history of florence-第75节

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the　duke　possessed　at　the　time　of　his　death。



When　this　treaty　became　known　at　Milan；　it　grieved　the　citizens　more

than　the　victory　at　Caravaggio　had　exhilarated　them。　The　rulers　of　the

city　mourned；　the　people　complained；　women　and　children　wept；　and　all

exclaimed　against　the　count　as　false　and　perfidious。　Although　they

could　not　hope　that　either　prayers　or　promises　would　divert　him　from

his　ungrateful　design；　they　sent　ambassadors　to　see　with　what　kind　of

color　he　would　invest　his　unprincipled　proceedings；　and　being　admitted

to　his　presence；　one　of　them　spoke　to　the　following　effect；〃It　is

customary　with　those　who　wish　to　obtain　a　favor；　to　make　use　either　of

prayers；　presents；　or　threats；　that　pity；　convenience；　or　fear；　may

induce　a　compliance　with　their　requests。　But　as　with　cruel；

avaricious；　or；　in　their　own　conceit；　powerful　men；　these　arguments

have　no　weight；　it　is　vain　to　hope；　either　to　soften　them　by　prayers；

win　them　by　presents；　or　alarm　them　by　menaces。　We；　therefore；　being

now；　though　late；　aware　of　thy　pride；　cruelty；　and　ambition；　come

hither；　not　to　ask　aught；　nor　with　the　hope；　even　if　we　were　so

disposed；　of　obtaining　it；　but　to　remind　thee　of　the　benefits　thou

hast　received　from　the　people　of　Milan；　and　to　prove　with　what

heartless　ingratitude　thou　hast　repaid　them；　that　at　least；　under　the

many　evils　oppressing　us；　we　may　derive　some　gratification　from

telling　thee　how　and　by　whom　they　have　been　produced。　Thou　canst　not

have　forgotten　thy　wretched　condition　at　the　death　of　the　duke

Filippo；　the　king　and　the　pope　were　both　thine　enemies；　thou　hadst

abandoned　the　Florentines　and　the　Venetians；　who；　on　account　of　their

just　indignation；　and　because　they　stood　in　no　further　need　of　thee；

were　almost　become　thy　declared　enemies。　Thou　wert　exhausted　by　thy

wars　against　the　church；　with　few　followers；　no　friends；　or　any　money；

hopeless　of　being　able　to　preserve　either　thy　territories　or　thy

reputation。　From　these　circumstances　thy　ruin　must　have　ensued；　but

for　our　simplicity；　we　received　thee　to　our　home；　actuated　by

reverence　for　the　happy　memory　of　our　duke；　with　whom；　being　connected

by　marriage　and　renewed　alliance；　we　believed　thy　affection　would

descend　to　those　who　had　inherited　his　authority；　and　that；　if　to　the

benefits　he　had　conferred　on　thee；　our　own　were　added；　the　friendship

we　sought　to　establish　would　not　only　be　firm；　but　inseparable；　with

this　impression；　we　added　Verona　or　Brescia　to　thy　previous

appointments。　What　more　could　we　either　give　or　promise　thee？　What

else　couldst　thou；　not　from　us　merely；　but　from　any　others；　have

either　had　or　expected？　Thou　receivedst　from　us　an　unhoped…for

benefit；　and　we；　in　return；　an　unmerited　wrong。　Neither　hast　thou

deferred　until　now　the　manifestation　of　thy　base　designs；　for　no

sooner　wert　thou　appointed　to　command　our　armies；　than；　contrary　to

every　dictate　of　propriety；　thou　didst　accept　Pavia；　which　plainly

showed　what　was　to　be　the　result　of　thy　friendship；　but　we　bore　with

the　injury；　in　hope　that　the　greatness　of　the　advantage　would　satisfy

thy　ambition。　Alas！　those　who　grasp　at　all　cannot　be　satisfied　with　a

part。　Thou　didst　promise　that　we　should　possess　the　conquests　which

thou　might　afterward　make；　for　thou　wert　well　aware　that　what　was

given　at　many　times　might　be　withdrawn　at　once；　as　was　the　case　after

the　victory　at　Caravaggio；　purchased　by　our　money　and　blood；　and

followed　by　our　ruin。　Oh！　unhappy　states；　which　have　to　guard　against

their　oppressor；　but　much　more　wretched　those　who　have　to　trust　to

mercenary　and　faithless　arms　like　thine！　May　our　example　instruct

posterity；　since　that　of　Thebes　and　Philip　of　Macedon；　who；　after

victory　over　her　enemies；　from　being　her　captain　became　her　foe　and

her　prince；　could　not　avail　us。



〃The　only　fault　of　which　we　are　conscious　is　our　over…weening

confidence　in　one　whom　we　ought　not　to　have　trusted；　for　thy　past

life；　thy　restless　mind；　incapable　of　repose；　ought　to　have　put　us　on

our　guard；　neither　ought　we　to　have　confided　in　one　who　betrayed　the

lord　of　Lucca；　set　a　fine　upon　the　Florentines　and　the　Venetians；

defied　the　duke；　despised　the　king；　and　besides　all　this；　persecuted

the　church　of　God；　and　the　Divinity　himself　with　innumerable

atrocities。　We　ought　not　to　have　fancied　that　so　many　potentates

possessed　less　influence　over　the　mind　of　Francesco　Sforza；　than　the

