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232

CHARLES RETURNS TO EUROPE.

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alone was given into the hand of the emperor, and he put into it a garrison of about two thousand Spaniards, who held swords, being expert in war*; and they abode there.

900. On that day the uncircumcised captives, who were there in multitudes, went out with a high hand. And of the inhabitants of the city, some went captive before the enemy hither and thither, beside the many who fell slain within and without; and the cry of the city went up toward heaven, and the king commanded, and they cleansed the city, for it stopped the passages with the blood of the slain and the captives. And also of the men of the emperor there died a great many in that battle. For many the sword devoured, and many the time destroyed by famine and thirst, and by sickness which could not be healed‡.

901. And the emperor removed thence with his ships, and came to Messina on the thirtieth day of the month of October, and the great of the city went out to meet him, and honored him much. And the royal priests went out to meet him, and they brought him into the city; and the earth trembled at the voice of the battering-rams.

*Cant. iii. 8.

† i. e. The carcases obstructed the passages by putrefaction. Comp. Ezek. xxxix. 11; Deut. xxxii. 42.

Deut. xxviii. 27. 35.

BARBAROSSA AT ALGIERS AND MINORCA. 233

And the man went,

And he was content to send Andrea Doria again to Africa, to the metropolis of Barbary, to give it back unto the king of Tunis, for it was his border, and accounted his country. but he could do nothing, because of the raging and the noise of the sea; and he returned back. And he sent him unto Utica which is in the Syrtis*, for this alone was left unto Barbarossa of all the districts of that kingdom, and also the sons of the king of Tunis went against it with much people, and with a strong hand. And when the Turks saw that there was no power in their hand to save it, they delivered it into the hand of the king's son; for they chose him, rather than that they should give themselves up into the hand of those uncircumcised in the flesh and the Nazarenes returned unto their own country.

902. And Barbarossa avenged his vengeancet, when he returned unto Algiers; and executed his judgments. And he went against the isle of Minorca, unto a quiet and secure people, with subtlety. And while they who were therein abode securely, he took it and cut off from the city all the men§; and the fairest of the women and the children they took captive; and they plundered after their souls' desire, and the rest they slew with

.Syrtis סירטה *

Judges xviii. 27.

+ Comp. Numb. xxxi. 2; Ezek. xxv. 15. § Deut. ii. 34; iii. 6.

234 F. SFORZA DIES, MARCHESVAN, 5296.

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And seven hundred Italians sank as lead

the edge of the sword; and these had no deliverer. And they took the captives and the prey*, and went their way unto Algiers, and abode there. The posts went out hastening unto the emperort, saying, "According to this thing hath Barbarossa done;" and he was very wroth. Also on the soldiers who had returned unto Italy, was the hand of the Lord to confound and to destroy them. And there died of them many in the ships, of the sicknesses which the Lord caused to be among them, lacking every thing. Germans and two hundred in mighty waters, for the with a strong east wind§, and he caused them to reel to and fro like a drunken man, and to be at their wit's end; and the ship was broken, and only thirty men were saved of them. And the best rams which they took at Goletta were in that ship, and they sank into the bottom as a stone, in the eighth month, which is the month Marchesvan two hundred and ninety-six, after the small date.

Lord drave the sea

903. At the end of that month, Francesco Sforza duke of Milan, fell sick of the sickness whereof he died**, and he was gathered unto his

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CHARLES AT NAPLES, NOVEMBER 30. 235

people. And with him, ceased and were at an end the Sforze; there remained not one heir of the government*; and he left the dukedom unto the emperor at that time.

904. And the emperor removed from Messina and came with his ships unto Naples on the thirtieth day of the month of November. And the nobles of the city went out to meet him; and they honored him, and brought him into the city; and the sea and the land trembled at the sound of the battering-rams, of the tabrets, and of the high-sounding trumpetst. And he came into the castle, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and cried with a loud voice, May the emperor live for ever!+"

66

905. And the men who were driven away from Florence went unto the emperor while he was yet at Naples, in the tenth month; and behold they were about two hundred men. And they cried before him, "Aha!§" concerning that which Alessandro, the duke, had done unto them, for he had made himself altogether a prince over them, which was not according to the law; their blood he spilled like water; and he builded himself a fort, and exalted himself in his heart, saying, "Who

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236

ALESSANDRO MARRIED.

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shall bring me down to the ground*?" And they asked of him, to restore the counsellors of Florence as at the first, and its judges as at the beginning, as he had vowed to do; and Alessandro, the duke, went also thither, and the men between whom was the controversy, stood before the emperor who spake to their hearts at that time, saying, that he would restore every man to his possession, only that the duke should be head over them; but they hearkened not unto his voice. And they said, "Is it to know with what we should serve the duke, we are come hither, that thou speakest unto us such words?§" And when they saw that there was nothing in the mouth of the emperor according to their desire, they went out from him, and went their way.

906. And the Duke Alessandro dei Medici went daily to bow before the daughter of the emperor; and they rejoiced there. This is the woman whom the emperor vowed unto the Pope Clement to give to Alessandro to wife.

907. And the emperor gave her to him to wife in those days; and he lay with her, and he made a great feast. And it came to pass, after some days, that Alessandro journeyed thence, and returned unto his country with gladness.

* Obadiah, iii.

+ Isa. i. 26.

§ Exod. x. 26.

Deut. xix. 17; 2 Sam. xv. 2.

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