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 [Page 2] 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 [Page 3] 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 [Page 4] 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 [Page 5] 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 [Page 6] 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 y^e 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 [Page 7] 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 y^e excessiue exactions y^t they paide in Lodouics time, to y^e 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 [Page 8] 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 [Page 9] 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 y^e 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 [Page 10] 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 [Page 11] without any resistaunce, hee determined to make the KING of SPAINE partaker with him of the bootie, least hee beeing a neighbour in the Ile 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 oath sent into Spayne to the king of ARAGON, [Page 12] 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.

[Page 13] 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 [Page 14] 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.

[Page 15] 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 [Page 17] 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 a­gainst his sonne in law the Archduc Philip who in the beginning of the yeere 1506 sailed into Spaine 1506. with a purpose to take the gouernment of Castile in to his owne hands. But by the entermise of the NO­bles of the realme, an accord was made betweene his father in law & him, and the king of Aragon de­parted into his realme of Naples with very hono­rable conditions. But not long after died the Arch­duc, & because his wife daughter of the said King Ferdinand was distracted of hir wits, both hir selfe (being mad in all points but in this) & likewise hir whole realme of Castile reuoqued king Ferdinand out of Italy & reestablished him in the gouernment of Castile, till such time as Charles the saide Arch­ducs sonne & nephew of the said Ferdinand being [Page 18] very yong should be of age to gouerne the Realme him selfe. About this tyme also the Pope by ayde of the French king, recouered Bolonia from the Ben­tiuoli though litle to the kings honor who had re­ceiued the sayd citie of Bolonia, & the Bentiuoli into his protection in the yeare 1500, & yet now betrai­ed thē to the Pope, more regarding the Popes plea­sure, thē his owne honour and faith, for the which fact y^e Pope wel requited him as hereafter you shall heare. But to returne to the french affaires. The Ge­nuoys 1507. seing y^e Kings greatnes so mightely to decline in Italie by losse of the realme of Naples, and being also desirous to recouer their libertie; determined to rebell, and to withdraw their obedience frō him, which also they did, and began first to chace away his officers, & afterwards to spoile the noble mens houses in the towne. But the king being aduertised thereof, passed in person with a mightie armie into Italie, & soone reduced them to their former obedi­ence, which being done he presently dismissed his army and returned into France, therby deliuering all the states of Italie frō the ielousie they had con­ceiued of him, that he ment to make some farther attempt.

Cap. 5. A confederacie is made at Cambray against the venetians, the french ouerthrow them at the battell of Guyradadda.

SOone after this, the practise aboue mentioned 1508. against the Venetians, which had been long treated off vnder hand, & had long ere this ben conclu­ded, [Page 19] but that so many strings could not so soone be tuned (for y^e Pope & the kings of Romains, Fraūce & Aragon were concurring in the accion): brake openly foorth. For you shall vnderstand that Pope Iulius hating the Venetians extremly, because they detained from him certain towns in Romania belōging to the Church, & receiued into their protection the church rebells, namely, the Bentiuoli & others: laboured to make peace among these Princes, and to conuert their armes not against the Infidels but against the said Venetians, which also he effected in the end, the rather because euery one of these Princes had priuate quarells to them.

The Popes quarell you haue already heard, and the cause of the french kings displeasure towards them I haue in part touched also before, & said it was for that they refused to ayde him in his wars of Naples according to their league, which was y^e onely losse of the said realme as he said. But in very deede his principall hatred against thē, was because they held Cremona & the coūtrie of Guiradadda members of y^e Duchie of Milan which notwithstanding y^t they wer deliuered to thē by his own agreemēt, at such time as they aided him to chace Lodouic Sforce out of the said duchie: yet now considering their ingratitude towards him, & withall how necessary those coun­tries were for the strength & defence of y^e said Du­chie of Milan: he determined to recouer thē againe into his owne hands. Maximilian and the Archduc Charles his Nephew had an auncient quarell to thē, first for Verona, Padoua, vinc [...]nse and diuers other [Page 20] townes with helde from the Empire, and seconda­relie for the countries of Friull and Treuisa, which they with hold from the house of Austria.

Besides that Maximillians quarrell was lately great­lie increased, for euen in this very yeere 1508, they had not onely denied him passage through their countries for his souldiers, whose passage he preten­ded to be onely because he ment to goe to take the crowne imperiall at Rome, though they knew well the contrarie: but had also defeated his companies being entred into their dominions by force. And notwithstanding that they had reason so to doe knowing his purpose to be no thing lesse then that which he pretended, & that he came with a resolu­tion to surprise those places which he claimed to be his: yet this defeate of his men exasperated him not a little against them, for few Princes can en­dure the contrarying of their wills be it neuer so iustly done.

The king of Spaine likewise hated them because they held in the realme of Naples certaine townes engaged to them by Ferdinand King of Naples in the warrs of Charles the eight, which by no meanes they would restore.

Thus all these princes beeing animated against them, a generalleague was concluded among them against the said Venetians at Cambray. The Pope 1509. began first with spirituall armes, and sent forth a terrible bull against them, from the which they ap­pealed to the next generall Counsell.

[Page 21] But of all the other Princes the king of Fraunce was first in a redinesse and with an armie of 24000 men inuaded their dominions. And they encoun­tered him with noe lesse forces, and vnder the con­duct of Aluiane & the Earle of Petillian gaue him battaile, in the which they were ouerthrowen, Pe­tillian sayde through Aluianas temeritie and o­uergreat heate, and Aluiana sayde through Petilli­ans cowardise or malice, who would not ayde him with his troups beecause the battaile was fought against his aduice.

But howsoeuer it were, certaine it is that the Ve­netians lost in this battayle 10000 men, and Alui­ana himselfe was taken prisoner therein. This bat­tel is called the battell of Guiradadda or de la Vaile. After this victorie almost all the townes that the Venetians held in Italie, yeelded to the king, who restored to the king of Romaines those that he pre­tended Title to, & to the Pope those that hee quar­eled, which being done he returned to Milan. This yeare dyed Henry king of England the two and twenteth of Aprill to whom succeeded Henry his sonne, a young Prince eighteene yeares of age, of whom heereafter ample mencion shall bee made, and this yeare also the seuenteenth of October dy­ed Philip de Commines Lord of Argenton, a worthie counseler and no lesse worthie writer.

Cap. 6. The Venetians are reconciled to the Pope and the King of Aragon, all they three toyne to­gether against the King. The Swyssers al­so beecome the Kings enemies, the quarell beetweene the Pope and the Duke of Fer­rare, the Pope loseth Bolonia. The King withdraweth himselfe from the Popes obe­dience. The Pope excommunicateth the whole Realme of Fraunce. The battayle of Rauenna wherein the Pope and his con­federats are ouerthrowen.

