, and to
prove, by copious references to authorities both sacred and profane,
that women should be allowed entire liberty in their choice of a career.
Incidentally, she cursed most thoroughly the fathers who compelled their
daughters to take the veil in spite of their expressed unwillingness.
Perhaps the most important of these protests, which was given an Elzevir
edition in 1654, was entitled _Innocence Deceived, or The Tyranny of
Parents_. This special edition was dedicated to God, and bore the
epigraph: "Compulsory devotion is not agreeable to God!" Another of
these books was entitled _The Hell of Convent Life_, and these titles
are certainly enough to show that she set about her task of
religious--or, rather, social--reform with a most fervid, though
somewhat bitter, zeal. Naturally, these open criticisms caused a great
scandal in ecclesiastical circles, and many vigorous attempts were made
to reconcile the recalcitrant nun and induce her to modify her views.
Finally, moved by the pious exhortations of the patriarch, Federigo
Cornaro, she became somewhat resigned to her fate. Then it was said of
her that "she abandoned the pomp of fine garments, which had possessed
so great a charm for her," and the records show that the last years of
her life were spent in an endeavor to atone for the extravagances of her
youthful conduct. A number of devout books were produced by her during
this time, and among them the following curious titles may be noticed:
_The Paved Road to Heaven_ and _The Purgatory of Unhappily Married
Women_.

A somewhat similar case of petty tyranny, and one which was soon the
talk of all Europe, is the pathetic story of Roberto Acciaiuoli and
Elizabetta Marmorai. These two young people loved each other in spite of
the fact that Elizabetta was the wife of Giulio Berardi; when the latter
died, everyone supposed that the lovers would marry, and such was their
intention, but they found an unexpected obstacle in their path, for
Roberto's uncle, the Cardinal Acciaiuoli, had other views on the
subject. It was his desire that his nephew should contract a marriage
with some wealthy Roman family whose influence might aid him to become
pope. The young man refused to further this project in any way, and
insisted upon marrying the woman of his choice; the cardinal, in
despair, had to fall back upon the assistance of his ruling prince,
Cosmo II., Grand Duke of Tuscany. Cosmo, unwilling to offend this
prelate who migh