history of florence-第66节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

enterprise；　and　cause　the　war；　which　was　now　at　his　own　door；　to　be

removed　to　a　greater　distance。　That　if　the　count　were　to　follow

Niccolo；　unless　at　the　instigation　of　some　very　pressing　necessity；　he

would　find　his　plan　successful；　and　rejoice　in　the　adoption　of　it；　but

if　he　were　to　remain　in　Lombardy；　and　allow　Tuscany　to　shift　for

herself；　the　duke　would；　when　too　late；　see　the　imprudence　of　his

conduct；　and　find　that　he　had　lost　his　territories　in　Lombardy　and

gained　nothing　in　Tuscany。　Each　party　having　spoken；　it　was　determined

to　wait　a　few　days　to　see　what　would　result　from　the　agreement　of　the

Malatesti　with　Niccolo；　whether　the　Florentines　could　avail　themselves

of　Piero　Giampagolo；　and　whether　the　pope　intended　to　join　the　League

with　all　the　earnestness　he　had　promised。　Not　many　days　after　these

resolutions　were　adopted；　it　was　ascertained　that　the　Malatesti　had

made　the　agreement　more　from　fear　than　any　ill…will　toward　the　League；

that　Piero　Giampagolo　had　proceeded　with　his　force　toward　Tuscany；　and

that　the　pope　was　more　disposed　than　ever　to　assist　them。　This

favorable　intelligence　dissipated　the　count's　fears；　and　he　consented

to　remain　in　Lombardy；　and　that　Neri　Capponi　should　return　to　Florence

with　a　thousand　of　his　own　horse；　and　five　hundred　from　the　other

parties。　It　was　further　agreed；　that　if　the　affairs　of　Tuscany　should

require　the　count's　presence；　Neri　should　write　to　him；　and　he　would

proceed　thither　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other　consideration。　Neri

arrived　at　Florence　with　his　forces　in　April；　and　Giampagolo　joined

them　the　same　day。



In　the　meantime；　Niccolo　Piccinino；　the　affairs　of　Romagna　being

settled；　purposed　making　a　descent　into　Tuscany；　and　designing　to　go

by　the　mountain　passes　of　San　Benedetto　and　the　valley　of　Montone；

found　them　so　well　guarded　by　the　contrivance　of　Niccolo　da　Pisa；　that

his　utmost　exertions　would　be　useless　in　that　direction。　As　the

Florentines；　upon　this　sudden　attack；　were　unprovided　with　troops　and

officers；　they　had　sent　into　the　defiles　of　these　hills　many　of　their

citizens；　with　infantry　raised　upon　the　emergency　to　guard　them；　among

whom　was　Bartolomeo　Orlandini；　a　cavaliere；　to　whom　was　intrusted　the

defense　of　the　castle　of　Marradi　and　the　adjacent　passes。　Niccolo

Piccinino；　finding　the　route　by　San　Benedetto　impracticable；　on

account　of　the　bravery　of　its　commander；　thought　the　cowardice　of　the

officer　who　defended　that　of　Marradi　would　render　the　passage　easy。

Marradi　is　a　castle　situated　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　which

separate　Tuscany　from　Romagna；　and；　though　destitute　of　walls；　the

river；　the　mountains；　and　the　inhabitants；　make　it　a　place　of　great

strength；　for　the　peasantry　are　warlike　and　faithful；　and　the　rapid

current　undermining　the　banks　has　left　them　of　such　tremendous　height

that　it　is　impossible　to　approach　it　from　the　valley　if　a　small　bridge

over　the　stream　be　defended；　while　on　the　mountain　side　the　precipices

are　so　steep　and　perpendicular　as　to　render　it　almost　impregnable。　In

spite　of　these　advantages；　the　pusillanimity　of　Bartolomeo　Orlandini

rendered　the　men　cowardly　and　the　fortress　untenable；　for　as　soon　as

he　heard　of　the　enemy's　approach　he　abandoned　the　place；　fled　with　all

his　forces；　and　did　not　stop　till　he　reached　the　town　of　San　Lorenzo。

Niccolo；　entering　the　deserted　fortress；　wondered　it　had　not　been

defended；　and；　rejoicing　over　his　acquisition；　descended　into　the

valley　of　the　Mugello；　where　he　took　some　castles；　and　halted　with　his

army　at　Pulicciano。　Thence　he　overran　the　country　as　far　as　the

mountains　of　Fiesole；　and　his　audacity　so　increased　that　he　crossed

the　Arno；　plundering　and　destroying　everything　to　within　three　miles

of　Florence。



The　Florentines；　however；　were　not　dismayed。　Their　first　concern　was

to　give　security　to　the　government；　for　which　they　had　no　cause　for

apprehension；　so　universal　was　the　good　will　of　the　people　toward

Cosmo；　and　besides　this；　they　had　restricted　the　principal　offices　to

a　few　citizens　of　the　highest　class；　who　with　their　vigilance　would

have　kept　the　populace　in　order；　even　if　they　had　been　discontented　or

desirous　of　change。　They　also　knew　by　the　compact　made　in　Lombardy

what　forces　Neri　would　bring　with　him；　and　expected　the　troops　of　the

pope。　These　prospects　sustained　their　courage　till　the　arrival　of　Neri

di　Gino；　who；　on　account　of　the　disorders　and　fears　of　the　city；

determined　to　set　out　immediately　and　check　Niccolo。　With　the　cavalry

he　possessed；　and　a　body　of　infantry　raised　entirely　from　the　people；

he　recovered　Remole　from　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　where　having

