have done, had not the profperity and power of Pietro, now become very confiderable all over Florence, filled his mind with fo much pride and infolence, that his defires alone dictated all his actions, without the leaft regard to form or decency. Among the many ladies whofe affections he fought to acquire,was a widow called Caffandra Bongianni, defcended from one of the greatest families in the city, whose extraordinary beauty had gained her many admirers, to fome of which it had proved very fatal; her relations, to revenge the difhonour done their family, having already miferably destroyed two of them; one of whom, a young man of the family of Del Caccia, after giving him feveral mortal wounds, they dipped in pitch, and with a ftraw-hat on his head, and a basket full of balls of packthread on his arm, fet him on a stone near the door of his miftrefs; fo that all the people who paffed, thinking it was a countryman afleep, took no notice of him, till towards evening fomebody going to wake him, difcovered the truth, to the great concern of all who knew him, and more particularly his parents; who, after they had buried him, fought in vain for the authors of his death, though every body's conjecture centered on the relations of the lady. Notwithstanding all this was well known to Buonaventuri, it did not in the leaft intimidate him from pursuing his enterprize; which, as he was infinuating, young and beautiful, he foon attained: and, not content with his victory, he gloried in the publication of it, jeft. ing upon and laughing in the very faces of any of her relations whom he met; and, being one day particularly impertinent to Roberto Ricci, her nephew, he, unable to endure it, complained to his aunt, threatening her extremely if the purfued fo vile a practice; which though The pofitively denied to him, fhe ftill continued in fuch a manner as made it obvious to all the city. Nor did Pietro from this grow more difcreet; but as before he had only laughed at them, he began now to menace and infult them; which for fome time they feared to refent, out of refpect to the Grand Duke; but at last, their patience being exhausted, they went all together, and reprefented to his Serene Highness the injuries they fuffered from Buonaventuri, begging he would command him to behave in a more reasonable way, The Grand Duke was very much concerned to hear of the ill behaviour of Buonaventuri, and promifed it fhould be remedied. When they were gone he immediately fent for Pietro; and, taking him into his clofet, told him the complaints he had received from Ricci, and the rest of Bongianni's relations; adding these words—' You fee, therefore, how great is the uneasiness such things give to families; and as this is one of the most confiderable in our dominions, you ought to have fome regard to it: inftead of which, you are not content to poffefs the aunt, but muft infult and ridicule the nephew; and that in the most publick places and moft opprobrious manner. All this forces me to warn you, that as your actions are unjust, perhaps they may draw on bad confequences; and should thefe people kill you, it is not in my power to restore you to life: fo that if you cannot or will not leave purfuing this amour, at least do it with more fecrecy and decorum.' The haughty Buonaventuri having heard the gracious admonitions of Fran. cifco, which being delivered with fo much reason and calmness, he ought to have esteemed them as the greatest of fa, vours, returned this anfwer-' As I affure your Royal Highness, there is not one word of truth in all that these men have faid; being neither fo extravagant nor impertinent as they would make me appear, fo I have not the leaft fear of them: but the true caufe of their anger is their envy; they cannot bear to fee me in that ftate to which your highness's bounty has raised me, and therefore with calumnies they endeavour to deprive me of it; envying alfo their own blood, whose fortune, like wolves, they would devour: and, as they know I have a friendship for that lady, and am fome protection to her from their cruelty, they are refolved to ruin us both by this mon ftrous contrivance.' and offenfive, committing fo many outrages against all the relations of Caffandra, and treating Ricci especially in so defpicable a manner, that he was often ready to take a full revenge, being only detained from it by the fear of losing his fortune by the Grand Duke's resentment. At last he refolved to renew his complaints to him; and, as he was much in favour with the princefs Ifabella his fifter, he chose to do it by her means: to whom he protested, he was not able to fupport any longer the fcorn of the world, and abominable impudence of Pietro; to deliver himself from which, if he could find no other redress, he said he should be obliged at last to abandon the confideration of his fortune, and every thing else. The princefs having heard him out, went directly to her brother, whom she made fenfible of the vile carriage of Buonaventuri, and of the mifchiefs that might attend it; reprefenting the approaching ruin of that whole injured family, who were fo enraged, as to have no farther reftraint, either from their obedience to their fovereign, or reafon itself. The Grand Duke promised a speedy