Part 19

When king Charles had, by his prudence, subjugated or reduced to peace all the countries that were immediately on his frontiers, so that he had not any disturbances to apprehend from those quarters, like a magnanimous prince, and full of prowess, he turned his thoughts to regain the kingdoms of Naples and of Sicily, which legally and justly belonged to him. Although he was small in body, he had a great mind,--and from the time he had determined on his project, nothing could dissuade him from it.

Master Robert Gaguin declares, in his chronicle, that he would never listen to the ambassadors that were sent to him by the Parisians, to entreat him to lay aside the expedition to Naples: on the contrary, he assembled, with all diligence, a most numerous army of horse and foot, and selected able captains to command them.

The king was strongly excited to this measure by pope Alexander and Ludovico Sforza, who both hated Alphonso, for having, as it was said, usurped the crown of Naples, and done many injuries to the barons of that country. For this reason, the pope and Ludovico had invited Charles to invade Italy. The king, for the more readily assembling of his men at arms, made the city of Lyon his chief residence, to be near at hand for the march of his army.

CHAP. XLI.

FRIAR JEROME SAVONAROLA[114] FORETELS THE INVASION OF ITALY BY THE KING OF FRANCE,--THE KING WHILE AT LYON PRUDENTLY ARRANGES A REGENCY TO GOVERN THE KINGDOM DURING HIS ABSENCE. HE DEPARTS THENCE FOR GRENOBLE, WHERE HE TAKES LEAVE OF THE QUEEN.

Before king Charles had shown any intentions of marching into Italy, friar Jerome Savonarola preached publicly in the year 1493, in several towns of Italy, the invasion of king Charles, which caused him to be looked up to by the Florentines as a true prophet.

While the king was at Lyon, regulating the plans he should pursue in his intended attempt to recover the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, he sent the duke of Orleans forward over the Alps, in company with many other lords and captains and a large detachment of troops, as ambassadors to Milan, Genoa, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Viterbo and Rome, and to different towns in Lombardy, to learn whether they would keep their promises to the king, and support him in his expedition to Naples. Having been honourably received every where, the duke of Orleans returned to his county of Asti, when the promises of support were again repeated.

At this time, the lord des Querdes (more commonly called des Cordes) fell dangerously ill at Lyon, as he was preparing to cross the Alps with the king. Being advised by the physicians to return and try his native air of Picardy, he took leave of the king and departed from Lyon, but was unable to proceed further than the town of Bresle, three leagues from Lyon, where he died. By the king's command, great honours were paid to his body, which was put into a leaden coffin; in all the towns it passed through, processions came out to meet it; and it was carried to the church of our Lady at Bologne-sur-mer for interment, according to the orders he had given.

King Charles, before he left Lyon, held several councils respecting the appointment of a regency to govern the kingdom in his absence. Duke Peter of Bourbon, who had married the lady Anne of France, was nominated sole regent of the kingdom: the lord de Baudricourt was made governor of Burgundy,--the lords de Avaugour and of Rohan, governors of Brittany,--the lord d'Orval, governor of Champagne,--the lord de Graville, governor of the country of Caux, Normandy and all Picardy--and the lord d'Angoulême, governor of that county and of Guienne. All these lords, having taken their leave of the king, set out for their respective governments.

The king remained, some days after their departure, enjoying the good cheer and pleasures of Lyon,--and the beauty of the Lyonnoises, was also one great inducement to detain him there; but an epidemical disorder having appeared, he set out from Lyon with his queen and court for Vienne, which is seven leagues below Lyon. When the king and queen left the ancient town of Vienne, they passed through Villeneuve, and other towns, wherein they were received with due honours, to Grenoble.

