The Battle of Pavia in 1525, according to a Jewish chronicler
Rabbi Joseph ben Joshua ben Meir was born in Avignon in 1496, and lived most of his life in Genoa. His chronicle, written in Hebrew, begins with Adam, but quickly progresses to an account of the First Crusade, and mostly deals with events in the Sixteenth century. The final sections of the chronicle deal with events in 1553. The following portion reports on the invasion of Italy by the French king, Francis I, in 1525. For a description of the siege and battle of Pavia, please see The Battle of Pavia: 24th February 1525, or this website.
And the men of the emperor fortified themselves in Pavia, and Antonio Leyva was over the host in those days. And King Francis went against Pavia on the tenth day of October, in the year one thousand five hundred and twenty-four, and he pitched his camp round about it, and they cast up trenches against it, and its walls fell to the ground. And Pavia became besieged, and all the city was moved, for the fear of the French fell upon them. And the battle was strong between them at that time, and much people of them fell. And Pavia was straitly shut up, none went out, neither did any come in. And they ate in her every unclean thing, by reason of famine, all those days. And they warred against it daily, but could not prevail against it, and the king said, “Let us sit here until the bread cease;” and they died of hunger.
And
Pavia was straightly shut up, and the French warred against it, and many fell
slain to the ground daily. And Antonio Leyva spoke kindly to the inhabitants of the
city, and their spirit revived when he spoke to them: and it came to pass, on
the tenth day of the month of January, in the year one thousand five hundred and
twenty-five, that the hosts of the emperor went out from the city; and they fell
suddenly upon the French, which were over the battering rams, and slew them with
edge of the sword; and two were taken alive, and they brought them into the
city. And on the twenty-sixth day
of the month came the duke of Bourbon to Lodi, and with him were sixteen
thousand Germans, who were exercised for war, and they united themselves with the
Spaniards and the Italians who were there, so they became as one in his hand.
And the king sent soldiers and
artillery between Lodi and Pavia, to watch the road. Again he commanded, and
they gathered together all the soldiers, and they dwelled together: And the men
of the emperor removed from Lodi, and went on the road for Milan; and the king
sent also thither against them. And it came to pass, on
the morrow, that the Marquess Pescara went out against Santo Angelo, and they
delivered it into his hand on that day.
And on the first day of the
month of February came all the hosts of the emperor into the borders of Pavia,
and encamped there. And the men of the king remained on
their
ward day and night; and they sounded with cymbals and with trumpets of
jubilee-cry, that their voices were heard from afar. And the inhabitants of the city went out to them daily.
And it came to pass, on the morrow, that the men of the emperor drew nigh
again to the city, and
they sent messengers to Antonio Leyva, and all the people of the country were
glad, and their mourning was turned into joy. And they drew nigh again with a
high hand, and about two thousand cubits
were between them and the city; and the king was very wroth. And the king
commanded, and they fortified themselves round about, and stood on their ward
for fear of the night. And it came
to pass, on the eighth day of the month of February, that the nobles of the
emperor heard that the gunpowder was consumed in the city; and they sent forty
men riding on swift horses, who brought them gunpowder in abundance every one in his
sack, and they passed the camp of the
enemy in the midst, and came into the city, and Antonio Leyva was very glad: and
it came to pass, in the morning, that he commanded, and they brought the cannon
up to the tower, and battered with them the camp of the Swiss, and much people
fell among them and the men of the emperor heard it, and sounded the trumpets,
and gave the signal for battle. And the horsemen of the emperor ran; and, the
cavalry of the king went, out against them, and slew them; and the Spaniards drew back. And
they sent against them three hundred Burgundians clothed with coats of mail; and
the French fled, and cried with a loud voice; and
the men of the camp fired with twenty cannons, and shot on them with
balls; and there fell of the Burgundians many slain to the ground, and the rest
fled at their noise, and returned to
their tents with shame; and the battle ceased.
And
on the seventeenth day of the month of February, there came some of the men of
the host which belonged to Rienzo Orsino, to Savona
and the men of Duke Francesco Sforza, who was at Alessandria, and they were
slain before them, and they fled, and there were not left two together; and the
king was very wroth.
And
the Marquess Pescara said, “I will go down into the camp of these Frenchmen,
and will see what will become of their dreams;" and he went in the darkness
of the night, and three hundred Spaniards and Italians with him. And he fell into the place of the artillery,
and they slew the watchmen with the edge of the sword, and cast the cannon to
the ground. And he commanded farther, and they cast them into the trenches, and
returned with gladness. And the
French arose from their sleep and fought against them, and there fell many of
them slain to the ground, and the chief over the artillery was taken alive.
