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
recouered souldiers determined with them some new victorie to blot out the dishonour of the late losse and take from the Venetians the meane whereby they should rescue Brescia He hauing intelligence from some prisoners taken in that war that the Cittadell of Verona was weakely manned and guarded so as easily it might be surprized thought that Fortune thereby had offered an occasion to recouer his honour and that the new ioy of his enemie for the late victorie should now for a later losse be conuerted into sorrow The Citie of Verona is in Lombardy seated at the foote of those mountaines which diuide Italy from Germany and is so builded as it partaketh both of the mountaines and the plaine The Riuer of Adice springeth out of the Vale of Trento and in the course thereof to Italy it descendeth not straight into the plaine but turneth on the left hand and passeth by the midst of that Cittie Yet the one part of the Citie towards the plaine is greater then the other part towardes the mountaines Vpon these be built two Fortresses the one called S. Piero and the other S. Felice which seeme more strong by nature of the seate then the thicknesse of the wall For being set high they commaund the whole Citie In the plain on this side the Adice are ioyning to the wall of the towne two other Fortresses the one distant from the other a thousand paces one of them is named the newe Cittadella and the other the old Cittadella From the one of these within there passeth a wall to the other and is in respect of the compasse as it were a string to a bowe All this space betwixt the one wall and the other is inhabited and called Borgo di San Zeno. These Fortresses and this Borgo Nicholo Piccinino intended to surprize thinking the same easie as well for the negligence of the guard therin as the small care had thereof by meanes of the late victory For he knew well that in the warre there is no enterprise so easily performed as is that which the enemie feareth not Hee therefore making choyse of his men being acquainted with the Marquesse of Mantoua in the night marched to Verona and not being there looked for scaled the walles and wanne the new Cittadell From thence he sent his men into the towne who brake the gate of S. Antonio and thereby all his horsemen entred Those that for the Venetians kept the old Cittadell hearing first a noyse when the guard of the first Cittadell was slaine and after when the gates were broken open knew well that enemies were come made Alarum rung Belles and stirred vp the people Whereof the Citizens taking knowledge came out in a confused sort those that were of most courage tooke Armes and went vnto the Pallace of the Rettore In the meane while Nicholo had sacked Borgo of S. Zeno. Then going forward the Citizens knowing that the Dukes souldiers were within the towne and seeing no way to resist them perswaded the Venetians Rettore to flee to the Fortresse thereby to saue their persons and the towne saying it was better to preserue their liues and the riches of the citie till a time more fortunate then for the encountring of the present furie to die themselues and vtterly impouerish the citie Then the Rettore and all other Venetians whatsoeuer fled into the Fortresse of S. Felice Which done many of the chiefe Citizens came to Nicholo and to the Marquesse of Mantoua beseeching that it would please them to take that citie with honour as it was rich rather then with their shame to suffer it to be made poore and spoyled And the rather because they had neither deserued well of their chiefe Lords nor in defence of the town merited any mallice of Nicholo or the Marquesse Then were they both by Nicholo the Marquesse comforted and as much as in furie of the warre might possibly be defended from the spoyle Nicholo thinking assuredly that the Earle would come to recouer the Towne laboured by euerie meane to get into his hands all the strong places and those which hee could not get with trenches and ditches were diuided from the Towne to the end that the enemie should passe in with more difficultie The Earle Francesco was with his men at Tenna and hearing those newes at the first thought the same vntrue but after being better aduertised of the troth thought good by speedie proceeding to amend his former negligence And albeit his chiefe Captaines of the Campe did counsell him to leaue the enterprise of Verona and Brescia and go to Vicenza for not being besieged of the enemie during his aboad there yet would hee not be perswaded by them but in any wise trie his fortune to recouer that cittie and in the midst of these doubtfull imaginations promised the Proueditore of Venice and Barnardo de Medici the Florentine Generall certeinly to recouer the citie if any of the Fortresses did remaine vntaken till he came thither Then giuing order for his iourney he with his souldiers in great haste marched towards Verona Whom Nicholo seeing thought good as he had bene counselled by his Captaines to go to Vicenza Yet finding that the enemies marched towards the Towne directing their course to S. Felice he determined to defend that Fort but all too late because the trenches about the Castle were not finished and the souldiers for couetousnesse of the spoyle were diuided among themselues so that he could not come thither soone inough For the Earles souldiers had before approached the Fortresse and from thence with good successe and dishonour of Nicholo recouered the citie Who togither with the Marquesse of Mantoua fled first to the Cittadell and from thence to Mantoua Where assembling the remaine of their saued souldiers they ioyned with the others that besieged Brescia Thus was Verona in foure daies by the Dukes Army both wonne and lost The Earle after this victorie being at that time winter and the cold great had with much difficultie victualled Brescia and went to remain in Verona giuing order that certaine Gallies should tarry that winter at Torbali to the end that at the spring of the next yeare he might be strong both by sea and land for the rescue of Brescia The Duke seeing the warre for that time staied and his hope to surprise Verona Brescia remooued wherof the Councell and the money of the Florentines was the occasion and that they could not be altered from the loue of the Venetians for any iniurie they had receiued of them nor for any promise he could make them determined to the end they should shortly reape fruite of those seedes they had sowne to assault Toscana being therto encouraged by the banished men of Florence and by Nicholo Nicholo was thereto moued with the desire he had to winne the possessions of Braccio and driue the Earle out of La Marca And the Florentines desired to returne to their Country So either of these with
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
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
because euerie peace presupposeth war sith no war was betweene them he knew not why any peace should be required Then Veri returned from Rome without other conclusion These humours so encreased that euery small accident as often it happeneth was like to bring great disturbance In the moneth of May at which time the youth of Florence on feastiuall dayes doo disport themselues publiquely in the streetes it happened certaine yoong men of the Donati with their friends to come on horsebacke to behold the women dauncing neare vnto S. Trinita where staying awhile thither chanced to come certaine Gentlemen of the house of Circhi they also bringing with them some of their friends They not knowing that the Donati were there who stood before them desirous to see the daunce pressed forward with their horses and shouldred them Wherewith the Donati finding themselues offended drew their swordes and the Circhi as brauely prepared themselues to answere the assault After many hurts giuen and taken euerie man departed his way This disorder happened in a very vnhappie houre because the whole Citie vpon that occasion was diuided as well the people as the great men and the parties tooke name of Bianchi and Neri The chiefe of the faction Bianchi were the Circhi and with them ioyned Adimari Abbati some of the Tosinghi Bardi Rossi Frescobaldi Nerli Mannelli all the Mozzi Scali Gherardini Caualcanti Malespini Bostechi Giandonati Vecchietti and Ariguzzi They were also followed by many populer families and all the Ghibilini that were in Florence So that through the great number that tooke part with them they had welneare all the sway of the Cittie The Donati on the other side were chiefe of the partie Nera and with them the rest of those families before named that ioyned not with the Bianchi and besides them all the Pazzi Spini Buondelmonti Gianfiliazzi and Brunelleschi This humour did not only infect the Cittie but also diuided the whole countrey Whereupon the Captaines of misteries with euerie other of the Guelfi that loued the Common weale did feare least the diuision should with time ruine the cittie and reuiue the Ghibilini Wherefore they sent againe to Pope Bonifacio to the end hee should deuise meane to saue that cittie which had bene alwaies a shield of the church and now likely either to be destroyed or become subiect to the Ghibilini The Pope sent then vnto Florence a Legate called Mattheo de Acqua Sparta a Cardinall of Portugall who finding difficultie in the Bianchi which part as hee thought was the greater feared the lesse and departing from Florence offended did excommunicate the cittie whereby it became in worse estate then before his comming Then the mindes of all men being full of offence it happened that manie of the Circhi and Donati meeting at a buriall fell to words and from words to swordes Whereof for that time followed nothing but tumult and disorder and so euerie man returned home The Circhi then determined to assault the Donati with great numbers of people went to seeke them But by the vertue of Corso they were put backe and manie of them also verie sore wounded All the Cittie was vp in Armes the Signori and the Lawes were trodden downe with furie of greate men The wisest and best Cittizens liued full of suspition The Donati and their partakers feared moste because they could doo least Thereuppon Corso and the other heades of the Neri togither with the Captaines of the misteries resolued to entreate the Pope to sende vnto Florence some one of the blood royall hoping by his meanes to oppresse the Bianchi This assembly and resolution was notified to the Priori and of the aduerse part complained vpon as a conspiracie against the libertie of the Cittie Both the factions being at that time in Armes the Senators of whome Dante happened to bee one by his counsaile and wisedome tooke courage and Armed the people with whome also ioyned manie of the Countrey And so inforcing the heades of the factions to laie downe their Armes banished Corso Donati with the others of the part Nera Moreouer the Senators seeming to be indifferent in this iudgement confined some of the Bianchi who shortly after vnder colour of honest occasions returned home Corso and his friends imagining themselues fauoured by the Pope went vnto Rome and with their presence perswaded the Pope vnto that which before they had written It happened at the same time that Carlo de Vallois the French Kings brother was in the Popes Court called into Italy by the King of Napoli to go into Sicilia The Pope thought good being desired thereunto by the banished men of Florence to sende him to remaine at Florence till such time as the season of the yeare better serued to passe the seas Then went Carlo to Florence and although the Bianchi who then gouerned had him in suspition yet because hee was chiefe of the Guelfi and sent by the Pope they durst not gainsay his comming but to make him their friend they gaue him authoritie to dispose of the Cittie according to his owne discretion Carlo hauing receiued this power armed all his friends and followers which gaue the people great suspition that hee intended to vsurpe the libertie For preuenting of which mischiefe order was giuen that euerie Cittizen should arme himselfe and stand with weapon at his owne doore to be readie if Carlo should at his entrie happen to enterprise any thing The Circhi and other heads of the faction Biancha hauing bene a while chiefe of the Common weale and borne themselues in their offices proudly were come into vniuersall hatred which encouraged Corso and others banished men of the faction Nera to come to Florence knowing that Carlo with the Captaines of companies would fauour them When the Citie through the mistrust of Carlo was armed Corso with the banished men and many others that followed him came vnto Florence and without let entered the Citie And though Veri de Circhi was perswaded to haue encountred him yet would he not saying that the people of Florence against whom he came and not he should punish him But the contrary came to passe for he was by the people receiued and not punished And it behoued Veri for his owne safetie to flie For Corso hauing entered the gate called Pinti made head at S. Pietro Maggiore neare to his owne house whither many friends and many people desirous of noueltie came And first deliuered all the prisoners that had bene either for publique or priuate cause committed Then they enforced the Senators to returne to their houses as priuate persons and elected in their places populer men of the faction Nera For fiue dayes also they sacked those that were the chiefe of the part of Biancha The Circhi and other Princes of that faction were gone out of the Citie and retired to their places of force And not seeing Carlo to entermedle the greater part of the people became their enemies Wherupon though they would not before
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
been friend to the Florentines This Embassador was called Iacopo Viuiani He not long before had been kept prisoner with Pagolo for a conspiracie against him whereof although he were guiltie yet was his life saued And Pagolo supposing that Iacopo had likewise forgotten the iniurie put him in trust But Iacopo remembring more the perill he had passed then the benefite he receiued being arriued in Florence secretly encouraged the Cittizens to proceed in the enterprise which encouragement ioyned to other hope was the cause that the Senate assembled a Councell wherein were foure hundred ninetie eight Cittizens before whome by the principall men of the Cittie the matter was debated Among the chiefe that perswaded the iourney as is before sayd was Rinaldo who alleadged the profite that might ensue of victorie Hee also declared the occasion of the enterprise and how the Lucchesi were abandoned by the Venetians and the Duke And that the Pope being busied in the affayres of the Kingdome could not succour them Thereto he remembred how easie it was to winne the Cittie being in subiection to one Cittizen whereby it had lost that naturall strength and auntient care to defend the libertie So that either by meane of the people who studied to driue out the Tyrant or the Tyrants feare of them the successe was not to be doubted Hee likewise layd before them the iniuries which that Lord had done to our Common-wealth and his euill disposition towards the same And how dangerous a thing it were if the Pope or the Duke should make warre concluding that no enterprise attempted by the people of Florence was euer more easie or more iust Against this perswasion Nicholo de Vzano sayde that Florence did neuer take in hand any thing more vniust nor more perilous nor whereof more daunger might followe First they should goe about to offend a Cittie affectionate to the Guelfi and such a one as had euer bene friend to the people of Florence and had with perill to it selfe many times receiued the Guelfi when they durst not abide in their owne Countrey And by the memoriall of our proceedings it cannot be found that Lucca being free did euer offend Florence but the offence at any time done was committed by those that vsurped as heretofore by Castruccio and now by this man which defaults cannot be imputed to the Cittie but the Tyrants And therefore if the warre might be made vppon the Tyrant and not the Cittie the displeasure should be the lesse But because that could not be he might not consent that a Cittie beforetime a friend should be spoyled of her substance Yet sith at this day men liue as though of right or wrong none account is to be made hee would leaue to speake thereof and thinke onely vpon the profit of the Cittie His opinion therefore was that those things might be called profitable which would not lightlie procure losse Wherefore he knewe not how any man could call that enterprise profitable where the losse was certaine and the gayne doubtfull The certeine losses were the charges it carried with it which seemed so great as would terrifie any peaceable Cittie much more ours hauing bene by long warres wearied The profit of the enterprise was the possession of Lucca which hee confessed to be great Yet were they to consider the lets thereof and they seemed to him so great as hee thought the successe impossible Neither could hee beleeue that the Venetians and Philippo were therewith pleased Because the Venetians consent was onely to seeme thankefull hauing lately with the Florentines woon a great Dominion The other would be glad that in a new warre wee shoulde spende more treasure so as worne and wearyed on euerie side wee might after be the more easily annoyed Also there would not want meanes for him euen in the best hope of victorie to succour the Lucchesi eyther couertly with money or with cassing of bands and sending souldiers as aduenturers to ayde them Hee therefore perswaded that the enterprise might stay and suffer them liue with the Tyrant whereby they shoulde haue the more enemyes For there was no way so apt to subdue the Cittie as to suffer it continue vnder a Tyrant and be by him assaulted or weakened This matter wisely handled the Cittie would be brought in termes that the Tyrant not able to hold it nor knowing how to gouerne it selfe should of force fall in our bozome Neuerthelesse seeing his words were not heard hee would prognosticate that they would make a warre wherein much should be spent many hazards made and in stead of surprizing Lucca deliuer it from the Tyrant and procure that Cittie which before was subiect and weake to become a towne free and full of displeasure yea with time an obstacle to the honour of the Florentine common-weale This enterprise thus perswaded and disswaded they begun as the custome is to practise with men secretly for the winning of their good wills so as onely 98. persons did speake against it Then the resolution set downe and the Tenne elected for gouernment of the warre they enterteyned souldiers both on horsebacke and foote Astore Gianni and Rinaldo de gli Albizi were appointed Generalls and they agreed that Nicholo Fortibraccio should haue the gouernment of the Townes if the enterprise tooke successe The Generalls with the Armyes beeing arriued within the territorie of Lucca diuided their forces Astore went into the playne towards Ca Maggiore and Pietrasanta And Rinaldo towardes the Mountaynes thinking that the Countrey being spoyled the Cittie would be easily taken The attempt of these men prooued vnfortunate not because they surprized no Townes but for the dishonor committed by one of them in the seruice For true it is that Astore Gianni gaue great occasions of his owne dishonour Neere vnto Pietrasanta there is a Vale called Serauezeza rich and full of inhabitants who hearing the Generall was come presented them selues desiring him to receiue them for faithfull seruants to the people of Florence Astore seemed to accept the offer and after caused his Souldiers to possesse all the passages and strong places of the Vale then commaunding all the inhabitants to assemble in the principall Church and there willed his men to take them prisoners sack them and spoyle all the Countrey most cruelly not sparing the sacred places but without respecte abusing aswell Virgins as married women The manner of these proceedings being knowne in Florence offended not onely the Magistrates but the whole Cittie also Some fewe of the Sarauezesi who escaped the hands of the Generall ran to Florence telling in euery streete and to euery man their miseries and were by many Citizens encouraged either because they desired to haue the Generall punished thinking him indeed an euill man or else for that they knewe him not to fauour their faction So that the Sarauezesi were brought before the tenne where one of them stepped foorth and spake to this effect Sure we are my good Lords that our
