The general history of Spain from the first peopling of it by Tubal, till the death of King Ferdinand, who united the crowns of Castile and Aragon : with a continuation to the death of King Philip III / written in Spanish by the R.F.F. John de Mariana ; to which are added, two supplements, the first by F. Ferdinand Camargo y Salcedo, the other by F. Basil Varen de Soto, bringing it down to the present reign ; the whole translated from the Spanish by Capt. John Stevens.

CHAP. VII. The Archduke of Austria, and Princess his Wife, sworn Heirs of Aragon, he goes away for Flanders; The Spaniards offer Battle to the French, several small Actions betwixt them; The Spaniards decline in Calabria, are defeated.

THE Catholick King spent some days at Toledo to Entertain the Archduke and Princess, * 1.1 then leaving the Queen there set out for Zaragoça, to bring the Aragonians to his beck. The Cortes of Aragon were to meet on the 19th of July, but he sent to Prorogue them. Being come to Zaragoça at the beginning of September, because the Great Captain pressed for the Fleet, he ordered one to be fitted out under the Command of Manuel de Benavides, who was to transport 400 Horse and 300 Foot. Soon after he ordered the rest of the Fleet to Sail with Luis Portocarrero, Lord of Palma, who had served well in the Wars of Granada, and was now to be equal in Command to the Great Captain. With him went 300 Men at Arms, 400 light Horse, and 3000 Foot. Laurence Suarez de Figueroa was sent Ambassador to the Venetians, to conclude a League with them, and to promise them Assistance towards con∣quering of Milan or Abruzzo, which Provinces they were covetous to be Masters of. The Cortes were opened at Zaragoça on the day appointed, where the King proposed, since Prince Michael was dead, that the Archduke, and the Princess his Wife, should be Sworn Heirs. He also demanded Supplies for the War in Naples, as appertaining to that Crown. All he de∣manded was granted. On the 27th of October the Archduke and Princess had Homage done to them, and were Sworn Heirs to the Crown with the Solemnity and Ceremony usual a∣mong the Aragonians. Thus the Princess Joanna was the first Woman till that time ever Sworn Heiress to that Crown; for Queen Petronila, who inherited before, was admitted Queen without being Sworn Princess, which was not then used. Soon after the Archduke set out for Madrid, and the Princess followed, the King bearing her Company. He left his Sister, the Queen of Naples, to preside in the Cortes of Aragon. She came from Granada, having given out she would go over into Italy, and was now during her stay in Aragon, appointed Gover∣ness of that Kingdom, which Place was before held by D. Alonso de Aragon, Archbishop of Zaragoça, the Catholick King's Bastard Son. The Archduke had little Inclination to stay in Spain, and his Servants much less, by whom he was entirely governed. His Pretence to be gone was, That at his coming thence Flanders was unprovided of an Army, and might now suffer on account of the Breach betwixt France and Spain. The King and Queen laboured to stay him, chiefly because the Princess was far gone with Child. Nothing could perswade him to stay, or not to go through France. He said he would be the Instrument to settle a Peace, because that King had proposed the Kingdom should be restored to King Frederick upon Con∣dition he should pay. Tribute for the same, or otherwise, That both Kings should resign up their Right, he of Spain to Charles his Grandson, and he of France to his Daughter Claudia, as her Portion, and for concluding the Match betwixt those two young Princes. All this was only looked upon as a Practice to amuse the Catholick King, the easier to gain some Advan∣tage upon him. In fine, the Archduke set out from Madrid, leaving the Princess with her Parents; he took his way through Aragon, Catalonia, and Perpignan. There he received the * 1.2 King of France his Pass, with which he Travelled to Lions, where that King then was, with the Cardinal of Roan the Pope's Legate. But this was about the End of this year and the Be∣ginning of the next. Let us return to the War of Naples.

