legally poffeffed of it, according to the rules of war practifed by the French and tho' he afterwards gave up this point of abfolute fovereignty, yet he ftill infifted on his being permitted the exercise of a judicial authority, and perfevered in his exorbitant demands of money: nevertheless, the republic was refolved not to give the immenfe fums he required, nor to part with the leaft of their privileges, by allowing him any fort of jurifdiction.

Thefe difficulties, which were thought infurmountable, without having recourfe to arms, were at laft composed by the refolution of one of the Florentine negotiators, named Piero Capponi; who one day, at a conference at the royal fecretary's, reading the extravagant articles pofitively insisted on, got up, and furiously fnatching the paper from the fecretary, tore it in pieces in the king's prefence; adding, with vehemence, Since your demands are fo unjust, you may found your trumpet, we will ring our bell;' and immediately quit ted the room, followed by his companions.

This behaviour had a happy effect, for the French imagined he would not have ventured to speak fo boldly, without being certain that his republic was in a condition to fupport what he had advanced: wherefore the Florentine deputies were civily intreated to return, and terms agreed on; which we fhall infert, as the obfervance or breach of them influenced many of the fubfequent tranfactions. That, all injuries forgot, the city of Florence fhould be a friend, confederate, and under the perpetual protection of the crown of France: that for the king's fecurity, Pifa and Liverno fhould be left in his majefty's hands, but restored without any cofts, as soon as the expedition to the kingdom of Naples was over; and it was explained, that it should be understood to be over, whenever the French were in the poffeffion of the city of Naples or that the king's pretenfions should be amicably settled by ❝ a peace, or a truce of two years; or when, on any pretence ⚫ whatever, his majesty should quit Italy, and return to France: ⚫ that the present governors fhould now take an oath to restore them, whenever any of the abovementioned cafes should happen: that in the mean time the dominion, jurifdiction, and revenues of the said towns fhould belong to the Floren⚫tines: the fame conditions to be obferved for Pietra Santa, Sarzana, and Sarzanello: that it should be left to the king to decide the claims the Genoefe had to these laft places; but 'fhould he not decree them to the Genoefe before any of the • aforementioned cafes happened, he fhould then restore them

to their republic: that the king might leave in Florence two

am

ambaffadors, without whose prefence nothing should be treat⚫ed on concerning this expedition, nor fhould they without his permiffion make a general of their forces: that excepting the abovementioned places, all other towns should be re• stored immediately, and they permitted to recover, by force ⚫ of arms, such as fhould perfift in their rebellion: that with→ ⚫ in a fortnight they pay his majefty 50,000 ducats, 40,000 ⚫ more in March, and 30,000 in June: the rebellion in Pifa, ⚫ and all other misdemeanors committed fince, fhould be forgiven that Piero de Medici and his two brothers' attainder Thould be reverfed, and their effects restored, on condition " that Piero should not approach within a hundred miles of the borders of the republic, nor his brothers within a hundred miles of the city of Florence.'

Matters being thus fettled at Florence, Charles directed his march towards Rome, taking Siena in his way, where he left a garrison. The approach of the French army greatly alarmed the pope, whofe counfels were irrefolute, fometimes determined to oppofe, and at other times betraying an inclination to fubmit; either measure seemed equally dangerous; the allies daily deferted each other, and the army was weakened, infomuch that an oppofition feemed fruitlefs; and a consciousness of the flagitious means whereby he afcended to the papacy, and of his infamous abuse of that power, made him fearful of trusting himself wholly to the king's difpofal. However, after many unsuccessful endeavours to divert Charles from coming to Rome, and to get Alphonfo included in a treaty, he at laft found himself neceffitated to order the duke of Calabria and his army to quit that city, having first obtained a passport from the king of France, that he might retire in fafety out of the ecclefiaftical ftate, wherein he had continued hitherto for its defence. But Ferdinando, refufing the pafs with contempt, marched through the gate of St. Sebaftian, the last day of the year, at the fame inftant the French army entered the gate Del Populo, with the king at their head, in the fame manner as at Florence.

Alexander, timid and fluctuating, retreated with a few car. dinals to the caftle of St. Angelo; where at length he was prevailed on to conclude a treaty, in which, among other matters, it was ftipulated, that the caftles of Civita Vecchia, Terracina, and Spoletti, (the laft of which was never given up) fhould be configned to the king; but restored on the reduction of Naples, and that the pope should inftantly give him the inveftiture of that kingdom.

Charles

Charles remained at Rome about a month, during which time, his troops were continually making incurfions into the kingdom of Naples; where many places readily declared for him, and others were eafily reduced: the behaviour of the prefent king, as well as his predeceffor, had greatly alienated the hearts of their fubjects from them, the Anjouin faction were powerful, and there was a general diffaffection to the reigning monarch.

Alphonfo was feized with fuch a pannic, that he determined to abandon his fovereignty, in hopes thereby to fecure it to his fon, who had the general efteem of the people; and Ferdinando was accordingly inftalled with the ufual folemnity, tho' not with the accustomed rejoicings. He had at this time a confiderable army, with which he propofed making a stand at St. Germano, a straight that may be properly reckoned one of the keys of Naples; but no fooner did they hear of the approach of the French troops, than they quitted this advantageous fituation. Being betrayed at Capua, a place till then faithful to the Arragonian intereft, he was fully perfuaded the reft of the kingdom would foon follow the example of that city; nor was he mistaken: wherefore finding it to no purpose to oppose fuch an impetuous torrent of adverfe fortune, he fummoned the nobles and others together in the fquare before his palace of castle Nuovo, and took leave of them in a most pathetic

manner.