THE Venetians beeing thus low brought and seeing so many princes against them, determined to take some course to dissolue this cōfede­racie, wherfore they humbled them­selues first vnto the Pope, and found meanes to be reconciled vnto him, for you shal vn­derstand that after this victorie aboue mentioned, partly commiseration of the venetians moued him to fauour them, but especially the kings greatnesse in Italie beecame very odious & terrible vnto him, in such sort that he also secretly withdrew the king of Aragon from the kings friendship, & ioyned him in league with the Venetians: they restoring vnto him the ports in Pouille aboue mencioned which they held: and the Pope himselfe putting him into a continuall ielousie that if the french affaires pros­pered [Page 23] in Italie, he should bee constrained againe to fight for the realme of Naples, notwithstanding his mariage with the kings niece. But in very truth the thing that most troubled the Pope, & most caused him to enuie the kings good successe, was ielousie of his owne estate, beecause many cardinalls hated him, and obiected many crimes against him, all the which had intelligence with the king, wherfore the saide Pope to the ende hee mought omit no thing that tended to the ouerthrow of the kings procee­dings & these Cardinalls practises, hiered the Swys­sers 1510. to inuade the Duchie of Milan and to abandon their league with the french, which being begun by Lewis the xi. expired at this very instant, & could not be renewed, beecause the Swyssers demanded proudly greater pēsions thē they had before, which the king partly through disdaine & partly through couetousnesse would not condescend vnto, where­vpon they entered into league with y^e Pope against the king, & inuaded y^e dutchie of Milan, but for wāt of victuals & monie they were forced at this time to returne home, without any exploit done. Farther the said Pope now shewing himselfe openly to bee the kings enemy, together with y^e Venetians prepa­red a nauie to surprise Genoua, and so this Pope that was the first kindler of this warre against the Vene­tians, & the principall author of the league of Cam­bray: was also himselfe the first that brake it, not­withstanding all the kindenesse that hee had recea­ued at the kings hands.

[Page 24] But the nauie aboue mentioned appoynted to inuade Genoua was ouerthrowen and dispersed by the French nauie, and so all the Popes enterprises against the king fayled and came to naught, farther you shall vnderstand that the Pope had a quarell to the Duke of Ferrara, as well for certaine townes which hee withheld from the Church: as also for selling of salt at Comache without the Popes per­mission, which thing beeing his vassall hee mought not doe as the Pope sayde, for the which cause hee inuaded his countries, but the king to requite the Popes disloyaltie and ingratitude towards him, re­ceiued the Duke into his protection and defended him against the Pope, which not a litle increased their euill will.

The king also to crie quittance with the Pope, 1511. tooke Bolonia from him, which not long beefore hee had deliuered to him, and restored it to the Bentiuoli, whom also hee receiued into his protec­tion, by meanes whereof extreame hatred grew beetweene the Pope and the King, so farre foorth that the King withdrew his Realme from his obe­dience, and celebrated a councell at Pisa against him, which was afterward transported to Milan. And the Pope on the otherside excomunicated the whole Realme of Fraunce, and celebrated a coun­sell at Lateran against the king. But not onely spi­rituall but also temporall armes were exercised be­tweene them, for the Pope hiered the Swyssers to inuade the Dutchie of Milan the second time, but [Page 25] they being corrupted with French crownes, soone returned bome & deluded the Popes hope, which hee perceauing waged a great armie of Spaniards and Italians against the king and against the Coun­sell (or as hee termed it the Conuenticle) of Pisa, and the king on the other side in the name of the sayde counsell of Pisa sent a mightie armie against the pope, as a Simoniac, a trobler of Christendome, a drunkard; and a periure. And after diuers skirmi­shes beetweene the two armies, and surprises of townes, and such like feates of warre achieued, en­sewed the great battayle of Rauenna, which was fought vpon Easter day. It is written by diuers that Pope Iulius seeing his forces issew out of Rome, 1512. tooke Peters keyes and threw them into the Riuer, and withall girt himselfe with a sword, adding these wordes, that since Peters keyes could doe him no more seruice, hee would see if Paules sword could stand him in any better steede, which accion of his the learned Melanthon hath properly expressed by these verses folowing.

Which may bee thus Englished.

But to returne to the Historie. In the battaile of Rauenna aboue mentioned, the Pope with his confederats namely the king of Aragon & the Ve­netians wer ouerthrowen. But Monsieur de Foix the kings nephew & generall of his forces, through his owne to great hardinesse or rather rashnesse, pursu­ing his enimies with a small troupe was entrapped and slaine, whose death the king tooke so greuously that he wished he had redemed his life with y^e losse of al that he held in Italie. The said de Foix his death so astonished the French armie though victorious, that for want of a generall sufficient to supplie his place, they pursewed not the victorie as they ought to hauedone, but gaue their enemies libertie to breath & repaire their forces, which if they had not done, the king mought not onely haue recouered the realme of NAPLES, but also haue disposed of all the rest of Italie as it had pleased himselfe. Rauen­na was sacked in reuenge of Monsieur de Foix his death.

Cap. 7. The king celebrateth the counsell of Pisa against the Pope, and the Pope the counsell of Later an against him. The Pope stirreth vp Maximilian the Emperor, the kings of England & Spaine, the venetians, & the swissers against the king. The king loseth Milan and Genoua. The king of Spaine conquereth Nauarra.

Aeter this victorie the king returned to celebrate the counsell of Pisa, and by authoritie thereof to deposse the Pope, hauing the Emperour Maximi­lian in apparance concurring with him, and as some report affecting the Papacie for himself, & meaning to resigne y^e empire to his nephew Charles though as yet but a childe. 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.

[Page 28] 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 [Page 29] 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 y^e 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 [Page 30] 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 cō ­quest being achieued, and the sayde Realme of Na­uarra deliuered into the king of Spaines hands, the said king with faier words dismissed y^e 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 y^e 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. [Page 31] 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.

[Page 32] 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 y^e 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 [Page 33] 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 [Page 35] 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, [Page 36] 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 [Page 37] 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 [Page 38] that it was most absurde for him to accuse an other of sacrilige that miantained his estate one­ly by sale of holy things, for the Pope made money of al ecclesiasticall liuings & dignities, againe when the king heard that the Pope had extremely cursed him hee aunswered that this was a Pope made to curse but not to pray, sarther the Pope called the french Micturi vinos, that is to say wine pissers, no­ting thereby their immoderate drincking of wyne, which (as he said) issued as it entered, but this gibe euell besemed the Pope being himselfe more giuen to drinke then any man in his time. But the French partly to requite this scoffe, & partly to content the king, made these verses of the Pope.

Which you may thus English.

But these verses are answered thus on the Popes beehalfe.

Which you may thus English.

