history of florence-第59节

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country；　forsook　it；　entrenched　and　fortified　the　city；　which　they

doubted　not；　being　well　garrisoned；　they　would　be　able　to　defend　for　a

time；　and　that；　in　the　interim；　some　event　would　occur　for　their

relief；　as　had　been　the　case　during　the　former　wars　which　the

Florentines　had　carried　on　against　them。　Their　only　apprehension　arose

from　the　fickle　minds　of　the　plebeians；　who；　becoming　weary　of　the

siege；　would　have　more　consideration　of　their　own　danger　than　of

other's　liberty；　and　would　thus　compel　them　to　submit　to　some

disgraceful　and　ruinous　capitulation。　In　order　to　animate　them　to

defense；　they　were　assembled　in　the　public　piazza；　and　some　of　the

eldest　and　most　esteemed　of　the　citizens　addressed　them　in　the

following　terms：　〃You　are　doubtless　aware　that　what　is　done　from

necessity　involves　neither　censure　nor　applause；　therefore；　if　you

should　accuse　us　of　having　caused　the　present　war；　by　receiving　the

ducal　forces　into　the　city；　and　allowing　them　to　commit　hostilities

against　the　Florentines；　you　are　greatly　mistaken。　You　are　well

acquainted　with　the　ancient　enmity　of　the　Florentines　against　you；

which　is　not　occasioned　by　any　injuries　you　have　done　them；　or　by　fear

on　their　part；　but　by　our　weakness　and　their　own　ambition；　for　the　one

gives　them　hope　of　being　able　to　oppress　us；　and　the　other　incites

them　to　attempt　it。　It　is　then　vain　to　imagine　that　any　merit　of　yours

can　extinguish　that　desire　in　them；　or　that　any　offense　you　can

commit；　can　provoke　them　to　greater　animosity。　They　endeavor　to

deprive　you　of　your　liberty；　you　must　resolve　to　defend　it；　and

whatever　they　may　undertake　against　us　for　that　purpose；　although　we

may　lament；　we　need　not　wonder。　We　may　well　grieve；　therefore；　that

they　attack　us；　take　possession　of　our　towns；　burn　our　houses；　and

waste　our　country。　But　who　is　so　simple　as　to　be　surprised　at　it？　for

were　it　in　our　power；　we　should　do　just　the　same　to　them；　or　even

worse。　They　declare　war　against　us　now；　they　say；　for　having　received

Niccolo；　but　if　we　had　not　received　him；　they　would　have　done　the　same

and　assigned　some　other　ground　for　it；　and　if　the　evil　had　been

delayed；　it　would　most　probably　have　been　greater。　Therefore；　you　must

not　imagine　it　to　be　occasioned　by　his　arrival；　but　rather　by　your　own

ill　fortune　and　their　ambition；　for　we　could　not　have　refused

admission　to　the　duke's　forces；　and；　being　come；　we　could　not　prevent

their　aggressions。　You　know；　that　without　the　aid　of　some　powerful

ally　we　are　incapable　of　self…defense；　and　that　none　can　render　us

this　service　more　powerfully　or　faithfully　than　the　duke。　He　restored

our　liberty；　it　is　reasonable　to　expect　he　will　defend　it。　He　has

always　been　the　greatest　foe　of　our　inveterate　enemies；　if；　therefore；

to　avoid　incensing　the　Florentines　we　had　excited　his　anger；　we　should

have　lost　our　best　friend；　and　rendered　our　enemy　more　powerful　and

more　disposed　to　oppress　us；　so　that　it　is　far　preferable　to　have　this

war　upon　our　hands；　and　enjoy　the　favor　of　the　duke；　than　to　be　in

peace　without　it。　Besides；　we　are　justified　in　expecting　that　he　will

rescue　us　from　the　dangers　into　which　we　are　brought　on　his　account；

if　we　only　do　not　abandon　our　own　cause。　You　all　know　how　fiercely　the

Florentines　have　frequently　assailed　us；　and　with　what　glory　we　have

maintained　our　defense。　We　have　often　been　deprived　of　every　hope；

except　in　God　and　the　casualties　which　time　might　produce；　and　both

have　proved　our　friends。　And　as　they　have　delivered　us　formerly；　why

should　they　not　continue　to　do　so。　Then　we　were　forsaken　by　the　whole

of　Italy；　now　we　have　the　duke　in　our　favor；　besides　we　have　a　right

to　suppose　that　the　Venetians　will　not　hastily　attack　us；　for　they

will　not　willingly　see　the　power　of　Florence　increased。　On　a　former

occasion　the　Florentines　were　more　at　liberty；　they　had　greater　hope

of　assistance；　and　were　more　powerful　in　themselves；　while　we　were　in

every　respect　weaker；　for　then　a　tyrant　governed　us；　now　we　defend

ourselves；　then　the　glory　of　our　defense　was　another's；　now　it　is　our

own；　then　they　were　in　harmony；　now　they　are　disunited；　all　Italy

being　filled　with　their　banished　citizens。　But　were　we　without　the

hope　which　these　favorable　circumstances　present；　our　extreme

necessity　should　make　us　firmly　resolved　on　our　defense。　It　is

reasonable　to　fear　every　enemy；　for　all　seek　their　own　glory　and　your

