history of florence-第46节

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

conducted　in　this　city；　would　not　be　so　eager　in　this　pursuit；　for　he

who　advises　it；　when　by　your　aid　he　has　wrested　the　power　from　the

people；　will；　with　the　people's　assistance；　who　will　have　become　your

enemies；　deprive　you　of　it。　And　it　will　happen　to　you　as　to　Benedetto

Alberti；　who；　at　the　persuasion　of　those　who　were　not　his　friends；

consented　to　the　ruin　of　Giorgio　Scali　and　Tommaso　Strozzi；　and

shortly　afterward　was　himself　sent　into　exile　by　the　very　same　men。〃

He　therefore　advised　Rinaldo　to　think　more　maturely　of　these　things；

and　endeavor　to　imitate　his　father；　who；　to　obtain　the　benevolence　of

all；　reduced　the　price　of　salt；　provided　that　whoever　owed　taxes　under

half　a　florin　should　be　at　liberty　to　pay　them　or　not；　as　he　thought

proper；　and　that　at　the　meeting　of　the　Councils　every　one　should　be

free　from　the　importunities　of　his　creditors。　He　concluded　by　saying；

that　as　regarded　himself；　he　was　disposed　to　let　the　government　of　the

city　remain　as　it　was。







CHAPTER　III



　　Giovanni　de'　Medici　acquires　the　favor　of　the　peopleBravery　of

　　Biaggio　del　MelanoBaseness　of　Zanobi　del　PinoThe　Florentines

　　obtain　the　friendship　of　the　lord　of　FaenzaLeague　of　the

　　Florentines　with　the　VenetiansOrigin　of　the　CatastoThe　rich

　　citizens　discontented　with　itPeace　with　the　duke　of　MilanNew

　　disturbances　on　account　of　the　Catasto。



These　events；　and　the　circumstances　attending　them；　becoming　known　to

the　people；　contributed　greatly　to　increase　the　reputation　of

Giovanni；　and　brought　odium　on　those　who　had　made　the　proposals；　but

he　assumed　an　appearance　of　indifference；　in　order　to　give　less

encouragement　to　those　who　by　his　influence　were　desirous　of　change。

In　his　discourse　he　intimated　to　every　one　that　it　is　not　desirable　to

promote　factions；　but　rather　to　extinguish　them；　and　that　whatever

might　be　expected　of　him；　he　only　sought　the　union　of　the　city。　This；

however；　gave　offense　to　many　of　his　party；　for　they　would　have　rather

seen　him　exhibit　greater　activity。　Among　others　so　disposed；　was

Alamanno　de'　Medici；　who　being　of　a　restless　disposition；　never　ceased

exciting　him　to　persecute　enemies　and　favor　friends；　condemning　his

coldness　and　slow　method　of　proceeding；　which　he　said　was　the　cause　of

his　enemies'　practicing　against　him；　and　that　these　practices　would

one　day　effect　the　ruin　of　himself　and　his　friends。　He　endeavored　to

excite　Cosmo；　his　son；　with　similar　discourses；　but　Giovanni；　for　all

that　was　either　disclosed　or　foretold　him；　remained　unmoved；　although

parties　were　now　declared；　and　the　city　in　manifest　disunion。



There　were　at　the　palace；　in　the　service　of　the　Signory；　two

chancellors；　Ser　Martino　and　Ser　Pagolo。　The　latter　favored　the　party

of　Niccolo　da　Uzzano；　the　former　that　of　Giovanni；　and　Rinaldo；　seeing

Giovanni　unwilling　to　join　them；　thought　it　would　be　advisable　to

deprive　Ser　Martino　of　his　office；　that　he　might　have　the　palace　more

completely　under　his　control。　The　design　becoming　known　to　his

adversaries；　Ser　Martino　was　retained　and　Ser　Pagolo　discharged；　to

the　great　injury　and　displeasure　of　Rinaldo　and　his　party。　This

circumstance　would　soon　have　produced　most　mischievous　effects；　but

for　the　war　with　which　the　city　was　threatened；　and　the　recent　defeat

suffered　at　Zagonara；　which　served　to　check　the　audacity　of　the

people；　for　while　these　events　were　in　progress　at　Florence；　Agnolo

della　Pergola；　with　the　forces　of　the　duke；　had　taken　all　the　towns

and　cities　possessed　by　the　Florentines　in　Romagna；　except　Castracaro

and　Modigliano；　partly　from　the　weakness　of　the　places　themselves；　and

partly　by　the　misconduct　of　those　who　had　the　command　of　them。　In　the

course　of　the　campaign；　two　instances　occurred　which　served　to　show

how　greatly　courage　is　admired　even　in　enemies；　and　how　much　cowardice

and　pusillanimity　are　despised。



Biaggio　del　Melano　was　castellan　in　the　fortress　of　Monte　Petroso。

Being　surrounded　by　enemies；　and　seeing　no　chance　of　saving　the　place；

which　was　already　in　flames；　he　cast　clothes　and　straw　from　a　part

which　was　not　yet　on　fire；　and　upon　these　he　threw　his　two　little

children；　saying　to　the　enemy；　〃Take　to　yourselves　those　goods　which

fortune　has　bestowed　upon　me；　and　of　which　you　may　deprive　me；　but

those　of　the　mind；　in　which　my　honor　and　glory　consist；　I　will　not

give　up；　neither　can　you　wrest　them　from　me。〃　The　besiegers　ran　to

