history of florence-第11节

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regulations；　deserves　to　be　celebrated　above　any　principality　of

Italy。　But　that　this　surprise　may　cease　when　the　cause　is　known；　I

shall　speak　of　their　city　from　a　more　remote　period；　that　everyone　may

understand　what　were　their　beginnings；　and　the　causes　which　so　long

withheld　them　from　interfering　in　the　affairs　of　Italy。



When　Attila；　king　of　the　Huns；　besieged　Aquileia；　the　inhabitants；

after　defending　themselves　a　long　time；　began　to　despair　of　effecting

their　safety；　and　fled　for　refuge　to　several　uninhabited　rocks；

situated　at　the　point　of　the　Adriatic　Sea；　now　called　the　Gulf　of

Venice；　carrying　with　them　whatever　movable　property　they　possessed。

The　people　of　Padua；　finding　themselves　in　equal　danger；　and　knowing

that；　having　became　master　of　Aquileia；　Attila　would　next　attack

themselves；　also　removed　with　their　most　valuable　property　to　a　place

on　the　same　sea；　called　Rivo　Alto；　to　which　they　brought　their　women；

children；　and　aged　persons；　leaving　the　youth　in　Padua　to　assist　in

her　defense。　Besides　these；　the　people　of　Monselice；　with　the

inhabitants　of　the　surrounding　hills；　driven　by　similar　fears；　fled　to

the　same　rocks。　But　after　Attila　had　taken　Aquileia；　and　destroyed

Padua；　Monselice；　Vicenza；　and　Verona；　the　people　of　Padua　and　others

who　were　powerful；　continued　to　inhabit　the　marshes　about　Rivo　Alto；

and；　in　like　manner；　all　the　people　of　the　province　anciently　called

Venetia；　driven　by　the　same　events；　became　collected　in　these　marshes。

Thus；　under　the　pressure　of　necessity；　they　left　an　agreeable　and

fertile　country　to　occupy　one　sterile　and　unwholesome。　However；　in

consequence　of　a　great　number　of　people　being　drawn　together　into　a

comparatively　small　space；　in　a　short　time　they　made　those　places　not

only　habitable；　but　delightful；　and　having　established　among

themselves　laws　and　useful　regulations；　enjoyed　themselves　in　security

amid　the　devastations　of　Italy；　and　soon　increased　both　in　reputation

and　strength。　For；　besides　the　inhabitants　already　mentioned；　many

fled　to　these　places　from　the　cities　of　Lombardy；　principally　to

escape　from　the　cruelties　of　Clefis　king　of　the　Lombards；　which

greatly　tended　to　increase　the　numbers　of　the　new　city；　and　in　the

conventions　which　were　made　between　Pepin；　king　of　France；　and　the

emperor　of　Greece；　when　the　former；　at　the　entreaty　of　the　pope；　came

to　drive　the　Lombards　out　of　Italy；　the　duke　of　Benevento　and　the

Venetians　did　not　render　obedience　to　either　the　one　or　the　other；　but

alone　enjoyed　their　liberty。　As　necessity　had　led　them　to　dwell　on

sterile　rocks；　they　were　compelled　to　seek　the　means　of　subsistence

elsewhere；　and　voyaging　with　their　ships　to　every　port　of　the　ocean；

their　city　became　a　depository　for　the　various　products　of　the　world；

and　was　itself　filled　with　men　of　every　nation。



For　many　years　the　Venetians　sought　no　other　dominion　than　that　which

tended　to　facilitate　their　commercial　enterprises；　and　thus　acquired

many　ports　in　Greece　and　Syria；　and　as　the　French　had　made　frequent

use　of　their　ships　in　voyages　to　Asia；　the　island　of　Candia　was

assigned　to　them　in　recompense　for　these　services。　While　they　lived　in

this　manner；　their　name　spread　terror　over　the　seas；　and　was　held　in

veneration　throughout　Italy。　This　was　so　completely　the　case；　that

they　were　generally　chosen　to　arbitrate　in　controversies　between　the

states；　as　occurred　in　the　difference　between　the　Colleagues；　on

account　of　the　cities　they　had　divided　among　themselves；　which　being

referred　to　the　Venetians；　they　awarded　Brescia　and　Bergamo　to　the

Visconti。　But　when；　in　the　course　of　time；　urged　by　their　eagerness

for　dominion；　they　had　made　themselves　masters　of　Padua；　Vicenza；

Trevisa；　and　afterward　of　Verona；　Bergamo；　and　Brescia；　with　many

cities　in　Romagna　and　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　other　nations　were

