waightie considerations thoughte it best to deferre the fight vntill the next day but Monsieur Cyandey the Captayne of the Switzers and Signeur de Alegre stoutely contended that victorie whiche had alwayes luckely happened vnto the Frenchmen when they were hardie was not to be sought by flouthfull and dishonorable lingering but by spéedy and manly encounter By whiche sentence Nemoures vnderstoode that his honor and fame was greately touched for hée had heard a little before how Alegre had spread very euill words of him as though he being no greate skilfull nor valiaunte Chiefetayne was afraide to ioyne in battell with the enimie and had suffered with the foule blot of the French honor and the great empayring of their strength his army to be fléesed and pulled by the suttle enimie Whervpon he not enduring this reproche without stay said these wordes Go to then séeing it séemeth so to some that we must this day by battell make one end or other of the wars suche as Fortune will alotte certesse I will satisfye by honorable death if not the publike desire of the French King yet at the least myne owne honor and this sayd he incontinently gaue the signall of battell although the Sunne were scarce an houre and an halfe high and made towardes the enimie with thrée araunged battels not with equall front but one a little behinde another so that wheÌ„ the righte wing wherein he and Arsye were ranne forth Ciandey should shoote off the great ordinance from the middle battell wherin stoode all the footemen and shoulde followe a certaine space behinde the fore warde and in like maner Alegre should admoue the thirde battell vnto the lefte syde of the Switzers when he shoulde thinke good so that the Frenche battels by reason of their vnequall length muche resembled in the setting forth the thrée hindermost fingers of a mans hand But on the other side Gonsalues set against them sixe battels with direct front two of Horsemen were in the wings and one backed the Almaine footemeÌ„ so néere vnto whome stoode the Spanish footemen that a farre off they séemed to be both one battell but yet so that there was space ynough lefte for the Horsemen that stoode in the middes to issue out if it were néedefull But all the light Horsemen he sent forth vnder the conduct of Fabricio de Colonna and Didaco de Mendozza to stay the enimie by skirmishing whereby such a thicke cloude of dust was raised that the French vauntcurrers could not one whit sée before them and this was augmented by the smoke of the great ordinance whiche fléeing ouer both armies did hurt neyther of them But when GoÌ„salues coÌ„manded the great ordinance to be shot off againe Leonard Aleccio told him with great feare and sorrow that all the barrels of Gunpowder were there by chance or falsehood set on fire with whyche newes Gonsalues being nothing dismaide sayd I do gladly receiue this good abodemeÌ„t for what greater ioy can happen vnto vs than to haue séene the lightes of victorie comming forth neyther was his prognostication false for Nemours charging the Almaines the Horsemen of the left wing vntimely sticked fast in the ditch the Gonsalues had cast vp before his Camp in somuch that when he being repulsed turned his troupe to séeke some other way to come vnto the enimie he was slayne with an Hargubusse shot almost before Cyandey hadde giuen the onset on the Almaines And the like lucke receyued Cyandey of the same ditche for the Almaynes wyth their Pykes and the Spanyardes with their harquebuziers disordered and slewe the Switzers beyng very yll troubled with the ditche and also Cyandey hymselfe who tourned the handes and eyes of all his enimies vppon him bicause he fought on foote with a great plume of whyte feathers on his headpeece and stoutly striued to get out of the troublesom place to come to the enimie But when Nemours was slayne Arsy and Alegre fledde whome the Spanishe horssemen pursued slaying and taking many among whom was Formantes and then retourned vnto the Campe when the Sunne going downe had not giuen so muche as halfe an houre of perfect lyghte to ende the battayle whyche doubtlesse saued Alegre and Arsye There were slayne of Frenchemen foure thousand and that with so greate celeritie and felicitie that when the battayle was begonne and ended within halfe an houre there peryshed not an hundred of the Spanyardes I hearde Fabricio de Colonna saye when he tolde the successe of this battayle that the victorie was not gotten so muche eyther by valiauncie of the Souldyers or prudence of the Generall as by the small rampyre and shallowe ditche cast vppe before the Campe whyche caused the Captaynes that ranne after him to reuine the auntiente martiall discipline in fortifying their Campe. Gonsalues following the victorie expelled the Frenchmenne quite out of the Kyngdome of Naples the which he conquered for his Soueraigne the King of Spayne Thys battell was foughte the nine and twentith of Aprill seauen dayes after the battell of Gioia ¶ The Battell of Vaila or Giaradda fought in Lumbardie betvveene Levves the .xij. King of Fraunce and the Venetians in An. Domini 1509. MAximilian the emperor Lewis the FreÌ„che King Ferdinande king of Spaine Iulius bishop of Rome Alfonse the Duke of Ferrara being entred in to league againste the Venetians bicause they had eueroched vppon them all Lewes the French king marched from Milan with a great army agaynst the Venetians who hadde also a great power in the fielde beyond the riuer of Adda vnder the conducte of the earle of Petilia Generall Barthlomew de Aluian the Campe maister and George Cornarie and Andrewe Grittie Legates or Prouiditori But when the Frenche king being desirous to fight coulde get the Venetians by no prouocation out of their fortified campe he dislodged wyth entent the nexte night to lodge eyther at Vaila or Pandino where by cutting off theyr victuals that were brought from Cremona and Crema hée might force them to dislodge as in very deede it didde Now there were twoo wayes to come vnto those places one the lower and nexte to the riuer of Adda which was the longer bicause it was â—rooked the other further from the riuer which was the righter and the shorter The lower way tooke the Frenche army wherin were aboue two thousand men of armes six thousande Switzers and twelue thousand Gascoignes and Italians footmen with great furniture of ordinaunce and Pioners On the vpper way on the right hande marched the Venetian armye wherein were two thousand men of armes aboue twenty thousaÌ„d footemen and a great number of light horsemen part Italians part Grecians The Greeke horsemen were the auauÌ„tcurrers but by reason of the bushes and shrubbes that occupied all the space betwéene the twoo armies they straggled not so wide as otherwise they commonly vsed to doe and this also was a cause that one army coulde not descrye another And as they thus marched but the Venetians with swifâ—er
them for the fleing Almaines and least they should else haue disordered the whole battell hee also commaunded Pescara to turne heade wyth his Spanishe footemen towardes the Venetians There was with Liuiano Andrew Lauridame the Venetian Legate or Prouiditori a vehement man neyther lesse greedy of reuenge than of glory but one altogyther vnskilfull of the wars He hearing good newes from all partes of the auauntâ—urrerâ— hasted vnto the Generall as he was vehemently stirred vp with the sharpe affectes of hope and griefe and sayde vnto him Why linger you Generall the enimies escape an assured and notable victorye will slippe out of our handes it will rather be accompted falsehoode than cowardise if that you linger any longer neyther can this opinion bee taken awaye vnlesse you do incontinentlye commaunde the signall to be giuen and pursue with all your power the fleing and disordered ennimie Then Liuiano turning towardes Hugo de Pepoli and Guido de Rangoni saide let vs aduenture though rashly yet nobly the footemen of battell seeing that ouer greate power of superioritie doth ouercome reason least if I be to daye wary and considerate I shall anone after being accused before the seignory of cowardise or treason and oppressed with wrongfull hatred be putte to death by the aduerse and malicious voices of the vnskilfull as was vnlucky Carmagnola That be vttered these speches wee lerned of those that were present at thou Then causing the signall to be sounded he pursued the enimies with three battels the leading of the right and lefte wings whiche were both of light horsemen had Antonio Pio and Bagleone but the middle battell wherein were the men of armes and Sacramoro Visconti Guido de â—â—â—â—goni and Hermes Bentiuogli he himselfe conducted The battels of the footemen marching also wyth equall pâ—â—e 〈◊〉 the one and the other side of his battells the horsmen on both sides encounter very fiercely and nowe Liuiano fleing hether and thether and trying out that this day would be the ende of theyr laboures and the begynuyng of theyr dewardes hadde enkindeled his Souldioures with so greate dessce to vanquishe that many of them pierced thoroughe the thickest of their enimyes euen vnto theyr Ensignes and stryuyng to bryng them awaye and bryng strongly resisted tore thou into péetes and slew Ebrardde Cornia the enfigne bearet of Mâ—â—tiaks company a valyant olde Gentleman and his couragious sontie But whylest the horssemen thus encounter togyther in the scoute wyth equall hope and feare on bothe sydes Prospere rode vnto euery rancke encouragyng them and commaunded Pescara to aduauntee forwarde on the one syde wyth hys Spaniardes and Landaw on the other wyth his Launsqueneti and to charge the footemenne of the ennimie the whyche they did wyth suche furie that the bandes of Babo Brescehelli whome Liuiano had for the opinion of then notuble prowesse placed in the foremoste cankes scarse once attemptyng the encounter turned their backes almost before they had scene their enâ—â—â— although their Captaines men of singular dalor endeuoured by incouraging threatning beating to make them abide sought themselues very valiantly in the forfront where they were slayn also among whom were John Bernardino Alezzo Seraphino Alfonso Mâ—to Phillippe Carsoleio Aniball de Simoni and Baptista Docto who had placed aboute him a crewe of very valiaunt Souldiours choser out of diuers hands which were all staine by Pescara who there valiauntly coughte on foote before hys Spaniardes with apike in his hande Then the middle battel of the Venelian horsmen being bared on one side of their footemen began first to be driuen barke and being vrged more sharpely anone after with slaughter to bee put to flight neyther coulde the disordeted battell be repaired or made to staye when the foremost rankes were slaine although that all the valiauntest horsemen eudeuoured to their vttermoste to suâ—eine the impression of their â—minses So that when al suche as resisted were slaine the ensignes were throwen doâ—â— and namely the ensigne of 〈◊〉 the which Authony Monâ—oâ— had long time valiauntly kepte but at the last lost it togyther with hys life and at the same bruÌ„e Sacramoro and Hermes being vnhorse â—â—were slain by the Launce quenetz But Pescara Gentlmanlike saued Otho Visconis brother vnto Sacramoro althoughe there had bene before a priuate quarrell betweene them Nowe when the horsemen of the right wing sawe the middle battell wherein they reposed all their hope of victorye and that whyche they thought should beare the brunte of the battell slaine and put to flight they shamefullye burling awaye their armour and weapons ranne awaye amaine and Antonius their Capitayne appressed wyth the wayghte of hys armour was drowned in the Riuer of Becchilio The right wyng also wyth like cowardise didde the like for when Paule Baglione hadde not brought aboute speedily enoughe the right wing by reason of the moorishe and slimy grounde where vppon he had lighted by going about to enclose the enimie Liniano also had more hastily attached the battell than he had thought he would it came to passe that his souldiours seeing the slaughter and flight of other of their fellowes and also distrusting their owne strength fledde away whole and vntouched Yet in the front although that feare and flight had taken the bartes of all the souldiours many valiaunt Captains whilest for the dignitie of their martiall scruice passed they endeuoured to reteine the souldiours to keepe the array and grounde were at length fighting couragiously slaine beeyng for saken by their souldiors and enclosed by the multitude of theyr enimies But Paule Baglione hauing loste his twoo base brothers Troiano and Hierome and all his horsement seattered in vtter dyspayre fledde awaye and lightyng on a marrishe was taken by the Spanishe horsemen In the meane tyme Liuiano althoughe hee were forsaken of Fortune and lefte alone by his Souldioures still ratyng them for fleeing yet went busily about to renew the fyght but at lengthe beyng broken in hearte and spente in strengthe hee fledde and came to Padoa The reste of the Capitaynes were almoste all taken in the chase or slayne by the Almaines who spared no man and many also were drowned in the riuer of Bachillie for when they came wearye vnto the Ryuer eyther they were or owned in the streame or wer ouertaken and oppressed by the enemy as they stoode deliberating whether it were best to passe it or no. And thus they perished by diuers chaunces The Lansquenetz also the Spanishe footmen breaking theyr arraye pursued the flight slaying those that the horsmen running before had ouerthrowen or whom the throng of them that fled and the heapes of armours and weapons Wyth whom they euery where met had hindered or stopped Andrewe Lauredame Prouidirou a â—â—ant vnworthy of that calamitie if he had not bene the vnlucky authour of that vnfortunate battel was taken and albeit after he was withdrawen he promised a mighty masse of golde for hys raunsome yet was hée moste cruelly stayne by a raskall droudge
this rashnesse of many dyd the gouernement of the hastie Chiefetayne augmeÌ„t who had brought nothing into the field besides approued fidelitie and the name of his renowmed house for he reproouing those that were set to followe warie counsels and not all vpon lustinesse and honor sayde What my maisters neither are the Frenchmen now adayes those auntiente Heroes whome Fraunce for their miraculous strength of body hathe celebrated in their sabulous Poemes neyther are we altogither women armed and garnished after thys manlike guise so that we must doubt to set vpon and ouercome these Barbarians walking with drunken traine as soone as euer we sée them And immediately after he had thus said he commanded Proclamation to be made that euery man shoulde make hymselfe readie and bridle his Horse and after the third watche all the army issued out of Eboli Persiue and the Prince of Besignano hadde passed ouer the riuer of Cochile by a bridge anone after the breake of the day and marched towards Salerno but when they saw theyr enimies they retired backe aboue thrée furlongs that they myghte raunge their battels in a more indifferent place and there layde their left side close vnto a mightie woâ—â—â— that adâ—â—yneth with the open fieldes that their small army might not be enclosed round aboute by the multitude of their enimies for they were scarce one thousand Switzers who being backed with eight hundred Calabrian footemen made a square batallion and close to the side of the footemen stoode the Horsemen being of Frenchmen and Italians of all sortes a thousand But the Earle of Matalone following the olde order which hath oftentimes destroyed the Italians deuided his army into fyue battels the which were stretched forth in leÌ„gth from the middle battell with equall front like vnto direct wings In the middle battell was he himselfe and Lucas Stabello flanked on the left hand with a thousand Spanyards and on the ryght with thrée thousand Italian footemen But in the vttermost wings were on the one side Venanzi the Duke of Camerino and on the other Hierome de Tutauilla the Earle of Sarno with eyther of them their companyes of Horsemen for thys purpose that as soone as euer the Earle of Matalone shoulde charge the Switzers on the front with his footemen and the French Horsemen with his Horsemen Venanzi shoulde euen then get betwéene the Frenchmen and the wodde with his Horsemen and the Spanyardes and on that side valiantly inuade them and at the very same tyme the left wing should be ledde by Tutauilla vpon the side and backe of the enimie the reason of this deuise was not absurde if that the heartes of the Souldiers and the mouings and goings of the battels whome fortune maketh subiect vnto a thousand chaunces did fully aunswere vnto the counsels and commaundementes of the Captaynes as it then happened For besides that the Arragoman battels were vnwisely placed full against the beames of the Sunne rising whyche did very much dazell their sight yet they séemed also to be vnaduisedly raunged for that the raunges standing a small distance one from an other had neyther strength ynough to abide the shocke neyther yet had euery ranke space ynough lest to turne about their front if néede should be but that one should be encounbered and disordred by an other but that whiche was a greate detriment and iâ— warfare vtterly to be detested the Sâ—â—â—lâ—yers being ouerlustie and cranke as freshe water Souldioâ—â—s commonly are and hauyng neyther learned to be obedyent 〈◊〉 to fighte well discharged neyther duetie of discipline For as soone as euer the great ordinance was shot off farre from them certaine of the Horsemen lustie and braue Gentlemen that they mighte intercept from the rest of their fellowes the honor of approoued prowesse without commandemeÌ„t charging their staues did out of aray one after another runne their Horses vpon their enimies whose charge when the Frenche Horsemen had receiued with the strong front of their vnshaken battell many of them being broched vpoÌ„ their enimies launces cast off from their Horses were slayne all the rest incontinently ranne their Horses backe agayne amaine lighting vpoÌ„ the Spanish footemen disordred their battell and draue them vpon Venanzi his wing of Horsemen in suche sorte that they not onely brake the rankes of the Horsmen but also threw them downe to the grouÌ„d Besides at that very instant the Arragonian footemen running apace gaue with like rashnesse the onset on the Switzers for when some of them bearing Targets hadde hurled their iauelins they drewe their swordes and other bare eyther boarespeares wyth eares or rhompheyes with an hooked head of iron that would cut on both sides they coulde not come vnto the body of the Switzers squadron for their long pykes and therewithall followed suche a change of courage that they whiche euen now ranne forthe wyth singular fiercenesse and surpassing chéerefulnesse incoÌ„tinently turned fearefully backe namely when that their Horsemen ranne in among them Persiue being astonied at the miracle of so great a chaunce that he mighte not fayle vnto Fortune who vehemently fauored him contrarye to hope did valiaÌ„tly set forward couragiously running ouer the heapes of men and Horses falling downe did within the space of halfe an houre which is almost incredible quite ouerthrowe the power of his enimies and that almost without anye wounde of hys owne Souldyers welnéere all the Italian footemen were slayne by the Switzers and with them also a band whiche hadde bin leuied at Naples of the Ruffians and cutters of passing hardinesse there also perished valiauntly fyghtyng whén the rest turned their backes these stoute petito Capthynes Henry a Gentleman of Consieâ— Lewes Sqâ—arcia and Vincent Capeâ—â— The thicke woddes through the whiche the armed could 〈◊〉 easily goâ— defended the Spanyards and light and nimble fellowes withoute armoure But the Earle of Matalone and the rest of the Captaines hauing lost many of the Horsemen shamefully fledde vnto Eboli But when they were hardly receiued in at the gate and the french Horsemen pressed at their backes Venanzi a man of a constant conrage stoutely susteyning the inuasions of the enimie in the hindermost tayle and fighting valiantly was there slayne Furthermore the rest of the Horsemen being in number almost thrée hundreth fetching a compasse thorough very yll wayes came flynging vnto the foregate of the towne but the townesmeÌ„ were so amazed with feare that no maÌ„ would suffer the gate to be opened nor was moued with the daunger of their friendes holding vppe their suppliant hands vnto the walles to saue their liues But as the Frenche had become victors through the vnskilfulnesse and cowardise of theyr enimies so through their fatall slouth knewe they not how fully to vse the victory For Persiue lost the occasion offered to destroy the Horsemen perhappes bycause not surueyng round about the vtter â—iâ—châ—s the situation of the towne he brought his power only â—nto the broade gréene that lay before the towne wondering
