Terrified by their defeat, the Florentines now saw no way to save their freedom. In order to be more certain of his aid, they sent ambassadors to King Robert of Naples announcing that the city and control over it were his. The king accepted, not so much because of the honor shown him by the Florentines but rather because he knew how important it was for his own state that the Guelfs control Tuscany. Agreeing with the Florentines that they should pay him two hundred thousand ducats annually, he sent his son, Carlo, to Florence with four thousand horsemen.
Meanwhile, the Florentines were relieved somewhat of Castruccio’s men, since he was obliged to leave their territory and to go to Pisa to repress a conspiracy organized against him by Benedetto Lanfranchi, one of the city’s first citizens. Unable to bear the fact that his city was in servitude to a Luccan, Benedetto plotted against him, planning to occupy the citadel and to kill Castruccio’s supporters after driving out the garrison. But since, in these matters, a group small enough to keep the secret is not large enough to execute the design, while Benedetto was searching for more conspirators he found one who revealed the plan to Castruccio. Also incriminated by this disclosure were Bonifacio Cerchi and Giovanni Guidi, two Florentines who were exiled in Pisa. Whereupon Castruccio had Benedetto seized and killed; the rest of his family was banished, and many other noble citizens were beheaded. And since it appeared that Pistoia and Pisa were somewhat disloyal to him, he tried to secure them by means of diligence and force. This gave the Florentines enough time to regroup their troops and to await the arrival of Carlo. When he arrived, they decided not to waste any time and gathered together a vast group, calling to their assistance almost all the Guelfs of Italy; they made up a huge army of more than thirty thousand infantry and ten thousand horse. After discussing where they should attack first; Pistoia or Pisa, they resolved to strike first at Pisa—this seemed the plan most likely to succeed because of the recent conspiracy there, and it seemed more profitable since they thought that Pistoia would surrender automatically once Pisa fell.
The Florentines therefore left the city with this army on the first of May, 1328, immediately occupied La Lastra, Signa, Montelupo, and Empoli, and arrived with their army at San Miniato. Castruccio was not at all afraid when he heard about the huge army the Florentines had fielded against him, for he believed that this was the moment for Fortune to put the rule of Tuscany within his grasp; he felt that the enemy would not make a better showing at Pisa than they had at Serravalle, and that they had no hopes of regrouping themselves as they had done previously. Having gathered together twenty thousand of his foot soldiers and four thousand cavalrymen, he camped at Fucecchio and sent Pagolo Guinigi with five thousand lancers to Pisa. Fucecchio is situated on a stronger site than any other castle in the area of Pisa, being in between the Gusciana Canal and the Arno River and somewhat above the plain. Once there, the enemy could not prevent the arrival of supplies from either Lucca or Pisa unless they divided their forces; nor could they march to meet him or go toward Pisa without a positive disadvantage: in the first case they could be trapped between Castruccio and the men from Pisa, and in the second they would have to cross the Arno; with the enemy on their backs, this would be very dangerous. In order to encourage them to cross the river, Castruccio did not place his troops along the Arno’s banks but rather along Fucecchio’s walls, leaving plenty of room between the river and himself.
After occupying San Miniato, the Florentines debated their next move: whether to go on to Pisa or meet Castruccio. Having considered the difficulties of each alternative, they decided to engage his forces in battle. The Arno was low enough so that it could be forded, but only in such a way that the infantry would be up to their shoulders in water and the horsemen up to their saddles. On the morning of the tenth of June, the Florentines began to cross, in battle formation, part of their cavalry and a battalion of ten thousand infantry. Castruccio was ready. Intent on finishing what he had in mind, he attacked them with a battalion of five thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry; not allowing them time to leave the water, he fell upon them suddenly. He also dispatched a thousand light infantry downstream and upstream. The Florentine foot soldiers were weighted down by their arms and the water and had not yet climbed up the opposite bank. Although a few made it across, the horsemen made the way more difficult for others to cross, having broken up the river bottom. Thus, finding the passageway so uneven, many horses turned over on their riders and others got so stuck in the mud that they could not retreat. When the Florentine commanders saw the difficulty of crossing in that spot, they made their men withdraw and go higher up the river in order to find a fresh place with a more suitable riverbank. Those troops that Castruccio had sent up the river opposed this move; these soldiers were lightly armed with round shields and spears and struck the enemy in the face and the chest while screaming loudly. So frightened were the horses by these cries and by their wounds that, unwilling to go on, they fell back upon each other. The struggle between Castruccio’s men and those who did cross was bitter and terrible; many fell on each side and each tried with all its might to overcome the other. Castruccio’s troops wanted to throw their opponents into the river, while the Florentines wanted to push his men back to make room for those who were leaving the water to fight. To this tenacity were added the exhortations of the officers. Castruccio reminded his men that these were the same enemy troops that they had defeated not long ago at Serravalle; the Florentines, on the other hand, reproached their men for allowing themselves to be defeated by so few opponents. Seeing that the battle was wearing on, that both his men and their adversaries were already worn out, and that there were many dead and wounded on each side, Castruccio sent forward another troop of five thousand foot soldiers; after leading them behind those who were fighting, he ordered the ones in front to separate, one part turning to the right, the other to the left, as if they were in retreat. This strategy gave the Florentines room to move ahead and to gain some ground, but when their tired troops came into contact with Castruccio’s fresh men, it did not take long for the latter to push the former back into the river. So far, the cavalry on either side had no advantage; knowing his own to be inferior, Castruccio had merely ordered his cavalry officers to hold the enemy. He hoped to beat their foot soldiers; once that was accomplished, he could more easily destroy their horsemen. Everything went according to plan, for when he saw that the enemy foot soldiers had retreated into the river he sent the rest of his infantry against the enemy cavalry; the foot soldiers wounded the enemy with darts and lances, and since his own horsemen were pressing against them with even greater force, they were put to flight. The Florentine commanders, realizing the difficulties their horsemen were having in getting across, tried to cross their infantry downstream in order to attack Castruccio’s flanks. But since the banks were steep and were held by Castruccio’s men, they tried in vain. Thus the enemy was routed, to Castruccio’s great honor and glory, and of the entire force not more than a third survived. Many of their leaders were captured; Carlo, King Robert’s son, together with Michelagnolo Falconi and Taddeo degli Albizzi, who were Florentine commissioners, fled to Empoli. The booty was sizable and the slaughter was very heavy, as one might imagine to be the case in such a battle: within the Florentine army, 20,231 perished, while Castruccio’s forces lost 1,570.
