history of florence-第81节

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

same　time；　he　ordered　Jacopo　Piccinino　to　cross　the　Tronto；　and　attack

Gismondo　Malatesti；　who；　having　fortified　his　territories；　did　not

concern　himself；　and　this　part　of　the　king's　enterprise　produced　no

effect；　but　his　proceedings　against　Genoa　occasioned　more　wars　against

himself　and　his　kingdom　than　he　could　have　wished。　Piero　Fregoso　was

then　doge　of　Genoa；　and　doubting　his　ability　to　sustain　the　attack　of

the　king；　he　determined　to　give　what　he　could　not　hold；　to　some　one

who　might　defend　it　against　his　enemies；　in　hope；　that　at　a　future

period；　he　should　obtain　a　return　for　the　benefit　conferred。　He

therefore　sent　ambassadors　to　Charles　VII。　of　France；　and　offered　him

the　government　of　Genoa。　Charles　accepted　the　offer；　and　sent　John　of

Anjou；　the　son　of　King　Ren？　who　had　a　short　time　previously　left

Florence　and　returned　to　France；　to　take　possession　with　the　idea；

that　he；　having　learned　the　manners　and　customs　of　Italy；　would　be

able　to　govern　the　city；　and　also　that　this　might　give　him　an

opportunity　of　undertaking　the　conquest　of　Naples；　of　which　Ren？

John's　father；　had　been　deprived　by　Alfonso。　John；　therefore；

proceeded　to　Genoa；　where　he　was　received　as　prince；　and　the

fortresses；　both　of　the　city　and　the　government；　given　up　to　him。　This

annoyed　Alfonso；　with　the　fear　that　he　had　brought　upon　himself　too

powerful　an　enemy。　He　was　not；　however；　dismayed；　but　pursued　his

enterprise　vigorously；　and　had　led　his　fleet　to　Porto；　below

Villamarina；　when　he　died　after　a　sudden　illness；　and　thus　John　and

the　Genoese　were　relieved　from　the　war。　Ferrando；　who　succeeded　to　the

kingdom　of　his　father　Alfonso；　became　alarmed　at　having　so　powerful　an

enemy　in　Italy；　and　was　doubtful　of　the　disposition　of　many　of　his

barons；　who　being　desirous　of　change；　he　feared　would　take　part　with

the　French。　He　was　also　apprehensive　of　the　pope；　whose　ambition　he

well　knew；　and　who　seeing　him　new　in　the　government；　might　design　to

take　it　from　him。　He　had　no　hope　except　from　the　duke　of　Milan；　who

entertained　no　less　anxiety　concerning　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom　than

