whom Carlo had concluded a league About this time Pascale the first was become Pope and the priestes of the parishes in Rome by reason of their nearenesse to the Popes person and their presence at his election to honour their authoritie with a more venorable title beganne to bee called Cardinals taking vnto them great reputation chiefly after they had excluded the Romanes from the election of the Pope who almost euer before that time was some Citizen of Rome Pascale beeing dead Eugenio secundo of the order of Santa Sabina was elected Pope And Italy beeing then in the handes of French men did partly alter the order of gouernment and the more for that the Popes had in the temporalities thereof gained greater authoritie and made Earles and Marqueses as before time Longino Esarco of Rauenna had created Dukes After a fewe other Bishops Osporco a Romane aspired to the Papacy who for the homelinesse of his name caused himselfe to be called Sergio which was the beginning why the names of Popes was chaunged at their elections By this time Carlo the Emperour was dead to whome succeded Lodouico his sonne After his death there grew so great contention amongst his sonnes that in the time of his graund-children the Empire was taken from the house of France and brought into Germany where the first Emperour of that nation was called Ainolfo and by meanes of these disorders the family of Carlo did loose not onely the Empire but also the kingdome of Italy because the Lombardi recouered their strength and offended the Pope and Romanes so much as the Pope not knowing how to bee helped for necessitie gaue the Kingdome of Italy to Berengario Duke of Erieoli These accidents encouraged the Vnni who then remained in Pannonia to assault Italy But beeing come to triall of battle with Berengario they were vanquished and forced to returne into Pannonia now called Vngaria which countrey hath euer since reteyned their name At that time Romano Chieftaine of the Emperiall Armie deposed his maister Constantino and made himselfe Emperour in Greece By reason whereof Puglia and Calauria rebelled from the obedience of the Empire and suffered the Sarasins to come thither who beeing there and possessing the Countries attempted to besiege Rome But the Romaines because Beringario was occupied in the warres against the Vnni made Albarigo Duke of Tuscan their Captaine by whose vertue Rome was saued from the Sarasins They beeing departed from the siege builded a Castle vppon the mountaine called Gargano and from thence they commaunded Puglia and Calauria and disturbed the rest of Italy Thus in those dayes Italy was maruellously afflicted towardes the Alpes assaulted by the Vnni and towards Naples by the Sarasins In these miseries Italy many yeares remained vnder three Kings of the Beringarii one succeeding an other In which time the Pope and the Church were continually molested and by meanes of diuision of the princes in the West and the weakenesse of the Emperour in the Easte knewe not where to bee succoured The Cittie of Genoua with all the Riuers thereto belonging werein those dayes by the Sarasins destroyed whereof came the greatnesse of the Cittie of Pisa for thither manie people fled for refuge This happened in the yeare of the Christian religion nine hundreth thirtie and one But Ottone sonne of Enrico and Matilda Duke of Saxony a man exceeding wise of great reputation being become Emperour Agabito then Pope praied him to come into Italy and saue him from the tyrannie of the Berengarii The states of Italy were in those daies thus disposed Lombardy was vnder Berengario the third and his sonne Alberto Toscana and Romagna were gouerned by the deputies of the Emperour in the West Puglia Calauria partly to the Emperour in Greece and partly to the Sarasins obeyed In Rome were elected yearly of the nobilitie two Consuls who according to the auncient custome ruled that Citie Vnder them was appointed a Iudge to minister iustice to the people There was also a councell of twelue men which gaue gouernours to the townes subiect vnto Rome The Pope had in Rome more or lesse authoritie according to the fauour hee found with the Emperours or others that were there most mightie Then came the Emperour Ottone into Italy and tooke the kingdome thereof from the Berengarii who therein had raigned fiftie fiue yeares and therewith had restored the Pope to his dignitie This Emperour had one sonne and one nephew both also named Ottoni the one and the other of them succeeded in the Empire In the raigne of Ottone the third Pope Gregorio quinto was by the Romanes driuen out and Ottone came into Italy to put him again into the possession of Rome The Pope then to be reuenged of the Romans tooke frō them the authoritie of creatiō of the Emperour gaue the same to the Germaines appointing three Bishops of Maguntia Treueri Colonia three secular Princes the Marques of Brandenburge the Earle Palatine of the Rhein the Duke of Sassonia to be electors which constitution was made in the yeare 1002. After the death of Ottone the third Enrico Duke of Bauiera was by these electors made Emperour and after twelue yeares by Pope Stephano the eight crowned This Enrico and Simionda his wife were persons of most godly life as appeareth by diuerse churches by them builded and endowed Amongst which number was the temple of S. Miniato neare to the Citie of Florence Enrico died in the yeare 1023. After whom raigned Currado of Sueuia and after him Enrico the secōd who came into Italy the church thē being in schisme foūd there three Popes all whom he deposed caused Clemente secundo to be elected of him was he crowned Emperour In those dayes Italy was gouerned partly by the people partly by the Princes partly by the ministers of the Emperour of whō the chiefe was called Chancelor Amōg the Princes Gotfredi the Countesse Matilda his wife borne of Beatrice sister to Enrico the second were most potent for she and her husband possessed Lucca Parma Reggio and Mantoua with all that countrey at this day called Patrimonio The ambition of the people of Rome did at that time make much warre with the Popes for they hauing helped the Pope to driue out the Emperors and reformed the Cittie as to them seemed good sodeinly became enemies to him And the Popes receiued more iniuries at their hands thē at any other Christian Princes And euen in those dayes when the censure of the Popes made all the West of the world to tremble yet euen then the people of Rome rebelled And both the Popes and the people studied for nothing so much as how one of them might ouerthrow the authoritie and estimation of the other Nicholao secundo being aspired to the Papacy tooke from the Romanes the creation of the Pope as his predecessour Gregorio quinto had before taken from them the
thereby in such sort offended the state of Florence as his fault ioyned with the conditions of the present time must of necessitie take from him all his wealth and be inforced to abandon that countrey as enemy to the Florentines which as their friend he would not possesse For he had made so euill a triall of himselfe as he might not in any wise be suffered to remaine there where at euery change of fortune he might be readie to offend the Florentine common wealth for it was not him but his countrey whome they feared But if he were pleased to repaire into Germany he might there remaine a Prince sith those Citties did desire him and the Florentines for the loue of those his auncestors whom he alledged would be also therewith contented Hereto the Earle in great collor replied saying that he would see the Florentines a great way further from him So leauing all friendly communication the poore Earle despairing of other remedie yeelded his Towne to the Florentines That done taking his goods his wife and children departed weeping and lamenting for the losse of that Countrey which his auncestors by the space of 900. yeares had possessed These victories being known in Florence were by the Gouernours of that State and the people with meruailous ioy receiued and bicause that Barnardo de Medici knewe that Nicholo was to no purpose marched towards La Marca or Rome he and his souldiers returned to Neri and frō thence they went togither to Florence where they were welcomed with all the greatest honors that by order of that Cittie might be giuen to victorious Cittizens And were in triumphant wise saluted by the Senators the Captaines and the whole Cittie The end of the fift Booke THE SIXT BOOKE IT hath bene and by good reason ought to be the intent of all those that make warre to inrich themselues and impouerish their enemie Neither is victorie for other occasion sought nor the possessions of the enemy to other end desired then thereby to make thy selfe mightie and thy aduersarie weake It followeth therefore that so oft as thy victorie doth impouerish thee or thy gaines do weaken thee either thou passe or come short of the marke whereunto the warre is directed That Prince and that State is by the victories of warre inriched which extirpeth the enemies and becommeth Lord of the spoiles and ransomes And that Prince or Common-weale is impouerished who cannot though he be victorious extirpate the enemy or hath not to his owne vse the spoiles and ransomes but leaueth them to his souldiers Such a Prince in his losses is vnhappie and in his victories most infortunate bicause in losing he suffereth all iniuries which the enemy can do him and in winning must abide the offences of friends which as they are lesse reasonable so are they also lesse tollerable seeing that by impositions and new exactions he is againe to burden his owne subiects That Prince then in whome is any generositie of minde cannot reioyce at such a victorie whereat all his subiects be constrained to lament The auncient and well ordered Common weales were wont by conquests to fill their Treasuries with gold and siluer to giue rewards to the people to forgiue tributes and to make triumphs and publique feastings But the States of whome we write first emptied their treasure houses and after impouerished the people without assuring themselues of their enemies All which grew by their disorderly proceeding in the warres For when they tooke any prisoners not holding them nor slaying them the reuenge was no longer deferred then the leaders of the enemy were furnished anew with horse and weapon Besides that the spoyles and raunsoms being giuen to the souldiers the Princes victorious could not imploy the same in the next warre but were forced to draw their prouision from the bowels of their owne people Neither did that victorie bring foorth other benefite then make the Prince greedie and with lesse respect to burthen them For the souldiers had brought the warre to such a passe as both the victorious and the victored if they would commaund their owne men had like need of money bicause the one was to arme them a new the other to reward them And as they vnmounted could not fight so these without new rewards would not Whereby it followed that the one inioyed not much of the victorie the other felt little of the losse seeing the victored was speedily repaired and the victorious could not in time pursue the victorie This disorder and this peruerse proceeding in warre caused that Nicholo Piccinino was againe set on horseback before his ouerthrow was knowne through all Italy and made after greater warre then before he had done This was the cause that after the discomfit at Tenna he could surprize Verona This was the cause that after the slaughter of his souldiers at Verona he could recouer a greater Army and come into Toscana This was the cause that being ouerthrowne at Anghiari before he arriued in Romagna he was more mightie in the field then before he had bene and might thereby put the Duke of Milan in hope to defend Lombardy which by his absence was supposed to be welneare lost For when Nicholo had filled Lombardy with troubles the Duke was brought to such passe as he began to doubt of his owne estate And fearing his ruine might follow before the comming of Nicholo for whome he had sent to bridle the Earles furie and with industrie to temper fortune which with force he could not he resorted to those remedies which in like cases had before time helped him He therefore sent Nicholo da Este Prince of Farrara vnto Pischiera where the Earle was to practice a peace and perswade that warre not to be for his aduantage Bicause if the Duke were brought to that weakenesse that he could not mainteine his owne reputation he should be the rather esteemed And for more assurance that indeed he desired peace he offered him conclusion of the marriage and would send his daughter to Farrara she promising the peace made to yeeld her selfe into his hands The Earle answered that if the Duke did faithfullie desire peace with ease he might finde it as a thing both by the Florentines and Venetians wished for Yet did he mistrust the same much knowing that before time he had neuer made peace but for necessitie which being passed he would alwaies returne to his old minde and make warre Neither could he beleeue that the Duke intended the marriage hauing bene before at his hand so many times mocked Notwithstanding if the peace were concluded he would after deale in the marriage as by friends he should be aduised The Venetians who without reason were suspitious of their owne souldiers of those entertainements reasonablie conceiued mistrust Which the Earle being carefull to remoue followed the warre with greater furie Notwithstanding his mind was stil so tempered with ambition and the Venetians were so infected with suspition as the rest of that sommer
libertie and some others were contented to receiue a Prince Of those which desired a Prince some would haue the Earle and some the King Alfonso whereby those that loued libertie being more vnited became the stronger part and framed after their faction a state and gouernment which was neuerthelesse disobeyed by many Citties of the Dukedome imagining that they might also as Milan did enioy their libertie And others also which aspired not thereunto did likewise refuse to yeeld vnto the Milanesi The Citties of Lodi Piacenza gaue themselues to the Venetians Pauia Parma would be free The Earle vnderstanding these confusions went vnto Cremona whither his Embassadors and the Embassadors of Milan came with this cōclusiō that he should remain Captain general of the Milanesi with those conditions last set down by the Duke Philippo adding thereunto that the Earle should haue Brescia till he surprised Verona And being possessed therof to yeeld vp Brescia Before the death of this Duke Pope Nicholo at his assumptiō sought to make peace amongst all the Italian Princes For the compassing whereof by Embassadors he practised that the Florentines should send vnto him at the time of his creation desiring him to appoint a Parliament at Farrara to procure therein either a long truce or a perfect peace Vpon which occasion in that Cittie assembled the Popes Legat the Embassadors for the Venetians Embassadors for the Duke Embassadors for the Florentines But those which were looked for from King Alfonso appeared not This King was then at Tiboli accompanied with many men of warre both on foote and horseback From thence he gaue countenance to the Duke and it was thought that so soone as they had drawne the Earle to their side they would openly assault the Venetians and Florentines In the meane time the Earles souldiers should remaine in Lombardy the peace to be enterteined at Farrara whither the King sent not saying he would ratifie all things the Duke would assent vnto This peace was many dayes consulted vpō and after much disputation cōcluded that either it should be perpetuall peace or a truce for 5. yeares at the election of the Duke whose Embassadors being returned to Milan to vnderstād his pleasure at their cōming thither found him dead The Milanesi notwithstanding his death would needs haue the conclusion of peace allowed But the Venetians did not consent hoping greatly to vsurpe that state And the rather bicause Lodi and Piacenza sodeinly after the Dukes death were yeelded vnto them whereby they hoped either by force or composition within short space to become Lords of all the territorie of Milan and in the end so distresse the Cittie as it should also be forced to yeeld before any man could rescue it And the rather they thus perswaded themselues for that they sawe the Florentines busied in warre with King Alfonso That King being at Tiboli and intending to follow the enterprise of Toscana as he had determined with Philippo thinking therewith that the warre alreadie begun in Lombardy would giue him time and commoditie desired to haue one foote into the state of Florence before such time as he would openly make the warre and for that purpose practised to win the Castle Cennina in the vpper vale of Arno and wan it The Florentines striken with this vnlooked for accidēt and seeing the King readie to march to their offence hired souldiers created the ten Magistrates and according to their custome prepared all things for the warre By this time the King with his Army was come to the countrey of Siena labouring by all meanes to bring that Cittie to fauour him Notwithstanding the Cittizens there stood firme in their friendship to the Florentines and refused to receiue the King either into Siena or any other of their townes yet did they prouide him victuall whereof the importunitie of the King and the force of the enemy might excuse them The King then thought not good to enter by the way of the vale of Arno as he first determined aswell for that he had spoiled Cennina as bicause the Florentines were partly furnished with souldiers and therefore marched towards Volterra surprized many Castles in the countrey thereto belonging From thence he marched into the countrey of Pisa where by the fauour of Arrigo and Fatio Earles of Chirardesca he tooke some Castles and assaulted Campilia which being defended by the Florentines and the cold winter he could not surprize Then the King leauing certaine of his owne souldiers to guard the townes by him taken and to defend the countrey retired with the rest of his Army to his lodgings in the countrey of Siena The Florentines fauoured by that season of the yeare carefully laboured to prouide souldiers Their chiefe leaders were Federigo Lord of Vrbino and Gismondo Malatesta of Rimino And albeit there was betwixt them two some disagreement yet by the wisedome of Neri and Barnardetto di Medici Commissaries for the Florentines they agreed so well that notwithstanding the hard winter continuing they marched and recouered those townes which were lost in the countrey of Pisa and the Ripomerancie in the territorie of Volterra They also bridled the Kings souldiers who before had spoyled the sea coast so as with difficultie they might defend the townes committed to their guard But the Spring time being come the Commissaries drew forth all their souldiers to the number of 5000. horse and 2000. footmen And the King came with his to the number of welneare fifteene thousand besides 3000. at Campiglia And when he intended to returne to the siege of that towne he went to Piombino hoping easily to win it bicause the towne was not well furnished he thought the hauing thereof profitable for him and disaduantagious for the Florentines bicause from thence he might protract the warres and consume them hauing meane to victuall himselfe by sea and disturbe the whole countrey of Pisa This assault greatly displeased the Florentines and cōsulting vpō the matter thought that if they might with their Army remaine in the bounds of Campiglia that the King should therby be inforced to depart either broken or dishonoured For which purpose they armed foure small Gallies at Liuorno and with them put into the towne of Piombino three hundred footemen placing them at the Galdani a place where with difficultie they might be assaulted For if they were lodged in the plaine vpon the Confines the same was thought dangerous The Florentines receiued their victuals from the Townes thereabouts which being but fewe and not much inhabited did scarcely furnish them So as the Armie suffered penurie and most chiefly of wine Because none being there made nor brought thither from other places it was impossible for euerie man to haue so much as should suffice him But the King notwithstanding he were by the Florentines straightly holden in yet had he abundance almost of euerie prouision by reason hee receiued it from the sea The Florentines therefore thought good likewise to make
Castle for the Pope and Nicholo remained a Prince thereof By these actions the Pope was greatlie distressed bicause Rome within the Cittie was troubled with factions and the countrey without spoiled by enemies Notwithstanding as a man of courage he would not giue place to the enemie but enterteined Roberto da Rimino and calling him to Rome where all his men of warre were assembled told him how great honor he might win if he could against the force of a King deliuer the Church from those troubles wherewith it was occupied and how great obligation he should thereby haue not onely of him but also of all other Popes his successors and that both God and men would reacquite the same Roberto first viewing the Popes men of armes and other his preparations perswaded him to make all the footmen he was able which with all speed and diligence was performed By this time the Duke of Calauria was neare vnto Rome and spoiled the countrey euen to the walls of the Cittie which offended the people so much as many of them voluntarily offered themselues to serue with Roberto and recouer the libertie of Rome who were all by that Lord thanked and receiued The Duke hearing of these preparations retired a little from the Cittie thinking that if he were further off Roberto would not seeke him and he also looked that Federigo his brother should come with fresh men sent from the King their father Roberto seeing himselfe equall with the Duke for men of armes and in footmen aboue him marched out of Rome without order and lodged his Camp within two miles of the enemie The Duke seeing his enemies at hand not looking for them thought it stood him vpon either to fight or flee Wherefore as constrained and for not doing a thing vnworthie the sonne of a King determined to fight and turning his face to the enemy either camp put their men in order and brought them to battell which continued from the morning till noone and the same was performed with more vertue then any had bene in Italy fiftie yeares before for therein were slaine on both sides more then a thousand men and the end was glorious to the Church For the great multitude of the Popes footmen so much offended the Dukes horsemen as they were forced to turne their backs and the Dukes person had bene taken prisoner had he not bene saued by many Turks who were left at Ottranto and serued vnder him Roberto hauing this victorie returned to Rome with triumph which he enioyed not long for that by drinking of much water at the day of battell he fell into a flixe which within fewe dayes brought him to death His bodie was by the Pope with great honor buried The Pope hauing this victorie sent the Earle presently towards the Cittie of Castello to see that towne restored vnto Lorenzo and besides to prooue how the Cittie of Rimino was enclined For after the death of Roberto who had onely one yong sonne and the Cittie left to the gouernment of his mother the Pope imagined it was easie for him to surprize it And in deed it would haue so come to passe had not that woman bene by the Florentines defended who tooke her part with such forces as the enemie could not worke his will either against Castello or Rimino While these matters were a doing in Romagna and Rome the Venetians had surprized Figarolo and with their men had passed the Riuer of Po and in the Duke of Milan his campe and the Marquesse also there was disorder bicause Federigo Earle of Vrbino being sick caused himselfe to be carried to take phisick at Bologna and there died whereby the affaires of the Marquesse proceeded slowlie and the Venetians hoped dailie more and more to surprize Farrara On the other side the King and the Florentines laboured to make the Pope of their side which not brought to passe by armes they threatned by a Generall Councell to make him yeeld which Councell was by the Emperours commaundement appointed at Baselia whereupon by perswasion of the Emperours Embassador at Rome and the chiefe Cardinals who desired peace the Pope was perswaded and constrained to allow of peace and the vniting of Italy Then the Pope for feare and also for that he found the greatnesse of the Venetians to be the ruine of the Church and all Italy resolued to come into the league and sent his Nuncii to Naples where a league was concluded for fiue yeares betwixt the Pope the King the Duke of Milan and the Florentines reseruing a place for the Venetians if they were pleased to enter This done the Pope commaunded the Venetians to surcease the warre of Farrara which they not onely refused to do but also made the preparation greater and hauing alreadie broken the Dukes and Marquesse forces at Argenta they at Farrara were so neare distressed as the Dukes forces were lodged in the Marquesse Park Then the League thought good no longer to deferre the aiding of that Prince and caused the Duke of Calauria with his and the Popes men to goe to Farrara The Florentines likewise sent all their forces thither and for the better ordering of the warre the League appointed a Councell to be holden at Cremona where the Popes Legat the Earle Girolamo the Duke of Calauria the Lord Lodouico Lorenzo de Medici with many other Princes of Italy met In this Councell the Princes deuised the order of the future warre And bicause they iudged that Farrara could not be better relieued any way then by some braue assault they ordered that Lodouico should begin a warre vpon the Venetians for the countreys belonging to the Duke of Milan But thereunto that Lord would not consent fearing to begin a warre which he could not end at his pleasure Wherefore it was determined they should go with all their footmen to Farrara and with foure thousand men of armes and eight thousand footmen assault the Venetians who had two thousand and two hundred men of armes and sixe thousand footmen And the League thought good first to assaile the nauie which the Venetians had lying vpon the riuer of Po and the same being assaulted was broken at Bondeno with the losse of two hundred vessels and Antonio Iustiniano the Proueditor of the nauie was taken Then the Venetians seeing all Italy vnited against them to win some reputation enterteined the Duke of the Rhene with two thousand men of armes But hauing receiued this ouerthrow of their nauie they sent this Duke with part of their armie to frunt the enemie and commaunded Roberto de Sanseuerino with the rest of their camp to passe the riuer of Adda and approching to Milan to proclaime the name of the Duke and of the Ladie Bona his mother for by that meanes they hoped to make some Innouation in the Cittie supposing that the Lord Lodouico and his gouernment was hated This assault at the beginning brought therewith some terror and moued all the Cittie to take armes but in
