history of florence-第20节

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

step　gave　the　people　so　strong　a　suspicion　that　he　designed　to　rob

them　of　their　liberty；　that　each　took　arms；　and　kept　at　his　own　house；

in　order　to　be　ready；　if　Charles　should　make　any　such　attempt。　The

Cerchi　and　the　leaders　of　the　Bianchi　faction　had　acquired　universal

hatred　by　having；　while　at　the　head　of　the　republic；　conducted

themselves　with　unbecoming　pride；　and　this　induced　Corso　and　the

banished　of　the　Neri　party　to　return　to　Florence；　knowing　well　that

Charles　and　the　Captains　of　the　Parts　were　favorable　to　them。　And

while　the　citizens；　for　fear　of　Charles；　kept　themselves　in　arms；

Corso；　with　all　the　banished；　and　followed　by　many　others；　entered

Florence　without　the　least　impediment。　And　although　Veri　de　Cerchi　was

advised　to　oppose　him；　he　refused　to　do　so；　saying　that　he　wished　the

people　of　Florence；　against　whom　he　came；　should　punish　him。　However；

the　contrary　happened；　for　he　was　welcomed；　not　punished　by　them；　and

it　behooved　Veri　to　save　himself　by　flight。



Corso；　having　forced　the　Pinti　Gate；　assembled　his　party　at　San　Pietro

Maggiore；　near　his　own　house；　where；　having　drawn　together　a　great

number　of　friends　and　people　desirous　of　change；　he　set　at　liberty　all

who　had　been　imprisoned　for　offenses；　whether　against　the　state　or

against　individuals。　He　compelled　the　existing　Signory　to　withdraw

privately　to　their　own　houses；　elected　a　new　one　from　the　people　of

the　Neri　party；　and　for　five　days　plundered　the　leaders　of　the

Bianchi。　The　Cerchi；　and　the　other　heads　of　their　faction；　finding

Charles　opposed　to　them；　withdrew　from　the　city；　and　retired　to　their

strongholds。　And　although　at　first　they　would　not　listen　to　the　advice

of　the　pope；　they　were　now　compelled　to　turn　to　him　for　assistance；

declaring　that　instead　of　uniting　the　city；　Charles　had　caused　greater

disunion　than　before。　The　pope　again　sent　Matteo　d'Acquasparta；　his

legate；　who　made　peace　between　the　Cerchi　and　the　Donati；　and

strengthened　it　with　marriages　and　new　betrothals。　But　wishing　that

the　Bianchi　should　participate　in　the　employments　of　the　government；

to　which　the　Neri　who　were　then　at　the　head　of　it　would　not　consent；

he　withdrew；　with　no　more　satisfaction　nor　less　enraged　than　on　the

former　occasion；　and　left　the　city　interdicted　for　disobedience。



Both　parties　remained　in　Florence；　and　equally　discontented；　the　Neri

from　seeing　their　enemies　at　hand；　and　apprehending　the　loss　of　their

power；　and　the　Bianchi　from　finding　themselves　without　either　honor　or

authority；　and　to　these　natural　causes　of　animosity　new　injuries　were

added。　Niccolo　de'　Cerchi；　with　many　of　his　friends；　went　to　his

estates；　and　being　arrived　at　the　bridge　of　Affrico；　was　attacked　by

Simone；　son　of　Corso　Donati。　The　contest　was　obstinate；　and　one　each

side　had　a　sorrowful　conclusion；　for　Niccolo　was　slain；　and　Simone　was

so　severely　wounded　that　he　died　on　the　following　night。



This　event　again　disturbed　the　entire　city；　and　although　the　Neri　were

most　to　blame；　they　were　defended　by　those　who　were　at　the　head　of

affairs；　and　before　sentence　was　delivered；　a　conspiracy　of　the

Bianchi　with　Piero　Ferrante；　one　of　the　barons　who　had　accompanied

Charles；　was　discovered；　by　whose　assistance　they　sought　to　be

replaced　in　the　government。　The　matter　became　known　from　letters

addressed　to　him　by　the　Cerchi；　although　some　were　of　opinion　that

they　were　not　genuine；　but　written　and　pretended　to　be　found；　by　the

Donati；　to　abate　the　infamy　which　their　party　had　acquired　by　the

death　of　Niccolo。　The　whole　of　the　Cerchi　were；　however；　banished；

with　their　followers　of　the　Bianchi　party；　of　whom　was　Dante　the　poet；

their　property　confiscated；　and　their　houses　pulled　down。　They

sought　refuge；　with　a　great　number　of　Ghibellines　who　had　joined　them；

in　many　places；　seeking　fresh　fortunes　in　new　undertakings。　Charles；

having　effected　the　purpose　of　his　coming；　left　the　city；　and　returned

to　the　pope　to　pursue　his　enterprise　against　Sicily；　in　which　he　was

neither　wiser　nor　more　fortunate　than　he　had　been　at　Florence；　so　that

with　disgrace　and　the　loss　of　many　of　his　followers；　he　withdrew　to

France。



After　the　departure　of　Charles；　Florence　remained　quiet。　Corso　alone

was　restless；　thinking　he　did　not　possess　that　sort　of　authority　in

the　city　which　was　due　to　his　rank；　for　the　government　being　in　the

hands　of　the　people；　he　saw　the　offices　of　the　republic　administered

