history of florence-第27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！



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

Cerrettieri　Bisdomini；　were　the　persons　with　whom　he　consulted　on

public　affairs。　He　imposed　burdensome　taxes　upon　the　citizens；　his

decisions　between　contending　parties　were　unjust；　and　that　precision

and　humanity　which　he　had　at　first　assumed；　became　cruelty　and　pride；

so　that　many　of　the　greatest　citizens　and　noblest　people　were；　either

by　fines；　death；　or　some　new　invention；　grievously　oppressed。　And　in

completing　the　same　bad　system；　both　without　the　city　and　within；　he

appointed　six　rectors　for　the　country；　who　beat　and　plundered　the

inhabitants。　He　suspected　the　great；　although　he　had　been　benefited　by

them；　and　had　restored　many　to　their　country；　for　he　felt　assured　that

the　generous　minds　of　the　nobility　would　not　allow　them；　from　any

motives；　to　submit　contentedly　to　his　authority。　He　also　began　to

confer　benefits　and　advantages　upon　the　lowest　orders；　thinking　that

with　their　assistance；　and　the　arms　of　foreigners；　he　would　be　able　to

preserve　the　tyranny。　The　month　of　May；　during　which　feasts　are　held；

being　come；　he　caused　many　companies　to　be　formed　of　the　plebeians　and

very　lowest　of　the　people；　and　to　these；　dignified　with　splendid

titles；　he　gave　colors　and　money；　and　while　one　party　went　in

bacchanalian　procession　through　the　city；　others　were　stationed　in

different　parts　of　it；　to　receive　them　as　guests。　As　the　report　of　the

duke's　authority　spread　abroad；　many　of　French　origin　came　to　him；　for

all　of　whom　he　found　offices　and　emoluments；　as　if　they　had　been　the

most　trustworthy　of　men；　so　that　in　a　short　time　Florence　became　not

only　subject　to　French　dominion；　but　adopted　their　dress　and　manners；

for　men　and　women；　without　regard　to　propriety　or　sense　of　shame；

imitated　them。　But　that　which　disgusted　the　people　most　completely　was

the　violence　which；　without　any　distinction　of　quality　or　rank；　he　and

his　followers　committed　upon　the　women。



The　people　were　filled　with　indignation；　seeing　the　majesty　of　the

state　overturned；　its　ordinances　annihilated；　its　laws　annulled；　and

every　decent　regulation　set　at　naught；　for　men　unaccustomed　to　royal

pomp　could　not　endure　to　see　this　man　surrounded　with　his　armed

satellites　on　foot　and　on　horseback；　and　having　now　a　closer　view　of

their　disgrace；　they　were　compelled　to　honor　him　whom　they　in　the

highest　degree　hated。　To　this　hatred；　was　added　the　terror　occasioned

by　the　continual　imposition　of　new　taxes　and　frequent　shedding　of

blood；　with　which　he　impoverished　and　consumed　the　city。



The　duke　was　not　unaware　of　these　impressions　existing　strongly　in　the

people's　minds；　nor　was　he　without　fear　of　the　consequences；　but　still

pretended　to　think　himself　beloved；　and　when　Matteo　di　Morozzo；　either

to　acquire　his　favor　or　to　free　himself　from　danger；　gave　information

that　the　family　of　the　Medici　and　some　others　had　entered　into　a

conspiracy　against　him　he　not　only　did　not　inquire　into　the　matter；

but　caused　the　informer　to　be　put　to　a　cruel　death。　This　mode　of

proceeding　restrained　those　who　were　disposed　to　acquaint　him　of　his

danger　and　gave　additional　courage　to　such　as　sought　his　ruin。　Bertone

Cini；　having　ventured　to　speak　against　the　taxes　with　which　the　people

were　loaded；　had　his　tongue　cut　out　with　such　barbarous　cruelty　as　to

cause　his　death。　This　shocking　act　increased　the　people's　rage；　and

their　hatred　of　the　duke；　for　those　who　were　accustomed　to　discourse

and　to　act　upon　every　occasion　with　the　greatest　boldness；　could　not

endure　to　live　with　their　hands　tied　and　forbidden　to　speak。



This　oppression　increased　to　such　a　degree；　that　not　merely　the

Florentines；　who　though　unable　to　preserve　their　liberty　cannot　endure

slavery；　but　the　most　servile　people　on　earth　would　have　been　roused

to　attempt　the　recovery　of　freedom；　and　consequently　many　citizens　of

all　ranks　resolved　either　to　deliver　themselves　from　this　odious

tyranny　or　die　in　the　attempt。　Three　distinct　conspiracies　were

formed；　one　of　the　great；　another　of　the　people；　and　the　third　of　the

working　classes；　each　of　which；　besides　the　general　causes　which

operated　upon　the　whole；　were　excited　by　some　other　particular

grievance。　The　great　found　themselves　deprived　of　all　participation　in

the　government；　the　people　had　lost　the　power　they　possessed；　and　the

artificers　saw　themselves　deficient　in　the　usual　remuneration　of　their

labor。



