THIRTEENTH CENTURY.
iU
TlU Htrme Action*, represented in Figures, Of the great and magnanimous Macedonian Csg, the bold and valiant Alexander ; dedicat- ed, presented, and humbly offered to the most holy father Pope Honorius IV. the glory and sopport of the Church, and to our illustrious and generous father and mother by us, Ales- sandoro Alberico Cunio, Cavaliers, and Isabella Ctatio, twin brother and sister: first reduced, imagined, and attempted to be executed in relief, with a small knife, on blocks of wood, made even and polished by this learned and dear sister, continued and finished by us together, at Ra- reniia, from the eight pictures of our invention, painted ax times larger than here represented ; oigiaved, explained by verses, and thus marked Dpon the paper to perpetuate the number of them, and to enable us to present them to our idations and friends, in testimony of gratitude, biendship, and affection. All th& was done and finished by us when only sixteen years of age.
'This precious book was given to my grand- father, Jan. Jac. Turine, a native of Berne, by the illustrious Count di Cunio, magistrate (po- desta) of Imola, who honoured Imn with nis 13)aal fiiendship. Of all the books I possess, I esteem it most on account of the quarter from whence it came into our fiunily ; and on account of the science, the valour, the beauty of the amiable twins Cunio, and their noble and gene- ions intention of thus gratifying their relatives and friends. Behold their singular and curious hiitaiy, in the manner in which it was several times related to me by my venerable father, and tccotding to which I nave caused it to be written more legibly than I myself could have done it
'The yoTing and amiable Cunio, twin brother and sister, were Uie first children of the son of Coont di Cunio, which he had bv a beautiful Voonese ladr, allied to the family of Pope Honoring IV. when he was only a cardinal. This young nobleman had espoused this young lady clandestinely, without the knowledge of the iriations of either of them ; who, when they ^covered the affair of her pregnancy, caused the marriage to be annulled, and the priest, who hadnanied the two lovers to be banished. The aoUe lady, fearing equally the anger of her lather and that of Count di Cunio, took refuge in the house of one of her aunts, where she was delivered of these two twins. Nevertheless the Cotmt di Cunio, out of regard for his son, whom he obliged to espouse another lady, per- ■ritted him to bring up these children in his house, which was done with every instruction and tenderness possible, as well on the part of the Count, as on that of his son's wife, who oooceived such an affection for Isabella Cunio, that she loved and cherished her as if she had been her own daughter; loving equally Ales- stndro Alberico Cunio her brother, who, like his ' ^ter, was full of talent, and of a most amiable disposition. Both of them made rapid advances in various sciences, profiting by the instruction of their masters ; but especially Isabella, who, at thirteen years of age, was already considered
as a prodigy ; for she perfectly understood and wrote Latin, composed verses, had acquired a knowledge of geometrr, was skilful in music, and played upon several instruments ; moreover, she was practised in drawing, and painted with taste and delicacy. Her brother, urged on by emulation endeavoured to equal her; often, however, ocknowled^ng that he felt he could never attain to so high a degree of perfection. He himself was, nevertheless, one of the finest voung meu of Italy ; he equalled his sister in beauty of person, and possessed great courage, elevation of soul, and an uncommon degree of facility in acquiring and perfecting. himself in whatever he applied to. Both of them consti- tuted the delignt of their parents, and they loved each other so perfectly, that the pleasure or chagrin of the one, or the other, was divided between them. At fourteen years of age, this youn^ gentleman could manage a horse, was practised in the use of arms, and in all exercises proper for a young man of quality; he also understood Latin, and had considerable skill in painting.
' His father having, in consequence of the troubles of Italy, taken up arms, was induced, by his repeated solicitations, to take him with him in the same year, (at the age of fourteen) that uil- der the eye of his father be might make his first campaign. He was entrusted with the command of a squadron of twenty-five horse; with which, for his first essay, he attacked, routed, and put to flight, after a vigorous resistance almost two hundred of the enemy ; but his courage having carried him too far, he unexpectedly found himself surrounded by many of the fugitives; from whom, nevertheless, with a valour not to be equalled, he succeeded in disengaging himself without sustaining any other injury than that of a wound in his left arm. His father, who had flown to his succour, found him returning with one of the standards of the enemy, with which he had bound up his wound : he embraced him, full of delight at his glorious achievements, and at the same time, as his son's wound was not considerable, and as he was desirous to reward such great bravery upon the spot, he solemnly made him a knight, (t. e. a knight-banneret,) although he was already one by his birth ; dubbing him in the same place where he had given such proofs of his extraordinary valour. The young man was so transported with joy at this honour, conferred on him in the presence of the troops commanded by his father, (who, in consequence of the death of his father, which had recently happened, was now become the Count di Cunio,) that, wounded as he was, he instantly demanded permission to go and see his mother, that he might inform ner of the glory, and of the honour he had just acquired ; which was granted by the Count the more readily, as he was glad to have an opportunity of testifying to that noble and afflictra lady, (who had always remained with her aunt a few miles from Ravenna) the love and esteem which he ever continued to entertain for her ; of which he