towards his friends then was by his father vsed In so much as those that reioyced at the death of Giouanni seeing the vertue of Cosimo became sorie This Cosimo was a man of excellent wisdom of presence graue and gratious greatly liberall curteous and such a one as neuer attempted any thing either against any faction or the state but sought by all meanes to pleasure euerie man and with his liberalitie to gaine the good wil of many Citizens So that his good deserts defaced those that gouerned brought himself to beleeue that he might by that meanes liue at Florence in sufficient strength and securitie And if the ambition of his aduersaries should moue any extraordinarie occasion to the contrarie hee hoped both by armes and fauoure of friendes to oppresse them The greatest instruments to worke his greatnesse were Auerardo de Medici Puccio Pucci Of them Auerardo with courage and Puccio with wisedome procured him great reputation For the counsell and wisedome of Puccio was so well knowne to euerie man that the faction of Cosimo was called not by his owne name but by the name of Puccio The citie notwithstanding thus diuided the enterprise of Lucca proceeded whereby the humours of the factions were rather encreased then extinguished And although the faction of Cosimo chiefly counfelled the warre yet many of the contrarie part were appointed officers therein as mē most reputed in the state which Auerardo and others not being able to remedie sought by all industrie and practise to slaunder them and if any losse happened as many did they imputed the same not to fortune or force of the enemie but want of wisedome in the officers This was the cause that the offences of Astor Gianni were esteemed so great This made Rinaldo delli Albizi offended and without lycence to depart from his charge This was the occasion that the deliuerie of Giouanni Guicciardini was required at the hand of the Captaine of the people And heereof proceeded all blames that had bene imputed to the Magistrates and ministers of the warre For the true slaunders were encreased and the vntrue were inuented and both the true and not true were of the people that loued them not beleeued These matters and manner of proceeding extraordinarie was well knowne to Nicholo di Vzano and others of his faction who had many times thought vpon remedie but found no meanes how to deale therein Because it seemed to them that the suffering thereof was dangerous and forcibly to helpe it was not easie Nicholo di Vzano was the first vnto whom this extraordinary way displeased Thus the warres continuing without the citie and these disorders within Nicholo Barbadori desirous to bring Nicholo di Vzano to consent to the oppression of Cosimo went vnto his house where he found him sadly set in his Closet and there with the best reasons he could perswaded him to ioyne with Rinaldo to driue Cosimo out of the Citie Vnto whome Nicholo di Vzano answered as followeth I thinke it were better for thy house and our Commonweale that all the rest whose opiniō thou herein followest had their beards as men saie rather of siluer then gold as thou hast For then their counsels proceeding from heads graie groūded in experiēce would be more aduised more profitable It seemeth to me that those which desire to banish Cosimo frō Florence had neede first of all to measure their forces with his This our side you haue called by the name of Nobilitie and the contrarie part you haue termed the plebeial partie If the truth answered to these names in euerie accident the victorie would proue doubtfull and we haue more cause to feare then to hope moued with the example of the auncient Nobilitie of this citie which hath ben by this plebeiall sort heretofore oppressed But the greatest cause of our feare is that our side is dismembred our aduersaries continue whole and entyre First you must consider that Neri di Gino and Nerone de Nigi two of our principall Citizens be not as you know more friends to vs then to them There be also many families among themselues diuided For diuerse through enuie of their brethrē or their kinsmen do disfauor vs fauor thē I wil resite vnto you the names of some few the rest you may the more easily remember with your self Of the house of Guicciardini and amōg the sonnes of Luigi Piero is enemy to Giouanni fauoureth our aduersaries Tomazo Nicholo Soderini for the hate they haue to Francesco their vncle are openly protested our enimies So that if we consider well what they are what we our selues be I know not for what reasō we shuld cal our or their partie more noble And if it be that we cal their part plebeial bicause they are by the multitude most followed their state therin is the better ours the worse For whēsoeuer we shal come to arms we cānot resist thē Also if we stād on our dignities they haue bin giuē to vs by the state by vertue therof we haue cōtinued thē these 50. veres Yet whēsoeuer we shal come to proofe our weaknes wil appear we shal lose our authority If you haply say that the iust occasiō which moueth vs to this enterprise shall encrease our credit and diminish theirs Thereto I answere that it behooueth this iust quarrel of ours to be knowne beleeued of others as wel as of our selues which falleth out cleane contrarie for the occasion alledged is altogither builded vpon the suspition we haue that he goeth about to make himselfe Prince of this cittie This is the mistrust we haue which others haue not but they rather accuse vs of that we accuse him The matters which make Cosimo suspected are that he imployeth his mony to serue euerie occasion not onely to priuate vses but also to the publike affaires and that as well to the Florentines as the Captaines and Leaders The cause why he doth fauoure this and that Cittizen hauing need of authoritie is for that his credit with the multitude hath aduaunced this and that friend to great honours Therefore it behoueth you to alledge the reasons why hee should be expulsed Because he is charitable friendly liberall and loued of all men And now tel me I pray you what lawe inhibiteth blameth or condemneth men for their charitie their liberalitie and their loue And albeit these be meanes for him to aspire yet are they not so taken neither are wee of credite inough to make them so to bee thought For our proceedings haue wrought our discredit and our cittie naturally disposed to diuision and liuing alwaies in corruption cannot giue eare to such accusations But admit you could expulse him which hauing a Senate for the purpose may easily come to passe yet how can ye deuise that he hauing in the citie so many friends studying for his reurne should not be reuoked This I think impossible because his friends being many and he hauing loue
many and those good Citizens but now you are to assault a fewe and those but bace companions Then you came to take the libertie from the Cittie but now you come to restore it It is not therefore like that in so great a contrarietie of occasions the effect that will follow shall be like Yea you are rather to hope of victorie certaine which how greatlie it fortifieth your State your selfe may easilie iudge hauing thereby greatly bound Toscana to be your friend And though at some other time this victorie would be accounted ambitious violent yet vpō this occasion is esteemed iust and reasonable Omit not therefore the present opportunitie and thinke that although your other enterprises against the Cittie did with their difficultie breed your expences and infamie yet this with great facilitie shall bring you foorth exceeding profit with most honourable report There needed not many words to perswade the Duke to moue warre against the Florentines because he was thereunto disposed by hate hereditarie and blind ambition which humors did leade and commaund him and the rather being spurred forward by new iniuries and offence for the league made with the Genouesi Notwithstanding his former charges with the fresh memory of perils and losses passed togither with the vaine hope of the banished men did discourage him This Duke so soone as he vnderstood the rebellion of Genoua had sent Nicholo Piccinino with all his men of armes and those footemen he could hire in his iourney to recouer the Cittie before the Cittizens had setled their minds and planted a new gouernment greatly trusting vnto the Castle of Genoua which was holden for him And albeit that Nicholo had forced the Genouesi to flee vnto the mountaines and taken from them the Vale of Pozeueri where they fortified themselues and also constrained them to retire within the walles of their Cittie yet found he so great difficultie in going forward by reason of the Cittizens resolute defending themselues that he was enforced to remoue from thence Whereupon the Duke at the perswasion of the banished Florentines commaunded that the Riuer on the East side should be assaulted approching the confines of Pisa and there make the greatest warre to Genoua that possibly they could supposing that resolution would from time to time enforme what course were best to be followed Then Nicholo assaulted and surprized Serezana and after many displeasures done to make the Florentines more suspitious he came to Lucca and caused a report to be made that he intended a iourney to Naples in ayde of the King of Aragon Pope Eugenio vpon these new accidents went from Florence to Bologna where he practised new composition betweene the Duke and the League perswading the Duke that if he would not consent to the peace he should be enforced to deliuer the Earle Francesco his confederate at that present remayning in his pay But notwithstanding the Pope his great indeuour all his designes prooued vayne because the Duke without possession of Genoua would not consent and the League would refuse vnlesse Genoua continued free Euery man then dispairing of peace prepared for the warre Nicholo Piccinino being come to Lucca the Florentines mistrusted no new matter but caused Neri of Gino to goe with their Souldiers to the countrey of Pisa obteining of the Pope that the Earle Francesco should ioyne with him and so with both their armies togither make head at S. Gonda Piccinino arriued at Lucca desired passage to march towards the Kingdome and being denied threatned to passe by force These two armies were in force and vertue of the Captaines equall for which respect neither of them prooued their fortune being also hindered with the cold weather for then the moneth of December was begun In which respects many daies without one offending the other they staied The first of them which marched was Nicholo Piccinino who was informed that if he would in the night assault Vico Pisano he might easily surprize it Nicholo tooke the matter in hand but not preuailing spoiled and burned the countrey thereabouts togither with the Towne of S. Giouanni alla Vena This enterprise albeit for the most part thereof to no purpose yet did the same encourage Nicholo to goe forwards seeing the Earle and Neri moued not Therefore he assaulted and possessed Santa Maria in Castello and Filetto Yet for all this the Florentine forces remoued not not because the Earle stood in feare but because the warre for the reuerence borne to the Pope who intreated for peace was not by the Magistrates in Florence determined And that which the Florentines by their owne wisedome were counsailed to do was thought of the enemy to be done for feare Which conceite gaue them courage to take new enterprises in hand so that they determined to besiege Borgo and before it presented all their forces This new assault caused the Florentines to set aside all respects and not only to rescue Borgo but also to assault the countrey of Lucca Then the Earle marching towards Nicholo and fighting with him neere vnto Borgo vanquished his forces and leuied the siege The Venetians in the meane while thinking that the Duke had broken the peace sent Giouan Francesco da Gonzaga their Generall into Ghiriadada who spoiling greatly the Dukes countrey constrained him to reuoke Nicholo Piccinino from the enterprize of Toscana Which reuocation togither with the victorie had against Nicholo gaue the Florentines courage to assault Lucca with hope to possesse it Wherein they had neither feare nor respect at all seeing the Duke whome they onely feared to be assailed by the Venetians And that the Lucchesi hauing receiued enemies at home were content to be assaulted in respect whereof they could not at all complaine In the moneth of Aprill the yeare 1437. the Earle marched with his army but before the Florentines would assault others desired to recouer their owne and therefore recouered againe Santa Maria in Castello with all other places surprized by Piccinino That done directed a course to the countrey of Lucca assailing Ca-Maggiore The inhabitants whereof though faithfull to their Lord yet because feare of the enemy neere at hand had greater force in them then the dutie toward their friend farre off they yeelded themselues And with like reputation was Massa and Serezana surprized Which things being done about the end of the moneth of May the army returned towards Lucca spoiling the Corne burning the Villages cutting the Vines and trees driuing away the Cattle and not fearing to performe euery outrage that souldiers were wont to do vnto their enemies The Lucchesi on the other side seeing themselues by the Duke abandoned and dispairing to defend their countrey intrenched and fortified the Cittie by all meanes they possible could And hauing men sufficient hoped they might for a time defend the same as in former assaults of the Florentines they had done They only feared the mutable minds of the common people least they being besieged would grow wearie esteeming
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
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
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
brother into Florence Of M. Corso with certaine banished men entereth the Citie How the Lucchesi setled the state in Florence Florence both by fire and sword tormented Of a place called le Stinche in the vale of Greue Vguccione cheefe of the faction Ghibilina and Bianca The Ghibilini banished and among them the Poet Dante Of great misery in Florence New reformation in Florence Castruccio of Lucca The order of casting Lots and how it begunne in Florence How the great Cittizens encreased their authority by two meanes Conspiracy against Giacopo de Agobio League betweene the Florentines and Venetians The Duke of Athene made Lord of Florence Proclamation of banishment made by that Duke and murther of some Citizens The Oration of certayn cheefe Citizens before the Duke The Dukes Pallace sacked Conspiracy against the Duke The Duke assaulted and vanquished The Duke dismissed out of Florence his lyfe and condition Andrea Strozzi entendeth to vsurpe the state of Florence At what time the great plague hapned in that City whereof Boccatio hath at large written In the third Booke HOw the discord which groweth of ambition are the occasion of deuision in Cities The partialities of the Albizi and Rizzi How M. di Riale of Prouenza came to Florence A law made against the Ghibilini How the word Ammoniti arose in Florence and what it meaneth An Oration of one Citizen to the Lords The occasion of the corruption of Italy The cheefe of the faction of Guelfi New tumults in Florence The Oration of Luigi Guicciardini Gonfaloniere New reformation of the City One Simone discouereth a conspiracy against the state Michiele di Lando an artificer by his courage aspired to be chosen Gonfaloniere di Giustitia New reformation in Florence A commendation of Michiele di Lando An accusation of many Cittizens for their returne being banished The insolency of Georgio Scali The death of that Georgio Exile and slaughter in Florence The speech of Benedetto Alberti to his cōpanions Of the maner of creation of the Balia in Florence Of Iohn Galeazzo Visconti The words of Veri di Medici What qualitie the Florentines required to be in him that occupied the place of Gonfaloniere Giacopo Acciaiuoli The death of certaine Cittizens In the fourth Booke FIlippo Visconti Duke of Milan intendeth to become Lord of Genoa Georgio Ordilaffi Lord of Furli The Duke of Milan maketh warre against the Florentines Giouanni de Medici New league betweene the Florentines and Venetians Of an Imposition among the Florentines called Catasto Carmignuolo Generall of the warre in Lombardy Peace taken with the Duke of Mylan and the League and what Citties remained to the Venetians The death of Giouanni de Medici and his commendation Of Cosimo his sonne Volterra rebelleth from the Florentines The enterprise of the Florentines against Lucca The violence offered to Sarauezesi and the speech of one man of that place to the Senate of Florēce Filippo Brunalesco an excellent Architector The defeate of the Florentine army by Nicholo Piccinino A consultation to expulse Cosimo di Medici out of Florence The answere of Nicholo Vzano Cosimo di Medici cited before the Senate was imprisoned Cosimo confined to Padoa Cosimo returneth to his Countrey In the fift Booke BRaccio and Sforza two great Captaynes in Italy Nicholo Piccinino Generall for the Duke of Mylan Gattamelata Generall for the Venetians Banishment of many Cittizens in Florence Alfonso of Aragon maketh warre for Naples The ordinances of the Cittie of Genoua The speech of Rinaldo delli Albizi to the Duke of Mylan Rebellion of Genoua from the Duke An Oration of an antient Cittizen of Lucca to the people Francesco Sforza Generall of the league of Florence and Venice Discord betweene Andrea Mauroceno and Francesco Sforza Cosimo di Medici Embassador to the Venetians The Duke of Mylan determineth to take Romagna from the Pope Sforza desiring to marrie the Duke of Mylan his daughter practiseth by diuerse indirect meanes Sforza refuseth to passe the Po with his army The speech of Neri Capponi to the Senate of Venice The diuerse waies from Pesaro to Verona and which of them the Earle Sforza made choise of The Nauy of the Venetians taken by Nicholo Piccinino The Earle remoueth to rescue Brescia The scite of Verona The Earle goeth to Venice Piccinino passeth to Casentino The Castle of San Nicholo The Earle breaketh the Dukes Nauy The ouerthrow of Piccinino Alberto de Albizi setleth himselfe to dwell at Ancona The taking of Poppi and what words the Earle owner of that place vsed In the sixt Booke A Description of certaine lawdable customes vsed in auncient Common-weales A proude request made by Piccinino to the Duke of Mylan The Duke marrieth Bianca his daughter to the Earle Francesco Sforza and giueth her the Cittie of Cremona Alfonso of Aragon beseegeth Naples Annibal Bentiuogli breaketh the forces of Piccinino Baldaccio de Anghiari Generall for the Florentines The Canneschi murdered Annibal Bentiuogli The people for that fact cut the Canneschi in pieces and killed Battista that slew Anniball Santo Bentiuogli appointed to gouerne Bologna vntill the sonne of Anniball came to full age Certaine Cities yeelded to the Venetians The Earle Sforza beseegeth Carauaggio The taking of one Venetian Proueditor whom the Earle set at libertie hauing first informed him of his pride The Venetians become bond to pay vnto the Earle a certaine number of Florins Embassadors sent from Mylan to the Earle and their Oration The Milanesi made choise of that Earle for their Duke The Embassadors of Venice denyed audience by the Florentines The Venetians begun warre agaynst the Duke Steffano Porcari determining to surprize Rome is discouered and put to death by the Pope King Rinato Pope Calisto 3. endeuoreth to make warre against the Infidels giuing crosses to the souldiers and therefore the enterprise was called la Crociata but it proceeded not Meruailous tempest about Florence and great harme proceeding thereby Giouan di Augio in the name of the French King taketh possession of Genoua Dissention betweene the Fregosi and Giouanni Giouanni vanquished In the seuenth Booke HOw hard it is to continue a Common-weale vnited The Cittizens of Florence desire Cosimo di Medici to reforme the Cittie Lucca Pitti Lucca Pitti builded magnificently The death of Cosimo di Medici The commendation of Cosimo A new enterprise against the infidels impeached A conspiracie of certaine Cittizens against Piere di Medici Piero armeth against his enemies The enemies of Piero banished Florence An Oration made by Piero in his house to the Senators The Duke of Milan goeth to Florence The Florentines against the Volterani Federigo Duke of Vrbino an excellent Captaine Bad condition of Galiazzo Duke of Milan Treason against that Duke The death of the Duke The death of the Conspirators In the eight Booke COnspiracie against Lorenzo and Giuliano di Medici The murder of Giuliano The death of the Archbishop and some other Conspirators The death of Francesco Pazzi The death of Giacopo di Pazzi The
