history of florence-第59部分

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

the　intentions　of　the　parties；　they　sent　Neri　di　Gini　Capponi　and

Giuliano　Davanzati　to　Venice；　with　instructions　to　assist　in　the

arrangement　of　the　approaching　campaign；　and　ordered　that　Neri；　having

discovered　how　the　Venetians　were　disposed；　should　proceed　to　the

count；　learn　his　designs；　and　induce　him　to　adopt　the　course　that

would　be　most　advantageous　to　the　League。　The　ambassadors　had　only

reached　Ferrara；　when　they　were　told　that　Niccolo　Piccinino　had

crossed　the　Po　with　six　thousand　horse。　This　made　them　travel　with

increased　speed；　and；　having　arrived　at　Venice；　they　found　the　Signory

fully　resolved　that　Brescia　should　be　relieved　without　waiting　for　the

return　of　spring；　for　they　said　that　〃the　city　would　be　unable　to　hold

out　so　long；　the　fleet　could　not　be　in　readiness；　and　that　seeing　no

more　immediate　relief；　she　would　submit　to　the　enemy；　which　would

render　the　duke　universally　victorious；　and　cause　them　to　lose　the

whole　of　their　inland　possessions。〃　Neri　then　proceeded　to　Verona　to

ascertain　the　count's　opinion；　who　argued；　for　many　reasons；　that　to

march　to　Brescia　before　the　return　of　spring　would　be　quite　useless；

or　even　worse；　for　the　situation　of　Brescia；　being　considered　in

conjunction　with　the　season；　nothing　could　be　expected　to　result　but

disorder　and　fruitless　toil　to　the　troops；　so　that；　when　the　suitable

period　should　arrive；　he　would　be　compelled　to　return　to　Verona　with

his　army；　to　recover　from　the　injuries　sustained　in　the　winter；　and

provide　necessaries　for　the　summer；　and　thus　the　time　available　for

the　war　would　be　wasted　in　marching　and　countermarching。　Orsatto

Justiniani　and　Giovanni　Pisani　were　deputed　on　the　part　of　Venice　to

the　count　at　Verona；　having　been　sent　to　consider　these　affairs；　and

with　them　it　was　agreed　that　the　Venetians　should　pay　the　count　ninety

thousand　ducats　for　the　coming　year；　and　to　each　of　the　soldiers　forty

ducats；　that　he　should　set　out　immediately　with　the　whole　army　and

attack　the　duke；　in　order　to　compel　him；　for　his　own　preservation；　to

recall　Niccolo　into　Lombardy。　After　this　agreement　the　ambassadors

returned　to　Venice；　and　the　Venetians；　having　so　large　an　amount　of

money　to　raise；　were　very　remiss　with　their　commissariat。



In　the　meantime；　Niccolo　Piccinino　pursued　his　route；　and　arrived　in

Romagna；　where　he　prevailed　upon　the　sons　of　Pandolfo　Malatesti　to

desert　the　Venetians　and　enter　the　duke's　service。　This　circumstance

occasioned　much　uneasiness　in　Venice；　and　still　more　at　Florence；　for

they　thought　that　with　the　aid　of　the　Malatesti　they　might　resist

Niccolo；　but　finding　them　gone　over　to　the　enemy；　they　were　in　fear

lest　their　captain；　Piero　Giampagolo　Orsini；　who　was　in　the

territories　of　the　Malatesti；　should　be　disarmed　and　rendered

powerless。　The　count　also　felt　alarmed；　for；　through　Niccolo's

presence　in　Tuscany；　he　was　afraid　of　losing　La　Marca；　and；　urged　by　a

desire　to　look　after　his　own　affairs；　he　hastened　to　Venice；　and　being

introduced　to　the　Doge；　informed　him　that　the　interests　of　the　League

required　his　presence　in　Tuscany；　for　the　war　ought　to　be　carried　on

where　the　leader　and　forces　of　the　enemy　were；　and　not　where　his

