history of florence-第45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！



followed　by　fortunate　events；　we　should　only　encourage　men　in　error

which　would　bring　great　mischief　upon　the　republic；　because　evil

counsel　is　not　always　attended　with　happy　consequences。　In　the　same

way；　it　would　be　wrong　to　blame　a　wise　resolution；　because　if　its

being　attended　with　an　unfavorable　issue；　for　by　so　doing；　we　should

destroy　the　inclination　of　citizens　to　offer　advice　and　speak　the

truth。　He　then　showed　the　propriety　of　undertaking　the　war；　and　that

if　it　had　not　been　commenced　by　the　Florentines　in　Romagna　the　duke

would　have　assailed　them　in　Tuscany。　But　since　it　had　pleased　God；

that　the　Florentine　people　should　be　overcome；　their　loss　would　be

still　greater　if　they　allowed　themselves　to　be　dejected；　but　if　they

set　a　bold　front　against　adversity；　and　made　good　use　of　the　means

within　their　power；　they　would　not　be　sensible　of　their　loss　or　the

duke　of　his　victory。　He　assured　them　they　ought　not　to　be　alarmed　by

impending　expenses　and　consequent　taxation；　because　the　latter　might

be　reduced；　and　the　future　expense　would　not　be　so　great　as　the　former

had　been；　for　less　preparation　is　necessary　for　those　engaged　in　self…

defense　than　for　those　who　design　to　attack　others。　He　advised　them　to

imitate　the　conduct　of　their　forefathers；　who；　by　courageous　conduct

in　adverse　circumstances；　had　defended　themselves　against　all　their

enemies。



Thus　encouraged；　the　citizens　engaged　Count　Oddo　the　son　of　Braccio；

and　united　with　him；　for　directing　the　operations　of　the　war；　Niccolo

Piccinino；　a　pupil　of　his　father's；　and　one　of　the　most　celebrated　of

all　who　had　served　under　him。　To　these　they　added　other　leaders；　and

remounted　some　of　those　who　had　lost　their　horses　in　the　late　defeat。

They　also　appointed　twenty　citizens　to　levy　new　taxes；　who　finding　the

great　quite　subdued　by　the　recent　loss；　took　courage　and　drained　them

without　mercy。



These　burdens　were　very　grievous　to　the　nobility；　who　at　first；　in

order　to　conciliate；　did　not　complain　of　their　own　particular

hardships；　but　censured　the　tax　generally　as　unjust；　and　advised　that

something　should　be　done　in　the　way　of　relief；　but　their　advice　was

rejected　in　the　Councils。　Therefore；　to　render　the　law　as　offensive　as

possible；　and　to　make　all　sensible　of　its　injustice；　they　contrived

that　the　taxes　should　be　levied　with　the　utmost　rigor；　and　made　it

lawful　to　kill　any　that　might　resist　the　officers　employed　to　collect

them。　Hence　followed　many　lamentable　collisions；　attended　with　the

blood　and　death　of　citizens。　It　began　to　be　the　impression　of　all；

that　arms　would　be　resorted　to；　and　all　prudent　persons　apprehended

some　approaching　evil；　for　the　higher　ranks；　accustomed　to　be　treated

with　respect；　could　not　endure　to　be　used　like　dogs；　and　the　rest　were

desirous　that　the　taxation　should　be　equalized。　In　consequence　of　this

state　of　things；　many　of　the　first　citizens　met　together；　and　it　was

resolved　that　it　had　become　necessary　for　their　safety；　that　some

attempt　should　be　made　to　recover　the　government；　since　their　want　of

vigilance　had　encouraged　men　to　censure　public　actions；　and　allowed

those　to　interfere　in　affairs　who　had　hitherto　been　merely　the　leaders

of　the　rabble。　Having　repeatedly　discussed　the　subject；　they　resolved

to　meet　again　at　an　appointed　hour；　when　upwards　of　seventy　citizens

assembled　in　the　church　of　St。　Stephen；　with　the　permission　of　Lorenzo

Ridolfi　and　Francesco　Gianfigliazzi；　both　members　of　the　Signory。

Giovanni　de'　Medici　was　not　among　them　either　because　being　under

suspicion　he　was　not　invited　or　that　entertaining　different　views　he

was　unwilling　to　interfere。



Rinaldo　degli　Albizzi　addressed　the　assembly；　describing　the　condition

of　the　city；　and　showing　how　by　their　own　negligence　it　had　again

fallen　under　the　power　of　the　plebeians；　from　whom　it　had　been　wrested

by　their　fathers　in　1381。　He　reminded　them　of　the　iniquity　of　the

government　which　was　in　power　from　1378　to　1381；　and　that　all　who　were

then　present　had　to　lament；　some　a　father；　others　a　grandfather；　put

to　death　by　its　tyranny。　He　assured　them　they　were　now　in　the　same

danger；　and　that　the　city　was　sinking　under　the　same　disorders。　The

multitude　had　already　imposed　a　tax　of　its　own　authority；　and　would

soon；　if　not　restrained　by　greater　force　or　better　regulations；

appoint　the　magistrates；　who；　in　this　case；　would　occupy　their　places；

and　overturn　the　government　which　for　forty…two　years　had　ruled　the

