which was
conducted by the most distinguished men in Italy. For Mariano da
Chinazano, a friar of the order of St. Augustine, and an excellent
preacher, he built a monastery in the neighborhood of Florence. He
enjoyed much favor both from fortune and from the Almighty; all his
enterprises were brought to a prosperous termination, while his enemies
were unfortunate; for, besides the conspiracy of the Pazzi, an attempt
was made to murder him in the Carmine, by Batista Frescobaldi, and a
similar one by Baldinetto da Pistoja, at his villa; but these persons,
with their confederates, came to the end their crimes deserved. His
skill, prudence, and fortune, were acknowledged with admiration, not
only by the princes of Italy, but by those of distant countries; for
Matthias, king of Hungary, gave him many proofs of his regard; the
sultan sent ambassadors to him with valuable presents, and the Turkish
emperor placed in his hands Bernardo Bandini, the murderer of his
brother. These circumstances raised his fame throughout Italy, and his
reputation for prudence constantly increased; for in council he was
eloquent and acute, wise in determination, and prompt and resolute
in execution. Nor can vices be alleged against him to sully so many
virtues; though he was fond of women, pleased with the company of
facetious and satirical men, and amused with the games of the nursery,
more than seemed consistent with so great a character; for he was
frequently seen playing with his children, and partaking of their
infantine sports; so that whoever considers this gravity and
cheerfulness, will find united in him dispositions which seem almost
incompatible with each other. In his later years, he was greatly
afflicted; besides the gout, he was troubled with excruciating pains in
the stomach, of which he died in April, 1492, in the forty-fourth year
of his age; nor was there ever in Florence, or even in Italy, one so
celebrated for wisdom, or for whose loss such universal regret was felt.
As from his death the greatest devastation would shortly ensue, the
heavens gave many evident tokens of its approach; among other signs,
the highest pinnacle of the church of Santa Reparata was struck with
lightning, and great part of it thrown down, to the terror and amazement
of everyone. The citizens and all the princes of Italy mourned for him,
and sent their ambassadors to Florence, to condole with the city on the
occasion; and the justness of their grief was sh