The pope imprisons the cardinal and assists the Florentines--Difference
of opinion between the count and the Venetians respecting the management
of the war. The Florentines reconcile them--The count wishes to go into
Tuscany to oppose Piccinino, but is prevented by the Venetians--Niccolo
Piccinino in Tuscany--He takes Marradi, and plunders the neighborhood
of Florence--Description of Marradi--Cowardice of Bartolomeo
Orlandini--Brave resistance of Castel San Niccolo--San Niccolo
surrenders--Piccinino attempts to take Cortona, but fails.

While the Florentines were thus anxious, fortune disclosed the means of
securing themselves against the patriarch's malevolence. The republic
everywhere exercised the very closest espionage over epistolary
communication, in order to discover if any persons were plotting against
the state. It happened that letters were intercepted at Monte Pulciano,
which had been written by the patriarch to Niccolo without the pope's
knowledge; and although they were written in an unusual character, and
the sense so involved that no distinct idea could be extracted, the
obscurity itself, and the whole aspect of the matter so alarmed the
pontiff, that he resolved to seize the person of the cardinal, a duty he
committed to Antonio Rido, of Padua, who had the command of the castle
of St. Angelo, and who, after receiving his instructions, soon found
an opportunity of carrying them into effect. The patriarch, having
determined to go into Tuscany, prepared to leave Rome on the following
day, and ordered the castellan to be upon the drawbridge of the fortress
in the morning, for he wished to speak with him as he passed. Antonio
perceived this to be the favorable moment, informed his people what they
were to do, and awaited the arrival of the patriarch upon the bridge,
which adjoined the building, and might for the purpose of security be
raised or lowered as occasion required. The appointed time found him
punctual; and Antonio, having drawn him, as if for the convenience