"We are running very far north," the captain said on the 29th of May.
"We are near Antium now, and are getting into what we may call Genoese
waters. If anything has occurred to prevent Pisani carrying out his
intention of sailing back along this coast, or if he has passed us on
the way up, our position would be a hazardous one, for as soon as he
has rowed away the Genoese galleys will be on the move again, and even
if we do not fall in with Fieschi, we may be snapped up by one of their
cruisers."
"It is rather risky, captain," Francis agreed; "but our orders are
distinct. We were to sail north till we met Pisani, and we must do so
till we are within sight of the walls of Genoa. If we then see he is
not lying off the port, we shall put about and make our way back
again."
"Yes, if they give us the chance, Messer Francisco; but long before we
are sufficiently near to Genoa to make out whether Pisani is lying off
the port, they will see us from the hills, and will send off a galley
to bring us in. However, we must take our chance, and if we get into a
scrape I shall look to you confidently to get us out again."
"I should advise you not to count on that," Francis said, laughing. "It
is not always one gets such a lucky combination of circumstances as we
did at Girgenti."
At last, they obtained news from a fishing boat that Fieschi's fleet
had passed, going northward, on the previous day, and was now lying in
the bay of Antium. As Antium lay but a few miles north, they held a
consultation as to the best method to pursue. If they sailed on there
was a risk of capture; but that risk did not appear to be very great.
The Genoese admiral would not expect to find a Venetian merchant ship
so near to Genoa, and they might be able to pass without being
interfered with. On the other hand, news might possibly have come of
the departure of store ships from Venice for Pisani's fleet, and in
that case a strict lookout would certainly be kept, and it would be
necessary to keep so far to sea as to be out of sight of the Genoese;
but in that case there would be a risk of their missing Pisani's fleet
on the way down.
"I think," the captain said, after a long debate, "that we had better
anchor here close under the shore tonight. If I am not mistaken, we
shall have a gale in the morning. I do not like the look of the sky.
Tomorrow we shall see how the weather is, and can then come to a
decision."
By morning, as the captain had predicted, the wind was blowing
strongly, and a heavy sea was running, and it was agreed to keep along
under the lee of the shore until they could obtain a view of the Bay of
Antium, and see if the fleet of Fieschi was still there. If so, they
would tack and run back some distance, and make straight out to sea, so
as to pass along four or five miles from the shore, as it would be
unlikely in the extreme that the Genoese admiral would send a galley
out to overhaul a passing ship in such weather.
They sailed along till they neared the slight depression known as the
Bay of Antium, and then bore farther out to sea. Suddenly a fleet was
seen running down the coast at some distance away.
"'Bout ship," the captain cried. "The Genoese have been cruising
further north, and are coming down the coast. In such weather as this,
the Bonito ought to be able to get away from them."
"It may be Pisani's fleet," Francis said, as the ship was put round.
"It is possible," the captain agreed; "but we cannot run the risk of
stopping until we make inquiries."
"No, captain; but, at least, if we run a mile or so out to sea, we
should be able to see round the point, and discover whether Fieschi's
galleys are there."
The captain assented. The vessel's head was turned from the land. In
ten minutes there was a joyous shout on board the Bonito, for the
Genoese fleet was seen lying in the bay. The distant fleet must then
form that of Pisani.
"See!" Francis exclaimed. "The Genoese have just caught sight of them,
and are hoisting sail. They are either going to meet them or to run
away. Our vessels are the most numerous; but no, there is not much
difference. Pisani has fourteen ships, but some must be lagging behind,
or have been lost. How many do you make them out to be, captain?"
"I think there are only nine," the captain answered, "and that is just
the number of the Genoese."
"Then Fieschi will fight, if he is not a coward," Matteo said; "but, in
that case, why are they making out to sea?"
"Fieschi may not care to be attacked at anchor," the captain replied.
"That would give all the advantage to us. Besides, if they were beaten
there would be but little chance of any of them escaping. No, he is
right to make out to sea, but blowing as it is, it will be next to
impossible for him to fight there. Two vessels could hardly get
alongside to board in such a sea as this. I expect Fieschi thinks that
we shall never attack him in such a storm; but Pisani would fight if it
were a hurricane."
