history of florence-第71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！



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

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

fact　known　to　all。　The　shame　and　vexation　of　Bartolommeo　were　extreme；

so　that　of　all　things　he　wished　to　avenge　himself；　thinking；　with　the

death　of　his　accuser；　to　efface　the　stain　upon　his　character。



This　feeling　of　Bartolommeo　Orlandini　was　known　to　other　citizens；　so

that　they　easily　persuaded　him　to　put　Baldaccio　to　death；　and　at　one

avenge　himself；　and　deliver　his　country　from　a　man　whom　they　must

either　retain　at　great　peril；　or　discharge　to　their　greater　confusion。

Bartolommeo　having　therefore　resolved　to　murder　him；　concealed　in　his

own　apartment　at　the　palace　several　young　men；　all　armed；　and

Baldaccio；　entering　the　piazza；　whither　it　was　his　daily　custom　to

come；　to　confer　with　the　magistrates　concerning　his　command；　the

Gonfalonier　sent　for　him；　and　he；　without　any　suspicion；　obeyed。

Meeting　him　in　the　corridor；　which　leads　to　the　chambers　of　the

Signory；　they　took　a　few　turns　together　discoursing　of　his　office；

when　being　close　to　the　door　of　the　apartments　in　which　the　assassins

were　concealed；　Bartolommeo　gave　them　the　signal；　upon　which　they

rushed　out；　and　finding　Baldaccio　alone　and　unarmed；　they　slew　him；

and　threw　the　body　out　of　the　window　which　looks　from　the　palace

toward　the　dogano；　or　customhouse。　It　was　thence　carried　into　the

piazza；　where　the　head　being　severed；　it　remained　the　whole　day

exposed　to　the　gaze　of　the　people。　Baldaccio　was　married；　and　had　only

one　child；　a　boy；　who　survived　him　but　a　short　time；　and　his　wife；

Annalena；　thus　deprived　of　both　husband　and　offspring；　rejected　every

proposal　for　a　second　union。　She　converted　her　house　into　a　monastery；

to　which　she　withdrew；　and；　being　joined　by　many　noble　ladies；　lived

in　holy　seclusion　to　the　end　of　her　days。　The　convent　she　founded；　and

which　is　named　from　her；　preserves　her　story　in　perpetual　remembrance。



This　circumstance　served　to　weaken　Neri's　power；　and　made　him　lose

both　influence　and　friends。　Nor　did　this　satisfy　the　citizens　who　held

the　reins　of　government；　for　it　being　ten　years　since　their

acquisition　of　power；　and　the　authority　of　the　Balia　expired；　many

began　to　exhibit　more　boldness；　both　in　words　and　deeds；　than　seemed

consistent　with　their　safety；　and　the　leaders　of　the　party　judged；

that　if　they　wished　to　preserve　their　influence；　some　means　must　be

adopted　to　increase　it。　To　this　end；　in　1444　the　councils　created　a

new　Balia；　which　reformed　the　government；　gave　authority　to　a　limited

number　to　create　the　Signory；　re…established　the　Chancery　of

Reformations；　depriving　Filippo　Peruzzi　of　his　office　of　president　in

it；　and　appointing　another　wholly　under　their　influence。　They

prolonged　the　term　of　exile　to　those　who　were　banished；　put　Giovanni

di　Simone　Vespucci　in　prison；　deprived　the　Accoppiatori　of　their

enemies　of　the　honors　of　government；　and　with　them　the　sons　of　Piero

Baroncelli；　the　whole　of　the　Seragli；　Bartolommeo　Fortini；　Francesco

Castellani；　and　many　others。　By　these　means　they　strengthened　their

authority　and　influence；　and　humbled　their　enemies；　or　those　whom　they

suspected　of　being　so。



Having　thus　recovered　and　confirmed　their　government；　they　then　turned

their　attention　to　external　affairs。　As　observed　above；　Niccolo

Piccinino　was　abandoned　by　King　Alfonso；　and　the　count　having　been

aggrandized　by　the　assistance　of　the　Florentines；　attacked　and　routed

him　near　Fermo；　where；　after　losing　nearly　the　whole　of　his　troops；

Niccolo　fled　to　Montecchio；　which　he　fortified　in　such　a　manner　that

in　a　short　time　he　had　again　assembled　so　large　an　army　as　enabled　him

to　make　head　against　the　count；　particularly　as　the　season　was　now

come　for　them　to　withdraw　into　quarters。　His　principal　endeavor　during

the　winter　was　to　collect　troops；　and　in　this　he　was　assisted　both　by

the　pope　and　Alfonso；　so　that；　upon　the　approach　of　spring；　both

leaders　took　the　field；　and　Niccolo；　being　the　strongest；　reduced　the

count　to　extreme　necessity；　and　would　have　conquered　him　if　the　duke

had　not　contrived　to　frustrate　his　designs。　Filippo　sent　to　beg　he

would　come　to　him　with　all　speed；　for　he　wished　to　have　a　personal

interview；　that　he　might　communicate　matters　of　the　highest

importance。　Niccolo；　anxious　to　hear　them；　abandoned　a　certain　victory

for　a　very　doubtful　advantage；　and　leaving　his　son　Francesco　to

