the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第3章

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putes。

The　whole　of　this　system　excited　the　deep　and　persistent　hatred　of　the　　Florentine　writers　of　that　epoch。　Even　the　pomp　and　display　with　which　　the　despot　was　perhaps　less　anxious　to　gratify　his　own　vanity　than　to　　impress　the　popular　imagination；　awakened　their　keenest　sarcasm。　Woe　to　　an　adventurer　if　he　fell　into　their　hands；　like　the　upstart　Doge　　Agnello　of　Pisa　（1364）；　who　used　to　ride　out　with　a　golden　scepter；　and　　show　himself　at　the　window　of　his　house；　'as　relics　are　shown；'　　reclining　on　embroidered　drapery　and　cushions；　served　like　a　pope　or　　emperor；　by　kneeling　attendants。　More　often；　however；　the　old　　Florentines　speak　on　this　subject　in　a　tone　of　lofty　seriousness。　Dante　　saw　and　characterized　well　the　vulgarity　and　commonplace　which　marked　　the　ambition　of　the　new　princes。　'What　else　mean　their　trumpets　and　　their　bells；　their　horns　and　their　flutes；　but　〃come；　hangmen　come；　　vultures！〃'　The　castle　of　the　tyrant；　as　pictured　by　the　popular　mind；　　is　lofty　and　solitary；　full　of　dungeons　and　listening…tubes；　the　home　　of　cruelty　and　misery。　Misfortune　is　foretold　to　all　who　enter　the　　service　of　the　despot；　who　even　becomes　at　last　himself　an　object　of　　pity：　he　must　needs　be　the　enemy　of　all　good　and　honest　men：　he　can　　trust　no　one　and　can　read　in　the　faces　of　his　subjects　the　expectation　　of　his　fall。　'As　despotisms　rise；　grow；　and　are　consolidated；　so　grows　　in　their　midst　the　hidden　element　which　must　produce　their　dissolution　　and　ruin。'　But　the　deepest　ground　of　dislike　has　not　been　stated；　　Florence　was　then　the　scene　of　the　richest　development　of　human　　individuality；　while　for　the　despots　no　other　individuality　could　be　　suffered　to　live　and　thrive　but　their　own　and　that　of　their　nearest　　dependents。　The　control　of　the　individual　was　rigorously　carried　out；　　even　down　to　the　establishment　of　a　system　of　passports。

The　astrological　superstitions　and　the　religious　unbelief　of　many　of　　the　tyrants　gave；　in　the　minds　of　their　contemporaries；　a　peculiar　　color　to　this　awful　and　God…forsaken　existence。　When　the　last　Carrara　　could　no　longer　defend　the　walls　and　gates　of　the　plague…stricken　　Padua；　hemmed　in　on　all　sides　by　the　Venetians　（1405）；　the　soldiers　of　　the　guard　heard　him　cry　to　the　devil　'to　come　and　kill　him。'

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The　most　complete　and　instructive　type　of　the　tyranny　of　the　fourteenth　　century　is　to　be　found　unquestionably　among　the　Visconti　of　Milan；　from　　the　death　of　the　Archbishop　Giovanni　onwards　（1354）。　The　family　　likeness　which　shows　itself　between　Bernabo　and　the　worst　of　the　Roman　　Emperors　is　unmistakable；　the　most　important　public　object　was　the　　prince's　boar…hunting；　whoever　interfered　with　it　was　put　to　death　with　　torture；　the　terrified　people　were　forced　to　maintain　5；000　boar　　hounds；　with　strict　responsibility　for　their　health　and　safety。　The　　taxes　were　extorted　by　every　conceivable　sort　of　compulsion；　seven　　daughters　of　the　prince　received　a　dowry　of　100；000　gold　florins　　apiece；　and　an　enormous　treasure　was　collected。　On　the　death　of　his　　wife　（1384）　an　order　was　issued　'to　the　subjects'　to　share　his　grief；　　as　once　they　had　shared　his　joy；　and　to　wear　mourning　for　a　year。　The　　_coup　de　main_　（1385）　by　which　his　nephew　Giangaleazzo　got　him　into　his　　powerone　of　those　brilliant　plots　which　make　the　heart　of　even　late　　historians　beat　more　quickly　was　strikingly　characteristic　of　the　man　。

