history of florence-第19节

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　　Nera　faction　banished　by　the　advice　of　Dante　AlighieriCharles　of

　　Valois　sent　by　the　pope　to　FlorenceThe　Florentines　suspect　him

　　Corso　Donati　and　the　rest　of　the　Nera　party　return　to　Florence

　　Veri　Cerchi　fliesThe　pope's　legate　again　in　FlorenceThe　city

　　again　interdictedNew　disturbancesThe　Bianchi　banishedDante

　　banishedCorso　Donati　excites　fresh　troublesThe　pope's　legate

　　endeavors　to　restore　the　emigrants　but　does　not　succeedGreat

　　fire　in　Florence。



The　Cerchi　and　the　Donati　were；　for　riches；　nobility；　and　the　number

and　influence　of　their　followers；　perhaps　the　two　most　distinguished

families　in　Florence。　Being　neighbors；　both　in　the　city　and　the

country；　there　had　arisen　between　them　some　slight　displeasure；　which；

however；　had　not　occasioned　an　open　quarrel；　and　perhaps　never　would

have　produced　any　serious　effect　if　the　malignant　humors　had　not　been

increased　by　new　causes。　Among　the　first　families　of　Pistoia　was　the

Cancellieri。　It　happened　that　Lore；　son　of　Gulielmo；　and　Geri；　son　of

Bertacca；　both　of　this　family；　playing　together；　and　coming　to　words；

Geri　was　slightly　wounded　by　Lore。　This　displeased　Gulielmo；　and；

designing　by　a　suitable　apology　to　remove　all　cause　of　further

animosity；　he　ordered　his　son　to　go　to　the　house　of　the　father　of　the

youth　whom　he　had　wounded　and　ask　pardon。　Lore　obeyed　his　father；　but

this　act　of　virtue　failed　to　soften　the　cruel　mind　of　Bertacca；　and

having　caused　Lore　to　be　seized；　in　order　to　add　the　greatest

indignity　to　his　brutal　act；　he　ordered　his　servants　to　chop　off　the

youth's　hand　upon　a　block　used　for　cutting　meat　upon；　and　then　said　to

him；　〃Go　to　thy　father；　and　tell　him　that　sword　wounds　are　cured　with

iron　and　not　with　words。〃



The　unfeeling　barbarity　of　this　act　so　greatly　exasperated　Gulielmo

that　he　ordered　his　people　to　take　arms　for　his　revenge。　Bertacca

prepared　for　his　defense；　and　not　only　that　family；　but　the　whole　city

of　Pistoia；　became　divided。　And　as　the　Cancellieri　were　descended　from

a　Cancelliere　who　had　had　two　wives；　of　whom　one　was　called　Bianca

（white）；　one　party　was　named　by　those　who　were　descended　from　her

BIANCA；　and　the　other；　by　way　of　greater　distinction；　was　called　NERA

（black）。　Much　and　long…continued　strife　took　place　between　the　two；

attended　with　the　death　of　many　men　and　the　destruction　of　much

property；　and　not　being　able　to　effect　a　union　among　themselves；　but

weary　of　the　evil；　and　anxious　either　to　bring　it　to　an　end；　or；　by

engaging　others　in　their　quarrel；　increase　it；　they　came　to　Florence；

where　the　Neri；　on　account　of　their　familiarity　with　the　Donati；　were

favored　by　Corso；　the　head　of　that　family；　and　on　this　account　the

Bianchi；　that　they　might　have　a　powerful　head　to　defend　them　against

the　Donati；　had　recourse　to　Veri　de　Cerchi；　a　man　in　no　respect

inferior　to　Corso。



This　quarrel；　and　the　parties　in　it；　brought　from　Pistoia；　increased

the　old　animosity　between　the　Cerchi　and　the　Donati；　and　it　was

already　so　manifest；　that　the　Priors　and　all　well…disposed　men　were　in

hourly　apprehension　of　its　breaking　out；　and　causing　a　division　of　the

whole　city。　They　therefore　applied　to　the　pontiff；　praying　that　he

would　interpose　his　authority　between　these　turbulent　parties；　and

provide　the　remedy　which　they　found　themselves　unable　to　furnish。　The

pope　sent　for　Veri；　and　charged　him　to　make　peace　with　the　Donati；　at

which　Veri　exhibited　great　astonishment；　saying　that　he　had　no　enmity

against　them；　and　that　as　pacification　presupposes　war；　he　did　not

know；　there　being　no　war　between　them；　how　peacemaking　could　be

necessary。　Veri　having　returned　from　Rome　without　anything　being

effected；　the　rage　of　the　parties　increased　to　such　a　degree；　that　any

trivial　accident　seemed　sufficient　to　make　it　burst　forth；　as　indeed

presently　happened。



It　was　in　the　month　of　May；　during　which；　and　upon　holidays；　it　is　the


custom　of　Florence　to　hold　festivals　and　public　rejoicings　throughout

the　city。　Some　youths　of　the　Donati　family；　with　their　friends；　upon

horseback；　were　standing　near　the　church　of　the　Holy　Trinity　to　look

at　a　party　of　ladies　who　were　dancing；　thither　also　came　some　of　the

Cerchi；　like　the　Donati；　accompanied　with　many　of　the　nobility；　and；

not　knowing　that　the　Donati　were　before　them；　pushed　their　horses　and

jostled　them；　thereupon　the　Donati；　thinking　themselves　insulted；　drew

