history of florence-第78节

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Constantinople　to　expel　all　Florentines　from　his　dominions；　so　fierce

was　the　animosity　with　which　they　entered　on　this　war；　and　so　powerful

their　lust　of　dominion；　that　without　the　least　hesitation　they　sought

the　destruction　of　those　who　had　been　the　occasion　of　their　own　power。

The　emperor；　however；　refused　to　listen　to　them。　The　Venetian　senate

forbade　the　Florentine　ambassadors　to　enter　their　territories；

alleging；　that　being　in　league　with　the　king；　they　could　not　entertain

them　without　his　concurrence。　The　Siennese　received　the　ambassadors

with　fair　words；　fearing　their　own　ruin　before　the　League　could　assist

them；　and　therefore　endeavored　to　appease　the　powers　whose　attack　they

were　unable　to　resist。　The　Venetians　and　the　king　（as　was　then

conjectured）　were　disposed　to　send　ambassadors　to　Florence　to　justify

the　war。　But　the　Venetian　envoy　was　not　allowed　to　enter　the

Florentine　dominions；　and　the　king's　ambassador；　being　unwilling　to

perform　his　office　alone；　the　embassy　was　not　completed；　and　thus　the

Venetians　learned；　that　however　little　they　might　esteem　the

Florentines；　the　latter　had　still　less　respect　for　them。



In　the　midst　of　these　fears；　the　emperor；　Frederick　III。；　came　into

Italy　to　be　crowned。　On　the　thirtieth　of　January；　1451；　he　entered

Florence　with　fifteen　hundred　horse；　and　was　most　honorably　received

by　the　Signory。　He　remained　in　the　city　till　the　sixth　of　February；

and　then　proceeded　to　Rome　for　his　coronation；　where；　having　been

solemnly　consecrated；　and　his　marriage　celebrated　with　the　empress；

who　had　come　to　Rome　by　sea；　he　returned　to　Germany；　and　again　passed

through　Florence　in　May；　with　the　same　honors　as　upon　his　arrival。　On

his　return；　having　derived　some　benefits　from　the　marquis　of　Mantua；

he　conceded　to　him　Modena　and　Reggio。　In　the　meantime；　the　Florentines

did　not　fail　to　prepare　themselves　for　immediate　war；　and　to　augment

their　influence；　and　strike　the　enemy　with　terror；　they；　in

conjunction　with　the　duke；　entered　into　alliance　with　the　king　of

France　for　the　mutual　defense　of　their　states。　This　treaty　was

published　with　great　pomp　throughout　all　Italy。



The　month　of　May；　1452；　having　arrived；　the　Venetians　thought　it　not

desirable　to　defer　any　longer　their　attack　upon　the　duke；　and　with

sixteen　thousand　horse　and　six　thousand　foot　assailed　his　territories

in　the　direction　of　Lodi；　while　the　marquis　of　Montferrat；　instigated

either　by　his　own　ambition　or　the　entreaties　of　the　Venetians；　did　the

same　on　the　side　of　Alexandria。　The　duke　assembled　a　force　of　eighteen

thousand　cavalry　and　three　thousand　infantry；　garrisoned　Alexandria

and　Lodi；　and　all　the　other　places　where　the　enemy　might　annoy　them。

He　then　attacked　the　Brescian　territory；　and　greatly　harassed　the

Venetians；　while　both　parties　alike　plundered　the　country　and　ravaged

the　smaller　towns。　Having　defeated　the　marquis　of　Montferrat　at

Alexandria；　the　duke　was　able　to　unite　his　whole　force　against　the

Venetians　and　invade　their　territory。



While　the　war　in　Lombardy　proceeded　thus；　giving　rise　to　various

trifling　incidents　unworthy　of　recital；　King　Alfonso　and　the

Florentines　carried　on　hostilities　in　Tuscany；　but　in　a　similarly

inefficient　manner；　evincing　no　greater　talent；　and　incurring　no

greater　danger。　Ferrando；　the　illegitimate　son　of　Alfonso；　entered　the

country　with　twelve　thousand　troops；　under　the　command　of　Federigo；

lord　of　Urbino。　Their　first　attempt　was　to　attack　Fojano；　in　the　Val

di　Chiane；　for；　having　the　Siennese　in　their　favor；　they　entered　the

Florentine　territory　in　that　direction。　The　walls　of　the　castle　were

weak；　and　it　was　small；　and　consequently　poorly　manned；　but　the

garrison　were；　among　the　soldiers　of　that　period；　considered　brave　and

faithful。　Two　hundred　infantry　were　also　sent　by　the　Signory　for　its

defense。　Before　this　castle；　thus　provided；　Ferrando　sat　down；　and

either　from　the　valor　of　its　defenders　or　his　own　deficiencies；

thirty…six　days　elapsed　before　he　took　it。　This　interval　enabled　the

city　to　make　better　provision　for　places　of　greater　importance；　to

collect　forces　and　conclude　more　effective　arrangements　than　had

hitherto　been　made。　The　enemy　next　proceeded　into　the　district　of

Chiane；　where　they　attacked　two　small　towns；　the　property　of　private

citizens；　but　could　not　capture　them。　They　then　encamped　before　the

Castellina；　a　fortress　upon　the　borders　of　the　Chianti；　within　ten

