I remember a scene which furnished a very
remarkable proof of this, and which was at the same time very
curiously and significantly characteristic of the Florentine
character, at least as it then existed.
It was during the time of the Austrian occupation of Florence. On the
whole the Austrian troops behaved well; and their doings, and the
spirit in which the job they had in hand was carried out, were
very favourably contrasted with the tyranny, the insults, and the
aggressive arrogance, with which the French army of occupation
afflicted the Romans. The Austrians accordingly were never hated in
Florence with the bitter intensity of hate which the French earned in
the Eternal City. Nevertheless, there were now and then occasions
when the Florentine populace gratified their love of a holiday and
testified to the purity of their Italian patriotism by turning out
into the streets and kicking up a row.
It was on an occasion of this sort, that the narrow street called Por'
Santa Maria, which runs up from the Ponte Vecchio to the Piazza, was
thickly crowded with people. A young lieutenant had been sent to that
part of the town with a small detachment of cavalry to clear the
streets. Judging from the aspect of the people, as his men, coming
down the Lung' Arno, turned into the narrow street, he did not
half like the job before him. He thought there certainly would be
bloodshed. And just as his men were turning the corner and beginning
to push their horses into the crowd, one of them slipped sideways on
the flagstones, with which, most distressingly to horses not used to
them, the streets of Florence are paved, and came down with his rider
partly under him.
Pages:
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197