CHAPTER I. ITALIAN WARS.--GENERAL VIEW OF EUROPE.--INVASION OF ITALY BY CHARLES VIII., OF FRANCE. FOREIGN POLITICS DIRECTED BY FERDINAND EUROPE AT THE CLOSE OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY CHARACTER OF THE REIGNING SOVEREIGNS IMPROVED POLITICAL AND MORAL CONDITION MORE INTIMATE RELATIONS BETWEEN STATES FOREIGN RELATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE SOVEREIGN ITALY THE SCHOOL OF POLITICS HER MOST POWERFUL STATES CHARACTER OF ITALIAN POLITICS INTERNAL PROSPERITY INTRIGUES OF SFORZA CHARLES VIII., OF FRANCE HIS PRETENSIONS TO NAPLES NEGOTIATIONS RESPECTING ROUSSILLON CHARLES'S COUNSELLORS IN THE PAY OP FERDINAND TREATY OF BARCELONA ITS IMPORTANCE TO SPAIN ALARM AT THE FRENCH INVASION, IN ITALY IN EUROPE, ESPECIALLY SPAIN PREPARATIONS OF CHARLES AN ENVOY SENT TO THE FRENCH COURT ANNOUNCES FERDINAND'S VIEWS CHARLES'S DISSATISFACTION THE FRENCH CROSS THE ALPS ITALIAN TACTICS THE SWISS INFANTRY FRENCH ARTILLERY SFORZA JEALOUS OF THE FRENCH THE POPE CONFERS THE TITLE OF CATHOLIC NAVAL PREPARATIONS IN SPAIN SECOND MISSION TO CHARLES VIII BOLD CONDUCT OF THE ENVOYS THE KING OF NAPLES FLIES TO SICILY THE FRENCH ENTER NAPLES GENERAL HOSTILITY TO THEM LEAGUE OF VENICE ZURITA'S LIFE AND WRITINGS CHAPTER II. ITALIAN WARS.--RETREAT OF CHARLES VIII.--CAMPAIGNS OF GONSALVO DE CORDOVA.--FINAL EXPULSION OF THE FRENCH. CONDUCT OF CHARLES PLUNDERS THE WORKS OF ART RETREAT OF THE FRENCH GONSALVO DE CORDOVA HIS EARLY LIFE HIS BRILLIANT QUALITIES RAISED TO THE ITALIAN COMMAND ARRIVES IN ITALY LANDS IN CALABRIA MARCHES ON SEMINARA GONSALVO'S PRUDENCE BATTLE OF SEMINARA DEFEAT OF THE NEAPOLITANS GONSALVO RETREATS TO REGGIO FERDINAND RECOVERS HIS CAPITAL GONSALVO IN CALABRIA HIS SUCCESSES DECLINE OF THE FRENCH BESIEGED IN ATELLA GONSALVO SURPRISES LAINO ARRIVES BEFORE ATELLA RECEIVES THE TITLE OF GREAT CAPTAIN BEATS A DETACHMENT OF SWISS CAPITULATION OF MONTPENSIER MISERABLE STATE OF THE FRENCH DEATH OF FERDINAND OF NAPLES ACCESSION OF FREDERIC II TOTAL EXPULSION OF THE FRENCH REMARKS ON GUICCIARDINI AND GIOVIO SISMONDI CHAPTER III. ITALIAN WARS.--GONSALVO SUCCORS THE POPE.--TREATY WITH FRANCE.-- ORGANIZATION OF THE SPANISH MILITIA. WAR ON THE SIDE OF ROUSSILLON THE POPE ASKS THE AID OF GONSALVO STORMING AND CAPTURE OF OSTIA GONSALVO ENTERS ROME HIS RECEPTION BY THE POPE RETURNS TO SPAIN PEACE WITH FRANCE FERDINAND'S VIEWS RESPECTING NAPLES HIS FAME ACQUIRED BY THE WAR INFLUENCE OF THE WAR ON SPAIN ORGANIZATION OF THE MILITIA