miles　of　Sienna；　weak　from　its　defective　construction；　and　still　more

so　by　its　situation；　but；　notwithstanding　these　defects；　the

assailants　were　compelled　to　retire　in　disgrace；　after　having　lain

before　it　forty…four　days。　So　formidable　were　those　armies；　and　so

perilous　those　wars；　that　places　now　abandoned　as　untenable　were　then

defended　as　impregnable。



While　Ferrando　was　encamped　in　the　Chianti　he　made　many　incursions；

and　took　considerable　booty　from　the　Florentine　territories；　extending

his　depredations　within　six　miles　of　the　city；　to　the　great　alarm　and

injury　of　the　people；　who　at　this　time；　having　sent　their　forces　to

the　number　of　eight　thousand　soldiers　under　Astorre　da　Faenza　and

Gismondo　Malatesti　toward　Castel　di　Colle；　kept　them　at　a　distance

from　the　enemy；　lest　they　should　be　compelled　to　an　engagement；　for

they　considered　that　so　long　as　they　were　not　beaten　in　a　pitched

battle；　they　could　not　be　vanquished　in　the　war　generally；　for　small

castles；　when　lost；　were　recovered　at　the　peace；　and　larger　places

were　in　no　danger；　because　the　enemy　would　not　venture　to　attack　them。

The　king　had　also　a　fleet　of　about　twenty　vessels；　comprising　galleys

and　smaller　craft；　which　lay　off　Pisa；　and　during　the　siege　of

Castellina　were　moored　near　the　Rocca　di　Vada；　which；　from　the

negligence　of　the　governor；　he　took；　and　then　harassed　the　surrounding

country。　However；　this　annoyance　was　easily　removed　by　a　few　soldiers

sent　by　the　Florentines　to　Campiglia；　and　who　confined　the　enemy　to

the　coast。







CHAPTER　VI



　　Conspiracy　of　Stefano　Porcari　against　the　papal　governmentThe

　　conspirators　discovered　and　punishedThe　Florentines　recover　the

　　places　they　had　lostGherardo　Gambacorti；　lord　of　Val　di　Bagno；

　　endeavors　to　transfer　his　territories　to　the　king　of　Naples

　　Gallant　conduct　of　Antonio　Gualandi；　who　counteracts　the　design　of

　　GambacortiRen？of　Anjou　is　called　into　Italy　by　the　Florentines

　　Ren？returns　to　FranceThe　pope　endeavors　to　restore　peace

　　Peace　proclaimedJacopo　Piccinino　attacks　the　Siennese。



The　pontiff　did　not　interfere　in　these　affairs　further　than　to

endeavor　to　bring　the　parties　to　a　mutual　accommodation；　but　while　he

refrained　from　external　wars　he　incurred　the　danger　of　more　serious

troubles　at　home。　Stefano　Porcari　was　a　Roman　citizen；　equally

distinguished　for　nobility　of　birth　and　extent　of　learning；　but　still

more　by　the　excellence　of　his　character。　Like　all　who　are　in　pursuit

of　glory；　he　resolved　either　to　perform　or　to　attempt　something　worthy

of　memory；　and　thought　he　could　not　do　better　than　deliver　his　country

from　the　hands　of　the　prelates；　and　restore　the　ancient　form　of

government；　hoping；　in　the　event　of　success；　to　be　considered　a　new

founder　or　second　father　of　the　city。　The　dissolute　manners　of　the

priesthood；　and　the　discontent　of　the　Roman　barons　and　people；

encouraged　him　to　look　for　a　happy　termination　of　his　enterprise；　but

he　derived　his　greatest　confidence　from　those　verses　of　Petrarch　in

the　canzone　which　begins；　〃Spirto　gentil　che　quelle　membra　reggi；〃

where　he　says；



　〃Sopra　il　Monte　Tarpejo　canzon　vedra；

　　Un　cavalier；　ch'　Italia　tutta　onora；

　　Pensoso　piu　d'altrui；　che　di　se　stesso。〃



Stefano；　believing　poets　are　sometimes　endowed　with　a　divine　and

prophetic　spirit；　thought　the　event　must　take　place　which　Petrarch　in

this　canzone　seemed　to　foretell；　and　that　he　was　destined　to　effect

the　glorious　task；　considering　himself　in　learning；　eloquence；

friends；　and　influence；　superior　to　any　other　citizen　of　Rome。　Having

taken　these　impressions；　he　had　not　sufficient　prudence　to　avoid

discovering　his　design　by　his　discourse；　demeanor；　and　mode　of　living；

so　that　the　pope　becoming　acquainted　with　it；　in　order　to　prevent　the

commission　of　some　rash　act；　banished　him　to　Bologna　and　charged　the

governor　of　the　city　to　compel　his　appearance　before　him　once　every

day。　Stefano　was　not　daunted　by　this　first　check；　but　with　even

greater　earnestness　prosecuted　his　undertaking；　and；　by　such　means　as

were　available；　more　cautiously　corresponded　with　his　friends；　and

often　went　and　returned　from　Rome　with　such　celerity　as　to　be　in　time

to　present　himself　before　the　governor　within　the　limit　allowed　for

his　appearance。　Having　acquired　a　sufficient　number　of　partisans；　he

determined　to　make　the　attempt　without　further　delay；　and　arranged

with　his　friends　at　Rome　to　provide　an　evening　banquet；　to　which　all

the　conspirators　were　invited；　with　orde