their　swords；　nor　were　the　Cerchi　at　all　backward　to　do　the　same；　and

not　till　after　the　interchange　of　many　wounds；　they　separated。　This

disturbance　was　the　beginning　of　great　evils；　for　the　whole　city

became　divided；　the　people　as　well　as　the　nobility；　and　the　parties

took　the　names　of　the　Bianchi　and　the　Neri。　The　Cerchi　were　at　the

head　of　the　Bianchi　faction；　to　which　adhered　the　Adimari；　the　Abati；

a　part　of　the　Tosinghi；　of　the　Bardi；　of　the　Rossi；　of　the

Frescobaldi；　of　the　Nerli；　and　of　the　Manelli；　all　the　Mozzi；　the

Scali；　Gherardini；　Cavalcanti；　Malespini；　Bostichi；　Giandonati；

Vecchietti；　and　Arrigucci。　To　these　were　joined　many　families　of　the

people；　and　all　the　Ghibellines　then　in　Florence；　so　that　their　great

numbers　gave　them　almost　the　entire　government　of　the　city。



The　Donati；　at　the　head　of　whom　was　Corso；　joined　the　Nera　party；　to

which　also　adhered　those　members　of　the　above…named　families　who　did

not　take　part　with　the　Bianchi；　and　besides　these；　the　whole　of　the

Pazzi；　the　Bisdomini；　Manieri；　Bagnesi；　Tornaquinci；　Spini；

Buondelmonti；　Gianfigliazzi；　and　the　Brunelleschi。　Nor　did　the　evil

confine　itself　to　the　city　alone；　for　the　whole　country　was　divided

upon　it；　so　that　the　Captains　of　the　Six　Parts；　and　whoever　were

attached　to　the　Guelphic　party　or　the　well…being　of　the　republic；　were

very　much　afraid　that　this　new　division　would　occasion　the　destruction

of　the　city；　and　give　new　life　to　the　Ghibelline　faction。　They；

therefore；　sent　again　to　Pope　Boniface；　desiring　that；　unless　he

wished　that　city　which　had　always　been　the　shield　of　the　church　should

either　be　ruined　or　become　Ghibelline；　he　would　consider　some　means

for　her　relief。　The　pontiff　thereupon　sent　to　Florence；　as　his　legate；

Cardinal　Matteo　d'Acquasparta；　a　Portuguese；　who；　finding　the　Bianchi；

as　the　most　powerful；　the　least　in　fear；　not　quite　submissive　to　him；

he　interdicted　the　city；　and　left　it　in　anger；　so　that　greater

confusion　now　prevailed　than　had　done　previously　to　his　coming。



The　minds　of　men　being　in　great　excitement；　it　happened　that　at　a

funeral　which　many　of　the　Donati　and　the　Cerchi　attended；　they　first

came　to　words　and　then　to　arms；　from　which；　however；　nothing　but

merely　tumult　resulted　at　the　moment。　However；　having　each　retired　to

their　houses；　the　Cerchi　determined　to　attack　the　Donati；　but；　by　the

valor　of　Corso；　they　were　repulsed　and　great　numbers　of　them　wounded。

The　city　was　in　arms。　The　laws　and　the　Signory　were　set　at　nought　by

the　rage　of　the　nobility；　and　the　best　and　wisest　citizens　were　full

of　apprehension。　The　Donati　and　their　followers；　being　the　least

powerful；　were　in　the　greatest　fear；　and　to　provide　for　their　safety

they　called　together　Corso；　the　Captains　of　the　Parts；　and　the　other

leaders　of　the　Neri；　and　resolved　to　apply　to　the　pope　to　appoint　some

personage　of　royal　blood；　that　he　might　reform　Florence；　thinking　by

this　means　to　overcome　the　Bianchi。　Their　meeting　and　determination

became　known　to　the　Priors；　and　the　adverse　party　represented　it　as　a

conspiracy　against　the　liberties　of　the　republic。　Both　parties　being

in　arms；　the　Signory；　one　of　whom　at　that　time　was　the　poet　Dante；

took　courage；　and　from　his　advice　and　prudence；　caused　the　people　to

rise　for　the　preservation　of　order；　and　being　joined　by　many　from　the

country；　they　compelled　the　leaders　of　both　parties　to　lay　aside　their

arms；　and　banished　Corso；　with　many　of　the　Neri。　And　as　an　evidence　of

the　impartiality　of　their　motives；　they　also　banished　many　of　the

Bianchi；　who；　however；　soon　afterward；　under　pretense　of　some

justifiable　cause；　returned。



Corso　and　his　friends；　thinking　the　pope　favorable　to　their　party；

went　to　Rome　and　laid　their　grievances　before　him；　having　previously

forwarded　a　statement　of　them　in　writing。　Charles　of　Valois；　brother

of　the　king　of　France；　was　then　at　the　papal　court；　having　been　called

into　Italy　by　the　king　of　Naples；　to　go　over　into　Sicily。　The　pope；

therefore；　at　the　earnest　prayers　of　the　banished　Florentines；

consented　to　send　Charles　to　Florence；　till　the　season　suitable　for

his　going　to　Sicily　should　arrive。　He　therefore　came；　and　although　the

Bianchi；　who　then　governed；　were　very　apprehensive；　still；　as　the　head

of　the　Guelphs；　and　appointed　by　the　pope；　they　did　not　dare　to　oppose

him；　and　in　order　to　secure　his　friendship；　they　gave　him　authority　to

dispose　of　the　city　as　he　thought　proper。



Thus　authorized；　Charles　armed　all　his　friends　and　followers；　which

step　gave　the　people　so　strong