the prince-第26部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ight；　he　sent　one　thousand　infantrymen　round　by　the　castle；　with　orders　to　join　the　four　hundred　horsemen　he　had　previously　dispatched　there；　and　commanded　the　whole　force　to　fall　upon　the　flank　of　the　enemy。　These　orders　they　carried　out　with　such　fury　that　the　Florentines　could　not　sustain　the　attack；　but　gave　way；　and　were　soon　in　full　retreatconquered　more　by　their　unfortunate　position　than　by　the　valour　of　their　enemy。　Those　in　the　rear　turned　towards　Pistoia；　and　spread　through　the　plains；　each　man　seeking　only　his　own　safety。　The　defeat　was　complete　and　very　sanguinary。　Many　captains　were　taken　prisoners；　among　whom　were　Bandini　dei　Rossi；　Francesco　Brunelleschi；　and　Giovanni　della　Tosa；　all　Florentine　noblemen；　with　many　Tuscans　and　Neapolitans　who　fought　on　the　Florentine　side；　having　been　sent　by　King　Ruberto　to　assist　the　Guelphs。　Immediately　the　Pistoians　heard　of　this　defeat　they　drove　out　the　friends　of　the　Guelphs；　and　surrendered　to　Castruccio。　He　was　not　content　with　occupying　Prato　and　all　the　castles　on　the　plains　on　both　sides　of　the　Arno；　but　marched　his　army　into　the　plain　of　Peretola；　about　two　miles　from　Florence。　Here　he　remained　many　days；　dividing　the　spoils；　and　celebrating　his　victory　with　feasts　and　games；　holding　horse　races；　and　foot　races　for　men　and　women。　He　also　struck　medals　in　commemoration　of　the　defeat　of　the　Florentines。　He　endeavoured　to　corrupt　some　of　the　citizens　of　Florence；　who　were　to　open　the　city　gates　at　night；　but　the　conspiracy　was　discovered；　and　the　participators　in　it　taken　and　beheaded；　among　whom　were　Tommaso　Lupacci　and　Lambertuccio　Frescobaldi。　This　defeat　caused　the　Florentines　great　anxiety；　and　despairing　of　preserving　their　liberty；　they　sent　envoys　to　King　Ruberto　of　Naples；　offering　him　the　dominion　of　their　city；　and　he；　knowing　of　what　immense　importance　the　maintenance　of　the　Guelph　cause　was　to　him；　accepted　it。　He　agreed　with　the　Florentines　to　receive　from　them　a　yearly　tribute　of　two　hundred　thousand　florins；　and　he　send　his　son　Carlo　to　Florence　with　four　thousand　horsemen。

Shortly　after　this　the　Florentines　were　relieved　in　some　degree　of　the　pressure　of　Castruccio's　army；　owing　to　his　being　compelled　to　leave　his　positions　before　Florence　and　march　on　Pisa；　in　order　to　suppress　a　conspiracy　that　had　been　raised　against　him　by　Benedetto　Lanfranchi；　one　of　the　first　men　in　Pisa；　who　could　not　endure　that　his　fatherland　should　be　under　the　dominion　of　the　Lucchese。　He　had　formed　this　conspiracy；　intending　to　seize　the　citadel；　kill　the　partisans　of　Castruccio；　and　drive　out　the　garrison。　As；　however；　in　a　conspiracy　paucity　of　numbers　is　essential　to　secrecy；　so　for　its　execution　a　few　are　not　sufficient；　and　in　seeking　more　adherents　to　his　conspiracy　Lanfranchi　encountered　a　person　who　revealed　the　design　to　Castruccio。　This　betrayal　cannot　be　passed　by　without　severe　reproach　to　Bonifacio　Cerchi　and　Giovanni　Guidi；　two　Florentine　exiles　who　were　suffering　their　banishment　in　Pisa。　Thereupon　Castruccio　seized　Benedetto　and　put　him　to　death；　and　beheaded　many　other　noble　citizens；　and　drove　their　families　into　exile。　It　now　appeared　to　Castruccio　that　both　Pisa　and　Pistoia　were　thoroughly　disaffected；　he　employed　much　thought　and　energy　upon　securing　his　position　there；　and　this　gave　the　Florentines　their　opportunity　to　reorganize　their　army；　and　to　await　the　coming　of　Carlo；　the　son　of　the　King　of　Naples。　