the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第6部分

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ce　which　death　　itself　had　not　tamed。　The　victors　went　round　among　the　friends　of　the　　family；　and　did　their　best　to　recommend　themselves；　they　found　all　in　　tears　and　preparing　to　leave　for　the　country。　Meantime　the　escaped　　Baglioni　collected　forces　without　the　city；　and　on　the　following　day　　forced　their　way　in；　Gianpaolo　at　their　head；　and　speedily　found　　adherents　among　others　whom　Barciglia　had　been　threatening　with　death。　　When　Grifone　fell　into　their　hands　near　Sant'　Ercolano；　Gianpaolo　　handed　him　over　for　execution　to　his　followers。　Barciglia　and　Penna　　fled　to　Varano；　the　chief　author　of　the　tragedy；　at　Camerino；　and　in　a　　moment；　almost　without　loss；　Gianpaolo　became　master　of　the　city。　

Atalanta；　the　still　young　and　beautiful　mother　of　Grifone；　who　the　day　　before　had　withdrawn　to　a　country　house　with　the　latter's　wife　Zenobia　　and　two　children　of　Gianpaolo；　and　more　than　once　had　repulsed　her　son　　with　a　mother's　curse；　now　returned　with　her　daughter…in…law　in　search　　of　the　dying　man。　All　stood　aside　as　the　two　women　approached；　each　man　　shrinking　from　being　recognized　as　the　slayer　of　Grifone；　and　dreading　　the　malediction　of　the　mother。　But　they　were　deceived：　she　herself　　besought　her　son　to　pardon　him　who　had　dealt　the　fatal　blow；　and　he　　died　with　her　blessing。　The　eyes　of　the　crowd　followed　the　two　women　　reverently　as　they　crossed　the　square　with　blood…stained　garments。　It　　was　Atalanta　for　whom　Raphael　afterwards　painted　the　world…famous　　'Deposition；'　with　which　she　laid　her　own　maternal　sorrows　at　the　feet　　of　a　yet　higher　and　holier　suffering。　

The　cathedral；　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　which　the　greater　part　　of　this　tragedy　had　been　enacted；　was　washed　with　wine　and　consecrated　　afresh。　The　triumphal　arch；　erected　for　the　wedding；　still　remained　　standing；　painted　with　the　deeds　of　Astorre　and　with　the　laudatory　　verses　of　the　narrator　of　these　events；　the　worthy　Matarazzo。　

A　legendary　history；　which　is　simply　the　reflection　of　these　　atrocities；　arose　out　of　the　early　days　of　the　Baglioni。　All　the　　members　of　this　family　from　the　beginning　were　reported　to　have　died　an　　evil　death　twenty…seven　on　one　occasion　together；　their　houses　were　　said　to　have　been　once　before　levelled　to　the　ground；　and　the　streets　　of　Perugia　paved　with　the　bricks　and　more　of　the　same　kind。　Under　Paul　　III　the　destruction　of　their　palaces　really　took　place。　

