history of florence-第31节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



drawn　together。　The　disturbance　spreading；　it　was　told　the　Ricci　that

the　Albizzi　had　assailed　their　partisans；　and　to　the　Albizzi　that　the

Ricci　were　in　quest　of　them。　Upon　this　the　whole　city　arose；　and　it

was　all　the　magistrates　could　do　to　restrain　these　families；　and

prevent　the　actual　occurrence　of　a　disaster　which；　without　being　the

fault　of　either　of　them；　had　been　willfully　though　falsely　reported　as

having　already　taken　place。　This　apparently　trifling　circumstance

served　to　inflame　the　minds　of　the　parties；　and　make　each　the　more

resolved　to　increase　the　number　of　their　followers。　And　as　the

citizens；　since　the　ruin　of　the　nobility；　were　on　such　an　equality

that　the　magistrates　were　more　respected　now　than　they　had　previously

been；　they　designed　to　proceed　toward　the　suppression　of　this　disorder

with　civil　authority　alone。



We　have　before　related；　that　after　the　victory　of　Charles　I。　the

government　was　formed　of　the　Guelphic　party；　and　that　it　thus　acquired

great　authority　over　the　Ghibellines。　But　time；　a　variety　of

circumstances；　and　new　divisions　had　so　contributed　to　sink　this　party

feeling　into　oblivion；　that　many　of　Ghibelline　descent　now　filled　the

highest　offices。　Observing　this；　Uguccione；　the　head　of　the　family　of

the　Ricci；　contrived　that　the　law　against　the　Ghibellines　should　be

again　brought　into　operation；　many　imagining　the　Albizzi　to　be　of　that

faction；　they　having　arisen　in　Arezzo；　and　come　long　ago　to　Florence。

Uguccione　by　this　means　hoped　to　deprive　the　Albizzi　of　participation

in　the　government；　for　all　of　Ghibelline　blood　who　were　found　to　hold

offices；　would　be　condemned　in　the　penalties　which　this　law　provided。

The　design　of　Uguccione　was　discovered　to　Piero　son　of　Filippo　degli

Albizzi；　and　he　resolved　to　favor　it：　for　he　saw　that　to　oppose　it

would　at　once　declare　him　a　Ghibelline；　and　thus　the　law　which　was

renewed　by　the　ambition　of　the　Ricci　for　his　destruction；　instead　of

robbing　Piero　degli　Albizzi　of　reputation；　contributed　to　increase　his

influence；　although　it　laid　the　foundation　of　many　evils。　Nor　is　it

possible　for　a　republic　to　enact　a　law　more　pernicious　than　one

relating　to　matters　which　have　long　transpired。　Piero　having　favored

this　law；　which　had　been　contrived　by　his　enemies　for　his　stumbling…

block；　it　became　the　stepping…stone　to　his　greatness；　for；　making

himself　the　leader　of　this　new　order　of　things；　his　authority　went　on

increasing；　and　he　was　in　greater　favor　with　the　Guelphs　than　any

other　man。



As　there　could　not　be　found　a　magistrate　willing　to　search　out　who

were　Ghibellines；　and　as　this　renewed　enactment　against　them　was

therefore　of　small　value；　it　was　provided　that　authority　should　be

given　to　the　Capitani　to　find　out　who　were　of　this　faction；　and；

having　discovered；　to　signify　and　ADMONISH　them　that　they　were　not　to

take　upon　themselves　any　office　of　government；　to　which　ADMONITIONS；

if　they　were　disobedient；　they　became　condemned　in　the　penalties。

Hence；　all　those　who　in　Florence　are　deprived　of　the　power　to　hold

offices　are　called　/ammoniti/；　or　ADMONISHED。



The　Capitani　in　time　acquiring　greater　audacity；　admonished　not　only

those　to　whom　the　admonition　was　applicable；　but　any　others　at　the

suggestion　of　their　own　avarice　or　ambition；　and　from　1356；　when　this

law　was　made；　to　1366；　there　had　been　admonished　above　200　citizens。

The　Captains　of　the　Parts　and　the　sect　of　the　Guelphs　were　thus　become

powerful；　for　every　one　honored　them　for　fear　of　being　admonished；　and

most　particularly　the　leaders；　who　were　Piero　degli　Albizzi；　Lapo　da

Castiglionchio；　and　Carlo　Strozzi。　This　insolent　mode　of　proceeding

was　offensive　to　many；　but　none　felt　so　particularly　injured　with　it

as　the　Ricci；　for　they　knew　themselves　to　have　occasioned　it；　they　saw

it　involved　the　ruin　of　the　republic；　and　their　enemies；　the　Albizzi；

contrary　to　their　intention；　became　great　in　consequence。



On　this　account　Uguccione　de'　Ricci；　being　one　of　the　Signory；

resolved　to　put　an　end　to　the　evil　which　he　and　his　friends　had

originated；　and　with　a　new　law　provided　that　to　the　six　Captains　of

Parts　an　additional　three　should　be　appointed；　of　whom　two　should　be

chosen　from　the　companies　of　minor　artificers；　and　that　before　any

party　could　be　declared　Ghibelline；　the　declaration　of　the　Capitani

must　be　confirmed　by　twenty…four　Guelphic　citizens；　appointed　for　the