When　Carlo　arrived　they　decided　to　lose　no　more　time；　and　assembled　a　great　army　of　more　than　thirty　thousand　infantry　and　ten　thousand　cavalryhaving　called　to　their　aid　every　Guelph　there　was　in　Italy。　They　consulted　whether　they　should　attack　Pistoia　or　Pisa　first；　and　decided　that　it　would　be　better　to　march　on　the　lattera　course；　owing　to　the　recent　conspiracy；　more　likely　to　succeed；　and　of　more　advantage　to　them；　because　they　believed　that　the　surrender　of　Pistoia　would　follow　the　acquisition　of　Pisa。

In　the　early　part　of　May　1328；　the　Florentines　put　in　motion　this　army　and　quickly　occupied　Lastra；　Signa；　Montelupo；　and　Empoli；　passing　from　thence　on　to　San　Miniato。　When　Castruccio　heard　of　the　enormous　army　which　the　Florentines　were　sending　against　him；　he　was　in　no　degree　alarmed；　believing　that　the　time　had　now　arrived　when　Fortune　would　deliver　the　empire　of　Tuscany　into　his　hands；　for　he　had　no　reason　to　think　that　his　enemy　would　make　a　better　fight；　or　had　better　prospects　of　success；　than　at　Pisa　or　Serravalle。　He　assembled　twenty　thousand　foot　soldiers　and　four　thousand　horsemen；　and　with　this　army　went　to　Fucecchio；　whilst　he　sent　Pagolo　Guinigi　to　Pisa　with　five　thousand　infantry。　Fucecchio　has　a　stronger　position　than　any　other　town　in　the　Pisan　district；　owing　to　its　situation　between　the　rivers　Arno　and　Gusciana　and　its　slight　elevation　above　the　surrounding　plain。　Moreover；　the　enemy　could　not　hinder　its　being　victualled　unless　they　divided　their　forces；　nor　could　they　approach　it　either　from　the　direction　of　Lucca　or　Pisa；　nor　could　they　get　through　to　Pisa；　or　attack　Castruccio's　forces　except　at　a　disadvantage。　In　one　case　they　would　find　themselves　placed　between　his　two　armies；　the　one　under　his　own　command　and　the　other　under　Pagolo；　and　in　the　other　case　they　would　have　to　cross　the　Arno　to　get　to　close　quarters　with　the　enemy；　an　undertaking　of　great　hazard。　In　order　to　tempt　the　Florentines　to　take　this　latter　course；　Castruccio　withdrew　his　men　from　the　banks　of　the　river　and　placed　them　under　the　walls　of　Fucecchio；　leaving　a　wide　expanse　of　land　between　them　and　the　river。

The　Florentines；　having　occupied　San　Miniato；　held　a　council　of　war　to　decide　whether　they　should　attack　Pisa　or　the　army　of　Castruccio；　and；　having　weighed　the　difficulties　of　both　courses；　they　decided　upon　the　latter。　The　river　Arno　was　at　that　time　low　enough　to　be　fordable；　yet　the　water　reached　to　the　shoulders　of　the　infantrymen　and　to　the　saddles　of　the　horsemen。　On　the　morning　of　10　June　1328；　the　Florentines　commenced　the　battle　by　ordering　forward　a　number　of　cavalry　and　ten　thousand　infantry。　Castruccio；　whose　plan　of　action　was　fixed；　and　who　well　knew　what　to　do；　at　once　attacked　the　Florentines　with　five　thousand　infantry　and　three　thousand　horsemen；　not　allowing　them　to　issue　from　the　river　before　he　charged　them；　he　also　sent　one　thousand　light　infantry　up　the　river　bank；　and　the　same　number　down　the　Arno。　The　infantry　of　the　Florentines　were　so　much　impeded　by　their　arms　and　the　water　that　they　were　not　able　to　mount　the　banks　of　the　river；　whilst　the　cavalry　had　made　the　passage　of　the　river　more　difficult　for　the　others；　by　reason　of　the　few　who　had　crossed　having　broken　up　the　bed　of　the　river；　and　this　being　deep　with　mud；　many　of　the　horses　rolled　over　with　their　riders　and　many　of　them　had　stuck　so　fast　that　they　could　not　move。　