But to proceed. The king changed his resolution, being prevailed upon by the Duke of Milan’s letters, and by the importunity of Charles de Bellejoyeuse, his ambassador, and of the two ministers above-mentioned; but by degrees Brissonet’s courage began to fail him, finding that all sober and rational persons condemned the expedition, as it was to begin in August, without money, tents, and everything else that was necessary to carry it on; so that the seneschal was the only man that was consulted; for the king looked coldly upon Monsieur Brissonet for three or four days, but was reconciled to him afterwards. About this time one of the seneschal’s servants died, it was said, of the plague, and he durst not appear at court; which was a great mortification to him, for there was nobody else to carry on the design. The Duke and Duchess of Bourbon were with the king, and used all their interest to hinder this expedition, and Monsieur Brissonet did the same; so that one day it was laid aside, and the next revived. At last the king resolved to march, and, thinking to pass the mountains more commodiously in small bodies, I mounted on horseback, and advanced before; but I was countermanded, and assured that the design was given over. The same day fifty thousand ducats were borrowed of a merchant of Milan, but the Lord Ludovic was the real lender. I was surety for six thousand ducats, and others for the rest; but it was borrowed without interest. Before that, we had borrowed of the bank of Soly, in Genoa, a hundred thousand francs, the interest of which in four months amounted to fourteen thousand francs; but some people said the persons above mentioned kept part of the money for their own private use. CH. VI.—How King Charles set out from Vienne, in Dauphiny, to conquer Naples in Person; and the Action that was performed by his Fleet, under the Command of the Duke of Orleans.—1494. In short, the King, on the 23rd of August, 1494, set out from Vienne, and marched straight towards Asti.[265] At Suza the Lord Galeas di St. Severino came post to meet his majesty, who advanced from thence to Turin[266], where he borrowed the jewels of Madame de Savoy[267], daughter to the late William, Marquis of Montferrat[268], and widow to Charles Duke of Savoy. Having pawned them for twelve thousand ducats, he removed a few days after to Casale[269], the residence of the Marchioness of Montferrat[270], widow of the late Marquis of Montferrat, a young and prudent lady, and daughter to the King of Servia. The Turk having overrun her country, the emperor (in respect of the relation betwixt them) took care of her, and married her there. She also lent the king her jewels, and they also were pawned for twelve thousand ducats; by which you may see what an unprosperous beginning there was of this war, had not God himself directed the enterprise.