It did indeed seem almost impossible to fight in such a sea. The Bonito
was rolling, gunwale under. Her sail had been reduced to its smallest
proportions, and yet, when the squalls struck her she was laid
completely over on her side. But the rival admirals were too anxious to
fight to be deterred by the difficulty, and both were bent upon
bringing on an action at once.
"I would give anything to be on board one of our galleys," Matteo said.
"It is horrible standing here doing nothing, when such a fight as this
is going to begin."
"Cannot we edge down towards them, captain?" Francis asked. "I do not
mean that we should take part in the fight, for we have but a hundred
men, and the galleys must each carry at least three times as many.
Still, we might be near enough to see something, and perhaps to give
succour to any disabled ship that drops out of the fight."
"I will do so if you like, Messer Francisco," the captain said. "If you
will take the responsibility. But if our side gets the worst of it, you
must remember that the Bonito may be captured."
"I don't think there's much chance of Pisani being beaten by an enemy
no stronger than himself," Francis said; "and even if they should be
victorious, the Genoese will certainly have enough on their hands, with
repairing damages and securing prisoners, to think of setting off in
chase of a ship like ours."
"That is true enough," the captain agreed, for he was indeed as anxious
as Francis and Matteo to witness the struggle.
The vessels on both sides were under canvas, for it was impossible to
row in such a sea. As soon as they approached each other, both fleets
broke up, and the vessels each singling an opponent out, the combat
began. It was a singular one, and differed widely from ordinary sea
fights of the time, in which the combatants always tried to grapple
with their enemies and carry them by boarding. This was almost
impossible now, for it seemed that the vessels would be dashed in
pieces like eggshells were they to strike each other. Clouds of
missiles were poured from one to the other. The archers plied their
bows. Great machines hurled javelins and big stones, and the crash of
the blows of the latter, against the sides of the ships, sounded even
above the noise of the wind and waves, and the shouting of the
combatants. As for the cannon with which all the galleys were armed,
they were far too cumbrous and unmanageable to be worked in such
weather. Sometimes one vessel, lifted on the crest of a wave while its
opponent lay in a hollow, swept its decks with terrible effect; while a
few seconds later the advantage was on the other side.
For a long time, neither party seemed to gain any advantage. Great
numbers were killed on both sides, but victory did not incline either
way, until the mast of one of the Venetian galleys was struck by a
heavy stone and went over the side. She at once fell out of the line of
the battle, her opponent keeping close to her, pouring in volumes of
missiles, while the sea, taking her on the broad side, washed numbers
of her crew overboard. Her opponent, seeing that she was altogether
helpless, left her to be taken possession of afterwards, and made for
Pisani's galley, which was distinguished by its flag at the masthead,
and was maintaining a desperate conflict with the galley of Fieschi.
The admiral's ship was now swept with missiles from both sides, and
when his adversaries saw that his crew was greatly weakened, they
prepared to close, in spite of the state of the sea. If Pisani himself
could be captured, there would remain but seven Venetian ships to the
nine Genoese, and victory was certain.
The captain of the Bonito had lashed together some heavy spars and
thrown them overboard, having fastened a strong rope to them, and was
riding head to the waves by means of this sea anchor, at a distance of
about half a mile from the conflict. A cry of grief and rage had arisen
when the crew saw that one of their galleys was disabled, and their
excitement became intense when they saw the unequal struggle which
Pisani was maintaining.
"They are preparing to board, captain," Francis said. "We must go to
the admiral's aid. If his ship is captured, the battle is lost."
"I am ready, Messer Francisco, if you authorize me."
"Certainly I do," Francis said. "The loss or capture of the Bonito is
as nothing in comparison to the importance of saving Pisani."
The captain gave the order for the hawser to be cut, and the sail
hoisted. A cheer broke from the crew as they saw what was to be done.
Their arms had been served out at the beginning of the contest, and
they now seized them, and gathered in readiness to take part in the
fight.
The two Genoese galleys had thrown their grapnels and made fast, one on
each side of Pisani's galley. The bulwarks were stove in and splintered
as the vessels rolled, and the rigging of the three ships became
entangled. The Genoese sprang on to the deck of Pisani's galley, with
shouts of triumph, but they were met by the admiral himself, wielding a
mighty battleaxe, and the survivors of his crew.
