better to dispose the minde of the king and the Cardinall d'Amboyse he promised by writte whiche the sayde Nuncio caried with him the dignitie of Cardinall to the Bishoppes of Achx and Bayeux forgetting nothing that he thought might further theffect of those ambitions which he had nourished with so great care and trauell of mynde And yet notwithstanding in so great a heate and vehemencie of forwardnesse he entred oftentimes into many doubtes and difficulties for that eyther for a certayne hate he had conceyued agaynst the Frenche king at suche time as he fledde into Fraunce eschewing thambushes of Pope Alexander or for that it much discontented him to be drawen as it were by compulsion by the power and importunitie of the French king to transferre to the Cardinal of Amboyse the legation of the kingdome of Fraunce or lastly for that he suspected least the said Cardinal whose behauiours tended directly to the Popedome not hauing patience to tarie for his death would not seeke to aspire to his place by wayes sinister and extraordinarie In regarde of which impressions more troublesome for the suttletie of the man then that there was reason he should feare so farre made him oftentimes wander in disposition determining not wholly to ioyne with the Frenche king and yet without his coniunction he knew it was impossible that at that tyme any thing of consequence should succeede with him For which reasons he sent on the other side to Pisa Baltasar Blasquo a Genovvay capteine of his galleis with commission to arme two lighte Galleis which Pope Alexander had caused to builde there but it was thought that it was to this ende to be more ready to deliuer Genes from the gouernment of the Frenche in case the king who yet remayned vexed with the reliques of his disease should happen to dye Thus matters hanging in suche an estate of suspence the first action of this yeare 1506. beganne by thembarking of king Philip to sayle out of Flaunders into Spayne with a great armie by sea And to reduce his going to a more facilitie and safetie for he feared least his father in lawe by the ayde of the Frenche woulde hinder his passage he practised the Spanishe subtelties and agreed with him to leaue vnto him the managing and pollicie of the moste parte of affayres and that they shoulde take in common the title of king of Spayne according to thexample in the Queenes tyme and lastely that the reuenues and tributes shoulde be deuided in an order certayne and indifferent By reason of which accorde his father in lawe notwithstanding he was not assured of thobseruation sent him into Flaunders many shippes to furnishe his voyage with the which hauing embarked his wyfe and Ferdinand his seconde sonne he tooke his course into Spayne with forwarde windes whiche within two dayes turning cleane contrarie after his nauie had runne a daungerous fortune and made a wearie resistaunce agaynst the furie of the sea his shippes were caste vpon sundrie coastes of Englande and Brittaine his owne person with two or three shippes beeing dryuen with manyfest perill vppon Englande into the hauen of Southhampton whereof Henry the seuenth then king of that Nation beeing aduertised sent to him with speede many Barons to doo him honour and desire him to come to his Court then at London A request whiche Philip coulde not denie the king of Englands demaunde beeing no lesse honorable then his owne estate full of necessitie and nakednesse He remayned in the Court of Englande vntill all his Nauie was reassembled and eftsoones rigged making in the meane whyle betweene them newe capitulations wherein albeit Philippe in all other things helde him selfe vsed as a king yet in this one thing he complayned that he was constrayned as a prysoner to consent to redelyuer into king Henries handes the duke of Suffolke whome he helde prisoner within the castell of Namur and whome the king of Englande desyred muche to haue in his power for that he quarreled the tytle of the Crowne pretending the righte of the kingdome to apperteine to him onely the king of Englande assured Philip by the fayth and worde of a king that he woulde not put him to death which he did as iustly perfourme as he had honorably promised keeping him in prison so long as he lyued and afterwardes was beheaded vnder the reigne and cōmaundement of his sonne King Philip sayled afterwardes with a more happie nauigation into Spayne where almost all the Barons flocked to him bringing in their countenaunces apparaunt signes of gratulation and gladnes of his comming and in their mindes assured resolution to aduaunce him In so muche as his father in lawe who was not strong ynough of him selfe to resist him and lesse confidence that in the Frenche promises was any suretie of foundation seeing him selfe almost abandoned of euery one and the articles of the firste accorde disallowed and finding withall a very harde and paynefull accesse to his sonne in lawe was constrayned to agree to new conditions such as were offred to him nothing respecting the former ▪ wherein notwithstanding they proceeded not rigorously for the good nature of Phillip but muche more for the perswasions of those which had shewed themselues great enemies to Ferdinand for that beeing in continuall doubt that