history of florence-第43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！



made　war　with　Ladislaus；　king　of　Naples；　who　finding　himself　in　great

danger　ceded　to　them　the　city　of　Cortona　of　which　he　was　master；　but

soon　afterward；　recovering　his　power；　he　renewed　the　war；　which　became

far　more　disastrous　to　the　Florentines　than　before；　and　had　it　not；　in

1414；　been　terminated　by　his　death；　as　that　of　Lombardy　had　been　by

the　death　of　the　duke　of　Milan；　he；　like　the　duke；　would　have　brought

Florence　into　great　danger　of　losing　her　liberty。　Nor　was　the　war　with

the　king　concluded　with　less　good　fortune　than　the　former；　for　when　he

had　taken　Rome；　Sienna；　the　whole　of　La　Marca　and　Romagna；　and　had

only　Florence　itself　to　vanquish；　he　died。　Thus　death　has　always　been

more　favorable　to　the　Florentines　than　any　other　friend；　and　more

potent　to　save　them　than　their　own　valor。　From　the　time　of　the　king's

decease；　peace　was　preserved　both　at　home　and　abroad　for　eight　years；

at　the　end　of　which；　with　the　wars　of　Filippo；　duke　of　Milan；　the

spirit　of　faction　again　broke　out；　and　was　only　appeased　by　the　ruin

of　that　government　which　continued　from　1381　to　1434；　had　conducted

with　great　glory　so　many　enterprises；　acquired　Arezzo；　Pisa；　Cortona；

Leghorn；　and　Monte　Pulciano；　and　would　have　accomplished　more　if　the

citizens　had　lived　in　unity；　and　had　not　revived　former　factions；　as

in　the　following　book　will　be　particularly　shown。









BOOK　IV







CHAPTER　I



　　License　and　Slavery　peculiar　defects　in　republican　governments

　　Application　of　this　reflection　to　the　state　of　FlorenceGiovanni

　　di　Bicci　di'　Medici　re…establishes　the　authority　of　his　family

　　Filippo　Visconti；　duke　of　Milan；　endeavors　to　make　amicable

　　arrangements　with　the　FlorentinesTheir　jealousy　of　him

　　Precautionary　measures　against　himWar　declaredThe　Florentines

　　are　routed　by　the　ducal　forces。



Republican　governments；　more　especially　those　imperfectly　organized；

frequently　change　their　rulers　and　the　form　of　their　institutions；　not

by　the　influence　of　liberty　or　subjection；　as　many　suppose；　but　by

that　of　slavery　and　license；　for　with　the　nobility　or　the　people；　the

ministers　respectively　of　slavery　or　licentiousness；　only　the　name　of

liberty　is　in　any　estimation；　neither　of　them　choosing　to　be　subject

either　to　magistrates　or　laws。　When；　however；　a　good；　wise；　and

powerful　citizen　appears　（which　is　but　seldom）；　who　establishes

ordinances　capable　of　appeasing　or　restraining　these　contending

dispositions；　so　as　to　prevent　them　from　doing　mischief；　then　the

government　may　be　called　free；　and　its　institutions　firm　and　secure；

for　having　good　laws　for　its　basis；　and　good　regulations　for　carrying

them　into　effect；　it　needs　not；　like　others；　the　virtue　of　one　man　for

its　maintenance。　With　such　excellent　laws　and　institutions；　many　of

those　ancient　republics；　which　were　of　long　duration；　were　endowed。

But　these　advantages　are；　and　always　have　been；　denied　to　those　which

frequently　change　from　tyranny　to　license；　or　the　reverse；　because；

from　the　powerful　enemies　which　each　condition　creates　itself；　they

neither　have；　nor　can　possess　any　stability；　for　tyranny　cannot　please

the　good；　and　license　is　offensive　to　the　wise：　the　former　may　easily

be　productive　of　mischief；　while　the　latter　can　scarcely　be

beneficial；　in　the　former；　the　insolent　have　too　much　authority；　and

in　the　latter；　the　foolish；　so　that　each　requires　for　their　welfare

the　virtue　and　the　good　fortune　of　some　individual　who　may　be　removed

by　death；　or　become　unserviceable　by　misfortune。



Hence；　it　appears；　that　the　government　which　commenced　in　Florence　at

the　death　of　Giorgio　Scali；　in　1381；　was　first　sustained　by　the

talents　of　Maso　degli　Albizzi；　and　then　by　those　of　Niccolo　da　Uzzano。

The　city　remained　tranquil　from　1414　to　1422；　for　King　Ladislaus　was

dead；　and　Lombardy　divided　into　several　parts；　so　that　there　was

nothing　either　internal　or　external　to　occasion　uneasiness。　Next　to

Niccolo　da　Uzzano　in　authority；　were　Bartolomeo　Valori；　Neroni　di

Nigi；　Rinaldo　degli　Albizzi；　Neri　di　Gino；　and　Lapo　Niccolini。　The

factions　that　arose　from　the　quarrels　of　the　Albizzi　and　the　Ricci；

and　which　were　afterward　so　unhappily　revived　by　Salvestro　de'　Medici；

were　never　extinguished；　for　though　the　party　most　favored　by　the

rabble　only　continued　three　years；　and　in　1381　was　put　down；　still；　as

it　comprehended　the　greatest　numerical　proportion；　it　was　never

