history of florence-第96部分

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Having　considered　the　matter　and　resolved　to　attempt　it；　they　fixed

upon　the　market　day；　at　Furli；　as　most　suitable　for　their　purpose；　for

many　of　their　friends　being　sure　to　come　from　the　country；　they　might

make　use　of　their　services　without　having　to　bring　them　expressly　for

the　occasion。　It　was　the　month　of　May；　when　most　Italians　take　supper

by　daylight。　The　conspirators　thought　the　most　convenient　hour　would

be　after　the　count　had　finished　his　repast；　for　his　household　being

then　at　their　meal；　he　would　remain　in　the　chamber　almost　alone。

Having　fixed　upon　the　hour；　Francesco　went　to　the　count's　residence；

left　his　companions　in　the　hall；　proceeded　to　his　apartment；　and

desired　an　attendant　to　say　he　wished　for　an　interview。　He　was

admitted；　and　after　a　few　words　of　pretended　communication；　slew　him；

and　calling　to　his　associates；　killed　the　attendant。　The　governor　of

the　place　coming　by　accident　to　speak　with　the　count；　and　entering　the

apartment　with　a　few　of　his　people；　was　also　slain。　After　this

slaughter；　and　in　the　midst　of　a　great　tumult；　the　count's　body　was

thrown　from　the　window；　and　with　the　cry　of　〃church　and　liberty；〃　they

roused　the　people　（who　hated　the　avarice　and　cruelty　of　the　count）　to

arms；　and　having　plundered　his　house；　made　the　Countess　Caterina　and

her　children　prisoners。　The　fortress　alone　had　to　be　taken　to　bring

the　enterprise　to　a　successful　issue；　but　the　Castellan　would　not

consent　to　its　surrender。　They　begged　the　countess　would　desire　him　to

comply　with　their　wish；　which　she　promised　to　do；　if　they　would　allow

her　to　go　into　the　fortress；　leaving　her　children　as　security　for　the

performance　of　her　promise。　The　conspirators　trusted　her；　and

permitted　her　to　enter；　but　as　soon　as　she　was　within；　she　threatened

them　with　death　and　every　kind　of　torture　in　revenge　for　the　murder　of

her　husband；　and　upon　their　menacing　her　with　the　death　of　her

children；　she　said　she　had　the　means　of　getting　more。　Finding　they

were　not　supported　by　the　pope；　and　that　Lodovico　Sforza；　uncle　to　the

countess；　had　sent　forces　to　her　assistance；　the　conspirators　became

terrified；　and　taking　with　them　whatever　property　they　could　carry

off；　they　fled　to　Citta　di　Castello。　The　countess　recovered　the　state；

and　avenged　the　death　of　her　husband　with　the　utmost　cruelty。　The

Florentines　hearing　of　the　count's　death；　took　occasion　to　recover　the

fortress　of　Piancaldoli；　of　which　he　had　formerly　deprived　them；　and；

on　sending　some　forces；　captured　it；　but　Cecco；　the　famous　engineer；

lost　his　life　during　the　siege。



To　this　disturbance　in　Romagna；　another　in　that　province；　no　less

important；　has　to　be　added。　Galeotto；　lord　of　Faenza；　had　married　the

daughter　of　Giovanni　Bentivogli；　prince　of　Bologna。　She；　either

through　jealousy　or　ill　treatment　by　her　husband；　or　from　the

depravity　of　her　own　nature；　hated　him　to　such　a　degree；　that　she

determined　to　deprive　him　of　his　possessions　and　his　life；　and

pretending　sickness；　she　took　to　her　bed；　where；　having　induced

Galeotto　to　visit　her；　he　was　slain　by　assassins；　whom　she　had

concealed　for　that　purpose　in　the　apartment。　She　had　acquainted　her

father　with　her　design；　and　he　hoped；　on　his　son…in…law's　death；　to