Now the War began to spread through all the Kingdom of Naples, but the great stress of * 1.3 it fell upon Apulia and Calabria. There the Princes of Salerno, Bisignano and Rosano, and the Earl of Melito, stood strongly for the French. In this Province they resolved to apply their main Force. The Sieur de Alegre was left in Capitanata with 300 Lances. The Sieur de la Palisse at Bari with 300. Horse and 1000 Foot; in Basilicata, Luis de Arsi, with 400. Lances and some Foot. The Duke of Nemour's Design was to go to Calabria with 200 Horse and 1000 Foot, and that the Lord of Aubigni, should stay at Espin̄acola, 24 miles from Barleta, with all the rest of the Army. The Lord of Aubigni pressed to be sent to Calabria, because he aspired to the Dukedom of Terra Nova, granted to the Great Captain by the Catholick King. To end this Dispute they agreed to march both towards Calabria. However the Lord of Aubigni went first to Bari with 150 Horse and 1000 Foot. The Duke of Nemours having given out he marched for Calabria, turned short upon Taranto. By the way he took Matera and Castellaneta, and defeated the Earl of Matera and Bishop of Mazara, whom he found at Ma∣tera with some Forces. This done he sate down before Taranto, hoping to have found the Duke of Calabria there, but he was gone to Sicily nine days before. Some Spanish Troops made such a furious Sally out of Taranto, that they forced the Enemy to remove their Camp to a strong House 22 Miles from the City, designing to return into the Territory of Bari, there to join the Sieur d' Aubigni, and make themselves Masters of Bitonto, or else march into Calabria. It hapned that the French who lay in Basilicata, and were the Strength of the Army, sent a Trumpeter to Barleta, directed to D. James de Mendoça, to Challenge Eleven Spaniards to Fight a like number of them the day following. The place appointed was between Barleta and Viseli. The Condition of the Challenge was, That those who were overcome should re∣main

Prisoners to the Victors. The Commander, tho the time was short, accepted of the * 1.4 Challenge. Eleven were chosen, and among them the famous James Garcia de Paredes, who did singular good Service in this War, coming over about the beginning of it as Colonel of 600 Men. Next day in the morning they made themselves ready, and the great Captain be∣fore many Gentlemen encouraged them, affirming they could not return unless it were Victo∣rious. They all promised to lose their Lives rather than forseit the least Point of their Ho∣nour. With them went four Trumpets and two Pages. They entred the Lists an hour before their Adversaries. The Fight was obstinate, the Event that one of the French was killed, a∣nother taken, and Nine wounded, the like number of Horses killed. Of the Spaniards One was taken, Two wounded, and Three Horses killed. The Dispute lasted till Night, and the Spaniards could not overcome the French who were a-foot, because they main∣tained themselves amidst the dead Horses. Thus tho the French sustained most loss, neither Party could be said to be Victorious. This much offended the great Captain, who would not have had the Spaniards quit the Field till they had vanquished the French. At the same time the King of France to forward the War in Naples, resolved to go himself into Italy; but stayed in Lombardy. This was also the Design of the Catholick King when he went to Zaragoça, considering what great things had been done by his Ancestors in Sicily, Sardinia and Naples, which had never been performed by their Generals. However, he resolved to take Advice of the Nobility, who all except one Bishop disswaded his exposing himself. The Great Captain by Letter seconded them, and gave mighty Assurances of speedy Success, a thing not approved of by great Generals, who ought rather always to be dubious, never undervaluing the Forces of the Enemy, or confiding so much in their own Strength. The Rumour of Warlike pre∣parations at that time on the Frontiers of France, would not permit the King to absent himself.

