th the Venetians and Florentines, which had
been effected by the influence of Annibale, after they had driven
out Francesco Piccinino; and Battista, knowing how earnestly the duke
desired to have the city favorable to him, proposed to assassinate
Annibale, and put Bologna into his power. This being agreed upon, on the
twenty-fifth of June, 1445, he attacked Annibale with his men, and slew
him: and then, with shouts of "the duke, the duke," rode through the
city. The Venetian and Florentine commissaries were in Bologna at the
time, and at first kept themselves within doors; but finding that the
people, instead of favoring the murderers, assembled in the piazza,
armed in great numbers, mourning the death of Annibale, they joined
them; and, assembling what forces they could, attacked the Canneschi,
soon overpowered them, slew part, and drove the remainder out of the
city. Battista, unable to effect his escape, or his enemies his capture,
took refuge in a vault of his house, used for storing grain. The friends
of the Bentivogli, having sought him all day, and knowing he had not
left the city, so terrified his servants, that one of them, a groom,
disclosed the place of his concealment, and being drawn forth in
complete armor he was slain, his body dragged about the streets, and
afterward burned. Thus the duke's authority was sufficient to prompt the
enterprise, but his force was not at hand to support it.

The tumults being settled by the death of Battista, and the flight of
the Canneschi, Bologna still remained in the greatest confusion. There
not being one of the house of Bentivogli of age to govern, Annibale
having left but one son whose name was Giovanni, only six years old,
it was apprehended that disunion would ensue among the Bentivogli,
and cause the return of the Cannecshi, and the ruin both of their own
country and party. While in this state of apprehension, Francesco,
sometime Count di Poppi, being at Bologna, informed the rulers of
the city, that if they wished to be governed by one of the blood of
Annibale, he could tell them of one; and related that about twenty years
ago, Ercole, cousin of Annibale, being at Poppi, became acquainted with
a girl of the castle, of whom was born a son named Santi, whom Ercole,
on many occasions acknowledged to be his own, nor could he deny it,
for whoever knew him and saw the boy, could not fail to observe the
strongest resemblance. The citizens gave credit to the tale, and
immed