history of florence-第51部分

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laws　and　provisos；　made　new　Squittini；　withdrawing　the　names　of　their

adversaries　from　the　purses；　and　filling　them　with　those　of　their

friends。　Taking　advice　from　the　ruin　of　their　enemies；　they　considered

that　to　allow　the　great　offices　to　be　filled　by　mere　chance　of

drawing；　did　not　afford　the　government　sufficient　security；　they

therefore　resolved　that　the　magistrates　possessing　the　power　of　life

and　death　should　always　be　chosen　from　among　the　leaders　of　their　own

party；　and　therefore　that　the　/Accoppiatori/；　or　persons　selected　for

the　imborsation　of　the　new　Squittini；　with　the　Signory　who　had　to

retire　from　office；　should　make　the　new　appointments。　They　gave　to

eight　of　the　guard　authority　to　proceed　capitally；　and　provided　that

the　exiles；　when　their　term　of　banishment　was　complete；　should　not　be

allowed　to　return；　unless　from　the　Signory　and　Colleagues；　which　were

thirty…seven　in　number；　the　consent　of　thirty…four　was　obtained。　It

was　made　unlawful　to　write　to　or　to　receive　letters　from　them；　every

word；　sign；　or　action　that　gave　offense　to　the　ruling　party　was

punished　with　the　utmost　rigor；　and　if　there　was　still　in　Florence　any

suspected　person　whom　these　regulations　did　not　reach；　he　was

oppressed　with　taxes　imposed　for　the　occasion。　Thus　in　a　short　time；

having　expelled　or　impoverished　the　whole　of　the　adverse　party；　they

established　themselves　firmly　in　the　government。　Not　to　be　destitute

of　external　assistance；　and　to　deprive　others　of　it；　who　might　use　it

against　themselves；　they　entered　into　a　league；　offensive　and

defensive；　with　the　pope；　the　Venetians；　and　the　duke　of　Milan。







CHAPTER　II



　　Death　of　Giovanni　II。Ren？of　Anjou　and　Alfonso　of　Aragon　aspire

　　to　the　kingdomAlfonso　is　routed　and　taken　by　the　Genoese

　　Alfonso　being　a　prisoner　of　the　duke　of　Milan；　obtains　his

　　friendshipThe　Genoese　disgusted　with　the　duke　of　Milan

　　Divisions　among　the　GenoeseThe　Genoese；　by　means　of　Francesco

　　Spinola；　expel　the　duke's　governorLeague　against　the　duke　of

　　MilanRinaldo　degli　Albizzi　advises　the　duke　to　make　war　against

　　the　FlorentinesHis　discourse　to　the　dukeThe　duke　adopts

　　measures　injurious　to　the　FlorentinesNiccolo　Piccinino　appointed

　　to　command　the　duke's　forcesPreparations　of　the　Florentines

　　Piccinino　routed　before　Barga。



The　affairs　of　Florence　being　in　this　condition；　Giovanna；　queen　of

Naples；　died；　and　by　her　will　appointed　Ren？of　Anjou　to　be　her

successor。　Alfonso；　king　of　Aragon；　was　at　this　time　in　Sicily；　and

having　obtained　the　concurrence　of　many　barons；　prepared　to　take

possession　of　the　kingdom。　The　Neapolitans；　with　whom　a　greater　number


of　barons　were　also　associated；　favored　Ren？　The　pope　was　unwilling

that　either　of　them　should　obtain　it；　but　desired　the　affairs　of

Naples　to　be　administered　by　a　governor　of　his　own　appointing。



In　the　meantime　Alfonso　entered　the　kingdom；　and　was　received　by　the

duke　of　Sessa；　he　brought　with　him　some　princes；　whom　he　had　engaged

in　his　service；　with　the　design　（already　possessing　Capua；　which　the

prince　of　Taranto　held　in　his　name）　of　subduing　the　Neapolitans；　and

sent　his　fleet　to　attack　Gaeta；　which　had　declared　itself　in　their

favor。　They　therefore　demanded　assistance　of　the　duke　of　Milan；　who

