history of florence-第41部分

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government　which　was　in　power　from　1378　to　1381；　and　that　all　who　were

then　present　had　to　lament；　some　a　father；　others　a　grandfather；　put

to　death　by　its　tyranny。　He　assured　them　they　were　now　in　the　same

danger；　and　that　the　city　was　sinking　under　the　same　disorders。　The

multitude　had　already　imposed　a　tax　of　its　own　authority；　and　would

soon；　if　not　restrained　by　greater　force　or　better　regulations；

appoint　the　magistrates；　who；　in　this　case；　would　occupy　their　places；

and　overturn　the　government　which　for　forty…two　years　had　ruled　the

city　with　so　much　glory；　the　citizens　would　then　be　subject　to　the

will　of　the　multitude；　and　live　disorderly　and　dangerous；　or　be　under

the　command　of　some　individual　who　might　make　himself　prince。　For

these　reasons　he　was　of　opinion；　that　whoever　loved　his　country　and

his　honor　must　arouse　himself；　and　call　to　mind　the　virtue　of　Bardo

Mancini；　who；　by　the　ruin　of　the　Alberti；　rescued　the　city　from　the

dangers　then　impending；　and　that　the　cause　of　the　audacity　now　assumed

by　the　multitude　was　the　extensive　Squittini　or　Pollings；　which；　by

their　negligence；　were　allowed　to　be　made；　for　thus　the　palace　had

become　filled　with　low　men。　He　therefore　concluded；　that　the　only

means　of　remedying　the　evil　was　to　restore　the　government　to　the

nobility；　and　diminish　the　authority　of　the　minor　trades　by　reducing

the　companies　from　fourteen　to　seven；　which　would　give　the　plebeians

less　authority　in　the　Councils；　both　by　the　reduction　in　their　number

and　by　increasing　the　authority　of　the　great；　who；　on　account　of

former　enmities；　would　be　disinclined　to　favor　them。　He　added；　that　it

is　a　good　thing　to　know　how　to　avail　themselves　of　men　according　to

the　times；　and　that　as　their　fathers　had　used　the　plebeians　to　reduce

the　influence　of　the　great；　that　now；　the　great　having　been　humbled；

and　the　plebeians　become　insolent；　it　was　well　to　restrain　the

insolence　of　the　latter　by　the　assistance　of　the　former。　To　effect

this　they　might　proceed　either　openly　or　otherwise；　for　some　of　them

belonging　to　the　Council　of　Ten；　forces　might　be　led　into　the　city

without　exciting　observation。



Rinaldo　was　much　applauded；　and　his　advice　was　approved　of　by　the

whole　assembly。　Niccolo　da　Uzzano　who；　among　others；　replied　to　it；

said；　〃All　that　Rinaldo　had　advanced　was　correct；　and　the　remedies　he

proposed　good　and　certain；　if　they　could　be　adopted　without　an

absolute　division　of　the　city；　and　this　he　had　no　doubt　would　be

effected　if　they　could　induce　Giovanni　de'　Medici　to　join　them；　for

with　him　on　their　side；　the　multitude　being　deprived　of　their　chief

and　stay；　would　be　unable　to　oppose　them；　but　that　if　he　did　not

concur　with　them　they　could　do　nothing　without　arms；　and　that　with

them　they　would　incur　the　risk　of　being　vanquished；　or　of　not　being

able　to　reap　the　fruit　of　victory。〃　He　then　modestly　reminded　them　of

what　he　had　said　upon　a　former　occasion；　and　of　their　reluctance　to

remedy　the　evil　when　it　might　easily　have　been　done；　that　now　the　same

remedy　could　not　be　attempted　without　incurring　the　danger　of　greater

evils；　and　therefore　there　was　nothing　left　for　them　to　do　but　to　gain

him　over　to　their　side；　if　practicable。　Rinaldo　was　then　commissioned

