THE PROLOGVE OF THE AVTHOR, containing that which he mindeth to treate of in this historie following.
TO continue the Historie written by me Philip de Commi∣nes of the reigne of King Lewis the eleuenth (whom God assoile,) I wil now declare the occasion that mooued King Charles the eight his sonne to make his voiage into Italie, wherat my selfe was present. The said King departed from Vienna in Daulphine the 23. of August, the yeere 1494. and returned into his realme about October, the yeere 1495. Before the enterprise was fully resolued on; the mat∣ter was often debated whether he should go or not: for the voiage seemed very dangerous to all men of wisdome and experience, neither did any allow therof, but the King himselfe, and one Stephen de Vers borne in Languedoc, a man of meane parentage, and vtterly vnacquainted with the wars, and all things thereunto appertaining. One other also being of the re∣ceit was a furtherer thereof till his hart failed him, namely the generall Brissonnet, who afterward by occasion of this voiage, was preferred to many goodly dignities and spirituall promotions, and created a Cardinall. The former had already got∣ten goodly possessions, for he was Seneschall of Beaucaire, and president of the Comptes at Paris: he had serued the King in his youth very faithfully, being a groome of his chamber, and by his meanes the generall was woon to fauor this voiage; so that they two were the onely authors thereof; for the which, fewe com∣mended, but many blamed them: for all things necessarie for so great an enterprise were wanting. The King was yoong, a weake body, wedded to his owne will, slender∣ly accompanied with wise men or good captaines, and so vtterly vnfurnished of mo∣ney: that before his departure, he borrowed of the banke of Soly at Genua a hun∣dred thousand franks vpon great enterest, from Mart to Marte 1 . In diuers other places also he borrowed money as heereafter you shall heare. His army was vnpro∣uided of tents and pauillions, and winter was begun when he entred into Lombardy. One onely good thing he had, to wit, a couragious company of yoong gentlemen: yet not in such obedience as was requisite. Wherefore we must of necessitie con∣clude that this voiage was gouerned by God alone, both at our going foorth, and our returne home; for the wisdome of the authors thereof aboue mentioned, serued to no great purpose: notwithstanding they might iustly vaunt themselues to be the occasion of the great honor and renowme their Master wan thereby.