woes and shame By them sustain'd to others they imputed Yea by the King he was so well reputed As he was like to send him back againe That Kingdome lost by arm 's to re-obtaine But he surprised being in his flowre And strength of age by death which doth deuoure As well the young and lusty as the old And is as much with Kings as subiects bold To him succeeded Lewis the twelfth by name Who willing to enlarge his power and fame Assembled a great Army by the force Thereof to driue away vsurping Sforze From Milaine which as rightfull heire he claim'd And for that Armies are as bodies maim'd Without Commanders valiant and expert Three did he chuse as men of best desert To leade his Army 〈…〉 whereof chiefe in worth And place was D'Aubigni who setting forth Towards Lombardie when thither he arriu'd Th' Vsurper of his chiefest townes depriu'd By force or composition put to flight His Army and himselfe bereft of might And courage he compel'd likewise to flie From Milain whither soone the King did hie To take possession of that goodly state Commanders valiant wise and fortunate Reputing them who thus did him inuest But this our noble Knight aboue the rest Whereof sufficient proofe he shortly gaue When by this conquest he beganne to haue Both more desire and greater hope againe By Armes the Realme of Naples to obtaine But iudging nothing else so requisite For this his purpose as that opposite Th' ambitious Spaniard to it should not bee The conquest of that Land he did agree To share with him who did thereto pretend A title as he did and in his end Of growing greater did with him consent And knowing well that to the same intent He was to chuse for leading of his Host A fit Commander such a one as most Could further his attempt of D'Aubigni He made election who both warily And valiantly with speede did through the Lands Of foes and doubtfull friends conduct his bands The Romane Columnes much endammaging That then assisted th' Arragenian King Whose Army in his passage comne to let His troupes from passing Gariglian he met Du Haâ—â—â—… au regne de Louis â—2 But when to passe the Riuer he did thinke To set on them he saw his horsemen shrinke Whom thus he loudly did rebuke and taunt To egge them on Yea lately oft did vaunt That you alone without our footemens aid Your enemies would daunt yet now afraid Of them you are which much your honor wrongs O let it not be said that in your tongues Your courage lies not in your hands or hearts But brauely act of valiant men the parts And shew that you can do as well as speake His words them made wroth with themselues to wreake Their anger on their Foes whom furiously They charg'd defeated and compel'd to flie He Capua did besiege and quickly take Auerse and Nole durst not against him make Resistance but themselues did to him yeeld King Frederik would neither sword nor shield More vse against him so much terrified He was and by his Prowesse damnified Wherefore he by experience in the raigne Of Charles well hauing learned how humane And true he was some sent to treat with him That found him not in count'nance sowre or grimme Nor harsh in words but meeke and mild in both To helpe him willing and to grieue him loth When they his answere back to him did bring It pleas'd him so if ought could please a King That from a Throne was forced to descend As he resolu'd in vaine not to defend ABout that time King Ferdinand of Spaine Consaluo sent with Forces to obtaine The share to him allotted in that Land Who so preuail'd as none could him withstand When as with Armes he did the same inuade His Conquest the more easie being made By D'Aubigni who did subdue the King And stately Naples to subiection bring But both those Nations proud and insolent In humors and conditions different Contending for their bounds began to iarre Whence did arise betwixt them open warre Wherein on the French party for a while The better hauing Fortune seem'd to smile And as in former times our D'Aubigni More stoutly skilfully and happily Then any other did in warre command So did he at this season when in hand He took the third part of the Host to leade Into Calabria lately conquered By Great Consaluo 〈…〉 for he thence did chase By force the Spaniards and in euery place Thereof preuaile wherein auail'd him much His reputation in that country such For Martiall deedes and ciuill gouernment When in those parts he had commandement As they against the Spaniards did rebell And ioyn'd their Armes with his them to expell Yea such as were the greatest of them all And of that Kingdomes Peeres the principall Who did his worth and vertues best discerne Ioyn'd with him as the Princes of Salerne And Bisignan with th'Erle to whom Milet Did appertaine whom enuy did not let From seruing vnder his command in field In so great estimation him they held And so him lou'd whereof he had a proofe Soone after to his honour and behoofe Du Hail auregue de Louis 12. Iou. in vn Cons l. 2. For Vgo de Cardon from Sicilie With puisant Forces comming furiously Into Calabria therein to annoy The French and if he could them to