Before leaving Rome, Francesco de’ Pazzi and the Archbishop had agreed with Count Girolamo de’ Riari to engage the services of two desperadoes in the pay of the Pope—­Bernardo Bandino of the Florentine family of Baroncelli, “a reckless and a brutal man and a bankrupt to boot,” and Amerigo de’ Corsi, “the renegade son of a worthy father,”—­Messer Bernardo de’ Corsi of the ancient Florentine house of that ilk.  Two ill-living priests were also added to the roll of the conspirators —­Frate Antonio, son of Gherardo de’ Maffei of Volterra, and Frate Stefano, son of Niccolo Piovano da Bagnore.  The former was exasperated against Lorenzo for the reckless sack of Volterra, and because he had taken possession of a valuable alum-pit belonging to his family.  The latter was Vicario of Monte Murlo, an upstart Papal precis-writer, whose family was plebeian and employed upon Pazzi property in that locality; he was “a man steeped in crime and a creature of Cavaliere Giacopo de’ Pazzi.”

So many having been admitted into the secret of the conspiracy, it became a matter of urgent importance that no delay should arise in the fulfilment of the design; the fear of espionage and leakage was ever present to the minds of the leaders.  But what to do, and where, and how, baffled all their ingenuity.  At last a lead came, quite unexpectedly from Sixtus himself.

At Pisa was a youth, studying law and philosophy—­Raffaelle Sansoni—­the son of Count Girolamo’s only sister, just sixteen years of age, and “very tender in the heart of the Pope.”  Early in 1478 Sixtus had preconised him Cardinal of San Giorgio, and added the honour of Legate for Archbishop Salviati’s induction to that See—­the richest, by the way, in all Italy.

The boy Cardinal, in April, was directed, by Sixtus, to make a progress to Imola on a visit to his uncle and aunt, and to take Florence on his way, for the purpose of paying his respects to Lorenzo.  There was, of course, much more in this apparently innocent proceeding than appeared at first view.  Francesco de’ Pazzi at once obtained Cavaliere Giacopo’s permission to offer the hospitality of his villa to his youthful eminence and his suite.

Montesicco was ordered to furnish an escort of cavalry in the name of the Pope—­“men who were perfectly trustworthy and prepared to carry out whatever commands they received.”

After the cavalcade had set forth, Francesco sent a message to Lorenzo de’ Medici, suggesting that it might be agreeable to all parties if he could see his way to entertain the Cardinal.  Both he and the Archbishop, who was in the company of the Cardinal, knew very well that the proposition would be cordially entertained by the hospitable Magnifico.

As they had anticipated, no sooner had the news reached Florence that the distinguished visitors were approaching the city, than a dignified deputation of Signori set out to meet them, conveying a courteous invitation to be Lorenzo’s guests at Fiesole.