his departure; nevertheless, the difpofition of his army retarded, for fome time, his defign, as it was neceffary to leave fome troops for the fecurity of his new acquifitions; and it was equally requifite to be provided with a fufficient force to defend his perfon against any attempts of the allied army, through which they muft march in their way to Afti. The provifion made for the former of these purposes was but indifferent, the latter appearing to the king of much more importance.

But thefe matters did not make Charles forgetful of the affairs of Pifa, as he had many reasons for having that city in his power; wherefore, as it was poffible that the citadel of that town might be endangered by the new alliance, on the return of the Pifan ambaffadors he fent a body of fix hundred French infantry. They, for a fum of money, and in hopes of booty, were eafily prevailed on, without orders, to affift the Pifans in their undertaking against the Florentines, who made heavy complaints thereon to the king; but received no other relief, than a promise that their grievances fhould be redreffed on his return.

Charles not having yet affumed the royal enfigns, a few days before his departure, was crowned in the cathedral, and received the oaths of allegiance. On the 20th of May he left Naples with a confiderable army, and directed his course towards Rome; before which he had made fome overtures to the pope, and particularly demanded the inveftiture of the kingdom of Naples, which Alexander had hitherto evaded conferring on him; and that if his holiness had reasons not to declare in his favour, he would not at least join his enemies, but admit him into Rome as a friend. The pope for some time hesitated in what manner to act; at last his fears prevailed over every other confideration, and induced him to quit Rome and retire to Perugia, upon the approach of the king, who very quietly entered; and notwithstanding these provocations, gave up the citadels of Civita Vecchia and Terracina, referving only Oftia, which he put under the care of the Cardinal St. Piero in Vincola: he then marched through the ecclefiaftical dominions, as through a friendly country, without committing any hoftilities, except at Tofcanella, where the van of his army had been refused admiffion.

From hence he proceeded to Siena, where he ftaid fix days, during which time a confultation was held, concerning the fo often promised reftitution of the caftles to the Florentines. To obtain them, they offered the payment of 30,000 ducats, which were due by agreement; alfo to lend him 70,000 more, and to fend their general with fome troops to escorte him to Afti.

It

was thought amazing, that propofals fo advantageous to the king, more especially in his prefent fituation, fhould not be accepted; but by the intervention of fome, even of the moft unexperienced of the king's officers, led by felf-interefted views, prevailed to have thefe offers refufed here, as well as afterwards at Pifa, whither the army marched next.

In the mean while the allies were not dormant; Lodovico had received from the emperor, with great folemnity, the inveftiture of the dutchy of Milan, paid homage in public to his ambafladors, and taken the oath of fidelity. Preparations, offenfive and defenfive, were brifkly carried on by the duke and the Venetians, as well to obftruct the king's return into France, as to fecure the dutchy of Milan, through which he was to pass. Confiderable levies of men were raised at their joint and feparate expence, and they had prevailed on Giovanni Bentivoglio to accept a falary, on his obliging the city of Bologna to declare for the league. Elate with this flattering profpect, Lodovico fent an arrogant meffage to the duke of Orleans, ordering him not to permit any more French troops to come into Italy; to fend back thofe he had with him; and to put Afi into the hands of Galeazzo di fan Severino, who commanded a body of troops he had fent to undertake the fiege of that city.

The duke of Orleans treated this meffage with contempt; upon the firft news of the Italian league, he had fortified Afti, and had obtained a fupply of troops from France, whereby he was enabled to act offenfively againft the allies; and accordingly he took the town and cattle of Guelfinara, and obliged the Milanefe general, San Severino, to retire with his army to Anon, a town of the Milanefe, where he remained without hopes. attacking, but alfo without fear of being attacked.

No

vara was likewife betrayed to the duke of Orleans by two gentlemen who had been difobliged by Lodovico; from hence the French cavalry made continual excurfions round the neighbourhood; and the Milanefe, upon hearing of Novara's being in the hands of the enemy, feemed very inclinable to revolt: however, fome conceffions made on the part of the duke of Milan, fecured his fubjects in their allegiance, and his affairs began to have a fairer afpect; his army increased daily both in horfe and foot; the Venetians having permitted him to recal moft of the troops he had in the Parmefan, and also sent him four hundred of their Stradiotti. Hereby the French in the Milanefe were prevented from advancing, and San Severino, fuperior now in ftrength, offered battle in his turn, which the duke of Orleans refufed, and retired to Novara.

The

The news of the rebellion at Novara expedited the king of France's march, who, with his army, pafled the mountain, and encamped at Fornaoro, near which place lay alfo the confederate forces under the command of Francifco Gonzago, marquis of Mantua. Both armies were for fome time irrefolute whether they should rifque an engagement; but after many debates it was refolved by the allies to attack the enemy, if they advanced; in confequence of which determination was fought a famous battle between the French and Italians on the Taro, memorable for its being the firft that, after a long series of years had been fought in Italy, with flaughter and bloodshed. The lofs of the French did not exceed two hundred men, but that of the Italians was above three thoufand; nevertheless each fide claimed the victory; the Italians, because their camp and carriages were fafe, while thofe of the French were rifled, and, amongst other things, the king's tent carried off; the French, on account of the great difproportion of the flain, of their driving the enemy on the other fide of the river, and because their paffage was no longer obftructed, which was all they contended for; and which they accordingly effected, without lofs of men, or any other damage, arriving in about eight days under the walls of Afti, which town Charles entered, and encamped his army in the neighbourhood, with a view of augmenting it, and remaining in Italy, till he had fecured No

vara.

