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
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
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
disaduantage The Legate returning to Rome and hearing the troubles that were begunne in Florence perswaded the Pope that for the vniting of that Cittie it was necessarie for him to send thither for twelue principall Cittizens whereby the roote of the mischiefe remoued it should be the more easie to quench the same This Councell was by the Pope allowed and the Citizens sent for appeared Amongst whom was Corso Donati When these Cittizens were absent the Legate wrote vnto the Rebels that the chiefe of the Cittizens were from home and therefore the time serued well for them to returne vnto Florence Which encouragement being receiued they assembled their forces and came to the Cittie entering where the walles were not fully finished and passed forward till they came to the Piazza di Saint Giouanni It was a thing notable to see how those cittizens who had lately fought for the Rebelles so long as disarmed they desired reuocation beeing now armed and forcing the citie became their enemies and tooke armes against them So much the common good was by those Cittizens esteemed and preferred before priuate friendship Wherefore they vniting themselues with all the people enforced the rebels to depart and returne from whence they came This enterprise had no successe both because the banished men had left part of their forces at Lastria and for not hauing tarried the comming of Tolosetto Vbarti who should haue come from Pistoia with three hundreth men But they imagined that expedition should haue preuailed more then force as often in like cases it so happeneth that delaies do hinder occasion and haste wanteth force The Rebels being gone back Florence returned to the wonted diuisions Then to take authoritie from the house of Caualcanti the people by force remoued them from possession of the Castle called Le Stinche seated in the vale of Greue aunciently belonging thereto And because the souldiers therein taken were the first that were put into that prison newly builded that prison euer after was called Le Stinche by the name of the Castle from whence the prisoners came Also those that were chiefe of the Common-weale renewed the companies of the people and gaue them Ensignes as had bene before ordered making Gonfalonieri of the misteries calling them Colleggio di Signori They ordeined also that the Senate should reforme all disorders in time of warre by Armes and in time of peace by Counsell They ioyned vnto the two old Rettori one Essecutore who togither with the Gonfalonieri should reforme the insolencie of the great men In the meane time died the Pope and Corso with other Cittizens was returned from Rome The Cittie should then haue continued quiet had it not bene with the vnquietnesse of Corso anew disturbed He to gaine himselfe reputation euer vsed to hold opinion contrarie to men of most authoritie and wherunto he found the people enclined to gaine their fauour that way he directed his authoritie Whereby he made himselfe head of all new opinions and to him resorted all those who sought to obteine any thing by extraordinary meane For that cause many great Citizens did hate him which hatred encreased so much as the faction of Neri came to open diuision because Corso imployed priuate forces and such as were enemies to the state Notwithstanding so great was the authoritie of his person and presence that euerie man feared him yet to winne from him the populer fauour as by such kinde of meanes might easily be done a brute was put foorth that he went about to tyrannize the citie which was easily beleeued because his maner of liuing did in troth surpasse the charge of ciuil expence That opiniō was encreased greatly after he tooke to wife the daughter of Vguccione della Faggiola chiefe of the faction Ghibilini Bianca in Toscana most mightie This alliance come to knowledge the aduerse part tooke Armes and the people for the same occasion refused to defend him the chiefest of them ioyning with his enemies The greatest of his aduersaries were Rosso della Tosa Pazzino de Pazzi Geri Spini and Berto Brunelleschi they with their followers and the greater part of the people assembled themselues armed at the foote of the Pallace of the Signori By whose order an accusation was preferred to Piero Brancha Captain of the people against Corso Donati for that he with the aide of Vguccione sought to make himselfe a tyrant Then was he cited to appeare and after for contumacie iudged a Rebell Betwixt his accusation the iudgement pronounced was not longer time then two houres This sentence giuen the companies of the people vnder their Ensignes marched towards him Corso on the other side was not dismaied though he were abandoned by many his friends nor for the sentence pronounced nor yet with the authoritie of the Senators nor the multitude of his enemies but fortified his house hoping there to defend himselfe till he were rescued by Vguccione for whom he had sent All his houses all the waies vnto them were fortified made close and within many of his faction to defend them So that the people though in great numbers come thither could not enter The conflict was great many slaine and many hurt of either side And the people seeing that by those wayes they could not preuaile brake the houses of his neighbours and by that deuise not mistrusted did enter Corso then seeing himselfe beset with enemies and no longer trusting to the helpe of Vguccione resolued to see what meane he could finde to saue himselfe sith of victorie hee vtterly dispaired Then with Gherardo Bondini and many others his most valiant and faithfull friends he charged his enemies with so great furie as he brake them and made way to passe through to the gate of the Citie where they got out Yet were they still pursued Gherardo vpon the bridge Affrico was by Bocaccio Cauicciuoli slaine Corso also was taken at Bouezano by certaine horsemen belonging to the Senate Notwithstanding beeing brought towardes Florence hating the sight of his enemies and the glorie of their victorie he fell from his horse and was by one of them which ledde him there murthered The bodie was after taken vp by the Monkes of S. Salui and without any honor by them buried This was the end of Corso Donati vnto whom his country the faction of Neri for many deeds both good and bad must acknowledge it selfe beholding But had his disposition mind bene more quiet the memorie of him had deserued great honour For indeed he was a Citizen so rare as had at any time before bene seene in our citie Yet true it is that his factious mind bereft him of that honour which by his country and confederates was due and in the end procured his owne death with many other misaduentures Vguccione comming to the rescue of his sonne in law arriued at Remoli heard there that Corso was by the people taken Wherupon knowing that he could by no means then
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
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
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
