history of florence-第76节

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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　the　suburbs　with　the　inhabitants；　when　the　Venetians　having

taken　Crema；　thought　they　need　no　longer　hesitate　to　declare　in　favor

of　the　Milanese；　with　whom　they　made　peace　and　entered　into　alliance；

among　the　terms　of　which　was　the　defense　of　their　liberty　unimpaired。

Having　come　to　this　agreement；　they　ordered　their　forces　to　withdraw

from　the　count's　camp　and　to　return　to　the　Venetian　territory。　They

informed　him　of　the　peace　made　with　the　Milanese；　and　gave　him　twenty

days　to　consider　what　course　he　would　adopt。　He　was　not　surprised　at

the　step　taken　by　the　Venetians；　for　he　had　long　foreseen　it；　and

expected　its　occurrence　daily；　but　when　it　actually　took　place；　he

could　not　avoid　feeling　regret　and　displeasure　similar　to　what　the

Milanese　had　experienced　when　he　abandoned　them。　He　took　two　days　to

consider　the　reply　he　would　make　to　the　ambassadors　whom　the　Venetians

had　sent　to　inform　him　of　the　treaty；　and　during　this　time　he

determined　to　dupe　the　Venetians；　and　not　abandon　his　enterprise；

therefore；　appearing　openly　to　accept　the　proposal　for　peace；　he　sent

his　ambassadors　to　Venice　with　full　credentials　to　effect　the

ratification；　but　gave　them　secret　orders　not　to　do　so；　and　with

pretexts　or　caviling　to　put　it　off。　To　give　the　Venetians　greater

assurance　of　his　sincerity；　he　made　a　truce　with　the　Milanese　for　a

month；　withdrew　from　Milan　and　divided　his　forces　among　the　places　he

had　taken。　This　course　was　the　occasion　of　his　victory　and　the　ruin　of

the　Milanese；　for　the　Venetians；　confident　of　peace；　were　slow　in

preparing　for　war；　and　the　Milanese　finding　the　truce　concluded；　the

enemy　withdrawn；　and　the　Venetians　their　friends；　felt　assured　that

the　count　had　determined　to　abandon　his　design。　This　idea　injured　them

in　two　ways：　one；　by　neglecting　to　provide　for　their　defense；　the

next；　that；　being　seed…time；　they　sowed　a　large　quantity　of　grain　in

the　country　which　the　enemy　had　evacuated；　and　thus　brought　famine

upon　themselves。　On　the　other　hand；　all　that　was　injurious　to　his

enemies　favored　the　count；　and　the　time　gave　him　opportunity　to　take

breath　and　provide　himself　with　assistance。



The　Florentines　during　the　war　of　Lombardy　had　not　declared　in　favor

of　either　party；　or　assisted　the　count　either　in　defense　of　the

Milanese　or　since；　for　he　never　having　been　in　need　had　not　pressingly

requested　it；　and　they　only　sent　assistance　to　the　Venetians　after　the

rout　at　Caravaggio；　in　pursuance　of　the　treaty。　Count　Francesco；

standing　now　alone；　and　not　knowing　to　whom　else　he　could　apply；　was

compelled　to　request　immediate　aid　of　the　Florentines；　publicly　from

the　state；　and　privately　from　friends；　particularly　from　Cosmo　de'

