history of florence-第60节

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

happens；　fear　was　the　most　powerful；　and　they　consented；　after　the

capture　of　Uzzano；　that　the　count　should　go　into　Lombardy。　There　still

remained　another　difficulty；　which；　depending　on　circumstances　beyond

the　reach　of　their　influence；　created　more　doubts　and　uneasiness　than

the　former；　the　count　would　not　consent　to　pass　the　Po；　and　the

Venetians　refused　to　accept　him　on　any　other　condition。　Seeing　no

other　method　of　arrangement；　than　that　each　should　make　liberal

concessions；　the　Florentines　induced　the　count　to　cross　the　river　by　a

letter　addressed　to　the　Signory　of　Florence；　intimating　that　this

private　promise　did　not　invalidate　any　public　engagement；　and　that　he

might　still　refrain　from　crossing；　hence　it　resulted　that　the

Venetians；　having　commenced　the　war；　would　be　compelled　to　proceed；

and　that　the　evil　apprehended　by　the　Florentines　would　be　averted。　To

the　Venetians；　on　the　other　hand；　they　averred　that　this　private

letter　was　sufficiently　binding；　and　therefore　they　ought　to　be

content；　for　if　they　could　save　the　count　from　breaking　with　his

father…in…law；　it　was　well　to　do　so；　and　that　it　could　be　of　no

advantage　either　to　themselves　or　the　Venetians　to　publish　it　without

some　manifest　necessity。　It　was　thus　determined　that　the　count　should

pass　into　Lombardy；　and　having　taken　Uzzano；　and　raised　bastions　about

Lucca　to　restrain　in　her　inhabitants；　placed　the　management　of　the

siege　in　the　hands　of　the　commissaries；　crossed　the　Apennines；　and

proceeded　to　Reggio；　when　the　Venetians；　alarmed　at　his　progress；　and

in　order　to　discover　his　intentions；　insisted　upon　his　immediately

crossing　the　Po；　and　joining　the　other　forces。　The　count　refused

compliance；　and　many　mutual　recriminations　took　place　between　him　and

Andrea　Mauroceno；　their　messenger　on　this　occasion；　each　charging　the

other　with　arrogance　and　treachery：　after　many　protestations；　the　one

of　being　under　no　obligation　to　perform　that　service；　and　the　other　of

not　being　bound　to　any　payment；　they　parted；　the　count　to　return　to

Tuscany；　the　other　to　Venice。



The　Florentines　had　sent　the　count　to　encamp　in　the　Pisan　territory；

and　were　in　hopes　of　inducing　him　to　renew　the　war　against　the

Lucchese；　but　found　him　indisposed　to　do　so；　for　the　duke；　having　been

informed　that　out　of　regard　to　him　he　had　refused　to　cross　the　Po；

thought　that　by　this　means　he　might　also　save　the　Lucchese；　and　begged

the　count　to　endeavor　to　effect　an　accommodation　between　the

Florentines　and　the　Lucchese；　including　himself　in　it；　if　he　were

able；　declaring；　at　the　same　time；　the　promised　marriage　should　be

solemnized　whenever　he　thought　proper。　The　prospect　of　this　connection

had　great　influence　with　the　count；　for；　as　the　duke　had　no　sons；　it

gave　him　hope　of　becoming　sovereign　of　Milan。　For　this　reason　he

gradually　abated　his　exertions　in　the　war；　declared　he　would　not

proceed　unless　the　Venetians　fulfilled　their　engagement　as　to　the

payment；　and　also　retained　him　in　the　command；　that　the　discharge　of

the　debt　would　not　alone　be　sufficient；　for　desiring　to　live　peaceably

in　his　own　dominions；　he　needed　some　alliance　other　than　that　of　the

Florentines；　and　that　he　must　regard　his　own　interests；　shrewdly

hinting　that　if　abandoned　by　the　Venetians；　he　would　come　to　terms

with　the　duke。



These　indirect　and　crafty　methods　of　procedure　were　highly　offensive

to　the　Florentines；　for　they　found　their　expedition　against　Lucca

frustrated；　and　trembled　for　the　safety　of　their　own　territories　if

ever　the　count　and　the　duke　should　enter　into　a　mutual　alliance。　To

induce　the　Venetians　to　retain　the　count　in　the　command；　Cosmo　de'

