history of florence-第80节

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allowed　to　recover　from　the　princes　of　Montferrat　and　Savoy　the　places

they　had　taken。　To　the　other　Italian　powers　a　month　was　allowed　to

ratify　the　treaty。　The　pope　and　the　Florentines；　and　with　them　the

Siennese　and　other　minor　powers；　acceded　to　it　within　the　time。

Besides　this；　the　Florentines；　the　Venetians；　and　the　duke　concluded　a

treaty　of　peace　for　twenty…five　years。　King　Alfonso　alone　exhibited

dissatisfaction　at　what　had　taken　place；　thinking　he　had　not　been

sufficiently　considered；　that　he　stood；　not　on　the　footing　of　a

principal；　but　only　ranked　as　an　auxiliary；　and　therefore　kept　aloof；

and　would　not　disclose　his　intentions。　However；　after　receiving　a

legate　from　the　pope；　and　many　solemn　embassies　from　other　powers；　he

allowed　himself　to　be　persuaded；　principally　by　means　of　the　pontiff；

and　with　his　son　joined　the　League　for　thirty　years。　The　duke　and　the

king　also　contracted　a　twofold　relationship　and　double　marriage；　each

giving　a　daughter　to　a　son　of　the　other。　Notwithstanding　this；　that

Italy　might　still　retain　the　seeds　of　war；　Alfonso　would　not　consent

to　the　peace；　unless　the　League　would　allow　him；　without　injury　to

themselves；　to　make　war　upon　the　Genoese；　Gismondo　Malatesti；　and

Astorre；　prince　of　Faenza。　This　being　conceded；　his　son　Ferrando；　who

was　at　Sienna；　returned　to　the　kingdom；　having　by　his　coming　into

Tuscany　acquired　no　dominion　and　lost　a　great　number　of　his　men。



Upon　the　establishment　of　a　general　peace；　the　only　apprehension

entertained　was；　that　it　would　be　disturbed　by　the　animosity　of

Alfonso　against　the　Genoese；　yet　it　happened　otherwise。　The　king；

indeed；　did　not　openly　infringe　the　peace；　but　it　was　frequently

broken　by　the　ambition　of　the　mercenary　troops。　The　Venetians；　as

usual　on　the　conclusion　of　a　war；　had　discharged　Jacopo　Piccinino；　who

with　some　other　unemployed　condottieri；　marched　into　Romagna；　thence

into　the　Siennese；　and　halting　in　the　country；　took　possession　of　many

places。　At　the　commencement　of　these　disturbances；　and　the　beginning

of　the　year　1455；　Pope　Nicholas　died；　and　was　succeeded　by　Calixtus

III。；　who；　to　put　a　stop　to　the　war　newly　broken　out　so　near　home；

immediately　sent　Giovanni　Ventimiglia；　his　general；　with　what　forces

he　could　furnish。　These　being　joined　by　the　troops　of　the　Florentines

and　the　duke　of　Milan；　both　of　whom　furnished　assistance；　attacked

Jacopo；　near　Bolsena；　and　though　Ventimiglia　was　taken　prisoner；　yet

Jacopo　was　worsted；　and　retreated　in　disorder　to　Castiglione　della

Pescaia；　where；　had　he　not　been　assisted　by　Alfonso；　his　force　would

have　been　completely　annihilated。　This　made　it　evident　that　Jacopo's

movement　had　been　made　by　order　of　Alfonso；　and　the　latter；　as　if

palpably　detected；　to　conciliate　his　allies；　after　having　almost

alienated　them　with　this　unimportant　war；　ordered　Jacopo　to　restore　to

the　Siennese　the　places　he　had　taken；　and　they　gave　him　twenty

thousand　florins　by　way　of　ransom；　after　which　he　and　his　forces　were

received　into　the　kingdom　of　Naples。







CHAPTER　VII



　　Christendom　alarmed　by　the　progress　of　the　TurksThe　Turks　routed

　　before　BelgradeDescription　of　a　remarkable　hurricaneWar

　　against　the　Genoese　and　Gismondo　MalatestiGenoa　submits　to　the

　　king　of　FranceDeath　of　Alfonso　king　of　NaplesSucceeded　by　his

　　son　FerrandoThe　pope　designs　to　give　the　kingdom　of　Naples　to

　　his　nephew　Piero　Lodovico　BorgiaEulogy　of　Pius　II。Disturbances

　　in　Genoa　between　John　of　Anjou　and　the　FregosiThe　Fregosi

　　subduedJohn　attacks　the　kingdom　of　NaplesFerrando　king　of

　　Naples　routedFerrando　reinstatedThe　Genoese　cast　off　the

　　French　yokeJohn　of　Anjou　routed　in　the　kingdom　of　Naples。



The　pope；　though　anxious　to　restrain　Jacopo　Piccinino；　did　not　neglect

to　make　provision　for　the　defense　of　Christendom；　which　seemed　in

danger　from　the　Turks。　He　sent　ambassadors　and　preachers　into　every

Christian　country；　to　exhort　princes　and　people　to　arm　in　defense　of

their　religion；　and　with　their　persons　and　property　to　contribute　to

the　enterprise　against　the　common　enemy。　In　Florence；　large　sums　were

raised；　and　many　citizens　bore　the　mark　of　a　red　cross　upon　their

dress　to　intimate　their　readiness　to　become　soldiers　of　the　faith。

Solemn　processions　were　made；　and　nothing　was　neglected　either　in

public　or　private；　to　show　their　willingness　to　be　among　the　most

forward　to　assist　the　enterprise　with　money；　counsel；　or　men。　But　the

