declaring as nothing all election that shoulde be made by symonie and giuing an entry and meane very easie to any Cardinall to impugne it This constitution he had pronounced from the tyme he was within Bolognia standing then discontented with certayne Cardinalls who laboured openly to purchase the promises of other Cardinalls to possesse the Papacie after his death He began nowe to growe better and better eyther by his strong and hable complexion or els for that by destinie he was reserued to be the author and principall occasion of more great and long calamities for it was not reasonable to attribute the recouerie of his helth to the vertue or remedie of medicines for that he obeyed neither rule nor order eating in the greatest perill of his maladie rawe apples and things contrarie to the prescription of Phisicke The Pope was no sooner deliuered from daunger of death then he returned eftsones to his olde deuises and cogitations continuing at one time to solicite a peace with the Frenche king and a confederation with the king of Aragon and the Senate of Venice agaynst the Frenchmen suche was his desire to chase out of Italie all dominion and imperie of the Frenche And albeit his will was more inclined to warre then to peace yet he seemed oftentimes drawen with varietie of fancies and for many reasons followed sometimes one opinion and sometimes an other not beeing hable to settle in minde and iudgement hauing his thoughts wandring and reaching to endes farre aboue his power The thing that carried his inclination to the warre besides his auncient hatred agaynst the Frenche and that he was not hable to obteine all the conditions of peace which he desired were the vehement and importunate perswasions of the king of Aragon who feared nowe more then euer least the French king beeing once at peace with the Pope would not execute vppon the realme of Naples vppon the first occasion Wherein to th ende his counsells might carrie a greater authoritie besides the armie at sea which was affore repassed out of Affrika into Italie vnder Peter Nauarre he had sent newly out of Spayne an other sea armie conteyning fiue hundred men at armes six hundred horsmen mounted vpon iennets and three thousand footmen Neuertheles this king proceeding vnderhand with his accustomed subtelties made show that he desired more then euer the warre agaynst the Moores from which his owne profire or particuler interest did not draw him but onely a holy deuotion which he had alwayes borne to the sea Apostolike onely he alleaged that beeing not hable of him selfe to interteine his souldiours it was necessarie that the Pope and thestate of Venice shoulde minister to him wherevnto to th ende they might condiscende more easily his bands that were all descended into the yle of Capri neare to Naples made showes as though they prepared to passe into Affrika But his immoderate demaundes muche amasing the Pope and his suttleties pleasing him nothing at all he entred into many suspicions well knowing that that king ceassed not to giue to the Frenche king hopes all contrarie he knewe the Venetians would not willingly be drawne from his will and purposes euen so he was not ignoraunt that for the greatnes of suche a warre wherein they were they were no longer hable to beare out the burden and charges as before And that time had brought the Senate nowe to seeke more to defende their owne then to take in hande a newe warre which could not be continued without intollerable exspences He hoped that the Svvizzers by a common inclination of those contreimen would declare them selues agaynst the Frenche king but hauing no certentie thereof he seemed to holde it vndiscrete to oppose him selfe to so great daungers for a hope so yll assured not beeing ignorant that as yet were not reiected and cut off their practises with the Frenche king and many of their chieftaines and principalls to whome reuerted not small profites by the Frenche amities labored all they might that in thassembly which was presently to be holden their alliance might be renewed with the kinge Touching the will and intention of Caesar notwithstanding he had many inclinations by the king Catholik of his owne nature a sworne enemie to the Frenche name yet his hope of him was lesse then his feare knowing the great offers that were made to him of new aswell against the Venetians as against him to the which the French king was hable to giue more high state and perfection then to any others that could be made to him he sawe that if Caesar shoulde ioyne with the Frenche king he had greatly to feare the counsell by reason of his authoritie And also his owne power ioyned in good fayth and meaning with the forces and treasures of the Crowne of Fraunce and with thopportunitie of thestates of them both the Pope coulde not in reason haue any hope of the victorie which he founde very harde to obteine agaynst the Frenche king alone But that whiche gaue him the greatest stomacke was a hope he had that the king of Englande would be wonne to rayse warre agaynst the Crowne of Fraunce both by the counsels and perswasions of the king Catholike his father in lawe and for thauthoritie of the sea Apostolike which was then great in the yle of Englande and in whose name he had with vehement petitions implored his succors against the french king as agaynst an vsurper oppressor of the Church to these inducements was ioyned also the naturall hatred aswell of that king as of the people of England to the french nation much helping in this action the forwardnes of the kings youth great abundance of treasor left to him by his father which was supposed to amount to a wōderful quantity These were proper instrumēts to kindle fire in the mind of this yong king hauing neuer experiēced in his kingdom but fortunes happy plausible he was also pushed forward by an honorable desire to renew the glory of his auncestors who intituling them selues kings of Fraunce and at sundry times vexing that kingdome with great warres had not onely holden for many yeres Guyenne and Normandy rich mighty prouinces of that crowne and taken in a battell neare to Poyeters the Frenche king with two of his sonnes and many of his Nobilitie but also had occupied together with the moste part of the kingdome the citie of Paris the capitall citie of the kingdome lastly their vallours and fortunes haue bin so terrible to the Frenchmen that if Henry the fift then king of Englande had not exchaunged this life in the flower of his age and glorious course of his victories it was beleeued he had made an absolute conquest of the whole realme of Fraunce and brought subiected to him selfe the Crowne and imperie of that nation The memorie of these honorable victories working with the youth and disposition of the king were not of little force to draw him to action notwithstanding his father vppon
that he knewe well enough the estate of that daunger but on the other side was to be considered the perill that might breede of the disunion of those kings that in a matter of so greate importance it was harde to ballance things perfectly and to finde a councell that were wholly cleare from those daungers That in all euentes the Svvizzers woulde defende the duchie of Millan And lastly he answered that it was necessarie in deliberations so vncertayne and difficulte to referre one part to tharbitrement of aduenture and fortune What soeuer was the cause eyther for the authoritie of the Pope or by the proper inclination of the parties there began immediatly a practise of accorde betwene the king of Englande and the Frenche king The mocions and forespeeches of it were begon by the Pope with the Bishop of Yorke and were with diligence caryed into England whither for that busines the king sent the generall of Normandy but vnder culler to treate for the deliuery of the Marquis of Rhothelin Assone as he was come there was proclaymed a surceassing of armes by lande onely betweene the two Realmes so long as the generall remayned in Englande The king of Englandes inclination to peace was encreased by the occasion of newe iniuries for where Caesar had promised not to ratifie without him the truce made by the king Catholike he sent notwithstanding to the same king thinstrumente of ratification and by a letter whiche he wrote to the Frenche king he ratified in the name of Caesar but reteyned thinstrument the better to vse his artificiall semblaunces and demonstrations Assone as the negociation was begonne betweene the two kinges the Pope desirous to purchase grace with them bothe sente by poste into Fraunce the Byshoppe of Tricaro to offer him all his authoritie and facultie and to that ende he arryued in Englande by the suffraunce of the sayde king At the firste opening of this practise for peace there fell out manye difficulties for that the kinge of Englande demaunded Boleine in Pikardye wyth a greate summe of money But at laste all the differences fell vppon the towne of Tornaye the kinge of Englande stryuing to reteyne it and the French obiecting some difficultie In so muche as the king of Englande dispatched in poste to the Frenche kinge the Bishop of Tricaro whom he charged without imparting in what nature of particularitie consisted the difficultie to declare to the king from him that in regarde of so greate a benefite he shoulde not stande vppon so many suttle difficulties but to consider that in a Prince reason shoulde beare more imperie then passion The Frenche kinge because he woulde neither do wrong to his Crowne nor yll content hys people the towne of Tornay beeing verie noble and loyall to the Crowne of Fraunce caused the matter to be debated in full Councell wherein was an assistaunce of the principalles of his Courte who aduised him with one voyce to embrace peace yea vnder the condition offred And yet in that tyme the kinge Catholike dyd what he coulde to breake it offering the king manye plottes and deuises but specially to minister to hym all his meanes and fauours to conquer the duchie of Millan But the aunswere beeing returned into Englande that the Frenche king stoode contented with the resolution of Tornaye the peace succeeded and was concluded in the beginning of August betweene the two kings duryng theyr lyues and for one yeare after their death In the capitulation it was expressed that Tornay should remayne to the kinge of Englande to whome the Frenche kinge shoulde paye sixe hundred thowsande crownes and that in suche sorte of distribution that the Frenche kinge shoulde make payment of an hundred thousande frankes euery yeare till the full payment was satisfied That they shoulde bee bounde to defende their estates mutually and reciprocally with tenne thousande footemen if the warre wente by lande and with six thousande onely if the warre were made by sea That the french king should be bounde to serue the king of Englande in all hys affayres with twelue hundred launces and the king of Englande likewise to minister to his seruices with ten thousande footemen Thexpences to be defrayed by either of them that should haue nede of the men Both the one and other of them named the Skottishe king tharchduke and the Empire But Caesar and the king Catholike were not named The Svvizzers had a nomination but it bare a condition that who soeuer woulde defende agaynst the French king the estate of Millan Genes or Ast should be excluded out of the nomination This peace which was made with a wonderful readines was confirmed by the mariage of the kings sister of Englande with the Frenche king vnder condition that he should acknowledge to haue receiued foure hundred thousand crownes for her dowry The contract or handfestings were made in Englande where the king Catholikes embassador was not in presence for the great hatred the king of Englande bare to the king his maister And euen vpon the conclusion and resolution of this peace came to the Courte of Fraunce thinstrument of ratification which Caesar had made together with his commission and the king Catholikes for conclusion of the mariage that was solicited betwene Ferd. d'Austriche and the seconde daughter of Fraunce not yet foure yeares of age But the practise of that mariage vanished presently by reason of the peace that was now established And the Frenche king to satisfie better the king of England gaue order that the Duke of Suffolke Capteine generall of the Launceknightes that were in his pay should departe the dominions of Fraunce in whom the honors recompences that the king made to him ouercame all occasions of discontentment the bountie and liberalitie of the one being no greater then the affabilitie and disposition of the other The Pope had also in this time made new aliances for that according to his dissimulations he wished on the one side that the frēch king should not recouer the duchie of Millan and on the other side he sought to enterteine the king and the other princes as much as he could with sundry meanes And therfore he had delt with the king by the Cardinall S. Seuerin who managed his affayres in the court of Rome that seing the times suffred not to knit betwene them a more great and more discouered aliance that at least there might be layed a beginning fundation whervpon might be raysed a hope to accomplish at an other time a more straite intelligence to those ends he sent him the particularities of articles But the french king notwithstanding he made demonstration to like well of the motion did not answer so directly spedily as was looked for he was xv dayes in resoluing either for thimpedimēt of other affayres or that he exspected some answere from an other place to th ende to proceede according to the trayne of affayres By which delaying the Pope entred into newe capitulations for a
yere with Caesar and the king Catholike which yet comprehended no other matter then the defence of their common estates for the king Catholike was entred afore not without cause into suspicion that be aspired to the realme of Naples for Iulian his brother and had already enterteyned in that action some practise with the Venetians This newe confederation was scarcely established and concluded when the French kings answere came By it he approued all that the Pope had propounded with this onely addition that since he was to bynde hym selfe to the protection of the Florentins of Iulio de Medicis hys brother and Lavvrence hys nephew whom the Pope had aduaunced to thadministration of th affayres of Florence that he woulde reciprocally be bounde to the defence of the Crowne of Fraunce But the Pope excused him selfe touching the action of capitulation with Caesar and the king Catholike that seeing how long he deferred to make aunswere to a demaunde so reasonable he coulde not but enter into some doubt And yet the confederation was but for a short time and conteined no matter preiudiciall to him nor to hinder the perfection of the practise begonne betwene them These iustifications were accepted by the king and so they passed the couenaunt not by instrument authentike to hold it more secret but by a priuate writing subsigned by both their handes The peace betwene the king of Englande and the French king was more sodayne and easie then was exspected being vnlikely that so great hatreds redoubled by new iniuries should with such facilitie be conuerted into amitie and aliance happly the peace was not liking to the Pope who aswell as others was perswaded that there might grow betwene them rather a truce then a peace or at least if it resolued to the nature of a peace it would eyther intangle the king with harder conditions or at least with obligation not to assayle the duchie of Millan for a certayne tyme But it brought incredible discontentment to Caesar and the king Catholike who as there is none euill in humaine actions which hath not ioyned with it some good so he assured notwithstanding that he receiued by it in his minde two contentmentes The one for that tharchduke his nephewe beeing out of hope to giue his sister for wife to the Frenche king and entring withall into distruste of the king of Englande would be nowe compelled to do nothing without his counsell and authoritie The other for that the Frenche king standing nowe in good possibilitie of children the succession of Monsr de Angonlesme was put in doubt to whome he bare no little hatred for that he norished a great desire to restore the king of Nauarre to his estate Onely the Svvizzers gaue it out that they reioysed all at that accorde notwithstanding they reteyned agaynst the French king the same hatred they did before The reason of their gladnes grew of an opinion they had that the french king being now at libertie would take occasion to recontinue the warre in the duchy of Millan by which meane they should eftsones begin to declare to all the world their vertue and their fayth And truely it was not to be doubted that the french king being now deliuered almost of al feare to haue warre beyond the Mountes would not be touched with his old desire to reconquer the duchy of Millan only it could not be discerned whether he would presently dispose him selfe to armes or deferre it tyll the yeare following for that the facilitie of thenterprise appeared to all men but there was none that discerned any signe of preparations In whiche vncertayntie the Pope notwithstanding that conquest was grieuous to him stirred him vp not to deserre nor corrupt the present occasions wherein he gaue him to vnderstande that all thinges were yll prepared to make resistance both for that the Spanishe armie was diminished and yll payed the peoples of Millan reduced to great pouertie straitnesse and also none was hable to aduaunce money to make the Svvizzers march These perswasions caryed so muche the greater force and authoritie by how much a litle before the peace with the king of Englande the Pope expressing a desire that the Frenche king should recouer Genes had giuen him a certayne hope to induce Octauian Fregoso to compound with him Assuredly the Pope in this action proceded not with sinceritie good meaning which disposition moued in him as was supposed for that seeing euery one yll furnished and no lesse doubting least the French king woulde make that expedition without his councell since he had his men at armes in readynes and many leauyes of Launceknightes at his deuotion thought by that meane to preuent and winne his frendship perhappes and in this he proceeded with greater suttletie he was enduced by the knowledge he had that the Emperour and the king Catholike were of opinion that it was not lawfull to the French king to inuade the Duchie of Millan An opinion which though they supposed to be true yet the Frenche king denied it a â—uowing that it was good in him he was not forbidden to take armes against the estate of Millan during the truce By reason whereof the Pope perswading him selfe that the king would not enter into thenterprise thought he would expresse to him a good disposicion of will which also should serue him for excuse if an other time he required succours of him And the matter succeded according to his opinion for the king being resolued either for that cause or for his present necessitie of money or lastly for the nearenes of the winter not to enter into armes affore the spring time and making show that he had confidence that euen in that time the Popes fauor woulde not faile him he wrote aunswere to him alleaging many excuses touching his deserring but conceiled the excuse of the truce which yet endured and perhappes was the principall Neuerthelesse he had desire to attempt the reconquering of Genes or at least to succour the lantern which the same yere by his direction had bene reuittelled many times with certaine proporcions of vittels by the aduenture of sundry smal vessels who making as though they woulde enter the porte of Genes dissembled with the warders and were profitable to them of the lantern But at last thextremitie of vittells growing aboue all remedie and no lesse diligence of the enemie to keepe them suppressed in that want their calamitie not able to temporise and exspect any longer after succours the garrison within was driuen to yeelde it vp to the Genovvais who in their spite rased it from the fundacions A matter not a litle displeasing to the king And albeit the losse of this fortresse tooke wholly from the king all cogitacions to vrge a present warre against the Genovvaies yet it diminished nothinge his disposicion to the action of Millan whereunto he turned all his preparacions to inuade the yeare following that state with maine armies he hoped that the Pope both for the
the chiefe Magistrate of that Citie And as one furie draweth on an other and in an vprore is seldome seene any moderacion so they ranne with their armed weapons throughout the towne and made slaughter of diuerse other Citisens their aduersaries with suche an vniuersall terror and feare that not one durst oppose agaynst them Neuerthelesse assone as the first violence was somewhat ceassed the same feare that had amased others beganne to terrifie themselues by the remorse and greatnes of the offences they had done In which oportunitie certayne wise Citisens thrusting in to solicite and appease the murderers issued out of the Citie vnder certayne condicions and afterwardes were sharpely persecuted by thinhabitantes of Lucquay Thus were the matters of Lombardie and Tuskane brought to some appeasement but the College of Cardinalls taking no care of thestates of the Church partly for the Popes absence but more for the ambicion and disagreementes that were betwene them Sigismond the sonne of Pandolfo Malateste an auncient Lorde of Rimini tooke almost wholly into his handes the gouernment of that City hauing therin but a very small intelligence And albeit Cardinall Medicis at thinstance of the Colledge went to Bolognia as Legate of that Citie both to recouer Rimini and to reorder the other affayres of Romagnia whiche were muche troubled and altered to whom the Colledge had promised to sende to his succours the Marquis of Mantua capteine generall of the Churche yet nothing sorted to effect no lesse by the wantes and impedimentes of money then through the iealousie and emulacion of the Cardinalls his aduersaries who obiected themselues agaynst all counsells and actions that any waye might aduaunce his reputacion or greatnes The ende of the fourtenth Booke THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIFTENTH BOOKE POpe Adrian comes to Rome The Venetians make league vvith themperour The Frenchmen besiege Millan and are constrayned aftervvardes to returne from it Cardinall Medicis is created Pope King Frauncis discendeth into Italie he taketh Millan and besiegeth Pauia Themperour Charles sendeth out an armie to the succours of Pauia vvhere a battell is fought and the French king taken prisoner THE FYFTEENTH BOOKE OF THE historie and discourse of Guicciardin ALBEIT the late victorie agaynst the Frenche men had somewhat reduced the matters of Lombardie into an estate peasible and setled yet it had nothing diminished the vniuersal suspicion that the king would eftsones recontinue the warre and in short time bring new inuasions vpon the Duchie of Millan for both his owne kingdome stoode quiet and acquited from ciuill troubles his Capteines and bandes of men of warre whom he had sent into Italie were returned in safetie the Svvizzers well disposed and prepared to take his paye as before and lastely the Senate of Venice stoode firme with him in the auncient league and confederacion Whiche argumentes ioyned to the remembrance and passion of his harmes receyued and no lesse concurring the violent inclinacion of his youth naturally caryed with moodes of reuenge were sufficient to arme his minde with bloody desires and to make him by his vallour to seeke to recompence the displeasures whiche the malice and enuie of his fortune had lately heaped vpon him By the consideracion of which daunger the Capteines of thimperialls were driuen to enterteine and paye th armie A compulsion very harde and grieuous for that they receiued no supplies of money neither from Caesar nor from the kingdome of Naples And touching thestate of Millan it was so narrowly raked and gleaned that of their proper treasor and habilitie they were not able to susteine so great a proporcion of exspences as were distributed to the feeding of so many souldiors And therefore for the releeuing of so great burdens they sent the greatest parte of their companies to be bestowed vppon the estates of the Churche notwithstanding the popular voyces and College of Cardinalls obiected many impedimentes and vayne exclamacions Also other prouinces of Italie were taxed for the conseruacion of the Duchie of Millan and that by the labour and solicitacion chiefly of Don Charles de Lauoy lately made Viceroy of Naples by the death of Don Reimond de Cardona and Don Iohn Manuell The rate of thimposition was that monthly for three monthes next folowing thestate of Millan should contribute a thousande duckets the Florentins fyfteene thousande the Genovvayes eight thousande Siena fiue thousande and Lucgua foure thousand And albeit many murmured agaynst this taxacion yet the feare of so great an armie made it to be both executed and suffred So mightie is necessitie that in cases of extremitie it makes tollerable those things which in all other condicions are ful of inconueniencie and difficultie Onely they of Millan iustified the taxacion to be necessarie for that the defence of all Italie depended vppon the continuacion of that armie Neither dyd it cease after the ende of three monthes for that the same necessitie continuing the imposicion was eftsones renewed though in a farre lesse rate and taxacion In this estate of affayres Italie stoode oppressed with continuall aduersities and no lesse terrified with the feare of greater euills that threatned the vniuersall regions thereof for the remedie whereof muche was attributed to the comming of the Pope as an apt and conuenient instrument by reason of his supreme authoritie to appease and reorder all disorders And albeit Caesar passing at the same time by sea into Spayne and in his way did cōmunicate with the king of Englande had besought him to tarye for him at Barcelona whither he would come in person to honor him as Pope yet ye forbare to abyde themperours comming eyther fearing least for the great distance of themperour who as yet was in thextreme consines of Spayne he should let slippe the commoditie of his good tyme which after his nauigacion began to be rough and daungerous or else he suspected least themperour would solicite him to deferre his voyage or lastly which was more credible he feared to aggrauate thopinion conceiued of him from the beginning that themperour dyd so muche gouerne him as to be hable to lette him to treate of the vniuersall peace betwene Christians An action wherein he was determined to employe all his studies and labours So that ouerruling by his wisdome all these suspicions he passed at last by sea to Rome where he made his entry the xxix of August with a great concourse of the commons and the whole Court of whom albeit his comming was desired with an vniuersall gladnes for that without the presence of the Popes Rome beareth more a resemblance of a sauage deserte then of a Citie yet that spectacle wrought sundrie impressions and diuersitie of thoughtes in the mindes of all men when they considered that they had a Pope for nation language a straunger and for th affayres of Italie and the Court altogether vnexperienced and also for that he was not of those regions and countreys who by long conuersacion were already made familiar with the customes of Italie The
drawing thether with their forces The Viceroy was appointed to goe against the Marquis of Rothelin who was come ouer the Mounts with foure hundred launces Neuertheles assoone as he vnderstood of the fortune of the Admirall and that he was retyred he returned also into Fraunce holding it vaine for him to followe further thenterprise when the principall forces were dispersed Besides Monsr de Boysy and Iulio Saint Seuerin to whom was committed the gard of Alexandria made no resistance In like sort Federyk after he had demaunded respit of a fewe dayes to know if the Admirall were passed the Mountes compownded to yeeld vp Loda vppon the condicion that was accorded to them of Alexandria to leade into Fraunce the bands of Italian footemen who conteining a regiment of fiue thousande men did speciall seruice to the King afterwardes This was the end of the warre that was managed against the Duchie of Myllan vnder the gouernment of the Admiral of Fraunce By the which neither the kings power being much weakened nor the rootes of harmes remooued much lesse that so many calamities were cleane taken away seeing they were but deferred to an other season and Italy in the meane while remeining discharged of trobles present but not of suspicion of further aduersities to come And yet Themprour no lesse by the incitacion of the Duke of Burbon then by the hope that the authoritie and name of that man might serue him to speciall purpose Was of minde to transferre the warre into Fraunce to the which also the King of Englande showed a readines and disposicion In the beginning of this yeare Themprour had sent his Camp to Fontarabie a towne of verie smal circuit standing vppon the debatable lands that deuide Fraunce from Spaine And albeit the towne was very wel manned and furnished with artilleries and vittelles and leasure sufficient to them within to make it fortefied yet the fortifications being ill made through the ignorance of the Frenche men the towne laye open to the fury of thenemies who heaping vppon the defendants one necessitie after an other constrained them at last to giue it vp only with the safetie of their lyues He was not satisfied with the recouerie of this place but stretching his thoughtes further he made his ambicion no lesse then his fortune and in those conceites being raised to further enterprise he kept no reckoning of the comfortes and authoritie of the Pope who hauing sent in the beginning of the yeare to Themprour the Frenche King and to the King of Englande to solicit a peace or a truse he found their mindes very ill disposed to giue ouer the warre For the French king consenting to a truse for two yeares refused to make peace for the small hope he had to obteine thereby suche condicions as he desired And the Emprour reiecting the truse by the which was giuen good tyme to the Frenche King to reordeine his forces to folow a new warre desired to haue peace And touching the King of Englande any sort of composicion that was offred to be made by the Popes meanes was displeasing to him as in whom was alwayes a desire that the treatie of thaccorde might bee wholly referred to him To this he was induced by the ambicious counselles of the Cardinall of Yorke who seruing as a true example in our dayes of an immoderate pride notwithstanding he was of very base condicion and no lesse abiect for his parentes and discending yet he was risen to suche an estate of authoritie and grace with the King that in most of the actions of the realme the kings wil seemed nothing without thapprobacion of the Cardinall as of the contrary what so euer the Cardinall did deliberate was either absolute or at least had very great force But both the King and his Cardinall kept dissembled with the Emprour that thought by apparances showed a very forward inclination to moue warre against the realme of Fraunce which the King of Englande pretended lawfully to apperteyne to him He grounded his claime vppon these reasons King Edvvard the thirde after the death of the Frenche King Charles the fourth called the faire who dyed without issue male in the yeare of our saluacion 1328. and of whose sister the sayde King Edvvarde the third was borne Made instance to be declared King of Fraunce as next heire male to the French king deceassed Neuertheles he was put by by the generall Parliament of the realme wherein it was set downe that by vertue of the lawe Salyke an auncient lawe of that kingdome not only the persons of women were made vnable to the succession of the Crowne but also all suche as discended and came of the women line were excluded But he not satisfied with this order brought in to take away his right armed him selfe soone after and taking vpon him the title of the king of Fraunce he inuaded the realme with a mightie armie And as in that action he obteined many victories both agaynst Phillip de Valois published by vniuersall consent lawfull successor to Charles the fayre and also agaynst king Iohn his sonne who being ouerthrowne in battell was ledde prisoner into England So after long warres he forbare further to vex the realme and making peace with the sayde Iohn he reteined many prouinces and estates of the kingdome and renounced the title of king of Fraunce But after this composicion which was neither of long continuance nor of great effect the quarrell was eftsones renewed and sometimes followed with long warres and semetimes discontinued with tedious truces vntill at laste king Henry the fift entring confederacie with Phillip Duke of Burgondy who bare a minde estraunged from the Crowne of Fraunce for the murder done vpon Duke Iohn hys father preuayled so muche agaynst Charles the sixt somewhat simple of vnderstanding that he commaunded almost the whole kingdome together with the towne of Paris And finding in that Citie the French king accompanied with his wife and the Lady Katherine his daughter he tooke to wife the sayde Lady and brought the king to consent hauing no great vse of witte that after his death the kingdome shoulde apperteine to him and to his heires notwithstanding his sonne Charles did suruiue him By vertue of which title assone as he was dead his sonne king Henry the sixte was solemnly crowned at Paris and proclaymed king of Englande and Fraunce And albeit after the death of Charles the sixte his sonne Charles the seuenth by reason of great warres happning in Englande betweene the Lordes of the blood royall had chased thEnglishe out of all that they helde in Fraunce except the towne and territories of Callice yet the kinges of Englande dyd not leaue for all that to continue and vse the title of King of Fraunce These causes might happly moue king Henry the eyght to the warre the rather also for that he stoode more assured in his Realme then anye of his predecessours had done for that the kinges of the house of Yorke that was
the name of one faction hauing suppressed the kinges of the house of Lancaster whiche was the other faction and the partakers with the house of Lancaster seeing there was no more remayning of that house raysed to the kingdome Henrye of Richemont for his proximitie and nearenes with them Who after he had subdued hys aduersaries to th ende he might raigne with more suretie and with more authoritie tooke to wyfe one of the daughters of Edvvarde the laste king but one of the house of Yorke by whiche coniunction of houses all the rightes and claymes of bothe the one and the other houses were absolutelye and lawfully transferred into the person of king Henry the eyghte borne of that maryage These houses for the enseignes and cognizanses that they bare were called commonly the Redde rose and the VVhite rose But touching the mouing of the king of Englande to make warres in Fraunce he was not so muche caryed by hope to winne the Realme of Fraunce by armes for that he was not ignoraunt of the innumerable difficulties that woulde contende agaynst him as he was importunatelye pushed on by the ambicious desire of the Cardinall of Yorke who layde this plotte that the long and tedious trauells and infinite necessities of the warre woulde in the ende bring his king to be the onely arbitrator and appoynter of the peace And knowing that the negociacion of it shoulde depende muche of his authoritie he thought in one time both to make his name great through all the worlde and also to enterteine hymselfe in the good grace and lyking of the French king to whom he showed secretly to beare some good inclinacion And therefore the king of Englande sought not to binde him selfe to those condicions whervnto it was necessarie he should be bound if he had had a forwarde minde to so great a warre Thus Themperour was stirred vp to the warre by that occasion but much more by a hope that through the fauour authoritie and popular opinion whiche the Duke of Burbon caryed in that kingdome the commons of the realme would draw to commotion And therfore notwithstanding he was aduised by many of his firme and assured friends that both for his want of money which brings no small impedimentes to enterprises and for the doubt of his confederates whose fidelitie was vncertayne he would giue ouer to beginne a warre so harde and intricate and consent that the Pope mighte treate vpon the surceasing of armes yet he capitulated with the king of Englande and Duke of Burbon in this sorte That the Duke should enter the Realme of Fraunce with that parte of th armie that was in Italie And assone as he should be ouer the Mountes the king of Englande to paye an hundred thousande duckets for the defraymentes of the first monthe of the warre That it should be in the election of the sayd king eyther to continue this contribucion from monthe to monthe or else to passe into Fraunce with a strong armie to make warre from the firste daye of Iulie vntill the ende of December And in that case the countreys of Flaunders to furnishe him of three thousande horse a thousande footmen and sufficient artilleries and municions That if the victorie fell to them there should be rendred to the Duke of Burbon all those landes which the Frenche king had taken from him That Prouence should be transferred to him to the which he already pretended by the resignacion that was made after the death of Charles the eight by the Duke of Lorreine to Anne Duchesse of Burbon That he shoulde holde it by the title of king of Prouence That first he should make an othe to the king of Englande as to the king of Fraunce and do him homage whiche if he did not perfourme then this capitulacion to bee voyde That the Duke of Burbon shoulde not treate nor practise nothing with the Frenche kinge withoute the consent of them bothe That thEmperour at the same tyme shoulde make warre on that syde towardes Spayne Lastely that thEmbassadours of thEmperour and the king of Englande shoulde procure the Potentates of Italie to bee concurrant with their money in this enterprise to th ende to be for euer assured agaynst the warre of the Frenche A matter whiche neuer sorted to effect for that the Pope did not onely refuse to contribute but blamed expresly thenterprise prophesying that not onely it would haue an yll successe in Fraunce but also it would be the cause to returne the warre agayne vpon Italie and that with a greater puissance and perill then before The Duke of Burbon refused constantlye to acknowledge the king of Englande for kinge of Fraunce And albeit after the confederacion was made he gaue counsayle to marche with the armie towardes Lyon to th ende to drawe neare hys owne landes and Countreys yet it was resolutely determined that he shoulde passe into Prouence both for that Themperour shoulde with more facilitie sende him succours out of Spayne and also to bee more apte to take the seruice and oportunitie of the armie by sea which was in preparing at Genes by the commaundement and with the money of Themperour The Marquis of Pisquairo was declared capteine generall for Themperour in this warre for that he coulde not be brought to obey the Duke of Burbon The plotte and proceedinges of this expedicion were that the Duke of Burbon and with him the Marquis shoulde passe to Nice and yet with forces farre lesse then such as were appoynted for that where to the forces they had already with them which was fiue hundred men at armes eyght hundred light horsemen foure thowsande footemen Spanyardes three thowsande Italyans and fiue thowsande launceknightes there shoulde haue bene ioyned three hundred men at armes of the armie in Italy and fiue thowsande other launceknightes these laste companies fayled to come for want of money And the Viceroy kept reteyned the men at armes for the garde of the contrey hauing no meane to wage newe companies of footemen according to the resolucion sette downe in the firste councells to th ende to make heade agaynst Michaell Angeo Marquis of Salusse who beeing departed from his estate kept vppon the Mounteines with a thowsande footemen There was added to this that thEmprours armye at sea one of their principall hopes beeing guyded by Don Hugo de Mocado A man of muche malice and wickednes of life and a creature of the Duke Valentynois appeared farre inferior to the nauie of the Frenche king which beeing parted from Marseilles was stayed in the port of Villefrancho Neuerthelesse thEmperours armye entred into Prouence where were Monsr de la Palissa Capteyne Fayetto Ranso de Cere and Pederyk Bossolo All Capteynes of the French kinge and were nowe withdrawen into townes for that they were not stronge enoughe to make heade in the fielde One parte of the armye drewe alonge the sea side and tooke the tower that commaundeth the port of Tovvlon where were taken two Canons that were drawen to the armye
hundred footemen yssued out of Alexandria with a very slender strength and set vpon them he found them very wearie with the longe way they had made and without garde for that they doubted no daunger by reason of which aduauntages he disordered and brake them easily and in their feare being fled within the castell they rendred them selues immediatly with seuenteene enseignes There hapned no better successe to thenterprise that was committed to the charge of Iohn Lovvys Paluoisin who after he was entred with foure hundred horse two thowsand footemen within Casalmaior where was no wall but ramparts which he had made And hauing afterwards wonne S. Iohn in Croce he began from that place to make incursions into the contrey laboring with all the meanes he could to cut of their vittells By reason of which violences Frauncis Sforce lying then within Cremona leauied with great celeritie foureteene hundred footemen and sent them to Casalmaior with certeine trowpes of horsemen of the band of Rodolffo Camerino and the horsemen of his gard vnder the leading of Alexander Bentyuole As they were drawn neare to that place Paluoysin reapposing confidence in the aduauntage of his numbers without tarying for certeine succours of Frauncis Rangon issued out the eyghteene of February and occupied skirmish with them But he payed a deare price of his rashnes and fell by equitie into the punishment of his hastie rashnes for that in laboring to susteine his trowpes that fought and beganne to draw to retraite he was striken from his horse and made prisoner all his souldiours broken and dispersed There was also added to th affayres of the French king this further difficultie of great consequence Iohn I◠Medicis of Myllan Capteine of the castell of Mus whether the Duke of Myllan had sent him for the murder he had done of the person of Monsr Viscounte hauing placed by night an ambushe on the side of the rocke of Chiauenna standing vppon a hil side at the head of the lake and somewhat distant from the houses of the borough tooke the Capteine prisoner as he walked without his castell led him presently before the gate of the rocke where threatning to kill him if he put not the rocke into his handes his wife in whose presence his life was threatned to death deliuered vp the rocke After this first fortune he caused to discouer an other ambushe with three hundred footemen with whom he tooke the towne making his entry by the castell Whereuppon it hapned that the Cantons of the Grisons taking suspicion vppon that accident reuoked a litle before the battell the regiment of sixe thowsand Grisons that were in the kings armie About this time ariued in th imperiall armie the knight Casalo whom the king of England sent thether with great promisses That king beginning to be ielous ouer the prosperitie of the French king and pushed on also with a certeine despite that in the Skottishe seas the Frenche had taken certayne vessells of thEnglishe threatned manifestly to make warre vpon Fraunce and in that humor desired the well aduauncing of th Imperiall armie In which forwardnes of disposicion he sent to his Embassador Pace remayning at Trente to go to Venice and protest in his name thobseruation of the League to the which his Maiestie hoped they would be so muche the more easily induced by howmuch themperour had sent to the Viceroy thinuestiture of Frauncis Sforce with authoritie to dispose of it by his discression and according to the necessitie and respect of his affayres The king of Englande also solicited the Pope by his Embassador to minister ayde to themperour in his affayres But the Pope excused him vpon the capitulacion made with the French king for his owne suretie and not offending themprour whervnto he added this complaint that since the army was returned from Prouence he was not able in the space of twenty dayes to vnderstande their purposes nor whether they pretended to defende or abandon thestate of Millan But now litle auayled the trayties and intelligences of Princes and of lesse seruice were the negociations and labors of Embassadors for that by the affronting and approching of the armies the whole estate of the warre together with the difficulties and daungers susteined for many monthes were reduced to the fortune and hazard of a very fewe howres for the armie imperiall passing further since the taking of S. Angeo marched and lodged the first daye of Februarie at Vistarino and the second day at Lardiragno and S. Alexis beyond the litle riuer of Lolono a lodging distant frō Pauia foure miles and from the French campe three miles The thirde of February they marched towardes the gate of S. Iustine the place of their incamping beeing stretched out betwene Prati Treleuero la Motto and a wood on the side of S. Lazarus places within two miles and an halfe of Pauia within halfe a mile of the Frenche Vauntgarde and not halfe a myle from the rampiers and trenches of their campe By reason they were so neare affronted one to the other they escaped not without their seuerall domages by the artilleries The Imperialls commaunded Belioyense with all the villages and countrey that laye vpon their backes except Saint Colombin where lay a garrison of French but so straytly besieged as no person could issue out They founde within Saint Angeo and Saint Belioyense great quantities of vittells and to haue more plenty and abundance they labored to commaund Thesin as they did Pavv by the cōmoditie of which they gaue impediment to the french vittells They helde S. Croce and albeit the french king at that time when ▪ he went to incampe at Mirabell had abandoned the Charterhouse yet they forbare to go thither least their market of vittels should be cut off The french men kept S. Lazarus but the furie of thartilleries of thenemies put them in feare to abide there There was betwene the two campes a litle brooke or ryuer of running water called Vernacula his head or spring was within the parke and from thence making his course in the middest betwene S. Lazarus and S. Peter in Verge hath his fal afterwards into the riuer of Thesin This brooke the imperials to thend they might come on with lesse difficulty labored to passe as a matter of great importance But they found a valiant defence made by the frenchmen hauing both the ayde of the channell which was very deepe and the commodity of the shores or bankes that were very high By which impedimente◠there was no possibilitie of passage without great difficultie euery one with that art and care that the peril required fortified their lodging quarter The kings lodging had in front in backe and in the lest flanke thicke huge ramparts enuironed with diches fortified with bastillions and on the right flanke was the wall of the parke of Pauia which was supposed to make the lodging verye strong The lodginges of thimperials caryed the same forme of fortification hauing also
