WELL, to return to the subject of my bed; when Bozza and Pedignone came,
I always told them to give it a wide berth, so as not to dirty and spoil
it for me. Now and then, just to irritate me, they would touch it
lightly, upon which I cried: “Ah, dirty cowards! I’ll lay my hand on one
of your swords there, and will do you a mischief that will make you
wonder. Do you think you are fit to touch the bed of a man like me? When
I chastise you I shall not heed my own life, for I am certain to take
yours. Let me alone then with my troubles and my tribulations, and don’t
give me more annoyance than I have already; if not, I shall make you see
what a desperate man is able to do.” These words they reported to the
castellan, who gave them express orders never to go near my bed, and
when they came to me, to come without swords, but for the rest to keep a
watchful guard upon me.
Having thus secured my bed from meddlers, I felt as though the main
point was gained; for there lay all things needful to my venture. It
happened on the evening of a certain feast-day that the castellan was
seriously indisposed; his humours grew extravagant; he kept repeating
that he was a bat, and if they heard that Benvenuto had flown away, they
must let him go to catch me up, since he could fly by night most
certainly as well or better than myself; for it was thus he argued:
“Benvenuto is a counterfeit bat, but I am a real one; and since he is
committed to my care, leave me to act; I shall be sure to catch him.” He
had passed several nights in this frenzy, and had worn out all his
servants, whereof I received full information through divers channels,
but especially from the Savoyard, who was my friend at heart.
On the evening of that feast-day, then, I made my mind up to escape,
come what might; and first I prayed most devoutly to God, imploring His
Divine Majesty to protect and succour me in that so perilous a venture.
Afterwards I set to work at all the things I needed, and laboured the
whole of the night. It was two hours before daybreak when at last I
removed those hinges with the greatest toil; but the wooden panel itself
and the bolt too offered such resistance that I could not open the door;
so I had to cut into the wood; yet in the end I got it open, and
shouldering the strips of linen which I had rolled up like bundles of
flax upon two sticks, I went forth and directed my steps towards the
latrines of the keep. Spying from within two tiles upon the roof, I was
able at once to clamber up with ease. I wore a white doublet with a pair
of white hose and a pair of half boots, into which I had stuck the
poniard I have mentioned.
After scaling the roof, I took one end of my linen roll and attached it
to a piece of antique tile which was built into the fortress wall; it
happened to jut out scarcely four fingers. In order to fix the band, I
gave it the form of a stirrup. When I had attached it to that piece of
tile, I turned to God and said: “Lord God, give aid to my good cause;
you know that it is good; you see that I am aiding myself.” Then I let
myself go gently by degrees, supporting myself with the sinews of my
arms, until I touched the ground. There was no moonshine, but the light
of a fair open heaven. When I stood upon my feet on solid earth, I
looked up at the vast height which I had descended with such spirit, and
went gladly away, thinking I was free. But this was not the case; for
the castellan on that side of the fortress had built two lofty walls,
the space between which he used for stable and henyard; the place was
barred with thick iron bolts outside. I was terribly disgusted to find
there was no exit from this trap; but while I paced up and down debating
what to do, I stumbled on a long pole which was covered up with straw.
Not without great trouble I succeeded in placing it against the wall,
and then swarmed up it by the force of my arms until I reached the top.
But since the wall ended in a sharp ridge, I had not strength enough to
drag the pole up after me. Accordingly I made my mind up to use a
portion of the second roll of linen which I had there; the other was
left hanging from the keep of the castle. So I cut a piece off, tied it
to the pole, and clambered down the wall, enduring the utmost toil and
fatigue. I was quite exhausted, and had, moreover, flayed the inside of
my hands, which bled freely. This compelled me to rest awhile, and I
bathed my hands in my own urine. When I thought that my strength was
recovered, I advanced quickly toward the last rampart, which faces
toward Prati. There I put my bundle of linen lines down upon the ground,
meaning to fasten them round a battlement, and descend the lesser as I
had the greater height. But no sooner had I placed the linen, than I
became aware behind me of a sentinel, who was going the rounds. Seeing
my designs interrupted and my life in peril, I resolved to face the
guard. This fellow, when he noticed my bold front, and that I was
marching on him with weapon in hand, quickened his pace and gave me a
wide berth. I had left my lines some little way behind; so I turned with
hasty steps to regain them; and though I came within sight of another
sentinel, he seemed as though he did not choose to take notice of me.
Having found my lines and attached them to the battlement, I let myself
go. On the descent, whether it was that I thought I had really come to
earth and relaxed my grasp to jump, or whether my hands were so tired
that they could not keep their hold, at any rate I fell, struck my head
in falling, and lay stunned for more than an hour and a half, so far as
I could judge.
It was just upon daybreak, when the fresh breeze which blows an hour
before the sun revived me; yet I did not immediately recover my senses,
for I thought my head had been cut off and fancied that I was in
purgatory. With time, little by little, my faculties returned, and I
perceived that I was outside the castle, and in a flash remembered all
my adventures. I was aware of the wound in my head before I knew my leg
was broken; for I put my hands up, and withdrew them covered with blood.
Then I searched the spot well, and judged and ascertained that I had
sustained no injury of consequence there; but when I wanted to stand up,
I discovered that my right leg was broken three inches above the heel.
Not even this dismayed me: I drew forth my poniard with its scabbard;
the latter had a metal point ending in a large ball, which had caused
the fracture of my leg; for the bone, coming into violent contact with
the ball, and not being able to bend, had snapped at that point. I threw
the sheath away, and with the poniard cut a piece of the linen which I
had left. Then I bound my leg up as well as I could, and crawled on all
fours with the poniard in my hand toward the city gate. When I reached
it, I found it shut; but I noticed a stone just beneath the door which
did not appear to be very firmly fixed. This I attempted to dislodge;
after setting my hands to it, and feeling it move, it easily gave way,
and I drew it out. Through the gap thus made I crept into the town.