fficer, had made some of them turn back to take up the corporal my
brother killed. Accordingly, I quickly traversed that short space,
wrapped in my cape, which I had tightened round me, and came up with
Maffio, whom I should most certainly have murdered; for there were
plenty of people round, and I had wound my way among them. With the
rapidity of lightning I had half drawn my sword from the sheath, when
Berlinghier Berlinghieri, a young man of the greatest daring and my
good friend, threw himself from behind upon my arms; he had four other
fellows of like kidney with him, who cried out to Maffio, "Away with
you, for this man here alone was killing you!" He asked, "Who is he?"
and they answered, "Own brother to the man you see there." Without
waiting to hear more, he made haste for Torre di Nona; and they said,
"Benvenuto, we prevented you against your will, but did it for your
good; now let us go to succor him who must die shortly." Accordingly
we turned and went back to my brother, whom I had at once conveyed
into a house. The doctors who were called in consultation treated him
with medicaments, but could not decide to amputate the leg, which
might perhaps have saved him.

As soon as his wound had been dressed, Duke Alessandro appeared and
most affectionately greeted him. My brother had not as yet lost
consciousness; so he said to the Duke, "My lord, this only grieves me,
that your Excellency is losing a servant than whom you may perchance
find men more valiant in the profession of arms, but none more
lovingly and loyally devoted to your service than I have been." The
Duke bade him do all he could to keep alive; for the rest, he well
knew him to be a man of worth and courage. He then turned to his
attendants, ordering them to see that the brave young fellow wanted
for nothing.

When he was gone, my brother lost blood so copiously--for nothing
could be done to stop it--that he went off his head and kept raving
all the following night, with the exception that once, when they
wanted to give him the communion, he said, "You would have done well
to confess me before; now it is impossible that I should receive the
divine sacrament in this already ruined frame; it will be enough if I
partake of it by the divine virtue of the eyesight, whereby it shall
be transmitted into my immortal soul, which only prays to Him for
mercy and forgiveness." Having spoken thus, the Host was elevated; but
he straightway relapsed into the same