history of florence-第52节

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plebeians；　we　are　in　a　worse　condition　on　that　account；　and　they　in　a

better；　for　were　it　to　come　either　to　arms　or　to　votes；　we　should　not

be　able　to　resist　them。　True　it　is；　we　still　preserve　our　dignity；　our

precedence；　the　priority　of　our　position；　but　this　arises　from　the

former　reputation　of　the　government；　which　has　now　continued　fifty

years；　and　whenever　we　come　to　the　proof；　or　they　discover　our

weakness　we　shall　lose　it。　If　you　were　to　say；　the　justice　of　our

cause　ought　to　augment　our　influence　and　diminish　theirs　I　answer；

that　this　justice　requires　to　be　perceived　and　believed　by　others　as

well　as　by　ourselves；　but　this　is　not　the　case；　for　the　justice　of　our

cause　is　wholly　founded　upon　our　suspicion　that　Cosmo　designs　to　make

himself　prince　of　the　city。　And　although　we　entertain　this　suspicion

and　suppose　it　to　be　correct；　others　have　it　not；　but　what　is　worse；

they　charge　us　with　the　very　design　of　which　we　accuse　him。　Those

actions　of　Cosmo　which　lead　us　to　suspect　him　are；　that　he　lends　money

indiscriminately；　and　not　to　private　persons　only；　but　to　the　public；

and　not　to　Florentines　only；　but　to　the　/condottieri/；　the　soldiers　of

fortune。　Besides；　he　assists　any　citizen　who　requires　magisterial　aid；

and；　by　the　universal　interest　he　possesses　in　the　city；　raises　first

one　friend　and　then　another　to　higher　grades　of　honor。　Therefore；　to

adduce　our　reasons　for　expelling　him；　would　be　to　say　that　he　is　kind；

generous；　liberal；　and　beloved　by　all。　Now　tell　me；　what　law　is　there

which　forbids；　disapproves；　or　condemns　men　for　being　pious；　liberal；

and　benevolent？　And　though　they　are　all　modes　adopted　by　those　who　aim

at　sovereignty；　they　are　not　believed　to　be　such；　nor　have　we

sufficient　power　to　make　them　to　be　so　esteemed；　for　our　conduct　has

robbed　us　of　confidence；　and　the　city；　naturally　partial　and　（having

always　lived　in　faction）　corrupt；　cannot　lend　its　attention　to　such

charges。　But　even　if　we　were　successful　in　an　attempt　to　expel　him

（which　might　easily　happen　under　a　favorable　Signory）；　how　could　we

（being　surrounded　by　his　innumerable　friends；　who　would　constantly

reproach　us；　and　ardently　desire　to　see　him　again　in　the　city）　prevent

his　return？　It　would　be　impossible　for　they　being　so　numerous；　and

having　the　good　will　of　all　upon　their　side；　we　should　never　be　secure

from　them。　And　as　many　of　his　first　discovered　friends　as　you　might

expel；　so　many　enemies　would　you　make；　so　that　in　a　short　time　he

would　return；　and　the　result　would　be　simply　this；　that　we　had　driven

him　out　a　good　man　and　he　had　returned　to　us　a　bad　one；　for　his　nature

would　be　corrupted　by　those　who　recalled　him；　and　he；　being　under

obligation；　could　not　oppose　them。　Or　should　you　design　to　put　him　to

death；　you　could　not　attain　your　purpose　with　the　magistrates；　for　his

wealth；　and　the　corruption　of　your　minds；　will　always　save　him。　But

let　us　suppose　him　put　to　death；　or　that　being　banished；　he　did　not

return；　I　cannot　see　how　the　condition　of　our　republic　would　be

ameliorated；　for　if　we　relieve　her　from　Cosmo；　we　at　once　make　her

subject　to　Rinaldo；　and　it　is　my　most　earnest　desire　that　no　citizen

may　ever；　in　power　and　authority；　surpass　the　rest。　But　if　one　of

these　must　prevail；　I　know　of　no　reason　that　should　make　me　prefer

Rinaldo　to　Cosmo。　I　shall　only　say；　may　God　preserve　the　city　from　any

of　her　citizens　usurping　the　sovereignty；　but　if　our　sins　have

deserved　this；　in　mercy　save　us　from　Rinaldo。　I　pray　thee；　therefore；

do　not　advise　the　adoption　of　a　course　on　every　account　pernicious；

nor　imagine　that；　in　union　with　a　few；　you　would　be　able　to　oppose　the

will　of　the　many；　for　the　citizens；　some　from　ignorance　and　others

from　malice；　are　ready　to　sell　the　republic　at　any　time；　and　fortune

has　so　much　favored　them；　that　they　have　found　a　purchaser。　Take　my

advice　then；　endeavor　to　live　moderately；　and　with　regard　to　liberty；

you　will　find　as　much　cause　for　suspicion　in　our　party　as　in　that　of

our　adversaries。　And　when　troubles　arise；　being　of　neither　side；　you

will　be　agreeable　to　both；　and　you　will　thus　provide　for　your　own

comfort　and　do　no　injury　to　any。〃



These　words　somewhat　abated　the　eagerness　of　Barbadoro；　so　that

tranquillity　prevailed　during　the　war　with　Lucca。　But　this　being

ended；　and　Niccolo　da　Uzzano　dead；　the　city　being　at　peace　and　under

no　restraint；　unhealthy　humors　increased　with　fearful　rapidity。

