history of florence-第85节

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

of　the　Bracceschi；　the　natural　enemies　of　his　family；　who；　under

Jacopo　Piccinino；　had　attained　the　highest　reputation。　The　latter　was

now　the　first　general　in　Italy；　and　possessing　no　territory；　he

naturally　excited　the　apprehension　of　all　who　had　dominions；　and

especially　of　the　duke；　who；　conscious　of　what　he　had　himself　done；

thought　he　could　neither　enjoy　his　own　estate　in　safety；　nor　leave

them　with　any　degree　of　security　to　his　son　during　Jacopo's　lifetime。

The　king；　therefore；　strenuously　endeavored　to　come　to　terms　with　his

barons；　and　using　his　utmost　ingenuity　to　secure　them；　succeeded　in

his　object；　for　they　perceived　their　ruin　to　be　inevitable　if　they

continued　in　war　with　their　sovereign；　though　from　submission　and

confidence　in　him；　they　would　still　have　reason　for　apprehension。

Mankind　are　always　most　eager　to　avoid　a　certain　evil；　and　hence

inferior　powers　are　easily　deceived　by　princes。　The　barons；　conscious

of　the　danger　of　continuing　the　war；　trusted　the　king's　promises；　and

having　placed　themselves　in　his　hands；　they　were　soon　after　destroyed

in　various　ways；　and　under　a　variety　of　pretexts。　This　alarmed　Jacopo

Piccinino；　who　was　with　his　forces　at　Sulmona；　and　to　deprive　the　king

of　the　opportunity　of　treating　him　similarly；　he　endeavored；　by　the

mediation　of　his　friends；　to　be　reconciled　with　the　duke；　who；　by　the

most　liberal　offers；　induced　Jacopo　to　visit　him　at　Milan；　accompanied

by　only　a　hundred　horse。



Jacopo　had　served　many　years　with　his　father　and　brother；　first　under

Duke　Filippo；　and　afterward　under　the　Milanese　republic；　so　that　by

frequent　intercourse　with　the　citizens　he　had　acquired　many　friends

and　universal　popularity；　which　present　circumstances　tended　to

increase；　for　the　prosperity　and　newly　acquired　power　of　the

Sforzeschi　had　occasioned　envy；　while　Jacopo's　misfortunes　and　long

absence　had　given　rise　to　compassion　and　a　great　desire　to　see　him。

These　various　feelings　were　displayed　upon　his　arrival；　for　nearly　all

the　nobility　went　to　meet　him；　the　streets　through　which　he　passed

were　filled　with　citizens；　anxious　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　him；　while