persuaded　the　Genoese　to　undertake　their　defense；　and　they；　to　satisfy

the　duke　their　sovereign；　and　protect　the　merchandise　they　possessed；

both　at　Naples　and　Gaeta；　armed　a　powerful　fleet。　Alfonso　hearing　of

this；　augmented　his　own　naval　force；　went　in　person　to　meet　the

Genoese；　and　coming　up　with　them　near　the　island　of　Ponzio；　an

engagement　ensued；　in　which　the　Aragonese　were　defeated；　and　Alfonso；

with　many　of　the　princes　of　his　suite；　made　prisoners；　and　sent　by　the

Genoese　to　the　Filippo。



This　victory　terrified　the　princes　of　Italy；　who；　being　jealous　of　the

duke's　power；　thought　it　would　give　him　a　great　opportunity　of　being

sovereign　of　the　whole　country。　But　so　contrary　are　the　views　of　men；

that　he　took　a　directly　opposite　course。　Alfonso　was　a　man　of　great

sagacity；　and　as　soon　as　an　opportunity　presented　itself　of

communicating　with　Filippo；　he　proved　to　him　how　completely　he

contravened　his　own　interests；　by　favoring　Ren？and　opposing　himself；

for　it　would　be　the　business　of　the　former；　on　becoming　king　of

Naples；　to　introduce　the　French　into　Milan；　that　in　an　emergency　he

might　have　assistance　at　hand；　without　the　necessity　of　having　to

solicit　a　passage　for　his　friends。　But　he　could　not　possibly　secure

this　advantage　without　effecting　the　ruin　of　the　duke；　and　making　his

dominions　a　French　province；　and　that　the　contrary　of　all　this　would

result　from　himself　becoming　lord　of　Naples；　for　having　only　the

French　to　fear；　he　would　be　compelled　to　love　and　caress；　nay　even　to

obey　those　who　had　it　in　their　power　to　open　a　passage　for　his

enemies。　That　thus　the　title　of　king　of　king　of　Naples　would　be　with

himself　（Alfonso）；　but　the　power　and　authority　with　Filippo；　so　that

it　was　much　more　the　duke's　business　than　his　own　to　consider　the

danger　of　one　course　and　the　advantage　of　the　other；　unless　he　rather

wished　to　gratify　his　private　prejudices　than　to　give　security　to　his

dominions。　In　the　one　case　he　would　be　a　free　prince；　in　the　other；

placed　between　two　powerful　sovereigns；　he　would　either　be　robbed　of

his　territories　or　live　in　constant　fear；　and　have　to　obey　them　like　a

slave。　These　arguments　so　greatly　influenced　the　duke；　that；　changing

his　design；　he　set　Alfonso　at　liberty；　sent　him　honorably　to　Genoa　and

then　to　Naples。　From　thence　the　king　went　to　Gaeta；　which　as　soon　as

his　liberation　had　become　known；　was　taken　possession　of　by　some

nobles　of　his　party。



The　Genoese；　seeing　that　the　duke；　without　the　least　regard　for　them；

had　liberated　the　king；　and　gained　credit　to　himself　through　the

dangers　and　expense　which　they　had　incurred；　that　he　enjoyed　all　the

honor　of　the　liberation；　and　they　were　themselves　exposed　to　the　odium

of　the　capture；　and　the　injuries　consequent　upon　the　king's　defeat；

were　greatly　exasperated。　In　the　city　of　Genoa；　while　in　the　enjoyment

of　her　liberty；　a　magistrate　is　created　with　the　consent　of　the

people；　whom　they　call　the　Doge；　not　that　he　is　absolutely　a　prince；

or　that　he　alone　has　the　power　of　determining　matters　of　government；

but　that；　as　the　head　of　the　state；　he　proposes　those　questions　or

subjects　which　have　to　be　considered　and　determined　by　the　magistrates

and　the　councils。　In　that　city　are　many　noble　families　so　powerful；

that　they　are　with　great　difficulty　induced　to　submit　to　the　authority

