history of florence-第36节

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and　they　in　ours；　we　shall　appear　noble；　they　ignoblefor　poverty　and

riches　make　all　the　difference。　It　grieves　me　much　to　think　that　some

of　you　are　sorry　inwardly　for　what　is　done；　and　resolve　to　abstain

from　anything　more　of　the　kind。　Certainly；　if　it　be　so；　you　are　not

the　men　I　took　you　for；　because　neither　shame　nor　conscience　ought　to

have　any　influence　with　you。　Conquerors；　by　what　means　soever；　are

never　considered　aught　but　glorious。　We　have　no　business　to　think

about　conscience；　for　when；　like　us；　men　have　to　fear　hunger；　and

imprisonment；　or　death；　the　fear　of　hell　neither　can　nor　ought　to　have

any　influence　upon　them。　If　you　only　notice　human　proceedings；　you　may

observe　that　all　who　attain　great　power　and　riches；　make　use　of　either

force　or　fraud；　and　what　they　have　acquired　either　by　deceit　or

violence；　in　order　to　conceal　the　disgraceful　methods　of　attainment；

they　endeavor　to　sanctify　with　the　false　title　of　honest　gains。　Those

who　either　from　imprudence　or　want　of　sagacity　avoid　doing　so；　are

always　overwhelmed　with　servitude　and　poverty；　for　faithful　servants

are　always　servants；　and　honest　men　are　always　poor；　nor　do　any　ever

escape　from　servitude　but　the　bold　and　faithless；　or　from　poverty；　but

the　rapacious　and　fraudulent。　God　and　nature　have　thrown　all　human

fortunes　into　the　midst　of　mankind；　and　they　are　thus　attainable

rather　by　rapine　than　by　industry；　by　wicked　actions　rather　than　by

good。　Hence　it　is　that　men　feed　upon　each　other；　and　those　who　cannot

defend　themselves　must　be　worried。　Therefore　we　must　use　force　when

the　opportunity　offers；　and　fortune　cannot　present　us　one　more

favorable　than　the　present；　when　the　citizens　are　still　disunited；　the

Signory　doubtful；　and　the　magistrates　terrified；　for　we　may　easily

conquer　them　before　they　can　come　to　any　settled　arrangement。　By　this

means　we　shall　either　obtain　the　entire　government　of　the　city；　or　so

large　a　share　of　it；　as　to　be　forgiven　past　errors；　and　have

sufficient　authority　to　threaten　the　city　with　a　renewal　of　them　at

some　future　time。　I　confess　this　course　is　bold　and　dangerous；　but

when　necessity　presses；　audacity　becomes　prudence；　and　in　great

affairs　the　brave　never　think　of　dangers。　The　enterprises　that　are

begun　with　hazard　always　have　a　reward　at　last；　and　no　one　ever

escaped　from　embarrassment　without　some　peril。　Besides；　it　is　easy　to

see　from　all　their　preparations　of　prisons；　racks；　and　instruments　of

death；　that　there　is　more　danger　in　inaction　than　in　endeavoring　to

secure　ourselves；　for　in　the　first　case　the　evils　are　certain；　in　the

latter　doubtful。　How　often　have　I　heard　you　complain　of　the　avarice　of

your　superiors　and　the　injustice　of　your　magistrates。　Now　then　is　the

time；　not　only　to　liberate　yourself　from　them；　but　to　become　so　much

superior；　that　they　will　have　more　causes　of　grief　and　fear　from　you；

than　you　from　them。　The　opportunity　presented　by　circumstances　passes

away；　and　when　gone；　it　will　be　vain　to　think　it　can　be　recalled。　You

see　the　preparations　of　our　enemies；　let　us　anticipate　them；　and　those

who　are　first　in　arms　will　certainly　be　victors；　to　the　ruin　of　their

enemies　and　their　own　exaltation；　and　thus　honors　will　accrue　to　many

of　us　and　security　to　all。〃　These　arguments　greatly　inflamed　minds

already　disposed　to　mischief；　so　that　they　determined　to　take　up　arms

as　soon　as　they　had　acquired　a　sufficient　number　of　associates；　and

bound　themselves　by　oath　to　mutual　defense；　in　case　any　of　them　were

subdued　by　the　civil　power。



While　they　were　arranging　to　take　possession　of　the　republic；　their

design　became　known　to　the　Signory；　who；　having　taken　a　man　named

Simone；　learned　from　him　the　particulars　of　the　conspiracy；　and　that

the　outbreak　was　to　take　place　on　the　following　day。　Finding　the

danger　so　pressing；　they　called　together　the　colleagues　and　those

citizens　who　with　the　syndics　of　the　arts　were　endeavoring　to　effect

the　union　of　the　city。　It　was　then　evening；　and　they　advised　the

signors　to　assemble　the　consuls　of　the　trades；　who　proposed　that

whatever　armed　force　was　in　Florence　should　be　collected；　and　with　the

Gonfaloniers　of　the　people　and　their　companies；　meet　under　arms　in　the

piazza　next　morning。　It　happened　that　while　Simone　was　being　tortured；

a　man　named　Niccolo　da　San　Friano　was　regulating　the　palace　clock；　and

becoming　acquainted　with　what　was　going　on；　returned　home　and　spread

