particularly their commander, sir Bartholomew d'Alviano and the son
of the count de Petigliano, who did wonders; but as he was attempting
to leap a wide ditch, his horse fell upon him,--and he was surrounded
and slain by the Swiss, for none were near enough to prevent them. The
lord d'Imbercourt was also killed fighting valiantly; he had rushed
among the ranks of the Swiss, like to an enraged wild boar, and was
of a most warlike nature, with the intrepidity of a lion, as many can
testify, who have seen him engaged on former occasions. Francis lord of
Bourbon was inclosed by the Swiss and put to death, his men not being
nigh to rescue him. The prince of Tallemont, the count de Sancerre, the
lord de Bussi, the captain Mouy, with a very great number of lords and
gentlemen of renown, whose courage had many times been displayed in
war, were killed at this battle.
During the engagement, neither baggage nor artillery were in danger
of being taken, for they were excellently well defended by those who
ran as much risk as others engaged in the main battle. Many were well
mounted, so that, if fortune had been adverse, the poor adventurers
might have been able to support their friends, and have renewed the
fight.
The king made, this day, several new knights. During the conflict,
the cardinal of Sion fled, on seeing the quantities of dead,
under pretence, as he told Maximilian Sforza, of bringing back
reinforcements, but returned when too late.
In the course of this great butchery, a body of Swiss retreated toward
a cassino of the van-guard, where was posted the duke of Bourbon,
constable of France: he instantly pursued them, had the cassino set
on fire, and unless they could have flown through the flames, not one
could have escaped. May God have mercy on their souls, and of all those
who fell on this day! It is a great pity that it should be in the power
of two or three persons to cause the deaths of so many human creatures,
whom they seem to estimate no more than as so many sheep. Alas! they
are not beasts, and have sense and reason, or at least ought to have,
although sometimes their strength fails through wicked intentions.
Some of the wounded Swiss fled to Milan, others to Como: those who
entered Milan told the citizens that they had gained the battle, on
which they were led to the great hospital to be cured,--but when the
Lansquenets afterwards entered that city, they finished to cure them in
a strange and terrible manner.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 62: Marignano,--eleven miles SE. from Milan.]
[Footnote 63: The marshal de Trivulce said that he had been at eighteen
pitched battles, but that they were children's play compared with this.]
CHAP. XXXIX.
MILAN SURRENDERS TO THE KING OF FRANCE.--THE CASTLE, BESIEGED BY THE
FRENCH, SURRENDERS ON CAPITULATION.
Not long after this victory, the townsmen of Milan waited on the king,
to beg his mercy and pardon for what they had done, and to present
him with the keys of their gates. The king mercifully received them,
and forgave them, but not without making them pay a heavy fine. The
french army now marched to lay siege to the castle of Milan, into which
Maximilian Sforza with a body of Swiss, and others whom he collected,
had thrown themselves. The artillery made, within a few days, several
breaches in the outworks; and Pedro de Navarre had worked his mines
under the walls of the castle with such success great part of them fell
down.
Maximilian, perceiving himself in danger, made offers to capitulate,
when the king sent his chancellor with other gentlemen to treat with
him. They were all handsomely dressed: the chancellor had on a flowing
robe of raised cloth of gold. Having entered the castle, they instantly
began a negotiation with Maximilian for peace, and proceeded in it so
far that he accompanied them to the king's camp, where the treaty was
concluded, on condition that the Swiss in the castle should be allowed
to march away with their baggage in safety, and be paid the whole of
the money that had been promised them by the king of France.
Maximilian, by this treaty, resigned all pretensions to the duchy of
Milan[64] to the king, who received him with kindness, and had him
escorted to France, where he was henceforth to reside. The king made a
brilliant entry into Milan, and staid there some time, during which he
was magnificently feasted by the nobles and gentlemen of the town and
duchy.
In regard to the inhabitants of Pavia, they escaped being pillaged from
their poverty, for all of the richer sort had retired into Milan so
soon as they heard of the king's successes,--and a treaty was concluded
with them by means of a sum of money.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 64: This was brought about by the constable of Bourbon, who
bargained that Maximilian should enjoy a yearly pension of 30,000
ducats, &c.
See the french and italian historians, and particularly Mr. Roscoe's
Lorenzo de Medici and Leo X.]
CHAP. XL.
POPE LEO X. AND THE KING OF FRANCE MEET AT BOLOGNA, TO CONFER ON THE
STATE OF AFFAIRS.--THE KING RETURNS TO FRANCE.
