history of florence-第60部分

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disturbance　had　arisen；　and　learning　what　entire　composure　prevailed

in　the　city；　thought　he　was　wasting　time；　and　resolved　to　undertake

some　other　enterprise　to　induce　them　to　send　forces　after　him；　and

give　him　a　chance　of　coming　to　an　engagement；　by　means　of　which；　if

victorious；　he　trusted　everything　would　succeed　to　his　wishes。



Francesco；　Count　di　Poppi；　was　in　the　army　of　Niccolo；　having　deserted

the　Florentines；　with　whom　he　was　in　league；　when　the　enemy　entered

the　Mugello；　and　though　with　the　intention　of　securing　him　as　soon　as

they　had　an　idea　of　his　design；　they　increased　his　appointments；　and

made　him　commissary　over　all　the　places　in　his　vicinity；　still；　so

powerful　is　the　attachment　to　party；　that　no　benefit　or　fear　could

eradicate　the　affection　he　bore　toward　Rinaldo　and　the　late

government；　so　that　as　soon　as　he　knew　Niccolo　was　at　hand　he　joined

him；　and　with　the　utmost　solicitude　entreated　him　to　leave　the　city

and　pass　into　the　Casentino；　pointing　out　to　him　the　strength　of　the

country；　and　how　easily　he　might　thence　harass　his　enemies。　Niccolo

followed　his　advice；　and　arriving　in　the　Casentino；　took　Romena　and

Bibbiena；　and　then　pitched　his　camp　before　Castel　San　Niccolo。　This

fortress　is　situated　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　which　divide　the

Casentino　from　the　Val　d'Arno；　and　being　in　an　elevated　situation；　and

well　garrisoned；　it　was　difficult　to　take；　though　Niccolo；　with

catapults　and　other　engines；　assailed　it　without　intermission。　The

siege　had　continued　more　than　twenty　days；　during　which　the

Florentines　had　collected　all　their　forces；　having　assembled　under

several　leaders；　three　thousand　horse；　at　Fegghine；　commanded　by　Piero

Giampagolo　Orsini；　their　captain；　and　Neri　Capponi　and　Bernardo　de'

