history of florence-第86节

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

complained　of　the　injury　done　them　by　the　Bardi；　and　the　matter　was

referred　to　Cosmo；　who　decided　that　the　Acciajuoli　should　restore　to

Alessandra　her　fortune；　and　then　leave　it　to　her　choice　either　to

return　to　her　husband　or　not。　Agnolo　thought　Cosmo　had　not；　in　this

instance；　treated　him　as　a　friend；　and　having　been　unable　to　avenge

himself　on　the　father；　he　now　resolved　to　do　his　utmost　to　ruin　the

son。　These　conspirators；　though　each　was　influenced　by　a　different

motive　from　the　rest；　affected　to　have　only　one　object　in　view；　which

was　that　the　city　should　be　governed　by　the　magistrates；　and　not　be

subjected　to　the　counsels　of　a　few　individuals。　The　odium　against

Piero；　and　opportunities　of　injuring　him；　were　increased　by　the　number

of　merchants　who　failed　about　this　time；　for　it　was　reported　that　he；

in　having；　quite　unexpectedly　to　all；　resolved　to　call　in　his　debts；

had；　to　the　disgrace　and　ruin　of　the　city；　caused　them　to　become

insolvent。　To　this　was　added　his　endeavor　to　obtain　Clarice　degli

Orsini　as　wife　of　Lorenzo；　his　eldest　son；　and　hence　his　enemies　took

occasion　to　say；　it　was　quite　clear；　that　as　he　despised　a　Florentine

alliance；　he　no　longer　considered　himself　one　of　the　people；　and　was

preparing　to　make　himself　prince；　for　he　who　refuses　his　fellow…

citizens　as　relatives；　desires　to　make　them　slaves；　and　therefore

cannot　expect　to　have　them　as　friends。　The　leaders　of　the　sedition

thought　they　had　the　victory　in　their　power；　for　the　greater　part　of

the　citizens　followed　them；　deceived　by　the　name　of　liberty　which

they；　to　give　their　purpose　a　graceful　covering；　adopted　upon　their

ensigns。



In　this　agitated　state　of　the　city；　some；　to　whom　civil　discord　was

extremely　offensive；　thought　it　would　be　well　to　endeavor　to　engage

men's　minds　with　some　new　occupation；　because　when　unemployed　they　are

commonly　led　by　whoever　chooses　to　excite　them。　To　divert　their

attention　from　matters　of　government；　it　being　now　a　year　since　the

death　of　Cosmo；　it　was　resolved　to　celebrate　two　festivals；　similar　to

the　most　solemn　observed　in　the　city。　At　one　of　them　was　represented

the　arrival　of　the　three　kings　from　the　east；　led　by　the　star　which

announced　the　nativity　of　Christ；　which　was　conducted　with　such　pomp

and　magnificence；　that　the　preparations　for　it　kept　the　whole　city

occupied　many　months。　The　other　was　a　tournament　（for　so　they　call　the

exhibition　of　equestrian　combats）；　in　which　the　sons　of　the　first

families　in　the　city　took　part　with　the　most　celebrated　cavaliers　of

Italy。　Among　the　most　distinguished　of　the　Florentine　youth　was

Lorenzo；　eldest　son　of　Piero；　who；　not　by　favor；　but　by　his　own

personal　valor；　obtained　the　principal　prize。　When　these　festivals

were　over；　the　citizens　reverted　to　the　same　thoughts　which　had

previously　occupied　them；　and　each　pursued　his　ideas　with　more

earnestness　than　ever。　Serious　differences　and　troubles　were　the

result；　and　these　were　greatly　increased　by　two　circumstances：　one　of

which　was；　that　the　authority　of　the　balia　had　expired；　the　other；

that　upon　the　death　of　Duke　Francesco；　Galeazzo　the　new　duke　sent

ambassadors　to　Florence；　to　renew　the　engagements　of　his　father　with

the　city；　which；　among　other　things；　provided　that　every　year　a

certain　sum　of　money　should　be　paid　to　the　duke。　The　principal

opponents　of　the　Medici　took　occasion；　from　this　demand；　to　make

public　resistance　in　the　councils；　on　pretense　that　the　alliance　was

made　with　Francesco　and　not　Galeazzo；　so　that　Francesco　being　dead；

the　obligation　had　ceased；　nor　was　there　any　necessity　to　revive　it；

because　Galeazzo　did　not　possess　his　father's　talents；　and

consequently　they　neither　could　nor　ought　to　expect　the　same　benefits

from　him；　that　if　they　had　derived　little　advantage　from　Francesco；

they　would　obtain　still　less　from　Galeazzo；　and　that　if　any　citizen

wished　to　hire　him　for　his　own　purposes；　it　was　contrary　to　civil

rule；　and　inconsistent　with　the　public　liberty。　Piero；　on　the

contrary；　argued　that　it　would　be　very　impolitic　to　lose　such　an

alliance　from　mere　avarice；　and　that　there　was　nothing　so　important　to

the　republic；　and　to　the　whole　of　Italy；　as　their　alliance　with　the

duke；　that　the　Venetians；　while　they　were　united；　could　not　hope

either　by　feigned　friendship　or　open　war　to　injure　the　duchy；　but　as

soon　as　they　perceived　the　Florentines　alienated　from　him　they　would