the middes of the battell and with greate force beates backe the insulting Epirotes and slaying Alexio Bosigno a noble Geeke their captain â—â—ite defeateth them And with the same fease is also carryed into the ennimyes Campe and there the drudges and stragglers beeing slayne and the Souldiours of the station disordered tooke the carriages and baggage But a little before these thynges were doone by Mottine an other company takyng a longer iourneye thoroughe the Corne fieldes then growen vppe and thereby receyuing small hurte by the ordinaunce had charged the syde of the enimye The Frenche power was deuided into three battailes Tremouille and De la Marche hauyng the leadyng of the wyngs and Trivulzi of the middle battayle and the Batallion of the Lancequenetz hadde gotten them within a ditche betweene the battailes of the horsemenne bycause theyr Trenche beeyng of a newe and wounderfull workemanshippe inuented by Roberte de la March for to enclose them agaynste the chaunce of battayle coulde not bee pitched and sette vp in that suddayne commyng of the ennimie Vppon this Esquadron of the Almaynes the Switzers brynging about their battell towardes the right hande courageously tourned them selues for that they vnderstoode the victorye woulde bee easely obtained after they had once defeated the chiefest force of their enimies armye The Frenche Captaynes seeyng this incontinentely commaunded the greate ordinaunce to bee shotte off vppon them the rankes to bee broken thoroughe wyth greate slaughter and anone after the menne of armes also vehemently charged them on the lefte syde In this tumulte the Amans of Berne and Zuche were slaine yet the Souldiours nothyng appalled wyth their Captaines deathes neyther with their owne perill nor the horrible slaughter of their fellowes gathering their strength togither do cast them selues into a ring and wyth greate valoure doe propell the horsmen and straightway as they had before determined passing ouer the ditche set vppon the Almaines Whervppon incontinently began a bloudye and cruell fight yea and that without either wordes or noise on eyther side sauyng onlye an horrible clashyng of armour and weapons and the softe sighes of them that fell downe deade The Almaines that they mighte reuenge the slaughter of their countreymen the laste yeare at Pauia and now by newe renowne redeme the glory of warfare lost fourteene yeares before at Bruderholtz in the confines of Basill foughte very fiercely But the Switzers that they myght yet one daye quite destroye their olde and peculiar enimies fellowes that had runne out of Germanie and serued the Frenche Kyng in reproche of the Emperour were no whitte behind either in strength or feruencie of courage But whilest the Switzers and Almaines thus fought at push of pike newes was brought vnto Trivulzi and Tremouille that the baggage was taken those that were appoynted to kéepe the Campe slayne and all places fylled full of tumulte and slaughter The fame whereof so troubled the Frenchemens myndes that a greate parte of the horsemen euery man being carefull for his bagge and baggage ranne thither without commandement to recouer the praye Also in another quarter almoste at the same instant the third companye or battell of the Switzers shewed themselues at the fronte of the Frenchemen which battell whilest the Frenchmen hadde in vayne shotte off their ordinance into the woodde that stoode béefore them by reason the Switzers to deceiue the ennimies had politikely lefte among the trees certayne vnprofitable drudges to make a shewe of armed men hadde crepte along by a syde way by little and little stoupyng and traylyng theyr pykes after them And nowe so greate was their contempt of the flying bullets and so terrible their chardge that the Frenche and Nauarrine footmen their Captaine Beamont being slayne and twoo bandes of Genouese and Salucians were quickly defeated and also their ordinaunce taken and tourned on the backs of them that fled When the reste of the horsemen sawe the greate ordinaunce gotten by the enimie in whome the Frenchemen hadde in all warres reposed more truste than in theyr armes and prowesse that the Almaines were nowe almoste quite destroyed their tents taken the enimie ouerthrowing all now large lords of the field betwene shame and feare they tourned their backes When all men were thus dismayed the Captaines themselues were fearlesse enough considering the fearefulnesse of the state and went about to rallye the rankes that were disordered and turned them selues towardes the dissonant cries of their own fellowes made them to abide and fighte encouraged the petye Capitaines and ensigne bearers to put away feare and so long to susteine a fewe pesants of weary vnarmed and nowe weakened wyth woundes vntill the lighte armed had enclosed them The Lansquenetz beare the brunt of the battell and the fight is repaired in all places But the horsemen being nothing moued wyth the wordes of the encouraging and commaunding captaines shamefullye flye For the Switzers althoughe their Captaine Mottine were slaine by a péece of ordinaunce yet hauing gotten the Campe did al bloudy fiercely inuade the lefte side of the horsemen and on the righte syde and on the back a greater power with terrible pikes did very sharply vrge the affrighted and disordered horsemen There perished in repairing the fielde Monfalcon Captaine of the Duke of Albanies companye of horsmen and Coriolano Trivulzi a yong Gentleman of singular hope But the Almaines who leesing halfe their men and two ensignes and their Generall Floranges greeuously hurte had foughte very constantly a long time Nowe when they sawe themselues to bee forsaken by the horsemen and the reste of the footemen in all quarters to be defeated and the great ordinaunce taken thinking that flight was shamefull and yet nothing safe did set the points of their weapons vpright accordyng vnto their manner and yeelded themselues seeking mercye of the victor enimys In this grieuous vproare Robert de la March Lorde of Cedan attached with impotent sorow to see his two sonnes the lords Floranges and Gemese enclosed by the enimye and almoste in desperate daunger of life burst in euen into the midst of his enimies battell wyth a troupe of horsemen and toke them vppe lying among the dead bodyes miserably berayed and embrued wyth the bloude of their woundes and being halfe dead layde them ouerthwarte the neekes of two horses like vnto twoo cloke bagges and thus wyth singular praise bothe of fatherly pitie and warlike prowesse he caried them away preseruing their liues to purchase renowne in future and more fortunate fieldes Thus the Switzers fighting in thrée companyes or battells within an houre and an halfe dyspatched and finished a famous battell and a moste weyghtye warre Neyther yet althoughe the Switzers sawe so many of their enimies lye slaine before their face canne they once to the spoyle notwithstanding that precious furniture of household and al the baggage of the riche army did allure their minds for they remembring their country discipline which doth not permitte them to take anye armed man prisoner in the
deliuered and ridde of the greatest feare and mightiest daunger and séemed to haue nobly susteined men of so greate valor yet being hofull for the feare that remayned and as it were the laste care exspected the ende of the troublesome night and vncertaine fortune Neyther did he giue greater reste vnto his bodye whiche was wearyed with the weight of his armour and was scortched for thirste and continuall toile than pulling vppe his beauer to take breath leane a little while vppon a greate péece of ordinance whilest that his horse was chaunged And then incontinently tourning to the charges of a chieftaine sent vnto Liuiano to come vnto hym wyth his armye and anone drewe in and made his Campe lesse After that the deuise hadde béene liked of the Captaynes to whome he had imparted it and bycause that the enimy professed the place where his fore warde had stoode he placed within a better defenced plot aboue sixe thousande Almaines at the banke of the ditche and commaunded them to guard the ordinance which he had commodiously planted there in greate abundaunce And in another quarter he ioyned a great number of horsemen with himselfe and willed Burbon and Alencen to admoue the firste and thirde battells vnto his side wyth equall order and front so that hée standing full butte against the enimy did as the place required stand in stéede of the fore warde and vsed the two other battells placed on his lefte and right sides as it were for wings Neyther farre from that place had Nauarro and a greate multitude of Almaines encamped pitching downe their ensignes in the grounde bycause when the battell was broken off by the going downe of the Moone they coulde learne neither the forme of the Campe nor the kings counsell and purpose The King that hée might viewe with his owne eyes howe the ditches stoode and how broade the fielde that laye betwéene them and the highe waye was roade foorth with a few horsemen within the sight of the enimy and anone the darke vanishing by little and little into the dawning the King went to encourage the Almaines whome being erected by greate promises he adhorted to finish the battell by fighting a little while and to take the rewards of victory alredy gotten He also full of assured hope and couragiousnesse vehementely enkindeled them by rehearsing the iniuries and discomfitures that the Switzers had don and giuen the Almaines rather through the benefit of fortune and the greate aduantages of times and places than by true prowesse Wherefore they shoulde persuade themselues that this was the proper and ready occasion to reuenge the Massacre of their kinsfolks and fellowe Souldiours and also the meane for to shewe by valiaunt actes that as the Almaines did excell them in nobilitie and faithfulnesse so neyther woulde they graunt vnto these clownes the martiall glory for valor and skil in armes And also vsing the like spéeche he adhorted the French horsemen not to degenerate from their forefathers who had in former ages excelled all nations for seruice on horsbacke Neyther were the batells ranged among the Switzers with lesse hope courage although the greatest parte of the souldiors as they had with diuers chaunces lodged in sundry places ye within the munitiōs of the enimy being refreshed with no succour of meate did hardly with fierce hartes susteine their fainting limmes For the victuals that by the procuremēt of Gonzaga shold be brought from Milan in so shorte time namely in the night seasō which doth cōmonly hinder hast in all doings could not bée brought vnto them timely enough made redy And also most of them when their breakefaste was offered vnto them anone after the breake of the day being called to the battell by the noise of the drummes and the roaring of the ordinance left their meate desired before and also néedefull to repaire their strength At the beginning dyuers Capitaynes assembled togyther among whom was Haisler Focte a famous mā for the honor of his age and the cognisaunces of his office and Chezze Amman who had serued in the fieldes aboue forty yeares pety Captayne ensigne bearer Captaine in chiefe and had wonne singular praise in the forefront at that famous battel at Nancey in the which the Switzers slue and destroyed Charles the Duke of Burgongne and al his power These men whether adduced by consideration of the greate losse that they had receyued or hauing intelligence of the departure of diuers of their fellows and also now séeing through the benefit of the light the greate disaduauntage of the places iudged it to be beste to abstaine from battell thinking that they had gotten estimation ynoughe by yesterdayes encounter for to breake the hauty heartes of the Frenchemen But after they had gone aboute in vaine to stay by dissuading praiers the ensignes which were now aduanced foreward and to retein them by standing against them in the way they should goe they also yéelded vnto the fate and wilfulnesse of the souldiours So Rafe Segne Visembach of Vnderwalden Vlderick Iock Zambron desperate captains of singular valour ordering among them selues how they would attache the battell made towardes the enimy in two companies or battells The formost and greatest battallion wherein was placed the ensigne of the Canton of Zurich the whyche is of highest dignitie among the Switzers hasted directly agaynste the Kings battel the which we told you stood in the mids The other company which had stoode vpon the right hand a little beneath the houses of the village that was burnt fetching a greater circuit about began to bende towardes Alencon the Captaine of the rereward for this entent that when the auaunt guarde had turned the king and the strength of the French army vpon them they might with furious charge sette vpon the side of Alencon who was entrenched with weaker munitions and defenced wyth lesse guard and his battell being broken through they myght perce into the syde of the lefte wing and the backe of the kings battell But vnto an other multitude of their fellowes who were encamped in a fielde on the lefte hande on this side the high way they appointed no certaine charge of attaching fighte bycause they were thought to consist of Cantons being of small fidelitie but did sette them thrée hundreth paces from the reste ouer right against the right wing wherein Trivulzi and Burbon gouerned When the Switzers had gone forwarde an arrowes shoote the Frenchemen in continently at one instant time shooting off all the kings ordinaunce vpon them slue so many of them with singular celeritie that they whiche hadde taken counsell of foolishe hardinesse were punished for their rashenesse before that they coulde come to hande strokes yea or approche vnto their enimies Now since this chaunce had caused an horrible wastenesse and slaughter in the middes of the Switzers so that there was no longer one body of their battallion their rankes being torne parte of them that feared the second volée began to
ordinance nor the force of the horsemen tooke the woode adioyning to saue themselues by the garde of the trées from the violence of the insulting horsemen So the Frenchmen quickly cutting off the legs of the drawing beastes doe get the ordinance and with the same violent pursuite doe enter the woode where being oppressed with the disaduauntage of vnaccustomed encounter Sebastian Squaccia a man of passing prowes was slayne and with him certaine stout petie Captaynes and Ensigne bearers yea and foure whole bandes This exployt being prosperously done in the sight of both armies as it did greatlye augment the courage of the King and the French men so did it strike Pescara with incredible sorowe bicause he coulde not succour them But on the other side he being gréedie of fight as soone as he sawe the Kings armie the which he did not thinke woulde haue come forth into the fielde out of their campe wonderfully reioyced as though he had conceyued the victorie Neyther stayed he but immediatlye sent Falzi an horseman of his acquaintance vnto Lanoy to admonishe him to stay his marche and all things set apart and turning the Guidons towardes the enimies incontinently to encounter them he also signifieth the same vnto Burbon and Nicolas Earle of Salern and gallopeth himselfe to call Guasto but Guasto as soone as he had séene his enimies leauing Mirabello marched backe to Vernacula and setting his men in aray of battel had turned the ensignes towardes the enimies for he did not thinke that in this moment of time he ought to obey that which had bene at the firste commaunded him but spéedily to vse the newe counsell whiche chaunce did present Then Pescara sayde this is well brother you haue done that which I woulde you should wherefore haste you on the lefte hande vnto the ennimie with spéedie pace and valiauntlye endeuour that the victorie maye moste speciallyâ— aryse at your wing When he had thus sayde he flewe vnto the Lansquenets in whose valor and strength he did foresée that the weyght of the battayle and the whole victorie did consiste In the meane time a troupe of the Emperiall light horsemen boldly charging the blacke Esquadron of Almaines were easilye repelled and thrust backe with foule disorder into the valley of Vernacula that laye vnderneath and also the Frenche ordinaunce being commodiously drawen with swift horses into all quarters with marueylous skill and celeritie did so annoye the enimies that the Spaniardes yea laying their brestes flatte vpon the grounde coulde scarse escape the fléeing pellets through the benefite of the lower greunde and Lanoy and Alarco were forced to bring their fearefull troupes of horsemen behinde a countrie Cottage which happily defended them But then the king being vohemently incited by these as it were beginnings of not doubtfull victorie and moued both by the disposition of his owne nature and also through the adhortation of his Captaines doubted nothing to giue the signall to dismarche to giue the charge The rest do the same and before all other Palice the leader of the auantgarde did in the right wing charge the Emperiall horsemen who were now lustily turned This fease and charge of the Frenchmen as it was gréeuous and terrible to Lanoy so by the opinion of many men it séemed to haue afterward not doubtfully caried away the victorie from the Frenchmen for by that headlong and spéedie departure not onely the Switzers and Almaines who coulde not followe after with equall pace were bared of the guarde of the horsemen but also the vse of the ordinaunce was for a great part taken awaye for that the Gunners were forced to cease shooting least that they shoulde strike both the sides and backes of the kings troupes who were runne forth farre before them But neuer in our age did horsemen encounter togither more couragiouslye and strongly for on both sides olde beaten Captaines and horsemen fought with burning heartes not for only glorie a thing yet that doth most sharpen the edge of true prowesse but also for the Empire of Italie The Frenchmen being gréedie of reuenge sought in all places of the encounter most narrowly for Burbon as a forsaker of the King and his countrie with the ignominie of treason and perfidiousnesse but all in vaine for Burbon that he might more safely shewe his valor had giuen his Cognizaunces vnto his familiar freude the Lord Pomperant and fought himselfe in his coate and apparailed like vnto a priuate souldiour But the King himselfe being notorious for his coate of cloth of siluer and specially for his tall stature fullye perfourmed the dutie of an encouraging Captaine and a valiant warrier he setting spurres to his horse brake throughe the enimies battayles he encountred those that he mette and namelye those that were moste of marke for veluet and golde In thys vprore Ferdinand Castriâ—ta who broughte his pedigrue from the Kings of Macedon and was also a noble Captaine was slayne by the Kynges owne hande and Hugh of Cardona the Lieutenaunt of Pescara his companye of Horsemen was also beaten downe twoo Guidons were torne into péeces and the horsemen of Baâ—ier whome Ferdinande the Emperours brother had sent lustilye attaching the encounter and most constantlye fighting were defeated so that nowe the Guidons and troupes of Lanoy and Barbon did almoste swaye and shrinke backe For the Frenche men were superiour in horsemen both for number and strength bicause the Emperiall men of armes did lacke the ayde of light horsemen for of the thrée troupes the firste had gone to Mirabello with Guasto the seconde as wée haue toldo you béeing shamefullye repulsed by the blacke Almaynes had fledde backe But the thirde beyng lefte wythoute the Parke vnder the conducte and guyding of Guy Gaino did garde the cariages and baggage of the whole armye Also that surpassyng companye of horsemen whyche consisted wholye of Italian and Spanishe Gentlemen and was the peculiar companie of the Viceroy ayded them not at all as they which were not at the battell For Lanoy had coÌ„maunded Monsieur Verereis a Fleming his cosin and Lieutenant ouer that hande to staye without the wall of the Parke nor by any meanes to stirre from thence vntil that he had receyued from him by assured messenger the token of departure and of entring the fight But when the battaile was incontinently attached and very hote and Lanoy had all his senses and memorie so vehemently occupied about the present and terrible matter that he sent no man to call his cosin the yong Gentleman thinking that he must in any case obey his vncles commaundementes and the preceptes of Martiall discipline stoode still and moued not vntill the ende of the battaile neyther could he be adduced to go forth into the field by any intreatie or chasing of the horsemen vnto Lanoy being for these causes in great distresse and hardlye susteyning the force of the Kings battayle Pescara who viewing all things and places with wonderfull and present prudence and specially with intentiue
