The war in Italy was again renewed, by the refusal of Charles to bestow on Ft antis' son, Charles duke of Orleans, the investiture of Milan, of which lie had given a promise, at one of his interviews with Francis during the truce. On this occasion the dominions of Charles were invaded by no less than five French at mies. That in Piedmont was commanded by Annibaut, while the count of Enghein, aid ed by the fleet of the corsair Hayradin Barbarossa, besieged Nice, the residence of the duke of Savoy. The arrival of the imperial troops, under the Marquess del Guasto, how ever, obliged these extraordinary confederates to raise the siege.
The following year was distinguished by the decisive victory of the count d'Enghien over Guasto and the impe rialists, with a very inferior force, at Cerisolcs in Piedmont. But Francis was too much weakened to follow up the vic tory ; and its only result was the capture of a few towns in Piedmont. A treaty was at length concluded at Crespy ; by which, among other things, it was agreed, that Charles should confer on the duke of Orleans the Milanese, and the hand of his niece, the daughter of Ferdinand king of the Romans. But the premature death of Charles of Orleans prevented the marriage, and gave the emperor au oppor tunity of evading the fulfilment of the condition. In the mean time, all hopes of reconciling the Protestants being at an end, their tenets were condemned, and their persons ex communicated, by the council of Trent ; and their armies defeated by the allied troops of the emperor and the pope. But the latter, alarmed at the accession of power acquired by Charles, by the defeat of the reformed princes, soon withdrew his troops, and devoted his endeavours to the ag grandisement of his own family. He first obtained for Oc tavio Farnese the city of Sienna, after having in vain at tempted to get for him the duchy of Milan. He next pre vailed on the college of cardinals to erect into a duchy the territories of Parma and Placentia, which he conferred on his son Peter Ludovico Farnese, a monster of vice and ty ranny. But the indignation of the Placentians soon roused them to resistance, and this wretch was assassinated in the fortress of Placentia, which the conspirators immediately seized in the name Of the emperor.
The same year was remarkable, by the failure of the con spiracy of Fiesco, count of Lavagna, against Andrew Doria at Genoa ; an event which it would be presumptuous to re late in other words than those of Robertson, and for which we refer our readers to the page of that elegant historian. The death of Paul III. followed soon after that of his son. Sensible, probably, of the mistake he had been guilty of, his last act was to reunite Parma to the states of the church. He was succeeded by cardinal Dumont, a person of an ef feminate and voluptuous character, equally desirous with the late pope to advance his family ; but Paul had bestowed principalities,—Julius III. confined his donations to estates and offices. The death of Francis I. occasioned a similar
change in the court of France ; for Henry II. though like his father ambitious and warlike, could be satisfied with the pre-eminence in martial exercises, and feed his ambi tion with the mimic victories of the tournament.
An event soon occurred, however, which drew the French monarch into hostilities of a more serious nature. Octa vio Farnese had, notwithstanding the decree of his dying uncle, made himself master of Parma, with the connivance of Julius, who was willing that at least it should be saved from falling into the emperor's hands ; but Charles, desir ous of recovering this fief of the empire, having bestowed the investiture on Gonzaga, governor of Milan, and Farnese having in vain requested assistance from the pope, had re course to the king of France, who embraced his cause, and commenced a war, which, however, produced no effect of consequence, and the attention of both Charles and Henry was diverted, for some time, to revolutions of greater in terest, and wars of more vital importance. In the mean time, the power of Cosmo di Medici was daily increasing ; the possession of Florence and Leghorn gave him the key of what are called the fetters of Tuscany ; he had also te ceived the principality of Piombino ; and his ambition was now turned to the acquisition of Sienna. This ancient re public still retained its liberty, and, although torn by fac tions during the late war, successfully defended itself against the imperial troops. The aid afforded by Hem y to the Siennese during this contest, had raised a powerful party in favour of the French in that city,—a circumstance which excited the jealousy of Charles and the alarms of Cosmo, who was besides desirous to extinguish, in a state so near him, the last sparks of that liberty, whose flame he had suppressed at Florence. The emperor, willing to create a diversion to the arms of Henry, now victorious in the Netherlands, permitted Cosmo to undertake the con quest of Sienna. ilia army was commanded by John James Medicino, marquess of Marignano, a soldier of fortune and of low birth, whom Cosmo flattered, by allowing him to bear the arms of the Medici, and acknowledging him a re lation of the family. The French and Siennese had, as their leader, Peter Strozzi, the son of Philip, and Clarice di Medici, who maintained his hereditary tune ul Ube' ty, and thorough detestation of the enslavers of his country. The armies encountered near Marcianu; but the valour and impetuosity of Strozzi were foiled by the superior mi litary science of Medicino; and the former, weakened by a dangerous wound, was forced to retreat with the feeble re mains of his troops, while his antagonist immediately laid siege to the city of Sienna. The Siennese, encouraged by Monluc, commander of the French garrison, defended themselves with determined valour for ten months, and at length capitulated on honourable terms.