It was during the siege of Pesaro that Federigo heard of the horrible catastrophe, by which his brother Oddantonio, on the 22nd July, 1444, atoned the excesses of his brief sovereignty. But this assassination, the result of a sudden outbreak, indicated no general disloyalty to the race of Montefeltro. The virtues and moderation of Guidantonio were fresh in men's minds; Federigo was personally liked, and his recent feats of arms, under the eyes of his countrymen, were accepted as first fruits of a growing fame. The fief might indeed be held as lapsed by the close of the male line, but there were abundant precedents of reinvestitures to illegitimate successors, and the citizens of Urbino, shocked at their own outrage, sought to remedy the past by a prompt return to duty.[*76] Sanzi accordingly tells us that the factious and blood-thirsty populace wonderfully united in electing as their seigneur the heroic Federigo, who, meanwhile, informed by the bishop of the tumult and its results, had repaired to Urbino, where, on the following day, conditions were formally offered and accepted as the terms on which he was chosen. The instrument containing the demands of the people, and his replies to each, will be found in the Appendix IV., and throws some light upon the extent of popular rights, and the manner of enforcing them, in the despotic communities of Italy. Divested of the rude style in which they were expressed, these concessions were to the following purpose:-- 1. A general amnesty for the recent revolution.[77] 2. Bimonthly election of the priors of Urbino, with certain powers, and with a salary of fifteen ducats. 3. A new house for the priors. 4. A reduction of assessments from five and a half to four _soldi_ in the _lira_. 5. Revocation of all donations made posterior to Guidantonio. 6. Similar revocation of immunities and privileges granted to the nobility and communes. 7. Control by the citizens of the watching and warding fees. 8. Application of a tierce of all escheats to the use of public works. 9. Promise to impose no new taxes, except in urgent circumstances. 10. Trimestral elections of the chamberlain. 11. The notaries acting as clerks of military orders and of sentences to be boxed (_imbussolari_) with their salaries and perquisites. 12. Reform of the measures for salt. 13. Semestral change of the podestà and certain other officers, without intervention of the Count. 14. Appointment of two medical officers bound to attend to all ratepayers, their salaries to be charged on the community. 15. Similar appointment of a schoolmaster and assistant. 16. The camp-captains of Urbino to be citizens. 17. Abolition of recent oppressive tolls, which impede the passage of merchants. 18. Payment to creditors of the two last sovereigns.