long before had Lanoy come whole vntouched with his horsemen but anon after the sunne was set the Marques came thither wounded a little aboue the knée with an harquebusse shotte that went through his stéele saddle as also his helmet was battered with the many blowes of horsemens Malles but bicause he wore not at that time the Ensignes of a Generall as he was wont to doe but onelye a blacke and meane cassocke he was not knowne of his enimies and so defending himselfe with his sworde got out of this bloudy broyle But the cause why that the French horsmen did not set vpon nor pursue the Italians we learned was this They hauing lost Termes their Captaine and also being dispersed had turned themselues to oppresse the right wing of their ennimies For when the Spaniardes Seisneches and Lansquenettes that had defeated the Gruers and hadde pursued them farre returned ioyfull of their valiaunt seruice and were ignoraunt of the discomfiture of their fellowes they being sodenly amased with the sight of that slaughter and also being in suspence what to doe lighted on the victor Frenchmen by whom being enclosed as in a pownde the horsemen enuironing them rounde were taken prisoners almost without wounde bicause the valiaunt nien thoughte it better in this desperate state to yéelde to fortune than to repugne with foolishe deadly pertinacie There yéelded Raimonde of Cardonna the Campe maister sonne vnto that Raimonde whiche was Generall at the battell of Rauenna and with him Captaines of greate marke Iohn Beamont Lewes Châ—xada Consalres Hernandes and Cheuedes But the Baron Seisnech getting on horse escaped the daunger and Charles Gonzaga when he sawe the horsemen shamefully flée that he might not be attainted with the like dishonour brake in among the French men and being hurled off from his horse was taken prisoner And also Hercules Martinenge borne of a noble house at Bressa being incensed with the selfe same shame but wyth harder lot of honorable attempt lustilye thrust into the thicke battell of his enimies with his cornet as it became one brought vp by Guasto where he was slaine with his brother Attilio They report that there was stayne xij M. of whom farre the most were Almaines And whereas there was in the fielde almost with equall number on both sides aboue xl M. footemen the victorie happened not vnto the Frenchmen altogither without bloude namely séeing that their left wing was defeated put to flight and diuers of the French nobilitie slayne I hearde afterwarde the Marques himselfe saye that he had neuer thought but that he should haue susteyned and defeated the force of the Frenche horsemen which was otherwise to be feared by his bacquebusiers as it had happened at the battell of Pauie and also he did ouermatch the enimies their footemen in strength of thicke Esquadron The fruite of this victorie was nothing else but the winning of Carignano ¶ The Battell of Scriuia in Lumbardie betvveene the Prince of Salerne Generall for Charles the Emperour and Peter Strozzi Chieftaine for Francis the French king in Anno. 1544. Out of Iouius WHen that the Duke of Anghieu had giuen the Marques of Guasto that famons ouerthrowe at Ceresoles the French king deuouring in hope the Duchie of Milan began to reenforce Anghiers power and for that intent sent Peter Strozzi a banished man of Florence into Italie for to take oppe souldiours the which he did with great spéede hyring about Mirandula seauen thousande Italians with his owne money with whom also ioyned Martinengo a noble man of Bressa with his company of horsemen and also Francis Orsins the earle of Petilia is banished men of Naples the duke of Somma the prince of Capazzi who had leuied power in the Romane territorie But when that Strozzi woulde haue passed the Po the Marques of Guasto who had gathered togither a power shewed himselfe on the other side of the riuer readie to impeache his passage also sent the prince of Salerne with the greater part of his power to take the straites of the mountaine Apenine that he might not passe that way neyther Whereby he was forced to séeke safetie by retiring back ouer the painful mouÌ„tains But with in iij. days the Prince Strozzi were in sight one of thother at the riuer of Scriuia begaÌ„ streightway to skirmish But wheÌ„ Strozzi for feare of the princes horsmen passed ouer the riuer withdrew himself to the vineyards that stood on the hanger of an hil certain of the Princes bands of footemen tooke a hill nere vnto theÌ„ The which the Strozzians coulde not abide but did set vpon them so fiercely that they put them to flighte and forced them to léese their enfignes and also to forsake their two péeces of ordinance Then Strozzi being very ioyfull of this good successe as though he had séene victorie nowe comming towardes him by the adhortation of Mathewe a Captaine more aduenturous than skilfull could not kéepe in himselfe but brake forth out of the vineyards and cried victorie victorie and sent vnto the Captaines of Petilians regiment for he himselfe being grieuouslye hurt by chaunce in the legge stayed at Placentia for to followe with spéedie pace with the rerewarde and to be present at the victorie begun Petilians bandes who were not ruled by one man but many and were obedient not vnto the skilfullest Captaines but the noble men of greatest honor as soone as they hearde the crie of victorie coulde not be kept in although that Somma and Capezza commaunded them to marche vnto the vineyardes in a thicke Esquadron but that they ranne forth with loosed rankes and by their thin araye gaue occasion vnto the horsmen of the ennimies to breake forth to the which occasion Salerne fayled not rating the horsemen who a whyle lingering with infamous slouth woulde neyther runne their horses lustily as though they were wearie nor couragiously charge the Esquadron When sayde he will ye thinke that the ignomie lately taken at Ceresolos must be wyped awaye by some valiant facte if that ye doe not nowe charge ouerthwharte the side of this thinne Esquadron of the wearye ennimie marching with loosed rankes The horsemen blushed and immediatly gaue a couragious charge on the enimie Bartholomewe Grece the Lieutemant of Beleons companie being the first that brake forth the yll closed battallion of the enimies was broken through and at length the horsemen charging on all parts and the footemen following all the Switzers were fouly defeated and scattered wyth this euent that few being slain all were almost taken vnhurt the memorie of the vnbloudy warres of our fathers being renued For the Italians did curteously spare them that yeelded being coÌ„tented with the spoyle Neyther were the Almaines and Spaniardes present whose cruell handes reioyeing in slaughter fewe had escaped And also with good lot the two Neapolitane banished Princes Somma and Capezza who were in assured daunger of death were let go when that euery souldiour thought that the
troupe of Almaine horsemen strengthened the light horsemen who contrarie to his expectation had bene repelled and adhorted the rest to glorie and valiance and greatly were his commaundementes aduaunced through the skilfulnesse of the souldiours who did execute Martiall preceptes spéedily an exactly Wherefore they renuing the fight did so valiantly giue the charge on their ennimies that they had almoste made them to turne their backs The Saxon perceyuing the faint courage of his menne that he mighte not be enuironed on all partes and the way of his safetie taken from him called a troup of horsemen from the left wing and commaunded them to succor their distressed fellowes and as the shortnesse of the time would suffer adhorted them in this maner to reteyne the stoutnesse and glorie of their auncestors Vnlesse that ye your selues fellowe souldiours did verye well knowe that almost all mans nobilitie and glorie doth consist in Martiall matters it woulde haue bene néedefull for me to declare with many words that our ancestors got estimation glorie and empire by none other thing and I woulde haue reuoked into your memorie their diume and wonderfull actes But séeing that the straytnesse of the time doth not beare it the which doth require fortitude of hart and strength of bodie than any eloquent speach This onely thing do I say that at this time we must fight for all that we haue the conseruation whereof is reposed in onely fortitude and valor of armes For if we shall playe the valiant and stoute fellowes as in déede we ought to doe this daye will be vnto vs the happiest day that euer shined and of greatest memorie among all our posteritie For we maye I doe not saye defende our goodes countrie libertie religion wiues children although that these things are of them selues most deare and of such price that for them all perils are to be cōtemned neither conserue the recouered principality of Saxonie but with surpassing prayse and admiration of all forein nations augment the glorie of the Germane name deliuer from thraldom and make frée the Almaine Empire and feare the rest of the enimies of the Germaines from euer againe vexing of Germanie and finally obteyne a glorious and quiet peace for euer But contrariwise if we giue place to fortune who is mostlye frende vnto the hardie but seldome vnto the fearefull we must néedes come into the hands of our enimies with extreame shame and at one time léese all that we haue possesse By these reasons were the Saxons a litle cōfirmed who being set in such aray as was thought best for that present the Duke himselfe stoode with his horsemen before his footmen that they might be confirmed For he did not a litle distrust their prowes In the right wing against the Emperials he placed Ernest the Duke of Brunswicke with the horsmen of Nicolas Bernarde and Iohn Segherne whome he did take to be his best He gaue order that if the Emperials did giue any charge in their battels they shoulde shoote off all their Pistolets and harquebusses at once and alwayes kéeping their aray suffer the inuasions of their enimies and also commaunded that no man on payne of death shoulde go out of his place for he himselfe woulde be carefull to bring them succour and thus they faire and softlye expected the onset of the Emperialles The Saxon himselfe roade hither and thither opportunelye prouiding and séeing to all things then he commaūded the horsemen and certaine harquebusiers to giue a charge vpon the Emperiall light horsemen that the rest of his footemen might the more commodiouslye get into the woode through whose garde they thought they shoulde be safe But by this time had the Emperour ioyned with the auantgarde of his men and with fewe words adhorted his souldiours to attache the battell crying Saint George Hispaine and the Empyre But when all the Emperiall troupes ran forth togither equally frōted they came vnto a dirtie plot where many of the horses did slyde as in a slipperie place wherfore the battell was forced to staye vntill that the fore warde were passed the slough least that else both battels should be disordered and one intermired with another whereby it came to passe that they going aside the auantgard was passed by at that same time that the Saxons gaue the charge that I spake of with very good order on the lyghte horsemen of the Emperialles When that the Emperour sawe this oportunitie to haue a sayre daye he sente from the one side men of armes and from the other the harquebusiers on horsebacke and Duke Morrice to charge that parte of the Saxons that had before séemed to be the more fearfull The battell was begunne in the right wing where the Saxons discharging their shotte altogither as they had bene commaunded the fight séemed at the firste to be very cruell But when that the light horsemen of the Italians and the Hungarians charged them in another parte on the side and woulde graunte the shotte no leysure to recharge their péeces agayne and in another quarter the men of armes of Naples Duke Morrices and the Harquebusiers fiercely vrged they so feruentlye charged the Saxons on all sides that the auantgarde whiche had not entred the woode was opened and scattered It was marueylous to sée wythin howe small a space of time and as it were in a momente all the armie of the Saxons was ouerthrowne defeated the light horsemen and the Hungarians pursuing the victory with wonderful celeritie The Saxon although hée endeuoured opportunelye to succour his menne and timely to prouide all things yet when he fawe that so greate a number of his men were layde on the grounde and ouerthrown he determined to saue himselfe by taking the wood after that he certainly perceiued that he was in no wyse able to resist with the reste that were lefte him But when he was disclosed vnto his ennimies by one that was taken prisoner and his Princelye porte and almoste Kinglye maiestie did persuade them to beléeue that it was he in deede firste twoo Italians pursued him and althoughe he were valiantly defended by his men yet at the last when that moe of the Emperialles came he was taken prisoner after no small fighte by Hippolito a Vientine who pulled off his heade péece and did put hym on an hatte in signe of a prisoner But when that the Emperialles came afterwarde into the woode they founde so manye armours and weapons throwne awaye and lying on the grounde and so manye slayne bodyes heaped in the wayes that it was a lamentable sight vnto their countrimen some séeing their berthren other their cousins and frendes slaine by them and also it was no small impediment vnto the rest to pursue the chace Moreouer there were such a number of prisoners taken that many of the Emperialles led fiftie or xx prisoners a péece with their haudes bounde behinde them But bicause that the Emperials séemed to be greatly dispersed for desire of spoile the which is no
he neglecting his torment of the goute called for his horse rode incontinently vnto the campe the which was pitched in a coÌ„modions and well defenced place Nor long after Egmont and Binicourt came in sight with their armie aranged in order of battell with haughtie harts lodged within an harquebusse shot of the Frenchmen and with incredible ferocitie skirmished with theÌ„ in all quarters Then Termes calling the Captaines togither that same night bicause he sawe that he was farre ouermatched in number of souldiours and he was enuironed in his enimies lande as it were with an euclosure of infestuous townes that the power of the Burgonions did daily encrease he concludeth to flée back vnto Calice the next day along the sea sandes when it was low water so to escape by the benefite of nature At the which oportunitie the FrenchmeÌ„ as they had before determined came hofully vnto the mouth of the riuer of Ha where it runneth into the sea aboue Graueling nowe it being low water easily passed ouer the riuer On the other side as soone as Egmont vnderstoode of this flight of the Frenchmen hâ—spéedily passed ouer the riuer beneth the towne that he might stoppe the passage of the fléeing enimie This was done the xiij of Iuly Then he mette with the enimie on the front about Calice since and in the sight of Graueling Here when Termes sawe that he was intercluded from his intended iourney he seruing the time wholye prepared to fighte and when the broade sealaye on the one side of him but on the other a playne without any trée bushe hill or any other impediment and he coueted to haue the place of most aduantage as much as might be he aranged his hoste in this order he deflected all his armie on the right hande northward on the which quarter the sea flowed and therefore did well defence the one side but on the left hande Southwarde he did set the wagons for a trenche and his backe was garded with the riuer of Ha. So that the Frechmen being safe on all other sides laye open vnto the Burgonions onely at the fronte where before their rankes they placed all their ordinaunce which were sixe Culnerings and thrée Falcons yet so that large spaces were left betwéene for the horsemen that by this meanes both the ordinance and also the incursions of the horsemen might at once infest the enimies both sides of which horsemen were flanked with Gascons harquebusiers The rere warde and thirde battell consisted of Frenchmen and Lansquenettes who stoode at the backes of the horsemen with blended rankes Lansquenets and Frenchmen togither that they might succour their fellowes if that néede shoulde be But although that Egmont had no ordinance which had bene left behinde that they might march the more spéedily yet he not gretly forced that his enimies did therin ouermatch him for he trusted chieflye in prowes and valor He then knowing that the enimies had bewraied their feare by their premeditated flight that they ment to driue away with them a mightie bootie coÌ„municating his deuise with the captains determineth incoutineÌ„tly to fight least the Termes might else scape out of his hand by the coÌ„ming of freshe ayde nothing regarding the coÌ„mon Proue the that we must not only giue way vnto our sheing enimie but also make a want for him Egmont encouraging his souldiors to fight doth thus arange theÌ„ He deuideth al the horsemen into fiue troupes commaunding the light horsemen to ryde before in thrée troupes of whome the Earle of Ponteuaules a Flemming gouerned the right wing and Eriques a Biscaian the left but the middle battell Egmont reserued for himselfe Behinde the light horsemen followed troupe of Reysters with Pistolets and then a troupe of men of armes of the lowe Countrimen a certaine space being left betwéene eyther of the battels Then were all the footemen deuided into thrée hattels the footemen were high Almaines Nederlanders whose regiment was greatest and certaine bandes of old Spanishe footemen they were led by their Colonels Hilmaner of Mumchausen Binicourt and Caruatal The armie being thus aranged Egmont cried out with a loude voyce we haue vanquished All that haue regarde of their owne prayse or the glorie of their countrie let him followe me and setting their spurres vnto their horses runne in with me among the thickest of our enimies And sodenly as soone as he had spoken the worde be giuing the signall ran forth The prepared Frenchmen doe manfullye susteyne the charge of the Burgonions and with their ordinance commit great slaughter in the foremost rankes so that Egmonts borse fell downe vnder him But the Burgonions being nothing appalled with this chaunce valiantly insist in their enterprise are caried with all their whole strength vpon the câ—imie by the admonishment and impulsion of Egment Incontinently all the hattels on both sides joyne togither they fight with swordes launces pykes harquebusses pystolets halbards al other weapons The troupes of horsmen encouÌ„ter one the other so likewise the footemen finally they fight with handstrokes setting foote to foote whether this hapned by chauÌ„ce or whether it was prouided by the industrie of the captains certes it séemed a straunge and also a marueylous thing yea vnto those that were skilfull in martiall affaires who did plainly say that it had not happened in our age that any battell was fought with such equalitie of all rankes and orders and weapons and ioyned togither in such indifferent sort Thus they fought verye sharply a long and doubtfull battell For although the Lansquenets stoode still and fought not yet the valor of the Gascons footemen was so great that they supplied the others dastardie with their strength susteyned almost all the brunt and force of the battell for the Lansquenets standing still as it were men separated from them and left a certaine space of the Gascons flewe vppon the vrging Burgonions they resisted them and with haughtie heartes receyued their anpression The French horsemen also encountred but more slowly and dissolutely than their wont is neither as it became Gentlemen of their qualitie although that according vnto the maner of that nation they were chosen men and very well and brauely appointed with all furniturie and horses Moreouer whyle that they fought so valiantly and with so great contention of heartes that neyther partie woulde turne their fares a straunge marueylous chaunce happened for at the same time ten Englishe shippes chaunced to sayle by who descrying the encounter when they were in the maine sea made towarde them and it being full sea came neare vnto the shore and with their ordinance did beate the side of the French armie the which we solde you before lay full vpon the sea The French men being dismayed with this sodeyne chaunce began to be in greate feare distrusting that mo shippes woulde come vnto them But on the other side the Burgonions pressed the more instantly when they had defeated the horsemen anon
