No sooner had Pisani obtained the supreme command, than he set to work in earnest to provide for the safety of the city, the reorganization of the navy, and the conversion of the new levies into soldiers and sailors.  The hulls of forty galleys, which were lying in the arsenals, were taken in hand, and two-thirds of them were equipped and ready for sea in three days.

The population was full of ardour and enthusiasm, and crowded to the offices to register their names for service.  The women brought their jewels, to be melted down into money; and all vied with each other in zeal.

Pisani’s first task, after seeing the galleys put in hand, was to examine the defences Giustiniani had erected.  He at once pronounced the two wooden towers—­of which Francis had spoken so disrespectfully—­to be utterly useless, and ordered two tall towers, of solid masonry, to be erected in their stead.

Giustiniani was indignant at this condemnation of his work; and he and his friends so worked upon the minds of those who were to carry out the work, that they laid down their tools, and refused to embark upon such useless operations.  The news was brought to Pisani by one of his friends, and, starting in his gondola, he was soon upon the spot.

He wasted no time in remonstrating with the workmen on their conduct, but, seizing a trowel, lifted a heavy stone into its place, shouting: 

“Let him who loves Saint Mark follow my example!”

The success of the appeal was instantaneous.  The workmen grasped their tools.  A host of volunteers seized the stones and carried them to their places.  When they were exhausted, fresh workmen took their places, and in the incredibly short time of four days, the two castles were finished.

The workmen were next set to level the paling and earthwork, from Lido to San Spirito, and in the course of a fortnight the lofty and massive stone walls were erected.  By this time, something like a fleet was at Pisani’s disposal.  In spite of the conduct of Taddeo Giustiniani, Pisani, with his usual magnanimity, gave him the command of three large ships, mounting the heaviest guns in the arsenal.  The light boats were under the command of Giovanni Barberigo.  Federigo Cornaro was stationed with a force of galleys at San Spirito.  Nicholo Gallieano was charged with the defence of the Lazaretto, San Clemente, Santa Elena, and the neighbourhood; while on the strand between Lido and Malamocco, behind the main wall, were the mercenaries, eight thousand strong, under Jacopo Cavalli.  Heavy booms were placed across all the canals by which it was likely that the enemy’s fleet might advance.

Francis found his office, under the energetic admiral, no sinecure.  He was kept constantly moving from one point to the other, to see that all was going on well, and to report the progress made.  The work never ceased, night or day, and for the first week neither Francis, nor his commander, ever went to bed, contenting themselves with such chance sleep as they could snatch.