destroy Our worthy Warrior who with watchfull eye Did see yea and foresee what th' enemy Did or intended ioyn'd in haste together His Forces and with greater haste them thither He led where he to finde his Foes did looke And through vnhanted wayes his iourney tooke Of purpose vnawares them to surprise Which wisely he effected in such wise As vnexpected he did on them set Yet so their courage did Don Vgo whet By his couragious deedes and words as they His deedes did follow and his words obey Which made the combate many being slaine On either side so doubtfull to remaine As D'Aubigni whose eye was in all parts Perceiuing that his footemens hands and hearts Beganne to faint and that they did recoyle The Spanish footemen striuing them to foyle Commanded Grigni with his horsemen light Those Spaniards to assaile which of the fight The Fortune chang'd twixt both Infanteries But seeing that their hearts did eftfoones rise Encourag'd by their valiant men of Armes With his North-Britaines braue that no alarmes Nor Armes could terrifie he them assail'd And breaking them against their Host preuail'd Which vtterly in th' end he put to flight As at this time his skill ioyn'd with his might Made him victorious so did it likewise In many another warlike enterprise Of conflicts and of taking Townes and Forts Which seeing Story shortly them reports But as his meanest actions I omit As acts of greater fame to match vnfit But after this his famous victory Her ficklenesse and mutability Did Fortune shew for full of fraud and guile Shee on the Spaniards now beganne to sinile But on the Frenchmen spitefully
THE MEMORIE OF THE MOST WORTHIE AND RENOWMED BERNARD STVART Lord D'Aubigni renewed Whereunto are added VVishes presented to the Prince at his Creation By Walter Quin Seruant to his Highnesse Dignum laude virum Masa vetat mori Hor. Od. LONDON Printed by George Purslow 1619. The Preface THe memorable vertues and actions of the renowmed Bernard Stuart Lord D'Aubigni recorded in sundry histories although but incidently and in seuerall places haue inuited yea incited me by a collection of them and of what else I could learne concerning him by written Records and credible relations of honorable Persons to renew his memory Which I did first in French for that from his youth hee hauing serued two French Kings and bin the most worthy victorious of all the Commanders imployed by them in their warres yet are his vertues and braue exployts more sparingly and slightly recorded by French Writers then by those of the Italian and Spanish Nation against which he warred And now haue I done the same in English for that albeit hee were borne of an illustrious Familie in one of the Kingdoms of great Britaine and deserued wel of them both as it is testified by good Records and by Lesley Bishop of Rosse in his Latine history of Scotland Yet is he scarcely remembred in any other publique history of either of them But if any that shall read his Memoriall written by me in French find it in some points different from this let him know that it is not in any poynt of historie but onely in some amplifications vvhich I haue endeuoured to better in this beeing my latter labour The reason which induced me thus to write rather in verse then in prose was because what I could gather beeing not sufficient for a competent relation of his life in prose I might with more libertie and congruitie enlarge the same in verse by di THE MEMORIE of the most worthy and renowmed BERNARD STVART Lord D'Aubigni renewed IF after death to men whose vertues rare And worthy actions memorable are Posteritie immortall honour owe Which from the Muses powerfull Art doth flow For their reward and that prouok'd thereby Braue minds apace in vertues race may hie To honors Goale such fame is due by right To Bernard Lord of Aubigni that bright Like to a starre did shine in Vertues sphere Among the worthiest Knights that euer were Who yet hath not receiu'd his honour due In prose or verse from any of the crue Of all those learned Clerks that did adorne That ancient Kingdom wherein hee was borne Or that wherein he was free denizon And to whose Kings great seruice he had done For more then their Records the history Of Italy and Spaine his memorie Though onely by the way doth celebrate Whereas by warres he did exasperate And much annoy their Princes and their States Against the Crowne of France associates His vertues and his acts heroicall As also strange his fortune may we call Sith he from forreiners among his foes Receiu'd hath greater honor then of those Who him for Countries sake and his deserts Should honor and extoll with gratefull hearts I this neglect abhorring and inflam'd With loue of his transcendent worth haue fram'd These verses to renew his memory And leaue a paterne to posteritie But of his life no Treatise hauing found Whereon with methode this discourse to ground Like to th' industrious Bee which here and there From sundry flowres that growing any where She finds doth gather Honie lesse or more Her Hony-combe that she therewith may store So I from sundry