In 1459 (under Cosimo) a council of 100 was instituted to elect the Accopiatori.

Florence enjoyed political, but no civil liberty.

(1) Powers of magistrates unchecked.

(2) No appeal from Law Courts. Arbitrary Jurisdiction.

(3) No liberty of Press.

CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION.

N.B. Signory lasted till 1530.

I. Under Lorenzo.

1472.

Burd, Machiavelli, 81, 85, 89; Perrens’ Histoire deFlorence, Depuis la domination des Médicis, 1, 362,445, 523; Armstrong, Lorenzo de’ Medici.

Arti reduced to 12 by suppression of 9 Arti minori.

1480.

After Pazzi Conspiracy.

Consiglio de Settanta (College of 70), appointed bySignoria with power to fill up its own vacancies fromthose who had held office of Gonfalonier.

    

Its work

(a) To permanently nominate to offices (a mano).

(b) Appoint the Otto di Pratica which supersededthe old Dieci di Libertà e Pace.

This College, originally appointed for five years, was continuallyreappointed.

In 1490.

This College intrusted some of its powers to a smallerCommittee of 17, of whom Lorenzo was one; andthis Committee

(a) Appointed Accopiatori to nominate to offices.

(b) Supervised every branch of administration.

II.

1494. Savonarola’s Reforms. Cf. Burd, p. 94. Guicciardini,Storia Fiorentia, iii. 120. Villari, Savonarola, p. 257.Perrens, ii. c. 3. Cambridge Mod. Hist., vol. i. p. 158.