and effectual redrefs; and confidering with himself that the only way to it was to fend Pietro from Florence till this hatred should be abated, by time and abfence, he determined to employ him in fome of his affairs abroad; and as foon as he came to Bianca Capello that night, he told her all that had paffed on the occafion, defiring her to ufe all forts of arguments, both perfuafive and threatening, that might induce Buonaventuri to change his proceedings, and for the future to act more wifely. But if you can't prevail,' added he, I will fend him to France, where he shall stay till he is fenfible of his errors,' 6 was, of paffionate and kind, let me by 'that conjure you to hear me out with patience; for what I have to fay concerns you in the nearest manner, and is abfolutely neceffary to your prefer'vation.' And then in few words the proceeded to tell him all that the Grand Duke had faid to her, and the refolution he had taken, for his fecurity, to fend him out of the country. The furious Buonaventuri would not let her go on; but, ftarting up, and running to her in a fury, he faid-Go hang yourself, and then howl to thofe that will hear you in the other world! In this, I'll follow my own way; therefore do not pretend to whine to me, but take care of yourfelf, who are in more danger; for do you think, ftrumpet, that I won't cut off that golden horn, which you have placed on my head, by topping your windpipe with a knife, one day or other!", This was like a dagger to the heart of poor Bianca, who ftill loved her husband to excefs, though the did not let it appear to the Grand Duke; and fearing that he would, as he said, fend him away, fhe refolved to try all the rhetorick of prayers and tears, to turn him from his dangerous course, and keep him with herfelf. For that purpose fhe waited his coming home, which was always late; and, when he heard him below in his apartment, the defcended the back stairs, and began in this manner- Since my love to you exceeds all that is, or ever In the mean time, the Grand Duke being returned to his palace, could not reft there, having obferved in Bianca, in fpite of all her endeavours to hide it, a great concern at his late difcourfe; and impatient to give fome fatisfaction either to her or himself, returned back; and not finding her in her apartment, foftly defcended the back-ftairs, from the door of which he overheard every word that had paffed: and Pietro thus answering his wife, in a great rage turned his back, and went out of the house. Deaf to all her calls, and defpifing all her care, he left her overwhelmed with grief and tears; in which the retired to her own apartment, without knowing Francifco had been there, he having taken care to mount the stair-case first, and get out of fight. Here fhe gave a loose to all her forrows, enumerating all her misfortunes, and lamenting the hour that brought her to the light of this world, where fhe was doomed to find them; and in a flood of tears gave vent to the paffion that filled her breast. Long would thefe reflections have employed her time and thoughts, had not the Grand Duke interrupted them who coming into the room, and appear ing ignorant of the matter, asked the caufe: faying- To what are owing thefe tears, and thefe complaints? Dearer than my foul, tell me what mif⚫ fortune has befallen you?'-'Nothing, Sir, faid he, occafions my concern • but but compaffion for my husband; who, as you have commanded, I have admonifhed: but he feems fo little to regard his fafety, that I fear fome mischief will attend him.' Is it nothing but that?' replied the Grand Duke. Oh, let him follow his • own inclination, and at last he will find the confequence: but why will you afflict and torment yourself for what you cannot prevent? A torrent must have way, or they that try to top it may be drowned in it. Buonaventuri is headstrong, and void of underftanding, which will inevitably draw on his fate, if he does not quickly change his manners.' Yet after all this, the defperate Pietro, full of indignation and revenge, meeting Roberto Ricci next day at the column of the Santa Trinita, where he was talk. ing with two other gentlemen, he clapt a piftol to his breast, saying—' I don't know what hinders me, despicable, infamous wretch that you are, from fhooting you this minute through the heart! But stay and hear what I have to fay to you, for you shall not escape I will go to your aunt, as often as I please, in defiance of you; and if C ever I know, or but guefs, that you make the leaft murmur or complaint to the Grand Duke, you shall not live an hour after it!' • me. Ricci being unarmed, and thus accofted, remained immoveable as a statue, till the other had done speaking; and then, without the leaft reply, went with his companions immediately to the Grand Duke, who was at the Casino, where he declared to him all that had paffed juft before at the Column: to which the two gentlemen witneffing, the Grand Duke, who remembered his threats to his wife, no longer doubting of his unbounded brutality, thought within himfelf that there was no more time to be loft in inflicting on Pietro the punish ment he deferved; and, taking Ricci apart, they talked together for fome time in the garden; where the Grand Duke having given