XCI.

French.

Au Duc _Gaulois_ contraint battre au Duelle, La nef de Mole, _Monech_ naprochera, Tort accuse, prison perpetuelle, Son Fils regner avant mort taschera.

English.

A _French_ Duke compelled to fight a Duel, The Ship of Mole shall not come near _Monaco_, Wrongfully accused shall have a perpetual Prison, His son shall endeavour to Reign before his death.

ANNOT.

To understand this Stanza, we must suppose four Histories, _Paradin_ relateth the first, which is, that the _French_ and _Spanish_ Armies having their Winter quarters in the Dukedome of _Milan_, _Anno_ 1555.

The Marquess of _Pescaire_, sent word to the Duke of _Nemours_, by a _French_ Gentleman, that he and three more desired to break a Lance with him upon the borders of _Ast_.

The Duke accepted the challenge, without giving notice to the Marquess of _Brissac_, then General of the _French_ Army, who was very angry at it, nevertheless he advised the Duke to go, but not with a Guilt and light Armour, but with a wrong one, such as became a Cavaliero, which he did not do, nor the other three that went with him: whence it came, that the Lord _Classe_ a _French_ man, running against _Malespine_, was wounded to death in the shoulder; nevertheless one of the seconds to the Duke of _Nemours_, the Lord _Moncha_ killed upon the place _Carassa_, Nephew to pope _Marcel_ II. and the Lord _Manoa_, one of the Duke of _Nemours_ party, falling from his Horse a little wounded, broke his neck.

As for the Duke of _Nemours_, he ran twice against the said Marquess, without hitting one another, but at the third time they both brake their Lances, without doing any harm. Thus, _the French Duke was compelled to fight a Duel_.

We have the second History from _Turpin_, and many others, which is, that the Marquess of _Masseran_, having put himself into the King of _France_’s service, in hopes to have the Government of _Bielais_; and proving a Traitor, the Marshal of _Brissac_, who had discovered his perfidiousness, resolved to take him in his house of _Gaillany_, which he had fortified to secure his retreat after his Treason.

The Lord _de Termes_ was commanded to do it, which he did so dexterously, that he took him into his house after dinner, and then compelled him presently to surrender the Castle of _Jamaglia_, the Marquess obeying, sent thither presently his son _Claudius_, to put it into the hands of the Lords _de la Mante_, and of _Villars_.

These two viewing the Castle, to observe the places that might be fortified, and going from room to room, heard a lamentable voice, crying. _Have mercy upon me._ They caused presently the Prison doors to be opened, and found a poor Gentleman of _Vercelle_, whom the Marquess had detained there 18 years, for endeavouring to serve an execution against him, in the Duke of _Savoy_’s behalf.

And it is remarkable that his Imprisonment was all this while concealed, so that no body ever heard of it, in so much that his friends suspecting he had been killed by one of his enemies, they prosecuted him so hard, that after much tortering, he confessed what he had not done, and was consequently put to death in the presence of the said Marquess of _Masseran_, who knew the Countrey. Thus we see _one wrongfully accused_ that was executed, and this Gentlemans Imprisonment, which was to be perpetual.

After this, they carryed the poor Gentleman almost all naked, and being nothing but skin and bones, to the Lord of _Termes_, who caused him to be clothed, and gave him Money to go back to his friends.

The third History is, that the Duke of _Nemours_ Son was one of the chief ring-leaders of the League against _Henry_ IV. and did what he could before he dyed to get the Kingdom of _France_, endeavouring first to make himself Sovereign Prince of _Lion_, _Forrest_, and _Beaucolois_.

The fourth History is, that at the latter end of the year 1555. the Lord _la Mole_ carrying to _Rome_ the Cardinals of _Tournon_ and _Lorrain_, went directly to the Island of _Corsica_, whence he drew some Forces, which he joyned to his, and to those of _Monluc_, and would not Land at _Monaco_ for some reasons, but went directly to _Civita Vecchia_. By this we understand that Verse of the Stanza. _The Ship of the Mole shall not come near ~Monaco~._