s mind, the promptitude of his genius,
his gravity and wisdom, than he had previously been at his power.
He consequently treated him with redoubled honor, and began to feel
compelled rather to part with him as a friend, than detain him as an
enemy. However, under various pretexts he kept Lorenzo from December
till March, not only to gain the most perfect knowledge of his own
views, but of those of his city; for he was not without enemies, who
would have wished the king to detain and treat him in the same manner as
Jacopo Piccinino; and, with the ostensible view of sympathizing for him,
pointed out all that would, or rather that they wished should, result
from such a course; at the same time opposing in the council every
proposition at all likely to favor him. By such means as these the
opinion gained ground, that if he were detained at Naples much longer,
the government of Florence would be changed. This caused the king to
postpone their separation more than he would have otherwise done, to
see if any disturbance were likely to arise. But finding everything go
quietly on, Ferrando allowed him to depart on the sixth of March, 1479,
having, with every kind of attention and token of regard, endeavored to
gain his affection, and formed with him a perpetual alliance for their
mutual defense. Lorenzo returned to Florence, and upon presenting
himself before the citizens, the impressions he had created in the
popular mind surrounded him with a halo of majesty brighter than before.
He was received with all the joy merited by his extraordinary qualities
and recent services, in having exposed his own life to the most imminent
peril, in order to restore peace to his country. Two days after his
return, the treaty between the republic of Florence and the king, by
which each party bound itself to defend the other's territories, was
published. The places taken from the Florentines during the war were
to be taken up at the discretion of the king; the Pazzi confined in the
tower of Volterra were to be set at liberty, and a certain sum of money,
for a limited period, was to be paid to the duke of Calabria.

As soon as this peace was publicly known, the pope and the Venetians
were transported with rage; the pope thought himself neglected by
the king; the Venetians entertained similar ideas with regard to the
Florentines, and complained that, having been companions in the war,
they were not allowed to participate in the peace. Reports of thi