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Rebellion 
the Duke 
of Orleans. 
FRANCE, 
gates; Charles made his entry into’ Rome as 2 conque- History. 
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at the meeting states, in 
« Tf,” said he, “ any dispute 
to the succession to the 
tions.of the , went into Brittany, where he 
sunsladithen tee -of- that groviaine $0\cotuaninich ans in, 
surrection ; but the war was of short duration. The 
‘king was everywhere successful ; and the victory which 
his troops at Saint Aubin, completed the de- 
the rebels. The Duke of Orleans was made 
set him at liberty ; 
sense induced him to become a loyal sub’ he even 
used his influence with Anne of Bretagne, though he was 
ee ee fenite the ki 
553 
ror ; and the Pope was compelled to grant him the in- 
vestiture of the Kingdon of Naples. .He lost no time, 
but immediately left Rome for his new kingdom. Fer- 
dinand, his competitor, fled at his approach ; the city 
of Naples instantly declared for him ; and of the whole 
kingdom, only three towns continued in the interest of 
Ferdinand. _Had Charles not been dazzled by.the ra- 
—_ and splendour of his success, he would instant- 
ly have secured his conquests ; but he wasted his time 
at Naples in festivals and triumphs, and was indul- 
ging in the vain and presumptuous hope of being able 
even to extend his victorious arms to Constantinople, and 
to subvert the Ottoman empire; while a combination 
was forming against him of almost all the Italian states, 
supported by the Em Maximilian, and Ferdinand 
King of Arragon. les, therefore, was soon too 
fatally convinced, that, instead of eae ake 4 his con~ 
quests, or even retaining the kingdom he acquired, 
it would be absolutely necessary for him to secure his 
retreat into France. On every 
and embarrassments of his situation, the Duke of Or- 
leans neglected the cause of his pee BEF his 
country, to engage in an attempt against Ludovico 
Sforza. Charles’s vigour of mind was of great avail in. 
this : At the head of not more than 9000 
men, he traversed the Alps, while the confederates, 
of though they had 30,000, were afraid to encounter him 
in the mountains, and patiently waited for him in an 
open plain near Placentia, Here the battle of Fornova 
was fought. Charles was among the first who charged 
the enemy; and his officers and soldiers, animated, by 
the example of their sovereign, fought nobly and suc- 
cessfully. The Italians fled; but Charles, on account 
of the very inferiority of his forces, either 
was not able or did not deem it prudent to pursue 
them, but continued his march unmolested, ant soon 
afterwards relieved the Duke of Orleans, who was 
blocked up in the city of Novara by Sforza. Notwith- 
standing his success, the 7 of France would pro- 
bably have found it very difficult to have extricated 
himself, had not a reinforcement of 16,000 Swiss troops 
joined him, by means of which he was placed in a si- 
tuation to dictate the terms of peace with Sforza. In 
the mean time, Ferdinand returned to Naples, which, 
er, he did not uer, till after an obstinate 
ce by the Duke: of Montieniier, to whom the 
government of it had been entrusted by Charles, 
In 1496, the King of France again prepared to in+ 
vade Italy, not for the of renewing his at- 
tempt on Naples, but in order to support the preten- 
sions of the house of Orleans to the duchy of Milan. 
But the Duke of Orleans, who was heir to the crown 
of France, refused to take upon him the command of 
the army destined for this This refusal pro- 
bably origi not so much trom his hension. of. 
the danger and difficulty of the enterprise, as from his 
railtby tong ibe worn out by debauchery, could not 
possibly survive. In consequence 
and of some other clecilssinasactin 
icularly his 
parent satisfaction at the death of 
e dauphin, 
opened up to him the immediate and certain 
of the throne, he was di |, and retired 
nore Reanlrence 16380 0 1e king being thus 
disappoin in hi ing Italy, and bein 
too sensible that his health was rapidly declining, torte 
ed his thoughts entirely to the internal economy of ‘his 
4a 
side, his enemies col- “fortu-- 
lected in great force; while, to add to the difficulties ™** 
his refusal, Disgrace of 
the Duke 
which of Orleans, 