shouts　of　〃The　Bracceschi！　the　Bracceschi！〃　resounded　on　all　sides。

These　honors　accelerated　his　ruin；　for　the　duke's　apprehensions

increased　his　desire　of　destroying　him；　and　to　effect　this　with　the

least　possible　suspicion；　Jacopo's　marriage　with　Drusiana；　the　duke's

natural　daughter；　was　now　celebrated。　The　duke　then　arranged　with

Ferrando　to　take　him　into　pay；　with　the　title　of　captain　of　his

forces；　and　give　him　100；000　florins　for　his　maintenance。　After　this

agreement；　Jacopo；　accompanied　by　a　ducal　ambassador　and　his　wife

Drusiana；　proceeded　to　Naples；　where　he　was　honorably　and　joyfully

received；　and　for　many　days　entertained　with　every　kind　of　festivity；

but　having　asked　permission　to　go　to　Sulmona；　where　his　forces　were；

the　king　invited　him　to　a　banquet　in　the　castle；　at　the　conclusion　of

which　he　and　his　son　Francesco　were　imprisoned；　and　shortly　afterward

put　to　death。　It　was　thus　our　Italian　princes；　fearing　those　virtues

in　others　which　they　themselves　did　not　possess；　extirpated　them；　and

hence　the　country　became　a　prey　to　the　efforts　of　those　by　whom　it　was

not　long　afterward　oppressed　and　ruined。



At　this　time；　Pope　Pius　II。　having　settled　the　affairs　of　Romagna；　and

witnessing　a　universal　peace；　thought　it　a　suitable　opportunity　to

lead　the　Christians　against　the　Turks；　and　adopted　measures　similar　to

those　which　his　predecessors　had　used。　All　the　princes　promised

assistance　either　in　men　or　money；　while　Matthias；　king　of　Hungary；

and　Charles；　duke　of　Burgundy；　intimated　their　intention　of　joining

the　enterprise　in　person；　and　were　by　the　pope　appointed　leaders　of

the　expedition。　The　pontiff　was　so　full　of　expectation；　that　he　left

Rome　and　proceeded　to　Ancona；　where　it　had　been　arranged　that　the

whole　army　should　be　assembled；　and　the　Venetians　engaged　to　send

ships　thither　to　convey　the　forces　to　Sclavonia。　Upon　the　arrival　of

the　pope　in　that　city；　there　was　soon　such　a　concourse　of　people；　that

in　a　few　days　all　the　provisions　it　contained；　or　that　could　be

procured　from　the　neighborhood；　were　consumed；　and　famine　began　to

impend。　Besides　this；　there　was　no　money　to　provide　those　who　were　in

want　of　it；　nor　arms　to　furnish　such　as　were　without　them。　Neither

Matthias　nor　Charles　made　their　appearance。　The　Venetians　sent　a

captain　with　some　galleys；　but　rather　for　ostentation　and　the　sake　of

keeping　their　word；　than　for　the　purpose　of　conveying　troops。　During

this　position　of　affairs；　the　pope；　being　old　and　infirm；　died；　and

the　assembled　troops　returned　to　their　homes。　The　death　of　the　pontiff

occurred　in　1465；　and　Paul　II。　of　Venetian　origin；　was　chosen　to

succeed　him；　and　that　nearly　all　the　principalities　of　Italy　might

change　their　rulers　about　the　same　period；　in　the　following　year

Francesco　Sforza；　duke　of　Milan；　also　died；　having　occupied　the

dukedom　sixteen　years；　and　Galleazzo；　his　son；　succeeded　him。



The　death　of　this　prince　infused　redoubled　energy　into　the　Florentine

dissensions；　and　caused　them　to　produce　more　prompt　effects　than　they

would　otherwise　have　done。　Upon　the　demise　of　Cosmo；　his　son　Piero；

being　heir　to　the　wealth　and　government　of　his　father；　called　to　his

assistance　Diotisalvi　Neroni；　a　man　of　great　influence　and　the　highest

reputation；　in　whom　Cosmo　reposed　so　much　confidence　that　just　before

his　death　he　recommended　Piero　to　be　wholly　guided　by　him；　both　with

regard　to　the　government　of　the　city　and　the　management　of　his

fortune。　Piero　acquired　Diotisalvi　with　the　opinion　Cosmo　entertained

of　him；　and　said　that　as　he　wished　to　obey　his　father；　though　now　no

more；　as　he　always　had　while　alive；　he　should　consult　him　concerning

both　his　patrimony　and　the　city。　Beginning　with　his　private　affairs；

he　caused　an　account　of　all　his　property；　liabilities；　and　assets；　to

be　placed　in　Diotisalvi's　hands；　that；　with　an　entire　acquaintance

with　the　state　of　his　affairs；　he　might　be　able　to　afford　suitable

advice；　and　the　latter　promised　to　use　the　utmost　care。　Upon

examination　of　these　accounts　the　affairs　were　found　to　be　in　great

disorder；　and　Diotisalvi；　instigated　rather　by　his　own　ambition　than

by　attachment　to　Piero　or　gratitude　to　Cosmo；　thought　he　might　without

difficulty　deprive　him　of　both　the　reputation　and　the　splendor　which

his　father　had　left　him　as　his　inheritance。　In　order　to　realize　his

views；　he　waited　upon　Piero；　and　advised　him　to　adopt　a　measure　which；

while　it　appeared　quite　correct　in　itself；　and　suitable　to　existing

circumstances；　involved　a　consequence　destructive　to　his　authority。　He

explained　the　disorder　of　his　affairs；　and　the　large　amount　of　money

it　would　be　necessary　to　provide；　if　he　wished　to　preserve　his

influence　in　the　state　and　his　reputation　of　wealth；　and　said　there

was　no　other　means　of　remedying　these　disorders　so　just　and　available

as　to　call　in　the　sums　which　his　father　had　lent　to　an　infinite　number

of　persons；　both　foreigners　and　citizens；　for　Cosmo；　to　acquire

partisans　in　Florence　and　friends　abroad；　was　extremely　liberal　of　his

money；　and　the　amount　of　loans　due　to　him　was　enormous。　Piero　thought

the　advice　good；　because　he　was　only　desirous　to　repossess　his　own

property　to　meet　the　demands　to　which　he　was　liable；　but　as　soon　as　he

had　ordered　those　amounts　to　be　recalled；　the　citizens；　as　if　he　had

asked　for　something　to　which　he　had　no　kind　of　claim；　took　great

offense；　loaded　him　with　opprobrious　expressions；　and　accused　him　of

being　avaricious　and　ungrateful。



Diotisalvi；　noticing　the　popular　excitement　against　Piero；　occasioned

by　his　own　advice；　obtained　an　interview　with　Luca　Pitti；　Agnolo

Acciajuoli；　and　Niccolo　Soderini；　and　they　resolved　to　unite　their

efforts　to　deprive　him　both　of　the　government　and　his　influence。　Each

was　actuated　by　a　different　motive；　Luca　Pitti　wished　to　take　the

position　Cosmo　had　occupied；　for　he　was　now　become　so　great；　that　he

disdained　to　submit　to　Piero；　Diotisalvi　Neroni；　who　knew　Luca　unfit

to　be　at　the　head　of　a　government；　thought　that　of　necessity　on

Piero's　removal；　the　whole　authority　of　the　state　would　devolve　upon

himself；　Niccolo　Soderini　desired　the　city　to　enjoy　greater　liberty；

and　for　the　laws　to　be　equally　binding　upon　all。　Agnolo　Acciajuoli　was

greatly　incensed　against　the　Medici；　for　the　following　reasons：　his

son；　Raffaello；　had　some　time　before　married　Alessandra　de'　Bardi；　and

received　with　her　a　large　dowry。　She；　either　by　her　own　fault　or　the

misconduct　of　others；　suffered　much　ill…treatment　both　from　her

father…in…law　and　her　husband；　and　in　consequence　Lorenzo　d'　Ilarione；

her　kinsman；　out　of　pity　for　the　girl；　being　accompanied　by　several

armed　men；　took　her　away　from　Agnolo's　house。　The　Acciajuoli

complained　of　the　injury　done