history of florence-第28节

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lowest　of　the　plebeians；　who　met　armed　in　the　piazza　in　his　favor。



The　duke　immediately　fortified　the　place；　and　ordered　those　of　his

people　who　were　lodged　in　different　parts　of　the　city　to　mount　upon

horseback　and　join　those　in　the　court；　but；　pn　their　way　thither；　many

were　attacked　and　slain。　However；　about　three　hundred　horse　assembled；

and　the　duke　was　in　doubt　whether　he　should　come　forth　and　meet　the

enemy；　or　defend　himself　within。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Medici；

Cavicciulli；　Rucellai；　and　other　families　who　had　been　most　injured　by

him；　fearful　that　if　he　came　forth；　many　of　those　who　had　taken　arms

against　him　would　discover　themselves　his　partisans；　in　order　to

deprive　him　of　the　occasion　of　attacking　them　and　increasing　the

number　of　his　friends；　took　the　lead　and　assailed　the　palace。　Upon

this；　those　families　of　the　people　who　had　declared　for　the　duke；

seeing　themselves　boldly　attacked；　changed　their　minds；　and　all　took

part　with　the　citizens；　except　Uguccione　Buondelmonti；　who　retired

into　the　palace；　and　Giannozzo　Cavalcanti；　who　having　withdrawn　with

some　of　his　followers　to　the　new　market；　mounted　upon　a　bench；　and

begged　that　those　who　were　going　in　arms　to　the　piazza；　would　take　the

part　of　the　duke。　In　order　to　terrify　them；　he　exaggerated　the　number

of　his　people　and　threatened　all　with　death　who　should　obstinately

persevere　in　their　undertaking　against　their　sovereign。　But　not

finding　any　one　either　to　follow　him；　or　to　chastise　his　insolence；

and　seeing　his　labor　fruitless；　he　withdrew　to　his　own　house。



In　the　meantime；　the　contest　in　the　piazza　between　the　people　and　the

forces　of　the　duke　was　very　great；　but　although　the　place　served　them

for　defense；　they　were　overcome；　some　yielding　to　the　enemy；　and

others；　quitting　their　horses；　fled　within　the　walls。　While　this　was

going　on；　Corso　and　Amerigo　Donati；　with　a　part　of　the　people；　broke

open　the　stinche；　or　prisons；　burnt　the　papers　of　the　provost　and　of

the　public　chamber；　pillaged　the　houses　of　the　rectors；　and　slew　all

who　had　held　offices　under　the　duke　whom　they　could　find。　The　duke；

finding　the　piazza　in　possession　of　his　enemies；　the　city　opposed　to

him；　and　without　any　hope　of　assistance；　endeavored　by　an　act　of

clemency　to　recover　the　favor　of　the　people。　Having　caused　those　whom

he　had　made　prisoners　to　be　brought　before　him；　with　amiable　and

kindly　expressions　he　set　them　at　liberty；　and　made　Antonio　Adimari　a

knight；　although　quite　against　his　will。　He　caused　his　own　arms　to　be

taken　down；　and　those　of　the　people　to　be　replaced　over　the　palace；

but　these　things　coming　out　of　season；　and　forced　by　his　necessities；

did　him　little　good。　He　remained；　notwithstanding　all　he　did；　besieged

in　the　palace；　and　saw　that　having　aimed　at　too　much　he　had　lost　all；

and　would　most　likely；　after　a　few　days；　die　either　of　hunger；　or　by

the　weapons　of　his　enemies。　The　citizens　assembled　in　the　church　of

Santa　Reparata；　to　form　the　new　government；　and　appointed　fourteen

citizens；　half　from　the　nobility　and　half　from　the　people；　who；　with

the　archbishop；　were　invested　with　full　authority　to　remodel　the　state

of　Florence。　They　also　elected　six　others　to　take　upon　them　the　duties

of　provost；　till　he　who　should　be　finally　chosen　took　office；　the

duties　of　which　were　usually　performed　by　a　subject　of　some

neighboring　state。



Many　had　come　to　Florence　in　defense　of　the　people；　among　whom　were　a

party　from　Sienna；　with　six　ambassadors；　men　of　high　consideration　in

their　own　country。　These　endeavored　to　bring　the　people　and　the　duke

to　terms；　but　the　former　refused　to　listen　to　any　whatever；　unless

Guglielmo　da　Scesi　and　his　son；　with　Cerrettieri　Bisdomini；　were　first

given　up　to　them。　The　duke　would　not　consent　to　this；　but　being

threatened　by　those　who　were　shut　up　with　him；　he　was　forced　to

comply。　The　rage　of　men　is　certainly　always　found　greater；　and　their

revenge　more　furious　upon　the　recovery　of　liberty；　than　when　it　has

only　been　defended。　Guglielmo　and　his　son　were　placed　among　the

thousands　of　their　enemies；　and　the　latter　was　not　yet　eighteen　years

old；　neither　his　beauty；　his　innocence；　nor　his　youth；　could　save　him

from　the　fury　of　the　multitude；　but　both　were　instantly　slain。　Those

who　could　not　wound　them　while　alive；　wounded　them　after　they　were

dead；　and　not　satisfied　with　tearing　them　to　pieces；　they　hewed　their

