SUMMARY.

1. Vicissitudes to which governments are subject in consequence of the frequent mutations natural to all human affairs.
—2. State of Italy. Armed bodies of the Braccesca and the Sforzesca (1434). They combine against the Pope, who is expelled by the Romans. Francesco Sforza makes terms with the Pope.
—3. War between the Duke of Milan and the Pope, who is joined by the Florentines and the Venetians.
—4. Cosimo having returned from exile, the party favorable to him, having increased in power and in boldness, tyrannize over the opposite faction.
—5. Joanna II queen of Naples, dies, and Regnier of Anjou and Alfonso of Aragon contend for the crown; the latter, being defeated by the Genoese, is delivered by them into the hands of the Duke of Milan, who becomes his friend, and he is liberated by him (1435).
—6. Factions of the Fregosa and the Adorna in Genoa.
—7. The Genoese, through the efforts of Francesco Spinola, drive out the Duke of Milan’s governor.
—8. They form a league against the Duke with the Florentines and the Venetians. The Duke of Milan is persuaded by Rinaldo degli Albizzi and other Florentine exiles to make war against Florence.
—9. He sends his captain, Niccolo Piccinino, to the disadvantage of Florence (1436).
—10. Sforza, the commander of the Florentines, defeats Piccinino under Barga; he moves thence against Lucca (1437), which is succord by the Duke of Milan.
—11. The Florentines march upon Lucca, which is abandoned by the Duke of Milan.
—12. The Duke returns to the disadvantage of the Florentines.
—13. Bad faith of the Venetians to the Florentines.
—14. Cosimo de’ Medici at Venice. The Florentines make peace with the Lucchese (1438).
—15. Pope Eugenius IV. consecrates the Metropolitan Church, built after the designs of Arnolfo and Brunelleschi.
—16. Council of Florence, at which the union of the Greek and Latin Churches is effected (1439).
—17. Niccolo Piccinino, in the name of the Duke of Milan, invades many places belonging to the Church.
—18. He attacks the Venetians, who are succored by the Florentines with the Sforzesca troops.
—19. The war is continued with alternate success between Piccinino and Sforza.
—20. Neri Capponi is sent to Venice.
—21. Address of Capponi to the Venetian Senate.
—22. The Count Sforza comes into Lombardy.
—23. Piccinino defeats the Venetians on the Lake of Garda.
—24. He takes Verona.
—25. It is retaken by Sforza.
—26. The Duke of Milan turns against the Florentines; and the Venetians prevent Sforza from passing into Tuscany to aid the Florentines (1440).
—27. The Florentines make themselves masters of the Patriarch Vitelleschi, who, abusing the name of the

Pope, was betraying them.
—28. Niccolo Piccinino passes the Po. Tardiness of the help of the Venetians to the Florentines.
—29. Piccinino in the Romagna.
—30. Niccolo Piccinino makes himself master of Marradi, and scours the country around Florence.
—31. He also takes, after much resistance, the Castel San Niccolo, but does not succeed in taking Cortona.
—32. He is recalled to Lombardy by Duke Filippo.
—33. He is defeated by the Florentines at Anghiari.
—34. Death of Messer Rinaldo degli Albizzi.
—35. Neri Capponi goes to recover the Casentino. The Count Poppi surrenders. His speech before abandoning the state.