Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

For the Gazette of the United States.

HISTORICAL NOTICES

Of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

(CONTINUED)

During the former part of the sixteenth century, the dukes of Savoy possessed territories not considerable either by their population, extent, or value. And of these the greater part had been conquered by Francis I. and were in the possession of the French. The reigning duke had been compelled to retire for safety to the strong fortress of Nice, where he remained shut up for several years. While his son, the prince of Piedmont, strove to better his fortune by serving as a volunteer in the armies of Spain. The peace or rather truce of Chateau Cambresis placed him at length in possession of his paternal dominions, and from the commencement of the reign of this prince may be principally dated the rise of the fortunes of his house. By gradual acquisitions he added to his territories as well as importance. His successors, pursuing the same course, at length aspired to the regal dignity, and obtained it, a little more than half a century ago.

During the early periods of its history, the House of Savoy furnishes few materials for history that are interesting to the present age, or that are of any importance to our present object: a long train of princes are therefore passed over in silence: indeed the reign of Charles is conspicuous only for the calamities suffered by his country during its continuance.

Charles, duke of Savoy, was one of the least active and able princes of the line from which he descended. Having married, in 1535, Beatrix of Portugal, sister to the emperor, that princess soon acquired, by her great talents, an absolute ascendancy over him. Proud of her affinity to the Emperor, or allured by the magnificent promises with which he flattered her ambition, she brought about a union between the Duke and the Imperial court, extremely inconsistent which the situation of his dominions had hitherto induced him to observe. Francis I. highly irritated both at this conduct of the Duke and his having supplied the Constable of Bourbon with the money which enabled him to levy that body of troops which ruined the French army in the fatal battle of Pavia, caused him now to feel how severely he could punish the injury.

The French army under the admiral Brion, poured at once into the duke's territories, at different places. The counties of Bresse and Bugey were overrun in a moment. Most of the towns in the duchy of Savoy opened their gates at the approach of the enemy: the few that resisted were easily forced; and before the end of the campaign, the duke saw himself stripped of all his dominions except the duchy of Piedmont, in which there were not many places in a condition to be defended.

(To be continued.)