But Fortune, hostile to his glory, took life away from him instead of giving it to him—it interrupted those plans that Castruccio had intended to carry out for a long time, plans that only death could have prevented him from carrying out. All during that day of battle Castruccio struggled hard; then, when it ended, all tired and drenched with sweat, he stopped at the gate of Fucecchio to review his troops, to thank and receive them personally, as well as to be ready to deal with any enemy force that might pose a threat. He thought it was the duty of a good general to be the first to mount his horse and the last to dismount. Thus, while standing exposed to a wind—an almost always unhealthy one that usually rises up from the Amo at noon—he cau
ght an icy chill; he paid no attention to it, for he was used to such discomforts, but it was the cause of his death. The following night he was struck by a very strong fever and his temperature continued to rise; all the doctors considered the illness fatal, and when Castruccio learned this, he called Pagolo Guinigi and spoke these words to him:
“If I had known, my son, that Fortune had wanted to cut me down in the middle of that journey’s path leading to the glory which I, through my many successful deeds, had promised myself to attain, I would have toiled less and left you fewer enemies and less envy, though a smaller state. I would have been happy to rule Lucca and Pisa and I would not have taken the Pistoians and angered the Florentines with so many injuries; rather, making each of these two peoples my allies, I would have led a quieter, if not longer, life and would have left you, without a doubt, a more stable and secure state, although a smaller one. But Fortune, who wishes to be the arbiter of all human affairs, did not grant me sufficient judgment early enough to understand her, nor enough time to be able to overcome her. You have heard—since many have told you and I have never denied it—how I entered your father’s service while still young, lacking all those aspirations that should attract every noble mind, and how I was raised and loved by your father more than if I had been of his own blood. As a result, under his guidance, I became valorous and able to obtain that fortune that you yourself have observed. And since, at the point of death, he entrusted you and your property to my care, I have raised you with this same love and have increased your inheritance with the same faith that bound and still binds me. And since not only was what your father left you yours, but also what Fortune and my ability have earned, I decided not to marry so that love for my sons would not prevent me in any way from showing such gratitude toward your father’s family as I felt obliged to show. I am leaving you, therefore, a large state, and this pleases me; but because I leave it to you in a weak, unstable condition, I am very unhappy. You control the city of Lucca, which will never be content under your rule; you rule Pisa, where the citizens are by nature treacherous and fickle, and which, however used to being dominated it has been at times, will never tolerate a Luccan as its lord. Pistoia is still yours, but it is somewhat untrustworthy because of internal divisions and it remains angry at our family because of recent injuries. Nearby, you have the offended Florentines, harmed by us in a thousand ways but not destroyed, to whom the news of my death will be more pleasing than the conquest of all Tuscany. You cannot count on the emperor or the princes of Milan because they are far away, lazy, and their aid comes late. Therefore, you should trust only in your own energy, in the memory of my ability, and in the reputation you will gain from this present victory. If you know how to use this reputation with prudence, it will help you reach a truce with the Florentines, who, being terrified by this present rout, should willingly consent. As for them, while I sought to make them my enemies and thought that their enmity would bring me power and glory, you must try to make them your friends at all costs, because their friendship will bring you security and comfort. It is very important in this world to know oneself and to know how to measure the strength of one’s mind and one’s condition, and anyone who is not suited to deeds of war ought to try to reign with the arts of peace. My advice to you is to turn to these arts and strive, by this means, to enjoy the fruits of my labors and dangers; you should manage easily if you take my maxims to be true. And you will be obligated to me in two ways: first, because I left you this realm, and second, because I taught you how to keep it.”