Nations histories Haue of his vertues warres and victories Cull'd and compil'd this short Memoriall Not fabulous nor hyperbolicall Though couch'd in verse too homely to set forth A subject of such dignity and worth That such a Muse to grace it would require As the renowmed Mantuan did inspire In Scotland was he borne a younger brother To th' ancient Earle of Lenox whom no other Of all that Kingdoms braue Nobilitie Surmounted in illustrious dignitie For that he from the Royall Stemme did spring Ennobled with the surname of his King This noble Graffe foreshew'd in spring of youth What he would proue in ages riper growth He comely was and gracefull out wardly With actiue strength endued and towardly In wit and disposition so as hee Began betimes such as he ought to bee And to enure himselfe to euery game And exercise that best his birth became Misspending not of time the precious treasure In sloth in riot or vnlawfull pleasure Wherin we see our youths themselues to wallow And truly had he not begun to follow Thus early in his spring-time vertues lore In riper yeeres such had not been the store And haruest of his vertue as it grew For as we see a Vessell that is new With any liquor season'd to retaine Long time the smack thereof so is it plaine That both the vertue and the vice also Of youth men hardly grown in yeeres forgoe Yea both of them doe rather grow then cease In their possessours as their yeeres increase But more then vertue vice doth on vs sease Because the same our fancies best doth please Then Bernard being such by inclination As also by his vertuous education And practise may we call both wise and blest That had the skill and will to chuse the best Like Hercules who being of that age Did shew himselfe both vertuous and sage When as two women in a forked way Him met the one faire seeming gawdy gay Perfumed powdred painted by her Arts To lust enticing the beholders harts The other shamefac'd modest in attire And truly faire and louely yet the fire Of lust abating with an awfull eye The former from the left hand shamelesly Before her better stepping said to him Braue Youth if to this woman sterne and grim Thou care doe giue and wilt her footsteps tread In a most irk some way she wil thee lead With great turmoile and dangers manifold In Summers parching heat and Winters cold Through many a thorny sleepe and craggy ground Wherein no pleasing Mates are to be found But sauage beasts and monsters fell to whom In end a wofull prey thou shalt become But if thou wilt resolue to goe with mee In this my way thou shalt be wholly free From all such toyle and danger passing still Through flowrie fields and medo wes where at will Thou maist most pleasant company enioy And all delightfull sports without annoy Where Venus ioyn'd with Bacchus at thy hest Shall entertaine thee as their welcome guest These charming words and pleasing baits so wrought As to her bent well-nigh she had him brought But th' other comely Matron that did stand At th'entring of the way on the right hand This seeing said to him O noble Youth Let not the sugred words come from the mouth Of this deceitfull Strumpet thee incline Her steppes to follow and abandon mine Her beautie is but false and counterfet Though to the view and sale she forth it
Atella whereby the Frenchmen after a great ouer-throw the Duke of Monpensier being their Generall were bound to depart out of the Kingdome of Naples Consaluo returned into Calabria Hist Hisp 126. â—â— the greatest part whereof was in his absence brought vnder the French yoke by D'Aubigni a most valiant and stirring warriour but a man of valour and wisedome more approued then fortunate for that he had to deale with so strong an Aduersary whose diligence pressing him euery where he was constrained to yeeld to the Articles of agreement made with common consent by the Frenchmen and leauing Italy to returne into France Of the enterprise of Milllain Auregne 〈◊〉 Louis 12. Du Haillan hath these passages that follow The King had assembled an Army of fiue and twenty thousand footemen and of sixe thousand horsemen He gaue the conduct of them to Bernard Stuart Lord D'Aubigni Lewis of Luxenbourg Lord of Ligni and Iohn Giacomo Triuulcio all men of great experience and sufficiency in the Mystery of Armes D'Aubigni assaulting Nona with his troupes tooke it at the first assault The City of Dertona was yeelded immediately after to him And they of Pauia fearing the mis-fortune of the Alexandrians did not make longer resistance Paulus Iouius naming D'Aubigni the principall Leader in this enterprise Hist epit l 17. saith That Sforza being astonished by the newes which he had of the defeate of his Army and of the taking of Alexandrta was quite dis-heartned and leaning Milain fled to the Emperour Maximilian and that soone after King Lewis hauing receiued the most pleasing newes of this victory came to Milain and that all the Townes of Sforza's dominion with the City of Genua yeelded to him Of the enterprise of Naples Du Haillan hath written that which followeth in sundry places D'Aubigni departed