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 be shut out.

The Count Francesco was with his army at Tenna; and when the report was
first brought to him he refused to credit it; but being assured of
the fact by parties whom it would have been ridiculous to doubt, he
resolved, by the exertion of uncommon celerity, to repair the evil
negligence had occasioned; and though all his officers advised the
abandonment of Verona and Brescia, and a march to Vicenza, lest he
might be besieged by the enemy in his present situation, he refused, but
resolved to attempt the recovery of Verona. During the consultation, he
turned to the Venetian commissaries and to Bernardo de' Medici, who was
there as commissary for the Florentines, and promised them the recovery
of the place if one of the fortresses should hold out. Having collected