to　wait　upon　Giovanni　and　try　if　he　could　induce　him　to　join　them。



He　undertook　this　commission；　and　in　the　most　prevailing　words　he

could　make　use　of　endeavored　to　induce　him　to　coincide　with　their

views；　and　begged　that　he　would　not　by　favoring　an　audacious　mob；

enable　them　to　complete　the　ruin　both　of　the　government　and　the　city。

To　this　Giovanni　replied；　that　he　considered　it　the　duty　of　a　good　and

wise　citizen　to　avoid　altering　the　institutions　to　which　a　city　is

accustomed；　there　being　nothing　so　injurious　to　the　people　as　such　a

change；　for　many　are　necessarily　offended；　and　where　there　are　several

discontented；　some　unpropitious　event　may　be　constantly　apprehended。

He　said　it　appeared　to　him　that　their　resolution　would　have　two

exceedingly　pernicious　effects；　the　one　conferring　honors　on　those

who；　having　never　possessed　them；　esteemed　them　the　less；　and

therefore　had　the　less　occasion　to　grieve　for　their　absence；　the　other

taking　them　from　those　who　being　accustomed　to　their　possession　would

never　be　at　rest　till　they　were　restored　to　them。　It　would　thus　be

evident　that　the　injury　done　to　one　party；　was　greater　than　the

benefit　they　had　conferred　upon　the　other；　so　that　whoever　was　the

author　of　the　proposition；　he　would　gain　few　friends　and　make　many

enemies；　and　that　the　latter　would　be　more　resolutely　bent　on　injuring

him　than　the　former　would　be　zealous　for　his　defense；　for　mankind　are

naturally　more　disposed　to　revenge　than　to　gratitude；　as　if　the　latter

could　only　be　exercised　with　some　inconvenience　to　themselves；　while

the　former　brings　alike　gratification　and　profit。　Then；　directing　his

discourse　more　particularly　to　Rinaldo；　he　said；　〃And　you；　if　you

could　call　to　mind　past　events；　and　knew　how　craftily　affairs　are

conducted　in　this　city；　would　not　be　so　eager　in　this　pursuit；　for　he

who　advises　it；　when　by　your　aid　he　has　wrested　the　power　from　the

people；　will；　with　the　people's　assistance；　who　will　have　become　your

enemies；　deprive　you　of　it。　And　it　will　happen　to　you　as　to　Benedetto

Alberti；　who；　at　the　persuasion　of　those　who　were　not　his　friends；

consented　to　the　ruin　of　Giorgio　Scali　and　Tommaso　Strozzi；　and

shortly　afterward　was　himself　sent　into　exile　by　the　very　same　men。〃

He　therefore　advised　Rinaldo　to　think　more　maturely　of　these　things；

and　endeavor　to　imitate　his　father；　who；　to　obtain　the　benevolence　of

all；　reduced　the　price　of　salt；　provided　that　whoever　owed　taxes　under

half　a　florin　should　be　at　liberty　to　pay　them　or　not；　as　he　thought

proper；　and　that　at　the　meeting　of　the　Councils　every　one　should　be

free　from　the　importunities　of　his　creditors。　He　concluded　by　saying；

that　as　regarded　himself；　he　was　disposed　to　let　the　government　of　the

city　remain　as　it　was。







CHAPTER　III



　　Giovanni　de'　Medici　acquires　the　favor　of　the　peopleBravery　of

　　Biaggio　del　MelanoBaseness　of　Zanobi　del　PinoThe　Florentines

　　obtain　the　friendship　of　the　lord　of　FaenzaLeague　of　the

　　Florentines　with　the　VenetiansOrigin　of　the　CatastoThe　rich

　　citizens　discontented　with　itPeace　with　the　duke　of　MilanNew

　　disturbances　on　account　of　the　Catasto。



These　events；　and　the　circumstances　attending　them；　becoming　known　to

the　people；　contributed　greatly　to　increase　the　reputation　of

Giovanni；　and　brought　odium　on　those　who　had　made　the　proposals；　but

