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384

GUASTO IN PIEDMONT, A.D. 1544.

קכר

second time unto Pinerolo, and laid there an ambush* ; and they went out suddenly against them, and discomfited them with the edge of the swordt. And the men that died in that slaughter were about two hundred; and this was a reproach unto the Spaniards. And the man said unto the governor of Fossano, "Bring hither my wife and my children, that they may live and not die, and he wrote unto Fossano ;" and they brought them unto him.

1121. And the Marquess del Guasto remembered Carignano, and what he had decreed against itt. And he gathered soldiers, and waggons loaded with corn and bread, and weapons of war, and turned his face toward Piedmont in the month Abib; and he went on his journey unto Cerisoles, and they encamped there, he and the men who were with him.

1122. And it came to pass, on the twentyseventh day of the month of April, in the year one thousand five hundred and forty-four, on the seventh day of our feast-day, which is the second day of Passover, that the marquess and his men went out of the city when they were not yet far off§,

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GUASTO AT CERISOLES.

385

came against them* with a strong people in battle array. And the captain of the king's host drew nigh and set the battle in array against them, the like unto which had not happened since Piedmont became a nationt; for the Lord of hosts had a sacrifice in Cerisoles§ at that time; and there fell of the emperor's men in that battle about sixteen thousand men slain to the ground, and of the men of the king about six thousand. And the marquess and the residue of them that escaped from the sword of the French fled as before a sword, and left in their haste their horses, and their silver and their gold, and all their substance; and their lives were unto them a prey. And they left also the waggons there, and returned unto Asti with shame. And Monseigneur de Thermes, the chief captain of the horsemen, pursued after them a far off from the camp, and they took him alive and led him to Milan, and set a watch over him; the men of the king's host had taken spoil, every man for himself. And they took the spoil and the captives and the booty, which the men of the marquess had left in their haste, and returned unto their tents and gave praise unto God. And of the Germans, who were

Comp. Gen. xxxvii. 25. Exod. xiv. 10.

† Joel. ii. 5.

§ Is. xxxiv. 6.

VOL. II.

Exod. xi. 24.

|| Exod. xxxiii. 7.

сс

386

DE THERMES CAPTIVE.

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in the host of the marquess, were taken about one thousand men, and they sent them away free unto their own country; and of their brethren there died in that slaughter about fourteen thousand men ; and the chief captain of their host was taken alive, and they set a watch over him, and most of the Spaniards fell by the sword, and they were about three thousand men; and about six hundred men were taken alive. But on the Italians the hand of the Lord was not at that time, for only a few were missed of them, who went upon the mountain, and fled for their lives. Then the marquess knew that the battle is the Lord's*, and it grieved him much at his heartt. And the men of the village went out and slew many of those that remained with the edge of the sword, and smote the hindmost, even all that were feeble behind them; they left no gleanings§.

1123. And San Damiano, which is nigh unto Asti, is a small city, and its walls are fortified, and it is reckoned as the border of Montferrat. And the French besieged it, and battered its walls, so they delivered it into their hand, and made a covenant with them, and gave unto the captain of the host about twelve thousand gold pieces; so

Exod. xvii. 16.
Deut. xxv. 18.

+ Gen. vi. 6.

§ Comp. Jeremiah xlix. 9.

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SIEGE OF SAN DAMIANO.

387

they stretched not forth their hand unto the prey*. Also unto the rest of the cities of Montferrat the French went and took them; and there was no city which was too strong for them†, except Casale and Turin, for they are fenced, and no stranger passeth among them until this dayt.

1124. And the marquess hastened unto Milan and gathered together soldiers, for the fear of the French fell upon him, and the heart of the people melted and became like water.

1125. In those days about twelve thousand men were gathered together in Mirandola in the name of the king, and Pietro Strozzi, the son of Filippo, was captain over them. And they removed from thence, and went unto Piacenza, for there was peace between the king and between Paul the pope in those days. And they came unto the east of Lombardy, and the marquess would not suffer them to pass through his borders§; so they turned from him when they saw war, and went through crooked ways; and the soul of the people was grieved because of the way¶, for want of everything; and he hastened to pass over the mountains, for the famine was sore, and Carignano

* Esth. ix. 10. 16.

+ Job.

xv. 19.

Judges v. 6. margin.

+ Deut. ii. 36.
§ Num. xxi. 23.
Num xxi. 4.

388

SIEGE OF LUXEMBURG.

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was straitly shut up; none went out and none came in*.

1126. Now the emperor was yet fighting on the borders of Flanders in those days. And his hosts were besieging the city of Luxemburg, which the king had taken to himself, and they battered its walls round about, and cast up trenches against it. And they went out unto them for peace; and the city was given into the hand of Don Ferrante Gonzaga, the chief of the host, on the second day of the month of June, which is the fourth month; and they left there the men of the king and the battering-rams; and they went their way and France was exceedingly grieved.

1127. The king of England also turned to be an enemy in those days, unto the king of France, and fought against the king of Scotland, a confederate of the king, and took some of the cities of the kingdom; and they fortified themselves therein. In France also he fought hard against the king, when his soul desired to possess the dwellingplaces which were not hist.

1128. And Pietro Strozzi came into the borders of Saravalle, which is by Tortona, on the fourth day of the month of June; and behold, the marquess came against him with a numerous people,

* Joshua vi. 1.

Habakkuk i. 6.

Isa. lxiii. 10.

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