244 A TOWER ERECTED OF HUMAN SKULLS. קר middle watch*, that they said one unto another, 66 And whither shall we cause our shame to go†, and how shall we lift up our face before the eyes of the children of our people to-morrow. And now let not our hearts faint, let us choose death rather than life, and let us fall upon this camp. If God will keep us alive, we shall live; and if He will let us die, we shall diet, for the battle is God's§." And they all arose as one man||, and went unto the uttermost part of the camp, and behold, they were rejoicing, and dwelled carelessly. And they smote them and discomfited them, and defeated them with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoil from their hand. And the heads of those who died in that slaughter, they brought into the city, upon camels, with gladness. Then they builded at Tunis a tower, and they had their heads for stone**, and turned their faces outward for a token against the children of rebelliontt, until this day. And the men who were among the conspirators, the king caused to die, and their houses he cast to the ground. And he sent unto the emperor one of his servants, when he was at Asti, and asked of him soldiers, for he feared for his life; but he * Jud. vii. 19. ** Gen. xi. 3. † 2 Sam. xiii. 13. || Judges xx. 8. 2 Kings vii. 4. ¶ Num. xiv. 45. ++ Num. xvii. 10 (25). קר SURRENDER OF FOSSANO. 245 hearkened not unto his voice, because of the wars in Italy; and the servant returned unto his country. 919. And Francis, marquess of Saluzzi*, turned his heart againt, and held fast to the emperor. And the heart of the French melted, and became like water. And the French said, "Let us make a captain, for this oppressor has sold us, so that our life will become a spoil. And they delivered Fossano unto the emperor, and they made a covenant with them. And they departed, but the best of the horses they left there; for so they had agreed between themselves. 921. And the emperor thought scorn to lay hands on Turin alone, and he set his face toward the wilderness, and passed to Provence with much people and a strong hand. and a strong hand. And also in Turin he stationed some of the men of his hosts, and the marquess of Marignano the chief of his host; and the war was fierce in Piedmont in that year. 921. And the hosts of the emperor went into the borders of Provence, and warred against Antibes, and there fell of them about one hundred and fifty men slain to the ground; beside the .שאלוצי * Num. xiv. 4. Num. xxiv. 1. +1 Kings xviii. 37. § Esth. iii. 6. .אנטיבי ד wounded, who were a great multitude. Also some of the men of the ships which joined them in their way on the sea, died in that slaughter, for the men of the city filled their hands* and cast stones upon themf; their eye had no compassion upon them. And it came to pass, after some days, that they delivered it up to the men of the emperor, for evil was determined against them, and their life was unto them a prey. 922. And some of the men of the host who were at Turin, went out unto a small city which was nigh unto them, on the thirteenth day of the month of July, which is the fifth month, and they found there two hundred Greeks who rode upon swift beasts, so they took them suddenly as one man, and they drove them out naked from the city, and they were not ashamed||. 923. And King Francis made the Count Guido Rangon chief captain over his host in Italy in those days. And the Count Galeotto Pico**, and Monseigneur D'Estett commanded in Mirandola, in the name of the king, at that time. And the Count Juan Tomasott the son of Francesco Pico, קר SIEGE OF SAVILIANO. 247 went in the name of the emperor unto the borders of Mirandola, and seven thousand five hundred Germans and five hundred Italians with him; and they burned up both the stacks and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives*, and they abode there a few days. And they journeyed thence and went to Turin, where the marquess of Marignano was encamped; and his camp increased much. 924. And Marquess Antonio di Cossano †went, by command of the viceroy, unto Savilianot, for they heard that the brazen battering-rams were there which they left at Fossano§, and one thousand five hundred men with him; and they warred against it, but could not prevail against it; and they saw, and behold there was a house full of spears and weapons of war, and they gave it up to burning, and fuel of fire. And the marquess sent from Marignano two thousand men, and they set liers-in-wait for them, and they knew nothing of it; and it came to pass, when they returned unto Turin, that they fell suddenly upon them, and joined battle with them**. And the men of the marquess of Marignano fell before * Judges xv. 5. .שאביליאן t || Is. ix. 5 (4). ** Gen. xiv. 8. .קושאן + .פושאן $ Judges ix. 25. 248 CHARLES IN PROVENCE. קר the men of the king slain to the ground; and also Marco, the chief of the host fell down destroyed* in that slaughter. And the men of the king took five banners on that day; and they returned to Turin, but not with gladness, for the chief captain of their host had fallen to the ground. 925. And the emperor went on his journeys unto Aixt, a city, and the mother of Provence, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way§; and there died of his men by thousands of hunger and of thirst, and of sicknesses and want of every thing the slain of the sword were few. And there was not one city too strong for the emperor¶, for his fear fell upon them, and they made the cities void, and fled before the imperialists came; there was nothing left except the desolate cities, for so it was commanded them by desire of the king. 926. And King Francis went out to meet him with much people and with a strong hand. And they pitched their tents on the other side of the river Rhone, and they abode in Avignon and its borders about a month of days. 927. And the first-born son of the king became sick, for one of his servants had given him to * Judges v. 27; 2 Sam. xx. 19. Metropolis of Provence. | Deut. xxviii. 48. .אזאיש + § Num. xxi. 4. |