history of florence-第37节

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class　of　people。　They　required　that　the　three　new　arts　should　furnish

two　Signors；　the　fourteen　minor　arts；　three；　and　that　the　Signory

should　provide　a　suitable　place　of　assembly　for　them。　They　also　made

it　a　condition　that　no　member　of　these　companies　should　be　expected

during　two　years　to　pay　any　debt　that　amounted　to　less　than　fifty

ducats；　that　the　bank　should　take　no　interest　on　loans　already

contracted；　and　that　only　the　principal　sum　should　be　demanded；　that

the　condemned　and　the　banished　should　be　forgiven；　and　the　admonished

should　be　restored　to　participation　in　the　honors　of　government。

Besides　these；　many　other　articles　were　stipulated　in　favor　of　their

friends；　and　a　requisition　made　that　many　of　their　enemies　should　be

exiled　and　admonished。　These　demands；　though　grievous　and　dishonorable

to　the　republic；　were　for　fear　of　further　violence　granted；　by　the

joint　deliberation　of　the　Signors；　Colleagues；　and　Council　of　the

people。　But　in　order　to　give　it　full　effect；　it　was　requisite　that　the

Council　of　the　Commune　should　also　give　its　consent；　and；　as　they

could　not　assemble　two　councils　during　the　same　day　it　was　necessary

to　defer　it　till　the　morrow。　However　the　trades　appeared　content；　the

plebeians　satisfied；　and　both　promised；　that　these　laws　being

confirmed；　every　disturbance　should　cease。



On　the　following　morning；　while　the　Council　of　the　Commune　were　in

consultation；　the　impatient　and　volatile　multitude　entered　the　piazza；

under　their　respective　ensigns；　with　loud　and　fearful　shouts；　which

struck　terror　into　all　the　Council　and　Signory；　and　Guerrente

Marignolli；　one　of　the　latter；　influenced　more　by　fear　than　anything

else；　under　pretense　of　guarding　the　lower　doors；　left　the　chamber　and

fled　to　his　house。　He　was　unable　to　conceal　himself　from　the

multitude；　who；　however；　took　no　notice；　except　that；　upon　seeing　him；

they　insisted　that　all　the　Signors　should　quit　the　palace；　and

declared　that　if　they　refused　to　comply；　their　houses　should　be　burned

and　their　families　put　to　death。



The　law　had　now　been　passed；　the　Signors　were　in　their　own　apartments；

the　Council　had　descended　from　the　chamber；　and　without　leaving　the

palace；　hopeless　of　saving　the　city；　they　remained　in　the　lodges　and

courts　below；　overwhelmed　with　grief　at　seeing　such　depravity　in　the

multitude；　and　such　perversity　or　fear　in　those　who　might　either　have

restrained　or　suppressed　them。　The　Signory；　too；　were　dismayed　and

fearful　for　the　safety　of　their　country；　finding　themselves　abandoned

by　one　of　their　associates；　and　without　any　aid　or　even　advice；　when；

at　this　moment　of　uncertainty　as　to　what　was　about　to　happen；　or　what

would　be　best　to　be　done；　Tommaso　Strozzi　and　Benedetto　Alberti；

either　from　motives　of　ambition　（being　desirous　of　remaining　masters

of　the　palace）；　or　because　they　thought　it　the　most　advisable　step；

persuaded　them　to　give　way　to　the　popular　impulse；　and　withdraw

privately　to　their　homes。　This　advice；　given　by　those　who　had　been　the

leaders　of　the　tumult；　although　the　others　yielded；　filled　Alamanno

Acciajuoli　and　Niccolo　del　Bene；　two　of　the　Signors；　with　anger；　and；

reassuming　a　little　vigor；　they　said；　that　if　the　others　would

withdraw　they　could　not　help　it；　but　they　would　remain　as　long　as　they

continued　in　office；　if　they　did　not　in　the　meantime　lose　their　lives。

These　dissensions　redoubled　the　fears　of　the　Signory　and　the　rage　of

the　people；　so　that　the　Gonfalonier；　disposed　rather　to　conclude　his

magistracy　in　dishonor　than　in　danger；　recommended　himself　to　the　care

of　Tommaso　Strozzi；　who　withdrew　him　from　the　palace　and　conducted　him

to　his　house。　The　other　Signors　were；　one　after　another；　conveyed　in

the　same　manner；　so　that　Alamanno　and　Niccolo；　not　to　appear　more

valiant　than　wise；　seeing　themselves　left　alone；　also　retired；　and　the

palace　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　plebeians　and　the　Eight

