VIII

At last, in 1433, war was declared.  The first blow was struck by Rinaldo degli Albizzi, who put himself in the wrong by attacking a citizen indispensable to the people at large, and guilty of no unconstitutional act.  On September 7th of that year, a year decisive for the future destinies of Florence, he summoned Cosimo to the Public Palace, which he had previously occupied with troops at his command.  There he declared him a rebel to the State, and had him imprisoned in a little square room in the central tower.  The tocsin was sounded; the people were assembled in parliament upon the piazza.  The Albizzi held the main streets with armed men, and forced the Florentines to place plenipotentiary power for the administration of the commonwealth at this crisis in the hands of a Balia, or committee selected by themselves.  It was always thus that acts of high tyranny were effected in Florence.  A show of legality was secured by gaining the compulsory sanction of the people, driven by soldiery into the public square, and hastily ordered to recognise the authority of their oppressors.

The bill of indictment against the Medici accused them of sedition in the year 1378—­that is, in the year of the Ciompi Tumult—­and of treasonable practice during the whole course of the Albizzi administration.  It also strove to fix upon them the odium of the unsuccessful war against the town of Lucca.  As soon as the Albizzi had unmasked their batteries, Lorenzo de’ Medici managed to escape from the city, and took with him his brother Cosimo’s children to Venice.  Cosimo remained shut up within the little room called Barberia in Arnolfo’s tower.  From that high eagle’s nest the sight can range Valdarno far and wide.  Florence with her towers and domes lies below; and the blue peaks of Carrara close a prospect westward than which, with its villa-jewelled slopes and fertile gardens, there is nought more beautiful upon the face of earth.  The prisoner can have paid but little heed to this fair landscape.  He heard the frequent ringing of the great bell that called the Florentines to council, the tramp of armed men on the piazza, the coming and going of the burghers in the palace halls beneath.  On all sides lurked anxiety and fear of death.  Each mouthful he tasted might be poisoned.  For many days he partook of only bread and water, till his gaoler restored his confidence by sharing all his meals.  In this peril he abode twenty-four days.  The Albizzi, in concert with the Balia they had formed, were consulting what they might venture to do with him.  Some voted for his execution.  Others feared the popular favour, and thought that if they killed Cosimo this act would ruin their own power.  The nobler natures among them determined to proceed by constitutional measures.  At last, upon September 29th, it was settled that Cosimo should be exiled to Padua for ten years.  The Medici were declared Grandi, by way of excluding them from political rights.  But their property remained untouched; and on October 3rd, Cosimo was released.