become　lord　of　Faenza。　A　great　tumult　arose　as　soon　as　the　murder　was

known；　the　widow；　with　an　infant　son；　fled　into　the　fortress；　the

people　took　up　arms；　Giovanni　Bentivogli；　with　a　condottiere　of　the

duke　of　Milan；　named　Bergamino；　engaged　for　the　occasion；　entered

Faenza　with　a　considerable　force；　and　Antonio　Boscoli；　the　Florentine

commissary；　was　also　there。　These　leaders　being　together；　and

discoursing　of　the　government　of　the　place；　the　men　of　Val　di　Lamona；

who　had　risen　unanimously　upon　learning　what　had　occurred；　attacked

Giovanni　and　Bergamino；　the　latter　of　whom　they　slew；　made　the　former

prisoner；　and　raising　the　cry　of　〃Astorre　and　the　Florentines；〃

offered　the　city　to　the　commissary。　These　events　being　known　at

Florence；　gave　general　offense；　however；　they　set　Giovanni　and　his

daughter　at　liberty；　and　by　the　universal　desire　of　the　people；　took

the　city　and　Astorre　under　their　protection。　Besides　these；　after　the

principal　differences　of　the　greater　powers　were　composed；　during

several　years　tumults　prevailed　in　Romagna；　the　Marca；　and　Sienna；

which；　as　they　are　unimportant；　it　will　be　needless　to　recount。　When

the　duke　of　Calabria；　after　the　war　of　1478；　had　left　the　country；　the

distractions　of　Sienna　became　more　frequent；　and　after　many　changes；

in　which；　first　the　plebeians；　and　then　the　nobility；　were　victorious；

the　latter　and　length　maintained　the　superiority；　and　among　them

Pandolfo　and　Jacopo　Petrucci　obtained　the　greatest　influence；　so　that

the　former　being　distinguished　for　prudence　and　the　latter　for

resolution；　they　became　almost　princes　in　the　city。



The　Florentines　after　the　war　of　Serezana；　lived　in　great　prosperity

until　1492；　when　Lorenzo　de'　Medici　died；　for　he　having　put　a　stop　to

the　internal　wars　of　Italy；　and　by　his　wisdom　and　authority

established　peace；　turned　his　thoughts　to　the　advancement　of　his　own

and　the　city's　interests；　and　married　Piero；　his　eldest　son；　to

Alfonsina；　daughter　of　the　Cavaliere　Orsino。　He　caused　Giovanni；　his

second　son；　to　be　raised　to　the　dignity　of　cardinal。　This　was　the　more

remarkable　from　its　being　unprecedented；　for　he　was　only　fourteen

years　of　age　when　admitted　to　the　college；　and　became　the　medium　by

which　his　family　attained　to　the　highest　earthly　glory。　He　was　unable

to　make　any　particular　provision　for　Guiliano；　his　third　son；　on

account　of　his　tender　years；　and　the　shortness　of　his　own　life。　Of　his

daughters；　one　married　Jacopo　Salviati；　another；　Francesco　Cibo；　the

third；　Piero　Ridolfi；　and　the　fourth；　whom；　in　order　to　keep　his　house

united；　he　had　married　to　Giovanni　de'　Medici；　died。　In　his　commercial

affairs　he　was　very　unfortunate；　from　the　improper　conduct　of　his

agents；　who　in　all　their　proceedings　assumed　the　deportment　of　princes

rather　than　of　private　persons；　so　that　in　many　places；　much　of　his

property　was　wasted；　and　he　had　to　be　relieved　by　his　country　with

large　sums　of　money。　To　avoid　similar　inconvenience；　he　withdrew　from

mercantile　pursuits；　and　invested　his　property　in　land　and　houses；　as

being　less　liable　to　vicissitude。　In　the　districts　of　Prato；　Pisa；　and

the　Val　di　Pesa；　he　purchased　extensively；　and　erected　buildings；

which　for　magnificence　and　utility；　were　quite　of　regal　character。　He

next　undertook　the　improvement　of　the　city；　and　as　many　parts　were

