history of florence-第33部分

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　　of　the　plebeians　against　Michael　di　LandoMichael　di　Lando

　　proceeds　against　the　plebeians　and　reduces　them　to　order

　　Character　of　Michael　di　Lando。



At　daybreak　on　the　21st　of　July；　there　did　not　appear　in　the　piazza

above　eighty　men　in　arms　friendly　to　the　Signory；　and　not　one　of　the

Gonfaloniers；　for　knowing　the　whole　city　to　be　in　a　state　of

insurrection　they　were　afraid　to　leave　their　homes。　The　first　body　of

plebeians　that　made　its　appearance　was　that　which　had　assembled　at　San

Pietro　Maggiore；　but　the　armed　force　did　not　venture　to　attack　them。

Then　came　the　other　multitudes；　and　finding　no　opposition；　they　loudly

demanded　their　prisoners　from　the　Signory；　and　being　resolved　to　have

them　by　force　if　they　were　not　yielded　to　their　threats；　they　burned

the　house　of　Luigi　Guicciardini；　and　the　Signory；　for　fear　of　greater

mischief；　set　them　at　liberty。　With　this　addition　to　their　strength

they　took　the　Gonfalon　of　Justice　from　the　bearer；　and　under　the

shadow　of　authority　which　it　gave　them；　burned　the　houses　of　many

citizens；　selecting　those　whose　owners　had　publicly　or　privately

excited　their　hatred。　Many　citizens；　to　avenge　themselves　for　private

injuries；　conducted　them　to　the　houses　of　their　enemies；　for　it　was

quite　sufficient　to　insure　its　destruction；　if　a　single　voice　from　the

mob　called　out；　〃To　the　house　of　such　a　one；〃　or　if　he　who　bore　the

Gonfalon　took　the　road　toward　it。　All　the　documents　belonging　to　the

woolen　trade　were　burned；　and　after　the　commission　of　much　violence；

by　way　of　associating　it　with　something　laudable；　Salvestro　de　Medici

and　sixty…three　other　citizens　were　made　knights；　among　whom　were

Benedetto　and　Antonio　degli　Alberti；　Tommaso　Strozzi　and　others

similarly　their　friends；　though　many　received　the　honor　against　their

wills。　It　was　a　remarkable　peculiarity　of　the　riots；　that　many　who　had

their　houses　burned；　were　on　the　same　day；　and　by　the　same　party　made

knights；　so　close　were　the　kindness　and　the　injury　together。　This

circumstance　occurred　to　Luigi　Guicciardini；　Gonfalonier　of　Justice。



In　this　tremendous　uproar；　the　Signory；　finding　themselves　abandoned

by　their　armed　force；　by　the　leaders　of　the　arts；　and　by　the

Gonfaloniers；　became　dismayed；　for　none　had　come　to　their　assistance

in　obedience　to　orders；　and　of　the　sixteen　Gonfalons；　the　ensign　of

the　Golden　Lion　and　of　the　Vaio；　under　Giovenco　della　Stufa　and

Giovanni　Cambi　alone　appeared；　and　these；　not　being　joined　by　any

other；　soon　withdrew。　Of　the　citizens；　on　the　other　hand；　some；　seeing

the　fury　of　this　unreasonable　multitude　and　the　palace　abandoned；

remained　within　doors；　others　followed　the　armed　mob；　in　the　hope　that

by　being　among　them；　they　might　more　easily　protect　their　own　houses

or　those　of　their　friends。　The　power　of　the　plebeians　was　thus

increased　and　that　of　the　Signory　weakened。　The　tumult　continued　all

day；　and　at　night　the　rioters　halted　near　the　palace　of　Stefano；

behind　the　church　of　St。　Barnabas。　Their　number　exceeded　six　thousand；

and　before　daybreak　they　obtained　by　threats　the　ensigns　of　the

trades；　with　which　and　the　Gonfalon　of　Justice；　when　morning　came；

they　proceeded　to　the　palace　of　the　provost；　who　refusing　to　surrender

it　to　them；　they　took　possession　of　it　by　force。



