ancient enemies, the Grisons.  By fraud and force he worked his way into their territory, seized Morbegno, and overran the Valtelline.  He was destined, however, to receive a serious check.  Twelve thousand Switzers rose against him on the one hand, on the other the Duke of Milan sent a force by land and water to subdue his rebel subject, while Alessandro Gonzaga marched upon his castles in the Brianza.  He was thus assailed by formidable forces from three quarters, converging upon the Lake of Como, and driving him to his chosen element, the water.  Hastily quitting the Valtelline, he fell back to the Castle of Mandello on the lake, collected his navy, and engaged the ducal ships in a battle off Menaggio.  In this battle he was worsted.  But he did not lose his courage.  From Bellagio, from Varenna, from Bellano he drove forth his enemies, rolled the cannon of the Switzers into the lake, regained Lecco, defeated the troops of Alessandro Gonzaga, and took the Duke of Mantua prisoner.  Had he but held Como, it is probable that he might have obtained such terms at this time as would have consolidated his tyranny.  The town of Como, however, now belonged to the Duke of Milan, and formed an excellent basis for operations against the pirate.  Overmatched, with an exhausted treasury and broken forces, Il Medeghino was at last compelled to give in.  Yet he retired with all the honours of war.  In exchange for Musso and the lake, the Duke agreed to give him 35,000 golden crowns, together with the feud and marquisate of Marignano.  A free pardon was promised not only to himself and his brothers, but to all his followers; and the Duke further undertook to transport his artillery and munitions of war at his own expense to Marignano.  Having concluded this treaty under the auspices of Charles V. and his lieutenant, Il Medeghino, in March 1532, set sail from Musso, and turned his back upon the lake for ever.  The Switzers immediately destroyed the towers, forts, walls, and bastions of the Musso promontory, leaving in the midst of their ruins the little chapel of S. Eufemia.

Gian Giacomo de’ Medici, henceforth known to Europe as the Marquis of Marignano, now took service under Spain; and through the favour of Anton de Leyva, Viceroy for the Duchy, rose to the rank of Field Marshal.  When the Marquis del Vasto succeeded to the Spanish governorship of Milan in 1536, he determined to gratify an old grudge against the ex-pirate, and, having invited him to a banquet, made him prisoner.  II Medeghino was not, however, destined to languish in a dungeon.  Princes and kings interested themselves in his fate.  He was released, and journeyed to the court of Charles V. in Spain.  The Emperor received him kindly, and employed him first in the Low Countries, where he helped to repress the burghers of Ghent, and at the siege of Landrecy commanded the Spanish artillery against other Italian captains of adventure:  for, Italy being now dismembered and enslaved, her sons sought foreign service where they found best pay