history of florence-第12部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Pandolfello；　whom　she　had　brought　up；　took　for　her　husband　Giacopo

della　Marca；　a　Frenchman　of　the　royal　line；　on　the　condition　that　he

should　be　content　to　be　called　Prince　of　Tarento；　and　leave　to　her　the

title　and　government　of　the　kingdom。　But　the　soldiery；　upon　his

arrival　in　Naples；　proclaimed　him　king；　so　that　between　the　husband

and　the　wife　wars　ensued；　and　although　they　contended　with　varying

success；　the　queen　at　length　obtained　the　superiority；　and　became　an

enemy　of　the　pope。　Upon　this；　in　order　to　reduce　her　to　necessity；　and

that　she　might　be　compelled　to　throw　herself　into　his　lap；　Sforza

suddenly　withdrew　from　her　service　without　giving　her　any　pervious

notice　of　his　intention　to　do　so。　She　thus　found　herself　at　once

unarmed；　and　not　having　any　other　source；　sought　the　assistance　of

Alfonzo；　king　of　Aragon　and　Sicily；　adopted　him　as　her　son；　and

engaged　Braccio　of　Montone　as　her　captain；　who　was　of　equal　reputation

in　arms　with　Sforza；　and　inimical　to　the　pope；　on　account　of　his

having　taken　possession　of　Perugia　and　some　other　places　belonging　to

the　church。　After　this；　peace　was　made　between　the　queen　and　the

pontiff；　but　King　Alfonzo；　expecting　she　would　treat　him　as　she　had

her　husband；　endeavored　secretly　to　make　himself　master　of　the

strongholds；　but；　possessing　acute　observation；　she　was　beforehand

with　him；　and　fortified　herself　in　the　castle　of　Naples。　Suspicions

increasing　between　them；　they　had　recourse　to　arms；　and　the　queen；

with　the　assistance　of　Sforza；　who　again　resumed　her　service；　drove

Alfonzo　out　of　Naples；　deprived　him　of　his　succession；　and　adopted

Louis　of　Anjou　in　his　stead。　Hence　arose　new　contests　between　Braccio；

who　took　the　part　of　Alfonzo；　and　Sforza；　who　defended　the　cause　of

the　queen。　In　the　course　of　the　war；　Sforza　was　drowned　in　endeavoring

to　pass　the　river　Pescara；　the　queen　was　thus　again　unarmed；　and　would

have　been　driven　out　of　the　kingdom；　but　for　the　assistance　of　Filippo

Visconti；　the　duke　of　Milan；　who　compelled　Alfonzo　to　return　to

Aragon。　Braccio；　undaunted　at　the　departure　of　Alfonzo；　continued　the

enterprise　against　the　queen；　and　besieged　L'Aquilla；　but　the　pope；

thinking　the　greatness　of　Braccio　injurious　to　the　church；　received

into　his　pay　Francesco；　the　son　of　Sforza；　who　went　in　pursuit　of

Braccio　to　L'Aquilla；　where　he　routed　and　slew　him。　Of　Braccio

remained　Oddo；　his　son；　from　whom　the　pope　took　Perugia；　and　left　him

the　state　of　Montone　alone；　but　he　was　shortly　afterward　slain　in

Romagna；　in　the　service　of　the　Florentines；　so　that　of　those　who　had

fought　under　Braccio；　Niccolo　Piccinino　remained　of　greatest

reputation。



Having　continued　our　general　narration　nearly　to　the　period　which　we

at　first　proposed　to　reach；　what　remains　is　of　little　importance；

except　the　war　which　the　Florentines　and　Venetians　carried　on　against

Filippo　duke　of　Milan；　of　which　an　account　will　be　given　when　we　speak

particularly　of　Florence。　I　shall；　therefore；　continue　it　no　further；

briefly　explaining　the　condition　of　Italy　in　respect　of　her　princes

and　her　arms；　at　the　period　to　which　we　have　now　come。　Joan　II。　held

Naples；　La　Marca；　the　Patrimony　and　Romagna；　some　of　these　places

obeyed　the　church；　while　others　were　held　by　vicars　or　tyrants；　as