of　the　law。　Of　these；　the　most　powerful　are　the　Fregosa　and　the

Adorna；　from　whom　arise　the　dissensions　of　the　city；　and　the　impotence

of　her　civil　regulations；　for　the　possession　of　this　high　office　being

contested　by　means　inadmissible　in　well…regulated　communities；　and

most　commonly　with　arms　in　their　hands；　it　always　occurs　that　one

party　is　oppressed　and　the　other　triumphant；　and　sometimes　those　who

fail　in　the　pursuit　have　recourse　to　the　arms　of　strangers；　and　the

country　they　are　not　allowed　to　rule　they　subject　to　foreign

authority。　Hence　it　happens；　that　those　who　govern　in　Lombardy　most

commonly　command　in　Genoa；　as　occurred　at　the　time　Alfonso　of　Aragon

was　made　prisoner。　Among　the　leading　Genoese　who　had　been　instrumental

in　subjecting　the　republic　to　Filippo；　was　Francesco　Spinola；　who；

soon　after　he　had　reduced　his　country　to　bondage；　as　always　happens　in

such　cases；　became　suspected　by　the　duke。　Indignant　at　this；　he

withdrew　to　a　sort　of　voluntary　exile　at　Gaeta；　and　being　there　when

the　naval　expedition　was　in　preparation；　and　having　conducted　himself

with　great　bravery　in　the　action；　he　thought　he　had　again　merited　so

much　of　the　duke's　confidence　as　would　obtain　for　him　permission　to

remain　undisturbed　at　Genoa。　But　the　duke　still　retained　his

suspicions；　for　he　could　not　believe　that　a　vacillating　defender　of

his　own　country's　liberty　would　be　faithful　to　himself；　and　Francesco

Spinola　resolved　again　to　try　his　fortune；　and　if　possible　restore

freedom　to　his　country；　and　honorable　safety　for　himself；　for　he　was

there　was　no　probability　of　regaining　the　forfeited　affection　of　his

fellow…citizens；　but　by　resolving　at　his　own　peril　to　remedy　the

misfortunes　which　he　had　been　so　instrumental　in　producing。　Finding

the　indignation　against　the　duke　universal；　on　account　of　the

liberation　of　the　king；　he　thought　the　moment　propitious　for　the

execution　of　his　design。　He　communicated　his　ideas　to　some　whom　he

knew　to　be　similarly　inclined；　and　his　arguments　ensured　their

co…operation。



The　great　festival　of　St。　John　the　Baptist　being　come；　when　Arismeno；

the　new　governor　sent　by　the　duke；　was　to　enter　Genoa；　and　he　being

already　arrived；　accompanied　by　Opicino；　the　former　governor；　and　many

Genoese　citizens；　Francesco　Spinola　thought　further　delay　improper；

and；　issuing　from　his　house　with　those　acquainted　with　his　design；　all

armed；　they　raised　the　cry　of　liberty。　It　was　wonderful　to　see　how

eagerly　the　citizens　and　people　assembled　at　the　word；　so　that　those

who　for　any　reason　might　be　favorable　to　Filippo；　not　only　had　no　time

to　arm；　but　scarcely　to　consider　the　means　of　escape。　Arismeno；　with

some　Genoese；　fled　to　the　fortress　which　was　held　for　the　duke；

Opicino；　thinking　that　if　he　could　reach　the　palace；　where　two

thousand　men　were　in　arms；　and　at　his　command；　he　might　be　able　either

to　effect　his　own　safety；　or　induce　his　friends　to　defend　themselves；

took　that　direction；　but　before　he　arrived　at　the　piazza　he　was　slain；

his　body　divided　into　many　pieces　and　scattered　about　the　city。　The

Genoese　having　placed　the　government　in　the　hands　of　free　magistrates；

in　a　few　days　recovered　the　castle；　and　the　other　strongholds

possessed　by　the　duke；　and　delivered　themselves　entirely　from　his

yoke。



These　transactions；　though　at　fi