d to
that Warde, thought not good to defende that breache, but abandoned it
for to retire hymself into the other places: so that the Dukes men
having entered into that parte without incounter, in a sodaine thei
gotte it all: For that the Dukes menne became lordes of the bridges,
whiche went from one place to an other. Thei loste then this Fortresse,
whiche was thought invinsible, through two defaultes, the one for havyng
so many retiryng places, the other, bicause every retiryng place, was
not Lorde of the bridge thereof. Therefore, the naughtie builded
Fortresse, and the little wisedome of them that defended it, caused
shame to the noble enterprise of the countesse, whoe had thought to have
abidden an armie, whiche neither the kyng of Naples, nor the Duke of
Milaine would have abidden: and although his inforcementes had no good
ende, yet notwithstandyng he gotte that honoure, whiche his
valiauntnesse had deserved: The whiche was testified of many Epigrammes,
made in those daies in his praise. Therefore, if I should have to builde
a Fortresse, I would make the walles strong, and the diches in the maner
as we have reasoned, nor I would not make therein other, then houses to
inhabite, and those I would make weake and lowe, after soche sorte that
thei should not let him that should stande in the middest of the Market
place, the sight of all the walle, to the intente that the Capitain
might see with the iye, where he maie succour: and that every manne
should understande, that the walle and the diche beyng lost, the
fortresse were lost. And yet when I should make any retiryng places, I
would make the bridges devided in soche wise, that every parte should be
Lorde of the bridges of his side, ordainyng, that thei should fall upon
postes, in the middest of the diche.

BAPTISTE. You have saied that littel thynges now a daies can not bee
defended, and it seemed unto me to have understoode the contrarie, that
the lesser that a thyng wer, the better it might be defended.

[Sidenote: The fortifiyng of the entrance of a Toune.]

FABRICIO. You have not understoode well, because that place cannot be
now a daies called stronge, wher he that defendeth it, hath not space to
retire with new diches, and with new fortificacions, for that the force
of the ordinance is so much, that he that trusteth uppon the warde of
one wall and of one fortification only, is deceived: and because the
Bulwarkes (mindyng that they passe not their ordinarie m