As soon as Francis assumed the command, he enter ed the Milanese, and pressed forward to its capital. For its protection and defence, only the Swiss troops were pre pared ; they were encamped about a league from the city, at a place called Marignano. Francis knew that they were brave ; but he also suspected that they might be allured to withdraw from their post. His suspicions were not un founded. An offer of 700,000 crowns made a strong im pression on them, and they were preparing to yield Milan up to the French king, when they were joined by 10,000 of their own countrymen. These troops were not dispos ed to desert the cause in which they were embarked, and Francis found, that if Milan were to be his, the Swiss must be fought and conquered.
The Swiss, probably ashamed of having listened to the offers of Francis, and resolved to wipe off their disgrace, fought with more than their usual bravery and perseve rance. The battle began about four in the afternoon, in the month of September 1515, and three hours after dark, the combatants, fatigued with their exertions, separated, but only to renew the contest, if possible, with more valour and animosity next morning. For some time the issue was dubious, for the Swiss, though inferior to the French, fought only on that account more obstinately : At last they were obliged to give way ; 10,000 of them perished on the field of battle ; the rest fled, but in their flight they remem bered their character, and no disorder or confusion was visible. The French army also suffered severely, 6000 of their troops having been killed and wounded. On this occasion Francis displayed the valour of a brave man ; Charles of Bourbon, his constable, the wisdom and ex perience of a great commander : to him the success of the battle of Marignano is justly ascribed.
The Swiss were now tired of a contest, in the issue of which they had no immediate concern ; and their army was recalled. Sforza, therefore, was left to defend his territo ries by his own forces alone. His cause was hopeless ; but he sought to prolong his fate, by retiring into the castle of Milan. The French army, however, full of ardour, flushed with victory, and guided by the coolness and skill of the Constable, soon compelled Sforza to surrender the castle, on the condition that he should enjoy a retreat and a pension in France.
It was always the policy of the Popes to be among the first to set on foot confederacies to protect Italy from the French, and among the first to desert them. Leo X. acted in conformity with this policy. He sought an interview with Francis, whom he received with a flattery which he knew would find its way to the feelings of the French monarch. After this interview, Francis returned to Lyons.
Had not Francis been more ardent than penetrating, he would not have forsaken Italy at this moment ; but he uniformly displayed, through his whole life, qualities and feelings which prompted him to enterprise, but forbade the ultimate and permanent success of his plans. Among the confederates against him was Ferdinand of Arragon. Soon after the return of Francis to his own kingdom, this mo narch died. He had always opposed the designs of the French against Naples ; his death, therefore, seemed to have removed a serious obstacle to these designs, which, it is probable, were still cherished by Francis. At any rate a rival was removed, whose experience, subtle arts, and numerous resources, Francis had just reason to dread. Francis, however, did not profit by the death of Ferdinand, though his successor was only 16 years old ; and by this want of foresight—for history compels us to ascribe his conduct to any other motive but a scrupulous regard to justice—not that Francis was more lax in this respect than the other sovereigns of his age,—he suffered a rival to rise up in the fulness of his strength, still more formidable than the one from whom death had just freed him. The successor of Ferdinand was Charles V. ; and under him were now united a most formidable kingdom in the Old 1Vorld, and territories in the New, which promised an in exhanstible source of riches.
In the mean time, the Emperor Maximilian had invaded the Milanese with an army of 40,000 men ; but the Con stable Bourbon, with an inferior force, obliged him to re tire. Francis also made an attempt to rescue Navarre from Spain, and to reinstate on its throne its legitimate monarch ; but in this attempt he was defeated, principally by the sagacity and prudence of Cardinal Ximenes, who at that time ruled Spain.
Charles V., at his accession to the throne of Ferdinand, was disposed to continue the war with Francis, especially on the side of Flanders, where he was when Ferdinand died ; but the Flemings were averse to a war, which ex posed them to the loss of their commerce. Francis, on his side, was desirous of securing his conquests in Italy. Under these circumstances, a treaty of peace was easily and speedily concluded at Noyon between the two mon archs. By this treaty, Francis was to give in marriage to Charles his eldest (laughter, and with her resign all his pretensions to the throne of Naples. Charles, till thc mar riage took place, was to pay 100,000 crowns a year to the King of France, in consideration of his being already in possession of Naples ; and Francis was left at liberty to sup port the heirs of the King of Navarre, provided they could not make out their claim to the satisfaction of Charles. Peace was thus restored for a short time ; hut in 1519, the Emperor Maximilian expired ; and it was easy to foresee, that the election of a successor would give rise to hostili ties. The probability of this event was still further in creased, when it was known that Charles and Francis were competitors for the imperial dignity. They had indeed, from the first, agreed to carry on the competition with emulation, but without enmity; and Francis, with his natu ral and characteristic vivacity and frankness, declared to Charles, " We are both suitors to the same mistress ; the more fortunate will win her, but the other must remain contented." It was, however not to be expected that the loser would be contented. The prize was of infinitely too great value to be sought for and lost with quiet feelings. As the sovereignty at which they aimed could be obtained only by means of the electors, money and influence, not arms, were to decide to whom it was to fall. Francis was profuse in his expenditure of money on this occasion, but his influence was small. The Germans were partial to the house of Austria ; and the voice of Frederic of Saxony de cided the contest. Charles was raised to the imperial dig nity, and Francis retired disappointed, and rankling after revenge. Influenced by these feelings, he sought and ob tained the alliance of Henry of England ; but Henry was of too fickle a character to be long faithful to his promises. Charles knew this, and a very short time saw the emperor and Henry united. Francis next turned his thoughts to wards the Pope, who, hoping to serve his own interest, by employing one monarch to expel the other from Italy, gave to the expectations and wishes of Francis. By the German constitution, the kings of Naples were for ever excluded from the imperial dignity. According to this regulation, Charles ought not to have been elected emperor ; brit as his election had taken place, Leo and Francis declared that he had forfeited his right to Naples. This was one cause for war ; and another was not wanting. The emperor, as king of Spain, refused to do justice to the heirs of the king of Navarre ; and in this event, by the treaty of Noyon, Francis was at liberty to support them. The kiirgdom of Navarre received the French with open arms. Charles was taken unprepared; his forces were em ployed in quelling some commotions which had arisen in Spain; and Navarre seemed on the point of being com pletely conquered, when it was saved to Charles by the rashness of the French general, who before he had com pleted the conquest, entered Catalonia, whence he was driven with disgrace, and his army afterwards defeated, and himself taken prisoner. As this war had been carried on by Francis in the name of I lenry D'Albret, who claimed the kingdom of Navarre, it did not immediately occasion hostilities between Francis and Charles. In the mean time, the former was nearly deprived of his life by an accident. While he was engaged in the diversion of attacking with snowballs the house of the Count de Pol, he was wounded in the head by a torch. For a long time he was seriously ill; and, during the cure of his wound, it was deemed ne cessary to cut off his hair, which he never would permit to grow again, but introduced the fashion of wearing it short.