The Argument.

LOdovicke Sforza, after he had cun­ningly supplanted the Duchesse from the wardship of her sonne Galeazzo, as cunningly practizeth to bee the murtherer of him, of whom he would seeme to be the Protector. To this end he was to remove this impediment. Isabella daughter to the Prince of Calabria, and Grand-childe unto Ferdinand King of Naples, was wife to Galeazzo. A woman of a spirit as high as her birth, & equall to Sforza in all things but the sex: she perceiving the stupidity of her husband, & how that whatsoever she projected for his safety, he discovered to his vncle, for his overthrow, makes her father secretly acquain­ted with all the passages, desiring him to vindi­cate his sonne in law from the usurpation of his Protector. This could not bee so privately dis­patched, but that Sforza had an incling of it, whether out of his owne reach he guessed it: or by his Nephewes sottishnesse he understood it. To prevent then his owne ruine, whilst hee in­tends his Nephewes, hee ventures on those re­medies which the height of feare rather rusheth on, then chuseth, which more expresse and ex­change, then remove, or avoyde a danger. He [Page] knew the French claime to Naples, to the prose­cution of which hee sollicites the young King; whom either his right, or inconsideratenesse quickly armes unto the action. But before his comming, he by continuall messengers deludes the old King, and makes him beleeve that there was no purpose of his comming, and that the French journey unto Naples, as it was onely the childe of rumor, and had no being but from fame, so in a very short space, in the age of a wonder it would vanish and expire. Thus was Ferdinand perswaded from his necessary de­fence, till having certainly understood that all de­fence would be too late, the French being alrea­dy very strong upon his frontires, cheated, not conquered, he dies, and leaves his sonne Al­phonso heire of his kingdome, and his troubles. The French king being now entred in person into Italy, Galeazzo dyes of a poyson at Pavia, when Sforza has brought this worse poyson into his Country. But the French growing prodigiously victorious, and almost by the very seeing over­comming their opposites, Sforza begins to be apprehensive of his owne danger, and strives to rid himselfe of these incumbrances, in the which a too much providence had intangled him. A consideration without doubt necessary, but al­most past the season, it being near unto an impos­sibility to expell him now, whom it was farre [Page] from any difficulty at the first not to admit. So that this second resolution did onely proclaime the folly of the first, which either in wisedome he should not have ventured on, or, in honesty not have altred. But howsoever, he enters into a new league with the Venetians, and gives the French after their victorious returne from Na­ples halfe an overthrow at Taro. And now when he thinkes himselfe confirm'd in his Dukedome, when hee as little fear'd ruine, and he deserv'd preservation; the French King dyes suddenly, to whom Lewis, the true Duke of Orleans, and ti­tular Duke of Millan, succeeded: with him Sfor­zaes late friend, the Venetians, conclude a league. Thus Sforza being left alone, raiseth two armies under the conduct of the two Sanseverines, men, whom he had highly favour'd and advanced. But it is scarce seene, that a faithlesse Master should have a trusty servant, and he that hath no respect to his owne word, shall in the extremest of his necessities, finde all others promises but words. The elder revolts, and the younger, with­out the least shew of resistance, flyes; and Sforza himselfe is so closely pursued, that he can scarce get away safe into Germany. The French abusing their late victory, the Millanesi with a generall consent, recall Sforza; who, like a melting snow, overflowes all before him, and recovers most of his Duchy, with the same easinesse that he had [Page] lost it. The strength of his Army consisted especi­ally of Swizzers, whom the late overthrow of the warlike Duke of of Burgundy, and these Ita­lian wars, had raised to the height of admiration. But to be valiant is not to have all vertues: these were as strong in trechery, as in battle, they lead Sforza in the habit of a Swizzer into the French campe, through which in the same habit they had promised to conduct him. Thus having beene twice betrayd, and now a prisoner, after a ten yeares harsh confining he dyes in France, having liv'd in his misery, longer then in his Duchy, and leaving instruction to succeeding Princes that height should not be their ayme, but integrity; and that they would not (that I may vse the words of our Poet) tempt their starres beyond their light.