The Florentines were thus embarrassed by two contrary impulses, the
wish to possess Lucca, and the dread of a war with Milan. As commonly
happens, fear was the most powerful, and they consented, after the
capture of Uzzano, that the count should go into Lombardy. There still
remained another difficulty, which, depending on circumstances beyond
the reach of their influence, created more doubts and uneasiness
than the former; the count would not consent to pass the Po, and the
Venetians refused to accept him on any other condition. Seeing no other
method of arrangement, than that each should make liberal concessions,
the Florentines induced the count to cross the river by a letter
addressed to the Signory of Florence, intimating that this private
promise did not invalidate any public engagement, and that he might
still refrain from crossing; hence it resulted that the Venetians,
having commenced the war, would be compelled to proceed, and that the
evil apprehended by the Florentines would be averted. To the
Venetians, on the other hand, they averred that this private letter was
sufficiently binding, and therefore they ought to be content; for if
they could save the count from breaking with his father-in-law, it was
well to do so, and that it could be of no advantage either to themselves
or the Venetians to publish it without some manifest necessity. It was
thus determined that the count should pass into Lombardy; and having
taken Uzzano, and raised bastions about Lucca to restrain in her
inhabitants, placed the management of the siege in the hands of the
commissaries, crossed the Apennines, and proceeded to Reggio, when
the Venetians, alarmed at his progress, and in order to discover his
intentions, insisted upon his immediately crossing the Po, and joining
the other forces. The count refused compliance, and many mutual
recriminations took place between him and Andrea Mauroceno, their
messenger on this occasion, each charging the other with arrogance