fallen into the hands of the French, in the reign of Charles 1509. VII. After that, Lewis XI. refigned it to the duke of Milan, and Lewis XII. feized it after his conqueft of the MiJanefe.

Cambray.

This furvey of the ftates of Italy fhows, that it was then Motives of the league of divided between fix powers, namely, pope Julius II. Lew Cambray is XII. king of France and duke of Milan, Ferdinand king against the of Arragon and Naples, the republicks of Venice and Flo. Venetians. rence, and the duke of Ferrara. To these fix may be added, the emperor Maximilian, who without poffeffing a foot of land in Italy, had however pretenfions to whatever was formerly enjoyed by the emperors, and particularly to the firm land ftate of the Venetians, whose ruin the other fix were equally concerned to procure. The emperor pretend-Hift. della ed that all the Venetian dominions belonged to the empire; Legha di he paffionately defired to wreft fome place from them that would give him entrance into Italy, and an opportunity to re-efbablish the imperial power in that country. Julius II. as I faid, had formed a project to annex to the church whatever had been alienated, and efpecially the duchy of Ferrara and the towns of La Romagna. This defign could be effected only by the deftruction of the Venetians, ever attentive to oppofe the growth of their neighbours. Befides, the pope had a mind to begin with them, and wreft from them Ravenna, Faenza, and Rimini. Lewis XII. repented of yielding to them Cremona and Gierradadda. He wanted to dif poffefs them, and under that pretence to get poffeffion also of Crema, Bergamo, and Prefcia, and in general of whatever had belonged to the dukes of Milan. Ferdinand was defirous to recover without money the five maritime towns of the kingdom of Naples, which had been mortgaged to them. Moreover, his intereft required that there fhould be always troubles in Italy, to hinder Lewis XII. from thinking of the conqueft of Naples. The duke of Ferrara wifhed to recover Rovigo and the Polefin. Laftly, the Florentines, obftinately bent upon the fiege of Pifa, protected and defended by the Venetians, could defire nothing more advantageous than to fee that republick unable to affift the Pifani.

Such were the motives of the league formed against Ve- League of nice, of which the pope, the emperor, and the king of Cambray. France were the chief promoters. For the greater fecrecy, they spread a report that the emperor, as guardian to Charles of Auftria his grandfon, had agreed that his differences with the duke of Gueldres fhould be amicably adjusted. To that purpose, the city of Cambray was appointed for the place of

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congrefs,

1509. congrefs, thereby to intima e, that the affairs only of Flan ders would be confidered. Here the famous league against the republick of Venice was concluded; and the better to deceive the fpies, was figned at first a treaty of perpetual peace between the pope, the emperor, Lewis XII. and Ferdinand, which was indeed made publick. But a second Cambray. treaty, which care was taken not to divulge, contained a league offenfive and defenfive against the Venetians, the principal articles whereof were thefe:

Hift. della
Legha di

Treaty of the allies

against Venice. Bembo.

Mezerai.

In the firft place it was fet forth in the preamble, that the Turks having begun to make great progrefs in Europe, it was abfolutely neceffary for the chriftian princes to join their forces against them, but that the Venetians by their continual incroachments greatly obftructed this union. From thence it was concluded, that they were to be difpoffeffed of what they had ufurped. This was the pious motive of the league. And therefore it was agreed, that of their spoils, the pope fhould have Ravenna, Faenza, and Rimini; the emperor, Verona, Vicenza, and Padua, and as duke of Auftria, Trevifo, and Friuli: Lewis XII. as duke of Milan, Cremona, Gierradadda, Brescia, Crema, and Bergamo : the king of Arragon, Manfredonia, Trani, Monopoli, Brindifi, and Otranto in the kingdom of Naples: that the dukes of Ferrara and Savoy, and the marquis of Mantua fhould be admitted into the league if they defired it; the first to recover Rovigo, and the Polefin; the fecond to get the kingdom of Cyprus out of the hands of the Venetians; and the third, to obtain fatisfaction concerning certain pretenfions he had upon Venice. Laftly, that all who had any claim upon the Venetians, fhould be received into the league as principals, if they declared themfelves within three months. Thus, in order to wage war against the Turks, no other means were found than to ftrip the Venetians of all their firm land ftate, and leave them only the fingle city of Venice.

