The morall of the fore said action woorth the noting.An experience of right good doctrine to such as haue not as yet gotten by the benefit of examples past, the knowledge of things present, who in that action maie discerne what propertie of difference is betwéene the vertue of souldiours exercised and trai|ned in war, and armies newlie and hastilie leuied, and compounded of the multitude of a people more wilfull than skilfull; and by so much lesse apt to be drawen vnder discipline, by how much more by their nature and custome they are seldome conformable to anie good order. For there was at the defense of the suburbs one part of the youth of Rome, vnder the ensignes of the people; notwithstanding that manie of the Gebelins & faction of Colonno desired, or at least did not feare the victorie of the imperials. They hoped in regard of their faction, to receiue no harme or offense by the victors: the same being the cause whie they procéeded so coldlie in the defense. Neuer|thelesse, for that according to the rules of warre, it is a hard matter to take townes without artilleries, there died of the assailants, partlie by that want, and partlie through their wilfull forwardnesse, about a a thousand footmen; who hauing once by their valor made the waie open to enter in, all the defendants fled before them as men whose feare was far aboue anie other sense or passion in them.

Rome taken and sacked.In which disorder, some tooke the waie which his fortune and not his wit laid out for him: some in the astonishment séeking to flie, who durst no more fight, were slaine by the enimie afore he could re|solue vpon the waie of his safetie; some either better prepared, or more happilie preserued, found that safe|tie in running away, which they could not but doubt if they had longer endured the fight: and some with that resolution which their present calamitie would suffer, ran by heapes towards the castell, where in place of rescue they found a feare conformable to their owne: insomuch as all things being reduced to confusion and manifest flight, the suburbs were entierlie abandoned & left a preie to the victors. And the person of the pope, who expected with great deuo|tion in the palace of Uatican what would be the issue of the assault, hearing that the enimies were entred, had also (with the others) his passions of feare & frail|tie,The pope with certeine cardinals flie to the castell of saint Angelo. and in that timorous contemplation of his owne perill, he fled with certeine cardinalles to the castell.

His feare kept him from being resolute in a pe|rill that was so desperate, neither did he thinke, that with the presence and maiestie of his person, though it was couered with the vaile of the highest dignitie on earth, he was able to put by the danger, which the valor and fidelitie of his souldiers could not defend with their weapons. There he consulted with the cardinalles, whether it were more for his safetie to remaine there, or during the furie of the astonish|ment, to retire with the light horssemen of his gard into some place of more suertie by the waie of Rome. But he, who was appointed by destinie, to be an example of the calamities that maie thunder vpon popes, and how fraile is the authoritie and ma|iestie of that sée, being certified by the relation of Berard de Padoa, who was fled from the armie imperiall, that the duke of Burbon was dead, and that the whole armie standing abated in courage for the death of their capteine, desired to come to accord with him. In which matter they sent out men to parlée with the principalles there, he wretchedlie left there all his councelles to go awaie, both he and his capteins remaining no lesse irresolute in the prouisions for defense, than they had beene slow in the expeditions.