history of florence-第68部分

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confidence　in　one　whom　we　ought　not　to　have　trusted；　for　thy　past

life；　thy　restless　mind；　incapable　of　repose；　ought　to　have　put　us　on

our　guard；　neither　ought　we　to　have　confided　in　one　who　betrayed　the

lord　of　Lucca；　set　a　fine　upon　the　Florentines　and　the　Venetians；

defied　the　duke；　despised　the　king；　and　besides　all　this；　persecuted

the　church　of　God；　and　the　Divinity　himself　with　innumerable

atrocities。　We　ought　not　to　have　fancied　that　so　many　potentates

possessed　less　influence　over　the　mind　of　Francesco　Sforza；　than　the

Milanese；　or　that　he　would　preserve　unblemished　that　faith　towards　us

which　he　had　on　so　many　occasions　broken　with　them。　Still　this　want　of

caution　in　us　does　not　excuse　the　perfidy　in　thee；　nor　can　it

obliterate　the　infamy　with　which　our　just　complaints　will　blacken　thy

character　throughout　the　world；　or　prevent　the　remorse　of　thy

conscience；　when　our　arms　are　used　for　our　own　destruction；　for　thou

wilt　see　that　the　sufferings　due　to　parricides　are　fully　deserved　by

thee。　And　though　ambition　should　blind　thine　eyes；　the　whole　world；

witness　to　thine　iniquity；　will　compel　thee　to　open　them；　God　himself

will　unclose　them；　if　perjuries；　if　violated　faith；　if　treacheries

displease　him；　and　if；　as　ever；　he　is　still　the　enemy　of　the　wicked。

Do　not；　therefore；　promise　thyself　any　certainty　of　victory；　for　the

just　wrath　of　the　Almighty　will　weigh　heavily　upon　thee；　and　we　are

resolved　to　lose　our　liberty　only　with　our　lives；　but　if　we　found　we

could　not　ultimately　defend　it；　we　would　submit　ourselves　to　anyone

rather　than　to　thee。　And　if　our　sins　be　so　great　that　in　spite　of　our

utmost　resolution；　we　should　still　fall　into　thy　hands；　be　quite

assured；　that　the　sovereignty　which　is　commenced　in　deceit　and

villainy；　will　terminate　either　in　thyself　or　thy　children　with

ignominy　and　blood。〃



The　count；　though　not　insensible　to　the　just　reproaches　of　the

Milanese；　did　not　exhibit　either　by　words　or　gestures　any　unusual

excitement；　and　replied；　that　〃He　willingly　attributed　to　their　angry

feelings　all　the　serious　charges　of　their　indiscreet　harangue；　and　he

would　reply　to　them　in　detail；　were　he　in　the　presence　of　anyone　who

could　decide　their　differences；　for　it　would　be　evident　that　he　had

not　injured　the　Milanese；　but　only　taken　care　that　they　should　not

injure　him。　They　well　knew　how　they　had　proceeded　after　the　victory　of

Caravaggio；　for；　instead　of　rewarding　him　with　either　Verona　or

Brescia；　they　sought　peace　with　the　Venetians；　that　all　the　blame　of

the　quarrel　might　rest　on　him；　themselves　obtaining　the　fruit　of

victory；　the　credit　of　peace；　and　all　the　advantages　that　could　be

derived　from　the　war。　It　would　thus　be　manifest　they　had　no　right　to

complain；　when　he　had　effected　the　arrangements　which　they　first

attempted　to　make；　and　that　if　he　had　deferred　to　do　so　a　little

longer；　he　would　have　had　reason　to　accuse　them　of　the　ingratitude

with　which　they　were　now　charging　him。　Whether　the　charge　were　true　or

false；　that　God；　whom　they　had　invoked　to　avenge　their　injuries；　would

show　at　the　conclusion　of　the　war；　and　would　demonstrate　which　was

most　his　friend；　and　who　had　most　justice　on　their　side。〃



Upon　the　departure　of　the　ambassadors；　the　count　determined　to　attack

