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356 PERSECUTOR BEHEADED AT FERRARA. P

he was secure at noon, when he was out, those sons of Belial came into the house; and they shut the door, and slew Anna his wife, Judith his daughter, and Samuel and Shem-Tob, his sons, with the edge of the sword; their eyes had no compassion upon them. Also Samuel, a Frenchman, the servant, they slew, beside the rest of them that were slain*; and they also put forth their hand unto the spoil: and there was none to deliver from their hands. A day of desolation and horror was that day: let them curse it that curse the day, my heart, my heart mourneth over their slain! but it shall be, that whatsoever shall come to pass of God, I will praise his word, I will sing of mercy and judgment§; unto my God I will make supplication. And Moses, the son of Rabbi Abraham the priest, and all the house of his father, wept over the overthrow with which the Lord had overthrown them. And they bore them away in their garments, and buried them at Bologna; and all the people trembled much, and lifted up their voices and wept.

1084. And it came to pass, after some days, that they put one of those men into ward. And the duke commanded, and they chastised

* Num. xxxi. 8.

Ps. lvi. 4.

|| Ps. xxx. 9.

+ Job. iii. 8.

§ Ps. ci. 1.

Comp. Deut. xxix. 23.

P GUELDRES AND CLEVES JOINS FRANCIS. 357 him with rods in the streets of Ferrara, and took his head from off him; and the duke's wrath was pacified*.

1085. And the duke of Gueldres, that is the duke of Cleves, was confederate with the king of France all that time. And Maria, that is, Miriam†, the sister of the emperor, gathered soldiers together to war against him. And he marched out against her with a mighty hand. And they set the battle in array on the borders of Flanders, on the nineteenth day of the month Nisant, on the sabbathday. And the horsemen of the duke were smitten before them at the first; and many fell slain to the ground and the rest fled: they could not stand against the fierceness of the battering-rams, and against the guns which they fired upon them; and the footmen who were with him filled their hands, and slew among the men of the queen a slaughter with the sword, and took the battering-rams from their hand. And there came into the camp of

Esth. vii. 10.

+ Rabbi Joseph observes that Maria is a corruption of ". This month was anciently called ', and begins, according to the rabbins, with the first new moon in March; but Michælis has proved that 22, according to Moses and Josephus, began with the first new moon in April. See J.D. Michaelis, Commentatio de Mensibus Hebræorum ; ejusdem Commentationes, Bremœ, 1769, p. 16. Comp. Calendarium Palæstina, and A Dissertation on the Hebrew Months, from the Latin of J. D. Michaelis, by W. Carpenter, 1825.

358

SUCCESS OF THE ALGERINES.

קב

the duke at the time that they were fighting, about one thousand horse and four thousand footmen to help; and they were for eyes unto them. And the men of the queen were smitten before them, and turned their back; and they pursued after them, and many fell to the ground in that battle, and the rest fled unto the mountains, and their lives were unto them a prey; only those that were feeble behind them they took alive. And they returned from pursuing after them and spoiled their camp; and the duke seized the batteringrams and went away unto his own country.

1086. And when the emperor heard the report of his sister, he determined to go into Italy; and Andrea Doria went to fetch him at that time. And when the pope Paul heard of it, he desired to speak with him, and turned his face towards Lombardy and came unto Ferrara; and the duke and his nobles honored him: and his allowance was a perpetual allowance given him of the duke all the days which they remained there, he and his cardinals; and they went out from him in peace. And Paul abode in those cities many days.

1087. And it was told in Algier, saying, "The emperor has embarked on the sea ;" and they said, "This is a time to laugh, for we shall take those who are feeble behind him;" and the ships of Algier went into the sea of Spain. And the Lord

OP THE KING OF TUNIS AT GENOA, A.M. 5303. 359

gave into their hand one large ship and four small ones, and they brought them unto Algier with gladness; and the emperor commanded, and they pursued after them, but reached them not; and the pursuers returned back.

1088. And the emperor came unto Genoa on the fifteenth day of the month of May thrée hundred and three, after the small date, and the earth was rent with the sound of the batteringrams. And many of the nobles of Italy went thither to speak unto him, and he accepted their persons at that time. And he journeyed thence on the second day of the month of June, on the sabbath-day; and he went on his journey on the side of Pavia, for he hastened to go.

1089. And the king of Tunis, the Ishmaelite, would come to bow before the emperor when he came unto Genoa, and he went also to sea with ships at that time; and he came unto Palermo, which is in Sicily, and the nobles of the city and the viceroy who was there honored him much. And he hastened not to come, because of the ships of France; and he returned back unto Naples, and the nobles of that city honored him much; and he abode there many days. And he gave order, and they made for him galleys to return unto his own country.

* 1 Kings ii. 30.

360

STRATAGEM AT NIZZA.

קר

1090. And when the Spaniards who were in Piedmont, heard that the king had mustered his soldiers to send them their money, they went into the field with a strong hand. And the French went out against them, and defeated them with the edge of the sword. And Cesare di Napoli fled on foot, he and the rest who were with him, and many fell into the river Dora* in their haste, for evil was determined against them. And the French returned from pursuing after them, and went unto Turin with gladness. And the emperor stood in Cremona at that time.

1091. And Nizza is a great city on the coast of the sea on the borders of Provence, and it belongeth to the duke of Savoy until this day. And the governor who was over the fortress sent unto the officers of the king's ships with subtlety, saying, "Make haste and come to me, and I will deliver the fortress into your hand: wherefore do ye tarry?" And they believed him, and sent four galleys carrying soldiers into the sea of Nizza at that time. And he sent unto Andrea Doria, saying, "Thus I have done: come, delay not,

for God has delivered them into our hand." And Andrea Doria delayed not; and he went thither with twenty ships and divided them into two

.דורה *

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