history of florence-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



popular　feeling；　gave　them　reason　to　hope　their　complaints　would　be

heard　and　mercifully　considered；　and　promised　that　he　himself　would

use　his　endeavors　in　their　behalf。　He　then　returned　to　the　Signory；

and　implored　them　to　spare　the　blood　of　the　citizens；　showing　the

impropriety　of　judging　them　unheard；　and　at　length　induced　them　to

consent　that　the　Bardi　and　the　Frescobaldi；　with　their　friends；　should

leave　the　city；　and　without　impediment　be　allowed　to　retire　to　their

castles。　Upon　their　departure　the　people　being　again　disarmed；　the

Signory　proceeded　against　those　only　of　the　Bardi　and　Frescobaldi

families　who　had　taken　arms。　To　lessen　their　power；　they　bought　of　the

Bardi　the　castle　of　Mangona　and　that　of　Vernia；　and　enacted　a　law

which　provided　that　no　citizen　should　be　allowed　to　possess　a　castle

or　fortified　place　within　twenty　miles　of　Florence。



After　a　few　months；　Stiatta　Frescobaldi　was　beheaded；　and　many　of　his

family　banished。　Those　who　governed；　not　satisfied　with　having　subdued

the　Bardi　and　the　Frescobaldi；　as　is　most　commonly　the　case；　the　more

authority　they　possessed　the　worse　use　they　made　of　it　and　the　more

insolent　they　became。　As　they　had　hitherto　had　one　captain　of　the

guard　who　afflicted　the　city；　they　now　appointed　another　for　the

country；　with　unlimited　authority；　to　the　end　that　those　whom　they

suspected　might　abide　neither　within　nor　without。　And　they　excited

them　to　such　excesses　against　the　whole　of　the　nobility；　that　these

were　driven　to　desperation；　and　ready　to　sell　both　themselves　and　the

city　to　obtain　revenge。　The　occasion　at　length　came；　and　they　did　not

fail　to　use　it。



The　troubles　of　Tuscany　and　Lombardy　had　brought　the　city　of　Lucca

under　the　rule　of　Mastino　della　Scala；　lord　of　Verona；　who；　though

bound　by　contract　to　assign　her　to　the　Florentines；　had　refused　to　do

so；　for；　being　lord　of　Parma；　he　thought　he　should　be　able　to　retain

her；　and　did　not　trouble　himself　about　his　breach　of　faith。　Upon　this

the　Florentines　joined　the　Venetians；　and　with　their　assistance

brought　Mastino　to　the　brink　of　ruin。　They　did　not；　however；　derive

any　benefit　from　this　beyond　the　slight　satisfaction　of　having

conquered　him；　for　the　Venetians；　like　all　who　enter　into　league　with

less　powerful　states　than　themselves；　having　acquired　Trevigi　and

Vicenza；　made　peace　with　Mastino　without　the　least　regard　for　the

Florentines。　Shortly　after　this；　the　Visconti；　lords　of　Milan；　having

taken　Parma　from　Mastino；　he　found　himself　unable　to　retain　Lucca；　and

therefore　determined　to　sell　it。　The　competitors　for　the　purchase　were

the　Florentines　and　the　Pisans；　and　in　the　course　of　the　treaty　the

Pisans；　finding　that　the　Florentines；　being　the　richer　people；　were

about　to　obtain　it；　had　recourse　to　arms；　and；　with　the　assistance　of

the　Visconti；　marched　against　Lucca。　The　Florentines　did　not；　on　that

account；　withdraw　from　the　purchase；　but　having　agreed　upon　the　terms

with　Mastino；　paid　part　of　the　money；　gave　security　for　the　remainder；

and　sent　Naddo　Rucellai；　Giovanni　di　Bernadino　de'　Medici；　and　Rosso

di　Ricciardo　de'　Ricci；　to　take　possession；　who　entered　Lucca　by

force；　and　Mastino's　people　delivered　the　city　to　them。　Nevertheless；

the　Pisans　continued　the　siege；　and　the　Florentines　used　their　utmost

endeavors　to　relieve　her；　but　after　a　long　war；　loss　of　money；　and

accumulation　of　disgrace；　they　were　compelled　to　retire；　and　the

Pisans　became　lords　of　Lucca。



The　loss　of　this　city；　as　in　like　cases　commonly　happens；　exasperated

the　people　of　Florence　against　the　members　of　the　government；　at　every

street　corner　and　public　place　they　were　openly　censured；　and　the

entire　misfortune　was　laid　to　the　charge　of　their　greediness　and

mismanagement。　At　the　beginning　of　the　war；　twenty　citizens　had　been

appointed　to　undertake　the　direction　of　it；　who　appointed　Malatesta　da

Rimini　to　the　command　of　the　forces。　He　having　exhibited　little　zeal

and　less　prudence；　they　requested　assistance　from　Robert　king　of

Naples；　and　he　sent　them　Walter　duke　of　Athens；　who；　as　Providence

would　have　it；　to　bring　about　the　approaching　evils；　arrived　at

Florence　just　at　the　moment　when　the　undertaking　against　Lucca　had

entirely　failed。　Upon　this　the　Twenty；　seeing　the　anger　of　the　people；

thought　to　inspire　them　with　fresh　hopes　by　the　appointment　of　a　new

leader；　and　thus　remove；　or　at　least　abate；　the　causes　of　calumny

