Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/322

298 J98 ITALIAN WARS. PART its retrograde movement through Italy. It is '- — enough to say, that this was not conducted with sufficient despatch to anticipate the junction of the allied forces, who assembled to dispute its pass- age on the banks of the Taro, near Fornovo. An action was there fought, in which King Charles, at the head of his loyal chivalry, achieved such deeds of heroism, as shed a lustre over his ill-concerted enterprise, and which, if they did not gain him an undisputed victory, secured the fruits of it, by enabling him to effect his retreat without further molestation. At Turin he entered into negotiation with the calculating duke of Milan, which termi- nated in the treaty of Vercelli, October 10th, 1495. By this treaty Charles obtained no other advantage than that of detaching his cunning adversary from the coalition. The Venetians, although refusing to accede to it, made no opposition to any arrange- ment, which would expedite the removal of their formidable foe beyond the Alps. This was speedi- ly accomplished ; and Charles, yielding to his own impatience and that of his nobles, recrossed that mountain rampart w^hich nature has so ineffectually provided for the security of Italy, and reached Grenoble with his army on the 27th of the month. Once more restored to his own dominions, the young monarch abandoned himself without reserve to the licentious pleasures to which he was passion- ately addicted, forgetting alike his dreams of ambi- tion, and the brave companions in arms whom he had deserted in Italy. Thus ended this memorable expedition, which, though crowned with complete