"1

LIBRARY

OF Till

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.

GIFT OF

Received
Accession No.

3 6'7 Class No. '

L -/

University of California Berkeley

Pir

A

D E F E N C E

' - x'

OF THE

CONSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT

OF THE '

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AGAINST THE ATTACK OF M. TURGOT

I N 'H I S

LETTER TO DR. PRICE,

DATED THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF MARCH, 177^

BY JOHN ADAMS, L. L. D.

PRESIDENT O$ iffl* i*tiPr$D STATES*

M-T*. AIN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.
'THE THIRD EDITION.

Some philofophers have been fooliih enough to imagine, that
improvements might be made in the fyftem of the univerfe,
by a different arrangement of the orbs of heaven ; and politi-
cians, equally ignorant, and ecmally prefumptuous, may eafily
be led to fuppofe, that the happinefs of our world would
be promoted by a different tendency of the human mind.
JOHNSON'S ADVENTURER, No. 45.

PHILADELPHIA:

PRINTED BY WILLIAM YOUNG,

, OPPOSITE CHRIST'S CHURCH.
1797.

V

V

7

A

DEFENCE

OF THE

CONSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT

OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

P I S T O I A.

My dear Sir, Oftober 4, 1787.

THE Roman republic, according to its cuf-
tom * of placing judges in all places under
its dominion, fent to Piftoia a pretor who had
the whole jurifdi&ion, civil and criminal, over the
city ; referving always, according to the tenor of
the Roman laws, the obedience to the magiftrates
of that commonwealth. This jurifdi&ion, acqui-
red by the Roman Republic over the city of Pif-
toia, patTed to the Roman emperors, and from
fthefe into the power of the Goths and the Lom-
bards, and fucceffively in thofe who, from time to
time, were the Lords (fignore) of Tufcany ; and
has continued, down to our times, under the fame
tie and obligation of dependence. It is very true,
that the province being liberated from the govern-
ment of foreign nations, and its governors (domi-
natori) having permitted the people to make laws

* Memorie Storiche della citta di Piftoia, raccolte da Jaco-
po Maria Fioravanti, nobile Patrizio Piftorefe. Edit. Lucca,
1 758, cap. ii. p. 15,

VOL. III. B and

2 Piftoia.

and create magiftrates, the authority became di-
vided : hence when the conceffion was made to
the Piftoians to create magiftrates, take the name
of confuls, and form the general council of the
people, they were permitted to expedite, by the
authority of thefe, many things in their city; re-
ferving always, neverthelefs, the fovereignty to
their lords. This coriceffion of governing them-
ielves by their own laws, obtained by the pro-
vinces of Italy, was the mere liberality of Charle-
main*, at a time when, having delivered them
entirely from the government of the barbarians, he
placed them under the command of one of his
royal minifters, with the title of marquis, or of
duke. Under this fyftem of government was
comprehended Tufcany, which had its dukes and
marquiffes, who governed it. But as it was the
cuftom of Charlemain, and, long after him, of
his fuccefTors, to fend to the cities of this pro-
vince two fubaltern minifters, one with the name
of caftaldo, or governor, and the other with that
of count, which is as much as to fay, judge of the
city, who held his courts of juftice either alone,
or in conjunction with the caftaldo, and very often
with the bifhop of the place, as the bifhops were
afiTeflbrs and officers, deputed as vaffals of the
king or the emperor ; fo the city of Piftoia was
a long time ruled and governed by this order of
caftaldi and counts. Otto the fecond, having
afcended the imperial throne, and -having conduct-
ed, with little good fortune, 'the affairs of Italy,
the people began to think it lawful to lofe their
refpecl, and to fail in their veneration, for the im-
perial commands, and the cities advancing in their
inclination for liberty, many of them began to

. * Sigonius, de Regno Italic, lib. iv.

re-affume

Fioravanti. 3

re-aHume the title of confuls, which had been ex-
tinct under the Longobards ; and if thefe had
fomewhat of a greater authority, they were not,
neverthelefs, exempt from the jurifdittion of the
dukes and marquifles, or from the fovereignty of
the kings and emperors.

A greater fpirit of independence arifing in the
minds of the Italians, in the time of thofe great
difcords between the empire and the church, di-
minimed to fuch a degree the efteem of the people
towards the emperors, folemnly excommunicated
by the pontiffs, that a great part of the cities of
Italy, eftranging themfelves by little and little
from their obedience, began to conduct themfelves
like independent flates, in entire freedom. This
happened in the time of Henry the Fourth and
the Fifth ; and the difobedience increafed ftill
more, when all the Tedefque forces were engaged
to fuftain, in Germany, the competition between
Lothario the Second and Conrod the Swede for
the throne of Casfar. Then the cities, taking-ad-
vantage of the diftance of thofe who had power to
bridle their arrogance, began to be infolent* : then
they began to lift up their heads, and to do what-
ever feemed good in their own eyes : then they
thought it lawful to appropriate to themfelves
many of the regalia belonging to their fovereign ;
and believing themfelves able to make off the
yoke of fuperiority, they attended to nothing but
to their prefent advantage, and to .dilate the limits
of their ufurped liberty. But with all this, they
were never able to extinguifh the quality of their
fubjedion, nor the obligation of dependence ; for
Frederick the Firil pafled over to eftablifh and re-

* His diebus, propter abfentiam regis, Italiae urbibus, in
infolentiam decedentibus. Ottone Frifmgenfe.

gulate,

4 ' Pi/tola.

gulate, in the convention of Conftance, their pri-
vileges, and the regalia which were then ufurped :
and the people were held to an annual cenfus*,
and obliged to perform certain royal and perfonal
fervices.

In the twelfth century, the cities, after the fimi-
litude of ancient Rome, all re-aflumed the title
of confuls, and began, fome fooner and others
later, to make their proper ftatutes, and eftablifli
their popular government. Though it is not pof-
fible to afcertain the precife time when the infti-
tution of confuls was firft made in Piftoia, they
are, neverthelefs, found named in the flatutes of
1107; and of thefe there were two, called the
Conful of the Soldiers, and the Conful of Juftice,
taken from the nobility of the place, and were
called the Greater Confuis, to diftinguifli them
from the plebeian confuls* of the fecond clafs, call-
ed the Lefler Confuls, or Confuls of the Mer-
chants, taken from the common people. Their
authority, and fometimes their numbers were va-
rious ; but there ought ever to be one more of
the popular than of the greater confuls f . The
election of thefe magiftrates was made every year
by the people, with the intervention of all the go-
vernors, (rettori) of the arts of the city ; and they
governed, with the council of an hundred of the
better fort of citizens, adminiftering juftice both
to the laity and the ecclefiaftics. This council,
befides its extraordinary affemblies, was obliged to
meet in the months of March, May, July, and
September, after a previous intimation given by
the confuls, of the bufmefs to be done ; and for
the refult of this affembly all determinations,
*. .

* Sigonius, lib. xiii. de Regno Italic*

f Unus plus de popularibus quam de majoribus.

upon

Fhravanti. 5

upon things of moil importance, muft wait ;
and all laws, refolutions, and deliberations,
firft propofed and digefted in the fmaller coun-
cil, by the few, muft be here confirmed or re-

Here again is a conftitution of all authority in
one afiembly. The council of an hundred was
fovereign. The confuls, though they had the
command of the army, and the judgment of caufes,
could do nothing in adminiflration by themfelves,
or with advice of their little council. They had
no negative upon any deliberation or refolution of
the great council : and, on the other hand, the
people had no negative, not even the poor protec-
tion of a tribunitian veto. Accordingly *^e read,
in the next paragraph, that the power of the
people having fo greatly increafed, by means of
their ufurped liberty, fo many factions had arifen,
and feparated intofo numerous divifions, and all
had become fo much the more intractable and fedi-
tious, and the ftimulus of power was become the
greater, that the emperor Frederick the Firft, in
1155, after having reduced to his obedience Mi-
lan, and received the oaths of fidelity from all the
other cities of Italy, and, among the reft, from
all thofe of Tufcany, judged it necefTary, to ob-
viate the continual tumults which arofe, to infti-
tute the office and dignity of podefta, and to fend
to the government <?f thofe cities gentlemen, from
among the foreign nobility, with that title. This
commiffion of podefta operated to the damage and
diminution of the influence of the confuls, be-
caufe in this magiftrate was veiled the whole ju-
dicial power, both in private and civil caufes, and
in thofe which were public and criminal; and
therefore the podefta was the ordinary judge in the

city.

6 ', Pijhia.

city*, with full power, dominion, and authority
to govern, command, and chaftife, granted to him
by the emperor, to whom, as their legitimate fo-
vereign, the people had recourfe in cafes of appeal,
and in all denials of juflice.

From its fubjection to this minifter, in the ear-
Heft times of the inftitution of his office, the city
of Piftoia was ftill more irritated and opprefied ;
and, as the nomination was referved directly to
the fovereign, the officer was changed as often as
the times feemed to him to require. The rigour
of this inftitution was foftened by length of time
and continual difcords and difienfions, till the city
of Piftoia acquired the right of the election of this
minifter, who obliged himfelf in many things, to .
follow the various ordinances and refolutions of
the confuls. This election of the podefta was
made by the Piftoians in virtue of a municipal
law confented to by the fovereign ; the perfon
elected flood in office only fix months, and was
chofen by the council of the people, as it was
called, that is, the council of an hundred, with the
intervention of all the rectors of the chapels, and all
the rectors of the arts. The podefta was bound
to conduct witlrhim, judges fkilful in the laws,
notaries, two companies of militia, horfes, and fer-
vants, and other followers ; and in all things were
thefe officers obliged to render their accounts. It
was cuftomary to confer this dignity of podefta
upon the primary citizens. Neither the confuls
nor podefta, jointly or feverally, had authority to
impofe taxes, confent to war, peace, truce, or al-
liance, without the council of the people, which

* Con tutta la balia, impero, e potefta di governare, co-
mandare, e caftigare. Fioravanti, p. 18.

confided

Fioravanti. >j

confifted of an hundred citizens, elected in the
proportion of five and twenty for each of the four
gates or quarters of the city, with the intervention
of all the rectors of the chapels, and rectors of the
arts : or, in other words, the podefta, confuls,
council of an hundred, and rectors of the chapels
and arts, were all collected in one affembly, to de-
tefmine on grants for money, peace, war, truce,
alliance, &c. and all queftions were determined
by the vote of the majority, which rieceflarily made
that tempeftuous and capricious government in
one centre, againft which we contend.

And to the podefta, for his regulation in the
exercife of his office, were given by the city four-
teen counfellors, and two judges ; one de lege,
that is to fay, a doctor of law ; the other ex ufu,
or de ufu, which fignified, as they interpreted the
words, a protector of the commons ; and two ad-
vocates for arguing each caufe : and by the opi-
nion of all thefe he decided upon thofe things which
affected the honour or utility of the public, as he
himfelf, after having made his election of thefe at-
tendants, was obliged to ftand by their advice*.
This Podefta, in early times, fuperintended not
only the fecular government, but the ecclefiafti-
cal : but in procefs of time the city became go-
verned by three, namely, the confuls, the podefta,
and the bifhops ; for the bifhops had profited of
the violent dilfenfions that prevailed in the city,
to draw to themfelves Various rights and jurifdic-
tions, as has happened in other nations. The
lordfliip of the podefta, therefore, having thrown
down the authority of the confuls ; thefe were no

* His oath was, Et petam a confiliariis toto tempore mei
dominii de rebus, quae mihi videbuntur expe&are ad commu-
nem honorem et utilitatem, noftraa civitatis JPiftorii. Fiora-
vanti, p. 1 8, 19.

longer

8 Piftoia.

longer appointed, at lead are not found in the re-
cords, till the time when the office of captain of
the people was created. This inftitution in Pif-
toia happened when the Guelph party, by an in-
creafe of their numbers and ftrength, acquired the
fuperiority of the Ghibellines; at which time, with
a great concourfe and tumult of the people, the
lordfhip was taken from the podefta, nothing w*as
left him but the burden of hearing and determin-
ing civil caufes, and the twelve anziani of the
people were inftituted, and the authority of the
confuls was transferred to them.

The lafl appearance of the confuls in the re-
cords of Piftoia is in 1248, and the firft of the
captain of the people in 1267 ; when it is faid in
the ftatue, that the captain of the people was the
fir (I ruler of the city, and the primary defender of
its rights, and that he ought chiefly to watch over
the confervation of the peace ; that he was the
judge of appeals, and of all caufes in the fecond
inftance ; that he had cognizance of crimes ;
that he governed with fupreme authority, united
with that of the anziani ; that he kept a court, of
the fame kind as that of the podefta, but more
numerous ; and that the city gave him, for orna-
ment and defence, three hundred of the beft and
ableft men, who, taking an oath of fidelity to*
him, flood continually in his fervice*. The elec-
tion of this ruler was to be made by the anziani,
in the perfon of fome foreigner, and not of any
citizen of Piftoia. Notwithftanding that fome of
the primary citizens did in fact obtain this office,
as appears by the records, the anziani were

* Volumus quod eligaritur 300 boni homines 'de popolo
Piilorienfe, de melioribus et potentioribus, pro manutentione
et defenfione capitanei. Rubrica cento delle Legge del 1274*

fworn

fworn not to elecl: any man of Tufcany, or Pif-
toia, its diftridt, or other place adjoining to the
city or its bifhoprick. The words of the law, in
the twelfth rubrick of 1267, are, " Nos anthiani
populi Piftorienfis, juramus, fine aliquo intelledu
nobis dato, vel dando eligi, vel eligi facere nobis,
ob Pift. unum bonura et virum prudentem ma-
jore 30 ann. in noftrum capitaneum populi devo-
tum, et fidelem ecclefias, qui non fit de civitate
Piftorii, vel diftri&u, et qui non fit de Tufcia ....
Vel de aliqua terra, quas confinet cum civitate, vel
epifcopatu, vel diflridu Piftorii." And this dig-
nity of captain of the people was in fuch reputa-
tion, that, in many places, princes were chofen,
and fometimes even the pontiffs ; and fuch per-
fonages, by means of their vicars, often exercifed
ir. The captain of the people, therefore, being
the confervator of the peace, and the defender of
the rights of the city, the Piftoians, to give hini
a ftrong arm to bridle thofe who had unquiet and
reftlefs brains, thought it neceflary to create cer-
tain companies of armed men, who, at the found
of a bell, mould be obliged to run together into
the piazza, there to receive and execute the orders
which fhould be given them by this officer and
the anziani, without whofe permiflion they were
not allowed to depart. Thefe companies were
called by the name of the Equeftrian and Pedef-
trian Orders, becaufe they were compofed both of
horfemen and footmen. Thefe companies were
afterwards augmented to twelve, in the proportion
of three for each quarter, which embraced an in-
finite number of people ; and every company had
two captains, one gonfalonier, whofe office was to
carry the ftandard of his company, and four coun-
fellors : and it was the duty of the captain of the
people to procure the election of thefe officers, as

C is

io Piftoia.

is afTerted in the ftatute of 1267, rubrick 19:
" Teneatur capitaneus del popolo, primo menfe
fui regiminis, eligi facere duos capitaneos, unum
gonfalonerium, et quatuor confiliarios pro quali-
bet compagnia civil. Pifh pro fa&is ipfms com-
pagniae." _And in the additional laws of 1286,
eight priors were added to thefe companies, two
for each quarter ; and other orders were made for
the good regulation of this militia.

