By way of adding insult to injury, Sixtus impudently sought a loan from the Medici bank, with which to pay the Duke:  this greatly offended Lorenzo and all the leading men in Florence.  What made the Pope’s conduct more despicable, was the knowledge that he regarded this matter as the first step in a line of policy which aimed at supersession of the Medici by the Riari in the direction of Tuscan affairs—­himself being Over-Lord.

The Pope’s demand was refused indignantly by Lorenzo, who, in the name of the Signoria, administered to his Holiness a severe rebuke for his interference in the affairs of Florence.  The relations between the two Governments became strained, but Sixtus was perfectly indifferent to opposition where personal interests were concerned.

His next move was the withdrawal of the Duke of Urbino, his relative, from the military service of the Republic, and his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Papal forces.  This manoeuvre was regarded with alarm by all the Italian States, and a league was formed by Florence, Venice, and Milan, to check Papal encroachments.

Sixtus made overtures to the Duke of Milan to detach him from the alliance, but, apparently, they failed of their object.  The Duke was friendly with Lorenzo and had no wish to become embroiled with Florence.

All these plots and counterplots were exactly to the liking of Francesco de’ Pazzi, and he laid himself out to make capital out of them.  Not only did he encourage the Pope in his inimical policy, but he placed at his command the sum of money which had been refused by the Medici bank.  Sixtus was delighted with his new and wealthy adherent, and forthwith gave the presidents of the Medici bank in Rome notice that they no longer retained his confidence as Papal bankers, and that, accordingly, he had transferred the accounts of the Curia to the care of the rival Pazzi house.  Upon Francesco de’ Pazzi he conferred the accolade of knighthood.  This hostile action of course further estranged Lorenzo and the Government of Florence, and, quite naturally, a system of quarrelsome incidents was set up, with a very complete equipment of spies.

Sixtus never concealed his desire for the overthrow of Lorenzo and the subversion of the Florentine Government, and his hostility found a whole-hearted response in the persons of Count Girolamo de’ Riari, Archbishop Francesco de’ Salviati, and Cavaliere Francesco de’ Pazzi.  The Pope exulted openly in what capital he could make out of tales and gossip about Lorenzo and his entourage.  Two prominent Florentines fomented this factious spirit.  Giovanni Neroni—­the Archbishop of Florence in succession to Archbishop d’Orsini, brother of the notorious Diotisalvi, who was banished in 1466—­and Agnolo Acciaiuolo—­also banished the same year, who resided in Rome and was an especial favourite at the Vatican.

Charges of opposition to the policy of the Pope were freely thrown in the teeth of Lorenzo, and some of them were true, for the actions of the Pope led all observant men to the conclusion that he proposed to assume the role of arbiter in the affairs of all the Italian States.  On the other hand, Lorenzo’s policy was peaceful, his aim being the consolidation of Medicean domination in the affairs of the Republic.