system of the Parlamento and Balia, by means of which the people, assembled from time to time in the public square, and intimidated by the reigning faction, intrusted full powers to a select committee nominated in private by the chiefs of the great house.[3] It is also clear that so much political roguery could not have been successful without an extensive demoralization of the upper rank of citizens.  The Medici in effect bought and sold the honor of the public officials, lent money, jobbed posts of profit, and winked at peculation, until they had created a sufficient body of ames damnees, men who had everything to gain by a continuance of their corrupt authority.  The party so formed, including even such distinguished citizens as the Guicciardini, Baccio Valori, and Francesco Vettori, proved the chief obstacle to the restoration of Florentine liberty in the sixteenth century.

[1] What Machiavelli says (Ist.  Fior. vii. 1) about the arts of Cosimo contains the essence of the policy by which the Medici rose.  Compare v. 4 and vii. 4-6 for his character of Cosimo.  Guicciardini (Op.  Ined. vol. ii. p. 68) describes the use made of extraordinary taxation as a weapon of offense against his enemies, by Cosimo:  ’uso le gravezze in luogo de’ pugnali che communemente suole usare chi ha simili reggimenti nelle mani.’  The Marchese Gino Capponi (Arch.  Stor. vol. i. pp. 315-20) analyzes the whole Medicean policy in a critique of great ability.

[2] Guicciardini (Op.  Ined. vol. ii. pp. 35-49) exposes the principle and the modus operandi of this Council of Seventy, by means of which Lorenzo controlled the election of the magistracies, diverted the public moneys to his own use, and made his will law in Florence.  The councils which he superseded at this date were the Consiglio del Popolo and the Consiglio del Comune, about which see Nardi, lib i. cap. 4.

[3] For the operation of the Parlamento and Balia, see Varchi, vol. ii. p. 372; Segni, p. 199; Nardi, lib. vi. cap. 4.  Segni says:  ’The Parlamento is a meeting of the Florentine people on the Piazza of the Signory.  When the Signory has taken its place to address the meeting, the piazza is guarded by armed men, and then the people are asked whether they wish to give absolute power (Balia) and authority to the citizens named, for their good.  When the answer, yes, prompted partly by inclination and partly by compulsion, is returned, the Signory immediately retires into the palace.  This is all that is meant by this parlamento, which thus gives away the full power of effecting a change in the state.’  The description given by Marco Foscari, p. 44 (loc. cit. supr.) is to the same effect, but the Venetian exposes more clearly the despotic nature of the institution in the hands of the Medici.  It is well known how hostile Savonarola was to an institution which had lent itself so easily to despotism.  This couplet he inscribed on the walls of the Council Chamber, in 1495:—­

     ’E sappi che chi vuol parlamento
      Vuol torti dalle mani il reggimento.’