history of florence-第50部分

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state　of　decay；　that　wars　were　commenced　without　fear；　continued

without　danger；　and　concluded　without　loss。　Thus　the　military　energy

which　is　in　other　countries　exhausted　by　a　long　peace；　was　wasted　in

Italy　by　the　contemptible　manner　in　which　hostilities　were　carried　on；

as　will　be　clearly　seen　in　the　events　to　be　described　from　1434　to

1494；　from　which　it　will　appear　how　the　barbarians　were　again　admitted

into　Italy；　and　she　again　sunk　under　subjection　to　them。　Although　the

transactions　of　our　princes　at　home　and　abroad　will　not　be　viewed　with

admiration　of　their　virtue　and　greatness　like　those　of　the　ancients；

perhaps　they　may　on　other　accounts　be　regarded　with　no　less　interest；

seeing　what　masses　of　high　spirited　people　were　kept　in　restraint　by

such　weak　and　disorderly　forces。　And　if；　in　detailing　the　events　which

took　place　in　this　wasted　world；　we　shall　not　have　to　record　the

bravery　of　the　soldier；　the　prudence　of　the　general；　or　the　patriotism

of　the　citizen；　it　will　be　seen　with　what　artifice；　deceit；　and

cunning；　princes；　warriors；　and　leaders　of　republics　conducted

themselves；　to　support　a　reputation　they　never　deserved。　This；

perhaps；　will　not　be　less　useful　than　a　knowledge　of　ancient　history；

for；　if　the　latter　excites　the　liberal　mind　to　imitation；　the　former

will　show　what　ought　to　be　avoided　and　decried。



Italy　was　reduced　to　such　a　condition　by　her　rulers；　that　when；　by

consent　of　her　princes；　peace　was　restored；　it　was　soon　disturbed　by

those　who　retained　their　armies；　so　that　glory　was　not　gained　by　war

nor　repose　by　peace。　Thus　when　the　league　and　the　duke　of　Milan　agreed

to　lay　aside　their　arms　in　1433；　the　soldiers；　resolved　upon　war；

directed　their　efforts　against　the　church。　There　were　at　this　time　two

factions　or　armed　parties　in　Italy；　the　Sforzesca　and　the　Braccesca。

The　leader　of　the　former　was　the　Count　Francesco；　the　son　of　Sforza；

and　of　the　latter；　Niccolo　Piccinino　and　Niccolo　Fortebraccio。　Under

the　banner　of　one　or　other　of　these　parties　almost　all　the　forces　of

Italy　were　assembled。　Of　the　two；　the　Sforzesca　was　in　greatest

repute；　as　well　from　the　bravery　of　the　count　himself；　as　from　the

promise　which　the　duke　of　Milan　had　made　him　of　his　natural　daughter；

Madonna　Bianca；　the　prospect　of　which　alliance　greatly　strengthened

his　influence。　After　the　peace　of　Lombardy；　these　forces；　from　various

causes　attacked　Pope　Eugenius。　Niccolo　Fortebraccio　was　instigated　by

the　ancient　enmity　which　Braccio　had　always　entertained　against　the

church；　the　count　was　induced　by　ambition：　so　that　Niccolo　assailed

Rome；　and　the　count　took　possession　of　La　Marca。



The　Romans；　in　order　to　avoid　the　war；　drove　Pope　Eugenius　from　their

city：　and　he；　having　with　difficulty　escaped；　came　to　Florence；　where

seeing　the　imminent　danger　of　his　situation；　being　abandoned　by　the

princes　（for　they　were　unwilling　again　to　take　up　arms　in　his　cause；

after　having　been　so　anxious　to　lay　them　aside）；　he　came　to　terms　with

the　count；　and　ceded　to　him　the　sovereignty　of　La　Marca；　although；　to

the　injury　of　having　occupied　it；　he　had　added　insult；　for　in　signing

the　place；　from　which　he　addressed　letters　to　his　agents；　he　said　in

Latin；　according　to　the　Latin　custom；　/Ex　Girfalco　nostro　Firmiano；