On Saturday, the 23d of August, in the year 1493, king Charles accompanied by his queen, and numbers of princes, lords, ladies and damsels, made his entry into the town of Grenoble; which entry was very magnificent, as well on the part of the clergy, who came out to meet him in rich copes and bearing relics, as on the part of the court of parliament in that town, and the nobles and inhabitants, all well dressed according to their different ranks, some in handsome liveries, others with divers devices, as their fancy led them. Those who had been deputed to present the keys of the town to the king, made an eloquent harangue in his praise. A rich canopy was carried over his head, and another over that of the queen; and they were thus conducted into the town, where all the streets were hung with tapestries. Several allegorical pageants and mysteries were displayed, in honour of the king and queen. When this procession arrived at the cathedral, their majesties dismounted to offer up their prayers, and were thence conducted to their lodgings, in the palace of the court of parliament.

The king and queen staid six whole days at Grenoble, where several councils were held relative to the greater security of passing the Alps with the army. It was thought advisable to send back the carriages that were there in waiting to transport the king's baggage, and other stores for the troops, and in their stead a number of mules were collected for this purpose, otherwise too much time would have been lost,--for this is the usual mode of transporting merchandise across the mountains.

Proper persons were selected to fix on the quarters for the king and his army, so that as little confusion as possible might arise; and the chief manager in this business was Pierre de Valetaut,--and a better chief could not have been fixed on, for he was perfectly well acquainted with the whole country the army was to march through. Purveyors were also appointed to go from town to town to collect provisions for the cavalry and infantry, every article of which was to be paid for at a regulated price,--and no pillaging of any kind was to be permitted with impunity. Those among them were to have the titles of marshals, maitres d'hôtels, and provosts, accordingly as they behaved themselves well.

To preserve the friendship of those italian towns which had promised support, and to keep them to their engagements, the following persons were sent to them (as their fidelity was not overmuch to be depended upon), namely, John de Cardonne, master of the household, to Florence; the lord Charles Brillart to Genoa; Gaulcher de Tinteville to Sienna; La Ville Rigault d'Oreilles to Milan; Adrian de L'Isle to Pisa; the lord de Louan to Lucca,--and others to Viterbo. With each of these envoys, were sent gentlemen of the long robe, to make harangues, should there be necessity. On the same business, the following persons were sent ambassadors to the different regencies and princes of Lombardy and Italy: the lord de la Trimouille to the king of the Romans; Louis Lucas to Ludovico Sforza, at Milan; the lord du Bocage to the Venetians; the lord d'Aubigny to Rome, accompanied by the lord d'Autun, the president Grusnay, and the general de Bidont, as ambassadors to the pope; the lord d'Argenton, in company with Monstreau, was sent elsewhere.

The commanders of the king's army were the princes of the blood and others, namely, the duke of Orleans, the lord de Montpensier, the lord de Foués, the lord de Luxembourg, the lord de Vendôme, the lord Angillebert of Cleves, the lord John Jacques, the prince of Salerne, the lord de Miolens, the lord de Piennes, the marquis de Saluces, de Vienne, de Rothelin, the marshals de Gié and de Rieux, the seneschals of Beaucaire and of Normandy, together with numbers of other barons, knights, captains of renown, and loyal gentlemen.

The following nobles were nominated for attendants in the king's company: de Bourdillon, de Châtillon, de la Palice, George Edouille,--together with some of his household, such as Paris, Gabriel, d'Yjon, and others of his domestics. They also served as masters of the household, in the room of those who had been sent forward as ambassadors or envoys. Guyot Lousiers had the command of the artillery. The lord de Chaudoyt had charge of the fleet, together with the bailiff of Vitry, Jehannot du Tertre, Perot de Baché, the lord de Villeneuve, René Parent, the bailiff of St Pierre du Monstier, John Château Dreux, Herné du Chesnoy, John de Lasnay, the lord du Fau, Adam de L'Isle, Giraut and Charles de Susaine, the lord de la Brosse, Honoré lord du Chef: and likewise the officers in ordinary to the king, such as butlers, cup-bearers, valets, grooms, ushers of the chamber, and many more, suitably to the state of so great a monarch on this occasion.

