history of florence-第14节

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　　Florentines　take　FiesoleThe　first　division　in　Florence；　and　the

　　cause　of　itBuondelmontiBuondelmonti　slainGuelphs　and

　　Ghibellines　in　FlorenceGuelphic　familiesGhibelline　families

　　The　two　factions　come　to　terms。



Among　the　great　and　wonderful　institutions　of　the　republics　and

principalities　of　antiquity　that　have　now　gone　into　disuse；　was　that

by　means　of　which　towns　and　cities　were　from　time　to　time　established；

and　there　is　nothing　more　worthy　the　attention　of　a　great　prince；　or

of　a　well…regulated　republic；　or　that　confers　so　many　advantages　upon

a　province；　as　the　settlement　of　new　places；　where　men　are　drawn

together　for　mutual　accommodation　and　defense。　This　may　easily　be

done；　by　sending　people　to　reside　in　recently　acquired　or　uninhabited

countries。　Besides　causing　the　establishment　of　new　cities；　these

removals　render　a　conquered　country　more　secure；　and　keep　the

inhabitants　of　a　province　properly　distributed。　Thus；　deriving　the

greatest　attainable　comfort；　the　inhabitants　increase　rapidly；　are

more　prompt　to　attack　others；　and　defend　themselves　with　greater

assurance。　This　custom；　by　the　unwise　practice　of　princes　and

republics；　having　gone　into　desuetude；　the　ruin　and　weakness　of

territories　has　followed；　for　this　ordination　is　that　by　which　alone

empires　are　made　secure；　and　countries　become　populated。　Safety　is　the

result　of　it；　because　the　colony　which　a　prince　establishes　in　a　newly

acquired　country；　is　like　a　fortress　and　a　guard；　to　keep　the

inhabitants　in　fidelity　and　obedience。　Neither　can　a　province　be

wholly　occupied　and　preserve　a　proper　distribution　of　its　inhabitants

without　this　regulation；　for　all　districts　are　not　equally　healthy；

and　hence　some　will　abound　to　overflowing；　while　others　are　void；　and

if　there　be　no　method　of　withdrawing　them　from　places　in　which　they

increase　too　rapidly；　and　planting　them　where　they　are　too　few　the

country　would　soon　be　wasted；　for　one　part　would　become　a　desert；　and

the　other　a　dense　and　wretched　population。　And；　as　nature　cannot

repair　this　disorder；　it　is　necessary　that　industry　should　effect　it；

for　unhealthy　localities　become　wholesome　when　a　numerous　population

is　brought　into　them。　With　cultivation　the　earth　becomes　fruitful；　and

the　air　is　purified　with　firesremedies　which　nature　cannot　provide。

The　city　of　Venice　proves　the　correctness　of　these　remarks。　Being

placed　in　a　marshy　and　unwholesome　situation；　it　became　healthy　only

by　the　number　of　industrious　individuals　who　were　drawn　together。

Pisa；　too；　on　account　of　its　unwholesome　air；　was　never　filled　with

inhabitants；　till　the　Saracens；　having　destroyed　Genoa　and　rendered

her　rivers　unnavigable；　caused　the　Genoese　to　migrate　thither　in　vast

numbers；　and　thus　render　her　populous　and　powerful。　Where　the　use　of

colonies　is　not　adopted；　conquered　countries　are　held　with　great

difficulty；　districts　once　uninhabited　still　remain　so；　and　those

which　populate　quickly　are　not　relieved。　Hence　it　is　that　many　places

of　the　world；　and　particularly　in　Italy；　in　comparison　of　ancient

times；　have　become　deserts。　This　has　wholly　arisen　and　proceeded　from

the　negligence　of　princes；　who　have　lost　all　appetite　for　true　glory；

and　of　republics　which　no　longer　possess　institutions　that　deserve

praise。　In　ancient　times；　by　means　of　colonies；　new　cities　frequently

arose；　and　those　already　begun　were　enlarged；　as　was　the　case　with

Florence；　which　had　its　beginning　from　Fiesole；　and　its　increase　from

colonies。



It　is　exceedingly　probable；　as　Dante　and　Giovanni　Villani　show；　that

the　city　of　Fiesole；　being　situate　upon　the　summit　of　the　mountain；　in

order　that　her　markets　might　be　more　frequented；　and　afford　greater

accommodation　for　those　who　brought　merchandise；　would　appoint　the

place　in　which　to　told　them；　not　upon　the　hill；　but　in　the　plain；

between　the　foot　of　the　mountain　and　the　river　Arno。　I　imagine　these

markets　to　have　occasioned　the　first　erections　that　were　made　in　those

places；　and　to　have　induced　merchants　to　wish　for　commodious

warehouses　for　the　reception　of　their　goods；　and　which；　in　time；

became　substantial　buildings。　And　afterward；　when　the　Romans；　having

conquered　the　Carthaginians；　rendered　Italy　secure　from　foreign

invasion；　these　buildings　would　greatly　increase；　for　men　never　endure

inconveniences　unless　some　powerful　necessity　compels　them。　Thus；

although　the　fear　of　war　induces　a　willingness　to　occupy　places　strong

