history of florence-第15节

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

it　happened　that　the　cavalier　betrothed　himself　to　a　maiden　of　the

Amidei　family。　This　grieved　the　Donati　widow　exceedingly；　but　she

hoped；　with　her　daughter's　beauty；　to　disturb　the　arrangement　before

the　celebration　of　the　marriage；　and　from　an　upper　apartment；　seeing

Buondelmonti　approach　her　house　alone；　she　descended；　and　as　he　was

passing　she　said　to　him；　〃I　am　glad　to　learn　you　have　chosen　a　wife；

although　I　had　reserved　my　daughter　for　you〃；　and；　pushing　the　door

open；　presented　her　to　his　view。　The　cavalier；　seeing　the　beauty　of

the　girl；　which　was　very　uncommon；　and　considering　the　nobility　of　her

blood；　and　her　portion　not　being　inferior　to　that　of　the　lady　whom　he

had　chosen；　became　inflamed　with　such　an　ardent　desire　to　possess　her；

that；　not　thinking　of　the　promise　given；　or　the　injury　he　committed　in

breaking　it；　or　of　the　evils　which　his　breach　of　faith　might　bring

upon　himself；　said；　〃Since　you　have　reserved　her　for　me；　I　should　be

very　ungrateful　indeed　to　refuse　her；　being　yet　at　liberty　to　choose〃；

and　without　any　delay　married　her。　As　soon　as　the　fact　became　known；

the　Amidei　and　the　Uberti；　whose　families　were　allied；　were　filled

with　rage；　and　having　assembled　with　many　others；　connections　of　the

parties；　they　concluded　that　the　injury　could　not　be　tolerated　without

disgrace；　and　that　the　only　vengeance　proportionate　to　the　enormity　of

the　offence　would　be　to　put　Buondelmonti　to　death。　And　although　some

took　into　consideration　the　evils　that　might　ensue　upon　it；　Mosca

Lamberti　said；　that　those　who　talk　of　many　things　effect　nothing；

using　that　trite　and　common　adage；　/Cosa　fatta　capo　ha/。　Thereupon；

they　appointed　to　the　execution　of　the　murder　Mosca　himself；　Stiatti

Uberti；　Lambertuccio　Amidei；　and　Oderigo　Fifanti；　who；　on　the　morning

of　Easter　day；　concealed　themselves　in　a　house　of　the　Amidei；　situate

between　the　old　bridge　and　St。　Stephen's；　and　as　Buondelmonti　was

passing　upon　a　white　horse；　thinking　it　as　easy　a　matter　to　forget　an

injury　as　reject　an　alliance；　he　was　attacked　by　them　at　the　foot　of

the　bridge；　and　slain　close　by　a　statue　of　Mars。　This　murder　divided

the　whole　city；　one　party　espousing　the　cause　of　the　Buondelmonti；　the

other　that　of　the　Uberti；　and　as　these　families　possessed　men　and

means　of　defense；　they　contended　with　each　other　for　many　years；

without　one　being　able　to　destroy　the　other。



Florence　continued　in　these　troubles　till　the　time　of　Frederick　II。；

who；　being　king　of　Naples；　endeavored　to　strengthen　himself　against

the　church；　and；　to　give　greater　stability　to　his　power　in　Tuscany；

favored　the　Uberti　and　their　followers；　who；　with　his　assistance；

expelled　the　Buondelmonti；　thus　our　city；　as　all　the　rest　of　Italy　had

long　time　been；　became　divided　into　Guelphs　and　Ghibellines；　and　as　it

will　not　be　superfluous；　I　shall　record　the　names　of　the　families

which　took　part　with　each　faction。　Those　who　adopted　the　cause　of　the

Guelphs　were　the　Buondelmonti；　Nerli；　Rossi；　Frescobaldi；　Mozzi；

Bardi；　Pulci；　Gherardini；　Foraboschi；　Bagnesi；　Guidalotti；　Sacchetti；

Manieri；　Lucardesi；　Chiaramontesi；　Compiobbesi；　Cavalcanti；

Giandonati；　Gianfigliazzi；　Scali；　Gualterotti；　Importuni；　Bostichi；

Tornaquinci；　Vecchietti；　Tosinghi；　Arrigucci；　Agli；　Sizi；　Adimari；

Visdomini；　Donati；　Passi；　della　Bella；　Ardinghi；　Tedaldi；　Cerchi。　Of

the　Ghibelline　faction　were　the　Uberti；　Manelli；　Ubriachi；　Fifanti；

Amidei；　Infangati；　Malespini；　Scolari；　Guidi；　Galli；　Cappiardi；

Lamberti；　Soldanieri；　Cipriani；　Toschi；　Amieri；　Palermini；

Migliorelli；　Pigli；　Barucci；　Cattani；　Agolanti；　Brunelleschi；

Caponsacchi；　Elisei；　Abati；　Tidaldini；　Giuochi；　and　Galigai。　Besides

the　noble　families　on　each　side　above　enumerated；　each　party　was

joined　by　many　of　the　higher　ranks　of　the　people；　so　that　the　whole

city　was　corrupted　with　this　division。　The　Guelphs　being　expelled；

took　refuge　in　the　Upper　Val　d'Arno；　where　part　of　their　castles　and

strongholds　were　situated；　and　where　they　strengthened　and　fortified

themselves　against　the　attacks　of　their　enemies。　But；　upon　the　death

of　Frederick；　the　most　unbiased　men；　and　those　who　had　the　greatest

authority　with　the　people；　considered　that　it　would　be　better　to

effect　the　reunion　of　the　city；　than；　by　keeping　her　divided；　cause

her　ruin。　They　therefore　induced　the　Guelphs　to　forget　their　injuries

and　return；　and　the　Ghibellines　to　lay　aside　their　jealousies　and

