history of florence-第42部分

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

friends；　nor　was　the　republic　less　grateful；　for　as　long　as　they

lived；　they　were　supported　at　her　charge。



An　example　of　an　opposite　character　occurred　at　Galeata；　where　Zanobi

del　Pino　was　governor；　he；　without　offering　the　least　resistance；　gave

up　the　fortress　to　the　enemy；　and　besides　this；　advised　Agnolo　della

Pergola　to　leave　the　Alps　of　Romagna；　and　come　among　the　smaller　hills

of　Tuscany；　where　he　might　carry　on　the　war　with　less　danger　and

greater　advantage。　Agnolo　could　not　endure　the　mean　and　base　spirit　of

this　man；　and　delivered　him　to　his　own　attendants；　who；　after　many

reproaches；　gave　him　nothing　to　eat　but　paper　painted　with　snakes；

saying；　that　of　a　Guelph　they　would　make　him　a　Ghibelline；　and　thus

fasting；　he　died　in　a　few　days。



At　this　time　Count　Oddo　and　Niccolo　Piccinino　entered　the　Val　di

Lamona；　with　the　design　of　bringing　the　lord　of　Faenza　over　to　the

Florentines；　or　at　least　inducing　him　to　restrain　the　incursions　of

Agnolo　della　Pergola　into　Romagna；　but　as　this　valley　is　naturally

strong；　and　its　inhabitants　warlike；　Count　Oddo　was　slain　there；　and

Niccolo　Piccinino　sent　a　prisoner　to　Faenza。　Fortune；　however；　caused

the　Florentines　to　obtain　by　their　loss；　what；　perhaps；　they　would

have　failed　to　acquire　by　victory；　for　Niccolo　so　prevailed　with　the

lord　of　Faenza　and　his　mother；　that　they　became　friends　of　the

Florentines。　By　this　treaty；　Niccolo　Piccinino　was　set　at　liberty；　but

did　not　take　the　advice　he　had　given　others；　for　while　in　treaty　with

the　city；　concerning　the　terms　of　his　engagement；　either　the

conditions　proposed　were　insufficient；　or　he　found　better　elsewhere；

for　quite　suddenly　he　left　Arezzo；　where　he　had　been　staying；　passed

into　Lombardy；　and　entered　the　service　of　the　duke。



The　Florentines；　alarmed　by　this　circumstance；　and　reduced　to

despondency　by　their　frequent　losses；　thought　themselves　unable　to

sustain　the　war　alone；　and　sent　ambassadors　to　the　Venetians；　to　beg

they　would　lend　their　aid　to　oppose　the　greatness　of　one　who；　if

allowed　to　aggrandize　himself；　would　soon　become　as　dangerous　to　them

as　to　the　Florentines　themselves。　The　Venetians　were　advised　to　adopt

the　same　course　by　Francesco　Carmignuola；　one　of　the　most

distinguished　warriors　of　those　times；　who　had　been　in　the　service　of

the　duke；　and　had　afterward　quitted　it；　but　they　hesitated；　not

knowing　how　far　to　trust　him；　for　they　thought　his　enmity　with　the

duke　was　only　feigned。　While　in　this　suspense；　it　was　found　that　the

duke；　by　means　of　a　servant　of　Carmignuola；　had　caused　poison　to　be

given　him　in　his　food；　which；　although　it　was　not　fatal；　reduced　him

to　extremity。　The　truth　being　discovered；　the　Venetians　laid　aside

their　suspicion；　and　as　the　Florentines　still　solicited　their

assistance；　a　treaty　was　formed　between　the　two　powers；　by　which　they

agreed　to　carry　on　the　war　at　the　common　expense　of　both：　the

conquests　in　Lombardy　to　be　assigned　to　the　Venetians；　those　in

Romagna　and　Tuscany　to　the　Florentines；　and　Carmignuola　was　appointed

Captain　General　of　the　League。　By　this　treaty　the　war　was　commenced　in

Lombardy；　where　it　was　admirably　conducted；　for　in　a　few　months　many

places　were　taken　from　the　duke；　together　with　the　city　of　Brescia；

