history of florence-第16节

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was　in　more　favor　than　that　of　the　emperor；　for　with　the　aid　of　the

church　they　hoped　to　preserve　their　liberty；　but；　with　the　emperor；

they　were　apprehensive　of　losing　it。



The　Ghibellines；　in　the　meantime；　finding　themselves　divested　of

authority；　could　not　rest；　but　watched　for　an　occasion　of　repossessing

the　government；　and　they　thought　the　favorable　moment　come；　when　they

found　that　Manfred；　son　of　Frederick；　had　made　himself　sovereign　of

Naples；　and　reduced　the　power　of　the　church。　They；　therefore；　secretly

communicated　with　him；　to　resume　the　management　of　the　state；　but

could　not　prevent　their　proceedings　from　coming　to　the　knowledge　of

the　Anziani；　who　immediately　summoned　the　Uberti　to　appear　before

them；　but　instead　of　obeying；　they　took　arms　and　fortified　themselves

in　their　houses。　The　people；　enraged　at　this；　armed　themselves；　and

with　the　assistance　of　the　Guelphs；　compelled　them　to　quit　the　city；

and；　with　the　whole　Ghibelline　party；　withdraw　to　Sienna。　They　then

asked　assistance　of　Manfred　king　of　Naples；　and　by　the　able　conduct　of

Farinata　degli　Uberti；　the　Guelphs　were　routed　by　the　king's　forces

upon　the　river　Arbia；　with　so　great　slaughter；　that　those　who　escaped；

thinking　Florence　lost；　did　not　return　thither；　but　sought　refuge　at

Lucca。



Manfred　sent　the　Count　Giordano；　a　man　of　considerable　reputation　in

arms；　to　command　his　forces。　He　after　the　victory；　went　with　the

Ghibellines　to　Florence；　and　reduced　the　city　entirely　to　the　king's

authority；　annulling　the　magistracies　and　every　other　institution　that

retained　any　appearance　of　freedom。　This　injury；　committed　with　little

prudence；　excited　the　ardent　animosity　of　the　people；　and　their　enmity

against　the　Ghibellines；　whose　ruin　it　eventually　caused；　was

increased　to　the　highest　pitch。　The　necessities　of　the　kingdom

compelling　the　Count　Giordano　to　return　to　Naples；　he　left　at　Florence

as　regal　vicar　the　Count　Guido　Novallo；　lord　of　Casentino；　who　called

a　council　of　Ghibellines　at　Empoli。　There　it　was　concluded；　with　only

one　dissenting　voice；　that　in　order　to　preserve　their　power　in

Tuscany；　it　would　be　necessary　to　destroy　Florence；　as　the　only　means

of　compelling　the　Guelphs　to　withdraw　their　support　from　the　party　of

the　church。　To　this　so　cruel　a　sentence；　given　against　such　a　noble

city；　there　was　not　a　citizen　who　offered　any　opposition；　except

Farinata　degli　Uberti；　who　openly　defended　her；　saying　he　had　not

encountered　so　many　dangers　and　difficulties；　but　in　the　hope　of

returning　to　his　country；　that　he　still　wished　for　what　he　had　so

earnestly　sought；　nor　would　he　refuse　the　blessing　which　fortune　now

presented；　even　though　by　using　it；　he　were　to　become　as　much　an　enemy

of　those　who　thought　otherwise；　as　he　had　been　of　the　Guelphs；　and

that　no　one　need　be　afraid　the　city　would　occasion　the　ruin　of　their

country；　for　he　hoped　that　the　valor　which　had　expelled　the　Guelphs；

would　be　sufficient　to　defend　her。　Farinata　was　a　man　of　undaunted

resolution；　and　excelled　greatly　in　military　affairs：　being　the　head

of　the　Ghibelline　party；　and　in　high　estimation　with　Manfred；　his

authority　put　a　stop　to　the　discussion；　and　induced　the　rest　to　think

of　some　other　means　of　preserving　their　power。



The　Lucchese　being　threatened　with　the　anger　of　the　count；　for

affording　refuge　to　the　Guelphs　after　the　battle　of　the　Arbia；　could

allow　them　to　remain　no　longer；　so　leaving　Lucca；　they　went　to

Bologna；　from　whence　they　were　called　by　the　Guelphs　of　Parma　against

the　Ghibellines　of　that　city；　where；　having　overcome　the　enemy；　the

possessions　of　the　latter　were　assigned　to　them；　so　that　having

increased　in　honors　and　riches；　and　learning　that　Pope　Clement　had

invited　Charles　of　Anjou　to　take　the　kingdom　from　Manfred；　they　sent

ambassadors　to　the　pope　to　offer　him　their　services。　His　holiness　not

only　received　them　as　friends；　but　gave　them　a　standard　upon　which　his

insignia　were　wrought。　It　was　ever　after　borne　by　the　Guelphs　in

battle；　and　is　still　used　at　Florence。　Charles　having　taken　the

kingdom　from　Manfred；　and　slain　him；　to　which　success　the　Guelphs　of

Florence　had　contributed；　their　party　became　more　powerful；　and　that

of　the　Ghibellines　proportionately　weaker。　In　consequence　of　this；

those　who　with　Count　Novello　governed　the　city；　thought　it　would　be

advisable　to　attach　to　themselves；　with　some　concession；　the　people

