history of florence-第30部分

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reanimated　those　who　had　followed　the　party　of　the　Ricci；　who；　in

opposition　to　the　Albizzi；　had　always　favored　Bernabo　and　opposed　the

church；　and　this；　the　rather；　because　the　eight　commissioners　of　war

were　all　enemies　of　the　Guelphs。　This　occasioned　Piero　degli　Albizzi；

Lapo　da　Castiglionchio；　Carlo　Strozzi；　and　others；　to　unite　themselves

more　closely　in　opposition　to　their　adversaries。　The　eight　carried　on

the　war；　and　the　others　admonished　during　three　years；　when　the　death

of　the　pontiff　put　an　end　to　the　hostilities；　which　had　been　carried

on　which　so　much　ability；　and　with　such　entire　satisfaction　to　the

people；　that　at　the　end　of　each　year　the　eight　were　continued　in

office；　and　were　called　/Santi/；　or　holy；　although　they　had　set

ecclesiastical　censures　at　defiance；　plundered　the　churches　of　their

property；　and　compelled　the　priests　to　perform　divine　service。　So　much

did　citizens　at　that　time　prefer　the　good　of　their　country　to　their

ghostly　consolations；　and　thus　showed　the　church；　that　if　as　her

friends　they　had　defended；　they　could　as　enemies　depress　her；　for　the

whole　of　Romagna；　the　Marches；　and　Perugia　were　excited　to　rebellion。



Yet　while　this　war　was　carried　on　against　the　pope；　they　were　unable

to　defend　themselves　against　the　captains　of　the　parts　and　their

faction；　for　the　insolence　of　the　Guelphs　against　the　eight　attained

such　a　pitch；　that　they　could　not　restrain　themselves　from　abusive

behavior；　not　merely　against　some　of　the　most　distinguished　citizens；

but　even　against　the　eight　themselves；　and　the　captains　of　the　parts

conducted　themselves　with　such　arrogance；　that　they　were　feared　more

than　the　Signory。　Those　who　had　business　with　them　treated　them　with

greater　reverence；　and　their　court　was　held　in　higher　estimation：　so

that　no　ambassador　came　to　Florence；　without　commission　to　the

captains。



Pope　Gregory　being　dead；　and　the　city　freed　from　external　war；　there

still　prevailed　great　confusion　within；　for　the　audacity　of　the

Guelphs　was　insupportable；　and　as　no　available　mode　of　subduing　them

presented　itself；　it　was　thought　that　recourse　must　be　had　to　arms；　to

determine　which　party　was　the　strongest。　With　the　Guelphs　were　all　the

ancient　nobility；　and　the　greater　part　of　the　most　popular　leaders；　of

which　number；　as　already　remarked；　were　Lapo；　Piero；　and　Carlo。　On　the

other　side；　were　all　the　lower　orders；　the　leaders　of　whom　were　the

eight　commissioners　of　war；　Giorgio　Scali　and　Tommaso　Strozzi；　and

with　them　the　Ricci；　Alberti；　and　Medici。　The　rest　of　the　multitude；

as　most　commonly　happens；　joined　the　discontented　party。



It　appeared　to　the　heads　of　the　Guelphic　faction　that　their　enemies

would　be　greatly　strengthened；　and　themselves　in　considerable　danger

in　case　a　hostile　Signory　should　resolve　on　their　subjugation。

Desirous；　therefore；　of　being　prepared　against　this　calamity；　the

leaders　of　the　party　assembled　to　take　into　consideration　the　state　of

the　city　and　that　of　their　own　friends　in　particular；　and　found　the

/ammoniti/　so　numerous　and　so　great　a　difficulty；　that　the　whole　city

was　excited　against　them　on　this　account。　They　could　not　devise　any

other　remedy　than；　that　as　their　enemies　had　deprived　them　of　all　the

