¶ In this meane time great warres were mana|ged betwéen the pope and other princes, Abr. Fl. ex Guic. pag. 106 [...] The duke of Burbon in|campeth néere Rome. amongest whom the duke of Burbon (of whom you haue heard often mention before in sundrie actions) leuieng a great power, led the same towards Rome, and in|camped within the medow néere to the citie, from whence with the insolencie of a souldier hee sent a trumpet to demand passage of the pope through the citie of Rome, to go with his armie to the realme of Naples. The morning following vpon the point of the daie, by the consideration of his case and the ad|uersities thereof, he found there remained no other hope for his affaires, than to be resolute to reléeue the afflictions of his armie, and according to the opportu|nitie that was offered by the citie of Rome, either to die or to vanquish. In which resolution pushed on more and more by the murmurs and exclamations of his souldiers, in whom he could not discerne which was greater, either their insolencies or their ne|cessities, he drew néere the suburbs by the waie of the mounteine and Santo Spirito, where he began to giue a furious assault. Wherein he séemed to haue the fauour of fortune, who made him present his armie in more suertie by the benefit of a thicke mist, which be|ing risen before daie, and increased with degrees of fog and thicknesse, became such a couer to his whole campe, that his souldiers were not discerned till they were néere the place where they began to giue the assault.

The duke of Burbon through a last despaire of his estate aduanced before all his companies, either for that he had no other expectation of refuge, in case he returned not victorious, or else by his owne example he thought to call on with a greater courage the lanceknights, who it séemed went not resolutelie to the seruice. But such was his destinie to determine his life & his glorie togither, or rather such the reward of his wilfull forwardnes, which for the most part hea|peth wretched effects vpon such as seeke not to ac|companie their valour with counsell and discretion.The duke of Burbon slain at the assault of Rome. In the beginning of the assault he was striken with a bullet of an harquebuze, of which wound he fell downe dead to the earth, receiuing iustlie vpon his bodie and life the price of the action, which contrarie to all iustice and pietie he went about to execute. But much lesse that his death did abate or diminish, séeing it did inflame and redouble the courage of his soul|diers, who fighting with a woonderfull constancie the space of two houres, made waie at last by their hands and weapons to enter the suburbs, wherin they EEBO page image 896 were not onelie holpen by the weaknesse of the ram|pires which were great and generall, but also they found helpe in the slender resistance which the de|fendants made.

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.