history of florence-第84节

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victorious；　but　apart　from　him　were　always　conquered；　first　by　Filippo

and　then　by　Francesco。　When　they　joined　Alfonso　against　the　Florentine

republic；　Cosmo；　by　his　commercial　credit；　so　drained　Naples　and

Venice　of　money；　that　they　were　glad　to　obtain　peace　upon　any　terms　it

was　thought　proper　to　grant。　Whatever　difficulties　he　had　to　contend

with；　whether　within　the　city　or　without；　he　brought　to　a　happy　issue；

at　once　glorious　to　himself　and　destructive　to　his　enemies；　so　that

civil　discord　strengthened　his　government　in　Florence；　and　war

increased　his　power　and　reputation　abroad。　He　added　to　the　Florentine

dominions；　the　Borgo　of　St。　Sepolcro；　Montedoglio；　the　Casentino　and

Val　di　Bagno。　His　virtue　and　good　fortune　overcame　all　his　enemies　and

exalted　his　friends。　He　was　born　in　the　year　1389；　on　the　day　of　the

saints　Cosmo　and　Damiano。　His　earlier　years　were　full　of　trouble；　as

his　exile；　captivity；　and　personal　danger　fully　testify；　and　having

gone　to　the　council　of　Constance；　with　Pope　John；　in　order　to　save　his

life；　after　the　ruin　of　the　latter；　he　was　obliged　to　escape　in

disguise。　But　after　the　age　of　forty；　he　enjoyed　the　greatest

felicity；　and　not　only　those　who　assisted　him　in　public　business；　but

his　agents　who　conducted　his　commercial　speculations　throughout

Europe；　participated　in　his　prosperity。　Hence　many　enormous　fortunes

took　their　origin　in　different　families　of　Florence；　as　in　that　of　the

Tornabuoni；　the　Benci；　the　Portinari；　and　the　Sassetti。　Besides　these；

all　who　depended　upon　his　advice　and　patronage　became　rich；　and；

though　he　was　constantly　expending　money　in　building　churches；　and　in

charitable　purposes；　he　sometimes　complained　to　his　friends　that　he

had　never　been　able　to　lay　out　so　much　in　the　service　of　God　as　to

find　the　balance　in　his　own　favor；　intimating　that　all　he　had　done　or

could　do；　was　still　unequal　to　what　the　Almighty　had　done　for　him。　He

was　of　middle　stature；　olive　complexion；　and　venerable　aspect；　not

learned　but　exceedingly　eloquent；　endowed　with　great　natural　capacity；

generous　to　his　friends；　kind　to　the　poor；　comprehensive　in　discourse；

cautious　in　advising；　and　in　his　speeches　and　replies；　grave　and

witty。　When　Rinaldo　degli　Albizzi；　at　the　beginning　of　his　exile；　sent

to　him　to　say；　〃the　hen　had　laid；〃　he　replied；　〃she　did　ill　to　lay　so

far　from　the　nest。〃　Some　other　of　the　rebels　gave　him　to　understand

they　were　〃not　dreaming。〃　He　said；　〃he　believed　it；　for　he　had　robbed

them　of　their　sleep。〃　When　Pope　Pius　was　endeavoring　to　induce　the

different　governments　to　join　in　an　expedition　against　the　Turks；　he

said；　〃he　was　an　old　man；　and　had　undertaken　the　enterprise　of　a　young

one。〃　To　the　Venetians　ambassadors；　who　came　to　Florence　with　those　of

King　Alfonso　to　complain　of　the　republic；　he　uncovered　his　head；　and

asked　them　what　color　it　was；　they　said；　〃white〃：　he　replied；　〃it　is

so；　and　it　will　not　be　long　before　your　senators　have　heads　as　white

as　mine。〃　A　few　hours　before　his　death；　his　wife　asked　him　why　he　kept

his　eyes　shut；　and　he　said；　〃to　get　them　in　the　way　of　it。〃　Some

citizens　saying　to　him；　after　his　return　from　exile；　that　he　injured

the　city；　and　that　it　was　offensive　to　God　to　drive　so　many　religious

persons　out　of　it；　he　replied　that；　〃it　was　better　to　injure　the　city；

than　to　ruin　it；　that　two　yards　of　rose…colored　cloth　would　make　a

gentleman；　and　that　it　required　something　more　to　direct　a　government

than　to　play　with　a　string　of　beads。〃　These　words　gave　occasion　to　his

enemies　to　slander　him；　as　a　man　who　loved　himself　more　than　his

country；　and　was　more　attached　to　this　world　than　to　the　next。　Many

others　of　his　sayings　might　be　adduced；　but　we　shall　omit　them　as

unnecessary。　Cosmo　was　a　friend　and　patron　of　learned　men。　He　brought

Argiripolo；　a　Greek　by　birth；　and　one　of　the　most　erudite　of　his　time；

to　Florence；　to　instruct　the　youth　in　Hellenic　literature。　He

entertained　Marsilio　Ficino；　the　reviver　of　the　Platonic　philosophy；

in　his　own　house；　and　being　much　attached　to　him；　have　him　a　residence

near　his　palace　at　Careggi；　that　he　might　pursue　the　study　of　letters

with　greater　convenience；　and　himself　have　an　opportunity　of　enjoying

his　company。　His　prudence；　his　great　wealth；　the　uses　to　which　he

applied　it；　and　his　splendid　style　of　living；　caused　him　to　be　beloved

and　respected　in　Florence；　and　obtained　for　him　the　highest

