s
such as beseemed a lady of honour and a tender heart on beholding one,
whom she would fain have saved, perish through trust in her own plighted
faith. Still less is it possible to describe the deep affliction of the
unhappy gentleman, the maiden's lover, who failed not to do all that
in him lay to save his sweetheart's life, offering to give his own for
hers; but no feeling of pity moved the heart of this Duke, whose only
happiness was that of avenging himself on those whom he hated. (4)

4 That Francesco-Maria was a man of a hasty, violent
temperament is certain. Much that Guicciardini relates of
him was doubtless penned in a spirit of resentment, for
during the time the historian lived at Urbino the Duke
repeatedly struck him, and on one occasion felled him to the
ground, with the sneering remark, "Your business is to
confer with pedants." On the other hand, however, there is
independent documentary evidence in existence--notably
among the Urbino MSS. in the Vatican library--which shows
that Francesco-Maria in no wise recoiled from shedding
blood. He was yet in his teens when it was reported to him
that his sister--the widow of Venanzio of Camerino, killed
by Caesar Borgia--had secretly married a certain Giovanni
Andrea of Verona and borne him a son. Watching his
opportunity, Francesco-Maria set upon the unfortunate Andrea
one day in the ducal chamber and then and there killed him,
though not without resistance, for Andrea only succumbed
after receiving _four-and-twenty_ stabs with his murderer's
poignard (Urbino MSS. Vat. No. 904). A few years later, in
1511, Francesco-Maria assassinated the Papal Legate
Alidosio, Cardinal Archbishop of Pavia, whom he encountered
in the environs of Bologna riding his mule and followed by a
hundred light horse. Nevertheless Urbino, with only a small
retinue, galloped up to him, plunged a dagger into his
stomach and fled before the soldiery could intervene. From
these examples it will be seen that, although history has
preserved no record of the affair related by Queen Margaret,
her narrative may well be a true one.--Ed.

Thus, in spite of every law of honour, was the innocent maiden put to
death by this cruel Duke, to the exceeding sorrow of all that knew her.

"See, ladies, what are the effects of wickedness when this is combined
with pow