The following extracts from Vespucci’s letters to the “Ten” allude to the one victory gained by the Florentine troops over the Prefect of Rome, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV., near Lake Trasimene during the war between Florence and the Pope with his ally the King of Naples, in 1479. But the fortune of war soon changed. The Florentines were beaten at Poggibonsi, within sixteen miles of Florence, by the Duke of Calabria. Fortunately for her, Duke Alfonso stopped to lay siege to the small walled town of Colle which held out for two months and inflicted considerable loss on his army. Meanwhile the summer, generally considered in the fifteenth century to be the only proper time for fighting, was over; the Duke offered a three months’ truce, withdrew his troops to winter quarters, and Florence was saved.
Guidantonio Vespucci, Legatus in Epistolis at Paris, to the Ten of the Balìa in Florence
When the King of France heard the news he gave signs of great joy, kneeling as is his wont three times and kissing the ground, thanking God. All that day he talked of nought else with his people, saying: “My friends the Florentines and my cousin Lorenzo de’ Medici will have their revenge this year....” You heard how the King’s Majesty had received news of the glorious victory of our troops near Perugia and how delighted he was, so that according to what I hear from court he showed extreme pleasure both by actions and in words, to the great content of the Magnificent Monsignor of Argenton[268] who, as though he had been a born Florentine, continually tamquam tuba exprobando the acts of the Pontiff and of King Ferrante, goes about Paris proclaiming our victory; particularly to those ecclesiastics whom I have met sometimes at supper with his Lordship.
Vespucci adds that Louis XI. refused to receive a certain Raffaello Ballerini sent by the Pope to explain his actions, and that when King Ferrante asked that his galleys might use the ports of Nice and Provence for the purpose of attacking the Florentines, the Duke of Savoy by command of the King of France refused his consent.—1479.[269]
Lorenzo de’ Medici to Girolamo Morelli, Florentine Ambassador at Milan
Yours of the 8th and 9th tell me that everything goes well there. It is useless for me to say much as we must wait to see how affairs shape themselves and try to turn them in our favour. I cannot believe that the Lord Lodovico being all-powerful and an absolute ruler will consent to our undoing, because it would be against his interest. He is by nature kindly and has never received any injury from us either public or private. It is true that he obtained power by the King’s favour, but I think he is even more beholden to the help given him by others and to his own qualities. From the little I know of His Lordship he seems to me capable of understanding what is right and willing to execute what he understands. Therefore as soon as you can it would be well to see His Lordship and demonstrate to him that on account of ancient friendship we expect nothing but good from him, there being no reason for antagonism, and according to my view it will be his interest. Impress upon him that this city desires to go hand in hand with the State of Milan, that is with His Lordship, and for this reason beg and encourage him to inform you in some measure of his intentions so that we may act in conformity with his wishes. Explain our difficulties to him, and how they react upon that State, and the remedy which is in his own hands. This is what I have to say at present. As soon as I received your first intimation I despatched Niccolò d’Antonio Martelli, who is very intimate with His Lordship, it was through him that formerly I transacted all important affairs with His Lordship. I send him to you to whom he will show all his despatches. He will soon be with you, as to-day he must be at Bologna. It appears to me that we must now throw ourselves entirely into the arms of His Lordship and discover as soon as possible what are his ideas and his intentions towards us, and this quickly, for I have had no letter from him. I have thought it better to write to him and enclose the letter, but I rely more on your interview with him, when you can tell him as much as you think fit of what I have written. I commend myself to you.—Florence, September 11, 1479.
I must remind you of what I wrote yesterday about the Marquis of Mantua. If he is deposed that country will immediately be included among our enemies, it would be our ruin.
Laurentius de Medicis.[270]
In November Niccolò Martelli, the trusted friend of Lorenzo, was still in Milan, and on the 12th Lodovico Sforza (il Moro) told him to inform Lorenzo that the King of Naples would be willing to listen to overtures of peace, and that he strongly advised him to strike while the iron was hot. Ten days later he told the same thing to Pier Filippo Pandolfini, the Florentine ambassador, adding that Lorenzo ought not to trust Venice who thought only of her own interests, and would leave Florence in the lurch. He could himself promise little or nothing as Milan was sore pressed, and he wished Lorenzo to know this, in order to avoid future recrimination. He advised immediate action, and was ready to undertake negotiations with Naples. It is clear that Lodovico had been charged by King Ferrante to sound Lorenzo. On November 24th Filippo Strozzi, who had lived long in Naples and knew the King well, left Florence on a secret mission. “I was to tell the King,” he writes in his journal, “that Lorenzo placed himself in the King’s hands, and would willingly do all the King desired if he only gave peace to Florence, and restored to her the towns she had lost. I found H.M. at Arnone [at the mouth of the Volturno] hunting, and when I delivered my message he answered that he had later news; that Lorenzo was coming in person, and so we would wait and see what his visit would bring forth.”[271]
The following letter from Lorenzo to the Signoria was written after he had started for Naples. Many in Florence feared that he might meet the same fate as Piccinino, who had been invited to Naples and foully murdered by the King’s orders.