for the sesto of San Piero
Scheraggio, for the art of the exchangers; Salvi del Chiaro Girolami,
for the sesto of San Brancazio and for the woollen art. And their
office began in the middle of June of the said year, and lasted for
two months, unto the middle of August, and thus three priors were to
succeed every two months, for the three greater Arts. And they were
shut up to give audience (sleeping and eating at the charges of the
commonwealth), in the house of the Badia where formerly, as we have
aforesaid, the Ancients were wont to assemble in the time of the old
Popolo, and afterwards the fourteen. And there were assigned to the
said priors six constables and six messengers to summon the citizens;
and these priors, with the Captain of the Popolo, had to determine
the great and weighty matters of the commonwealth, and to summon and
conduct councils and make regulations. And when the office had endured
the two months, it was pleasing to the citizens; and for the following
two months they proclaimed six, one for each sesto, and added to the
said three greater Arts the art of the doctors and apothecaries, and
the art of the Porta Santae Mariae, and that of the furriers and
skin-dressers; and afterwards from time to time all the others were
added thereto, to the number of the twelve greater Arts; and there
were among them magnates, as well as popolani, great men of good
repute and works, and which were artificers or merchants. And thus it
went on until the second Popolo was formed in Florence, as hereafter,
in due time, we shall relate. From thenceforward there were no
magnates among them, but there was added thereto the gonfalonier of
justice. And sometimes there were twelve priors, according to the
changes in the condition of the city and special occasions that arose;
and they were chosen from the number of all the twenty-one Arts, and
of those which were not themselves artificers, albeit their
forefathers had been artificers. The election to the said office was
made by the old priors with the colleges of consuls of the twelve
greater Arts, and with certain others which elected the priors for
each sesto, by secret votes; and whosoever had most votes the same was
made prior; and this election took place in the church of San Piero
Scheraggio; and the Captain of the Popolo was stationed over against
the said church in the houses which pertained to the Tizzoni. We have
said so much of the beginning of this office of the pr