CHAPTER CCXXII.-THE SOPHI OF PERSIA MAKES WAR ON THE TURK USSON CASSAN*.

THE grand-master of Rhodes received, on the 7th of December, in the year 1502, intelligence from Armenia and Persia, that one called Sophi Christian, or Red Bonnet of Armenia, had assembled an army of forty thousand men, to enable him to revenge the death of his father by Usson Cassan, a Turk, and to recover all the Sophines who had been sent prisoners to Turkey. Having considered the iniquity of the Grand Turk, and his infamous conduct to these Sophines, he set out from his country, called Adanil, twelve days' journey from Tauris, accompanied by only one hundred warriors, and arrived near to Arzian†, a town of Usson Cassan, whose friendship and alliance he besought on account of his mother, sister to Usson Cassan, pretending that he was waiting the arrival of his attendants. But he disguised his feelings of injury from the Grand Turk, who detained his Sophines in abject vassalage; however, within a fortnight he was joined by about sixteen thousand men, with whom he entered Arzian by force, and put to death all the inhabitants, both great and small. Among other acts worthy of remembrance, in all the mosques, or temples, of the Turks, he had the horses and camels tied up as in a stable, to show his contempt for them, and had them afterwards razed to the ground. There had been a temple of the Christians which the Turks had destroyed, but Sophi had it immediately rebuilt and handsomely restored. The army of Sophi continually increasing, he advanced into the province of Firnam, which belonged also to Usson Cassan. Usson Cassan, perceiving that Sophi was subjugating his country, and the whole of the Turks in this province amounting to more than fifty thousand, assembled his army, and offered battle to Sophi, who defeated him completely and made him prisoner. He entered victoriously the town of Sarda, where he stayed three months, and thence advanced to Tharabe, a town of Usson Cassan, which instantly surrendered. As he approached the country of Sultania, he was met by the children of Usson Cassan, with an army of twenty-five thousand men. Sophi gave them battle, and defeated them. One of the children was killed in the combat: the others were taken prisoners, and put to a disgraceful death, by cutting them in pieces. Not one of their army was permitted to live. The city of Tauris, seeing the great power of Sophi, and that he had destroyed their prince and his children, surrendered to him without any defence, and he remained there with his army some time. The citizens of Tauris, observing the great prudence and wisdom of Sophi, put him in possession of all the treasures of Usson Cassan. He thence departed to a large town called Lingia, three days' journey from Tauris, and to another called Passy, the last town of Usson Cassan. Sophi, finding that he had now conquered and submitted to his obedience the whole of the dominions of Usson Cassan, and established order everywhere, returned to Tauris, the capital of the country. He was continually followed by his mother, with a numerous attendance of slaves, for he was much beloved by her; and after a short stay at Tauris, she sent ambassadors to the grand Turk, to remonstrate with him on his shameful conduct to the Sophines,-ordering him to set them at liberty, and also to put on the red bonnet, after the manner of the Sophines, otherwise she would make him feel the power of her son.

The Grand Turk detained the ambassadors in Constantinople, for he suspected that Sophi would invade his country of Natolia; and, in consequence, he assembled a large army near to the town of Angora‡, and coinmanded all in Pera§ to hold themselves in readiness to

* I cannot make out this chapter to my satisfaction. In the "Art de Vérifier les Dates," I find, that in the year 1501, which nearly answers to the date in the chapter, Schah Ismael Sophi I., &c. the restorer of the sect of Ali, in Persia, when only fourteen years old, assembles a large army of Alides, conquers Tauris from Alvand IV., successor of Uzun Cassan, and obliges him to fly to Diarbeker, where he dies in 1502. Schah Ismael gains Bagdad in 1510, putting to flight Morad Beg, son to Alvand; and, in the following year, conquers Khoristan,

&c. In the year 1514, Selim I., emperor of the Turks, gives him battle, and defeats him on the plains of Chaldéron, and takes the town of Tauris. Sophi dies, aged thirty-eight, &c.

Arzian. Q. Erzerum, or Erivan?

Angora, a town in Natolia: Bajazet was defeated

near to it.

§ Pera,-partly a suburb to Constantinople. I believe it was then possessed by the Genoese.

bear arms against Sophi Christian or Red Bonnet. They were, however, refractory, and refused to obey, showing more willingness to surrender themselves to Sophi. The Armenians say, that Sophi does not esteem the Grand Turk a button; for he has an army of ninety thousand men, well armed, without including his own countrymen from Armenia, who daily follow him. All this information was brought to the king of France, when he was at Morestel*, in Dauphiny, in the year 1503.

CHAPTER CCXXIII.—A GREAT MORTALITY FROM THE UNWHOLESOMENESS OF THE SEASON.-OF THE DEATHS OF MANY PERSONS OF NOTE.

