Voltaire XXVII

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXVII

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E D I T I O N D E L A P A C I F I C A T I O N

T H E W O R K S O F

VOLTAIRE A CONTEMPORARY VERSION

W ITH NOTES BY TOBIAS SMOLLETT, R EVISED AND MODERNIZED

NEW TRANSLATIONS BY W ILLIAM F. FLEMING, AND AN

INTRODUCTION BY OLIVER H. G. LEIGH

A CRITIQUE AND BIOGRAPHY

BY

T H E R T . H O N . J O H N M O R L E Y

F O R T Y - T H R E E V O L U M E S

ONE HUNDRED ANS SIXTY-EIGHT DESIGNS, COMPRISINGS REPRODUCTIONS

OF RARE OLD ENGRAVINGS, STEEL PLATES, PHOTOGRAVURES,

AND CURIOUS FAC-SIMILES

VOLUME XXVII

AKRON, OHIO

THE WERNER COMPANY

1!"


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T the time that 2harles .% came to the possession

of the imperial throne, the empire as no longer

at the disposal of the popes, as it formerly had been,

and the emperors had relinJuished their claims

upon 'ome% These reciprocal pretensions resem-

bled the empty titles of #ing of rance, hich the

(nglish monarchs still continue to assume, and of

#ing of 1avarre, hich is still retained by the #ing

of rance%

The parties of the 3uelphs and 3hibellines ere

almost entirely forgotten% :aCimilian had ac-

Juired only a fe tons in Italy, hich he had

ta#en from the .enetians in conseJuence of his

success in the "eague of 2ambrayK but he dis-

covered a ne method of bringing both 'ome and

Italy under the dominion of the emperorsK hich

!


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B ncient and :odern 6istory%

as, to get himself elected pope after the death

of 8ulius II%, as he as a idoer by the death of

his ife, ho as daughter of 3aleas :aria

for;a, du#e of :ilan% There are still to be seen

to letters, ritten by him in !DK one to his

daughter :argaret, regent of the "o 2ountries,

and the other to the lord of 2hievres, fully display-

ing this intention%

+ho can tell hat might have happened, if the

imperial and pontiLcal crons had been placed on

one head? The system of (urope ould have

undergone great changes, as it did, though in a

diMerent manner, under 2harles .% Immediately

upon the death of :aCimilian, hen the aMair of

indulgences and "uthers schism began to divide

3ermany, rancis I%, #ing of rance, and 2harles

of ustria, #ing of pain, the To icilies, and

1avarre, and sovereign of the seventeen provinces

of the "o 2ountry, openly canvassed for the

empire, at the time hen 3ermany, threatened ith

an invasion from the Tur#, stood in need of such

a chief as rancis, or 2harles of ustria% The


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imperial cron had never before been disputed by

such potent princes% rancis I%, ho as older

than his competitor by Lve years, seemed the most

deserving of it, from the great actions hich he

had lately performed%

Immediately after his accession to the cron of

rance, in !!, the republic of 3enoa had, through

the cabals of its on citi;ens, put itself again under

2harles .% and rancis I% E

the rench dominion K upon hich rancis hastened

into Italy, as his predecessors had done%

The Lrst thing to be done as to conJuer :ilan,

hich had been lost by "ouis >II% , and rest it

again from the unfortunate family of the for;as%

In this enterprise he as joined by the .enetians,

ho anted to recover .erona, hich had been

ta#en from them by :aCimilian K and he had

against him &ope "eo >%, an active and intriguing

man, and the emperor :aCimilian, no orn out

ith age, and incapable of doing anything7 but his


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most dangerous opponents ere the iss, ho

ere alays at enmity ith rance since their

disputes ith "ouis >II% , and continually spirited

up by :atthe chaner, cardinal of ion, and ho

at that time too# the title of defenders of the pon-

tiMs, and protectors of the Italian princesK titles

hich had for over ten years been more than

imaginary%

+hile the #ing as marching toard :ilan he

continued to amuse them ith negotiationsK and

the cardinal of ion, on his side, ho had taught

this nation the arts of dissimulation and deceit,

amused the #ing ith vain promises, till the iss,

having certain advice of the arrival of the military

chest, thought they might at one stro#e ma#e them-

selves masters of this treasure and the #ings person,

and deliver Italy from its fears%

ccordingly in !! tenty-Lve thousand iss,

earing t% &eters #ey as a badge on their shoul-

G ncient and :odern 6istory%


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ders and breasts, and armed, partly ith long spears,

and partly ith large to-handed sords, fell sud-

denly, ith a great cry, upon the #ings camp at

:arignano% This as the most obstinate and bloody

battle that had ever been fought in Italy% The

rench and iss, confounded ith one another

in the dar#ness of the night, aited for daylight to

rene the combat% +e #no that the #ing slept

upon the breech of a cannon, ithin Lfty paces of

one of the enemys battalions% In this battle the

iss alays attac#ed, and the rench stood on the

defensive K hich is in my opinion a suNcient proof

that the rench may, on some occasions, be pos-

sessed of that passive courage hich is sometimes

as necessary as the impetuous ardor by hich they

are generally distinguished% It as particularly

noble to see a young prince only tenty-one years

of age, so cool and steady during so sharp and long

an engagement% s the battle lasted so long, it as

hardly possible for the iss to gain the victory,

because the blac# bands of 3ermany, ho ere then

ith the #ing, formed an infantry as Lrm as their

on, and they had no horsemen% It is even sur-

prising that they ere able, for to days together,

to stand against the attac#s of those large ar-

horses, hich ere continually charging their bro-


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#en battalions% :arshal de Trivulca called this

battle the Lght of the giants% It as generally

agreed, that the honor of this victory as chiey

oing to the famous constable, 2harles of 4our-

2harles .% and rancis I% @

bon, ho as afterard so ill rearded, and carried

his revenge to such eCtremities% The iss at

length gave ay, but ithout suMering a total

defeat, and ed, leaving over ten thousand of their

countrymen on the Leld of battle, and abandoned

the :ilanese to the conJuerors% :aCimilian for;a

as carried prisoner into rance, as "ouis the :oor

had been, but on more gentle terms K for he became

a subject, hereas "ouis as a captiveK and this

sovereign of the Lnest country in Italy as suMered

to live in rance on a moderate pension% ,%P*/

rancis, after this victory of :arignano and the

conJuest of the :ilanese, entered into an alliance

ith &ope "eo >% and even ith the iss nation,

ho at length chose to furnish the rench ith

troops, rather than to Lght against them% 6e


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obliged the emperor :aCimilian, by dint of arms,

to restore .erona to the .enetians, hich they have

ever since continued to possess% 6e procured the

duchy of 9rbino for "eo >%, hich still belongs to

the 2hurch7 in short, he as at that time loo#ed

upon as master of Italy, and the greatest prince in

(urope, and as a person the most orthy of the

empire, hich he stood for after the death of :aCi-

milian% ame had not as yet sounded the name of

young 2harles of ustria, hich as one reason

that determined the electors to give him the prefer-

ence% They ere apprehensive of being held too

much in subjection by the #ing of rance K hereas

they did not so much fear the poer of a master,

io ncient and :odern 6istory%

hose dominions, though very eCtensive, lay at a

considerable distance from each other% 2harles then

as elected emperor, in !@, notithstanding- that

rancis I% had laid out four hundred thousand

crons in purchasing the suMrages%

26&T(' 2II%


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(.(')O1( #nos the great rivalry hich from

this time arose beteen these to princes K and,

indeed, ho could they be otherise than continu-

ally at ar ith each other? 2harles, as sovereign

of the "o 2ountries, had a claim on rtois and

several other tonsK and as #ing of 1aples and

icily, beheld rancis I% ready to claim those domin-

ions on the same title as "ouis >II% s #ing of

pain he had 1avarre to defend, hich he had

usurped K and lastly, in Juality of emperor, he could

not but defend the great Lef of :ilan against the

pretensions of the house of rance% 6o many

reasons ere here for laying (urope aste Q

&ope "eo >% at Lrst endeavored to hold the bal-

ance beteen these to poerful rivals% 4ut ho

could he do it? +hom as he to choose for vassal,

and #ing of the To icilies 2harles or rancis ?