Manegli and the Alderotti It was the custome to create the Balia for time certaine but those Citizens hauing it in their hands being placed by honest meane notwithstanding their time were not expired did yeelde vp their offices which being knowne many ranne armed to the Pallace desiring that before the officers departed more Citizens might be confined and admonished Which request greatly offēded the Senat who with faire promises enterteined them til forces were made readie then wrought so as feare enforced them to laie downe those armes which furie caused them to take in hand Yet somewhat to feed so fierce an humor and notwithstanding take away more authoritie from the plebeyall Artizans it was ordered that where they had the third of the offices they should now haue onely the fourth part Also to the ende that two of the most trustie Citizens might be alwaies of the Senate they gaue authoritie to the Gonfaloniere di Giustitia and foure other Citizens to make a Borza of chosen men out of which number at euerie Senate should be elected two The state thus setled after six yeares which was in the yeare 1381. the citie liued quiet within till the yeare 1393. In which time Giouan Galiazza Visconti called Conte di Vertu tooke prisoner his vncle Barnabo by that mean became Prince of all Lombardy This Giouan Galiazzo hoped by force to be made king of Italy as by craft he was atteined to be Lord of Milan And in the yeare 1390. hee began a braue warre against the Florentines wherein Fortune became so variable as many times the Duke was in no lesse daunger to lose all then the Florentines who indeed had lost all if the Duke had longer liued Yet the resistance by them made was so couragious and maruellous as might be by any Common weale and the end no lesse perillous then the warre had bene terrible For when the Duke had taken Bologna Pisa Perugia and Siena and prepared a Crowne to be set on his head in Florence as king of Italy he died Which death suffered him not to taste the sweete of his passed victories nor the Florentines to feele the perils at hand While this warre with the Duke continued Masso de gli Albizi was made Confaloniere di Giustitia whom the death of Piero had made enemie to the Alberti And for that the humour of the factions continued Maso notwithstanding that Benedetto was dead in exile did hope before that Senate ended to be reuenged vpon the rest of that family and tooke occasion by one that was vpon certaine practises with the Rebelles examined who named Alberto and Andrea delli Alberti Whereupon both they were apprehended and the citie wholly chaunged In so much as the Senate tooke armes assembled the people created a new Balia and by vertue thereof many Cittizens were confined and new Imborsations of officers made Among those that were confined were almost all the Alberti many Citizens also admonished and some put to death Vpon occasion of so great iniuries the mysteries and the base people tooke armes thinking their honour and liues were in hazard One part of them came into the Market place an other ranne to the house of Veri di Medici who after the death of Saluestro remained as chiefe of that family To deceiue those that came into the Market place the Senate appointed Captaines and gaue the Ensigne of the faction Guelfa deliuering the same into the hands of Rinaldo Gianfigliazzi and Donato Acciaiuioli as men of the populer number more then any other acceptable to the multitude Those that went to the house of Veri desired him to take the gouernment and deliuer them from such as were enemies to good men and good orders All such writers as haue left memorie of the proceedings of that time do affirme that if Veri had not bene more honest then ambitious hee might without any let haue aspired to the principallitie of that citie Because the exceeding great iniuries done to the mysteries some iustly and some vniustly had so kindled their mindes to reuenge as nothing wanted for the performance of their desires but a Captaine to lead them Neither wanted those that would put Veri in remembrance what he might do For Antonio di Medici who had before time bene long for priuate respects his enemy did perswade him to take in hand the gouernment of the state To whom he answered as thy threatnings being mine enemie made me not to feare thee so thy Councell being my friend shall not abuse me Hauing vttered these words he turned himselfe to the multitude and perswading them to be of good courage promised to be their defender so that they would be content to be by him directed Then in the midst of them he went to the Market place and from thence vp to the Pallace and being come to the presence of the Senate said That he was not sorie to haue so liued that the people of Florence did loue him but yet sorie hee was that they had not such opinion of him as his passed life did deserue For sith he had not shewed any signe of seditiō or ambition he could not conceiue why he was thought a mainteiner of sedition or as ambitious a man that studied to vsurpe his country Therefore hee humbly besought their Lordships that the ignorance of the multitude might not be imputed his fault because so much as in him was hee submitted himselfe vnto them He moreouer put them in minde to vse their fortune modestly and be content to take rather halfe a victorie with sauing the citie then a whole conquest with the ruine thereof The Senators greatly commended Veri and required him to persuade that armes might be laide downe and then they would not faile to do that which he and other Citizens should counsell them After these speeches Veri returned to the Market place and ioyning his followers to those that were conducted by Rinaldo and Donato said vnto them all that hee had found in the Senators a verie good disposition towards them to whom he had also said much albeit by means of the short time and absence of the officers nothing was concluded Wherfore he praied them to laie their weapons downe and obey the Senate thereby to declare that curtesie rather then pride entreatie more then threatning might moue them and that they should not lacke meanes and securitie so long as they were by him gouerned Thus vpon his word euery man was content to return to his owne house The multitude hauing vpon this perswasion disarmed themselues the Senate first caused a guard to be set in the Market place then they mustered two thousand Cittizens men assured to the state equally diuiding them vnder Gonfaloni whom they commaunded to be readie whensoeuer that they were called Also commandement was giuen that no man whose name was not taken nor warned should for anie cause be armed This preparation made they confined slew many of those Artificers
much as the factions came to bloud and euerie wise man feared future mischiefes Because the great men who were vsed to respect could not endure to be laide hand vppon and others were not content that euerie man should equally be burthened Many of the chiefe Citizens therefore assembled themselues and concluded that it behoued them to take the gouernment into their hands because their small diligence had giuen head and suffered the publique proceedings to be reproued allowing ouermuch boldnesse in those that were wont to be heads of the multitude Hauing to this effect consulted they determined manie times to meete all togither and in the church of S. Steffano assembled more then 70. Citizens with the lycence and allowance of Lorenzo Ridolfi and Francesco Gianfi gliazzi who at that time were of the Senate To this conuention Giouanni de Medici came not either because he was as a suspect vncalled or that hee would not being of contrary opinion appeare But Rinaldo delli Albizi as mouth of that companie discoursed the estate of the citie how by their negligence it was come to the hand of the multitude from whome in the yeare 1381. by their auncestors it was taken putting them in minde of the iniquitie that raigned in that state from the yeare 77. till 81. And how sith that time till this present some had their fathers slaine some their grandfathers now were returned to the selfesame perils the citie fallen to the like disorders because the multitude had alreadie at their pleasure imposed Subsidies wold ere lōg if the same