but the nobilitie thereof would not consent to the pope resoluing to yeelde their obedience to Tancredi At that time Celestino tertio was pope who desirous to take the kingdome from Tancredi sought meanes that Enrico sonne of Federigo should be made Emperour and promised him the kingdome of Naples vpon condition that he should restore vnto the church all those townes thereunto belonging And to make that action the more easie hee tooke out of a monastery Gostanza an olde woman daughter of Gulielmo and married her vnto Federigo Thus passed the kingdome of Naples to the Germaines from the Normands who were the auncient founders thereof So soone as Enrico the Emperour had setled all thinges in Germany hee came into Italy accompanied with Gostanza his wife and his sonne but foure yeares old called Federigo Where with some difficultie because Tancredi was dead leauing onely a litle sonne called Rogeri he possessed the kingdom Within a small time after in Sicilia died Enrico to whome Federigo succeeded in the kingdome and to the Empire was elected Ottone Duke of Sassonia through fauour of pope Innocentio quarto But so soone as he was crowned Emperour contrary to all expectation hee became enemie to the pope surprised Romagna and prepared to assault the kingdome For which dooing the pope did excommunicate him all other men left him and the electors created Federigo king of Napoli Then came Federigo to Rome for the crowne but the pope fearing his greatnesse denied him and sought to remooue him out of Italy as hee had done before to Ottone Therewith Federigo offended went into Germany and made much vvarre against Ottone and at length ouerthrevv him In the meane vvhile died Innocentio vvho besides other his notable vvorkes builded the Hospitall of Santo spirito in Rome After him succeeded Honorio tertio in vvhose time beganne the orders of Santo Dominico and Francisco the yeare 1218. This pope crovvned Federigo vnto vvhome Giouanni descended of Bauldouino king of Ierusalem vvho vvith the remaine of the Christians in Asia still possessed that title gaue his kingdome to his daughter in marriage Hereof it commeth that vvho so euer is King of Napoli is also intituled king of Ierusalem Italy in those dayes vvas thus gouerned The Romaynes made no more Consuls in Rome but in steed of them they created with the same authoritie sometimes one sometime more Senators The league which the cities of Lombardy had made against Federigo Barbarossa still continued The Cities confedered against the Emperour were Milano Brescia Mantoua with the greater part of Romagna and with them Verona Vicenza Padoua and Treuigi On the Emperours part were Cremona Bargamo Parma Reggio Modena Trento The other Cities and Castles of Lombardy Romagna and La Marca Treuigiana according to their necessitie fauoured somtimes the one and sometimes the other part In the time of Ottone the third came into Italy a man called Ezelino of whom remained one sonne who likewise begot an other Ezelino he being rich mightie folowed Federigo the secōd who was as hath bene before said enemy to the Pope This Emperour brought into Italy by the fauour of Ezelino tooke Verona and Mantoua razed Vicenza surprized Padoua vanquished the army of the townes confederate in the end marched towards Toscana Ezelino in the meane time surprized La Marca Triuigiana but he could not take Ferrara being defended by Azone of Este other soldiers sent by the Pope frō Lombardy The siege then leuied the Pope gaue that citie in Feudo to Azone of Este of whome be descended all those princes that till this day haue there gouerned Federigo staied at Pisa being desirous to become Lord of Toscana the rather to possesse the same discouer those that fauoured him from the other that were his enemies practised diuision among the people of the country which was afterwards the ruine of all Italy Because then the factions of Guelfi Ghibellini encreased calling them Guelfi that followed the Pope and Ghibellini that followed the Emperour In Pistoia these names of faction were first begun Federigo leauing Pisa by many meanes assaulted spoiled the townes belonging to the church Insomuch that the Pope not hauing other remedie proclaimed his Crociata against him as did his predecessours against the Saraseni Federigo then fearing to be abandoned by his souldiers as Federigo Barbarossa and other Emperours had bene enterteined great numbers of Sarasins and to make them more willing to serue knowing that they feared not the Popes curses he gaue them the citie of Nocera in the kingdome perswading himselfe that they hauing that refuge might serue him with the more securitie Innocentio quarto became Pope and mistrusting Federigo went to Genoua and from thence into France and called a Councell at the citie of Lions Whereunto Federigo determined to goe but was withholden by the rebellion of Parma from which enterprise repulsed he went into Toscana and thence into Sicilia where he died leauing in Sucuia his eldest sonne Corrado and in Puglia his other sonne being base borne called Manfredi whome hee had made Duke of Beneuento Corrado beeing come for possession of the kingdome arriued at Napoli and there died leauing one litle sonne called Curradino who at that time remained in Germany Then Manfredi first as gouernour to Curradino and after reporting that Curradino was dead against the Popes will the Neapolitans also whom he forced to consent made himselfe king During these troubles in the kingdome happened many quarrels betweene the factions of Guelfi and Ghibilini the one being fauoured by the Popes Legate and the other by Ezelino who possessed welneare all Lombardy on the other side of the riuer Po. And because in this warre the citie of Padoua rebelled Ezelino put to death twelue thousand Cittizens thereof and he himselfe before the end of the warre being then thirtie yeares of age was slaine After his death all the townes by him possessed became free Manfredi king of Napoli according to the custome of his auncestors continued enemie to the church holding the Pope called Vrbano quarto in continuall distresse in so much as the Pope proclaymed the Crociata against him which done hee went vnto Perugia where hee remained aspecting his souldiers Who comming thither slowly and in small numbers thought that to vanquish Manfredi those forces were not sufficient He therefore praied aide in France of Carlo Duke of Angio brother to king Lodouico creating him king of Sicilia and Napoli desiring him to come into Italy take possession of those kingdomes But before Carlo could come to Rome that Pope died and Clemente quarto elected In whose time Carlo with thirtie gallies came to Ostia appointing the rest of his army to march thither by land During his aboad in Rome the Romanes to honour him made him a Senator of Rome and the Pope inuested him in the kingdome with condition he should paie yearely fiftie thousand florines to the
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
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
Romanes went vnto Scesi where he remained till the Iubileo in the yeare 1400. At which time the Romanes for their profit were content he should returne to Rome and also place there one Senator at his election and therewith also to fortifie the Castle of S. Angelo With these conditions the Pope returned and the rather to enrich the Church he ordained that euerie Benefice falling void should pay the first frutes into the treasure house After the death of Gicuan Galiazzo Duke of Milan albeit he left two sonnes called Giouanniariangelo and Philippo yet his Countrey became diuided into manie parts And in the troubles which thereby happened Giouanniariangelo was slaine and Philippo for a time remained prisoner in the Castle of Pauia yet by good fortune and fauour of the Captaine was set at libertie Among others that vsurped the possessions of this Duke was Gulielmo Della Scalla who being a banished man remained in the hands of Francesco de Carrara Lord of Padoua through whom he recouered the State of Verona which hee enioyed not long because Francesco procured him to be poisoned and surprized the Cittie Thereuppon the Vicentini hauing liued quietly vnder the ensigne of the Visconti and fearing the greatnes of Francesco yeelded their obedience to the Venetians who presently tooke armes against the Lord of Padoua and first depriued him of Verona and afterwards wan the Cittie of Padoua In the meane space died Bonifacio and Innocentio septimo was elected Pope to whom the people of Rome presented an humble request desiring it might please his Holines to deliuer into theyr hands the Fortresses and restore them to their libertie which sute the Pope denied The people then praied aid of Ladislao King of Napoli yet afterwards falling to agreement the Pope returned to Rome being fled from thence for feare of the people and remained at Viterbo where he had created a nephew of his to bee Earle of La Marca which done hee shortly after died and Gregorio duodecimo was created Pope with condition that hee should resigne the Papacie whensoeuer the Antipope did the like By perswasion of the Cardinals intending to make proofe whether the Church could bee reunited or not Benedetto Antipope came to Porto Venere and Gregorio to Luca where they practised manie matters but nothing tooke effect so that the Cardinals both of the one and the other Pope did forsake them Pope Benedetto went into Spaine and Gregorio to Rimini The Cardinals on the other part with the fauour of Baldasarre Cossa Cardinall and Legate of Bologna ordained a Councell at Pisa where they created Alissandro quinto who did excommunicate Ladislao giuing that Kingdome to Luigi de Angio and then with the aide of the Florentines Genouesi and Venetians togither with Baldaser Cossa Legate assaulted Ladislao and tooke from him Rome But in the heate of this warre died Alissandro and Baldaser Cossa was elected calling himselfe Giouanni vicessimo tertio He departing from Bologna beeing there made Pope went from thence to Rome and there met Luigi deâ— Angio come thither with a Nauie from Prouenza Then presently they assaulted Ladislao and ouerthrew him yet through the default of their Leaders the victorie was not followed by meanes whereof within short space after the King recouered an Armie and againe surprized Rome The Pope then fled to Bologna and Luigi to the prouince The Pope imagining how he might diminish the greatnes of Ladislao found meanes that Sigismondo King of Vngaria should be chosen Emperour perswading him to come into Italy which he did and met with the Pope at Mantoua There they agreed to call a Councell generall and therein to reunite the Church the rather to become able to withstand the force of their enemies At that time were three Popes Gregorio Benedetto and Giouanni who made the Church exceeding weake and without reputation The place elected for this Councell was Costanza a Citie of Germanie But contrarie to the expectation of Giouanni the death of Ladislao remoued the occasion of Councell notwithstanding being alreadie bound by promise hee could not refuse to goe thither Being arriued at Costanza ouerlate knowing this errour he practised to flie thence but was there staied put in prison and constrained to resigne the Papacie Gregorio also the other Antipope by his messenger resigned Benedetto the third Antipope refusing to resigne was condemned for an heriticke and being abandoned by his Cardinals was in the end enforced to resigne The Councell then created Oddo Colonna who was called Pope Martino quarto And so the Church after fortie yeares of diuision was vnited hauing bene all that time in the hands of diuerse Popes In those dayes as hath bene beforesaid Philippo Visconti remained in the Castle of Pauia But Fantino Cane who during the troubles of Lombardy possessed himselfe of Vercelli Allisandria Nouara Tortona and had also gathered great riches then died And not hauing anie heire bequeathed his possessions to Beatrice his wife desiring his friendes to procure she might be married to Philippo By which marriage Philippo became potent and recouered Milan with all the state of Lombardy Afterwards to declare himselfe thankfull for so great a benefit he accused Beatrice of adulterie and put her to death Thus atteined to be a Prince most mightie he beganne to thinke vpon the warres of Toscana before entended by his father Giouan Galiazzo Ladislao King of Napoli at his death left vnto his sister Giouanna not onely the kingdome but also a a great Armie gouerned by the principall Leaders of all Italy Among the chiefe of whom was Sforza di Contignuola in those dayes a man of warre of singular reputation The Queene the rather to eschue a slaunder by one Pandolfello a man brought vp by her selfe tooke to husband Iacobo Della Marchia who was descended from the French Kings vpon condition that hee would content himselfe to be called Prince of Tarranto and suffer her to enioy the kingdome with the gouernment thereof Notwithstanding so soone as he arriued at Naples the souldiers called him King whereof great warres followed betwixt the wife and the husband and sometimes the one sometimes the other had the vpper hand But in the end the Queene remained gouernour of the state and afterwards became enemie to the Pope Thereupon Sforza intending to driue her to a disaduantage and inforce her to be glad of him contrarie to all expectation gaue vp his enterteinment by which meanes she remained vtterly disarmed and not hauing other fled for aide to Alfonso King of Arragon and Sicilia adopting him her sonne and enterteined Braccio di Montone who was in Armes no lesse esteemed then was Sforza therwithall enemy to the Pope for hauing surprized Perugia with some other townes belonging to the church Afterwards a peace was taken betweene her and the Pope Then the King Alfonso doubting least she wold entreat him as she had intreated her husband sought secretly to possesse the Fortresses But she being subtil fortified her self
the house of Donati was a Gentlewoman a widow and rich who hauing one onely daughter a maiden of much beautie whom within her selfe shee determined to marrie vnto Buondelmonti a yong Gentleman and the chiefe of his house This her intent eyther through negligence or delay of time none beeing made priuie thereof was deferred so long that Buondelmonti was contracted to the daughter of Amidei wherwith she greatly discontented supposing it were possible with the beautie of her daughter to stay the marriage before the same should be solemnized one day seeing Buondelmonti comming towards her house came downe her daughter following and meeting him at the gate said I am very glad that you are now become maried yet was it my meaning you should haue had this my daughter and with those words she opened the gate and shewed her vnto him The Gentleman beholding the beautie of the maiden which indeed was rare and therewith considering that her parentage and portion was not inferiour to hers whom he had alreadie taken became exceedingly desirous to haue her Then not respecting his faith alreadie giuen nor the iniurie he did in breaking the same nor yet the inconuenience that might ensue thereof said Sith it hath pleased you to reserue your daughter for me I should bee vnthankfull beeing yet all in time to refuse her After the speaking of these words without farther delay hee married her This marriage beeing knowen highly offended all the Familie of Amidei and Vbarti who were by his first marriage allied Then assembling themselues and consulting together in the ende concluded that such an iniurie might not bee borne without shame nor the reuenge thereunto due could bee other than the death of Buondelmonti And albeit some did fore-cast the inconueniences that might followe such an Action yet Moscha Lamberti sayde that who so euer casteth all doubts should neuer resolue anie thing alleadging the auncient Prouerbe A thing once done is past remedie Then gaue they the charge of this murther to bee performed by Moscha Stiatta Vberti Lambertuccio Amidei Odorigo Fifanti These men in the morning of Easter day at the houre of Resurrection assembled themselues in the houses of the Amidei by which streete Buondelmonti passed the bridge vpon a white horse and supposing as it seemeth that it had bene a thing as easie to forget an iniurie as renounce a marriage was at the foote of the bridge vnder an Image of Mars which there is standing assaulted and slaine This murther diuided the whole Citie the one halfe tooke part with Buondelmonti the other with Vberti These Families by reason they were strong in houses towers and men fought manie yeares before the one could chase the other out of the Cittie till at length without anie firme peace made a truce was taken which according vnto occasion was sometimes kept and sometimes broken Florence continued in these troubles till the time of Federigo the second who being also King of Napoli was perswaded hee might encrease his dominion against the Church And to make his authoritie more assured in Toscana he fauoured the Vberti and their followers who thereby draue out the Buondelmonti and so our Cittie like vnto all other Townes of Italy became diuided into Guelfi and Ghibilini And it seemeth not superfluous to make mention of the Families that depended of the one and the other Those that followed the faction of Guelfi were Buondelmonti Narli Rossi Frescobaldi Mozzi Baldi Pulci Gherardini Faraboschi Bagnesi Guidalotti Sachetti Manieri Lucardesi Chiaramonti Compiobbesi Caualcanti Giandonati Gianfigliazzi Scali Gualerotti Importuni Bostichi Tornaquinci Vecchietti Tosinghi Arregucci Agli Sitii Adimari Visdomini Donati Pazzi della Bella Ardinghi Tebaldi Cherchi For the Ghibilini were Vberti Mannelli Vbriachi Fifanti Amidei Infanganti Malespini Scolari Guidi Galli Capardi Lamberti Soldanieri Capriani Toschi Ameri Palermini Migliorelli Pigli Baruchi Cattani Agollanti Brunelleschi Caponsachi Elisei Abbati Tedaldini Giuochi Caligai Besides these noble houses manie popular families ioyned in that action so that welneare all the Cittie became corrupted with this diuision But the Guelfi being driuen out retyred themselues into Townes of the Vale of Arno where their chiefe places of strength were and the best they could against the furie of their enemies defended themselues Federigo then dying such as remained in Florence and were men neuterall hauing also credite with the people thought better to reunite the Cittie than holding it in diuision vtterly to ouerthrow it They therefore found meanes that the Guelfi setting all iniurie aside should returne and the Ghibilini without suspition receaue them They thus vnited it seemed to them that the time would well serue to frame an order for the libertie of the Cittie before the new Emperour should grow strong For which purpose they diuided the Cittie into sixe parts and chose twelue Cittizens for euerie part to gouerne the same whom they called Antiani and were changed euerie yeare Also to remoue all offences that might arise by Iudges they elected two Straungers to that office calling the one Captaine of the people and the other Podesta who were authorised to iudge all causes that happened in the Cittie either ciuill or criminall Also because no order is assured without defenders thereof they appointed in the Citie twentie Ensignes and threescore and sixteene in the Countrey vnder which all the youth was mustred and commanded they should bee readie armed euerie man vnder the ensigne whereto he belonged whensoeuer he were either by the Captain or the Antiani called And as the ensignes which those soldiers were appointed vnto were diuers so were the weapons diuersly diuided for the crosbowes had their priuate ensigne the holberdiers theirs Also at euerie feast of Penticost with great pompe they erected new ensignes and appointed new Captaines trained the souldiers to such perfection as euerie man knew in what order hee should march retire and charge the enemy Then they caused a great chariot couered with redde and drawne by two Oxen to carry their chiefe ensigne of colour white and redde Whensoeuer they intended to assemble all their forces they commanded this Chariot to be brought into the market place and with great ceremony giue charge thereof to the chiefe Captaines of the people They had also for the magnificence of their enterprise a greatbell called Martinella which was rung continually one whole moneth before their Army was brought into the field to the end that the enemie might prepare for his defence So great was the vertue of men in those dayes and so honourably they proceeded in their actions where at this present to assaile the enemy sodeinly and without warning is thought to be a wise and honourable thing in those dayes the same was holden cowardly and dishonourably This Bell was also carried with the Army and by the sound thereof the watches and other orders of the Campe were commanded Vpon these martiall ordinances and ciuill rules the Florentines laide the foundation of their libertie Neither can
