Attila being arriued in Italy besieged Aquilegia where without resistance hee continued two yeares and during the siege spoyled the country thereabouts and dispersed the inhabitants of the same which as hereafter shalbe declared was the beginning of the citie of Vinegia After the taking ruine of Aquilegia and many other cities he marched towards Rome from the spoyle whereof at the request of the Bishop he refrained The reuerence respect which Attila did bear towards this Bishop was such as perswaded him to leaue Italy and retire himselfe to Austria where he died After his death Velamer king of the Ostrogotti and other the leaders of forraine nations tooke Armes against Tenrico and Eurie his sonnes the one of them they slew and constrained the other with the Vnni to returne ouer Danubio into their owne countrey The Ostrogotti and the Tepedi were setled in Pannonia the Eruli and Turingi vpon the shoare on the other side of Danubio King Attila thus departed from Italy Valentiniano the Emperour in the West imagining to repaire the countrey and hoping with more commoditie to defend the same from the barbarous people abandoned Rome and setled himselfe in Rauenna These aduersities happened to the Empyre in the West occasioned the Emperours who then dwelt at Constantinople many times to graunt the possession thereof to others as a thing full of perils and expence And the Romanes otherwhiles seeing themselues abandoned without leaue created an other Emperour or some deputie to performe that office as did Massimo the Romane after the death of Valentiniano who constrained Eudossa lately wife to the Emperour to take him to her husband This woman beeing borne of Emperiall blood desirous to reuenge so great an iniurie and disdaining to bee married with a priuate Citizen secretly perswaded Genserico King of the Vandali and Lord of Affrica to come into Italy shewing him the facilitie and profit of that enterprise Hee enticed with hope of so great a spoyle came speedily thither and finding Rome abandoned sacked the Towne and there remained foureteene dayes Hee also tooke and spoyled diuerse other Townes in Italy and fraughting himselfe and his Army with spoyle returned into Affrica The Romanes came home to Rome and finding Massimo dead elected Auito a Romane for Emperour After the death of diuerse other Emperours the Empire of Constantinople came to the hands of Zenone and that of Rome to Oreste and his sonne Augustolo who through subtiltie had vsurped that Empyre While these men thus possessed and determined to holde the Empyre by force the Eruli and Turingi who as is aforesayd after the death of Attila remained vppon the shoare on the other side of Danubio conspired togither vnder the conduct of their Captaine Odoacre came into Italy and possessed such places as were by them left voyd Then the Longobardi people also toward the North entered Italy ledde thither by Godolio their King who were as heereafter shall be declared the greatest plague of that countrey Odoacre arriued in Italy conquered the same and neare vnto Pauia slew Oreste forcing Augustolo to flie away After which victorie to the ende that Rome varying in gouernment the gouernour might receiue a new title Odoacre leauing the name of the Empire caused himselfe to be called King of Rome and was the first Captaine of all the forraine people that inuaded Italy to inhabit there Because all the others either for feare not to enioy that they had gotten or else doubting to be driuen out by the Emperour in the East either else for some other hidden occasion onely spoyled the country and that done sought to plant their habitation elsewhere Thus we see that in those dayes the ancient Romane Empire was reduced to the gouernment of these Princes Zenone remaining in Constantinople commaunded all the Empire in the East The Ostrogotti gouerned Mesia and Pannonia The Visigotti Sueui and Alani possessed Guascognia and Spaine The Vandoli ruled Affrica The Franchi and Burgundi liued in France The Eruli and Turingi remained in Italy The kingdome of Ostrogotti came to the handes of Theodorico Nephewe of Velamer beeing in league with Zenone Emperour in the East wrote vnto him that it seemed a thing vniust to his people the Ostrogotti that they beeing in vertue superiours to all others should be inferiours in Empyre And therfore he could not by any meanes hold them within the consines of Pannonia It seemed therefore necessarie to suffer them to take armes and seeke new Countries But first hee thought good to let him vnderstand thereof to the intent hee might graunt them some country where with his good fauour and their greater commoditie they might inhabite The Emperour Zenone partly for feare and partly for the desire hee had to haue Odoacre driuen out of Italy graunted that Theodorico might come against Odoacre and take the possession thereof Then Theodorico departed from Pannonia leauing there the Zepedi his friends and being arriued in Italy slew Odoacre and his sonne by whose example hee tooke vnto him the title of King of Italy making Rauenna his royall seate moued by the same reasōs that induced Valentiniano there to dwell Theodorico was a man both for warre and peace moste excellent for in the one hee was alwaies victorious and in the other generally profited the cities and people to him subiect Hee diuided the Ostrogotti with their Captaines into sundry townes to the end that in the warre hee might commaund them and in the peace correct them hee enlarged the Citie of Rauenna and restored Rome in all thinges the discipline of warre except giuing to the Romanes euerie other honour with his only authoritie kept in awe all the barbarous Kings vsurpers of the Empyre Hee built townes and sortresses betweene the Alpes and the point of the sea Adriatico the rather to empeach the passage of other barbarous people that should assaile Italy And had not his great vertue bene in the end of his life blotted with some cruelties committed vppon suspition of his kingdome as the death of Simmaco and Boetio men of most godly life he had bene in all respects worthy of honour and memorie For the vertue and bountie of him did not only repaire Rome and Italy of the afliction committed by the barbarous nations but also reduced them into an order and gouernment moste fortunate And surely if any times were euer in Italy and the other Prouinces there-abouts by reason of barbarous oppression miserable they were those which happened from the time of Arcadio and Onorio till his dayes For who so shall consider the great mischiefs which happen to cōmon weales by the variatiō of gouernment or change of the Prince without any dissention and diuision shall finde the same alone of force inough to ruine any state or kingdome how mightie soeuer It may therefore be imagined how great miseries the Romane Prouinces endured for they did not only alter their gouernment but also their lawes their customes their maner of life
election of the Emperour hee made also a constitution that the election of the Popes should from thencefoorth appertaine to the Cardinals Neither was he so contented but compounding with some Princes that then gouerned Calauria and Puglia for such reasons as shall be hereafter declared constrained all the officers appointed by the Romanes to yeeld their obedience to the Popes and remooued some of them from their offices After the death of Nicholao there happened a schisme in the church because the Clergie of Lombardy would not obey Alexander the second elected at Rome but created Gadalo of Parma Antipope Enrico hating the greatnesse of these Bishops sent vnto the Pope Alessandro requiring him to resigne the Papacy command the Cardinals to go into Germany there to elect a new Pope This Enrico was the first Prince that felt the force of spirituall displeasure For the Pope called a new counsaile in Rome whereat he depriued him from the empire and kingdome After that time some people of Italy followed the Pope and some the Emperour which was the beginning of the factions who called themselues Guelfi and Gibellini Thus Italy deliuered from forreine inuasion by ciuill discord began to be tormented Enrico being excommunicate was by his owne people constrained to come to Rome on barefoote and kneele to the Pope for pardon Which happened in the yeare 1080. Notwithstanding shortly after there happened a new discord betwixt the Pope Enrico Wherupon the Pope again did excommunicate the Emperour who sent forthwith his son also called Enrico with an army to Rome He with the helpe of the Romanes who hated the Pope besieged him in his castle till Roberto Guiscardo came from Puglia to the rescue Enrico tarried not his comming but returned alone into Germany The Romanes persisted in their obstinacie so that Rome was againe by Roberto sacked and brought vnto the former ruine notwithstanding it had bene lately by diuerse Popes repaired And because of this Roberto the kings of Naples be descended it seemeth not superfluous particulerly to set downe his actions and discent After the disunion happened among the heires of Carlo Magno as haue bene before declared the same occasioned a new people of the North called Normandi to assaile France and conquered that country which is called of them Normandia of those people some part came into Italy in the time that the Berengarii Saraseni and Vnni troubled the same They also tooke some townes in Romagna which warres they vertuously performed Of those Normaine princes one called Tancredi begot diuerse sonnes amongst whom was Guglielmo surnamed Terabar and Roberto called Guiscardo The principalitie being come to Guglielmo and the tumults of Italy somewhat ceased the Saraseni did notwithstanding still hold Sicilia and continually made rodes vpō the land of Italy For which cause Guglielmo agreed with the prince of Capoua and Salerno and with Melorco the Greeke who gouerned Puglia and Calauria for the Emperour of Greece to assault Sicilia and after victorie it was condescended amongst them to diuide the places victored by foure parts This enterprise had fortunate successe and the Saraseni driuen out they possessed Sicilia After which victorie Melorco secretly caused men to come from Grecia and for the Emperour tooke possession of the whole Iland not diuiding the spoyle but tooke all to his owne share wherewith Guglielmo became discontented yet hiding his offence till a time more conuenient departed from Sicilia with the princes of Salerno and Capoua who being departed vpon the way homewards Guglielmo returned not to Romagna but with his souldiers marched towards Puglia where he wonne Melfi And shortly after notwithstanding the forces of the Grecian Emperour he possessed well neare all Puglia and Calauria In which prouinces he gouerned in the time of Nicholao secundo Roberto Guiscardo his brother hauing many differents with his nephewes for the inheritance of land vsed the authoritie of the Pope to compound them And the Pope did willingly fauour him being desirous to haue the friendship of Roberto to the end that against the Emperours of Germany and the people of Rome he might be defended as in effect it fell after out and hath bene alreadie declared how at the request of Gregorio septimo he draue Enrico from the siege of Rome subdued the people therein To Roberto succeeded Ruggeri and Guglielmo his sonnes To their possessions he annexed Napoli and all those lands which lie betweene Napoli and Rome He gaue also Sicilia vnto Ruggero But Guglielmo going afterwards to Constantinople to marry the Emperours daughter was by Ruggero depriued of his Country Ruggero after this victorie became insolent and called himselfe king of Italy yet after contented with the title of King of Puglia and Sicilia was the first that gaue name and lawe to that kingdome which to this day within the auncient boundes thereof is mainteined Notwithstanding it hath many times exchaunged both blood and Nation Because the race of Normandie beeing worne out the Kingdome came to the handes of the Germaines from them to the French men from the French to the Aragonesi and at this day it is possessed by the Flemmings Now was Vrbano the second become Pope who being hated in Rome and fearing through the disuniting of Italy he could not in securitie there remaine determined a glorious enterprise First hee went into France accompanied with all his Clergie and in the citie of Anuersa he assembled many people to whom he made a solemne Oration wherin he persuaded an enterprise against the Saraseni which tooke so great effect as the people were desirous to performe the same which enterprise with all others to that purpose were called Crociata For all those men that went in that iourney weare vppon their Armours and garments a redde Crosse The princes and chiefe leaders of that enterprise were Gotfredi Eustachio and Alduino di Bulgo Earle of Bologna with one Pietro an Hermit who for his godlie life and wisedome was greatly respected To this iourney manie Kinges contributed treasure and manie priuate men without paie therein personally serued So great effectes did the religion worke in those dayes to perswade the mindes of men moued with the example of such as were their heads This enterprise had in the beginning glorious successe for all Asia minor Soria and part of Egipt were therein conquered by the Christians At which time beganne the order of Knighthood of Ierusalem which to this day continueth and is the chiefe obstacle to the Turkes About that time also grew the order of the Knights Templarii which for their euil life was shortly after suppressed In diuerse times following diuerse accidents happened wherin many nations and many particuler men were aduaunced For the furnishing of this enterprise the Kinges of Fraunce and England the Pisani Venetians and Genouesi passed the sea and gained great reputation fighting in fortune variable till the time of Saladino the Sarasine whose vertue the rather through discord of the
remaining without a Prince the Romanes were enforced to yeeld their obedience to the Pope Yet did not his authoritie thereby greatly encrease because he could not procure to him selfe more preheminence then that the Church of Rome should haue precedence before the Church of Rauenna But the Longobardi being come and Italy diuided into diuerse parts occasioned the Pope to take the more vppon him for he then beeing as it were chiefe of Rome the Emperour of Conctantinople and the Longobardi did respect him so much as the Romanes by his meanes not as subiects but as companions with the Longobardi and with Longino ioyned Thus the Popes sometimes by the fauour of the Longobardi and sometime with the countenance of the Grecians encreased their dignitie But after the destruction of the Empyre in the East which happened in the time of the Emperour Eracleo because the people called Sclaui assaulted conquered againe Iliria calling the same by their owne name Sclauonia the other partes of the Empyre were assailed first by the Persians and after by the Sarasins who came from Arabia conducted by Mahomet and last of all by the Turkes These people amongst them possessed Soria Affrica and Egipt So that the Empyre weakened the Pope dispaired to haue succour there in time of his necessitie On the other side the power of the Longobardi encreasing it behooued him to seeke some new friendship and for the same resorted to the Kinges of France So as after that time all the warres made vppon Italy by forraine people were by the Bishops of Rome occasioned and all the barbarous nations who repaired in so great multitudes to Italy were for the moste part by them called thither which manner of proceeding continueth in our dayes and hath heretofore kept and yet dooth keepe Italy weake and impotent Therefore in discourse of such thinges as haue happened since those to these our daies more shall not be said of the distruction of the Empyre which is altogither cast downe and ruined But wee will heerafter discourse by what meanes the Popes and those other Potentates which till the comming of Carlo the eight gouerned Italy haue atteined to their greatnes whereby we shal conceiue how the Popes first by their censures after with them and their armes mixed with indulgences became terrible venerable and how by euill vsing the one the other they haue altogither lost the vse of their armes in the other they stand at discretion But returning to the order of our matter I say that Gregorio the third beeing atteined to the Papacy Aistulpho to the kingdome of Lombardy contrarie to the agreement afore made surprized Rauenna and made warre against the Pope Gregorio who for the occasions aforesaid not trusting any more to the Emperour of Constantinople beeing then weake neither reposing trust in the Longobardi who had diuerse times distressed him fled for ayde to Pipino the second who from beeing Lord of Austracia and Brabancia was become King of France not so much for his owne vertue as his fathers Carlo Martello and his graundfathers Pipino because Carlo Martello beeing Gouernour of that Kingdome wonne that memorable victorie against the Sarasins neare vnto Torsci vpon the riuer of Era wherein were slaine two hundred thousand Sarasins For which cause Pipino his sonne for the reputation of his father and his owne vertue became after king in that kingdome vnto whome Pope Gregorio as is beforesaid sent for ayde against the Longobardi Pipino answered that hee was very willing to performe his request but first desired to see him and in his presence to honour him For which purpose Gregorio trauailed into France and without any let passed the townes of the Longobardi his enemies so great reuerence was then borne to that Religion Gregorio arriued in France was there greatly honoured by the King and sent back accompanied with the Kings forces who in Pauia besieged the Longobardi wherby Aistulpho was enforced to make peace with the Frenchmen which hee did at the request of the Pope who desired not the death of his enemie but that hee should conuert and liue In which peace Aistulpho promised to render vnto the Church all those townes thereto belonging and by him vsurped But the French souldiers returned home Aistulpho obserued not the conditions of the peace which beeing knowen to the Pope hee prayed ayde a new of Pipino who sent againe into Italy where hee ouerthrew the Lombardy tooke Rauenna and contrarie to the will of the Grecian Emperour gaue the same vnto the Pope with all other townes vnder his Esarcato adding also to them the countrie of Vrbino and La Marca during the time that these townes were in bestowing Aistulpho died and Desiderio a Lombard and Duke of Tuscan tooke armes to vsurpe the kingdome and praied ayde of the Pope to whome hee promised his friendship which request was graunted and the other Princes gaue place Desiderio at the beginning kept his promise and according to the conditions made with Pipino rendred the townes allotted vnto the Pope neither did the Esarco of Constantinople after that time come any more in Rauenna but all things were gouerned according to the pleasure and direction of the Pope Then died the King Pipino to whome succeeded his sonne called Carlo who for the great and memorable exploites by him done was called Magno To the Papacy was at that time aspired Theodoro Primo He falling into contention with Disiderio was by Disiderio besieged in Rome and constrained to craue ayde of Carlo who speedily passed the mountaines besieged Desiderio in Pauia and tooke him with all his Children And hauing sent them prisoners into France went in person to visit the Pope at Rome where hee pronounced this sentence That the Pope beeing Vicar of God could not be iudged of men For the which the Pope with the people of Rome created him Emperour In this manner Rome beganne to haue an Emperour againe in the West And where the Popes were woont to take their instaulation from the Emperours after this time the Emperours in their election would needes take their authoritie from the Pope wherby the reputation of the Empire decreased and the Church gained the same By these meanes the Popes grew great and kept downe the authoritie of temporall Princes The Longobardi hauing then bene in Italy 232. yeares there was of them none other marke of straungers then the name and Carlo being desirous to reforme that Countrey in the time of Pope Leo the third was pleased they should inhabit those places where they were borne and called that prouince of their name Lombardia But forasmuch as they had the name of Rome in great reuerence hee commaunded that all the next Countrey to it adioyning then in the obedience of the Esarcato of Rauenna should bee called Romagna Moreouer he created Pipino his sonne King of Italy the iurisdiction whereof extended to Beneuento the rest remained to the Emperour in Greece with
assemble more forces returned with thē into Italy had though hardly the victorie and then though with displeasure of the Legate returned to Bohemia leauing onely Reggio and Modena manned recommending Parma to Marsilio and Piero de Rossi who were in that citie of most power He being gone Bologna reuolted to the league and diuided among them foure Citties apperteining to the church allotting Parma to the house of Scala Reggio to Gonzaga Modena to Este and Lucca to the Florentines During the conquest of these Cities grew great warres but they were chiefly by the Venetians compounded It may perhaps be thought strange that among so many accidents of Italy I haue omitted to speake of the Venetians common weale being for the order and power thereof to be preferred before euerie other principallitie To satisfie that admiration the cause thereof being knowne I wil looke backward to time long since passed and declare what beginning that Cittie had King Attila at such time as he besieged Aquilegia the inhabitants of that towne hauing long defended themselues dispairing fled with their goods to the rocks within the point of Mare Adriatico The Padouani seeing the fire at hand and fearing that Aquilegia being wonne Attila would assault them carried all their moueables of most value into the same sea to a place there called Riuoalto whither they also sent their wiues children and aged men leauing the youth to defend the citie Aquilegia being taken Attila defaced Padoua Monselice Vicenza and Verona The Padouani and the chiefe of the others seated themselues in the marishes about Riuoalto Likewise all the people of that prouince which vvas aunciently called Venetia vvere driuen out by the same misfortune did also flie thither Thus constrained by necessitie they abandoned faire and fertile countries to inhabit these steril and paludious places void of all cōmoditie And yet because great numbers of people were at one instant come thither they made that place not onely habitable but also pleasant ordeining among themselues lawes and orders which amidst so great ruines of Italy they obserued and within short space encreased in force and reputation For besides the inhabitants aforesaid many of the cities of Lombardy chiefly those that feared the cruelty of their king Clefi fled thither which was no small encrease to that citie So that in the time of Pipino king of France when at the request of the Pope he came to driue the Lombardi out of Italy it was agreed in Capitulations betwixt him and the Emperour of Grecia that the Duke of Beneuento and the Venetians should be subiects neither to the one nor the other but among themselues enioy libertie Moreouer considering that as necessitie had driuen them to dwell within the water so it behoued them without helpe of the firme land to seeke meanes wherby they might procure their own liuelihood For which purpose they made ships gallies with them sailed throughout the world and filled their citie with sundry sorts of marchandise whereof other men hauing necessitie required free accesse vnto them At that time and many yeares after the Venetians thought not vppon other dominions then those where the traffique of their marchandise might safely arriue Then they wan diuers hauens in Grecia Soria and in the passages that the French men made in Asia because they oftentimes imploying the Venetian shippes appointed vnto them as a reward the Ile of Candia While in this estate and order they liued their name by sea was terrible and vpon the firme land of Italy venerable So that in all controuersies that happened they were for the most part arbitrators as in cōtrouersies which rose in the league by reason of those cities which they had diuided amongst them For that controuersie being recommended to the Venetians they ordered that Bargamo Brescia should appertaine to the Visconti But in processe of time hauing conquered Padoua Vicenza Triuigi Verona Bargamo Brescia with diuerse cities in the kingdom and Romagna entised with desire of gouernment they atteined so great an opinion of power and reputatiō that not only of the princes of Italy but also of the kings beyōd the mountaines they became feared Wherupon those princes conspiring togither tooke from them in one day all the states and countries vvhich they in many yeares and vvith infinite expences had gained And though in these late times they haue recouered part yet not recouering their forces and reputation do like all other princes of Italy remaine at the deuotion and discretion of others Now was Benedetto 12. come to the Papacy who seeing himselfe driuen out of Italy and fearing that the Emperour Lodouico should become Lord thereof determined to make all those his friends who had vsurped the townes which the Emperour possessed To the end that thereby they should haue cause to feare the Empire and ioyne with him in the defence of Italy For the more assurance of this attempt he made a decree that all tyrants of Lombardy should by iust title possesse the townes by them vsurped But the Pope presently vpon this grant died and Clemente sexto elected in his place The Emperour then seeing with what liberalitie the Pope had giuen the towns belōging to the Empire determined to be no lesse liberall of the Popes goods then the Pope had bene of his and therefore gaue freely all lands belonging to the church which any tyrant had vsurped and they to hold them by authoritie imperiall By meane whereof Galiotto Malatesti and his brethren became Lords of Rimino Pesaro Fano Anthonio di Montefeltro of la Marca and Vrbin Gentile da Varano of Camerino Guido di Polenta of Rauenna Sinibaldo Ordalaffi of Furli and Cesena Giouanni Manfredi of Faenza Lodouico Alidosi of Imola Besides these many others possessed towns belōging to the church so as fevv remained out of the hands of one Prince or other vvhich vvas the cause that the Church till the comming of Alissandro 6. vvas holden dovvne vveake but he vvith the ruine of these Lords or their posteritie restored the same At such time as the Emperor made this grant he remained at Trento seemed as thogh he vvould passe from thence into Italy wherby grevv many warres in Lombardy by that occasiō the Visconti became Lords of Parma Then died king Robarto of Napoli of vvhom remained only tvvo grand children vvomen begotten by Carlo his Son vvho long before vvas dead bequeathing his kingdom to the elder of them called Giouanna vvhom he vvilled to marrie vvith Andrea sonne to the K. of Vngaria his nephevv This Andrea continued not long her husband but vvas by her murdred she married anevv to a brother in lavv of his called Lodouico prince of Tarranto But K. Lodouico brother to Andrea to reuenge his death came vvith Forces into Italy draue the Q. Giouanna vvith her husband out of the kingdom About this time hapned in Rome a thing very memorable vvhich vvas that one called
helpe him for not hurting himselfe returned backe Corso thus ending his life which happened in the yeare 1308. was the cause that all tumults ceased and the citie continued quiet till such time as intelligence was giuen that Arrigo the Emperour who fauoured by the Florentine Rebelles was come into Italy followed by them and intending to put them againe in possession of their country For preuenting of which mischiefe the Magistrates of the citie thought good to call home all those that had not bene by speciall name banished whereby the number of their enemies should be the lesse The greater number that remained in exile were Ghibilini and some fewe of the faction Bianca among whom were Dante Alighieri the sonnes of Veri de Cerchi and Giano della Bella. They sent also for aide to Roberto King of Napoli which not obteined at his hand as their friend they were enforced to giue him the citie for fiue yeares to the end he might defend them as his subiects Then the Emperour passed into Italy and by the way of Pisa went to Rome there to be crowned in the yeare 1312. Afterwards determining to reforme Florence hee returned thither by Perugia and Arezzo and lodged his Campe at the Monastery of S. Salui distant one myle from the citie where he remained fiftie dayes without any good done and therfore as desperate of successe remoued to Pisa where he agreed with Federigo King of Sicilia to assault the kingdom of Napoli Being with his Army there arriued in great hope of victorie and the King Roberto in great feare of his distruction at Buouconuento he died It happened shortly after that Vguccione di Faggiola became Prince of Pisa and not long after of Lucca brought thither by the faction of Ghibilini with whose aide he greatly iniured his neighbours Amongst whom the Florentines to be deliuered gaue vnto the brother of King Roberto the gouernment of their Army Vguccione on the other side for the encreasing of his power laboured continually till by force and subtiltie he had gotten many Castles in the vale of Arno and Nieuole Then marching towards Monte Catini with intent to besiege the same the Florentines thought it necessarie to rescue that place least the losse thereof might disturbe the whole countrey Then assembling a great Army they passed into the vale Nieuole where they fought with Vguccione and in the end of their battaile two thousand or more of their men were slaine with Piero the Kings brother their Generall whose bodie afterwards was neuer found neither was this victorie without losse to Vguccione whose sonne was also killed with many Captaines and Leaders of his Armie The Florentines after this ouerthrow fortified the townes about them and the King Roberto sent them a new Generall called Andrea Earle Nouello By whose gouernment or rather by the naturall inclination of the Florentines discontented with euerie state and diuided by euerie accident notwithstanding the warres they lately had with Vguccione fell to faction The one part whereof called themselues the Kings friends the other the Kings enemies The chiefe of the Kings enemies were Simon della Tosa the house of Magalotti with certaine other populer men in whom rested the chiefe of the gouernment These men found meanes to send into France and Germany to leauie Captaines and souldiers to remoue the Earle Andrea Gouernour for the King But their fortune was such as could not bring to passe that they desired yet did they not abandon the enterprise but beeing disappointed both by France and Germany they found out a Gouernour in Agobio and before his comming remoued Andrea Lando de Agobio being come was made their minister or rather their hangman hauing receiued absolute authoritie ouerall the citizens He being a man couetous and cruell accompanied with his souldiers all armed visited euerie streete murthering euerie man whom those that elected him would require Yea such was his insolencie that he caused false mony to be quoined with the stampe of Florence and no man durst gainsay the doing therof so great was the authoritie whereunto the discord of the citie had brought him Great and lamentable was the estate of this towne which neither the memorie of passed diuision neither the feare of Vguccione nor the authoritie of the King could reforme In most miserable plight it then remained when the country abroad was spoyled by Vguccione and the citie within by Lando of Agobio sacked The Kings friends were all contrary to Lando and his followers Likewise all Noble houses the chiefe of the people al the Guelfi Notwithstanding because the aduerse party had the gouernment they could not without perill to themselues be discouered Yet resoluing to be deliuered from so dishonest a tyrannie they wrote secretly vnto the King Roberto to make the Earle Guido Buttifolle his Lieftenant in Florence which the King presently did and the aduerse part notwithstanding that the Senators were contrarie to the King durst not for the respect they bare to the Earle finde fault But the Earle had not therby much authoritie because the Senators the Gonfaloniere were by Lando and his partie fauoured During the continuance of these troubles in Florence the daughter of King Alberto comming from Germany passed that way in her iourny towards Carlo the sonne of Roberto her husband She was greatly honoured by the Kings friends and they imparted vnto her the state of the citie and the tyrannie of Lando with his followers In so much as by the fauour of her before her departure the citie was pacified Lando remoued from his authoritie and with riches blood and spoile sent home to Agobio The gouernment also of the King ouer the citie for three yeares was continued And whereas there had bene before seuen Senators elected by Lando six more were chosen for the King so the Magistrates were for a time thirteene After they were reduced to the auncient number of seuen About this time Vguccione was depriued of his authoritie in Lucca Pisa and Castruccio Castracani from a priuate Cittizen aspired to be Lord of Lucca for hee being a yoong man of great courage in euerie enterprise fortunate became in short space the principall Leader of all the Chibilini in Toscana For which respect the Florentines setting aside priuate discord deuised with themselues by what meanes Castruccio might be kept downe and how his forces alreadie growne might be resisted And to the end that the Senators might with better counsell be aduised with more authoritie execute the same they elected twelue Cittizens whome they called Boni Homini without whose consent and counsell the Senators might not do any thing of importance In this mean while the gouernment of king Roberto was expired the citie became Prince ouer it selfe with the auncient Magistrates and gouernors therof Also the great feare they had of Castruccio did hold the same vnited hee hauing done many things against the Lords of Lunigiana and assembled Prato The
he would allow the peace and sent Embassadors to Venice with a large Commission to ratifie the same yet secretly he commanded them not to conclude but with delaies and cauillations to deferre the conclusion And to make the Venetians the rather beleeue that which hee spake hee made truce with the Milanesi for one moneth retyring his Campe farre from the Citie and diuiding his forces into other places neare hand which he had lately wonne This practise was occasion of his victorie for the Venetians trusting to the peace were more slow in preparation to the warre and the Milanesi seeing the truce made the enemie farre off and the Venetians their friends beleeued assuredly that the Earle would abandon the enterprise Which determination by two means hindred them The first was because they neglected to prepare for their own defence The other for that they laid the countrey open to the enemie For the time then being fit to till the earth they sowed great store of corne by meane whereof the Earle might the more easily famish them To the Earle on the other side all those thinges helped which hindered the enemie and besides the delaie gaue him commoditie to take breath and prouide for aide In all this warre of Lombardy the Florentines were not discouered to be of any side nor to haue fauoured the Earle either when he defended the Milanesi nor after For the Earle hauing had no need did not verie earnestlie seeke it Onely after the ouerthrow of Carrauaggio by vertue of their Obligation in the League they sent aide to the Venetians But the Earle Francesco being alone and wanting other refuge was enforced instantly to praie aide of the Florentines both of the state publikely of his friends priuately chiefly of Cosimo de Medici with whom he had euer bene in great familiaritie and was by him in all his actions faithfully counselled and liberally supplied Neither did Cosimo in this so great a necessitie forsake him for as a priuate man he bountifully releeued him and to follow the enterprise encouraged him Hee also entreated the Cittie publikely to assist him where need required At that time liued in Florence Neri the sonne of Gino Capponi a Citizen of great power who thought it not good for the Citie that the Earle should possesse Milan supposing it more profitable for Italy that hee should ratifie the peace then prosecute the warre First he doubted least the Milanesi for the displeasure they bare to the Earle would yeeld wholly to the Venetians which would be the ruine of euerie man Then he iudged if the Earle should happen to surprize Milan that so great forces and countries ioyned togither were to be feared And if he were insupportable being an Earle aspired to the title of Duke no man should endure his pride Wherefore he thought better both for the Common-weale of Florence and all Italy that the Earle should continue with his reputation in Armes and Lombardy to be diuided into two common-weales which would neuer ioyne in the offence of an other and one of them alone could not offend and for bringing this to passe he saw no better meane then not to aide the Earle and maintain the old league with the Venetians These reasons were not of the friends of Cosimo accepted because they thought that Neri did make them not because he thought them good for the common-weale but for that he would not that the Earle being friend to Cosimo should aspire to be Duke Fearing least by that means Cosimo should become ouer mighty Cosimo contrariwise proued that aiding of the Earle was both for Italy that common-weale most profitable And that it was no wise conceit to thinke that the Milanesi could cōtinue free because the qualitie of their citie their maner of life the factions inueterated there were contrary to the forme of all ciuil gouernment so as it behoued that the Earle should become Duke or els the Venetians wold possesse it And in that choyse there was no man so witlesse that knew not whether it were better to haue at hand a mightie neighbour or a more mightie enemie Neither could he thinke it to be doubted that the Milanesi for hauing warre with the Earle would yeeld their obedience to the Venetians For the Earle hauing a factiō in Milan not they whēsoeuer they could not defend themselues as free they wold rather yeeld to the Earle then to the Venetians These diuersities of opinions held the citie doubtful what to determine Neuerthelesse in the end was cōcluded that Embassadors should be sent to the Earle to entertein a peace if they found him strong or likely to haue the victory then to conclude or not to vse cauillations delaies These Embassadours were at Reggio before they vnderstood that the Earle was become Lord of Milā For the Earle so soone as the time of truce was ended enuironed the citie with souldiers hoping within short space in despight of the Venetiās to surprize it because they were not able to succour it sauing on that side towards Adda which passage might easily be impeached and it was not feared the winter being come that the Venetians would encamp there Also the Earle hoped before the winter should passe to haue the victory and the rather by the death of Francesco Piccinino who had only left Giacopo his brother to gouerne the Milanesi The Venetians had sent an Embassador to Milan to encourage those Citizens to stand to their own defence promising them great and speedie supplie During that winter some light skirmishes happened betwixt the Venetians and the Earle But so soone as the season suffered the Venetians vnder the conduct of Pandolfo Malatesta brought their Army to Adda where they consulted whether it was best to assault the Earle and thereby trie their fortune Pandolfo their Capteine thought not good to make that triall in respect of the Earles vertue and the sufficiencie of his armie but hoped it was possible without fighting more safely to oppresse him because the Earle at that present was with the lacke of corne greatly distressed His aduise therefore was that the campe should not dislodge wherby the Milanesi might stil hope of ayd and not by dispair yeeld them to the Earle This opiniō was by the Venetians allowed as wel in respect of securitie as that they thought the Milanesi being in so great necessitie should be enforced to yeeld to their dominion persuaded that they wold neuer giue thēselues to the Earle by whō they had bin many waies iniured In this meane space the Milanesi were broght almost into extreme misery in that citie naturally aboūding with poore people many died of famin wherat the inhabitants murmured and cōplained The magistrats therby grew afraid carefully prouided that the people shuld not gather togither For although the multitude doth not hastily dispose it self to mischief yet whē it happē to be fully bēt euery litle accidēt doth moue it It hapned that 2.
