history of florence-第103节

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left　upon　the　field。　The　troops　of　the　church　were　at　length

victorious；　for　her　numerous　infantry　so　annoyed　the　ducal　cavalry；

that　they　were　compelled　to　retreat；　and　Alfonso　himself　would　have

fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　had　he　not　been　rescued　by　a　body

of　Turks；　who　remained　at　Otranto；　and　were　at　that　time　in　his

service。　The　lord　of　Rimino；　after　this　victory；　returned　triumphantly

to　Rome；　but　did　not　long　enjoy　the　fruit　of　his　valor；　for　having；

during　the　heat　of　the　engagement；　taken　a　copious　draught　of　water；

he　was　seized　with　a　flux；　of　which　he　very　shortly　afterward　died。

The　pope　caused　his　funeral　to　be　conducted　with　great　pomp；　and　in　a

few　days；　sent　the　Count　Girolamo　toward　Citta　di　Castello　to　restore

it　to　Lorenzo；　and　also　endeavor　to　gain　Rimino；　which　being　by

Roberto's　death　left　to　the　care　of　his　widow　and　a　son　who　was　quite

a　boy；　his　holiness　thought　might　be　easily　won；　and　this　certainly

would　have　been　the　case；　if　the　lady　had　not　been　defended　by　the

Florentines；　who　opposed　him　so　effectually；　as　to　prevent　his　success

against　both　Castello　and　Rimino。



While　these　things　were　in　progress　at　Rome　and　in　Romagna；　the

Venetians　took　possession　of　Figaruolo　and　crossed　the　Po　with　their

forces。　The　camp　of　the　duke　of　Milan　and　the　marquis　was　in　disorder；

for　the　count　of　Urbino　having　fallen　ill；　was　carried　to　Bologna　for

his　recovery；　but　died。　Thus　the　marquis's　affairs　were　unfortunately

situated；　while　those　of　the　Venetians　gave　them　increasing　hopes　of

occupying　Ferrara。　The　Florentines　and　the　king　of　Naples　used　their

utmost　endeavors　to　gain　the　pope　to　their　views；　and　not　having

succeeded　by　force；　they　threatened　him　with　the　council；　which　had

already　been　summoned　by　the　emperor　to　assemble　at　Basle；　and　by

means　of　the　imperial　ambassadors；　and　the　co…operation　of　the　leading

cardinals；　who　were　desirous　of　peace；　the　pope　was　compelled　to　turn

his　attention　toward　effecting　the　pacification　of　Italy。　With　this

view；　at　the　instigation　of　his　fears；　and　with　the　conviction　that

the　aggrandizement　of　the　Venetians　would　be　the　ruin　of　the　church

and　of　Italy；　he　endeavored　to　make　peace　with　the　League；　and　sent

his　nuncios　to　Naples；　where　a　treaty　was　concluded　for　five　years；

between　the　pope；　the　king；　the　duke　of　Milan；　and　the　Florentines；

with　an　opening　for　the　Venetians　to　join　them　if　they　thought　proper。

When　this　was　accomplished；　the　pope　intimated　to　the　Venetians；　that

they　must　desist　from　war　against　Ferrara。　They　refused　to　comply；　and

made　preparations　to　prosecute　their　design　with　greater　vigor　than

they　had　hitherto　done；　and　having　routed　the　forces　of　the　duke　and

the　marquis　at　Argenta；　they　approached　Ferrara　so　closely　as　to　pitch

their　tents　in　the　marquis's　park。



The　League　found　they　must　no　longer　delay　rendering　him　efficient

assistance；　and　ordered　the　duke　of　Calabria　to　march　to　Ferrara　with

his　forces　and　those　of　the　pope；　the　Florentine　troops　also　moving　in

the　same　direction。　In　order　to　direct　the　operations　of　the　war　with

greater　efficiency；　the　League　assembled　a　diet　at　Cremona；　which　was

attended　by　the　pope's　legate；　the　Count　Girolamo；　the　duke　of

Calabria；　the　Signor　Lodovico　Sforza；　and　Lorenzo　de'　Medici；　with

many　other　Italian　princes；　and　when　the　measures　to　be　adopted　were

fully　discussed；　having　decided　that　the　best　way　of　relieving　Ferrara

would　be　to　effect　a　division　of　the　enemy's　forces；　the　League

desired　Lodovico　to　attack　the　Venetians　on　the　side　of　Milan；　but

this　he　declined；　for　fear　of　bringing　a　war　upon　the　duke's

territories；　which　it　would　be　difficult　to　quell。　It　was　therefore

resolved　to　proceed　with　the　united　forces　of　the　League　to　Ferrara；

and　having　assembled　four　thousand　cavalry　and　eight　thousand

infantry；　they　went　in　pursuit　of　the　Venetians；　whose　force　amounted

to　two　thousand　two　hundred　men　at　arms；　and　six　thousand　foot。　They

first　attacked　the　Venetian　flotilla；　then　lying　upon　the　river　Po；

which　they　routed　with　the　loss　of　above　two　hundred　vessels；　and　took

prisoner　Antonio　Justiniano；　the　purveyor　of　the　fleet。　The　Venetians；

finding　all　Italy　united　against　them；　endeavored　to　support　their

reputation　by　engaging　in　their　service　the　duke　of　Lorraine；　who

joined　them　with　two　hundred　men　at　arms：　and　having　suffered　so　great