it bee imagined how great authoritie and force that Cittie in short space atteined vnto So that it became not onely chiefe of Toscana but also was accounted amongst the best Cities of Italy and should haue so continued had not the often and new diuisions disturbed the same vnder this gouernment the Florentines liued tenne yeares within which time they enforced the Pistoiesi Aretini and Senesi to make league with them Returning from Sienna with their Army they surprized Volterra and demolished some castles leading the inhabitants of them to Florence All which enterprises were performed by counsell of the Guelfi who could do much more then the Ghibilini because they for their insolencie during the raigne of Federigo were hated of the people The faction of the church also much more loued then the faction of the Emperour because the Florentines hoped thereby to preserue their libertie but beeing vnder the Emperour they feared to loose it The Ghibilini then seeing themselues bereft of authoritie could not liue contented but still aspecting occasion to recouer the gouernment and seeing Manfredi sonne of Federigo possessed of the kingdome of Napoli who had also discomforted the forces of the church thought the time come to serue their purpose Secretly then they practised with him to take their authoritie vppon him but their practise was not so cunningly handled but that the same was discouered to the Antiani who presently sent for the Vbarti They not onely refused to appeare but also tooke Armes and fortified themselues in their houses wherwith the people offended likewise tooke Armes and ayding the Guelfi enforced them and all the rest of the Ghibilini to abandon Florence and go vnto Siena From whom they prayed aide of Manfredi king of Napoli and by the industry of Farrinata Vberti the Guelfi vpon the riuer Arbia receiued so great an ouerthrow and slaughter as those that were saued returned not to Florence but supposing their Cittie lost fled into Lucca The chiefe Captaine of those souldiers sent by Manfredi was Earle Giordano a man of war in that time greatly esteemed Hee after the victorie went with the Ghibilini to Florence reducing the citie wholly to the obedience of Manfredi deposing the magistrates and altering euerie other order whereby might appeare any forme of libertie Which iniurie with small wisdom committed was generally of the people taken in great disdaine and of friends to the Ghibilini they became mortal enemies wherof with time grew their vtter ruine The Earle Giordano hauing occasion to return to Napoli for the seruice of that kingdome left in Florence as deputie for the king the Earle Guido Nouella Lord of Casentino who at Empoli assembled a Councell of Ghibilini it was necessarie to raze Florence as apt by reason the people were Guelfi to recouer force for the aide of the church To this so cruell a sentence in preiudice of that noble citie there was no citizen nor friend Farinata Vbarti excepted that apposed himself He openly without respect spake in fauour therof laid that he had not laboured nor aduentured himselfe in so many perils but to the end he might inhabit his natiue country would not loose that he had so long sought nor shunne that which fortune had laid vpō him Yea being no lesse enemy to them that should so determine then he had bene to the Guelfi he wold not refuse to fauour his country hoping that his vertue which had chased out the Guelfi from Florence should also defend the same Farinata was a man of great courage excellent in the wars chief of the Ghibilini and greatly esteemed of Manfredi his opinion therefore preuailed and new means were thought vpō how to preserue the state The Guelfi before fled to Lucca for feare of the Earles threatning were sent away from thence and went to Bologna frō whence they were called by the Guelfi of Parma to go with them to an enterprise against the Ghibilini wherin by their vertue the enimies were vanquished and they recouered their owne possessions So that encreasing in riches honour knowing also that Pope Clemente had sent for Carlo of Angio to take the kingdome from Manfredi by Ambassaders they offered him their seruice and the Pope did not onely receiue them for his friendes but also gaue them his Ensigne which euer sithence the Guelfi haue carried in their warres and is that which at this day is vsed in Florence Then was Manfredi by Carlo dispossessed of his kingdome and slain In which enterprise the Guelfi of Florence happening to be present their faction gained reputation and the Ghibilini became the weaker Whereupon those that gouerned with the Earle Guido at Florence thought it meere by some benefit to winne the loue of the people which with many iniuries had before that time bene lost For those remedies which before this time of necessitie would haue preuailed vsing them now without order and out of time did not onely hurt but also hasten their ruine They then thought good to make the people friends and partakers of such honours and authoritie as had bene taken from them and elected thirtie sixe Citizens Commoners who with two Gentlemen called from Bologna should reforme the state of the Citie They thus assembled presently diuided the Citie into Arts or Misteries ouer euery one of which Misteries they appointed one Magistrate to do iustice to all those within his gouernment They ordeined also an Ensigne to euerie Misterie to the end that all men might repaire therunto armed whensoeuer occasion did serue These Misteries were in the beginning twelue seuen great and fiuelesse Afterwards the lesse Misteries encreased to fourteene so then the number was as at this present it is twenty one The thirtie six men appointed for reformation practised many things for the benefit of the people The Earle Guido for the paying of the souldiers imposed a Subsidie vppon the Citizens whom hee found so vnwilling therewith as hee durst not enforce them to paie those summes that were imposed And supposing to haue lost the state he ioyned himselfe with the chiefe of the Ghibilini which done determined to take that frō the people by force which they for want of iudgement had graunted For that purpose assembling the souldiers Armed and accompanied with the thirtie sixe Reformers hee made an Alarum and foorthwith the Reformers retired themselues to their houses and the Ensignes of the Misteries came foorth followed by many Armed men who vnderstanding that the Earle Cuido with his followers were at Saint Giouanni they made head at Saint Trinita and there elected Giouanni Sodarini theyr Captaine The Earle on the other side hearing where the people were marched towardes them who fled not but assoone as the Earle drew neare charged him neare vnto the place called Loggio delli Tornaquinci There they forced the Earle to retire with the slaughter and losse of many his souldiers The Earle fearing that his enemy seeing his souldiers maimed and weary would
assault him and in the night kill him determined forthwith to flie and so saue himselfe So as contrarie to the counsell of the gouernours and others of his faction he presently fled with his men to the Citie of Prato So soone as hee came thither finding himselfe out of feare being in a place of securitie remembred how great an errour he had committed and desirous to amend the same the next morning earely marched with his men towards Florence offering to enter the Citie by force which by cowardise hee had abandoned but that attempt tooke no successe for the people which with difficultie might haue driuen him away with facilitie could hold him out So that with great sorow and shame he went vnto Casentino and the Ghibilini to their vilages Thus the people remained with victorie and for the comfort of those which loued the common wealth determined to reunite the citie and call home all citizens as well Ghibilini as Guelfi by meanes whereof the Guelfi after sixe yeares absence from the citie were returned And the Ghibilini notwithstanding the memorie of their late iniurie were pardoned and put in their country yet much hated both of the people and the Guelfi for these could not forget their exile and those remembred too much the tyrannie which was vsed during their authoritie which things caused that neither the one nor the other were contented While in this forme the Florentines liued it was reported that Corradino nephew to Manfredi should come with forces from Germany to the conquest of Napoli Whereupon the Ghibilini tooke heart and hope thereby to recouer their authoritie And the Guelfi began to thinke how they might assure themselues of their enemies for which purpose they praied king Carlo to defend them in the time of Corradino his passage The souldiers of Carlo being in march made the Guelfi insolent and amazed the Ghibilini so much that two dayes before they arriued without any violence offered they fled The Ghibilini thus departed the Florentines reordeined the state of their citie elected twelue chiefe men to be magistrates and gouerne their citie for two moneths whom they called not Antiani but Buoni Homini Next vnto them they appointed a Councell of fourescore Citizens which they called La Credenza After them were an hundreth and fourescore Commoners who with the Credenza and the twelue Buoni Homini were called the Councell generall They ordeined moreouer one other Councell of a hundreth and twentie Citizens of the Comonaltie and Nobilitie mixed which should giue perfection confirmation to al things determined in the other Councels This gouernment thus setled the faction of the Guelfi togither with the Magistrates fortified the citie to the end they might the better defend themselues from the Ghibilini whose goods they diuided into three parts the one they imployed to publike vses the second was giuen to the Captaines the third diuided amongst the Guelfi in recompence of their losses The pope also to maintain the Guelfi in Toscana ordeined the King Carlo to bee Lieftenant Emperiall of that countrey The Florentines thus holding themselues in reputation by vertue of these new orders gouerned all things well with their lawes at home and with their armes abroad Then died the Pope and after long disputation in the end of two yeares Gregorio decimo was elected who hauing bene long time in Soria and was at the time of his election did not make so great account of the factions as his predecessors had done But returning home towards France being arriued at Florence to performe the office of a good Pastor sought to vnite that citie wherein he preuailed so farre with the Florentines as they were content that Commissioners for the Ghibilini might be receiued into Florence to solicit the return of their faction which was concluded Notwithstanding the Ghibilini were so terrified as they durst not come home The Pope laid the fault thereof to the citie and being offended did excommunicate the same In which displeasure the Florentines continued all the life of that Pope but after his death the citie was absolued by Pope Innocentio quinto to whom succeeded Nicholao tertio descended of the house of Orsini And because the Popes had alwaies in suspition those that aspired to greatnes in Italy although by the fauour of the church they were thereunto atteined sought alwaies to put them backe Therof grew many tumults and often variations for the feare of him that was become strong occasioned the aduancement of an other that was weake who beeing likewise growne vp was forthwith feared and being feared cast downe This was the cause that ocsioned the kingdome to be taken from Manfredi and giuen to Carlo This was also that which caused the Pope to mistrust Carlo and seek his distruction Nicholao tertio then for the reasons beforesaid sound meanes through the helpe of the Emperour that the gouernment of Toscana was taken from Carlo and in his place hee sent thither Latino his Legate At that time Florence remained in verie hard estate because the Nobilitie of the Guelfi were become insolent and feared not the Magistrates so as euerie of them committed murthers and other violences without any iustice or punishment of those that committed the same because they were alwaies by one or other great person fauoured To bridle this great insolencie it was by the chiefe of the people thought good to reuoke such as were banished which gaue opportunitie to the Legate to reunite the citie and the Ghibilini returned home In the place of twelue gouernours there were foureteene made for euerie part seuen to gouerne the cittie during one yeare and they to be elected by the Pope Florence continued in this order of gouernment two yeares Then Pope Martino aspired to the Papacie who being a French man restored vnto king Carlo all that authoritie which the Pope Nicholao had taken from him wherby the factions in Toscana were suddeinly reuiued For the Florentines tooke Armes against the Emperours Gouernour to depriue the Ghibilini of the gouernment therewith also to hold the great men in awe they ordeined a new forme of gouernment The yeare 1282. beeing come the companies of the Misteries hauing receiued their Magistrates Ensigns became greatly esteemed They among themselues elected in the place of the fourteene three Citizens to remaine two moneths gouernours of the common-weale and called them Priori who might be either Commoners or Gentlemen so that they were Merchants of some Misterie Afterwards the chiefe Magistracie was reduced to sixe men so as in euery part of the citie there might be one which order continued till the yeare 1342. At which time the cittie was diuided into quarters and the number of Priori encreased to nine and diuerse times in that meane while by reason of some accident they were in number twelue This Office was the meane as shall hereafter appeare that the Nobilitie was ruined for then by many occasions they were excluded and afterwards
without respect oppressed whereunto the Nobilitie at the beginning consented for they vnwilling to bee vnited with the people and desiring to haue all the state into their hands and the people hauing like desire became both loosers Then they appointed a pallace for their office where by auncient custome the Magistrates and Counsellours assembled who were in honourable fort by Serieants and other Ministers there attended albeit at the erection of this office the officers were called Priori yet afterwards for more magnificence was ioyned therunto the name of Signory The Florentines for a space among themselues remained quiet during which time they made warre vppon the Aretini because they had banished the Guelfi and in Campaldino most fortunately wonne the victory The cittie then encreasing in men and riches thought good to encrease also the wals therof and therefore inlarged the circuit of the same to that compasse which now wee see for before that time the Diametre thereof was onely that space which is from the old bridge to S. Lorenzo The wars abroad and peace at home had as it were worne out of Florence the factions of Guelfi and Ghibilini Then remained only those humors which naturally were wont to be in euerie cittie betwixt the Nobilitie and the people For the people desirous to liue according to law and the great men studying to command them becommeth a thing impossible they should accord togither This humour so long as the Ghibilini held the citie in awe was not discouered but so soone as they were vanquished it shewed the force thereof for euerie day some popular man was iniured and Magistrates knew not by what meanes to punish the same because euerie Gentleman with the force of his friends defended himselfe The Magistrates of the misterie studying to remedie so great a mischiefe prouided that euerie Senate in the beginning of their authoritie should create one Gonfaloniere di Giustitia a man elected in the number of Commoners vnto whom was appointed one thousand men vnder twentie Ensignes readie at all occasions to maintaine iustice whensoeuer they were by their Gonfalone or their Captaine commanded The first chosen was Vbaldo Ruffoli he drew forth the Gonfalone and razed the houses of the Galetti because one of that Family had in France slaine a popular man It was an easie thing for the misteries to make this order by reason of the great hatred among the Nobilitie who considered not of any prouision against them till such time as they felt the bitter execution thereof which at the first gaue them great terror neuerthelesse afterwards they returned to their wonted insolencie For alwaies some one of the Nobilitie being an Officer had therby meanes to hinder the Gonfaloniere in execution of his office Moreouer for that euerie accuser must produce his witnesse to proue the offence offered and no man for feare of the Nobilitie durst giue witnesse the citie in short space returned to the former discord and the people iniured in the same sort as they were wont to bee because iudgement was slow and execution thereof wanted The populer sort then not knowing what course to take Giano della Bella a Gentleman