22

JEWS PERSECUTED AT MILAN.

ע

that battle. And all the people of the country Solyman carried into captivity, and set a watch in the midst, and returned to his own country.

613. And it came to pass, after the death of Leo, the pope, that Francis, the king, said, "This is the time to work!" and he assembled twenty and two thousand Swiss, and gave them their hire. Also, in France, he gathered together warlike men, and sent the bastard of Savoy* with a mighty hand; and they joined themselves to the Swiss, and to the army of Lautrec, which was in Italy, and to the Venetians; and they were as one in that day. Now they who were numbered of them were sixty thousand. And they went eastward of Milan with a mighty hand. Then was Prospero Colonna afraid, and he fortified the city. Moreover, he spake kindly unto the people of the country, saying, We must all surely die; yet will we not any more serve Lautrec who hath spilled the blood of our princes like water, and he has utterly consumed our wealth."

66

614. The Jews also Lautrec grievously oppressed when he was at Milan, and commanded them to put green helmets upon their heads, as high as those of the Muscovitest, in order to deride the people of the living God; howbeit, the Eternal

༢

ע

PROSPERO FORTIFIES MILAN.

23

suffered him not, but thrust him out on that day from the territory of Milan. ·

615. And Prospero ordered that a great trench should be cast around the fortress, while it was yet in the hands of the king's troops; and he set a watch upon it. And it came to pass, two days after, that the French essayed to go out by the garden of the fortress, but could not, for the trench intervened. And Prospero commanded to give the signal for the battle, and they rang the bells three times to arouse the peasantry. Then they arose in a moment, every one with his weapons of war in his hand. And it rejoiced Prospero, the commander in chief, very much. They mustered forty thousand men, among whom were nine thousand carrying muskets*.

616. Then went out Marco Antonio Colonna, and his companion Camillo Triulzio, to spy out the weak parts of the city round about; and the watchmen espied them from the wall; and they slew them, so that they fell to the ground and died. And the king was very wroth against the generals of the army, and lamented concerning them, saying, "How are the mighty fallen!" And when the French saw that it was not in the power of their hand to enter the fortress, they

24

PAVIA BESIEGED.

ע

left the city, and went to Casino* to hinder the passing to and from Pavia; and Antonio Leot, and the Spaniards were in the midst of it in those days. Then came Francesco Sforza, the son of the Moor, and with him two hundred and fifty horsemen, and seven thousand Germans; and he abode some days in Pavia. Then went Prospero out from Milan, and also Francesco went to meet him, and they came to Milan. And Frederico, the duke of Mantua, was left in Pavia to guard it at that time. And they passed by the enemies, who knew it not, neither did they understand it until they came to Milan, at which Lautrec was sorely grieved. And all the people went out to meet him, and cried with a loud voice, so that the earth was rent at the sound thereof. And the French went and encamped against Pavia, and made ready the artillery. And Prospero sent eight hundred Spaniards to its aid in the darkness of the night, and they passed through the midst of the enemies who did not recognize them. And it came to pass, in the morning watch, that they entered the city, and fortified it round about, and divided the walls.

617. And the French passed through the gate which looks towards Milan, and began to cast

*

.קאסינו

.אנטוניאו ליווא +

They assigned to every one his post on the walls.

ע

SIEGE OF PAVIA.

25

down the walls, and set the battle in array against it. Now the Swiss and the Gascons went out first to the war, and much people of them fell, and they drew back. And this they did many times, for the men of the city had strengthened themselves, and many fell slain to the ground. And Prospero came to Vinasco*, and the battle was against the French before and behind, and many were taken alive. And Prospero drew nigh, and came to the Carthusian convent†, a high place of the priests; and the French departed from the city, and they went to Santo Angelo in the darkness of the night, for they feared before him : howbeit Prospero returned to Casino, for he feared lest the French should go to Milan; and thence he went to Bikoka§, and he fortified himself therein. And the French went to Bikoka and encamped against it. Then Prospero sent to the duke Francesco, who was at Milan, saying, "Come ye out; thou and the men who follow thee:" and he went out, and with him three thousand men, carrying muskets; and thirty thousand of the inhabitants of the city clothed with coats of mail and battering rams. And it came to pass, that when he came, behold, they were fighting, and he heard from afar the cries of the dying.

And the Swiss, who were with the French, went with a strong hand to the place of the battering rams. And Prospero gave command, and they put fire into them*, and many fell [] slain to the ground. And Francis, and the men who followed him, stood in the front towards the city. And Prospero saw the cavalry of the French coming against him, and he called to the Italians and they set the battle in array against them. And many of the French fell slain and wounded to the ground, and the rest fled backward, for the fear of the musketry fell upon them. They slew also the French, who went to war against the men of the city who were with the duke, by reason of the many guns, and they fell to the ground; and the rest drew back. And when the generals of the Venetian army saw that the French could not withstand them, they gathered themselves and took the artillery, and went to the river Adda ; and so they escaped with their lives. And Prospero did not pursue them, for the Germans demanded their money, which made him exceedingly wroth against him.

618. The rest of the French went to Cremona and fortified themselves in it, and they sent the

* i. e. Loaded the cannon.

i. e. Against him who asked for the money on behalf of the Germans.