Before Machiavelli had got "The Prince" off his hands he com-menced his "Discourse on the First Decade of Titus Livius," whichshould be read concurrently with "The Prince." These and severalminor works occupied him until the year 1518, when he accepted asmall commission to look after the affairs of some Florentine mer-chants at Genoa. In 1519 the Medicean rulers of Florence granted afew political concessions to her citizens, and Machiavelli with oth-ers was consulted upon a new constitution under which the GreatCouncil was to be restored; but on one pretext or another it was notpromulgated. In 1520 the Florentine merchants again had recourse to Machi-avelli to settle their difficulties with Lucca, but this year was chieflyremarkable for his re-entry into Florentine literary society, wherehe was much sought after, and also for the production of his "Art ofWar." It was in the same year that he received a commission at theinstance of Cardinal de Medici to write the "History of Florence,"a task which occupied him until 1525. His return to popular favourmay have determined the Medici to give him this employment, foran old writer observes that "an able statesman out of work, like ahuge whale, will endeavour to overturn the ship unless he has anempty cask to play with." When the "History of Florence" was finished, Machiavelli tookit to Rome for presentation to his patron, Giuliano de Medici, whohad in the meanwhile become pope under the title of Clement VII.It is somewhat remarkable that, as, in 1513, Machiavelli had written"The Prince" for the instruction of the Medici after they had justregained power in Florence, so, in 1525, he dedicated the "Historyof Florence" to the head of the family when its ruin was now athand. In that year the battle of Pavia destroyed the French rule inItaly.
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