of auncient race yet therewith one that loued the libertie of his Country encouraged the chiefe of the misteries to reforme the disorders of the citie By this Councell it was ordeined that the Gonfaloniere should remaine with the Priori and haue foure thousand men at his commandement They likewise made all the Nobilitie vncapable of the Senate and euery man that was accessarie in anie offence to be as subiect to punishment as the principall They decreed moreouer that publique fame should suffice to receiue condemnation by the lawes which they called Ordinamenti della Giustitia By this mean the people gained great reputation and Giano della Bella much hated because thereby he became euill thought of by the Nobilitie and reputed one that oppressed their authoritie The rich Commoners did also enuie him for that they imagined his credit ouermuch which at the first occasion was so proued For it shortly after happened that in a fraie one of the people chanced to be slaine at which conflict diuerse Gentlemen were present and among the rest Corso Donati vnto whom as the most quarrelsome of the companie the fault was laid and by the Captaine of the people apprehended Howsoeuer it were either that Corso had not offended or that the Captaine feared to commit him he was presently set at libertie Which deliuerie so greatly offended the people that they tooke Armes and ranne to the house of Giano della Bella desiring him to be a meane that those lawes might be obserued whereof he had bene the inuentor Giano willing that Corso should be punished did not as many thought he would do cause the people to laie down their Armes but perswaded them to go vnto the Senate and praie them to looke vnto the matter The people in the meane while much moued and supposing the Captaine to haue offered iniurie and also that Giano had forsaken them went not to the Senat but vnto the Captaines pallace which they tooke and sacked That fact greatly displeased all the Citizens and those that desired the fall of Giano accused him laying all the fault to his charge Amongst the Lords of the Senate one of his enemies happened to be who accused him to the Captaine for hauing stirred the people to sedition During the time that this cause was in debating the people armed went againe to the house of Giano and offered him defence against the Senators his enemies But Giano would neither make proofe of this populer fauour nor yet commit his life to the Magistrates because he feared the lewdnesse of these and the inconstancie of those so as to take occasion from his foes to offend him and from his friendes to harme their countrey he determined to depart and so giuing place to enuie and to deliuer the Citizens from that feare they had of him went into voluntarie exile notwithstanding he had with his great perill deliuered the citie from seruitude of the Nobilitie After his departure the Nobilitie hoped greatly to recouer their dignities and iudging that all their euill was by his mean procured they assembled themselues togither and sent two of them to the Senate which they thought did fauour them much to entreate that by the same the seuere lawes made to their preiudice might in something be quallified which request being knowne troubled much the people fearing that the Senators would grant the same Insomuch as the desire of the Nobilitie the suspitiō of the people drew them to the sword The Nobilitie made head in three places at S. Giouanni in the new market place and in the Piazza di Mozzi Their Captaines were Forese Adimari Vanni di Mozzi and Geri Spini The people on the other side with their Ensigne in great numbers assembled at the Senators pallace who at that time dwelt neare vnto
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
Florentines hearing those newes resolued and determining to rescue that towne shut vp their shops and went confusedly togither to the number of twentie thousand footmen and fifteene hundreth horse Also to diminish the strength of Castruccio and encrease their owne the Senators by proclamation gaue notice that whatsoeuer Rebell of the faction of Guelfi would come to the rescue of Prato should be after the enterprise restored to his country Vpon this proclamation more then foure thousand Rebels came presently thither This great Army in haste conducted to Prato so much terrified Castruccio that without triall of his fortune by fight he retired to Lucca Then grew great controuersie within the Campe of the Florentines betwixt the Nobilitie and the people for these would haue followed the enemie hoping by fight to haue ouerthrowne him and those would returne backe saying it sufficed that they had hazarded Florence to succour Prato Which was well done being constrained by necessitie but sith the cause was now remooued no wisedome would where litle was to be gotten and much to be lost that fortune should be further tempted This matter the people not agreeing was referred to the Senators who found among themselues the same diuersitie of opinions that was betweene the people and the Nobilitie which being knowne much company assembled in the Market place vsing great words of threatnings to the Nobilitie In so much that they for feare gaue place to the will of the people but all too late because in the meane while the enemy was with safetie retired to Lucca This disorder brought the people into so great indignation of the Nobilitie that the Senators would not performe the promise by their consent giuen to the Rebels which the Rebels vnderstanding and hoping to preuent the Senate before the Campe arriued at Florence offered to enter the gates But their intent being discouered by those in the Citie were repulsed Then they sought to compasse that by perswasion which by force they could not and sent eight Ambassadours to put the Senators in remembrance of their promise and the perill they had vnder the same aduentured hoping of that reward which was by them offered The Nobilitie thereby put in mind knowing themselues by promise bound laboured greatly in the fauour of the Rebels Notwithstāding by reason the people were offended for not following the enterprise of Castruccio nothing was obteined which afterward proued the great shame dishonour of the citie For many of the Nobilitie therewith displeased did assaie to win that by force which by entreatie they could not For which purpose they conspired with the rebelles to enter the Cittie armed and they would take armes also for their aide This appointment before the day of execution was discouered whereby the banished men at their comming found the cittie armed and order giuen to apprehend them abroad and keepe downe those that were within Thus this enterprise was in euerie respect without successe After the departure of the rebels the citizens desired to punish those by whose meanes they did come thither And albeit euerie man knew who were the offenders yet no man durst name them much lesse accuse them Therefore to vnderstand the troth without respect it was ordered that secretly the names of the offenders should bee written and priuilie deliuered to the Captaine In this accusation were named Amerigo Donati Teghiaio Frescobaldi Lotteringo Gerardini who hauing Iudges more fauourable then perhaps they deserued were onely condemned in pecuniall punishment The tumults which grew in Florence by comming of the Rebels to the gate made triall that one Chieftaine for all the companies of the people did not suffice and therefore they required after that to euerie company might be appointed three or foure Leaders and to euerie Gonfaloniere two or three others whom they would haue called Pennonieri To the end that in time of necessitie all the companie not assembling part of them vnder one head might be imployed Moreouer as it happeneth in all common weales after any accident some old lawes be disanulled some others are made new so the Senate before appointed from time to time the Senators with the Collegii which then were to the end their force might be the greater had authority giuen them and their successors to continue in office during the space of fortie moneths And because many Citizens feared their names not to be put into the bagge they procured a new Imborsation Of this beginning grew the election of Magistrates as well within as without the Citie which election was in those dayes called Imborsation Afterwards the same was called Squittini And for that euerie three or at the most fiue yeares this order was taken the occasion of tumults in the Citie at the choice of Magistrats was remooued yet were they ignorant of such discommodities as vnder this small commoditie was hidden The yeare 1315. being come and Castruccio hauing surprised Pistoia was growne to that greatnesse that the Florentines fearing the same determined before such time as he was setled in his Principallitie to assault him and bring him vnder their obedience For which purpose they leuied twentie thousand foote men and three thousand horse With these forces they besieged Altopassio in hope by hauing of that Towne to impeach the passage of those that would come to the succour of Pistoia The Florentines preuailed in this enterprise and hauing taken the place marched towards Lucca spoiling the country where they went Notwithstanding through the small wisedome of the Generall or rather his infidelitie little good ensued thereof This Captaine was called Ramondo de Cardona Hee seeing the Florentines to haue bene liberall of their libertie giuing the same somtimes to Kings and sometimes to the Legates of Popes and men of meane qualitie thought it possible to bring himselfe to be a Prince if first he could lead them into some great necessitie He gaue them therefore to vnderstand that for his better reputation it was meete for him to haue the same authoritie within the Citie that he had in the Army otherwise he should not haue that obedience of his souldiers which belonged vnto a Generall Whereto the Florentines not consenting the Army proceeded slowly or rather euerie day losing somewhat and Castruccio continually gained Because by that time were come vnto him diuerse supplies sent by the Visconti and other tirants of Lombardy Castruccio by this meane growne strong and Ramondo hauing neglected his seruice as for want of fidelitie he did not prosper at the first so he could not after saue himselfe for whilest he lingered with his Camp Castruccio did assault him and ouerthrew him neare vnto Altopassio In which conflict many Citizens were slaine and with them Ramondo himselfe who thereby found the punishment of fortune which his infidelitie and euill seruice to the Florentines deserued The displeasures which Castruccio did after the victorie by spoyling distroying burning imprisoning killing cannot be told Because without any resistance he
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
those that were iniured was Piero de Bardi and Bardo Frescobaldi They being gent. and naturally proud could not endure that a stranger wrongfully and in the presence of some Magistrates had done them iniurie which both against him and those that gouerned they conspired to reuenge Into that conspiracie entered many Noble families and some of the people whom the tyrannie of him that gouerned did offend The order of execution agreed vpon was that euery man shuld assemble into his house as many armed men as he could and in the morning of All Saints day when euerie bodie was in the church to take armes and kill the Captaine Which done they determined to place new Senators and with new orders to reforme the state But because enterprises of perill the more they be thought vpon the more vnwillingly be performed It alwaies happeneth that cōspiracies not suddenly executed are for the most part discouered There was among the conspirators one called Andrea de Bardi in whom the consideration of punishment could do more then the hope of reuenge reuealed all to Iacamo Alberti his brother in law Then Iacamo enformed the Priori and the Priori enformed the Gouernours And because the day of danger grew neare which was the feast of All Saints manie citizens consulted in the Pallace and thinking it dangerous to deferre the time iudged it best that the Senators should cause the bell to be rung and thereby call the people to armes Taldo Valori was Gonfaloniere and Francesco Saluiati one of the Senate They being to the Bardi kinsmen would not haue the Bell rung saying it were not well done vpon euerie light occasion to arme the people For authority being giuē to a loose multitude could worke no good effect It was also easie to moue tumults but to appease them hard It were therfore much better first to examin the troth of the cause punish the same by law thē correct it disorderly with ruine of the citie which words were not willingly heard For the Senators with many iniurious and presumptuous speeches were enforced to ring the Bell vpon hearing wherof all the people ran sodeinly into the market place armed On the other side the Bardi Frescobaldi seeing themselues discouered intending to winne their purpose with glory or die without shame tooke armes hoping to defend that part of the citie where their own houses were and on the other side of the riuer fortified the bridges trusting to be succoured by the nobility of the country other their friends Which purpose was disappointed by the people that inhabited where their houses were who tooke armes in fauour of the Senat so that finding themselues disapointed they abādoned the bridges retired to the street where the Bardi dwelt as a place of more strength then any other that very valiantly they defēded Iacobo de Agobio knowing all this conspiracy to be against him fearful of death amazed at the pallace of the Senators in the midst of the armed men placed himself But there was more courage in the Rettori who had lesse offended and most of all in the Podesta called Maffeo de Maradi For he presented himself to those that fought as a mā senceles without al feare passing the bridge Rubaconte entred in amōg the swords of the Bardi making signes to speak with thē Wherupon they cōsidering the reueuerence of the man his vertue other his good great qualities staied their weapons quietly heard him He then with modest graue words blamed their cōspiracy laying before them the perils wherto they were subiect if they gaue not ouer this populer enterprise giuing thē also hope that they should be fauourably heard and mercifully iudged And promised moreouer to be the mean wherby their reasonable offences should find compassion Then he returned back to the Senators and persuaded thē not to be victorious with the bloud of their own citizens neither to iudge before the cause were heard And his persuasion preuailed so much as by cōsent of the Senate the Bardi Frescobaldi with their friends were suffered to abandō the citie return to their castles They being gone and the people disarmed the Senators proceeded onely against the families of Bardi and Frescobaldi who had taken armes And to spoile them of some part of their power they bought of the Bardi the Castle of Mangona and the Castle of Varina and made a lawe that no Cittizen might possesse a Castle within twentie miles of Florence Within fewe monethes after Stiatta Frescobaldi was beheaded and many others of that familie proclaimed Rebelles It sufficed not the Gouernours to haue oppressed the Bardi and Frescobaldi but they did as men commonly doo the more authoritie they haue the worse they vse it and the more insolent they become so where was before one Captaine of the Guard who oppressed the Cittizens within Florence they also chose an other in the Countrey to the ende that men to them suspected should neither within the Cittie nor without haue anie dwelling So earnestly were they bent against the Nobilitie that they forced not to sell the Cittie to be reuenged aspecting onely occasion which came well and they better vsed the same By meanes of many troubles which hapned in Lombardy Toscana the possession of the citie of Lucca was come into the hāds of Mastino della Scalla Lord of Verona who notwithstanding hee was bounde to deliuer the same to the Florentines did not because he thought himselfe able to hold it the rather by being Lord of Parma and therefore of his promise he made none account at all which moued the Florentines to offence For reuenge whereof they ioyned against him with the Venetians and made so hotte warres vpon him as thereby he was inforced almost to abandon his country Notwithstanding therof followed nothing but some satisfaction of mind to haue oppressed Mastino For the Venetians as all other doe that ioyne in league with such as be weaker then themselues after they had surprised Triuigi and Vuensa without respect of the Florentines made peace with Mastino Shortly after the Visconti Princes of Milan hauing taken Parma from Mastino and hee fearing for that cause that Lucca could not be kept determined to sell it Those that desired to buy that citie were the Florentines and the Pisani In beating the bargaine the Pisani perceiued that the Florentines richer then they would obteine it Therefore they sought to winne it by force and with the aide of Visconti besieged it The Florentines notwithstanding proceeded and bargained with Mastino paying part of the money in hand and for payment of the rest deliuered hostages Naldo Ruccelai Giouanni the sonne of Barnardino de Medici and Rosso de Rici and then by order of Mastino the possession of the Citie was deliuered The Pisani notwithstanding pursued their enterprise and by all meanes possible laboured to get the Cittie by force yet went the Florentines to rescue the Cittie
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
