history of florence-第58部分

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fortresses；　and　those　they　could　not　seize　they　cut　off　from　the　rest

of　the　place　by　ditches　and　barricades；　so　that　the　enemy　might　be

shut　out。



The　Count　Francesco　was　with　his　army　at　Tenna；　and　when　the　report

was　first　brought　to　him　he　refused　to　credit　it；　but　being　assured　of

the　fact　by　parties　whom　it　would　have　been　ridiculous　to　doubt；　he

resolved；　by　the　exertion　of　uncommon　celerity；　to　repair　the　evil

negligence　had　occasioned；　and　though　all　his　officers　advised　the

abandonment　of　Verona　and　Brescia；　and　a　march　to　Vicenza；　lest　he

might　be　besieged　by　the　enemy　in　his　present　situation；　he　refused；

but　resolved　to　attempt　the　recovery　of　Verona。　During　the

consultation；　he　turned　to　the　Venetian　commissaries　and　to　Bernardo

de'　Medici；　who　was　there　as　commissary　for　the　Florentines；　and

promised　them　the　recovery　of　the　place　if　one　of　the　fortresses

should　hold　out。　Having　collected　his　forces；　he　proceeded　with　the

utmost　speed　to　Verona。　Observing　his　approach；　Niccolo　thought　he

designed；　according　to　the　advice　he　had　received；　to　go　to　Vicenza；

but　finding　him　continue　to　draw　near；　and　taking　the　direction　of　San

Felice；　he　prepared　for　its　defensethough　too　late；　for　the

barricades　were　not　completed；　his　men　were　dispersed　in　quest　of

plunder；　or　extorting　money　from　the　inhabitants　by　way　of　ransom；　and

he　could　not　collect　them　in　time　to　prevent　the　count's　troops　from

entering　the　fortress。　They　then　descended　into　the　city；　which　they

happily　recovered；　to　Niccolo's　disgrace；　and　with　the　loss　of　great

numbers　of　his　men。　He　himself；　with　the　marquis　of　Mantua；　first　took

refuge　in　the　citadel；　and　thence　escaping　into　the　country；　fled　to

Mantua；　where；　having　assembled　the　relics　of　their　army；　they

hastened　to　join　those　who　were　at　the　siege　of　Brescia。　Thus　in　four

days　Verona　was　lost　and　again　recovered　from　the　duke。　The　count；

after　this　victory；　it　being　now　winter　and　the　weather　very　severe；

having　first　with　considerable　difficulty　thrown　provisions　into

Brescia；　went　into　quarters　at　Verona；　and　ordered；　that　during　the

cold　season；　galleys　should　be　provided　at　Torboli；　that　upon　the

return　of　spring；　they　might　be　in　a　condition　to　proceed　vigorously

to　effect　the　permanent　relief　of　Brescia。



The　duke；　finding　the　war　suspended　for　a　time；　the　hope　he　had

entertained　of　occupying　Brescia　and　Verona　annihilated；　and　the　money

and　counsels　of　the　Florentines　the　cause　of　this；　and　seeing　that

neither　the　injuries　they　had　received　from　the　Venetians　could

alienate　them；　nor　all　the　promises　he　had　made　attach　them　to

himself；　he　determined；　in　order　to　make　them　feel　more　closely　the

