Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 08
Religion
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 08
Literature -- Collections
My brother at this period was also in Rome, serving Duke Alessandro,
on whom the Pope had recently conferred the duchy of Penna. This
prince kept in his service a multitude of soldiers, worthy fellows,
brought up to valor in the school of that famous general Giovanni de'
Medici; and among these was my brother, whom the Duke esteemed as
highly as the bravest of them. One day my brother went after dinner to
the shop of a man called Baccino della Croce, in the Banchi, which all
those men-at-arms frequented. He had flung himself upon a settee and
was sleeping. Just then the guard of the Bargello passed by; they were
taking to prison a certain Captain Cisti, a Lombard, who had also been
a member of Giovanni's troop, but was not in the service of the Duke.
The captain, Cattivanza degli Strozzi, chanced to be in the same shop;
and when Cisti caught sight of him he whispered, "I was bringing you
those crowns I owed; if you want them, come for them before they go
with me to prison." Now Cattivanza had a way of putting his neighbors
to the push, not caring to hazard his own person. So, finding there
around him several young fellows of the highest daring, more eager
than apt for so serious an enterprise, he bade them catch up Captain
Cisti and get the money from him, and if the guard resisted, overpower
the men, provided they had pluck enough to do so.
The young men were but four, and all four of them without a beard. The
first was called Bertino Aldobrandi, another Anguillotto of Lucca; I
cannot recall the names of the rest. Bertino had been trained like a
pupil by my brother, and my brother felt the most unbounded love for
him. So then off dashed the four brave lads and came up with the guard
of the Bargello,--upwards of fifty constables, counting pikes,
arquebuses, and two-handed swords. After a few words they drew their
weapons, and the four boys so harried the guard that if Captain
Cattivanza had but shown his face, without so much as drawing, they
would certainly have put the whole pack to flight. But delay spoiled
all: for Bertino received some ugly wounds and fell; at the same time
Anguillotto was also hit in the right arm, and being unable to use his
sword, got out of the fray as well as he was able. The others did the
same. Bertino Aldobrandi was lifted from the ground seriously injured.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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