history of florence-第17节

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government　of　the　city；　and　elected　twelve　men　who；　as　the　supreme

power；　were　to　hold　their　magistracy　two　months；　and　were　not　called

Anziani　or　〃ancients；〃　but　Buono　Uomini　or　〃good　men。〃　They　also

formed　a　council　of　eighty　citizens；　which　they　called　the　Credenza。

Besides　these；　from　each　sixth；　thirty　citizens　were　chosen；　who；　with

the　Credenza　and　the　twelve　Buono　Uomini；　were　called　the　General

Council。　They　also　appointed　another　council　of　one　hundred　and　twenty

citizens；　elected　from　the　people　and　the　nobility；　to　which　all　those

things　were　finally　referred　that　had　undergone　the　consideration　of

the　other　councils；　and　which　distributed　the　offices　of　the　republic。

Having　formed　this　government；　they　strengthened　the　Guelphic　party　by

appointing　its　friends　to　the　principal　offices　of　state；　and　a

variety　of　other　measures；　that　they　might　be　enabled　to　defend

themselves　against　the　Ghibellines；　whose　property　they　divided　into

three　parts；　one　of　which　was　applied　to　the　public　use；　another　to

the　Capitani；　and　the　third　was　assigned　to　the　Guelphs；　in

satisfaction　of　the　injuries　they　had　received。　The　pope；　too；　in

order　to　keep　Tuscany　in　the　Guelphic　interest；　made　Charles　imperial

vicar　over　the　province。　While　the　Florentines；　by　virtue　of　the　new

government；　preserved　their　influence　at　home　by　laws；　and　abroad　with

arms；　the　pope　died；　and　after　a　dispute；　which　continued　two　years；

Gregory　X。　was　elected；　being　then　in　Syria；　where　he　had　long　lived；

but　not　having　witnessed　the　working　of　parties；　he　did　not　estimate

them　in　the　manner　his　predecessors　had　done；　and　passing　through

Florence　on　his　way　to　France；　he　thought　it　would　be　the　office　of　a

good　pastor　to　unite　the　city；　and　so　far　succeeded　that　the

Florentines　consented　to　receive　the　Syndics　of　the　Ghibellines　in

Florence　to　consider　the　terms　of　their　recall。　They　effected　an

agreement；　but　the　Ghibellines　without　were　so　terrified　that　they　did

not　venture　to　return。　The　pope　laid　the　whole　blame　upon　the　city；

and　being　enraged　excommunicated　her；　in　which　state　of　contumacy　she

remained　as　long　as　the　pontiff　lived；　but　was　reblessed　by　his

successor　Innocent　V。



The　pontificate　was　afterward　occupied　by　Nicholas　III。　of　the　Orsini

family。　It　has　to　be　remarked　that　it　was　invariably　the　custom　of　the

popes　to　be　jealous　of　those　whose　power　in　Italy　had　become　great；

even　when　its　growth　had　been　occasioned　by　the　favors　of　the　church；

and　as　they　always　endeavored　to　destroy　it；　frequent　troubles　and

changes　were　the　result。　Their　fear　of　a　powerful　person　caused　them

to　increase　the　influence　of　one　previously　weak；　his　becoming　great

caused　him　also　to　be　feared；　and　his　being　feared　made　them　seek　the

means　of　destroying　him。　This　mode　of　thinking　and　operation

occasioned　the　kingdom　of　Naples　to　be　taken　from　Manfred　and　given　to

Charles；　but　as　soon　as　the　latter　became　powerful　his　ruin　was

resolved　upon。　Actuated　by　these　motives；　Nicholas　III。　contrived

that；　with　the　influence　of　the　emperor；　the　government　of　Tuscany

should　be　taken　from　Charles；　and　Latino　his　legate　was　therefore　sent

into　the　province　in　the　name　of　the　empire。







CHAPTER　III



　　Changes　in　FlorenceThe　Ghibellines　recalledNew　form　of

　　government　in　FlorenceThe　Signory　createdVictory　over　the

　　AretinsThe　Gonfalonier　of　Justice　createdUbaldo　Ruffoli　the

　　first　GonfalonierGiano　della　BellaNew　reform　by　his　advice

　　Giano　della　Bella　becomes　a　voluntary　exileDissensions　between

　　the　people　and　the　nobilityThe　tumults　composedReform　of

　　GovernmentPublic　buildingsThe　prosperous　state　of　the　city。



Florence　was　at　this　time　in　a　very　unhappy　condition；　for　the　great

Guelphic　families　had　become　insolent；　and　set　aside　the　authority　of

the　magistrates；　so　that　murders　and　other　atrocities　were　daily

committed；　and　the　perpetrators　escaped　unpunished；　under　the

protection　of　one　or　other　of　the　nobility。　The　leaders　of　the　people；

in　order　to　restrain　this　insolence；　determined　to　recall　those　who

had　been　expelled；　and　thus　gave　the　legate　an　opportunity　of　uniting

the　city。　The　Ghibellines　returned；　and；　instead　of　twelve　governors；

fourteen　were　appointed；　seven　for　each　party；　who　held　their　office

one　year；　and　were　to　be　chosen　by　the　pope。　The　Florentines　lived

under　this　government　two　years；　till　the　pontificate　of　Martin；　who

