history of florence-第87节

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

distinguished　citizens；　but　also　of　the　populace；　he　was　accompanied

to　the　palace；　and　while　on　the　way　thither　an　olive　wreath　was　placed

upon　his　head；　to　signify　that　upon　him　depended　the　safety　and

liberty　of　the　city。　This；　among　many　similar　instances；　serves　to

prove　how　undesirable　it　is　to　enter　upon　office　or　power　exciting

inordinate　expectations；　for；　being　unable　to　fulfil　them　（many

looking　for　more　than　it　is　possible　to　perform）；　shame　and

disappointment　are　the　ordinary　results。　Tommaso　and　Niccolo　Soderini

were　brothers。　Niccolo　was　the　more　ardent　and　spirited；　Tommaso　the

wiser　man；　who；　being　very　much　the　friend　of　Piero；　and　knowing　that

his　brother　desired　nothing　but　the　liberty　of　the　city；　and　the

stability　of　the　republic；　without　injury　to　any；　advised　him　to　make

new　Squittini；　by　which　means　the　election　purses　might　be　filled　with

the　names　of　those　favorable　to　his　design。　Niccolo　took　his　brother's

advice；　and　thus　wasted　the　period　of　his　magistracy　in　vain　hopes；

which　his　friends；　the　leading　conspirators；　allowed　him　to　do　from

motives　of　envy；　for　they　were　unwilling　that　the　government　should　be

reformed　by　the　authority　of　Niccolo；　and　thought　they　would　be　in

time　enough　to　effect　their　purpose　under　another　gonfalonier。　Thus

the　magistracy　of　Niccolo　expired；　and　having　commenced　many　things

without　completing　aught；　he　retired　from　office　with　much　less　credit

than　when　he　had　entered　upon　it。



This　circumstance　caused　the　aggrandizement　of　Piero's　party；　whose

friends　entertained　stronger　hopes；　while　those　who　had　been　neutral

or　wavering　became　his　adherents；　so　that　both　sides　being　balanced；

many　months　elapsed　without　any　open　demonstration　of　their　particular

designs。　Piero's　party　continuing　to　gather　strength；　his　enemies'

