the prince-第27章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



And　the　duke　succeeded　so　well　in　this　that　they　sent　Signor　Pagolo　to　him　to　negotiate　for　a　reconciliation；　and　they　brought　their　army　to　a　standstill。　But　the　duke　did　not　stop　his　preparations；　and　took　every　care　to　provide　himself　with　cavalry　and　infantry；　and　that　such　preparations　might　not　be　apparent　to　the　others；　he　sent　his　troops　in　separate　parties　to　every　part　of　the　Romagna。　In　the　meanwhile　there　came　also　to　him　five　hundred　French　lancers；　and　although　he　found　himself　sufficiently　strong　to　take　vengeance　on　his　enemies　in　open　war；　he　considered　that　it　would　be　safer　and　more　advantageous　to　outwit　them；　and　for　this　reason　he　did　not　stop　the　work　of　reconciliation。

And　that　this　might　be　effected　the　duke　concluded　a　peace　with　them　in　which　he　confirmed　their　former　covenants；　he　gave　them　four　thousand　ducats　at　once；　he　promised　not　to　injure　the　Bentivogli；　and　he　formed　an　alliance　with　Giovanni；　and　moreover　he　would　not　force　them　to　come　personally　into　his　presence　unless　it　pleased　them　to　do　so。　On　the　other　hand；　they　promised　to　restore　to　him　the　duchy　of　Urbino　and　other　places　seized　by　them；　to　serve　him　in　all　his　expeditions；　and　not　to　make　war　against　or　ally　themselves　with　any　one　without　his　permission。

This　reconciliation　being　completed；　Guido　Ubaldo；　the　Duke　of　Urbino；　again　fled　to　Venice；　having　first　destroyed　all　the　fortresses　in　his　state；　because；　trusting　in　the　people；　he　did　not　wish　that　the　fortresses；　which　he　did　not　think　he　could　defend；　should　be　held　by　the　enemy；　since　by　these　means　a　check　would　be　kept　upon　his　friends。　But　the　Duke　Valentino；　having　completed　this　convention；　and　dispersed　his　men　throughout　the　Romagna；　set　out　for　Imola　at　the　end　of　November　together　with　his　French　men…at…arms：　thence　he　went　to　Cesena；　where　he　stayed　some　time　to　negotiate　with　the　envoys　of　the　Vitelli　and　Orsini；　who　had　assembled　with　their　men　in　the　duchy　of　Urbino；　as　to　the　enterprise　in　which　they　should　now　take　part；　but　nothing　being　concluded；　Oliverotto　da　Fermo　was　sent　to　propose　that　if　the　duke　wished　to　undertake　an　expedition　against　Tuscany　they　were　ready；　if　he　did　not　wish　it；　then　they　would　besiege　Sinigalia。　To　this　the　duke　replied　that　he　did　not　wish　to　enter　into　war　with　Tuscany；　and　thus　become　hostile　to　the　Florentines；　but　that　he　was　very　willing　to　proceed　against　Sinigalia。

It　happened　that　not　long　afterwards　the　town　surrendered；　but　the　fortress　would　not　yield　to　them　because　the　castellan　would　not　give　it　up　to　any　one　but　the　duke　in　person；　therefore　they　exhorted　him　to　come　there。　This　appeared　a　good　opportunity　to　the　duke；　as；　being　invited　by　them；　and　not　going　of　his　own　will；　he　would　awaken　no　suspicions。　And　the　more　to　reassure　them；　he　allowed　all　the　French　men…at…arms　who　were　with　him　in　Lombardy　to　depart；　except　the　hundred　lancers　under　Mons。　di　Candales；　his　brother…in…law。　He　left　Cesena　about　the　middle　of　December；　and　went　to　Fano；　and　with　the　utmost　cunning　and　cleverness　he　persuaded　the　Vitelli　and　Orsini　to　wait　for　him　at　Sinigalia；　pointing　out　to　them　that　any　lack　of　compliance　would　cast　a　doubt　upon　the　sincerity　and　permanency　of　the　reconciliation；　and　that　he　was　a　man　who　wished　to　make　use　of　the　arms　and　councils　of　his　friends。　But　Vitellozzo　remained　very　stubborn；　for　the　death　of　his　brother　warned　him　that　he　should　not　offend　a　prince　and　afterwards　trust　him；　nevertheless；　persuaded　by　Pagolo　Orsini；　whom　the　duke　had　corrupted　with　gifts　and　promises；　he　agreed　to　wait。

Upon　this　the　duke；　before　his　departure　from　Fano；　which　was　to　be　on　30th　December　1502；　communicated　his　designs　to　eight　of　his　most　trusted　followers；　among　whom　were　Don　Michele　and　the　Monsignor　d'Euna；　who　was　afterwards　cardinal；　and　he　ordered　that；　as　soon　as　Vitellozzo；　Pagolo　Orsini；　the　Duke　di　Gravina；　and　Oliverotto　should　arrive；　his　followers　in　pairs　should　take　them　one　by　one；　entrusting　certain　men　to　certain　pairs；　who　should　entertain　them　until　they　reached　Sinigalia；　nor　should　they　be　permitted　to　leave　until　they　came　to　the　duke's　quarters；　where　they　should　be　seized。

