e Apennines. The key of the pass by which he sought to regain
Lombardy is the town of Pontremoli. Leaving that in ashes on June 29,
the French army, distressed for provisions and in peril among those
melancholy hills, pushed onward with all speed. They knew that the
allied forces, commanded by the Marquis of Mantua, were waiting for them
at the other side upon the Taro, near the village of Fornovo. Here, if
anywhere, the French ought to have been crushed. They numbered about
9,000 men in all, while the allies were close upon 40,000. The French
were weary with long marches, insufficient food, and bad lodgings. The
Italians were fresh and well cared for. Yet in spite of all this, in
spite of blind generalship and total blundering, Charles continued to
play his part of fortune's favorite to the end. A bloody battle, which
lasted for an hour, took place upon the banks of the Taro.[1] The
Italians suffered so severely that, though they still far outnumbered
the French, no persuasions could make them rally and renew the fight.
Charles in his own person ran great peril during this battle; and when
it was over, he had still to effect his retreat upon Asti in the teeth
of a formidable army. The good luck of the French and the dilatory
cowardice of their opponents saved them now again for the last time.

[1] The action at Fornovo lasted a quarter of an hour,
according to De Comines. The pursuit of the Italians occupied
about three quarters of an hour more. Unaccustomed to the quick
tactics of the French, the Italians, when once broken,
persisted in retreating upon Reggio and Parma. The Gonzaghi
alone distinguished themselves for obstinate courage, and lost
four or five members of their princely house. The Stradiots,
whose scimitars ought to have dealt rudely with the heavy
French men-at-arms, employed their time in pillaging the Royal
pavilion, very wisely abandoned to their avarice by the French
captains. To such an extent were military affairs misconstrued
in Italy, that, on the strength of this brigandage, the
Venetians claimed Fornovo for a victory. See my essay
'Fornovo,' in _Sketches and Studies in Italy_, for a
description of the ground on which the battle was fought.

On July 15, Charles at the head of his little force marched into Asti
and was practically safe. Here the young king continued to give signal
proofs of his weakness. Though he knew that the Duke of