But to returne to king Lewis, he was a prince sub­iect to great varietie of Fortune through the whole course of his life, both before he was King & after, but especially towards his later end she most froun­ed vpon him, as in this briefe discourse of his actiōs is plainely to bee seene, his vices were, in his youth loue of women, and in his age couetousnesse, which caused him to loose many opportunities, besides y^t hee was a prince wholy gouerned by others, but his good fortune was to fall into y^e hands of hono­rable personages, and such as gouerned his Realme well. Farther he was also charged with ingratitude, both towards his wife who had saued his life, and also towards some with whom hee had liued fami­liarlie beefore his comming to the crowne, namely the Marshall Gyé, whom also hee banished the court, notwithstanding the great seruice that hee had done the Realme.

[Page 40] But herein he is partly to be excused, for the said Marshalls banishment proceeded principally from the Queene who hated him extreamlie, because the sayde marshall had oncc stayed hir cariage vpon the Riuer of Loyre, wherein she had packed vp all the kings principall Iuells, Plate, and other things of great price, and the which shee was conueighing downe the sayde Riuer to Nantes, the King being at that time very sick and in great daunger of death. This king was also giuen to suspicions, but that is a fault all princes are subject to, especially all those that be wise, on the other side this king was beauti­fied with many goodly vertues, first hee was so lou­ing and carefull of his people, that in all his forraine warres hee could neuer be induced to increase his impositions vpon his subiects, true it is that when he was inuaded in his owne Realme, he was forced to leauie of them somewhat more then ordinarie, for the which his milde gouernment he was called Pater patriae, so iusta Prince he was (where the ne­cessitie of his affaires enforced him not to the con­trarie) that the Archduc Philip committed to him at his death the gouernment of his sonne Charles, omitting both his owne father and his father in law, being both Graundfathers to the said Childe, which charge king Lewis most princely performed as well in the education of the sayde Charles after­wards Emperour, as also in the preseruation of all his estate.

Farther he was a prince voide of all pride, affable, [Page 41] and curteous to all men, and liuing in great qui­etnesse & mildenesse, with those that were famili­ar with him, and the soonest forgetting all iniuries past, so that I cānot better cōpare him to any prince then to the Emperour ADRIAN, whose pleasant an­sweres and Apophthegmes being voide of all scur­rilitie hee was also much addicted vnto, some of the which because they bee worthie of memorie I will be bould to rehearse. Hee had in king Charles his time beene euell vsed by diuers, of whom hee was aduised to take reuenge at his comming to the crowne, wherevnto hee aunswered that it became not a king of Fraunce to reuenge the iniuries done to a Duke of Orleans.

Likewise looking vppon the roule of King Charles his seruaunts, he found two that had been his deadly enimies in King Charles his time, vpon each of whose names he made a crosse, wherewith they being in a wonderfull perplexitie, supposed y^e galowes to be prepared for them, which their feare being discouered to the king: he sent them word to bee of good cheare, for hee had crossed all their euell deedes out of his remembraunce, hee vsed to say that the condition of horsses was much worse then Asses, for Horsses were killed vp in running post to Rome to fetch liuing for Asses, meaning vnlearned prelats, when the Queene his wife by importunitie thought to bring to passe a mariage betwene hir daughter Claude & Archduc Charles afterwards Emperour, the king told hir that shee [Page 42] sought to make a mariage betwene Cats and Mice. Againe when a certaine courtier complained grie­uously of his wiues vnchastnesse, the king hearing thereof bad him bee of good cheare, for hee that re­spected his wyues incontinencie or the Popes curse should neuer sleepe quiet night. Diuers other such like sayings of his I could rehearce which for bre­uitie I ouerpasse.

Cap. 1. King Francis commeth to the crowne, surpriseth Prospe­ro Colonna, vanquisheth the Swyssers, recouereth Mil­an. The Pope and hee meete at Bolonia.

TO Lewis the twelfth succeded King Francis y^e first, beeing both his sonne 1515. in law and the next of his bloud, a Prince of yong yeares, but of good­ly personage & great magnanimitie, who finding a mighty armie in a re­dines, that his predecessor had leuied to inuade the Duchie of Milan, & burning with no lesse desier to recouer y^e said duchie thē his predecessor had done, determined to lose no time but hauing renewed y^e league made by y^e late king with Henry king of En­gland and with the selfe same cōditions, & likewise [Page 43] with the Venetians, and receaued homage at Paris by the Earle of Nassau of the Archduc Charles af­terwards Eemperor for Flaunders, and hauing also made peace with him with promes of mariage bee­twene the said Charles and y^e Lady Renee daughter to king Lewis & sister to the Queene, and withall Genoua beeing reduced to his obedience by the meanes of Octauian Fregose 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 y^e 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.

[Page 44] 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, y^t 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 [Page 45] 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 y^t 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 [Page 46] 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 y^e 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.

[Page 47] 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 y^e 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 y^e 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 y^t 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.

[Page 48] 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 condition that y^e 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 y^e king y^e 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 y^e yeare 1517. the sayde Francis Maria recouered his Duchie a­gaine out of the Popes hands, & notwithstanding that afterwards by aide of the French y^e 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 y^e 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 [Page 50] French who begin it not till Easter, the said Charles king of Castile was elected Emperour, notwithstā ­ding 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 y^e 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 [Page 51] 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 y^e 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. [Page 52] 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 [Page 53] 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 y^e 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 [Page 54] 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 y^e 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 [Page 55] 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 Ile 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.

[Page 56] 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 y^e enemies in their camp, where Prospero Colonna and the Marques of Pescara were so strongly fortefied y^t he could not but vtter­ly despaire of the victorie. But notwithstanding all these reasons fight hee must with all these disad­uauntages, [Page 57] 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 [Page 58] warred thus one vppon an other, the Turke to the reproch of them all wan the Ile 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, y^t 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 Emperour inuadeth Biscay, recouereth Fontarabia, The King of England in­uadeth Picardie. Bourbon inuadeth Burgundie. Boniuet inuadeth Milan for the king but with euell successe. Pope Adrian dyeth, Clement the seuenth suc­cedeth. The Emperour inuadeth Fraūce but with euell successe.

THE treatie aboue mentioned with the Venetians was so earnestly pur­sued 1523. that in the ende they forsoke the king, & entered into league with the Emperour, with the Archduc Ferdinande his brother, and with Francis Sforce inue­sted by the Emperour Duke of Milan, so that it was thought the king would now attempt no thing in [Page 59] Italie, hauing so many enimies, & his especial friēds namely the Venetians being become his foes, but it fell otherwise out as hereafter you shall heare.

In the meane time Pope Adrian being come out of Spaine into Italie compounded the controuer­sie betwene the Duke of Ferrare and the Church, and endeuoured to reconcile all those Princes together and to conuert their Armes against the Turke, but all in vaine.