About this period died the commander of the venetian forces, the
lord Bartholomew d'Alviano. His death was caused by a fever, from
overheating himself. He was much regretted for his valour and his
attachment to the french interest. The Lansquenets received from the
king, at two different times, double pay. And during his residence at
Milan, a treaty was concluded by him with the Swiss-cantons, by means
of a large sum of money paid them, notwithstanding they had been so
lately conquered by the French.
When this treaty was signed, ambassadors were sent from the pope to
the king, to invite him to Bologna, that they might hold a conference
on the state of the affairs of Italy, and for the mutual strengthening
of their friendship and alliance. The king, in consequence, left
Milan with a numerous attendance, especially of men at arms, and
arrived at Bologna, where he had a welcome reception from the pope,
who entertained him handsomely,--and they had frequent and long
conversations together.
One day, the pope performed a solemn service in the cathedral, at which
the king assisted. It lasted some time; after which, an alliance was
concluded between them. The pope gave up to the king several towns
that belonged to him in right of the duchy of Milan. He gave also a
cardinal's hat to the bishop of Constance, brother to the grand master
of France.
When every thing had been concluded between the pope and the king, he
returned to Milan, and thence took the road to France, leaving the
duke of Bourbon, constable of France, his lieutenant-general of the
Milanese[65]. He made all diligence in crossing the Alps, and arrived
at La Baûme, where the queen and his lady-mother were waiting for
him. He was joyfully received there, as well as in many other towns in
Provence. On leaving La Baûme, they all came together to Avignon, and
had a handsome entry. Thence they proceeded to Lyon, where the queen
made her public entry, and was received with all demonstrations of joy.
At this time died Ferdinand king of Arragon, who, during his reign,
had made many conquests, more especially over the Moors, whom he had
subjected to his obedience. At this period, also, died the magnificent
Lorenzo de Medici, brother to pope Leo X., who had lately married
a sister to the duke of Savoy, and sister also to the countess of
Angoulême, mother to Francis I. king of France. He had been appointed
generalissimo of the army of the church.
Nearly at this period, a furious battle was fought between the Sophi,
called Ishmael, and the grand Turk, and won by the latter, when more
than one hundred and sixty thousand men were slain[66]. The Sophi,
however, undismayed, collected fresh troops, and marched a considerable
army against the Turk, whom he, in his turn, defeated, and drove him
beyond the walls of Constantinople into Greece. The Sophi remained
in possession of all the conquered country, while the Turk was like
a captive within the territories of Christendom, and the war was
continued on both sides.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 65: Is not this a mistake? was not Lautrec governor of the
Milanese? and who offended the inhabitants by his severity.]
[Footnote 66: In the 'Art de Verifier les Dates,' I find that Selim I.
emperor of the Ottomans, marches in the year 1514 against Ishmael king
of Persia, defeats him in the plain of Chaldéron, and gains Tauris. War
was continued between them until the year 1516, when Selim turned his
arms against Kansou sultan of Egypt.]
CHAP. XLI.
THE EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN ASSEMBLES A LARGE ARMY, TO ATTEMPT THE CONQUEST
OF THE MILANESE, AND TO DRIVE THE FRENCH OUT OF ITALY.--THE CONSTABLE
OF BOURBON, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL FOR THE KING IN ITALY, MARCHES AGAINST
HIM.
While the king of France was at Lyon, and toward the end of Lent,
in the year 1516, another war broke out in Italy, through the usual
manœuvres of the emperor Maximilian: he, at this time, was excited by
the angels of king Henry of England, which had not for a long time
flown in his country,--and by their means he subsidised the cantons of
Swisserland and the Grisons. He also urged the citizens of Milan to
revolt, principally through Galeas Visconti; and thinking every thing
in a good train, he marched toward Milan with a body of troops that he
had collected, under the brother of Maximilian Sforza, now resident in
France according to the treaty that had been concluded with him after
the battle of Marignano.
The emperor having, as I have said, assembled an army, marched it from
the plains of Verona to Lodi; but the constable, whom the king had
left, as his lieutenant, in the Milanese, hearing of this, collected
as many men together as the shortness of the time would allow, and
advanced to meet the enemy. His numbers were not great, on account
of this expedition of the emperor being unexpected, although he had
received hints of his intention, some seven weeks before, but he was
not certain of the truth.
The constable marched his army to the river Adda, and found the enemy
posted on the opposite bank. A short time prior to this, the king of
France had summoned some of the nobles of Milan to come to him, who
proceeded as far as Suza, to the number of thirty-seven, when they
held a consultation; and on the morrow, thirty-three of them fled to
join the emperor,--but the other four remained loyal to the French,
continued the road to Lyon, and related to the king the shameful
conduct of the others.
