history of florence-第26节

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

entreaty　to　induce　him　either　to　forego　his　design　or　to　make　his

government　less　intolerable。　A　party　of　them　was；　therefore；　appointed

to　wait　upon　him；　one　of　whom　addressed　him　in　the　following　manner：



〃We　appear　before　you；　my　lord；　induced　first　by　the　demand　which　you

have　made；　and　then　by　the　orders　you　have　given　for　a　meeting　of　the

people；　for　it　appears　to　us　very　clearly；　that　it　is　your　intention

to　effect　by　extraordinary　means　the　design　from　which　we　have

hitherto　withheld　our　consent。　It　is　not；　however；　our　intention　to

oppose　you　with　force；　but　only　to　show　what　a　heavy　charge　you　take

upon　yourself；　and　the　dangerous　course　you　adopt；　to　the　end　that　you

may　remember　our　advice　and　that　of　those　who；　not　by　consideration　of

what　is　beneficial　for　you；　but　for　the　gratification　of　their　own

unreasonable　wishes；　have　advised　you　differently。　You　are　endeavoring

to　reduce　to　slavery　a　city　that　has　always　existed　in　freedom；　for

the　authority　which　we　have　at　times　conceded　to　the　kings　of　Naples

was　companionship　and　not　servitude。　Have　you　considered　the　mighty

things　which　the　name　of　liberty　implies　to　such　a　city　as　this；　and

how　delightful　it　is　to　those　who　hear　it？　It　has　a　power　which

nothing　can　subdue；　time　cannot　wear　away；　nor　can　any　degree　of　merit

in　a　prince　countervail　the　loss　of　it。　Consider；　my　lord；　how　great

the　force　must　be　that　can　keep　a　city　like　this　in　subjection；　no

foreign　aid　would　enable　you　to　do　it；　neither　can　you　confide　in

those　at　home；　for　they　who　are　at　present　your　friends；　and　advise

you　to　adopt　the　course　you　now　pursue；　as　soon　as　with　your

assistance　they　have　overcome　their　enemies；　will　at　once　turn　their

thoughts　toward　effecting　your　destruction；　and　then　take　the

government　upon　themselves。　The　plebeians；　in　whom　you　confide；　will

change　upon　any　accident；　however　trivial；　so　that　in　a　very　short

time　you　may　expect　to　see　the　whole　city　opposed　to　you；　which　will

produce　both　their　ruin　and　your　own。　Nor　will　you　be　able　to　find　any

remedy　for　this；　for　princes　who　have　but　few　enemies　may　make　their

government　very　secure　by　the　death　or　banishment　of　those　who　are

opposed　to　them；　but　when　the　hatred　is　universal；　no　security

whatever　can　be　found；　for　you　cannot　tell　from　what　direction　the

evil　may　commence；　and　he　who　has　to　apprehend　every　man　his　enemy

cannot　make　himself　assured　of　anyone。　And　if　you　should　attempt　to

secure　a　friend　or　two；　you　would　only　increase　the　dangers　of　your

situation；　for　the　hatred　of　the　rest　would　be　increased　by　your

success；　and　they　would　become　more　resolutely　disposed　to　vengeance。



〃That　time　can　neither　destroy　nor　abate　the　desire　for　freedom　is

most　certain；　for　it　has　been　often　observed；　that　those　have

reassumed　their　liberty　who　in　their　own　persons　had　never　tasted　of

its　charms；　and　love　it　only　from　remembrance　of　what　they　have　heard

their　fathers　relate；　and；　therefore；　when　recovered；　have　preserved

it　with　indomitable　resolution　and　at　every　hazard。　And　even　when

their　fathers　could　not　remember　it；　the　public　buildings；　the　halls

of　the　magistracy；　and　the　insignia　of　free　institutions；　remind　them

of　it；　and　these　things　cannot　fail　to　be　known　and　greatly　desired　by

every　class　of　citizens。



〃What　is　it　you　imagine　you　can　do；　that　would　be　an　equivalent　for

the　sweets　of　liberty；　or　make　men　lose　the　desire　of　their　present

conditions？　No；　if　you　were　to　join　the　whole　of　Tuscany　to　the

Florentine　rule；　if　you　were　to　return　to　the　city　daily　in　triumph

over　her　enemies；　what　could　it　avail？　The　glory　would　not　be　ours；

but　yours。　We　should　not　acquire　fellow…citizens；　but　partakers　of　our

bondage；　who　would　serve　to　sink　us　still　deeper　in　ignominy。　And　if

your　conduct　were　in　every　respect　upright；　your　demeanor　amiable；　and

your　judgments　equitable；　all　these　would　be　insufficient　to　make　you

beloved。　If　you　imagine　otherwise；　you　deceive　yourself；　for；　to　one

accustomed　to　the　enjoyment　of　liberty；　the　slightest　chains　feel

heavy；　and　every　tie　upon　his　free　soul　oppresses　him。　Besides；　it　is

impossible　to　find　a　violent　people　associated　with　a　good　prince；　for

of　necessity　they　must　soon　become　alike；　or　their　difference　produce

the　ruin　of　one　of　them。　You　may；　therefore；　be　assured；　that　you　will

either　have　to　hold　this　city　by　force；　to　effect　which；　guards；

