The pope, thwarted in his projects against Ferrara by the interference of Louis, now set on foot an alliance, termed the Holy League, for the purpose of expelling the French from Italy. The new confederates were Ferdinand of Spain, the Venetians, and the Swiss. Powerful as were these antagonists, the army of France, commanded by Gas ton de Foix, duke of Nemours, succeeded in raising the sieges of Brescia and Bologna, and at Ravenna completely routed the troops of the League ; but this last victory was dearly bought, by the loss of their gallant general, who fell in a skirmish, after the battle, in his 21st year. The death of Foix was fatal to the French interest ; dissensions arose in the army ; Milan was seized by the Swiss, who reinstated the family of Sforza, in the person of Maximilian, son of Ludovico ; and France, invaded by the emperor and Henry VIII. of England, became now the theatre of the war, when the death of Julius, whose restless spirit had ani mated the contest, gave a promise of repose to the nations. John di Medici, who assumed the name of Leo X. now ascended the papal chair. The death of his brother Peter, in 1505, had left him the representative of his family ; and a revolution in Florence had raised him to the influence enjoyed by his ancestors in that state. On his accession to the pontificate, the French had gained considerable suc cesses in the Milanese ; but the exertions of the Swiss again replaced Sforza at Milan, and once more expelled the French from Italy. The League, however, was weakened by the defection of the king of England, who bestowed on Louis, now a widower, the hand of his young and beautiful sister. The aged monarch did not long sur vive this connection. His successor, Francis I. eager to recover Milan, and wipe off the stain on the glory of the French arms, soon crossed the Alps, and advanced against the Swiss troops of Sforza, posted at INIorignano, a few miles from Milan. The Swiss defended themselves with obstinate valour for two days, and at length retreated in good order, although weakened by the loss of 10,000 men. The French loss amounted to 6,000 ; but their victory was decisive : Maximilian Sforza surrendered Milan, and, ac cepting a pecuniary consideration, resigned his claim to the duchy, and retired to France. The pope, alarmed at the progress of Francis, hastened to reconcile himself to him ; and at a personal interview contrived, by his flattery, to gain over to his own plans the unsuspecting generosity of the king.
Soon after his return to France, the emperor Maximilian invaded the Milanese with a large army, and laid siege to Milan ; but was repulsed by Charles of Bourbon, constable of France, and obliged to return to Germany, where he died. The king of France immediately declared himself a candi date for the imperial crown ; but the electors, partial to the house of Austria, preferred Charles V. now by the death of his grandfather Ferdinand king of Spain and Naples, in his own right, duke of Austria and lord of the Netherlands, and enriched by the spoils of the new world. Francis, jea lous of his fortunate rival, soon found a pretext for a war, which was in the cud to be attended with consequences so fatal to himsell ; and the power and influence of the com batants soon involved all Europe in the quarrel. For the general historyof this important struggle, see the article FRANCE, Vot. I X. I). 557, where it is related at such length, as to lender it unnecessary l'or us to give any mote than a short sketch of the transactions in Italy. Leo X. who had
fortiterty fa‘oured Francis, chiefly in order to use his influ ence for the aggrandizement of his nephew Lorenzo, duke of Urbino, had now his hopes of raising his family blasted by ms death. Lorenzo left only one daughter, the Cele brated Catharine, and an illegitimate son Alexander The chief aim of the pope was now to obtain Parma and Placen tia, w hich were held by the French. He therefore entered into an alliance with Chat les, w ho proceeded to invade Lom bardy. The troops of Francis were engaged in other quar ters ; and the S%%iss, to ‘vhoin he had trusted the Milanese, being ill paid, were easily gained over by Prosper Colonna, the papal general ; and the short struggle was ended by the complete expulsion of the French. Francis Maria Sforza, brother to Maximilian, was invested with the duke dom of Milan. Parma and Pla,;entia had been sur rendet c, to Leo ; but that pontiff had not long survived the success of Ids inn igues, having died at Rome in the end of the y ear 1521. He was succeeded by Adrian VI. a Flem ing. who had been preceptor to Charles V. and regent of Spain.
The undecided character and unpopular manners of Ad rian twined an unfavout able contrast with the polished ur banity of his predecessor, and he died at the end of the year, very little regretted by the Italians. After a long contest, the cardinals united in favour of Julio di Medici, natural son to Juliano, who was murdered by the Pazzi. This pope, who took the name of Clement VII. had acted as prime minister to Leo X. but his conduct as a sovereign disappointed the hopes entertained from his success in a lower situation. The defection of Charles of Bourbon, who fled to Italy, was a severe blow to Francis ; and the misconduct of Bonnivet, to whom he entrusted the invasion of the Milanese, ruined his affairs in Italy : and his army, commanded by Bayard, was completely routed by the im perialists uncle' Bourbon, and their gallant general slain. Irritated by these reverses, the king of France again en tered Italy, where he was joined by the pope and the Flo rentines, and laid siege to Pavia. On the advance of the imperial army to relieve it, Francis was so infatuated as to listen to the advice of Bonnivet, and leave an advantageous position to give them battle. The result was fatal to the French ; and the of their monarch left the empe ror apparently undisputed master of Italy. But a conspi racy was now lurmed by Clement, Francis duke of Milan, and the Venetians, to throw off his yoke ; and they attempt ed to gain over to their interest Ferdinand, marquess of Pescara, the imperial general, by the offer of the crown of Naples. The marquess remaining faithful to his master, immediately seized on the Milanese, and besieged the duke in his citadel, who was forced to surrender ; and Chat les of Bourbon, on whom the emperor conferred the investi ture, remained master of the duchy, and, at the head of an army of 20,000, laid siege to Rome, and prepared for an as sault. On the first attack, Bourbon was killed by a mus ket-shot; but his troops, commanded by Phillibert of Cha lons, prince of Orange, made themselves masters of Rome, and the holy city was left a prey to the cruelty and rapacity of the soldiery. Clement retired to the Castle of St. An gclo, but was soon obliged, by famine, to surrender, and was retained in the same place a prisoner and a witness of the calamities of his unfortunate subjects.