were not by a greater force or better order withstood appoint the Magistrates Which being brought to passe the multitude would vsurpe their places and ruine that state which had bene with much glorie of the cittie fortie and two yeares continued and Florence should be gouerned either casually vnder the will of the multitude so as one part should liue lycentiously the other daungerously or vnder the commandement of some one that shall make him selfe Prince of all Wherefore he assured them that euerie man that loued his country and his owne honour was constrained to beware and put them in minde of the vertue of Bardo Mancini who with the ruine of the Alberti saued the citie from those perils wherein it then was and that occasion of boldnesse in the multitude proceeded of the large Squittini which were by their negligence made which was the cause also that the Pallace was filled with new men and people of base condition He therefore concluded that the only remedie was to yeeld the gouernment to the great Citizens and remoue the lesse Artificers from their authoritie reducing them from 14. to 7. companies Which should be a meane that the multitude could haue in the Councels lesse authoritie as well in respect that the number of them were diminished as that the great men should haue most power who for the old enmity did disfauour the multitude affirming likewise that to know how to imploy men according to the time was great wisedom For as their ancestors vsed the multitude to oppresse the insolency of the great men who thereby became humble and the multitude insolent so it were now fit to bridle the insolencie thereof with the aide of the great men And for compassing of these matters they might resort either to subtiltie or force For some of them beeing of the Tenne by that colour might bring men secretly into the citie This counsell giuen by Rinaldo was by euery man allowed And Nicholo of Vzano among other said that all things alledged by Rinaldo were true and the remedies good and certaine if the same might be done without manifest diuision of the citie which would come to passe if Giouan de Medici were not perswaded from them For hee being on our side the multitude without head and force could not offend But if he wold not consent without armes it could not be And with armes it were daungerous for either they should not preuaile or not enioy the victory Also modestly he reduced to their memories his former admonitions how they refused to preuent these difficulties when they might But now the time serued not to do it without hazarding a greater mischiefe and therefore as the vttermost refuge it behoued to gaine his fauour Commissiō therfore was granted for Rinaldo to goe vnto Giouanni and perswade him to be of their minde This Gentleman performed his Commission and with the best reasons he was able perswaded him to enter with them into this action and that he would not for the loue of the multitude become insolent to the ruine of the state citie Wherto Giouanni answered that he thought it the office of a wise and good Citizen not to alter the accustomed orders of the citie because there was nothing that so much offended men as alteration sith thereby many be offended where many liue discontented some euill accident is daily to be looked for Also hee thought that this their resolution might worke two effects verie dangerous The one by giuing the honours to those who neuer before hauing them would not much esteeme them and should haue the lesse occasion to complaine if they neuer had them The other by taking the honours from those that were vsed to haue them should make them vnquiet till they were restored And so shall the iniurie done to the one part be greater then the benefit which the other part could thereby receiue Thus shall the authour of this change win few friends many enemies and these will be more ready to offend him thē the others to defend him For mē are more naturally inclined to reuēge an iniury thē be thankful for a good turne because this bringeth losse but that promiseth profit and pleasure Then turning his face towards Rinaldo saide And you sir if you remember matters passed with what subtilties men walk within this citie your self would be more lowe in these resolutions For the giuer of that counsell so soone as with your forces he hath taken away the authoritie of the people would againe take the same from you by the aide of those who by this meane of iniurie will become your foes And it will befall to you as it did to Benedetto Alberti who through the perswasions of him that loued him not cōsented to the ruine of Georgio Scali and Tomazo Strozzi and shortly after by the selfesame men that perswaded him was sent into exile Hee therefore wished him more naturally to thinke vpon matters be willing to follow his father who hauing loue of the multitude cared not to offend a fewe men euill disposed It was then ordained that whosoeuer had to paie halfe a Florine for Subsidie should paie it or not as himselfe pleased And besides all men indebted should for the day of the councell goe free with out molestation of his creditors In the end he concluded that for his owne part he would leaue the cittie in that
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
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
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
proofe if they might be by sea releeued and for that purpose loaded their Gallies with victuall and sent them thither But in their passage they were encountred with seuen of the Kings Gallies which tooke two of them and suncke the others This losse bereft the Florentine souldiers of hope to be reuictualled Thereupon two hundreth or more Pyoners for want of drinke fled vnto the Kings Campe the rest of the souldiers mutined complayning that in those hote places they could not remaine without wine because water was there most vnwholesome So that the Commissaries determined to abandon that place and imploy their forces to recouer certaine Castles which remained in the Kings hand Who on the other side although he wanted not victual being in force the stronger yet was his Camp afflicted with sicknesse bred there by the infection of the aire nere vnto the sea by mean wherof almost euerie man was infected and many of them also died These occasions ministred communication of peace wherin the King demaunded fiftie thousand Florins and Piombino to be left at his discretion The matter being debated at Florence by many desirous of peace the demands were thought reasonable For they were perswaded a war so chargeable as that was could not without great expence be mainteined Notwithstanding Neri Capponi went vnto Florence and there with such reasons as he made altered their minds Disswading them vtterly to accept those conditions and the Florentines receiued the Lord of Piombino as recommended promising both intime of warre and peace to defend him if he would as hitherto he had fight couragiously in defence of his owne Citie The King vnderstanding this resolution and seeing his owne Campe afflicted with sicknesse brake vp and retired with the rest into the country of Siena leauing behinde him two thousand dead bodies From thence he marched towards the kingdome and being exceedingly offended with the Florentines threatned the next Spring to make vppon them a new warre While matters were thus handled in Toscana the Earle Francesco became Generall of the Milanesi and before anie thing done obteined the friendship of Francesco Piccinino who had likewise serued them which he did to the end that his enterprises might be the more fauoured and by Piccinino the lesse impeached Then marched he with his Armie to the field