A War breaks tines. A War soon after breaking out between the Genoefe and Florenthe Genoefe tines, the Venetians, taking part with the latter, entered the Terand Floren- ritories of Philip Duke of Milan, who was in Alliance with Genoa, and in their Engagements afhore had good Success, but were worsted when they came to fight with their Gallies on the Po. Nicholas Trevifano commanded thofe of the Venetians, as John Grimaldi, an expert Genoefe Captain, did thofe of the Duke of Milan; who falling down from Pavia with his Fleet, near Cremona, engaged that of the Venetians (which was greatly fuperior) with fuch The Venetians Succefs, that he obtained a signal Victory, and took twenty eight who fided of the Enemy's Veffels. with the Flo- ten near Cre mona. Are again beaten near In 1431, Andrew Mocenigo, Admiral of the Venetian Fleet, making an Attempt upon the land of Scio, was defeated by Raphael Montaldo, who funk several of his Ships there, the rest being deftroyed by Tempests in his Return home. He had fcarce made his Retreat from thence, when Peter Spinola arrived with a Fleet of twenty four Sail from Genoa, who finding the Enemy retired, atThe Genoefe tacked, and reduced the Islands of Nacfia and Andri. In this manner was the War carried on between them with various Succefs, till the Year 1432, when a Peace was concluded between them by the A. D. 1432. Mediation of the Marquis of Ferrara, upon Terms the most advanbetween Vc-tagious to the Venetians; fince which time the Genoefe have not nice and Ge- been in any Capacity to cope with that Republick. take the I flands Nacfia A Peace made noa, and the Power of the 12th Turry CHA P. VII. Of the Naval Wars of the Genoele, containing thofe they have been engaged in with other Nations befides the Pifans and Venetians. HAV AVING thus related their Wars with the Pifans, we come now to treat of those they were engaged in with other PeoThe Wars of ple in general. In the Year 1206, John Strozza being Podeftat of the Genoele Genoa, (for fo their chief Magiftrate was then called) there were apin general. pointed (befides the Confuls, who executed the Office of Judges) 1206. four of the principal Citizens to affift him in the Care and Cognizance of maritime Affairs, who were called the Confuls of the Sea. The Republick was then in a very flourishing Condition; for the Cities of Nice and Vintimiglia had, of their own accord, fubmitted What Places to her Obedience; and the poffeffed Ceuta in Barbary, the City of Tyre in Syria, and the Islands of Corfica and Sardinia. the Genoefe The City and Port were greatly enlarged when the Families of Doria and Spinola bore the chief Sway, fometimes ruling alterA. D. 1300. nately, and fometimes jointly, till at length they became divided in the Factions of the Guelphs and Gibellines. The Doria's, who took part with the Gibellines, being expelled the City, laid waste The Facti- Guelphs and all Marabota all the Coafts of the Republick, with their Depredations; where- Stratagem. ons join a Sea. At length, the Subjects of Arragon very much infefting the Coasts of the Republick, and of Sardinia, the two contending Factions The two Faltiunited for their common Defence, and fitted out a Fleet of forty gainst those of five Gallies, the Command whereof was given to Anthony Grimaldi, Arragon, and who repairing to the Coafts of Catalonia, furprized a confiderable beat them at Number of Ships belonging to Tarragona, which lay at Anchor un. der the Shore, and fet them all on fire. From thence ftretching over to Majorca, he there made a Defcent, and formally declared War in the Name of the Republick against the King of Arragon, to whom that Ifland, with Minorca, then belonged; and departing A. D. 1333. thence, he, off Port Mahon, fell in with the Enemy's Fleet of forty two Gallies, which he engaged and put to flight. The next Year, Salagro Nigri cruifing off Minorca with ten of the Republick's Gallies, fell in with four ftout Ships of War of the Enemies, in their Paffage from Cagliari to Barcelona, with several noble Catalans and their Families. He was refolved not to let fo rich a Booty escape him, and therefore, though the Enemy were going right afore the Wind with a fresh Gale, he would not leave any thing unattempted which might contribute to his coming up with them, infomuch that he lightened his Gallies of every thing which could retard their way, and threw over all his Provifions, telling the Seamen there was enough on board the Ships before them, and that they muft overtake them, or starve. This fucceeded fo The Genoefe well, that he foon came up with the Ships, and, after a fmart Dif. meet with, pute, made himself Master of them, killing a confiderable Number vera! Ships of of Men, and taking feven hundred Prifoners. Thence making the Arragon. beft of his way for Sardinia, he on that Coaft met with ten Sail of the Enemy's Ships, which he alfo engaged, and taking them all, returned in Triumph to Genoa: And now the Quarrel between the The Quarrel Guelphs and Gibellines reviving, there was nothing more done a- Guelphs and gainst the Arragonefe; but the Divifions in the City were fo great, Gibellines rethat it caufed an Alteration in the Form of Government, Simon Boc- vives. canigra being made the firft Doge. and take fe between the Simon Boc Under his Administration, Simon Quarto was fent up the Archi. A. D. 1340. pelago with a Squadron of nine Gallies, who