Capteynes and by his armye Abowt this tyme the Cardinalls that were in Italy made a mocion that aswell they as the other Cardinalls beyonde the Mountes might assemble together at Auignion to take councell in so troublesom a tyme what coursse to holde for the stabilitie of the Church But because they woulde not all at one tyme raunge them selues vnder the power of so mightye Princes they refused to goe thether though with diuerse excuses By whose example also the Cardinall Saluiatio Legat in the Frenche Court beeing required by the Pope to goe to thEmprour to helpe his affayres at the comming of Don Hugo who according to the capitulacion was to go vp to thEmprour refused to accomplish that legacion as though it had beene a matter hurtfull to deliuer vppe to the power of thEmprour at one tyme so many Cardinalls Onely he sent by one of his seruaunts of credit thinstructions he had receyued from Rome to thAuditor of the chamber resident with thEmprour to th ende he might negociat with him who brought from him very gracious wordes but such as promised a diuerse and vncerteine resolucion And albeit thEmprour could haue desired that the Pope had beene ledde into Spayne yet for that it was a matter full of infamye and greatly tending to incense the king of England And withall for that all the Potentates and prouinces of Spayne and principally the Prelats and Lordes detested not a litle that an Emprour of Rome Protector and Aduocat of the Church should with so great indignitie to all Christendom holde in prison the man in whome was represented the person of Iesus Christ in earth In those regardes he made gracious aunswers to all thEmbassadors which occupied his presence there At whose instance also to goe thorowe with a peace he sayde he was content to referre the action of it to the king of England which was accepted by them And seeming to confirme this good inclinacion with corespondencye of effects he dispatched into Italy the thirde daye of August the generall of the Graye Frears and foure dayes after him Veri de Miglian enhabling both the one and other with commissions sufficient to the Viceroy for the deliuery of the Pope and restitucion of all such townes and castells as had bene taken from him he consented also for the better releeuing of the Pope that his Nuncio should send him a certeine summe of money exacted vppon the collection of his Realmes who in their Courts and parlyaments had refused to contribute money to thEmprour In this time about the ende of Iuly the Cardinall of Yorke passed the sea to Callyce with twelue hundred horse The French king who had great desire to receyue him with all showes of honor sent to meete him at his landing the Cardinal of Lorraine and went afterwardes in personne to Amyens where the Cardinall of Yorke made his entrey the daye after with very greate pompe Wherein one thinge that muche augmented his glorye and reputacion was the treasor he had brought with him amownting to three hundred thowsande crownes bothe to furnishe thexspenses occurringe and to imparte it with the Frenche Kinge by waye of loane if neede were They debated betwene them aswel of matters apperteyning to the peace as of occasions tending to nourish the warre Wherein albeit the ends and intencions of the French king were different from the purposes of the king of England for that to haue his children restored he cared not to leaue abandoned to manifest praye both the Pope and all the state of Italy yet what by the authoritie of the king of England and necessitie of his owne affayres he was driuen to promisse to make no accord with thEmprour without the deliuery of the Pope And therefore thEmprour hauing sent to the king of England the articles of the peace aunswer was made to him by both the kings that they woulde accept the peace vnder condicions of restitucion of the children of Fraunce receyuing for raunsom of them two millions of duckats within a certeine tyme and deliuerye of the Popes person with the state Ecclesiastike together with the conseruacion of all the gouernments and estates of Italy as they were at that present and lastly vnder condicion of an vniuersall and generall peace And bicause the mariage of the French king with the Emprours sister should still continue there was set downe a speciall couenant that thEmprour accepting these articles the Daughter of the king of England should be maryed to the Duke of Orleans But in case the peace succeeded not the king him selfe should take her to wife After these articles were sent they refused to giue safe conduit to a man whome the Emprour required to send into Fraunce aunswering that they had done enough to send him the articles of their resolucion Which being not accepted by thEmprour the peace and confederacion betweene the two kings was sworne and published solemnly the eyght day of August They determined to employ all their forces in the warre of Italy hauing for their principall obiect the deliuerye of the Pope And touching the manner to proceede in that warre they reapposed them selues vppon Monsr Lavvtrech to whome according to the confidence they had in him they gaue absolute power and before he tooke his leaue to depart with his expedicion they suffered him to obteyne of the French king all his demaundes for that the king ment in that warre to set vppe his last rest The Cardinall of Yorke would also that the knight Casalo shoulde goe to the campe on the behalfe of his king and that the thirty thowsande duckats which were his monthly contribucion should be deliuered to him to th ende to be assured if the nūber of Almaines were compleate Thus after the resolucions and directions of the warre were established the Cardinall of Yorke returned and at his departure he dispatched the pronotorye Gambaro to the Pope to induce him to make him his Viccaire generall in England in Fraunce and in Germanye so longe as he was in prison Whereunto though the French king seemed by demonstracions to consent yet secretly and in effect he did impugne so great an ambicion In this meane whyle there passed but very fewe actions and exploytes of warre in Italy thexspectacion of the comming of Lavvtrech being very great The reason was that as the Imperiall armye full of disorder and disobedience to their Capteynes and no lesse chargeable to their friendes and townes that were rendred made no greate mouing and gaue no feare at all to their enemyes so the footebandes of Spanyardes and Italyans fleeing from the infection of the plague laye dispearsed and wandring abowt the confynes of Rome And the Prince of Orenge with an hundred and fiftye horsemen was gonne vppe to Syenna aswell to eschewe the daunger of the plague as to keepe that citie in the deuocion of thEmperour And for the better conteyning the Citie in fidelitie and order he had sent thyther before certeyne bandes of footemen the rather for that
all that to consigne vnto the Duke of Ferrara Modena which he had deteyned in deputacion till that daye leauing them to decyde afterwards the differences betweene them So that by reason of that dealing there was not for many moneths betwene the Pope and the Duke of Ferrara neither an open warre nor an assured peace the Popelying alwayes in watche to oppresse him with conspiracies and surprise or els to exspect the occasion to heape against him an open warre with the supportacion of greater Princes This yeare of 1531. brought forth no other accidents and the tranquillitie also went on continuing for the yeare following A yeare more daungerous for forreine warres then for the emocions of Italy for the Turke beeing kindled with the ignominie of his repulse at Vienna and no lesse vnderstanding howe thEmprour was intangled in Germany prepared a right huge and great armye wherein boasting insolently of his forces he let not to publish that his intencion was to constraine thEmprour to come to battell with him By the rumor and renowme of which preparacions both the Emprour put him selfe in as good order as he could reuoking into Germany the Marquis of Guast with his Spanish regiments and a great band of horsemen and footemen Italyans And the Pope promised to contribute to him a defraiment of forty thowsand duckats for euery moneth sending for the same expedicion as Legat Apostolike his Nephew the Cardinall of Medicis And lastly the Princes and free townes of Germany prepared in fauor of thEmprour and for the common defense of Germany A very huge and mighty army But the effects aunswered nothing the renowme and the feare for Solyman who for the greatnes of his preparacions and difficultie and distance of the way could not enter into Hungarie but verie late did not drawe directlie with his armie where thEmperour was but exhibiting onely a show of warre together with certeine bragging Caualcadoes and braueries of horsemen he returned to Constantinople leauing the enterprise vnperfect for want of vallour which he had induced and managed with so mightie preparacions Neither did thEmperour shew any greater deuocion or readines seeing that when he vnderstood the Turkes drew neare much lesse that he made out to meete them seeing vppon their retyring he omitted to pursue with all his forces the faire occasion that was offered him to reconquer Hungarie for his brother Onely yeelding to his importunate desire to go into Spaine he gaue order that certeine bands of Spanish footemen some regiments of Launceknightes should be conuerted to thenterprise of Hungarie But that order was immediatlie disordered by the insolent behauiours of thItalians who pushed on by certeine their Captaines disdaining that the authority and conduit of the enterprise was giuen to others and not to them so mutined That hauing no reason to alleage for their tumult and the presence of the Emperour who went thither to appease them being not sufficient to conteine them They tooke resolutely and vniuersally their way into Italie in which disorder they marched with great hast for feare to be followed and in their way with minds malicious they burned many villages and houses in reuenge as they said of the burnings wasting committed in many places in Italie by the Launceknights ThEmperour also returned by the way of Italie and where he had set downe in what order and by what places should passe his Court and all his trayne The Cardinall Medicis caried with humors and passions of youth would not obey the order generallie giuen to all the traine but in his insolencie respecting lesse the Emperours order then his owne ambicious will he aduaunced and gotte before together with Peter Maria Rossa vppon whom chiefly was layed the fault of that sedicion This bred no litle indignacion in thEmperour either for that he imputed the beginning and discourse of the matter to the Cardinall or else he feared least the Cardinall standing ill contented that Alexander his cossin was preferred to the administracion of thestate of Florence would goe after the bandes of Italians to lead them to trouble the affaires of Tuskane In which regard he caused to be apprehended by the way the Cardinall and with him Peter Maria Rossa But after he had better considered of thimportaunce of the matter he wrote letters for the redeliuerie of the Cardinall to whome as well as to the Pope he protested many excuses Onely Peter Maria remeyned prisoner though not long after he was released working greatlie for him with thEmperour the iniurie which it seemed he had done to the Cardinall The retyring of the Turke deliuered the regions of Italie of a great warre that threatned to fall vpon them for where the Frenche king and king of England with mindes full of emulacion against thEmperour had an enteruiewe and conference together betwene Calice and Bolleyne where taking their groundes that the Turke would abide that winter in Hungarie and hold intangled the forces of thEmperour They consulted that the French king vnder that oportunitie should inuade the Duchie of Millan and hauing a disposicion to draw the Pope to their parte by violence and astonishment whom they could neuer allure by other meanes they deuised to take from him the obedience of their kingdoms in case he would not cōsent to that which they desired of him which was for the action of Millan for the French king for the king of England to giue sentence on his side in the cause of diuorce And to relate their intencions they were determined to sende to him with sharpe commissions the Cardinalls of Tournon and Tarbes both which bare no small authoritie with the Frenche king But the newes which they receiued of the retyring of the Turke before the time of their enteruiew was determined did not onely well moderate those deuises and their seuerities but were also the cause that the king of England would not suffer to passe to Calyce the Lady Anne Bulleine to celebrate mariage with her publikely in that assembly Notwithstanding that both the cause was hanging in the Court of Rome also he was forbidden by writs Apostolike vnder paine of very great iudgements to innouate nothing to the preiudice of the first mariage ▪ But so deepe did the French king dissemble that albeit to confirme the minde of the king of England that he would be against the Pope he imposed by his owne authoritie vppon the Clergie of his Realme a taxe of tenthes dispatched the two Cardinalls to the Pope yet not obseruing the fidelitie of his word and promisse he sent them furnished with commissions farre differing from the resolucion of the two kings in the beginning The Emprour being comen into Italy with a desire to speake with the Pope the place of their meeting and enteruiewe was eftsoones assigned at Bolognia A place which the Pope accepted willingly the rather for that he would giue no occasion to thEmprour to goe to the Realme of Naples and by that occasion to make
or confederacion could doe him hurt seeing that aswell for the obligacions it conteyned as for the obseruancie and execucions of the same many difficulties might happen and sundry impediments arise Thus the solicitacions and practises begon were continued betwene them And as the French king was desirous in regard of his honor and for ambicion more then for other needefull matter that the person of the Pope might come to Nyce so to allure him the more he promised not to require of him any confederacion nor to incense him to warre and much lesse to drawe him from tearmes of iustice in the cause of the king of England nor to importune him to create newe Cardinalls Neuerthelesse he was somewhat pushed on by the incitacion of the king of England who had now solemnly maried the Ladye Anne Bolleyne by whome hauing by due order of time procreated a Daughter he had to the preiudice of the Daughter of his first wife declared her Princesse of the Realme of England A title which is transferred to suche as are moste nearest the Crowne By reason of which action the Pope not hable to dissemble so great a contempt against the sea Apostolike nor refuse to graunt iustice to thEmprour had with the vowes and iustificacions of the Consistorie published that king guiltie of the cryme of contempt A matter which moued the king of England to desire with more importunitie both the parentage and enteruiewe of the Pope with the French kinge hoping muche in that kinge to remedye his cause and that if the Pope were induced to common vppon new matters against thEmprour he woulde desire to restore him and to drawe him to their coniunction and so almoste to constitute a triumuirate to giue lawes to the thinges of Italy At laste his going was concluded but not to Nyce for some difficultie interposed by the Duke of Sauoy touching the consigning of the Castel to the Pope hauing in likelyhood no inclination to displease the Emperour But the place was chaunged to Marseilles greatly to the pleasing and appetite of the French king who interpreted it not a little to his honour to reduce the enteruiew into his kingdome Neyther was it discontenting to the Pope as one that desired to satisfie him more with demonstrations to please his ambition then with effects according to true meaning The Pope caused to be published a brute that he went to this enteruiew principally to solicite an vniuersall peace secondly to perswade an enterprise agaynst the Infidells thirdly to reduce and call backe to good wayes the king of Englande and lastely and onely for common and generall interests and to establish some good fourme in the vniuersall affayres But beeing in deede not hable to dissemble the true cause of his iourney before he departed he sent his Neece to Nice vpon the gallies which the French king sent to him accompanied with the duke of Albania vncle to the young Lady Which gallies after they had deliuered the Lady to Nice returned to the port Pisan and tooke in the fourth of October the person of the Pope with a trayne of many Cardinalls whom with a happy nauigation they brought in few dayes to Marseilles There he made his solemne entry and after him entred the French king who had visited him before by night They were lodged in one Pallace and exercised reciprocally one vpon an other right great offices and demonstrations of amitie And the king who especially laboured to insinuate into his fauour and to winne him besought him to sende for his Neece to come to Marseilles which beeing perfourmed with a willing readines in the Pope who forbare to preuent the king in that motion to shewe that he would first debate of the common affayres so soone as the Lady was come the contractes wente on which were immediatly confirmed and made perfect by the consommation of the mariage to the incredible gladnes of the Pope Who albeit with such art solicited his affayres with the king that the king reapposed a wonderfull confidence in his wordes and honored him with a singular affection yet both contrary to thopinion of all men and especially agaynst thexspectation of themprour no article or capitulation was passed betweene them Onely the Pope shewed him selfe alwayes well inclined and desirous that the state of Millan might be conuerted to the Duke of Orleance husbande to his Neece A matter also vehemently thirsted after by the king for a hatred despite he bare to the Emprour and his greatnes fortunes But much more for that the duke of Orleance hauing to his share an estate of that apparance greatnes he thought that therby would be quenched the occasiōs of contentions betwene his children after his death ▪ which otherwise he feared might fall amongest them for the title of the Duchie of Britaine ▪ An estate which the king in the yere before contrarie to the couenauntes made by king Levvis with those people had annexed and vnited to the Crowne of Fraunce wherevnto he induced the subiects of that state to consent more by his kingly authoritie then of their proper inclination and will. Moreouer in this enteruiew muche lesse that the king coulde obteyne any fauour of the Pope in the cause of the king of Englande seeing beeing discontented with the inciuilities of the Agentes of that king whom he founde in the Popes chamber protesting and appealing from him to the Councell he tolde the Pope that it should nothing offende him if he pursued that king and his cause according to the rule of iustice yea he was so moderate in his demaundes and dealings that in nothing did he offende the minde of the Pope sauing that more to satisfie others of his Court and counsell then to content himselfe he solicited him to create three Cardinalls A matter not a little discontenting to the Pope not so muche for thinstance whiche themperours Embassadour made to the contrarie as for that he interpreted it to an action of great consequence both for thelection of other Popes hereafter and for the disobediences whiche might happen in hys lyfe and after to adde so many Cardinalls to the French nation beeing at that time sixe in number Neuerthelesse to preuent a greater euill with satisfying the lesser he accomplished the kings demaunde making to be concurrante in the action of that creation a brother of the Duke of Albanie to whome he had before promised the Cardinalls Cappe In all other regardes they seemed to stande firme and assured in all sortes of fidelitie and satisfaction and in that good estate of inclination and amitie the Frenche king was not curious to communicate with him many of his counsells and especially his determination to stirre vp agaynst themprour certayne Princes of Germany and chiefly the Lantgraue van Hesse and the Duke of VVittemberg who the sommer following drewe into commotion And so wyth these actions and demonstrations of amitie and office after they had passed a moneth at Marseilles the Pope returned
receiue in dowrie and respect of the mariage the principalitie of Squillaco valued at tenne thowsand duckats in yearly reuenue and that Ferdinand should giue to him an estate of an hundreth men at armes This confirmed thopinion of many that all that the Pope solicited in Fraunce bare no other meaning then by feare to draw them of Aragon to these conuencions this was one argument to approue their coniectures that Ferdinand laboured to make a confederacion with him for their common defence but the Pope obiected so many difficulties that there was no other thing obteyned of him then a very secret promise by writing to defend the kingdom of Naples so that Ferdinand would equally promise to protect the estate of the Church These thinges dispatched the companies of men at armes which the Venetians the Duke of Myllan had sent to the Pope for his succors retired with licence and fauour out of the Church dominions Ferdinand also began now with no lesse hope of happy successe to treate with Lodovvyk Sforce who with a wonderfull suttletie arte shewed him selfe some times ill contented with the inclinacion of the french king to the matters of Italy and some times excused and iustified him selfe vpon his necessitie for that by reason of his chiefe for Genes and the auncient confederacion with the house of Fraunce he was constrayned to tender the desires and requestes made to him as he sayd by the same king But some times he promised to Ferdinand in publike and some times to the Pope and P. de medicis apart and seuerally to do all he could to moderate the kinges desire assaying to lull them a sleepe in this hope to the ende they conspired or dressed nothing against him before th affayres of Fraunce were well proceeded and established wherein they were the more easie to beleue him by how much they iudged the resolucion to bring the french king into Italy so ill for his owne sewertie that in consideracion of his particular perill and the common inuest of Italy they supposed he would vtterly disclaime and shake it of All this sōmer past in this nature of doings Lodovvyk working vnder such disguised formes and maners that without giuing any suspicion to the french king neither Ferdinand the Pope nor the Florentyns dispaired of his promises nor yet altogither trusted him But in this meane while were layed in Fraunce with no small studie the foundacions of the warre and expedicion to come whereunto contrary to the councells of most of the greatest inclined more more thaffection of the king who to be more at libertie accorded the differēces he had with Ferdinand and Isabell king Queene of Spayne Princes in those times of great reapport and name for gouernment and wisedom both for that they had drawne their Realmes out of great troubles into a setled tranquillitie also had recouered to Christianitie with a warre of ten yeares continuance the kingdom of Granado vsurped by the Moares of Affrica for almost viij hundreth yeares it was expressed in this capitulacion solemnly iustified by publike oth of both partes in the church that in Ferdinand nor Isabell for Spayne was gouerned vnder their common name should be no action of ayde to the Aragons directly nor indirectly no contract of any new affinitiue or alliance nor that in no sort they should oppose against king Charles for the defence of the realme of Naples The king in counter chaunge and recompence of these beginning by a losse certein for a hope of gaine vncerteine restored without any repayment of money Parpignian with all the earldom of Rossellion pawned many yeares before to Levvys his father by Iohn king of Aragon and father to Ferdinand An exchaunge altogither against the will liking of the whole nation of Fraunce for that that earldom seated at the foote of the hills Pyrennei consequently according to thauncient diuision part of Gallia gaue alwayes necessary impediments to them of Aragon for entring into Fraunce on that side The king for the same occasion made peace with Maximylian king of Romaines and with his sonne Phillip Archduke of Austrich in whom was no want of occasion either of olde or newe hatreds against him but specially for that his father Levvys by the death of Charles Duke of Burgondie and Earle of Flaunders with many other contries conioyning did impatronize him selfe vpon the Duchie of Burgondie and Earldom of Artoys with many other places which the sayd Duke possessed whereof growing no small warres betwene king Levvys Marie the onely daughter of Duke Charles married after the death of her father to Maximilian there was made at last Marie being dead and Phillip the common sonne of Maximilian and her succeding to th inheritance of his mother an accord amongest them more by the wills of the people of Flaunders then readines of Maximylian The better to cōfirme this accord Margaret the sister of Phillip was married to Charles sonne of Levvys and notwithstanding she was very yong ledde into Fraunce where after she had remained many yeares Charles refused her and tooke to wife Anne to whom by the death of Francis her father leauing no yssue male the Duchie of Bryttaine was descended This was a double iniurie to Maximylian being at one time made frustrate the mariage of his daughter and his owne hauing by procuracion afore married the sayd Anne And yet for that he was not able of him selfe to susteyne the warre recontinued by occasion of this iniurie and that the people of Flaunders gouerning them selues by their proper councell and authoritie by reason of the minoritie of Phillip would not dwel in warre with the realme of Fraunce And seeing lastly that the kings of Spayne England had dissolued their armies which they had leuyed against the french he consented to the peace by the which king Charles restored to Phillip his sister Margaret deteyned in Fraunce till then togither with the townes of the Earldom of Artoys reseruing to him selfe the castells but vnder bond to render them at foure yeares ende at what time Phillip being risen to his maioritie might in good validitie confirme the accord past Those townes when the peace was made by king Levvys were acknowledged by common agreement as the proper right of the sayd Margaret The generall peace thus established with all the neighbours to the realme of Fraunce the resolucion of the warre against the kingdom of Naples was confirmed for the yeare following in which time were prepared all prouisions necessary continually solicited by Lodovvyk Sforce who the thoughts of men aduauncing from degree to degree occupied his witts now not onely how to assure the gouernment to him but lifting vp his mind to higher conceites he had an intencion to transferre to him selfe the Duchie of Myllan vnder thoccasion of the warre against thArragons wherein to giue some couler of iustice to so great an iniustice and with more firme foundacions to assure his affayres against all
not without pawne and sewertie It is also reasonable in him to demaund peace because lying nearest the daunger of your forces his feares are no lesse iust then his perills likely Besides leagues which haue many competitors of their propper nature haue not that stabilitie and concord but vpon occasions they come to disagree and fall of one from an other in which case euery litle hoale that they shal make yea euen the smallest cranell or creuish that shall appeare will make to vs the victorie no lesse easie then well assured So that seeing your affayres stand in these degrees and that God hath made it impossible to mortall Princes to rule the time my aduise is that your Maiestie striue not against the streame of the time but to frame your inclinacions to the peace not that it is of it selfe profitable or commendable but because it is an office in Princes wise and of stayed condicion in causes difficult and daungerous to allow for easie and commendable that that is necessary and conuenient or at least wise such as are least intangled with daungers and nothing at all derogat reputacion and honor The Duke of Orleans rebuked sharpely the speeches of the Prince of Orange either of them taking such libertie of passion that falling from wordes to reproches and iniuries the Duke gaue him the lye in the whole presence of the councell But thinclinacion of most part of the councell and consequently of the multitude of th armie was to embrase the peace bearing so much power in them all and no lesse in the person of the king a sweete desire to returne into Fraunce that they were not able to discerne the daunger of the kingdom of Naples and much lesse to see how slaunderous it was to suffer to be lost afore their eyes the citie of Nouaro and lastly to depart out of Italy with condicions so vnequall considering the incerteintie of thobseruacion which disposicion was so vehemently fauored by the Prince of Orange that many dowted lest to gratifie the king of Romaines to whom he was most affectioned he had no lesse regard to the profit of the Duke of Myllan thē to the commodities of the french king with whom truely his authoritie was great partly for the excellencie of his wit and partly for the credit of his vallour but most of all for that it is a custom and propertie with Princes to esteme most wise such as are most conformed to their inclinacions At last the peace was made which was no sooner sworne by the Duke of Myllan then the king reiecting all other thoughtes then such as made for his returne into Fraunce wēt forthwith to Thuryn his hast was the more importunat to depart from Verceill for that those bands of the Svvyzzers that were in the campe to assure their payes of three whole moneths according to the custom of Lovvys the xj as they alleaged began to speake of staying the king or the chiefteines of his Court for the sewertie of their pay notwithstanding they could not clayme so much by promise nor yet had serued so long time from which daunger albeit the person of the king was deliuered by his suddeine departure yet they hauing made prisoners the Baylif of Dyon and others that leauyed them he was in the ende constrayned to assure all their demaundes aswell with promises as with ostages from Thuryn the king desiring to make a perfect establishment of the peace sent to the Duke of Myllan the Mareshall of Gi◠the President of Ganuay and Argenton to induce him to speake with his Maiestie The Duke seemed to be of the same desire but it was not without some dowt of treason In so much that either for that suspicion or obiecting perhappes some expresse difficulties as not to giue occasion of ielowsie to the confederats or for that his ambicion woulde not suffer him to come in a behauior inferior to the french king he propownded to haue the meting vpon the middest of a riuer where a bridge being made either with barkes or other matter there shoulde be betwene them a barre of wodde A manner of commoning together vsed heretofore by the kinges of England and Fraunce and other great Princes of the West This the king refused as a thing vnworthy his greatnes and therefore without any enteruiewe he receiued his ostages and dispatched Peron de la Basche to Genes to receiue the two carrakes that were promised him and to rigge foure others at his owne charges for the succors of the castells of Naples which he knew had not receiued the reskewes sent from Nice for that they suffred so many impediments as they could not be profitable to the seruice of Naples In which respect his people 's there beseged had made composicion to render vp the castells if they were not succored within thirty dayes The king made his plot to arme the sayd vessells with three thowsand Svvyzzers to adioyne them to the sayd nauie parted from Nice nowe retyred to Lyuorne and to certeine other vessells exspected from Prouence All which without the great ships of the Genovvays had not bene sufficient for that succors the hauen of Naples being now full of a huge armie by sea both for the vessells of the prouisions of Ferdinand and also for twenty gallies and foure shippes sent thether by the Venetians The king after he had dispatched Monsr Argenton to Venice to solicit the Senat to enter into the peace and participat with thaccord tooke his way into Fraunce with all his Court that with such equall speede and desire to be there that there was nothing coulde stay him any fewe dayes in Italy no not till the Genovvays had deliuered him their ostages promised vppon the contract at Verceill which certeinly they had accomplished if his hastie departure had not preuented their true intencion and meaning Thus then vpon the ende of October 1495. his maiestie returned on thother side the mountes resembling rather a personage vanquished then a Prince victor notwithstanding the conquest and victories he had obteyned he left as his Liefetenant in Ast a citie which it should seeme he bought of the Duke of Orleans Iohn Iacques Triuulce with fiue hundreth frenche launces who not many dayes after of their propper authoritie followed the king by whome was left no other succors for the kingdom of Naples then the nauies preparing at Genes and Prouence and the assignacion of the aydes and moneyes promised by the Florentyns After the discourse of other things me thinkes it can not be out of purpose specially it being a destinie fatall that the calamities of Italy should take their beginning of the passage of the french men or at least were imputed to them to leaue to memorie and tradicion in what sort began the disease which the french call the euill of Naples and the Italians name the botche or more commonly the disease of Fraunce It hapned as an infection to the french men whilest they were at Naples
laied of many dangerous accidēts mutations which be the wretched ordinary traynes of ambition diuision secret hates About this time also thaffaires of the Pisans suffering of late many declinations seemed dayly to diuolue more and more into harder straiter tearmes for besides that the Florentins the sōmer before had cut downe their corne and with their men at armes made cōtinuall incursions vpon the townes adioyning euen to the gates of Pisa yet the better to cut of all passage and traffike of vittels by sea they enterteined in their pay the sonne of Bardell of Portouenere with certen proportions of vessels by which impediment the Pisans standing as it were besieged both by sea land and not hable by reason of their pouertie and afflictions to refurnish themselues neither with vessels nor forrein souldiers found themselues in great dispaire to holde out any longer being very weakely succored by their neighbors And yet as God seldome giueth so greeuous a sentence of thestate of mans mortalitie as to denyal compassion to men in miserie so the Genovvaies Lucquois owing pitie to the afflictions of their neighbors consulted to conuey into Pisa certaine quantities of corne which being fraughted in a great number of Barkes folowed with two shippes of Genes and two gallions were transported to Spetia from thence to Voreggia to th ende they might be conueyed into Pisa with fourtene brigantins and certen smal barkes according to the direction of the Pisans But the Florentins seking to oppose against this enterprise as wherin consisted their hope or dispaire to get Pisa for that yere they ioyned to the nauy they had alredy a ship of England happly riding in the roade of Lyuorno with certein other fustes and brigantins And to minister to the Nauy at sea with all the succours and preparations they could make by lande they sent all the horsemen with a great portion of the footemen which were hastily leauyed in the Countrey along all those passages and shoares by the which the Nauy of thenemie might runne the course of Pisa either by the mouth of Arna or the ryuer called the dead Floodde entering into Arna The enemies ariued at the mouth of Arna and the Florentin vessels lying betwene the mouth and the dead ryuer and the Landmen commaunding all the apte places had planted their artilleries aswell on this side as beyonde the brinke of the ryuer by the which they should passe In so muche as they seeing no possibilitie to passe further retyred into the ryuer of Genes with the losse of three brigantins laden with wheat By thoccasion of which successe the victorie seeming almost certayne for want of vittels the Florentins to take away all oportunities for vittels to enter by the riuer made a bridge of wood vpon Arna which they fortified with bastillions on both sides the banks And as when afflictions begin to fall they thunder all at once aduersities hauing this in proper not onely to oppresse but also to depriue miserable men of ordinarie comfort so in the same time to cut of all succours of their neighbours the Florentins fell to composition with them of Lucquay for hauing aforetime to represse their insolencies sent part of their footebandes that were within Cascina to sacke the hauen of Voregge and the storehouses wherein were many sortes of silkes belonging to the marchantes of Lucquay The inhabitants of Lucquay made timerou by those rigorous exāples sent their Embassadors to Florence where was accorded that betwene both their common weales there should be a confederation defensiue for three yeres the Lucquois beeing namely and expresly excluded from all power any more to succor the Pisans This confederation to be continued for twelue yeres further if the Florentins should recouer Pisa within a yere and that during the tearme of this league the Florentins alway reseruing the prerogatiue of their rights should not molest thestate of Lucquay touching the possession of Pietra Sancta and Mutron A league opening the principall gap to the ruine of the Pisans But that which was of greatest importance to make easie the conquest of Pisa was the capitulation which they made with the kings Catholike French which being solicited many moneths had suffred many difficulties for the Florentins by the experience of things past feared least it were a meane to draw from them a great quantitie of money and yet the affaires of Pisa to continue in the same degree and on the other part the French interpreted that they deferred cunningly in hope that the Pisans would make a willing restitution their extremities beeing desperate and nowe layde open to all men The French king vnwilling that they should recouer it vnles he did cōmunicat in the price cōmaunded Bardell his subiect to leaue their pay and to Monsr Chaumont to dispatch from Millan six hundred launces for the succors of the Pisans which ioyned to other actions of feare and suspition occupied the Florentins with such perplexities that ceassing all difficulties they entred couenant in this maner That the French king king Catholike should giue no aide nor support to the Pisans also to forbid that frō no places of their subiection obedience nor likewise frō any their confederats or others vnder their protection should enter into Pisa any succors of vittels money munition or men nor any other nature of releefe whatsoeuer That the Florentins so farforth as Pisa were recouered within a yere following should pay to eyther of them within a certeine time fifty thousand duckets And that in the same condition there should continue betwene them a league for three yeres frō the day that they recōquered Pisa In consideration of which league the Florentins should be bounde to defende with three hundred men at armes the estates that they helde in Italie receiuing in like sort for their defence of either of thē a proportion of three hundred men at armes To this capitulation made in cōmon it was necessarie for the Florentins to adde without the priuitie of the king Catholike newe bonds to pay to the French king vnder the same conditions and tearmes fiftie thousande duckets promising withall fiue and twentie thousande more to the ministers of both the kings of which the greatest portion was to be distributed at the discretion of the Cardinall of Amboyse These couenantes albeit they were heauie and costly to the Florentins yet in the opinion of men they brought no lesse infamie to both the kings the one for money abandoning the citie which many times he had assured to be in his protection and which being willingly offred to him the great Capteine had accepted in his name And the other contrarie to the reputation of so many promises made to the Florentins both solde for a vyle price the iuste libertie of the Pisans and constrayned the Florentins to buy of him the power and sufferaunce to recouer that which iustly apperteined to them So mightie now a dayes is the
the Popes forces gaue small obedience to this commaundement he complayned that he shoulde be constrayned not to reape the fruite which grewe to him in his proper house with small labour and to be driuen to buye of an other for the vsage of his peoples the ware whereof he had enough to replenishe forreine countreis alleaging withall that that ought not to be enforced for an example which the Venetians had made him consent vnto more by compulsion of armes then by condition of iustice Whiche reasons little auayled to content the Pope who eftsones sent to protest to him vnder great paynes and accursings to discontinue that worke suche were the thoughtes and actions of the Pope inclined altogether to rayse vp and support the Venetians But on the other side Caesar and the French king thirsted not a little after their embacement with desire to diminishe their authoritie and greatnes And beeing muche discontented with the demonstrations which the Pope expressed on their behalfe they drew into a more strayte alliance and intelligence one with an other concluding to inuade the Venetians that sommer with huge forces for the better aduauncing of which expedition the contracte bare that the Frenche king for his parte shoulde sende Monsr Chaumont with a strong armie wherevnto should be ioyned the Launceknightes that lay at Verona And Caesar for his parte should make entrie into the countrey of Friul with those leauyes of men and munitions which he hoped to obteine of thempire in the dyet of Auspurge and hauing accomplished that action he was to proceede to other enterprises according to the estate of occasions and tyme They solicited the Pope to ioyne with them according to the bonde of the league of Cambray holding it but iuste to sommon him to performe that which he had so willingly promised But he who was no lesse discontented with that motion then hauing a capacitie searching aboue the witte of other men made aunswere that he was no more bound to that confederation which hath had already his perfection seeing it had bene in the power of Caesar to haue first Treuisa and afterwards a satisfaction recompence in money Caesar likewise solicited to haue succours from the king Catholike both by vertue of the same capitulations of Cambray and also vnder couenantes and promises made particularly with him at suche time as he consented to him the gouernment of Castillo But this solicitation as it bare a forme of request to ayde him rather with money then with men so the king of Aragon whom it imported muche not to disfurnishe him selfe of the thing whereof he had moste neede aunswere that he would sende him foure hundred launces A strength of little profite for Caesar for that aswell in the Frenche armie as in his owne campe the seruice on horsebacke was plentifully furnished About this time the Citie of Verona liued in great afflictions vnder the souldiours that garded it who for that they were not payed drewe into secret conspiracie with certayne Venetian bandes by whom they thought to worke some trayterous stratageme for which purpose the Venetians issuing out of S. Boniface approched the Citie by night to skale the Castell of S. Peter and as they were entred S. Georges gate whylest they taried to fasten their ladders together for that being single they sufficed not to reach to the height of the wall eyther they were heard by the warders of the castell of S. Felix or in their feare they seemed to heare a brute of armed men And as in matter of enterprise imagination abuseth muche so whether they feared their owne shadowes or whether they doubted that to be in deede which was but a vision in their timerous fantasies they sodenly retyred leauing behinde them their ladders as testimonies of their feare and intention leauing to thenemie to doubt muche of their vallour that in so fayre an oportunitie forsooke the felicitie that their fortune had prepared The armie retyred forthwith to S. Boniface and at Verona the conspiracie comming to detection many were passed ouer to iustice and punishment though some found fauour more by clemencie then their proper innocencie In this season the Pope expressed certayne inclinations to be eftsones reunited with the french king not of goodwill but for feare for that Maximilian sommoned him with braue messages to lende him two hundred thousande duckets threatning that otherwise he would ioyne with the French king agaynst him An other reason of his feare was a brute that was spread that in the Dyet of Auspurge it was agreed to minister to him a strong succor and also the peace had bene newely established betweene the kings of Englande and Fraunce and published with great solemnitie By reason of these feares he began to trayte with great diligence with Albert de Carpy whom till that day he had interteined with wordes and hopes generall vsing in all his actions of negociation more art then true meaning and lesse fidelitie then fayre resemblaunce But besides the mutabilitie of his owne nature the variation of occasions made him not dwell long in that resolution both for that the Parliament of Auspurge without the forces and aydes of which there was no great reckoning to be made of the threates of Caesar not aunswering exspectation determined for him no other succours then a supply of three hundred thousande Florins of Rhein whereof his prodigalities had already made great wastes And also the king of England signified that he had setdowne an article in the peace expressing that it should be no peace as often as the French king should offend the state of the Churche In regard of these things the Pope reentred into new stomack and returning eftsones to his former thoughts he began to heape new cōplaintes agaynst the Duke of Ferrara who he sayd that since it was suffred to the subiects of the Church to sayle and traffike frankly through the gulfe of Venice had imposed newe tributes vppon the goods which were brought to Venice by the riuer of Pau A taxation which the Pope alleaged that the vassall coulde not leauie according to the interpretation of the lawes without licence of the Lorde paramount and withall it was a thing that brought great preiudice to the people of Bolognia who were his subjects for which consideration he made instance that they might be deposed threatning that otherwise he would bring warre vpon him Wherin to giue him a greater feare he caused to marche his bands of men of warre into the countrey of Bolognia and into Romagnia These things troubled not a little the mind of the French king beeing loath on the one side to fall at oddes with the Pope and on the other side he felt him selfe touched in honor and conscience to leaue abandoned the Duke of Ferrara to whose protection he had bound himselfe by receiuing thirtie thousande duckets No lesse was he moued with the regarde of his proper profite for that duke Alfonso depending wholy vpon him and fleeing so
dayes after arryued there the Bishoppe of Paris the Frenche kinge who to be more neare the solicitations of peace and the better to furnishe his prouisions for the warre was nowe come to Lyon perswading him selfe that the Pope woulde also sende thither and ioyne frankly in the action But suche was his obstinacie agaynst the deuoute willes of all these great Princes that he made greate instance to haue the Bishop of Gurce to come to him not so much that he thought it aunswered thexspectation of his dignitie Pontificall as for that he hoped that in loading him with honours ceremonies and promises ioyned to the efficacie and authoritie of his presence he might raunge him and make him conformable to his wyll beeing nowe more estraunged then euer from peace and agreement wherein to make the labour more easie and the successe agreable to hys desyre he solicited Hierome Vich whiche was of Valence and Embassadour resident for the king Catholike to goe on hys behalfe to the Bishop of Gurce The Bishoppe of Gurce refused not to condiscende to the Popes wyll but he obiected that it were good he woulde firste take order for that that was to be done afterwardes assuring that the difficulties woulde bee more easilye dissolued and decyded if the negociation were firste managed at Mantua with intention to goe afterwardes to the Pope with matters well debated and almoste resolued He alleaged that this course he was bounde to take no lesse for the necessitie then for the facilitie of thinges For as it coulde not bee conuenient for him to leaue alone the Bishoppe of Paris whome the Frenche king had sent to Mantua at the instance of Caesar so there was no hope he shoulde debate in th affayres of his king and no lesse inconuenient to require him to goe with him to the Pope seeing that neyther it aunswered his commission nor the dignitie of his king to goe to the house of thennemie affore their controuersies were accorded or at least very neare to bee resolued Of the contrarie the two Embassadors of Aragon declared that the whole hope of peace making depended vppon the agreement and composing of the affayres of Ferrara for that they beeing determined and no more cause remayning to the Pope to sustayne the Venetians they shoulde bee constrayned to yeelde to peace with suche lawes and conditions as Caesar woulde That the Pope pretended that the sea Apostolike had great and strong rightes ouer the citie of Ferrara and did esteeme Alfonso to haue vsed towards him a great ingratitude and had done him many vnworthy iniuries That to abate and qualifie the rigor of his minde whiche was nowe full of displeasure it was more conuenient that the subiect or vassall shoulde implore the clemencie of his Lorde then to come and dispute of his iustice For which reasons they perswaded that it was not only comely and honest but also conuenient and necessarie to go to him in which iuste humilitie and submission they doubted not but he woulde diminishe a great parte of his rigour They thought it not profitable that that diligence that industrie that authoritie whiche was to be imployed to dispose the Pope to peace shoulde be consumed in perswasions tending to endes doubtfull Lastely they added with very sweete wordes that neither could matters haue their full disputation nor the quarrells sufficiently searched into vnlesse all the parties were together in full assistance And that within Mantua was onely but one parte for that Caesar the French king and the king Catholike were in suche vnitie of leagues parentages and amities that in this action they were to be reputed as brethren thinterestes of euery particular beeing common to them all What by these perswasions and other respectes more speciall and priuate the Bishoppe of Gurce suffered him selfe to bee wonne to goe thither with intention that the Bishoppe of Paris shoulde exspect at Parma what woulde be the successe of his voyage During these actions the Pope notwithstanding all solicitation made apperteining to the peace had not yet altered his thoughtes from the warre interteyning the one with showes dissembled and embrasing the other with desires burning and importunat He supposed to surprise of newe the bastillion of Geniuola recommending the charge of that enterprise to Iohn Vitelli But aswell for the small and slowe paymentes that were made the numbers of footemen were farre inferiour to thappoyntment as also that all the countrey thereaboutes stoode ouerflowed bothe by the plentie of raynes that fell and by the cutting of the rysinges of the ryuer of Pavv there was nothing aduaunced Besides Alfonso d'Este was the stronger by water who with an armie of Gallies and Brigantins so charged the Venetian fleete neare S. Albert that what with the furie of that encounter and with the feare of an other fleete of lesser vesselles which they discerned sayling from Comaccho they retyred to the porte of Rauenna with the losse of two fustes two barbottes and more then fourtie smaller vesselles This accident disappoynted the Popes hope to take the Bastyllion and therefore he returned those companies to the campe whiche lodged at Finalo very muche weakened of the strength of footemen for that the paye was so small About this tyme the Pope created eyght Cardinalles partely to allure to him the myndes of Princes and partly to arme him agaynst the threatnings of the Councell Suche as he created were prelates learned and experienced and as they bare in the Court of Rome a greate authoritie so they were personages of speciall election suche as he reapposed moste suretie in Of the number of this creation was the Archbyshoppe of Yorke Embassadour for the kinge of Englande and the Byshoppe of Syon the one beeing a man of importaunce to stirre vppe the Svvizzers and the other beeing gracious with hys king whom he hoped to kindle agaynst the Frenchmen And to drawe on the Bishop of Gurce as it were with an earnest penny certayne of the same dignitie and with that hope to make him the more tractable to his desyre he reserued to him selfe with the consent of the Consistorie a power to name an other suche a one as he had fashioned already in his mynde After he vnderstoode that the Bishop of Gurce had consented to come to him he determined to receyue him with great honour wherein to expresse more office then thestate of a Bishop of Gurce coulde chalenge and lesse respect then apperteined to so supreme a dignitie as a high Bishop of Rome he went from Rauenna to Bolognia to th ende to ioyne the magnificence of the place to the residue of the honours he pretended There he receiued him with pompes and ceremonies equall to the estate and dignitie of any king the glory of his demonstrations and showes giuing great detection of his dissembled minde The Bishop also for his parte expressed no lesse pompe and magnificence for that discending into Italie with the title of Caesars liefetenant he came accompanied with a very great
