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
enemy with certaine french forces and destroyed certaine villages within the Emperours dominions wherewith the Emperour being much grieued toke vpon him the defence of de' Emeriez his subiect and vpon this occasion began the warrs in those parts the flames whereof in a moment spred ouer all these princes dominions for the king perceauing the Emperors the king of Englands euell disposition towardes him determined while the Emperour was troubled with the aboue mentioned rebellion in Spaine which as yet was vnpacefed to inuade the realme of Nauarra and to restore it to Henry the trew king therof frō whose father Ferdinande king of Spaine had wrongfully taken it as beefore you haue heard The French armie at the first had good successe recouered in effect the whole Realme But the French Captains puffed vp with pride because of this cōquest moued also with couetousnesse hoping to obtaine some goodly bootie in Spaine beecause of the great diuision the countrey was in entered into the Realme as farre as the Groyne which their inuasion vnited the Spainards together that beefore were in diuision in such sort that they set vpon the French and not onely chaced them out of Spaine but also pursewing them farther entered into Nauarra from whence the Kings armie beeing in destresse both of victuals money was forced to retire lost all the places which before they had takē in the said realme as easely as they had wonne them Farther the Emperours forces incited by this victorie passed farther into France and spoyled many places in the countrey and then in saftie returned home In Italie also the Emperour and his confederats toke diuers places in the Duchie of Milan and made sharp warres vpon the king there wherewith the king being greatly irritated and purposing to draw the Emperour from the warres in Italie to looke neerer home namely into Spaine sent an armie into Biscay toke Fontarabia and fortified it and held it till the yeare 1523. when the Spaniards recouered it againe as hereafter you shall heare And on an other side also the said Emperours sorces vnder the leading of the Earle of Nassau inuaded Picardie rased Musancourt toke Moson and besieged Meziers which Captaine Bayarde valiantly defended against him Then the King with a mightie armie came downe in person into Picardie purposing to fight with the sayde Earle of Nassau but whē he saw that he would by no meanes bee drawen to the battaile the King departed leauing his armie vnder the charge of the Duke of Bourbon who tooke Hesdin diuers other townes But the king himselfe after his departure out of Picardie entered into Burgundie where he toke and spoyled diuers townes while the Emperour on the other side recouered Tournay which had continued French till this time euer since it was restored to them by the king of England who toke it in the time of King LEVVIS the twelfth as beefore you haue heard and thus proceded the warrs in these parts Cap. 5. Pope Leo falleth from the King to the Emperour The Imperials winne Milan and soone after also Genoua Pope Leo dyeth Adrian the sixth succedeth The Swyssers furiously inuading the Imperials camp are vanquished The King of England defieth the King by the Emperours procurement The Turke winneth the I le of Rhodes NOw to returne to the warrs of Italie Pope Leo seing the Emperours great successe began to straunge his mind from the king and secretly entered into league with the said Emperour pretending diuers iniuries done vnto him by the kings Ministers in the Duchie of Milan but indede burning with a desire to recouer Parma and Placentia which himselfe as you haue heard had after the battaile of Marignian yeelded to the king So the Pope the Emperour and Francis Sforce ioyned together against the king and tooke Milan which Monsieur de Lautrech defended against thē as long as hee could and afterwards also Come Cremona Alexandria and Pauia Notwithstanding Cremona the sayd Lautrech recouered soone after againe and the Castell of Milan held still for the king While these warres in the Duchie of Milan endured dyed Pope Leo and in fauour of the Emperour Adrian the sixth a Holander the saide Emperours scholemaster notwithstanding that he were at that time absent in Spaine was chosen Pope The French beeing renforced with new 1522. supplies namely with 10000. Swyssers entred againe into the Duchie of Milan and came before Milan Pauia which were so defended against thē by Prospero Colonna that they were forced to depart and abandon their siege Wherevpon the Swyssers that serued in the kings armie being wearie of the warres came to Monsieur de Lautrech and tould him that except he would fight with the enemie the next day they would depart home which the sayd Lautrech at the first refused to doe alledging the great disaduantage they should fight with because they must of force assault the enemies in their camp where Prospero Colonna and the Marques of Pescara were so strongly fortefied that he could not but vtterly despaire of the victorie But notwithstanding all these reasons fight hee must with all these disaduauntages the Swyssers hoping of as good successe