ughter of Giovanni Buonromei, a very wealthy man, whose
riches on his decease, without other children, came to his daughter. His
nephew, Carlo, however, took possession of part, and the question being
litigated, a law was passed, by virtue of which the wife of Giovanni de'
Pazzi was robbed of her inheritance, and it was given to Carlo. In this
piece of injustice the Pazzi at once recognized the influence of the
Medici. Giuliano de' Medici often complained to his brother Lorenzo of
the affair, saying he was afraid that by grasping at too much they would
lose all.

Lorenzo, flushed with youth and power, would assume the direction of
everything, and resolved that all transactions should bear an impress
of his influence. The Pazzi, with their nobility and wealth unable to
endure so many affronts, began to devise some means of vengeance. The
first who spoke of any attempt against the Medici, was Francesco, who,
being more sensitive and resolute than the others, determined either to
obtain what was withheld from him, or lose what he still possessed. As
the government of Florence gave him great offense, he resided almost
constantly at Rome, where, like other Florentine merchants, he conducted
extensive commercial operations; and being a most intimate friend of
Count Girolamo, they frequently complained to each other of the conduct
of the Medici. After a while they began to think that for the count to
retain his estates, or the Pazzi their rights in the city, it would be
necessary to change the government of Florence; and this they considered
could not be done without the death of Giuliano and Lorenzo. They
imagined the pope and the king would be easily induced to consent,
because each could be convinced of the facility of the enterprise.
Having acquired these ideas, they communicated them to Francesco
Salviati, archbishop of Pisa, who, being ambitious and recently offended
by the Medici, willingly adopted their views. Considering their next
step, they resolved, in order to facilitate the design, to obtain the
consent of Jacopo de' Pazzi, without whose concurrence they feared it
would be impracticable. With this view, it was resolved that Francesco
de' Pazzi should go to Florence, while the archbishop and the count
were to remain at Rome, to be ready to communicate with the pope when
a suitable opportunity occurred. Francesco found Jacopo de' Pazzi more
cautious and difficult to persuade than he could have wished, and on
impart