irst grand-duke) of murdering
Alessandro's son. Cosmo, as jealous of his power as Charles V. was of
his, abdicated in favor of his son Francesco, after causing the death
of his other son, Garcia, to avenge the death of Cardinal Giovanni
de' Medici, whom Garcia had assassinated. Cosmo the First and his son
Francesco, who ought to have been devoted, body and soul, to the house
of France, the only power on which they might really have relied,
made themselves the lacqueys of Charles V. and Philip II., and were
consequently the secret, base, and perfidious enemies of Catherine de'
Medici, one of the glories of their house.

Such were the leading contradictory and illogical traits, the treachery,
knavery, and black intrigues of a single house, that of the Medici. From
this sketch, we may judge of the other princes of Italy and Europe.
All the envoys of Cosmos I. to the court of France had, in their secret
instructions, an order to poison Strozzi, Catherine's relation, when he
arrived. Charles V. had already assassinated three of the ambassadors of
Francois I.

It was early in the month of October, 1533, that the _Duca della citta
di Penna_ started from Florence for Livorno, accompanied by the sole
heiress of Lorenzo II., namely, Catherine de' Medici. The duke and the
Princess of Florence, for that was the title by which the young girl,
then fourteen years of age, was known, left the city surrounded by a
large retinue of servants, officers, and secretaries, preceded by armed
men, and followed by an escort of cavalry. The young princess knew
nothing as yet of what her fate was to be, except that the Pope was to
have an interview at Livorno with the Duke Alessandro; but her uncle,
Filippo Strozzi, very soon informed her of the future before her.

Filippo Strozzi had married Clarice de' Medici, half-sister on
the father's side of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, father of
Catherine; but this marriage, which was brought about as much to convert
one of the firmest supporters of the popular party to the cause of the
Medici as to facilitate the recall of that family, then banished from
Florence, never shook the stern champion from his course, though he
was persecuted by his own party for making it. In spite of all apparent
changes in his conduct (for this alliance naturally affected it
somewhat) he remained faithful to the popular party, and declared
himself openly against the Medici as soon as he foresaw their intention
to ens