The combat was still raging when the Bonito sailed swiftly up. Her
sails were lowered as she came alongside, and she was lashed to one of
the galleys. But this manoeuvre was not performed without loss. As she
approached, with the Venetian flag flying at her masthead, the Genoese
archers on the poop of the galley, who had hitherto been pouring their
missiles among Pisani's men, turned round and opened fire upon this new
foe. Their arrows did far more execution here than they had done among
the armour clad soldiers of the state. The captain fell dead with an
arrow which struck him full in the throat, and ten or twelve of the
sailors fell on the deck beside him.
"Pour in one volley," Francis shouted; "then throw down your bows, and
take to your axes and follow me."
The instant the vessel was lashed, Francis sprang on to the deck of the
galley. Matteo was by his side, Giuseppi just behind, and the whole
crew followed. Climbing first upon the poop, they fell upon the
archers, who, after a short struggle, were cut down; then, descending
again to the waist of the galley, they leaped on to the deck of
Pisani's ship, and fell upon the rear of the Genoese.
These were taken completely by surprise. Absorbed in the struggle in
which they were engaged, they had noticed neither the approach of the
Bonito, nor the struggle on board their own galley, and supposed that
another of the Venetian warships had come up to the assistance of their
admiral.
Taken then by surprise, and finding themselves thus between two bands
of foes, they fought irresolutely, and the crew of the Bonito, with
their heavy axes, cut down numbers of them, and fighting their way
through the mass, joined the diminished force of Pisani.
The admiral shouted the battle cry of "Saint Mark!" His followers, who
had begun to give way to despair, rallied at the arrival of this
unlooked-for reinforcement, and the whole fell upon the Genoese with
fury. The latter fought stoutly and steadily now, animated by the voice
and example of Fieschi himself; but their assurance of victory was
gone, and they were gradually beaten back to the deck of their
admiral's ship. Here they made desperate efforts to cut the lashings
and free the vessel; but the yards had got interlocked and the rigging
entangled, and the Venetians sprang on to the deck of the ship, and
renewed the conflict there.
For some time the struggle was doubtful. The Genoese had still the
advantage in numbers, but they were disheartened at the success, which
they had deemed certain, having been so suddenly and unexpectedly
snatched from their grasp.
The presence of Pisani, in itself, doubled the strength of the
Venetians. He was the most popular of their commanders, and each strove
to imitate the example which he set them.
After ten minutes' hard fighting, the result was no longer doubtful.
Many of the Genoese ran below. Others threw down their arms, and their
admiral, at last, seeing further resistance was hopeless, lowered his
sword and surrendered.
No sooner had resistance ceased than Pisani turned to Francis, who had
been fighting by his side:
"I thank you, in the name of myself and the republic," he said. "Where
you have sprung from, or how you came here, I know not. You seemed to
me to have fallen from heaven to our assistance, just at the moment
when all was lost. Who are you? I seem to know your face, though I
cannot recall where I have seen it."
"I am Francis Hammond, Messer Pisani. I had the honour of seeing you at
the house of my patron, Signor Polani, and you were good enough to
offer to take me with you to sea."
"Oh, I remember now!" Pisani said. "But how came you here?"
"I came in the Bonito, one of Polani's ships. She is lying outside the
farther of the Venetian galleys. We bring from Venice some of the
stores for which you sent. We were lying off, watching the battle,
until we saw that you were sore beset and in need of help, and could
then no longer remain inactive. Our captain was killed by an arrow as
we ranged up alongside of the galley, and I am now in command. This is
my friend, Matteo Giustiniani, a volunteer on board the Bonito."
"I remember you, Master Matteo," Pisani said, as he shook him by the
hand. "I have seen you often at your father's house. I shall have to
give him a good account of you, for I saw you fighting bravely.
"But we will talk more of this afterwards. We must set to work to
separate the galleys, or we shall have them grinding each other to
pieces. Then we must hasten to the assistance of our friends."
The Genoese prisoners were all fastened below, and the Venetians then
set to work to cut the lashings and free the rigging of the ships.
Francis kept only twenty men on board the Bonito. The remainder were
distributed between the two captured Genoese galleys, and the admiral
turned his attention to the battle.
But it was already almost over. The sight of the Venetian flag, at the
mastheads of the admiral's ship and the other galley, struck dismay
into the Genoese. Five of their ships immediately hoisted all canvas
and made off, while the other two, surrounded by the Venetian galleys,
hauled down their flags.
