ing the space of a month
or thereabouts, previous to this time, had called upon him almost daily
at the apostolic palace, he took this person behind him on his mule, and
proceeded to the street of the Jews, where he quitted his servant,
directing him to remain there until a certain hour; when, if he did not
return, he might repair to the palace. The duke then seated the person
in the mask behind him, and rode I know not whither; but in that night
he was assassinated, and thrown into the river. The servant, after
having been dismissed, was also assaulted and mortally wounded; and
although he was attended with great care, yet such was his situation,
that he could give no intelligible account of what had befallen his
master. In the morning, the duke not having returned to the palace, his
servants began to be alarmed; and one of them informed the pontiff of
the evening excursion of his sons, and that the duke had not yet made
his appearance. This gave the pope no small anxiety; but he conjectured
that the duke had been attracted by some courtesan to pass the night
with her, and, not choosing to quit the house in open day, had waited
till the following evening to return home. When, however, the evening
arrived, and he found himself disappointed in his expectations, he
became deeply afflicted, and began to make inquiries from different
persons, whom he ordered to attend him for that purpose. Amongst these
was a man named Giorgio Schiavoni, who, having discharged some timber
from a bark in the river, had remained on board the vessel to watch it;
and being interrogated whether he had seen any one thrown into the river
on the night preceding, he replied, that he saw two men on foot, who
came down the street, and looked diligently about to observe whether any
person was passing. That seeing no one, they returned, and a short time
afterwards two others came, and looked around in the same manner as the
former: no person still appearing, they gave a sign to their companions,
when a man came, mounted on a white horse, having behind him a dead
body, the head and arms of which hung on one side, and the feet on the
other side of the horse; the two persons on foot supporting the body, to
prevent its falling. They thus proceeded towards that part where the
filth of the city is usually discharged into the river, and turning the
horse, with his tail towards the water, the two persons took the dead
body by the arms and feet, and with all their