opponents were, he received a scratch in the neck from Stefano's steel.
Then, from the raised dais, he descried the tumult at the choir gates,
whilst cries of "_Il Giuliano e morto_" reached his ears!

Desperadoes were struggling with the clergy and the acolytes by the
great lectern, and calling out his name for vengeance. One, more
murderous than the rest, was scaling the low sanctuary wall, holding his
gory dagger in the air, and making for the chairs of estate--it was
Bernardo Bandino. Commending the Domina Clarice to the care of his
uncle, Lorenzo passed hurriedly up the steps of the altar and gained the
New Sacristy, followed closely by the two Cavalcanti, who were battling
with the infuriated Bandino and his confederates--"_Abbasso il
Lorenzo_," they yelled.

Escaping through the doorway, Luca della Robbia's great bronze gates
were slammed to, by Angelo Poliziano, almost crushing Antonio
Cavalcanti, who fell with a deep wound in his shoulder, and actually
flinging to the ground, outside in the aisle, the raging, baffled
Bandino. "Then arose," wrote Filippo Strozzi, in his family
_Ricordi_--he was an eye-witness of the tragedy--"a great tumult in the
church. Messer Bongiano and other knights, with whom I was conversing,
were stupefied, one fled hither and another thither, loud shouts filled
the building, and the hands of friends of the Pazzi and Salviati all
held gleaming weapons.... The young Cardinal remained alone, crouching
by the high altar, until he was led away by some priests into the Old
Sacristy, whence he was escorted by two of the 'Eight,' with a strong
bodyguard, to the Palazzo del Podesta."

Inside the New Sacristy it was discovered that Lorenzo's wound was
serious enough to call for immediate treatment, and one of his devoted