pages, young Antonio de' Ridolfi, sucked it for fear of poison. The
great heavy metal doors were incessantly battered from without, but no
one dared to open them, and Lorenzo remained where he was until the
hubbub in the Duomo appeared to be abating. Then another page, Sismondo
della Stufa, climbed up into the organ gallery, whence he could look
into the church, and reported that none but friends of the Medici
remained, and they were crying out for Lorenzo to accept their escort to
the palace. So the Magnifico departed.

All the while the great bell of the Palazzo Vecchio was booming out its
dread summons for the city trained bands and the armed members of the
Guilds to assemble for the defence of the city and the maintenance of
their liberties. Loud cries of "_Liberta!_" "_Liberta!_" rolled up the
street, drowned by a great chorus of "_Evviva le Palle!_" "_Abasso i
Traditori!_" The whole city was in an uproar and blood was being spilt
on every side.

What had happened was tragically this. Whilst one half of the
conspirators was told off to strike the fatal blow, the other half was
directed to rally round Archbishop Salviati, who, by the way, made some
excuse for not assisting ministerially at the Mass, but took up his
station close to the north door of the Duomo. Directly they saw Giuliano
struck to the ground, they made all haste to the Palazzo Vecchio, and
demanded an interview with Messer Cesare de' Petrucci, the _Gonfaloniere
di Giustizia_, who had been detained by urgent matters in the Courts.

When Messer Petruccio enquired the nature of their business, the
Archbishop replied: "We are come, all the family of Salviati, to pay our
respects to the _Gonfaloniere_, as in duty bound." Messer Cesare was at
lunch, but, rising from table, he welcomed the Archbishop, who entered