city　with　so　much　glory；　the　citizens　would　then　be　subject　to　the

will　of　the　multitude；　and　live　disorderly　and　dangerous；　or　be　under

the　command　of　some　individual　who　might　make　himself　prince。　For

these　reasons　he　was　of　opinion；　that　whoever　loved　his　country　and

his　honor　must　arouse　himself；　and　call　to　mind　the　virtue　of　Bardo

Mancini；　who；　by　the　ruin　of　the　Alberti；　rescued　the　city　from　the

dangers　then　impending；　and　that　the　cause　of　the　audacity　now　assumed

by　the　multitude　was　the　extensive　Squittini　or　Pollings；　which；　by

their　negligence；　were　allowed　to　be　made；　for　thus　the　palace　had

become　filled　with　low　men。　He　therefore　concluded；　that　the　only

means　of　remedying　the　evil　was　to　restore　the　government　to　the

nobility；　and　diminish　the　authority　of　the　minor　trades　by　reducing

the　companies　from　fourteen　to　seven；　which　would　give　the　plebeians

less　authority　in　the　Councils；　both　by　the　reduction　in　their　number

and　by　increasing　the　authority　of　the　great；　who；　on　account　of

former　enmities；　would　be　disinclined　to　favor　them。　He　added；　that　it

is　a　good　thing　to　know　how　to　avail　themselves　of　men　according　to

the　times；　and　that　as　their　fathers　had　used　the　plebeians　to　reduce

the　influence　of　the　great；　that　now；　the　great　having　been　humbled；

and　the　plebeians　become　insolent；　it　was　well　to　restrain　the

insolence　of　the　latter　by　the　assistance　of　the　former。　To　effect

this　they　might　proceed　either　openly　or　otherwise；　for　some　of　them

belonging　to　the　Council　of　Ten；　forces　might　be　led　into　the　city

without　exciting　observation。



Rinaldo　was　much　applauded；　and　his　advice　was　approved　of　by　the

whole　assembly。　Niccolo　da　Uzzano　who；　among　others；　replied　to　it；

said；　〃All　that　Rinaldo　had　advanced　was　correct；　and　the　remedies　he

proposed　good　and　certain；　if　they　could　be　adopted　without　an

absolute　division　of　the　city；　and　this　he　had　no　doubt　would　be

effected　if　they　could　induce　Giovanni　de'　Medici　to　join　them；　for

with　him　on　their　side；　the　multitude　being　deprived　of　their　chief

and　stay；　would　be　unable　to　oppose　them；　but　that　if　he　did　not

concur　with　them　they　could　do　nothing　without　arms；　and　that　with

them　they　would　incur　the　risk　of　being　vanquished；　or　of　not　being

able　to　reap　the　fruit　of　victory。〃　He　then　modestly　reminded　them　of

what　he　had　said　upon　a　former　occasion；　and　of　their　reluctance　to

remedy　the　evil　when　it　might　easily　have　been　done；　that　now　the　same

remedy　could　not　be　attempted　without　incurring　the　danger　of　greater

evils；　and　therefore　there　was　nothing　left　for　them　to　do　but　to　gain

him　over　to　their　side；　if　practicable。　Rinaldo　was　then　commissioned

to　wait　upon　Giovanni　and　try　if　he　could　induce　him　to　join　them。



He　undertook　this　commission；　and　in　the　most　prevailing　words　he

could　make　use　of　endeavored　to　induce　him　to　coincide　with　their

views；　and　begged　that　he　would　not　by　favoring　an　audacious　mob；

enable　them　to　complete　the　ruin　both　of　the　government　and　the　city。

To　this　Giovanni　replied；　that　he　considered　it　the　duty　of　a　good　and

wise　citizen　to　avoid　altering　the　institutions　to　which　a　city　is

accustomed；　there　being　nothing　so　injurious　to　the　people　as　such　a

change；　for　many　are　necessarily　offended；　and　where　there　are　several

discontented；　some　unpropitious　event　may　be　constantly　apprehended。

He　said　it　appeared　to　him　that　their　resolution　would　have　two

exceedingly　pernicious　effects；　the　one　conferring　honors　on　those

who；　having　never　possessed　them；　esteemed　them　the　less；　and

therefore　had　the　less　occasion　to　grieve　for　their　absence；　the　other

taking　them　from　those　who　being　accustomed　to　their　possession　would

never　be　at　rest　till　they　were　restored　to　them。　It　would　thus　be

evident　that　the　injury　done　to　one　party；　was　greater　than　the

benefit　they　had　conferred　upon　the　other；　so　that　whoever　was　the

author　of　the　proposition；　he　would　gain　few　friends　and　make　many

enemies；　and　that　the　latter　would　be　more　resolutely　bent　on　injuring

him　than　the　former　would　be　zealous　for　his　defense；　for　mankind　are

naturally　more　disposed　to　revenge　than　to　gratitude；　as　if　the　latter

could　only　be　exercised　with　some　inconvenience　to　themselves；　while

the　former　brings　alike　gratification　and　profit。　Then；　directing　his

discourse　more　particularly　to　Rinaldo；　he　said；　〃And　you；　if　you

could　call　to　mind　past　events；　and　knew　how　craftily　affairs　are

conducted　in　t