history of florence-第91节

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free　or　enslaved；　for　that　was　a　matter　which　they　were　not　called

upon　to　decide；　but　this　they　knew　very　well；　that　for　their　own　part；

they　desired　no　other　liberty　than　to　obey　the　magistrates　who

governed　Florence；　from　whom　they　had　never　received　any　injury

sufficient　to　make　them　desire　a　change。　They　therefore　advised　him　to

set　the　governor　at　liberty；　clear　the　place　of　his　people；　and；　as

quickly　as　possible；　withdraw　from　the　danger　he　had　so　rashly

incurred。　Bernardo　was　not　daunted　by　these　words；　but　determined　to

try　whether　fear　could　influence　the　people　of　Prato；　since　entreaties

produced　so　little　effect。　In　order　to　terrify　them；　he　determined　to

put　Cesare　to　death；　and　having　brought　him　out　of　prison；　ordered　him

to　be　hanged　at　the　windows　of　the　palace。　He　was　already　led　to　the

spot　with　a　halter　around　his　neck；　when　seeing　Bernardo　giving

directions　to　hasten　his　end；　he　turned　to　him；　and　said：　〃Bernardo；

you　put　me　to　death；　thinking　that　the　people　of　Prato　will　follow

you；　but　the　direct　contrary　will　result；　for　the　respect　they　have

for　the　rectors　which　the　Florentine　people　send　here　is　so　great；

that　as　soon　as　they　witness　the　injury　inflicted　upon　me；　they　will

conceive　such　a　disgust　against　you　as　will　inevitably　effect　your

ruin。　Therefore；　it　is　not　by　my　death；　but　by　the　preservation　of　my

life；　that　you　can　attain　the　object　you　have　in　view；　for　if　I

deliver　your　commands；　they　will　be　much　more　readily　obeyed；　and

following　your　directions；　we　shall　soon　attain　the　completion　of　your

design。〃　Bernardo；　whose　mind　was　not　fertile　in　expedients；　thought

the　advice　good；　and　commanded　Cesare；　on　being　conducted　to　a　veranda

which　looked　upon　the　piazza；　to　order　the　people　of　Prato　to　obey

him；　and　having　done　which；　Cesare　was　led　back　to　prison。



The　weakness　of　the　conspirators　was　obvious；　and　many　Florentines

residing　in　the　town；　assembled　together；　among　whom；　Giorgio　Ginori；

a　knight　of　Rhodes；　took　arms　first　against　them；　and　attacked

Bernardo；　who　traversed　the　piazza；　alternately　entreating　and

threatening　those　who　refused　to　obey　him；　and　being　surrounded　by

Giorgio's　followers；　he　was　wounded　and　made　prisoner。　This　being

done；　it　was　easy　to　set　the　governor　at　liberty　and　subdue　the　rest；

who　being　few；　and　divided　into　several　parties；　were　nearly　all

either　secured　or　slain。　An　exaggerated　report　of　these　transactions

reached　Florence；　it　being　told　there　that　Prato　was　taken；　the

governor　and　his　friends　put　to　death；　and　the　place　filled　with　the

enemy；　and　that　Pistoia　was　also　in　arms；　and　most　of　the　citizens　in

the　conspiracy。　In　consequence　of　this　alarming　account；　the　palace　as

quickly　filled　with　citizens；　who　consulted　with　the　Signory　what

course　ought　to　be　adopted。　At　this　time；　Roberto　da　San　Severino；　one

of　the　most　distinguished　generals　of　this　period；　was　at　Florence；

and　it　was　therefore　determined　to　send　him；　with　what　forces　could　be

collected；　to　Prato；　with　orders　that　he　should　approach　the　place；

particularly　observe　what　was　going　on；　and　provide　such　remedies　as

the　necessity　of　the　case　and　his　own　prudence　should　suggest。　Roberto

had　scarcely　passed　the　fortress　of　Campi；　when　he　was　met　by　a

messenger　from　the　governor；　who　informed　him　that　Bernardo　was　taken；

his　followers　either　dispersed　or　slain；　and　everything　restored　to

order。　He　consequently　returned　to　Florence；　whither　Bernardo　was

shortly　after　conveyed；　and　when　questioned　by　the　magistracy

concerning　the　real　motives　of　such　a　weak　conspiracy；　he　said；　he　had

undertaken　it；　because；　having　resolved　to　die　in　Florence　rather　than

live　in　exile；　he　wished　his　death　to　be　accompanied　by　some　memorable

action。



This　disturbance　having　been　raised　and　quelled　almost　at　the　same

time；　the　citizens　returned　to　their　accustomed　mode　of　life；　hoping

to　enjoy；　without　anxiety；　the　state　they　had　now　established　and

confirmed。　Hence　arose　many　of　those　evils　which　usually　result　from

peace；　for　the　youth　having　become　more　dissolute　than　before；　more

extravagant　in　dress；　feasting；　and　other　licentiousness；　and　being

without　employment；　wasted　their　time　and　means　on　gaming　and　women；

their　principal　study　being　how　to　appear　splendid　in　apparel；　and

attain　a　crafty　shrewdness　in　discourse；　he　who　could　make　the　most

poignant　remark　being　considered　the　wisest；　and　being　most　respected。

