history of florence-第23节

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effect；　for　their　purpose　being　foreseen；　they　were　repulsed　by　those

who　had　remained　at　home。　They　then　endeavored　to　acquire　by　entreaty

what　they　had　failed　to　obtain　by　force；　and　sent　eight　men　as

ambassadors　to　the　Signory；　to　remind　them　of　the　promise　given；　and

of　the　dangers　they　had　undergone；　in　hope　of　the　reward　which　had

been　held　out　to　them。　And　although　the　nobility；　who　felt　the

obligation　on　account　of　their　having　particularly　undertaken　to

fulfill　the　promise　for　which　the　Signory　had　bound　themselves；　used

their　utmost　exertion　in　favor　of　the　exiles；　so　great　was　the　anger

of　the　multitude　on　account　of　their　only　partial　success　against

Castruccio；　that　they　could　not　obtain　their　admission。　This

occasioned　cost　and　dishonor　to　the　city；　for　many　of　the　nobility；

taking　offense　at　this　proceeding；　endeavored　to　obtain　by　arms　that

which　had　been　refused　to　their　prayers；　and　agreed　with　the　exiles

that　they　should　come　armed　to　the　city；　and　that　those　within　would

arm　themselves　in　their　defense。　But　the　affair　was　discovered　before

the　appointed　day　arrived；　so　that　those　without　found　the　city　in

arms；　and　prepared　to　resist　them。　So　completely　subdued　were　those

within；　that　none　dared　to　take　arms；　and　thus　the　undertaking　was

abandoned；　without　any　advantage　having　been　obtained　by　the　party。

After　the　departure　of　the　exiles　it　was　determined　to　punish　those

who　had　been　instrumental　in　bringing　them　to　the　city；　but；　although

everyone　knew　who　were　the　delinquents；　none　ventured　to　name　and

still　less　to　accuse　them。　It　was；　therefore；　resolved　that　in　order

to　come　at　the　truth；　everyone　should　write　the　names　of　those　he

believed　to　be　guilty；　and　present　the　writing　secretly　to　the

Capitano。　By　this　means；　Amerigo　Donati；　Teghiajo；　Frescobaldi；　and

Lotteringo　Gherardini　were　accused；　but；　the　judges　being　more

favorably　disposed　to　them　than；　perhaps；　their　misdeeds　deserved；

each　escaped　by　paying　a　fine。



The　tumults　which　arose　in　Florence　from　the　coming　of　the　rebels　to

the　gates；　showed　that　one　leader　was　insufficient　for　the　companies

of　the　people；　they；　therefore；　determined　that　in　future　each　should

have　three　or　four；　and　to　every　Gonfalonier　two　or　three　Pennonieri

（pennon　bearers）　were　added；　so　that　if　the　whole　body　were　not　drawn

out；　a　part　might　operate　under　one　of　them。　And　as　happens　in

republics；　after　any　disturbance；　some　old　laws　are　annulled　and

others　renewed；　so　on　this　occasion；　as　it　had　been　previously

customary　to　appoint　the　Signory　for　a　time　only；　the　then　existing

Signors　and　the　Colleagues；　feeling　themselves　possessed　of　sufficient

power；　assumed　the　authority　to　fix　upon　the　Signors　that　would　have

to　sit　during　the　next　forty　months；　by　putting　their　names　into　a　bag

or　purse；　and　drawing　them　every　two　months。　But；　before　the

expiration　of　the　forty　months；　many　citizens　were　jealous　that　their

names　had　not　been　deposited　among　the　rest；　and　a　new　emborsation　was

made。　From　this　beginning　arose　the　custom　of　emborsing　or　enclosing

the　names　of　all　who　should　take　office　in　any　of　the　magistracies　for

a　long　time　to　come；　as　well　those　whose　offices　employed　them　within

the　city　as　those　abroad；　though　previously　the　councils　of　the

retiring　magistrates　had　elected　those　who　were　to　succeed　them。　These

emborsations　were　afterward　called　Squittini；　or　pollings；and　it　was

thought　they　would　prevent　much　trouble　to　the　city；　and　remove　the

cause　of　those　tumults　which　every　three；　or　at　most　five；　years；　took

place　upon　the　creation　of　magistrates；　from　the　number　of　candidates

for　office。　And　not　being　able　to　adopt　a　better　expedient；　they　made

use　of　this；　but　did　not　observe　the　defects　which　lay　concealed　under

such　a　trivial　accommodation。



In　1325；　Castruccio；　having　taken　possession　of　Pistoia；　became　so

powerful　that　the　Florentines；　fearing　his　greatness；　resolved；　before

he　should　get　himself　firmly　seated　in　his　new　conquest；　to　attack　him

and　withdraw　it　from　his　authority。　Of　their　citizens　and　friends　they

mustered　an　army　amounting　to　20；000　foot　and　3；000　horse；　and　with

this　body　encamped　before　Altopascio；　with　the　intention　of　taking　the

place　and　thus　preventing　it　from　relieving　Pistoia。　Being　successful

in　the　first　part　of　their　design；　they　marched　toward　Lucca；　and　laid

the　country　waste　in　their　progress；　but　from　the　little　prudence　and