come all the Cittie was in Armes and the Nobilitie made head on this side Arno in three places At the houses of Cauicciulli neare to S. Giouanni at the houses of the Pazzi and Donati in S. Piero Maggiore and at the houses of the Caualcanti in the newe Market The others beyonde Arno fortified the bridges and streetes next to their houses The Nerli at the bridge Caraia The Frescobaldi and Mannelli at S. Trinita The Rossi and Bardi at the olde bridge and the bridge Rubaconte defended themselues The people on the other part vnder the Gonfaloniere della Iustitia the Ensignes of companies assembled themselues Being thus prepared the people thought good no longer to delaie the fight The first that gaue the charge were the Medici and the Rondinegli who assaulted the Cauicciulli in that way which leadeth from the Court before S. Giouanni to their houses There the conflict was great by reason that from the Towers stones were cast downe to the harme of many below others with Crosse-bowes were sore hurt This fight continued three houres and still the people encreased Then the Cauicciulli seeing themselues by the multitude ouermatched and wanting aide yeelded to the people who saued their houses and their goods and tooke from them onely their weapons commanding them to diuide themselues and remaine in the houses of such Commoners as were their kinsfolks and friends This first troupe vanquished the Donati the Pazzi who being of lesse force were easily subdued Then remained only on this side Arno the Caualcanti who by men and the seat of the place were strong Neuerthelesse seeing all the Gonfalonieri against them and knowing the others to haue bene by three Gonfaloni vanquished without any great resistance yeelded Thus were three parts of the Cittie in the hands of the people one part more remained to the Nobilitie which was hard to be wonne by reason of the strength of them which defended it and the seat of the place it being so fortified with the riuer of Arno that the bridges must first of force be surprised which were defended in that sort as is beforesaid The people then knowing that there they laboured in vaine assaied to passe the bridge Rubaconte where finding the like difficultie they left for guard of those two bridges foure Gonfaloni and with the rest assaulted the bridge Caraia Where albeit the Nerli manfully defended themselues yet could they not withstand the furie of the people Both because the bridge wanting towers of defence was weak the Capponi with other populer families also assailed them In so much as being on euery side distressed they retired and gaue place to the people who forthwith likewise vanquished the Rosci by reason that all the people on the farre side of Arno ioyned with the victorious Then the Bardi were onely left whom neither the ouerthrow of others nor the vniting of the people against them nor the small hope they had of rescue could any whit amaze for they did choose rather to die fighting see their houses burnt and their goods spoyled then voluntarily submit themselues to the mercie of their enemies They therefore defended themselues with so great resolution that the people many times in vaine assaulted them both vpon the old bridge and vpon Rubaconte and were with death of many and the hurting of more repulsed There was in times past a lane whereby men passed from the way that leadeth towardes Rome by the house of the Pitti to go vnto S. Giorgio By this way the people sent six Gonfalonieri with commandement to assault the back side of the house of Bardi That assault made the Bardi to loose their hope and occasioned the people to assure themselues of victorie for so soone as those who defended the streetes knew their houses were assaulted they abandoned the fight and ranne to saue them This was the cause that the chaine of the old bridge was lost and that the Bardi on euerie side fled who were by the Quaratesi Panzanesi and Mozzi encountred The people in the meane while chiefly those of basest qualitie being greedie of spoyle sacked their houses razed their Towers and burned them with so great furie that euen he that is most foe to the Florentine name would haue bene ashamed to behold so great a crueltie The Nobilitie thus oppressed the people ordeined a gouernment And because the Cittizens were diuided into three sorts that is to say great men meane men and base men It was ordered that of the great men there should be two Senators of the meane men three and of the basest men three Also the Gonfalonieri should sometime be of the one and sometime of the other sort Moreouer the ordinances of Iustice against the Nobilitie were confirmed And to make the Nobilitie weaker they tooke some of that number and mixed them with the populer multitude This ruine of the Nobilitie was great and so much weakened their faction as after that time they durst neuer take armes against the people but continually remained poore and abiect of minde which was the occasion that Florence became spoyled not onely of armes but also of all generositie After this ruine the citie continued quiet till the yeare 1353. In which time happened that memorable plague whereof Giouan Boccacio with great eloquence hath written Of which died in Florence 96. thousand persons The Florentines made then the first warre with the Visconti occasioned by the ambition of the Archbishop then Prince of Milan That warre being ended beganne suddeinly new factions within the Citie And albeit the Nobilitie was destroyed yet fortune found meanes to raise vp new diuisions and new troubles The ende of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE THE greeuous and naturall enimities betwixt the people and Nobilitie through desire of the one to commaund and the other not to obey are causes of all euils which happen in euerie citie For of the diuersitie of these humours all other things which disturbe Common weales doo take their nutriment This was that which held Rome disunited And this if we may compare small matters to great was that which continued Florence diuided Notwithstanding in those two cities the diuisions did bring forth two sundrie effects For the enimitie of the people and Nobilitie in Rome was at the beginning ended by disputation but the diuision of the people and Nobilitie of Florence was with sword and slaughter determined That of Rome by lawe but that of Florence by exile and death of many Citizens was ended That of Rome did alwaies encrease the vertue militarie but that of Florence vtterly extinguished the same That of Rome from an equalitie of the Citizens to a great disequalitie reduced the citie but that of Florence frō disequalitie to a maruellous equalitie was changed Which diuersitie of effects must of force be occasioned by the diuerse ends which these two people had For the people of Rome desired not more then to participate the soueraigne honours with the Nobilitie
Common weale And albeit he had with diligence trauelled in these matters and to his power preuented all inconueniences yet the sinister disposition of men so greatly opposed it selfe to his iust indeuour that the way of well doing was stopped and their intent was altered not onely from determining well but also from hearing thereof Wherefore seeing that he could not do aniething more for the state or the common commoditie he knew not to what end he should continue longer in that office which either he deserued not or as it was thought of others he would not hereafter deserue For these respects he intended to retire home to the end the people might put in his roome some other of more vertue or greater fortune This speech ended he departed from the Councell towards his house such as were in the Councell his friends with some others also desirous of Innouation began to murmure Then the Senators and Colledges drew neare and finding their Gonfalone departing by entreatie and authoritie staied him and into the Councell being full of tumult perswaded him to returne where many noble Citizens were with words most iniurious threatned Among whom Carlo Strozzi was by an Artificer taken by the bozome and had bene slaine if the standers by had not saued him But that which stirred the greatest tumult and put the citie in armes was the motion of Benedetto Alberti who from the window of the Pallace cried aloude to the people to take armes Wherupon sodeinly all the Court was full of armed men By that mean the Colledges were forced by threatnings and feare to do that which being desired they would not In the meane time the Captaines of the factions had assembled many Citizens and consulted how to defend them against the order of the Senators But so soone as they heard the rumour appeased and vnderstood what was by the Councell resolued euerie man fled to his owne house For there is no man that moueth any alteration in a Citie that knoweth how either to worke it at his owne wil or suppresse it at his pleasure It was the intent of Saluestro to create a law appease the Citie but the matter fell out contrarie For the humours moued had chaunged euerie man so much that the shoppes were shut vp Citizens were assailed at their houses many conueyed their goods to Monasteries and hid them in Churches as though euerie one looked for some miserie at hand The companies of misteries assembled and euerie misterie elected a Sindaco Then the Priori called their Colledges and the Sindachi consulted with them how the Citie might be made quiet but their opinions being diuerse nothing was determined The next day following the misteries drew forth their Ensignes which the Senators knowing doubting that which happened called the Councels to put order but ere they were all assembled a tumult was begun and presently the Ensignes were come out followed by armed men to the Pallace Thereupon the Councell to giue hope of contentation to the misteries and the people and take from them the occasion of suspition gaue generall authoritie to the Senate the Colledges the Eight the Captaines of parts and the Sindachi to reforme the Cittie for common commoditie thereof While these matters were in hand certaine of the Ensignes of misteries with others of lesse qualitie thereby moued by some that desired reuenge of the last iniuries receiued of the Guelfi shrunke away from the rest and went vnto the house of Lapo di Castiglionichio sacking and burning the same He hearing that the Senate had done an enterprise contrarie to order taken by the Guelfi and seeing the people in armes hauing no other remedie but either hide himselfe or flie first hid him in Santa Croce after in the habit of a Frier fled into Casentino where he was heard complaine of himselfe for consenting to Piero delli Albizi and of Piero for that he would needs deferre to assure the state till the feast of S. Giouanni But Piero and Carlo Strozzi at the beginning of the vprore hid themselues thinking that the brunt past their friends and kinsfolkes were of force sufficient to continue them secure in Florence The house of Lapo being sacked because mischiefes are hardly begunne and easily encreased many other houses some for hate vniuersall and others by priuate displeasure were also spoiled and burned And the ministers of these mischiefes to make their companie the more forcible for the spoyling of other mens goods brake the Gayles let forth the prisoners They also sacked the Monasterie of Agnoli and S. Spirito where many Citizens had bestowed their goods Neither had the publique chamber of Florence escaped the hands of these disordered spoylers if one of the Senators had not taken vpon him the defence thereof who on horsebacke followed with some armed men resisted the furie of the multitude This populer madnesse partly by mediation of the Senate and partly for that the night drew on was appeased The next day the Balia restored fauour to the Citizens admonished with condition that within the next three yeares they should not be capable to exercise any office They also disanulled the lawes made by the Guelfi in preiudice of the Citizens They proclaimed Lapo di Castiglionichio and his companions Rebels and with them diuerse others hated of the multitude After these resolutions they published new Senators among whom Luigi Guicciardini was Gonfaloniere whereby hope was conceiued that all tumults wold cease because they were holden quiet men and louers of peace Notwithstanding the shops were kept shut the Citizens still armed and great watches throughout the citie charged For which cause the Senators receiued not their office without the Pallace with the pompe accustomed but within not vsing any ceremonie at all These Senators thought nothing so necessarie to be done at their entry into office as to procure a peace in the citie and therfore caused al armes to be laide downe the shops to be opened and the people of the countrey called thither in the fauour of Citizens to be dispatched away They ordeined Guards in many places of the citie so as if the Citizens admonished could haue liued content the people had bene quiet But they not willing to abide three yeares from honour did finde meane that for their satisfaction the misteries againe assembled and demanded of the Senate that for the good of the citie and quiet thereof no Cittizen might any more be admonished as a Ghibilino either by the Senators the Colledge Captaine or Consull Moreouer they required new Imborsation to be made of the Guelfi and the old to be burned These demands were presently accepted both by the Senate and all other Councels because thereupon it was supposed all newe tumults would cease But mans nature doth not onely content it selfe with his owne but will also couet other mens and be reuenged Those that hoped in the disorder declared to the misteries that they should neuer be assured vnlesse many of their enemies were
driuen out and oppressed Which request being presented the Senators called before them the officers of misteries the Sindachi to whom Luigi Guicciardini Gonfaloniere spake in manner following If these Lordes and I also had not knowne the fortune of this cittie the custome whereof is that so soone as it hath made peace abroad the warre within beginneth we would haue more maruelled at the tumuls passed and therewith haue bene more greeued But because things accustomed do bring with them lesse sorrow we haue endured these troubles with great patience and the rather for that they were begun without any our default and shall we hope end as all others before haue done sith we haue alreadie in so many and so great demands satisfied you Neuerthelesse perceiuing that you neuer rest contented but still with new iniuries seeke to disturbe your Citizens and condemne them to newe banishments of your dishonest dealings our greeuous sorrow groweth And truly if we had thought that within the tearme of our gouernment this citie should haue bene so troubled we would either by voluntary or violent exile haue shunned these honors But hoping to deale with men in whom remained curtesie and loue to their country we willingly receiued these offices beleeuing our clemencie should haue suppressed your ambition But we now see by experience that the more mildly we beare our selues towards you the more proud ye are and the more dishonest requests ye demand at our hands This plainnesse of speech we vse not to offend you but to remember you for our meaning is that others shall speake that which pleaseth you and we that which is best for you Tell vs we pray you what is that you can honestly more require at our hands You required that the authoritie should be taken from the captains of factions so it was You desired the Imborsations should be burnt new reformation made to that we cōsented You demanded the restitutiō of the admonished Citizens to their honors and they were restored We haue also at your entreatie pardoned those that burned houses robbed the churches Yea for your satisfactiō we haue sent into exile many honourable and mightie Citizens The great men also by your meanes are with new lawes brideled What end will those your demands haue Or how long will you abuse your libertie See ye not that we with more patience did endure to be victored then you to be victorious Whither will these misdemeanours drawe this your citie Do ye not remember that by like disunion Castruccio a poore Citizen of Lucca did oppresse it And the Duke of Athene a priuate Captaine of your owne did conquere it So long as it liued in vnion the power of an Archbishop of Milan and a Pope could not preuaile against it but after a warre continued diuerse yeares abandoned the enterprise with shame Why would ye then that your own discord should in peace bring this citie in bondage which so many mightie enemies haue notwithstanding their warre left free What profit shall you looke for by your diuision other then seruitude Or what commoditie will rise of the goods you haue robbed other then pouertie For they are those that by our industry haue fed the citie wherof being spoiled it can no longer be nourished And they that shall vsurpe them wil as of things euil gottē not know how to keep them Wherof shal follow famine and pouertie I and these Lords commaund yee and if without indignitie we so may earnestly praie you to staie your minds and rest contented with those things which by vs are ordeined And whensoeuer you desire anie new sute at our hands seek the same ciuilly and striue not with tumult armes to obtaine it For whatsoeuer you reasonably aske will be graunted and men euill disposed shal want occasion to oppresse our citie to your shame and the ruine therof These words because they were true greatly moued the citizens and much they thanked the Gonfaloniere for hauing performed the office of a good Lord citizen offering to obey wherin so euer it should please him to command them The Senators also to giue the occasion did authorize two citizens of euery principal office togither with the Sindachi to practise a reformation to the common quiet and report their doings to the Senate While these matters were in hand an other tumult arose which troubled the state more then the former For the greater part of the burning spoyling in times past were done by the basest sort of people who notwithstanding that being altogither they were audatious yet they euer feared that the furie once past and appeased they should receiue punishment for their defaults or as it often happened be abandoned by those that encouraged them to the performance of the disorder Whereunto was ioyned a hatred of the base people towards the rich Cittizens and heads of the mysteries iudging themselues not so well paide for their labours as they had deserued Because at such time as the cittie was first by Carlo diuided into mysteries and euerie mysterie a head thereunto appointed it was enacted that the subiects of euerie mysterie should be in all ciuill matters iudged by the head thereof These mysteries as we said before were at the beginning twelue afterwards encreased to 21. and they became of so great power as in fewe yeares they had all the gouernment of the Cittie Also to the end there should be difference betwixt those that were more or lesse honourable they were diuided and seuen of them were called great mysteries and foureteene named the lesse mysteries By these diuisions and some other occasions before recited grew the insolencie of the Captaines of factions Because those Cittizens which aunciently were Guelfi vnder whose gouernment that office continued did euer fauour the people of the great mysteries and persecuted the lesse mysteries with their protectors Whereuppon followed all the tumults that we haue rehearsed And for that in ordering the bodies of the mysteries many occupations exercised by diuerse of the base people and common multitude had no place of their owne in the bodie of the mysteries they were referred put vnder some other mysteries like vnto theirs Whereof followed that they either were not satisfied for their labours or by their maisters oppressed and so forced to complaine to the Magistrates of those mysteries who gouerned them at whose handes as they thought they receiued not that iustice that to them belonged Also that mysterie which had in it the greatest number was the mysterie of wooll which being of most force and authoritie did nourish and entertaine the greatest part of the multitude and base people The multitude then as well of the mysterie of wooll as others for the cause before saide was full of offence therewith remembring the burning and spoiles by them committed diuerse times assembled in the night and reasoning of matters past euerie man tolde other the daunger wherein they stoode The one of them a man
