The hero of this Magna Charta of Florence is a
certain Giano della Bella, a noble who had fought at
Campaldino and had now joined the people ; a man of
untractable temper, who knew not how to make con-
cessions ; somewhat anti-clerical and obnoxious to the
Pope, but consumed by an intense and savage thirst for
justice, upon which the craftier politicians of both sides
played. *' Let the State perish, rather than such things
be tolerated," was his constant political formula : Periica
innanzi la citta^ che tante opere rie si sostengano. But
the magnates, from whom he was endeavouring to snatch
their last political refuge, the Parte Guelfa, muttered,
''Let us smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be
scattered " ; and at length, after an ineffectual con-

^ Some years later a new officer, the Executor of Justice,
was instituted to carrv out these ordinances instead of leav-
ing them to the Gonfaloniere. This Executor of Justice was
associated with the Captain, but was usually a foreign Guelf
burgher; later he developed into the Bargello, head of
police and governor of the gaol. It will, of course, be seen
that while Podesta, Captain, Executore (the Rettori), were
aliens, the Gonfaloniere and Priors (the Signori) were neces-
sarily Florentines and popolani.
