/ 
838, 
diately on their arrival before the 
ciity, began to storm one of the bas. 
tions; “two guns which he had 
placed upon a tower so annoyed 
them, that they were compelled to 
abandon the attack, and directed 
their artillery against this tower. 
Michel Angelo' hung mattrasses of 
wool from the op; they were sus- 
pended from a bold projecting cor- 
nice, so that a considerable space 
was left between them and the wall, 
and the artillery might have played 
till doomsday without producing 
any .effeét. The enemy saw that 
the conquest of Florence would not 
be so easy as they had expected, and 
had recourse to surer methods than 
those of assault. 
s¢ Michel Angelo, after the most 
active service for six months, in 
which he defended the city, and re- 
pelled the repeated attacks of the 
enemy, was secretly told of trea- 
cherous plans to undermine the re- 
public. He lost no time in making 
the communication known to the 
government, shewing at once the 
danger to which they were exposed, 
and how their safety might be pro- 
vided for ; but instead of attending 
to him with due respect, he was re- 
proached with credulous timidity : 
offended with this treatment, he 
observed it was useless for him to 
be taking care of the walls, if they 
were determined not to take care of 
themselves. Depending upon the 
correctness of hts information, and 
the perspicacity of his own judg- 
ment, he saw inevitable ruin to the 
sommon cause; this, added to the 
personal disrespect he received, de- 
termined him to give up his employ- 
ment and withdraw from the city. 
As the nature of his information did 
not allow him to make a public de- 
claration of his intention, he with. 
3 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
drew privately; but he was no — 
sooner gone, than his departure © 
created general concern. Upon his 
leaving Florence he proceeded to 
Ferrara, and from thence to Ve- 
nice; where, as soon as he arrived, © 
he was fellowed by the importu- — 
nities of persons high in office, so- 
liciting him to return, and not aban- 
don the post committed to his 
charge; at the same time softening 
by expletives the rudeness and inat. 
tention with which he had been 
treated. These solicitations, ad- 
dressed to an ardent mind, and 
strong patriotic feelings, prompted 
him to obey the will of his country 
and his friends, and without delay 
he returned, and resumed his situa- 
tion.” 
A mercenary general sold the re- 
public—he betrayed its plans to the 
enemy, and finally delivered it up to 
the Medici. ‘* Here,” says the 
author, ‘* ended the Florentine re- 
public, after three centuries of varied 
and fluctuating fortune ; yet, amidst 
civil dissentions, internal calamity, 
or external war, genius flourished ; 
and whatever may be the cause, it 
is to this contracted territory that 
our enlightened times owe more than 
to all the states in Europe that as- 
sisted in its ruin.” 
‘The diseases of the soul are as 
hereditary as those of the body. 
Clement V. had chosen for himself a 
lying name upon his election, he 
was as false and as cruel as the rest 
of his family. ‘* The general am- 
nesty which he had promised to all 
those who had injured the pope, his 
friends and servants, his holiness 
professed most faithfully to observe, 
and willingly to forgive those who 
had been his enemies: but the in- 
jories committed by the same per- 
sons in the affairs of the republic, 
he 