When king Charles had staid six days in Grenoble for the arrangement of his affairs, he took leave of the queen, who departed thence, for France, most honourably accompanied.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 114: Jerome Savonarola--was a jacobin friar, and had foretold that the king of France would invade Italy, to punish the inhabitants for their vices, and their rulers for their tyranny. He afterward preached against king Charles. He was burnt at Florence by the intrigues of pope Alexander VI. at the instigation of the Venetians and the duke of Milan, against whose vices he had publicly declaimed.

The death of Jerome Savonarola was a disgrace to the times. Florence supported him as an inspired person. His piety, his austere life, and his edifying sermons gained him the esteem and admiration of all the Florentines. There may, perhaps, have been some imprudence in his sermons, which persons of piety will attribute to zeal; and the pope was too severe in having him burnt for the slight censure he had passed on his conduct, which was notoriously infamous.]

CHAP. XLII.

THE KING OF FRANCE SETS OUT FROM GRENOBLE, TO CROSS THE ALPS ON HIS MARCH TO NAPLES.

On Friday, the 29th of August, the king, having heard mass and taken leave of his queen, set out from Grenoble to dine at a place called La Meure, a village dependant on a barony belonging to the count of Dunois. He thence went to sup and lie at the small town of Escoy, where he was honourably received by the burghers and inhabitants. On the morrow, he dined at St Bonnet, and went to lodge at a small city in Dauphiny, called Gap. The next day he dined at Forges, and supped at Embrun[115], where he was joyfully received by all ranks, and lodged at the bishop's palace, who was then absent on an embassy from the king to the pope.

On Monday morning, having heard mass in the church of our Lady, the king left Embrun for St Crespin, where he lay, and thence went to Briançon[116]. He was received with every honour by the clergy and people, and conducted to an immense inn without the town, as the most convenient lodgings for him. He and his company were there served with plentiful cheer, and excellent wines. On the 2d of September the king dined at Serzene; and in the evening was at the provostship of Ourse, where, after his repast, a tall man, native of la Poille, was brought before him, as charged with being one of the 'principaux maistres de la vau-perte[117].' After the king had heard what he had to say, he delivered him into the hands of his officers of justice, who, having duly examined the charge laid against him, caused him to be publicly hanged on a tree.

The ensuing day, the king dined at Chaumont, and immediately after entered Savoy, to lie at Suse. The duchess of Savoy, accompanied by many lords, ladies, and damsels, had come thither to meet him, and entertained him handsomely. On quitting Suse, he dined at St Jousset, entered Piedmont, and lodged at Villanne[118],--and wherever he came, he was received with all due honours. On the morrow, he made preparations for his entry into Turin, as described in the following chapter.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 115: Embrun--is 24 leagues from Grenoble, and 8 from Gap.]

[Footnote 116: Briançon,--capital of the Briançonnois, 9 leagues from Embrun, 19 from Grenoble.]

[Footnote 117: Vau-perte,--a sodomite.----Du Cange.]

CHAP. XLIII.

THE KING OF FRANCE MAKES HIS PUBLIC ENTRY INTO TURIN, WHERE HE IS RECEIVED WITH GREAT HONOURS AND SOLEMNITY.

On the 5th of September, as king Charles approached Turin, he was met by a procession of the clergy, accompanied by the nobles and inhabitants of that city, the university, and by the noble lady the princess of Piedmont, most magnificently dressed in cloth of gold frize, after an antique fashion, ornamented with large sapphires, diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones. She had on her head a heap of gold ornaments, intermixed with carbuncles, jacinths, and tufts of fine gold. On her neck she wore collars, with wide rockets, decorated with large oriental pearls, having also bracelets of the same. Thus richly dressed, she was mounted on a palfrey led by six lackeys, well equipped in cloth of gold, and attended by a company of damsels most elegantly dressed, and numbers of lords, knights, esquires and pages of honour.

In this manner did the king enter Turin, the streets of which were all decorated with cloths of gold or of silk; and in different places were stages erected, on which mysteries were represented from the Old and New Testaments, and upon historical subjects. The king was conducted to the castle, where he was received by the aforesaid lady of Piedmont, the duke her son, his uncle the lord of Bresse, and other great barons, to the melodious sounding of trumpets, clarions and other instruments. Every offer of service and support was made to the king in his expedition to Naples; and it must not be omitted, that public tables were laid out in all the principal streets, for the refreshment of every one that chose to sit down at them.

