3. Cosmo's grandson, Lorenzo, afterwards surnamed the " Magnificent" (born Jan. 1, 1448, died April 8, 1492), was introduced to a knowledge of public affairs, on ac- count of the infirmities of his father, immediately upon the decease of Cosmo. Though only a j'outh, he was at once pushed forward to take upon himself the work supposed to belong to a much niaturor niin<l. To afford him a clearer insight into pulitical affairs than he could secure at home, he was sent to visit the principal courts in Italy. Upon the accession of Sixtus IV to tlie papal throne, he went, with other citizens of Florence, to con- gratulate the new pope, and was invested with the office of treasurer of the holy see; and while at Rome embraced the opportunity to add to the remains of ancient art which his family had collected. One of the first events after he undertook the administration of affairs was a revolt of the inhabitants of Volterra, on account of a dis- pute with the Florentine republic. By the recommen- dation of Lorenzo, force was used, and the result was the sack of Volterra. Like his grandfather, he encouraged literature and the arts, employed learned men to collect choice books and antiquities lor liim from every part of the known world, established priiilin--presses in liis do- minions as soon as the art was invented, but, above all, he deserves special commendation for his rc-establish- ment of the Academy of Pisa, to which city he removed in order to complete the undertaking : he selected the most eminent professors, and contributed a large sum from his private fortune, in addition to that granted by the state of Florence. In another respect also Loreuzo
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resembled his grandfather Cosmo. He was, or affected to be, an admirer of Plato, took an active part in the establishment of an academy for the cultivation of the Platonic philosophy, and instituted an annual festival in honor of Plato.
While Lorenzo was dividing his time between the administration of the state and the promotion of litera- ture, tlie Pazzi, a numerous and distinguished family in Florence, of all the opponents of the Medici the most inveterate, formed a conspiracy to assassinate Lorenzo and his brother; experience having taught them the impossibility of overthrowing the reign of the i^fedici in any other way. Giuliano was killed, but Lorenzo es- caped. "A horrible transaction this, which has been justly quoted as an incontrovertible proof of the practi- cal atheism of the times in which it took place — one in which a pope, a cardinal, an archbishop, and several other ecclesiastics, associated themselves with a band of ruffians to destroy two men who were an honor to their age and country ; and purposed to perpetrate- their crime at a season of hospitality, in the sanctuary of a Christian Church, and at the very moment of the eleva- tion of the host, when the congregation bowed down be- fore it, and the assassins were presumed to be in the im- mediate presence of their God. The plan was concocted at Kome, with the participation of pope Sixtus IV. On the 2Gth of April, 1478, in the church of the Keparata, during the mass, while the host was elevated and the multitude were kneeling, the murderous blow was struck, the very mass-bell itself sounding the signal to the other conspirators to possess themselves of the palace and gov- ernment." The failure of this dastardly scheme only made the Medici the more invincible. The people, who had always been attached to them, exasperated by this open and daring attempt to rob them of those whom they conceived to be their best friends, now took the execu- tion of the law in their own hands, and put to death or apprehended the assassins. Salviati, archbishop of Pisa, was hung through the windows of the palace, and was not allowed to divest himself even of his robes; and Jacopo de' Pazzi, with one of his neithews, shared the same fate. The name and arms of the Pazzi family were suppressed, its members were banished, and Lo- renzo rose still higher in the regard of his fellow-citi- zens. The troubles of the Medici, however, did not stop here. For them yet remained the punishment at the disposal of the papal party, and the latter, mad- dened by the failure of their plot, determined now to avail themselves of the advantages which Kome could afford as '■' ecclesiastical thunderer." Sixtus lY prompt- ly excommunicated Lorenzo and the magistrates of Florence, laid an interdict upon the whole territory, and, forming a league with the king of Naples, prepared to invade the Florentine dominions. Lorenzo appealed to all the surrounding potentates, and, zealously supported by his fellow-citizens, commenced hostilities, and car- ried on two campaigns. At the close of 147'J, Lorenzo took the bold resolution of paying a visit to the king of Naples, anil, without obtaining any previous promise of security, trusted himself to the mercy of his enemy. The result of this confidence was a treaty of mutual de- fence and friendship botween the king of Naples and Florence, and this (inally forced Sixtus to consent to a treaty of |ioace. In IWl Sixtus IV died, and his suc- cessor on llio papal ilirone, Innocent VIII, manifesting a determination to ro-cstablish friendly relations with the different Italian |princi's [see IsxociiNT VIII], the con- test of llie ^Medici with the Church seemed to have come to a hapjiy close. There was, however, still one dark cloud on the lirmament of the heavens, and it threatened sooner or later to bring trouble and discom- fiture to the Medici— we refer to Savonarola, the great Italian reformer, who was in the very strength of his manhood at this time. The Italian monk had long oj)- posed the licentious habits of the court and tlie nobility. He was oi)i)osed, moreover, to the disyilay of regal sjdcn- dor, and boldly preached in favor of democracy and re-