cting her manner of life, which the
trusty private secretary poured into the perhaps too ready ears of his
master.

The solution, however, of Cosimo's dilemma came quite suddenly from a
perfectly unexpected quarter--from the Pitti Palace. Francesco and
Giovanna had never ceased trying to detach the old debauchee from his
lascivious entanglements. His conduct was fatal to the reputation and
the authority of his successor.

On 17th July a party of young men of good family riding out of one of
the gates of the city, encountered another like company. One of the
former, Carlo de' Panciatichi, accidentally cannoned against Jacopo
d'Antonio, and the latter dismounted and demanded satisfaction for the
presumed insult. A duel was promptly arranged, in which young
Panciatichi dealt his opponent a fatal blow with his dagger. D'Antonio
fell and was carried to the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, where he died
three days after.

By Duke Cosimo's recent enactment, such an occurrence was counted as a
criminal offence, which required purgation by the payment of a heavy
fine, failure to pay being punished by sentence of death. The _Otto di
Guardia e Balia_ met and deliberated the matter, and imposed a fine of
four thousand gold lire. This sum Messer Bartolommeo de' Panciatichi,
Carlo's father, was unable to pay, and, in consequence, the lad was
required to surrender himself for incarceration in the dungeons of the
Bargello.

Carlo de' Panciatichi failed to report himself, and his sentence bore
the added punishment for contempt of court. The unhappy father appealed
for mercy, and, because the law of the Ducal Court was superior to that
of the State, threw himself upon the protection of Duke Francesco.

It was woman's wit which now untied the knot twisted about the young
man's throat. The Duchess Giovanna has, by some, been credited with the
origination of the tactful expedient, but some say Bianca Buonaventuri
was its inspiratrix. Anyhow, the solution came in a form agreeable to
all parties concerned, namely, the full pardon of the criminal--on
condition of his immediate marriage with Eleanora degli Albizzi!

Carlo de' Panciatichi was thus made the scapegoat for Duke Cosimo's
intrigue. The sentence of the _Otto_ was quashed by the payment by the
Duke of the heavy fine imposed in the first case; and in response to
Duke Francesco's request, the charge of contempt was withdrawn. Neither
Carlo nor Eleanora were consulted in the matter,