the　Milanese；　who　prepared　for　their　defense；　and　appointed　Francesco

and　Jacopo　Piccinino　（attached　to　their　cause；　on　account　of　the

ancient　feud　of　the　families　of　Braccio　and　Sforza）　to　conduct　their

forces　in　support　of　liberty；　at　least　till　they　could　deprive　the

count　of　the　aid　of　the　Venetians；　who　they　did　not　think　would　long

be　either　friendly　or　faithful　to　him。　On　the　other　hand；　the　count；

perfectly　aware　of　this；　thought　it　not　imprudent；　supposing　the

obligation　of　the　treaty　insufficient；　to　bind　them　by　the　ties　of

interest；　and；　therefore；　in　assigning　to　each　their　portion　of　the

enterprise；　he　consented　that　the　Venetians　should　attack　Crema；　and

himself；　with　the　other　forces；　assail　the　remainder　of　the　territory。

The　advantage　of　this　arrangement　kept　the　Venetians　so　long　in

alliance　with　the　count；　that　he　was　enabled　to　conquer　the　whole　of

the　Milanese　territory；　and　to　press　the　city　so　closely；　that　the

inhabitants　could　not　provide　themselves　with　necessaries；　despairing

of　success；　they　sent　envoys　to　the　Venetians　to　beg　they　would

compassionate　their　distress；　and；　as　ought　to　be　the　case　between

republics；　assist　them　in　defense　of　their　liberty　against　a　tyrant；

whom；　if　once　master　of　their　city；　they　would　be　unable　to　restrain；

neither　did　they　think　he　would　be　content　with　the　boundaries

assigned　him　by　the　treaty；　but　would　expect　all　the　dependencies　of

Milan。



The　Venetians　had　not　yet　taken　Crema；　and　wishing　before　they　changed

sides；　to　effect　this　point；　they　PUBLICLY　answered　the　envoys；　that

their　engagements　with　the　count　prevented　them　from　defending　the

Milanese；　but　SECRETLY；　gave　them　every　assurance　of　their　wish　to　do

so。



The　count　had　approached　so　near　Milan　with　his　forces；　that　he　was

disputing　the　suburbs　with　the　inhabitants；　when　the　Venetians　having

taken　Crema；　thought　they　need　no　longer　hesitate　to　declare　in　favor

of　the　Milanese；　with　whom　they　made　peace　and　entered　into　alliance；

among　the　terms　of　which　was　the　defense　of　their　liberty　unimpaired。

Having　come　to　this　agreement；　they　ordered　their　forces　to　withdraw

from　the　count's　camp　and　to　return　to　the　Venetian　territory。　They

informed　him　of　the　peace　made　with　the　Milanese；　and　gave　him　twenty

days　to　consider　what　course　he　would　adopt。　He　was　not　surprised　at

the　step　taken　by　the　Venetians；　for　he　had　long　foreseen　it；　and

expected　its　occurrence　daily；　but　when　it　actually　took　place；　he

could　not　avoid　feeling　regret　and　displeasure　similar　to　what　the

Milanese　had　experienced　when　he　abandoned　them。　He　took　two　days　to

consider　the　reply　he　would　make　to　the　ambassadors　whom　the　Venetians

had　sent　to　inform　him　of　the　treaty；　and　during　this　time　he

determined　to　dupe　the　Venetians；　and　not　abandon　his　enterprise；

therefore；　appearing　openly　to　accept　the　proposal　for　peace；　he　sent

his　ambassadors　to　Venice　with　full　credentials　to　effect　the

ratification；　but　gave　them　secret　orders　not　to　do　so；　and　with

pretexts　or　caviling　to　put　it　off。　To　give　the　Venetians　greater

assurance　of　his　sincerity；　he　made　a　truce　with　the　Milanese　for　a

month；　withdrew　from　Milan　and　divided　his　forces　among　the　places　he

had　taken。　This　course　was　the　occasion　of　his　victory　and　the　ruin　of