eagerness　for　this　crusade　was　somewhat　abated；　by　learning　that　the

Turkish　army；　being　at　the　siege　of　Belgrade；　a　strong　city　and

fortress　in　Hungary；　upon　the　banks　of　the　Danube；　had　been　routed　and

the　emperor　wounded；　so　that　the　alarm　felt　by　the　pope　and　all

Christendom；　on　the　loss　of　Constantinople；　having　ceased　to　operate；

they　proceeded　with　deliberately　with　their　preparations　for　war；　and

in　Hungary　their　zeal　was　cooled　through　the　death　of　Giovanni　Corvini

the　Waiwode；　who　commanded　the　Hungarian　forces　on　that　memorable

occasion；　and　fell　in　the　battle。



To　return　to　the　affairs　of　Italy。　In　the　year　1456；　the　disturbances

occasioned　by　Jacopo　Piccinino　having　subsided；　and　human　weapons　laid

aside；　the　heavens　seemed　to　make　war　against　the　earth；　dreadful

tempestuous　winds　then　occurring；　which　produced　effects　unprecedented

in　Tuscany；　and　which　to　posterity　will　appear　marvelous　and

unaccountable。　On　the　twenty…fourth　of　August；　about　an　hour　before

daybreak；　there　arose　from　the　Adriatic　near　Ancona；　a　whirlwind；

which　crossing　from　east　to　west；　again　reached　the　sea　near　Pisa；

accompanied　by　thick　clouds；　and　the　most　intense　and　impenetrable

darkness；　covering　a　breadth　of　about　two　miles　in　the　direction　of

its　course。　Under　some　natural　or　supernatural　influence；　this　vast

and　overcharged　volume　of　condensed　vapor　burst；　its　fragments

contended　with　indescribable　fury；　and　huge　bodies　sometimes　ascending

toward　heaven；　and　sometimes　precipitated　upon　the　earth；　struggled；

as　it　were；　in　mutual　conflict；　whirling　in　circles　with　intense

velocity；　and　accompanied　by　winds；　impetuous　beyond　all　conception；

while　flashes　of　awful　brilliancy；　and　murky；　lurid　flames　incessantly

broke　forth。　From　these　confused　clouds；　furious　winds；　and　momentary

fires；　sounds　issued；　of　which　no　earthquake　or　thunder　ever　heard

could　afford　the　least　idea；　striking　such　awe　into　all；　that　it　was

thought　the　end　of　the　world　had　arrived；　that　the　earth；　waters；

heavens；　and　entire　universe；　mingling　together；　were　being　resolved

into　their　ancient　chaos。　Wherever　this　awful　tempest　passed；　it

produced　unprecedented　and　marvelous　effects；　but　these　were　more

especially　experienced　near　the　castle　of　St。　Casciano；　about　eight

miles　from　Florence；　upon　the　hill　which　separates　the　valleys　of　Pisa

and　Grieve。　Between　this　castle　and　the　Borgo　St。　Andrea；　upon　the

same　hill；　the　tempest　passed　without　touching　the　latter；　and　in　the

former；　only　threw　down　some　of　the　battlements　and　the　chimneys　of　a

few　houses；　but　in　the　space　between　them；　it　leveled　many　buildings

quite　to　the　ground。　The　roofs　of　the　churches　of　St。　Martin；　at

Bagnolo；　and　Santa　Maria　della　Pace；　were　carried　more　than　a　mile；

unbroken　as　when　upon　their　respective　edifices。　A　muleteer　and　his

beasts　were　driven　from　the　road　into　the　adjoining　valley；　and　found

dead。　All　the　large　oaks　and　lofty　trees　which　could　not　bend　beneath

its　influence；　were　not　only　stripped　of　their　branches　but　borne　to　a

great　distance　from　the　places　where　they　grew；　and　when　the　tempest

had　passed　over　and　daylight　made　the　desolation　visible；　the

inhabitants　were　transfixed　with　dismay。　The　country　had　lost　all　its

habitable　character；　churches　and　dwellings　were　laid　in　heaps；

nothing　was　heard　but　the　lamentations　of　those　whose　possessions　had

perished；　or　whose　cattle　or　friends　were　buried　beneath　the　ruins；

and　all　who　witnessed　the　scene　were　filled　with　anguish　or

compassion。　It　was　doubtless　the　design　of　the　Omnipotent；　rather　to

threaten　Tuscany　than　to　chastise　her；　for　had　the　hurricane　been

directed　over　the　city；　filled　with　houses　and　inhabitants；　instead　of

proceeding　among　oaks　and　elms；　or　small　and　thinly　scattered

dwellings；　it　would　have　been　such　a　scourge　as　the　mind；　with　all　its

ideas　of　horror；　could　not　have　conceived。　But　the　Almighty　desired

that　this　slight　example　should　suffice　to　recall　the　minds　of　men　to

a　knowledge　of　himself　and　of　his　power。



To　return　to　our　history。　King　Alfonso　was　dissatisfied　with　the

peace；　and　as　the　war　which　he　had　unnecessarily　caused　Jacopo

Piccinino　to　make　against　the　Siennese；　had　produced　no　important

result；　he　resolved　to　try　what　could　be　done　against　those　whom　the

conditions　of　the　League　permitted　him　to　attack。　He　therefore；　in　the

year　1456；　assailed　the　Genoese；　both　by　sea　and　by　land；　designing　to

deprive　the　Fregosi　of　the　government　and　restore　the　Adorni。　At　the