less　integrity　of　their　leader；　Ramondo　di　Cardona；　they　made　but

small　progress；　for　he；　having　observed　them　upon　former　occasions

very　prodigal　of　their　liberty；　placing　it　sometimes　in　the　hands　of　a

king；　at　others　in　those　of　a　legate；　or　persons　of　even　inferior

quality；　thought；　if　he　could　bring　them　into　some　difficulty；　it

might　easily　happen　that　they　would　make　him　their　prince。　Nor　did　he

fail　frequently　to　mention　these　matters；　and　required　to　have　that

authority　in　the　city　which　had　been　given　him　over　the　army；

endeavoring　to　show　that　otherwise　he　could　not　enforce　the　obedience

requisite　to　a　leader。　As　the　Florentines　did　not　consent　to　this；　he

wasted　time；　and　allowed　Castruccio　to　obtain　the　assistance　which　the

Visconti　and　other　tyrants　of　Lombardy　had　promised　him；　and　thus

become　very　strong。　Ramondo；　having　willfully　let　the　opportunity　of

victory　pass　away；　now　found　himself　unable　to　escape；　for　Castruccio

coming　up　with　him　at　Altopascio；　a　great　battle　ensued　in　which　many

citizens　were　slain　and　taken　prisoners；　and　among　the　former　fell

Ramondo；　who　received　from　fortune　that　reward　of　bad　faith　and

mischievous　counsels　which　he　had　richly　deserved　from　the

Florentines。　The　injury　they　suffered　from　Castruccio；　after　the

battle；　in　plunder；　prisoners；　destruction；　and　burning　of　property；

is　quite　indescribable；　for；　without　any　opposition；　during　many

months；　he　led　his　predatory　forces　wherever　he　thought　proper；　and　it

seemed　sufficient　to　the　Florentines　if；　after　such　a　terrible　event；

they　could　save　their　city。



Still　they　were　not　so　absolutely　cast　down　as　to　prevent　them　from

raising　great　sums　of　money；　hiring　troops；　and　sending　to　their

friends　for　assistance；　but　all　they　could　do　was　insufficient　to

restrain　such　a　powerful　enemy；　so　that　they　were　obliged　to　offer　the

sovereignty　to　Charles　duke　of　Calabria；　son　of　King　Robert；　if　they

could　induce　him　to　come　to　their　defense；　for　these　princes；　being

accustomed　to　rule　Florence；　preferred　her　obedience　to　her

friendship。　But　Charles；　being　engaged　in　the　wars　of　Sicily；　and

therefore　unable　to　undertake　the　sovereignty　of　the　city；　sent　in　his

stead　Walter；　by　birth　a　Frenchman；　and　duke　of　Athens。　He；　as

viceroy；　took　possession　of　the　city；　and　appointed　the　magistracies

according　to　his　own　pleasure；　but　his　mode　of　proceeding　was　quite

correct；　and　so　completely　contrary　to　his　real　nature；　that　everyone

respected　him。



The　affairs　of　Sicily　being　composed；　Charles　came　to　Florence　with　a

thousand　horse。　He　made　his　entry　into　the　city　in　July；　1326；　and　his

coming　prevented　further　pillage　of　the　Florentine　territory　by

Castruccio。　However；　the　influence　which　they　acquired　without　the

city　was　lost　within　her　walls；　and　the　evils　which　they　did　not

suffer　from　their　enemies　were　brought　upon　them　by　their　friends；　for

the　Signory　could　not　do　anything　without　the　consent　of　the　duke　of

Calabria；　who；　in　the　course　of　one　year；　drew　from　the　people　400；000

florins；　although　by　the　agreement　entered　into　with　him；　the　sum　was

not　to　exceed　200；000；　so　great　were　the　burdens　with　which　either

himself　or　his　father　constantly　oppressed　them。



To　these　troubles　were　added　new　jealousies　and　new　enemies；　for　the

Ghibellines　of　Lombardy　became　so　alarmed　upon　the　arrival　of　Charles

in　Tuscany；　that　Galeazzo　Visconti　and　the　other　Lombard　tyrants；　by

money　and　promises；　induced　Louis　of　Bavaria；　who　had　lately　been

elected　emperor　contrary　to　the　wish　of　the　pope；　to　come　into　Italy。

After　passing　through　Lombardy　he　entered　Tuscany；　and　with　the

assistance　of　Castruccio；　made　himself　master　of　Pisa；　from　whence；

having　been　pacified　with　sums　of　money；　he　directed　his　course

towards　Rome。　This　caused　the　duke　of　Calabria　to　be　apprehensive　for

the　safety　of　Naples；　he　therefore　left　Florence；　and　appointed　as　his

viceroy　Filippo　da　Saggineto。



After　the　departure　of　the　emperor；　Castruccio　made　himself　master　of

Pisa；　but　the　Florentines；　by　a　treaty　with　Pistoia；　withdrew　her　from

obedience　to　him。　Castruccio　then　besieged　Pistoia；　and　persevered

with　so　much　vigor　and　resolution；　that　although　the　Florentines　often

attempted　to　relieve　her；　by　attacking　first　his　army　and　then　his

country；　they　were　unable　either　by　force　or　policy　to　remove　him；　so

anxious　was　he　to　punish　the　Pistolesi　and　subdue　the　Florentines。　At

length　the　people　of　Pistoia　were　compelled　to　receive　him　for　their