Medici；　with　whom　he　had　always　maintained　a　steady　friendship；　and　by

whom　he　had　constantly　been　faithfully　advised　and　liberally

supported。　Nor　did　Cosmo　abandon　him　in　his　extreme　necessity；　but

supplied　him　generously　from　his　own　resources；　and　encouraged　him　to

prosecute　his　design。　He　also　wished　the　city　publicly　to　assist　him；

but　there　were　difficulties　in　the　way。　Neri　di　Gino　Capponi；　one　of

the　most　powerful　citizens　of　Florence；　thought　it　not　to　the

advantage　of　the　city；　that　the　count　should　obtain　Milan；　and　was　of

opinion　that　it　would　be　more　to　the　safety　of　Italy　for　him　to　ratify

the　peace　than　pursue　the　war。　In　the　first　place；　he　apprehended　that

the　Milanese；　through　their　anger　against　the　count；　would　surrender

themselves　entirely　to　the　Venetians；　which　would　occasion　the　ruin　of

all。　Supposing　he　should　occupy　Milan；　it　appeared　to　him　that　so

great　military　superiority；　combined　with　such　an　extent　of　territory；

would　be　dangerous　to　themselves；　and　that　if　as　count　he　was

intolerable；　he　would　become　doubly　so　as　duke。　He　therefore

considered　it　better　for　the　republic　of　Florence　and　for　Italy；　that

the　count　should　be　content　with　his　military　reputation；　and　that

Lombardy　should　be　divided　into　two　republics；　which　could　never　be

united　to　injure　others；　and　separately　are　unable　to　do　so。　To　attain

this　he　saw　no　better　means　than　to　refrain　from　aiding　the　count；　and

continuing　in　the　former　league　with　the　Venetians。　These　reasonings

were　not　satisfactory　to　Cosmo's　friends；　for　they　imagined　that　Neri

had　argued　thus；　not　from　a　conviction　of　its　advantage　to　the

republic；　but　to　prevent　the　count；　as　a　friend　of　Cosmo；　from

becoming　duke；　apprehending　that　Cosmo　would；　in　consequence　of　this；

become　too　powerful。



Cosmo；　in　reply；　pointed　out；　that　to　lend　assistance　to　the　count

would　be　highly　beneficial　both　to　Italy　and　the　republic；　for　it　was

unwise　to　imagine　the　Milanese　could　preserve　their　own　liberty；　for

the　nature　of　their　community；　their　mode　of　life；　and　their

hereditary　feuds　were　opposed　to　every　kind　of　civil　government；　so

that　it　was　necessary；　either　that　the　count　should　become　duke　of

Milan；　or　the　Venetians　her　lords。　And　surely　under　such

circumstances；　no　one　could　doubt　which　would　be　most　to　their

advantage；　to　have　for　their　neighbor　a　powerful　friend　or　a　far　more

powerful　foe。　Neither　need　it　be　apprehended　that　the　Milanese；　while

at　war　with　the　count；　would　submit　to　the　Venetians；　for　the　count

had　a　stronger　party　in　the　city；　and　the　Venetians　had　not；　so　that

whenever　they　were　unable　to　defend　themselves　as　freemen；　they　would

be　more　inclined　to　obey　the　count　than　the　Venetians。



These　diverse　views　kept　the　city　long　in　suspense；　but　at　length　it

was　resolved　to　send　ambassadors　to　the　count　to　settle　the　terms　of

agreement；　with　instructions；　that　if　they　found　him　in　such　a

condition　as　to　give　hopes　of　his　ultimate　success；　they　were　to　close

with　him；　but；　if　otherwise；　they　were　to　draw　out　the　time　in

diplomacy。







CHAPTER　V



　　Prosecution　of　the　war　between　the　count　and　the　MilaneseThe

　　Milanese　reduced　to　extremityThe　people　rise　against　the

　　magistratesMilan　surrenders　to　the　countLeague　between　the　new

　　duke　of　Milan　and　the　Florentines；　and　between　the　king　of　Naples

　　and　the　VenetiansVenetian　and　Neapolitan　ambassadors　at　Florence

　　Answer　of　Cosmo　de'　Medici　to　the　Venetian　ambassador

　　Preparations　of　the　Venetians　and　the　king　of　Naples　for　the　war

　　The　Venetians　excite　disturbances　in　BolognaFlorence　prepares

　　for　warThe　emperor；　Frederick　III。　at　FlorenceWar　in　Lombardy

　　between　the　duke　of　Milan　and　the　VenetiansFerrando；　son　of　the

　　king　of　Naples；　marches　into　Tuscany　against　the　Florentines。



The　ambassadors　were　at　Reggio　when　they　heard　that　the　count　had

become　lord　of　Milan；　for　as　soon　as　the　truce　had　expired；　he

approached　the　city　with　his　forces；　hoping　quickly　to　get　possession

of　it　in　spite　of　the　Venetians；　who　could　bring　no　relief　except　from

the　side　of　the　Adda；　which　route　he　could　easily　obstruct；　and

therefore　had　no　apprehension　（being　then　winter）　of　their　arrival；

and　he　trusted　that；　before　the　return　of　spring；　he　would　be

victorious；　particularly；　as　by　the　death　of　Francesco　Piccinino；

there　remained　only　Jacopo　his　brother；　to　command　the　Milanese。　The

Venetians　had　sent　an　ambassador　to　Milan　to　confirm　the　citizens　in

their　resolution　of　defense；　promising　them　powerful　and　immediate

aid。　During　the　winter　a　few　slight　skirmishes　had　taken　place　between

the　count　and　the　Venetians；　but　on　the　approach　of　milder　weather；

the　latter；　under　Pandolfo　Malatesti；　halted　with　their　army　upon　the

Adda；　and　considering　whether；　in　order　to　succor　the　Milanese；　they

ought　to　risk　a　battle；　Pardolfo；　their　general；　aware　of　the　count's

abilities；　and　the　courage　of　his　army；　said　it　would　be　unadvisable

to　do　so；　and　that；　under　the　circumstances；　it　was　needless；　for　the

count；　being　in　great　want　of　forage；　could　not　keep　the　field；　and

must　soon　retire。　He　therefore　advised　them　to　remain　encamped；　to

keep　the　Milanese　in　hope；　and　prevent　them　from　surrendering。　This

advice　was　approved　by　the　Venetians；　both　as　being　safe；　and　because；

by　keeping　the　Milanese　in　this　necessity；　they　might　be　the　sooner

compelled　to　submit　to　their　dominion；　for　they　felt　quite　sure　that

the　injuries　they　had　received　would　always　prevent　their　submission

to　the　count。



In　the　meantime；　the　Milanese　were　reduced　to　the　utmost　misery；　and

as　the　city　usually　abounded　with　poor；　many　died　of　hunger　in　the

streets；　hence　arose　complaints　and　disturbances　in　several　parts；

which　alarmed　the　magistrates；　and　compelled　them　to　use　their　utmost

exertions　to　prevent　popular　meetings。　The　multitude　are　always　slow

to　resolve　on　commotion；　but　the　resolution　once　formed；　any　trivial

circumstance　excites　it　to　action。　Two　men　in　humble　life；　talking

together　near　the　Porta　Nuova　of　the　calamities　of　the　city；　their　own