th disgrace and the loss of many of his
followers, he withdrew to France.

After the departure of Charles, Florence remained quiet. Corso alone was
restless, thinking he did not possess that sort of authority in the city
which was due to his rank; for the government being in the hands of the
people, he saw the offices of the republic administered by many inferior
to himself. Moved by passions of this kind, he endeavored, under
the pretense of an honorable design, to justify his own dishonorable
purposes, and accused many citizens who had the management of the public
money, of applying it to their private uses, and recommended that they
should be brought to justice and punished. This opinion was adopted by
many who had the same views as himself; and many in ignorance joined
them, thinking Corso actuated only by pure patriotism. On the other
hand, the accused citizens, enjoying the popular favor, defended
themselves, and this difference arose to such a height, that, after
civil means, they had recourse to arms. Of the one party were Corso and
Lottieri, bishop of Florence, with many of the nobility and some of the
people; on the other side were the Signory, with the greater part of
the people; so that skirmishes took place in many parts of the city. The
Signory, seeing their danger great, sent for aid to the Lucchese,
and presently all the people of Lucca were in Florence. With their
assistance the disturbances were settled for the moment, and the people
retained the government and their liberty, without attempting by any
other means to punish the movers of the disorder.

The pope had heard of the tumults at Florence, and sent his legate,
Niccolo da Prato, to settle them, who, being in high reputation both for
his quality, learning, and mode of life, presently acquired so much of
the people's confidence, that authority was given him to establish such
a government as he should think proper. As he was of Ghibelline origin,
he determined to recall the banished; but designing first to gain the
affections of the lower orders, he renewed the ancient companies of
the people, which increased the popular power and reduced that of the
nobility. The legate, thinking the multitude on his side, now endeavored
to recall the banished, and, after attempting in many ways, none of
which succeeded, he fell so completely under the suspicion of the
government, that he was compelled to quit the city, and returned to the
pope in great wrath, le