uare。　The　complaints　of　the　merchants　and　artisans　were　vain；　　the　Papal　Governors　and　nipoti　held　their　tongues；　or　took　themselves　　off　on　the　first　opportunity。　At　last　the　Oddi　were　forced　to　abandon　　Perugia；　and　the　city　became　a　beleaguered　fortress　under　the　absolute　　despotism　of　the　Baglioni；　who　used　even　the　cathedral　as　barracks。　　Plots　and　surprises　were　met　with　cruel　vengeance；　in　the　year　1491　　after　130　conspirators；　who　had　forced　their　way　into　the　city；　were　　killed　and　hung　up　at　the　Palazzo　Communale；　thirty…five　altars　were　　erected　in　the　square；　and　for　three　days　mass　was　performed　and　　processions　held；　to　take　away　the　curse　which　rested　on　the　spot。　A　　nipote　of　Innocent　VIII　was　in　open　day　run　through　in　the　street。　A　　nipote　of　Alexander　VI；　who　was　sent　to　smooth　matters　over；　was　　dismissed　with　public　contempt。　All　the　while　the　two　leaders　of　the　　ruling　house；　Guido　and　Ridolfo；　were　holding　frequent　interviews　with　　Suor　Colomba　of　Rieti；　a　Dominican　nun　of　saintly　reputation　and　　miraculous　powers；　who　under　penalty　of　some　great　disaster　ordered　　them　to　make　peace　naturally　in　vain。　Nevertheless　the　chronicle　takes　　the　opportunity　to　point　out　the　devotion　and　piety　of　the　better　men　　in　Perugia　during　this　reign　of　terror。　When　in　1494　Charles　VIII　　approached；　the　Baglioni　from　Perugia　and　the　exiles　encamped　in　and　　near　Assisi　conducted　the　war　with　such　ferocity　that　every　house　in　　the　valley　was　levelled　to　the　ground。　The　fields　lay　untilled。　the　　peasants　were　turned　into　plundering　and　murdering　savages；　the　fresh…　grown　bushes　were　filled　with　stags　and　wolves；　and　the　beasts　grew　fat　　on　the　bodies　of　the　slain；　on　so…called　'Christian　flesh。'　When　　Alexander　VI　withdrew　（1495）　into　Umbria　before　Charles　VIII；　then　　returning　from　Naples；　it　occurred　to　him；　when　at　Perugia；　that　he　　might　now　rid　himself　of　the　Baglioni　once　for　all；　he　proposed　to　　Guido　a　festival　or　tournament；　or　something　else　of　the　same　kind；　　which　would　bring　the　whole　family　together。　Guido；　however；　was　of　　opinion　'that　the　most　impressive　spectacle　of　all　would　be　to　see　the　　whole　military　force　of　Perugia　collected　in　a　body；'　whereupon　the　　Pope　abandoned　his　project。　Soon　after；　the　exiles　made　another　attack　　in　which　nothing　but　the　personal　heroism　of　the　Baglioni　won　them　the　　victory。　It　was　then　that　Simonetto　Baglione；　a　lad　of　scarcely　　eighteen；　fought　in　the　square　with　a　handful　of　followers　against　　hundreds　of　the　enemy：　he　fell　at　last　with　more　than　twenty　wounds；　　but　recovered　himself　when　Astorre　Baglione　came　to　his　help；　and　　mounting　on　horseback　in　gilded　amour　with　a　falcon　on　his　helmet；　　'like　Mars　in　bearing　and　in　deeds；　plunged　into　the　struggle。'
  At　that　time　Raphael；　a　boy　of　twelve　years　of　age；　was　at　school　under　　Pietro　Perugino。　The　impressions　of　these　days　are　perhaps　immortalized　　in　the　small；　early　pictures　of　St。　Michael　and　St。　George：　something　　of　them；　it　may　be；　lives　eternally　in　the　large　painting　of　St。　　Michael：　and　if　Astorre　Baglione　has　anywhere　found　his　apotheosis；　it　　is　in　the　figure　of　the　heavenly　horseman　in　the　Heliodorus。