garrisons　and　towns　were　situated；　for　when　the　army　is　vanquished　the

war　is　finished；　but　to　take　towns　and　leave　the　armament　entire；

usually　allowed　the　war　to　break　out　again　with　greater　virulence；

that　Tuscany　and　La　Marca　would　be　lost　if　Niccolo　were　not　vigorously

resisted；　and　that；　if　lost；　there　would　be　no　possibility　of　the

preservation　of　Lombardy。　But　supposing　the　danger　to　Lombardy　not　so

imminent；　he　did　not　intend　to　abandon　his　own　subjects　and　friends；

and　that　having　come　into　Lombardy　as　a　prince；　he　did　not　intend　to

return　a　mere　condottiere。　To　this　the　Doge　replied；　it　was　quite

manifest　that；　if　he　left　Lombardy；　or　even　recrossed　the　Po；　all

their　inland　territories　would　be　lost；　in　that　case　they　were

unwilling　to　spend　any　more　money　in　their　defense。　For　it　would　be

folly　to　attempt　defending　a　place　which　must；　after　all；　inevitably

be　lost；　and　that　it　is　less　disgraceful　and　less　injurious　to　lose

dominions　only；　then　to　lose　both　territory　and　money。　That　if　the

loss　of　their　inland　possessions　should　actually　result；　it　would　then

be　seen　how　highly　important　to　the　preservation　of　Romagna　and

Tuscany　the　reputation　of　the　Venetians　had　been。　On　these　accounts

they　were　of　quite　a　different　opinion　from　the　count；　for　they　saw

that　whoever　was　victor　in　Lombardy　would　be　so　everywhere　else；　that

conquest　would　be　easily　attainable　now；　when　the　territories　of　the

duke　were　left　almost　defenseless　by　the　departure　of　Niccolo；　and

that　he　would　be　ruined　before　he　could　order　Niccolo's　recall；　or

provide　himself　with　any　other　remedy；　that　whoever　attentively

considered　these　things　would　see；　that　the　duke　had　sent　Niccolo　into

Tuscany　for　no　other　reason　than　to　withdraw　the　count　from　his

enterprise；　and　cause　the　war；　which　was　now　at　his　own　door；　to　be

removed　to　a　greater　distance。　That　if　the　count　were　to　follow

Niccolo；　unless　at　the　instigation　of　some　very　pressing　necessity；　he

would　find　his　plan　successful；　and　rejoice　in　the　adoption　of　it；　but

if　he　were　to　remain　in　Lombardy；　and　allow　Tuscany　to　shift　for

herself；　the　duke　would；　when　too　late；　see　the　imprudence　of　his

conduct；　and　find　that　he　had　lost　his　territories　in　Lombardy　and

gained　nothing　in　Tuscany。　Each　party　having　spoken；　it　was　determined

to　wait　a　few　days　to　see　what　would　result　from　the　agreement　of　the

Malatesti　with　Niccolo；　whether　the　Florentines　could　avail　themselves

of　Piero　Giampagolo；　and　whether　the　pope　intended　to　join　the　League

with　all　the　earnestness　he　had　promised。　Not　many　days　after　these

resolutions　were　adopted；　it　was　ascertained　that　the　Malatesti　had

made　the　agreement　more　from　fear　than　any　ill…will　toward　the　League；

that　Piero　Giampagolo　had　proceeded　with　his　force　toward　Tuscany；　and

that　the　pope　was　more　disposed　than　ever　to　assist　them。　This

favorable　intelligence　dissipated　the　count's　fears；　and　he　consented

to　remain　in　Lombardy；　and　that　Neri　Capponi　should　return　to　Florence

with　a　thousand　of　his　own　horse；　and　five　hundred　from　the　other

parties。　It　was　further　agreed；　that　if　the　affairs　of　Tuscany　should

require　the　count's　presence；　Neri　should　write　to　him；　and　he　would

proceed　thither　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other　consideration。　Neri

