he advanced and encamped before Padua, which he could not inveft, because of the large Compafs of the Place. Maximilian had not a fufficient Army for his Enterprize; for, including the Troops of the French and Spaniards, he could not reckon above 1700 Men at Arms, and 32,000 Foot; tho' his Train of Artillery was very fine, and well appointed.

The first Batteries he raised were over-against thofe Works that lay next to the Padua be Gate of the Holy Cross, believing that fieged. to be the weakest Part, as indeed it was, fome time before the Siege; but the Befieged had, for that Reason, made it the strongest, as the Emperor's Forces found it: Befides, from the Works they had raised upon the Flanks, they fired fo furioufly on the Attacks, that the Befiegers were forced to alter their Design. On a Consultation held, the Emperor thought it adviseable to remove the At tack from thence to the Bastion, next to VeniceGate; but the Strength of the Garrifon, and the Nature of the Ground about it, made their Approaches of very little Effect, and gave them no fmall Trou ble; there being fo many Springs, their Works were full of Water before they could finish them ; and the frequent Sallies the Befieged made, and the more frequent Alarms they gave the Enemy, often obliged the Pioneers, and others that wrought in the Trenches, to abandon their Works, and run to their Arms.

In short, no Day paffed without Action; the Lighthorse of the Befieged had the Boldnefs to enter the Enemy's Camp and carry off Prifoners; infomuch that, if the Venetian Hiftorians may be credited, fuch was the Nature of that Siege, and fo great was the Variety of the Motions while it lafted, that no Hand less than that of Titus Livius, who was born in the Place, was able to write the History

T. Livius

born at Pa

dua.

The

The Bastion, that the Befiegers had attacked, was now laid quite open, fo that in a Council of War it was agreed to make a general Affault: The Germans, the French, and the Spaniards mounted the Breaches in three different Bodies, and the Affaults were very terrible, and in a little time the Emperor faw his Colours planted on the Baftion; but the Artillery of the Place having full Command of the backfide of the Works, and the Garrifon making a vigorous Refiftance, the Befiegers were at laft repulfed with confiderable Lofs.

The Siege raifed, and the Emperor retires into Germany.

Maximilian, being a Man who foon grew weary of any Enterprize, and who could not wait long for Succefs, upon this Difappointment loft Heart, raised the Siege 16 Days after the opening of the Trenches, and retired to Vicenza; from whence, having difbanded his Army, he went to Verona, and from thence proceeded to Germany, without taking any other Methods for the Preservation of his new Acquifitions, than leaving the Margrave of Brandenburg with fome Troops at Verona.

Thefe Measures did not at all fuit the present Conjuncture, but the Emperor, according to his ufual Politicks, reckoned that all his Neglects would be fufficiently fupplied by the Favour of Fortune, and the Diligence of his Allies.

Before he had gotten as far as Trent The Venetians he faw the Effect of his Indolence; became Mafters of Vicenza. for the Venetians foon became Masters of Vicenza, upon the Invitation of the Inhabitants; and Verona would have followed their Example, had not the French General, with great Expedition, throwed 300 French Gendarmes into the Place. It was not in Lombardy only that the Campaign ended happily for the Venetians, for they retook feveral Places in Friuli and fria; they also attempted Ferrara, which, tho' it proved unfuc

cefsful,

cessful, was no less for the Reputation of their Arms, than their former Advantages; for, by that Attempt, they fhewed to all Europe, who believed their Republick to be at its last Gafp, that they had not only Forces fufficient to defend themselves, but to attack others.

Before this Year expired a Difference arose between Lewis and his Holinefs, about the Nomination to vacant Bishopricks in the French Dominions, which was foon fettled, they readily agreeing, 'That the