by his wisdome and authoritie together with the facilitie of Philips disposition he would not get better fauour in the end winne gouernment with his sonne they solicited as much as they could his departing out of Castillo It was accorded that Ferdinand should giue ouer the gouernment which his wife had left to him by testamēt together with al that he could pretend in that right that he should spedely depart out of Castillo with promise to returne no more That Ferdinand shoulde possesse the kingdome of Naples as his owne notwithstanding there were that alleaged that it apperteined to Philip for that it was conquered with the armes and power of the kingdome of Castillo which was the same reason happly more iust by the which Ferdinand was wont to pretende the sayde realme to apperteine to him as being wonne by the treasures and forces of the state of Aragon The tributes of the yles of India were reserued to him during his life together with the three great mastershippes of S. Iames Alcantara and Calatraua It was also agreed that he should take euery yere xxv thousand duckets of the reuenues of the Realme of Castillo Assone as this contract was resolued and passed to publication Ferdinand whom hereafter we will call eyther the king Catholike or the king of Aragon went foorthwith into Aragon with intention to passe by sea to Naples with all the diligence he might not so muche for the desire he had to see that kingdome and to reestablish it as to remoue the great Capteine agaynst whom since the death of the Queene he had conceyued many suspitions eyther that he aspired to transferre to him selfe the kingdome or at
ambition by so muche lesse is limited the desire of oppression which in mindes corruptly inclined holdes nothing vnlawfull that may serue to thaction pretended nor any thing vnreasonable that agreeth with the humor of their passion in whom this is one natural custome to conuert all things to his owne propertie working The Pope omitting neither meane nor matter that might giue furtherance to his purpose made secret solicitation to Henry the eight then king of Englande to rayse warre agaynst the French king wherein enforcing the memorie of thauncient emulations of those two kingdomes he ioyned to the facilitie of thenterprise this occasion of the felicitie and successe that if he would begin to leauie armes agaynst Fraunce thaction would take imitation in many others to whom the puissance and greatnes of that crowne was either suspected or hated he forgat not to encourage him to embrace with that deuotion which in other times had bin proper to the kings of Englande the glorie that was offred him to be protector and preseruer of the sea Apostolike which without the ayde of his authoritie and reskewe stoode in manifest daunger by thambition of the French king In this practise the king of Aragon did communicate with the Pope but secretly and not really vsing perhaps this moderation of minde not to suffer his desires to be greater then his fortunes But that which was of greatest importance the Pope enterteined still with the Svvizzers the negociations which were begonne by the Bishop of Syon by whose authoritie being great with that nation and perpetuall importunitie labouring their assemblies and councels and preaching in their Churches he obteined at last that the Svvizzers receiuing euery yere a thousande Florins of Rhein for euery Canton shoulde be bounde to the protection of him and the estate of the Churche with permission to the Pope for his defence agaynst all men that would vex him to leauie certayne proportions of footmen The occasion that moste helped forwarde this matter and made his request more easie and plausible was the disagreement that began to kindle betweene them and the Frenche king For the Svvizzers being of nature proude and weening became more raysed and lifted vp in minde by the estimation that others had of them and chalenging to them selues peculiarly the glorie of the French victories were caried into this presuming that all the conquests and honorable actions which eyther the king raigning or his predecessor had obteined in Italie proceeded principally of their valour and the feare of their armes And therevpon insisting vppon merites as though the crowne of Fraunce ought much to them they demaunded the French king soliciting to make renouation of thalliance that nowe was determined that he would augment their pensions being then threescore thousand frankes by yere ouer and aboue the mercenarie contributions which were secretly dispearsed amongst priuat persons pensions which had ben begon vnder Lovvis the eleuenth and continued vnto the present time But for that they accompanied their demaundes with a presumptuous audacitie which the king construed to manifest insolencie and for that of paisantes and mountayne men suche was his phrase they sought imperiously to impose and taxe him being a king he began so to shake them of with wordes and countenaunces that they might discerne how muche he disdayned them more respecting hys dignitie royall then regarding the present vtilitie of things He was the more induced to this for that at the same season by the solicitation of George Sopressan the peoples of the valleys subiects of Sion who