Alfonso's tapestried halls, the
French soldiers were to be seen lying about in the streets, intoxicated
with the strong and luscious wines of Southern Italy. The whole army was
given over to luxury and vice, and the outrages which the troops
committed soon made them hated by the fickle populace, who a few weeks
before had welcomed them as deliverers from the tyrant's yoke. "From the
moment of the king's arrival until his departure," writes Commines, "he
thought of nothing but pleasure, and those about him only cared to seek
their own profit. His youth may excuse him, but for his servants there
could be no excuse." The news of the league between the powers came to
startle Charles out of this fool's paradise. On the 8th of April, the
Count of Caiazzo was suddenly recalled to Milan, and when Charles asked
Lodovico to send him Messer Galeazzo instead, the duke replied curtly
that he had need of him at home. By degrees the king began to realize
the formidable combination which had arisen against him, and prepared to
march northward with the bulk of his army, leaving the Duke of
Montpensier with a few hundred French troops and some thousand Swiss
mercenaries to defend his newly conquered kingdom. On the 20th of May,
he finally left Naples, and on the 1st of June entered Rome by the Latin
gate, two days after the Pope had fled to Orvieto. Almost at the same
moment, King Ferrante returned to Calabria, and his subjects flocked to
join the old banner of the house of Aragon.

Lodovico's first step was to send Galeazzo di Sanseverino with a body of
newly raised troops against Asti, on the 19th of April, and to summon
the Duke of Orleans to surrender the town and to drop the title of Duke
of Milan. In this he was supported by the Emperor Maximilian, who sent
an imperious order to Louis forbidding him to assume the title, on pain
of forfeiting his fief of Asti. Orleans replied proudly that Asti formed
part of his heritage, and that he was ready to defend it to the last
drop of his blood against Signor Lodovico or any other foe. At the same
time he sent an urgent appeal to the Duke of Bourbon for reinforcements,
and prepared to act on the offensive.

On the 14th of the same month, the Duke of Milan wrote a gay letter to
Isabella d'Este, informing her of his intention to attack Asti, and
regretting that she was not present to join the expedition on her fleet
charger. But Asti was too strongly fortified, and the forces under
Galeazzo w