The Winslow mail., 1900-02-08
better would discuss the subject again. He

/
Perhaps the time will come when the
minds of men will shrink with horror FROM
crime, even for the sake of good object
made to me, l could not but recollect that
the noblest names of Milan were concerned
in the Olgiati conspiracy, and that pontif
| had supported the Pazzi attempt on the
Medici This being SO, there was excuse fol
| Ceci and his leaders, whoever they were
| but my whole soul was wroth in me at the
| thought that had been deemed capable oi
| doing the business of common bravo, and
if it were not for the reason stated above
| would have flung the old conspirator out
| of the room. This insult also had to go down
indirectly to D'Entrangues, and as | grew
| better my desire to settle with him rose te
| fever heat. The question, however, was my
resources. Turn which way | would, there
seemed TO be no way of replenishing them
| The idea presented itself to me to join the
| Borgia who with all his faults was ever
ready to take long sword into his pay
| After all, it would perhaps be better to seek
| to fill my purse in Florence, and let my ven.
| geance sleep for awhile. 1t would be all the
| sweeter when it came.
With these ideas in my head, was sitting
| one afternoon at the little window of my
room, putting finishing touch to the edge
of the dagger which d Entrangues had left
| with, or rather in me, and congratulatine
myself that the blade was not poisoned
one, when | heard, as from distance, hum
| of voices, which gradually swelled into q
great roar, and above this the changing of O
| bell with a peculiar discordant note Almost
at the same time old Ceci hustled into my
room, evidently in state of high excite
ment, and called out:
"Messer Donati--Messer Donati! 1t is tc
| be war-war!"
l should add here that had judged il
prudent to take another name on entering
Florence, and adopted the first one that
struck me, although / afterwards thought
| that Donati was not quite the name to win
| favor with the Florentines, amongst whom
! the memory of Messer Corso was still green
| although so many years had passed since he
was done with. Whether let my own name
out or not during my illness | am unable tc
say; at any rate, Ceci never gave me any
such hint. The news the old man brought
was not unexpected by me, yet l caught q
touch of his excitement and answered:
"War-where? Tell me-"
at is this way, signore; Naples has risen
and the Great Captain has driven D'Au
bigny out of Calabria. All the Romagna has
gone from Ccsare as that" he waved his
hand as if throwing a feather in the air.
"The Holy Father has cast his interdict on
| Florence, and Pisa is burning the Val di Me
vole"
''The DEVIL" l exclaimed, "this is more
| than [ thought. The interdict is bad, Messe1
| Ceci"
| He grinned as he answered: "Bad for the
pope. Medici or no Medici, we will not
have priest interfering in Florence"
81 sec" l said, "you are Florentine first
and conspirator afterwards; but how do the
| French stand!
with us, for we pay. 1t is said, however
| that things are uncertain with them, that
| Monsignore d'Amboise, who is now Cardinal
of Rouen, has gone to Rome, and that Ire
mouille is awaiting the king"
"The king! Louis is at Macon"
Eyes, Louis himself, and the Lord knows
| how many barons besides, with pedigrees as
| long as their swords, who will eat up our
| corn, and pillage our vineyards from the
| Alps to the Adriatic. But / came here to
| ask, signore, if you will come with me to
| see. 1t is hurry and make haste, for / can
not wait. The Carroccio has left St. John s. y
| had almost recovered my full strength,
and was accustomed to walk out daily at
dusk in order to avoid observation, whilst
at the same time l could by doing so exercise
my muscles; yet at first felt inclined to de-
cline Ceci's invitation, alleging weakness as
my excuse, for my anger was still warm
against him on account of his proposals to
me. Rejecting, however, that if / offended
him it would probably fatally injure any
| prospect | had of saving the person whom
| the conspirators intended to kill, thought
| it best to affect friendliness did not feel,
and changing my mind in regard to accom-
| panying him slipped on my sword and fol
| lowed the old man downstairs. We hastened
as fast as we could to the great square The
| people were swarming out of the houses,
| and the streets were full of a hurrying
throng, all directing their steps to the poin!
whence we could hear the believing of tho
mob echoed with answering cheers by those
making towards the place of assembly
| Around us there was murmur like that of
millions of bees, as men, women and chill
| dren jostled their way to the Palace of the
| Signory. My companion, who stopped every
now and again to open his jaws as wide as
the mouth of a saddle-bag, and give forth q
yell, hustled along at a great pace, and
made after him with scarcely less speed.
By good fortune, and a considerable
amount of pushing, we made our way
through the press, which appeared to INC
| to be composed entirely of elbows, and al
| last reached the market place. Here the
crowd behind lis slowly drove us forwards
and finally gave us the advantage of good
| position. The square was lined with men al
arms and stout citizens with boar-spears in
| their hands.
| All at once there went up shout louder
| than ever, the crowd swayed backwards and
| forwards, then opened out, and admitted
| the Carroccio or war-car in Florence II
was painted red, and drawn by oxen housed
in red trappings. The great beasts had
dragged the car slowly from the chapel. ot
| St. Johns, where, it stood in times of,peace
and labored along under its weight From
| the car itself projected two poles on which
hung the banner of the Commonwealth, q
red CYCLIC on white field. Immediately be
hind this came another car, bearing the
| Martinello or war-bell, which was incessant
| ly changing out It's angry notes. 1t was tc
| ring now for full month, without ceasing
Around the cars were the principal mobiles
| of the city, and the oxen being guided t.
| the bankrupt stone," were there unhar
messed. Pietro Soderini, the brother of his
| eminence of Volterra, who was then Con
| faloniere for life, raised his hand. In mo
ment there was silence, and the vast audi
ence listened to the brief grafton that fel
| from the lips of their chief magistrate. Ht
painted in stirring words the dangers Of the
times; he called to the people to forget
party hatreds in the face of the common
crisis; he appealed to their past, and then
concluded: Therefore" said he, "for the
| safety of the state. have we to whom that