remaining without a Prince the Romanes were enforced to yeeld their obedience to the Pope Yet did not his authoritie thereby greatly encrease because he could not procure to him selfe more preheminence then that the Church of Rome should haue precedence before the Church of Rauenna But the Longobardi being come and Italy diuided into diuerse parts occasioned the Pope to take the more vppon him for he then beeing as it were chiefe of Rome the Emperour of Conctantinople and the Longobardi did respect him so much as the Romanes by his meanes not as subiects but as companions with the Longobardi and with Longino ioyned Thus the Popes sometimes by the fauour of the Longobardi and sometime with the countenance of the Grecians encreased their dignitie But after the destruction of the Empyre in the East which happened in the time of the Emperour Eracleo because the people called Sclaui assaulted conquered againe Iliria calling the same by their owne name Sclauonia the other partes of the Empyre were assailed first by the Persians and after by the Sarasins who came from Arabia conducted by Mahomet and last of all by the Turkes These people amongst them possessed Soria Affrica and Egipt So that the Empyre weakened the Pope dispaired to haue succour there in time of his necessitie On the other side the power of the Longobardi encreasing it behooued him to seeke some new friendship and for the same resorted to the Kinges of France So as after that time all the warres made vppon Italy by forraine people were by the Bishops of Rome occasioned and all the barbarous nations who repaired in so great multitudes to Italy were for the moste part by them called thither which manner of proceeding continueth in our dayes and hath heretofore kept and yet dooth keepe Italy weake and impotent Therefore in discourse of such thinges as haue happened since those to these our daies more shall not be said of the distruction of the Empyre which is altogither cast downe and ruined But wee will heerafter discourse by what meanes the Popes and those other Potentates which till the comming of Carlo the eight gouerned Italy haue atteined to their greatnes whereby we shal conceiue how the Popes first by their censures after with them and their armes mixed with indulgences became terrible venerable and how by euill vsing the one the other they haue altogither lost the vse of their armes in the other they stand at discretion But returning to the order of our matter I say that Gregorio the third beeing atteined to the Papacy Aistulpho to the kingdome of Lombardy contrarie to the agreement afore made surprized Rauenna and made warre against the Pope Gregorio who for the occasions aforesaid not trusting any more to the Emperour of Constantinople beeing then weake neither reposing trust in the Longobardi who had diuerse times distressed him fled for ayde to Pipino the second who from beeing Lord of Austracia and Brabancia was become King of France not so much for his owne vertue as his fathers Carlo Martello and his graundfathers Pipino because Carlo Martello beeing Gouernour of that Kingdome wonne that memorable victorie against the Sarasins neare vnto Torsci vpon the riuer of Era wherein were slaine two hundred thousand Sarasins For which cause Pipino his sonne for the reputation of his father and his owne vertue became after king in that kingdome vnto whome Pope Gregorio as is beforesaid sent for ayde against the Longobardi Pipino answered that hee was very willing to performe his request but first desired to see him and in his presence to honour him For which purpose Gregorio trauailed into France and without any let passed the townes of the Longobardi his enemies so great reuerence was then borne to that Religion Gregorio arriued in France was there greatly honoured by the King and sent back accompanied with the Kings forces who in Pauia besieged the Longobardi wherby Aistulpho was enforced to make peace with the Frenchmen which hee did at the request of the Pope who desired not the death of his enemie but that hee should conuert and liue In which peace Aistulpho promised to render vnto the Church all those townes thereto belonging and by him vsurped But the French souldiers returned home Aistulpho obserued not the conditions of the peace which beeing knowen to the Pope hee prayed ayde a new of Pipino who sent againe into Italy where hee ouerthrew the Lombardy tooke Rauenna and contrarie to the will of the Grecian Emperour gaue the same vnto the Pope with all other townes vnder his Esarcato adding also to them the countrie of Vrbino and La Marca during the time that these townes were in bestowing Aistulpho died and Desiderio a Lombard and Duke of Tuscan tooke armes to vsurpe the kingdome and praied ayde of the Pope to whome hee promised his friendship which request was graunted and the other Princes gaue place Desiderio at the beginning kept his promise and according to the conditions made with Pipino rendred the townes allotted vnto the Pope neither did the Esarco of Constantinople after that time come any more in Rauenna but all things were gouerned according to the pleasure and direction of the Pope Then died the King Pipino to whome succeeded his sonne called Carlo who for the great and memorable exploites by him done was called Magno To the Papacy was at that time aspired Theodoro Primo He falling into contention with Disiderio was by Disiderio besieged in Rome and constrained to craue ayde of Carlo who speedily passed the mountaines besieged Desiderio in Pauia and tooke him with all his Children And hauing sent them prisoners into France went in person to visit the Pope at Rome where hee pronounced this sentence That the Pope beeing Vicar of God could not be iudged of men For the which the Pope with the people of Rome created him Emperour In this manner Rome beganne to haue an Emperour againe in the West And where the Popes were woont to take their instaulation from the Emperours after this time the Emperours in their election would needes take their authoritie from the Pope wherby the reputation of the Empire decreased and the Church gained the same By these meanes the Popes grew great and kept downe the authoritie of temporall Princes The Longobardi hauing then bene in Italy 232. yeares there was of them none other marke of straungers then the name and Carlo being desirous to reforme that Countrey in the time of Pope Leo the third was pleased they should inhabit those places where they were borne and called that prouince of their name Lombardia But forasmuch as they had the name of Rome in great reuerence hee commaunded that all the next Countrey to it adioyning then in the obedience of the Esarcato of Rauenna should bee called Romagna Moreouer he created Pipino his sonne King of Italy the iurisdiction whereof extended to Beneuento the rest remained to the Emperour in Greece with
in the Castle of Napoli Suspitions thus growing in the minds of the one and the other they came to fight and the Queene with the helpe of Sforza who was returned to her seruice vanquished Alfonso draue him out of Naples depriued him of his adoption and adopted Lodouico de Angio whereof grew a great warre betwixt Braccio who had folowed Alfonso Sforza that fauoured the Queen In the proceeding of these wars Sforza occasioned to passe the riuer of Pescara was there drowned wherby the Queene became again disarmed should haue bene driuen out of the kingdom if Philippo Visconti Duke of Milā had not enforced Alfonso proceeding on in his iourney against the Queen to be staied For hauing besieged Aquila the Pope supposing the greatnes of Braccio not to be good for the church enterteined Frācesco the sonne of Sforza against Braccio at Aquila slew him ouerthrew his army On the part of Braccio Oddo his son was saued frō whō the Pope tooke Perugia left to him Montone yet shortlie after fighting for the Florentines in Romagna was there slaine So then of all these that serued with Braccio Nicholo Piccinino remained of most reputation Now because we are come with our history neare to that time which I determined and that the rest which remaineth vnspoken importeth for the most part nothing else but the wars which the Florentines Venetians had with Philippo Duke of Milan which shall also be discoursed hereafter when particulerly we entreate of Florence I will not speak more therof but briefly reduce to memorie in what termes Italy with the Princes and the souldiers of those daies remained Among the principall states Queene Giouanni 2. held the kingdom of Napoli La Marca Patrimonio and Romagna Part of the townes to these belonging obeyed the church part of them were vsurped by tirants or their ministers as Farrara Modena Reggio by the house of Este. Faenza by Manfredi Imola by the Alidosi Furli by the Ordelaffi Rimino and Pesaro by the Malatesti and Camerino by the house of Varano The Prouinces of Lombardy were partly gouerned by Philippo Duke of Milan and partly by the Venetians For all those that had therin any particuler states were extirped except the house of Gonzaga which gouerned stil at Mantoua In Toscana the greatest princes that gouerned were the Florentines onely Lucca and Siena liued with their lawes Lucca vnder Guinici Siena as absolutely free The Genouesi sometimes in libertie and sometime in seruitude to the house of France or Visconti were without reputation and among the meaner Potentates accounted For all the principall Lords and Potentates were at that time of their owne subiectes vtterly disarmed The Duke Philippo liuing at home and not suffering himselfe to be seene his warres were altogither directed by ministers The Venetians so soone as they began to make warres by land lost all that glorie which before vpon the sea they had gotten And following the custome of other Italians by the direction of strangers gouerned their warres The Pope being a man of religion and the Queene Giouanna a woman did laie by their Armes doing that for necessitie which others had done by election The Florentines also to like necessitie yeelded for their sundry ciuil diuisions among themselues had clearly extirped the Nobilitie and left the Common weale to be gouerned by those that had bene brought vp in marchandise and were therby enforced to abide the fortune of others The discipline of warre then remained only in the poore Princes Gentlemen that wanted liuing and they not moued by any desire of glorie but rather to become rich and assured armed themselues They then being wel practised in the warres not hauing any other trade to liue sought by the wars to make themselues strong and honourable Among this number for their value most renowned were Carmignuola Frācesco Sforza Nicholo Piccinino brought vp by Braccio Agnolo della Pergola Lorenzo and Michelletto Attenduly Tartaglia Giacopaccio Cecolino da Parugia Nicholo di Tolentino Guido Torello Antonio dal Ponte ad Hera and others Besides them were those great Lordes of whom I haue alreadie spoken And with them may be numbred the Orsini and Calonnesi Barrons of Rome with some other Gentlemen of the kingdome and of Lombardy who making a misterie or art of the warre had among themselues a secret league and intelligence whereby they protracted the seruice for their profit And so the Princes for whom they serued were on both sides loosers In conclusion the warres became so cowardlie that anie ordinarie Captaine hauing in him but a shadow of the auncient vertue might to the admiration of all Italy haue vanquished those souldiers who through small wisedome and want of iudgement were much honoured Of these idle Princes and of these most base and cowardlie souldiers this my Historie shall at large entreate But first as in the beginning I promised it seemeth necessarie for me to returne backe and tell the originall of Florence letting euerie man to vnderstand fully what was the state of that Cittie in those dayes and by what meanes amongst so many troubles happened in Italy during the space of a thousand yeares the same hath still continued The ende of the first Booke ⧠THE SECOND BOOKE AMONG other great and maruellous orders of the auncient common weales principallities at this time decaied was that wherby new Townes and Citties were from time to time builded For there is nothing more worthie an excellent Prince or well gouerued common weale nor more profitable to any Country then the building vp of new Townes where men may with commoditie for defence and tilladge assemble themselues which thing those people might easily do hauing in custome to send dwellers into such Countries as were either vnpeopled or conquered which people were in those dayes called Collonies For besides that this order occasioned new Townes to be built the same also did make the Country conquered to be more assured to the Conquerers thereof It also replenished the voyd places and mainteined the people in such orders as they were planted which wrought this effect that men most commodiously inhabiting did most multiply They were also in the offence of others the more readie and in defence of themselues more assured That custome being through negligence of common weales and Princes of this time discontinued doth occasion the weakenesse and ruine of their Countries because that only maketh euery gouernment assured and euery Country as is beforesaid plentifully inhabited The assurance groweth because Collonies planted in any prouince newly conquered is as it were a castle and gard to hold the same in obedience Besides that no country wel inhabited can maintaine the inhabitants thereof nor continue them as they be planted without that rule and order for all places are not plentifull or wholesome which is the cause that the people in the one do abound and want in the other So as if no meane be to take away
rode vp and down in the country where himselfe listed spoyling and committing what cruelties hee thought good The Florentines scantly able after so great an ouerthrow to defend the citie yet were they not so greatly dismayd but that they made much prouision both of men and money sending also to their friends to haue their aide All which sufficed not to bridle the furie of so mightie an enemie Wherefore as constrained they made choyse of Carlo Duke of Calauria son to King Roberto to be their Prince offering him not their friendship but their obedience and prayed him to defend their Citie But Carlo being occupied in the warres of Sicilia and therefore not at leisure to come in person sent thither Gualtieri by Nation a French man and Duke of Athene He as deputie for his maister tooke possession of the Citie and placed officers according to his owne discretion Notwithstanding his behauiour was so modest and contrary to his owne nature that euerie man loued him Carlo hauing ended the warres of Sicilia being followed with a thousand horse men came to Florence and made his entry in the yeare 1326. whose comming staied Castruccio from spoyling of the Florentines countrey But that reliefe which was found abroad was lost within and those displeasures which the enemies could not were by friendes performed Bicause the Senators did nothing without the Dukes consent who within the space of one yeare leuied in the Citie foure thousand Florins notwithstanding that by the capitulation with him taken it was agreed hee should haue but two thousand So great impositions were daily by him or his exacted To these displeasures new suspitions and new enemies were discouered For the Ghibilini of Lombardy suspected so much the comming of Carlo into Toscana that Galiazzo Visconti other tyrants of Lombardy by mony and promises procured Lodouico di Bauiera Emperour elected against the Popes wil to come into Italy who being arriued in Lombardy marched towardes Toscana where with the helpe of Castruccio hee became Lord of Pisa And being relieued with mony he went towards Rome which caused Carlo to leaue Florence and returne to the kingdome leauing Philippo de Sagginetto his Lieftenant Castruccio after the Emperours departure possessed Pisa and the Florentines tooke from him by practise Pistoia which Castruccio after besieged with so great vertue and resolution that although the Florentines many times assaied to rescue the Towne sometimes assailing the Army and sometimes disturbing the Country yet could they neuer either by force or industry remoue him from that enterprise So greatly he thirsted to chastise the Pistoiesi and offend the Florentines By meanes whereof the Pistoiesi were constrained to receiue him for their Prince which thing albeit were greatly to his glorie proued in the end his disaduantage For being returned to Lucca there he died And because that one good or euil hap commeth sildome vnaccompanied with the like also at the same time died Carlo Duke of Calauria Prince of Florence as it were to the end that the Florentines beyond all expectation might be deliuered from the gouernment of the one and the feare of the other They thus become free reformed the cittie disanulled all orders of the olde Councelles and created twoo newe Councelles the one hauing in it three hundreth Cittizens Commoners and the other two hundreth and fiftie Gentlemen and Commoners mixed The first of these was called the Councell of the people the other the common Councell The Emperour beeing arriued at Rome created an Antipope and ordered many things in preiudice of the church and many other things also hee attempted without effect And therefore with this honour he remoued from Rome to Pisa where either of melancholy or for want of mony to paie eight hundred Almaine horsemen who were rebelled and at Montechiaro had fortified themselues died They so soone as the Emperour departed from Pisa to go vnto Lombardy surprised Lucca and draue out of that cittie Francesco Castracani left there by the Emperour Then being possessed of that cittie and intending to make profit thereof offered to sell it to the Florentines for threescore thousand Florins was refused by the Councell of Simon della Tosa This refusal would haue bene to our cittie most profitable if the Florentines had euer continued in that minde but because shortly after they changed opinion it was greatly to our losse For if at that time for so small price they might so peaceably haue had it and would not afterward desiring it and offering much more then was required they could not obteine it which was the occasion that Florence many times with great preiudice hath changed the gouernment Lucca being thus by the Florentines refused was by Gerardino Spinola of Genoua for thirtie thousand Florins bought And because men be more slow to laie hold of that which they may come by then to desire that they cannot attaine vnto so soone as this bargaine made with Gerardino was knowne and how small a summe of mony he paid the people of Florence became greatly desirous to haue it repenting themselues and blaming those that were the cause that the bargaine proceeded not Then sought they to get that by force which for money was refused For obteining whereof they sent their souldiers to spoile the country belonging to Lucca In this meane time the Emperour was gone out of Italy and the Antipope by order of the Pisani sent prisoner into France The Florentines then from the death of Castruccio which happened in the yeare 1328. til the yeare 1340. continued quiet within attended their matters of state abroad They also made many wars in Lombardy for the comming thither of king Iohn of Bohemia in Toscana touching the state of Lucca They likewise ornefied their cittie with new buildings For in that time the Tower of S. Reparata according to the direction of Giotto an excellent Painter was builded And because in the yeare 1333. by meanes of a maruellous flood the Riuer of Arno into many places ouerflowed the cittie more then 12. cubits many bridges and buildings were thereby decaied which with great care and expence were now restored But the yeare 1340. being come new occasions of alteration were growne vp The cittizens of most power had two meanes to encrease and maintain their greatnesse The one by restraining the number of those that should be elected Magistrates whereby the offices of authoritie came either vnto them or their friends The other because themselues being chiefe at the election of the Rettori they were by them in their offices the more fauoured And this second cause they esteemed so much that to these two ordinarie Rettori they also ioyned a third whom they in those dayes brought in extraordinarie vnder the title of Captaine of the Guard and placed therein Iacamo Gabrieli de Agobio giuing him absolute authoritie ouer the citizens He day by day before the face of them that gouerned committed many iniuries among