a　destruction　of　their　fleet；　they　sent　him；　with　part　of　their　army；

to　keep　their　enemies　at　bay；　and　Roberto　da　San　Severino　to　cross　the

Adda　with　the　remainder；　and　proceed　to　Milan；　where　they　were　to

raise　the　cry　of　〃The　duke　and　the　Lady　Bona；〃　his　mother；　hoping　by

this　means　to　give　a　new　aspect　to　affairs　there；　believing　that

Lodovico　and　his　government　were　generally　unpopular。　This　attack　at

first　created　great　consternation；　and　roused　the　citizens　in　arms；

but　eventually　produced　consequences　unfavorable　to　the　designs　of　the

Venetians；　for　Lodovico　was　now　desirous　to　undertake　what　he　had

refused　to　do　at　the　entreaty　of　his　allies。　Leaving　the　marquis　of

Ferrara　to　the　defense　of　his　own　territories；　he；　with　four　thousand

horse　and　two　thousand　foot；　and　joined　by　the　duke　of　Calabria　with

twelve　thousand　horse　and　five　thousand　foot；　entered　the　territory　of

Bergamo；　then　Brescia；　next　that　of　Verona；　and；　in　defiance　of　the

Venetians；　plundered　the　whole　country；　for　it　was　with　the　greatest

difficulty　that　Roberto　and　his　forces　could　save　the　cities

themselves。　In　the　meantime；　the　marquis　of　Ferrara　had　recovered　a

great　part　of　his　territories；　for　the　duke　of　Lorraine；　by　whom　he

was　attacked；　having　only　at　his　command　two　thousand　horse　and　one

thousand　foot；　could　not　withstand　him。　Hence；　during　the　whole　of

1483；　the　affairs　of　the　League　were　prosperous。



The　winter　having　passed　quietly　over；　the　armies　again　took　the

field。　To　produce　the　greater　impression　upon　the　enemy；　the　League

united　their　whole　force；　and　would　easily　have　deprived　the　Venetians

of　all　they　possessed　in　Lombardy；　if　the　war　had　been　conducted　in

the　same　manner　as　during　the　preceding　year；　for　by　the　departure　of

the　duke　of　Lorraine；　whose　term　of　service　had　expired；　they　were

reduced　to　six　thousand　horse　and　five　thousand　foot；　while　the　allies

had　thirteen　thousand　horse　and　five　thousand　foot　at　their　disposal。

But；　as　is　often　the　case　where　several　of　equal　authority　are　joined

in　command；　their　want　of　unity　decided　the　victory　to　their　enemies。

Federigo；　marquis　of　Mantua；　whose　influence　kept　the　duke　of　Calabria

and　Lodovico　Sforza　within　bounds；　being　dead；　differences　arose

between　them　which　soon　became　jealousies。　Giovan　Galeazzo；　duke　of

Milan；　was　now　of　an　age　to　take　the　government　on　himself；　and　had

married　the　daughter　of　the　duke　of　Calabria；　who　wished　his　son…in…

law　to　exercise　the　government　and　not　Lodovico；　the　latter；　being

aware　of　the　duke's　design；　studied　to　prevent　him　from　effecting　it。

The　position　of　Lodovico　being　known　to　the　Venetians；　they　thought

they　could　make　it　available　for　their　own　interests；　and　hoped；　as

they　had　often　before　done；　to　recover　in　peace　all　they　had　lost　by

war；　and　having　secretly　entered　into　treaty　with　Lodovico；　the　terms

were　concluded　in　August；　1484。　When　this　became　known　to　the　rest　of

the　allies；　they　were　greatly　dissatisfied；　principally　because　they

found　that　the　places　won　from　the　Venetians　were　to　be　restored；　that

they　were　allowed　to　keep　Rovigo　and　the　Polesine；　which　they　had

taken　from　the　marquis　of　Ferrara；　and　besides　this　retain　all　the

pre…eminence　and　authority　over　Ferrara　itself　which　they　had　formerly

possessed。　Thus　it　was　evident　to　everyone；　they　had　been　engaged　in　a

war　which　had　cost　vast　sums　of　money；　during　the　progress　of　which

they　had　acquired　honor；　and　which　was　concluded　with　disgrace；　for

the　places　wrested　from　the　enemy　were　restored　without　themselves

recovering　those　they　had　lost。　They　were；　however；　compelled　to

ratify　the　treaty；　on　account　of　the　unsatisfactory　state　of　their

finances；　and　because　the　faults　and　ambition　of　others　had　rendered

them　unwilling　to　put　their　fortunes　to　further　proof。







CHAPTER　VI



　　Affairs　of　the　popeHe　is　reconciled　to　Niccolo　VitelliDiscords

　　between　the　Colonnesi　and　the　OrsiniVarious　eventsThe　war　of

　　SerezanaGenoa　occupied　by　her　archbishopDeath　of　Sixtus　IV。

　　Innocent　VIII。　electedAgostino　Fregoso　gives　Serezana　to　the

　　bank　of　St。　GiorgioAccount　of　the　bank　of　St。　GiorgioWar　with

　　the　Genoese　for　SerezanaStratagem　of　the　Florentines　to　attack

　　Pietra　SantaDifficulties　and　final　surrender　of　Pietra　Santa

　　The　Lucchese　lay　claim　to　Pietra　SantaThe　city　of　L'Aquila

　　revolts　against　the　king　of　NaplesWar　between　him　and　the　pope

　　The　Florentines　take　the　king's　partyPeace　between　the　pope　and

　　the　king。



During　these　events　in　Lombardy；　the　pope　sent　Lorenzo　to