invito　Petro　et　Paulo/。　Neither　was　he　satisfied　with　this　concession；

but　insisted　upon　being　appointed　Gonfalonier　of　the　church；　which　was

also　granted；　so　much　more　was　Eugenius　alarmed　at　the　prospect　of　a

dangerous　war　than　of　an　ignominious　peace。　The　count；　having　been

thus　been　reconciled　to　the　pontiff；　attacked　Niccolo　Fortebraccio；

and　during　many　months　various　encounters　took　place　between　them；

from　all　which　greater　injury　resulted　to　the　pope　and　his　subjects；

than　to　either　of　the　belligerents。　At　length；　by　the　intervention　of

the　duke　of　Milan；　an　arrangement；　by　way　of　a　truce；　was　made；　by

which　both　became　princes　in　the　territories　of　the　church。



The　war　thus　extinguished　at　Rome　was　rekindled　in　Romagna　by　Batista

da　Canneto；　who　at　Bologna　slew　some　of　the　family　of　the　Grifoni；　and

expelled　from　the　city　the　governor　who　resided　there　for　the　pope；

along　with　others　who　were　opposed　to　him。　To　enable　himself　to　retain

the　government；　he　applied　for　assistance　to　Filippo；　and　the　pope；　to

avenge　himself　for　the　injury；　sought　the　aid　of　the　Venetians　and

Florentines。　Both　parties　obtained　assistance；　so　that　very　soon　two

large　armies　were　on　foot　in　Romagna。　Niccolo　Piccinino　commanded　for

the　duke；　Gattamelata　and　Niccolo　da　Tolentino　for　the　Venetians　and

Florentines。　They　met　near　Imola；　where　a　battle　ensued；　in　which　the

Florentines　and　Venetians　were　routed；　and　Niccolo　da　Tolentino　was

sent　prisoner　to　Milan　where；　either　through　grief　for　his　loss　or　by

some　unfair　means；　he　died　in　a　few　days。



The　duke；　on　this　victory；　either　being　exhausted　by　the　late　wars；　or

thinking　the　League　after　their　defeat　would　not　be　in　haste　to　resume

hostilities；　did　not　pursue　his　good　fortune；　and　thus　gave　the　pope

and　his　colleagues　time　to　recover　themselves。　They　therefore

appointed　the　Count　Francesco　for　their　leader；　and　undertook　to　drive

Niccolo　Fortebraccio　from　the　territories　of　the　church；　and　thus

terminate　the　war　which　had　been　commenced　in　favor　of　the　pontiff。

The　Romans；　finding　the　pope　supported　by　so　large　an　army；　sought　a

reconciliation　with　him；　and　being　successful；　admitted　his　commissary

into　the　city。　Among　the　places　possessed　by　Niccolo　Fortebraccio；

were　Tivoli；　Montefiascone；　Citta　di　Castello；　and　Ascesi；　to　the　last

of　which；　not　being　able　to　keep　the　field；　he　fled；　and　the　count

besieged　him　there。　Niccolo's　brave　defense　making　it　probable　that

the　war　would　be　of　considerable　duration；　the　duke　deemed　to

necessary　to　prevent　the　League　from　obtaining　the　victory；　and　said

that　if　this　were　not　effected　he　would　very　soon　have　to　look　at　the

defense　of　his　own　territories。　Resolving　to　divert　the　count　from　the

siege；　he　commanded　Niccolo　Piccinino　to　pass　into　Tuscany　by　way　of

Romagna；　and　the　League；　thinking　it　more　important　to　defend　Tuscany

than　to　occupy　Ascesi；　ordered　the　count　to　prevent　the　passage　of

Niccolo；　who　was　already；　with　his　army；　at　Furli。　The　count

accordingly　moved　with　his　forces；　and　came　to　Cesena；　having　left　the

war　of　La　Marca　and　the　care　of　his　own　territories　to　his　brother

Lione；　and　while　Niccolo　Piccinino　was　endeavoring　to　pass　by；　and　the

count　to　prevent　him；　Fortebraccio　attacked　Lione　with　great　bravery；

made　him　prisoner；　routed　his　forces；　and　pursuing　the　advantage　of

