The life of Leonardo da Vinci by John William Brown

Leonardo's beginnings in Milan

In the midst of the dissensions Milan was nearly destroyed; and after, various contests, intrigues, and battles, in which much blood was unnecessarily shed, the citizens themselves began to perceive what line of conduct would tend most to their advantage.. This was to select from among the different candidates one who would be strong enough to defend them against the rest, and provide for their future tranquillity. For this purpose a council of the citizens was assembled, in which Denim relates that Gasparo da Vicemercato exclaimed, " As we are to be despoiled of our liberty, and the city given to some one, let not at least choose a person who is both able and willing to defend us, that we may purchase peace by our servility, and not continued losses and protracted war.

These and similar arguments had such an effect on the Milanese, that they unanimously elected the Count Francesco Sforza their Duke, and despatched Vicemercato as their ambassador, offering him the government of their city; by which means the Duchy of Milan passed from the Visconti family into that of Sforza. Francesco, by the prudence and wisdom of his government, proved himself worthy of the confidence reposed in him by the Milanese. He not only liberated his states from his enemies, but carried the war, into their awn country, and as he was well known to be the first Condottiere of the age, one dared to place themselves in competition with him.

He died in 1466, and was succeeded in his vast possessions by his son, the Duke Galeazzo Maria; a young man of dissolute habits, inexperienced in the affairs of government, and imprudent in his general conduct. in 1466, and was succeeded in his vast possessions by his son, the Duke Galeazzo Maria; a young man of dissolute habits, inexperienced in the affairs of government, and imprudent in his general conduct. This prince made himself universally detested by his tyranny and debauchcry. He was a great lover of the fair sex, if a profligate libertine may be so termed; for, not content with seducing ladies of the highest rank, he would afterwards take pleasure in publishing their dishonour. Such conduct could not fail of exciting disgust; and after he had oppressed his country for about ten years, three young men, at the instigation of their tutor, Cola Montano, entered into a conspiracy against him. Machiavelli relates, that this Montano was a learned but ambitious man, who was employed in instructing the principal youths of the city in polite literature.

Either from a dislike to the Duke's public conduct, or from some private reason, he was continually endeavouring to excite his pupils against that prince; and at last he so worked upon the imaginations of three of them, that he induced them to take an oath that they would deliver their country from the tyrant as soon as they reached man's estate. It was long before they had an opportunity of putting their plans into execution they at length determined to assault the Duke on St. Stephen's day, when he was accustomed to visit the Church of that Martyr with great pomp and ceremony. The conspirators waylaid him as he entered the grand portal, and, being known to him, surrounded him under pretence of keeping off the crowd, and stabbed him in six places. The tyrant immediately fell to the ground and his attendants, perceiving there was no hope of his life, pursued the conspirators.

Two of them, Giovanni Lampugnano and Carlo Visconti, were put to death on the spot. Girolamo Olgiato contrived to escape, and was concealed by his mother for a short time, but he was afterwards discovered, and publicly executed. He died with the same courage which he evinced in the performance of the enterprise; and on being brought to the place of punishment, dauntlessly exclaimed, while the executioner was preparing to strike; "Mora acerba, fansa perpetua, stabit veto, memoria facti." Such was the end of this conspiracy; and had these young men been supported with half the courage and resolution which they displayed, the Sforza dynasty would, in all probability, have been destroyed, and the fate of Italy materially influenced.

This event happened towards the close of 1476, and occasioned fresh disturbances in Milan. At length, the Duchess Bona, who had seized the reins of authority immediately after her husband's assassination, was prevailed on, by her favourite Antonio Tassino, to admit her brother-in-law to a share of the government. She soon perceived the error of this step; and, finding that she had thereby destroyed her own power, she shortly after quitted Milan in disgust, surrendering the care of her son Giovan Galeazzo to Ludovico, who assumed the regency during his nephew's minority, and than became sole Lord of Milan. By these means, Ludovico it Moro possessed himself of the supreme power which had no long been the object of his ambition, and of which, we shall hereafter have occasion to observe, he made so ill a use, involving his country in slavery and desolation by throwing open the gates to foreign invasion, and than destroying the public tranquillity of Italy.