history of florence-第105节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


upon　the　hill；　that　they　might　also　attack　the　place　on　that　side。

Jacopo　Guicciardini　was　commissary　of　the　army；　and　while　the　siege　of

Pietra　Santa　was　going　on；　the　Genoese　took　and　burned　the　fortress　of

Vada；　and；　landing　their　forces；　plundered　the　surrounding　country。

Biongianni　Gianfigliazzi　was　sent　against　them；　with　a　body　of　horse

and　foot；　and　checked　their　audacity；　so　that　they　pursued　their

depredations　less　boldly。　The　fleet　continuing　its　efforts　went　to

Livorno；　and　by　pontoons　and　other　means　approached　the　new　tower；

playing　their　artillery　upon　it　for　several　days；　but　being　unable　to

make　any　impression　they　withdrew。



In　the　meantime　the　Florentines　proceeded　slowly　against　Pietra　Santa；

and　the　enemy　taking　courage　attacked　and　took　their　works　upon　the

hill。　This　was　effected　with　so　much　glory；　and　struck　such　a　panic

into　the　Florentines；　that　they　were　almost　ready　to　raise　the　siege；

and　actually　retreated　a　distance　of　four　miles；　for　their　generals

thought　that　they　would　retire　to　winter　quarters；　it　being　now

October；　and　make　no　further　attempt　till　the　return　of　spring。



When　the　discomfiture　was　known　at　Florence；　the　government　was　filled

with　indignation；　and；　to　impart　fresh　vigor　to　the　enterprise；　and

restore　the　reputation　of　their　forces；　they　immediately　appointed

Antonio　Pucci　and　Bernardo　del　Neri　commissaries；　who；　with　vast　sums

of　money；　proceeded　to　the　army；　and　intimated　the　heavy　displeasure

of　the　Signory；　and　of　the　whole　city；　if　they　did　not　return　to　the

walls；　and　what　a　disgrace；　if　so　large　an　army　and　so　many　generals；

having　only　a　small　garrison　to　contend　with；　could　not　conquer　so

poor　and　weak　a　place。　They　explained　the　immediate　and　future

advantages　that　would　result　from　the　acquisition；　and　spoke　so

forcibly　upon　the　subject；　that　all　became　anxious　to　renew　the

attack。　They　resolved；　in　the　first　place；　to　recover　the　rampart　upon

the　hill；　and　here　it　was　evident　how　greatly　humanity；　affability；

and　condescension　influence　the　minds　of　soldiers；　for　Antonio　Pucci；

by　encouraging　one　and　promising　another；　shaking　hands　with　this　man

and　embracing　that；　induced　them　to　proceed　to　the　charge　with　such

impetuosity；　that　they　gained　possession　of　the　rampart　in　an　instant。

However；　the　victory　was　not　unattended　by　misfortune；　for　Count

Antonio　da　Marciano　was　killed　by　a　cannon　shot。　This　success　filled

the　townspeople　with　so　much　terror；　that　they　began　to　make　proposals

for　capitulation；　and　to　invest　the　surrender　with　imposing　solemnity；

Lorenzo　de'　Medici　came　to　the　camp；　when；　after　a　few　days；　the

fortress　was　given　up。　It　being　now　winter；　the　leaders　of　the

expedition　thought　it　unadvisable　to　make　any　further　effort　until　the

return　of　spring；　more　particularly　because　the　autumnal　air　had　been

so　unhealthy　that　numbers　were　affected　by　it。　Antonio　Pucci　and

Biongianni　Gianfigliazzi　were　taken　ill　and　died；　to　the　great　regret

of　all；　so　greatly　had　Antonio's　conduct　at　Pietra　Santa　endeared　him

to　the　army。



Upon　the　taking　of　Pietra　Santa；　the　Lucchese　sent　ambassadors　to

Florence；　to　demand　its　surrender　to　their　republic；　on　account　of　its

having　previously　belonged　to　them；　and　because；　as　they　alleged；　it

was　in　the　conditions　that　places　taken　by　either　party　were　to　be

restored　to　their　original　possessors。　The　Florentines　did　not　deny

the　articles；　but　replied　that　they　did　not　know　whether；　by　the

treaty　between　themselves　and　the　Genoese；　which　was　then　under

discussion；　it　would　have　to　be　given　up　or　not；　and　therefore　could

not　reply　to　that　point　at　present；　but　in　case　of　its　restitution；　it

would　first　be　necessary　for　the　Lucchese　to　reimburse　them　for　the

expenses　they　had　incurred　and　the　injury　they　had　suffered；　in　the

death　of　so　many　citizens；　and　that　when　this　was　satisfactorily

arranged；　they　might　entertain　hopes　of　obtaining　the　place。



The　whole　winter　was　consumed　in　negotiations　between　the　Florentines

and　Genoese；　which；　by　the　pope's　intervention；　were　carried　on　at

Rome；　but　not　being　concluded　upon　the　return　of　spring；　the

Florentines　would　have　attacked　Serezana　had　they　not　been　prevented

by　the　illness　of　Lorenzo　de'　Medici；　and　the　war　between　the　pope　and

King　Ferrando；　for　Lorenzo　was　afflicted　not　only　by　the　gout；　which

seemed　hereditary　in　his　family；　but　also　by　violent　pains　in　the

