to the king of England 400000. crownes The king of England promised to marie Elizabeth the eldest daughter of Fraunce afterward wife to Philip king of Spaine Both English and French departed Scotland which was ordained to be gouerned by one of their owne nation and both the Kings were made knights each of others order Cha. 3. The warres of Parma and Mirandula The kings nauie spoyleth diuers Holandish shippes The Turke winneth Tripoli THe king hauing thus established peace on that side of his realme began to attend to his forraine practises against the Emperor as well in Italie as in Germanie The first attempt that he made against the Emperour was the warre of Parma in Italie which began 1551. vpon this occasion Petrus Aloisius Franesius sonne to Pope Paule the third had giuen him by his father with the consent of the consistorie of Cardinalls Parma and Placencia in exchaunge of other lands and was created Duke thereof This Peter the tenth of September in the yeare 1547. was slaine in his owne house not without the consent of Ferdinando Gonzaga gouernour of Milan for the Emperour as it was thought For presently vpon his death the said Ferdinando came to Placencia and entered into it and placed a garrison in it to the Emperours vse and farther alowed Giouanni Aguzzolo who killed the sayde Peter with his owne hands twentie souldiours for his guard Octauius Peters sonne and sonne in law to the Emperour for he had married the Emperours base daughter widow of Alexander Medices duke of Florence demaunded of the Emperour against Gonzaga iustice of his fathers death and that Placentia mought bee restored to him againe but receauing frō him no thing but delatorie answers fearing to be spoiled of Parma as alreadie he was of Placentia hee sought for succour at the hands of Iulius tertius newly chosen Pope who misliking the Emperours greatnes in Italie perswaded Octauius to put himself vnder the protection of France not so much regarding Octauius good thereby as hoping by this meanes to set these two Princes at variaunce which hee accompted the onely preseruation of his owne estate But the Emperour on the other side beeing exceedingly offended with this reuolt of Octauio to the French practised with the Pope to claime Parma as the right of the Church and to excomunicate Octauio as the Church rebel promising him if he would so doe that hee would enter into these warres and besiege Parma and restore it to the Church if it were recouered Wherevpon the Pope respecting his owne profit more thē his credit or the goodnesse of the cause vtterly abandoned Octauio and ioyned with the Emperour in this warre But the king hauing receaued Octauio into his protection and that by the Popes owne perswasion promised to defend him both against the Emperors ambition and violence and likewise against the Popes trecherous inconstancie who as you haue heard being reuolted from Octauio ioyned with the Emperour in this warre in hope to recouer Parma for the Church wherefore the king fortefied Parma and manned it and likewise Mirandula the Earle whereof fearing continually to be surprised by Gonzague ioyned with the French and receaued into the towne certaine French bands sent thither out of Piemont by the marshal Brissac Gonzague on the other side by the Emperours commaundement went and besieged Parma but all in the Popes name for neither would the Emperour seeme to attempt any thing against the King but onely to aide the Pope in a iust cause neither would the King seeme to attempt any thing against the Emperour but onely to ayde Octauio beeing vnder his protection in his iust cause But this dissimulation betweene these two Princes held not long for as Monsieur d'Andelot passed through the Emperours dominions in Lombardie with certaine bandes of men to put himselfe into Parma by the Kings commandement notwithstanding that they passed quietlie without harme doing as in their friendes country yet was the said d'Andelot staied prisoner by the Imperialls and iustefied for a good przse wherevpon the King charged the Emperour with breach of the truce and beegan to make warre vpon him on all sides A man may thinke the King was not well aduised to enter into this warre for Octauios cause in whom being the Emperours sonne in law he could repose no assured trust and who hee mought assure himselfe vpon the restitution of Placentia would alwaies be ready to giue him the slip so in deede he did being restored therevnto in the yeare 1556. But you must know that the king vsed this matter but as a coulour to prouoke an open warre beetweene the Emperour and him as hee was sure it would in the ende and the which thing he principally desired both because hee was yong and naturally enclined to martiall affaires and also because hee hoped while the Emperour was busied with the Princes of Allemaine with whom the king had good intelligence to recouer the duchie of Milan in the which as also in diuers other parts of Italie he had many good friends But the warrs of Germanie had a speedier end then hee expected after the which the Emperour held him play in so many places that hee had no leasure to looke ouer the mountaines in a good many yeares after this and sped but euill when he toke that enterprise in hand as heereafter you shall heere And so it appeereth that whatsoeuer man purposeth God disposeth afterwards thereof as it pleaseth him Gonzague as you haue heard besiged Parma the Pope on the other side to distract the kings forces besieged Mirandula But the King auowing the truce to bee broken beecause of Monsieur d'Andelots imprisonment aboue mentioned sent to Brissac new supplies into Piemont commaunding him not onely to succour Parma and Mirandula but also to endamage the Emperours dominions in those partes by all the meanes he mought Wherevpon the saide Brissac wanne diuers townes in Piemont in the Marquisate of Montferrate from the Imperialls and put the whole Duchie of Milan into so great feare that Gonzague was forced for the defence thereof to abandon the siege of Parma retire thether The Pope also preuailed no better beefore Mirandula but lost many of his men before the towne and among the rest his Nephew Giouanni Battista de Monte. Wherfore seing his hope frustrate for the recouerie of Parma and Mirandula and being cōsumed with the charges of the warres and farther perceauing a new tempest readie to arise against the Emperour from Duke Maurice and other princes of Germanie with whom while the Emperour was busied himselfe by the French mought be vtterly ruinated Wherevnto I also adde that the king had alreadie forbidden any cause whatsoeuer to be remoued out of his realme to Rome which was no small blow to the Popes purse and farther had vtterly refused to send any of the Clergie of his Realme to the counsell of Trent or to accept that as a generall counsell and had also perswaded the Swyssers to doe
oath sent into Spayne to the king of ARAGON where after manie yeeres imprisonment hee marryed in the yeare 1522. with the LADIE GERMANE of FOIX widdow of the saide KING of ARAGON a rich LADIE but barrayne which marriage was made by the EMPEROVR CHARLES who greatly fauoured the saide Duke of Calabria because hee had refused to be taken out of La Rocca Sciatiua which was the prison wherin he lay and to bee made head of a rebellion that happened in Spaine called La Santa giunta whereof heereafter mention shall bee made This Ferdinand Duke of Calabria was the last of the race of the first Alfonse King of Naples for two of his bretheren died before him one in Italy the other in Fraunce But to returne to the History the treason of the King of Spaine towardes King Frederic was no greater in this action than the error of the king of Fraunce as the sequele well delared For whereas the saide Frederic offered King Lewis to hold the Realme of Naples of him and to pay him for it yeerely a great tribute by meanes whereof no man should haue commaunded in the saide Realme but his tributarie king who alwaies must haue depended vpon him and himselfe he now called in a neighbour PRINCE though not so mightie yet much more subtill than himselfe and deuided the kingdome with him beeing obtayned by his owne money and his owne subiectes blood and soone after lost the whole to his owne great dishonor and damage For you shall vnderstand that the very next yeere after the partition made of the sayde Realme beetweene 1502. these two Princes they fell at varience about the bounds of their territories and beecause the French were at that instant the stronger they tooke many places in the Countrey called the Capitanat which was the prouince in controuersie beetweene them from the Spaniards But the next yeere after the Spaniards haueing renforced their companies not onely recouered all their losses but also wanne diuers places frō the French namely 1503. RVBOS a towne not far from BARLETTA where also they tooke prisoner Monsieur de la Palisse And notwithstanding that by the entermise of Archduc Philip sonne in law to the king of Spaine who this yeere came into Fraunce a peace was concluded betweene the kings of Fraunce and Spaine vpon the securitie whereof king Lewis wholy reposing himselfe forbare to send new supplies to NAPLES yet the king of Spaine very cunningly delayed the confirmation of the sayde peace beecause hee saw his affaires to prosper well in Italie through the French kings ouergreat credulitie and negligence and in the end flatly disauowed al his sonne in laws actions And Consalue his Generall in the sayde Realme of NAPLES notwithstanding the Archducs commaundements often sent vnto him to surcease all Hostilitie in those parts not onely refused so to doe because hee receiued noe such commaundement from his Master but also proceeded still in his conquests and wanne from the French diuers townes defeated the Duke of ATRY who led certaine French bandes and tooke him prisoner and afterward also ouerthrew Monsieur d'Aubigny and tooke him prisoner and lastlie at the battayle of Cirignolles vanquished the whole power of france and slew in the fielde with diuers noble men the braue Duke of NEMOVRS generall of the French forces Farther the sayde Consalue vsing the benefit of this victorie marched presently before Naples and without resistance entered into the towne and reduced it to the obedience of the King of Spaine and soone after tooke also the Castles and conquered almost the whole Realme In the meane time dyed Pope ALEXANDER the sixt and PIVS the third was chosen Pope who dying also at the ende of sixe and twentie dayes the Cardinall Petri ad Vincula so often mentioned in the warrs of Charles the eight succeeded by the name of IVLIVS the second The King in the meane time made great preparation to recouer his Realme of NAPLES so shamefully and dishonorably lost and entered as farre as the Riuer GARILLIANO called LIRIS in auncient times where diuers attempts were made by the French to passe the sayde Riuer which all were ouerthrowen and brought to nought by the wisdome and industrie of Consalue In the ende what through want of victualls and lack of money which the kings officers most shamefullie detayned from them by meanes also whereof the companies that the King payed were not halfe compleat what through foule weather and what through the industrie and diligence of Consalue who tooke aduauntage of all these their disorders the French were forced to abandon their fortes vppon the sayde Riuer and to retire to CAIETTA which they yet held whether not onely the sayde inconueniences accompanied them but also Consalue with all speede pursued them and there beesieged them But they not beeing able to defend the towne 1504 yeelded it by composition and retourned into Fraunce and thus Consalue obtayned the Realme of NAPLES without bloudshed and had euer after the Title of great Captaine beecause of his noble exployts giuen vnto him Cap. 4. Frederic King of Naples and Elizabeth Queene of Spaine both dye by a mariage beetweene the King of Aragon and the Lady Germanie Foix peace is made beetweene Fraunce and Spaine Archduc Philip dyeth Bolonia is restored to the pope Genoua rebelleth and is soone reduced to the Kings obedience IN this yeere dyed FREDERIC king of Naples and likewise ELIZABETH 1504. Queene of Castile wife to king Ferdinand whose death caused the said king Ferdinand the rather to desire peace with Fraunce because hee doubted that the gouernment of Castile notwithstanding his wiues testament whereby hee was appointed Gouernour thereof during his life should bee taken from him and deliuered to Archduc Philip his sonne in law whose wife was heyre thereof The yeere 1505 was a yeere subiect to great Famine and Pestilence and in this yeere a secret 1505. consederacie beetweene the greatest Princes in Christendome against the Venetians beegan couertly to bee treated of which afterwards also tooke effect And the better to bring that matter to passe by practise of the Pope who was a deadly enemy to the Venetians as was also the King of Fraunce because for want of their help he lost the Realme of Naples as hee saide peace was concluded betweene Fraunce and Spaine the French king enclining therevnto to the end hee mought haue his reuenge of the said venetians the spaniard by that meanes to haue a rampar against his son in law the Archduc Philip wherfore in consideration of a marriage betweene the said King of Spaine and the Lady Germaine of Foix sisters daughter to the king of Fraunce the saide King yelded vp to the king of Spaine all his title interest to the Realme of Naples by the which meanes these two Princes that so long had continued in deadly warrs concluded peace and became friends allies And the king of Spaine heereby also fortified himselfe mightely