The battle had been a sanguinary one, and but eight hundred men were
found alive on board the four galleys captured. The fight is known in
history as the battle of Porto d'Anzo. The struggle had lasted nearly
the whole day, and it was growing dark when the Venetian fleet, with
their prizes, anchored under shelter of the land.
All night long the work of attending upon the wounded went on, and it
was daybreak before the wearied crews lay down for repose. In the
afternoon, Pisani hoisted a signal for the captains of the galleys to
come on board; and in their presence he formally thanked Francis, in
the name of the republic, for the aid he had afforded him at the most
critical moment. Had it not been for that aid, he acknowledged that he
and his crew must have succumbed, and the victory would assuredly have
fallen to the Genoese.
After the meeting was over he took Francis into his cabin, and again
offered him a post in his own ship.
"Were your merit properly rewarded," he said, "I would appoint you at
once to the command of a galley; but to do so would do you no service,
for it would excite against you the jealousy of all the young nobles in
the fleet. Besides, you are so young, that although the council at home
cannot but acknowledge the vastness of the service you have rendered,
they might make your age an excuse for refusing to confirm the
appointment; but if you like to come as my third officer, I can promise
you that you shall have rapid promotion, and speedily be in command of
a galley. We Venetians have no prejudice against foreigners. They hold
very high commands, and, indeed, our armies in the field are frequently
commanded by foreign captains."
Francis thanked the admiral heartily for his offer, but said that his
father's wishes, and his own, led him to adopt the life of a merchant,
and that, under the patronage of Messer Polani, his prospects were so
good that he would not exchange them, even for a command under the
state of Venice.
"You are quite right, lad," the admiral said. "All governments are
ungrateful, and republics most of all. Where all are supposed to be
equal, there is ever envy and jealousy against one who rises above the
rest. The multitude is fickle and easily led; and the first change of
fortune, however slight, is seized upon by enemies as a cause of
complaint, and the popular hero of today may be an exile tomorrow. Like
enough I shall see the inside of a Venetian prison some day."
"Impossible, signor!" Francis exclaimed. "The people would tear to
pieces anyone who ventured to malign you."
"Just at present, my lad; just at present. But I know my countrymen.
They are not as light hearted and fickle as those of Genoa; but they
are easily led, and will shout 'Abasso!' as easily as 'Viva!' Time will
show. I was within an ace of being defeated today; and you may not be
close at hand to come to my rescue next time. And now to business.
"Tomorrow morning I will set the crews to get out your stores, and
distribute them as required, and will place four hundred prisoners in
your hold, and you shall carry them to Venice with my despatches
announcing the victory. The other four hundred Genoese I shall send, in
the galley that was dismasted yesterday, to Candia, to be imprisoned
there. I shall send prize crews home in the galleys we have captured;
and as soon as they are refitted and manned, and rejoin me, I shall
sail in search of Doria and his fleet. I shall first cruise up the
Adriatic, in case he may have gone that way to threaten Venice, and I
can the more easily receive such reinforcements as may have been
prepared for me."
The following day was spent in unloading the vessel. This was
accomplished by nightfall. The prisoners were then put on board.
Francis at once ordered sail to be set, and the Bonito was started on
her homeward voyage.
As soon as the Bonito was signalled in sight, Signor Polani went down
to the port to meet her, to ascertain where she had fallen in with the
fleet, for there was great anxiety in Venice, as no news had been
received from Pisani for more than ten days. The vessel had just passed
through the entrance between the islands, when the gondola, with her
owner, was seen approaching. Francis went to the gangway to receive
him.
"Why, what has happened, Francisco?" Polani asked, as the boat neared
the side of the ship. "Half your bulwark is carried away, and the whole
side of the ship is scraped and scored. She looks as if she had been
rubbing against a rock."
"Not quite so bad as that, Messer Polani. She has been grinding against
a Genoese galley."
"Against a Genoese galley!" the merchant repeated in surprise, stopping
in his passage up the rope ladder, which had been lowered for him.
"Why, how is that? But never mind that now. First tell me what is the
news from the fleet?"
"There is great news," Francis replied. "The admiral fell in with
Fieschi off Antium. There were nine ships on each side, and the battle
took place in a storm. We were victorious, and captured four of the
Genoese galleys, with Fieschi himself and eight hundred prisoners. The
rest fled. Fieschi is now in my cabin, and four hundred prisoners in
the hold."
