history of florence-第77部分

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whole　army　should　be　assembled；　and　the　Venetians　engaged　to　send

ships　thither　to　convey　the　forces　to　Sclavonia。　Upon　the　arrival　of

the　pope　in　that　city；　there　was　soon　such　a　concourse　of　people；　that

in　a　few　days　all　the　provisions　it　contained；　or　that　could　be

procured　from　the　neighborhood；　were　consumed；　and　famine　began　to

impend。　Besides　this；　there　was　no　money　to　provide　those　who　were　in

want　of　it；　nor　arms　to　furnish　such　as　were　without　them。　Neither

Matthias　nor　Charles　made　their　appearance。　The　Venetians　sent　a

captain　with　some　galleys；　but　rather　for　ostentation　and　the　sake　of

keeping　their　word；　than　for　the　purpose　of　conveying　troops。　During

this　position　of　affairs；　the　pope；　being　old　and　infirm；　died；　and

the　assembled　troops　returned　to　their　homes。　The　death　of　the　pontiff

occurred　in　1465；　and　Paul　II。　of　Venetian　origin；　was　chosen　to

succeed　him；　and　that　nearly　all　the　principalities　of　Italy　might

change　their　rulers　about　the　same　period；　in　the　following　year

Francesco　Sforza；　duke　of　Milan；　also　died；　having　occupied　the

dukedom　sixteen　years；　and　Galleazzo；　his　son；　succeeded　him。



The　death　of　this　prince　infused　redoubled　energy　into　the　Florentine

dissensions；　and　caused　them　to　produce　more　prompt　effects　than　they

would　otherwise　have　done。　Upon　the　demise　of　Cosmo；　his　son　Piero；

being　heir　to　the　wealth　and　government　of　his　father；　called　to　his

assistance　Diotisalvi　Neroni；　a　man　of　great　influence　and　the　highest

reputation；　in　whom　Cosmo　reposed　so　much　confidence　that　just　before

his　death　he　recommended　Piero　to　be　wholly　guided　by　him；　both　with

regard　to　the　government　of　the　city　and　the　management　of　his

fortune。　Piero　acquired　Diotisalvi　with　the　opinion　Cosmo　entertained

of　him；　and　said　that　as　he　wished　to　obey　his　father；　though　now　no

more；　as　he　always　had　while　alive；　he　should　consult　him　concerning

both　his　patrimony　and　the　city。　Beginning　with　his　private　affairs；

he　caused　an　account　of　all　his　property；　liabilities；　and　assets；　to

be　placed　in　Diotisalvi's　hands；　that；　with　an　entire　acquaintance

with　the　state　of　his　affairs；　he　might　be　able　to　afford　suitable

advice；　and　the　latter　promised　to　use　the　utmost　care。　Upon

examination　of　these　accounts　the　affairs　were　found　to　be　in　great

disorder；　and　Diotisalvi；　instigated　rather　by　his　own　ambition　than

by　attachment　to　Piero　or　gratitude　to　Cosmo；　thought　he　might　without

difficulty　deprive　him　of　both　the　reputation　and　the　splendor　which

his　father　had　left　him　as　his　inheritance。　In　order　to　realize　his

views；　he　waited　upon　Piero；　and　advised　him　to　adopt　a　measure　which；

while　it　appeared　quite　correct　in　itself；　and　suitable　to　existing

circumstances；　involved　a　consequence　destructive　to　his　authority。　He

explained　the　disorder　of　his　affairs；　and　the　large　amount　of　money

it　would　be　necessary　to　provide；　if　he　wished　to　preserve　his

influence　in　the　state　and　his　reputation　of　wealth；　and　said　there

was　no　other　means　of　remedying　these　disorders　so　just　and　available

as　to　call　in　the　sums　which　his　father　had　lent　to　an　infinite　number

of　persons；　both　foreigners　and　citizens；　for　Cosmo；　to　acquire

partisans　in　Florence　and　friends　abroad；　was　extremely　liberal　of　his