  The　opponents　of　the　Baglioni　were　partly　destroyed；　partly　scattered　　in　terror；　and　were　henceforth　incapable　of　another　enterprise　of　the　　kind。　After　a　time　a　partial　reconciliation　took　place；　and　some　of　the　　exiles　were　allowed　to　return。　But　Perugia　became　none　the　safer　or　　more　tranquil：　the　inward　discord　of　the　ruling　family　broke　out　in　　frightful　excesses。　An　opposition　was　formed　against　Guido　and　Ridolfo　　and　their　sons　Gianpaolo；　Simonetto；　Astorre；　Gismondo；　Gentile；　　Marcantonio　and　others；　by　two　great…nephews；　Grifone　and　Carlo　　Barciglia；　the　latter　of　the　two　was　also　nephew　of　Varano　Prince　of　　Camerino；　and　brother…in…law　of　one　of　the　former　exiles；　Gerolamo　　della　Penna。　In　vain　did　Simonetto；　warned　by　sinister　presentiment；　　entreat　his　uncle　on　his　knees　to　allow　him　to　put　Penna　to　death：　　Guido　refused。　The　plot　ripened　suddenly　on　the　occasion　of　the　　marriage　of　Astorre　with　Lavinia　Colonna；　at　Midsummer；　1500。　The　　festival　began　and　lasted　several　days　amid　gloomy　forebodings；　whose　　deepening　effect　is　admirably　described　by　Matarazzo。　Varano　himself　　encouraged　them　with　devilish　ingenuity：　he　worked　upon　Grifone　by　the　　prospect　of　undivided　authority；　and　by　stories　of　an　imaginary　　intrigue　of　his　wife　Zenobia　with　Gianpaolo。　Finally　each　conspirator　　was　provided　with　a　victim。　（The　Baglioni　lived　all　of　them　in　separate　　houses；　mostly　on　the　site　of　the　pre　sent　castle。）　Each　received　　fifteen　of　the　bravos　at　hand；　the　remainder　were　set　on　the　watch。　In　　the　night　of　July　15　the　doors　were　forced；　and　Guido；　Astorre；　　Simonetto；　and　Gismondo　were　murdered；　the　others　succeeded　in　　escaping。
  As　the　corpse　of　Astorre　lay　by　that　of　Simonetto　in　the　street；　the　　spectators；　'and　especially　the　foreign　students；'　compared　him　to　an　　ancient　Roman；　so　great　and　imposing　did　he　seem。　In　the　features　of　　Simonetto　could　still　be　traced　the　audacity　and　defiance　which　death　　itself　had　not　tamed。　The　victors　went　round　among　the　friends　of　the　　family；　and　did　their　best　to　recommend　themselves；　they　found　all　in　　tears　and　preparing　to　leave　for　the　country。　Meantime　the　escaped　　Baglioni　collected　forces　without　the　city；　and　on　the　following　day　　forced　their　way　in；　Gianpaolo　at　their　head；　and　speedily　found　　adherents　among　others　whom　Barciglia　had　been　threatening　with　death。　　When　Grifone　fell　into　their　hands　near　Sant'　Ercolano；　Gianpaolo　　handed　him　over　for　execution　to　his　followers。　Barciglia　and　Penna　　fled　to　Varano；　the　chief　author　of　the　tragedy；　at　Camerino；　and　in　a　　moment；　almost　without　loss；　Gianpaolo　became　master　of　the　city。
