ring the Florentine fortresses. His family would
not in consequence have been expelled the city; a powerful mind might
have influenced the discordant politics of the Italian princes in one
common defence; a slight opposition to the fugitive army of France, at
the pass of Faro, might have given the French sovereigns a wholesome
lesson, and prevented those bloody contests that were soon afterwards
renewed in Italy. _As a single remove at chess varies the whole game_,
so the death of an individual of such importance in the affairs of
Europe as Lorenzo de' Medici could not fail of producing such a change
in its political relations as must have varied them in an incalculable
degree." Pignotti also describes the state of Italy at this time. Had
Lorenzo lived to have seen his son elevated to the papacy, this
historian, adopting our present principle, exclaims, "A happy era for
Italy and Tuscany HAD THEN OCCURRED! On this head we can, indeed, be
only allowed to conjecture; but the fancy, guided by reason, may
expatiate at will in this _imaginary state_, and contemplate Italy
re-united by a stronger bond, flourishing under its own institutions and
arts, and delivered from all those lamented struggles which occurred
within so short a period of time."

Whitaker, in his "Vindication of Mary Queen of Scots," has a speculation
in the true spirit of this article. When such dependence was made upon
Elizabeth's dying without issue, the Countess of Shrewsbury had her son
purposely residing in London, with two good and able horses continually
ready to give the earliest intelligence of the sick Elizabeth's death to
the imprisoned Mary. On this the historian observes, "And had this _not
improbable event actually taken place, what a different complexion would
our history have assumed from what it wears at present!_ Mary would have
been carried from a prison to a throne. Her wise conduct in prison would
have been applauded by all. From Tutbury, from Sheffield, and from
Chatsworth, she would have been said to have touched with a gentle and
masterly hand the springs that actuated all the nation, against the
death of her tyrannical cousin," &c. So ductile is history in the hands
of man! and so peculiarly does it bend to the force of success, and warp
with the warmth of prosperity!

Thus important events have been nearly occurring, which, however, did
not take place; and others have happened which may be traced to
accident, and to the character