er, and no guard was kept, so that the
Dutchman, disguised as a trooper, passed through them without any
opposition, and brought his master in safety to his own troops.

Had this victory been as carefully improved as it was fortunately
obtained, Brescia would have derived from it greater relief and the
Venetians more permanent advantage; but they, having thoughtlessly let
it slip, the rejoicings were soon over, and Brescia remained in her
former difficulties. Niccolo, having returned to his forces, resolved by
some extraordinary exertion to cancel the impression of his death,
and deprive the Venetians of the change of relieving Brescia. He was
acquainted with the topography of the citadel of Verona, and had learned
from prisoners whom he had taken, that it was badly guarded, and might
be very easily recovered. He perceived at once that fortune presented
him with an opportunity of regaining the laurels he had lately lost, and
of changing the joy of the enemy for their recent victory into sorrow
for a succeeding disaster. The city of Verona is situated in Lombardy,
at the foot of the mountains which divide Italy from Germany, so that
it occupies part both of hill and plain. The river Adige rises in the
valley of Trento, and entering Italy, does not immediately traverse the
country, but winding to the left, along the base of the hills, enters
Verona, and crosses the city, which it divides unequally, giving much
the larger portion to the plain. On the mountain side of the river are
two fortresses, formidable rather from their situation than from their
actual strength, for being very elevated they command the whole place.
One is called San Piero, the other San Felice. On the opposite side of
the Adige, upon the plain, with their backs against the city walls, are
two other fortresses, about a mile distant from each other, one called
the Old the other the New Citadel, and a wall extends between them that
may be compared to a bowstring, of which the city wall is the arc. The
space comprehended within this segment is very populous, and is called
the Borgo of St. Zeno. Niccolo Piccinino designed to capture these
fortresses and the Borgo, and he hoped to succeed without much
difficulty, as well on account of the ordinary negligence of the guard,
which their recent successes would probably increase, as because in
war no enterprise is more likely to be successful than one which by the
enemy is deemed impossible. With a body of picked