of most audacitie and experience to animate the rest spake to this effect If we were now to consult whether it be best to take armes robbe the Cittizens and spoile the churches my selfe would thinke it a matter considerable happily should preferre a quiet pouertie before a perillous profit But sith armes be alreadie taken and many displeasures done mee thinkes it behoueth vs not to let goe the aduantage but seeke meane how to assure our selues I certainly thinke that if no man would therein aduise vs yet necessitie alone might counsell vs. You see all this citie full of displeasure and hatred against vs. The Citizens do often assemble and the Senate is alwaies accompanied with officers You see they laie snares to entrap vs and prepare new forces to oppresse vs. Therefore it standeth vs vpon to procure two things and in our Councels to haue two endes The one that for your late doings we may not be punished the other that we may liue with more libertie and satisfaction then heretofore we haue done It behoueth therefore as I thinke that to obtaine pardon of all former faults our best meane is to commit some new doubling all our misdeeds by burning robbing and spoiling and therein to make many companions For where many offend none are punished and small faults are chastised but great and greeuous offences be rewarded Also where many are iniured fewe do seeke reuenge Because vniuersal displeasures are with more patience then particuler wrongs endured Therefore the multiplying of mischiefes is the readiest way to forgiuenesse and the best meane to obtaine those things which for our libertie are desired Surely it seemeth we go now to a certaine victorie for as much as those that should impeach vs be disunited and rich Their disunion shall giue vs victorie and their riches being made ours shall maintaine it Let not the antiquitie of their bloud wherof they so much boast dismaie you for all men hauing one beginning be equally auncient and are by nature made all after one maner Behold them naked you shall finde them like to vs and let vs be clad with their garments and they with ours we shall assuredly seeme noble and they of base condition because only pouertie and riches are those things which make the disequalitie It greeueth me to thinke that many of you do in conscience repent things done and intend to refraine doing the like Surely it is true that you are not those men I thought you to be for indeed conscience nor infamie ought to feare you sith hee that winneth victorie in what maner so euer it be doth neuer receiue shame thereof As for conscience none account is thereof to be made For who so standeth in feare of famine and prison as you do should not be daunted with dread of death and hell And if we consider the maner of mens proceedings we shall find that all those who haue gained great riches or glorie either by fraude or force are aspired And those thinges which they haue either by craft or violence obteined to cloake the infamie of their theft and make it seeme honest do call the same purchase Yea whosoeuer for want of wit or rather plaine folly doth not follow this course either sinketh in seruitude or perisheth in pouertie For in troth faithfull subiects are slaues and good men be still plagued with want Such as escape bondage be the most faithlesse and audatious and they that shunne lacke be onely couetous persons or craftie For God and nature haue laide fortune before all men of whom we see more enclined to robberie then industry and more to the bad then to good actions disposed Hereof it commeth that one man eateth an other and he that can do least must suffer most You ought therfore to vse force when occasion is offered which can be at no time more then now The Citizens are diuided the Senate fearefull and the Magistrates dismayed So that before they can be vnited and resolued it is most easie for vs to oppresse them By which oppression we shall either become wholly Princes of the citie or at the least owners of so much as we shall thereby not onely haue pardon of passed errors but also authoritie to threaten new I cōfesse this resolution is bold and daungerous but where necessitie pincheth desperation is iudged wisedome And in great enterprises valiant men account not of perill because those attempts which begin with daunger do end with glorie Also from one daunger men do not escape but by hazarding an other I likewise thinke that sith we see the prisons torments and death prepared for vs we ought rather feare to stand still then seeke to assure our selues for by the one the mischiefe is certaine by the other doubtfull How often haue I heard you complaine vpon the couetousnesse of your superiors and the iniustice of your Magistrates Now is the time not onely to be deliuered from them but also to become so much their superiors as they shall haue more occasion to feare you then you them The opportunitie which this occasion offereth doth passe and being past cannot be called againe You see the prepare of your aduersaries let vs preuent their intention For which so euer of vs do first take armes shall no doubt be victorious with ruine of the enemie and aduancement of himselfe Thus may many of vs gaine glorie and euerie man enioy securitie These perswasions greatly kindled their minds alreadie warmed with desire of mischief In so much as they resolued to take armes and the rather hauing drawne vnto them more companions of their disposition whome by oath they bound to helpe them when any should happen by the Magistrates to be oppressed While these men prepared to surprise the state their intent was discouered to the Senators who had in hand one called Simone of whom they vnderstood all the conspiracy that the next day they ment to make a tumult which perill perceiued the Colledges did assemble with the Sindachi practised to vnite the citie but before euerie man was come the night drew on Then were the Senators aduised to send for the Consuls of mysteries who being togither agreed that all men of warre within Florence should be warned to appeare and the Gonfaloniere the morning following with their companies to be armed in the Market place At such time as Simone was tormented and the Cittizens assembling one called Nicholo da San Friano kept the clocke of the Pallace who being aware of that businesse in hand beganne to spread rumours among his neighbours so as suddeinly in the Market place of Santo Spirito more then a thousand armed men were assembled These newes came to the eares of the other conspirators and San Piero Maggiore and San Lorenzo places by them appointed were full of men armed By that time day appeared which was the twentie one of Iuly At which houre came not to the Market place in fauoure of the Senate aboue eightie men of armes
misliked Onely Giouanni di Medici openly did commend it by which commendation the lawe passed And because in the excution thereof euery mans goods were charged which the Florentines called Accastare the Imposition was called Catasto This law partly bridled the tirannie of the mightier Citizens being thereby restrained from oppression of their inferiours and their threatnings and counsels could not hold them silent as before they might That Imposition therfore was by the multitude willingly but by the mighty citizens verie vnwillingly receiued Notwithstanding as it euer happeneth that men be neuer satisfied but hauing the thing they wish for desire an other so this people not content with this equalitie of Imposition by lawe required that no respect should be had to time past but desired to examine how much the great men according to the Catasto had paide too little because they would haue them to be charged as themselues had before bene who paying more then they ought were forced to sell their possessions This demaund did more terrifie the great men then the Catasto therfore they ceased not to find fault affirming it was most iniust that the imposition should extend to their moueables which many times were one day possessed and the next day lost And moreouer many men had money so secretly kept that the Catasto could not find it Adding thereto that for seruice of the state they omitted their priuate busines and therfore ought be the lesse charged For trauelling in their persons it was no reason that the citie should imploy both their goods and their industry and of other men take onely their goods The others to whom the Catasto contented did answere that if the goods moueable did varie the Impositions might also varie and so that inconuenience was remedied And for goods concealed or hidden therof it was not needfull to make accompt for of such monies as are not occupied to profit no reason would they should pay And if they would imploy them then should they thereby discouer them Moreouer if they liked no longer to vse their industrie for the Common weale they might at their pleasures leaue those paines that trauell For the state should find other good Citizens willing to helpe and serue both with their counsell and substaunce Also the gouernment carried therewith so many commodities honors as the same might suffice them that gouerned without deteining their impositions But the griefe lay not where they alledged For it greeued them that they could not make warre without their owne losse being to contribute to the charge as others did As if this way had bene before found the warre with King Ladislao should not haue bene then nor this warre with the Duke now Both which warres were made to enrich the Citizens and not for necessitie These humors stirred were appeased by Giouan de Medici declaring that it was not well done to call againe matters passed but rather to foresee future euents And if the Impositions before time were iniust then ought they to thanke God for that warre whereby they were made iust and that this order might serue to reunite not to deuide the citie as it would if passed Impositions were called in question to make the present seasement because whosoeuer is content with a reasonable victorie doth best seeing they that be enforced to pay for many pardons do therby become desperate With these or like wordes hee appeased the humours and the comparing of the old Impositions with the new The warre with the Duke yet continued but shortly after a peace was made at Ferrara by mediation of the Popes Legate The conditions wherof were by the Duke at the beginning broken So that they of the league tooke armes againe and ioyning battle with the Duke at Maclouio they ouerthrew him After which ouerthrow the Duke mooued new communication of peace whereto the Venetians and Florentines consented These because they suspected the Venetians and thought they spent much to make others mightie The other for that since the ouerthrow they perceiued Carmignuola to proceede slowly and therfore feared to repose any trust in him The peace therfore was concluded the yeare 1428 whereby the Florentines reouered the townes lost in Romagna and Brescia remained in the hands of the Venetians Besides these the Duke gaue them Bergamo with the country thereto belonging In this warre the Florentines spent three millions and fiue thousand duckats But the Venetians gained land and force and they pouertie and diuision The peace thus made abroad the warre at home began And the great Citizens not enduring the Catasto nor knowing by what meane to be free from it deuised to make the lawe to haue more enimies thereby to haue companions to represse it Then they declared to the officers of the Imposition that the lawe commaunded them also to seaze the Townes subiect to see if among them remained any Florentines goods Thereupon all subiects were commaunded within a certaine time to bring in bils of their goods Then the inhabitants of Volterra sent vnto the Senate to complayne of that matter insomuch that the officers put xviii of them in prison This made the Volterrani much offended yet for the respect they had to their prisoners they rebelled not At this time Giouanni de Medici fell sicke and knowing his disease mortall called vnto him his sonnes Cosimo and Lorenzo and sayd vnto them I thinke now to haue liued so long as at my birth God and nature had appoynted I dye content because I leaue you rich healthie and in estate if you follow my footesteps to liue in Florence honorablie and fauoured of all men For there is nothing that maketh me dye so contented as to remember that I haue neuer offended any man but rather so farre as I could pleasured all men So do I perswade you if you will liue securely to take of the State no more then by the lawes and by men is giuen you which shall neuer bring with it either enuie or perill For that which is woon by violence not that which is giuen freely doth make men hated And you shall find many coueting an other mans to lose their owne and before that losse liue in continuall disquiet of mind With these rules among so manie enemyes and contrarieties of opinions I haue not onely maynteyned but also encreased my reputation in this cittie Euen so if you follow my course you shall in like sort maynteyne and augment your credit But when you do otherwise looke that your end shall be no more fortunate then theirs who haue ruyned themselues and vndone their houses Shortly after these words pronounced he tooke leaue of life and was much lamented by the greatest number of Citizens for so his excellent vertues deserued This Giouanni was charitable and accustomed to giue almes not onely to them that asked but also many times vnasked He bestowed reliefe on the poore where need required He loued euery man praysing the good and pittying the euill He
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
perswaded them so farre as the tenne gaue commission that this experiment should be tried yet thereof followed nothing but disorder to our camp and suretie of the Lucchesi for the Lucchesi aduaunced their land and then in the night brake the sluice of that ditch whereby the water was conducted so that the ground towards Lucca being mounted the water could not enter and the ditch whereby the water should passe being broken caused the riuer to reuert towards the plaine by meane whereof the Campe was forced to remoue and could not approch the towne This enterprise by meanes aforesaid preuented the tenne newly elected sent Giouanni Guicciardini for their Generall He with all speede possible besieged the Cittie The Lord thereof finding himselfe enuironed with enemies and encouraged by Anthonio del Rosso who there remained as Embassador for the Sanesi sent vnto the Duke of Milan Saluestro Trenta and Lodouico Bonuisi They in the behalfe of their Lord desired the Dukes aide but finding him cold secretly desired him to graunt them souldiers and in recompence thereof they promised to deliuer into his hands their Lord with the possession of their Cittie Assuring him that if hee did not accept this offer their Lord would giue the Towne to the Florentines who with great promises required to haue it at his hand The feare which the Duke conceaued thereof caused him to lay aside all respects and gaue order that the Earle Francesco Sforza his chiefe Captaine should openly aske him leaue to make a iourney to the Kingdome of Napoli Which being obteined he with his forces went vnto Lucca although that he knewe the practise was mistrusted and that the Florentines had sent to the Earle Boccacino Alamanni their friend to preuent it The Earle Francesco being arriued at Lucca the Florentines retired their Campe to Librafatta and the Earle presently besieged Pescia where Pagolo da Diacetto was Gouernor who being rather counselled by feare then any other passion fled vnto Pistoia And if that towne had not bene by Giouanni Malauolti defended it had bene presently lost The Earle then after one assault retired thence and surprized Borgo a Buggiano and burned Stiliano a Castell neere thereunto The Florentines seeing these ruines resorted vnto those helpes which oftentimes had before saued them well knowing that against mercinarie souldiers when force preuaileth not corruption may and therefore proffered vnto the Earle certaine money to the end he should not onely depart but also deliuer the towne into their hands The Earle supposing that more money could not be had of the Lucchesi was contented to take of those that could giue it Wherefore he concluded with the Florentines not to deliuer them Lucca because with his honestie he could not so do but so soone as he should receiue fiftie thousand duckets he would abandon the enterprice This bargaine being made to the end the people of Lucca might excuse him to the Duke he practised with them to driue out their Lord. At that time as is before said Antonio Rosso Embassador of Siena was at Lucca He with the authoritie of the Earle practised with the Citizens the destruction of Pagolo The chiefe of this conspiracie were Piero Cennanni and Giouanni da Chiuizano The Earle was lodged without the towne by the Riuer Scirchio and with him Lanzilao the sonne of Pagolo The conspirators being in number fortie all armed went vnto Pagolo who seeing them demaunded the cause of their comming To whome Piero Cennanni answered that they had bene gouerned by him till their enemies besieged them with sword and famine and therefore they were now determined from that time forward to gouerne themselues Therewith they required the keyes of the Citie and the treasure Pagolo answered that the treasure was consumed but the keyes and himselfe also were at their deuotion Then he desired thē that as his gouernmēt was begun and continued without bloud so without bloud by their fauours it might be ended Pagolo and his sonne were by the Earle Francesco brought to the Duke and died in prison The departure of the Earle deliuered Lucca from the tyrant the Florentines frō feare of his souldiers So as then the one prepared to defend the other returned to offend electing the Earle of Vrbino to be their Generall who againe straightly besieging the citie enforced the Lucchesi to resort anew vnto the Duke who vnder the same colour that hee had sent the Earle did now imploy in their aide Nicholo Piccinino He being readie to enter into Lucca was encountred vppon the Riuer of Serchio and in the passage thereof our men receiued the ouerthrow and the Generall with a fewe of our souldiers saued themselues at Pisa This misfortune greeued the whole citie yet because the enterprise was taken in hand by generall consent the people not knowing whom to blame slaundered onely them that were officers of the warre sith they could not accuse those that were the deuisers therof Then they reuiued the former fault laid vpon Rinaldo but aboue al others they charged Giouanni Guicciardini accusing him for not hauing ended the warre after the departure of the Earle Francesco saying that he had bene corrupted with mony whereof he had sent part to his own house and the rest he had carried with him consumed These rumours and these accusations proceeded so farre that the Captaine of the people moued with publike voices and also by the contrary partie prouoked sent for him Giouanni full of offence appeared wherupon his kinsfolkes for their owne honour laboured the matter so earnestly that the Captain did not proceed The Lucchesi after the victorie did not onelie recouer their owne townes but also surprized all others belonging to Pisa except Bientia Calcinaua Liuorno Librafatta And had not a conspiracie bene discouered in Pisa the citie it selfe should haue bene lost The Florentines repairing their forces made Michelletto their Generall who had bene trained vp by Sforza On the contrarie side the Duke followed the victorie and the rather to molest the Florentines procured that the Genouesi Sanesi and the Lord of Piombino ioyned in league for the defence of Lucca and that Nicholo Piccinino should be enterteined for their General which was the cause that the practise was laid open Therupon the Venetians and Florentines renewed their league and the warre began to be openly made both in Lombardy and Toscana In either of which Countries with diuerse fortune diuerse conflicts followed So that either side wearie a peace was cōcluded in the yeare 1343. whereby the Florentines Lucchesi and Sanesi who had surprized the Castles one of the others in the warre left them all and euerie man repossessed his owne During the time that this warre continued the euill disposition of factious men within the citie beganne to worke and Cosimo de Medici after the death of Giouanni his father gouerned all things concerning the Common wealth with more care of the publike profit and more liberalitie