In　Giangaleazzo　that　passion　for　the　colossal　which　was　common　to　most　　of　the　despots　shows　itself　on　the　largest　scale。　He　undertook；　at　the　　cost　of　300；000　golden　florins；　the　construction　of　gigantic　dikes；　to　　divert　in　case　of　need　the　Mincio　from　Mantua　and　the　Brenta　from　　Padua；　and　thus　to　render　these　cities　defenseless。　It　is　not　　impossible；　indeed；　that　he　thought　of　draining　away　the　lagoons　of　　Venice。　He　founded　that　most　wonderful　of　all　convents；　the　Certosa　of　　Pavia　and　the　cathedral　of　Milan；　'which　exceeds　in　size　and　splendor　　all　the　churches　of　Christendom。'　The　palace　in　Pavia；　which　his　father　　Galeazzo　began　and　which　he　himself　finished；　was　probably　by　far　the　　most　magnificent　of　the　princely　dwellings　of　Europe。　There　he　　transferred　his　famous　library；　and　the　great　collection　of　relics　of　　the　saints；　in　which　he　placed　a　peculiar　faith。　It　would　have　been　　strange　indeed　if　a　prince　of　this　character　had　not　also　cherished　the　　highest　ambitions　in　political　matters。　King　Wenceslaus　made　him　Duke　　（1395）；　he　was　hoping　for　nothing　less　than　the　Kingdom　of　Italy　or　the　　Imperial　crown；　when　（1402）　he　fell　ill　and　died。　His　whole　territories　　are　said　to　have　paid　him　in　a　single　year；　besides　the　regular　　contribution　of　1；200；000　gold　florins；　no　less　than　800；000　more　in　　extraordinary　subsidies。　After　his　death　the　dominions　which　he　had　　brought　together　by　every　sort　of　violence　fell　to　pieces：　and　for　a　　time　even　the　original　nucleus　could　with　difficulty　be　maintained　by　　his　successors。　What　might　have　become　of　his　sons　Giovanni　Maria　（died　　1412）　and　Filippo　Maria　（died　1447）；　had　they　lived　in　a　different　　country　and　under　other　traditions；　cannot　be　said。　But；　as　heirs　of　　their　house；　they　inherited　that　monstrous　capital　of　cruelty　and　　cowardice　which　had　been　accumulated　from　generation　to　generation。

Giovanni　Maria；　too；　is　famed　for　his　dogs；　which　were　no　longer；　　however；　used　for　hunting　but　for　tearing　human　bodies。　Tradition　has　　preserved　their　names；　like　those　of　the　bears　of　Emperor　Valentinian　　I。　In　May；　1409；　when　war　was　going　on；　and　the　starving　populace　cried　　to　him　in　the　streets；　_Pace！　Pace！_　he　let　loose　his　mercenaries　upon　　them；　and　200　lives　were　sacrificed；　under　penalty　of　the　gallows　it　　was　forbidden　to　utter　the　words　pace　and　guerra；　and　the　priests　were　　ordered；　instead　of　_dona　nobis　pacem_；　to　say　_tranquillitatem_！　At　　last　a　band　of　conspirators　took　advantage　of　the　moment　when　Facino　　Cane；　the　chief　Condotierre　of　the　insane　ruler；　lay　in　at　Pavia；　and　　cut　down　Giovanni　Maria　in　the　church　of　San　Gottardo　at　Milan；　the　　dying　Facino　on　the　same　day　made　his　officers　swear　to　stand　by　the　　heir　Filippo　Maria；　whom　he　himself　urged　his　wife　to　take　for　a　second　　husband。　His　wife；　Beatrice　di　Tenda；　followed　his　advice。　We　shall　　have　occasion　to　speak　of　Filippo　Maria　later　on。

And　in　times　like　these　Cola　di　Rienzi　was　dreaming　of　founding　on　the　　rickety　enthusiasm　of　the　corrupt　population　of　Rome　a　new　State　which　　was　to　comprise　all　Italy。　By　the　side　of　rulers　such　as　those　whom　we　　have　described；　he　seems　no　better　than　a　poor　deluded　fool。

Despots　of　the　Fifteenth　Century

The　despotisms　of　the　fifteenth　century　show　an　altered　character。　Many　　of　the　less　important　tyrants；　and　some　of　the　greater；　like　the　Scala　　and　the　Carrara　had　disappeared；　while　the　more　powerful　ones；　　aggrandized　by　conquest；　had　given　to　their　systems　each　its　　characteristic　development。　Naples　for　example　received　a　fresh　and　　stronger　impulse　from　the　new　Aragonese　dynasty。　A　striking　feature　of　　this　epoch　is　the　attempt　of　the　Condottieri　to　found　independent　　dynasties　of　their　own。　Facts　and　the　actual　relations　of　things；　apart　　from　traditional　estimates；　are　alone　regarded；　talent　and　audacity　win　　the　great　prizes。　The　petty　despots；　to　secure　a　trustworthy　support；　　begin　to　enter　the　service　of　the　larger　States；　and　become　themselves　　Condottieri；　receiving　in　return　for　their　services　money　and　immunity　　for　their　misdeeds；　if　not　an　increase　of　territory。　All；　whether　small　　or　great；　must　exert　themselves　more；　must　act　with　greater　caution　and　　calculation；　and　must　learn　to　refrain　from　too　wholesale　barbarities；　　only　so　much　wrong　is　permitted　by　public　opinion　as　is　necessary　for　　the　end　in　view；　and　this　the　impartial　bystander　certainly　finds　no　　fault　with。　No　trace　is　here　visible　of　that　half…religious　loyalty　by　　which　the　legitimate　princes　of　the　West　were　supported；　personal　　popularity　is　the　nearest　approach　we　can　find　to　it。　Talent　and　　calculation　are　the　only　means　of　advancement。　A　character　like　that　of　　Charles　the　Bold；　which　wore　itself　out　in　the　passionate　pursuit　of　　impracticable　ends；　was　a　riddle　to　the　Ita