impressed　with　such　an　opinion　of　their　power；　that　they　were　a

terror；　not　only　to　the　princes　of　Italy；　but　to　the　ultramontane

kings。　These　states　entered　into　an　alliance　against　them；　and　in　one

day　wrested　from　them　the　provinces　they　had　obtained　with　so　much

labor　and　expense；　and　although　they　have　in　latter　times　reacquired

some　portions；　still　possessing　neither　power　nor　reputation；　like　all

the　other　Italian　powers；　they　live　at　the　mercy　of　others。



Benedict　XII。　having　attained　the　pontificate　and　finding　Italy　lost；

fearing；　too；　that　the　emperor　would　assume　the　sovereignty　of　the

country；　determined　to　make　friends　of　all　who　had　usurped　the

government　of　those　cities　which　had　been　accustomed　to　obey　the

emperor；　that　they　might　have　occasion　to　dread　the　latter；　and　unite

with　himself　in　the　defense　of　Italy。　To　this　end　he　issued　a　decree；

confirming　to　all　the　tyrants　of　Lombardy　the　places　they　had　seized。

After　making　this　concession　the　pope　died；　and　was　succeeded　by

Clement　VI。　The　emperor；　seeing　with　what　a　liberal　hand　the　pontiff

had　bestowed　the　dominions　of　the　empire；　in　order　to　be　equally

bountiful　with　the　property　of　others；　gave　to　all　who　had　assumed

sovereignty　over　the　cities　or　territories　of　the　church；　the　imperial

authority　to　retain　possession　of　them。　By　this　means　Galeotto

Malatesti　and　his　brothers　became　lords　of　Rimino；　Pesaro；　and　Fano；

Antonio　da　Montefeltro；　of　the　Marca　and　Urbino；　Gentile　da　Varano；　of

Camerino；　Guido　di　Polenta；　of　Ravenna；　Sinibaldo　Ordelaffi；　of　Furli

and　Cesena；　Giovanni　Manfredi；　of　Faenza；　Lodovico　Alidossi；　of　Imola；

and　besides　these；　many　others　in　divers　places。　Thus；　of　all　the

cities；　towns；　or　fortresses　of　the　church；　few　remained　without　a

prince；　for　she　did　not　recover　herself　till　the　time　of　Alexander

VI。；　who；　by　the　ruin　of　the　descendants　of　these　princes；　restored

the　authority　of　the　church。



The　emperor；　when　he　made　the　concession　before　named；　being　at

Tarento；　signified　an　intention　of　going　into　Italy。　In　consequence　of

this；　many　battles　were　fought　in　Lombardy；　and　the　Visconti　became

lords　of　Parma。　Robert　king　of　Naples；　now　died；　leaving　only　two

grandchildren；　the　issue　of　his　sons　Charles；　who　had　died　a

considerable　time　before　him。　He　ordered　that　the　elder　of　the　two；

whose　name　was　Giovanna　or　Joan；　should　be　heiress　of　the　kingdom；　and

take　for　her　husband　Andrea；　son　of　the　king　of　Hungary；　his　grandson。

Andrea　had　not　lived　with　her　long；　before　she　caused　him　to　be

murdered；　and　married　another　cousin；　Louis；　prince　of　Tarento。　But

Louis；　king　of　Hungary；　and　brother　of　Andrea；　in　order　to　avenge　his

death；　brought　forces　into　Italy；　and　drove　Queen　Joan　and　her　husband

out　of　the　kingdom。



At　this　period　a　memorable　circumstance　took　place　at　Rome。　Niccolo　di

Lorenzo；　often　called　Rienzi　or　Cola　di　Rienzi；　who　held　the　office　of

chancellor　at　Campidoglio；　drove　the　senators　from　Rome　and；　under　the

title　of　tribune；　made　himself　the　head　of　the　Roman　republic；

restoring　it　to　its　ancient　form；　and　with　so　great　reputation　of

justice　and　virtue；　that　not　only　the　places　adjacent；　but　the　whole

of　Italy　sent　ambassadors　to　him。　The　ancient　provinces；　seeing　Rome

arise　to　new　life；　again　raised　their　heads；　and　some　induced　by　hope；

others　by　fear；　honored　him　as　their　sovereign。　But　Niccolo；

notwithstanding　his　great　reputation；　lost　all　energy　in　the　very

beginning　of　his　enterprise；　and　as　if　oppressed　with　the　weight　of　so

vast　an　undertaking；　without　being　driven　away；　secretly　fled　to

Charles；　king　of　Bohemia；　who；　by　the　influence　of　the　pope；　and　in

contempt　of　Louis　of　Bavaria；　had　been　elected　emperor。　Charles；　to

ingratiate　himself　with　the　pontiff；　sent　Niccolo　to　him；　a　prisoner。

After　some　time；　in　imitation　of　Rienzi；　Francesco　Baroncegli　seized

upon　the　tribunate　of　Rome；　and　expelled　the　senators；　and　the　pope；

as　the　most　effectual　means　of　repressing　him；　drew　Niccolo　from　his

prison；　sent　him　to　Rome；　and　restored　to　him　the　office　of　tribune；

so　that　he　reoccupied　the　state　and　put　Francesco　to　death；　but　the

Colonnesi　becoming　his　enemies；　he　too；　after　a　short　time；　shared　the

same　fate；　and　the　senators　were　again　restored　to　their　office。　The

king　of　Hungary；　having　driven　out　Queen　Joan；　returned　to　his

kingdom；　but　the　pope；　who　chose　to　have　the　queen　in　the　neighborhood

of　Rome　rather　than　the　king；　effected　her　restoration　to　the

sovereignty；　on　the　condition　that　her　husband；　contenting　himself

with　the　title　of　prince　of　Tarento；　should　not　be　called　king。　Being

the　year　1350；　the　pope　thought　that　the　jubilee；　appointed　by

Boniface　VIII。　to　take　place　at　the　conclusion　of　each　century；　might

be　renewed　at　the　end　of　each　fifty　years；　and　having　issued　a　decree

for　the　establishment　of　it；　the　Romans；　in　acknowledgment　of　the

benefit；　consented　that　he　should　send　four　cardinals　to　reform　the

government　of　the　city；　and　appoint　senators　according　to　his　own

pleasure。　The　pope　again　declared　Louis　of　Tarento；　king；　and　in

gratitude