That prince, however, unable to defend himself, was, with his father, obliged to surrender ; but the treacherous Visconti immediately threw them into prison. Having thus overcome his two principal rivals, he might now be con sidered as master of Lombardy, as the the families of Sa voy, i\lonferrat, Gouzaga, and Este, were his allies, or rather dependants. The character of this new disturber of Italy differed greatly from former conquerors. Incapable of heading an army, and of a timid and suspicious nature, his plans as a statesman were bold and enterprising ; trust ing to others the execution of his designs, his measures were taken with promptitude and decision ; while no feelings of justice or humanity, of shame or remorse, ever impeded his unprincipled ambition.
His views were now directed to Tuscany, where he at tempted (though without success) to make himself master of Pisa. He next endeavoured to excite the jealousy of the other states against the Florentines, whom he justly regard ed as his most formidable opponents ; but they, aware of his designs, prepared, in conjunction with the Bolognese, to defend themselves against his attacks. In the mean time, Francisco Novello Carrara, having discovered that Visconti intended to put him to death, escaped with his family from his place of confinement, and, after a series of interesting adventures, at length succeeded in reaching Florence, where he left his wife and children. He then proceeded to Bologna, and, receiving from that republic promises of support, repaired to Bavaria, and persuaded the duke to lead his army into Italy in behalf of the Floren tines. While he was thus employed, the army of Viscon ti, and his allies, amounting to 15,000 horse, and 6000 infan try, proceeded into Tuscany. The united army of Florence and Bologna was far inferior in number ; but its comman der, Hawkwood, was greatly superior to the Milanese generals. But, before any action could take place, Carra ra, at the head of a few hundred men, had, without waiting for the Bavarians, passed through the Venetian into the Paduan territory. His former subjects received him with enthusiasm ; and having, during the night, entered the city by the bed of the Brenta, he easily overpowered John Ga leazzo's soldiers, and once more became lord of Padua. But the Florentines were not so fortunate in all their allies. The duke of Bavaria, who soon after reached Padua, being prevailed on, by the intrigues of Visconti, to desert the league, John, count of Armagnac, who also brought his troops to their assistance, was defeated by James del Verme, near Alexandria, and died soon after of his wounds.
His defeat exposed Hawkwood and the Florentine army, who had advanced towards Milan, to the most imminent danger, the Milanese general having cut the dikes of the Adige, and inundated the valley of Verona, where they were encamped ; but Hawkwood, leaving his camp, to de ceive the enemy, marched during the night through the inundated plain, and, after much fatigue and danger, at length arrived in Tuscany. A short peace followed, but was soon dis turbed by the machinations of Visconti ; and the next ten years contain nothing but events of the same nature. The emperor Wrenceslaus having in vain attempted to obtain mo ney, by offering his assistance against Visconti, at length concluded an alliance with him, and erected his dominions into a regular fief of the empire, with the title of duke of Mi lan. Successive intrigues made him master of Pisa, Sienna, and Perugia ; and Florence, deserted by her allies, aloneire mained unsubdued. In the mean time, the princes of the empire deposed the emperor Wrenceslaus for incapacity, and elected Rupert, elector•palatine, on the express condi tion of his revoking the grant of the dukedom of Milan. This prince was not, however, acknowledged by Boniface IX. who was unwilling to incur the displeasure of Viscon ti. Having, notwithstanding, contracted an alliance with the Florentines, he entered Lombardy with an army ; but, being met near Brescia by the forces of the duke of Milan, the Italian cavalry soon evinced their superiority, and Ru pert was forced to retreat. Leopold of Austria, and the archbishop of Cologne, having left him, and returned home, he was obliged to remain in a state of inactivity, and soon after to evacuate Italy.
Visconti now turned his arms against John Bentivoglio, lord of Bologna, and, being successful in gaining the city, put him to death. Florence was now left without an ally; all the cities which formerly served as outlets fur its com merce were in the hands of its enemy, and its citizens were reduced to the greatest distress, when Providence interfered in their behalf: the plague again broke out in Lombardy, and the tyrant of Milan was cut off in the midst of his successful career.