against his sonne in law the Archduc Philip who in the beginning of the yeere 1506 sailed into Spaine 1506. with a purpose to take the gouernment of Castile in to his owne hands But by the entermise of the NObles of the realme an accord was made betweene his father in law him and the king of Aragon departed into his realme of Naples with very honorable conditions But not long after died the Archduc because his wife daughter of the said King Ferdinand was distracted of hir wits both hir selfe being mad in all points but in this likewise hir whole realme of Castile reuoqued king Ferdinand out of Italy reestablished him in the gouernment of Castile till such time as Charles the saide Archducs sonne nephew of the said Ferdinand being very yong should be of age to gouerne the Realme him selfe About this tyme also the Pope by ayde of the French king recouered Bolonia from the Bentiuoli though litle to the kings honor who had receiued the sayd citie of Bolonia the Bentiuoli into his protection in the yeare 1500 yet now betraied theÌ„ to the Pope more regarding the Popes pleasure theÌ„ his owne honour and faith for the which fact the Pope wel requited him as hereafter you shall heare But to returne to the french affaires The Genuoys 1507. seing the Kings greatnes so mightely to decline in Italie by losse of the realme of Naples and being also desirous to recouer their libertie determined to rebell and to withdraw their obedience froÌ„ him which also they did and began first to chace away his officers afterwards to spoile the noble mens houses in the towne But the king being aduertised thereof passed in person with a mightie armie into Italie soone reduced them to their former obedience which being done he presently dismissed his army and returned into France therby deliuering all the states of Italie froÌ„ the ielousie they had conceiued of him that he ment to make some farther attempt Cap. 5. A confederacie is made at Cambray against the venetians the french ouerthrow them at the battell of Guyradadda SOone after this the practise aboue mentioned 1508. against the Venetians which had been long treated off vnder hand had long ere this ben concluded but that so many strings could not so soone be tuned for the Pope the kings of Romains FrauÌ„ce Aragon were concurring in the accion brake openly foorth For you shall vnderstand that Pope Iulius hating the Venetians extremly because they detained from him certain towns in Romania beloÌ„ging to the Church receiued into their protection the church rebells namely the Bentiuoli others laboured to make peace among these Princes and to conuert their armes not against the Infidels but against the said Venetians which also he effected in the end the rather because euery one of these Princes had priuate quarells to them The Popes quarell you haue already heard and the cause of the french kings displeasure towards them I haue in part touched also before said it was for that they refused to ayde him in his wars of Naples according to their league which was the onely losse of the said realme as he said But in very deede his principall hatred against theÌ„ was because they held Cremona the couÌ„trie of Guiradadda members of the Duchie of Milan which notwithstanding that they wer deliuered to theÌ„ by his own agreemeÌ„t at such time as they aided him to chace Lodouic Sforce out of the said duchie yet now considering their ingratitude towards him withall how necessary those countries were for the strength defence of the said Duchie of Milan he determined to recouer theÌ„ againe into his owne hands Maximilian and the Archduc Charles his Nephew had an auncient quarell to theÌ„ first for Verona Padoua vincâ—nse and diuers other townes with helde from the Empire and secondarelie for the countries of Friull and Treuisa which they with hold from the house of Austria Besides that Maximillians quarrell was lately greatlie increased for euen in this very yeere 1508 they had not onely denied him passage through their countries for his souldiers whose passage he pretended to be onely because he ment to goe to take the crowne imperiall at Rome though they knew well the contrarie but had also defeated his companies being entred into their dominions by force And notwithstanding that they had reason so to doe knowing his purpose to be no thing lesse then that which he pretended that he came with a resolution to surprise those places which he claimed to be his yet this defeate of his men exasperated him not a little against them for few Princes can endure the contrarying of their wills be it neuer so iustly done The king of Spaine likewise hated them because they held in the realme of Naples certaine townes engaged to them by Ferdinand King of Naples in the warrs of Charles the eight which by no meanes they would restore Thus all these princes beeing animated against them a generalleague was concluded among them against the said Venetians at Cambray The Pope 1509. began first with spirituall armes and sent forth a terrible bull against them from the which they appealed to the next generall Counsell But of all the other Princes the king of Fraunce was first in a redinesse and with an armie of 24000 men inuaded their dominions And they encountered him with noe lesse forces and vnder the conduct of Aluiane the Earle of Petillian gaue him battaile in the which they were ouerthrowen Petillian sayde through Aluianas temeritie and ouergreat heate and Aluiana sayde through Petillians