effects　of　the　course　they　had　adopted；　to　attack　Tuscany；　to　which　he

was　strenuously　advised　by　the　Florentine　exiles　and　Niccolo。　The

latter　advocated　this　from　his　desire　to　recover　the　states　of

Braccio；　and　expel　the　count　from　La　Marca；　the　former；　from　their

wish　to　return　home；　and　each　by　suitable　arguments　endeavored　to

induce　the　duke　to　follow　the　plan　congenial　to　their　own　views。

Niccolo　argued　that　he　might　be　sent　into　Tuscany；　and　continue　the

siege　of　Brescia；　for　he　was　master　of　the　lake；　the　fortresses　were

well　provided；　and　their　officers　were　qualified　to　oppose　the　count

should　he　undertake　any　fresh　enterprise；　which　it　was　not　likely　he

would　do　without　first　relieving　Brescia；　a　thing　impossible；　and　thus

the　duke　might　carry　on　the　war　in　Tuscany；　without　giving　up　his

attempts　in　Lombardy；　intimating　that　the　Florentines　would　be

compelled；　as　soon　as　he　entered　Tuscany；　to　recall　the　count　to　avoid

complete　ruin；　and　whatever　course　they　took；　victory　to　the　duke　must

be　the　result。　The　exiles　affirmed；　that　if　Niccolo　with　his　army　were

to　approach　Florence；　the　people　oppressed　with　taxes；　and　wearied　out

by　the　insolence　of　the　great；　would　most　assuredly　not　oppose　him；

and　pointed　out　the　facility　of　reaching　Florence；　for　the　way　by　the

Casentino　would　be　open　to　them；　through　the　friendship　of　Rinaldo　and

the　Count　di　Poppi；　and　thus　the　duke；　who　was　previously　inclined　to

the　attempt；　was　induced　by　their　joint　persuasions　to　make　it。　The

Venetians；　on　the　other　hand；　though　the　winter　was　severe；

incessantly　urged　the　count　to　relieve　Brescia　with　all　his　forces。

The　count　questioned　the　possibility　of　so　doing；　and　advised　them　to

wait　the　return　of　spring；　in　the　meantime　strengthening　their　fleet

as　much　as　possible；　and　then　assist　it　both　by　land　and　water。　This

rendered　the　Venetians　dissatisfied；　they　were　dilatory　in　furnishing

provisions；　and　consequently　many　deserted　from　their　army。



The　Florentines；　being　informed　of　these　transactions；　became　alarmed；

perceiving　the　war　threatening　themselves；　and　the　little　progress

made　in　Lombardy。　Nor　did　the　suspicion　entertained　by　them　of　the

troops　of　the　church　give　them　less　uneasiness；　not　that　the　pope　was

their　enemy；　but　because　they　saw　those　forces　more　under　the　sway　of

the　patriarch；　who　was　their　greatest　foe。　Giovanni　Vitelleschi　of

Corneto　was　at　first　apostolic　notary；　then　bishop　of　Recanati；　and

afterward　patriarch　of　Alexandria；　but　at　last；　becoming　a　cardinal；

he　was　called　Cardinal　of　Florence。　He　was　bold　and　cunning；　and；

having　obtained　great　influence；　was　appointed　to　command　all　the

forces　of　the　church；　and　conduct　all　the　enterprises　of　the　pontiff；

whether　in　Tuscany；　Romagna；　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　or　in　Rome。　Hence

