history of florence-第30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！





There　was　now　no　resistance　made　except　by　the　Bardi；　who　remained

undaunted；　notwithstanding　the　failure　of　their　friends；　the　union　of

the　people　against　them；　and　the　little　chance　of　success　which　they

seemed　to　have。　They　resolved　to　die　fighting；　and　rather　see　their

houses　burned　and　plundered；　than　submit　to　the　power　of　their

enemies。　They　defended　themselves　with　such　obstinacy；　that　many

fruitless　attempts　were　made　to　overcome　them；　both　at　the　Old　Bridge

and　the　Rubaconte；　but　their　foes　were　always　repulsed　with　loss。

There　had　in　former　times　been　a　street　which　led　between　the　houses

of　the　Pitti；　from　the　Roman　road　to　the　walls　upon　Mount　St。　George。

By　this　way　the　people　sent　six　Gonfalons；　with　orders　to　assail　their

houses　from　behind。　This　attack　overcame　the　resolution　of　the　Bardi；

and　decided　the　day　in　favor　of　the　people；　for　when　those　who

defended　the　barricades　in　the　street　learned　that　their　houses　were

being　plundered；　they　left　the　principal　fight　and　hastened　to　their

defense。　This　caused　the　Old　Bridge　to　be　lost；　the　Bardi　fled　in　all

directions　and　were　received　into　the　houses　of　the　Quaratesi；

Panzanesi；　and　Mozzi。　The　people；　especially　the　lower　classes；　greedy

for　spoil；　sacked　and　destroyed　their　houses；　and　pulled　down　and

burned　their　towers　and　palaces　with　such　outrageous　fury；　that　the

most　cruel　enemy　of　the　Florentine　name　would　have　been　ashamed　of

taking　part　in　such　wanton　destruction。



The　nobility　being　thus　overcome；　the　people　reformed　the　government；

and　as　they　were　of　three　kinds；　the　higher；　the　middle；　and　the　lower

class；　it　was　ordered　that　the　first　should　appoint　two　signors；　the

two　latter　three　each；　and　that　the　Gonfalonier　should　be　chosen

alternately　from　either　party。　Besides　this；　all　the　regulations　for

the　restraint　of　the　nobility　were　renewed；　and　in　order　to　weaken

them　still　more；　many　were　reduced　to　the　grade　of　the　people。　The

ruin　of　the　nobility　was　so　complete；　and　depressed　them　so　much；　that

they　never　afterward　ventured　to　take　arms　for　the　recovery　of　their

power；　but　soon　became　humbled　and　abject　in　the　extreme。　And　thus

Florence　lost　the　generosity　of　her　character　and　her　distinction　in

arms。



After　these　events　the　city　remained　in　peace　till　the　year　1353。　In

the　course　of　this　period　occurred　the　memorable　plague；　described

with　so　much　eloquence　by　Giovanni　Boccaccio；　and　by　which　Florence

lost　96；000　souls。　In　1348；　began　the　first　war　with　the　Visconti；

occasioned　by　the　archbishop；　then　prince　of　Milan；　and　when　this　was

concluded；　dissensions　again　arose　in　the　city；　for　although　the

nobility　were　destroyed；　fortune　did　not　fail　to　cause　new　divisions

and　new　troubles。









BOOK　III







CHAPTER　I



　　Reflections　upon　the　domestic　discords　of　republicsA　parallel

　　between　the　discords　of　Rome　and　those　of　FlorenceEnmities

　　between　the　families　of　the　Ricci　and　the　AlbizziUguccione　de'