Medici　went　to　Venice；　hoping　his　influence　would　prevail　with　them；

and　discussed　the　subject　at　great　length　before　the　senate；　pointing

out　the　condition　of　the　Italian　states；　the　disposition　of　their

armies；　and　the　great　preponderance　possessed　by　the　duke。　He

concluded　by　saying；　that　if　the　count　and　the　duke　were　to　unite

their　forces；　they　（the　Venetians）　might　return　to　the　sea；　and　the

Florentines　would　have　to　fight　for　their　liberty。　To　this　the

Venetians　replied；　that　they　were　acquainted　with　their　own　strength

and　that　of　the　Italians；　and　thought　themselves　able　at　all　events　to

provide　for　their　own　defense；　that　it　was　not　their　custom　to　pay

soldiers　for　serving　others；　that　as　the　Florentines　had　used　the

count's　services；　they　must　pay　him　themselves；　with　respect　to　the

security　of　their　own　states；　it　was　rather　desirable　to　check　the

count's　pride　than　to　pay　him；　for　the　ambition　of　men　is　boundless；

and　if　he　were　now　paid　without　serving；　he　would　soon　make　some　other

demand；　still　more　unreasonable　and　dangerous。　It　therefore　seemed

necessary　to　curb　his　insolence；　and　not　allow　it　to　increase　till　it

became　incorrigible；　and　that　if　the　Florentines；　from　fear　or　any

other　motive；　wished　to　preserve　his　friendship；　they　must　pay　him

themselves。　Cosmo　returned　without　having　effected　any　part　of　his

object。



The　Florentines　used　the　weightiest　arguments　they　could　adopt　to

prevent　the　count　from　quitting　the　service　of　the　League；　a　course　he

was　himself　reluctant　to　follow；　but　his　desire　to　conclude　the

marriage　so　embarrassed　him；　that　any　trivial　accident　would　have　been

sufficient　to　determine　his　course；　as　indeed　shortly　happened。　The

count　had　left　his　territories　in　La　Marca　to　the　care　of　Il　Furlano；

one　of　his　principal　condottieri；　who　was　so　far　influenced　by　the

duke　as　to　take　command　under　him；　and　quit　the　count's　service。　This

circumstance　caused　the　latter　to　lay　aside　every　idea　but　that　of　his

own　safety；　and　to　come　to　agreement　with　the　duke；　among　the　terms　of

which　compact　was　one　that　he　should　not　be　expected　to　interfere　in

the　affairs　of　Romagna　and　Tuscany。　The　count　then　urged　the

Florentines　to　come　to　terms　with　the　Lucchese；　and　so　convinced　them

of　the　necessity　of　this；　that　seeing　no　better　course　to　adopt；　they

complied　in　April；　1438；　by　which　treaty　the　Lucchese　retained　their

liberty；　and　the　Florentines　Monte　Carlo　and　a　few　other　fortresses。

After　this；　being　full　of　exasperation；　they　despatched　letters　to

every　part　of　Italy；　overcharged　with　complaints；　affecting　to　show

that　since　God　and　men　were　averse　to　the　Lucchese　coming　under　their

dominion；　they　had　made　peace　with　them。　And　it　seldom　happens　that

any　suffer　so　much　for　the　loss　of　their　own　lawful　property　as　they

did　because　they　could　not　obtain　the　possessions　of　others。



Though　the　Florentines　had　now　so　many　affairs　in　hand；　they　did　not

allow　the　proceedings　of　their　neighbors　to　pass　unnoticed；　or　neglect

the　decoration　of　their　city。　As　before　observed；　Niccolo　Fortebraccio

was　dead。　He　had　married　a　daughter　of　the　Count　di　Poppi；　who；　at　the

decease　of　his　son…in…law；　held　the　Borgo　San　Sepolcro；　and　other

fortresses　of　that　district；　and　while　Niccolo　lived；　governed　them　in

his　name。　Claiming　them　as　his　daughter's　portion；　he　refused　to　give

them　up　to　the　pope；　who　demanded　them　as　property　held　of　the　church；

and　who；　upon　his　refusal；　sent　the　patriarch　with　forces　to　take

possession　of　them。　The　count；　finding　himself　unable　to　sustain　the

attack；　offered　them　to　the　Florentines；　who　declined　them；　but　the

pope　having　returned　to　Florence；　they　interceded　with　him　in　the

count's　behalf。　Difficulties　arising；　the　patriarch　attacked　the

Casentino；　took　Prato　Vecchio；　and　Romena；　and　offered　them　also　to

the　Florentines；　who　refused　them　likewise；　unless　the　pope　would

consent　they　should　restore　them　to　the　count；　to　which；　after　much

hesitation；　he　acceded；　on　condition　that　the　Florentines　should

prevail　with　the　Count　di　Poppi　to　restore　the　Borgo　to　him。　The　pope

was　thus　satisfied；　and　the　Florentines　having　so　far　completed　the

building　of　their　cathedral　church　of　Santa　Reparata；　which　had　been

commenced　long　ago；　as　to　enable　them　to　perform　divine　service　in　it；

requested　his　holiness　to　consecrate　it。　To　this　the　pontiff　willingly

agreed；　and　the　Florentines；　to　exhibit　the　wealth　of　the　city　and　the

splendor　of　the　edifice；　and　do　greater　honor　to　the　pope；　erected　a

platform　from　Santa　Maria　Novella；　where　he　resided；　to　the　cathedral

he　was　about　to　consecrate；　six　feet　in　height　and　twelve　feet　wide；

covered　with　rich　drapery；　for　the　accommodation　of　the　pontiff　and

his　court；　upon　which　they　proceeded　to　the　building；　accompanied　by

those　civic　magistrates；　and　other　officers　who　were　appointed　to　take

part　in　the　procession。　The　usual　ceremonies　of　consecration　having

been　completed；　the　pope；　to　show　his　affection　for　the　city；

conferred　the　honor　of　knighthood　upon　Giuliano　Davanzati；　their

Gonfalonier　of　Justice；　and　a　citizen　of　the　highest　reputation；　and

the　Signory；　not　to　appear　less　gracious　than　the　pope；　granted　to　the

new　created