For　a　time　they　seemed　to　have　formed　good　resolutions；　to　have　brought　　their　own　party　into　power；　and　to　have　protected　the　public　officials　　against　the　arbitrary　acts　of　the　nobility。　But　the　old　curse　broke　out　　again　like　a　smoldering　fire。　In　1520　Gianpaolo　was　enticed　to　Rome　　under　Leo　X；　and　there　beheaded；　one　of　his　sons；　Orazio；　who　ruled　in　　Perugia　for　a　short　time　only；　and　by　the　most　violent　means；　as　the　　partisan　of　the　Duke　of　Urbino　（himself　threatened　by　the　Pope）；　once　　before　repeated　in　his　own　family　the　horrors　of　the　past。　His　uncle　　and　three　cousins　were　murdered；　whereupon　the　Duke　sent　him　word　that　　enough　had　been　done。　His　brother；　Malatesta　Baglione；　the　Florentine　　general；　has　made　himself　immortal　by　the　treason　of　1530；　and　　Malatesta's　son　Ridolfo；　the　last　of　the　house；　attained；　by　the　murder　　of　the　legate　and　the　public　officers　in　the　year　1534；　a　brief　but　　sanguinary　authority。　We　shall　meet　again　with　the　names　of　the　rulers　　of　Rimini。　Unscrupulousness；　impiety；　military　skill；　and　high　culture　　have　been　seldom　combined　in　one　individual　as　in　Sigismondo　Malatesta　　（d。　1467）。　But　the　accumulated　crimes　of　such　a　family　must　at　last　　outweigh　all　talent；　however　great；　and　drag　the　tyrant　into　the　abyss。　　Pandolfo；　Sigismondo's　nephew；　who　has　been　mentioned　already；　　succeeded　in　holding　his　ground；　for　the　sole　reason　that　the　Venetians　　refused　to　abandon　their　Condottiere；　whatever　guilt　he　might　be　　chargeable　with；　when　his　subjects　（1497）；　after　ample　provocation；　　bombarded　him　in　his　castle　at　Rimini；　and　afterwards　allowed　him　to　　escape；　a　Venetian　commissioner　brought　him　back；　stained　as　he　was　　with　fratricide　and　every　other　abomination。　Thirty　years　later　the　　Malatesta　were　penniless　exiles。　In　the　year　1527；　as　in　the　time　of　　Cesare　Borgia；　a　sort　of　epidemic　fell　on　the　petty　tyrants；　few　of　　them　outlived　this　date；　and　none　to　t　heir　own　good。　At　Mirandola；　　which　was　governed　by　insignificant　princes　of　the　house　of　Pico；　lived　　in　the　year　1533　a　poor　scholar；　Lilio　Gregorio　Giraldi；　who　had　fled　　from　the　sack　of　Rome　to　the　hospitable　hearth　of　the　aged　Giovanni　　Francesco　Pico；　nephew　of　the　famous　Giovanni；　the　discussions　as　to　　the　sepulchral　monument　which　the　prince　was　constructing　f　or　himself　　gave　rise　to　a　treatise；　the　dedication　of　which　bears　the　date　of　　April　of　this　year。　The　postscript　is　a　sad　one。　In　October　of　the　same　　year　the　unhappy　prince　was　attacked　in　the　night　and　robbed　of　life　　and　throne　by　his　brother's　son；　and　I　myself　escaped　narrowly；　and　am　　now　in　the　deepest　misery。'　

A　near…despotism；　without　morals　or　principles；　such　as　Pandolfo　　Petrucci　exercised　from　after　1490　in　Siena；　then　torn　by　faction；　is　　hardly　worth　a　closer　consideration。　Insignificant　and　malicious；　he　　governed　with　the　help　of　a　professor　of　juris　prudence　and　of　an　　astrologer；　and　frightened　his　people　by　an　occasional　murder。　His　　pastime　in　the　summer　months　was　to　roll　blocks　of　stone　from　the　top　　of　Monte　Amiata；　without　caring　what　or　whom　they　hit。　After　　succeeding；　where　the　most　prudent　failed；　in　escaping　from　the　devices　　of　Cesare　Borgia；　he　died　at　last　forsaken　and　despised。　His　sons　　maintained　a　qualified　supremacy　for　many　years　afterwards。　

The　Greater　Dynasties

In　treating　of　the　chief　dynasties　of　Italy；　it　is　convenient　t　discuss　　the　Aragonese；　on　account　of　its　special　character；　apart　from　the　　rest。　The　feudal　system；　which　from　the　days　of　the　Nor　mans　had　　survived　in　the　form　of　a　territorial　supremacy　of　the　Barons；　gave　a　　distinctive　color　to　the　political　constitution　of　Naples；　while　　elsewhere　in　Italy；　excepting　only　in　the　southern　part　of　the　　ecclesiastical　dominion；　and　in　a　few　other　districts；　a　direct　tenure　　of　land　prevailed；　and　no　hereditary　powers　were　permitted　by　the　law。　　The　great　Alfonso；　who　reigned　in　Naples　from　1435　onwards　（d。　1458）；　　was　a　man　of　another　kind　than　his　real　or　alleged　descendants。　　Brilliant　in　his　whole　existence；　fearless　in　mixing　with　his　people；　　dignified　and　affable　in　intercourse；　admired　rather　than　blamed　even　　for　his　old　man's　passion　for　Lucrezia　d'Alagno；　he　had　the　one　bad　　quality　of　extravagance；　from　which；　however；　the　natural　consequence　　followed。　Unscrupulous　financiers　were　long　omnipotent　at　Court；　till　　the　bankrupt　king　robbed　them　of　their　spoils；　a　crusade　was　preached　　as　a　pretext　for　taxing　the　clergy；　when　a　great　earthquake　happened　in　　the　Abruzzi；　the　survivors　were　compelled　to　make　good　the　　contributions　of　the　dead。　By　such　means　Alfonso　was　able　to　entertain　　distinguished　guests　with　unrivalled　splendor；　he　found　pleasure　in　　ceaseless　expense；　even　for　the　benefit　of　his　enemies；　and　in　　rewarding　literary　work　knew　absolutely　no　measure。　Poggio　received　500　　pieces　of　gold　for　translating　Xenophon's　'Cyropaedeia'　into　Latin。　