cowardise or malice who would not ayde him with his troups beecause the battaile was fought against his aduice But howsoeuer it were certaine it is that the Venetians lost in this battayle 10000 men and Aluiana himselfe was taken prisoner therein This battel is called the battell of Guiradadda or de la Vaile After this victorie almost all the townes that the Venetians held in Italie yeelded to the king who restored to the king of Romaines those that he pretended Title to to the Pope those that hee quareled which being done he returned to Milan This yeare dyed Henry king of England the two and twenteth of Aprill to whom succeeded Henry his sonne a young Prince eighteene yeares of age of whom heereafter ample mencion shall bee made and this yeare also the seuenteenth of October dyed Philip de Commines Lord of Argenton a worthie counseler and no lesse worthie writer Cap. 6. The Venetians are reconciled to the Pope and the King of Aragon all they three toyne together against the King The Swyssers also beecome the Kings enemies the quarell beetweene the Pope and the Duke of Ferrare the Pope loseth Bolonia The King withdraweth himselfe from the Popes obedience The Pope excommunicateth the whole Realme of Fraunce The battayle of Rauenna wherein the Pope and his confederats are ouerthrowen THE
Vendosme recouered Hesdin and afterward all the other townes and on the other side the Marshall of Brissac in Piemom wâ—n from the Emperour the towne of Alba. But to returne to the siege of Metz. Notwithstanding that the Emperour vsed all warlike attempts for the taking of the towne and so coÌ„tinually beat it with artilerie that it is reported by some his batterie to haue beene heard as farre as Strausbourg and by othersome aboue 22. Duch miles from the towne yet was the industrie of those within the towne and the miserie of his souldiours without the towne such his camp being most grieuously afflicted with the plague famine bluddie flux and cold the siege continewing in the midst of an extreame winter as before you haue heard that hee was forced to leuie his siege returne into Flaunders the second day of Ianuarie 1553. after the Duch Italian accompt who begin the yeare the first of Ianuarie but 1552. after the French who begin it not till Easter At his departure to the ende hee mought returne with the more speede he cast into the Riuer a great part of his artilerie and munition for the warres farther hee lost in this siege 40000. men the ignominie thereof so much afflicted him that he forbare all communication with men and soone after resigned the Empire to his brother and his orher states to his sonne and put himselfe into an Abbie in Spaine where he ended his dayes Such misfortunes Princes often fall into when they are wedded to their owne wills and reiect all good aduise or rather when GOD is purposed to punish them and to chaunge their good fortune into bad It is reported that the Emperours armie sustayned so extreame miserie in this siege that one day as hee roade thorow his Campe a poore souldier beeing miserably afflicted with the bluddye fluxe cryed out thus to him as he passed by Thou sonne of a mad woman how much miserie doe I and many a thousand more endure heere through thy ambition and wilfull obstinancie If thou wert not tainted with thy mothers humor thou wouldest neuer haue brought vs to this siege at this time of the yeare which words the Emperour hearing gaue no euell answere therevnto but onely sayde good words souldiour this matter shall bee remedied ere long be and with that gaue the poore soule money wherewith to comfort himselfe and soone after raysed his siege leauing a great number behinde him sicke whom the enemies of very pitie succoured and relieued But notwithstanding the Emperours euell fortune here before Metz his armie in Picardie vnder the leading of Monsieur de Reux besieged Therouenne in the which siege the sayd de Reux dyed after whose death Monsieur de Lalain continued the siege with a mine ouerthrew the fortifications wherevpon Montmorency the Constables sonne Gouernour of the towne yeelded the place and withall himselfe and diuers other noble men of Fraunce prisoners Cap. 6. The Imperialls raze Hesdin The Duke of Arscot is taken prisoner The death of Edward the sixt King of England and of Duke Maurice The king inuadeth the Emperour with three armies the battaile of Renty THe Emperour because of the variance that was among his Captaines made the Duke of Sauoye generall of his armie who in Iulie recouered also Hesdin from the French in the which the duke of Bouillon was taken prisoner and razed the Castle as the Imperials before had done the Castell of Therouenne buylt a new Hesdin in a more conuenient place vppon the Riuer of Cauche which they called Hesdinfiert From thence the Duke of Sauoy marched towards Dourlans and Amiens where the Constable with part of the Kings armie met with certaine of his troupes vpon the fifteenth of August and hauing layde diuers ambushes to entrap them charged them and ouerthrew them and toke prisoner the Duke of Arscot who was led to Boys de Vincennes neere to Paris whence hee escaped in the yeare 1556 wherevpon the Emperour ieasted of him saying that he was taken like a begger and scaped away like a theefe Farther the king in person with a mightie armie entered into Artoys and came before Cambray where the Imperiall armie lay in such sort that the battaile was looked for there but it fell otherwise out wherevpon the king returned to Paris