command　the　army；　hastened　to　Milan。　The　count　being　informed　of　the

circumstance；　would　not　let　slip　the　opportunity　of　fighting　in　the

absence　of　Niccolo；　and；　coming　to　an　engagement　near　the　castle　of

Monte　Loro；　routed　the　father's　forces　and　took　the　son　prisoner。

Niccolo　having　arrived　at　Milan　saw　that　the　duke　had　duped　him；　and

learning　the　defeat　of　his　army　and　the　capture　of　his　son；　he　died　of

grief　in　1445；　at　the　age　of　sixty…four；　having　been　a　brave　rather

than　a　fortunate　leader。　He　left　two　sons；　Francesco　and　Jacopo；　who；

possessing　less　talent　than　their　father；　were　still　more　unfortunate；

so　that　the　arms　of　the　family　became　almost　annihilated；　while　those

of　Sforza；　being　favored　by　fortune；　attained　augmented　glory。　The

pope；　seeing　Niccolo's　army　defeated　and　himself　dead；　having　little

hope　of　assistance　from　Aragon；　sought　peace　with　the　count；　and；　by

the　intervention　of　the　Florentines；　succeeded。　Of　La　Marca；　the　pope

only　retained　Osimo；　Fabriano；　and　Recanati；　all　the　rest　remained　in

the　count's　possession。



Peace　being　restored　to　La　Marca；　the　whole　of　Italy　would　have

obtained　repose　had　it　not　been　disturbed　by　the　Bolognese。　There　were

in　Bologna　two　very　powerful　families；　the　Canneschi　and　the

Bentivogli。　Of　the　latter；　Annibale　was　the　head；　of　the　former；

Battista；　who；　as　a　means　of　confirming　their　mutual　confidence；　had

contracted　family　alliances；　but　among　men　who　have　the　same　objects

of　ambition　in　view；　it　is　easy　to　form　connections；　but　difficult　to

establish　friendship。　The　Bolognese　were　in　a　league　with　the

Venetians　and　Florentines；　which　had　been　effected　by　the　influence　of

Annibale；　after　they　had　driven　out　Francesco　Piccinino；　and　Battista；

knowing　how　earnestly　the　duke　desired　to　have　the　city　favorable　to

him；　proposed　to　assassinate　Annibale；　and　put　Bologna　into　his　power。

This　being　agreed　upon；　on　the　twenty…fifth　of　June；　1445；　he　attacked

Annibale　with　his　men；　and　slew　him：　and　then；　with　shouts　of　〃the

duke；　the　duke；〃　rode　through　the　city。　The　Venetian　and　Florentine

commissaries　were　in　Bologna　at　the　time；　and　at　first　kept　themselves

within　doors；　but　finding　that　the　people；　instead　of　favoring　the

murderers；　assembled　in　the　piazza；　armed　in　great　numbers；　mourning

the　death　of　Annibale；　they　joined　them；　and；　assembling　what　forces

they　could；　attacked　the　Canneschi；　soon　overpowered　them；　slew　part；

and　drove　the　remainder　out　of　the　city。　Battista；　unable　to　effect

his　escape；　or　his　enemies　his　capture；　took　refuge　in　a　vault　of　his

house；　used　for　storing　grain。　The　friends　of　the　Bentivogli；　having

sought　him　all　day；　and　knowing　he　had　not　left　the　city；　so　terrified

his　servants；　that　one　of　them；　a　groom；　disclosed　the　place　of　his

concealment；　and　being　drawn　forth　in　complete　armor　he　was　slain；　his

body　dragged　about　the　streets；　and　afterward　burned。　Thus　the　duke's

authority　was　sufficient　to　prompt　the　enterprise；　but　his　force　was

not　at　hand　to　support　it。



The　tumults　being　settled　by　the　death　of　Battista；　and　the　flight　of

the　Canneschi；　Bologna　still　remained　in　the　greatest　confusion。　There

not　being　one　of　the　house　of　Bentivogli　of　age　to　govern；　Annibale

having　left　but　one　son　whose　name　was　Giovanni；　only　six　years　old；

it　was　apprehended　that　disunion　would　ensue　among　the　Bentivogli；　and

cause　the　return　of　the　Cannecshi；　and　the　ruin　both　of　their　own

country　and　party。　While　in　this　state　of　apprehension；　Francesco；

sometime　Count　di　Poppi；　being　at　Bologna；　informed　the　rulers　of　the

city；　that　if　they　wished　to　be　governed　by　one　of　the　blood　of

Annibale；　he　could　tell　them　of　one；　and　related　that　about　twenty

years　ago；　Ercole；　cousin　of　Annibale；　being　at　Poppi；　became

acquainted　with　a　girl　of　the　castle；　of　whom　was　born　a　son　named

Santi；　whom　Ercole；　on　many　occasions　acknowledged　to　be　his　own；　nor

could　he　deny　it；　for　whoever　knew　him　and　saw　the　boy；　could　not　fail

to　observe　the　strongest　resemblance。　The　citizens　gave　credit　to　the

tale；　and　immediately　sent　to　Florence　to　see　the　young　man；　and

procure　of　Cosmo　and　Neri　permission　to　return　with　him　to　Bologna。

The　reputed　father　of　Santi　was　dead；　and　he　lived　under　the

protection　of　his　uncle；　whose　name　was　Antonio　da　Cascese。　Antonio

was　rich；　childless；　and　a　friend　of　Neri；　to　whom　the　matter　becoming

known；　he　thought　it　ought　neither　to　be　despised　nor　too　hastily

accepted；　and　that　it　would　be　best　for　Santi　and　th