Projects of To accomplish this design, it was agreed, that the king of the allies. France in perfon fhould enter the territories of the Venetians, Guicciard. the first of April, in the year 1509, with an army of forty thousand men that the pope fhould fend an army into la Romagna, and Ferdinand have another in Lombardy, with a fleet in the gulf, and the emperor attack the Venetians from the fide of Germany. But as he had lately made a three years truce with them, an admirable expedient was devised to furnish him with a pretence to break it, which was,

that

that the pope should fummon him as the church's advocate, 1509. to come and defend the patrimony. In fine, Julius II. engaged to thunder out all the ecclefiaftical cenfures against Venice. This league was figned at Cambray, December 10th, 1508.

1509.

The time of executing the projects of the league being Campaignof come, Lewis XII. departed from Milan the beginning of the year April 1509, at the head of forty thousand men, whilft the Mezerai. pope's army entered la Romagna, under the conduct of Bembo. Francis Maria de la Rovere, duke of Urbino, and Raymond of Cardona, threw himself into Lombardy, with the king of Arragon's troops. At the fame time, the duke of Ferrara, took the field in the Polefin. But the emperor contented himself with staying at Trent, and seeing the reft of the allies act, in order to be ready to reap the fruit of their labours. Mean while, the Venetians, having firft provided their towns with ammunition, raised an army, under the command of count Pitigliano their general, whofe lieutenant was Barthelein d'Alviano.

Bembo.

ftate of

The van of the French army commanded by Chaumont, Battle of paffed the Adda, the 15th of April, and at the fame time Agnadel. the pope excommunicated the Venetians, and put the city of Venice under an interdict. On the 14th of May, was fought the battle of Gierradadda or Agnadel, between the French and Venetians, contrary to the opinion of Pitigliano, though general in chief of the Venetians, and to all reafon. For the Venetians having no refuge but their army, it was by no means proper to hazard a battle. But the heat of Venetians Alviano, prevailed over his general's prudence. The Vene- lofe all their tian army was entirely routed, and Alviano taken prifoner. terra firma. Whereupon the Venetians being no longer able to refift their enemies, Lewis, in lefs than a fortnight, became master of Cremona, Peschiera, Crema, Brefcia, Bergamo, and of all the places in general, formerly belonging to the Milanefe. Moreover Vicenza, Verona, and Padua, fent him their keys. But as by the treaty of Cambray, these places were in the emperor's divifion, he fent their deputies to him. Maximilian was then at Trent, expecting the fuccefs of the confederate arms. Upon the arrival of the deputies, he ordered his troops to advance towards the state of Venice, and as these cities freely opened their gates, had nothing to do but to garrison them. Treviso alone refused him admittance, and remained firm to the Venetians, though reduced to the

1509. laft extremity. Eriuli and the towns of Iftria followed the ftream, and fubmitted to the emperor. On the other hand, Sardi. the duke of Urbino, with the pope's army, took Ravenna, Cervia, Faenza, Rimini, whilft the duke of Ferrara became master of Rovigo, and the marquis of Mantua of some castles which were convenient for him. Thus, in a moment, the Venetians faw all their dominions reduced to the fingle city of Venice, with five places in the kingdom of Naples, which could not be of much fervice to them. Mean while, they were not entirely difcouraged amidft fo many calamities, though the fenate and people were under the greateft confternation. Their chief care was to re-affemble their scattered troops, and use their endeavours to break fo deftructive a league.

