history of florence-第29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！



their　proportion　to　the　great；　it　became　desirable　to　increase　the

number。　They　therefore　divided　the　city　into　quarters；　and　for　each

created　three　signors。　They　abolished　the　office　of　Gonfalonier　of

Justice；　and　also　the　Gonfaloniers　of　the　companies　of　the　people；　and

instead　of　the　twelve　Buonuomini；　or　good　men；　created　eight

counsellors；　four　from　each　party。　The　government　having　been

established　in　this　manner；　the　city　might　have　been　in　repose　if　the

great　had　been　content　to　live　in　that　moderation　which　civil　society

requires。　But　they　produced　a　contrary　result；　for　those　out　of　office

would　not　conduct　themselves　as　citizens；　and　those　who　were　in

government　wished　to　be　lords；　so　that　every　day　furnished　some　new

instance　of　their　insolence　and　pride。　These　things　were　very　grievous

to　the　people；　and　they　began　to　regret　that　for　one　tyrant　put　down；

there　had　sprung　up　a　thousand。　The　arrogance　of　one　party　and　the

anger　of　the　other　rose　to　such　a　degree；　that　the　heads　of　the　people

complained　to　the　bishop　of　the　improper　conduct　of　the　nobility；　and

what　unfit　associates　they　had　become　for　the　people；　and　begged　he

would　endeavor　to　induce　them　to　be　content　with　their　share　of

administration　in　the　other　offices；　and　leave　the　magistracy　of　the

Signory　wholly　to　themselves。



The　bishop　was　naturally　a　well…meaning　man；　but　his　want　of　firmness

rendered　him　easily　influenced。　Hence；　at　the　instance　of　his

associates；　he　at　first　favored　the　duke　of　Athens；　and　afterward；　by

the　advice　of　other　citizens；　conspired　against　him。　At　the

reformation　of　the　government；　he　had　favored　the　nobility；　and　now　he

appeared　to　incline　toward　the　people；　moved　by　the　reasons　which　they

had　advanced。　Thinking　to　find　in　others　the　same　instability　of

purpose；　he　endeavored　to　effect　an　amicable　arrangement。　With　this

design　he　called　together　the　fourteen　who　were　yet　in　office；　and　in

the　best　terms　he　could　imagine　advised　them　to　give　up　the　Signory　to

the　people；　in　order　to　secure　the　peace　of　the　city；　and　assured　them

that　if　they　refused；　ruin　would　most　probably　be　the　result。



This　discourse　excited　the　anger　of　the　nobility　to　the　highest　pitch；

and　Ridolfo　de'　Bardi　reproved　him　in　unmeasured　terms　as　a　man　of

little　faith；　reminding　him　of　his　friendship　for　the　duke；　to　prove

the　duplicity　of　his　present　conduct；　and　saying；　that　in　driving　him

away　he　had　acted　the　part　of　a　traitor。　He　concluded　by　telling　him；

that　the　honors　they　had　acquired　at　their　own　peril；　they　would　at

their　own　peril　defend。　They　then　left　the　bishop；　and　in　great　wrath；

informed　their　associates　in　the　government；　and　all　the　families　of

the　nobility；　of　what　had　been　done。　The　people　also　expressed　their

thoughts　to　each　other；　and　as　the　nobility　made　preparations　for　the

defense　of　their　signors；　they　determined　not　to　wait　till　they　had

perfected　their　arrangements；　and　therefore；　being　armed；　hastened　to

the　palace；　shouting；　as　they　went　along；　that　the　nobility　must　give

up　their　share　in　the　government。



The　uproar　and　excitement　were　astonishing。　The　Signors　of　the

nobility　found　themselves　abandoned；　for　their　friends；　seeing　all　the

people　in　arms；　did　not　dare　to　rise　in　their　defense；　but　each　kept

within　his　own　house。　The　Signors　of　the　people　endeavored　to　abate

the　excitement　of　the　multitude；　by　affirming　their　associates　to　be

good　and　moderate　men；　but；　not　succeeding　in　their　attempt；　to　avoid

a　greater　evil；　sent　them　home　to　their　houses；　whither　they　were　with

difficulty　conducted。　The　nobility　having　left　the　palace；　the　office

of　the　four　councillors　was　taken　from　their　party；　and　conferred　upon

twelve　of　the　people。　To　the　eight　signors　who　remained；　a　Gonfalonier

of　Justice　was　added；　and　sixteen　Gonfaloniers　of　the　companies　of　the

people；　and　the　council　was　so　reformed；　that　the　government　remained

wholly　in　the　hands　of　the　popular　party。



At　the　time　these　events　took　place　there　was　a　great　scarcity　in　the

city；　and　discontent　prevailed　both　among　the　highest　and　the　lowest

classes；　in　the　latter　for　want　of　food；　and　in　the　former　from　having

lost　their　power　in　the　state。　This　circumstance　induced　Andrea

Strozzi　to　think　of　making　himself　sovereign　of　the　city。　Selling　his

corn　at　a　lower　price　than　others　did；　a　great　many　people　flocked　to

his　house；　emboldened　by　the　sight　of　these；　he　one　morning　mounted

his　horse；　and；　followed　by　a　considerable　number；　called　the　people

to　arms；　and　in　a　short　time　drew　together　about　4；000　men；　with　whom

he　proceeded　to　the　Signory；　and　demanded　that　the　gates　of　the　palace

should　be　opened。　But　the　signors；　by　threats　and　the　force　which　they

retained　in　the　palace；　drove　them　from　the　court；　and　then　by

proclamation　so　terrified　them；　that　they　gradually　dropped　off　and

returned　to　their　homes；　and　Andrea；　finding　himself　alone；　with　some

difficulty　escaped　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　magistrates。