arriving at Pera, had canigra the great Complaints made to him of the Depredations committed on fir Doge. the Genoese Ships by Zarabis, a Mahometan Prince, who then poffeffed Sinopoli; whereupon he made fail towards that Place, in order to lay fiege to it; but on his Arrival there, Zarabis en tan Prince. gaging by Treaty not to moleft the Genoefe in their Trade any more, he repaired to Capha, in Little Tartary, then a flourishing SettleThe Treachery ment of the Republick's. Upon his Departure, the Infidel, withof aMahome out any regard to his Treaty, refolved to feize on fome Genoefe Merchant Ships richly laden, in their way to the Hellefpont, and went out with a Squadron of ten Gallies for that purpose; but Quarto receiving Intelligence of his Defign, reinforced his Squadron The Genoefe with fome Gallies which were at Capha, and failed in quest of Zaentirely defeat rabis, with whom engaging, he entirely defeated him. his Fleet. They affift the file against the King of King of Ca Morocco. A. D. 1345. About the fame time a Fleet of twenty Sail was fent under the Command of Giles Boccanigra, the Doge's Brother, to the Affistance of Alphonfus, King of Caftile, then engaged in a War with BenJacob, King of Morocco, who rendered great Service to that Prince against his Enemies; and foon after Buffenus Egubius was fent out with another Fleet on the fame Service, who took or destroyed twelve of the Enemy's Gallies. In 1345, a Fleet of twenty nine Sail was fitted out under the Command of Simon Vignofo, on board each of the Ships whereof were put two hundred Archers; and before the Admiral fet fail, the Standard of St. George, Patron of Genoa, was with great Ceremony put into his Hands by the Doge, in the Place of St. Laurence. With this Fleet Vignofo repaired firft to Terracina, against Nicholas, Overcome the Count of Fundi, who had declared against the Republick, and by di, and reco- feizing that Place, with fome of his Caftles about Gaeta, foon brought ver the land him to Reafon; and procceding thence to the Archipelago, reco Count of Fun Scio. vered the Island Scio, on whofe Inhabitants he conferred the Privileges of Citizens of Genoa, and reduced both Fochia Nova and Fochia Veja to the Obedience of the Republick. The Genoefe could not long continue without a Change of GoA. D. 1353. vernment, and now in 1353, the prevailing Faction fubmitted to John Genoa fubmits to the Visconti, Duke of Milan, under whofe Administration Philip DoGovernment ria went out with a Fleet of twenty Sail to the Coaft of Barbary, of the Duke where having defeated a confiderable Force of the Pirates, he seized They beat the and plundered Tripoli, their Place of Habitation, and laid waste all Pirates of the adjacent Country. Vifconti's Government was foon at an Tripoli, and end, and Simon Boccanigra, the late Doge, was again restored to ftored. that Dignity, who dying, was fucceeded by Gabriel Adorni, and A. D. 1371. he by Dominick Campofulgofo; in whofe Time the Ifland of Malta reduce Malta, was reduced to the Obedience of Genoa by Thomas Marchi. the Doge is re The Genoefe A. D. 1387. and with their Allies go against Tunis, In 1387, Anthony Adorni being Doge, the Genoese made a famous Expedition to Tunis, towards which they received great Affiftance both from the French and English, of which latter there was fent to them a Regiment, confifting moftly of Gentlemen Volunteers, under the Command of the Earl of Derby. But the Succefs of this Undertaking was not anfwerable to the great Preparations made for it, or the Strength of the Fleet and Army; which after having fuffered very much, returned without having gained any other Advantage than the Reduction of the Ifle of Zerbi, a Place but take only of fmall Confequence on the Coast of Tripoli. the Isle of Zerbi. Ten to the French put them Ten Years after they fubmitted to the French King, Charles VI, They submit and received for Governour from him Valerand de Luxembourg, King, but foon Count of St. Paul, but in a fhort time growing weary of him, they after kill the maffacred all the French in the City, and invited the Marquis of French, andMontferat to accept of their Obedience. In his time the Genoefe felves under renewed their old Quarrel with the Catalans, and under the Coin- the Marquis mand of Baptift Lifardo, and Paul Lercaro, defeated their Fleet of Moniferat. off of Alexandria in Egypt; while Andrew Doria repairing with ano- They beat the ther Squadron to Barcelona, burnt fome of the Enemy' Ships in Fleet of the the Road there. Catalans. of Montferat, France. French a The Gengefe not long after threw off the Government of the Marquis of Montferat; and in 1417, Thomas Fregofe being Doge, A. D. 1417. made a Peace with the French, who 'till that time only waited an Throw off the Opportunity to recover the Government of the Republick into their Government Hands; but now the English, under Henry V, being Mafters of the and make greatest Part of the Kingdom, the Regent willingly came into an Peace with Accommodation that might be of ufe to him against his Enemy. By this Treaty Fregofe engaged to furnish the French with eight great Carracks, as many Gallies, and fix hundred Cross-bow Men, com- They aid the manded by John Grimaldi, who did great Service against the Eng- in the gainst lib. The two Fleets, each confifting of above a hundred Sail, came English. to an Engagement in the Mouth of the Seine, where