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history of florence-第8部分

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In the time of Otho III。 there had come into Italy a man called

Ezelin; who; remaining in the country; had a son; and he too had a son

named Ezelin。 This person; being rich and powerful; took part with

Frederick; who; as we have said; was at enmity with the pope;

Frederick; at the instigation and with the assistance of Ezelin; took

Verona and Mantua; destroyed Vicenza; occupied Padua; routed the army

of the united cities; and then directed his course towards Tuscany。

Ezelin; in the meantime; had subdued the whole of the Trevisian March;

but could not prevail against Ferrara; which was defended by Azone da

Este and the forces which the pope had in Lombardy; and; as the enemy

were compelled to withdraw; the pope gave Ferrara in fee to this

Azone; from whom are descended those who now govern that city。

Frederick halted at Pisa; desirous of making himself lord of Tuscany;

but; while endeavoring to discover what friends and foes he had in

that province; he scattered so many seeds of discord as occasioned the

ruin of Italy; for the factions of the Guelphs and Ghibellines

multiplied;those who supported the church taking the name of

Guelphs; while the followers of the emperor were called Ghibellines;

these names being first heard at Pistoia。 Frederick; marching from

Pisa; assailed and wasted the territories of the church in a variety

of ways; so that the pope; having no other remedy; unfurled against

him the banner of the cross; as his predecessor had done against the

Saracens。 Frederick; that he might be suddenly abandoned by his

people; as Frederick Barbarossa and others had been; took into his pay

a number of Saracens; and to bind them to him; and establish in Italy

a firm bulwark against the church; without fear of papal maledictions;

he gave them Nocera in the kingdom of Naples; that; having a refuge of

their own; they might be placed in greater security。 The pontificate

was now occupied by Innocent IV。; who; being in fear of Frederick;

went to Genoa; and thence to France; where he appointed a council to

be held at Lyons; where it was the intention of Frederick to attend;

but he was prevented by the rebellion of Parma: and; being repulsed;

he went into Tuscany; and from thence to Sicily; where he died;

leaving his son Conrad in Suabia; and in Puglia; Manfred; whom he had

created duke of Benevento; born of a concubine。 Conrad came to take

possession of the kingdom; and having arrived at Naples; died; leaving

an infant son named Corradino; who was then in Germany。 On this

account Manfred occupied the state; first as guardian of Corradino;

but afterward; causing a report to be circulated that Corradino had

died; made himself king; contrary to the wishes of both the pope and

the Neapolitans; who; however; were obliged to submit。



While these things were occurring in the kingdom of Naples; many

movements took place in Lombardy between the Guelphs and the

Ghibellines。 The Guelphs were headed by a legate of the pope; and the

Ghibelline party by Ezelin; who possessed nearly the whole of Lombardy

beyond the Po; and; as in the course of the war Padua rebelled; he put

to death twelve thousand of its citizens。 But before its close he

himself was slain; in the eightieth year of his age; and all the

places he had held became free。 Manfred; king of Naples; continued

those enmities against the church which had been begun by his

ancestors; and kept the pope; Urban IV。; in continual alarm; so that;

in order to subdue him; Urban summoned the crusaders; and went to

Perugia to await their arrival。 Seeing them few and slow in their

approach; he found that more able assistance was necessary to conquer

Manfred。 He therefore sought the favor of France; created Louis of

Anjou; the king's brother; sovereign of Naples and Sicily; and excited

him to come into Italy to take possession of that kingdom。 But before

Charles came to Rome the pope died; and was succeeded by Clement IV。;

in whose time he arrived at Ostia; with thirty galleys; and ordered

that the rest of his forces should come by land。 During his abode at

Rome; the citizens; in order to attach him to them; made him their

senator; and the pope invested him with the kingdom; on condition that

he should pay annually to the church the sum of fifty thousand ducats;

and it was decreed that; from thenceforth; neither Charles nor any

other person; who might be king of Naples; should be emperor also。

Charles marched against Manfred; routed his army; and slew him near

Benevento; and then became sovereign of Sicily and Naples。 Corradino;

to whom; by his father's will; the state belonged; having collected a

great force in Germany; marched into Italy against Charles; with whom

he came to an engagement at Tagliacozzo; was taken prisoner while

endeavoring to escape; and being unknown; put to death。



Italy remained in repose until the pontificate of Adrian V。 Charles;

