history of florence-第24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！



mind　of　the　duke；　who　replied　that　it　was　not　his　intention　to　rob　the

city　of　her　liberty；　but　to　restore　it　to　her；　for　those　cities　alone

are　in　slavery　that　are　disunited；　while　the　united　are　free。　As

Florence；　by　her　factions　and　ambition；　had　deprived　herself　of

liberty；　he　should　restore；　not　take　it　from　her；　and　as　he　had　been

induced　to　take　this　charge　upon　himself；　not　from　his　own　ambition；

but　at　the　entreaty　of　a　great　number　of　citizens；　they　would　do　well

to　be　satisfied　with　that　which　produced　contentment　among　the　rest。

With　regard　to　the　danger　he　might　incur；　he　thought　nothing　of　it；

for　it　was　not　the　part　of　a　good　man　to　avoid　doing　good　from　his

apprehension　of　evil；　and　it　was　the　part　of　a　coward　to　shun　a

glorious　undertaking　because　some　uncertainty　attended　the　success　of

the　attempt；　and　he　knew　he　should　so　conduct　himself；　that　they　would

soon　see　they　had　entertained　great　apprehensions　and　been　in　little

danger。



The　Signory　then　agreed；　finding　they　could　not　do　better；　that　on　the

following　morning　the　people　should　be　assembled　in　their　accustomed

place　of　meeting；　and　with　their　consent　the　Signory　should　confer

upon　the　duke　the　sovereignty　of　the　city　for　one　year；　on　the　same

conditions　as　it　had　been　intrusted　to　the　duke　of　Calabria。　It　was

upon　the　8th　of　November；　1342；　when　the　duke；　accompanied　by　Giovanni

della　Tosa　and　all　his　confederates；　with　many　other　citizens；　came　to

the　piazza　or　court　of　the　palace；　and　having；　with　the　Signory

mounted　upon　the　ringhiera；　or　rostrum　（as　the　Florentines　call　those

steps　which　lead　to　the　palace）；　the　agreement　which　had　been　entered

into　between　the　Signory　and　himself　was　read。　When　they　had　come　to

the　passage　which　gave　the　government　to　him　for　one　year；　the　people

shouted；　〃FOR　LIFE。〃　Upon　this；　Francesco　Rustichelli；　one　of　the

Signory；　arose　to　speak；　and　endeavored　to　abate　the　tumult　and

procure　a　hearing；　but　the　mob；　with　their　hootings；　prevented　him

from　being　heard　by　anyone；　so　that　with　the　consent　of　the　people　the

duke　was　elected；　not　for　one　year　merely；　but　for　life。　He　was　then

borne　through　the　piazza　by　the　crowd；　shouting　his　name　as　they

proceeded。



It　is　the　custom　that　he　who　is　appointed　to　the　guard　of　the　palace

shall；　in　the　absence　of　the　Signory；　remain　locked　within。　This

office　was　at　that　time　held　by　Rinieri　di　Giotto；　who；　bribed　by　the

friends　of　the　duke；　without　waiting　for　any　force；　admitted　him

immediately。　The　Signory；　terrified　and　dishonored；　retired　to　their

own　houses；　the　palace　was　plundered　by　the　followers　of　the　duke；　the

Gonfalon　of　the　people　torn　to　pieces；　and　the　arms　of　the　duke　placed

over　the　palace。　All　this　happened　to　the　indescribable　sorrow　of　good

men；　though　to　the　satisfaction　of　those　who；　either　from　ignorance　or

malignity；　were　consenting　parties。



The　duke；　having　acquired　the　sovereignty　of　the　city；　in　order　to

strip　those　of　all　authority　who　had　been　defenders　of　her　liberty；

forbade　the　Signory　to　assemble　in　the　palace；　and　appointed　a　private

dwelling　for　their　use。　He　took　their　colors　from　the　Gonfaloniers　of

the　companies　of　the　people；　abolished　the　ordinances　made　for　the

