XI. 1555. BOOK the will of another, abandoned the place of their nativity, and accompanied the French to Monté-Alcino, Porto Ercole, and other small towns in the territory of the republic. They and esta- established, in Monté-Alcino, the same model of government to which they had been accustomed at Siena, and apment there. pointing magistrates with the same titles and jurisdiction, solaced themselves with this image of their ancient liberty. blish a free govern Hardships to which of Siena were subjected. THE fears of the Sienese concerning the fate of their the citizens country were not imaginary, or their suspicion of the Emperor and Cosmo ill-founded; for no sooner had the Imperi al troops taken possession of the town, than Cosmo, without regarding the articles of capitulation, not only displaced the magistrates who were in office, and nominated new ones devoted to his own interest, but commanded all the citizens to deliver up their arms to persons whom he appointed to receive them. They submitted to the former from necessi ty, though with all the reluctance and regret which men accustomed to liberty feel in obeying the first commands of a master. They did not yield the same tame obedience to the latter; and many persons of distinction, rather than degrade themselves, from the rank of freemen to the condition of slaves, by surrendering their arms, fled to their countrymen at Monté-Alcino, and chose to endure all the hardships and encounter all the dangers which they had reason to expect in that new station, where they had fixed the seat of their republic. Cosmo at who had retired. COSMO, not reckoning himself secure while such numbers tacks those of implacable and desperate enemies were settled in his neighbourhood, and retained any degree of power, solicited Medecino to attack them in their different places of retreat, before they had time to recruit their strength and spirits, after the many calamities which they had suffered. He prevailed on him, though his army was much weakened by hard duty during the siege of Siena, to invest Porto Ercole; and the fortifications being both slight and incomplete, the June 13. besieged were soon compelled to open their gates. An unexpected order, which Medecino received from the Emperor to detach the greater part of his troops into Piedmont, prevented farther operations, and permitted the Sienese exiles XI. 1555. to reside for some time undisturbed in Monté-Alcino. But B OOK their unhappy countrymen who remained at Siena, were not yet at the end of their sufferings; for the Emperor, instead of adhering to the articles of capitulation, granted his son Philip the investiture of that city and all its dependencies; and Francis de Toledo, in the name of their new master, proceeded to settle the civil and military government, treated them like a conquered people, and subjected them to the Spanish yoke, without paying any regard whatever to their privileges or ancient form of government 1. in Pied THE Imperial army in Piedmont had been so feeble for Operations some time, and its commander so inactive, that the Emperor, in order to give vigour to his operations in that quarter, found it necessary not only to recal Medecino's troops from Tuscany while in the career of conquest, but to employ in Piedmont a general of such reputation and abilities, as might counterbalance the great military talents of the Marechal Brissac, who was at the head of the French forces in that country. Duke of ralissimo there. He pitched on the Duke of Alva for that purpose; but Charles apthat choice was as much the effect of a court intrigue, as of points the his opinion with respect to the Duke's merit. Alva had Alva genelong made court to Philip with the utmost assiduity, and had endeavoured to work himself into his confidence by all the insinuating arts of which his haughty and enflexible nature was capable. As he nearly resembled that Prince in many features of his character, he began to gain much of his good-will. Ruy Gomez de Silva, Philip's favourite, whọ dreaded the progress which this formidable rival made in his master's affections, had the address to prevail with the Emperor to name Alva to this command. The Duke, though sensible that he owed this distinction to the malicious arts of an enemy, who had no other aim than to remove him at a distance from court, was of such punctilious honour, that he would not decline a command that appeared dangerous h Sleid. 617. Thuan. lib. xv. 526. 537. Joan. Camerarii adnot. rer. præcipuarum ab anno 1550 ad 1561 ap. Freherum, vol. iii. p. 564. Pecci Memorie della Siena, iv. 64, &c. XI. BOOK and difficult, but, at the same time, was so haughty, that he would not accept of it but on his own terms, insisting on 1555. being appointed the Emperor's Vicar-general in Italy, with the supreme military command in all the Imperial and Spanish territories in that country. Charles granted all his demands; and he took possession of his new dignity with almost unlimited authority. His operations there His first operations, however, were neither proportioned inconsider- to his former reputation and the extensive powers with which able. he was invested, nor did they come up to the Emperor's expectations. Brissac had under his command an army which, though inferior in number to the Imperialists, was compos'ed of chosen troops, which having grown old in service in that country, where every town was fortified, and every castle capable of being defended, were perfectly acquainted with the manner of carrying on war there. By