money；　and　the　amount　of　loans　due　to　him　was　enormous。　Piero　thought

the　advice　good；　because　he　was　only　desirous　to　repossess　his　own

property　to　meet　the　demands　to　which　he　was　liable；　but　as　soon　as　he

had　ordered　those　amounts　to　be　recalled；　the　citizens；　as　if　he　had

asked　for　something　to　which　he　had　no　kind　of　claim；　took　great

offense；　loaded　him　with　opprobrious　expressions；　and　accused　him　of

being　avaricious　and　ungrateful。



Diotisalvi；　noticing　the　popular　excitement　against　Piero；　occasioned

by　his　own　advice；　obtained　an　interview　with　Luca　Pitti；　Agnolo

Acciajuoli；　and　Niccolo　Soderini；　and　they　resolved　to　unite　their

efforts　to　deprive　him　both　of　the　government　and　his　influence。　Each

was　actuated　by　a　different　motive；　Luca　Pitti　wished　to　take　the

position　Cosmo　had　occupied；　for　he　was　now　become　so　great；　that　he

disdained　to　submit　to　Piero；　Diotisalvi　Neroni；　who　knew　Luca　unfit

to　be　at　the　head　of　a　government；　thought　that　of　necessity　on

Piero's　removal；　the　whole　authority　of　the　state　would　devolve　upon

himself；　Niccolo　Soderini　desired　the　city　to　enjoy　greater　liberty；

and　for　the　laws　to　be　equally　binding　upon　all。　Agnolo　Acciajuoli　was

greatly　incensed　against　the　Medici；　for　the　following　reasons：　his

son；　Raffaello；　had　some　time　before　married　Alessandra　de'　Bardi；　and

received　with　her　a　large　dowry。　She；　either　by　her　own　fault　or　the

misconduct　of　others；　suffered　much　ill…treatment　both　from　her

father…in…law　and　her　husband；　and　in　consequence　Lorenzo　d'　Ilarione；

her　kinsman；　out　of　pity　for　the　girl；　being　accompanied　by　several

armed　men；　took　her　away　from　Agnolo's　house。　The　Acciajuoli

complained　of　the　injury　done　them　by　the　Bardi；　and　the　matter　was

referred　to　Cosmo；　who　decided　that　the　Acciajuoli　should　restore　to

Alessandra　her　fortune；　and　then　leave　it　to　her　choice　either　to

return　to　her　husband　or　not。　Agnolo　thought　Cosmo　had　not；　in　this

instance；　treated　him　as　a　friend；　and　having　been　unable　to　avenge

himself　on　the　father；　he　now　resolved　to　do　his　utmost　to　ruin　the

son。　These　conspirators；　though　each　was　influenced　by　a　different

motive　from　the　rest；　affected　to　have　only　one　object　in　view；　which

was　that　the　city　should　be　governed　by　the　magistrates；　and　not　be

subjected　to　the　counsels　of　a　few　individuals。　The　odium　against

Piero；　and　opportunities　of　injuring　him；　were　increased　by　the　number

of　merchants　who　failed　about　this　time；　for　it　was　reported　that　he；

in　having；　quite　unexpectedly　to　all；　resolved　to　call　in　his　debts；

had；　to　the　disgrace　and　ruin　of　the　city；　caused　them　to　become

insolvent。　To　this　was　added　his　endeavor　to　obtain　Clarice　degli

Orsini　as　wife　of　Lorenzo；　his　eldest　son；　and　hence　his　enemies　took

occasion　to　say；　it　was　quite　clear；　that　as　he　despised　a　Florentine

alliance；　he　no　longer　considered　himself　one　of　the　people；　and　was

preparing　to　make　himself　prince；　for　he　who　refuses　his　fellow…

citizens　as　relatives；　desires　to　make　them　slaves；　and　therefore

cannot　expect　to　have　them　as　friends。　The　leaders　of　the　sedition

thought　they　had　the　victory　in　their　power；　for　the　greater　part　of

the　citizens　followed　them；　deceived　by　the　name　of　liberty　which

they；　to　give　their　purpose　a　graceful　covering；　adopted　upon　their