from Milain with twenty thousand footemen and foure thousand Horsemen Au. Regnt de Louis 12. He tooke the Castles of the Lords of the house of Columna well fortified some by force and some by composition When hee came to passe the Riuer of Gariglian the Frenchmen were molested by the Enemies Army But the Lord D'Aubignt lowdly reproching to the French Horsmen their arrogant boasting a little before that they alone without the helpe of the Foot-men would ouercome their enemies they set on them so couragiously as at the first encounter they put them to flight Soone after Naples yeelded and King Frederic did capitulate with the Lord D'Aubigni that the King shuld giue him a certaine yeerely Pension He had leaue also to carry away his moueables and contented himselfe with the Lord D'Aubigni's Letters to the King and without any other assurance came into France to the King who gratified him not onely with the pension promised to him but also gaue him many good townes houses and faire gardens The affaires of Naples being ended the King was troubled with no other care but of settling the state thereof which as it happeneth in time of war was very much shaken To which end hee commanded fiue Ciuilians of honest life and good reputation to bee admitted into the Senate And some telling the Lord D'Aubigni of the learning of Iouianus Pontanus he fell into such a liking of him as sending for him the next day he bestowed on him great and rich Presents and offered him a place in the Senate with the fiue already chosen Hitherto Du Haillan maketh no mention of the Duke of Nemours but ascribes to the Lord D'Aubigni what soeuer was done eyther in warre or in settling the State But hee saith That after the King gaue the chiefe authority to Lewis of Armaignac Duke of Nemours As for the discord which fell betweene the Frenchmen and Spaniards for the confines of that Kingdome diuided betweene both their Kings Hist Hisp li. 〈…〉 Marian saith That after the taking of Naples there arose discord betwixt both Nations as it must needs haue come to passe they being in conditions manners and fashions extremely different Of the Lord D'Aubignies iourney into Calabria going to warre against the Spaniards Iouius writeth in this manner D'Aubigni who had next to the Duke of Nemours the greatest authority in the Army went to Calabria with the third part thereof being there much renowmed both for hauing in the time of King Charles with great moderation and mildnesse gouerned that Nation Demi-Grecian and for that by his Martiall prowesse he ouercame King Ferdinand and Consaluo in a memorable battell So as in all mens iudgement he was preferred before all other French Commanders For which respects there were many beholding and well-affected to him in particular besides them which were of the Angeuine faction The principall of those were the Princes of Bisignan and Salerne and the Earle of Mileto who reuolted from the Spaniards as soone as the two Kings fell at variance The Lord D'Aubignies comming was much desired by them desiring as much to help him in the War with their seruice and meanes which were more then meane They together with others of the same part inuited him by letters and messages to hasten his comming and to shew the Banners of France to that people ready to follow them Wherefore satisfying their desire as soone as he came he found himselfe not deceiued in the expectation which he had of their affection seruice For both in Cosenza their chiefe City and in all the other Townes of that Prouince the gates were opened to him and the Spanish Garrisons Officers driuen out of them so as with very little bloud-shed he wanneall the Country euen to the very straits of Messina The battell of Terine and his victory is set forth by the said Iouius Don Hugo de Cardona with an Army which hee brought from Sicilie hauing much annoyed the French party in Calabria the Lord D'Aubigni went to encounter him hauing in his Army the Princes of Besignan and Salerne with their troupes Grigni with his light Horse-men and Malherbe with his Gascoyne Archers and three Companies of Heluetians But his principall strength consisted in his men of Armes among which was most eminent a wing of Scottish-men which were his familiars and faithfull to him The enemies informed of his preparation did not expect him til two dayes after they had notice thereof But this expert and vigilant Captaine beguil'd their expectation For with French expedition marching night and day through wayes little hanted hee shewed himselfe to them the next morning and forth with set on them The Spaniards sustained couragioully the assault so as the combat was alike fierce and bloudy on both sides D'Aubigni seeing this commanded Grigni with his wing to rush vpon the Spanish and Sicilian Infantery which hee doing disordered them On the other side the Enemies Horsemen by the encouragement example of Cardona sustained the assault of the Calabrians with like slaughter on both parts But D'Aubigni aduancing his troups the Spanish and Sicilian Cauallery not being able to resist the