Pifa furren- The misfortune befallen the Venetians occafioned the lofs ders to the of Pifa. This city defpairing of being relieved by Venice, or Guicciard, the king of France, who had deferted her at laft, furrendered to the Florentines, after having endured a long fiege.

Florentines.

Lewis XII.

returns to

France.
Mezerai.

Padua,

Bembo.

Lewis XII. having compafled his ends, returned into France, after he had detached a boly of his troops, under the command of la Paliffe, to join the emperor, who proGuicciard, bably, had not men enough to fupply his garrifons, and to keep an army in the field against the Venetians, who were The Vene- drawing together again. Upon the king of France's departians retake ture, affairs began to have a new face. The Venetians took Padun by furprife, and kept it ever after. Moreover they foun means to fend into Friuli, an army which employed and appease the greateft part of the emperor's troops. In fhort, they appeafed the pope by their humble fubmiffion, and obtained his pofitive promife to give them abfolution, and take off the interdict upon certain conditions, which they could not refuse him. On the other hand, Ferdinand, who had not yet reaped any benefit by the league, was cafily gained by the offer of the five cities held by the Venetians, in the kingdom of Naples.

The empe

Padua in

vain.

Whilft the fenate was labouring to draw off the pope and ro- befieges the king of Arragon from the league, Maximilian with his own and la Paliffe's forces, laid fiege to Padua, but after an unfuccefsful affault, raifed it, and retired into Germany. At the fame time, the French general alfo returned to Milan. By which means the Venetians had time to breathe a little, and continue with the pope negotiations, which made them hope the event of the war would not be fo fatal as they had hitherto apprehended.

The

uneafinefs.

The union of the king of France with the emperor, made 1509. Julius II. extremely uneafy. He beheld the French king fo firmly fettled in the duchy of Milan, that it feemed impof- The pope's fible to diflodge him. On the other hand, the emperor Mezerai. could not but be formidable to him, fince he had an entrance Guicciard. into Italy, by means of Verona and Vicenza. He did not know what to think of the powerful aid lent that prince by Lewis XII. to compleat the ruin of the Venetians, and he was not without fear, that these two monarchs had made a private treaty together to fhare all Italy. Mean while, he hardly faw how thefe two formidable potentates could well be oppofed. Venice was reduced to nothing. The Florentines were drained by the long Pifan war. As for the king of Arragon it was almost impoffible to treat with him, without being liable to be deceived. He knew how to improve all the treaties, and fcrupled not to forfake his allies, when it was for his intereft. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, He forms the pope formed the project of putting the affairs of Italy new proupon another foot, in order to execute his firft defigns. He refolved therefore to agree and league with the Venetians, to take off Ferdinand from the league of Cambray, by invefting him with Naples, to use his endeavours to fet the emperor and king of France at variance; to bring a Swiss army into the Milanefe; in fine, to perfuade the new king of England to make a diverfion in France. These were the pope's projects, the fuccefs whereof we shall fee hereafter. He be- He makes gan with making a peace with the Venetians upon three peace with conditions. Firft, that they fhould defift from all their tenfions to the cities of la Romagna, lately taken from them. Bembo. Secondly, that they fhould renounce the right of placing in Ferrara, a certain magistrate called Bifdomina. Thirdly, that they should leave the navigation of the gulf free to all the fubjects of the church. In the present circumstances of Venice, there were no other conditions to be impofed upon her.

the Venepretians.

After fo long a digreffion concerning the affairs of Italy, which however is not useless, as will appear in the sequel, we must return to the affairs of England.

ment mec.s.

The parliament being affembled the 21ft of January 1510, 1510. the commons reprefented to the king, that certain ftatutes made in the former parliaments, had given occafion to the The parliaking his father's minifters, to opprefs the people, by putting Herbert. forced interpretations upon them; contrary to the natural meaning of the words: that therefore it was neceffary to fof- Statutes ten, or fo explain them, as to prevent fuch abuses for the

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future.

foftened.