footemen to garde the great ordinance and this Esquadron was guarded with a wing of Reystres Thus Conde went towardes the enimie in aray somewhat broade déepe But his enimies were redy aranged in this order the Duke of Guise led the one wing of the auantgarde with a strong troupe of horsemen nere vnto whoÌ„ stoode two Esquadrons of Spaniardes footemen and of Frenche footemen olde souldiours with fouretene péeces of ordinance and the Marshall of Saint Andrewes guided the other wing with a strong troupe of horsemen and was garded on the one side with a battallion of Lansquenets and on the other with a battallion of horsemen Of the maine battell the Constable led one wing with a strong troupe of horsemen neare to whome were placed a battallion of seuentene ensignes of French footemen whome there followed xxij ensignes of Switzers with eyghtene péeces of greate ordinance the other wing his soune Danuille ledde with a strong troupe of horsemen Thus stoode the battels of the Catholikes in grat length on a row here footemen and there horsemen being still interserted The Admirall stoode ouer right against the Constable and Conde against Danuille and the Switzers but no bodie againste Guise and the Marshall of Saint Andrewes who were in the auantgarde Conde first gaue commaundement that the souldiours shoulde be present at diuine seruice and that being ended he ryding about vnto the rankes abhorted them to constancie and confidence and hauing thus prepared their heartes he gaue the signall and he himselfe Curey going before with the light horsmen charged vpon the Switzers in that part where he sawe they were bared of horsemen and strongly brake thorowe them Rochfocault in the meane time standing still The Switzers at the first stoutly susteyned the charge partly through the power of their ordinaunce and also the strengthe of their owne weapons but yet through the thicke hayle of the shotte they began to giue grounde and anon after not being able to beare the force of the horsemen their Launces brake their aray and forsooke the great ordinance and were scattered the Condeans raging with great slaughter And almost at the same momeÌ„t the Admirall charged the Constable and in the meane time the vpper troupes of the Reysters ryding vnto Danuils troupes skirmished with their pistolets WheÌ„ Conde had with great slaughter defeated and put to flight the Switzers he gaue a charge on the next battallion of French footemen and breaking throughe their rankes discomfited and put them to flighte But there was a furious fighte betwéene the Admirall and the Constable but at length the Constable his men begaune to shrinke backe and after that the Constable being wounded in the face with a Curtelace and sore bruised with small shot of pistolets was taken they fledde the Admirall and Conde pursuing them But whyle that Conde his horsemen were busied in pursuing of the enimie the French and Almaine footemen were left naked which Danuill espying charged vpon the Almaine footmen who fledde at the first sight of the enimye towardes a village called Blinuill Then a strong troupe of Guises horsemen gaue a charge on the French footemen and brake their araye and quyte defeated them at the first shocke taking the ordinaunce and committing great slaughter yet when that diuers of the Frenche footemen fought couragiouslye manye of the Guisian horsemen were slayne Moreouer Danuill séeing Conde his horsemen to be disordered and dispersed by pursuing the Switzers and the Constables troupes charged vpon them wounding the Conde with a Pistolet and vnhorsing him did take him prisoner When the Admirall sawe his fellowes fléeing in all places and also the Reysters giuing backe vnto a woode in a thicke troupe after their guyse that when they had recharged their Pistolets they might lustily altogither recharge the ennimie the which vsage of theirs being vnknowen vnto manye did put them in greate feare they suspecting them to flée and finally when he perceyued that all the Condeans were nowe in dispayre bicause that Conde was taken prisoner he was verye pensife namely when he saw thrée mightie troupes of horsmen of the auantgard of the enimie wysely reserued by Guise for the last brunt to make towardes him In these troupes were the Marshall of Saint Andrewe the Dukes Daumall and of Neuers and other noble men but they saye that the Duke of Guise stoode still with other bandes that had not yet foughte for to beholde the ende of the battell then the Idmirall spéedilye relying all the Frenche and Almaine horsemen that he was able to make and also by the returne of those Reisters that I sayde went aside vnto the woode their heartes being confirmed stoutlye susteyned the charge of their enimies Then there beganne a sharpe encounter bothe sides fighting full suriouslye their heartes being constantlye sette to murther one another with almoste equall fortune yet the Guisians gaue grounde and by little and little drewe backe and more grieuous had bene the fighte namelye the souldiours of Conde being chased if that the nighte had not parted them who were wearied with long labour of fighte Both partes caused the retire to be sounded and returned vnto their Campes The Admirall for lacke of horses lefte foure fielde péeces behinde him In this laste encounter were slayne the Marshall of Saint Andrewes with a Pistolet after he was taken Monbrun the Constables sonne the Lorde Piennes the grand Prior one of the Guises two Brosseys Giures Anneboult and a greate number of other of the Nobilitie Daumâ—ll was grieuouslye hurte and also Neuers who died thereof and manye other and an hundreth of the nobler sorte were taken prisoners and also certaine of the order as Beauâ—ayâ— Roâ—â—fort â—t Of the faithfull or Protestantes Mouy and diuers other noble men and Captaynes were eyther taken or slayne God so mode rated the euent of so great a battell that neither part coulde be sayde eyther to haue wonne or to haue lost the fielde for on the part of the faithfull was Conde the patron of the cause taken and on the Catholikes their side the Constable was taken and the Marshall of Sains Andrewes slayne And as the faythfull flewe a greate number of the Catholikes their footemen so did the Catholikes of the faithfull their footemen but mo horsemen were slayne on the Catholikes part and also footemen for of the xxij ensignes of the Switzers few were saued but Conde his losse was more difficill to be borne and repaired but Guise being better furnished for the warres had great incommoditie by the losse of so many great Captaines and noblemen as were there slayne taken This battel was fought the xix of December The Admirall gathering togither his power returned vnto Orleans and the Guise vnto Paris eyther of them to repayre their sore weakened armies ¶ The Battell foughte at Saint Dennis neare to Paris in France betvvene Levves of Burbon Prince of Conde and Annas Montmorencie Constable of France in Anno. 1567. Taken out of the booke intituled
fight without feare and valiantly against their enimies their nauie If that anye man did forsake the battell eyther for slouth feare or anye other cause he and his vessell and all that were with him should be incontinently consumed with fire In the meane time he commaunded as our men did that euerye man shoulde repayre incontinently vnto his ranke and order and kéepe it ordeining a grieuous payne for all them that shuld doe otherwise Moreouer he assembling his men togither adhorted them to be myndefull of their wonted prowes through the which they had so often hitherto put to flight this same enimie and reduced into their memorie all the noble actes that they had done in former yeares agaynst Charles the fift and his sonne Philip during the reygne of Solyman Moreouer he briefelye repeated all that they had at sundrye times done agaynste the Venetians and what they had of late gotten by warres and armes that is to wit howe they had augmented the Turkishe dominions with the kingdome of Cyprus Wherefore they ought to remember that they were also nowe to fight wyth those men whome they had so often discomfited and that they shoulde make a waye and entrie not onely into Italie but also shortlye vnto the possession of all Europe and therefore they shoulde fight valiantly assuredly trust that God and Mahomet through whose helpe their auncestours had subdued so manye kingdomes and Prouinces and had broughte backe from the vanquished enimye so manye renowmed victories woulde also be with and assiste them in this battell These things and manye suche lyke did he set before his souldiours with an oration no lesse graue than eloquent that thereby his souldiours although he sawe them of their owne accorde to be sharply inkindled to fight might yet be through these adhortations the more and more accensed Nowe was all the daye almoste spente when that the nauies on both sides were made readie to fight The ennimies fléete was sette in almoste the same araye that oures was For the middle battell came against our middle battell and their wings against ours Our sixe greate galleyes or Galeazes as I haue tolde you wente before of whome two stoode before eyther wyng as a moste sure Bulwarke and the rest wente before the myddle battell These greate Galleyes charging the leaders of the Turkishe battelles against them did beate the ennemie on all sides with their ordinaunce and committed horrible slaughter But althoughe the Turkes had receyued manye greate losses by them and sawe that their orders and rankes were scattered yet they being passed by them did wyth a certayne marueylous pertinacie and stoutenesse of heart gette them incontinentlye vnto the Ensignes So anon the two fléetes ioyned togither in battell and the highe Admirall galleyes of bothe fléetes vsing the surpassing chearefulnesse of the Mariners and Rowers ranne togither with so greate force and violence that their beakes on bothe sides were strycken off They foughte valiantlye and variablye for the space of an whole houre the victorie enclyning vnto neither parte fortune giuing ioyfull hope of prosperous euente nowe vnto oure men and then vnto the aduersaries And nowe they began to fighte no longer with Arrowes Dartes and Gunnes but encountered close togither with their Swordes But when our menne had twyce boorded the Turkishe Admirall and had gotten vnto the Maste and séemed to be maisters of hir they were twyce repulsed thence and not withoute a notable losse by newe succoure that ranne thither Whyle that these thynges are in doing Bernardine de Cardona séeing that Lewes de Figaroa the Captayne of the stemme of the highe Admirall had manye of his menne wounded and slayne came spéedilye to relieue and succoure him wyth Michael de Moncada to whome also that charge had bene enioyned But whylest that Bernardine foughte valiantlye at the stemme with his sworde and target he being shot in with thrée pellets fell downe and dyed the next morning And in that place were also Peter Zaputha Lewes de Ferez Pliege the father Federick de Benauides Gusman Philip de Rhodes Ruide de Mendozza Iohn de Sâ—to and Lewes de Rochenes who was sometime at the standard and sometimes with Dom Iohn and all these noble gentlemen fought against the enimie with great and incredible valor At length our men still vrging with sharpe sight and hauing gotten a fauourable aspect of victorie did after an houre and an halfes fight discomfite the middle battell and boorded and tooke the Admirall galley in whome were about fiue hundreth of the noblemen slayne and mo taken and wounded the Admirall himselfe while that he encourageth his men he erecteth those that doe faynt and be fearefull he confirmeth the couragious he extolleth to the heauens those that fight valiantly and promiseth them great rewardes finally whilest that he executeth no lesse the charge of an excellent Chiefetaine than of a stout souldiour is slayne with a small shot that hit him in the heade the whiche being streightway cut off from his necke was brought by a Spaniard vnto Dom Iohn who as soone as he saw it coÌ„manded it to be set on the poynt of a speare for a space held it aloft with his own hande as it were a trophey and to strike terror into the heartes of the rest of his enimies who fought yet very valiantly anon were all the Turkish flagges pulled downe and one of the crosse hanged out in their place But although that a principall galley of the enimies sodenly inuaded the Admirall when that she had almost vanquished hir enimies yet she had the same euent that the rest had While that the high Admirals doe most fiercely encounter eche other Partaw and Colonna encountred togither and euery one of Colonna his galleys with the Turkishe some with two and some with thrée as Colonna himselfe and the Admirall of the Venetians had done equall almost was the prowes of the souldiours on both sides At the beginning of the encouÌ„ter many were slayne but most on the enimies part by reason that our men had in euery galley thrée hundreth skilfull verye well practised harquebusiers and on the other side the enimye had verye fewe although in steade of them there were innumerable archers and among them some on horsebacke who deadly wounded manye of our menne But in the meane time the Galleye slaues also brought no small helpe to the obteyning of the victorie by hurling of Dartes and stones vpon the enimie While that the chief Captaynes of the fléetes encounter one the other with so bloudy and cruell fight all vessels of both nauies doe also in all partes furiously fight one against the other and Doria and Occhiali runne togither But here was the fight most troublesome and hardest bicause that Doria had ioined with so suttle an enimie and an old beaten Captaine and one whome he sawe did recule backe that he might choose that which he iudged woulde be most for his aduauntage This was a great impediment that his counsels
encounter the midle battel wherin was the Kyng But the fourth battell to charge the rerewarde was assigned vnto Fortebraccio de Montoni Also thrée battels of succoure were appoynted with very good order indéede but with a very shamefull euent so that Antonie de Feltri the bastard of Vrbine should timely ayde the Generall when the signall shoulde bée giuen Aniball Bentiuogli Galeazzo Pallaâ—icini when néede required should follow the Earle of Giazza and finally Lewes Aduocato and Fraunces Gambara Bressâ—ns and Soneino Beazono a Gremenese should attend vpon Montoni The reason why these battels of succour were ordeined was this that when euery battell of the Frenchmen béeing entangled with their owne peril could not succour the nexte being in distresse they shoulde all of them be at one time beaten downe almost from all partes The eyght and ninth battell were placed a little father off for as ayde against all vncertaine chances But Taliano Pio Charles Meliteo were left with the rest of the armye to guard the Campe. Moreouer the maisters of the great ordinance were commaunded to plant their ordinance in a long ranke on the banke of the Riuer of Tarro in as commodious places as coulde be prouided by martiall arte When the battels were thus sette in aray the Marques returned vnto the Prouiditori who albeit they being suspended with very weightie care iudged it contrarie vnto the reason and trade of their common wealth to dareyne battell yet suche was the chéerefulnesse of the host singularly well arraunged and appoynted to fighte that nowe it repented them of their ouerwary counsell and were throughly filled both with ioy and assured hope of victorie Neither was ther any man honourable either for his age or martiall dignitie that then durst consult with cunctation and suspense whether the battell were to be aduentured or openly to make any doubt of obteyning the victorie for most of the fresh water Souldiers béeyng lifted vp by a certaine hote desire to fight and a trust reposed in their strength were so lustie that if they hearde anye men speake somewhat warely or considerately in that daunger of the whole state they openly rayled vppon him with manye reprochful wordes and called them drawe backes and feareful dastardes And it happened that wheÌ„ Radulph Gonzago sayd that hée thought the place would be incommodious for them to fighte in and therefore would haue had it first made euen and leuell he was streight wayes malapertly scoffed at by Mario Caluisano a goodlye lustie youth and one in greate fauoure with the Marques for hée tolde him with vnreuerend spéeche that they which were so greatly afrayde of their skinne might do well immediately to get them thence and shrowde themselues warely within the walles of Parma I pray God quoth Radulph then that these foolishe hardie kilâ—owe princoxes do valiantly follow me piercing into the middes of the enimies for they shall receyue the strokes not of painted and trilling vain stanes as they do at games but féele of the stroÌ„g and sturdy stéele God graunte we maye embrue these braue casâ—â—â—kes and coates rather with our enimies than with oure owne bloud Radulph indéede was the true and the best Iudge and valure of forraigne warfare for from his childhoode he had bin one of the Henchmen of Charles the Duke of Burgoigne and was present at those thrée last battels in whiche he béeyng at length vanquished lost hys martiall power whyche before was feared of all men and hys Duchie togyther wyth hys life In the meane tyme when the Frenchmen now drewe néere and the Souldyers were excited vnto the battell by the often thunder of the great ordinance the Marques turning hymselfe vnto the Lieutenantes sayde If you thynke it for the behoofe of the common weale that we doe valiantly bridle the foolishe hardinesse of the Frenchmenne whiche wyth barbarous vanitie doe promise themselues the Empyre of all Italy we must not long consulte but nowe when the Fyffe and Trumpettes of oure enimies do call vs we must out of hande bende oure heartes to fyghte for if by lingering we shall lette oure enimies escape out of our handes wée shall not fynde héereafter so good an occasion to oppresse him and shall in vayne pursue hym béeyng lyght and vncumbred and wyth wasting all the Countrey hasting through the paineful and blinde pathes to succoure his people at Nouara I for my part if yée shall commaunde it will lette the Seigniorie of Venice to vnderstande my seruice and will stretche all my strength of body and minde to shewe that the auntient honor is not takeÌ„ from the Italian Souldiour by forraigne nations and that thorough oure valiaunce a most renowmed victorie may be gotten of the prowde enimie for you Venetians the true and assured setters at libertie of the dignitie of Italy Therevnto hys college also assentyng thus aunswered Triuisano Go to most valiant Generall séeyng that you doe testifye wyth surpassing courage so singular a good wyll towardes the Venetian name and that the honor of sauing Italy doth instantie you to winne the fruite of euerlasting prayse commaunde the battell to be sounded the whyche I pray God may bée good and fortunate vnto the Seigniorie of Venice and their confederated felowes turne the araunged battels against the enimies and endeuour by vanquishing valiauntly that youre house renowned for the perpetuall glistering of auntiente glorye maye bée made to shyne 〈◊〉 brighte through the honorable title of a newe victorie And without anye more tarriance at one tyme the Drummes Trumpettes and greate ordinance beganne to sounde and the battel 's arraunged in suche order as we haue declared made towarde the enimie thorough the Riuer in thrée places but they ranne foorth so rashly and vnluckily that they who were carried wyth so greate couragiousnesse were troubled and halfe ouercome by the greate iniquitie of the places before they coulde come vnto theyr enimies for the Chanell of Tarro was very yll to passe ouer full of turnings and windings and verye muche cumbered wyth Willowes growyng therein and also the brimmes of both the bankes were very hard both to goe vp and downe And moreouer manye quagge myres and blinde gulfes were made by the greate rayne that fell the daye before And finally the Fordes of the Ryuer were euery where stony and vncertayne through whyche difficultyes as it must néedes happen the course and force of the passengeâ—s was greately hyndered And albeit they were sore annoyed with these incommodityes and the greatest parte of them coulde hardly gette out themselues nor ouertake them whyche marched before yet they valiantly charged their enimyes and ranne togyther with Speares and Swordes and in thrée places attached a hote and variable fight nowe fortunate to one and now to the other The Frenchmenne hadde stoode still in a place very safe the whyche on that syde whyche the Italians came was very vneuen and cumbered wyth many trées so that when the Italians clambered vppe the hyll they foughte dispersed with
more wary counsell and youre more happie prowesse First of all we will commaund the hurt men to be carried to Parâ—â—â— and there cause them to be cured and the bandes that haue not fought shall haue the charge of the Camp that the wéeried maye take some rest I will go about the watch my selfe and will streÌ„gthen with sure garrisons all wayes and entrances and this will I to the vttermost endeuoure that we may lye in safetie from the violence of our enimies Tomorrow will more manifestly shewe vs the motion and mindes of our enimies and will open a safer way to our counsels The Prouiditori lightly assented to this opinion for although the Marques séemed to haue performed rather the duetie of a valiant Horseman than of a prudente Generall yet they were so farre from reprehending him of rashnesse for that vnluckie euent of the battell that they had him in admiration as made more renowmed through this newe glory of approued prowesse and inuincible courage for although the aged menne were of themselues men of great honor and such as had borne great dignities at home yet did they reioyce for that augmentation of martiall prayse as most honorable and dyd thinke that the most glorious triumph of almost taking so great a King prisoner and of the victorie wel néere gotten thorough the hardie attempte of the Marques was taken from them thorough the vnskilfulnesse or cowardise of a fewe The next day the Kyng sent vnto the Venetian camp for truce for thrée dayes the which was denyed and only that day graunted for to burie the slayne men on both sides The next night the Kyng about one of the clocke after midnighte causing manye fires to bée neade in the Campe to deceyue his enimies dislodged withoute Trumpet sounded or Drumme stroken in somuche that he hadde 07 marched certaine myles before his departure was knowen to the Venetians But as soone as it was light and the Marques had intelligence that the enimies were dislodged he sente the Gréeke Horsemen and also the Earle of Giazza and his brother Fracassio with the lighte Horsemenne to pursue them who although they might muche haue eâ—â—amaged the Frenchmen marâ—â—ing almost in â—â—éâ—yng manâ—â— yet they did theâ—â— no haâ—â—e whyther for â—â—â—ate good will or by the commaundemente of the Duke of Milan who feared as much the Venetians obteyning an entier victorie as the Frenchmen with their vnappayred power I leaue vnto other to iudge But after this the Duke of Milan forâ—â—â— the Duke of â—â—â—ans to surrender Nouara Of the Battell of Seminara foughte in the kingdome of Naples in Anno. 1495. betvveene Verdinande King of Naples and the great Gonsalues Captayne of the Spanyardes on the one syde and the Lordes Obegnie and Persiue for Charles the Frenche Kyng on the other ANone after the departure of Charles the french K. out of the kingdome of Naples Ferdinande the king of Naples wafted out of Sicile with about seuen C. horssemen and fiue M. Spaniardes and Sicilians sent by the K. of Spaine vnder the conduct of GoÌ„salues de Cordoua vnto Rezo in Calabria The whiche Towne and castel they tooke as also they did Saint Agatha and then all the Townes there aboutes partly for desire they had of their king and partly for the wéerinesse of the Frenchmen opened their gates vnto Ferdinande so that nowe he was come so farre into the countrey as SEMINARA WheÌ„ the K. Obegny gouornour of Calabria for the french king had intelligence