The winter having passed quietly over, the armies again took the field.  To produce the greater impression upon the enemy, the League united their whole force, and would easily have deprived the Venetians of all they possessed in Lombardy, if the war had been conducted in the same manner as during the preceding year; for by the departure of the duke of Lorraine, whose term of service had expired, they were reduced to six thousand horse and five thousand foot, while the allies had thirteen thousand horse and five thousand foot at their disposal.  But, as is often the case where several of equal authority are joined in command, their want of unity decided the victory to their enemies.  Federigo, marquis of Mantua, whose influence kept the duke of Calabria and Lodovico Sforza within bounds, being dead, differences arose between them which soon became jealousies.  Giovan Galeazzo, duke of Milan, was now of an age to take the government on himself, and had married the daughter of the duke of Calabria, who wished his son-in-law to exercise the government and not Lodovico; the latter, being aware of the duke’s design, studied to prevent him from effecting it.  The position of Lodovico being known to the Venetians, they thought they could make it available for their own interests; and hoped, as they had often before done, to recover in peace all they had lost by war; and having secretly entered into treaty with Lodovico, the terms were concluded in August, 1484.  When this became known to the rest of the allies, they were greatly dissatisfied, principally because they found that the places won from the Venetians were to be restored; that they were allowed to keep Rovigo and the Polesine, which they had taken from the marquis of Ferrara, and besides this retain all the pre-eminence and authority over Ferrara itself which they had formerly possessed.  Thus it was evident to everyone, they had been engaged in a war which had cost vast sums of money, during the progress of which they had acquired honor, and which was concluded with disgrace; for the places wrested from the enemy were restored without themselves recovering those they had lost.  They were, however, compelled to ratify the treaty, on account of the unsatisfactory state of their finances, and because the faults and ambition of others had rendered them unwilling to put their fortunes to further proof.

CHAPTER VI

Affairs of the pope—­He is reconciled to Niccolo Vitelli—­Discords between the Colonnesi and the Orsini—­Various events—­The war of Serezana—­Genoa occupied by her archbishop—­Death of Sixtus IV.—­Innocent VIII. elected—­Agostino Fregoso gives Serezana to the bank of St. Giorgio—­Account of the bank of St. Giorgio—­War with the Genoese for Serezana—­Stratagem of the Florentines to attack Pietra Santa—­Difficulties and final surrender of Pietra Santa—­The Lucchese lay claim to Pietra Santa—­The city of L’Aquila revolts against the king of Naples—­War between him and the pope—­The Florentines take the king’s party—­Peace between the pope and the king.