The　Signory；　desirous　of　a　compromise；　since　they　could　not　restrain

them　by　force；　appointed　four　of　the　Colleagues　to　proceed　to　the

palace　of　the　provost；　and　endeavor　to　learn　what　was　their　intention。

They　found　that　the　leaders　of　the　plebeians；　with　the　Syndics　of　the

trades　and　some　citizens；　had　resolved　to　signify　their　wishes　to　the

Signory。　They　therefore　returned　with　four　deputies　of　the　plebeians；

who　demanded　that　the　woolen　trade　should　not　be　allowed　to　have　a

foreign　judge；　that　there　should　be　formed　three　new　companies　of　the

arts；　namely；　one　for　the　wool　combers　and　dyers；　one　for　the　barbers；

doublet…makers；　tailors；　and　such　like；　and　the　third　for　the　lowest

class　of　people。　They　required　that　the　three　new　arts　should　furnish

two　Signors；　the　fourteen　minor　arts；　three；　and　that　the　Signory

should　provide　a　suitable　place　of　assembly　for　them。　They　also　made

it　a　condition　that　no　member　of　these　companies　should　be　expected

during　two　years　to　pay　any　debt　that　amounted　to　less　than　fifty

ducats；　that　the　bank　should　take　no　interest　on　loans　already

contracted；　and　that　only　the　principal　sum　should　be　demanded；　that

the　condemned　and　the　banished　should　be　forgiven；　and　the　admonished

should　be　restored　to　participation　in　the　honors　of　government。

Besides　these；　many　other　articles　were　stipulated　in　favor　of　their

friends；　and　a　requisition　made　that　many　of　their　enemies　should　be

exiled　and　admonished。　These　demands；　though　grievous　and　dishonorable

to　the　republic；　were　for　fear　of　further　violence　granted；　by　the

joint　deliberation　of　the　Signors；　Colleagues；　and　Council　of　the

people。　But　in　order　to　give　it　full　effect；　it　was　requisite　that　the

Council　of　the　Commune　should　also　give　its　consent；　and；　as　they

could　not　assemble　two　councils　during　the　same　day　it　was　necessary

to　defer　it　till　the　morrow。　However　the　trades　appeared　content；　the

plebeians　satisfied；　and　both　promised；　that　these　laws　being

confirmed；　every　disturbance　should　cease。



On　the　following　morning；　while　the　Council　of　the　Commune　were　in

consultation；　the　impatient　and　volatile　multitude　entered　the　piazza；

under　their　respective　ensigns；　with　loud　and　fearful　shouts；　which

struck　terror　into　all　the　Council　and　Signory；　and　Guerrente

Marignolli；　one　of　the　latter；　influenced　more　by　fear　than　anything

else；　under　pretense　of　guarding　the　lower　doors；　left　the　chamber　and

fled　to　his　house。　He　was　unable　to　conceal　himself　from　the

multitude；　who；　however；　took　no　notice；　except　that；　upon　seeing　him；

they　insisted　that　all　the　Signors　should　quit　the　palace；　and

declared　that　if　they　refused　to　comply；　their　houses　should　be　burned

and　their　families　put　to　death。



The　law　had　now　been　passed；　the　Signors　were　in　their　own　apartments；

the　Council　had　descended　from　the　chamber；　and　without　leaving　the

palace；　hopeless　of　saving　the　city；　they　remained　in　the　lodges　and

courts　below；　overwhelmed　with　grief　at　seeing　such　depravity　in　the

multitude；　and　such　perversity　or　fear　in　those　who　might　either　have

restrained　or　suppressed　them。　The　Signory；　too；　were　dismayed　and

fearful　for　the　safety　of　their　country；　finding　themselves　abandoned

by　one　of　their　associates；　and　without　any　aid　or　even　advice；　when；