The ensuing day, the princess of Piedmont led her son into the king's apartment, where they dined joyously together; and after the repast the king took his leave of them and the other lords to sup and lie at Quiers[119], whither orders had been previously sent for his handsome reception, which was accordingly done: and he was so well pleased that he remained in Quiers three days amusing himself in feasting, and with the ladies.[120]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 118: Villanne. Q. if not Villa-nova d'Asti? a town in Piedmont, about four leagues distant from Turin and from Asti.]

[Footnote 119: Quiers,--five miles to the eastward of Turin.]

[Footnote 120: It was an attachment to the beautiful daughter of a physician that detained Charles at Quiers, and made him repeat his visits.--See further particulars in the notice of a MS. history of Gohori, in the viith vol. of Notices des MS. in the National Library at Paris.]

CHAP. XLIV.

THE KING LEAVES QUIERS FOR ASTI, WHERE HE IS INFORMED OF THE GALLANT CONDUCT OF THE DUKE OF ORLEANS AT GENOA.--LUDOVICO SFORZA AND HIS LADY VISIT THE KING AT ASTI.--A MARVELLOUS EVENT AT GENOA.

On Tuesday the 9th of September, the king, after thanking the lords and ladies of Quiers for the honourable reception they had given him, departed for Villa-nuova; and thence went to supper in the town of Asti, belonging to the duke of Orleans, where he was received by all ranks of inhabitants with greater magnificence than at any other town, considering their means. The king was lodged at the house of one John Roger, and the other lords in different houses.

The duke was absent on the coast of Genoa, on the king's business, and to provide for the security of his expedition. The morning after the king's arrival, a false messenger arrived at Asti, with every mark of bringing hasty news,--and it was instantly rumoured that the French had been defeated at sea. The king immediately assembled his council, to consider how to act in consequence of this unfortunate event; but the messenger was not now to be found, to hear the particulars from him; and within a short time another messenger arrived with better news, for he brought certain information that the duke of Orleans, whilst cruizing in the gulph of Rapallo, near Genoa, had defeated the army of the prince of Tarentum, and taken forty thousand prisoners, and that the slaughter of the enemies of France had been so great that the numbers were not known: a few had escaped over the mountains: and among the prisoners were a son to sir John Fregoso[121], and a nephew to the cardinal of Genoa: Frederic[122], who was the commander of the neapolitan army, had expired through fear. The flower of the italian nobility was in this battle.

The duke of Orleans had with him, at this glorious victory, the lord de Piennes, John de la Grange, Charles de Brillac, who was then knighted, the bailiff of Dijon, the lord Guyot de Lousiers, with numbers of other nobles and gentlemen of name. After the victory, the duke of Orleans was seized with a fever, which forced him to return to Asti, where the king still was.

To Asti came also, from Milan, Ludovico Sforza, and his consort, the daughter of the duke of Ferrara, who brought with her a profusion of rich dresses and jewels to display before the king. They conversed together, like old friends,--for the traitor Ludovico had not then manifested the iniquity of his malignant mind, as he afterwards did, but for which, in the end he was severely punished[123].

When king Charles had staid some time at Asti, he was much indisposed for two or three days[124], and removed from his lodgings to more airy apartments in the convent of the Jacobins, that overlooked their gardens. It was there the duke of Orleans and the other lords of the council arranged many things for the furtherance of his expedition, and also for the general welfare of his kingdom. During this interval, Ludovico went back to Milan, but shortly returned, although his support was but feigned and full of deceit.

It was about this time that three or four french gentlemen in Genoa, went to the sea shore to bathe, and were shortly afterward joined by another, who stripped himself to bathe with them,--when lo, a large fish rose from the bottom of the sea, and bit the latter gentleman until the blood came. Perceiving himself wounded, he attempted to escape by driving off the fish, but he, having tasted his blood, returned again, bit him in several places, and at length dragged him by force under the water, and he was never seen afterward, which seemed a very marvellous event to many persons in Genoa.

