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I58 HISTORICAL ABSTRACT.
1523. of Italy : the Venetians appoint the Duke of Urbino general of their
forces : the Pope and Florentines, the Marquis of Mantua [Guicciardini,
St. d' It. bk. xv. eh. i, ii, and Op. Ined. i. Discorsi Pol. viii,
ix]. Francis I continues to prepare to invade the Milanese;
assembles his army at Lyons ; is forced to delay by the news that
the Constable of Bourbon has joined the Imperialists. He gives
up the idea of leading his army in person into Italy. [The defection
of the Constable of Bourbon was due principally to the intrigues of
Louise of Savoy against him, aided by the Chancellor Du Prat.
Upon an order for the sequestration of his estates, Bourbon began
to intrigue with the Imperial court, and was received by the
Emperor with open arms. Francis I visited him at Moulins:
Bourbon feigned illness, and afterwards escaped to Italy, where he
commanded Imperial troops till the sack of Rome. See M_m. du
Bellay, bk. ii. He was connected with the royal house through his
wife Susanna, the daughter of Anne, who was sister to Charles VIII,
and married to Peter II, Duke of Bourbon.] The command of the
French forces is given to Bonnivet, High-Admiral of France, who
enters Italy, occupies Novara and Vigevano, succeeds in crossing
the Tessino in spite of the efforts of Prospero Colonna, who falls
back upon Milan, and is enabled, by the delay of the French, to
place the town in a position to defend itself. Bonnivet lays siege
to Milan. On December 3° Prospero Colonna dies. [His deathis
said to have been hastened by vexation at having to yield the command
to Lannoy, Viceroy of Naples ; Guicciardini, St. d' It. xv. 3.
sub init.]
sept. 14. Death of Pope Adrian VI.--The Cardinal de' Medici goes to
Rome, and is elected Pope, November 18: takes the title of
Clement VII.
159.4. The :French in Italy.--The war in Lombardy carried on vigorously
by Bourbon, Pescara, Lannoy, and Giovanni de' Medici : by March
a large army assembled in the Milanese ; the Imperialists supplied
with money by Girolamo Morone. They drive Bonnivet from his
camp at Biagrassa, and he is forced to retreat towards France.
The Imperialists come up with him at the river Sessia, where he
is defeated, and Bayard [who was commanding the rear-guard]
is slain [Mdmoires de Bayard, ch. lxiv]. Bonnivet succeeds in
escaping to Ivrea, and thence to France. The Imperialists under
Bourbon and Pescara enter Provence and besiege Marseilles,
which is vigorously defended by Renzo da Ceri and Federigo da
Bozzolo. Francis I assembles fresh forces at Avignon, and advances
towards Marseilles ; the Imperialists raise the siege and retire to
Italy. Francis I crosses the Alps at Mont Cenis [October], and
enters Lombardy. Pescara takes up his position at Lodi, leaving
Antonio da Leyva at Pavia. Francis I, after advancing to Milan