PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

_The Pazzi Conspiracy_--Lorenzo, "_Il Magnifico_"--Giuliano, "_Il
Pensieroso_".

CHAPTER II

_The First Tyrannicide_--Ippolito, "_Il Cardinale_"--Alessandro, "_Il
Negro_"--Lorenzino, "_Il Terribile_".

CHAPTER III

_A Father's Vengeance_--Maria, Giovanni, and Garzia de'
Medici--Malatesta de' Malatesti.

CHAPTER IV

_Three Murdered Princesses_--Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara and Creole de'
Contrari--Eleanora Garzia, wife of Piero de Medici, Alessandro Gaci, and
Bernardino degl' Antinori--Isabella, Duchess of Bracciano--Troilo
d'Orsini and Lelio Torello.

CHAPTER V

_True and False Lovers_--Francesco, "_Il Virtuoso_"--Bianca Cappello,
"_La Figlia di Venezia_"--Pietro Buonaventuri--Cassandra de'
Borghiani--Pellegrina Buonaventuri, wife of Ulisse Bentivoglio--Antonio
Riario.

CHAPTER VI

_Pathetic Victims of Fateful Passion_--Eleanora degli Albizzi and Sforza
Almeni--Cammilla de' Martelli--Virginia de' Medici e d'Este--Cardinal
Ferdinando de' Medici.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

CHART OF THE TRAGEDIES

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Bianca Cappello-Buonaventuri
Giovanni d'Averardo de' Medici
"Journey of the Magi" (Medici)
"Adoration of the Magi" (Medici)
Lucrezia de' Medici
Lorenzo Il Magnifico
Giuliano Il Pensieroso
Ippolito--Cardinal
Alessandro--First Duke of Florence
Giovanni--"Delle Bande Nere"
Eleanora de' Medici
Maria Lucrezia de' Medici
Giovanni--Cardinal
Garzia de' Medici
Lucrezia--Duchess of Ferrara
Eleanora--Wife of Piero de' Medici
Piero de' Medici
Isabella--Duchess of Bracciano
Francesco--Grand Duke of Tuscany
Giovanna de' Medici
Don Antonio "de' Medici"
Pellegrina Buonaventuri-Bentivoglio
Cosimo I--"Tyrant of Tyrants"
Cammilla de' Medici
Ferdinando de' Medici--Cardinal

INTRODUCTION

The origin of the Medici family is lost in the mists of the Middle Ages,
and, only here and there, can the historian gain glimpses of the lives
of early forbears. Still, there is sufficient data, to be had for the
digging, upon which to transcribe, inferentially at least, an
interesting narrative.

Away towards the end of the twelfth century,--exact dates are wholly
beside the mark--there dwelt, under the shadow of one of the rugged
castles of the robber-captains of the Mugello in Tuscany, a hard-working
and trustworthy bonds-man--one Chiarissimo--"Old Honesty," as we may
call him. He was married to an excellent helpmeet, and was by his lord
permitte