him what directions he thought proper, fent him away; and the next morning betimes, mounting on horfeback, rode to his villa of Pratolino, where he ftaid all that day and the next night. The refult of their conference was, that Ricci fhould get together twelve companions, all men well armed, ftrong, and refolute; fome of whom had cut laffes of fuch a temper, that with one ftroke they were able to cut off the head of a bull; for he knew that Buonaventuri was ever provided with pistols, and other arms from head to foot, in which equipage he conftantly went in the night to Bongianna's houfe, not returning home till very late: fo that, in order to be fure of his prey, he divided his company, fetting two or more in different places, through which Pietro might pafs; and his page, who perfonally knew him, as centinel at the beautiful bridge of La Santa Trinita, to give notice when he fhould be there, for which Roberto waited with great impatience, after he had made this difpofition of his forces. And now the unlucky lover, having spent the night with his mistress, rose before break of day; and taking leave of her, went flowly towards his own house. As he was walking over the bridge, the page gave two whiffles, and then cried Alo! alo!' the accustomed noise of the Florentine ruffians in thofe days: at this, the fierce Pietro, though unused to fear, felt fome prefage of his approaching fate; and taking in his left-hand a pistol, held it ready cocked, and with his drawn fword in his right, paffed the bridge, that led directly to the great gate of his palace; but, as his apartment was on the ground-floor, the door to it lay on the other fide of the houfe; fo that he was obliged, after defcending the bridge, to turn down a little ftreet, on the left-hand of which, within a stone's throw, was the entrance that he always kept the key of, Meeting in this narrow paffage two arm ed men, he did not immediately think they had any defign on him; but going a little farther, he faw four more, who ftopped his way; and thefe having joined the two first, fix others started out and encompaffed him, with Ricci in the midft, crying out-'Kill, kill, the infa mous traitor!' Buonaventuri knowing his voice, threw his cloak to the ground, and firing his piftol, hit one of them; but while he was taking another out of his pocket, they all fell on him at once: yet, by means of his armour, he escaped for fome time, making a very brave defence, and had already wounded two of them, when the affailants renewing their attack, by the advantage of their thort arms, and the clofenefs of the ftreet, ftruck him at every blow, fo that being driven to the wall, he could do little da mage with his fword; but as Ricci got under they never fhould be difcovered; fo that by degrees the affair was dropped, and Ricci unfufpected went about as before. Time, which alleviates all affliction, had now restored Bianca to herself, whofe charms and merits the Grand Duke grew every day more fenfible of; and reflecting that his love alone had obfcured her virtues, which in themselves were both great and many, and that her birth, though not royal, was illuftrious, resolv under it, thinking to end him, he exerted all his force for one blow, and cut him quite through his iron-head piece to his fkull; at the fight of which a coufin of Ricci's, with a back stroke, wounded Pietro in the face, and repeating it with a fecond, fplit one fide of his head, fo that his brains ftuck to the wall. Buonaventuri finding himself dying, faid-' Oh! no more for mercy, fince I am dead!' and dropped down; after which they all fell on him, ftabbing him in every parted to give the utmost proof of a fincere which his armour did not cover, and there left him, with no less than five and thirty mortal wounds. Ricci, as fast as he could, got to the palace of the princefs Ifabella; where, though his hurt was dangerous, he was by the help of a good furgeon cured in a fhort time. Not far from the place where this bloody fcene was acted flood an apothecary's fhop, the people of which, having heard the clash of arms and noife of men, with two of their boys, as it drew near day, went to fee what was the matter, and there found the unfortunate Pietro bathed in his blood upon the ground, and by fome faint fhort fighs could juft perceive he was not quite dead: upon which they ran for a light, and immediately conveyed him to the nearest church, named St. Jacopo, which stands upon the river Arno. 1 The fun was no fooner up than the death of Buonaventuri was spread about the whole city; and coming to the ears of the poor deluded, but still affectionate Bianca, almost distracted her. She, with the utmost violence of paffion, was ready to destroy herself, in order to follow him; which perhaps in the first rage of forrow fhe might have done, notwithstanding the endeavours of all her friends and acquaintance who came to comfort her, if the Great Duke had not arrived at that juncture, to reftrain and pacify her, which even he found difficulty in doing. The next night after this had happened, as foon as it was quite dark, two armed men masked got into Bongianna's houfe by the tiles; and, cutting her throat, left her dead on the floor. Such was the miferable end of these thoughtlefs