he himself began to be in want of money, for the League supplied him
sparingly. The Florentines, being no longer in fear of the duke, ceased
to stand in need of the count, and the Venetians desired his ruin; for
they thought Lombardy could not be taken from him except by this means;
yet while Filippo sought to gain him over, and offered him the entire
command of his forces, on condition that he should restore La Marca to
the pope and quit the Venetian alliance, ambassadors were sent to him by
that republic, promising him Milan, if they took it, and the perpetual
command of their forces, if he would push the war in La Marca, and
prevent Alfonso from sending troops into Lombardy. The offers of the
Venetians were great, as also were their claims upon him, having begun
the war in order to save him from losing Cremona; while the injuries
received from the duke were fresh in his memory, and his promises had
lost all influence, still the count hesitated; for on the one hand, were
to be considered his obligations to the League, his pledged faith,
their recent services, and his hopes of the future, all which had
their influence on him; on the other, were the entreaties of his
father-in-law, and above all, the bane which he feared would be
concealed under the specious offers of the Venetians, for he doubted
not, that both with regard to Milan and their other promises, if they
were victorious, he would be at their mercy, to which no prudent men
would ever submit if he could avoid it. These difficulties in the way
of his forming a determination, were obviated by the ambition of the
Venetians, who, seeing a chance of occupying Cremona, from secret
intelligence with that city, under a different pretext, sent troops into
its neighborhood; but the affair was discovered by those who commanded
Cremona for the count, and measures were adopted which prevented
its success. Thus without obtaining Cremona, they lost the count's
friendship, who, now being free from all other considerations, joined
the duke.