Italy.

a very furprizing revolution, that pontiff reco- A. C.1512. vered Ravenna, Bologna, the whole country of Romagna; and the French were driven from Italy. On this occafion the allies held a congrefs at Man- The French tua, where they agreed that Maximilian Sforza driven from fhould be re-established in Milan, and the house of Medicis at Florence. The inhabitants of this laft city received the individuals of that family as private citizens; but the cardinal of Medicis, entering the place while the army of the confederates was at the gates, introduced a good number of officers and foldiers, by which means he excited an infurrection, that rendered him mafter of the place; and the fovereignty of his house was re- Guicciar established.

dini.

A fecond affembly was held at Rome, at the defire of the pope, who wanted to perfuade his allies to act against the duke of Ferrara, and to effect a peace between the emperor and the Venetians, fo as that Maximilian fhould abandon the council at Lyon. The duke of Ferrara was protected by the king of Arragon, and the Venetians refufed to fupply the pope with troops and money to fubdue that dutchy as to the peace between the emperor and the republic, it was rendered impracticable by the intolerable terms which Maximilian pretended to impose. At length, Julius, refolving at all ha- League bezards to diffolve the council of Pifa, and hinder tween the Lewis from re-entering Italy, engaged with the the emperor emperor in a league offenfive and defenfive, against again th Venice. Maximilian confented to the pope's keeping Parma, Placentia, and Reggio, faving ftill the rights of the empire; to renounce the council of Pifa, and abandon the duke of Ferrara, and the Bentivoglios. Julius engaged to affift the emperor with all his power; to launch his thunder against the Venetians, and declare them excluded from the league of Rome. This treaty being ratified,

A a 3

pope and

Venetians.

AC giz. tified, Maximilian renounced the affembly of Pisa, and Sforza was put in poffeffion of the dutchy of Milan, according to the refolution taken by the

allies at Mantua.

Henry king of England, notwithstanding his late experience of Ferdinand's double-dealing, allowed himfelf to be amufed again by that prince and his allies. They gave him to underftand, that having nothing to fear from Italy, they would now unite their forces, in order to invade France; fo that he could not fail to recover Guienne and Normandy. He forthwith fent ambaffadors to Bruffels, to conclude a league against Lewis, with the pope, the emperor, the king of Arragon, and Charles of A&t. Pub. Austria, fovereign of the Low Countries. Then

James king

of Scotland
engages in a

treaty, of

fenfive and
defenfive,

of France.

he affembled a parliament, to demand a fubfidy, which was chearfully granted; and, during this feffion, he received a bull from the pope, granting a plenary indulgence to all his fubjects who fhould affift him in this war, with their perfons or money. Henry would willingly have lived in peace with his brother in law, James king of Scotland; but that prince, partly from the maxims of policy, and with Lewis partly from his refentment of Henry's refufing to give him fatisfaction in the affair of Barton, was altogether biaffed in favour of Lewis. He fitted out a fleet of fhips, under the command of Andrew Barton, brother to the corfair of that name; and this officer took a great number of English veffels. As foon as Henry declared war against France, James engaged in a league with Lewis, and began to affemble an army for making an irruption into England, after the forces of that kingdom fhould have embarked in the expedition to the continent. Henry, alarmed at the Scottish armament, fent two ambaffadors to expoftulate with James; who faid, that being allied to both crowns, his intention was to obferve an exact neutrality

but

but the king of England, being afterwards inform- A. C. 1512, ed of his league with Lewis, appointed the earl of Surrey warden of the northern provinces, with power to raise an army, and act against Scotland, in cafe of neceffity.

