history of florence-第70节

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remuneration；　he　desired　the　duke　to　concede　to　him　the　city　of

Piacenza；　that　when　weary　with　his　lengthened　services　he　might　at

last　betake　himself　to　repose。　Nor　did　he　hesitate；　in　conclusion；　to

threaten；　if　his　request　were　not　granted；　to　abandon　the　enterprise。

This　injurious　and　most　insolent　mode　of　proceeding　highly　offended

the　duke；　and；　on　further　consideration；　he　determined　rather　to　let

the　expedition　altogether　fail；　than　consent　to　his　general's　demand。

Thus；　what　all　the　dangers　he　had　incurred；　and　the　threats　of　his

enemies；　could　not　draw　from　him；　the　insolent　behavior　of　his　friends

made　him　willing　to　propose。　He　resolved　to　come　to　terms　with　the

count；　and　sent　Antonio　Guido　Buono；　of　Tortona；　to　offer　his　daughter

and　conditions　of　peace；　which　were　accepted　with　great　pleasure　by

the　count；　and　also　by　the　colleagues　as　far　as　themselves　were

concerned。　The　terms　being　secretly　arranged；　the　duke　sent　to　command

Niccolo　to　make　a　truce　with　the　count　for　one　year；　intimating；　that

being　exhausted　with　the　expense；　he　could　not　forego　a　certain　peace

for　a　doubtful　victory。　Niccolo　was　utterly　astonished　at　this

resolution；　and　could　not　imagine　what　had　induced　the　duke　to　lose

such　a　glorious　opportunity；　nor　could　he　surmise　that；　to　avoid

rewarding　his　friends；　he　would　save　his　enemies；　and　therefore　to　the

utmost　of　his　power　he　opposed　this　resolution；　and　the　duke　was

obliged；　in　order　to　induce　his　compliance；　to　threaten　that　if　he　did

not　obey　he　would　give　him　up　to　his　soldiers　and　his　enemies。　Niccolo

submitted；　with　the　feelings　of　one　compelled　to　leave　country　and

friends；　complaining　of　his　hard　fate；　that　fortune　and　the　duke　were

robbing　him　of　the　victory　over　his　enemies。　The　truce　being　arranged；

the　marriage　of　the　duke's　daughter；　Bianca；　to　the　count　was

solemnized；　the　duke　giving　Cremona　for　her　portion。　This　being　over；

peace　was　concluded　in　November；　1441；　at　which　Francesco　Barbadico

and　Pagolo　Trono　were　present　for　the　Venetians；　and　for　the

Florentines　Agnolo　Acciajuoli。　Peschiera；　Asola；　and　Lonato；　castles

in　the　Mantuan　territory；　were　assigned　to　the　Venetians。



The　war　in　Lombardy　was　concluded；　but　the　dissensions　in　the　kingdom

of　Naples　continued；　and　the　inability　to　compose　them　occasioned　the

resumption　of　those　arms　which　had　been　so　recently　laid　aside。

Alfonso；　of　Aragon；　had；　during　these　wars；　taken　from　Ren？the　whole

kingdom　except　Naples；　so　that；　thinking　he　had　the　victory　in　his

power；　he　resolved　during　the　siege　of　Naples　to　take　Benevento；　and

his　other　possessions　in　that　neighborhood；　from　the　count；　and

thought　he　might　easily　accomplish　this　while　the　latter　was　engaged

in　the　wars　of　Lombardy。　Having　heard　of　the　conclusion　of　peace；

Alfonso　feared　the　count　would　not　only　come　for　the　purpose　of

recovering　his　territories；　but　also　to　favor　Ren？　and　Ren？himself

had　hope　of　his　assistance　for　the　same　reason。　The　latter；　therefore；

sent　to　the　count；　begging　he　would　come　to　the　relief　of　a　friend；

and　avenge　himself　of　an　enemy。　On　the　other　hand；　Alfonso　entreated

Filippo；　for　the　sake　of　the　friendship　which　subsisted　between　them；

to　find　the　count　some　other　occupation；　that；　being　engaged　in

greater　affairs；　he　might　not　have　an　opportunity　of　interfering

between　them。　Filippo　complied　with　this　request；　without　seeming　to

be　aware　that　he　violated　the　peace　recently　made；　so　greatly　to　his

disadvantage。　He　therefore　signified　to　pope　Eugenius；　that　the

present　was　a　favorable　opportunity　for　recovering　the　territories

which　the　count　had　taken　from　the　church；　and；　that　he　might　be　in　a

condition　to　use　it；　offered　him　the　services　of　Niccolo　Piccinino；

and　engaged　to　pay　him　during　the　war；　who；　since　the　peace　of

Lombardy；　had　remained　with　his　forces　in　Romagna。　Eugenius　eagerly

took　the　advice；　induced　by　his　hatred　of　the　count；　and　his　desire　to

recover　his　lost　possessions；　feeling　assured　that；　although　on　a

former　occasion　he　had　been　duped　by　Niccolo；　it　would　be　improper；

now　that　the　duke　interfered；　to　suspect　any　deceit；　and；　joining　his

forces　to　those　of　Niccolo；　he　assailed　La　Marca。　The　count；

astonished　at　such　an　unexpected　attack；　assembled　his　troops；　and

went　to　meet　the　enemy。　In　the　meantime；　King　Alfonso　took　possession

of　Naples；　so　that　the　whole　kingdom；　except　Castelnuova；　was　in　his