restraint　of　the　great；　set　at　liberty　those　who　were　imprisoned；

recalled　the　Bardi　and　the　Frescobaldi　from　exile；　and　forbade

everyone　from　carrying　arms　about　his　person。　In　order　the　better　to

defend　himself　against　those　within　the　city；　he　made　friends　of　all

he　could　around　it；　and　therefore　conferred　great　benefits　upon　the

Aretini　and　other　subjects　of　the　Florentines。　He　made　peace　with　the

Pisans；　although　raised　to　power　in　order　that　he　might　carry　on　war

against　them；　ceased　paying　interest　to　those　merchants　who；　during

the　war　against　Lucca；　had　lent　money　to　the　republic；　increased　the

old　taxes；　levied　new　ones；　and　took　from　the　Signory　all　authority。

His　rectors　were　Baglione　da　Perugia　and　Guglielmo　da　Scesi；　who；　with

Cerrettieri　Bisdomini；　were　the　persons　with　whom　he　consulted　on

public　affairs。　He　imposed　burdensome　taxes　upon　the　citizens；　his

decisions　between　contending　parties　were　unjust；　and　that　precision

and　humanity　which　he　had　at　first　assumed；　became　cruelty　and　pride；

so　that　many　of　the　greatest　citizens　and　noblest　people　were；　either

by　fines；　death；　or　some　new　invention；　grievously　oppressed。　And　in

completing　the　same　bad　system；　both　without　the　city　and　within；　he

appointed　six　rectors　for　the　country；　who　beat　and　plundered　the

inhabitants。　He　suspected　the　great；　although　he　had　been　benefited　by

them；　and　had　restored　many　to　their　country；　for　he　felt　assured　that

the　generous　minds　of　the　nobility　would　not　allow　them；　from　any

motives；　to　submit　contentedly　to　his　authority。　He　also　began　to

confer　benefits　and　advantages　upon　the　lowest　orders；　thinking　that

with　their　assistance；　and　the　arms　of　foreigners；　he　would　be　able　to

preserve　the　tyranny。　The　month　of　May；　during　which　feasts　are　held；

being　come；　he　caused　many　companies　to　be　formed　of　the　plebeians　and

very　lowest　of　the　people；　and　to　these；　dignified　with　splendid

titles；　he　gave　colors　and　money；　and　while　one　party　went　in

bacchanalian　procession　through　the　city；　others　were　stationed　in

different　parts　of　it；　to　receive　them　as　guests。　As　the　report　of　the

duke's　authority　spread　abroad；　many　of　French　origin　came　to　him；　for

all　of　whom　he　found　offices　and　emoluments；　as　if　they　had　been　the

most　trustworthy　of　men；　so　that　in　a　short　time　Florence　became　not

only　subject　to　French　dominion；　but　adopted　their　dress　and　manners；

for　men　and　women；　without　regard　to　propriety　or　sense　of　shame；

imitated　them。　But　that　which　disgusted　the　people　most　completely　was

the　violence　which；　without　any　distinction　of　quality　or　rank；　he　and

his　followers　committed　upon　the　women。



The　people　were　filled　with　indignation；　seeing　the　majesty　of　the

state　overturned；　its　ordinances　annihilated；　its　laws　annulled；　and

every　decent　regulation　set　at　naught；　for　men　unaccustomed　to　royal

pomp　could　not　endure　to　see　this　man　surrounded　with　his　armed

satellites　on　foot　and　on　horseback；　and　having　now　a　closer　view　of

their　disgrace；　they　were　compelled　to　honor　him　whom　they　in　the

highest　degree　hated。　To　this　hatred；　was　added　the　terror　occasioned

by　the　continual　imposition　of　new　taxes　and　frequent　shedding　of

blood；　with　which　he　impoverished　and　consumed　the　city。



The　duke　was　not　unaware　of　these　impressions　existing　strongly　in　the