ensigns。



In　this　agitated　state　of　the　city；　some；　to　whom　civil　discord　was

extremely　offensive；　thought　it　would　be　well　to　endeavor　to　engage

men's　minds　with　some　new　occupation；　because　when　unemployed　they　are

commonly　led　by　whoever　chooses　to　excite　them。　To　divert　their

attention　from　matters　of　government；　it　being　now　a　year　since　the

death　of　Cosmo；　it　was　resolved　to　celebrate　two　festivals；　similar　to

the　most　solemn　observed　in　the　city。　At　one　of　them　was　represented

the　arrival　of　the　three　kings　from　the　east；　led　by　the　star　which

announced　the　nativity　of　Christ；　which　was　conducted　with　such　pomp

and　magnificence；　that　the　preparations　for　it　kept　the　whole　city

occupied　many　months。　The　other　was　a　tournament　（for　so　they　call　the

exhibition　of　equestrian　combats）；　in　which　the　sons　of　the　first

families　in　the　city　took　part　with　the　most　celebrated　cavaliers　of

Italy。　Among　the　most　distinguished　of　the　Florentine　youth　was

Lorenzo；　eldest　son　of　Piero；　who；　not　by　favor；　but　by　his　own

personal　valor；　obtained　the　principal　prize。　When　these　festivals

were　over；　the　citizens　reverted　to　the　same　thoughts　which　had

previously　occupied　them；　and　each　pursued　his　ideas　with　more

earnestness　than　ever。　Serious　differences　and　troubles　were　the

result；　and　these　were　greatly　increased　by　two　circumstances：　one　of

which　was；　that　the　authority　of　the　balia　had　expired；　the　other；

that　upon　the　death　of　Duke　Francesco；　Galeazzo　the　new　duke　sent

ambassadors　to　Florence；　to　renew　the　engagements　of　his　father　with

the　city；　which；　among　other　things；　provided　that　every　year　a

certain　sum　of　money　should　be　paid　to　the　duke。　The　principal

opponents　of　the　Medici　took　occasion；　from　this　demand；　to　make

public　resistance　in　the　councils；　on　pretense　that　the　alliance　was

made　with　Francesco　and　not　Galeazzo；　so　that　Francesco　being　dead；

the　obligation　had　ceased；　nor　was　there　any　necessity　to　revive　it；

because　Galeazzo　did　not　possess　his　father's　talents；　and

consequently　they　neither　could　nor　ought　to　expect　the　same　benefits

from　him；　that　if　they　had　derived　little　advantage　from　Francesco；

they　would　obtain　still　less　from　Galeazzo；　and　that　if　any　citizen

wished　to　hire　him　for　his　own　purposes；　it　was　contrary　to　civil

rule；　and　inconsistent　with　the　public　liberty。　Piero；　on　the

contrary；　argued　that　it　would　be　very　impolitic　to　lose　such　an

alliance　from　mere　avarice；　and　that　there　was　nothing　so　important　to

the　republic；　and　to　the　whole　of　Italy；　as　their　alliance　with　the

duke；　that　the　Venetians；　while　they　were　united；　could　not　hope

either　by　feigned　friendship　or　open　war　to　injure　the　duchy；　but　as

soon　as　they　perceived　the　Florentines　alienated　from　him　they　would

prepare　for　hostilities；　and；　finding　him　young；　new　in　the

government；　and　without　friends；　they　would；　either　by　force　or　fraud；

compel　him　to　join　them；　in　which　case　ruin　of　the　republic　would　be

inevitable。



The　arguments　of　Piero　were　without　effect；　and　the　animosity　of　the

parties　began　to　be　openly　manifested　in　their　nocturnal　assemblies；

the　friends　of　the　Medici　meeting　in　the　Crocetta；　and　their

adversaries　in　the　Pieta。　The　latter　being　anxious　for　Piero's　ruin；

had　induced　many　citizens　to　subscribe　their　names　as　favorable　to　the

undertaking。　Up