history of florence-第57部分

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marshes；　was　not　approved。　The　next　was　the　most　direct；　but　rendered

inconvenient　by　a　tower　called　the　Uccellino；　which　being　held　for　the

duke；　it　would　be　necessary　to　capture；　and　to　do　this；　would　occupy

more　time　than　could　be　spared　with　safety　to　Verona　and　Brescia。　The

third　was　by　the　brink　of　the　lake；　but　as　the　Po　had　overflowed　its

banks；　to　pass　in　this　direction　was　impossible。　The　fourth　was　by　the

way　of　Bologna　to　Ponte　Puledrano；　Cento；　and　Pieve；　then　between　the

Bondeno　and　the　Finale　to　Ferrara；　and　thence　they　might　by　land　or

water　enter　the　Paduan　territory；　and　join　the　Venetian　forces。　This

route；　though　attended　with　many　difficulties；　and　in　some　parts

liable　to　be　disputed　by　the　enemy；　was　chosen　as　the　least

objectionable。　The　count　having　received　his　instructions；　commenced

his　march；　and　by　exerting　the　utmost　celerity；　reached　the　Paduan

territory　on　the　twentieth　of　June。　The　arrival　of　this　distinguished

commander　in　Lombardy　filled　Venice　and　all　her　dependencies　with

hope；　for　the　Venetians；　who　only　an　instant　before　had　been　in　fear

for　their　very　existence；　began　to　contemplate　new　conquests。



The　count；　before　he　made　any　other　attempt；　hastened　to　the　relief　of

Verona；　and　to　counteract　his　design；　Niccolo　led　his　forces　to　Soave；

a　castle　situated　between　the　Vincentino　and　the　Veronese；　and

entrenched　himself　by　a　ditch　that　extended　from　Soave　to　the　marshes

of　the　Adige。　The　count；　finding　his　passage　by　the　plain　cut　off；

resolved　to　proceed　by　the　mountains；　and　thus　reach　Verona；　thinking

Niccolo　would　imagine　this　way　to　be　so　rugged　and　elevated　as　to　be

impracticable；　or　if　he　thought　otherwise；　he　would　not　be　in　time　to

prevent　him；　so；　with　provisions　for　eight　days；　he　took　the　mountain

path；　and　with　his　forces；　arrived　in　the　plain；　below　Soave。　Niccolo

had；　even　upon　this　route；　erected　some　bastions　for　the　purpose　of

preventing　him；　but　they　were　insufficient　for　the　purpose；　and

finding　the　enemy　had；　contrary　to　his　expectations；　effected　a

passage；　to　avoid　a　disadvantageous　engagement　he　crossed　to　the

opposite　side　of　the　Adige；　and　the　count　entered　Verona　without

opposition。



Having　happily　succeeded　in　his　first　project；　that　of　relieving

Verona；　the　count　now　endeavored　to　render　a　similar　service　to

Brescia。　This　city　is　situated　so　close　to　the　Lake　of　Garda；　that

although　besieged　by　land；　provisions　may　always　be　sent　into　it　by

water。　On　this　account　the　duke　had　assembled　a　large　force　in　the

immediate　vicinity　of　the　lake；　and　at　the　commencement　of　his

victories　occupied　all　the　places　which　by　its　means　might　relieve

Brescia。　The　Venetians　also　had　galleys　upon　the　lake；　but　they　were

unequal　to　a　contest　with　those　of　the　duke。　The　count　therefore

deemed　it　advisable　to　aid　the　Venetian　fleet　with　his　land　forces；　by

which　means　he　hoped　to　obtain　without　much　difficulty　those　places

which　kept　Brescia　in　blockade。　He　therefore　encamped　before

Bardolino；　a　fortress　situated　upon　the　lake；　trusting　that　after　it

was　taken　the　others　would　surrender。　But　fortune　opposed　this　design；

for　a　great　part　of　his　troops　fell　sick；　so；　giving　up　the

enterprise；　he　went　to　Zevio；　a　Veronese　castle；　in　a　healthy　and