being at Rome and governing the city by virtue of his office of

senator; the pope; unable to endure his power; withdrew to Viterbo;

and solicited the Emperor Rodolph to come into Italy and assist him。

Thus the popes; sometimes in zeal for religion; at others moved by

their own ambition; were continually calling in new parties and

exciting new disturbances。 As soon as they had made a prince powerful;

they viewed him with jealousy and sought his ruin; and never allowed

another to rule the country; which; from their own imbecility; they

were themselves unable to govern。 Princes were in fear of them; for;

fighting or running away; the popes always obtained the advantage;

unless it happened they were entrapped by deceit; as occurred to

Boniface VIII。; and some others; who under pretense of friendship;

were ensnared by the emperors。 Rodolph did not come into Italy; being

detained by the war in which he was engaged with the king of Bohemia。

At this time Adrian died; and Nicholas III。; of the Orsini family;

became pontiff。 He was a bold; ambitious man; and being resolved at

any event to diminish the power of Charles; induced the Emperor

Rodolph to complain that he had a governor in Tuscany favorable to the

Guelphic faction; who after the death of Manfred had been replaced by

him。 Charles yielded to the emperor and withdrew his governor; and the

pope sent one of his nephews; a cardinal; as governor for the emperor;

who; for the honor done him; restored Romagna to the church; which had

been taken from her by his predecessors; and the pope made Bertoldo

Orsino duke of Romagna。 As Nicholas now thought himself powerful

enough to oppose Charles; he deprived him of the office of senator;

and made a decree that no one of royal race should ever be a senator

in Rome。 It was his intention to deprive Charles of Sicily; and to

this end he entered into a secret negotiation with Peter; king of

Aragon; which took effect in the following papacy。 He also had the

design of creating two kings out of his family; the one in Lombardy;

the other in Tuscany; whose power would defend the church from the

Germans who might design to come into Italy; and from the French; who

were in the kingdom of Naples and Sicily。 But with these thoughts he

died。 He was the first pope who openly exhibited his own ambition;

and; under pretense of making the church great; conferred honors and

emolument upon his own family。 Previous to his time no mention is made

of the nephews or families of any pontiff; but future history is full

of them; nor is there now anything left for them to attempt; except

the effort to make the papacy hereditary。 True it is; the princes of

their creating have not long sustained their honors; for the pontiffs;

being generally of very limited existence; did not get their plants

properly established。



To Nicholas succeeded Martin IV。; of French origin; and consequently

favorable to the party of Charles; who sent him assistance against the

rebellion of Romagna; and while they were encamped at Furli; Guido

Bonatto; an astrologer; contrived that at an appointed moment the

people should assail the forces of the king; and the plan succeeding;

all the French were taken and slain。 About this period was also

carried into effect the plot of Pope Nicholas and Peter; king of

Aragon; by which the Sicilians murdered all the French that were in

that island; and Peter made himself sovereign of it; saying; that it

belonged to him in the right of his wife Gostanza; daughter of

Manfred。 But Charles; while making warlike preparations for the

recovery of Sicily; died; leaving a son; Charles II。; who was made

prisoner in Sicily; and to recover his liberty promised to return to

his prison; if within three years he did not obtain the pope's consent

that the kings of Aragon should be invested with the kingdom of

Sicily。



The Emperor Rodolph; instead of coming into Italy; gave the empire the

advantage of having done so; by sending an ambassador; with authority

to make all those cities free which would redeem themselves with

money。 Many purchased their freedom; and with liberty changed their

mode of living。 Adolpho of Saxony succeeded to the empire; and to the

papacy; Pietro del Murrone; who took the name of Celestino; but; being

a hermit and full of sanctity; after six months renounced the

pontificate; and Boniface VIII。 was elected。



After a time the French and Germans left Italy; and the country

remained wholly in the hands of the Italians; but Providence ordained

that the pope; when these enemies were withdrawn; should neither

establish nor enjoy his authority; and raised two very powerful

families in Rome; the Colonnesi and the Orsini; who with their arms;

and the proximity of their abode; kept the pontificate weak。 Boniface

then determined to destroy the Colonnesi; and; besides

excommunicating; endeavored to direct the weapons of the church

against them。 This; although it did them some injury; proved more

disastrous to the pope; for those arms which from attachmen

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