The twelve anziani were created with the fame
authority and full power which the confuls had
held ; but the precife year when the former were
appointed and the latter laid afide, cannot be af-
certained. The laft memorial on record of the
confuls is in 1 248 ; the firft of the anziani in 1 263 ;
fo that the change muft have been made in the
courfe of thefe fifteen years. The number of
members of which the new magiftrature was com-
pofed, appears by a law of 1267 : " Ordinamus
quod 1 2 anthiani populi civit. Pift. fint et efle de-
beant in civitate Piftoria," Thefe twelve magif-
trates were renewed every two months ; and after-
wards, as appears by a. law of 1277, it was efta-
blimed, that the anzianate fhould not continue
longer than one month ; and this magiflrature of
the anziani was elected by a council of the people
of two hundred, by the rectors of the arts, and by
their counfellors, and by the captains, gonfalo-
niers, and counfellors of the companies of the
people, and by the anziani pro tempore. The
head of the anziani was, in the primitive times,
called prior, and not gonfalonier. The prior
being the firft dignity among the anziani, each
member enjoyed it in rotation for an equal number
of days, as the prefident's chair of the States Ge-
neral is filled by all the members in turn for one
week, at the Hague. This prior had great autho-
rity,

Fioravami. c i i

iity, as appears by a law of 1267, written in the
37thrubrick: " Anthiani teneantur facere, etfa-
ciant inter fe, unum priorem de ipfis anthianis ad-
jecturn ipfis, ficut eis videbitur de tempore, cui
cseteri anthiani pareant, et parere debeant, et obe-
dire ; et qui contrafecerit puniatur a priore anthi-
anorum." Although the name of gonfalonier ap-
pears in the records of fome of thefe years, yet
certainly he was not the head of the anziani, but
of the arts : thus, in the law of 1283. " Item ca-
pitaneus debeat fpendere et affignare gonfalonem
gonfaloneriis electis, vel eligendis, ab unaquaque
arte et populo . . . . ita quod unaquseque.ars fuos
gonfalonerios et officiates habeat." From this it
clearly appears, that thefe gonfaloniers were the
heads of the arts, and not of the fupreme magif-
trature of the anziani ; which gonfaloniers were
elected by the council of the people of two hun-
dred, by the rectors of the arts, and by their coun-
fellors, and by the captains, gonfaloniers, and
counfellors of the companies of the people, and by
the anziani for the time being. Thefe anziani,
fitting together with the captain of the people,
and the general council of the people, promul-
gated laws and ftatutes, gave execution to all
the laws, civil and criminal, performed and con-
dueled all the mofl important affairs' relating
to the government, and reftrained the nobles and
plebeians with the fear of punifhment, within the
limits of refpeft and obedience * : that is to fay,
all authority, legifiative, executive, and judicial,
was collected together in one firigle affembly. But
how they reftrained the nobles and plebeians to
obedience we fhallfooh fee.

In the year 1329, thefe anziani are called in
the records Imperial Counfellors (Gonfiglieri Im-

* Fioravanti, p. 21.

periali,)

is Piftoia.

periali,) a remarkable title, obtained probably
from the emperor Louis of Bavaria, when, after
the death of Caftruccio, he placed one of his im-
perial vicars ever the cuflody of the city of Pif-
toia.

The dignity of gonfalonier of juftice was pro-
bably inflituted in the year 1295, becaufe in the
next year, 1296, in the ads of council it is re-
corded, " De confilio et confenfu et audoritate
dominorum anthianorum et vexilliferi juftitioe po-
puli, et audoritate ducentorum confiliarorum."

The new laws of 1330 name a gonfalonier of
juftice, and eight anziani. It is refolved, that the
anziani of the commons, and people of the city of
Piltoia, are and ought to be eight only, viz. two
for each gate or quarter, and one gonfalonier of
juftice for the whole city .... The faid lords, the
anziani and the gonfalonier of juftice, and their
notaries, are and ought to be of the beft popular
men and artificers of the city, and not of any
houfe of the grandees*. And the authority of
the gonfalonier of juftice was placed upon an
equality with that of the anziani. The law or-
dained, that whenever, in the ftatutes of the com-
mons and people, mention is made of the anziani,
the fame mall be underftood of the gonfalonier of
juftice, although he be not written; and in all
things, and every where, he mail have the fame
authority, and full power (balia) as has one of the
anziani, befides his proper office. And to mow
that the gonfalonier of juftice was not, in the be-
ginning, fuperior to the anziani, it appears that,

* Di6ti domini anthiani, et vexilliferi juftitias, et eorum
jiotarii, fint et efle debeant de melioribus popularibus et ar-
tificibus didlae civitatis, et non de aliqua domo magnata.
Tioravanti, p. 21.

after

Fioravanii. i 3

after the introduction of that office, they conti-
nued to appoint, in the ufual manner, a prior of
the anziani, with the fame authority and pre-emi-
nence before defcribed. The law of 1330 fays,
" And the anziani and ganfalonier of juftice, after
they fhall be congregated in their palace, and mail
have taken their ufual oaths, ought to conftitute
one prior from among themfelves, for fuch time as
they pleafe, to whom all the others ought to obey,
under the penalty, &c. So that each of the an-
ziani and gonfaloniers of juftice mail be prior, ac-
cording to the proportion of time they mail be in
office."

The gonfalonier, by the duty of his office, was
bound to fend out, with the confent and partici-
pation of the anziani, the ftandard of juftice, to
affemble together the armed militia, and go out
to do execution againft any of the grandees (mag-
nati) ; which gonfalonier of juftice, fays the law,
fliall be bound by the obligation of an oath, and
under the penalty of five hundred pounds, upon
the commiflion of any homicide, to draw forth the
ftandard of juftice, and, together with the captain
of the people, to go to the houfe of the grandee
committing fuch homicide, or caufmg. it to be
committed, and to caufe his goods to be deftroy-
ed, and not to fuffer the faid ftandard to repofe,
until all the property of fuch delinquent fhall be
totally deftroyed and laid wafte, both in the city
and the country ; and to caufe the bell of the
people to be rung, if to the lords, the anziana and
the gonfalonier of juftice, it mail feem expedient,
or the major part of them ; and all the mops,
ftores, and warehoufes, fhall be fhut immediately
upon the commiflion of fuch homicide, and mall
not be opened till execution fhall be done as
aforefaid. But in all other offences perpetrated
, I againft

14 Piftoia.

againfl the perfon of any popular man by any
grandee, it fhall be in the difcretion of the faid
lords, the anziani and the ganfalonier of juftice, or
the major part of them, to draw out the faid ftand-
ard or not. Such a rigorous kind of juftice, as it
regarded the grandees, who gave themfelves a li-
cence to commit exceflive diforders againft the
popular men, was thought to be the bed adapted to
their infolence. And to undeceive thofe who may
imagine that in Piftoia, at that time, the title of
grandees was a refpe&able title, and diftinctive of
the true nobility of the place, it is neceffary to
have recourfe to the ufual municipal laws, which
fay, that the magnati (grandees) were all thofe, of
whatever condition, who, abandoned to an ill Hfe,
offended the popular men, and held the city and
country in inquietude ; and for this reafon were
called Magnates, became feparated from all public
affairs, and excluded entirely from all magistracies
and offices, and fubje&ed to penalties ftill more
rigorous. By the laws of the years 1330 and
1344, to be declared a grandee was rather an in-
famy than an honour. The words of the law are
thefe, viz. ** But if it fhall happen that men of
any race* or noble houfe, or any one of them from
fuch a noble houfe or (lock, born of the male line,
or any others, live wickedly andflagitioufly againfl
the people, hurt the popular men, and terrify and
difturb the peaceful ftate of the people, or fhall
endeavour to do fo by himfelf or by others, and this
mall be made known by public fame to the captain
of the people, and the anziani and gonfalonier of
juitice 'for the time being j thefe magiflrates, at
the petition of any of the people of Piftoia, fhall
be obliged to propofe to the council of the people,
that fuch a noble houfe or progeny, fuch a man
or number of men, thus defamed, be written and

placed

FioravantL I 5

placed in the number of grandees, and as fuch be
accounted*." And as the Piftoians were driven
to great perplexities to maintain, in peace and
quiet, their popular government, and in order to
punifh feverely all thofe who mould take the li-
cence to difturb the pacific ftate of their city, they
proclaimed this penalty on all delinquents, by a
law of the year 1418, rubrick 9. " But if it (hall
happen that any one of any noble houfe or race,
or any one of any other condition, (hall live wick-
edly and profligately, or (hall commit or attempt
to commit any fuch crime or mifdemeanor againft
the people, and the pacific ftate of the people of
the city of Pifloia, they mail be recorded in the
number of grandees and accounted as fuch." To
fuch extremes of caprice and violence, deftructive
of all liberty and fafety, are fuch governments na-
turally and neceffarily reduced f .

The city of Piftoia had alfo in its regimen a
fyndick. This was an officer who was called an
Elder, or Syndick General, who mufl be forty
years of age, and live forty miles from the city.
His duty was to look over the accounts of the
podefta, the captain of the people, the anziani,
and all the magiftrates and officers of the city and
its diftricl:, when they refigned or were difmifled

* Sciibantur et ponantur in mimero magnatum et poten-
tum, et pro magnatibus et potentibus habeantur. Fioravanti,
p. 22.

f The devices on the ftandards, feals, and coins of the re-
"public, as well as all other antiquities, are not within the
defign of this cflay ; but there was on one of jitheir ftandards
an idea that contained the tnleft emblem of their govern-
ment a lamb purfued by a wolf, with the motto, Pace, ri-
chezza, fuperbia ; guerra, poveiia, umilta : Peace, riches, and
pride ; war, poverty and humility. If the wolf is conftrued
to fignify the majority, and the lamb the minority, as there
was neither a fhepherd nor fhepherd's dog to interpofe between
them, the rcfemblan.ce is. perfect

from

16 Piftoia.

from their charges. There were, moreover, ac-
cording to the law of 1402, judges of appeals in
all caufes, civil, criminal, and mixed; and to them
belonged the cognizance of all difputes and regu-
lations concerning provifions : they alfo fuperin-
tended the fumptuary laws, againft all luxurious
excefles in the drefs and ornaments of the ladies ;
and they entertained a number of notaries, and a
numerous family and court, for the execution of
all fervices appertaining to their offices.

The city of Piftoia being in this ftate of go-
vernment, in 1355, the emperor Charles the
Fourth arrived at Pifa, and the citizens appeared
before his Imperial majefty, and gave him the de-
monftrations of vaiTallage and obedience due to
the fovereignty which he held over their city.
The emperor confirmed to them all the privile-
ges granted by his auguft predeceflbrs ; and de-
firous of fixing the reputation and reverence for
the dignity of the gonfaloniers of juftice, he en-
larged their authority, as well as that of the an-
ziani ; and wifhing to make the Piftoians enjoy,
quietly, fome fpecies of liberty, he gave thejn, by
a diploma of the 26th of May, the faculty of liv-
ing and governing themfelves, according to their
laws and laudable cuftoms, in a free, popular ftate,
under the regency of the anziani and the gonfalo-
niers of juftice, declaring both the anziani and the
gonfaloniers, for the affairs of Piftoia and its do-
minion, his vicars, and vicars of the empire, for, the
whole term of his own life. " The anziani," fays
the diploma, u and the gonfalonier of juftice of
the people, and commons of Piftoia, who now are,
and for the time to come fhall be, in office, and
no others, we conftitute our general and irrevo-
cable vicars, for the whole term of our life, with
the full adminiftration in the city, country, and

diftrid

Fioravanti. 17

diftri&of Piftoia, and in all its lands, cafties, and
places." Piftoia maintained itfelf in this ftate of
a republic as long as Charles the Fourth lived ;
and, taking advantage of the diftance and negli-
gence of his fuccefibrs, they perfevered in the
fame government until the year 1401, when the
emperor Robert, by his charter, declared the gon-
falonier and priors of the arts of the city of Flo-
rence his vicars, and vicars of the empire, and
gave them the government of Arezzo, Volterra,
Piftoia, and the other places of Tufcany. But in
the interval between thefe periods, the Piftoians
were never quiet ; for governing themfelves in
what they called a free popular ftate, they were
for reducing all to a level, and thought, or pre-
tended, to make all the citizens enjoy equally the
public honours and offices of their city. In this
ftate of things, the rebellion of Sambuca was fo*
mented by fome of the citizens of Piftoia, at the
head of whom was Riccardo Cancellieri, who had
made himfelf mafter of feveral cafties in the moun-
tains ; from whence he made inroads on the whole
territory of Piftoia, and kept the inhabitants in
continual alarms, with the defignof delivering his
country into the hands of John Galeazzo Vifconti,
duke of Milan. Upon this occafion the imperial
vicars in Florence fent, for the protection of Pif-
toia, two thoufand infantry, fome cavalry, and
three commirTaries, who calling together the ge-
neral council, impofed upon the counfellors the
neceffityof doing whatever was required of them,
that they might not incur (till greater miferies. In
the firft place, they required that every refolution
and ftatuteof liberty, and every condition, article,
and confederation, which the city had, mould be
annulled ; and then, by another refolution, that
they fhould fubject themfelves to the people of
VOL. III. D Florence,

1 8 Piftoia.