receive　them　with　cordiality。







CHAPTER　II



　　New　form　of　government　in　FlorenceMilitary　establishmentsThe

　　greatness　of　FlorenceMovements　of　the　GhibellinesGhibellines

　　driven　out　of　the　cityGuelphs　routed　by　the　forces　of　the　king

　　of　NaplesFlorence　in　the　power　of　the　king　of　NaplesProject　of

　　the　Ghibellines　to　destroy　Florence　opposed　by　Farinata　degli

　　UbertiAdventures　of　the　Guelphs　of　FlorenceThe　pope　gives　his

　　standard　to　the　GuelphsFears　of　the　Ghibellines　and　their

　　preparations　for　the　defense　of　their　powerEstablishment　of

　　trades'　companies；　and　their　authorityCount　Guido　Novello

　　expelledHe　goes　to　PratoThe　Guelphs　restored　to　the　cityThe

　　Ghibellines　quit　FlorenceThe　Florentines　reform　the　government

　　in　favor　of　the　GuelphsThe　pope　endeavors　to　restore　the

　　Ghibellines　and　excommunicates　FlorencePope　Nicholas　III。

　　endeavors　to　abate　the　power　of　Charles　king　of　Naples。



Being　united；　the　Florentines　thought　the　time　favorable　for　the

ordination　of　a　free　government；　and　that　it　would　be　desirable　to

provide　their　means　of　defense　before　the　new　emperor　should　acquire

strength。　They　therefore　divided　the　city　into　six　parts；　and　elected

twelve　citizens；　two　for　each　sixth；　to　govern　the　whole。　These　were

called　Anziani；　and　were　elected　annually。　To　remove　the　cause　of

those　enmities　which　had　been　observed　to　arise　from　judicial

decisions；　they　provided　two　judges　from　some　other　state；one　called

captain　of　the　people；　the　other　podesta；　or　provost；whose　duty　it

was　to　decide　in　cases；　whether　civil　or　criminal；　which　occurred

among　the　people。　And　as　order　cannot　be　preserved　without　a

sufficient　force　for　the　defense　of　it；　they　appointed　twenty　banners

in　the　city；　and　seventy…six　in　the　country；　upon　the　rolls　of　which

the　names　of　all　the　youth　were　armed；　and　it　was　ordered　that

everyone　should　appear　armed；　under　his　banner；　whenever　summoned；

whether　by　the　captain　of　the　people　or　the　Anziani。　They　had　ensigns

according　to　the　kind　of　arms　they　used；　the　bowmen　being　under　one

ensign；　and　the　swordsmen；　or　those　who　carried　a　target；　under

another；　and　every　year；　upon　the　day　of　Pentecost；　ensigns　were　given

with　great　pomp　to　the　new　men；　and　new　leaders　were　appointed　for　the

whole　establishment。　To　give　importance　to　their　armies；　and　to　serve

as　a　point　of　refuge　for　those　who　were　exhausted　in　the　fight；　and

from　which；　having　become　refreshed；　they　might　again　make　head

against　the　enemy；　they　provided　a　large　car；　drawn　by　two　oxen；

covered　with　red　cloth；　upon　which　was　an　ensign　of　white　and　red。

When　they　intended　to　assemble　the　army；　this　car　was　brought　into　the

New　Market；　and　delivered　with　pomp　to　the　heads　of　the　people。　To

give　solemnity　to　their　enterprises；　they　had　a　bell　called

Martinella；　which　was　rung　during　a　whole　month　before　the　forces　left

the　city；　in　order　that　the　enemy　might　have　time　to　provide　for　his

defense；　so　great　was　the　virtue　then　existing　among　men；　and　with　so

much　generosity　of　mind　were　they　governed；　that　as　it　is　now

considered　a　brave　and　prudent　act　to　assail　an　unprovided　enemy；　in

those　days　it　would　have　been　thought　disgraceful；　and　productive　only

of　a　fallacious　advantage。　This　bell　was　also　taken　with　the　army；　and

served　to　regulate　the　keeping　and　relief　of　guard；　and　other　matters

necessary　in　the　practice　of　war。



With　these　ordinations；　civil　and　military；　the　Florentines

established　their　liberty。　Nor　is　it　possible　to　imagine　the　power　and

authority　Florence　in　a　short　time　acquired。　She　became　not　only　the

head　of　Tuscany；　but　was　enumerated　among　the　first　cities　of　Italy；

and　would　have　attained　greatness　of　the　most　exalted　kind；　had　she

not　been　afflicted　with　the　continual　divisions　of　her　citizens。　They

remained　under　the　this　government　ten　years；　during　which　time　they

compelled　the　people　of　Pistoria；　Arezzo；　and　Sienna；　to　enter　into

league　with　them；　and　returning　with　the　army　from　Sienna；　they　took

Volterra；　destroyed　some　castles；　and　led　the　inhabitants　to　Florence。

All　these　enterprises　were　effected　by　the　advice　of　the　Guelphs；　who

were　much　more　powerful　than　the　Ghibellines；　for　the　latter　were

hated　by　the　people　as　well　on　account　of　their　haughty　bearing　while

in　power；　during　the　time　of　Frederick；　as　because　the　church　party

was　in　more　favor　than　that　of　the　emperor；　for　with　the　aid　of　the

church　they　hoped　to