history of florence-第39节

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Hawkwood；　an　Englishman　of　great　military　reputation；　who　had　long

served　the　pope　and　others　in　Italy。　Their　fears　from　without　were

increased　by　a　report　that　several　bodies　of　men　were　being　assembled

by　Charles　of　Durazzo　for　the　conquest　of　Naples；　and　many　Florentine

emigrants　were　said　to　have　joined　him。　Against　these　dangers；　in

addition　to　the　forces　which　had　been　raised；　large　sums　of　money　were

provided；　and　Charles；　having　arrived　at　Arezzo；　obtained　from　the

Florentines　40；000　ducats；　and　promised　he　would　not　molest　them。　His

enterprise　was　immediately　prosecuted；　and　having　occupied　the　kingdom

of　Naples；　he　sent　Queen　Giovanna　a　prisoner　into　Hungary。　This

victory　renewed　the　fears　of　those　who　managed　the　affairs　of

Florence；　for　they　could　not　persuade　themselves　that　their　money

would　have　a　greater　influence　on　the　king's　mind　than　the　friendship

which　his　house　had　long　retained　for　the　Guelphs；　whom　they　so

grievously　oppressed。



This　suspicion　increasing；　multiplied　oppressions；　which　again；

instead　of　diminishing　the　suspicion；　augmented　it；　so　that　most　men

lived　in　the　utmost　discontent。　To　this　the　insolence　of　Giorgio　Scali

and　Tommaso　Strozzi　（who　by　their　popular　influence　overawed　the

magistrates）　also　contributed；　for　the　rulers　were　apprehensive　that

by　the　power　these　men　possessed　with　the　plebeians　they　could　set

them　at　defiance；　and　hence　it　is　evident　that　not　only　to　good　men；

but　even　to　the　seditious；　this　government　appeared　tyrannical　and

violent。　To　put　a　period　to　the　outrageous　conduct　of　Giorgio；　it

happened　that　a　servant　of　his　accused　Giovanni　di　Cambio　of　practices

against　the　state；　but　the　Capitano　declared　him　innocent。　Upon　this；

the　judge　determined　to　punish　the　accuser　with　the　same　penalties

that　the　accused　would　have　incurred　had　he　been　guilty；　but　Giorgio

Scali；　unable　to　save　him　either　by　his　authority　or　entreaties；

obtained　the　assistance　of　Tommaso　Strozzi；　and　with　a　multitude　of

armed　men；　set　the　informer　at　liberty　and　plundered　the　palace　of　the

Capitano；　who　was　obliged　to　save　himself　by　flight。　This　act　excited

such　great　and　universal　animosity　against　him；　that　his　enemies　began

to　hope　they　would　be　able　to　effect　his　ruin；　and　also　to　rescue　the

city　from　the　power　of　the　plebeians；　who　for　three　years　had　held　her

under　their　arrogant　control。



To　the　realization　of　this　design　the　Capitano　greatly　contributed；

for　the　tumult　having　subsided；　he　presented　himself　before　the

signors；　and　said　〃He　had　cheerfully　undertaken　the　office　to　which

they　had　appointed　him；　for　he　thought　he　should　serve　upright　men　who

would　take　arms　for　the　defense　of　justice；　and　not　impede　its

progress。　But　now　that　he　had　seen　and　had　experience　of　the

proceedings　of　the　city；　and　the　manner　in　which　affairs　were

conducted；　that　dignity　which　he　had　voluntarily　assumed　with　the　hope

of　acquiring　honor　and　emolument；　he　now　more　willingly　resigned；　to

escape　from　the　losses　and　danger　to　which　he　found　himself　exposed。〃

The　complaint　of　the　Capitano　was　heard　with　the　utmost　attention　by

the　Signory；　who　promising　to　remunerate　him　for　the　injury　he　had

suffered　and　provide　for　his　future　security；　he　was　satisfied。　Some

of　them　then　obtained　an　interview　with　certain　citizens　who　were

thought　to　be　lovers　of　the　common　good；　and　least　suspected　by　the

state；　and　in　conjunction　with　these；　it　was　concluded　that　the

present　was　a　favorable　opportunity　for　rescuing　the　city　from　Giorgio

and　the　plebeians；　the　last　outrage　he　had　committed　having　completely

alienated　the　great　body　of　the　people　from　him。　They　judged　it　best

to　profit　by　the　occasion　before　the　excitement　had　abated；　for　they

knew　that　the　favor　of　the　mob　is　often　gained　or　lost　by　the　most

trifling　circumstance；　and　more　certainly　to　insure　success；　they

determined；　if　possible；　to　obtain　the　concurrence　of　Benedetto

Alberti；　for　without　it　they　considered　their　enterprise　to　be

dangerous。



Benedetto　was　one　of　the　richest　citizens；　a　man　of　unassuming

manners；　an　ardent　lover　of　the　liberties　of　his　country；　and　one　to

whom　tyrannical　measures　were　in　the　highest　degree　offensive；　so　that

he　was　easily　induced　to　concur　in　their　views　and　consent　to

Giorgio's　ruin。　His　enmity　against　the　nobles　of　the　people　and　the

Guelphs；　and　his　friendship　for　the　plebeians；　were　caused　by　the

