Commentary on the Pazzi Conspiracy

...human fixed upon a spear; they had already removed a part of the shoulder. Nothing then could be heard more from every side than the voices of the people. "Palle, Palle"—for that is the insignia of the Medici family—was the cry of the lamenting crowd. But Jacopo de' Pazzi, his affairs desperate, took counsel for himself in flight. He headed for the gate which is called "of the Cross" with a band of armed men. Thence he broke out. Meanwhile, the people flowed into the house of the Medici with wondrous zeal and wondrous favor, demanding that the traitors be given to punishment, sparing no curses and no threats, until they forced the wicked to be dragged to their penalty. There, the house of Jacopo de' Pazzi was scarcely defended from looting. Francesco, naked and wounded, was dragged to the noose by Pietro Corsini—who had hurried there accompanied by a large band of clients—from the very house of his uncle, nearly half-alive. For it was not easy or simple to restrain the raging people. Soon, the Pisan prelate was also hung from the same window from which Francesco de' Pazzi was hanging, suspended above the very lifeless body. When he was being dragged—a thing which I believe will seem wondrous to all—no one, even if it were unknown at that time whether some chance or madness provided it, attacked that very corpse of Francesco with his teeth, and he held on biting his other nipple even when he was suffocated by the noose, with eyes opened furially. After him, two of the Jacopo de' Salviati family were also broken in the throat by the noose. I remember that I then went into the forum—for at home things were now quiet—and there I saw many corpses foully mangled, lying cast about everywhere. There were many mocks of the people in it, many detestations. For the Medici house was grateful to the people for many reasons. Then Jaco...