history of florence-第70部分

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if　he　desired　the　friendship　of　the　marquis　of　Mantua；　he　had　no　need

of　anyone's　favor　or　advice。　He　therefore　feared　that　these　cavils

were　produced　by　some　latent　motive；　which　it　was　not　thought　proper

to　disclose。　Be　this　as　it　might；　they　would　freely　declare　to　all；

that　in　the　same　proportion　as　the　friendship　of　the　Florentines　was

beneficial　their　enmity　could　be　destructive。



The　matter　was　hushed　up；　and　the　ambassadors；　on　their　departure；

appeared　perfectly　satisfied。　But　the　league　between　the　king　and　the

Venetians　made　the　Florentines　and　the　duke　rather　apprehend　war　than

hope　for　a　long　continuance　of　peace。　They　therefore　entered　into　an

alliance；　and　at　the　same　time　the　enmity　of　the　Venetians　transpired

by　a　treaty　with　the　Siennese；　and　the　expulsion　of　all　Florentine

subjects　from　their　cities　and　territories。　Shortly　after　this；

Alfonso　did　the　same；　without　any　consideration　of　the　peace　made　the

year　previous；　and　not　having　even　the　shadow　of　an　excuse。　The

Venetians　attempted　to　take　Bologna；　and　having　armed　the　emigrants；

and　united　to　them　a　considerable　force；　introduced　them　into　the　city

by　night　through　one　of　the　common　sewers。　No　sooner　had　they　entered；

than　they　raised　a　cry；　by　which　Santi　Bentivogli；　being　awakened；　was

told　that　the　whole　city　was　in　possession　of　the　rebels。　But　though

many　advised　him　to　escape；　saying　that　he　could　not　save　the　city　by

his　stay；　he　determined　to　confront　the　danger；　and　taking　arms

encouraged　his　followers；　assembled　a　few　friends；　attacked　and　routed

part　of　the　rebels；　slew　many　more；　and　drove　the　remainder　out　of　the

city。　By　this　act　of　bravery　all　agreed　he　had　fully　proved　himself　a

genuine　scion　of　the　house　of　the　Bentivogli。



These　events　and　demonstrations　gave　the　Florentines　an　earnest　of

approaching　war；　they　consequently　followed　their　usual　practice　on

similar　occasions；　and　created　the　Council　of　Ten。　They　engaged　new

condottieri；　sent　ambassadors　to　Rome；　Naples；　Venice；　Milan；　and

Sienna；　to　demand　assistance　from　their　friends；　gain　information

about　those　they　suspected；　decide　such　as　were　wavering；　and　discover

the　designs　of　the　foe。　From　the　pope　they　obtained　only　general

expressions　of　an　amicable　disposition　and　admonitions　to　peace；　from

the　king；　empty　excuses　for　having　expelled　the　Florentines；　and

offers　of　safe　conduct　for　whoever　should　demand　it；　and　although　he

endeavored；　as　much　as　possible；　to　conceal　every　indication　of　his

hostile　designs；　the　ambassadors　felt　convinced　of　his　unfriendly

disposition；　and　observed　many　preparations　tending　to　the　injury　of

the　republic。　The　League　with　the　duke　was　strengthened　by　mutual

obligations；　and　through　his　means　they　became　friends　with　the

Genoese；　the　old　differences　with　them　respecting　reprisals；　and　other

small　matters　of　dispute；　being　composed；　although　the　Venetians　used

every　possible　means　to　prevent　it；　and　entreated　the　emperor　of

Constantinople　to　expel　all　Florentines　from　his　dominions；　so　fierce

was　the　animosity　with　which　they　entered　on　this　war；　and　so　powerful

their　lust　of　dominion；　that　without　the　least　hesitation　they　sought

the　destruction　of　those　who　had　been　the　occasion　of　their　own　power。