consideration；　not　only　among　the　princes　and　governments　of　Italy；

but　throughout　all　Europe。　He　thus　laid　a　foundation　for　his

descendants；　which　enabled　them　to　equal　him　in　virtue；　and　greatly

surpass　him　in　fortune；　while　the　authority　they　possessed　in　Florence

and　throughout　Christendom　was　not　obtained　without　being　merited。

Toward　the　close　of　his　life　he　suffered　great　affliction；　for；　of　his

two　sons；　Piero　and　Giovanni；　the　latter；　of　whom　he　entertained　the

greatest　hopes；　died；　and　the　former　was　so　sickly　as　to　be　unable　to

attend　either　to　public　or　private　business。　On　being　carried　from　one

apartment　to　another；　after　Giovanni's　death；　he　remarked　to　his

attendants；　with　a　sigh；　〃This　is　too　large　a　house　for　so　small　a

family。〃　His　great　mind　also　felt　distressed　at　the　idea　that　he　had

not　extended　the　Florentine　dominions　by　any　valuable　acquisition；　and

he　regretted　it　the　more；　from　imagining　he　had　been　deceived　by

Francesco　Sforza；　who；　while　count；　had　promised；　that　if　he　became

lord　of　Milan；　he　would　undertake　the　conquest　of　Lucca　for　the

Florentines；　a　design；　however；　that　was　never　realized；　for　the

count's　ideas　changed　upon　his　becoming　duke；　he　resolved　to　enjoy　in

peace；　the　power　he　had　acquired　by　war；　and　would　not　again　encounter

its　fatigues　and　dangers；　unless　the　welfare　of　his　own　dominions

required　it。　This　was　a　source　of　much　annoyance　to　Cosmo；　who　felt　he

had　incurred　great　expense　and　trouble　for　an　ungrateful　and

perfidious　friend。　His　bodily　infirmities　prevented　him　from　attending

either　to　public　or　private　affairs；　as　he　had　been　accustomed；　and　he

consequently　witnessed　both　going　to　decay；　for　Florence　was　ruined　by

her　own　citizens；　and　his　fortune　by　his　agents　and　children。　He　died；

however；　at　the　zenith　of　his　glory　and　in　the　enjoyment　of　the

highest　renown。　The　city；　and　all　the　Christian　princes；　condoled　with

his　son　Piero　for　his　loss。　His　funeral　was　conducted　with　the　utmost

pomp　and　solemnity；　the　whole　city　following　his　corpse　to　the　tomb　in

the　church　of　St。　Lorenzo；　on　which；　by　public　decree；　he　was

inscribed；　〃FATHER　OF　HIS　COUNTRY。〃　If；　in　speaking　of　Cosmo's

actions；　I　have　rather　imitated　the　biographies　of　princes　than

general　history；　it　need　not　occasion　wonder；　for　of　so　extraordinary

an　individual　I　was　compelled　to　speak　with　unusual　praise。







CHAPTER　II



　　The　duke　of　Milan　becomes　lord　of　GenoaThe　king　of　Naples　and

　　the　duke　of　Milan　endeavor　to　secure　their　dominions　to　their

　　heirsJacopo　Piccinino　honorably　received　at　Milan；　and　shortly

　　afterward　murdered　at　NaplesFruitless　endeavors　of　Pius　II。　to

　　excite　Christendom　against　the　TurksDeath　of　Francesco　Sforza；

　　duke　of　MilanPerfidious　counsel　given　to　Piero　de'　Medici　by

　　Diotisalvi　NeroniConspiracy　of　Diotisalvi　and　others　against

　　PieroFutile　attempts　to　appease　the　disordersPublic　spectacles

　　Projects　of　the　conspirators　against　Piero　de'　MediciNiccolo

　　Fedini　discloses　to　Piero　the　plots　of　his　enemies。



While　Florence　and　Italy　were　in　this　condition；　Louis　XI。　of　France

was　involved　in　very　serious　troubles　with　his　barons；　who；　with　the

assistance　of　Francis；　duke　of　Brittany；　and　Charles；　duke　of

Burgundy；　were　in　arms　against　him。　This　attack　was　so　serious；　that

he　was　unable　to　render　further　assistance　to　John　of　Anjou　in　his

enterprise　against　Genoa　and　Naples；　and；　standing　in　need　of　all　the

forces　he　could　raise；　he　gave　over　Savona　（which　still　remained　in

the　power　of　the　French）　to　the　duke　of　Milan；　and　also　intimated；

that　if　he　wished；　he　had　his　permission　to　undertake　the　conquest　of

Genoa。　Francesco　accepted　the　proposal；　and　with　the　influence

afforded　by　the　king's　friendship；　and　the　assistance　of　the　Adorni；

he　became　lord　of　Genoa。　In　acknowledgment　of　this　benefit；　he　sent

fifteen　hundred　horse　into　France　for　the　king's　service；　under　the

command　of　Galeazzo；　his　eldest　son。　Thus　Ferrando　of　Aragon　and

Francesco　Sforza　became；　the　latter；　duke　of　Lombardy　and　prince　of

Genoa；　and　the　former；　sovereign　of　the　whole　kingdom　of　Naples。　Their

families　being　allied　by　marriage；　they　thought　they　might　so　confirm

their　power　as　to　secure　to　themselves　its　enjoyment　during　life；　and

at　their　deaths；　its　unencumbered　reversion　to　their　heirs。　To　attain

this　end；　they　considered　it　necessary　that　the　king　should　remove　all

ground　of　apprehension　from　those　barons　who　had　offended　him　in　the

war　of　John　of　Anjou；　and　that　the　duke　should　extirpate　the　adherents