These three friars were all of them Servites; and it appears that the General looked with approval on their undertaking.

The upshot of the traffic was that Fra Antonio, having ready access to Sarpi's apartments and person, agreed either to murder him with a razor or to put poison in his food, or, what was finally determined on, to introduce a couple of assassins into his bedchamber at night.

An accident revealed the plot, and placed a voluminous cyphered correspondence in the hands of the Venetian Inquisitor of State.

Fra Fulgenzio significantly adds that of all the persons incriminated by these letters, none, with the exception of the General of the Servites, was under the rank of Cardinal.

The wording of his sentence is intentionally obscure, but one expression seems even to point at the Pope.[148] [Footnote 147: _Vita di F.Paolo_, pp.