The　emperor；　however；　refused　to　listen　to　them。　The　Venetian　senate

forbade　the　Florentine　ambassadors　to　enter　their　territories；

alleging；　that　being　in　league　with　the　king；　they　could　not　entertain

them　without　his　concurrence。　The　Siennese　received　the　ambassadors

with　fair　words；　fearing　their　own　ruin　before　the　League　could　assist

them；　and　therefore　endeavored　to　appease　the　powers　whose　attack　they

were　unable　to　resist。　The　Venetians　and　the　king　（as　was　then

conjectured）　were　disposed　to　send　ambassadors　to　Florence　to　justify

the　war。　But　the　Venetian　envoy　was　not　allowed　to　enter　the

Florentine　dominions；　and　the　king's　ambassador；　being　unwilling　to

perform　his　office　alone；　the　embassy　was　not　completed；　and　thus　the

Venetians　learned；　that　however　little　they　might　esteem　the

Florentines；　the　latter　had　still　less　respect　for　them。



In　the　midst　of　these　fears；　the　emperor；　Frederick　III。；　came　into

Italy　to　be　crowned。　On　the　thirtieth　of　January；　1451；　he　entered

Florence　with　fifteen　hundred　horse；　and　was　most　honorably　received

by　the　Signory。　He　remained　in　the　city　till　the　sixth　of　February；

and　then　proceeded　to　Rome　for　his　coronation；　where；　having　been

solemnly　consecrated；　and　his　marriage　celebrated　with　the　empress；

who　had　come　to　Rome　by　sea；　he　returned　to　Germany；　and　again　passed

through　Florence　in　May；　with　the　same　honors　as　upon　his　arrival。　On

his　return；　having　derived　some　benefits　from　the　marquis　of　Mantua；

he　conceded　to　him　Modena　and　Reggio。　In　the　meantime；　the　Florentines

did　not　fail　to　prepare　themselves　for　immediate　war；　and　to　augment

their　influence；　and　strike　the　enemy　with　terror；　they；　in

conjunction　with　the　duke；　entered　into　alliance　with　the　king　of

France　for　the　mutual　defense　of　their　states。　This　treaty　was

published　with　great　pomp　throughout　all　Italy。



The　month　of　May；　1452；　having　arrived；　the　Venetians　thought　it　not

desirable　to　defer　any　longer　their　attack　upon　the　duke；　and　with

sixteen　thousand　horse　and　six　thousand　foot　assailed　his　territories

in　the　direction　of　Lodi；　while　the　marquis　of　Montferrat；　instigated

either　by　his　own　ambition　or　the　entreaties　of　the　Venetians；　did　the

same　on　the　side　of　Alexandria。　The　duke　assembled　a　force　of　eighteen

thousand　cavalry　and　three　thousand　infantry；　garrisoned　Alexandria

and　Lodi；　and　all　the　other　places　where　the　enemy　might　annoy　them。

He　then　attacked　the　Brescian　territory；　and　greatly　harassed　the

Venetians；　while　both　parties　alike　plundered　the　country　and　ravaged

the　smaller　towns。　Having　defeated　the　marquis　of　Montferrat　at

Alexandria；　the　duke　was　able　to　unite　his　whole　force　against　the

Venetians　and　invade　their　territory。



While　the　war　in　Lombardy　proceeded　thus；　giving　rise　to　various

trifling　incidents　unworthy　of　recital；　King　Alfonso　and　the

Florentines　carried　on　hostilities　in　Tuscany；　but　in　a　similarly

inefficient　manner；　evincing　no　greater　talent；　and　incurring　no

greater　danger。　Ferrando；　the　illegitimate　son　of　Alfonso；　entered　the

country　with　twelve　thousand　troops；　under　the　command　of　Federigo；

lord　of　Urbino。　Their　first　attempt　was　to　attack　Fojano；　in　the　Val

di　Chiane；　for；　having　the　Siennese　in　their　favor；　they　entered　the

Florentine　territory　in　that　direction。　The　walls　of　the　castle　were