his dying had expresly aduised him aboue all other things to enterteine peace with the Frenche nation as the onely meane for the kinges of Englande to raigne surely and hapeply It was not to bee doubted but the warre of thEnglishe agaynst the Frenche king beeing also assayled in other places was of right great consequence for that in that action the very intralls of the kingdome were charged the Frenchemen redoubting muche the name of thEnglishe by the memorie of victories and conquestes passed Notwithstanding all these the Pope for thincerteintie of the fayth of straungers and for the farre distaunce of those contreys so farre remoued coulde not establishe or reappose his counsayles vppon those fauours These were the hopes of the Pope and thus were they limited and layed out in condition and proportion On the other side the Frenche king to whom nothing was lesse pleasing then to be in warre agaynst the Churche was greatly desirous to haue peace by meane whereof as he was to shake of the yll will of the Pope so also he was to be deliuered of thimportunate demaunds and necessities of Caesar two respects which troubled him not a litle the one offending his conscience being to muche addicted and the other consuming his treasors whereof he had made many prodigalities he made no difficultie to breake the Councell of Pisa whiche he had introduced onely to make the Pope condiscende to peace by that feare so farrefoorth as there might be pardon and remission to the Cardinalls and others that had bene partakers eyther in councell or in action But on the contrarie the demaunde for the restoring of Bolognia kepte hym in suspence a Citie by reason of his situation most conuenient to molest him he feared the peace was not sincerely accepted by the Pope nor with a minde disposed to obserue it if occasions returned but only to deliuer himselfe presently from the daunger of the Councell and from the warre of whose successe he had no small ielousie And yet he hoped to confirme the mind of Caesar with the greatnes of his offers and therefore negociating of common occurrantes as with a confederate he perswaded him vehemently amonges other things not to consent that Bolognia a Citie of so great importaunce should eftsones retourne vnder the iurisdiction of the Pope And touching the kinges of Aragon and of Englande he did not together distruste them notwithstanding the manner of proceeding of the one was already manyfest and the brute of thintention of the other no lesse publike and generall And notwithstanding their Embassadors ioyntly had perswaded him first with words of modestie bearing a pretēce of office and amitie afterwards pressed him with importunities to cōmaund that both the cardinalls prelates of his kingdome should be at the councell of Latran and also to suffer and see that the Churche were eftsones repossessed of the Citie of Bolognia one of her members not in the least degree The reason of this confidence touching thEnglish was that they made show to haue desire to perseuer in the confederation which they had with him and many of his counsell giuing him surety of the same he beleued they would attempt nothing against him And for the king of Aragon his sleights suttel apparances were such that the king gaue a lesse faith to his doings then to his speeches wherin he alwayes assured him neuer to enter into action of armes against him with which opinion he suffred himselfe somewhat to be perswaded that that king would neuer ioyne in armes so manifestly with his enemies as he professed by his counsels secret deliberations he beguiled him self so much in these opinions that notwithstāding he had hope giuen by those that were of his faction in Svvizzerlande that he might yet reconcile that nation if he would consent to their demaunds for increasing their pensions yet he eftsones refused it with no lesse obstinacy then before alleaging that it were no equity to yeld him self to be taxed by thē And vsing sharp remedies where easie meanes had bin more necessary he made restraint that they should haue no releefe of vittels out of the duchie of Millan thinking that by their vniuersall scarceties redoubled by the sterrilitie of their contrey he should in th ende bring them to agree to the renouation of thalliance according to the auncient conditions By this time was come the first day of September which had bin afore set downe for the beginning of the councell of Pisa at which day the Proctors of the Cardinals being come to Pisa celebrated in their names the actes apperteining to thexpressing of the same At this the Pope did not a litle storme specially against the Florentins for that they had consented that the Councell of Deuills for so did he alwayes call it tooke beginning vpon their estates for which transgression he declared that the cities of Florence and Pisa stoode subiect to thinterdiction ecclesiastike by vertue of the Bull of the Councell which he had caused to be published wherein it was set downe in an expresse article that whosoeuer he were that fauored the diuelishe assembly at Pisa stoode excommunicated interdicted and subiect to all paynes seuerely ordayned by the lawes agaynst schismatikes and heretikes And threatning to inuade them with armes he elected the Cardinall of Medicis Legate of Perousa And not long after the cardinall Regina Legat of Bolognia beeing dead he bestowed him in his place to th end that he who enuied their estate being vpon their marches with so great authority his presence might make them fall amongst themselues into suspicion confusion a thing which he hoped might easily succede for thestate reputation wherein he stoode at that time in that citie for besides the affections of certaine particulars desiring the returne of the Medicis discordes and diuisions the auncient maladie of that citie raigned amongst the generall number of Citizens of greatest apparance These diuisions bred at that time by the greatnes and authoritie of the Magistrate whiche they call Confalonnier which some for ambition and enuie could not suffer and others stoode yll contented for that iudging him to intrude more into the deliberation of thinges then apperteined to his place they thought he left not to them that parte of authoritie which their estates and conditions deserued They complayned that in the gouernment of the Citie ordeyned and conteined in two extremities that is to say the publike magistrate the counsell popular was manifest error touching the true institution of cōmon weales for a senat duly ordeined by the which besides that it should be as a reasonable tēperature betwene the one other extremity the principalls best qualified citizens should obteine in the cōmon weale a degree more honorable But the Gonfalonnier did the contrary either by ambition or by vaine suspiciō being notwithstāding principally chosen for the redresse order of that The thing which they desired in this action notwithstanding it was reasonable and
sauetie and the other part for glorye ioyned to a desire to sacke a citie so full of riches The Capteines besides their office to commaund and dispose most often tooke the places of meane soldiours the vertue of Monsr de Foix being singuler aboue the residue At last the Venetian armie were driuen from the place after they had made a wonderfull defense In so much as the Conquerers who nowe deuided them selues into two bandes made their entrey the one by the citie and the other by the Citadel finding in euery quarter and corner a meruelous resistance by the soldiours and by the people In whom it seemed their aduersitie had nothing diminished their vertue But the french men being alwayes followed with victorie passed thorow all impediments and chassed all their ennemies that stoode affore them They gaue not their mindes to pillage vntill they sawe them selues absolute Maisters of the towne such was their direction of their Capteine whom they obeyed and obserued so iustly that what soeuer he were that did otherwayes he was forthwith slayne by his fellowes In these encownters there dyed of the french parte many footemen and a greate number of men at armes But of thennemies were left on the ground eyght thowsand dead carkasses part of the people and part of the Venetian soldiours which were fiue hundred men at armes eyght hundred light horsemen and eyght thowsand footemen amongest whom was Contaryn commaunder of the stradiots who was slaine vpon the greene with a bullet of a harquebuze All the residue were taken except two hundred stradiots who fled by a posterne neare the gate of S. Nazareth albeit with no better fortune for that falling vppon the french armie which remeyned without the towne they were almost all taken or killed They also immediatly after the execution entred the towne by the same gate and falling to pillage aswell as the residue they enioyed the trauells and daungers of others Andrevv Gritty Anth. Iustynian whom the Senat had sent into that citie as gouernour remeyned prisoners together with Ioh. P. Manfron his sonne the Knight de la Volpe Baltazar Scipion one of the sonnes of Anth. de Pio Count Lovvys Auogato and one of his sonnes and Domynik Busechio Capteine of the stradiots These being chieftaines of th armie were reserued as miserable examples of their owne calamitie they were by the wretchednes and fortune of prisoners disposed caried about as best pleased the appetit of the Victors sometymes brought to behold the dead bodyes of their companions and friends A spectacle lamentable to be compelled to see those men deade whom in life they so much honored and loued And sometymes appoynted to stande in the presence of thennemie taking speciall glorie in that which to them could not be but an increase of discomfort by strait commaundement of Monsr de Foix the honors of the women of religion were kept vndefiled but their goods together with such others as for protection were conueyed into their couents were made a praye to the Capteines Count Lovvys was executed in the market place Monsr de Foix being present and seemed to holde it a sacrifice best acceptable and pleasing to his eyes his two sonnes albeit they were for a tyme deferred suffered in the ende the same payne thauthoritie of the Victor raigning very iudicially ouer the liues of whome soeuer it pleased him In this sort by the vallour fortune of the french men of whom they of Bressia vaunted to be discended fell into this extremitie that citie for nobilitie digniue nothing inferior to any other citie of Lombardye but in riches and plentye farre aboue them all except Myllan And as the miseries that warre draweth with it are infinit so the whole citie for seuen daies together was exposed to the couetousnes to the lust and to the crueltie of soldiours thinges sacred aswell as prophane being percell of the pray And no lesse the liues then the goods of men committed to the discression of spoylers This victorie brought great reputacion to the name of Monsr de Foix Italy no lesse then the other regions of Christendō resounding much his glory that by his celeritie and vallour in the space of xv daies he had compelled the armies Ecclesiastike and spanish to discampe from before Bolognia ouerthrowne in the plaine fielde Ioh. P. Baillon with part of the Venetian regiments and reconquered Bressia with so great a slaughter of soldiours and other sortes of peoples it was confirmed by the iudgement of wise men that touching enterprise and matters of warre Italy had not felt the like of long time the aduersitie farre exceeding the memorie and example of all times past After the action of Bressia together with the other places that were lost of whom Bergamo drawne into rebellion by the ayde of very few of the towne had by cōmon consent reuoked the french men before Monsr de Foix made his entrye into Bressia And after Monsr de Foix had set downe a forme to th affayres of Bressia and had somwhat refreshed and reordered his armie made wearie with so great trauells and no lesse disordered partly by keeping and partly by distribucion of the spoyle he determined according to the kinges commaundement to go seeke the armie of the confederats which after his departure from before the walls of Bolognia was stayed vpon the landes of the Bolognois To this direction the king was constrayned by many vrgent accidents which droaue him into necessitie to take newe councells for the sauetie and benefit of his affayres for he discerned manifestly that he should haue warre with the king of England notwithstanding that king had in franke tearmes affore assured him the contrary And since kept him in suspence with tokens and wordes doubtfull The actions which were quite contrary to his promisses could be no more couered for that there came aduertisement from Rome howe he had at lust approued and ratified the league by writing Besides the french king was not ignorant that in England were made great preparacions of men and ships and in Spayne was rigged a great nauie to passe into England where was an vniuersall disposicion in all sortes of the people of that region to make warre vppon the Realme of Fraunce To this humor of the king people was much helping the arriual of a galeass from the Pope laden with Greeke wines with cheeses and other prouisions which distributed in his name to the king Barons and Prelats of the Realme were receiued of all with a wonderfull gladnes The common sort of people which oftentymes is no lesse caried by vaine and small thinges then by matters more graue and great ronne with generall admiracion to beholde the galeasse accounting it so much more to their pleasure and glorie by how much they had neuer seene in that I le any vessell bearing the Popes banners At last Bishop Morton who had long negociated betwene the Pope and the french king induced either by his conscience or
no more communicat with him of their affaires as they were wont But most of all for that hauing labored to prolonge the league which was finished within fewe moneths without that they demaunded eyther money or other great obligacions they temporised to th ende to be at libertie to take that part that seemed best for their sauetie conueniencie of their affaires The Pope also to augment this disposicion for feare withall lest his too great seueritie and rigour induced them to follow with their force the fortune of the french king both gaue them absolucion of paines censures the common weale not suing for it and also sent as Nuncio to Florence with very easie and gracious condicions Ioh. Gossadin a Bolognois one of the Clerkes of the chamber Apostolike laboring to take from them the suspicion that they had had of him So that the king seeing him selfe left alone against so many ennemies eyther already pronownced or very likely to be so And hauing but very hard meanes of resistance if so many aduersities should thunder vppon him in one time he addressed speedy commaundement to Monsr de Foix to march with as great diligence as he could against the army of the confederats against whom as he promised to him self the victory supposing thē to be the weakest so being possessed of the victorie he shoulde proceede to assayle Rome and the Pope without any respect in the good yssue and succeeding of which he had opinion that he shoulde stande acquited of all his greate daungers And to th ende that both the enuye of thenterprise might bee diminished and his iustificacions the more increased he gaue order that thenterprise shoulde be made in the name of the councell of Pysa by whom should be assigned a Deputie Legat to goe with the armie and vnder the sayd name to receiue the townes that should be conquered Thus Monsr de Foix departing from Bressia came to Finalo where he remeyned certeyne dayes partely to make prouision of vittells that came out of Lombardye and partely to reassemble and drawe into one strength all his bandes which the king had sent out of Italy except such as by necessitie remeyned for the garde of townes and partely for the great and suddeine raynes that fell which gaue impediment to his marching from thence he went to S. Georges which is vpon the territories of Bolognia and thether came to him a new supplie of three thowsand footemen Gascons A thowsand aduenturers and a thowsand Pickards all men of choysse and such as the french men made great reputacion and reckoning of his whole campe according to a iuste number conteyned fiue thowsand launceknightes fiue thowsand Gascons and eyght thowsand Italians and frenche with a thowsand six hundred launces comprehending the bande of two hundred gentlemen The Duke of Ferrara was also to ioyne to this armie with a hundred men at armes a great traine of good artilleries Monsr de Foix hauing left behind him all his great shot and municions for the deepe and fowle wayes to drawe them To this armie was also to come and was already on his way the Cardinall S. Seuerin appoynted Legat of Bolognia by the councel he was a braue and valiant Cardinall bearing more inclinacion to armes then to holy exercises and contemplacions of religion And lesse giuen to the vocacion of the church or ciuil or priuat profession then to publike action warlike imitacion Assoone as Monsr de Foix had set downe these directions for his affayres he marched forward to seeke thennemies his vallour carying him in a burning desire to fight with them no lesse for the continuall commaundements and incitacions of the king then by a resolute working and propertie of his owne minde naturally thirsting after glorie and in him so much the more vehement kindled by how much his former successe and victories caried him into a weening of further fortune and felicitie And yet he gaue not him selfe ouer so much to this humor of glory and desire as that his intencion was to set vppon them rashly but approching neare their campe either to see if he could willingly drawe them out to the battell in some place where the qualitie of the situacion might giue least impediment to his vertue or els to constrayne them to fight in cutting of their vittells and their other succours But farre other was thintencion of thennemies in whose armie after the regiment of the Duke of Vrbyn was gonne vnder cooller of some controuersie were a thowsand foure hundred men at armes a thowsand light horsemen seuen thowsand spanish footemen with three thowsand Italians newely leauyed They were of this opinion that being both inferior in nūbers the french horsemen better disposed then theirs it could not be for their sewertie to fight in a place of equalitye at the least affore the six thowsand Svvyzzers were come which being newly graunted by the Cantons there was practise at Venice whether the Cardinall of Syon with twelue Embassadors of that nation were gon for that purpose to leauy at the cōmon charges of the Pope and the Venetians There was added to this the wil of the king of Aragon who had giuen commaundement both by letters and Messengers expresse to absteine from battel as much as could be for he hoped specially in the thing which the french king feared most that if the battel were deferred vntil the king of England he began the warre in Fraunce the french king would be constrained to cal home either all or the greatest part of his companies by that meane he should put ende to the warre of Italy remeine possessed of the victorie without blood or daunger And for this reason he had forbidden the Viceroy to beseege Bolognia had it not bin for the great instance and complaints that the Pope made Thus the Viceroy of Naples together with the other capteines were at this point to encampe alwayes neare to the french armie both to let that the townes of Romagnia remeyned not to them in pray also to stoppe the way for going to Rome And withall they were resolued to keepe them alwayes in places of strength where eyther for their situacion or to be backt with some great towne the french men shoulde haue no opportunitie to charge them but to their great disaduauntage And therefore they were determined to make no account nor difficultie to retyre as often as neede shoulde bee iudging as men well vnderstanding the qualitie of warre that they were not bownd to thapparances and brutes that ranne but principally had to looke to obteine the victorie which was followed with glory with reputacion with praise of men According to which resolucion the same daye that th armie was lodged at the castell Guelffe at Medicina such as were incamped neare those places retyred to the wals of Ymola The day following the french men passed within a mile an half of Ymola thennemies keeping good order in
the meane of Iulio Vrsin receyuing of the Pope in recompence of his disloyaltie the Archbishoprike of Regge in Calabria Only Peter de Margana was ashamed to kepe the money he had receiued doing the same happly with a councell no lesse honorable then happy for that otherwayes he had iustly payed the merite and payne of his deceite beeing not long tyme after taken prisoner by the successor of the king raigning But nowe the Popes mynde beeing greately confirmed by reason of these thinges and hauing no more to feare eyther enemies forreine or domesticall the thirde daye of Maye in greate solemnitie he gaue beginning to the Councell in the Churche of Saint Iohn Latran beeing nowe assured that not onely the moste regions of Italie woulde come thither but also the Realmes of Spayne of Englande and of Hungary In this firste action he was in person in habite pontificall accompanied with the colledge of Cardinalls and great multitudes of Bishoppes where the Masse of the holy Ghost besides many other prayers being celebrated according to auncient custome and the fathers exhorted with a publike oration to inclined with all their hartes to the publike benefite dignitie of christian religion it was declared the better to lay fundatiōs for other matters that afterwards should be ordeined that the councel assembled was a true a lawfull holy councel that in the same remayned vndoubtedly all the authoritie and power of the vniuersall Churche Ceremonies assuredly both goodly and holy and hable to pearce euen into the heartes of men if it might haue bene beleued that the thoughtes and intentions of the authors had bene such as were their words In this sort did the Pope gouerne him selfe after the battell of Rauenna But the french king notwithstanding that after the death of Monsr de Foix which somewhat troubled the ioy of the victorie as one whom he loued dearely had commaunded Monsr de Palissa and the Legate to leade the armie vp to Rome assoone as they could yet he seemed to abate of that inclination and began to returne with all his deuises to the desire of peace fearing that at one tyme and from many places great stormes woulde thunder vpon him and trouble his affayres for notwithstanding Caesar diminished nothing of his promises that he would remayne firme with him assuring that the truce made with the Venetians in his name was concluded without his consent neither would he ratifie it yet besides the feare of thinconstancie of Caesar and doubt whether his promises were dissembled it seemed to the king that for the conditions which he demaunded he should haue a companion in time of warre chargefull to him and to the proceeding of the peace very preiudiciall and hurtfull fearing that by his interposing he should be constrained to consent to more vnworthy conditions Besides all these he had no more doubt that the Svvizzers would ioyne with them of the league And he was sure he should haue warre with the king of Englande who had already sent a Herald to signifie to him that he pretended to be ended all confederations and couenantes betwene them for that in them all was comprehended this exception that he should make no warre neither against the Church nor agaynst the king Catholike his father in lawe Therefore the king vnderstanding with a great pleasure that the Florentins were solicited to worke the peace he dispatched spedely to Florence the president of Grenoble with verye large commission to th ende matters might be debated more at hande and if neede were he might go vp to Rome And knowing afterwards by the subscription of the articles that the Popes inclination was more ready then he seemed he gaue him selfe ouer for his parte wholly to the peace And yet fearing least for the retyring of his armie the Pope would eftsones returne to his obstinacy he sent to Monsr Palissa lying then at Parma to marche agayne immediatly into Romagnia with part of his regimentes spreading a brute that it was to passe further It seemed to him a matter greuous to deliuer vp Bolognia not so much for the instance that Caesar made to the contrarie as for the feare he had that notwithstanding the peace the Pope woulde continue his euill minde towards him and therfore it could not but be an action preiudiciall to him to depriue him selfe of the towne of Bolognia which was as the fort and bulwark of the Duchie of Millan And besides the Cardinall Finalo and the Bishop of Tiuoly being come without expresse authoritie to conclude he interpreted that to an apparant signe that he had dissemblingly giuen his consent partly for the straytes and daungers wherewith he stoode enuironed Neuerthelesse at laste he determined to accept the sayde articles vnder certayne limitations and yet not such as by them the substance of things should be troubled or altered With which aunswere the Secretorie of the Bishop of Tiuoly went to Rome demaunding in the kings name that the Pope would sende authoritie to the Cardinall and the Bishoppe to conclude or els that he would call affore him the President of Grenoble who was at Florence to whom was recommended sufficient power to doe the like But the hopes of the Pope augmented daily and by consequent if he euer had had any inclinacion to the peace it was now diminished he being a man more disposed to obserue and followe tymes then to respect and imitate the qualitie of his calling About this time arriued the commission of the king of England by the which being dispatched since the moneth of Nouember he gaue power to the Cardinall of Yorke to enter into the league The reason why he was so long in comming was the longe course he had by sea hauing bene affore in Spayne Caesar also after very longe doubtes had newely ratified the league made with the Venetians beeing principally pushed on to that action for the hopes which the kinges Catholike and of England gaue to him of the Duchies of Myllan and of Burgondye In like sort the matter that much helped to confirme the Pope were the very great hopes which the king of Aragon put him in who hauing the first knowledge of the ouerthrow by letters from the french king written to the Queene expressing that Guaston de Foix her brother was dead with great glorie carying with him the reputacion of a famous victorie obteyned vpon his enemies And afterwards more perticularly by aduertisements of his owne people comming somewhat later for thimpediments of the sea And for that withall it seemed to him that greater perill would growe to the kingdom of Naples he had determined to sende into Italy the Great Capteine with a strength of new men A remedy which he was driuen to vse hauing almost no choyse of others for notwithstanding in outward show he semed to respect much the Great Capteine for his behauior in the kingdom of Naples yet he both suspected his greatnes and durst not trust him with authoritie The Pope then being
confirmed by these occasions at suche time as the Secretory of the Bishop of Tyuoly ariued with the articles that had bene debated putting him also in hope that the limitacions added by the king to moderat thinfamie that might grow to him by abandoning the protection of Bolognia should bee referred to his will he determined altogether not to accept them But making semblance of the contrary in regard of the subscripcion faith he had giuen to the Colleage of Cardinalls A manner which some times he vsed contrary to the opinion that went on him to be alwayes vpright and iust he caused the articles to be red in the Consistorie and asked aduise of the Cardinalls Wherevpon the Cardinall Arborenso a Spanyard and the Cardinal of Yorke an English man according to a secret packt affore the one speaking for the king of Aragon and the other in the name of the king of England perswaded him to perseuer in his constancie and not to leaue abandoned the cause of the Churche which he had embrased with so great honor They alleaged that all the necessities that had induced him to harken to these offers were remoued and ceassed And that nowe it was manifestly seene that God woulde not suffer his shippe to perish though for some purpose vnknowne to the wit of man he had suffered it to lye open subiect to sondry stormes They told him it was not reasonable that he made peace onely for him self much lesse to debate it without the participacion of the other confederats the action being common and deuided from all particularitie Lastly they exhorted him to consider well what preiudice it might bring to the sea Apostolike and to him to seperat him selfe from true and faithfull friendes to embrace the amitie of enemies reconciled By the operacion of these councells the Pope openly refused the peace And within a very short time after proceeding in his auncient furie he pronownced in the Consistorie an admonicion against the french king charging him to release the Cardinall of Medicis vpon the penalties ordeyned in the holy Cannons But he forbare to publish it for that the Colleage of Cardinalls beseeching him to deferre asmuch as he could rigorous remedies offred to worke by letters written in the name of them all by the which they would both comfort him and beseech him as a right Christian Prince to set him at libertie The Cardinall de Medicis was caried to Myllan where he was kept vnder reasonable and easie garde And albeit his fortune had brought him subiect to the power and disposing of others yet such was his vertue spirit that thauthoritie of the sea Apostolike shined in him together with a wonderfull reuerence of religion And about this time beganne to appeare a great contemning of the councell of Pysa the cause whereof was not onely abandoned of others with deuocion with diligence with faith but also euen of such as affore had followed it with armes and fauored it with affection with studie with resolucion for the Pope hauing sent to the Cardinall of Medicis full power both to absolue from all paines and cursings the souldiours that would promise to beare no more armes against the Churche and also to giue libertie of holy buriall for all the bodies that were slaine at the battell A fauor demaunded with great importunities The concurse of people was wonderfull and no lesse maruelous the deuocion of them that came to demaund and promise such matters yea the Ministers and officers of the king were not against it onely it was not without manifest indignacion of the Cardinalls who saw euen before their eyes and in the place where was the seate of the councell the souldiours and subiects of the king contrary to his honor against his profit vpon the landes of his iurisdiction and without respecting any thing thauthoritie of the councell ronne after and follow the Romaine Church acknowledging with great reuerence as Legat Apostolike the Cardinall Medicis being prisoner great is the force of a people and multitude beginning to vary and chaunge And so much more preiudiciall and perillous their reuolt by how much vpon their numbers and forces depende principally the estate and exspectacion of affayres Nowe because the truce was ratified by Caesar notwithstanding his agents that were within Verona menteyned that it was nothing the french king called home one part of the bandes that he had in garrison in that citie as seruing to small purpose And hauing reuoked also the band of two hundred gentlemen the Archers of his garde and two hundred other launces fearing the threats of the king of England he knewe by the suspicion he had of the Svvyzzers which was redoubled in him that he should neede greater forces in the Duchie of Myllan for which cause he had pressed the Florentyns to send him into Lombardye three hundred men at armes as they were bownd by the couenants of confederacion betwene them for the defence of his estates in Italy And for that that confederacion drew to end within two monethes he compelled them the memorie and reputacion of the victorie being yet fresh to confederat with him of new for fiue yeares Wherein he bownd him selfe to defend their estates with six hundred launces and the Florentyns for their partes promised to furnishe him with foure hundred men at armes for the defence of all that he possessed in Italy And yet to auoide all occasions to enter warre with the Pope they excepted in the generall obligacion of defence the towne of Cotignole as if the Church might pretend right to it But nowe were apparantly disclosed right great daungers to the affaires of the king for that the Svvyzzers at last were determined to send six thowsand footemen to the pay of the Pope who had demaunded them vnder cooller to employ them against Ferrara Those that in this action susteyned and fauored the kings side could obteyne no other thing but to protract and deferre the deliberacion till that tyme And against those men the Communalties of people made vniuersall exclamacion in their parliaments for the wonderfull hatred they bare to the name of the french king They affirmed that the king rested not contented with this kind of ingratitude to refuse to encrease a litle the pensions of those by whose blood and vallour he had won perpetuall reputacion accompanied with a great estate but also with wordes full of reproche he had despised and reiected them as Villaines as though all men in the beginning were not conceyued vnder one element were not cast in one molde and had not one maner of creacion vpon the earth and as though any mortall man were nowe either great renowmed or noble whose Auncestors in the beginning were not poore vnknowen basely discended That he had begon to wage footemen of the launceknightes to show the contempt he had of their nation for the seruice of his warres perswading him self that suffering priuacion of his pay they could not
for his proper interestes labored to exclude them out of the league wherein he sayde his Embassadors had behaued themselues vndiscretly who not consenting for that they knewe suche was his intention that he was named in the head of the confederation had suffred him to be expressed in that article wherein euery one named the confederates of which the Venetians were not Moreouer that in those negociations and practises the Venetians had not aunswered thopinion that men had of their wisedome and discression holding such an estimation and accompt of Vincensa that the feare to loase it hath kept them from deliuering them selues from the trauells of the warre That it was impossible to him to nourishe the armie he had in Italie without the payes and contributions that were promised and muche lesse reasonable to susteine the whole warre vpon the confines of his realmes A matter which he knewe all the residue did desire and procure That the Pope coulde no more dissemble his desire and intention to take from him the kingdome of Naples And yet notwithstanding neyther these present iniuries nor the consideration of other wrongs could euer moue him to haue a thought to abandon the Churche and the other estates of Italie so farre foorth as he might finde in them a reasonable correspondencie to contract and capitulate with him for their common defence A matter which he hoped they would be moued vnto the rather by thopportunitie and meane of this truce He caused to expresse in the instrument of the truce the names of Caesar and the king of Englande notwithstanding he had nothing cōmunicated with them therfore it was a thing very scornefull ridiculous that at the same time that the truce was solemnly published through all partes and regions of Spayne A Heralt arriued euen in the action from the king of Englande to signifie to him the strong preparations and furnitures of warre which he leauyed to inuade Fraunce soliciting that he would likewise enter into the warre agaynst the king on the coasts of Spayne according to the articles and promises reciprocally passed betweene them The truce made in this maner amazed much in Italie the mindes of suche as had any discontentment with the rule or iurisdiction of the French men euery one holding it almost for certaine that the French king woulde not be long ere he sent an army on this side the Mountes and also that by the obstinacie of Caesar touching the conditions of the peace the Venetians would ioyne with him agaynst whom it seemed a very hard matter to be hable to resist for that the Spanish army had nowe no more meane to be enterteined notwithstāding they had at times drawē some sums of money out of thestate of Millan which stoode greatly impouerished with continuall expenses Touching the new Pope men could not discerne what was his intention he seemed to wish secretly that the power of the French king should haue his ends limites within the Alpes and yet being newly ascended to the Popedom and no lesse confused then the others for the truce that was made by the king Catholike in a time when men had greatest exspectation that he woulde applye his thoughts to the warre he was in great doubt and variation of mind Besides he was angry for that demaunding with great instance the restitution of Parma Placentia to the church he found a readynes of hope promise but very slow dispositions to execute performe all the others desiring to preserue them to the duchy of Millan happly hoping that his desire to recouer them would induce him to the defence of that state The Svvizzers seemed to be a more certayne and a more mightie defence succour but because the summes of money which according to the couenantes were necessary to wage leauie them could not be aduaunced neither by Maximilian Sforce nor the residue there was great feare that in greatest necessitie that nation would not refuse to discende to the reskew of Millan On the other side the French king after he had finished the truce determined to sende an army into Italie the reasons affore recited giuing him great hope of the victorie To those reasons also he added the propertie of his owne iudgement vppon the people of Millan who vexed with so many taxes and imposts of the Svvizzers and no lesse troubled with the harboring payes made to the Spaniards he knew had an vniuersall desire to returne eftsones vnder his obedience he gathered by generall argument that hauing nowe compared the heauy yoke of others with the easie impery of the French the seueritie of the one woulde make the other lesse contemnible And particularly he vnderstoode by many gentlemen some relating to him selfe and some enterteyning intelligence with Triuulce whome the king had sent to Lyon the better to debate with them of Millan that he was not to deferre to sende an armie hauing their promise to take armes and be his assoone as his armie were passed the Mountes To these furtherances the king wanted no sort of continuall perswasions aswell of Triuulce as of others that were banished who according to such as be depriued of the liberty of their naturall contrey omitted no reasons which might make thenterprise seeme easy specially the Venetians beeing brought to ioyne with him in the action But the matter that enforced the king to make haste was the confidence he had to preuent with the ende of that expedition the beginning of a warre which the king of England ment to make vpon him which yet he could not begin till after certayne monethes both for that that kingdome hauing liued many yeres in peace was vpon the sodein disfurnished of armes and armor of artilleries almost of all other necessary hablementes of warre and also in great want of horses of seruice for that to the inhabitantes of those regions the seruice on foote is more familiar then to make warre on horsbacke and also the footemen lacking training experience the king of England was constrained for the better strength habilitie of his army to leauye a great number of Almain footemen Matters which could not be dispatched without great tract of time The french king in like sort made more hast to haue his army to march for that he feared the castles peces that held for him would be lost for want of vittels but specially the lanterne of Genes whiche not many dayes before had missed to releeue with vittells a shippe sent for that effect which from Arbinga being thither accompanied with three ships one galeon being entred the mayne sea with a good wind had by a strainable gale passed thorow the middest of the Genovvaies flete cōming neare the castell of the Lanterne she cast anker and throwing yet with good successe her cables to those of the castell she began to vnlade her vittels and munitions whiche she had brought But euen in the action and before the desolate soules of the Castels coulde
dangerous warres wherof I wil make present discourse both for the same reasōs with the same shortnes that I haue touched thē in the narration of the yere before The beginning of these preparations and stirres grew vppon a resolution which the king of Englande made to inuade that sommer the Realme of Fraunce with a mayne army both by sea and lande And to make the victorie of this enterprise more easie he had agreed with Caesar to furnishe him of an hundred and twentie thousande duckets to make an entrie at the same tyme into Burgondy with an army of three thousande horsemen and eight thousande footmen parte Svvizzers and parte Almains He promised also to the Svvizzers a certayne proportion of money the rather to induce them to ioyne in the action with Caesar who was contented to put into their hands in pawne one parte of Burgondy vntill he had fully satisfied them of their payes Lastely also the king of Englande occupied this perswasion that his father in lawe the king Catholike cleauing to the confederation of Caesar and him which he had alwayes protested and assured would open the warre on his side at the same instante By reason whereof the reapporte of the truce made by thenglishe with the Frenche king and yet for all that the desire to make warre was nothing diminished was so yll brooked not onely by him but by all sortes of states and peoples in Englande that the Commons had done violent execution vpon the Spanishe Embassador if the kings authoritie had not resisted their furie To these things were added thoportunitie of thestate of tharchduke not so muche that he letted not his subiectes to take paye agaynst the Frenchemen as for that he promised to giue sufferaunce and passage of vittayles out of his countreys into thenglishe armie It behoued the French king to omit no sortes of prouisions agaynst so great preparations and daungerous threatning By sea he furnished a strong nauy to encounter thadmirall of Englande and by lande he leauyed men from all partes laboring specially to haue as great a strength of launceknightes as he coulde He had also affore made great instance to the Svvizzers that since they refused to ayde him in the warres of Italie at leaste that they woulde so farre fauour him as to delyuer him a proportion of footemen to helpe to defende the Crowne of Fraunce But they beeing wholly resolued to protect and assure the Duchie of Millan refused in any wyse to minister to him vnlesse he woulde eftsoones returne to the vnitie of the Churche and giue vp the Castell of Millan which was not yet rendred and also cancelling his rights interests to that estate he would promise no more to molest neither Millan not Genes Limitations no lesse vnprofitable to the French king then contrary to his honour and preiudiciall to the soueraigne dignitie of the crowne of Fraunce Likewise the French king the more to terrifie thenglish make them more intangled with their owne affayres had called into Fraunce the duke of Suffolke as Competitor and aspirant to the Crowne of Englande A deuise little helping the purposes of Fraunce and of great daunger to the race and progenie of the Duke for that in reuenge of their dealing the king of Englande by ordinarie course of the iustice of his Realme cutte off the head of his brother who tyll then had bene holden prisoner in Englande since the tyme that Phillip king of Castillo sayling into Spayne deliuered him into the handes of the king his father The French king also was not without hope to haue peace with the king Catholike for that when the king Catholike vnderstoode of the league made betwene the French and the Venetians he began to distrust muche of the defence of the duchie of Millan and sent into Fraunce one of his secretaries to practise newe offers And it was beleued that considering howmuch the greatnes of Caesar and the archduke might alter his gouernment of Castillo he could not in good pollicy stand well contented with thembasing of the realme of Fraunce Besides all these omitting no oportunities wherein occasion might be taken the french king forgat not in these actiōs to stirre vp Iames the king of Skottes his auncient confederate to th ende that he opening the warre vpon the frontiers of Englande he might with more facilitie make defence against so many mightie inuasions The Skottish king was moued to this warre by the consideration of his proper interests for that the aduersities of Fraunce could not but be daungerous to the crowne of Skotland in which regard ioyned to the respect of confederation he prepared him selfe to the action with all diligence demaunding of the Frenche king no other ayde then fiftie thousande frankes to leauye munitions and vittels Neuerthelesse the Frenche king was very slowe in gathering together his forces and prouisions bothe for that he had turned all his thoughtes to thenterprise of Millan and reaposed not a litle in the truce made with the king Catholike Lastly his accustomed negligence was no litle impediment to the expedition of his busines A vice most hurtfull to th affayres of Princes to whom is seldome seene to returne theffect or sruite of their exspectation when they stande to temporise vpon euery new occasion after the resolution is set downe and things referred to action And touching the king of England he cōsumed many monthes in measuring his proportions in leauying his prouisions in rating the state maner of his payes and in distinguishing the sortes of his souldiors and their fashions of armor weapons for that his subiectes hauing bene many yeeres without warres and no lesse chaunged the maner of warfaring both their bowes and their other vsual natures of armes being become vnprofitable he was constrayned to make great prouision of forreine armors artilleries and munitions and by the same necessitie to leauye as souldiors trayned many bands of launceknights horsmen the ancient custome of the English being to fight on foote for these impedimentes thenglish army passed not the seas soner then the moneth of Iuly And after they had for many dayes runne vp into the champayne countrey neare vnto Bolleine they went to incampe affore Torvvaine A towne standing vpon the marches of Pikardy in the region of those peoples whō the Latins call Morini The person of the king of Englande passed the sea a litle after who had in his maine army fiue thousand horses of seruice and more then forty thousand footmen An army not more notable by the multitudes of souldiors consideration of their vallor then most glorious by the presence maiestie of their king in whose person appeared at that instant being in an age disposed and actiue al those tokens of honor magnanimitie which rising afterwards to their ful ripenes perfection by degrees of time study and experience made him the most renowmed and mightie prince that lyued in his age in all this part or circuite of the