In the course of the year 1504, a truce was concluded between the kings of France and Spain, touching the county of Roussillon: nevertheless, the Spaniards that had been garrisoned in Saulse embarked secretly for Naples. It was said that the king of Spain had bribed some of the French (of which they were afterwards accused), and by this means he had conquered Naples. The lord of Aubigny and the lord of Alegre, the principal leaders of the French army, were made prisoners; and great numbers of their men perished, more from want of food than in battle, for there was no great effusion of blood. The lieutenant of the lord of Ligny maintained his post in the territories of that lord's deceased wife t,and the French, notwithstanding the Spanish force, made several good prisoners, who were exchanged for the lords of Aubigny and of Alegre.

This summer was exceedingly hot and dry, which prevented the corn from filling; and the harvest was very poor in the Lyonnois, Dauphiny, Auvergne, Burgundy, Savoy, and other countries. From the month of March, the farmers and peasants, foreseeing the season would be unproductive, were in great distress, and made processions to different churches in all the villages around: general processions were even made by the peasants to the churches in Lyon, where the inhabitants and monks gave them bread and wine in abundance. In these processions, the young women were dressed in white linen, with bare feet, a kerchief on their heads, and a taper in their hands: the boys were clothed also in white, bare-headed and bare-footed: then came the priests, followed by persons of both sexes, the women singing from the Litany, "Sancta Maria! ora pro nobis," and then the whole cried aloud for " Mercy!" The parishes of Lyon made similar processions to the church of Our Lady of the Island, a French league distant from that city. On the last day but one of May, the body of St. Just was brought from the suburbs into the city of Lyon, which no man living had before seen done; and his shrine was carried in procession, with chaunting and singing, from church to church. On the following day, the jaw-bone of St. John the Baptist, which had never before been taken out of the church of St. John, was carried in procession to the church of the Augustins.

Eight days afterwards it rained; but the drought was soon as great as ever. The monks of Notre-Dame-de-l'Isle, attended by the inhabitants of many villages, brought her image and that of St. Loup in procession to Lyon, which had not been done in the memory of man. This was on the 7th of June; and at the same time was brought thither the shrine of St. Hereny, prince of the nineteen thousand martyrs. Processions came to Lyon four and five leagues distant; and the inhabitants of several villages were from five to six days wandering about the fields, from one place to another, without returning home. In short, everybody appeared so miserable, the hardest hearts must have wept on beholding this great desolation of the people, and have quitted all amusements to assist them.

In the month of September, there appeared in the river Saône, above Lyon, a prodigious quantity of small eels of the size of a man's little finger, but no one dared to eat of them. Great sickness now prevailed; and on the 19th of September, Philibert duke of Savoy died at Pont d'Ain, not without suspicions of poison. He was succeeded by his next brother: the other was bishop of Geneva.

* Morestel,-election of Vienne.

+ Eleanor, countess of Ligny, princess of Altamura, duchess of Venosa, &c.

brother was Philip, who married Charlotte, daughter of Louis duke of Longueville, and was created duke of Nemours.

Charles III., surnamed the Good. VOL. II.

Their younger

KK

In the year 1505, died the lady Jane, duchess of Berry *, and was interred in a chapel within the castle of Bourges she had founded and endowed. From St. John's day of last year, until that feast in this, the season was most sickly, and everything very dear. Wheat sold at Lyon from twenty-six to twenty-seven sols the bichett; and from the scarcity in the country, vast numbers came from the villages to Lyon to seek charity. Some left their houses empty, others their wives and children, and the women their husbands and children. Great part of them died, although every person who had wherewithal gave them food; for alms were as abundantly bestowed in Lyon as in any city of its size. A pestilential disorder now raged, which carried off immense numbers in the hospital, both rich and poor; and this pestilence seemed to be felt everywhere, for, in the mountains of Savoy, several died of it and of hunger, so that many farms were this year uncultivated.

During Lent, the king of France had the bones of his late father, Charles duke of Orleans, removed from Blois to Paris, and interred in the chapel of the Celestins at Paris, which the dukes of Orleans had founded. Every kind of honour was paid to them during their removal, and at their re-interment,—and it was a magnificent spectacle. About this time, the king was taken with so serious an illness, it was thought he must die. His nobles and courtiers were much grieved: many of them made divers vows and pilgrimages; and processions were ordered throughout the realm, to offer up prayers to JESUS CHRIST for the king's recovery, which was granted. While he lay speechless, he had a vision, which he related; and it was so marvellous, that I firmly believe it to be more a miracle than anything else. A short time after his recovery, the king solicited the pope to grant a jubilee for his kingdom of France, and other parts under his dominion, without any expenses. On the 26th of June, the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, a great procession took place, in which the host was carried as on Corpus-Christi day, when the king, knowing how earnestly his people had prayed for the restoration of his health, would not show himself ungrateful, but, to reward them, solicited of the pope for this free jubilee.