weak；　and　it　was　small；　and　consequently　poorly　manned；　but　the

garrison　were；　among　the　soldiers　of　that　period；　considered　brave　and

faithful。　Two　hundred　infantry　were　also　sent　by　the　Signory　for　its

defense。　Before　this　castle；　thus　provided；　Ferrando　sat　down；　and

either　from　the　valor　of　its　defenders　or　his　own　deficiencies；

thirty…six　days　elapsed　before　he　took　it。　This　interval　enabled　the

city　to　make　better　provision　for　places　of　greater　importance；　to

collect　forces　and　conclude　more　effective　arrangements　than　had

hitherto　been　made。　The　enemy　next　proceeded　into　the　district　of

Chiane；　where　they　attacked　two　small　towns；　the　property　of　private

citizens；　but　could　not　capture　them。　They　then　encamped　before　the

Castellina；　a　fortress　upon　the　borders　of　the　Chianti；　within　ten

miles　of　Sienna；　weak　from　its　defective　construction；　and　still　more

so　by　its　situation；　but；　notwithstanding　these　defects；　the

assailants　were　compelled　to　retire　in　disgrace；　after　having　lain

before　it　forty…four　days。　So　formidable　were　those　armies；　and　so

perilous　those　wars；　that　places　now　abandoned　as　untenable　were　then

defended　as　impregnable。



While　Ferrando　was　encamped　in　the　Chianti　he　made　many　incursions；

and　took　considerable　booty　from　the　Florentine　territories；　extending

his　depredations　within　six　miles　of　the　city；　to　the　great　alarm　and

injury　of　the　people；　who　at　this　time；　having　sent　their　forces　to

the　number　of　eight　thousand　soldiers　under　Astorre　da　Faenza　and

Gismondo　Malatesti　toward　Castel　di　Colle；　kept　them　at　a　distance

from　the　enemy；　lest　they　should　be　compelled　to　an　engagement；　for

they　considered　that　so　long　as　they　were　not　beaten　in　a　pitched

battle；　they　could　not　be　vanquished　in　the　war　generally；　for　small

castles；　when　lost；　were　recovered　at　the　peace；　and　larger　places

were　in　no　danger；　because　the　enemy　would　not　venture　to　attack　them。

The　king　had　also　a　fleet　of　about　twenty　vessels；　comprising　galleys

and　smaller　craft；　which　lay　off　Pisa；　and　during　the　siege　of

Castellina　were　moored　near　the　Rocca　di　Vada；　which；　from　the

negligence　of　the　governor；　he　took；　and　then　harassed　the　surrounding

country。　However；　this　annoyance　was　easily　removed　by　a　few　soldiers

sent　by　the　Florentines　to　Campiglia；　and　who　confined　the　enemy　to

the　coast。







CHAPTER　VI



　　Conspiracy　of　Stefano　Porcari　against　the　papal　governmentThe

　　conspirators　discovered　and　punishedThe　Florentines　recover　the

　　places　they　had　lostGherardo　Gambacorti；　lord　of　Val　di　Bagno；

　　endeavors　to　transfer　his　territories　to　the　king　of　Naples

　　Gallant　conduct　of　Antonio　Gualandi；　who　counteracts　the　design　of

　　GambacortiRen？of　Anjou　is　called　into　Italy　by　the　Florentines

　　Ren？returns　to　FranceThe　pope　endeavors　to　restore　peace

　　Peace　proclaimedJacopo　Piccinino　attacks　the　Siennese。



The　pontiff　did　not　interfere　in　these　affairs　further　than　to

endeavor　to　bring　the　parties　to　a　mutual　accommodation；　but　while　he

refrained　from　external　wars　he　incurred　the　danger　of　more　serious

troubles　at　home。　Stefano　Porcari　was　a　Roman　citizen；　equally

distinguished　for　nobility　of　birth　and　extent　of　learning；　but　still

more　by　the　excellence　of　his　character。　Like　all　who　are　in　pursuit

of　glory；　he　resolved　either　to　perf