liberty, and for
the laws to be equally binding upon all. Agnolo Acciajuoli was greatly
incensed against the Medici, for the following reasons: his son,
Raffaello, had some time before married Alessandra de' Bardi, and
received with her a large dowry. She, either by her own fault or
the misconduct of others, suffered much ill-treatment both from her
father-in-law and her husband, and in consequence Lorenzo d' Ilarione,
her kinsman, out of pity for the girl, being accompanied by several
armed men, took her away from Agnolo's house. The Acciajuoli complained
of the injury done them by the Bardi, and the matter was referred to
Cosmo, who decided that the Acciajuoli should restore to Alessandra her
fortune, and then leave it to her choice either to return to her husband
or not. Agnolo thought Cosmo had not, in this instance, treated him as
a friend; and having been unable to avenge himself on the father, he now
resolved to do his utmost to ruin the son. These conspirators, though
each was influenced by a different motive from the rest, affected to
have only one object in view, which was that the city should be governed
by the magistrates, and not be subjected to the counsels of a few
individuals. The odium against Piero, and opportunities of injuring him,
were increased by the number of merchants who failed about this time;
for it was reported that he, in having, quite unexpectedly to all,
resolved to call in his debts, had, to the disgrace and ruin of the
city, caused them to become insolvent. To this was added his endeavor
to obtain Clarice degli Orsini as wife of Lorenzo, his eldest son; and
hence his enemies took occasion to say, it was quite clear, that as he
despised a Florentine alliance, he no longer considered himself one of
the people, and was preparing to make himself prince; for he who refuses
his fellow-citizens as relatives, desires to make them slaves, and
therefore cannot expect to have them as friends. The leaders of the
sedition thought they had the victory in their power; for the greater
part of the citizens followed them, deceived by the name of liberty
which they, to give their purpose a graceful covering, adopted upon
their ensigns.

In this agitated state of the city, some, to whom civil discord was
extremely offensive, thought it would be well to endeavor to engage
men's minds with some new occupation, because when unemployed they
are commonly led by whoever chooses to excite them. To divert their