were gouerned in seuen communities which they call courtes being corrupted by publike promises and priuate pensions were not onely confederate with him but also bounde to giue passage to his people and refuse it to his enemies and withall to enter into his payes with such numbers of footmen as their forces were hable to beare In the same sort did enter confederacie with him the Lordes of the three leagues whom they call the Grisons and albeit one part of the men of the valley had not yet approued it the king was not without hope to induce them to ratification by the selfe same meanes In so muche as he began to perswade him selfe that the amitie of the Svvizzers was nowe no more necessarie to him hauing determination to supplye his warres with Almain footmen ouer and besides those proportions of souldiours whiche the valley men and Grisons should furnishe him of Besides he feared little their stirres or preparations and lesse exspectation that they were hable to assayle the duchie of Millan but by the straites of Ballinsona and other passages of great difficultie through the which if they should march in great trowpes and numbers he made his reckoning that they would be easily reduced into necessitie of vittels by a small armie And if they came but in small companies a slender strength woulde likewise suffice to make them retyre Wherein he made his coniectures at random and seemed to lymit the fortunes of them whose forces he yet knewe not flattering himselfe with his proper greatnes An humor preiudicially mouing in Princes in whom there ought to be no parcialitie of comparison when there is question of enterprise and action But because he stoode resolute not to graunt them augmentation of pensions he coulde not obteine in their councells a renouation of thalliance notwithstanding there were manye euen in the middest of them who did earnestly perswade it to whom in particular were retributed no small rewardes And for that cause they consented more easily to the confederation which was demaunded of them by the Pope By which newe confederation the Pope seeming to haue laied a great fundation for thaduauncing of his purposes and hauing a perpetuall nature to proceede in all thinges as supreme and soueraigne aboue all men and as though the whole world were in necessitie to receiue lawes of him he began to sowe seedes of newe controuersies with the Duke of Ferrara eyther pushed on by the cause that was in disputation betweene them or els by an auncient hatred for that hauing receiued of him so many honors benefites and gratifications he seemed neuerthelesse to depende more vpon the French king then vpon him A dealing whiche he construed preiudicially and farre contrarie to the recompence of his merites But whatsoeuer was the cause searching a beginning of the quarrell he commaunded imperiously Alfonso Duke of Ferrara to forbeare to continue the working of salt at Comacchio he alleaged that it was not reasonable that that which was not lawfull to him when the Venetians helde Ceruia should nowe haue suffraunce being possessed by the sea Apostolike to whom apperteined the absolute gouernment of Ferrara and Comacchio Besides it was a matter of great profite for that the working ceassing at Comacchio the saltpittes of Ceruia ministred traffike to all the townes thereaboutes But Duke Alphonso who reapposed more in the coniunction which he had with the French king and in his protection then he feared
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
by desire to be Cardinall was appoynted in an assembly of all the states of that ylande where he shewed with equall fauor full testimonie what was the iustice of the Popes cause Vppon this both it was determined to send the Prelats to the councell of Latran in the name of the whole Realme And also thimportunities of the Popes Embassador concurring the king commaunded the french kings Embassador to depart out of the Realme he published this reason of his commaundement that it was not cōuenient to enterteine about the person of a king and in a kingdome so deuout to the Churche a man that represented a king so manifestly persecuting the sea Apostolike Now began to be discouered the secret resolucion wherein the king of England with his armie by sea should molest the shoares of Normandy and Britaine should send eyght thowsand footemen into Spaine to make warre vpon the Duchie of Guyenu together with the forces of the king of Aragon A suspicion which not a litle afflicted the french king both for that the memorie of the warres past had made the english name very terrible to those peoples and also he knewe the daunger woulde grow so much the greater by how much the spanish forces were ioyned with them He was fearefull also by the consideracion of his owne weakenes hauing sent into Italy all his companies of men at armes sauing two hundred launces which if he should call backe eyther in part or in all the Duchie of Myllan which he esteemed much should remeyne in manifest perill And if for his resupplie he should encrease the auncient band of eyght hundred launces he could reapose litle confidence and hope for lesse assurance amyd so great daungers in persons newly created and vnexperiēced he added to this the suspicion of