be realized as shortly as possible, if he abstained from hostilities
against him. As the lady was now of marriageable age, the duke had
frequently made all suitable preparations for the celebration of the
ceremony, but on one pretext or another they had always been wholly set
aside. He now, to give the count greater confidence, added deeds to his
words, and sent him thirty thousand florins, which, by the terms of the
marriage contract, he had engaged to pay.

Still the war in Lombardy proceeded with greater vehemence than ever;
the Venetians constantly suffered fresh losses of territory, and the
fleets they equipped upon the rivers were taken by the duke's forces;
the country around Verona and Brescia was entirely occupied, and the
two cities themselves so pressed, that their speedy fall was generally
anticipated. The marquis of Mantua, who for many years had led the
forces of their republic, quite unexpectedly resigned his command, and
went over to the duke's service. Thus the course which pride prevented
them from adopting at the commencement of the war, fear compelled them
to take during its progress; for knowing there was no help for them but
in the friendship of the Florentines and the count, they began to make
overtures to obtain it, though with shame and apprehension; for they
were afraid of receiving a reply similar to that which they had
given the Florentines, when the latter applied for assistance in the
enterprise against Lucca and the count's affairs. However, they found
the Florentines more easily induced to render aid than they expected, or
their conduct deserved; so much more were the former swayed by hatred of
their ancient enemy, than by resentment of the ingratitude of their
old and habitual friends. Having foreseen the necessity into which the
Venetians must come, they had informed the count that their ruin must
involve his own; that he was deceived if he thought the duke, while
fortune, would esteem him more than if he were in adversity; that the