Accordingly,  whilft  the  city  was  thus  alarmed  with
the  apprehenfions  of  Charles's  defjgns,  Corfo,  with
all  his  affociates,  and  many  other  of  their  followers,
made  their  entry  into  it,  without  refiftance  j  and
though  Veri  de  Cherchi  was  called  upon  to  oppofe
them,  he  declined  it,  and  faid,  "  The  people
"  might  chaftife  them  themfelves,  if  they  pleafed,
tc  as  they  were  likely  to  be  the  greater!:  fufferers
<c  by  them."  But  that  infinuation  had  no  effect;
for  inftead  of  chaftifing  them,  they  received  them
with  open  arms,  whilft  Veri  was  forced  to  fly  for
fys  fafety. Corfo  having  forced  his  entrance  at

the


Machiaveh  35

the  Porta  Pinte,  drew  up  and  made  a  ftand  near
his  own  houfe;  and  being  joined  by  a  great  num-
ber of  his  friends  and  others,  aflembled  in  hopes
of  a  change  of  government,  he  releafed  all  pri-
foners,  civil  and  criminial;  diverted  the  fignori  of
their  authority  ;  chofe  new  magistrates,  all  of  the
party  of  the  Neri,  out  of  the  people,  to  fuppty
their  places ;  and  plundered  the  houfes  of  the
Bianchi. The  Cherchi,  and  the  heads  of  their
faction,  feeing  the  people  for  the  mod  part  their
enemies,  and  Charles  not  their  friend,  fled  out  of
the  city,  and  in  their  turn  implored  the  interpo-
fition  of  the  pope,  though  they  would  not  liiten
to  his  exhortations  before. Such  is  the  feries  of  al-
ternate tragedy,  comedy,  and  farce,  which  was
called  the  liberty  of  Florence,  during  this  collec-
tion of  all  authority  into  one  centre,  the  fignori ;
in  which  no  man  of  any  party  could  be  one  mo-
ment fecure  of  his  life,  property,  or  liberty^  amidft
continual  exaltations  and  depreffions  of  parties,
in  favour  of  different  noble  families,  although
thofe  nobles  were  all  excluded  from  the  govern-
ment. The  exclufion  was  but  a  form  :  nearly  all
the  power  was  in  their  hands,  and  the  fignori  in
office  were  only  alternate  tools  of  one  noble  fa-
mily or  another. And  thus  it  mult  ever  be  :  ex-
clude the  ariftocratical  part  of  the  community  by-
laws as  tyrannical  as  you  will,  they  will  ftill  go-
vern the  ftate  underhand  ;  the  perfons  elected
into  office  will  be  their  tools,  and,  in  conftant
fear  of  them,  behave  like  mere  puppets,  danced
upon  their  wires. But  our  humorous  entertain-
ment is  not  yet  ended. 