leauing the Marshall of Saint Andre to spoyle the Countrey In this yeare the sixth of Iulie dyed Edward king of England a young Prince of rare expectation and to him succeeded Marie his sister Cosin germaine to the Emperour who about Saynt Iames tide the nezt yeare maryed with the Prince of Spaine the Emperours sonne And the ninth of Iulie was a cruell battaile fought in Germanie betwene Duke MAVRICE and Albert Marques of Brandenbourg in the which the sayde Albert was vanquished and Duke MAVRICE lost his lise You haue heard how the king returned to Paris leauing the Marshall of Saint Andre behinde him 1554. to spoyle the Countrey of Artoys But the next sommer the king leuied three armies one vnder the leading of the Prince of Roche sur Yonne was sent into Artoys where it spoyled many townes villages The Constable with an other armie entered into Haynault and the Duke of Neuers with a third into the countrey of Ardennes and Liege where he burned and spoiled all the country before him The Constable likewise in Haynault burnt Cymay a towne appertaining to the Duke of Arsâ—ot Trelon and Glayon and tooke Mariembourg through the cowardise of him that defended it with the fame of the which victorie the king being incited came in person into his army and tooke Bouuines in Brabant and burned it and sacked Dinand But the Emperour leuied a mightie power to encounter him vnder the leading of the Duke of Sauoy Wherevpon the King returned againe into Haynault and destroyed Bins and Mariemount the Queene of Hungaries places of pleasure in reuenge of Folenbray in Picardie which the Imperialls burned in the yeare 1552. as before you haue heard thus hauing burned and spoiled all Haynault the King with his army entered into Artoys and besieged Renty But the Emperour with his whole force came to leauie the siege in such sort that a battaile was there fought betweene the king and him in the which the successe on both sides was so equall that the victorie can iustlie be attributed to neither part some call it but a halfe battaile Notwithstanding this was the battaile in the which it was first found by experience that the rutters with their Pistoles are not able to abide the force of the Launce if they be roughly and resolutely charged The next day as the King was returning to the siege of the towne he reccaued newes that his forces were ouerthrowen in Italie wherevpon he retired and returned to Montrueil and the Emperour likewise to Bruxelles Cap. 7. The warres of Siena Brissacs successe in Piemont Pope Iulius dieth Paule the fourth succedeth The French in Piemont take Vulpian The
the kings griefe for she was a most wise and vertuous Ladie The Imperials hauing chaced the French armie cleane out of the Duchie of Milan as before you haue heard but knowing the kings magnanimitie to bee such that hee would not faile to attempt the recouery therof determined to inuade him first in his owne Countrey thereby to cause him to attend to the defence of his owne Realme to stay him from trobling the Emperour on the other side of the mountains Wherefore the Duke of Bourbon with a mightie armie entered into Prouince promising the Emperour to worke wonders there for his seruice and besieged Marseilles But the king in person with a great armie came to succour the towne wherevpon Bourbon for all his great bragges and the Imperials were forced to leuic their siege and in great hast retired to Milan whether the king with his whole armie folowed them soone recouered Milan and in a manner the whole countrie except Pauia before the which he went and layde his siege Wherevpon the Pope entered into league with him and the Swyssers who the last yeare had traiterously refused to ioyne with the Admirall Boniuets armie and had abandoned the French as before you haue heard returned to the kings seruice againe But while the king lay beefore the siege of Pauia and had brought it to extreame necessitie Bourbon went into Germanie and brought with him 6000. footemen and 2000. horse Farther 6000. Rhetians being corrupted by the Imperials abandoned the kings campe and returned home leading also certaine bands of Swyssers away with them The king also by the Popes perswasion had sent the Duke of Albanie from the siege of Pauia vvith 10000. footemen and 600. horse to inuade the Realme of Naples supposing to drawe the Imperialls thither for the defence of that Realme vvhich notwithstanding wisely they forbare to do knowing the Realme of Naples to be in sufficient saftie if they ouerthrew the king Thus the kings camp being by the departure of those aboue mentioned greatly weakened and the forces that remayned with him through the corruption of his officers not being the one halfe of the number that he payed which was a wonderfull thing that such an abuse should be offered to a Prince beeing with his armie in person himselfe the Imperialls being ignorant of none of these disorders determined to inuade him in his owne Campe where through the defect of courage in the Swyssers hee was taken prisoner him selfe fighting more valiauntly then any man in his armie many of the nobilitie were slayne and many taken and the Swyssers were in manner all cut in pieces by the Landsknights in reuenge of the auncient hatred betwene the sayde Swyssers and them This battaile is called the battaile of Pauia and was fought vpon Saint Mathias day being the day of the Emperours Natiuitie in the yeare 1525. according to the Italians but 1524. according to the French which