Notwithstanding soone after secretly hee reconciled himselfe to the Pope vtterly abandoned the French But the Pope by the ouerthrow which he had receiued at Rauenna and the great charges he had sustained in these wars the burthē wherof had lyen vppon his shoulders beeing brought to great pouertie and doubting also what would bee the isheu of the schisme in the Church sought for peace with the king onely crauing at his hands that hee would relinquish the protection of the duke of Ferrara which the king vtterly refusing the Pope fell farther out of pacience with him then euer hee was beefore And so happely it came to passe at that very instant for the Popes affaires that the king of Aragon sent him a secret message to perswade him to continue the warres against the French assuring him of his ayde which thing the king of Aragon dyd thereby to distract the kings forces while hee inuaded the Realme of Nauarra which hee was fully resolued to attempt And farther Monsieur de la Palisse generall of the Kings forces after Monsieur de Foix his death was constrayned to depart out of Romania with his victorious armie to the defence of the Duchie of Milan fearing that the Swyssers would inuade it as indeede they dyd wherefore the Pope by these occasions hauing recouered his spirits and being now more animated against the king then euer first continued his spirituall armes by celebrating the counsell of Lateran against him and afterwards stirred vp not onely the Venetians but also Maximilian the Emperour the King of England Spaine and the Swyssers to bee his enemies These Swyssers as before you haue heard had abandoned the kings seruice because through couetousnesse hee would not augment their wages and were entered into the Popes paye which his error the king wold willingly haue reformed afterwards and haue recouered them to his seruice againe but neuer could till his dying day The king seeing all the Princes his neighboures in armes against him by the Popes practises was constrained to withdraw his forces out of Italie for the defence of his owne Realme by meanes wherof the Pope and the Venetians preuayled so mightely in Italie that they recouered all the townes that were helde by the French namely Bolonia Cremona and diuers other Parma also and Placentia yeelded themselues to the Pope yea and the King lost his Duchie of Milan which was deliuered to Maximilian Sforce sonne of Lodouic that died prisoner in France vnder the protection and defence of the Swyssers The state of Genoua likewise reuolted from the king by meanes of Ianus Fregose who was made duke thereof the Duke of Ferrara was forced to make his submission to the Pope and to abandon the French so that the king held nothing at all in Italie saue a few castles namely that of Milan the castle of Cremona which continued French still till the next yeare after the battayle of Nouara when for want of victualls they were forced to yeeld themselues into the Duke of Milans hands but all the rest the King lost almost in a moment and withall all his friends a strange conuersion of Fortune that the King being conquerour lost all and the Pope and the Venetians being conquered wanne all But in truth they sayled not with their owne winde but with other mens for the Realme of Fraunce had at that time to many enemies by the Popes practises and to few friends Now to leaue a while the affaires of Italie and to come to the warres in Fraunce you shall vnderstand that the kings of England and Spaine determined to inuade Guyenne But the king of Spaine pretending the Realme of Nauarra to bee of great importance for the defence of the sayde Countrey of Guyenne perswaded the english men first to assault that from thence to enter into Guyenne according wherevnto they did soone toke it being void of desēce not expecting any war which cōquest being achieued and the sayde Realme of Nauarra deliuered into the king of Spaines hands the said king with faier words dismissed the English men giuing his son in law the king of England leaue to inuade Guyenne with his owne forces if he would For he had alredie obtained his pray by meanes wherof the English men being disappointed of his ayde were forced to returne home And notwithstanding that the king of Fraunce after the English mens departure attempted to recouer the said realme of Nauarra yet could he not doe it because of his great affaires else where Cap. 8. Pope Iulius dyeth Leo the tenth succedeth the King maketh truce with the King of Spaine being confederated with the Venecians recouereth Milan Genoua which notwithstanding presently after the battaile of Nouarahee loseth againe The Venetians are ouerthrowen nere to Vincense ABout this time died Pope Iulius to whome succeded Leo the tenth of the house of Medices 1513. which fell out well for the kings affaires for Pope Iulius while he liued so animated all the Princes of Christendome against the King that none of them would encline to make peace or truce with him but after his death the Kings affaires began to haue a better course for notwithstanding that Pope Leo were not frend to the French but had iust cause to hate them first because of the schisme in the Church maintained by them secondarily because by them Peter of Medices his brother and their whole house was ouerthrowen and chaced out of Florence as in the warrs of Charles the eight mention is alreadie made and lastly because him selfe was taken prisoner by them at the battaile of Rauenna being than Pope Iulius Legat yet proued he not so deadly an enemie to them nor such an annimater of Christian Princes against them as his predecessor had been all the which proceded of the Popes owne disposition who was a Prince by nature more enclined to pleasures than to warrs by meanes whereof the King burning with a desier to recouer his Duchie of Milan the rather because the Castles of Milan and Cremona held yet for him as before you haue heard sought first to make truce with the King of Spaine which the sayd King easelie enclined to to the ende that in the meane tyme without any impediment of Fraunce he mought setle his late conquest of the Realme of Nauarra Farther the king entered also into league with the Venetians who promised to ayde him with 800 men of armes 1500 light horse and 10000 foote men for the recouerie of Ast Genoua the Duchie of Milan and hee promised to ayde them till they had recouered all that they held in Lombardie and in the Marca Treuisana before the league of Cambray Thus the king being ioyned with the Venetians in truce with the king of Aragon inuaded the Duchie of Milan with a mightie armie and first recouered Genoua and then all the Duchie of Milan saue Nouara and Coma which held yet for Maximilian Sforce Farther the French armie vnder the
leading of Trimouille went and beesieged Nouara but this their good successe in the beginning was ouerthrowen in the twinkeling of an eye for you shall vnderstand that the Swyssers who had bound themselues to the defence of the sayde Duchie of Milan as before you haue heard came to leauie the siege of Nouara had the french in so great contempt that they assaulted them vpon a sodaine and defeated them in their owne camp which was one of the noblest victories that euer any nation obtayned This battaile is called the battayle of Nouara After this victorie all the Duchie of Milan reuolted in a moment chaced away the French and returned to the obedience of Maximilian Sforce and the king by this ouerthrow lost his honor his treasure and all that he held in Italie as well Genoua as the whole Duchie of Milan yea and the Castels of Milan Cremona which in all these troubles had still continued French seing themselues now in vtter despaire of succors and beeing in extreame distresse of victualls were yeelded into the Duke of Milans hands and the Kings armie in great feare and distresse returned into Piemont The Venetian forces vnder the leading of Aluiana were comming to ioyne with the French but hearing of the ouerthrow they retired to Padoua whether the Viceroy of NAPLES and PROSPERO COVLONNE beeing in pay with the Pope and the duke of Milan went to besiege them but not beeing able to take the towne they leuyed theyr siege and then ALVIANA issewing out of the towne pursewed them and charged them which charge they valyauntly receaued through the vertue of the Spanish footmen and cowardise of the Italian footemen the Venetian armie was ouerthrowen and lost all their artilery cariagde and ALVIANA retired to Treuisa This battayle was fought nere to Vincense and the Venetians lost in it 400. men of armes and 4000. sootemen Cap. 9. The king of England ouuerthroweth the french winneth Therouenne and Tournay The Swyssers inuade Burgundy Queene Anne dyeth The Pope maketh peace beetweene all these Princes The king marieth the King of Englands sister and dyeth THE same yeare also Henry King of Englād with a mightie armie which the Italians report to haue been to the number of 80000 men inuaded the Realm of Fraunce ouerthrew the French in a battaile called la iournee des esperons wherin the Duke of Longueuille with diuers noble men of Fraunce were taken prisoners the Emperour Maximilian being at that time in person in the king of Englands camp being alowed dayly by the sayd king 100 crownes for his diet The English men after this battaile toke Therouanne the two and twentith of August and from thence by the Emperour Maximilians persuasion went before Tournay which was yelded to them the nine and twentith of September and hauing defcated in an other battaile in England the Scots the ninth of September slaine their King in the feeld who by the persuasion of the French had inuaded the Realme of England during the Kings absence in Fraunce the sayd king of England triumphantly returned home Farther the Swyssers being secretly hiered with the Popes monie who loued not the French for the reasons aboue reherced inuaded Fraunce also on the other side and besieged Dijon in Burgundy into the which Monsieur de la Trimouille had put him selfe who doubting the vtter ruine of the Realme of Fraunce so many enemies inuading it on all sides without any commission from the king made a composition with the sayd Swyssers more necessarie than honorable for the Realme which was this that the King should renounce all his right to the Duchie of Milan and paye them at a day agreed vpon six hundreth thousand Crownes for the which also he deliuered them Hostages and they bound them selues onelie to retourne home into their Countrie for that tyme. The Pope was not a litle offended with this theyr returne but they excused the matter because they receaued not out of England the monie that was promised them but in truth their greedinesse of the six hundreth thousand Crownes aboue mentioned was the principall cause of their returne whereof notwithstanding their hope was frustrate for the King would not ratifie this disshonorable treatie made by Trimouille notwithstanding that it were the saftie of his Realme but sought to content those Swyssers with other conditions which they would not accept but threatned if the treatie were not accomplished by a certaine day to strike of the hostages heads About the beginning of the yeare 1514. dyed 1514. Queene Anne of France Farther you shall vnderstand that the Pope being by nature an enimie to the warres and wholie giuen to delights and pleasures namely to Musick to hearing of Playes and to beeholding of Maskes bouffons and ieasters yea somewhat more then was semely for his estate Laboured earnestly to reconcile these Princes and to ende the warres But the Swyssers would in no wise bee reconciled to the king Notwithstanding the truce betwene him the King of Spaine was continewed in the which also the Emperour Maximilian contrarie to his promise to the king of England was included and ratefied the sayde truce which vnprincely dealing of the sayde Maximilian caused also the king of England to encline to peace which soone after namely the seauenth of August by meanes of the Duke of Longueuille being prisoner in England was concluded betweene king Lewis and him and afterward in October folowing more strongly confirmed by the mariage of the Lady Marie the King of Englands sister with the sayd King Thus the king hauing made peace with all his neighbours and being assured of quietnesse on this side the mountaines turned his thoughts to the recouerie of that which hee had lost in Italie namely the Dutchie of Milan and the estate of Genoua But being in the midst of his preparation and incited therevnto by the Pope though not sincerly as some thought sodaine death which cutteth of all worldly cogitations seazed vpon him for while hee tooke to extreame pleasure in the excelent beutie of his young wife without regard either of his age or the weaknesse of his complexion hee was assaulted by a feuer wherevnto a fluxe being ioyned hee departed almost sodainely out of this present life the first day of Ianuarie in the yeere 1515. after the Ducche and Italian computation who begin the yeare at newyerstide but 1514. according to the French who begin it not till Easter This king liued 55. yeeres and raigned 17. Cha. 10. A discourse of certaine vertues and vices of King Lewis the twelfth BEtweene this King Lewis and Pope Iulius the 2. aboue mentioned was deadly hatred as by the Historie aboue written easely you may perceiue so farre foorth that they pursewed one an other not onely with armes but also with gybes scoffes The Pope accused the king of sacriledge wherevnto the king answered that it was most absurde for him to accuse an other of sacrilige that miantained his estate
condition that the king should ayde him to chace Francis Maria de la Rouere Nephew to Pope Iulius owt of the Duchie of Vrbin which also the king did in the yeare 1516. And the Pope gaue the saide Duchie of Vrbin to Laurens of Medices his nephew to whom also the king the more to content the Pope gaue in mariage the lady Magdelaine heire of the Earledome of Bouloyne in France of the which mariage issued Catherin of Medices queene of france Notwithstanding in the yeare 1517. the sayde Francis Maria recouered his Duchie againe out of the Popes hands notwithstanding that afterwards by aide of the French the Pope draue the said Francis Maria to a hard cōpositiō whereby he left the saide duchie to the Pope was constrained to take a Pension in regarde therof yet cōtinued he not long in this estate for so soone as pope Adrian was chosen Pope he restored Francis Maria to his Duchie of Vrbin againe who quietly enioyed it to his dying day which happened in the yeer 1538. Thus much I thought good to write in this place of the successe of this warr of Vrbin because hereafter I meane not to make farther mention thereof This yeare also Martin Luther beegan openly to preach against the Popes pardons in Germanie Cap. 3. Maximilian the Emperour dyeth Charles king of Castile succeedeth him The King confederateth himselfe with the King of England who restoreth Tournay to him The two Kings meete beetweene Ardres and Calais The King of England and the Emperor mete also together at Calais and Grauelin a rebellion in Spain THE King perceauing by diuers apparent 1518. reasons that the King of Castile ment to performe nothing of that which was promised at Noyon and farther vnderstanding that the Emperour Maximilian laboured the electors of the Empire to choose king of Romaines the sayde king of Castile his Nephew a thing greatly displeasing the king because the Empire being ioyned to his Patrimoniall seniories the sayd king of Castile should bee so mightie that no Prince in Christendome should bee able to withstand his power dyd both with his money and by his ministers disswade the electors from that election and stayed it during Maximilians lyfe Notwithstanding after the sayde Maximilians death which happened the twelfth of Ianuary 1519 after the Duch and Italian accompt who beginne the yeare at Newyerstide but 1518. after the French who begin it not till Easter the said Charles king of Castile was elected Emperour notwithstāding all the impediments of the king and the great sute both he and his friends had made to obtaine the Empire for himselfe but god had otherwise disposed of it Wherefore the king hauing failed of his hope for the obtaining of the Empire and seeing the powre of the Emperour elect so greatly to increase determined to enter into a straight confederacie alliance with the king of England to whom he sent Ambassadors to treate of a mariage betwen 1519. their children which was concluded and as well performed as the other treatise of mariage with the king of Castile had bene Farther the king laboured the king of England to restore Tournay vnto him because it was a towne that serued the English men to small purpose being far from their dominions and the defence thereof being yearely to the King of England a great charge but stoode verie commodiously for the king to offend at his pleasure the Emperour in his low coūtries which