plentiful　situation。　Niccolo；　upon　the　count's　retreat；　not　to　let

slip　an　opportunity　of　making　himself　master　of　the　lake；　left　his

camp　at　Vegasio；　and　with　a　body　of　picked　men　took　the　way　thither；

attacked　the　Venetian　fleet　with　the　utmost　impetuosity；　and　took

nearly　the　whole　of　it。　By　this　victory　almost　all　the　fortresses　upon

the　lake　fell　into　his　hands。



The　Venetians；　alarmed　at　this　loss；　and　fearing　that　in　consequence

of　it　Brescia　would　surrender；　solicited　the　count；　by　letters　and

messengers；　to　go　to　its　relief；　and　he；　perceiving　that　all　hope　of

rendering　assistance　from　the　lake　was　cut　off；　and　that　to　attempt　an

approach　by　land；　on　account　of　the　ditches；　bastions；　and　other

defenses　erected　by　Niccolo；　was　marching　to　certain　destruction；

determined　that　as　the　passage　by　the　mountains　had　enabled　him　to

relieve　Verona；　it　should　also　contribute　to　the　preservation　of

Brescia。　Having　taken　this　resolution；　the　count　left　Zevio；　and　by

way　of　the　Val　d'Acri　went　to　the　Lake　of　St。　Andrea；　and　thence　to

Torboli　and　Peneda；　upon　the　Lake　of　Garda。　He　then　proceeded　to

Tenna；　and　besieged　the　fortress；　which　it　was　necessary　to　occupy

before　he　could　reach　Brescia。



Niccolo；　on　being　acquainted　with　the　count's　design；　led　his　army　to

Peschiera。　He　then；　with　the　marquis　of　Mantua　and　a　chosen　body　of

men；　went　to　meet　him；　and　coming　to　an　engagement；　was　routed；　his

people　dispersed；　and　many　of　them　taken；　while　others　fled　to　the

fleet；　and　some　to　the　main　body　of　his　army。　It　was　now　nightfall；

and　Niccolo　had　escaped　to　Tenna；　but　he　knew　that　if　he　were　to

remain　there　till　morning；　he　must　inevitably　fall　into　the　enemy's

hands；　therefore；　to　avoid　a　catastrophe　which　might　be　regarded　as

almost　fatal；　he　resolved　to　make　a　dangerous　experiment。　Of　all　his

attendants　he　had　only　with　him　a　single　servant；　a　Dutchman；　of　great

personal　strength；　and　who　had　always　been　devotedly　attached　to　him。

Niccolo　induced　this　man　to　take　him　upon　his　shoulders　in　a　sack；　as

if　he　had　been　carrying　property　of　his　master's；　and　to　bear　him　to　a

place　of　security。　The　enemy's　lines　surrounded　Tenna；　but　on　account

of　the　previous　day's　victory；　all　was　in　disorder；　and　no　guard　was

kept；　so　that　the　Dutchman；　disguised　as　a　trooper；　passed　through

them　without　any　opposition；　and　brought　his　master　in　safety　to　his

own　troops。



Had　this　victory　been　as　carefully　improved　as　it　was　fortunately

obtained；　Brescia　would　have　derived　from　it　greater　relief　and　the

Venetians　more　permanent　advantage；　but　they；　having　thoughtlessly　let

it　slip；　the　rejoicings　were　soon　over；　and　Brescia　remained　in　her

former　difficulties。　Niccolo；　having　returned　to　his　forces；　resolved

by　some　extraordinary　exertion　to　cancel　the　impression　of　his　death；

and　deprive　the　Venetians　of　the　change　of　relieving　Brescia。　He　was

acquainted　with　the　topography　of　the　citadel　of　Verona；　and　had

learned　from　prisoners　whom　he　had　taken；　that　it　was　badly　guarded；

and　might　be　very　easily　recovered。　He　perceived　at　once　that　fortune

presented　him　with　an　opportunity　of　regaining　the　laurels　he　had

lately　lost；　and　of　changing　the　joy　of　the　enemy　for　their　recent

victory　into　sorrow　for　a　succeeding　disaster。　The　city　of　Verona　is

situated　in　Lombardy；　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　which　divide　Italy

