The Life of Pope Leo X in Four Books

Xystus, lest he appear to have admitted such a cruel and wicked plan to his holy ears, entrusted the whole matter to Hieronymus to be handled and accomplished secretly, and he dealt with Ferdinandus Aragonius so that his son Alfonsus might be sent into Etruria with an army, with the hope that, with the Medici removed or ejected, he might bind the Florentines, who would be obliged to him for that benefit, in a solemn league, and later, relying on their help, protect the rights of the Supreme Pontificate with greater dignity and power. Included among the conspirators were the Archbishop of Pisa from the noble Salviati family, who exercised private hostilities with Laurentius conceived in the name of his priesthood; and also Montesecco, a military man faithful to Hieronymus, who, as he was prompt in hand and wit, had undertaken the business of committing the slaughter. And so, each for a different reason, they set out from Rome at different times and arrived in Florence. Raphael Riarius, a cardinal and the nephew original text says "brother," but historically he was the nephew of the Pope of Hieronymus, was also sent there, a youth, so that if there were any who were doubtful and timid, they might eventually be induced to accelerate the slaughter with greater confidence due to his presence. Therefore, having included all their relatives and kinsmen, and the most prominent of their friends and clients in the wicked plan, they decided to commit the crime in the Temple of the Divine Reparata, by far the most august of all in that city. That moment of time was given as a sign for all to draw their daggers, when in the midst of the sacred rites the Eucharist was shown to the people. Without delay, Franciscus Pazzi himself and Bernardus Bandinus suddenly stabbed Iulianus, whom they were holding in the middle, talking most familiarly and kindly. At the same point in time, others attacked Laurentius and wounded him above the throat in the neck. But he, with friends protecting him not without penalty, was received into the nearest sacristy by the vergers, the door being immediately barred against the conspirators, and he was saved. In such great trepidation and flight of people of every age and sex, most tumultuous, the people, with incredible zeal and piety toward the Medici, took up arms and repeated their names. Indeed, moved by that huge and execrable crime, the best of them pursued the conspirators, slaughtered some, and led others alive to the Curia for punishment. At the same time, the prelate Salviatus, who under the guise of duty had ascended with a large retinue to greet the Gonfalonier and the Eight, the prefects of the Republic, as was the custom, in order to occupy the Curia, upon hearing the din of the people running to arms, was timidly caught himself, entangled in his own words. Immediately, he and all his relatives and companions, due to the widely known atrocity of the unheard-of crime, were suspended by ropes from the windows and thrown down. Franciscus Pazzi himself, the prince of the conspiracy, whom the people had captured at home, was thrown from the same little column of the window from which the prelate hung, and the rest of their satellites, shut inside the Curia, were slaughtered while the beadles worked vigorously.