FRIAR JEROME SAVONAROLA[114] FORETELS THE INVASION OF ITALY BY THE
KING OF FRANCE,--THE KING WHILE AT LYON PRUDENTLY ARRANGES A REGENCY
TO GOVERN THE KINGDOM DURING HIS ABSENCE. HE DEPARTS THENCE FOR
GRENOBLE, WHERE HE TAKES LEAVE OF THE QUEEN.
Before king Charles had shown any intentions of marching into Italy,
friar Jerome Savonarola preached publicly in the year 1493, in several
towns of Italy, the invasion of king Charles, which caused him to be
looked up to by the Florentines as a true prophet.
While the king was at Lyon, regulating the plans he should pursue in
his intended attempt to recover the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily,
he sent the duke of Orleans forward over the Alps, in company with
many other lords and captains and a large detachment of troops, as
ambassadors to Milan, Genoa, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Viterbo and
Rome, and to different towns in Lombardy, to learn whether they would
keep their promises to the king, and support him in his expedition
to Naples. Having been honourably received every where, the duke of
Orleans returned to his county of Asti, when the promises of support
were again repeated.
At this time, the lord des Querdes (more commonly called des Cordes)
fell dangerously ill at Lyon, as he was preparing to cross the Alps
with the king. Being advised by the physicians to return and try his
native air of Picardy, he took leave of the king and departed from
Lyon, but was unable to proceed further than the town of Bresle, three
leagues from Lyon, where he died. By the king's command, great honours
were paid to his body, which was put into a leaden coffin; in all the
towns it passed through, processions came out to meet it; and it was
carried to the church of our Lady at Bologne-sur-mer for interment,
according to the orders he had given.
King Charles, before he left Lyon, held several councils respecting
the appointment of a regency to govern the kingdom in his absence.
Duke Peter of Bourbon, who had married the lady Anne of France, was
nominated sole regent of the kingdom: the lord de Baudricourt was
made governor of Burgundy,--the lords de Avaugour and of Rohan,
governors of Brittany,--the lord d'Orval, governor of Champagne,--the
lord de Graville, governor of the country of Caux, Normandy and all
Picardy--and the lord d'Angoulême, governor of that county and of
Guienne. All these lords, having taken their leave of the king, set out
for their respective governments.
The king remained, some days after their departure, enjoying the
good cheer and pleasures of Lyon,--and the beauty of the Lyonnoises,
was also one great inducement to detain him there; but an epidemical
disorder having appeared, he set out from Lyon with his queen and court
for Vienne, which is seven leagues below Lyon. When the king and queen
left the ancient town of Vienne, they passed through Villeneuve, and
other towns, wherein they were received with due honours, to Grenoble.
On Saturday, the 23d of August, in the year 1493, king Charles
accompanied by his queen, and numbers of princes, lords, ladies and
damsels, made his entry into the town of Grenoble; which entry was
very magnificent, as well on the part of the clergy, who came out to
meet him in rich copes and bearing relics, as on the part of the court
of parliament in that town, and the nobles and inhabitants, all well
dressed according to their different ranks, some in handsome liveries,
others with divers devices, as their fancy led them. Those who had
been deputed to present the keys of the town to the king, made an
eloquent harangue in his praise. A rich canopy was carried over his
head, and another over that of the queen; and they were thus conducted
into the town, where all the streets were hung with tapestries.
Several allegorical pageants and mysteries were displayed, in honour
of the king and queen. When this procession arrived at the cathedral,
their majesties dismounted to offer up their prayers, and were thence
conducted to their lodgings, in the palace of the court of parliament.
The king and queen staid six whole days at Grenoble, where several
councils were held relative to the greater security of passing the Alps
with the army. It was thought advisable to send back the carriages that
were there in waiting to transport the king's baggage, and other stores
for the troops, and in their stead a number of mules were collected for
this purpose, otherwise too much time would have been lost,--for this
is the usual mode of transporting merchandise across the mountains.
Proper persons were selected to fix on the quarters for the king
and his army, so that as little confusion as possible might arise;
and the chief manager in this business was Pierre de Valetaut,--and
a better chief could not have been fixed on, for he was perfectly
well acquainted with the whole country the army was to march through.
Purveyors were also appointed to go from town to town to collect
provisions for the cavalry and infantry, every article of which was to
be paid for at a regulated price,--and no pillaging of any kind was to
be permitted with impunity. Those among them were to have the titles of
marshals, maitres d'hôtels, and provosts, accordingly as they behaved
themselves well.
To preserve the friendship of those italian towns which had promised
support, and to keep them to their engagements, the following persons
were sent to them (as their fidelity was not overmuch to be depended
upon), namely, John de Cardonne, master of the household, to Florence;
the lord Charles Brillart to Genoa; Gaulcher de Tinteville to Sienna;
La Ville Rigault d'Oreilles to Milan; Adrian de L'Isle to Pisa; the
lord de Louan to Lucca,--and others to Viterbo. With each of these
envoys, were sent gentlemen of the long robe, to make harangues, should
there be necessity. On the same business, the following persons were
sent ambassadors to the different regencies and princes of Lombardy and
Italy: the lord de la Trimouille to the king of the Romans; Louis Lucas
to Ludovico Sforza, at Milan; the lord du Bocage to the Venetians; the
lord d'Aubigny to Rome, accompanied by the lord d'Autun, the president
Grusnay, and the general de Bidont, as ambassadors to the pope; the
lord d'Argenton, in company with Monstreau, was sent elsewhere.
The commanders of the king's army were the princes of the blood and
others, namely, the duke of Orleans, the lord de Montpensier, the
lord de Foués, the lord de Luxembourg, the lord de Vendôme, the lord
Angillebert of Cleves, the lord John Jacques, the prince of Salerne,
the lord de Miolens, the lord de Piennes, the marquis de Saluces, de
Vienne, de Rothelin, the marshals de Gié and de Rieux, the seneschals
of Beaucaire and of Normandy, together with numbers of other barons,
knights, captains of renown, and loyal gentlemen.
The following nobles were nominated for attendants in the king's
company: de Bourdillon, de Châtillon, de la Palice, George
Edouille,--together with some of his household, such as Paris, Gabriel,
d'Yjon, and others of his domestics. They also served as masters of
the household, in the room of those who had been sent forward as
ambassadors or envoys. Guyot Lousiers had the command of the artillery.
The lord de Chaudoyt had charge of the fleet, together with the bailiff
of Vitry, Jehannot du Tertre, Perot de Baché, the lord de Villeneuve,
René Parent, the bailiff of St Pierre du Monstier, John Château Dreux,
Herné du Chesnoy, John de Lasnay, the lord du Fau, Adam de L'Isle,
Giraut and Charles de Susaine, the lord de la Brosse, Honoré lord
du Chef: and likewise the officers in ordinary to the king, such as
butlers, cup-bearers, valets, grooms, ushers of the chamber, and many
more, suitably to the state of so great a monarch on this occasion.
When king Charles had staid six days in Grenoble for the arrangement
of his affairs, he took leave of the queen, who departed thence, for
France, most honourably accompanied.