called for Signor Federigo, who at once took possession of the state. On the 1st of August, public proclamation was made of the abolition of imposts and of the assize of salt, and all penalties were remitted."[*49] The same writer speaks vaguely of previous intestine broils, slaughters, and alarms, with other symptoms of feeble government, all indicating considerable disorganisation in the duchy, of which the Malatesta and Bartolomeo Colleone availed themselves to harass its frontiers.[50] [Footnote *49: The chronicle of Gubbio (MURATORI, _R.I.S._, XXI., 982) speaks of Oddantonio's death happening on 22 July, "ob violatum pudicitiam feminarum," as the author of the _Annali di Forlì_, _R.I.S._, XXII., 222, writes. It is recorded that he left debts of many thousands of ducats to the Count, his brother, "per soperchierie e trascurate spese, fatte in quel poco di tempo che egli aveva governato." GRAZIANI, however, the supposed author of the Perugian chronicle published under his name, who, as Prof. OSCAR SCALVANTI has demonstrated (_Boll. per l'Umbria_, vol. IV., p. 57 _et seq._), is not the author, but rather Antonio dei Guarneglie, followed by Pietro Angelo di Giovanni, says in his _Cronaca della Città di Perugia_ that Oddantonio was murdered on 21 July, on Tuesday evening, at the sixth hour of the night, which I take to be about two o'clock on the morning of 22 July. He gives a long and circumstantial account of his murder. The _Chronicle of Rimini_, _R.I.S._, XV., 948, names the protonotary and one of the three other friends whom "Graziani" says fell with him. They were Manfredo da Carpi and Tomasso di Ser Guidicino da Arimino. "Graziani," who doubtless wrote from hearsay, says he was killed because "non aveva rispetto a persona e che quando glie piaceva una giovane, o zitola o maritata che fusse, se ne voleva cavare la voglia. Et el conte Guido suo padre fo tutto el contrario." The usual cries rang through the city: "Morto è il signore! Viva la Chiesa e viva el populo!" See _Arch. St. Ital._, ser. I., tom. XVI., parte I., p. 552 _et seq._ While fully admitting Sigismondo Malatesta to be capable of any cunning, I do not think we have any evidence against him here. The Malatesti were the enemies of the Montefeltri, and the latter, with their subjects, were afraid of Sigismondo, already a very brilliant soldier. Cf. MARCOLINI, _St. d. Prov. di Pesaro e Urbino_ (Pesaro, 1885).] [Footnote 50: In another chronicle, the immediate provocation to this fell outrage is thus tersely stated: "The Duke was slain by the citizens because he had little respect for their wives by night or by day." Sanzi has deleted a portion of his poem, and the substituted passage gives the version we have adopted, passing lightly over the manner in which the victims met their death.] [Illustration: _Alinari_ LEONELLO D'ESTE _After the picture by Pisanello in the Morelli Gallery, Bergamo_]