their valour, and his own good conduct, Brissac not only defeated all the attempts of the Imperialists, but added new conquests to the territories of which he was formerly master. Alva, after having boasted, with his usual arrogance, that he would drive the French out of Piedmont, in a few weeks, was obliged to retire into winter-quarters, with the mortification of being unable to preserve entire that part of the country of which the Emperor had hitherto kept possessioni. A conspiracy to be tray Metz to the Imperialists. As the operations of this campaign in Piedmont were in decisive, those in the Netherlands were inconsiderable, nei ther the Emperor nor King of France being able to bring into the field an army strong enough to undertake any enterprise of moment. But what Charles wanted in force, he endeavoured to supply by a bold stratagem, the success of which would have been equal to that of the most vigorous campaign. During the siege of Metz, Leonard, Father Guardian of a convent of Franciscans in that city, had insinuated himself far into the esteem and favour of the Duke of Guise, by his attachment to the French. Being a man of an active and intriguing spirit, he had been extremely i Thuan. lib. xv. 529. Guichenon Hist. de Savoye, tom. i. 670. XI. 1555. useful both in animating the inhabitants to sustain with pa- B O O K tience all the hardships of the siege, and in procuring intelligence of the enemy's designs and motions. The merit of those important services, together with the warm recommendations of the Duke of Guise, secured him such high confidence with Vielleville, who was appointed governor of Metz when Guise left the town, that he was permitted to converse or correspond with whatever persons he thought fit, and nothing that he did created any suspicion. This monk, from the levity natural to bold and projecting adventurers ; or from resentment against the French, who had not bestow'ed on him such rewards as he thought due to his own merit ; or 'tempted by the unlimited confidence which was placed in him, to imagine that he might carry on and accomplish any scheme with perfect security, formed a design of betraying Metz to the Imperialists. of it. HE communicated his intention to the Queen dowager of The plan Hungary, who governed the Low-Countries in the name of her brother. She approving, without any scruple, an act of treachery, from which the Emperor might derive such signal advantage, assisted the Father Guardian in concerting the most proper plan for insuring its success. They agreed, that the Father Guardian should endeavour to gain his monks to concur in promoting the design; that he should introduce into the convent a certain number of chosen sol diers, disguised in the habit of friars; that when every thing was ripe for execution, the governor of Thionville should march towards Metz in the night with a considerable body of troops, and attempt to scale the ramparts; that while the garrison was employed in resisting the assailants, the monks should set fire to the town in different places; that the soldiers who lay concealed should sally out of the convent, and attack those who defended the ramparts in the rear. Amidst 'the universal terror and confusion which events so unexpected would occasion, it was not doubted but that the Imperialists might become masters of the town. As a recompense for this service the Father Guardian stipulated that he should be appointed bishop of Metz, and ample rewards BOOK were promised to such of his monks as should be most active in co-operating with him. XI. 1555. Its progress. Is discovered. A body of ed. THE Father Guardian accomplished what he had undertaken to perform with great secrecy and dispatch. By his authority and arguments, as well as by the prospect of wealth or honours which he set before his monks, he prevailed on all of them to enter into the conspiracy. He introduced into the convent, without being suspected, as many soldiers as were thought sufficient. The governor of Thionville, apprized in due time of the design, had assembled a proper number of troops for executing it; and the moment approached, which probably would have wrested from Henry the most important of all his conquests. BUT, happily for France, on the very day that was fixed for striking the blow, Vielleville, an able and vigilant officer, received information from a spy whom he entertained at Thionville, that certain Franciscan friars resorted frequently thither, and were admitted to many private conferences with the governor, who was carrying on preparations for some military enterprise with great dispatch, but with a most mysterious secrecy. This was sufficient to awaken Vielleville's suspicions. Without communicating these to any person, he instantly visited the convent of Franciscans; detected the soldiers who were concealed there; and forced them to discover as much as they knew concerning the nature of the enterprise. The Father Guardian, who had gone to Thionville that he might put the last hand to his machinations, was seized at the gate as he returned; and he, in order to save himself from the rack, revealed all the circumstances of the conspiracy. VIELLEVILLE, not satisfied with having seized the traiImperialists defeat- tors, and having frustrated their schemes, was solicitous to take advantage of the discoveries which he had made, so as to be revenged on the Imperialists. For this purpose he marched out with the best troops in his garrison, and placing these in ambush near the road, by which the Father |