About this tyme also Charles Duke of Bour­bon Constable of Fraunce and the greatest prince in the Realme reuolted from the king to the Empe­rour. Diuers causes are alleadged by diuers men of his reuolt. But I think ambition to haue bene the onely cause thereof, For he being a Prince of great courage, and greatly beloued in the Realme, was perswaded that he could haue drawen the greatest part of the Realme after him, and was promised in mariage Elenor the Emperours sister widow of E­manuell king of Portugale, and to haue the earle­dome of Prouince conquered by the armes of the Emperour and the King of England, and erected into a Kingdome deliuered to him. And he for his part promised if the Emperour would giue him the leading of twelue thousand Lancknights to conquere all Burgundie from the king, and to restore it to the sayde Emperour who claimed it as heire to Charles the last Duke of Burgundie slaine by the Swyssers at the battaile of Naucy in the yeare 1476.

[Page 60] Thus oftentime are the noblest witts so drowned with an ouergreat opinion of themselues, that they hould those enterprises for easie which are in­deede impossible to be atchieued.

Notwithstanding the Emperour vsed his help in the warres, and hee shewed extreame hatred a­gainst the king and his countrey all the time of his life, for the which most men blame him and few commend him. The Emperour hauing stirred vp almost all the Princes of Christendome against the king, ment to assault him on all sides, and so to destract his forces that he should haue enough to doe to defend his owne, and by that meanes not bee able to offend him in Italie. Wherefore first hee sent an armie to inuade Biscay which be­sieged Bayonne but could not take it, but Fonta­rabia they recouered from the French, God so dis­posing of this matter that each partie should hould their owne and no more: on the other side the king of England sent the Duke of Suffolke with a migh­tie armie to inuade Picardie. But God hauing commiseration as it is to be thought of the poore Realme of Fraunce, caused the sayde English armie for want of victualles and money to retourne home without any matter of moment done.

The Duke of Bourbon likewise inuading Bur­gundie had no better successe, for beeing ente­red with his twelue thousand Lansknights into the countrey, both his money and his intelligences [Page 61] fayled him, and his souldiours wanting pay left him, and the most part of them went to serue the king.

Thus God fought for the king as long as hee stoode vpon the defence of his owne Realme, but out of his owne Realme his successe was farre o­therwise. God as it is to be thought punishing his ambition in mouing vnnecessary warrs abroad to trouble the state of Italie, and not being con­tented with his large, ritch, and florishing Realme at home. For you shall vnderstand that at this time he was him selfe passing with a mightie army into Italie to recouer the Duchie of Milan, as though without Milan the king of Fraunce were not worthie the name of king. And notwithstan­ding that Bourbons reuolt and the inuasions aboue mentioned stayed his owne person in Fraunce: yet his armie consisting of 34000. men, hee sent into Italie vnder the leading of the Admirall Boniuet, to recouer the sayd Duchie of Milan.

Prospero Colonna being gouernour of Milan for the Emperour and Francis Sforce met with this French armie at the Riuer of Th [...]sin with purpose to stoppe their passage, but that notwithstanding they passed the riuer and Prospero was forced to retire to Milan, whether if Boniuet had presently solowed him and giuen him no leasure to fortefie the towne, it is thought he mought haue taken it without any re­sistance. But the actions of great souldiers are not to bee censured by the iudgement of the vulgare [Page 62] sort many reasons & great daungers mought moue him to forbeare to giue Prospero the chace & attempt to take the towne by force, which he being generall concealed to himselfe, and deliuered not to the no­tice of men. About this time dyed Pope Adrian & to him succeded Iulius Cardinall of M [...]dices by the name of Clement the seuenth. The French armie a­boue mentioned vnder the leading of Boniuet besie­ged Milan during the which siege Prospero Coulonne dyed in his bed, & to the reliefe of the towne came the Marques of Pescara with new supplies, and like­wise the Duke of Bourbon (hauing fayled of his en­terprise in Burgundie) with 7000. Landsknights leuied in Allmaigne by Ferdinand the Emperours brother, by meanes whereof (the Venetians also ioyning with the Imperials, and the Swyssers that came to the succour of the French, traiterously re­fusing to passe the riuer of Seuze & to ioine with the Admirals armie) the French were forced not onely to abandon y^e siege, but also with great losse of men, & especially of the noble captaine Bayarde to retire into France, Bourbon and the Imperials continually charging them on the backe as they marched. This successe had the king in Italie, and no better had the Emperour in Fraunce, who about the ende of this yeare inuaded in person with a mightie armie the Realme of Fraunce from the frontiers of Spaine, supposing the small exploict done beefore Bayonne to haue proceded from the negligence of his Cap­taines, & Sauueterre he tooke a place of small impor­tance, [Page 63] which being done, his courage being greater thē his abilitie to entertaine so mightie an armie & lacking both money & victuals which could hardly folow him in those straight passages, beesides that the harde weather comming on which is verie terrible in that rockie, and mountaine countrey: he was forced to dismisse his armie & returne home, & to abandō this enterprise, which he had attempted against the aduice of all his best souldiours and Captaines.

Cap. 7. Queene Claude of France dieth, Bourbon inuadeth Pro­uince, but is soone forced to retire, The king inuadeth Milan, and is taken prisoner at the battaile of Pauia.

IN Iulie in the yeare 1524. dyed Queene Claude 1524. at Bloys greatly to 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.

[Page 64] 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 [Page 65] 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 [Page 66] blow of fortune, behaued himself with such princely magnanimitie, y^t 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 y^e 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 y^e 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 y^e 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.

[Page 68] 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 y^e battaile he neuer wroat letter with his owne hand nor with other subscription then his simple name Charles, all the which reasons caused the king of England by little and little to straunge himselfe from the Emperours [Page 69] friendship. But the thing that most wrought the alteration of his minde was that the Lady Regent of Fraunce the kings mother sent vnto him a gen­tleman with letters very humbly wrtiten, wherein she signified vnto him, y^t it was not honorable for so noble a Prince as he was, to inuade a king bee­ing Captiue, & a Christian Realme afflicted with the captiuitie of their Prince, which submission pearced so depely into the breast of this coura­gious king, that presently he not onely dismissed his armie which he had leuyed to his charge, not demaunding one penie in regarde thereof: but also from that day forward became the greatest friend that the Realme of Fraunce had, and ente­red into league with the Regent for the deliuerie of the king hir sonne, for the accomplishment also whereof, the sayd king of England so earenestly trauayled with all the states of Christendome, that in the ende he effected it, in such sort that so soone as king Francis had set foote in Fraunce, the first thing he dyd was, that presently hee wroat a letter of thanckes to king Henry aduertising him of his libertie, for the which hee acknowledged himselfe more beehoulding to him then to all the Princes of Christendome besides.

