ncidents but
those that refer to Louis XII. and to France, to their procedure and
their fortunes.

Jealousy, ambition, secret resentment, and the prospect of despoiling
them caused the formation of the League of Cambrai against the Venetians.
Their far-reaching greatness on the seas, their steady progress on land,
their riches, their cool assumption of independence towards the papacy,
their renown for ability, and their profoundly selfish, but singularly
prosperous policy, had excited in Italy, and even beyond the Alps, that
feeling of envy and ill-will which is caused amongst men, whether kings
or people, by the spectacle of strange, brilliant, and unexpected good
fortune, though it be the fruits of rare merit. As the Venetians were as
much dreaded as they were little beloved, great care was taken to conceal
from them the projects that were being formed against them. According to
their historian, Cardinal Bembo, they owed to chance the first notice
they had. It happened one day that a Piedmontese at Milan, in presence
of the Resident of Venice, allowed to escape from his lips the words,
"I should have the pleasure, then, of seeing the crime punished of those
who put to death the most illustrious man of my country." He alluded to
Carmagnola, a celebrated Piedmontese condottiere, who had been accused of
treason and beheaded at Venice on the 3d of May, 1432. The Venetian
ambassador at Louis XII.'s court, suspecting what had taken place at
Cambrai, tried to dissuade the king. "Sir," said he, "it were folly to
attack them of Venice; their wisdom renders them invincible." "I believe
they are prudent and wise," answered Louis, "but all the wrong way of the
hair (inopportunely); if it must come to war, I will bring upon them so
many fools, that your wiseacres will not have leisure to teach them
reason, for my fools hit all round without looking where." When the
league was decisively formed, Louis sent to Venice a herald to officially
proclaim war. After having replied to the grievances alleged in support
of that proclamation, "We should never have believed," said the Doge
Loredano, "that so great a prince would have given ear to the envenomed
words of a pope whom he ought to know better, and to the insinuations of
another priest whom we forbear to mention (Cardinal d'Amboise). In order
to please them, he declares himself the foe of a republic which has
rendered him great services. We will try to defend ourselves, and