Chapter LXVIII: French

Lors que Soldats fureur seditieuse,
Contre leur Chef seront denuit fer livre,
Ennemy d’_Albe_ doibt par main furieuse,
Lors vexer _Rome_ & principaux seduire.

English.

When the seditious fury of the Souldiers,
Against their Chief shall make the Iron shine by night,
The enemy d’_Albe_ shall by a furious hand,
Then vex _Rome_, and seduce the principal one.

ANNOT.

The Lord _de Thou_ doth judiciously observe, that the Pope being unacquainted with things belonging to War, as to Money, Victuals, and Ammunition, was easily persuaded by Cardinal _Caraffa_ to make war against _Spain_, for without being provided of all these things, he put his Armies into the Field, _nec satis perpendens quám a pecuniâ, milite ac cæteris rebus ad bellum necessariis imparatus intempestive arma sumeret_.

In the 15. Book of his History: the Duke of _Vrbin_ had commission to raise 6000. Foot and 300. Horses in the Dukedom of _Spoleto_, and in _Mark_ of _Ancona_. _John Caraffe_ the Popes Nephew was made General of the Army, and being but Earl of _Mortor_, was Created Duke of _Palliano_, by the confiscation of the goods of _Mark Antony Colonna_. _Camillo Ursini_ was made General of the Forces in _Rome_, and in the Territory thereof; _Blasius_ of _Monluc_, the _Mars_ of his time, and by birth a _Gascon_, was sent by the King to help (with his advice and courage) the _Romans_, who are always fitter for the Breviary, then for the Sword.

Besides these Forces raised within the Church Dominions, _Charles Caraffa_ gathered all the Bandittes of _Naples_ and _Florence_, and raised some Regiments of _Switzers_ that came to succour the Pope.

With these Troops the Pope seized upon the most important places and persons belonging to the _Spanish_ party, as the _Coloneses_ and the _Vitelly_.

These asked succours of the Emperour _Charles_ the V. who presently commanded _Ferdinand_ of _Toledo_ Duke of _Alba_ to succour them. He was then tasked in the _Piemont_ and _Milanes_, to resist the _French_ that were then under the conduct of the Marshal of _Brissac_.

To conclude his design the better, he wrote many Letters to the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinals, full of respect and submission, desiring them to moderate their passion against the _Spanish_ party, but the Pope being angry by several reports, answered him, complaining of many things, which made the Duke resolve to the war, and to be there in person.

He took his occasion as a prudent Captain, when the news was brought to him that the Popes Forces were in mutiny against their General for want of pay, and made a great tumult in the night, hearing that he was approaching with a great train of Artillery. _Bzovius_ saith, that the Earl of _Montor_ regarded more his profit then the Popes Interest, and kept back a great part of the money that was to pay the Souldiers, whence proceeded this tumult, which helped much the Duke of _Alva_’s business.

This is the explanation of the two first Verses of this Stanza, concerning the mutiny of the Souldiers that were in the Popes service, during which mutiny the enemy d’_Alba_ did not fail to vex Rome; this word the enemy d’_Alba_ doth not signifie the enemy of the Duke of _Alba_, as if one should say in Latine _Hostis Albanus_. He did then vex _Rome_; for in a short time he took _Ponte Corvino_, _Frusino Anagnia_, _Marino_, _Lavaci_, _Prœneste_, _Tivoli_, _Ostia_, _Neptuno_, _Alba Vico-Varro_, _Monte Fortino_, and almost all the places of the _Roman_ Territory.

This did streighten _Rome_ so much, that the General _Camillo Ursini_ made several Trenches within the Walls of _Rome_, instead of preserving the outworks, as _Montluc_ would have persuaded him to do; the alarums were so great at _Rome_, that _Montluc_ was fain to encourage the _Romans_, and to make a Warlike Speech to them, which is inserted in his Works.

Moreover, the same Duke began to seduce the Principals of _Rome_ by his friends that he had in it, but particularly by the cheat that he put upon the Pope; for his design being to prevent the _French_ Forces, and to surprize the Pope, he resolved to go streight to _Rome_, and to bring his design the better to pass, he sent _Pyrrhus Coffrede_ to the Pope, to see if there was any way of agreement, to the end that upon this proposition the Pope should mistrust nothing. In the mean time the Duke of _Alba_ was coming near _Rome_, at which the Pope was so angry, that he put this Embassadour in Prison, where he was kept till the conclusion of the Peace; in this sort were the principal men of _Rome_ seduced, having no thought of the _Spaniards_ approaches, this is the relation of the Lord _de Thou_, _Lib._ 16.