Such true nobilitie reigned in Princes being in hostilitie, at those dayes, wheras now this age is so farr degenerated frō the magnanimitie of their fathers, that one Prince seeketh to take away an o­thers lyfe by treason, murther, poyson and such [Page 70] like vilanous attempts, which the heathen them­selues detested and abhorred. But to returne to our Historie. The kings captiuitie astonished not onely Fraunce but also all Italie, beecause all the Princes and states thereof semed now wholy to de­pend vpon the Emperours clemencie, none of thē being able to stand vpon his owne strength. The Pope especially was not a litle grieued with this ac­cident, who notwithstanding that for his present saftie hee made an accord with the Imperials as did also the Venetians: yet their hart was farr from it, as the sequell wel declared: for secretly & vnder hand they practised to make a league betweene the state of Fraunce, the Pope, the Venetians, and the duke of Milan, against the Emperour, which confedera­cie the Imperialls hauing discouered, presently seazed all the Duchie of Milan to the Emperours vse, saue the Castell of Milan into the which the Duke put himselfe and endured the siege, and the Castell of Cremona, both the which notwithstan­ding the Imperialls enuyroned with trenches on all sides.

But this seazing of the sayde Duchie caused the league to discouer it selfe sooner then other­wise it would. The king to the ende he mought the sooner recouer his libertie went into Spaine, hoping by present conference with the Emperour, the sooner to compound all their controuersies.

But the Emperours rigor was such in rude hande­ling him, neuer once vouchsafing to come to see [Page 71] him, and propounding such vnreasonable conditi­ons as the king without the ruine of his Realme could not accept: that the King fell into a most daungerous and almost desperate disease for verie griefe of minde.

Wherefore the Emperour doubting to lose the fruits of his victorie by the kings death, came & visited him, & so in the end peace was cōcluded betwene thē at Madrid, the 14 of Februarie 1525. af­ter the French, but after the Italians 1526. being iust a yeare lacking but 10. daies since y^e kings captiutie. But you shall vnderstand y^t the conditions of this treatie were so vnreasonable that (as it is reported) the King protested hee would not obserue them, when he should be returned into his Realme, espe­cially the articles for the restitution of Burgundy to the Emperour, and the releasing of his soueraintie ouer Flaunders

Notwithstanding for the performance of this treatie Francis and Henry the kings Children were deliuered in hostage to the Emperour, and for far­ther continuance of amitie beetweene these two Princes it was agreed that the king should marie Elenor the Emperours sister, promised as before you haue heard to the Duke of Bourbon, but neuer with any meaning to performe it.

And thus was the King deliuered, with promise that if he would not performe the treatie, he should returne prisoner into Spaine.

Cap. 9. The Emperour marieth, Fraunce refuseth the treatie of Madrid. The kings con­federates in Italie, beesiege Milan twice, but in vayne. The Pope is twice taken prisoner by the Imperialls, Rome is sacked. Bourbon is slayne at the as­ault. The King of England and Fraunce defie the Emperour. The Pope is resto­red to libertie. Genoua returneth to the Kings obedience. The King inua­deth Milan and the Realme of Na­ples, but by reason of the reuoult of Andre D'oria to the Emperour, and the plague that entered into the French camp, his enterprise was ouerthrowne.

ABout the beginning of this yeare 1526. the Emperour hauing refu­sed 1526. the king of Englands daughter as beefore you haue heard, maried Isabella Daughter of Emanuel and sister to Ihon King of Portugale. The king being returned into his Realme complayned greatly of the Emperours great inhumanitie to­wards him, and his vnprincely vsage of him, being farre different from the entertainment that Ed­ward the third king of England gaue to king Ihon [Page 73] of Fraunce taken prisoner by the Prince of Wales at the battaile of Poicters. Farther hee assembled the estates of his Realme, who according to the Kings minde vtterly condempned the treatie of Madrid, as forced vppon a prisoner by violence and not be­ing in the kings powre to performe, and thus was the treatie broken and the Emperour deluded, and so his owne councell tould him he should be, be­fore the Kings deliuerie, vnlesse he altered some points of the treatie. Notwithstanding the King offered him two millions of crownes for the deli­uerie of his children, and diuers other honorable conditions in consideration of the articles for the restitution of Burgundie, and the release of the So­ueraintie of Flaunders, which the Emperour vtter­ly reiected, charging the king with periurie, because not performing the treatie, he returned not priso­ner againe according to his promise. But the Pope voluntarely without intreatie had assoyled him of that oath.

The king perceuing the Emperours obstinacie, renewed his league with the king of England, and farther cōfederated himselfe in Italie with y^e Pope, the Venetians, the Duke of Milan and diuers other states against the Emperour, who all ioyntly sent vnto him for the deliuerie of the kings children, offering him verie honorable conditions in consi­deration thereof if he would accept of them, but finding him to stande stifly vppon the treatie of Madrid, and that hee would admit no other con­ditions [Page 74] they iointly began war vpon him & inuaded his dominiōs in Italic, & came with their armie be­fore Milan hoping to take it & to deliuer the duke of Milan who held the Castle as yet, but they failed of their purpose, & were constrained with dishonor to leuie their siege notwithstanding y^t their armie came 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 y^e losse of his owne life. The Pope with many of his Cardinals was emprisoned in [Page 75] 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 y^e 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 y^e birth of his sonne. But the king of Fraunce and England sent their Ambassadors to y^e 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.

[Page 76] 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 y^e sayd kings [Page 78] 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.

[Page 79] 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 obligations and the saide Iuell to king Francis, willing him on his part to signifie vnto y^e 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.

[Page 80] 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 [Page 82] 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 [Page 83] 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 y^e 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 [Page 84] 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 y^e name of Paule, the third. Farther the Duke of Wirtemberg ioy­ning vnto him the Lantzgraue of Hesse, by y^e 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 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 [Page 86] 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 [Page 87] 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 v [...], 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 [Page 88] 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 y^t 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 [Page 90] 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 [Page 91] 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 y^e 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 vnderstād y^t 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.

[Page 92] 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 restitutiō 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, y^e 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 y^t 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 [Page 93] 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 y^e Turke spoiled at this very time of the greatest part of Hungarie, then to haue at­tempted this voiage into Africk, which y^e 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 [Page 94] to Marie Queene of Hungarie the Emperours si­ster & regent of y^e 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 coūtie 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 secōd armie vnder the leading of the Duke of Orleās the kings secōd sonne, inuaded the Duchie of Luxembourg, & toke almost all the strōg 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 [...]ot take, wherefore they returned to the Duke of [...] lying still at the siege of Luxembourg, and ioyned themselues with him.