Ferrante；　who　succeeded　him；　passed　as　his　illegitimate　son　by　a　　Spanish　lady；　but　was　not　improbably　the　son　of　a　half…caste　Moor　of　　Valencia。　Whether　it　was　his　blood　or　the　plots　formed　against　his　life　　by　the　barons　which　embittered　and　darkened　his　nature；　it　is　certain　　that　he　was　equalled　in　ferocity　by　none　among　the　princes　of　his　time。　　Restlessly　active；　recognized　as　one　of　the　most　powerful　political　　minds　of　the　day；　and　free　from　the　vices　of　the　profligate；　he　　concentrated　all　his　powers；　among　which　must　be　reckoned　profound　　dissimulation　and　an　irreconcilable　spirit　of　vengeance；　on　the　　destruction　of　his　opponents。　He　had　been　wounded　in　every　point　in　　which　a　ruler　is　open　to　offence；　for　the　leaders　of　the　barons；　though　　related　to　him　by　marriage；　were　yet　the　allies　of　his　foreign　enemies。　　Extreme　measures　became　part　of　his　daily　policy。　The　means　for　this　　struggle　with　his　barons；　and　for　his　external　wars；　were　exacted　in　　the　same　Mohammedan　fashion　which　Frederick　II　had　introduced：　the　　Government　alone　dealt　in　oil　and　corn；　the　whole　commerce　of　the　　country　was　put　by　Ferrante　into　the　hands　of　a　wealthy　merchant；　　Francesco　Coppola；　who　had　entire　control　of　the　anchorage　on　the　　coast；　and　shared　the　profits　with　the　King。　Deficits　were　made　up　by　　forced　loans；　by　executions　and　confiscations；　by　open　simony；　and　by　　contributions　levied　on　the　ecclesiastical　corporations。　Besides　　hunting；　which　he　practiced　regardless　of　all　rights　of　property；　his　　pleasures　were　of　two　kinds：　he　liked　to　have　his　opponents　near　him；　　either　alive　in　well…guarded　prisons；　or　dead　and　embalmed；　dressed　in　　the　costume　which　they　wore　in　their　lifetime。　He　would　chuckle　in　　talking　of　the　captives　with　his　friends；　and　make　no　secret　whatever　　of　the　museum　of　mummies。　His　victims　were　mostly　men　whom　he　had　got　　into　his　power　by　treachery；　some　w　ere　even　seized　while　guests　at　the　　royal　table。　His　conduct　to　his　prime　minister；　Antonello　Petrucci；　who　　had　grown　sick　and　grey　in　his　service；　and　from　whose　increasing　fear　　of　death　he　extorted　'present　after　present；'　was　literally　devilish。　　At　length　a　suspicion　of　complicity　with　the　last　conspiracy　of　the　　barons　gave　the　pretext　for　his　arrest　and　execution。　With　him　died　　Coppola。　The　way　in　which　all　this　is　narrated　in　Caracciolo　and　Porzio　　makes　one's　hair　stand　on　end。　

The　elder　of　the　King's　sons；　Alfonso；　Duke　of　Calabria；　enjoyed　in　　later　years　a　kind　of　co…regency　with　his　father。　He　was　a　savage；　　brutal　profligate；　who　in　point　of　frankness　alone　had　the　advantage　of　　Ferrante；　and　who　openly　avowed　his　contempt　for　religion　and　its　　usages　。　The　better　and　nobler　features　of　the　Italian　despotisms　are　　not　to　be　found　among　the　princes　of　this　line；　all　that　they　possessed　　of　the　art　and　culture　of　their　time　served　the　purpose　of　luxury　or　　display。　Even　the　genuine　Spaniards　seem　to　have　almost　always　　degenerated　in