therefore, in assigning to each their portion of the enterprise, he
consented that the Venetians should attack Crema, and himself, with the
other forces, assail the remainder of the territory. The advantage of
this arrangement kept the Venetians so long in alliance with the count,
that he was enabled to conquer the whole of the Milanese territory, and
to press the city so closely, that the inhabitants could not provide
themselves with necessaries; despairing of success, they sent envoys to
the Venetians to beg they would compassionate their distress, and, as
ought to be the case between republics, assist them in defense of their
liberty against a tyrant, whom, if once master of their city, they would
be unable to restrain; neither did they think he would be content with
the boundaries assigned him by the treaty, but would expect all the
dependencies of Milan.

The Venetians had not yet taken Crema, and wishing before they changed
sides, to effect this point, they PUBLICLY answered the envoys, that
their engagements with the count prevented them from defending the
Milanese; but SECRETLY, gave them every assurance of their wish to do
so.

The count had approached so near Milan with his forces, that he was
disputing the suburbs with the inhabitants, when the Venetians having
taken Crema, thought they need no longer hesitate to declare in favor of
the Milanese, with whom they made peace and entered into alliance; among
the terms of which was the defense of their liberty unimpaired. Having
come to this agreement, they ordered their forces to withdraw from the
count's camp and to return to the Venetian territory. They informed
him of the peace made with the Milanese, and gave him twenty days to
consider what course he would adopt. He was not surprised at the step
taken by the Venetians, for he had long foreseen it, and expected its
occurrence daily; but when it actually took place, he could not
avoid feeling regret and displeasure similar to what the Milanese had
experienced when he abandoned them. He took two days to consider the
reply he would make to the ambassadors whom the Venetians had sent to
inform him of the treaty, and during this time he determined to dupe the
Venetians, and not abandon his enterprise; therefore, appearing openly
to accept the proposal for peace, he sent his ambassadors to Venice with
full credentials to effect the ratification, but gave them secret orders
not to do so, and with pretexts or cavil