hereof he sent for Seigneur Persiue out of Basilicata to bring with him all the garrysons that were in that countrey with whome he with his power méeting at Terranoua before that his enimies had knowledge of Persiues comming marched to Seminara to fight with Ferdinande out of hande or if he would holde himselfe within the walles of Seminara nor durst not commit himself to the open fielde and fight that then he woulde returne as victor making manifest vnto the world the cowardise of the enimies The which thing he thought would be of greate moment to kéepe the people in their duetie specially séeyng he did thinke that within few dayes ayde would come vnto hym out of Campagna Puglia and Abruzzo But Ferdinande who had not yet intelligence of the comming of Persiue and had bin aduertised by espyes of the power of Obegny which was very small nothing doubted to issue out of the Towne and encounter his enimies thinking that al the estimation fauoure that he had gotten a little before by bold attempting and valiantly trying of Fortune would now be lost by one infamie of being shamefully enclosed by siege and the dishonor of conceyued feare if that he should hyde himselfe without the Towne But Gonsalues in whose head was that power of exacte prudence whereby he afterwarde passed almost all the rest of the Captaynes of oure age beganne to admonishe the yong Prince gréedy both of recouering the Kingdome and of winning glory earnestly desiring him not to goe out of the Towne before the purpose and power of their enimies were more certaynely knowen that those counsels are honorable ynough which promise â—â—â—uritie to doubtfull matters but those are most shamefull and miserable whiche through rashnesse when that we vauntingly shewe a vayne vigour of hart are wont to destroy all meanes to obteyne the absolute Conquest and conceyued victorie And must we then sayde Ferdinande recouer the Kingdome with as grease cowardise as we lost it and not rather in these so prosperous beginnings proue that fortune by doing and attempting whyche we fouÌ„d aduerse by setting stil and absteyning from sight in Romagna Campagna as though the beginnings of warres haue not the gretest momeÌ„t for the successes that folow those exployts that are couragiously begun vnlesse they be valiantly prosecuted haue they not a soule and vnhappie ende Fortune will be with vs Gonsalues which hath hitherto stoode with the Frenchmen séeing that shée now smileth on our first enterprises neyther will she euer forsake them whome of hir owne accord she calleth vnto victorie vnlesse that we do shamefully forsake hir by our dishonorable lingering Let vs once sée the faces of the Frenchmen which only Fame and that to very vayne hath made terrible and let vs couragiously setting foote to foote trye both oures and their strengthes We are superiour in footemen Horsemen the good will of men and finally in the fauoure of Fortune neyther must we doubt of the prowesse of you and your regument For who is there of you that if we should fighte man to man would not gladly desire his Frenchman or Almayne to encounter withall and also woulde valiantly slay him I doubtlesse for my part will first before you all boldly charge the first braue Gentleman that I shall sée in their battell and by happie hardinesse giue you an example that yée running vppon them with like heate may through equall courage bring backe a spéedie victorie from this drunken enimie There were many
noble men present at this Counsell who afterwarde came to the estimation of great Captaynes Andrew de Altauilla of the noble house of Capua Hugh of Cardonna Theodore de Trivulzi and of the Spanyardes Emanuell Benauides Peter Pâ—ces Alberade and Pennalosa who being very desirous to fight prayed Gonsalues that he woulde not distrust the prowesse of the Souldyers and promising to behaue themselues valiauntly adhorted Ferdinande to commaunde the armie to issue out of the Towne Seminara standeth high and from the Towne runne there hylles along vnto a little valley the whiche sendeth forth a riuer out of a lowe botome at this vale beginne the Champeine fieldes whither the Frenchmen were now come from Terranoua Ferdinande marching thrée miles along the hilles came to the riuer and lodging his footemen on the hither banke vppon the lest hande and all hys Horsemen béeyng stretched out along like vnto a wing on the right hand looked when his enimies would passe the riuer Ouer right againste the footemen of their enimies dyd Obegny and Persiue set their Switzers being cast into one battaylion they placed the foot men of the Calabrians behinde them as it were to succoure them and deuided betwéene them the Horsemen who were little lacke of foure hundred men of armes and after the order of the Frenchmen twice as many light Horsemen and passing ouer the riuer in a square battell made towardes their enimies The Spanishe Horsemen séeing that set spurres to their Horses and chéerefully ranne foorth and when they béeyng ouermatched both in armour weapons and strength could not make the thicke battell of the men of armes to giue ground giuing a shoute began to turne their Horses and after a Spanishe kind of sight to retire vnto their fellowes with fetching a round compasse that both discouraged the heartes of the Arragonian footemen thinking theyr horsemen had bin discomfited by the enimie and so fledde backe and also encouraged the Frenchmenne couragiously to presse on them so that Obegny on the right hande and Persiue on the lefte hotely charging the battell of the footemen with theyr Horsemen disordred them before that the Switzars coulde bende their pykes towardes them and many of them being ouerthrowen quite cat-stered the whole â—attell Ferâ—â—â—â—â—sse 〈…〉 aâ—â—â—â—ting hys Souldyers to returne into the battell like a valiant Horseman ranne vppon his enimies accompanyed with certayne men of armes of his seruauntes and brake hys Launce on the brest of a Frencheman of Maâ—â—â— and anoâ—e after béeing ouerwhelmed with the multitude of his enimies was forced to â—â—ée béeing pursued of many by reason of his crost and guilt annour but ouertaken by none when sée the such his Horse foundering threw him downe headlong into a very narrowe place in a hollow way neither were the frenchmen farre off from hym béeyng encombred with hys Horse lying vpright vppon hym and hys foote â—â—taugâ—â— in the stirrops when Iohn brother vnto â—adrâ—w â—tiaâ—â—â—â— came to his helpe and of entieâ—â—mis worthy of eternall memorie offered him his owne swifte Horse to saue his life vpon whome Ferdinander as he vauâ—ted excellently well spéedely leaped although he were in heauie â—â—fâ—plete armoure and so escaped the enimie But Aâ—â—â—uilla being on foote was anâ—ne after staynâ— by the Frenchmen â—â—egry hauyng stayne a great part of the footemen lodged not farre from the place of enâ—oâ—â—tes so â—â—atâ—â— was said that he little knew how to vse the victorie bycause he neyther pursued so manye noble men among whome was the Cardinall of Arragon nor incontinently brought his victorious armye before Semiâ—â—â—â— through the whiche leysure both the noble men and the King came by dyuers wayes in safetie vntoothe Shyppes and Goâ—salues also who by valiauntly fightyng and by repayring the array in many places had doubtlesse saued many entred the Towne and carryed away the baggage and all the better part of the furniture of the Camp and then gote hym to Rezo the Frenchmen afterward pursuing him in â—â—yne The Battell of Eboli fought in the Kingdome of Naples betvveene Persiue Chiefetayne for Charles the French King and Thomas Carafa Rarie of Matalone Generall for Ferdinande the King of Naples in Anno. 1495. KIng Ferdinande and the greate Gonsalues béeing escaped as yée haue heard out of the battell of Seminara the king embarking his power that was lefte sayled 〈◊〉 the Citie of Naples where he was receyued in by the well willing Townemen and many noble men Arragonites repayring vnto hym he straightely besieged Monipensier the Frenche Viceroy and other in the Castel the which he had entrenched round And also the great Gonsalues hadde repayred hys power at Hezo out of Sicile and warred on the Calabrianâ— Monpensier signifyed vnto Obegny and Persiue that he was not able to hold out long vnlesse that ayde were spéedyly sent vnto him eyther by sea or land Vpon this they sent for the noble menne that were of the Aniou or French faction â–ª to repaire vnto theÌ„ with their hands and also gathered togither their dispersed people and then deuiding the army Obegay went against Gonsalues and Persiue with Bernardiue Sanseuerino Prince of Besignino who had brought a cornet of Horsemen and four hands of footemen hasted to Naples came to EBOLI a towne not far froÌ„ the riuer of Cochile standing vpon a very high hir and enclosed round about with a déepe valley Ferdinand hauing intelligence of the french mens comming hadde sent his Captaines power thither before to let the passage of the whose way lay by Salerne himself remained at Naples to the end he might be presente at the parle of the FrenchmeÌ„ who séemed willing to entreate of taking truce and yéelding vp the Castel The General of the kings army was Thomas Carasa Prince of Matalone a man vtterli ignoraÌ„t of forraigne warfare but thers were with him many good warrioures amoÌ„g theÌ„ Venazi D. of Camerino Lucas Sabello who knowing whiche way the Frenchmen mynded to trauayle and hauing diligently viewed their power gaue aduice with small iourneys to followe at their enimies héeles who marched directly to Salerno to cut off their victuals and not to ioyne in battell wyth them before that a place of disaduantage hadde taken and offered them to be oppressed or else which séemed to be best incontinently with all spéede to take the Towne called the little Lake and the inhabitants thereof being commaunded to abandon the Towne and to set it on fire that the enimie might not vse the victuals and bouses thereof and then to marche spéedely to Salerne before the Frenchmen But the rest of the Captaynes and Souldyers contemning the small number of their enimies dyd burne with so great desire of fight that béeing incited by a foolishe courage they cryed out that it was not for the dignitie of the King and of so great an army that the victorie which they almost held assuredly should be sought not by the right way opeÌ„ prowesse but by going about the bushe and dastardly suttletyes Moreouer
de Medici Moreouer along the same banke of the riuer stoode the rerewarde conducted by Caruaiall a Spaniarde in that battell were foure hundreth men of armes and foure thousande footemen all the light horsemen whose Generall was Daualos Marquesse of Pescara a verye young Gentleman but of passyng greate hope guarded the right syde of the footemen behinde that they might succour that part that fainted the great ordinance was placed in the front of the men of armes and Peter de Nauarro the Generall of the Spanishe footemen accompanied with fiue hundreth horsemen had tyed hymselfe tone certain place but had sette at the ditche in the front of the footemen thirtye Wagons lyke vnto the hooked Chariotes vsed in auntient time Wherevpon he had placed fielde peeces and very long boare spears to sustain the more easely the furious fease and chardge of the Frenchemen in which order they expected the impression and chardge of their ennemies strong armye wythin the munition of the ditche the which counsell as in the ende it profited nothing so did it appeare at the beginning to be pernicious for it was the minde of Fabricio de Coloma to inuade the enemies assoone as they beganne to passe ouer the riuer thinking it more commodious to encounter with one only parte of the ennimies than to abide in the camp defenced with a single ditch but when Peter de Nauarro whose counsell the Viceroy dyd folowe as oracles repugned it was decreed thoughe nothing prudently that they should be suffered to passe ouer the riuer Now the Frenchmen beingcome within 〈◊〉 hundreth paâ—en of the ditche stayed when they saw their enimies kept theÌ„selues within their Campe not stirring one foote least that otherwise they should giue their enimie that aduantage whiche themselues desyred to haue so both armies stoode stone still aboue two houres but innumerable pellets were in the meane time shot out of the great ordinance on eyther syde by whome the Frenche footemen suffered not a little detriment for Nauarro had planted his ordinance in suche a place as he might muche hurt them but the Duke of Ferrara with great celeritie brought a part of the great ordinance behinde the army vnto another wing of the Frenchmen where the archers on Horsebacke stoode which wing bycause the army was of the forme of a croysant was almost on the backe of the enimies from whence he began cruelly to flanke their sydes with very great detriment and namely of the Horsemen for the Spanish footemen being brought by Nauarro into a lowe place along the rampyre of the riuer and by his commaundement layde flat on the ground could not be hit Fabricio called out with a loude voice and vrged the Viceroy with chicke sending of messengers to begin the battell before they were absumed by the fury of the great ordinance but Nauarro being led by peruerse ambition would not assent for synce he had promised himselfe victorie thorough the valor of the Spanish footemen yea though all the rest of the armye were slayne he thought that hys glory would be the more augmented the more the detrimentes of the rest of the army were heaped But now the men of armes and light Horsemen had susteyned so greate slaughter that it coulde be no longer borne and with a miserable spectacle mingled with horrible cryes nowe Horsemen now Horses fell downe dead nowe heads and armes torne off from the rest of the bodye were séene fléeyng in the aire whereat Fabricio exelayming And must we all quoth he shamfully dye through the wilfulnesse and peruersenesse of one Maran and must this armie be vtterly all loste not one enimie slayne by vs Where be our so many tropheys of the FreÌ„chmen must the honour of Spayne and Jtaly perish for the pleasure of only Nauarro and when he had spoken these wordes no longer staying eyther for the signall or commaundement of the Viceroy he draue his Horsemen ouer the ditche whome when the rest of the Horsemen followed Nauarro was forced presently to giue the signall vnto his Regiment who rising vp with great ferocitie encountred the Almaines which had now approched them so all the battels on both sydes being mixed a maruellous mightie battell was begun and the greatest without doubt that Jtaly had séene in many yeares for that at Tarro was scarce any thing else but a strong encounter of Horsemen and the battels in the Kingdome of Naples were rather disorderings of array or rash attemptes thaÌ„ battels and at Giaradaedda the smallest part of the Venetian power had fought but héere all of both sydes béeyng mixed togyther in a playne without impedimente of waters or munitions two mightie armies fought with hartes firmely fastned eyther to vanquish or dye being inflamed not only by perill glory and hope but also with the mutuall hatred that the nations bare euery one to other In the encounter of the Almayne footemenne with the Spanyardes two Colonels of greate fame named Iacob Emser an Almayne and Zamude a Spanyard fought as it were by challenge before the frontes of the battels in whiche fighte the Spanyarde slaying his enimie became victor The Horsemen of the confederates were not comparable vnto the French Horsemen besydes they had bin that day so endamaged and torne by the ordinaunce that they were made farre inferioure so that after they had awhyle susteyned the force of their enimies rather by stoutenesse of hart than strength of body and Alegies sending for Palice wyth the rereward and also the thousande footemen which had bin lefte at Montone had charged them on the syde and Fabricio de Colonnae fyghting very valiauntly had bin taken by the Souldyers of the Duke of Ferrara they séeyng themselues no longer able to beare the force of their enimies and also taught by the examples of theyr chiefetaynes turned theyr backes For the Viceroy and Caruaiall neuer tarrying the vttermost triall of the valour of the Souldyers fledde leading away with them the rerewarde almost whole and vntouched wyth whome also fledde Antony de Leâ—a a man then of low state but one that afterwarde being exercised by the space of many yeares in all degrées of martiall seruice became a verye famouâ—â—enerall Nowe all the lyghte Horsemenne were ouerthrowen and Pescara theyr Captayne wette wyth bloud and woundes was taken with hym and also the Marquesse of Palude who hadde broughte into the fyghte the seconde battell through a fielde full of ditches bushes and bryers whyche muche disordred the aray and besydes that the grounde was nowe couered ouer wyth the carkasses of Horses and men slayne whyche was no small hynderaunce vnto them But yet the Spanishe footemen béeyng forsaken of the Horsemenne foughte with incredible fiercenesse who although they hadde bin a little driuen backe at the fyrste encounter wyth the Almaynes by reason of the strong rankes of theyr pykes yet after they came within the length of theyr Swordes and manye of the Spanyardes béeyng couered wyth Targettes hadde gotte betwéene the legges of the
madnesse Drawe your swords therefore with me and cutte the throats of these freshe water Souldiours and be ashamed not to goe thither for feare of death whither ye shall see mee your Captaine leade you the way for renowne and glory The souldiours succlamed vnto the Oration of the king yet speaking with the clashing of their weapons and dissonant cries wythout any longer delay the king first sending out of sight his own horse and then al other doing the like to the end that all mens peril being made equal all hope of flight quitetaken away as it is the manner of that nation hee might shewe both his strength of bodye and valiauncie of minde diuided all his power into fiue battels for this reason that the midle battell wherin was his chiefe standerde shoulde be guarded on both sides with two battels as it were with wings In the right were the Earles of Huntley Craforde and Montrosse in the lefte the Lorde Hume and the erle of Lennox and Arguile reported to bee experte menne of warre He had ordeined a knight to be captaine of euery band and with them certaine Frenche captaines whome King Lewes had sente into Scotlande a little before to teach them the discipline of war and all the ordinaunce which coulde serue to no greate vse down the hill being bestowed in a fitte place hee himselfe stoode in the middle battell againste Surrey Nowe had Edmunde aduaunced the foremoste bandes vppe the hill when the ordinaunce on both sides being shotte off and the firste rankes disordered Hume brought downe hys speares on foote who lay wyth so furious force vppon the Englishemenue commyng vppe the hill that the valiauntest of the ring leaders being slaine and Edmunde stroken downe they had turned almost all that battell into flight And nowe was thereâ—â— hope to abide the handes being both affrighted and also defeated vnlesse that in so greate daunger on one side Bastarde Heron a renowmed man for his wonderfull strength of body and noble courage and embrued with his own and hys enimies bloud had lifted vp Edmund and from another parte Dacres beeyng intentiue to all sodayne chaunces of the battell had sente an hurlewinde of horsemen ouerthwarte the side of the enimies And therewithall the Lorde Howarde also comming after with the moste chosen men the battell was without doubt restored and courage was rendered vnto the vanquished So the fortune of the battell béeyng made equal and then mo Englishemen comming still vppe bande after bande the afflicted beyng intermedled wyth the freshe beganne wyth emulation of prowesse to aduaunce the front of the battell vp the hill Nowe when they were come vnto the strengthe of the Sedttes and bothe sydes foughte almoste wyth greater hatred than strength Montrosse and Craforde commyng into the foremost rankes to encourage the Souldiours were there slaine valiantly fighting and the esquadron of the speares on foote was broken through scattred slain and vtterly defeated by the horsmen and footmen But in the lef wyng almoste at the same tyme Stanley being ioyned in battayle hadde won the hill of the Scottes and with the multitude of his arrowes lighting thicke vppon them had brought them into that case that nowe they foughte not close togither but their rankes beeyng loosed and thynne and as menne that soughte to auoyde the shotte their ensignes beganne to sweye and shrinke hyther and thyther Whiche when Stanley perceyued he fetching aboute thrée bandes of succour vppon the open side of the enimies broughte so greate terrour that they were not able to susteine their violent charge and stande to it but incontinentely fledde and running headlong downe the hill hidde them selues in the Woddes There Arguile and Lennox reteyning wyth voyce and handes the enclined battell were slaine In the meane tyme Kyng James who hadde a little before ioyned in battell wyth Surrey as soone as he sawe that the arraye of his menne was disordered in the wings and his enimies were spreadde abroade rounde aboute hys skyrtes adhortyng the bande that was appointed for his guarde and the olde souldiours and the noble men that were aboute him that they would doe nothing vnworthye of themselues nor their auncestours broughte his battell into the middes of hys enimyes So that a newe battell arose againe afreshe and sharper than the firste bycause all this Scottishe battell being well armed had very wel susteined the arrowes of the Englishemen and certain Captaine of the foremost rankes being slaine had perced almost to the Englishe ensignes There were on both partes very tall men chosen by both Captaines for the supreame and laste chaunces of the battell and the fight as it must needes bee in such a case was diuers and doubtefull one whyle to the one and another whyle to the other prosperous and deadly The King hymselfe fighting on foote before the ensignes mayntayned the fight wyth greate pertinacie inflaming some with praise and other wyth shame finally crying out to them all with diuers encouragements that since now they had gotten their enimies they should be reuenged on them with sworde and woundes the which thing they had so greately desired and so gréedely thyrsted after On the other syde Surrey when the best of hys Souldiours were eyther slayne or wounded contended with greate valor still wythdrawyng the wounded into the hindermoste rankes very earnestly encouraged his men to bring the battell to the dint of sworde and where the enimies moste vrged there also fought he moste stoutly But whilest this hotte conflicte lasted at the ensignes with vncertaine euent the lorde Howard and Stanley who hauing defeated theyr enimies at both wings came victors vnto the middle battel turned their powers vppon the enimies charging him in two quarters and therwithall in very good tyme Dacres ranne vppon the backes of them with a very thicke troupe of horsemen so that when the Scottes were slaine on the from the sides and the back and being wearied with laboure and woundes coulde not breake through for the heaps of slaine carkasses weapons and armours they being on eche side enclosed were forced to fight in a ring But when the Kyng saw his chiefe standerd throwen downe and Adam Forman that bare it slayne before his face then doubting nothing but that he muste immediatly dye that he might deliuer his harte from imminent reproches ranne foorth vnto the thickest of his enimies and there was slaine fighting very valiauntly Nor farre from him certeyne greate men of the Church contending with equall pertinacie and prowesse were likewise slaine One Archebishoppe twoo Byshoppes and foure Abbots and of noble men and men of marke for dignitie of knighthoode and honours of warfare thirtie sixe Hume and Huntley getting horses in this tumult through the benefit of the night approching escaped into Scotland wyth the hindermoste bandes and battells whiche consisting of a very cowardly kynde of Souldiours had not stroke one stroke There were slaine that daye about eight thousand Scottes and almost so many taken but all the ensignes were