heere as they had against the French when they assaulted them in their campe at Nouara But the issue fell out cleane contrarie for notwithstanding that these Swyssers furiously assaulted the enemies campe yet were they repulsed and a great number of them slaine the French in very good order retiring themselues This battaile is called the battaile of Bicocque The Swissers after the battaile returned home not once taking their leaue of Lautrech who also hauing lost the whole Duchie of Milan through this mutinous rashnesse of the Swyssers retourned into Fraunce to the king leauing at his departure Monsieur de Lescun his brother gouernour in Italie of those Peices that held yet for the king but for want both of men and money seruice hee could doe none so that the Imperials tooke Cremona and soone after also Genoua and lastly the Castle of Milan was also yeelded to them The Emperour whose affaires fell out according to his desire passed into Spaine by the way landed in England and so preuayled with king Henry that hee declared himselfe Imperiall and sent a Herrault to defie the king Farther they both sent Ambassadors to Venis to disswade them from the kings friendship and to perswade them to enter into league with them which also they obtayned in the ende But you shall vnderstand that while these Christian Princes warred thus one vppon an other the Turke to the reproch of them all wan the I le of Rhodes being as it were the bulwark of all Christendome And notwithstanding that the great master of the Rhodes sent to all these Princes for ayde yet were they so inflamed one against another that they preferred theyr owne priuate quarells beefore the publique defence Cha. 6. The Venetians forsake the King The Duke of Bourbon falleth also from him The
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
the kings griefe for she was a most wise and vertuous Ladie The Imperials hauing chaced the French armie cleane out of the Duchie of Milan as before you haue heard but knowing the kings magnanimitie to bee such that hee would not faile to attempt the recouery therof determined to inuade him first in his owne Countrey thereby to cause him to attend to the defence of his owne Realme to stay him from trobling the Emperour on the other side of the mountains Wherefore the Duke of Bourbon with a mightie armie entered into Prouince promising the Emperour to worke wonders there for his seruice and besieged Marseilles But the king in person with a great armie came to succour the towne wherevpon Bourbon for all his great bragges and the Imperials were forced to leuic their siege and in great hast retired to Milan whether the king with his whole armie folowed them soone recouered Milan and in a manner the whole countrie except Pauia before the which he went and layde his siege Wherevpon the Pope entered into league with him and the Swyssers who the last yeare had traiterously refused to ioyne with the Admirall Boniuets armie and had abandoned the French as before you haue heard returned to the kings seruice againe But while the king lay beefore the siege of Pauia and had brought it to extreame necessitie Bourbon went into Germanie and brought with him 6000. footemen and 2000. horse Farther 6000. Rhetians being corrupted by the Imperials abandoned the kings campe and returned home leading also certaine bands of Swyssers away with them The king also by the Popes perswasion had sent the Duke of Albanie from the siege of Pauia vvith 10000. footemen and 600. horse to inuade the Realme of Naples supposing to drawe the Imperialls thither for the defence of that Realme vvhich notwithstanding wisely they forbare to do knowing the Realme of Naples to be in sufficient saftie if they ouerthrew the king Thus the kings camp being by the departure of those aboue mentioned greatly weakened and the forces that remayned with him through the corruption of his officers not being the one halfe of the number that he payed which was a wonderfull thing that such an abuse should be offered to a Prince beeing with his armie in person himselfe the Imperialls being ignorant of none of these disorders determined to inuade him in his owne Campe where through the defect of courage in the Swyssers hee was taken prisoner him selfe fighting more valiauntly then any man in his armie many of the nobilitie were slayne and many taken and the Swyssers were in manner all cut in pieces by the Landsknights in reuenge of the auncient hatred betwene the sayde Swyssers and them This battaile is called the battaile of Pauia and was fought vpon Saint Mathias day being the day of the Emperours Natiuitie in the yeare 1525. according to the Italians but 1524. according to the French which variance ariseth as before I haue mentioned because the one beginne the yeare vpon the first of Januarie and the other not before Easter The Duke of Albanie after the kings captiuitie by the Popes meanes passed by sea with his armie safly into Fraunce Thus was this noble King through the disorders principally proceding from his owne officers and Captaines taken prisoner as you haue heard who not being dismayed with this sodaine blow of fortune behaued himself