THEnightfellandwaspassedwithoutsleeporrest.Thecitizensweregatheredtogetheronthewalls,talkinganxiously,tryingtopiercethedarknesstoseetherescuingarmyfromRome.Nowandthensomeonethoughtheheardthetrampofcavalryorsawagleamofarmour,andthentheystoodstill,holdingtheirbreaths,listening.Buttheyheardnothing,sawnothing....Otherswereassembledinthepiazza,andwiththemacrowdofwomenandchildrenthechurcheswerefullofwomenprayingandweeping.Thenightseemedendless.Atlastagreaterchillinessoftheairtoldthemthatthedawnwasathandgraduallythedarknessseemedtothinawayintoacoldpallor,andaboveabankofcloudintheeastappearedasicklylight.MoreanxiouslythaneveroureyesturnedtowardsRomethemisthidthecountryfromus,butsomeofthewatchersthoughttheysawablackmass,faraway.Theypointeditouttotheothers,andallwatchedeagerlybuttheblackmassgrewneitherlargernorclearernornearerandasgreatyellowraysshotupabovetheclouds,andthesunroseslowly,wesawtheroadstretchedoutbeforeus,anditwasempty,empty,empty.
Itwasalmostasobthatburstfromthem,andmoaninglytheyaskedwhenhelpwascoming.AtthatmomentamanascendedtherampartsandtoldusthattheprotonotaryhadreceivedaletterfromthePope,inwhichheinformedhimthatreliefwasontheway.Acheerbrokefromus.Atlast!
Thesiegebeganinearnestwithasimultaneousattackonthefourgatesofthetown,buttheywerewelldefended,andtheenemyeasilybeatenoff.Butallatonceweheardagreatsoundoffiring,andshouts,andshrieks,andwesawflamesburstfromtheroofofahouse.InourthoughtofLodovicowehadforgottentheenemyinourmidst,andaterriblepanicbrokeoutwhenitwasfoundthatthecitadelhadopenedfire.TheCastellanhadturnedhiscannononthehousessurroundingthefortress,andthedamagewasterrible.Theinhabitantshurriedoutfortheirlives,takingwiththemtheirchattelsandfledtosaferpartsofthetown.Onehousehadbeensetonfireandforawhilewefearedthatotherswouldcatchandageneralconflagrationbeaddedtoourwoes.Peoplesaiditwasavisitationof