stomach；　and　was　compelled　to　go　the　baths　for　relief。



The　more　important　reason　was　furnished　by　the　war；　of　which　this　was

the　origin。　The　city　of　L'Aquila；　though　subject　to　the　kingdom　of

Naples；　was　in　a　manner　free；　and　the　Count　di　Montorio　possessed

great　influence　over　it。　The　duke　of　Calabria　was　upon　the　banks　of

the　Tronto　with　his　men…at…arms；　under　pretense　of　appeasing　some

disturbances　among　the　peasantry；　but　really　with　a　design　of　reducing

L'Aquila　entirely　under　the　king's　authority；　and　sent　for　the　Count

di　Montorio；　as　if　to　consult　him　upon　the　business　he　pretended　then

to　have　in　hand。　The　count　obeyed　without　the　least　suspicion；　and　on

his　arrival　was　made　prisoner　by　the　duke　and　sent　to　Naples。　When

this　circumstance　became　known　at　L'Aquila；　the　anger　of　the

inhabitants　arose　to　the　highest　pitch；　taking　arms　they　killed

Antonio　Cencinello；　commissary　for　the　king；　and　with　him　some

inhabitants　known　partisans　of　his　majesty。　The　L'Aquilani；　in　order

to　have　a　defender　in　their　rebellion；　raised　the　banner　of　the

church；　and　sent　envoys　to　the　pope；　to　submit　their　city　and

themselves　to　him；　beseeching　that　he　would　defend　them　as　his　own

subjects　against　the　tyranny　of　the　king。　The　pontiff　gladly　undertook

their　defense；　for　he　had　both　public　and　private　reasons　for　hating

that　monarch；　and　Signor　Roberto　of　San　Severino；　an　enemy　of　the　duke

of　Milan；　being　disengaged；　was　appointed　to　take　the　command　of　his

forces；　and　sent　for　with　all　speed　to　Rome。　He　entreated　the　friends

and　relatives　of　the　Count　di　Montorio　to　withdraw　their　allegiance

from　the　king；　and　induced　the　princes　of　Altimura；　Salerno；　and

Bisignano　to　take　arms　against　him。　The　king；　finding　himself　so

suddenly　involved　in　war；　had　recourse　to　the　Florentines　and　the　duke

of　Milan　for　assistance。　The　Florentines　hesitated　with　regard　to

their　own　conduct；　for　they　felt　all　the　inconvenience　of　neglecting

their　own　affairs　to　attend　to　those　of　others；　and　hostilities

against　the　church　seemed　likely　to　involve　much　risk。　However；　being

under　the　obligation　of　a　League；　they　preferred　their　honor　to

convenience　or　security；　engaged　the　Orsini；　and　sent　all　their　own

forces　under　the　Count　di　Pitigliano　toward　Rome；　to　the　assistance　of

the　king。　The　latter　divided　his　forces　into　two　parts；　one；　under　the

duke　of　Calabria；　he　sent　toward　Rome；　which；　being　joined　by　the

Florentines；　opposed　the　army　of　the　church；　with　the　other；　under　his

own　command；　he　attacked　the　barons；　and　the　war　was　prosecuted　with

various　success　on　both　sides。　At　length；　the　king；　being　universally

victorious；　peace　was　concluded　by　the　intervention　of　the　ambassadors

of　the　king　of　Spain；　in　August；　1486；　to　which　the　pope　consented；

for　having　found　fortune　opposed　to　him　he　was　not　disposed　to　tempt

it　further。　In　this　treaty　all　the　powers　of　Italy　were　united；　except

the　Genoese；　who　were　omitted　as　rebels　against　the　republic　of　Milan；

and　unjust　occupiers　of　territories　belonging　to　the　Florentines。　Upon

the　peace　being　ratified；　Roberto　da　San　Severino；　having　been　during

the　war　a　treacherous　ally　of　the　church；　and　by　no　means　formidable

to　her　enemies；　left　Rome；　being　followed　by　the　forces　of　the　duke

and　the　Florentines；　after　passing　Cesena；　found　them　near　him；　and

urging　his　flight　reached　Ravenna　with　less　than　a　hundred　horse。　Of

his　forces；　part　were　received　into　the　duke's　service；　and　part　were

plundered　by　the　peasantry。　The　king；　being　reconciled　with　his

barons；　put　to　death　Jacopo　Coppola　and　Antonello　d'Aversa　and　their

sons；　for　having；　during　the　war；　betrayed　his　secrets　to　the　pope。







CHAPTER　VII



　　The　pope　becomes　attached　to　the　FlorentinesThe　Genoese　seize

　　SerezanelloThey　are　routed　by　the　FlorentinesSerezana

　　surrendersGenoa　submits　to　the　duke　of　MilanWar　between　the

　　Venetians　and　the　DutchOsimo　revolts　from　the　churchCount

　　Girolamo　Riario；　lord　of　Furli；　slain　by　a　conspiracyGaleotto；

　　lord　of　Faenza；　is　murdered　by　the　treachery　of　his　wifeThe

　　government　of　the　city　offered　to　the　FlorentinesDisturbances　in

　　SiennaDeath　of　Lorenzo　de'　MediciHis　eulogyEstablishment　of

　　his　familyEstates　bought　by　LorenzoHis　anxiety　for　the　defense

　　of　FlorenceHis　taste　for　arts　and　literatureThe　university　of

　　PisaThe　estimation　of　Lorenzo　by　other　princes。



The　pope　having　observed　in　the　course　of　the　war；　how　promptly　and

earnestly　the　Florentines　adhered　to　their　alliances；　although　he