Venice; and on the 15th of August, entered the plains of Lombardy, by
the marquisate of Saluzzo, with a powerful army. He met but little
resistance in the provinces south of the Po, but the Swiss meanwhile
arrived in great force to defend Maximilian Sforza, whom, since they
had reseated him on the throne, they regarded as their vassal. Francis
in vain endeavoured to negotiate with them; they would not listen
to the voice of their commanders; democracy had passed from their
_landsgemeinde_ into their armies, popular orators roused their
passions; and on the 13th of September they impetuously left Milan
to attack Francis I. at Marignano. Deep ditches lined with soldiers
bordered the causeway by which they advanced; their commanders wished
by some manoeuvre to get clear of them, or make the enemy change his
position; but the Swiss, despising all the arts of war, expected to
command success by mere intrepidity and bodily strength. They marched
to the battery in full front; they repulsed the charge of the knights
with their halberds, and threw themselves with fury into the ditches
which barred their road. Some rushed on to the very mouths of the
cannon, which guarded the king, and there fell. Night closed on the
combatants; and the two armies mingled together fought on for four
hours longer by moonlight. Complete darkness at length forced them to
rest on their arms; but the king's trumpet continually sounded, to
indicate to the bivouac where he was to be found; while the two famous
horns of Uri and Unterwalden called the Swiss together. The battle was
renewed on the 14th at daybreak: the unrelenting obstinacy was the
same; but the French had taken advantage of the night to collect
and fortify themselves. Marshal Trivulzio, who had been present at
eighteen pitched battles, declared that every other seemed to him
children's play in comparison with this "battle of giants," as he
called it: 20,000 dead already covered the ground; of these two-thirds
were Swiss. When the Swiss despaired of victory they retreated