Now, when Cosimo was dead, and Piero de’ Medici the head of that family, Niccolo Soderini was made Gonfaloniere of Justice, and thinking to secure the liberty of the city he began many good things, but perfected nothing, so that he left that office with less honour than he entered into it.  This fortified Piero’s party exceedingly, so that his enemies began to resent it and work together to consider how they might kill him, for in supporting Galeazzo Maria Sforza to the Dukedom of Milan—­which his father Francesco, just dead, had stolen for himself—­they saw, or thought they saw, the way in which Piero would deal if he could with Florence.  Thus the Mountain, as the party of his enemies was called, leaned threatening to crush him more surely every day.  But Piero, who lay sick at Careggi, armed himself, as did his friends, who were not few in the city.  Now the leaders of his enemies were Luca Pitti, Dietosalvi Neroni, Agnolo Acciaiuoli, and most courageous of all, Niccolo Soderini.  He, taking arms, as Piero had done, and followed by most of the people of his quarter, went one morning to Luca’s house, entreating him to mount and ride with him to Palazzo Vecchio for the security of the Senate, who, as he said, were of his side.  “To do this,” said he, “is victory.”  But Luca had no mind for this game, for many reasons,—­for one, he had already received promises and rewards from Piero; for another, he had married one of his nieces to Giovanni Tornabuoni,—­so that, instead of joining him, he admonished Soderini to lay aside his arms and return quietly to his house.  In the meantime the Senate, with the magistrates, had closed the doors of Palazzo Vecchio without appearing for either side, though the whole city was in tumult.  After much discussion, they agreed, since Piero could not be present, for he was sick, to go to him in his palace, but Soderini would not.  So they set out without him; and arrived, one was deputed to speak of the tumult, and to declare that they who first took arms were responsible; and that understanding Piero was the man, they came to be informed of his design, and to know whether it were for the advantage of the city.  Piero made answer that not they who first took arms were blameworthy, but they who gave occasion for it:  that if they considered their behaviour towards him, their meetings at night, their subscriptions and practices to defeat him, they would not wonder at what he had done; that he desired nothing but his own security, and that Cosimo and his sons knew how to live honourably in Florence, either with or without a Balia.  Then, turning on Dietosalvi and his brothers, who were all present, he reproached them severely for the favours they had received from Cosimo, and the great ingratitude which they had returned; which reprimand was delivered with so much zeal, that, had not Piero himself restrained them, there were some present who would certainly have killed them.  So he had it his own way, and presently new senators