with great Joy; and foon after Pace wrote to the Cardinal, to give him an Account of what the Emperor had projected, viz. the Attacking Milan, and, after its Reduction, to make it fubject to the Crown of England: But Pace, in his Letter, expreffed his Diflike of it, both upon Account of the Charge of keeping it, and for that the People would not be eafy under any other Government, than that of one of the House of Sforza; and faid, "That, from his own Ex"perience, little Regard was to be had to the Em66 peror's Word."

Thefe Proposals induced his Majesty to fend Sir Richard Wingfield to the Imperial Court, where he had not been long, before he acquainted his Master of feveral important Affairs, which the Emperor, at a private Conference, had offered to him; and these are fome of Maximilian's further chimerical Propofals, which for the Singularity of them, we fhall here introduce.

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The Emperor's
Proposals to the
bajador.
English Am

"First, I defire you to make my most "hearty and affectionate Recommen"dations to my dear and affectionate "Brother, the King, your Master, which by Word doth call me Father, and I do call him "Son, which I do take right gladly upon me. And as touching the holy Enterprize, which hath been "made upon the common Enemy, though as yet "it hath not attained the defired End, I trust, that, by my faid Brother's further Affiftance and Com"fort, it fhall come right well to both our Ends, "and ·

"and the Weal not only of us, but also of all Christendom: And, in the mean time, I do confess, "that his Affiftance, which is past and prefent, hath not only faved Cities of mine, but also the Realms "of my Nephew, out of the Enemy's hand.

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And, in Confideration of the faid Cities and "Realms being faved by my faid Brother's Affistance, "and that alfo I know well, that, in Time past, “he hath had a special Defire, that a Peace might be "taken between me and the Venetians; I now, for my part, do offer unto him, that, what Peace fo66 ever he fhall think honourable for me, and meet "for them, I will make it. And, because neither the Swifs, nor the Pope, nor the Venetians, will con"fent that I, or the French King, fhould enjoy the Dutchy of Milan, I will, if my Brother confent "thereto, that forthwith, upon Knowledge of his "Mind, I will advertise the faid Pope, Swiss and “Venetians, that, for the Weal and Pacifying of all Christendom, I am determined to give the faid Dutchy of Milan unto him, with which I am fure they would be all well content: And this is the "first of the three fpecial Things, upon which I de“fired, as I faid, a speedy Answer. Howbeit I will, "that my Brother do know with the fame, that my

<6

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Meaning alway is, that he do accept the Adoption, "which I have made of him, and the receiving of "the Empire which I have promised and will refign "unto him. The Second is, That I defire my Brother, "that he will procure and help, that the King, my

Nephew, may be reduced to join firmly with us

against the common Enemy. As to the Third, I "do defire in moft affectionate-wife, that my faid "Brother break in War with France, in as good "haste as he may; for, by that one Act, the Enterprize of the Dutchy of Milan fhall be conveyed furely to the defired Purpose. And alfo I do de"fire, he gladly follow and execute my Counfel in the

"Num

Number and Perfection of his Army; that is to

fay, that, when the War is once proclaimed, and a "fufficient Army fet upon the Sea, that the King, "my Brother, do pafs the Sea in Perfon, and be σε provided of 2000 Horfe, and 4000. Archers, and do pafs with the faid Company to Ypres in Flan"ders, to Tournay, to Mons in Hainault, to Manche, 66 to Bafcoigne in the Land of Luxenburgh, and fo to "the City of Treves, where I will not fail to meet, "with him; and alfo all the Electors and Princes of the Empire; where fhall not only be accomplished

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my Refignation of the Empire, and the Inveftiture "of the Dutchy of Milan granted, but also there "fhall be an Army already prepared with Artillery, " and all other Neceffaries to enter into France; with "which Army I would my Brother should leave the "Duke of Suffolk, or fome other Prince, to be the દ્વંદ Captain, having 1000 Horfe, and 3000 Archers;

with which Army I will go myfelf as a Superin; "tendant, and my Brother in the mean while to país "with 1000 Horfe and 1000 Archers through my έσ own Country, till he fhall come to a City in the "Mountains called Coyr, of which is a Bifhop that "is both my Subject and Familiar, through whofe "Bishoprick my Brother fhall pafs, till he come to "the Lake of Combe, where I fhall caufe Boats to be "purveyed in a fufficient Number, for his Paffage,

and Combe is but 25 Miles from Milan; where, "when he hath tarried a Seafon, I will in his