vpon Notwithstanding Gherardo being still sollicited by the King at length consented to the practise And hauing concluded the same the King sent to the Vale of Bagno a Knight of Ierusalem called Puccio and with him diuerse bands of souldiers to take possession of the Castles and Townes belonging to Gherardo But those people of Bagno being affectionate to the Florentines verie vnwillinglie promised their obedience to the Kings Commissaries Puccio hauing taken possession of all that state wanted onely to possesse himselfe of the fortresse of Corzano When Gherardo deliuered this possession there was present among many others one called Antonio Gualandi of Pisa a yong man verie valiant and such a one as was with the treason of Gherardo greatly discontented He considering the scite of the fortresses and finding by the countenance of those souldiers who guarded it that they were likewise displeased While Gherardo stood at the gate to let in the Kings souldiers Antonio came betwixt him and the Castle and with both his hands forcibly thrust him out commaunding the Guard to shut the gates against so wicked a Traytor and keepe the same to the vse of the Florentines This rumor being heard in the Vale of Bagno and other places neare vnto it all the people tooke armes against the King and followed the Florentines ensigne This matter aduertised to Florence the Florentines caused the sonne of Gherardo remaining with them in hostage to be put in prison and sent souldiers to Bagno to defend the countrey for them changing that gouernment from a principalitie into a Vicariato But Gherardo hauing thus betraied both his Lords and his owne sonne with great difficultie fled leauing his wife his daughter and his substance at the discretion of the enemy This accident stood the Florentines greatly in stead For if the King had possessed that Countrey he might with small charge and easily haue gotten the Vale of Teueri and spoiled Casentino whereby he should haue so much troubled the state that the Florentines could not haue bene able to encounter the forces of Arragon which remained at Siena The Florentines besides their owne preparation in Italy the rather to oppresse their enemies had sent Agnolo Acciaiuoili Embassador to the French King to perswade him to licence Rinato de Angio to come in the aide of the Duke and them By which meanes he should defend his friends and afterwards being in Italy attend the surprizing of the Kingdome whereunto they offered him aide both of men and money During the warres in Lombardy and in Toscana as is before said the Embassador concluded with King Rinato of Angio that before the end of Iune he should come into Italy with two thousand and foure hundred horse and that at his arriuall in Alessandria the League should giue him thirtie thousand Florins readie paiment and euery moneth after during the warres tenne thousand The King then by vertue of this league comming into Italy was by the Duke of Sauoia and the Marquesse of Monferato impeached for they being friends to the Venetians would not permit him to passe Whereupon the King was perswaded by the Embassador of Florence to returne to Prouenza with certaine of his army and from thence to passe into Italy by sea And on the other side to perswade with the French King to procure so much fauour of that Duke that the rest of his souldiers might come through Sauoia According to this counsell the matter was handled and the King Rinato went by Sea into Italy conueying the rest of his Army through Sauoia by the French Kings mediation The King Rinato was by the Duke Francesco most honorably receiued and hauing ioyned the Italian forces with the Kings they assaulted the Venetians with so great furie that within short space they recouered all those Townes in Cremonesi which they had before lost and not so content they surprized almost all the countrey of Brescia The Venetian army fearing to tarry in the field retired to the walles of Brescia But the winter being come the Duke thought good to withdraw his souldiers to their lodgings appointing for the Kings aboad the Cittie of Piacenza where he remained all that winter in the yeare 1453. without any other action performed So soone as the time of yeare serued and that the Duke was going to the field in hope to dispossesse the Venetians of the rest of their Countries vpon the firme land the King Rinato signified vnto him that of necessitie he was to returne into Fraunce This intention of the Kings seemed to the Duke not onely strange but also vnlooked for and therefore greatly offended him and albeit he went in person presently to disswade him yet neither his intreatie nor promises could take effect but onely promised to leaue behinde him part of his forces and to send his sonne Giouanni to supplie his place in seruice of the League This resolution grieued not the Florentines for they hauing recouered their Castles feared not the King any longer And on the other side they desired that the Duke should not recouer more then the townes in Lombrdy to him belonging The King Rinato being gone sent according to promise his sonne into Italy who stayed not in Lombardy but went presently vnto Florence where he was very honorably receiued The matter thus handled by the King did occasion the Duke to be content with peace and the Venetians Alfonso and the Florentines being likewise wearied desired the same The Pope also by all meanes laboured to bring it to passe bicause the same yeare Mahumetto the great Turk had taken Constantinople and made himselfe Lord of all Greece which victorie terrified greatly all Christians but chiefely the Venetians and the Pope who thought Italy was thereby in great danger The Pope therefore desired the Potentates of Italy to send Embassadors vnto him with authoritie to establish an vniuersall peace which commission was performed and notwithstanding that altogither they ioyned and seemed all to allow of the motion they found neuerthelesse therein great difficultie The King required that the Florentines should pay his charges in the warre past and the Florentines would be paid themselues The Venetians demaunded Cremona of the Duke and the Duke asked of them Bergamo Brescia and Crema so that these difficulties seemed impossible to be remoued notwithstanding that which at Rome seemed hard to be concluded at Milan and Venice prooued easie For when at Rome the peace vniuersall was practised the Duke and the Venetians betwixt themselues made an agreement on the ninth of Aprill in the yeare 1451. By vertue whereof euery of them should repossesse those townes which were theirs before the warre And it was graunted to the Duke that he might recouer his townes taken from him by the Lords of Monferato and Sauoia And to the other Princes of Italy one moneth was allowed to ratifie the same The Pope the Florētines the Sanesi and the lesser Potentates within the time appointed made their ratification
them Piero Capponi who was by reason of the auncient hate which that citie beareth to the Florentines receiued with so great suspition as hee feared many times to haue bene populerly slaine Insomuch as this iourney did rather breede occasion of new displeasure then new friendship The Florentines then reuoked the Marquesse of Farrara enterteined the Marquesse of Mantoua and with great sute required of the Venetians to haue the Earle Carlo sonne of Braccio and Deifebo sonne of the Earle Giacopo Which request after many cauillations was by the Venetians graunted For they hauing made truce with the Turke had no colour to deny them and were ashamed to break their promise made to the League The Earles Carlo Deifebo came with a good number of men at armes ioyning to them all other the men of armes they could spare frō the army which serued vnder the Marques of Farrara against the Duke of Calauria went towards Pisa to encounter Roberto who with his men was neare to the riuer of Serchio And albeit he made shew to tarry for our mē yet did he not but retired into Lunigiana to those lodgings from whence he came when he entred into the country of Pisa After his departure all those towns were recouered by the Earle Carlo which the enimies had before taken in the country of Pisa The Florentines deliuered of the enemy towards Pisa caused all their forces to be brought betwixt Colle S. Gimiano But by reason of the Earle Carlo his cōming there were in that camp both the folowers Sforza Braccio which was the occasiō that moued with old enuy they begā to mutiny was feared that if they had bin long togither they would haue come to blows It was therfore thought fit for eschuing a worse mischief to diuide the soldiers send one part of thē into the country of Perugia vnder the Earle Carlo the other to stay at Piggibonzi there to entrench themselues strong procure that the enimy shuld not enter the Florentines land By this actiō they also hoped to cōstrain the enimies to diuide their forces for they thought either that the Earle Carlo shuld surprize Perugia where they supposed he had many partakers or that the Pope shuld be inforced to send great forces to defēd it They practised moreouer to bring the pope in more necessity that Nicolo Vitelli being come frō the city of Castello where Lorēzo his enimy was chief shuld with his mē approch the town remoue his aduersary take it frō the pope At the beginning it seemed as thogh fortune wold haue fauored the Florētine attempts bicause Earle Carlo proceded wel in the coūtry of Perugia Nicholo Vitelli also although he entred into Castello yet he and his were strongest in the field and without any resistance spoiled about the Citie at his pleasure Likewise the forces left at Poggibonzi went euery day to the walles of Siena Notwithstanding all these hopes became vaine First died the Earle Carlo in the chiefe hope of his victorie whose death had bettered the estate of the Florentines if the victorie which grew thereof had bene well vsed For so soone as the Earles death was knowne sodeinly the Popes souldiers who were altogither at Perugia hoped to ouerthrow the Florentines and comming forth into the field lodged themselues vpon the lage distant three miles from the enemie On the other side Giacopo Guicciardini who was Commissary of that camp with the counsel of Roberto da Rimino Chieftain after the death of the Earle Carlo knowing the occasion of the enemies pride determined to staie for them So as ioyning battle vppon that lage where in old time Anniball gaue that memorable ouerthrow to the Romanes the Popes forces were broken Which victory was in Florence receiued with commendation of the captaines comfort of all others And the same had proued the honor profit of the enterprise if the disorders which grew in the army at Poggibonzi had not vndone all And thus the good successe of the one camp was vtterly marred by the other For the souldiers of that army hauing gottē a bootie in the country of Siena in the diuisiō therof the Marques of Farrara Mantoua fell in debate Insomuch as they came to armes either iniuring the other by all meanes they could Whereby the Florentines finding they could no more imploy them togither were pleased that the Marques of Farrara with his men should be discharged That army thus weakned left without a gouernor proceeding in euery thing disorderly the Duke of Calauria who was with his camp near to Siena tooke courage to approach so did The Florentins seeing thēselues likely to be assailed neither trusted to their force nor their number which was greater then the enemies nor in their place where they were being of great force but without respect euē at sight of the enemy the dust fled leauing the munitiō the cariages artillary So beastly cowardly were those camps whē the charge or retire of one horse might make the losse or winning of an enterprise This discōfit filled the kings souldiers with spoile the Florentines with feare For their citie was not onely afflicted with war but also with pestilence which was so great that all the Cittizens to shun death were retired to their country houses This ouerthrow was the more terrible because those Cittizens who had land in the vales of Pisa Delsa being come thither the ouerthrow performed with all possible speed returned to Florence leading with them not only their children goods but also their labourers For euerie houre it was feared the enemy would present himself before the citie The officers for the war seeing this disorder commanded those forces which were victorious in the country of Perugia to surcease their enterprise against the Perugini come to the vale of Delsa to encounter the enemy there who after the victory did without resistance spoile the country And albeit they had so greatly distressed the citie of Perugia as they might euerie houre looke for victorie yet the Florentines resolued rather to defend their own thē take from others Thus that army remoued from the place of happy successe was brought to S. Cassiano a Castle distant frō Florence 8. miles thinking they could not staie in any other place till such time as the broken Camp were supplied The enemies on the other side at Perugia being free by the departure of the Florentine souldiers become audacious did daily take great booties in the countries of Arezzo Cortona and the others who had victory vnder Alfonso Duke of Calauria at Poggibonzi got the possessiō first of Poggibonzi then of Vico sacked Certaldo Hauing won these towns cōmitted these spoils they incamped before the castle of Colle which in those daies was accounted a place of great strength and the people of that country being faithfull to the Florentines were of force sufficient to hold the enemie off till the
and beganne to deuise rather how hee might winne him for a friend then continue him an enemie Notwithstanding for diuerse causes hee enterteined him from December till Marche not onelie to make the more triall of him but also of his Cittie For Lorenzo wanted not enemies in Florence who desired that the King would haue holden him and enterteined Giacopo Piccinino and vnder colour of lamenting they speake their mindes Also in publique Councelles they opposed their opinions against Lorenzo By these deuises It was bruted that if the King woulde keepe Lorenzo long at Naples the gouernment in Florence should be chaunged Whiche was the onely cause that the King deferred his dispatch so long hoping there might some tumult arise in Florence But seeing that all thinges passed quietly on the sixt day of March in the yeare 1479. he had leaue to depart and before his departure was by the King so bountifully presented louingly vsed that betwixt Lorenzo the King their grew a perpetual amity preseruation of both their states Thus Lorenzo returned to Florence with greater reputation honor then he went thence was with so great ioy of the citie receiued as his great vertues new merits deserued hauing put his own life in hazard to recouer peace to his country For within two daies after his arriuall the treaty betwixt the common weale of Florence the King was proclaimed wherby they were both both bound to defend one the others country that the townes taken frō the Florentines in the war shuld be by the King restored And that the Pazzi imprisoned in the town of Volterra shuld be deliuered And that mony should be for a certaine time paide vnto the Duke of Calauria This peace being published did much offend the Pope the Venetians because the Pope thought he was litle esteemed of the King the Venetians as litle regarded of the Florentines who being their companions in the war thought themselues il vsed not to be partakers of the peace This indignation vnderstood and beleeued at Florence did sodeinly breed suspition in euerie man that of the peace wold arise a greater war Wherupon the Magistrates of the state determined to restraine the gouernment and that the affaires of most importance should be reduced into the hands of a lesse number and so ordeined a Councell of 70. Citizens with authoritie that they might proceed in matters of most importance This new ordinance staied the minds of those that desired innouation and to giue thereto countenance first of all they accepted the peace which Lorenzo had made with the King and sent vnto the Pope Antonio Ridolphi and Piero Nasi Neuertheles Alfonso Duke of Calauria did not remoue his army from Siena saying he was staied by the discord of the citizens there which was so great that he being lodged without the citie was called in and made iudge of their differents The Duke taking these occasions punished many of those citizens in mony imprisoning banishing others and some also were iudged to death In so much as by this meanes he became suspected not only to the Sanesi but the Florentines also mistrusted he would make himself Prince of that citie Wherof they knew no remedy cōsidering the new friendship of Florence with the King the enmitie of the Pope King Which suspition not only in the people of Florence generally who mistrustfully cōsider of all things but in the chief gouernors of the state appeared euery man imagining that our citie had neuer bin in so great danger to lose the liberty therof But God who had euer a particuler care therof caused an accident to happē vnlooked for which made the King the Pope the Venetians to think of greater matters thē these of Toscana Mahumetto great Turk was with a mighty army gone to the Isle of Rodi had many months assaulted it But notwithstanding his forces were great and his resolution to win the town greater yet was the vertue of those that defended the same greatest of all For Mahumetto notwithstanding his furious assaults was forced to depart with shame Thus the Turk being departed frō Rodi part of his army cōducted by Saccometto Bascia went towards Velona by the way either for that he saw the enterprise easie or because the Turk had so commanded passed by the coast of Italy sodeinly set 4000. men on land who assaulted the citie of Ottranto tooke it sacked it slew all the inhabitants therof which done by all the best means he could fortified both the citie the hauen Thē sent he for horsmen with them he forraged spoiled the coūtry round about The king seeing this assault knowing how great a prince had takē that enterprise in hād sent vnto al places to signify the same desired aid of thē al against the cōmon enimy Also speedily reuoked the Duke of Calauria with his forces frō Siena This assault thogh it grieued the duke the rest of Italy yet did the same cōfort Florēce Siena One hoping therby to recouer liberty th'other trusting the rather to shun those perils which made them to feare the losse of their libertie Which opinion was encreased by the vnwilling departure and lamentation of the Duke at his going from Siena accusing fortune that she by an vnlooked for and vnreasonable accident had taken frō him the dominion of Toscana The selfsame chance did alter the Popes mind for where before he refused to giue audience to all Florentines he was now become so curteous as he refused not to hear any that wold speak vnto him of the vniuersal peace Whereupon the Florentines were aduertised that if they would desire pardon of the Pope they might obteine it It was then thought good not to omit this occasion and 12. Embassadors were sent to the Pope who being arriued at Rome were by his holinesse before they had audience enterteined with diuers practises In the end it was betweene the parties concluded how either of them should afterwards liue in what sort either of them both in peace and war were to make contribution After this conclusion the Embassadors were admitted to present themselues at the Popes feete and he sitting in the midst of his Cardinals with exceeding great pomp receiued them These Embassadors excused all matters passed sometimes blaming necessitie sometimes the euil disposition of others sometimes the populer furie and the iust offence thereof saying they were most vnhappie being forced either to fight or die And because all things are endured to eschue death they had suffred war excommunicatiōs all other troubles which the matters passed had brought with thē And all to the end that their common weale might auoyd bondage which is the death of all free Cities Neuertheles if any error or enforced fault were committed they were ready to make satisfaction euer hoping in his goodnes who following the examples of the almightie Redeemer he would receiue them
rather for his mercie then their merits To which excuses the Pope answered with great pride and anger reprouing them of all things done against the church notwithstāding for Gods sake he was pleased to grant them the pardō they desired yet therwith affirming they were to obey him if they shal faile of obedience their libertie which now should haue bin lost shall then be iustly taken from thē For they deserue libertie who take in hand good actions not they that in euil enterprises employ themselues Because libertie abused offendeth it self and others Also to esteem God litle the church lesse is not the office of good mē but of vain persons enclined to euil The correction of whō apperteineth not onely to Princes but to euery christian so as they were for matters passed to blame their own euil doings which was the first occasion of war by their worse doings it was norished But all anger was now extinguished rather by the goodnes of others thē their own deserts After publication of the peace the Popes blessing was read Whereunto his holinesse by word of mouth added that if they would enioy the benifit of his benediction they should during the Turks war in the kingdom maintein at their charge 15. gallies wel paid The Embassadors complained much of this burdē imposed ouer and aboue the contract Yet by no meanes they could make or by any lamentation they vsed the Pope would diminish any part of that penance But the Embassadors being returned to Florence the Senate for confirmation of this peace sent Embassador to the Pope Guidantonio Vespucci who was lately ariued frō France He by his wisdom brought all matters vnto reasonable termes obteined many fauours of the Pope which was a token of greater reconciliatiō The Florentines hauing ended their busines with the Pope and Siena with themselues being deliuered from feare of the King by the departure of the Duke of Calauria and the Turkes warre continuing constrained the King to restore all the Castles which the Duke of Calauria at his departure left in the handes of the Sanesi Wherby that King hoped that the Florentines in so great necessitie would not shrincke from him or by moouing of warre against the Sanesi impeach the aide which hee hoped of from the Pope and other Italian Princes And therefore was content that the Castles should bee restored and bound the Florentines by a new obligation So as thereby we see that force and necessitie but not writings or obligations do make Princes to obserue their faith The Castles thus receiued and the new confederacie made Lorenzo di Medici recouered that reputation which the warre first and after the peace when the King was feared had taken from him For there wanted not those that openly slaundered him and said that for sauing himselfe he had sould his countrey and that by the warre they lost their townes and by the peace they should lose their libertie But the townes recouered an honorable peace made with the King and the Cittie returned to the auncient reputation For in Florence a Cittie free of speech and therein matters iudged by their successe and not by counsell the case was altered and Lorenzo commended to the skies euerie man saying that he with his wisedome had found meanes to recouer that by peace which euill fortune had taken from them in warre and that his counsell and iudgement had preuailed more then the enemies armes or their money The assault of the Turks had deferred that warre which by offence of the Pope and Venetians would haue bene moued But as the beginning of that assault was vnlooked for and occasion of much good so was the end thereof vnlooked for and the cause of much euill for Mahumetto great Turke beyond all expectation died and discord growing betwixt his sonnes those Turks that were in Puglia being abandoned of their Lord by composition yeelded Ottranto to the King This feare remoued which held the Pope and Venetians firme euery man doubted new tumults On the one side the Pope and the Venetians were in league and with them the Genouesi Sanesi and other lesse Potentates On the other were the Florentines the King and the Duke with whome the Bolognesi and many other Lords ioyned The Venetians desired to become Lords of Farrara supposing they had reasonable occasion to begin that enterprise and certaine hope to performe it The occasion was bicause the Marquesse affirmed he was no longer bound to receiue the Visdomine and their salte bicause the contract was that after seauentie yeares the Cittie should be disburthened of those charges The Venetians to the contrarie answered that so long as he did hold the Polesine so long he ought to receiue the Visdomine and the salte But the Marquesse not consenting thereto the Venetians thought they had iust occasion to take armes and time fit for the same seeing the Pope much offended with the Florentines and the King whose fauour they hoped the rather to haue bicause the Earle Girolamo being at Venice was there receiued most honorablie and the Venetians bestowed on him the title of a Gentleman of that state which is the greatest token of honor which they will or can giue They had also for preparation of the warres imposed a new Subsidie and chosen Roberto de Sanseuerino for their Generall who being offended with Lodouico Gouernour of Milan was fled to Tortona and there hauing made some tumults went to Genoua from thence he was called by the Venetians and made Chiefetaine of their armie These preparations and new motions being knowne to those of the contrarie league was the cause that they also prepared for the warre The Duke of Milan made Federigo Lord of Vrbino his Generall and the Florentines Costanzo de Pesaro Also to sound the disposition of the Pope and to discouer whether the Venetians with his consent did make the warre against Farrara the King Ferrando sent Alfonso Duke of Calauria with his armie to the riuer of Tronto and there desired leaue of the Pope to passe into Lombardy to aide the Marquesse which was by the Pope vtterly denied Whereupon the King and the Florentines being resolued thought to constraine him by force so as thereby he should either become their friend or at the least they would so trouble him as he could not be able to aide the Venetians for they were in the field and had alreadie begun the warre with the Marquesse spoyled his countreys and besieged Figarolo a Castle of much importance for the countrey of that Prince Thus the King and the Florentines determined to assaile the Pope Alfonso Duke of Calauria spoiled the countrey towards Rome and with aide of the Colonni who were on his side bicause the Orsini were ioyned with the Pope did great dammage to that countrey on the other side of Rome The Florentines on the other side vnder Nicholo Vitelli assaulted the Cittie of Castello surprized it and draue out Lorenzo who kept that
and within a few daies after his arriuall the Castle was yeelded The winter now come the Captaines liked not to proceed further in the warre but attend the Spring and the rather bicause the Autumne past by meanes of euill aires sicknes was brought into the Camp wherewith many of the Captaines and leaders were diseased Among whome Antonio Pucci and Bongianni Gianfigliazzi were not onely sick but also dead to the great griefe of all the army so great was the honor and loue that Pucci had wonne in the exploite of Pietrasanta After the taking of Pietrasanta the Lucchesi sent Embassadors to Florence to demaund that towne as a thing belonging to their common-weale For they alleaged that among other things it was contracted betwixt them that the towne first wonne by any of them should be restored to the auncient owner The Florentines directlie denied not that couenant but answered that they doubted whether in the peace made betwixt them and the Genouesi it was meant the towne to be deliuered and therefore they could not till then determine and if it were restored then the Lucchesi ought of necessitie to pay the charge and make satisfaction for the losse of so many great Citizens which if they would do they might hope to haue it againe All that winter was spent in the communication of this peace betwixt the Genouesi and the Florentines And by reason the Pope was a doer therein the matter was handled at Rome but not being concluded the Florentines would the next Spring haue assaulted Serezana had they not bene by the sicknesse of Lorenzo di Medici and the warre which grew betwixt the Pope and the King Ferrando impeached For Lorenzo was not onely diseased of the gowt which infirmitie seemed to discend from his father but was also so grieuouslie tormented with griefe of the stomack that he went vnto the Bathes to be cured but the warre was the chiefe occasion of his sicknesse and the originall thereof The Citie of Aquila was subiect to the King of Naples yet the people therein liued as free In this Citie the Earle Montorio had great reputation The Duke of Calauria with his men of armes being neare vnto Tronto pretending to pacifie certaine tumults among the people of that countrey and intending to reduce Aquila wholie vnder the Kings obedience sent for the Earle Montorio as though he would imploy him in those matters he made shew of The Earle without suspition came and was presently by the Duke sent to Naples prisoner These newes being aduertised to Aquila altered the minde of the Cittie and the people populerly tooke armes and slewe Antonio Concinello Commissarie for the King and with him certaine other Citizens who were knowne affectionate to the King Also to the end the Aquilani might haue some friend to defend them in their rebellion they displaied the Ensigne of the Church and sent Embassadors to giue the Cittie to the Pope desiring him as his owne subiects to defend them from the tyrannie of the King The Pope manfully tooke in hand their defence as one that both for priuate and publique occasion hated the King And Roberto da Sanseuerino enemy to the State of Milan hapning to be out of pay the Pope enterteined him for Generall and caused him with great expedition to come vnto Rome and besides that sollicited all the friends and kinsmen of the Earle Montorio to become Rebels to the King in so much as the Princes of Altemura Salerno Bisignano tooke armes against him The King seeing himselfe by so sodeine a warre assaulted prayed aide of the Florentines and the Duke of Milan The Florentines stood doubtfull what to do bicause it seemed hard to leaue their owne enterprise for others and to take armes against the Church was perilous Notwithstanding being in league they preferred fidelitie before commoditie or perill and enterteined the Orsini and sent all their owne men towards Rome to the aide of the King vnder conduct of the Earle of Pitigliano Then the King made two camps and sent the one towards Rome vnder the Duke of Calauria who with the Florentines should incounter the Popes army The other camp himselfe did leade and marched toward the Barons that rebelled This warre with variable fortune was mannaged and at the end the King in all places hauing aduantage by mediation of the Embassadors of Spayne a peace was concluded in the moneth of August 1486. whereunto the Pope being beaten with euill fortune and loth to aduenture more consented Also all the Potentates of Italy were included onely the Genouesi as rebels to the State of Milan and vsurpers of the Florentines lands were left out Roberto da Sanseuerino the peace made hauing bene in this warre no faithfull friend to the Pope and nothing terrible to the enemy departed from Rome as driuen out by the Pope and being followed by the Dukes and Florentines souldiers so soone as he had passed Cesena seeing himselfe not followed fled away and with lesse then one hundred horse came to Rauenna Of the rest of his men some were receiued by the Duke and some by the countrey people were cut in pieces The King hauing made peace and reconciled his Barons put to death Giouanni Coppola and Antonello de Anuersa with his sonnes and those which had in the warre reuealed his secrets vnto the Pope By meanes of this warre the Pope knew what readinesse and care the Florentines had to keepe friendship and therefore albeit that for the loue of the Genouesi and the aiding of the King he before hated them yet now he began to loue them and shew more fauour vnto their Embassadors then he was wont Which disposition knowne to Lorenzo de Medici was by all honorable meanes increased for he thought it much for his reputation if to the fauour which the King bare him he might also ioyne the Popes friendship This Pope had one sonne called Francesco and being desirous to honor him with lands and friends wherewith he might after his death mainteine himselfe he knewe not any in Italy with whome he could more safely be matched then with Lorenzo and therefore so handled the matter that Lorenzo married a daughter of his vnto Francesco This marriage being made the Pope desired that the Genouesi might by composition deliuer Serezana to the Florentines perswading them that they should not hold that which Agostino had sold nor Agostino could giue vnto S. George that which was not his Notwithstanding this perswasion tooke no effect But the Genouesi while these matters were practising at Rome armed certaine of their Ships and before the Florentines knew any thing thereof set three thousand footmen a land and assaulted the Castle of Serezanello neare vnto Serezana belonging to the Florentines spoyling and burning the Towne which done they planted their Artillarie against the Castle and with all diligence battered the same This new assault was vnlooked for of the Florentines neuerthelesse presently they assaulted their
THE FLORENTINE Historie WRITTEN IN THE ITALIAN TONGVE BY NICHOLO MACCHIAVELLI CITIZEN AND SECREtarie of Florence And translated into English By T. B. Esquire LONDON Printed by T. C. for VV. P. 1595. NON TIBI SPIRO S r. Richard Newdigate of Arbury in the County of Warwick Baronet 1709 TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SYR CHRISTOPHER HATTON KNIGHT OF THE ORDER ONE OF HER MAIESTIES PRIVIE COVNCELL AND LORD CHANcellour of England MY VERIE GOOD LORD It hath bene and yet I thinke is an vse allowable to present those whom we honour or loue with such things as either for their value be profitable or for their noueltie pleasing Wanting power to performe the one I make bold to do the other and according to my promise send you this old Historie newly translated Which albeit your L. hath heretofore read in the Italian toong yet may it be that for varieties sake you will againe vouchsafe to peruse it in our English written by him that is all yours Sure I am and by reading hereof your L. shall be assured that neither I haue fully expressed the Authours conceit nor the writer well performed his dutie Notwithstanding sith both those wants may be supplied by your iudgement I aduenture the Booke into your L. hand whom I dare trust with any pardonable error For as I haue taken in hand this labour more to enterteine my selfe not otherwise occupied then thereby to merit your thanks or the commendation of others so doo I recommend the same to your L. rather to be looked on at leisure then as a thing of perfection worthie to be studied Yet do I thinke and so do others of more iudgement that this Historie doth equall or excell the most part that haue bin written not so much for the order and argument of the matter as the iuditiall discourses and obseruations of the Authour Wherein be discouered the causes of forraine and domesticall discords the commodities and discommodities of treaties and the secret humours of Princes with diuerse other things verie considerable chiefly of such as be called to consultation of publike affaires gouernment And as the end of all Histories ought be to mooue men vnto vertue and discourage them from vice so do I thinke there is not any that conteineth more examples to that purpose then this writer who leauing aside all partialitie and the custome of those that studie to flatter whom they fauour and misreport whom they loue not doth seeme greatly to follow the truth and setteth forth rather the causes and effects of euerie action then ouer-much extoll or disgrace the persons of whome the storie entreateth But as of all other things so hereof your L. can best iudge Wherefore most humbly reaccommending to your good fauour this poore Present and my faithfull seruice I take leaue At the Court this eight of Aprill 1588. Your L. most humble and assured to commaund Thomas Bedingfeld The Proeme of the Authour MY meaning was at such time as I determined to write the Actions of the Florentine people both within and without the Citie to begin my Narration from the yeare of the Christian Religion 1444. at which time the house of Medici through the merits of Cosimo and Giouanni his father aspired to more reputation then any other in Florence For I thought that Leonardo of Arezzo and Poggio two excellent Historiographers had particulerly set downe all things that till those dayes had hapned But hauing afterwards diligently read their writings to see with what order and meanes they proceeded to the end that following the same our Historie might be by the Readers better allowed I found that in their description of the warres made by the Florentines both against Princes and other forraine States they had vsed exceeding great diligence but of the ciuill discords and inward enimities of the effects by them brought forth they had vtterly omitted one part so brieflie described the other as the Readers could not thereby gather any profit or pleasure at all which I thinke they did either because they iudged those matters so meane as were not worthie the writing or else feared to offend the posteritie of some persons who should thereby haue bene euill reported VVhich two respects be it spoken without offence seeme to me vtterly vnworthie men of great reputation For if there be any thing in Histories that delighteth or teacheth it is that which maketh particuler description Or if any reading be profitable for men that gouerne in Common-weales it is that which sheweth the occasions of hate and faction to the end that being warned by harme of others they may become wise and continue themselues vnited Also if euery example of Common-weales do moue the mind those we read of our Country doo moue most and be most profitable Moreouer if the diuisions of any Common-weale haue euer bene notable the diuisions of Florence are of all others most notable For the most part of other Common-weales to vs knowne were content with one onely diuision ond thereby according to the accidents sometimes encreased and sometimes ruined their Cities But Florence not content with one had many diuisions In Rome as euery man knoweth after the Kings were expulsed diuision grew betweene the nobilitie and the multitude which continued till the ruine thereof the like hapned in Athens and all other Common-weales which in those dayes flourished But in Florence first the noble men became diuided among themselues Then the nobilitie and the people And at last the people and the multitude Yea many times it hapned that one of these being victorious diuided it selfe into two Of which diuisions followed so many murthers so many banishments and so many subuersions of Families as neuer chaunced within any Citie that can be remembred And surely it seemeth to mee there is nothing that witnesseth so well the greatnes of our Citie as that which dependeth vpon these diuisions being of force sufficient to subuert any Citie of what greatnes or power so euer Notwithstanding our state still encreased For so great was the vertue of those Citizens by their wisedome and courage to work the aduancement of themselues and their country as they that hapned to escape so manifold mischiefes could by their vertue procure more encrease to the Citie then the displeasure of those accidents which wrought the decaie could decrease it And withouc all doubc if Florence had bin so happie as it might vpon the deliuery thereof from the Empire haue taken some forme of gouernment which would haue holden the state vnited I know not what Common-weale either auncient or moderne that for vertue of Armes and industrie before it could haue bene preferred For most true it is that after the Ghibilini were banished in so great numbers that all Toscana and Lombardy was full of them the Guelfi with the rest that remayned at the warre against Arezzo one yeare before the iourney of Compaldino drew out of their owne Cittie of Cittizens onely 1200. men of Armes and 12000.