without hope the last extremitie of vittells they agreed to leaue the towne the horses and liues of the souldiours saued if they were not reskewed within two dayes And it is not to bee douted that their holding out by the space of fiftie dayes was not a thing that greatlie profited the realme of Fraunce who by the benefite of the long suffering of Torvvaine had respit to temporise and prepare against many other greater afflictions which otherwise so mightie an armie of enemies would haue brought vppon them euen to the shaking of the Crowne of Fraunce A litle before Maximilian Caesar was come in persone into the Englishe armie reuiewinge and layinge out those places wherein in his youth he had with so great glorie ouerthrowne the armie of the French king Lovvys the eleuenth Who whilest he remayned in the campe the affayres of the warre tooke their chiefest direction and gouernment from him The Frenche king was not onely trauelled with thEnglishe armies but also with greater daunger he had his vexacions by the Svvizzers for the commonalties of those regions desiring with an vniuersall minde that the king should disclaime from all titles and rights which he pretended to the Duchie of Millan wherin for that he did nothing their hatred redoubled towardes him they had entred against him many actions of hostilitie and sette on fire many houses of priuate persons of Lucerna whome they suspected to beare fauor to thaffaires of the Crowne of Fraunce And proceeding continuallie against all men noted of like suspicion they had brought all the chiefetaines and principalls of them to sweare to suffer all the pensions to go in common so falling into armes by publike order they entred almost by heapes into Burgondy their numbers being xx thowsand footmen a thowsand horsemen In which action they had certeine proporcions of artillerie from Caesar who either according to his inconstancy or for ielousie he had of them refused to go thither in person notwithstanding he had promised both to the king of England to theÌ„ Being drawne into this strength power of warre they went incamped affore Dyon the chiefe towne of Burgondy wherin was Monsr Trimouille with a thowsand lauÌ„ces six thowsand footmeÌ„ These natures of coÌ„mons popular peoples hauing some dout of their Capteines who began already to communicate with the french tooke vpon them the managing of thartilleries and fell to batter the towne of whose defense Trimouille douting much he had recourse to the last remedies made with theÌ„ a sodain accord without exspecting any commission from the king on whose behalfe he made this contract to renounce all the rights claimes he pretended to the Duchy of Millan to pay them six hundred thowsand crownes within a certeine tearme for thobseruation of which couenant he gaue him foure ostages persons very honorable and of great condicion And for the Svvyzzers they were bownd to no other promise then to returne to their houses A matter which tyed them not to rememe for afterwards friendes to the french king but left them at libertie to returne when they list to thinuasions of his kingdom Assoone as they were possessed of thostages they brake vp and dissolued their army immediatly alleaging for their excuse with the king of England for entring into this couenant without his consent that they receyued not in tyme conuenient the money he had promised them It was thought that this capitulacion was the cause of the sauing of the whole Realme of Fraunce for that the taking of Dyon had put into the hands of the Svvyzzers a free power to ronne vp without resistance eueÌ„ to the wals of Paris And it was not vnlikely that the king of England passing the riuer of Somme would not haue taken the field to ioyne with theÌ„ A matter which the french could not let for that neither the duke of Gueldres being theÌ„ come nor in the armie aboue six thowsand launceknights they were constrayned to keepe them selues inclosed within townes But the king was not a litle discontented with the resolucion complayning not a litle against Monsr Trymouille both for the summe of money he had promised and much more that he had bound him to the resignation of his titles interests as anaction of too great preiudice farre vnworthy his greatnes the glory of the crowne of Fraunce for which cause albeit the dauÌ„ger had bene great if the Svvyzzers in their wrath had eftsoones returned to assaile him yet reapposing much in the approch of the winter and in the difficultie that they could not reassemble so soone being with all resolute to ronne all fortunes rather then to depriue himselfe of his rightes in that Duchie which he loued dearely he determined not to ratifie thaggreement yea rather he beganne to propownd to them newe offers which much lesse that they did harken vnto seeing they did coÌ„stantly reiect them with these bluddy threats that if the ratification came not within a certeine tyme they would cut of the heades of thostages Torvvaine being taken whereunto thArchduke aspyred by pretence of his auncient right and the king of England chalenged it to be his by the iust prerogatiue of conquest and warre Caesar and he fell to this point for thauoiding of discord to cast downe the wals to the ground notwithstanding such violence was forbidden by the capitulacions made with them of Torvvaine immediatly after Caesar went from tharmy giuing this iudgement vpon thexperience trial he had seene that in matters of warre thenglish were more resolute then wel a duised lesse suttle politike then wel disciplined trained From Torvvain the king of England went to incamp before Tornay A towne very stronge and riche and of great deuocion of long tyme to the crowne of Fraunce but so inuironed with the contreyes of thArchduke that it was impossible to the french to reskewe it so long as they were not maisters of the fielde The french king was not a litle glad of this enterprise fearing least the ennemie caried with victorie and wealth would not transferre his forces into the body and partes of his Realme of more importance A feare which put him into no small perplexities for notwithstanding he had now areared a mighty armie wherein besides the fiue hundred launces which he had bestowed in garrison in S. Quâ—ntyn were two thowsand launces eight thowsand light horsemen Albanois ten thowsand lauÌ„ceknights a thowsand Svvyzzers eight thowsand footemen of his owne nation yet it was farre inferior to the power and multitudes of thenglish armie which by the continuall slocking of souldiours was as the reaport went resupplyed to the number of foure skore thowsande fighting men By the consideracion of which inequalitie of forces the french king who had no great hope to be able to defende Boleyne and those partes of the contrey that are beyonde the riuer of Somme which he feared thEnglish would oppresse looked how to defend Abeuille
and Amyens the other townes that are vppon the riuer of Somme his deuise was also to let them for passing the riuer and so to temporise either vntill the cold season came or els that the Skottish king in whom he hoped much were ready to aduaunce and draw them from that warre his armie marched all the meane while along the riuer of Somme to let thennemies from winning passage It was beleeued that the perswasions of Caesar were the cause of this enterprise of thEnglish for hope that if the towne of Tornay were taken it might either then or at some other tyme diuolue into the power of his Nephew to whome it was thought it did apperteyne perhappes it moued vpon a feare the armie had to be afflicted with want of vittels if they had bene in an other place or happly other places whereunto they might haue gonne had borne a more facilitie to be succored by thennemies But the towne of Tornay which was not manned but with bandes of straungers and forreyners and therefore of lesse exspectacion to bee succored was so battred with artilleries in many seuerall places that after it had made a small resistance it yelded vnder sauetie of goods and liues to aduaunce an hundred thowsand duckats towards the defrayment of the warre and to defend them from pillage The fortune of the frenchmen was no more gracious in other places for that the Skottish king comming to battell with the English armie vpon the riuer of Tvvede where the Lady Katthren then Queene of England was in person was ouerthrowen with a very great slaughter the kings person being then slaine with one of his owne sonnes who was Archbishop of S. Andrevv with many other Prelats and Nobles of that Realme and of the common soldiours more then twelue thowsand bodies After these victories about the ende of October the king of England leauing a stronge garrison within Tornay dismissed his horsemen and footemen of thAlmains and so disposed him selfe to returne into England reaping the great towne of Tornay as a frute of his warres and great exspenses for touching Torvvaine whose wals he had throwen downe to the earthe the naked seate and resemblance remeyned in the power of the french king One cause that made the king of England repasse the seas was that the season of the yeare taking away all oportunities to continue the warre in those cold regions he held it a matter vnprofitable to nourish an armie there with so great charges And an other was that he thought to take order for the institucion and gouernment of the young king of Skots who was in minoritie and the sonne of his owne sister the Duke of Albanie being gonne thether who was also of the blood of the same king By the returne of the king of England the feare of the french men beeing taken away their king dismissed all his armie except the regiments of launceknights he saw him selfe deliuered of the care of daungers present but not of feare to fall into them againe the next yeare with farre greater difficulties he gathered this iudgement by the behauiors of the king of England at his going away who vsed many high threatnings against the crowne of Fraunce promising that he would giue it a greater shake the next sommer Wherein he began already to make new preparacions to auoid the discommodities of his former delayes with more readines to open the warre assoone as the season of the yeare would suffer Besides the french king knewe that Caesar had the same intencion to annoy him and feared withall least the king Catholike who with sundrye suttleties had excused him selfe of the truce made least he should wholly alien them from him woulde not also take armes with them of this suspicion he had great tokens by the discourse of a letter intercepted wherein the king Catholike writing to his Embassador resident with Caesar and expressing an intention quite contrarie to his manyfest speeches which testified an earnest desire to make warre agaynst the infidels and to go in person to recouer Ierusalem he perswaded him to deuise diligently by what meanes the duchie of Millan mighte be brought to Ferdinand their common Nephew younger brother to tharchduke In this perswasion he occupied this maner of encouragement that that estate beeing raunged it would not be hard to reduce the residue of the regions of Italie to their deuotion and with the same facilitie ioyned with his succours Caesar might make himselfe Pope wherevnto he had alwayes aspired since the death of his wife and being once possessed of that soueraigntie he should resigne to the vse and profite of tharchduke the Crowne imperiall Neuerthelesse he concluded that matters of so highe nature and weight could not be ledde to perfection but with tyme and with occasions Besides all these the Frenche king doubted nothing of the will of the Svvizzers whose obstinacies he coulde in no wise moderate notwithstanding he made them offers aboue their merite And they were of newe incensed more then before by the euasion of the ostages deliuered by Monsr Trimouille who fearing the daunger of their lyues for want of obseruation in the king were secretly stolne away and fledde into Germanie So that it was not without cause that he feared leaste by thoccasion of so many other his aduersities they would ryse to assayle presently or at least the yere after the countrey of Burgondy or Dauphine These difficulties were partely thoccasion that made him fall to agreement with the Pope for causes spirituall of which agreement the principal article conteined thabsolute rooting out of the councell of Pisa which poynt was debated many monthes with very great difficulties specially for the regarde of things done eyther with the authoritie of the same councell or agaynst the maiestie of the Pope suche as it seemed very vnworthy for the sea Apostolike to approue and to cut them off there could not but happen right great confusion So that there was a delegation of three Cardmalls to deuise of some meanes by the which suche a disorder might be met withall This bred also one difficultie that it seemed not conuenient to graunt to the king thabsolution of penalties vnlesse he sued for it wherevnto the king woulde not consent least by imputation his person and Crowne of Fraunce were noted of schisme But at last the king was made wearye with these perplexities and no lesse ouerlabored with the importunities and willes of the people of his Realme desiring with vniuersall affection to be reunited to the Church of Rome but most of all he was stirred moued by the deuotion of the Queene to whō those controuersies were grieuous In which respectes he determined to yelde to the will of the Pope and not without some hope that vpon the reappaysement of these quarrels the Pope woulde some way ioyne to his ayde wherevnto with great arte he seemed to expresse to haue a good intention And yet a newe complaint was added to the auncient
withdrew him from the thing whereunto his will did driue him so amyd so many variacions of mind he deferred as much as he could to declare his intencion giuing to euery one words and aunsweres generall But being continually importuned by the Frenche king at last he made him this aunswere that there was no person that knew better then him selfe how much he was inclined to his affaires being not ignoraunt with what affection he perswaded him to passe into Italy at a time when he might haue victorie without daunger or great effusion of blood That his perswasions for that thinges were not kept secret as he had oftentimes required him were now come to the knowledge of others to the common detriment of them both for that for his parte he saw him selfe in daunger to be assailed by others that the difficulties were become the greater for the enterprise of the king since others had giuen such order to their affaires that he could no more enter into the victorie but with manifest perill and lamentable slaughter of men That the power and glory of the Turkes being newly increased by so great a victorie successe it was neither conuenient to his condicion nor conformable to thoffice of a Pope either to giue fauor or counsel to Princes christened to make warre amongest them selues And that therefore he could not otherwise aduise him then to temporise surcease exspecting some other facilitie better occasion which when it hapned he shoulde finde in him the same disposition to his glory greatnes which he hath so well discerned certaine monethes passed An answere which albeit it did not in other sorte expresse his conception if it had come to the knowledge of the king it had not onely depriued him of all hope of the Popes fauor but also haue certified him that the Pope would haue ioyned and banded against him both with counsel with armes These were the accidents of the yeare 1514. But death who bringeth with him this law authority to cut of the vaine councells of men euen in their greatest hopes was the cause that the warre so forward in apparaunce burst not out to action with that speede that was exspected for whilest the French king gaue him selfe ouer to behold too much the excellent bewty of his new wife bearing then but eighteene yeres of age nothing considering the proporcion of his owne yeares nor his decayed complexion he fell into the rage of a feauer which drawing to it a suddeine flux ouercame in one instant the life that nature gaue ouer to preserue any longer he dyed the first day of the yeare 1515. a day of memorie for the death of so great a Prince he was a king iust much beloued of his peoples but touching his condicion neither asfore he was king nor after he had the crowne he neuer found constancy or stability in either fortune for rising from a small Duke of Orleance with great happines to the crowne and that by the death of Charles younger then he and two of his sonnes he conquered with a very great facility the Duchie of Millan and the kingdom of Naples and almost all the residue of the regions of Italy being gouerned for many yeares by his direction he recouered with a very great prosperity the state of Genes that was in rebellion vanquished with no lesse glory the armies of the Venetians being in person at both those victories But on the other side euen when he was in youth and best disposicion of body he was constrained by king Lovvys the eleuenth to mary his daughter that was both barren deformed and yet could neuer get the good will nor countenaunce of his father in law And aster his death such was the greatnes of the Lady of Burbon that he could neuer get the institucion of the newe king being then in minoritie being almost compelled to retyre him selfe into Brittaine where being taken in the battell of S. Aubyn he liued two yeares in the calamity of a prisoner To these afflictions may be added the siege and famin of Nouaro the many discomfits he had in the realme of Naples the losse of thestate of Millan Genes and all the townes which he had taken from the Venetians And lastely the grieuous warre he had in Fraunce agaynst very mightie enemies his eyes beholding into what lamentable perils his realme was brought Neuerthelesse afore he died it semed he had conquered al his aduersities fortune shewed good tokens of her reconcilement both for that he had defended his kingdome agaynst mighty enemies also established a perpetuall peace alliance with the king of Englande with whom by howmuche his amitie was great and assured by so muche it gaue him hope to be hable to reconquer the duchie of Millan After Lovvis the xij ascended to the Crowne Frauncis d'Angoulesme who was the next heire male of the blood royall of the same line of the Dukes of Orleance ▪ he was preferred to the successiō of the kingdom before the daughters of the dead king by the vertue disposition of the lawe Salike a lawe very auncient in the realme of Fraunce which excludeth from the royall dignitie all women so long as there is any issue male of the same line The world had such a hope in his vertues and suche an opinion of his magnanimitie such a conceite of his iudgement wit that euery one consessed that of very long time there was none raysed vp to the Crowne with a greator exspectation he was made the more agreable to the fancies of men by the consideration of his age bearing then but xxij yeres his excellent feiture proporcion of body his great liberality general humanity together with the rype knowledge he had in many things But specially he pleased greatly the nobilitie to whom he transferred many singuler great fauors He tooke vpon him together with the title of the french king the name of the duke of Millan A dignitie which he sayd apperteined to him not only by the auncient rights of the dukes of Orleance but also as cōprehended in the inuestiture that was made by Caesar in the treaty of Cambray Besides there liued in him the same desire to recouer it that dyed with his predecessor whervnto not only the working of his owne inclination but the perswasions of al the noble yong gentlemē of Fraunce did induce him no lesse by the memory of the glory of Gaston de Foix thē for the monumēt of so many victories as the kings raigning next afore had obteined in Italie And yet not to warne others afore the time not to prepare to resist him he dissembled his desires by thaduise of his graue counselors in the meane while sell to practise the amities of other princes frō whom were sent to congratulate with him many embassadors whō he receiued with countenaunce affable gracious but specially the embassadors of the king of England who desired
to continue with him thamity begon with his predecessor the iniuries he had receiued frō the king Catholik being yet fresh in memory There came at the same tyme an embassage frō the duke of Austrich wherof the lord of Nausan was chief in this embassage for the regard of th erle of Flaūders wherof the kings of Fraūce are soueraignes were discerned demonstrations of great submission in acknowledging of superiority Both the one the other of these embassages had a ready happy expedition for touching the king of England the confederation betwene him the late king was cōfirmed vnder the same conditions so long as either of thē should liue reseruing a respite of iij. yeres for the Skottish king to enter in it And for tharchduke many differences ceassed which many men supposed would haue giuē great impediments to the action of the peace But the archduke being now in full maiority newly taken vpon him the gouernment of his estates was drawne to the peace for many causes first for thinstance of the peoples of Flaunders who would in no wise haue warre with the realme of Fraunce Secondly for a desire he had to be assured of such impediments as might be opposed against him by the French in the succession of the realme of Spayne when the death of his grandfather should happen And lastly for that he thought it to great a daunger to dwell without any league of amitie in the middest of the powers of England and Fraunce being conioyned together And on the other side the king desired greatly to take awaye all occasions that might restrayne him to be gouerned by thauthoritie counsell of his grandfather eyther by the fathers or mothers side So that at last there was enacted betwene them in the towne of Paris a perpetuall peace confederation reseruing facultie to Caesar the king Catholike without whose authorities tharchduke contracted to take their place in this peace within three monethes In this capitulation was promised thaccomplishment of the mariage betwene the Archduke and Lady Renee daughter to king Lovvis solicited so many times before and that the king should endue the mariage of Lady Renee with six hundred thousande crownes and the duchy of Berry in perpetuitie aswell for her children as for her This dowry in respect of her insufficient age at that time should be assigned to her assone as she should come to the age of ix yeres vnder this condition notwithstāding that she should renounce al rights of inheritance either by the father or mother namely such as might apperteine to her of the duchy of Millan Britaine That the king should be bounde to ayde the archduke with men ships to go to the kingdome of Spayne after the death of the king Catholike At the request of the king the duke of Gueldres was also named and as some write besides the matters afore rehearsed it was agreed that in bothe their names ioyntly embassadors should be sent to the king of Aragon to require him to publish tharchduke prince of the realmes of Spayne such is the title of him to whom the succession apperteineth That he would render the kingdome of Nauarre absteine from the defence of the duchie of Millan Here it is not to be doubted that both these two Princes making this confederation looked not more to the present cōmoditie that appeared then to thobseruatiō of the same in time to come for what fundation could be layde vpon the mariage that was promised the Lady Renee bearing as yet scarcely foure yeres And how could it please the Frenche king that that damsell should be the wife of tharchduke who her eldest sister being the kings wife had her action prepared vpō the duchy of Britaine for that the Britons desiring once to haue a particular duke at such time as Anne their Duchesse maryed the seconde time agreed that the dukedome should apperteine to the youngest of the children and discendantes of her if the eldest were preferred to the Crowne of Fraunce In like sort the French king treated with the king Catholike to prolong the truce made with his predecessor but to leaue out this condition not to molest the duchie of Millan during the truce he hoped he should afterwards compounde easily with Caesar By which reason he kept in suspence the Venetians who offred to renewe the league made with his predecessor wishing that he were in his liberty to accord with Caesar agaynst them But the king Catholike notwithstanding he stoode still possessed of his desire not to haue warre in the frontiers of Spayne considering how great suspicion the prolongation of the truce might giue to the Svvizzers which mighte also be the cause that the Pope who till then had bene in doubt might turne to the french amity refused at last to prolong the truce but vnder the same conditions it had bene renued with the last king So that the Pope shut out of that hope and lesse exspecting to contract with Caesar agaynst the will and councelles of that king reconfirmed with the Senate of Venice the league in the same fourme it had bene made with his predecessor Nowe there remayned the Pope and the Svvizzers Touching the Svvizzers he required that they woulde admitte his Embassadors but they refused to giue them saffe conduit vsing the same rudenes they had done before And for the Pope vpon whose will depended wholly the Florentyns herequired no other thing of him then that he would kepe him out of all bond to th end that when by the trayne of affaires he should be councelled to resolue it might be in his power to make choice of the better perswading him that he should neuer finde in any either for his owne perticular or for the aduauncement of his house a greater amitie A more assured faith or more honorable condicions After the king had layd these foundacions for his affayres he beganne with great care to leauie prouisions of money and to encrease the bandes of his men at armes to the number of foure thowsand he published that he made those preparacions not of intencion to make warre for that yeare but onely to make head against the Svvyzzers who threatned him to inuade Burgondy or Dauphine if he would not accomplish the couenants made at Dyon in the name of the late king Many beleeued him in the semblāces he made the rather for thexample of the kings of Fraunce who haue alwaies forborne to intangle the first yeare of their raigne with newe warres But that coniecture caried not such impression in the mindes of Caesar and the king of Aragon to whome the kinges youth was suspected and the facilitie he had more then other kinges to commaund all the forces of the kingdom of Fraunce and the loue of his people opening a way and readines to all that he would desire Besides they were not ignorant of the great preparacions that king Lovvys had left the same making demonstracion that seeing he was assured
defence or losse of the Duchie of Millan should be executed onely with the daunger and blood of the Svvizzers who not staying for any impediment or small quantitie of money in prest discended by such heapes and trowpes into the duchie of Millan that their armie there was aboue twentie thousande of whome ten thousande were drawne neare to the mountaynes It was a councell taken amongest them to keepe agaynst the French the strayte passages of those valleys which beeing at the foote of the Alpes that deuide Italie from Fraunce come to open them selues vpon the playnes of Lombardie This councel of the Svvizzers troubled greatly the minde of the king who afore had promised to himselfe an assured victorie by the greatnes of his forces not remēbring that the successe of warre respecteth other considerations then the multitudes of souldiors he had in his armie two thousande fiue hundred launces xxij thousande launceknightes ledde by the duke of Gueldres ten thousande footemen of Peter Nauarre eight thousande Frenchemen and three thousande laborers that were payed according to the rate of the other footemen The king considered with hys capteines that in regarde of the vallour of the Svvizzers it was impossible to driue them from those strayte and strong passages but with a farre greater number And yet considering the nature of those straites so great numbers could not be but hurtfull to the seruice and muche lesse in so litle tyme could they do any thing of consequence and least of all be hable to nourishe any long season so great an army in a contrey so barreine notwithstanding there was continuall traffike of vittels to the mountaynes Amid these difficulties some of the capteines that were of opinion rather to diuert and drawe them away then to set vpon them gaue counsell to sende out eight hundred launces through Prouince and Peter Nauarre by sea with his ten thousande contrey men which should all ioyne together at Sauonne Others were of aduise that to go so farre about were to loase too muche time that it would weaken th armie and increase too muche the reputation of thenemies who woulde not doubt to boast that they had not the corage to encounter with them So that it was resolued that not retyring so muche from that straite they should assay to passe by some other way that eyther was not kept by thenemies or at least not so strongly defended And that Emard de Prio with foure hundred launces and fiue thousande footemen should take the waye to Genes not in hope to drawe them downe from their mountaynes but to make warre vpon Alexandria and the other townes beyonde Pavv There be two wayes in the Alpes that leade ordinarily from Lyons into Italie the one is called Monsane a mountayne within the iurisdiction of the duke of Sauoy it is the shortest way the straightest way and most beaten way The other is called the mounte Geneure within the gouernment of Dauphine a way longer then the other and leades by crookings and turnings to Grenoble both the one and the other falleth into the way of Susa where the playne beginneth to enlarge But the French armies are alwaies wont to passe by the Mount Geneure notwithstanding it be a way somewhat longer because it hath a facilitie of passage more conuenient to draw thartillerie The Svvizzers that were carefull to keepe those two passages the other pathes thereaboutes were lodged at Susa the cause was that the passages which be lower drawing towards the sea were so streate and steepe that it seemed impossible to drawe any artillerie being verye harde to passe thither the horses of so great an armie On the other side Triuulco to whom the king had giuen that charge being followed with very many pyoners and hauing about him men paynefull and experienced to drawe artilleries whom he sent to searche the places that were there went sounding the passages if he could finde libertie of way without impediment of the Svvizzers By which occasion the armie that for the moste parte was dispersed betweene Grenoble and Brianson marched slowely exspecting what should be determined wherevnto there was a constraynt by a necessitie to abyde the prouisions of vittells About this time the king of Englande sent a gentleman to the French king who was nowe departed from Lyons to tell him on the behalfe of his king that he ought not to passe into Italie for feare to trouble the vniuersall peace of Christendome The cause of so great variation and chaunge of that king was that he was ielouse of the alliance betwene Fraunce and the Archduke fearing least the affayres of that Crowne would take a course too happy In which considerations he began afterwards to giue willing eare to thembassadors of the king Catholike who with continuall reasons put into his minde howe hurtefull the greatnes of the Frenche king would be to him in whom he coulde not hope for anye other affection then of an enemie aswell for the naturall hatred of that nation as for his late actions of warre and hostilitie done agaynst him But the thing that most moued him was the emulation and enuy of his glorie which he thought would be raysed to too high degrees if he wonne the victorie in the state of Millan he thought in himselfe that notwithstanding he found his kingdome in rest and very populous for the long peace it had lyued in together with a great masse of treasor which his father had gathered yet he neuer had the corage tyll within certayne yeres to inuade the realme of Fraunce alone and enuironed with so many enemies and broken with so many aduersities That nowe the Frenche king somewhat younger then he was at suche time as he came to the crowne albeit he founde his kingdome ouerwearyed and made poore with so many warres durst yet in the first monethes of his raigne go to an enterprise for the whiche so many princes were banded against him That touching him with all his huge preparations and so many occasions he had not brought into England any other profite then the citie of Tornay and that with expences intollerable and infinite But the Frenche king would returne with great glory into his kingdome bringing with him the conquest of so braue a duchie and would open the waye and happly take the occasion affore he retyred his armie out of Italie to inuade the realme of Naples These were the motions that easily renewed in his minde his auncient and naturall hatred But for that he was not at that time prepared to giue impediment to the Frenche king with armes wherein happly he sought some occasion and cooller he thought good to sende him this message The king nor his armie forbare not for all that to marche taking their waye from Lyon to Dauphine where met with the armie the Launceknightes otherwise called the blacke bandes guided by Robert de la Marche together with all the regimentes of lowe Almains so greatly esteemed for their vallour their
meane to execute against the parties so that dispatches went out according to the olde rates The king for his parte promised not to take into his protection any of the Cities of Tuskane And albeit afterwardes he required to haue libertie to protect the people of Lucqua who offered him fiue and twentie thowsande duckats saying he was bounde to that protection by thobligacion of his predecessor yet the Pope would giue no consent but promised for his parte that he woulde forbeare to molest them in any sorte Lastly they agreed by indifferent consent of them both to sende frear Giles Generall of the Augustins and an excellent preacher to Caesar in the Popes name to dispose him to render to the Venetians Bressa and Verona taking a recompense of money And so vppon the expedicion of these matters but not sette downe by wryting except tharticle for nominacion of benefices and payment of the Annats according to the true vallue the Pope in fauour of the king pronounced Cardinall Adrian de Boisy brother to the great Maister of Fraunce and of the greatest authoritie with the king and in the generall gouernment That the enteruiewe brake vppe the king departing from the Pope verie well contented and in great hope to haue him his perpetuall frende who for his parte expressed no lesse with all reasonable demonstracions but in his minde he nourished other impressions for that bothe it was a matter no lesse greeuous to him then affore that the Duchie of Myllan shoulde be possessed by the Frenche king and Parma and Plaisanca restored and also that the Duke of Ferrara should be eftsoones reinuested in Modena and Reggia And yet all these not long after turned to vanitie and smoake for that the Pope being gone from Bolognia to Florence remeining there about a moneth had receiued of the Duke promises of the money that should be payd assoone as he should enter into possession being there set down in writing by common consent thinstrumentes that were to passe betwene them the Pope neither denying nor accomplishing but interposing many delayes and excuses refused to giue perfection to things The king being returned to Myllan dismissed his armie except seuen hundred launces six thowsand launceknightes and foure thowsand frenchmen such as they caladuenturers whom he left for the gard of that estate And for his owne person he teturned into Fraunce with great speede about the first beginning of the yeare 1516. leauing behinde him as his Lieftenaunt Charles Duke of Burbon he thought he had left his affayres in Italie in good estate of sewertie both for the allyance newlie contracted with the Pope and also for that about that time he was newly compounded with the Svvyzzers who notwithstanding the perswasions of the king of England to haue them to reenter into armes against the frenche king renewed with him thalliance by the which they bound them selues to furnishe alwayes for his seruice and at his paye both in Italie and out of Italie for defense and offence and against all nations suche numbers of footemen as he would require and that vnder their vniuersall name and publike enfeignes onely they excepted to beare armes against the Pope the Empire and thEmperour And on the other side the king confirmed to them of newe their auncient pensions with promisse to paye them within a certaine time the six hundred thowsand duckats agreed vpon at Dyon with three hundred thowsande if they gaue vp to him the villages and vallies apperteyning to his Duchy of Myllan A matter which the fiue Cantons that possessed those places refusing to do as also to ratifie the accord the king began to pay to the other eight Cantons that parte and porcion of the money that apperteined to them who accepted it but vnder this expresse condicion that they should not be bound to take his pay against the fiue Cantons About the beginning of this yeare the Bishoppe Petruccio an auncient seruant to the Pope chassed out of Siena by the Popes aide and some helpe from the Florentins Borgueso sonne to Pandolffe Petruccio his cossing and impatronised him selfe vpon the place the authority and gouernment remeining by equity in the possession of his said cossing the Pope had two respects inducing him to this actiō the one for that that citie standing betwene the estate of the Church and the dominion of the Florentins was gouerned by a man wholly at his deuocion the other was much more particular and mouing for that he hoped with the fauor of some good occasion to make it fall into the gouernment of his brother or his nephew wherein he douted nothing of the Bishops consent hauing already framed him tractable to all his desires and ambicions The warre continued kindeled betwene Caesar and the Venetians who for their partes desired to recouer by the aide of the frenche king Bressa and Verona But for other places and regions of Italie things seemed to stand in a peasible estate onely there beganne to burst out mocions of new stirres that were pushed on by the king of Aragon who fearing least the greatnesse of the frenche king would bring some aduersities to the realme of Naples delt with Caesar and the king of Englande to recontinewe the warre A matter not onely of no great difficultie and hardnesse to drawe Caesar vnto being both desirous of innouacion and newe thinges and also was not able easily to kepe the townes which he had takē from the Venetians But also it was fullie concluded and agreed vnto by the king of England The remembraunce of the late infidelitie and breache of promise of his father in lawe being of lesse power in him then either his present emulacion or auncient hatred against the crowne of Fraunce besides he was enuious that the Skottish king being in minoritie should be gouerned by people of his appoyntment or any waye depending on him These matters had bene followed both with better councell and greater forces if during the negociacion the death of the king of Aragon had not hapned who after he had bene vexed with a long indisposicion died in an inferior village called Madrigalege as he went to Seuile with his Court he was a king excellent in councell and so furnished with al other properties of vertue that he bare no occasion matter of reprehension if he had bene constant to keepe his promisses for touching thimputacion of nigardnes or the reapport that went of him to be straite in exspenses it was proued vntrue by the testimonie and discouerie of his estate after his death leauing behinde him no amasse of treasor notwithstanding he had reigned xlij yeares But it hapneth oftentymes by the corrupt iudgement of men that in a king prodigalitie is more praysed though the raking and oppression of subiects be ioyned to it then a sparing straitnes wherin is nourished an orderly absteyning from taxing the goods of others To thexcellent vertues of this Prince was ioyned a most rare and perpetuall felicitie
and made weake by the minoritie of their king who was gouerned by Priestes and the Barons of the Realme Others were of opinion that he had addressed all his thoughtes to thinuasion of Italie taking his encouragement vpon the discord of the Potentates and naturall princes whom he knewe to be muche shaken with the long warres of those regions To this was ioyned the memorie of Mahomet his grandfather who with a power farre lesse then his and with a small Nauie sente vppon the coastes of the Realine of Naples had wonne by assault the Citie of Otronto and sauing he was preuented by death had bothe opened the waye and established the meane to persecute the regions of Italie with continuall vexacions So that the Pope together with the whole Courte of Rome beeing made astonished with so greate successe and no lesse prouident to eschewe so great a daunger making their firste recourse to the ayde and succour of God caused to bee celebrated through Rome moste deuoute inuocations whiche he dyd assiste in presence bare foote And afterwardes calling vppon the helpe of men he wroate letters to all Christian Princes bothe admonishing them of the perill and perswading them to laye asyde all ciuill discordes and contentions and attende speedily to the defence of religion and their common safetie whiche he affirmed woulde more and more take encrease of most grieuous daunger if with the vnitie of mindes and concordances of forces they sought not to transferre the warre into thempire of the Turkes and inuade thenemie in his owne countrey Vpon this aduise and admonition was taken the examinacion and opinion of men of warre and persons skilfull in the discouerie of countreys the disposing of prouinces and of the nature and vsage of the forces and weapons of that kingdome and therevpon a resolucion being set downe to make great leauyes of money by voluntarie contribucions of Princes and vniuersall impostes of all people of Christendome it was thought necessarie that Caesar accompanied with the horsemen of Hungaria and Pollonia Nations warlike and practised in continuall warres agaynst the Turke and also with the footmen of Germanie should sayle along Danubi into Bossina called aunciently Misia and from thence to Thracia and so to drawe neare Constantinople the seate of the Empire of the Ottomanes That the Frenche king with all the forces of his kingdome the Venetians and the other potentates of Italie accompanied with the infanterie of Svvizzerlande should passe from the port of Brindisi in Albania a passage very easie and short to inuade Grece a contrey full of Christian inhabitantes and for the intollerable yoke of the Turkes moste ready to rebell That the kings of Spayne of Englande and Portugall assembling their forces together in Cartagenia and the portes thereaboutes should take their course with two hundred shippes full of Spanishe footemen and other souldiors to the straite of Galipoli to make roades vp to Constantinople hauing first subdued the Castles and fortes standing vpon the mouth of the straite And the Pope to take the same course embarking at Antona with an hundred shippes armed With these preparacions seeming sufficient to couer the lande and ouerspread the sea it was thought that of a warte so full of deuocion and pyetie there coulde not be but hoped a happie ende specially adding the inuocation of God and so many seuerall inuasions made at one tyme agaynst the Turkes who make their principall fundacion of defence to fight in the playne fielde These matters were solicited with no small industrie and to stoppe all matter of imputacion agaynst thoffice of the Pope the mindes of Princes were throughly sounded and an vniuersal truce for fiue yeres betwene all the Princes of Christendome published in the consistory vpon payne of most grieuous censure to suche as should impugne it So that the negociacion cōtinuing for all things apperteining to so great an enterprise he assigned Embassadors to all Princes to the Emperour he sent the Cardinall S. Sisto to the Frenche king he dispatched the Cardinall of S. Maria in Portico the Cardinall Giles to the king of Spayne and the Cardinall Campeius to the king of Englande All Cardinalles of authoritie eyther for their experience in affayres or for opinion of their doctrine or for their familiaritie with the Pope All which things albeit they were begonne with greate hope and exspectacion And the vniuersall truce accepted of all men And all men with no litle ostentacion and brauerie of words made shewe of their readines with their forces to aduaunce so good a cause yet what with the consideracion of the perill esteemed vncerteine and farre of and extending more to one Prince then to an other And what by the difficulties long tract of time that appeared to introduce a zeale and vnion so vniuersall priuat interests and respects perticular seemed to preuayle more then the pietie of the expedicion Insomuch as the negoclacion stoode not onely naked of all hope and yssue but also it was followed very lightly and as it were by ceremonie this beeing one propertie in the nature of men that those things which in their beginnings appeare fearefull doe daily take such degrees of diminucion and vanishing that onles the first feares be reuiued by new accidents they leade men in processe of tyme to securitie which propertie of negligence both touching the affayres publike affection of priuate and perticular men was well confirmed by the death that succeeded not longe after to Selym who hauing by a longe maladie suspended the preparacions of the warre was in the ende consumed by the passions of his disease and so passed into the other life leauing so greate an Empire to Solyman his sonne young in yeares and iudged to beare a witte and minde not so disposed to the warres although afterwardes theffectes declared the contrarie At this tyme appeared betweene the Pope and the Frenche kinge A moste greate and strayght coniunction for the kinge gaue to wife to Lavvrence his Nephewe the Ladye Magdaleyne noblye descended of the bludde and house of Bolognia with a yearely reuenue of tenne thowsande crownes whereof parte was of the kinges gifte and the residue rising of her owne patrimonye Besides the kinge hauing borne to him a sonne the Pope requyred that in his Baptisme he woulde impose vppon him his name By which occasion Lavvrence making preparacions to goe to marye his newe wife for his more speede performed his iorney by poste into Fraunce where he was receiued with many amities and much honor of the king to whom he became very gracious of deare accompt the rather for that besides other general respects he made a dedication of him selfe wholly to the king with promise to follow in all accidents his fortune he brought also to the king a writ or warrant from the Pope by the which he graunted to him that till the moneyes collected of the tenthes and by other meanes of contribucion were expended vppon the holy warre against the Turkes he might
content others for the colleage wherein the aduersaries of Cardinall Medicis could do most had at the same instant couenanted with him to reteine the estate which he had recouered vntill the Popes comming into Italie and longer if it so pleased the Pope and that he should not molest the Florentins nor the Siennois nor enter into confederacy with any Prince nor any way communicate with him or administer to him Hitherunto the matters of Lombardy had bene in peasible estate the one parte hauing want of money and the other no lesse necessitie of men And therefore the souldiours of the Imperialls who were not payed refusing to stirre out of their lodgings there was dispatched into Alexandria onely Iohn Sassetella with his regiment and other souldiours and subiects of the Duchy of Millan This Capteine in the beginning of the warre chaunging a benefit certeine for hopes incerteine left the pay of the Venetians to take the wages of the Duke of Millan notwithstanding he was banished from his estate In which disposicion of minde and with a fortune more readie then a councell stayed he approched to Alexandria where the rashnes of the Guelffes defending the Citie more then the force of the french souldiours made easie to him the action which all men esteemed hard for that being issued out to skirmish with thenemies and not hable to susteine the encounter their dishabilitie gaue them occasion to enter pellmell into the Citie which by that accident more then through their vallour became a pray to the victors a reproch to the vanquished And not many dayes after with the same facilitie were chased out of Ast certeine bands of the frenche being there entred by the meane of certeine particulars of the Guelffes faction But of this short and suspected quietnes there were already discerned to draw on beginninges of verie great troubles for notwithstanding in the parliaments of the Svvizzers there were great contencions risen vpon the demaundes of the frenche king wherein as the Cantons of Zurich and Zuicz stoode obstinate against him and the Canton of Lucerna whollie with him and the residue deuided amongest them selues so also the publike affaires were troubled by the couetousnes of priuate persons some demaunding of the king pension and enterteinment present and some requiring their old payes and debts due in times past Yet they accorded to him at last those proporcions of footemen which he required for the recouerie of the Duchie of Millan which leauy making a number of more then tenne thousande bodies descended into Lombardy by the mounteines of S. Barnard S. Goddard and were conducted by the bastard of Sauoye great Maister of Fraunce by Galeas S. Seuerin maister of the horse About this time the king of England being estraunged from the amitie of the frenche had lent to Caesar a great quantitie of money the better to furnish him against so great an emocion And with that money thEmperour had sent Ierome Adorno to Trent to leauie sixe thousande launceknightes and to lead them to Millan together with the person of Frauncis Sforce his comming was then esteemed of great importance both to kepe conteined constant Millan the other places of that estate which greatly desired his presence and also by his authoritie fauors to make easie thexactions of money wherof there was extreame want At the same time they of Millan not knowing the prouisions that Caesar made had sent money to Trent to wage foure thowsande footemen and they being prepared by that time that Adorno came thither he left the other six thowsand to be made readie and with these foure thowsand drew towards Millan to descende to Coma by the vale of Voltolina And albeit the Grisons denyed to giue him passage yet his celeritie and vallour made his way passing with so great diligence vppon the territories of Bergama and from thence to Guiaradada that the Venetian gouernors who were within Bergama had no time to stoppe them And after he had led these first companies of launceknightes to Myllan he returned with the same diligence to Trent to guide thether Frauncis Sforce with the residue of that leauy In Myllan there was no care omitted to make all sortes of prouisions wherein this was chiefly obserued to forget no meanes that might augment the hatred of the people against the french to prepare them the better to defend them selues and to releue the common necessities with money To this action was much helping many counterset letters and false messages together with other cunning stratagemes proceeding from the diligence and art of Moron But the thing that most of all aduaunced so great an inclinacion was the preachings and sermons of Andrea Barbato a religious man of thorder of Saint Augustin who drawing to him a wonderfull concurse and affluence of people induced them with reasons and perswasions to take vpon them the defence of their liues and the redeming of their free contry from the yoke of straungers auncient enemies to that citie he willed them not to be lesse forward to execute then God was ready to raise them a meane to set them selues at libertie he told them the soueraigne care of mortall folkes was to care for their propper sauetie he reduced to their memories thexample of Parma a weake and small citie in comparison of Myllan and left not vnrecorded thactions of their Elders whose names had caried reputacion and glorye throughout all Italy he layed out by reasons and examples how farre mortall men were bownd to defende their contrey for the which if the Gentiles who exspected no other recompense then glorye offered their liues willingly to death then farre greater was the office and bond of Christians to whome dying in so iust and holy an enterprise was prepared for recompense not the glory of this world fraile and transitory but the fruicion of thimmortall kingdom infinite and euerlasting They had to consider what vniuersall ruine would be brought vppon that citie by the victorie of the french men whose yoke if it had seemed heauy and greeuous affore their burdens now could not be lesse then extreame intollerable And by how much their rigour raged vppon them without any cause affore by so muche had they to assure them selues of extreame oppression now vppon thoccasion of these offences That one execucion of the people of Myllan would not suffice to quench the thirst of their crueltie and hatred that all the goods of the citie could not satisfie their immoderat couetousnes yea nothing could content them but the vtter defacing of the name memorie of the inhabitants of Myllan and by a horrible example to surpasse the vnnaturall crueltie of Federyk Barberousse These speeches so redoubled the hatred of thin habitants and no lesse suppressed all feare of the victorie of the frenchmen that it seemed now more necessary to appease and reteyne them then to moue or prouoke them suchis the power of speeches aptly deliuered and duely respecting time place and all
