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AFaire maide richly endowed, is neuer without Sutors: And a great State newly fallen, neuer with∣out claimers: nor these ambitious competitors euer without some colour of title. In which concurrence of pretenders, not the iustest claime, but the shar∣pest sword commonly preuaileth. * 1.1
Lewes Duke of Orleans, brother to Charles 6. and grandfather to the present King, married Lady Valentina, daughter to Iohn Ga∣leazzo, first Duke of Millan. She had in Dower the towne and Prouince of Asti; besides a great summe of money, and an ex∣presse couenant, (in case the line masculine failed) she or her next heires to succeed in the Dukedome. This conueighance was made the Emperour being dead, and therefore inualidous, but that the French affirme it was ratified by the Pope, who pretends to haue this right in himselfe, vacante Imperio. Vpon the death of Philip-Maria Visconti, (the last heire-male of that line) Charles, sonne to this Lewes, puts in his claime: So doth the Emperour Frederick, as deuolued to the Empire, for default of heires males. The like doth Alphonso king of Arragon and Naples, whom Philip-Maria had instituted his heire, by his last will and testament. But Francis Zforza, father to Lodowick the present Duke, who mar∣ried the onely daughter of Philip-Maria (though illegitimate) a great souldier of his time, and more powerfull in armes then the other competitors, more prudent in his deliberations, and succesfull in his actions, makes good his Plea with his sword: carries the Prise from them all, and is inuested with the Duchie of Millan.
Virorum armorum{que} faciendum certamen. Id in summa fortuna aequius quod * 1.2 validius.
Qui isto gladio praeualet, is optimè de finibus disputat. * 1.3
—E che ripone
Nella Spada sua legge, e sua ragione.
Sua retinere, priuatae domus: de alienis certare, regiam laudem putant. * 1.4
Ipsum armis, ipsum{que} iubent decernere ferro,
Qui regnum Italiae & primos sibi poscat honores.
Si non dominaris filiola, iniuriam te accipere existimas. * 1.5
Haec acies victum factura nocentem est. (Subtilissimae militiae est hoc Poetae.)
In armis ius ferre: & omnia virorum fortium esse. (Improbum & hoc.)
Cornelius Centurio ostendens gladij capulum, non dubitauit in curia dicere, Hic faciet si vos non feceritis.
Tacit. an. 15.
Plu. apop. Tasso. cant. 2
Tac. an. l. 15. Aeneid. l. 11
Suet. de Agr Lip. è Luc. Lip. è Liuio Suet. fol. 102