and remooue the siege But after a long warre the Florentines were forced with losse of their money and honour to depart and the Pisani became Lords of the Citie The losse of this Towne as in like cases it euer happeneth made the people of Florence greatly offended with those that gouerned whome in euerie Market place they defamed accusing them of couetousnesse and vnaduised counsell At the beginning of this warre the authoritie thereof was giuen to twentie Citizens who elected Malatesta of Rimini for their Generall He gouerned the same with small courage and lesse wisedome They also praied aide of Roberto King of Napoli who sent vnto them Gualtieri Duke of Athene and as fortune would prepairing all things for future mischiefe arriued in Florence at the same instant when the enterprise of Lucca was vtterly lost Whereupon the twentie seeing the people displeased thought by chusing a new Captaine to bring them into new hope And to the end that the Duke of Athene might with more authoritie defende them they created him first their Defender and after gaue him the title of Captaine Generall ouer their men at Armes The great Cittizens who for the occasions beforesaid liued discontent and many of them hauing also acquaintance with Gualtieri at such time as they gouerned Florence in the name of Carlo Duke of Calauria thought the time was come to alter the state oppresse the people who had so long oppressed thē For the bringing of that to passe they thought good to reduce the gouernment vnder one Prince who knowing their vertue the insolencie of the people might reward the one and punish the other They might also hope the more of the Princes fauour if he by their meanes aspired to that dignitie To compasse this intention they manie times met in secret perswaded the Duke to take the gouernment offering to aide him to the vttermost of their powers With these Gentlemen ioyned some populer families as the Perussi Acciaiuoli Antellesi and Buonacorsi who being greatly indebted and not able to paie of their owne desired with the seruitude of their country and the goods of others to deliuer themselues from the daunger of their creditors Those perswasions mooued the ambitious minde of the Duke to great desire of gouernment and the rather to make himselfe beloued and accounted vpright therewith also to winne the fauoure of the people hee persecuted those that had gouerned the warres of Lucca and put to death Giouan de Medici Naddo Ruccellati and Guglielmo Altouiti many also were banished and manie in money condemned These executions amazed much those of the meane sort onelie the Gentlemen and basest people were therewith satisfied These because their nature is to reioyce at euill and those for that thereby their iniuries receiued of the people were reuenged When so euer the Duke passed the streetes his fauourers would publiquely speake to his honour and wish that the fraude of the Citizens might be by him examined and punished The office of the twentie thus became disesteemed the reputation of the Duke growne great and all men for feare or affection seemed to honour him And in token thereof set the Dukes Armes vpon their houses In so much as this Duke wanted nothing that belonged to absolute authoritie sauing the title of Prince Then he perswaded himselfe that whatsoeuer he attempted might be safely done and therefore sent vnto the Senators letting them vnderstand that for the better gouernment of the citie it behoued him to haue the full absolute authoritie gouernment and seeing that all the rest of the Citizens were therto consenting he desired that therwith they would be also pleased The Senators albeit that long before they had foreseene the ruine of their Countrey yet were they all with this request greatly troubled And though they knew also the perill yet not to omit the dutie to their Countrey they boldly denied the Duke This Duke to make himselfe be thought the more religious and well disposed did choose for his dwelling the Monasterie of Saint Croce and being desirous to execute his euill intent hee caused to be published by proclamation that his pleasure was the people should resort vnto him at the gate of the saide Monasterie This proclamation amazed the Senate much more then the message deliuered them by word Wherefore they thought good to ioyne with those Cittizens whome they knew to be louers of their Countrey Neither did they thinke knowing the Dukes forces that there was other remedie to diuert the Duke from the enterprise then to entreate him and so make proofe what effect faire words might worke to perswade him to vse himselfe in the gouernment more mildly Then went certaine of the Senators vnto the Duke and one of them spake as followeth My Lord we are come hither first moued by your Graces request and next by your commandement to assemble the people For it seemeth a thing certaine that you intend to obteine that extraordinarily whereunto by ordinarie meanes wee haue not consented Our meaning is not by force to hinder your designes but onely laie before you how greeuous a burthen you put vpon vs and how perillous an action you take in hand To the end you may hereafter remember our Councels and waigh the same with theirs who not for your profit but for the execution of their owne furie haue counselled you You labour to bring this citie in bondage which hath euer liued in libertie For that authoritie which we haue graunted to the Princes of Napoli was companie and not subiection Haue you considered of what importaunce and how ioyfull a thing the name of libertie is in euerie Cittie like vnto this The vertue whereof no force can subdue no time can consume nor no merite can deserue Consider my Lord how great forces it behoueth you to haue to hold so great a Citie in seruitude Those straungers whome you haue enterteined bee not of force sufficient and these that be within the walles are not to be trusted For such as be now your friends haue counselled you to this enterprise so soone as they haue with your authoritie beaten down their enemies wil seek also by what means they may to oppresse you make themselues Princes The base multitude also in whom you trust vpon euery accident be it neuer so litle do chaunge their opiniō So that in short time you may looke to find this citie your foe which shall be the ruine thereof and yours also Neither can you find remedie for such a mischief sith those Princes onely can gouern securely who haue few enemies because those few either by death or exile may easily be remoued But against vniuersall hatred no assurance can be found because you know not where the mischiefe groweth And who so feareth euery man cannot assure himselfe of any man Also if you seeke to be assured of others you enuiron your selfe with perils because those that remain do hate you the more and are the more readie to
reuenge A thing most certain it is that no time can weare out the desire of liberty For we know where the same hath bene in a citie reuiued by those who neuer tasted thereof saue onely by the memorie of this name libertie which their ancestors by traditiō did leaue them Therfore hauing recouered it with all obstinacie and resolution they wil defend it and if our ancestors had neuer left any signe of libertie yet should we be put in mind therof by these publike Pallaces by these places made for Magistrates these badges of freedom libertie which things be publikely knowne and with great desire euery citizen studieth to know them What can you do or what can by any meanes be done to counteruaile the sweetnesse of life in libertie or make the people forget the commodities therof Yea though you could ioyne all Toscana to the dominiō of this state or might euery day return to the citie triumphing ouer your enemies yet all should not suffice Because that glory should not be yours but ours And our citizens should cōquer no subiects but encrease companions in seruitude Albeit your maners were godly your behauiour curteous and your iudgements iust yet were they not of force inough to make you be loued If you would beleeue they did suffice you therin should deceiue your self For to men accustomed to a life in libertie the lightest clog seemeth heauie the losest bands do pinch A thing impossible it is for any state by violence gotten to be by a good Prince mainteined because of force he must become like vnto his gouernmēt otherwise the one the other wil perish You must therfore thinke either to hold the citie with extreame violence as castles garrisons of men forrein friends yet many times they suffice not or els be content with that authoritie which we haue giuen you We therefore perswade you and pray you to remember that such obedience is durable as is also voluntary And labor not being blinded with some ambition to set your self where you neither can stand nor clime higher without your great preiudice ours so be forced to fall These words moued not at all the hardened heart of the Duke saying his intention was not to take away but restore the liberty of the citie For cities disunited were not free but those that were vnited And if Florence by reason of factions ambition and enmitie had lost the libertie hee would restore it Saying moreouer that not his owne ambition but the sute of many Cittizens brought him to take this burthen and therefore they should do well to be content with that wherewith others were contented As touching those perils which hee might by this occasion incurre hee feared them not at all For it was the office of no good man to leaue the good for feare of euill and the propertie of a coward for feare of good successe to abandon a glorious enterprise Also hee hoped so to beare himselfe as they should haue cause in short space to confesse that they trusted him too little and feared him too much The Senate then seeing no more good to be done agreed that the next morning with their authoritie to giue the gouernment vnto the Duke for one yeare with the same conditions it was giuen to Carlo Duke of Calauria It was the eight day of September 1342. when the Duke accompanied by Giouan della Tosa with all his followers and many Cittizens came into the Market place and there in presence of the Senators ascended vp to the Ringiera for so they called that place of the staires belōging to the Pallace where the conditions between the Senate the Duke were read And when the Reader pronounced those words which gaue the Duke authoritie for one yeare the people cried for his life Then Francesco Rusticheli one of the Senate rose vp to speake and appease the tumult but his words were with shouting of the people interrupted So as by consent of the multitude he was created Prince not for one yeare only but for euer being carried by the multitude about the market place his name was proclaimed It is the custome that whosoeuer is appointed to the Guard of the Pallace shall in absence of the Senators be shut vp therein To which office at that time was Rinieri di Giotto appointed hee being corrupted by the Dukes friends without anie violence offered receiued the Duke into the Pallace And the Senators therewith amazed and dishonored went home to their owne houses Then was the Pallace by the Dukes seruants sacked The Gonfaloni del Populo thrust out and the Dukes Armes set vppon the Pallace to the great and inestimable griefe and sorrow of all good men and the great content of those who either for ignorance or wicked mind thereunto consented The Duke hauing gotten the gouernment intending to take all authoritie from those that were woont to defende the libertie of the Cittie did forbid the Senators to assemble anie more in the Pallace and appointed them a priuate house Hee tooke also the Ensignes from the Gonfalonieri of companies Hee remooued the order of iustice against the Nobilitie and deliuered the prisoners that had bene committed Hee called home the Bardi and Frescobaldi who had bene banished and gaue generall commandement that no man should weare weapon Also for his better defence within the Citie he wanne himselfe forraine friends and for that purpose pleasured the Aretini and all others vnder the Florentine gouernment Hee made peace with the Pisani notwithstanding hee were created Prince purposely to make warre with them Hee tooke the obligations from those merchants that in the warre of Lucca had lent mony to the state He encreased the old Imposts and erected new taking all authoritie from the Senators The Rettori by him appointed were Raglione da Perugia and Guglielmo da Scesi with whom he ioyned Cerrettieri Bisdomini and those three men were his onely Councell The taxes which he imposed vpon the Citizens were extreme his iudgements vniust that grauitie curtesie which he had before fained was conuerted into pride and crueltie For many citizens both wealthy and noble were condemned and diuerse also by new inuented tortures tormented Moreouer to shew his authoritie in like sort abroad as it was in the citie he authorized six Rettori for the country who oppressed and spoiled the rurall people He had the great men in suspition although by them hee had bene pleasured and that some of them by his meanes had bene restored to their Countrey For hee imagined that such Noble mindes as commonly are in Gentlemen could not be contented with his gouernment Hee sought therefore to winne the good will of the people hoping with their loue and the aide of straungers to defende his tyrannie Then the moneth of May being come at which time the people were accustomed to make sport and triumph he caused the companies of the Common people and basest sort to haue Ensignes
and money with honourable titles to bee giuen them Wherupon the one part of them went from place to place feasting and triumphing and the other part with great pompe receiued the triumphers When fame had dispersed abroad the new principallitie of the Duke many of the French Nation came vnto him And hee to euerie one of them as men most to be trusted gaue countenance and enterteinment So that Florence within short space was not onely subiect to the French men but also to their factions and apparrell Because both men and women without respect of shame did followe them But aboue all things that displeased was the violence which he and his without respect vsed to the women The Citizens liued then with great indignation seeing the maiestie of their state ruined their ordinances broken their lawes disanulled honest life corrupted and all ciuill modestie extinguished For the Citizens not accustomed to see any regall pompe could not without sorrow behold the Duke amidst his guardes of armed men both on foote and horsebacke for so with their owne shame they were forced to honour him whome they most hated Whereunto might be ioyned the feare and death of many Citizens and the continuall exactions wherewith he impouerished and consumed the citie All which indignations and feares were well inough knowne to the Duke yet would he not be thought to mistrust any thing but shew himselfe as though he were beloued of all men For it happened that Matteo di Moroso either to gratifie him or acquite himselfe of danger reuealed a conspiracie practised by the house of Medici and some others The Duke enformed therof did not onely not examine the cause but also caused Matteo most miserably to be put to death By which doing he tooke courage from all those that would tell him anie thing for his good and encouraged others that went about his ruine He caused also with great crueltie the tongue of Bettone Cini to be cut off who after therof died And this punishment was done because Bettone had found fault with the exactions laid vpon the Cittizens These cruelties encreased offence in the people with their hatred to the Duke because that citie which was accustomed freely to do and speake all things could not endure to haue their hands tied and their mouthes closed These offences and this hatred grew to that ripenesse as mooued not onely the Florentines who could neither maintaine their freedome nor suffer seruitude but euen the most seruile people of the world to recouer libertie And therupoÌ„ many citizens of all estates resolued with the losse of their liues to recouer their libertie lost Then practised they three sorts of conspiracies the one among the Nobilitie the second among the people the third among the artificers These conspiracies besides the general respect were for particuler reasons willingly taken in hand The great men desired to recouer authoritie The people were sorrowfull for hauing lost the gouernment And the Artificers found their trades and earning of money to be decaied At that time Agnolo Acciaiuoli was Archbishop of Florence who in his Sermons and otherwise had extolled the actions of the Duke and done him great fauour among the people But afterwards seeing him Prince and knowing his tyrannous proceedings knew how much he had deceiued his country and therefore to make amendes of that faulte determined that the hande which had made the wound should also cure it Wherefore he became head of the first and greatest conspiracie wherein were the Bardi Rossi Frescobaldi Scali Altouiti Malagotti Strozzi and Mancini The chiefe of the second conspiracie were Manno and Corso Donati and with them the Pazzi Cauicciulli Cherchi and Albici The principall of the third conspiracie was Antonio Adimari and with him the Medici Bordini Ruccelai Aldobrandini whose intent was to haue slaine the Duke in the house of Albezi whither as they thought he intended to go vpon Midsomer day to behold the running of horses But thither he went not and therfore that enterprise became frustrate Then they ment to assault him walking in the citie but that seemed haâ—d to do because he was well accompanied and alwaies armed therewith also euerie day changed his walke so as they knew not in what place certaine to wait for him It was likewise the opinion of some that the best were to kill him in the Councell and yet that were hazardous for though he were slaine the conspirators should be at the discretion of his forces During that the conspirators communed of these matters Anthonio Adimari discouered the matter to some of his friends of Siena whose aide hee hoped of and tolde them the names of some conspirators saying that the whole Citie was bent to recouer libertie Then one of them imparted his knowledge to Francesco Brunelleschi not with intent the practise should be laid open but supposing that hee also had bene of the same conspiracie Francesco either for feare of himselfe or for the hatred he bare towards some other reuealed all to the Duke and presently Pagolo del Mazecchia and Simon da Mantezappoli were apprehended Who detecting the qualitie and quantitie of the conspirators did thereby much amaze the Duke and was therefore counselled rather to send for them then arrest them For if they fled then he might without his owne dishonour by their banishment assure himselfe The Duke therefore caused Antonio Adimari to be called who trusting to his companions presently appeared Adimari being staied the Duke was aduised by Francescho Brunelleschi and Vguccione Buondelmonti to search the Citie and kill so many as could be taken But that the Duke thought not good supposing his forces not sufficient to encounter so many enemies and therefore proceeded an other way which hauing taken effect should both haue assured him of the enemies and also gained him strength The Duke was accustomed at occasions to assemble the Citizens and to take their counsell Hauing therefore sent out to assemble the people he made a bill of three hundreth Citizens names and caused his Serieants vnder colour of councelling with them to warne them to appeare and being appeared he intended either to kill them or imprison them The apprehension of Antonio Adimari and the sending for other Citizens which could not be secretly done did greatly dismay euery man but most of all those that knew themselues guiltie Insomuch as men of greatest courage would not obey him And because manie had read the bill wherin one saw an others name the one encouraged the other to take armes and chose rather to die like men then as Calues to be led to the butchery By this means within an houre all the three conspiracies became knowne one vnto the other and determined the day following which was the twentie sixt of Iuly in the yeare 1343. to raise a tumult in the olde Market place there to arme themselues and call the people to libertie The next day about high noone according to appointment euerie man tooke armes
and all the people hearing the name of libertie armed themselues and euerie man in his quarter prepared him vnder the Ensigne of the peoples armes which the conspirators had secretly caused to be made And the chiefe as well of the Noble houses as of the populer families came forth and sware both their owne defence and the Dukes death excepting some of the Buondelmonti and Caualcanti with those foure families of the people which procured him to be made Prince They togither with the Butchers people of basest condition came armed to the Market place in defence of the Duke At this vproare the Duke armed all his Court and his seruants in sundrie places lodged mounted on horsebacke to come to the Market place But in many streetes they were beaten downe and slaine and onely three hundred horses came vnto him The Duke in the mean while stood doubtfull whether he were better to come out and fight with his enemies or defend himselfe within the Pallace On the other side the Medici Cauicculi Ruccellai and other families most iniured did feare that if the Duke would come out manie that had taken armes against him might happily become his friends And therefore to remoue the occasion of his comming forth and encreasing his forces made head and went vp to the market place At whose arriual those populer families that stood there for the Duke seeing the Cittizens couragiously to charge them chaunged their mindes After the Duke had thus altered his fortune and euerie man reuolted to the Citizens sauing Vguccione Buondelmonti who went into the Pallace and Giannozzo Caualcanti with part of his men retired vnto the new Market and there stood vp desiring the people to arme themselues to defend the Duke Also the rather to terrifie the people he threatned them that if obstinately they followed the enterprise against the Prince they should be all slaine But finding no man to follow him nor yet any that pursued him and seeing himselfe to haue laboured in vain tempting fortune no further retired vnto his owne house The conflict in the meane while betwixt the people and the Dukes souldiers was great and though the Dukes forces defended the Pallace yet were they in the end vanquished some of them yeelded to their enemies and some leauing their horses folowed into the Pallace While in the Market place the fight continued Corso and Amerigo Donati with part of the people brake the prisons burnt the Records of the Podesta of the publique chamber sacked the Rettori and their houses and slew all the officers of the Duke that they could laie hand vpon The Duke on the other side seeing the Market place lost and all the citie against him not hoping of any helpe made proofe whether by any curtuous act the people might be appeased Therfore he called vnto him the prisoners with gentle words deliuered thē made Antonio Adimari though nothing to his owne contentment a Knight Hee caused also his owne armes to be rased out of the Pallace set the peoples armes in the same place Which things being done too late and out of time by enforcement and without order helped litle Thus as a man discontented besieged he remained in the Pallace and found by experience that by coueting too much he lost all and therefore looked within fewe dayes either to die by famine or sword The Citizens intending some forme of gouernment assembled themselues in Santa Reparata and created there foureteene Citizens halfe of them great and the other halfe populer who with the Bishop should haue full authoritie to reforme the state of Florence They chused also sixe to haue the authoritie of the Podesta till hee were come There were in Florence at that time diuerse straungers come thither to aide the people amongst whom were some Sanesi sent from Siena with sixe Embassadours men in their country much honoured They betwixt the people and the Duke practised reconsiliation but the people refused to common of any agreement vntill Guglielmo da Scesi and his sonne with Cirretieri Bisdomini were deliuered into their hands The Duke would not thereunto consent till being threatned by those that were shut in with him suffered himselfe to be inforced Certainly the furie is greater and the harmes more when libertie is in recouering then when the same is recouered This Guglielmo and his sonne being brought among thousands of enemies the yoong man not being eighteene yeares of age could neither by his youth nor innocencie be saued from the furie of the multitude And those that could not strike him aliue would needs wound him being dead Yea not being satisfied by cutting him in peeces with swords with their nailes and teeth they also tare his flesh And to the end al their sences might haue part in the reuenge hauing alreadie heard him lament seene his wounds and touched their torne flesh would also that their taste should take part so that all sences both without within might be pleased This terrible furie though it were greeuous to Guglielmo and his sonne yet was it profitable to Cirretieri Because the multitude being weary with the crueltie executed vpon those two did clearly forget him remaining still within the Pallace not called for Then the night following by certaine of his friends hee was conueyed away and saued The multitude being appeased with blood of these two A conclusion was made wherin was let downe that the Duke and his should safely depart with bagge and baggage and renounce all his authoritie ouer Florence And afterwards so soone as he should come to Casentino vpon the confines ratifie the same After this composition the sixt day of August he departed from Florence accompanied with many Citizens And arriued in Casentino he ratified though vnwillingly the resignation of his authoritie for had he not bene by the Earle Simone threatened to be brought backe to Florence he would not haue performed his promise This Duke as his proceedings do shew was couetous and cruell no willing hearer of complaints and in his answeres haughtie hee looked for seruice of all men and esteemed the loue of no man yet desired he to be beloued more then feared His person and presence did deserue to be hated no lesse then his conditions his bodie was small his face blacke and hard fauoured his beard long and thin so as both in appearance and being hee merited the loue of no man Thus within the tearme of ten moneths his euill behauiour lost him that gouernment which foolish Councell of others had giuen him These accidents being happened within the citie gaue encouragement to all the townes which had bene subiect to the Florentines to returne also to their libertie whereby Arezzo Castiglione Pistoia Volterra Colle and S. Gimignano rebelled After the Duke was thus driuen away the foureteene Cittizens togither with the Bishop thought better to please their subiects with peace then make them enemies by warre And therfore seemed as much content with the