In this year, don Frederick of Naples died, to whom the king had behaved with the utmost liberality touching his claims on Naples. In the year 1506, died Isabella queen of Spain, who, during the wars of Granada, had shown great valour and prudence. The king of Spain was afterwards married to the sister of the lord of Foix ‡, through the interference of the king of France, who, in consideration of the match, made some agreements with the king of Spain respecting Roussillon and Naples.

A war now took place between the duke of Savoy and the Valoisiens, but it was scon made an end of. In the month of July, a general chapter of the Cordeliers was held at Rome, which had not been done since the death of their founder St. Francis. It was caused, as said, by the reformation of the Cordeliers in France, which dissatisfied several of the fraternity; and it was in this chapter determined by the pope,-that there should be only two modes of living among them; that such as had been reformed should remain so: consequently, all the convents of Cordeliers in France follow the rules of the Observantines. At this time, also, a general chapter of the knights of Rhodes was bolden at Rome, and many knights were drowned in coming thither, from tempests at sea.

On the 18th of July, the feast-day of St. Pantaleone, a general pardon was granted to all repentant and confessed sinners, who should bequeath money or lands to the churches founded by the knights of Rhodes. This was done on account of a great victory the new grand-master, brother to the cardinal of Amboise, had gained over the Turks. He had defeated their whole army, which was worthy of remembrance.

On Ascension-day, in this year, the count of Angoulême §, the second person in France, was betrothed, at Tours, to the princess Claude of France, only daughter to Louis XII. by Anne of Brittany, which caused great feasts and rejoicings throughout the kingdom. The reverend father in God the lord Francis of Rohan, son to the marshal of Gié,

Jane, daughter of Louis XI., the repudiated wife of Louis XII., who, after her divorce, was called duchess of Berry.

Bichet, a measure of uncertain quantity,-from seventy to fifty-four pounds weight of corn,-of thirty-six

pounds of chesnuts.

Germaine de Foix, daughter of John viscount de Narbonne.

§ Count of Angoulême,—afterwards Francis I., king of France.

and archbishop of Lyon, made his public entry into that city on the 14th of August. Many mysteries were exhibited in the streets through which he passed, and they were all hung with tapestries. On the following day, the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, he chaunted the high mass at the cathedral of St. John in his archiepiscopal robes.

This year the duke of Gueldres made war on that part of Guelderland dependent on the archduke.

CHAPTER CCXXIV.—THE DEATHS OF THE ARCHDUKE AND OF THE QUEEN OF HUNGARY.

THE archduke Philip, during his residence at Burgos in Spain, died, on the 25th of September, in this year 1506*. The queen of Hungary died also on the feast-day of our Lady, in Augustt, having been brought to bed a fortnight before of a son, named Louis. The marquis of Brandenbourg was proxy for the king of France, at his christening. She left a daughter likewise, three years of age,-and both children lived.

In Lombardy, there was a nun of the order of Jacobins, who, like to St. Catherine of Sienna, had, every Friday, marks on her hands and feet similar to the wounds of our Saviour, that zan blood, which appeared to all who saw it very marvellous.

CHAPTER CCXXV.—THE POPE, BY THE ASSISTANCE OF THE FRENCH, GAINS BOLOGNA.

POPE Julius II. weighing in his mind that the whole of the territories of Bologna were the patrimony of the church, made preparations to reduce them to his obedience. This city and territory had been usurped, and held by force for some time, by sir John de Bentivoglio. The pope, considering that there was no prince in all Christendom so well able to afford him support in this project as the king of France (that firm pillar of the Church, who had been everywhere victorious), made him acquainted with his claims and intentions of recovering the Bolognese territories. The king, eager to serve the holy church, ordered a large detachment of men-at-arms to join the pope's forces from the Milanese, for him to use at his pleasure. The pope's army was besieging Bologna on the side towards Rome,-but when joined by the French, it was besieged on all sides. This took place in the month of October. The French, stationed on the side toward Modena, behaved very gallantly, and won Castel-franco, which was plundered because the garrison would not surrender. The pope's army gained another castle,-and both armies showed so much courage, the Bolognese were astonished and frightened: they found themselves closely besieged, and that it would be impossible for them to resist the pope and the king of France. Finding their situation desperate, they surrendered themselves to the pope, having driven sir John de Bentivoglio out of Bologna, who, as I have before said, held the town by force, although it lawfully belonged to the pope. The pope offered up thanksgivings to God the Creator for his success, and chaunted high mass most devoutly, on All-Souls day, in the church of St. Petronilla in Bologna.