power。　Leaving　a　strong　guard　at　Castelnuova　Ren？set　out　and　came　to

Florence；　where　he　was　most　honorably　received；　and　having　remained　a

few　days；　finding　he　could　not　continue　the　war；　he　withdrew　to

Marseilles。



In　the　meantime；　Alfonso　took　Castelnuova；　and　the　count　found　himself

assailed　in　the　Marca　Inferiore；　both　by　the　pope　and　Niccolo。　He

applied　to　the　Venetians　and　the　Florentines　for　assistance；　in　men

and　money；　assuring　them　that　if　they　did　not　determine　to　restrain

the　pope　and　king；　during　his　life；　they　would　soon　afterward　find

their　very　existence　endangered；　for　both　would　join　Filippo　and

divide　Italy　among　them。　The　Florentines　and　Venetians　hesitated　for　a

time；　both　to　consider　the　propriety　of　drawing　upon　themselves　the

enmity　of　the　pope　and　the　king；　and　because　they　were　then　engaged　in

the　affairs　of　the　Bolognese。　Annibale　Bentivoglio　had　driven

Francesco　Piccinino　from　Bologna；　and　for　defense　against　the　duke；

who　favored　Francesco；　he　demanded　and　received　assistance　of　the

Venetians　and　Florentines；　so　that；　being　occupied　with　these　matters

they　could　not　resolve　to　assist　the　count；　but　Annibale；　having

routed　Francesco　Piccinino；　and　those　affairs　seeming　to　be　settled；

they　resolved　to　support　him。　Designing　however　to　make　sure　of　the

duke；　they　offered　to　renew　the　league　with　him；　to　which　he　was　not

averse；　for；　although　he　consented　that　war　should　be　made　against　the

count；　while　King　Ren？was　in　arms；　yet　finding　him　now　conquered；　and

deprived　of　the　whole　kingdom；　he　was　not　willing　that　the　count

should　be　despoiled　of　his　territories；　and　therefore；　not　only

consented　that　assistance　should　be　given　him；　but　wrote　to　Alfonso　to

be　good　enough　to　retire　to　his　kingdom；　and　discontinue　hostilities

against　the　count；　and　although　reluctantly；　yet　in　acknowledgment　of

his　obligations　to　the　duke；　Alfonso　determined　to　satisfy　him；　and

withdrew　with　his　forces　beyond　the　Tronto。







CHAPTER　II



　　Discords　of　FlorenceJealousy　excited　against　Neri　di　Gino

　　CapponiBaldaccio　d'Anghiari　murderedReform　of　government　in

　　favor　of　the　MediciEnterprises　of　Sforza　and　PiccininoDeath　of

　　Niccolo　PiccininoEnd　of　the　warDisturbances　in　Bologna

　　Annibale　Bentivoglio　slain　by　Battista　Canneschi；　and　the　latter

　　by　the　peopleSanti；　supposed　to　be　the　son　of　Ercole

　　Bentivoglio；　is　called　to　govern　the　city　of　BolognaDiscourse　of

　　Cosmo　de'　Medici　to　himPerfidious　designs　of　the　duke　of　Milan

　　against　SforzaGeneral　war　in　ItalyLosses　of　the　duke　of　Milan

　　The　duke　has　recourse　to　the　count；　who　makes　peace　with　him

　　Offers　of　the　duke　and　the　Venetians　to　the　countThe　Venetians

　　furtively　deprive　the　count　of　Cremona。



While　the　affairs　of　Romagna　proceeded　thus；　the　city　of　Florence　was

not　tranquil。　Among　the　citizens　of　highest　reputation　in　the

government；　was　Neri　di　Gino　Capponi；　of　whose　influence　Cosmo　de'

Medici　had　more　apprehension　than　any　other；　for　to　the　great

authority　which　he　possessed　in　the　city　was　added　his　influence　with

the　soldiery。　Having　been　often　leader　of　the　Florentine　forces　he　had

won　their　affection　by　his　courage　and　talents；　and　the　remembrance　of

his　own　and　his　father's　victories　（the　latter　having　taken　Pisa；　and

he　himself　having　overcome　Niccolo　Piccinino　at　Anghiari）　caused　him

to　be　beloved　by　many；　and　feared　by　those　who　were　averse　to　having

associates　in　the　government。　Among　the　leaders　of　the　Florentine　army

was　Baldaccio　d'Anghiari；　an　excellent　soldier；　for　in　those　times

there　was　not　one　in　Italy　who　surpassed　him　in　vigor　either　of　body

or　mind；　and　possessing　so　much　influence　with　the　infantry；　whose

leader　he　had　always　been；　many　thought　they　would　follow　him　wherever

he　chose　to　lead　them。　Baldaccio　was　the　intimate　friend　of　Neri；　who

loved　him　for　his　talents；　of　which　he　had　been　a　constant　witness。

This　excited　great　suspicion　in　the　other　citizens；　who；　thinking　it

alike　dangerous　either　to　discharge　or　retain　him　in　their　service；

determined　to　destroy　him；　and　fortune　seemed　to　favor　their　design。

Bartolommeo　Orlandini　was　Gonfalonier　of　Justice；　the　same　person　who

was　sent　to　the　defense　of　Marradi；　when　Niccolo　Piccinino　came　into

Tuscany；　as　we　have　related　above；　and　so　basely　abandoned　the　pass；

which　by　its　nature　was　almost　impregnable。　So　flagrant　an　instance　of

cowardice　was　very　offensive　to　Baldaccio；　who；　on　many　occasions；

both　by　words　and　letters；　had　contributed　to　make　the　disgraceful

fact　k