the one without striking the other. He endeavoured to get at
the Duke from between Lorenzino's legs, but only succeeded in piercing
the mattress, till at last he remembered that he had a knife about him,
and drove it into the Duke's throat, turning it round and round until he
eventually killed him. (1)

1 Bened. Varchi, lib. xv.; Bern. Segni, 1. vii.; Filippo de
Nerli, 1. xii.; Gio. Batt. Adriani, 1. i.; Scipione
Ammirato, 1. xxxi.; Pauli Jovii. Hist. 1. xxxviii.; Istorie
di Marco Guazzo, fol. 159.

"Lorenzino failed to reap the fruits of the crime, which he had planned
with so much skill and such profound secrecy. By the life he had led, he
had aroused the distrust of all honest folks, he had no friends to whom
he could apply for advice or help, he had no party behind him, he had
never been known to display that zeal for liberty which he subsequently
affected. Although he was the first of the Medici in the order of
succession, no one thought of him. For his own part, he only thought of
ensuring his safety. He locked the door of the room, taking the key away
with him, and having obtained an order for the city gates to be opened,
and for post-horses to be provided for him, under pretence that he had
just learned that his brother was ill, in the country, he started for
Bologna, whence he proceeded to Venice, accompanied by Scoronconcolo."

D. (Tale XVI., Page 183.)

With reference to this story Brantome writes as follows in the Sixth
Discourse of his _Vies des Dames Galantes_:--

"In the hundred stories of Queen Margaret of Navarre we have a very fine
tale of that lady of Milan who, having one night given an assignation to
the late M. de Bonnivet, afterwards Admiral of France, posted her maids
with drawn swords on the stairs so that they might make a noise there;
which they did right well, in obedience to the orders of their mistress,
who for her part feigned great affright, saying that her brothers-in-law
must have remarked something amiss, that she herself was lost, and that
he, Bonnivet, ought to hide under the bed or behind the hangings. But M.
de Bonnivet, without evincing any fear, wrapped his cape round his arm,
and taking his sword replied: 'Well, where are these brave brothers who
want to frighten me, or do me harm? When they see me they will not even
dare to look at the point of my sword.' Then opening the door he rushed
out, and just as he was about to charge down the staircase h