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The majority of the community remained with Fra Girolamo in prayer before the Blessed Eucharist, momentarily expecting death. Amidst the horrid tumult, whenever there was a pause, they were heard singing all in unison, as if with one voice and mind

"Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedicite hereditati

tuæ."

While still in prayer, some persons in great alarm came to enquire, should they ring the convent bell? Fra Girolamo desired them to "ask the opinion of Francis Vallori." Others came then to ask, should they make an attack on their assailants? and Fra Girolamo said, "They should not." But Fra Domenico da Pescia replied differently: he said to the inquirers"Defend yourselves." It being now about the first hour of the night (after sun-set), there was a great tumult outside the convent, and an order came from the Signoria, that all the laymen, who were not of the community, should quit the convent. Therefore many persons, greatly alarmed, accepted the safe conduct offered them, and retired from the convent. Nevertheless it remained besieged and surrounded on all sides by people.

In the meantime, Francis Vallori and some other noble citizens who still remained in San Marco, held a consultation amongst themselves, when it was proposed by him that he should quit the convent by a secret passage, and proceed to his palace, to take immediate steps to call the people to the aid of Fra Girolamo and his associates.

This he succeeded in doing; but the watchful enemies of Fra Girolamo, being apprized of his exertions, laid in wait for him at the corner of a street near San Proculo, and slew him. This was about the third hour of the night. His palace was then attacked, and his wife was killed at a window by the assailants, his nephew was strangled in his bed, and the palace was plundered and ransacked from top to bottom.

The precious guardians of law and order, the Signoria, in all these disorders took no step to preserve the peace, or to protect those assailed by an infuriated rabble.

The rabble were reinforced after the second hour of the night by a second band of marauders, evidently under the orders of some leaders in a conspiracy against the father. This band held a parley with the inmates, and called on the laymen who still remained in the convent to leave it on pain of instant death, and with threats of ruin on their families.

Some more of the alarmed secular friends of the monks then abandoned San Marco, and very few of the laity were left within its walls. Fire was now applied to the doors of the convent, and the church, and after some time, in spite of all resistance on the part of the inmates, an entrance was effected by this furious rabble, and much blood was shed as they rushed on through the cloisters, shouting and shrieking, and fiercely assailing every person they met, layman or religious, and sacking every place through which they passed, where any thing was to be plundered or destroyed, even the infirmary of the A portion of them now reached the choir of the church, where Fra Girolamo and some of the monks were in prayer.

convent.

No sooner did the father hear them at the door than he bade them enter, and on their rushing forward he calmly asked them what they wanted, and even reproached them for the great tumult they were the cause of. Some of the assailants were so much struck with the sight of these religious men, in the midst of such tumults and terrors, quietly engaged in prayer, that they became paralysed, and incapable of offering any violence to them. Some of the young monks observing the impression made on their assailants, managed to get between them and the door, and by a well-executed movement, rushing on them, seized their arms, and made prisoners of them. They then conducted them to the belfry and locked them up there, giving to each a small cross, and making him cry out as he received it, Viva Gesu Christo. One of the novices named Marco Gondi (afterwards a father of some distinction in his order), standing above the door of the choir, as the adversaries were about enter

* Burlamacchi, p. 564.

VOL. II.

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ing the choir, kept back a party with drawn swords, armed with a wooden crucifix, which he ultimately broke, inflicting a blow on the face of one of his assailants. Another novice, named G. Maria Petruccí, a young man of great courage, very robust frame, and a remarkably comely appearance-essendo vestito da Angelo-maintained a prolonged struggle with the rabble, who occupied that part of the convent between the choir and the sacristy of the church. He broke the lance of one of them with a blow of a torch, and passed more than once through the thickest of them without receiving a single wound, bravely fighting-gagliardamente si combatteva.

