history of florence-第65节

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

caused　the　laying　down　of　arms；　which　had　given　his　enemies　an

opportunity　of　banishing　him。　In　consequence　of　this；　the　government

thought　it　would　be　advisable　to　restore　and　indemnify　Rinaldo；　in

case　Niccolo　came　into　Tuscany　and　were　joined　by　him。　Their

apprehensions　were　increased　by　their　being　unable　to　account　for

Niccolo's　departure　from　Lombardy；　and　his　leaving　one　enterprise

almost　completed；　to　undertake　another　so　entirely　doubtful；　which

they　could　not　reconcile　with　their　ideas　of　consistency；　except　by

supposing　some　new　design　had　been　adopted；　or　some　hidden　treachery

intended。　They　communicated　their　fears　to　the　pope；　who　was　now

sensible　of　his　error　in　having　endowed　the　cardinal　with　too　much

authority。







CHAPTER　VI



　　The　pope　imprisons　the　cardinal　and　assists　the　Florentines

　　Difference　of　opinion　between　the　count　and　the　Venetians

　　respecting　the　management　of　the　war。　The　Florentines　reconcile

　　themThe　count　wishes　to　go　into　Tuscany　to　oppose　Piccinino；　but

　　is　prevented　by　the　VenetiansNiccolo　Piccinino　in　TuscanyHe

　　takes　Marradi；　and　plunders　the　neighborhood　of　Florence

　　Description　of　MarradiCowardice　of　Bartolomeo　OrlandiniBrave

　　resistance　of　Castel　San　NiccoloSan　Niccolo　surrenders

　　Piccinino　attempts　to　take　Cortona；　but　fails。



While　the　Florentines　were　thus　anxious；　fortune　disclosed　the　means

of　securing　themselves　against　the　patriarch's　malevolence。　The

republic　everywhere　exercised　the　very　closest　espionage　over

epistolary　communication；　in　order　to　discover　if　any　persons　were

plotting　against　the　state。　It　happened　that　letters　were　intercepted

at　Monte　Pulciano；　which　had　been　written　by　the　patriarch　to　Niccolo

without　the　pope's　knowledge；　and　although　they　were　written　in　an

unusual　character；　and　the　sense　so　involved　that　no　distinct　idea

could　be　extracted；　the　obscurity　itself；　and　the　whole　aspect　of　the

matter　so　alarmed　the　pontiff；　that　he　resolved　to　seize　the　person　of

the　cardinal；　a　duty　he　committed　to　Antonio　Rido；　of　Padua；　who　had

the　command　of　the　castle　of　St。　Angelo；　and　who；　after　receiving　his

instructions；　soon　found　an　opportunity　of　carrying　them　into　effect。

The　patriarch；　having　determined　to　go　into　Tuscany；　prepared　to　leave

Rome　on　the　following　day；　and　ordered　the　castellan　to　be　upon　the

drawbridge　of　the　fortress　in　the　morning；　for　he　wished　to　speak　with

him　as　he　passed。　Antonio　perceived　this　to　be　the　favorable　moment；

informed　his　people　what　they　were　to　do；　and　awaited　the　arrival　of

the　patriarch　upon　the　bridge；　which　adjoined　the　building；　and　might

for　the　purpose　of　security　be　raised　or　lowered　as　occasion　required。

The　appointed　time　found　him　punctual；　and　Antonio；　having　drawn　him；

as　if　for　the　convenience　of　conversation；　on　to　the　bridge；　gave　a

signal　to　his　men；　who　immediately　raised　it；　and　in　a　moment　the

cardinal；　from　being　a　commander　of　armies；　found　himself　a　prisoner

of　the　castellan。　The　patriarch's　followers　at　first　began　to　use

threats；　but　being　informed　of　the　pope's　directions　they　were

appeased。　The　castellan　comforting　him　with　kind　words；　he　replied；

that　〃the　great　do　not　make　each　other　prisoners　to　let　them　go　again；

and　that　those　whom　it　is　proper　to　take；　it　is　not　well　to　set　free。〃

He　shortly　afterward　died　in　prison。　The　pope　appointed　Lodovico；

patriarch　of　Aquileia；　to　command　his　troops；　and；　though　previously

unwilling　to　interfere　in　the　wars　of　the　league　and　the　duke；　he　was

now　content　to　take　part　in　them；　and　engaged　to　furnish　four　thousand

horse　and　two　thousand　foot　for　the　defense　of　Tuscany。



The　Florentines；　freed　from　this　cause　for　anxiety；　were　still

apprehensive　of　Niccolo；　and　feared　confusion　in　the　affairs　of

Lombardy；　from　the　differences　of　opinion　that　existed　between　the

count　and　the　Venetians。　In　order　the　better　to　become　acquainted　with

the　intentions　of　the　parties；　they　sent　Neri　di　Gini　Capponi　and

Giuliano　Davanzati　to　Venice；　with　instructions　to　assist　in　the

arrangement　of　the　approaching　campaign；　and　ordered　that　Neri；　having

discovered　how　the　Venetians　were　disposed；　should　proceed　to　the

count；　learn　his　designs；　and　induce　him　to　adopt　the　course　that

would　be　most　advantageous　to　the　League。　The　ambassadors　had　only

reached　Ferrara；　when　they　were　told　that　Niccolo　Piccinino　had

