· But the populace is as light as a leaf, remarks the Priorist; those who enjoy power often abuse it, and oftener still are accused of doing so; or rather as, I have said, the courtly, popular manners of the Blacks had really made them favourites with the lower classes; so no sooner did Messer Corso Donaty ride in at the head of his friends, than instead of being opposed, he was received with vehement plaudits and cries of long life to the Baron (1). The first step of Messer Corso was, in the usual style of those times, to break open the jail, liberate its inmates without distinction, overturn the existing Government, and let slip his troops, who joined by the unchained felons, set about slaying and plundering at discretion. This sacking of the City lasted five days; and then a similar dole was dealt out to the country round, with huge ruin, rapine, and combustion (2): ' while Charles remained inactive, pretending to know nothing that was doing; and seemed to take the fires for feux-dejoie, or, at most, for an accident befallen some (1) The oath which Charles had taken ere entering Florence, he repeated still more solemnly before the Council in the Church of S. Maria Novella even while his troops were getting under array to break it. A similar oath had been received from him, on confiding to him the keys of one of the town gates, that he would not open it to any one in disobedience to the laws; nevertheless during that very night he let in a strong party of the exiled Blacks, and connived at the arrival of Corso Donati and the rest of them the morning after. (2) Cum magna ruina, magnisque incendiis et populationibus. Benvenuti Imol. ap. Mur. Antiq. Ital. Vol. 1. p. 1041. CANTO VI. peasant's hut. The Whites however were not actually banished on this occasion; so that it is not to it that Ciacco alludes as the period when their rivals shall again prevail' (che l'altra surmonti, V. Lxviu): but they maintained themselves in their towers and houses for almost two years in daily murderous encounters with their antagonists. On the twenty-fifth of December 1301, after Charles had been in Florence above six weeks, a particularly bloody contest took place on one of the bridges: so little advance had he made in his emprize of reforming and pacifying the city. On the twenty-seventh of January following Dante (who had been for some time at Rome negociating to prevent the entrance of the French into Florence, and still continued in his post of Ambassador to the Holy See) was sentenced to exile; not indeed for being a White, as Machiavelli imagined, but on an accusation of peculation and other vague misdemeanors (1). This accusation was only a pretext: the real cause was his opposition to the injustice. and corruption of the French Prince; who, far from (1) Pelli (Mem. p. 89) quoting the sentence writes: Messer Palmieri degli Altoviti and Dante Alighieri being accused by public report were proceeded against for being opponents of Charles' → perchè contradissero Carlo' and for having committed peculation'—quod fece. runt baratterias et acceperunt quod non licebat. This latter was the more ostensible, the former the real charge. If they delayed to pay the fine to which they were sentenced — bona devastentur et mittantur in commune: and even paying it—nihilominus stent iu exilio extra fines Tuscia duobus annis. Bib. Magliabechiana, God. 44. - ng treasure by the most iniquitous sale of places and immunities (1). On the tenth of March, issued he second and most barbarous sentence rendering Dante's exile perpetual, and condemning him and 4 others to be burnt alive if caught within Tuscany (2). During the next month, it is true, some of the Cerchi, and other Whites also, were put to pan by Charles, under colour of having engaged na plot against him; but the existence of that (1) Charles was a vast spendthrift and therefore by necessity, as well taste, a prodigious robber. His various modes of extortion would fill volume. One luckless gentleman had been so civil as to invite him ■a hunting party to his country-house; on which his royal Guest d him seized by some of his satellites, and threatened to send him isoner into Puglia, if he did not ransom himself with 4000 florins; d at last by the intercession of friends the matter was adjusted by a yment of 800. One seems to be reading the feats of the modern Roan banditi. Similar violence was perpetrated every moment, not ■ly against rich men, but against minors of both sexes, but particu. ly the weaker. In all this Cante di Agobbio, the new Podestà, was inimitable auxiliary; for he twisted the laws to the same purposes, -onouncing a sentence of exile against more than 600 persons, all of nom were also condemned to pay from eight to ten thousand florins ch, or to have their entire property confiscated. Even the Priors emselves were not secure; and knowing their assassination was inaded, only escaped by the utmost personal circumspection and the rrendering of large sums of money. So, of money Charles amassed a ofusion; well justifying the Pope's assurance that in sending him to orence he had put his hand into the fountain of gold. ' Dino Comgni, Lib. 2. p. 37–47. (2) Tiraboschi ( T. 2. p. 494 ) gives this sentence verbatim from a py taken from the Archives of Florence. It is regularly authenticaby the Magistrates, and dated 1302, March 10. It is in most barbarous tin. Il semble ( writes Sismondi ) qu'on ait choisi à dessein le lange le plus barbare pour condamner le poëte qui fondait la littérawe Italienne. Hist. des Répub. Ital. Vol. iv. p. 184. ad their real misdemeanor was that of pos. g great riches both in gardens and palaces, all ich were plundered by the French (1); who t evacuated Florence in May 1302, that is, 6 hs after they had entered it; and followed Prince against Naples, where he was destined p as little glory as had been merited by his nery and rapacity among the Tuscans (2). he and two Cardinals, who were deputed at ent periods, instead of establishing tranquilFlorence, as they professed to endeavour left it in far worse confusion than they had it. Every vial of wrath seemed to be poured -n that devoted spot, murder, famine, pesti, excommunications (besides the fall of a e during a public festival, by which many sands of both sexes were drowned in the Arnd, to crown the whole, a terrible fire which purposely lit by a most wicked priest, at the t was one of the Podestà's most usual schemes - molti furono , e convenia loro confessare, aveano fatta congiura, che non o fatta (Dino Compagni Lib. 2, p. 44.) sotto il detto ingannettato, si partirono della città... e furono condannati per Mesrlo come rubelli, e disfatti i loro Palazzi, ec. Gio. Villani, Lib. p. 48. The charge was founded upon letters; which Machiaows were probably fabrications. Istorie Fior. Lib. 2. p. 91. d. Id.— Il partit pour la Sicile emportant avec lui les maledices Toscans. In Sicily he was soon obliged to sue for peace; and returned ignominously into France, as well meriting the repuof lackland as when he left it notwithstanding the Pope's prof making him, among other magnificent things, Emperor of atinople. Sismondi, Hist. des Répub. Ital. Vol. iv. p. 127. - CANTO VI. instigation of Donati and the Blacks, and which burned down more than 1900 fine houses, palaces, and churches; that is, above half the town, before it could be extinguished (1). Still the Whites (as a body) were not as yet sent into banishment, although a few of their chiefs had been; so that, it were incorrect on this account to apply the second banishment referred to by Ciacco to any of the above events. He identifies this banishment by saying it occurred three solar years (infra tre sole) after the prior one that is after the ascendancy obtained by the Whites on return from Sarzana. So, as this ascendancy dates June, 1301, we must look for the other event about 1304: and, in fact, I find that it was in July of that year that the Whites were entirely overthrown . To this it is, that v. Lxvin alludes; and if other commentators pretend otherwise, it is only, that they are not minute chronologists. The White chiefs, by degrees as they became exiled, congregated in Pistoja, and conducted their affairs by means of a council of twelve, one of whom was our poet, who had joined them on his leaving his Roman Embassy after the sentences promulgated against him. No favourable opportunity for action presented itself before 1304; during the summer of which, the new elected Pope (Benedict x1) was (1) Un malvagio Prete scelleratamente mise lo fuoco.... e ciò accadde il 10 di Giugno 1304. Priorista Fior. p. 51. This authority calculates 1500 houses, etc; but Dino Compagni 1900. Lib. 3. p. 65. |