matter was so earnestly pursued that for the summe of 400000. crownes the towne was deliuered into the kings hands and a straight league concluded betwene the king of England and him and it was agreed that the next yeare an enteruiew should be of the two kings betwen Calais and Ardres which also was accomplished accordingly with so great 1520. triumph brauerie on both sides that the French called the place of the enteruiew Le Camp de drap d'or and with so great demonstrations of loue betweene the two Princes that the like was not seene in many hūdred yeares before For besides the roiall sumptuous entertainment that they gaue each to other such brotherly loue and assurance was betwene them that in one day the two kings went dined each with others Queene and farther one morning verie earely the king of Fraūce came with a small traine to Guysnes before the king of England was stirring and tould him that he was come to yeld him selfe his prisoner in his Castle of Guysnes whereunto the King of England answered that he was come to take his hart his prisoner which was a verie readie an apt answere To conclude such signes of perfect loue amitie passed betwen these two princes by the space of 15. or 16. dayes for so long they were together that all men thought their friendship to be indissoluble that war could neuer arise betwene thē but it happened otherwise afterwards whereby it appereth that he spake truth that said Princes amitie to be no inheritance Not long after this enteruiew aboue mētioned the new Emperour elect ariued in England where contrarie to the king of Fraunce his expectation he was most honorably receaued in such sort that the King of England accompanied him to Calais afterwards to Grauelin where they were together a certaine space in great friendship and fraternitie and where diuers things were concluded betwene them no whit to the contentation of the King of Fraunce Among other articles this was one that what controuersie soeuer happened beetweene the Emperour and the King the King of England should bee the iudge thereof which article beecause the king would not agre vnto the king of England toke occasion to become his enemie therevpon Notwithstanding the warres brake not out betwene them this yeare as well because they had no apparant quarell on either side as also because they had not as yet made their prouisions for the warres beesides that Spaine was troubled with a great rebellion which the Spaniards called La Santa giunta which could not bee appeased till the next yeare that feare of the forraine enemy namely the French inuading Spaine caused the Spaniards to forget all the domesticall dissentions and to attend to the defence of their countrey Cha. 4. VVars betwene the king the Emperour The French conquer Nauarre and presently lose it againe The Imperials winne many places from the French in the Duchie of Milan The French win Fontarabia Nassau inuadeth Picardie The Emperour recouereth Tournay BVt to proceede the long dissembled euill will 1521. betweene these two mightie Princes could no longer be hidden but like a fier that had long been smothered brake sodainely forth into a great flame partly by the solicitation of the King of England Francis Sforce and partly by a quarell that happened betweene Robert de la Marche and Monsieur d'Emeriez about a Castell called Hiergie This la Marche beeing in league with the King in his protection inuaded his
enemy with certaine french forces and destroyed certaine villages within the Emperours dominions wherewith the Emperour being much grieued toke vpon him the defence of de' Emeriez his subiect and vpon this occasion began the warrs in those parts the flames whereof in a moment spred ouer all these princes dominions for the king perceauing the Emperors the king of Englands euell disposition towardes him determined while the Emperour was troubled with the aboue mentioned rebellion in Spaine which as yet was vnpacefed to inuade the realme of Nauarra and to restore it to Henry the trew king therof frō whose father Ferdinande king of Spaine had wrongfully taken it as beefore you haue heard The French armie at the first had good successe recouered in effect the whole Realme But the French Captains puffed vp with pride because of this cōquest moued also with couetousnesse hoping to obtaine some goodly bootie in Spaine beecause of the great diuision the countrey was in entered into the Realme as farre as the Groyne which their inuasion vnited the Spainards together that beefore were in diuision in such sort that they set vpon the French and not onely chaced them out of Spaine but also pursewing them farther entered into Nauarra from whence the Kings armie beeing in destresse both of victuals money was forced to retire lost all the places which before they had takē in the said realme as easely as they had wonne them Farther the Emperours forces incited by this victorie passed farther into France and spoyled many places in the countrey and then in saftie returned home In Italie also the Emperour and his confederats toke diuers places in the Duchie of Milan and made sharp warres vpon the king there wherewith the king being greatly irritated and purposing to draw the Emperour from the warres in Italie to looke neerer home namely into Spaine sent an armie into Biscay toke Fontarabia and fortified it and held it till the yeare 1523. when the Spaniards recouered it againe as hereafter you shall heare And on an other side also the said Emperours sorces vnder the leading of the Earle of Nassau inuaded Picardie rased Musancourt toke Moson and besieged Meziers which Captaine Bayarde valiantly defended against him Then the King with a mightie armie came downe in person into Picardie purposing to fight with the sayde Earle of Nassau but whē he saw that he would by no meanes bee drawen to the battaile the King departed leauing his armie vnder the charge of the Duke of Bourbon who tooke Hesdin diuers other townes But the king himselfe after his departure out of Picardie entered into Burgundie where he toke and spoyled diuers townes while the Emperour on the other side recouered Tournay which had continued French till this time euer since it was restored to them by the king of England who toke it in the time of King LEVVIS the twelfth as beefore you haue heard and thus proceded the warrs in these parts Cap. 5. Pope Leo falleth from the King to the Emperour The Imperials winne Milan and soone after also Genoua Pope Leo dyeth Adrian the sixth succedeth The Swyssers furiously inuading the Imperials camp are vanquished The King of England defieth the King by the Emperours procurement The Turke winneth the I le of Rhodes NOw to returne to the warrs of Italie Pope Leo seing the Emperours great successe began to straunge his mind from the king and secretly entered into league with the said Emperour pretending diuers iniuries done vnto him by the kings Ministers in the Duchie of Milan but indede burning with a desire to recouer Parma and Placentia which himselfe as you haue heard had after the battaile of Marignian yeelded to the king So the Pope the Emperour and Francis Sforce ioyned together against the king and tooke Milan which Monsieur de Lautrech defended against thē as long as hee could and afterwards also Come Cremona Alexandria and Pauia Notwithstanding Cremona the sayd Lautrech recouered soone after againe and the Castell of Milan held still for the king While these warres in the Duchie of Milan endured dyed Pope Leo and in fauour of the Emperour Adrian the sixth a Holander the saide Emperours scholemaster notwithstanding that he were at that time absent in Spaine was chosen Pope The French beeing renforced with new 1522. supplies namely with 10000. Swyssers entred againe into the Duchie of Milan and came before Milan Pauia which were so defended against thē by Prospero Colonna that they were forced to depart and abandon their siege Wherevpon the Swyssers that serued in the kings armie being wearie of the warres came to Monsieur de Lautrech and tould him that except he would fight with the enemie the next day they would depart home which the sayd Lautrech at the first refused to doe alledging the great disaduantage they should fight with because they must of force assault the enemies in their camp where Prospero Colonna and the Marques of Pescara were so strongly fortefied that he could not but vtterly despaire of the victorie But notwithstanding all these reasons fight hee must with all these disaduauntages the Swyssers hoping of as good successe heere as they had against the French when they assaulted them in their campe at Nouara But the issue fell out cleane contrarie for notwithstanding that these Swyssers furiously assaulted the enemies campe yet were they repulsed and a great number of them slaine the French in very good order retiring themselues This battaile is called the battaile of Bicocque The Swissers after the battaile returned home not once taking their leaue of Lautrech who also hauing lost the whole Duchie of Milan through this mutinous rashnesse of the Swyssers retourned into Fraunce to the king leauing at his departure Monsieur de Lescun his brother gouernour in Italie of those Peices that held yet for the king but for want both of men and money seruice hee could doe none so that the Imperials tooke Cremona and soone after also Genoua and lastly the Castle of Milan was also yeelded to them The Emperour whose affaires fell out according to his desire passed into Spaine by the way landed in England and so preuayled with king Henry that hee declared himselfe Imperiall and sent a Herrault to defie the king Farther they both sent Ambassadors to Venis to disswade them from the kings friendship and to perswade them to enter into league with them which also they obtayned in the ende But you shall vnderstand that while these Christian Princes warred thus one vppon an other the Turke to the reproch of them all wan the I le of Rhodes being as it were the bulwark of all Christendome And notwithstanding that the great master of the Rhodes sent to all these Princes for ayde yet were they so inflamed one against another that they preferred theyr owne priuate quarells beefore the publique defence Cha. 6. The Venetians forsake the King The Duke of Bourbon falleth also from him The
obligations and the saide Iuell to king Francis willing him on his part to signifie vnto the king first for the 400000. crownes of debt dew vnto the sayde king of England by the Emperour the king his master would giue the King libertie to paye them in fiue yeares The 500000. crownes forfayted to him by the Emperour for not marrying the Lady Mary the sayde king of Englands Daughter hee would frankely giue him and the flower de luce hee woulde lykewyse giue to his Godsonne Henry Duke of ORLEANS the kings second sonne and thus was the sayde flower de luce and all the Emperours oblygations by the king of Englands commandement delyuered contrarie to the Emperours expectation into the kings hands and the sayd Emperour satisfied in all his demaunds therevpon the kings children set at libertie the article for the restitution of Burgundie released and the amitie betwene the two kings continewed And the next yeare 1530. the king maried Elenor 1530. the Emperours sister and the sayde Emperour receaued the crowne Imperiall of the Pope at Bolonia vpon Saint Mathias day being his birth day where the peace betwene the king him was sworne anew All the states of Italie were reconciled to the Emperour Francis Sforce was restored to his duchie of Milan and the Emperour was inuested by the Pope of the Realme of Naples who also at the Popes request sent an armie to besiege Florence beecause the Florentines during the time of the Popes emprisonment in the hands of the Imperials had chaced all the house of Medices out of Florence and spoyled all their goods In this siege the Prince of Orenge generall of the Emperours armie was slaine But the sayd Citie was so distressed that in the end it yelded was deliuered into the Popes hands who punished them with great seueritie suppressed their liberties and cleane altered their state This yeare also Ferdinand the Emperours brother was chosen King of Romaines and the Realme of Fraunce for certaine yeares remayned in peace Cap. II. The Practises of the kings of Fraunce and England against the Emperour The Turke inuadeth Hungarie The Pope and the Emperour meete at Bolonia and the Pope and the king at Marseilles Henry the kings sonne marrieth the Popes niece The King of England falleth from the Pope Pope Clement dyeth Paulus the third succedeth The Duke of VVirtemberg recouereth his Duchie NOtwithstanding both the KINGS 1531. minde likewise the king of Englands were exulcerated against the Emperour the one beecause he saw himselfe dispossed of the Duchie of Milan the conquest whereof had beene so chargeable both to his predecessor and to him the other because the Emperour defended against him the cause of his Aunt wife to the said king of England disswaded the Pope from graunting any Bull of deuorce betweene him and the sayde Lady whom the king was desirous to put away because she had beene first his brothers wyfe and by the lawes of God could not bee lawfull wyfe to him But the king of Fraunce was so impourished and wearied with long warres that he thought it not time to attempt aught against the Emperour as yet Notwithstanding he laboured to draw the Pope to his partie by offering a mariage beetweene the second sonne of Fraunce Catherin niece to the sayd Pope which afterward also tooke effect And not content therewith hee sought also to stirre vp the Turke against the Emperour and farther both he and the king of England practised a consederacie with such of the Princes of Germanie as they knew to be euell affected to him In this yeare also the kings mother dyed and the duchie of Britaine was incorporated to the crowne of Fraunce In the yeare 1532. the Turke by the kings perswasion as the Emperour sayde inuaded Hungarie hauing 1532. spoyled and robbed all the Countrey retourned sodainely to Constantinople contrarie to the expectation of the king of England and Fraunce both the which hating the Emperour most deadly met together about this time at Bouloyne and after went both together to Calais where they were agreed to haue proclaymed warr against the Emperour during the Turkes inuasion of Hungarie But the Turkes sodaine departure out of the sayde Realme and his retourne to Constantinople caused them to alter their mindes and to deferre the warre till a more conuenient time Notwithstanding wisely they gaue foorth that their meeting was to conferre together how to make resistance against the Turck the better to colour their pretence they sent Ambassadours to diuers Princes of Germanie other potentates of christendome to perswade thē to enter into league with them against the sayd Turck But the Emperor 1533. on the otherside not being ignorant of these their practises came into Italie and the Pope and he met together at Bolonia wher in outward demonstrations were great signes of loue and amitie But it well appeared that their harts were farre asunder for the Emperour obtained no thing of that he desired For first he perswaded the Pope to bestow his niece Catherine of Medices vppon Francis Sforce Duke of Milan and secondarelie that he would assemble a generall councell both the which were denied him onely the Pope at the Emperours earnest sollicitation and because he would not altogether discontent him agreed to enter into league with the Emperour with the king of Romains his brother and the other potentates of Italie all saue the Venetians who refused to be comprehended in the sayd league for the defence of their estates in Italie and each man was rated what charges he should beare in those warrs But with what minde this league was made soone after well appeared for the Emperour was no soner departed into Spaine but the Pope the king met at Marseilles wher the mariage betwen the second sonne of Fraunce and the Popes niece was accomplished farther the king moued the Pope for the Bull of deuorce betwene the king of Engand and his wife the Emperours Aunt which had before bene graunted in the yeare 1529. and sent into England to Cardinall Campegius in whose hands it remained till the Pope for feare of the Emperour commaunded it to be burned and at this time also notwithstanding the kings solicitation for the same reason it could not be obtained Wherefore the king of England withdrew him selfe and 1534. his Realme from the Popes obedience and proclaimed him selfe supreme head of the Church within his owne dominions Soone after this meeting the Pope dyed and Alexander Farnese succeded him by the name of Paule the third Farther the Duke of Wirtemberg ioyning vnto him the Lantzgraue of Hesse by the kings solicitation with his monie inuaded the Duchie of Wirtemberg wherof the sayd Duke had before bene dispossessed by the king of Romaines and recouered it little to the sayd king of Romaines contentment who notwithstanding fearing farther troubles in the absence of his brother the Emperour in Spaine was forced to wink