the　capture　of　which　was　in　those　days　considered　a　most　brilliant

exploit。



The　war　had　continued　from　1422　to　1427；　and　the　citizens　of　Florence

were　so　wearied　of　the　taxes　that　had　been　imposed　during　that　time；

that　it　was　resolved　to　revise　them；　preparatory　to　their

amelioration。　That　they　might　be　equalized　according　to　the　means　of

each　citizen；　it　was　proposed　that　whoever　possessed　property　of　the

value　of　one　hundred　florins　should　pay　half　a　florin　of　taxes。

Individual　contribution　would　thus　be　determined　by　an　invariable

rule；　and　not　left　to　the　discretion　of　parties；　and　as　it　was　found

that　the　new　method　would　press　heavily　upon　the　powerful　classes；

they　used　their　utmost　endeavors　to　prevent　it　from　becoming　law。

Giovanni　de'　Medici　alone　declared　himself　in　favor　of　it；　and　by　his

means　it　was　passed。　In　order　to　determine　the　amount　each　had　to　pay；

it　was　necessary　to　consider　his　property　in　the　aggregate；　which　the

Florentines　call　/accatastare/；　in　which　in　this　application　of　it

would　signify　TO　RATE　or　VALUE；　and　hence　this　tax　received　the　name

of　/catasto/。　The　new　method　of　rating　formed　a　powerful　check　to　the

tyranny　of　the　great；　who　could　no　longer　oppress　the　lower　classes；

or　silence　them　with　threats　in　the　council　as　they　had　formerly　done；

and　it　therefore　gave　general　satisfaction；　though　to　the　wealthy

classes　it　was　in　the　highest　degree　offensive。　But　as　it　is　found　men

are　never　satisfied；　but　that　the　possession　of　one　advantage　only

makes　them　desire　more；　the　people；　not　content　with　the　equality　of

taxation　which　the　new　law　produced；　demanded　that　the　same　rule

should　be　applied　to　past　years；　that　in　investigation　should　be　made

to　determine　how　much；　according　to　the　Catasto；　the　rich　had　paid

less　than　their　share；　and　that　they　should　now　pay　up　to　an　equality

with　those　who；　in　order　to　meet　the　demand　unjustly　made；　had　been

compelled　to　sell　their　possessions。　This　proposal　alarmed　the　great

more　than　the　Catasto　had　done；　and　in　self…defense　they　unceasingly

decried　it；　declaring　it　in　the　highest　degree　unjust　in　being　laid

not　only　on　immovable　but　movable　property；　which　people　possess

to…day　and　lose　to…morrow；　that　many　persons　have　hidden　wealth　which

the　Catasto　cannot　reach；　that　those　who　leave　their　own　affairs　to

manage　those　of　the　republic　should　be　less　burdened　by　her；　it　being

enough　for　them　to　give　their　labour；　and　that　it　was　unjust　of　the

city　to　take　both　their　property　and　their　time；　while　of　others　she

only　took　money。　The　advocates　of　the　Catasto　replied；　that　if　movable

property　varies；　the　taxes　would　also　vary；　and　frequently　rating　it

would　remedy　the　evil　to　which　it　was　subject；　that　it　was　unnecessary

to　mention　those　who　possessed　hidden　property；　for　it　would　be

unreasonable　to　take　taxes　for　that　which　produced　no　interest；　and

that　if　it　paid　anything；　it　could　not　fail　to　be　discovered：　that

those　who　did　not　like　to　labor　for　the　republic　might　cease　to　do　so；

for　no　doubt　she　would　find　plenty　of　loving　citizens　who　would　take

pleasure　in　assisting　her　with　both　money　and　counsel：　that　the

advantages　and　honors　of　a　participation　in　the　government　are　so

great；　that　of　themselves　they　are　a　sufficient　remuneration　to　those