man troubled not a litle the Pope who was so much the more aggreued against him by howe much his dissembled demonstracions had beguiled him And in that iust discontentment he was vehemently furthered by the incitacion of the Duke of Sesso and Cardinall Medicis by whose industries he was committed to the castell S. Ange and afterwards examined by Iudges delegate as guiltie in the crime of violacion of the Popes maiestie for that he had incensed the french king to inuade with hostilitie the Iland of Sicile A free hold of the sea Apostolike Wherein albeit they proceded with lenitie and fauor and after the actes of interogatories he had libertie of councell to pleade for him yet they proceeded not with the same moderacion against his goods since the same day he was apprehended the Pope sent to make seasure of all the moueables and riches that were in his house And as one conspiracie reuealeth an other so by thimprisonment of the sayd Imperialo there was discouered an other detection for the French king in Sicile for the which were executed by iustice the Count Camerato the maister of the ports and the Treasorer The veritie consideracion of these matters insinuated in the Pope a great displeasure against the French king in which ill disposed inclinacion he began to consult more and more with Cardinall Medicis And lastly the rumor of the discending of the french armies redoubling daily the Pope published manifestly his intencion to oppose against them for which cause he summoned the assembly of the Cardinalls to whom after his accustomed protestacions of the present feares and daungers of the great Turke he declared that as onely the French king was the cause why so great perills were not remoued from Christendom for that he refused with great obstinacy to consent to the peace that was negociated So seeing it apperteyned to him as the Viccaire of Iesus Christ and successor to Peter to be carefull ouer the preseruacion of Christian peace he was compelled by that zeale which he oweth to their vniuersall safetie to confederat him selfe with such Princes as did what they could to defend Italy from troubles for that of the quiet or trouble of that region depended the tranquillitie or vexacion of the whole Christian parte of the worlde According to this declaracion concurring with the industrie of the Viceroy of Naples beeing come to Rome for that purpose a league was concluded for the defence of Italie the thirde daye of August betweene the Pope themperour the king of Englande tharchduke of Austria the Duke of Millan the Genovvaies and the Cardinal Medicis and thestate of Florence ioyntly The publication bare also that it should continue all the time of the confederates lyues and a yere after the death of euery of them There was reseruacion of place and tyme for any other to come in so that the Pope themprour and the king of Englande thought good with this prouision that in matters of quarrell and controuersie they should vse iustice and not armes That they shoulde erect an armie to be opposed agaynst whom so euer would inuade any of the confederates to which armie the Pope shoulde sende two hundred men at armes themperour eight hundred the Florentins two hundred the Duke of Millan two hundred and two hundred light horsemen That the Pope the Emprour and the Duke of Millan should make all the prouisions of artilleries municions together with al exspences and charges apperteining That to leauy the bands of footmen necessary for tharmy to furnish al other exspences requisite for the warre the Pope should pay euery moneth xx thousand duckets the duke of Millan as much the Florētins the like summe That the Emperour should pay xxx thousand the Genovvaies Lucquois and Siennois together ten thousand and the Genovvaies notwithstanding to remaine bound to the army by sea and other defraimentes necessary for their defence To this contribucion they should be all bounde for three monethes and so muche tyme ouer the three monethes as should be set downe by the Pope themprour and the king of Englande That it should be in the power of the Pope and themprour to name the capteine generall of the whole warre who it was sayde should fall vppon the person of the Viceroy of Naples for whom the Cardinall Medicis whose authoritie was great with thimperialls labored what he coulde chiefly for the hatred he bare to Prosper Colonno The Marquis of Mantua was ioyned to this confederacion by an indirect meane for that the Pope and the Florentins interteyned him for their Capteine generall at their common pay But neither the league made by the Venetians with themperour nor the vnion of so many great Princes contracted with so ample contribucions and great prouisions could alter the resolucion of the French king who being come to Lyons prepared to passe in person with a strong army into Italie where the brute of his comming was no sooner spred then newe tumultes began to appeare for Lionell the brother of Albert Pio recouered by surprise the towne of Carpy being negligently garded by Iohn Coscia whom Prosper had created gouernor there which he might do of good authoritie for that thempror had giuen that towne to him after he had deposed Albert for his offence of rebellion to thempire But in the duchie of Millan there was like to haue chaunced a greater accident both more terrible for the property for the person of greater preiudice This is the discourse of it Frauncis Sforce riding frō Monce to Millan vpon a litle Mulet causing the horsemen that were for his gard to ride farre frō him to auoyd the trouble of the dust that in sommer time the traine of horses makes to rise in great abundance through all the playnes of Lombardie Boniface Visconto a yong gentleman better knowne by the noblenes of his house then for his wealth estates or other condicions offred him selfe onely to accompany the Duke being well mounted vpon a Turkishe horse and as they came riding together vpon a particion of a way Boniface being somewhat slipt behind obseruing the oportunitie of the place and the distance of the Dukes trayne spurred his horse and ranne in a mayne race with his dagger drawne to strike the Duke on the head But what with the feare of the Mulet shrinking with the noyse of his horse and the fiercenesse of his horse whom he could not stoppe together with the difference of the height of his horse from the Dukes mulet the blowe that he made at the Dukes head swarued and fell vppon his shoulders and afterwardes drawing his sworde to accomplishe the execution the same impedimentes made it vayne or at least the hurt was light beeing but a blowe slentwise By this tyme manye of the horsemen making in to the Dukes reskewe he fell to flying hoping to shake off by hys fortune the daunger that by his vallour he was falne into Many of the horsemen of the Dukes garde had him
in chase amongest whom was a generall emulacion of hazarde and perill to kyll him that in so manyfest treason sought the lyfe of their maister but he founde more safetie in the swiftnesse of his horse then his followers founde remedie in their reuengefull desires And if fortune had aunswered the vallour and industrie of the man it might haue bene called one of the rarest most singular aduentures that euer was that one man without armor at noneday in a plaine way durst set vpon a great prince in the middest of his estate and enuironed with so great a strength of souldiors and men armed and yet to flee awaye in safetie The cause of this desperate resolucion of this gentleman was a malice that he had conceyued for the murder of Monseig Visconte who a fewe monthes affore had bene slayne in Millan by one Ierome Moron not without the Dukes will and priuitie as many supposed The Duke vpon his hurte withdrewe him selfe to Monce and for that he was ielouse that there were of the conspiracie within Millan the Bishoppe of Alexandria brother to Monseig that was slayne was apprehended by Moron and Prospero At the first rumor of the facte eyther to preuent the suspicion that might goe on him or to make his fauour the greater he put himselfe willingly into the handes of Prospero vppon his fayth and after he was sounded by examinacion they sent him prisoner to the Castell of Cremona some holding him guyltie and some speaking muche of his innocencie as the iudgementes of men were diuerse It happned almoste in the same seasons that Galeas Biraguo accompanied with thexiles of Millan and with the ayde of certayne French souldiors which were already in the countrey of Piemont was receiued into the towne of Valence by the capteine of the Castell who was a Sauoye man But Antho. de Leua lying within Ast with one part of the light horsmen and Spanish footemen being aduertised of thaccident went immediatly to incampe before it and taking the vauntage of the weaknes of the towne which thenemies had no time to reduce to fortification he planted his artilleries and tooke it the seconde daye and with the same successe battred the castell There died about foure hundred bodies aswel in the action of the towne as in th execution of the Castell besides many made prisoners amongest whom was Gale as principall leader of thenterprise According to the great preparations made in Fraunce for the warre the armie marched at laste and bandes of souldiors passed continually ouer the mountes After whome the person of the king prepared to passe whiche he had effectually accomplished had not the conspiracie of the Duke of Burbon which nowe beganne to come to lighte giuen impediment to his going he was of the blood royall and therfore his reputation more great generall for the dignitie of his office beeing great constable his authoritie was absolute ample by his large estates riches his credite was currant in Fraunce and by his naturall vallour he was mightie and stronge in the opinions of men But he had not bene of longe time in the grace and fauor of the king and in that abiection was not admitted to the secret affayres of the Realme nor respected according to the merit of his place and greatnes he was discontented with the oppression of the kinges mother who reuiuing certeine auncient rights made open clayme to the greatest part of his lands and dominions in the open parliament at Paris And for that he found in the king no disposicion to doe remedy to that griefe he suffred indignacion to enter into his hart in that discontentment admitted confederacion with thEmprour with the king of England solicited by Monsr de Beaurin of great confidēce with thEmprour his chief chamberlaine Betwene whom to assure things with a more faster and faithful knot it was agreed that thEmprour should giue him in mariage his sister Elenor the late widow of Emanuell king of the Portugalls Thexecucion of their councels was grounded vppon the french kings determinacion to goe in person to the warre In which resolucion to nourish him the more the king of England had giuen him conning hopes that he would not molest the realme of Fraunce for that yeare That the Duke of Burbon assoone as the king should be ouer the Mountes should enter Burgondy with an army of twelue thowsand footemen that were secretly leauied with the moneyes of thEmprour the king of England Wherein he doubted not well to acquite him self in that seruice both for the absence of the king for the vniuersall grace and opinion which he had through all the Realme of Fraunce And touching those thinges that should be conquered the Earledom of Prouence should remeine to him and in place of Earle he should put on the name title of king of Prouence chalenging that state to apperteine to him by the rights of the house of Aniovv And all the residue gotten by this warre to discend to the king of England The Duke of Burbon then abiding at Monlyns a principal towne of the Duchie of Burbon feyned him selfe to be sicke to haue the better excuse not to follow the king into Italy The king in his iorney to Lyons made Monlyns in his way where being already possessed of certeine light tokens of the Dukes conspiracie he gaue him an inkling that albeit many went about to bring him in distrust suspicion with him yet for his part he beleued lesse in the rumors informacions which might be full of incerteinty and errour then in his faith vallour whereof he had so good experience But the dissimulacion of the Duke exceded the roundnes plainnes of the king for keeping his intencions smothered he gaue thankes to God that had appointed him to liue vnder such a king affore whose equity grauity could not stand the false accusations imputacions of malicious men And in that cōpassion he promised the king to follow him wheresoeuer he would go so soone as he was deliuered of his malady which he said could not cōtinue long for that it drew with it no daūgerous accidēts But the king was no soner come to Lyons then he had aduertisement that many bands of laūceknights were mostred vpon the frōtiers of Burgondy which confirming the tokēs of suspicion that he had before together with certein letters surprised detecting more plainly the conspiracy he cōmitted to prison forthwith Monsr de S. Valier Monsr de Boisy brother to Monsr la Palisse the postmaster the Bishop of Autun all pertenors of the practise And thinking to make the action perfect by apprehēding the head he dispatched in great diligence to Monlyns the great maister with fiue hundred horse foure thowsand footemē to take the Duke of Burbon But his suspicion was swifter then their celerity for dowting no lesse the detectiō of things then fearing lest the passages would be stopped by his forecast he preuented
Besides the towne of Aix whiche for his authoritie and for that the parlyament is there resident is one of the chiefe townes of Prouence was rendred whose example drewe with it many other townes of the contreye The Duke of Burbon in whome was no lesse emulacion then vallour desiered that from Aix the armye might marche further leauing the sea side Wherein he perswaded that seeking to passe the ryuer of Rhosne there might bee loste no tyme to enter deeper into the bodye and intralls of Fraunce whilest the kinges prouisions were yet but weake and not confirmed for by reason the kinge was consumed of treasor and money the men at armes of Fraunce had suffered muche and were very ill payed and also not expecting that his ennemies would passe out of Lombardye into Fraunce his forces and companyes of men of warre were falne into that disorder that they coulde not bee readdressed with suche speede Besides the kinge hauing no confidence in the vallour of the footemen of his owne kingdome was constrayned before he coulde marche into the fielde to tarye for the comming of certeyne footebandes of the Svvyzzers and launceknightes during which exspectacion as the Duke of Burbon thought he shoulde be able to doe some matter of importance in passing ouer Rhosne so the Marquis of Pisquairo with the other Spanishe Capteines were of an other aduise They desiered that bothe for the oportunitie of the sea and to satisfie thintencion of thEmprour Marseilles might bee conquered A hauen moste conuenient to vexe the Realme of Fraunce with sea armyes and also no lesse apt to passe in sauetye out of Spayne into Italie These Capteynes what by thauthoritye of their multitude and thefficacye of their reasons so preuayled agaynste the will of the Duke of Burbon that they pytched their campe before Marseilles wherein was newely entred Ranse de Cere with those bandes of footemen which had beene ledde into Fraunce from Alexandria and Loda They laye fortye dayes before Marseilles without dooinge anye exployte of marke or memorie And albeit they executed the walles in many places with their artilleries and not preuayling with batteries labored to worke their entrie by myning yet they founde obiected many difficulties and their great labors resisted bothe by the fortune and fortification of the towne they had contending agaynst their industrie the strength of the wall bearing an auncient forme and building The vallour of the defendants moste resolute in the quarrell of their libertie The disposicion of the people bearing greate deuocion to the name of the Frenche king and very hatefull to the glorye of the Spanyardes And lastely the hope of succours aswell by sea as lande for that the Frenche kinge was comen to Auignon A citye of the Popes standing vppon the riuer of Rhosne where he assembled with greate diligence A mightie armie Moreouer want of money beganne to fall vppon thEmprours Capteines and their hopes no lesse diminished that the Frenche king beeing inuaded in other places woulde bee letted to conuert to one onely part all his forces and prouisions for that the king of England notwithstanding he had sent to the Duke of Burbon Maister Richard Pase did both refuse to paye the hundred thowsande duckats for the seconde moneth And also made slender showes to moue warre in Piccardye No hauing receiued into Englande Iohn Ioachin de Spetio whome the Frenche king had sent to him and also the Cardinall of Yorke making straunge aunswers to thEmprours Embassadors he gaue the Duke greate occasion bothe to doubt and distrust him And touching Spaine and thexspectacion there the powers and forces did not aunswer the willes of men nor the promisses that were made The reason was for that the Courtes of Castillo so are called the congregacions of the Deputies assembled in the name of the whole kingdom had refused to ayde thEmprour with foure hundred thowsand duckats A contribucion which they are wont to make both in the great neede of their king and vppon any action of importance by which occasion there could no money be sent to the armie that was in Prouence much lesse any leauie of men made against the french king in the frontyers of Spaine other then very weake and not worthy to beare reckoning So that the imperiall Capteines bothe dispairing to sacke Marseilles and also fearing to ronne into some greater daunger when the king shoulde approche brake vppe their campe the same daye that the king sette from Auignon with his whole armie hauing also marching with him a regiment of six thowsand Svvizzers The same reasons that moued th imperiall Capteines to leauie their seege from before Marseilles caried them also to turne their faces towards Italy And as in men there is nothing more violent then the passion of feare whose mocions are swifter then the winges of the winde so in thimperialls was seene no lesse diligence to hasten into Italie then to breake vp their seege showing one care to preuent the perill that might fall vppon them if either all or parte of the French kinges armie should encownter them in the contry of thennemie And on the other side the king saw a faire occasion offered to recouer his Duchie of Millan what by the puissance of the armie he had leauied by the fidelitie of his Capteines by the plentie of his prouicions by thintelligence he had of the weakenes of his ennemies and lastly by his hope that taking the nearest waye he shoulde bringe his armie into Italye affore those that went from Marseilles In which estate and aduauntage of thinges he determined to ioyne industrie to the present oportunitie and to followe the benefit that fortune presented to him he imparted this resolucion with all the Capteines of th armie to whome he declared that as he had vowed in him selfe an irreuocable promise to passe in person into Italie so whoseuer woulde rise vp to councell him the contrarie muche lesse that he would graunt him audience seeing he would not forbeare to holde him in ill opinion and affection That therefore euerie one shoulde goe to his charge and shewe the same will to execute thenterprise which they had done to consult and to conclude it That God who was a louer of iustice and thinsolencie and rashnesse of thennemies had at last layed open a meane to reconquer that that had bene violentlie rauished from him against lawe equitie and reason That they had to doubt no more of the victorie then for his parte he distrusted their vallours for that God doth alwayes accompanie an innocent cause with a happie successe To these wordes was correspondent both his constancie in deliberacion and his celeritie in execucion for that he commaunded immediatlie his armie to marche wherein were two thowsande launces and twentie thowsande footemen He tooke a contrarie waye because he woulde not meete with the Ladie Regent his mother who was come from Auignion to debate with him not to passe the mountes in person but to performe the warre in Italie by
you reteyne in your hande is sufficient to aduaunce it And also if things be well negociated the kings mother for her affection to her sonne and for the necessitie to recouer his libertie wil neuer cast of her hopes to redeeme him of you by accord Besides the Princes of Italy will neuer enter vnitie with the gouernment of Fraunce knowing that it remayneth alwayes in your hand setting the kinge at libertie not onely to seperate him but also to turne him against them A matter which as for the time it wil keepe them in astonishment suspense so in the end it must needes come to passe that they must be the first to receiue lawes of you And then it can not be but an action full of glorye to vse towards them clemencie and magnanimitie euen when matters shall be reduced to that estate and degree as they can not chuse but acknowledge you for superior Such was the manner of dealing of Alexander and Casar who were forward aad liberall to pardon iniuries and not slow and inconsiderat to readdresse their estate of them selues A midd those difficulties and daungers which they had already surmounted he that doth so deserueth praise for that he doth an acte which hath very fewe examples but that man can not but beare notes of imprudency and indiscression who doth that which hath no law of example nor rule of time By these reasons I am bold to induce your maiestie to draw of your victorie as great a profit as you can and alwayes vsing towardes the king those offices and oblacions that apperteine to him either to sende for him into Spaine or at least to haue him conueyed to Naples And for aunswere of his letter sent to your maiestie it were good to returne to him some speciall man to visite him with wordes full of grace and hope and with all to propownd vnto him condicions of his deliuerance such as vpon more particular consultacion may be worthie recompenses and rewardes of so greate a victorie In this sorte your fundacions being layed and your thoughtes extended to these endes the time and the operacions and accidentes thereof will make either more quicke or more slowe the deliuerie of the king and will also beget occasions of peace or warre with thItalians whom for the present you may enterteine with good hopes So shall you with art and industrie augument the fauor and reputacion of armes and auoyding to tempt euerie day a new fortune we shall be prepared and readie to accord either with this Prince or with that common weale either with all together or with one in particular as occasions accidents shall induce vs These be the wayes which wise Princes haue alwayes followed and particularly those who haue left to you the fundacions of such a greatnes They were neuer curious to reiect occasions that made to raise them higher nor slow to push on the fauor of fortune when they saw her wel disposed To you belongeth the interest of their example as of right apperteineth vnto you that which in any of them might seeme to be ambicion Your maiestie must remember that you are a Prince and that it is one office in your calling to followe the trace of Princes Muche lesse that any reason either diuine or humane perswadeth you to leaue thoccasion to releue and readdresse thauthority of the Empire vsurped and defaced seeing all lawes of God and nations binde you by straite obligacion to arme your corage and intencions to recouer it rightfully occasions are precious if they be executed in the ripenesse of time but being foreslowed they turne to the preiudice of those that hoped in them Your maiestie must be gealous ouer them knowing how easely they are lost and with what difficultie they are recouered you must not be curious to make your profit of them nor doubtfull to aduaunce them when you see they draw with them a correspondencie of time of place and all other circumstances helping to your enterprises You are not to make your fundacion vpon the bountie or wisedome of those that bee vanquished seeing all mortall men draw with them their corruptions and the whole worlde is full of infirmitie and error dignities and greatnes are the effectes and rewards of vallour and where is a resolute minde to execute there neuer wanteth a good fortune to establishe and confirme Lastly seeing the estate of Christendom can not be defended by any other meane then by your greatnes it is a iust office in your maiestie to lay to your hande though not for the interest of your owne authoritie and glorie yet for the seruice of God and zeale of the vniuersall benefit This oration was hard with a wonderful fauor inclinacion of the whole coūcell in whom for the authority of the man and for the spirit and efficacie of his reasons might be discerned an vniuersall impression of ambicion almost to the whole Empire of Christendom There was not one amongest them who without replie did not confirme his opinion which thEmperour also approued though more for colour not to seeme to swarue from the councell of his frends then in disclosing what was the propertie of his inclinacion Monsr Beauruin by office his great Chamberlaine and by fauour verie gracious with him was dispatched both to imparte with the Capteines of the armie thEmprours deliberacion and also to visit in his name the French king and to propownd to him the condicions by the which he might obteine his deliuerance he tooke his way by lande for that the kinges mother had made free and open all passages for Messengers and corryers to come and goe to thEmprours Court for the more easie and safe negociacion of her sonnes affayres And so together with the Duke of Burbon the Viceroy he went to Pisqueton where the king remeyned as yet There he offered him his libertie but with so vnequall heauy condicions that the very hearing of them was intollerable to the king for besides the resigning of all his titles and rights which he pretended in Italy thEmprour demaunded to haue rendred vnto him the Duchie of Burgonguie as apperteyning to him in propper And to giue to the Duke of Burbon Prouence with all the dependencies thereof And he required besides aswell for him selfe as for the king of England other condicions of very great moment It seemed the vertue of the king had ouercome the aduersities of his imprisonment for to thEmprours demaundes he aunswered constantly that he had rather offer vp his life in prison then to depriue his children of any part of the Realme of Fraunce And though he should consent to a composicion so preiudiciall yet it was not in his power to execute it for that the auncient tradicions and constitucions of Fraunce did not suffer alienacion of any member or appertenancie to the crowne without the consent of the parliaments others in whose hands rested the authoritie of the whole kingdom and who in like cases had bene alwayes
wont to preferre the vniuersall sauetie of the mayne body of the Realme affore the particular interest of the persons of their kings That if they would demaund condicions which were in his power to performe they should finde him most ready to ioyne with thEmprour and to fauor his greatnes But such was his desire of libertie that here he ceassed not to offer condicions diuers making no difficulty to graunt large parts of other mens estates without promising any thing of his owne This was in effect the summe of the things he accorded he offered to take to wife thEmprours sister a late widowe by the death of the king of Portugall he made confession that he would hold Burgonguie as in dowrye and that it should apperteyne to the children yssuing of that mariage That he would restore to the Duke of Burbon the Duchie that had beene confisked from him enlarging it with some other estate That in recompense of thEmprours sister who had bene promised to the Duke the king would giue him in mariage his sister a late widowe by the deceasse of Monsr d'Alenson That he would satisfie the king of England with money and pay to thEmprour a great treasor for his raunsom That he would resigne vnto him his interests and rights in the kingdom of Naples and Duchie of Myllan That he woulde send to accompany him both with a nauie by sea and an armie by lande at such tyme as he would goe to Rome to take the crowne Imperiall which was as much as if he had promised to giue him in pray the whole Monarchie of Italy Beaurayn returned with these capitulacions to thEmprour to whom went with him also Monsr Montmorancy a personage then very agreeable to the king and afterwards great maister of Fraunce and at last by the kings liberalitie indued with the dignitie of high Constable of Fraunce But now let vs say some what of the sorowes feares of Fraunce After they were possessed of the newes of the ouerthrow of th armie taking of the king there ranne thorow the whole kingdome an vniuersall astonishment and confusion for besides the incredible sorow which thaccident of the kinges imprisonment brought to that nation naturally very deuout and louing to their kinges there appeared on all sides infinite mournings and heauines aswell publike as priuate Priuate men lamented and made their sorrowes aparte for that aswell of the Courte as of the Nobilitie there were very sewe who had not loste in the battell their children their brethren or other their parentes and friends of marke They wepte and coulde not be comforted because they iudged their sorrowe could not be greater then the qualitie of their losse And in the publike and generally body of the realme might be discerned nothing but an vniuersall face of desolation and dispayre euery one crying out of so great a diminution of the authoritie glory of so flourishing a realme A perplexitie so muche the more grieuous intollerable to them by howmuch naturally they are hawty and presuming of themselues In this estate of aduersitie they set before their eyes all that feare and dispayre coulde imagine They doubted least so great a calamitie were not the beginning of a further and subuersion They sawe their king prisoner and with him eyther taken or slaine in the battel the chieftayns of the kingdome which in the imagination of their sorowes they helde a losse irreparable They behelde their capteins discomforted and their souldiors discouraged A calamitie which stopped in them all hope to be readdressed or reassured They saw the realme made naked of money treasor and enuironed with most mighty enemies an affliction which most of all caryed their thoughts into the last cogitations of desperate ruine for the king of England notwithstanding he had holden many parleys and treaties and showed in many things a variation of mind yet not many daies before the battel he had cut off al the negociations which he had enterteined with the king had published that he would discend into Fraunce if the things of Italie tooke any good successe So that the frenchmen feared least in so great an oportunity thēprour he would not leauy warre agaynst Fraunce eyther for that there was no other head or gouernor then a woman and the litle children of the king of whom the eldest had not yet runne eyght yeres accomplished or els because thenemies had with thē the duke of Burbon for his owne particular a puissant prince and for his authority in the realme of Fraunce very popular strong in opinion a mighty instrument to stirre vp most dangerous emotions Besides the Lady Regent aswell for the loue she bare to the king as for the daungers of the realme was not without her passions both proper and particular for being full of ambition and most greedy of the gouernment she feared that if the kinges deliuery drewe any long tract of tyme or that any new difficultie happned in Fraunce she should be constrayned to yelde vp thadministration of the Crowne to suche as should be delegate and assigned by the voyces of the kingdome Neuertheles amid so many astonishmentes confusions she drew her spirites to her by her example were recōforted the nobles that were of counsell with her who taking speedy order to manne the frontiers of the realme and with diligence to leauy a good prouision of money The Lady Regent in whose name all expeditions dispatches went out wrote to themprour letters full of humilitie and compassion wherein she forgot not by degrees vehement and inducing to solicit a negociatiō of accord by vertue wherof hauing a litle after deliuered Don Hugo de Moncado she sent him to themprour to offer him that her sonne should renounce disclaime frō all rightes of the kingdome of Naples and thestate of Millan with contentment to refer to the censure arbitration of the law the titles rights of Burgondy which if it apperteined to thēprour he should acknowledge it for the dowry of his sister That he should render to Monsr Burbon his estate together with his moueables goods which were of great vallour and also the frutes reuenues which had bin leauied by the cōmissioners deputed out of the regal chamber That he should giue to him his sister in mariage deliuer vp to him Pronence if iudgemēt of the interest right were made of his side And for the more facilitie and speedy passage of this negociatiō rather then for any desire she had to nourish her inclination to the warre she dispatched immediatly Embassadours into Italie to recōmend to the Pope the Venetians the safetie of her sonne To whom she offred that if for their proper securitie they would contract with her and rayse armes agaynst themperour she would for her particular aduaunce fiue hundred launces together with a great contribution of money But amidde these trauells and astonishmentes the principall desire aswell of her as of the whole
Realme of Fraunce was to appease and assure the minde of the king of England iudging truely that if they could reduce him to amitie and reconcilement the Crowne of Fraunce should remayne without quarrell or molestation Where if he on the one side and themprour on the other should ryse in one ioynt force hauing concurrant with them the person of the duke of Burbon and many other oportunities and occasions it could not be but all things woulde be full of difficulties and daungers Of this the Lady Regent began to discerne many tokens and apparances of good hope for notwithstanding the king of Englande immediatly after the first reapportes of the victory had not only expressed great tokens of gladnes reioysing but also published that he would in person passe into Fraunce and withall had sent Embassadors to themprour to solicite treate of the mouing of warre ioyntly together yet proceding in deede with more mildnes then was exspected of so furious showes tokens he dispatched a messanger to the Lady Regent to sende to him an expresse Embassador which accordingly was accomplished that with fulnes of authority commission such as brought with it also all sortes of submissions implorations which she thought apt to reduce to appeasement the mind of that king so highly displeased he reapposed himself altogether vpon the will and counsel of the cardinal of Yorke who seemed to restrayne the king his thoughtes to this principall end that bearing such a hand vpon the controuersies quarrels that ranne betwene other princes al the world might acknowledge to depend vpon him and his authoritie the resolution and exspectation of all affayres And for this cause he offred to themperour at the same time to discend into Fraunce with a puissant army both to giue perfection to the alliance concluded betwene them before and also to remoue all scruple and ielousie he offred presently to consigne vnto him his daughter who was not as yet in an age and disposition able for mariage But in these matters were very great difficulties partly depending vpon himself and partly deriuing from themprour who nowe shewed nothing of that readines to contract with him which he had vsed before for the king of England demaunded almost al the rewards of the victory as Normandy Guyen Gascoign with the title of king of Fraunce And that themprour notwithstanding thinequality of the conditions should passe likewise into Fraunce and cōmunicate equally in thexspences dangers Thinequality of these demaūds troubled not a litle themprour to whō they were by so much the more grieuous by howmuch he remēbred that in the yeres next before he had always deferred to make warre euē in the greatest dangers of the french king So that he perswaded himselfe that he should not be able to make any fundation vpon that confederation And standing in a state no lesse impouerished for mony tresor thē made weary with labors perils he hoped to draw more cōmodities from the french king by the meane of peace then by the violence of armes warre specially ioyning with the king of England Besides he made not that accompt which he was wont to do of the mariage of his daughter both for her minority in age also for the dowry for the which he should stande accōptable for so much as themprour had receyued by way of loane of the king of England he semed by many tokens in nature to nourish a wonderful desire to haue children and by the necessitie of his condicion he was caried with great couetousnes of money vppon which two reasons he tooke a great desire to marye the sister of the house of Portugall which was both in an age hable for mariage and with whome he hoped to receyue a plentifull porcion in gold and treasor besides the liberalities of his own peoples offered by waye of beneuolence in case the mariage went forwarde suche was their desire to haue a Queene of the same nation and language and of hope to procreate children for these causes the negociacion became euery daye more hard and desperat betweene both those Princes wherein was also concurrant the ordinary inclinacion of the Cardinall of Yorke towardes the Frenche king together with the open complaintes he made of thEmprour aswell for thinterests and respects of his king as for the small reputacion thEmprour beganne to holde of him He considered that affore the battell of Pauya thEmprour neuer sent letters vnto him which were not written with his owne hande and subscribed your sonne and Cosin Charles But after the battell he vsed the seruice of Secretories in all the letters he wrote to him infixing nothing of his owne hande but the subscripcion not with titles of so greate reuerence and submission but onely with this bare worde Charles In this alteracion of affection of the Cardinall the king of England tooke occasion to receiue with gracious wordes and demonstracions thEmbassador sent by the Ladye regent to whome he gaue comfort to hope well in thinges to come And a litle afterwards estraunging his minde wholly from th affayres which were in negociacion betwene him and thEmprour he made a confederacion with the Lady regent contracting in the name of her sonne wherein he would haue inserted this expresse condicion that for the kings raunsom and deliuerie should not be deliuered to thEmprour any thing that at that time should be vnder the power or possession of the crowne of Fraunce This was the first hope which fell vppon the Realme of Fraunce And this was the first consolation in so many aduersities which afterwards went on increasing by the disorders of thImperialls in Italy They were become so insolent for so great a victorie that perswading them selues that all men and all difficulties should yeeld and giue place to their will their glory made them lose thoccasion to accorde with the Venetians and gaynesaye thinges which they had promised to the Pope and lastly brought them to fill full of suspicions both the Duchie of Myllan and all the other regions of Italy And so going on to sowe seedes of new innouacions and troubles they reduced thEmprour to this necessitie to make a rashe deliberacion daungerous for his estate in Italy if his auncient felicitie and the harde fortune and destinie of the Pope had not beene of greater force Matters assuredly moste worthy of a knowledge perticular to th end that of accidents and things so memorable may be vnderstanded the foundacions and councells which being oftentymes hid are for the most part reuealed and published after a manner most farre from the truth But skarcely had the Pope capitulated with the Viceroy when were presented vnto him the great offers of Fraunce to stirre him vppe to the warre wherein albeit he wanted not the perswasions of many to induce him to the same effecte and lesse diminucion of the distrust which he had before of thImperialls yet he determined to take suche a coursse and proceeding in all thinges
peace betweene the Princes of Christendome and also at one tyme to giue some reasonable forme to th affayres of Italie solicited instantly the Pope to hasten away the Cardinall Saluiatio or some others with sufficient authoritie He sent also to be excused to the king of Englande taking the reasons of his excuse vpon this that he could not resist the generall wyll and vniuersall inclination of his peoples and sent withall to the Pope Lopes Vtrado for a dispensation to marry the infant of Portugall his cousin german and by that meane conioyned to him in second degree He sent also by the same Lopes who departed vpon the ende of Iulie the inuestiture of the Duchie of Millan to Frauncis Sforce but vnder this condition to pay presently an hundred thousande Duckets with obligation to paye fiue hundred thousand more at diuerse tearmes and to take the trade of saltes of the Archduke his brother The same Lopes caryed also commission to dispose of his men of warre in this sorte that except the regimentes of Spanishe footemen who were to remayne in the Marquildome of Salusso all the others shoulde be dismissed That sixe hundred men at armes should returne to the realme of Naples and the residue remayne in the Duchie of Millan And lastly that the Marquis of Pisquairo should be capteyne generall of his armie The Emperour added to this commission that those moneys which he had sent to Genes to defray foure Carackes with the which he intended speedily to passe in person into Spayne should be conuerted to the necessities and vsage of th armie for that he was nowe determined not to departe out of Spayne The Commission bare also to sende in themperours name the Protonotarie Carracciolo to Venice to induce that Senate to a newe confederation or at least to insinuate his disposition and leaue them satisfied that all his actions tended to an vniuersall peace amongest Princes Christian But the going of the French king into Spayne brought no little perplexitie to the Pope and the Venetians who seeing themprours armie was muche diminished considered that into what part of Italie the kings person should be transported thimperialls could not but finde many impedimentes by the necessitie to haue him well garded so that by that meane eyther there might easily aryse some occasion to deliuer him or at least the difficultie to cary him into Spayne and the litle surety to kepe him in Italie would constrayne themperour to giue some good forme to the generall affayres But when by transporting his person into Spayne both his owne hopes were disappoynted and meane giuen to his enemies to leade him into sure prison they discerned that all treatises and negociations were wholly in the hands of themperour and that there could be established no fundation vpon the practises and offers of the French In so muche as the reputation of themperour rising into augmentation by dayly degrees all men began to exspect from his Court and from his hande lawes and rules to dispose all affayres In these discontentmentes were concurrant also but for diuers causes the displeasures of the Duke of Burbon and the Marquis of Pisquairo for that the Viceroy tooke vppon him without their priuitie to leade the French king into Spayne Suche is the emulation of men in the case of glorie or reputation which more then all other worldlye passions hath a naturall propertie to carye their mindes headlong into ambition of other mens merite The Duke of Burbon tooke the reason of his discontentment vpon this that beeing expulsed Fraunce for thalliance he had made with themperour he chalenged a more interest then any others to be called and to communicate in all the practises of accorde In regarde whereof he determined to passe also into Spayne and yet he was driuen to stande longer vpon his going then willingly he would for that he taryed for the returne of the gallies that caried the Viceroy The Marquis tooke displeasure with the Viceroy for the small estimation he made of him and was no lesse yll contented with themprour for that he was not thankfull as apperteined to his merites and many seruices done in the laste warres and lately in the battell of Pauia touching which victorie albeit he had deserued more prayse and glory then all the capteines of tharmy yet themperour contrary to the lawe of equitie and reason had transferred the whole reputation to the Viceroy with many highe honours and demonstrations This the Marquis could not disgest with suffrance but in the passion of his wrong as he thought he wrote letters to themprour full of detraction against the Viceroy tempered with complayntes to be so muche disfauoured of him as not to be thought worthy atleast to be made priuie to suche a resolution and that if in the warre and daungers thereof the deliberation of things had bene referred to his counsell and proper arbitration the French king had not onely not bene taken but also assone as the losse of the duchie of Millan had followed th imperiall army beeing dryuen to abandon the defence of Lombardie would necessarily haue retyred to Naples Lastely he charged the Viceroy to be gone to triumphe of a victorie wherein it was manifestly knowen to the whole armie he had no part at all yea for proofe that in the heate and moste furie of the battell he was both without courage and without counsell there were many that heard him crye many times VVe are loste and vanquished and that if he would denie this chalenge he offred to iustifie it vppon his body by the execution of armes according to the lawes and rules of warre The Marquis also was further incensed vpon this that sending immediatly after the victorie to take possession of Carpy thinking themprour would deliuer it to him he was not satisfied in that desire The reason was that themperour hauing graunted it two yeres before to Prospero Colonno assured that notwithstanding he neuer had thinuestiture yet in memorie of him that was dead he would to the profite of Vespasian his sonne leaue to his house the same recompence which in his lyfe time he had intended in recordation of his vallour and actions Whiche reason albeit was iuste and that suche examples of gratitude ought to be acceptable to the Marquis though not so muche for thexcellencie of them yet for the hope they brought that his great seruises should be brought into liberall consideration by themperour yet it was not embrased of him not for that it was not iust equall but because for the opinion he bare of him selfe he helde it conuenient that that peculiar humor appetite of his proceding of a couetousnes irreconcileable hatred which he bare to the name of Prospero should be preferred before all other interests how iust soeuer they were In this intemperācie of passion he cried out of themprour and the whole counsell sending his complayntes through all the Regions of Italie and that with such detestatiō of themprours ingratitude that by
Protenotorie Caraccioll who hoped that for the tearmes wherin things stoode the Senate would speedily drawe to a conclusion to renew the former confederation with the same conditions and to paye to themprour fourescore thousande duckets in recompence that in tymes paste he had withdrawne his ayde leauing there wholly all demaundes to contribute hereafter with money But the accident of Millan reduced the Senate to no litle perplexitie for on the one side they stoode grieued to be the onely people in Italy that with so great daunger contended agaynst themprour seeing they were threatned by the Marquis of Pisquairo to transport the whole warre vpon their estate whereof they discerned already certayne preparations And on the other side they were not ignorant that in case thaccorde went throw themprour should with greater facilitie make himselfe absolute lorde of that Duchie which being ioyned to so many estates and so many other oportunities they sawe was the onely line to leade him to subdue them together with the residue of Italy A matter which was continually declared to them by the Bishop of Bayeux whom the Lady Regent had sent to solicite an vnion with thItalians agaynst themprour for which purpose in so great a doubt and in so daungerous apparances they made many assemblies but without any resolution for the diuersitie of opinions And albeit to accept thaccorde was a thing more conformable to their custome and maner of proceeding for that it so tooke them out of daungers present as they might hope in the tract of tymes and benefite of occasions which common weales may attend who in comparison of Princes are immortall yet it seemed to them a matter of too great importance to suffer themprour confirmed in thestate of Millan and to see the French remayne excluded from all hope of alliance in Italy Therefore after they had at laste resolued to be bounde to no thing they made this aunswere to the Protenotary Carraccioll That the forme of their actions paste gaue fayth to all the world and he himselfe being present at the conclusion of the confederation could well testifie with what great affection they had alwayes desired thamitie of themprour with whom as they contracted a consederation in a tyme when if they had harkned to the French it had bene as all the world knewe anoperacion of right great consequence so they had perseuered and would for euer continue in the same disposicion towards him Only the necessity of thinges kept them in suspence both for that they saw in Lombardie many chaunges and innouations of great importaunce and also for that they remembred that their confederacion with thEmperour together with so many mouings and stirres hapned that yeare in Italie drewe no other end or meaning then to transferre Frauncis Sforce to the Duchie of Millan as the principall fundacion of the libertie and suretie of Italie In which regard they besought his Maiestie that maintaining in that case him selfe and deducing affore all the world his bountie he would remoue and make cease so great an innouacion and establish the tranquillitie of Italie which as it was in his power to doe being nowe the starre that guided the whole firmament so for their partes he should find them alwayes disposed and prepared both with their authoritie and with their forces to follow so holy an inclinacion and honor him besides with all other sortes of office and humility whether he would extend them generally or applie them to his particular interests This aunswere albeit it conteined no hope of cōclusion yet it bred not for al that any ouerture or beginning of warre for that both the sickenesse of the Marquis of Pisquairo which aggrauated dayly in worse degrees the desire to impatronise him selfe first of the whole estate of Millan and to establish and assure that conquest together with thinclinacion of thEmperour extending to put end and resolucion to so many other affaires which he had in hande would not suffer him to giue beginning to an enterprise of so great consequence About this time the Duke of Burbon was arriued in Spaine and came to thEmperours Court the fifteene day of Nouember concerning whom it is not reasonable I omit here to touch by the way that albeit thEmperour receiued him with all honors and demonstracions of Court embrasing him with the title and grace of his brother in law yet all the Lordes and Nobles of the Court accustomed in all other things to follow thexample of their Prince abhorred him as a person infamous and called him traitor to his king suche was their hatred against him that one of them being required in thEmperours name to suffer his house to be made readie for the Duke of Burbon aunswered in the corage stowtnes of a Spaniard that as he would not deny thEmperour any thing he would demaunde of him so his Maiestie should well vnderstand that assoone as Burbon was gone out of his house he would burne it as a pallace infected with the infamie of Burbon and vnworthie afterwardes for the dwelling of men of honor The graces and honors which the thEmperour shewed to the Duke of Burbon augmented greatly the distrust of the frenchmen who somewhat by that meane but more for the returning of the Ladie Regent without effect began to haue cold hopes in thaccord notwithstanding it was continually negociated by men expresse remeining with thEmperour In respect whereof they labored as much as they could to aduance the league with the Pope wherein did concurre the perswasions and authority of the king of England and the redoubled and vehement instances of the Venetians together with this oportunitie not of the least consequence The death of the Marquis of Pisquairo who about that time which was the beginning of December made his last end happily by the iust sentence of God who would not suffer him to enioy the frute of that seede which he had sowen with so great malignity He was of the house of Abalos originally deriued from Catalignia and his predecessor came into Italie with king Alfonso of Aragon he who the first of that house made conquest of the kingdome of Naples He began to follow armes at the battell of Rauenna where being very younge he was taken prisoner And afterwards aspyring to a reputacion of a Capteine he followed all the warres which the Spanyards had in Italy Insomuch as though he had not past the age of xxxvj yeres yet for experience he was olde for inuencion suttle in councell graue in execucion resolute wise to forsee a daunger and quicke to auoid a mischiefe he bare great authoritie and credit with the infanterie of Spayne ouer whom as he had bene of long Capteine generall so both the victorie of Pauia and all other actions of merit executed by that army since certaine yeares were principally succeeded by his councel and by his vertue he was assuredly a Capteine of great vallour but one that with arte and dissimulacion knewe how to drawe fauor and grace