from　Germany；　so　that　it　occupies　part　both　of　hill　and　plain。　The

river　Adige　rises　in　the　valley　of　Trento；　and　entering　Italy；　does

not　immediately　traverse　the　country；　but　winding　to　the　left；　along

the　base　of　the　hills；　enters　Verona；　and　crosses　the　city；　which　it

divides　unequally；　giving　much　the　larger　portion　to　the　plain。　On　the

mountain　side　of　the　river　are　two　fortresses；　formidable　rather　from

their　situation　than　from　their　actual　strength；　for　being　very

elevated　they　command　the　whole　place。　One　is　called　San　Piero；　the

other　San　Felice。　On　the　opposite　side　of　the　Adige；　upon　the　plain；

with　their　backs　against　the　city　walls；　are　two　other　fortresses；

about　a　mile　distant　from　each　other；　one　called　the　Old　the　other　the

New　Citadel；　and　a　wall　extends　between　them　that　may　be　compared　to　a

bowstring；　of　which　the　city　wall　is　the　arc。　The　space　comprehended

within　this　segment　is　very　populous；　and　is　called　the　Borgo　of　St。

Zeno。　Niccolo　Piccinino　designed　to　capture　these　fortresses　and　the

Borgo；　and　he　hoped　to　succeed　without　much　difficulty；　as　well　on

account　of　the　ordinary　negligence　of　the　guard；　which　their　recent

successes　would　probably　increase；　as　because　in　war　no　enterprise　is

more　likely　to　be　successful　than　one　which　by　the　enemy　is　deemed

impossible。　With　a　body　of　picked　men；　and　accompanied　by　the　marquis

of　Mantua；　he　proceeded　by　night　to　Verona；　silently　scaled　the　walls；

and　took　the　New　Citadel：　then　entering　the　place　with　his　troops；　he

forced　the　gate　of　S。　Antonio；　and　introduced　the　whole　of　his

cavalry。　The　Venetian　garrison　of　the　Old　Citadel　hearing　an　uproar；

when　the　guards　of　the　New　were　slaughtered；　and　again　when　the　gate

was　forced；　being　now　aware　of　the　presence　of　enemies；　raised　an

alarm；　and　called　the　people　to　arms。　The　citizens　awaking　in　the

utmost　confusion；　some　of　the　boldest　armed　and　hastened　to　the

rector's　piazza。　In　the　meantime；　Niccolo's　forces　had　pillaged　the

Borgo　of　San　Zeno；　and　proceeding　onward　were　ascertained　by　the

people　to　be　the　duke's　forces；　but　being　defenseless　they　advised　the

Venetian　rectors　to　take　refuge　in　the　fortresses；　and　thus　save

themselves　and　the　place；　as　it　was　more　advisable　to　preserve　their

lives　and　so　rich　a　city　for　better　fortune；　than　by　endeavoring　to

repel　the　present　evil；　encounter　certain　death；　and　incur　universal

pillage。　Upon　this　the　rectors　and　all　the　Venetian　party；　fled　to　the

fortress　of　San　Felice。　Some　of　the　first　citizens；　anxious　to　avoid

being　plundered　by　the　troops；　presented　themselves　before　Niccolo　and

the　marquis　of　Mantua；　and　begged　they　would　rather　take　possession　of

a　rich　city；　with　honor　to　themselves；　than　of　a　poor　one　to　their　own

disgrace；　particularly　as　they　had　not　induced　either　the　favor　of　its

former　possessors；　or　the　animosity　of　its　present　masters；　by　self…

defense。　The　marquis　and　Niccolo　encouraged　them；　and　protected　their

property　to　the　utmost　of　their　power　during　such　a　state　of　military

license。　As　they　felt　sure　the　count　would　endeavor　to　recover　the

city；　they　made　every　possible　exertion　to　gain　possession　of　the

fortresses；　and　those　they　could　not　seize　they　cut　off　from　the　rest

of　the　place　by　ditches　and　barricades；　so　that　the　enemy　might