Fight beetweene the French and Flemish Nauies before Douer The Emperour resigneth the Empire and all his other estates THe ouerthrow the French receaued in Italie happened thus You haue heard before how while the Emperour lay at the siege of Metz the towne of Sienne in Italie reuolted from him razed the Citadelle built by him chased the Spaniards out of the towne and put themselues into the protection of France Wherewith he being not a little offended after the said siege was ended commaunded the Viceroy of Naples to spoile all the country of Sienne which he did accordinglie purposing also to besige the towne which Mouluc Termes diuers others sent therher by the king for defence thereof fortified against the Imperialls The Viceroy because of the reuoult that happened also at this very instaunt in the realme of Naples by meanes of the Prince of Salerna whereof wee haue spoken a word or two also in the said siege of Metz was forced to returne into the said realme of Naples leauing the charge of the Imperiall forces in the country of Siena to the Marques of Marignan who being ayded by Cosmus Duke of Florence and the Pope wenr and besieged Siena But vnderstanding that Strozzi with great forces was sent by the king into Italie and that hee had alreadie inuaded the Duke of Florence his dominions taken diuers places from him and was gone to batter Ciuitelle the sayd Marques raised his siege from before Syena and went with his whole power to succour the Duke of Florence wherevpon Strozzi leuied his siege held before Ciuitelle and marched to encounter the Marques and giue him battaile in the which the sayde Strozzi was ouerthrowen and put to flight and all his forces dispersed The Marques after this victorie returned to the siege of Siena neuer departed thence till he had reduced it to the Emperours obedience by whose commaundement it was deliuered to the duke of Florence The sayde siege endured till the twentieth of Aprill in the yeare 1555. But in December in the sayde yeare 1554. Brissac to repaire this misfortune of Strozzi entered into Piemont and toke diuers townes of great importaunce and fortefied them against the Imperialls This yeare also 1554. the 23. of March after the French accompt who begin not the yeare till Easter dyed Pope Iulius tertius to whom succeded Marcellus who liued but a few dayes and to him succeded Cardinall Caraffa being foure score yeares of age by the name of Paule the fourth The French armie aboue mentioned vnder the 1555. leading of Brissac toke Cassal diuers other townes in the Marquisat of Montferrat and went to besiege Vulpian in Piemont which the Duke of Alua with a mightie army came to relieue as also hee did And hauing put victuals and munition sufficient into the towne he departed and besieged Saint Iac. But the towne was so notablie defended by the French for the king had sent thether great forces to succour the place that the Duke of Alua was forced to abandon the siege retire himselfe presentlie whervpon the French with their whole forces returned to the siege of Vulpian and toke it and razed both towne and castle because it maintained none but souldiours that robbed and spoiled all the country About this time also the French and Flemish Nauy met vpon the Sea neere to Douer a hauen towne in England where was a most bloddie fight betweene them in the which the French being put to the worse fired their ships thinking thereby to cause the flemings to vngraple from them but the fire was so vehement that they had no powre to doe it by meanes wherof both the Nauies were fired and many ships on both sides burnt Notwithstanding the French being entered into the flemish ships that remained seeing the small number of Flemings that were in them tooke fiue of their ships and led them away with them This yeare also vpon the fiue and twentith of October the Emperour in great solempnitie in the great hall of Bruxelles yelded vp all his estats and dominions patrimoniall to his sonne king Phillip and the Empire to the king of Romaines his brother Cap. 8. A truce for fiue yeares betweene the King of Fraunce and Spaine The Emperour saileth into Spaine and putteth himselfe into an Abbye where hee dieth AFter the Emperour had resigned all his estats to his sonne King Phillip 1556. the saide King by the perswasion of the Queene of England his wife and as some also writ by the Emperours owne perswasion enclined to make peace with Fraunce by meanes whereof both the Princes sent their commissioners to meete treat therof who not beeing able because of the sundry difficulties to conclude a finall peace made notwithstanding a truce for fiue yeares each part holding that which they had taken in the former warrs And in this yeare the Emperour with his two sisters Elenor Queene of Fraunce Marie Queene of Hungarie sailed into Spaine and put himselfe into an Abby wher he remained till his death which happened the one and twentith of September in the yeare 1558. One notable thing is to bee remembred of this noble Emperour wherby we may perceaue how vaine a thing the glory of this world is While the Emperour stayed at Vlushing for winde to carie him his last iourney into Spaine hee conferred on a time with Seldius his brother Ferdinands Ambassador till the deepe of the night and when Seldius should depart the Emperour calling for some of his seruants and no bodie answering him for those that attended vpon him were some gone to their lodgings and all the rest a sleepe the Emperour tooke vp the candle himselfe and went before Seldius to light him downe the staires and so did notwithstanding all the resistance that Seldius could make And whan he was come to the staires foote hee said thus vnto him Seldius remēber this of Charles the Emperour when he shal be dead and gone that him whom thou hast knowen in thy time enuironed with so many mightie armies and gardes of souldiers thou hast also seene alone abandoned forsaken yea euen of his owne domesticall seruants and that hee whom thou hast serued so manye yeares hath also serued thee and borne the candle downe before thee I acknowledge this chaunge of fortune to proceede from the mightie hand of God which I will by no meanes goe about to withstand Cap. 9. The truce for fiue yeares is broken by the Popes practise The Duke of Alua inuadeth the Church Dominions The Duke of Guyse entereth into Italie and the King inuadeth the King of Spayne in diuers other places The Queene of England proclaymeth warre against the French YOu haue heard how a truce for fiue yeares was concluded betweene the 1557. Kings of Fraunce and Spaine but it was broken before the expiration of one yeare vpon this occasion which you shall now heare The Pope being an enemie to the Spaniard gaue forth whether falsly
A Continuation of the Historie of France from the death of Charles the eight where Comines endeth till the death of Henry the second Collected By Thomas Danett Gentleman LONDON Printed by Thomas â—â—st for Thomas Charde 1600. To the Right honorable my very good Lord the Lord Buckhurst Lord high Treasorer of England and knight of the most noble order of the Garter AFter I had Right Honorable about three yeares sithence presented to the late LORD TREASORER of worthie memorie your Lordships predecessor the Commentaries of Comines translated into our English tongue I was earnestly pressed by some of my friends to continue the Historie of Fraunce from Charles the eight where he endeth till this our present age which a long time I vtterly refused to doe knowing that to annex my poore collections to the workes of so excellent a writer as Comines is should be as arrogant a part and as much to my discredit as if a Painter should haue attempted to finish the Image of Venus beegunne but not ended by Apelles which was a worke of so rare excellencie that no Paynter after him durst aduenture to perfect it Notwithstanding when I called to mynde that others before mee had attempted this that they required at my hands and withall not being able to withstand the importunitie of my friendes I beganne though somewhat timorously to take penne in hand And whereas there are in all learnings two kindes of methodes the one proceeding from the causes to the effectes and the other iudging of the causes by the effectes which is called Iudicium a posteriori my selfe not being able to performe the former as Comines doth who was priuie to the hidden misteries of Princes deseignes and of Counsell with their secret cogitations determined onely to follow the second course namely to set downe the effectes and the naked truth forbearing either to giue graue aduertisments as well to Princes themselues as to their seruaunts as hee doth or to enter into deepe discourses of high points of pollicie gouernment as a matter farre aboue my capacitie wherewith his workes are singularly beautified In the which course hauing waded in the Historie of Fraunce till the death of Henry the second and purposing to continew it further both my hart hand fainted and my pen fell foorth of my fingers of it owne accord For the actions of the ciuill warres of Fraunce are so blouddie cruell and barbarous and so farre I will not say srom all Christianitie but from all humanitie and militarie discipline vsed in former times that for my owne part I iudge them worthie to bee buried in the dongeon of eternall obliuion Agreeable to the which actions were also the effects wherof my selfe haue beene an eie witnesse For passing out of Spaine through France in the yeare 77 in companie of a Gentleman of good seruice not long sithens gone to God whom hir Maiestie employed at that time to the King of Spaine for hir affaires we found such a wildernes in all the country betwene Bayonne and Bourdeaux that whole forrests and woods were turned vp and consumed the townes vtterly desolated the people despearsed the churches quite subuerted and the children a lamentable thing to bee recorded remaining vnchristened by the space of ten yeares which bred in mee such a commiseration to see so noble a member of Christendome so miserablye torne in peeces with hir owne teeth that it did not onelie visiblie as it were set before mine eyes the destruction of Sodoma Gomorha and the rude Chaos wherein the world lay buried and hidden before God placed all things in this goodly order which wee now see them in but also made mee call to minde the example of Africanus Minor who wept bitterly with a certaine Sinpathie of sorrow whan he saw Carthage all on flaming fier calling to minde that the like mought happen to his owne countrey Rome in time to come The vices that ouerflowed Fraunce at the beeginning of their ciuile warres are noted to bee these three Magia Atheismus Libido which I pray God England bee free from at this day But I will no longer dwell vpon this argument least my Epistle become to your honourable Lordship odious and my booke beecome in it selfe monstrous by hauing to great a head to so small a bodie wherfore to returne to my principall purpose hauing reduced the Historie of Fraunce so farre as for the reasons aboue aledged I determined to proceede in it I was soone resolued to whom to dedicate these my simple labours for hauing presented Comines to your Lordships predecessor to whom could I fitlier consecrate this my continuaunce of his Historie then to your Lordship being his successor in office in honour in gouernment in Wisedome and in all other vertues beelonging to a most worthie counsellour so that GOD hath raysed you vp vnder hir most excellent Maiestie to bee no lesse famous in matters of Councell then others are in matters of warre which Cicero as your Lordship knowerh preserreth farre beefore warly actions beecause Councell preserueth the common welth without warrs but warre cannot desend it without counsell The handeling of the worke is meane I confesse and too vnworthie of so noble a patron yet notwithstanding it contayneth the principall matters of state that passed in thâ—se parts by the space of three score yeares Wherefore if your Lordship shall vouchsafe to accept it as our Sauiour in the Scripture dyd the poore Widowes Mite I shall thincke my selfe a happie man in hauing obtained the fruit of my desier and shall daylie pray to Almightie GOD long to preserue your Lordship in all honor and felicitie as well for the aduauncement of hir Maiesties seruice as for the benefit of the whole common wealth Your Lordships most humble and obedient to commaund Thomas Dannett In the Epistle in the first line last page for those read these Page 29. line 18. for Nauara reade Nouara Page 34. line 6 for in battaile read in a battaile Page 46. line 12. for estate read estates Page 69. line 12. for charge read great charge Page 81. line 7. for predecessors read predecessor Page 87. line 8. for vs read vp Page 94. line 23. for Rossam reade Rosseim Page 102. line 15. for Aughien read Anghien Page 121 line 2. for duchie read duchesse Page 139. line 21. for 20000. read 10000. For Aluiana reade in all places Aluiane A Continuation of the Historie of Fraunce from the death of Charles the eight where Comines endeth till the death of Henry the second namely till the yeere 1559. LEVVIS the twelfth of that name King of FRAVNCE Cap. 1. Lewis the twelfth commeth to the crowne hee is deuorced from his wife and marrieth the Lady Anne King Charles his widow and heire of Bretaine A briefe discourse of the euills that ensewed that marriage AFter the death of King Charles 1498. the eight Lewis Duke of Orleans as next male of the blood royall succeded to the crowne of Fraunce by
