The Argument.
Lodovicke
Sforza, after hee had cunningly supplanted the Duchesse from the wardship of her sonne Galeazzo, as cunningly practizeth to bee the murtherer of him, of whom he would seeme to be the Protector. To this end he was to remoue this impediment. Isabella daughter to the Prince of Calabria, and Grand-childe vnto Ferdinand King of Naples, was wife to Galeazzo. A woman of a spirit as high as her birth, and equall to Sforza in all things but the sex: shee perceiuing the stupidity of her husband, and how that whatsoeuer she proiected for his safety, he discouered to his vncle, for his ouerthrow, makes her father secretly acquainted with all the passages, desiring him to vindicate his son in law from the vsurpation of his Protector. This could not be so priuately dispatched, but that Sforza had an incling of it, whether out of his owne reach hee guessed it: or by his Nephewes sottishnesse he vnderstood it. To preuent then his owne ruine, whilst he intends his Nephews, he ventures on those remedies which the height of feare rather rusheth on, then chuseth,
which more expresse and exchange, then remoue, or auoyd a danger. He knew the French claime to
Naples, to the prosecution of which he sollicites the yong King; whom either his right, or inconsideratenesse quickly armes vnto the action. But before his comming, hee by continuall messengers deludes the old King, and makes him beleeue that there was no purpose of his comming, and that the French iourney vnto
Naples, as it was onely the childe of rumor, & had no being but frō fame, so in a very short space, in the age of a wonder it would vanish and expire. Thus was
Ferdinand perswaded from his necessary defence, till hauing certainly vnderstood that all defence would be too late, the French being already very strong vpon his frontires, cheated, not conquer'd, hee dyes and leaues his sonne
Alphonso heire of his kingdome, and his troubles. The French King being now entred in person into
Italy, Galeazzo dyes of a poyson at
Pauia, when
Sforza has brought this worse poyson into his Country. But the French growing prodigiously victorious, and almost by the very seeing ouercomming their opposites,
Sforza begins to be apprehensiue of his owne danger, and striues to rid himselfe of these incumbrances, in the which a too much prouidence had intangled him. A consideration
without doubt necessary, but almost past the season, it being neer vnto an impossibility to expell him now, whom it was far from any difficulty at the first not to admit. So that this second resolution did onely proclaime the folly of the first, which either in wisdome hee should not haue ventur'd on, or, in honesty not haue altred. But howsoeuer, hee enters into a new league with the
Venetians, and giues the French after their victorious returne from
Naples halfe an ouerthrow at
Taro. And now when hee thinks himselfe confirm'd in his Dukedome, when he as little fear'd ruine, as he deseru'd preseruation; the French King dyes suddenly, to whom
Lewis, the true Duke of
Orleans, and titular Duke of
Millan, succeeded, with him
Sforzaes late friend, the
Venetians conclude a league. Thus
Sforza being left alone, raiseth two armies vnder the conduct of the two
Sanseuerins, men, whom hee had highly fauour'd and aduanced. But it is scarce seene, that a faithlesse Master should haue a trusty seruant, and hee that hath no respect to his owne word, shall in the extremest of his necessities, finde all others promises but words. The elder reuolts, and the yonger, without the least show of resistance, flyes, and
Sforza himselfe is so closely pursued, that he can scarce get away safe into
Germany. The French
abusing their late victory, the
Millanesi with a generall consent, recall
Sforza; who, like a melting snow, ouerflowes all before him, and recouers most of his Duchy, with the same easinesse that he had lost it. The strength of his Army consisted especially of Swizzers, whom the late ouerthrow of the warlike Duke of
Burgundy, and these Italian wars, had raised to the height of admiration. But to be valiant is not to haue all vertues: these were as strong in treachery, as in battle, they lead
Sforza in the habite of a Swizzer into the French camp, through which in the same habit they had promised to conduct him. Thus hauing beene twice betrayd, and now a prisoner, after a ten yeers harsh confining hee dyes in
France, hauing liu'd in his misery, longer then in his Duchy, and leauing instruction to succeeding Princes that height should not be their ayme, but integrity; and that they would not (that I may vse the words of our Poet) tempt their starres beyond their light.
