It is in the second volume of the 1763 edition of Austin Goddard's translation of Francesco Guicciardini's History of Italy, that the tale of Maximillian Habsburg's trip to Italy - to save Pisa from so many suitors - forces its way into view. Max had a mix of changing intentions and not enough money and not enough troops to accomplish so much. The uncrowned emperor tried to get as much of these as he could. He tried to find out what the players really wanted and found instead that was a changeable thing, too. There were motives all over, there were motions on the field. In the end, the players, as well as Max, returned to what they were doing before he came to Italy. The result was a great loss of prestige for Maximillian and for Ludovico, the duke of Milan.
Here follows then a bird's eye view of the many turns and switchbacks, presented as a glossing index of topics in the same sequence as Goddard's text of Guicciardini.
pp 48-52, Venetian doge gives reasons for protecting Pisa
pp 52- 55, reasons for a vain Ludovico, safe in his delusions of grandeur, not to worry
pp 56-108: troop movements, payments, allocations, battles thru summer 1496
p.108 Why King of France decided to stay in France, for now,
pp 109:::>> Max goes to Italy and then leaves, then comes back
p 110 Ludovico convinces Max to come to Italy, w/ promise of 30,000 additional ducats above the 60K already promised. Ferdinando of Naples dies, Giovanni son of F&I in Spain offered as King of Napoli which doesn't happen.
p 111 Max returns w/ few troops to Vigevano, where allies counselled to take Asti, then Montferrat & Savoy. But no one was impressed w/ Max's troops and wouldn't budge much.
p 112 Max asked Ercole duke of Ferrara to come but he wouldn't budge since Max 'held' Genoa;
p 112-3 Ludovico of Milan took it upon himself to influence Pisa w/ money and Max's prestige should give to himself and Milan the power over Pisa.
p 114 Guicciardini thinks Max wanted Pisa and more money for himself and that is why he was there
p 115-6 motives and view of Florence on Pisa, influence of Savonarola at this point
pp 117-19 Pisa takes action again and again to defend itself against Ludovico, Venice
pp 120-21 battles of Florence and Pisa
p 122 Pisa leans toward Venice after supplies granted
p 123 Ludovico was ill tempered and seen as ill-suited to be put in charge of Pisa
p 124 Max convinced he should go to Pisa, sent ambassadors to all allies to 'take Cognizance'
p 125 Venetian influence grew in Pisa w/ supply of troops and food
p 126 fear grows in Florence of losing Pisa
p 127 Ludovico of Milan kept petitioning the Pisan's to wait for Max
p 127-29 Pisa decided they should not defer to Max's decision and give up their rights before they had received their lost possessions taken thru violence
pp 130-32 Florentine ambassadors refuse to talk to Ludovico of Milan
p 132 Max leaves Genoa w/ six galleys and many more Genoese vessels, Venetian ships, and many armies in order to 'get a closer look' at Pisa from Livorno; Pietro Bembo says this happened on October 7, 1496.
p 133 but the French were in communication w/ Florence
p 134 French fleet encounters allies' preparatiions near Livorno
pp 135-36 siege of Livorno from sea and land: French ship drops off grain and leaves,
pp 137 cannon is used on Florentine castle but then a storm sinks Genoese ship w/ Max and 2 Venetian ships
p 138 Max makes it to Pisa, leaves for Vico Pisano, lays 2 bridges across the Arno then leaves for Milan asking Venice for more money. They refuse and he asks for 22000 Rhenish florins a month
p 139 Max goes on to Pavia, then Lomellino and then Cusago w/out entering Milan, and then Como
p 140 Max hurries home instead of seeing the pope's rep, Florence retakes Pisan forts and
p 141 Ludovico withdraws his armies. Venice consolidates theirs and looks for supplies. Meanwhile Tortona is taken by Venice
p 142 French retreat from more forts and return to France
pp 143-44 France decides to go after Genoa and Pope goes after holdings of the Orsini
pp 145-47 siege by pope of Bracciano the fortress of the Orsini
p 148 French arrive to give aid to Bracciano
pp 149-51 the siege was raised in time but incursions continued until
pp 152 peace articles over the Orsini were finalised
p 153 pope turns to secure the port city of Ostia from French
Alll the above taken from the online photocopy of the John Adams Library copy of this Second Edition of Austin Goddard's translation of The History of Italy, volume ii, London, 1763.
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