against　themselves。　As　there　was　much　to　be　feared；　and　that　the　duke

of　Athens　might　have　greater　authority　to　defend　them；　they　first

chose　him　for　their　coadjutor；　and　then　appointed　him　to　the　command

of　the　army。　The　nobility；　who　were　discontented　from　the　causes　above

mentioned；　having　many　of　them　been　acquainted　with　Walter；　when　upon

a　former　occasion　he　had　governed　Florence　for　the　duke　of　Calabria；

thought　they　had　now　an　opportunity；　though　with　the　ruin　of　the　city；

of　subduing　their　enemies；　for　there　was　no　means　of　prevailing

against　those　who　had　oppressed　them　but　of　submitting　to　the

authority　of　a　prince　who；　being　acquainted　with　the　worth　of　one

party　and　the　insolence　of　the　other；　would　restrain　the　latter　and

reward　the　former。　To　this　they　added　a　hope　of　the　benefits　they

might　derive　from　him　when　he　had　acquired　the　principality　by　their

means。　They；　therefore；　took　several　occasions　of　being　with　him

secretly；　and　entreated　he　would　take　the　command　wholly　upon　himself；

offering　him　the　utmost　assistance　in　their　power。　To　their　influence

and　entreaty　were　also　added　those　of　some　families　of　the　people；

these　were　the　Peruzzi；　Acciajuoli；　Antellesi；　and　Buonaccorsi；　who；

being　overwhelmed　with　debts；　and　without　means　of　their　own；　wished

for　those　of　others　to　liquidate　them；　and；　by　the　slavery　of　their

country；　to　deliver　themselves　from　their　servitude　to　their

creditors。　These　demonstrations　excited　the　ambitious　mind　of　the　duke

to　greater　desire　of　dominion；　and　in　order　to　gain　himself　the

reputation　of　strict　equity　and　justice；　and　thus　increase　his　favor

with　the　plebeians；　he　prosecuted　those　who　had　conducted　the　war

against　Lucca；　condemned　many　to　pay　fines；　others　to　exile；　and　put

to　death　Giovanni　de'　Medici；　Naddo　Rucellai；　and　Guglielmo　Altoviti。







CHAPTER　VIII



　　The　Duke　of　Athens　requires　to　be　made　prince　of　FlorenceThe

　　Signory　address　the　duke　upon　the　subjectThe　plebeians　proclaim

　　him　prince　of　Florence　for　lifeTyrannical　proceedings　of　the

　　dukeThe　city　disgusted　with　himConspiracies　against　the　duke

　　The　duke　discovers　the　conspiracies；　and　becomes　terrifiedThe

　　city　rises　against　himHe　is　besieged　in　the　palaceMeasures

　　adopted　by　the　citizens　for　reform　of　the　governmentThe　duke　is

　　compelled　to　withdraw　from　the　cityMiserable　deaths　of　Guglielmo

　　da　Scesi　and　his　sonDeparture　of　the　duke　of　AthensHis

　　character。



These　executions　greatly　terrified　the　middle　class　of　citizens；　but

gave　satisfaction　to　the　great　and　to　the　plebeians；to　the　latter；

because　it　is　their　nature　to　delight　in　evil；　and　to　the　former；　by

thus　seeing　themselves　avenged　of　the　many　wrongs　they　had　suffered

from　the　people。　When　the　duke　passed　along　the　streets　he　was　hailed

with　loud　cheers；　the　boldness　of　his　proceedings　was　praised；　and

both　parties　joined　in　open　entreaties　that　he　would　search　out　the

faults　of　the　citizens；　and　punish　them。



The　office　of　the　Twenty　began　to　fall　into　disuse；　while　the　power　of

the　duke　became　great；　and　the　influence　of　fear　excessive；　so　that

everyone；　in　order　to　appear　friendly　to　him；　caused　his　arms　to　be

painted　over　their　houses；　and　the　name　alone　was　all　he　needed　to　be

absolutely　prince。　Thinking　himself　upon　such　a　footing　that　he　might

safely　attempt　anything；　he　gave　the　Signory　to　understand　that　he

judged　it　necessary　for　the　good　of　the　city；　that　the　sovereignty

should　be　freely　given　to　him；　and　that　as　the　rest　of　the　citizens

were　willing　that　it　should　be　so；　he　desired　they　would　also　consent。

The　Signory；　notwithstanding　many　had　foreseen　the　ruin　of　their

country；　were　much　disturbed　at　this　demand；　and　although　they　were

aware　of　the　dangerous　position　in　which　they　stood；　that　they　might

not　be　wanting　in　their　duty；　resolutely　refused　to　comply。　The　duke

had；　in　order　to　assume　a　greater　appearance　of　religion　and　humanity；

chosen　for　his　residence　the　convent　of　the　Minor　Canons　of　St。　Croce；

and　in　order　to　carry　his　evil　designs　into　effect；　proclaimed　that

all　the　people　should；　on　the　following　morning；　present　themselves

before　him　in　the　piazza　of　the　convent。　This　command　alarmed　the

Signory　much　more　than　his　discourse　to　them　had　done；　and　they

consulted　with　those　citizens　whom　they　thought　most　attached　to　their

country　and　to　liberty；　but　they　could　not　devise　any　better　plan；

knowing　the　power　of　which　the　duke　was　possessed；　than　to　endeavor　by

entreaty　to　induce　him　either　to