　　Ricci　causes　the　laws　against　the　Ghibellines　to　be　renewed　in

　　order　to　injure　the　AlbizziPiero　degli　Albizzi　derives　advantage

　　from　itOrigin　of　admonitions　and　the　troubles　which　result　from

　　themUguccione　de'　Ricci　moderates　their　injusticeDifficulties

　　increaseA　meeting　of　the　citizensThey　address　the　SignoryThe

　　Signory　attempt　to　remedy　the　evils。



Those　serious；　though　natural　enmities；　which　occur　between　the

popular　classes　and　the　nobility；　arising　from　the　desire　of　the

latter　to　command；　and　the　disinclination　of　the　former　to　obey；　are

the　causes　of　most　of　the　troubles　which　take　place　in　cities；　and

from　this　diversity　of　purpose；　all　the　other　evils　which　disturb

republics　derive　their　origin。　This　kept　Rome　disunited；　and　this；　if

it　be　allowable　to　compare　small　things　with　great；　held　Florence　in

disunion；　although　in　each　city　it　produced　a　different　result；　for

animosities　were　only　beginning　with　the　people　and　nobility　of　Rome

contended；　while　ours　were　brought　to　a　conclusion　by　the　contentions

of　our　citizens。　A　new　law　settled　the　disputes　of　Rome；　those　of

Florence　were　only　terminated　by　the　death　and　banishment　of　many　of

her　best　people。　Those　of　Rome　increased　her　military　virtue；　while

that　of　Florence　was　quite　extinguished　by　her　divisions。　The　quarrels

of　Rome　established　different　ranks　of　society；　those　of　Florence

abolished　the　distinctions　which　had　previously　existed。　This

diversity　of　effects　must　have　been　occasioned　by　the　different

purposes　which　the　two　people　had　in　view。　While　the　people　of　Rome

endeavored　to　associate　with　the　nobility　in　the　supreme　honors；　those

of　Florence　strove　to　exclude　the　nobility　from　all　participation　in

them：　as　the　desire　of　the　Roman　people　was　more　reasonable；　no

particular　offense　was　given　to　the　nobility；　they　therefore　consented

to　it　without　having　recourse　to　arms；　so　that；　after　some　disputes

concerning　particular　points；　both　parties　agreed　to　the　enactment　of

a　law　which；　while　it　satisfied　the　people；　preserved　the　nobility　in

the　enjoyment　of　their　dignity。



On　the　other　hand；　the　demands　of　the　people　of　Florence　being

insolent　and　unjust；　the　nobility；　became　desperate；　prepared　for

their　defense　with　their　utmost　energy；　and　thus　bloodshed　and　the

exile　of　citizens　followed。　The　laws　which　were　afterward　made；　did

not　provide　for　the　common　good；　but　were　framed　wholly　in　favor　of

the　conquerors。　This　too；　must　be　observed；　that　from　the　acquisition

of　power；　made　by　the　people　of　Rome；　their　minds　were　very　much

improved；　for　all　the　offices　of　state　being　attainable　as　well　by　the

people　as　the　nobility；　the　peculiar　excellencies　of　the　latter

exercised　a　most　beneficial　influence　upon　the　former；　and　as　the　city

increased　in　virtue　she　attained　a　more　exalted　greatness。



But　in　Florence；　the　people　being　conquerors；　the　nobility　were

deprived　of　all　participation　in　the　government；　and　in　order　to

regain　a　portion　of　it；　it　became　necessary　for　them　not　only　to　seem

like　the　people；　but　to　be　like　them　in　behavior；　mind；　and　mode　of

living。　Hence　arose　those　changes　in　armorial　bearings；　and　in　the

titles　of　families；　which　the　nobility　adopted；　in　order　that　they

might　seem　to　be　of　the　people；　military　virtue　and　generosity　of

feeling　became　extinguished　in　them；　the　people　not　possessing　these

qualities；　they　could　not　appreciate　them；　and　Florence　became　by

degrees　more　and　more　depressed　and　humiliated。　The　virtue　of　the

Roman　nobility　degenerating　into　pride；　the　citizens　soon　found　that

the　business　of　the　state　could　not　be　carried　on　without　a　prince。

Florence　had　now　come　to　such　a　point；　that　with　a　comprehensive　mind

at　the　head　of　affairs　she　would　easily　have　been　made　to　take　any

form　that　he　might　have　been　disposed　to　give　her；　as　may　be　partly

observed　by　a　perusal　of　the　preceding　book。



Having　given　an　account　of　the　origin　of　Florence；　the　commencement　of

her　liberty；　with　the　causes　of　her　divisions；　and　shown　how　the

factions　of　the　nobility　and　the　people　ceased　with　the　tyranny　of　the

duke　of　Athens；　and　the　ruin　of　the　former；　we　have　now　to　speak　of

the　animosities　between　the　citizens　and　the　plebeians　and　the　various

circumstances　which　they　produced。



The　nobility　being　overcome；　and　the　war　with　the　archbishop　of　Milan

concluded；　there　did　not　appear　any　cause　of　dissension　in　Florence。

But　the　evil　fortune　of　the　city；　and　the　defective　nature　of　her

laws；　gave　rise　to　enmities　between　the　family　of　the　Albizzi　and　that

of　the　Ricci；　which　divided　her　citizens　as　completely　as　those　of　the

Buondelmonti　and　the　Uberti；　or　the　Donati　and　the　Cerchi　had　formerly

done。　The　pontiffs；　who　at　this　time　resided　in　France；　and　the

emperors；　who　abode　in　Germany；　in　order　to　maintain　their　influence

in　Italy；　sent　among　us　multitudes　of　soldiers　of　many　countries；　as

English；　Dutch；　and　Bretons。　As　these；　upon　the　conclusion　of　a　war；

were　thrown　out　of　pay；　though　still　in　the　country；　they；　under　the

standard　of　some　soldier　of　fortune；　plundered　such　people　as　were

least　prepared　to　defend　themselves。　In　the　year　1353　one　of　these

companies　came　into　Tuscany　under　the　command　of　Monsignor　Reale；　of

Provence；　and　his　approach　terrified　all　the　cities　of　Italy。　The

Florentines　not　only　provided　themselves　forces；　but　many　citizens；

among　whom　were　the　Albizzi　and　the　Ricci；　armed　themselves　in　their

own　defense。　These　families　were　at　the　time　full　of　hatred　against

each　other；　and　each　thought　to　obtain　the　sovereignty　of　the　republic

by　overcoming　his　enemy。　They　had　not　yet　proceeded　to　open　violence；

but　only　contended　in　the　magistracies　and　councils。　The　city　being

all　in　arms；　a　quarrel　arose　in　the　Old　Market　place；　and；　as　it

frequently　happens　in　similar　cases；　a　great　number　of　people　were

drawn　together。　The　disturbance　spreading；　it　was　told　the　Ricci　that

the　Albizzi　had