history of florence-第72节

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accepted；　and　that　it　would　be　best　for　Santi　and　those　who　had　been

sent　from　Bologna；　to　confer　in　the　presence　of　Cosmo。　They　were

accordingly　introduced；　and　Santi　was　not　merely　honored　but　adored　by

them；　so　greatly　were　they　influenced　by　the　spirit　of　party。　However；

nothing　was　done　at　the　time；　except　that　Cosmo；　taking　Santi　apart；

spoke　to　him　thus：　〃No　one　can　better　advise　you　in　this　matter　than

yourself；　for　you　have　to　take　that　course　to　which　your　own　mind

prompts　you。　If　you　be　the　son　of　Ercole　Bentivoglio；　you　will

naturally　aspire　to　those　pursuits　which　are　proper　to　your　family　and

worthy　of　your　father；　but　if　you　be　the　son　of　Agnolo　da　Cascese；　you

will　remain　in　Florence；　and　basely　spend　the　remainder　of　your　days

in　some　branch　of　the　woolen　trade。〃　These　words　greatly　influenced

the　youth；　who；　though　he　had　at　first　almost　refused　to　adopt　such　a

course；　said；　he　would　submit　himself　wholly　to　what　Cosmo　and　Neri

should　determine。　They；　assenting　to　the　request　of　the　Bolognese；

provided　suitable　apparel；　horses；　and　servants；　and　in　a　few　days　he

was　escorted　by　a　numerous　cavalcade　to　Bologna；　where　the

guardianship　of　Annibale's　son　and　of　the　city　were　placed　in　his

hands。　He　conducted　himself　so　prudently；　that　although　all　his

ancestors　had　been　slain　by　their　enemies；　he　lived　in　peace　and　died

respected　by　everyone。



After　the　death　of　Niccolo　Piccinino　and　the　peace　of　La　Marca；

Filippo　wishing　to　procure　a　leader　of　his　forces；　secretly　negotiated

with　Ciarpellone；　one　of　the　principal　captains　of　Count　Francesco；

and　arrangements　having　been　made；　Ciarpellone　asked　permission　to　go

to　Milan　to　take　possession　of　certain　castles　which　had　been　given

him　by　Filippo　during　the　late　wars。　The　count　suspecting　what　was　in

progress；　in　order　to　prevent　the　duke　from　accommodating　himself　at

his　expense；　caused　Ciarpellone　to　be　arrested；　and　soon　afterward　put

to　death；　alleging　that　he　had　been　detected　plotting　against　him。

Filippo　was　highly　annoyed　and　indignant；　which　the　Venetians　and　the

Florentines　were　glad　to　observe；　for　their　greatest　fear　was；　that

the　duke　and　the　count　should　become　friends。



The　duke's　anger　caused　the　renewal　of　war　in　La　Marca。　Gismondo

Malatesti；　lord　of　Rimino；　being　son…in…law　of　the　count；　expected　to

obtain　Pesaro；　but　the　count；　having　obtained　possession；　gave　it　to

his　brother；　Alessandro。　Gismondo；　offended　at　this；　was　still　further

exasperated　at　finding　that　Federigo　di　Montefeltro；　his　enemy；　by　the

count's　assistance；　gained　possession　of　Urbino。　He　therefore　joined

the　duke；　and　solicited　the　pope　and　the　king　to　make　war　against　the

count；　who；　to　give　Gismondo　a　taste　of　the　war　he　so　much　desired；

resolved　to　take　the　initiative；　and　attacked　him　immediately。　Thus

Romagna　and　La　Marca　were　again　in　complete　confusion；　for　Filippo；

the　king；　and　the　pope；　sent　powerful　assistance　to　Gismondo；　while

the　Florentines　and　Venetians　supplied　the　count　with　money；　though

not　with　men。　Nor　was　Filippo　satisfied　with　the　war　in　Romagna；　but

also　desired　to　take　Cremona　and　Pontremoli　from　the　count；　but

Pontremoli　was　defended　by　the　Florentines；　and　Cremona　by　the

Venetians。　Thus　the　war　was　renewed　in　Lombardy；　and　after　several

engagements　in　the　Cremonese；　Francesco　Piccinino；　the　leader　of　the

duke's　forces；　was　routed　at　Casale；　by　Micheletto　and　the　Venetian

troops。　This　victory　gave　the　Venetians　hope　of　obtaining　the　duke's

dominions。　They　sent　a　commissary　to　Cremona；　attacked　the

Ghiaradadda；　and　took　the　whole　of　it；　except　Crema。　Then　crossing　the

Adda；　they　overran　the　country　as　far　as　Milan。　Upon　this　the　duke　had

recourse　to　Alfonso；　and　entreated　his　assistance；　pointing　out　the

danger　his　kingdom　would　incur　if　Lombardy　were　to　fall　into　the　hands

of　the　Venetians。　Alfonso　promised　to　send　him　troops；　but　apprised

him　of　the　difficulties　which　would　attend　their　passage；　without　the

permission　of　the　count。



Filippo；　driven　to　extremity；　then　had　recourse　to　Francesco；　and

begged　he　would　not　abandon　his　father…in…law；　now　that　he　had　become

old　and　blind。　The　count　was　offended　with　the　duke　for　making　war

against　him；　but　he　was　jealous　of　the　increasing　greatness　of　the

Venetians；　and　he　himself　began　to　be　in　want　of　money；　for　the　League

supplied　him　sparingly。　The　Florentines；　being　no　longer　in　fear　of