people's　minds；　nor　was　he　without　fear　of　the　consequences；　but　still

pretended　to　think　himself　beloved；　and　when　Matteo　di　Morozzo；　either

to　acquire　his　favor　or　to　free　himself　from　danger；　gave　information

that　the　family　of　the　Medici　and　some　others　had　entered　into　a

conspiracy　against　him　he　not　only　did　not　inquire　into　the　matter；

but　caused　the　informer　to　be　put　to　a　cruel　death。　This　mode　of

proceeding　restrained　those　who　were　disposed　to　acquaint　him　of　his

danger　and　gave　additional　courage　to　such　as　sought　his　ruin。　Bertone

Cini；　having　ventured　to　speak　against　the　taxes　with　which　the　people

were　loaded；　had　his　tongue　cut　out　with　such　barbarous　cruelty　as　to

cause　his　death。　This　shocking　act　increased　the　people's　rage；　and

their　hatred　of　the　duke；　for　those　who　were　accustomed　to　discourse

and　to　act　upon　every　occasion　with　the　greatest　boldness；　could　not

endure　to　live　with　their　hands　tied　and　forbidden　to　speak。



This　oppression　increased　to　such　a　degree；　that　not　merely　the

Florentines；　who　though　unable　to　preserve　their　liberty　cannot　endure

slavery；　but　the　most　servile　people　on　earth　would　have　been　roused

to　attempt　the　recovery　of　freedom；　and　consequently　many　citizens　of

all　ranks　resolved　either　to　deliver　themselves　from　this　odious

tyranny　or　die　in　the　attempt。　Three　distinct　conspiracies　were

formed；　one　of　the　great；　another　of　the　people；　and　the　third　of　the

working　classes；　each　of　which；　besides　the　general　causes　which

operated　upon　the　whole；　were　excited　by　some　other　particular

grievance。　The　great　found　themselves　deprived　of　all　participation　in

the　government；　the　people　had　lost　the　power　they　possessed；　and　the

artificers　saw　themselves　deficient　in　the　usual　remuneration　of　their

labor。



Agnolo　Acciajuoli　was　at　this　time　archbishop　of　Florence；　and　by　his

discourses　had　formerly　greatly　favored　the　duke；　and　procured　him

many　followers　among　the　higher　class　of　the　people。　But　when　he　found

him　lord　of　the　city；　and　became　acquainted　with　his　tyrannical　mode

of　proceeding；　it　appeared　to　him　that　he　had　misled　his　countrymen；

and　to　correct　the　evil　he　had　done；　he　saw　no　other　course；　but　to

attempt　the　cure　by　the　means　which　had　caused　it。　He　therefore　became

the　leader　of　the　first　and　most　powerful　conspiracy；　and　was　joined

by　the　Bardi；　Rossi；　Frescobaldi；　Scali　Altoviti；　Magalotti；　Strozzi；

and　Mancini。　Of　the　second；　the　principals　were　Manno　and　Corso

Donati；　and　with　them　the　Pazzi；　Cavicciulli；　Cerchi；　and　Albizzi。　Of

the　third　the　first　was　Antonio　Adimari；　and　with　him　the　Medici；

Bordini；　Rucellai；　and　Aldobrandini。　It　was　the　intention　of　these

last；　to　slay　him　in　the　house　of　the　Albizzi；　whither　he　was　expected

to　go　on　St。　John's　day；　to　see　the　horses　run；　but　he　not　having

gone；　their　design　did　not　succeed。　They　then　resolved　to　attack　him

as　he　rode　through　the　city；　but　they　found　this　would　be　very

difficult；　for　he　was　always　accompanied　with　a　considerable　armed

force；　and　never　took　the　same　road　twice　together；　so　that　they　had

no　certainty　of　where　to　find　him。　They　had　a　design　of　slaying　him　in

the　council；　although　they　knew　that　if　he　were　dead；　they　would　be　at

the　mercy　of　his　followers。



While　these　matters　were　being　considered　by　the　conspirators；　Antonio

Adimari；　in　expectation　of　ge