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