history of florence-第83节

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consent　of　the　people；　and　not　by　force；　of　which　he　would　not　hear　on

any　account。　They　then　endeavored　in　the　councils　to　establish　a　new

balia；　but　did　not　succeed。　On　this　the　grandees　again　came　to　Cosmo；

and　most　humbly　begged　he　would　assemble　the　people　in　a　general

council　or　parliament；　but　this　he　refused；　for　he　wished　to　make　them

sensible　of　their　great　mistake；　and　when　Donato　Cocchi；　being

Gonfalonier　of　Justice；　proposed　to　assemble　them　without　his　consent；

the　Signors　who　were　of　Cosmo's　party　ridiculed　the　idea　so

unmercifully；　that　the　man's　mind　actually　became　deranged；　and　he　had

to　retire　from　office　in　consequence。　However；　since　it　is　undesirable

to　allow　matters　to　proceed　beyond　recovery；　the　Gonfalon　of　Justice

being　in　the　hands　of　Luca　Pitti；　a　bold…spirited　man；　Cosmo

determined　to　let　him　adopt　what　course　he　thought　proper；　that　if　any

trouble　should　arise　it　might　be　imputed　to　Luca　and　not　to　himself。

Luca；　therefore；　in　the　beginning　of　his　magistracy；　several　times

proposed　to　the　people　the　appointment　of　a　new　balia；　and；　not

succeeding；　he　threatened　the　members　of　the　councils　with　injurious

and　arrogant　expressions；　which　were　shortly　followed　by　corresponding

conduct；　for　in　the　month　of　August；　1458；　on　the　eve　of　Saint

Lorenzo；　having　filled　the　piazza；　and　compelled　them　to　assent　to　a

measure　to　which　he　knew　them　to　be　averse。　Having　recovered　power；

created　a　new　balia；　and　filled　the　principal　offices　according　to　the

pleasure　of　a　few　individuals；　in　order　to　commence　that　government

with　terror　which　they　had　obtained　by　force；　they　banished　Girolamo

Machiavelli；　with　some　others；　and　deprived　many　of　the　honors　of

government。　Girolamo；　having　transgressed　the　confines　to　which　he　was

limited；　was　declared　a　rebel。　Traveling　about　Italy；　with　the　design

of　exciting　the　princes　against　his　country；　he　was　betrayed　while　at

Lunigiana；　and；　being　brought　to　Florence；　was　put　to　death　in　prison。



This　government；　during　the　eight　years　it　continued；　was　violent　and

insupportable；　for　Cosmo；　being　now　old；　and　through　ill　health　unable

to　attend　to　public　affairs　as　formerly；　Florence　became　a　prey　to　a

small　number　of　her　own　citizens。　Luca　Pitti；　in　return　for　the

services　he　had　performed　for　the　republic；　as　made　a　knight；　and　to

be　no　less　grateful　than　those　who　had　conferred　the　dignity　upon　him；

he　ordered　that　the　priors；　who　had　hitherto　been　called　priors　of　the

trades；　should　also　have　a　name　to　which　they　had　no　kind　of　claim；

and　therefore　called　them　priors　of　liberty。　He　also　ordered；　that　as

it　had　been　customary　for　the　gonfalonier　to　sit　upon　the　right　hand

of　the　rectors；　he　should　in　future　take　his　seat　in　the　midst　of

them。　And　that　the　Deity　might　appear　to　participate　in　what　had　been

done；　public　processions　were　made　and　solemn　services　performed；　to

thank　him　for　the　recovery　of　the　government。　The　Signory　and　Cosmo

made　Luca　Pitti　rich　presents；　and　all　the　citizens　were　emulous　in

imitation　of　them；　so　that　the　money　given　amounted　to　no　less　a　sum

than　twenty　thousand　ducats。　He　thus　attained　such　influence；　that　not

Cosmo　but　himself　now　governed　the　city；　and　his　pride　so　increased；

that　he　commenced　two　superb　buildings；　one　in　Florence；　the　other　at

Ruciano；　about　a　mile　distant；　both　in　a　style　of　royal　magnificence；

that　in　the　city；　being　larger　than　any　hitherto　built　by　a　private

person。　To　complete　them；　he　had　recourse　to　the　most　extraordinary

means；　for　not　only　citizens　and　private　individuals　made　him　presents

and　supplied　materials；　but　the　mass　of　people；　of　every　grade；　also

contributed。　Besides　this；　any　exiles　who　had　committed　murders；

thefts；　or　other　crimes　which　made　them　amenable　to　the　laws；　found　a

safe　refuge　within　their　walls；　if　they　were　able　to　contribute　toward

their　decoration　or　completion。　The　other　citizens；　though　they　did

not　build　like　him；　were　no　less　violent　or　rapacious；　so　that　if

Florence　were　not　harassed　by　external　wars；　she　was　ruined　by　the

wickedness　of　her　own　children。　During　this　period　the　wars　of　Naples

took　place。　The　pope　also　commenced　hostilities　in　Romagna　against　the

Malatesti；　from　whom　he　wished　to　take　Rimino　and　Cesena；　held　by

them。　In　these　designs；　and　his　intentions　of　a　crusade　against　the

Turks；　was　passed　the　pontificate　of　Pius　II。



Florence　continued　in　disunion　and　disturbance。　The　dissensions