humor of some Princes to be caried rather with consideracions of profit then with care of honestie Nowe after thEmperours mariage was consummated at Seuille in Spayne the commaundator Erraro arriued at the Court with the breuiat of tharticle concerning Frauncis Sforce which article the Pope had deduced at large in his fauor So that thEmperour being also assured that the Legat Saluiatio had no commission to conclude any thing but according to that article and his whole councell thinking it necessary to stoppe and hinder the league that was in hande and no lesse daungerous to haue to doe at one time with so greate a number of ennemies He sawe him selfe reduced to these tearmes either to content the Pope and the Venetians by restoring Frauncis Sforce to the Duchie of Millan or else to compounde with the Frenche king Who for his parte after long arguing and disputacion for the countrey of Burgongnie and finding that without the price of it he coulde not hope for his deliuerie by thEmperour offered to render it with all thappurtenaunces and dependancies and to renownce all titles and rightes which he had to the kingdome of Naples and Duchie of Millan and to assure the obseruacion of his promise by the ostage of two of his sonnes The disputacions were greate vppon the election of the one or the other waye wherein the Viceroy insisted more vehementlie then euer both for that he had the conduct of the Frenche king into Spayne and had nourrished him with many braue hopes of his deliuerie vnder easie conditions His authoritie was great with thEmperour and his reputacion nothing inferiour both for that thEmperour reapposed muche in his fidelitie and trusted him because he knewe he loued him But there opposed against him Mercurio Gattinaro a man of base discending in the contrie of Piedmont and by his vertue raised to the place of high Chauncellor to thEmprour for his experiēce credit had managed of long time all the affaires of the Court of most importaunce One day thEmperour sitting really in councell to resolue absolutely the matters that had bene discoursed so many monethes these two were also present of whom the Chaunceller tooke occasion to reason in this forte I haue alwayes feared least our too great greedinesse concurring with the immoderate ends we aspire vnto would not be the cause that of so singular and honorable a victory we reaped in the ende neither glory nor profit But I coulde neuer be induced by anye argument or reason that by your victorie oh gracious Emperour eyther your estate or your reputacion shoulde fall into daunger A matter whiche nowe appeareth manifestly since there is question to conclude an accorde by the which all the regions of Italie shall be reduced to a condicion desperate which can not but bring infamy to your name the french king deliuered vp to his liberty but vnder so vnequall condicions that he will continue a greater enemy to you then before though not of will which happily he may restraine and temper yet by necessitie which is alwaies a mighty mocion to moue men to reuenge for my parte I coulde wish with as great show of affectiō as others that at one time by one meane your Maiesty might recouer Bourgongny also establish fundacions of your imperie in Italie But vaine is the wit that aspireth to hold the thing which the hand is not hable to gripe and in the property of worldly things there is nothing more full of errour then that ambicion which goeth on working in the humor of wening only lookes not backe to order and reason which are the assured lines that laye out the infallible successe of euery mortall action I haue alwaies seene that that Prince who sodainly hath embrased many thinges hath gone on with perill to effect nothing for that all those things are put to aduenture that are guided by will not by reason That fire that is mightily kindled hath much a do to be quenched but when vpon one fire riseth many flames whose propertie is to flie with the winde into many places it can not be that the burning wil not be great yea oftentimes extended to the consuming of him that first kindled it I see no reason to induce vs to thinke that the french king being deliuered wil obserue the articles of so great importance since he is not ignorant that in making you Lord of Burgangny he layeth open such a gappe to lead you into the bowells of Fraunce that it will be alwayes in your election to runne vp euen to the gates of Paris And he knoweth well enough that when he hath once put into your hande the power to vex Fraunce in so many places he hath left to him selfe no possibility to make resistance against you doth not he know all the world see that to consent that you goe to Rome with an armie is no other thing then to giue you a raine with whose bridle you may checke all Italie authoritie to dispose according to your liking of thestate spirituall and temporall of the Church and by that meane your puisance being redoubled you shall for alwayes after neuer want money nor forces to offend him And who doubteth that of this greatnes he maketh this conclusion that he shall be constrained to accept all suche lawes as it shall please you to impose vpon him Is it then reasonable to beleue that he will obserue an accorde by the which he is made your slaue and you his Lorde Where is feruitude hatefull if not in the minde whome nature hath borne to soueraintie And howe can it bee thought that he will liue vnder the yoke of subiection whose ambicion coulde not hitherunto be conteyned within the large limites of Fraunce But be it that in the king will be founde no want of conscience to obferue the condicions of the contract yet he may be ouercaried by a naturall compassion by the complaintes and lamentacions of his kingdome and by the perswasions of the king of Englande accompanied with thincitacion of all Italie It may bee that by the lawe of amitie that is betweene you two he will reappose confidence in you or at least looke into the power you are of But was there euer two Princes betwene whome haue bene greater causes of hatred and contencion There is not onely betweene you a reciprocall ielousie of greatnes A matter apt to stirre vppe one brother agaynst an other but also your common emulacion is pushed on by many auncient and great quarrells begonne in the tymes of your fathers and great grandfathers many long warres betweene those two houses many peaces and accordes not obserued many harmes done and many iniuries receyued There is no quarrell more mortall then that which taketh his nurriture in tract and prescripcion of tyme nor any hatred so daungerous as that which lyeth smothered like fire couered with hoate ymbers by whome the heate is preserued to a greater power of burning To the mind
with the Frenche king was made no particular mention of him nor of the suretie of thestates of Italye stoode more and more confirmed in his former opinion that the ambicion and greatnes of themperour woulde in the ende be his seruitude and thraldome And therefore he determined not to accept thaccorde in the maner it was offred to him but to reserue him selfe free vntill he were assured what course the Frenche woulde take touching the obseruation of the peace In which resolution he stoode so much the more firme by howe muche besides thapparance and likelyhoodes of it he had heard by the relation of certayne speeches deliuered by the king affore hys libertie and spread abroade by some that were familiar in counsell with him that the king had a mynde altogether estraunged from performing the thinges he had promised to themperour And the better to confirme the king in that deliberation his owne suretie also depending vppon it he sent in poste into Fraunce Pavvle Vittorio a Florentin and capteine of his Gallies his charge was to be at the Court at the same tyme the king should aryue vsing that diligence not onely to know his intention assone as might be but also the king hauing a ready hope to be hable to drawe into league agaynst themprour the Pope and the Venetians he might take occasion the sooner to resolue himself It was enioyned also to the expedition of Pavvle to congratulate in the Popes name the kings deliuerie and to discourse with him at large what he had done to that ende and howe muche did induce themperours inclination to his libertie the practises of confederation that were enterteyned with the Lady Regent Lastely that he shoulde impart with the king the Popes vehement desire to haue an vniuersall peace in Christendome and that thEmperour and he woulde perfourme together thenterprise agaynst the Turke who was reapported to make mightie preparations to inuade that yeare the Realme of Hungarie These were his Commissions apparant and knowen but this was his direction most substantiall and secrete that aboue all things he should sounde throwly the kinges inclination whom if he founde resolute to obserue the resolution of Madrill then to passe no further least vaynely he should make his case more desperate with themperour then before but if he founde him to haue other thoughtes and to hang in doubt that he should labour to confirme him in that disposition and seruing hys turne of all occasions he should specially compell him to take that course giuing him knowledge of the Popes desire to ioyne with him for the common benefite He dispatched in like sort into Englande the pronotorie Gambaro to manage the like office with that king and to the same ende Besides he procured the Venetians to sende into Fraunce their secretory Andrevv Rosse with semblable commissions As Pavvle past by Florence vpon his voyage he fell sicke and dyed by reason of whiche accidēt the Pope sent to performe the legacion in his place Capui de Mantua taking it to an yll prediction that nowe the seconde tyme the Ministers which he had sente into Fraunce to aduaunce those practises were in the waye intercepted by death In the meane while making no omission of time nor oportunities he together with the Venetians did all that they could to keepe in courage the Duke of Millan and to enterteine him in hopes least the peace of Madrill ledde him not both with feare and rashnes to make some accorde with themprour By this time the french king was comen vpon the confiues of Fontaraby a towne apperteyning to themprour standing vppon the Occean sea and is a frontyer betwene Biskay and the Duchie of Guyen And on the other side the Lady Regent was aryued with the children of Fraunce at Bayonne not many leagues from Fontaraby The tormentes of the gowte tooke her by the waye which was the cause that she had lingred some tyme longer then the daye appoynted of permutation But at last the xviij daye of Marche the French king accompanied with the Viceroy and Capteine Alarcon with fifty horse was presented vpon the shoare of the ryuer that deuideth the realme of Fraunce from the kingdome of Spayne And on the other side vpon the shoare opposite appeared Monsr Lavvtrech with the kings children and like number of horse There was in the middest of the ryuer a great barke made fast with ankers in which was no person The king was rowed neare to this barke in a little boate wherein he was accompanied with the Viceroy Capteine Alarcon and eyght others all armed with shorte weapons And on the other side of the barke were likewise brought in a litle boate Monsr Lavvtrech with the ostages and eight others weaponed according to the others After this the Viceroy went into the barke with the person of the king and all his companie and also Monsr Lavvtrech with his eyght that accompanied him so that they were within the barke a like number of both partes Alarcon and his eyght being with the Viceroy and Lavvtrech the others with the person of the king And when they were all thus within the barke Lavvtrech fetched out of the boate into the barke the Daulphin who being giuen to the Viceroy and by him committed to capteine Alarcon was foorthwith bestowed in their boate and after him followed the little duke of Orleans who was no sooner entred the barke then the French king leaped out of the barke into his boate which he did with suche quicknes and celeritie that thexchaunge or permutation was thought to be done at one selfe instant Assoone as the king was on the other side of the shore his newe libertie making him fearefull of ambush he mounted vpon a Turkishe horse of a wonderfull swiftnes which was prepared for the purpose and running betwene feare and gladnes vppon the spurre he neuer stayed till he came to S. Iohn de Lus a towne of his obedience foure leagues from the place And being there readilie relieued with a freshe horse he ran with the same swiftnes to Bayonne where after he had past ouer the offices of Court done to him by his people he dispatched with greate diligence a gentleman to the king of England to whom he wrote with his owne hande letters of his deliuerie charging the messenger vnder verie louing commissions to tell the king of Englande that as he acknowledged theffect of his libertie to be wrought whollie by him and his operacions so in recompense he offred to remaine to him a perpetuall and assured frend and to be guided in all his affaires by his councell And afterwardes he sent an other solemne Embassage into Englande to ratifie the peace which his mother had made with him as one that reapposed a verie great fundacion in thamitie of that king The ende of the sixteenth Booke THE ARGVMENT OF THE SEVENTENTH BOOKE The Pope the french king the Venetians and the Duke of Millan draw into league against thEmperour The Duke of Burbon comes
to Millan The armie of the league breakes vp from before Millan The castell of Millan is rendred to thimperialls Many enterprises are dressed against the Pope The confederats send their armies by sea to Genes Rome is surprised by the Colonnois the Pope makes truce with thimperialls which hurteth the deuises of Lombardie The Duke of Ferrara confederats with the Emperour THE SEVENTEENTH BOOKE OF THE historie and discourse of Guicciardin NOtwithstanding the pledge of the two children of Fraunce of whom the eldest being heire apparant to so great a succession was one was added to the oth and faith that passed betwene the Emperour and the frenche king for confirmacion of the accorde solemnly made at Madrill and notwithstanding for the full perfection of th assurance the king had contracted thEmperours sister in his owne person Yet by his deliuerie both straunge for the maner and seuere for the assurance and pawnes that were enforced all the Princes of Christendom drew into no small exspectacion what would be the issue of thinges And as during his captiuitie the eyes of men stoode fixed vpon thEmperour to behold vnder what raunsome he would restore him to libertie so being deliuered they began now to turne all their thoughtes and contemplacions vpon the king for that they discerned sundrie and great effects depending vpon his deliberacion either to obserue or not obserue the capitulacion of Madrill for as in obseruing the contract they saw a destinie of present seruitude to hang ouer the regions of Italy both for the authoritie and greatnes of thEmprour which went increasing and for the imbecillitie of the prouinces to whome was left neither fortune nor vertue to make head against so great a course of victory So in not performing the articles of thaccord they saw the Emprour would be driuen either to put vp in forgetfulnes the conspiracies and enterprises dressed against him by the Duke of Myllan and to restore to him that Duchie least the Pope and Venetians tooke occasion to conioyne with the French king by which meane he should stand in hazard to lose the great profits he hoped to reape by his victorie or els making his indignacion against the Duke of Myllan more mighty together with his desire to haue no impediment of the French in Italy he should be compelled to assure the accord made with the king conuerting into certeyne payments of money all his obligacions and promisses to restore Burgonie or lastly neither yelding to the one nor the other he would be driuen to suffer to be brought against him by so many enemies a warre very greeuous almost by his owne confession since to auoid it he was reduced to this straite to let the king goe with so great a daunger But the world stoode not long in doubt of the will and intencion of the French king for that assoone as he was got into Bayonne being required by a gentleman of the Viceroys to ratifie thaccord according to thobligacion of his word being come into a place free and assured he deferred it from one day to an other interposing reasons and excuses generall wherein to th ende to hold still the Emprour in hope he sent to aduertise him by a man especiall that he forbare for the present to accomplish the ratificacion not by omission or willing negligence but vpon this necessitie that before he proceeded really to such an act he was to labor to reappease and reduce the mindes of his subiects ill contented with the obligacions he had made tending to the diminucion of the crowne of Fraunce Neuerthelesse he would in his time resolue all difficulties and obserue with fidelitie all that he had promised to him both in substance and circumstance By this dealing no lesse doubtfull for the manner then daungerous in meaning might easily be comprehended what were his intencions the same being more manifestly detected at the arriuall of the Messengers sent to him not many dayes after by the Pope and Venetians In whome was no great neede of industrie or labor to sownd out the plaine coursse of his inclinacion for after he had receiued them with many demonstracions and offices of Court he enterteyned them seuerally and a part with sondry speeches of compassion such as tended to manifest complaints against the inhumanitie of thEmprour who he said did neuer administer to him during his captiuitie any one office apperteyning to the ranke of a Prince Nor at any time shewed him selfe touched with that affection and commiseracion which one Prince ought to expresse vpon the calamities of an other And much lesse would vse any coursse of common comfort either to relieue the heauines of his condicion with any propertie of apt consolacion or once to enter into consideracion that the same accident that had falne vppon him might also be as heauily heaped vppon his owne heade In this complaint he alleaged the example of Edvvard king of England called of some Edvvard Longe shanke To whome when was presented as prisoner Iohn king of the French men taken by the Prince of VVales his sonne in the battel of Poytiers he did not only receiue him with greate comfort compassion of his afflicted case but also all the tyme of his imprisonment within the Realme of England he let him go at libertie vnder a free gard he had daily famillier cōuersation with him he would oftentymes haue him to accompany him on hunting to communicate in the open ayre and solace of the field and was not curious to call him to eate with him at his table And by these humanities muche lesse that he loste his prisoner or raunged him to an accorde lesse fauorable but of the contrarie by the operation of those graces and good offices there grewe betwene them suche a familiaritie and confidence that the French king after he had continued many yeres in Fraunce made a voluntary voyage into Englande to honor and gratifie vnder that propertie of office the liberalitie and franknes of the king He alleaged that as there was onely remembraunce of two kings of Fraunce that had bene taken prisoners in battell king Iohn and him selfe So the diuersitie of thexamples was also worthy of singular memorie seeing vpon the one was exercised all facilitie and mildues of the victor and to the other were ministred all those rigours and seuerities which tyrantes in the height and pride of their fortune are wont to vse That muche lesse that he boare towardes others a disposition eyther more peasible or better qualified seing he gathered by the construction of his speeches vsed at Madrill that following the humor of his ambition he employed his thoughts most how to subdue vnder seruitude the imperie of the Church the potētacies of Italie all other Princes of Christendome In which regard he wished the Pope and Venetians to prouide for their proper safety wherein he offred him selfe with great affection to be concurrant with them in the quarrell of their common safetie and to establishe agaynst
themprour a straite alliance not that he intended to reconquer to himselfe the estate of Millan or otherwise to encrease his puissance but onely that by the meane of warre he might make recouerie of his children and reassure the libertie of Italy seeing the too great couetousnes of themprour had taken from him all cooller and reason of bondes to obserue tharticles of the capitulation A libertie which he insisted the rather for that at the first whylest he was in the Castell of Pisqueton and afterwardes in Madrill he had oftentimes protested to themperour for the iniquitie of his demaundes that if through necessitie he were driuen to compounde vnder conditions vnequall or suche as were not in his power to performe that muche lesse that he would obserue them but of the contrarie taking thaduauntage of the iniurie in constrayning him to make promises vnreasonable and vnpossible he would omit no occasion wherein oportunitie were offred to be reuenged And that he had not forborne to tell him that whiche of them selues they might knowe and which he beleeued was obserued in other Realmes that it was not in the power of a king of Fraunce to binde him selfe to the alienation of any thing depending vpon the Crowne without the consent of the estates generall of the Realme That the lawes of Christians did not beare that a Prince made prisoner by the accident of warre should be deteyned in perpetuall prison A punishment proper for malefactors but not rigorously executed agaynst such as had bene persecuted with the crueltie of fortune That no man doubted that all obligations made by constraynt in prison were of no vallue and that as suche capitulations were of no force so likewise the fayth which was but the accidentes and the confirmation of the same coulde not be bounde That the othes whiche he had made at Rheines where the kings of Fraunce are consecrated with so great ceremonie and with the sacred oyle were first by the which he was bounde according to the precedent and custome of all other kings of Fraunce not to make alienation of the patrimonie of the Crowne That for these reasons he was no lesse free then ready to moderate thinsolencie of themprour and ryse vp agaynst his ambicion Wherein the kinges mother made apparance the same desyre together with his sister who taking vpon her in vayne a long iourney to goe into Spayne complayned grieuously against the rigour of thEmperour and the seuerity of his Court and namely such as were most familiar with him in councell for end the king affirmed that if commissions and directions were once addressed from the Pope and Venetians it should not belong ere the league were accomplished which he said were best to be negociated in Fraunce to thend to draw in with more facility the king of England in whom they showed to haue a great hope This was the discourse of the speeches which the king held with them being in like sorte assured and confirmed by the vniuersall inclinacion of those that gouerned him but in secret his thoughts were farre others for albeit he had no disposicion to deliuer vp Burgongnie to thEmperour yet he bore a minde farre estraunged to moue warre against him onlesse he were compelled by great necessity Only he hoped that in laboring to be confederate with thItalians thEmperour to auoyde so great a gulphe of difficulties would be induced to conuert into obligacion of money the article of the restitucion of Burgonie In which case not one regard touching the matters of Italie should stay him from couenaunting with him for the desire he had to retyre and reuoke his children These Agents of the Pope and Venetians made speedie relacion of the hopes and good inclinacion which they founde in the frenche king and that at a time when were much increased in Italie both the necessitie and occasion to confederat against the Emperour This was the necessitie The Duke of Millan in the beginning of the seege partly by the fault of his officers and partly for the shortnes of time had bestowed within the castell a very small proporcion of vittells and yet the store he had prouided was more immoderatly exspended then men reduced to so hard tearmes are wont to do for which cause hauing notwithstanding the straitnes of the seege good meane to wryte out of the castell he gaue knowledge of his wants which if they were not remedied by the next moneth of Iune he shoulde be constrained to giue him selfe vp to the discression of the Emperour And albeit it was beleued that according to the custome of suche as are beseeged the Duke set downe a greater want and scarcetie of vittells then in deede there was yet there were many reasons to perswade that the store coulde not be sufficient for any long time And to suffer the castell to fall into the handes of thEmperour was a matter that made more hard the recouering of that state besides that it would increase not a litle the reputacion of thEmperour But it seemed not that thoccasion was the lesse increased seeing the people were reduced to the last dispaire for as the Emperour sent no money to the armie to the which many payes were due and lesse meane to leauie any in any other place So the Capteines to stoppe as well as they coulde all course of mutinie amongest the souldiours had bestowed all the regimentes of the men at armes and light horsemen in seuerall places of the countrey taxing euerie towne rate-like with bands numbers compelled the townes to compound for money with the Capteines and with the souldiours A taxacion executed with such excesse that it was assured by the credible informacion of many that had priuity with the affaires of that state that the Duchy of Millan paied euery day to thEmperours souldiours fiue thowsand duckats of which came to the priuat purse of Anthonie de Leua thirtie duckats dayly By thexample of the horsemen the bands of footemen that were dispersed in seueral lodgings within Millan other townes were insolent vpon the owners of the houses wherin the lay whom they cōstrained not only to make prouision of al things which they thought meete for their feding clothing but also many of them being lodged in one house enforced the seruice of the good man for the prouision of them all And such houses as had not meane to feede them were cōpelled to compownd with them for money at their owne rate And as it often fell out that one onely souldier had to him selfe a whole house with absolute commaūdement of all so he taxed to furnish him of money all the residue except him whōe he vsed in the prouision of his dyot This miserable condicion exercised with so great crueltie made desperat the whole inhabitants of that Duchie and namely the townesmen of the city of Myllan to whom had bene nether custom nor precedent before the entry of the Marquis of Pisquairo to be charged eyther with vittells or contribucion for the
of Millan before the extremitie of famine compelled them to reappose more in the mercy of thennemies then in the remedie of their friends That necessitie was the cause of all the aduersities which followed for that otherwise the Pope proceeding more slowly vpon whose authority the Venetians depended much in this action had exspected if themprour being moued with thinobseruation of the French king would not propounde for a common surety those conditions which had bin set downe before specially when he should see him self constrayned to take armes And being not compelled to show to the french king so great a necessity he had easily obteyned of him aswell for him selfe as for the Venetians better conditions And it had bene without doubt that therby tharticles of the confederation had bin better set down particulated together with more assurāce of thobseruatiō that the warre had not begon but that the Svvizzers had stirred and all the prouisions necessary had bene ready and lastely the king of Englande might happly haue bene drawne into the confederation with whom for the distance of places there was no leasure to negociate But for that by the daunger of the Castell of Millan the Pope and the Venetians sawe that celeritie was of greate importance they dispatched with speede but secretely commissions to their seuerall Agentes to goe thorowe with the confederation wherein they were enioyned to followe almoste all those Articles which had bene debated before with the Ladye Regent of Fraunce the more to hasten thexpedition There were sent dayly aduertisementes of the necessitie of the Castell which made the Pope enter into consideration That where as it was necessarie for that the high waye from Rome to the Court of Fraunce was stopped to send his messenger corriers by a long circuit of way through Svvizzerlande and where he thought that in the action of capitulation might fall out some difficultie which necessarily might drawe some intermission and tract of time it might happen that they might stand so long vppon the conclusion of the confederation that if tyll then the Castell were deferred to be reskewed there were daunger least the succours would come to late for which consideration importing almoste the effect and substance of the whole he called to consulte of the present perill the Venetians by whose counsell together with thimportunate solicitation of the Agentes of the Duke of Millan resident at Rome and at Venice and concurring also the counsell of many others of his factiō they resolued to prepare a sufficient force to giue reskew to the Castell to th ende to be ready to employ them assone as the conclusion of the league were come out of Fraunce and in the meane while to giue hope to the people of Millan and to nourishe many practises whiche they enterteyned in the townes of that state They made then a resolute conclusion that the Venetians shoulde sende the Duke of Vrbin to their frontiers towards the ryuer of Adda accompanied with their men at armes and six thousande footmen Italians and the Pope to sende to Plaisanca the Count Guido Rangon with sixe thousande footemen And for that it was necessarie to so great a warre to haue many numbers of the Svvizzers of which nation the Duke of Vrbin counselled to leauye twelue thousande for the assured obteyning of the victorie who also aduised the Pope and the Venetians that not to disclose them selues so muche agaynst themperour so long as they were not assured that the league was made it were not good to sende out their Agentes to leauye the Svvizzers they gaue care to Iohn Ia. de Meditis of Millan who of a Capteine of the rocke of Mus had made him selfe lorde of the place partely by a knowledge he had of the situation and fortresse and partly by the occasion and fauour of the time running he tolde them that many monethes before he had practised to that effect with many of the Svvizzer Capteines and did offer vnder an imprest of sixe thousande duckets to make discende an armie of sixe thousande Svvizzers whiche should not be leauyed by the decree of the Cantons but particularly and then to procede to furnish their paye assone as they were discended into the duchy of Millan So that as it often hapneth in enterprises which of the one side are estemed easie and on the other side are pressed with the shortnes of time the offer of this man was accepted by the Pope and the Venetians being also approued by the Agentes of the Duke of Millan and by Ennia Bishop of Verula in whom the Pope reapposed wholly for matters of the Svvizzers for that he had long time followed the solicitation of those affayres in the name of the Church and in that action had lyen many moneths at Bressia by his direction was at that time with the Agent of the Venetians where he treated continually with many of that nation In like sorte they harkned at Venice to Octauian Fregosa Bishoppe of Loda who offring to make an easie leauie of many numbers of that nation had immediatly his expedition without communicating with the Pope for Svvizzerlande to wage sixe thousande in the same sorte and at the same rate of payes Of which deuises both yll vnderstanded and worse ordered was bred as shall be recited in his place a beginning to put to confusion the enterprise which was dressed with so great hope Whylest these preparations were in hande in Italy themprour beginning to enter into suspicion for the delayes that were interposed to the ratification dispatched into Fraunce the Viceroy of Naples and Capteine Alarcon to be fully informed of the kinges intention who was nowe gone from Bayonne to Congnac The Viceroy had stayed all that whyle in the towne of Victoria hauing with him the ostages and the Queene Eleoner to th ende to present them to the king assoone as he had accomplished the contentes of the capitulation And albeit the Viceroy was receyued with very greate honor both for that he was Embassador from themprour and also the king acknowledged in him and his working a great parte of his deliuerie yet he found the king wholly estraunged and farre of to leaue Burgongnie sometimes taking his excuse vpon the obstinacie of thestates of the Realm whose consent he coulde not obteine and sometimes alleaging that willingly he neuer passed a promise which for that it was very preiudiciall to the Crowne of Fraunce it was impossible for him to obserue Onely in respect of his great desire to enterteyne the league of amitie begonne with themprour and to giue perfection to the mariage promised he sayde he was contented obseruing all other couenantes betweene them to paye vnto him two millions of Crownes in place of the resignation of Burgongnie To which excuses he added that no other thing induced him to confirme with this moderation the accord made at Madrill then an inclination he had to continue in good intelligence and correspondencie with themprour the rather
of Naples This truce was willinglie accepted both by the one other partie it was acceptable to the Pope for that he had not in the castel sufficient prouision of vittels And Don Hugo though cōtrarie to thinstāce of the Colonnois thought it now time to take vp both for that he had done enough for thEmperour and also he saw most of those souldiors that had entred Rome with him dispersed heare there being more loden with pray bootie then bearing aptnes to any further seruice But this truce brake all the deuises plots of Lombardie tooke away all the frute of the victorie of Cremona for notwithstanding almost at the same time the Marquis of Salusso was come to the armie with the frenche launces yet the Popes regimentes beginning to faile who for the most parte by reason of the truce retyred to Plaisanca the seuenth of October yet the deuise to send souldiors to Genes was no lesse dissolued and disordered then the resolution to enuiron Millan with two armies Wherein the matter that helped also to this alteration and trouble was the Duke of Vrbin who after he had made a composition with those in Cremona went to visite his wife at Mantua without tarying for the consignation notwithstanding he was credibly aduertised of the truce made at Rome And hauing accorded to the companies that were within Cremona a prolongation of time to departe there was so long tarying about Cremona before they dislodged that he came not to the army with those companies that were before Cremona before the middest of October A matter that broughte great preiudice to all the affayres both for that there was solicitation made to send men to Genes which Peter Nauarre and the Venetian treasorer of the army by sea demaunded with greater instance then euer for that all the Venetian regimentes being reassembled there were in the army so many forces as might suffice for that effect without that it was nedeful for that matter to remoue the campe And also for that the Marquis of Salussa had brought with him fiue hundred launces and foure thousand footmen besides a dayly exspectation of two thousand Grisons who were waged according to thaccord made with them And lastly the Pope albeit he made open demonstrations to obserue the truce yet his intention being otherwise he had left in tharmy fourethousande footmen with Iohn de Medicis vnder pretence that the French king should paye them An excuse not without apparant coollers for that Iohn de Medicis was alwayes in the kings paye and in his name reteined continually a company of men at armes At last thimperialls that were within Cremona went out of that Citie the possession wherof was consigned ouer to Frauncis Sforce The Launceknightes with their capteine Conradin tooke their waye to Trente But the horsemen and footemen of the Spaniardes hauing passed ouer Pavv to returne to the Realme of Naples and the Popes Lieftenant making difficultie to giue them sufficient passeportes and safeconduites for that it was contrarie to the Pope to suffer them to goe to the Realme of Naples they suddenly turned their waye and wente vp by the Mountayne of Parma ▪ and Plaisanca and after wyth greate diligence they repassed the ryuer of Pavv at Chiarella from whence they went in safetie to Lomelino and so to Millan And the Popes Lieftenant Guicciardin for thobseruancie of the truce did not onely goe from before the walles of Millan with the Popes regimentes but also Andrea Dore remoued himselfe from Genes with his gallies Out of which towne not many dayes before were issued sixe thousand footemen aswell bodies payed and waged as men voluntarie and followers with direction to set vppon the sixe hundred footemen who were vppon the lande with Phillip Fiesquo who with the fauour of the toppe of the Mountaynes neare to Portofino had so fortified him selfe with rampars and bastillions that he constrayned them to retyre with their great losse And yet not many dayes after Andrea Dore returned to Portofino with sixe gallies to continue together with the residue the siege of Genes by sea At the same tyme that these matters succeeded in Italye wyth diuerse euentes the Embassadours of the Pope the Frenche kinge and the Venetians signified to thEmprour the fourthe daye of September the League that was made together wythe the libertye that was lefte to hym to enter accordinge to the conditions sette downe in the Capitulations At whiche an Embassadour of Englande beeing presente he deliuered to thEmprour from his king a letter modestly perswading him to enter into the League The Emperour heard with great affabilitie the reasons and relations of thembassadors but he aunswered them that it agreed not with his dignitie to enter into a confederation made principally agaynst his estate and his honor Onely he had bene alwayes moste deuoute and disposed to haue an vniuersall peace according to which inclination still continuing he offred to accomplish it presently if they had sufficient warrant commissions for the same Neuertheles it was beleeued that his intention was farre otherwise and that he did but insinuat that offer for his greater iustification and to giue occasion to the king of England to deferre to enter into the league and also to make colde with that hope the preparations of the confederates and so vnder the treatie of peace to leade them into some iealousie distrust And yet notwithstanding this practise he solicited on the other side the prouisions for the army by sea which was supposed to be fortie shippes and sixe thousande men payde And the rather to make that army aduaunce beeing assembled at the notable porte of Carthage the Viceroy departed from the Court the xxiiij daye of September By which expedition and celeritie it seemed that themprour was more ready and carefull of his affayres then the French king who notwithstanding he was pressed with so great interests and considerations yet he forbare not to follow the humor of his negligence and passed foorth the most part of his time in the pleasures of hunting daūsing and making court to Ladies And then were his captiue children caryed vp to Valdolit when it was manifestly discerned that there was no more hope that thaccord would be obserued The cōming of this army by sea cōpelled the Pope to take armes who with the iealousie of those apparances coulde not but doubte of the fidelitie of the Viceroy and the Spaniards In which daunger he did not onely call to Rome Vitelly with his regimentes and the bandes of his Nephewes but also he called in for his safety an hundred men at armes of the Marquis of Mantua and an hundred lighte horsemen of Peter Maria Rosso and there was sent to him from the armie two thousand Svvizzers at his charges and three thousande footemen Italians Neuerthelesse he continued still and assured from one tyme to an other that he would go into Spayne to conferre with themprour from the which most of the Cardinalls
the difficulties which the Duke of Burbon had to pay his souldiours wherein rested not the least impedimentes to the good fortune and felicitie of the warre The wretched people of Millan were wonderfully trauelled for prouision of money In which necessitie or rather tyrannie Ierome Moron beeing condemned to death compounded the night before he should suffer to paye twenty thousande duckets for the whiche it seemed they had passed him to sentence of death But after the releefe of his purse had auoyded the daunger of his life vnder the same good meane his person was deliuered out of prison suche was the course of his desteny working instrumentally by the dexteritie of his spirite and witte that of a prisoner to the Duke of Burbon he became his councellor and within short time he went on by the operation of hys witte tyll he became almoste his onely gouernor and director Neuerthelesse amid all these variations and vexations the treatises of truce or peace were great betwene the Pope and the Viceroy though in good meaning the plottes and purposes of the Viceroy tended rather to make warre wherein he was set on both by thincitation of the Colonnois who had breathed into him a new life since he came to Caietto and also because he vnderstoode that the Pope no lesse abated in courage then naked in money founde nothing so sweete as the desire of peace Wherein both publishing to all the world his pouerty and his feare and in his confusion refusing to create Cardinalls for money according to the counsell that was giuen him the demonstrations he made of his owne weaknes gaue courage and hope to who so euer would offende him for as the Pope not entring into the warre with that constancie of minde that apperteined had sent to themprour a letter the xxvj of Iune conteyning matter bitter and full of complayntes that he droue him by necessitie to intende to the warre So also fearing afterwardes least by the sharpe phrases of that letter he might further incense themprour whom he so much feared he sent after an other expedition compounded of an humor more temperate and reformed charging his Nuncio to reteyne the first which neuertheles was deliuered for that it came first to his handes the other was presented afterwardes but themprour vnder one expedition aunswered them both seuerally according to the argument and nature of matter they conteyned Moreouer the Pope had readely harkned to the generall of grayfreers who going into Spayne at suche time as the warre began was charged by him to deliuer to themprour embassages milde and full of amitie And beeing eftsones returned to Rome by commission of themprour he brought many reapportes and informations touching his good intention and howe he would be content to come into Italy with a trayne of fiue thousande men and from thence after he had taken the Crowne of thempire he would passe into Germany to set downe some forme to the matters of Luther without speaking any thing of the Councell That he was also well inclined to accorde with the Venetians vnder reasonable conditions That he would referre the cause of Frauncis Sforce to the arbitration of two Iudges assigned by the Pope and him and in case he were condemned he would bestow that estate vpon the Duke of Burbon That he would reuoke his army out of Italy so farreforth as the Pope Venetians would pay three hundred thousande crownes to satisfie the wages of the army which notwithstanding he would labour to make contented with a summe more moderate That he would restore to the French king his children receyuing in counterchaunge two millions of golde at two or more tearmes He showed also that it would be easie to accorde with the king of Englande bothe for that the summe that was in question was not great and also the king had made offer of it And the better to debate and worke these matters the generall of grayfreers offred a truce for viij or x. moneths protesting that he had warrantes and commissions from themprour verye large and absolute wherein all power of negociation and conclusion was giuen to him to the Viceroy and to Don Hugo In regarde of which authoritie and good inclination of themprour the Pope after he had giuen audience to Pignaloso and had receyued aduertisement that the Viceroy was gone out of the porte of S. Stephen sent the Generall to Caietta to treate vpon these matters with him Whereunto he was the rather induced for that bothe the Venetians woulde not refuse the truce if the French king would consent who for his part was not farre estraunged from it and his mother had sent to Rome Lavvrence Tuskane declaring an inclination to peace wherein shoulde be a generall comprehension of all men And also for that he thought no practise to be sure without the will and concurrencie of the Duke of Burbon he sent to him in that behalfe one of his owne Amners that was at Rome whom the Duke returned eftsones to the Pope to solicite the same matter And yet neither to loase thoportunitie of the time nor to abandon the prouisions for the warre he sent Cardinall Augustin Triuulco as Legate to the army which was then in the field And continuing also his preparations to inuade the Realme of Naples Peter Nauarre ariued the third of December at Ciuitavecchia with a Nauy of xxviij gallies of the Popes the French and the Venetians At which time also Ranso de Cere being sent for the french king for thexpedition intended vpon Naples was ariued at Sauonna with a fleete of sayles quartered On the other side Askanio Colonno with a strength of two thousande footemen and three hundred horsemen came to Valbon fifteene miles from Tiboli where are the landes of the Abbot of Farfa and Iohn Iordan with these forces the twelfth of December he tooke Cepperano finding no resistance for that it was not garded Vitelly with the Popes companies reduced himself betwene Tiboly Palestime and Velletre Afterwardes the Colonnois tooke Pontecorue which was not garded and in vayne gaue assault to Scarpa which is a litle and weake place depending vpon the Abbey of Farfa Caesar Filettin approached by night to Alagnia with fiftene hundred footemen of which fiue hundred making their entrie secretly by the fauour of a house ioyning to the walles and by the practise of certen of the townesmen that receiued them were repulsed and driuen out agayne by Lyon de Fano commaunder of the footemen that were there In this meane while the generall of grayfreers returned from the Viceroy to the Pope to whom he related the Viceroyes inclination to consent to the truce for certayne monethes to th ende that in the meane while the peace might take course Only he stoode vpon demaundes of money and for suretie he required the Castells of Ostia and Ciuitavecchia But of the contrary to him tharchbishop of Capua aryuing at Caietta after he was departed and who happly had bene sent thither with
