Nature and Form of the Medici Rule—The Heads of the Medici Party after Piero’s death—Tommaso Soderini—Council in St. Antonio—Accession of the Sons of Piero de’ Medici to the Position of their Father and Grand-father—Position of Lorenzo before the Party—Appointment of the Civic Officers—The Electors—Lorenzo assumes the Direction of Affairs—Foreign Affairs—Pope Paul II. and Naples—Alliance between Florence, Naples, and Milan—General Alliance against the Osmanli—Death of Pope Paul II 244 CHAPTER VI. POSITION AND RELATIONS OF THE MEDICI. Splendour of the Medici Family—Their Position at Home and their Connections Abroad—The Royal Family of Naples—Ippolita Maria, Duchess of Calabria—The Queen of Bosnia—Luigi Pulci in relation to the Medici—Pulci’s Journeys and Missions—Camerino and Naples—Unfortunate Attack against Piombino—Galeazzo Maria Sforza and his Wife, Bona of Savoy, in Florence—Visit of King Christian of Denmark—Giovanni Bentivoglio in relation to the Medici—Proceedings of King Louis XI. and Lorenzo concerning King Ferrante of Naples—The Relation of Lorenzo towards his Fellow Citizens—His Manner of Life, Residence in the Country, and Travels—Madonna Clarice in Umbria and Rome—Visit to Zoe Palæologa—Lucrezia de’ Medici in Bagno a Morba—The Death of Madonna Contessina 255 CHAPTER VII. LORENZO DE’ MEDICI IN ROME. PRATO AND VOLTERRA. Accession of Sixtus IV. to the Papal Chair—Congratulatory Embassy from Florence—Lorenzo accompanies it—Disposition of the new Pope—Attempted Insurrection in Prato—Bernardo Nardi—Connection of Volterra with Florence—Alum Pits of Volterra—Dispute about Leasing the Alum—Intervention of Florence—Tumult in Volterra—Various Views in Florence—Triumph of the Reigning Faction—Expedition against Volterra—Its Capture and Sack—Volterra and Florence—Misery of the Volterraneans 274 CHAPTER VIII. POPE SIXTUS IV., KING FERRANTE, AND THE MEDICI. Feelings of Sixtus IV. towards the Medici—Plan for obtaining the Cardinalate for Giuliano—Cardinal Pietro Riario, Archbishop of Florence—Eleanor of Aragon Este in Florence—Arrival of Cardinal-Archbishop Riario—Beginning of the Misunderstanding between Sixtus and the Medici—Dynastic Ambition of the Pope—Girolamo Riario, Lord of Imola—Affairs of the City of Castello—The Vitelli—Niccolò Vitelli in Contention with the Pope—Florence supports the Vitelli—Displeasure of Sixtus at the Policy of Florence—Federigo of Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, won by the Pope—King Ferrante in the Conflict with Venice and the Pope—Complications in the East—Alliance of Florence with Milan and Venice—Alliance of Sixtus IV. with Naples—Uncertain Policy—Second Marriage of King Ferrante 284 CHAPTER IX. MILAN, GENOA, AND SIENA.