history of florence-第42节

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Donato　a　conjuncture　of　circumstances　too　favorable　to　be　lost；　and　he

requested　they　would　propose　a　law　to　the　councils；　which　would

include　the　restoration　of　the　citizens。　They；　at　his　entreaty；　spoke

about　the　matter　to　their　associates；　who　replied；　that　it　was

improper　to　attempt　any　innovation　in　which　the　advantage　was　doubtful

and　the　danger　certain。　Upon　this；　Donato；　having　in　vain　tried　all

other　means　he　could　think　of；　excited　with　anger；　gave　them　to

understand　that　since　they　would　not　allow　the　city　to　be　governed

with　peaceful　measures；　he　would　try　what　could　be　done　with　arms。

These　words　gave　so　great　offense；　that　being　communicated　to　the

heads　of　the　government；　Donato　was　summoned；　and　having　appeared；　the

truth　was　proven　by　those　to　whom　he　had　intrusted　the　message；　and　he

was　banished　to　Barletta。　Alamanno　and　Antonio　de'　Medici　were　also

banished；　and　all　those　of　that　family；　who　were　descended　from

Alamanno；　with　many　who；　although　of　the　inferior　artificers；

possessed　influence　with　the　plebeians。　These　events　took　place　two

years　after　the　reform　of　government　effected　by　Maso　degli　Albizzi。



At　this　time　many　discontented　citizens　were　at　home；　and　others

banished　in　the　adjoining　states。　Of　the　latter　there　lived　at　Bologna

Picchio　Cavicciulli；　Tommaso　de'　Ricci；　Antonio　de'　Medici；　Benedetto

degli　Spini；　Antonio　Girolami；　Cristofano　di　Carlone；　and　two　others

of　the　lowest　order；　all　bold　young　men；　and　resolved　upon　returning

to　their　country　at　any　hazard。　These　were　secretly　told　by　Piggiello

and　Baroccio　Cavicciulli；　who；　being　admonished；　lived　in　Florence；

that　if　they　came　to　the　city　they　should　be　concealed　in　their　house；

from　which　they　might　afterward　issue；　slay　Maso　degli　Albizzi；　and

call　the　people　to　arms；　who；　full　of　discontent；　would　willingly

arise；　particularly　as　they　would　be　supported　by　the　Ricci；　Adimari；

Medici；　Manelli；　and　many　other　families。　Excited　with　these　hopes；　on

the　fourth　of　August；　1397；　they　came　to　Florence；　and　having　entered

unobserved　according　to　their　arrangement；　they　sent　one　of　their

party　to　watch　Maso；　designing　with　his　death　to　raise　the　people。

Maso　was　observed　to　leave　his　house　and　proceed　to　that　of　an

apothecary；　near　the　church　of　San　Pietro　Maggiore；　which　he　entered。

The　man　who　went　to　watch　him　ran　to　give　information　to　the　other

conspirators；　who　took　their　arms　and　hastened　to　the　house　of　the

apothecary；　but　found　that　Maso　had　gone。　However；　undaunted　with　the

failure　of　their　first　attempt；　they　proceeded　to　the　Old　Market；

where　they　slew　one　of　the　adverse　party；　and　with　loud　cries　of

〃people；　arms；　liberty；　and　death　to　the　tyrants；〃　directed　their

course　toward　the　New　Market；　and　at　the　end　of　the　Calimala　slew

another。　Pursuing　their　course　with　the　same　cries；　and　finding　no　one

join　them　in　arms；　they　stopped　at　the　Loggia　Nighittosa；　where；　from

an　elevated　situation；　being　surrounded　with　a　great　multitude；

assembled　to　look　on　rather　than　assist　them；　they　exhorted　the　men　to

take　arms　and　deliver　themselves　from　the　slavery　which　weighed　so

heavily　upon　them；　declaring　that　the　complaints　of　the　discontented

in　the　city；　rather　than　their　own　grievances；　had　induced　them　to

attempt　their　deliverance。　They　had　heard　that　many　prayed　to　God　for

an　opportunity　of　avenging　themselves；　and　vowed　they　would　use　it

whenever　they　found　anyone　to　conduct　them；　but　now；　when　the

favorable　circumstances　occurred；　and　they　found　those　who　were　ready

to　lead　them；　they　stared　at　each　other　like　men　stupefied；　and　would

wait　till　those　who　were　endeavoring　to　recover　for　them　their　liberty

were　slain；　and　their　own　chains　more　strongly　riveted　upon　them；　they

wondered　that　those　who　were　wont　to　take　arms　upon　slight　occasions；

remained　unmoved　under　the　pressure　of　so　many　and　so　great　evils；　and

that　they　could　willingly　suffer　such　numbers　of　their　fellow…citizens

to　be　banished；　so　many　admonished；　when　it　was　in　their　power　to

restore　the　banished　to　their　country；　and　the　admonished　to　the

honors　of　the　state。　These　words；　although　full　of　truth；　produced　no

effect　upon　those　to　whom　they　were　addressed；　for　they　were　either

restrained　by　their　fears；　or；　on　account　of　the　two　murders　which　had

been　committed；　disgusted　with　the　parties。　Thus　the　movers　of　the

tumult；　finding　that　neither　words　or　deeds　had　force　sufficient　to

