There was a stone in it with several sharp angles, one of which
striking him, he fell stunned like a dead man: whereupon all the
bystanders, seeing the great quantity of blood, judged that he was
really dead.
Note 1. The MS. has Figi; but this is probably a mistake of the
amanuensis.
LXVII
WHILE he was still lying on the ground, and people were preparing to
carry him away, Pompeo the jeweller passed by. The Pope had sent for him
to give orders about some jewels. Seeing the fellow in such a miserable
plight, he asked who had struck him; on which they told him: “Benvenuto
did it, but the stupid creature brought it down upon himself.” No sooner
had Pompeo reached the Pope than he began to speak: “Most blessed
Father, Benvenuto has this very moment murdered Tobbia; I saw it with my
own eyes.” On this the Pope in a fury ordered the Governor, who was in
the presence, to take and hang me at once in the place where the
homicide had been committed, adding that he must do all he could to
catch me, and not appear again before him until he had hanged me.
When I saw the unfortunate Benedetto stretched upon the ground, I
thought at once of the peril I was in, considering the power of my
enemies, and what might ensue from this disaster. Making off, I took
refuge in the house of Messer Giovanni Gaddi, clerk of the Camera, with
the intention of preparing as soon as possible to escape from Rome. He,
however, advised me not to be in such a hurry, for it might turn out
perhaps that the evil was not so great as I imagined; and calling Messer
Annibal Caro, who lived with him, bade him go for information.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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