history of florence-第64节

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the　base　of　the　hills；　enters　Verona；　and　crosses　the　city；　which　it

divides　unequally；　giving　much　the　larger　portion　to　the　plain。　On　the

mountain　side　of　the　river　are　two　fortresses；　formidable　rather　from

their　situation　than　from　their　actual　strength；　for　being　very

elevated　they　command　the　whole　place。　One　is　called　San　Piero；　the

other　San　Felice。　On　the　opposite　side　of　the　Adige；　upon　the　plain；

with　their　backs　against　the　city　walls；　are　two　other　fortresses；

about　a　mile　distant　from　each　other；　one　called　the　Old　the　other　the

New　Citadel；　and　a　wall　extends　between　them　that　may　be　compared　to　a

bowstring；　of　which　the　city　wall　is　the　arc。　The　space　comprehended

within　this　segment　is　very　populous；　and　is　called　the　Borgo　of　St。

Zeno。　Niccolo　Piccinino　designed　to　capture　these　fortresses　and　the

Borgo；　and　he　hoped　to　succeed　without　much　difficulty；　as　well　on

account　of　the　ordinary　negligence　of　the　guard；　which　their　recent

successes　would　probably　increase；　as　because　in　war　no　enterprise　is

more　likely　to　be　successful　than　one　which　by　the　enemy　is　deemed

impossible。　With　a　body　of　picked　men；　and　accompanied　by　the　marquis

of　Mantua；　he　proceeded　by　night　to　Verona；　silently　scaled　the　walls；

and　took　the　New　Citadel：　then　entering　the　place　with　his　troops；　he

forced　the　gate　of　S。　Antonio；　and　introduced　the　whole　of　his

cavalry。　The　Venetian　garrison　of　the　Old　Citadel　hearing　an　uproar；

when　the　guards　of　the　New　were　slaughtered；　and　again　when　the　gate

was　forced；　being　now　aware　of　the　presence　of　enemies；　raised　an

alarm；　and　called　the　people　to　arms。　The　citizens　awaking　in　the

utmost　confusion；　some　of　the　boldest　armed　and　hastened　to　the

rector's　piazza。　In　the　meantime；　Niccolo's　forces　had　pillaged　the

Borgo　of　San　Zeno；　and　proceeding　onward　were　ascertained　by　the

people　to　be　the　duke's　forces；　but　being　defenseless　they　advised　the

Venetian　rectors　to　take　refuge　in　the　fortresses；　and　thus　save

themselves　and　the　place；　as　it　was　more　advisable　to　preserve　their

lives　and　so　rich　a　city　for　better　fortune；　than　by　endeavoring　to

repel　the　present　evil；　encounter　certain　death；　and　incur　universal

pillage。　Upon　this　the　rectors　and　all　the　Venetian　party；　fled　to　the

fortress　of　San　Felice。　Some　of　the　first　citizens；　anxious　to　avoid

being　plundered　by　the　troops；　presented　themselves　before　Niccolo　and

the　marquis　of　Mantua；　and　begged　they　would　rather　take　possession　of

a　rich　city；　with　honor　to　themselves；　than　of　a　poor　one　to　their　own

disgrace；　particularly　as　they　had　not　induced　either　the　favor　of　its

former　possessors；　or　the　animosity　of　its　present　masters；　by　self…

defense。　The　marquis　and　Niccolo　encouraged　them；　and　protected　their

property　to　the　utmost　of　their　power　during　such　a　state　of　military

license。　As　they　felt　sure　the　count　would　endeavor　to　recover　the

city；　they　made　every　possible　exertion　to　gain　possession　of　the

fortresses；　and　those　they　could　not　seize　they　cut　off　from　the　rest

of　the　place　by　ditches　and　barricades；　so　that　the　enemy　might　be

shut　out。



The　Count　Francesco　was　with　his　army　at　Tenna；　and　when　the　report

was　first　brought　to　him　he　refused　to　credit　it；　but　being　assured　of

the　fact　by　parties　whom　it　would　have　been　ridiculous　to　doubt；　he

resolved；　by　the　exertion　of　uncommon　celerity；　to　repair　the　evil

negligence　had　occasioned；　and　though　all　his　officers　advised　the

abandonment　of　Verona　and　Brescia；　and　a　march　to　Vicenza；　lest　he

might　be　besieged　by　the　enemy　in　his　present　situation；　he　refused；

but　resolved　to　attempt　the　recovery　of　Verona。　During　the

consultation；　he　turned　to　the　Venetian　commissaries　and　to　Bernardo

de'　Medici；　who　was　there　as　commissary　for　the　Florentines；　and

promised　them　the　recovery　of　the　place　if　one　of　the　fortresses

should　hold　out。　Having　collected　his　forces；　he　proceeded　with　the

utmost　speed　to　Verona。　Observing　his　approach；　Niccolo　thought　he

designed；　according　to　the　advice　he　had　received；　to　go　to　Vicenza；

but　finding　him　continue　to　draw　near；　and　taking　the　direction　of　San

Felice；　he　prepared　for　its　defensethough　too　late；　for　the

barricades　were　not　completed；　his　men　were　dispersed　in　quest　of

plunder；　or　extorting　money　from　the　inhabitants　by　way　of　ransom；　and

he　could　not　collect　them　in　time　to　prevent　the　count's　troops　from

entering　the　fortress。　They　then　descended　into　the　city；　which　they