When　the　Florentine　captains　saw　the　difficulties　their　men　were　meeting；　they　withdrew　them　and　moved　higher　up　the　river；　hoping　to　find　the　river　bed　less　treacherous　and　the　banks　more　adapted　for　landing。　These　men　were　met　at　the　bank　by　the　forces　which　Castruccio　had　already　sent　forward；　who；　being　light　armed　with　bucklers　and　javelins　in　their　hands；　let　fly　with　tremendous　shouts　into　the　faces　and　bodies　of　the　cavalry。　The　horses；　alarmed　by　the　noise　and　the　wounds；　would　not　move　forward；　and　trampled　each　other　in　great　confusion。　The　fight　between　the　men　of　Castruccio　and　those　of　the　enemy　who　succeeded　in　crossing　was　sharp　and　terrible；　both　sides　fought　with　the　utmost　desperation　and　neither　would　yield。　The　soldiers　of　Castruccio　fought　to　drive　the　others　back　into　the　river；　whilst　the　Florentines　strove　to　get　a　footing　on　land　in　order　to　make　room　for　the　others　pressing　forward；　who　if　they　could　but　get　out　of　the　water　would　be　able　to　fight；　and　in　this　obstinate　conflict　they　were　urged　on　by　their　captains。　Castruccio　shouted　to　his　men　that　these　were　the　same　enemies　whom　they　had　before　conquered　at　Serravalle；　whilst　the　Florentines　reproached　each　other　that　the　many　should　be　overcome　by　the　few。　At　length　Castruccio；　seeing　how　long　the　battle　had　lasted；　and　that　both　his　men　and　the　enemy　were　utterly　exhausted；　and　that　both　sides　had　many　killed　and　wounded；　pushed　forward　another　body　of　infantry　to　take　up　a　position　at　the　rear　of　those　who　were　fighting；　he　then　commanded　these　latter　to　open　their　ranks　as　if　they　intended　to　retreat；　and　one　part　of　them　to　turn　to　the　right　and　another　to　the　left。　This　cleared　a　space　of　which　the　Florentines　at　once　took　advantage；　and　thus　gained　possession　of　a　portion　of　the　battlefield。　But　when　these　tired　soldiers　found　themselves　at　close　quarters　with　Castruccio's　reserves　they　could　not　stand　against　them　and　at　once　fell　back　into　the　river。　The　cavalry　of　either　side　had　not　as　yet　gained　any　decisive　advantage　over　the　other；　because　Castruccio；　knowing　his　inferiority　in　this　arm；　had　commanded　his　leaders　only　to　stand　on　the　defensive　against　the　attacks　of　their　adversaries；　as　he　hoped　that　when　he　had　overcome　the　infantry　he　would　be　able　to　make　short　work　of　the　cavalry。　This　fell　out　as　he　had　hoped；　for　when　he　saw　the　Florentine　army　driven　back　across　the　river　he　ordered　the　remainder　of　his　infantry　to　attack　the　cavalry　of　the　enemy。　This　they　did　with　lance　and　javelin；　and；　joined　by　their　own　cavalry；　fell　upon　the　enemy　with　the　greatest　fury　and　soon　put　him　to　flight。　The　Florentine　captains；　having　seen　the　difficulty　their　cavalry　had　met　with　in　crossing　the　river；　had　attempted　to　make　their　infantry　cross　lower　down　the　river；　in　order　to　attack　the　flanks　of　Castruccio's　army。　But　here；　also；　the　banks　were　steep　and　already　lined　by　the　men　of　Castruccio；　and　this　movement　was　quite　useless。　Thus　the　Florentines　were　so　completely　defeated　at　all　points　that　scarcely　a　third　of　them　escaped；　and　Castruccio　was　again　covered　with　glory。　Many　captains　were　taken　prisoners；　and　Carlo；　the　son　of　King　Ruberto；　with　Michelagnolo　Falconi　and　Taddeo　degli　Albizzi；　the　Florentine　commissioners；　fled　to　Empoli。　If　the　spoils　were　great；　the　slaughter　was　infinitely　greater；　as　might　be　expected　in　such　a　battle。　Of　the　Florentines　there　fell　twenty　thousand　two　hundred　and　thirty…one　men；