VII. A. Et. 28. compelled to surrender; and in a short time CHAP. Gonsalvo was obliged to relinquish not only the Capitanato, but the chief part of the dis- A. D. 1503. tricts of Appulia and Calabria, and to retire for safety to the town of Barletta, near the mouth of the Ofanto, where he was closely besieged by the duke of Nemours. In the mean time d'Aubigny, having sacked the city of Cosenza, and defeated a large body of Spanish and Sicilian troops, overran the rest of the kingdom; and Louis XII. disregarding all former treaties again asserted his pretensions to the entire dominion of Naples.(a) thirteen Italian comba In this situation of affairs, a circumstance Battle occurred which, by attracting the attention, between suspended in some degree the operations of French and the hostile armies, and was probably not with- thirteen out its influence on the subsequent events of the war. Some negotiations having taken tants. place between the French and Spanish commanders, for the exchange of their prisoners, Charles de Torgues, a French officer, visited the town of Barletta, where being invited to supper in the house of Don Enricho di Mendoza, in company with Indico Lopez and Don Pietro d'Origno prior of Messina, a dispute (a) Guicciard. lib. v. vol. i. p. 275. Muratori, Annali, x, p. 11. VII. A. D. 1503. CHAP. dispute arose respecting the comparative courage of the French and Italian soldiery, in the course of which de Torgues asserted that the Italians were an effeminate and dastardly people. Lopez replied, that he had himself under his command a troop of Italians, who were not only equal to the French, but on whose courage and fidelity he could as fully rely as if they were his own countrymen. In order to decide this controversy, it was agreed that a combat on horseback should take place between thirteen Frenchmen and thirteen Italians, on condition that the victors should be entitled to the arms and horses of the vanquished and one hundred gold crowns each. This proposal met with the approbation of the respective commanders, who were probably not displeased with the opportunity afforded them of a short relaxation from the fatigues of war. Four judges were appointed on each side, to determine on the victory, and hostages were mutually given to abide by their decision.(a) On the day appointed, which was the thirteenth (a) Muratori has omitted the names of the combatants, observing, that Jovius had suppressed those on the part of the VII. teenth of February, 1503, the armies met as CHAP. spectators of the combat, in a plain between the towns of Andre and Corrato, and the A. D. 1503. chief commanders pledged themselves to each other A. Et. 28. the French from respect to their nation; but Summonte names not only the combatants but the judges and hostages as under: FRENCH. COMBATANTS. Charles de Torgues. Claude Graiam d' Asti. Eliot de Baraut. Monsig. di Broglio. ITALIANS. Hettore Fieramosca. Francesco Salamone. Marco Corollario. Riccio di Palma. Gulielmo d' Albamonte. Giovanni Brancaleone. Lodovico d' Abenavolo. Hettore Giovenale. Bartolommeo Tanfulla. Romanello da Forli. Meale Tesi. JUDGES. Monsig. di. Murtibrach. Monsig. de Bruet. Etum Sutte. Francisco Zurlo. Diego Vela. Francesco Spinola. Alonzo Lopez. VII. A. Et. 28. CHAP. other for the due observance of the stipulated terms. After the Italian combatants A. D. 1503. had attended the celebration of the mass, Gonsalvo encouraged them by an oration, the tenor of which has been preserved by one of his countrymen, in Spanish verse.(a) They then partook of a moderate collation, after which they proceeded to the field of battle, their horses ready caparisoned being led by thirteen captains of infantry. The combatants followed on horseback in complete armour, except their helmets, which, together with their lances were carried by thirteen gentlemen. Being arrived within a mile of the field they were met by the four Italian judges, who informed them that they had been with the four judges appointed by the French and had marked out the space for the combat. The Italians were the first in the field, when their leader, Hettora Fieramosca, availed himself of the opportunity of addressing his associates in a speech which the Neapolitan historian, Summonte, has also thought proper to preserve. In a short time the French combatants also made ད་ (a) Summonte, Storia di Napoli, lib. vi. v. iii. p. 542. (corr. 609.) VII. A. Et. 28. made their appearance in great pomp and with CHA P. numerous attendants. The adverse parties, then quitting their horses and mounting the A. D. 150.3, steels prepared for them, arrayed themselves in older, and giving their coursers the reins rushed against each other at full speed. A few lances were broken in the shock, without much injury to either party; but it was ob served that the Italians remained firmly united, whilst the French seemed to be dispersed and in some disorder. The combatants then dis. mounting, attacked each other with swords and battle-axes, and a contest ensued in which both parties displayed great courage, strength, and dexterity, but the result of which was a complete victory to the Italians; the French being all either wounded or made prisoners, (a) The ransom of one hundred crowns not being found upon (a) Lilio Gregorio Giraldi (de Poet, suor. tempor, dialog. 1.) informs us, that the celebrated Girolamo Vida wrote a Latin poem on this event; entitled xiii. Įlalorum pugilum cum totidem Gallis certamen, which he inscribed to Baldassare Castiglione; but this earnest of the future talents of its author, has not been preserved to the present times, v. Vida op. Testimon. 161. Piero Summonte of Naples, the friend of Sanazzaro, also wrote a copy of Latin verses, addressed to Hettore Fieramosca, which merit perusal. v. Appendix, No. LII. |