history of florence-第32节

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laws；　by　misapplication；　have　lost　the　power　to　correct。　Hence　arises

the　avarice　so　observable　among　the　citizens；　and　that　greediness；　not

for　true　glory；　but　for　unworthy　honors；　from　which　follow　hatred；

animosities；　quarrels；　and　factions；　resulting　in　deaths；　banishments；

affliction　to　all　good　men；　and　the　advancement　of　the　most

unprincipled；　for　the　good；　confiding　in　their　innocence；　seek　neither

safety　nor　advancement　by　illegal　methods　as　the　wicked　do；　and　thus

unhonored　and　undefended　they　sink　into　oblivion。



〃From　proceedings　such　as　these；　arise　at　once　the　attachment　for　and

influence　of　parties；　bad　men　follow　them　through　ambition　and

avarice；　and　necessity　compels　the　good　to　pursue　the　same　course。　And

most　lamentable　is　it　to　observe　how　the　leaders　and　movers　of　parties

sanctify　their　base　designs　with　words　that　are　all　piety　and　virtue；

they　have　the　name　of　liberty　constantly　in　their　mouths；　though　their

actions　prove　them　her　greatest　enemies。　The　reward　which　they　desire

from　victory　is　not　the　glory　of　having　given　liberty　to　the　city；　but

the　satisfaction　of　having　vanquished　others；　and　of　making　themselves

rulers；　and　to　attain　their　end；　there　is　nothing　too　unjust；　too

cruel；　too　avaricious　for　them　to　attempt。　Thus　laws　and　ordinances；

peace；　wars；　and　treaties　are　adopted　and　pursued；　not　for　the　public

good；　not　for　the　common　glory　of　the　state；　but　for　the　convenience

or　advantage　of　a　few　individuals。



〃And　if　other　cities　abound　in　these　disorders；　ours　is　more　than　any

infected　with　them；　for　her　laws；　statutes；　and　civil　ordinances　are

not；　nor　have　they　ever　been；　established　for　the　benefit　of　men　in　a

state　of　freedom；　but　according　to　the　wish　of　the　faction　that　has

been　uppermost　at　the　time。　Hence　it　follows　that；　when　one　party　is

expelled；　or　faction　extinguished；　another　immediately　arises；　for；　in

a　city　that　is　governed　by　parties　rather　than　by　laws；　as　soon　as　one

becomes　dominant　and　unopposed；　it　must　of　necessity　soon　divide

against　itself；　for　the　private　methods　at　first　adapted　for　its

defense　will　now　no　longer　keep　it　united。　The　truth　of　this；　both　the

ancient　and　modern　dissensions　of　our　city　prove。　Everyone　thought

that　when　the　Ghibellines　were　destroyed；　the　Guelphs　would　long

continue　happy　and　honored；　yet　after　a　short　time　they　divided　into

the　Bianchi　and　Neri；　the　black　faction　and　the　white。　When　the

Bianchi　were　overcome；　the　city　was　not　long　free　from　factions；　for

either；　in　favor　of　the　emigrants；　or　on　account　of　the　animosity

between　the　nobility　and　the　people；　we　were　still　constantly　at　war。

And　as　if　resolved　to　give　up　to　others；　what　in　mutual　harmony　we

either　would　not　or　were　unable　to　retain；　we　confided　the　care　of　our

precious　liberty　first　to　King　Robert；　then　to　his　brother；　next　to

his　son；　and　at　last　to　the　duke　of　Athens。　Still　we　have　never　in　any

condition　found　repose；　but　seem　like　men　who　can　neither　agree　to

live　in　freedom　nor　be　content　with　slavery。　Nor　did　we　hesitate　（so

greatly　does　the　nature　of　our　ordinances　dispose　us　to　division）；

while　yet　under　allegiance　to　the　king；　to　substitute　for　his　majesty；

one　of　the　vilest　of　men　born　at　Agobbio。



〃For　the　credit　of　the　city；　the　name　of　the　duke　of　Athens　ought　to

be　consigned　to　oblivion。　His　cruel　and　tyrannical　disposition；

however；　might　have　taught　us　wisdom　and　instructed　us　how　to　live；

but　no　sooner　was　he　expelled　than　we　handled　our　arms；　and　fought

with　more　hatred；　and　greater　fury　than　we　had　ever　done　on　any　former

occasion；　so　that　the　ancient　nobility　were　vanquished　the　city　was

left　at　the　disposal　of　the　people。　It　was　generally　supposed　that　no

further　occasion　of　quarrel　or　of　party　animosity　could　arise；　since

those　whose　pride　and　insupportable　ambition　had　been　regarded　as　the

causes　of　them　were　depressed；　however；　experience　proves　how　liable

human　judgment　is　to　error；　and　what　false　impressions　men　imbibe；

even　in　regard　to　the　things　that　most　intimately　concern　them；　for　we

find　the　pride　and　ambition　of　the　nobility　are　not　extinct；　but　only

transferred　from　them　to　the　people　who　at　this　moment；　according　to

the　usual　practice　of　ambitious　men；　are　endeavoring　to　render

themselves　masters　of　the　republic；　and　knowing　they　have　no　chance　of

success　but　what　is　offered　by　discord；　they　have　again　divided　the