save　the　children；　and　placed　for　their　father　ropes　and　ladders；　by

which　to　save　himself；　but　he　would　not　use　them；　and　rather　chose　to

die　in　the　flames　than　owe　his　safety　to　the　enemies　of　his　country：

an　example　worthy　of　that　much　lauded　antiquity；　which　offers　nothing

to　surpass　it；　and　which　we　admire　the　more　from　the　rarity　of　any

similar　occurrence。　Whatever　could　be　recovered　from　the　ruins；　was

restored　for　the　use　of　the　children；　and　carefully　conveyed　to　their

friends；　nor　was　the　republic　less　grateful；　for　as　long　as　they

lived；　they　were　supported　at　her　charge。



An　example　of　an　opposite　character　occurred　at　Galeata；　where　Zanobi

del　Pino　was　governor；　he；　without　offering　the　least　resistance；　gave

up　the　fortress　to　the　enemy；　and　besides　this；　advised　Agnolo　della

Pergola　to　leave　the　Alps　of　Romagna；　and　come　among　the　smaller　hills

of　Tuscany；　where　he　might　carry　on　the　war　with　less　danger　and

greater　advantage。　Agnolo　could　not　endure　the　mean　and　base　spirit　of

this　man；　and　delivered　him　to　his　own　attendants；　who；　after　many

reproaches；　gave　him　nothing　to　eat　but　paper　painted　with　snakes；

saying；　that　of　a　Guelph　they　would　make　him　a　Ghibelline；　and　thus

fasting；　he　died　in　a　few　days。



At　this　time　Count　Oddo　and　Niccolo　Piccinino　entered　the　Val　di

Lamona；　with　the　design　of　bringing　the　lord　of　Faenza　over　to　the

Florentines；　or　at　least　inducing　him　to　restrain　the　incursions　of

Agnolo　della　Pergola　into　Romagna；　but　as　this　valley　is　naturally

strong；　and　its　inhabitants　warlike；　Count　Oddo　was　slain　there；　and

Niccolo　Piccinino　sent　a　prisoner　to　Faenza。　Fortune；　however；　caused

the　Florentines　to　obtain　by　their　loss；　what；　perhaps；　they　would

have　failed　to　acquire　by　victory；　for　Niccolo　so　prevailed　with　the

lord　of　Faenza　and　his　mother；　that　they　became　friends　of　the

Florentines。　By　this　treaty；　Niccolo　Piccinino　was　set　at　liberty；　but

did　not　take　the　advice　he　had　given　others；　for　while　in　treaty　with

the　city；　concerning　the　terms　of　his　engagement；　either　the

conditions　proposed　were　insufficient；　or　he　found　better　elsewhere；

for　quite　suddenly　he　left　Arezzo；　where　he　had　been　staying；　passed

into　Lombardy；　and　entered　the　service　of　the　duke。



The　Florentines；　alarmed　by　this　circumstance；　and　reduced　to

despondency　by　their　frequent　losses；　thought　themselves　unable　to

sustain　the　war　alone；　and　sent　ambassadors　to　the　Venetians；　to　beg

they　would　lend　their　aid　to　oppose　the　greatness　of　one　who；　if

allowed　to　aggrandize　himself；　would　soon　become　as　dangerous　to　them

as　to　the　Florentines　themselves。　The　Venetians　were　advised　to　adopt

the　same　course　by　Francesco　Carmignuola；　one　of　the　most

distinguished　warriors　of　those　times；　who　had　been　in　the　service　of

the　duke；　and　had　afterward　quitted　it；　but　they　hesitated；　not

knowing　how　far　to　trust　him；　for　they　thought　his　enmity　with　the

duke　was　only　feigned。　While　in　this　suspense；　it　was　found　that　the

duke；　by　means　of　a　servant　of　Carmignuola；　had　caused　poison　to　be

given　him　in　his　food；　which；　although　it　was　not　fatal；　reduced　him

to　extremity。　The　truth　being　discovered；　the　Venetians　laid　aside

their　suspicion；　and　as　the　Florentines　still　solicited　their

assistance；　a　treaty　was　formed　between　the　two　powers；　by　which　they

agreed　to　carry　on　the　war　at　the　common　expense　of　both：　the

conquests　in　Lombardy　to　be　assigned　to　the　Venetians；　those　in

Romagna　and　Tuscany　to　the　Florentines；　and　Carmignuola　was　appointed

Captain　General　of　the　League。　By　this　treaty　the　war　was　commenced　in

Lombardy；　where　it　was　admirably　conducted；　for　in　a　few　months　many

places　were　taken　from　the　duke；　together　with　the　city　of　Brescia；

the　capture　of　which　was　in　those　days　considered　a　most　brilliant

exploit。



The　war　had　continued　from　1422　to　1427；　and　the　citizens　of　Florence

were　so　wearied　of　the　taxes　that　had　been　imposed　during　that　time；

that　it　was　resolved　to　revise　them；　preparatory　to　their

amelioration。　That　they　might　be　equalized　according　to　the　means　of

each　citizen；　it　was　proposed　that　whoever　possessed　property　of　the

value　of　one　hundred　florins　should　pay　half　a　florin　of　taxes。

Individual　contribution　would　thus　be　determined　by　an　invariable

rule；　and　not　left　to　the　discretion　of　parties；　and　as　it　was　found

that　the　new　method　would　press　heavily　upon　the　powerful　classes；

they　used　their　utmost　endeavors　to　pr