unoccupied　by　buildings；　he　caused　new　streets　to　be　erected　in　them；

of　great　beauty；　and　thus　enlarged　the　accommodation　of　the

inhabitants。　To　enjoy　his　power　in　security　and　repose；　and　conquer　or

resist　his　enemies　at　a　distance；　in　the　direction　of　Bologna　he

fortified　the　castle　of　Firenzuola；　situated　in　the　midst　of　the

Appennines；　toward　Sienna　he　commenced　the　restoration　and

fortification　of　the　Poggio　Imperiale；　and　he　shut　out　the　enemy　in

the　direction　of　Genoa；　by　the　acquisition　of　Pietra　Santa　and

Serezana。　For　the　greater　safety　of　the　city；　he　kept　in　pay　the

Baglioni；　at　Perugia；　and　the　Vitelli；　at　Citta　di　Castello；　and　held

the　government　of　Faenza　wholly　in　his　own　power；　all　which　greatly

contributed　to　the　repose　and　prosperity　of　Florence。　In　peaceful

times；　he　frequently　entertained　the　people　with　feasts；　and

exhibitions　of　various　events　and　triumphs　of　antiquity；　his　object

being　to　keep　the　city　abundantly　supplied；　the　people　united；　and　the

nobility　honored。　He　was　a　great　admirer　of　excellence　in　the　arts；

and　a　patron　of　literary　men；　of　which　Agnolo　da　Montepulciano；

Cristofero　Landini；　and　Demetrius　Chalcondylas；　a　Greek；　may　afford

sufficient　proofs。　On　this　account；　Count　Giovanni　della　Mirandola；　a

man　of　almost　supernatural　genius；　after　visiting　every　court　of

Europe；　induced　by　the　munificence　of　Lorenzo；　established　his　abode

at　Florence。　He　took　great　delight　in　architecture；　music；　and　poetry；

many　of　his　comments　and　poetical　compositions　still　remaining。　To

facilitate　the　study　of　literature　to　the　youth　of　Florence；　he　opened

a　university　at　Pisa；　which　was　conducted　by　the　most　distinguished

men　in　Italy。　For　Mariano　da　Chinazano；　a　friar　of　the　order　of　St。

Augustine；　and　an　excellent　preacher；　he　built　a　monastery　in　the

neighborhood　of　Florence。　He　enjoyed　much　favor　both　from　fortune　and

from　the　Almighty；　all　his　enterprises　were　brought　to　a　prosperous

termination；　while　his　enemies　were　unfortunate；　for；　besides　the

conspiracy　of　the　Pazzi；　an　attempt　was　made　to　murder　him　in　the

Carmine；　by　Batista　Frescobaldi；　and　a　similar　one　by　Baldinetto　da

Pistoja；　at　his　villa；　but　these　persons；　with　their　confederates；

came　to　the　end　their　crimes　deserved。　His　skill；　prudence；　and

fortune；　were　acknowledged　with　admiration；　not　only　by　the　princes　of

Italy；　but　by　those　of　distant　countries；　for　Matthias；　king　of

Hungary；　gave　him　many　proofs　of　his　regard；　the　sultan　sent

ambassadors　to　him　with　valuable　presents；　and　the　Turkish　emperor

placed　in　his　hands　Bernardo　Bandini；　the　murderer　of　his　brother。

These　circumstances　raised　his　fame　throughout　Italy；　and　his

reputation　for　prudence　constantly　increased；　for　in　council　he　was

eloquent　and　acute；　wise　in　determination；　and　prompt　and　resolute　in

execution。　Nor　can　vices　be　alleged　against　him　to　sully　so　many

virtues；　though　he　was　fond　of　women；　pleased　with　the　company　of

facetious　and　satirical　men；　and　amused　with　the　games　of　the　nursery；

more　than　seemed　consistent　with　so　great　a　character；　for　he　was

frequently　seen　playing　with　his　children；　and　partaking　of　their

infantine　sports；　so　that　whoever　considers　this　gravity　and

cheerfulness；　will　find　united　in　him　dispositions　which　seem　almost

incompatible　with　each　other。　In　his　later　years；　he　was　greatly

afflicted；　besides　the