by the ordinance bicause he had not so spéedily gotte himselfe and his company out from that daunger charged the Asians of whom hée slewe a greate number but not wyth the same felicitie that Jsmaell had for whilest he sought very egerly among the formost hée was slaine with an harquebusse shot through which chaunce the Turkes recouered againe their daunted spirites so that they who euen nowe driuen from their grounde had loste aboue the thirde parte of their fellowes nowe verye lustily renewing the fight susteined the men of armes and setting agaynste them the Harquebusierz by whom the horses of the Persians were moste affrighted droue them hedlong in one troup vpon the Asappes The Persians eyther compelled by necessitye for that hauing receyued greate detriment they had also loste their Capitayne and coulde not rule their horses affrighted with the noise and thundering of the ordinaunce or else séeing the side of the Asappes lie open wherby they thoughte a better hande myght there be had with thicke troupes gaue a charge ouerthwarte the footemen whom they ouerthrowing with greate slaughter came vnto the ordinance and there enclosing the maisters and gunners slew them all who vnaduisedly shooting off their greate péeces in that greate hurle of things had fouly slaine a greate number indifferently aswell of their owne fellowes as of their ennimies and wyth continued course came thorough as it were victors vnto the ryghte wyng where Jsmaell fought wyth the Europian horsemen who hauyng lost their captain and being repulsed and wearied with wounds had before tyme withdrawen themselues vnto the aides and battelles of succour But now when they were vrged on the side with another company of the enimies féeling themselues vnable to sustain their impression began to cry out as in their extreme perill for succour vnto the battell of aide In this hard state of the battel Selym loosing the chaine of the wagons opened the Trench in two places and incontinently sent foorth a part of the horsmen of his guarde And then tourning hymselfe towardes the Janizars he sayde The victory of this day is reserued for your valor seruice wherfore plucke vp good hearts lusty laddes and behaue your selues valiauntly breake foorth courageously and being now fresh and lusty set vpon your weary and wounded enimies The bodyes of their horses euen melt with sweaie and the horsemen themselues do now faint vnder so greate a waighte of armour The Janizars notwithstanding these speches did neither spéedily nor readily obey Selym but in so greate desperation of things willingly kepte thēselues within the munitions So that whilest they made courtesy to set forward the Persians in this heate of the victory being spred rounde aboute the Europians slewe them all Selym beholding it and in vayne hastyng to succour them Fabricio Carrecto the greate Mayster of the Rhodes vnto whome all these matters were very diligently reported wrote vnto Leo the Pope that the Janizars were not obedient vnto Selym neyther coulde they be adduced eyther by his adhortation or prayers to succour the distressed Europians as they that doubting the vtter losse of the battayle lyked better to expecte the euent than wyth apparaunte perill to obiecte them selues vnto the storme of the horsemen who had destroyed the rest of the footemen Nowe hadde the Persians from all partes inuaded Selym who made his abode in the battel of succoure When Senambassa drawing after him his wyng al to torne greatly diminished came all in tyme the enimye following through the mids of the heapes of the Asappes and then sending for bringing certayn freshe troups that had escaped whole from the violent charge of Vstaogle the fight is restored namely through the surpassing prowesse of the two brothers Turabey and Mahomet Malcocks who being equall among the Turkes in noblenesse of stocke vnto the house of the Othomans resembled and shewed the noble prowesse and courage of Malcocke their father the renounted captain in that lamentable roade made by the Turkes into Venetia and Carnia And also not despayring but erected into hope and very cherefull Selym cōmanded all his ordinance to be shot off vpon the enimy which thing he had reserued for the supreame daunger wherwith so many horses and men both Turkes and Persians being blended togither were slain that when the men had lost the vse both of eyes and eares through the dust the smoke and noise of the ordinaunce and the horses also being affrighted wyth the vnwonted terrible roaryng contemnyng the bridles caryed their ryders an other waye the battell was broken off the victorye being as yet vncertaine Jsmaell being caried out of the daunger of this storme perceyued him selfe wounded with a Harquebus shotte in the shoulder when by the aduise of his friendes hee wente out of the battell ▪ to looke vppon his wounde whyche onely thyng didde doubtlesse bring safety vnto Selym and all his For the Persians incontinently following Ismaell and his standarde loste and forsooke the vndoubted victorye and by the opinion of all men for a greate parte already gotten But when hee founde that hys wounde was but lighte for that the pellet could not pierce deepe by reason of the syngular temper of hys Armour hee purposed to retourne agayne into the battayle But bearyng that Vstaogle was slayne in whome hee reposed greate truste for his passing skill in martiall matters and hys friendes also still counsellyng hym not to neglect hys wounde that was yet hotte but to haue speciall regarde of his life hee beganne to retire in a square troupe wyth a slowe pace that his departure might not séeme to haue any shew of flight and going vnto Taruis the chiefe Citie of Armenia yea and of the Persian Empire after he had willed the chiefe of the citie to open their gates vnto the Turke and receyue his garrison leaste throughe vaine constancy they might receiue some greate detesment hee departed into Media But the Turkes being sore shaken with so many losses hauyng neyther courage for feare nor force through faintnesse to pursue tooke without resistāce There wer found besides tents wrought with the néedle and enterwouen with silke and golde and other pretious furniture of houshold many women of greate nobility who had folowed their husbands al of whom Selym released without any raunsome They that were present at this battell had reported that among the heapes of the men that were slaine diuers women were also founde who puttyng on helmet and harnesse and following their husbandes had died with them valiauntlye fighting Selim loste in this battell aboue thirty thousande men among whom besides Cassembassa the Belerbech of Greece seuen Sanzaces and the two Malcockes who were slaine as the one brother endeuored to succour the other being enclosed and besides the despised multitude of Asappes obiected to slaughter the horsemen of Sclauony Macedony of the Tribals Epyrus Thessaly and Thracia no doubt the floure and strength of his army who were in the right wing were for a great parte eyther
turne their backes and to retire but parte despising the ordinance againe gaue a chardge vppon the enimies and with more constant valor and desperatenesse than euer they they had vsed before giuing and takyng many woundes passed the ditch and encountering with the Lansquenetz and the kings horsemen did many actes of sauadge prowesse for when Trivulzi and Burbon stretching out in length their wing and fetching a compasse about with their horsmen had charged their lefte side they were forced to fight with double front But the Launsquenetz who had in this moste sharpe encounter loste their stoutest Capitaines Iames Condey Henry Ricurt and Saxey beying madâ—â— for anger and griefe did valiauntly sette forwarde and repressed their violence and with the shotte of their harquesses tumbled from his horse Pontinâ—r one of greate renowne among the Capitaines of the Switzers for the tallenesse of his stature and the valiauntnesse of his harte as he roade vnto the rankes and encouraged his souldiours with a loude voice and vsed reprochfull wordes againste the Almaines who in the fight of the Switzers annointed their bloudy pikes in the tallow grease of his mighty and fatte body that ranne out at his wide woundes which thing is accompted among the Barbarians in deadly hatreds for a verye graue ceremony of reuengefully acquited There also Zambron and Anty Eucher menne of strong courage and terrible stature while that they guided wyth singular skill mightye twoo hand-swordes in the middes of the Almaine batallion cutting off a greate number of these pikes and slaying many of their enimies were at the laste oppressed when all the whole battell turned vppon them Then also was Chezze Amman slaine hys horse being firste killed and hâ—â—â— himselfe also shotte in with thrée arrowes a man who being of that yeares had by encouraging and fighting many houres coÌ„mitted the duty neyther of a very good capitayn nor a moste valiant souldiour where as the rest of the Captaines that I spake of had died before that they came to fight with the enimy being for he into péeces with the ordinaunce And when Iohn Berre the ensigne bearer of the Baâ—â—lians being wearied wyth many woundes was not able any longer to kéepe the ensigne hée pulled it off from the â—â—aâ—â—e and tore it into very smal péeces that hys enimies might not gaine it and then dyed Moreouer in the meane â—â—â—e the seconde battell whiche wée tolde you deâ—â—ected vnto Alencon inferred so greate â—â—rror vnto the rerewarde that the horsemen for a greate parte Monsieur Beaument their ensigne bearer being slaine at the firste méeting toâ—rned their backes and fledde a maine on the spurre towardes Ledy which caused the Pesants and many espies that were in the fields seing the French horsemen fleing among the cariages to write vnto all partes of Italy that the Frenche King was discomfited and the Switzers had gotten the victory And doubtlesse the FrenchmeÌ„ in the quarter had â—en brought into very great danger if that Emar Prieus and the Lord Obegney capitaines of singular experience who were wyth Alencon raryng them that fledde rolying the ensignes and casting the Souldiours into a ring had not borne the â—runt of the fight with surpassing paine and toile And also Liuiano was a greate succoure vnto the disordered who with a company of noble men of armes came before the reste of his power whiche folowed after And as hée was a man gready of fight and to doe some feare encoraging his horsemen to folow him without doubting or staying so he gaue a charge ouerthwart the side of his enimyes whom two bandes of Switzers turning their ensignes receyued very couragiously and wounding many and slaying Capino the sonne of the Earle of Petilia a yong Gentleman of passyng towardlinesse did repell farre from them the hotely vrging horsemen Yet that company of Switzers bring more terrified by hys comming than hys power for that they thought all the whole power of the Venetians who were indeede neare were already come beganne to prouide for their safety for some of them being quite speÌ„t with werinesse woundes thirste and sweate gotte them into the Gardens that neare adioyned where a greate parte of them were slayne when that the horsmen were sent ofter them yea from the kings battell other retiring into the nexte village after they had long time defended themselues at the gate walls vnder the conduct of Tuler Cefuse a very valiant captain at the last being won and vanquished with the ordinance and fire most cruelly perished but other being despersed and fleing backe vnto the greatest companye or battell of their fellows the horsemen chasing them in those very large and open fieldes had ben wholy destroyed if that by the aduise and valor of certayne olde souldiors who in that frowning of fortune being mindefull of discipline neuer failed vnto themselues and their fellowes they had not retired vnto their fellows that were on this side the ditches and high way in a thicke Esquadron Almoste at the very same time the thirde battell of the Switzers the which we shewed you had stoode ouer right against Trivulzo and Burbon eyther bycause they sawe the iniquitie and disaduauntage of the battell or else were adduced by detestable counsell for that they had rather satisfy their faction and hatred than publike necessity in being beholders of the slaughter and prowesse of othermen beganne to retire wyth their ensignes towardes Milan neyther woulde they as men thoroughly attached with feare once come into the battell to fight the whych yet they were almoste forced to do seing that they had all the lyght horsmen in sight were often shot at with the great ordinaÌ„ce which beyng politikely hidden behinde the horsemen were at the laste when the troupes had opened at the sounde of the trumpet often shotte off in the voide spaces Therefore when the reste of the Switzers whome wee lefte fyghtyng at the Kyngs battell inflamed with fury and wrath kepte their grounde rather by obstinacy of hearte than strength and sawe other freshe regimentes of Launsquenetz to whom the light hadde not yet come ready to come vppon them they despairing of the victory sounÌ„ded the retreite for a little before they had receyued a greate detriment at the ditch being maruellously endomaged from the higher ground by an innumerable multitude of arrowes shotte by the Gascoignes Arcubalisters who being placed harde by the harquebusters that the one might haue time to chardge their harquebusses and the other to bende their crosse bowes did so shoot off one after another by hundrethes with mutuall running backe that the battell of the Switzers being ouerwhelmed with the continuall haile of the shotte were without reuenge beaten down they in vaine séeking succour of prowesse and valor The battell being thus broken off when that Rosty Ronne Anglarde and the other Capitaynes coulde not succour so greate and so drsordered a multitude by admonishment and commaunding them what they should doe nor easily doe the dueties of captains the
pellets of their enimies For the Turke had very skilfull Gunners in his campe whom he had allured by his great rewards and riche entertamment out of Italie and Germanie and specially manie oute of that filthie rable of Iewes who being expelled by the pietie of king Ferdinand out of al the Spaynes brought afterward such rare vnvsed and deadly artes into all the Orient to spite our men withall The captaine of all these Gunners was one Iames borne at Reggio in Lumbardie a man of passing skil in these artes who being enticed by the Turkishe giftes had a little before forsaken the seruice of Christ and reuolted vnto Mahomets superstition But after the fight is on both sides brought vnto handestrokes the Mamaluches raise a cruell and horrible cry and in thrée quarters charge the Turkes with great valor for Selym kéeping his olde order so marched that he approched in the forme of a croysant The Captain of the Asians in the right wyng was Mustaphas and Innubassa of the Europeans in the left but he himself gouerned the middle battell wherein was the Esquadron of the Ianizars with a great multitude of ordinance But Synambassa being made generall of the fielde had chosen for himselfe a certayne battell or bande of the moste valiantest horsmen taken and picked out of all the companies for to serue for al vncertain euents of the battell Vnto whom he added out of Selyms esquadron fiue hundred footmen of passyng prowesse and swiftnesse that he being reâ—â—â—e in all places of the battell for all chaunces were they neuer so suddain might succour that parte of his fellowes whiche was most pressed by his enimie So that when almost at one time Tomumbey had stoode in the middle battell against Selym and the wings of the Mamaluches had encountred the Turkishe with equall fronte and the Arabians had fought valiantly at their backes as they had bene commaunded foure fights were holty attached at one tyme in diuers places They that were present at this battell do report that through the cry of the Souldiors the noise of the drummes and trumpets the thundring of the artillerie the cloude of the dust and the clashing of the weapons all mens mindes were so amazed and confounded that they beeing all on bothe sydes alyke blynded with furye they rushed foorthe wyth madde desperaetnesse in suche sorte that neyther coulde the voyces and watche woordes bée discerned and knowne one from an other nor the ensignes séene nor the commaundements of the captains heard they by mutual error slew a great number both of their owne felowes and also their enimies without all regard for neuer before that daye had any armies encountred togyther inflamed with greater hatred neuer had two most mightie Emperors more constantly and feruently shewed their valor of bodie and hart with lesse care of life and safetie For when both of them manifestly perceiued sawe that with like daunger of themselues and their armies they had set their liues and empires at sixe and seuen they also vnderstode that there woulde be no other hope left vnto eyther of them but that which the victorie it selfe would bring Now Gazelles enkindeled with desyre of honour and reuenge that he myghte repaye vnto the Europeans a foyle equal vnto that whiche he had receyued at Gaza charging Innubassa with greate violence had ouerrunne the formost the resisting troupes had throwne downe the Guidons and the Arabians preassing on the victors at their backs had made the vanquishing companies of al warres where the strength of the Thracians the Thessalians and the Macedons were to turne their backes whiche neuer any enimye had séene before Then Synambassa being redy and intentife both with mynde and strength for al occasion of victory flew vpon the side of the enimies with a fresh and strong companie of his men and repaired the battaile which was inclined and fouly scattered But anone after Synambassa who had discontinued the manyfest victorie of the enimies by exercising a supreme déede of prowesse was slayn verie valiantly fighting before his men after that thâ— Mamaluches vnder their fierce captain Bido had turned themselues on their new enimie And also his horsemen endeuoring to takâ— vp from the ground their dead captain and to saue him were foâ— a great part slain put to flight by Gazelles who did spread abrodâ— his troupes that they hauing more roone might more fréely vsâ— their swords in which kind of fight the Mamaluches do most excell and also that noble hand of Ianizars being enclosed were ouerrun and flain after that they being forsakeÌ„ of the horsmen had long time very valiantly resisted But in another quarter Mustaphas giuing a vehement charge with all his horsemen vppon the left wing of the Egyptians wherin coÌ„maunded the most renoumed captaines Neylius Diadarius and Giapal Oreemas very sharply vrged theÌ„ They had a little before receyued a notable detriment by the ordinance which was by chaunce shot from Selymb middle battell trauers the fielde Mustaphas perceyuing it and being very desirous to abolish olde ignominy very sharply vrged theÌ„ being once disordered and bringing in his troupes by wedges brake thorough ouer ranne and beate them downe and being notorious all the battell ouer for his voice and armour adhorted the Asians to thinke that they must now recouer eyther by passing prowesse or honorable death their auntient martiall honor the whiche they had lately loste at the battell of Alepo Also at the same time Tomumbey hauyng broken through the middle battell of the horsmen was come vnto the footmen and as he was a mightie man both in body and strength did many notable actes with his semitarre and also the Arabians enclosed the outer wings of the Turkes and forced them in many places to fight with double front when Selym aduaunced forward his esquadron of footemen the whych was hys onely and assured helpe in this extreamitie whose charge neyther coulde the fierce and harded horses nor the victors men abide for part of his souldiours being harquebusierz did much muschiefe when they were impaled with pikes whose immoueable force beyng closed togyther into the array of one body bare downe all that they encountred Yet they fought with variable euent on both sides from the fourth houre of the day vntill Sunne sette neyther was there any part of the armies which suffered not sundry alterations fortune being now prosperous then aduerse for both the vanquished the victors being made mad with mutuall and implacable rage fought with obstinate harts the Mamaluches disdaining that the victory shold be taken from them by those men of whome they had slaine so many but the Turkes chafing that they whome they had before vanquished in two battells did so loÌ„g time resist them in so much that yet the languishing armes and the bodies wearyed and tyred with woundes which were held vp by only wrath and pertinacie of heart might féeme would haue bin able to haue continued an other day in murdering if that