Florence, with liberal authority to govern Piftoia
at their discretion. This proportion of the Flo-
rentines was ill relifhed by the Piftoians; and
while the council was debating on it, the foldiery
took pofieflion of the piazza and palace of the an-
ziani ; and having underltood that no resolution
had palled, they began, with drawn fwords in
their hands, to cry, ct Florence for ever I" (Viva
Firenze!) and to threaten the counfellors, who,
thus intimidated, by an ample refolution Suddenly
Surrendered the liberty of their city to the Floren-
tines, from that day, the loth of September i4oi >
to the calends of January 1402, to the end that
they might apply a Summary remedy to the evils
with which they were agitated and opprefSed,
as Say the books of reformations in Florence :
and then were painted the lions, the enSigns of
Florence, upon the palace of the Syndick of the
city of Piftoia. It was not long before thefe im-
perial vicars, availing themSelves of the authority
given them by the emperor, and of that given
them by the Piftoians themfelves, fent to Pifloia
four commifTaries to reform the public offices ;
who, deSirous, as they Said, of discovering the in-
clinations of their principals to raife the dignity of
the city of Piftoia, propofed that the forms and
orders of the city of Florence mould, as much as
poifible, be imitated ; and that the twelve buon-
homini mould be called the Twelve of the Col-
lege ; and that the Supreme magiftracy oS the an-
ziani mould be no longer denominated the Anziani
of the People, but the Priors of the People ; and,
not making any innovation in the gonfalonier of
juftice, that he fhould retain the Same name.
The prior of the anziani was to be called Provoft
or Prefident of the Priori, according to the words
of the reform, " And the priors mall have among

themSelves

Fforavanti. iq

thernfelves one prefident continually, who (hall;
continue three days in this manner. After the
oaths of office /ball be taken, they (hall caufe nine
votes, with their names, to be put into a purfe by
a notary, one of which fhall be drawn out for a
prefident, rand fo fuccefftvely during the term of
their office."

The Florentines having thus limited and re-
ftrained the privileges of the Piftoians, or made the
election of the anziani, and given them the name of
priors, they made eight purfes, in the proportion
of two for each gate, and regulated themfelves ac-
cording to the plan in 1376; in which year, to
take away the fcandalous names of the two fac-
tions of Bianchi and Neri, Whites and Blacks,
were inftituted two companies, one called the
Company of St. John, and the other St. Paul,
and one prior was drawn for the gate of one com-
pany, and another for the other ; and the gonfa-
lonier of juftice was drawn, at one time from the
company of St. John, and at another from that
of St. Paul. This manner of drawing the magif-
tracy of the priori was changed in 1417, when the
priori began to be drawn from two purles, the firft
and the fecond.

In 1417 the Piftoians, confidering that in fo
great a change of affairs they ought to make fome
advancement of the dignity of the gonfalonier of
juftice, ordained that the firft place in rank fhould
no longer be held by the prefident and rector of
the city, but by the gonfalonier. Thus fays the
law, " That the gonfalonier of juftice fhall always
hold the more dignified place, and after him the
prefident: and in like manner, in going out, with
the reftor and other officers of the city of Piftoia."
This law was ratified by the law of 1437; and
from this it followed, that in 1463 they began to

make

so Piftola.

make for the prefident, who was to continue and
refide in that office, a purfe by itfelf, as it was de-
termined by the other officers, in 1471, that from
that purfe mould be drawn two, and the oldeft
man of them mould be the firft to occupy the
prefident's place, unlefs the younger were a doclor
of laws : and this was called the purfe of the prefi-
dent, the firfl of whom had the faculty of fpeak-
ing and anfwering firft in all congrefles ; which
faculty however ceafed, in the firft prefident, in
the year 1492, when it was determined, that the
right of fitting and fpeaking firft mould, in all oc-
currences, be enioyed by the gonfalonier of juftice :
and thus this office of gonfalonier of juftice, rifing
continually in dignity, began by little and little to
be defired by the nobles, and, by common confent
and a public decree, to be confined to the nobles
alone. The fupreme magiftracy of the priori be-
coming a little civilized, it grew into a cuftom,
that the purfe of the prefident was confidered as
the firft after that of the gonfalonier of juftice,
and that which was the firft of the priors became
the fecond ; but, becaufe from this were drawn
four fubje&s, it was called the Purfe of Four ; and
the other, which was called the Second of the
Priori, became the third, and was called, from this
time .the Common Purfe, in which all citizens
qualified for offices ought to remain, at leaft for the
period of one reform, although by his condition
of birth, merit, and age, he was qualified for a
purfe of higher rank. When afterwards it was
eftablifhed, that the defcendants of men of rank
and diftintion, by the male line, fhould no longer
begin to enjoy the priori by that purfe, but by
that of four, the fame was called no longer the
Common Purfe, but the Third ; whence, by vir-
tue of this new order of magiftrature, we read, in

Fioravanti.

* of one gonfalonier of juftice, two prefidents,
four of the firft, and two of the fecond purfe, and
one notary, with the preference to the gonfalonier
of fitting firft, given him by the law of 1474,
which fays, " The gonfalonier (hall obtain the firft
and mod dignified place."

By the few memorials that remain in the ar-
chives of Piftoia it appears, that there have been
many and various councils of citizens, for the re-
gulation of the public affairs of the city, in which
councils refided the fupreme authority of govern-
ment ; and before the conftrudion of the public
palace, all thefe councils were aflembled in a
church, at the election of the head of the fupreme
magiflracy of the anziani. The council of the
people, from the year in which the anziani were
inftituted, had, until 1477, the preference to make
the reforms of the magiftrates and public officers
of the city ; in which year it was ordained, that
fuch reforms mould be made by thofe who had
been drawn gonfaloniers of juftice, and workmen
of St. James. Thefe reformers began to be called
men of rank (graduati) for being arrived at the
firft degrees and honours of the city, which at that
time were the offices of gonfalonier of juftice, and
that of a labourer of St. James ; and,*for the firft
time, they are found thus named in the reform of
1483 : and afterwards it was eftablimed by law,
that two of a family mould intervene, to make the
reform of public offices, and that the number of
thirty-three mould be fufficient to make the re-
form with validity. And this order of the gra-
duati, or men of diftindion, is that by which, at
this day, is moft clearly diftinguimed the no-
bility of the city of Piftoia. In the year 1521,
the number of the graduati deftined to make the
reform of the public officers failing, there were

elected

22 Piftoia.

elected certain citizens, of the other noble and
popular families, and the name of Arruoti ; and
it was eftablifhed as the duty of thefe to intervene
in making the reform ; and this lafted till 1580.

In the times of theconfuls we read, that there
was a counfel of an hundred citizens, who were
chofen by four men of good fame, twenty-five for
each of the four gates of the city : without this
counfel, neither the confuls nor the podefta could
determine any thing ; and when there arofe a
queftion of peace, war, or taxes, befides the coun-
cil of an hundred, all the rectors of the chapels
and arts intervened ; and as upon thefe occafions
the confuls, podefta, counfellors of the hundred,
and rectors of chapels and arts, all met in one af-
fembly, and determined all things by a majority
of vote, which, as has been before obferved, made
it a government in one centre (an ariftocracy in
reality, though a popular ftate in name) and con-
fequently fome two or three families muft always
be at the head of it, and conftantly contending for
the fuperiority, kept the people in perpetual con-
tention.

There was another council, as appears by the
records, formed of fourteen citizens, and of all the
doctors and . advocates, which was deftined to
counfel the podefta ; as he himfelf, after having
made his election of them, was obliged to go-
vern by their advice : fuch was his oath ; "And
I will fubmit to my counfellors, through the whole
time of my dominion, in things which fhall ap-
pear to me to regard the common honour and uti-
lity of our city of Piftoia." As neither the po-
defta nor this council had any negative on the
legiflative council of an hundred, but, fince the
podefta had the choice of its members, was no
doubt compofed of his friends in the counfel of

an

Fioravanti. 3

an hundred, it is plain that the fame perfons and
families mud have the chief influence and direc-
tion of affairs in both ; fo that this executive
council had the fame centre with the legiflative
council.

It is further found, that in the firft times of the
government of the twelve anziani, viz. in 1267,
there were two councils, one of forty counsellors
of the captain of the people .and of the anziani,
who ought to be of an age above forty years, and
their office continued fix months ; and they re-
folved upon all propofitions which by the captain
of the people and the anziani were propofed to
them, provided they were not contrary to the laws
and the reform of the commons and people. The
other council was called the Council of Two Hun-
dred Counfellors of the People ; and in the af-
femblies of this council intervened all the afore-
faid forty, and, moreover, all the captains, gonfa-
loniers, and counfellors of the companies of the
people, and all the rectors and counfellors of the
arts, and all thofe who had been anziani. The
fabric of this government, and its fpirit, was the
fame with the former, only the name of captain of
the people was fubftituted for that of podefta, and
a council of forty was fubftituted to that of four-
teen, and a council of two hundred to that of one.
The alteration therefore was not at all for the
better.

After 1330 there was one council, called the
General Council ; this was formed of an hundred
citizens, viz. fifty popular men, and fifty grandees
(magnati.J In this council intervened all the
members of the council of the people, all the che-
valiers, all the doclors of law, and all the phyfi-
cians of Piftoia, matriculated in the college of
phyficians. But this council had of itfelf no au-
thority,

24 Piftoia.

thority, and could do nothing without the council
of the people. In like manner, after the fame
year 1330, the principal council of Piftoia was
that of the people, in which intervened all the an-
ziaiii, gonfaloniers of juflice, and their notaries,
and two hundred popular citizens ; and none of
the grandees could be of this council. They were
eleded fifty for each gate. The authority of this
council was fupreme and fovereign, to make and
repeal laws, impofe and take off taxes, &c. In
more ancient times, as appears by the rubrick 62,
of the law of 1267, the council of the people had
confided of fix hundred citizens ; but becaufe fuch
a multitude generated confufion, it was reduced to
two hundred in 1270.

But the government of longeft duration in Pif-
toia was that of the eight priors of the people, and
one gonfalonier of juftice ; and this body was call-
ed the Supreme Magiftracy of the City, and was
renewed every two months, from the four purfes,
in the palace of its refidence. When they pro-
ceeded to draw thefe magiftrates, with folemn
pomp was raifed up, from the treafury of St.
James, the box, within which were locked up,
with four keys, all the votes of the magiftrates of
the city, and was carried in proceflion, accompanied
by the magiftrates of all the colleges, with the
trumpets founding, into the public palace ; where,
from the firft purfe, was drawn the gonfalonier of
juftice, who was the head of this magiftracy, and
not only enjoyed the fupreme dignity, and the pre-
eminence in place, robes, habitation, and in all
other refpe&s, but anfwered in the name of the
public : and although in public affairs he could not
rule alone, there was always allowed him a right of
freely entering when he would into the greater coun-
cil, and into all other councils and colleges where

any

any matters of importance were under deliberation,
and there give his opinion, his reafons, and his
vote. This gonfalonier was a man of gravity from
his age ; and that he might be refpe&able in all
points, it was required that he mould be of an an-
cient family* : and he who enjoyed this fupreme
poft enjoyed a jewel, held in veneration by the
people, and in great efteem by the nobility. There
were then drawn from the other purfe two fub-
je&s who were called prefidents ; and thefe were
fometimes of a middle age, and fometimes old
men, and for the moil part, after giving proofs of
their wifdom in thisflation, they afcended, either by
means of their birth or their merit, to the rank of
the gonfalonierate. From the other purfe, called
the purfe of four, were fucceflively drawn four fub-
jects of the prime nobility, or at leaft of middling
condition, who, for the moft part, were in younger
2ge ; and from this purfe, fome by their birth,
and fome by their merit and their age, patted up
to the more dignified purfe of the prefidents,
and fometimes to the rank of graduati, or men
of diftinction. In the lad place were drawn
two perfons from the third purfe, in which were
contained all the citizens who had not made any
advancement in the other purfes, or had been of
families worthy only of the purfe of four, and
among thefe were found thofe who exercifed civil
and liberal arts ; and thefe did not diminifti the
dignity of the magiftracy, but rather gave occa-
fion to maintain the union between the plebeians
and the nobility ; for with this confolation, the
former remained long quiet, without any infurrec-
tion. This magiftracy had in the fervice of its
miniftry a chancellor, who was a notary public, and

* Si richiede lunga, c continovatachiarezza di fangue.

E was

26 Ptftoia.

was drawn from a purfe deftined for that porpofe.
This magiftracy began their offices on the morn-
ing of the firft day of the month, in their fenato-
rial robes. Each of the priors wore a robe of
fcarlet lined with red damafk, vulgarly called a
gowri*(lucco,) with a hat or bonnet lined with a
cloth of black filk, with its ribbon and taflel of
black crape, and upon the left moulder a large
-knot of crimfon fatin, which was commonly call-
ed la becca ; and the chancellor wore a gown of
black cloth, lined with red cloth, without the knot
upon the moulder, but with a hat fimilar to thofe
of the priori, whofe duty it is to draw up and fign
the ath of this magiftracy ; but the gonfalonier of
juftke is clothed with a robe of red velvet, with a
limilar moulder-knot, and his head is covered with
'a boad hat, of a noble appearance, the name of
which is tocco, a bonnet. This magiftracy, thus
clothed and ornamented, before the fyndick of
the old magiftracy took the oaths of their offices,
in the public view of trie people, in the larger
piazza, and under the ample covering of it, built
in 1332 with the revenues of the excife, or ga-
belles, of the four quarters of the city ; and, after
having taken their oaths, they went in proceffion,
with the ftandard of juftice, to the chapel of St.
James the apoftle, protector of the city, and thence
to the palace of their refidence, which was fpa-
cious enough to receive, in the year 1536, the em-
peror Charles the Fifth, in all the forms of ma-
jefty. None of the component members of that
magiftracy could go out privately ; but only in
fome determined function was it permitted to the
whole body of the magiftracy' to go out of their
palace with folemn pomp. This magiftracy re-
fided with their chancellor, night and day, in the
palace, to the end that all public bufinefs might

be

Fioravanti. %j

be difpatched and attended to with the greater vi-
gilance, for the good government of the city ; and
they drew from the commons a fufficient appoint?
rnent, both for the maintenance of their tables,
and of fix and twenty perfons deftined to their
fervice, and for the honourable management of
the furniture of their palace, the linen for^their
perfons and houfeholds, and of their plate, and
all other things neceflary for their ufe in the time
of the government. This maglftracy alfo enter-,
tained a chaplain, with a handfome falary. We may
pafs over the tedious defcription of feafts and pub-
lic proceflions, and return to the former difcourfe,
and fay, that the gonfalonier of juftice was the
head, not only of the fupreme magiftracy, but alfo
of all other fubaltern magiftracies which were in
the commonwealth, and without him there could
not be convened any council of the citizens, to
engage in any public deliberation. This magif-
trate, while the public refidence continued, was
attended, whenever he went out of the palace, by
a retinue confifting of one perfon, who, with the
title of fifcal, refided in Piftoia, by one afieffor
verfed in the profeflion of the law, by the captain
of infantry, by two architects of the palace, by the
fteward of provifions, by the chancellor del danno
dato, by the mafter of the hpufe, and by fix and
twenty fervants : and in the performance of reli-
gious ceremonies, and in fome of the principal
afiemblies, this magiftrate had a retinue of magik
trates and nobility, which gave him more fpleri-.
dour than a crown.

