he knew how to obey and to judge correctly; for his second attempt was not more successful than the first, although he spared neither his troops nor himself.

Winter had now arrived. The Genoese had employed the fine season in preparing a formidable armament. The Venetians had been more active. They had taken Cattaro, Sebenigo, and Arbo from the enemy; but their crews, which had kept the sea more than a year, had need of repose. Pisani demanded leave to return to Venice in order that he might there re-establish his fleet during the winter. The Senate judged differently. Anxious for the safety of Istria, they ordered the admiral to enter the bay of Pola with his fleet, so that he might be ready to oppose any attempt made by the enemy against that coast. Unfortunately, that road offered none of the means necessary for placing the fleet in a good condition. Sickness made rapid progress, and, notwithstanding the succors which had been sent from Venice, Pisani saw his crews reduced to such a point, that hardly enough remained to him to man six of the thirty galleys which composed his fleet.

Nevertheless, he received at the beginning of 1379, a reinforcement of eleven galleys, with orders to put to sea, and to convoy ships which were to go to Apulia in search of corn. In this voyage the fleet was harassed by a tempest, and several vessels dispersed. Two of them took refuge in the port of Ancona, where, in defiance of the law of nations, they were seized by the Genoese. This loss was not compensated by the glory of offering combat to a squadron of fifteen galleys, which the Venetians cannonaded from a distance, and which united itself to the fleet the Genoese had organized at Zara since the preceding campaign. In this rencontre, Pisani received a severe wound.

V. It was not until the end of May, 1379, that the Genoese took the offensive. Twenty-two of their galleys, under the command of Luciano Doria, went to provoke the fleet of Pisani, which had returned to its station at Pola. The Genoese, in order the more surely to draw the Venetians out of the bay, did not display all their forces. Pisani would not give orders to weigh anchor. His captains, less pa

than himself, or weary of so long and

painful a confinement, demanded battle with loud cries. The provvectitori required him to give the signal. The admiral, who adopted the course with pain, bore himself resolutely. He sailed out with twenty galleys, rushed upon the flag-ship of the Genoese, attacked it by boarding, and carried it, after having killed the enemy's commander. The loss of the general, ordinarily so fatal in battle, excited the Genoese to new fury. Those of their ships which had not appeared in the beginning of the action, arrived at this moment. The crews of the Venetian ships were weak, and in less than two hours they had two thousand men placed hors du combat. The combat became more and more unequal In spite of the activity and example of Pisani, his line bent, the enemy broke through it, and became masters of fifteen Venetian galleys, and of nineteen hundred prisoners, among whom were twenty-four patricians Pisani took refuge at Parenzo with the remains of his fleet, whence he was recalled to Venice by the Senate.

VI. There, instead of being protected by his lofty reputation, his noble character, and the memory of his former victories, he found only accusers of his misfortune, an ungrateful people, and severe judges, who instituted a process against him, forgetting that, had his counsels been followed, the fleet would not have been reduced to that feeble condition by which the enemy had profited. The avvogardri were for proceeding against him capitally, and the other judges believed that they acted with mercy in throwing him into a dungeon, and in declaring him incapable of holding any public office for five years; as if it were in the power of men to deprive a great citizen of his talents, which Heaven had given him because it had reserved him to be the saviour of his unjust country.

There remained to the Venetians not more than five or six disposable galleys Nevertheless, the Genoese, whose fleet had been increased by the fifteen galleys captured in the battle of Pola, waited the ar rival of fifteen more, led by Pietro Doris, the new commander of the armamest. They would not undertake anything against Venice before they had concentrated their forces. They employed the intervs! in retaking the places captured by the Ve netians. Cattaro and Sebenigo fell int

pass the night before Chiozza. The following day, the Genoese fleet left the lagunes by the channel of Brondolo, and sailed for Dalmatia. Nothing could be more menacing than such a reconnoissance. A few days after, the Genoese appeared a second time. At first, they presented only six galleys, which encouraged the Venetians to go out and resist them; but scarcely had they debouched from the Lido, than they perceived six other large vessels coming to reinforce the enemy. The Venetian squadron was compelled to seek safety in port, and to leave the Genoese to observe all the approaches to the capital, to enter among the lagunes by the channel of Malamoreo, anchor before Chiozza, and study for eight days the depths of the canals, and all their sinuosities. When they had departed, the Venetians hastened to bar the pass of Malamoreo, that of Chiozza, and the others, as they had closed the entrance of the Port of San Nicolo del Lido. All the beacons that served for guides in the navigation of the shallow waters were removed. They posted more troops on the shore. A garrison of three thousand men was thrown into Chiozza. Six galleys, the sad remains of the Venetian marine, were confided to Thadeo Justiniani, in order to defend the port of Venice; and a flotilla, composed of all the small vessels which they could arm, was sent, under the orders of Giovanni Barbadigo, to cruise in the lagunes, in order to prevent the troops of the Lord of Padua, assembled on the coast, from holding communication with the Genoese, as they traversed the basin.

IX. These dispositions had scarcely been terminated, when, on the 6th of August, forty-seven galleys, commanded by Pietro Doria, appeared and menaced the port of the Lido. Finding it too difficult to be forced, the fleet stood to the south, coasted along the shore, and finding the pass of Malamoreo equally well defended, it was determined to attack that of Chiozza. The Lord of Padua seconded this attack. sent down boats by the canals of the Brenta, which assaulted a large vessel that protected the stockade. Whilst the Genoese redoubled their efforts to destroy it, the troops of Carrara, on the other side, tore away the planks and set the vessel on fire.