assured hope of ready victory séeyng that Francis of all Kings the most liberall would requite this their singular benefite not only by frank dealing wyth them selues but also with their wines and children Surely the Captalâ—â—â— and 〈…〉 well aâ—â—ecâ—ed and very faithfull but the common sorte of the souldiours as they which were bouâ—â—â—e by no giftes did very leudly wauer but yet so that it séemes that all of them would fight valiantly if they were spéedily brought to darraine battell When Prasperâ— and Pescara vnderstoode the entent of their 〈◊〉 they staying almost neuer a whit at Milan euâ—â—â—â—â— theiâ—â—â— wer wel furnished with all things beyng fully refâ—â—ed tâ— giuer the enimy battell if that any indifferent occasion were offeâ—â—d They eueauped themselues at a village called Bicocna in a place very fafe and commondious for on the right 〈◊〉 it was enclosed with the ditche of the highway but â—â—â—the leasie and on thehâ—â—ke with two small riuers secuing to water the corne fieldes but in the front it hadde a crosse waye so broade that two waiues méeting might passe one by another the which was on bothe sides so lowe that the edges of the corne fieldes were nauell high aboâ—â— it This way for that it was very hollowe did Pescara vse for a ditche and in the front thereof plaâ—â—â— the ordmance and footemen and behinde stoode the horsemen with Prospero But Francis Forza the Duke of Milan who had brought thither bandes of the Citieof Milan and all the nobilitle of the whole duchie that he might be present at the battell encamped in the high way Now the Captaines of the Switzers being singularly addicted to the French welfare and honour and namely Albers Petra a captaine of sucpassing same in many wars who had then the chiefe authoritie among the Switzers assooâ—e as nows was brought by the horsmen that the Emperitialls were encamped middle way betwéeno Milan and Moâ—za and were in a plaine and leuell péece of ground not aboue fiue miles from them they canne vnto the French Captaines and Alberâ— spake vnto them and tolde them that the Souldioures coulde bée kepte by no meanes but that they woulde goe home vnlesse they were lidde into the fielde to fight and that hée hym selfe might satisfye the kings Maiestie who had very well deserued of hym and also the dignitie of the Switzers was fully resolued to giue hatâ—â—ll neither ought they to doubt of the victory if that the frenchmen as they were by bucâ—y bound wold wyth couragious harts folow the Switzers who would pierce euen vnto the ordinance of the enimies If that there were any that would rather linger shamefully than fight valiauntly they ought not to bée thought faithfull to the king or the commoÌ„ wealth Therfore he to shewe his fidelitie and vnfained hart vnto the Kyng would go against the enimies yea with onely the Switzers if no man else woulde follow This couragiousnesse of Albert was not displeasant vnto Lautrech as that man that had rather fight yea with doubfull eueÌ„t than to be forsaken by the Switzers for this was his opinion that their hote valor séeing that they did request the battell wyth such flaming heartes was to be vsed out of hande namely séeyng that he séemed inferiour to the enimies neyther in footemen horsmen nor yet in number for he priuily accompted it an ignomye if that now as it had happned the yeare before he should againe be driuen out of Lumbardie and neuer fight battell and namely séeyng that wheras the Switzers then specially the french horsmen had alwayes in vaine requested of hym with many prayers that they might shewe their valor in a pitched fielde which thing as it often happeneth in aduerse fortune had gotte him greate enuy among the Frenchmen But Palice both gréenously offended wyth the rashenesse and arrogancie of Albert and also moued with the nothing tymely inclination of Lautrech praysed in déede at large the good will and deuotion of the Switzers but could in no case abide to heare the counsell of assaulting the Campe as a deuice full of extreame madnesse and deadly desperatnesse often saying that he who had wared olde in the Italian warres did very wel know the valor of young Pescara who alwayes vseth to fight lustily and the artes of olde Prospero who had learned to lodge his army skilfully to the discoÌ„moditie of his enimy with his owne chiefest and highest praise He did not thinke the french state was brought vnto that despaire the as it were in extreme necessitie they shoulde rather chose to fight and be vanquished than by staying wyth very good and holesome reson moderate the violent fease of vnaduised corage Wherfore what was more safe and better thaÌ„ to get them betwene Milan the enimies camp and encamping themselues there force the enimies being intercluded from the citie and victuals either to fight with disaduantage if that they woulde assaile their Camp or certes if they would returne vnto Milan to offer them the fielde in an indifferent place In déede the Lorde Lautrech who had the supreame gouernement might fight with disaduantage both then also at al other tymes when he wold but it was the duty part of a wise Generall neuer to prouoke the enimy vnlesse he hauing before surely shifted the eueÌ„t might with firme reason assuredly promise himselfe vndoubted victorie But then thus answered the Lord Lautrech we nede not slouthful lingring in sitting still but lyuely valour in fight tore-couer the honor and Duchy lost the which doubtlesse can not be done if we do suffer the Switzers who are now going away to depart home and do no feate of prowesse Wherefore make your selues ready to fight that we may this day ende the warres one way or an other Thervnto replied Palice God assist the mad and desperate I for my part that I may not séem to haue shuÌ„ned the perill will certes fight on foote in the forewarde of the footemen yée French horsmen behaue your selues to day valiantly that in a hard case rather fortune than courage may séeme to haue fayled you So before the Sun was vp it was the .xxix. day of Aprill Albert leadeth foorth his regiments of Switzers they were about fiftene thousand with the ordinance being puffed vp with so foolish or certes fatal pride that he would not one whit be ruled in any thing by either Lautrech or Palice Captaines of greate skill but wyth barbarous statelinesse promised that hée woulde chardge the Emperialls full in the face And without stay the famous Petro de Nauarro and the renowned Captaine Biciarde being sente before to surueye the situation of the enimyes Campe Lautrech made two battells of all the french horsemen the first he committed to his brother the Lorde Lescune commaunding him to fetche a great compasse about and to inuade the enimies on the backes but he himself folowed the maine army It was enioyned vnto the Venetians who were on the left hand to back the Switzers
beyng therby quite out of daunger or certes very far from any Moreouer Iohn de Medici was commaunded to goe before all the battelles wyth hys horsemen who were verye passyng excellent consisting both of light horsemen and also men of armes and with the light bands of Italian footemen who also serued vnder him that he coursing this way and that way might take all prospecte from the enimies and not suffer their auaunt currers to take any viewe of the French power So the footemen being hidden by Medices horsemen approched wyth great pace not being séene of the enimies yet the formost of Lescunes horsmen were by reason of their glistering armour séene of the Emperials betwéene certaine trées vpon the lefte hand but they did fetch suche a greate compasse about that they séemed to be beyond the camp and to march towardes Milan In the meane time Pescara than whom no man kept a more constant iudgemeÌ„t of mind in sodaine chaunce commaunded Gastaldo to scout with a company of horsemen he had not gone far but that hée met with Medici and then their horsemen skirmished togyther very brauely now one side and then the other was driuen backe and the loose shotte came also in among them finally they were so blended togither that neither the one was suffered to haue any certaine knowledge of the approche of the Switzers nor the other of the situation and array of the enimies campe The ordinaunce as I said was opportunely placed in the front of the ditche and the footemen were cast into foure battallions but yet so with equall front that Almaines and Spaniards wer mingled together by course The captain of the Almaynes was George Frondesberg a notoriou man for hys mightie body and strength the harquebusters standyng before the pikes occupied all the whole length of the front when Pescara commanded by as new and witty as afterwarde happy deuise that they should not sette fire to their péeces before that they had séene volagues dischardge at his commaundement But he willed the foremoste rankes that after they had dischardged they shold immediatlye stoupe downe on their knées and charge agayne that the seconde rankes might incontinently discharge without daunger of the foremoste hée also commaunded the seconde and then the third and so the fourth to do the same so that when the last had discharged the firste and the sâ—â—ond rankes should quickly and readily shoote off agayne theyâ—â—â—charged péeces So that this order being repeated incessantly the footemen of the enimyes myght bée beaten down as it were wyth a continuall storme before that they could come to hand strokes Euent wanted not to Pescara his deuise For when the Switzers approched they first shooting off their great ordinaÌ„ce as also the Emperials had done ranne amaine vnto the ditche suspecting nothing of the disaduantage of the place Where all things were oportunely administred by Pescara both wyth great quietnesse and also celeritie and he did sodainely let flye a storme of small shotte which did so much mischiefe that not onely the ensignes but whole bandes fel downe at once yet Albert himselfe lustily scaling the rampire flewe vnto Frondesberg whom he knewe and callyng him by an opprobrious name did with a mightie arme thrust his pike into his side gréeuously wounding him but Albert himself was immediatly slaine being stroken at from all partes round about And also that bande of desperate fellowes that succéeded hym wyth franticke fease were easily slaine by the Almaines and Spaniardes from the vpper grounde In this encounter Alfonse the Marques of Guasto cousin germaÌ„ to Pescara was wouÌ„ded in the arme But the rest of the Switzers after they had béene a long time turmoiled and troubled among the heapes of the slain and the piles of their pikes turned their backes Also at the same time Lescune bringing aboute hys horsmen both giue a charge vpon the backes of the enimies and passyng ouer twoo ditches doth breake into the Campe. Ambrose Landriano the Captaine of the Dukes wing of horsmen is defeated and taken prisoner the tentes are caste downe the hales of Antony de Lena and the Earle of Termine and their siluer plate fall to the share of the lackeys and drudges There is a wounderfull great hurly burly raised throughout the whole Campe feare attacheth not onely the Souldiours but also the Captaines themselues yet Prosperi gets himself quickly out of the feare of this sodaine chaunce and setteth his horsmen caste into troupes against the Frenchmen Aâ—irâ—o and the Earle of Collisa valiaÌ„tly helping him 〈◊〉 Antonin de Lena râ—ning thâ—â—her formost of al. Now Lescune fought vpon the bridge with singular prowesse which if he could haue gotten the French horsmeÌ„ had doubtlesse broken into commit a great slaughter of the Emperials when sée the dukes horsmen aduauncing forwarde their guidons from the high way receiued the encounser also a bande of Italians Harquebusters spéedily ranne vnto theyr succour and also the Milanese that lay beyond the riuer in a verie safe place dyd shoote their fielde péeces ouerthwart vpon the enimies Fraunces Forza the Duke was in that quarter a continual encourager the fyght was diuers and cruell as that which was fought in a place very combersome in all partes not only for the ditches and déepe streames and small riuers but also for the ropes of the tents and many long polles that were set vp to tye the horsses vnto But there was a verye sharpe encounter at the bridge for there Lescune hymselfe being notorious for his Caparissons and plume of fethers in his crest contended with great valour to breake through whose prowesse the Monsieurs Montmorency Baiarde and Pontiremy very forwarde Capitains honorably emulated and also Fredericke de Bozolo one of the house of Mantoa had pierced into the highe waye but the iniquitie of the place did withstande the prowesse of the Frenche horsemen For neyther were they able to breake through wyth thycke troupes nor yet to defende themselues bicause they had brought no and of footmen So the FrenchmeÌ„ that fought on the bridge after that many on both parties had ben cast down hedlong into the Ryuer wyth fowle slaughter of men and horsses were at length driuen from the bridge Lescunes horse was slayne vnder hym and anone after when he had taken an other he was wounded in the mouth with a sworde whiche was thruste thorough the bener of his helmet and Mounsieur Baccalaure the Ensigne bearer of Monsieur de Brion was slayne and Hugh Earle of Pepoli had his legge shot through with an harquebusse the Frenche guidons were rafte and torne and the Harquebusters that were beyonde the ditche tourning themselues on the side of the enimies did with their often and thick shooting much endamage the men of armes and specially their horses In the meane space the battel of the Switzers being defeated the footmen freste cryed Victorie victorie this most fayful crye brought from one to another euent vnto the hindermost rankes the Frenchmens hartes
brother for this day thou must endeuour to win the place but if that your handes whiche God defende shall not suffice against your so often vanquished enimies then sée that your bodyes by dying honorably do nobly pay your enimies not vnreuenged that which they doe owe vnto vnto their valiant heartes To whome Guasto aunswered with a ioyfull countenaunce I will this day manfully doe my deuoyre that I being eyther aliue or deade the honors of our house maye be augmented by heape throughe some newe and famous déede of prowes and then breaking into the Parke with square battell marched to a streame called Vernacula méeting with none of his enimies and then passing ouer the small riuer went to Mirabello where bicause of the largenesse of the house a myghtie multitude of Merchauntes straglers sicke souldiours and men of peace had settled themselues and great store of victualles and much of the Kings furniture of housholde was also layde there And there was among all other that he might lodge the more quietly and wholsomely the Popes Ambassadour Hierome Aleander a man verye excellentlye learned and of greate fame nâ—mely for his wonderfull memorie So when the ennimies had flowen thither vnlooked for all that whole companye was streightwaye oppressed and all thynges were in a trice spoyled and then Guasto gathering his bandes togither into one as Pescara had commaunded him he did set vppe the Emperiall Ensignes within the diche of the house In the meane time Pescara immediatly bringeth in the rest of the footemen Lancy and Burbon doe sende in the horsemen the artillerie is drawen into the Parke by Oxen and horses although hardlye yet at one tyme The fieldes are filled with whyte linnen battayles for all the Emperialles had by Pescara his Edicte put their waste-coates vppermost and they which lacked waste coates and speciallye the Almaines had so couered their breastes with whyte paper that by the vnwonted whyte the weapons glistering betwéene a shewe of a greater and more terrible hoste might hée presented vnto the eyes of the amazed Frenche men For nowe the dawning hadde brought in fayre broade daye light and the somewhat thicke cloude which had bene spreade ouer the fields began to vanishe awaye by little and little But the Frenche King who perpetually watched intentiue for all chaunces is nothing appalled with that noueltie and therewithall as it became eyther a King of high heart or a skilfull and stoute Chieftaine giueth signe by the Trumpetie that euery man taking his armour and weapons shoulde stande by the Ensignes hee commaundeth the great ordinance to be drawen forth by the harnessed horses and by the Captaines as néede was administreth all things spéedily but yet not without all tumult and vprore for he had learned long before by the report of Greco Iustiniano what the enimies went about by thicke thumping against the wall of the Parke and when he hearde the thundering of the enimies ordinance whoÌ„ Leua by appointmeÌ„t had answered with the like nuÌ„ber he had iudged by coniecture that it was doubtlesse a signe eyther of attaching battayle or of attempting some great exployte It is also reported that he sharply reproued certayne that of vaine flatterie tolde him that the Emperialles being oppressed with penurie and lacke of all thinges were fleeing backe againe vnto Lodi Thus when he plainely séeth that the battayles of the ennimies marche with full pace not vnto him but to Mirabello he thinking it not good to linger leadeth the Switzers and Lansquenettes out of the munitions he commaundeth the Frenche footemen to staye in the Campe with Bussie de Ambois he leaueth the Italian footemen in commodious places vnder the Castell agaynst the sallyes of Leua and marcheth himselfe vnto the ennimye in araye of battayle with thys order that on the one side the great ordinaunce and on the other wings of horsemen shoulde flanke the Switzers and march with them with equall fronte one as farre forth as another and not farre off the Lansquenets were flanked in like sort with other horsemen and ordinance They report that when the King ledde the footemen out of the campe he being very ioyfull in couÌ„tenance nor any thing fearing the malignitie of fortune sayde vnto the Captaines that stoode rounde about him that he went not rashlye forth to fight the battell neuer calling reason into counsell but with a right and noble iudgement séeing that he coulde with most equall lot wish nothing more commodious for the winning of the victorie than to get his enimies not within diches and munitions as it had often happened at other tymes but in the open and wyde fieldes and in their marche and iourney where it might be séene what the standing Esquadrons of Switzers Almaines were worth what force the most strong horsemen had what good the great ordinance flying our swift whéeles coulde doe For against the Lansquenets who onely of all other séemed most to be feared he did rightly set the Switzers as their matches indiscipline furniture strength and courage so also alwais their most bitter enimies by naturall hatred But he thought that the Spaniardes woulde not be able to abide no not the first impression of the blacke regiment of Lansquenets if that they woulde kéepe their rankes in thicke araye neyther if that they woulde fight scattered and running hither and thither that they coulde escape from being ouerrunne by the horsemen Doubtlesse these things were foreséene and prouided with very good aduise and reason if that as it most times happeneth insolent fortune being foe vnto noble deuises had not preuerted all thinges by confuse order For they ranne togither in sundrie places with so great confusion of horsemen and footemen blended togither that neuer any armies fought more confusely and scatteringly For happe came streight wayes into the place of Martiall prudence and valor was oftentimes vanquished by an vnthought of chaunce when rashnesse séemed by happye euent to vsurye the name of mature counsell and reason In the hindermost taile of the Emperialles were seuen bandes of Italian footemen and thrée of Spaniardes appointed tâ— garde fiue battering péeces of ordinance When they hardlye followed the rest of their fellowes that went before bicause that almost as soone as they had entred the Parke the whéeles sinking in the ordinance staâ—ke fast in a watrie plot it came to passe that they which were last in order were contrarie to hope the first of all that met the Frenchmen their enimies For the King séeing them separated farre from the rest of the armie did out of hande sende thither Philip Lord Brion Fredericke Earle of Bozzolo with a strong companie of men of armes with certain speedy péeces of ordinance and also certain small loose companeis of footemen were ioyned with them They doe spéedily his commaundement and doe set vpon the enimies being busied in weyghing vp the ordinance There is a cruell fight but although the Emperials fought with singular valor yet they susteyning neyther the storme of the
