eal lord of a city who, though he
has the investiture of the Emperor, is bad and malevolent.' This
critique of constitutions from the pen of a doctrinaire, who was also a
man of experience, is interesting, partly for its positive frankness,
and partly as showing what elementary notions still prevailed about the
purposes of government. Vettori's ultimate criterion is the personal
quality of the ambitious ruler.

[1] Giovanni and Giulio were afterwards Leo X. and Clement VII.

[2] P. 293.

Passing to what he says about Leo X.,[1] it is worth while to note that
he attributes his election chiefly to the impression produced upon the
Cardinals by Alexander and Julius. 'During the reign of two fierce and
powerful Pontiffs, Cardinals had been put to death, imprisoned, deprived
of their property, exiled, and kept in continual alarm; and so great was
the dread among them now of electing another such Pope, that they
unanimously chose Giovanni de' Medici. Up to that time he had always
shown himself liberal and easy, or, rather, prodigal in squandering the
little that he owned; he had moreover managed so to dissemble as to
acquire a reputation for most excellent habits of life.' Vettori adds
that his power in Florence helped him, and that he owed much to the
ability displayed by Bernardo da Bibbiena in winning votes. The joy of
the Florentines at his election is attributed to mean motives: 'being
all of them given over to commerce and gain, they thought they ought to
get some profit from this Papacy.'[2]

The government which Lorenzo, afterwards Duke of Urbino, now established
in Florence is very favorably described by Vettori.[3] 'Lorenzo, though
still a young man, applied himself with great attention to the business
of the city, providing that equal justice should be administered to all,
that the public moneys should be levied and spent with frugality, and
that disputes should be settled to the satisfaction of all parties. His
rule was tolerated, because, while the revenues were large and the
expenses small, the citizens were not troubled with taxes; and this is
the chief way to please a people, seeing their affection for a prince is
measured by the good they get from him. Taking this opinion of Lorenzo,
it is possible for Vettori in another place to say of him that 'he
governed Florence like a citizen;'[4] and on the occasion of his death
in 1520, he passes what amounts to a panegyric on his character. 'His
death was