islike. Consequently, whenever this government required the citizens'
aid to recover or strengthen its influence, the latter were always
willing to gratify its wishes; so that from 1434 to 1455, during a
period of twenty-one years, the authority of a balia was granted to it
six times.

There were in Florence, as we have frequently observed, two principally
powerful citizens, Cosmo de' Medici and Neri Capponi. Neri acquired
his influence by public services; so that he had many friends but few
partisans. Cosmo, being able to avail himself both of public and private
means, had many partisans as well as friends. While both lived,
having always been united, they obtained from the people whatever they
required; for in them popularity and power were united. But in the year
1455, Neri being dead, and the opposition party extinct, the government
found a difficulty in resuming its authority; and this was occasioned,
remarkably enough, by Cosmo's private friends, and the most influential
men in the state; for, not fearing the opposite party, they became
anxious to abate his power. This inconsistency was the beginning of
the evils which took place in 1456; so that those in power were openly
advised in the deliberative councils not to renew the power of the
balia, but to close the balloting purses, and appoint the magistrates by
drawing from the pollings or squittini previously made. To restrain this
disposition, Cosmo had the choice of two alternatives, either forcibly
to assume the government, with the partisans he possessed, and drive
out the others, or to allow the matter to take its course, and let his
friends see they were not depriving him of power, but rather themselves.
He chose the latter; for he well knew that at all events the purses
being filled with the names of his own friends, he incurred no risk, and
could take the government into his own hands whenever he found occasion.
The chief offices of state being again filled by lot, the mass of the
people began to think they had recovered their liberty, and that the
decisions of the magistrates were according to their own judgments,
unbiased by the influence of the Great. At the same time, the friends
of different grandees were humbled; and many who had commonly seen their
houses filled with suitors and presents, found themselves destitute of
both. Those who had previously been very powerful were reduced to an
equality with men whom they had been accustomed to consider infer