Renaissance in Italy, Volumes 6 and 7 (of 7): The Catholic ReactionSymonds, John Addington
History
Renaissance in Italy, Volumes 6 and 7 (of 7): The Catholic Reaction
Symonds, John Addington
Catholic Church -- Italy -- History; Renaissance -- Italy
So they remained in hiding in the Spanish embassy; and in ten days' time
commands were received from Charles himself that everything should be
done to convey them safely to Florence. The difficulty was how to
smuggle them out of Venice, where the police of the Republic were on
watch, and Florentine outlaws were mounting guard on sea and shore to
catch them. The ambassador began by spreading reports on the Rialto
every morning of their having been seen at Padua, at Verona, in Friuli.
He then hired a palace at Malghera, near Mestre, and went out daily with
fifty Spaniards, and took carriage or amused himself with horse exercise
and shooting. The Florentines, who were on watch, could only discover
from his people that he did this for amusement. When he thought that he
had put them sufficiently off their guard, the ambassador one day took
Bibboni and Bebo out by Canaregio to Malghera, concealed in his own
gondola, with the whole train of Spaniards in attendance. And though on
landing, the Florentines challenged them, they durst not interfere with
an ambassador or come to battle with his men. So Bebo and Bibboni were
hustled into a coach, and afterwards provided with two comrades and four
horses. They rode for ninety miles without stopping to sleep, and on the
day following this long journey reached Trento, having probably threaded
the mountain valleys above Bassano, for Bibboni speaks of a certain
village where the people talked half German. The Imperial Ambassador at
Trento forwarded them next day to Mantua; from Mantua they came to
Piacenza; thence passing through the valley of the Taro, crossing the
Apennines at Cisa, descending on Pontremoli, and reaching Pisa at night,
the fourteenth day after their escape from Venice.
When they arrived at Pisa, Duke Cosimo was supping. So they went to an
inn, and next morning presented themselves to his Grace. Cosimo welcomed
them kindly, assured them of his gratitude, confirmed them in the
enjoyment of their rewards and privileges, and swore that they might
rest secure of his protection in all parts of his dominion. We may
imagine how the men caroused together after this reception. As Bibboni
adds, 'We were now able for the whole time of life left us to live
splendidly, without a thought or care.' The last words of his narrative
are these: 'Bebo, from Pisa, at what date I know not, went home to
Volterra, his native town, and there finished his days; while I abode in
Florence, where I have had no further wish to hear of wars, but to live
my life in holy peace.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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