Pope distraught of his vvits died This Bonifacio vvas he that ordeined the Iubilie in the yeare 1300. and commanded that euery hundreth yeare the same should be so solemnized After that time happened many troubles betvveene the factions of Guelfi Ghibellini And by reason that Italy vvas abandoned by the Emperors many towns became free and many others by tyrants possessed Pope Benedetto restored the Hat to the Cardinals Colonesi and absolued Philippo the French King To him succeeded Clemente quinto vvho being a French man remoued his court into France in the year 1306. In the meane space Carlo the second King of Napoli died To that kingdom succeeded Robarto his sonne and to the Empire Arrigo of Lucemburgh who notwithstanding the absence of the Pope from Rome vvent thither to be crowned By meane of that iourney grevv many troubles in Lombardy because all those that had bene banished either Guelfi or Ghibellini vvere admitted to returne to their townes and there being made so great quarrels among themselues as the Emperour vvith all his power could not appease The Emperour then departed from Lombardy to Genoua and so to Pisa vvhere he practised to take Toscana from the king Robarto But hauing no successe vvent on to Rome where he remained not long being driuen out by the Orsini and the friends of king Robarto Then returned he to Pisa vvhere he deuised for his better proceeding in the vvars of Toscana and the rather also to remooue king Robarto from his gouernment that Frederigo king of Sicilia should assault those countries But at such time as hee hoped at one instant to performe both those enterprises he died and Lodouico of Bauiera was chosen Emperour In this meane space was created Giouanni 22. In whose dayes the Emperour ceased not to persecute the Guelfi and the church which vvas chiefly defended by king Robarto and the Florentines Wherof grew great vvarre in Lombardy by the Visconti against the Guelfi and in Toscana by Castruccio of Lucca against the Florentines And because the family of Visconti vvas that vvhich beganne the Dukedome of Milan one of the fiue principallities that gouerned Italy I thinke good more at large hereafter to intreate of them After that the league of the cities of Lombardy vvas concluded as hath bene beforesaid and they resolued to defend themselues from Federigo Barbarossa Milan also being repaired of the ruines conspired vvith those cities of the league to be reuenged of former iniuries Which league brideled Barbarossa and for a time gaue countenance to the faction of the church then in Lombardy During these vvarres the house of Torre grevv to great reputation so long as the Emperours had in that country small authoritie But vvhen Federigo the second vvas come into Italy and the Ghibellini through the helpe of Ezelino became strong the humour of Ghibilini sprung vp in euery citie and the house of Visconti taking part with that factiō chased out of Milan the family of Torre yet were they not long out but by meane of a peace concluded betwixt the Emperour and the Pope hee with his Court beeing in France and Arrigo of Lucimburg going to Rome for the Crowne was receiued into Milan by Maffeo Visconti and Guido della Torre who at that time were chiefe of those houses yet Maffeo intending by helpe of the Emperour to driue Guido out of the Citie and supposing that enterprise the more likely because Guido was in faction contrary to the Empire hee tooke occasion vpon the complaints of the people against the euil demeanor of the Germains slily perswading and encouraging euery man to take Armes and deliuer themselues from the seruitude of that barbarous nation And when all things were made ready he caused a secret minister of his to mooue a tumult Whereat all the people tooke Armes against the name of Germany and Maffeo with his sonnes and followers suddeinly armed went to Arrigo letting him vnderstand that this tumult proceeded frō those of the house of Torre who not contented to liue priuate in Milan tooke occasion to spoyle him gratifie the Guelfi of Italy and make themselues princes of that citie Notwithstanding hee perswaded the Emperour to be of good cheare for they and their followers would in euery respect saue and defend him Arrigo beleeued all that which Maffeo had spoken ioyning his forces with the Visconti assailed those Della Torre Who beeing dispersed in diuerse places of the Cittie to appease the tumult so many of them as could be found were slaine and the rest spoyled sent into Italy Maffeo Visconti thus made as it were prince of Milan had diuerse sonnes the chiefe of them were called Galiazzo and Azo and after them Luchino Giouanni Giouanni became Archbishop of that Citie and of Luchino who died before him remained Barnabo and Galiazzo called Conte de Vertu He after the death of the Archbishop killed Barnabo his vncle and so became onely prince of Milan and was the first that had the title of Duke Of him descended Philippo Giouan Mariangilo who being slaine by the people of Milan the state remained onely to Philippo and he hauing no heires male the Dukedome was translated from the house of Visconti to the Sforzi as shall be hereafter declared But to returne to our matter Lodouico the Emperour to giue reputation to his faction and take the Crowne came into Italy and being arriued at Milan to the end he might leauy mony of the Milanesi offred to make them free and for proofe thereof imprisoned the Visconti Afterwards by mediation of Castruccio of Lucca deliuered them and went to Rome Then the more easily to disturbe Italy he made Piero de la Coruara Antipope by whose authoritie and the force of Visconti he hoped to keepe downe the contrary faction both in Toscana and Lombardy But Castruccio then died which was the cause of his ruine for Pisa and Lucca presently rebelled And the Pisani sent the Antipope prisoner to the Pope thē remaining in France Whereupon the Emperour dispairing of his enterprise in Italy returned to Germany So soone as he was gone Giouanni king of Bohemia came into Italy called thither by the Ghibilini of Brescia and possessed that Citie with one other called Bergamo And forasmuch as the comming of this king was with consent of the Pope although hee fained the contrarie the Legate of Bologna fauoured him imagining for that cause the Emperour would no more returne into Italy by whose departure thence the country was greatly altered The Florentines and the king Robarto seeing that the Legate fauoured the enterprise of the Ghibilini became enemies to all those that the Legate and the king of Bohemia fauoured against whom without respect of Guelfi or Ghibilini many princes ioyned Among them were the Visconti the family of La Scala Filippino Gonzaga of Mantoua the house of Carrara and Este wherupon the Pope did excommunicate them all The king for feare of this league went home to
in the Castle of Napoli Suspitions thus growing in the minds of the one and the other they came to fight and the Queene with the helpe of Sforza who was returned to her seruice vanquished Alfonso draue him out of Naples depriued him of his adoption and adopted Lodouico de Angio whereof grew a great warre betwixt Braccio who had folowed Alfonso Sforza that fauoured the Queen In the proceeding of these wars Sforza occasioned to passe the riuer of Pescara was there drowned wherby the Queene became again disarmed should haue bene driuen out of the kingdom if Philippo Visconti Duke of Milā had not enforced Alfonso proceeding on in his iourney against the Queen to be staied For hauing besieged Aquila the Pope supposing the greatnes of Braccio not to be good for the church enterteined Frācesco the sonne of Sforza against Braccio at Aquila slew him ouerthrew his army On the part of Braccio Oddo his son was saued frō whō the Pope tooke Perugia left to him Montone yet shortlie after fighting for the Florentines in Romagna was there slaine So then of all these that serued with Braccio Nicholo Piccinino remained of most reputation Now because we are come with our history neare to that time which I determined and that the rest which remaineth vnspoken importeth for the most part nothing else but the wars which the Florentines Venetians had with Philippo Duke of Milan which shall also be discoursed hereafter when particulerly we entreate of Florence I will not speak more therof but briefly reduce to memorie in what termes Italy with the Princes and the souldiers of those daies remained Among the principall states Queene Giouanni 2. held the kingdom of Napoli La Marca Patrimonio and Romagna Part of the townes to these belonging obeyed the church part of them were vsurped by tirants or their ministers as Farrara Modena Reggio by the house of Este. Faenza by Manfredi Imola by the Alidosi Furli by the Ordelaffi Rimino and Pesaro by the Malatesti and Camerino by the house of Varano The Prouinces of Lombardy were partly gouerned by Philippo Duke of Milan and partly by the Venetians For all those that had therin any particuler states were extirped except the house of Gonzaga which gouerned stil at Mantoua In Toscana the greatest princes that gouerned were the Florentines onely Lucca and Siena liued with their lawes Lucca vnder Guinici Siena as absolutely free The Genouesi sometimes in libertie and sometime in seruitude to the house of France or Visconti were without reputation and among the meaner Potentates accounted For all the principall Lords and Potentates were at that time of their owne subiectes vtterly disarmed The Duke Philippo liuing at home and not suffering himselfe to be seene his warres were altogither directed by ministers The Venetians so soone as they began to make warres by land lost all that glorie which before vpon the sea they had gotten And following the custome of other Italians by the direction of strangers gouerned their warres The Pope being a man of religion and the Queene Giouanna a woman did laie by their Armes doing that for necessitie which others had done by election The Florentines also to like necessitie yeelded for their sundry ciuil diuisions among themselues had clearly extirped the Nobilitie and left the Common weale to be gouerned by those that had bene brought vp in marchandise and were therby enforced to abide the fortune of others The discipline of warre then remained only in the poore Princes Gentlemen that wanted liuing and they not moued by any desire of glorie but rather to become rich and assured armed themselues They then being wel practised in the warres not hauing any other trade to liue sought by the wars to make themselues strong and honourable Among this number for their value most renowned were Carmignuola Frācesco Sforza Nicholo Piccinino brought vp by Braccio Agnolo della Pergola Lorenzo and Michelletto Attenduly Tartaglia Giacopaccio Cecolino da Parugia Nicholo di Tolentino Guido Torello Antonio dal Ponte ad Hera and others Besides them were those great Lordes of whom I haue alreadie spoken And with them may be numbred the Orsini and Calonnesi Barrons of Rome with some other Gentlemen of the kingdome and of Lombardy who making a misterie or art of the warre had among themselues a secret league and intelligence whereby they protracted the seruice for their profit And so the Princes for whom they serued were on both sides loosers In conclusion the warres became so cowardlie that anie ordinarie Captaine hauing in him but a shadow of the auncient vertue might to the admiration of all Italy haue vanquished those souldiers who through small wisedome and want of iudgement were much honoured Of these idle Princes and of these most base and cowardlie souldiers this my Historie shall at large entreate But first as in the beginning I promised it seemeth necessarie for me to returne backe and tell the originall of Florence letting euerie man to vnderstand fully what was the state of that Cittie in those dayes and by what meanes amongst so many troubles happened in Italy during the space of a thousand yeares the same hath still continued The ende of the first Booke ⧠THE SECOND BOOKE AMONG other great and maruellous orders of the auncient common weales principallities at this time decaied was that wherby new Townes and Citties were from time to time builded For there is nothing more worthie an excellent Prince or well gouerued common weale nor more profitable to any Country then the building vp of new Townes where men may with commoditie for defence and tilladge assemble themselues which thing those people might easily do hauing in custome to send dwellers into such Countries as were either vnpeopled or conquered which people were in those dayes called Collonies For besides that this order occasioned new Townes to be built the same also did make the Country conquered to be more assured to the Conquerers thereof It also replenished the voyd places and mainteined the people in such orders as they were planted which wrought this effect that men most commodiously inhabiting did most multiply They were also in the offence of others the more readie and in defence of themselues more assured That custome being through negligence of common weales and Princes of this time discontinued doth occasion the weakenesse and ruine of their Countries because that only maketh euery gouernment assured and euery Country as is beforesaid plentifully inhabited The assurance groweth because Collonies planted in any prouince newly conquered is as it were a castle and gard to hold the same in obedience Besides that no country wel inhabited can maintaine the inhabitants thereof nor continue them as they be planted without that rule and order for all places are not plentifull or wholesome which is the cause that the people in the one do abound and want in the other So as if no meane be to take away
where is abundance supply where want is that Country in short space must of force be ruined because the one part thereof through the small number of inhabitants becommeth desolate and the other being ouercharged oppressed with pouertie And for that nature could not reforme this disorder it is necessarie that industry should do it For vnwholesome Countries planted full of people comming thither all togither do make the same healthful by reason that the tilling of the earth doth alter the soyle and the fiers do greatly purge the aire which things nature by her selfe could not The experience thereof is seene by the Cittie of Venice seated in a place paludious and vnwholesome Notwithstanding the assemblie of many inhabitants come thither at one instant did make the same healthy inough Pisa likewise through the contagion of the aire was neuer replenished but when Genoua and the riuers thereto belonging were by the Sarasins destroyed it enforced the people driuen from their natiue countrey to flye thither and make that place well inhabited and strong This custome of sending Collonies being discontinued is the occasion that countreyes conquered are holden with more difficultie those that be emptie are not supplied and countreyes ouer full are not disburthened whereby manie parts of the world and chiefly Italy in respect of the ancient times are become desarts The reason thereof is that there hath not bene nor is not in Princes anie desire of true glorie nor in Common-weales anie ordinance that meriteth commendation In the old time we see that through vertue of these Collonies Citties were often made new and some others alreadie begun encreased of which number was the Cittie of Florence begunne by the people of Fiesole and inlarged by Collonies A thing most true it is as Dante and Iohn Villano haue written that the Cittie of Fiesole being set on the top of a mountaine to occasion their markets to bee the more frequented and giue commoditie to those that with their merchandize would resort thither did giue order that they should not clime vp the hill but stay in the plaine betwixt the foote of the mountaine the riuer Arno. These markets as I iudge were occasion of the first building in that place The merchants also being desirous to haue storehouses commodious for the receiuing of wares made buildings there which in time became houses of habitation Afterwards when the Romanes hauing vanquished the Carthaginesi had made Italy from forreine warres secure in great numbers there they multiplied for me◠doo neuer seeke the defence of themselues if by necessitie they are not incouraged and as feare of warre doth constraine them willingly to inhabit barren places and strong so that feare remooued allured with commoditie more willingly they couet to dwell in Countryes pleasant and profitable The securitie which grew in Italy by reputation of the Roman common-weale might occasion the number of the inhabitants to bee so great as made this place to become as it were in forme of a Towne and was at the beginning called Arnina After that time ciuill warres happened in Rome first betweene Mario and Silla then betwixt Cesare and Pompeio and at last betweene the murtherers of Caesar and those which sought to reuenge his death It seemeth therefore that first by Silla and next by those three Citizens of Rome that after the reuenge made for Caesar diuided the Empire Collonies were sent to Fiesole who either all or part did plant their dwellings in the plaine neare vnto the Towne alreadie begun insomuch as the same was much enlarged and so well replenished with buildings men and other things necessarie for ciuill life as it became to be numbred among the Citties of Italy Yet whence this name Firenze should be deriued diuers men do diuersly hold opinion Some suppose it so called of Florino one of the chiefe of the Colloni Others would not consent that it was called Florentia at the beginning but Fluentia because it was neare the riuer of Arno which floweth And they alledge the authoritie of Plinny where he saith that the people Fluentini be neare vnto Arno which may be false because Plinny maketh demōstration where the Florentines were seated not how they were called And that word Fluentini must needes be corrupted because Frontino and Cornelio Tacito who wrote almost in the time of Plinny do call the Towne Florentia and the people Florentini for that long since in the time of Tiberio they were gouerned according to the custome of other Cities in Italy Cornelio reporteth also that the Florentines had sent Embassadors to the Emperor praying that the waters of Chiane might not discend vppon their Countrie neither is it reasonable that the Citie should haue in one time two names I beleeue therefore it was alwaies called Florentia For what cause soeuer it was so named or for what cause soeuer it had the beginning most sure it is that vnder the Empire of Rome it had the foundation in the reigne of the first Emperours Writers did make mention thereof Moreouer at such time as the barbarous people did persecute the Empire Florence was by Tottila King of the Ostragotti defaced and after 250. yeares by Carlo Magno reedified from which time till the yeares after Christ 1215. it continued vnder that fortune which others did who then commanded in Italy In which time first gouerned there the posteritie of Carlo then Barengarii and last of all the Emperours of Germanie as hath bene in our vniuersall discourse before declared The Florentines could not in those times increase or do anie thing worthie memorie for the authoritie of them vnto whom it was subiect notwithstanding in the yeare 1010. and the day of S. Romolo a solemne Feast with the Fiesolane they surprized Fiesole and demolished the same which they did either with consent of the Emperours or else at such times as one Emperor being dead the other was not elected whereby euerie man for the present remained at libertie But since the Popes tooke vnto themselues more authoritie in Italy and the Germane Emperours grew weake euerie Towne in that Prouince with lesse reuerence to their Prince was gouerned Insomuch as in the yere 1080. in the time of Arrigo the third Italy was openly diuided into faction betwixt him and the Church notwithstanding the Florentines maintained themselues vnited all the yere 1215. yelding to the victorious without aspiring farther thā to saue themselues But as to the bodies of men the longer they bee healthie the more dangerous and mortall are the sicknesses when they happen so Florence the more slowlie it followed the factions the more speedily and greeuously it was by them afterwards afflicted The first occasion of diuision in that Citie is most publiquely knowen because it hath bene written by Dante and diuers others neuertheles I thinke good briefely to speake thereof There was in Fiorence among others of the mightie Families Buondelmonti and Vberti next vnto them were the Amidei and Donati In
S. Bruocolo and because the people had that Senate in suspition they ioyned with them six Citizens for the gouernment While the one and the other part prepared themselues to fight some of the people and some of the Nobilitie togither with certaine religious men of good fame came betweene them and perswaded a peace Letting the Nobilitie vnderstand that the cause why the honours from them was taken and the lawes against them made proceeded of their owne pride and euil gouernment And because they had before that time taken Armes to recouer that which through their owne diuision and euil behauiour had bene taken from them it would not do other then occasion the ruine of their country and hinder themselues It was moreouer said vnto them that the people in number riches and mallice was much their superiour and that these noble men by whom they thought to oppresse others would not fight but went their waies so soone as the fight began It was therefore a folly for them against so great a multitude to contend They perswaded the people on the other side that it was no wisedome to seeke their will by way of extremitie and that it was no part of iudgement to driue men into desperation for whosoeuer hopeth of no good feareth no euill They ought also to remember that the Noble men were those which in the warres had honored the citie therfore it was no reason nor iust occasion why they should be so greatly hated And moreouer although the Nobilitie could be content not to possesse the supreame offices yet would they not endure to be driuen out of their Country It were therefore well done to laie Armes aside and grow to agreement not trusting to the multitude of the people for it hath bene often seene that the greater number haue by the lesse bene vanquished Vpon these speeches grew diuers opinions among the people many wold haue fought as a thing that of force at one time or other must be and therefore was better to do the same now then afterwards when their enemies were become stronger And though it were beleeued that by mittigation of the lawes the Nobilitie wold become contented yet the pride of them was such as without enforcement would neuer rest Others of the people wiser better aduised and of more quiet disposition thought that the mitigation of the lawes was no great matter but to fight one part against the other was a thing of great importance So in the end this opinion preuailed and it was prouided that no accusation against any of the Nobilitie should bee receiued without witnesses The Armes of the one and the other side thus laide aside either of them continued full of suspition fortifying themselues in their houses and preparing weapons anew Then the people reordeined the gouernment restraining the same into a smal number mooued thereto because that Signoria had bene fauoured of the Nobilitie of whom the chiefe were Mancini Magalotti Altouiti Peruzzi and Gerrettani The state thus setled for more magnificence and securitie of the Senate in the yeare 1298. they builded their Pallace and made a Court before it of that place where the houses of the Vberti sometimes were At this verie time were also the common prisons begunne and within few yeares after finished For in those daies our cittie was in as great and happie estate as at anie time it hath bene being full of men and reputation The number of Cittizens fit for the warres were numbred at thirtie thousand and the people of the Countrey able for that purpose amounted to threescore and tenne thousand All Toscana either as subiects or friends obeyed vs. And albeit betwixt the Nobilitie and people some indignation and suspitiō were yet no euil effect thereof followed but euery man neighborly peaceably liued And had not this peace bene by new enimitie within the cittie disturbed no forreine disorder could haue molested the state because the cittie stood in such tearmes that it neither feared the Empire nor those that were banished And against all the states of Italy it was of force sufficient to defend it selfe That iniury therfore which external forces could not do by inward discord was performed There were in Florence two families one called Circhi the other Donati in riches Nobilitie and men mightie Betweene them being both in Florence and the Country neare neighbors there grew displeasure yet not so great as to occasion the vse of armes neither would there perhaps thereof haue growne any great matter had not the same bene by some new occasions encreased Among the chiefe houses of Pistoia is that of Cancellieri It happened that Lore sonne of Guglielmo and Geri sonne of Bertaccio both of that familie playing togither fell into quarrell and Geri of Lore was lightly hurt This chance greeued Guglielmo much and thinking with curtesie to amend the matter made the same much worse For he commanded his sonne to go vnto the house where the father of the hurt man dwelled and there aske pardon The yoong man obeyed his father Notwithstanding that humble act did no whit decrease the bitter disposition of Bertaccio who caused Lore to be taken and holden by his seruants till his hand were cut off saying vnto him return home vnto thy father and tel him that wounds be cured with steele and not with words The crueltie of this fact so greatly offended Guglielmo that he armed his friends to reuenge it Bertaccio on the other side armed to defend himselfe Whereby not onely these families but all the cittie of Pistoia was diuided And because these Cancellieri were descended frō one of that name who had two wiues the one named Biancha the one party being descēded of that woman called their faction Biancha the other partie to take a name contrarie was called Nera Betwixt them at diuerse times diuerse conflicts and slaughters of men followed At length both parties growing wearie and yet not knowing how to be reconciled did desire either to make an end of their discord or else to draw others into quarrels with them and so encrease their faction For which purpose they come to Florence And the Neri hauing familiar acquaintance with the Donati were by Corso chiefe of that house fauoured which the Bianchi vnderstanding to make themselues strong and able to resist the Donati resorted to Veri dei Circhi a man in euerie condition no whit inferiour to Corso This humour come from Pistoia encreased the olde hate betweene the Circhi and Donati and was alreadie so apparant that the Priori and other good Cittizens feared euerie houre least some slaughter would therof ensue and the whole citie be diuided For preuenting whereof they resorted vnto the Pope desiring him that with his authoritie he would take order for these quarrels which they themselues could not The Pope sent for Veri and pressed him to make peace with the Donati whereat Veri seemed to maruell said he had no quarrell vnto them
disaduantage The Legate returning to Rome and hearing the troubles that were begunne in Florence perswaded the Pope that for the vniting of that Cittie it was necessarie for him to send thither for twelue principall Cittizens whereby the roote of the mischiefe remoued it should be the more easie to quench the same This Councell was by the Pope allowed and the Citizens sent for appeared Amongst whom was Corso Donati When these Cittizens were absent the Legate wrote vnto the Rebels that the chiefe of the Cittizens were from home and therefore the time serued well for them to returne vnto Florence Which encouragement being receiued they assembled their forces and came to the Cittie entering where the walles were not fully finished and passed forward till they came to the Piazza di Saint Giouanni It was a thing notable to see how those cittizens who had lately fought for the Rebelles so long as disarmed they desired reuocation beeing now armed and forcing the citie became their enemies and tooke armes against them So much the common good was by those Cittizens esteemed and preferred before priuate friendship Wherefore they vniting themselues with all the people enforced the rebels to depart and returne from whence they came This enterprise had no successe both because the banished men had left part of their forces at Lastria and for not hauing tarried the comming of Tolosetto Vbarti who should haue come from Pistoia with three hundreth men But they imagined that expedition should haue preuailed more then force as often in like cases it so happeneth that delaies do hinder occasion and haste wanteth force The Rebels being gone back Florence returned to the wonted diuisions Then to take authoritie from the house of Caualcanti the people by force remoued them from possession of the Castle called Le Stinche seated in the vale of Greue aunciently belonging thereto And because the souldiers therein taken were the first that were put into that prison newly builded that prison euer after was called Le Stinche by the name of the Castle from whence the prisoners came Also those that were chiefe of the Common-weale renewed the companies of the people and gaue them Ensignes as had bene before ordered making Gonfalonieri of the misteries calling them Colleggio di Signori They ordeined also that the Senate should reforme all disorders in time of warre by Armes and in time of peace by Counsell They ioyned vnto the two old Rettori one Essecutore who togither with the Gonfalonieri should reforme the insolencie of the great men In the meane time died the Pope and Corso with other Cittizens was returned from Rome The Cittie should then haue continued quiet had it not bene with the vnquietnesse of Corso anew disturbed He to gaine himselfe reputation euer vsed to hold opinion contrarie to men of most authoritie and wherunto he found the people enclined to gaine their fauour that way he directed his authoritie Whereby he made himselfe head of all new opinions and to him resorted all those who sought to obteine any thing by extraordinary meane For that cause many great Citizens did hate him which hatred encreased so much as the faction of Neri came to open diuision because Corso imployed priuate forces and such as were enemies to the state Notwithstanding so great was the authoritie of his person and presence that euerie man feared him yet to winne from him the populer fauour as by such kinde of meanes might easily be done a brute was put foorth that he went about to tyrannize the citie which was easily beleeued because his maner of liuing did in troth surpasse the charge of ciuil expence That opiniō was encreased greatly after he tooke to wife the daughter of Vguccione della Faggiola chiefe of the faction Ghibilini Bianca in Toscana most mightie This alliance come to knowledge the aduerse part tooke Armes and the people for the same occasion refused to defend him the chiefest of them ioyning with his enemies The greatest of his aduersaries were Rosso della Tosa Pazzino de Pazzi Geri Spini and Berto Brunelleschi they with their followers and the greater part of the people assembled themselues armed at the foote of the Pallace of the Signori By whose order an accusation was preferred to Piero Brancha Captain of the people against Corso Donati for that he with the aide of Vguccione sought to make himselfe a tyrant Then was he cited to appeare and after for contumacie iudged a Rebell Betwixt his accusation the iudgement pronounced was not longer time then two houres This sentence giuen the companies of the people vnder their Ensignes marched towards him Corso on the other side was not dismaied though he were abandoned by many his friends nor for the sentence pronounced nor yet with the authoritie of the Senators nor the multitude of his enemies but fortified his house hoping there to defend himselfe till he were rescued by Vguccione for whom he had sent All his houses all the waies vnto them were fortified made close and within many of his faction to defend them So that the people though in great numbers come thither could not enter The conflict was great many slaine and many hurt of either side And the people seeing that by those wayes they could not preuaile brake the houses of his neighbours and by that deuise not mistrusted did enter Corso then seeing himselfe beset with enemies and no longer trusting to the helpe of Vguccione resolued to see what meane he could finde to saue himselfe sith of victorie hee vtterly dispaired Then with Gherardo Bondini and many others his most valiant and faithfull friends he charged his enemies with so great furie as he brake them and made way to passe through to the gate of the Citie where they got out Yet were they still pursued Gherardo vpon the bridge Affrico was by Bocaccio Cauicciuoli slaine Corso also was taken at Bouezano by certaine horsemen belonging to the Senate Notwithstanding beeing brought towardes Florence hating the sight of his enemies and the glorie of their victorie he fell from his horse and was by one of them which ledde him there murthered The bodie was after taken vp by the Monkes of S. Salui and without any honor by them buried This was the end of Corso Donati vnto whom his country the faction of Neri for many deeds both good and bad must acknowledge it selfe beholding But had his disposition mind bene more quiet the memorie of him had deserued great honour For indeed he was a Citizen so rare as had at any time before bene seene in our citie Yet true it is that his factious mind bereft him of that honour which by his country and confederates was due and in the end procured his owne death with many other misaduentures Vguccione comming to the rescue of his sonne in law arriued at Remoli heard there that Corso was by the people taken Wherupon knowing that he could by no means then
rode vp and down in the country where himselfe listed spoyling and committing what cruelties hee thought good The Florentines scantly able after so great an ouerthrow to defend the citie yet were they not so greatly dismayd but that they made much prouision both of men and money sending also to their friends to haue their aide All which sufficed not to bridle the furie of so mightie an enemie Wherefore as constrained they made choyse of Carlo Duke of Calauria son to King Roberto to be their Prince offering him not their friendship but their obedience and prayed him to defend their Citie But Carlo being occupied in the warres of Sicilia and therefore not at leisure to come in person sent thither Gualtieri by Nation a French man and Duke of Athene He as deputie for his maister tooke possession of the Citie and placed officers according to his owne discretion Notwithstanding his behauiour was so modest and contrary to his owne nature that euerie man loued him Carlo hauing ended the warres of Sicilia being followed with a thousand horse men came to Florence and made his entry in the yeare 1326. whose comming staied Castruccio from spoyling of the Florentines countrey But that reliefe which was found abroad was lost within and those displeasures which the enemies could not were by friendes performed Bicause the Senators did nothing without the Dukes consent who within the space of one yeare leuied in the Citie foure thousand Florins notwithstanding that by the capitulation with him taken it was agreed hee should haue but two thousand So great impositions were daily by him or his exacted To these displeasures new suspitions and new enemies were discouered For the Ghibilini of Lombardy suspected so much the comming of Carlo into Toscana that Galiazzo Visconti other tyrants of Lombardy by mony and promises procured Lodouico di Bauiera Emperour elected against the Popes wil to come into Italy who being arriued in Lombardy marched towardes Toscana where with the helpe of Castruccio hee became Lord of Pisa And being relieued with mony he went towards Rome which caused Carlo to leaue Florence and returne to the kingdome leauing Philippo de Sagginetto his Lieftenant Castruccio after the Emperours departure possessed Pisa and the Florentines tooke from him by practise Pistoia which Castruccio after besieged with so great vertue and resolution that although the Florentines many times assaied to rescue the Towne sometimes assailing the Army and sometimes disturbing the Country yet could they neuer either by force or industry remoue him from that enterprise So greatly he thirsted to chastise the Pistoiesi and offend the Florentines By meanes whereof the Pistoiesi were constrained to receiue him for their Prince which thing albeit were greatly to his glorie proued in the end his disaduantage For being returned to Lucca there he died And because that one good or euil hap commeth sildome vnaccompanied with the like also at the same time died Carlo Duke of Calauria Prince of Florence as it were to the end that the Florentines beyond all expectation might be deliuered from the gouernment of the one and the feare of the other They thus become free reformed the cittie disanulled all orders of the olde Councelles and created twoo newe Councelles the one hauing in it three hundreth Cittizens Commoners and the other two hundreth and fiftie Gentlemen and Commoners mixed The first of these was called the Councell of the people the other the common Councell The Emperour beeing arriued at Rome created an Antipope and ordered many things in preiudice of the church and many other things also hee attempted without effect And therefore with this honour he remoued from Rome to Pisa where either of melancholy or for want of mony to paie eight hundred Almaine horsemen who were rebelled and at Montechiaro had fortified themselues died They so soone as the Emperour departed from Pisa to go vnto Lombardy surprised Lucca and draue out of that cittie Francesco Castracani left there by the Emperour Then being possessed of that cittie and intending to make profit thereof offered to sell it to the Florentines for threescore thousand Florins was refused by the Councell of Simon della Tosa This refusal would haue bene to our cittie most profitable if the Florentines had euer continued in that minde but because shortly after they changed opinion it was greatly to our losse For if at that time for so small price they might so peaceably haue had it and would not afterward desiring it and offering much more then was required they could not obteine it which was the occasion that Florence many times with great preiudice hath changed the gouernment Lucca being thus by the Florentines refused was by Gerardino Spinola of Genoua for thirtie thousand Florins bought And because men be more slow to laie hold of that which they may come by then to desire that they cannot attaine vnto so soone as this bargaine made with Gerardino was knowne and how small a summe of mony he paid the people of Florence became greatly desirous to haue it repenting themselues and blaming those that were the cause that the bargaine proceeded not Then sought they to get that by force which for money was refused For obteining whereof they sent their souldiers to spoile the country belonging to Lucca In this meane time the Emperour was gone out of Italy and the Antipope by order of the Pisani sent prisoner into France The Florentines then from the death of Castruccio which happened in the yeare 1328. til the yeare 1340. continued quiet within attended their matters of state abroad They also made many wars in Lombardy for the comming thither of king Iohn of Bohemia in Toscana touching the state of Lucca They likewise ornefied their cittie with new buildings For in that time the Tower of S. Reparata according to the direction of Giotto an excellent Painter was builded And because in the yeare 1333. by meanes of a maruellous flood the Riuer of Arno into many places ouerflowed the cittie more then 12. cubits many bridges and buildings were thereby decaied which with great care and expence were now restored But the yeare 1340. being come new occasions of alteration were growne vp The cittizens of most power had two meanes to encrease and maintain their greatnesse The one by restraining the number of those that should be elected Magistrates whereby the offices of authoritie came either vnto them or their friends The other because themselues being chiefe at the election of the Rettori they were by them in their offices the more fauoured And this second cause they esteemed so much that to these two ordinarie Rettori they also ioyned a third whom they in those dayes brought in extraordinarie vnder the title of Captaine of the Guard and placed therein Iacamo Gabrieli de Agobio giuing him absolute authoritie ouer the citizens He day by day before the face of them that gouerned committed many iniuries among