Medici；　commissaries。　Four　messengers；　from　Castel　San　Niccolo；　were

sent　to　them　to　entreat　succor。　The　commissaries　having　examined　the

site；　found　it　could　not　be　relieved；　except　from　the　Alpine　regions；

in　the　direction　of　the　Val　d'Arno；　the　summit　of　which　was　more

easily　attainable　by　the　enemy　than　by　themselves；　on　account　of　their

greater　proximity；　and　because　the　Florentines　could　not　approach

without　observation；　so　that　it　would　be　making　a　desperate　attempt；

and　might　occasion　the　destruction　of　the　forces。　The　commissaries；

therefore；　commended　their　fidelity；　and　ordered　that　when　they　could

hold　out　no　longer；　they　should　surrender。　Niccolo　took　the　fortress

after　a　siege　of　thirty…two　days；　and　the　loss　of　so　much　time；　for

the　attainment　of　so　small　an　advantage；　was　the　principle　cause　of

the　failure　of　his　expedition；　for　had　he　remained　with　his　forces

near　Florence；　he　would　have　almost　deprived　the　government　of　all

power　to　compel　the　citizens　to　furnish　money：　nor　would　they　so

easily　have　assembled　forces　and　taken　other　precautions；　if　the　enemy

had　been　close　upon　them；　as　they　did　while　he　was　at　a　distance。

Besides　this；　many　would　have　been　disposed　to　quiet　their

apprehensions　of　Niccolo；　by　concluding　a　peace；　particularly；　as　the

contest　was　likely　to　be　of　some　duration。　The　desire　of　the　Count　di

Poppi　to　avenge　himself　on　the　inhabitants　of　San　Niccolo；　long　his

enemies；　occasioned　his　advice　to　Piccinino；　who　adopted　it　for　the

purpose　of　pleasing　him；　and　this　caused　the　ruin　of　both。　It　seldom

happens；　that　the　gratification　of　private　feelings；　fails　to　be

injurious　to　the　general　convenience。



Niccolo；　pursuing　his　good　fortune；　took　Rassina　and　Chiusi。　The　Count

di　Poppi　advised　him　to　halt　in　these　parts；　arguing　that　he　might

divide　his　people　between　Chiusi；　Caprese；　and　the　Pieve；　render

himself　master　of　this　branch　of　the　Apennines；　and　descend　at

pleasure　into　the　Casentino；　the　Val　d'Arno；　the　Val　di　Chiane；　or　the

Val　di　Tavere；　as　well　as　be　prepared　for　every　movement　of　the　enemy。

But　Niccolo；　considering　the　sterility　of　these　places；　told　him；　〃his

horses　could　not　eat　stones；〃　and　went　to　the　Borgo　San　Sepolcro；

where　he　was　amicably　received；　but　found　that　the　people　of　Citta　di

Castello；　who　were　friendly　to　the　Florentines；　could　not　be　induced

to　yield　to　his　overtures。　Wishing　to　have　Perugia　at　his　disposal；　he

proceeded　thither　with　forty　horse；　and　being　one　of　her　citizens；　met

with　a　kind　reception。　But　in　a　few　days　he　became　suspected；　and

having　attempted　unsuccessfully　to　tamper　with　the　legate　and　people

of　Perugia；　he　took　eight　thousand　ducats　from　them；　and　returned　to

his　army。　He　then　set　on　foot　secret　measures；　to　seduce　Cortona　from

the　Florentines；　but　the　affair　being　discovered；　his　attempts　were

fruitless。　Among　the　principal　citizens　was　Bartolomeo　di　Senso；　who

being　appointed　to　the　evening　watch　of　one　of　the　gates；　a

countryman；　his　friend；　told　him；　that　if　he　went　he　would　be　slain。

Bartolomeo；　requesting　to　know　what　was　meant；　he　became　acquainted

with　the　whole　affair；　and　revealed　it　to　the　governor　of　the　place；

who；　having　secured　the　leaders　of　the　conspiracy；　and　doubled　the

guards　at　the　gates；　waited　till　the　time　appointed　for　the　coming　of

Niccolo；　who　finding　his　purpose　discovered；　returned　to　his

encampment。







CHAPTER　VII



　　Brescia　relieved　by　SforzaHis　other　victoriesPiccinino　is

　　recalled　into　LombardyHe　endeavors　to　bring　the　Florentines　to

　　an　engagementHe　is　routed　before　AnghiariSerious　disorders　in

　　the　camp　of　the　Florentines　after　the　victoryDeath　of　Rinaldo

　　degli　AlbizziHis　characterNeri　Capponi　goes　to　recover　the

　　CasentinoThe　Count　di　Poppi　surrendersHis　discourse　upon

　　quitting　his　possessions。



While　these　events　were　taking　place　in　Tuscany；　so　little　to　the

advantage　of　the　duke；　his　affairs　in　Lombardy　were　in　a　still　worse

condition。　The　Count　Francesco；　as　soon　as　the　season　would　permit；

took　the　field　with　his　army；　and　the　Venetians　having　again　covered

