C. (Tale XII., Page 101.)
The following account of the assassination of Alexander de' Medici istaken from Sismondi's _Histoire des Republiques Italiennes du MoyenAge_, Paris, 1826, vol. xvi. p. 95 et seq.:--
"But few months had elapsed since Alexander's marriage, and he hademployed them in his wonted debauchery, carrying depravity and dishonouralternately into the convents and noblest abodes of Florence, when, onJanuary 6, 1537, he was assassinated by the man whom, of all men, hethe least mistrusted. This was his cousin, Lorenzino de' Medici....Lorenzino had already helped Alexander to seduce several women of noblebirth; and to facilitate his assignations had often lent him his house,which adjoined the ducal residence in the Via Larga. He engaged to bringthe Duke the wife of Leonardo Ginori--sister to his own mother, but muchyounger than she was. Alexander had long been struck with this lady'sbeauty, but so far she had virtuously repulsed him. After supper,however, on the day of the feast of the Epiphany, when the Carnivalbegins, Lorenzino informed the Duke that if he would repair to hishouse, unaccompanied and observing the greatest secrecy, he would findCatherine Ginori there. Alexander accepted the assignation, dismissedall his guards, rid himself of all those who wished to keep a watch uponhim, and entered Lorenzino's house without being perceived. He was tiredand wished to rest awhile, but before throwing himself on the bed heunbuckled his sword, and Lorenzino, on taking it from him to hang itat the head of the bedstead, wound the belt around the hilt in such afashion that the weapon could not be easily drawn from its scabbard.After telling the Duke to rest whilst he went to fetch his aunt, hewent away, locking the door of the room behind him; but returned shortlyafterwards with a spadassin, nicknamed Scoronconcolo, whom he hadpreviously engaged, for the purpose, he said, of ridding him of a greatpersonage of the Court whose name he had prudently not given. In factLorenzino had carried his design to the very point of execution withouttaking a single person into his confidence. On returning into the room,followed by Scoronconcolo, he called to the Duke: 'Are you asleep, mylord?' and at the same moment transpierced him with a short sword whichhe was carrying. Alexander, although mortally wounded, tried to resisthis murderer, whereupon Lorenzino, to prevent him from crying out,thrust two of his fingers into his mouth, at the same time exclaiming:'Be not afraid, my lord.' Alexander, it appears, bit his assailant'sfingers with all the strength of his jaws, and holding him in a tightembrace, rolled with him about the bed, so that Scoronconcolo was unableto strike the one without striking the other. He endeavoured to get atthe Duke from between Lorenzino's legs, but only succeeded in piercingthe 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 heeventually 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 plannedwith so much skill and such profound secrecy. By the life he had led, hehad aroused the distrust of all honest folks, he had no friends to whomhe could apply for advice or help, he had no party behind him, he hadnever been known to display that zeal for liberty which he subsequentlyaffected. Although he was the first of the Medici in the order ofsuccession, no one thought of him. For his own part, he only thought ofensuring his safety. He locked the door of the room, taking the key awaywith 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 hadjust learned that his brother was ill, in the country, he started forBologna, whence he proceeded to Venice, accompanied by Scoronconcolo."