continued　among　the　party　of　Cosmo；　in　1455；　from　the　causes　already

related；　which　by　his　prudence；　as　we　have　also　before　remarked；　he

was　enabled　to　tranquilize；　but　in　the　year　1464；　his　illness

increased；　and　he　died。　Friends　and　enemies　alike　grieved　for　his

loss；　for　his　political　opponents；　perceiving　the　rapacity　of　the

citizens；　even　during　the　life　of　him　who　alone　restrained　them　and

made　their　tyranny　supportable；　were　afraid；　lest　after　his　decease；

nothing　but　ruin　would　ensue。　Nor　had　they　much　hope　of　his　son　Piero；

who　though　a　very　good　man；　was　of　infirm　health；　and　new　in　the

government；　and　they　thought　he　would　be　compelled　to　give　way；　so

that；　being　unrestrained；　their　rapacity　would　pass　all　bounds。　On

these　accounts；　the　regret　was　universal。　Of　all　who　have　left

memorials　behind　them；　and　who　were　not　of　the　military　profession；

Cosmo　was　the　most　illustrious　and　the　most　renowned。　He　not　only

surpassed　all　his　contemporaries　in　wealth　and　authority；　but　also　in

generosity　and　prudence；　and　among　the　qualities　which　contributed　to

make　him　prince　in　his　own　country；　was　his　surpassing　all　others　in

magnificence　and　generosity。　His　liberality　became　more　obvious　after

his　death；　when　Piero；　his　son；　wishing　to　know　what　he　possessed；　it

appeared　there　was　no　citizen　of　any　consequence　to　whom　Cosmo　had　not

lent　a　large　sum　of　money；　and　often；　when　informed　of　some　nobleman

being　in　distress；　he　relieved　him　unasked。　His　magnificence　is

evident　from　the　number　of　public　edifices　he　erected；　for　in　Florence

are　the　convents　and　churches　of　St。　Marco　and　St。　Lorenzo；　and　the

monastery　of　Santa　Verdiana；　in　the　mountains　of　Fiesole；　the　church

and　abbey　of　St。　Girolamo；　and　in　the　Mugello；　he　not　only　restored；

but　rebuilt　from　its　foundation；　a　monastery　of　the　Frati　Minori；　or

Minims。　Besides　these；　in　the　church　of　Santa　Croce；　the　Servi；　the

Agnoli；　and　in　San　Miniato；　he　erected　splendid　chapels　and　altars；

and　besides　building　the　churches　and　chapels　we　have　mentioned；　he

provided　them　with　all　the　ornaments；　furniture；　and　utensils　suitable

for　the　performance　of　divine　service。　To　these　sacred　edifices　are　to

be　added　his　private　dwellings；　one　in　Florence；　of　extent　and

elegance　adapted　to　so　great　a　citizen；　and　four　others；　situated　at

Careggi；　Fiesole；　Craggiulo；　and　Trebbio；　each；　for　size　and　grandeur；

equal　to　royal　palaces。　And；　as　if　it　were　not　sufficient　to　be

distinguished　for　magnificence　of　buildings　in　Italy　alone；　he　erected

an　hospital　at　Jerusalem；　for　the　reception　of　poor　and　infirm

pilgrims。　Although　his　habitations；　like　all　his　other　works　and

actions；　were　quite　of　a　regal　character；　and　he　alone　was　prince　in

Florence；　still　everything　was　so　tempered　with　his　prudence；　that　he

never　transgressed　the　decent　moderation　of　civil　life；　in　his

conversation；　his　servants；　his　traveling；　his　mode　of　living；　and　the

relationships　he　formed；　the　modest　demeanor　of　the　citizen　was　always

evident；　for　he　was　aware　that　a　constant　exhibition　of　pomp　brings

more　envy　upon　its　possessor　than　greater　realities　borne　without

ostentation。　Thus　in　selecting　consorts　for　his　sons；　he　did　not　seek

the　alliance　of　princes；　but　for　Giovanni　chose　Corneglia　degli

Allesandri；　and　for　Piero；　Lucrezia　de'　Tornabuoni。　He　gave　his

granddaughters；　the　children　of　Piero；　Bianca　to　Guglielmo　de'　Pazzi；

and　Nannina　to　Bernardo　Ruccellai。　No　one　of　his　time　possessed　such

an　intimate　knowledge　of　government　and　state　affairs　as　himself；　and

hence　amid　such　a　variety　of　fortune；　in　a　city　so　given　to　change；

and　among　a　people　of　such　extreme　inconstancy；　he　retained　possession

of　the　government　thirty…one　years；　for　being　endowed　with　the　utmost

prudence；　he　foresaw　evils　at　a　distance；　and　therefore　had　an

opportunity　either　of　averting　them；　or　preventing　their　injurious

results。　He　thus　not　only　vanquished　domestic　and　civil　ambition；　but

humbled　the　pride　of　many　princes　with　so　much　fidelity　and　address；

that　whatever　powers　were　in　league　with　himself　and　his　country；

either　overcame　their　adversaries；　or　remained　uninjured　by　his

alliance；　and　whoever　were　opposed　to　him；　lost　either　their　time；

money；　or　territory。　Of　this　the　Venetians　afford　a　sufficient　proof；

who；　while　in　league　with　him　against　Duke　Filippo　were　always

victorious；　but　apart　from　him　were　always　conquered；　first　by　Filippo

and　then　by　Francesco。　When　they　joined　Alfonso　against　the　Florentine

rep