And they returned to their tents, and those that died in
the slaughter were five hundred men; and this was to the shame of the
French.
And
on the twenty-third day of the month, the hosts of the emperor gave the signal
for the
And
it came to pass, on the twenty-fourth day of the month of February, in the year
one thousand five hundred and twenty-five, in the middle of the night, that they
brought the hosts of the emperor, and divided the people into three heads. And
they cast down the walls of Barcot, where the king's host
was, every one passed over, and they came with a
high hand, and gave the
And
Antonio Leyva heard it, and went out
also and fell upon them suddenly; and the horsemen
and the footmen fled before him, for his
fear fell upon them; and Antonio Leyva drew near again. And the battle was
strong between them all the night, and the earth was rent because of their
voices. The morning dawned, and the men of the king girded themselves with
might, insomuch that the Spaniards drew back, and the French took the cannons
from their hand with might. That day was dark, cloudy, and misty, by reason of
the grievous smoke of the guns, so that hardly one might know his brother.
And
when the Marquess Pescara, the chief of the emperor's host, saw the people that
were naked, he went to the duke of Bourbon, saying, “The children are come to
the birth; but there is no strength to bring forth. And now speak, I pray thee,
kindly, to the people which follow thee. And I shall do so also, and we will war
against these Frenchmen, and our fame will spread over all the earth; for the
day' which we desired, we have found and have seen;" and they did so, and
they put the battle in array there, and the marquess passed over before them,
and he warred against those nations, and they fell slain to the ground before
him. And also the Marquess del Vasto
filled his hand, and they were counted by him as vain and as nothing, and they
slew among them a great slaughter. And when the Swiss saw that the evil was determined against
them, they turned their backs, and fled before them.
And the Italians and Germans were left to their destruction, and fell
slain to the ground.
Then did the horse-hoofs stamp, when the horsemen also put
the battle in array, and the earth shook at their voice. And the chief captains
of the imperial hosts placed five hundred
foot–men bearing
guns in the midst of the cavalry with subtlety. And
it came to pass, as they were fighting, that they suddenly fired their guns on
the cavalry of the French, and many of them fell; and the rest fled for their lives, for they feared lest the evil should
overtake them; and the
viceroy of the emperor and the duke of Bourbon also filled their hands at that time. And
the king also, as well as his nobles, fought on that day, and all his mighty men
fell before his face slain to the ground; and the king ran with his sword drawn in
his hand, and slew the
chief of the Germans, and he fell slain to the ground; also, the Marquess
Pescara was wounded in his face, his belly and his thigh; for all this his anger was not turned away, and he spoke kindly
to his men, and they again put the battle in array, and the French were smitten
before them, and fled; and they slew the horse of King Francis, who fell to the
ground, and they took him, and he was delivered into the hand of the viceroy of
the emperor at that time. And also the king of Navarre and, many nobles and
honorable men who were with them, were taken in that battle.
And many were slain by the edge
Now there died of the men of the emperor on that day, the chief of the cavalry and eight hundred men; and of the host of the king, there fell in that slaughter some of the Italians and Germans and one thousand five hundred Swiss, and five hundred fell into the river Tessino, when they fled: so they died. And also many nobles and honorable men of the French fell in that slaughter, and the number of the dead was eight thousand men. The like thing had not occurred in the gates of Pavia from the time it became a nation. And the nobles of the French gave ransom for their souls, some more and some less, and they returned to their country. And the viceroy of the emperor, the duke of Bourbon, and the nobles with them, went and bowed themselves before this imprisoned king with their faces to the ground. And they spoke kindly unto him, and comforted him, saying, “Let it not be grievous in thine eyes, O king, for the issue of war belongeth unto God, and who will say to him, What doest thou?" And the duke of Bourbon drew his sword, and gave it into the hand of the king, and fell upon his knees and said, “I pray thee, forgive the offence of thy servant, for I have sinned against my lord a great sin; and now, if thou wilt forgive, forgive according to thy great kindness; and if not, slay me utterly, I pray thee, for I am a son of death, because I have lifted up mine hand against my lord the king." And the king said, “The thing came forth from the Lord, and thou hast not sinned, but hast served thy lord the emperor with all thy strength; but because of thy meekness and humility, thou hast spoken thus: arise now, and become a son of valor." And through this thing, Bourbon gained a good name among the kings and counsellors of the land, as well as for his fighting in the day of battle amongst the mighty; and his name became very precious.
This text is from The Chronicles of Rabbi Joseph ben Joshua ben Meir, The Sphardi, translated by C.H.F. Bialloblotzky (London: Oriental Translation Fund, 1836). In two volumes.