He

obstacle was at last overcome, and

the enemy penetrated into the lagunes, and laid siege to Chiozza. This city, which is situated at the extremity of an island, with which it is connected only by a bridge two hundred feet in length, is surrounded by shallow waters, which render it inaccessible on all other sides. The citizens were enrolled, and shared with the garrison the defence of the place.

The forces of the Genoese, and the troops which Carrara had assembled at the point of Brondolo, formed an army of twenty-four thousand men. of August they assaulted the defences of the bridge, and the next day made a general attack. The tête du pont was carried, but beyond that there remained to be taken the drawbridge and the fortifications. The 13th was passed in cannonading them; the 14th and 15th new assaults were made with such fury that they lasted the entire day, but were repulsed with a still greater constancy. On the 16th the assailants resolved to make some last efforts to carry or destroy the bridge. Whilst they attacked it on all sides, they sent against it incendiary machines. resistance was equally vigorous, and already Carrara had proposed to abandon the enterprise, when flames were seen to arise from a fireship, but which were supposed to proceed from the burning of the bridge itself. The Venetian troops, fearing that all retreat would in an instant be cut off, hastened to repass it, but with such precipitation, that the enemy in pursuing them, entered with them pêle-mêle into the place, which they sacked.

The

This siege of six days had cost the Ve netians six thousand men, and four thonsand more had fallen into the hands of the Genoese. The loss of the conquerors had been much more considerable; but they found themselves masters of a fortified town, and assured of a passage from the ses to the lagunes, and of a communication with the continent; and the cannon which had bombarded Chiozza, had been heard a Venice. It was in the name of the Lord of Padua that the allies took possession of their new conquest, and to whom the habitants took the oath of fidelity. Car rara proposed to immediately attack Ve nice, in order to profit by the consternation that reigned there from this event. Bu the Genoese wished to establish them

selves solidly in this advanced post, before commencing new operations. Venice, blockaded by sea, and having only enemies on the neighboring coast; compelled to contend for a few leagues of sand-bank, and not daring to hazard the remains of her fleet, even in the lagunes, could hope to receive no succor. She had no allies; she would soon find herself a prey to famine; and despair would deliver her into the hands of the Genoese. Doria judged that prudence counselled him to secure himself in his position, without precipitating anything, since that of the enemy could only become worse.

X. In fact, Venice was in a state of profound consternation and extreme agitation. It was at midnight that they had learned the fall of Chiozza by the return of some brave men who had vainly endeavored to throw themselves into the place. The bell of St. Mark's immediately called the whole population to arms. Citizens of all ranks confusedly passed the rest of the night on the public places, expecting every minute to see the enemy attack the city, where no means of resistance had been organized. At day-break, they saw the standard of St. George waving from the towers of Chiozza, over that of St. Mark.

The lamentations of the women, the agitation of the people, the anxiety of those who trembled for their property, the disquiet of the magistrates, which revealed hat the city was inadequately provisioned, he thousands of voices that were demandng peace on any conditions; all these hings determined the Council to send amassadors to the Genoese admiral. The Doge wrote to the Lord of Padua in terms hich clearly announced the distress of e republic. He treated that ancient vas1 as an equal, implored his friendship, d requested him to dictate the conditions peace.

Doria, to whom the Venetians had prented some prisoners of his country, in e hope of disposing him to be more orable to themselves, said to the amsadors, “You can take them back; it ny intention to effect their immediate derance, and that of all their companions."

rara,

with still more haughtiness, them that he would listen to no propon until after he should have bridled bronze horses at the gate of St. Mark's.

These bitter and arrogant replies completed the discouragement and despair of the Venetians. At the same time they learned that the enemy had carried, successively, all the republic's fortified ports on the coast of Italy. Only one port, situated in the midst of the salt marshes, still held out. The garrison of Malamoreo had fallen back on the Lido, and the Genoese had occupied that place, and consequently a portion of the island which forms the port of Venice. There remained to the republic a territory of only two leagues. enemy was so near, that orders were given not to sound the bell of St. Mark's for the assembling of the people, from the fear that he might understand the signal.

The

There appeared to be no time to arm, much less to construct a fleet. But how, without a fleet, could provisions be procured, or the enemy be compelled to withdraw? They still had in the port some vessels susceptible of repairs, and the arsenal was well provided with materials; but when the ships should be ready for sea, where were they to find sailors? Such was the condition of Venice, expecting to be attacked on the morrow, and yet requiring several months to prepare for re

sistance.

Nevertheless, after having vainly demanded peace, it was necessary to renew the combat. Various works were executed to render the approaches more difficult. They labored in the arsenal with. the greatest activity to repair some galleys that were found there, and even to construct others. A general enumeration of the boats that existed on the canals of the capital, made known the extent of their resources in that quarter. The organization of the armed citizens was perfected; arms were distributed, and rolls were opened for the inscription of the names of men accustomed to the sea service, or capable of learning it.

XI. When it is necessary to stimulate the zeal of the multitude, it is not to its obedience only that appeals should be made, but also to its interest; and then it is natural that it should intermeddle and judge of the measures in which it is concerned; this should be expected. The workmen who had been assembled at the arsenal, the sailors who had been enrolled, the citizens of all classes, and the artisans