wherby the Citizens of Pauia fearing they could not defend themselues and being on the other side vnwilling to obey the Milanesi offered him the Towne with condition that he should not deliuer it to them The Earle greatly desired the possession of that Citie thinking that the hauing thereof would be a good beginning to colour his intent being neither deteined with feare nor abashed to breake his faith For great men do call losse a thing dishonourable but to compasse their desire by craft is accounted no shame at all Notwithstanding he doubted least his taking of the Towne in this sort would so offend the Milanesi as for that cause they woulde yeeld themselues to the Venetians and if it were not taken by him then he feared the Duke of Sauoia to whom many of the Citizens were willing to giue it So as by euerie of those meanes hee thought himselfe bereft of the dominion of Lombardy yet supposing it lesse perill to take the Citie for himselfe then leaue it to an other determined to accept it being perswaded it was notwithstanding possible to content the Milanesi whom he enformed of those perils wherunto they should fall if he accepted not the Citie of Pauia For that Citie if it were by him refused would yeelde to the Venetians or the Duke of Sauoia in either of which cases their countrey should be lost and therefore thought rather be contented to haue him their neighbour and friend then any other that were more mightie and their enemie The Milanesi were much troubled with this matter imagining that the Earle had thereby discouered his ambition and the end whereunto he tended Yet thought they not good to take knowledge thereof because leauing the Earle they sawe not whither to addresse themselues vnlesse it were to the Venetians whose pride and hard dealing they mistrusted Wherefore they resolued not to shake off the Earle but for the present by him to be be deliuered of those inconueniences hoping after to be also deliuered of himselfe For they were not onely assaulted by the Venetians but also by the Genouesi and the Duke of Sauoia who made warre in the name of Carlo of Orliens sonne to the sister of Philippo But the Earle easily withstood their mallice Then were the Venetians his only enemies who with a mightie Armie determined to surprize that state and had alreadie possessed Lodi and Piacenza wherunto the Earle brought his camp and after a long siege sacked that Citie Which done because the winter was alreadie come he retired his men to their lodgings and went himselfe to Cremona where with his wife he rested all that winter But the spring being come the Armies of the Venetians and Milanesi returned to the field The Milanesi desired to surprize Lodi and after make peace with the Venetians Because the charges of warre did burthen them and the fidelitie of their General was suspected For these reasons they wished a peace as well to repose themselues as to be assured of the Earle Then they resolued their Army should besiege Carrauaggio hoping that Lodi would yeeld so soone as the Castle could be taken from the enemie The Earle obeyed the Milanesi although his intent was to haue passed Adda and assault the country of Brescia The siege being laid to the Castle of Carrauaggio hee trenched and fortified his Campe least happily the Venetians would assaile him The Venetians on the other side conducted by Micheletto their Generall marched within two bowes shot off the Earles Campe where diuerse dayes both the Armies remained the one many times offending the other Notwithstanding the Earle stil besieged the castle did so straightly distresse it as it was readie to yeeld which greatly displeased the Venetians fearing that the losse thereof would be the ruine of all the enterprise Great disputation arose among their Captaines by what meanes it might be succoured But no other way could be deuised then to assault the enemies in their trenches which was exceeding daungerous Notwithstanding so greatly they esteemed the losse of that Castle as the Senate of Venice beeing naturally fearefull to meddle with any matter either doubtful or dangerous did chuse rather to hazard all then with the losse of that to lose the enterprise They resolued therfore by all meanes to assault the Earle one morning earely charged him on that side where they thought he was weakest At the first charge as it happeneth in those assaults which be not looked for all the Armie was dismaid Notwithstanding the Earle sodeinly repaired the disorders had handled the matter so that notwithstanding many assaults the enemies were forced in the end not onely to retire but also
his treasure in euerie place of Europe did perticipate of his felicitie Also many excessiue rich houses in Florence had their beginning from him as Tornabuoni Benchi Portinari and Sassetti Besides all these euerie man depending vppon his counsell and fortune became wealthie And albeit that his building of Temples and giuing of almes was knowne throughout the world yet would he to his friends many times lament that he had not spent and bestowed so much to the honor of God but that he found himselfe still in his booke a debtor He was of meane stature in complexion browne and of presence venerable vnlearned yet eloquent and full of naturall wisedome friendlie to his friends and pittifull to the poore In conuersation he was frugall in counsell aduised in execution speedie in speech and answering wittie and graue Rinaldo de gli Albizi in the beginning of his exile sent him a message saying that the hen did sit whereunto Cosimo answered that she could neuer hatch being farre from her nest To other Rebels who sent him word they slept not he answered that he beleeued the same bicause there sleepe was taken from them Vnto the Pope Pio perswading Princes to take Armes against the Turke Cosimo said An old man taketh in hand a yong enterprise To the Embassadors of Venice who came with the messengers of Alfonso to complaine of the Florentines he shewed his head bare and asked of what colour it was they answered white Then he replying said that ere it belong your Senators will also haue white heads like vnto mine His wife a few houres before his death seeing him shut his eyes asked him for what cause he so did He answered to bring them in vse Some Citizens saying vnto him after his returne from exile that he hindered the Cittie and offended God in banishing so many honest men To them hee answered It was better to haue a Cittie hindered then lost and that the State was not defended with beades in mens hands Which words gaue his enemyes matter to speake euill of him as a man that loued himselfe more then his Countrey and that esteemed more this world then the world to come Many other sayings as things not necessarie I omit Cosimo was also a louer and preferrer of learned men for he brought vnto Florence Argiropolo a Grecian borne and in that time of singuler learning to the end that the youth of Florence might be by him instructed in the Greeke toong and other his good learnings He enterteyned in his house Marsilio Ficino a second father of the Philosophie of Plato and him he entirely loued Also to the end he might with commoditie exercise the studie of learning and more aptly vse his help therein he gaue him certaine land neare vnto his house of Careggi This his wisedome these his riches this manner of life and this fortune were the causes that in Florence he was both feared and loued and of the Princes not onely of Italy but also of all Europe esteemed so as he left vnto his posteritie such a foundation as they might with vertue equall him and in fortune farre excell him Whatsoeuer authoritie Cosimo had either in Florence or elsewhere in Christendome he deserued