The Prince was arrested and interrogated before the court of Padua. He
entered their hall attended by forty armed men, responded haughtily to
their questions and demanded free passage for his courier to Virginio
Orsini, then at Florence. To this demand the court acceded; but the
precaution of waylaying the courier and searching his person was very
wisely taken. Besides some formal despatches which announced Vittoria's
assassination, they found in this man's boot a compromising letter,
declaring Virginio a party to the crime, and asserting that Lodovico had
with his own poignard killed their victim. Padua placed itself in a
state of defense, and prepared to besiege the palace of Prince Lodovico,
who also got himself in readiness for battle. Engines, culverins, and
fire-brands were directed against the barricades which he had raised.
The militia was called out and the Brenta was strongly guarded.
Meanwhile the Senate of S. Mark had despatched the Avogadore, Aloisio
Bragadin, with full power, to the scene of action. Lodovico Orsini, it
may be mentioned, was in their service: and had not this affair
intervened, he would in a few weeks have entered on his duties as
Governor for Venice of Corfu.

The bombardment of Orsini's palace began on Christmas Day. Three of the
Prince's men were killed in the first assault; and since the artillery
brought to bear upon him threatened speedy ruin to the house and its
inhabitants, he made up his mind to surrender. 'The Prince Luigi,'
writes one chronicler of these events, 'walked attired in brown, his
poignard at his side, and his cloak slung elegantly under his arm. The
weapon being taken from him he leaned upon a balustrade, and began to
trim his nails with a little pair of scissors he happened to find
there.'

On the 27th he was strangled in prison by order of the Venetian
Republic. His body was carried to be buried, according to his own will,
in the church of S. Maria dell'Orto at Venice. Two of his followers were
hanged next day. Fifteen were executed on the following Monday; two of
these were quartered alive; one of them the Conte Paganello, who
confessed to having slain Vittoria, had his left side probed with his
own cruel dagger. Eight were condemned to the galleys, six to prison,
and eleven were acquitted.

Thus ended this terrible affair, which brought, it is said, good credit,
and renown to the lords of Venice through all nations of the civilized
world. It only remains to be