for the history of Giano della Bella and his memorable ordinance.
Dino Compagni's _Chronicle_ contains the account of a contemporary.

[4] See Varchi, vol. i. p. 169; Mach. _Ist. Fior._ end of book ii.

[5] _Archivio Storico_, vol. xvi. See also the article 'Perugia,' in
my _Sketches in Italy and Greece_.

[6] Vol. iii. p. 347.

[7] See App. ii. for the phrases 'Squittino' and 'Borse.'

[8] Of these new nobles the Albizzi and Ricci, deadly foes, were the
most eminent. The former strove to exclude the Medici from the
government.

[9] The number of the Arti varied at different times. Varchi treats
of them as finally consisting of seven maggiori and fourteen minori.

[10] Proemio to _Storia Fiorentina_. 'In Florence the nobles first
split up, then the nobles and the people, lastly the people and the
multitude; and it often happened that when one of these parties got
the upper hand, it divided into two camps.' For the meaning of
_Popolo_ see above, p. 55.

In the next generation the constitutional history of Florence exhibits a
new phase. The equality which had been introduced into all classes of
the commonwealth, combined with an absence of any state machinery like
that of Venice, exposed Florence at this period to the encroachments of
astute and selfish parvenus. The Medici, who had hitherto been nobodies,
begin now to aspire to despotism. Partly by his remarkable talent for
intrigue, partly by the clever use which he made of his vast wealth, and
partly by espousing the plebeian cause, Cosimo de' Medici succeeded in
monopolizing the government. It was the policy of the Medici to create a
party dependent for pecuniary aid upon their riches, and attached to
their interests by the closest ties of personal necessity. At the same
time they showed consummate caution in the conduct of the state, and
expended large sums on works of public utility. There was nothing mean
in their ambition; and though posterity must condemn the arts by which
they sought to sap the foundations of freedom in their native city, we
are forced to acknowledge that they shared the noblest enthusiasms of
their brilliant era. Little by little they advanced so far in the
enslavement of Florence that the elections of all the magistrates,
though still conducted by lot, were determined at their choice: the
names of none but men devoted to their interests were admitted to the
bags from