history of florence-第50节

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with　complaints　and　charges　against　this　city；　and　spread　the　story　of

our　misfortunes　over　the　whole　of　Italy；　we　did　not　wish　to　slander　so

just　and　pious　a　republic；　with　the　baseness　and　perfidy　of　one　wicked

citizen；　whose　cruelty　and　avarice；　had　we　known　them　before　our　ruin

was　complete；　we　should　have　endeavored　to　satiate　（though　indeed　they

are　insatiable）；　and　with　one…half　of　our　property　have　saved　the

rest。　But　the　opportunity　is　past；　we　are　compelled　to　have　recourse

to　you；　and　beg　that　you　will　succor　the　distresses　of　your　subjects；

that　others　may　not　be　deterred　by　our　example　from　submitting

themselves　to　your　authority。　And　if　our　extreme　distress　cannot

prevail　with　you　to　assist　us；　be　induced；　by　your　fear　of　the　wrath

of　God；　who　has　seen　his　temple　plundered　and　burned；　and　his　people

betrayed　in　his　bosom。〃　Having　said　this　they　threw　themselves　on　the

ground；　crying　aloud；　and　praying　that　their　property　and　their

country　might　be　restored　to　them；　and　that　if　the　Signory　could　not

give　them　back　their　honor；　they　would；　at　least；　restore　husbands　to

their　wives；　and　children　to　their　fathers。　The　atrocity　of　the　affair

having　already　been　made　known；　and　now　by　the　living　words　of　the

sufferers　presented　before　them；　excited　the　compassion　of　the

magistracy。　They　ordered　the　immediate　return　of　Astorre；　who　being

tried；　was　found　guilty；　and　admonished。　They　sought　the　goods　of　the

inhabitants　of　Seravezza；　all　that　could　be　recovered　was　restored　to

them；　and　as　time　and　circumstance　gave　opportunity；　they　were

compensated　for　the　rest。



Complaints　were　made　against　Rinaldo　degli　Albizzi；　that　he　carried　on

the　war；　not　for　the　advantage　of　the　Florentine　people；　but　his　own

private　emolument；　that　as　soon　as　he　was　appointed　commissary；　he

lost　all　desire　to　take　Lucca；　for　it　was　sufficient　for　him　to

plunder　the　country；　fill　his　estates　with　cattle；　and　his　house　with

booty；　and；　not　content　with　what　his　own　satellites　took；　he

purchased　that　of　the　soldiery；　so　that　instead　of　a　commissary　he

became　a　merchant。　These　calumnies　coming　to　his　ears；　disturbed　the

temper　of　this　proud　but　upright　man；　more　than　quite　became　his

dignity。　He　was　so　exasperated　against　the　citizens　and　magistracy；

that　without　waiting　for　or　asking　permission；　he　returned　to

Florence；　and；　presenting　himself　before　the　Council　of　Ten；　he　said

that　he　well　knew　how　difficult　and　dangerous　a　thing　it　was　to　serve

an　unruly　people　and　a　divided　city；　for　the　one　listens　to　every

report；　the　other　pursues　improper　measures；　they　neglect　to　reward

good　conduct；　and　heap　censure　upon　whatever　appears　doubtful；　so　that

victory　wins　no　applause；　error　is　accused　by　all；　and　if　vanquished；

universal　condemnation　is　incurred；　from　one's　own　party　through　envy；

and　from　enemies　through　hatred；　persecution　results。　He　confessed

that　the　baseness　of　the　present　calumnies　had　conquered　his　patience

and　changed　the　temper　of　his　mind；　but　he　would　say；　he　had　never；

for　fear　of　a　false　accusation；　avoided　doing　what　appeared　to　him

beneficial　to　the　city。　However；　he　trusted　the　magistrates　would　in

future　be　more　ready　to　defend　their　fellow…citizens；　so　that　the

latter　might　continue　anxious　to　effect　the　prosperity　of　their

country；　that　as　it　was　not　customary　at　Florence　to　award　triumphs

for　success；　they　ought　at　least　to　be　protected　from　calumny；　and

that　being　citizens　themselves；　and　at　any　moment　liable　to　false

accusations；　they　might　easily　conceive　how　painful　it　is　to　an

upright　mind　to　be　oppressed　with　slander。　The　Ten　endeavored；　as　well

as　circumstances　would　admit；　to　soothe　the　acerbity　of　his　feelings；

and　confided　the　care　of　the　expedition　to　Neri　di　Gino　and　Alamanno

Salviati；　who；　instead　of　overrunning　the　country；　advanced　near　to

Lucca。　As　the　weather　had　become　extremely　cold；　the　forces

established　themselves　at　Campannole；　which　seemed　to　the　commissaries

waste　of　time；　and　wishing　to　draw　nearer　the　place；　the　soldiery

refused　to　comply；　although　the　Ten　had　insisted　they　should　pitch

their　camp　before　the　city；　and　would　not　hear　of　any　excuse。



At　that　time　there　lived　at　Florence；　a　very　distinguished　architect；

named　Filippo　di　Ser　Brunelleschi；　of　whose　works　our　city　is　full；

and　whose　merit　was　so　extraordinary；　that　after　his　death　his　statue

in　marble　was　erected　in　the　principal　church；　with　an　inscription

