rnishing it with bastions, and the valour of
Agostino Chisoni of Verona, a very valiant captain, in defending it
with arms, it was not after all taken by the enemy or forced to
surrender.

These wars finished, San Michele went with the Magnificent M. Tommaso
Mozzenigo, Captain General of the Fleet, to fortify Corfu once again;
and they then returned to Sebenico, where the diligence of Gian
Girolamo, shown by him in constructing the above-mentioned fortress of
S. Niccolo, was much commended. San Michele having then returned to
Venice, where he was much extolled for the works executed in the
Levant in the service of that Republic, the Signori resolved to build
a fortress on the Lido, at the mouth of the port of Venice. Wherefore,
giving the charge of this to San Michele, they said to him that, if he
had done such great things far away from Venice, he should think how
much it was his duty to do in a work of such importance, which was to
lie for ever under the eyes of the Senate and of so many great lords;
and that in addition, besides beauty and strength in the work, there
was expected of him particular industry in founding truly and well in
a marshy spot, which was surrounded on all sides by the sea and
exposed to the ebb and flow of the tide, a pile of such importance.
San Michele having therefore not only made a very beautiful and solid
model, but also considered the method of laying the foundations and
carrying it into effect, orders were given to him that he should set
his hand to the work without delay. Whereupon, after receiving from
those Signori all that was required, he prepared the materials for
filling in the foundations, and, besides this, caused great numbers of
piles to be sunk in double rows, and then, with a vast number of
persons well acquainted with those waters, he set himself to make the
excavations, and to contrive by means of pumps and other instruments
to keep the water pumped out, which was seen continually rising from
below, because the site was in the sea. One morning, finally,
resolving to make a supreme effort to begin the foundations, and
assembling as many men fit for the purpose as could be obtained, with
all the porters of Venice, and many of the Signori being present, in a
moment, with incredible assiduity and promptitude, the waters were
mastered for a little to such purpose, that the first stones of the
foundations were thrown instantly upon the piles already driven in;
which stones, be