And finally the enemy was put to flight from the choir and its precincts by the monks, with the few arms they could lay their hands on. Fra Nicolo Bileotti with a small crucifix knocked an eye out of Jacopo de Nerli. His companions of San Marco laid about them with lighted torches, and several of the assailants were knocked down and disarmed, but at the same time were treated with great clemency, and even kindness, and solicited to abstain from leaguing themselves any more with the enemies of God and of religion. Those of the community who were mortally wounded were carried to the church, and there giving praise to the Almighty, breathed out their souls, while those of the assailants likewise mortally wounded, died with blasphemies on their lips.* One young man, a friend of Fra Girolamo, having received a deadly hurt, was carried to the choir, and was borne to the high altar, where he was laid on the steps. The dying young man begged of the surrounding friars that he might be afforded the consolations of religion. He was left alone for a little time with one of the brethren, received the blessed sacrament, and died blessing God for the great contentment he experienced in the happy death he met with in defence of religion and its ministers.

The assailants finding they could not effect an entrance at the choir, betook themselves to the principal entrance of the church, and there set fire to the doors. On gaining admission into the church, they commenced spoiling, destroying, and laying all * Burlamacchi, p. 564.

around them in ruins. From the church they now attempted to get possession of the choir, but a German, named Herico, who guarded the entrance, rushed forth, mounted the pulpit, armed with an arquebuss, and opened a fire on the multitude of marauders in the church, killing many of them, crying out each time he fired, "Salvum fac populum tuum Dominum et benedicite hereditati tuce." Amongst those he killed, was one of the bravos of the assailants, named Bottaino. This Herico was a man of such courage that he rushed through the enemy to provide himself with the arquebuss, and returned with it, through the same multitude, without receiving any injury. The church was now so filled with smoke, that the friars could hardly bear to remain in the choir, where they were still stationed before the holy sacrament. Some relief was obtained by making an aperture in the wall, but all were exhausted, and worn out with fatigue and watching, and anxiety, and want of food; for they had taken no refreshments for nearly a whole day, yet they never lost courage or a sure hope of a blessed immortality awaiting them, expecting every moment, as they did, to receive the crown of martyrdom.

"The novices (continues Burlamacchi) seemed even exhilarated at the aspect of that martyrdom; they spake in accents of exultation of being about to see the heavenly kingdom, and their blessed mother, in its glory.

"It appeared miraculous, that although there were congregated about two hundred of the community around the great altar in the choir, none were wounded there, though stones were almost incessantly flying in from the windows, and shots fired at them.

"The multitude outside the convent was continually increasing, and at length artillery was brought and planted in various places round the walls, with the intention of utterly demolishing the whole structure. Fra Girolamo, on hearing this, directed the whole community to proceed with the blessed sacrament, from the choir to the dormitory, in solemn procession.

"It was now six hours of the night," continues Burlamacchi, "(about two hours after midnight), after this frightful tumult had already lasted nearly seven hours, when another intimation was

made by the assailants, that if all the laity still remaining in arms in San Marco did not take their departure, they would be declared rebels, and their goods would be confiscated. Then, many, justly alarmed, determined to abandon the struggle, and made their exit in safety."

"The Prophets without arms," says Machiavelli, "have always been worsted." After the departure of the citizens there began to be a parley, and some talk of terms being made. About the ninth hour of the night, the commissaries of the Signoria made their way to the dormitory, having first asked and obtained a safe conduct from the defenders of the convent.

"When they were brought before Fra Girolamo, they began to exhort him to consent to present himself before the Signoria, along with Fra Domenico da Pescia, and Fra Silvestro Maruffi, as otherwise the convent would be totally destroyed. Having listened calmly to the proposal, he walked into the library, perhaps to reflect on the proposal, and determine on what course he would pursue. But scarcely had he entered, when new commissaries arrived, and those persons were the mortal enemies of Fra Girolamo. They informed him, by the commands of the Signoria, he must accompany them to the palace of the Signoria.'

"Fra Domenico da Pescia and some others, asked the commissaries if they had those orders in writing from the Signoria?' They answered, 'They had not.' Whereupon, they were sent back to their masters without further discussion.

"The same commissaries speedily returned with the commands in writing, and with a distinct promise that Fra Girolamo and his companions would be restored to their convent safe and sound- Sano e Salvo.' The father and the two friars immediately declared they would accept these terms, and they would obey the commands of the Signoria.

"But before carrying this determination into effect, the father assembled the community for the last time to hear him discourse, and the place where they assembled on this melancholy occasion, was the Greek library, attached to the convent. There he delivered an admirable exhortation to them in the Latin tongue,

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