Rinaldo；　considering　himself　now　the　leader　of　the　party；　constantly

entreated　and　urged　every　citizen　whom　he　thought　likely　to　be

Gonfalonier；　to　take　up　arms　and　deliver　the　country　from　him　who；

from　the　malevolence　of　a　few　and　the　ignorance　of　the　multitude；　was

inevitably　reducing　it　to　slavery。　These　practices　of　Rinaldo；　and

those　of　the　contrary　side；　kept　the　city　full　of　apprehension；　so

that　whenever　a　magistracy　was　created；　the　numbers　of　each　party

composing　it　were　made　publicly　known；　and　upon　drawing　for　the

Signory　the　whole　city　was　aroused。　Every　case　brought　before　the

magistrates；　however　trivial；　was　made　a　subject　of　contention　among

them。　Secrets　were　divulged；　good　and　evil　alike　became　objects　of

favor　and　opposition；　the　benevolent　and　the　wicked　were　alike

assailed；　and　no　magistrate　fulfilled　the　duties　of　his　office　with

integrity。



In　this　state　of　confusion；　Rinaldo；　anxious　to　abate　the　power　of

Cosmo；　and　knowing　that　Bernardo　Guadagni　was　likely　to　become

Gonfalonier；　paid　his　arrears　of　taxes；　that　he　might　not；　by　being

indebted　to　the　public；　be　incapacitated　for　holding　the　office。　The

drawing　soon　after　took　place；　and　fortune；　opposed　to　our　welfare；

caused　Bernardo　to　be　appointed　for　the　months　of　September　and

October。　Rinaldo　immediately　waited　upon　him；　and　intimated　how　much

the　party　of　the　nobility；　and　all　who　wished　for　repose；　rejoiced　to

find　he　had　attained　that　dignity；　that　it　now　rested　with　him　to　act

in　such　a　manner　as　to　realize　their　pleasing　expectations。　He　then

enlarged　upon　the　danger　of　disunion；　and　endeavored　to　show　that

there　was　no　means　of　attaining　the　blessing　of　unity　but　by　the

destruction　of　Cosmo；　for　he　alone；　by　the　popularity　acquired　with

his　enormous　wealth；　kept　them　depressed；　that　he　was　already　so

powerful；　that　if　not　hindered；　he　would　soon　become　prince；　and　that

it　was　the　part　of　a　good　citizen；　in　order　to　prevent　such　a

calamity；　to　assemble　the　people　in　the　piazza；　and　restore　liberty　to

his　country。　Rinaldo　then　reminded　the　new　Gonfalonier　how　Salvestro

de'　Medici　was　able；　though　unjustly；　to　restrain　the　power　of　the

Guelphs；　to　whom；　by　the　blood　of　their　ancestors；　shed　in　its　cause；

the　government　rightly　belonged；　and　argued　that　what　he　was　able

unjustly　to　accomplish　against　so　many；　might　surely　be　easily

performed　with　justice　in　its　favor　against　one！　He　encouraged　him

with　the　assurance　that　their　friends　would　be　ready　in　arms　to

support　him；　that　he　need　not　regard　the　plebeians；　who　adored　Cosmo；

since　their　assistance　would　be　of　no　greater　avail　than　Giorgio　Scali

had　found　it　on　a　similar　occasion；　and　that　with　regard　to　his

wealth；　no　apprehension　was　necessary；　for　when　he　was　under　the　power

of　the　Signory；　his　riches　would　be　so　too。　In　conclusion；　he　averred

that　this　course　would　unite　and　secure　the　republic；　and　crown　the

Gonfalonier　with　glory。　Bernardo　briefly　replied；　that　he　thought　it

necessary　to　act　exactly　as　Rinaldo　had　advised；　and　that　as　the　time

was　suitable　for　action；　he　should　provide　himself　with　forces；　being

assured　from　what　Rinaldo　had　said；　he　would　be　supported　by　his

colleagues。



Bernardo　entered　upon　the　duties　of　his　office；　prepared　his

followers；　and　having　concerted　with　Rinaldo；　summoned　Cosmo；　who；

though　many　friends　dissuaded　him　from　it；　obeyed　the　call；　trusting

more　to　his　own　innocence　than　to　the　mercy　of　the　Signory。　As　soon　as

he　had　entered　the　palace　he　was　arrested。　Rinaldo；　with　a　great

number　of　armed　men；　and　accompanied　by　nearly　the　whole　of　his　party；

proceeded　to　the　piazza；　when　the　Signory　assembled　the　people；　and

created　a　Balia　of　two　hundred　persons　for　the　reformation　of　the

city。　With　the　least　possible　delay　they　entered　upon　the

consideration　of　reform；　and　of　the　life　or　death　of　Cosmo。　Many

wished　him　to　be　banished；　others　to　be　put　to　death；　and　several　were

silent；　either　from　compassion　toward　him　or　for　fear　of　the　rest；　so

that　these　differences　prevented　them　from　coming　to　any　conclusion。



There　is　an　apartment　in　the　tower　of　the　palace　which　occupies　the

whole　of　one　floor；　and　is　called　the　Alberghettino；　in　which　Cosmo

was　confined；　under　the　charge　of　Federigo　Malavolti。　In　this　place；

hearing　the　assembly　of　the　Councils；　the　noise　of　arms　which

proceeded　from　the　piazza；　and　the　frequent　ringing　of　the　bell　to

assemble　the　Balia；　he　was　greatly　apprehensive　for　his　safety；　but

still　more　less　his　private　enemie