+hat ould become of the ancient la made by

the pontiMs in the thirteenth century, 5 That no

#ing of 1aples could ever be emperor ? 5 "eo as


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2harles .% and rancis I% n

not suNciently poerful to enforce the eCecution of

this la, hich, hoever respected it might be at

'ome, as not so in the empire% The pope then

as very soon obliged to grant 2harles .% that

dispensation hich he thought proper to as#, and

to receive a vassal ho made him trembleK but no

sooner had he granted it than he heartily repented

of hat he had done%

That balance hich "eo as for holding, as

actually in the hands of 6enry .III% ccordingly

the emperor and the #ing of rance courted his

friendship, and both of them endeavored to gain

over his prime minister and favorite, 2ardinal

+olsey%

rancis I% began by settling that famous intervie

ith the #ing of (ngland, near 2alais% fter this,

in !DA, 2harles left pain to pay a visit to 6enry

at 2anterbury, and 6enry conducted him at his

return as far as 2alais and 3ravelines%


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It as natural for the #ing of (ngland to side

ith the emperor, for by joining ith him, he had

a prospect of getting bac# those provinces in rance

hich had formerly been the patrimony of his

ancestors K hereas, by entering into an alliance

ith rancis, he could gain nothing in 3ermany,

here he had no pretensions%

+hile he as thus spinning out time, rancis

began this never-ending Juarrel by sei;ing upon

1avarre% nd here, though I should never thin#

of losing sight of the s#etch of (urope, for the sa#e

D, ncient and :odern 6istory%

of hunting after authorities to refute the assertions

of some historians K yet I cannot forbear observing

ho much &uMendorf is sometimes mista#en% 6e

says that this attempt upon 1avarre as made in

the year !B, immediately after the death of er-

dinand the 2atholic, by 8ohn dlbret, ho had

been driven from that #ingdom K and adds, that

2harles had alays before his eyes his plus ultra,

and as every day forming great designs% 1o,


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here are a number of mista#es% In !B 2harles

as only Lfteen years of age, and had not then

assumed his device of plus ultraK lastly, it as not

8ohn dlbret ho invaded 1avarre in !B, after

the death of erdinand, for 8ohn himself died in

that very year K it as rancis I% ho made the tran-

sient conJuest of this #ingdom in the name of 6enry

dlbret, not in !B, but in !D%

1either 2harles .III% , "ouis >II%, nor rancis I%

#ept the conJuests they made% 1avarre as hardly

subdued, hen it as ta#en again by the paniards K

and from that time the rench ere obliged to be

continually Lghting against the panish troops in

all the eCtremities of the #ingdom, on the borders

of ontarabia, landers, and ItalyK and aMairs

remained in this situation till the beginning of our

present century%

t the time that 2harles panish troops ere

conJuering 1avarre, his 3erman troops penetrated

into &icardy, and his emissaries ere raising the

Italians in his favor%


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2harles .% and rancis I% F

&ope "eo, ho as alays uctuating beteen

rancis I% and 2harles .%, as at this time in the

emperors interest% 6e had had reason to complain

of the rench, for having endeavored to ta#e 'eg-

gio from him as a part of the territories of :ilan,

and they had made their ne neighbors their ene-

mies by several unseasonable acts of violence% "au-

trec, governor of :ilan, had caused the lord of

&allavicini to be Juartered, on suspicion of having

attempted to raise an insurrection of the :ilanese,

and had given his forfeited estates to his on

brother, de oiC% This caused a universal discon-

tent, hich the rench administration too# no care

to appease, either by prudent las, or by sending

over a necessary sum of money%

It availed them nothing that they had a number

of iss in their payK the imperial army had the

sameK and the famous cardinal of ion, ho as

alays so fatal to the #ings of rance, having

found means to send those ho ere in the rench

army home to their on country, "autrec, the gov-

ernor of :ilan, as soon driven from his capital,

and afterard Juite out of the country% t this


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time "eo >% died, just as his temporal monarchy

as becoming strong and the spiritual one falling

to decay%

The poer of 2harles .%, and the isdom of

his council no appeared in their full lustre% 6e

had suNcient interest to get his preceptor, drian,

elected pope, though a native of 9trecht, and in a

H ncient and :odern 6istory%

manner un#non at 'ome% 6is council also, hich

as far superior to that of rancis I% in abilities,

artfully stirred up 6enry .III% against rance,

ho hoped at least to be able to dismember that

country of hich his ancestors had formerly been

in possession% 2harles made a voyage to (ngland

in person, to forard the armament, and hasten its

departureK soon afterard he contrived to detach

the .enetians from their alliance ith rance, and

bring them over to his interestK and, to complete

the hole, a faction hich he maintained in 3enoa,

assisted by his troops, eCpelled the rench, and

elected a ne doge, ho put himself under the


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emperors protection% Thus, by his superior poer

and s#ill, did he hem in and press the rench mon-

archy on all sides%

9nder these circumstances rancis I%, ho lav-

ished great sums on his pleasures, and #ept but little

money for his necessary aMairs, as obliged to ta#e

a massive grate of silver, ith hich "ouis >"

had surrounded the tomb of t% :artin at Tours,

and hich eighed nearly seven thousand mar#s%

The money as certainly of more use to the state

than to t% :artin, but a shift of this #ind as a

mar# of pressing necessity% ome years before he

had sold tenty ne counsellors places in the &ar-

liament of &aris% This setting up of justice at

auction, and carrying oM the ornaments of the

tombs, plainly shoed a great disorder in the

Lnances% 6e no sa himself alone against all

2harles .% and rancis I% !

(urope K and yet so far as he from being discour-

aged, that he made resistance in every part, and pro-

vided so eMectually for the security of the frontiers


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of &icardy, that the (nglish could never force an

entrance into rance, though they had 2alais, the

#ey of the #ingdom, in their hands% 6e #ept mat-

ters upon an eJual footing in landers, and suMered

no encroachment on the side of pain 7 in short,

though he had no place but the castle of 2remona

left in Italy, this resolute monarch resolved to go in

person and reduce the :ilanese, that fatal object of

ambition ith the #ings of rance%

4ut neither t% :artins grate, nor the sale of

tenty ne counsellors places, ere suNcient to

anser so many diMerent calls, and to provide for an

attempt upon the :ilanese, attac#ed as he as on

all sides% The royal demesnes ere therefore no

for the Lrst time alienated, and an increase made in

taCes of all #inds% This as one great advantage

that the #ings of rance had over their neighborsK

2harles .% could not carry his absolute authority to

this length in his dominionsK but this fatal poer

of ruining themselves as the source of numberless

evils to rance%

mong other causes of the misfortunes hich

befell rancis I% e may rec#on his injustice to the

constable of 4ourbon, to hom he as indebted for


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the victory of :arignano% It as not thought suN-

cient to mortify him on all occasions, but "ouisa

of avoy, duchess of ngouleme, the #ings mother,

B ncient and :odern 6istory%

being desirous of marrying the constable, ho had

lately become a idoer, and having been refused

by him, resolved to ruin the man she could not ed K

and instituted a suit against him, hich as deemed

highly unjust by all the layers of those times, and

hich no other but a poerful Jueen-mother could

have gained%

This suit as for no less than all the possessions

of the family of 4ourbon% The judges suMered

themselves to be prevailed on by the Jueens solicita-

tions, and, by a sentence of seJuestration, stripped

the constable at once of all his estates, ho there-

upon sent his friend, the bishop of utun, to reJuest

the #ing to put a stop to the proceedings K but the

#ing ould not even see the bishop% 9pon this the

constable, ho had already been strongly solicited

by 2harles .% to enter into his service, in a Lt of


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despair and anger, accepted the oMer% It ould