Bologna made the resolutiō for the war the more speedie notwithstanding it had before great contradiction Giouan de Medici publikely spake against it saying that although he were certaine of the Dukes euil disposition yet were it better that hee should march first thē they go towards him for so the war shuld be iustifiable in the iudgement of other princes neither could we so boldly aske aid as we might after that his ambitiō was discouered Also mē wold with an other mind defend their own thē assault the goods of others To the cōtrary was said it were not good to tarry for the enemy at home but rather go seeke him And fortune was more friend to him that assaulteth thē to him that defendeth Moreouer with lesse losse though with more charge the war is made far frō home then neare at hand In the end this opiniō preuailed And resolutiō was set down that the Ten should deuise some means how the city of Furli might be recouered frō the Duke Philippo seeing that the Florentines went about to surprize those things which he had taken in hand to defend set respects apart sent Agnolodella Pargola with great forces to Imola to the end that prince hauing occasion to defend his own should not think vpō his grandchild Agnolo arriued neare Imola the forces of the Florentines being also at Magdigliana the weather frostie and the towne diches frozen in the night by stealth surprized the towne and sent Lodouico prisoner to Milan The Florentines seeing Imola lost and the warre discouered commaunded their men to go vnto Furli and on euerie side besieged that citie Also to the end that all the Dukes forces should not come to rescue it they hired the Earle Alberigo who from his towne Zagonara issued out spoyling the country euen to the gates of Imola Agnola della Pergola finding he could not with securitie succour Furli by reason of the strength where our Campe laie thought good to besiege Zagonara thinking that the Florentines would not lose that place and if they did relieue it then of force they must abandon Furli and fight with disaduantage The Dukes forces then enforced Alberigo to demaund composition which was graunted he promising to yeeld the towne at any time if within fifteene daies it were not rescued by the Florentines This disorder knowne in the Florentines Campe and in the Citie and euerie man desirous to preuent the enemie of that victorie occasioned them to haue a greater For their Campe being departed from Furli to succour Zagonara and entercountring the enemie was ouerthrowne not so much through vertue of the aduersarie as the vnhappinesse of the weather For our men hauing diuerse houres marched in the deepe myre and raine found the enemies fresh and for that reason by them were vanquished Notwithstanding in so great an ouerthrow published through all Italy there died no more then Lodouico degli Obizi with two others who fallen from their horse were myred to death All the citie of Florence at this ouerthrow became sad and chiefly the great Citizens who had counselled the warre For they sawe the enemie braue their selues disarmed without friends and the people against them who murmured and with iniurious words complained of the great Impositions and Subsidies they had paide to the maintenance of the warre taken in hand without any cause or occasion Saying moreouer now they hauing created the Ten to terrifie the enemie haue succoured Furli and taken it from the Duke Thus do they bewraie their Councels to what end they are not to defend the libertie but encrease their own power which God iustly hath diminished Neither haue they only burthened the citie with this enterprise but with many others for like to this was that against King Ladislao To whome will they now resort for aide To Pope Martine who hath bene in their sight trodden vpon by Braccio To the Queene Giouanna she was by them abandoned and forced to put her selfe vpon the King of Aragon Besides these contumelies they repeated all such iniurious reproues as a people offended could imagine It was therefore thought good to the Senators to assemble a good number of Citizens and with curteous speech appease the humours mooued in the multitude Then Rinaldo degli Albizi eldest sonne of Masso who with his owne vertue the memorie of his father aspired to the chief honour of the citie declared at large that it was no wisedome to iudge enterprises by their successe Because many things well deuised haue had no good end others euil deuised haue good Also if euil counsels hauing good successe should be commended the same wold encourage men to commit errors which would proue to great disaduantage of the Common weale for it euer falleth out that euill counsels be vnfortunate In like maner they erred to blame a wise counsell that hath no desired end for thereby they discouradge the Citizens to counsell the citie saie frankly what they knew or vnderstood Then he shewed the necessitie of that war and how if it had not bene begun in Romagna it should haue bene in Toscana But sith it pleased God that their forces be ouerthrowne the losse should be the lesse if the enterprise were not abandoned For if they would still shewe their faces to Fortune and endeuour themselues to recouer that was lost neither should they finde any losse nor the Duke any victorie They ought also not to repine at the charge or Impositions that should be laid vpon them because those paiments which they had made were reasonable and the rest that should after be imposed would not bee so great For lesse preparation is required for them that defend then those that will offend In the end he perswaded them to imitate their auncestors who by being in euerie aduersitie couragious did defend themselues against all Princes whatsoeuer The Citizens encouraged with the authoritie of this man enterteined the Earle Oddo sonne of Braccio with whom they ioyned Nicholo Piccinino brought vp vnder Braccio a man most esteemed of all those that serued vnder his Ensigne and vnder them they appointed other leaders Also of their owne forces lately broken some Captaines of horse men remained Moreouer they elected twentie Citizens to impose new Subsidies who being encouraged with seeing the greatest Citizens oppressed by the late ouerthrow imposed vpon them without respect This imposition much greeued the great Cittizens yet not to declare themselues vnwilling at the first shewed no priuate offence but generally blamed the matter giuing their aduise that the Impositions might cease which being knowne to many tooke no effect in the Councels and thereupon to occasion these repiners feele the smart of their counsell and make the matter more odious they ordered that the Imposers should proceed with all seueritie and haue authoritie to kill any man that should withstand the publique officers Whereof followed many foule accidents by murthering and hurting of the Citizens In so
peace quiet The peace being concluded betweene the Duke of Milan and those of the League in the yeare 1433. the souldiers desiring still to exercise the warre made an enterprise against the Church There were at that time in Italy two sorts of souldiers the one trained vnder Braccio the other vnder Sforza Of these the chiefe Captain was the Earle Francesco sonne of Sforza Of the other Nicholo Piccinino and Nicholo Fortibraccio were the Leaders To these two Sects all the other Italian souldiers ioyned themselues Yet were the followers of Sforza of most reputation as well for the vertue of the Earle as the promise to him made by the Duke of Bianca his naturall daughter which alliance gained him exceeding estimation Both these Sects of souldiers after the peace of Lombardy for diuerse occasions assaulted the Pope Eugenio Nicholo Fortibraccio was thereto moued by the old displeasure borne to the Church by Braccio And the Earle by his own ambitioÌ„ Insomuch as Nicholo assaulted Rome the Earle possessed himselfe of La Marca The Romanes to eschue the warres banished Eugenio from Rome who with perill and difficultie escaped came vnto Florence Where considering of the danger wherin he was and seeing himselfe by those Princes abandoned and that they refused to take armes in hand for him by whose meane at their owne desire they had bene lately disarmed compounded with the Earle and granted him the principallitie of La Marca notwithstanding that hee had not onely before taken that countrey from him but also vsed contempt in the letters which hee wrote to his Agents for the diuision of the land writing thus Girifalco nostro Firmiano Inuito Petro Paulo Neither was he contented with the graunt of these townes but hee would be also Gonfaloniere of the Church All which was graunted So much did Pope Eugenio feare more a daungerous warre then a dishonourable peace Thus the Earle become friend to the Pope did persecute Nicholo Fortibraccio and between them in the territorie of the Church in diuers moneths many accidents happened more to the preiudice of the Pope and his subiects then of them that made the war In so much as by the Duke of Milan his mediation it was concluded that the one and the other of them should remaine Princes in the Townes belonging to the Church This warre quenched at Rome was kindled in Romagna by Babtista Canneto who in Bologna had slaine certaine of the house of Grifoni driuen from thence the Popes Gouernour with some other enemies Then to hold that state by force hee desired aide of Philippo And the Pope to be reuenged of this iniurie required helpe of the Venetians and Florentines The one and the other of them were ayded So that within short space two great Armies were come into Romagna The Generall for Philippo was Nicholo Piccinino The Venetian Forces and the Florentines were ledde by Gatamelata and Nicholo de Tolentino Neare vnto Imola they ioyned battaile wherein the Venetians and Florentines were ouerthrowne and Nicholo de Tolentino sent prisoner vnto the Duke where either by poyson or his owne sorrow for the losse receiued within fewe dayes hee died The Duke after this victorie either because hee was weake or beleeued that the league after this ouerthrâ—w would stande quiet followed no further his fortune but gaue the Pope and his confederates time to vnite themselues anew who elected for their Captaine the Earle Francesco with determination to remoue Nicholo Fortibraccio from the Townes belonging to the Church and by that meanes and the warres which in fauoure of the Pope they had begunne The Romanes seeing the Pope strong in the field sought his friendship and receiued a Gouernour from him Nicholo Fortibraccio among other townes possessed Tibali Montifiasconi the Cittie of Castello and Ascesi Into this towne Nicholo not being able to keepe the field fled There the Earle besieged him and the siege continuing long for Nicholo manfully defended himselfe the Duke thought necessarie either to impeach the League of that victorie or else after the same to take order for the defence of his owne He therefore to remoue the Earle from the siege commaunded Nicholo Piccinino to goe into Toscana by the way of Romagna Whereupon the League iudging it more necessarie to defend Toscana then surprize Ascesi gaue order to the Earle not to suffer the passage of Nicholo who was alreadie with his Armie arriued at Furli The Earle on the other side maâ—ched with his souldiers and came to Secena recommending vnto Lione his brother the warre of La Marca and his other lands during the time that Piccinino should passe And while Piccinino laboured to passe and the Earle impeached him Nicholo Fortibraccio assaulted Lione with great honour tooke him and spoyled his souldiers Also following this victorie he surprized many townes in La Marca This proceeding greatly greeued the Earle and supposing all his Countries to be lost hee left part of his armie to make warre vpon Piccinino with the rest he marched towardes Fortibraccio whom he assaulted and vanquished In that ouerthrow Fortibraccio remained a prisoner and was so sore hurt that thereof he died This victorie restored vnto the Pope all those townes which by Fortibraccio had bene taken from him and brought the Duke of Milan to demaund peace which by the mediation of Nicholo de Este Marquesse of Farrara was concluded Whereby the townes surprized by the Duke in Romagna were restored to the church and the souldiers belonging to the Duke returned to Lombardy Also Baptista de Canneto as it happeneth to all others who by force or vertue of other men possesse any state so soone as the Dukes souldiers were departed from Romagna his own power and vertue not being able to defend him in Bologna fled away Whither Antonio Benteuogli chiefe of the contrarie faction presently returned All these things chanced during the exile of Cosimo after whose returne these who had sought his reuocation with diuerse other Cittizens before iniured thought without respect to assure themselues of the gouernment And the Senate which succeeded in the moneths of Nouember and December not contented with that which their predecessours had done in fauour of their faction prolonged changed the time and places of those that were banished and confined many others anew Also diuerse Citizens were in that time hindered not only by the humour of faction but also in respect of their riches their parentage and priuate friendship And if this proscription of bloud had bene continued it would haue bin like vnto that of Octauiano or Silla being partly also imbrued in bloud For Antonio sonne of Barnardo Guadagni was beheaded and foure other Citizens among whome was Zanoby Belfrategli and Cosimo Barbadori These two Cittizens for hauing passed their confines and remaining at Venegia were by the Venetians who esteemed more the loue of Cosimo then their own honor sent home prisoners were most cruelly put to death Which thing
gaue great reputation to the faction of Cosimo and much terror to the enemy that so mightie a Common weale refused not to sell their libertie to the Florentines Which was thought to be done not so much to gratifie Cosimo as to exasperate the factions in Florence make by meanes of bloud the diuision of our citie the more daungerous Because the Venetians found that there was nothing that so much hindred their greatnes as the vniting thereof Thus the citie being acquite both of the enemies persons suspected to the state the gouernours studying to pleasure other people make their own part the stronger restored the house of Alberti with all other Rebels All the great Citizens a few except were brought into the order of the people the possessions of the rebels at smal prices among them sold Moreouer with new lawes and orders they strengthened themselues making new Squittini taking out the names of their enemies putting in the names of their friends Also being warned by the ruine of their enemies and iudging that it sufficed not for the holding of the state to haue the Squittini full of their friends they also thought good that the Magistrates of life and death should be chosen of the chiefe of their faction It was therfore required that the makers of the new Squittini togither with the old Senate should haue authoritie to create the new They gaue vnto the Eight authoritie ouer life and death and prouided that those that were banished should not though their time were expired return vnlesse of the Senat and the Colledges being in number 37. were thereunto consenting or at the least thirtie foure of them To write vnto those that were confined or receiue any letters from them was forbidden Also euery word euery signe euery action that offended the Gouernours was greeuously punished And if in Florence remained any suspitiō it was the Impositions lately imposed so hauing driuē out their aduersaries or brought thē to great pouerty assured themselues of the state Also not to want forrein aid but preuent such as thereby determined to offend them they did confederate and make league with the Pope the Venetians and the Duke of Milan The state of Florence resting in these tearmes Giouanna Queene of Naples dyed making by her testament Rinieri de Angio heyre of her Kingdome At that time Alfonso King of Aragon happened to be in Sicilia and hauing the friendship of many Barrons there prepared himselfe to possesse that Kingdome The Napolitanes and many of the Lords fauoured Rinieri The Pope on the other side would neither that Rinieri nor Alfonso might possesse it but desired that himselfe should gouerne it by a Deputy of his owne Yet Alfonso being arriued in the Kingdome was by the Duke of Sessa receiued and there enterteined some other Princes hoping to surprize Capoua which the Prince of Tarranto in the name of Alfonso possessed and by that meane to constraine the Napolitanes to yeeld to his will For that purpose he sent his Nauie to assault Gaietta which was holden for the Neapolitanes The Napolitanes then prayed ayde of Philippo who perswaded the Genouesi to take that enterprise in hand They not onely to satisfie the Duke their Prince but also to saue the merchandize they had in Naples and Gaietta armed a mightie Nauie Alfonso on the contrary side vnderstanding thereof encreased his forces and went in person to encounter the Genouesi with whom he fought neere vnto the Island of Pontio and there his Nauie was vanquished himselfe with diuerse other Princes taken and sent by the Genouesi to Philippo This victorie dismayd all the Princes of Italy because thereby they thought he might become owner of all But he so diuerse are the opinions of men tooke a course cleane contrary to expectation This Alfonso being a man verie wise so soone as he could come to the speech of Philippo tolde how greatly he deceiued himselfe to fauour Rinieri and disfauour him because if Rinieri were King of Naples he would labour with all his force to bring the Dukedome of Milan to the hands of the French King by reason his ayde was at hand his furniture of all things necessarie and the way open for his reliefe Neither could he looke for better then his owne ruine if he made that state to become French But the contrarie would follow if himselfe might be Prince For he not fearing any other enemy then the French should be enforced to loue honour and obey him who had the onely power to open the way to his enemies So that although the Kingdome should rest with Alfonso yet the authoritie and power thereof would remaine in the hands of Philippo Wherefore it would much more import him then himselfe to consider the perill of the one and the profit of the other vnlesse he desired more to satisfie his fantesie then assure the state Because in doing the one he should be Prince and free by the other in the middest of two mightie enemies either sure to lose the state vtterly liue alwayes in suspition or as a subiect obey them These words wrought so deepe in the Dukes mind that changing his intent he deliuered Alfonso honorably returned him to Genoua and from thence to the Kingdome There he imbarked againe and being arriued at Gaietta his deliuery was knowne and that Countrey sodeinly surprized by certaine Lords his followers The Genouesi seeing that without respect to them the Duke had deliuered the King and that he whome they with their charge and perill had honoured did not make them aswell partakers of the honor in the Kings inlargement as of the iniurie to him done and his ouerthrow grew greatly offended In the Cittie of Genoua when it liueth in libertie there is created one head whome they call Doge not to be a Prince absolute nor to determine alone but as chiefe to propound those matters whereof the Magistrates and Councels should consult Within that Towne be many noble Families which are so mightie that with difficultie they yeeld to the authoritie of Magistrates And of them the houses of Fregosa and Adorna be of greatest force From these the diuisions of that Cittie and the causes of ciuill disorders did proceed For they many times contending for gouernment not onely ciuilly but also by armes it falleth out that euer the one faction is afflicted and the other gouerneth It also happeneth many times that those who are deposed from authoritie do pray ayde of forreine armes and yeeld that gouernment to others which they themselues could not enioy Hereof it proceedeth that those who gouerned in Lombardy do for the most part commaund in Genoua as it happened at such time as Alfonso was taken Among the chiefe of the Genouesi that caused the Cittie to be giuen into the hands of Philippo was Francesco Spinola who not long after he had brought his countrey in bondage as in like cases it euer happeneth became suspected to