the same notwithstanding in the end of his life he had great sorrowes For of two onely sonnes Pietro and Giouanni the one of whome he had most hope dyed the other was continually sick and therefore vnable either for publique or priuate function In so much as his sonne being dead he caused him to be carried about the house and he following the Coarse sighed and saide this house is ouer great for so small a familie It also offended the greatnesse of his minde that he had not in his owne opinion inlarged the Florentine dominion with some honorable conquest And it grieued him the more knowing that Francesco Sforza had deceiued him who being but Earle promised that so soone as hee was possessed of Milan hee would winne the Cittie of Lucca for the Florentines Which was not performed bicause the Earle with his fortune changed his minde and being become Duke determined to enioy that state with peace which he had gotten by warre Therefore he would neither keepe touch with Cosimo nor any other neither would he after he was Duke make anie more warres then those that for his owne defence hee was enforced vnto Which grieued Cosimo greatly finding that he had endured great paines and spent much to aduance a man vnthankfull and perfidious Moreouer by the weaknesse of his bodie he found himselfe vnfit to follow either priuate or publique affaires whereby the one and the other miscarried Because the Citie was destroyed by the Citizens and his owne substance by his confidents and children consumed All these things in the later end of his age did greatly disquiet his minde Notwithstanding he died with glorie And all the principall Citizens and all the Christian Princes did condole his death with Pietro his sonne and accompanied his coarse to the Temple of S. Lorenzo where with great pompe it was buried and by publique consent was written vpon his Tombe Pater Patriae If in this discourse of Cosimo I haue imitated those which haue written the liues of Princes and not those which write vniuersall histories let no man marueile thereat For hee being a rare man in our Citie deserued I should affoard him extraordinary commendation In those dayes that Florence and Italy stood in the conditions aforesaide Lewes King of France was with greeuous warres assaulted For the Lords of his owne Countrey assisted by the Dukes of Bretagne and Burgogne made the war so great vpon the King that he had no meane to aide the Duke Giouanni de Angio in his enterprise of Genoua and the kingdome But iudging that he had neede of ayd whatsoeuer he gaue the Citie of Sauona then in his hand and kept by French men to Francesco Duke of Milan letting him vnderstand that if he so pleased he might also with his fauour assault Genoua Which offer was accepted by Francesco and either through the reputation of the Kings friendship or the fauour of the Adorni he became Lord of Genoua Then to declare himselfe thankfull for the benefit receiued of the King he sent into France to the Kings aide a thousand fiue hundreth horse conducted by Galiazzo his eldest sonne Thus Ferrando of Aragon and Francesco Sforza were become the one Duke of Lombardy and Prince of Genoua the other King of all the kingdome of Naples And hauing married their children the one to the other they deuised by what meanes they might during their liues maintaine their countries with securitie and after their deaths so leaue the same to their heires For which purpose they thought it necessarie that the King should assure himselfe of those Barons which in the war of Giouanni de Angio had disobeyed him and that the Duke should endeuour himselfe to extinguish those that had bene brought vp in the warres by
fauoured them and therefore might hope of victorie certaine But if he remained in his house hee should be either by the armed men oppressed or by those that were disarmed shamefully deceiued Or if he should after repent that he did not take armes that repentance were too late But if he wold with the warre oppresse Piero he might easily do it and after if he liked to make peace it was better for him to giue then to receiue the conditions therof These words moued not Lucca hauing alreadie setled his mind and promised to Piero new alliances and new conditions For he had alreadie married vnto Giouanni Tornabuoni one of his neeces and therefore perswaded Nicholo to laie downe armes and returne to his house For it ought to suffice him that the Cittie should be gouerned by the Magistrates and it would come to passe that euerie man would laie downe armes and the Senators being the stronger partie should be Iudge of the controuersie Nicholo then seeing he could not otherwise perswade him returned home But first said vnto Lucca I cannot alone worke the well doing of our Citie but I alone can prognosticate the euil whereinto it is falling This resolution you haue made will breed losse of libertie to our country your depriuation of gouernment and wealth and my banishment The Senate in this tumult shut vp the Pallace and the Magistrates kept themselues therin not seeming to sauour any part The Citizens and chiefly those who had followed Lucca seeing Piero armed and his aduersaries disarmed began to deuise not how to offend Piero but how to become his frends Wherupon the chief citizens leaders of the factions went to the Pallace in the presence of the Senate debated many things touching the state of the Cittie and pacification thereof And for that Piero by reason of his infirmitie could not come thither they determined by consent to go all vnto him Nicholo Soderini except who hauing first recommended his children familie to Tomaso went to his owne house in the country aspecting there the euent of these matters accounting himselfe vnhappie and for his countrey infortunate The other Cittizens being come to the presence of Piero one of them appointed to speake complained of the tumults in the Cittie declaring that they who first tooke armes were most too blame they not knowing what Piero who indeed did first take armes would doo They were come therefore to vnderstand what was his intent which being for good of the Cittie they would follow the same Whereunto Piero answered that hee who taketh armes first is not euer the cause of disorder but he that giueth first occasion and if they would consider what their behauiours had bene towards him they should maruaile lesse at that he had done for his own safetie For therby they should see that their assemblies in the night their subscriptions their practises to take from him his gouernment life were the occasions why he tooke armes which not vsed but in the defence of his owne house and not the offence of them sufficiently proued his intent was to defend himselfe and not to harme others Neither would he any thing or desired more then his own securitie quiet nor had giuē cause that they shuld think he sought for other For the authoritie of Balia discontinued he neuer laboured by extraordinarie meane to reuiue it and was well content that the Magistrates should gouern the citie if they so pleased assuring them that Cosimo and his children could liue in Florence honorably both with and without the Balia and that the yeare 58. the same had bene not by his house but by them renued and if now they wold not haue it more he should also be so contented But this sufficed not for them for he found that his aduersaries beleeued they could not dwell in Florence if he also there dwelled A thing which he neuer thought that the friends of his father him wold feare to liue in Florence with him hauing euer born himselfe among them as a quiet and peaceable man Then turning his speech to Diotisalui his brethren there present he reproued them with words of