vniuersal you cannot assure him The more of his chiefe friends you labour to banish the more enemies you winne to your selues So that within short space he shall be returned and you haue gained thus much that a good man he was banished and returned an euil man because his nature shall be corrupted by those that will labour his reuocation To whom being made beholding he may not oppose himselfe and if you would put him to death by order of Magistrates you could neuer procure it because his riches and our corruptible nature would assuredly saue him Yet admit he were dead or banished neuer to returne I see not what is gotten to our Common weale for though it be thereby deliuered of Cosimo it becommeth subiect to Rinaldo and I am one of those who wish that no Citizen should surpasse an other in power and authoritie But if any of these two should preuaile I know not for what cause I ought to loue Rinaldo more then Cosimo Neither will I say more then I pray God to defend that any Citizen should aspire to be Prince of this citie And though our sinnes haue merited such a plague yet God forbid we should obey him Do not therefore perswade an enterprise which in euerie respect is dangerous nor thinke that you accompanied with a fewe can withstand the will of many For all these Citizens partly through ignorance and partly of their lewdnesse be prepared to make sale of the Common weale and fortune is so friendly vnto them as they haue alreadie founde a chapman Be therefore pleased to follow my counsell liue modestly and so shall you find cause as well to suspect some of our side for enemies to the libertie as those of the contrarie and when any troubles happen being neutrall you shall be to both acceptable So shall you helpe your selfe and not hinder your country These words did somewhat appease the minde of Barbadoro and the citie continued quiet during the war of Lucca But the peace made and Nicholo da Vzano dead the cittie remained both without warre and order By meane whereof euill humours grew and Rinaldo thinking himselfe to be onely Prince ceased not to entreate and perswade all those Citizens whom he thought likely to be Genfalonieri to arme themselues for the defence of their country against that man who through the lewdnesse of a few the ignorance of many should of necessitie bring the same to seruitude This course holden by Rinaldo and the contrarie laboured by the aduerse part filled the citie with suspition and at the election of euerie Magistrate the one against the other partie publikely murmured at the election of the Senators all the citie was in open vproare Euerie matter brought before the Magistrates how litle soeuer it were occasioned a mutinie All secret matters were laide open good and euill were fauoured disfauoured good men and euill men equally molested and no Magistrate could execute his office Florence remaining in this confusion and Rinaldo labouring to oppresse the greatnesse of Cosimo knowing that Barnardo Guadagni was likely to be elected Gonfaloniere paide his debts to the end that such mony as he owed to the state should not be a meane to keepe him from that dignitie The Senators being chosen and fortune fauouring our discords it came to passe that Barnardo was chosen Gonfaloniere to sit in that office during the two moneths of September and October Him presently Rinaldo visited and told him how greatly the Nobilitie reioyced for his being aspired to that honour which for his vertue he deserued and therfore required him so to behaue himselfe in the office that their reioycing should not be in vaine Then he laid before him the perils which proceeded of faction that there was no other remedie to vnite the citie but the oppression of Cosimo because hee with the loue which his exceeding riches had gained him held others downe and aspired to make himselfe Prince It were therfore conuenient for remedie of so great a mischiefe that the people should be assembled in the Market place And by vertue of the Gonfaloniere the citie restored to libertie He moreouer declared how Saluestro de Medici could without iustice bridle the greatnesse of the Guelfi vnto whome by the bloud of their auncestors lost in that quarrell the gouernment to them apperteined And if he iniustly could do that against so many then might Barnardo with iustice do the same against one alone Then he perswaded him not to feare any man because his friends would be readie armed to assist him Of the multitude which so greatly honoured Cosimo none account was to be made for Cosimo should haue by their fauours none other good then had Georgio Scali Neither should he feare his riches for they being come to the hands of the Senators should be theirs And in conclusion said that this action should make the state vnited and him famous To these perswasions Barnardo briefly answered how he thought necessary to do according to that counsel And bicause the time was to be imploied rather in actiō then words he would presently prepare forces to be readie so soone as his companions could be perswaded to the enterprise Barnardo being placed in office and hauing woon his companions counselled with Rinaldo sent for Cosimo who albeit he were otherwise aduised did appeare trusting rather to his owne innocencie then the mercie of the Senators So soone as Cosimo was entered the Pallace Rinaldo with many others armed came to the Market place and there met with the rest of that faction Then the Senators caused the people to be called and made a Balia of two hundreth men to reforme the state of the citie which Balia with such speed as possibly they could consulted vpon the reformation and also of the life and death of Cosimo Many perswaded he should be banished others would haue him put to death and many also said nothing either for the compassion they tooke of the man or for the fear of them selues This diuersitie of opinions did procure that nothing was cōcluded In a Tower of the Pallace called Albergettino Cosimo was kept prisoner vnder the guard of Federigo Malauolti From which place Cosimo hearing them talke and perceiuing the noyse of armed men in the Market place togither with the often ringing of the Bell to the Balia he stood in great suspition of his life and feared also least his particuler enemies would extraordinaly murther him For these respects during the space of foure dayes he would eate nothing but one litle peece of bread which Federigo perceiuing saide vnto him Cosimo I see thou fearest to be poysoned and therefore would first famish thy selfe But thou doest me great dishonor to thinke that I wold put my hand to so wicked a deede I surely beleeue that thou art not to die for this matter hauing so good friends both within without the Pallace But if it be ment that thy life shall be taken from thee
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
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
driuen backe But when the Bridge was by the Florentines assuredly wonne and that their forces were entered into the waie Nicholo wanted time through the furie of the enemie and the incommoditie of the place to supplie his souldiers For they of the Vangarde were forced to mixt themselues with the Rearewarde and so the one disordering the other all the whole Armye was forced to flie and euerie man without anie respect ranne towardes the Towne Then the Florentine souldiers beganne to spoyle which spoyle of prisoners armour and horses was great For with Nicholo there was not saued aboue one thousand horses They of the Borgo who in hope of spoyle had followed Nicholo were of spoilers become a spoyle bicause they were all taken and put to ransome Their ensignes and carriages were lost and the victorie was much more profitable for Toscana then preiudiciall for the Duke For if the Florentines had lost the battell Toscana had bene his but he losing the battell lost no other thing but the armour and horses of his Army which with plentie of money might be recouered Neither could any warre be made in the countrey of another lesse dangerous then was the warre of those dayes For in so great an ouerthrow and so long a fight which continued from twentie to foure and twentie of the clock more were not slaine then one man and he also not hurt by the vertue of any other but being falne from his horse was trodden vpon with horses and so died with so great securitie men fought in that age The reason thereof is that for the most part the souldiers fought on horseback and couered with armour they were defended from death till they yeelded And therefore finding thēselues able to fight they so did and being not longer able they yeelded This conflict for matters which happened both in and after the fight was a signe of the great vnhappines of those warres bicause the enemies being vanquished and Nicholo returned into Borgo the Gouernours of the Florentines would haue followed and besieged him there to haue the victorie sullie But some souldiers and some Captaines also refused to obey them saying they would first carrie away the spoile and cure the hurt men Also a thing more notable the next day at high noone without leaue or respect either of the Gouernours or of the Generall the souldiers went vnto Arezzo and there bestowed their spoile which done they returned to Anghiari A thing so much against all order Militarie and Discipline of warre that the remaine of any Army well ordered might and would easily and deseruingly haue recouered that victorie which the Florentines vndeseruedly had gotten Besides this the Gouernours commaunding that all souldiers taken should be stayed to the end that the enemy might not grow and sodeinly recouer strength yet were they presently deliuered All which things are greatly to be meruailed at First how in such an Army there should be vertue sufficient to win victorie And then how there could be in any enemy so little value as would be of so disordered a people oppressed But while the Florentines went and returned from Arezzo Nicholo gained time to go with his souldiers from Borgo and marched towards Romagna with whome also fled the Florentine Rebels who seeing all hope failed for their returne to Florence they deuided themselues and euery man tooke his owne way some remaining in Italy and some without as they could find meane to bestow themselues Of which number was Rinaldo who made his habitation at Ancona from whence the rather to gaine himselfe a celestiall countrey hauing lost his dwelling vpon earth he went vnto the Sepulchre of Christ and being returned home at the marriage of one of his daughters sitting at the table sodeinly died wherein fortune did fauour him that in the day of his last sorrow she called him away A man in euery fortune honourable and would haue bene much more honourable had he bene borne in a Cittie vndeuided Bicause many times those his vertues which in a factious Cittie did hinder him in a Cittie vnited would haue aduanced him The Commissaries then seeing the souldiers returned from Arezzo and Nicholo departed presented themselues before Borgo The Borghesi offered to yeeld to the Florentines but they refused to receiue them And in compounding this agreement the Popes Legat grew suspitious of the Commissaries fearing they intended to take that Towne from the Church in so much as they grew to words of offence and some disorder would haue followed betwixt the Florentine and the Popes souldiers if the matter had bene more spoken of But bicause euery thing passed according to the Legats desire all anger was pacified While this assault of Borgo continued aduertisements were giuen that Nicholo Piccinino was gone towards Rome and as others said towards La Marca Whereupon the Legat and the rest thought good to marche towards Perugia to succour La Marca or Rome if Nicholo directed his course to any of them Barnardo de Medici followed and Neri with the Florentines marched to surprize Casentino This resolution made Neri incamped before Russina and surprized it with the like furie that he had taken Bihiena Prato Vecchio and Romena From thence he went to Poppi and there lodged the Army deuiding it into two parts the one vpon the plaine of Certomondo the other vpon the hill that reacheth to Fronzoli The Earle seeing himselfe both of God and men abandoned shut himselfe vp in Poppi not hoping of any aide but the rather to procure a composition least to his disaduantage Neri there besieging him was desired to accept composition The conditions whereof were such as thereby he might hope to saue himselfe his children and goods portable yeelding the Towne and his state to the Florentines When these capitulations were in making the Earle came downe to the bridge of Arno which passeth by the towne and there with great sorrow spake thus If I had well measured my fortune with your power I should now haue come as a friend to reioyce at your victorie and not as an enemy intreate you that my miserie might be pittied This present chance as it is to you honorable and pleasant so is the same to me lamentable and grieuous I was owner of weapon horses subiects and riches who can therefore meruaile though with griefe of mind I leaue them If you will and can command all Toscana of necessitie we must all obey you and if I had not committed this errour neither should my fortune haue bene knowne nor your liberalitie appeared For if at this time you fauour me you shall thereby giue to the world a testimonie of your mercie Let therefore the vertue of your compassion exceed the greatnes of mine offence and be pleased that at the least this onely house may descend to those of whome your auncestors haue receiued benefits To whome Neri answered that as he had hoped ouermuch in those that could do little so had he
himselfe followers in Florence and friends abroad was exceeding liberall of his substance and had for that occasion lent out summes of great importance This counsaile to Piero seemed good and honest supposing he should by execution thereof without perill repaire himselfe with his owne Notwithstanding so soone as hee called for these debts the Citizens grew no lesse offended then if hee should haue desired their owne goods and without respect they spake euill of him slaundering him to be a man vnthankfull and couetous Diotisalui seeing this common and populer disgrace which Piero had gotten by his counsaile ioyned himselfe with Lucca Pitti Agnolo Acciaiuoli and Nicholo Soderini determining to take from Piero reputation and gouernment These men were moued thereunto for diuerse respects Lucca desired to succeed in the place of Cosimo for hee was aspired to such greatnesse as he disdained to await vpon Piero. Diotisalui knowing that Lucca was not fit to be chiefe of the gouernment thought if Piero had lost his reputation it would in short time fall vpon himselfe Nicholo Soderini desired that the Cittie might liue more at libertie and that the Magistrates might gouerne at their discretion Also betwixt Agnolo and the house of Medici remained particuler displeasures The occasion whereof was this Rafaello his sonne had long before taken to wife Alessandra de Bardi and receiued with her a great dowrie She either through her owne default or the mallice of others was by her father in lawe and her husband euill handled Whereupon Brenzo de Illarione her kinsman being moued with compassion went in the night accompanied with many armed men and tooke her out of the house of Agnolo Agnolo and the rest of the Acciaiuoli complained of this iniurie done them by the Bardi The matter was committed to the hearing of Cosimo who iudged that the Acciaiuoli should restore the marriage money receiued with Alessandra and shee after to return to her husband or not as her selfe was disposed Agnolo thought himselfe in this iudgement not friendly handled by Cosimo of whom because hee could not be reuenged he thought to execute the reuenge vpon his sonne These conspirators notwithstanding the diuersitie of their humors pretended all one occasion saying they would haue the Citie gouerned by the magistrates and not by the counsaile of a fewe The displeasure towards Piero and the euill speech of him was encreased by many marchants who at that time became bankerout and laide the fault thereof vpon Piero for that he calling home his money hastily had hindered their credit and forced them with the preiudice of the Citie to be vndone Besides that they did surmise that he practised to marry his sonne with Clarise Orsini Whereof the Citizens conceiued that he did disdaine to make alliance with any Citizen therfore prepared to vsurpe the state and make himselfe Prince For whosoeuer disdaineth his owne Citizens to be of his kindred desireth to haue them his subiects In these respects they had no reason to be his friends The leaders of this sedition persuaded themselues to haue the victorie in their own hands because the greater number of the Citizens deceiued with the name of libertie whereby they vsed to make their enterprises seeme more honest followed them These humours then boyling in the breasts of the Cittizens it was thought good to them whome ciuill disorder displeased to assaie if by some new found mirth or feast the mindes of men might be setled For most commonly the idle people be instruments for those that desire alteration Then to remoue this idlenesse and giue some occasion to alienate the minds of men from consideration of the state the yeare of Cosimo his death being passed they tooke occasion to make the Citie some mirth ordeining two tryumphs more solemne then was the custome The one made representation how the three Magi came from the East following the starre that ledde them to the place where Christ was borne which was performed with so great solemnitie as enterteined the Citie diuerse moneths The other was a torniament wherein the principall yoong Gentlemen of the Citie exercised Armes against all the chiefe men of Armes in Italy And of the Florentine youth Lorenzo the eldest sonne of Piero gained most honor for not by fauour but in deed by his owne valour he wanne the best prize These triumphs being ended the Citizens returned to thinke of the state and euerie man with more care then before studied to maintaine his owne opinion whereof great diuersitie of conceits and troubles ensued The one was that the authoritie of Balia tooke no effect The other by the death of Francesco Duke of Milan Whereuppon the newe Duke Galiazzo sent Embassadors to Florence to confirme the capitulations made by Francesco his father wherein among other things it was concluded that yearely the Duke should receiue from them certaine summes of money Vpon this Article the Gouernours of the state tooke occasion to hold opinion contrarie to the House of Medici publiquely in these Councels inueying against that payment alleaging that pencion to be promised not to Galiazzo but vnto Francesco For Francesco being dead there was no cause to cōtinue it Because in Galiazzo there was not that vertue which was in Francesco and so consequently that good was not nor could not be looked for at his hand which was found at his fathers And although of Francesco they receiued not much yet were they to looke for lesse of Galiazzo and if any Cititzen would entertaine him to mainteine his owne priuate power that were a thing contrarie to ciuill life and the libertie of the Citie Piero on the contrary alleaged that it were not well done through couetousnesse to lose a friendship so necessarie and that there was nothing so meete for the Common-weale and all Italy as to continue in league with the Duke To the ende that the Venetians seeing them vnited might not hope either by fained friendship or by open warre to oppresse the Dukedome For if they should perceiue the Florentines to haue forsaken the Duke they would presently take Armes and the rather knowing he was yoong newly come to the gouernment and without friends Wherof they might hope either by fraud or force to win his countrey which would be also the vtter ruine of the Florentine Common-weale These reasons were not allowed and secret hatred began openly to shewe it selfe For the same night either partie in diuerse companies assembled The friends of the Medici met at Crocetta and their aduersaries in La Pieta who studying to oppresse Piero had gotten their enterprise subscribed with the hands of many Citizens Also being among many other times one night assembled they held a particuler Councell for the maner of their proceeding when euerie man consented to diminish the power of the Medici yet in the order how to bring the matter to passe they concurred not Some that were of most modest nature thought that the authoritie of the Balia
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