the Duke Wherewith he being discontent voluntarily exiled himselfe to Gaietta and there chanced to be at such time as the fight by sea was performed against Alfonso In which exploit he serued so valiantly that he perswaded himselfe to haue deserued so well of the Duke as in respect of his seruice he might at the least liue in Genoua with securitie Yet perceiuing the Duke to continue in his suspition and fearing least he beleeued that a man who had not loued the liberty of his countrey could not loue him determined to try a new fortune and at one instant both to deliuer his countrey and win himselfe fame with securitie Being perswaded that by no meanes he might recouer the good will of the Cittizens better then to performe such an acte with his owne hand So as the same hand which had offended and hurt his countrey should also minister the medicine and heale it Then knowing the vniuersall hatred borne to the Duke by the deliuerie of the King thought the time to serue well for the execution of his intent Wherefore he imparted his mind to some whome he knew of his owne opinion Them he perswaded and prepared to followe him The feast of S. Iohn Baptist being come Arismino the new Gouernor sent by the Duke entred into Genoua accompanied with Opicino the old Gouernor and many other Cittizens Francesco Spinola thought then good no longer to deferre the matter but came out of his house with diuerse others all armed and priuie to his determination So soone as hee came to the market place where himselfe dwelled he proclaymed the name of libertie And it was a thing very maruellous to see with how great speed the people and Cittizens to that name assembled So as no man that loued the Duke either for his owne profit or other occasion had leisure to take armes or thinke how to saue himselfe Arismino with some other Genouesi fled into the Castle which he kept for the Duke Opicino presuming that if he fled to the Pallace hauing there two thousand Souldiers at his commaundement he should either saue himselfe or giue courage to his friends to defend him went thitherwards but before he came to the market place was slaine cut in pieces and drawne through euery streete of the Cittie The Genouesi hauing thus reduced the Cittie vnder their owne Magistrates and libertie within few dayes also surprized the Castle with the other places of strength possessed by the Duke and so clearely cast off the yoke of Philippo These matters thus handled as at the beginning the Princes of Italy was dismayd fearing that the Duke should become ouermightie so this gaue them hope seeing what end they had to be able to bridle him And notwithstanding the league lately made the Florentines and the Venetians made peace with the Genouesi whereupon Rinaldo delli Albizi and other leaders of the Florentines banished seeing things out of order and the world changed did hope to perswade the Duke to make open warre against the Florentines For which purpose they went to Milan and Rinaldo being come to the Dukes presence spake as followeth If we sometimes your enemies do now confidently desire ayde of you for the recouerie of our countrey neither you nor any other that consider worldly matters how they proceed and how variable fortune is ought to meruaile albeit neither of our passed or present actions nor of that we haue long since done either to you or to our countrey or that which now is in doing we can render a good and reasonable excuse There is no good man reprooueth another for defending his Countrey in what sort soeuer the same is defended Neither was it euer our meaning to iniure you but to defend our owne frō being iniured which was sufficiētly proued in the greatest victories of our league For so soone as we knew you inclined to a true peace we were thereof more desirous then you your selfe so that we need not feare to obteine any fauour at your hands Neither can our Countrey find fault although we now perswade you to take armes against it whome with so great resolution we haue withstood For that countrey deserueth to be loued of all men which indifferētly loueth them and not that countrey which disdaining the greatest number aduanceth a few There is no man also that ought to condemne men although for some causes they take armes a-against their countrey For albeit the Cities be bodies mixed yet haue they of bodies simple some resemblance And as in these many infirmities grow which without fire force cannot be cured so in the other many mischiefes arise which a godly and good Citizen should offend to leaue vncured notwithstanding that in the cure he doth as it behoueth him apply both fire force What sicknes in the bodie of a common-weale can be greater then seruitude And what medicine is more needfull then this in the cure of that disease Those warres be only iust which be necessarie and those armes most mercifull where other hope cannot be had then by thē I know not what necessitie is greater then ours or what compassion can be more then to deliuer a Countrey frō seruitude Most certainly we know our cause is to be pittied and iust which ought to be both by vs and you cōsidered For your part faile not to affoord this iustice sith the Florentines haue not bene ashamed after a peace with so great solemnitie concluded to make league with the Genouesi your rebels so that though our cause moue you not to cōpassion yet this dishonor offered vnto your selfe ought to perswade you and the rather that you see the enterprise easie Let not exampls passed discourage you hauing seen the power of that people and their obstinate defence of themselues Which two things might yet reasonably be feared were they of the same vertue which in those daies they haue bene But now you shall finde all contrarie For what force can you looke for in any Cittie which hath spoiled the greatest part of the riches and industrie thereof What resolution can be hoped of in a people by so diuers and new quarrels disunited Which disunion is cause that those riches there remaining in such sort as they were wont be imploied because mē do willingly spend their patrimony whē they see the same for their owne glory their owne honor and their owne Countrey imployed euer hoping to recouer that in peace which the warre hath consumed and not whē they see themselues both in war peace oppressed hauing in the one to suspect the iniurie of enemies and in the other the insolencie of them that command Also the people are more harmed by couetousnes of our own Citizens then the spoile of our enemies for of this some end may be hoped of but of that none at all In the warres passed you made warre to the whole Citie but now you are only to contend with a few Then you came to take the state from
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
promise that we should enioy all things after that time by thee wonne For thou knewest well that which thou gauest at many times thou mightest resume at once as it came to passe after the victorie of Carrauaggio which being begun with bloud mony was after followed with our destruction O how vnhappie are those Cities which be constrained to defend their liberties against the ambition of all those that wold oppresse them but much more vnhappy be they that are inforced to imploy in their defence mercinarie and disloyall souldiers such as thou art God graunt that this our example may be a warning to others hereafter sith that of Thebe and Philip of Macidon hath not warned vs. Who hauing wonne victorie of their enemies became of their owne Captaine first their enemie and after their Prince We may not therefore be blamed of other fault then to haue trusted too much in thee whom we ought not to haue trusted at all For thy former life thy insatiable mind not contented with any honour or estate might haue forewarned vs. Neither ought we to haue reposed any trust in thee who had betraied the Lord of Lucca fleesed the Florentines and Venetians litle esteemed the Duke nor regarded the King and aboue all with many iniuries offended God and his Church Neither ought we euer to haue beleeued that so many Princes had lesse power of Francesco Sforza then the Milanesi or that he would keep his faith to vs which to so many others he had broken But this our small wisdom which we do blame in our selues doth not excuse thy breach of faith nor purge thee of those infamies which our iust complaints shall disperse throughout the world Neither can it be but that the pricke of thine owne conscience will persecute thee For those Armes which were prepared by vs to assault others must now by thy meanes offend our selues so as thou wilt iudge thy selfe worthie of that punishment which murtherers haue deserued If ambition hath blinded thee all the world being witnesse of thy wickednesse will force thee to open thine eyes God also will cause thee to behold thy periuries thy faith broken thy treasons Which things so greatly displease him that although hitherto for some hidden good hee hath not punished yet will he neuer fauour men so impiously disposed Do not therfore promise thy selfe a victorie certaine sith the iust ire of God will impeach it and we are determined with losse of libertie to lose our liues Which if we be not able to defend then haue we rather to submit our selues to anie other Prince then to thy selfe For if our sinnes be such as against our willes we must fall into thy hands be assured a dominion begunne with craft and infamie shall either in thee or thy children ende with dishonour and shame The Earle notwithstanding he felt himselfe by the Milanesi many waies touched yet shewed he no extraordinarie chaunge either by word or Iesture but answered hee was content to beare their chollor and the great iniurie of their vnwise words Whereunto he would answere particulerly if they were before a Iudge indifferent to determine the cōtrouersie For it should appeare that he had not offended the Milanesi but prouided that they should not iniurie him And well he knew after the victorie of Carrauaggio what they had done when in stead of rewarding him with Verona or Brescia they sought to make peace with the Venetians To the end that vpon him onely the displeasure should be laide and they to enioy the profit of the victorie with the honor of the peace and all the commoditie reaped by the warre So as they had no cause to complaine though he had made that composition which they practised to bring to passe Which resolution being deferred they were as much to blame their owne ingratitude as find fault with him and whether this were true or not that God whom they had called to reuenge their iniuries would by the end of the war shew whom he most fauoured or which partie did fight with most iustice The Embassadours being departed the Earle prepared to assaile the Milanesi and they made readie for defence Then with the vertue of Francesco and Giacopo Piccinino who for the auncient hatred the Braccheschi bare to the Sforzeschi had bene to the Milanesi faithfull they hoped to defend their libertie at the least till such time as they might disunite the Venetians and the Earle who they thought would not be long his friends nor faithfull On the other side the Earle knowing thereof supposed it was wisedome to binde the Venetians by reward which would holde sure though the bond of friendship were too weake And therfore in giuing order for the war he was content that they should assault Crema and hee with other forces would set vppon the rest of that countrey This composition laide before the Venetians was the occasion that they continued so long in the Earles friendship till he had surprized all the dominion of the Milanesi and distressed the Towne so neare as the dwellers therein could not make prouision of things necessarie In so much as dispairing of all other aide they sent Embassadors to Venice desiring the Senate to haue compassion of their estate and be pleased according to the custome of Common-weales to fauour libertie and disfauor a Tyrant Who preuailing and become Lord of Milan could not be by the Venetians easily brideled For they beleeued not that he was content with the auncient conditions of the state but aspired further The Venetians not hauing yet the possession of Crema which before they chaunged countenance they determined to haue answered publikely that in respect of the contract made with the Earle they might not helpe the Milanesi yet priuately they enterteined the Embassadors with hope that a composition was likely to be made and then they should assure their Senate to trust vnto them The Earle with his men was alreadie so near Milan as they assaulted the suburbes and the Venetians hauing taken Crema thought good no longer to deferre the aiding of the Milanesi with whom they compounded Among the first Articles they promised by all meanes to defend their libertie This new contract made they commaunded that all their souldiers seruing vnder the Earle should depart from him and retire themselues to the Venetians Campe. They also signified vnto the Earle the peace concluded with the Milanesi to whom they had giuen twentie daies space to accept it The Earle maruelled not at this resolution taken by the Venetians because that long before he had foreseene it and looked the same should euerie day come to passe Yet could he not but be sorie and feele the same offence which the Milanesi did when he abandoned them For answering of the Embassadors sent from Venice to declare the League he tooke the leisure of two daies During which time he determined to enterteine the Venetians and not abandon the enterprise And therefore publikely said
vpon Notwithstanding Gherardo being still sollicited by the King at length consented to the practise And hauing concluded the same the King sent to the Vale of Bagno a Knight of Ierusalem called Puccio and with him diuerse bands of souldiers to take possession of the Castles and Townes belonging to Gherardo But those people of Bagno being affectionate to the Florentines verie vnwillinglie promised their obedience to the Kings Commissaries Puccio hauing taken possession of all that state wanted onely to possesse himselfe of the fortresse of Corzano When Gherardo deliuered this possession there was present among many others one called Antonio Gualandi of Pisa a yong man verie valiant and such a one as was with the treason of Gherardo greatly discontented He considering the scite of the fortresses and finding by the countenance of those souldiers who guarded it that they were likewise displeased While Gherardo stood at the gate to let in the Kings souldiers Antonio came betwixt him and the Castle and with both his hands forcibly thrust him out commaunding the Guard to shut the gates against so wicked a Traytor and keepe the same to the vse of the Florentines This rumor being heard in the Vale of Bagno and other places neare vnto it all the people tooke armes against the King and followed the Florentines ensigne This matter aduertised to Florence the Florentines caused the sonne of Gherardo remaining with them in hostage to be put in prison and sent souldiers to Bagno to defend the countrey for them changing that gouernment from a principalitie into a Vicariato But Gherardo hauing thus betraied both his Lords and his owne sonne with great difficultie fled leauing his wife his daughter and his substance at the discretion of the enemy This accident stood the Florentines greatly in stead For if the King had possessed that Countrey he might with small charge and easily haue gotten the Vale of Teueri and spoiled Casentino whereby he should haue so much troubled the state that the Florentines could not haue bene able to encounter the forces of Arragon which remained at Siena The Florentines besides their owne preparation in Italy the rather to oppresse their enemies had sent Agnolo Acciaiuoili Embassador to the French King to perswade him to licence Rinato de Angio to come in the aide of the Duke and them By which meanes he should defend his friends and afterwards being in Italy attend the surprizing of the Kingdome whereunto they offered him aide both of men and money During the warres in Lombardy and in Toscana as is before said the Embassador concluded with King Rinato of Angio that before the end of Iune he should come into Italy with two thousand and foure hundred horse and that at his arriuall in Alessandria the League should giue him thirtie thousand Florins readie paiment and euery moneth after during the warres tenne thousand The King then by vertue of this league comming into Italy was by the Duke of Sauoia and the Marquesse of Monferato impeached for they being friends to the Venetians would not permit him to passe Whereupon the King was perswaded by the Embassador of Florence to returne to Prouenza with certaine of his army and from thence to passe into Italy by sea And on the other side to perswade with the French King to procure so much fauour of that Duke that the rest of his souldiers might come through Sauoia According to this counsell the matter was handled and the King Rinato went by Sea into Italy conueying the rest of his Army through Sauoia by the French Kings mediation The King Rinato was by the Duke Francesco most honorably receiued and hauing ioyned the Italian forces with the Kings they assaulted the Venetians with so great furie that within short space they recouered all those Townes in Cremonesi which they had before lost and not so content they surprized almost all the countrey of Brescia The Venetian army fearing to tarry in the field retired to the walles of Brescia But the winter being come the Duke thought good to withdraw his souldiers to their lodgings appointing for the Kings aboad the Cittie of Piacenza where he remained all that winter in the yeare 1453. without any other action performed So soone as the time of yeare serued and that the Duke was going to the field in hope to dispossesse the Venetians of the rest of their Countries vpon the firme land the King Rinato signified vnto him that of necessitie he was to returne into Fraunce This intention of the Kings seemed to the Duke not onely strange but also vnlooked for and therefore greatly offended him and albeit he went in person presently to disswade him yet neither his intreatie nor promises could take effect but onely promised to leaue behinde him part of his forces and to send his sonne Giouanni to supplie his place in seruice of the League This resolution grieued not the Florentines for they hauing recouered their Castles feared not the King any longer And on the other side they desired that the Duke should not recouer more then the townes in Lombrdy to him belonging The King Rinato being gone sent according to promise his sonne into Italy who stayed not in Lombardy but went presently vnto Florence where he was very honorably receiued The matter thus handled by the King did occasion the Duke to be content with peace and the Venetians Alfonso and the Florentines being likewise wearied desired the same The Pope also by all meanes laboured to bring it to passe bicause the same yeare Mahumetto the great Turk had taken Constantinople and made himselfe Lord of all Greece which victorie terrified greatly all Christians but chiefely the Venetians and the Pope who thought Italy was thereby in great danger The Pope therefore desired the Potentates of Italy to send Embassadors vnto him with authoritie to establish an vniuersall peace which commission was performed and notwithstanding that altogither they ioyned and seemed all to allow of the motion they found neuerthelesse therein great difficultie The King required that the Florentines should pay his charges in the warre past and the Florentines would be paid themselues The Venetians demaunded Cremona of the Duke and the Duke asked of them Bergamo Brescia and Crema so that these difficulties seemed impossible to be remoued notwithstanding that which at Rome seemed hard to be concluded at Milan and Venice prooued easie For when at Rome the peace vniuersall was practised the Duke and the Venetians betwixt themselues made an agreement on the ninth of Aprill in the yeare 1451. By vertue whereof euery of them should repossesse those townes which were theirs before the warre And it was graunted to the Duke that he might recouer his townes taken from him by the Lords of Monferato and Sauoia And to the other Princes of Italy one moneth was allowed to ratifie the same The Pope the Florētines the Sanesi and the lesser Potentates within the time appointed made their ratification
Moreouer betwixt the Florentines the Duke and the Venetians a peace was concluded for fifteene yeares Onely the King Alfonso among all the Italian Princes seemed therewith discontented bicause he thought it was contrary to his reputation to be named in the contract of peace not as a principall but as an adherent For which consideration he pawsed long before he would lay downe his resolution But being sollicited by sundrie solemne Embassages of other Princes he was at length content and chiefely by the Pope to be perswaded and with his sonne entred this league for thirtie yeares confirming the same with alliances and crosse marriages betwixt the Duke and the King their sonnes marrying one the others daughters Notwithstanding to the end that some seeds of the warre might remaine in Italy he consented not to make the peace before such time as those of the League would giue him leaue without their iniurie to make warres vpon the Genouesi Gismondo Malatesti and Astor Prince of Faenza This conclusion made Ferrando his sonne then being at Siena returned to the Kingdome hauing sithence his arriuall in Toscana not gained any dominion but lost great numbers of souldiers This vniuersall peace being concluded it was onely feared least King Alfonso for the displeasure he bare to the Genouesi would disturbe the common quiet but the matter came otherwise to passe for the King did not openly moue any disturbance but as it hath alwaies happened by the ambition of mercinarie souldiers the peace was by them interrupted The Venetians had as their manner is the warres being ended discharged their Generall Giacopo Piccinino who taking vnto him certaine other Captaines likewise discharged went into Romagna and from thence to the countrey of Siena where Giacopo staying begun the warre and surprized certaine Townes belonging to the Sanesi At the beginning of these troubles in the yeare 1455. died Pope Nicholo and to him succeeded Calisto tertio This Pope to represse the new warre assembled all the forces he was able making Giouanni Ventimiglia his Generall who with certaine Florentines and other souldiers sent from the Duke for that purpose went against Giacopo and fought with him neare vnto Bolcena where notwithstanding that Ventimiglia was taken prisoner yet Giacopo had the worst and was forced to retire to Castalione della Piscaia and had he not bene by Alfonso relieued with money he should then vtterly haue bene ouerthrowne which reliefe discouered that Giacopo had taken that enterprise in hand with the priuitie and direction of that King Alfonso finding himselfe discouered to be reconciled to the other Princes consenting to the peace whose fauour by meanes of this weake warre he had almost lost procured that Giacopo should restore to the Sanesi all the townes he had taken from them and they to giue him twentie thousand Florins And this agreement made the King receiued Giacopo with his souldiers into the Kingdome In those dayes notwithstanding that the Pope intended to bridle Giacopo Piccinino yet was he mindfull also of the defence of Christendome likely to be oppressed by the Turks For which purpose he sent into all Christian Countries Embassadors and Preachers to perswade with Princes and people to arme themselues for the aide of Religion and to giue money and personall seruice to this enterprise against the common enemy He caused also solemne processions to be made declaring both publiquely and priuately that he himselfe would be among the first of the Christians that should assist that action with counsell money and men But the heate of this Crociata was cooled with aduertisements that the Turke and his army being at Bellgrado a Castle of Hungary vpon the riuer of Danubio was by the Hungarians hurt in his person and his Camp broken so that the Popes and Christians feare conceiued by the losse of Constantinople was thereby ceased and the preparation they made for the warre proceeded coldly In Hungary likewise by the death of Giouanni Vaiuoda Captaine of that victorie the warre was discontinued But returning to the matters of Italy I say that in the yeare 1456. the tumults moued by Giacopo Piccinino were ended so that euery man hauing laid aside armes it seemed as though God had taken them in hand For there happened in Toscana most tempestuous windes such as neuer before had bene heard of nor shall be which wrought most meruailous and memorable effects Vpon the 24. of August one houre before day there arose from the Sea towards Ancona a great and darke clowd crossing Italy and entering the Sea towards Pisa stretching two miles in compasse This storme was furiously carried and whither by naturall or supernaturall force diuided into many parts as it were fighting amongst themselues And of those broken clowds some were hoised vp towards heauen some violently cast downe and some with wonderfull speed were turned round but alwaies before them came a winde with lightnings and flashing of fire so terrible as cannot be expressed Of these broken and confused clowds and of those furious winds and great flames there grew so strange a noise as moued the people to greater feare then any Earthquake or thunder euer had done in so much as euery man thought the world was ended and that the earth the water and the heauen should haue returned to the old Chaos This fearefull storme wheresoeuer it passed wrought meruailous and wonderfull effects But the most notable of all happened about the Castle of S. Cassiano This Castle is builded vpon the hill which parteth the Vales of Pisa and Grieue eight miles distant from Florence Betwixt that said Castle and the towne of S. Andrea builded vpon the same hill this furious tempest passed not comming to S. Andrea but at S. Cassiano threw downe certaine turrets and chimneys and neare thereunto subuerted whole houses euen to the ground and carried away whole roofes of the Churches of S. Martino a Bagnolo and S. Maria della pace bearing them from thence vnbroken the space of more then one mile One man also a Carrier was taken vp and in the valley next vnto the way both he and his Moyles found dead Moreouer all the greatest okes and strongest trees which would not bend at the furie of the tempest were not onely broken but also with violence borne farre from the place where they grew Whereat the next day when the tempest was ceased and men returned to those places they were greatly astonied for they found the Countrey desolate and spoiled the houses and the temples ouerthrowne the people lamenting and beholding their houses cast downe and vnder them their goods their cattle and their parents slaine Which thing both in the beholders and hearers thereof moued a maruellous compassion By this meane it pleased God rather to threaten then punish Toscana For if so great a tempest had fallen vpon any Citie full of houses and inhabitants as it fell vpon these oakes trees and small houses one farre from the other without all doubt the destruction would