the　report　of　it　in　his　neighborhood；　so　that　presently　the　piazza　of

St。　Spirito　was　occupied　by　above　a　thousand　men。　This　soon　became

known　to　the　other　conspirators；　and　San　Pietro　Maggiore　and　St。

Lorenzo；　their　places　of　assembly；　were　presently　full　of　them；　all

under　arms。







CHAPTER　IV



　　Proceedings　of　the　plebeiansThe　demand　they　make　of　the　Signory

　　They　insist　that　the　Signory　leave　the　palaceThe　Signory　leave

　　the　palaceMichael　di　Lando　GonfalonierComplaints　and　movements

　　of　the　plebeians　against　Michael　di　LandoMichael　di　Lando

　　proceeds　against　the　plebeians　and　reduces　them　to　order

　　Character　of　Michael　di　Lando。



At　daybreak　on　the　21st　of　July；　there　did　not　appear　in　the　piazza

above　eighty　men　in　arms　friendly　to　the　Signory；　and　not　one　of　the

Gonfaloniers；　for　knowing　the　whole　city　to　be　in　a　state　of

insurrection　they　were　afraid　to　leave　their　homes。　The　first　body　of

plebeians　that　made　its　appearance　was　that　which　had　assembled　at　San

Pietro　Maggiore；　but　the　armed　force　did　not　venture　to　attack　them。

Then　came　the　other　multitudes；　and　finding　no　opposition；　they　loudly

demanded　their　prisoners　from　the　Signory；　and　being　resolved　to　have

them　by　force　if　they　were　not　yielded　to　their　threats；　they　burned

the　house　of　Luigi　Guicciardini；　and　the　Signory；　for　fear　of　greater

mischief；　set　them　at　liberty。　With　this　addition　to　their　strength

they　took　the　Gonfalon　of　Justice　from　the　bearer；　and　under　the

shadow　of　authority　which　it　gave　them；　burned　the　houses　of　many

citizens；　selecting　those　whose　owners　had　publicly　or　privately

excited　their　hatred。　Many　citizens；　to　avenge　themselves　for　private

injuries；　conducted　them　to　the　houses　of　their　enemies；　for　it　was

quite　sufficient　to　insure　its　destruction；　if　a　single　voice　from　the

mob　called　out；　〃To　the　house　of　such　a　one；〃　or　if　he　who　bore　the

Gonfalon　took　the　road　toward　it。　All　the　documents　belonging　to　the

woolen　trade　were　burned；　and　after　the　commission　of　much　violence；

by　way　of　associating　it　with　something　laudable；　Salvestro　de　Medici

and　sixty…three　other　citizens　were　made　knights；　among　whom　were

Benedetto　and　Antonio　degli　Alberti；　Tommaso　Strozzi　and　others

similarly　their　friends；　though　many　received　the　honor　against　their

wills。　It　was　a　remarkable　peculiarity　of　the　riots；　that　many　who　had

their　houses　burned；　were　on　the　same　day；　and　by　the　same　party　made

knights；　so　close　were　the　kindness　and　the　injury　together。　This

circumstance　occurred　to　Luigi　Guicciardini；　Gonfalonier　of　Justice。



In　this　tremendous　uproar；　the　Signory；　finding　themselves　abandoned

by　their　armed　force；　by　the　leaders　of　the　arts；　and　by　the

Gonfaloniers；　became　dismayed；　for　none　had　come　to　their　assistance

in　obedience　to　orders；　and　of　the　sixteen　Gonfalons；　the　ensign　of

the　Golden　Lion　and　of　the　Vaio；　under　Giovenco　della　Stufa　and

Giovanni　Cambi　alone　appeared；　and　these；　not　being　joined　by　any

other；　soon　withdrew。　Of　the　citizens；　on　the　other　hand；　some；　seeing

the　fury　of　this　unreasonable　multitude　and　the　palace　abandoned；

remained　within　doors；　others　followed　the　armed　mob；　in　the　hope　that

by　being　among　them；　they　might　more　easily　protect　their　own　houses

or　those　of　their　friends。　The　power　of　the　plebeians　was　thus

increased　and　that　of　the　Signory　weakened。　The　tumult　continued　all

day；　and　at　night　the　rioters　halted　near　the　palace　of　Stefano；

behind　the　church　of　St。　Barnabas。　Their　number　exceeded　six　thousand；

and　before　daybreak　they　obtained　by　threats　the　ensigns　of　the

trades；　with　which　and　the　Gonfalon　of　Justice；　when　morning　came；

they　proceeded　to　the　palace　of　the　provost；　who　refusing　to　surrender

it　to　them；　they　took　possession　of　it　by　force。



The　Signory；　desirous　of　a　compromise；　since　they　could　not　restrain

them　by　force；　appointed　four　of　the　Colleagues　to　proceed　to　the

palace　of　the　provost；　and　endeavor　to　learn　what　was　their　intention。

They　found　that　the　leaders　of　the　plebeians；　with　the　Syndics　of　the

trades　and　some　citizens；　had　resolved　to　signify　their　wishes　to　the

Signory。　They　therefore　returned　with　four　deputies　of　the　plebeians；

who　demanded　that　the　woolen　trade　should　not　be　allowed　to　have　a

foreign　judge；　that　there　should　be　formed　three　new　companies　of　the

arts；　namely；　one　for　the　wool　combers　and　dyers；　one　for　the　barbers；

doublet…makers；　tailors；　and　such　like；　and　the　third　for　the　lowest

class　of　people。　They　required　that　the　t