* Leaving issue, by Joanna, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella: 1. Charles, afterwards emperor and king of Spain; 2. Eleanor, the wife, first of Emanuel, king of Portugal,-2dly, of Francis the First; 3. Isabella, the wife of Christian, the second king of Denmark; 4. Ferdinand, king of Hungary, and emperor of Germany after the death of his brother; 5. Mary, the wife of Lewis, the second king of Hungary; 6. Catherine, the wife of John, the third king of Portugal.

† Anne, the wife of Uladislaus, king of Bohemia, who

succeeded to the crown of Hungary on the death of Matthias Corvinus in 1490. By this marriage she had Lewis, afterwards king of Hungary, and Anne, the wife of Ferdinand of Austria, in whose right he became king of Hungary on the death of Lewis in 1526, without issue.

John, the second of the name, son of Hannibal, and grandson of John, who made himself master of Bologna in 1400. See the historians of Bologna, especially the "Historie Memorabili" of Gasparo Bombaci, who is by far the most interesting of these writers.

KK

CHAPTER CCXXVI.-OF THE DAMSEL TRIVULCE.

ABOUT this time, there resided a young lady in the Milanese, who had been taught the rudiments of grammar at seven years of age, and was so earnest in her studies that, at fourteen, she was eloquent to a degree that astonished all who heard her. She was descended from the noble family of the Trivulces*. Her father, called John, was an able knight and a good scholar, as were all his family. Her mother's name was Angela, a noble lady of the race of the Martinengois. In praise of this young lady, the verse of Prosper may be well applied," Naturæ sequitur semina quisque suæ." Her mother was not a learned lady, although full of virtue; but the daughter was so devout and eloquent in her prayers, that she seemed more angelic than human; and if she continues to abound in such virtues, and to live thus sanctified and devout, she will deservedly be worthy of her reputation of a saint.

At twelve years of age, she became a great disputant, and was invited into the companies of the most learned, as well secular as ecclesiastic,-among whom were the bishop of Lausanne, an eminent scholar, her uncles the bishop of Cumenset and Francis Trivulce, of the order of Franciscan friars, when several disputations took place,—and great praises were given to this damsel. She understood philosophy, history, and different sciences, was mistress of Seneca, Aristotle, and Pietro of Ravenna. Whatever she saw or heard at any of the places she visited, she related the whole to her father, on her return home, as exactly as if it had been written down. She was skilful in poetry, and one day composed so long a poem, her master was surprised at her talent. She became soon expert in the Greek tongue, and wrote many letters, in that and in other languages, that were greatly admired by all the learned to whom they had been addressed. She was most patient in adversity, making a joke of it in short, everything she did or said was miraculous, and unlike to a human being. When marriage was spoken of to her, she replied, that she would never marry a man whom she did not know to be as pure in virtue as herself.

The Genoese, acting according to their accustomed treachery, forgetful of the crimes they had committed, and been pardoned for by the king, now rebelled against him, and chose for their doge one called Paul Noyust, who had been a silk-dyer. The king, hearing of this, resolved to march in person against them, and reduce them to his obedience, notwithstanding the great preparations the Genoese had made for resistance. They had, among other things, erected a bulwark they thought impregnable; but some bold French adventurers having secretly mounted this bulwark, the hearts of the Genoese failed them, and they fled into the town. They now offered to surrender themselves to the king's mercy, who from his uncommon benignity, and wish to avoid the effusion of human blood, pardoned them, and entered the town with his whole army, where he had a magnificent reception. Their lately-elected doge, Paul di Nove, was taken at sea by a French bark, when making his escape, brought back to Genoa, and beheaded. From this time forward, it was publicly proclaimed, that the populace should not shout "Adorne Fregose §!" which they had been accustomed to do before this last reduction of the town.

CHAPTER CCXXVII.—OF THE LEAGUE OF CAMBRAY, FORMED BY THE CARDINAL OF AMBOISE, BETWEEN THE POPE, THE EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN, THE KING OF France, AND THE KING OF SPAIN, AGAINST THE VENETIANS. THE KING OF FRANCE DEFEATS THE VENETIANS AT AGNADELLO.

THE king of France, about this time, through the means of the cardinal of Amboise, concluded a treaty at Cambray between the pope, the emperor, the king of Spain, and the lady

"La nudrita Damigella Trivulzia al sacra Speco."She was the daughter of Giovanni Trivulzio and Angela di Martinengo, and is celebrated equally by the historians and poets of the age.

† Cumense. Q. Como?

Paul Noyus. Paul di Nove. § Fregose. Q. Fiesco?