have been truly heroic in him to have continued to

do his duty to his country, though ill treatedK but

there is another #ind of heroism, that of revengeK

unfortunately, 2harles of 4ourbon made choice of

the latter, Juitted rance, and entered into the

emperors service% e men ever tasted the fatal

pleasure of revenge more fully than himself%

The constable as immediately made generalissimo

of the armies of the empire, and repaired to :ilan,

hich had been entered by the rench under dmiral

4onnivet, his greatest enemy% general ho #ne

the strength and ea#ness of all the troops of

I

2harles .% and rancis I% E

rance could not but have a great advantageK but

2harles had a still greaterK almost all the Italian

princes ere in his interestK the people hated the


27/451

rench governmentK and lastly, he had the best

generals in (urope in his service K such as :arJuis

de &escara, "annoy, and 8ohn de :edici, names

famous even in these times%

dmiral 4onnivet could by no means stand in

competition ith these generals K and had he even

been superior to them in ability, he as far inferior

in the number and Juality of his troops, hich

besides ere very ill paid K he as therefore Juic#ly

compelled to y, and as attac#ed in his retreat at

4iagrasse% The famous 2hevalier 4ayard, ho

&ierre du Terrail, chevalier de 4ayard, ho as a real

#night-errant and deemed the oer of chivalry, descended

from an ancient and honorable family in 0auphiny% 6is

great-grandfathers father fell at the feet of ing 8ohn in

the battle of &oitiers K his great-grandfather as slain at the

battle of gincourtK his grandfather lost his life in the bat-

tle of :ontlhery K and his father as desperately ounded

in the battle of 3uinegate, commonly called the tattle of

the purs% The chevalier himself had signali;ed himself

from his youth by incredible acts of personal valor K Lrst

of all at the battle of ornovo 7 in the reign of "ouis >II%

he, ith his single arm, defended the bridge at 1aples

against to hundred #nights 7 in the reign of rancis I%


28/451

he fought so valiantly at the battle of :arignano, under

the eye of his sovereign, that, after the action, rancis

insisted upon being #nighted by his hand, after the manner

of chivalry% 6aving given his #ing the slap on the

shoulder, and dubbed him #night, he addressed himself

to his sord in these terms 7 5 6o happy art thou, in

having this day conferred the order of #nighthood on such

.ol% DE D

G ncient and :odern 6istory%

though he never commanded in chief, as truly

deserving the surname of 5 The night ithout

ear or 'eproach,5 as mortally ounded in this

engagement, in hich the rench ere put to rout%

lmost every reader #nos that, hen 2harles of

4ourbon, on seeing him in this condition, eCpressed

his concern for him, the dying 4ayard made him

this reply 7 5 It is not I ho am to be pitied, but

yourself, ho Lght against your #ing and country%5

This princes desertion had nearly proved the

ruin of the #ingdom% 6e had certain litigious claims

upon &rovence, hich he might secure to himself

by the force of arms, in the room of the real rights


29/451

of hich he had been bereft by the sentence of the

a virtuous and poerful monarch% 2ertes, my good sord,

thou shalt henceforth be #ept as a relic, and honored

above all others, and never ill I ear thee eCcept against

the inLdels%5 o saying, he cut a caper tice, and then

sheathed his sord% 6e behaved ith such eCtraordinary

courage and conduct on a great number of delicate occa-

sions, that he as promoted to the ran# of lieutenant-

general, and held in universal esteem% It as at the

retreat of 'ebec that his bac# as bro#en ith a mus#et

shot% &erceiving himself mortally ounded, he eCclaimed 7

58esus, my 3od, I am a dead man%5 Then he #issed the

cross of his sord, repeated some prayers aloud, caused

himself to be laid under a tree, ith a stone supporting his

head, and his face toard the enemy, observing that he

ould not, in the last scene of his life, begin to turn his

bac# on the enemy% 6e sent a dutiful message to the #ing

by the lord of legreK and having made a military ill

by ord of mouth, as visited and caressed by the con-

stable of 4ourbon and :arJuis de &escara% 6e died on

the spot, in the forty-eighth year of his age%

rancis I% Ta#en &risoner% @


30/451

court% 2harles .% had promised him the ancient

#ingdom of ries, of hich &rovence ould be the

chief part% ing 6enry .III% gave him one hun-

dred thousand crons a month, for the eCpenses of

this years ar% 6e had ta#en Toulon, in !DH, and

as no besieging :arseilles% rancis I% had

doubtless great reason to repent of hat he had

done K but aMairs ere not as yet desperate K he

had still a ourishing army on foot, ith hich he

hastened to the relief of :arseilles, and having

driven the enemy out of &rovence, he fell again

upon the duchy of :ilan% The constable then

returned to 3ermany, to raise fresh troops K and for

some time during this interval rancis I% thought

himself master of Italy%

26&T(' 2III%

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+( no come to one of the most stri#ing eCamples