  Atalanta；　the　still　young　and　beautiful　mother　of　Grifone；　who　the　day　　before　had　withdrawn　to　a　country　house　with　the　latter's　wife　Zenobia　　and　two　children　of　Gianpaolo；　and　more　than　once　had　repulsed　her　son　　with　a　mother's　curse；　now　returned　with　her　daughter…in…law　in　search　　of　the　dying　man。　All　stood　aside　as　the　two　women　approached；　each　man　　shrinking　from　being　recognized　as　the　slayer　of　Grifone；　and　dreading　　the　malediction　of　the　mother。　But　they　were　deceived：　she　herself　　besought　her　son　to　pardon　him　who　had　dealt　the　fatal　blow；　and　he　　died　with　her　blessing。　The　eyes　of　the　crowd　followed　the　two　women　　reverently　as　they　crossed　the　square　with　blood…stained　garments。　It　　was　Atalanta　for　whom　Raphael　afterwards　painted　the　world…famous　　'Deposition；'　with　which　she　laid　her　own　maternal　sorrows　at　the　feet　　of　a　yet　higher　and　holier　suffering。
  The　cathedral；　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　which　the　greater　part　　of　this　tragedy　had　been　enacted；　was　washed　with　wine　and　consecrated　　afresh。　The　triumphal　arch；　erected　for　the　wedding；　still　remained　　standing；　painted　with　the　deeds　of　Astorre　and　with　the　laudatory　　verses　of　the　narrator　of　these　events；　the　worthy　Matarazzo。
  A　legendary　history；　which　is　simply　the　reflection　of　these　　atrocities；　arose　out　of　the　early　days　of　the　Baglioni。　All　the　　members　of　this　family　from　the　beginning　were　reported　to　have　died　an　　evil　death　twenty…seven　on　one　occasion　together；　their　houses　were　　said　to　have　been　once　before　levelled　to　the　ground；　and　the　streets　　of　Perugia　paved　with　the　bricks　and　more　of　the　same　kind。　Under　Paul　　III　the　destruction　of　their　palaces　really　took　place。
  For　a　time　they　seemed　to　have　formed　good　resolutions；　to　have　brought　　their　own　party　into　power；　and　to　have　protected　the　public　officials　　against　the　arbitrary　acts　of　the　nobility。　But　the　old　curse　broke　out　　again　like　a　smoldering　fire。　In　1520　Gianpaolo　was　enticed　to　Rome　　under　Leo　X；　and　there　beheaded；　one　of　his　sons；　Orazio；　who　ruled　in　　Perugia　for　a　short　time　only；　and　by　the　most　violent　means；　as　the　　partisan　of　the　Duke　of　Urbino　（himself　threatened　by　the　Pope）；　once　　before　repeated　in　his　own　family　the　horrors　of　the　past。　His　uncle　　and　three　cousins　were　murdered；　whereupon　the　Duke　sent　him　word　that　　enough　had　been　done。　His　brother；　Malatesta　Baglione；　the　Florentine　　general；　has　made　himself　immortal　by　the　treason　of　1530；　and　　Malatesta's　son　Ridolfo；　the　last　of　the　house；　attained；　by　the　murder　　of　the　legate　and　the　public　officers　in　the　year　1534；　a　brief　but　　sanguinary　authority。　We　shall　meet　again　with　the　names　of　the　rulers　　of　Rimini。　Unscrupulousness；　impiety；　military　skill；　and　high　culture　　have　been　seldom　combined　in　one　individual　as　in　Sigismondo　Malatesta　　（d。　1467）。　But　the　accumulated　crimes　of　such　a　family　must　at　last　　outweigh　all　talent；　however　great；　and　drag　the　tyrant　into　the　abyss。　　Pandolfo；　Sigismondo's　nephew；　who　has　been　mentioned　already；　　succeeded　in　holding　his　ground；　for　the　sole　reason　that　the　Venetians　　refused　to　abandon　their　Condottiere；　whatever　guilt　he　might　be　　chargeable　with；　when　his　subjects　（1497）；　after　ample　provocation；　　bombarded　him　in　his　castle　at　Rimini；　and　afterwards　allowed　him　to　　escape；　a　Venetian　commissioner　brought　him　back；　stained　as　he　was　　with　fratricide　and　every　other　abomination。　Thirty　years　later　the　　Malatesta　were