, at one and the same time, having to
consult, first the Colleagues and then the Councils, Salvestro being
Provost (which office for the time makes its possessor almost prince of
the city), he called together the Colleagues and the Council on the same
morning, and the Colleagues being apart, he proposed the law prepared
by himself and his friends, which, being a novelty, encountered in their
small number so much opposition, that he was unable to have it passed.

Salvestro, seeing his first attempt likely to fail, pretended to leave
the room for a private reason, and, without being perceived, went
immediately to the Council, and taking a lofty position from which he
could be both seen and heard, said:--"That considering himself invested
with the office of Gonfalonier, not so much to preside in private
cases (for which proper judges were appointed, who have their regular
sittings), as to guard the state, correct the insolence of the powerful,
and ameliorate those laws by the influence of which the republic was
being ruined, he had carefully attended to both these duties, and to his
utmost ability provided for them, but found the perversity of some so
much opposed to his just designs as to deprive him of all opportunity of
doing good, and them not only of the means of assisting him with
their counsel, but even hearing him. Therefore finding he no longer
contributed either to the benefit of the republic or of the people
generally, he could not perceive any reason for his longer holding the
magistracy, of which he was either undeserving, or others thought him
so, and would therefore retire to his house, that the people might
appoint another in his stead, who would either have greater virtue or
better fortune than himself." And having said this, he left the room as
if to return home.

Those of the council who were in the secret, and others desirous of
novelty, raised a tumult, at which the Signory and the Colleagues came
together, and finding the Gonfalonier leaving them, entreatingly and
authoritatively detained him, and obliged him to return to the council
room, which was now full of confusion. Many of the noble citizens
were threatened in opprobrious language; and an artificer seized Carlo
Strozzi by the throat, and would undoubtedly have murdered him, but
was with difficulty prevented by those around. He who made the greatest
disturbance, and incited the city to violence, was Benedetto degli
Alberti, who, from a window o