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קיח

THE FRENCH REPULSED FROM ALBA. 341

1059. And the French, who were in Piedmont, went unto Cherasco in the darkness of the night, and took it on the twenty-fifth day of the month of August, which is the sixth month. And the soldiers they sent away free, but took the spoil of their horses, and of their money, and of all their substance*. And they went also unto Verruat, and in the midst thereof were the Stradiotit, who ride on swift beasts; and they took it, and took all their substance, but sent them out free. And they went also unto Ardison and Sillons in that night, and did unto the soldiers as they had done in Verrua; and it was unto the Spaniards for shame. And also unto Alba|| the men went, and about fifty men climbed up its walls. And when the watchmen of the walls heard it, they cried with a loud voice, and the soldiers and the inhabitants of the city awoke from their sleep. And they all arose [P] as one man¶, and fell upon them, and the French could not stand before them and drew back; and those rash men who climbed upon its walls were slain by the edge of the sword; there remained not so much as one of them**.

Num. xxxi. 9.

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¶ Ezra iii. 1; Neh. viii. 1.

**Exod. xiv. 28.

342

LOCUSTS IN ITALY.

קיח

1060. And the war was strong in Piedmont at that time, and the Marquess del Guasto gathered soldiers and went with the Spaniards against Villa Nuova d'Asti*; and they besieged it, and cast up a trench against it, and battered its walls, and entered the city, and did therein according to their hearts' desire, and there was none to save from their hand. And the Spaniard went also unto the rest of the small citiest which belonged unto the French, and they gave them up to be plundered at that time. And the French, whom the king had in Piedmont, gathered themselves unto the fenced cities, and were quiet there, for so the king had commanded, until his return in peace to his house from the war of Perpignan. And they sent about three thousand Germans unto Spain in ships, for help at that time. But one of the ships was broken off Sardinia; and the men came out on shore and went their way.

1061. And there came up very grievous locusts in Italy in that year, and covered the face of the whole country, so that the land was darkened, and the sun withdrew his shining§; and they went on their journey and reached Montferrat, and rested in Moncalvoll on the sixth day¶ at eventide, on the

ווילה נובה דאסטי *

.מונקאלבר ||

Exod. x. 14, 15.

+ Esther ix. 12.

§ Comp. Joel ii. 10; iii. 15 (iv. 15).

¶i. e. Friday.

קיח

A.M. 5303. BATTLE OF THE LOCUSTS. 343

first day of the month of September three hundred and three, which is the seventh month, and tarried there all night because the sun was set*; and it came to pass, on the morrow, that they went on their high-way on the coast of Piedmont like a strong people, set in battle array. On the road to Genoa also, great multitudes of them went, and tarried not on the road, except to dine at noon§, and went their way. And it came to pass, when they were in Piedmont, that they joined there a battle among themselves, and most of them fell slain to the ground in that battle, and the rest died in the winter days, and not one was left, and their stink went up toward heaven||. Tell ye your children of it¶, for no such thing hath been in Italy since it became a nation**; nations were dismayed at them††.

1062. And about five hundred Italians who belonged unto the king, went to Monbarozzo‡‡ in those days, and they fortified themselves therein. And the Marquess del Guasto went thither with the Germans, and the Spaniards who were with him; and they besieged it, and cast up a trench against

• Gen. xxviii. 11,

↑ Joel ii. 5.

|| Joel. ii. 20.

** Exod. ix. 24.

+ 1 Sam. vi. 12.
§ Gen. xliii. 16.

¶ Joel i, 3.

tt Jer. x. 2.

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344

ANGUILLARA JOINS FRANCIS.

קיח

it. And the city was broken up on the sixteenth day of the month of November, which is the ninth month. And they came into the city, and discomfited them with the edge of the sword; there escaped only a small number from the sword of the Germans. And Frascarat, the captain of their host, the marquess led unto Alessandria, and brought him down into the grave with blood.

1063. And the prince of Anguillara became hostile to the emperor, and went with his four galleys unto the king of France, who made him chief captain of his armament. And he went into the seas of Sardinia to take the spoil§. And he found ships of the men of Genoa, and took the Spaniards who were in them, and put their feet in the stocks. But unto the men of the ships he did not anything; they ate their portion which the king gave them, for there was peace between them; and they went their way. And the ships of the emperor pursued after him, but could not reach him, so they returned unto their place.

1064. And the king sent again horsemen and footmen unto Italy, after he returned from Perpignan¶. And they went into Piedmont and took Castiglione**, and put a garrison in the midst thereof. And they went unto Chieri, and besieged it, and 2 Kings xxv. 4. 1 Kings ii. 9. § Is. x. 6; Ezek. xxxviii. 12. || Gen. xlvii. 22.

#

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**

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' A.D. 1542. DEVASTATION OF MONTFERRAT. 345

cast up a trench against it in the month of December in the year one thousand five hundred and forty-two, which is the tenth month. And in the midst of it were about one thousand Spaniards, who were not dismayed at their faces*, for they were men wondered at†, and fortified its walls, and delivered it from their hand. Then the high-ways became unoccupied, and travellers in the way ceased in Montferratt, because of the fury of the oppressor at that time§. For the French hunted their steps, that they could not gol, and every one that was found was taken in their pits, and there was none to deliver from their hand**.

1065. And the Marquess del Guasto came unto Casale, for he feared, lest it should be taken in the net which they had laid privily; and he put a garrison in the midst thereof. And he abode there several days, until the wrath of the French was turned away from them; and he returned into the

camp.

1066. And the war was strong between the king of England and the king of Scotland in that year. And it came to pass, one day, that they arrayed a battle, and there fell about fifty thousand men slain to the ground in that battle. And the slain in the camp of the king of England were many; and not

* Jer. i. 17.

§ Is. li. 13.

+ Zach. iii. 8.
Lam. iv. 18.

** Deut. xxxii. 39.

Judges v. 6.
Lam. iv. 20.

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