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Most Excellent Signors, and you, Magnificent Citizens, I know not whether I have more

occasion to weep with you for the events which have recently occurred, or to rejoice in

the circumstances with which they have been attended. Certainly, when I think with whatvirulence of united deceit and hatred I have been attacked, and my brother murdered, I

cannot but mourn and grieve from my heart, from my very soul. Yet when I consider with

what promptitude, anxiety, love, and unanimity of the whole city my brother has beenavenged and myself defended, I am not only compelled to rejoice, but feel myself

honored and exalted; for if experience has shown me that I had more enemies than I

apprehended, it has also proved that I possess more warm and resolute friends than Icould ever have hoped for. I must therefore grieve with you for the injuries others have

suffered, and rejoice in the attachment you have exhibited toward myself; but I feel more

aggrieved by the injuries committed, since they are so unusual, so unexampled, and (as I

trust you believe) so undeserved on our part.

Think, Magnificent Citizens, to what a dreadful point ill-fortune has reduced our family,

when among friends, amid our own relatives, nay, in God's holy temple, we have found

our greatest foes. Those who are in danger turn to their friends for assistance; they callupon their relatives for aid; but we found ours armed, and resolved on our destruction.

Those who are persecuted, either from public or private motives, flee for refuge to thealtars; but where others are safe, we are assassinated; where parricides and assassins are

secure, the Medici find their murderers. But God, who has not hitherto abandoned our

house, again saved us, and has undertaken the defence of our just cause. What injury havewe done to justify so intense desire of our destruction? Certainly those who have shown

themselves so much our enemies, never received any private wrong from us; for, had we

wished to injure them, they would not have had an opportunity of injuring us. If they

attribute public grievances to ourselves (supposing any had been done to them), they dothe greater injustice to you, to this palace, to the majesty of this government, by assuming

that on our account you would act unfairly to any of your citizens; and such asupposition, as we all know, is contradicted by every view of the circumstances; for we,had we been able, and you, had we wished it, would never have contributed to so

abominable a design. Whoever inquires into the truth of these matters, will find that our

family has always been exalted by you, and from this sole cause, that we haveendeavored by kindness, liberality, and beneficence to do good to all; and if we have

honored strangers, when did we ever injure our relatives?

If our enemies' conduct has been adopted to gratify their desire of power (as would seemto be the case from their having taken possession of the palace and brought an armed

force into the piazza), the infamous, ambitious, and detestable motive is at once

disclosed. If they were actuated by envy and hatred of our authority, they offend yourather than us; for from you we have derived all the influence we possess. Certainly

usurped power deserves to be detested; but not distinctions conceded for acts of kindness,

generosity, and magnificence. And you all know that our family never attained any rankto which this palace and your united consent did not raise it. Cosmo, my grandfather, did

not return from exile with arms and violence, but by your unanimous desire and

approbation. It was not my father, old and infirm, who defended the government against

so many enemies, but yourselves by your authority and benevolence defended him;

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neither could I, after his death, being then a boy, have maintained the position of my

house except by your favor and advice. Nor should we ever be able to conduct the affairs

of this republic, if you did not contribute to our support. Therefore, I know not the reasonof their hatred toward us, or what just cause they have of envy. Let them direct their

enmity against their own ancestors, who, by their pride and avarice, lost the reputation

which ours, by very opposite conduct, were enabled to acquire. But let it be granted wehave greatly injured them, and that they are justified in seeking our ruin; why do they

come and take possession of the palace? Why enter into league with the Pope and the

King, against the liberties of this republic?

Why break the long-continued peace of Italy? They have no excuse for this; they ought to

confine their vengeance to those who do them wrong, and not confound private

animosities with public grievances. Hence it is that since their defeat our misfortune isthe greater; for on their account the Pope and the King make war upon us, and this war,

they say, is directed against my family and myself. And would to God that this were true;

then the remedy would be sure and unfailing, for I would not be so base a citizen as to

prefer my own safety to yours; I would at once resolve to insure your security, eventhough my own destruction were the immediate and inevitable consequence. But as the

wrongs committed by princes are usually concealed under some offensive covering, theyhave adopted this plea to hide their more abominable purpose. If, however, you think

otherwise, I am in your hands; it is with you to do with me what you please. You are my

fathers, my protectors, and whatever you command me to do I will perform mostwillingly; nor will I ever refuse, when you find occasion to require it, to close the war

with my own blood which was commenced with that of my brother."