The Life of Pope Leo X in Four Books

Lucas Pittus was indicated quite openly as the leader of a faction, having been a rival of COSMUS a little earlier. For Lucas had built a huge house at the Roman gate in a higher location in the likeness of a fortified fortress, so that he might surpass COSMUS in the glory of magnificence, who had built his own most elegant houses across the river Arno in the flat part of the city according to the precepts of ancient architecture. A conspiracy was made against the life of Petrus, as they despaired of being able to manage the business of seizing the republic in any other way. A place was set for the ambush at the suburban house of Saint Anthony, so that they might kill him as he returned from his Caregian villa, bound by bandages and lacking the use of his feet due to gout. But the Gods on that day excellently protected the safety of the most innocent man. For Petrus, having been made certain of the ambush, was carried into the city by a different route. Having detected the designs of his enemies, so that he might purge the Republic of bad citizens and choose new senators from time to time, he summoned the armed people to a council, by whose zeal and authority those who were contriving new things were driven from the Senate and the fatherland. Among them were men distinguished by nobility of spirit and wealth: Angelus Acciaiolus of the equestrian order, Detesalius Nero, and Nicolaus Soderinus, who had held the highest magistracy in the city shortly before. When they, crushed and afflicted by their plans, had fled Florence and were approaching all the princes of Italy in a long wandering, soliciting and tempting their minds, they were stirring up war everywhere against Petrus de Medici. But he, joined by the tightest league and friendship with Galeacius Sfortia and Ferdinandus Aragonius, having called their forces to the guard of Etruria, easily broke the plans and the attack of his enemies. Yet in that same year, which was the last of Petrus' life and the eighth from the death of COSMUS, those same exiles, having led Bartholomæus Coleone into Flaminia with veteran and huge forces, stirred up great movements of war. This tumult, having arisen suddenly, moved the minds of the other princes, disturbed by the danger to the Medici, to defend the common safety and liberty, because that war was seen to be carried on not obscurely under the auspices of the Venetians, who for a long time had desired the empire of all Italy with an immoderate and impudent greed. Although they themselves, to alleviate the infamy of the disturbed peace, proclaimed that they had dismissed Coleone (who was their old commander) with a great part of the army and had abrogated his titles of military command. Galeacius, because of these things, having crossed the Po, opposed valid forces and the sharpest leaders to Coleone, and he himself, with his wife and a most ornate retinue, went to Florence to defend and strengthen the dignity of the Medici. As he came, the citizens of every order went out to meet him with incredible alacrity and pomp, and the young Medici themselves received them in the Cosmine houses. Meanwhile, they fought at the small stream of Ricardina in the Bolognese territory; and they fought with such persistent spirits that when the most vehement battle was dragged out into the night, the armed boys who were scattered outside the ranks in the quiet, as if in a playful spectacle, held torches for the clashing troops. But by the art and virtue of Federicus Ur[binas]...