DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61902#0101
THE MAKERS OF FLORENCE.
81
perors, however carried out. He invaded Italy for her
good, to pacificate and set her right, calming the rebellions
independence of her citiesinto dutiful subjection, restoring
her exiles and mending her feuds—whether with or with-
out her will, what did it matter ? It seems very strange
to us that even the fuor-usciti whom it was Henry’s object
to restore to their homes—here Guelfs, there Ghibellines,
with imperial impartiality—did not perceive what a tre-
mendous blow was struck at the cherished independence
of their cities by this dictation ; but years of exile and
suffering do not tend to make the judgment clear, and
abstract principles of right and wrong were perhaps less
fully perceived in the beginning of the fourteenth century
than those personal rights and wrongs which a conquered
party are always so deeply conscious of. However this
may be, it is evident that Dante at least had no objection
to owe his recall to the mandate of the emperor. He had
loved and guarded the liberties of Florence when they
were in his hands; but something still more near and
pressing than the liberties of Florence came now between
him and them. His own restoration, and her punishment
who had used him so cruelly, were the first things of which
he thought; and to see the emperor, upon whom he had
set his hopes, wasting his time in Lombardy among cities
like Brescia, and Pavia, whose quarrels were unworthy his
notice, and leaving Florence uncared for, filled his mind
with impatience and dismay.
“ Signore I ” he writes, addressing the emperor in the
name of his fellow-exiles, “ you who are the most excellent
prince of princes, you cannot perceive from your height of
greatness where the wolf has hid herself from the hunters.
In truth, that deceiver does not drink of the flowing Po
or of your Tiber. It is the water of Arno that is made
into poison by her guile. That cruel death is called
Florence. This is the viper that rends her mother’s womb ;
81
perors, however carried out. He invaded Italy for her
good, to pacificate and set her right, calming the rebellions
independence of her citiesinto dutiful subjection, restoring
her exiles and mending her feuds—whether with or with-
out her will, what did it matter ? It seems very strange
to us that even the fuor-usciti whom it was Henry’s object
to restore to their homes—here Guelfs, there Ghibellines,
with imperial impartiality—did not perceive what a tre-
mendous blow was struck at the cherished independence
of their cities by this dictation ; but years of exile and
suffering do not tend to make the judgment clear, and
abstract principles of right and wrong were perhaps less
fully perceived in the beginning of the fourteenth century
than those personal rights and wrongs which a conquered
party are always so deeply conscious of. However this
may be, it is evident that Dante at least had no objection
to owe his recall to the mandate of the emperor. He had
loved and guarded the liberties of Florence when they
were in his hands; but something still more near and
pressing than the liberties of Florence came now between
him and them. His own restoration, and her punishment
who had used him so cruelly, were the first things of which
he thought; and to see the emperor, upon whom he had
set his hopes, wasting his time in Lombardy among cities
like Brescia, and Pavia, whose quarrels were unworthy his
notice, and leaving Florence uncared for, filled his mind
with impatience and dismay.
“ Signore I ” he writes, addressing the emperor in the
name of his fellow-exiles, “ you who are the most excellent
prince of princes, you cannot perceive from your height of
greatness where the wolf has hid herself from the hunters.
In truth, that deceiver does not drink of the flowing Po
or of your Tiber. It is the water of Arno that is made
into poison by her guile. That cruel death is called
Florence. This is the viper that rends her mother’s womb ;