history of florence-第69节

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fill　their　treasuries　with　gold　and　silver　won　from　their　enemies；　to

distribute　gratuities　to　the　people；　reduce　taxation；　and　by　games　and

solemn　festivals；　disseminate　universal　joy。　But　the　victories

obtained　in　the　times　of　which　we　speak；　first　emptied　the　treasury；

and　then　impoverished　the　people；　without　giving　the　victorious　party

security　from　the　enemy。　This　arose　entirely　from　the　disorders

inherent　in　their　mode　of　warfare；　for　the　vanquished　soldiery；

divesting　themselves　of　their　accoutrements；　and　being　neither　slain

nor　detained　prisoners；　only　deferred　a　renewed　attack　on　the

conqueror；　till　their　leader　had　furnished　them　with　arms　and　horses。

Besides　this；　both　ransom　and　booty　being　appropriated　by　the　troops；

the　victorious　princes　could　not　make　use　of　them　for　raising　fresh

forces；　but　were　compelled　to　draw　the　necessary　means　from　their

subjects'　purses；　and　this　was　the　only　result　of　victory　experienced

by　the　people；　except　that　it　diminished　the　ruler's　reluctance　to

such　a　course；　and　made　him　less　particular　about　his　mode　of

oppressing　them。　To　such　a　state　had　the　practice　of　war　been　brought

by　the　sort　of　soldiery　then　on　foot；　that　the　victor　and　the

vanquished；　when　desirous　of　their　services；　alike　needed　fresh

supplies　of　money；　for　the　one　had　to　re…equip　them；　and　the　other　to

bribe　them；　the　vanquished　could　not　fight　without　being　remounted；

and　the　conquerors　would　not　take　the　field　without　a　new　gratuity。

Hence　it　followed；　that　the　one　derived　little　advantage　from　the

victory；　and　the　other　was　the　less　injured　by　defeat；　for　the　routed

party　had　to　be　re…equipped；　and　the　victorious　could　not　pursue　his

advantage。



From　this　disorderly　and　perverse　method　of　procedure；　it　arose；　that

before　Niccolo's　defeat　became　known　throughout　Italy；　he　had　again

reorganized　his　forces；　and　harassed　the　enemy　with　greater　vigor　than

before。　Hence；　also；　it　happened；　that　after　his　disaster　at　Tenna；　he

so　soon　occupied　Verona：　that　being　deprived　of　his　army　at　Verona；　he

was　shortly　able　to　appear　with　a　large　force　in　Tuscany；　that　being

completely　defeated　at　Anghiari；　before　he　reached　Tuscany；　he　was

more　powerful　in　the　field　than　ever。　He　was　thus　enabled　to　give　the

duke　of　Milan　hopes　of　defending　Lombardy；　which　by　his　absence

appeared　to　be　lost；　for　while　Niccolo　spread　consternation　throughout

Tuscany；　disasters　in　the　former　province　so　alarmed　the　duke；　that　he

was　afraid　his　utter　ruin　would　ensue　before　Niccolo；　whom　he　had

recalled；　could　come　to　his　relief；　and　check　the　impetuous　progress

of　the　count。　Under　these　impressions；　the　duke；　to　insure　by　policy

that　success　which　he　could　not　command　by　arms；　had　recourse　to

remedies；　which　on　similar　occasions　had　frequently　served　his　turn。

He　sent　Niccolo　da　Esti；　prince　of　Ferrara；　to　the　count　who　was　then

at　Peschiera；　to　persuade　him；　〃That　this　war　was　not　to　his

advantage；　for　if　the　duke　became　so　ruined　as　to　be　unable　to

maintain　his　position　among　the　states　of　Italy；　the　count　would　be

the　first　to　suffer；　for　he　would　cease　to　be　of　importance　either

with　the　Venetians　or　the　Florentines；　and　to　prove　the　sincerity　of

his　wish　for　peace；　he　offered　to　fulfill　the　engagement　he　had

entered　into　with　regard　to　his　daughter；　and　send　her　to　Ferrara；　so

that　as　soon　as　peace　was　established；　the　union　might　take　place。〃

The　count　replied；　〃That　if　the　duke　really　wished　for　peace；　he　might

easily　be　gratified；　as　the　Florentines　and　the　Venetians　were　equally

anxious　for　it。　True；　it　was；　he　could　with　difficulty　credit　him；

knowing　that　he　had　never　made　peace　but　from　necessity；　and　when　this

no　longer　pressed　him；　again　desired　war。　Neither　could　he　give

credence　to　what　he　had　said　concerning　the　marriage；　having　been　so

repeatedly　deceived；　yet　when　peace　was　concluded；　he　would　take　the

advice　of　his　friends　upon　that　subject。〃



The　Venetians；　who　were　sometimes　needlessly　jealous　of　their

soldiery；　became　greatly　alarmed　at　these　proceedings；　and　not　without

reason。　The　count　was　aware　of　this；　and　wishing　to　remove　their

apprehensions；　pursued　the　war　with　unusual　vigor；　but　his　mind　had

become　so　unsettled　by　ambition；　and　the　Venetians'　by　jealousy；　that

little　further　progress　was　made　during　the　remainder　of　the　summer；

and　upon　the　return　of　Niccolo　into　Lombardy；　winter　having　already

