the curse of God!"

Piero outlived his cowardly surrender and shameful flight three
years--an outcast from his country and a disgrace to his family. He
found an asylum in the house of his wife Alfonsina's father, Roberto
d'Orsini, Count of Tagliacozzo and Alba. In 1502 he entered the service
of the King of France, the enemy of his country, against the Spanish
conquerors of the kingdom of Naples. The French were worsted and took to
their ships at Gaeta. Piero escaped, but his death followed shortly, for
the boat in which he was crossing the River Garigliano, or Liri, near
the famous stronghold of that name, was swamped by the fire of the
Spanish artillery and he was drowned. Cambi, who relates the history,
sententiously winds up his narrative with the apposite words, "Thanks be
to God!"

After Savonarola's death in 1498, Piero de' Soderini was placed at the
head of the Government as _Gonfaloniere di Giustizia_, whilst Piero's
brother, Cardinal Giovanni, took up the leadership of his discredited
party. The terrible sack of Prato in 1512 was an opportunity for the
Medici, which they did not neglect to use to their advantage. In terror
the Florentine Government paid 140,000 gold florins to the Spanish
Viceroy and commander, who made it a condition of his evacuation of
Tuscany, that the Medici should be recalled as private citizens, and be
granted permission to purchase back their forfeited property. On 12th
September of the same year, Giuliano, the third son of Lorenzo il
Magnifico, with his young nephew, Lorenzo, Piero's son, entered
Florence, attended by a small following. He was one of the noblest of
his race, but he was wholly lacking in initiative and energy. He made no
claim to political eminence, and his self-abnegation led to the return
to Florence of his more pushful brother, the Cardinal, who was