Ferrara；　Modena；　and　Reggio；　by　those　of　the　House　of　Este；　Faenza　by

the　Manfredi；　Imola　by　the　Alidossi；　Furli　by　the　Ordelaffi；　Rimini

and　Psaro　by　the　Malatesti；　and　Camerino　by　those　of　Varano。　Part　of

Lombardy　was　subject　to　the　Duke　Filippo；　part　to　the　Venetians；　for

all　those　who　had　held　single　states　were　set　aside；　except　the　House

of　Gonzaga；　which　ruled　in　Mantua。　The　greater　part　of　Tuscany　was

subject　to　the　Florentines。　Lucca　and　Sienna　alone　were　governed　by

their　own　laws；　Lucca　was　under　the　Guinigi；　Sienna　was　free。　The

Genoese；　being　sometimes　free；　at　others；　subject　to　the　kings　of

France　or　the　Visconti；　lived　unrespected；　and　may　be　enumerated　among

the　minor　powers。



None　of　the　principal　states　were　armed　with　their　own　proper　forces。

Duke　Filippo　kept　himself　shut　up　in　his　apartments；　and　would　not

allow　himself　to　be　seen；　his　wars　were　managed　by　commissaries。　The

Venetians；　when　they　directed　their　attention　to　terra　firma；　threw

off　those　arms　which　had　made　them　terrible　upon　the　seas；　and　falling

into　the　customs　of　Italy；　submitted　their　forces　to　the　direction　of

others。　The　practice　of　arms　being　unsuitable　to　priests　or　women；　the

pope　and　Queen　Joan　of　Naples　were　compelled　by　necessity　to　submit　to

the　same　system　which　others　practiced　from　defect　of　judgment。　The

Florentines　also　adopted　the　same　custom；　for　having；　by　their

frequent　divisions；　destroyed　the　nobility；　and　their　republic　being

wholly　in　the　hands　of　men　brought　up　to　trade；　they　followed　the

usages　and　example　of　others。



Thus　the　arms　of　Italy　were　either　in　the　hands　of　the　lesser　princes；

or　of　men　who　possessed　no　state；　for　the　minor　princes　did　not　adopt

the　practice　of　arms　from　any　desire　of　glory；　but　for　the　acquisition

of　either　property　or　safety。　The　others　（those　who　possessed　no

state）　being　bred　to　arms　from　their　infancy；　were　acquainted　with　no

other　art；　and　pursued　war　for　emolument；　or　to　confer　honor　upon

themselves。　The　most　noticed　among　the　latter　were　Carmignola；

Francesco　Sforza；　Niccolo　Piccinino　the　pupil　of　Braccio；　Agnolo　della

Pergola；　Lorenzo　di　Micheletto　Attenduli；　il　Tartaglia；　Giacopaccio；

Cecolini　da　Perugia；　Niccolo　da　Tolentino；　Guido　Torello；　Antonia　dal

Ponte　ad　Era；　and　many　others。　With　these；　were　those　lords　of　whom　I

have　before　spoken；　to　which　may　be　added　the　barons　of　Rome；　the

Colonnesi　and　the　Orsini；　with　other　lords　and　gentlemen　of　the

kingdoms　of　Naples　and　Lombardy；　who；　being　constantly　in　arms；　had

such　an　understanding　among　themselves；　and　so　contrived　to

accommodate　things　to　their　own　convenience；　that　of　those　who　were　at

war；　most　commonly　both　sides　were　losers；　and　they　had　made　the

practice　of　arms　so　totally　ridiculous；　that　the　most　ordinary　leader；

possessed　of　true　valor；　would　have　covered　these　men　with　disgrace；

whom；　with　so　little　prudence；　Italy　honored。



With　these　idle　princes　and　such　contemptible　arms；　my　history　must；

therefore；　be　filled；　to　which；　before　I　descend；　it　will　be

necessary；　as　was　at　first　proposed；　to　speak　of　the　origin　of

Florence；　that　it　may　be　clearly　understood　what　was　the　state　of　the

city　in　those　times；　and　by　what　means；　through　the　labours　of　a

thousand　years；　she　became　so　imbecile。









BOOK　II







