merely consultative authorities. At the
same time the Republic was superseded and the citizens allowed to
exercise the franchise only in the election of civil magistrates.

The _coup d'etat_ was complete and meekly enough the _Signoria_ declared
that--"Considering the excellent qualities, life and habits of the most
illustrious Duke Alessandro de' Medici, son of the late Magnificent
Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino; and in recognition of the many and great
benefits received, both spiritual and temporal, from the House of
Medici, he was eligible for all the offices of State."

Alessandro at once began to follow the bent of his base inclinations. As
supreme Head of the State he ruled autocratically, and set justice and
decency at defiance. The Florentines abashed by the pass in which they
found themselves, seemed powerless to oppose the Duke's aggression upon
their liberties. That had come to pass against which they had striven
for hundreds of years--Florence was subject to _Il governo d'un solo_.

Significantly enough, Alessandro took as his motto "_Un solo Signore,
una sola Legge_," and this he stuck up all over Tuscany. He applied it
quite autocratically by disarming the citizens, building fortresses,
banishing the disaffected nobles, and confiscating all properties he
coveted. These were but the beginnings of troubles.

Taxes were doubled, every office at court was held by a creature and
toady of the Duke, bribery and corruption of all kinds ruled the State,
and there appeared to be no limit to his lust and rapacity, and no
barrier against the chicanery of his adherents.

Added to all this was the dislocation of public order. Florence became a
hot-bed of immorality and a sink of iniquity. Women were openly
ravished in the streets, the inmates of convents were not spared, men
were wronged and removed suspiciously, the eyes and ears of the children
were assailed by unblushing depravity. The _oubliettes_ of the Bigallo
had their fill of victims.

"Tyrant of Florence" was the designation which best fitted the new
ruler. He destroyed the fabric of society and polluted the sanctity of
family life. Dismay and revenge alternated in the feelings of the
people. Those who dared, began to flock to Ippolito, who, with grim
satisfaction, received at his palace in Rome all disaffected refugees.
Meetings were held at Filippo negli Strozzi's house, and a movement was
set on foot for the overthrow of Alessandro and his dissolute
governmen