Ferrando；　for　he　feared　that　if　the　French　were　to　obtain　it；　they

would　endeavor　to　annex　his　own　dominions；　which　he　knew　they

considered　to　be　rightfully　their　own。　He；　therefore；　soon　after　the

death　of　Alfonso；　sent　letters　and　forces　to　Ferrando；　the　latter　to

give　him　aid　and　influence；　the　former　to　encourage　him　with　an

intimation　that　he　would　not；　under　any　circumstances；　forsake　him。

The　pontiff　intended；　after　the　death　of　Alfonso；　to　give　the　kingdom

of　Naples　to　his　nephew　Piero　Lodovico　Borgia；　and；　to　furnish　a

decent　pretext　for　his　design　and　obtain　the　concurrence　of　the　powers

of　Italy　in　its　favor　he　signified　a　wish　to　restore　that　realm　to　the

dominion　of　the　church　of　Rome；　and　therefore　persuaded　the　duke　not

to　assist　Ferrando。　But　in　the　midst　of　these　views　and　opening

enterprises；　Calixtus　died；　and　Pius　II。　of　Siennese　origin；　of　the

family　of　the　Piccolomini；　and　by　name　苙eas；　succeeded　to　the

pontificate。　This　pontiff；　free　from　the　ties　of　private　interest；

having　no　object　but　to　benefit　Christendom　and　honor　the　church；　at

the　duke's　entreaty　crowned　Ferrando　king　of　Naples；　judging　it　easier

to　establish　peace　if　the　kingdom　remained　in　the　hands　which　at

present　held　it；　than　if　he　were　to　favor　the　views　of　the　French；　or；

as　Calixtus　purposed；　take　it　for　himself。　Ferrando；　in　acknowledgment

of　the　benefit；　created　Antonio；　one　of　the　pope's　nephews；　prince　of

Malfi；　gave　him　an　illegitimate　daughter　of　his　own　in　marriage；　and

restored　Benevento　and　Terracina　to　the　church。



It　thus　appeared　that　the　internal　dissensions　of　Italy　might　be

quelled；　and　the　pontiff　prepared　to　induce　the　powers　of　Christendom

to　unite　in　an　enterprise　against　the　Turks　（as　Calixtus　had

previously　designed）　when　differences　arose　between　the　Fregosi　and

John　of　Anjou；　the　lord　of　Genoa；　which　occasioned　greater　and　more

important　wars　than　those　recently　concluded。　Pietrino　Fregoso　was　at

his　castle　of　Riviera；　and　thought　he　had　not　been　rewarded　by　John　in

proportion　to　his　family's　merits；　for　it　was　by　their　means　the

latter　had　become　prince　of　the　city。　This　impression　drove　the

parties　into　open　enmity；　a　circumstance　gratifying　to　Ferrando；　who

saw　in　it　relief　from　his　troubles；　and　the　sole　means　of　procuring

his　safety：　he　therefore　assisted　Pietrino　with　money　and　men；

trusting　to　drive　John　out　of　the　Genoese　territory。　The　latter　being

aware　of　his　design；　sent　for　aid　to　France；　and；　on　obtaining　it；

attacked　Pietrino；　who；　through　his　numerous　friends；　entertained　the

strongest　assurance　of　success；　so　that　John　was　compelled　to　keep

within　the　city；　into　which　Pietrino　having　entered　by　night；　took

possession　of　some　parts　of　it；　but　upon　the　return　of　day；　his　people

were　all　either　slain　or　made　prisoners　by　John's　troops；　and　he

himself　was　found　among　the　dead。



This　victory　gave　John　hopes　of　recovering　the　kingdom；　and　in

October；　1459；　he　sailed　thither　from　Genoa；　with　a　powerful　fleet；

and　landed　at　Baia；　whence　he　proceeded　to　Sessa；　by　the　duke　of　which

place　he　was　favorably　received。　The　prince　of　Taranto；　the　Aquilani；

with　several　cities　and　other　princes；　also　joined　him；　so　that　a

great　part　of　the　kingdom　fell　into　his　hands。　On　this　Ferrando

applied　for　assistance　to　the　pope　and　the　duke　of　Milan；　and；　to

diminish　the　number　of　his　enemies；　made　peace　with　Gismondo

Malatesti；　which　gave　so　much　offense　to　Jacopo　Piccinino；　the

hereditary　enemy　of　Gismondo；　that　he　resigned　his　command　under

Ferrando；　and　joined　his　rival。　Ferrando　also　sent　money　to　Federigo；

lord　of　Urbino；　and　collected　with　all　possible　speed　what　was　in

those　times　considered　a　tolerable　army；　which；　meeting　the　enemy　upon

the　river　Sarni；　an　engagement　ensued　in　which　Ferrando　was　routed；

and　many　of　his　principal　officers　taken。　After　this　defeat；　the　city

of　Naples　alone；　with　a　few　smaller　places　and　princes　of　inferior

note；　adhered　to　Ferrando；　the　greater　part　having　submitted　to　John。

Jacopo　Piccinino；　after　the　victory；　advised　an　immediate　march　upon

Naples；　but　John　declined　this；　saying；　he　would　first　reduce　the

remainder　of　the　kingdom；　and　then　attack　the　seat　of　government。　This

resolution　occasioned　the　failure　of　his　enterprise；　for　he　did　not

consider　how　much　more　easily　the　members　follow　the　head　than　the

head　the　members。



After　his　defeat；　Ferrando　took　refuge　in　Naples；　whither　the

scattered　remnants　of　his　people　followed　him；　and　by　soliciting　his

friends；　he　obtained　money　and　a　small　force。　He　sent　again　for

assistance　to　the　pope　and　the　duke；　by　both　of　whom　he　was　supplied

more　liberally　and　speedily　than　before；　for　they　began　to　entertain

most　serious　apprehensions　of　his　losing　the　kingdom。　His　hopes　were

thus　revived；　and；　marching　from　Naples；　he　regained　his　reputation　in

his　dominions；　and　soon　obtained　the　places　of　which　he　had　been

deprived。　While　the　war　was　proceeding　in　the　kingdom；　a　circumstance

occurred　by　which　John　of　Anjou　lost　his　influence；　and　all　chance　of

success　in　the　enterprise。　The　Genoese　had　become　so　weary　of　the

haughty　and　avaricious　dominion　of　the　French；　that　they　took　arms

against　the　viceroy；　and　compelled　him　to　seek　refuge　in　the

castelletto；　the　Fregosi　and　the　Adorni　united　in　the　enterprise

against　him；　and　were　assisted　with　money　and　troops　by　the　duke　of

Milan；　both　for　the　recovery　and　preservation　of　the　government。　At

the　same　time；　King　Ren？coming　with　a　fleet　to　the　assistance　of　his

son；　and　hoping　to　recover　Genoa　by　means　of　the　castelletto；　upon

landing　his　forces　was　so　completely　routed；　that　he　was　compelled　to

return　in　disgrace　to　Provence。　When　the　news　of　his　father's　defeat

reached　Naples；　John　was　greatly　alarmed；　but　continued　the　war　for　a

time　by　the　assistance　of　those　barons　who；　being　rebels；　knew　they

would　obtain　no　terms　from　Ferrando。　At　length；　after　various　trifling

occurrences；　the　two　royal　armies　came　to　an　engagement；　in　which　John

was　routed　near　Troia；　in　the　year　1463。　He　was；　however；　less　injured

by　his　defeat　than　by　the　desertion　of　Jacopo　Piccinino；　who　joined

Ferrando；　and；　being　abandoned　by　his　troops；　he　was　compelled　to　take

refuge　in　Istria；　and　thence　withdrew　to　France。　This　war　continued

four　years。　John's　failure　was　attributable　to　negligence；　for　victory

was　often　within　his　grasp；　but　he　did　not　take　proper　means　to　secure

it。　The　Florentines　took　no　decisive　part　in　this　war。　John；　king　of

Aragon；　who　succeeded　upon　the　death　of　Alfonso；　sent　ambassadors　to

request　their　assistance　for　his　nephew　Ferrando；　in　compliance　with

the　terms　of　the　treaty　recently　made　with　his　father　Alfonso。　The

Florentines　replied；　that　they　were　under　no　obligation；　that　they　did