herefore
published against him and fourteen of his followers. The English
ambassador declined to interfere in his behalf, and the man left Italy.
At the end of August he appeared at Brussels, where he attempted to
excuse himself in an interview with the Venetian ambassador. Now began a
diplomatic correspondence between the English Court and the Venetian
Council, which clearly demonstrates what kind of importance attached to
this private agent. The Chancellor Lord Wriothesley, and the Secretary
Sir William Paget, used considerable urgency to obtain a suspension of
the ban against Dall'Armi. After four months' negotiation, during which
the Papal Court endeavored to neutralize Henry's influence, the Doge
signed a safe-conduct for five years in favor of the bravo. Early in
1546 Lodovico reappeared in Lombardy. At Mantua he delivered a letter
signed by Henry himself to the Duke Francesco Gonzaga, introducing 'our
noble and beloved familiar Lodovico Dall'Armi,' and begging the Duke to
assist him in such matters as he should transact at Mantua in the king's
service.[230] Lodovico presented this letter in April; but the Duchess,
who then acted as regent for her son Francesco, refused to receive him.
She alleged that the Duke forbade the levying of troops for foreign
service, and declined to complicate his relations with foreign powers.
It seems, from a sufficiently extensive correspondence on the affairs of
Lodovico, that he was understood by the Italian princess to be charged
with some special commission for recruiting soldiers against the French.

[Footnote 230: This letter is dated February 16, 1546.]

The peace between England and France, signed at Guines in June,
rendered Lodovico's mission nugatory; and the death of Henry VIII. in
January 1547 deprived him of his only powerful support. Meanwhile he had
contrived to incur the serious displeasure of the Venetian Republic. In
the autumn of 1546 they outlawed one of their own nobles, Ser Mafio
Bernardo, on the charge of his having revealed state secrets to France.
About the middle of November, Bernardo, then living in concealment at
Ravenna, was lured into the pine forest by two men furnished with tokens
which secured his confidence. He was there murdered, and the assassins
turned out to be paid instruments of Lodovico. It now came to light that
Lodovico and Ser Mafio Bernardo had for some time past colluded in
political intrigue. If, therefore, the murder had a motive, this