the name of Lewis the twelfth a Prince as well beefore as after his comming to the crowne subiect to great varietie of fortune The first thing hee attempted after he had setled his estate was to bee deuorced from his wife the Lady Iane daughter to King Lewis the eleuenth pretending that hee had maried hir by constraint neuer had any carnall knowledge of hir But because hee doubted how his Realme would digest so great an iniurie offered to this Lady beeing a Kings daughter and sister a most vertuous Princesse who had also beene his wife a great number of yeares and had by excessiue sute and manie teares begged his life of king Charles hir brother after the wars of Bretaine ended wherein the saide Duke of Orleans as before you haue heard was taken prisoner hee sought to the Pope for reliefe hoping vnder coulour of religion to cloake his vngodly purpose and to iustifie by authoritie of the Church his ambitious desire to ioyne himselfe in marriage with Anne widdow of the late King Charles and heire of Bretaine thereby to hold still the said Dutchie of Bretaine vnited to the crowne of Fraunce which otherwise must haue beene seuered from it if this Lady had beene bestowed els where Alexander the seuenth so often mentioned in the warrs of Charles the eight a spaniard borne of the house of Borgia continewed still Pope at this time a man apt to imbrace any wicked motion that mought tend either to the filling of his cofers or to the aduancement of his house This Pope had a sonne named Valentinus Borgia a sinke of all fillthinesse the selfe same that had beene hostage with king charles in his Italian warrs being at that time a Church man and named Cardinall of Valence had escaped from him as in the said warres of Italy mention is already made This Borgia hauing lately renounced his Cardinals hatt had betaken himselfe to the warres was entred into the Kings pay And his father exchaunging spirituall graces for temporall possessions was contented to graunt the king a Bull of deuorce from the said Lady Iane his wise with these conditions that his said sonne Borgia mought be made Duke of Valence a Citie in Daulphine haue the charge of a company of men of armes vnder the king marry with Charlotte daughter of Monsieur d'Alebret a great Prince in Guyenne receaue a yearely pension of 20000. crownes and as much reuenew of inheritance all the which conditions were yelded vnto by that meanes the Bull of deuorce obtained and the King married the said Queene Anne heire of Bretaine I 1499. know not well who is most to be cried out of in this case either the Pope for graunting so wicked a Bull or the king for his extreme ambition and ingratitude towards his wife or his people for soothing him vp encouraging him to so detestable a fact or the Queene Dowager hir self in accepting so vngodly a marriage especially considering that she hauing been married before to a king of France whom shee could not enioy but by dismission of his former wife to giue hir place and beeing punished therefore as well by the sodaine death of the sayde king hir husband as by the losse of all hir children begotten in that vnlawfull marriage durst now notwithstanding aduenture vpon a second husband after the same sort But sure it well appeared that God was much offended with this match for if we consider first the Popes end his sonnes the one of the which poisoned himselfe with a flaggon of wine which his said sonne and he had prepared for the poisoning of certaine Cardinals their enemies and the other after al his great conquests in Italie his fauours in Fraunce was sodainely spoyled of all that he held in both those Countries sent prisoner into Spaine and lastly slaine being a miserable vagabond in the Realme of Nauarra Secondarely if we behold the miseries that fell vpon the king and the great dishonors and losses he receaued euen till the time of his death being tossed and chased like a tennis ball first cleane out of Italy by a prince in power much inferiour to himselfe and afterwards almost cleane out of his owne Realme by a confederacie of most of the Princes and states of Christendome against him in the last periode of his age Thirdly if we waie with our selues the continuall troubles the realme of Fraunce hath endured euer since this wicked marriage vnder the gouernment of this Ladies of-spring euen till this very day Lastly if wee obserue how in this our age hir discent is vtterly dispossessed of hir Dutchie of Bretayne which was the onely occasion of this vngodly match and the said Dutchie fallen to the hands of a king a meere stranger to hir none of hir line we must of necessitie confesse that God is a iust iudge and punisheth sharplie such offences howsoeuer flatterers that are about Princes sooth them vp and encourage them to such wicked acts cleane forgetting God and his commaundements if the breach thereof may further their affaires or enlarge their dominions Examples heerof are plentifull both in sacred and prophane Histories so that it were but lost labour to spend much breath in this discourse Cap. 2. The king conquereth the Dutchie of Milan Lodouic Sforce recouereth it and presently after loseth it againe and both hee and his brother Cardinall Ascanius are caried prisoners into France THis matter of deuorce hauing succeeded according to the Kings desier hee made peace with all his neighbours roūd about him namely with Ferdinande King of Aragon Maximilian King of Romaines and Archduc Philip his sonne and with Henry King of England which beeing done hee presently leuied men and made friends on all sides purposing to inuade the Dutchie of Milan held still as yet by Lodouic Sforce surnamed the Moore the selfe same that called King Charles the eight into Italie as before you haue heard which also the King soone conquered for you shall vnderstand that the saide Lodouic was hated of his owne people as well because of his great tirannie as also for poysoning his Nephew right heire of Milan at the least heire before him Farther hee was fallen out with his best friends the Venetians about Pisa who also partly for extreame hatred that they bare against him and partly for greedinesse of Cremona the countrey of Guyradadda which the king promised them for their part of the victorie dyd not onely incourage the king to passe into Italie and inuade Milan but entered also into league with him so that the saide Lodouic was destitute of all help the Pope and the Venetians beeing in league with the King and the poore King of Naples Frederic vnable to defend his owne much lesse to giue Lodouic any ayde So that after the French armie had taken La Roccad'Arazza Anon Valentia Basignane voghera Chasteauneuf Pontcorona and Tortona and that Galeas of Saint Seuerin to his great reproch had through cowardise
abandoned Alexandria and Dertona and that Pauia had of their owne accord receiued the French the Venetians also inuading the said Dutchie of Milan on the other side the said Lodouic astonished with the losse of so manie townes mistrusting his owne people and beeing abandoned of all his friends principall seruants fled with his children and a great masse of monie to the Emperour Maximilian into Germanie presently after whose departure the Citie of Milan yeelded to the French the Castle being also deliuered vnto them by the treason of Bernardin de Corte Captaine thereof Soone after the whole state of Genoua submitted it selfe likewise to the King and Cremona with the Countrey of Guyradadda were deliuered to the Venetians according to the Kings promise In eight daies Lodouic lost this ritch and noble Dutchie so small assurance is in worldly honors The king hauing setled the state of Milan abated the excessiue exactions that they paide in Lodouics time to the great though not to the full contentment of the people for they looked to haue had all paiments cleane abolished and taken away and hauing giuen forces to the Duke of Valentinoys for the recouerie of those townes in Romania that appertained to the Church returned to Lyons where hee was welcommed with new ioyes beecause of the birth of his Daughter Claude But 1500 this his good successe was soone altered for the Milanois beeing by nature variable and inconstant and also misliking the rough gouernement of Master Iames of Treuoul whom the king had left behinde him for his Lieutenant who beeing of the Guelph faction vsed to rudely those of the faction Guibeline and farther the people not beeing able to endure the insolencies of the French souldiours secretly solicited Lodouic to returne who not omitting this opportunitie but leuying with speed 12000 Swyssers by the fauour of the Emperour Maximilian but with his owne money and 8000. Italians entered into the Dutchie of Milan with all diligence and as sodainely recouered the whole countrey as beefore hee had lost it all saue the Castle of Milan with some other few places and the state of Genoua which held still for the king such mutabilitie is not onely in the people of this estate but in all the vulgare sort throughout Italie Beesides all this d'Aubigny and Treuoul Gouernours of the French in the sayde Duchie were at great variance which vtterly subuerted the kings afflicted affaires in such sort that hee was forced to remoue them both and to commit the gouernement of the armie to Trimouille who by his wisdome hauing reconciled them together ioyned them in equall authoritie with himselfe so that the armie for two gouernours had three But the king beeing exceedingly moued with this sodaine losse of the Duchie of Milan leuyed 600 Launces and a great armie of Swyssers and sent them with all diligence to Milan which Lodouic vnderstanding retired to Nouara where the French armie beesieged him And notwithstanding that he were in state to fight with his enemies and ment also so to doe yet the Swyssers that serued him beeing corrupted with French crownes by meanes of the Swyssers Captaines that were in the French Campe refused to fight against their countrey men and kinsmen wherewith Lodouic beeing in vtter despaire and doubting to bee deliuered by them into his enemies hands with great difficultie obtained of them that hee might march among them as a common Swysser souldiour till hee should bee conueyed to some place of saftie But the matter beeing discouered to Trimouille whose mony made euery thing knowen vnto him he was apprehended as he marched like a common souldier among them presently sent into Fraunce where hee remayned prisoner in the tower of Loches till his death not once being admitted to the kings presence nor speech And so this Prince whose ambitious desires caused him first to poison his Nephew and then to set all Italie on fier by calling in the French and likewise to depart from his league with the Venetians being his onely saftie for greedines of hauing the towne of Pisa which he sought to draw out of their subiection to his obedience and lastly who neuer held faith nor promise with any man longer then it serued for his owne profit was now abandoned of all men and betrayed by those whom hee had brought into Italy for his principall succour and defence and ended his daies in a miserable dongeon where all his extrauagant thoughts were cloased vp within the compasse of a narrow rome his brother the Cardinall Ascanius found meanes to conueigh his brothers children safe into Germany but was himselfe soone after his brother taken prisoner by the Venetians and sent likewise by the Kings commaundement though not without great dishonor to the Venetian estate into Fraunce where he was vsed with much more fauour and liberty than his brother was for he had the whole Realme of Fraunce for his prison and in the end by the meanes or rather through the simplicitie of the Cardinall of Amboyse returned againe into Italie where hee was restored to his former estate and dignitie And thus the King soone recouered the Dutchie of Milan Cap. 3. By a confederacie betweene the kings of Fraunce and Spaine Frederick King of Naples looseth his realme The two Kings part it beetweene them the King of Spaine in the end obtaineth the whole Pope Alexauder dyeth Iulius the second succedeth BVT this Ptinces minde not beeing satisfied with one good 1501. successe but the more hee conquered the more his ambition being inflamed he determined to attempt the conquest of the Realme of NAPLES not long beefore reuolted from his predecessor as in KING CHARLES his warrs of Italy ample mention is already made And to the end hee mought obtayne the victorie without any resistaunce hee determined to make the KING of SPAINE partaker with him of the bootie least hee beeing a neighbour in the I le of SICILE to the Realme of NAPLES and a kinseman to the King thereof and hauing also forces alreadie entered into the Countrey for the sayde Kings defence should hinder his conquest of the saide Realme This offer was soone embraced by the KING of SPAINE who beeing receyued into the strong places of the saide Realme of NAPLES vnder colour of defending them for KING FREDERIC detayned them for him selfe and vtterlie ruinated the sayde FREDERIC notwithstanding both the trust that hee had reposed in the KING of SPAINE and the neere kindred that was beetweene them Thus FREDERIC beeing at one instant inuaded by the FRENCH and beetrayed by the SPANIARD yeelded his Realme in despite of the sayde KING of SPAINE into the handes of KING LEVVIS and went with him into FRAVNCE where hee liued in verye honourable estate till his death But his sonne Ferdinand Duke of Calabria whome Consalue the king of Spaines generall in the saide Realme of Naples had giuen his oath to set at libertie so soone as he should bee deliuered into his hands was notwithstanding the sayd
