u," said Bernardo Ruccellai: "the
Frate has an acute mind, and readily sees what will serve his own ends;
but it is not likely that Pagolantonio Soderini, who has had long
experience of affairs, and has specially studied the Venetian Council,
should be much indebted to a monk for ideas on that subject. No, no;
Soderini loads the cannon; though, I grant you, Fra Girolamo brings the
powder and lights the match. He is master of the people, and the people
are getting master of us. Ecco!"

"Well," said Lorenzo Tornabuoni, presently, when the room was clear of
servants, and nothing but wine was passing round, "whether Soderini is
indebted or not, _we_ are indebted to the Frate for the general amnesty
which has gone along with the scheme of the Council. We might have done
without the fear of God and the reform of morals being passed by a
majority of black beans; but that excellent proposition, that our
Medicean heads should be allowed to remain comfortably on our shoulders,
and that we should not be obliged to hand over our property in fines,
has my warm approval, and it is my belief that nothing but the Frate's
predominance could have procured that for us. And you may rely on it
that Fra Girolamo is as firm as a rock on that point of promoting peace.
I have had an interview with him."

There was a murmur of surprise and curiosity at the farther end of the
table; but Bernardo Rucellai simply nodded, as if he knew what
Tornabuoni had to say, and wished him to go on.

"Yes," proceeded Tornabuoni, "I have been favoured with an interview in
the Frate's own cell, which, let me tell you, is not a common favour;
for I have reason to believe that even Francesco Valori very seldom sees
him in private. However, I think he saw me the more willingly because I
was not a ready-made follower, but had to be converted. And, for my
part, I see clearly enough that the only safe and wise policy for us
Mediceans to pursue is to throw our strength into the scale of the
Frate's party. We are not strong enough to make head on our own behalf;
and if the Frate and the popular party were upset, every one who hears
me knows perfectly well what other party would be uppermost just now:
Nerli, Alberti, Pazzi, and the rest--_Arrabbiati_, as somebody
christened them the other day--who, instead of giving us an amnesty,
would be inclined to fly at our throats like mad dogs, and not be
satisfied till they had banished half of us."

There were strong