the　lake　with　their　galleys；　he　determined　first　of　all　to　drive　the

duke　from　the　water；　judging；　that　this　once　effected；　his　remaining

task　would　be　easy。　He　therefore；　with　the　Venetian　fleet；　attacked

that　of　the　duke；　and　destroyed　it。　His　land　forces　took　the　castles

held　for　Filippo；　and　the　ducal　troops　who　were　besieging　Brescia；

being　informed　of　these　transactions；　withdrew；　and　thus；　the　city；

after　standing　a　three　years'　siege；　was　at　length　relieved。　The　count

then　went　in　quest　of　the　enemy；　whose　forces　were　encamped　before

Soncino；　a　fortress　situated　upon　the　River　Oglio；　these　he　dislodged

and　compelled　to　retreat　to　Cremona；　where　the　duke　again　collected

his　forces；　and　prepared　for　his　defense。　But　the　count　constantly

pressing　him　more　closely；　he　became　apprehensive　of　losing　either　the

whole；　or　the　greater　part；　of　his　territories；　and　perceiving　the

unfortunate　step　he　had　taken；　in　sending　Niccolo　into　Tuscany；　in

order　to　correct　his　error；　he　wrote　to　acquaint　him　with　what　had

transpired；　desiring　him；　with　all　possible　dispatch；　to　leave　Tuscany

and　return　to　Lombardy。



In　the　meantime；　the　Florentines；　under　their　commissaries；　had　drawn

together　their　forces；　and　being　joined　by　those　of　the　pope；　halted

at　Anghiari；　a　castle　placed　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　that　divide

the　Val　di　Tavere　from　the　Val　di　Chiane；　distant　four　miles　from　the

Borgo　San　Sepolcro；　on　a　level　road；　and　in　a　country　suitable　for　the

evolutions　of　cavalry　or　a　battlefield。　As　the　Signory　had　heard　of

the　count's　victory　and　the　recall　of　Niccolo；　they　imagined　that

without　again　drawing　a　sword　or　disturbing　the　dust　under　their

horses'　feet；　the　victory　was　their　own；　and　the　war　at　an　end；　they

wrote　to　the　commissaries；　desiring　them　to　avoid　an　engagement；　as

Niccolo　could　not　remain　much　longer　in　Tuscany。　These　instructions

coming　to　the　knowledge　of　Piccinino；　and　perceiving　the　necessity　of

his　speedy　return；　to　leave　nothing　unattempted；　he　determined　to

engage　the　enemy；　expecting　to　find　them　unprepared；　and　not　disposed

for　battle。　In　this　determination　he　was　confirmed　by　Rinaldo；　the

Count　di　Poppi；　and　other　Florentine　exiles；　who　saw　their　inevitable

ruin　in　the　departure　of　Niccolo；　and　hoped；　that　if　he　engaged　the

enemy；　they　would　either　be　victorious；　or　vanquished　without

dishonor。　This　resolution　being　adopted；　Niccolo　led　his　army；

unperceived　by　the　enemy；　from　Citta　di　Castello　to　the　Borgo；　where

he　enlisted　two　thousand　men；　who；　trusting　the　general's　talents　and

promises；　followed　him　in　hope　of　plunder。　Niccolo　then　led　his　forces

in　battle　array　toward　Anghiari；　and　had　arrived　within　two　miles　of

the　place；　when　Micheletto　Attendulo　observed　great　clouds　of　dust；

and　conjecturing　at　once；　that　it　must　be　occasioned　by　the　enemy's

approach；　immediately　called　the　troops　to　arms。　Great　confusion

prevailed　in　the　Florentine　camp；　for　the　ordinary　negligence　and　want

of　discipline　were　now　increased　by　their　presuming　the　enemy　to　be　at

a　distance；　and　they　were　more　disposed　to　fight　than　to　battle；　so

that　everyone　was　unarmed；　and　some　wandering　from　the　camp；　either

led　by　their　desire　to　avoid　the　excessive　heat；　or　in　pursuit　of

amusement。　So　great　was　the　diligence　of　the　commissaries　and　of　the

captain；　that　before　the　enemy's　arrival；　the　men　were　mounted　and

prepared　to　resist　their　attack；　and　as　Micheletto　was　the　first　to

observe　their　approach；　he　was　also　first　armed　and　ready　to　meet

them；　and　with　his　troops　hastened　to　the　bridge　which　crosses　the

river　at　a　short　distance　from　Anghiari。　Pietro　Giampagolo　having

previous　to　the　surprise；　filled　up　the　ditches　on　either　side　of　the

road；　and　leveled　the　ground　between　the　bridge　and　Anghiari；　and

Micheletto　having　taken　his　position　in　front　of　the　former；　the

legate　and　Simoncino；　who　led　the　troops　of　the　church；　took　post　on

the　right；　and　the　commissaries　of　the　Florentines；　with　Pietro

Giampagolo；　their　captain；　on　the　left；　the　infantry　being　drawn　up

along