with such princely magnanimitie that he was honored had in admiratiō euen of his enemies in such sort that his captiuitie blemished not but rather caused his noble vertues the more to shine as by this one example which I will rehearse shall well appeare So soone as hee was brought to his lodging hee sent for the leaders of the Imperiall armie and tould them that hee had a sute vnto them which he trusted they would not denie him Wherevnto when they semed doubtfull what answere to make supposing it to bee some great matter of difficultie that they mought not aduenture to graunt without the Emperours priuitie he perceauing their immagination tould them it was no such important suit that required any such doubt onely his desire was that the young French boyes taken in the battel mought not remaine with the Italians but in exchaunge of other prisoners bee deliuered to the Spaniards which was presently graunted and executed accordingly though not without great admiration of the Imperialls who wondered that the king forgetting his owne misfortune being of a Prince made a prisoner in one day could remember to bee so carefull of the chastitie of these young boyes Cha. 8. The King of England confederateth himselfe with the estate of Fraunce and the Princes and states of Italie themselues against the Emperour The Imperialls seaze vpon the Duchie of Milan The King sayleth into Spaine The treatie of Madrid The king is deliuered The Children of Fraunce goe in hostage into Spaine T The Emperour hauing receaued the 1525. newes of the kings captiuitie semed to take it very modestly forbidding all signes of ioy to be vsed alledging that we ought to reioyce at the ouerthrow of Turkes and infidels but not of any Christian Prince which his modest behauiour put the world in great hope that hee would deliuer the king with such honorable conditions as mought establish a quiet peace in Christendome perpetual amitie betweene them twayne But his rigor to the king afterwards declared his spirit to be farre from any such moderation as his externall beehauiour made shew of Farther you shall vnderstand that the king of England vpon the receipt of these newes leuied amighty armie purposing in person to inuade Fraunce but hee continued not long in that minde vppon these occasions folowing First certaine difficulties arose betwene the Emperour and him the king demaunding bearing but equall charges with the Emperour an vnequall part of the conquest of Fraunce and the Emperour hoping to obtaine better conditions of the King of Fraunce by making peace then he should doe if he ioyned with the king of England by making warre Secondarely the Cardinall of YORKE being altogether French and enemie to the Emperour diswaded the king of England from farther ioyning with the Emperour who was alredie so mightie that his greatnesse was become terrible to all his neighbours round about him Thirdly after the battaile of Pauia the Emperour semed not to make so great accompt of the king of England as before he had done for first he refused to marie the Lady Mary the king of Englands daughter being very young and maried the sister of Ihon king of Portugale as hereafter you shall heare with whom he receiued a great masse of money whereof he stood in great neede Farther whereas beefore the battaile of Pauia he neuer wroat letter to the king of England but with his owne hand and with this subscrption Your sonne and Cosin Charles after the battaile he neuer wroat letter with his owne hand nor with other subscription then his simple name Charles all
or truely it is vncertaine that the Colonnesi who alwayes haue beene and yet are Imperiall made secret assemblies against him in Rome for the which cause some of them hee emprisoned some hee banished and seazed all their lands and goods into his owne hands The Imperials say that this was but a quarell picked to them by the Pope because hee had secret intelligence with the king of Fraunce perswaded him to attempt the recouerie of the Realme of Naples as well therby to abate the Spaniards greatnes in Italie who held Naples Milan Siena disposed of the stats of Genoua Florence as of his owne as also hoping if the French had good successe in Italie that some part of the bootie would fall to his share which hee was the more desirous of because he was a Neapolitaine borne himselfe But howsoeuer it were the Colonnesi being thus iniuried complained to king Philip and desired his succour who sent the Duke Alua to their ayde yet offering the Pope any reasonable conditions of peace which he vtterly refused and sent to the king and the duke of Ferrara being his confederats for succours but before they could arriue the duke of Alua inuaded the Church dominions and toke Ostia Palestrina and much distressed Rome But the King with all speede sent the Duke of Guyse with a mightie armie into Italie who entering into Lombardie tooke Valentia in the duchie of Milan put a garison into it on an other side also the French inuaded Artoys and spoyled all the Countrey they besieged Douay but could not take it Notwithstanding Lens they toke and burned it Farther the kings forces in Piemont tooke Valfiniere and Cairas