Chapter 52 - Page 2

Nori, a most intimate friend of the Medici, either from some previous
hatred or for having endeavored to render assistance to Giuliano; and
not content with these murders, he ran in pursuit of Lorenzo,
intending, by his own promptitude, to make up for the weakness and
inefficiency of the others; but finding he had taken refuge in the
vestry, he was prevented.

In the midst of these violent and fearful deeds, during which the
uproar was so terrible, that it seemed almost sufficient to bring the
church down upon its inmates, the cardinal Riario remained close to
the altar, where he was with difficulty kept in safety by the priests,
until the Signory, upon the abatement of the disturbance, could
conduct him to their palace, where he remained in the utmost terror
till he was set at liberty.

There were at this time in Florence some people of Perugia, whom party
feuds had compelled to leave their homes; and the Pazzi, by promising
to restore them to their country, obtained their assistance. The
Archbishop de' Salviati, going to seize the palace, together with
Jacopo di Poggio, and the Salviati, his friends, took these Perugini
with him. Having arrived, he left part of his people below, with
orders that when they heard a noise they should make themselves
masters of the entrance, while himself, with the greater part of the
Perugini, proceeded above, and finding the Signory at dinner (for it
was now late), was admitted after a short delay, by Cesare Petrucci,
the Gonfalonier of Justice. He entered with only a few of his
followers, the greater part of them being shut up in the cancelleria
into which they had gone, whose doors were so contrived, that upon
closing they could not be opened from either side, without the key.
The archbishop being with the gonfalonier, under pretense of having
something to communicate on the part of the pope, addressed him in
such an incoherent and hesitating manner, that the gonfalonier at once
suspected him, and rushing out of the chamber to call assistance,
found Jacopo di Poggio, whom he seized by the hair of the head, and
gave into the custody of his attendants. The Signory hearing the
tumult, snatched such arms as they could at the moment obtain, and all
who had gone up with the archbishop, part of them being shut up, and
part overcome with terror, were immediately slain or thrown alive out
of the windows of the palace, at which the archbishop, the two Jacopi
Salviati, and Jacopodi Poggio were hanged. Those whom the archbishop
left below, having mastered the guard and taken possession of the
entrance occupied all the lower floors, so that the citizens, who in
the uproar, hastened to the palace, were unable to give either advice
or assistance to the Signory.