history of florence-第73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！



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

ambassadors　and　those　of　the　Milanese　arranged　for　him　to　command　the

forces　of　the　new　republic；　with　the　same　remuneration　he　had　received

from　the　duke　at　the　time　of　his　decease。　To　this　they　added　the

possession　of　Brescia；　until　Verona　was　recovered；　when　he　should　have

that　city　and　restore　Brescia　to　the　Milanese。



Before　the　duke's　death；　Pope　Nicholas；　after　his　assumption　of　the

pontificate；　sought　to　restore　peace　among　the　princes　of　Italy；　and

with　this　object　endeavored；　in　conjunction　with　the　ambassadors　sent

by　the　Florentines　to　congratulate　him　on　his　accession；　to　appoint　a

diet　at　Ferrara　to　attempt　either　the　arrangement　of　a　long　truce；　or

the　establishment　of　peace。　A　congress　was　accordingly　held　in　that

city；　of　the　pope's　legate　and　the　Venetian；　ducal；　and　Florentine

representatives。　King　Alfonso　had　no　envoy　there。　He　was　at　Tivoli

with　a　great　body　of　horse　and　foot；　and　favorable　to　the　duke；　both

having　resolved；　that　having　gained　the　count　over　to　their　side；　they

would　openly　attack　the　Florentines　and　Venetians；　and　till　the

arrival　of　the　count　in　Lombardy；　take　part　in　the　treaty　for　peace　at

Ferrara；　at　which；　though　the　king　did　not　appear；　he　engaged　to

concur　in　whatever　course　the　duke　should　adopt。　The　conference　lasted

several　days；　and　after　many　debates；　resolved　on　either　a　truce　for

five　years；　or　a　permanent　peace；　whichsoever　the　duke　should　approve；

and　the　ducal　ambassadors；　having　returned　to　Milan　to　learn　his

decision；　found　him　dead。　Notwithstanding　this；　the　Milanese　were

disposed　to　adopt　the　resolutions　of　the　assembly；　but　the　Venetians

refused；　indulging　great　hopes　of　becoming　masters　of　Lombardy；

particularly　as　Lodi　and　Piacenza；　immediately　after　the　duke's　death；

had　submitted　to　them。　They　trusted　that　either　by　force　or　by　treaty

they　could　strip　Milan　of　her　power；　and　then　so　press　her；　as　to

compel　her　also　to　surrender　before　any　assistance　could　arrive；　and

they　were　the　more　confident　of　this　from　seeing　the　Florentines

involved　in　war　with　King　Alfonso。



The　king　being　at　Tivoli；　and　designing　to　pursue　his　enterprise

against　Tuscany；　as　had　been　arranged　between　himself　and　Filippo；

judging　that　the　war　now　commenced　in　Lombardy　would　give　him　both

time　and　opportunity；　and　wishing　to　have　a　footing　in　the　Florentine

state　before　he　openly　commenced　hostilities；　opened　a　secret

understanding　with　the　fortress　of　Cennina；　in　the　Val　d'Arno

Superiore；　and　took　possession　of　it。　The　Florentines；　surprised　with

this　unexpected　event；　perceiving　the　king　already　in　action；　and

resolved　to　do　them　all　the　injury　in　his　power；　hired　forces；　created

a　council　of　ten　for　management　of　the　war；　and　prepared　for　the

conflict　in　their　usual　manner。　The　king　was　already　in　the　Siennese；

and　used　his　utmost　endeavors　to　reduce　the　city；　but　the　inhabitants

of　Sienna　were　firm　in　their　attachment　to　the　Florentines；　and

refused　to　receive　him　within　their　walls　or　into　any　of　their

territories。　They　furnished　him　with　provisions；　alleging　in　excuse；

the　enemy's　power　and　their　inability　to　resist。　The　king；　finding　he

could　not　enter　by　the　Val　d'Arno；　as　he　had　first　intended；　both

because　Cennina　had　been　already　retaken；　and　because　the　Florentines

were　now　in　some　measure　prepared　for　their　defense；　turned　toward

Volterra；　and　occupied　many　fortresses　in　that　territory。　Thence　he

proceeded　toward　Pisa；　and　with　the　assistance　of　Fazio　and　Arrigo　de'