much grauitie offence putting thē in mind what benifits they had receiued of Cosimo how much he had trusted thē how vnthankfully they had vsed him Which words wrought such effect in some that were present that if Piero had not staied them they sodenly wold haue striken Diotisalui In conclusion Piero said he wold maintein euery thing that they the Senat had determined And that he desired nothing but to liue quiet assured After this speech was ended many matters were cōmoned of yet nothing don but in general was cōcluded that it was necessary to reunite the citie reform the state At that time Barnardo Lotti was Gonfaloniere d'Giustitia a man not trusted by Piero wherefore thought not good to attempt any thing during his Magistracy but the end of his authority drawing neare election was made by the Senators of a Gonfaloniere to sit in September and October 1466. And they elected Roberto Lioni who was no sooner in office all other thinges beeing prepared but hee assembled the people in the Market place and made a new Balia all of the faction of Piero which shortly created the Magistrates according to the will of the new gouernment which terrified the heads of the enemies and Agnolo Acciaiuoli fled to Naples Diotisalui Neroni and Nicholo Soderini to Venice and Lucca Pitti remained in Florence trusting to the promises of Piero and the newe alliance with his house All the fugitiues were proclaimed Rebels and all the familie of Neroni dispersed Also Giouanni Neroni then Bishop of Florence to auoide a worse mischiefe voluntarily confined himselfe to Rome Many other likewise banished themselues to diuers places neither did this suffice but a publike procession was ordeined to giue God thanks for the preseruation and vniting the state In the solemnization wherof some citizens were apprehended tormented Afterwards part of them put to death the rest confined In this variation of fortune there was nothing so notable as the example of Lucca Pitti who sodeinly saw the difference of victorie and losse of honor and dishonor For his house whereunto was wont be great repaire became vnfrequented himself that had bin accustomed to passe the streets folowed with many friends kinsfolks could neither be accompanied nor scarcely saluted because some of them had lost their offices some their goods al the rest threatned His stately houses in building were by the workmen abandoned Those that were wont to present him did now offer him iniury despite Some who had giuē him presents of great value did now demand them again as things lent Others that were wont with praises to extoll him to the skies did as a person vngratefull and violent blame him So that ouerlate he repented his not giuing credit to Nicholo Soderini and that
minds more prepared for that action they alwaies talked thereof and with the sheathes of daggers made for that purpose one of them in the breast and belly strake the other Then they deuised of the time and place In the Castle they thought it not fit to be performed In hunting they feared it would proue incerteine perilous When the Duke walked in the streets for pleasure they imagined it would be hard and vnlikely to be done And at feasts they doubted the places would not serue Wherefore they resolued at some publique pompe and triumph where they were certaine of his being to kill him for thither they might vnder diuerse coulours assemble their friends They concluded also that if any of them vpon occasion were by the officers apprehended the rest should with their swords in the middest of his enemies sley him This happened in the yeare 1476. The feast of Christmas then being at hand at which time on S. Stephens day the Duke was woont with great pomp to visit the Church of that holie Martir they resolued that place and time would best serue for the execution of their intent The morning of S. Stephens day being come they caused certaine of their most assured friends and seruants to arme themselues saying they would go to aide Giouandrea who contrarie to the mind of some his euill willers would make a conduct for water in a certaine ground of his They being thus armed went to the Church pretending that they would before their departure take leaue of the Prince They procured also diuerse other their friends and kinsfolks for sundrie considerations to come thither hoping that the deed being done euery one would follow them to performe the rest of the enterprise And their intent was the Duke being slaine to ioyne with those armed and goe to that place of the Cittie where they might more easily raise the people and perswade them to arme themselues against the Duchesse and Princes of the State supposing the people by meanes of the famine wherewith they were then grieued would easily fauour the enterprise and vnto the people they determined to giue leaue to spoile the houses of Ceco Simonetta Giouanni Botti and Francesco Lucani all Magistrates of the gouernment whereby they should be assured of them and gaue the people libertie This resolution was set downe and the execution thereof firmely agreed vpon in their minds Giouandrea with the rest met earely in the Church and there altogithers heard Masse which being ended Giouandrea turning towards the image of S. Ambrose sayd O Ambrose Lord of our Cittie thou knowest our intention and the end wherefore we will aduenture our selues to so many perils Be fauourable to this our enterprise and by fauouring of iustice shew how greatly iniustice doth displease thee To the Duke on the other side before he came to the Church many signes happened to prognosticate his death at hand For the day being come he put on his priuie armour as euerie other day for the most part he did yet sodeinly before he went from his house either bicause he thought it not sightly or that it did hurt his bodie he tooke it off Then thought he to haue heard Masse in the Castle but his Chapleine was gone to S. Steffano Then commaunded hee that the Bishop of Como should say the Masse but he alleaged certaine reasonable lets so the Duke was as it were by necessitie occasioned to goe to the Church But first he called for his two sonnes Giouangaliazzo and Hermes whome he embraced and kissed often as though he had no power to depart from them yet in the end he determined to goe and comming out of the Castle betwixt the Embassadors of Farrara and Mantoua rode to the Temple The conspirators in the meane while to giue the lesse suspition and keepe them from the cold were retired into a chamber belonging to the chiefe Priest of the Church their friend and vnderstanding that the Duke did come they came from the chamber into the Church Giouandrea and Girolamo placed themselues on the right hand of the Church doore and Carlo on the left hand Then those that went before the Duke entered the Churche doore and after the Duke himselfe inuironed with a greate multitude of people as it alwaies happeneth in time of such a princelie pompe The firste of the Conspirators that went towardes him were Lampugnano and Girolamo They pretending to make place and roome for the Prince came hard vnto his person and assaulted him with short and sharpe daggers which they had hidden in their sleeues Lampugnano gaue him two woundes the one in the bellie the other in the throate Girolamo likewise in the throate and in the brest strake him Carlo Visconti standing neare vnto the doore and the Duke past him at such time as his companions gaue the assault could not hurt him before but gaue him two other wounds one on the shoulder the other in the back and these sixe wounds were all so sodeinly and speedily giuen that the Duke was fallen to the ground before any man knewe what the matter meaned Neither could he do or