arrived　at　Florence　with　his　forces　in　April；　and　Giampagolo　joined

them　the　same　day。



In　the　meantime；　Niccolo　Piccinino；　the　affairs　of　Romagna　being

settled；　purposed　making　a　descent　into　Tuscany；　and　designing　to　go

by　the　mountain　passes　of　San　Benedetto　and　the　valley　of　Montone；

found　them　so　well　guarded　by　the　contrivance　of　Niccolo　da　Pisa；　that

his　utmost　exertions　would　be　useless　in　that　direction。　As　the

Florentines；　upon　this　sudden　attack；　were　unprovided　with　troops　and

officers；　they　had　sent　into　the　defiles　of　these　hills　many　of　their

citizens；　with　infantry　raised　upon　the　emergency　to　guard　them；　among

whom　was　Bartolomeo　Orlandini；　a　cavaliere；　to　whom　was　intrusted　the

defense　of　the　castle　of　Marradi　and　the　adjacent　passes。　Niccolo

Piccinino；　finding　the　route　by　San　Benedetto　impracticable；　on

account　of　the　bravery　of　its　commander；　thought　the　cowardice　of　the

officer　who　defended　that　of　Marradi　would　render　the　passage　easy。

Marradi　is　a　castle　situated　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　which

separate　Tuscany　from　Romagna；　and；　though　destitute　of　walls；　the

river；　the　mountains；　and　the　inhabitants；　make　it　a　place　of　great

strength；　for　the　peasantry　are　warlike　and　faithful；　and　the　rapid

current　undermining　the　banks　has　left　them　of　such　tremendous　height

that　it　is　impossible　to　approach　it　from　the　valley　if　a　small　bridge

over　the　stream　be　defended；　while　on　the　mountain　side　the　precipices

are　so　steep　and　perpendicular　as　to　render　it　almost　impregnable。　In

spite　of　these　advantages；　the　pusillanimity　of　Bartolomeo　Orlandini

rendered　the　men　cowardly　and　the　fortress　untenable；　for　as　soon　as

he　heard　of　the　enemy's　approach　he　abandoned　the　place；　fled　with　all

his　forces；　and　did　not　stop　till　he　reached　the　town　of　San　Lorenzo。

Niccolo；　entering　the　deserted　fortress；　wondered　it　had　not　been

defended；　and；　rejoicing　over　his　acquisition；　descended　into　the

valley　of　the　Mugello；　where　he　took　some　castles；　and　halted　with　his

army　at　Pulicciano。　Thence　he　overran　the　country　as　far　as　the

mountains　of　Fiesole；　and　his　audacity　so　increased　that　he　crossed

the　Arno；　plundering　and　destroying　everything　to　within　three　miles

of　Florence。



The　Florentines；　however；　were　not　dismayed。　Their　first　concern　was

to　give　security　to　the　government；　for　which　they　had　no　cause　for

apprehension；　so　universal　was　the　good　will　of　the　people　toward

Cosmo；　and　besides　this；　they　had　restricted　the　principal　offices　to

a　few　citizens　of　the　highest　class；　who　with　their　vigilance　would

have　kept　the　populace　in　order；　even　if　they　had　been　discontented　or

desirous　of　change。　They　also　knew　by　the　compact　made　in　Lombardy

what　forces　Neri　would　bring　with　him；　and　expected　the　troops　of　the

pope。　These　prospects　sustained　their　courage　till　the　arrival　of　Neri

di　Gino；　who；　on　account　of　the　disorders　and　fears　of　the　city；

determined　to　set　out　immediately　and　check　Niccolo。　With　the　cavalry

he　possessed；　and　a　body　of　infantry　raised　entirely　from　the　people；

he　recovered　Remole　from　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　where　having

encamped；　he　put　a　stop　to　all　further　depredations；　and　gave　the

inhabitants　hopes　of　repelling　the　enemy　from　the　neighborhood。

Niccolo　finding　that；　although　the　Florentines　were　without　troops；　no

disturbance　had　arisen；　and　learning　what　entire　composure　prevail