variance ariseth as before I haue mentioned because the one beginne the yeare vpon the first of Januarie and the other not before Easter The Duke of Albanie after the kings captiuitie by the Popes meanes passed by sea with his armie safly into Fraunce Thus was this noble King through the disorders principally proceding from his owne officers and Captaines taken prisoner as you haue heard who not being dismayed with this sodaine blow of fortune behaued himself with such princely magnanimitie that he was honored had in admiratiō euen of his enemies in such sort that his captiuitie blemished not but rather caused his noble vertues the more to shine as by this one example which I will rehearse shall well appeare So soone as hee was brought to his lodging hee sent for the leaders of the Imperiall armie and tould them that hee had a sute vnto them which he trusted they would not denie him Wherevnto when they semed doubtfull what answere to make supposing it to bee some great matter of difficultie that they mought not aduenture to graunt without the Emperours priuitie he perceauing their immagination tould them it was no such important suit that required any such doubt onely his desire was that the young French boyes taken in the battel mought not remaine with the Italians but in exchaunge of other prisoners bee deliuered to the Spaniards which was presently graunted and executed accordingly though not without great admiration of the Imperialls who wondered that the king forgetting his owne misfortune being of a Prince made a prisoner in one day could remember to bee so carefull of the chastitie of these young boyes Cha. 8. The King of England confederateth himselfe with the estate of Fraunce and the Princes and states of Italie themselues against the Emperour The Imperialls seaze vpon the Duchie of Milan The King sayleth into Spaine The treatie of Madrid The king is deliuered The Children of Fraunce goe in hostage into Spaine T The Emperour hauing receaued the 1525. newes of the kings captiuitie semed to take it very modestly forbidding all signes of ioy to be vsed alledging that we ought to reioyce at the ouerthrow of Turkes and infidels but not of any Christian Prince which his modest behauiour put the world in great hope that hee would deliuer the king with such honorable conditions as mought establish a quiet peace in Christendome perpetual amitie betweene them twayne But his rigor to the king afterwards declared his spirit to be farre from any such moderation as his externall beehauiour made shew of Farther you shall vnderstand that the king of England vpon the receipt of these newes leuied amighty armie purposing in person to inuade Fraunce but hee continued not long in that minde vppon these occasions folowing First certaine difficulties arose betwene the Emperour and him the king demaunding bearing but equall charges with the Emperour an vnequall part of the conquest of Fraunce and the Emperour hoping to obtaine better conditions of the King of Fraunce by making peace then he should doe if he ioyned with the king of England by making warre Secondarely the Cardinall of YORKE being altogether French and enemie to the Emperour diswaded the king of England from farther ioyning with the Emperour who was alredie so mightie that his greatnesse was become terrible to all his neighbours round about him Thirdly after the battaile of Pauia the Emperour semed not to make so great accompt of the king of England as before he had done for first he refused to marie the Lady Mary the king of Englands daughter being very young and maried the sister of Ihon king of Portugale as hereafter you shall heare with whom he receiued a great masse of money whereof he stood in great neede Farther whereas beefore the battaile of Pauia he neuer wroat letter to the king of England but with his owne hand and with this subscrption Your sonne and Cosin Charles after the battaile he neuer wroat letter with his owne hand nor with other subscription then his simple name Charles all
and townes confederated with them against him perswading the Pope who sent him ayde in these warrs that his quarel was Religion but to the princes Protestāts of Germanie many of the which were in his Camp ayded him he pretended that he made warr vppon them for their rebellion although in truth neither of both these were the cause motife of this warre but his owne ambition for his purpose was by vsing the Germanies help against the Germaines so to weaken both parts and in the meane time so to plant garrisons of Spaniards in the strong places of the countrey that in the ende he mought make the easier conquest of the whole And such successe he had at the beginning of these warrs that he toke the Duke of Saxonie prisoner made the Lantzgraue come yeld him selfe to his mercie but with this condition that he should not be detained in prison which article the Emperour so gloased with a Spanish exposition that that notwithstanding he emprisoned him alleadging that the article mentioned onely perpetual emprisonment The Palfzgraue also and the Duke of Wirtemberg and diuers other Princes and free Townes submitted them selues to him and with their money bought their peace You haue heard before how Henry the eight king of England dyed a little before king Francis and left behinde him Prince Edward his sonne a childe about tenne yeares of age the sayed King Henry before his death had practised a marriage in Scotland betwene the sayd prince his sonne afterward