31/451

of those turns of fortune, hich are in fact no other

than the necessary concatenation of all events in

the orld% +hile 2harles .%, on the one side, as

employed in pain in regulating the ran#s of his

subjects, and forming the etiJuetteK on the other,

rancis I%, already famous throughout (urope by hi

DO ncient and :odern 6istory%

victory at :arignano, and as courageous as 2heva-

lier 4ayard, accompanied by his heroic nobles, and at

the head of a Lne army, as in the midst of :ilan%

&ope 2lement .II% ho, not ithout good reason

stood in fear of the emperor, openly declared for the

#ing of ranceK and 8ohn de :edici, one of the

greatest generals of that age, fought for him at the

head of a chosen body of veteran troops, and yet he

as defeated at &avia, eb% DH, !D!K and although

he performed acts of valor hich ere alone suN-

cient to immortali;e his name, as made a prisoner,

together ith the chief nobles of his #ing% To add

to his misfortune, he as ta#en by the only rench

oNcer ho had folloed the du#e of 4ourbon K and

this very man hom he had condemned at &aris, as


32/451

no master of his life% This gentleman, hose

rancis, in person, at the head of to thousand men-at-

arms, charged ith such impetuosity that &escara as

unhorsed and dangerously ounded, and the hole body

he commanded must have been ruined, had not he been

succored by the du#e de 4ourbon, ho had already made

a terrible carnage, and no fell upon the rench men-at-

arms ith irresistible fury% ll that the great oNcers

no surviving could do as to assemble and defend the

person of their sovereign, ho fought li#e a #night-errant,

sord in hand% "a &elisse, la Trimoille, 3aleas de an-

severino, and 4onnivet, fell by his side, and he as sur-

rounded by the imperial cavalry, the oNcers of hich,

perceiving by his armor that he as some person of great

ran#, resolved to ta#e him alive, and for that purpose sle

his horse% In his fall he received a ound in the leg,

notithstanding hich he started up, and still fought on

foot ith surprising proess- &omperant, ho had accom-

rancis I% Ta#en &risoner% n


33/451

name as &omperant, had once the honor of pre-

serving him from death, and ma#ing him his pris-

panied the du#e of 4ourbon in his revolt, chancing to come

up, and seeing the #ing in such a dangerous situation,

dre his sord and, joining rancis, helped to #eep oM

the soldiers ho pressed upon him in order to ta#e him

alive K at the same time he desired that the du#e of 4our-

bon might be called to receive the #ing as a prisoner%

rancis, transported ith rage, declared he ould rather

die than deliver his sord to a traitorK then turning to

&omperant, 5 end for "annoy, viceroy of 1aples,5 said

he, 5 to him I ill surrender%5 That oNcer accordingly

approaching, the #ing said to him in the Italian language 7

5 :% de "annoy, there is the sord of a #ing ho deserves

some commendation, seeing, before he parts ith it, that

he has made use of it in shedding the blood of many of

your army, and ho is not a prisoner through coardice,

but the accidents of fortune%5 "annoy received the sord

upon his #nees, and respectfully #issed his hand K then

presented the #ing ith his on sord, saying 7 5 I beg

your majesty ill be so good as to receive mine, hich

has this day spared the lives of many renchmen K it does

not become the emperors oNcer to leave a #ing disarmed,


34/451

even though a prisoner%5 6e as immediately conveyed to

the viceroys tent, here his ounds ere dressed, and he

as treated ith all possible respect% "annoy is said to

have begged his majesty to see the du#e of 4ourbon, ho

at his reJuest as admitted, and, #neeling, #issed his hand 7

but some historians assert that he positively refused to

see the traitor% 6e should not have provo#ed the du#es

resentment by acts of tyranny and injustice, hich by the

la of nature cancel the obligation of allegiance, for the

duties of allegiance and protection are reciprocal% 1eCt

day rancis as conducted to the strong fortress of

&i;ighitone, here he remained for some time under the

guard of lra;on, the panish governor of the place, ho

observed toard him all the punctilios of decorum%

DD ncient and :odern 6istory%

oner% It is certain that the du#e of 4ourbon, one of

his victors, came that very day to pay him a visit,

and to enjoy his triumph over a fallen enemy% 4ut

this intervie as not the only misfortune hich

rancis had to encounter on that fatal day% 1ever

as letter more true than that hich this prince

rote to the Jueen, his mother, after the battle7


35/451

5 :adame, all is lost, our honor eCcepted%5 (very-

thing seemed to foretell his inevitable ruin% 6is

frontiers ere unguarded, his treasury eChausted,

a general consternation prevailed throughout all

orders of the state, and violent dissensions in the

council of the Jueen, ho as regent during his

absence% "astly, the #ing of (ngland threatened

rance ith an invasion, and to revive the fatal

times of (dard III% and 6enry .%

2harles .%, ithout having as yet unsheathed his

sord, #ept a #ing and a hero prisoner in his cap-

ital of :adrid 7 and here 2harles for once seems to

have neglected his good fortuneK for, instead of

entering rance in person, to ta#e advantage of the

victory his generals had gained in Italy, he remained

idle in painK and instead of sei;ing :ilan for

himself, he thought it necessary to besto the inves-

titure of that duchy on rancis for;a, that he might

not give umbrage to the rest of Italy% 6enry .II",

li#eise, instead of joining ith 2harles to dismem-

ber rance, became jealous of his rising greatness,

and entered into a treaty ith the Jueen regent% In

a ord, the captivity of rancis I%, hich to all


36/451

rancis I% Ta#en &risoner% DF

appearance should have occasioned such great

revolutions, produced only a ransom, mutual

reproaches, the lie given, and idle challenges% hich

In the year !DG, the #ing^ of rance and (ngland hav-

ing declared ar against the emperor, by the mouths of to

heralds admitted to a public audience, 2harles in his reply

declared that rancis had bro#en his ord, and charged

the rench herald to remind his master of the proposal

hich he Rthe emperorS had made to years before,

namely, that their diMerence should be determined by single

combat% rancis no sooner received this message, than

he sent a ritten challenge to the emperor by a herald,

ho recited it aloud to him, and in public, at .alladolid%

2harles not only accepted it ithout hesitation, but imme-

diately despatched a herald, called 4ourgogne, to &aris

ith a ritten paper, proposing that the duel should be

fought in a little island of the river that runs by ont-

arabia% 4ourgogne ith much diNculty obtained an audi-

ence of rancis, seated on his throne, in the midst of his

princes and nobility 7 but before he opened his lips, the


37/451

rench #ing told him he had nothing to do but give

security for the Leld of battle% The herald assured him

that he ould K but desired permission to say hat he had

in charge from the emperor% The #ing declared he ould

hear nothing but the assignment and security of the place,

and retired to another apartment, hither he as folloed

by 4ourgogne, ho observed that if he ould not hear

him, he could not pretend to deliver the cartel, nor specify

the place% 6e said he had a riting hich ould inform

his majestyK but for his part he could not separate hat

might appear superuous from hat as necessaryK and

he demanded, that he should either have the same permis-

sion hich as granted to the rench heralds in pain, or

receive an authentic act of these transactions for his on

justiLcation% This last as granted, together ith a safe-

conduct for his return 7 but still he continued to solicit an

audience, protesting that the paper described the place of

DH ncient and :odern 6istory%

thre a #ind of ridicule on these terrible events,

and seemed to degrade the to chief personages in

2hristendom%


38/451

It is true, that by the unhappy Treaty of :adrid

in !DB, the captive #ing gave up 4urgundyK but

he soon afterard as suNciently poerful to

refuse to comply ith this article of the treaty%

6e lost the lordships of landers and rtoisK but

that as only losing an empty homage% 6is to

sons remained prisoners in his room, as hostages for

his performance of the treatyK but he purchased

their liberty for a sum of money K indeed, their ran-

som cost to millions of gold crons, hich greatly

distressed the #ingdom at that time% If e consider

hat it cost rance to ransom rancis I%, ing 8ohn,

and t% "ouis, and ho much money as asted

by the du#e of njou, brother of 2harles, and the

rench #ing, and the sums eCpended in the ars

against the (nglish, e shall Lnd it a subject of

astonishment that rancis should Lnd so many

resources afterard% These, hoever, ere oing

combat K that the #ing as bound in honor either to receive

it ith his on hand, or allo it to be published K and that

it ould be his fault if the duel as not actually fought% In

a ord, such as the perseverance and industry of this

oNcious messenger that he ould not leave the #ingdom

until he as threatened ith hanging, and even a gibbet

erected for that purpose% uch is the account hich


39/451

ntonio de .era gives of this transactionK from hich it

ould appear that rancis I%, notithstanding his boasted

heroism, and the advantages of person he had over 2harles,

as not at all inclined to this method of determination%

rancis I% Ta#en &risoner% !