The　duke　afterwards　ordered　all　his　horsemen　and　infantry；　of　which　there　were　more　than　two　thousand　cavalry　and　ten　thousand　footmen；　to　assemble　by　daybreak　at　the　Metauro；　a　river　five　miles　distant　from　Fano；　and　await　him　there。　He　found　himself；　therefore；　on　the　last　day　of　December　at　the　Metauro　with　his　men；　and　having　sent　a　cavalcade　of　about　two　hundred　horsemen　before　him；　he　then　moved　forward　the　infantry；　whom　he　accompanied　with　the　rest　of　the　men…at…　arms。

Fano　and　Sinigalia　are　two　cities　of　La　Marca　situate　on　the　shore　of　the　Adriatic　Sea；　fifteen　miles　distant　from　each　other；　so　that　he　who　goes　towards　Sinigalia　has　the　mountains　on　his　right　hand；　the　bases　of　which　are　touched　by　the　sea　in　some　places。　The　city　of　Sinigalia　is　distant　from　the　foot　of　the　mountains　a　little　more　than　a　bow…shot　and　from　the　shore　about　a　mile。　On　the　side　opposite　to　the　city　runs　a　little　river　which　bathes　that　part　of　the　walls　looking　towards　Fano；　facing　the　high　road。　Thus　he　who　draws　near　to　Sinigalia　comes　for　a　good　space　by　road　along　the　mountains；　and　reaches　the　river　which　passes　by　Sinigalia。　If　he　turns　to　his　left　hand　along　the　bank　of　it；　and　goes　for　the　distance　of　a　bow…shot；　he　arrives　at　a　bridge　which　crosses　the　river；　he　is　then　almost　abreast　of　the　gate　that　leads　into　Sinigalia；　not　by　a　straight　line；　but　transversely。　Before　this　gate　there　stands　a　collection　of　houses　with　a　square　to　which　the　bank　of　the　river　forms　one　side。

The　Vitelli　and　Orsini　having　received　orders　to　wait　for　the　duke；　and　to　honour　him　in　person；　sent　away　their　men　to　several　castles　distant　from　Sinigalia　about　six　miles；　so　that　room　could　be　made　for　the　men　of　the　duke；　and　they　left　in　Sinigalia　only　Oliverotto　and　his　band；　which　consisted　of　one　thousand　infantry　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　horsemen；　who　were　quartered　in　the　suburb　mentioned　above。　Matters　having　been　thus　arranged；　the　Duke　Valentino　left　for　Sinigalia；　and　when　the　leaders　of　the　cavalry　reached　the　bridge　they　did　not　pass　over；　but　having　opened　it；　one　portion　wheeled　towards　the　river　and　the　other　towards　the　country；　and　a　way　was　left　in　the　middle　through　which　the　infantry　passed；　without　stopping；　into　the　town。

Vitellozzo；　Pagolo；　and　the　Duke　di　Gravina　on　mules；　accompanied　by　a　few　horsemen；　went　towards　the　duke；　Vitellozo；　unarmed　and　wearing　a　cape　lined　with　green；　appeared　very　dejected；　as　if　conscious　of　his　approaching　deatha　circumstance　which；　in　view　of　the　ability　of　the　man　and　his　former　fortune；　caused　some　amazement。　And　it　is　said　that　when　he　parted　from　his　men　before　setting　out　for　Sinigalia　to　meet　the　duke　he　acted　as　if　it　were　his　last　parting　from　them。　He　recommended　his　house　and　its　fortunes　to　his　captains；　and　advised　his　nephews　that　it　was　not　the　fortune　of　their　house；　but　the　virtues　of　their　fathers　that　should　be　kept　in　mind。　These　three；　therefore；　came　before　the　duke　and　saluted　him　respectfully；　and　were　received　by　him　with　goodwill；　they　were　at　once　placed　between　those　who　were　commissioned　to　look　after　them。

But　the　duke　noticing　that　Oliverotto；　who　had　remained　with　his　band　in　Sinigalia；　was　missingfor　Oliverotto　was　waiting　in　the　square　before　his　quarters　near　the　river；　keeping　his　men　in　order　and　drilling　themsignalled　with　his　eye　to　Don　Michelle；　to　whom　the　care　of　Oliverotto　had　been　committed；　that　he　should　take　measures　that　Oliverotto　should　not　escape。　Therefore　Don　Michele　rode　off　and　joined　Oliverotto；　telling　him　that　it　was　not　right　to　keep　his　men　out　of　their　quarters；　because　these　might　be　taken　up　by　the　men　of　the　duke；　and　he　advised　him　to　send　them　at　once　to　their　quarters　and　to　come　himself　to　meet　the　duke。　And　Oliverotto；　having　taken　this　advice；　came　before　the　duke；　who；　when　he　saw　him；　called　to　him；　and　Oliverotto；　having　made　his　obeisance；　joined　the　others。

So　the　whole　party　entered　Sinigalia；　dismounted　at　the　duke's　quarters；　and　went　with　him　into　a　secret　chamber；　where　th