Pope fhould prefer thofe he thought fit to fuch Sees as were then vacant, but for the future fhould collate none but upon the King's Prefentation.' But this Agreement was one of the Caufes of the Quarrel that foon followed between his Holinefs and Lewis, and produced thofe uncommon Events, confequent of the memorable League of Cambray: And fuch was the Uneafinefs of the Pope at this time, that he could not fee, without great Concern, Maximilian and Lewis fo closely united, especially as the French King was fo firmly fettled in the Dutchy of Milan, from whence it feemed impoffible to diflodge him; nor did the Emperor give him lefs Uneafinefs, fince he had Entrance into Italy through Verona, and other Places he had got by this War; nor did he know what to make of the powerful Aid the French fent the Emperor, to compleat the Ruin of the Venetians: He also was under much Anxiety, left these two Monarchs had made a private Treaty to fhare all Italy between them; and, for fear it should be fo, began to confider how he could withstand fuch formidable Powers thus united, inasmuch as Venice was much weakened, and the King of Spain was not to be depended on, who knew but too well how to make ufe of all Treaties for his own Benefit. Notwithstanding all these Difficulties his Holiness despaired not, but refumed his Project of agreeing with the Venetians; of taking

H 2

Ferdi

Ferdinand off from the League of Cambray, by in vefting him with Naples; of ufing his best Endeavours to fet the Emperor and the King of France at Variance; of bringing a Swiss Army into the Milanefe; and of perfuading Henry the VIIIth to make a Diverfion in France, that he might have the Opportunity of driving the French out of Italy; and how far he fucceeded in thefe different Points must be poftponed a while, because here we think proper to end the Year 1599.

1510.

THIS Year was opened with the VeAffairs of netians renewing, with greater Ardour than Italy. before, the Negotiation at Rome; but Lewis the XIIth left no Art uneffayed to prevent their fucceeding, and fent Albert Count de Carpi thither to affift the Cardinal de Aufch, who had the Management of his Affairs at that Court, whofe Instructions were to make the Pope fuch Offers, as he thought could not fail of being agreeable; to aɛquaint his Holinefs, that the King, being fully refolved to be guided by his Council, humbly requested to know, Whether he should make an Expedition into Italy this Year for promoting the common Intereft? and to affure him, that he defired nothing more than the strict Obfervation of the Treaties that were ftill fubfifting.

But after all the Count de Carpi's Industry and Addrefs, who was eminent for that Faculty, he was not able to incline the Pope to French Measures, his Holinefs being too far advanced in his Opinion, that it was his Intereft to retreat in his Alliance with Lewis as foon as with Safety he could; fo that all the King got by the Journey of his Count to Rome, was to have him and the Cardinal Witneffes to the Pope's abfolving the Venetians.

The Pope longed as much to give this Abfolution, as the Venetians did to receive it, his Views being

accom

accomplished; for he now feared the Ruin of the Republick as much as he wifhed to fee it humbled, when he entered into the League of Cambray; and accordingly, on the 25th of February, in a full Confiftory, his Holiness ordered the Conditions to be read, which were, "That for the future "the Republick should confer no Beni"fices but fuch as were of Lay Patro"nage. That they should not trouble, 66 or moleft in any manner those who had received "Benefices or Collation from the Court of Rome. "That it fhould be lawful for their Subjects to

The Conditions

of the Abfolu

tion.

bring all their Ecclefiaftical Causes to that Court, "as to the laft Refort.-That they should actually re"tract the Appeal they had made to a future Council. That the Republick fhould lay no Tax or "Impofitions upon the Goods and Incomes of the "Church. That they fhould renounce all Rights "and Pretenfions whatsoever to the Lands belonging "to the Church, and efpecially to the Right they "claimed of establishing a Vidame, or Judge, at Fer

rara. That the Subjects of the Ecclefiaftical Domi"nions fhould be allowed to trade freely on the Adri"atick; and that their Ships of whatever Kind, or "loaded with what Goods foever, whether for them"felves or Strangers, fhould not be liable to any **Search or Impofition.-That the Republick should " in no manner meddle with, or take Cognizance of, "what Treatment the Pope fhould think fit to use to any of his Vaffals, or be any ways aiding or "affifting to them. Finally, that the Republick "fhould make good all the *Damages they had oc"cafioned, either to the Churches or Revenues of the Clergy, during the whole Course of the War."

66

66

*It is plain, that Searching of trading Ships gave Rife to Quarrels among Princes formerly as well as at this Day; and we wifh our prefent Miniftry may

The

take as much Care to have our Damages and Expences (occafoned by, and fubfequent thereto) made good, as his Holinefs did.