Duke therof who stood in continuall feare of the Duke of Milan and the Swyssers hee presently marched with his armie towards the mountaines Maximilian duke of Milan seing the tempest that hunge ouer his head sent to the Swyssers and to Pope Leo for aide The Pope sent to his ayde Prospero Coulonna with 1500. horse whom the french vpon a sodaine as they passed the Alpes by a secret way neuer passed before by horsemen surprised toke prisoner at villa francha and defeated al his troupes Frō thence the king marched beesieged Nouara which yeelded vnto him as did also Alexandria Tortona Pauia with diuers other townes Farther to make his conquest the easier he practised to pacifie with monie the Swiffers who were bound to the defence of the duchie of Milan as before you haue heard to cause thē to returne home wherevnto they agreed and rceaued some small part of the kings money in such sort that the king accompted his conquest to bee at an ende But the Cardinall of Syon so preached vnto them their league made with the Duke of Milan that they altered their mindes And when the king thought they had beene telling their money they came in a great furie and inuaded his armie which valiantly receaued their charge And what with force of canon shot and valour of the Gendarmerie of France who made a 1515. mends this day for their cowardise at the battell of Nouara but especially through the great magnanimitie of the king himselfe they were repulsed and so hewed in pieces two dayes together for so long the battayle endured that in the ende they were put to flight slaine at the least 16000. of them their courages so daunted that after this they reigned not ouer princes as before times they had done This battaile is called the battaile of Marignian which was fought the thirteenth of September in the yeare 1515. and was so bloudie on both sides that Master Iames of Treuoul who had beene in nineteene battayles reported this to haue beene a battayle of Gyaunts and all the other eighteene that hee had been in in comparison of this to haue beene but battailes of boyes These Swyssers purpose was if they had ouerthrowne the king to haue disposed at theyr pleasure of the Duchie of Milan which wholy depended vpon them But their hope was frustrate and being thus vanquished they returned home whervpon Maximilian Sforce Duke of Milan and the whole Countrey yeelded to the king The sayde Maximilian was sent into Fraunce where hee was so honorably entertained of the King that notwithstanding that he mought afterwards haue returned home yet would he neuer so do alledgeing that hee was deliuered from the seruitude of the Swyssers the euell vsage of the Emperour and the trecherie of the Spaniards wherfore hee chose rather to remaine in France wher he cōtinued till his death which happened in the yeare 1530. After this victorie the Pope and all the Princes of Italie sought the kings amitie so far forth that the Pope met with him at Bolonia yeelded vnto him Parma and Placencia as members of the Duchie of Milan which Iulius his predecessor had taken before as the possessions of the Church About the ende of this yeare dyed the valyaunt Captaine Aluiane hauing done great seruice at the battayle of Marignian aboue mentioned and was very honorably buried at Venis in the Church of Saint Stephan Cha. 2. The King returneth into Fraunce recouereth the Swissers to his seruice Ferdinande King of Spaine dyeth Maximilian the Emperour inuadeth the Duchie of Milan The Venetians recouer Bressa Verona a treatie betwene the king and Charles king of Castile at Noyon The wars of Vrbine Luther preacheth against the Pope THE King at his retourne into Fraunce lest the 1516. Duke of Burbon gouernour of Milan and so soone as hee was come into his Realme practised to recouer the Swyssers to his seruice and to make a new league with them which also was brought to passe and they promised from time to time to ayde him in his warrs against all men the Pope and the Empire onelie excepted But fiue of theyr Cantons would not agree to this accord at this time Notwithstanding about the ende of this yeare these fiue also were contented to enter into league with him but not so far foorth as the other eight for they entered into a league offensiue with the King but these fiue onely for the defence of his owne estates In this yeare dyed Ferdinande king of Aragon and Consalue otherwise surnamed the great Captaine about a moneth before him The Duke of Borbon gouernour of Milan for the King according to the kings league with the Venetians sent vnto them vnder the leading of Monsieur de Lautrech 3000. footemen and 1000. horse to recouer Bressa Verona But because the Emperour Maximilian enuying the kings great successe as did also the king of England leauied men of the fiue Swysser Cantons that were as yet not in league with the king and hauing receaued 50000. angels of the king of England and being confederated with Francis Sforce brother to Maximilian aboue mentioned inuaded the Duchie of Milan with a mightie armie of Swyssers Lanceknights and Spaniards the sayd Lautrech was constrained to returne againe with his forces to Milan The sayd Maximilian came before Milan with this mightie armie but being by nature verie inconstant and hauing receaued out of England a new supply of monie he sodainly gaue forth that he was aduertised of the king of Hungaries death which occasiō reuoked him of necessitie into Allemayne wherevppon presently he dismissed his armie without doing any matter of moment and departed home hauing filled his baggs with the king of Englands angells After his departure Lautrech returned againe to ayd the Venetians who recouered Bressa and Verona Farther Charles Duke of Austrich by his grandfathers death king of Castile seeing the kings great successe doubting that he would inuade the realme of Naples which easely at that time he mought haue done and was also purposed to haue done if the Emperour Maximilians descent into Italie had not staied him cōcluded peace with the king at Noyon wher were great demonstrations of amitie betwene these two princes promise of mariage betwene the said king of Castile Louyse the kings daughter diuers other articles agreed vpon which neuer wer performed for the said king of Castile ment onely by this dissimulation to preserue his realme of Naples which if the king would haue inuaded he was not at that time in case to defend by reason he was not as yet setled in his kingdome of Spaine the people wherof seemed better affected to Ferdinand his brother because he had been bred vp among thē then to him You haue heard beefore how the King and the Pope met at Bolonia after the battaile of Marignian 1517. where also the Pope restored to the king Parma and Placentia but with this
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
twice to the reliefe of the said castle of Milan which the duke considering despairing of succours being almost starued in the castle for victuals he made a compositiō with the duke of Bourbon gouernour of Milan for the Emperour whereby he yelded the castle into his hands and it was agreed that Coma being held by the Imperials should be deliuered to the duke of Milan that there he should reside till the Emperour had heard his iustification The Emperour sent against the confederats a mightie armie vnder the leading of the said duke of Bourbon and sought also to stir vp a rebellion against the Pope in Rome itselfe by meanes of the Coulonnois who by cunning toke him prisoner in the vatican made him yelde to such conditions of peace as pleased them and constrayned him to abandon his league with the confederats and to enter into league with the Imperials with these conditions he was deliuered by thē But that notwithstanding the duke 1527. of Bourbon whose armie wanting pay desired no thing more then to be inriched with the spoile of Rome marched directly against the citie toke it sacked it though with the losse of his owne life The Pope with many of his Cardinals was emprisoned in the castle of Saint Angelo put to their raunsome constrained to yeld to such cōditions of peace as it pleased the Imperials to propound vnto thē The Emperour hearing these newes semed in outward shew to sorrow greatly for the Popes emprisonment the sacking of Rome but the truth is he was glad of it at his very hart which also well appeared because that notwithstanding he ceased not the pastimes triumphs that he had appointed for the birth of his sonne But the king of Fraunce and England sent their Ambassadors to the Emperour demanding the Popes deliuerie And being entered into a straight league together by means of the Cardinall of Yorke who came this yeare with wōderful pomp to Amiens to the king they both sent their Heraults to defie the Emperour farther the king gaue the Emperour the lie sent vnto him a cartell of defiance wherein he chalenged the combat of him But the Emperour seeing so many Princes and states against him restored the Pope to his libertie and about this time Genoua by meanes of Andre D'oria beeing then in seruice with the King retourned to the Kings obedience Wherevppon foorth with 1528. the king leuying a mightie armie sent it vnder the leading of Monsieur de Lautrech into Italie which recouered diuers townes in the Duchie of Milan and besieged tooke Pauia sacked it in reuenge of the kings captiuitie had so good successe there that it is thought the French mought haue recouered not onely Milan but also the whole countrey But the Pope being set at libertie eyther to be reuenged of the Emperour or in hope to haue the Realme of Naples for himselfe according to the agrement in his confederacie with the King perswaded the king to withdraw his armie out of the Duchie of Milan where his affaires prospered well and to send Lautrech to inuade the sayde Realme of Naples which the king to gratefie the Pope was contented to doe Lautrech recouered all the sayde Realme saue Naples it selfe which he also besieged But during that siege Anáre D'oria who with the French nauie held the towne enclosed by sea sodainely left the king and went to the Emperours seruice by meanes whereof the Imperialls were masters of the Sea which beefore the French commaunded Farther the sayd D'oria reuolted Genoua also from the king dyd much mischiefe to the French by sea But their greatest misfortune and the very ruine of this enterprise was the plague which entered into the French camp whereof Lautrech himselfe dyed and whereby his armie was so extenuated that the siege was abandoned and the French forced to retourne home hauing lost all that they had before taken as well in the sayde Realme as in the Duchie of Milan Cap. 10. Peace is concluded at Cambray The Children of Fraunce are deliuered the King marieth the Emperours sister The Emperour is crowned Florence is be sieged and yelded to the Pope Ferdinand is chosen king of Romaines BVT in the end peace was cōcluded 1529. betwene these princes at Cambray for all parts were wearie of the warrs and the kings children were restored vnto him for the summe of two millions of crownes which were presently to be payd in this sort First the king was presently to paye to the king of England for the Emperour 400000. crownes of debt which the Emperour heretofore had borowed of the sayd King Farther he was likewise to pay to the sayd king of England for the Emperour 500000. crownes forfaited by the Emperour to the sayd king for refusing to marie the La die Marie the king of Englands daughter and marying the princesse of Portugale vppon payment of the which summes the king was to redeme all the Emperours obligations out of the king of Englands hands and to deliuer them to the Emperour Thirdly he was to redeme out of the sayd king of Englands hands a Iewell engaged to the sayd kings father by the Archduc Philip father to the Emperour for 50000 crownes being a flower deluce set with stones which beecause it had beene a Iuell of Philip surnamed Le bon duke of Burgundie the Emperour made no small accompt of the rest of the two millions was presentlie to be payed to the Emperour himselfe these conditions being performed the Children of Fraunce to bee deliuered otherwise not T The Emperours purpose in turning the king of Englands debt vpon the king was this First hee hoped that the king his Realme being empouerished and consumed with the long warrs that it had endured should not bee able to make present payment of so huge a masse of money as was to bee payed first to the Emperour himselfe and secondarely to the king of England for the redeeming of the Emperours bonds and iuells out of his hands without present payment whereof he assured himselfe that the king of England would not delyuer the foresayde bondes and iuells and by that meanes the children of Fraunce should remayne his prisoners still Neyther was hee out of hope that happilie some variance would arise beetweene these two kings about payment of the money and so their friendship be dissolued which was the principall marke he shot at and as also partly it fell out in the ende as heereafter you shall heare But the king of England perceauing the Emperours cunning and not beeing ignorant of the poore estate the Realme of Fraunce was fallen into hauing sustained such a continuall tempest of warres against so many mightie enemies euer since the beeginning of the reigne of king LEVVIS the twelfth till this very time as by the course of this Historie aboue written you may easely perceaue of a noble and heroicall mynde sent Sir Francis Brian with all the Emperours
thereat This yeare also Solyman the great Turck was ouerthrowen and put to flight in Persia by the Sophy Cha. 12. The Emperour winneth Tunis and Gouletta in Afric The king establisheth legions of footemen in Fraunce VVarres beetweene the Emperour the King about Sauoy The Emperour inuadeth Prouince with euill successe Nassau beesiegeth Perona in vayne The King inuadeth Picardie and Artoys The warrs of Picmont and Salusses truce for three moneths THE Emperour being in peace with the king made a iourney into Africa 1535. and conquered Thunis and Gouletta and so victoriously returned into Italie The king in the meane time established diuers lawes for the good gouernement of his Realme and withall made also great prouision for the warrs for he leuyed in his Realme an army of 50000. footemen which were in continuall pay and were diuided into Legions after the auncient Romaine discipline and these were alwaies in a redinesse to offend or defend as occasion required In the meane time dyed the Duke of Milan and the whole country was yelded to the Emperour who seeing the king in a readinesse with so mightie an armie and doubting that he would vppon a sodaine inuade the sayd Duchie of Milan being vtterly vnfurnished at that time of all things necessarie for defence thought good to temporise with the king and to entertaine him with communication of marriage beetweene the Daulphin and the princesse of Portugale daughter to Queene Elenor and likewise betwene Monsieur de' Angoulesme the kings third sonne the Princesse of Spaine the Emperours daughter but notwithstanding all this temporising the hatred these two princes bare the one to the other could noe longer bee smothered but brake out into a bluddie warre vppon this occasion which I will now rehearse The king claymed the duchie of Sauoy as appertayning to him in the right of his mother 1536. for the which cause hee inuaded it with his armie and conquered the whole countrey The duke was entered into league with the Emperour and prayed ayde of him who sent Anthonie Leua to his reliefe But the Kings armie beeing first in a readinesse chased the Sauoyan cleane out of his Countrey before the Emperours ayde could come vnto him The Emperour came to Rome where in the consistorie hee made a most bitter inuectiue against the king wherevnto the King answered by writing at large Farther the sayde Emperour seeing his confederate the Duke of Sauoy thus 1537. spoyled of his countrey in a great fury entered with a mightie armie into Prouince perswading himselfe soone to be Lord of all Fraunce But after hee had remayned in Prouince a while and saw the preparation that the king made against him his armie also being in great penurie and distresse because the king had so stopped all the passages that no victuals could come to his campe he soone returned into stalie without doing any thing worthie of remembraunce finding the Realme of Fraunce a morsell not so easie to be swalowed vâ— as he imagined on the other side the Earle of Nassau at the same time inuaded Picardie and besieged Perone but after he had lyen two moneths before the towne he was forced to leauie his siege and depart the selfe same day that the Emperour retired out of Prouince Then the King on the other side inuaded the Emperours dominions in Picardie and Artoys where hee spoyled many townes and villages and tooke Hesdin both towne and castell and lykewise Saint Pol which he strongly fortefied Notwithstanding the armie Imperiall vnder the leading of the Earle of Buren soone