he Dorias by rescuing David Doria from imprisonment at Ancona, and
Andrea decided to throw in his lot with him. He accordingly armed
twenty-five cavaliers at his own expense, and joined Roverejo, who put him
in charge of the fortress of Rocca Guillelma. In this place Andrea was
besieged by Gonsalvo de Cordoba, the first warrior of the age; here he
displayed such extraordinary ability in defence that, on the occasion of a
truce, Gonsalvo urged upon Andrea to join the Spaniards. Andrea made answer
that honour bound him to Roverejo, but, could he be released from his
arrangement with him, he might then consider the proposition of "The Great
Captain." Roverejo refused, but, as Charles VIII. immediately afterwards
evacuated Italy, Andrea was free to follow his own inclinations, and took
service with Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.

From this time onward until 1503 Andrea was constantly employed in war, and
made for himself such a reputation that in this year the Republic of Genoa
requested him to take command of their navy. This offer he refused, as he
said that he knew nothing about the sea. They pressed him, saying that to a
man of his genius nothing was impossible, and in the end he gave a somewhat
reluctant consent. He soon proved his competence in his new sphere of
activity, as his first act was to capture the Fort of the Lantern, in the
neighbourhood of Genoa, which was then held by the French for Louis XII.
The Republic confirmed his appointment as General of the Galleys with many
compliments, and he put to sea and captured three of the war-galleys of the
corsairs, also two Turkish ships laden with valuable merchandise. He fitted
out the galleys for his own service, sold the merchantmen, and made an
immense sum of money.

His next act was to defeat the corsair, Cadolin, who had eight galleys to
Doria's six; these he added to his own fleet, which now consisted of
fourteen vessels, he having begun with three. As Cadolin was one of the
most famous corsairs of the day, this capture made an immense sensation,
and all men, Moslems as well as Christians, were asking one another, "Who
was this Doria?"

They had their answer, as time passed, in the career of this astonishing
warrior, who in his time played so many parts, who served under so many
flags, and yet who remained consistently a patriot all the time. As this is
not a history of Doria, we have no space to trace out his life step by step
as it was lived; suffice it to