CHAPTER　I



　　The　custom　of　ancient　republics　to　plant　colonies；　and　the

　　advantage　of　itIncreased　population　tends　to　make　countries　more

　　healthyOrigin　of　FlorenceAggrandizement　of　FlorenceOrigin　of

　　the　name　of　FlorenceDestruction　of　Florence　by　TotilaThe

　　Florentines　take　FiesoleThe　first　division　in　Florence；　and　the

　　cause　of　itBuondelmontiBuondelmonti　slainGuelphs　and

　　Ghibellines　in　FlorenceGuelphic　familiesGhibelline　families

　　The　two　factions　come　to　terms。



Among　the　great　and　wonderful　institutions　of　the　republics　and

principalities　of　antiquity　that　have　now　gone　into　disuse；　was　that

by　means　of　which　towns　and　cities　were　from　time　to　time　established；

and　there　is　nothing　more　worthy　the　attention　of　a　great　prince；　or

of　a　well…regulated　republic；　or　that　confers　so　many　advantages　upon

a　province；　as　the　settlement　of　new　places；　where　men　are　drawn

together　for　mutual　accommodation　and　defense。　This　may　easily　be

done；　by　sending　people　to　reside　in　recently　acquired　or　uninhabited

countries。　Besides　causing　the　establishment　of　new　cities；　these

removals　render　a　conquered　country　more　secure；　and　keep　the

inhabitants　of　a　province　properly　distributed。　Thus；　deriving　the

greatest　attainable　comfort；　the　inhabitants　increase　rapidly；　are

more　prompt　to　attack　others；　and　defend　themselves　with　greater

assurance。　This　custom；　by　the　unwise　practice　of　princes　and

republics；　having　gone　into　desuetude；　the　ruin　and　weakness　of

territories　has　followed；　for　this　ordination　is　that　by　which　alone

empires　are　made　secure；　and　countries　become　populated。　Safety　is　the

result　of　it；　because　the　colony　which　a　prince　establishes　in　a　newly

acquired　country；　is　like　a　fortress　and　a　guard；　to　keep　the

inhabitants　in　fidelity　and　obedience。　Neither　can　a　province　be

wholly　occupied　and　preserve　a　proper　distribution　of　its　inhabitants

without　this　regulation；　for　all　districts　are　not　equally　healthy；

and　hence　some　will　abound　to　overflowing；　while　others　are　void；　and

if　there　be　no　method　of　withdrawing　them　from　places　in　which　they

increase　too　rapidly；　and　planting　them　where　they　are　too　few　the

country　would　soon　be　wasted；　for　one　part　would　become　a　desert；　and

the　other　a　dense　and　wretched　population。　And；　as　nature　cannot

repair　this　disorder；　it　is　necessary　that　industry　should　effect　it；

for　unhealthy　localities　become　wholesome　when　a　numerous　population

is　brought　into　them。　With　cultivation　the　earth　becomes　fruitful；　and

the　air　is　purified　with　firesremedies　which　nature　cannot　provide。

The　city　of　Venice　proves　the　correctness　of　these　remarks。　Being

placed　in　a　marshy　and　unwholesome　situation；　it　became　healthy　only

by　the　number　of　industrious　individuals　who　were　drawn　together。

Pisa；　too；　on　account　of　its　unwholesome　air；　was　never　filled　with

inhabitants；　till　the　Saracens；　having　destroyed　Genoa　and　rendered

her　rivers　unnavigable；　caused　the　Genoese　to　migrate　thither　in　vast

numbers；　and　thus　render　her　populous　and　powerful。　Where　the　use　of

colonies　is　not　adopted；　conquered　countries　are　held　with　great

difficulty；　districts　once　uninhabited　still　remain　so；　and　those

which　populate　quickly　are　not　relieved。　Hence　it　is　that　many　places

of　the　world；　and　particularly　in　Italy；　in　comparison　of　ancient