ARMIES ON THE GARIGLIANO. 113 for all which she was one day to be called to a chapter XIV. heavy reckoning by her enemies. '— The disposition of the papal court towards the French monarch was still less favorable ; and it took no pains to conceal this after his reverses in Naples. Soon after the defeat of Cerignola, it entered into correspondence with Gonsalvo de Cor- dova ; and, although Alexander the Sixth refused to break openly with France, and sign a treaty with the Spanish sovereigns, he pledged himself to do so, on the reduction of Gaeta. In the mean time, he freely allowed the Great Captain to raise such levies as he could in Rome, before the very eyes of the French ambassador. So little had the immense concessions of Louis, including those of principle and honor, availed to secure the fidelity of this treacherous ally.^ With the emperor Maximilian, notwithstanding o^^'eempe- repeated treaties, he was on scarcely better terms. That prince was connected with Spain by the mat- rimonial alliances of his family, and no less averse to France from personal feeling, which, with the majority of minds, operates more powerfully than motives of state policy. He had, moreover, always regarded the occupation of Milan by the latter as an infringement, in some measure, of his imperial rights. The Spanish government, availing itself of these feelings, endeavoured through its minister,
- Zurita, Hist, del Rey Hernan- torn. iii. p. 347. — Guicciardini,
do, torn. i. lib. 5, cap. 38, 48. — Istoria, torn. i. lib. 6, p. 311, ed. Bembo, Istoria Viniziana, torn. iii. 1645. — Buonaccorsi, Diario, pp. lib. 6. — Daru, Hist, de Venise, 77,81. VOL. III. 15
