lerable priggishness of premature pietism--could not bring forth
excellent and solid fruits. The change was far too violent. The temper
of the race was not prepared for it. It clashed too rudely with
Renaissance culture. It outraged the sense of propriety in the more
moderate citizens, and roused to vindictive fury the worst passions of
the self-indulgent and the worldly. A reaction was inevitable.[3]

[1] This change was certainly wrought out by the influence of
the friar and approved by him. Segni, lib. i. p. 15, speaks
clearly on the point, and says that the friar for this service
to the city 'debbe esser messo tra buoni datori di leggi, e
debbe essere amato e onorato da' Fiorentini non altrimenti che
Numa dai Romani e Solone dagli Ateniesi e Licurgo da'
Lacedemoni.' The evil of the old system was that the
Parlamento, which consisted of the citizens assembled in the
Piazza, was exposed to intimidation, and had no proper
initiative, while the Balia, or select body, to whom they then
intrusted plenipotentiary authority, was always the faction for
the moment uppermost. For the mode of working the Parlamento
and Balia, see Segni, p. 199; Nardi, lib. vi. cap. 4; Varchi,
vol. ii. p. 372. Savonarola inscribed this octave stanza on the
wall of the Consiglio Grande:

'Se questo popolar consiglio e certo
Governo, popol, de la tua cittate
Conservi, che da Dio t'e stato offerto,
In pace starai sempre e libertate:
Tien dunque l'occhio della mente aperto,
Che molte insidie ognor ti fien parate;
E sappi che chi vuol far parlamento
Vuol torti dalle mani il reggimento.'

[2] See Varchi, vol. i. p. 169. Niccolo Capponi, in 1527,
returning to the policy of Savonarola, caused the Florentines
to elect Christ for their king, and inscribed upon the door of
the Palazzo Pubblico:--

Y.H.S. CHRISTUS REX FLORENTINI
POPULI S.P. DECRETO ELECTUS.

[3] The position of the Puritan leaders in England was somewhat
similar to Savonarola's. But they had at the end of a long war,
the majority of the nation with them. Besides, the English
temperament was more adapted to Puritanism than the Italian,
nor were the manifestations of piety prescribed by Parliament
so extravagant. And yet even in England a reaction took place
under the Restoration.

Meanwhile the strong wine of prophecy