happily　recovered；　to　Niccolo's　disgrace；　and　with　the　loss　of　great

numbers　of　his　men。　He　himself；　with　the　marquis　of　Mantua；　first　took

refuge　in　the　citadel；　and　thence　escaping　into　the　country；　fled　to

Mantua；　where；　having　assembled　the　relics　of　their　army；　they

hastened　to　join　those　who　were　at　the　siege　of　Brescia。　Thus　in　four

days　Verona　was　lost　and　again　recovered　from　the　duke。　The　count；

after　this　victory；　it　being　now　winter　and　the　weather　very　severe；

having　first　with　considerable　difficulty　thrown　provisions　into

Brescia；　went　into　quarters　at　Verona；　and　ordered；　that　during　the

cold　season；　galleys　should　be　provided　at　Torboli；　that　upon　the

return　of　spring；　they　might　be　in　a　condition　to　proceed　vigorously

to　effect　the　permanent　relief　of　Brescia。



The　duke；　finding　the　war　suspended　for　a　time；　the　hope　he　had

entertained　of　occupying　Brescia　and　Verona　annihilated；　and　the　money

and　counsels　of　the　Florentines　the　cause　of　this；　and　seeing　that

neither　the　injuries　they　had　received　from　the　Venetians　could

alienate　them；　nor　all　the　promises　he　had　made　attach　them　to

himself；　he　determined；　in　order　to　make　them　feel　more　closely　the

effects　of　the　course　they　had　adopted；　to　attack　Tuscany；　to　which　he

was　strenuously　advised　by　the　Florentine　exiles　and　Niccolo。　The

latter　advocated　this　from　his　desire　to　recover　the　states　of

Braccio；　and　expel　the　count　from　La　Marca；　the　former；　from　their

wish　to　return　home；　and　each　by　suitable　arguments　endeavored　to

induce　the　duke　to　follow　the　plan　congenial　to　their　own　views。

Niccolo　argued　that　he　might　be　sent　into　Tuscany；　and　continue　the

siege　of　Brescia；　for　he　was　master　of　the　lake；　the　fortresses　were

well　provided；　and　their　officers　were　qualified　to　oppose　the　count

should　he　undertake　any　fresh　enterprise；　which　it　was　not　likely　he

would　do　without　first　relieving　Brescia；　a　thing　impossible；　and　thus

the　duke　might　carry　on　the　war　in　Tuscany；　without　giving　up　his

attempts　in　Lombardy；　intimating　that　the　Florentines　would　be

compelled；　as　soon　as　he　entered　Tuscany；　to　recall　the　count　to　avoid

complete　ruin；　and　whatever　course　they　took；　victory　to　the　duke　must

be　the　result。　The　exiles　affirmed；　that　if　Niccolo　with　his　army　were

to　approach　Florence；　the　people　oppressed　with　taxes；　and　wearied　out

by　the　insolence　of　the　great；　would　most　assuredly　not　oppose　him；

and　pointed　out　the　facility　of　reaching　Florence；　for　the　way　by　the

Casentino　would　be　open　to　them；　through　the　friendship　of　Rinaldo　and

the　Count　di　Poppi；　and　thus　the　duke；　who　was　previously　inclined　to

the　attempt；　was　induced　by　their　joint　persuasions　to　make　it。　The

Venetians；　on　the　other　hand；　though　the　winter　was　severe；

incessantly　urged　the　count　to　relieve　Brescia　with　all　his　forces。

The　count　questioned　the　possibility　of　so　doing；　and　advised　them　to

wait　the　return　of　spring；　in　the　meantime　strengthening　their　fleet

as　much　as　possible；　and　then　assist　it　both　by　land　and　water。　This

rendered　the　Venetians　dissatisfied；　they　were　dilatory　in　furnishing

provisions；　and　consequently　many　deserted　from　their　army。



The　Florentines；　being　informed　of　these　transactions；　became　alarmed；

perceiving　the　war　threatening　themselves；　and　the　little　progress

made　in　Lombardy。　Nor　did　the　suspicion　entertained　by　them　of　the

troops　of　the　church　give　them　less　uneasiness；　not　that　the　pope　was

their　enemy；　but　because　they　saw　those　forces　more　under　the　sway　of

the　patriarch；　who　was　their　greatest　foe。　Giovanni　Vitelleschi　of

Corneto　was　at　first　apostolic　notary；　then　bishop　of　Recanati；　and

afterward　patriarch　of　Alexandria；　but　at　last；　becoming　a　cardinal；

he　was　called　Cardinal　of　Florence。　He　was　bold　and　cunning；　and；

having　obtained　great　influence；　was　appointed　to　command　all　the

forces　of　the　church；　and　conduct　all　the　enterprises　of　the　pontiff；

whether　in　Tuscany；　Romagna；　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　or　in　Rome。　Hence

he　acquired　so　much　power　over　the　pontiff；　and　the　papal　troops；　that

the　former　was　afraid　of　commanding　him；　and　the　latter　obeyed　no　one

else。　The　cardinal's　presence　at　Rome；　when　the　report　came　of

Niccolo's　design　to　march　into　Tuscany；　redoubled　the　fear　of　the

Florentines；　for；　since　Rinaldo　was　expelled；　he　had　become　an　enemy

of　the　republic；　from　finding　that　the　arrangements　made　by　his　means

were　not　only　disregarded；　but　converted　to　Rinaldo's　prejudice；　and

caused　the