bodies　with　swords；　tore　them　with　their　hands；　and　even　with　their

teeth。　And　that　every　sense　might　be　satiated　with　vengeance；　having

first　heard　their　moans；　seen　their　wounds；　and　touched　their

lacerated　bodies；　they　wished　even　the　stomach　to　be　satisfied；　that

having　glutted　the　external　senses；　the　one　within　might　also　have　its

share。　This　rabid　fury；　however　hurtful　to　the　father　and　son；　was

favorable　to　Cerrettieri；　for　the　multitude；　wearied　with　their

cruelty　toward　the　former；　quite　forgot　him；　so　that　he；　not　being

asked　for；　remained　in　the　palace；　and　during　night　was　conveyed

safely　away　by　his　friends。



The　rage　of　the　multitude　being　appeased　by　their　blood；　an　agreement

was　made　that　the　duke　and　his　people；　with　whatever　belonged　to　him；

should　quit　the　city　in　safety；　that　he　should　renounce　all　claim；　of

whatever　kind；　upon　Florence；　and　that　upon　his　arrival　in　the

Casentino　he　should　ratify　his　renunciation。　On　the　sixth　of　August　he

set　out；　accompanied　by　many　citizens；　and　having　arrived　at　the

Casentino　he　ratified　the　agreement；　although　unwillingly；　and　would

not　have　kept　his　word　if　Count　Simon　had　not　threatened　to　take　him

back　to　Florence。　This　duke；　as　his　proceedings　testified；　was　cruel

and　avaricious；　difficult　to　speak　with；　and　haughty　in　reply。　He

desired　the　service　of　men；　not　the　cultivation　of　their　better

feelings；　and　strove　rather　to　inspire　them　with　fear　than　love。　Nor

was　his　person　less　despicable　than　his　manners；　he　was　short；　his

complexion　was　black；　and　he　had　a　long；　thin　beard。　He　was　thus　in

every　respect　contemptible；　and　at　the　end　of　ten　months；　his

misconduct　deprived　him　of　the　sovereignty　which　the　evil　counsel　of

others　had　given　him。







CHAPTER　IX



　　Many　cities　and　territories；　subject　to　the　Florentines；　rebel

　　Prudent　conduct　adopted　upon　this　occasionThe　city　is　divided

　　into　quartersDisputes　between　the　nobility　and　the　peopleThe

　　bishop　endeavors　to　reconcile　them；　but　does　not　succeedThe

　　government　reformed　by　the　peopleRiot　of　Andrea　StrozziSerious

　　disagreements　between　the　nobility　and　the　peopleThey　come　to

　　arms；　and　the　nobility　are　subduedThe　plague　in　Florence　of

　　which　Boccaccio　speaks。



These　events　taking　place　in　the　city；　induced　all　the　dependencies　of

the　Florentine　state　to　throw　off　their　yoke；　so　that　Arezzo；

Castiglione；　Pistoia；　Volterra；　Colle；　and　San　Gemigniano　rebelled。

Thus　Florence　found　herself　deprived　of　both　her　tyrant　and　her

dominions　at　the　same　moment；　and　in　recovering　her　liberty；　taught

her　subjects　how　they　might　become　free。　The　duke　being　expelled　and

the　territories　lost；　the　fourteen　citizens　and　the　bishop　thought　it

would　be　better　to　act　kindly　toward　their　subjects　in　peace；　than　to

make　them　enemies　by　war；　and　to　show　a　desire　that　their　subjects

should　be　free　as　well　as　themselves。　They　therefore　sent　ambassadors

to　the　people　of　Arezzo；　to　renounce　all　dominion　over　that　city；　and

to　enter　into　a　treaty　with　them；　to　the　end　that　as　they　could　not

retain　them　as　subjects；　they　might　make　use　of　them　as　friends。　They

also；　in　the　best　manner　they　were　able；　agreed　with　the　other　places

that　they　should　retain　their　freedom；　and　that；　being　free；　they

might　mutually　assist　each　other　in　the　preservation　of　their

liberties。　This　prudent　course　was　attended　with　a　most　favorable

result；　for　Arezzo；　not　many　years　afterward；　returned　to　the

Florentine　rule；　and　the　other　places；　in　the　course　of　a　few　months；

returned　to　their　former　obedience。　Thus　it　frequently　occurs　that　we

sooner　attain　our　ends　by　a　seeming　indifferent　to　them；　than　by　more

obstinate　pursuit。



Having　settled　external　affairs；　they　now　turned　to　the　consideration

of　those　within　the　city；　and　after　some　altercation　between　the

nobility　and　the　people；　it　was　arranged　that　the　nobility　should　form

one…third　of　the　Signory　and　fill　one…half　of　the　other　offices。　The

city　was；　as　we　have　before　shown；　divided　into　sixths；　and　hence

there　would　be　six　signors；　one　for　each　sixth；　except　when；　from　some

more　than　ordinary　cause；　there　had　been　twelve　or　thirteen　created；

but　when　this　had　occurred　they　were　again　soon　reduced　to　six。　It　now

seemed　desirable　to　make　an　alteration　in　this　respect；　as　well

because　the　sixths　were　not　properly　divided；　as　that；　wishing　to　give

their　proportion　to　the　great；　it　became　desirable　to　increase　the

number。　They　therefore　divided　the　city　into　quarters；　and　for　each

created　three　sign