who　thus　employ　themselves；　without　wishing　to　be　excused　from　paying

their　share　of　taxes。　But；　they　added；　the　real　grievance　had　not　been

mentioned：　for　those　who　were　offended　with　the　Catasto；　regretted

they　could　no　longer　involve　the　city　in　all　the　difficulties　of　war

without　injury　to　themselves；　now　that　they　had　to　contribute　like　the

rest；　and　that　if　this　law　had　then　been　in　force　they　would　not　have

gone　to　war　with　King　Ladislaus；　or　the　Duke　Filippo；　both　which

enterprises　had　been　not　through　necessity；　but　to　impoverish　the

citizens。　The　excitement　was　appeased　by　Giovanni　de'　Medici；　who

said；　〃It　is　not　well　to　go　into　things　so　long　past；　unless　to　learn

something　for　our　present　guidance；　and　if　in　former　times　the

taxation　has　been　unjust；　we　ought　to　be　thankful；　that　we　have　now

discovered　a　method　of　making　it　equitable；　and　hope　that　this　will　be

the　means　of　uniting　the　citizens；　not　of　dividing　them；　which　would

certainly　be　the　case　were　they　to　attempt　the　recovery　of　taxes　for

the　past；　and　make　them　equal　to　the　present；　and　that　he　who　is

content　with　a　moderate　victory　is　always　most　successful；　for　those

who　would　more　than　conquer；　commonly　lose。〃　With　such　words　as　these

he　calmed　the　disturbance；　and　this　retrospective　equalization　was　no

longer　contemplated。



The　war　with　the　duke　still　continued；　but　peace　was　at　length

restored　by　means　of　a　legate　of　the　pope。　The　duke；　however；　from　the

first　disregarded　the　conditions；　so　that　the　league　again　took　arms；

and　meeting　the　enemy's　forces　at　Maclovio　routed　them。　After　this

defeat　the　duke　again　made　proposals　for　peace；　to　which　the

Florentines　and　Venetians　both　agreed；　the　former　from　jealousy　of　the

Venetians；　thinking　they　had　spent　quite　enough　money　in　the

aggrandizement　of　others；　the　latter；　because　they　found　Carmignuola；

after　the　defeat　of　the　duke；　proceed　but　coldly　in　their　cause；　so

that　they　thought　it　no　longer　safe　to　trust　him。　A　treaty　was

therefore　concluded　in　1428；　by　which　the　Florentines　recovered　the

places　they　had　lost　in　Romagna；　and　the　Venetians　kept　Brescia；　to

which　the　duke　added　Bergamo　and　the　country　around　it。　In　this　war

the　Florentines　expended　three　millions　and　a　half　of　ducats；　extended

the　territory　and　power　of　the　Venetians；　and　brought　poverty　and

disunion　upon　themselves。



Being　at　peace　with　their　neighbors；　domestic　troubles　recommenced。

The　great　citizens　could　not　endure　the　Catasto；　and　not　knowing　how

to　set　it　aside；　they　endeavored　to　raise　up　more　numerous　enemies　to

the　measure；　and　thus　provide　themselves　with　allies　to　assist　them　in

annulling　it。　They　therefore　instructed　the　officers　appointed　to　levy

the　tax；　that　the　law　required　them　to　extend　the　Catasto　over　the

property　of　their　nearest　neighbors；　to　see　if　Florentine　wealth　was

concealed　among　it。　The　dependent　states　were　therefore　ordered　to

present　a　schedule　of　their　property　against　a　certain　time。　This　was

extremely　offensive　to　the　people　of　Volterra；　who　sent　to　the　Signory

to　complain　of　it；　but　the　officers；　in　great　wrath；　committed

eighteen　of　the　complainants　to　prison。　The　Volterrani；　however；　out

of　regard　for　their　fellow…countrymen　who　were　arrested；　did　not

proceed　to　any　violence。







CHAPTER　IV