All this while, the commotions in Naples were no less interefting than thofe in Lombardy, tho' attended with greater viciffitude. The levity, pride, and infolence from the French had greatly funk their credit with the Neapolitans; who began_to regret the change of their governors, and to compaffionate Ferdinando, whofe virtues they esteemed, and whofe courage gave them great expectations; this, and their natural inconftancy, prevailed with them to transfer their affections from the French to the Arragonians. Before Charles's departure Ferdinando had left Sicily, and was landed in Calabria, with fome Spanish foldiers; many of the inhabitants of thofe diftricts immediately offered him their fervices, whereby he easily made himfelf mafter of the city of Reggio, the caftle having always held out for him: after which he attended to the recovering the remainder of that province, and was in many of his attempts fuccefsful; till meeting with the French army under the command of Obigni, to whom the government of Calabria had been given, an engagement enfued, wherein the Arragonian forces, confifting chiefly of new-raised levies, were entirely defeated, and Ferdinando obliged to fly to Palma, where he VOL. XI.

Ꭰ

embarked

mbarked and went to Mefina; not fo much dejected by this difappointment but that he refolved to try fortune once more. He was convinced of the affection of the city of Naples, and the difpofition of the whole kingdom to revolt: wherefore, not to give his friends time to cool, on account of his expedition to Calabria, with great speed he got together a fleet compofed of fixty fhips of the line and twenty fmaller, tho' but indifferently furnished with fea or land-men; with thefe he fet fail from Meffina, and was well received by the inhabitants along the coaft, who, as foon as he came in fight, erected his ítandard. He continued his course to Naples, before which city he ftaid two days, expecting a revolution; nor would he have been disappointed, but for the vigilance of the French: after the third day, defpairing of any change, he put to sea again for Ifchia; but his friends, confcious of their danger, and that their plot muft now be certainly difcovered, looked upon his caufe as their own; having therefore privately affembled, they difpatched a small, boat with an exprefs to recall him; and to defire that, in fupport of them, who intended to rife in his favour, he would land all, or the greatest part of his men.

Ferdinando embraced the offer, and failed back to Naples the next day (which happened to be the fame whereon the battle was fought at the Taro) and landed his men about a mile from the city. Montpenfier, who had been appointed by Charles lieutenant of the kingdom, drew out most of his troops to oppofe the enemy's landing. The Neapolitans rejoiced at an opportunity they little expected, flew to arms, took poffeffion of the gates, and cried out, Ferdinando!

This fudden tumult alarmed the French, who finding their return intercepted, and not thinking it adviseable to remain between the rebel city and the Arragonian fire, marched round the walls, up a difficult precipice, intending to get into the town through the gate that was near the caftle Nuova. Ferdinando, in the mean while, came into Naples on horseback, where he was received with the highest demonstrations of joy, while, with a few of his attendants, he rode all over the town; however their tranfports did not make them overlook any thing that was neceflary for their defence,

The French made feveral unfuccefsful efforts to regain the city, but at last were obliged to fhut themselves up in the cafles, which Ferdinando endeavoured to reduce by famine; an attempt was made to furnish them with fupplies, by a fleet fent for that purpofe by Charles, after his arrival at Afli, but the fuperiority of the Arragonians rendered that defign abortive. This disappointment induced Montpenfier, after a siege of three

months,

!

months, to enter into a treaty; wherein it was agreed, that calle Nuova fhould be furrendered, if not relieved in a month; that the French fhould not be molefted in their perfons or effects, but be permitted to go to Provence, and that four hoftages thould be delivered. As the only hopes of relief were from the French forces then in that kingdom, a large body of them were collected together, and moved towards Naples. Fe. dinando had in great hafte raised an army, which, though fuperior in number to that of the enemy, at the fight of the French turned and fled: the credit of the latter was fo much encreased by this advantage, that Ferdinando was inclined once more to quit Naples, but refumed courage at the intreaties of the Neapolitans, who, as much out of fear for themselves, on account of their rebellion, as of affection to his perfon, prefied and prevailed on him to stay, upon which he made fo prudent a difpofition of his forces, and all the approaches to the city were fo well defended, that in the end the enemy was obliged to retire, in such haste, that they left behind them two or three pieces of artillery, and part of the provifion they had brought to supply the caftie.

Montpenfier defpairing now of any relief, left three hundred men in the castle, and after putting a garrifon into caftle dell' Uovo, he embarked in the night with the rest of the forces, and went to Salerno; this proceeding was greatly resented by Ferdinando, who was almoft difpofed to have revenged it on the hostages, especially when he found the garrifon refused to furrender at the time ftipulated.

They flood out above a month beyond the term of their capitulation, when being very near famifhed, they fubmitted, but on condition the hoftages fhould be released; foon after the caftle dell' Uovo agreed alfo to retire, in cafe they were not relieved before the first of the following Lent. About this time died at Melfina, Alphonfo the late king of Naples; and Ferdinando, to strengthen his intereft, obtained the Pope's difpenfation to marry his aunt Giovanna, the daughter of Ferdinando, his grandfather, and of Giovanna, fifter to the reigning king of Spain.

Whilft the caftles of Naples were befieging, the city of Novara was very much ftraitned, though it was as refolutely defended by the duke of Orleans, as it was vigorously attacked by the joint forces of the duke of Milan and the Venetians. Charles was, during thefe tranfactions, at Turin, where he concluded a new treaty with the Florentines, in which it was ftipulated, That without any delay all the towns and forts of the Florentines fhould be reitored; they obliging themfelves,

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