to the successive acJuisitions of 0auphiny, &ro-

vence, and 4rittany, and the anneCing of the duchy

of 4urgundy to the cron, and to the ourishing

condition of the rench trade, hich helped in some

measure to repair the misfortunes of the ar, and

the #ingdom enabled to bear up against the great

successes of 2harles .%

ortune, hich had thron a #ing into his poer,

made him the neCt year master of the person of

&ope 2lement .II% ithout his having had the least

share in bringing it about, or, indeed, ithout his

having so much as thought of it% The apprehension

of his poer had united against him the pope, the

#ing of (ngland, and half of Italy% The same du#e

of 4urgundy that had been so fatal an enemy to

rancis I% proved the same to 2lement .II% 6e


40/451

commanded on the frontiers of :ilan, ith an army

composed of paniards, Italians, and 3ermans%

This army had been victorious, but as very badly

paid, and in ant of everything7 he therefore pro-

posed to his oNcers and men, to march to 'ome and

plunder that city by ay of payment K a plan of the

It as not oing to any internal resources of com-

merce that rance oed her safety at this period K but,

as our author afterard observes, to the embarrassments

that hindered the emperor from improving his good fortune%

The troubles of 3ermany eCcited by the progress of "uth-

eranism K the irruption of the Tur#s in 6ungary K the

dissensions of Italy K the intrigues of the .enetians K and

the caprice of 6enry .III%, #ing of (ngland, ho shifted

occasionally from one side to the other, and #ept both in

alarm%

DB ncient and :odern 6istory%

same #ind as that of the 3oths and 6eruli of old%

The soldiers gladly embraced the oMer, and instantly

began their march, notithstanding that a truce had

been lately signed beteen the pope and the viceroy


41/451

of 1aples% They arrived before 'ome, in !DEK

scaled the alls of the city, and the du#e of 4ourbon

as slain in mounting one of the ladders% 'ome,

hoever, as ta#en, given up to plunder, and

sac#ed K and the pope, ho had retreated for safety

to the castle of t% ngelo, as ta#en prisoner there%

The ta#ing of 'ome, and capture of the pope, did

not, hoever, render 2harles any more the absolute

master of Italy than the ta#ing of rancis I% had

procured him an entry into rance% The scheme

of universal monarchy then, hich is generally

attributed to this emperor, is as false and chimerical

as that afterard imputed to "ouis >I.% or so far

as 2harles from #eeping 'ome, or subduing all

Italy, that, in !DG, he gave the pope his liberty for

four hundred thousand gold crons of hich,

hoever, he only received one hundred thousand

as he had before released the children of rance for

to millions of crons%

It may seem surprising that an emperor ho as

master of pain, of the seventeen provinces of the

"o 2ountries, of 1aples and icily, and lord

paramount of "ombardy, and already in possession

of :eCico, and hose subjects ere then ma#ing


42/451

the conJuest of &eru for him, should have made so

little advantage of his good fortune% 4ut the Lrst

rancis I% Ta#en &risoner% DE

sums hich had been sent him from :eCico ere

salloed up by the sea K and he received no settled

tribute from merica, as his successor, &hilip II%,

afterard did% The troubles occasioned in 3er-

many by "utheranism perpleCed him on one side,

and on the other he as alarmed by the progress of

the Tur#s in 6ungary% 6e as obliged at the same

time to resist the attac#s of ultan olyman and

rancis I%, to #eep the 3erman princes in subjection,

to manage the Italians, and the .enetians, and to

LC that avering prince, 6enry .III% o that

though he still continued to Lll the Lrst place on

the theatre of (urope, he as very far from

approaching to universal monarchy%

6is generals found it very diNcult to rid Italy of

the rench, ho had, in !DG, penetrated as far as

the #ingdom of 1aples% The system of a balance of

poer as then established in (urope K for immedi-


43/451

ately after the ta#ing of rancis I%, the (nglish and

the poers of Italy entered into a league ith

rance to counterbalance the emperors poer%

They did the same upon the popes being ta#en%

In !D@, a peace as concluded at 2ambray, on

the plan of the treaty of :adrid, by hich rancis

had been set at liberty% It as at the signing of this

peace that 2harles gave up the children of rance,

and desisted from his pretensions upon 4urgundy,

for the consideration of to millions of crons%

2harles no left pain to go to 'ome, and

receive the* imperial cron from the hands of the

DG ncient and :odern 6istory%

pope, and to #iss the feet of him hom he had so

lately detained captive% 6e disposed of all "om-

bardy as absolute masterK for he invested rancis

for;a in the duchy of :ilan, and leCander de

:edici in that of TuscanyK he named a du#e of

:antua, and obliged the pope to restore :odena

and 'eggio to the du#e of errara in !FA K but all


44/451

this he did for a pecuniary consideration, and ith-

out reserving to himself any other right than that of

lord paramount%

o many princes at his feet gave him that eCternal

air of grandeur hich is so apt to deceiveK but he

as truly great in marching to drive olyman out

of 6ungary, at the head of a hundred thousand men,

assisted by his brother erdinand and all the &rot-

estant princes of 3ermany, ho signali;ed them-

selves for the defence of (urope% This as the

Lrst beginning of his active life and personal glory%

+e no Lnd him at once Lghting against the Tur#s K

preventing the rench from passing the lps K

appointing a council, and returning into pain, in

!F!, in order to carry the ar into frica K landing

before Tunis, gaining a victory over the usurper of

that #ingdom, appointing a #ing of Tunis, tribu-

tary to pain, and delivering eighteen thousand

2hristians from captivity, hom he brought home

in triumph to (urope, and -ho, succored by his

bounty, returned each to his native country, and

eCalted the name of 2harles .% to the s#ies% ll the

princes of 2hristendom no seemed small in com-


45/451

rancis I% Ta#en &risoner% D@

parison ith him, and all other glory seemed lost

in the superior lustre of his fame%

6is good fortune also ordered it so that oly-

man, ho as a more formidable enemy than ran-

cis I%, as at that time employed in a ar against

the &ersians% 6e had ta#en Tauris, in !FH, and,

directing his march toard ancient ssyria, he made

himself master of :esopotamia, no called 0iar-

bec#, and of urdestan, hich is the ancient usi-

ana, and entered the city of 4agdad, the ne 4aby-

8on, in triumph% fter this, he caused himself to be

inaugurated #ing of &ersia, by the caliph of 4ag-

dad% The caliphs had for a long time been divested

of everything in &ersia, eCcepting the honor of giv-

ing the turban to the sultans, and girding the scimi-

tar to the side of the strongest poer% :ahmoud,

3enghis, Tamerlane, and uL Ismael, had accus-

tomed the &ersians to change masters% olyman,

after having ta#en one half of &ersia from Thamas,

the son of Ismael, returned victorious to 2onstan-

tinople% fter his departure his generals lost a part

of their masters conJuests in &ersia% Thus ere


46/451

things #ept in balance K #ingdom fell upon #ing-

dom K the &ersians attac#ed the Tur#s K the Tur#s,

3ermany and Italy K and 3ermany and pain fell

upon rance, and had there been any other nations