after recouered Saint Pol and entered into Fraunce and tooke Montreuil and spoyled many other townes and there truce was concluded beetweene these two Princes dominions onely in those parts for tenne monethes But the warres in Piemont endured still for you shall vnderstand that about this tyme Francis Marques of Salusses most trayterously and without any occasion left the King and went to the Emperours seruice for the which cause the kings armie in Piemont entered into the sayde Marquisate and before any ayde could come to the Marques from the Imperials seazed all the countrey into the kings hands Notwithstanding soone after the armie Imperiall 1538. vnder the leading of the Marques du Guast recouered in manner the whole countrey againe and restored it to the sayde Marques all saue the castels of Verculo Carmagnolla the later also wherof they went and besieged there the sayde Marques os Salusses was slaine with a musket shot But notwithstanding that accident the Marques of Guast toke the saide Castell of Carmagnolla and entered into Piemont where hee recouered many places which the King seeing sent a mightie armie into Piemont vnder the leading of Henry the Daulphin his sonne who presented battayle to the sayde Marques of Guast which hee beeing farre inseriour in forces refused The Daulphin recouered in a manner all the places that the sayde Marques had before taken The king also himselfe passed in person into Piemont Wherevpon by the mediation of the Queene of Hungarie the Emperours sister a generall truce was concluded for three moneths as well for these parts as beefore it had beene for Picardie Cap. 13. The Pope the Emperour and the king mete at Nice in Prouince a truce is there concluded for tenne yeares The Emperour and the King meete at Aiguesmortes The Empresse dyeth Gaunt rebelleth The Emperour passeth through Fraunce and represseth the rebellion of Gaunt The Kings Ambassadors are slayne The Emperours vnfortunate voyage to Argier The Turke iuuadeth Hungarie BVT the Pope seeing the miserable state Christendome was brought into through the continuall warrs of these two great Princes trauayled all that hee could to establish a firme peace betwene them wherefore he intreated them both to meete him at Nice in Prouince Wherevnto they both condescended and accordingly in Iune they all three met at the sayde place of Nice where the Pope endeuoured to make a finall peace betweene them but when hee perceiued that could by no meanes bee brought to passe hee concluded a truce for tenne yeares which beeing done they all departed the Pope to goe to Rome the Emperour into Spaine and the king by Auignion to retourne into Fraunce But so soone as the king was arriued at Auignion hee receaued newes that the Emperour beeing at Villa Francha would gladly againe speake with him and that if it pleased him to come to Aiguesmortes he would there meete him The king sent the Queene to Villa Francha to visit hir brother the Emperor and himselfe folowed after to Aiguesmortes wher the Emperour came on land and dyned with the King and lodged with him all night in great demonstration of loue and fraternitie Afterward also the king went with the Emperour into his galey where they were together a long time so in great amitie departed the Emperour into Spaine and the king home In the yeare 1539. dyed the Empresse and the towne of Gaunt rebelled against the Emperour
sent 1539. to submit themselues to the king who not onely refused them but also aduertised the Emperour thereof who meaning in person to suppresse their rebellion and knowing the iourney by sea to bee long and dangerous because tempest mought cast him vpon the coast of England the king whereof was his enemie as it had done his father in times past sent to the king desiring him that he mought passe the next way through France promising him the restitution of Milan for one of his sonnes but hee besought him not to demaund any assuraunce thereof in writing till hee should be come into the low countreys least hee should seeme to yeeld the saide duchie not of his owne accord but by constraint to obtaine his passage through Fraunce The king agreed to all his demaunds receaued him into his realme and conueighed him through it into his owne dominions with all the honor that possibly mought be imagined But after he was passed out of the realme of France first he began to temporise about the restitution of the said Duchie of Milan till hee had spoken with his brother the king of Romaines and afterwards flatly denied that he had made any such promise at all and thus was the king deluded agreable whereunto certaine words much vsed by the Emperour in his passage through France wer better vnderstod after his said passage by the sequell that folowed than whan they were vttered for you shal vnderstaÌ„d that Monsieur de Sanssac was appointed to attend vpon him with all sorts of Haukes wherein the saide Emperour semed to take great delight especially with flying at the Kight which the French call Voler le Milan in so much that he vsed often to aske the said Sanssac whether they should Voler le Milan Which after his departure out of Fraunce and his deluding of the king for the restitution of the Duchie of Milan was interpreted not to be ment of flying at the Kight but as a ieast the Emperour in his owne conceit made at the Kings simplicitie in beeleeuing that for his passage through Fraunce he would restore the said Duchie The said Emperour vnder colour and promise of pardoning the Gantoys all their offences entered 1540. with his armie into Gaunt where he made a bluddy and cruell execution of all the offendors tooke away their weapons seazed all their priuiledges built a Castle of the Abby of Saint Bauon to command the towne hould it in awe in the nature of a citadelle This dissimulation of the Emperours aboue mentioned touching the restitutioÌ„ of Milan so faithfully promised gaue the king iust cause to be ielous of all his actions and to fortefie himselfe against him with as many friends as he could make wherfore he sent Caesar Fregose Ricon his Ambassadors the one to the Venetians the other to negotiate 1541. with the Turke who passing peacably through the dominions of the Emperor as the kings good brother friend and confederate were both slaine vpon the Riuer of Poe by the Marques of Guast and that by the Emperours commaundement as the King sayde whose meaning was to haue found their instructions about them and so to haue discouered all the kings secrets But the said Ambassadors for the better assurance had sent their packets an other way to Venis so the said Marques fayled of his purpose The king demaunded iustice at the Emperours hands for this wicked fact naming vnto him the men that had committed this vilanous murther directly prouing the sayde Marques to haue beene author thereof But because the Emperour refused to doe iustice heerin as reason was he should haue done it is manifest that the fact was not commited but by his commaundement In this yeare also the Emperor made his iourney by sea into Africk purposing to besiege Argier but his nauie was so tossed with tempest that with great daunger of his person and infinit losse both of treasure munition ships men he was forced to returne home But it had ben much more honorable for him to haue gone to aide his brother whom the Turke spoiled at this very time of the greatest part of Hungarie then to haue attempted this voiage into Africk which the king charged the Emperour to procede of couardise alledging that because he durst not goe against the Turke who was in person in Hungarie he chose the other enterprise as easier and of lesse daunger But to proceede Cap. 14. Warrs renewed betwene the Emperour and the king The king inuadeth the Emperour with foure armies The Emperour inuadeth the Duke of Cleues The king winneth Landersey inuadeth Luxembourg the second time The Emperor ioyned with the king of England be sieged Landersey but in vaine The causes why the king of England left the kings friendship THe king seing the Emperour returned from his voiage in Africk during the which like a Christian Prince he forbare to attempt any warre against him solicited him earnestly to doe iustice for the murther of his two Ambassadors and farther sent to Marie Queene of Hungarie the Emperours sister regent of the low countries to haue the towne of S. Pol deliuered to him according to the Articles of the late truce concluded betwene the Emperour and him But receauing vppon both these points an answer that liked him not he determined to recouer by warr that which he could not obtain by reason Wherefore he inuaded the Emperours 1542. dominions with foure seuerall armies First he sent one armie vnder the leading of the Daulphin his sonne to besiege Perpignian in the couÌ„tie of Roussilion in Spaine supposing the towne to be worse prouided for defence than in deede it was and this armie did him no seruice but was forced to returne home relinquish the enterprise The secoÌ„d armie vnder the leading of the Duke of OrleaÌ„s the kings secoÌ„d sonne inuaded the Duchie of Luxembourg toke almost all the stroÌ„g places therof euen Luxembourg it selfe Farther during the aboad of the Kings armie before Luxembourg certaine bands were deliuered to the Duke of Longueuille and Martin van Rossam who met with the prince of Orenge comming to relieue the said town of Luxembourg and ouerthrew him and pursued him euen to Andwerpe gates the suburbes also whereof they toke spoiled burned them but the towne they could â—ot take wherefore they returned to the Duke of 〈…〉 lying still at the siege of Luxembourg and ioyned themselues with him But Luxembourg being taken the king reuoqued home his sonne whose back was no soner turned but the Imperialls presently recouered all the sayd Duchie from the French The third armie vnder the leading of the Duke of Vendosme inuaded Artoys and spoiled all the countrie and toke diuers small places and that being done the sayd Duke lodged his armie all the winter in the garrison townes The fourth armie was sent into Piemont with a purpose to haue entered into the Duchie of Milan But the Emperour had prouided well
to doubt that he ment to doe as the Emperours letters reported namely to enter into league with him and to forsake all his other friends and thus vnderhand the Emperour made the king himselfe the instrument to cut his owne throat and to seuer from him all his friends Whervnto I also adde that to draw the king of England to his partie to ioyne armes with him he offered him of the conquest of Fraunce what portion he would desire himselfe and by these meanes was the King of England wonne from the Kings friendship and sent a Herrault to defie the King and presently passed ouer his forces to ioyne with the Emperour before Landercy as alreadie you haue heard But to returne to the matter Cap. 15. The Turke ioyned with the kings forces take Nice in Prouince the Emperour entereth into Cambray Furstembergs successe in the duchie of Luxembourg The English spoyle the Countrey of Bouloynoys The warres in Piemont and the battayle of Serizoles The Emperour recouereth Luxembourg hee and the King of England inuade Fraunce The King of England winneth Boloyn peace betwene all these Princes The death of the Kings of England and Fraunce THe King seeing him selfe thus inuaded by the Emperour and the King of England was forced to pray in ayde of the Turke who sent his nauie to ioyne with the Kings in the siege of Nice in Prouince and the towne they tooke therein executed great crueltie but the Castle they could not take wherefore they retired themselues The Emperour on the other side by cunning entered into the towne of Cambray and in apparance left them in their auncient libertie but indeede so brideled them by a citadelle which he caused the Citizens thē selues at their owne charge to build and into the which he put a garison of his owne souldiours that he brought them to plaine slauerie and bondage Farther the sayd Emperour sent also Williā Eatle of Furstemberg with an army to recouer Luxembourg who recouered diuers places in the countrey went and layed his siege before Luxembourg it selfe but hearing of the prince of Melphes cōming to succour the towne he leuyed his siege retired into Allemayne the Frēch recouered all the places that before they had lost But the English on the other side spoiled and forraged all the countrey of Boulonoys The king hauing succoured Luxembourg sent an army into Pie mont vnder the leading of the Earle of Anghien a most valiant yong prince who wan diuers townes there in the Marquisat of Salusses from the Marques of Guast generall of the Emperours forces went and besieged Carignan whether the said Marques 1544. with the army Imperiall came to leuie the siege but the French at a place called Serizoles gaue him battaile and ouerthrew him slew 7000. of his armie and tooke 2000 prisoners After the which battaile the said Monsieur d'Anghien toke Carignan and diuers other townes in Piemont in the Marquisat of Montferrat But on the other side the Emperour with a huge armie inuaded the Duchie of Luxembourg and recouered Luxembourg the chiefe Citie thereof and diuers other townes and namely S. Disier which last was takē with great difficultie long defēded it selfe against the Imperial armie This yeare also the Emperour the king of Englād being cōfederated together inuaded France with so great forces that it is reported aboue 80000. mē to haue ben in both their armies Their purpose was to haue sacked Paris as vndoubtedly they had done if the king of England had marched forward according to his promis to the Emperour had not stayed at the siege of Bouloyne by meanes whereof the Emperour seeing his armie to be in distresse of victualls that the English armie marched not forward to his succour according to their agrement concluded peace with the king and retired his forces out of Fraunce In the meane time the king of England wan Boloyne which was yelded to him by Monsieur de Veruins the fourth of September which being done the king of England returned home and landed at Douer the first of October Notwithstanding the next yeare after many skirmishes and feates of armes done betwen the french 1545. and English as well by sea as land peace was treated off betwene these two Kings and in the ende after many difficulties concluded but not proclaymed before Whitsonday being the thirtenth of Iune 1546. thus God miraculously preserued the Realme of Fraunce which vndoubtedly had stood in great daunger if God had not put into the king of Englands head to stay at the siege of Boulonie and not to march forward to ioyne with the Emperour as hee ought to haue done which his error in all apparance was the preseruation of the Realme of Fraunce The Emperour hauing made peace with the king entered into warre against the Protestants of 1546. Germanie and both he they sent to king Frances for ayde but he refused to giue ayde to eyther of them promising to be an indifferent friend to both The eight and twenteth of Ianuarie folowing died Henry king of England which newes the king tooke grieuously when he heard it as well because of the great good will that had been betwene thē as also because the king was in hope to haue made a firme league with him lastly because they two hauing beene almost of one yeares and of one cōplexion he foresaw his owne ende to draw neere Notwithstanding after the sayd king of Englands death he renewed the league lately made betwene them twaine with king Edward king Henryes son and not long after dyed also himselfe at Rambollet the last day of March in the yeare 1546. after the French accompt who begin not the yeare till Easter hauing liued 53. yeares reigned two and thirtie and three moneths and sixe dayes This was a Prince endued with many excellent parts especially magnanimitie curtesie and liberalitie and farther so great a patron louer and aduauncer of learning that he may iustly be called the father sounder of good letters What his fortune was in this world may easely be gathered out of his Historie wherin it doth appeare that she was more froward then fauourable vnto him but one great grace of God he had that no aduersitie was able to diminish the magnanimitie of his minde besides that he was of an excellent memorie and exceding eloquent in his owne tongue HENRY THE SEcond of that name King of Fraunce Cap. 1. King Henry commeth to the Crowne The Emperours warres in Germanie The English inuade Scotland The rebellion of Guyenne TO King Francis the first succeded his onely sonne Henry the second being eight twentie yeares of age in the very beginning of whose reigne the Emperour as before you haue heard in the ende of king Francis his reigne was entered into a warre in Germanie against the Protestants 1547. namely the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantzgraue of Hessen and diuers other Princes