reuenge A thing most certain it is that no time can weare out the desire of liberty For we know where the same hath bene in a citie reuiued by those who neuer tasted thereof saue onely by the memorie of this name libertie which their ancestors by traditiō did leaue them Therfore hauing recouered it with all obstinacie and resolution they wil defend it and if our ancestors had neuer left any signe of libertie yet should we be put in mind therof by these publike Pallaces by these places made for Magistrates these badges of freedom libertie which things be publikely knowne and with great desire euery citizen studieth to know them What can you do or what can by any meanes be done to counteruaile the sweetnesse of life in libertie or make the people forget the commodities therof Yea though you could ioyne all Toscana to the dominiō of this state or might euery day return to the citie triumphing ouer your enemies yet all should not suffice Because that glory should not be yours but ours And our citizens should cōquer no subiects but encrease companions in seruitude Albeit your maners were godly your behauiour curteous and your iudgements iust yet were they not of force inough to make you be loued If you would beleeue they did suffice you therin should deceiue your self For to men accustomed to a life in libertie the lightest clog seemeth heauie the losest bands do pinch A thing impossible it is for any state by violence gotten to be by a good Prince mainteined because of force he must become like vnto his gouernmēt otherwise the one the other wil perish You must therfore thinke either to hold the citie with extreame violence as castles garrisons of men forrein friends yet many times they suffice not or els be content with that authoritie which we haue giuen you We therefore perswade you and pray you to remember that such obedience is durable as is also voluntary And labor not being blinded with some ambition to set your self where you neither can stand nor clime higher without your great preiudice ours so be forced to fall These words moued not at all the hardened heart of the Duke saying his intention was not to take away but restore the liberty of the citie For cities disunited were not free but those that were vnited And if Florence by reason of factions ambition and enmitie had lost the libertie hee would restore it Saying moreouer that not his owne ambition but the sute of many Cittizens brought him to take this burthen and therefore they should do well to be content with that wherewith others were contented As touching those perils which hee might by this occasion incurre hee feared them not at all For it was the office of no good man to leaue the good for feare of euill and the propertie of a coward for feare of good successe to abandon a glorious enterprise Also hee hoped so to beare himselfe as they should haue cause in short space to confesse that they trusted him too little and feared him too much The Senate then seeing no more good to be done agreed that the next morning with their authoritie to giue the gouernment vnto the Duke for one yeare with the same conditions it was giuen to Carlo Duke of Calauria It was the eight day of September 1342. when the Duke accompanied by Giouan della Tosa with all his followers and many Cittizens came into the Market place and there in presence of the Senators ascended vp to the Ringiera for so they called that place of the staires belōging to the Pallace where the conditions between the Senate the Duke were read And when the Reader pronounced those words which gaue the Duke authoritie for one yeare the people cried for his life Then Francesco Rusticheli one of the Senate rose vp to speake and appease the tumult but his words were with shouting of the people interrupted So as by consent of the multitude he was created Prince not for one yeare only but for euer being carried by the multitude about the market place his name was proclaimed It is the custome that whosoeuer is appointed to the Guard of the Pallace shall in absence of the Senators be shut vp therein To which office at that time was Rinieri di Giotto appointed hee being corrupted by the Dukes friends without anie violence offered receiued the Duke into the Pallace And the Senators therewith amazed and dishonored went home to their owne houses Then was the Pallace by the Dukes seruants sacked The Gonfaloni del Populo thrust out and the Dukes Armes set vppon the Pallace to the great and inestimable griefe and sorrow of all good men and the great content of those who either for ignorance or wicked mind thereunto consented The Duke hauing gotten the gouernment intending to take all authoritie from those that were woont to defende the libertie of the Cittie did forbid the Senators to assemble anie more in the Pallace and appointed them a priuate house Hee tooke also the Ensignes from the Gonfalonieri of companies Hee remooued the order of iustice against the Nobilitie and deliuered the prisoners that had bene committed Hee called home the Bardi and Frescobaldi who had bene banished and gaue generall commandement that no man should weare weapon Also for his better defence within the Citie he wanne himselfe forraine friends and for that purpose pleasured the Aretini and all others vnder the Florentine gouernment Hee made peace with the Pisani notwithstanding hee were created Prince purposely to make warre with them Hee tooke the obligations from those merchants that in the warre of Lucca had lent mony to the state He encreased the old Imposts and erected new taking all authoritie from the Senators The Rettori by him appointed were Raglione da Perugia and Guglielmo da Scesi with whom he ioyned Cerrettieri Bisdomini and those three men were his onely Councell The taxes which he imposed vpon the Citizens were extreme his iudgements vniust that grauitie curtesie which he had before fained was conuerted into pride and crueltie For many citizens both wealthy and noble were condemned and diuerse also by new inuented tortures tormented Moreouer to shew his authoritie in like sort abroad as it was in the citie he authorized six Rettori for the country who oppressed and spoiled the rurall people He had the great men in suspition although by them hee had bene pleasured and that some of them by his meanes had bene restored to their Countrey For hee imagined that such Noble mindes as commonly are in Gentlemen could not be contented with his gouernment Hee sought therefore to winne the good will of the people hoping with their loue and the aide of straungers to defende his tyrannie Then the moneth of May being come at which time the people were accustomed to make sport and triumph he caused the companies of the Common people and basest sort to haue Ensignes
and money with honourable titles to bee giuen them Wherupon the one part of them went from place to place feasting and triumphing and the other part with great pompe receiued the triumphers When fame had dispersed abroad the new principallitie of the Duke many of the French Nation came vnto him And hee to euerie one of them as men most to be trusted gaue countenance and enterteinment So that Florence within short space was not onely subiect to the French men but also to their factions and apparrell Because both men and women without respect of shame did followe them But aboue all things that displeased was the violence which he and his without respect vsed to the women The Citizens liued then with great indignation seeing the maiestie of their state ruined their ordinances broken their lawes disanulled honest life corrupted and all ciuill modestie extinguished For the Citizens not accustomed to see any regall pompe could not without sorrow behold the Duke amidst his guardes of armed men both on foote and horsebacke for so with their owne shame they were forced to honour him whome they most hated Whereunto might be ioyned the feare and death of many Citizens and the continuall exactions wherewith he impouerished and consumed the citie All which indignations and feares were well inough knowne to the Duke yet would he not be thought to mistrust any thing but shew himselfe as though he were beloued of all men For it happened that Matteo di Moroso either to gratifie him or acquite himselfe of danger reuealed a conspiracie practised by the house of Medici and some others The Duke enformed therof did not onely not examine the cause but also caused Matteo most miserably to be put to death By which doing he tooke courage from all those that would tell him anie thing for his good and encouraged others that went about his ruine He caused also with great crueltie the tongue of Bettone Cini to be cut off who after therof died And this punishment was done because Bettone had found fault with the exactions laid vpon the Cittizens These cruelties encreased offence in the people with their hatred to the Duke because that citie which was accustomed freely to do and speake all things could not endure to haue their hands tied and their mouthes closed These offences and this hatred grew to that ripenesse as mooued not onely the Florentines who could neither maintaine their freedome nor suffer seruitude but euen the most seruile people of the world to recouer libertie And therupoÌ„ many citizens of all estates resolued with the losse of their liues to recouer their libertie lost Then practised they three sorts of conspiracies the one among the Nobilitie the second among the people the third among the artificers These conspiracies besides the general respect were for particuler reasons willingly taken in hand The great men desired to recouer authoritie The people were sorrowfull for hauing lost the gouernment And the Artificers found their trades and earning of money to be decaied At that time Agnolo Acciaiuoli was Archbishop of Florence who in his Sermons and otherwise had extolled the actions of the Duke and done him great fauour among the people But afterwards seeing him Prince and knowing his tyrannous proceedings knew how much he had deceiued his country and therefore to make amendes of that faulte determined that the hande which had made the wound should also cure it Wherefore he became head of the first and greatest conspiracie wherein were the Bardi Rossi Frescobaldi Scali Altouiti Malagotti Strozzi and Mancini The chiefe of the second conspiracie were Manno and Corso Donati and with them the Pazzi Cauicciulli Cherchi and Albici The principall of the third conspiracie was Antonio Adimari and with him the Medici Bordini Ruccelai Aldobrandini whose intent was to haue slaine the Duke in the house of Albezi whither as they thought he intended to go vpon Midsomer day to behold the running of horses But thither he went not and therfore that enterprise became frustrate Then they ment to assault him walking in the citie but that seemed haâ—d to do because he was well accompanied and alwaies armed therewith also euerie day changed his walke so as they knew not in what place certaine to wait for him It was likewise the opinion of some that the best were to kill him in the Councell and yet that were hazardous for though he were slaine the conspirators should be at the discretion of his forces During that the conspirators communed of these matters Anthonio Adimari discouered the matter to some of his friends of Siena whose aide hee hoped of and tolde them the names of some conspirators saying that the whole Citie was bent to recouer libertie Then one of them imparted his knowledge to Francesco Brunelleschi not with intent the practise should be laid open but supposing that hee also had bene of the same conspiracie Francesco either for feare of himselfe or for the hatred he bare towards some other reuealed all to the Duke and presently Pagolo del Mazecchia and Simon da Mantezappoli were apprehended Who detecting the qualitie and quantitie of the conspirators did thereby much amaze the Duke and was therefore counselled rather to send for them then arrest them For if they fled then he might without his owne dishonour by their banishment assure himselfe The Duke therefore caused Antonio Adimari to be called who trusting to his companions presently appeared Adimari being staied the Duke was aduised by Francescho Brunelleschi and Vguccione Buondelmonti to search the Citie and kill so many as could be taken But that the Duke thought not good supposing his forces not sufficient to encounter so many enemies and therefore proceeded an other way which hauing taken effect should both haue assured him of the enemies and also gained him strength The Duke was accustomed at occasions to assemble the Citizens and to take their counsell Hauing therefore sent out to assemble the people he made a bill of three hundreth Citizens names and caused his Serieants vnder colour of councelling with them to warne them to appeare and being appeared he intended either to kill them or imprison them The apprehension of Antonio Adimari and the sending for other Citizens which could not be secretly done did greatly dismay euery man but most of all those that knew themselues guiltie Insomuch as men of greatest courage would not obey him And because manie had read the bill wherin one saw an others name the one encouraged the other to take armes and chose rather to die like men then as Calues to be led to the butchery By this means within an houre all the three conspiracies became knowne one vnto the other and determined the day following which was the twentie sixt of Iuly in the yeare 1343. to raise a tumult in the olde Market place there to arme themselues and call the people to libertie The next day about high noone according to appointment euerie man tooke armes
becommeth in it selfe diuided For by those priuate meanes which were made for preseruation therof it cannot be defended which to be true the ancient and moderne diuisions of our citie do make triall Euerie man thought that the Ghibilini extirped the Guelfi should euer haue continued in honour Notwithstanding within short time the Bianchi and Neri arose The Bianchi vanquished our citie continued not long without partes but was sometimes troubled with fauouring those that were banished and somtimes with the enmitie betwixt the people nobilitie Yea at length giuing that to others which by accord either we would not or could not possesse our selues sometimes to the King Roberto sometimes to his brother last of all to the Duke of Athene we yeelded our libertie And in troth we neuer setled our selues in any estate as men that could not consent to liue free nor be willing to obey neither feared we liuing vnder a King so greatly are our orders disposed to diuision to preferre before his maiestie a man of most base condition born in Agobio The Duke of Athene may not without shame of this citie be remembred whose bitter and cruel mind might make vs wise and instruct vs how to liue But he being sent away we suddeinly tooke armes in hand and with more malice and fury fought among our selues til all our auncient nobilitie were oppressed and left at the peoples discretion Then was it thought by many that neuer for any occasiō it were possible to stir vp new troubles or factions in Florence they being cast down whose pride vnsupportable ambition was the cause thereof Yet is it now seene by experience how easily the opinion of men is deceiued For the ambition and pride of the nobilitie was not quenched but remoued into the people who now according to the custome of ambitious men hope to aspire to the most soueraigne offices And not wanting other meane to vsurpe the same they moued new discords new diuisions in the citie raising vp the name of Guelfi Ghibilini which had they neuer bene knowne should haue made our country the more happie Besides that to the end in this world should be nothing in continuance or quietnes Fortune hath prouided that in euery state there should be certaine fatall families borne and destined to the destruction thereof Of these our Common weale hath bene more then anie other replenished For not one but many of them haue disturbed the quiet therof As first of all the Buondelmonti and Vberti then the Donati and Circhi And euen now a shamefull and ridiculous matter the Ricci and Albizi do trouble and diuide our Citie We haue not remembred you of those corrupt customes and our continuall diuision to dismay you but call to your minds the occasions of them and enforme you that the example of those should not make you to dispaire the reformation of these Because the power of these auncient houses was so great and the fauour that Princes did beare towards them so much that the lawes and ciuill ordinances were not of force sufficient to hold them in quiet and due obedience But now the Empire hauing no force the Pope not feared and that all Italy this Citie also is reduced to so great equalitie as may by it self be gouerned the difficultie cannot be much And this our common weale notwithstanding the ancient examples to the cōtrary may not only be brought to vniō but also in good customs ciuil orders be reformed if your lordships be disposed to do it Wherunto we moued with the loue of our coūtry no priuate passiō do persuade you And albeit the corruptiō thereof be great yet allaie that disease which infecteth that furie which consumeth that poyson that killeth and impute the auncient disorders not to the nature of men but the time which being changed it may hope that by meane of new orders new fortune will follow whose frowardnesse may be by wisedome gouerned in putting a bridle vpon the ambitious disanulling such ordinances as were nourishers of factions and vsing those that to a ciuill life and libertie are agreeable Be ye also pleased to do this by vertue of lawe rather now then deferre the same till such time as by armes you shall be enforced thereunto The Senators moued with these reasons which themselues had before considered and thereunto adding the authoritie and comfort of the men gaue commission to fiftie sixe Citizens to prouide for the safetie of the Common weale True it is that the counsell of many is more fit to conserue a good order then to inuent it These Citizens then studied rather to extirpate the present factions then take away the occasion of future diuision In so much as neither the one or the other was brought to passe because not remouing the occasions of new diuision and the one part of those sects which were present being of greater force then the other became the more perillous to the state Wherefore out of euerie office excepting those that were in the handes of the Guelfi for three yeares they depriued three men of the families of Albizi and three of the house of Ricci amongst whom were Piero delli Albizi Vguccione dei Ricci They prohibited all Citizens to come into the Pallace sauing at such times as the Magistrates sate there They prouided that who euer was striken or letted to possesse his owne might call his aduersarie to the Counsels protest him for one of the Nobilitie These ordinances discouraged the Ricci and incouraged the Albizi For although they were equally noted yet the Ricci were the more iniured And albeit the Pallace of the Senate was forbidden to Piero yet the counsell house of the Guelfi where he had great authoritie was open for him Therefore if he and his followers were at the first earnest in admonishing now after this iniurie they became much more earnest and to that euil disposition new occasions were ioyned At this time Gregorio 11. was aspired to the Papacie who liuing at Auignion did as his predecessors gouerne Italy by Legates They being men inclined to pride and couetousnesse had thereby greatly afflicted many Cities One of these Legates being in Bologna taking occasion of the dearth which happened that yeare in Florence determined to make himselfe Lord of Toscana And therefore he not onely withheld from the Florentines present reliefe but also to remoue all hope of future prouision at the beginning of the next spring with a great Army entered their Countrey imagining the people disarmed and famished might be easily conquered And happily the enterprise had taken effect if the souldiers that serued him had bene faithfull and not corruptible For the Florentines not hauing other remedie gaue vnto them 130. thousand Florins and for that mony the souldiers abandoned the enterprise To begin a warre is in the power of euerie man but to end a warre no man can when himselfe so liketh This warre by the ambition of the Legate begun
was by the offence of the Florentines followed For the better execution thereof they made league with Barnabo and with all the cities enemies to the church and elected eight Citizens to gouern the said war vnto whom authoritie was giuen to proceed without appeale and spend without account This warre begun against the Pope notwithstanding the death of Vgucciono encouraged those that followed the faction of Ricci and had against the Albizi alwaies fauoured Barnabo and disfauoured the church and the more for that the eight were all foes to the faction of Guelfi which was the reason that Piero delli Albizi Lapo di Castiglionichio Carlo Strozzi and the rest diuerse times ioyned to the offence of the aduersarie And while the eight made warre and they admonished the warre continued three yeares and by death of the Pope was ended This warre was with so vniuersall satisfaction and so great vertue gouerned that the office of the eight was from yeare to yeare continued in those men and they were called Santi notwithstanding they litle regarded the Popes curses spoiled churches and forced the Clergie Thus without respect they preferred the seruice of their country before the Popes indignation And thereby taught the church that as being friend thereunto they had defended it so being enemie they were able to annoy it hauing procured all Romagna La Marca and Perugia to rebell But notwithstanding all these warres made by the Florentines against the Pope yet could they not defende themselues from the Captaines of their owne factions and their followers For the enuie which the Guelfi bare vnto the eight made them to become insolent and though they spared the rest of the Nobilitie yet rested they not to iniure the eight Also the Captaines of factions were growne vp to so great arrogancie as they were more fauoured then the Senators and men with more reuerence resorted to their houses then to the Pallace In so much as euerie Embassadour that came to Florence brought with him some commission or instruction to entreate with these Captaines Then died Pope Gregorio whereby the citie being deliuered of forreine warre presently begun great confusion at home For on the one side the insolencie of the Guelfi was insupportable and on the other side no meane could be deuised to oppresse them Onely this hope was left that euerie man should take armes and so make triall whether partie should preuaile On the part of the Guelfi were all the old Nobilitie with the greater number of the mightiest people of whom as hath bene declared Lapo Piero and Carlo were the chiefe On the other side were all the people of least reputation who had for Leaders the eight Gouernours of warre Georgio Scali Tomazo Strozzi and with them the Ricci Alberti and Medici The rest of the multitude as in like cases it euer happeneth ioyned to the partie discontented It seemed then to the Guelfi that the forces of their aduersaries were great and therefore themselues in much daunger whensoeuer any vnfriendly Senate should happen to be chosen Therefore thought good for the preuenting of that mischiefe to assemble themselues in some place conuenient where they might consult of the state of that Citie For it seemed that the Citizens admonished being in number growne great the most part of the Citie were their foes Whereto they could not deuise other remedie but as they had taken from them the honours so also to banish them the Citie take the Pallace by force and reduce all the state to the order wherunto it was by the auncient Guelfi reduced who liued not secure for any other reason but onely because they had driuen out all their aduersaries To this plot euerie man consented but of the time of execution they discented The yeare 1378. being come in the moneth of Aprill Lapo thought good not to deferre the time saying there was nothing that hindred time so much as time and then specially because in the next Senate Saluestro de Medici was likely to be chosen Gonfaloniere whom to their factiō they knew most contrary Piero delli Albizi thought otherwise for his opinion was it should be deserred because the execution of their intent required forces which without publishing of the matter could not beleuied if the matter were discouered they should therby incurre manifest daunger His opinion therefore was it should be delaied till the feast of S. Iohn then at hand at which time many people would resort to the towne among whome they might conuey in vnknowne as many friendes as they thought good Moreouer to finde meanes how to preuent the election of Saluestro it was thought fit to admonish him and if that deuise seemed not good then to put into the election an other also of the same quarter So as it might fall out that insteed of him some other of his companions should be chosen This cause was set downe as a resolution notwithstanding that Lapo vnwillingly thereunto consented iudging delaie was dangerous and that no time can be in euerie respect fit for execution For whosoeuer tarrieth all opportunities either he shall neuer performe anything or if he doth the same for the most part falleth out to his disaduantage The Colledge was warned and Saluestro not repulsed but chosen Gonfaloniere for the eight hauing discouered the practise found meanes to preuent that which was looked for Thus Saluestro sonne of Alemanno di Medici who being of a verie noble populer house could not endure that the people should be by a few great men oppressed And hauing deuised how to end their insolencie seeing the people fauoured that enterprise he did communicate his intent to Benedetto Alberti Tomazo Strezzi and Georgio Scali and they promised to bring him all the aide they possibly could Thē was there a law secretly established wherby the ordināces of iustice against the great men were renewed the authoritie of Captains was diminished The same also restored power to the admonished to haue restitution of their dignities And because as it were at one instant they intended both to propound and obteine hauing first to passe the Colledge after to determine in the Councels finding Saluestro President which place in those dayes for the time being made him be placed as Prince of the Citie they caused the Colledge Councell in one selfe morning to be assembled And first to the Colledge onely they propounded the lawe made which as a new thing was by that small number reiected Whereby Saluestro seeing his wings clipped wherewith he hoped to ascend to his desire fained for his necessitie to depart the place and contrarie to expectation went to the Councell and standing vp where he might be both seen and heard of euerie man said He thought himselfe made Gonfaloniere not to determine of priuate causes which haue their ordinary Iudges but to attend the state correct the insolencie of the great men and qualifie the rigor of those lawes which were found by proofe to hinder the
and of the Gonfaloniere not one for they hearing the Cittie was all in Armes feared to leaue their houses The first of the multitude that came to the Market place were those that assembled at San Piero Maggiore for whose comming the men of Armes remooued not Then the rest of the multitude came and finding no resistance with a terrible crie demaunded of the Senate to enlarge the prisoners and not seeing them deliuered vpon that threatning sought by force to haue them and set fire on the house of Luigi Guicciardini Whereupon the Senate for auoyding a worse inconuenience deliuered the prisoners Hauing obteined this demaund they remooued the Gonfalone della Giustitia from the Esecutore and vnder him burned the houses of many Citizens persecuting those that either for publique or priuate occasion was hated Also manie Cittizens to reuenge priuate iniuries brought them to the houses of their enemies For it sufficed that anie one man cried let vs goe to such a place or holding the Gonfalone by the hande looked that way They likewise burned all the writings belonging to the mysterie of wooll Thus hauing committed manie euilles to accompanie them with some lawdable deede they made Saluestro de Medici and diuerse other Knightes to the number of three score and foure Among whom were Benedetto and Antonio degli Alberti Tomazo Strozz and such others their trustie friends yet were some of them enforced thereto In which accident more thē any other thing it is to be noted that some of them whose houses they burned were in the same day so neare was the benefit to the iniurie made knightes which experience was seene in Luigi Gonfaloniere della Giustitia The Senators amidst these tumults finding themselues abandoned by the men of armes grew doubtful of the heads of the mysteries and their Gonfalonieri for none of them according to order giuen came to the rescue And of sixteene Gonfaloni onely the Ensigne of the golden Lyon and that of the Cowe and Calfe with Giouanni Cambini appeared And they also tarried not long in the Market place because they were not followed by the rest On the other side the Citizens seeing the furie of the vnbrideled multitude and the Pallace abandoned some remained in their houses others followed the troupes of armed men hoping the rather to saue their owne houses and defend their friends By meane whereof the power of the people encreased and the forces of the Senate diminished This tumult continued all that day and the night being come at the Pallace of Stephano behinde the Church of S. Barnabo it staied The number of these men passed sixe thousand And before the day appeared the next morning they caused by threatning the mysteries to send for their Ensignes Then came foorth the Gonfalone della Giustitia and accompanied with the Ensignes of the mysteries went to the Pallace of the Podesta who denying to yeelde the possession of that house they fought with him and at length wanne that place The Senate desirous to make composition with them sith by force they could not appease them called three of their Colledges and sent them to the Pallace of the Podesta to vnderstand the intent of the people who founde that the heades of the multitude with the Sindachi of the mysteries and some other Citizens had determined what should be required of the Senate So as they accompanied with foure of the people specially appointed returned with these demaundes First that the mysterie of wooll might not from that time foorth haue anie straunger for their Iudge That three new corporations of mysteries should be erected one to conteine the Carders and Diars the second to conteine the Barbars Hosiers and some other mechanicall Artes and the third for the poore people Also that of these three newe mysteries there should be two of the Senate and of the foureteene lesse mysteries three That the Senate should prouide houses for the meetings and assemblies of these newe corporations That no man within these bodies corporate should within two yeares be constrained to paie anie debt of lesse summe then two duckets That the banckes should take no preiudice but the principall onely to be restored That all men banished or condemned should be called home That all the Cittizens admonished should be admitted to their honours Many other things in the fauour of their priuate friends they demanded and likewise the contrarie that many their enemies might be confined and admonished All which demaundes notwithstanding they were dishonest and vnfit for the state yet for feare of worse were by the Senators Colledges people graunted Also to the end they might receiue full perfection it behoued to haue them allowed by the common Councell And because in one day two Councels could not be assembled that cōsultation of force was deferred til the next day In the meane time it was thought good that the mysteries people shuld rest content satisfied they promising that so soon as the law were in perfectiō all tumults shuld cease The next morning while the cōmō coūcel debated the matter the multitude impatiēt voluble vnder their ensigns wēt to the market place shouting crying so terribly that all the Councel the Senat were dismaid Wherupon Gueriante Marignuolo one of the Senators mooued rather with feare then any other priuate passion vnder colour to keepe the gate went downe and fled to his house yet could he not so secretly passe but was by the multitude knowne Otherwise they did him no iniurie then crie out saying that the Senate would all abandon the Pallace vnlesse their children were slaine and their houses burnt In the meane space the lawe was made and the Senators returned to their chambers Also the Councell came downe and staied in the Galleries and Courts without going further as men dispairing of the citie either because they perceiued so great dishonestie and frowardnesse in the multitude or so great cowardice in others who had power to oppresse or at the least to allaie the rage of these tumults The Senators were also amazed and dispairing of their countrey beheld one of their company fled and no other Cittizen that would either assist them with force or counsell Therefore they resolued of that they could being incertaine what else they should do Tomazo Strozzi and Benedetto Alberti either mooued with priuate ambition desiring to be onely Lords of the Pallace or else because they so thought best perswaded the others to giue place to this populer furie and as priuate men returne home to their houses This counsell giuen by those that were heads of the tumult notwithstanding that the rest gaue place made Alamanno Acciaiuoli and Nicholo del Bene two of the Senate to become offended Yet after being come to themselues they said that if other men would depart they could not let them but for themselues they would not go till their time appointed vnlesse that with their authoritie they did also loose their liues These contrarieties
neither was this gouernment lesse iniurious towards the Citizens nor more mild then was that of the multitude For so many of the populer Nobilitie were confined as had bene noted to be defenders thereof togither with a great number of the principall men of the multitude And among them Michele Lando whose former authoritie and good deserts could not in this time of populer furie saue him His country therfore for many good merits was to him vnthankfull Into which errour because many Princes and Common weales do fall is the cause that men vppon like examples terrified before they feele the smart of their gournours ingratitude do first offend them These exilements these slaughters did displease and euer had displeased Benedetto Alberti and he both publiquely and priuately blamed them For which cause the Lords of the state feared him as chiefe friend to the multitude and thought him consenting to the death of Georgio Scali not because his doings did offend him but to be alone in the gouernment Besides that his words and workes did encrease the suspition which made that side which gouerned to keepe eye vpon him and watch opportunitie to oppresse him The citie liuing in these tearmes the actions abroad were of no great importance For if any thing were done it proceeded of feare by reason that Lodouico di Angio came then into Italy to restore the kingdome of Napoli to the Quene Giouanna and remooue Carlo Durazzo The passage of this Prince greatly amazed the Florentines for Carlo according to the custome of old friends demaunded of them aide Lodouico like vnto him that seeketh new friends desired them to stand neutrall Whereupon the Florentines to seeme willing to content Lodouico and aide Carlo discharged Giouanni Aguto and procured Pope Vrbano to entertaine him which subtiltie was easily by Lodouico discouered and for the same held himselfe much iniured by the Florentines During the warre betwixt Lodouico and Carlo in Puglia new forces came from France in the fauoure of Lodouico who arriued in Toscana were by the banished men of Arezzo brought into that citie where they remoued the faction which gouerned for Carlo intending also to haue chaunged the state of Florence as they had altered Arezzo Then died Lodouico wherby the affaires of Puglia Toscana varied Fortune For Carlo assured himselfe on the kingdome which was well neare lost And the Florentines mistrusting the defence of Florence recouered Arezzo and bought it of those souldiers which kept it for Lodouico Carlo then being assured of Puglia went to take possession of Hungheria which was by inheritance descended vnto him leauing his wife in Puglia with Ladislao and Giouanna his children being but babes as hereafter shall be declared Carlo possessed Hungheria but shortly after there died For this conquest much tryumph was made in Florence and the magnificence thereof was no lesse both for publique and priuate expence then if the occasion therof had bene their owne For many families kept open feasts and the house of Alberti for pompe and magnificence exceeded the rest The expences charge of Armour that the Alberti vsed were not onely fit for priuate persons of the best degree but for the greatest Princes which gained them no small enuie Whereto adding the suspition which the state had of Benedetto was the cause of his ruine because those that gouerned could not endure him fearing euerie houre it might come to passe that through fauoure of his faction hee might recouer reputation and driue them from the citie These doubts remaining it happened that he being Gonfaloniere of companies Philippo Malagotti his sonne in lawe was chosen Gonfaloniere di Giustitia which doubled the mistrust of the Gouernours imagining that Benedetto encreased ouer fast in force and the state thereby in much perill For preuention of which inconueniences without tumult they encouraged Bese Magalotti his companion to signifie to the Senate that Philippo hauing passed his turne could not nor ought not exercise that office The cause was by the Senate examined some of them for hate some to take away occasion of slander iudged Philippo not capable of that dignitie and elected in his place Bardo Mancini a man to the plebeyan faction contrarie and mortall enemie to Benedetto In so much as hee beeing placed in office called a Balia for reformation of the state and therein confined Benedetto Alberti and admonished the rest of that family onely Antonio Alberti excepted Benedetto being readie to depart called vnto him all his friendes and seeing them sad said you see my good fathers and Lords in what sort Fortune hath oppressed me and threatned you whereof I maruell not neither ought you to maruell Because it euer commeth to passe that who so euer will be good among many euil or doth seek to hold vp that which many labour to pull downe must of force perish The loue of my Countrey made me to ioyne with Saluestro di Medici and after to depart from Georgio Scali The same did likewise perswade me to hate the maners of those that now gouerne who as they haue not had any to punish them so do they desire that none should finde fault with them For my part I am content with my banishment to acquite them of that feare which they had not of me onely but of euerie other man that knoweth their tyrannous and wicked dealings My punishment therefore doth threaten others of my selfe I take no pitie for those honors which my country being free hath giuen me now brought vnto seruitude cannot take from mee And the memorie of my passed life shall alwaies more comfort mee then mine hard fortune which brought mine exile shall discourage me It greeueth me much that my country should become a spoile for a fewe and be subiect to their pride and couetousnesse I am also right sorie to thinke that those euils which now ende in me will begin in you And I feare least those miseries wil persecute you with more hinderance then they haue persecuted me I would therefore counsell you to prepare your mindes against all misfortunes and beare your selues so as what aduersitie so euer happen for many will happen euery man may know you are faultlesse that without your guilt they be hapned After this leaue taken to giue as great a testimonie of his bountie abroad as hee had done in Florence he trauelled to the Sepulchre of Christ from whence returning in the Ile of Roda hee died His boanes were brought to Florence and therewith great honour buried by those who in his life with all slaunder and iniurie did molest him During these troubles the house of Alberti was not onely oppressed but many other Citizens also admonished and confined Among whom were Piero Benini Mattheo Alderotti Giouanni and Francesco del Bene Giouanni Benci Andrea Adimari and with them a great number of the lesse mysteries Among the admonished were the Couoni the Benini the Rinucci the Formiconi the Corbozi the
