changed guard and marched past through the great gate of Santo Spirito,
which was within a reasonable range, I thereupon directed my attention
to that spot; but, having to shoot sideways, I could not do the damage
that I wished, although I killed a fair percentage every day. This
induced our adversaries, when they saw their passage covered by my guns,
to load the roof of a certain house one night with thirty gabions, which
obstructed the view I formerly enjoyed. Taking better thought than I had
done of the whole situation, I now turned all my five pieces of
artillery directly on the gabions, and waited till the evening hour,
when they changed guard. Our enemies, thinking they were safe, came on
at greater ease and in a closer body than usual; whereupon I set fire to
my blow-pipes, [3] Not merely did I dash to pieces the gabions which
stood in my way; but, what was better, by that one blast I slaughtered
more than thirty men. In consequence of this manoeuvre, which I
repeated twice, the soldiers were thrown into such disorder, that being,
moreover, encumbered with the spoils of that great sack, and some of
them desirous of enjoying the fruits of their labour, they oftentimes
showed a mind to mutiny and take themselves away from Rome. However,
after coming to terms with their valiant captain, Gian di Urbino, [4]
they were ultimately compelled, at their excessive inconvenience, to
take another road when they changed guard. It cost them three miles of
march, whereas before they had but half a mile. Having achieved this
feat, I was entreated with prodigious favours by all the men of quality
who were invested in the castle. This incident was so important that I
thought it well to relate it, before finishing the history of things
outside my art, the which is the real object of my writing: forsooth, if
I wanted to ornament my biography with such matters, I should have far
too much to tell. There is only one more circumstance which, now that
the occasion offers, I propose to record.