say any thing that was knowne but in falling one onely time he cried O Ladie helpe me The Duke thus laid on the ground the rumor grew great many swords were drawne out and as it hapned in like cases vnlooked for some fled out of the Church and some ranne thither without any certaine knowledge or occasion of the matter But those who were next vnto the Duke seeing him slaine and knowing the murtherers pursued them Of the conspirators Giouandrea intending to get out of the Church went amongst the women who being many and according to their custome set on the ground was so troubled and staied with their garments that he was by a Moore one of the Dukes footmen ouertaken and slaine Carlo was likewise by those that were present killed But Girolamo Olgiato escaped out of the Church seeing his companions slaine and not knowing whither to flee went home where he could be neither by his father nor brothers receiued But his mother onely hauing compassion of her sonne did recommend him to a Priest an auncient friend of that house who put him in Priestlike garments and remooued him to his house where he remained two daies hoping that some tumult in Milan would arise and thereby he might be saued But that not comming to passe and fearing to be found there he assaied to flee disguised yet being knowne was brought before the Magistrates and there he confessed all the order of the conspiracie This Girolamo was twentie three yeares of age and died with no lesse courage then he had executed the enterprise For being brought to his death stript naked and prepared for the hangman who with his knife in hand stood readie to cut him in pieces he spake these Laten words Mors acerba fama perpetua stabit vetus memoria facti This enterprise was by these vnhappie yoong men secretly practised and
and within a few daies after his arriuall the Castle was yeelded The winter now come the Captaines liked not to proceed further in the warre but attend the Spring and the rather bicause the Autumne past by meanes of euill aires sicknes was brought into the Camp wherewith many of the Captaines and leaders were diseased Among whome Antonio Pucci and Bongianni Gianfigliazzi were not onely sick but also dead to the great griefe of all the army so great was the honor and loue that Pucci had wonne in the exploite of Pietrasanta After the taking of Pietrasanta the Lucchesi sent Embassadors to Florence to demaund that towne as a thing belonging to their common-weale For they alleaged that among other things it was contracted betwixt them that the towne first wonne by any of them should be restored to the auncient owner The Florentines directlie denied not that couenant but answered that they doubted whether in the peace made betwixt them and the Genouesi it was meant the towne to be deliuered and therefore they could not till then determine and if it were restored then the Lucchesi ought of necessitie to pay the charge and make satisfaction for the losse of so many great Citizens which if they would do they might hope to haue it againe All that winter was spent in the communication of this peace betwixt the Genouesi and the Florentines And by reason the Pope was a doer therein the matter was handled at Rome but not being concluded the Florentines would the next Spring haue assaulted Serezana had they not bene by the sicknesse of Lorenzo di Medici and the warre which grew betwixt the Pope and the King Ferrando impeached For Lorenzo was not onely diseased of the gowt which infirmitie seemed to discend from his father but was also so grieuouslie tormented with griefe of the stomack that he went vnto the Bathes to be cured but the warre was the chiefe occasion of his sicknesse and the originall thereof The Citie of Aquila was subiect to the King of Naples yet the people therein liued as free In this Citie the Earle Montorio had great reputation The Duke of Calauria with his men of armes being neare vnto Tronto pretending to pacifie certaine tumults among the people of that countrey and intending to reduce Aquila wholie vnder the Kings obedience sent for the Earle Montorio as though he would imploy him in those matters he made shew of The Earle without suspition came and was presently by the Duke sent to Naples prisoner These newes being aduertised to Aquila altered the minde of the Cittie and the people populerly tooke armes and slewe Antonio Concinello Commissarie for the King and with him certaine other Citizens who were knowne affectionate to the King Also to the end the Aquilani might haue some friend to defend them in their rebellion they displaied the Ensigne of the Church and sent Embassadors to giue the Cittie to the Pope desiring him as his owne subiects to defend them from the tyrannie of the King The Pope manfully tooke in hand their defence as one that both for priuate and publique occasion hated the King And Roberto da Sanseuerino enemy to the State of Milan hapning to be out of pay the Pope enterteined him for Generall and caused him with great expedition to come vnto Rome and besides that sollicited all the friends and kinsmen of the Earle Montorio to become Rebels to the King in so much as the Princes of Altemura Salerno Bisignano tooke armes against him The King seeing himselfe by so sodeine a warre assaulted prayed aide of the Florentines and the Duke of Milan The Florentines stood doubtfull what to do bicause it seemed hard to leaue their owne enterprise for others and to take armes against the Church was perilous Notwithstanding being in league they preferred fidelitie before commoditie or perill and enterteined the Orsini and sent all their owne men towards Rome to the aide of the King vnder conduct of the Earle of Pitigliano Then the King made two camps and sent the one towards Rome vnder the Duke of Calauria who with the Florentines should incounter the Popes army The other camp himselfe did leade and marched toward the Barons that rebelled This warre with variable fortune was mannaged and at the end the King in all places hauing aduantage by mediation of the Embassadors of Spayne a peace was concluded in the moneth of August 1486. whereunto the Pope being beaten with euill fortune and loth to aduenture more consented Also all the Potentates of Italy were included onely the Genouesi as rebels to the State of Milan and vsurpers of the Florentines lands were left out Roberto da Sanseuerino the peace made hauing bene in this warre no faithfull friend to the Pope and nothing terrible to the enemy departed from Rome as driuen out by the Pope and being followed by the Dukes and Florentines souldiers so soone as he had passed Cesena seeing himselfe not followed fled away and with lesse then one hundred horse came to Rauenna Of the rest of his men some were receiued by the Duke and some by the countrey people were cut in pieces The King hauing made peace and reconciled his Barons put to death Giouanni Coppola and Antonello de Anuersa with his sonnes and those which had in the warre reuealed his secrets vnto the Pope By meanes of this warre the Pope knew what readinesse and care the Florentines had to keepe friendship and therefore albeit that for the loue of the Genouesi and the aiding of the King he before hated them yet now he began to loue them and shew more fauour vnto their Embassadors then he was wont Which disposition knowne to Lorenzo de Medici was by all honorable meanes increased for he thought it much for his reputation if to the fauour which the King bare him he might also ioyne the Popes friendship This Pope had one sonne called Francesco and being desirous to honor him with lands and friends wherewith he might after his death mainteine himselfe he knewe not any in Italy with whome he could more safely be matched then with Lorenzo and therefore so handled the matter that Lorenzo married a daughter of his vnto Francesco This marriage being made the Pope desired that the Genouesi might by composition deliuer Serezana to the Florentines perswading them that they should not hold that which Agostino had sold nor Agostino could giue vnto S. George that which was not his Notwithstanding this perswasion tooke no effect But the Genouesi while these matters were practising at Rome armed certaine of their Ships and before the Florentines knew any thing thereof set three thousand footmen a land and assaulted the Castle of Serezanello neare vnto Serezana belonging to the Florentines spoyling and burning the Towne which done they planted their Artillarie against the Castle and with all diligence battered the same This new assault was vnlooked for of the Florentines neuerthelesse presently they assaulted their
