History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy: From the Earliest Times to the Death of Lorenzo the Magnificent — Niccolo Machiavelli — John Shaqi
History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy: From the Earliest Times to the Death of Lorenzo the Magnificent
Niccolo Machiavelli · en
The Florentines used the weightiest arguments they could adopt to
prevent the count from quitting the service of the League, a course he
was himself reluctant to follow, but his desire to conclude the marriage
so embarrassed him, that any trivial accident would have been sufficient
to determine his course, as indeed shortly happened. The count had
left his territories in La Marca to the care of Il Furlano, one of his
principal condottieri, who was so far influenced by the duke as to
take command under him, and quit the count's service. This circumstance
caused the latter to lay aside every idea but that of his own safety,
and to come to agreement with the duke; among the terms of which compact
was one that he should not be expected to interfere in the affairs of
Romagna and Tuscany. The count then urged the Florentines to come to
terms with the Lucchese, and so convinced them of the necessity of this,
that seeing no better course to adopt, they complied in April, 1438, by
which treaty the Lucchese retained their liberty, and the Florentines
Monte Carlo and a few other fortresses. After this, being full
of exasperation, they despatched letters to every part of Italy,
overcharged with complaints, affecting to show that since God and men
were averse to the Lucchese coming under their dominion, they had made
peace with them. And it seldom happens that any suffer so much for the
loss of their own lawful property as they did because they could not
obtain the possessions of others.