commenced；　the　armies　withdrew　into　quarters；　the　count　to　Verona；　the

Florentine　forces　to　Tuscany；　the　duke's　to　Cremona；　and　those　of　the

pope　to　Romagna。　The　latter；　after　having　been　victorious　at　Anghiari；

made　an　unsuccessful　attack　upon　Furli　and　Bologna；　with　a　view　to

wrest　them　from　Niccolo　Piccinino；　but　they　were　gallantly　defended　by

his　son　Francesco。　However；　the　arrival　of　the　papal　forces　so　alarmed

the　people　of　Ravenna　with　the　fear　of　becoming　subject　to　the　church；

that；　by　consent　of　Ostasio　di　Polenta　their　lord；　they　placed

themselves　under　the　power　of　the　Venetians；　who；　in　return　for　the

territory；　and　that　Ostasio　might　never　retake　by　force　what　he　had

imprudently　given　them；　sent　him　and　his　son　to　Candia；　where　they

died。　In　the　course　of　these　affairs；　the　pope；　notwithstanding　the

victory　at　Anghiari；　became　so　in　want　of　money；　that　he　sold　the

fortress　of　Borgo　San　Sepolcro　to　the　Florentines　for　25；000　ducats。



Affairs　being　thus　situated；　each　party　supposed　winter　would　protect

them　from　the　evils　of　war；　and　thought　no　more　of　peace。　This　was

particularly　the　case　with　the　duke；　who；　being　rendered　doubly　secure

by　the　season　and　by　the　presence　of　Niccolo；　broke　off　all　attempts

to　effect　a　reconciliation　with　the　count；　reorganized　Niccolo's

forces；　and　made　every　requisite　preparation　for　the　future　struggle。

The　count　being　informed　of　this；　went　to　Venice　to　consult　with　the

senate　on　the　course　to　be　pursued　during　the　next　year。　Niccolo；　on

the　other　hand；　being　quite　prepared；　and　seeing　the　enemy　unprovided；

did　not　await　the　return　of　spring；　but　crossed　the　Adda　during　severe

weather；　occupied　the　whole　Brescian　territory；　except　Oddula　and

Acri；　and　made　prisoners　two　thousand　horse　belonging　to　Francesco's

forces；　who　had　no　apprehension　of　an　attack。　But　the　greatest　source

of　anxiety　to　the　count；　and　alarm　to　the　Venetians；　was　the　desertion

of　his　service　by　Ciarpellone；　one　of　his　principal　officers。

Francesco；　on　learning　these　matters；　immediately　left　Venice；　and；

arriving　at　Brescia；　found　that　Niccolo；　after　doing　all　the　mischief

he　could；　had　retired　to　his　quarters；　and　therefore；　finding　the　war

concluded　for　the　present　was　not　disposed　to　rekindle　it；　but　rather

to　use　the　opportunity　afforded　by　the　season　and　his　enemies；　of

reorganizing　his　forces；　so　as　to　be　able；　when　spring　arrived；　to

avenge　himself　for　his　former　injuries。　To　this　end　he　induced　the

Venetians　to　recall　the　forces　they　had　in　Tuscany；　in　the　Florentine

service；　and　to　order　that　to　succeed　Gattamelata；　who　was　dead；

Micheletto　Attendulo　should　take　the　command。



On　the　approach　of　spring；　Niccolo　Piccinino　was　the　first　to　take　the

field；　and　encamped　before　Cignano；　a　fortress　twelve　miles　from

Brescia；　the　count　marched　to　its　relief；　and　the　war　between　them　was

conducted　in　the　usual　manner。　The　count；　apprehensive　for　the　city　of

Bergamo；　besieged　Martinengo；　a　castle　so　situated　that　the　possession

of　it　would　enable　him　to　relieve　the　former；　which　was　closely

pressed　by　Niccolo；　who；　having　foreseen　that　the　enemy　could　impede

him　only　from　the　direction　of　Martinengo；　had　put　the　castle　into　a

complete　state　of　defense；　so　that　the　count　was　obliged　to　lend　his

whole　force　to　the　siege。　Upon　this；　Niccolo　placed　his　troops　in　a

situation　calculated　to　intercept　the　count's　provisions；　and

fortified　himself　with　trenches　and　bastions　in　such　a　manner　that　he

could　not　be　attacked　without　the　most　manifest　hazard　to　his

assailant。　Hence　the　besiegers　were　more　distressed　than　the　people　of

Martinengo　whom　they　besieged。　The　count　could　not　hold　his　position

for　want　of　food；　nor　quit　it　without　imminent　danger；　so　that　the

duke's　victory　appeared　certain；　and　defeat　equally　inevitable　to　the

count　and　the　Venetians。



But　fortune；　never　destitute　of　means　to　assist　her　favorites；　or　to

injure　others；　caused　the　hope　of　victory　to　operate　so　powerfully

upon　Niccolo　Piccinino；　and　made　him　assume　such　a　tone　of　unbounded

insolence；　that；　losing　all　respect　for　himself　and　the　duke；　he　sent

him　word　that；　having　served　under　his　ensign　for　so　long；　without

obtaining　sufficient　land　to　serve　him　for　a　grave；　he　wished　to　know

from　himself　what　was　to　be　the　reward　of　his　labors；　for　it　was　in

his　power　to　make　him　master　of　Lombardy；　and　place　all　his　enemies　in

his　power；　and；　as　a　certain　victory　ought　to　be　attended　by　a　sure

remuneration；　he　desired　the　duke　to　concede　to　him　th