The cry was as astounding as it was unanimous—­“Signori!” “Signori!” “Evviva i due Signori de’ Medici!” “Signori!” “Signori!” “Evviva i due figli della Domina Lucrezia.” Thus it gathered strength—­its importance was emphatic—­it was epoch-marking.

“Signori!” “Signori!” was the acknowledgment of the sovereignty of the Medici, made quite freely and spontaneously by the dignified Lords of the Signory, in the name of the whole population of Florence and Tuscany.

* * * * *

Piero de’ Medici died on 3rd December 1469, and his interment, which was conducted with marked simplicity, in accordance with his will, was completed that same evening.  He had, during his short exercise of power as Capo della Repubblica, given a pageant—­“The Triumph of Death,” he called it, by way of being his own funeral obsequies—­a grim anticipation of the future indeed!

At midnight a secret meeting of citizens was convened, by the officials of the Signoria, within the Monastery of Sant’ Antonio by the old Porta Faenza, to debate the question of filling the vacant Headship of the State.  Why such a remote locality was chosen is not stated, but it was in conformity with Florentine usage, which, for general and personal security, required secrecy in such gatherings.

More than six hundred—­“the flower of the city” as Macchiavelli called them—­attended, and upon the proposition of Ridolfo de’ Pandolfini, Messer Tommaso Soderini, by reason of seniority of years and priority of importance, was called upon to preside.  “Being one of the first citizens and much superior to the others, his prudence and authority were recognised not only in Florence, but by all the rulers of Italy.”

The Soderini had, for three hundred years, held a leading position in the affairs of Florence; but they were rivals and enemies of the Medici.  Indeed Messer Tommaso’s uncle—­Ser Francesco—­was one of the principal opponents in the city counsels of Cosimo—­“il Padre della Patria.”  Messer Niccolo, his brother, carried on the feud, and was, with Diotisalvi Neroni, Agnolo Acciaiuolo, and others, banished in 1455, for their complicity in the abortive attempt to assassinate Piero de’ Medici.

Messer Tommaso, more prescient and prudent, threw in his lot with the Medici, and was chosen by Piero, not only as his own chief counsellor and intimate friend, but as the principal adviser of his two young sons—­Lorenzo and Giuliano.  He had, moreover, allied himself to the Medici by his marriage with Dianora de’ Tornabuoni, sister of Domina Lucrezia, Piero’s wife.

All the same, he kept his own counsel and took up a perfectly independent line of action, being quite remarkable for his display of that most pronounced characteristic of all good Florentines—­the placing of Florence first—­“Firenze la prima!”