whom　they　had　previously　aggravated　with　every　species　of　injury；　but

these　remedies　which；　if　applied　before　the　necessity　came　would　have

been　beneficial；　being　offered　when　they　were　no　longer　considered

favors；　not　only　failed　of　producing　any　beneficial　results　to　the

donors；　but　hastened　their　ruin。　Thinking；　however；　to　win　them　to

their　interests；　they　restored　some　of　the　honors　of　which　they　had

deprived　them。　They　elected　thirty…six　citizens　from　the　higher　rank

of　the　people；　to　whom；　with　two　cavaliers；　knights　or　gentlemen；

brought　from　Bologna；　the　reformation　of　the　government　of　the　city

was　confided。　As　soon　as　they　met；　they　classed　the　whole　of　the

people　according　to　their　arts　or　trades；　and　over　each　art　appointed

a　magistrate；　whose　duty　was　to　distribute　justice　to　those　placed

under　him。　They　gave　to　each　company　or　trade　a　banner；　under　which

every　man　was　expected　to　appear　armed；　whenever　the　city　required　it。

These　arts　were　at　first　twelve；　seven　major　and　five　minor。　The　minor

arts　were　afterward　increased　to　fourteen；　so　that　the　whole　made；　as

at　present；　twenty…one。　The　thirty…six　reformers　also　effected　other

changes　for　the　common　good。



Count　Guido　proposed　to　lay　a　tax　upon　the　citizens　for　the　support　of

the　soldiery；　but　during　the　discussion　found　so　much　difficulty；　that

he　did　not　dare　to　use　force　to　obtain　it；　and　thinking　he　had　now

lost　the　government；　called　together　the　leaders　of　the　Ghibellines；

and　they　determined　to　wrest　from　the　people　those　powers　which　they

had　with　so　little　prudence　conceded。　When　they　thought　they　had

sufficient　force；　the　thirty…six　being　assembled；　they　caused　a　tumult

to　be　raised；　which　so　alarmed　them　that　they　retired　to　their　houses；

when　suddenly　the　banners　of　the　Arts　were　unfurled；　and　many　armed

men　drawn　to　them。　These；　learning　that　Count　Guido　and　his　followers

were　at　St。　John's；　moved　toward　the　Holy　Trinity；　and　chose　Giovanni

Soldanieri　for　their　leader。　The　count；　on　the　other　hand；　being

informed　where　the　people　were　assembled；　proceeded　in　that　direction；

nor　did　the　people　shun　the　fight；　for；　meeting　their　enemies　where

now　stands　the　residence　of　the　Tornaquinci；　they　put　the　count　to

flight；　with　the　loss　of　many　of　his　followers。　Terrified　with　this

result；　he　was　afraid　his　enemies　would　attack　him　in　the　night；　and

that　his　own　party；　finding　themselves　beaten；　would　murder　him。　This

impression　took　such　hold　of　his　mind　that；　without　attempting　any

other　remedy；　he　sought　his　safety　rather　in　flight　than　in　combat；

and；　contrary　to　the　advice　of　the　rectors；　went　with　all　his　people

to　Prato。　But；　on　finding　himself　in　a　place　of　safety；　his　fears

fled；　perceiving　his　error　he　wished　to　correct　it；　and　on　the

following　day；　as　soon　as　light　appeared；　he　returned　with　his　people

to　Florence；　to　enter　the　city　by　force　which　he　had　abandoned　in

cowardice。　But　his　design　did　not　succeed；　for　the　people；　who　had　had

difficulty　in　expelling　him；　kept　him　out　with　facility；　so　that　with

grief　and　shame　he　went　to　the　Casentino；　and　the　Ghibellines　withdrew

to　their　villas。



The　people　being　victorious；　by　the　advice　of　those　who　loved　the　good

of　the　republic；　determined　to　reunite　the　city；　and　recall　all　the

citizens　as　well　Guelph　as　Ghibelline；　who　yet　remained　without。　The

Guelphs　returned；　after　having　been　expelled　six　years；　the　recent

offences　of　the　Ghibellines　were　forgiven；　and　themselves　restored　to

their　country。　They　were；　however；　most　cordially　hated；　both　by　the

people　and　the　Guelphs；　for　the　latter　could　not　forget　their　exile；

and　the　former　but　too　well　remembered　their　tyranny　when　they　were　in

power；　the　result　was；　that　the　minds　of　neither　party　became　settled。



While　affairs　were　in　this　state　at　Florence；　a　report　prevailed　that

Corradino；　nephew　of　Manfred；　was　coming　with　a　force　from　Germany；

for　the　conquest　of　Naples；　this　gave　the　Ghibellines　hope　of

recovering　power；　and　the　Guelphs；　considering　how　they　should　provide

for　their　security；　requested　assistance　from　Charles　for　their

defense；　in　case　of　the　passage　of　Corradino。　The　coming　of　the　forces

of　Charles　rendered　the　Guelphs　insolent；　and　so　alarmed　the

Ghibellines　that　they　fled　the　city；　without　being　driven　out；　two

days　before　the　arrival　of　the　troops。



The　Ghibellines　having　departed；　the　Florentines　reorganized　the

government　of　the　city；　and　elected　twelve　men　who；　as　the　supreme

power；　were　to　hold　their　magistracy　two　months；　and　we