Familiar Letters

...and returned home with the matter unaccomplished, they were attacked a little above the Mole of Hadrian. Eleven of these were captured, for the rest had slipped away during the initial assault, and were led to Ludovicus, the Pope's nephew, by whose order they had been captured. There, when they were reproached with many things regarding their perfidy against the Pope, the very recent attempt at attacking the Milvian Bridge, secret ambushes, and corruption by the King, they responded by defending many things as rightly done by them. The young man's anger flared, and he began to strike their mouths with his sword. Subsequently, all eleven were slaughtered and, after the slaughter, were thrown headlong from the windows of the building. Among them were two of the seven men whom the Roman people had created to govern the Republic. The other nine were among the leading citizens and, what is to be lamented, not a few of those who were very troubled by these harassments being brought upon us. When the report of this matter was quickly spread through the city, there was an immediate rush to arms. All approaches were filled with shouts, and everything resounded with vociferations. I, a little before, trusting in those citizens who had come to the Pope, had crossed the river and gone into the city. Therefore, soon having heard the tumult, I hurried to return to our men. Having surveyed the rest of the city, when I reached the Bridge of Hadrian, I encountered a huge band of armed men who had occupied the approach. They stood...

Regarding the sedition and tumult of the city.