the　Milanese；　for　the　Venetians；　confident　of　peace；　were　slow　in

preparing　for　war；　and　the　Milanese　finding　the　truce　concluded；　the

enemy　withdrawn；　and　the　Venetians　their　friends；　felt　assured　that

the　count　had　determined　to　abandon　his　design。　This　idea　injured　them

in　two　ways：　one；　by　neglecting　to　provide　for　their　defense；　the

next；　that；　being　seed…time；　they　sowed　a　large　quantity　of　grain　in

the　country　which　the　enemy　had　evacuated；　and　thus　brought　famine

upon　themselves。　On　the　other　hand；　all　that　was　injurious　to　his

enemies　favored　the　count；　and　the　time　gave　him　opportunity　to　take

breath　and　provide　himself　with　assistance。



The　Florentines　during　the　war　of　Lombardy　had　not　declared　in　favor

of　either　party；　or　assisted　the　count　either　in　defense　of　the

Milanese　or　since；　for　he　never　having　been　in　need　had　not　pressingly

requested　it；　and　they　only　sent　assistance　to　the　Venetians　after　the

rout　at　Caravaggio；　in　pursuance　of　the　treaty。　Count　Francesco；

standing　now　alone；　and　not　knowing　to　whom　else　he　could　apply；　was

compelled　to　request　immediate　aid　of　the　Florentines；　publicly　from

the　state；　and　privately　from　friends；　particularly　from　Cosmo　de'

Medici；　with　whom　he　had　always　maintained　a　steady　friendship；　and　by

whom　he　had　constantly　been　faithfully　advised　and　liberally

supported。　Nor　did　Cosmo　abandon　him　in　his　extreme　necessity；　but

supplied　him　generously　from　his　own　resources；　and　encouraged　him　to

prosecute　his　design。　He　also　wished　the　city　publicly　to　assist　him；

but　there　were　difficulties　in　the　way。　Neri　di　Gino　Capponi；　one　of

the　most　powerful　citizens　of　Florence；　thought　it　not　to　the

advantage　of　the　city；　that　the　count　should　obtain　Milan；　and　was　of

opinion　that　it　would　be　more　to　the　safety　of　Italy　for　him　to　ratify

the　peace　than　pursue　the　war。　In　the　first　place；　he　apprehended　that

the　Milanese；　through　their　anger　against　the　count；　would　surrender

themselves　entirely　to　the　Venetians；　which　would　occasion　the　ruin　of

all。　Supposing　he　should　occupy　Milan；　it　appeared　to　him　that　so

great　military　superiority；　combined　with　such　an　extent　of　territory；

would　be　dangerous　to　themselves；　and　that　if　as　count　he　was

intolerable；　he　would　become　doubly　so　as　duke。　He　therefore

considered　it　better　for　the　republic　of　Florence　and　for　Italy；　that

the　count　should　be　content　with　his　military　reputation；　and　that

Lombardy　should　be　divided　into　two　republics；　which　could　never　be

united　to　injure　others；　and　separately　are　unable　to　do　so。　To　attain

this　he　saw　no　better　means　than　to　refrain　from　aiding　the　count；　and

continuing　in　the　former　league　with　the　Venetians。　These　reasonings

were　not　satisfactory　to　Cosmo's　friends；　for　they　imagined　that　Neri

had　argued　thus；　not　from　a　conviction　of　its　advantage　to　the

republic；　but　to　prevent　the　count；　as　a　friend　of　Cosmo；　from

becoming　duke；　apprehending　that　Cosmo　would；　in　consequence　of　this；

become　too　powerful。



Cosmo；　in　reply；　pointed　out；　that　to　lend　assistance　to　the　count

would　be　highly　beneficial　both　to　Italy　and　the　republic；　for　it　was

unwise　to　imagine　the　Milanese　could　preserve　their　own　liberty；　for

the　nature　of　their　community；　their　mode　of　life；　and　their

hereditary　feuds　were　opposed　to　every　kind　of　civil　government；　so

that　it　was　necessary；　ei