rought upon the city. Now, I, and these Signors
command, and if it were consistent with propriety, we would entreat that
you allow your minds to be calmed; be content, rest satisfied with the
provisions that have been made for you; and if you should be found to
need anything further, make your request with decency and order, and not
with tumult; for when your demands are reasonable they will always be
complied with, and you will not give occasion to evil designing men
to ruin your country and cast the blame upon yourselves." These words
conveying nothing but the truth, produced a suitable effect upon the
minds of the citizens, who thanking the Gonfalonier for having acted
toward them the part of a king Signor, and toward the city that of a
good citizen, offered their obedience in whatever might be committed
to them. And the Signors, to prove the sincerity of their intentions,
appointed two citizens for each of the superior magistracies, who, with
Syndics of the arts, were to consider what could be done to restore
quite, and report their resolutions to the Signors.

While these things were in progress, a disturbance arose, much more
injurious to the republic than anything that had hitherto occurred.
The greatest part of the fires and robberies which took place on the
previous days were perpetrated by the very lowest of the people; and
those who had been the most audacious, were afraid that when the greater
differences were composed, they would be punished for the crimes they
had committed; and that as usual, they would be abandoned by those who
had instigated them to the commission of crime. To this may be added,
the hatred of the lower orders toward the rich citizens and the
principals of the arts, because they did not think themselves
remunerated for their labor in a manner equal to their merits. For in
the time of Charles I., when the city was divided into arts, a head or
governor was appointed to each, and it was provided that the individuals
of each art, should be judged in civil matters by their own superiors.
These arts, as we have before observed, were at first twelve; in the
course of time they were increased to twenty-one, and attained so much
power, that in a few years they grasped the entire government of the
city; and as some were in greater esteem than others, they were divided
into MAJOR and MINOR; seven were called "major," and fourteen, the
"minor arts." From this division, and from other causes which we