haue bene greater then the mind of man could haue conceiued But it pleased God by that small example to reuiue in mens mindes the memory of his power But now to returne to our matter The King Alfonso as is before said discontented with the peace and seeing that the warre which he caused Giacopo Piccinino to make vpon the Sanesi without any reasonable occasion had wrought no effect he thought to moue an other with the allowance of the league And in the yeare 1456. he assaulted the Genouesi both by sea and land as desirous to giue that state to the Adorni and depriue the Frigosi who then gouerned Besides that he caused Giacopo Piccinino to passe Tronto and assault Gismondo Malatesti who hauing well manned his townes regarded not much the assault of Giacopo so as the enterprise of the King on this side tooke no effect at all But that warre of Genoua occasioned more warre to him and his Kingdome then himselfe looked for At that time Pietro Fregoso was Duke of Genoua he fearing himselfe to be of force vnable to withstand the Kings assault determined to giue that to an other which himselfe could not hold and yeeld it into the hands of such a one that would at the least in that respect defend him so might he also hope in time to come to be reacquited Then sent he Embassadors to Carlo the seauenth King of France and offered him the dominion of Genoua Carlo accepted this offer and to take possession of that Cittie sent thither Giouanni de Angio sonne to King Rinato who not long before was departed from Florence and returned into Fraunce For Carlo was perswaded that Giouanni hauing bene before imployed in Italy knew how to gouerne that Cittie better then any other hoping also that being there he might deuise vpon the enterprise of Naples of which Kingdome Alfonso had dispossessed his father Rinato Then went Giouanni to Genoua and being there was receiued as Prince All the fortresses belonging to the Cittie with the whole gouernment were deliuered to his hand This accident displeased Alfonso thinking he had drawne in an enemy ouer mightie yet not dismayed therewith couragiously followed his enterprise and sayled on with his Nauie till he came vnder Villa Marina at Ponto Fino where taken with a sodeine disease he died By death of this King Giouanni and the Genouesi were deliuered of the warre and Ferrando who succeeded his father Alfonso in the Kingdome grew suspitious least an enemy of so great reputation in Italy might happily win the fauour of many his Barons whose fidelitie he doubted and whose mindes he knew desirous of Innouation for which respects they might percase be perswaded to ioyne with the French He also instructed the Pope whose ambitious mind as he thought aspired to take from him this new Kingdome His onely trust was in the Duke of Milan he being indeed no lesse carefull of the Kingdome then was Ferrando for he mistrusted that if the French did preuaile they would also labour to surprize his state which they had some colour to claime as to them apperteining That Duke therfore presently vpon the death of Alfonso determined to giue that Kingdome vnto Pietro Lodouico Borgia his nephew Also to make that enterprise seeme more honest and acceptable to the rest of the Italian Princes he published that his intent was to reduce that Kingdom vnder the Church of Rome perswading the Duke in that respect not to fauour Ferrando offering him those townes which of auncient time he possessed in the Kingdome But in the middest of these imaginations and new troubles Pope Calisto died and in his place was created Pio secundo borne in Siena and of the family of Piccolhuomini This Pope minding onely to benefite the Christians and honor the Church setting aside all priuate passion at the Duke of Milans request crowned the King Ferrando thinking he should better appease the warres by mainteining of him in possession then by fauouring the French to giue them the Kingdome or if he should as Calisto did challenge it for himselfe For this benefite Ferrando gaue vnto Antonio the Popes nephew the principallitie of Malfi and married him vnto his owne base daughter He restored also Beneuento and Terracina to the Church Then all men supposing that the armes of Italy were laid downe the Pope tooke order to mooue the Christians to make warre vpon the Turks as it was before deuised by Pope Calisto At which time there rose great dissention betwixt the Fregosi and Giouanni de Angio Lord of Genoua which dissention reuiued a warre of more importance then was the other alreadie passed At that time Pietrino Fregoso happened to be at a Castle of his in Riuiera He not holding himselfe according to his merits rewarded by Giouanni de Angio who by help of him and others of his house was made Prince became open enemy to Giouanni This discord pleased Ferrando as that which might onely be the meanes of his good speed Then sent he men and money to Pietrino hoping by his aide to driue Giouanni from that state Which he knowing sent into Fraunce to encounter Pietrino There finding much fauour he receiued a great supply and went against Pietrino who was become strong also so as Giouanni retired into the Cittie where also in the night Pietrino entred and possessed some places thereof but the next morning was by the souldiers of Giouanni assaulted and slaine and all his men likewise either slaine or taken This victorie encouraged Giouanni to set vpon the Kingdome and in October 1459. with a mightie nauie he departed from Genoua And landing at Baia marched from thence to Sessa where he was by the Duke of that countrey receiued Then came vnto Giouanni the Prince of Tarranto the Cittizens of Aquila with many other townes and Princes in so much as that Kingdome was almost ruined Ferrando seeing that desired aide of the Pope and the Duke Also to haue the fewer foes made peace with Gismondo Malatesti wherewith Giacopo Piccinino being naturall enemy to Gismondo became so much displeased as he discharged himselfe from the seruice of Ferrando and ioyned with Giouanni Ferrando also sent money to enterteine Federigo Lord of Vrbino and within short space he assembled according vnto that time a great army Then marched he to the riuer of Sarni where he found the enemy and fought with him in which conflict the forces of King Ferrando were ouerthrowne and many of his principall Captaines taken But notwithstanding this ouerthrow the Cittie of Naples with a fewe other townes and some Princes continued faithfull to Ferrando though all the rest of the Realme and Nobilitie yeelded their obedience to Giouanni Giacopo Piccinino perswaded Giouanni to follow the victorie and presently to marche to Naples thereby to possesse himselfe of the chiefe Cittie of the Kingdome which Giouanni refused to do saying he would first spoile all the countrey and then it would be more easie to surprize
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
the Bracci naturall enemies to his house and growne vp in great reputation vnder Giacopo Piccinino who was the chiefest Captaine in all Italy and such a one as euerie Prince ought to beware of chiefly the Duke who could not account his dominion assured nor leaue the same to his sonnes if Giacopo did still liue The King therfore by all meanes sought to make peace with his Barons handling the matter cunningly to assure him selfe of them which fell out very happily Because the Barons did thinke that in continuing the warre against their King the same would be in the end their vndoubted ruine and yeelding to the peace they should stand at the kings discretion But because men do most willingly eschue that euill which is most certaine it commeth to passe that Princes may easily deceiue others of lesse power and so these Lords gaue credit to the King For they seeing the manifest danger of the warre yeelded themselues into his hands and were vppon sundrie occasions by him oppressed which greatly dismaied Giacopo Piccinino at that time remaining with his forces at Salmona And to remoue occasion whereby the King might oppresse him he practised by his friends to be reconciled to the Duke Francesco who hauing made him great and honourable offers Giacopo resolued to put himselfe into his hands and being accompanied with one hundreth horse went to Milan to present himselfe vnto the Duke Giacapo had long serued his father and with his brother first for the Duke Philippo and after for the people of Milan Whereby he gained great acquaintance in that Citie and the good will of the multitude which was encreased by the present condition of the Citie For the good fortune and great power of the house of Sforza had kindled great enuie And Giacopo for his aduersitie and long absence was greatly by the people pitied who desired much to see him All which things appeared at his comming For welneare all the Nobilitie went to meet him and the streets were full of those which desired to see him Besides that great honour was spoken of him and his souldiers All which things did hasten his destruction because they encreased suspition and the Dukes desire to oppresse him For the more couert performance thereof the Duke deuised that the marriage with his daughter Drusiana who had bene long before contracted vnto him should now be solemnized Then he practised with Ferrando to entertaine him for Generall of his Army and promised him a hundreth thousand Florins in prest After this conclusion Giacopo accompanied with the Dukes Embassador and Drusiana his wife went vnto Naples where he was ioyfully and honourably receiued and for diuerse dayes enterteined with all sorts of triumph and feasting But at length desiring to go vnto his Campe which he left at Salmona he was by the King conuited to dinner in the Castle The dinner being ended both he and his sonne were imprisoned and shortly after put to death Whereby may be perceiued that our Italian Princes haue feared that vertue in others which was not to be found in themselues and did smother the same so long as no vertue at all being left our country became shortly after afflicted and ruined In these dayes the Pope Pio hauing setled all things in Romagna thought the time serued well in respect of the vniuersall peace to moue the Christians to make warre against the Turke according to the plot set downe by his predecessors To the performance of this exployt all Princes did contribute mony or men And in particuler Mathia King of Hungary and Carlo Duke of Borgogna promising to go in person were by the Pope made Captaines generall of that iourney The Pope had so great hope of proceeding in this enterprise that he went from Rome to Ancona where all the Armie were appointed to assemble and the Venetians did promise to send vessels to passe the souldiers into Schiauonia After the Popes arriual in that Citie the concourse of people there was so great that within fewe dayes all the victuall of that citie and that could be brought thither from other places thereabouts did not suffice In so much as euerie man began to taste of famine Moreouer there wanted mony to furnish the souldiers of things needfull and arme those that were disarmed Mathia and Carlo appeared not and the Venetians sent thither one onely Captaine with a fewe Gallies rather to shewe their pompe and seeme to haue kept promise then to passe the Armie So as the Pope being old and sicke in the middest of these businesses and disorders died After whose death euerie man returned home This Pope being dead the yeare 1465. Paulo secundo borne in the Cittie of Venice aspired to the Papacie About that time many other states of Italy chaunged their gouernment For the same yeare following died Francesco Sforza Duke of Milan hauing vsurped that Dukedome sixteene yeares And Galiazzo his sonne was proclaimed Duke The death of this Prince was the occasion that the diuisions of Florence became of more force and wrought their effects with the more speed After the death of Cosimo di Medici Piero his sonne being left in possession of the goods and lands of his father called vnto him Diotisalui Neroni a man of great authoritie amōg the other citizens of most reputation and one in whom Cosimo reposed so great trust as at his death he willed Piero both in his substance state to be by his counsel gouerned Piero accordingly declared vnto Diotisalui the trust which Cosimo had in him And because he would shewe himselfe as obedient to his father after death as he was in his life he desired Diotisalui to assist him with his counsell both for the order of his patrimonie and the gouernment of the Citie and to begin with his own priuate businesse he commaunded all his Officers to resort vnto him with their accounts and leaue the same with Diotisalui to the end that he might finde out the order and disorder of their doings and so counsell him what was best afterwards to be done Diotisalui promised to vse diligence and performe the trust in him reposed The Officers being come and examined were found to haue committed many disorders And thereupon as a man that more respected his owne ambition then the loue he bare to Piero or the benefits he had receiued of Cosimo imagined it was easie to deceiue Piero of the reputation and liuings left him by his father Diotisalui came vnto Piero offering him counsaile which seemed verie honest and reasonable yet vnder the same laie hidden the destruction of Piero. Hee told him what disorder he found in his affaires and how it behoued him to prouide great summes of mony for the holding of his credit and reputation in the state and therfore said he could not more honestly repaire his disorders and losses then by calling in those debtes which many straungers and Citizens did owe vnto his father For Cosimo to gaine
esteemed more his safetie then their state or proper commoditie they thought not fit he should remaine long from Milan being newly come to his gouernment and hauing there diuerse strong enemies to be suspected so that if any of them should practise against him they might easily in his absence do it For which respects they perswaded him to returne home and leaue part of his forces for their defence This counsell contented Galiazzo and without further consideration returned to Milan The Florentine Captaines disburthened of this let to declare the same was the true occasion of their slow proceeding drew so neare to the enemie that they ioyned battle which continued one half day neither partie yeelding to other Notwithstanding there was not anie man therein slaine but some horses hurt and a fewe prisoners on either part taken The winter now being come and the season of the yeare no longer seruing for the fielde they retired to their lodgings Bartolomeo went to Rauenna the Florentines into Toscana the Kings souldiers and the Dukes resorted home to their maisters Countries But so soone as this assault beganne to be forgotten and no disorder made in Florence as the Florentine Rebels promised and the other souldiers wanting paie were content to entreate of peace which with small difficultie was concluded The Rebels then dispairing of all hope to diuerse places dispersed themselues Diotisalui went to Farrara where he was by the Marquesse Borso receiued and relieued Nicholo Soderini fledde to Rauenna where liuing long vppon a poore pencion giuen him by the Venetians in the ende there died This Nicholo was accounted a man iust and couragious yet vncertaine and slowe of his resolution which was the cause that the Gonfaloniere lost that opportunitie which being out of office hee would haue taken but could not The peace concluded the Citizens who remained in Florence with victorie thinking themselues not assured vnlesse they did as well oppresse those they suspected as their apparant enemies perswaded Bardo Altouiti then Gonfaloniere d'Giustitia to remoue more Cittizens from their offices and to banish many others Which thing greatly encreased the power of that faction and terrified the contrarie part which power they vsed without respect and proceeded so much at their pleasure as it seemed that God and fortune had consented to giue that Cittie into their hands Of which doings Piero knew little and that litle he could not being afflicted with sicknesse remedie For his diseases were so great as he could not vse any member saue only his tongue wherwith he exhorted them and praied them to liue ciuilly and enioy their natiue country rather entire thē broken And for the comfort of the Citie he determined with magnificence to celebrate the marriage of Lorenzo his sonne who was alreadie contracted to Clarice discended of the house of Orsini which marriage was performed with great pompe as to so magnificent a feast apperteined For performance of these triumphs diuers daies were consumed in feasting dancing publike shews Wherunto was also ioined for more apparāce of greatnes of the Medici 2. marshal exercises the one represented a battle fought in the field the other of a towne besieged which things were deuised in good order performed with so much vertue as might be While these matters were doing in Florēce the rest of Italy liued quiet but yet in great suspitiō of the Turke who proceeded still in his enterprise against the Christians and had wonne Negroponti to the great infamie and dishonour of the Christian name Then died Borso Marquesse of Farrara to whom succeeded his brother Hercule Euen then died also Gismondo da Rimino a perpetuall enemie to the Church who left to inherit that state Roberto his naturall sonne afterwards accounted the most excellent Captaine of Italy Then likewise died the Pope Pagolo in whose place was created Sisto quarto called before his creation Francesco da Sauona a man of base and vile condition yet for his vertue made Generall of the order of S. Francesco and afterwardes Cardinall This Pope was the first that beganne to shewe of what great force the Papacie was and that manie things before time accounted faults might be by Papall authoritie couered This Pope had amongst many others in his house two men the one called Piero and the other Gerolamo who as euerie man thought were his vnlawfull sonnes notwithstanding men called them by other names more honest Piero being made a Frier was preferred to the dignitie of Cardinall and called Cardinall of S. Sisto To Gerolamo he gaue the Cittie of Furli and tooke it by force from Antonio Ordelaffi whose auncestors had bene long time Princes there This ambitious manner of proceeding made him the more esteemed by the Princes of Italy and euery of them sought which way to be accounted his friend The Duke of Milan gaue his daughter Catterina in marriage to Gerolamo and with her the Citie of Imola which by force he had taken frō Taddeo Alidossi Betwixt this Duke and the King Ferrando was also made new alliance For Eliza-bella daughter to Alfonso eldest sonne of the King was married to Giouan Galiazzo eldest sonne to the Duke Thus Italy continued quiet and the greatest care of the Princes was one to honor the other and with new alliances friendships leagues one to assure himselfe of the other But notwithstanding so great a peace Florence was by the Citizens thereof greatly afflicted And Piero being troubled with ambition of the Citizens and his own diseases could not procure remedie yet to discharge his conscience and laie before them their misdemeanor he called to his presence the chiefe Florentines and said vnto them as followeth I neuer thought that anie time could come when the maner behauior of friends would proue such as to make me loue desire my enemies or that I might wish victory to be conuerted to losse Because I thought my selfe accompanied with men whose appetites were confined to measure that it sufficed them to liue in their country assured honoured and that which is more vpon their enemies reuenged But now I know my self far deceiued as he that knew little the ambition of men and least of all yours For it contenteth you not to be Princes of so great a Cittie and among you a few to haue the honors offices and commodities wherewith many Citizens were wont to be honored It contented you not to haue the goods of your enemies among you diuided It contenteth you not to burthen others with publike charges you free from all paiments to take the publike profit but you wil also with euery kind of iniury molest them You cease not to rob your neighbors you feare not to sell iustice you flie ciuill iudgement you oppresse peaceable men and aduance those that be insolent Neither do I beleeue that there is in all Italy so many examples of violence couetousnes as be in this cittie But sith it hath giuen you life
