A second convenient occasion for murdering Lorenzo soon seemed to offer.  He was bidden to dine with Monsignor della Casa; and Bibboni, putting a bold face on, entered the Legate’s palace, having left Bebo below in the loggia, fully resolved to do the business.  ’But we found,’ he says, ’that, they had gone to dine at Murano, so that we remained with our tabors in their bag.’  The island of Murano at that period was a favourite resort of the Venetian nobles, especially of the more literary and artistic, who kept country-houses there, where they enjoyed the fresh air of the lagoons and the quiet of their gardens.

The third occasion, after all these weeks of watching, brought success to Bibboni’s schemes.  He had observed how Lorenzo occasionally so far broke his rules of caution as to go on foot, past the church of San Polo, to visit the beautiful Barozza; and he resolved, if possible, to catch him on one of these journeys.  ’It so chanced on the 28th of February, which was the second Sunday of Lent, that having gone, as was my wont, to pry out whether Lorenzo would give orders for going abroad that day, I entered the shoemaker’s shop, and stayed awhile, until Lorenzo came to the window with a napkin round his neck for he was combing his hair—­and at the same moment I saw a certain Giovan Battista Martelli, who kept his sword for the defence of Lorenzo’s person, enter and come forth again.  Concluding that they would probably go abroad, I went home to get ready and procure the necessary weapons, and there I found Bebo asleep in bed, and made him get up at once, and we came to our accustomed post of observation, by the church of San Polo, where our men would have to pass.’  Bibboni now retired to his friend the shoemaker’s, and Bebo took up his station at one of the side-doors of San Polo; ’and, as good luck would have it, Giovan Battista Martelli came forth, and walked a piece in front, and then Lorenzo came, and then Alessandro Soderini, going the one behind the other, like storks, and Lorenzo, on entering the church, and lifting up the curtain of the door, was seen from the opposite door by Bebo, who at the same time noticed how I had left the shop, and so we met upon the street as we had agreed, and he told me that Lorenzo was inside the church.’

To any one who knows the Campo di San Polo, it will be apparent that Lorenzo had crossed from the western side of the piazza and entered the church by what is technically called its northern door.  Bebo, stationed at the southern door, could see him when he pushed the heavy stoia or leather curtain aside, and at the same time could observe Bibboni’s movements in the cobbler’s shop.  Meanwhile Lorenzo walked across the church and came to the same door where Bebo had been standing.  ’I saw him issue from the church and take the main street; then came Alessandro Soderini, and I walked last of all; and when we reached the point we had determined on, I jumped in front of Alessandro with the poignard