city；　and　the　names　of　Guelph　and　Ghibelline；　which　were　beginning　to

be　forgotten　（and　it　would　have　been　well　if　they　had　never　been　heard

among　us）；　are　repeated　anew　in　our　ears。



〃It　seems　almost　necessarily　ordained；　in　order　that　in　human　affairs

there　may　be　nothing　either　settled　or　permanent；　that　in　all

republics　there　are　what　may　be　called　fatal　families；　born　for　the

ruin　of　their　country。　Of　this　kind　of　pest　our　city　has　produced　a

more　copious　brood　than　any　other；　for　not　one　but　many　have　disturbed

and　harassed　her：　first　the　Buondelmonti　and　the　Uberti；　then　the

Donati　and　the　Cerchi；　and　now；　oh　ridiculous！　oh　disgraceful　thought！

the　Ricci　and　the　Albizzi　have　caused　a　division　of　her　citizens。



〃We　have　not　dwelt　upon　our　corrupt　habits　or　our　old　and　continual

dissensions　to　occasion　you　alarm；　but　to　remind　you　of　their　causes；

to　show　that　as　you　doubtless　are　aware　of　them；　we　also　keep　them　in

view；　and　to　remind　you　that　their　results　ought　not　to　make　you

diffident　of　your　power　to　repress　the　disorders　of　the　present　time。

The　ancient　families　possessed　so　much　influence；　and　were　held　in

such　high　esteem；　that　civil　force　was　insufficient　to　restrain　them；

but　now；　when　the　empire　has　lost　its　ascendancy；　the　pope　is　no

longer　formidable；　and　the　whole　of　Italy　is　reduced　to　a　state　of　the

most　complete　equality；　there　can　be　no　difficulty。　Our　republic　might

more　especially　than　any　other　（although　at　first　our　former　practices

seem　to　present　a　reason　to　the　contrary）；　not　only　keep　itself　united

but　be　improved　by　good　laws　and　civil　regulations；　if　you；　the

Signory；　would　once　resolve　to　undertake　the　matter；　and　to　this　we；

induced　by　no　other　motive　than　the　love　of　our　country；　would　most

strongly　urge　you。　It　is　true　the　corruption　of　the　country　is　great；

and　much　discretion　will　be　requisite　to　correct　it；　but　do　not　impute

the　past　disorders　to　the　nature　of　the　men；　but　to　the　times；　which；

being　changed；　give　reasonable　ground　to　hope　that；　with　better

government；　our　city　will　be　attended　with　better　fortune；　for　the

malignity　of　the　people　will　be　overcome　by　restraining　the　ambition

and　annulling　the　ordinances　of　those　who　have　encouraged　faction；　and

adopting　in　their　stead　only　such　principles　as　are　conformable　to

true　civil　liberty。　And　be　assured；　that　these　desirable　ends　will　be

more　certainly　attained　by　the　benign　influence　of　the　laws；　than　by　a

delay　which　will　compel　the　people　to　effect　them　by　force　and　arms。〃



The　Signory；　induced　by　the　necessity　of　the　case；　of　which　they　were

previously　aware；　and　further　encouraged　by　the　advice　of　those　who

now　addressed　them；　gave　authority　to　fifty…six　citizens　to　provide

for　the　safety　of　the　republic。　It　is　usually　found　that　most　men　are

better　adapted　to　pursue　a　good　course　already　begun；　than　to　discover

one　applicable　to　immediate　circumstances。　These　citizens　thought

rather　of　extinguishing　existing　factions　than　of　preventing　the

formation　of　new　ones；　and　effected　neither　of　these　objects。　The

facilities　for　the　establishment　of　new　parties　were　not　removed；　and

out　of　those　which　they　guarded　against；　another　more　powerful　arose；

which　brought　the　republic　into　still　greater　danger。　They；　however；

deprived　three　of　the　family　of　the　Albizzi；　and　three　of　that　of　the

Ricci；　of　all　the　offices　of　government；　except　those　of　the　Guelphic

party；　for　three　years；　and　among　the　deprived　were　Piero　degli

Albizzi　and　Uguccione　de'　Ricci。　They　forbade　the　citizens　to　assemble

in　the　palace；　except　during　the　sittings　of　the　Signory。　They

provided　that　if　any　one　were　beaten；　or　possession　of　his　property

detained　from　him；　he　might　bring　his　case　before　the　council　and

denounce　the　offender；　even　if　he　were　one　of　the　nobility；　and　that

if　it　were　proved；　the　accused　should　be　subject　to　the　usual

penalties。　This　provision　abated　the　boldness　of　the　Ricci；　and

increased　that　of　the　Albizzi；　since；　although　it　applied　equally　to

both；　the　Ricci　suffered　from　it　by　far　the　most；　for　if　Piero　was

excluded　from　the　palace　of　the　Signory；　the　chamber　of　the　Guelphs；

in　which　he　possessed　the　greatest　authority；　remained　open　to　him；

and　if　he　and　his　followers　had　previously　been　ready　to　ADMONISH；

they　became　after　this　injury；　doubly　so。　To　this　pre…disposition　for

evil；　new　excitements　were　added。







CHAPTER　II



　　The　war　of　the　Florentines　against　the　pope's　legate；　and　the

　　causes　of　itLeague　against　the　popeThe　c