The magiftrates, upon whom depended the right
government of the city of Piftoia, are, befides thofe
already named, all thefe which follow : fome de-
termine upon public affairs, others prefide in ju^
dicature, others fuperintend the common interefts,

others

2 8 P ijl oia.

Others private; thefe watch over health, thofeover
plenty ; fome attend to the confervation of the
peace, and others to politics. Thefe magiftrates are
the twelve colleges ; fix for petitions ; two for the
works in the palace of the fupreme magiflrates ;
the two companions ; the captain of infantry, who
in ancient times was called by the name captain
of the families of the anziani, and who, in primi-
tive times, was called by the name of votalarche
the inilitution of this office was mod ancient ;
the fix labourers of St. James, who, befides other
commiffions, held that of provifions, and are,
exclufively of all other magiftrates, lawgivers,
judges, and overfeers of all the tranfgreffions de^
pendent upon matters of provifions, and is the firft
magiftracy of the nobles, becaufe he who is de^
nominated a labourer of St. James enjoys the noble
rank of the graduati, a dignity and charge of equal
nobility, although of different function and com-
mand, with that of gonfalonier of juflice, as this
office confers the character and diftin&ion of nobi-
lity both upon the perfon and the family. There
are alfo the four officers of the pious and charitable
houfe of wifdom ; the four workmen of the holy
virgin of humility ; the magiftrates over the rivers
and roads ; the labourers of St. John and St. Ze-
none ; the magiftracy of buonhomini over the
prifons ; the minifters of the mount of piety ; the
miniflers of fait ; the minifters of pledges depo-
fited ; the approvers of the excifes ; the purveyors
for the commons ; the four over civil contefts ;
the two over the reftitutions of gabelles ; the two
over the public fchools ; the deputies fuperintend-
Jng the poor ; the deputies for the affeffment of
taxes ; the magiftrates of abundance ; the magif-
trates of health ; the judges of controverfies rela-
tive to beafts 5 the four peace makers ; the minif-
ters

Fioravanti. . 29

ters of the trumpet ; the eight reformers ; the
minifters of the commons ; the minifters of the
cuftom-houfe ; the fyndicks of the re&ors ; the
deputies over the work-houfe of the poor ; the pri-
fon keepers ; the college of judges ; the notaries ;
the rectors of arts ; the tribunal of damages done ;
the regifters who affifted in civil contefts ; the ma-
giftracy of tkree judges, who are foreigners : but
at prefent, as the public revenues are farmed out,
thefe are fufpended, and in their place the fifcal of
the city is introduced to decide the controverfies
of the people, with the liberty of recurring to the
grand ducal chamber at Florence, in cafes of ap-
peals and denials of juftice. The appeal from ci-
vil caufes, determined by thefe magiftrates, is
fometimes to the fupreme magiftracy of the priori
and the gonfalonier of juftice of the city, in the
name of whom the public decrees are difpatched,
and under the impreffion of his feal.

There is, moreover, a council general of the
people, formed of fixty citizens, and their office
continues fix months ; into this council intervene
the priors of the people, the gonfalonier of juftice,
the twelve colleges, and the fix for petitions. This
council holds the fupreme authority of the city,
and has jurifdiction over all the magiftrates who
trangrefs their offices, and has the faculty to treat
and difpatch the moft important affairs of the
ftate of Piftoia, to make and repeal laws, name
ambafladors, difpenfe offices, lay on arid take off
taxes, and to give all affiftance to the other magif-
trates, who all have their peculiar incumbent du-
ties ; and each member may oppofe a decifion on
any queftion under deliberation, that it may be
referred to another feffion, to be approved or re-
jefted on mature confideration.

For the mod weighty bufmefs of the govern-
ment.

jo Piftoia.

ment, there is a council compofed of the old and
new council of the people, the priors of the people,
the gonfalonier of juftice, the twelve of the col-
leges, the fix of petitions, all the graduati, the
refident officers of the pious houfe of wifdom, and
all the refident gonfaloniers, and refolve as to the
majority appears moft ufeful and advantageous for
the public good, where all the moft momentous
affairs and caufes moft interefting to the public
are digefted.

There is alfo a council of graduati, which had
its beginning in 1483, and is compofed of two
perfons for each family, of thofe perfons, however,
who actually enjoy the dignity of thegraduati, which
is the firft of the honours of the city ; and three
and thirty members are fufficient to form a valid
council, to which it belongs to promote perfons and
families to the citizenlhip of Piftoia, and to public
offices and honours. Every five years this council,
together with the gonfalonier of juftice, and the
eight reformers, put to afecretvote all the perfons
who enjoy the citizenmip of Piftoia, iind reward or
condemn them as juftice requires. They renew the
imborfations of public offices and honours, and
give or take away from all as they pleafe ; examin-
ing well the ranks of the citizens, the nobility,
antiquity, merits and demerits of all perfons and
families, over whom they keep a watchful eye, in
order to prevent all occafion of confufion, diforder,
and difturbance, which might happen through the
difcordant pretenfions of the citizens ; and thus
guarded and eftablifhed, they come from time to
time to the diftribution of thofe offices for which
there is occafion.

Piftoia has alfo its dipenfer of laws (giufdi-
cente), the duty of whom is to procure the peace
and tranquillity of the citizens, and to diftribute

juftice,

Fioravanti. 3 1

juftice, both according to the municipal laws, and
conformably to the will of the fovereign ; and
from ancient times his pod was occupied by the
podefta, introduced by the emperors into all the
cities of Italy ; and becaufe that, in the leaguethat
was called the confederation of Tufcany, conclud-
ed in 1 197 between many places and cities of that
province, for their common defence againft the
rights, or at lead claims, of the emperor, to dilate
the limits of their liberty, Piftoia had her place,
and elected, according to the tenor of the afibcia-
tion, her head, with the title of captain, to whom
were confided, as the law required, all their affairs
and pretenfions, therefore, in 1200, it is faid that
Piftoia had for her captain one by the name of
Gualdaccio ; from which year, until 1529, there
was always elected by the Piftoians, and bythofe
wjio had the government of Piftoia, a rector, to-
gether with the podefta, for the good direction of
the affairs of that city. It happened afterwards,
that in the great tumults between the factions of
the Panchiatica and the Cancelliera, there were
elected by the Florentines thirteen commiflaries,
to eftablilh the peace between thofe factions ; and
they annulled, among the multitude of things which
they did in 1502, the office of captain, and created
that of commifiary ; and thus in fome years he was
called commiflary, and in others captain commif-
fary, and in others they returned to the old name
of captain. In 1529 the Piftoians, finding them-
felves in great difficulties, doubtful whether they
fhould be able to govern themfelves, and dreading
the devaftations of the army of the emperorCharles
the Fifth, which was near their confines, fent am-
bafladors to Bologna, to fupplicate Clement the
Seventh, who was then in that city, that he would
condefcend to defend their city from the imminent

danger,

3 1 Pi/loia.

danger, and take it under his protection, and de-
livered him the keys of it ; which the pontiff, in
his own name, and in the name of the emperor,
who fought for the obedience of the Florentines
and the other cities of Tufcany, having vyith great
alacrity accepted, he fent fuddenly, for the go-
vernment and cuftody of Pifloia, Alexander di
Gerardo Corfmi, with the title of coinmiffary ; and
therefore it followed that no podefta or captain
was elected afterwards, excepting for three years,
but one magiftrate alone, with the title of com-
miiTary general, as was ever after the cuftom.

The emperor Charles the Fifth having, in 1530,
reduced by force the Florentines, and their confe-
derates, to fubmiflion to the empire, and reftored
in Florence "the houfe of Medici, who had been
banifhed by their fellow-citizens, configned to
them the government and dominion of Tufcany.
Piftoia did not hefitate a moment from its obedi-
ence to the new regent of the province, by which
ready fubmiflion they obtained from him the fa-
culty of continuing to govern themfelves accord-
ing to their own laws and laudable cuftoms ; and
they continued to receive, in place of a podefta and
captain, a commiflary general for their defender
and governor ; for all the time that the govern-
ment of the houfe of Medici lafted, to maintain
the government in fuitable dignity, it was their
cuftom always to confer it on fome fenator of Flo-
rence.

The government of the houfe of Medici termi-
nating in the year 1737, by the failure of the fuc-
cefilon, it was conferred, by the emperor Charles
the Sixth, on Francis, the third duke of Lorraine
and Bar. This new lord of Tufcany, purfuing
the fame fyftem of government of the houfe of
Medici, has continued to furnifh the city of Piftoia

with

with a commilfary general, if not a fenatof , at leaft
refpectable for his nobility, who, regulating the
government by the laws of the city, has always
enabled it to enjoy a perfect tranquillity.

Francis, the fecond grand duke of Tufcany, in
1749, conceiving a good opinion of Piftoia, as a
city of merit, and in all things refpedable, wifhing
to raife its dignity and honour, as he pretended,
annulled the office of commiflary general, and
confided the government to a "minifter, with the
title of governor*.

In a city, where every intereft feemed to be
guarded by particular magiftrates, where fo many
changes were made in their form of government,
in order to find one which would pleafe and fatisfy
the people, one might expeft to find happinefs, if
it were poilible that it mould exift where le>-
giflative and executive powers were confounded
together in one aflfembly. But if we go over again
the feveral periods of the hiftory of Piftoia, we
{hall find that fimilar caufes had the fame effects.

At the end of the eleventh and beginning of the
twelfth century, civil difcords in Piftoia generated
much mifery ; and many families fearing that they
mould have ftill greater evils to fuffer, determined
to abandon their country ; and, as a leflbn to
their mad and cruel fellow-citizens whom they
left behind them, they caufed an infcription to be
engraved on the gates, " Habbi pazienzia" (have
patience), a motto that ought to be written over
the door, and engraven on the heart, of every ci-
tizen in fuch a government, an.d went to inhabit
other countries.

Italy beginning, in i u 2, to be infected with the
contagious difeafe of the factions of the Guelphs

* Fioravanti, p. 38.

VOL. III. F and

34 Pi/lota.

and Ghibellines, deftru&ive infurre&ions and tm-
mults were raifed in Piftoia ; and the citizens, in-
feded with a fpirit of cruelty againft each other,
without fear of human or divine chaftifement, at-
tended to nothing but party quarrels, and mutual
ilaughter and murder : and thefe contefts involved
the city in continual wars, foreign and domeftic,
till the year 1235, when the podefta, a wife man
and a nobleman of high rank, exerted all his pru-
dence, vigilance, and folicitude, to reprefs and
compofe the tumults of the nobles and popu-
lar party, who, on account of the government,
were grown unufually fierce and infolent ; but not
being able to reconcile differences fo inveterate,
nor prevent the cruelties which both parties, re-
gardlefs of his menaces and punifhments, daily
committed, the city was thought to be in evident
danger of total defolation. As fome of the citi-
zens had given afliftance to the Conte Guido de
Conti Guidi, who was become odious to other ci-
tizens as the fautor of Ghibellines, tumults were
increafed and multiplied, till the city was at length
divided into two, came to a fierce battle, and, as
one party would not mix with or depend upon the
other, each one elected its podefta and confuls, as
if they had been two feparate cities and indepen-
dent governments ; and a war was maintained be-
tween them for years with fuch fury, as fet all laws,
human and divine, at defiance, till, exhaufted and
humbled on both fides, they were forced to have
recourfeto Rubaconte, podefta of Florence, under
whofe mediation a peace between them was con-
cluded, with a detail of articles, to the perform-
ance of which Florence became warrantee. In
confequence of this mediation and peace, Piftoia
returned for a fhort time, to her flouriming con-
dition j fo that not only the greater powers ad-
mired

Ftoravanti. 35

mired her felicity, but the mod formidable of the
other cities flood in awe of her. But, oh mifera-
ble viciffitudes of ill conftituted governments * !
to the confufion of the citizens of Pifloia, the
other cities, by fome intervals of peace and union,
grew more powerful, and Piftoia alone, by the
continuance of quarrels, factions, and civil wars,
was meanly reduced in command, honour, and
fortune. It was not long before the old difputes
revived, and continued till 1251, when the pope
was obliged to interpofe, and negociate a new
peace between the parties in Piftoia. But this
peace could not be effe&ed.till long wars, a great
d$ftrution of lives, and a general defolation of the
lands and cities, by the various leagues and alter-
nate confifeations of the rich and the poor, the
nobles and commons, Guelphs and Ghibellines,
had fatigued and exhaufted all parties.

In 1 260 the Ghibellines of Piftoia, Florence,
Volterra and Prato, could no longer bear the in-
folence and impertinence of the contrary fa&ion :
they therefore formed an union with their friends
in the other cities, raifed armies, and renewed the
wars ; and, after many fharp conflicts, and at
length the fanguinary battle of Montaperto, they
turned the tide of fortune and the torrent of po-
pular paffions in their favour, till all Tufcany be-
came Ghibelline, excepting Lucca and the Floren-
tine exiles. At the inftigation of the Conte No-
vello, vicar of the king Manfred, Piftoia, Florence,
Siena, Pifa, Volterra, Samminiato, Colle, Prato,
and Poggibonfi, raifed a ftanding army to make
war upon Lucca, becaufe this city was the afylum
of their fugitives. This army was maintained only
by the impofition of univerfal and very heavy

* Ma oh mifere vicende del mondo ! Fioravanti, p. 219.

taxes.

j 6 P'iftoia.

taxes, did infinite damage in the country, and at
laft, in 1267, obtained a peace between Piftoia and
Lucca, upon conditions, one of which was, that
each city mould pardon the other all the injuries,
moleftations, difcords, offences, damages, rapines,
homicides, devaluations, and conflagrations, that
had been committed.