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
more their owne priuate perill then the libertie of others and so enforce some dishonorable and dangerous composition Wherefore to perswade them to take courage and be resolute in defence of the Cittie one of the most auntient and wisest Cittizens assembled the people in the market place and said vnto them as followeth You ought alwaies to remember that things done by necessitie deserue neither commendation nor blame If therefore you haue found fault with these warres which the Florentines do make vpon you and that we haue gained in receiuing souldiers from the Duke and suffered them to assault vs you greatlâ— iniure your selues Also the auncient enimitie of the Florentines towards you is well knowne whereof neither your iniuries nor their owne feare but our weakenesse and their ambition hath bene the cause for that the one giueth them hope to oppresse you and the other incouragement to performe the oppression Do not beleeue that any merit of yours can remoue that desire in them neither any iniurie by you done can more increase the desire they haue to offend you Wherefore as they do studie to take your libertie from you so must you labour to defend the same And for those things which both they and we do to that end euery man may be sorie but no man can meruaile Let vs then be sorie that we are assaulted that our townes are besieged our houses burned and our countrey spoiled Notwithstanding which of vs is so vnwise as to meruaile thereat For if we were able we ourselues would do the like or worse to them If they haue moued this warre by the comming of Nicholo had he not come they would haue done the like vpon some other occasion If this mischiefe had bene deferred the same perhaps would haue prooued greater so that this his comming ought not so much to be blamed as our euill fortune and their ambitious nature For sith we could not refuse to receiue the Dukes souldiers they being come could not refraine to make the warre You know well that without the aide of some mightie Prince we could not be defended neither was there any of power sufficient nor more likely to defend vs both with fidelitie and force then the Duke Hee hath restored our libertie and therefore reason would hee should defend it He hath bene also enemy to all those that were our auntient enemies If then by not offending the Florentines we had incurred the Dukes displeasure we should thereby haue lost our friend and made the enemy more mightie and more apt to offend vs. So as it is much better to haue this warre with the Dukes loue then peace with his displeasure And we may hope well he will deliuer vs from those dangers whereunto he hath drawne vs so that we do not forsake him You know with how great furie the Florentines haue diuerse times assailed vs and with how great glorie we haue often defended our selues against them euen when we had none other hope but of God and time the one and the other of them preserued vs. And therefore why should we now dispaire to defend our selues At that time all Italy had abandoned vs but now the Duke is on our side and we may also hope that the Venetians will not be hastie to offend vs as men that desire not to increase the Florentines greatnes Heretofore the Florentines haue bene more free they had also more hope to be aided of themselues they were more mightie and we in euery respect weaker then we now are For at that time we defended a Tyrant but now we defend our selues Then the honour of our defence was an other mans now it is our owne At that time when they assaulted vs they were vnited but now they assaile vs disunited all Italy being full of their Rebels But if all these hopes were not yet extreame necessitie ought to make vs resolute in our owne defence Euery enemy ought to be by vs iustly feared for euery of them do seeke their owne glorie and our destruction But of all others we ought most to abhorre the Florentines because our obedience our tribute and the subiection of this Cittie do not suffice to content them but they would also haue our bodies and wealth to the end they might feed their crueltie with our bloud and fill their couetous desire with our riches Euery man therefore of what sort soeuer ought to detest them Be not therefore dismayed to behold the fields spoiled the Villages burned and the Townes sacked Yet if this Cittie be saued of necessitie they will be recouered But if this Cittie be lost without any our profit they should be saued Because we continuing our libertie the enemy shall with difficultie possesse them but losing our libertie in vaine we shall possesse them Take your weapons therefore in hand and when you fight beleeue that the renowne of your victorie shall be not onely the safetie of our common countrey but also of your priuate houses and children The last wordes of his speech were with so great comfort of the people receiued that with one voyce they promised to dye rather then yeeld or consent to any composition in preiudice of their libertie and therefore prepared all things necessarie for defence of the Cittie In the meane space the Florentine army lost no time but after much hurt done to the Countrey by treatie tooke Monte Carlo and after remoued to Vzano to the end that the Lucchesi enuironed on euery side should looke for no rescue and so by famine force that Cittie to yeeld The Castle was verie strong and fully manned whereby the winning thereof was not so easie as the others The Lucchesi seeing their Cittie on euery side besieged did as reason would resort to the Duke To whome by all manner of perswasions both sweete and sowre they recommended themselues And in their speech sometimes they made mention of their owne merits and sometimes they laied before him the iniurie done by the Florentines and what incouragement other his friends would take if they were defended or not what feare might be conceiued thereby But if they should lose their libertie and liues he should thereby lose his friends and honour togither with the loue of all those that would at euery daunger aduenture for him These words were accompanied with teares to the end that if his owne obligation moued him not yet the compassion of their miserie might perswade him So that the Duke adding to his auntient hate towards the Florentines the new desert of the Lucchesi and aboue all desiring that the Florentines should not grow great by this victorie resolued to send mightie forces into Toscana or else with much furie assault the Venetians so as the Florentines should be forced to leaue their enterprise and succour them This resolution made was speedely aduertised to Florence that the Duke intended to send men into Toscana which moued the Florentines to hope the lesse of victorie And to the end the Duke