the　duke；　ceased　to　stand　in　need　of　the　count；　and　the　Venetians

desired　his　ruin；　for　they　thought　Lombardy　could　not　be　taken　from

him　except　by　this　means；　yet　while　Filippo　sought　to　gain　him　over；

and　offered　him　the　entire　command　of　his　forces；　on　condition　that　he

should　restore　La　Marca　to　the　pope　and　quit　the　Venetian　alliance；

ambassadors　were　sent　to　him　by　that　republic；　promising　him　Milan；　if

they　took　it；　and　the　perpetual　command　of　their　forces；　if　he　would

push　the　war　in　La　Marca；　and　prevent　Alfonso　from　sending　troops　into

Lombardy。　The　offers　of　the　Venetians　were　great；　as　also　were　their

claims　upon　him；　having　begun　the　war　in　order　to　save　him　from　losing

Cremona；　while　the　injuries　received　from　the　duke　were　fresh　in　his

memory；　and　his　promises　had　lost　all　influence；　still　the　count

hesitated；　for　on　the　one　hand；　were　to　be　considered　his　obligations

to　the　League；　his　pledged　faith；　their　recent　services；　and　his　hopes

of　the　future；　all　which　had　their　influence　on　him；　on　the　other；

were　the　entreaties　of　his　father…in…law；　and　above　all；　the　bane

which　he　feared　would　be　concealed　under　the　specious　offers　of　the

Venetians；　for　he　doubted　not；　that　both　with　regard　to　Milan　and

their　other　promises；　if　they　were　victorious；　he　would　be　at　their

mercy；　to　which　no　prudent　men　would　ever　submit　if　he　could　avoid　it。

These　difficulties　in　the　way　of　his　forming　a　determination；　were

obviated　by　the　ambition　of　the　Venetians；　who；　seeing　a　chance　of

occupying　Cremona；　from　secret　intelligence　with　that　city；　under　a

different　pretext；　sent　troops　into　its　neighborhood；　but　the　affair

was　discovered　by　those　who　commanded　Cremona　for　the　count；　and

measures　were　adopted　which　prevented　its　success。　Thus　without

obtaining　Cremona；　they　lost　the　count's　friendship；　who；　now　being

free　from　all　other　considerations；　joined　the　duke。







CHAPTER　III



　　Death　of　Filippo　Visconti；　duke　of　MilanThe　Milanese　appoint

　　Sforza　their　captainMilan　becomes　a　republicThe　pope　endeavors

　　to　restore　peace　to　ItalyThe　Venetians　oppose　this　design

　　Alfonso　attacks　the　FlorentinesThe　neighborhood　of　Piombino

　　becomes　the　principal　theater　of　warScarcity　in　the　Florentine

　　campDisorders　occur　in　the　Neapolitan　and　Florentine　armies

　　Alfonso　sues　for　peace　and　is　compelled　to　retreatPavia

　　surrenders　to　the　countDispleasure　of　the　MilaneseThe　count

　　besieges　CaravaggioThe　Venetians　endeavor　to　relieve　the　place

　　They　are　routed　by　the　count　before　Caravaggio。



Pope　Eugenius　being　dead；　was　succeeded　by　Nicholas　V。　The　count　had

his　whole　army　at　Cotignola；　ready　to　pass　into　Lombardy；　when

intelligence　was　brought　him　of　the　death　of　Filippo；　which　happened

on　the　last　day　of　August；　1447。　This　event　greatly　afflicted　him；　for

he　doubted　whether　his　troops　were　in　readiness；　on　account　of　their

arrears　of　pay；　he　feared　the　Venetians；　who　were　his　armed　enemies；

he　having　recently　forsaken　them　and　taken　part　with　the　duke；　he　was

in　apprehension　from　Alfonso；　his　inveterate　foe；　he　had　no　hope　from

the　pontiff　or　the　Florentines；　for　the　latter　were　allies　of　the

Venetians；　and　he　had　seized　the　territories　of　the　former。　However；

he　resolved　to　face　his　fortune　and　be　guided　by　circumstances；　for　it

often　happens；　that　when　engaged　in　business　valuable　ideas　are

suggested；　which　in　a　state　of　inaction　would　never　have　occurred。　He

had　great　hopes；　that　if　the　Milanese　were　disposed　to　defend

themselves　against　the　ambition　of　the　Venetians；　they　could　make　use

of　no　other　power　but　his。　Therefore；　he　proceeded　confidently　into

the　Bolognese　territory；　thence　to　Modena　and　Reggio；　halted　with　his

forces　upon　the　Lenza；　and　sent　to　offer　his　services　at　Milan。　On　the

death　of　the　duke；　part　of　the　Milanese　were　inclined　to　establish　a

republic；　others　wished　to　choose　a　prince；　and　of　these；　one　part

favored　the　count；　and　another　Alfonso。　However；　the　majority　being　in

favor　of　freedom；　they　prevailed　over　the　rest；　and　organized　a

republic；　to　which　many　cities　of　the　Duchy　refused　obedience；　for

they；　too；　desired　to　live　in　the　enjoyment　of　their　liberty；　and　even

those　who　did　not　embrace　such　views；　refused　to　submit　to　the

sovereignty　of　the　Milanese。　Lodi　and　Piacenza　surrendered　themselves

to　the　Venetians；　Pavia　and　Parma　became　free。　This　confused　state　of

things　being　known　to　the　count；　he　proceeded　to　Cremona；　where　his

ambassadors　and　those　of　the　Milanese　arranged　for　him　to　command