farther estard, these ould have become so many

ne enemies to pain and rance%

(urope had eCperienced no violent shoc#s since

the fall of the 'oman (mpireK and no emperor

FA ncient and :odern 6istory%

since 2harlemagne had ever shone ith such glory

as 2harles .% The one holds the Lrst ran# ithin

the memory of man as a conJueror and the founder

of statesK the other, ith as much poer, had the

most diNcult character to support% 2harlemagne,

ith the numerous armies trained by &epin and

2harles :artel, made an easy conJuest of the ener-

vated "ombards and the ild aCons% 2harles .%

had alays the #ingdom of rance, the Tur#ish

(mpire, and the half of 3ermany to guard against%

(ngland, hich in the eighth century as sepa-

rated from the rest of the orld, became in the siC-


47/451

teenth a poerful #ingdom, hich it as alays

necessary to #eep ell ith% 4ut hat rendered the

situation of 2harles .% greatly superior to that of

2harlemagne as, that having almost the same

eCtent of country in (urope under his dominion,

this country as alays better peopled, in a more

ourishing state, and abounded more in great men

of every #ind% There as not one great trading

city at the Lrst revival of the empire under 2harle-

magne7 nor ere any names but those of the most

poerful handed don to posterity% The single

province of landers as of more value in the

siCteenth century than the hole empire in the

ninth 7 and Italy in the time of &ope &aul III% is to

Italy in the time of drian I% and "eo III% hat the

modern architecture is to the 3othic% I shall ta#e

no notice here of the liberal arts, for hich this

century might have vied ith the ugustan age,

2onduct of rancis I% F

nor of the happiness of 2harles .%, ho could rec#on

so many great geniuses among his subjectsK this

or# being dedicated only to public aMairs and the


48/451

general s#etch of the orld%

26&T(' 2I.%

T6( 2O1092T O '12I I% 6I I1T('.I(+ +IT6

26'"( .% T6(I' 0I&9T( 10 +' ""I-

12( 4(T+((1 T6( I13 O '12( 10 9"T1

O"):1 0(T6 O '12I I%

T6( conduct of rancis I% ho, on seeing his rival

thus disposing of #ingdoms, endeavored once more

to get possession of :ilan, hich he had solemnly

renounced by to treaties, and for this purpose

called in the assistance of olyman and his Tur#s,

hom 2harles .% had driven out of (urope, might

be agreeable to good politicsK but it stood in need

of great success to render it glorious%

This prince might have Juitted his pretensions to

:ilan, the ineChaustible source of ar, and the

burying-place of so many of his nation, as 2harles

had relinJuished his rights to 4urgundy, hich

ere founded on the treaty of :adridK he ould

then have enjoyed a happy peace, ould have

adorned, ell governed, and improved his #ingdom

much more than he did in the latter part of his life K


49/451

and might have given full scope to those virtues he

really possessed% 6e as great in that he as an

encourager of the arts K but the unhappy desire he

FD ncient and :odern 6istory%

had to be du#e of :ilan, and vassal of the empire,

hether the emperor ould or not, proved prejudi-

cial to his glory% 4eing reduced to see# the assist-

ance of 4arbarossa, he as severely reproached by

that corsair for not having properly seconded him,

and as afterard openly called a renegade, and a

perjured retch, in a full assembly of the imperial

diet%

6o fatal a contrast as it to cause a number of

poor "utherans, among hom ere several 3er-

mans, to be burned in a slo Lre, at &aris, and at

the same time to enter into an alliance ith the

"utheran princes of 3ermany, to hom he as

obliged to eCcuse himself for this cruelty, and even

to aNrm that there ere no 3ermans among those

ho had suMered% 6o can historians have the

meanness to approve of these punishments, and to


50/451

call them the eMects of the pious ;eal of a prince,

given up to his passions and pleasures, and void

even of the shado of that piety they pretend to

attribute to him Q If this as a religious act, it as

cruelly falsiLed by the prodigious number of 2atho-

lic captives hom his treaty ith olyman gave up

to the chains of 4arbarossa, on the coasts of Italy%

If it as an act of policy, e may by the same rule

approve of the persecutions of the &agans, in hich

so many 2hristians ere sacriLced% 2harles .% put

no "utheran to death K and he set at liberty eighteen

thousand captives, instead of delivering them up to

the Tur#s%

2onduct of rancis I% FF

In the fatal eCpedition of :ilan, it as neces-

sary to pass through &iedmont K but the du#e of

avoy refused the #ing a passage 7 upon hich he

attac#ed that prince at the time the emperor as

returning victorious from Tunis% nother cause

for asting avoy by Lre and sord as, that the

mother of rancis I% as of that family, and some

pretensions upon certain parts of that state had long


51/451

been a subject of discord% The ars of :ilan in li#e

manner arose from the marriage of "ouis >II%

There is hardly any hereditary state in (urope hich

has not suMered by ar on account of marriage% 4y

this means the public la has become the greatest

scourge of the people, as almost all the clauses in

contracts and treaties have had to be eCplained by

the sord% The du#es dominions ere ravaged,

and this invasion of rancis as hat procured

3eneva its full liberty, and made it as it ere the

ne capital of the 'eformed 'eligion% It happened

that this same #ing ho put the innovators in relig-

ion to the most cruel deaths in &aris, ho made

public processions to atone for their errors, ho said

that he ould not spare even his on children if

they ere guilty of the li#e, as everyhere else

the principal support of those hom he endeavored

to root out of his on dominions%

ather 0aniel is guilty of great injustice in say-

ing that the city of 3eneva at that time bro#e into

open rebellion against the du#e of avoy% This du#e

as not its sovereignK it as a free imperial city,

.ol% DE-F


52/451

FH ncient and :odern 6istory%

and, li#e 2ologne and many other cities, shared in

the government ith its bishop% The bishop had

ceded his rights to the du#e, and these rights being

contested, had been put in arbitration telve years

before% This riter, then, should rather have

observed, that 3eneva as at that time a small and

poor cityK and that since it became free, it has

been tice as ell peopled, industrious, and trad-

ing%

In the meantime, hat fruits did rancis I% reap

from so many enterprises ? 2harles .% arrived from

'ome, obliged the rench to repass the lps, entered

&rovence ith Lfty thousand men, advanced as far

as :arseilles, laid siege to ries, in !FB, hile

another of his armies laid aste 2hampagne and

&icardy% Thus the fruit of this ne attempt upon

Italy as only eCposing rance itself to imminent

danger%

&rovence and 0auphiny ere saved only by the


53/451

ise conduct of :arshal de :ontmorency, as they

have been in our time by another marshal of rance%

+e may derive great advantage I thin# from his-

tory, by comparing time and events% It is a pleasure

truly orthy of a good citi;en to eCamine into the

means by hich to victorious armies ere driven

out of the same state upon the same occasions%

Those ho live amidst the indolence of great cities,

#no little of the pains and eMorts that are reJuired

to get provisions in a country hich has hardly suN-

cient to maintain its on inhabitants, to Lnd money

2onduct of rancis I% F!