indignation　increased　in　proportion；　and　they　now　determined　to　effect

by　force　what　they　either　could　not　accomplish；　or　were　unwilling　to

attempt　by　the　medium　of　the　magistrates；　which　was　assassination　of

Piero；　who　lay　sick　at　Careggi；　and　to　this　end　order　the　marquis　of

Ferrara　nearer　to　the　city　with　his　forces；　that　after　Piero's　death

he　might　lead　them　into　the　piazza；　and　thus　compel　the　Signory　to

form　a　government　according　to　their　own　wishes；　for　though　all　might

not　be　friendly；　they　trusted　they　would　be　able　to　induce　those　to

submit　by　fear　who　might　be　opposed　to　them　from　principle。



Diotisalvi；　the　better　to　conceal　his　design；　frequently　visited

Piero；　conversed　with　him　respecting　the　union　of　the　city；　and

advised　him　to　effect　it。　The　conspirators'　designs　had　already　been

fully　disclosed　to　Piero；　besides　this；　Domenico　Martelli　had　informed

him；　that　Francesco　Neroni；　the　brother　of　Diotisalvi；　had　endeavored

to　induce　him　to　join　them；　assuring　him　the　victory　was　certain；　and

their　object　all　but　attained。　Upon　this；　Piero　resolved　to　take

advantage　of　his　enemies'　tampering　with　the　marquis　of　Ferrara；　and

be　first　in　arms。　He　therefore　intimated　that　he　had　received　a　letter

from　Giovanni　Bentivogli；　prince　of　Bologna；　which　informed　him　that

the　marquis　of　Ferrara　was　upon　the　river　Albo；　at　the　head　of　a

considerable　force；　with　the　avowed　intention　of　leading　it　to

Florence；　that　upon　this　advice　he　had　taken　up　arms；　after　which；　in

the　midst　of　a　strong　force；　he　came　to　the　city；　when　all　who　were

disposed　to　support　him；　armed　themselves　also。　The　adverse　party　did

the　same；　but　not　in　such　good　order；　being　unprepared。　The　residence

of　Diotisalvi　being　near　that　of　Piero；　he　did　not　think　himself　safe

in　it；　but　first　went　to　the　palace　and　begged　the　Signory　would

endeavor　to　induce　Piero　to　lay　down　his　arms；　and　thence　to　Luca

Pitti；　to　keep　him　faithful　in　their　cause。　Niccolo　Soderini　displayed

the　most　activity；　for　taking　arms；　and　being　followed　by　nearly　all

the　plebeians　in　his　vicinity；　he　proceeded　to　the　house　of　Luca；　and

begged　that　he　would　mount　his　horse；　and　come　to　the　piazza　in

support　of　the　Signory；　who　were；　he　said；　favorable；　and　that　the

victory　would；　undoubtedly；　be　on　their　side；　that　he　should　not　stay

in　the　house　to　be　basely　slain　by　their　armed　enemies；　or

ignominiously　deceived　by　those　who　were　unarmed；　for；　in　that　case；

he　would　soon　repent　of　having　neglected　an　opportunity　irrecoverably

lost；　that　if　he　desired　the　forcible　ruin　of　Piero；　he　might　easily

effect　it；　and　that　if　he　were　anxious　for　peace；　it　would　be　far

better　to　be　in　a　condition　to　propose　terms　than　to　be　compelled　to

accept　any　that　might　be　offered。　These　words　produced　no　effect　upon

Luca；　whose　mind　was　now　quite　made　up；　he　had　been　induced　to　desert

his　party　by　new　conditions　and　promises　of　alliance　from　Piero；　for

one　of　his　nieces　had　been　married　to　Giovanni　Tornabuoni。　He；

therefore；　advised　Niccolo　to　dismiss　his　followers　and　return　home；

telling　him　he　ought　to　be　satisfied；　if　the　city　were　governed　by　the

magistrates；　which　would　certainly　be　the　case；　and　that　all　ought　to

lay　aside　their　weapons；　for　the　Signory；　most　of　whom　were　friendly；

would　decide　their　differences。　Niccolo；　finding　him　impracticable；

returned　home；　but　before　he　left；　he　said；　〃I　can　do　the　city　no　good

alone；　but　I　can　easily　foresee　the　evils　that　will　befall　her。　This

resolution　of　yours　will　rob　our　country　of　her　liberty；　you　will　lose

the　government；　I　shall　lose　my　property；　and　the　rest　will　be

exiled。〃



During　this　disturbance　the　Signory　closed　the　palace　and　kept　their

magistrates　about　them；　without　showing　favor　to　either　party。　The

citizens；　especially　those　who　had　followed　Luca　Pitti；　finding　Piero

fully　prepared　and　his　adversaries　unarmed；　began　to　consider；　not　how

they　might　injure　him；　but　how；　with　least　observation；　glide　into　the

ranks　of　his　friends。　The　principal　citizens；　the　leaders　of　both

factions；　assembled　in　the　palace　in　the　presence　of　the　Signory；　and

spoke　respecting　the　state　of　the　city　and　the　reconciliation　of

parties；　and　as　the　infirmities　of　Piero　prevented　him　from　being

present；　they；　with　one　exception；　unanimously　determined　to　wait　upon

him　at　his　house。　Niccolo　Soderini　having　first　placed　his　children

and　his　effects　under　the　care　of　his　brother　Tommaso；　withdrew　to　his

villa；　there　to　await　the　event；　but　apprehended　misfortune　to　himself

and　ruin　to　his　country。　The　other　citizens　coming　into　Piero's

presence；　one　of　them　who　had　been　appointed　spokesman；　complained　of

the　disturbances　that　had　arisen　in　the　city；　and　endeavored　to　show；

that　those　must　be　most　to　blame　who　had　been　first　to　take　up　arms；

and　not　knowing　what　Piero　（who　was　evidently　the　first　to　do　so）

intended；　they　had　come　in　order　to　be　informed　of　his　design；　and　if

it　had　in　view　the　welfare　of　the　city；　they　were　desirous　of

supporting　it。　Piero　replied；　that　not　those　who　first　take　arms　are

the　most　to　blame；　but　those　who　give　the　first　occasion　for　it；　and

if　they　would　reflect　a　little　on　their　mode　of　proceeding　toward

himself；　they　would　cease　to　wonder　at　what　he　had　done；　for　they

could　not　fail　to　perceive；　that　nocturnal　assemblies；　the　enrollment

of　partisans；　and　attempts　to　deprive　him　both　of　his　authority　and

his　life；　had　caused　him　to　take　arms；　and　they　might　further　observe；

that　as　his　forces　had　not　quitted　his　own　house；　his　design　was

evidently　only　to　defend　himself　and　not　to　injure　others。　He　neither

sought　nor　desired　anything　but　safety　and　repose；　neither　had　his

conduct　ever　manifested　a　desire　for　ought　else；　for　when　the

authority　of　the　Balia　expired；　he　never　made　any　attempt　to　renew　it；

and　was　very　glad　the　magistrates　had　governed　the　city　and　had　been

content。　They　might　also　remember　that　Cosmo　and　his　sons　could　live

respected　in　Florence；　either　with　the　Balia　or　without　it；　and　that

in　1458；　it　was　not　his　family；　but　themselves；　who　had　renewed　it。

That　if　they　did　not　wish　for　it　at　present；　neither　did　he；　but　this

did　not　satisfy　them；　for　he　perceived　that　they　thought　it　impossible

to　remain　in　Florence　while　he　was　there。　It　was　entirely　beyond　all

his　anticipations　that　his　own　or　his　father's　friends　should　think

themselves　unsafe　with　him　in　Florence；　having　always　shown　himself

quiet　and　peaceable。　He　then　addressed　himself　to　Diotisalvi　and　his

brothers；　who　were　present；　reminding　them　with　grave　indignation；　of

the　benefits　they　had　received　from　Cosmo；　the　confidence　he　had

reposed　in　them　and　their　subsequent　ingratitude；　and　his　words　so

strongly　excited　some　present；　that　had　he　not　interfered；　they　would

certainly　have　torn　the　Neroni　to　pieces　on　the　spot。　He　concluded　by

saying；　that　he　should　approve　of　any　determination　of　themselves　and

the　Signory；　and　that　for　his　own　part；　he　only　desired　peace　and

safety。　After　this；　many　things　were　discussed；　but　nothing

deter