gastlye hemmyng and withall stricken at by manye menne at once was soone slayne and a common souldiour as it were for a triumphe â–ª helde vppe alofte his cut off hande with his bracelette and ryngs and then the Emperialles giuing a great shoute ranne forth couragiouslye But whylest that the two battallions made one towardes the other Pescara was betwéene them on horsebacke but in a footemans armour often desiring Frondesberg to amend his pace and rehersing the battels before time in whome his prowes had bene séene inkindled him to wynne a victorie of all other most noble and most worthie of memorie So when both battalions ranne togyther and Pescara galloped his horse on the enimies he was wounded in the face which was bare and afterwarde his horse being slayne vnder him he was also thrust through the left legge with a Pyke In this terrible clashing togither of weapons he had doutblesse bene oppressed by the Pykes both of his enimies and his friendes vnlesse that nowe at this pynche â–ª when he coulde hardly wrastle out himselfe first an horseman of his owne housholde and afterwarde the petie Captaynes and Ensigne bearers that were neare at hande had not with much adoe got him out and saued him In the meane tyme Frondesberg and Sitch stretching out in length their battalions on both sides with wonderfull skill for to enclose their enimies receiued them as it were into their bosome and then streyghtway clasped togither their wings compassing them in rounde and fiue them all who resisted verye manfully and constantlye so that one regiment fighting with thrée and therefore repugning with vnhappy valor almost no man of the blacke regiment escaped There perished besides Longomantes Richarde de la Pole surnamed the white Rose sonne vnto the Duke of Suffolke who for his honorable birth being descended of the bloude royall of Englande and his great skill in Martiall affayres had bene made Captayne of the blacke regiment Also Francis brother vnto Anthonie Duke of Loraine a yong Gentleman of passing prowes who being notorious for his armor and crest had requested a place in the foremost rank before all other men and also two Almaines Earles of Hortumberg and Closfen famous men of warre and Theodoricke Sconberg knight brother vnto Nicolas the Bishop of Compagna and one also of great fame for his honor of Ambassades in whiche he had bene often sent for the industrie of his excellent witte Thus whilest the Switzers are put to flight in one quarter and the Almaines slayne in another almost at the verye same time the Kings battell is broken by the Harquebusiers and the horsmen to whome also came the Pykemen But then euery notable Captayne and notorious horseman runnes to defende and saue the king Manye for desire to doe their last seruiâ—e in the sight of the King do forsake their appoynted places and wards Nowe whiles that Salice his horse being slayne vnder him doth hardly retire vnto the Switzers he being laden with yeares and armour is intercepted by the horsemen But being yéelded vnto Gastaldo Vsurtes a Spaniard enuying that the horsemen should haue the raunsome and pryse of so great a prisoner did set his Harquebusse to his brest and flue him And also Tremouille an olde Captayne that had wonne manye noble victories is also shot through in two places and slayne Moreouer Galeazo Sanseuerino galloping his horse this way and that way with singular cunning repelleth the enimies and fighteth valiantly but at length being slayne in the Kings sight payde that by honourable ende of lyfe which he owed vnto the Kings great fauour towards him and the fame of his noble name â–ª When his horse fell downe vnder him he calling vnto VVillyam Lorde Langey a noble Gentleman who endeuoured to helpe him in his fatall fall sayde Sonne let me take my fortune and runne backe as fast as you can to defende the King and if you doe escape frendly reuerence the memory of my name and honorable end It was a battell of all other most deadlye and aduerse for the horsemen for the deadly bullets were shotte from all partes by the nymble Spaniardes who were spred rounde about them and nowe they vsed not such small péeces as they had done a little before but greater whome they called Arcubusses with whoÌ„ they woulde stryke through not onely a man of armes but oftentimes two men and two horses at a shot so that the field being strewed ouer with the miserable lying along of the noble horsemen and the heapes of the dying horses did both hinder the valor of the horsemen if that they would endeuour to break in with thicke troupe and also if that anye man accounted his lyfe dearer than his honor he coulde not cedily and spéedily flée for the heapes of the stayne that lay euery foote in his way lyke vnto great rampires In this cursed state VVilliam Lord Boniuat the Admirall after he had long galloped to and fro endeuouring by adhortation to staye the Switzers and also the horsemen that were readie to flée séeing at length that the battayle was doubtlesse lost neyther woulde he eyther to be punished or to liue in ignomie suruiue so great an ouerthrowe wherof he him selfe was reported to be chiefest author with graue and obstinate shame ranne into the middes of the enimies and offering his throate vnto their weapons poyntes was slayne there as he â—â—ade with open face after the maner of the Captaines that gallop to and fro and commaunde the souldiours what is to be done But when the king was bared almost of all the companies that were appoynted to garde his bodie and so many had bene slayne rounde about him and the rest had scattered themselues abroade into all partes he laboured to get himselfe out from his enimies but certaine horsemen of sundrie companies being mingled togither followed him as one that was richlye appointed and apparailed Neyther doth the king forsake him selfe although he were forsaken by his horse and fortune but turning his horse this waye and that defendeth himselfe with his sworde against the infulting Emperialles and both giuing and taking woundes doth valiantly repugne But while hée stryueth to go vnto the next bridge which went ouer a small water course his horse was thrust in â–ª and fell downe The first men that came vnto him lying vnder his horse were Didaco de Abila and Iohn Orbieta a Biscaian they not well knowing him did shake their swordes ouer him and willed him to yéelde vnlesse that he had rather be slayne In the meane time came Monsieur de la Motte a Frenchman Lieutenaunte vnto Burbon who knewe him by the face although it were fowly embrued all ouer with the gore bloude of his wounde But when Motte adhorted him to yéelde vnto Burbon who was not farre off the king chafing at the name of the traitor and speaking as though he commaunded sayde Call me hither Lanoy Who in the meane time that Motte galloped vnto Burbon being sought for in euery
wing of horsemen excelled in prowes yet they being inferiour in number coulde not susteyne the force of the French men of armes So that many of them were slayne in that sharpe conflicte and among them Iulie Azzo sonne to the Prince of Tuderâ—â— and Baleone hauing his horse slaine vnder him hardly escaped wounded vnto the Italian footemen But in another wing Fortune who vseth as it were with a kinde of playe eftsoones to exchaunge the euentes of battelles séemed to smyle vppon the Spaniardes and olde Lansquenettes For they vnder the conducte of Raimonde de Cardonna and Seisnech charged the Gruers so couragiouslye with a Manique of harquebusiers that they disordered all their battell and made them to flée and gotte the Cottage that they had stoode by and certayne péeces of ordinaunce and also with great slaughter brake through a troupe of horsemen that was sente to succour them In this encounter the Monsieurs Destro and Charles Drosse who were the chiefe conductors of that â—â—ing were slayne and also Monsieur de Assier a yong Genâ—â—â—man of singular hope ouer hotelye breaking in was cast out of his Saddle by the Almaine Pykes and dyed within three dayes after of his two woundes In this spéedie but vncertaine féese of victorie the Spaniardes being inflamed so fiercely followed the fléeing Frenchmen that with continued course they did flea and take euen vnto Carmagnola At the verye same time the Lansquenettes who had lyen flatte on the ground that they might auoyde the great ordinance being commanded by the Marques arose vp taking vp dust threw it ouer their shoulders the which is an olde religions custome of that nation thinking by that ceremonie to wynne the fauour of bloudie Mars and then they made towardes the enimie Aliprande who was in the forefronte of the battallion goyng certayne paces before the Esquadron chalenged to the combatte Monsieur de Molle a notorious Captayne on the Frenche side But when the Frenchman refused it not they ranne togither so furiouslye that one wounding the other in the face they bothe fell downe to the grounde Molle being thruste in with deadly Pyke a little aboue the eye and Aliprande into the ball of the chéeke vp to the eare Thus both the Captayne 's falling downe a verye sharpe and a bloudie fighte was begunne by the foremoste rankes where the strengthe of the moste chosen souldiours and petie Captaynes of both armies fought for the dignitie of their name and for glorious victorie Aliprandes regiment that went forwarde verye hotelye was more slowlye followed by the Scaligers than they shoulde haue bene by reason of the empeachmente of the lowe and vneuen grounde whereby neyther coulde their Pykes be borne wyth equall order nor their rankes be aptlye set close togither But in the hotest of the fight the Emperiall horsemen made into the left wing of the Frenchmen where Boutiers stoode with his troup readie to fight and ran forth very couragiously but vainly as it appeared anon after very incommodiously and shamefullye For when they were come vnto the Frenchmen they neuer once giuing anye charge no nor so much as charging their stanes whirled themselues rounde aboute lyke vnto the forme of the Moone eyther to trayne out the light horsemen from the guarde of the men of armes or bicause they being lighte armed durste not aduenture vppon their ennimies who were all in complete armour or else were adduced so to doe by an vncertaine speach vttered as they saide by Goit their Captaine who commaunded them to turne about their horses that they being ouermatched might not fight with the men of armes by encountring them with their horses brest to brest and with thick troupe but with often running vpon them and incontinentlye reculing backe againe after the manner of the Moores This vnlooked for turning away of the Emperialles caused first the Frenchmen to maruayle and anon after also their fellowes assuredly to suspecte that they did flée so that Boutiers sodenly with great valor charged on the backes of them that turned who although that the Marques cried out and rated them coulde not be stayed but with headlong course ranne vpon the Esquadron of the Almains and finding it loose behind the ensignes opened and brake through all the whole battallion and also the French men following theÌ„ got in too at that breache and with small adoe slue all the foulye disordered hindermost rankes bicause that they were not armed with heade péeces and Costelets as were the fore rankes the Frenchmen caruing off whole limmes from the vnarmed with their broade and heauie swordes not vnlike vnto woode kniues that hanged at their saddle bowes But when the Switzers who stoode ouer right againste the Italians sawe this wauering and slaughter of the Almaines they neglecting and omitting the Italians turned their infestuous ensignes on the Almaines as on them whom for naturall hatred they bare them they accounted for their very and peculiar enimies neyther in déede coulde they commodiously charge the Italians for the holownesse and inequalitie of the place and also they thought that if the Almaines were timely destroyed then the victorie were surelye gotten This chaunce of counsell sodenly taken brought not doubtfull safetie vnto the Italians but most assured destruction vnto the Almains for as the Italians being inferiour both in furniture and number men thought woulde not haue susteyned the force of the impression of the Switzers namely séeing that they had before séene the flight of their horsemen so the Almaines that did very constantly propell the Gascoignes and olde Switzers that fought in their front with singular valor were not able to beare the freshe force of these Switzers that charged them on the side so that being disordered by the madde miserable irruption of their owne horsemen and succoured by no man but slayne behinde by the Frenche horsemen and in the front by the vrging enimies their footemen after that their captaines were slaine and their ensignes thrown downe they turned their backes and were almoste eucrye man slayne There died with the Scaligers diuers noble men of greate renounce for sundrie honors borne in the fielde and Captaynes of bandes and most honourable of all Vulcane sonne to the Earle of Furstemberg Michaell Prensinger Lieutenant to Brannor Scaliger Anty Vrse a man of great fame for his many martial voyages and Hildebrande Tunney Balthasar Chaldese Iames Figer Matrice Burse Adam Brall and the Baron of Grinisten But Aliprande Madruckes being sore wounded in many places was found halfe deade among the slaine carcasses and taken prisoner But when the Italian footemen sawe the Almaines defeated and the horsemen fledde they vsing a deuyse rather néedefull and profitable as it afterwarde appeared than honourable fearing the victors began to get themselues out of daunger and to retire through that lowe place that I spake of but yet still kéeping araye and so no strong bande of their enimies molesting or pursuing them they came before midnight vnto Asti whither
and intents coulde not be knowne nor all the galleyes brought forth at the first But when they at length though late came vnto fight Doria fought valiantly and had with him Octauian Ganzaga Vincent Vitelli and certaine noble men of Spaine who wyth the rest bestirred themselues not lasily Whilest that this furious fight continueth Lewes de Rechezenes dealt with Don Iohn to goe out of hande for to succour the right wing bicause he had séene and marked that manye of the enimies galleyes that hadde not yet begun to fight made thither and also that sundrie of Doria his galleyes were somewhat farre off When the Admirall was come there was a fierce and bloudy fight committed There were with Don Iohn Iohn Vasques Coranade Andrada and Francis Doria who fought all verye valiantly and although that at the beginning fewe of the galleyes followed the Admirall yet they which had bene appointed to garde hir sides did neuer forsake hir But the Admirall of the Spanishe fléete chauncing to sée a galley wherein were the sonnes of the Turkishe Admirall whome they thinking to be aliue and well diligently and carefully fought for here and there made in vnto hir and they fought togither with passing prowes for in the Turkishe galley were a great number of valiant men and in the Spanishe were the son of the Constable of Castile Iohn Velasco Alexander de Torelles and many other knights of Arragon At that time also Peter Iustinian the Admirall of the fléete of the Knightes of Malta a man of verye stoute courage and greate valor being assayled by three galleyes fought so valiantlye that he boorded two of them and hadde also almoste boorded the thirde when that other thrée Turkishe galleys seeing the flagge of Saint Iohn did spéedilye inuade him on all sides and they being ioyned with the other thrée slue almost all his men among whome were fifite Knightes of the religion who had with maruellous prowes long time susteyned the violent assault of their enimies Insomuch that all men thought she had bene quite loste when beholde vpon a sodeyne and not without the instinct of God twoo galleyes of his fellowes that had fought so valiantly with other thrée of the ennimies that they had taken almoste all of them séeing Iustinian his galley in greate distresse and daunger spéedilye hasted to helpe hir whome they deliuered out of all daunger and founde the Adinirall yet aliue although he were shotte in with thrée arrowes and still fighting with vnappalled heart at the decke with those fewe souldrours that were left aliue being cast into a ring In the meane time Occhiah very hardlye pressed Doria his side on all partes with his galleyes and had nowe taken ten of our galleyes Whyle that they thus encounter with doubtfull victorie the araye was broken in the aduerse parte and certayne small vessels fledde out of the battell whome yet our men did not chase for that it séemed to be no matter of anye greate importaunce but bent their strength directlye towardes that parte which was moste oppressed by the enimie When Occhiali percepued this he leauing the galleyes whiche be had a little before taken incontinentlye made towardes the middle battell but when he sawe that the middle battell was discomfited and that Don Iohn was come thither with his galley to helpe Doria he incontinentlye beganne to thinke of flight But our menne to interelude him didde take before hande a certayne place throughe the whiche they had thought be must néedes haue passed but he to escape the daunger directed his course close vnto the shore and there landed all the menne that were in his galleyes and thus the greatest parte of them were saued by swimming But if it hadde not chaunced that the greater parte of oure Galley slaues from whome their fetters were that daye taken and libertie promised them if that they did their ducties lustilye and faithfullye hadde not taried in those galleyes of the enimie whiche had bene taken in the battell not one Turke hadde escaped But nowe manye of them were saued by flighte Don Iohn Baciano and Doria spéedilye pursued Occhial vntill that it was almoste night But he fléeing awaye in the night time wyth Sayles and Oares accompanyed with sundrye Galleyes for the number was then vncertayne some reporting moe and some fewer but yet the common fame was thirtye escaped in safetie neyther coulde it be then certainelye knowne what waye he had taken But in the meane whyle in another quarter Barbadico and Mahomet Bey foughte togither with greate ferocitie And albeit that euerye one of our menne didde his duetie and foughte verye valiantlye and couragiouslye and speciallye the leader of the battell and also Antonye Canali and Marke Quirini the Lieutenauntes yet they had receyued greate incommoditie and doubtlesse had bene in no small daunger if Aluaro Baciano that ledde the rerewarde hadde not spéedilye come wyth succour By hys comming the fighte was farre more sharplye renued and they did charge the aduerse parte with suche force and violence that they discomfited them wherein they were also holpen by a fortunate wynde whiche blewe with vs and caried the smoke of our ordinaunce vppon the ennimye and didde beate backe theirs vppon themselues whereby their sighte was muche dymmed and obscured whereas oure menne sawe them verye playnelye and perfectlye In thys conflicte and fighte were manye slayne on bothe sides But the manne of moste renoumed fame and courage was Barbadico who was shotte into the eye with an arrowe as hée foughte verye valiauntlye and lustilye at what tyme the prowes and manne hoode of the Venetian Lieutenants although it were often also séene at other times yet then certes did most specially appeare For when they sawe that Barbadico was stricken in the eye with a very grieuous wounde and that he was so impeached by the immeasurable griefe thereof although that he suppressed it with surpassing stoutenesse of heart that he coulde not anye longer execute that which he had a little before done so stoutlye and excellently they did so performe the dueties of stoute Captaines and souldiours that nothing was wanting in them But Barbadico died that euening and not without the sighing and sorowe of all good men It is sayde that before he died he asked which part had the victorie and being tolde that our men had gotten it and that Selyms nauie was part taken and part sunken and burnt he gaue immortall thankes vnto God therefore and immediately after departed most ioyfull out of this life vnto the heauenly I cannot omit one notable acte of Aluaro Baciano that happened in this battell He séeing a mightie Admirall galley of the Turkes to make in lustilye towardes our Admirall layde hir aboorde himselfe and tooke hir but not without some losse of his men and his owne target was shot in with thrée small pellets and as he fought valiantly with hir there came another ship fraught ful of noblemen of Naples for to helpe him Furthermore it chaunced that Iohn de