§ 55. JULIUS II., THE WARRIOR-POPE. 1503-1513. 473
French, he brought about the Holy League, October, 1511, Spain aliHr^V'emcgiTgmg^th'B'othef parties. Later, these three allies werepThe(IHyTVTaxIniiTian^ijdj3eii^^ Henry
had been honored with the Golden Rose, i Henry's act was England's first positive entrance upon the field of general European politics.
In the meantime the French were carrying on the Council of Pisa. The pope prudently counteracted its influence by calling a council to meet in the Lateran. Christendom was rent by two opposing ecclesiastical councils as well as by two opposing armies. The armies met in decisive conflict under the walls of the old imperial city of Ravenna. The leader of the French, Gaston de Foix, nephew of the French king, though only 24, approved himself, in spite of his youth, one of the foremost captains of his age. Bologna had fallen before his arms, and now Ravenna yielded to the same necessity after a bloody battle. The French army numbered 25,000, the army of the League 20,000. In the French camp was the French legate, Cardinal Sanseverino, mounted and clad in steel armor, his tall form towering above the rest. Prominent on the side of the allied army was the papal legate. Cardinal de' Medici, clad in white, and Giulio Medici, afterwards Clement VII. The battle took place on Easter Day, 1512. Gaston de Foix, thrown to the ground by the fall of his horse, was put to death by some of the seasoned Spanish soldiers whom Gonsalvo had trained. The victor, whose battle cry was " Let him that loves me follow me," was borne into the city in his coffin. Rimini, Forli and other cities of the Romagna opened their gates to the French. Cardinal Medici was in their hands.
The papal cause seemed to be hopelessly lost, but the spirit of Julius rose with the defeat. He is reported to have exclaimed, " I will stake 100,000 ducats and my crown that I will drive the French out of Italy," and the victory of Ravenna proved to be another Cannse. The hardy Swiss, whose numbers Cardinal Schinner had increased to 18,000, and the Venetians pushed the campaign, and the barbarians, as Julius called the French, were forced to give U£ what they had gained, to surrender Milan ajid
1 See the pope's letter granting it, Mansi, XXXII. 554.
474 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1294-1517.
^TadualljLlD_retire_across the Alps. Parma and Piacenza, by virtue of the grant of Mathilda, passed into his hands, as did also Reggio. The victory was celebrated in Rome on an elaborate scale. Cannons boomed from S. Angelo, and thanks were given in all the churches. In recognition of their services, the pope gave to the Swiss two large banners and the permanent title of Protectors of the Apostolic see — auxiliatores sedis apostolicoe. Such was the end of this remarkable campaign.
Julius purchased Siena from the emperor for 30,000 ducats and, with the aid of the seasoned Spanish troops, took Florence and restored the Medici to power. In December, 1513, Maximilian, who at one time conceived the monstrous idea of combining with his imperial dignity the office of supreme pontiff, announced his suj)port of the Lateran council, the pope having agreed to use all the spiritual measures within his reach to secure the complete abasement of Venice. The further execution of the plans was prevented by the pope's death. In his last hours, inaconversation with Cardinal Grimani, he pounded on the floor with his cane, exclaiming, " If God gives me life, I will also deliver the Neapolitans from the yoke of the Spaniards and rid the land of them." i
^he Pisan^council had opened^Sept. 1, 1511, with only two archbishops and 14 bishops present. First and last 6 cardinals attended, Carvajal, Brigonnet, Prie, d'Albret, Sanseverino and Borgia. The Universitiesof Paris, Toulouse and Poictiers were represented by dolors. A_Ftm- hplrling t^^^^'^ HftfisiftnR,it niovpfl to Mijan, where the victory of Ravenna gave it a short breath of life. When the French were defeated, it again moved to Asti in Piedmont, where ithcldaninth session,and then it adjourned to Lyons, where it dissolved of itself. 2 Ilergenrother, Pastor and other Catholic historians take play ful delight in calling the council the little council — conciliahulum — and a conventicle, terms which Julius applied to it in his bulls. ^ Among its acts were a fulmination against thesynod Julius was holding in theLateran, and it had the temerity to cite the pope to appear, and even to declare him deposed from all spiritual and temporal authority.
1 Pastor, III. 725. 2 Hefele-IIergenrother, VIII. 520.
8 See Mansi, XXXII. 570.