he　assumed　an　appearance　of　indifference；　in　order　to　give　less

encouragement　to　those　who　by　his　influence　were　desirous　of　change。

In　his　discourse　he　intimated　to　every　one　that　it　is　not　desirable　to

promote　factions；　but　rather　to　extinguish　them；　and　that　whatever

might　be　expected　of　him；　he　only　sought　the　union　of　the　city。　This；

however；　gave　offense　to　many　of　his　party；　for　they　would　have　rather

seen　him　exhibit　greater　activity。　Among　others　so　disposed；　was

Alamanno　de'　Medici；　who　being　of　a　restless　disposition；　never　ceased

exciting　him　to　persecute　enemies　and　favor　friends；　condemning　his

coldness　and　slow　method　of　proceeding；　which　he　said　was　the　cause　of

his　enemies'　practicing　against　him；　and　that　these　practices　would

one　day　effect　the　ruin　of　himself　and　his　friends。　He　endeavored　to

excite　Cosmo；　his　son；　with　similar　discourses；　but　Giovanni；　for　all

that　was　either　disclosed　or　foretold　him；　remained　unmoved；　although

parties　were　now　declared；　and　the　city　in　manifest　disunion。



There　were　at　the　palace；　in　the　service　of　the　Signory；　two

chancellors；　Ser　Martino　and　Ser　Pagolo。　The　latter　favored　the　party

of　Niccolo　da　Uzzano；　the　former　that　of　Giovanni；　and　Rinaldo；　seeing

Giovanni　unwilling　to　join　them；　thought　it　would　be　advisable　to

deprive　Ser　Martino　of　his　office；　that　he　might　have　the　palace　more

completely　under　his　control。　The　design　becoming　known　to　his

adversaries；　Ser　Martino　was　retained　and　Ser　Pagolo　discharged；　to

the　great　injury　and　displeasure　of　Rinaldo　and　his　party。　This

circumstance　would　soon　have　produced　most　mischievous　effects；　but

for　the　war　with　which　the　city　was　threatened；　and　the　recent　defeat

suffered　at　Zagonara；　which　served　to　check　the　audacity　of　the

people；　for　while　these　events　were　in　progress　at　Florence；　Agnolo

della　Pergola；　with　the　forces　of　the　duke；　had　taken　all　the　towns

and　cities　possessed　by　the　Florentines　in　Romagna；　except　Castracaro

and　Modigliano；　partly　from　the　weakness　of　the　places　themselves；　and

partly　by　the　misconduct　of　those　who　had　the　command　of　them。　In　the

course　of　the　campaign；　two　instances　occurred　which　served　to　show

how　greatly　courage　is　admired　even　in　enemies；　and　how　much　cowardice

and　pusillanimity　are　despised。



Biaggio　del　Melano　was　castellan　in　the　fortress　of　Monte　Petroso。

Being　surrounded　by　enemies；　and　seeing　no　chance　of　saving　the　place；

which　was　already　in　flames；　he　cast　clothes　and　straw　from　a　part

which　was　not　yet　on　fire；　and　upon　these　he　threw　his　two　little

children；　saying　to　the　enemy；　〃Take　to　yourselves　those　goods　which

fortune　has　bestowed　upon　me；　and　of　which　you　may　deprive　me；　but

those　of　the　mind；　in　which　my　honor　and　glory　consist；　I　will　not

give　up；　neither　can　you　wrest　them　from　me。〃　The　besiegers　ran　to

save　the　children；　and　placed　for　their　father　ropes　and　ladders；　by

which　to　save　himself；　but　he　would　not　use　them；　and　rather　chose　to

die　in　the　flames　than　owe　his　safety　to　the　enemies　of　his　country：

an　example　worthy　of　that　much　lauded　antiquity；　which　offers　nothing

to　surpass　it；　and　which　we　admire　the　more　from　the　rarity　of　any

similar　occurrence。　Whatever　could　be　recovered　from　the　ruins；　was

restored　for　the　use　of　the　children；　and　carefully　conveyed　to　their

friends；　no