an yll counsel of the Pope wrote to him that the Viceroy reiecting all motions to truce was contented to make peace with the Pope onely or with the Pope and Venetians ioyntly so farreforth as they would make payment of money to thend to mainteine the army for assurance of the peace and afterwards to debate in the matter of the truce with the others An alteration mouing eyther by the variation or chaunge of the Viceroy or happly by the perswasions of tharchbishop as many suspected At which time Paule d'Arezze being come to themprours Court with authoritie from the Pope the Venetians and Frauncis Sforce whither also went by the motiō of the king of England for the negociation of peace the Auditor of the Chamber the rather for that before were come thither full commissions from the french king He found themprour wholy chaunged both in minde will taking the reason of his alteration vpon an aduertisement he had receiued of the army of the launceknightes and of his Nauy in Italy In so much as enforcing the fauor of that good aduauntage he fled from all the conditions that were set downe before and vrged vehemently that the French king should obserue absolutely thaccord of Madrill to haue the cause of Frauncis Sforce heard by law before Iudges assigned by himselfe Thus did both the will and intention of themprour vary according to the successe of affayres like as also his commissions which he sent to his Agentes in Italy bare alwayes by reason of the distance of the place eyther an expresse or silent condition to gouerne themselues according to the variation of times and occasions Therfore the Viceroy after he had many dayes abused the Pope with vayne practises and would not so muche as consent to a surceance of armes for a few daies till the negociation might soart to some issue brake vp from Naples the xx of December to goe into thestates of the Church In which wilfulnesse he offred many new and very straunge conditions of accorde But to returne to the laste daye of the yeare wherein the Launceknightes as we haue sayde passed the ryuer of Nure The same day also the Duke of Ferrara by the meane of his Embassador capitulated with the Viceroy and Don Hugo who had commission from themprour Neuertheles the capitulation was made with a very small liking of that Embassador for that he was almoste constrayned to consent by the threates and rude words of the Viceroy Tharticles of the capitulation were these That the duke of Ferrara should be bounde aswell in his person as in his estates to serue themprour agaynst all his enemies That he should be capteine generall for themprour in Italy with a company of an hundred men at armes and two hundred light horsemen onely he should assemble and leauy them at his owne charges and receyue agayne allowance in his accountes That he should presently receyue the towne of Carpy and the Castell of Nouy which had apperteined to Albert Pio for the dowry of themprours bastard daughter promised to his sonne onely the reuenues should be aunswered in account of the souldiors a compensation to be made vntill the consummation of the mariage And that Vespatian Colonno and the Marquis of Guast should disclayme and renounce the rightes which they pretended to them That he should pay the summe of two hundred thousand duckets when he had recouered Modena but out of that should be deducted that which he had giuen to the Viceroy since the battell of Pauia That if he did not recouer Modena all the summes of money which he had before disbursed should be eftsones repayed to him That themprour should be bound to his protection not to make peace without comprehending him and not without obteining for him of the Pope absolution of the paynes and censures which he had incurred euer since he was declared confederate to themprour And lastly that he should vse all his meanes and authoritie to the Pope to absolue him of all those penalties and transgressions which he had runne into before Thus in the ende of the yere a thousande fiue hundred and sixe twentie all things prepared and tended to a manyfest and open warre The ende of the seuenteenth Booke THE ARGVMENT OF THE EIGHTENTH BOOKE THe Duke of Burbonissueth out of Millan The Viceroy and Colonnois make vvarre agaynst the Pope in thestate of the Churche The Marquis of Salussa entreth vvithin Bolognia The Pope maketh vvarre in the kingdome of Naples The Duke of Burbon leadeth his armie to Rome taketh the tovvne and sacketh it and is slayne in the action The Pope beeing abandoned of all hope accordeth vvith thimperialls Amutinie in Florence The king of Englande is declared agaynst themprour The confederates do many enterprises THE EIGHTEENTH BOOKE OF THE historie and discourse of Guicciardin NOW ensueth the yeare of our Lorde a thousande fiue hundred and seuen and twenty A yeare prepared to many harde euentes and accidentes suche as for their crueltie were full of feare and daunger and for their straungenes had no example or experience with the worldes and ages before For in the predictions of this yeare was expressed an vniuersall face of troubles and confusion of mutation of estates of captiuitie of princes of desolation of Cities of dearth of vittelles and of a generall visitation of the plague yea through all the regions and climates of Italy there was no apparance nor contemplation of other thing then of blood death famine and fleeing A condition lamentable euen to forreiners and straungers that dyd but heare of it but moste intollerable to those miserable wretches vpon whose neckes the lawe of destenie had drawne so grieuous a yoke To these calamities there was no other thing that stayed the action of beginning and execution but the difficulties whiche the Duke of Burbon founde to make the regimentes of Spanishe footemen to departe out of Millan for where he had determined that Anthony de Leua shoulde abide there for the defence of the whole Duchie and reteyne with him all those bands of Launceknightes which were there before for whose enterteinmentes and payes were consumed bothe all the moneyes exacted at tymes vppon the Millannois and also suche other summes as were leauyed by the billes of exchaunge which the Duke of Burbon brought from Spayne And where he had also appoynted to remayne with the sayd Leua for the seruice of the Duchie a strength of twelue hundred footemen Spaniardes together with some bandes of Italian footemen vnder the leading of Lodovvike Belliense and other commaunders So likewise by their example all the other bandes and regimentes of souldiors for that they had in pray the houses the wyues and daughters of thinhabitantes of Millan were not discontented to liue still in that estate of licentious libertie But for that both for the necessitie of the present seruice and regarde of their proper honor and lastely for the awe and authoritie of the Duke of Burbon they
the castell S. Angelo The Pope was al this while in no smal thought to make prouision of money wherin imploring the ayde of other princes he receiued of new from the king of England a supply of thirty thousand duckets which the lord Russell his Chamberlaine brought to him And with him came Monsr de Rabandanges with ten thousande crownes sent to him by the french king vpon the benefit of the tenthes which the Pope had accorded to him by necessitie compulsion vnder this promise notwithstāding that besides the payments of the forty thousand crownes which he gaue to the league and twenty thousand which he contributed to the Pope for euery moneth he should presently minister to him thirty thousand duckets within a moneth thirty thousand more The king of Englande gaue commission also to the Lorde Russell to signifie to the Viceroy and the Duke of Burbon a surseance of armes to th end to giue sufferance and tyme to treate a peace the practise and negociation whereof according to themprours will was holden in Englande And if the Viceroy would not condiscend to it then to denounce agaynst him warre It seemed by this readynes and many other apparances that the king of Englande vnder a desire to marry his daughter with the Frenche king was well inclined to the confederates and fauoured their cause And in that good inclination he promised that assoone as the mariage were established to enter into the league and beginne the warre in Flaunders It seemed also he was particularly disposed to do pleasure to the Pope But there could be no great exspectation of ready remedies from a prince who both measured not well the present conditions of Italy nor stoode firme and resolute in his purposes beeing styll labored and retyred by the hope which themprour gaue him to commit to him the working and arbitration of the peace notwithstanding theffectes were in nothing correspondant to the semblances and showes he made for when the Auditor of the Chamber was with him for that matter albeit themprour did what he could to perswade him in many sortes that such was his intention yet for that he exspected some euentes from Italy since the discending of the launceknightes and the aryuall of his Nauy at sea wherof he had receiued some aduertisement he forbare to giue him an aunswere assured and certayne taking his excuse vppon the warrantes and commissions of the confederates as though they were not sufficient But thaccorde whiche the Pope solicited continually with the Viceroy hurt him not a little with the Confederates both for that they stoode alwayes in feare least he woulde resolue and compound with him And also the French king and the Venetians made this iudgement that all the exspences and defraymentes whiche they should make to support him would be almost vnprofitable This iudgement and suspicion tooke encreasing by certayne degrees of vehement feares whiche were discerned in him together with the lamentable protestations he made dayly that he was no more hable to susteine the warre Wherein agaynst hys ordinarye meane and remedy in that case he opposed wilfully his naturall obstinacy would not make Cardinalls for money nor releeue himselfe in so great necessities amid so many daungers of the Church with those meanes which other Popes had wont to vse yea euen in thatchieuing of their vniust and ambicious enterprises In which regarde the French king and the Venetians to be the better prepared and ready in all accidents were eftsones particularly bound to make no accord with themprour the one without the other And the French king for that cause and for the great hope which the king of Englande gaue to rayse together with him in case the mariage went forwarde great emotions in the spring following became more negligent and lesse carefull of the daungers of Italy In this time the Viceroy who solicited an inuasion vpon the Churche states dispatched a regiment of two thousande Spanish footemen to assault a small Castell of Stephen Colonno where the vallour of the defendantes made that enterprise in vayne And because the Viceroy came on and aduaunced thecclesiastikes referred to an other time to execute the resolution taken to batter the Popes rocke the garrisons of which place had surprised the Castell Gandolffo but weakly manned and at that tyme holden by the Cardinall de Monte At last the Viceroy after he had assembled into one strength twelue thousande footemen all bodyes commaunded and trayned sauing the Spaniards and Launceknights that were come with him by sea encamped with his whole armie the xxix of Ianuary before Frusolone a towne weake and without walles sauing that the howses of some particulars serue as a wall and within the which the capteines of the Church had bestowed garrison because they would leaue him no footing nor entrie into Campagnia to the weaknes of this place was ioyned a great necessitie and want of vittells and yet the situation of the towne standing vpon a hill giueth alwayes to the inhabitantes good meane and oportunitie to saue them selues of one side for that it beareth a certaine benesite of reskew and backing A matter which gaue a great resolution to the garrison within to defende it besides that they were of the best choyse of Italians whiche at that time tooke paye Moreouer the height of the mountayne was no litle impediment to thenemies to do any action vpon their artilleries of which they had planted three demy Cannons and foure Coluerines Onely the greatest care of thenemies was to stoppe as muche as they could the entry of vittells into the towne On the other side the Pope who albeit was muche impouerished for money and was more apt to suffer indignitie to desire others to releeue him then to furnishe himselfe by meanes extraordinary encreased his campe as muche as he could with bandes of footemen payed and trayned And in that incertentie of minde and dealing he had newly taken into his paye Horacio Baillon without keeping memorie or obseruation of the iniuries which he had done before to his father and afterwardes to him whom he had of long holden prisoner within the Castell of S. Angelo as a troubler of the quiet of Perousa With these supplies of souldiours his armie went on alwayes drawing neare to Ferentin to make there his generall moosters and to giue hope of succours to those that were besieged The batterye of Frusolona was reduced to perfection the xxiiij day but because it was not suche as to giue hope to cary the place there was no assault performed Onely capteine Alarcon trauelling about the walles was hurt with the blowe of a harquebuse and likewise Maria Vrsin was wounded One of the principall grounds and hopes of the Viceroy was that he was not ignorant that the souldiors within suffred great scarcitie of vittells as also the armie that moostred at Ferentin was in the same extremitie for the souldiours of the Colonnois whiche laye within Palicina Montfortin and the Popes Rocke the
mariage Katherine de Medicis daughter to Lavvrence and neece to the Pope for the french king reapposing muche for him selfe in the negociation of England and being perswaded that the Viceroy for the disorder of Frusolono coulde execute nothing and also that the army imperiall both for their slownes to moue and march and for their wants necessities of money would not go at al into Tuskane would heare no further of the motion of the truce no though it should be generall and extended to comprehende all and that he should be acquited from all payments of money Wherin albeit his principall intention was not to giue time to themprour to reorder and readdresse his forces yet in regarde of his owne nakednes pouerty of money he sent to the Pope no other thing of the xx thousand duckets which he had promised monthly nor of the money collected of the tenth then ten thousand duckets Neither had he sent as yet the wages of those bands of footmen appoynted to the mayne army at sea running in the common accompts exspences of the Venetians and him And lastly for that he had desire that there should be no action or enterprise till some conclusion were made with the king of Englande he thought it but reasonable that the Pope should temporise and exspect till that time So that the enterprise of Naples begun with so great felicitie and hope went euery day diminishing and of lesse exspectation for as the army by sea which was neither made greater by vessels and shipping nor stronger with supplies of souldiors was not to execute any great action the rather for that they were to drawe out of their mayne forces garrisons of men to defende such places as they tooke So the army by land which for the yll disposition of the tyme was not as yet possessed of the vittels that were sent from Rome by sea did not onely not aduaunce but also diminishing dayly by new degrees of disorder and penury of vittells it retyred at laste to Piperna Besides those regiments of footemen which Ranso ledde and gouerned were so diminished for want of money that Ranso seeing he could not inclose the Viceroy according to the plotte he had layde returned backe to Rome yea lastly the straite negociation and labor of the accorde which the Pope interteined augmented greatly those disorders for as it abated the preparations of the consederates which of them selues came but slowely on So on the other side it pushed on the Popes inclination to the accorde wherein he was induced to reappose a greater hope in thintention of themprour for thintelligence he had by one of his letters surprised by which he charged the Viceroy to enterteine and embrace thaccorde with the Pope if thestate and condition of his affayres induced him not to take other counsell But the matter that moste stirred and moued him was that he sawe the Duke of Burbon marche and aduaunce continually with the armie Imperiall neyther did he discerne the resolutions of the Duke of Vrbin to be so constant nor the prouisions of the Venetians so full and forwarde as he could be assured of the matters of Tuskane the feare of which brought no small affliction to him for as thimperialls laye some of them on this side and some of them beyonde Plaisanca the Duke of Vrbin had chaunged his firste opinion which was to get before them into Bolognia with the Venetian armie and had resolued in his counsell that assoone as he should be aduertised that thenemies would remoue the armie ecclesiastike leauing good garrison within Parma and Modena should goe to Bolognia And for him selfe he woulde marche with the Venetian armie in the tayle of thenemies though twentye or thirtye miles from them for the more surety of his people According to which order when afterwards thenemies would take the way to Romagnia or Tuskane the whole campe should aduaunce continually the armie ecclesiastik marching alwayes before with the Marquis of Salusse leading the french launces the Svvizzers footemen and his owne and leauing alwayes garrisons in such places as thenemies should passe by after them and they afterwards to be reassembled and reuoked from hand to hand according as the enemie should aduaunce and passe This counsell the Duke iustified and folowed with many reasons such as the other capteins could neither comprehende nor approue First he alleaged that there was no surety to assemble and ioyne all together in the fielde to stop the passage of thimperialls for that it would be a matter eyther daungerous or vnprositable Touching the daunger he referred it to rest in the feight or battell for that if thimperialls were not superiour in numbers and multitudes at least they were aboue them in force and vallour an aduauntage which would make the victory easie to them And he proued it vnprofitable by this that if thimperialls would not feight at least it would be alwayes in their power to leaue behinde them the armie of the confederates and so keeping alwayes before them they shoulde be apte to accomplishe great exploytes Lastely he alleaged that as in thexperience and reason of things he helde this counsell better then all others So also he was constrayned by necessitie to embrace and followe it for that th imperiall armie beeing as was beleeued halfe shaken he could not put his people into suche speedy readynes as to be assured to marche in tyme and to gette before Besides seeing the Venetians had wholly reapposed them selues vppon him touching that deliberation he was to consider not to leaue their estate in daunger which if thennemies discerned to be vnfurnished they might taking newe counsell vppon newe occasions turne their course to passe ouer Pavv and so intrude vpon their landes to their harmes This reason might suffice to content the Senate of Venice for that naturally they haue for obiect to proceede aduisedly and surely in all their affayres But it did not satisfie the Pope for that vnder that counsell he sawe opened a waye to th imperiall armie to take their course euen vp to Rome or to Tuskane or to make their passage into what place they liste seeing there was no possibilitie of resistance by the armie that was to goe before bothe for that they were to distribute in places as they passed garrisons of souldiours and also their mayne strength was to suffer diminution by other meanes Neyther was it a matter certayne that in the Venetians tarying once behinde woulde bee as greate readinesse to followe with effectes as the Duke was liberall to promise in wordes considering his custome and manner of proceeding in all the course of the warre before Lastely he iudged that if the armies were reduced into one strength wherein the numbers of souldiours farre exceeded the Imperialls they mighte with more facilitie stoppe thennemie for passing further cutte off the traffike of their vittells obserue all occasions that offred and neuer be so farre remoued from them that in good season and oportunitie they might
being corrupted with some secret summe of money within very few daies after deliuered vp those castells to the Florentyns In the meane while the people of Florence had reduced their citie to a popular gouernment and in that humor had created Gonfalonier and chiefe Magistrate of the pollicie for one yeare with facultie of confirmation for three yeares one Nicholas Cappony A Citizen of great authoritie and a louer of the publike libertie This man desiring wholly the concord and vnitie of the Citizens and no lesse zealous to reduce the gouernment to the most perfect forme of a common weale that was possible debated the action with reasons graue and resolued in a conuocacion of the great councell in whome rested absolute power to establishe lawes and create all Magistrates And sure if the Citizens had giuen faith to the perswasions of this man their new libertie had happly endured longer But as for the most parte the passion of spite and disdaine is stronger in him that recouereth libertie then in an other that defendeth it so the hatreds being great against the house of Medicis for many causes but especially for that they haue bene driuen to beare out for the most part with their owne money all the enterprises that they had begonne The people began to persecute immoderatly all those Citizens that were friendes to the Medicis together with such as boare affection to the name of the Pope They called into remembraunce how the citie had exspended not onely in the occupacion but also in the defence of the Duchie of Vrbyn more then fiue hundred thowsand duckats And as much in the warre which Pope Leo managed against the French king and in matters hapning after his death depending vppon the same warre Neither did they forget the three hundred thowsand duckats which were payed to the Capteines Imperialls and to the Viceroy before the creacion of Clement And lastly they reduced into reckoning the six hundred thowsand duckats disburssed aswell since that tyme as employed in this last warre agaynst the Emprour These reckonings beeing ioyned to the humor of their vniuersall hatreds so aggrauated their rage and furye that they defaced and reuersed through all the partes of the citie the armes and enseignes of the house of Medicis not forbearing in that course of insolencie to pull downe euen those skootchions which were affixed and emboasted to the publike pallaices builded by them selues They brake the images or portraictes of Leo and Clement set vp in so greate glorye in the temple of Annuciado so much celebrated through all the worlde yea the moste parte of them omitted nothing apperteyning to moue the Popes disdaine and to nourish the diuisions and discords of the citie wherein they had risen into greater degrees of disorder if the authoritie discression of the Gonfalonier had not bene interposed which yet was not sufficient to remedie many insolencies But by this tyme were comen to Rome with the Marquis of Guast and Don Hugo all those footebands of launceknights and Spanyards which were in the Realme of Naples So that it was sayd they had stronge within the towne of Rome eyght thowsande Spanish footemen twelue thowsand launceknights and foure thowsand Italians An armye sufficient to doe in Italy what they would aswell for the reputacion they had gotten as for the vniuersall astonishment of those regions together with the weake prouisions that were made to oppose against them Onely the armye tooke such libertie in their insolencies and disorders the Prince of Orenge being Capteine generall in title and name but not in authoritie and effect that they tooke litle care of thinterests of thEmprour beeing wholly caried with the humor of praye and spoyle and to raunsom prisoners and racke the purse of the Pope Matters whose sweetenes deteyned them still in Rome where running a race of tumult and mutinie the Viceroy and the Marquis of Guast feared least they woulde extend their furye vppon their persons to the daunger of their liues In which feare they fled leauing the souldiours to the hazard and stroake of the plague which beeing already begonne kindled amongest them greater bronds of infection to their vniuersall domage for these reasons thImperialls lost thoccasion of many enterprises but especially they omitted the oportunitie to conquer Bolognia A citie which albeit the Count Hugo de Pepoly went thether after the losse of Rome with an army of a thowsand footemen payed by the Venetians yet it stoode and perseuered in the obedience of the sea Apostolike though not without difficultie by reason of the tumult which Lavvrence Maluezzo made by the secret consent of Ramassotto and the fauor of the faction of the Bentyuoleis yea which was of no lesse importance then the residue their disorder and carelesnes gaue tyme to the French king to dispatch into Italy a moste mightye armye with great daunger to the Emperor to lose the Realme of Naples after he had triumphed gloriously in so great a victorye for matters going on long time before in Fraunce to a preparacion of a newe warre there was established the foure and twenty of Aprill A conclusion of the confederacion solycited many moneths betwene the French king and king of England Wherein one condicion was that the Daughter of the king of England shoulde be maryed to the french king or to the Duke of Orleans his second sonne the election of which shoulde be resolued at the tyme of the enteruiewe of the two kinges which was to bee performed at Whitsontyde betweene Callyce and Bolleyne An other article was that the kinge of Englande shoulde renownce the title of kinge of Fraunce receyuing in recompense a yearely pension of fiftye thowsande duckats The thirde article bare that the kinge of Englande shoulde enter the league made at Rome and to bee bownde by the next moneth of Iulye to moue warre beyonde the Mountes agaynste thEmprour with nyne thowsande footemen and the Frenche Kinge with eyghteene thowsande and a conuenient number of launces and artilleries That in the meane whyle bothe the one and the other of them shoulde sende Embassadors to thEmprour bothe to signifie the confederacion made by them to summon him to restore the kinges children and to enter into the peace with comely condicions Which in case he woulde not accept within one moneth their Embassadors shoulde denownce warre to him and beginne it Assoone as this accorde was passed the king of England entred the league who together with the Frenche king dispatched two gentlemen in post to present to thEmprour conuenient summonce Matters which were done by the Embassadors of the Frenche and Englishe with a farre greater readines then they were performed by the Popes commission for that his Nuncio Baltasar Castillion sparing to sharpen the mynde of thEmprour would not consent to denownce warre agaynst him But afterwardes the Court of Fraunce beeing possessed with the newes of the losse of Rome And the displeasure of the accident of the Pope beeing ballanced with the gladnes
of the deathe of the Duke of Burbon And lastly the Frenche kinge not holding it good pollicye to suffer the thinges of Italy so to declyne he contracted the fiftenth daye of Maye with the Venetians that they shoulde wage in common tenne thowsande Svvyzzers he to furnishe the first paye and the Venetians the seconde and so forwarde according to that rule That he shoulde sende into Italy tenne thowsande Frenche men vnder Peter Nauarre That in lyke sorte the Venetians ioyntly with the Duke of Myllan shoulde wage tenne thowsande footemen Italyans That he shoulde fende thether a newe supplye of fiue hundred launces and eyghteene peeces of artilleries And bicause the king of England notwithstanding tharticles of the contract shewed no greate readines to make warre beyonde the Mountes A dealing which was not very agreable to the French king They dispensed with that obligacion and in place of that they couenanted That the king of England to furnishe the warre of Italy shoulde defraye the paye of tenne thowsande footemen for six monethes full And at the speciall instance of the sayde kinge of England Monsr de Lavvtrech almoste agaynst his will was declared Capteine generall of the whole armye during whose preparacion to marche and passe with conuenient prouisions of money and other thinges necessarye there was nothinge done in Italy that was of any consequence for bothe thEmprours armye styrred not out of Rome notwithstanding that many perished dayly by the rage of the plague which at that tyme ranne also with greate mortalitye in Florence and through many partes of Italy And also the armye of the league into which at thinstance of the Marquis of Salusso and the Venetians the Florentyns were entred of newe with obligacion to defraye fiue thowsande footemen wherewith thEmprour felt him selfe greeuously offended for that hauing at their instance giuen to the Duke of Ferrara authoritie to compownd in his name was almost assoone aduertised of their contrary deliberacion This armye beeing greatly diminished in numbers for that the regiments of the Venetians of the Marquis and the Svvyzzers were yll payed was retyred towardes Viterba And looking altogether to temporise and enterteyne they labored to holde in the deuocion of the league Perousa Orbieta Spoleto with other places thereabowts And afterwardes hauing vnderstandinge in that place that one parte of thEmprours armye was yssued out of Rome somewhat to take breathe with the largenes and skoape of ayre fearing least the residue shoulde doe the lyke after the first payments were made they retyred to Orbietta and afterwardes neare to the borowe of Pyeua And in that inclinacion they had retyred vppon the landes of the Florentyns if they would haue giuen consent In this rage of the plague the castell of Saint Angeo was visited to the great daunger of the life of the Pope abowt whom dyed certeine speciall men that did seruice to his person who amyd so many afflictions and aduersities and no other hope remeyning to him then in the clemencie of thEmprour appoynted for Legat with the consent of the Capteines Cardinall Alexander of Farneso who notwithstanding being yssued out of the castell and Rome refused vnder that occasion to goe in the sayd legacion The Capteines desired to cary the person of the Pope with the thirteene Cardinals that were with him to Caietto but he labored against that resolucion with greate diligence peticions and arte At last Monsr de Lavvtrech after he had giuen order to thinges necessary departed from the Court the last of Iune with eyght hundred launces and honored with the title of Capteine generall of the whole league And the king of England in place to present tenne thowsand footemen was taxed to paye in money for euery moneth beginning the first of Iune the summe of xxx thowsand duckats Which money should be conuerted to the payment of tenne thowsand launceknights vnder Monsr Vavvdemont which was a regiment of very good exercise and practise for that they had many times broken the bands of the Lutherans The French king tooke also to his paye Andre Dore with eyght gallyes and xxxvj crownes for euery yeare But before Monsr Lavvtrech was past the Mounts the regiments of the Venetians and the Duke of Myllan ioyned together marched to Marignan whome Antho. de Leua yssuing out of Myllan with eyght hundred Spanyards and the like number of Italyans together with a very fewe horsemen constrayned them to retyre About which tyme Iohn Iames de Medicis Captaine of Mus who was in pay with the French king and exspected vppon the lake the comming of the Svvyzzers made him selfe Lord by suttle meanes vppon the castell of Monguzzo seated betwene Lecqua and Coma wherein dwelt Alexander Bentyuolo as in his owne house for the recouering of it Antho. de Leua sent thether Lodovvyk de Belioyense who hauing assalted it in vaine turned to Monceo But afterwards Antho. de Leua hauing espiall that the sayd Capteine Mus with two thowsand fiue hundred footemen was come to the village of Carato foureteene myles from Myllan returned to Myllan where leauing onely two hundred men notwithstanding the Venetians were almost ten thowsand and yssuing out by night with the rest of the armye he charged suddeinly vppon the rising of the Sunne the bands of Capteine Mus who at the alarme leauing their houses wherein they were lodged they retyred into a playne place enuyroned with hedges not farre from the village not thinking that all the bands were there And albeit they cast them selues into order yet by the disaduauntage of the place beeing lowe and strayted as a prison they fell all without any resistance into the calamitye of the sworde or prisoners except many who in the beginning sought their sauetye by fleeing taking their example of the Capteine In this meane while ThEmprour had aduertisement of the Popes captiuitie by letters which his high Chauncellor wrote to him from Monaco as he went into Italy whether he was sent by his authoritie And albeit by his speeches and outward forme of behauior he expressed how greeuous that accident was to him yet it was discerned by his secrete mocions and affections that he was not muche discontented with it which he well declared in publike demonstracions not forbearing to followe the feastes and torneyes begonne before for the byrthe of his Sonne But as the deliuerie of the Pope was vehemently desired by the king of England and Cardinall of Yorke and for their authoritie no lesse displeasing to the French kinge who in case he coulde otherwayes haue recouered his children woulde haue taken litle care and greefe for the calamities of the Pope and vniuersall domages of all Italy So in a cause so generally inducing to compassion bothe the one and the other king sent Embassadors to thEmprour to demaunde the deliuerance of the Pope as a matter apperteyning in common to all the Princes Christian and particularly due by the Emprour vnder whose faith he had beene reduced to that estate of miserye by his
whollie to giue ouer all that they helde in the Duchie of Millan he required thirtie thowsande duckats of the Florentins in recompense of the defrayments and exspenses made and for domages receiued by reason of their inobseruancie He consented that the Frenche king shoulde pay for him to the king of England a dette of foure hundred and fiftie thowsande duckats and for the residue amounting to two millions he required ostages he required to be prouided for him the twelue gallies of the Frenche king for the conuey of his person into Italie onely he cut of all proporcions of horsemen and footemen Lastlie he demaunded that as soone as thaccorde were resolued all the Frenche regimentes should issue out of Italie an article which the Frenche king refused onlesse his children were first restored to him Yea when it was hoped that he would mitigate these demaundes for the losse of Alexandria and Pauia it was then he showed him selfe more firme and resolute following his custome which was not to yeelde to difficulties In so muche as when the Auditor of the Chamber came to him out of Englande the fifteenth of October to solicite the Popes deliuerie in the name of the king of Englande he aunswered that he had taken order for that by the Generall And that touching the accorde he woulde not eyther for loue or by force alter the condicions he had established before But assuredlie it was discerned manifestlie that thEmperour bare no great inclinacion to the peace for that many thinges gaue him corage against the puissance of his ennemies for he called into consideracion that in Italy he might make resistance through the vertue of his armie and for the facilitie to defende townes That he coulde alwayes with small difficultie make passe newe supplies of Launceknightes That the long tract of exspenses had drayned of money and treasor the Frenche king and the Venetians That according to the custome of leagues their prouisions were defectiue and diminished he had confidence to draw out of Spaine sufficient store of money seeing he bare out the warre with farre lesser exspenses then did the confederates being much impouerished by the pillage and robberie of souldiers and also for that he hoped by seperating the confederates to make them more weake or negligent Lastlye he promised much to himselfe of his great felicitie both approoued by thexperience of so many yeeres and had bene assured from his infancie by manye predictions But in this time Monsr Lavvtrech solicited that the armies by sea prepared to inuade either Cicilia or the Realme of Naples shoulde aduaunce and come on of which the fleete of the Venetians whose prouisions eyther by sea or lande aunswered nothing thobligations was at Corfon and sixteene gallies were to ioyne with Andre Dore who exspected in the ryuer of Genes Ransode Cero appoynted to the footemen of that enterprise After Lavvtreth sent backe agayne into Fraunce foure hundred launces and three thousande footemen and contracted with the Venetians whom he counselled to render Rauenna to the colleage of Cardinals and with the Duke of Millan that to defende that which hadde bene conquered they shoulde reteyne their bands with whom were Ianus Fregosa and Count Caiesse in a place well fortified at Landriano which is a village within two miles of Millan By reason of whose neighbourhead for that the companies that were within Millan coulde not goe abroade it was supposed an easyer gard woulde be made of Pauia Moncia Biagrassa Marignan Binasquo Vigeuena and Alexandria After he hadde established these thinges the eighteene of October he marched with fifteene hundred Svvizzers the like nomber of Launceknightes and sixe thowsande aswell Frenche as Gascons And with this strength he passed the ryuer of Pavv right ouer agaynst the Borowe of Saint Iohn with intention to abide there the comming of the Launceknightes of whom till then was arriued but a very slender nomber and also an other regiment of footemen of the same nation which the French king had sent to leuye of newe in place of the Svvizzers who were almost gone away But from this place he was driuen to sende backe agayne beyonde Pavv Peter Nauarre with the bands of footemen Gascons and Italians to the succours of Biagrassa before which towne garded by the Duke of Millan Antho. de Leua was gone to incampe the xxviij of October with foure thowsande footemen and seuen peeces of artilleries taking his reason of that enterprise vpon the wantes and ill prouisions of the towne which being yelded to him the second day by accorde he prepared to passe into Lomelino to the ende to reconquer Vigeuena and Nouaro But being aduertised by good espiall that Peter Nauare was come with a greater supplie of forces he returned backe againe to Millan By which retyring he made easie to Peter Nauare to get againe Biagressa in whiche Frauncis Sforce bestowed better prouisions It was nowe discerned that Monsr Lavvtrech deferred with great industrie and art to depart Wherein albeit he alleaged that the thing that reteyned him was the tarying of the Launceknightes of whom one band being at last arriued vnder the charge of Monsr Vaudemont he abode the comming of the others And albeit he cunningly accompanied that excuse with a complaint of the slender prouisions of the Venetians yet it was supposed that the onely cause that helde him in deferring and lingring was the money which he exspected out of Fraunce But the true and most stronge reason was that the French king hoping much in the peace the negotiacion whereof was stil continued with themperour he gaue direction to Lavvtrech to dissemble vnderslowe proceedings his aduauncing on whereupon also it came to passe that the kyng was not readie to satisfie his part of the pay of those Almains which were leauyed in place of the Svvizzers and much lesse the other bands that were before reserued to go with Monsr Vavvdemont With these necessities or rather excuses Monsr Lavvtrech soiourning at Plaisanca and his companies being bestowed betwene Plaisanca and Parma the difficultie which before was had of the duke of Ferrara was nowe taken awaye This Duke like as Monsr Lavvtrech assone as he was entred into Italy had solicited to enter into the league which was a matter desired of th one side by the Duke in respect of thalliance that was offred to him with the French king and on the other side the same reteining him both for a distrust he had of the vallour of the French and for a suspicion he had least the king for the recouery of his children would not at last accord with themprour So neuertheles fearing the threats of Lavvtrech he was reduced conformable to the will of the French demaunding only that the negociatiō of those affayres might be performed at Ferrara for that he would in his owne person manage a cause that imported him so muche So that thembassadours of the whole confederates went vp to Ferrara together with Cardinall Cibo in the name of those Cardinalls that were
him to Montfalcon where dismissing almoste all his bandes of footemen he was ledde by the same Levvis euen to Orbietto into whiche Citie he entred by nighte without the company of any one Cardinall An example worthy of consideration and perhaps neuer happned since the Churche was great that a Pope shoulde in that sorte fall from so great a puissance and reuerence his eyes to beholde the losse and sacke of Rome his person to bee turned ouer into captiuitie and his whole estate reduced to the disposing of an other and within fewe monethes after to be restored and reestablished in hys former greatnes So greate towardes princes Christian is thauthoritie of the Pope and the respect which mortall men do beare to him About this time which was immediatly after Monsr Lavvtrech was departed from Plaisanca Antho. de Leua sent out of Millan the bandes of Spanishe and Italian footemen both to feede and refresh themselues and also to recouer suche places of the contrey as were most weake to thend to open a way and commodity to bring a traffike of vitttelles to Myllan These bandes exchaunging the captiuitie of the towne wherein they were kept strayte for the libertie of the countrey which gaue them skope tooke that part of the countrey which is called Spetio He sent out also at the same time and to the same ends Phillip Toruiello with eleuen hundred footmen and certayne light horsemen to Nouaro in which citle was a garrison of foure hundren footemen of the duke of Millan Toruiello made his entrye by the Rocke which had bene alwayes holden in the name of the Emprour and finding a very slender defence he made himselfe maister of the towne where making pillage of some of the footemen and sending the residue to their houses he kept within Nouaro holding it for a retrayte to ouerrunne all the countrey thereabout But there were part of the Launceknightes got into Arond and an other part bestowed within Moraro To whom for that the Duke had sent a strength of other footmen for the defence of Lomelina and the countrey they became impedimentes to Toruiello that he had no libertie to make his incursions farre off In so much as that wynter running foorth in no other exploytes then in many skirmishes both partes made pillage aswell vpon their friendes as their enemies in that libertie of warre ranne ouer the whole countrey with an vniuersall ruine of all sortes of people In like sort at that time were ioyned and assembled at Liuorno the gallies of Andrea Dore and fourteene French gallies with sixteene gallies of the Venetians who after they had receyued in Ranso de Cere with three thousande footemen to put on lande they waighed anker the xiij of Nouember to departe out of the port of Liuorno And albeit it was determined before that they should make an inuasion vpon the I le of Sicile yet that resolution beeing innouated they were conuerted to the enterprise of Sardignia at the perswasion as was supposed of Andrea Dore who happly had in his minde other conceptions Monsr Lavvtreth consented easily to embrace this enterprise hoping that Sardignia beeing taken the conquest of Sicilie woulde be of lesse difficultie But what so euer the cause was the issue and effect was straunge and diuerse for that falling into the rage of a verye violent storme they were seperated and turned to their seuerall hazardes of the sea One of the Frenche gallies perished neare the shoares of Sardignia and foure of the Venetians beeing sore beaten with the fury of tempests returned to Liuorno the other gallies of the french were driuen into Corsa by the rage of the windes agaynst which the skill of the Pylotes had no force and afterwardes they reassembled with the foure Venetian gallies within Portovecchio the other eight of the Venetians were caried by violence of sea and storme into Liuorno So that after many perills by storme and weather that enterprise stoode dissolued Andrea Dore and Ranso de Cere remayning in great discorde together But Monsr Lavvtrech beeing within Reggia assone as he was aduertised of the Popes deliuerie he left the castell of Parma to the officers of the Church and went vp to Bolognia In which Citie he made his abode exspecting the comming of the last bandes of the Launceknightes who within fewe dayes afterwardes aryued vppon the countreys of Bolognia not in number of sixe thousande as was appoynted but only three thousand which was farre lesse then was looked for And neuertheles after they were aryued Lavvtrech soiourned twentie dayes within Bolognia attending the kings aduertisemēt for the last resolution touching the negociation of the peace He vsed in the meane whyle a great diligence wherin was also interposed the authoritie of the king of England to draw the Pope to make an open protestation to cleaue to the confederates But immediatly after he was aryued at Orbietta like as there went to congratulate with him the duke of Vrbin the Marquis of Salusso Federike Bossolo who dyed a litle after ar Lody and Levvis Pisano cōmissarie for the Venetians So he besought them with great instance to retire their cōpanies bands of men of warre from thestate ecclesiastik assuring them that the imperials had promised him to withdrawe their forces if they might discerne the armies of the confederats to do the like And in that cōpassion he wrote also a letter to Monsr Lavvtrech tending to thanke him both for that he had done to purchase his deliuerance and also for the counsell he gaue him to procure his libertie in any sorte what so euer He debated with him that his actions and industrie had bin of so great consequence to constrayne thimperialls to resolue vpon his deliuerie that he did no lesse acknowledge himselfe bound to the king and to him then if his person had bin taken out of that calamitie with the force of their armes The ayde and proceedings of which he would willingly haue taryed for had not his necessitie compelled him to abandon all temporising the rather for that the conditions that were proponed were alwayes chaunged from yll to worse the same testifying vnto him in cleare apparance that his fortune had lefte vnto him no other meane of deliuerye then by the benefite and operation of accorde which by how muche more it was deferred and put of by so muche more the authoritie and estate of the Church was to fall into manyfest reuersement But the chiefest matter that induced him to determine his aduersitie by accorde was a hope he had conceyued that beeing at libertie he should be made an apt instrument to solicite a common tranquillitie both with his king and the other princes of Christendome Such were at first his phrases and manner of speeches protested in simplicitie and roundnes as became the office of a Bishop but especially a Pope who had receyued at the hands of God so seueare and sharpe admonitions Neuertheles it was not long ere he returned to his
natural custome hauing not left for the calamitie of his imprisonment neither his suttleties wherin he could depely dissemble nor his couetousnes which he could not auoyde for when the Agents which Lavvtrech sent together with the Embassadour of the king of Englande were come before him to solicite him to consederate with the residue he began to giue them diuerse aunsweres Sometimes he dismissed them with hope that he would be reduced conformable to their desires and sometimes he would inferre excuses that hauing neyther men money nor authoritie as it coulde not helpe them muche to haue him to ioyne with them so the action could not but be preiudiciall to himselfe for that thimperialls would take occasion to vex him in many places And sometimes he showed a ready inclination to satisfie their demaundes so farrefoorth as Monsr Lavvtrech did aduaunce A matter which he desyred greatly to thend the Launceknightes were compelled to depart out of Rome who going on consuming the remaynders of that miserable citie and all the countrey confining would not be brought to giue ouer to hunt the praye whiche they founde so sweete but in their insolencies neyther respecting their Capteines with obedience nor for bearing ciuill tumult and mutinies amongest them selues they demaunded new payes But from the ende of the yere going before and much more in the beginning of the yere following the industrie and solicitations of the peace began to appeare vayne and by that reason the mindes of Princes and states beganne to be so muche more incensed and kindled by how much lesse they saw themselues excluded from the hope of peace For as all the difficulties were almost resolued seing themprour refused not to render to Frauncis Sforce the Duchie of Millan and to compounde with the Venetians the Florentins and the other confederates So this rested onely in question which of these two things should be put first in execution eyther the withdrawing of the French armie out of Italy or the restitution of the kinges children The king would not be bound to reuoke his armie out of Italy if first he recouered not his children offring to put ostages into the handes of the king of England to assure the obseruation of the penalties wherein he was bounde if vpon the refirming of his children he retyred not presently his armie But themprour made instance to the contrarie offring the same cawtions into the king of Englands hands Wherein the question and disputation running in whether of them it would bee more comely or honest to trust the other themprour sayde it was not reasonable to reapose confidence in him who had once deceyued him To the which the French Embassadours aunswered that by how muche more he pretended to be deceiued by their king by so much lesse could their king reapose confidence in him They alleaged also that themprours offer to consigne into the hands of the king of England the same assurances which their king offred was neyther equall nor indifferent for that both the case varyed in this that the thing which themprour promised to do was of farre greater consequence then thobligation of their king and therefore not reasonable to be assured vnder the same cawtions And also they added that the English Embassadours who had authoritie to binde their king to obserue what so euer the French king should promise had no commission to tye him to thobseruation of themprours promises And that their faculties authoritie being limited and restrayned to tearme and time they could neither exceed nor anticipate Vpon which disputation could soart no resolution for that themprour had not the same inclination to the peace which his Counsell had the rather for that he enterteined himselfe with this opinion that though by warre he should lose the kingdome of Naples yet he should be apt to recouer it by rendring the children of Fraunce yea the great Chauncellour who long time before was returned into Spayne was touched muche by imputation to haue troubled greatly the solicitations of the peace with cauillations and interpretations sophisticall At last thembassadours of Englande and Fraunce following their commissions in case they dispayred of thaccorde determined to demaund leaue of themprour to depart and immediatly afterwards to denounce warre agaynst him And with that conclusion being brought to his presence the xxj of Ianuary his Court being then at Burgos and beeing folowed with thembassadours of Venice of the Duke of Millan and Florence Thenglishe Embassadours demaunded of him the foure hundred and fiftie thousande duckets which their king had lent to him and sixe hundred thousande for the penaltie imposed vpon him in that he had refused his daughter together with fiue hundred thousande for the pensions of the French king and for other causes Whiche demaundes being proponed for greater iustification all thembassadours of the confederates asked leaue to depart away But he tolde them he woulde take aduise of his counsell before he would aunswere that demaunde beeing in deede necessarie affore they departed that his Embassadours were in places of suretie Thembassadours were no sooner departed his presence then the Heraldes of Englande and Fraunce entred to denounce warre agaynst him whiche he accepted with a greate showe of gladnes and brauerie And in that humor he gaue present direction that thembassadours of Fraunce Venice and Florence should be conueyed to a towne fifteene leagues from the Court where beeing garded with archiers and halberdiers they were forbidden eyther to communicate or to write anye thing what so euer Touching the duke of Myllans Embassadour he imposed vpon him a commaundement as vpon his subiect that he should not departe from his Court Onely on the behalfe of the Embassadour of Englande there was nothing innouated Thus all the negociations and hopes of peace being broken there remayned only inflamed and kindled the cogitatious and thoughts of the warre which as it declared it selfe in manyfest preparation through all the regions of Italy So to reduce to action and beginning the thing that as yet was but in apparance show Monsr Lavvtrech pushed on by the king but muche more by the king of Englande since the hope of peace began to diminishe was departed from Bolognia the nynth of Ianuary to marche to the kingdome of Naples by the way of Romagnia and la Marqua This way after long consultation was chosen by him contrary to thinstance of the Pope who desyred vnder thoccasion of his marching to restore into Sienna Fabio Petruccio and Montenono That election of the way was also agaynst the instance of the Florentins who to th end to haue that army more ready to succour them in case thimperialls marched to inuade Tuskane desired them to take the way of Tuskane But Monsr Lavvtrech chose rather to make his entry into the realme of Naples by the way of Tronto both for the commoditie of that way to leade the artilleries and also for the fertilitie of the countrey yeelding plenty of vittels and lastly because he would not
