now obliged to attempt reducing the city by blockade and
famine; and he took possession of all the posts which commanded the
passages to it. But the army of the league, meanwhile, was not inactive;
and they so straitened and harassed the quarters of the French, that it
seemed more likely the latter should themselves perish by famine, than
reduce the city to that extremity.

{1524.} Sickness, and fatigue, and want had wasted them to such a
degree, that they were ready to raise the blockade; and their only hopes
consisted in a great body of Swiss, which was levied for the service
of the French king, and whose arrival was every day expected. But these
mountaineers no sooner came within sight of the French camp, than they
stopped, from a sudden caprice and resentment; and instead of joining
Bonnivet, they sent orders to a great body of their countrymen, who then
served under him, immediately to begin their march, and to return home
in their company.[*] After this desertion of the Swiss, Bonnivet had
no other choice but that of making his retreat as fast as possible into
France.

* Guicciard. lib. xv. Memoires de Bellai, liv. ii.

The French being thus expelled Italy, the pope, the Venetians, the
Florentines, were satisfied with the advantage obtained over them, and
were resolved to prosecute their victory no further. All these powers,
especially Clement, had entertained a violent jealousy of the emperor's
ambition; and their suspicions were extremely augmented when they saw
him refuse the investiture of Milan, a fief of the empire, to Francis
Sforza, whose title he had acknowledged, and whose defence he had
embraced.[*] They all concluded, that he intended to put himself in
possession of that important duchy, and reduce Italy to subjection:
Clement in particular, actuated by this jealousy, proceeded so far in
opposition to the emperor, that he sent orders to his nuncio at London
to mediate a reconciliation between France and England. But affairs were
not yet fully ripe for this change. Wolsey, disgusted with the emperor,
but still more actuated by vain-glory, was determined that he himself
should have the renown of bringing about that great alteration; and he
engaged the king to reject the pope's mediation.

* Guicciard. lib. xv.

A new treaty was even concluded between Henry and Charles for the
invasion of France. Charles stipulated to supply the Duke of Bourbon
with a powerful army, in order to conquer Prov