cribed,  as  ufual  in  fuch  times,  by  fome  to  acci-
dent, and  by  fome  to  party  defign. — Let  us  look
back  to  1282,  when  this  government  of  priori  or
fignori,  chofen  every  two  months  by  the  people,
was  eftablifhed  :  from  thence  to  1304  is  only
twenty-two  years,  in  which  we  fee  a  conftant
quarrel  between  the  nobility  and  people,  and  be-
tween one  party  of  nobles  and  another,  and  the
neighbouring  ftates  of  Naples,  Rome,  and  Lucca,
in  turn,  called  in  to  aid  the  different  factions;
alternate  murders,  banifhments,  confifcations,  and
civil  wars,  as  one  party  and  the  other  prevailed  ;
and,  inftead  of  a  government,  and  a  fyftem  of
juftice  and  liberty,  conftant  anarchy,  and  the  per-
petual rolling  of  a  mob.  In  this  year,  1304,
Florence  was  vifited,  in  this  lamentable  manner,
with  fire  and  fword.  Corfo  Donati  was  the  only
perfon  of  any  diftinction  who  did  not  take  up
arms :  he  thought,  that  when  all  parties  grew
tired  of  fighting,  he  was  the  more  likely  to  be
called  in,  arbitrator  to  decide  their  differences.
They  foon  after  laid  down  their  arms,  more  out

of


JO  Florence,

of  wearinefs  of  their  miferies,  and  that  they  might
have  time  to  take  breath,  than  from  any  real  de-
fire  of  being  re-united,  and  living  in  peace.  It
was  only  ftipulated,  that  the  exiles  mould  not
be  fuffered  to  return  j  which  was  agreed  to  by  thofe
that  favoured  them,  merely  becaufe  they  proved
to  be  the  weaker  fide.
