For before the sun had set Florence was in an uproar6. The passions which had been roused the day before had been smouldering through that quiet morning, and had now burst out again with a fury not unassisted by design, and not without official connivance7. The uproar had begun at the Duomo in an attempt of some Compagnacci to hinder the evening sermon, which the Piagnoni had assembled to hear. But no sooner had men’s blood mounted and the disturbances8 had become an affray than the cry arose, ‘To San Marco! the fire to San Marco!’
And long before the daylight had died, both the church and convent were being besieged9 by an enraged10 and continually increasing multitude. Not without resistance. For the monks11, long conscious of growing hostility12 without, had arms within their walls, and some of them fought as vigorously in their long white tunics13 as if they had been Knights14 Templars. Even the command of Savonarola could not prevail against the impulse to self-defence in arms that were still muscular under the Dominican serge. There were laymen15 too who had not chosen to depart, and some of them fought fiercely: there was firing from the high altar close by the great crucifix, there was pouring of stones and hot embers from the convent roof, there was close fighting with swords in the cloisters16. Notwithstanding the force of the assailants, the attack lasted till deep night.
The demonstrations17 of the Government had all been against the convent; early in the attack guards had been sent for, not to disperse18 the assailants, but to command all within the convent to lay down their arms, all laymen to depart from it, and Savonarola himself to quit the Florentine territory within twelve hours. Had Savonarola quitted the convent then, he could hardly have escaped being torn to pieces; he was willing to go, but his friends hindered him. It was felt to be a great risk even for some laymen of high name to depart by the garden wall, but among those who had chosen to do so was Francesco Valori, who hoped to raise rescue from without.
And now when it was deep night — when the struggle could hardly have lasted much longer, and the Compagnacci might soon have carried their swords into the library, where Savonarola was praying with the Brethren who had either not taken up arms or had laid them down at his command — there came a second body of guards, commissioned by the Signoria to demand the persons of Fra Girolamo and his two coadjutors, Fra Domenico and Fra Salvestro.
Loud was the roar of triumphant19 hate when the light of lanterns showed the Frate issuing from the door of the convent with a guard who promised him no other safety than that of the prison. The struggle now was, who should get first in the stream that rushed up the narrow street to see the Prophet carried back in ignominy to the Piazza20 where he had braved it yesterday — who should be in the best place for reaching his ear with insult, nay21, if possible, for smiting22 him and kicking him. This was not difficult for some of the armed Compagnacci who were not prevented from mixing themselves with the guards.
When Savonarola felt himself dragged and pushed along in the midst of that hooting23 multitude; when lanterns were lifted to show him deriding24 faces; when he felt himself spit upon, smitten25 and kicked with grossest words of insult, it seemed to him that the worst bitterness of life was past. If men judged him guilty, and were bent26 on having his blood, it was only death that awaited him. But the worst drop of bitterness can never be wrung27 on to our lips from without: the lowest depth of resignation is not to be found in martyrdom; it is only to be found when we have covered our heads in silence and felt, ‘I am not worthy29 to be a martyr28; the Truth shall prosper30, but not by me.’
But that brief imperfect triumph of insulting the Frate, who had soon disappeared under the doorway31 of the Old Palace, was only like the taste of blood to the tiger. Were there not the houses of the hypocrite’s friends to be sacked? Already one-half of the armed multitude, too much in the rear to share greatly in the siege of the convent, had been employed in the more profitable work of attacking rich houses, not with planless desire for plunder32, but with that discriminating33 selection of such as belonged to chief Piagnoni, which showed that the riot was under guidance, and that the rabble34 with clubs and staves was well officered by sword-girt Compagnacci. Was there not — next criminal after the Frate — the ambitious Francesco Valori, suspected of wanting with the Frate’s help to make himself a Doge or Gonfaloniere for life? And the grey-haired man who, eight months ago, had lifted his arm and his voice in such ferocious35 demand for justice on five of his fellow-citizens, only escaped from San Marco to experience what others called justice — to see his house surrounded by an angry, greedy multitude, to see his wife shot dead with an arrow, and to be himself murdered, as he was on his way to answer a summons to the Palazzo, by the swords of men named Ridolfi and Tornabuoni.
In this way that Masque of the Furies, called Riot, was played on in Florence through the hours of night and early morning.