To return to our subject; the duke of Bourbon, when on the Adda,
dispatched messengers to the Swiss-cantons, to hasten the troops the
king had agreed for,--and in consequence, about nine or ten thousand
infantry for the preservation of Milan, marched to Jurea. The duke
of Bourbon was preparing to attack the imperialists, when he heard
that Milan was on the point of a revolt; and as he had not sufficient
force to meet the army of the emperor with advantage, he was advised
to retreat to Milan, although he was himself most desirous to try the
event of a combat, and wait the coming of the Swiss, who remained very
long at Jurea.
The duke retreated with his army back to Milan with all diligence,
to the great surprise of the inhabitants: he immediately had strict
inquiries made after the authors of the intended revolt: several were
confined in prison, and many were beheaded. The other citizens, seeing
that the French were completely masters of their town, and that they
were not the strongest, determined to suffer all extremities should
the French continue their ill treatment.
The emperor, when he heard of this sudden retreat of the French,
thought he had already conquered them, and, crossing the Adda, marched
his army toward Milan, and fixed his quarters near to Marignano.
You may easily imagine how much the burghers of Milan were now
alarmed,--for the constable had one of the suburbs burnt, to prevent
the enemy from fortifying it.
A few days after, the duke of Bourbon sent presents of cloths of gold,
and of silk, to the principal leaders of the Swiss, to hasten their
march, which had the desired effect,--and they soon appeared before the
castle, wherein they were joyfully received by the constable. He had
immediately Milan strengthened with ditches and outworks, so that it
was much stronger than ever. The emperor advanced with his army, now
very numerous, before the walls, and saluted them with a large train
of artillery, which was as boldly returned from the ramparts by the
garrison.
CHAP. XLII.
THE EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN, FINDING THAT HE COULD NOT SUCCEED IN HIS
ATTEMPT ON MILAN, MARCHES AWAY.
The emperor was much surprised that his army should be in the utmost
distress for provision, as he expected that Milan would have opened
its gates on his appearing before them, according to the promises he
had received from Galeas Visconti: but just the contrary happened;
and as he had heard of the reinforcements the French had obtained,
and felt how much his own army suffered from want of provision, and
also that he had now no great quantity of english angels, he retreated
toward Bergamo, and summoned that town to surrender. The inhabitants,
perceiving that no succours could be expected from Milan, raised a
sum of money among themselves, and offered it to the emperor, on his
marching away. He thence retreated toward Lodi, plundered and burnt
great part of the town, and put to death many of the inhabitants,
which was a great pity.
The duke of Bourbon followed close on the rear of the emperor's army,
when skirmishes frequently happened, to the loss of the imperialists
in killed and wounded. Maximilian, finding his situation become
disagreeable, went away under pretence that the death of the king of
Hungary was the cause of his sudden departure, leaving his army in a
very doubtful state, which then was broken up, and the men retreated to
their homes.
The emperor, however, pocketed fifty thousand angels the king of
England had sent to his aid, thinking that he was in the quiet
possession of the Milanese,--but he was far enough from it.
About this time, the king of France sent some of the gentlemen of his
bedchamber to assist the duke of Bourbon in managing the affairs of the
Milanese.
CHAP. XLIII.
THE KING OF FRANCE GOES ON A PILGRIMAGE TO THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY
HANDKERCHIEF IN CHAMBERY.--A TREATY OF PEACE CONCLUDED BETWEEN HIM AND
THE ARCHDUKE KING OF SPAIN.
About Whitsuntide, in this year of 1516, the king of France departed
from Lyon, accompanied by many gentlemen, to fulfil a vow he had made
of a pilgrimage to the church of the Holy Handkerchief in Chambery. As
he had vowed to perform it on foot, he set out accordingly, with his
train of attendants. They formed a handsome spectacle; for they were
all splendidly dressed in fancy habiliments, decorated with plenty of
feathers. Thus they followed the king on foot as far as Chambery, where
he met the duke of Bourbon on his return from Italy. This meeting gave
much joy to both,--and the king was entertained at Chambery, during his
stay there, by the duke of Savoy.