In 1268 the Guelphs in Piftoia were much dif-
pleafed that the heads of the Ghibellines, banifhed
and driven out from their city, fhould, under Af-
tancollo Panciatichi, have fortified themfelves at
Lucciano, a caftle under the eyes of Piftoia ; there-
fore they ordered Cialdo Cancellieri, their podefta,
to go out with an armed force and diflodge them.
Panciatichi, having penetrated the defigns of the
Guelphs in Piftoia, fearing that he could not rcfift
the affault of his enemies, becaufe he was inferior
in force, and without hopes of fuccour, abandoned
thepoft, and went to Pifa, where he united himfelf
with his confederates : fo that Cancellieri, finding
the caftle empty of inhabitants, plundered and
demolimed it, and caufed the Panciatichi to be
banifhed as the heads of that fadion, whofe eftates
were all confiscated.

The partialities of the citizens of Piftoia having,
in 1 270, in fome meafure fubfided, by means of the
government of the Univerfal Pacificators of Tuf-
cany, they fet about a reformation of their magif-
trates ; and confidering that a multitude always
generated confufion, they reduced to tw hundred
their general council, which had been compofed
before of fix hundred members, and created many
new magiftracies and jurisdictions, in order to
bring into order the affairs of their government*.
But in 1 284 there arofe again moft grievous dif~

* Fioravanti, p. 330.

orders,

Fioravanti. 37

orders, by reafon of the ill adminiftration of juf-
lice ; and the general council elected the wiieft
citizens, to make another reformation and new
laws, and to bring about a reconciliation among
the principal citizens who difturbed the public
tranquillity. But all their regulations were inef-
fectual; for in the next year, 1285, frefh diflur-
bances were perceived in the city of Piftoia, occa-
fioned by certain families, who by means of co-
pious wealth, and the adherence of numerous
friends, followers, and relations, afpired, at their
difcretion, to govern the city : but as the wifeft
men exerted themfelves, that their public affairs
jhould depend only on law and juftice, not upon
the paflions and caprice of individuals, they call-
ed together the general council. Thefe endeavoured
to render thofe families odious and unpopular, as
well as the title by which they were diftinguimed ;
and to this end ordered, that thofe families mould
be declared " grandees" (magnati,) who by their
influence and power diilurbed the public tranquil-
lity : and to be declared a grandee became equi-
valent to being declared a feditious perfon, an
arrogant, an impertinent, and feparated from the
government of the commons of the city.

The dominant party ruled fo arbitrarily the
Guelphs, committed fo many robberies upon
them, and burnt and deftroyed fo much of their
property, that thefe became defperate, and the
exiles from many cities raifed an army, which ob-
liged the Piftoians, and the governors of other
cities, to raife another to oppofe it, at an expence
of an univerfal impofition of taxes upon all the
neceffaries of life. The two armies met in the
plain of Campaldino, and a memorable victory
was gained by the Guelphs ; and fire and fword
again fcattered wide in confequence of this.

In

38 Pijloia.

In 1290 another fierce tumult arofe in Piftoia,
between the moft illuftrious families, occafioned
by a ftroke of a fword, given by Mone Sinibaldi,
upon the face of Gio. Vergiolefi. Upon this fig-
nal there was a general infurre&ion ; and it cofl
all the art and resolution of the government, to do
juftice, to prevent another general battle ; for ci-
vil difcords were beyond meafure increafed, and
the people, without any bridle, were in the utmoft
danger of defolating the city, and leaving it empty
of inhabitants. The exiles in the mean time took
their ftations among the mountains, where they
fortified themfelves, and made incurfions from
time to time, robbing, plundering, burning, and
murdering, without controul.

Another infurre&ion, in 1296, came very near
to accomplifh the final ruin of Piftoia ; it ended
in a bloody battle, in which many perfons loft
their lives, and the parties remained as inveterate
and cruel after as they had been before it. In-
furre&ions and tumults continued fo frequent, that
the bifhop fled for fear, the merchants could do
no bufinefs, and revolutions, infolence, robberies,
affafiinations, daily happened* ; and fuch diffidence
and diftruft was fixed in the minds of all men,
that all lived in continual fear and fufpicion.
Thefe apprehenfions were carried to fuch a length,
that each one fhut himfelf up in his houfe, with
the friends he could colled, where he fortified him-
felf ; and thofe who had not towers to their habi-
tations erected themf. Sixty towers were*ere6led
in this fingle city, fome of which (till remain ele-

* Le rivoluzioni, le infolenze, le rubberie, li afiaffinamenti,
die giornalmente accadevano, &c. Fioravauti, p. 243.
f Fioravanti, p. 244.

vate4

Fioravanti. 29

vated on the roofs of the houfes, fome are now
covered with roofs, others fmce included in
the buildings as they have been enlarged, and
others from time to time, have been ruined and
deftroyed in the fubfequent wars. It is to be
noted, that, by law or by cuftom, towers might
not be ereded but by the nobility, and thefe had
their meafure ; fo that, to avoid envy, they could
not exceed a limited height. But at this time
the infurredions of the citizens and of the people
of the caftles in the high lands increafmg, feditious
and perverfe people were found every where,which
gave occafion and motives to all the citizens to
think of their houfes ; and they began, through
the whole ftate, to proceed to exemplary punifh-
ments, without regard to the age, condition, or
fex of the perfons, and thus, in a Ihort time, to
fo many evils and tumults : and befides the quiet
that refulted to the city, the ftimulus had an effecl:
on the caftles irf the mountains, viz. Cavinano,
Lizzano, Popillio, Piteglio, St. Marcello, Mam-
miano, and others, to make that univerfal peace
which is mentioned in the archives of the city.

But the diforder was not confined to the com-
mon citizens in town or country, it originated in
the divifions among the men of birth, fortune,
and abilities, in the government ; and contefts for
fuperiority among the anziani themfelves, in 1 298,
arofe to fuch a degree, that from argument, in-
trigue, and oratory, they proceeded to blows, and,
after a rude encounter, the weaker party fled to
the public archives, andfhutandfecured the door in
the faces of their purfuers : thofe without, finding
it impoflibJe to purfue the affray, determined to
take their vengeance by fire ; accordingly, fettiiig
fire to the archives, thofe within remained, toge-
ther with all the papers, files, and records^ a prey

and

4 Piftoia.

and a triumph to devouring flames. This terrible
event, as may well be believed, produced flill
greater tumults and confufions, which were ter-
minated at laft by a calamity of another kind,
more terrible, if not more deftru&ive, a continu-
ance of earthquakes for eight days together, which
fhook down houfes and towers more effectually
than the inhabitants were able to do. This event,
which was believed by fome to be a judgment of
Heaven for the animofities of the citizens, it was
hoped would promote peace and benevolence
among them ; but they foon revived, with more
wickednefs than ever, their ancient diffenfions. The
family of Cancellieri, at this time having moft in-
fluence,, both by the riches they poffeffed, and by
their great numbers, amounting to an hundred
men in arms, as brave as they were haughty, were
become formidable to all the other families in Pif-
toia, to fuch a degree that all, both in the city
&nd country flood in fear of them. It happened
that Carlino di Gualfredi, and Dore, or Amadore,
the fon of William Cancellieri, being together in
a cellar, where they had drank too freely, fell into
a fquabble, in which Dore was beaten, and infulted
with outrageous language, which offended him fo
highly that he meditated a cruel revenge. Going
out of the wine cellar in this temper of mind,
Dore went, late as it was at night, and laid him-
ielf down in a corner of the ftreet by which Car-
lino was ufed to pafs, and there happening to fee
Vanni, the brother of Carlino, on horfeback,
without thinking of his innocence, gafhed him
in the face by a blow with a target, and by another
ftroke cut off part of his left hand. In this de-
plorable condition Vanni was carried to his fa-
ther, who, feeing his fon fo barbaroufly treated,
was fo inflamed with refentment, that, difregard-

FioravaniL 41

ing all laws divine and human, he began to medi-
tate his revenge. At this moment the extravagance
of his fon was reported to William, and affefted
him with fuch grief and difguft, that he thought
of averting any unfortunate confequences by an
at of fubmiilion ; and he fends his guilty fon to
the father and brothers of the man he had injured,
to afk their pardon in his own name and in that of
his affli&ed father* But all in vain ; for fcarcely
had Gualfredi caft his eyes on Dore, when he
feized him, and, without regard to the goodnefs
of his father, cut off one of His hands upon a horfe
manger, and gamed him in the face, in the fame
manner as he had done to Vanni his fon. By this
atrocious deed, done in cool blood and a fober
hour, the father and brothers of Dore were fa
exasperated, that in order to obtain fome fignal
revenge, they united the force of their friends and
relations, filled the city with brawls, difcords, and
murder, and divided not only the family of Can-
cellieri, but the whole city, into two parties.
The Cancellieri were at that time very numerous,
very rich, and in near degrees of blood related and
allied ; fome of them were derived from the lady
Nera, and others from the lady Bianca, both of
them wives of M. Cancelliero, the firft author of
the furname of this family ; but now, no longer re-
garding their confanguinity, they became fo per-
verfe as to attend to nothing but the deftrudion
of each other ; and reviving the memory of the
ladies, from whom the anceftors of Carlino and
Dore had their original, the followers of Carlino
took the name of Bianchi, and the followers of
Dore thatofNeri ; and the people being already
infe&ed with diabolical paffions, the Ghibellines
took the part of the Bianchi, and the Guelphs that
of the Neri : and from this time the two factions
VOL. III. /' G of

42 Piftoia.

of the city began to be called Bianchi and Neri,
and frequent bloody battles were fought in the
city between them.

* The whole people in the city and country be-
came divided into Bianchi and Neri, and the mu-
tual {laughters of men, and burnings of houfes,
came very near to ruin the country. There was
not a perfonwho was not obliged to afiurne one
ofthefe names, and fide with one of the parties.
Recourfe at laft was had to Florence, to aflift the
magistrates in controuling thefe parties ; and the
heads of the parties were banifhed, all except Ber-
tacca, far advanced in age, and one of the knights
of St. Mary, an order which had been inftituted
by Urban the Fourth to pacify the factions. It
was confined to the nobility, inverted with white
robes with a red crofs, and two red ftars in a
white field ; but, with all its pomp and fandtity,
had very little influence to correct the errors of an
imperfect government. The Caucellieri took re-
fuge in Florence, thofe of the Neri in the houfe of
the Donati, and thofe of theBianehi in that of the
Cerchi ; and infected Florence at laft to fuch a
degree, that thofe party diftindtions became as
common and as michievous in that city as in Pif-
toia. At this time the Tufkans, holding them-
felves free from all fubjection to the empire, and
regulating all things according to the caprice of
parties unbalanced in their governments, the pef-
tiferous venom fpreading wider every day in the
minds of the people, the two factions aiming at
nothing lefs than each others total deftruction,
had for their object the ambitious defire of do-

* Vid. Ferreti Vicentino, lib. ii. apud Muratori, torn. ix.
Rerum Italicarum- Scriptores, Muratori Anrial. torn. viii.
p. -2, 3.T-Cofi le rnaledette Sette, fi andavano dilatando per
tutta la Tofcana.

mineering

Fioravanti. 43

imneering without controul. With this maxim,
which is chara&eriftic of the feditious, 'thefe fac-
tions joined in the city of Florence to trample on
the laws ; and the party Bianchi fucceeded to drive
out by force the party Neri, and affumed the do-
minion of the city.

But before the end of the year, another revolu-
tion was effected both in Florence and Piftoia,
and the houfes of many of the principal people
levelled with the ground. The Florentines,
among whom the party Neri governed, in 1302,
fufpeding that the Bianchi, now banimed from
their city, would, with the afliftance of the Bian-
chi who ruled in Paftoia, raife again with new force,
entered into a combination with Lucca for the
total deftru&ion of Piftoia ; and a war fucceeded,
which lafted many years, and extended to all the
cities of Tufcany, introducing the diftindtions of
Neri and Bianchi, and feveral revolutions, in all of
them. But the war agaift Piftoia was maintained
by Florence and Lucca in concert, till Piftoia was
taken, its country divided, and its people perfe-
cuted and oppreffed, when', finally, they refufed to
receive a podefta from Lucca and Florence. This
occafioned another army to be fent againfl them.
The Piftoians thfcn called in the mediation of
Siena ; by whofe decifion it was ordained, that the
podefta and captain of the people for Piftoia mould
not be chofen by the Lucchefe and Florentines,
but by the Piftoians themfelves, provided that the
ele&ion mould always fall upon fome citizen of
Florence or Lucca. This award was fapported
by the Tedici, Ricciardi, Rofli, Lazzari, and Sini-
baldi, and others their followers, againft the will
of the Taviani, Ughi, and Cancellieri, and their
adherents both among the grandees and po-
pular citizens. This difference of opinion occa-
fioned

44 Piftoia.

fioned quarrels and diflentions. The three fa-
milies could not bear that the five families mould
*lord if over the city ; each of thefe parties there-
fore, flriving to drive out the other, without re-
garding the expence or inconvenience, aflembled
their friends and forces, marched through th'e
country, laid wafte, combated, and affaflinated, in
defiance of all government. But in the end, the
Taviani having fallen into an ambufeade in the
midfl of their enemies, near a river, fome w^re
killed, others made prifoners, and the reft difperf-
ed as fugitives ; and their fortrefs delle Piere di
Montecuccoli, now called Valdibura, and the
church of St. Simon, where they had been ufed to
retreat, were facked and burnt.

In 13 i6,the Piftoians conceived a jealoufy of the
profperous fortune of Uguccione, not only qn ac-
count of a fignal victory he had obtained againft the
Guelphs, but becaufe he had been made lord of
Pifa and Lucca, and had it in contemplation to
reduce Piftoia to his power. But dilfimulating
their fears, and to make him friendly and bene-
volent to their city, the Piftoians chofe him for
their podefta. Coming to Piftoia, he reftored the
Cancellieri, the Taviani, the Ughi, and Sini-
baldi.

In 1317, the Piftoians, by reafon of the turbu-
lence in Tufcany, put themfelves under the pro-
tection of Robert king of Naples. Caftruccio
Antelminelii, captain general of the wars of the
Lucchefe, having conducted to a happy iflue many
enterprizes for that community, thought of redu-
cing to its dominion the city of Piftoia, by the
means of its Bianchi exiles : but, after many fkir-
mifhes arid mutual ravages of each others terri*

* SignoreggiafTero la citta.

tory,

Fioravanti. 45

tory, a battle fought between him and Giulione,
who commanded the Pifloian forces againft him,
in which a decifive victory was obtained by the lat-
ter, produced a treaty of peace between them, one
article of which was, that the exiles mould be re-
flored ; the Nri confenting to this rather than
rifk a renewal of the war.