Conti；　of　the　Gherardesca；　took　some　castles；　and　issuing　from　them；

assailed　Campiglia；　but　could　not　take　it；　the　place　being　defended　by

the　Florentines；　and　it　being　now　in　the　depth　of　winter。　Upon　this

the　king；　leaving　garrisons　in　the　places　he　had　taken　to　harass　the

surrounding　country；　withdrew　with　the　remainder　of　his　army　to

quarters　in　the　Siennese。　The　Florentines；　aided　by　the　season；　used

the　most　active　exertions　to　provide　themselves　troops；　whose　captains

were　Federigo；　lord　of　Urbino；　and　Gismondo　Malatesti　da　Rimino；　who；

though　mutual　foes；　were　kept　so　united　by　the　prudence　of　the

commissaries；　Neri　di　Gino　and　Bernardetto　de'　Medici；　that　they　broke

up　their　quarters　while　the　weather　was　still　very　severe　and

recovered　not　only　the　places　that　had　been　taken　in　the　territory　of

Pisa；　but　also　the　Pomerancie　in　the　neighborhood　of　Volterra；　and　so

checked　the　king's　troops；　which　at　first　had　overrun　the　Maremma；

that　they　could　scarcely　retain　the　places　they　had　been　left　to

garrison。



Upon　the　return　of　the　spring　the　commissaries　halted　with　their　whole

force；　consisting　of　five　thousand　horse　and　two　thousand　foot；　at　the

Spedaletto。　The　king　approached　with　his　army；　amounting　to　fifteen

thousand　men；　within　three　miles　of　Campiglia；　but　when　it　was

expected　he　would　attack　the　place　he　fell　upon　Piombino；　hoping；　as

it　was　insufficiently　provided；　to　take　it　with　very　little　trouble；

and　thus　acquire　a　very　important　position；　the　loss　of　which　would　be

severely　felt　by　the　Florentines；　for　from　it　he　would　be　able　to

exhaust　them　with　a　long　war；　obtain　his　own　provision　by　sea；　and

harass　the　whole　territory　of　Pisa。　They　were　greatly　alarmed　at　this

attack；　and；　considering　that　if　they　could　remain　with　their　army

among　the　woods　of　Campiglia；　the　king　would　be　compelled　to　retire

either　in　defeat　or　disgrace。　With　this　view　they　equipped　four

galleys　at　Livorno；　and　having　succeeded　in　throwing　three　hundred

infantry　into　Piombino；　took　up　their　own　position　at　the　Caldane；　a

place　where　it　would　be　difficult　to　attack　them；　and　they　thought　it

would　be　dangerous　to　encamp　among　the　thickets　of　the　plain。



The　Florentine　army　depended　for　provisions　on　the　surrounding　places；

which；　being　poor　and　thinly　inhabited；　had　difficulty　in　supplying

them。　Consequently　the　troops　suffered；　particularly　from　want　of

wine；　for　none　being　produced　in　that　vicinity；　and　unable　to　procure

it　from　more　distant　places；　it　was　impossible　to　obtain　a　sufficient

quantity。　But　the　king；　though　closely　pressed　by　the　Florentines；　was

well　provided　except　in　forage；　for　he　obtained　everything　else　by

sea。　The　Florentines；　desirous　to　supply　themselves　in　the　same

manner；　loaded　four　vessels　with　provisions；　but；　upon　their　approach；

they　were　attacked　by　seven　of　the　king's　galleys；　which　took　two　of

them　and　put　the　rest　to　flight。　This　disaster　made　them　despair　of

procuring　provisions；　so　that　two　hundred　men　of　a　foraging　party；

principally　for　want　of　wine；　deserted　to　the　king；　and　the　rest

complained　that　they　could　not　live　without　it；　in　a　situation　where

the　heat　was　so　excessive　and　the　water　bad。　The　commissaries

therefore　determined　to　quit　the　place；　and　endeavor　to　recover　those

castles　which　still　remained　in　the　enemy's　power；　who；　on　his　part；

though　not　suffering　from　want　of　provisions；　and　greatly　superior　in

numbers；　found　his　enterprise　a　failure；　from　the　ravages　made　in　his

army　by　those　diseases　which　the　hot　season　produces　in　marshy

localities；　and　which　prevailed　to　such　an　extent　that　many　died

daily；　and　nearly　all　were　affected。　These　circumstances　occasioned

overtures　of　peace。　The　king　demanded　fifty　thousand　florins；　and　the

possession　of　Piombino。　When　the　terms　were　under　consideration；　many

citizens；　desirous　of　peace；　would　have　accepted　them；　declaring　there

was　no　hope　of　bringing　to　a　favorable　conclusion　a　war　which　required

so　much　money　to　carry　it　on。　But　Neri　Capponi　going　to　Florence；

placed　the　matter　in　a　more　correct　light；　and　it　was　then　unanimously

determined　to　reject　the　proposal；　and　take　the　lord　of　Piombino　under

their　protection；　with　an　alliance　offensive　and　defensive；　provided

he　did　not　abandon　them；　but　assist　in　their　defense　as　hitherto。　The

king　being　informed　of　this　resolution；　saw　that；　with　his　reduced

army；　he　could　not　gain　the　place；　and　withdrew　in　the　same　condition

as　if　completely　routed；　leaving　behind　him　two　thousand　dead。　With

the　remainder　of　his　sick　troops　he　retired　to　the　Siennese　territory；

and　thence　to　his　kingdom；　incensed　against　the　Florentines；　and

threatening　them　with　new　wars　upon　the　return　of　spring。



While　these　events　were　proceeding　in　Tuscany　the　Count　Sforza；　having

become　leader　of　the　Milanese　forces；　strenuously　endeavored　to　secure

the　friendship　of　Francesco　Piccinino；　who　was　also　in　their　service；

that　he　might　support　him　in　his　enterprises；　or　be　less　disposed　to

do　him　injury。　He　then　took　the　field　with　his　army；　upon　which　the

people　of　Pavia；　conscious　of　their　inability　to　resist　him；　and

unwilling　to　obey　the　Milanese；　offered　to　submit　themselves　to　his

authority；　on　condition　that　he　should　not　subject　them　to　the　power

of　Milan。　The　count　desired　the　possession　of　Pavia；　and　considered

the　circumstance　a　happy　omen；　a