tered
remnants of his people followed him; and by soliciting his friends, he
obtained money and a small force. He sent again for assistance to the
pope and the duke, by both of whom he was supplied more liberally
and speedily than before; for they began to entertain most serious
apprehensions of his losing the kingdom. His hopes were thus revived;
and, marching from Naples, he regained his reputation in his dominions,
and soon obtained the places of which he had been deprived. While the
war was proceeding in the kingdom, a circumstance occurred by which
John of Anjou lost his influence, and all chance of success in
the enterprise. The Genoese had become so weary of the haughty and
avaricious dominion of the French, that they took arms against the
viceroy, and compelled him to seek refuge in the castelletto; the
Fregosi and the Adorni united in the enterprise against him, and were
assisted with money and troops by the duke of Milan, both for the
recovery and preservation of the government. At the same time, King Rene
coming with a fleet to the assistance of his son, and hoping to recover
Genoa by means of the castelletto, upon landing his forces was so
completely routed, that he was compelled to return in disgrace to
Provence. When the news of his father's defeat reached Naples, John was
greatly alarmed, but continued the war for a time by the assistance of
those barons who, being rebels, knew they would obtain no terms from
Ferrando. At length, after various trifling occurrences, the two royal
armies came to an engagement, in which John was routed near Troia, in
the year 1463. He was, however, less injured by his defeat than by the
desertion of Jacopo Piccinino, who joined Ferrando; and, being abandoned
by his troops, he was compelled to take refuge in Istria, and thence
withdrew to France. This war continued four years. John's failure was
attributable to negligence; for victory was often within his grasp,
but he did not take proper means to secure it. The Florentines took no
decisive part in this war. John, king of Aragon, who succeeded upon the
death of Alfonso, sent ambassadors to request their assistance for his
nephew Ferrando, in compliance with the terms of the treaty recently
made with his father Alfonso. The Florentines replied, that they were
under no obligation; that they did not think proper to assist the son
in a war commenced by the father with his own forces; and that as it was
begun without either their c