



Produced by Giovanni Fini, Melissa McDaniel and the Online
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[Illustration: BIANCA CAPPELLO.]

_From an Original Painting by Cristofero Allori in the Uffizi at
Florence._




  A DECADE

  OF

  ITALIAN WOMEN.


  BY

  T. ADOLPHUS TROLLOPE,

  AUTHOR OF "THE GIRLHOOD OF CATHERINE DE' MEDICI."


  IN TWO VOLUMES.

  VOL. II.

  LONDON:

  CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.

  1859.

  [_The right of Translation is reserved._]


  LONDON

  BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.




CONTENTS.


TULLIA D'ARAGONA.

Born, about 1510. Died, about 1570.


CHAPTER I.

                                                                    PAGE

My Lord Cardinal's daughter                                            1


CHAPTER II.

Aspasia rediviva                                                      10


CHAPTER III.

"All's well, that ends well"                                          21


OLYMPIA MORATA.

Born, 1526. Died, 1555.


CHAPTER I.

Good old times in Ferrara.—How a Pope's daughter became a
Duchess; bygones were bygones; and Love was still the lord of
all                                                                   30


CHAPTER II.

Troublous new times in Ferrara.—How a French King's daughter
became a Duchess; bygones were aught but bygones; and Mitre
and Cowl were lords of all                                            54


CHAPTER III.

How shall a Pope be saved? with the answer thereto.—How shall
our Olympia be saved? To be taken into consideration in a
subsequent chapter                                                    77


CHAPTER IV.

"The whirligig of time brings in his revenges."—Still
Undine.—The "salvation" question stands over                          92


CHAPTER V.

Dark days.—The great question begins to be answered                  108


CHAPTER VI.

The question fully answered at last.—Farewell,
Ferrara!—Welcome inhospitable Caucasus.—Omne solum forti
patria est                                                           122


CHAPTER VII.

At Augsburg; and at Würzburg                                         143


CHAPTER VIII.

The home at Schweinfurth                                             154


CHAPTER IX.

The makers of history.—The flight from Schweinfurth                  168

CHAPTER X.

A new home in Heidelberg; and a last home beneath it.—What is
Olympia Morata to us?                                                182


ISABELLA ANDREINI.

Born, 1562. Died, 1604.

Italian love for the Theatre.—Italian Dramatic
Literature.—Tragedy.—Comedy.—Tiraboschi's notion of
it.—Macchiavelli's Mandragola.—Isabella's high standing among
her contemporaries.—Her husband.—Her high character.—Death,
and Epitaph.—Her writings.—Nature and value of histrionic art
                                                                     205


BIANCA CAPPELLO.

Born, 1548. Died, 1587.


CHAPTER I.

The pretty version of the story; and the true version
of the same.—St. Mark's Square at Florence.—Bianca's
beauty.—The Medici _en famille_.—The Casino of St. Mark.—The
proprieties.—"Cosa di Francesco"                                     220


CHAPTER II.

A favourite's husband.—The natural course of things.—Italian
respectability.—The three brothers, Francesco, Ferdinand,
and Pietro.—The ladies of the court.—Francesco's temper—his
avarice—and wealth.—Frolicsome days at Florence.—The Cardinal
recommends respectability.—The Duke ensures it.—A court
dialogue                                                             234


CHAPTER III.

Bianca balances her accounts.—Dangers in her path.—A bold
step—and its consequences.—Facilis descensus.—A proud
father.—Bian