CHA P. with difficulty, that Dorfet, by explaining the fraudulent conduct of Ferdinand, was at last able to appease him.

XXVII.

1512.

THERE happened this fummer an action at sea, which brought not any more decifive advantage to the English. Sir Thomas Knevet, mafter of horfe, was fent to the coast of Britanny with a fleet of forty-five fail; and he carried with him Sir Charles Brandon, Sir John Carew, and many other young courtiers, who longed for an opportunity of difplaying their valor. After they had committed fome depredations, a French fleet of thirty-nine fail iffued from Breft, under the command of Primauget, and began an engagement with the English. Fire feized the fhip of Primauget, who, finding his deftruction inevitable, bore down upon the veffel of the English admiral, and grappling with her, refolved to make her share his fate. Both fleets stood fome time in fufpenfe, as fpectators of this dreadful engagement; and all men faw with horror the flames which confumed both veffels, and heard the cries of fury and defpair, which came from the miferable combatants. At laft, the French veffel blew up; and at the fame time destroyed the English". The reft of the French fleet made their escape into different harbours.

THE war, which England waged against France, though it brought no advantage to the

17

Polydore Virgil, lib. 27. Stowe, p. 490. Lanquet's Epitome of chronicles, fol. 273.

XXVII.

1512.

former kingdom, was of great prejudice to the CHA P. latter; and by obliging Lewis to withdraw his forces for the defence of his own dominions, loft him that fuperiority, which his arms, in the beginning of the campaign, had attained in Italy. Gafton de Foix, his nephew, a young hero, had been intrufted with the command of the French forces; and in a few months performed fuch feats of military art and prowefs, as were fufficient to render illuftrious the life of the oldeft captain". His career finished with the great battle of Ravenna, which, after the most obftinate conflict, he gained over the Spanish and papal armies. He perished the very moment his victory was complete; and with him perifhed the fortune of the French arms in Italy. The Swifs, who had rendered themselves extremely formidable by their bands of difciplined infantry, invaded the Milanese with a numerous army, and raised up that inconftant people to a revolt against the dominion of France. Genoa followed the example of the dutchy; and thus Lewis, in a few weeks, entirely loft his Italian conquefts, except fome garrifons; and Maximilian Sforza, the fon of Ludovic, was reinftated in poffeffion of Milan.

JULIUS difcovered extreme joy on the difcomfiture of the French; and the more fo, as he had been beholden for it to the Swifs, a people, whofe councils, he hoped, he fhould always he

1513. 21 Feb. Leo X.

CHA P. able to influence and govern. The pontiff furXXVII. vived this fuccefs a very little time; and in his place was chofen John de Medicis, who took the appellation of Leo X. and proved one of the moft illuftrious princes that ever fat on the papal throne. Humane, beneficent, generous, affable; the patron of every art, and friend of every virtue "; he had a foul no less capable of form. ing great defigns than his predeceffor, but was more gentle, pliant, and artful in employing means for the execution of them. The fole defect, indeed, of his character was too great fineffe and artifice; a fault, which, both as a priest and an Italian, it was difficult for him to avoid. By the negociations of Leo, the emperor Maximilian was detached from the French intereft; and Henry, notwithstanding his disappointments in the former campaign, was ftill encouraged to profecute his warlike measures against Lewis.

A parlia

ment.

20

HENRY had fummoned a new feffion of parliament and obtained a fupply for his enterprise. It was a polltax, and impofed different fums according to the station and riches of the perfon. A duke payed ten marks, an earl five pounds, a baron four pounds, a knight four marks; every man valued at eight hundred pounds in goods, four marks. An impofition was alfo granted of two fifteenths and four tenths ". By thefe fupplies, joined to the treafure, which had been left

1513.

by his father, and which was not yet entirely cHAP. diffipated, he was enabled to levy a great army, XXVII. and render himfelf formidable to his enemy. The English are faid to have been much encouraged in this enterprife, by the arrival of a veffel in the Thames under the papal banner. It carried presents of wine and hams to the king, and the more eminent courtiers; and fuch fond devotion was at that time entertained towards the court of Rome, that these trivial prefents were every where received with the greatest triumph and

exultation.

In order to prevent all disturbances from Scotland, while Henry's arms fhould be employed on the continent, Dr. West, dean of Windfor, was dispatched on an embaffy to James, the king's brother-in-law; and inftructions were given him to accommodate all differences between the kingdoms, as well as to difcover the intentions of the court of Scotland ". Some complaints had already been made on both fides. One Barton, a Scotchman, having fuffered injuries from the Portugueze, for which he could obtain no redress, had procured letters of marque against that nation; but he had no fooner put to fea, than he was guilty of the groffeft abuses, committed depredations upon the English, and much infefted the narrow feas 23. Lord Howard and Sir Edward Howard, admirals, and fons of the earl of Surrey,

Stowe, p. 489.

CHAP. failing out against him, fought him in a defperate
XXVII. action, where the pirate was killed; and they
1513. brought his fhips into the Thames.
As Henry

Scotland.

refufed all fatisfaction for this act of juftice, fome of the borderers, who wanted but a pretence for depredations, entered England under the command of lord Hume, warden of the marches, and committed great ravages on that kingdom. Notwithstanding thefe mutual grounds of diffatisfaction, matters might eafily have been accommodated, had it not been for Henry's intended invafion of France, which roufed the jealoufy of War with the Scottish nation ". The ancient league, which fubfifted between France and Scotland, was conceived to be the strongest band of connexion; and the Scots univerfally believed, that, were it not for the countenance which they received from this foreign alliance, they had never been able fo long to maintain their independence against a people fo much fuperior. James was farther incited to take part in the quarrel-by the invitations of Anne, queen of France, whofe knight he had ever in all tournaments profeffed himself, and who fummoned him, according to the ideas of romantic gallantry, prevalent in that age, to take the field in her defence, and prove himself her true and valorous champion. The remonftrances of his confort and of his wifeft counsellors were in vain oppofed to the martial ardor of this prince.

24

Buchanan, lib, 13. Drummond in the life of

James IV.