by　many　inferior　to　himself。　Moved　by　passions　of　this　kind；　he

endeavored；　under　the　pretense　of　an　honorable　design；　to　justify　his

own　dishonorable　purposes；　and　accused　many　citizens　who　had　the

management　of　the　public　money；　of　applying　it　to　their　private　uses；

and　recommended　that　they　should　be　brought　to　justice　and　punished。

This　opinion　was　adopted　by　many　who　had　the　same　views　as　himself；

and　many　in　ignorance　joined　them；　thinking　Corso　actuated　only　by

pure　patriotism。　On　the　other　hand；　the　accused　citizens；　enjoying　the

popular　favor；　defended　themselves；　and　this　difference　arose　to　such

a　height；　that；　after　civil　means；　they　had　recourse　to　arms。　Of　the

one　party　were　Corso　and　Lottieri；　bishop　of　Florence；　with　many　of

the　nobility　and　some　of　the　people；　on　the　other　side　were　the

Signory；　with　the　greater　part　of　the　people；　so　that　skirmishes　took

place　in　many　parts　of　the　city。　The　Signory；　seeing　their　danger

great；　sent　for　aid　to　the　Lucchese；　and　presently　all　the　people　of

Lucca　were　in　Florence。　With　their　assistance　the　disturbances　were

settled　for　the　moment；　and　the　people　retained　the　government　and

their　liberty；　without　attempting　by　any　other　means　to　punish　the

movers　of　the　disorder。



The　pope　had　heard　of　the　tumults　at　Florence；　and　sent　his　legate；

Niccolo　da　Prato；　to　settle　them；　who；　being　in　high　reputation　both

for　his　quality；　learning；　and　mode　of　life；　presently　acquired　so

much　of　the　people's　confidence；　that　authority　was　given　him　to

establish　such　a　government　as　he　should　think　proper。　As　he　was　of

Ghibelline　origin；　he　determined　to　recall　the　banished；　but　designing

first　to　gain　the　affections　of　the　lower　orders；　he　renewed　the

ancient　companies　of　the　people；　which　increased　the　popular　power　and

reduced　that　of　the　nobility。　The　legate；　thinking　the　multitude　on

his　side；　now　endeavored　to　recall　the　banished；　and；　after　attempting

in　many　ways；　none　of　which　succeeded；　he　fell　so　completely　under　the

suspicion　of　the　government；　that　he　was　compelled　to　quit　the　city；

and　returned　to　the　pope　in　great　wrath；　leaving　Florence　full　of

confusion　and　suffering　under　an　interdict。　Neither　was　the　city

disturbed　with　one　division　alone；　but　by　many；　first　the　enmity

between　the　people　and　the　nobility；　then　that　of　the　Ghibellines　and

the　Guelphs；　and　lastly；　of　the　Bianchi　and　the　Neri。　All　the　citizens

were；　therefore；　in　arms；　for　many　were　dissatisfied　with　the

departure　of　the　legate；　and　wished　for　the　return　of　the　banished。

The　first　who　set　this　disturbance　on　foot　were　the　Medici　and　the

Guinigi；　who；　with　the　legate；　had　discovered　themselves　in　favor　of

the　rebels；　and　thus　skirmishes　took　place　in　many　parts　of　the　city。



In　addition　to　these　evils　a　fire　occurred；　which　first　broke　out　at

the　garden　of　St。　Michael；　in　the　houses　of　the　Abati；　it　thence

extended　to　those　of　the　Capoinsacchi；　and　consumed　them；　with　those

of　the　Macci；　Amieri；　Toschi；　Cipriani；　Lamberti；　Cavalcanti；　and　the

whole　of　the　New　Market；　from　thence　it　spread　to　the　gate　of　St。

Maria；　and　burned　it　to　the　ground；　turning　from　the　old　bridge；　it

destroyed　the　houses　of　the　Gherardini；　Pulci；　Amidei；　and　Lucardesi；

and　with　these　so　many　others　that　the　number　amounted　to　seventeen

hundred。　It　was　the　opinion　of　many　that　this　fire　occurred　by

accident　during　the　heat　of　the　disturbances。　Others　affirm　that　it

was　begun　willfully　by　Neri　Abati；　prior　of　St。　Pietro　Scarragio；　a

dissolute　character；　fond　of　mischief；　who；　seeing　the　people　occupied

with　the　combat；　took　the　opportunity　of　committing　a　wicked　act；　for

which　the　citizens；　being　thus　employed；　could　offer　no　remedy。　And　to

insure　his　success；　he　set　fire　to　the　house　of　his　own　brotherhood；

where　he　had　the　best　opportunity　of　doing　it。　This　was　in　the　year

1304；　Florence　being　afflicted　both　with　fire　and　the　sword。　Corso

Donati　alone　remained　unarmed　in　so　many　tumults；　for　he　thought　he

would　more　easily　become　the　arbitrator　between　the　contending　parties

when；　weary　of　strife；　they　should　be　inclined　to　accommodation。　They

laid　down　their　arms；　however；　rather　from　satiety　of　evil　than　from

any　desire　of　union；　and　the　only　consequence　was；　that　the　banished

were　not　recalled；　and　the　party　which　favored　them　remained　inferior。







CHAPTER　V



　　The　emigrants　attempt　to　re…enter　Florence；　but　are　not　allowed　to

　　do　so