insolence　and　tyrannical　proceedings　of　the　former；　but　finding　that

the　plebeians　had　soon　become　quite　as　insolent；　he　quickly　separated

himself　from　them；　and　the　injuries　committed　by　them　against　the

citizens　were　done　wholly　without　his　consent。　So　that　the　same

motives　which　made　him　join　the　plebeians　induced　him　to　leave　them。



Having　gained　Benedetto　and　the　leaders　of　the　trades　to　their　side；

they　provided　themselves　with　arms　and　made　Giorgio　prisoner。　Tommaso

fled。　The　next　day　Giorgio　was　beheaded；　which　struck　so　great　a

terror　into　his　party；　that　none　ventured　to　express　the　slightest

disapprobation；　but　each　seemed　anxious　to　be　foremost　in　defense　of

the　measure。　On　being　led　to　execution；　in　the　presence　of　that　people

who　only　a　short　time　before　had　idolized　him；　Giorgio　complained　of

his　hard　fortune；　and　the　malignity　of　those　citizens　who；　having　done

him　an　undeserved　injury；　had　compelled　him　to　honor　and　support　a

mob；　possessing　neither　faith　nor　gratitude。　Observing　Benedetto

Alberti　among　those　who　had　armed　themselves　for　the　preservation　of

order；　he　said；　〃Do　you；　too；　consent；　Benedetto；　that　this　injury

shall　be　done　to　me？　Were　I　in　your　place　and　you　in　mine；　I　would

take　care　that　no　one　should　injure　you。　I　tell　you；　however；　this　day

is　the　end　of　my　troubles　and　the　beginning　of　yours。〃　He　then　blamed

himself　for　having　confided　too　much　in　a　people　who　may　be　excited

and　inflamed　by　every　word；　motion；　and　breath　of　suspicion。　With

these　complaints　he　died　in　the　midst　of　his　armed　enemies；　delighted

at　his　fall。　Some　of　his　most　intimate　associates　were　also　put　to

death；　and　their　bodies　dragged　about　by　the　mob。







CHAPTER　VI



　　Confusion　and　riots　in　the　cityReform　of　government　in

　　opposition　to　the　plebeiansInjuries　done　to　those　who　favored

　　the　plebeiansMichael　di　Lando　banishedBenedetto　Alberti　hated

　　by　the　SignoryFears　excited　by　the　coming　of　Louis　of　AnjouThe

　　Florentines　purchase　ArezzoBenedetto　Alberti　becomes　suspected

　　and　is　banishedHis　discourse　upon　leaving　the　cityOther

　　citizens　banished　and　admonishedWar　with　Giovanni　Galeazzo；　duke

　　of　Milan。



The　death　of　Giorgio　caused　very　great　excitement；　many　took　arms　at

the　execution　in　favor　of　the　Signory　and　the　Capitano；　and　many

others；　either　for　ambition　or　as　a　means　for　their　own　safety；　did

the　same。　The　city　was　full　of　conflicting　parties；　who　each　had　a

particular　end　in　view；　and　wished　to　carry　it　into　effect　before　they

disarmed。　The　ancient　nobility；　called　the　GREAT；　could　not　bear　to　be

deprived　of　public　honors；　for　the　recovery　of　which　they　used　their

utmost　exertions；　and　earnestly　desired　that　authority　might　be

restored　to　the　Capitani　di　Parte。　The　nobles　of　the　people　and　the

major　trades　were　discontented　at　the　share　the　minor　trades　and

lowest　of　the　people　possessed　in　the　government；　while　the　minor

trades　were　desirous　of　increasing　their　influence；　and　the　lowest

people　were　apprehensive　of　losing　the　companies　of　their　trades　and

the　authority　which　these　conferred。



Such　opposing　views　occasioned　Florence；　during　a　year；　to　be

disturbed　by　many　riots。　Sometimes　the　nobles　of　the　people　took　arms；

sometimes　the　major　and　sometimes　the　minor　trades　and　the　lowest　of

the　people；　and　it　often　happened　that；　though　in　different　parts；　all

were　at　once　in　insurrection。　Hence　many　conflicts　took　place　between

the　different　parties　or　with　the　forces　of　the　palace；　for　the

Signory　sometimes　yielding；　and　at　other　times　resisting；　adopted　such

remedies　as　they　could　for　these　numerous　evils。　At　length；　after　two

assemblies　of　the　people；　and　many　Balias　appointed　for　the

reformation　of　the　city；　after　much　toil；　labor；　and　imminent　danger；

a　government　was　appointed；　by　which　all　who　had　been　banished　since

Salvestro　de'　Medici　was　Gonfalonier　were　restored。　They　who　had

acquired　distinctions　or　emoluments　by　the　Balia　of　1378　were　deprived

of　them。　The　honors　of　government　were　restored　to　the　Guelphic　party；

the　two　new　Companies　of　the　Trades　were　dissolved；　and　all　who　had

been　subject　to　them　assigned　to　their　former　companies。　The　minor

trades　were　not　allowed　to　elect　the　Gonfalonier　of　Justice；　their

share　of　honors　was　reduced　from　a　half　to　a　third；　and　those　of　the

highest　rank　were　withdrawn　from　them　altogether。　Thus　the　nobles　of

the　people　and　the　Guelphs　repossessed　themselves　of　the　government；

which　was　lost　by　the　plebeians　after　it　had　been　in　t