he　acquired　so　much　power　over　the　pontiff；　and　the　papal　troops；　that

the　former　was　afraid　of　commanding　him；　and　the　latter　obeyed　no　one

else。　The　cardinal's　presence　at　Rome；　when　the　report　came　of

Niccolo's　design　to　march　into　Tuscany；　redoubled　the　fear　of　the

Florentines；　for；　since　Rinaldo　was　expelled；　he　had　become　an　enemy

of　the　republic；　from　finding　that　the　arrangements　made　by　his　means

were　not　only　disregarded；　but　converted　to　Rinaldo's　prejudice；　and

caused　the　laying　down　of　arms；　which　had　given　his　enemies　an

opportunity　of　banishing　him。　In　consequence　of　this；　the　government

thought　it　would　be　advisable　to　restore　and　indemnify　Rinaldo；　in

case　Niccolo　came　into　Tuscany　and　were　joined　by　him。　Their

apprehensions　were　increased　by　their　being　unable　to　account　for

Niccolo's　departure　from　Lombardy；　and　his　leaving　one　enterprise

almost　completed；　to　undertake　another　so　entirely　doubtful；　which

they　could　not　reconcile　with　their　ideas　of　consistency；　except　by

supposing　some　new　design　had　been　adopted；　or　some　hidden　treachery

intended。　They　communicated　their　fears　to　the　pope；　who　was　now

sensible　of　his　error　in　having　endowed　the　cardinal　with　too　much

authority。







CHAPTER　VI



　　The　pope　imprisons　the　cardinal　and　assists　the　Florentines

　　Difference　of　opinion　between　the　count　and　the　Venetians

　　respecting　the　management　of　the　war。　The　Florentines　reconcile

　　themThe　count　wishes　to　go　into　Tuscany　to　oppose　Piccinino；　but

　　is　prevented　by　the　VenetiansNiccolo　Piccinino　in　TuscanyHe

　　takes　Marradi；　and　plunders　the　neighborhood　of　Florence

　　Description　of　MarradiCowardice　of　Bartolomeo　OrlandiniBrave

　　resistance　of　Castel　San　NiccoloSan　Niccolo　surrenders

　　Piccinino　attempts　to　take　Cortona；　but　fails。



While　the　Florentines　were　thus　anxious；　fortune　disclosed　the　means

of　securing　themselves　against　the　patriarch's　malevolence。　The

republic　everywhere　exercised　the　very　closest　espionage　over

epistolary　communication；　in　order　to　discover　if　any　persons　were

plotting　against　the　state。　It　happened　that　letters　were　intercepted

at　Monte　Pulciano；　which　had　been　written　by　the　patriarch　to　Niccolo

without　the　pope's　knowledge；　and　although　they　were　written　in　an

unusual　character；　and　the　sense　so　involved　that　no　distinct　idea

could　be　extracted；　the　obscurity　itself；　and　the　whole　aspect　of　the

matter　so　alarmed　the　pontiff；　that　he　resolved　to　seize　the　person　of

the　cardinal；　a　duty　he　committed　to　Antonio　Rido；　of　Padua；　who　had

the　command　of　the　castle　of　St。　Angelo；　and　who；　after　receiving　his

instructions；　soon　found　an　opportunity　of　carrying　them　into　effect。

The　patriarch；　having　determined　to　go　into　Tuscany；　prepared　to　leave

Rome　on　the　following　day；　and　ordered　the　castellan　to　be　upon　the

drawbridge　of　the　fortress　in　the　morning；　for　he　wished　to　speak　with

him　as　he　passed。　Antonio　perceived　this　to　be　the　favorable　moment；

informed　his　people　what　they　were　to　do；　and　awaited　the　arrival　of

the　patriarch　upon　the　bridge；　which　adjoined　the　building；　and　might

for　the　purpose　of　security　be　raised　or　lowered　as　occasion　required。

The　appointed　time　found　him　punctual；　and　Antonio；　having　drawn　him；

as　if　for　the　convenience　of　conversation；　on　to　the　bridge；　gave　a

signal　to　his　men；　who　immediately　raised　it；　and　in　a　moment　the

cardinal；　from　being　a　commander　of　armies；　found　himself　a　prisoner

of　the　castellan。　The　patriarch's　followers　at　first　began　to　use

threats；　but　being　informed　of　the　pope's　directions　they　were

appeased。　The　castellan　comforting　him　with　kind　words；　he　replied；

that　〃the　great　do　not　make　each　other　prisoners　to　let　them　go　again；

and　that　those　whom　it　is　proper　to　take；　it　is　not　well　to　set　free。〃

He　shortly　afterward　died　in　prison。　The　pope　appointed　Lodovico；

patriarch　of　Aquileia；　to　command　his　troops；　and；　though　previously

unwilling　to　interfere　in　the　wars　of　the　league　and　the　duke；　he　was

now　content　to　take　part　in　them；　and　engaged　to　furnish　four　thousand

horse　and　two　thousand　foot　for　the　defense　of　Tuscany。



The　Florentines；　freed　from　this　cause　for　anxiety；　were　still

apprehensive　of　Niccolo；　and　feared　confusion　in　the　affairs　of

Lombardy；　from　the　differences　of　opinion　that　existed　between　the

count　and　the　Venetians。　In　order　the　better　to　become　acquainted　with

the　intentions　of　the　parties