Having summoned those citizens of Lucca, Pisa, and Pistoia who had served under him, and having commended Pagolo Guinigi to them, making them swear obedience to him, he died, leaving happy memories of himself with all those who knew of him and with all those who were his friends, and he left as much regret behind as did any prince who had died at any other time. His funeral was celebrated with the most solemn rites, and he was buried in San Francesco of Lucca. But Fortune and ability were not as kind to Pagolo Guinigi as they had been to Castruccio, for not much later he lost Pistoia and then Pisa; he held Lucca, but only with difficulty, and it remained under his family until the days of Pagolo, his great-grandson.
Castruccio was, therefore, according to all that we have seen, a man unusual not only for his own day but also for past times. He was physically of above-average height, and every limb was in perfect proportion to the other; and he was so gracious in bearing and so human in his dealings with others that never did anyone who spoke with him leave dissatisfied. His hair was almost red, and he wore it cut above his ears; and always, at all times, even when it rained or snowed, he went about bareheaded.
He was gracious to his friends, terrible to his foes, just with his subjects, unfaithful to foreigners; if he could conquer by trickery, he never tried to win by force, for he said that it was the victory, not the method of achieving it, that brought one glory.
No one was ever more bold in risking danger, nor more reluctant to leave it. He used to say that men ought to try everything and fear nothing since God loved strong men and always punished the weak by means of the strong.
He was also amazing in conversation and full of witty remarks, sometimes sharp, sometimes urbane; and as he never minced words with others, he never became angry when others did the same with him. There are records of remarks he made as well as ones that were made to him.
When a friend reproved him for having bought a partridge for a ducat, Castruccio said: “You would not pay more than a penny for it.” When his friend admitted that he was right, Castruccio replied: “A ducat is, for me, worth much less.”
Once there was a flatterer in his presence. To show his contempt for the person, Castruccio spat upon him, whereupon the man said: “In order to catch a small fish fishermen let themselves get entirely soaked by the sea; to land a whale I can well afford to let myself get wet from a little spit.” Castruccio not only tolerated this reply but rewarded it.
Someone spoke ill of him, saying that he lived too well, to which Castruccio replied: “If this were a vice, there would not be such splendid banquets on the feast days of our saints.”
Passing through a street and seeing a young man all red from blushing because he had been seen leaving a brothel, Castruccio said: “Don’t be ashamed when you leave but when you enter.”
When a friend gave him a carefully tied knot to loosen, he said: “Idiot, do you think I want to undo something that gives me so much trouble when it is tied?”
When Castruccio remarked to someone who was a professional philosopher, “You are like dogs that always stay around whoever feeds them best,” the other replied: “On the contrary, we are like doctors who go to the houses of those who need us most.”
Traveling from Pisa to Livorno by sea and being overtaken by a dangerous storm that frightened him very much, he was reproved for his fear by one of his companions, who claimed that he never feared anything; to this Castruccio answered that he was not surprised, since each man values his life as much as it is worth.
Asked by someone what he had to do to be respected, Castruccio said: “When you go to a banquet, don’t be like a bump on a log.”
When someone bragged about having read many things, Castruccio remarked: “It would be better to boast of having remembered many of them.”
When somebody boasted of drinking a great deal without becoming intoxicated, he said: “An ox does exactly the same thing.”
Castruccio once had a young girl with whom he lived; he was criticized for this by a friend, who said that it was especially bad that he had let himself be taken by a woman. To this Castruccio retorted: “You are mistaken. I took her, not she me!”
When another person accused him of eating overly delicate foods, he said: “You would not spend as much as I do for them.” And when the man admitted that this was correct, he added: “Therefore, you are a bigger miser than I am a glutton.”
Once he was invited to supper at the home of Taddo Bernardi of Lucca, a very ri
ch and extravagant man. When he arrived at the house, Taddo showed him a room completely decorated with tapestries and with a floor made of precious stones of various colors arranged in the shape of flowers, branches, and various plants. After having collected a good deal of saliva in his mouth, Castruccio spat it all into Taddo’s face. When the man complained, Castruccio explained: “I wanted to spit in a place that would offend you the least.”
Asked how Julius Caesar died, he remarked: “May God grant that I die the same way.”
One night, at the house of one of his noblemen, where a number of women had been invited to make merry, he was dancing and enjoying himself more than was fitting to his station; rebuked for this by a friend, he remarked: “Anyone who is thought to be wise by day will never be considered a fool by night.”
Once, when a man had come to beg a favor of him, Castruccio pretended not to hear, and the man threw himself at his knees. When Castruccio criticized him for doing so, he retorted: “It is your fault, since your ears are in your feet.” Whereupon Castruccio gave him double the favor he requested.
He used to say that the road to Hell was easy since you could get there downhill and with your eyes closed.
When someone once asked him a favor by using many superfluous words, Castruccio exclaimed: “The next time you want something of me, send someone else.”
The same kind of man once bored him with a long speech that finally concluded: “Perhaps I have tired you by too much talking.” To this Castruccio replied: “Not at all. I haven’t heard a word you said.”
He used to say of a man who had been a beautiful boy and was now a handsome man that he had caused too much harm, for at first he used to take the husbands away from their wives and now he took the wives away from their husbands.
The Portable Machiavelli Page 54