offices　of　honor；　they　should　banish　their　opponents　from　the　city；

take　possession　of　the　palace　of　the　Signory；　and　bring　over　the　whole

state　to　their　own　party；　in　imitation　of　the　Guelphs　of　former　times；

who　found　no　safety　in　the　city；　till　they　had　driven　all　their

adversaries　out　of　it。　They　were　unanimous　upon　the　main　point；　but

did　not　agree　upon　the　time　of　carrying　it　into　execution。　It　was　in

the　month　of　April；　in　the　year　1378；　when　Lapo；　thinking　delay

inadvisable；　expressed　his　opinion；　that　procrastination　was　in　the

highest　degree　perilous　to　themselves；　as　in　the　next　Signory；

Salvestro　de'　Medici　would　very　probably　be　elected　Gonfalonier；　and

they　all　knew　he　was　opposed　to　their　party。　Piero　degli　Albizzi；　on

the　other　hand；　thought　it　better　to　defer；　since　they　would　require

forces；　which　could　not　be　assembled　without　exciting　observation；　and

if　they　were　discovered；　they　would　incur　great　risk。　He　thereupon

judged　it　preferable　to　wait　till　the　approaching　feast　of　St。　John　on

which；　being　the　most　solemn　festival　of　the　city；　vast　multitudes

would　be　assembled；　among　whom　they　might　conceal　whatever　numbers

they　pleased。　To　obviate　their　fears　of　Salvestro；　he　was　to　be

ADMONISHED；　and　if　this　did　not　appear　likely　to　be　effectual；　they

would　〃ADMONISH〃　one　of　the　Colleague　of　his　quarter；　and　upon

redrawing；　as　the　ballot…boxes　would　be　nearly　empty；　chance　would

very　likely　occasion　that　either　he　or　some　associate　of　his　would　be

drawn；　and　he　would　thus　be　rendered　incapable　of　sitting　as

Gonfalonier。　They　therefore　came　to　the　conclusion　proposed　by　Piero；

though　Lapo　consented　reluctantly；　considering　the　delay　dangerous；

and　that；　as　no　opportunity　can　be　in　all　respects　suitable；　he　who

waits　for　the　concurrence　of　every　advantage；　either　never　makes　an

attempt；　or；　if　induced　to　do　so；　is　most　frequently　foiled。　They

〃admonished〃　the　Colleague；　but　did　not　prevent　the　appointment　of

Salvestro；　for　the　design　was　discovered　by　the　Eight；　who　took　care

to　render　all　attempts　upon　the　drawing　futile。



Salvestro　Alammano　de'　Medici　was　therefore　drawn　Gonfalonier；　and；

being　one　of　the　noblest　popular　families；　he　could　not　endure　that

the　people　should　be　oppressed　by　a　few　powerful　persons。　Having

resolved　to　put　an　end　to　their　insolence；　and　perceiving　the　middle

classes　favorably　disposed；　and　many　of　the　highest　of　the　people　on

his　side；　he　communicated　his　design　to　Benedetto　Alberti；　Tommaso

Strozzi；　and　Georgio　Scali；　who　all　promised　their　assistance。　They；

therefore；　secretly　draw　up　a　law　which　had　for　its　object　to　revive

the　restrictions　upon　the　nobility；　to　retrench　the　authority　of　the

Capitani　di　Parte；　and　recall　the　/ammoniti/　to　their　dignity。　In

order　to　attempt　and　obtain　their　ends；　at　one　and　the　same　time；

having　to　consult；　first　the　Colleagues　and　then　the　Councils；

Salvestro　being　Provost　（which　office　for　the　time　makes　its　possessor

almost　prince　of　the　city）；　he　called　together　the　Colleagues　and　the

Council　on　the　same　morning；　and　the　Colleagues　being　apart；　he

proposed　the　law　prepared　by　himself　and　his　friends；　which；　being　a

novelty；　encountered　in　their　small　number　so　much　opposition；　that　he

was　unable　to　have　it　passed。



Salvestro；　seeing　his　first　attempt　likely　to　fail；　pretended　to　leave