In 1321, Uberto Cancellieri executed the office
of podefta in the city of Padua, to the greateft fa-
tisfadion of that people. And the fame year,
Gio. Panciatichi gave clear proofs of fidelity and
courage in the office of commiflary of Romagna,
under Clement the Fifth and the people of Flo-
rence.

From 1321 to 1330, the hiftory of this repub-
lic is filled with wars, feditions, and intrigues, all
fet on foot by the different contending parties, in
order to elevate fome individual, a favourite, or a
tool of their own, for the fovereign of the ftate.
The fimple heads of the ftory muft fuffice. Caf-
truccio commences a deftructive war upon the
frontiers, to obtain the fovereignty of Piftoia for
himfelf. Pittecciani betrays many caftles into his
hands to favour his defigns, being probably in-
clined to that party ; Pittecciani, however, is be^
headed for treafon by the Piftoians. Amidfl thefe
calamities, Ormanno Tedici, conceives the delign
of making himfelf the fovereign of Piftoia. The
want of rain for eight months, and the devaftations
of war, had occafioned a famine in Pifa, Lucca, and
Piftoia. Upon this occafion Tedici, and Vanni Laz-
zari, both rich and powerful, as well as proud and
ambitious men, and confequently jealous of each
other as rivals, appear upon the ftage : their in-
trigues are full of all that duplicity and hypocrify,
which is univerfal on fuch occasions*. Tedici

* Fioravanti, lib. xix.

perfuades

46" Pi/lota.

perfuades the Piftoians to a truce with Caftruccio,
and feizes the piazza and pakce of the anziani
with his partizans ; is made lord of Piftoia, and
reforms the magiflrates of the city, and concludes
the truce with Caftrucco, much againft the will
of the other party. Having gone through all the
ceremonies of a revolution, that is to fay, reverfed
every thing, recalled exiles, &c. and governed the
city fourteen months, his nephew, Philip di For-
tebraccio Tedici, a youth full of ambition, con-
fpired to take away the fovereignty from his uncle,
and affume it to himfelf. To this end he began by
correfponding with the Guelphs in exile, and by in-
fufing into them a belief that his uncle entertained
a fecret correfpondence with Caftruccio, to deliver
Piftoia into his hands. The nephew, by other ar-
tificial difcourfes and fimulated manners, exerted
himfelf with the Guelphs to depofe his uncle, and
reftore all the banifhed and fcattered members of
the Guelph party. His fictions were credited, the
refolution was taken with alacrity, they united
themfelves with the impoftor, and, the better to
obtain their defires, communicated their intentions
to Neruccio Conte de Sarteano, a Guelph gentle-
man of prudence and fagacity, and requefted his
counfel and afiiftance ; who, deceived by the re-
lation of facts, fo well invented and coloured by
Philip, acknowledged, that if remedy was not im-
mediately provided, Piftoia would fall into the
hands of Caftruccio ; and offered them his cavalry,
and promifed to exert all his force to obtain the
ends they defirecL The uncle discovering the
confpiracy, complained to his nephew, who roundly
aflerted it to be a fiction of malice ; arid went
immediately to the heads of the plot, told them
that the abbe his uncle was informed of all, held
a ftiort confutation with them, in which it was re-

folved

Fioravanfi. 47

folved to rife at once, and carry into execution
what they had intended. The confpirators af-
fembling in the morning, and taking arms in fea-
fon, rufhed with Philip to the piazza, fcattered
the guards, by putting to death all who refitted,
took the place, ran through the city, aflaulted the
palace of the anziani, occupied the gates, and
garnimed the walls with their people, and Philip
remained lord and fovereign of Piftoia. This
done, Philip called together the council of the
people, obtained the title of captain, and taking
the fovereignty of the eity on himfelf, reformed
it with new anziani and magiftrates, and, govern-
ing feverely, made himfelf feared by all men. The
abbe Tedici, having loll the lordmip of Piftoia,
and eager to regain the pofleflion of it, machi-
nated with his other nephews and adherents to
throw out of the window of the public palace his
nephew Philip ; and going with his followers to
the palace, he was introduced alone to a confe-
rence with the artful Philip, by his exprefs order,
who immediately ordered the gates to be fhut
againft the other confpirators, and with a very
few words again impofed on his uncle, and made
him prifoner. Philip, thus liberated from the
fnares of his uncle, fuddenly renewed the truce
with Caftruccio. He conducted his negociations,
both with Florence and Caftruccio, with fo much
duplicity, that he deceived both : there are few
examples of deeper fimulation, more exquifite ad-
drefs, or of felfifh knavery of a blacker dye, than
he praftifed with his uncle, with the Florentines,
and Caftruccio. After obtaining of the Florentines
the creation of his fon a knight of the golden fpur,
three thoufand golden florins for himfelf, and noble
matches and rich dowries for his two daughters,
of the Florentines, he married himfelf to Dialta,

the

48 .Piftoia.

the daughter of Caftruccio, and delivered Piftoia
into his hands. Caftruccio immediately informs
the emperor Louis of Bavaria of his new acquifi-
tion : and Louis fends to this great man, fo faith-
ful and ardent in his fervice, a commiflion to go-
vern Piftoia as his imperial vicar. Florence makes
war to recover the city ; but are beaten by Caf-
truccio, who receives the emperor afterwards in
Piftoia, and is made by him duke both of Lucca
and Piftoia, and foon after dies. If he had lived,
the example would probably have here been com-
plete ; the continual altercations of the .principal
families having completely overturned the confti-
tution^ and introduced an abfolute monarchy.
But his death opened a door for ftill further con-
tentions. M. Vinciguerra di Aftancallo Pancia-
tica, prefect of the royal militia of France, and a
general in the wars of Normandy, came into the
fervice of the Florentines at this time, with the
character of general, and rendered himfelf memo-
rable to pofterity, and moft grateful to his family,
by having built, in four years, his fuperb palace
in Piftoia, in the parifh of St. Matthew. The
foils of the deceafed Caftruccio thought, by the
favour of the Vergiolefi, Chiarenti, Tedici, and
other powerful families in Piftoia, to get them-
felves acknowledged as fovereigns of that city j
and to this end procured an armed force to take
pofleffion of the piazza and palace of the anziani :
but the imperial vicar, with his 400 German
guards, and by the favour of the Muli, Gualfre-
ducci, and Panciatichi, families fufficiently power r
ful, gave battle to theYons of Caftruccio, and drove
them out of Piftoia, into the mountains of Lucca.
The Florentines, taking advantage of the divifions
and confufions in Piftoia, excited their people fud-
denly to war, and went and laid fiege to Carmi-

gnano ;

FioravantL 4.9

gnano ; and after many fierce battles for fifteen
days it furrendered, which made the Florentines,,
with the Guelph exiles, very infolent, ravaging
the country, preventing the farmers from fowing
their grounds, and threatening even the walls of
Piftoia.

In this ftate of things, there arofe in Piftoia two
potent factions ; one denominated from the houfe
of Vergiolefi, and the other from that of Pancia-
tichi. The Vergiolefians, adhering to the govern-
ment of the imperial vicar, by means of the fear
of the 400 Germans who were in Piftoia, induced
a good part of the people to refufe their confent
to a peace with the Florentines and Guelphs.
The Panciatichans, with their followers, not
judging good and ufeful for the city the fentiment
of the Vergiolefians, efteemed it more advantageous
to make peace, than to maintain the country in
fubje&ion to the avidity of the Bavarian and his
minifters. But the other party determined to in-
terrupt the treaty, by exciting the city to an uproar,
and by parading the ftreets with their Germans,
by whom many of the people were aflfaflinated.
The people, finding themfelves thus ill-treated,
collecting together, fell upon thefe Germans : there
followed a ikirmifh, fo ferious, that many were
killed, many furrendered prifoners, and thofe who
efcaped were obliged to fly with their vicar to
Lucca. In the mean time Ricciardo di Lazzaro
Cancellieri, a Guelph exile from Piftoia, fecretly
affifted by the Florentines, and rendered powerful,
both by the money and the bravery of his Guelphs,
underftanding the difunion in Piftoia, marched in-
to the mountains of Piftoia with great terror, to
acquire poffeffion of fome confifcated cafties of his
party. This occafioned great difguft and alarm
to all in the city, and occafioned Giovanni Pan-
.VoL. III. H ciatichi

50 Plftola.

ciatichi to go out with his fa&ion to oppofe him ;
who attacking his enemy with great fpirit, pre-
vented him from making himfelfthe Lord of that
extenfive country. The Panciatichi, then, the
Muli, and the Gualfreducci, pufhing the advan-
tage they had gained, and fufpe&ing fome treafon
from the Vergiolefi, applying themfelves at once to
cut off all the means to fuch defigns, with all di-
ligence applied to the anziani to aflemble the ge-
neral council, by whom were banifhed and impri-
foned out of-Piftoia, all the fons and relations of
Caftruccio, Philip Tedici, Charles his fon, with
all their families, and confifcated all their goods
and eftates ; and to make fure of the imprifon-
ment or the deaths of the Tedici, a reward was
offered of five hundred florins of gold. This
done, they made the peace with Florence, and
four knights of the golden fpur were made by the
Florentines, two of the family of Panciatichi, one
of the family of Muli, and one of the Gualfreducci,
in gratitude for their important fervices ; and
both cities fubmitted to the church, and banifhed
the emperor.

The common people about this time began to
be weary of the cabals of the principal families,
but were too ignorant to contrive any method to
reftrain them, but that which always renders them
ftili more defperate and deftruclive to the commu-
nity, an attempt to bring all upon a level.

The fafhion at funerals had become fo expenfive,
that every one exceeded his proper abilities in
making a mow ; and the Piftoians, not without
giving occafion for ridicule, attempted to regu-
late the expence upon fuch occafions, by decreeing
a rigorous uniform for the ufe of all. At the fame
time, confidering the bleffings and advantages of
uniform and clear laws, and that the people by

the

Fiordvanti. 5 1

the means of them are rendered tractable, and lefs
haughty and audacious, they prepared certain fta-
tutes and provifions for the good government of
their city. And as it appeared to them, that fome
of the principal families arrogated to themfelves
an undue ftiarg in the management of public af-
fairs, and were difpofed by force to opprefs the po-
pular men, they determined that all offences
againft the popular men ihould be feverely pu-
nilhed, and that the next noble relation of any
grandee mould be obliged to pay any pecuniary
mulct which mould be inflicted, in cafe his eftate
was not fufficient to difcharge it ; and in cafe the
delinquent was fentenced to a capital punifhment,
and efcaped by any means from juftice, his next
relation among the grandees mould pay a thoufand
pounds. Although nothing can be conceived
more inconfiftent with liberty, equity, or humani-
ty, than thele laws, yet the terror of them is faid
to have procured a momentary tranquillity ; efpe-
cially as certain companies of armed militia of the
popular party were inftituted in the four quarters
of the city, to force them, abitrary, oppreflive,
and cruel as they were, into execution. But this
militia was not long able to controul the fpirit of
diforder, and it became neceffary to provide a
ftronger bridle for unquiet and feditious fpirits,
and a new and mod rigorous law mult be made to
beat down their arrogance and infolence. The
plebeians at this time feeling themfelves the true
and real grandees, and at the higheft fummit of
power, ordained by a law, that all thofe, of what-
ever condition they might be, who mould give
themfelves up to an evil life, and give offence to
the popular party, and diflurb the quiet of the
city or country, mould be, as a punilhment for
their actions, denominated " grandees" (grandi, e

magnati),

52 Piftoia.

tnagnati), and excluded from the magiftracies,
and all management of public affairs, and be fub-
jected to other punimments. It is true that the
gentlemen had ftill fome (hare in the government,
becaufe the plebeians, that they might not make
too many enemies at once, did not feek to exclude
from public offices all the nobles, but felefted
from the number divers houfes of the mod pacific,
and the greateft lovers of juftice, as it was pre-
tended, and placed them among the popular men,
to take away their power from the others, and fe-
cure it to themfelves. No gentleman however of
the popular party was permitted to make any of-
tentation of his nobility ; fo that if any one of the
popular men was made a knight by any prince or
republic, he was fuddenly deprived of his office :
whence many of the nobles, who wifhed to enjoy
all the benefits of the popular men, were obliged,
by a fimulated refpect to the plebeians, to lay afide
their arms and furnames, to diftinguifh themfelves
from their peers recorded for grandees. Other
nobles there were, who chofe rather to be exclud-
ed from all public offices, and live expofed to the
rigorous laws of the grandees, than to lay afide
their arms or furnames, jealous of obfcuring the
ancient hereditary fplendour of their anceflors.
In this however they were deceived, for the prin-
cipal popular men took care to preferve their dif-
tindion, by a law, " That if by a ftatute nobles
were made populars, they do not lofe by that their
nobility ;" and by another law, declaring many to
be magnati, it is fubjoined, " the reft we under-
ftand to be populars, although born of noble race
and progeny." From this it was contended, that
thofe were deceived who meafured the antiquity
and nobility of their own or other families by

the

fioravanti. 53

the rule of the enjoyment of the principal ma-
giftracies.

In 1332 feveral of the mpft powerful families,
arrogating too much authority in public affairs,
or, in other words, being found by the plebeians to
have too much influence for them to be able to
controul, fuch diflenfions and difturbances arofe,
that it was thought neeefiary to declare them in
the number of the grandees : and accordingly it
appears by the records, that the Cancellieri, Gual-
freducci, Muli, Ughi, Panciatichi, Taviani, Ric-
ciardi, Tedici, Sinibaldi, Zebertelli, Vergiolefi,
Roffi, Lazzari, Forteguerri, Vifconti, Forefi, and
others, that is, all the principal families in the na-
tion, were declared to be magnati, ftigmatized
with that odious appellation, and excluded from
all fhare in public offices. In this year fevere
fumptuary laws againft effeminate luxury were
made by the council, the folemnities and expences
of weddings were regulated, and the cloathing of
men. Extravagant fafhions in thefe things had
tempted mofl people to exceed their revenues,
had multiplied debtors, and rendered dubious and
difficult the credit of merchants : certain wife ci-
tizens were authorized td prepare regulations of
this kind ; and they fucceeded to make fuch wife
Jaws, that frauds and abufes became lefs common.
Yet the caprice and inflability of this government
appears very remarkable at this time ; for although
the Cancellieri were the year before recorded for
grandees, yet in 1333 Ricciardo Cancellieri was
declared a knight by the council of the people of
Pifloia, and was feafled at the public expence.
When any one was made a knight by any fove-
reign, or any city, he became fuddenly noble, al-
though he had not been fo by birth ; for birth, at
*hat time, was neither necefiary to nobility nor to'

knighthood.