Whilst the Archduke was sworn Prince of Zaragoça, the Spaniards went down the wind apace in Calabria. The Viceroy hasted to Messina, and gathered all the Foreigners he could * 1.5 to Succour his Party. From Rome D. Hugo and D. John de Cardona Brother to the Count de Golisano, quitting the Posts they had under Duke Valentin, at the perswasion of the Spanish Ambassador carried 240 chosen Men to that City. As soon as they came to Messina, gather∣ing what other Forces they could, they passed the Streight at such time as the Earl of Melito Brother to the Prince of Bisignano, having taken the Town of Terranova, had much distres∣sed the Castle. D. Hugo marched thither, and having defeated the Earl, raised the Siege, and the Princes of Salerno and Bisignano who lay before Cosenza, were forced to quit that Enterprize, and came down to the Plain of Terranova, to endeavour to make up that loss. This Fight hapned 4 days before Emanuel de Benavides arrived at Messina with the Forces he brought in 15 Ships. Among the other Commanders, there came with him Antony de Leyva, a Man hereafter famous for Valour and Conduct. They passed over with the great∣est speed they could to join D. Hugo and the rest. The Princes being retired to Melito, sent the Earl with 700 Swiss and some Horse, and People of the Country to besiege Co∣sensa. He marched to Mota de Culambra, 3 Miles from Rosana, where lay most of the Spa∣niards, who were upon them by break of day, and the Town being open, entred it, killing some of the Enemy, others fled, and others with the Earl retired to the Castle. News be∣ing brought that the Lord of Aubigni with all his Forces was marching to the relief of the Earl, the Spaniards drew back to Rosana. At the same time Fabricius de Gesualdo, Son to the Earl of Conça, and Son in Law to the Prince of Melfi, who Commanded on the Fron∣tiers about Taranto, went out to Ravage the Territory of that City. Luis de Herrera and Peter Navarro, Captains of the Garrison of Taranto, lay in wait for the Enemy in a Pass, where they killed or took them all, only 3 escaping. Fabricius himself was made Prisoner. In the other parts of Apulia the War was hotly prosecuted, both Parties striving to re∣ceive the Duties of Cattle, which is one of the best Branches of the Revenue. It would be too tedious to relate all particulars, but the poor Country People suffered extreamly, both French and Spaniards driving their Cattle. To put a stop to this Mischief, the Duke of Nemours resolved to march with all his Forces, and break down a Bridge that was over the River Ofanto, 4 Miles distant from Barleta, thinking thus to prevent the Enemies Parties from passing over, especially when that River swells with the Rains. The Lord of Au∣bigni, as soon as he had entred Calabria, marched towards the Enemy that was in Terra∣nova. The Town was weak and ill provided, therefore they agreed to quit it, and pass over the Mountain to Retromarina. The French having taken the Passes, put to flight all the Spanish Infantry, and took about 50 Horse of the Troops of Antony de Leyva, who fought with much Bravery. Yet the greatest number fled to Girache and other strong Holds. * 1.6 This Defeat gained the Lord of Aubigni such Reputation, that most of Calabria submitted to him. Four days after the Duke of Nemours came with his Army to the Bridge of Ofanto, and with his Cannon beat down the middle Arch, and a Tower which he had half ru∣ined when he was there before. The Great Captain hearing of his Approach, sent for the Forces that were at Andri, and then followed the Enemy, but they marched off the same way they came. The Great Captain sent a Trumpet to stay the Duke, who answered, that when Gonzalo Fernandez would come as near Canoza, as he had been to Barleta, he en∣gaged his Word to come out and Fight him. At this time the Duke of Calabrta came to Madrid, and tho' a Prisoner, was entertained like the Son of a King. On the first day

of January 1503, Duke Valentin took Sonagalla. He also made Prisoners, Francis Ursino, Duke of Gravena, Paul Ursino, Vitellocio and Oliveroto, who came to him upon a safe Con∣duct. * 1.7 The Pope also apprehended Cardinal Ursino, their intent being totally to ruin the Family of the Ursini, as they had already the Coloneses; tho' but a little before they had made a strict Alliance with them. Soon after that Duke took Perosa, and Civita Castelli, and aimed at the Republicks of Siena, Luca and Pisa, but durst not attempt them for fear of the King of France, under whose Protection they were, which gave him an Opportunity of sending Forces to Naples in the same manner as if they had marched through his own Territories. For all this, the War betwixt Florence and Pisa continued, and the Pisans had thoughts of putting themselves under the Protection of the Catholick King. The King would not then admit them, and when he would, it was too late. Two Cousins, Alonso and Francis de Albuquerque with each of them 3 Ships sailed from Portugal, for India.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Archduke and Prin∣cess sworn Heirs of Aragon.
• * 1.2

  Archduke returns to Flanders.
• * 1.3

  War be∣twixt the French and Spaniards at Naples.
• * 1.4

  A notable combat of Eleven on each side:
• * 1.5

  Several losses of the French:
• * 1.6

  Marquess del Gasto comes o∣ver to the Spaniards.
• * 1.7

  1503.