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94 HISTORICAL ABSTRACT.
14=94 Final settlement, November 25. i. Florence to continue a free state.
ft. Piero de' Medmi to remain an exile, iii. Two Florentine
deputies to accompany the French army, and two representatives
of the French to remain at Florence. iv. Charles to receive at
intervals within six months I2O,OOOflorins, and to restore Pisa,
Livorno, and all the places taken in the Lunigiana, at the close
of the war ; ' liberamente e sanza eccezione alcuna 1/ The French
leave Florence after'a stay of ten days ; reach Siena December 2,
leave a French garrison in the town, and advance towards Rome :
at Viterbo December io.
The position of the :Pope.--Alexander VI in great perplexity.
The troops supplied by Ferdinand [Ferrandino] insufficient for the
defence of Rome : the citizens eager for some pacific arrangement.
On December 9, Alexander VI refuses to grant the French ambassadors
permission for the passage of the troops through the ecclesiastical
territory. The French advance, and Alexander is forced
to yield. ['Le pape consent qu'il entre dedans Rome; aussi ne
l'en eflt sceu garder' ; Comines.] _he :French enter Rome, December
31. The Pope becomes terrified, and takes refuge in Castet
Sant' Angelo. The French absolute masters of the situation.
Affairs at :Florenco.--The expulmon of the Medici makes it necessary
to reorganise the constitution. On December 2, the Signori
read to the assembled people a provision by which balia is granted to
twenty Aecoppiatori to elect for one year the Signoria and principal
magistrates, and to name one of their own number Gonfaloniere.
This government called Governo de' Venti. But as the difficulties
of carrying on the business of state increase, the constitution is
radically reformed [see the text of the law of December 23 for the
' Riformazione della citth e dello State,' published by Canestrini in
Guiceiardini, 0p. Ined. ii. 229 ft.] by the establishment of the
Consiglio Maggiore, with power to elect all the magistrates, and
confirm all the laws ; to be composed of all citizens beneficiati of
twenty-nine years old and upwards : if the total number exceeds
15oo, they are to be divided into three parts, each of which is to
constitute the Consiglio Maggiore for six months. A Senate, called
Consiglio de' Richiesti della Signoria, and usually simply Consiglio
t This treaty is given in full in Burchard's Diarium_ vol. ii. App. 25. p. 647.
The clause about Pisa, which gave so much trouble, is as follows [Machiavelh's
efforts in the matter of Pisa, and his writings on the subject, will be found
recounted up to the year 15o9] : ' Terfio convenerunt: quod clvitas Pisarum
et arx una cum oppido et arce Liburni_ remaneant in manibus d:cte regm maiestatas,illasque
retinere possit durante sua impresla regni Neapolitani, iurisdictione
tamen, dominie et fructibus dominis Florentinis remanentibus u_ antea; finita
vcro dicta lmpresia, promisit prefata regia maiestas statim predlcta omnia et
singula restituere reipublice florentine,' etc.