Commissioners　of　War；　who　had　not　yet　laid　down　their　authority。



When　the　plebeians　entered　the　palace；　the　standard　of　the　Gonfalonier

of　Justice　was　in　the　hands　of　Michael　di　Lando；　a　wool　comber。　This

man；　barefoot；　with　scarcely　anything　upon　him；　and　the　rabble　at　his

heels；　ascended　the　staircase；　and；　having　entered　the　audience

chamber　of　the　Signory；　he　stopped；　and　turning　to　the　multitude　said；

〃You　see　this　palace　is　now　yours；　and　the　city　is　in　your　power；　what

do　you　think　ought　to　be　done？〃　To　which　they　replied；　they　would　have

him　for　their　Gonfalonier　and　lord；　and　that　he　should　govern　them　and

the　city　as　he　thought　best。　Michael　accepted　the　command；　and；　as　he

was　a　cool　and　sagacious　man；　more　favored　by　nature　than　by　fortune；

he　resolved　to　compose　the　tumult；　and　restore　peace　to　the　city。　To

occupy　the　minds　of　the　people；　and　give　himself　time　to　make　some

arrangement；　he　ordered　that　one　Nuto；　who　had　been　appointed

bargello；　or　sheriff；　by　Lapo　da　Castiglionchio；　should　be　sought。　The

greater　part　of　his　followers　went　to　execute　this　commission；　and；　to

commence　with　justice　the　government　he　had　acquired　by　favor；　he

commanded　that　no　one　should　either　burn　or　steal　anything；　while；　to

strike　terror　into　all；　he　caused　a　gallows　to　be　erected　in　the　court

of　the　palace。　He　began　the　reform　of　government　by　deposing　the

Syndics　of　the　trades；　and　appointing　new　ones；　he　deprived　the

Signory　and　the　Colleagues　of　their　magistracy；　and　burned　the

balloting　purses　containing　the　names　of　those　eligible　to　office

under　the　former　government。



In　the　meantime；　Ser　Nuto；　being　brought　by　the　mob　into　the　court；

was　suspended　from　the　gallows　by　one　foot；　and　those　around　having

torn　him　to　pieces；　in　little　more　than　a　moment　nothing　remained　of

him　but　the　foot　by　which　he　had　been　tied。



The　Eight　Commissioners　of　War；　on　the　other　hand；　thinking

themselves；　after　the　departure　of　the　Signors；　left　sole　masters　of

the　city；　had　already　formed　a　new　Signory；　but　Michael；　on　hearing

this；　sent　them　an　order　to　quit　the　palace　immediately；　for　he　wished

to　show　that　he　could　govern　Florence　without　their　assistance。　He

then　assembled　the　Syndics　of　the　trades；　and　created　as　a　Signory；

four　from　the　lowest　plebeians；　two　from　the　major；　and　two　from　the

minor　trades。　Besides　this；　he　made　a　new　selection　of　names　for　the

balloting　purses；　and　divided　the　state　into　three　parts；　one　composed

of　the　new　trades；　another　of　the　minor；　and　the　third　of　the　major

trades。　He　gave　to　Salvestro　de'　Medici　the　revenue　of　the　shops　upon

the　Old　Bridge；　for　himself　he　took　the　provostry　of　Empoli；　and

conferred　benefits　upon　many　other　citizens；　friends　of　the　plebeians；

not　so　much　for　the　purpose　of　rewarding　their　labors；　as　that　they

might　serve　to　screen　him　from　envy。



It　seemed　to　the　plebeians　that　Michael；　in　his　reformation　of　the

state；　had　too　much　favored　the　higher　ranks　of　the　people；　and　that

themselves　had　not　a　sufficient　share　in　the　government　to　enable　them

to　preserve　it；　and　hence；　prompted　by　their　usual　audacity；　they

again　took　arms；　and　coming　tumultuously　into　the　court　of　the　palace；

each　body　under　their　particular　ensigns；　insisted　that　the　Signory

should　immediately　descend　and　consider　new　means　for　advancing　their

well…being　and　security。　Michael；　observing　their　arrogance；　was

unwilling　to　provoke　them；　but　without　further　yielding　to　their

request；　blamed　the　manner　in　which　it　was　made；　advised　them　to　lay

down　their　arms；　and　promised　that　then　would　be　conceded　to　them；

what　otherwise；　for　the　dignity　of　the　state；　must　of　necessity　be

withheld。　The　multitude；　enraged　at　this　reply；　withdrew　to　Santa

Maria　Novella；　where　they　appointed　eight　leaders　for　their　party；

with　officers；　and　other　regulations　to　ensure　influence　and　respect；

so　that　the　city　possessed　two　governments；　and　was　under　the

direction　of　two　distinct　powers。　These　new　leaders　determined　that

Eight；　elected　from　their　trades；　should　constantly　reside　in　the

palace　with　the　Signory；　and　that　whatever　the　Signory　should

determine　must　be　confirmed　by　them　before　it　became　law。　They　took

from　Salvestro　de'　Medici　and　Michael　di　Lando　the　whole　of　what　their

former　decrees　had　granted　them；　and　distributed　to　many　of　their

party　offices　and　emoluments　to　enable　them　to　support　their　dignity。

These　resolutions　being　passed；　to　render　them　valid　they　sent　two　of

their　body　to　the　Signory；　to　insist　on　their　being　confirmed　by　the

Council；　with　an　intimation；　that　if　not　granted　they　would　be

vindicated　by　force。　This　deputation；　with　amazing　audacity　and

surpassing　presumption；　explained　their　commission　to　the　Signory；

upbraided　the　Gonfalonier　with　the　dignity　they　had　conferred　upon

him；　the　honor　they　had　done　him；　and　with　the　ingratitude　and　want　of

respect　he　had　shown　toward　them。　Coming　to　threats　toward　the　end　of

their　discourse；　Michael　could　not　endure　their　arrogance；　and

sensible　rather