the　room　for　a　private　reason；　and；　without　being　perceived；　went

immediately　to　the　Council；　and　taking　a　lofty　position　from　which　he

could　be　both　seen　and　heard；　said：〃That　considering　himself

invested　with　the　office　of　Gonfalonier；　not　so　much　to　preside　in

private　cases　（for　which　proper　judges　were　appointed；　who　have　their

regular　sittings）；　as　to　guard　the　state；　correct　the　insolence　of　the

powerful；　and　ameliorate　those　laws　by　the　influence　of　which　the

republic　was　being　ruined；　he　had　carefully　attended　to　both　these

duties；　and　to　his　utmost　ability　provided　for　them；　but　found　the

perversity　of　some　so　much　opposed　to　his　just　designs　as　to　deprive

him　of　all　opportunity　of　doing　good；　and　them　not　only　of　the　means

of　assisting　him　with　their　counsel；　but　even　hearing　him。　Therefore

finding　he　no　longer　contributed　either　to　the　benefit　of　the　republic

or　of　the　people　generally；　he　could　not　perceive　any　reason　for　his

longer　holding　the　magistracy；　of　which　he　was　either　undeserving；　or

others　thought　him　so；　and　would　therefore　retire　to　his　house；　that

the　people　might　appoint　another　in　his　stead；　who　would　either　have

greater　virtue　or　better　fortune　than　himself。〃　And　having　said　this；

he　left　the　room　as　if　to　return　home。



Those　of　the　council　who　were　in　the　secret；　and　others　desirous　of

novelty；　raised　a　tumult；　at　which　the　Signory　and　the　Colleagues　came

together；　and　finding　the　Gonfalonier　leaving　them；　entreatingly　and

authoritatively　detained　him；　and　obliged　him　to　return　to　the　council

room；　which　was　now　full　of　confusion。　Many　of　the　noble　citizens　were

threatened　in　opprobrious　language；　and　an　artificer　seized　Carlo

Strozzi　by　the　throat；　and　would　undoubtedly　have　murdered　him；　but

was　with　difficulty　prevented　by　those　around。　He　who　made　the

greatest　disturbance；　and　incited　the　city　to　violence；　was　Benedetto

degli　Alberti；　who；　from　a　window　of　the　palace；　loudly　called　the

people　to　arms；　and　presently　the　courtyards　were　filled　with　armed

men；　and　the　Colleagues　granted　to　threats；　what　they　had　refused　to

entreaty。　The　Capitani　di　Parte　had　at　the　same　time　drawn　together　a

great　number　of　citizens　to　their　hall　to　consult　upon　the　means　of

defending　themselves　against　the　orders　of　the　Signors；　but　when　they

heard　the　tumult　that　was　raised；　and　were　informed　of　the　course　the

Councils　had　adopted；　each　took　refuge　in　his　own　house。



Let　no　one；　when　raising　popular　commotions；　imagine　he　can　afterward

control　them　at　his　pleasure；　or　restrain　them　from　proceeding　to　the

commission　of　violence。　Salvestro　intended　to　enact　his　law；　and

compose　the　city；　but　it　happened　otherwise；　for　the　feelings　of　all

had　become　so　excited；　that　they　shut　up　the　shops；　the　citizens

fortified　themselves　in　their　houses；　many　conveyed　their　valuable

property　into　the　churches　and　monasteries；　and　everyone　seemed　to

apprehend　something　terrible　at　hand。　The　companies　of　the　Arts　met；

and　each　appointed　an　additional　officer　or　Syndic；　upon　which　the

Priors　summoned　their　Colleagues　and　these　Syndics；　and　consulted　a

whole　day　how　the　city　might　be　appeased　with　satisfaction　to　the

different　parties；　but　much　difference　of　opinion　prevailed；　and　no

conclusion　was　come　to。　On　the　following　day　the　Arts　brought　forth

their　banners；　which　the