dignity of sovereignty. This event occurred October 13th., 1679.
Her conduct in this high station was directed to securing herself by obtaining the good-will of the different members of the Medici family, and reconciling their differences; in this her persuasive manners, and great prudence and judgment, rendered her successful. But she never conciliated the affections of her subjects, who had always hated her as the seducer of their prince, and regarded her as an abandoned woman, capable of every crime. A thousand absurd stories of her cruelty and propensity to magical arts were propagated, some of which are still part of the popular traditions of Florence. In return, she employed a number of spies, who, by their information, enabled her to defeat all machinations against herself and the duke.
In 1582, the son of Francis by his former grand-duchess died, and soon after the grand-duke declared Antonio his lawful heir. Yet it is said Bianca had confessed to Francis that he was only a supposititious child; and this strange contradiction throws a mystery upon the real parentage of Antonio. Ferdinand, brother, and next heir to Francis, was rendered jealous of his brother by this report; but Bianca effected an apparent reconciliation between them, and Ferdinand came to Florence in October, 1587. He had been there but a short time, when Francis fell ill at his hunting villa of Poggio de Cajano, whither he had been accompanied by his brother and Bianca; and two days after, Bianca was seized with the same complaint—a kind of fever. They both died after a week's illness, Francis being forty, and Bianca forty-four years of age. Ferdinand has been accused, but in all probability unjustly, of having poisoned them. Their remains were carried to Florence, where Ferdinand would not allow the body of Bianca to be interred in the family vault, and treated her memory otherwise with great indignity; he also had the illegitimacy of Antonio publicly recognised. This behaviour was probably caused by the accusations the enemies of Bianca poured into his ear. His subsequent conduct proves the different feelings that came when time for reflection had been allowed him. He solemnly adopted Antonio as his nephew, gave him an establishment suited to a prince of the house of Medici, settled a liberal annuity on Bianca's father, and made presents to the officers of her household.
On a survey of the life of Bianca Capello, whatever may be thought of the qualities of her heart, it is impossible not to be struck with the powers of her mind, by which, amidst innumerable obstacles, she maintained, undiminished, through life, that ascendency which her personal charms had first given her over the affections of a capricious prince. The determination and perseverance with which she prosecuted her plans, sufficiently testify her energy and talents; if, in effecting the end proposed, she was a little scrupulous respecting the means, the Italian character, the circumstances of the times, the disadvantages attending her entrance into the world, subjected to artifice and entangled in fraud, must not be forgotten. Brought up in retirement and obscurity, thrown at once into the most trying situations, her prudence, her policy, her self-government, her knowledge of the human mind, and the means of subjecting it, are not less rare than admirable. She possessed singular penetration in discerning characters, and the weaknesses of those with whom she conversed, which she skillfully adapted