54 Piftoia.

knighthood. The ceremony of arming the knight
was made with great folemnity, receiving the mi-
litary girdle from the other knights*.

In 1336 the Piftoians lamented the death of
their moft beloved citizen Cino, their greateft
lawyer and judge, the mafter of Bartolo and Pe-
trach.

In 1342 Piftoia was obliged to capitulate with
the duke of Athens, who held the government of
it three years, and ruled it as tyrannically as he
did Florence.

In 1344 the government was recovered from
the duke of Athens ; and, to remedy the infinite
tumults which were daily excited by the power
of the families of the magnati, who by their
riches and adherents made their authority and in-
fluence prevail, it was ordained, that in time of any
rumour or uproar it mould not be lawful for any
popular man to enter the houfe of any grandee,
and if by chance any one mould be in fuch a houfe
at fuch a time, he mould immediately quit it, that
he might not be under the temptation to affift the
grandee, upon pain of the lofs of all public offices,
and confiscation of all his goods. And none of
thefe powerful families, whom they branded with
the name of grandees, could go into the fervice of
any prince, city or republic, if he had not firft
obtained the permiffion of the general council, on
pain of being declared rebels : and that the fami-
lies of the grandees might be known to all, the
following defcription and declaration of them was
made and publimed by authority ; viz. " Omnes
de domo Cancellariorum, omnes de domo Guafre-
ducciorum, Tediciorum, Lazarorum, Vifconto-
j Panciaticorum, Ugorum, Mulorum, Ta-

* Fioravanti, p. 301.

vianorum ?

Fioravanti. 55

vianorum, Sinibaldorum, Vergiolenfium, Rubeo-
rum, Ricciardorum ;" which grandees, in time of
any rumour or ftrife, may not go out of their
houfes, unlefs called by the captain gonfalonier
and anziani.

The Piftoians, informed of the robberies, aflafli-
nations, and havock, which were daily committed
by certain rebels in the fuperior mountains, and of
the treafons plotting by thofe of Serravalle againft
the peace and quiet of the commons of Piftoia,
they did not negleft to ufe the neceflary expedi-
tion to chaftife the infolence of the former, and
to divert the malignity of the latter : againft the
former they fent out a body of foldiers, who put
the rebels to flight, and pulled down their houfes ;
againft the latter they promulgated fevere laws,
with a promife of a thoufand pounds reward to
any one who would accufe an accomplice of trea-
fon.

To fbow the inefficacy of all fuch democra-
tical defpotifm againft the principal families in a
community, as the declarations of grandeeifm were,
Frederick Cancellieri, furnamed for his great va-
lour Barbarofla, had influence enough to obtain
fo great a diftin&ion and fo popular and honour-
able a poft as the command of the troops, raifed
and paid by Piftoia, to go upon the expedition for
the conqueft of the Holy Land ; Angiolo Cancel-
lieri was made a bifhop, and rofe faft in the
church ; and Nicolo Cancellieri, as captain of the
Florentines, acquired immortal glory by befteging
in his own palace, and depofingfrom the govern-
ment of Florence, Walter duke of Athens ; and
Marcello Cancellieii alfo made himfelf illuftrious
as a divine, and obtained the place of auditor of
the tower at Rome.

So much of the time of the hufbandman, the

artizan ?

5 6 Piftoia.

artizan, and the people in general, was taken up
in war at home and abroad, and the fields were fo
often laid wafte, that it was impoflible to obtain
a conftant and certain fupply of provifions for the
people. The confequence of this was famine and
the plague, two other evils in thofe days fpring-
ing with innumerable others, from their imper-
fect government. The plague and famine, which,
in the courfe of the pad year, had nearly deprived
Piftoia of inhabitants, at length ceafmg, and the
few that remained were fo grieved and aftonifhed at
fuch a calamity, that one would have thought their
minds too much foftened and humbled to engage
again for fome time in their nefarious tumults :
but the few furviving citizens found as much dif-
union and animofity among them as ever. Frefh
diforders arofe, and there was no poflibility of re-
ilraining the indignation and fury of the two fa-
milies of Panciatica and Cancellieri, who, upon
fome diflatisfaclion arifing among them, fell into
fuch quarrels, that, as each party had many adhe-
rents, many murders and much flaughter followed ;
and much greater would have enfued, if the people
had not run together to feparate the combatants,
and compelled them to retire to their houfes.
To prevent the prevalence and increafe of thefe
diforders, the citizens called together the general
council, by whom it was ordered that diligent in-
quifition mould be made after the heads of the
tumult, and a rigorous profecution was commenced
againft Richard Cancelliero and Gio. Panciatichi,
the heads of the two families ; who, although
they humbled themfelves, and afked pardon for
the error they had committed, and made an entire
reconciliation with each other, were condemned
in a fine of 500 pounds each, to be paid to the
commons of Piftoia, and were obliged to ratify by

an

Fioravanti. 57

an oath, in full council, the peace they had made
betv/een them. But notwithstanding all this, nei-
ther of the families really laid afide their envy, jea-
loufy, hatred, and malice againft the other; for their
principals having, rather from the fear of juftice
than a defire of tranquillity, made their peace be-
tween them, they applied themfelves daily to pro-
vide arms and men, and finally proclaimed them-
felves openly to be mortal enemies to each other,
and gave rife to the factions of the Panciatichi and
Cancellieri, from whence arofe fuch actions and
events as brought a final ruin on themfelves, their
relations, their friends, and the city itfelf.

" I reflect, with aftoniihment and ftupefa&ion,"
fays Fioravanti, * that the Piftoians, abandoning,
without caufe or reafon, their native fagacity, and
becoming fa&ionaries, mould have fomented the
paffions of thofe two particular families ; have con-
tended for the vanity of pre-eminence, atanexpence
of fo many crimes againft the public peace; and
have employed all their forces againft the tranquil-
lity of liberty in that city, celebrated through the
whole world for men illuftnous in arms, in letters,
in fanclity, and wifdom ; prudent in her laws and
in her government to fuch a degree, that foreign
republics had followed her example in their laws.
Neverthelefs, thus it was, for giving themfelves up
a prey to their griefs and afflictions, they deprived
themfelves of all repofe, and making the paffions
of a few common to them all, loft their liberty
and their government ; bleflings which till this
time had been preferved not without the envy of
their rival cities!" This writer needed not, however,
have been fo much furprifed, if he had confidered
the nature of man, and compared it with the na-
ture of a government in which all authority is
collected into one centre. An attentive reader

VOL. III. I

5 8 fiftoia.

will be furprifed at the boaft of that tranquillity
and liberty hitherto enjoyed ; and will be at a lofs
to find one moment in the whole hiftory where
there could have been any degree of either.

Arbitrary laws of exclufion and difqualification,
and awkward attempts to expofe to popular odi-
um the principal families, made without the lead
modefty or equity by a popular majority, will ne-
ver have weight enough with the people to an-
Iwer thedefignof them. Thofe families will ftili
retain an influence with the people, and have a
party at their command, very nearly equal to that
of the majority ; and being juftly irritated and
provoked at the injuftice done them, will never
want a difpofition to attempt dangerous enter-
prizes. The family of the Cancellieri, though
ftigmatized and difqualified as grandees, were ftill
held in great efteem, among all ranks, for their
riches and numerous adherents. Richard, the
head of the family, ftimulated by his own refent-
ment and ambition, and no doubt excited by his
partizans, had the prefumption to entertain
thoughts of making himfelf fovereign lord of his
country. Courting the people to this end by his
liberality, affability, and courtefy, he waited only
for a favourable opportunity to acquire it. Hav-
ing filled his houfe with a large number of per-
fons, his countrymen and foreigners, heiuddenly
marched out with thefe and his relations to af-
fault the piazza and the palace of the ajiziani : but
being met by the captain of the families of the
anziani, with his rnen, and with thefe many of the
grandees, and a multitude of the little people, ad-
herents of the Panciatichi, the Cancellieri were
repulfed with great fpirit, and perceiving their
lives in great danger, they fled and fhut thern-
felves up in the houfe of the Bonducci their

friends.

Fioravanti. $g

friends. Their fa&ionaries, feeing themfelves
\vithout an head, in diforder and defeated, fled
in defpair out of the city by the gate of St.
Mark. The Panciatichi, having thus conquered
Richard, proceeded with great violence to burn
the houfes of the CancellierL Richard was out-
rageous at the deftruclion of his houfes and the
flight of his followers : but being informed that
they were waiting for him in the country, he
fcaled the walls in the night, went out to meet
them, took the cattle of Mariana, and there
fortified himfelf. With the Cancellieri on their
flank, and Gio. Vifconti of Milan, and lord of
Bologna and all Lombardy, in their neighbour-
hood, each with a party defirous of making
them lords of Piftoia, the Piftoians were ob-
liged to put themfelves under the protection of
Florence, upon certain conditions. Richard Can-
cellieri hearing of this, went to Florence, and with
plaufible reafons made it there believed that the
Panciatichi held a fecret correfpondence with Vif-
conti, to deliver Piftoia into his hands. The
Florentines thought they might as well govern
Piftoia themfelves, and have it wholly at their de-
votion, and immediately gave Richard the com-
mand of horfe and foot, to go and fubdue it. The
attack was made in the night, and would pro-
bably have fucceeded, if the enfigns of Florence
had not been imprudently difplayed, which fo en-
raged the Piftoians, that refolving to die rather
than fubmit, they repulfed their invaders. The
Florentines fent a formidable reinforcement ; but
the Piftoians defended themfelves with intripidity
till they aflembled their general council ; and al-
though Gio. Panciatichi was an infamous grandee,
he was (till the foul of the republic, and no other
ma n had enough of the confidence of his fellow-
citizens

6o Piftoia.

citizens to be fent ambafTador and entrufted with
their falvation. He executed his commiflion,
convinced the Florentines that they had been de-
ceived by Cancellieri, and made an honourable
peace ; and in 1352 the Piftoians afllfled Florence
effectually in defending itfelf againft the army of
Vifconti of Milan.

In 1353 the attention of all parties was turned
to peace, to put an end for once to all the troubles
of Italy, and it was finally concluded between all
the Guelph cities of Tufcany, viz. Jlorence, Siena,
Pifloia, Peragia, Arezzo, city of Caftello, and
others of one fide, 'and Gio. Vifconti on the other,
with certain pacts and conditions ; among which
Vifconti releafed freely into the hands of Piftoia
the caftles and fortrefles of Piteccio, Torri, Trep-
pio, Fofifato, Montecelli, and Sambuca ; and on
all fides were releafed all the exiles. By virtue of
which article were reflored to Piftoia the families
of the Ammanati, Tedici, Vergiolefi, Gualfreduc-
ci, and others, and all their property was reftored
to them.

RichardCancellieri, neverthelefs, in 1 354,being
flill obnoxious to the Panciatichi, did not ceafe to
flrengthen his party, by foliciting the friendfhip
of thofe who might be ufeful to his views. To
this end he formed an intimate friendfhip with
the captain of the guards at Florence, of whom
he expected to make an eflential ufe in all occur-
rences. But the Panciatichi, jealous of this inti-
macy, complained of it bitterly to the Florentines,
who, to pleafe them, difmiffed their officer, but at
the fame time exhorted the complainants to live
quietly, and lay down their arms ; for that at all
events, and at any expence, as authors of the peace
between the two families, they were determined to
maintain it. At this time fbme difquiet arofe be-
tween

Fioravanti. 6

tween the different members of the Cancellieri
family, one of whom, Pievano, joined the Pancia^
tichi, and brought an accufation before the Floren-
tines againft Richard, that he meditated againft
them fome great treafon. A procefs was inftituted,
Richard was found innocent, and the accufer and
the heads of the infurredtion were feverely punifh-
ed, while Richard was honourably acquitted.

The emperor Charles the Fourth made a grant
to the Piftoians to govern themfelves by their own
laws and laubablecuftoms, in a free popular ftate,
under the guidance of the anziani and gonfalonier
of juftice, whom he made perpetual vicars of the
holy Roman empire. That this iketch may not
be protracted to an immeafurable length, we may
pafs over the rebellions and wars between 1355
and 1376, when the diffatisfa&ions among the ci-
tizens of Piftoia were fo increafed by the reform
of officers in 1373, that tumults arofe to fuch a
height, that the Florentines, who defired nothing
more than to become lords of Piftoia, or to fee it
deftroyed, becaufe it was rich, noble' and power-
ful, thought it a favourable opportunity to infinu-
ate themfelves with their meditated 'defigns. Un-
der the fpecious colour of peace and quiet, 'they
annulled the late reform ; and by new laws, under
pretence of taking away the fcandalpus names of
the two factions of the Panciatichi and Cancellieri,
divided the offices into two orders, called one the
company of St. John, and the other the company
of St. Paul ; fo that the moiety of the citizens,
exclufively of the grandees, who could not enjoy
before the benefit of the imborfation, were now
imborfed in the purfe of the company of St. John,
and the other moiety in the purfe of the company
of St. Paul ; and to obtain the fupreme magiftrate
there were drawn four, one for the quarter of the

purfe

6 a Piftola.

purfe of St. John, and four, in the proportion of
one for each quarter, for the purfe of St. Paul ; and
the gonfalonier was to be drawn alternately, once
from one purfe, and another time from the other.
And becaufe the company of St. John was pro-
tected by the Cancellieri, it immediately followed
that it declared itfeif of that faction ; and that of
St. Paul, protected by the Panciatichi, declared
itfeif openly of the faction of Panciatichi : and in
this manner, inflead of extinguiming the fire, it in-
creafed to fuch a degree, that it fpread not only in
the city, but through all its teritory ; and Piftoia
was reduced to a condition fo deplorable, as to be
obliged to abandon all domeftic fociety and fami-
liarity, every one being fufpicious not only of his
neighbours and relations, but of his bofom friends.