"This is indeed great news," the merchant said, "and will be an immense
relief to Venice. We were getting very anxious, for had Pisani been
defeated, there was nothing to prevent the Genoese ravaging our coasts,
and even assailing Venice itself. But where is the captain?"
"I regret to say, sir, that he has been killed, as well as twenty-seven
of the sailors, and many of the others are more or less severely
wounded. I am the bearer of despatches from the admiral to the
council."
"Then get into my gondola, and come along at once," Polani said. "I
deeply regret the death of the captain and sailors. You shall tell me
all about it as we come along. We must not delay a moment in carrying
this great news ashore. Have you got the despatches?"
"Yes, signor. I put them into my doublet when I saw you approaching,
thinking that you would probably wish me to take them on shore at
once."
"And now tell me all about the battle," the merchant said as soon as
they had taken their seats in the gondola. "You say there were nine
ships on either side. Pisani sailed away with fourteen. Has he lost the
remainder?"
"They came up next day," Francis replied. "The fleet was in a port
north of Antium when the news came that Fieschi's fleet was there. Five
of the galleys had been dismantled, and were under repair, and Pisani
would not wait for them to be got into fighting order, as he was afraid
lest Fieschi might weigh anchor and escape if he delayed an hour. He
learned that the Genoese had nine ships with him, and as he had himself
this number ready for sea, he sailed at once.
"The weather was stormy, and the sea very high, when he appeared within
sight of Antium. Fieschi sailed boldly out to meet him. The battle
lasted all day, for it was next to impossible to board; but in the end,
as I say, four Genoese galleys surrendered and the rest fled. It was a
terrible sight; for it seemed at every moment as if the waves would
hurl the vessels against each other, and so break them into fragments;
but in no case did such an accident happen."
"Why, you speak as if you saw it, Francisco! Had you joined the admiral
before the battle took place?"
"No, signor. We arrived near Antium on the evening before the fight,
and heard of Fieschi's presence there. Therefore we anchored south of
the promontory. In the morning we put out, intending to sail well out
to sea and so pass the Genoese, who were not likely, in such weather,
to put out to question a sail passing in the distance; but as we made
off from land we saw Pisani's fleet approaching. Then, as Fieschi put
to sea and we saw that the battle was imminent, there was nothing for
us to do but to lie to, and wait for the battle to be over, before we
delivered our stores, having little doubt that Pisani would be
victorious."
"Then had the battle gone the other way," the merchant said, "the
Bonito at the present moment would probably be lying a prize in the
harbour of Genoa!"
"We did not lose sight of the probability of that, signor, but thought
that, if the Genoese should gain a victory, they would be too busy with
their prizes and prisoners, if not too crippled, to pursue us, and we
reckoned that in such weather the Bonito would be able to sail quite as
fast as any of the Genoese."
"And now, tell me about your affairs, Francisco. Where was it you fell
in with the Genoese galley, and by what miracle did you get off?"
"It was in the battle, sir. One of the Venetian galleys had dropped out
of the fight disabled, and its opponent went to the assistance of their
admiral's ship, which was engaged with Pisani. They attempted to board
him on both sides, and, seeing that he was in great peril, and that if
his ship was taken the battle would be as bad as lost, we thought that
you yourself would approve of our going to his assistance. This we did,
and engaged one of their galleys; and, as her crew were occupied with
the admiral, we took them by surprise, and created such a diversion
that he succeeded, with what assistance we could give him, in capturing
both his opponents."
"That was done well indeed," Polani said warmly. "It was a risky
matter, indeed, for you, with sailors unprotected by armour, to enter
into a combat with the iron-clad soldiers of Genoa.
"And so the captain and twenty-seven of the men were killed! You must
have had some brisk fighting!"
"The captain, and many of the men, were shot by the Genoese archers as
we ranged up alongside their vessel. The others were killed in
hand-to-hand fighting."
"And my cousin Matteo, what has become of him?" Polani asked suddenly.
"I trust he is not among the killed!"
"He is unharmed," Francis replied. "He fought gallantly, and the
admiral, the next day, offered to take him on board his own ship, many
of the volunteers serving on board having been killed. Matteo, of
course, accepted the offer."
"He would have done better to have stayed on board my ship for another
two years," Polani said, "and learned his business. He would have made
a far better sailor than he can ever become on board a state galley;
but I never expected him to stick to it. He has no earnestness of
purpose, and is too particular about his dress to care about the rough
life of a real seaman."