[Page 95] 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 for the defence thereof, be­sides that to stay the French from attempting aught against the sayd Duchie of Milan, the Marques of Guast was sent into Piemont to make head against the French, where betwene him and Monsieur de Langey generall of the French forces, who dyed during these warrs, and afterward betwene him and the Marshall'd Annebault many feats of armes but no great exploit was done, & thus these foure armies stode the king in an excessiue charge and turned him neither to honor nor profit. Notwith­standing the armie that was in Picardie vnder the leading of the Duke of Vendosme, winter being past, put it selfe againe into the field and toke di­uers places in Artoys, and namely Lilliers a little 1543. but a strong towne & likewise Bapaulme, & burned thē both, finding almost no resistāce in the coūrey, because y^e Emperour had withdrawen all his forces [Page 96] out of the strong places, and sent for them to ayde him against the Duke of Cleues, vppon whom hee made warre, and whose countrey hee conquered and subdewed at this present.

But the King in the meane time to withdraw the Emperour from inuading the sayde Duke of Cleues being the kings confederate, entered with a mightie armie into the Emperours dominions & tooke Landersey and fortefied it, and afterward also sent the Duke of Orleans againe to inuade the Du­chie of Luxembourg, who wan diuers townes in that Countrey and namely recouered Luxembourg it selfe, which was now the second tyme taken by the French.

The Emperour on the other side being ayded by the king of England besieged Landersey fortefied by the French as you haue heard, whether the King came in person with a mightie armie to relieue the towne, in such sort that the two armies ioyned so nere together that the battell was assuredly looked for.

But the king hauing sufficiently victualed and re­lieued the towne which was the onely cause of his comming, retired safly with his armie into France, and the Emperour soone after, for want of victuals, and because of the continuall raine that fell, & the winter that approched, about y^e seuenth or eighth of Nouember leuyed his siege. A man may mar­uayle heere how it shoule come to passe that the King of England, betwene whom and the King had [Page 97] bene so straight a league, and from whom so many curtesies had proceded towards the king and his Realme in their most troubles and greatest aduersi­ties, should now become his foe and ioyne with the Emperour (whom hee had so deadly hated) in the inuasion of the kings dominions.

But you shal vnderstand that this proceded partly of the king of Englands owne disposition, partly through the kings fault, and partly through the Emperours cunning. First as touching the King of England, trew it is that as himselfe was a Prince of a noble and a franck minde and one that would endeuour to pleasure his friend to his vttermost power: so if himselfe likewise were not satisfied in all his demaunds at his friends hands, hee was by nature apte to strange himselfe from his friend, not alwayes so depely considering as was requisit his friends abilitie to accomplish that which hee desi­red.

And because hee had shewed himselfe a firme, yea almost an onely friend to the realme of France during the time of the kings captiuitie, and after­wards at the deliuerie of the Children of Fraunce as before mention is made, he toke it very vnkinde­ly at the kings hand. First that hee payed not his money dew vnto him, for the which he had giuen the king fiue yeares day of payment, and the pay­ment whereof the Emperour had turned ouer vp­pon the king of purpose to set these two Princes at variance as before you haue heard.

[Page 98] Secondarely he was grieued that the king obtained not for him the Bull of deuorce at the Popes hāds, which he was perswaded the king by his authoritie mought haue procured, if he had delt so earnestly in that businesse as friendship required y^t he should. Now as touching the king he fayled towards the king of England in y^e first point that is the payment of his monie, through want of abilitie, for the Em­peror held him in such continuall wars, that he was forced to leauie extreamly of his subiects, & neuer could be in case to pay debts, & as touching the se­cond point namely y^e Bull of deuorce, trew it is that the king after y^e restitution of his children trauailed not so earnestly in y^e busines as before he had done, either because he held somwhat of the disposition of his countrey men, who are saide to remember good turnes no longer thē they be in doing, or because he was loth to offend y^e Emperour, with whom he had cō ­cluded peace & whose sister he had maried, or be­cause he found y^e Pope obstinate, or a feard to graūt the Bull in respect of the Emperors greatnes in Ita­lie, or lastly because he held the case desperate, espe­cially after the king of Englands reuolt from the Pope. Whether any of these reasons, or all of them, or some other vnknowne to vs caused him to deale cowldly in the king of Englands businesse we can but deuine, but certaine it is that the kings remis­nesse in this cause mightely grieued the King of England, and diminished a great part of his loue to­wards the king.

[Page 99] Lastly as touching the Emperour, hee vsed ex­ceding cunning to seuer these two Princes, whose amitie hee saw to bee the countermine of all his practises and procedings.

For first hee turned ouer his owne debt to the king of England, vpon the king of Fraunce, of pur­pose to cast a boane betweene them to set them at variance as before you haue heard: Farther so soone as he perceued the king of Englands minde to bee a little alienated from the king, hee fayled not to doe his endeuour to aggrauate euerie small vnkindenesse, and to make a mountaine of euerie moulehill.

Beesides this hee wroate passing kinde letters to the king of England, desiring him to remember the oulde friendship that had euer beene betwene the house of Burgundie and the Realme of England, and likewise not to forget the auncient enmitie and the many quarells that were yet depending bee­tweene England and Fraunce, adding that if any vnkindenesse had passed betweene them two in regard of his Aunts cause, it was now cleane for­gotten on his part by his Aunts death, intima­ting farther vnto him, that if hee the sayde Empe­rour would embrace the king of France his friend­ship: the king offered to enter into league with him, and to abandon his league with the sayd king of England, or any other prince in Christendome that the sayde Emperour should mislike of.

[Page 100] And at such times as the Emperour had these purposes in his head, hee would in apparance make so much of the king of Fraunce, and haue such conference with him and his Ambassadors, and seeme so wholy in all matters to depend vp­pon his direction and aduise, that hee made not onely the king of England, but all the kings other confederats in Christendome 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 [Page 102] 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 y^e 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, [Page 103] & 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, y^t 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 [Page 104] 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 cō ­plexion, 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 y^e 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 [Page 105] 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.

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. [Page 106] 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 y^e princes Protestāts of Germanie, many of y^e 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 [Page 107] 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 y^e 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 [Page 108] 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.

[Page 110] 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 y^e beginning of this kings 1550. reigne betwene y^e 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 [Page 111] 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 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.

[Page 112] 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 [Page 113] 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 y^e 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 [Page 114] 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 [Page 115] 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.

[Page 116] Wherfore seing his hope frustrate for y^e 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 the lyke, greatly to the derogation of his au­thoritie pontificall: for these reasons I say the Pope ended the warres of Parma and Mirandula, and not onely forsoke the Emperour, but also deliuered in­to the hands of the Earle of Mirandula all those fortes that during the siege thereof had hene built at the Emperours charge, so that by the Popes treason the French held Mirandula made impreg­nable by the Emperours purse. The kings nauie also vpon the sea toke diuers Flemish and Holan­dish shippes of great price, and the Turke likewise about this time wanne Tripoly in Africk from the Emperour, which the sayde Emperour toke very grieuously and attributed the losse thereof to the king by whose perswasion the Turke conuerted his forces thither as the Emperour sayde.