stir　anyone；　saw；　when　too　late；　how　dangerous　a　thing　it　is　to

attempt　to　set　a　people　free　who　are　resolved　to　be　slaves；　and；

despairing　of　success；　they　withdrew　to　the　temple　of　Santa　Reparata；

where；　not　to　save　their　lives；　but　to　defer　the　moment　of　their

deaths；　they　shut　themselves　up。　Upon　the　first　rumor　of　the　affair；

the　Signory　being　in　fear；　armed　and　secured　the　palace；　but　when　the

facts　of　the　case　were　understood；　the　parties　known；　and　whither　they

had　betaken　themselves；　their　fears　subsided；　and　they　sent　the

Capitano　with　a　sufficient　body　of　armed　men　to　secure　them。　The　gates

of　the　temple　were　forced　without　much　trouble；　part　of　the

conspirators　were　slain　defending　themselves；　the　remainder　were　made

prisoners　and　examined；　but　none　were　found　implicated　in　the　affair

except　Baroccio　and　Piggiello　Cavicciulli；　who　were　put　to　death　with

them。



Shortly　after　this　event；　another　occurred　of　greater　importance。　The

Florentines　were；　as　we　have　before　remarked；　at　war　with　the　duke　of

Milan；　who；　finding　that　with　merely　open　force　he　could　not　overcome

them；　had　recourse　to　secret　practices；　and　with　the　assistance　of　the

exiles　of　whom　Lombardy　was　full；　he　formed　a　plot　to　which　many　in

the　city　were　accessory。　It　was　resolved　by　the　conspirators　that　most

of　the　emigrants；　capable　of　bearing　arms；　should　set　out　from　the

places　nearest　Florence；　enter　the　city　by　the　river　Arno；　and　with

their　friends　hasten　to　the　residences　of　the　chiefs　of　the

government；　and　having　slain　them；　reform　the　republic　according　to

their　own　will。　Of　the　conspirators　within　the　city；　was　one　of　the

Ricci　named　Samminiato；　and　as　it　often　happens　in　treacherous

practices；　few　are　insufficient　to　effect　the　purpose　of　the　plot；　and

among　many　secrecy　cannot　be　preserved；　so　while　Samminiato　was　in

quest　of　associates；　he　found　an　accuser。　He　confided　the　affair　to

Salvestro　Cavicciulli；　whose　wrongs　and　those　of　his　friends　were

thought　sufficient　to　make　him　faithful；　but　he；　more　influenced　by

immediate　fear　than　the　hope　of　future　vengeance；　discovered　the　whole

affair　to　the　Signory；　who；　having　caused　Samminiato　to　be　taken；

compelled　him　to　tell　all　the　particulars　of　the　matter。　However；　none

of　the　conspirators　were　taken；　except　Tommaso　Davizi；　who；　coming

from　Bologna；　and　unaware　of　what　had　occurred　at　Florence；　was　seized

immediately　upon　his　arrival。　All　the　others　had　fled　immediately　upon

the　apprehension　of　Samminiato。



Samminiato　and　Tommaso　having　been　punished　according　to　their

deserts；　a　Balia　was　formed　of　many　citizens；　which　sought　the

delinquents；　and　took　measures　for　the　security　of　the　state。　They

declared　six　of　the　family　of　the　Ricci　rebels；　also；　six　of　the

Alberti；　two　of　the　Medici；　three　of　the　Scali；　two　of　the　Strozzi；

Bindo　Altoviti；　Bernado　Adimari；　and　many　others　of　inferior　quality。

They　admonished　all　the　family　of　the　Alberti；　the　Ricci；　and　the

Medici　for　ten　years；　except　a　few　individuals。　Among　the　Alberti；　not

admonished；　was　Antonio；　who　was　thought　to　be　quiet　and　peaceable。　It

happened；　however；　before　all　suspicion　of　the　conspiracy　had　ceased；

a　monk　was　taken　who　had　been　observed　during　its　progress　to　pass

frequently　between　Bologna　and　Florence。　He　confessed　that　he　had

often　carried　letters　to　Antonio；　who　was　immediately　seized；　and；

though　he　denied　all　knowledge　of　the　matter　from　the　first；　the

monk's　accusation　prevailed；　and　he　was　fined　in　a　considerable　sum　of

money；　and　banished　a　distance　of　three　hundred　miles　from　Florence。

That　the　Alberti　might　not　constantly　place　the　city　in　jeopardy；

every　member　of　the　family　was　banished　whose　age　exceeded　fifteen

years。



These　events　took　place　in　the　year　1400；　and　two　years　afterward；　died

Giovanni　Galeazzo；　duke　of　Milan；　whose　death　as　we　have　said　above；


put　an　end　to　the　war；　which　had　then　continued　twelve　years。　At　this

time；　the　government　having　gained　greater　strength；　and　being　without

enemies　external　or　internal；　undertook　the　conquest　of　Pisa；　and

having　gloriously　completed　it；　the　peace　of　the　city　remained

undisturbed　from　1400　to　1433；　except　that　in　1412；　the　Alberti；

having　crossed　the　boundary　they　were　forbidden　to　pass；　a　Balia　was

formed　which　with　new　provisions　fortified　the　state　and　punished　the

offenders　with　heavy　fines。　During　this　period　also；　the　Florentines

made　war　with　Ladislaus；　king　of　Naples；　who　finding　himself　in　great

danger　ceded　to