underneath；　which　still　bears　testimony　to　those　who　read　it；　of　his

great　talents。　This　man　pointed　out；　that　in　consequence　of　the

relative　positions　of　the　river　Serchio　and　the　city　of　Lucca；　the

wastes　of　the　river　might　be　made　to　inundate　the　surrounding　country；

and　place　the　city　in　a　kind　of　lake。　His　reasoning　on　this　point

appeared　so　clear；　and　the　advantage　to　the　besiegers　so　obvious　and

inevitable；　that　the　Ten　were　induced　to　make　the　experiment。　The

result；　however；　was　quite　contrary　to　their　expectation；　and　produced

the　utmost　disorder　in　the　Florentine　camp；　for　the　Lucchese　raised

high　embankments　in　the　direction　of　the　ditch　made　by　our　people　to

conduct　the　waters　of　the　Serchio；　and　one　night　cut　through　the

embankment　of　the　ditch　itself；　so　that　having　first　prevented　the

water　from　taking　the　course　designed　by　the　architect；　they　now

caused　it　to　overflow　the　plain；　and　compelled　the　Florentines；

instead　of　approaching　the　city　as　they　wished；　to　take　a　more　remote

position。



The　design　having　failed；　the　Council　of　Ten；　who　had　been　re…elected；

sent　as　commissary；　Giovanni　Guicciardini；　who　encamped　before　Lucca；

with　all　possible　expedition。　Pagolo　Guinigi　finding　himself　thus

closely　pressed；　by　the　advice　of　Antonio　del　Rosso；　then

representative　of　the　Siennese　at　Lucca；　sent　Salvestro　Trento　and

Leonardo　Bonvisi　to　Milan；　to　request　assistance　from　the　duke；　but

finding　him　indisposed　to　comply；　they　secretly　engaged；　on　the　part

of　the　people；　to　deliver　their　governor　up　to　him　and　give　him

possession　of　the　place；　at　the　same　time　intimating；　that　if　he　did

not　immediately　follow　this　advice；　he　would　not　long　have　the

opportunity；　since　it　was　the　intention　of　Pagolo　to　surrender　the

city　to　the　Florentines；　who　were　very　anxious　to　obtain　it。　The　duke

was　so　much　alarmed　with　this　idea；　that；　setting　aside　all　other

considerations；　he　caused　Count　Francesco　Sforza；　who　was　engaged　in

his　service；　to　make　a　public　request　for　permission　to　go　to　Naples；

and　having　obtained　it；　he　proceeded　with　his　forces　directly　to

Lucca；　though　the　Florentines；　aware　of　the　deception；　and

apprehensive　of　the　consequences；　had　sent　to　the　count；　Boccacino

Alamanni；　his　friend；　to　frustrate　this　arrangement。　Upon　the　arrival

of　the　count　at　Lucca；　the　Florentines　removed　their　camp　to

Librafatta；　and　the　count　proceeded　immediately　to　Pescia；　where

Pagolo　Diacceto　was　lieutenant　governor；　who；　promoted　by　fear　rather

than　any　better　motive；　fled　to　Pistoia；　and　if　the　place　had　not　been

defended　by　Giovanni　Malavolti；　to　whom　the　command　was　intrusted；　it

would　have　been　lost。　The　count　failing　in　his　attempt　went　to　Borgo　a

Buggiano　which　he　took；　and　burned　the　castle　of　Stigliano；　in　the

same　neighborhood。



The　Florentines　being　informed　of　these　disasters；　found　they　must

have　recourse　to　those　remedies　which　upon　former　occasions　had　often

proved　useful。　Knowing　that　with　mercenary　soldiers；　when　force　is

insufficient；　corruption　commonly　prevails；　they　offered　the　count　a

large　sum　of　money　on　condition　that　he　should　quit　the　city；　and　give

it　up　to　them。　The　count　finding　that　no　more　money　was　to　be　had　from

Lucca；　resolved　to　take　it　of　those　who　had　it　to　dispense；　and　agreed

with　the　Florentines；　not　to　give　them　Lucca；　which　for　decency　he

could　not　consent　to；　but　to　withdraw　his　troops；　and　abandon　it；　on

condition　of　receiving　fifty　thousand　ducats；　and　having　made　this

agreement；　to　induce　the　Lucchese　to　excuse　him　to　the　duke；　he

consented　that　they　should　expel　their　tyrant。



Antonio　del　Rosso；　as　we　remarked　above；　was　Siennese　ambassador　at

Lucca；　and　with　the　authority　of　the　count　he　contrived　the　ruin　of

Pagolo　Guinigi。　The　heads　of　the　conspiracy　were　Pierro　Cennami　and

Giovanni　da　Chivizzano。　The　count　resided　upon　the　Serchio；　at　a　short

distance　from　the　city；　and　with　him　was　Lanzilao；　the　son　of　Pagolo。

The　conspirators；　about　forty　in　number；　went　armed　at　night　in　search

of　Pagolo；　who；　on　hearing　the　noise　they　made；　came　toward　them　quite

astonished；　and　demanded　the　cause　of　their　visit；　to　which　Piero

Cennami　replied；　that　they　had　long　been　governed　by　him；　and　led

about　against　the　enemy；　to　die　either　by　hunger　or　the　sword；　but

were　resolved　to　govern　themselves　for　the　future；　and　demanded　the

keys　of　the　city　and　the　treasure。　Pagolo　said　the　treasure　was

consumed；　but　the　keys　and　himself　were　in　their　power；　he　only