article by a folemn deed; and the count de Fuen- A. C. 1509. falida made a like renunciation, in the name of his mafter Ferdinand, and his daughter Joan queen of Caftile. Then the nuptials were confummated; A&t. Pub. and the ceremony of coronation was performed on Their corothe twenty-fourth day of June, immediately after the death of Margaret, countels of Richmond and Derby, the king's grandmother. nation. expenfive Henry, in the beginning of his reign, addicted The king's himself wholly to pleasures and paftime, and thofe manner of of the most expenfive nature; fo that the old bishop living. of Winchester was extremely chagrined at the diffipation of that treasure which Henry VII. had beftowed fuch pains in amaffing He complained loudly on this fubject, and exclaimed in particular against the earl of Surrey, for encouraging the king in fuch exceffes: but, perceiving that all his remonftrances were disregarded at a court which was become the feat of fenfuality, and that his influence declined apace, he endeavoured to fupplant Surrey, who was his rival in the king's favour, by introducing Thomas Wolfey, on whofe capacity and at- Wolfey intachment he could depend. This ecclefiaftic was to the fon of an obfcure butcher at Ipfwich, who already began to diftinguish himfelf by his uncommon talents and address; and the bishop of Winchefter foreseeing, that he would foon infinuate himfelf into the king's good graces, procured for him the place of almoner to his majefty. In the course of this year, the treaty between England and the Scottish king was renewed and confirmed, by the miniftry of the bishop of Murray, who had come to England, with compliments of congratulation from his brother-in-law, upon his acceffion to the throne. The emperor Maximilian fent an embaffy of the same nature: and Henry appointed Chriftopher Bambridge archbishop of York, his envoy at the court of Rome, to which Z 2 he troduced at court. A. C. 1509. he had repaired, to follicit the confirmation of his holiness, upon his being tranflated to the fee of York. It was the intereft of the king of England to maintain an ambaffador at Rome for intelligence at this juncture, when pope Julius was employed in forming a powerful confederacy of the European princes. He had laid the defign of re-annexing to the holy fee all the dominions of which it had beendifmembered; and these being chiefly in the hands of the Venetians, he refolved to humble that infolent republic. His project was relished by the king of France, because they had encroached upon his dutchy of Milan; the emperor was very well difpofed to concur in any measure by which he might regain fome footing in Italy, which had belonged to his predeceffors; and Ferdinand was glad of an opportunity to retrieve, without repayment, fome places in the kingdom of Naples, which he had pawned to the Venetians for a fum of money. The duke of Ferrara wanted to recover Rovigo and the Polefin, which were poffeffed by the Venetians ; and the Florentines were incenfed against that republic, for having fupported Pifa, which they Account of wanted to fubdue. These were the motives of the the league at famous league formed against Venice, at Cambray, Cambray. where the congrefs was opened, on pretence of accommodating the difference between Charles of Auftria, and the duke of Guelderland. In order to deceive the spies of Venice, they at first concluded a treaty of perpetual peace between the pope, the emperor, and the kings of France and Spain: but, at the fame time, they ratified an offenfive and defenfive league against the Venetians. In compliance with the conditions of this treaty, Lewis marched from Milan in the beginning of April, at the head of a numerous army; while the pope's forces entered Romagna, thofe of Arragon invaded Lombardy; the duke of Ferrara fell upon the Polefin; and 1 and the emperor remained at Trent, that he might A. e. 1509 be at hand to reap the fruits of their fuccefs. In the mean time, the Venetians took the field, under the conduct of the count de Petigliano, who engaging the French at Gieradadda, was intirely defeated. Lewis, in fifteen days after this victory, made himself mafter of Cremona, Pexhiera, Crema, Brefcia, and Bergama: Vicenza, Verona, Padua, together with Friuli, and all the towns of Iftria, fubmitted to the emperor. The pope's general reduced Ravenna, Cervia, Faenza, and Rimini ; while the duke of Ferrara recovered Rovigo : so that in the course of one short campain, the Venetians faw all their extenfive territories reduced to the single city of Venice; and the five places in the kingdom of Naples, which had been mortgaged to them by Ferdinand. Their difafter was fatal to the Pifans, who, being no longer fupported by that republic, were obliged to furrender to the Florentines, after a tedious fiege, during which they were reduced to the utmost extremity. Lewis, having accomplished his aim, returned to France, after he had detached a body of troops to join the emperor, whofe army was far from being in a flourishing condition. The French king's departure afforded some respite to the Venetians: they fummoned up all their fortitude, to repair the damages they had fuftained: they brought a new army into the field, which kept Maximilian at bay, and took Padua by furprize: they appeafed the pope by fubmiffion; and detached Ferdinand from the league, by promifing to restore his five towns which they poffeffed. By this time, pope Julius began to be terribly difquieted by the union that feemed to fubfift between the king of France and the emperor; he concluded, that they had engaged in a fecret treaty to fubdue and divide between them the whole country of Italy. In order to pre Z 3 vent Mezerai. A. C. 1509. vent the execution of this defign, he made peace with the Venetians, on condition, that they fhould renounce all pretensions to the towns of Romagna, which the holy fee had recovered. He refolved to fecure Ferdinand in his intereft, by indulging him with the inveftiture of Naples; to excite and foment a quarrel between Maximilian and Lewis; to bring an army of Swifs into the Milanefe; and perfuade the young king of England to make a diverfion in Picardy: A. C. 1510. parliament. Dudley at executed. Henry affembling a parliament on the twentyHenry's first first day of January, the commons petitioned for the repeal or mitigation of fome late ftatutes, which had enabled the minifters to opprefs the people; and the king willingly complied with their request. Empfon and Then the parliament paffed an act of attainder, tainted and condemning Dudley and Empfon, without specifying the particular crimes of which they were convicted; though Henry did not grant a warrant for their execution until the month of Auguft, when the clamour of the people was fo loud against them, that he thought proper to facrifice them to the public refentment, without further delay. During New treaty this feffion, Lewis of France fent over ambaffadors to renew the treaty of Eftaples, the term of which of Arragon. had expired at the death of the feventh Henry and a new peace was folemnly concluded between the two kings, to be in force until one of them should prove the furvivor. About this period too, Henry received from the pope, the Golden Rofe, a confecrated prefent, reputed of great eftimation, which was a prelude to the propofal he intended to make against Lewis. In all probability, Ferdinand acted in concert with his holinefs; for, in the courfe of this year, he concluded a new alliance with the king of England, in which it was ftipulated, That if either party fhould be attacked, the other fhould affift him, even though the aggreffor might be his ally. with Ferdi nand king |