and thus the fiue yeares truce concluded the yeare before helde not one yeare great coÌ„trouersie is betwene the French and Spanish which of the two Princes first brake the truce The French say the Spaniard first brake it by inuading the Pope whom the king as an obedient sonne to the Church was bound to defend But the answere herevnto is easie for besides that the inuading of the Pope being an indifferent friend to both the Princes could not bee a breach of the truce towards the French king it is also most certaine that the first iniurie proceded froÌ„ the Pope towards the king of Spaines friends and coÌ„federats and therefore the French were not to ayde him in an euell cause But admit the ayding of the Pope were no breach of the truce yet the King ought not to haue proceded farther then to send the Pope ayde but hee inuaded king Philip before he tooke weapon in hand in Milan in Piemont in Artoys and in Flaunders which could not bee other then a flatte breach of the truce But to retourne to the warres of Italie The Duke of Guyse by the Popes perswasion and vppon promise of ayde from him was passing with his armie towards the realme of Naples with purpose to inuade it But seeing the Duke of Alua to make head against him and being also disapoynted of the ayde promised him by the Pope he was forced to retire with his armie being in very pore estate and cursing the Pope and all his trecheries While these matters thus passed in Italie the Queene of England by hir husbands perswasion entered into an vnnecessarie warre with Fraunce for she should haue done much better to haue continued as shee began a mediater for peace thâ—n vpon no occasion to become the French kings enemie but shee sped accordingly Cha. 10. The King of Spaine taketh Saint Quentin The battaile of Saint Laurens in the which the Constable is ouerthrowen and taken prisoner The duke of Guyse is reuoqued out of Italie The Pope maketh peace with the king of Spaine The French take Calais The marriage of the Daulphin The French take Theonuille BVt to proceede the king of Spaine seeing him selfe thus inuaded vpon a sodayne leuyed a mightie armie of Duch Flemish and English and went and besieged Saint Quentin a stronge towne in Vermandoys for the defence whereof the Admirall of Fraunce Gasper Chastillon with diuers bandes of men put himselfe into the towne But his brother d'Andelot issewing out of Perona with 15. enseignes of footmen purposing to doe the like was defeated Notwithstanding the king tendering greatly the saftie of the towne sent the CoÌ„stable to succour it with an armie of 16000. foot and 4000. horse who vpon Saint Laurence day very earely in the morning by certaine boates which he had brought with him vpon cartes put Mon sieur d'Andelot by the riuer with certaine bands of footmen into the towne But King Phillips army as the said Constable retired charged him brake him defeated his forces slew 2500 of his men with the losse onely of 50. on their part and tooke him prisoner with two of his sonnes and likewise the Dukes of Montpensier and Longueuille the Marshall of Saint Andre the Rheingraue and diuers other great personages Wherevpon the King presentlie reuoqued the Duke of Guise with his forces out of Italy commaunded the Duke of Neuers to leauy a new army In the meane time King Phillip tooke Saint Quentin by assault and tooke prisoners therin the Admirall and d'Andelot his brother but d'Andelot soone after escaped away The King of Spaine wan also Catelet and Han and diuers other places The Duke of Alua on the other side in Italie tooke diuers places from the Pope who in the end seeing the Dukes forces so great that he came without resistance euen to Rome gates and that the Duke of Guise in verie poore estate was reuoqued home into Fraunce made peace at Caui with King Philip contraty to his promise made to the French King and obtayned better conditions of him than he deserued and among the rest of the conditions this was one that the Duke of Guise should returne home in safetie and he his armie bee well intreated wheresoeuer they passed through king Philips dominions which was all the recompence the French receaued at the Popes handes for the great losses they had receaued in Italie by his meanes such commonly is the ende of all vnnecessarie warres The King being much grieued with these his manifolde losses and supposing his honour to be stayned if he atchieued not some enterprise that might counteruaile these his misfortunes so soone as the Duke of Guise and Strozzi were returned with his forces out of Italie by sea and Monsieur d'Aumalle by land ioyned to them a great army of Swissers and Almaines who vnder the leading of the said Duke of Guise were sent to besiege Calais in the verie middest of winter Strozzi not long before the comming of the army thether had beene brought in disguised apparaile into the towne by a French man an inhabitant thereof and had veiwed all the fortisications both within the towne and without and the garison within it for the defence thereof which was very weake and to say the truth the said Strozzi was the onely author of
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