Page:The Voyage of Italy (1686).djvu/187

Part I. He is a great Traveller, and hath visited most of the Princes Courts of Christendom. The Name of this Family is Medices; a Family which hath given to the Church four Popes, and to France two Queens.

The Medicean Family.

This family is ancient, and came first out of Athens. It was always considerable during the Republick of Florence, but far more, since it hath got the start of all the other Families so far, as to become their Soveraign. The beginning of the greatness of this Family came from Cosmus Medices, surnamed Pater Patriæ.

See Alfonso Loschi in his compend. Histor.

This Man being very rich and of a liberal mind, spent four hundred thousand Crowns in publick and private Buildings, his one hundred thousand Crowns more in loan Moneys to the poor Citizens. These Generous Actions, which should have got him the love of all Men, purchased him the hatred of some of the great Ones, who accusing him of affecting Soveraignty, raised a strong Faction against him. The heads of this Faction were Rinaldo Albizzi, Pala Strozzi, Ridolfo Peruzzi, and Nicolo Barbadori. These Men corrupting the Suffrages of the Senate, caused Cosmus to be clapt up, with an intention to take away his Life. Cosmus in Prison fearing Poyson, abstained from Meats four days together, and died almost for fear of being killed: At last he was rescued from this melancholy humor by his honest Keeper; who gave him such assurances, that he should not be poysoned, that he took Meat again, and kept in his vital Breath, which was almost come to his lips. Then his Keeper (not content to be half courteous) having re-