308 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



Italy without resistance ; so that it was true which 

 Pope Alexander was wont to say, That the French 

 men came into Italy with chalk in their hands, to 

 mark up their lodgings, rather than with swords ta 

 fight. He likewise entered and won, in effect, the 

 whole kingdom of Naples itself, without striking 

 stroke. But presently thereupon he did commit 

 and multiply so many errors, as was too great a task 

 for the best fortune to overcome. He gave no con 

 tentment to the Barons of Naples, of the faction of 

 the Angeovines ; but scattered his rewards according 

 to the mercenary appetites of some about him. He 

 put all Italy upon their guard, by the seizing and 

 holding of Ostia, and the protecting of the liberty of 

 Pisa ; which made all men suspect, that his purposes 

 looked farther than his title of Naples. He fell too 

 soon at difference with Ludovico Sfortia, who was 

 the man that carried the keys which brought him in 

 and shut him out. He neglected to extinguish some 

 relicks of the war. And lastly, in regard of his easy 

 passage through Italy without resistance, he entered 

 into an overmuch despising of the arms of the Italians; 

 whereby he left the realm of Naples at his depar 

 ture so much the less provided. So that not long 

 after his return, the whole kingdom revolted to Fer- 

 dinando the younger, and the French were quite 

 driven out. Nevertheless Charles did make both 

 great threats and great preparations to re-enter 

 Italy once again. Wherefore at the instance of 

 divers of the states of Italy, and especially of Pope 

 Alexander, there was a league concluded between 

 the said Pope, Maximilian, King of the Romans, 



