9 7 . ▁If ▁The odore ' s ▁own ▁later ▁account ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁believed , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁in ▁ex ile ▁was ▁spent ▁fighting ▁for ▁the ▁Protest ants ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁alongside ▁the ▁famous ▁general ▁Maurice ▁of ▁N ass au . ▁The odore ▁arrived ▁in ▁England ▁as ▁an ▁assass in , ▁h ired ▁to ▁track ▁down ▁and ▁kill ▁All es andro ▁Ant el min elli , ▁a ▁ 2 5 - year ▁old ▁citiz en ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Lu cca ▁in ▁Italy . ▁Ant el min elli ' s ▁father ▁and ▁three ▁brothers ▁had ▁been ▁captured , ▁tort ured ▁and ▁executed ▁in ▁Lu cca ▁on ▁charges ▁of ▁tre ason ▁one ▁year ▁prior . ▁Though ▁Ant el min elli ▁had ▁been ▁absent ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁supposed ▁crime , ▁he ▁had ▁non eth eless ▁been ▁sum mon ed ▁to ▁stand ▁trial ▁for ▁his ▁supposed ▁comp licity , ▁and ▁understanding ▁that ▁being ▁at ▁the ▁trial ▁would ▁mean ▁certain ▁execution , ▁he ▁had ▁instead ▁fled ▁to ▁England ▁and ▁assumed ▁the ▁alias ▁of ▁" Am berg io ▁Salv etti ", ▁claim ing ▁to ▁be ▁From ▁Florence ▁and ▁not ▁Lu cca . ▁As ▁" Sal v etti ", ▁Ant el min elli ▁became ▁a ▁com rade ▁of ▁the ▁diplom at ▁and ▁poet ▁Henry ▁W ot ton . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 4 0 ▁years ▁old , ▁The odore ▁was ▁by ▁this ▁point ▁in ▁time ▁well - est ab lished ▁as ▁an ▁assass in . ▁At ▁some ▁point ▁between ▁ 1 5 7 8 ▁and