prepare　for　hostilities；　and；　finding　him　young；　new　in　the

government；　and　without　friends；　they　would；　either　by　force　or　fraud；

compel　him　to　join　them；　in　which　case　ruin　of　the　republic　would　be

inevitable。



The　arguments　of　Piero　were　without　effect；　and　the　animosity　of　the

parties　began　to　be　openly　manifested　in　their　nocturnal　assemblies；

the　friends　of　the　Medici　meeting　in　the　Crocetta；　and　their

adversaries　in　the　Pieta。　The　latter　being　anxious　for　Piero's　ruin；

had　induced　many　citizens　to　subscribe　their　names　as　favorable　to　the

undertaking。　Upon　one　occasion；　particularly　when　considering　the

course　to　be　adopted；　although　all　agreed　that　the　power　of　the　Medici

ought　to　be　reduced；　different　opinions　were　given　concerning　the

means　by　which　it　should　be　effected；　one　party；　the　most　temperate

and　reasonable；　held　that　as　the　authority　of　the　balia　had　ceased；

they　must　take　care　to　prevent　its　renewal；　it　would　then　be　found　to

be　the　universal　wish　that　the　magistrates　and　councils　should　govern

the　city；　and　in　a　short　time　Piero's　power　would　be　visibly

diminished；　and；　as　a　consequence　of　his　loss　of　influence　in　the

government；　his　commercial　credit　would　also　fail；　for　his　affairs

were　in　such　a　state；　that　if　they　could　prevent　him　from　using　the

public　money　his　ruin　must　ensue。　They　would　thus　be　in　no　further

danger　from　him；　and　would　succeed　in　the　recovery　of　their　liberty；

without　the　death　or　exile　of　any　individual；　but　if　they　attempted

violence　they　would　incur　great　dangers；　for　mankind　are　willing　to

allow　one　who　falls　of　himself　to　meet　his　fate；　but　if　pushed　down

they　would　hasten　to　his　relief；　so　that　if　they　adopted　no

extraordinary　measures　against　him；　he　will　have　no　reason　for　defense

or　aid；　and　if　he　were　to　seek　them　it　would　be　greatly　to　his　own

injury；　by　creating　such　a　general　suspicion　as　would　accelerate　his

ruin；　and　justify　whatever　course　they　might　think　proper　to　adopt。

Many　of　the　assembly　were　dissatisfied　with　this　tardy　method　of

proceeding；　they　thought　delay　would　be　favorable　to　him　and　injurious

to　themselves；　for　if　they　allowed　matters　to　take　their　ordinary

course；　Piero　would　be　in　no　danger　whatever；　while　they　themselves

would　incur　many；　for　the　magistrates　who　were　opposed　to　him　would

allow　him　to　rule　the　city；　and　his　friends　would　make　him　a　prince；

and　their　own　ruin　would　be　inevitable；　as　happened　in　1458；　and

though　the　advice　they　had　just　heard　might　be　most　consistent　with

good　feeling；　the　present　would　be　found　to　be　the　safest。　That　it

would　therefore　be　best；　while　the　minds　of　men　were　yet　excited

against　him；　to　effect　his　destruction。　It　must　be　their　plan　to　arm

themselves；　and　engage　the　assistance　of　the　marquis　of　Ferrara；　that

they　might　not　be　destitute　of　troops；　and　if　a　favorable　Signory　were

drawn；　they　would　be　in　condition　to　make　use　of　them。　They　therefore

determined　to　wait　the　formation　of　the　new　Signory；　and　be　governed

by　circumstances。



Among　the　conspirators　was　Niccolo　Fedini；　who　had　acted　as　president

of　their　assemblies。　He；　being　induced　by　most　certain　hopes；

disclosed　the　whole　affair　to　Piero；　and　gave　him　a　list　of　those　who

had　subscribed　their　names；　and　also　of　the　conspirators。　Piero　was

alarmed　on　discovering　the　number　and　quality　of　those　who　were

opposed　to　him；　and　by　the　advice　of　his　friends　he　resolved　to　take

the　signatures　of　those　who　were　inclined　to　favor　him。　Having

employed　one　of　his　most　trusty　confidants　to　carry　his　design　into

effect；　he　found　so　great　a　disposition　to　change　and　instability；

that　many　who　had　previously　set　down　their　names　among　the　number　of

his　enemies；　now　subscribed　them　in　his　favor。







CHAPTER　III



　　Niccolo　Soderini　drawn　Gonfalonier　of　JusticeGreat　hopes　excited

　　in　consequenceThe　two　parties　take　armsThe　fears　of　the

　　SignoryTheir　conduct　with　regard　to　PieroPiero's　reply　to　the

　　SignoryReform　of　government　in　favor　of　Piero　de'　Medici

　　Dispersion　of　his　enemiesFall　of　Lucca　PittiLetter　of　Agnolo

　　Acciajuoli　to　Piero　de'　MediciPiero's　answerDesigns　of　the

　　Florentine　exilesThey　induce　the　Venetians　to　make　war　on

　　Florence。



In　the　midst　of　these　events；　the　time　arrived　for　the　renewal　of　the

supreme　magistracy；　and　Niccolo　Soderini　was　drawn　Gonfalonier　of

Justice。　It　was　surprising　to　see　by　what　a　concourse；　not　only　of

distinguished　citizens；　but　also　of　the　popula