was concluded beetweene these Princes the third of Aprill and solemply proclaimed with great ioye 1559. And King Philip maryed ELIZABETH the Kings eldest Daughter promised beefore to CHARLES Prince of Spayne King Philips sonne and the Duke of SAVOY Philibert maryed MARGARET the Kings sister Thus the king hauing concluded peace to his great comfort with all his enemies and beetrauthed his Daughter to the king of Spayne by meanes of the which allyaunce hee assured him selfe of an euerlasting amitie with that Prince beganne to embrew his handes in the bloud of the LVTHERANS and committed BOVRG and foure other Iudges of the Law to MONTGOMERIE Captaine of his Guarde who sent them prisoners to the Bastile where they were layde in yrons The only cause of their emprisonment was for that they had delyuered out of prison certayne Lutherans and had forborne to publish the kings bloudy edicts till a generall or a nationall councell should take order in so wayghtie a cause This beeing done the king in great triumph departed to his Daughters mariage who was maryed to king Philip by his Deputie the Duke of Alua who represented the king his Masters person in this case which beeing accomplished the king gaue himselfe to sports and pastimes and the eight and twenteth of Iune entered into the Lists to iust and continewed so long therein and ranne so many courses three dayes together that with excessiue trauayle his whole body was become stiffe wherevppon diuers of the nobilitie and especially the Queene his wyfe besought him to runne no more the rather because that night the Queene had dreamed that shee saw him wounded to death diuers other prognosticatiōs of his death are also written which I ouerpasse But he refusing all perswasions despising his wiues dreame all the other prognostications entered againe into the listes ranne diuers courses excellently well for he was a perfect man at armes At the last he called foorth Montgomerie the selfe same that had caryed BOVRG and the other foure Councellours to prison as before you haue heard Montgomerie had runne diuers courses the day before had sayled in them all for the which cause hee was loath to come forth But being constrained by the king in the ende foorth he came being reserued by God to giue one sound blow at the last to counteruaile all his faylings before For as the king and hee met together with great violence a splenter of Montgomeries staffe which brake all to sheuers strake the kings head-peece full vpon the visard which being vnbuckled either through negligence or because the king would haue it so meaning to make this his last course flew vp in such sort that one of the splēters strake the king full in the right eye and entered into