to pay the troops, to establish the necessary credit,

to guard the ban#s of rivers, and to dislodge an

enemy from the advantageous posts they may

occupy% 4ut such details do not enter into our plan K

and it is only necessary to eCamine them at the

instant of action% They are materials of the ediLce,

hich are no longer to be considered hen the build-

ing is completed%

That hich more particularly characteri;es the


54/451

disputes beteen 2harles .% and rancis I%, and the

shoc#s hich they gave to (urope, is an odd miC-

ture of openness and double dealing, frantic anger,

and cordial reconciliation, the most brutal insults

buried in an instantaneous oblivion, together ith

the deepest artiLce and most generous conLdence%

2ould one eCpect to Lnd 2harles and rancis hav-

ing a familiar intervie ith each other, li#e to

neighboring gentlemen, after the captivity of :ad-

rid, after the lie given to the teeth, after reciprocal

challenges, and duels proposed in the presence of

the pope, in full consistory, after the rench #ings

league ith ultan olymanK and, in short, after

the emperor had been accused, as publicly as

unjustly, of having caused the Lrst dauphin to be

poisoned, and even hile the frontiers of both

#ingdoms ere yet ree#ing ith the blood of so

many thousands slain?

nd yet these to great rivals had an intervie

in the road of igues-:ortes% This meeting had

been mediated by the pope after the conclusion of a


55/451

FB ncient and :odern 6istory%

truce% 2harles even came on shore, paid the Lrst

visit, and put himself into the hands of his declared

enemy 7 this as the conseJuence of the spirit of the

times% 2harles alays distrusted the promises of

the monarch K but he trusted ithout scruple to the

honor of the #night%

The du#e of avoy as for a long time the vic-

tim of this intervie% These to monarchs, ho,

although they met ith so much familiarity, ere

alays concerting measures against each other, #ept

possession of the du#es places K the #ing of rance,

to secure himself a passage, if necessary, into the

duchy of :ilan, and the emperor to prevent him

from it%

In !F@, 2harles .%, after this intervie at igues-

:ortes, made a journey to &aris, hich is far more

surprising than those of the emperors igismund

and 2harles I.%

t his return to pain he heard that the city of

3hent, in landers, had revolted% 6o far this

city had a right to maintain its privileges, and ho


56/451

far it had abused them, as a problem that force

only could solve% 2harles, impatient to reduce and

punish it, for this purpose demanded of the #ing a

passage through his dominions% rancis sent the

dauphin and the du#e of Orleans to conduct him

as far as 4ayonne, and ent in person to meet him

at 2hatellerault

The emperor, ho as fond of travelling, too#

pleasure in shoing himself to all the people of

2onduct of rancis I% FE

(urope, and indulging in the glory he had acJuired%

This journey as a continued series of feasting and

merriment, and as underta#en for the sa#e of

hanging tenty-four poor citi;ens% 6e might easily

have spared himself so much fatigue, by sending a

fe troops to the regent of the "o 2ountriesK

and it may even seem surprising that he had not

left a suNcient number in landers to suppress this

revoltK but it as the custom of those times to

disband the troops immediately after a truce or a

peace%


57/451

The design of rancis I%, in receiving the emperor

in his dominions ith so much parade and civility,

as to obtain from him at length a promise of the

investiture of the duchy of :ilan K and it as in this

idle vie that he refused the homage oMered him by

the inhabitants of 3hent 7 but he neither got 3hent

nor :ilan%

It has been pretended that 2onstable de :ont-

morency lost the #ings favor for having advised

him to be content ith a verbal promise from

2harles% I relate this triing event, because, if true,

it shos the human heart% person ho has no

one to blame but himself if he has folloed evil

counsel is freJuently unjust enough to condemn the

authorK but there as no reason to repent of not

having eCacted a mere verbal promise from 2harles

.% K a promise in riting ould not have been more

binding%

rancis himself had promised under his hand to

FG ncient and :odern 6istory%


58/451

give up 4urgundy, and yet he as very far from

abiding by that promise% prince seldom gives up a

large province to his enemy ithout being forced to

it by arms% The emperor afterard oned pub-

licly that he had promised the duchy of :ilan to

one of the #ings sonsK but insisted, at the same

time, that it as only on condition that rancis

should evacuate Turin, hich he had still continued

to #eep%

The generous reception hich the #ing had given

the emperor in rance, so many sumptuous feasts,

and all that sho of conLdence and friendship on

both sides, ended at last only in fresh ars%

+hile olyman as still continuing to ravage

6ungary, and hile 2harles .%, to put the Lnishing

touch to his glory, resolved to conJuer the #ingdom

of lgiers, as he had done that of Tunis, and failed

in the underta#ing, rancis I% reneed more strictly

his alliance ith olyman% 6e sent to ministers

privately to the pope, through .enice% These minis-

ters ere assassinated on their ay, by order of

:arJuis del .asto, governor of :ilan, under pre-

tence that they ere the emperors subjects% ran-


59/451

cis for;a, the last du#e of :ilan, had some years

before caused another of the #ings ministers to be

beheaded% 6o are e to reconcile these breaches

of the la of nations ith the generosity on hich

the oNcers of both princes piJued themselves ? In

!H, the ar as reneed ith more animosity

than ever, on the side of &iedmont, in the &yrenees,

2onduct of rancis I% F@

and in &icardy% It as at this time that the #ings

galleys joined those of 2heredin, surnamed 4ar-

barossa, the sultans admiral, and viceroy of lgiers%

In !HF, the eur-de-lis and the crescent e jointly

before the city of 1ice, hich, hoever, held out

against all the attempts of the rench and Tur#s,

ho ere commanded by the count of (nghien, of

the 4ourbon family, and the Tur#ish admiral K and,

the famous ndre 0oria coming to its relief ith

his galleys, 4arbarossa returned ith his eet to

Toulon%

This is the 0oria ho may deservedly be rec#oned

the chief of all those ho assisted the fortunes of


60/451

2harles .% 6e had the glory of defeating his gal-

leys before 1aples, hen admiral in the service

of rancis I%, and hile his country, 3enoa, as

still under the rench dominion% "i#e 2onstable

4ourbon, he thought himself obliged by the court

intrigues to go over to the emperors service% 6e

several tirr^%s challenged the sultans eets to com-

bat K but his chief honor as having restored liberty

to his country f hich 2harles .% permitted him

to be so ereign% 4ut he preferred the title of

5 0eliverer 5 to that of 5 :aster,5 and established

the government as it no eCists, and lived till the

age of ninety-four, ith the greatest reputation of

any man in (urope% fter his death the 3enoese

erected a statue to his memory, as deliverer of his

-country%

In the meantime the count of (nghien repaired

HA rcient and :odern 6istory%

the disgrace of 1ice, by the victory hich he gained

over :arJus del .asto at 2erisoles in &iedmont%

There never as a victory more complete, and yet


61/451

the conJuerors gained no advantage from it% It as

the fate of the rench to conJuer to no purpose in

Italy, as the battles of gnadello, ornovo, 'avenna,

:arignano, and 2erisoles, ill eternally itness%

6enry .II", by an inconceivable fatality, entered

into an alliance against rance ith that emperor

hose aunt he had put aay in so shameful a man-

ner, and hose nephe he had declared a bastard,

and ho had in revenge caused &ope 2lement .II%

to eCcommunicate him% &rinces can at the voice of

interest eJually forget injuries and beneLts 7 but in

this case it seems to have been rather caprice than

interest that induced 6enry .II" to join 2harles .%

It as not ithout great diNculty that the #ings general,

(nghien, obtained leave to ha;ard a battle, on the issue of

hich the f reservation of rance in a great measure

depended% +hen 4laise de :ontluc prevailed upon the

#ing to comply ith the du#es reJuest, the count de t%

&ol said to him 7 5 :adman, thou art going to be author

of the greatest advantage or the greatest misfortune hich

can happen to thy country%5

The imperialists ere more numerous than the rench

by ten thousand men K yet they suMered a total over-


62/451

thro, and great numbers of them ere put to the sord%

The fruit hich rancis reaped from this victory as the

reduction of 2arignano, :ontcallier, t% 0amian, .igon,

&ont d(sture, and the greater part of :ontferrat, as ell

as the opportunity of detaching a body of troops from this

army to cover &icardy and 2hampagne, into hich the

emperor and the #ing of (ngland ere on the point of

penetrating%

2onduct of rancis I% H

6enry proposed marching to &aris ith an army

of thirty thousand men% 6e besieged 4oulogne by

sea, hile 2harles as advancing into &icardy%

+hat had become of the balance of poer hich

6enry as so fond of holding? 6is only object

as to embarrass rancis I% and thereby prevent

him from throing any obstacles in the ay of the

marriage hich he had projected beteen his son,

(dard, and :ary tuart of cotland, ho as

afterard Jueen of rance% +hat a reason this

as for declaring ar%

These ne dangers destroyed all the fruits of the


63/451

victory of 2erisoles% The rench #ing as obliged

to recall a great part of that victorious army for the

defence of the southern frontiers of the #ingdom%

rance as no in greater danger than she had

ever been% 2harles had already advanced as far as

oissons, the #ing of (ngland had ta#en 4oulogne,

and &aris itself began to tremble% "utheranism no

proved the safety of rance, and as of more service

to her than the Tur#s, on hom the #ing had placed

so much dependence% The "utheran princes of 3er-

many all joined in arms against 2harles .%, hom

they began to fear ould become despotic% 2harles

pressing rance, and pressed by the empire, con-

cluded a peace, in !HH, at 2respy in .alois, to turn

his arms against his 3erman subjects%

4y this peace he again promised the duchy of

:ilan to tne du#e of Orleans, the #ings son, ho

as to be his son-in-laK but destiny ould not

HD ncient and :odern 6istory%

permit a prince of rance to have possession of this


64/451

provinceK and the death of the du#e of Orleans

saved the emperor the confusion of once more

brea#ing his ord%

In !HB, rancis I% purchased a peace ith (ng-

land for eight hundred thousand crons% These

ere his last eCploits, and these the fruits of the

designs he had all his lifetime been forming upon

1aples and :ilan% 6e as in everything the vic-

tim of the good fortune of 2harles .%, for he died

some months after 6enry .III%, of that almost

incurable distemper hich had at that time been

transplanted into (urope by the discovery of the

ne orld% uch is the concatenation of eventsQ

3enoese pilot gave a ne orld to pain% 1ature

had placed in the islands of these distant climes a

poison hich infects the springs of life, and by

hich a #ing of rance as destined to perish% t

his death he left a lasting dissension behind him,

not beteen rance and 3ermany, but beteen the

houses of rance and ustria%

26&T(' 2.%

T'O94"( I1 3(':1) 4TT"( O :96"4('3


65/451

3'(T1(, 0I3'2(, 10 40I2TIO1 O 26'"(

T6( IT6%

T6( death of rancis I% did not level the ay to that

universal monarchy to hich 2harles .% is said to

have aspired% That prince as still far from it K he

Troubles in 3ermany% HF

not only had a formidable enemy in 6enry II%, ho

succeeded rancis on the throne of ranceK but

at that time also the princes and cities of 3ermany,

hich had embraced the ne religion, raised a civil

ar, and assembled a large army against him% It

as rather the party of liberty than that of "uther-

anism%

This emperor, deemed so poerful, as not able,

even ith the assistance of his brother erdinand,

#ing of 6ungary and 4ohemia, to raise as large an

army of 3ermans as the confederates could bring

into the Leld% 2harles as therefore obliged, in

order to raise an eJual force, to have recourse to his

paniards, and to borro money and troops of &ope


66/451

&aul III%

1othing could be more complete and glorious than

the victory he gained over the army of the confed-

erates at :iihlberg% The elector of aCony, and

the landgrave of 6esse ere among the number of

his prisoners K the "utheran party ere thron into

the greatest consternation, the conJuered ere

loaded ith immense taCes, and, in short, all together

seemed to render him despotic in 3ermany K but the

same thing no happened to him as after the ta#ing

of rancis I% K he lost all the fruits of his good for-

tune% &ope &aul, ho had so much befriended him

before his victory, ithdre his troops as soon as he

sa him become too poerful K and 6enry .III% of

(ngland spirited up the languishing remains of the

"utheran party in 3ermany% The ne elector of

HH ncient and :odern 6istory%

aCony, :aurice, on hom 2harles had bestoed

the duchy of the conJuered elector, soon declared

against him, and even put himself at the head of the

"eague%


67/451

t length this emperor, ho had been so terri-

ble to all (urope, is on the point of being made

prisoner, ith his brother, by the confederates,

and is obliged to y ith the utmost precipitation

and disorder to the deLles of Innsbruc#% t the

same time the rench #ing, 6enry II% sei;ed :et;,

Toul, and .erdun, hich have ever since remained

in the house of rance, as the reard of having

secured the 3ermanic liberty% Thus e see that the

grandees of the empire, and even the "utheran

religion itself, have in all times oed their preser-

vation to the #ings of rance% The same thing

happened afterard under erdinand II% and erdi-

nand III%

nd no the possessor of :eCico as obliged to

borro to hundred thousand gold crons from

2osmo, du#e of lorence, to endeavor to recover

:et;K and having compromised matters ith the

"utherans, that he might be more at liberty to avenge

himself on the rench #ing, he laid siege to that

city, ith an army of Lfty thousand men% This is

one of the most memorable sieges e meet ith in

history, and has immortali;ed the reputation of

rancis of 3uise, ho, in !!D, defended the ton


68/451

siCty-Lve days against the emperors army, and at

Troubles in 3ermany% H!

