trangers to his situation, saw the necessity of marching
without loss of time to his relief. This they had now in their power.
Twelve thousand Germans, whom the zeal and activity of Bourbon taught to
move with unusual rapidity, had entered Lombardy under his command, and
rendered the imperial army nearly equal to that of the French, greatly
diminished by the absence of the body under Albany, as well as by the
fatigues of the siege and the rigor of the season.

But the more their troops increased in number, the more sensibly did
the imperialists feel the distress arising from want of money. Far from
having funds for paying a powerful army, they had scarcely what was
sufficient for defraying the charges of conducting their artillery and
of carrying their ammunition and provisions. The abilities of the
generals, however, supplied every defect. By their own example, as well
as by magnificent promises in name of the Emperor, they prevailed on the
troops of all the different nations which composed their army to take
the field without pay; they engaged to lead them directly toward the
enemy, and flattered them with the certain prospect of victory, which
would at once enrich them with such royal spoils as would be an ample
reward for all their services. The soldiers, sensible that, by quitting
the army, they would forfeit the great arrears due to them, and eager to
get possession of the promised treasures, demanded a battle with all the
impatience of adventurers who fight only for plunder.

The imperial generals, without suffering the ardor of their troops to
cool, advanced immediately toward the French camp. On the first
intelligence of their approach, Francis called a council of war to
deliberate what course he ought to take. All his officers of greatest
experience were unanimous in advising him to retire, and to decline a
battle with an enemy who courted it from despair. The imperialists, they
observed, would either be obliged in a few weeks to disband an army
which they were unable to pay, and which they kept together only by the
hope of plunder, or the soldiers, enraged at the nonperformance of the
promises to which they had trusted, would rise in some furious mutiny,
which would allow their generals to think of nothing but their own
safety; that meanwhile he might encamp in some strong post, and, waiting
in safety the arrival of fresh troops from France and Switzerland, might
before the end of spring take possession of al