"He has plenty of courage, sir, and I have always found him a staunch
friend."
"No doubt he has courage," the merchant said. "He comes of good blood
and could hardly be a coward. I think he is a good-hearted lad, too,
and will, I have no doubt, make a brave commander of a galley; but more
than that Matteo is never likely to become."
"Your daughters are well, I hope?" Francis asked.
"Quite well; but you will not find them at home--they sailed three days
ago, in the Lido, for Corfu. They are going to stay for a time at my
villa there. That affair of last year shook them both, and I thought it
better that they should go away for a change--the hot months here are
trying, and often unhealthy. I will go over myself next week to be with
them."
They were now approaching the Piazzetta, and Polani shouted out, to
various acquaintances he met in passing gondolas, the news that Pisani
had gained a great victory, and had captured the Genoese admiral with
four of his galleys. The gondolas at once changed their course, and
accompanied them, to gather further details of the fight. The news was
shouted to other passing boats, and by the time they reached the steps
of the Piazzetta, a throng was round them.
Those on shore shouted out the news, and it spread rapidly from mouth
to mouth. The shopkeepers left their stores, and the loungers on the
Piazzetta ran up, and it was with difficulty that Polani and Francis
could make their way, through the shouting and excited crowd, to the
entrance of the ducal palace.
Polani at once led Francis to the doge, to whom he gave an account of
the action. Messengers were immediately despatched to some of the
members of the council, for it was to them that the despatches had to
be delivered. As soon as a sufficient number to transact the business
had arrived at the palace, the doge himself led Francis to the council
chamber.
"Is the news that we heard, shouted in the streets as we came thither,
true, your highness?" one of the councillors asked as they entered.
"That our fleet has gained a victory over the Genoese?"
"I am happy to say that it is quite true; but this young gentleman is
the bearer of despatches from the admiral, and these will doubtless
give us all particulars."
"Admiral Pisani has chosen a strange messenger for so important a
despatch," one of the party hostile to the admiral said. "It is usual
to send despatches of this kind by a trusted officer, and I do not
think it respectful, either to the council or the republic, to send
home the news of a victory by a lad like this."
"The admiral apparently chose this young gentleman because, owing to
the death of his captain, he was in command of the ship which Messer
Polani placed at the service of the republic, and which was present at
the fight. The admiral intended, as I hear, to set out at once in
search of the fleet of Doria, and doubtless did not wish to weaken
himself by despatching a state galley with the news. But perhaps he may
explain the matter in his despatches."
Several other councillors had by this time arrived, and the despatches
were opened. The admiral's account of the engagement was brief, for he
was fonder of the sword than the pen. He stated that, having obtained
news that Fieschi's fleet was at anchor under the promontory of Antium,
he sailed thither with nine ships, these being all that were at the
moment fit to take to sea; that Fieschi had sailed out to meet him, and
that an engagement had taken place in the storm, which prevented the
ships from pursuing their usual tactics, and compelled them to fight
with missiles at a distance. The despatch then went on:
"We fought all day, and the upshot of it was, we captured four of their
galleys, the admiral himself, and eight hundred prisoners. Fortunately
it is unnecessary for me to give your seignory the details of the
fighting, as these can be furnished you by Messer Francisco Hammond,
who will hand you these despatches. He was a witness of the action on
the Bonito, which had that morning arrived at Antium with some of the
stores you despatched me. I have selected this young gentleman as the
bearer of these despatches, because it is to him I entirely owe it that
I am not at the present moment a prisoner in Genoa, and to him the
republic owes that we yesterday won a victory.
"I was attacked by Fieschi and by another galley, and, in spite of the
weather, they cast grapnels on to my ship and boarded me. I had already
lost half of my crew by their missiles, and things were going very
badly with us, when the Bonito came up to our assistance, and grappled
with one of the galleys. Her captain was killed, but Messer Hammond--of
whom Polani has so high an opinion that he had appointed him second in
command--led his men to my rescue. They boarded the galley and slew
those who remained on board, and then, crossing on to my ship, fell
upon the rear of the Genoese who were pressing us backwards. His
sailors, undefended as they were by armour, fought like demons with
their axes, and, led by Messer Hammond, cut their way through the enemy
and joined me.