At this time, a treaty was concluded between the Spaniards and the
garrison in the castle of Brescia, who marched away with their arms
and baggage. The Venetians, to whom the place belonged, immediately
took possession of the town and castle, conformably to an agreement
made with the late king of France, Louis XII. Somewhat prior to
this, several counts in Germany collected bodies of men, and entered
Lorraine, where they committed much mischief. The cause of this warfare
was a claim the Lansquenets made on certain mines in that country, on
the borders of Germany, which they attempted to gain; but the duke of
Lorraine repulsed them, and nothing more was done. These counts waited
afterwards on the king of France, at Tours, and were presented to him
by the lord de Florenge, son to the captain de la Marche.
On the king's return from Savoy, he went into Touraine. About this
time, the king of Navarre died: he was son to the lord d'Albret, and
had been driven out of his kingdom by Ferdinand the Catholic, as has
been before mentioned. A treaty of peace was now concluded between the
king of France and the archduke king of Spain, which was proclaimed at
Paris and throughout the realm. One of the conditions was, that the
king of Spain should marry the princess Louisa, only daughter to the
king of France.
A conference on the subject of peace was holden at Noyon. The
commissioners from the king of France were, the grand master, the
bishop of Paris, the president Olivier, and others,--and the great
lords of Flanders and of Spain, on the part of the king of Spain. The
lord de Ravenstein was afterwards sent by him, as his ambassador to the
king of France, grandly accompanied by the barons of Picardy.
On Saturday, the 6th day of October, in the before-mentioned year, the
king arrived in his good city of Paris, where he was received with the
usual demonstrations of joy. On the morrow, he departed for the abbey
of St Denis, in order to replace the saints in their shrines, which,
at his request, had been taken down for the general welfare of his
realm, and to return them his humble thanks for the great victory he
had obtained through their means and intercessions. This was the usual
custom for the kings of France to perform, in person, on their return
from foreign wars.
THE END.
NOTES AND EMENDATIONS.
Page 6. line 12. _Lord de Guise._] Claude, second son of René the
second, duke of Lorraine, was ancestor of the dukes of Guise. He died
in 1550 and therefore must have been very young at this period.
Page 6. line 5. from the bottom. _Melfy. Q. Amelfi?_] Mary, natural
daughter of king Ferdinand, married to Anthony, duke of Amelfi, of the
house of Piccolomini.
Page 16. line 15. _Lord de Luxembourg._] See note p. 108.
Page 24. line 7 from the bottom. _Marquis of Mantua._] Francis III.
fourth marquis of Mantua, of the house of Gonzaga.
Page 24. line 3 from the bottom. _Lord of Ferrara._] Hercules d'Este,
first duke of Modena.
Page 29. line 13. _Bastard of Bourbon._] Matthew lord of Roche, eldest
of the bastards of John II. duke of Bourbon.
Page 31. line 4 from the bottom. _Prince._] His surviving children
were 1. Charles first duke of Vendôme, the father (by Frances de
Longueville duchess of Beaumont) of Anthony king of Navarre. 2. Louis,
cardinal of Vendôme. 3. Anthonia, wife of Claude duke of Guise. 4.
Louisa abbess of Fontevraud. 5. Francis, lord of St Pol, a title which
he inherited from his mother the eldest daughter of Peter, son of the
constable. See vol. xi. page 213. note.
Page 35. line 4 from the bottom. _Died._] Prince John, to whom the
unfortunate Margaret of Austria was betrothed after her rejection by
Charles the eighth.
Page 35. line 3 from the bottom. _Duke of Savoy._] Charles John
Amadeus, commonly called Charles the second, duke of Savoy, died this
year at the tender age of eight years. The suspicion of poisoning the
waters, which is no where that I can find alluded to by Guicciardini,
probably refers to his successor Philip count of Bresse who died the
year following just at the time that he had intended to leave the party
of the king of France and embrace that of the confederates. Philip had
three sons; Philibert II. who succeeded him and died in 1504 without
issue by Margaret of Austria his wife; Charles III; and Philip duke
of Nemours. Louisa, who married Charles count of Angoulême, and is so
celebrated in history as the mother of Francis the first, was one of
his daughters.
Page 38. line 10. _Lord of Montpensier._] This prince, by his wife
Clara Gonzaga, left issue, 1. Louis count of Montpensier who died in
1501, 2. Charles, who married Susanna daughter and heiress of Peter II.
duke of Bourbon, was made constable of France in 1515, was afterwards
condemned for treason, and was killed in the imperial service at the
siege of Rome in 1527, 3. Francis duke of Chatelherault, died 1515;
4. Louisa, lady of Chavigny, 5. Reparata, married to Anthony duke of
Lorraine. Neither of the sons left any issue surviving.
Page 39. line 7. _Soul._] See Philip de Comines, whose most valuable
memoirs conclude with this event.
