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 23rd 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, maîtres 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 Trémouille 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 Montpensiert, the lord de Foués, the lord de Luxembourg, the lord de Vendôme§, the lord Angillebert of Cleves ||, the lord John Jacques T, the prince

Louis de la Tremouille, viscount Thouars and prince of Talmo, grandson of George count of Guisnes and Boulogne. He was killed at the battle of Pavia. † Philip de Comines, the historian.

Gilbert de Bourbon, lord of Montpensier, father of Charles duke of Bourbon, and constable of France. He married the daughter of the marquis of Mantua, and died in 1496.

§ Francis de Bourbon, count of Vendôme, married to a daughter of the constable de St. Pol. He died in 1496, and was father of Charles, and grandfather of Anthony, duke of Vendôme and king of Navarre.

|| Engilbert, second son of John duke of Cleves, and Elizabeth heiress of Nevers, afterwards called duke of Nevers. John James Trivulzio, marquis of Vigevano, one of the greatest generals of his age.

of Salerno*, the lord de Miolens, the lord de Piennes, the marquis de Saluces†, de Viennet, 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 Bach駧, the lord de Villeneuve, Réné 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, cupbearers, 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.

CHAPTER CXCIII.-THE KING OF FRANCE SETS OUT FROM GRENOBLE TO CROSS THE ALP3 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 dependent 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 ¶¶, 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 ***. 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 2nd 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†††.” After the king had heard what he had to say,

* Anthony de San Severino, prince of Salerno, son of probably this was his uncle or some other relation. the famous Robert de San Severino.

+ Louis II., marquis of Saluces, died in 1504. Vienne. This family was divided into so many branches that I cannot fix on the person here meant. § Peter de Rohan, lord of Gié, marshal of France in 1475.

|| John V., lord of Rieux and Rochefort, marshal of France.

Stephen de Vers, seneschal of Beaucaire, chamberlain to the king, a native of Languedoc of mean extraction, through whose instigation principally this extravagant expedition was undertaken. Brissonnet, another court favourite, afterwards a cardinal, was the second promoter of the enterprise.

** Louis Després, lord of Montpezas, seneschal of Normandy.

tt Qu. Imbert de la Platière, youngest son of Philibert de la Platière lord des Bordes? He was a great favourite with Francis I. and Henry II., and was mareschal of France in 1562. He died in 1567, S. P. But more

‡‡ James de Chabannes, lord of la Palice, marshal in 1515.

§§ Perron de Baschi, maître-d'hôtel to Charles VIIL, one of the sons of Berthold de Baschi, lord of Vitozzo, squire to king Louis III. of Sicily, and lineally descended from Hugolino de Baschi, sovereign lord of Orvieto, who in 1322 was driven from his seignory and afterwards entering into the service of the republic of Pisa, beat the Florentines at the battle of Bagno in 1363. The descendants of this family settling in France, became marquises of Aubais in the sixteenth and seventeenth

centuries.

Réné de la Brosse, count of Penthievre, son of John count of Penthievre, and son-in-law to the historian Philip de Comines. He was killed in the battle of Pavia in 1524. ¶¶ Embrun-is twenty-four leagues from Grenoble, and eight from Gap.

*** Briançon,--capital of the Briançonnois, nine leagues from Embrun, nineteen from Grenoble.

ttt Vau-perte,-a sodomite.-DU CANGE.

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 †; 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.

CHAPTER CXCIV.-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‡, 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 §.

CHAPTER CXCV.-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

Blanche, daughter of William the ninth marquis of Montferrat, and widow of Charles the first duke of Savoy, protectress of the dukedom for her son Charles the Second, then an infant.

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

VOL. II.

Quiers,-five miles to the eastward of Turin.

§ 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 seventh vol. of Notices des MS. in the National Library at Paris.

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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 cruising in the gulf 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*, and a nephew to the cardinal of Genoa. Frederict, 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. When king Charles had stayed some time at Asti, he was much indisposed for two or three days §, 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 seashore to bathe, and were shortly after 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 ||, 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

Sir John Fregoso, natural son to Paul Fregoso, cardinal-archbishop and duke of Genoa.

Frederic-was brother to Alphonso king of Naples. But it is entirely a mistake that he died of the fright, since he outlived both his brother and his nephew, and enjoyed for a short time the title of king of Naples. He did not die before the year 1504.

He was made prisoner by Louis XII., and confined in the castle of Loches, where he died. § With the small-pox.

were not another disorder.

See Roscoe's Leo X., if it

Monçal. Q. Moncalvo? nine miles north of Asti. ¶ Boniface the Fifth, of the house of Palæologus, died

in 1493, and was succeeded by his eldest son William IX. The marchioness, his widow, here mentioned, died at the age of twenty-nine, while these negotiations were going on; and upon her death, the marquis of Saluces and Constantine prince of Servia, her brother, disputed the tutelage of the young marquis. Philip de Comines was sent to Casal for the purpose of accommodating this dispute; and his decision was in favour of Constantine. That prince is, in the text, erroneously called the second son of the mar chioness, when in fact he was her brother. John George, who was himself marquis of Montferrat after the death of William, was the only younger son of Boniface the Fifth. See GUICCIardini, lib. ii.

Milan and her husband, the late marquis. The marchioness treated the king with the greatest hospitality and kindness, making offers of everything 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.

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

MARCHIONESS
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*, and was triumphantly received there by Ludovico Sforza and his lady, with other lords of that country. 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 23rd 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.

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

THE king, having left the Granges, advanced toward Paviat,-and when he was near that city, the clergy came out in handsome procession to meet him. They conducted him in this state to the principal church, called Il Duomo, and thence to his apartments in the castle, which was large and well situated. The duchess and her young son were waiting there to welcome him on his happy arrival; and he and his company were well feasted with a

Vigeue. Q. Vige-vano?

The king went to Pavia to visit the young duke of Milan, John Galease, who was then lying dangerously ill in the castle of that place. He had lately married Isabel of Arragon, who (with her only child, Francis, then but a few months old) went out to meet the king as here mentioned. The death of the duke, which happened

before the king left him, was universally attributed to poison, administered by Ludovico Sforza his uncle, who had long governed the dukedom in his nephew's name, and upon his death assumed the title also of duke, in prejudice of the infant son of John Galease.-See GUICCIARDINI, lib. i.

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