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
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
or truely it is vncertaine that the Colonnesi who alwayes haue beene and yet are Imperiall made secret assemblies against him in Rome for the which cause some of them hee emprisoned some hee banished and seazed all their lands and goods into his owne hands The Imperials say that this was but a quarell picked to them by the Pope because hee had secret intelligence with the king of Fraunce perswaded him to attempt the recouerie of the Realme of Naples as well therby to abate the Spaniards greatnes in Italie who held Naples Milan Siena disposed of the stats of Genoua Florence as of his owne as also hoping if the French had good successe in Italie that some part of the bootie would fall to his share which hee was the more desirous of because he was a Neapolitaine borne himselfe But howsoeuer it were the Colonnesi being thus iniuried complained to king Philip and desired his succour who sent the Duke Alua to their ayde yet offering the Pope any reasonable conditions of peace which he vtterly refused and sent to the king and the duke of Ferrara being his confederats for succours but before they could arriue the duke of Alua inuaded the Church dominions and toke Ostia Palestrina and much distressed Rome But the King with all speede sent the Duke of Guyse with a mightie armie into Italie who entering into Lombardie tooke Valentia in the duchie of Milan put a garison into it on an other side also the French inuaded Artoys and spoyled all the Countrey they besieged Douay but could not take it Notwithstanding Lens they toke and burned it Farther the kings forces in Piemont tooke Valfiniere and Cairas and thus the fiue yeares truce concluded the yeare before helde not one yeare great coÌ„trouersie is betwene the French and Spanish which of the two Princes first brake the truce The French say the Spaniard first brake it by inuading the Pope whom the king as an obedient sonne to the Church was bound to defend But the answere herevnto is easie for besides that the inuading of the Pope being an indifferent friend to both the Princes could not bee a breach of the truce towards the French king it is also most certaine that the first iniurie proceded froÌ„ the Pope towards the king of Spaines friends and coÌ„federats and therefore the French were not to ayde him in an euell cause But admit the ayding of the Pope were no breach of the truce yet the King ought not to haue proceded farther then to send the Pope ayde but hee inuaded king Philip before he tooke weapon in hand in Milan in Piemont in Artoys and in Flaunders which could not bee other then a flatte breach of the truce But to retourne to the warres of Italie The Duke of Guyse by the Popes perswasion and vppon promise of ayde from him was passing with his armie towards the realme of Naples with purpose to inuade it But seeing the Duke of Alua to make head against him and being also disapoynted of the ayde promised him by the Pope he was forced to retire with his armie being in very pore estate and cursing the Pope and all his trecheries While these matters thus passed in Italie the Queene of England by hir husbands perswasion entered into an vnnecessarie warre with Fraunce for she should haue done much better to haue continued as shee began a mediater for peace thâ—n vpon no occasion to become the French kings enemie but shee sped accordingly Cha. 10. The King of Spaine taketh Saint Quentin The battaile of Saint Laurens in the which the Constable is ouerthrowen and taken prisoner The duke of Guyse is reuoqued out of Italie The Pope maketh peace with the king of Spaine The French take Calais The marriage of the Daulphin The French take Theonuille BVt to proceede the king of Spaine seeing him selfe thus inuaded vpon a sodayne leuyed a mightie armie of Duch Flemish and English and went and besieged Saint Quentin a stronge towne in Vermandoys for the defence whereof the Admirall of Fraunce Gasper Chastillon with diuers bandes of men put himselfe into the towne But his brother d'Andelot issewing out of Perona with 15. enseignes of footmen purposing to doe the like was defeated Notwithstanding the king tendering greatly the saftie of the towne sent the CoÌ„stable to succour it with an armie of 16000. foot and 4000. horse who vpon Saint Laurence day very earely in the morning by certaine boates which he had brought with him vpon cartes put Mon sieur d'Andelot by the riuer with certaine bands of footmen into the towne But King Phillips army as the said Constable retired charged him brake him defeated his forces slew 2500 of his men with the losse onely of 50. on their part and tooke him prisoner with two of his sonnes and likewise the Dukes of Montpensier and Longueuille the Marshall of Saint Andre the Rheingraue and diuers other great personages Wherevpon the King presentlie reuoqued the Duke of Guise with his forces out of Italy commaunded the Duke of Neuers to leauy a new army In the meane time King Phillip tooke Saint Quentin by assault and tooke prisoners therin the Admirall and d'Andelot his brother but d'Andelot soone after escaped away The King of Spaine wan also Catelet and Han and diuers other places The Duke of Alua on the other side in Italie tooke diuers places from the Pope who in the end seeing the Dukes forces so great that he came without resistance euen to Rome gates and that the Duke of Guise in verie poore estate was reuoqued home into Fraunce made peace at Caui with King Philip contraty to his promise made to the French King and obtayned better conditions of him than he deserued and among the rest of the conditions this was one that the Duke of Guise should returne home in safetie and he his armie bee well intreated wheresoeuer they passed through king Philips dominions which was all the recompence the French receaued at the Popes handes for the great losses they had receaued in Italie by his meanes such commonly is the ende of all vnnecessarie warres The King being much grieued with these his manifolde losses and supposing his honour to be stayned if he atchieued not some enterprise that might counteruaile these his misfortunes so soone as the Duke of Guise and Strozzi were returned with his forces out of Italie by sea and Monsieur d'Aumalle by land ioyned to them a great army of Swissers and Almaines who vnder the leading of the said Duke of Guise were sent to besiege Calais in the verie middest of winter Strozzi not long before the comming of the army thether had beene brought in disguised apparaile into the towne by a French man an inhabitant thereof and had veiwed all the fortisications both within the towne and without and the garison within it for the defence thereof which was very weake and to say the truth the said Strozzi was the onely author of
his very braine which put this poore Prince to extreame paine Vpon the ninth of Iulie he caused the mariage of his sister the duke of Sauoy to bee accomplished without any pomp which should not haue bene solempnisated till eight dayes after and the next day he dyed of the sayde hurt The wound soone made an ende of his owne life but his realme hath bled of that wound euer since the blood is hardly stenched as yet This king liued one forty yeares and reigned twelue yeares and 3. moneths and tenne dayes Thus haue I continued as compendiously as I could the Historie of Fraunce frō Charles the eighth till the death of Henry the second namely til the beginning of their owne ciuill broyles and dissentiōs which because they cōtaine nothing but murthers massacers trecheries treasons and no orderly disciplined warres are nothing pleasaunt for mee to write nor I thinke acceptable to any man to reade much lesse fit to be annexed to the martiall actes of those Princes whom I haue here before in this Historie treated of Notwithstanding if any man shall take pleasure in writing them I had rather hee handeled such a bucherly argument then my selfe Cap. 12. The conclusion of the Historie NOw to conclude this Historie can we haue any more notable examples than these heere aboue mentioned to proue that mans cogitations are vaine and all his thoughts wicked for if you consider how all these Princes tossed and turmoiled themselues with continuall warres what infinit treasures they consumed what slaughters they made of their subiects what sacking and burning of townes defiling of yong Maidens and Virgins murthering of women and Children with all such like mischiefes as be appendant to the warrs and that is worst of all charging their owne soules with manie promises and oathes which they neuer ment to performe when they sware them neither performed at all when they had sworne them And if we farther consider how little they haue effected and brought to passe of their owne desires by all these their bloddy Martiall actions with the which they troubled the world by the space of many yeares we cannot but confesse and say with the Psalmist Hee that dwelleth in the Heauen shall laugh the Lord shall haue them in derision For first of all consider well the example of Lodouic Sforce surnamed the More Duke of Milan hee poisoned his nephew to obtaine therby the said Duchie and set all Italie on fier by calling in the French to establish him therin but himselfe was within 5. yeares after taken prisoner by the French and put into a dongeon wher he miserablie ended his life his eldest sonne Maximilian being restored to the said Duchie of Milan by meanes of the Swissers the Pope and the Venetians was within three yeares after likewise taken prisoner by the French and in Fraunce ended his daies Afterward his other sonne Francis was established in the said Dutchie by the Emperour Charles but with such slauish conditions that he rather deserued the name of a noble slaue than an honourable Prince and in the end died of poison as it was thought and was the last of this wicked race of Sforces after his death the Emperour seazed all the Duchie of Milan into his owne hands whose race holdeth it yet and shall doe so long as it pleaseth God And all these miseries fell vpon the said Lodouic and his sonnes within the space of 34. yeares Now way likewise the example of Pope Alexander the sixt and Valentinus Borgia his sonne The said Valentine in his fathers life time obtained so many conquests in Italie some by armes some by crueltie some by treason and trecheries some by periurie and by all other wicked meanes that may be imagined that all Italie stoode in feare of him and he was growen to such a pride in himselfe that hee gaue Aut Caesar aut nullus for his deuise The Father poisoned himselfe with the same wine that he had prepared for the poisoning of diuers cardinalls his enemies and so fell himselfe into the pit which he had digged for others and the son after his fathers death was spoiled by Pope Iulius of all that he had conquered in Italie and the King of Fraunce toke from him all his estates that he held in Fraunce Wherefore he fled to Consalue vnder his safe-conduct and remained with him a while at Naples in great kindnes in outward apparance But soone after by King Ferdinands commandement hee was sent prisoner into Spaine by the said Consalue who also tooke from him the safe-conduct that he had giuen him In Spaine he was emprisoned in the Rocque of Medina del Campo from whence by cunning he escaped and went into Nauarre where hee liued a while in very base and miserable estate and in the end was there slaine The Venetians likewise for hatred they bare against Lodouic Duke of Milan aboue mencioned called Lewis the twelfth into Italie to conquer the said Duchie and had for their part of the bootie the countrey of Guiradadda deliuered vnto them by the King But soone after the same king toke it from them againe became their deadly enemie so that notwithstanding all their charges employed in those warres and diuers other since yet hould they not at this day one foote of ground in Lombardie more then they did before those warres began and in other parts of Italie lesse Againe fower kings of Fraunce successiuely namely CHARLES the eight LEVVIS the twelfth FRANCIS the first HENRY the second by the space of three score yeares and better made continuall warres in Italie with infinit expences of money toyle of themselues and the death not of so few as a hundered thousand of their subiects for the duchie of Milan the realme of Naples and what haue they gotten in recompence therof onely this that they hould not at this day one foote of Land in neither of both those countreys Likewise Charles the Emperour who was so ambitious a Prince that hee thought to haue swalowed vp both Fraunce and Germanie was chaced out of both those countries with great ignominie and was neuer able to hould no not one pore towne in either of both those realmes in the end through moodinesse of his euell successe gaue a deffiance to all the world and dyed in an Abby among a companie of Monkes Lastly king Henry the eight who was so noble a Prince and obtained so many conquests in Fraunce both in his youth and in his age what hath he lest to his posteritie in that Countrey for his infinite charges employed in those warres not one towne no nor one foote of French land These examples I thinke may suffice to teach Princes to bee wise and not to attempt ambitiouslie vnnecessarie warrs seeing the sequell that enseweth therof but to liue peaceably at home to entertaine the good will of their neighbours by all the good meanes they may to se iustice done among their subiects which is their principall charge and especially to ground all their actions vpon God who is the guyder of all their enterprises and the giuer of all good successe Happie is the Prince that thus gouerneth his subiects and happie are the subiects that liue vnder such a Prince FINIS