Ld. Herbert,

While affairs remained in this fituation, pope Julius II. died, and was fucceeded in the papacy by cardinal John de Medicis, who affumed the name of Leo X. and began his pontificate in the thirtyfeventh year of his age. He was not fo fiery and infolent as his predeceffor, but poffeffed a great fund of art and addrefs; and was already well experienced in the political transactions of Europe, as he had been employed by Julius in the most im. portant negotiations. He accordingly profecuted the plan which that pontiff had projected. He was doubly interefted to keep the French out of Italy, as pope and a prince of the house of Medicis; and he was bent upon the ruin of the council of Pifa, which he could not effect, without exciting wars against Lewis, which fhould compel him to make peace with the church. Ferdinand's aim was to employ the French king at a distance from Navarre, Rouffillon, and Naples; and the emperor wifhed that France might be difabled from affifting the Venetians: but, as none of thefe powers were inclined to carry the war into the dominions of Lewis, their bufinefs was to find fome other power, who fhould make this diverfion: and, for that purpofe, they caft their eyes upon Henry king of England, who had plenty of money and warlike fubjects; and was fired with the ambition of diftinguifhing himself by fome achievement of importance. All the allies, therefore, feparately encouraged him A. c. 1513. to undertake the enterprise against France, promifing to act vigorously for his intereft; and a new league was formed at Mechlin, on the following conditions: That, in thirty days after the ratifica- Mechlia.

Treaty of

A. C. 1513tion of this treaty, each of the confederates should declare war against France, and invade her dominions from different quarters: That the pope should iffue the cenfures of the church against all their opponents; and that, in order to defray the expence of the war, Henry fhould pay one hundred thousand crowns to the emperor. Never was there lefs fincerity in any negotiation, Of all the confederates Henry alone intended to fulfil his engagements. The pope never ratified the treaty; Ferdinand difavowed his ambaffador, by whom it had been confirmed; and the emperor received Henry's money, without any defign of observing the other articles.

The French king makes

but is obli

don his conquefts,

In the mean time the Venetians concluded a another ef league with Lewis, who immediately fent an army fort in Italy, into Italy, under the command of La Tremouille; ged to aban- at whofe arrival on the confines of the Milanefe, Sforza abandoned his capital, and took refuge among the Swiss; who, to the number of fix or seven thousand, had taken post at Como and Novara, where they expected a reinforcement of their. countrymen. The French general proceeded without interruption in his conquefts in that dutchy; while Alviano, who commanded the Venetian troops, made himself mafter of Pefchiera, Brefcia, Valeggio, and Cremona. At the fame time the faction of France prevailed at Genoa, which was again fubjected to the dominion of Lewis; who did not, however, long enjoy his good fortune. La Tremoyille, in hope of carrying Novara by affault, attacked the place with incredible fury; but was repulfed, with confiderable lofs, by the valour of the Swifs, who, animated with their fuccefs, quitted their intrenchments, and charged the French in their turn, with fuch impetuofity, that Tremouille was intirely routed, and obliged to repafs the mountains with the utmost precipitation; fo that

Sforza

Sforza repoffeffed himself of Milan, and the French A. C. 1513. party was expelled from Genoa. Nor was the Venetian general more fortunate: he forthwith retired into the territories of the republic, where he undertook the fiege of Verona; but Raymond de Cardonna, the Spanish general, not only obliged him to raise the fiege, but purfued him from place to place, until he brought him to an engagement, in which he was totally defeated: a difafter which terrified the Venetians to fuch a degree, that they were fain to refer their caufe to the determination of the pope, though he had declared against them, and fent a reinforcement of troops to the Guicciar emperor.

While the French and Venetians experienced these viciffitudes of fortune in Italy, the king of England employed all his attention in preparing a fleet and army for his expedition into France. By this time, Thomas Wolfey had been created a privy counsellor; and, by his infinuating addrefs, became a favourite with Henry, as well as the companion of all his plea fures. Not that his talents were limited to the arts of a courtier; he made it his business to acquire a perfect infight into state-affairs. He pointed out the impolitic fteps which the king had taken fince his acceffion to the throne. He difcovered and demonftrated the craft and selfishness of his allies, who had taken fuch advantage of the king's youth and inexperience, and convinced him of the neceffity of choosing an able minifter, for the management of his moft difficult affairs at home and abroad. He himself became that very minister, and the king repofed the utmost confidence in his attachment and abilities, The favour of his fovereign rendered him proud, infolent, and ungrateful; and he foon incurred the hatred of the whole nation; though, as this popular odium extended, his credit and influence with Henry feemed to increase,

4.

dini.