"This reinforcement gave fresh strength and spirit to my men, who had a
minute before thought that all was lost. Together we fell upon the
Genoese, before they could recover from their surprise, beat them back
into their admiral's ship, and following them there forced them to
surrender. Messer Hammond fought by my side, and although but a lad in
years, he showed himself a sturdy man-at-arms, and behaved with a
coolness and bravery beyond praise. I hereby recommend him to your
gracious consideration, for assuredly to him it is due that it is I,
and not Fieschi, who is writing to announce a victory."
A murmur of surprise from the councillors greeted the reading of this
portion of the letter. When it was concluded, the doge was the first to
speak.
"You have indeed deserved well of the republic, Messer Hammond, for we
know that Admiral Pisani is not one to give undue praise, or to
exaggerate in aught.
"This is news to me, signors, as well as to you, for in his narrative
to me of the events of the fight, he passed over his own share in it,
though Messer Polani, who accompanied him, did say that his ship had
taken some part in the fight, and that the captain and twenty-seven men
had been killed.
"Now, young sir, as the admiral has referred us to you for a detailed
narrative of the battle, we will thank you to tell us all you
witnessed, omitting no detail of the occurrences."
Francis accordingly gave a full account of the action, and gave great
praise to his crew for the valour with which they had fought against
the heavy armed Genoese. When he had concluded the doge said:
"We thank you for your narrative, Messer Hammond, as well as for the
great service you have rendered the state. Will you now leave us, as we
have much to debate on regarding this and other matters, and to arrange
for the reinforcements for which, I see by his letter, the admiral
asks.
"Will you ask Messer Polani to remain in attendance for a while, as we
wish to consult with him as to ships and other matters? As to yourself,
we shall ask you to come before us again shortly."
After Francis had left, the council first voted that five ducats should
be given to every man of the crew of the Bonito, and that the widows of
those who had been slain should be provided for, at the expense of the
state. They deferred the question as to the honours which should be
conferred upon Francis, until they had consulted Polani.
State barges were at once sent off to bring in the prisoners from the
ship, and preparations made for their accommodation, for Venice always
treated prisoners taken in war with the greatest kindness, an example
which Genoa was very far from following.
Then Polani was sent for, and the question of stores and ships gone
into. Orders were issued for redoubled activity in the arsenal, and it
was arranged that several ships, belonging to Polani and others, should
be at once purchased for the service of the state.
Then they asked him for his opinion as to the reward which should be
given to Francis. Upon the merchant expressing his ignorance of any
special service his young friend had rendered, the passage from
Pisani's letter relating to him was read out.
"The lad is as modest as he is brave," the merchant said, "for
although, of course, he told me that the ship had taken some part in
the fight, and had done what it could to assist the admiral, in which
service the captain and twenty-seven men had lost their lives, I had no
idea of the real nature of the encounter. I feel very proud of the
service he has rendered the state, for he has rendered me as a private
individual no less important service, and I regard him as my adopted
son, and my future partner in my business. Such being the case,
signors, he needs no gift of money from the state."
"He has not, of course, being still a minor, taken up his papers of
naturalization as a citizen?" the doge said.
"No, your highness, nor is it his intention to do so. I spoke to him on
the subject once, and he said that, although he regarded Venice with
affection, and would at all times do everything in his power for the
state, he could not renounce his birthplace, as an Englishman, by
taking an oath of allegiance to another state, and that probably he
should after a time return to his native country. I pointed out to him
that, although foreigners were given every facility for trade in
Venice, it would be a grievous disadvantage to him in the islands, and
especially with countries such as Egypt, the Turks, and the Eastern
empire, with whom we had treaties; as, unless he were a Venetian, he
would be unable to trade with them.
"He fully saw the force of my argument, but persisted in his
determination. If you ask my opinion, therefore, signors, and you do
not think the honour too great, I would suggest that the highest and
most acceptable honour that could be bestowed upon him, would be that
which you have at various times conferred upon foreign personages of
distinction, namely, to grant him the freedom of Venice, and inscribe
his name upon the list of her citizens, without requiring of him the
renunciation of his own country, or the taking the oath of allegiance."
"The honour is assuredly a great and exceptional one," the doge said,
"but so is the service that he has rendered. He has converted what
would have been a defeat into a victory, and has saved Venice from a
grave peril.
"Will you retire for a few minutes, signor, and we will then announce
to you the result of our deliberations on the matter."