purpose。　This　provision　tempered　for　a　time　the　power　of　the　Capitani；

so　that　the　admonitions　were　greatly　diminished；　if　not　wholly　laid

aside。　Still　the　parties　of　the　Albizzi　and　the　Ricci　were　continually

on　the　alert　to　oppose　each　other's　laws；　deliberations；　and

enterprises；　not　from　a　conviction　of　their　inexpediency；　but　from　a

hatred　of　their　promoters。



In　such　distractions　the　time　passed　from　1366　to　1371；　when　the

Guelphs　again　regained　the　ascendant。　There　was　in　the　family　of　the

Buondelmonti　a　gentleman　named　Benchi；　who；　as　an　acknowledgment　of

his　merit　in　a　war　against　the　Pisans；　though　one　of　the　nobility；　had

been　admitted　among　the　people；　and　thus　became　eligible　to　office

among　the　Signory；　but　when　about　to　take　his　seat　with　them；　a　law

was　made　that　no　nobleman　who　had　become　of　the　popular　class　should

be　allowed　to　assume　that　office。　This　gave　great　offense　to　Benchi；

who；　in　union　with　Piero　degli　Albizzi；　determined　to　depress　the　less

powerful　of　the　popular　party　with　ADMONITIONS；　and　obtain　the

government　for　themselves。　By　the　interest　which　Benchi　possessed　with

the　ancient　nobility；　and　that　of　Piero　with　most　of　the　influential

citizens；　the　Guelphic　party　resumed　their　ascendancy；　and　by　new

reforms　among　the　PARTS；　so　remodeled　the　administration　as　to　be　able

to　dispose　of　the　offices　of　the　captains　and　the　twenty…four　citizens

at　pleasure。　They　then　returned　to　the　ADMONITIONS　with　greater

audacity　than　ever；　and　the　house　of　the　Albizzi　became　powerful　as

the　head　of　this　faction。



On　the　other　hand；　the　Ricci　made　the　most　strenuous　exertions　against

their　designs；　so　that　anxiety　universally　prevailed；　and　ruin　was

apprehended　alike　from　both　parties。　In　consequence　of　this　a　great

number　of　citizens；　out　of　love　to　their　country；　assembled　in　the

church　of　St。　Piero　Scarraggio；　and　after　a　long　consideration　of　the

existing　disorders；　presented　themselves　before　the　Signors；　whom　one

of　the　principal　among　them　addressed　in　the　following　terms：



〃Many　of　us；　magnificent　Signors！　were　afraid　of　meeting　even　for

consideration　of　public　business；　without　being　publicly　called

together；　lest　we　should　be　noted　as　presumptuous　or　condemned　as

ambitious。　But　seeing　that　so　many　citizens　daily　assemble　in　the

lodges　and　halls　of　the　palace；　not　for　any　public　utility；　but　only

for　the　gratification　of　their　own　ambition；　we　have　thought　that　as

those　who　assemble　for　the　ruin　of　the　republic　are　fearless；　so　still

less　ought　they　to　be　apprehensive　who　meet　together　only　for　its

advantage；　nor　ought　we　to　be　anxious　respecting　the　opinion　they　may

form　of　our　assembling；　since　they　are　so　utterly　indifferent　to　the

opinion　of　others。　Our　affection　for　our　country；　magnificent　Signors！

caused　us　to　assemble　first；　and　now　brings　us　before　you；　to　speak　of

grievances　already　great　and　daily　increasing　in　our　republic；　and　to

offer　our　assistance　for　their　removal：　and　we　doubt　not　that；　though

a　difficult　undertaking；　it　will　still　be　attended　with　success；　if

you　will　lay　aside　all　private　regards；　and　authoritatively　use　the

public　force。



〃The　common　corruption　of　all　the　cities　of　Italy；　magnificent

Signors！　has　infested　and　still　vitiates　your　own；　for　when　this

province　had　shaken　off　the　imperial　yoke；　her　cities　not　being

subject　to　any　powerful　influence　that　might　restrain　them；

administered　affairs；　not　as　free　men　do；　but　as　a　factious　populace；

and　hence　have　arisen　all　the　other　evils　and　disorders　that　have

appeared。　In　the　first　place；　there　cannot　be　found　among　the　citizens

either　unity　or　friendship；　except　with　those　whose　common　guilt；

either　against　their　country　or　against　private　individuals；　is　a　bond

of　union。　And　as　the　knowledge　of　religion　and　the　fear　of　God　seem　to

be　alike　extinct；　oaths　and　promises　have　lost　their　validity；　and　are

kept　as　long　as　it　is　found　expedient；　they　are　adopted　only　as　a

means　of　deception；　and　he　is　most　applauded　and　respected　whose

cunning　is　most　efficient　and　secure。　On　this　account　bad　men　are

received　with　the　approbation　due　to　virtue；　and　good　ones　are

regarded　only　in　the　light　of　fools。



〃And　certainly　in　the　cities　of　Italy　all　that　is　corruptible　and

corrupting　is　assembled。　The　young　are　idle；　the　old　lascivious；　and

each　sex　and　every　age　abounds　with　debasing　habits；　which　the　good

laws；　by　misapplication；　have　lost　the　power　to　correct。　Hence　arises

the　avarice　so　observable　among　the　citizens；　and　that　greedi