ruin；　above　all　others；　you　have　to　dread　the　Florentines；　for　they

would　not　be　satisfied　by　submission　and　tribute；　or　the　dominion　of

our　city；　but　they　would　possess　our　entire　substance　and　persons；

that　they　might　satiate　their　cruelty　with　our　blood；　and　their

avarice　with　our　property；　so　that　all　ranks　ought　to　dread　them。

Therefore　do　not　be　troubled　at　seeing　our　crops　destroyed；　our　towns

burned；　our　fortresses　occupied；　for　if　we　preserve　the　city；　the　rest

will　be　saved　as　a　matter　of　course；　if　we　lose　her；　all　else　would　be

of　no　advantage　to　us；　for　while　retaining　our　liberty；　the　enemy　can

hold　them　only　with　the　greatest　difficulty；　while　losing　it　they

would　be　preserved　in　vain。　Arm；　therefore；　and　when　in　the　fight；

remember　that　the　reward　of　victory　will　be　safety；　not　only　to　your

country；　but　to　your　homes；　your　wives；　and　your　children。〃　The

speaker's　last　words　were　received　with　the　utmost　enthusiasm　by　the

people；　who　promised　one　and　all　to　die　rather　than　abandon　their

cause；　or　submit　to　any　terms　that　could　violate　their　liberty。　They

then　made　arrangements　for　the　defense　of　the　city。



In　the　meantime；　the　Florentine　forces　were　not　idle；　and　after

innumerable　mischiefs　done　to　the　country　took　Monte　Carlo　by

capitulation。　They　then　besieged　Uzzano；　in　order　that　the　Lucchese；

being　pressed　on　all　sides；　might　despair　of　assistance；　and　be

compelled　to　submission　by　famine。　The　fortress　was　very　strong；　and

defended　by　a　numerous　garrison；　so　that　its　capture　would　be　by　no

means　an　easy　undertaking。　The　Lucchese；　as　might　be　expected；　seeing

the　imminent　peril　of　their　situation；　had　recourse　to　the　duke；　and

employed　prayers　and　remonstrances　to　induce　him　to　render　them　aid。

They　enlarged　upon　their　own　merits　and　the　offenses　of　the

Florentines；　and　showed　how　greatly　it　would　attach　the　duke's　friends

to　him　to　find　they　were　defended；　and　how　much　disaffection　it　would

spread　among　them；　if　they　were　left　to　be　overwhelmed　by　the　enemy；

that　if　they　lost　their　liberties　and　their　lives；　he　would　lose　his

honor　and　his　friends；　and　forfeit　the　confidence　of　all　who　from

affection　might　be　induced　to　incur　dangers　in　his　behalf；　and　added

tears　to　entreaties；　so　that　if　he　were　unmoved　by　gratitude　to　them；

he　might　be　induced　to　their　defense　by　motives　of　compassion。　The

duke；　influenced　by　his　inveterate　hostility　against　the　Florentines；

his　new　obligation　to　the　Lucchese；　and；　above　all；　by　his　desire　to

prevent　so　great　an　acquisition　from　falling　into　the　hands　of　his

ancient　enemies；　determined　either　to　send　a　strong　force　into

Tuscany；　or　vigorously　to　assail　the　Venetians；　so　as　to　compel　the

Florentines　to　give　up　their　enterprise　and　go　to　their　relief。



It　was　soon　known　in　Florence　that　the　duke　was　preparing　to　send

forces　into　Tuscany。　This　made　the　Florentines　apprehensive　for　the

success　of　their　enterprise；　and　in　order　to　retain　the　duke　in

Lombardy；　they　requested　the　Venetians　to　press　him　with　their　utmost

strength。　But　they　also　were　alarmed；　the　marquis　of　Mantua　having

abandoned　them　and　gone　over　to　the　duke；　and　thus；　finding　themselves

almost　defenseless；　they　replied；　〃that　instead　of　increasing　their

responsibilities；　they　should　be　unable　to　perform　their　part　in　the

war；　unless　the　Count　Francesco　were　sent　to　them　to　take　the　command

of　the　army；　and　with　the　special　understanding　that　he　should　engage

to　cross　the　Po　in　person。　They　declined　to　fulfil　their　former

engagements　unless　he　were　bound　to　do　so；　for　they　could　not　carry　on

the　war　without　a　leader；　or　repose　confidence　in　any　except　the

count；　and　he　himself　would　be　useless　to　them；　unless　he　came　under

an　obligation　to　carry　on　the　war　whenever　they　might　think　needful。〃

The　Florentines　thought　the　war　ought　to　be　pushed　vigorously　in

Lombardy；　but　they　saw　that　if　they　lost　the　count　their　enterprise

against　Lucca　was　ruined；　and　they　knew　well　that　the　demand　of　the

Venetians　arose　less　from　any　need　they　had　of　the　count；　than　from

their　desire　to　frustrate　this　expedition。　The　count；　on　the　other

hand；　was　ready　to　pass　into　Lombardy　whenever　the　league　might

require　him；　but　would　not　alter　the　tenor　of　his　engagement；　for　he

was　unwilling　to　sacrifice　the　hope　of　the　alliance　promised　to　him　by

the　duke。



The　Florentines　were　thus　embarrassed　by　two　contrary　impulses；　the

wish　to　possess　Lucca；　and　the　dread　of　a　war　with　Milan。　As　commonly

happens；　fear　was　the　most　powerful；　and　they　c