wrote and spoke with ease. Spanish seemed to come to her
naturally, greatly to the delight of her mother the Duchess, and French
she acquired with similar success.

With her facile pen she could design and draw what she willed, with as
great freedom as she applied to musical notation. Indeed, there seemed
to be no art in which she could not distinguish herself, and she
received encouragement from all the most famous artists of her father's
Court. One of her panegyrists has written thus of Princess Isabella:
"Suffice it to say, that she was esteemed by all--strangers as well as
those about her--a perfect casket of virtue and knowledge. She was
greatly beloved, not only by her parents, but by the whole of the people
of Florence."

Added to her mental accomplishments, which developed with her physical
growth, the Princess exhibited all the charm of a beautiful face and
graceful figure, and, when she reached the ripe age,--for Florence,--of
twelve, she was the most lovely and attractive young girl in Italy.
Reports of her beauty and talent were current in all the Courts of
Europe, and many princely fathers of eligible sons made inquiries about
her fortune; whilst many an amorous young Prince found his way to
Florence, to judge for himself of the charms of the fair young girl.

Duke Cosimo was not the man to give his comely daughter away at random:
indeed he cherished the thought of keeping her in Florence and by his
side, so courtly refusals of proffered hands, and hearts, and crowns,
were dealt out to one and all the suitors. Pope Paul IV., who was on the
best of terms with Duke Cosimo, and never forgot what he owed in his
elevation to the Papal throne to his friend's influence, conceived a
matrimonial project for youthful Isabella. At his Court was a young man
of illustrious descent, good attainments, the heir to vast possessions,
and a devoted adherent of the Holy See--Paolo Giordano d'Orsini.

The Orsini were split up into many branches, but the family was one of
the most ancient and honourable in Rome. Signore Girolamo d'Orsini,
father of Paolo Giordano, was lord of Bracciano and Anguillaria, and of
the country around Civita Vecchia. When only twelve years old, he had
been named by Pope Leo X. to the honorary command of a Papal regiment of
cavalry. When still in his teens the youth served with distinction in
France and in the Neapolitan war; and, on attaining his majority, he was
sent with a detachment of troops to