at　this　moment　of　uncertainty　as　to　what　was　about　to　happen；　or　what

would　be　best　to　be　done；　Tommaso　Strozzi　and　Benedetto　Alberti；

either　from　motives　of　ambition　（being　desirous　of　remaining　masters

of　the　palace）；　or　because　they　thought　it　the　most　advisable　step；

persuaded　them　to　give　way　to　the　popular　impulse；　and　withdraw

privately　to　their　homes。　This　advice；　given　by　those　who　had　been　the

leaders　of　the　tumult；　although　the　others　yielded；　filled　Alamanno

Acciajuoli　and　Niccolo　del　Bene；　two　of　the　Signors；　with　anger；　and；

reassuming　a　little　vigor；　they　said；　that　if　the　others　would

withdraw　they　could　not　help　it；　but　they　would　remain　as　long　as　they

continued　in　office；　if　they　did　not　in　the　meantime　lose　their　lives。

These　dissensions　redoubled　the　fears　of　the　Signory　and　the　rage　of

the　people；　so　that　the　Gonfalonier；　disposed　rather　to　conclude　his

magistracy　in　dishonor　than　in　danger；　recommended　himself　to　the　care

of　Tommaso　Strozzi；　who　withdrew　him　from　the　palace　and　conducted　him

to　his　house。　The　other　Signors　were；　one　after　another；　conveyed　in

the　same　manner；　so　that　Alamanno　and　Niccolo；　not　to　appear　more

valiant　than　wise；　seeing　themselves　left　alone；　also　retired；　and　the

palace　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　plebeians　and　the　Eight

Commissioners　of　War；　who　had　not　yet　laid　down　their　authority。



When　the　plebeians　entered　the　palace；　the　standard　of　the　Gonfalonier

of　Justice　was　in　the　hands　of　Michael　di　Lando；　a　wool　comber。　This

man；　barefoot；　with　scarcely　anything　upon　him；　and　the　rabble　at　his

heels；　ascended　the　staircase；　and；　having　entered　the　audience

chamber　of　the　Signory；　he　stopped；　and　turning　to　the　multitude　said；

〃You　see　this　palace　is　now　yours；　and　the　city　is　in　your　power；　what

do　you　think　ought　to　be　done？〃　To　which　they　replied；　they　would　have

him　for　their　Gonfalonier　and　lord；　and　that　he　should　govern　them　and

the　city　as　he　thought　best。　Michael　accepted　the　command；　and；　as　he

was　a　cool　and　sagacious　man；　more　favored　by　nature　than　by　fortune；

he　resolved　to　compose　the　tumult；　and　restore　peace　to　the　city。　To

occupy　the　minds　of　the　people；　and　give　himself　time　to　make　some

arrangement；　he　ordered　that　one　Nuto；　who　had　been　appointed

bargello；　or　sheriff；　by　Lapo　da　Castiglionchio；　should　be　sought。　The

greater　part　of　his　followers　went　to　execute　this　commission；　and；　to

commence　with　justice　the　government　he　had　acquired　by　favor；　he

commanded　that　no　one　should　either　burn　or　steal　anything；　while；　to

strike　terror　into　all；　he　caused　a　gallows　to　be　erected　in　the　court

of　the　palace。　He　began　the　reform　of　government　by　deposing　the

Syndics　of　the　trades；　and　appointing　new　ones；　he　deprived　the

Signory　and　the　Colleagues　of　their　magistracy；　and　burned　the

balloting　purses　containing　the　names　of　those　eligible　to　office

under　the　former　government。



In　the　meantime；　Ser　Nuto；　being　brought　by　the　mob　into　the　court；

was　suspended　from　the　gallows　by　one　foot；　and　those　around　having

torn　him　to　pieces；　in　little　more　than　a　moment　nothing　remained　of

him　but　the　foot　by　which　he　had　been　tied。



The　Eight　Commissioners　of　War；　on　the　other　hand；　thinking

themselves；　after　the　departure　of　the　Signors；　left　sole　masters　of

the　city；　had　already　formed　a　new　Signory；　but　Michael