The other following Barnardo surprized the Pallace and committed the Podesta with all his familie to the custodie of one of his companie Which done they walked the streets proclaiming the name of libertie By that time it was day and many people by meane of the noise came to the market place where vnderstanding that the Cittadell and Pallace were taken the Gouernor also with his familie imprisoned they meruailed much The eight Cittizens chiefe Officers of the towne assembled in their Pallace to consult what was to be done But Barnardo and his men hauing awhile walked the towne and finding himselfe not well followed hearing where the eight were went vnto them declaring that the occasion of his enterprise was to deliuer them and their countrey from bondage and that they should gaine great glorie to take armes and accompanie him in that glorious action whereby they should win perpetuall quiet and eternall fame He also laid before them the memorie of their auncient libertie comparing it with their present condition He likewise told them what aide they should be assured to haue of others if they would but for a fewe daies defend themselues from the Florentine forces He informed them moreouer that he had intelligence in Florence whereby he was aduertised that Cittie would wholie follow him The eight not moued with these perswasions answered that they knew not whether Florence liued in libertie or bondage as a thing they desired not to vnderstand But well they knew their owne desire was not to enioy other libertie then to obey those Magistrates that gouerned in Florence of whome they had not receiued any such iniurie as might moue to take armes against them Wherefore they perswaded him to restore the Podesta to his libertie send his men out of the towne and saue himselfe speedily from that danger whereinto he was vnaduisedly fallen These speeches dismaied not Barnardo for he intēded to see if feare might moue the Pratesi to that which with intreaty could not Therefore to terrifie the Cittizens and determining to put the Podesta to death he tooke him out of prison and commanded him to be hanged at the Pallace window The Podesta being brought to the window the halter vpon his neck and seeing Barnardo to sollicit his death turned himselfe towards him and said Barnardo thou puttest me to death hoping the rather to be followed of the Pratesi but the contrarie will come to passe For the reuerence which this people doth beare to the Gouernors sent by the Florentines is so great that so soone as they shall see this iniurie done to me they will hate thee so much as the same will prooue thy ruine wherefore not my death but my life may be the occasion of thy victorie For if I commaund them that which thou wouldst haue done they will more willinglie obey me then thee Thus I following thy direction thou mayst become owner of thy desire This counsell seemed to Barnardo being a man irresolute verie reasonable and therefore willed him at a window to commaund the people to yeeld their obedience to Barnardo Which being done the Podesta was lead back to prison By this time the weakenesse of the conspirators was discouered and many Florentines inhabiting that towne were assembled among whome was Georgio Ginori a Knight of Ierusalem He being the first that tooke armes against the Rebels assaulted Barnardo in the streets sometimes intreating and sometimes threatning the people to follow him till at length by Georgio and many others who tooke armes Barnardo was hurt and taken Which done it was no hard matter to deliuer the Podesta and vanquish the rest For they being fewe and diuided into sundrie parts of the towne were welneare all taken or slaine In the meane space the fame of this accident was come to Florence and reported to be much greater then it was For the aduertisements were that Prato was surprized the Podesta with his houshold put to death Pistoia in armes and many of the Cittizens of the conspiracie in so much as many Cittizens sodeinly came to the Pallace to consult with the Senate At that time Roberto Sanseuerino happened to be in Florence who being a man of great experience in warre was sent with certaine forces to Prato commaunded that he should approach the towne and send back particuler aduertisements in what state the same stood and do there what by his wisedome should be thought good Roberto marching on his way and passing the Castle of Campi a messenger came vnto him from Cesare Petrucci declaring that Barnardo was taken his companions fled or slaine and all the tumult pacified Whereupon Roberto returned to Florence and shortly after Barnardo being brought thither a prisoner and demaunded why he tooke that enterprise in hand aunswered bicause he determined rather to die in Florence then liue in exile and thought good to accompanie his death with some memorable action This tumult begun and ended as it were in one instant the Cittizens of Florence returned to their wonted order of life thinking to enioy that state without suspition which they had lately established and setled whereof insued those inconueniences which many times be ingendred by peace for the youth became more prodigall then they were wont spending their money in apparrell feasting and other like vanities and being idle consumed their substance in play and women Their whole studie was to be brauely apparrelled and to seeme wittie or subtile for he that could most cunninglie mock and deride others was holden the wisest and most esteemed These and such like disorders were by the Courtiers of Milan increased For at that time thither came the Duke with his wife and Court to performe as he said a certaine vowe and was there receiued with pompe meete for so great a Prince and friend to the Florentines In that time also was seene a thing in Florence neuer before vsed which was that the Courtiers of Milan notwithstanding the time of Lent did without respect of the Ecclesiasticall order eate almost none other meate but flesh Albeit the Duke found the Cittie of Florence full of courtlie delicacie and customes contrarie to all well ordered ciuilitie yet his comming increased the same Wherefore the good Cittizens thought fit and necessarie to bridle the excesse with new lawes for apparrell for funerals and feastings In the midst of this great peace there happened in Toscana a new and vnlooked for tumult In the Prouince of Volterra certaine Cittizens happened to finde a Mine of Allum whereof knowing the commoditie to be helped with money and defended with authoritie they ioyned with them some Cittizens of Florence making them partakers of such profit as should thereof arise This matter at the beginning as it happeneth for the most part in all new actions was by the people of Volterra little esteemed But the commoditie thereof afterwards knowne they desired too late and without effect that which at the first they might easilie haue obteined Then began they to propound
the matter in their councels saying it was not conuenient that a commoditie found in the common lands should be conuerted to a priuate vse Thereupon they sent vnto Florence certaine Embassadors The cause was committed to a few Cittizens who either bicause they were corrupted or for that they so thought best gaue sentence that the request of the people of Volterra was not reasonable bicause they desired to depriue the Cittizens of their labour and industrie and therefore iudged that those Alums apperteined to priuate men and not to the Citie Yet was it conuenient that those priuate persons should giue yearly vnto the people certaine money in signe they acknowledged them for superiors This answere did nothing diminish but augment the tumults and displeasures in Volterra so that nothing was spoken of so much in their councels and in euerie other place in the Cittie as the request of the multitude which was to recouer that which they thought lost The priuate men on the other side still laboured to continue that which they had gotten and had bene confirmed by iudgement of the Florentines This matter remained so long in disputation that one Cittizen a man of estimation in that Cittie called Pecorino with diuerse others that tooke part with him was slaine their houses spoiled and burnt In that furie also the Rettori for the Florentines with difficultie escaped This first tumult being passed they determined in all haste to send Embassadors to Florence who informed the Senators that if they would obserue their auncient conditions they would also continue in their auncient obedience The answere of these messengers was long disputed Tomaso Soderini was of opinion that it behoued to receiue the Volterani with what condition so euer thinking the time serued not to kindle a fire so neare hand that might burne their owne house for he feared the disposition of the Pope the power of the King and mistrusted the Venetians friendship and the Dukes not knowing what fidelitie was in the one nor what vertue in the other alleaging that prouerb which saith Better a leane peace then a fat victorie Of a contrarie minde was Lorenzo de Medici thinking he had now occasion to make shew of his wisedome and counsell and the rather being thereto perswaded by those that enuied the authoritie of Tomaso And therefore determined by armes to punish the insolencie of the Volterani affirming that if they were not corrected as a memorable example all others vpon euerie light occasion without reuerence or respect would dare to do the like This resolution made the Volterani were answered that they could not require the keeping of those conditions which they themselues had broken and therefore either they should referre themselues to the discretion of the Senate or presently looke for warre The Volterani returned with this answere prepared for the defence of their towne and sent to all Princes of Italy for aide but were aided by fewe for onely the Sanesi and the Lord of Piombino did promise to helpe them The Florentines on the other side iudging that the victorie would be gotten by making of speed assembled tenne thousand footemen and two thousand horse whome vnder the conduct of Federigo Lord of Vrbino they sent into the countrey of Volterra all which they easily possessed Then they brought their Camp before the Cittie which being builded vpon an hill could not be assaulted but on that side where the Church of S. Alisandro standeth The Volterani had for their defence enterteined a thousand souldiers or thereabouts who seeing how brauely the Florentines assailed them fearing they could not defend the towne were in the seruice slowe but in doing iniurie to the Volterani readie ynough so that those poore Cittizens were by the enemies assaulted without and by friends oppressed within In so much as dispairing to be saued thought good to make peace and forwant of better meane yeelded themselues to the Florentines Commissaries who caused them to open the gates and the greater part of the armie being entred they went vnto the Pallace where the Priori were whome they commanded to returne to their houses and by the way one of them was by a souldier reuiled and robbed Of this beginning for men be more readie to euill then good grew the destruction and sack of this Cittie which continued one whole day The houses were robbed and the people spoiled neither did the women and Churches escape but all souldiers aswell they that had cowardlie defended the towne as the others that fought were partakers of the spoiles The newes of this victorie was with much reioycing receiued at Florence for the same was wholie the enterprise of Lorenzo who thereby gained great reputation And thereupon one of his dearest friends reprooued Tomaso Soderini for his counsell saying vnto him What say you now that Volterra is taken To whome Tomaso answered me thinks it is lost for if you had taken it by composition you might haue made profit and suretie thereof but hauing it by force in time of warre it will weaken and trouble you and in time of peace charge and hinder you In those dayes the Pope desiring to hold in obedience the townes belonging to the Church caused Spoleto to be sacked which by meane of inward faction had rebelled After for the like offence he besieged the Cittie of Castello In that towne Nicholo Vitelli was Prince He being in great friendship with Lorenzo de Medici refused not in that necessitie to aide him yet was that aide not sufficient to defend Nicholo but ynough to sowe the first seeds of enimitie betwixt Sisto and the Medici which afterwards brought forth fruite of much mischiefe and the same should quickly haue shewed it selfe had not the death of Frier Piero Cardinall of Sisto happened For this Cardinall hauing trauelled about all Italy went also to Venice and Milan pretending to honor the marriage of Hercole Marquesse of Farrara to practise with the Princes and sound their disposition towards the Florentines But being returned to Rome he died not without suspition to haue bene poisoned by the Venetians who feared the greatnesse of Sisto so long as he might be counselled and incouraged by Frier Piero. For albeit nature had made this Frier of base bloud and was also bred vp basely in a Monasterie yet so soone as he had aspired to be Cardinall there appeared in him so great pride and ambition as might not onely become a Cardinall but also seeme fit ynough for any Pope For he feared not to make a feast in Rome with so great charge as seemed superfluous for any King for therein he spent more then twentie thousand Florins Pope Sisto bereft of this agent prosecuted his enterprises more coldly Notwithstanding the league being renewed betweene the Florentines the Duke and Venetians and place left for Pope Sisto and the King who made an other contract therein also leauing places for other Princes to enter if they would By this meane Italy became diuided in two
factions for daily betwixt these two leagues there grew displeasure as it happened touching the Ile of Cipres which the King Ferrando challenged and the Venetians vsurped whereupon the Pope and the King became more willing one of the others friendship In those daies Federigo Prince of Vrbino was accounted the most excellent Captaine of Italy and had long serued for the Florentines The King and the Pope to the end our league should not haue the seruice of such a leader determined to win the good will of Federigo To that end both the Pope and the King desired him to come vnto Naples Federigo performed their desire to the great admiration and displeasure of the Florentines beleeuing it would become of him as it did to Giacopo Piccinino Yet the contrarie came to passe for Federigo returned from Naples and Romagna with great honor and still Generall for their league Neuerthelesse the King and Pope ceased not to sound the disposition of the Lords in Romagna and the Sanesi hoping to make them his friends and by their meanes be able to offend the Florentines whome they perceiued by all conuenient waies armed to incounter their ambition and hauing lost Federigo of Vrbino they enterteined Roberto of Rimini They also renewed the league with the Perugini and drew thereunto the Lord of Faenza The Pope and King alleaged that their displeasure to the Florentines was bicause they sought to drawe the Venetians from them and the Pope thought that the Church could not mainteine the reputation thereof nor the Earle Girolamo his state in Romagna if the Florentines and Venetians were vnited On the other side the Florentines feared they would be enemies to the Venetians not to win their friendship but the rather thereby to iniurie them so as Italy liued two yeares in these suspitions and diuersities of humors before any tumults were moued But the first although but small happened in Toscana Braccio of Perugia a man as hath heretofore bene often said of great reputation in the warre had two sonnes called Oddo and Carlo This Carlo was a child and Oddo was by the inhabitants of the Vale of Lamona slaine as hath bene declared Carlo being atteined to age and able for armes was for the memorie of his father and the good hope of himselfe enterteined by the Venetians and made among others a leader for that state The time of his conduct ended he refused to serue longer determining to make proofe if with his owne fame and the reputation of his father he could recouer his owne countrey of Perugia Whereto the Venetians easily consented as they that were wont in alterations to increase their dominion Carlo then came into Toscana and found the enterprise of Perugia hard by reason that the Perugini were in league with the Florentines yet desirous that this motion might take some effect worthie memorie he assaulted the Sanesi alleaging they were debtors of money due to his father for seruice done to that state whereof he required satisfaction and vpon that demaund assaulted them with so great furie as that dominion became disordered The Cittizens of Siena seeing themselues so furiously charged being readie to suspect the worst of the Florentines thought all was done by their consent They also complained much to the Pope and the King and sent Embassadors vnto Florence to expostulate the iniurie and couertlie alleaged that without assistance Carlo could not with so great securitie haue offended them The Florentines excused themselues promising in what sort the Embassadors thought good they would commaund Carlo no more to offend the Sanesi Whereof Carlo complained that they by not aiding him should lose a great conquest and he misse the meane to aspire to much glorie For in short space he promised them possession of that Cittie where he found so great cowardice and disorder as with possibilitie it could not be defended Then Carlo departed from thence and returned to his old enterteinement of the Venetians Albeit the Sanesi were by the Florentines deliuered from so great danger yet remained they towards them offended and iudged their obligacion not to be any thing hauing saued them from an euill whereof they had bene the occasion During that these matters betwixt the King and Pope were handled in Toscana there happened in Lombardy an accident of much more moment and did prognosticate greater euils There was in Milan a Scholemaister called Cola of Mantoua a man well learned but ambitious and such a one as instructed the chiefe children of the Cittie This Cola either bicause he hated the life and manners of the Duke or for some other occasion in all his speeches seemed to disdaine those men that liued vnder an euill prince calling others glorious and happie whome nature and fortune graunted to be borne and liue in common-weales Declaring how all famous men had bene brought vp in common-weales and not vnder Princes For the common-weales said he did nourish vertuous men but Princes did oppresse them for the one doth cherish vertue the other doth feare it The yong men with whome he had gained most familiaritie were Giouandrea Lampugnano Carlo Visconti and Girolamo Olgeato with them he oftentimes reasoned of the euill nature of the Duke and their owne misfortune being gouerned vnder such a one and at length hee began to be in so great confidence of these yong men that hee brought them to sweare that so soone as they atteined to mans estate they would deliuer their countrey from the tirannie of that Prince These youths perswaded to performe what they had promised waying therewith all the Dukes behauiour and the particuler iniuries he had done did hasten their intent to put the matter in execution The Duke Galiazzo was in his disposition lasciuious and cruell which two things had made him odious for it sufficed him not to entice Ladies to dishonor but he would also take pleasure in publishing the same Neither was he content to put men to death but he would also execute them with some cruell manner of torment He was moreouer slandered or truely suspected to haue murthered his owne mother for hee perswading himselfe not to be Prince she being present found meanes to remoue her to Cremona which was the place of her dowrie and in that iourney she became sodeinly sick and died and many men iudged her sonne was cause of her death This Duke had in matter touching women dishonored Carlo and Gerolamo and denied Giouandrea to haue the possession of the Abbey of Miramondo being graunted vnto him of the Pope vpon resignation of a kinsman of his These priuate iniuries increased the desire of the yong men by reuenge to deliuer their countrey of so great mischiefes hoping that if they might murther the Duke they should be not onely esteemed of the nobilitie but also of the people followed Thus determined of the enterprise they oftentimes met together and by reason of their auncient familiaritie no meruaile made of their meeting Being togithers to make their