lovers, and fuch the revenge taken by this lady's relations, for the infamy fhe had brought upon them. The Grand Duke, that he might not feem to know of this execution, put on all the appearance of anger and inquifition after the actors in it; but took care paffion, by fharing his power and title with her who had already all his heart; and on the evening of the 22d of June 1579, publickly married her; commanding the fenate of forty-eight to do her homage as Grand Dutchefs; and the next day she went out as fuch, with the German guard, and a train of eight coaches. To compleat her glory, the fenate of Venice, when they heard the was become Great Dutchefs of Tufcany, not only repealed their former acts against her, but made a new one, by which the was adopted daughter of that state, which fent a folemn embaffy with it to the Grand Duke, and a dowry suitable to the dignity they had given her. When the fudden marriage of Francisco was effected, the Cardinal Ferdinando, his next brother, refided at Rome, where he received the news of it with the greatest indignation, his haughty foul not enduring any alliance below that of a crowned head; and he esteemed his blood fo much disgraced by this marriage, that he fet a thousand machines at work, to take away what he called the shame of his family, by the death of Bianca; whom he oftentimes attempted to poison, either by means of her fervants, or prefents that he fent her. His defigns, by one accident or other, being difcovered, made her very cautious: nor was he lefs fufpicious of her, fearing to meet the fame fate he had defigned to give; fo that a mutual hate reigned in both, though both disguised it, out of regard to the Grand Duke. It happened, one time among others, that the cardinal being at Florence, and they all dining together, the Grand Dutchefs had that morning taken a fancy to make a tart with her own hands, which towards the latter end of the dinner was ferved up with other things of the fame fort; and when Ferdinando was defired to taste of it, he put it off, and began fome gay difcourfe, that he might not appear appear to have any thought about it. At last the Grand Duke, after having afked his brother feveral times to tafte what Bianca had made, faid-Since • none else will begin, I muft,' and took a piece, and eat it: after which the Grand Dutchefs did the like; and the converfation continued for fome time with the fame good-humour, when all of a fudden they both felt fuch violent and ftrong pains in their bowels, that they were obliged to retire to their apartment, and go to bed; where they waited in vain for remedies and phyficians, the cardinal having given strict commands that none fhould come near then, himself and his creatures keeping guard at the doors for that purpofe; while the poor unhappy pair expired in tortures, on the 28th of October 1586. He buried them by each other, with all due honours: himself renouncing the cardinal's hat, was immediately acknowledged Grand Duke of Tufcany; through all which he caused a report to be fpread, that Bianca Capello intended to poifon him, which he pretended he difcovered by means of a ring he always wore, the ftone in it being of a nature to change colour at the approach of poison; and fo he avoided tasting the tart, which the feeing her husband do, rather than outlive him, or difcover her treachery, chofe to eat the reft. But however this story was ftrengthened by authority, very few believed it; for, befides the improbability of her killing herself with that coolnefs, when the might have found a hundred pretences to hinder Francifco from eating the tart, without difcovering herself, and would, no doubt, if she had known it to be poisoned, many circumstances concurred to make it plainly a contrivance of the cardinal's, who had bribed the fervant that provided the materials for the tart to put poison among them. But as Francifco, dying without a fon, left Ferdinando his heir, the nobles thought it wifer to receive with a good grace their living prince, than hazard their fafeties, by a vain inquiry after the dead one; though a man beloved and esteemed, a fine gentleman and great governor, all the arts and sciences being in perfection in his time, as may be feen by their belt poets and hiftorians, who all dedicated their works to him. THE UNFORTUNATE LOVERS. BY DR. SMOLLETT. pofition, which at once compleated the conqueft of his heart. It was not long before he difclofed his paffion to the dear object, and had the ravishing pleasure to find he had infpired her with very favourable fentiments of his character. After fome time spent in the endearing effufions of mutual love, he applied to the father, and made a formal demand of her in marriage. His propofal met with a very cordial reception; and Alcanor was admitted into the family on the footing of a future fon-in-law. The day was already appointed for the marriage, after all the articles of interest had been fettled to the fatisfaction of both parties; when, by the fudden failure of foreign correfpondents at the clofe of the laft war, Alcanor was obliged to stop payment. He communicated his diftrefs to Eudofia's father; and produced his books, by which it appeared that his effects were more than fufficient to dif charge |