history of florence-第25部分

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the　mercy　of　his　followers。



While　these　matters　were　being　considered　by　the　conspirators；　Antonio

Adimari；　in　expectation　of　getting　assistance　from　them；　disclosed　the

affair　to　some　Siennese；　his　friends；　naming　certain　of　the

conspirators；　and　assuring　them　that　the　whole　city　was　ready　to　rise

at　once。　One　of　them　communicated　the　matter　to　Francesco

Brunelleschi；　not　with　a　design　to　injure　the　plot；　but　in　the　hope

that　he　would　join　them。　Francesco；　either　from　personal　fear；　or

private　hatred　of　some　one；　revealed　the　whole　to　the　duke；　whereupon；

Pagolo　del　Mazecha　and　Simon　da　Monterappoli　were　taken；　who

acquainted　him　with　the　number　and　quality　of　the　conspirators。　This

terrified　him；　and　he　was　advised　to　request　their　presence　rather

than　to　take　them　prisoners；　for　if　they　fled；　he　might　without

disgrace；　secure　himself　by　banishment　of　the　rest。　He　therefore　sent

for　Antonio　Adimari；　who；　confiding　in　his　companions；　appeared

immediately；　and　was　detained。　Francesco　Brunelleschi　and　Uguccione

Buondelmonti　advised　the　duke　to　take　as　many　of　the　conspirators

prisoners　as　he　could；　and　put　them　to　death；　but　he；　thinking　his

strength　unequal　to　his　foes；　did　not　adopt　this　course；　but　took

another；　which；　had　it　succeeded；　would　have　freed　him　from　his

enemies　and　increased　his　power。　It　was　the　custom　of　the　duke　to　call

the　citizens　together　upon　some　occasions　and　advise　with　them。　He

therefore　having　first　sent　to　collect　forces　from　without；　made　a

list　of　three　hundred　citizens；　and　gave　it　to　his　messengers；　with

orders　to　assemble　them　under　the　pretense　of　public　business；　and

having　drawn　them　together；　it　was　his　intention　either　to　put　them　to

death　or　imprison　them。



The　capture　of　Antonio　Adimari　and　the　sending　for　forces；　which　could

not　be　kept　secret；　alarmed　the　citizens；　and　more　particularly　those

who　were　in　the　plot；　so　that　the　boldest　of　them　refused　to　attend；

and　as　each　had　read　the　list；　they　sought　each　other；　and　resolved　to

rise　at　once　and　die　like　men；　with　arms　in　their　hands；　rather　than

be　led　like　calves　to　the　slaughter。　In　a　very　short　time　the　chief

conspirators　became　known　to　each　other；　and　resolved　that　the　next

day；　which　was　the　26th　July；　1343；　they　would　raise　a　disturbance　in

the　Old　Market　place；　then　arm　themselves　and　call　the　people　to

freedom。



The　next　morning　being　come；　at　nine　o'clock；　according　to　agreement；

they　took　arms；　and　at　the　call　of　liberty　assembled；　each　party　in

its　own　district；　under　the　ensigns　and　with　the　arms　of　the　people；

which　had　been　secretly　provided　by　the　conspirators。　All　the　heads　of

families；　as　well　of　the　nobility　as　of　the　people；　met　together；　and

swore　to　stand　in　each　other's　defense；　and　effect　the　death　of　the

duke；　except　some　of　the　Buondelmonti　and　of　the　Cavalcanti；　with

those　four　families　of　the　people　which　had　taken　so　conspicuous　a

part　in　making　him　sovereign；　and　the　butchers；　with　others；　the

lowest　of　the　plebeians；　who　met　armed　in　the　piazza　in　his　favor。



The　duke　immediately　fortified　the　place；　and　ordered　those　of　his

people　who　were　lodged　in　different　parts　of　the　city　to　mount　upon

horseback　and　join　those　in　the　court；　but；　pn　their　way　thither；　many

were　attacked　and　slain。　However；　about　three　hundred　horse　assembled；

and　the　duke　was　in　doubt　whether　he　should　come　forth　and　meet　the

enemy；　or　defend　himself　within。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Medici；