could not be vtterly quenched True it is that the often contentions persecutions of the chief captains frō the 1381. til the 1400. brought the factions wel near to nothing The families most persecuted were the Albizi Ricci and Medici Those houses were diuerse times spoyled both of their men and substance and if any of them remained in the citie their honours and offices were taken from them Which oppression made that part base minded and as it were vtterly trodden downe Notwithstanding there remained in many men a certaine memorie of iniuries receiued and a desire to reuenge them Yet wanting power to performe their will they kept that desire within their breasts secretly hidden Those of the populer Nobilitie who peaceably gouerned the citie committed two errors which were the causes of their ruine The one through their insolency which grew by continuall authoritie and being in office The other through enuie among themselues the long holding the state in their hands they did not preuent those that might offend them but daily renuing the vniuersall hatred by their sinister proceedings not remoouing the matter that might hurt and was to be feared were the causes that the house of Medici recouered authoritie The first of them that begun to stand vp was Giouanni the sonne of Bicci He become exceeding rich and being of nature curteous affable was with the allowance of those that gouerned ascended to the highest office Whereat the multitude so greatly reioyced supposing to haue gotten a protector that the wiser sort conceiued some iust cause of suspition because thereby they found all the old humors begun to arise And Nicholo di Vsano failed not to aduertise the other Citizens how daungerous a thing it was to aduance one who had among the multitude so much reputation saying it was easie to oppresse any inconuenience at the first but letting it growe the remedie was hardly found For hee knew well that in Giouanni there were many more excellent partes then in Saluestro Nicholo could not be heard of his companions because they enuied his reputation and sought for assistance to oppresse him Men thus liuing in Florence beset with contrary humours which secretly began to boyle within their breasts Philippo Visconti second sonne of Giouan Galiazzo being by the death of his brother become Lord of all Lombardy and deuising vpon some enterprise desired greatly to be againe owner of Genoua which at that present vnder Tomazo Frogolo liued in libertie Yet feared he could neither compasse that nor any other thing vnlesse first hee published a new accord with the Florentines the reputation whereof as hee thought might bring him to satisfaction For which purpose hee sent Embassadours to Florence who beeing there and perswading the league it was by many Cittizens thought vnfit to ioyne with him and yet they wished that the peace which had many yeares continued should still endure For they knewe what fauoure and reputation the league would doo him and how small profit the citie should receiue thereof To others it was thought good that the league should be made thereby to procure the Duke to enter conditions and bondes which if he passed euery man might discouer his euill intent and should if he brake the peace the more iustly make warre vpon him Thus the matter being throughly debated the peace was concluded Wherein Philippo promised that hee would not entermedle with anie thing on this side the Riuers of Magra and Panaro After this conclusion Philippo surprized Brescia and shortly after Genoua contrary to the opinion of those that had perswaded the peace For they beleeued that Brescia had bene defended by the Venetians and Genoua could haue defended it selfe And because in the league which Philippo had made with the Doge of Genoua he had reserued Serezana and other Townes on this sides Magra with condition that if he solde them hee then to sell them to the Genouesi the league was broken Besides this hee made peace with the Legate of Bologna Which things altered the mindes of our Citizens and made them doubting newe mischiefes to looke for newe remedies These suspitions come to the eare of Filippo either to gratifie or feele the disposition of the Florentines or else to abuse them sent Ambassadours vnto Florence and by them signified how he maruelled much at the suspition conceiued and therewith offered to renounce euerie thing by him done whereof anie mistrust might grow which Ambassadours wrought none other effect then diuision of the citie For the one part and those that were most reputed in the gouernment thought good to arme and preuent the enemie Notwithstanding if Filippo stood quiet there should be no war at all and in the meane time that prouision was an occasion of peace Many others either enuying those that gouerned or fearing the warre iudged that it was no wisedome lightly to become suspitious neither were things by Philippo done worthie to be suspected But they knew wel that to elect the Ten and to hire souldiers promised warre which being taken in hand against so great a Prince should be the ruine of the citie without hope of any profit For of his victories hauing Romagna in the midst we could not receiue good nor become Princes of that country And of Romagna it self by reason of the neernesse of the church they could not think to become owners Notwithstanding the authoritie of those that would make preparation for war preuailed before the other that desired peace And therefore they created the Ten hired souldiers imposed Subsidies Which proceedings because they burthened more the lesse then greater Cittizens filled the cittie with sorrow and euery man blamed the ambition authoritie of the great men accusing them that to fulfill their appetites and oppresse the people they would make a warre not necessary Yet was not the Duke come to manifest breach but euery thing was full of suspition For Philippo at the request of the Legate of Bologna who feared Antonio Bentiuogli banished and remaining at the Castle Bolognese had sent men to that citie which beeing neare the dominion of Florence held the state in mistrust But that which most amazed euerie man and gaue much cause to discouer the warre was the enterprise of the Duke at Furli Georgio Ordilaffi was Lord of Furli who dying left Tibaldo his sonne vnder protection of Philippo And albeit the mother supposing the Duke to be a Tutor vnfit and therefore sent her childe to Lodouico Alidossi her father Lord of Imola yet was she forced by the people to obserue her husbands testament and commit him to the Dukes hands Then Philippo to make himselfe the lesse suspected and the rather also to couer his intent deuised that the Marquesse of Farrara should send Guido Torello with some forces to be his deputie and take the gouernment of Furli Thus came that towne into the possession of Philippo which being knowne in Florence togither with the newes of the souldiers come to
order and estate it presently remained These matters thus handled were vnderstood abroad and the same gaue great reputation to Giouanni and hatred to the other cittizens Neuerthelesse hee discontinued all affaires the rather to discourage those that vnder his fauour intended new practises Also in all his comunication hee let euerie man to vnderstand that hee would not nourish but extinguish factions And for himselfe he desired nothing but the vnion of the citie yet were manie that followed him therewith discontented For diuers of them did perswade him to be in those matters more quick of which number was Alamanno de medici who being fierce of nature ceased not to sollicite him to persecute their enemies fauour friends blaming his coldnesse slow maner of proceding Which was as he alledged occasion that their foes without respect practised against him Which one daie would take effect with the ruine of his house and friends To the same effect was hee encouraged by Cosimo his sonne Yet notwithstanding all these reasons to him reuealed or prognosticated hee stood firme in his intent and by that meanes the faction became discouered and the cittie in manifest diuision At that time were in the Pallace two Chauncellors one called Ser Martino and the other Ser Pagolo This fauoured the parte of Vzano that of Medici Rinaldo seeing that Giouanni refused to concurre with them thought fit to depriue Ser Martino of his office hoping afterwards to finde the Pallace more fuourable That practise foreseene by the aduersaries Martino was defended and Pagalo with sorrow and iniury of his friends remooued which had presently wrought bad effects if the present warre had not bene the citie by the ouerthrow receiued at Zagonara terrified During the time that these matters were managed in Florence Agnola della Pergola had with the Dukes forces taken all the townes which the Florentines possessed in Romagna Castaro and Modigliana excepted some of them beeing lost by the weakenesse of the place and others by the default of those that had them in guarde In the surprizing of these townes two notable things appeared The first how much the vertue of men euen to their enemies is acceptable The other how greatly cowardice and fainte heart is contemned Biagio of Milan was Captaine of the fortresse called Montepetroso He being enuironed with fire and enemies not finding any meanes how to defend his charge or escape with life cast ouer the wall where no fire yet burned certaine cloathes and strawe and vpon the same his owne two children and said to his enemies Take you here those goods which fortune hath giuen me and you haue power to bereaue me of but my riches of minde wherein glorie and my honour lieth neither will I giue them nor you can take them from me The enemies ran to saue the poore children and offered him roapes and ladders to conuey himselfe downe safe But he refused all succours chusing rather to die in fire then receiue a life from the enemies of his country An example truly like to those of the auncient time so highly commended And is the more notable that such resolutions are but rare The children were by the enemies restored to all thinges that were theirs and could be found and with great care conueyed to their friends to whom their countrey also was no lesse kinde For during their liues they were publikely releeued and mainteined The contrary happened in Galeata where Zanobi di Pino was Podesta For he without any defence yeelded his charge to the enemie and besides perswaded Agnolo to abandon the Alpes of Romagna and come into the hilles of Toscana where he might make warre with lesse perill and more profit But Agnolo could not endure the cowardice and base mind of that man and therfore gaue him prisoner to his seruants who in contempt and disdaine allowed him no more foode but painted cards saying by that means they would make him of a Guelfo to become a Ghibellino But within a fewe daies Pino pined to death In this meane time the Earle Oddo togither with Nicholo Piccinino was entred into the vale of Lamona to reduce the Lord of Faenza to the friendship of the Florentines or at the least to empeach Agnola della Pergola in the spoile of Romagna Yet by reason that vale is strong and the country people warlike it chaunced that Oddo was slaine and Nicholo Piccinino ledde prisoner to Faenza But fortune would that the Florentines obteined that by this losse which if they had woon the victorie should percase neuer haue bene compassed For Nicholo being prisoner wrought so with the Lord of Faenza his mother that they by his perswasion became friendes to the Florentines By this league Nicholo Piccinino was deliuered but folowed not that councel he gaue to others For whiles he cōmoned with the cities that enterteined him either for that the conditions he had made seemed ouer meane or that he hoped of better elsewhere suddeinly without leaue taking departed from Arezzo where hee lodged and went into Lombardy and there tooke paie of the Duke The Florentines by this accident became fearefull and being dismayd with their charges lost thought they could not alone maintaine the warre and therfore sent Embassadours to the Venetians desiring them while the enterprise was easie to ioyne against one who being suffered to grow might become as dangerous to them as to the Florentines To the same enterprise also Francesco Carmignuola did perswade them who was in those dayes accounted a man of warre most excellent and had bene sometimes a souldier vnder the Duke yet at that time rebelled against him The Venetians stood doubtfull not knowing how much they might trust Carmignuola fearing that the enmitie betwixt the Duke him was but fained They thus standing doubtfull it happened that the Duke procured one of the seruants of Carmignuola to poyson his maister which poyson not being strong inough killed him not but brought him to extremitie This being knowne to the Venetians cleared all suspition and the Florentines following their request the league was made betwixt them either partie binding himselfe to make warre at their common charge and that whatsoeuer were gotten in Lombardy should be the Venetians and whatsoeuer were possessed in Romagna should be the Florentines and Carmignuola to continue General of the league Then was the war by mean of this league brought into Lombardy and by Carmignuola gouerned with so great vertue that in fewe moneths he had taken many townes from the Duke togither with the Citie of Brescia the winning whereof in those dayes and in those warres was accounted maruellous This warre was continued fiue yeares and the Citizens become wearie of the Impositions alreadie past agreed to renew them and prouided the same might be imposed according to the value of euerie mans wealth In this Imposition it fell out that many mightie Cittizens were sore charged And therefore before the lawe passed it became of them
neuer desired offices yet had he them all he went not at any time to the Pallace vncalled he loued peace and shunned warre he relieued men in aduersitie and furthered them in prosperitie He medled not with publique extortion but encreased the common profit He was in office curteous of no great eloquence but singuler wise His complexion seemed melancholy yet was he in cōuersation pleasant and merrie He died rich in treasure but more rich of loue and good report which inheritance aswell in goods of fortune as of mind was by Cosimo not only preserued but also enlarged The Volterani being wearie of imprisonment promised to condiscend to that which was demaunded They then being deliuered and returned to Volterra found the time come for the election of new Priori Among whom was chosen one iust man a base fellow yet of credit among the multitude and was in the number of those that had ben prisoners in Florence He being moued with the iniurie offred both in publique and priuate by the Florentines was encouraged by one Giouanni a noble man who also sate in office with him to stirre the people with the authority of the Priori and his owne credit to take the towne from the Florentines and make himselfe Prince thereof By whose perswasion this Giusto for so he was called tooke armes ransacked the towne imprisoned the Captayne of the Florentines and made him selfe by consent of the people Lord thereof This new matter happened in Volterra greatly displeased the Florentines Yet hauing lately made peace with the Duke they imagined a time was come to recouer it And not omitting oportunitie they sodeinly sent thither Rinaldo de gli Albizi and Palla Strozzi as their Comissaries Giusto in the meane space supposing the Florentines would assault him prayed ayd of the Sanesi and Lucchesi The Sanesi denyed him saying they were in league with the Florentines And Pagolo Guinigi Lord of Lucca to recouer the fauoure of the Florentine people which in the Dukes warres he feared to haue lost did not onely refuse to ayde Giusto but also sent his messenger prisoner to Florence These commissaries in the meane space to come vnlooked for of the Volterani assembled all their men of Armes and in the neather Valderno and the Prouince of Pisa leauyed many footemen from whence they marched to Volterra Neyther did Giusto for being abandoned of his neighbours nor the assault of the Florentines abandon himselfe but trusting to the strength of the Scite and the greatnes of the Towne prepared for defence There was at that time in Volterra one called Arcolano brother to Giouanni who had perswaded Giusto to take the gouernment a man among the Nobilitie of good reputation He assembling his friends declared how God by this accident had supplied the necessitie of their Cittie For now if they were pleased to take armes remoue Giusto from the Senate and restore the Cittie to the Florentines they should thereby become chiefe of their Cittie and continue their auncient priuiledges These men consenting to the enterprise went to the Pallace where this Lord Giusto remayned some of them also being left belowe Arcolano with three others went vp and finding him with some other Cittizens drew him aside as though he had to speake with him in some earnest matter so enterteyning him from chamber to chamber till he came to the place where the rest of the companie remayned Yet were they not so suddein but that Giusto drew his sword and before himselfe was slayne hurt two of them Notwithstanding in the end vnable to resist so manie was murthered and cast out of the Pallace Then all the rest of the conspiracie with Arcolano tooke Armes and gaue the Towne to the Commissaries for the Florentines who were with Souldiers neere at hand They without other capitulation entered the Towne whereby the Volterani made their condition worse then before For among other things they dismembred the greater part of the Countrey and was reduced to Vicariato Thus Volterra as it were at one instant lost and recouered no occasion of new warre remayned had not the ambition of men bene cause thereof There serued long time the Florentines in their warres against the Duke of Milan one called Nicholo Fortibraccio sonne to one of the sisters of Braccio di Perugia He after the peace made was by the Florentines discharged and at such time as this chance happened at Volterra was lodged at Fucecchio whereby the Commissaries in that enterprise employed him and his Souldiers It was supposed that at such time as Rinaldo trauelled with him in that warre he perswaded Nicholo vnder some fayned quarrell to assault the Lucchesi saying that if he would goe against Lucca he should be made Generall of the iourney Volterra thus surprized and Nicholo returned home to Fucecchio either by perswasion of Rinaldo or of his owne will in Nouember the yeare 1429. with 300. horse and 300. footemen surprized Ruoti and Compito Castles belonging to the Lucchesi and after came into the Countrey and there made great spoyle The newes of this enterprise published at Florence many people assembled in diuers places of the Cittie and the greater number wished that Lucca might be assaulted The great Cittizens that fauoured the enterprise were those of the faction of Medici and with them ioyned Rinaldo thereto perswaded either because he thought the enterprise profitable to the common-weale or else for his owne ambition hoping to haue the honor of the victorie Those that disfauoured the attempt were Nicholo de Vzano and his followers And it seemeth a thing incredible that so great contrarietie should be in one Cittie touching the making of a warre For those Cittizens and that people who after tenne yeeres of peace blamed the warre against the Duke Philippo for defence of their libertie now after so great expences and so much affliction of the Cittie withall earnestly desired to make a new warre against Lucca and to vsurpe the libertie of others On the other side those that desired the first warre found fault with this motion so greatly did the opinions of men alter with time for the multitude seemeth more readie to take from others then keepe their owne Also men are more moued with hope of winning then feare of losing For this feare is not beleeued till it be neere at hand but that hope is hoped for although farre off The people of Florence was full of hope both by the victories they had obteyned and by letters sent vnto Fortebraccio from the Rettori neere to Lucca For the Deputies of Pescia and of Vico did write that if they might haue leaue to receiue those Castles they would be deliuered to them and by that meanes all the Countrey of Lucca should be gayned Besides these good newes the Lord of Lucca sent his Embassador to Florence to complayne of the spoyles committed by Nicholo desiring the Senate not to moue warre against their neighbours and a Citie that had euer
words should find beliefe and compassion if your Lordships did know in what sort your Generall hath vsed our Countrey and how we haue bene by him handled Our Vale as we hope your memorials do make mention did alwayes loue the faction Guelfa and hath bene many times a faithfull receptacle for your Citizens when flying persecution of the Ghibilini they came thither Our auncestors and we also haue euer adored the name of this noble common weale being the head and chiefe of that secte So long as the Lucchesi were Guelfi we willingly obeyed their gouernment but since they submitted themselues to a Tyrant who hath abandoned his old friends and followed the Ghibilini rather by compulsion then voluntarily we haue obeyed him And God knoweth how often we haue prayed for occasion whereby to shewe our zeale to the auncient faction But alas how blind are men in their desires that which we wished for our helpe is now become our harme For so soone as we heard your Generall marched towards vs we went not as enemyes to encounter him but as our auncestors were wont to yeeld into his hand our Countrey and fortunes hoping that in him although there were not the mind of a Florentine yet should we find him a man We beseech your Lordships to pardon vs for our extremitie is so much as more may not be indured which is the cause we make bold to speake thus plainely This your Generall hath not of a man more then his presence nor of a Florentine any thing saue the name but may be called a mortall plague a cruell beast and as horrible a monster as by any wrighter can be described For he hauing assembled vs in our Temple vnder pretence to talke with vs hath made vs his prisoners spoyling the whole countrey burning the houses robbing the inhabitants sacking their goods beating and murthering the men forcing the Virgins yea pulling them from the hands of their Mothers made them the pleasures of his souldiers If for any iniury done to the people of Florence or him we had deserued so great a punishment or if we had armed our selues against him and bene taken then should we haue had lesse cause to complayne yea we would rather haue accused our selues confessing that eyther for iniurie or pride we had so merited to be handled But being disarmed and freely offering ourselues then to rob vs and with so great despight and ignomie to spoyle vs we thinke it strange and are inforced before your Lordships to lay downe our griefe And albeit we might fill all Lombardy with offence and with reproch of this Citie publish our iniuries through all Italy yet would we not lest thereby to blemish so honest so honorable and so compassionate a common weale with the dishonestie and crueltie of one wicked Citizen whose auarice before our ruine was partly knowne vnto vs. And wee intended to strayne our selues to satisfie his greedie mind which hath neither measure nor bottom But sith our gifts come too late we thinke good to resort to your Lordships beseeching the same to relieue the misfortune of your subiects to the end that other men may not be afraid to yeeld them selues to your deuotion If our infinite miseries cannot moue you yet let the feare of Gods ire perswade you who hath seene the Churches sacked and burnt and our people betrayed in them These words pronounced they presently fell downe prostrate vpon the ground weeping and desiring their Lordships that their goods and countrey might be restored and that though the womens honors could not be recouered yet the Wiues might be deliuered to their Husbands and the Children to their Fathers This heauie case being before reported and now by the liuely voyce of those afflicted men confirmed did much moue the Magistrates and without delay they reuoked Astore who after was condemned and admonished Then was there Inquisition made for the goods of the Serauezesi and so much as could be found was restored For the rest they were in time diuers wayes satisfied Rinaldo de gli Albizi was likewise defamed for hauing made the warre not for the profit of the people of Florence but his owne Hee was also charged that so soone as hee became Generall the desire of surprizing Lucca was forgotten because hee sought no further then to spoyle the countrey fill his pastures with cattle and furnish his houses with the goods of others Moreouer that his owne share of the bootie contented him not but hee also bought the priuate spoyles of his souldiers So that of a Generall hee was become a Merchaunt These slaunders come to his owne hearing moued his honest and honorable mind more then they ought to haue done In so much as hee became therewith so amazed that taking offence against the Magistrates and Citizens without delay or leaue taken hee returned to Florence and presenting himselfe to the Tenne sayd He knew well how great difficultie and perill there was in seruing a loose people and a Cittie diuided For the one is credulous of euery rumor the other punisheth no euill doings rewardeth not the good and blameth the indifferent so that no man commendeth him that is victorious For as much as his fellowes for enuie and his foes for hatred will persecute him Notwithstanding himselfe had neuer for feare of vndeserued blame omitted to performe an action that promised a certaine good to his countrey But true it was that the dishonestie of the present slaunders had oppressed his patience and made him chaunge nature Wherefore hee besought the Magistrates to be from thence-foorth more readie to defend their Citizens to the end they might be likewise more readie to labour for their countrey And although that in Florence no triumph was graunted yet might they at the leaste defende them from ignominious reproche and remember that they them selues were also Citizens of the same towne and that to them selues euerie houre the like might happen whereby they shoulde vnderstand howe great griefe false slaunders might breede in the mindes of men of integritie The Tenne as time would serue laboured to appease him and committed the care thereof to Neri di Gino and to Alamanno Saluiati who leauing to spoyle the countrey of Lucca with their Campe approched the Towne And because the season was colde they stayed at Campanuole Where it seemed to the Generall that time was lost and desirous to besiege the Towne by reason of the euill weather the Souldiers woulde not thereto consent Notwithstanding that the Tenne did sollicite them to the siege and would accept none excuse at all At that time there was in Florence an Architector called Filippo Brunellesco of whose handie-worke our Cittie is full In so much that after death hee deserued to haue his Image of Marble erected in the chiefe Church of Florence with Letters to testifie hys greate vertue This man declared howe Lucca considering the scite of the Cittie and the passage of the Riuer Serchio mighte bee drowned And
there a new Balia which at the first assembly determined the reuocation of Cosimo with all others that were banished And of the contrary faction they confined Rinaldo delli Albizi Ridolfo Peruzzi Nicholo Barbadori Palla Strozzi and many other Cittizens that the number of them was such as that fewe Townes of Italy and many other places also but were full of them By this accident the Citie of Florence became depriued not onely of honest men but also of riches and industry The Pope seeing the ruine of those men who at his request had laide downe Armes became greatly discōtented lamenting with Rinaldo for the iniury to him done vnder his credit perswading him to patience and hope of better fortune To whome Rinaldo answered the small credit which they gaue me who ought to haue beleeued me and the ouermuch credite which I haue giuen to you hath vtterly vndone me and my Countrey But I complaine more of my selfe then anie others for beleeuing that you being banished your Countrey could maintaine mee in mine Of Fortunes dalliances I haue had experience inough and sith I little trusted to prosperitie mine aduersitie shall the lesse offend mee for I knowe well that Fortune beeing so pleased can againe fauoure mee But if shee neuer so do I shall euer care little to liue in that Cittie where the lawes are of lesse authoritie then men Because that Countrey is to be defired where the wealth and friends of men may be with securitie enioyed and not that where mens goods may bee taken from them and their friendes for feare to loose theyr owne in greatest necessitie forsake them It was also euer lesse greeuous to good and wise men to heare the miseries of their Countrey then with their owne eyes to see them And it is also thought a thing more glorious to be reputed an honourable Rebel then a slauish Citizen After this speech made being much troubled in mind he tooke leaue of the Pope finding great fault with his Councels and the coldnesse of his friends and so went towards his exile Cosimo on the other side hauing receiued knowledge of his restitution returned to Florence and was there receiued with no lesse pompe then is vsed to other Citizens who after victorie came home in tryumph So great was the Concourse of people so great the demonstration of their beneuolence towards him at this his returne from banishment as the Cittizens willingly saluted him by name of the peoples Benefactor and Father of the Country The ende of the fourth Booke THE FIFT BOOKE ALL Countries in their alterations doo most commonly chaunge from order to disorder and from disorder to order againe For nature hauing made all worldly thinges variable so soone as they haue atteined their vttermost perfection and height doo of force descend and being come downe so low as lower they cannot of necessitie must ascend So that from good they descended to euill and from euill ascend to good Warre begetteth quiet quiet occasioneth idlenesse Idlenesse breedeth disorder Disorder maketh ruine Likewise of ruine groweth order of order vertue and of vertue glorie with good fortune It hath bene therefore by wise men obserued that learning followeth Armes and in all Cities and Countries Captaines were before Philosophers For good and well gouerned Armes hauing wonne victorie of that victorie followeth quiet And surely the courage of warlike mindes cannot with a more honest idlenesse then the studie of Letters be corrupted nor idlenesse by anie greater or more perillous craft enter Cities well gouerned which Cato at such time as Diogenes and Carneades Philosophers were sent Embassadours from Athens to the Senate did well obserue For hee seeing with what admiration the youth beganne to follow them and knowing the inconueniences which might of that honest idlenesse ensue prouided that no Philosopher might after be receiued into Rome Euery country therefore by these meanes doth come to decaie Wherewith men being beaten and weary of troubles returne as is beforesaid to order if by extraordinarie force they be not vtterly ruined These occasions by vertue of the auncient Toscani and Romanes did make Italy sometimes happie and sometimes miserable And albeit since that time nothing hath bene builded vppon the Romane ruines comparable to the olde as might with great glorie haue bene vnder the gouernment of a vertuous Prince Yet in some newe Citties so much vertue is growne vp among the Romane spoyles that although no one hath atteined such power as to commaund the rest yet became they so well ordered and lincked togither as they deliuered and defended themselues from the barbarous people Of this number was the Florentines gouernment although of lesse Empire yet in authoritie and power not inferiour to anie but rather by inhabiting the middest of Italy being rich and readie to offend either happily they answered the warres made against them or else gaue the victorie to those in whose fauoure they imployed their forces By the vertue of these principallities although no times of quiet and long peace were yet were they not by terrour of warre much perillous For we cannot account that peace where one state oftentimes with Armes assayleth the other Neither can that be called warre where men be not slaine Citties not sacked nor principallities destroyed For the warres of that time became so cold as they were begunne without feare continued without perill and ended without losse Insomuch as that vertue which in other Countries was wont by long peace to be extinguished was in Italy by their owne cowardice quenched as will plainly appeare by that we will hereafter declare from the 1434. till the 94. Whereby we may see how at length a way was againe opened for the entrie of straungers and Italy became to them subiect And albeit the actions of our Princes both abroad and at home are not as those of auncient time were to be read and maruelled at for their vertue and greatnesse yet for some other quallities to be with no lesse admiration considered seeing so many Noble people were by so fewe and euill trained souldiers kept in awe And if in declaration of things happened in this badde world we shall not set downe the courage of anie souldier the vertue of anie Captaine or the loue of anie Cittizen towards his Countrey yet shall you finde what cunning and Art the Princes the Souldiers and chiefe Gouernours in Common weales to maintaine the reputation they did not deserue haue vsed which percase will prooue not lesse worthie and profitable to be knowne then those of most auncient time For as those do stirre vp Noble mindes to follow them So these to eschue their lewdnesse and lacke of vertue wil prouoke vs. In those dayes Italy was brought to such condition by them that there commaunded that whensoeuer through reconciliation of the Princes a peace was made shortly after by such as had weapons in hand it was againe disturbed So that neither by the warres ended was gotten glorie nor by the
peace quiet The peace being concluded betweene the Duke of Milan and those of the League in the yeare 1433. the souldiers desiring still to exercise the warre made an enterprise against the Church There were at that time in Italy two sorts of souldiers the one trained vnder Braccio the other vnder Sforza Of these the chiefe Captain was the Earle Francesco sonne of Sforza Of the other Nicholo Piccinino and Nicholo Fortibraccio were the Leaders To these two Sects all the other Italian souldiers ioyned themselues Yet were the followers of Sforza of most reputation as well for the vertue of the Earle as the promise to him made by the Duke of Bianca his naturall daughter which alliance gained him exceeding estimation Both these Sects of souldiers after the peace of Lombardy for diuerse occasions assaulted the Pope Eugenio Nicholo Fortibraccio was thereto moued by the old displeasure borne to the Church by Braccio And the Earle by his own ambitioÌ„ Insomuch as Nicholo assaulted Rome the Earle possessed himselfe of La Marca The Romanes to eschue the warres banished Eugenio from Rome who with perill and difficultie escaped came vnto Florence Where considering of the danger wherin he was and seeing himselfe by those Princes abandoned and that they refused to take armes in hand for him by whose meane at their owne desire they had bene lately disarmed compounded with the Earle and granted him the principallitie of La Marca notwithstanding that hee had not onely before taken that countrey from him but also vsed contempt in the letters which hee wrote to his Agents for the diuision of the land writing thus Girifalco nostro Firmiano Inuito Petro Paulo Neither was he contented with the graunt of these townes but hee would be also Gonfaloniere of the Church All which was graunted So much did Pope Eugenio feare more a daungerous warre then a dishonourable peace Thus the Earle become friend to the Pope did persecute Nicholo Fortibraccio and between them in the territorie of the Church in diuers moneths many accidents happened more to the preiudice of the Pope and his subiects then of them that made the war In so much as by the Duke of Milan his mediation it was concluded that the one and the other of them should remaine Princes in the Townes belonging to the Church This warre quenched at Rome was kindled in Romagna by Babtista Canneto who in Bologna had slaine certaine of the house of Grifoni driuen from thence the Popes Gouernour with some other enemies Then to hold that state by force hee desired aide of Philippo And the Pope to be reuenged of this iniurie required helpe of the Venetians and Florentines The one and the other of them were ayded So that within short space two great Armies were come into Romagna The Generall for Philippo was Nicholo Piccinino The Venetian Forces and the Florentines were ledde by Gatamelata and Nicholo de Tolentino Neare vnto Imola they ioyned battaile wherein the Venetians and Florentines were ouerthrowne and Nicholo de Tolentino sent prisoner vnto the Duke where either by poyson or his owne sorrow for the losse receiued within fewe dayes hee died The Duke after this victorie either because hee was weake or beleeued that the league after this ouerthrâ—w would stande quiet followed no further his fortune but gaue the Pope and his confederates time to vnite themselues anew who elected for their Captaine the Earle Francesco with determination to remoue Nicholo Fortibraccio from the Townes belonging to the Church and by that meanes and the warres which in fauoure of the Pope they had begunne The Romanes seeing the Pope strong in the field sought his friendship and receiued a Gouernour from him Nicholo Fortibraccio among other townes possessed Tibali Montifiasconi the Cittie of Castello and Ascesi Into this towne Nicholo not being able to keepe the field fled There the Earle besieged him and the siege continuing long for Nicholo manfully defended himselfe the Duke thought necessarie either to impeach the League of that victorie or else after the same to take order for the defence of his owne He therefore to remoue the Earle from the siege commaunded Nicholo Piccinino to goe into Toscana by the way of Romagna Whereupon the League iudging it more necessarie to defend Toscana then surprize Ascesi gaue order to the Earle not to suffer the passage of Nicholo who was alreadie with his Armie arriued at Furli The Earle on the other side maâ—ched with his souldiers and came to Secena recommending vnto Lione his brother the warre of La Marca and his other lands during the time that Piccinino should passe And while Piccinino laboured to passe and the Earle impeached him Nicholo Fortibraccio assaulted Lione with great honour tooke him and spoyled his souldiers Also following this victorie he surprized many townes in La Marca This proceeding greatly greeued the Earle and supposing all his Countries to be lost hee left part of his armie to make warre vpon Piccinino with the rest he marched towardes Fortibraccio whom he assaulted and vanquished In that ouerthrow Fortibraccio remained a prisoner and was so sore hurt that thereof he died This victorie restored vnto the Pope all those townes which by Fortibraccio had bene taken from him and brought the Duke of Milan to demaund peace which by the mediation of Nicholo de Este Marquesse of Farrara was concluded Whereby the townes surprized by the Duke in Romagna were restored to the church and the souldiers belonging to the Duke returned to Lombardy Also Baptista de Canneto as it happeneth to all others who by force or vertue of other men possesse any state so soone as the Dukes souldiers were departed from Romagna his own power and vertue not being able to defend him in Bologna fled away Whither Antonio Benteuogli chiefe of the contrarie faction presently returned All these things chanced during the exile of Cosimo after whose returne these who had sought his reuocation with diuerse other Cittizens before iniured thought without respect to assure themselues of the gouernment And the Senate which succeeded in the moneths of Nouember and December not contented with that which their predecessours had done in fauour of their faction prolonged changed the time and places of those that were banished and confined many others anew Also diuerse Citizens were in that time hindered not only by the humour of faction but also in respect of their riches their parentage and priuate friendship And if this proscription of bloud had bene continued it would haue bin like vnto that of Octauiano or Silla being partly also imbrued in bloud For Antonio sonne of Barnardo Guadagni was beheaded and foure other Citizens among whome was Zanoby Belfrategli and Cosimo Barbadori These two Cittizens for hauing passed their confines and remaining at Venegia were by the Venetians who esteemed more the loue of Cosimo then their own honor sent home prisoners were most cruelly put to death Which thing