Milanese；　or　that　he　would　preserve　unblemished　that　faith　towards　us

which　he　had　on　so　many　occasions　broken　with　them。　Still　this　want　of

caution　in　us　does　not　excuse　the　perfidy　in　thee；　nor　can　it

obliterate　the　infamy　with　which　our　just　complaints　will　blacken　thy

character　throughout　the　world；　or　prevent　the　remorse　of　thy

conscience；　when　our　arms　are　used　for　our　own　destruction；　for　thou

wilt　see　that　the　sufferings　due　to　parricides　are　fully　deserved　by

thee。　And　though　ambition　should　blind　thine　eyes；　the　whole　world；

witness　to　thine　iniquity；　will　compel　thee　to　open　them；　God　himself

will　unclose　them；　if　perjuries；　if　violated　faith；　if　treacheries

displease　him；　and　if；　as　ever；　he　is　still　the　enemy　of　the　wicked。

Do　not；　therefore；　promise　thyself　any　certainty　of　victory；　for　the

just　wrath　of　the　Almighty　will　weigh　heavily　upon　thee；　and　we　are

resolved　to　lose　our　liberty　only　with　our　lives；　but　if　we　found　we

could　not　ultimately　defend　it；　we　would　submit　ourselves　to　anyone

rather　than　to　thee。　And　if　our　sins　be　so　great　that　in　spite　of　our

utmost　resolution；　we　should　still　fall　into　thy　hands；　be　quite

assured；　that　the　sovereignty　which　is　commenced　in　deceit　and

villainy；　will　terminate　either　in　thyself　or　thy　children　with

ignominy　and　blood。〃



The　count；　though　not　insensible　to　the　just　reproaches　of　the

Milanese；　did　not　exhibit　either　by　words　or　gestures　any　unusual

excitement；　and　replied；　that　〃He　willingly　attributed　to　their　angry

feelings　all　the　serious　charges　of　their　indiscreet　harangue；　and　he

would　reply　to　them　in　detail；　were　he　in　the　presence　of　anyone　who

could　decide　their　differences；　for　it　would　be　evident　that　he　had

not　injured　the　Milanese；　but　only　taken　care　that　they　should　not

injure　him。　They　well　knew　how　they　had　proceeded　after　the　victory　of

Caravaggio；　for；　instead　of　rewarding　him　with　either　Verona　or

Brescia；　they　sought　peace　with　the　Venetians；　that　all　the　blame　of

the　quarrel　might　rest　on　him；　themselves　obtaining　the　fruit　of

victory；　the　credit　of　peace；　and　all　the　advantages　that　could　be

derived　from　the　war。　It　would　thus　be　manifest　they　had　no　right　to

complain；　when　he　had　effected　the　arrangements　which　they　first

attempted　to　make；　and　that　if　he　had　deferred　to　do　so　a　little

longer；　he　would　have　had　reason　to　accuse　them　of　the　ingratitude

with　which　they　were　now　charging　him。　Whether　the　charge　were　true　or

false；　that　God；　whom　they　had　invoked　to　avenge　their　injuries；　would

show　at　the　conclusion　of　the　war；　and　would　demonstrate　which　was

most　his　friend；　and　who　had　most　justice　on　their　side。〃



Upon　the　departure　of　the　ambassadors；　the　count　determined　to　attack

the　Milanese；　who　prepared　for　their　defense；　and　appointed　Francesco

and　Jacopo　Piccinino　（attached　to　their　cause；　on　account　of　the

ancient　feud　of　the　families　of　Braccio　and　Sforza）　to　conduct　their

forces　in　support　of　liberty；　at　least　till　they　could　deprive　the

count　of　the　aid　of　the　Venetians；　who　they　did　not　think　would　long

be　either　friendly　or　faithful　to　him。　On　the　other　hand；　the　count；

perfectly　aware　of　this；　thought　it　not　imprudent；　supposing　the

obligation　of　the　treaty　insufficient；　to　bind　them　by　the　ties　of

interest；　and；　therefore；　in　assigning　to　each　their　portion　of　the

enterprise；　he　consented　that　the　Venetians　should　attack　Crema；　and

himself；　with　the　other　forces；　assail　the　remainder　of　the　territory。

The　advantage　of　this　arrangement　kept　the　Venetians　so　long　in

alliance　with　the　count；　that　he　was　enabled　to　conquer　the　whole　of

the　Milanese　territory；　and　to　press　the　city　so　closely；　that　the

inhabitants　could　not　provide　themselves　with　necessaries；　despairing

of　success；　they　sent　envoys　to　the　Venetians　to　beg　they　would

compassionate　their　distress；　and；　as　ought　to　be　the　case　between

republics；　assist　them　in　defense　of　their　liberty　against　a　tyrant；

whom；　if　once　master　of　their　city；　they　would　be　unable　to　restrain；

neither　did　they　think　he　would　be　content　with　the　boundaries

assigned　him　by　the　treaty；　but　would　expect　all　the　dependencies　of

Milan。



The　Venetians　had　not　yet　taken　Crema；　and　wishing　before　they　changed

sides；　to　effect　this　point；　they　PUBLICLY　answered　the　envoys；　that

their　engagements　with　the　count　prevented　them　from　defending　the

Milanese；　but　SECRETLY；　gave　them　every　assurance　of　their　wish　to　do

so。



The　count　had　approached　so　near　Milan　with　his　forces；　that　he　was

disputing　t