Cap. 4. VVarres betweene the Emperour and the Princes of Germanie. Tbe king ente­reth into Germanie, hee carrieth away the duke of Lorraine, inuadeth Luxem­bourg, Haynault and Picardie,

YOu haue heard before how the Prin­ces of Germanie were euell affected towards the Emperour for tirannizing ouer their Countrey, and especially Duke MAVRICE beecause the Lantz­graue his father in law was still held prisoner by the Emperour, for whose deliuerie duke MAVRICE had layde his honor to pawne, wherfore seing they could haue no reason at the Emperors hands, they purposed to obtaine it by y^e sword, & hauing made a firme league with the king they leuyed a mighty armie, and assaulted the Emperour vpon such a so­daine, 1552. that he was forced for feare of his life to flye from Iusburg through the mountaines in the night by torchlight with a small company, where in his passage hee had almost broaken his neck. A straunge chaunge of Fortune, that so mightie and glorious an Emperour, the lyke of whom Christen­dome had not seene in many hundered yeares be­fore, should be thus pursewed and that by his owne subiect, yea and such a subiect as himselfe not long [Page 119] before had highly aduanced. Notwithstanding soone after by the mediatiō of the king of Romaines the Emperours brother, peace was concluded be­tweene the Emperour and his Princes, and the Lantzgraue and the Duke of Saxonie were resto­red to their libertie, notwithstanding that the later of them would not depart from the Emperour, but folowed him in all these troblesome broyles, bee­cause hee would not receaue his libertie by Duke Maurice his meanes.

The King on the other side during these trou­bles betweene the Emperour and these Allemaine Princes, accordingly as was agreed betweene him and the sayde Princes, entered into Germanie, with the title of Protector of the libertie thereof, and toke Metz in Lorraine an Imperiall towne, and likewise Thoul, Verdun, and Nancy, and carryed away the young Duke of Lorraine with him, far­ther he marched as farr as Strausbourg & Hagenau neere to Spire, where the Ambassadors of the Princes of the Empire came to him and gaue him thankes for his readie succour in the defence of the libertie of Germanie, and signified also vnto him that they beeing now reconciled to the Emperour should haue no occasion farther to craue his ayde. Wherevpon the king withdrew his forces out of Germanie, the rather because hee was giuen to vnderstand that Martin van Rossem had entered and spoyled some part of Campaine, and that the queene of Hungarie had taken Astenay [Page 118] a small towne vppon the Meuze belonging to the Duke of Lorraine. Wherefore the king entered in­to the Duchie of Luxembourg, and wanne diuers townes there, hee toke prisoner also there the Earle of Mansfelde and restored Bouillon to the house of La Marche.

The Constable likewise by the kings commaun­dement entered into Haynault and Picardie and made great spoyle there, which beeing done, the king because of the foule wether dismissed his army and in great triumph returned to Paris.

Cap. 5. The Emperour besiegeth Metz. The Prince of Salerna reuolteth from the Emperour, and likewise the towne of Syena. The armie Imperiall inuadeth Picardie, Bris­sac in Piemont winneth Alba. Thero­uenna is razed by the Imperials.

THe Emperour hauing pacefied the Princes of Germanie, leuyed a mightie armie, purposing at one instant both to recouer Metz, and to inuade Fraunce. But the king sent to the defence of the towne Francis duke of Guyse accompani­ed with so many noble men, and valyaunt soul­diours, that the Emperour with great losse both of honor, men, munitiō & money was forced in the ende to abandon y^e siege, which he began in October [Page 120] a very vnseasonable time of the yeare, vppon his owne obstinate will, and contrarie to the aduice of all the Captaines that were in his campe.

When the Emperour made his approaches to the towne, two skirmishes worthie of remem­brance happened, one made by the French issew­ing out of the towne vppon the Duke of Alua, in the which the sayd Duke lost 150. men with losse onely of 5. on the French part.

But to requite this ouerthrow you shall vnder­stand that Albert Marques of Brandembourg, who had beene against the Emperour in the warres of Germanie aboue mentioned, being then in pay with the king, & had euer sithens those warres en­ded, runne with his troupes all ouer Germanie, spoi­ling, robbing, and raunsoming all those that he be­came master of, especially, Abbies, Nunries, Bushop­rikes, and all whosoeuer of the ecclesiasticall state? now seeing the warres open betweene the Empe­rour and the king, and meaning to recouer the Em­perours fauour: came with his armie beeing to the number of 12000 towards the siege of Metz, and so houered vp and downe beetweene the Empe­rours campe and the places held by the French that hee put the King in hope that hee came to his seruice.

But the Duke d'Aumale discouering his practi­ses with the Emperour, set vpon him with certaine troupes of horsemen being vnder his leading, but to his owne cost, for the Marques ouerthrew him [Page 121] and toke him prisoner & receaued 50000. crownes for his ransome, which the duche [...] of Valentinoys the kings Minion and mother in law to the sayde Duke caused the king to pay.

After this the sayde Marques ouerthrew also a great conuoy of victualls comming to the reliefe of the towne of Met [...] and that beeing done reti­red himselfe with all his Troupes into the Empe­rours campe.

Farther you shall vnderstand that during this siege of Metz, the Prince of Salerne in the Realme of Naples, beecause of the extreame tirannie and crueltie that Don Piedro de Toledo vncle to the Duke of Alua vsed in the Countrey whereof the sayde Prince could haue no redresse at the Empe­rours hands turned French, as dyd also the towne of Siena hauing first razed the citadelle built by the Emperour to oppresse their libertie, and cha­ced all the Spaniards out of their towne.

An other armie of the Emperours vnder the leading of Monsieur de Reux entered into Picardie, and burned many townes and vilages, and name­ly the Castell of Foulenbray a place wherein the king toke great delight, they wanne also Hesdin both towne and Castell and many other places, notwithstanding the nineteenth of December in this very yeare Monsieur de Vendosme recouered Hesdin and afterward all the other townes, and on the other side the Marshall of Brissac in Piemom w [...]n from the Emperour the towne of Alba.

[Page 122] But to returne to the siege of Metz. Notwithstan­ding that the Emperour vsed all warlike attempts, for the taking of the towne, and so cōtinually 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, & y^e 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.

[Page 123] 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 y^e 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 [Page 125] 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 [Page 126] burnt Cymay, a towne appertaining to the Duke of Ars [...]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 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.