Page 39. line 8. from the bottom. _Lord John Peraule._] Raymond
Perault, bishop of Saintes, Cardinal in 1493, died in 1505.
Page 46. line 4 from the bottom. _Count Gayache._] Qu. Count of
Cajazzo? He was of the family of the San Severini, and connected by
marriage with the house of Sforza, but not, that I can find, with that
of Visconti.
Page 87. line 9. _Lord Peter of Bourbon._] Peter II. duke of
Bourbon, the last of the eldest line of Robert de Clermont son of
St. Louis. His only daughter and heir, Susanna, married Charles de
Bourbon-Montpensier, afterwards constable of France and duke of Bourbon.
Page 97. line 3. from the bottom. _Wife._] Eleanor, countess of Ligny
princess of Altamura, duchess of Venosa, &c. &c.
Page 100. line 15. _Brother._] Charles III. surnamed the good. Their
younger brother was Philip, who married Charlotte, daughter of Louis,
duke of Longueville, and was created duke of Nemours.
Page 100. line 17. _Duchess of Berry._] Jane daughter of Louis XI. the
repudiated wife of Louis XII. who after her divorce was called duchess
of Berry.
Page 103. line 4. _Lord of Foix._] Germaine de Foix, daughter of John
viscount de Narbonne. See note to vol. x. p. 187.
Page 105. line 12. 1506.] Leaving issue, by Joanna daughter of
Ferdinand and Isabella, 1. Charles, afterwards emperor, and king of
Spain, 2. Eleanor, the wife, first, of Emanuel king of Portugal, 2ndly
of Francis the first, 3. Isabella, the wife of Christian the second
king of Denmark; 4. Ferdinand, King of Hungary, and emperor of Germany
after the death of his brother; 5. Mary, the wife of Lewis the second
king of Hungary; 6. Catherine, the wife of John the third king of
Portugal.
Page 105. line 14. _August._] Anne the wife of Uladislaus king of
Bohemia, who succeeded to the crown of Hungary on the death of
Matthias Corvinus in 1490. By this marriage she had Lewis, afterwards
king of Hungary, and Anne the wife of Ferdinand of Austria, in whose
right he became king of Hungary on the death of Lewis in 1526 without
issue.
Page 106. line 13. _John de Bentivoglio._] John the second of the
name, son of Hannibal, and grandson of John, who made himself master
of Bologna in 1400. See the historians of Bologna, especially the
"historie memorabili" of Gasparo Bombaci who is by far the most
interesting of these writers.
Page 108. line 13. _Trivulces._]
----"_La nudrita Damigella Trivulzia
al sacro speco_".
She was the daughter of Giovanni Trivulzio and Angela di Martinengo,
and is celebrated equally by the historians and poets of the age.
Page 120. line 11 from the bottom. _King._] She was married to Hercules
the second, duke of Ferrara, and died in 1575.
Page 132. line 4. _Pedro de Navarre._] Pedro Navarro, a great commander
in the Spanish army.
Page 132. line 5. _Marquis of Pescara._] Ferdinand d'Avalos, Marquis of
Pescara.
Page 132. line 8. _Betonde._] Betonde--Bitonto.
Page 132. line 12. _Viceroy of Naples._] Don Raymond de Cardona.
Page 132. line 15. _Marquis de la Padulla._] Della Palude. See
Guicciardini Lib. 10. for an account of this great battle.
Page 132. last line. _Utrecht._] More probably Trajetto, Vespasian the
son of Prospero Colonna was called duke of Trajetto, and though I do
not find his name among those present at the battle of Ravenna, it is
not unlikely that he was there under his relation Fabricio Colonna,
duke of Palliano who commanded the Italian forces.
Page 151. line 3 from the bottom. _Duke of Valois._] Francis count
d'Angoulesme the presumptive heir to the crown of France, had lately
been honoured with this title.
Page 164. line 5 from the bottom. _Brittany._] Francis was duke of
Brittany in right of the princess Claude who succeeded to that duchy
on the death of her mother queen Anne. For, although the two crowns,
the royal and ducal, had been united in the person of Louis XII, yet
the duchy remained distinct from the kingdom, and would have passed
away from it again had the princess Claude not married the heir of the
crown of France. The countries were not incorporated till the reign of
Francis I. who procured an act of union and settlement to be passed.
Page 167. line 2. _Lord of Alençon._] Charles the second duke of
Alençon, son of René and grandson of John II. who was beheaded. He
married Margaret the sister of Francis the first, afterwards wife of
Henry d'Albret king of Navarre.