Familiar Letters

...the line of iron with flashing steel drawn, prepared for slaughter. To fight As soon as I saw this, having quickly turned my horse into a nearby alley, I dismounted, and changing my clothes, mingling on foot with the crowd, I passed through the stations of the armed men unknown. Hardly had I departed when the servant whom I had left with the horses was seized by the armed men, and their horses and clothes were taken away. But to me, after I arrived at our men, the first spectacle was a heap of the slain. For they lay in the middle of the street, defiled by blood and pierced with great wounds. I stood shuddering, scanning everyone with my eyes, and I recognized some among them whom I knew. Then I proceeded to go to the papal residence. He was being tortured by wonderful grief. For such a great matter had been transacted without his knowledge. A peaceful and mild man, than whose gentleness there is nothing that abhors more than slaughter and the shedding of human blood, sad, he was lamenting himself and his fortune, occasionally lifting his eyes to heaven as if he were calling God to witness his innocence toward the Roman people. The Pope, therefore, intent upon these things, did not know what to do or where to stand for excessive grief. The opinions of those standing around, however, were various. Some thought they should leave immediately, and that the attack of the Roman people, so significantly harmed and irritated, should not be awaited. Moreover, the royal forces were not far from the city, which it was not ambiguous stood for the Romans. Others...

The slaughter of men as above.