history of florence-第63节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



to　make　his　own　subservient　to　yours。　I　come；　therefore；　to　tender　his

services；　with　seven　thousand　cavalry　and　two　thousand　infantry；　ready

at　once　to　march　against　the　enemy；　wherever　he　may　be。　And　I　beg　of

you；　so　do　my　lords　at　Florence　and　the　count；　that　as　his　forces

exceed　the　number　he　has　engaged　to　furnish　you；　out　of　your

liberality；　would　remunerate　him；　that　he　may　not　repent　of　having

come　to　your　assistance；　nor　we；　who　have　prevailed　with　him　to　do

so。〃　This　discourse　of　Neri　to　the　senate　was　listened　to　with　that

profound　attention　which　an　oracle　might　be　imagined　to　command；　and

his　audience　were　so　moved　by　it；　that　they　could　not　restrain

themselves；　till　the　prince　had　replied；　as　strict　decorum　on　such

occasions　required；　but　rising　from　their　seats；　with　uplifted　hands；

and　most　of　them　with　tears　in　their　eyes；　they　thanked　the

Florentines　for　their　generous　conduct；　and　the　ambassador　for　his

unusual　dispatch；　and　promised　that　time　should　never　cancel　the

remembrance　of　such　goodness；　either　in　their　own　hearts；　or　their

children's；　and　that　their　country；　thenceforth；　should　be　common　to

the　Florentines　with　themselves。







CHAPTER　V



　　Francesco　Sforza　marches　to　assist　the　Venetians；　and　relieves

　　VeronaHe　attempts　to　relieve　Brescia　but　failsThe　Venetians

　　routed　by　Piccinino　upon　the　Lake　of　GardaPiccinino　routed　by

　　Sforza；　the　method　of　his　escapePiccinino　surprises　Verona

　　Description　of　VeronaRecovered　by　SforzaThe　duke　of　Milan

　　makes　war　against　the　FlorentinesApprehensions　of　the

　　FlorentinesCardinal　Vitelleschi　their　enemy。



When　their　demonstrations　of　gratitude　had　subsided；　the　Venetian

senate；　by　the　aid　of　Neri　di　Gino；　began　to　consider　the　route　the

count　ought　to　take；　and　how　to　provide　him　with　necessaries。　There

were　four　several　roads；　one　by　Ravenna；　along　the　beach；　which　on

account　of　its　being　in　many　places　interrupted　by　the　sea　and　by

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

m