castles；　and　external　aid　have　oft　been　found　insufficient；　or　be

content　with　the　authority　we　have　conferred；　and　this　we　would

advise；　reminding　you　that　no　dominion　can　be　durable　to　which　the

governed　do　not　consent；　and　we　have　no　wish　to　lead　you；　blinded　by

ambition；　to　such　a　point　that；　unable　either　to　stand　or　advance；　you

must；　to　the　great　injury　of　both；　of　necessity　fall。〃



This　discourse　did　not　in　the　slightest　degree　soften　the　obdurate

mind　of　the　duke；　who　replied　that　it　was　not　his　intention　to　rob　the

city　of　her　liberty；　but　to　restore　it　to　her；　for　those　cities　alone

are　in　slavery　that　are　disunited；　while　the　united　are　free。　As

Florence；　by　her　factions　and　ambition；　had　deprived　herself　of

liberty；　he　should　restore；　not　take　it　from　her；　and　as　he　had　been

induced　to　take　this　charge　upon　himself；　not　from　his　own　ambition；

but　at　the　entreaty　of　a　great　number　of　citizens；　they　would　do　well

to　be　satisfied　with　that　which　produced　contentment　among　the　rest。

With　regard　to　the　danger　he　might　incur；　he　thought　nothing　of　it；

for　it　was　not　the　part　of　a　good　man　to　avoid　doing　good　from　his

apprehension　of　evil；　and　it　was　the　part　of　a　coward　to　shun　a

glorious　undertaking　because　some　uncertainty　attended　the　success　of

the　attempt；　and　he　knew　he　should　so　conduct　himself；　that　they　would

soon　see　they　had　entertained　great　apprehensions　and　been　in　little

danger。



The　Signory　then　agreed；　finding　they　could　not　do　better；　that　on　the

following　morning　the　people　should　be　assembled　in　their　accustomed

place　of　meeting；　and　with　their　consent　the　Signory　should　confer

upon　the　duke　the　sovereignty　of　the　city　for　one　year；　on　the　same

conditions　as　it　had　been　intrusted　to　the　duke　of　Calabria。　It　was

upon　the　8th　of　November；　1342；　when　the　duke；　accompanied　by　Giovanni

della　Tosa　and　all　his　confederates；　with　many　other　citizens；　came　to

the　piazza　or　court　of　the　palace；　and　having；　with　the　Signory

mounted　upon　the　ringhiera；　or　rostrum　（as　the　Florentines　call　those

steps　which　lead　to　the　palace）；　the　agreement　which　had　been　entered

into　between　the　Signory　and　himself　was　read。　When　they　had　come　to

the　passage　which　gave　the　government　to　him　for　one　year；　the　people

shouted；　〃FOR　LIFE。〃　Upon　this；　Francesco　Rustichelli；　one　of　the

Signory；　arose　to　speak；　and　endeavored　to　abate　the　tumult　and

procure　a　hearing；　but　the　mob；　with　their　hootings；　prevented　him

from　being　heard　by　anyone；　so　that　with　the　consent　of　the　people　the

duke　was　elected；　not　for　one　year　merely；　but　for　life。　He　was　then

borne　through　the　piazza　by　the　crowd；　shouting　his　name　as　they

proceeded。



It　is　the　custom　that　he　who　is　appointed　to　the　guard　of　the　palace

shall；　in　the　absence　of　the　Signory；　remain　locked　within。　This

office　was　at　that　time　held　by　Rinieri　di　Giotto；　who；　bribed　by　the

friends　of　the　duke；　without　waiting　for　any　force；　admitted　him

immediately。　The　Signory；　terrified　and　dishonored；　retired　to　their

own　houses；　the　palace　was　plundered　by　the　followers　of　the　duke；　the

Gonfalon　of　the　people　torn　to　pieces；　and　the　arms　of　the　duke　placed

over　the　palace。　All　this　happened　to　the　indescribable　sorrow　of　good

men；　though　to　the　satisfaction　of　those　who；　either　from　ignorance　or

malignity；　were　consenting　parties。



The　duke；　having　acquired　the　sovereignty　of　the　city；　in　order　to

strip　those　of　all　authority　who　had　been　defenders　of　her　liberty；

forbade　the　Signory　to　assemble　in　the　palace；　and　appointed　a　private

dwelling　for　their　use。　He　took　their　colors　from　the　Gonfaloniers　of

the　companies　of　the　people；　abolished　the　ordinances　made　for　the

restraint　of　the　great；　set　at　liberty　those　who　were　imprisoned；

recalled　the　Bardi　and　the　Frescobaldi　from　exile；　and　forbade

everyone　from　carrying　arms　about　his　person。　In　order　the　better　to

defend　himself　against　those　within　the　city；　he　made　friends　of　all

he　could　around　it；　and　therefore　conferred　great　benefits　upon　the

Aretini　and　other　subjects　of　the　Florentines。　He　made　peace　with　the

Pisans；　although　raised　to　power　in　order　that　he　might　carry　on　war

against　them；　ceased　paying　interest　to　those　merchants　who；　during

the　war　against　Lucca；　had　lent　money　to　the　republic；　increased　the

old　taxes；　levied　new　ones；　and　took　from　the　Signory　all　authority。

His　rectors　were　Baglione　da　Perugia　and　Guglielmo　da　Scesi；　who；　with

Cerrettieri　Bisdo