The king having remained in Asti from the 9th of September until the 6th of October, departed from it for ever, to accomplish the object of his expedition.

On the morning of the 6th, having heard mass as usual, and taking some refreshments, he set out from Asti, dined at La Fariniere, and lodged at Monçal[125], which is the first town on the road toward Lombardy, and of a tolerable size. It belonged to the late marquis of Montferrat, and the king was honourably received there by the marchioness, his widow, her eldest son the present marquis, and her second, called Constantine. She showed him the whole extent of the fortifications of the town and castle, and how well they were provided with artillery and military stores. She also pointed out to him the heads of three traitors who had been, a short time before, executed for having caused a war between Ludovico of Milan and her husband, the late marquis.

The marchioness treated the king with the greatest hospitality and kindness, making offers of every thing she had for his service,--and tenderly reminding him how her deceased lord had left her and her children under his especial protection. The king behaved to her very affectionately; and on the morrow he departed from Moncalvo, to dine and sup at Casal, the capital of the possessions of the marquis of Montferrat.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 121: Sir John Fregoso,--natural son to Paul Fregoso cardinal-archbishop and duke of Genoa.]

[Footnote 122: Frederic--was brother to Alphonso king of Naples.]

[Footnote 123: He was made prisoner by Louis XII. and confined in the castle of Loches, where he died.]

[Footnote 124: With the small pox. See Roscoe's Leo X. if it were not another disorder.]

[Footnote 125: Monçal, Q. Moncalvo? nine miles north of Asti.]

CHAP. XLV.

KING CHARLES MAKES HIS ENTRY INTO THE TOWN OF CASAL.--THE MARCHIONESS OF MONTFERRAT AND HER SON PLACE THEMSELVES UNDER HIS PROTECTION.

The king of France left Moncalvo on the 7th of October; and on his arrival at Casal, he was received with all demonstrations of joy, and conducted to the castle, where his lodgings had been prepared. At the gate of the castle was the marchioness of Montferrat, richly dressed, with her son, who having humbly saluted the king, and not knowing the french language perfectly well, the count de Foix and the lord Louis made their harangue, which was in substance what the lady had before said,--and that they placed all their possessions, without exception, under his protection,--that now they gave him possession of the town and castle of Casal, with all other their strong places. The king benignantly accepted of the trust, and entered the castle of Casal to the sound of trumpets and horns.

The lady feasted the king and his company most plentifully with all sorts of meats, wines and hypocras, so that nothing could have been better. On the morrow, the king presented the young marquis with new and rich dresses, in the french fashion, demonstrating, by his liberality, that he received him under his protection,--and he remained three days in this town.

On Friday, at sunrise, the king departed from Casal, to dine at Consse, and sup at Mortare, where he was well received, lodged in the castle, and handsomely feasted. The next day he went to take up his quarters in the town of Vigeue[126], and was triumphantly received there by Ludovico Sforza and his lady, with other lords of that county. After the usual ceremonies were over, and they had discoursed sufficiently, he was conducted to his apartments in the castle, which was pleasantly situated, and himself and his company were well entertained.

On Monday, the 23d of October, the king went to see the Granges, half a league from Vige-vano. These Granges belong to the lord of Milan, are beautifully situated, and hold immense quantities of corn and cattle, and are the place of receipt for all rents due to him in kind. In the first, there is a spacious court of stables, the roof of which is supported on handsome columns, for stallions of great value, and adjoining were others for mares and colts. At this time, in other stables were full eighteen hundred horned cattle,--such as fat oxen, cows, and buffaloes. In the sheep-folds, were about fourteen thousand sheep and goats. In short, it was a place excellently contrived, and of great value.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 126: Vigeue. Q. Vige-vano?]

CHAP. XLVI.

THE KING OF FRANCE ENTERS PAVIA.--HIS RECEPTION THERE.