Agnolo　Acciajuoli　was　at　this　time　archbishop　of　Florence；　and　by　his

discourses　had　formerly　greatly　favored　the　duke；　and　procured　him

many　followers　among　the　higher　class　of　the　people。　But　when　he　found

him　lord　of　the　city；　and　became　acquainted　with　his　tyrannical　mode

of　proceeding；　it　appeared　to　him　that　he　had　misled　his　countrymen；

and　to　correct　the　evil　he　had　done；　he　saw　no　other　course；　but　to

attempt　the　cure　by　the　means　which　had　caused　it。　He　therefore　became

the　leader　of　the　first　and　most　powerful　conspiracy；　and　was　joined

by　the　Bardi；　Rossi；　Frescobaldi；　Scali　Altoviti；　Magalotti；　Strozzi；

and　Mancini。　Of　the　second；　the　principals　were　Manno　and　Corso

Donati；　and　with　them　the　Pazzi；　Cavicciulli；　Cerchi；　and　Albizzi。　Of

the　third　the　first　was　Antonio　Adimari；　and　with　him　the　Medici；

Bordini；　Rucellai；　and　Aldobrandini。　It　was　the　intention　of　these

last；　to　slay　him　in　the　house　of　the　Albizzi；　whither　he　was　expected

to　go　on　St。　John's　day；　to　see　the　horses　run；　but　he　not　having

gone；　their　design　did　not　succeed。　They　then　resolved　to　attack　him

as　he　rode　through　the　city；　but　they　found　this　would　be　very

difficult；　for　he　was　always　accompanied　with　a　considerable　armed

force；　and　never　took　the　same　road　twice　together；　so　that　they　had

no　certainty　of　where　to　find　him。　They　had　a　design　of　slaying　him　in

the　council；　although　they　knew　that　if　he　were　dead；　they　would　be　at

the　mercy　of　his　followers。



While　these　matters　were　being　considered　by　the　conspirators；　Antonio

Adimari；　in　expectation　of　getting　assistance　from　them；　disclosed　the

affair　to　some　Siennese；　his　friends；　naming　certain　of　the

conspirators；　and　assuring　them　that　the　whole　city　was　ready　to　rise

at　once。　One　of　them　communicated　the　matter　to　Francesco

Brunelleschi；　not　with　a　design　to　injure　the　plot；　but　in　the　hope

that　he　would　join　them。　Francesco；　either　from　personal　fear；　or

private　hatred　of　some　one；　revealed　the　whole　to　the　duke；　whereupon；

Pagolo　del　Mazecha　and　Simon　da　Monterappoli　were　taken；　who

acquainted　him　with　the　number　and　quality　of　the　conspirators。　This

terrified　him；　and　he　was　advised　to　request　their　presence　rather

than　to　take　them　prisoners；　for　if　they　fled；　he　might　without

disgrace；　secure　himself　by　banishment　of　the　rest。　He　therefore　sent

for　Antonio　Adimari；　who；　confiding　in　his　companions；　appeared

immediately；　and　was　detained。　Francesco　Brunelleschi　and　Uguccione

Buondelmonti　advised　the　duke　to　take　as　many　of　the　conspirators

prisoners　as　he　could；　and　put　them　to　death；　but　he；　thinking　his

strength　unequal　to　his　foes；　did　not　adopt　this　course；　but　took

another；　which；　had　it　succeeded；　would　have　freed　him　from　his

enemies　and　increased　his　power。　It　was　the　custom　of　the　duke　to　call

the　citizens　together　upon　some　occasions　and　advise　with　them。　He

therefore　having　first　sent　to　collect　forces　from　without；　made　a

list　of　three　hundred　citizens；　and　gave　it　to　his　messengers；　with

orders　to　assemble　them　under　the　pretense　of　public　business；　and

having　drawn　them　together；　it　was　his　intention　either　to　put　them　to

death　or　imprison　them。



The　capture　of　Antonio　Adimari　and　the　sending　for　forces；　which　could

not　be　kept　secret；　alarmed　the　citizens；　and　more　particularly　those

who　were　in　the　plot；　so　that　the　boldest　of　them　refused　to　attend；

and　as　each　had　read　the　list；　they　sought　each　other；　and　resolved　to

rise　at　once　and　die　like　men；　with　arms　in　their　hands；　rather　than

be　led　like　calves　to　the　slaughter。　In　a　very　short　time　the　chief

conspirators　became　known　to　each　other；　and　resolved　that　the　next

day；　which　was　the　26th　July；　1343；　they　would　raise　a　disturbance　in

the　Old　Market　place；　then　arm　themselves　and　call　the　people　to

freedom。



The　next　morning　being　come；　at　nine　o'clock；　according　to　agreement；

they　took　arms；　and　at　the　call　of　liberty　assembled；　each　party　in

its　own　district；　under　the　ensigns　and　with　the　arms　of　the　people；

which　had　been　secretly　provided　by　the　conspirators。　All　the　heads　of

families；　as　well　of　the　nobility　as　of　the　people；　met　together；　and

swore　to　stand　in　each　other's　defense；　and　effect　the　death　of　the

duke；　except　some　of　the　Buondelmonti　and　of　the　Cavalcanti；　with

those　four　families　of　the　people　which　had　taken　so　conspicuous　a

part　in　making　him　sovereign；　and　the　butchers；　with　others；　the

lowest　of　the　plebeians；　who　met　armed　in　the　piazza　in　his　favor。