restored　to　Charles　all　the　authority　which　had　been　taken　from　him　by

Nicholas；　so　that　parties　were　again　active　in　Tuscany；　for　the

Florentines　took　arms　against　the　emperor's　governor；　and　to　deprive

the　Ghibellines　of　power；　and　restrain　the　nobility；　established　a　new

form　of　government。　This　was　in　the　year　1282；　and　the　companies　of

the　Arts；　since　magistrates　had　been　appointed　and　colors　given　to

them；　had　acquired　so　great　influence；　that　of　their　own　authority

they　ordered　that；　instead　of　fourteen　citizens；　three　should　be

appointed　and　called　Priors；　to　hold　the　government　of　the　republic

two　months；　and　chosen　from　either　the　people　or　the　nobility。　After

the　expiration　of　the　first　magistracy　they　were　augmented　to　six；

that　one　might　be　chosen　from　each　sixth　of　the　city；　and　this　number

was　preserved　till　the　year　1342；　when　the　city　was　divided　into

quarters；　and　the　Priors　became　eight；　although　upon　some　occasions

during　the　interim　they　were　twelve。



This　government；　as　will　be　seen　hereafter；　occasioned　the　ruin　of　the

nobility；　for　the　people　by　various　causes　excluded　them　from　all

participation　in　it；　and　then　trampled　upon　them　without　respect。　The

nobles　at　first；　owing　to　their　divisions　among　themselves；　made　no

opposition；　and　each　being　anxious　to　rob　the　other　of　influence　in

the　state；　they　lost　it　altogether。　To　this　government　a　palace　was

given；　in　which　they　were　to　reside　constantly；　and　all　requisite

officers　were　appointed；　it　having　been　previously　the　custom　of

councils　and　magistrates　to　assemble　in　churches。　At　first　they　were

only　called　Priors；　but　to　increase　their　distinction　the　word

signori；　or　lords；　was　soon　afterward　adopted。　The　Florentines

remained　for　some　time　in　domestic　quiet；　during　which　they　made　war

with　the　Aretins　for　having　expelled　the　Guelphs；　and　obtained　a

complete　victory　over　them　at　Campaldino。　The　city　being　increased　in

riches　and　population；　it　was　found　expedient　to　extend　the　walls；　the

circle　of　which　was　enlarged　to　the　extent　it　at　present　remains；

although　its　diameter　was　previously　only　the　space　between　the　old

bridge　and　the　church　of　St。　Lorenzo。



Wars　abroad　and　peace　within　the　city　had　caused　the　Guelph　and

Ghibelline　factions　to　become　almost　extinct；　and　the　only　party

feeling　which　seemed　occasionally　to　glow；　was　that　which　naturally

exists　in　all　cities　between　the　higher　classes　and　the　people；　for

the　latter；　wishing　to　live　in　conformity　with　the　laws；　and　the

former　to　be　themselves　the　rulers　of　the　people；　it　was　not　possible

for　them　to　abide　in　perfect　amity　together。　This　ungenial

disposition；　while　their　fear　of　the　Ghibellines　kept　them　in　order；

did　not　discover　itself；　but　no　sooner　were　they　subdued　than　it　broke

forth；　and　not　a　day　passed　without　some　of　the　populace　being

injured；　while　the　laws　were　insufficient　to　procure　redress；　for

every　noble　with　his　relations　and　friends　defended　himself　against

the　forces　of　the　Priors　and　the　Capitano。　To　remedy　this　evil；　the

leaders　of　the　Arts'　companies　ordered　that　every　Signory　at　the　time

of　entering　upon　the　duties　of　office　should　appoint　a　Gonfalonier　of

Justice；　chosen　from　the　people；　and　place　a　thousand　armed　men　at　his

disposal　divided　into　twenty　companies　of　fifty　men　each；　and　that　he；

with　his　gonfalon　or　banner　and　his　forces；　should　be　ready　to　enforce

the　execution　of　the　laws　whenever　called　upon；　either　by　the　Signors

themselves　or　the　Capitano。　The　first　elected　to　this　high　office　was

Ubaldo　Ruffoli。　This　man　unfurled　his　gonfalon；　and　destroyed　the

houses　of　the　Galletti；　on　account　of　a　member　of　that　family　having

slain　one　of　the　Florentine　people　in　France。　The　violent　animosities

among　the　nobility　enabled　the　companies　of　the　Arts　to　establish　this

law　with　facility；　and　the　former　no　sooner　saw　the　provision　which

had　been　made　against　them　than　they　felt　the　acrimonious　spirit　with

which　it　was　enforced。　At　first　it　impressed　them　with　greater　terror；

but　they　soon　after　returned　to　their　accustomed　insolence；　for　one　or

more　of　their　body　always　making　part　of　the　Signory；　gave　them

opportunities　of　impeding　the　Gonfalonier；　so　that　he　could　not

perform　the　duties　of　his　office。　Besides　this；　the　accuser　always

required　a　witness　of　the　injury　he　had　received；　and　no　one　dared　to

give　evidence　against　the　nobility。　Thus　in　a　short　time　Florence

again　fell　into　the　same　disorders　as　before；　and　the　tyranny

exercised　against　the　pe