Cavicciulli；　Rucellai；　and　other　families　who　had　been　most　injured　by

him；　fearful　that　if　he　came　forth；　many　of　those　who　had　taken　arms

against　him　would　discover　themselves　his　partisans；　in　order　to

deprive　him　of　the　occasion　of　attacking　them　and　increasing　the

number　of　his　friends；　took　the　lead　and　assailed　the　palace。　Upon

this；　those　families　of　the　people　who　had　declared　for　the　duke；

seeing　themselves　boldly　attacked；　changed　their　minds；　and　all　took

part　with　the　citizens；　except　Uguccione　Buondelmonti；　who　retired

into　the　palace；　and　Giannozzo　Cavalcanti；　who　having　withdrawn　with

some　of　his　followers　to　the　new　market；　mounted　upon　a　bench；　and

begged　that　those　who　were　going　in　arms　to　the　piazza；　would　take　the

part　of　the　duke。　In　order　to　terrify　them；　he　exaggerated　the　number

of　his　people　and　threatened　all　with　death　who　should　obstinately

persevere　in　their　undertaking　against　their　sovereign。　But　not

finding　any　one　either　to　follow　him；　or　to　chastise　his　insolence；

and　seeing　his　labor　fruitless；　he　withdrew　to　his　own　house。



In　the　meantime；　the　contest　in　the　piazza　between　the　people　and　the

forces　of　the　duke　was　very　great；　but　although　the　place　served　them

for　defense；　they　were　overcome；　some　yielding　to　the　enemy；　and

others；　quitting　their　horses；　fled　within　the　walls。　While　this　was

going　on；　Corso　and　Amerigo　Donati；　with　a　part　of　the　people；　broke

open　the　stinche；　or　prisons；　burnt　the　papers　of　the　provost　and　of

the　public　chamber；　pillaged　the　houses　of　the　rectors；　and　slew　all

who　had　held　offices　under　the　duke　whom　they　could　find。　The　duke；

finding　the　piazza　in　possession　of　his　enemies；　the　city　opposed　to

him；　and　without　any　hope　of　assistance；　endeavored　by　an　act　of

clemency　to　recover　the　favor　of　the　people。　Having　caused　those　whom

he　had　made　prisoners　to　be　brought　before　him；　with　amiable　and

kindly　expressions　he　set　them　at　liberty；　and　made　Antonio　Adimari　a

knight；　although　quite　against　his　will。　He　caused　his　own　arms　to　be

taken　down；　and　those　of　the　people　to　be　replaced　over　the　palace；

but　these　things　coming　out　of　season；　and　forced　by　his　necessities；

did　him　little　good。　He　remained；　notwithstanding　all　he　did；　besieged

in　the　palace；　and　saw　that　having　aimed　at　too　much　he　had　lost　all；

and　would　most　likely；　after　a　few　days；　die　either　of　hunger；　or　by

the　weapons　of　his　enemies。　The　citizens　assembled　in　the　church　of

Santa　Reparata；　to　form　the　new　government；　and　appointed　fourteen

citizens；　half　from　the　nobility　and　half　from　the　people；　who；　with

the　archbishop；　were　invested　with　full　authority　to　remodel　the　state

of　Florence。　They　also　elected　six　others　to　take　upon　them　the　duties

of　provost；　till　he　who　should　be　finally　chosen　took　office；　the

duties　of　which　were　usually　performed　by　a　subject　of　some

neighboring　state。



Many　had　come　to　Florence　in　defense　of　the　people；　among　whom　were　a

party　from　Sienna；　with　six　ambassadors；　men　of　high　consideration　in

their　own　country。　These　endeavored　to　bring　the　people　and　the　duke

to　terms；　but　the　former　refused　to　listen　to　any　whatever；　unless

Guglielmo　da　Scesi　and　his　son；　with　Cerrettieri　Bisdomini；　were　first