his　victory；　at　once　possessed　himself　of　many　places　in　La　Marca。

This　circumstance　greatly　perplexed　the　count；　who　thought　he　had　lost

all　his　territories；　so；　leaving　part　of　his　force　to　check　Piccinino；

with　the　remainder　he　pursued　Fortebraccio；　whom　he　attacked　and

conquered。　Fortebraccio　was　taken　prisoner　in　the　battle；　and　soon

after　died　of　his　wounds。　This　victory　restored　to　the　pontiff　all　the

places　that　had　been　taken　from　him　by　Fortebraccio；　and　compelled　the

duke　of　Milan　to　sue　for　peace；　which　was　concluded　by　the

intercession　of　Niccolo　da　Esta；　marquis　of　Ferrara；　the　duke

restoring　to　the　church　the　places　he　had　taken　from　her；　and　his

forces　retiring　into　Lombardy。　Batista　da　Canneto；　as　in　the　case　with

all　who　retain　authority　only　by　the　consent　and　forces　of　another；

when　the　duke's　people　had　quitted　Romagna；　unable　with　his　own　power

to　keep　possession　of　Bologna；　fled；　and　Antonio　Bentivogli；　the　head

of　the　opposite　party；　returned　to　his　country。



All　this　took　place　during　the　exile　of　Cosmo；　after　whose　return；

those　who　had　restored　him；　and　a　great　number　of　persons　injured　by

the　opposite　party；　resolved　at　all　events　to　make　themselves　sure　of

the　government；　and　the　Signory　for　the　months　of　November　and

December；　not　content　with　what　their　predecessors　had　done　in　favor

of　their　party　extended　the　term　and　changed　the　residences　of　several

who　were　banished；　and　increased　the　number　of　exiles。　In　addition　to

these　evils；　it　was　observed　that　citizens　were　more　annoyed　on

account　of　their　wealth；　their　family　connections　or　private

animosities；　than　for　the　sake　of　the　party　to　which　they　adhered；　so

that　if　these　prescriptions　had　been　accompanied　with　bloodshed；　they

would　have　resembled　those　of　Octavius　and　Sylla；　though　in　reality

they　were　not　without　some　stains；　for　Antonio　di　Bernardo　Guadagni

was　beheaded；　and　four　other　citizens；　among　whom　were　Zanobi　dei

Belfratelli　and　Cosmo　Barbadori；　passing　the　confines　to　which　they

were　limited；　proceeded　to　Venice；　where　the　Venetians；　valuing　the

friendship　of　Cosmo　de'　Medici　more　than　their　own　honor；　sent　them

prisoners　to　him；　and　they　were　basely　put　to　death。　This　circumstance

greatly　increased　the　influence　of　that　party；　and　struck　their

enemies　with　terror；　finding　that　such　a　powerful　republic　would　so

humble　itself　to　the　Florentines。　This；　however；　was　supposed　to　have

been　done；　not　so　much　out　of　kindness　to　Cosmo；　as　to　excite

dissensions　in　Florence；　and　by　means　of　bloodshed　make　greater

certainty　of　division　among　the　citizens；　for　the　Venetians　knew　there

was　no　other　obstacle　to　their　ambition　so　great　as　the　union　of　her

people。



The　city　being　cleared　of　the　enemies；　or　suspected　enemies　of　the

state；　those　in　possession　of　the　government　now　began　to　strengthen

their　party　by　conferring　benefits　upon　such　as　were　in　a　condition　to

serve　them；　and　the　family　of　the　Alberti；　with　all　who　had　been

banished　by　the　former　government；　were　recalled。　All　the　nobility；

with　few　exceptions；　were　reduced　to　the　ranks　of　the　people；　and　the

possessions　of　the　exiles　were　divided　among　themselves；　upon　each

paying　a　small　acknowledgment。　They　then　fortified　themselves　with　new

laws　and　provisos；　made　new　Squittini；　withdrawi