to be forgotten (and it would have
been well if they had never been heard among us), are repeated anew in
our ears.

"It seems almost necessarily ordained, in order that in human affairs
there may be nothing either settled or permanent, that in all republics
there are what may be called fatal families, born for the ruin of their
country. Of this kind of pest our city has produced a more copious brood
than any other; for not one but many have disturbed and harassed her:
first the Buondelmonti and the Uberti; then the Donati and the Cerchi;
and now, oh ridiculous! oh disgraceful thought! the Ricci and the
Albizzi have caused a division of her citizens.

"We have not dwelt upon our corrupt habits or our old and continual
dissensions to occasion you alarm, but to remind you of their causes; to
show that as you doubtless are aware of them, we also keep them in view,
and to remind you that their results ought not to make you diffident
of your power to repress the disorders of the present time. The ancient
families possessed so much influence, and were held in such high esteem,
that civil force was insufficient to restrain them; but now, when the
empire has lost its ascendancy, the pope is no longer formidable, and
the whole of Italy is reduced to a state of the most complete equality,
there can be no difficulty. Our republic might more especially than any
other (although at first our former practices seem to present a reason
to the contrary), not only keep itself united but be improved by good
laws and civil regulations, if you, the Signory, would once resolve to
undertake the matter; and to this we, induced by no other motive than
the love of our country, would most strongly urge you. It is true
the corruption of the country is great, and much discretion will be
requisite to correct it; but do not impute the past disorders to
the nature of the men, but to the times, which, being changed, give
reasonable ground to hope that, with better government, our city will
be attended with better fortune; for the malignity of the people will
be overcome by restraining the ambition and annulling the ordinances of
those who have encouraged faction, and adopting in their stead only such
principles as are conformable to true civil liberty. And be assured,
that these desirable ends will be more certainly attained by the benign
influence of the laws, than by a delay which will compel the people to
effect them by force and arms."

The Sign