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464 tants of the district in which it was carried on. Neither soldiers nor generals had any wish to hurry; it suited everybody better to take a great deal of time over their work, though perhaps not with the counterbalancing advantage of doing it well; the great condottieri had always a view to future eventualities, when it might, for aught they knew, be their duty to undo all they were doing, and take the other side.

Carmagnola, however, had no inducement for a long time to contemplate any such possibility. His services to Philip were largely and liberally rewarded. A kinswoman of Philip's, a lady of the Visconti family, whose first husband had been high in the Duke's confidence, became his wife, and the privilege of bearing the name of Visconti and the arms of the reigning house was conferred upon him. He was not only the commander-in-chief of the troops, but held a high place at Court, and was one of the chief and most trusted of Philip's counsellors. The Piedmontese soldier was still a young man when all these glories came upon him, with accompanying wealth, due also to Philip's favour, as well as to the booty won in Philip's cause. He seems to have lived in Milan in a state conformable to these high pretensions and to the position of his wife, and was in the act of building himself a great palace, now known as the Bioletti, and appropriated to public use, when the usual fate of a favourite began to shadow over him. This was in the year 1424, twelve years after he had thrown in his fate with the prince in Pavia. The difference in Philip's position was wonderful. He had then possessed nothing save a doubtful claim on the city where he was an exile and prisoner. He was now one of the greatest powers in Italy, respected and feared by his neighbours, the master of twenty rich cities, and of all the wealthy Lombard plains. To these Carmagnola had lately added the rich prize of Genoa, superbest of northern towns with her seaboard and trade, a magnificent addition to any prince's crown. Perhaps this last feat had unduly exalted the soldier, and made him feel himself as a conqueror something more than the Duke's humble kinsman and counsellor: at all events, the eve of the change had come.

The tenure of a favourite's favour is always uncertain and precarious. In those days there were many who rose to the heights of fame only to be tumbled headlong in a moment from that dazzling eminence. When they were in the service of a republic, the jealousy of their official masters was excited by every act more splendid than usual, or which threatened to give a preponderating influence ; and in case of defeat their shrift was still shorter, and the name of traitor made the scaffold shameful on which the unlucky captain had to expiate his failure. With an individual master his case was little better, for the potentate was bound to have a score of flatterers at his ear ever ready to build their own advancement on the ruin of their predecessor, and eager to collect every particular of his proceedings, and whisper every evil interpretation possible. Carmagnola was at the very height of fortune when clouds began to gather over his career. He was governor of Genoa, which he had conquered, and holding his state there perhaps too like a prince. Though no idea of treachery was then imputed to him, he had been if anything too zealous for his Duke, to whose service in the meantime, as to that of a great and conquering prince, full of schemes for