given　up　to　them。　The　duke　would　not　consent　to　this；　but　being

threatened　by　those　who　were　shut　up　with　him；　he　was　forced　to

comply。　The　rage　of　men　is　certainly　always　found　greater；　and　their

revenge　more　furious　upon　the　recovery　of　liberty；　than　when　it　has

only　been　defended。　Guglielmo　and　his　son　were　placed　among　the

thousands　of　their　enemies；　and　the　latter　was　not　yet　eighteen　years

old；　neither　his　beauty；　his　innocence；　nor　his　youth；　could　save　him

from　the　fury　of　the　multitude；　but　both　were　instantly　slain。　Those

who　could　not　wound　them　while　alive；　wounded　them　after　they　were

dead；　and　not　satisfied　with　tearing　them　to　pieces；　they　hewed　their

bodies　with　swords；　tore　them　with　their　hands；　and　even　with　their

teeth。　And　that　every　sense　might　be　satiated　with　vengeance；　having

first　heard　their　moans；　seen　their　wounds；　and　touched　their

lacerated　bodies；　they　wished　even　the　stomach　to　be　satisfied；　that

having　glutted　the　external　senses；　the　one　within　might　also　have　its

share。　This　rabid　fury；　however　hurtful　to　the　father　and　son；　was

favorable　to　Cerrettieri；　for　the　multitude；　wearied　with　their

cruelty　toward　the　former；　quite　forgot　him；　so　that　he；　not　being

asked　for；　remained　in　the　palace；　and　during　night　was　conveyed

safely　away　by　his　friends。



The　rage　of　the　multitude　being　appeased　by　their　blood；　an　agreement

was　made　that　the　duke　and　his　people；　with　whatever　belonged　to　him；

should　quit　the　city　in　safety；　that　he　should　renounce　all　claim；　of

whatever　kind；　upon　Florence；　and　that　upon　his　arrival　in　the

Casentino　he　should　ratify　his　renunciation。　On　the　sixth　of　August　he

set　out；　accompanied　by　many　citizens；　and　having　arrived　at　the

Casentino　he　ratified　the　agreement；　although　unwillingly；　and　would

not　have　kept　his　word　if　Count　Simon　had　not　threatened　to　take　him

back　to　Florence。　This　duke；　as　his　proceedings　testified；　was　cruel

and　avaricious；　difficult　to　speak　with；　and　haughty　in　reply。　He

desired　the　service　of　men；　not　the　cultivation　of　their　better

feelings；　and　strove　rather　to　inspire　them　with　fear　than　love。　Nor

was　his　person　less　despicable　than　his　manners；　he　was　short；　his

complexion　was　black；　and　he　had　a　long；　thin　beard。　He　was　thus　in

every　respect　contemptible；　and　at　the　end　of　ten　months；　his

misconduct　deprived　him　of　the　sovereignty　which　the　evil　counsel　of

others　had　given　him。







CHAPTER　IX



　　Many　cities　and　territories；　subject　to　the　Florentines；　rebel

　　Prudent　conduct　adopted　upon　this　occasionThe　city　is　divided

　　into　quartersDisputes　between　the　nobility　and　the　peopleThe

　　bishop　endeavors　to　reconcile　them；　but　does　not　succeedThe

　　government　reformed　by　the　peopleRiot　of　Andrea　StrozziSerious

　　disagreements　between　the　nobility　and　the　peopleThey　come　to

　　arms；　and　the　nobility　are　subduedThe　plague　in　Florence　of

　　which　Boccaccio　speaks。



These　events　taking　place　in　the　city；　induced　all　the　dependencies　of

the　Florentine　state　to　throw　off　their　yoke；　so　that　Arezzo；

Castiglione；　Pistoia；　Volterra；　Colle；　and　San　Gemigniano　rebelled。

Thus　Florence　found　herself　deprived　of　both　her　tyrant　and　her

dominions　at　the