Company pass to Rome, where he fhall be crowned "Emperor: Which done, I doubt not but he fhall "and may chufe, whether he will take the moft ho

nourable Peace with France, that ever had any of "his Ancestors, or proceed in War, till he hath recò"vered the Crown as his proper Inheritance; which σε to attain, I efteem he fhall have the Confent of the Pope, and all Chriftian Princes, and the Aid of all Italy, which muft find Health by that Means, Vol: H I y

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or elfe not only Italy, but rather all Christendom, "fhall remain in War and Defolation."

Thefe Proposals might have awakened the Seeds of Ambition in a Temper lefs flexible than that of our Monarch, if Cardinal Wolfey, and the other Minifters, had not heard it with that Distrust, they had for fome time entertained of all the Emperor's Actions. Even fuppofing there had been a Probality of making our King Emperor of Germany, what would have been the Confequence, but reducing this gallant Country to a Province of the Empire? There was not wanting at that time Perfons who found Fault with the Adminiltration interpofing at all in the Affairs of Italy, and particularly in that of driving the French out of Milan: Upon which Occafion, Pace, in a Letter to Wolfey, ufes this faithful Liberty, and plainly tells him, "That fuch Perfons knew not what they faid, "when they found Fault with our King's affifting in "the Recovery of Milan from the French, and placing "Francis Sforza in the Dutchy,, who would, when "fettled, be able to fupply the King with 1000 Men "at Arms, and to repay him the Expences the King might be put to on that Account: And, as a Proof of "his fincere Intention therein, this Prince (Pace de"clared) was ready to fend his Brother as a Hostage to "his Majefty, for Security of Payment." This was afterwards confirmed by a particular Letter from Sforza to the King.

However, it is plain upon the whole, that the King and his Minifter Wolfey were far from placing any great Confidence in what had been proposed, either in one Inftance or the other; yet he ordered Pace, his Ambaffador with the Emperor, to fupply him with a Sum of Money, in order to encourage him to proceed in the Project of attacking the French in Italy, which, for the prefent, would find them work enough in that Part of the World. In fhort,

The Emperor raifes his Army and marches into Italy.

as

as foon as Maximilian had received a Supply of Money from England, and other Parts, he loft no time, but fet about collecting his Forces together, being unwilling to lofe the Opportunity that offered of making War upon France, notwithstanding he was obliged to act alone. The Army he affembled upon this Occafion was no lefs than 20,000 Men, at the Head of which he inftantly marched, unexpectedly entered the State of Venice, appeared before Breffia, and retook it. Upon which the French Army quitted the Place, and retired to Milan. Maximilian followed them with fo much Speed, that he put the French into fuch a Confternation, that they were ready to take to their Heels, in order to make the beft of their way home, much after the Manner of their Countrymen in Lewis the XIIth's Time: But, luckily for them, just as they were moving, 10,000 Swifs, in Alliance with France, came unexpected to their Aid; and, what was extremely particular, as thefe Toorps refufed to fight against the Swiss in the Emperor's Army, fo, on the other hand, the Swifs in the Emperor's Service became very importunate for their Pay, nay, they refused to fight, unless they were inftantly paid. Maximilian had by this time, as he alledged, parted with all his Money, but promised he would fpeedily pay them; yet that did not do, they became more clamorous than before; so that Maximilian, in order to avoid being further teafed, when the Army leaft expected it, he retired according to his ufual way, and left them to fhift for themselves. Maximilian was no fooner gone, but they difbanded, by which Means his fine Projects upon Milan came to nothing, at a Time when he had the greatest Probability of Succefs.

But his Projects are foon defeated.

This Departure, or rather Running-away, of the Emperor, and the Difbanding his Forces, fo animated the French, that foon after they marched to join and

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affift