encamped；　he　put　a　stop　to　all　further　depredations；　and　gave　the

inhabitants　hopes　of　repelling　the　enemy　from　the　neighborhood。

Niccolo　finding　that；　although　the　Florentines　were　without　troops；　no

disturbance　had　arisen；　and　learning　what　entire　composure　prevailed

in　the　city；　thought　he　was　wasting　time；　and　resolved　to　undertake

some　other　enterprise　to　induce　them　to　send　forces　after　him；　and

give　him　a　chance　of　coming　to　an　engagement；　by　means　of　which；　if

victorious；　he　trusted　everything　would　succeed　to　his　wishes。



Francesco；　Count　di　Poppi；　was　in　the　army　of　Niccolo；　having　deserted

the　Florentines；　with　whom　he　was　in　league；　when　the　enemy　entered

the　Mugello；　and　though　with　the　intention　of　securing　him　as　soon　as

they　had　an　idea　of　his　design；　they　increased　his　appointments；　and

made　him　commissary　over　all　the　places　in　his　vicinity；　still；　so

powerful　is　the　attachment　to　party；　that　no　benefit　or　fear　could

eradicate　the　affection　he　bore　toward　Rinaldo　and　the　late

government；　so　that　as　soon　as　he　knew　Niccolo　was　at　hand　he　joined

him；　and　with　the　utmost　solicitude　entreated　him　to　leave　the　city

and　pass　into　the　Casentino；　pointing　out　to　him　the　strength　of　the

country；　and　how　easily　he　might　thence　harass　his　enemies。　Niccolo

followed　his　advice；　and　arriving　in　the　Casentino；　took　Romena　and

Bibbiena；　and　then　pitched　his　camp　before　Castel　San　Niccolo。　This

fortress　is　situated　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　which　divide　the

Casentino　from　the　Val　d'Arno；　and　being　in　an　elevated　situation；　and

well　garrisoned；　it　was　difficult　to　take；　though　Niccolo；　with

catapults　and　other　engines；　assailed　it　without　intermission。　The

siege　had　continued　more　than　twenty　days；　during　which　the

Florentines　had　collected　all　their　forces；　having　assembled　under

several　leaders；　three　thousand　horse；　at　Fegghine；　commanded　by　Piero

Giampagolo　Orsini；　their　captain；　and　Neri　Capponi　and　Bernardo　de'

Medici；　commissaries。　Four　messengers；　from　Castel　San　Niccolo；　were

sent　to　them　to　entreat　succor。　The　commissaries　having　examined　the

site；　found　it　could　not　be　relieved；　except　from　the　Alpine　regions；

in　the　direction　of　the　Val　d'Arno；　the　summit　of　which　was　more

easily　attainable　by　the　enemy　than　by　themselves；　on　account　of　their

greater　proximity；　and　because　the　Florentines　could　not　approach

without　observation；　so　that　it　would　be　making　a　desperate　attempt；

and　might　occasion　the　destruction　of　the　forces。　The　commissaries；

therefore；　commended　their　fidelity；　and　ordered　that　when　they　could

hold　out　no　longer；　they　should　surrender。　Niccolo　took　the　fortress

after　a　siege　of　thirty…two　days；　and　the　loss　of　so　much　time；　for

the　attainment　of　so　small　an　advantage；　was　the　principle　cause　of

the　failure　of　his　expedition；　for　had　he　remained　with　his　forces

near　Florence；　he　would　have　almost　deprived　the　government　of　all

power　to　compel　the　citizens　to　furnish　money：　nor　would　they　so

easily　have　assembled　forces　and　taken　other　precautions；　if　the　enemy

had　been　close　upon　them；　as　they　did　while　he　was　at　a　distance。

Besides　this；　many　would　have　been　disposed　to　quiet　their

apprehensions　of　Niccolo；　by　concluding　a　peace；　particularly；　as　the

contest　was　likely　to　be　of　some　duration。　The　desire　of　the　Count　di

Poppi　to　avenge　himself　on　the　inhabitants　of　San　Niccolo；　long　his

enemies；　occasioned　his　advice　to　Piccinino；　who　adopted　it　for　the

purpose　of　pleasing　him；　and　this　caused　the　ruin　of　both。　It　seldom

happens；　that　the　gratification　of　private　feelings；　fails　to　be

injurious　to　the　general　convenience。



Niccolo；　pursuing　his　good　fortune；　took　Rassina　and　Chiusi。　The　Count

di　Poppi　advised　him　to　halt　in　these　parts；　arguing　that　he　might

divide　his　people　between　Chiusi；　Caprese；　and　the　Pieve；　render

himself　master　of　this　branch　of　the　Apennines；　and　descend　at

pleasure　into　the　Casentino；　the　Val　d'Arno；　the　Val　di　Chiane；　or　the

Val　di　Tavere；　as　well　as　be　prepared　for　every　movement　of　the　enemy。

But　Niccolo；　considering　the　sterility　of　these　places；　told　him；　〃his

horses　could　not　eat　stones；〃　and　went　to　the　Borgo　San　Sepolcro；

where　he　was　amicably　received；　but　found　that　the　people　of　C