crossed　the　Po　with　six　thousand　horse。　This　made　them　travel　with

increased　speed；　and；　having　arrived　at　Venice；　they　found　the　Signory

fully　resolved　that　Brescia　should　be　relieved　without　waiting　for　the

return　of　spring；　for　they　said　that　〃the　city　would　be　unable　to　hold

out　so　long；　the　fleet　could　not　be　in　readiness；　and　that　seeing　no

more　immediate　relief；　she　would　submit　to　the　enemy；　which　would

render　the　duke　universally　victorious；　and　cause　them　to　lose　the

whole　of　their　inland　possessions。〃　Neri　then　proceeded　to　Verona　to

ascertain　the　count's　opinion；　who　argued；　for　many　reasons；　that　to

march　to　Brescia　before　the　return　of　spring　would　be　quite　useless；

or　even　worse；　for　the　situation　of　Brescia；　being　considered　in

conjunction　with　the　season；　nothing　could　be　expected　to　result　but

disorder　and　fruitless　toil　to　the　troops；　so　that；　when　the　suitable

period　should　arrive；　he　would　be　compelled　to　return　to　Verona　with

his　army；　to　recover　from　the　injuries　sustained　in　the　winter；　and

provide　necessaries　for　the　summer；　and　thus　the　time　available　for

the　war　would　be　wasted　in　marching　and　countermarching。　Orsatto

Justiniani　and　Giovanni　Pisani　were　deputed　on　the　part　of　Venice　to

the　count　at　Verona；　having　been　sent　to　consider　these　affairs；　and

with　them　it　was　agreed　that　the　Venetians　should　pay　the　count　ninety

thousand　ducats　for　the　coming　year；　and　to　each　of　the　soldiers　forty

ducats；　that　he　should　set　out　immediately　with　the　whole　army　and

attack　the　duke；　in　order　to　compel　him；　for　his　own　preservation；　to

recall　Niccolo　into　Lombardy。　After　this　agreement　the　ambassadors

returned　to　Venice；　and　the　Venetians；　having　so　large　an　amount　of

money　to　raise；　were　very　remiss　with　their　commissariat。



In　the　meantime；　Niccolo　Piccinino　pursued　his　route；　and　arrived　in

Romagna；　where　he　prevailed　upon　the　sons　of　Pandolfo　Malatesti　to

desert　the　Venetians　and　enter　the　duke's　service。　This　circumstance

occasioned　much　uneasiness　in　Venice；　and　still　more　at　Florence；　for

they　thought　that　with　the　aid　of　the　Malatesti　they　might　resist

Niccolo；　but　finding　them　gone　over　to　the　enemy；　they　were　in　fear

lest　their　captain；　Piero　Giampagolo　Orsini；　who　was　in　the

territories　of　the　Malatesti；　should　be　disarmed　and　rendered

powerless。　The　count　also　felt　alarmed；　for；　through　Niccolo's

presence　in　Tuscany；　he　was　afraid　of　losing　La　Marca；　and；　urged　by　a

desire　to　look　after　his　own　affairs；　he　hastened　to　Venice；　and　being

introduced　to　the　Doge；　informed　him　that　the　interests　of　the　League

required　his　presence　in　Tuscany；　for　the　war　ought　to　be　carried　on

where　the　leader　and　forces　of　the　enemy　were；　and　not　where　his

garrisons　and　towns　were　situated；　for　when　the　army　is　vanquished　the

war　is　finished；　but　to　take　towns　and　leave　the　armament　entire；

usually　allowed　the　war　to　break　out　again　with　greater　virulence；

that　Tuscany　and　La　Marca　would　be　lost　if　Niccolo　were　not　vigorously

resisted；　and　that；　if　lost；　there　would　be　no　possibility　of　the

preservation　of　Lombardy。　But　supposing　the　danger　to　Lombardy　not　so

imminent；　he　did　not　intend　to　abandon　his　own　subjects　and　friends；

and　that　having　come　into　Lombardy　as　a　prince；　he　did　not　intend　to

return　a　mere　condottiere。　To　this　the　Doge　replied；　it　was　quite

manifest　that；　if　he　left　Lombardy；　or　even　recrossed　the　Po；　all

their　inland　territories　would　be　lost；　in　that　case　they　were

unwilling　to　spend　any　more　money　in　their　defense。　For　it　would　be

folly　to　attempt　defending　a　place　which　must；　after　all；　inevitably

be　lost；　and　that　it　is　less　disgraceful　and　less　injurious　to　lose

dominions　only；　then　to　lose　both　territory　and　money。　That　if　the

loss　of　their　inland　possessions　should　actually　result；　it　would　then

be　seen　how　highly　important　to　the　preservation　of　Romagna　and

Tuscany　the　reputation　of　the　Venetians　had　been。　On　these　accounts

they　were　of　quite　a　different　opinion　from　the　count；　for　they　saw

that　whoever　was　victor　in　Lombardy　would　be　so　everywhere　else；　that

conquest　would　be　easily　attainable　now；　when　the　territories　of　the

duke　were　left　almost　defenseless　by　the　departure　of　Niccolo；　and

that　he　would　be　ruined　before　he　could　order　Niccolo's　recall；　or

provide　himself　with　any　other　remedy；　that　whoever　attentively

considered　these　things　would　see；　that　the　duke　had　sent　Niccolo　into

Tuscany　for　no　other　reason　than　to　withdraw　the　count　from　his