But the chief director was not visible: he had his reasons for issuing his orders from a private retreat, being of rather too high a name to let his red feather be seen waving amongst all the work that was to be done before the dawn. The retreat was the same house and the same room in a quiet street between Santa Croce and San Marco, where we have seen Tito paying a secret visit to Dolfo Spini. Here the Captain of the Compagnacci sat through this memorable36 night, receiving visitors who came and went, and went and came, some of them in the guise37 of armed Compagnacci, others dressed obscurely and without visible arms. There was abundant wine on the table, with drinking-cups for chance comers; and though Spini was on his guard against excessive drinking, he took enough from time to time to heighten the excitement produced by the news that was being brought to him continually.
Among the obscurely-dressed visitors Ser Ceccone was one of the most frequent, and as the hours advanced towards the morning twilight38 he had remained as Spini’s constant companion, together with Francesco Cei, who was then in rather careless hiding in Florence, expecting to have his banishment39 revoked40 when the Frate’s fall had been accomplished41.
The tapers42 had burnt themselves into low shapeless masses, and holes in the shutters43 were just marked by a sombre outward light, when Spini, who had started from his seat and walked up and down with an angry flush on his face at some talk that had been going forward with those two unmilitary companions, burst out —
‘The devil spit him! he shall pay for it, though. Ha, ha! the claws shall be down on him when he little thinks of them. So he was to be the great man after all! He’s been pretending to chuck everything towards my cap, as if I were a blind beggarman, and all the while he’s been winking44 and filling his own scarsella. I should like to hang skins about him and set my hounds on him! And he’s got that fine ruby45 of mine, I was fool enough to give him yesterday. Malediction46! And he was laughing at me in his sleeve two years ago, and spoiling the best plan that ever was laid. I was a fool for trusting myself with a rascal47 who had long-twisted contrivances that nobody could see to the end of but himself.’
‘A Greek, too, who dropped into Florence with gems48 packed about him,’ said Francesco Cei, who had a slight smile of amusement on his face at Spini’s fuming49. ‘You did not choose your confidant very wisely, my Dolfo.’
‘He’s a cursed deal cleverer than you, Francesco, and handsomer too,’ said Spini, turning on his associate with a general desire to worry anything that presented itself.
‘I humbly50 conceive,’ said Ser Ceccone, ‘that Messer Francesco’s poetic51 genius will outweigh52 —’
‘Yes, yes, rub your hands! I hate that notary’s trick of yours,’ interrupted Spini, whose patronage53 consisted largely in this sort of frankness. ‘But there comes Taddeo, or somebody: now’s the time! What news, eh?’ he went on, as two Compagnacci entered with heated looks.
‘Bad!’ said one. ‘The people have made up their minds they were going to have the sacking of Soderini’s house, and now they have been balked54 we shall have them turning on us, if we don’t take care. I suspect there are some Mediceans buzzing about among them, and we may see them attacking your palace over the bridge before long, unless we can find a bait for them another way.’
‘I have it!’ said Spini, and seizing Taddeo by the belt he drew him aside to give him directions, while the other went on telling Cei how the Signoria had interfered55 about Soderini’s house.
‘Ecco!’ exclaimed Spini, presently, giving Taddeo a slight push towards the door. ‘Go, and make quick work.’
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收听单词发音
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1
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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4
venerating
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| 敬重（某人或某事物），崇敬( venerate的现在分词 ) | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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6
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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7
connivance
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| n.纵容；默许 | |
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8
disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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9
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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11
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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13
tunics
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| n.（动植物的）膜皮( tunic的名词复数 )；束腰宽松外衣；一套制服的短上衣；（天主教主教等穿的）短祭袍 | |
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14
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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15
laymen
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| 门外汉，外行人( layman的名词复数 )； 普通教徒（有别于神职人员） | |
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16
cloisters
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| n.（学院、修道院、教堂等建筑的）走廊( cloister的名词复数 )；回廊；修道院的生活；隐居v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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18
disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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19
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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piazza
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| n.广场；走廊 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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smiting
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的现在分词 ) | |
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23
hooting
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
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24
deriding
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的现在分词 ) | |
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smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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26
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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27
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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28
martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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29
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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31
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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32
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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33
discriminating
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| a.有辨别能力的 | |
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34
rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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37
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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38
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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39
banishment
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| n.放逐，驱逐 | |
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40
revoked
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| adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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42
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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43
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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44
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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45
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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46
malediction
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| n.诅咒 | |
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47
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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48
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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49
fuming
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| 愤怒( fume的现在分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
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50
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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51
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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52
outweigh
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| vt.比...更重，...更重要 | |
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53
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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54
balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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55
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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