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losses sudden and portentous.
[*] Battle of Caravaggio, 15th September 1448.
[+] Johanna II of Naples, the widow of Ladislao, King of
Naples.
[%] Giovanni Acuto. An English knight whose name
was Sir John Hawkwood. He fought in the English wars in
France, and was knighted by Edward III; afterwards he collected
a body of troops and went into Italy. These became
the famous ‘White Company.’ He took part in many wars,
and died in Florence in 1394. He was born about 1320 at
Sible Hedingham, a village in Essex. He married Domnia, a
daughter of Bernabo Visconti.
[#] Carmignuola. Francesco Bussone, born at Carmagnola
about 1390, executed at Venice, 5th May 1432.
[&] Bartolomeo Colleoni of Bergamo; died 1457. Roberto
of San Severino; died fighting for Venice against Sigismund,
Duke of Austria, in 1487. ‘Primo capitano in Italia.’—Machiavelli.
Count of Pitigliano; Nicolo Orsini, born 1442,
died 1510.
[$] Battle of Vaila in 1509.
And as with these examples I have reached Italy, which
has been ruled for many years by mercenaries, I wish to discuss
them more seriously, in order that, having seen their
rise and progress, one may be better prepared to counteract
them. You must understand that the empire has recently
come to be repudiated in Italy, that the Pope has acquired
more temporal power, and that Italy has been divided up
into more states, for the reason that many of the great cities
took up arms against their nobles, who, formerly favoured
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