Thus did Charles get the poffeffion of this very confiderable kingdom almoft without oppofition; to ufe our author's words, he conquered before he faw, and with so much ease, that in his whole inarch he was under no neceffity of forming a camp or breaking a lance.' This revolution puts a period to the first book of our hiftory.

The countenance fhewn to the complaints of the Pifans against the Florentines, by the king of France, encouraged the former, after having re-eftablifhed the liberty of their city, to endeavour the recovery of the reft of their ftate; in which they were covertly affifted by the duke of Milan, who flattered. himself with the eafier attainment of what he had long wished for, to make himself matter of Pifa, by detaching it from the dominion of the ftate of Florence. The republics of Siena and Lucca, and the Genoefe, at the private inftigation of Lodovico, fent affiftance to the Pifans, who eafily re poffeffed themselves of their other towns, which readily followed the example of the capital, without any oppofition from the Florentines; the latter depending on the king to adjust every thing according to the treaty fubfifting between them. But when they found he

put

put them off with trifling excuses, they fent troops, which either by compofition or force, retook the greatest part of the revolted territories.

Charles was not in reality forry for this revolt, tho' he declined explaining his fentiments publickly; to avoid which, and that he might keep both parties in fufpence, before he left Rome, he had ordered the Florentine ambafladors to come to him, and in his prefence hear what the Pifans had to alledge in vindication of their conduct. After hearing the allegations on both fides, the king manifefted his inclination to favour the Pifans, by propofing that there fhould be either a suspension of arms, till he had fubdued Naples, or that the Pifan territories fhould be put into his hands, till that time, when he engaged religiously to execute all he had ftipulated. But the Florentines thinking they had good reafon to diftruft the king, refused both these expedients, and infifted on the immediate performance of his word.

Charles's want of money induced him to a feeming compli ance; the cardinal of St. Malo was fent to Florence under the colour of feeing his orders executed; and the Florentines, tho' fenfible of an intended deception, made no fcruple of advancing 40,000 ducats, the time of payment being near expired. The cardinal having received the money, went to Pifa, under pretence of putting them in poffeffion of that town; but returned without making any other alteration, than augmenting the French garrifon in the new citadel, and would have placed troops in the old caftle, had the Pifans given him leave.

The courage of the Pifans increafed with their ftrength, and Lodovico miffed no opportunity of embarraffing the Florentines; who, exclufive of the war, were divided among themfelves about fettling their form of government, which after several debates was finally determined, fhould confift of a council formed of all fuch citizens, as were, according to the antient laws, qualified to participate of the adminiftration.

In the mean while, Charles, after the acquifition of Naples, applied himfelf to the reduction of the forts that had not fubmitted, and of the remainder of the kingdom. The treachery of fome garrifons, and the weakness of others, greatly facilitated his conquefts, infomuch that within a few days he found himself mafter of the whole, except the ifle of Ifchia, the citadels of Brindifi and Gallipoli, in the province of Puglia; and in Calabria, the citadel of Reggio. The rapidity of the French conquefts rendered them not only terrible to their enemies, but formidable to their friends, as well as to those who had obferved a neutrality; Lodovico's ambition being fatisfied,

he

6

he began to fear the immediate flavery of himself, and of all the Italian ftates: the Venetians were no lefs apprehensive of danger; in the month of April 1495, a confederacy was formed between the pope, the emperor, the fovereigns of Spain, the Venetians, and the duke of Milan. By the articles which • were published, it appeared that the only intent of the league ⚫ was to protect each other's dominions, and all princes were invited to accede to it. But as they were unanimous that • Charles fhould not keep poffeffion of the kingdom of Naples, it was ftipulated in the fecret articles, that the Spaniards who were in Sicily should affift Ferdinando, in order to rein• ftate him, which, as was apprehended, might be effected with ease, the inhabitants of Calabria having already invited him to come over: that the Venetians fhould at the fame ⚫ time attack the maritime coafts of the kingdom with their • fleet: that the duke of Milan, to prevent fresh succours from • France, fhould poffefs himself of Afti, where the duke of • Orleans refided with a few troops; and the emperor and the king of Spain fhould be allowed by the other confederates < a certain fum of money, the better to enable them to undertake this war. All the Italian potentates, but particularly the Florentines and the duke of Ferrara, were folicited to join the alliance.'

The duke of Ferrara refufed to act offenfively against the French, and profeffed his defign of remaining neuter; but at the fame time permitted his fon to go with fome troops into the service of the duke of Milan. But the Florentines were determined not to hearken to the proposals of the confederates, as well because they were unwilling to rifque the king's difpleasure, and had fome hopes of procuring the restoration of their towns, as from diffidence in the allies; being fatisfied they were hated by the Venetians, and were convinced that Lodovico afpired to the fovereignty of Pifa.

During thefe proceedings Ferdinando, who by a remarkable inftance of refolution had poffeffed himself of the castle of Ifchia, found it neceffary to withdraw from thence upon the approach of fome French forces that were fent from Naples: he left the care of this citadel to Inico Devalo, who as well as his brother Alfonfo, like uncorrupt officers, had retired into Sicily, with fixteen ill-armed gallies he had taken with him from Naples, to be at hand, in order to affist any attempt that should be made in his prince's favour.

Charles had refolved, on his return to France, previous to the forming the abovementioned confederacy, the articles of which being communicated to him, determined him to haften