and　difficult　of　access；　as　soon　as　the　cause　of　alarm　is　removed；　men

gladly　resort　to　more　convenient　and　easily　attainable　localities。

Hence；　the　security　to　which　the　reputation　of　the　Roman　republic　gave

birth；　caused　the　inhabitants；　having　begun　in　the　manner　described；

to　increase　so　much　as　to　form　a　town；　this　was　at　first　called　the

Villa　Arnina。　After　this　occurred　the　civil　wars　between　Marius　and

Sylla；　then　those　of　C鎠ar；　and　Pompey；　and　next　those　of　the

murderers　of　C鎠ar；　and　the　parties　who　undertook　to　avenge　his　death。

Therefore；　first　by　Sylla；　and　afterward　by　the　three　Roman　citizens；

who；　having　avenged　the　death　of　C鎠ar；　divided　the　empire　among

themselves；　colonies　were　sent　to　Fiesole；　which；　either　in　part　or　in

whole；　fixed　their　habitations　in　the　plain；　near　to　the　then　rising

town。　By　this　increase；　the　place　became　so　filled　with　dwellings；

that　it　might　with　propriety　be　enumerated　among　the　cities　of　Italy。



There　are　various　opinions　concerning　the　derivation　of　the　word

Florentia。　Some　suppose　it　to　come　from　Florinus；　one　of　the　principal

persons　of　the　colony；　others　think　it　was　originally　not　Florentia；

but　Fluentia；　and　suppose　the　word　derived　from　/fluente/；　or　flowing

of　the　Arno；　and　in　support　of　their　opinion；　adduce　a　passage　from

Pliny；　who　says；　〃the　Fluentini　are　near　the　flowing　of　the　Arno。〃

This；　however；　may　be　incorrect；　for　Pliny　speaks　of　the　locality　of

the　Florentini；　not　of　the　name　by　which　they　were　known。　And　it　seems

as　if　the　word　Fluentini　were　a　corruption；　because　Frontinus　and

Cornelius　Tacitus；　who　wrote　at　nearly　the　same　period　as　Pliny；　call

them　Florentia　and　Florentini；　for；　in　the　time　of　Tiberius；　they　were

governed　like　the　other　cities　of　Italy。　Besides；　Cornelius　refers　to

the　coming　of　ambassadors　from　the　Florentines；　to　beg　of　the　emperor

that　the　waters　of　the　Chiane　might　not　be　allowed　to　overflow　their

country；　and　it　is　not　at　all　reasonable　that　the　city　should　have　two

names　at　the　same　time。　Therefore　I　think　that；　however　derived；　the

name　was　always　Florentia；　and　that　whatever　the　origin　might　be；　it

occurred　under　the　Roman　empire；　and　began　to　be　noticed　by　writers　in

the　times　of　the　first　emperors。



When　the　Roman　empire　was　afflicted　by　the　barbarians；　Florence　was

destroyed　by　Totila；　king　of　the　Ostrogoths；　and　after　a　period　of　two

hundred　and　fifty　years；　rebuilt　by　Charlemagne；　from　whose　time；　till

the　year　1215；　she　participated　in　the　fortune　of　the　rest　of　Italy；

and；　during　this　period；　first　the　descendants　of　Charles；　then　the

Berengarii；　and　lastly　the　German　emperors；　governed　her；　as　in　our

general　treatise　we　have　shown。　Nor　could　the　Florentines；　during

those　ages；　increase　in　numbers；　or　effect　anything　worthy　of　memory；

on　account　of　the　influence　of　those　to　whom　they　were　subject。

Nevertheless；　in　the　year　1010；　upon　the　feast　of　St。　Romolo；　a　solemn

day　with　the　Fiesolani；　they　took　and　destroyed　Fiesole；　which　must

have　been　performed　either　with　the　consent　of　the　emperors；　or　during

the　interim　from　the　death　of　one　to　the　creation　of　his　successor；

when　all　assumed　a　larger　share　of　liberty。　But　then　the　pontiffs

acquired　greater　influence；　and　the　authority　of　the　German　emperors

was　in　its　wane；　all　the　places　of　Italy　governed　themselves　with　less

respect　for　the　prince；　so　that；　in　the　time　of　Henry　III。　the　mind　of

the　country　was　divided　between　the　emperor　and　the　church。　However；

the　Florentines　kept　themselves　united　until　the　year　1215；　rendering

obedience　to　the　ruling　power；　and　anxious　only　to　preserve　their　own

safety。　But；　as　the　diseases　which　attack　our　bodies　are　more

dangerous　and　mortal　in　proportion　as　they　are　delayed；　so　Florence；

though　late　to　take　part　in　the　sects　of　Italy；　was　afterward　the　more

afflicted　by　them。　The　cause　of　her　first　division　is　well　known；

having　been　recorded　by　Dante　and　many　other　writers；　I　shall；

however；　briefly　notice　it。



Among　the　most　powerful　families　of　Florence　were　the　Buondelmonti　and

the　Uberti；　next　to　these　were　the　Amidei　and　the　Donati。　Of　the

Donati　family　there　was　a　rich　widow　who　had　a　daughter　of　exquisite

beauty；　for　whom；　in　her　own　mind；　she　had　fixed　upon　Buondelmonti；　a

young　gentleman；　the　head　of　the　Buondelmonti　family；　as　her　husband；

but　either　from　negligence；　or；　because　she　thought　it　might　be

accomplished　at　any　time；　she　had　not　made　known　her　intention；　when

it　happened　that　t