called Edward the vj and the heyre of Scotland being about foure yeares of age and so farre this matter was proceded in that the greatest part of the states of Scotland had giuen their consent thereunto but after king Henrys death by the perswasion of the Queene mother being of the house of Guyse and by the practise of the French faction who could not endure this vniting of these two Realmes by the sayd mariage the treatie made with king Henry was disauowed and a practise set on foote to bestow this yong Princes vpon the Daulphin of Fraunce for the which cause the English men entered into Scotland with a mightie armie spoiled all the countrie whom the Scotts encountering with all their forces at a place called Muscleborow were ouerthrowen and a great number of them slayne in September this yeare 1547. after the which victorie the English men tooke manie Castles and strong places and entered as farre as Edemborough the chiefe Citie of the Countrey and fortified Hedington a strong Towne where what happened what issue these warres had hereafter you shall heare The Emperour hauing ended his warres aboue mentioned in Germanie and established the 1548. Interim which was a forme of Religion to bee obserued till the assemblie of a generall counsell came downe into the low countries leading the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantzgraue with him as it were in triumph to the no small griefe of diuers Princes of the Empire especially of Duke MAVRICH sonne in law to the sayde Lantzgraue as the sequell shall well declare About this tyme also the Prince of Spaine the Emperours sonne came out of Spaine into Italie and from thence to Bruxelles to his father beeing honorably receaued in all places through which he passed But the Realme of Fraunce beeing deliuered from forrayne warres beeganne to bee vexed with domesticall seditions for a great rebellion was raysed at BOVRDEAVX and through all GVIENNE and XAINTOIGNE for a newe imposition increased vppon Sault for the appeasing whereof the Constable and Monsieur d'Aumalle were sent into those partes who punished very sharply them of BOVRDEAVX because they had slaine the kings officers and commited many disorders and tooke from them all their priuiledges and condemned both them and other townes that had offended in great summes of money and so appeased the tumult Cap. 2. The King aydeth the Scots against the English hee inuadeth the Countrey of Boulonoys The Queene of Scots is caried into Fraunce Paule the third dyeth Iulius the third succedeth peace betwene England and Fraunce YOu haue heard how the last yeare the English men were entered into Scotland as farre as Edingbourg and had ouerthrowen the Scots at Muscleborow for the which cause the Scots sent into Fraunce for ayde and the King knowing how preiudiciall it should bee for him and his Realme to suffer the English men to nestle in Scotland sent thether an armie of 6000. men vnder the leading of Monsieur d'Esse Strozzi the Rhingraue and others who made head against the English men and much endamaged them wanne Hedington which they had fortefied from them while in the meane time their nauie conueighed the young Queene into Fraunce notwithstanding the English nauie that lay vpon the Sea to stoppe their passage purposly to haue surprised the sayde young Queene and to haue brought hir into England but the French nauie escaped them and ariued safly in Fraunce After the conueighing away of the young Queene the king reuoqued d'Esse and sent de Thermes a valiant souldier and a wise man to take the charge of his armie in Scotland willing him to busie the English men on that side while the French forces entered into the Countrey of Boulonoys for notwithstanding that peace had beene concluded as before you haue heard betwene king Francis and king Henry before their death and afterward confirmed also betwene the two Realmes yet that notwithstanding the French perceauing the Realme of England to be vexed with seditions because of the alteration of Religion vsed that opportunitie and besieged Bouloyne but could not take it notwithstanding diuers other small peces held by the English in the countrey of Boulonoys namely Boulonberg Hambletow and Montlambert and diuers other they toke This yeare also the tenth of Nouember died Pope Paule the third to whom after three moneths dissencion in the Consistorie succeded Iulius the third and this yeare also in December died Margaret Queene of Nauarra sister to king Francis a Lady of an excelent spirit But after these wars aboue mentioned had thus passed as you haue hard since the beginning of this kings 1550. reigne betwene the French English nations as well in Scotland as in Boulonoys both parts disposed thēselues to peace England was afflicted not onely with sorraine warrs but also with domesticall seditions of the commons and dissentions among the nobles the French king was entered into practise against the Emperour both in Italie with Octauio Prince of Parma and in Germanie with duke Maurice and diuers other Princes who hated the Emperour deadly for his extreame tiranie vsed against the liberties of their country Wherefore the King meaning to attempt somewhat against the Emperour was the more inclined to make peace with England thereby to haue all cleere on that side of Fraunce Both the Realmes therfore being thus disposed to concord their commissioners met concluded peace with these cōditions Boloyne was restored to the French for the which they payed