[Page 128] 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 [Page 129] 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 [Page 130] 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 [Page 131] 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 shalbe 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 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 [Page 133] 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 cōtrouersie 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 [Page 134] 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 frō the Pope, towards the king of Spaines friends and cōfederats, 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 th [...]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 y^e saftie of the towne, sent the Cōstable 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.

[Page 136] 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 [Page 137] 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 this enterprise

They began the siege the first day of Ianuarie, and tooke the towne the morrow after twelfth day, and soone after also Hams and Guysnes, and all that the English helde on that side the sea.

In Aprill following Frauncis the Daulphin maryed Marie daughter and heire of Iames the fift King of Scotland, & in Iune following the French besiged Theonuille, held for an impregnable towne in the Dutchie of Luxembourg. Yet notwithstand­ing [Page 138] they tooke it, but in that siege was Peter Stroz­zi slaine to the Kings great griefe, for he had beene a most valiant and expert Captaine.

Cap. II. The French inuade Flaunders and sacke Dunkerke, they are ouerthrowen in their retrait to Calais. The English Nauy ta­keth Conquet. Peace betweene the Kings of Spaine and Fraunce and Elizabeth Queene of England. Bourg and other Councellours of the law are sent to the Bastile. The Kings daughter is maried to the King of Spaine. The King is slaine at the iusts.

BVt the King supposing this reuenge of his losses not to be sufficiēt as yet, determined to attempt farther. Wherfore in the beginning of Iulie he sent Monsieur de Termes to inuade Flaun­ders, who tooke Dunkerke and bur­ned it. But the Earle of Egmont leuying an army of 12000. foote and 3000 horse, met with the French as they retired towards Calais vpon the sandes be­tweene Dunkerke and Grauelin, where he charged them, and by the helpe of the English Nauy, which by chaunce sailed at that time close by the shoare, and discharged their great shot into the middest of [Page 139] the French troups, they were deseated and Termes himselfe taken prisoner, to the great astonishment of all Fraunce, which in sower yeares space had receaued three great ouerthrowes, the first in Ita­lie, the second at Saint Quentin, and the third this heere mentioned.

And thus the King not beeing contented with a reasonable reuenge, but seeking to recouer all his honour, lost euen that which hee had in part recouered before, and put both himselfe and his Realme into greater daungers than euer heere­tofore they had beene in.

Termes had left behinde him three enseignes of footemen to spoile and fier Dunkerke, who be­ing in the middest of their blouddie execution, were all surprized by the Burgundians and cut in peeces. The Duke of Guise hearing of this o­uerthrow retired into Picardie, and held himselfe in places of safetie.

After this victorie the English Nauy consisting of 100. saile of ships and 10000. men, and 20. great hulks ioyned with them, inuaded Bretaine and toke Conquet, but partlie by the force of the countrey that came downe vpon them, & partlie by tempest, they were forced to returne home with speed. King Phillip being encouraged by this his good successe and many victories, leuied a mightie army, and en­camped neere to Dourlans in Picardie beeing a French towne, his whole force was 30000. foote, & 15000. horse, all his souldiours being well paied.

[Page 140] The king on the other side neere to Amiens, leuyed a great armie, but seemed not willing to hazerd an other battayle, considering the losses hee had alreadie receaued. Notwith­standing in the ende both the Princes to auoyde the effusion of Christian blood enclined their mindes to peace.

The two and twentith of Ianuarie Charles Duke of LORRAINE maryed the Ladie Claude the kings younger Daughter, and the Februarie after, peace was treated of at Cambresis bee­tweene the two Kings and ELIZABETH Queene of England latelie succeded to the Crowne of that Realme by the death of hir Sister MA­RIE, who dyed the seauententh of Nouem­ber 1558.

The Commissioners agreede reasonably well about euerie thing saue CALAIS, which King Philip would haue in any case restored to the English againe, and the French would by noe meanes part with, which matter was so whotlie debated betweene them, that all the treatie had assuredlie broaken of, if newes had not beene brought from the Queene of England, that shee was contented to accept of the peace, with these conditions, that at eyght yeares ende Calais should bee restored to hir agayne or fiue hun­fiftie thousand crownes in lieu thereof, for assuraunce whereof shee should haue delyuered [Page 141] vnto hir foure hostages of the nobilytie of Fraune such as shee would demaund.

This article beeing agreed vpon peace was concluded beetweene these Princes the third of Aprill, and solemply proclaimed with great ioye: 1559. And King Philip maryed ELIZABETH the Kings eldest Daughter promised beefore to CHARLES Prince of Spayne King Philips sonne, and the Duke of SAVOY Philibert maryed MARGARET the Kings sister.

Thus the king hauing concluded peace to his great comfort with all his enemies, and bee­trauthed his Daughter to the king of Spayne, by meanes of the which allyaunce hee assured him selfe of an euerlasting amitie with that Prince: beganne to embrew his handes in the bloud of the LVTHERANS, and committed BOVRG and foure other Iudges of the Law to MONTGOMERIE Captaine of his Guarde, who sent them prisoners to the Bastile, where they were layde in yrons.

The only cause of their emprisonment was, for that they had delyuered out of prison certayne Lutherans, and had forborne to publish the kings bloudy edicts till a generall or a nationall councell should take order in so wayghtie a cause.

This beeing done, the king in great triumph departed to his Daughters mariage, who was [Page 142] maryed to king Philip by his Deputie the Duke of Alua, who represented the king his Masters person in this case: which beeing accomplished the king gaue himselfe to sports and pastimes, and the eight and twenteth of Iune entered into the Lists to iust, and continewed so long therein, and ranne so ma­ny courses three dayes together, that with excessiue trauayle his whole body was become stiffe, where­vppon diuers of the nobilitie and especially the Queene his wyfe besought him to runne no more, the rather because that night the Queene had drea­med that shee saw him wounded to death, & diuers other prognosticatiōs of his death are also written which I ouerpasse. But he refusing all perswasions, & despising his wiues dreame, & all the other prog­nostications, entered againe into the listes, & ranne diuers courses excellently well, for he was a perfect man at armes. At the last he called foorth Mont­gomerie, the selfe same that had caryed BOVRG and the other foure Councellours to prison, as be­fore you haue heard. Montgomerie had runne diuers courses the day before, & had sayled in them all, for the which cause hee was loath to come forth. But being constrained by the king, in the ende foorth he came being reserued by God to giue one sound blow at the last, to counteruaile all his fay­lings before: For as the king and hee met together with great violence a splenter of Montgomeries staffe which brake all to sheuers, strake the kings [Page 143] head-peece full vpon the visard, which being vn­buckled either through negligence, or because the king would haue it so, meaning to make this his last course, flew vp, in such sort that one of the splē ­ters strake the king full in the right eye and entered into 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 [Page 145] 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 [Page 146] 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 safe­conduct, 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 safe­conduct 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 [Page 147] 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 [Page 148] 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.