to pay thirtie thowsand duckats monthly for the warre of Italy in which was determined the contribucion promised before for six monethes But by how much were augmented and enforced the preparacions of the warre by so much and by the same degrees were kindled redoubled the hatreds of both the princes hauing especiall interest in this warre either of them tooke occasion to multiplie iniuries and enforce quarrells In which passions they contended no lesse with courage and malice then with force and armes For whereas thempror about two yeares before in the towne of Grenado when in like sorte the peace was solicited betwene the french king and him spake to the President of Grenoble the french embassador then certeine wordes inferring that he would willingly put end to all quarrells betwene the king and him by a singular combat of both their personnes to th ende to auoide so much bloode and affliction of Christians and personnes innocent And whereas also since that time he had cōfirmed the same wordes to the herald the last time he signified the warre to him with this addicion that the french king had delt with him villanously and cowardly in falsesying the faith he had giuen to him These speeches being now deliuered ouer to the king he thought he could not let them lie in silence without his ignominie and dishonor And therefore albeit the chalenge might better become the personnes of knightes then to be performed by princes of their estate and greatnes yet being no lesse guided with the enuie of the chalenge then desirous to purge and iustifie his honor he caused to assemble the xxvij of Marche in a great hall of his pallaice at Paris all his princes attending his person all thembassadors resident from the forreine and the whole presence of his court And in that aspect and stately view of nobles embassadors the king in his time discended into the hall with a great pompe and furnishment of sumptuous attire no lesse honorably accompanied with a traine of Barons where after he was with all ceremonies of state dignitie set in his seate royall he caused to be called before him themprours embassador who sued for his dispatch for that it was determined that being conueighed to Bayone he should be deliuered at the same time that the other confederat embassadors were set at libertie who for that purpose were conducted to Bayone When thembassador stoode in his presence the king spake to him excusing and alleadging that thempror had bene principally the cause of his restraining for that in an example new and against humanitie he had kept reteined his embassadors and the agents of his confederats But seing he was now to go to Bayone to th ende there might be an vniuersall deliuerie at one time he desired him to cary from him a letter to thempror and to deliuer a message from him of this tenor That whereas thempror had saied to his herald that he had falsefied his faith he had saied falsely and that hovv many times he had spoken it so many times had he lied and that for aunsvvere to th ende not to linger the tryall of their quarells he vvould assigne him the place vvhere they might together performe the combat But thembassador refusing either to cary the letter or to deliuer the message the king saied he would send to signifie no lesse to him by a herald he added also to the message that albeit he was not ignorant that themprour had spoken wordes against the honor of his brother the king of England yet he would make no mencion of that knowing that the saied king was well hable to deale in his owne defense And yet if thorow the indisposicion of his body he had any lawfull impedimēt he offred to present his person to hazard for him Not many daies after the king of England gaue the same deffiance and with the same solemnities and ceremonies The same somewhat offending the honor of the princes of Christendome who in their rage of malice could not forbeare to defile their mindes with such passions hauing ronning amongest them a warre of so great importance and so much preiudiciall to all the common wealth of Christendom But amyd these great heates and furies of warre and armes the order of our story draweth into discourse some reapport of the king of England touching the refusing of the Lady Katherine of Aragon The saied king had to wife the said Lady Katherine daughter to Ferdinand and Elyzabeth kings of Spayne a queene worthy of such parents and for her vertues and good behauior vniuersally beloued reuerenced of the whole estate of the realme In the time of the father of that king she was maried to prince Arthure eldest sonne to the crowne but being almost no sooner maried then she was made a widow by the hasty death of her husband she was eftsoones by the consent of her father and father in law married to prince Henry the younger brother but with dispensacion of Pope Iulio in regard of thaffinitie that was neare and straite of which mariage was procreated a sonne who died immediatly and afterwardes there succeded no other generacion of children then a daughter The same giuing occasion to the court to murmure that for the vnlawfulnes of the mariage being not dispensable in the first degree the crowne was by miracle depriued of issue male This occasion was aptly taken and managed by the Cardinall of Yorke who knowing the kings desire to haue sonnes began to perswade him that refusing his first wife who iustly was not his wife he might dispose himselfe to marie an other Wherein much lesse that he was induced by conscience or of a simple desier to bring issue male to the king but he was caried in that action with a secret opinion that in drawing his king to embrase a second mariage he might happlie induce him to fix his affection vpon the Ladie Renea daughter to king Lovvys A matter which was desired by him with no small industrie and ambicion for that knowing he was generally hated of all the realme he sought to prepare remedies for his owne estate against all accidents that might happen both during the life and after the death of the king he tooke also one strong inducement to that practise vpon the greate malice he had conceiued against themperour for that neither in demonstracions nor with effects he did not further and satisfie his incredible pride neither did he doute for the great authoritie the king and he had with the Pope to dispose him to publish iudicially the diuorce The king opened readely his eares to this councell not that he was caried with those endes which the Cardinall of Yorke had fashioned But according to thopinion of many he tooke the chiefest reason of his inducement vppon the loue he bare to a Ladie of the Queenes traine whome he determined to make his wife In which course of loue and choosing the king was so secret and priuate that
neighbourhood to the walls of Genes But this plotte was vaine in the effect for that the footemen for the tediousnes and longnes of the waie conteining xxij miles could not reach the place where they were to execute their enterprise before the night was wasted and being discouered by the clearnes and benefitte of the daie the alarme aroase which from hande to hande was brought at laste to Andre Dore who conueighing himselfe out of the backeside was receiued into a barke and by her swiftenes of sailes and oares he auoyded the daunger that was prepared against his life Onely the french men missing by misaduenture the personne of Andre Dore conuerted their rage vppon his pallaice which they sacked and afterwardes returned in sauetie Also Count Caiezzo hauing layed an ambushe betweene Myllan and Monceo ouerthrew fiue hundred Launceknightes and an hundred light horsemen who were sent out to skorte or saffe conduit the vittellours But being afterwardes sent to Bergama he so afflicted that citie with pillage and robbinge that the Senate of Venice who had established him capteine generall ouer their infanterie decassed him and depriued him with infamie of their paye whom in their compassion they could not endure in so greate a custome of insolencie and auarice About this time the Spaniards tooke the towne of Vigeuena And Belioyense who was escaped out of the handes of the french men being sent by Antho. de Leua with two thowsand footemen to surprise Pauya wherein was a garrison of fiue hundred footemen of the Duke of Myllan presented himselfe one night before the walls but being discouered he was compelled to retire without any effect There ariued in the contrey of Genovvay a supplie of two thowsand footemen Spaniardes whom the emprour sent out of Spaine either to defend Genes or else to be conuerted to Myllan according to the necessitie and occasion of affaires Belioyense wente out to meete this supplie and conduct them who as they made showe that they would take the waie either to Plaisanca or of Casa so Monsr saint Pol put himselfe in preparacion to stoppe their comming and sent to solicite the Venetyan bandes to make them selues strong at Loda to the ende that the bandes of Myllan should not come out to backe them he laboured also to perswade them to execute iointly the enterprise of Myllan being thereunto induced through the wante of vittells and other dispaires of those wretched inhabitantes But the Duke of Vrbyn was not of that opinion like as also the Venetyans proceeded coldly in the braue actions of that time wherein both for the rapporte of Andre Nauager their embassadour nowe returned out of Spaine and in regard of a certeine practise and intelligence which was interteined at Rome with themperours embassadour the opinions of the Senat were diuerse many inclining to haue an accord with themprour and yet it was at last resolued to continue the confederaciō with the french king at which time Torniello hauing passed the riuer of Thesin with two thowsand footemē tooke Basignan went towards Lomelina And thabbot of Farfa going with his cornets of horsemen to Crescentyn a place of the Duke of Sauoye was defeated by night taken prisoner but being afterwardes set at liberty by the working of the Marquis Montferat and the Marquis of Mus he ouerthrew certeine regiments of Antho. de Leua and tooke their artilleries There began to rise a dout that the Pope inclined to themperors side both for that the Cardinal Saint Crosse being ariued at Naples caused to be deliuered three Cardinalls who were there in ostage and also according to the rumor that ran he had cōmission from themperour to cause to be rendred Ostia and Ciuitavecchia And by his meane and working the Pope being also solicited Andre Dore restored to the Syennoys Portohercole But there were daily more and more arguments and testimonies that the Popes minde was caried with a disposicion to new thinges for that by his meane though secretly Braccio Baillon for the interest of the affaires of Perousa molested Malatesta notwithstanding he was in his paie And when he vnderstoode that the Duke of Ferrara was come to Modena he conspired to take him in his returning with an ambush of two hundred horsemen layed by Pavvle Luzasquo vpon the confins of Modena But for that the Duke stirred not out of Modena both the deuise was disclosed and the effect disappointed About this time the realme of Naples notwithstāding the ouerthrow of the Frēch was not entyrely deliuered of the calamities of the warre for as Symon Romain hauing assembled newe companies had taken Nauo Oriolo and Amigdalaro townes standing vpon the sea side at the pointe of thappenin So drawing to him into one strength Federik Caraffa whom the Duke of Grauino had sent with a thowsand footemen together with many others of the contrey he had an armie reasonably well compounded But after the victorie of thimperialls about Naples and being abandoned of the companies of the Duke of Grauyna he entred into the towne of Barletta by the Castell and putting it to facke and pillage he staied there At what time the Venetians helde Trany garded by Camylla and Monopoly defended by Iohn Conrardo both captaines of the familie of the Vrsins After this Ranso de Cero and the prince of Melffe came into the kingdom with a thowsand footemen who being reduced betwene Nocero Gualdo and afterwardes retiring from thence by the commandement of the Pope who would not offend the mindes of the victors embarked themselues at Sinigalo and went by sea to Barletto with intencion to renewe the warre in Povvilla a matter determined vpon by common consent of the confederates to the ende to constraine th imperiall armie to make their aboade in the kingdom of Naples vntill springe time at what time they drewe to counsell and conference to make new prouisions for their cōmon sauetie for which matter the french king sent to Ranso a releefe and succours of money like as also the Venetians concurring with the king in the same desier the rather to reteine more easely and kepe still by the helpe of others the townes which they had taken in Povvylla offred to furnish him of twelue gallies But when the king vrged them to arme and appointe those gallies reseruing to defraie the charge and exspenses vppon the foure skore thowsand duckats whereunto they were bounde by the contribucion promised to Monsr Lavvtrech they would not harken to it The king of England promised not to be behinde with his parte of the prouisions ordinarie And the Florentyns had contracted to pay the thirde parte of the companies which Ranso had leauied The imperialls shewed no greate readines or disposicion to quench so greate a preparacion of trouble beinge buysied on all partes to exact money to satisfie the soldiours of their duties and paies past wherein both to leauie those exactions with more facilitie and the better to assure the kingdom with examples of seueretie the prince of Orenge
euen in the market place of Naples where the plage raged most and in the publike view of the people caused to be beheaded Federike Caiâ—tan sonne to the Duke of Tracetto and Henry Pandon Duke of Bouiano a discendant of one of the daughters of olde Ferdinand king of Naples together with foure other Napolitains extending also the same rigour of punishment vpon other places of the kingdom with which maner of proceding no lesse pityfull in the persons theÌ„ dangerous for the example he reduced into feare and astonishment the mindes of all men not omitting to proceede against the absent such as had folowed the french faction with confisquacion of their goods which afterwardes he suffred to be compounded for with money did not forget any violence or extremity by the which he might draw greatest summes of money All which actions of murder and oppression were supposed to haue their deuise and resolucion by the witte of Ierom Moron to whom was giuen in recompense of his seruices the Duchie of Bouiano To these emotions and sturres was added the exploit of Iohn Iacques Franquo in Abruzza who entred for the french king into Matrina which is neare to Aquila by whose comming all the partes people of the contrey drew into commocion neither was the region of Aquila without suspicioÌ„ of rising where lay sicke with six hundred footemen Serro Colonno Moreouer the Venetians made prouision for the affaires of Povvylla who sending by sea certeine companies of light horsmen to furnish Barletto one part of the vessells which caried them perished in the lakes of Barletto and Trany where there Treasorer was drowned seeking to saue his life in a litle skiffe The companies of horsemen who had for their leader Iohn Conrardo Vrsin being sore beaten with the rage of the tempest fell into the handes of the imperialls Iohn Pavvle de Cero who made his shipwracke neare Guast remeined prisoner to the Marquis In the latter end of the yeare the region of Aquila became for the league by the meane of the Bishop there and good working of Count Montoiro with others of the exiles who being hardly vsed by the imperialls sought their remedie by reuolt In the beginning of the yeare 1529. began to appeare on all sides certeine signes good disposicions to peace which seamed to carie a generall desier to be solicited negociated in the Popes court for as there was good aduertisemeÌ„t that the Cardinall Saint Crosse such was the title of the Spanish generall was gon vp to Rome with warrant from themprour to conclude a peace so the french king whose desier to end the warres was nothing inferiour dispatched to the same end a commission to his embassadours in which action also the king of England tooke interest and in the same regard sent agents to Rome which matters of negociacioÌ„ hope of peace ioyned to the trauell wearynes of princes brought the confederats to proceede slowly in the prouisions of the warre for that in Lombardie their greatest thought care was whether the Spaniards being come to Genes could passe to Millan from wheÌ„ce the launceknights for want of pay were almost all retired and to conduit them thether Belioyense with a hundred horsemen was gonne vp as farre as Casa and from thence in habit disguised was passed into Genes from whence he led the saied footebands of Spaniards to Sauona with intencion to gather together fiue hundred more newly come out of Spaine and were disbarked at Villa franco But in the realme of Naples the imperialls could not but dowt that the rebellion of Aquila and Matricia together with the sturres and risinges that had bene made in Povvilla would breede bringforth some matter of farre greater importaunce and therefore to cut of and remedie the mischiefe affore the ill were come to his fulnes they determined to conuerte to thexpugnacion and suppression of those places the forces they had in that resolucion the Marquis of Guast with his regiment of Spanish footemen was sent out to recouer the townes of Povvilla and the prince of Orenge likewise with his Launceknights was dispatched to reconquer Aquila and Matricia who assoone as he made his approches to Aquila they that were within issued out and left the place abandoned The prince compounding for the citie and the whole contrey at a raunsom of an hundred thowsand duckats and tooke awaie by vertue of his conquest contract the oblacion of siluer which the french king Loys the tenth had consecrated to Saint Barnard from thence he sent soldiours to Matricia where lay in garrison Camyllo Pardo with foure huÌ„dred footemen who was gonne awaie not many daies before with promise to retorne againe But being not without his seuerall feares both for the wante of wine whereof was left no stoare the necessity of waters which were all câ—â—â—o from them and for the faction betwene the towne and the souldiours which was stronge and violent and lastely for some other reason which men in their timerusnesse wante not he did not onely not retourne againe but also he kept from them some of that releiffe of money which the Florentyns had sent to him for the defending and succouring of that place By reason of which disorders both their leader hauing left them and their wantes without comfort or hope of releuing the soldiours went in their araie vpon the walls and the townesmen rendred the place The consideracion of these good euents and issues brought a feare least the prince of Orenge would passe into Tuskane at the instance of the Pope who being deliuered of a most daungerous but short disease ceassed not to solicite and giue hopes to all men â–ª he promised the frenchmen to sticke to the league so farrefoorthe as Rauenna and Seruia were rendred to him And he offred to compound vnder reasonable condicions with the Florentyns and Duke of Ferrara who touching the payments of money made before to Monsr Lavvtrech affirmed that what he did in those paymentes was of his liberalitie and not by vertue of obligacion for that the Pope had forborne to ratifie On the other side now that he had recouered though at great charges the Castells of Ostia and Ciâ—ita vechia by vertue of a coÌ„mission which the Cardinal Saint Crosse had brought he enterteined with themperour intelligences more secrete and practises more certeine then before yea they debated rather vpon their affaires particular which began to be managed in a course more assured and secret then that there passed betwene them any action or solicitacion tending to the vniuersall peace Onely in Barletto thestate of affaires was this Barletto was holden for the frenche king within the which was Ranso de Cero and with him the prince of Melffe Federike Caraffa Symon Roman Camyllo Perdo Galeas de Farurso Iohn Conrard Vrsin and the prince of Stigliano The Venetyans had Trany Pulignany and Monopoly their forces in those places were two thowsand footemen and six hundred horsemen
speede euill 110. Ferdinand to reconquer his kingdom of Naples Ibid. French pockes their beginning 128. Factions breede insurrections 135. French nauy ariue at Caietta 147. French king maketh a posting pilgrimage to Towers and Saint Dennys 149. French king determineth to send Tryuulce into Italy as his Lieuetenant 150. The french begin to decline in Naples 154. The french send to capitulat with Ferdinand 157. Ferdinand dyeth 158. Federyk made k. of Naples 159. Florentyns haue small hope to be succored by the fr. king 165. Florentyns send aūswer to thEmprour 165. Frenche kinge maketh peace with his neighbours 204. French king requireth Pisa in trust 205 French king discendeth into Italy 224. French men take diuers peeces in the Duchie of Millan Ibid. Florentyns put Pawle Vitelly to death 233. French king being at Myllan compoūdeth with the most part of the Potentats of Italy 234. French kinge returneth into Fraunce hauing first set order in the Duchie of Millan 237. French men abandon Myllan 239. French men affraid to assalt Pisa 247. French k. sendeth aide to the Pope 249 Faenza yelded to the Duke 253. French king commaundeth the D. Valentynois to depart from the landes of the Florentyns 256. Federik in mind to cōmit him self to the honor clemency of the french king 261 French and Spanyards do disagree vppon the deuiding of Naples 266. Florentyns haue recourse to the french king 269. French king in Ast 273. Fortune hath a free will to come goe when she listeth c. 287. Florentyns in the contry of Pysa 303. Frenche kinge prepareth mightely against the king of Spayne 306. Frauncis Piccolominy made Pope 312 Faenza taken by the Venetians 318. Florentyns broken by the Pysans 347. Florentins debate whether they should beseege Pisa 348. Florentyns army before Pisa 350. First defeating of the Genowaies 372. French kinge entreth as a Conqueror into Genes 373. French king prepareth against the Venetians 414. French army returneth to the Duchie of Myllan 532. French king taketh Bolognia into his protection 533. French king demaundeth succours of the Florentyns 561. Frēchmē defeated by the Swizzers 646 French king marieth the Ladye Mary sister to the king of England 676. Frauncis the first cōmeth to the crown of Fraunce 685. Frenche king assumeth vppon him the title of Duke of Myllan 685. French army 691. French king returneth to Fraunce 713 Fano beseeged 733. Francisco Maria sendeth to defie law de Medicis 736. French k. aspireth to be Emprour 762. Fontaraby taken by the french 780. Frauncis Guicciardin generall of the army 789. Fault of Monsr de Lawtrech 805. French men before Parma 814. French men before Myllan 827. Frenchmē breake vp before Myllā 864 French king before Pauya 884. French k. sendeth the D. of Albanie into Naples 887. French king will not followe the councell of his Captaines 897. Frēch k. marieth themprours sister 963 French king complaineth vpon thEmprour 968. French men beseege Naples 1102. Feight at sea betwene thImperials and the french 1105. Ferdinand elected k. of Romanes 1171 French king and the king of England ill disposed to thEmprour 1173. French king inciteth the Turke against thEmprour Ibid. G Good estate of Italy before the troubles 2. Greate men doe seldome holde it any breache of iustice to be reuenged of him that doth the first iniurie 20. Gilbert Burbon Duke of Montpensier the kings Lieuetenant in Naples 91. Great cruelties of the french men 260. The great Capteine confirmed in the Duchie of S. Angeo 363. Genowaies send to solicit for pardon 372. Gentlemen of Venice goe to the succour of Padoa 444. Greate is the force of a multitude and people beginning to vary and chaunge so much the more c. 596. Genes at the deuocion of the Frenche king 642. Genes taken by thImperialls 833. Genes returneth to the obedience of the fr. king 1077. Genes taken by Andre Dore. 1125. H Howe and when great shot came first into Italy 45. Horrible act of a Cardinall 352. Hope rather prolongeth then satisfieth c. 490 Humilitie of two Cardinalls 650. I Intencion of the Author 1. Impudency of the Pope to iustifie his children 10. Iohn Iacques Tryuulce goeth to the french king 67. Ieronimo Sauonarola esteemed for a Propher in Florence 82. Ieronimo Sauonarola a Freare Preacher in Florence 97. In warres there is no further assurance of the souldier mercenary then he findeth sewertie of his pay c. 155. Intelligence factiō which Pe. de Medicis had in Florence is discouered 180. In matters of enterprise wise men will debate all things at large c. 205. In matters of daunger discression and councel are remedies no lesse assured then courage and discression c. 〈…〉 215. Insatiable lust of Duke Valētynois 260. In all humane actions there is nothing which with lesse perill may not temporise and exspect then rebellion c. 268. In matters of warre it is a daungerous errour to transgresse direction c. 279. Imaginations of the french king 356. In matters of enterprise nothinge is more hurtfull then delayes and nothing more hindreth c. 454. In tymes of perill wise men feare all thinges and doe hold it necessary for their sewertie to hold a suspicion c. 553. Ielousie against Ioh. Ia. Tryuulce 760. Imperialls take the castell of Saint Angeo 898. Imperialls draw neare to Pauya 900. Imperialls determine to accorde with the Pope 908. In worldly things there is no assurance till the end be knowen all mortall men their actions are put vnder an estate of incertainty and errours 990. Inhabitants of Millan ill handled by the Spanyards 996. Inhabitantes of Myllan implore the compassion of the Duke of Burbon 998. K King of Naples sendeth out his force 35. King of Naples sendeth out an army to take the citie of Genoway 36. Kingdom of Naples beginneth to conspire 64. Kings of Fraunce and Spayne deuide betwene them the kingdome of Naples 252. King Philip faileth out of Flaunders into Spayne 354. King Philip cast by casualtie of sea vppon the coast of England 355. Kinge Philip promiseth to redeliuer to the king of England the Duke of Suffolke 355. Kings of Aragon Fraunce haue enteruiew together 381. King of Aragon taketh the Realme of Nauarre 625. King of England sendeth to the french king not to passe into Italy 692. King of England for thEmprour 840. Katherine de Medicis 993. King of Hungarie ouerthrowen in battell by Solyman 1017. Katherine de Medicis 1042. Katherine de Medicis 1177. Katherine de Medicis maried to the second sonne of Fraunce 1181. L Lawrence de Medicis praysed for his vertues and gouernment 2 League for twenty yeares betwene the king of Naples Duke of Myllan and Venetians 3. law de Medicis dyeth 4. Lodowyke Sforce is ielous ouer the amities betwene Pe. de Medicis and thArragons 5. Lod. Sforce insinuateth enuye into the Pope against the Aragons and Medicis 8. Lod. Sforce seeketh to drawe the Pope to his purposes 14. Lewys Duke
deliuerer as he boasted afterwards of Italy from forreine nations To these endes he had absolued the Venetians of the Churche censures To these endes was he entred into intelligence and straite alliance with the Svvyzzers making semblance to proceede in those thinges more for his proper sewertie then for desire to offend an other And to these endes not being able to withdrawe the Duke of Ferrara from the deuocion of the french king he was determined to doe all that he could to occupie that Duchie blasing his deuises with this cooller that he stirred onely for the quarrell of the salt and salt pits And yet to th ende not to discloase the plainesse of his thoughts vntil he were better prepared he had continuall negociacion with Albert Pio to haue agreement with the french king not sparing to protest openly though he kept his intencions dissembled The kinge for his parte interpreting all his discontentment to come for that he had taken the Duke of Ferrara into his protection and hauing a carefull desire to auoyde his ill will consented to contract with him newe couenants referring him selfe to the capitulacions of Cambray wherein was expressed that not one of the confederats shoulde intrude into the thinges apperteyning to the Church and did insert with all such wordes and clauses as might make it lawfull to the Pope to proceede against the Duke of Ferrara so farre forth as concerned the perticularitie of the salt and salt mynes to which endes the kinge supposed that the Popes thoughtes did chiefly aspyre wherein he made such interpretacion of the protection which he had taken of the Duke of Ferrara as though there was left to him a lawefull libertie to contract with the Pope in that manner But the nearer the king approched to the demaundes of the Pope the further was he estranged and seperate from him inclining nothinge the more for the newes he heard of the death of Cardinall Amboise for to such as perswaded him to the peace and tooke their argument vppon this that his suspicions were nowe finished he aunswered that the same king liuing the same ielowsies did yet endure confirming his opinion by this that the accord made by the Cardinall of Pauya had bene violated by the king of his proper deliberacion contrary to the will and councell of the Cardinall Amboise yea such as looked deepely into the intencions of the Pope and his manner of dealings founde that his stomacke and hopes were so much the more increased and not without occasion for the qualities of the kinge being such as he stoode in more necessitie to be gouerned then that he was able or proper to gouerne it is without dout that he was much weakened by the death of the Cardinal since that besides his longe experience his abilitie of witte was great and stoode withall in such grace and authoritie with the kinge and had such power ouer his directions and councells that he would often tymes take vpon him to giue of him self a forme and resolucion of affayres A matter which could not be founde in such as succeeded him in the gouernment who durst not communicat with the kinge in affaires which they thought would displease him much lesse that they had authoritie to deliberat Besides he reaposed not the same faith confidence in their councels and being a body of a councell compounded vpon many persons they respecting one another without any great trust in their new authoritie they proceeded both more coldly and carelesly then either thimportance of the present affaires required or was necessary against the heate and importunity of the Pope who not accepting any of the offers that were made to him by the king required him at last to renoūce not with condicion and limitacion but absolutely and simply the protection which he had taken of the Duke of Ferrara not weighing to aduaunce his owne purposes with the kings dishonor And albeit the king perswaded him much that such a renunciacion would bring him great infamie yet it was in vaine to labor to stay him with wordes and reasons whose ambicions were infinit and his intencions full of malice with which propertie of minde he aunswered the king that seeing he refused to renownce simply he would also take libertie not to contract with him nor yet to be against him and not binding him selfe to any person he woulde studye to mainteyne the state of the Church in peace beginning euen then to complayne more then euer of the Duke of Ferrara whose friendes waighing wisely with what aduersary he had to doe perswaded him to giue ouer the working making of salt which he aūswered he could not do without preiudicing the rights of thEmpire to whom the iust iurisdiction of Comacho apperteyned many entred into a certeine dout and opinion which tooke increasing with time that Albert Pio the french kings Embassador not proceeding sincerely in his lagacion stirred vp the Pope against the Duke of Ferrara for a burning desire he had wherein he continued till his death that Alfonso should be deposed from the dukedom of Ferrara The reason was for that Hercules father of Alfonso hauing had certeine yeares affore of Gilbert Pio the moyty of the dominion of Carpy giuing him in recompense the borow of Sassola with certeine other landes Albert feared least in the ende the other moytye eyther by compulsion or corrupcion woulde deuolue to him thexperience often hapning that the neighbour lesse riche and able yeldeth to the couetousnes of the most welthye and mightie A matter which in all common weales hath bene seene to minister no small troubles and therefore it hath not bene thought good that the poore and rich should dwell neare together for that as in the wealth of the rich man are sowne the seedes of enuie in the mind of the poore man so of the wants of the poore superfluities of the rich are nourished the disorders of a whole people But what so euer was the simplicitie and truth of it the Pope expressing tokens of a person vnappeasable against Alfonso and hauing a full resolucion to leauye warre against him prepared first to proceede with thauthoritie and censures of the Church Wherein seking to giue some iustification to the groundes of this action he gaue it out that he had founde amongest the recordes of the chamber apostolike thinuestiture of the towne of Comacho giuen by Popes to the house of Este These were the publike and manifest behauiours of the Pope but in secrete he solicited to sette abroache farre greater mouinges wherein he seemed to haue giuen a good foundacion to his affaires in contracting amitie with the Svvyzzers and to haue at his deuocion the Venetians who nowe were vppon their feete Besides he sawe that the kinge of Aragon respected the same ende that he did or at least was not sowndly ioyned with the french kinge That the forces and authoritie of Caesar were so weakened that there was left no occasion to feare him And lastly that
he was not without hopes to procure the king of England to stirre But that which should most haue appeased him he made to serue most to stirre vp kindle his stomacke which was the knowledge he had that the frēch king hauing no disposicion to make warre against the church nourished a setled desire to haue peace In so much as it seemed that it would alwaies remeyne in his power to drawe him to peace yea though he had leauyed armes against him The reason of these matters making him rise dayly more insolent and redoubling openly his complayntes and threates agaynst the Frenche Kinge and Duke of Ferrara he refused in the feaste of the celebracion of S. Peter A day wherein accordinge to auncient custome are offered the tributes which are due to the seege Apostolyke to accept the tribute of the Duke of Ferrara saying that the euasion of Alexander the sixt who in marying his Daughter had from foure thowsande duckats reduced that offeringe to a hundred coulde not take example to the preiudice of that sea Besides he woulde not affore this tyme giue licence to the Cardinall of Achx and other frenche Cardinalls to returne into Fraunce and vnderstanding that daye that the Cardinall of Achx was gone to take the pleasure of the fieldes with certein greahowndes he entred into a vayne suspicion that he would secretly start away and therefore sent speedely after to take him and helde him prisoner in the castell S. Ange Thus disclosing openly his manifest contencion with the Frenche Kinge and for that cause seeing him selfe so much the more constrayned to laye great and assured foundacions he graunted to the King Catholike thinuestiture of the kingdome of Naples vnder condicion of the same tribute with the which the kings of Aragon had obteyned it notwithstanding he had refused affore to bestow it otherwaies then for forty thowsand duckats A rate affore time imposed vpon the french when he obteined it In this action the Pope respected not so much the bond which in other inuestitures of the same kingdom was wont to be made to him to enterteyne euery yeare for him as often as neede required 3. hundred men at armes for the defence of the Church as the desire he had to make him his friend ioyned to a hope that his aydes vpon occasion might doe much to leade him into open contencion with the french king Whereof were already discerned certeyne seedes and beginnings for that the king Catholike suspecting much the greatnes of the french and no lesse ielous of his ambicion for that not content with the limits of the league of Cambray he aspired to draw to his obedience the citie of Verona and besides all this being pushed on by the memorie of auncient quarrels desired greatly that there might be found some impediment in his affayres And therefore ceassed not to councell a peace betweene Caesar and the Venetians which was not a litle desired by the Pope And albeit he proceeded secretly in those actions yet he was not able altogether to couer his thoughtes In so much as his armie by sea beinge falne vpon Sicile which he sent to assayle the I le of Gerbes anyland aunciently called by the Lattins the great Sirta the king was entred into suspicion and the mindes of men that were well acquaynted with his suttletyes were occupied with many dowtes But as in worldely dealinges it often hapneth that the thinge that is feared least doth soonest chaunce and hurteth moste so troubles and perplexities beganne to rise to the Frenche Kinge from those partes which he dowted least and in a tyme wherein he had no exspectacion of any mouing of armes to be prepared agaynst him for the Pope betweene whose suttletye and secrecye was no difference working alwayes vnder hande solicited that at one tyme Genes might be assayled both by sea and lande That twelue thowsande Svvyzzers might discende vppon the Duchie of Myllan That the Venetians shoulde take the fielde to recouer their townes holden by Caesar And that his owne armie should enter vpon the contrey of Ferrara with intencion to passe afterwards into the Duchie of Myllan if things begā to succeede happely to the Svvyzzers he hoped that Genes being assailed vpon the suddein there would easily arise some mutacion or mutinie both for that there were many that bare no sownd affection to the french and also that the faction of Fregosa would minister ayde going thether vnder cooller to make Duke Octauian whose father and Vncle had possessed the same dignitie That the french men amased for the commocion of Genes and inuasion of the Svvyzzers woulde reuoke to the Duchie of Myllan all the bandes which they had with Caesar and the Duke of Ferrara which would be a cause that the Venetians should easily recouer Verona and afterwards set vpon the Duchie of Myllan lastly that his regiments shoulde doe the like after they had made an easie conquest of Ferrara beinge abandoned of the french making a iudgement vpon these computacions that the state of Myllan would haue no abilitie of defence against so many enemies and so suddeine a warre he began at one time the warre against Ferrara and against Genes And albeit the Duke of Ferrara against whom he proceeded the more to hasten thexecucion as against a notorious offender offered to giue him the saltes that were made at Comacho with obligacion that hereafter there shoulde be no more made yet nothinge can satisfie a mind possessed with malice after he had licensed his Embassadors he caused his armie to march against him which with the onely somonce of a trompet and no defence appearing obteined Cente Pieua Which borowes apperteining first to the bishoprike of Bolognia Pope Alexander in marying his Daughter had annexed them to the Duchie of Ferrara recompensing the bishoprike with other reuenues Against Genes were sent eleuen gallies of the Venetians guided by Grillo Conterin and one speciall gallie of the Popes carying Octauian Fregosa Ieronimo Dorea with many other of the banished men of that state And by land at the same time and for the same expedicion was dispatched M. Anth. Colonno with a hundred men at armes and seuen hundred footemen This Capteine hauing left the pay of the Florentyns and being interteyned by the Pope aboade vpon the territories of Lucqua vnder cooller to furnish his band giuing out a brute that he was afterwards to goe to Bolognia And albeit Monsr Chaumont entred into some suspicion of Genes by reason of his abiding yet not knowing that the armie by sea was to come and the Pope spreading a suttle and dissembling brute that the preparacions of the Svvyzzers and houering of M. Anth. were to execute some surprise vpon Ferrara Chaumont made no other prouision for Genes then a certeine smal crew of footemen whome he sent thether Marke Anth. marched with his companies vp to the vale of Visagna within a mile of the walls of Genes notwithstanding he was not receiued according to the Popes
they marched along the high way of Portonouo where lay part of the strength of thAlmains his light horsmen that scoured before encountred out of the towne with capteine Rissan an Almain accōpanied with two hundred men at armes and three hundred light horsmen by whom at the first encounter they were repulsed but Aluiano comming to the reskew with the residue of his companies the skirmish was eftsones recontinued with greater fury daunger no lesse doubtfull thissue till capteine Rissan being wounded in the face was taken prisoner by Malatesta Sogliano The chaunce of the fight threw the next calamitie vpon the souldiors of Rissan who seeking their sauety by disorder and fleing retyred in their calamitie to Portonouo But fearing they should fayle to defend the towne that were not hable to kepe the feelde in their feare they fledde from the place that earst they ranne vnto for succour abandoning the towne which immediatly was put to sacke and many bodies of the contrey men slaughtred After this Aluiano in whom no one vertue was more cōmendable then his celeritie tooke the way to Osofo which Frangipan had newly besieged with the other part of the Almains who hearing of the cōming of Aluiano leauied their siege notwithstanding they lost much of their baggage and artilleries by a charge which the light horsemen gaue vpon their tayle By the same of these encounters bringing alwayes with them their victories almoste the whole contrey of Italie became returned to thobedience of the Venetians and Aluiano attempting a vayne enterprise vpon Goritia retyred with his armie to Padoa hauing by his owne certificate to Rome subdued what by the sworde and prisoners two hundred men at armes two hundred light horsmen and two thousande footemen But by reason of his departing the number of thAlmains being encreased they tooke of newe Cromonio and Monfalcon and constrayned the Venetians to breake vp their siege from before Marano where not manye dayes before capteine Frangipan had bene taken by ambush led prisoner to Venice for the Venetians feeling supplies and succors to flocke brake vp from thence in disorder and as it were discomfited and a litle after their estradiots beeing put to flight Iohn Vetturio their assistant was taken with an hundred horsemen These chaunges and alterations hapned oftentimes in Friull by the neighborhoode of thAlmains who were not serued in that quarter with other souldiors then trayned disciplined and such as after they had ouerronne pilled those quarters and that they perceiued the comming of the Venetian regiments with whom many of the contrey ioyned they retired immediatly to their houses returning alwayes to the seruice as occasion serued The Venetians sent thither a new supply of cōpanies by reason wherof the Viceroy gaue order that Alarson one of his Spanish capteins which lay betwene Este Montagnano Cologno should go to Friull with two hūdred men at armes an hundred light horsmen fiue hundred footemen but vnderstanding on the way that a truce was made in the contry by reason of the haruest he brake off his purpose returned frō whēce he came Thus as the warres of Italie proceeded mildly and in an easie course so also the practises of peace and agreement were not discontinued for the Frenche king being not altogether depriued of hope that the Svvizzers woulde consent to receiue recompense of money in place of resignation of his interestes and rightes sent to solicite them in that poynt with great instance But the Communalties were so farre estraunged from the king and his affayres that after they had compelled with many threatninges the gouernour of Geneua when thostages fled to deliuer them as prisoner the president of Grenoble whom the king had sent to that Citie to negociate with them They examined him with many torments whether any of their nation receyued any increase of pensions or interteined secret intelligence with the French king wherein no humanitie nor iustification was sufficient to stoppe the course of their barbarous crueltie Besides the Frenche king was not without suspicion that the Pope who for the diuersitie of his plottes and intentions was constrayned to sayle with great warynes amongst so many rockes would secretly worke the Svvizzers not to couenaunt with the king without him Not that he doubted he would stirre them vp to make warre from which he disswaded them so muche as he coulde but to remayne firme in thaccorde of Dyon or else for feare that with this beginning they were not brought to be separate from him In these regardes the king threatned that he would make hast to come to accord with the residue for that he alone would not stande thrust out to the battery of the whole world he was also weary of thintollerable expences and insolencies of souldiors for that hauing called into Fraunce twentie thousande Launceknightes whom he could not haue altogether but when the king of Englande laye before Tornay he would not sende them backe agayne but reteyned them in Fraunce to haue them ready for employment in due time according to occasion and necessitie These were they that did infinite harmes in his countrey with whom his authoritie was litle respected that by force was not hable to represse their insolencies In these difficulties and in so great confusion of affayres the onely matter that began to open to the French king the waye to his surety and hope to repossesse his first power reputation was the incredible discontentment that the king of Englande receyued of the renouation of the truce which his father in lawe had made A matter contrary to his faith promise many times reitterated to make no couenant nor cōtract with the french king without his consent he complayned so much the more publikely of this by howmuch it was the thirde tyme that his father in lawe had dallyed with him and therefore he began more and more to estraunge his minde from the renewing of the warre agaynst the french The Pope was not negligent to take thoportunitie of the kings disposition and began to worke with the Cardinal of Yorke to perswade his king that contenting himselfe with the glorie he had gotten and remembring what correspondancie of fayth he had founde in Caesar in the king Catholike and the Svvizzers he would forbeare to trauell any more with armes the realme of Fraunce which the Cardinall tooke vpon him eyther for a feare he had that the Frenche king in case the king of Englande would inuade him would not make peace and parentage with Caesar and the king Catholike as he alwayes threatned or else he thoughte that peace ensuing betweene them it were good for him to aduaunce him selfe as an actor and winne some fauour with the Frenche king in an action whiche was not in his power to lette It is moste certayne that when the Pope was tolde that the Frenche king woulde take armes agaynst the duchie of Millan being once assured of the king of Englande he aunswered