length obliged him to abandon his design, after los-

ing one-third of his forces%

The poer of 2harles .% as at that time a vast

heap of honors and dignities, surrounded on all

sides by precipices% The troubles he as engaged

in all his lifetime ould never permit him to form

his large dominions into a strong and compact body,

hose parts might all mutually assist one another,

and supply him ith a numerous army #ept con-

stantly on foot% This 2harlemagne happily eMected 7

but then his dominions lay all contiguous K and after

having conJuered the aCons and "ombards, he had

not a olyman to repulse K he had no #ing of rance

to Lght against, nor had he the poerful princes

of 3ermany, and a pope still more poerful, to sup-

press or fear%

2harles #ne full ell hat #ind of cement as

reJuired to raise an ediLce eJual in strength to the


69/451

greatness of 2harlemagne% It as necessary that his

son &hilip should have the empire K then, as the

mines of :eCico and &eru made him richer than all

the other #ings of (urope put together, he might

have arrived at that universal monarchy hich is

much easier imagined than attained%

In this 2harles employed his utmost endeavors to

persuade his brother erdinand, #ing of the 'omans,

to cede the empire to &hilip K but so disagreeable a

proposal only served to set erdinand and &hilip at

variance forever%

t length, earied ith so many eMorts, gron

HB ncient and :odern 6istory%

old before his time, and undeceived in everything,

after having attempted everything, he resigned his

crons, and renounced the society of man#ind at

the age of Lfty-four, a time of life in hich the age

and ambition of other men are in their full vigor,

and hen many inferior princes begin to appoint

their ministers, and enter the career of their great-


70/451

ness%

4efore I proceed to ta#e a vie of the inuence

hich &hilip II% had over one-half of (urope, the

great poer of the (nglish under =ueen (li;abeth,

and hat as the fate of Italy, in hat manner

the republic of the 9nited &rovinces as established,

and the dreadful condition to hich the #ingdom of

rance as reduced, I judge it necessary to spea# of

the revolutions hich happened in religion, as this

had had a principal share in all aMairs, either as a

cause or pretence, ever since the time of 2harles .%

I shall then give a s#etch of the conJuests of the

2harles published an act of his abdication in the "atin

tongueK then he sent the imperial ornaments to his

brother erdinand, too# leave of all the ambassadors that

attended his court, than#ed his oNcers, and recommended

them to his son &hilip K repaired to


71/451

!!G, at the age of Lfty-seven% ome authors allege that

he lived long enough in this retreat to repent heartily of

his abdication% 4ut this is no other than a surmise%

"eo >% and the 2hurch% HE

paniards in merica, and of those made by the

&ortuguese in the Indies K miraculous events, of

hich &hilip II% reaped the hole beneLt, and by

hich he became the most poerful monarch in

2hristendom%

26&T(' 2.I%

"(O >% 10 T6( 269'26%

)ou have ta#en a survey of that vast chaos in hich

the 2hristian states of (urope ere confusedly

plunged, from the time of the donfall of the 'oman

(mpire% The political government of the 2hurch,

hich to all appearances should have united these

divided parts, as unhappily a fresh source of con-

fusion, hitherto un#non in the annals of the orld%

The 2hurch of 'ome and that of 3reece ere at


72/451

continual variance, and by their disputes had opened

the gates of 2onstantinople to the Ottoman poer%

The empire and the pontiLcate, hich ere con-

tinually in arms against each other, had laid aste

Italy, 3ermany, and almost all the other states of

2hristendom% The miCture of these to poers,

hich ere alays opposing each other either

secretly or publicly, proved the source of everlasting

dissensions% The feudal government had made sov-

ereigns of several bishops and mon#s% The limits

of their dioceses ere diMerent from those of the

state K the same city as Italian or 3erman as to its

bishop, and rench as to its #ing% )ou have seen

HG ncient and :odern 6istory%

in hat manner the secular jurisdiction as in every-

thing opposed to the ecclesiastic, eCcept in those

dominions here the 2hurch as, and still is,

supremeK ho every secular prince endeavored to

render his government independent of the see of

'ome, ithout being able to eMect it% )ou have

seen the bishops sometimes opposing the pope, and

at others uniting ith him against croned headsK


73/451

in a ord, the hole republic of the "atin com-

munion as almost alays unanimous in point of

doctrine, and perpetually at variance in every other

respect%

fter the detestable, but successful, pontiLcate of

leCander .I%, and after the military, and still more

happy, reign of &ope 8ulius II%, the popes might

ith justice consider themselves as the masters of

Italy, and the inuencers of the rest of (urope%

1o other Italian poer possessed larger territories,

eCcept the #ing of 1aples, ho as still a feudatory

of the papal cron%

9nder these favorable circumstances, the tenty-

four cardinals, ho at that time composed the hole

college, in !F, raised to the pontiLcate 8ohn de

:edici, great-great-grandson of the famous 2osmo

de :edici, ho as a private merchant, and the

father of his country%

8ohn de :edici, ho too# the name of "eo >%, as

made a cardinal hen he as only fourteen, and as

elected pope before he as thirty-siC years old%

6is family had then returned to Tuscany, and "eo


74/451

"eo >% and the 2hurch% H@

soon had interest enough to place his brother, &eter,

at the head of the administration in lorence% 6e

married his other brother, 8ulian, surnamed the

:agniLcent, to the princess of avoy, ho as also

duchess of 1emours, and made him one of the

most poerful noblemen of Italy% These three broth-

ers, ho had been educated under ngelus &oli-

tianus and 2alcondilas, ere all truly orthy of

such masters, and vied ith one another in cultivat-

ing learning and the liberal artsK so that this age

deserves to be called the :edicean age% The pontiM,

in particular, united the most reLned taste ith an

unparalleled magniLcence% 6e encouraged great

geniuses in all the arts by his bounty and engaging

behavior% 6is coronation cost one hundred thou-

sand gold crons% On this occasion he had the

5 &enula5 of &lautus acted, and the glorious days of

the 'oman (mpire seemed revived under him% ll

austerity as banished from religion, hich no

acJuired the respect of everyone by the most pomp-

ous ceremonies% The barbarous style of the 0atary

as entirely laid aside, to ma#e room for the elo-


75/451

Juence of 2ardinals 4embo and adolet, at that time

secretaries of the briefs, men ho imitated the

"atinity of 2icero, and seemed to adopt his s#eptical

philosophy% The comedies of ristophanes and

:achiavelli, void as they are of modesty and piety,

ere freJuently played at this court in presence of

the pope and his cardinals, by young people of the

best Juality in 'ome% The merit alone of these

.ol% DE H

!A ncient and :odern 6istory%

or#s held in high esteem in this age rendered

them agreeableK and hat might appear oMensive

to religion in them as not perceived by a court

holly ta#en up ith intrigues and pleasures, and

hich thought that religion stood in no danger from

these triing liberties% nd, indeed, as neither the

doctrine nor the poer of the 2hurch ere here con-K

cerned, the court of 'ome as no more oMended at

them than the ancient 3ree#s and 'omans ere at

the jo#es of ristophanes and &lautus%

Though "eo >% as perfectly absolute in serious


76/451

aMairs, he never suMered them to brea# in upon

his, more delicate pleasures% (ven the conspiracy

formed against his life by to of his cardinals, and

the eCemplary punishment he inicted on them,

made no alteration in the gayety of his court%

2ardinals &etrucci and oli, incensed against the

pope for having ta#en the duchy of 9rbino from the

nephe of 8ulius II%, bribed a surgeon ho used to

dress a secret ulcer of the popes, and the death of

this pontiM as to be the signal of a revolution in

several of the cities of the ecclesiastical state% The

plot, hoever, as discovered, and several of those

concerned in it put to death, in !E% The to car-

dinals ere put to the torture, and afterard con-

demned to die% 2ardinal &etrucci as hanged in

prison, and the other purchased his life ith his

riches%

It is very remar#able, that they ere condemned

by the secular magistrates of 'ome, and not their

"eo >% and the 2hurch% !


77/451

peers% The pope, by this action, seemed to invite

all the croned heads to ma#e the clergy subject

to the ordinary courts of justice, but the holy see

never thought of yielding to #ings a right hich it

assumed to itself% 6o comes it that the cardinals,

ho have the electing of popes, have left them in

possession of this despotic poer, hile the electors

and the princes of the empire have so much cur-

tailed the poer of the emperors? The reason is,

that these princes have dominions, and the cardinals

have only dignities%

This melancholy event soon gave place to the

customary amusements% "eo >%, in order to ipe

aay the remembrance of a cardinal condemned

to die by the halter, created thirty ne ones, most

of them Italians, and of the same disposition as

their master K and though they might not have Juite

so good taste, or so much learning, as the pontiM,

they at least came very near to him in the indul-

gence of their pleasures% Their eCample as fol-

loed by most of the prelacy% pain as at that time

the only country here the 2hurch still adhered to

a severity of manners, hich had been introduced by

2ardinal >imenes, a man of austere and morose

disposition, ho had no taste but for absolute author-


78/451

ity, and ho, hen regent of pain, ent alays

dressed in the habit of a cordelier, and as ont

to say that he could bind all the grandees of the

#ingdom to their duty by his cord, and crush their

pride beneath his sandals%

!D ncient and :odern 6istory%

In every other country the prelates lived ith all

the voluptuousness of princesK some of them ere

in possession of eight or nine bishoprics at once% It

is astonishing to rec#on the number of beneLces

enjoyed by some of them at that timeK such as%

2ardinal +olsey and the cardinal of "orraine, and

many othersK but this multitude of church livings

heaped on a single person had no orse conseJuences

then, than the number of bishoprics no held by the

electors or prelates of 3ermany%

ll riters, both &rotestant and 2atholic, greatly

inveigh against the general depravity of manners

in those times% They tell us that the prelates, curates,

and mon#s led the most easy and happy lives K and

nothing as more common than for prelates to bring


79/451

up their children in a public manner, after the eCam-

ple of leCander .I% It is certain, that there is yet

eCtant the ill of one 2roui, at that time bishop of

2ambray, in hich he leaves several legacies to his

children, and reserves a sum 5 for the bastards hich

he hopes 3od ill be pleased to give him, in case he

should recover from his illness%5 These are the very

ords of the ill% &ope &ius II% had long before

that declared in riting, that, for very good rea-

sons, priests had been forbidden to marry K but that,

for still better reasons, it ought to be alloed them%

The &rotestants have carefully collected facts hich

prove, that in several of the states of 3ermany, the

people obliged their ministers to #eep mistresses, that

their ives might remain in greater security7 but

"eo >% and the 2hurch% !F

still it must be oned, that this as no reason for

authori;ing so many civil ars, nor for #illing other

men because the priests begot children%

4ut that hich most disgusted the public as the

granting of general and particular indulgences, abso-


80/451

lutions, and dispensations, at all prices% This #ind

of apostolic taC as uncertain and unlimited before

the time of &ope 8ohn >>II% , ho Lrst settled it, and

reduced it to a code of the canon la% deacon or

sub-deacon ho had been guilty of murder as

absolved, and had permission to hold three beneLces

for telve livres tournois, three ducats, and siC

carlines, hich is about tenty crons% bishop

and an abbot might commit murder for about three

hundred livres, and the most unnatural or indecent

acts had their stated price% 4estiality as assessed

at to hundred and Lfty livres K dispensations might

be purchased, not only for sins actually committed,

but even for those hich a person might have an

inclination to commit% There has been found, in the

archives of 8oinville, a reversionary indulgence for

the cardinal of "orraine, and telve persons of his

retinue, by hich each of them had the choice of any

three sins they chose to commit% "e "aboureur, a

very eCact riter, says that the duchess of 4ourbon

and uvergne, sister of 2harles .III% , had a right

to claim absolution for herself, and for ten persons

of her retinue, for all the sins they should commit,

during their lives, on forty-seven holidays in the

year, eCclusive of undays%


81/451

!H ncient and :odern 6istory%

This strange abuse seems to have had its origin

in the ancient las of the (uropean nations, and of

the ran#s, aCons, and 4urgundians% The court

of 'ome did not adopt this rating of sins and dis-

pensations till the times of anarchy, and hen the

popes no longer dared to reside at 'ome% 1o coun-

cil ever made a taC on sins an article of faith%

mong these abuses some ere oppressive, and

others ridiculous% Those ho said that the super-

structure should be repaired ithout totally destroy-

ing it seemed to have said all that could be oMered

in anser to the complaints of an incensed people%

The great number of masters of families, ho are

continually labor

Documents

Voltaire XXVII