understood that his sons' conduct on this occasion did
not improve their father's disposition towards them, but as their
independent pensions enabled them to keep out of his way, his rage fell
with all the greater intensity on his two unhappy daughters. Their
situation soon became so intolerable, that the elder, contriving to elude
the close supervision under which she was kept, forwarded to the pope a
petition, relating the cruel treatment to which she was subjected, and
praying His Holiness either to give her in marriage or place her in a
convent. Clement VIII took pity on her; compelled Francesco Cenci to
give her a dowry of sixty thousand crowns, and married her to Carlo
Gabrielli, of a noble family of Gubbio. Francesco driven nearly frantic
with rage when he saw this victim released from his clutches.

About the same time death relieved him from two other encumbrances: his
sons Rocco and Cristoforo were killed within a year of each other; the
latter by a bungling medical practitioner whose name is unknown; the
former by Paolo Corso di Massa, in the streets of Rome. This came as a
relief to Francesco, whose avarice pursued his sons even after their
death, far he intimated to the priest that he would not spend a farthing
on funeral services. They were accordingly borne to the paupers' graves
which he had caused to be prepared for them, and when he saw them both
interred, he cried out that he was well rid of such good-for-nothing
children, but that he should be perfectly happy only when the remaining
five were buried with the first two, and that when he had got rid of the
last he himself would burn down his palace as a bonfire to celebrate the
event.

But Francesco took every precaution against his second daughter, Beatrice
Cenci, following the example of her elder sister. She was then a child
of twelve or thirteen years of age, beautiful and innocent as an angel.
Her long fair hair, a beauty seen so rarely in Italy, that Raffaelle,
believing it divine, has appropriated it to all his Madonnas, curtained a
lovely forehead, and fell in flowing locks over her shoulders. Her azure
eyes bore a heavenly expression; she was of middle height, exquisitely
proportioned; and during the rare moments when a gleam of happiness
allowed her natural character to display itself, she was lively, joyous,
and sympathetic, but at the same time evinced a firm and decided
disposition.

To make sure of her custody, Francesco kept her