the Duke Wherewith he being discontent voluntarily exiled himselfe to Gaietta and there chanced to be at such time as the fight by sea was performed against Alfonso In which exploit he serued so valiantly that he perswaded himselfe to haue deserued so well of the Duke as in respect of his seruice he might at the least liue in Genoua with securitie Yet perceiuing the Duke to continue in his suspition and fearing least he beleeued that a man who had not loued the liberty of his countrey could not loue him determined to try a new fortune and at one instant both to deliuer his countrey and win himselfe fame with securitie Being perswaded that by no meanes he might recouer the good will of the Cittizens better then to performe such an acte with his owne hand So as the same hand which had offended and hurt his countrey should also minister the medicine and heale it Then knowing the vniuersall hatred borne to the Duke by the deliuerie of the King thought the time to serue well for the execution of his intent Wherefore he imparted his mind to some whome he knew of his owne opinion Them he perswaded and prepared to followe him The feast of S. Iohn Baptist being come Arismino the new Gouernor sent by the Duke entred into Genoua accompanied with Opicino the old Gouernor and many other Cittizens Francesco Spinola thought then good no longer to deferre the matter but came out of his house with diuerse others all armed and priuie to his determination So soone as hee came to the market place where himselfe dwelled he proclaymed the name of libertie And it was a thing very maruellous to see with how great speed the people and Cittizens to that name assembled So as no man that loued the Duke either for his owne profit or other occasion had leisure to take armes or thinke how to saue himselfe Arismino with some other Genouesi fled into the Castle which he kept for the Duke Opicino presuming that if he fled to the Pallace hauing there two thousand Souldiers at his commaundement he should either saue himselfe or giue courage to his friends to defend him went thitherwards but before he came to the market place was slaine cut in pieces and drawne through euery streete of the Cittie The Genouesi hauing thus reduced the Cittie vnder their owne Magistrates and libertie within few dayes also surprized the Castle with the other places of strength possessed by the Duke and so clearely cast off the yoke of Philippo These matters thus handled as at the beginning the Princes of Italy was dismayd fearing that the Duke should become ouermightie so this gaue them hope seeing what end they had to be able to bridle him And notwithstanding the league lately made the Florentines and the Venetians made peace with the Genouesi whereupon Rinaldo delli Albizi and other leaders of the Florentines banished seeing things out of order and the world changed did hope to perswade the Duke to make open warre against the Florentines For which purpose they went to Milan and Rinaldo being come to the Dukes presence spake as followeth If we sometimes your enemies do now confidently desire ayde of you for the recouerie of our countrey neither you nor any other that consider worldly matters how they proceed and how variable fortune is ought to meruaile albeit neither of our passed or present actions nor of that we haue long since done either to you or to our countrey or that which now is in doing we can render a good and reasonable excuse There is no good man reprooueth another for defending his Countrey in what sort soeuer the same is defended Neither was it euer our meaning to iniure you but to defend our owne frō being iniured which was sufficiētly proued in the greatest victories of our league For so soone as we knew you inclined to a true peace we were thereof more desirous then you your selfe so that we need not feare to obteine any fauour at your hands Neither can our Countrey find fault although we now perswade you to take armes against it whome with so great resolution we haue withstood For that countrey deserueth to be loued of all men which indifferētly loueth them and not that countrey which disdaining the greatest number aduanceth a few There is no man also that ought to condemne men although for some causes they take armes a-against their countrey For albeit the Cities be bodies mixed yet haue they of bodies simple some resemblance And as in these many infirmities grow which without fire force cannot be cured so in the other many mischiefes arise which a godly and good Citizen should offend to leaue vncured notwithstanding that in the cure he doth as it behoueth him apply both fire force What sicknes in the bodie of a common-weale can be greater then seruitude And what medicine is more needfull then this in the cure of that disease Those warres be only iust which be necessarie and those armes most mercifull where other hope cannot be had then by thē I know not what necessitie is greater then ours or what compassion can be more then to deliuer a Countrey frō seruitude Most certainly we know our cause is to be pittied and iust which ought to be both by vs and you cōsidered For your part faile not to affoord this iustice sith the Florentines haue not bene ashamed after a peace with so great solemnitie concluded to make league with the Genouesi your rebels so that though our cause moue you not to cōpassion yet this dishonor offered vnto your selfe ought to perswade you and the rather that you see the enterprise easie Let not exampls passed discourage you hauing seen the power of that people and their obstinate defence of themselues Which two things might yet reasonably be feared were they of the same vertue which in those daies they haue bene But now you shall finde all contrarie For what force can you looke for in any Cittie which hath spoiled the greatest part of the riches and industrie thereof What resolution can be hoped of in a people by so diuers and new quarrels disunited Which disunion is cause that those riches there remaining in such sort as they were wont be imploied because mē do willingly spend their patrimony whē they see the same for their owne glory their owne honor and their owne Countrey imployed euer hoping to recouer that in peace which the warre hath consumed and not whē they see themselues both in war peace oppressed hauing in the one to suspect the iniurie of enemies and in the other the insolencie of them that command Also the people are more harmed by couetousnes of our own Citizens then the spoile of our enemies for of this some end may be hoped of but of that none at all In the warres passed you made warre to the whole Citie but now you are only to contend with a few Then you came to take the state from
cause that the Earle setting aside all respectes for feare of himselfe made peace with the Duke And among other conditions it was agreed that in the matters of Romagna and Toscana the Earle shoulde not intermeddle further After this peace made the Earle instantlie perswaded the Florentines to agree with the Lucchesi and in a sort constrayned them They therefore seeing none other remedie yeelded to composition in the moneth of Aprill 1438. In which agreement the Lucchesi remayned in their libertie and Monte Carlo with some other Castles continued in possession of the Florentines Afterwards they lamented throughout all Italy that the Lucchesi could not be brought vnder their gouernment And seldome it happeneth that any man hath bene so greatly greeued with losing his owne as the Florentines were for not hauing gotten that which belonged to others Although then the Florentines were occupied in so great an enterprise yet were they not forgetfull of their neighbours nor fayled to furnish their owne Cittie At that time as is before sayd Nicholo Fortibraccio who had married the daughter of the Earle of Poppi was dead The Earle at the death of Nicholo had in his possession Borgo A san Sepulcro with the fortresse of that Towne which in the name of his sonne in lawe during his life hee gouerned After his death as the dowrie of his daughter hee held the same and refused to yeeld that Castle vnto the Pope who claymed it as lande belonging to the Church In so much as the Pope sente the Patriarke thither with Souldiers to recouer it The Earle finding himselfe vnable to resist that force offered the Towne to the Florentines and they refused it Yet so soone as the Pope returned to Florence they trauelled betwixt him and the Earle to make an agreement Wherein finding some difficultie the Patriarke assaulted Casentino and surprized Prato Vecchio and Ramena offering the same likewise to the Florentines But they would not accept it vnlesse the Pope did firste consent that they might restore it to the Earle Wherewith the Pope after much disputation was contented Yet so that the Florentines should promise to perswade that the Earle of Poppi should restore vnto him Borgo The Popes minde by this meanes satisfied the Florentines thought good the Cathedrall Church of their Cittie called Santa Reparata being long before begun and now come to such perfection as diuine Ceremonies might therein be celebrate to desire his holinesse that personally he would consecrate the same Whereunto the Pope willingly consented and for more magnificence of the Cittie the Temple and the Pope a Tarrace was made from Santa Maria Nouella where the Pope lay vnto the Church which he should consecrate the same being inbredth foure yards and in height three and of both sides it was couered with exceeding rich cloth Vpon this Tarrace only the Pope with his Court and the Cittizens especially appointed to attend him did go All the rest of the Cittizens and people stood in the streets in their houses and in the Temple to behold the same When all ceremonies belonging to so great a consecration were finished the Pope in token of more loue honored Guiliano de Auanzati with Knighthood being at that present Gonfaloniere de Iustitia and in al times accounted a noble notable Cittizen whereunto the Senate to seeme no lesse desirous then the Pope of his aduancement gaue vnto him the Captaineship of Pisa for one yeare About this time some difference grew betwixt the Churches of Rome and Greece touching the diuine Seruice And forasmuch as in the last Councell holden at Basile much had bene sayd in that matter by the Prelates of the West Church it was determined by the Emperours that great diligence should be vsed to vnite them and was concluded in the Councell of Basile that proofe should be made whether the Gretian Church might be brought to concurre with that of Rome Albeit this resolution was contrarie to the maiestie of the Gretian Emperour and the pride of his Prelates to yeeld vnto the Bishop of Rome yet the Emperour being oppressed by the Turkes and fearing that the Gretians could not be defended by themselues the rather also to liue in securitie and be ayded of others determined to giue place Then the Emperour accompanied with the Patriarke the Prelates and Barons of Greece according to the order taken by the Councell of Basile came vnto Venice Which Cittie being infected with the plague it was determined that the matter should be tried in the Cittie of Florence After many dayes of disputation betwixt the Prelates of the Romane and Gretian Churches the Gretians submitted themselues to the Bishop of Rome Then was the peace concluded betwixt the Lucchesi and the Florentines And was also hoped that the warres betwixt the Duke and the Earle chiefely in Lombardy and Toscana might easily be pacified because that warre which was begunne in the Kingdome of Naples betwixt Rinato de Angio and Alfonso of Arragon should of force take end by the ruine of those two And although the Pope was euill contented for the losse of many his Townes and that therewithall the great ambition of the Duke and the Venetians was apparant yet euery man supposed that the Pope for necessitie and the others for wearinesse would lay downe their armes But the matter came otherwise to passe for neither the Duke nor the Venetians would be quiet By reason whereof it fell out that they tooke Armes anew and made warre in the most places of Lombardy and Toscana The great minde of the Duke could not endure that the Venetians should possesse Bergamo and Brescia And the rather seeing them prepared for the warres and euery day molesting and disquieting his Countrey He therefore thought that if they might be abandoned by the Florentines and the Earle he should not onely bridle them but also recouer his owne To compasse that conceipt he intended to take Romagna from the Church iudging that afterwards the Pope could not offend him And the Florentines seeing the fire at hand either they would not stirre for feare or if they did they could not conueniently assault him The Duke also knewe the displeasure betwixt the Florentines and the Venetians for the matters of Lucca and for that cause supposed the Florentines were the lesse willing to take Armes for them As for the Earle Francesco he thought that the newe friendship and hope of the marriage should suffice to hold him assured Also to flie all offence and giue the lesse occasion to all others to take Armes and chiefely for that he was bound by the Capitulations with the Earle not to assault Romagna he caused Nicholo Piccinino as thereto moued by his owne ambition to take that enterprise in hand At such time as the recōciliation was cōcluded betwixt the Duke and the Earle Nicholo remained in Romagna and seemed much discontent with that new friendship made between the sayd Duke and the Earle his perpetuall enemy He therefore
with his souldiers retired to Camurata a place betwixt Furli and Rauenna where he fortified himselfe to remaine till such time as some other resolution were taken The fame of his anger being blowne about euery where Nicholo gaue the Pope to vnderstand of his well deseruing of the Duke and with what ingratitude he was requited He also alleaged that the Duke through the helpe of principall Captaines had wonne all the souldiers of Italy to be at his commaundement Notwithstanding if his holinesse were so pleased he could procure that of these two Captaines the one should prooue enemy to the Duke and the other improfitable For accomplishment whereof if money were prepared and the warres continued he would so assault the Earle who had surprized the townes belonging to the Church as he should haue ynough to defend his owne and not be able to follow the ambition of Philippo The Pope gaue credit to these words seeming to him reasonable and sent vnto Nicholo fiue thousand Duckets with many faire promises offering to giue lands to him and his sonnes And although the Pope were diuerse wayes aduertised of this deceipt yet he beleeued well and was not content to heare any thing to the contrarie The Cittie of Rauenna was then gouerned for the Pope by Octacio de Polenta Nicholo thinking good not to deferre his enterprise because his sonne had alreadie with the ignomie of the Pope sacked Spoletto determined to assault Rauenna either because he iudged the enterprise easie or that he had some secret intelligence with Octacio within few dayes he tooke the Towne by composition and shortly after Bologna Imola and Furli were by him surprized Also as a thing more meruailous of twentie Castles which were in those countries holden for the Pope there was not one that refused to yeeld vnto Nicholo Neither did it suffice him with this iniurie to offend the Pope but he would also to these deeds mock and deride him in words Writing vnto the Pope that vpon iust cause his Townes were surprized because he had broken the friendship betwixt the Duke and him and written letters to many places of Italy signifying that he the Earle had abandoned the Duke and ioyned with the Venetians Nicholo thus possessing Romagna left the same in charge to his sonne Francesco and himselfe with the greater part of his army went into Lombardy Where ioyning with the remaine of the Dukes forces he assayled the Countrey of Brescia which in short space he tooke and besieged the Cittie The Duke who desired that the Venetians should be left for him as a pray excused himselfe to the Pope to the Florentines and to the Earle declaring that those things which had bene done in Romagna by Nicholo if they were contrarie to the Capitulations they were likewise contrarie to his will Moreouer by secret messengers he gaue them to vnderstand that for his disobedience as occasion and time should suffer he would finde meanes to haue him punished The Florentines and the Earle gaue no credit thereunto but beleeued as in deede the truth was that these warres were made to hold them occupied till such time as he might oppresse the Venetians who being full of pride and beleeuing they could by themselues resist the Dukes forces did not vouchsafe to demaund aid of any man but with Gatamelata their Captaine made warre alone The Earle Francesco with the fauour of the Florentines intended to haue gone to the aide of King Rinato if the accidents of Romagna and Lombardy had not withholden him And the Florentines would also willingly haue fauoured that enterprise for the auncient friendship betweene them and the house of Fraunce But the one and the other of those being occupied in the warres neere at hand refrained to attempt any enterprise further off The Florentines then seeing Romagna surprized by the Dukes forces and the Venetians assaulted as those that by the ruine of others did feare their owne desired the Earle to come into Toscana there to consider what was to be done to encounter the forces of the Duke which were greater then euer they had bene Affirming that if his insolencie were not by some meanes bridled euery man that gouerned any part of Italy should within short space be oppressed The Earle knew well that the Florentines had reason to feare Notwithstanding the desire he had to proceed in the marriage with the Dukes daughter did make him suspected And the Duke knowing his desire gaue him great hope thereof if he would refuse to take armes against him And because the Dukes daughter was alreadie marriageable the matter was brought to this ripenesse that all things for the purpose were prepared Notwithstanding with diuerse cauillations the marriage day was delayed yet by words to hold the Earle in hope some deeds were performed and to that end thirtie thousand Florins according to the Articles agreed vpon for the marriage were sent vnto him notwithstanding the warre of Lombardy increased and the Venetians euery day lost some Towne or other Also all the vessels for the warres which they sent into the Riuers were by the Dukes Souldiers taken The Countries of Verona and Brescia were all spoiled and both those Citties so straightly besieged as in the common opinion it was hard for them to be many dayes defended The Marquesse of Mantoua who had bene many yeares Generall for that State beyond all expectation had abandoned them and was ioyned with the Duke so as that which in the beginning of the warres their pride suffered not afterwards feare inforced them to do For knowing none other remedie but the friendship of the Florentines and the Earle they began to speake them faire though shamefully and with suspition bicause they feared least the Florentines would make them the same answere which they at the enterprise of Lucca and in the Earles cause had receiued at their hands Neuerthelesse they found the Florentines more easily intreated then either they hoped or their deserts did merit For greater was the Florentines hate to a friend become a foe then the displeasure they bare to an old and auncient enemy They hauing long before knowne the necessitie whereunto the Venetians would fall declared to the Earle that their ruine woulde be also his and that hee deceiued himselfe if hee beleeued the Duke Philippo woulde esteeme him so much in his good as his euill fortune For the occasion why the Duke offered his daughter vnto him was the feare wherein he stood and sith things promised by necessitie are neuer performed without necessitie it behoued him still to hold the Duke distressed which without the greatnesse of the Venetians could not be done Therefore hee ought to thinke that if the Venetians were forced to abandon their Countrey vppon the firme land he should not onely want those commodities which he receiued by them but also all others which of other men for feare of them he might attaine vnto And if hee considered well the other states of
Senate then if from the mouth of some Oracle the same had proceeded For by his words all the audience was so mooued that they would not suffer the Prince as is the custome to make any answere But euerie man stood vp and many of them weeping for ioy held vp their hands thanking the Florentines for so friendly an offer and him for hauing with so great diligence and speede performed the same Promising moreouer neuer to forget that fauoure nor that any time either in themselues or in their posterie should cancell the memorie of this merite And that their Common-weale should be as much at the Florentines commandement as their owne These curtesies and congratulations ended they consulted what way the Earle might martch to the end that the bridges and passages should be prepared Foure waies were then thought vpon whereby he might passe The one from Rauenna by the sea side which being narrow and full of marishes was not liked An other was by the direct way which being impeached by a Fortresse called Vccellino kept for the Duke the same ought to be surprized before the Armie should march further which was heard to do in so short a time vnlesse the occasion of the enterprise were omitted the same requiring great diligence and speede The third was by the wood of Lago where because the Riuer of Po was ouerflowed to passe that way seemed not onely hard but also impossible The fourth was by the Champion of Bologna from thence to Ponte Pulidrano to Cento through Finale and Bondeno and so to Farrara From whence by water and land they might be conueyed into Padouana there to ioyne with the Venetian forces In this way albeit there was manie difficulties and might by the enemie in some places be impeached yet was it thought the best of all others Whereof the Earle aduertised with great speed began his iourney and on the twentith of Iune arriued in Padouana The comming of this Captaine into Lombardy made Venice and all the countrie thereto belonging in great hope For as they seemed before to dispaire now they began to hope not onely to hold their owne but also to win from others The Earle first of all went to the rescue of Verona and the rather to meete with Nicholo and his Armie he marched to Soaue a Castle builded betwixt Vicentino Veronesi and inuironed by a diche which reached from Soaue to the marish of Adice The Earle seeing his passage by the plaine stopped thought to passe by the mountaines and by that way to come neare to Verona Supposing Nicholo did not thinke that he would take that way being vnpleasant mountanous or if he did he could not in time come thither to impeach him Wherefore being prouided of victuals for eight daies hee and his men passed the mountaine and arriued vnder Soaue in the plaine Where albeit some bulwarks had bene made by Nicholo yet were they not such as staied his passage Nicholo then seeing the enemie aboue his expectation come thither fearing to fight vpon disaduantage retired himselfe on the other side of Adice and the Earle without anie obstacle entred into Verona Thus the Earle hauing performed the first enterprise which was to remoue the siege the second yet remained to rescue Brescia This Citie is so seated vpon the riuer of Garda the scite wherof is such that though it be besieged by land yet may it be victualled by water which was the cause why the Duke put so great forces vpon that Lage and in the beginning of his victories had surprized all those townes which by the Lage could relieue Brescia The Venetians had also Gallies vppon the Lage but they were not of power inough to fight with the Dukes forces The Earle therefore thought fit with some more souldiers to strengthen the Nauie and win those townes which with held the vittails from Brescia He therfore brought his Campe before Bandolino a Castle vpon the Lage hoping if that were wonne the rest would presently yeeld In that enterprise fortune disfauoured the Earle for the greatest number of his men fell sicke so as leauing the enterprise hee went vnto Zeno a castle belonging to Verona where the country is plentiful the aire wholesome Nicholo seeing the Earle retired not to omit occasion to possesse himselfe of the Lage left his Campe at Vegatio and with some choise men went vnto the Lage There with great furie he assaulted the Venetian Armie tooke welneare all their Gallies After this victory almost al the Castles vpon the Lage yeelded vnto Nicholo The Venetians dismaid at this his losse and fearing therby that they of Brescia would yeeld also sollicited the Earle both by Letters and Messengers to make speed to succour it But the Earle seeing that by the Lage there was no hope to relieue it by land it was impossible by reason of ditches bulwarkes and trenches made by Nicholo so as whosoeuer should enter must go to present destruction determined to proue the way of the mountains wherby as he had before saued Verona so he hoped perhaps to rescue Brescia The Earle for the atchiuing thereof departed from Zeno and by the Vale of Acrine marched to the Lage of S. Andrea and came to Torboli and Penda vpon the Lage of Garda From thence he went to Tenna and there pitched his Campe because to passe from thence to Brescia it behooued him to surprise that Castle Nicholo vnderstanding the intent of the Earle brought his Armie to Pischiera and after with the Marquesse of Mantoua and some of his owne choise souldiers marched towards the Earle and fighting togither Nicholo was ouerthrowne Some part of his men were taken prisoners an other part retired to the Armie the third part fled to the Nauie Nicholo then retired himselfe into Tenna and the night being come imagined he could not escape from thence if he tarried til the next day Wherfore to eschue that perill certaine he aduentured a daunger doubtfull Nicholo had amongst many his seruants one Almaine a man of great strength and to him aboue others euer most faithfull Nicholo perswaded this man that if hee would put him into a sacke he might vpon his shoulders as though he were some other thing carry him to some place from whence he might escape At this time the Campe yet remained about Tenna Neuerthelesse by meanes of the victorie the day before no great order or watch was taken so that this Almaine the more easily might conuey his maister Wherefore taking him vpon his shoulders as though he were some other burthen himselfe being apparelled like a Porter he passed through the Camp without any let and so saued his maister This victorie if it had bene well vsed as it was happily wonne had much better releeued Brescia and the Venetians thereby should haue proued more happie But the same being euill vsed the ioy thereof was the lesse and Brescia remained in the same distresse that it was before For Nicholo hauing
thereby in such sort offended the state of Florence as his fault ioyned with the conditions of the present time must of necessitie take from him all his wealth and be inforced to abandon that countrey as enemy to the Florentines which as their friend he would not possesse For he had made so euill a triall of himselfe as he might not in any wise be suffered to remaine there where at euery change of fortune he might be readie to offend the Florentine common wealth for it was not him but his countrey whome they feared But if he were pleased to repaire into Germany he might there remaine a Prince sith those Citties did desire him and the Florentines for the loue of those his auncestors whom he alledged would be also therewith contented Hereto the Earle in great collor replied saying that he would see the Florentines a great way further from him So leauing all friendly communication the poore Earle despairing of other remedie yeelded his Towne to the Florentines That done taking his goods his wife and children departed weeping and lamenting for the losse of that Countrey which his auncestors by the space of 900. yeares had possessed These victories being known in Florence were by the Gouernours of that State and the people with meruailous ioy receiued and bicause that Barnardo de Medici knewe that Nicholo was to no purpose marched towards La Marca or Rome he and his souldiers returned to Neri and frō thence they went togither to Florence where they were welcomed with all the greatest honors that by order of that Cittie might be giuen to victorious Cittizens And were in triumphant wise saluted by the Senators the Captaines and the whole Cittie The end of the fift Booke THE SIXT BOOKE IT hath bene and by good reason ought to be the intent of all those that make warre to inrich themselues and impouerish their enemie Neither is victorie for other occasion sought nor the possessions of the enemy to other end desired then thereby to make thy selfe mightie and thy aduersarie weake It followeth therefore that so oft as thy victorie doth impouerish thee or thy gaines do weaken thee either thou passe or come short of the marke whereunto the warre is directed That Prince and that State is by the victories of warre inriched which extirpeth the enemies and becommeth Lord of the spoiles and ransomes And that Prince or Common-weale is impouerished who cannot though he be victorious extirpate the enemy or hath not to his owne vse the spoiles and ransomes but leaueth them to his souldiers Such a Prince in his losses is vnhappie and in his victories most infortunate bicause in losing he suffereth all iniuries which the enemy can do him and in winning must abide the offences of friends which as they are lesse reasonable so are they also lesse tollerable seeing that by impositions and new exactions he is againe to burden his owne subiects That Prince then in whome is any generositie of minde cannot reioyce at such a victorie whereat all his subiects be constrained to lament The auncient and well ordered Common weales were wont by conquests to fill their Treasuries with gold and siluer to giue rewards to the people to forgiue tributes and to make triumphs and publique feastings But the States of whome we write first emptied their treasure houses and after impouerished the people without assuring themselues of their enemies All which grew by their disorderly proceeding in the warres For when they tooke any prisoners not holding them nor slaying them the reuenge was no longer deferred then the leaders of the enemy were furnished anew with horse and weapon Besides that the spoyles and raunsoms being giuen to the souldiers the Princes victorious could not imploy the same in the next warre but were forced to draw their prouision from the bowels of their owne people Neither did that victorie bring foorth other benefite then make the Prince greedie and with lesse respect to burthen them For the souldiers had brought the warre to such a passe as both the victorious and the victored if they would commaund their owne men had like need of money bicause the one was to arme them a new the other to reward them And as they vnmounted could not fight so these without new rewards would not Whereby it followed that the one inioyed not much of the victorie the other felt little of the losse seeing the victored was speedily repaired and the victorious could not in time pursue the victorie This disorder and this peruerse proceeding in warre caused that Nicholo Piccinino was againe set on horseback before his ouerthrow was knowne through all Italy and made after greater warre then before he had done This was the cause that after the discomfit at Tenna he could surprize Verona This was the cause that after the slaughter of his souldiers at Verona he could recouer a greater Army and come into Toscana This was the cause that being ouerthrowne at Anghiari before he arriued in Romagna he was more mightie in the field then before he had bene and might thereby put the Duke of Milan in hope to defend Lombardy which by his absence was supposed to be welneare lost For when Nicholo had filled Lombardy with troubles the Duke was brought to such passe as he began to doubt of his owne estate And fearing his ruine might follow before the comming of Nicholo for whome he had sent to bridle the Earles furie and with industrie to temper fortune which with force he could not he resorted to those remedies which in like cases had before time helped him He therefore sent Nicholo da Este Prince of Farrara vnto Pischiera where the Earle was to practice a peace and perswade that warre not to be for his aduantage Bicause if the Duke were brought to that weakenesse that he could not mainteine his owne reputation he should be the rather esteemed And for more assurance that indeed he desired peace he offered him conclusion of the marriage and would send his daughter to Farrara she promising the peace made to yeeld her selfe into his hands The Earle answered that if the Duke did faithfullie desire peace with ease he might finde it as a thing both by the Florentines and Venetians wished for Yet did he mistrust the same much knowing that before time he had neuer made peace but for necessitie which being passed he would alwaies returne to his old minde and make warre Neither could he beleeue that the Duke intended the marriage hauing bene before at his hand so many times mocked Notwithstanding if the peace were concluded he would after deale in the marriage as by friends he should be aduised The Venetians who without reason were suspitious of their owne souldiers of those entertainements reasonablie conceiued mistrust Which the Earle being carefull to remoue followed the warre with greater furie Notwithstanding his mind was stil so tempered with ambition and the Venetians were so infected with suspition as the rest of that sommer
that choise whereto thine own mind is inclined If thou be the sonne of Hercole Bentiuogli thou wilt dispose thy selfe to such actions as be worthie of thy father and his house but if thou art the sonne of Agnolo Cascese thou shalt remaine in Florence and imploy thy life basely in the art of clothmaking These words much incouraged the yong man for where he had before refused to take the matter vpō him he said now that he would be directed in all by Cosimo and Neri Then they resolued with the messengers of Bologna to apparrell him horse him and man him and so in honorable wise conuey him to the Cittie there to take the gouernment where he after gouerned with so great wisedome that notwithstāding the greater part of his predecessors had ben by their enemies slaine yet he peaceably and honorably liued died After the death of Nicholo Piccinino the peace made in La Marca Philippo desired to entertaine a Captaine to gouerne his Army and secretly practised with Ciarpellone one of the Earles chiefe Leaders and grew with him to composition Ciarpellone prayed leaue of the Earle to goe to Milan to take possession of certaine Castles which in the late warre were by Philippo giuen him The Earle mistrusting that which was and to the end the Duke should not be serued to his disaduantage first stayed him and shortly after put him to death alleaging he had bene by him abused Therewith Philippo was exceedingly angrie and the Florentines and Venetians much pleased as they that feared least the Earles forces and the Dukes power ioyned in friendship This anger was occasion to resuscitate new warre in La Marca In Rimini Gismondo Malatesti was Lord who being son in law to the Earle hoped to haue possession of Pesaro notwithstanding the Earle hauing surprized it gaue it to Alessandro his brother Wherewith Gismondo grew greatly offended and the more bicause Federigo di Montefeltro his enemy by the Earles fauour had vsurped Vrbino This was the cause that Gismondo ioyned with the Duke and sollicited the Pope King to make warre vpon the Earle Who to the end Gismondo should feele the first fruits of that warre which he desired thought to preuent him and sodeinly assailed him Whereupon Rome La Marca were on the soden brought into tumult bicause Philippo the king and the Pope sent great aide to Gismondo and the Venetians and Florentines furnished the Earle though with no men yet with plentie of money Neither was Philippo content to make warre in Romagna but he also determined to take from the Earle Cremona and Pontremoli yet was Pontremoli by the Florentines and Cremona by the Venetians defended So that by these meanes the warre in Lombardy was renewed and therein somewhat done in Cremonese Francesco Piccinino Generall for the Duke was by Micheletto and the Venetian forces at Casale defeated By which victorie the Venetians hoped to take the Dukes state from him and sent their Commissarie to Cremona assailing Ghiraadada and possessed all sauing Cremona Afterwards they passed Adda spoiling the countrey hard to the gates of Milan Thereupon the Duke desired aide of Alfonso declaring what perill would ensue to the kingdome if Lombardy were in the Venetians hand Alfonso promised to send him souldiers who without consent of the Earle could with difficultie passe Then Philippo intreated the Earle not to abandon his father in law being aged and blind The Earle sound himself offended with the Duke for hauing moued the warre against him On the other side he misliked the greatnesse of the Venetians his money grew low and the same was scarcely supplied by the Lords of the League For the Florentines feared no more the Duke which was the cause they esteemed the Earle and the Venetians desired his ruine iudging that the state of Lombardy could not be taken from them but by the Earle Notwithstanding while Philippo sought to draw him into his pay offering him the commaundement of all his souldiers so that he would forsake the Venetians and restore La Marca to the Pope They also sent Embassadors vnto him promising him the possession of Milan if they could win it and the perpetuitie in the gouernment of their men of warre if he would still follow the warre in La Marca and impeach the comming of aide from Alfonso into Lombardy Thus were the promises of the Venetians great and their deserts of him greater hauing begun that warre to saue Cremona for the Earle On the other part the iniuries done by the Duke were fresh his promises not faithfull nor great Yet did the Earle much doubt what resolution to make For of the one side the obligation of the league their well deseruing of him and their promises of pleasures to come did moue him On the other the intreatie of his Father in lawe and chiefely the poison which hee feared to be hidden vnder the great promises of the Venetians did stay him suspecting least their promise of that state if hee should hap to win it might not be performed hauing none other hold but their bare promise whereunto no wise Prince vnlesse it were for great necessitie had euer trusted These difficulties of the Earles resolution were remoued by the ambition of the Venetians who hoping to surprize Cremona by meanes of some intelligence they had within the Cittie vnder another pretence caused their souldiers to marche neere vnto it But that enterprise was discouered by those that guarded the towne for the Earle whereby the treason tooke no effect and they thereby wan not Cremona but vtterly lost the loue of the Earle who presently thereupon laying all respects apart ioyned himselfe with the Duke Now was Pope Eugenio dead and in his place succeeded Nicholao quinto The Earle had his whole Army at Cotigniola readie to passe into Lombardy Thither came newes aduertising the death of Philippo which was the last of August in the yeare 1447. These newes grieued the Earle exceedingly bicause he thought his army not fully paid would be vnreadie feared least the Venetians being in armes would become his enemies For hauing abandoned them ioyned with the Duke he feared Alfonso his continuall enemy not trusting either the Pope or the Florentines These bicause they were in league with the Venetians and the other for that he did possesse some townes belonging to the Church Notwithstanding he determined to shew his face to fortune and according to the chances therof to proceed For many times by doing somewhat secrets are discouered which by standing stil could not be knowne Great hope he conceiued in thinking that if the Milanesi would be defended frō the ambition of the Venetians that of force they must imploy him and his souldiers Therof taking courage he marched into the countrey of Bologna and from thence to Modena and Regio staying with his forces at Lenza from whence he sent vnto Milan to offer his seruice Some of the Milanesi hauing buried their Duke desired to liue in
men of mean cōditiō were near to the new gate talking of the calamities of the city their misery deuising what means might be wroght for redres therof Others drew vnto them till they were a good number Therby a brute was blowne through Milan that the inhabitants neare to the new gate were alreadie in Armes Then all the multitude which aspected onely occasion tooke Armes and created Gasparo da Vicomercato their Captain went to the place where the magistrates were assembled whom they so terrified that so many as could did flee the rest were slain Among whom Leonardo Veniero the Venetian Embassador was murthered who had before that time reioyced at their miserie and was thought to haue bene the occasion of the mischiefe and famine Thus the multitude as Lords of the Citie among themselues consulted what was to be done to deliuer them from so manifold sorrowes wherinto they were entred And euery man thought good to yeeld the citie sith the libertie could not be preserued to some Prince that were able to defend it Some said to the king Alfonso some to the Duke of Sauóia some to the French king Of the Earle no mā made mentiō so great was yet the offence of the people towards him Notwithstanding seeing they could not resolue vpon any Gasparo Vicomercato was the first that named the Earle declaring at large that if they would be discharged of the warre there was no other way but to chuse him because the people of Milan had necessitie of certain present peace could not tarry long in hope of future relief Moreouer he excused the actions of the Earle accusing the Venetians and all the other Princes of Italy because they would not some for ambition some for couetise that Milan should continue free And therfore being forced to depart with libertie it was best to yeeld to such a one as could would defend it So as by that seruitude they might at the least gain peace without further losse or war more dangerous This speech was with great attentiō hearkned vnto euery man with one voice cōsented that the Earle should be chosen and Gasparo was made Embassador to call him who by commandement of the people went vnto the Earle to present him this pleasant happie newes The Earle willingly accepted the same entered into Milan as Prince the 26. of February in the yere 1450. And was there with exceeding gladnes receiued euē by those who not lōg before had hated defamed him The newes of this victory being brought to Florence order was taken with the Embassadors sent frō thence and were already vpon the way towards the Earle that in stead of entreaty of peace with him as Earle they shuld cōgratulate the victory as Duke These Embassadors were by the Duke honorably receiued bountifully enterteined For he knew wel that against the power of the Venetians he could not find in all Italy more faithful nor more mighty friends then the Florentins Who hauing remoued feare of the Visconti thought they should be forced to fight with Aragon Venice Because the house of Aragon then Kings of Naples was their enemie in respect of the friendship by them borne to the house of France and the Venetians knew that the auncient feare of the Visconti was fresh and that carefully they had persecuted them wherefore doubting the like persecution sought their ruine These matters were the occasion that the new Duke was easily induced to friend the Florentines and that the Venetians and the King Alfonso agreed to ioyne against their common enemie binding themselues at one selfe time to take armes that the King should assault the Florentines and the Venetians set vpon the Duke Who being new in the state was not as they thought neither able with his owne forces to withstand them nor with the aide of others could be defended Yet because the league betwixt the Florentines and Venetians continued and that the King after the warres of Piombino had made peace with them they thought not good to breake that peace till such time as they had some colour to make warre Wherefore both the one the other sent Embassadors to Florēce to signifie in the behalf of their Lords that the league was made not to offend any man but to defend their Countries And moreouer the Venetians complained that the Florentines had giuen passage to Alisandro brother to the Duke of Lunigiana whereby he with his forces passed into Lombardy and that they were also the Authors and Councellours to make the agreement betwixt the Duke and the Marquesse of Mantoua All which things they said were preiudiciall to their state and the friendship betwixt them Wheresore friendly wished thē to remember that who so offendeth an other wrongfully doth giue occasion to him that is offended iustly to seek reuenge and he that breaketh the peace must euer looke to find war The answer of this Embassage was by the Senate committed to Cosimo who in a long and wise Oration laid before them all the benifits which his citie had bestowed vpon the Venetian common-weale Declaring how great dominion they had wonne by means of the mony the men counsel of the Florentines And assured them that sith the Florentines did occasion the friendship no cause of warre should euer proceed from them For they hauing bene euer louers of peace commended greatly the agreement betwixt them so as for peace and not for war the same were made But he maruelled much of the Venetian complaints that of so small vain matters so great a common-weale wold make account But if they had bene worthie consideration yet was it knowne to the world that the Florentine country was free and open to all men and the Duke was such a one as to win friendship with Mantoua had no need either of counsel or fauour Wherfore he doubted that these complaints had vnder them hidden some secret poison not yet perceiued Which so being euery man should easily vnderstand that as the Florentines friendship did profit them so their displeasure could hinder them Thus for that time the matter was lightly passed ouer the Embassadors seemed to depart wel inough cōtented Notwithstanding the league being made the maner of the Venetians and the Kings proceedings did occasiō the Florentines the Duke rather to looke for some new war then hope of firme peace Therefore the Florentines ioyned in league with the Duke in the mean while the euil disposition of the Venetians was discouered because they made league with the Sanesi banished all the Florentines with euery other person subiect to the state of Florēce Shortly after the king Alfonso did the like without any respect to the peace made the yeare before without iust cause or coloured occasion The Venetians laboured to gain the possession of Bologna for that purpose aided the banished men of that Citie who with many others found