the Genoefe for a long time fuftained the most vigorous Attacks of the Enemy, 4 Sea Fight and the Ship commanded by Laurence Foglietta defended it felf a- French, Gegainst feven English Ships, 'till the was at length difengaged by the noefe and Dexterity of a Sailor, who cut the Cordage which held the Stage English. the English had thrown over to her Deck from one of their Ships. But notwithstanding all the Efforts the Genoefe could make, the French loft the Battel, wherein John de Franquimont, the Son of the Vice-Admiral was flain, and the Baftard of Bourbon, who com- and Genoefe manded the Fleet, remained a Prifoner to the English, who alfo beaten. took four of the Genoefe Carracks, on board which was a Sum of Money for the Payment of three Months Wages for the whole Fleet. between the The French A. D. 1420. help those of In 1420, Alphonfus King of Arragon invading the Island of Corfica, had Calvi prefently furrendered to him, and proceeding thence to Bonifacio laid ficge to that Place, carrying on the fame with fuch Vigour that the Inhabitants being foon reduced to great Distress, difpatched a Meffenger to Genoa to defire fpeedy Relief, whereupon The Genoefe John Baptift Fregofe was fent with a Squadron of feven great Ships Corfica ato their Affiftance. King Alphonfus, to prevent the City's receiv- gainst the ing any Relief by Sea, ihut up the Entrance of the Harbour with King of Arraa floating Boom, confifting of great Planks chained together, which gon. was defended within by five large Ships ranged in a Line, from the two outermoft whereof were Stages laid acrois to the Shore, as there were alfo from one Ship to the other; and on each fide of the Harbour's Mouth were raifed Batteries of Cannon. On the Arrival of Fregofe off of Bonifacio, the Garrifon fent him Advice, by a dextrous Swimmer, of the State of their Affairs, by whom he fignified his Directions to them to keep a good look out on their Walls, and the Boom in Bonifacio Harbour. and to be very vigilant, that fo they might prevent a Surprize, which the Enemy would probably now attempt; and when they fhould obferve he was attacking the Boom and Ships, to fally, out And breaking with a Body of ftout Fellows, each with an Ax in his Hand, and cut the Cables by which the Ships were held. The first Ship that began the Attack was one of confiderable Force, commanded by James Benicia, which going afore the Wind with a brisk Gale, forced her way through the Boom, and opened a Paffage to the Enemy's five Ships. Being immediately followed by others, there began a warm Difpute, which was maintained for a long time with confiderable Lofs on both fides. At length a skilful Diver, armed with a Helmet on his Head, and a Scymitar hung to his Side, threw himself into the Sea, and fwimming under Water to the Enemy's Ships, cut their Cables; which being thus loofed foon fell foul of one another with great Destruction. The Harbour being thus ed, Fregofe put into the Town his Reinforcement for the Garrison, They relieve with a Supply of Provisions, and paffing through the midst of the Enemy's Ficet, which waited for him off the Harbour's Mouth, returned fafely to Genoa. Corfica. Milan re folves to attack them. He beats them at Sea, open Now fresh Disturbances arifing in the City, feveral who had been bufie in fowing Sedition, were fentenced to Banifhment, who repairThe Duke of ing to Philip Duke of Milan, fo effectually pleaded their Caufe with him, that he refolved to attack the Republick, and for that purpofe hired eight Gallies of the Arragonefe, which he added to a number of his own, to attempt them by Sea. This Fleet he put under the Command of Raymond Corvariani, who, in the Mouth of the Arno, engaged the Genoefe Fleet, and with fuch Succefs that he took five Gallies, together with Baptift Fulgofe, the Admiral who comand they fub manded them; upon the News of which Defeat the City fubmitted it felf to Philip. Under his Government their Affairs very much declined, the Turks taking from them all that they possessed in the The Turks Black Sea, and infefted them with a Squadron of Gallies even in do much Mifchief to them. their very Port, where the Infidels landed, and carried off a great Booty. Philip being engaged in a War with Alphonfus King of Arragon (who was alfo King of both Sicilies, to wit, the Inland of that Name and the Kingdom of Naples) he fent out Biugio ASThey beat the fereto at the Head of the Genoefe Fleet, who entirely defeated the Enemy off Gaeta, and took Alphonfus himself Prisoner, together with feveral other Perfons of great Quality. mit to him. Fleet of Arragon. Soon after this, the Genoefe, upon occafion of the Duke of Milan's ill Treatment of them, refolved to throw off his Yoke, and, under the Conduct of Francis Spinola, executed their Defign, driShake off the ving all the Milanefe out of the City, and killing Opizini Alzate, Duke of Mi- the Perfon whom the Duke had made their Governour. Then lan, and fet fettling the Adminiftration of the Government in the Hands of fix Government Officers, with the Title of Defenders of the publick Liberty, (in on fix. oppofition to Philip and Alphonfus, who were now reconciled) they efpoufed the Caufe of René Duke of Anjou, Alphonfus's ComThey establish petitor for the Crown of Naples, and, notwithstanding all the EfRené Duke of forts of their Enemies, established him in that Kingdom, Anjou in Na tle their ples. Not |