These　manners　derived　additional　encouragement　from　the　followers　of

the　duke　of　Milan；　who；　with　his　duchess　and　the　whole　ducal　court；　as

it　was　said；　to　fulfill　a　vow；　came　to　Florence；　where　he　was　received

with　all　the　pomp　and　respect　due　to　so　great　a　prince；　and　one　so

intimately　connected　with　the　Florentine　people。　Upon　this　occasion

the　city　witnessed　an　unprecedented　exhibition；　for；　during　Lent；　when

the　church　commands　us　to　abstain　from　animal　food；　the　Milanese；

without　respect　for　either　God　or　his　church；　ate　of　it　daily。　Many

spectacles　were　exhibited　in　honor　of　the　duke；　and　among　others；　in

the　temple　of　Santo　Spirito；　was　represented　the　descent　of　the　Holy

Ghost　among　the　apostles；　and　in　consequence　of　the　numerous　fires

used　upon　the　occasion；　some　of　the　woodwork　became　ignited；　and　the

church　was　completely　destroyed　by　the　flames。　Many　thought　that　the

Almighty　being　offended　at　our　misconduct；　took　this　method　of

signifying　his　displeasure。　If；　therefore；　the　duke　found　the　city

full　of　courtly　delicacies；　and　customs　unsuitable　to　well…regulated

conduct；　he　left　it　in　a　much　worse　state。　Hence　the　good　citizens

thought　it　necessary　to　restrain　these　improprieties；　and　made　a　law

to　put　a　stop　to　extravagance　in　dress；　feasts；　and　funerals。



In　the　midst　of　this　universal　peace；　a　new　and　unexpected　disturbance

arose　in　Tuscany。　Certain　citizens　of　Volterra　had　discovered　an　alum…

mine　in　their　district；　and　being　aware　of　the　profit　derivable　from

it；　in　order　to　obtain　the　means　of　working　and　securing　it；　they

applied　to　some　Florentines；　and　allowed　them　to　share　in　the　profits。

This；　as　is　frequently　the　case　with　new　undertakings；　at　first

excited　little　attention　from　the　people　of　Volterra；　but　in　time；

finding　the　profits　derived　from　it　had　become　considerable；　they

fruitlessly　endeavored　to　effect　what　at　first　might　have　been　easily

accomplished。　They　began　by　agitating　the　question　in　their　councils；

declaring　it　grossly　improper　that　a　source　of　wealth　discovered　in

the　public　lands　should　be　converted　to　the　emolument　of　private

individuals。　They　next　sent　advocates　to　Florence；　and　the　question

was　referred　to　the　consideration　of　certain　citizens；　who；　either

through　being　bribed　by　the　party　in　possession；　or　from　a　sincere

conviction；　declared　the　aim　of　the　people　of　Volterra　to　be　unjust　in

desiring　to　deprive　their　citizens　of　the　fruit　of　their　labor；　and

decided　that　the　alum…pit　was　the　rightful　property　of　those　who　had

hitherto　wrought　it；　but；　at　the　same　time；　recommended　them　to　pay　an

annual　sum　by　way　of　acknowledgment　to　the　city。　This　answer　instead

of　abating；　served　only　to　increase　the　animosities　and　tumult　in

Volterra；　and　absorbed　entire　attention　both　in　the　councils　and

throughout　the　city；　the　people　demanding　the　restitution　of　what　they

considered　their　due；　and　the　proprietors　insisting　upon　their　right

to　retain　what　they　had　originally　acquired；　and　what　had　been

subsequently　been　confirmed　to　them　by　the　decision　of　the

Florentines。　In　the　midst　of　these　disturbances；　a　respectable

citizen；　named　Il　Pecorino；　was　killed；　together　with　several　others；

who　had　embraced　the　same　side；　whose　houses　were　also　plundered　and

burned；　and　the　fury　of　the　mob　rose　to　such　a　height；　that　they　were

with　difficulty　restrained　from　putting　the　Florentine　rectors　to

death。



After　the　first　outrage；　the　Volterrani　immediately　determined　to　send

ambassadors　to　Florence；　who　intimated；　that　if　the　Signory　would

allow　them　their　ancient　privileges；　the　city　would　remain　subject　to

them　as　formerly。　Many　and　various　were　the　opinions　concerning　the

reply　to　be　made。　Tommaso　Soderini　advised　that　they　should　accept　the

submission　of　the　people　of　Volterra；　upon　any　conditions　with　which

they　were　disposed　to　make　it；　for　he　considered　it　unreasonable　and

unwise　to　kindle　a　flame　so　near　home　that　it　might　burn　their　own

dwelling；　he　suspected　the　pope's　ambition；　and　was　apprehensive　of

the　power　of　the　king；　nor　could　he　confide　in　the　friendship　either

of　the　duke　or　the　Venetians；　having　no　assurance　of　the　sincerity　of

the　latter；　or　the　valor　of　the　former。　He　concluded　by　quoting　that

trite　proverb；　〃Meglio　un　magro　accordo　che　una　grassa　vittoria。〃＇*＇

On　the　other　hand；　Lorenzo　de'　Medici；　thinking　this　an　opportunity

for　exhibiting　his　prudence　and　wisdom；　and　being　strenuously

supported　by　those　who　envied　the　influence　of　Tommaso　Soderin