means in the night to enter the towne They were no sooner within the walles but themselues made an Alarum Whereat Santi Bentiuogli suddeinly start vp and knowing that the Citie was surprized by Rebels although hee were by many friendes counselled by fleeing to saue his life yet would he in any wise shew his face to Fortune take armes and encourage others to do the like He therefore with some others made head assaulted part of the Rebels and brake them sleying many and forcing the rest to flee the Citie Whereuppon euery man iudged that hee had made good proofe to be of the right race of Bentiuogli These actions brought vnto Florence a firme beliefe of the future warre Therefore the Florentines resorting to their auncient orders created the ten Magistrates for the war entertained new Captaines sent Embassadors to Rome to Naples to Venice and to Siena procure aid of their friends discouer suspects gaine the good will of those that were neutrall and sounde the determination of enemies Of the Pope they could get nothing but general words curtesie and perswasion to peace Of the King they vnderstood only his vaine excuses for discharging the Florentines and offered to giue safe conduct to euerie man that desired it And albeit he went about by all meanes to conceale the intention of the new warre yet the Embassadours knewe well his euill meaning and detected manie dealinges of his to the disaduauntage of their Common-weale With the Duke they renewed the League fortifying the same with sundrie Obligations and by his meanes gained the good will of the Genouesi cancelling all former quarrels Notwithstanding that the Venetians had laboured manie wayes to impeach that composition and intreated the Emperour of Constantinople to banish from his countries all the Florentine Nation So greatly they grew into hate by this war and so great force had their desire of gouernment as without respect they sought to oppresse those who were the cause of their greatnesse Neuerthelesse by that Emperour they were not hearkened vnto The Embassadours for the Florentines were by the Venetian Senate forbidden to enter into their Countrey alleaging that they being in league with the King might not without his priuitie giue them audience The Sanesi enterteined the Embassadours with curteous words fearing to be surprized before the league could defende them and therefore thought good not to stirre those Armes which they were not able to resist The Venetians and the King as was then coniectured would haue sent Embassadors to Florence to iustifie the warre But the Embassadour for the Venetians would not enter into the Florentines dominion and the Kings Embassador durst not alone execute that message Whereby the Embassage was not performed And the Venetians by meanes thereof knew that they were litle esteemed of the Florentines they a few months past esteemed not much During the feare of these motiōs whō the Emperour Federigo the third came into Italy to be crowned the thirtie day of Ianuary in the yeare 1451. And entring into Florence with a thousand fiue hundred horses was by that Cittie most honourably receiued and enterteined till the sixt of February At which time hee tooke his iourney from thence towards his Coronation at Rome where he was solemnely Crowned and married to the Empresse being come thither by sea These ceremonies performed the Emperour returned towards Germany and came againe to Florence in the moneth of May where he was vsed with the same honours he had there before receiued Also in his returne hauing bene pleasured by the Marquesse of Farrara for recompence the Emperour granted vnto him the Cities of Modina Reggio During all these doings the Florentines omitted not their preparation for the war giuing themselues reputation and the enemie terror They and the Duke ioyned league with the French King for defence of all their countries in generall Which league with great magnificence and reioycing they published throughout all Italy By this time was come the yere 1452. when in May the Venetians thought good no longer to deferre the warre against the Duke Wherefore with sixteene thousand horse and sixe thousand footemen they assaulted him towards Lodi and at the same time the Marquesse of Monferato either prouoked by his owne ambition or by the Venetians request assaulted him on the other side towards Alessandria The Duke on the contrary part had assembled eighteene thousand horse and three thousand footemen And hauing furnished Alessandria and Lodi he likewise fortified all those places which the enemie might offend Then with his souldiers he assaulted the country of Brescia where he greatly damaged the Venetians spoiling that countrey and sacking those townes which were not strong But the Marquesse of Monferato being broken by the Dukes forces at Alessandria the Duke might with the more strength encounter the Venetians assault their country Thus the war of Lombardy proceeding therin sundry accidents not worthie memorie hapning it came to passe that the like war begun in Toscana betwixt the King Alfonso the Florentines which was performed with no more vertue nor more peril thē that of Lōbardy Ferrādo the bastard son of Alfonso came into Italy wth 12000. souldiers conducted by Federigo Lord of Vrbino Their first enterprise was to assault Foiano in the vale of Chiana for hauing frendship of the Sanesi they might that way enter into the territorie of Florence That Castle was weakly walled and of smal receipt therefore with no great number defended yet those few in the Castle were accounted at that time valiant and loyall souldiers The number sent by the Senate to guard that Castle were 200. This Castle in that sort prepared was by Ferrando besieged and the vertue of those within so great and so litle the value of them without that till the end of 36. dayes it was not wonne The protract of which time gaue the Cittie commoditie to prouide to defend other places of more moment to assemble their forces put them in readinesse The enemy hauing takē this Castle passed into Chianti where they set vpon two small towns belonging to priuate men could not win them but marched from thence and besieged Castellina a fortresse seated vpon the confines of Chianti within ten myles of Siena which place both by Art and Nature is exceeding weake notwithstanding so base was the courage of this Campe as it could not conquere that Castle of no force at all For after they had besieged it 44. dayes they departed thence with shame So smal terror was in those armies and so litle peril in those wars as those townes which at this day are abandoned as impossible to be kept at that time as places impregnable were defended During that Ferrando remained with his Camp in Chianti he made many roades into the Florentines country spoiling that Prouince within sixe miles of the Cittie to the great losse and terror of the Florentine subiects Who hauing by that time prepared forces to the
was supposed that the summe of his presents amounted vnto twentie thousand duckets In conclusion he aspired to such greatnesse of reputation as Lucca and not Cosimo seemed to gouerne the Cittie Thereupon he conceiued so great confidence that he began to build two houses the one in Florence the other in Rucciano a mile distant from the Cittie both stately and kingly buildings But that in Florence was much larger then by any priuate Cittizen had euer bene builded For performance thereof he spared not to vse all extraordinarie meanes For not onely priuate Cittizens and particuler men did present him and help him with things necessarie for his building but the whole comminaltie and people did put their hands to his works Moreouer all banished men and euerie other person hauing committed murther theft or other offence whereof he feared publique punishment if he were abled to his seruice any way might without all danger resort thither The other Cittizens although they builded not like vnto him yet were they no lesse violent and inclined to oppression so as albeit Florence had no warre abroad to hinder it yet was it by the Cittizens within oppressed In those dayes as is before sayd happened the warre in the Kingdome and some warres were also made against the house of Malatesti by the Pope being desirous to take from them Rimino and Cesena so that in this enterprise and his studie to moue the warre against the Turke Pope Pio consumed his Papacie But Florence continued still in diuisions and troubles For then began the faction of Cosimo to be diuided within it selfe the yeare 1455. which happened by the occasions before said Yet were they for that time by his wisedome appeased But the yeare 64. being come Cosimo fell againe sick and dyed At his death both friends and foes lamented for they who in respect of the State loued him not seeing what extortion was vsed by the Cittizens in his life doubted least Cosimo being dead whome all men reuerenced they should be vtterly ruined and of his sonne Piero they hoped not much For albeit he were of disposition a good man yet being sickly and new in the gouernmēt they thought he should be forced to respect others who without any bridle would become strong and incorrigible Euerie man therefore feared to find great want of Cosimo This Cosimo was the most esteemed and most famous Cittizen being no man of warre that euer had bene in the memorie of man either in Florence or any other Cittie bicause he did not onely excell all others of his time in authoritie and riches but also in liberalitie and wisedome For amongst other qualities which aduanced him to be chiefe of his Countrey he was more then other men liberall and magnificent Which liberalitie appeared much more after his death then before For his sonne Piero found by his fathers Records that there was not any Cittizen of estimation to whome Cosimo had not lent great summes of money and many times also vnrequired he did lend to those Gentlemen whome he knewe to haue need His magnificence likewise appeared by diuerse his buildings For within Florence he builded the Abbaies and Temples of S. Marco S. Lorenzo and the Monasterie of S. Verdiana And in the Mountaines of Fiesole S. Gerolano with the Abbey thereunto belonging Also in Mugello he did not onely repaire the Church for the Friers but tooke it downe and builded it a new Besides those magnificent buildings in S. Croce in S. Agnoli and S. Miniato he made Altars and sumptuous Chappels All which Temples and Chappels besides the buildings of them were by him paued and throughlie furnished with all things necessarie With these publique buildings we may number his priuate houses whereof one within the Cittie meete for so great a personage and foure other without at Carriaggi at Fiesole at Cafaggiuolo and at Trebio all Pallaces fitter for Princes then priuate persons And bicause his magnificent houses in Italy did not in his opinion make him famous ynough he builded in Ierusalem an Hospitall to reciue poore and diseased Pilgrims In which worke he consumed great summes of money And albeit these buildings and euery other his actions were princely and that in Florence he liued like a Prince yet so gouerned by wisedome as he neuer exceeded the bounds of ciuill modestie For in his conuersation in riding in marrying his children and kinsfolks he was like vnto all other discreet and modest Citizens bicause he well knew that extraordinarie things which are of all men with admiration beholded do win more enuie then those which without ostentatiō be honestlie couered Whensoeuer therefore he married his sonnes he neuer sought to match them with the daughters of Princes but wedded his sonne Giouanni to Cornelia Alessandri and Piero to Lucretia Tornabuoni Also of his graund children begotten of Piero he married Bianca to Guglielmo de Pazi and Nannina to Barnardo Russellai These his proceedings caused that in so great change of fortune and in so variable a Cittie among so inconstant Cittizens he continued a Magistrate 31. yeares For being a wise man he discouered all inconuenients a farre and therefore might in time preuent them or if they did grow be so prepared as they could not offend him Whereby he did not onely suppresse all domesticall and ciuill ambition but also bridled the insolencie of many Princes with so great happinesse and wisedome that whosoeuer ioyned in league with him and his countrey became either equall or superior to his enemies And whosoeuer opposed themselues against them either they lost time money or state Whereof the Venetians can beare witnesse who being ioyned with him against the Duke Philippo were alwayes victorious and being disioyned were first by Philippo and after by Francesco victored and oppressed Also when they ioyned with Alfonso against the state of Florence Cosimo with his credit made both Naples and Venice so scarce of money as they were constrayned to take what peace himselfe was pleased with Whatsoeuer difficultie or contradiction was moued against Cosimo either within or without the Cittie the end thereof was to his glorie and the disaduantage of his enemies Therefore all ciuill discords increased his authoritie in Florence and forraine warres augmented his power abroad He annexed to the dominion of his Countrey Borgo at S. Sepolcro Monteuoglio Casentino and the Vale of Bagno Thus his vertue and fortune oppressed all enemies and aduanced his friends He was borne in the yeare 1389. on the feast day of S. Cosimo and Damiano The first part of his life was full of troubles as appeareth by his exile his imprisonment and his dangers of death Also at the Councell of Constanza whither he went with the Pope Giouanni after the Popes oppression he was forced to disguise himselfe and flee But hauing passed the fortie yeare of his age hee liued most happily in so much as not onely they which ioyned with him in publique actions but all other men also that maneged
he did not with sword in hand rather die honourably then among his victorious enemies liue dishonored These that were banished sought by sundrie meanes to recouer the Citie they had lost Yet Agnolo Acciaiuoli being at Naples before hee attempted any thing thought good to feele the disposition of Piero and what hope remained of reconciliation writing vnto him as followeth I smile to see what sports fortune doth make her self and how at her pleasure she frameth of foes friends and of friends foes You can remember that at the banishment of your father esteeming more his iniury then mine own danger I lost my country was like to haue also lost my life Neither in al his time did I euer omit to honor and fauour your house nor after his death haue had any intent to offend you True it is that your own vnhealthie disposition the tender yeares of your children brought me into such feare as I thought it behoued me to take order that after your death our countrey should not be ruined For which cōsideratiō I haue done diuers things not against you but for the good of my country Wherein if I haue committed error the same ought be for my good intent and passed seruice pardoned Neither can I beleeue other but that in respect of ancient loue to your house I shal at this occasiō find mercy my manifold merits shal not be by one onely fault cancelled Piero hauing perused this letter aunswered thus Your laughing there you are is the occasion that I weep not here where I am for if you had laughed at Florence I should haue wept at Naples I denie not your well deseruing of my father sith your self wil confesse to haue tasted his liberalitie and by how much that deedes be esteemed aboue words by so much your obligation is more thē ours You then recompenced for your good may not maruell though for your euil you receiue deserued punishmēt Let not the loue of your country excuse you sith there is no man beleeueth that this citie hath bin lesse loued profitted by the Medici thē the Acciaiuoli I do therfore wish you with dishonor to remain there sith here in honor you knew not how to lead your life Agnolo thus dispairing of pardon went to Rome there conferred with the Archbishop other banished men of the mean wherby they might take reputation frō the house of Medici which Piero with difficultie notwithstanding the aide of his friendes could preuent Diotisalui and Nicholo Soderini likewise practised to make the Senate of Venice enemie to their countrey thinking thereby that if with anie new warre the Florentines were assailed the gouernment being new and hated they should not be able to defend themselues In those daies Giouan Francesco the sonne of Palla Strozzi liued in Farrara and had bene togither with his father banished in the alteration of the state the yeare 34. This Giouanni had great credit and was holden amongst other merchants a man of great riches The newe Rebelles declared vnto him the great facilitie they found to recouer their countrey if the Venetians would take the enterprise in hand which he thought they would be easily perswaded vnto if part of their charges might be borne Giouan Francesco who desired to reuenge himselfe of the iniuries receiued easily gaue credite to their counsaile and promised with all his wealth to furnish the enterprise Then went they all togither vnto the Duke complaining of the exile whereinto they saide themselues were fallen not for anie other fault but because they desired that their countrey might be gouerned with the lawes thereof and that the Magistrates and not a fewe others should be honoured For Piero de Medici with others his followers accustomed to liue tyrannically had by deceit taken armes and by deceit caused them to disarme themselues and afterwards by deceit expulsed them out of their Citie Neither were they so content but they would also therein pretend deuotion to God and by that colour oppresse others For at the assemblie of the Citizens and at publike and sacred ceremonies to the intent God should be partaker of their treasons they apprehended imprisoned and slewe manie Cittizens which was an example of great impietie and wickednesse For reuenge wherof they knew not whither to resort with more hope then to that Senate which hauing euer liued free could not but take compassion of those who had lost their liberties Then they perswaded all men that loued libertie to detest tirants those that were godly to abhorre impious people Putting them in mind that the house of Medici had taken from them the dominiō of Lombardy at such time as Cosimo without consent of the other citizens the Senate fauoured aided Francesco So that though they had no compassion of the Florentines yet the reuēge of the iniuries done to the Venetiās ought to moue thē These last words moued all the Senat to determine that Bartolomeo Coglione their General shuld assault the dominiō of Florence He with all speed possible assembled the army with him ioyned Hercole Este sent by Borso Marquesse of Farrara They at the first entrie the Florentines not being prepared burnt the Towne of Dauadola and spoyled some other places in the countrey thereabout But the Florentines hauing driuen out all the enemies to Piero made league with Galiazzo Duke of Milan and with the King Ferrando Then they enterteined Federigo Earle of Vrbino for their Generall and founde themselues so friended as they feared little the force of their enemies For Ferrando sent thither Alfonso his eldest sonne and Duke Galiazzo came in person either of them leading a conuenient number and they altogither made head at Castracaro a Castle belonging to the Florentines builded at the foot of those Alpes wherby men passe from Toscana to Romagna In the meane time the enemies were retired towards Imola and so between the one and the other army according to the custome of those daies some light skirmishes happened but no townes by either of them besieged nor any disposition in either of them to fight with their enemie but euerie man remaining within his Tent continued the wars with great cowardice This maner of proceedings greatly offended the Gouernors in Florence finding themselues charged by a warre wherein they spent much and could hope for litle And the Magistrates complained of those Cittizens who were made Commissaries in that enterprise They answered that Duke Galiazzo was occasion thereof for hee hauing most authoritie and least experience knewe not what was profitable nor would not beleeue others of more skill and that it was impossible so long as hee remained in the armie that anie thing should be done with honour and commoditie Wherefore the Florentines saide vnto the Duke albeit for their profit it was best he should be personally in their aide because the reputation of his presence was the fittest meane to terrifie the enemie notwithstanding for that they
esteemed more his safetie then their state or proper commoditie they thought not fit he should remaine long from Milan being newly come to his gouernment and hauing there diuerse strong enemies to be suspected so that if any of them should practise against him they might easily in his absence do it For which respects they perswaded him to returne home and leaue part of his forces for their defence This counsell contented Galiazzo and without further consideration returned to Milan The Florentine Captaines disburthened of this let to declare the same was the true occasion of their slow proceeding drew so neare to the enemie that they ioyned battle which continued one half day neither partie yeelding to other Notwithstanding there was not anie man therein slaine but some horses hurt and a fewe prisoners on either part taken The winter now being come and the season of the yeare no longer seruing for the fielde they retired to their lodgings Bartolomeo went to Rauenna the Florentines into Toscana the Kings souldiers and the Dukes resorted home to their maisters Countries But so soone as this assault beganne to be forgotten and no disorder made in Florence as the Florentine Rebels promised and the other souldiers wanting paie were content to entreate of peace which with small difficultie was concluded The Rebels then dispairing of all hope to diuerse places dispersed themselues Diotisalui went to Farrara where he was by the Marquesse Borso receiued and relieued Nicholo Soderini fledde to Rauenna where liuing long vppon a poore pencion giuen him by the Venetians in the ende there died This Nicholo was accounted a man iust and couragious yet vncertaine and slowe of his resolution which was the cause that the Gonfaloniere lost that opportunitie which being out of office hee would haue taken but could not The peace concluded the Citizens who remained in Florence with victorie thinking themselues not assured vnlesse they did as well oppresse those they suspected as their apparant enemies perswaded Bardo Altouiti then Gonfaloniere d'Giustitia to remoue more Cittizens from their offices and to banish many others Which thing greatly encreased the power of that faction and terrified the contrarie part which power they vsed without respect and proceeded so much at their pleasure as it seemed that God and fortune had consented to giue that Cittie into their hands Of which doings Piero knew little and that litle he could not being afflicted with sicknesse remedie For his diseases were so great as he could not vse any member saue only his tongue wherwith he exhorted them and praied them to liue ciuilly and enioy their natiue country rather entire thē broken And for the comfort of the Citie he determined with magnificence to celebrate the marriage of Lorenzo his sonne who was alreadie contracted to Clarice discended of the house of Orsini which marriage was performed with great pompe as to so magnificent a feast apperteined For performance of these triumphs diuers daies were consumed in feasting dancing publike shews Wherunto was also ioined for more apparāce of greatnes of the Medici 2. marshal exercises the one represented a battle fought in the field the other of a towne besieged which things were deuised in good order performed with so much vertue as might be While these matters were doing in Florēce the rest of Italy liued quiet but yet in great suspitiō of the Turke who proceeded still in his enterprise against the Christians and had wonne Negroponti to the great infamie and dishonour of the Christian name Then died Borso Marquesse of Farrara to whom succeeded his brother Hercule Euen then died also Gismondo da Rimino a perpetuall enemie to the Church who left to inherit that state Roberto his naturall sonne afterwards accounted the most excellent Captaine of Italy Then likewise died the Pope Pagolo in whose place was created Sisto quarto called before his creation Francesco da Sauona a man of base and vile condition yet for his vertue made Generall of the order of S. Francesco and afterwardes Cardinall This Pope was the first that beganne to shewe of what great force the Papacie was and that manie things before time accounted faults might be by Papall authoritie couered This Pope had amongst many others in his house two men the one called Piero and the other Gerolamo who as euerie man thought were his vnlawfull sonnes notwithstanding men called them by other names more honest Piero being made a Frier was preferred to the dignitie of Cardinall and called Cardinall of S. Sisto To Gerolamo he gaue the Cittie of Furli and tooke it by force from Antonio Ordelaffi whose auncestors had bene long time Princes there This ambitious manner of proceeding made him the more esteemed by the Princes of Italy and euery of them sought which way to be accounted his friend The Duke of Milan gaue his daughter Catterina in marriage to Gerolamo and with her the Citie of Imola which by force he had taken frō Taddeo Alidossi Betwixt this Duke and the King Ferrando was also made new alliance For Eliza-bella daughter to Alfonso eldest sonne of the King was married to Giouan Galiazzo eldest sonne to the Duke Thus Italy continued quiet and the greatest care of the Princes was one to honor the other and with new alliances friendships leagues one to assure himselfe of the other But notwithstanding so great a peace Florence was by the Citizens thereof greatly afflicted And Piero being troubled with ambition of the Citizens and his own diseases could not procure remedie yet to discharge his conscience and laie before them their misdemeanor he called to his presence the chiefe Florentines and said vnto them as followeth I neuer thought that anie time could come when the maner behauior of friends would proue such as to make me loue desire my enemies or that I might wish victory to be conuerted to losse Because I thought my selfe accompanied with men whose appetites were confined to measure that it sufficed them to liue in their country assured honoured and that which is more vpon their enemies reuenged But now I know my self far deceiued as he that knew little the ambition of men and least of all yours For it contenteth you not to be Princes of so great a Cittie and among you a few to haue the honors offices and commodities wherewith many Citizens were wont to be honored It contented you not to haue the goods of your enemies among you diuided It contenteth you not to burthen others with publike charges you free from all paiments to take the publike profit but you wil also with euery kind of iniury molest them You cease not to rob your neighbors you feare not to sell iustice you flie ciuill iudgement you oppresse peaceable men and aduance those that be insolent Neither do I beleeue that there is in all Italy so many examples of violence couetousnes as be in this cittie But sith it hath giuen you life
why do you take life from it If it hath made you victorious why should we destroy it If it hath honored vs why haue we disdained it I promise you by that faith which ought to be giuē and receiued amōg good mē that if you behaue your selues so as I shal repent me of my victory I wil so do as you shal also repēt that you haue abused it Those citizens according to the time answered resonably Notwitstāding they continued still in their insolēt doings Inso much as Piero sent secretly to Agnolo Acciaiuoli who came vnto him at Cafaggiuolo and there they reasoned at length touching the estate of the Cittie And surely had he not bene by death preuented he would haue called home all the banished men to bridle the insolencie and oppression of those that liued in the Citie But death suffered him not to performe so honest an intent for diseases of bodie and trouble of minde so greeuously handled him that hee died the fiftie and three yeare of his age His vertue and bountie could not be to his Countrey so well knowne as they deserued partly because his father liued welneare as long and partly for that those fewe yeares hee ouerliued him were in ciuill contentions and sicknesse consumed This Piero was buried in the Church of S. Lorenzo neare vnto his father and his funerall performed with honour and pompe worthie so great a Cittizen Of him there remained two sonnes Lorenzo and Giuliano of whome there was good hope that they would prooue men fit for the state yet their youth was such as made all men doubt thereof Amongst other chiefe Cittizens in the gouernment of Florence there was one farre excelling the rest called Tomaso Soderini whose wisedome and authoritie not onely to Florence but also to all the Princes in Italy was knowne Hee after the death of Piero was of all the Cittie reuerenced and manie Cittizens did dailie visite him as chiefe man of the state Also diuerse Princes did write vnto him Neuerthelesse being wise and knowing what fortune followed him and his house hee would neuer answere the Princes Letters and perswaded the Citizens they should not resort to his house but to the houses of the Medici Also to shewe in deedes that which by words was by him perswaded hee assembled all the chiefe Gentlemen of euerie family at the Monastery of S. Antonio whither hee procured that Lorenzo and Giuliano di Medici should come and there after a long and graue Oration by him made they disputed the estate both of that Cittie of all Italy and of the humours of the Princes Therein concluding that to continue Florence vnited in peace assured from diuision within and from warre without it behooued them to honor those two yoong men and mainteine the reputation of their house Because men do not repine to do such things as they haue bene accustomed vnto but new houses as they are easily honored so are they quickly abandoned For it hath bene euer more easie to maintaine that reputation where length of time hath extingnished enuy then to raise a new estimation which by many occasiōs may be oppressed After him spake Lorenzo who notwithstanding his youth vttered words with so great grauitie modestie as gaue euery man hope he would become such a one as indeed afterwards he proued And before they departed that place the Citizens praied the brethren to receiue them as children they offring to honor them as fathers This conclusion set downe Giuliano and Lorenzo were honoured as Princes of the Citie and those that were of counsell with Tomaso did not intermeddle Thus the Florentines liued both within without so peaceably as nothing disturbed the Common quiet till a trouble not looked for arose which did prognosticate future mischiefe Among other families which Lucca Pitti ruined was that of Nardi For Saluestro and his brethren being heads of that house were first sent into exile and after by the warre which Bartolomeo Coglione moued made Rebels Of these Barnardo brother of Saluestro was a yoong man of great spirit and courage Hee being poore could not endure banishment and finding that the peace made had not prouided for his returne determined to make proofe of somewhat whereby might grow occasion of warre For many times of a small beginning great effects doe followe Because men bee more willing to prosecute then beginne anie enterprise This Barnardo had much acquaintance in Prato and muche more in the Countrey about Pistoia chiefely with the the house of Palandra who albeit they were but countrey people yet was their number great and the men according to the manner of that countrey practised in armes and much vsed to bloud He knew likewise they liued discontented and by reason that some of their enemies were Magistrates in Florence they had bene euill handled He knew moreouer the humor of the Pratesi who accounted themselues proudly and hardly gouerned and had particuler knowledge of the euill disposition of some towards the State All which things brought him in hope to kindle fire in Toscana by making Prato to rebell whereto so many would put hands as they that would quench it should not be able Then he imparted this matter to Diotisalui Neroni and asked of him what aide might be by his meanes procured among the Princes if he should happen to surprize Prato Diotisalui thought the enterprise dangerous and as impossible to take effect notwithstanding considering he might thereby with the perill of others make new proofe of fortune perswaded him to proceed and promised to bring him assured aide from Bologna and Farrara so that he were able to defend Prato at the least fifteene dayes Barnardo then incouraged with this promise and conceiuing great hope of happie proceeding went to Prato and there communicating the matter to diuerse found them verie willing The like disposition he perceiued in the familie of Palandra and hauing agreed togithers of the time and manner of the enterprise Barnardo imparted all to Diotisalui At that time was Cesare Petrucci Podesta of Prato for the Florentines The custome was that the Podesta should haue the keies of the towne brought vnto him And whensoeuer any of the towne chiefely in times of no suspition desired to goe out or come in by night that fauour was graunted Barnardo knowing this custome being accompanied with those of the house of Palandra and 100. others armed men in the morning when the gate towards Pistoia should open presented himselfe and those whome he had made priuie within did likewise arme One of them went to the Podesta saying a friend of his desired to come into the towne The Podesta not doubting any such accident sent with him a seruant of his to carrie the keies from whome being a little on the way the keies were taken the gates opened and Barnardo with his followers came in Then they diuided themselues in two parts The one led by Saluestro of Prato tooke possession of the Cittadell
factions for daily betwixt these two leagues there grew displeasure as it happened touching the Ile of Cipres which the King Ferrando challenged and the Venetians vsurped whereupon the Pope and the King became more willing one of the others friendship In those daies Federigo Prince of Vrbino was accounted the most excellent Captaine of Italy and had long serued for the Florentines The King and the Pope to the end our league should not haue the seruice of such a leader determined to win the good will of Federigo To that end both the Pope and the King desired him to come vnto Naples Federigo performed their desire to the great admiration and displeasure of the Florentines beleeuing it would become of him as it did to Giacopo Piccinino Yet the contrarie came to passe for Federigo returned from Naples and Romagna with great honor and still Generall for their league Neuerthelesse the King and Pope ceased not to sound the disposition of the Lords in Romagna and the Sanesi hoping to make them his friends and by their meanes be able to offend the Florentines whome they perceiued by all conuenient waies armed to incounter their ambition and hauing lost Federigo of Vrbino they enterteined Roberto of Rimini They also renewed the league with the Perugini and drew thereunto the Lord of Faenza The Pope and King alleaged that their displeasure to the Florentines was bicause they sought to drawe the Venetians from them and the Pope thought that the Church could not mainteine the reputation thereof nor the Earle Girolamo his state in Romagna if the Florentines and Venetians were vnited On the other side the Florentines feared they would be enemies to the Venetians not to win their friendship but the rather thereby to iniurie them so as Italy liued two yeares in these suspitions and diuersities of humors before any tumults were moued But the first although but small happened in Toscana Braccio of Perugia a man as hath heretofore bene often said of great reputation in the warre had two sonnes called Oddo and Carlo This Carlo was a child and Oddo was by the inhabitants of the Vale of Lamona slaine as hath bene declared Carlo being atteined to age and able for armes was for the memorie of his father and the good hope of himselfe enterteined by the Venetians and made among others a leader for that state The time of his conduct ended he refused to serue longer determining to make proofe if with his owne fame and the reputation of his father he could recouer his owne countrey of Perugia Whereto the Venetians easily consented as they that were wont in alterations to increase their dominion Carlo then came into Toscana and found the enterprise of Perugia hard by reason that the Perugini were in league with the Florentines yet desirous that this motion might take some effect worthie memorie he assaulted the Sanesi alleaging they were debtors of money due to his father for seruice done to that state whereof he required satisfaction and vpon that demaund assaulted them with so great furie as that dominion became disordered The Cittizens of Siena seeing themselues so furiously charged being readie to suspect the worst of the Florentines thought all was done by their consent They also complained much to the Pope and the King and sent Embassadors vnto Florence to expostulate the iniurie and couertlie alleaged that without assistance Carlo could not with so great securitie haue offended them The Florentines excused themselues promising in what sort the Embassadors thought good they would commaund Carlo no more to offend the Sanesi Whereof Carlo complained that they by not aiding him should lose a great conquest and he misse the meane to aspire to much glorie For in short space he promised them possession of that Cittie where he found so great cowardice and disorder as with possibilitie it could not be defended Then Carlo departed from thence and returned to his old enterteinement of the Venetians Albeit the Sanesi were by the Florentines deliuered from so great danger yet remained they towards them offended and iudged their obligacion not to be any thing hauing saued them from an euill whereof they had bene the occasion During that these matters betwixt the King and Pope were handled in Toscana there happened in Lombardy an accident of much more moment and did prognosticate greater euils There was in Milan a Scholemaister called Cola of Mantoua a man well learned but ambitious and such a one as instructed the chiefe children of the Cittie This Cola either bicause he hated the life and manners of the Duke or for some other occasion in all his speeches seemed to disdaine those men that liued vnder an euill prince calling others glorious and happie whome nature and fortune graunted to be borne and liue in common-weales Declaring how all famous men had bene brought vp in common-weales and not vnder Princes For the common-weales said he did nourish vertuous men but Princes did oppresse them for the one doth cherish vertue the other doth feare it The yong men with whome he had gained most familiaritie were Giouandrea Lampugnano Carlo Visconti and Girolamo Olgeato with them he oftentimes reasoned of the euill nature of the Duke and their owne misfortune being gouerned vnder such a one and at length hee began to be in so great confidence of these yong men that hee brought them to sweare that so soone as they atteined to mans estate they would deliuer their countrey from the tirannie of that Prince These youths perswaded to performe what they had promised waying therewith all the Dukes behauiour and the particuler iniuries he had done did hasten their intent to put the matter in execution The Duke Galiazzo was in his disposition lasciuious and cruell which two things had made him odious for it sufficed him not to entice Ladies to dishonor but he would also take pleasure in publishing the same Neither was he content to put men to death but he would also execute them with some cruell manner of torment He was moreouer slandered or truely suspected to haue murthered his owne mother for hee perswading himselfe not to be Prince she being present found meanes to remoue her to Cremona which was the place of her dowrie and in that iourney she became sodeinly sick and died and many men iudged her sonne was cause of her death This Duke had in matter touching women dishonored Carlo and Gerolamo and denied Giouandrea to haue the possession of the Abbey of Miramondo being graunted vnto him of the Pope vpon resignation of a kinsman of his These priuate iniuries increased the desire of the yong men by reuenge to deliuer their countrey of so great mischiefes hoping that if they might murther the Duke they should be not onely esteemed of the nobilitie but also of the people followed Thus determined of the enterprise they oftentimes met together and by reason of their auncient familiaritie no meruaile made of their meeting Being togithers to make their