In 1383 all ranks of people exceeded their abi-
lities in expences at funerals, and in other effemi-
nate luxury : fumptuary laws were made againft
extravagant expences ; but the hiftorian confeflcs,
that although he thought there was reafon for
them, yet, as he could not read them himfelf with-
out laughing, he feared he mould do no good by
relating them.

The Piftoians having beftowed all their endea-
vours and ftudies to obtain a peace with Belogna,
with whom they had long been at war on account
of boundaries, now hoped to live happily ; but
they were again tormented with infurrections, at-
tended with rapine, burnings, and murders innu-
merable.

The news arrived in Piftoia, in 1390, that John
Galeazzo Vifconti had fent againft the Florentines
an army of twenty thoufand men, under the com-
mand of Jacopo de Verme. This war laded fe-
veral years, and was brought upon the city by its
divifions.

The

Fioravanti. 63

The Piftoians had now been eight and thirty
years in fome fenfe dependent on Florence ; for
in 1350, after the great commotions, they had en-
tered into a ftipulation, by Richard Cancellieri
their fellow-citizen, with the people of Florence,
tdTkeep forever a purfe of fix popular Florentine
citizens, from which mould be drawn their captain
of the people. In this year, 1 398, for the fake of a
more intimate connection and familiarity with the
commons of Florence, it was farther ftipulated,
that for the future the podefla of Piftoia mould
be a Florentine.

Continual animofities had occafioned in the
minds of the citizens fuch wearinefs, grief, and
compunction, that it is impoflible to read, without
commiferation, their awkward attempts to reconcile
themfelves with one another, and to extirpate their
civil difcords, with which Piftoia was furioufly
agitated. The whole people, of every age, fex,
and condition, were perfuaded to go in proceilion
through the city, clothed in white facks, to afk
mutually each others pardon, and to cry " Miferi-
cordia e pace !" (mercy and peace !) and there
can be no doubt that a momentary benevolence,
and many ats of Chriftian charity, mud have been
produced by a pilgrimage fo folernn and affefting ;
but the defects in the conftitution of their govern-
ment were not amended by it, and the troubles of
the people foon revived.

The jealoufies of the Cancellieri and Panciati-
chi revived, and proceeded to fuch lengths, that in
1401 Richard Cancellieri, to revenge himfelf, be-
gan a fecret treaty with Vifconti duke of Milan, to
deliver the City of Piftoia into his hands, that he
might govern it with his abfolute power, and ex-
terminate the faction of the Panciatichi. The
plot was difcovered, and Richard and all his chil-
dren

64 Pi/lota.

dren declared rebels, and their houfes reduced to
afhes. Richard in the country joined with other
exiles, and burned the houfes of the Panciatichi.
The Piftoians were now alarmed with the danger,
from the Vifconti and Cancellieri in concert, that
they were obliged to put themfelves into the hands
of the Florentines. The Canceilieri carried on
the war however with fo much fpirit and fuccefs,
that, although the duke of Milan died in 1402,
Richard was able, in 1403, to obtain a peace, by
which the (late of Piftoia was obliged to reftore
his family to all their eftates, and make good all
their lofles. The Panciatichi agreed to this, that
the confent of all the leaders might be obtained
to lay this burden on the people, by whom the
damages done to the Panciatichi too were to be re-
paired.

In 1420 it was ordained, that in the new reform
of magiftrates and public officers, the families who
had been ftigmatized with the opprobrious name
of grandees mould be reftored to the rights of ci-
tizens, and (hare in the management of public
affairs. But thefe beginning, with their j|fual im-
pertinence, to procure that every thing (hould be
done as they would have it, and all offices difpofed
by their influence, quarrels and diflentions among
the citizens arofe, by which the whole city fell in-
to the greateft agitation : whence it was neceflary,
for the maintenance of the public peace, to ex-
clude them afrefh from public affairs. Thefe fa-
milies were the Panciatichi, Roffi, Sinibaldi, Ughi,
Taviani, Vergiolefi, Lazari, Cancellieri, Ricciar-
di, Vifconti, Gualfreducci, and Tedici.

The ladies indulged in great expences in the
furniture of their houfes, and in the fuperfluous
ornaments of their perfons and families. The ge-
neral council thought it neceflary to interpofe, and

prohibit

Fioravanti. 6$

prohibit all clothes to be lined with foregin furs,
or to be embroidered with pearls, gold, or filver,
or other expenfive and fuperfluous decorations j
and becaufe that all former laws for the fame pur-
pofe had been found ineffe&ual, they were now
renewed with moft rigorous penalties.

In 1455 a civil war broke out in the territory of
Piftoia, called Alliani, between the Caneellieri and
Panciatichi, which fpread into the city, and went
to fuch furious lengths, that the ladies themfelves
took arms, and fought with as much bravery as
the gentlemen, to revenge the {laughter of their
relations ; and before this commotion was ended,
the flaves or what they call the vaffals or villains,
took arms* And no method to reftore peace
could be devifed, till Florence was requefted to
fend four commifiaries, who compelled the Can-
eellieri and Panciatichi to take an oath to be
peaceable, and who feafted the villains till they
were quieted.

Infurre&ions, tumults and civil wars, continued
in 1476, and indeed, with very little intermiffion,
till 1485.

In 1485 Baldinotto Baldinotti, forefeeing that
Lorenzo de Medici might poflibly arrive at the
Sovereignty of Piftoia, confidering the great- repu-
tation, influence, and authority, which he enjoyed
in that city, laid a plot to take him off. As a
lover of the liberty of his country, he thought it
juft and honourable to go with his own fon, and
lie in wait in the way*between Poggio and Cajario,
by which he knew Lorenzo was to pafs, in his
journey to Piftoia, to the feaft of St. James. But
the confidants of Lorenzo having difcovered the
defign, the confpirators were without delay appre-
hended, carried prifoners to Florence, and there
punifhed with death.

VOL. IIL K Another

66

Pi/lota.

Another civil war between the Cancellieri and
Panciatichi, attended with its cuftomary cruelty and
devaftation,occurred, and was not compofed till the
Florentines fummoned four of each party 5 and com-
pelled them to give fecurity, that for the future no
quarrels, murders, burnings, or robberies, mould
be committed in Piftoia. But this anfwered the
end only in part, for the parties went out of the
limits of the ftate, and there committed all forts of
cruelties on one another ; and in 1490 the civil
war was renewed in the city.

On the death of the emperor Frederick the
Third, Maximilian his fon fucceeded to the throne
of the empire ; but delaying his entry into Italy,
gave occafion to Louis Sforza, tutor of the duke
of Milan, to invite Charles the Eighth, king of
France, to come to the conqueft of Naples. Upon
this occafion the Piftoians threw off their fubjec-
tion to Florence, or rather broke off the connec-
tion. But this acquifition of liberty and inde-
pendence, had a fhort duration ; for the Piftoians
knew they could enjoy no tranquillity under their
own government, and with their own parties : af-
ter two years negociation, they agreed to a new
convention in 1496.

The families of the grandees, or impertinents,'
as they were called, revived their pretenfions to
be admitted to the honours and public offices of
the commonwealth, but as this was contrary to
the popular will, and the pafiions and intereft of
their leaders, tumults enfiiEd. The pretenfions
of thefe families were countenanced by the Flo-
rentines, but the popular men, -in the plenitude of
their power, oppofed it with fo much refolution,
that nothing new was effected.

Plague and famine raged in Piftoia to fuch a
degree, that fome were in tiopes that the citizens

would

FioravantL 67

would put an end to difcqrd and fedition, and at
ieait endeavour to enjoy peace ; but the people,
trampling under foot ail laws, human and divine,
began to renew, both in the city and the country,
their oppositions and enmities, which proceeded
to fuch feats of arms and mutual (laughter, that
they were again obliged to have recourfe to the
Imperial vicars in Florence, to interpofe and put
an end to thofe ftrange accidents which threatened
the total deitruction of the country.

The diffenfions of parties in the city and its
territory, being fomewhat abated, the citizens .be-
gan to flatter themfelves with the hopes of quiet ;
but neglecting to provide a remedy againfl the
emulations of private intereft, in individuals and fa-
milies, by feparating the executive power from the
legiflative, rivalries arofe, which produced fuch
ruin, both to the country and the contending fa-
milies, as has been deplored by all fubfequent ge-
nerations. The fact was, that by the death of
Buonaccorfi, a director of an hofpital of St. Gre-
gory, it was neceflary to proceed to the election
of a fucceflbr. On the loth of October, 1499,
had been balloted for, and approved as fuit-
able, by the general council, four fubjects or per-
fons, among whom one, who fhould be con-
firmed and approved by the bifhop of Pifloia ac-
cording to the law, fhould obtain the office. The
council having difcharged their duty in the nomi-
nation of the four, the ordinary proceeded to re-
ject two of them, one after another, and left the
competition undecided between Piero Terchio and
Bernardo Nutini, each of whom endeavoured to
intereft his friends in his favour. Terchio was
protected by the Panciatichi, and Nutini by
the Cancellieri. The bifhop was at Florence,
whence it happened that Salimbene Panciati-
chi

68 Pifloia.

chi caufed to be confirmed, as director of the
hofpital, his friend Terchio, by the canonical Jacob
Panciatichi, under colour of his being the apoflo-
lical legate ; and fending to Florence for the appro-
bation of the bifhop, the good prelate promifed to
comply. The Cancellieri hearing of this, went
alfo to Florence to fupplicate the bifhop not to
approve the election ; but the bifhop who was
determined to keep his word, would not liften to
them. Seeing that they could not move him from
his promife, they applied themfelves to obtain the
felicitations of his friends and relations, with fuch
afliduity and importunity, that the irrefolute pre-
late was at laft induced to comply with their
requeft. The Panciatichi, understanding the
ftrange refolution of the prelate, had recourfe to
the priori of the people and the gonfalonier of
juflice of their country, and obtained an order,
that to Nutini, who had the fmaller number of
votes, the pofleflion of the hofpital fhould not be
given, but to Terchio, who. for good reafons
ought to have k ; and Terchio, accompanied by
fome of the Panciatichi, was placed in the govern-
ment of the hofpital. The Cancellieri, returning
from Florence with the confirmation of the bifhop
In the perfon of Nutini, carried him to the hofpi-
tal to give him pofleflion, but found .the place
occupied ; whereupon, returning to Florence, they
carried their complaint to the rector > and after
much altercation between the parties, it was de*
termined that the affair mould be decided in a
court of juftiee, and the caufe committed to two
lawyers. The judges determined that Nutini had
been elected and canonically confirmed, and he
was accordingly put into the office, againft all that
could be {aid or done by the Panciatichi, who,
ppon pain of being declared rebels, were obliged

Jtp

Fioravanti. 69

to abandon the hofpital, which they had held well
guarded, and give way to the execution of the
fentence. The Cancellieri were made infolent by
their victory, and fometimes by their words, and
fometimes by their actions, affumed an haughty
fuperiority over the contrary party ; who, finding
themfelves deceived, offended, and derided, not
only by the Cancellieri but by the bifhop, went
about venting and propagating their paflions
among the people : whence it happened, that hof-
tilities beginning between thefe two families, they
never ceafed till they ruined the city of Piftoia.

The Panciatichi could not cancel from their
minds the many and enormous injuries they had
received from the Cancellieri, and now meditated a
cruel revenge. On the 5th of February, 1 500, they
unexpectedly afiaulted, in the piazza, BaccinoNu-
tini and others, and having mortally wounded
Georgio Tonti, they ran haftily through the city,
and murdered all the Cancellieri, excepting fome
who had taken refuge in the palace of the lords
priors. The Cancellieri who furvived were not
at all intimidated, becaufe, having many adherents,
it was eafy for them toftir up againlt the Panciatichi
the plebeians, who, alert at their inftigation, mew-
ed themfelves fuch fierce perfecutors of the faction
of the Panciatichi, that, appearing in arms, they
all cried, " Vengeance ! vengeance !" and in the
tumult a multitude of the Panciatichi and their
fautors were killed upon the fpot ; and the fpirits
became fo exafperated, that both parties thought
of nothing but making profelytes, and gaining
followers. In May the Panciatichi aflembled a
great body of men, and feized the piazza, and
more than half the city fortified themfelves in the
balconies, fteeples, and towers, and devoted their
whole time and attention to preparations for war.

The

7<5 Pifloia.

The Cancellieri on their part, equally numerous in
followers, fortified themfelves in the other fide of
the city, and were affifted by fuch numbers of men,
who came in from the mountains and plains in the
country, that they compofed a large army. In
fuch a fcene of turbulence, fufpicions were fo fre-
quent and dangerous, that it became neceffary for
every man to declare himfelf : for both parties
adopted the fame maxim towards the moderate
men and neutrals, ' " If you don't (hew yourfelf
our friend, we will fhew ourfelves your enemy."
There was not a man finally, who did not infert
himfelf into all the injuries and infolence of a
party ; and frequent battles, fometimes in one
ftreet, and fometimes in another, both by night
and by day, tormented the whole city, fo that
there was no time for the people to take any re-
pofe.

In this (late of things arrived at Piftoia two
commiflaries, with five hundred men, fent by the
Imperial vicars in Florence to put a check to the
impetuofity of faction, who entered by the gate of
Caldatica, and taking pofleflion of the mofl im-
portant and advantageous pods, they gave orders
to all to retreat and abandon their arms. Thefe
orders were fcarcely promulgated, when there un-
expectedly appeared a large body of armed men
to the affiftance of the Cancellieri, which by their
adherents in Bologna had been fent ; and, on the
other fide, a number of men from St. Marcello,
and other neighbouring countries, to the fuccour
of the Panciatichi ; and neither party being will-
ing to give way to the other, they -began, in the
face of the Florentine guards, to ftrike each other
fo cruelly, that the fader their forces increafed, the
more were multiplied their infults, arfons, mur-
ders, and ilaughters. The commiflaries feeing all

things

FioravamL j i

things rufhing to deflruction, ordered the heads
of both parties to appear at Florence, and that the
foldiers, both foreign and domeftic, fhould go out
of the city upon pain of rebellion, and extending
the fame threat to all who ihould entertain them
in their houfes. The Panciatichi were difpofed to
obey ; but the Cancellieri, who were favoured by
one of the commilTaries, proceeded in their info-
lence, and making a jeft of the orders, would not
move : whence thofe mirrifters, feeing themfelves
little refpected, and lefs obeyed, returned to Flo-
rence. The foldiers were gone out of the city,
and the heads of the factions feeing themfelves de-
prived of their ftren