entirely　extinct；　though　the　frequent　Balias　and　persecutions　of　its

leaders　from　1381　to　1400；　reduced　it　almost　to　nothing。　The　first

families　that　suffered　in　this　way　were　the　Alberti；　the　Ricci；　and

the　Medici；　which　were　frequently　deprived　both　of　men　and　money；　and

if　any　of　them　remained　in　the　city；　they　were　deprived　of　the　honors

of　government。　These　oft…repeated　acts　of　oppression　humiliated　the

faction；　and　almost　annihilated　it。　Still；　many　retained　the

remembrance　of　the　injuries　they　had　received；　and　a　desire　of

vengeance　remained　pent　in　their　bosoms；　ungratified　and　unquenched。

Those　nobles　of　the　people；　or　new　nobility；　who　peaceably　governed

the　city；　committed　two　errors；　which　eventually　caused　the　ruin　of

their　party；　the　first　was；　that　by　long　continuance　in　power　they

became　insolent；　the　second；　that　the　envy　they　entertained　toward

each　other；　and　their　uninterrupted　possession　of　power；　destroyed

that　vigilance　over　those　who　might　injure　them；　which　they　ought　to

have　exercised。　Thus　daily　renewing　the　hatred　of　a　mass　of　the　people

by　their　sinister　proceedings；　and　either　negligent　of　the　threatened

dangers；　because　rendered　fearless　by　prosperity；　or　encouraging　them

through　mutual　envy；　they　gave　an　opportunity　to　the　family　of　the

Medici　to　recover　their　influence。　The　first　to　do　so　was　Giovanni　di

Bicci　de'　Medici；　who　having　become　one　of　the　richest　men；　and　being

of　a　humane　and　benevolent　disposition；　obtained　the　supreme

magistracy　by　the　consent　of　those　in　power。　This　circumstance　gave　so

much　gratification　to　the　mass　of　the　people　（the　multitude　thinking

they　had　now　found　a　defender）；　that　not　without　occasion　the

judicious　of　the　party　observed　it　with　jealousy；　for　they　perceived

all　the　former　feelings　of　the　city　revived。　Niccolo　da　Uzzano　did　not

fail　to　acquaint　the　other　citizens　with　the　matter；　explaining　to

them　how　dangerous　it　was　to　aggrandize　one　who　possessed　so　much

influence；　that　it　was　easy　to　remedy　an　evil　at　its　commencement；　but

exceedingly　difficult　after　having　allowed　it　to　gather　strength；　and

that　Giovanni　possessed　several　qualities　far　surpassing　those　of

Salvestro。　The　associates　of　Niccolo　were　uninfluenced　by　his　remarks；

for　they　were　jealous　of　his　reputation；　and　desired　to　exalt　some

person；　by　means　of　whom　he　might　be　humbled。



This　was　the　state　of　Florence；　in　which　opposing　feelings　began　to　be

observable；　when　Filippo　Visconti；　second　son　of　Giovanni　Galeazzo；

having；　by　the　death　of　his　brother；　become　master　of　all　Lombardy；

and　thinking　he　might　undertake　almost　anything；　greatly　desired　to

recover　Genoa；　which　enjoyed　freedom　under　the　Dogiate　of　Tommaso　da

Campo　Fregoso。　He　did　not　think　it　advisable　to　attempt　this；　or　any

other　enterprise；　till　he　had　renewed　amicable　relations　with　the

Florentines；　and　made　his　good　understanding　with　them　known；　but　with

the　aid　of　their　reputation　he　trusted　he　should　attain　his　wishes。　He

therefore　sent　ambassadors　to　Florence　to　signify　his　desires。　Many

citizens　were　opposed　to　his　design；　but　did　not　wish　to　interrupt　the

peace　with　Milan；　which　had　now　continued　for　many　years。　They　were

fully　aware　of　the　advantages　he　would　derive　from　a　war　with　Genoa；

and　the　little　use　it　would　be　to　Florence。　Many　others　were　inclined

to　accede　to　it；　but　would　set　a　limit　to　his　proceedings；　which；　if

he　were　to　exceed；　all　would　perceive　his　base　design；　and　thus　they

might；　when　the　treaty　was　broken；　more　justifiably　make　war　against

him。　The　question　having　been　strongly　debated；　an　amicable

arrangement　was　at　length　effected；　by　which　Filippo　engaged　not　to

interfere　with　anything　on　the　Florentine　side　of　the　rivers　Magra　and

Panaro。



Soon　after　the　treaty　was　concluded；　the　duke　took　possession　of

Brescia；　and　shortly　afterward　of　Genoa；　contrary　to　the　expectation

of　those　who　had　advocated　peace；　for　they　thought　Brescia　would　be

defended　by　the　Venetians；　and　Genoa　would　be　able　to　defend　herself。

And　as　in　the　treaty　which　Filippo　made　with　the　Doge　of　Genoa；　he　had

acquired　Serezana　and　other　places　situated　on　this　side　the　Magra；

upon　condition　that；　if　he　wished　to　alienate　them；　they　should　be

given　to　the　Genoese；　it　was　quite　palpable　that　he　had　broken　the

treaty；　and　he　had；　besides；　entered　into　another　treaty　with　the

legate　of　Bologna；　in　opposition　to　his　engagement　respecting　the

Panaro。　These　things　disturbed　the　minds　of　the　citizens；　and　made

them；　apprehensive　of　ne