the families of Guido and Ridolfo at one blow. As a consequence of
this wholesale murder, Perugia would be at their discretion. Seeing
of what use Grifonetto by his wealth and name might be to them, they
did all they could to persuade him to join their conjuration. It
would appear that the bait first offered him was the sovereignty of
the city, but that he was at last gained over by being made to
believe that his wife Zenobia had carried on an intrigue with
Gianpaolo Baglioni. The dissolute morals of the family gave
plausibility to an infernal trick which worked upon the jealousy of
Grifonetto. Thirsting for revenge, he consented to the scheme. The
conspirators were further fortified by the accession of Jeronimo
della Staffa, and three members of the House of Corgna. It is
noticeable that out of the whole number only two, Bernardo da Corgna
and Filippo da Braccio, were above the age of thirty. Of the rest,
few had reached twenty-five. At so early an age were the men of
those times adepts in violence and treason. The execution of the
plot was fixed for the wedding festivities of Astorre Baglioni with
Lavinia, the daughter of Giovanni Colonna and Giustina Orsini. At
that time the whole Baglioni family were to be assembled in Perugia,
with the single exception of Marcantonio, who was taking baths at
Naples for his health. It was known that the members of the noble
house, nearly all of them condottieri by trade, and eminent for
their great strength and skill in arms, took few precautions for
their safety. They occupied several houses close together between
the Porta San Carlo and the Porta Eburnea, set no regular guard over
their sleeping chambers, and trusted to their personal bravery, and
to the fidelity of their attendants.[2] It was thought that they
might be assassinated in their beds. The wedding festivities began
upon the 28th of July, and great is the particularity with which
Matarazzo describes the doings of each successive day--processions,
jousts, triumphal arches, banquets, balls, and pageants. The night
of the 14th of August was finally set apart for the consummation of
_el gran tradimento_: it is thus that Matarazzo always alludes to
the crime of Grifonetto with a solemnity of reiteration that is most
impressive. A heavy stone let fall into the courtyard of Guido
Baglioni's palace was to be the signal: each conspirator was then to
run to the sleeping chamber of his appointed prey. Two of the
principals and fi