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 beganne to deuise rather how hee might winne him for a friend then continue him an enemie Notwithstanding for diuerse causes hee enterteined him from December till Marche not onelie to make the more triall of him but also of his Cittie For Lorenzo wanted not enemies in Florence who desired that the King would haue holden him and enterteined Giacopo Piccinino and vnder colour of lamenting they speake their mindes Also in publique Councelles they opposed their opinions against Lorenzo By these deuises It was bruted that if the King woulde keepe Lorenzo long at Naples the gouernment in Florence should be chaunged Whiche was the onely cause that the King deferred his dispatch so long hoping there might some tumult arise in Florence But seeing that all thinges passed quietly on the sixt day of March in the yeare 1479. he had leaue to depart and before his departure was by the King so bountifully presented louingly vsed that betwixt Lorenzo the King their grew a perpetual amity preseruation of both their states Thus Lorenzo returned to Florence with greater reputation honor then he went thence was with so great ioy of the citie receiued as his great vertues new merits deserued hauing put his own life in hazard to recouer peace to his country For within two daies after his arriuall the treaty betwixt the common weale of Florence the King was proclaimed wherby they were both both bound to defend one the others country that the townes taken frō the Florentines in the war shuld be by the King restored And that the Pazzi imprisoned in the town of Volterra shuld be deliuered And that mony should be for a certaine time paide vnto the Duke of Calauria This peace being published did much offend the Pope the Venetians because the Pope thought he was litle esteemed of the King the Venetians as litle regarded of the Florentines who being their companions in the war thought themselues il vsed not to be partakers of the peace This indignation vnderstood and beleeued at Florence did sodeinly breed suspition in euerie man that of the peace wold arise a greater war Wherupon the Magistrates of the state determined to restraine the gouernment and that the affaires of most importance should be reduced into the hands of a lesse number and so ordeined a Councell of 70. Citizens with authoritie that they might proceed in matters of most importance This new ordinance staied the minds of those that desired innouation and to giue thereto countenance first of all they accepted the peace which Lorenzo had made with the King and sent vnto the Pope Antonio Ridolphi and Piero Nasi Neuertheles Alfonso Duke of Calauria did not remoue his army from Siena saying he was staied by the discord of the citizens there which was so great that he being lodged without the citie was called in and made iudge of their differents The Duke taking these occasions punished many of those citizens in mony imprisoning banishing others and some also were iudged to death In so much as by this meanes he became suspected not only to the Sanesi but the Florentines also mistrusted he would make himself Prince of that citie Wherof they knew no remedy cōsidering the new friendship of Florence with the King the enmitie of the Pope King Which suspition not only in the people of Florence generally who mistrustfully cōsider of all things but in the chief gouernors of the state appeared euery man imagining that our citie had neuer bin in so great danger to lose the liberty therof But God who had euer a particuler care therof caused an accident to happē vnlooked for which made the King the Pope the Venetians to think of greater matters thē these of Toscana Mahumetto great Turk was with a mighty army gone to the Isle of Rodi had many months assaulted it But notwithstanding his forces were great and his resolution to win the town greater yet was the vertue of those that defended the same greatest of all For Mahumetto notwithstanding his furious assaults was forced to depart with shame Thus the Turk being departed frō Rodi part of his army cōducted by Saccometto Bascia went towards Velona by the way either for that he saw the enterprise easie or because the Turk had so commanded passed by the coast of Italy sodeinly set 4000. men on land who assaulted the citie of Ottranto tooke it sacked it slew all the inhabitants therof which done by all the best means he could fortified both the citie the hauen Thē sent he for horsmen with them he forraged spoiled the coūtry round about The king seeing this assault knowing how great a prince had takē that enterprise in hād sent vnto al places to signify the same desired aid of thē al against the cōmon enimy Also speedily reuoked the Duke of Calauria with his forces frō Siena This assault thogh it grieued the duke the rest of Italy yet did the same cōfort Florēce Siena One hoping therby to recouer liberty th'other trusting the rather to shun those perils which made them to feare the losse of their libertie Which opinion was encreased by the vnwilling departure and lamentation of the Duke at his going from Siena accusing fortune that she by an vnlooked for and vnreasonable accident had taken frō him the dominion of Toscana The selfsame chance did alter the Popes mind for where before he refused to giue audience to all Florentines he was now become so curteous as he refused not to hear any that wold speak vnto him of the vniuersal peace Whereupon the Florentines were aduertised that if they would desire pardon of the Pope they might obteine it It was then thought good not to omit this occasion and 12. Embassadors were sent to the Pope who being arriued at Rome were by his holinesse before they had audience enterteined with diuers practises In the end it was betweene the parties concluded how either of them should afterwards liue in what sort either of them both in peace and war were to make contribution After this conclusion the Embassadors were admitted to present themselues at the Popes feete and he sitting in the midst of his Cardinals with exceeding great pomp receiued them These Embassadors excused all matters passed sometimes blaming necessitie sometimes the euil disposition of others sometimes the populer furie and the iust offence thereof saying they were most vnhappie being forced either to fight or die And because all things are endured to eschue death they had suffred war excommunicatiōs all other troubles which the matters passed had brought with thē And all to the end that their common weale might auoyd bondage which is the death of all free Cities Neuertheles if any error or enforced fault were committed they were ready to make satisfaction euer hoping in his goodnes who following the examples of the almightie Redeemer he would receiue them
rather for his mercie then their merits To which excuses the Pope answered with great pride and anger reprouing them of all things done against the church notwithstāding for Gods sake he was pleased to grant them the pardō they desired yet therwith affirming they were to obey him if they shal faile of obedience their libertie which now should haue bin lost shall then be iustly taken from thē For they deserue libertie who take in hand good actions not they that in euil enterprises employ themselues Because libertie abused offendeth it self and others Also to esteem God litle the church lesse is not the office of good mē but of vain persons enclined to euil The correction of whō apperteineth not onely to Princes but to euery christian so as they were for matters passed to blame their own euil doings which was the first occasion of war by their worse doings it was norished But all anger was now extinguished rather by the goodnes of others thē their own deserts After publication of the peace the Popes blessing was read Whereunto his holinesse by word of mouth added that if they would enioy the benifit of his benediction they should during the Turks war in the kingdom maintein at their charge 15. gallies wel paid The Embassadors complained much of this burdē imposed ouer and aboue the contract Yet by no meanes they could make or by any lamentation they vsed the Pope would diminish any part of that penance But the Embassadors being returned to Florence the Senate for confirmation of this peace sent Embassador to the Pope Guidantonio Vespucci who was lately ariued frō France He by his wisdom brought all matters vnto reasonable termes obteined many fauours of the Pope which was a token of greater reconciliatiō The Florentines hauing ended their busines with the Pope and Siena with themselues being deliuered from feare of the King by the departure of the Duke of Calauria and the Turkes warre continuing constrained the King to restore all the Castles which the Duke of Calauria at his departure left in the handes of the Sanesi Wherby that King hoped that the Florentines in so great necessitie would not shrincke from him or by moouing of warre against the Sanesi impeach the aide which hee hoped of from the Pope and other Italian Princes And therefore was content that the Castles should bee restored and bound the Florentines by a new obligation So as thereby we see that force and necessitie but not writings or obligations do make Princes to obserue their faith The Castles thus receiued and the new confederacie made Lorenzo di Medici recouered that reputation which the warre first and after the peace when the King was feared had taken from him For there wanted not those that openly slaundered him and said that for sauing himselfe he had sould his countrey and that by the warre they lost their townes and by the peace they should lose their libertie But the townes recouered an honorable peace made with the King and the Cittie returned to the auncient reputation For in Florence a Cittie free of speech and therein matters iudged by their successe and not by counsell the case was altered and Lorenzo commended to the skies euerie man saying that he with his wisedome had found meanes to recouer that by peace which euill fortune had taken from them in warre and that his counsell and iudgement had preuailed more then the enemies armes or their money The assault of the Turks had deferred that warre which by offence of the Pope and Venetians would haue bene moued But as the beginning of that assault was vnlooked for and occasion of much good so was the end thereof vnlooked for and the cause of much euill for Mahumetto great Turke beyond all expectation died and discord growing betwixt his sonnes those Turks that were in Puglia being abandoned of their Lord by composition yeelded Ottranto to the King This feare remoued which held the Pope and Venetians firme euery man doubted new tumults On the one side the Pope and the Venetians were in league and with them the Genouesi Sanesi and other lesse Potentates On the other were the Florentines the King and the Duke with whome the Bolognesi and many other Lords ioyned The Venetians desired to become Lords of Farrara supposing they had reasonable occasion to begin that enterprise and certaine hope to performe it The occasion was bicause the Marquesse affirmed he was no longer bound to receiue the Visdomine and their salte bicause the contract was that after seauentie yeares the Cittie should be disburthened of those charges The Venetians to the contrarie answered that so long as he did hold the Polesine so long he ought to receiue the Visdomine and the salte But the Marquesse not consenting thereto the Venetians thought they had iust occasion to take armes and time fit for the same seeing the Pope much offended with the Florentines and the King whose fauour they hoped the rather to haue bicause the Earle Girolamo being at Venice was there receiued most honorablie and the Venetians bestowed on him the title of a Gentleman of that state which is the greatest token of honor which they will or can giue They had also for preparation of the warres imposed a new Subsidie and chosen Roberto de Sanseuerino for their Generall who being offended with Lodouico Gouernour of Milan was fled to Tortona and there hauing made some tumults went to Genoua from thence he was called by the Venetians and made Chiefetaine of their armie These preparations and new motions being knowne to those of the contrarie league was the cause that they also prepared for the warre The Duke of Milan made Federigo Lord of Vrbino his Generall and the Florentines Costanzo de Pesaro Also to sound the disposition of the Pope and to discouer whether the Venetians with his consent did make the warre against Farrara the King Ferrando sent Alfonso Duke of Calauria with his armie to the riuer of Tronto and there desired leaue of the Pope to passe into Lombardy to aide the Marquesse which was by the Pope vtterly denied Whereupon the King and the Florentines being resolued thought to constraine him by force so as thereby he should either become their friend or at the least they would so trouble him as he could not be able to aide the Venetians for they were in the field and had alreadie begun the warre with the Marquesse spoyled his countreys and besieged Figarolo a Castle of much importance for the countrey of that Prince Thus the King and the Florentines determined to assaile the Pope Alfonso Duke of Calauria spoiled the countrey towards Rome and with aide of the Colonni who were on his side bicause the Orsini were ioyned with the Pope did great dammage to that countrey on the other side of Rome The Florentines on the other side vnder Nicholo Vitelli assaulted the Cittie of Castello surprized it and draue out Lorenzo who kept that
forces at Pisa vnder Virginio Orsino They also complained vnto the Pope that whilest he practised the peace the Genouesi had begunne this warre They sent likewise Piero Corcini to Lucca to continue the amitie with that Citie and Pagolantonio Soderini was sent vnto Venice to feele the disposition of that state They praied aide also of the King and of the Lord Lodouico Sforza but failed thereof at both their handes For the King saide hee feared the Turkes Nauie and Lodouico vnder other cauillations deferred to send anie Thus the Florentines being for the most part left alone in their warres did not finde anie so readie to helpe them as they were readie to aide others Neither were they dismaied being now abandoned by their confederates which was no new thing but assembling a great armie vnder Giacopo Guicciardini and Piero Vittori sent them against the enemie who lodged one night vppon the Riuer Magra In the meane time Serezanello was straightly distressed by the enemie who by vndermining and euerie other meanes besieged it In so much as our Commissaries marched towardes the reliefe thereof Yet the enemie refused not to fight but ioyning battle with the Commissaries the Genouesi were ouerthrowne and Lodouico Fiesco with many other Captaines of the enemies were taken prisoners This victory discouraged not so much the Serezanesi that they would therefore yeeld but with more obstinacie they prepared for defence and the Florentine Commissaries still continued to offend them In so much as that towne was both manfully assaulted and stoutly defended This siege continuing long caused Lorenzo di Medici to go himselfe into the field He being come thither greatly encouraged our souldiers and discouraged the Serezanesi For they seeing the resolution of the Florentines to distresse them and the coldnesse of the Genouesi to relieue them freely and without conditions yeelded themselues to the Florentines hands And were all receiued to mercie excepting a fewe who had bin the authors of the rebellion Lodouico during this siege had sent his men of armes to Pontremoli seeming to haue aided vs. But hauing intelligence with some in Genoua that faction tooke armes against those that gouerned and with the aide of these forces deliuered that Cittie to the Duke of Milan At that time the Almanes had mooued a war against the Venetians and Boccolino de Osimo in La Marca caused the towne of Osimo to rebell against the Pope and made himselfe Prince thereof He after many accidents at the perswasion of Lorenzo di Medici was contented to deliuer that Citie againe vnto the Pope and went himselfe to Florence where vnder the protection of Lorenzo he liued long in great honour After he went from thence to Milan where not finding the like fidelitie was by Lodouico put to death The Venetians assaulted by the Almanes were neare vnto the Citie of Trento broken and Roberto da Sanseuerino their Generall slaine After which losse the Venetians according to the order of their fortune made peace with the Almanes not as victored but as victorious so honourable was the conclusion for their state In those dayes also there happened in Romagna tumults of great importance Francesco de Orso of Furli was a man of great authoritie in that Citie He being suspected to the Earle Girolamo was many times by the Earle threatned Whereupon Francesco liuing in great feare was perswaded by his friends and kinsmen to preuent the mischief And sith he feared to be slaine by the Earle was aduised to sley him first and so by the death of an other escape his owne daunger This resolution made hee appointed the time for performing the enterprise the Market day at Furli for many of his country friends comming then thither he thought to haue their aide without sending for them This conspiracie hapned in the moneth of May in which time and all the sommer the Italians do vse to sup by day-light The conspirators thought the fittest instant to commit this murther should be immediatly after supper when all his familie were at meate and he left almost alone in his chamber Thus determined and that houre appointed Francesco went vnto the Earles house and leauing his companions in the Hall himselfe went vp to the Chamber where the Earle was and said to one of his men that he desired to speake with the Earle Francesco being called in enterteined the Earle awhile with some feined speech and so sodeinly slew him Then he called vnto him his companions and slew also the Earles man By chance the Captaine of the towne also came in the meane time to speake with the Earle and being arriued in the Hall followed with a fewe was likewise slaine by those that came to murther the Earle These murthers executed the Earles bodie was cast out of the window and the murtherers proclayming the Church and libertie caused all the people to arme who hated greatly the couetise and crueltie of the Earle The conspirators hauing sacked the Earles houses tooke the Countesse Caterina his wife with all her children Then remained onely the Castle which being surprized should happilie finish the enterprise But thereunto the Captaine would not consent Neuerthelesse this Countesse promised to deliuer it if she were let loose to goe into the Castle and for hostages of her promise she left with the enemyes her children The conspirators belieued her words and gaue her leaue to depart But so soone as she was within the Castle she looked ouer the walls and threatned the enemyes to be reuenged of her husbands death Then they threatning to sley all her children answered that she had meane to beget others The conspirators dismaied seeing they were not aided by the Pope and hearing that the Lord Lodouico Vnkle to the Countesse did send men in her aide taking vp all the goods they could carrie awaie went vnto the Cittie of Castello whereby the Countesse recouered her state and reuenged her husbands death by all manner of cruelties The Florentines vnderstanding the Earles death tooke occasion to repossesse the fortresse of Piancaldoli which the Earle had before taken from them for sending thither their forces they surprized it and slew therein Ciecco the famous Architetture To this tumult of Romagna followed one other of no lesse moment Galeotto Lord of Faenza tooke to wife the daughter of Giouan Bentiuogli Prince of Bologna She either for ielousie or bicause her husband vsed her not well either else through her owne euil nature hated him so much as she determined to take from him his principallitie and life Then dissembling a sicknesse laid her selfe in bed and when Galeotto should come to visit her she determined he should be by certaine men hidden in the Chamber slaine Of this intent she had made her father priuie who hoped by the death of his sonne in lawe to become Lord of Faenza The time destined for this murther being come Galeotto repaired to his wiues Chamber as he was woont and hauing a little talked with
that choise whereto thine own mind is inclined If thou be the sonne of Hercole Bentiuogli thou wilt dispose thy selfe to such actions as be worthie of thy father and his house but if thou art the sonne of Agnolo Cascese thou shalt remaine in Florence and imploy thy life basely in the art of clothmaking These words much incouraged the yong man for where he had before refused to take the matter vpō him he said now that he would be directed in all by Cosimo and Neri Then they resolued with the messengers of Bologna to apparrell him horse him and man him and so in honorable wise conuey him to the Cittie there to take the gouernment where he after gouerned with so great wisedome that notwithstāding the greater part of his predecessors had ben by their enemies slaine yet he peaceably and honorably liued died After the death of Nicholo Piccinino the peace made in La Marca Philippo desired to entertaine a Captaine to gouerne his Army and secretly practised with Ciarpellone one of the Earles chiefe Leaders and grew with him to composition Ciarpellone prayed leaue of the Earle to goe to Milan to take possession of certaine Castles which in the late warre were by Philippo giuen him The Earle mistrusting that which was and to the end the Duke should not be serued to his disaduantage first stayed him and shortly after put him to death alleaging he had bene by him abused Therewith Philippo was exceedingly angrie and the Florentines and Venetians much pleased as they that feared least the Earles forces and the Dukes power ioyned in friendship This anger was occasion to resuscitate new warre in La Marca In Rimini Gismondo Malatesti was Lord who being son in law to the Earle hoped to haue possession of Pesaro notwithstanding the Earle hauing surprized it gaue it to Alessandro his brother Wherewith Gismondo grew greatly offended and the more bicause Federigo di Montefeltro his enemy by the Earles fauour had vsurped Vrbino This was the cause that Gismondo ioyned with the Duke and sollicited the Pope King to make warre vpon the Earle Who to the end Gismondo should feele the first fruits of that warre which he desired thought to preuent him and sodeinly assailed him Whereupon Rome La Marca were on the soden brought into tumult bicause Philippo the king and the Pope sent great aide to Gismondo and the Venetians and Florentines furnished the Earle though with no men yet with plentie of money Neither was Philippo content to make warre in Romagna but he also determined to take from the Earle Cremona and Pontremoli yet was Pontremoli by the Florentines and Cremona by the Venetians defended So that by these meanes the warre in Lombardy was renewed and therein somewhat done in Cremonese Francesco Piccinino Generall for the Duke was by Micheletto and the Venetian forces at Casale defeated By which victorie the Venetians hoped to take the Dukes state from him and sent their Commissarie to Cremona assailing Ghiraadada and possessed all sauing Cremona Afterwards they passed Adda spoiling the countrey hard to the gates of Milan Thereupon the Duke desired aide of Alfonso declaring what perill would ensue to the kingdome if Lombardy were in the Venetians hand Alfonso promised to send him souldiers who without consent of the Earle could with difficultie passe Then Philippo intreated the Earle not to abandon his father in law being aged and blind The Earle sound himself offended with the Duke for hauing moued the warre against him On the other side he misliked the greatnesse of the Venetians his money grew low and the same was scarcely supplied by the Lords of the League For the Florentines feared no more the Duke which was the cause they esteemed the Earle and the Venetians desired his ruine iudging that the state of Lombardy could not be taken from them but by the Earle Notwithstanding while Philippo sought to draw him into his pay offering him the commaundement of all his souldiers so that he would forsake the Venetians and restore La Marca to the Pope They also sent Embassadors vnto him promising him the possession of Milan if they could win it and the perpetuitie in the gouernment of their men of warre if he would still follow the warre in La Marca and impeach the comming of aide from Alfonso into Lombardy Thus were the promises of the Venetians great and their deserts of him greater hauing begun that warre to saue Cremona for the Earle On the other part the iniuries done by the Duke were fresh his promises not faithfull nor great Yet did the Earle much doubt what resolution to make For of the one side the obligation of the league their well deseruing of him and their promises of pleasures to come did moue him On the other the intreatie of his Father in lawe and chiefely the poison which hee feared to be hidden vnder the great promises of the Venetians did stay him suspecting least their promise of that state if hee should hap to win it might not be performed hauing none other hold but their bare promise whereunto no wise Prince vnlesse it were for great necessitie had euer trusted These difficulties of the Earles resolution were remoued by the ambition of the Venetians who hoping to surprize Cremona by meanes of some intelligence they had within the Cittie vnder another pretence caused their souldiers to marche neere vnto it But that enterprise was discouered by those that guarded the towne for the Earle whereby the treason tooke no effect and they thereby wan not Cremona but vtterly lost the loue of the Earle who presently thereupon laying all respects apart ioyned himselfe with the Duke Now was Pope Eugenio dead and in his place succeeded Nicholao quinto The Earle had his whole Army at Cotigniola readie to passe into Lombardy Thither came newes aduertising the death of Philippo which was the last of August in the yeare 1447. These newes grieued the Earle exceedingly bicause he thought his army not fully paid would be vnreadie feared least the Venetians being in armes would become his enemies For hauing abandoned them ioyned with the Duke he feared Alfonso his continuall enemy not trusting either the Pope or the Florentines These bicause they were in league with the Venetians and the other for that he did possesse some townes belonging to the Church Notwithstanding he determined to shew his face to fortune and according to the chances therof to proceed For many times by doing somewhat secrets are discouered which by standing stil could not be knowne Great hope he conceiued in thinking that if the Milanesi would be defended frō the ambition of the Venetians that of force they must imploy him and his souldiers Therof taking courage he marched into the countrey of Bologna and from thence to Modena and Regio staying with his forces at Lenza from whence he sent vnto Milan to offer his seruice Some of the Milanesi hauing buried their Duke desired to liue in