This　event；　although　an　act　of　great　temerity；　and　attended　with　the

result　that　usually　follows　such　attempts；　raised　a　hope　in　the　minds

of　the　nobility　of　overcoming　the　people；　seeing　that　the　lowest　of

the　plebeians　were　at　enmity　with　them。　And　to　profit　by　this

circumstance；　they　resolved　to　arm　themselves；　and　with　justifiable

force　recover　those　rights　of　which　they　had　been　unjustly　deprived。

Their　minds　acquired　such　an　assurance　of　success；　that　they　openly

provided　themselves　with　arms；　fortified　their　houses；　and　even　sent

to　their　friends　in　Lombardy　for　assistance。　The　people　and　the

Signory　made　preparation　for　their　defense；　and　requested　aid　from

Perugia　and　Sienna；　so　that　the　city　was　filled　with　the　armed

followers　of　either　party。　The　nobility　on　this　side　of　the　Arno

divided　themselves　into　three　parts；　the　one　occupied　the　houses　of

the　Cavicciulli；　near　the　church　of　St。　John；　another；　the　houses　of

the　Pazzi　and　the　Donati；　near　the　great　church　of　St。　Peter；　and　the

third　those　of　the　Cavalcanti　in　the　New　Market。　Those　beyond　the

river　fortified　the　bridges　and　the　streets　in　which　their　houses

stood；　the　Nerli　defended　the　bridge　of　the　Carraja；　the　Frescobaldi

and　the　Manelli；　the　church　of　the　Holy　Trinity；　and　the　Rossi　and　the

Bardi；　the　bridge　of　the　Rubaconte　and　the　Old　Bridge。　The　people　were

drawn　together　under　the　Gonfalon　of　justice　and　the　ensigns　of　the

companies　of　the　artisans。



Both　sides　being　thus　arranged　in　order　of　battle；　the　people　thought

it　imprudent　to　defer　the　contest；　and　the　attack　was　commenced　by　the

Medici　and　the　Rondinelli；　who　assailed　the　Cavicciulli；　where　the

houses　of　the　latter　open　upon　the　piazza　of　St。　John。　Here　both

parties　contended　with　great　obstinacy；　and　were　mutually　wounded；

from　the　towers　by　stones　and　other　missiles；　and　from　below　by

arrows。　They　fought　for　three　hours；　but　the　forces　of　the　people

continuing　to　increase；　and　the　Cavicciulli　finding　themselves

overcome　by　numbers；　and　hopeless　of　other　assistance；　submitted

themselves　to　the　people；　who　saved　their　houses　and　property；　and

having　disarmed　them；　ordered　them　to　disperse　among　their　relatives

and　friends；　and　remain　unarmed。　Being　victorious　in　the　first　attack；

they　easily　overpowered　the　Pazzi　and　the　Donati；　whose　numbers　were

less　than　those　they　had　subdued；　so　that　there　only　remained　on　this

side　of　the　Arno；　the　Cavalcanti；　who　were　strong　both　in　respect　of

the　post　they　had　chosen　and　in　their　followers。　Nevertheless；　seeing

all　the　Gonfalons　against　them；　and　that　the　others　had　been　overcome

by　three　Gonfalons　alone；　they　yielded　without　offering　much

resistance。　Three　parts　of　the　city　were　now　in　the　hands　of　the

people；　and　only　one　in　possession　of　the　nobility；　but　this　was　the

strongest；　as　well　on　account　of　those　who　held　it；　as　from　its

situation；　being　defended　by　the　Arno；　hence　it　was　first　necessary　to

force　the　bridges。　The　Old　Bridge　was　first　assailed　and　offered　a

brave　resistance；　for　the　towers　were　armed；　the　streets　barricaded；

and　the　barricades　defended　by　the　most　resolute　men；　so　that　the

people　were　repulsed　with　great　loss。　Finding　their　labor　at　this

point　fruitless；　they　endeavored　to　force　the　Rubaconte　Bridge；　but　no

better　success　resulting；　they　left　four　Gonfalons　in　charge　of　the

two　bridges；　and　with　the　others　attacked　the　bridge　of　the　Carraja。

Here；　although　the　Nerli　defended　themselves　like　brave　men；　they

could　not　resist　the　fury　of　the　people；　for　this　bridge；　having　no

towers；　was　weaker　than　the　others；　and　was　attacked　by　the　Capponi；

and　many　families　of　the　people　who　lived　in　that　vicinity。　Being　thus

assailed　on　all　sides；　they　abandoned　the　barricades　and　gave　way　to

the　people；　who　then　overcame　the　Rossi　and　the　Frescobaldi；　for　all

those　beyond　the　Arno　took　part　with　the　conquerors。



There　was　now　no　resistance　made　except　by　the　Bard