would not faile to be They ordered that Giouanbattista should take in hand to kill Lorenzo and Francesco de Pazzi with Barnardo Bandini should sley Giuliano Giouanbattista refused to performe his charge either bicause the curteous vsage of Lorenzo had mollified his mind or else for some other occasion which moued him said he durst not commit so great a sinne in the Church as to execute treason with sacrilege Which conceit of Giouanbattista was the first ruine of their enterprise for the time drawing on they were forced to commit that charge to Antonio of Volterra and Steffano the Priest two men both for experiēce and nature farre vnfit for that purpose bicause there is no action which requireth more resolution and constancie of mind then this And it behoueth him that should take such a matter in hand to be a man accustomed to be present at the death of others For it hath oft bene seene that some men vsed to armes and bloud haue notwithstanding in like cases let fall their courage This determination set downe they agreed that the time of the execution should be at the sacring time of Masse and in the same instant the Archbishop Saluiati with Giacopo should take possession of the publique Pallace to the end that the Senators either by consent or force so soone as the yong men were slaine should fauour the conspirators This course being agreed of they went to the Temple where they found the Cardinall and Lorenzo de Medici The Church was full of people and the seruice begun but Giuliano not come Wherfore Francesco de Pazzi with Barnardo who had the charge of his death went vnto his house and there by intreatie and cunning perswaded him to come to the Church And truly it is a thing worthy memorie to know how so great hatred would be so couertly kept secret in the minds of Francesco Barnardo For both by the way going to the Church and in the church they enterteined Giuliano with pleasant speech and youthful daliance Also Francesco vnder colour of familier and friendly curtesie tooke Giuliano in his armes to feele whether he had on anie armour or garment of defence Giuliano and Lorenzo knew well inough they were not beloued of the Pazzi and that they desired to remoue them from their authoritie in the state yet feared they not their own liues supposing that whensoeuer the Pazzi would attempt anie enterprise against them they would do it ciuilly and not by violence Therefore not mistrusting anie such measure they likewise feined themselues to be their friends The murtherers thus prepared those that were appointed for slaughter of Lorenzo thrust in among the multitude where they might stand without suspition The others togithers with Giuliano being come to the Church at the time appointed Barnardo Bandini with a short dagger made for the purpose stabbed Giuliano to the heart who moouing a step or two fell to the ground and vpon him went Francesco de Pazzi wounding his bodie in many places so furiously that he strake himselfe also a great wound in one of his owne legs Antonio and Steffano assaulted Lorenzo at whom they strake diuerse times but hurt him onely a litle in the throate For either their negligence his resistance or the helpe of those that stood by saued him from further harme So that the conspirators fled and hid themselues But being afterwards founde they were shamefully put to death and their bodies drawne through all the streetes of the Citie Lorenzo ioyning with those friends he had about him retired himselfe into the vesterie of the Temple and there shut vp the doores Barnardo Bandini seeing Giuliano dead slew also Francesco Nori a great friend to the Medici either because hee hated him before or because Francesco had gone about to saue Giuliano Also not content with these two murthers he went towards Lorenzo hoping by his courage and quicknesse to supplie that which others for their sloth and cowardice had left vndone But Lorenzo being in the vestry he could not performe his intent In the midst of this great and terrible accident which was such as made all men to feare that the Church would haue fallen downe the Cardinall retired to the altar where he was with great difficultie by the Priests saued till such time as the tumult ceased the Senate could conuey him to his Pallace and there till his deliuerie with great feare he remained At that time there were in Florence certaine Citizens of Perugia who by the factions enemies to their houses had bene banished These Perugini being promised by the Pazzi to be restored to their country were also of this conspiracie Whereupon the Archbishop Saluiati who was gone to surprise the Pallace accompanied with Giacopo the two other Saluiati and other his friends and followers being come thither left certaine of them below charging them that so soone as they should heare anie noyse to take possession of the gate and he with the greater part of the Perugini went vp where he found the Senate at dinner and was presently let in by Cesare Petrucci Gonfaloniere di Giustitia The Archbishop thus entred with a fewe leauing the rest without they of their owne accord went into the Chancery where they shut themselues in For the locke of that doore was by such deuise made as neither within nor without could be but with the key opened The Archbishop in the meane space being with the Gonfaloniere pretending to speake with him of matters by the Popes commandement began to vtter some speech fearefully and as though he were amazed In so much as the alteration of his countenance words wrought so great suspition in the Gonfaloniere that sodeinly he thrust him out of the chamber and seeing Giacopo there also tooke him by the haire of the head and deliuered him to the hands of the Serieants The rest of the Senators perceiuing these tumults with those weapons which were next hand assaulted the others which were come vp with the Archbishop Part of them being shut vp the rest were dismaid all whom they sodeinly slew or caused aliue to be cast out of the Pallace window Of this number the Archbishop with the other two Saluiati and Giacopo de Poggio were hanged The other conspirators which were left below had wonne the gate from the guard and gotten possession of all the lower roomes so that the Citizens who resorted vnto the Pallace vpon this rumor could neither with their counsell nor their force assist the Senators In the meane space Francesco de Pazzi and Barnardo Bandini seeing Lorenzo escaped and one of them in whom the chiefe hope of the enterprise depended to be sore hurt were therewith dismaied Wherupon Barnardo hoping with that courage to escape wherewith he had iniured the Medici seeing the enterprise failed fled away and saued himselfe Francesco being come home to his house hurt offered to mount on horsebacke for the order was that certaine armed men should be placed about the towne and the
people called to libertie and armes but he could not So deep was the wound and so much bloud had he lost Wherefore he put off all his cloathes and laide himselfe naked in bed desiring Giacopo that he would performe that which himselfe could not albeit Giacopo were old and vnpractised in such tumults yet to make the last proofe of fortune mounted on horsebacke followed with a hundreth horsemen or thereabouts who were laid readie for the like enterprise and with those he went to the Market place of the Pallace calling the people to aide him and recouer their libertie But the people by the fortune and liberallitie of the Medici made deaffe gaue no eare to helpe him and the Florentines had so much forgotten their libertie as he receiued no aunswere at all Onely the Senators who commaunded the highest place in the Pallace saluted them with throwing downe of stones and with threatenings by all wayes they could deuise terrified them Giacopo standing then doubtfull what to doo was met by Giouanni Saristori his brother in lawe who first reprooued him and the rest for the troubles they had begun and then perswaded him to returne to his house saying that the welfare of the people and the libertie touched other Citizens aswel as him Thus Giacopo voyd of all hope seeing the Senators his enemies Lorenzo aliue Francesco hurt and himselfe not followed of anie determined to flee and saue his life if possibly he could For which purpose with that companie which was with him in the Market place he went out of Florence towards Romagna In the meane time all the Citie were in armes and Lorenzo di Medici accompanied with many armed men returned home to his house The Pallace was recouered by the people and all the conspirators taken and slaine Also throughout the Citie the name of Medici was proclaimed and the members of the dead men either carried vppon the pointes of swordes and launces or drawne through the streets moreouer euerie man both by wordes and deeds irefully and cruelly persecuted the Pazzi Their houses were by the people taken and Francesco naked as he laie in bed drawne out and brought to the Pallace where he was hanged fast by the Archbishop and others his companions But he would not in any wise for any iniurie done vnto him by the way or after speak any word at all but looked euery man earnestly in the face and so without other lamentation tooke leaue of life Guglielmo di Pazzi brother in lawe to Lorenzo by his owne innocencie and the help of his wife Bianca saued himselfe in his house There was no Citizen either armed or disarmed but in that necessitie went vnto Lorenzo offering him their seruice and substance So great was the fortune and fauour which that house by his wisedom and liberallitie had gained Rinato de Pazzi when this chaunce happened retired to his house in the countrey where vnderstanding therof he disguised himselfe and fled Notwithstanding being knowne by the way hee was taken and brought to Florence Giacopo in passing the Alpes was also taken For those mountaine people hearing what had happened in Florence and seeing him fleeing staied him and brought him back to Florence Neither could he intreat them to kill him by the way although he earnestly desired them so to do Giacopo and Rinato were brought to their death foure daies after this accident happened among so many murthers and executions done all those foure daies by meanes whereof the streets were filled with dead men yet was there no compassion taken of any but onely of this Rinato because he was accounted a wise man honest and free from that pride whereof the rest of that house were noted And to the end that this action might proceed for an extraordinarie example Giacopo being buried among his auncestors was as a man excommunicate taken vp and by the haulter wherewith he was hanged drawne naked throughout the Citie and those that drew him not voucthsauing him a graue threw his bodie into the riuer of Arno. A rare example of fortune to see a man of so great riches and happie estate to fall into so great infelicitie and be ruined with so much crueltie Some haue reported him to be delighted in vices and that he tooke great pleasure in gaiming and swearing as one that was carelesse and desperate These vices he couered with liberallitie and almes for he largely releeued many poore men and gaue mony to places of deuotion This good also may be said of him that the night before the Sunday appointed for the murther to the end no friend should be partaker of his misfortune hee paide all his debts and deliuered all the merchandise he had of other mens to the propper owners with marueilous care and diligence Giouanbattista de Montesecco after many examinations was beheaded Nappolione the Frenchman scaped away and by that meanes saued himselfe Guglielmo de Pazzi was banished and his brother in lawes left aliue were put in prison in the bottome of the Castle at Volterra The tumults thus pacified and the conspirators punished the funerall of Giuliano was celebrated with much lamentation of all Citizens because there was in him so great liberallitie and curtesie as might be wished in any man borne to like fortune Of Giuliano there remained one sonne who was borne a fewe moneths after his death and was called Giulio who became of that vertue and fortune which at this present all the world knoweth and I will when occasion shall be offered if God graunt me life speake of him at large Those souldiers which were conducted by Lorenzo da Castella in the vale of Teuere and those which serued vnder Giouanfrancesco da Tolentino in Romagna were ioyned togither to aide the Pazzi and were comming towards Florence But hearing the enterprise was miscarried they returned backe And the alteration of the state not being brought to passe as the Pope and King desired they determined to do that by open warre which by secret conspiracie they could not Then both the one and the other of them with all possible speede assembled their forces to assault the state of Florence publishing that they required nothing of that Citie but that it would remoue Lorenzo de Medici whom among all the Florentines they accounted their onely enemie The King his souldiers were alreadie passed Tronto and the Popes forces arriued in the countrey of Perugia The Pope also intending to make the Florentines to taste of spirituall affliction did excommunicate and curse them The Florentines seeing so great forces comming against them with great care prepared for defence And Lorenzo de Medici because the warre was said to be made onely against him desired before all other things to assemble in the Pallace with the Senate all the principall Cittizens to the number of three hundreth or more vnto whom he spake as followeth I know not right noble Lords and magnificent Cittizens whether I ought lament or reioyce with you
actions of this Pope were to him displeasing and would be content that men iniured not hauing any other refuge might resort vnto him Wherefore the Florentines did not onely refuse to obey this excommunication but also the same notwithstanding inforce their Priests to celebrate diuine seruice They also assembled a Councell in Florence wherunto all the Prelates of Toscana repaired and appealed from the Pope to the next Councell On the other side the Pope wanted not reasons to iustifie his cause and therefore alleaged it was the office of a chief Bishop to remoue tyrants oppresse the wicked and aduaunce the good All which things it behoued him by all waies to procure For it was not the office of seculer Princes to imprison Cardinals hang vp Bishops to kill cut in peeces and drawe the Priests through the streets murthering both guiltie and vnguiltie people without respect Notwithstanding all these quarrels and accusations the Cardinall whom the Florentines kept prisoner was released and sent home to the Pope which was the cause that the Pope without respect with all his and the Kings forces assailed them And those two armies conducted by Alfonso eldest sonne of Ferrando Duke of Calauria and by Federigo Earle of Vrbino entred Chianti by leaue of the Sanesi who fauoured the enemie and surprized Radda with diuerse other Castles and spoyled the countrey which done they encamped at Castellina The Florentines seeing these assaults were much afraid being without men and slowly aided by friends For albeit the Duke had sent a supplie yet the Venetians denied they were bound to helpe them in priuate causes And the warre being against priuate men they were not to aide them because priuate quarrels are not publiquely to be defended Wherefore the Florentines thought good by Embassadors to perswade the Venetians to a better opinion and sent Tomaso Soderini vnto the Senate In the meane space souldiers were enterteined and Hercole Marquesse of Farrara appointed Generall While this preparation was in making the enemy distressed Castellina and the people there dispairing of rescue after fortie daies defence yeelded From thence the enemie marched towards Arezzo and laid siege to Monte S. Souino By this time the Florentine armie was readie and being come within three miles the enemie seemed therewith perplexed For Federigo de Vrbino desired truce for a fewe daies which was graunted with so great disaduauntage to the Florentines that they who desired it did much meruaile For if that request had not bene obteined they had bene forced to depart with shame But hauing those daies to repaire them in the ende of the truce they tooke that Castle before the faces of our men Yet the winter at hand the enemy to lodge himselfe with more commoditie retired into the countrey of Siena The Florentines likewise bestowed themselues where with most commoditie they could And the Marquesse of Farrara hauing litle profitted himselfe and done lesse good to others returned to his owne In those daies Genoua rebelled from the Duke vppon these considerations After the death Galeazzo hauing left his sonne yoong and vnfit to gouerne their grew discention betwixt Lodouico Octauiano and Ascanio his vncles and the Ladie Bona his mother for euerie of them desired the tuition of the litle Duke In which contentions the Ladie Bona Duchesse by counsell of Tomaso Soderini Embassador there for the Florentines and Cecco Simonetti who had bene Secretarie to Galeazzo gat the vpper hand Whereupon the Sforzi fled from Milan Octauiano flying was drowned in the Riuer Adda and the others togither with Roberto of Sanseuerino were to sundrie places confined for Roberto in those troubles had abandoned the Duches and ioyned with them After happened some tumults in Toscana by which new accidents those Princes hoping of new fortune euerie of them attempted somewhat whereby to returne to his country The King Ferrando who saw that the Florentines were in their necessitie succoured onely by the state of Milan to take also from them that aide found meanes that the Duchesse should so be set a worke in her country as of her they could not be aided And by Prospero Adorno and the Lord Roberto who were rebelled found meanes to make Genoua reuolt from the Duke Neuerthelesse the small Castle stood firme wherunto the Duchesse sent great forces to recouer the Citie but they were ouerthrowne Then she seeing the daunger of her sonne and her selfe by the continuance of that warre Toscana disordered and the Florentines in whom she onely hoped afflicted determined that sith she could not hold Genoua as subiect she would recouer it as a friend And agreed with Battistino Fregoso enemie to Prospero Adorno to giue him the little Castle and make him Prince of Genoua vpon condition that he would driue out Prospero and disfauour the Sforzi According to this agreement Battistino with the helpe of the Castle and his faction surprized Genoua and according to the custome made himselfe Doge The Sforzi then and the Lord Roberto being driuen out of Genoua went with their followers to Lunigiana Thereupon the Pope and King seeing the troubles of Lombardy pacified tooke occasion by those that were driuen from Genoua to disturbe that part of Toscana which is towards Pisa To the ende that the Florentines diuiding their forces should become weake and tooke order that the winter now past Roberto should goe with his forces from Lunigiana to assault the countrey of Pisa This Roberto then moued exceeding great tumult surprizing and sacking many castles in that country spoiling hard to the wals of Pisa At that time arriued in Florence Embassadors from the Emperor the French King and the King of Hungary sent by those Princes to the Pope They perswaded the Florentines also to send vnto him promising to make some end of the war and procure a good peace The Florentines refused not to make this trial and the rather that therby they should let the world know they were desirous of peace These Embassadors dispatched returned again without any thing done Wherupō the Florētines to honor themselues by the reputation of the French King being by the Italians partly offended partly abandoned sent vnto him Donato Acciaiuoli a man well learned in the Greek Latin toongs one whose ancestors had alwaies born office in the citie but being on his way at Milan he died Then the state to reward his heires and honor the memory of him being dead with publike expence honorably buried his bodie aduancing his sons and giuing portions of mony to his daughters marriages In his place they sent Embassador to the King Guidantonio Vespucci a man also learned in the Emperial and Papall lawes The assault of Roberto vpon the country of Pisa troubled much the Florentines for being alreadie occupied in a great war towards Siena they saw not how to make prouisiō for Pisa But to hold the Lucchesi faithfull and that they should not releeue the enemie with mony or victual sent Embassador vnto
her the murtherers came foorth and without anie mercie there presentlie slew him So soone as the murther was knowne great tumults arose His wife with one little sonne called Astore fled to the Castle The people tooke armes and Giouan Bentiuogli togither with a Captaine of Milan called Bergamino prepared for the purpose with many armed men entred into Faenza where was also Antonio Bascoli a Florentine Commissarie All these leaders assembled and reasoning of the gouernment of that towne The men of the Vale of Lamona who were come populerly to the rumor assaulted Giouanni and Bergamino sleying the one and taking the other prisoner Then they proclaymed the name of Astore and the Florentines reacommending the Cittie to the Florentine Commisaries This chance knowne at Florence grieued euery man much notwithstanding they caused Giouanni and his daughter to be set at libertie and the tuition of Astore by consent of the people was giuen vnto them Besides these diuerse other tumults happened in Romagna la Marca and Siena after the warres were compounded betwixt the greater Princes which being of lesse importance I iudge superfluous to report True it is that the troubles of Siena after the departure of the Duke of Calauria in the yeare 88. were more in number and after many alterations sometimes the people gouerned and sometimes the nobilitie but in the end the nobilitie was victorious Among whom Pandolfo and Giacopo Petruccio were of most authoritie The one for his wisedom the other for courage became as Lords of that Citie But the Florentines after the warre of Serezana till the yeare 1492. at which time Lorenzo de Medici died did liue in great felicitie For Lorenzo hauing by his wisdome appeased the armes of Italy endeuoured to make himselfe and his Citie great and married his eldest sonne Piero to Alfonsina the daughter of Cauallier Orsino and Giouanni his second sonne was aduanced to the dignitie of Cardinall Which honor was the more notable because at the time of his calling to that honour he passed not the age of foureteene yeares which was the way to make his house as after it came to passe to be exalted to the skies For Giuliano his third sonne by reason of his yong age and the small time Lorenzo liued he could not prouide anie extraordinarie fortune Of his daughters he married one to Giacopo Saluiati an other to Francesco Cibo the third to Piero Ridolfi the fourth whom he bestowed to hold his house vnited was wedded to Giouan di Medici but she died In his other priuate affaires and chiefly in marchandize he was verie infortunate For by the disorder of his ministers who liued liker Princes then priuate men a great part of his substance in sundrie places was consumed enforced thereby to borrow great summes of his countrey Afterwards not to runne in daunger of like fortune leauing marchandize he employed himselfe in the purchase of lands as riches of more assurance In the countries of Pisa Prato and in the vale of Pesa he compassed possessions both for profit and magnificence of houses more fit for a King then a priuate person After that time he enlarged and bewtified his owne Cittie to the end he might liue therein with the more quiet and securitie And therefore in many voide places hee built newe houses and streetes whereby the Citie became more bewtifull and large Also to the end hee might rest the more assured at home and encounter his enemies farre of towards Bologna in the midsts of the Alpes he fortified the Castle of Firenzuola Towards Siena he began to reedifie Poggio Imperiale and make it exceeding strong Towardes Genoua by winning of Pietrasanta and Serezana hee shut that passage vp against the enemies Moreouer by giuing pentions and prouisions he made friends the Baglioni in Perugia the Vitelli in the Citie of Castello and in Faenza he had particuler gouernment All which things were as Bulwarkes to defend Florence In times of peace he feasted the Citie making many times triumphs Iusts and publike shewes For his intent was to keepe the Citie plentifull the people vnited and the nobilitie in honour He greatly esteemed men that excelled in any Art He also fauoured learned men as Agnolo da Montepulciano Christofero Landini and Demetrio Greco can beare witnesse Insomuch as the Earle Giouanni de Mirandola a man accounted almost diuine forsaking all other parts of Europe which hee had traueiled moued by the magnificence of Lorenzo setled his habitation in Florence He maruellously delighted in Musick Architecture and Poetry as many of his owne verses and Commentaries yet extant do testifie Also to the end that the Florentine youth might be exercised in learning he erected an Vniuersitie in Pisa whither he brought the most excellent men of all Italy He likewise builded a Monastery neare vnto Florence chiefly for Friar Mariano da Chinazano of the order of S. Austen being accounted an excellent Preacher He was greatly loued both of God and fortune All his enterprises had good successe and his enemies misaduenture for besides the Pazzi Battista Frescobaldi and Baldinotto practized to sley him but either of them with others guiltie of the treason were rewarded with the paines of their merit This his manner of life this his wisedome and fortune caused the Princes not onely of Italy but others further of to know him and with admiration to esteeme him Mathia King of Hungary made many testimonies of the loue he bare him The Soldan by his Embassadors and presents did visit him The great Turke deliuered to his hand Barnardo Bandini that murthered his brother Which things made him highly honoured in Italy And that reputation was daily by his owne wisedome encreased For in discourse he was eloquent in councell wise in execution quicke and couragious neither was there in him any vices to blemish those vertues although he were greatly delighted with loue of women and tooke pleasure in iesting and taunting and would also plaie at childrens games vnseemly in so great a personage For so much he pleasured in children that he was often seene to plaie with his sonnes and litle daughters But whosoeuer would consider his lightnesse with his grauitie should thinke there were in him two persons of diuerse composition as it were by impossible coniunction coupled In the last end of his life he liued ful of sorrow caused by extreme sicknes for he was troubled with intollerable paines of the stomacke and died in Aprill the yeare 1492. and the three and fortie yeare of his age neither was there anie man that died either in Florence or elsewhere in Italy so famous for his wisedome or so much lamented of his countrey In so much as the heauens made euident signes of great misaduentures that should follow Amongst others the Temple of Santa Reparata was with so much furie striken by thunder that the greater part of the steeple was throwne downe to the admiration and terrour of all men All
whom Carlo had concluded a league About this time Pascale the first was become Pope and the priestes of the parishes in Rome by reason of their nearenesse to the Popes person and their presence at his election to honour their authoritie with a more venorable title beganne to bee called Cardinals taking vnto them great reputation chiefly after they had excluded the Romanes from the election of the Pope who almost euer before that time was some Citizen of Rome Pascale beeing dead Eugenio secundo of the order of Santa Sabina was elected Pope And Italy beeing then in the handes of French men did partly alter the order of gouernment and the more for that the Popes had in the temporalities thereof gained greater authoritie and made Earles and Marqueses as before time Longino Esarco of Rauenna had created Dukes After a fewe other Bishops Osporco a Romane aspired to the Papacy who for the homelinesse of his name caused himselfe to be called Sergio which was the beginning why the names of Popes was chaunged at their elections By this time Carlo the Emperour was dead to whome succeded Lodouico his sonne After his death there grew so great contention amongst his sonnes that in the time of his graund-children the Empire was taken from the house of France and brought into Germany where the first Emperour of that nation was called Ainolfo and by meanes of these disorders the family of Carlo did loose not onely the Empire but also the kingdome of Italy because the Lombardi recouered their strength and offended the Pope and Romanes so much as the Pope not knowing how to bee helped for necessitie gaue the Kingdome of Italy to Berengario Duke of Erieoli These accidents encouraged the Vnni who then remained in Pannonia to assault Italy But beeing come to triall of battle with Berengario they were vanquished and forced to returne into Pannonia now called Vngaria which countrey hath euer since reteyned their name At that time Romano Chieftaine of the Emperiall Armie deposed his maister Constantino and made himselfe Emperour in Greece By reason whereof Puglia and Calauria rebelled from the obedience of the Empire and suffered the Sarasins to come thither who beeing there and possessing the Countries attempted to besiege Rome But the Romaines because Beringario was occupied in the warres against the Vnni made Albarigo Duke of Tuscan their Captaine by whose vertue Rome was saued from the Sarasins They beeing departed from the siege builded a Castle vppon the mountaine called Gargano and from thence they commaunded Puglia and Calauria and disturbed the rest of Italy Thus in those dayes Italy was maruellously afflicted towardes the Alpes assaulted by the Vnni and towards Naples by the Sarasins In these miseries Italy many yeares remained vnder three Kings of the Beringarii one succeeding an other In which time the Pope and the Church were continually molested and by meanes of diuision of the princes in the West and the weakenesse of the Emperour in the Easte knewe not where to bee succoured The Cittie of Genoua with all the Riuers thereto belonging werein those dayes by the Sarasins destroyed whereof came the greatnesse of the Cittie of Pisa for thither manie people fled for refuge This happened in the yeare of the Christian religion nine hundreth thirtie and one But Ottone sonne of Enrico and Matilda Duke of Saxony a man exceeding wise of great reputation being become Emperour Agabito then Pope praied him to come into Italy and saue him from the tyrannie of the Berengarii The states of Italy were in those daies thus disposed Lombardy was vnder Berengario the third and his sonne Alberto Toscana and Romagna were gouerned by the deputies of the Emperour in the West Puglia Calauria partly to the Emperour in Greece and partly to the Sarasins obeyed In Rome were elected yearly of the nobilitie two Consuls who according to the auncient custome ruled that Citie Vnder them was appointed a Iudge to minister iustice to the people There was also a councell of twelue men which gaue gouernours to the townes subiect vnto Rome The Pope had in Rome more or lesse authoritie according to the fauour hee found with the Emperours or others that were there most mightie Then came the Emperour Ottone into Italy and tooke the kingdome thereof from the Berengarii who therein had raigned fiftie fiue yeares and therewith had restored the Pope to his dignitie This Emperour had one sonne and one nephew both also named Ottoni the one and the other of them succeeded in the Empire In the raigne of Ottone the third Pope Gregorio quinto was by the Romanes driuen out and Ottone came into Italy to put him again into the possession of Rome The Pope then to be reuenged of the Romans tooke frō them the authoritie of creatiō of the Emperour gaue the same to the Germaines appointing three Bishops of Maguntia Treueri Colonia three secular Princes the Marques of Brandenburge the Earle Palatine of the Rhein the Duke of Sassonia to be electors which constitution was made in the yeare 1002. After the death of Ottone the third Enrico Duke of Bauiera was by these electors made Emperour and after twelue yeares by Pope Stephano the eight crowned This Enrico and Simionda his wife were persons of most godly life as appeareth by diuerse churches by them builded and endowed Amongst which number was the temple of S. Miniato neare to the Citie of Florence Enrico died in the yeare 1023. After whom raigned Currado of Sueuia and after him Enrico the secōd who came into Italy the church thē being in schisme foūd there three Popes all whom he deposed caused Clemente secundo to be elected of him was he crowned Emperour In those dayes Italy was gouerned partly by the people partly by the Princes partly by the ministers of the Emperour of whō the chiefe was called Chancelor Amōg the Princes Gotfredi the Countesse Matilda his wife borne of Beatrice sister to Enrico the second were most potent for she and her husband possessed Lucca Parma Reggio and Mantoua with all that countrey at this day called Patrimonio The ambition of the people of Rome did at that time make much warre with the Popes for they hauing helped the Pope to driue out the Emperors and reformed the Cittie as to them seemed good sodeinly became enemies to him And the Popes receiued more iniuries at their hands thē at any other Christian Princes And euen in those dayes when the censure of the Popes made all the West of the world to tremble yet euen then the people of Rome rebelled And both the Popes and the people studied for nothing so much as how one of them might ouerthrow the authoritie and estimation of the other Nicholao secundo being aspired to the Papacy tooke from the Romanes the creation of the Pope as his predecessour Gregorio quinto had before taken from them the
Christians did in the ende recouer all that before had bene gotten So were the Christians after foure scorce and tenne yeares driuen out of those Countries which with great honour and happinesse they had wonne and defended After the death of Vrbano Pascale secundo was created Pope and Enrico the fourth became Emperour who went to Rome pretending friendship to the Pope but beeing arriued there by force hee tooke the Pope prisoner and put him with all his Clergie in prison from whence they could not bee discharged till the Pope had graunted that the Emperour might dispose of the Churches in Germany as himselfe thought good Then died the Countesse Matilda and made the Church heire of all her Countrey After the death of Pascale and Enrico the fourth succeeded diuerse Popes and diuerse Emperours till at length to the Papacie was elected Alissandro tertio and to the Empire Federigo Sueuo called Barbarossa The popes in that time had manie quarrelles with the people of Rome and the Emperours which were encreased in the raigne of Barbarossa Federigo was a man of warre most excellent but therewith so haughtie of minde and courage as hee disdained to giue place to the pope notwithstanding hee came to Rome to bee Crowned Emperour and peaceably returned into Germanie though hee remayned there not very long contented For shortly after he came againe into Italy to reforme some Towns in Lombardy which would not obey him At that time it happened the Cardinal of S. Clement by Nation a Romane deuided himselfe from the Pope Alissandro found meanes by fauour of some Cardinalls to be also chosen Pope At that instant Federigo the Emperour was with his Armie before the Citie of Crema to whom Alissandro complained of the Antipope the Emperour answered that both he and the Antipope should come vnto him and then he would decide their controuersie and iudge which of them were true Pope This answere displeased Alissandro who conceauing thereby that the Emperour was inclined to fauour the Antipope did excommunicate him and fled to Phillip King of Fraunce Federigo in the meane while proceeding in the Warres of Lombardy tooke Millan and razed it which was the cause that Verona Padoua and Vicenza by common consent determined to resist him Then died the Antipope in whose place Federigo created Guido of Cremona The Romanes by meanes of the Popes absence and the busines of the Emperour in Lombardy had recouered a little authoritie in Rome began to command some Townes vnder them and because the Tusculani would not yeeld to their authoritie they went popularly to assaile them who being aided by Federigo the Romanes were ouerthrowne with so great slaughter as after that Ouerthrow Rome was neuer well peopled nor rich In this meane space Pope Alissandro was returned to Rome perswading himselfe that through the enmitie of the Romanes and Federigo he might there safely remaine and the rather by reason of the Enemies which the Emperour had in Lombardy Neuertheles Federigo setting aside all respectes besieged Rome where Alissandro tarried not his comming but fled to Gulielmo King of Puglia who after the death of Ruggiero remained Heire of that Kingdome Federigo driuen thence by the Plague left the Siege and returned into Germany The Townes of Lombardy which were rebelled to the end they might the rather recouer Pauia Tortona which stood for the Emperor built a new Cittie to be the refuge of that Warre calling the same Alissandria in honour of the Pope Alissandro and in despite of the Emperour Federigo Then died Guidone Antipope in whose place Giouanni of Fermo was created He through the fauour of the Emperours Faction in Montefiascone there dwelled Pope Alissandro in the meane time was gone into Tuscolo called thether by that People hoping that with his authoritie he might defend them from the Romanes Thither came Embassadors from Enrico King of England to declare vnto the Pope that their King was not culpable in the murther of Thomas Bishop of Canterbury as he had bene publiquely slandered For triall whereof the Pope sent two Cardinals into England to examine the truth of that matter who found the King not guiltie Neuertheles in respect of the infamie and that he had not honoured that holy Man according to his desert they enioyned the King for penance to assemble his Nobilitie and in their presence to sweare and protest his innocencie and was moreouer commanded that with all speed he should at his proper charge send two hundred Souldiers to Ierusalem and there paye them for one yeare and himselfe within three yeares to goe thither in person and lead with him an Armie the greatest that hee could possibly make besides that hee should disanull all things done within his Kingdome to the preiudice of the Libertie Ecclesiasticall and consent that all and euerie Subiect of his might appeale to Rome All which things Enrico graunted and notwithstanding hee were a mightie King submitted himselfe to that Iudgement which at this day euerie priuate man would be ashamed to yeeld vnto But notwithstanding the Popes great power ouer Princes farre off yet could he not make himselfe obeyed of the Romanes by whom hee was not suffered to dwell at Rome though he promised not to intermeddle in anie thing saue only the Ecclesiasticall gouernment Hereby may be noted that things vvhich seeme to bee and be not are dreaded more farre of then feared neare at hand By this time Federigo vvas returned to Italy and being prepared to make nevv vvarres vvith the Pope all his prelates and Barons gaue him to vnderstand that they intended to leaue him vnlesse he reconciled himselfe to the church vvhereby this Emperour vvas constrained to go vnto Venice and there to adore the pope vvhereof ensued a full pacification In this peace the pope depriued the Emperor of all his authoritie in Rome and named Gulielmo king of Sicilia and Puglia for his confederate Federigo not content to liue in peace but louing the warres determined to enterprise Asia so gain glory against Mahomet which against the Pope he could not But being arriued at the riuer Cidno enticed with the excellencie of that water hee washed himself therin sodenly died Wherby may be imagined that water did more good to the Mahumetans then the popes excōmunicatiō to the Christians because the excōmunicatiō did only allay the Emperors ambitiō but this water did vtterly quench it Federigo being dead it remained onely for the pope to reforme the disobedience of the Romans after many disputations touching the creation of the Consuls it was agreed that according to the ancient custom they shuld be elected by the Romans yet before they tooke their office vppon them they should sweare fidelitie to the church which agreement caused Giouanni the Antipope to flie to Monte Albano where shortly after hee died Then died also Gulielmo king of Napoli who hauing one onely sonne called Tancredi the pope determined to take that kingdome from him