thallienacion of Caesar which daily more and more encreased for notwithstanding Andrevv Burgos whom he had sent with so great exspectacion and being returned brought tydings that Caesar was disposed to abide in the confederacion yet he made offers of very harde condicions entermedling many cōplaints for he required of the king to assure him to recouer al that apperteyned to him by the capitulacions of Cambray alleaging that he could no more trust in simple promisses for that he hath alwayes knowen both from the beginning and since that it was a matter very greeuous to the king that he should conquer Padoa And that to consume and hold him in continuall trauels he had willingly wasted two hundred thowsand duckats euery yeare knowing that to him the spēding of l. thowsand was much more That he had refused the last yeare to deliuer to him the person of Tryuulce being a Capteine that had both the will and the experience to put a speedy ende to the warre he required that the kings second Daughter being but two yeares olde might be promised to his Nephew induing her for her dowrye with Burgonnye and that the Daughter might presently be deliuered to his handes Lastly that there should be left referred to him the quarrells of Ferrara of Bolognia and the controuersie of the councell forbidding the french armie to march towards Rome protesting that he was not to endure that the king should any way encrease his estate in Italy These condicions of them selues greeuous and almoste intollerable were yet made more heauy by the experience he had that notwithstāding he should accord to him so many thinges yet he could not be assured that he would not varye eyther according to occasions or according to his custome yea thiniquitie of the condicions offered serued almost as a certeine argument that being already alienated from the french king he sought thoccasion to put it to effect vnder some cooller seeing that aswell in words as in works he disclosed many signes of an ill will for both the Proctors which he had so many tymes promised to sende to the councell of Pysa were not come with Burgos and also the Prelats assembled at Auspurge had at last made aunswer by a publike decree that the councell of Pysa was schismatike and detestable but yet with this moderacion that they were ready to chaunge sentence if they might be resolued in the contrary by reasons more strong and auaileable And yet notwithstanding the king at a tyme when he stoode most neede to assemble his forces was constrayned to menteyne at the request of Caesar two hundred launces and three thowsand footemen in Verona a garde of a thowsand footemen in Leguague Moreouer the feare of the Svvyzzers vexed not a litle the kings mind for albeit he had obteyned to send to their parliaments the Bayliffe of Amyens to whom he had giuen very ample commissions and was nowe resolued by discreete councell if such may be called councells discreete as are taken when thoportunitie of helping is past to spare no liberalities nor offers of money to reduce them to his amitie yet what with the hatred of the Commons which in this respit was made greater and with thimportunate perswasions of the Cardinall of Syon preuailing aboue thauthoritie of those that from parliament to parliament had hindred all resolucions that were to be made against him it was discerned that they inclined to send 6. thowsand footemen to the pay of the confederats who made demaund of them to oppose against the firme squadrons of the launceknightes Besides all this the king found him selfe depriued of all hopes of peace and agreement notwithstanding during the heate of the warre there had bene great labor and solicitacion made by the Cardinall of Nantes and the Cardinall of Strigonia A mightie Prelate of the Realme of Hungria for the Pope had made this last and resolute aunswer that if they would be better heard then before they shoulde so bringe to passe that the diabolicall councel of Pysa might be reuersed see restored to the Church her cities of Bolognia and Ferrara Wherein expressing no lesse violence in effects then furie in wordes he had newly deposed from their dignities many of the french Prelats which were resorted to the councell together with Phillipp Dece one of the most excellent lawyers of that time both for that he had written and disputed in the iustice of their cause and did follow the Cardinalls to be at hand for direction when matters required aduise and interpretacion of law In all these difficulties daungers and aduersities which inuyroned the french king on all sides he had not one firme or certeine footing in any part of Italy The estates of Ferrara and Bolognia serued him as in times past more for vexacions and charges then for any other vse And touching the Florentyns to whom he made a new instance to ioyne with him in a warre against Romagnia he could not draw from them other then general aunswers No he rather held them suspected by reason of the Vicerois Embassador of Naples ordinarily remeining at Florence but much more for that they had sent thEmbassador to the king Catholike did
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
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
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