they are naturally Gibellines. However, that ought not to have led them to break their oaths, especially after they had been so civilly treated; besides, the king had done more for them than this; for, under pretence of friendship, he carried prisoners with him the Lord Virgil Ursini and the Count de Petillane, and several others of the Ursini who were their enemies; which, indeed, was a little severe, for, though they were prisoners of war, yet the king knew they were to have had passports. But his intention was to carry them no farther than Asti, and then to dismiss them upon their parole of honour. This he did at the request of the Colonne; and yet, before he could get thither, the Colonne revolted, and appeared the first against him without the least pretence or occasion. CH. II.—How the King departed from Naples, and returned to Rome, from whence the Pope fled to Orvieto; of the Conference the King had with the Lord of Argenton upon his Return from Venice; and his Deliberation about the Restitution of the Florentine Towns.—1495. As soon as the king had settled his affairs as he designed, he began his march with what forces he could collect, which, I believe, were about nine hundred men-at arms (including his guards), and two thousand five hundred Swiss; in all, of his standing army about seven thousand men, besides about fifteen hundred more who followed the camp as servants, and were able to bear arms. The Count de Petillane, who had reviewed them, and knew their number better than I did, told me after the battle (of which I shall speak presently) that they were nine thousand effective men. The king bent his march directly towards Rome[396], where his Holiness, having no mind to attend him, determined to go to Padua, and put himself under the protection of the Venetians, and lodgings were prepared for him in that city; but afterwards they changed their minds, and both they and the Duke of Milan sent forces to him to Rome for the defence of the town, which arrived in time enough; yet the Pope durst not stay, though the king had done him all imaginable honour and service, and had sent ambassadors on purpose to desire him to stay; but he retired to Orvieto, and from thence to Perusia, leaving the cardinals to receive his majesty at Rome. The king was received very honourably by them; but he made no stay among them, nor suffered the least injury to be done to anybody. From thence I was sent for to attend him at Siena[397], where I waited on his majesty, who received me graciously. He asked me, in a jesting way, whether the Venetians had sent any forces to fall upon his rear; for his men were all young, and he thought no troops were able to engage with them. I humbly replied that upon my leaving Venice the Signory informed me, in the presence of one of their secretaries called Loredano, that they and the Duke of Milan would bring forty thousand men into the field, not to molest him, but to defend themselves; and on the