the end of December 1581, she was put on her trial for the murder of her first husband.  In prison she seems to have borne herself bravely, arraying her beautiful person in delicate attire, entertaining visitors, exacting from her friends the honors due to a duchess, and sustaining the frequent examinations to which she was submitted with a bold, proud front.  In the middle of the month of July her constancy was sorely tried by the receipt of a letter in the Duke’s own handwriting, formally renouncing his marriage.  It was only by a lucky accident that she was prevented on this occasion from committing suicide.  The Papal court meanwhile kept urging her either to retire to a monastery or to accept another husband.  She firmly refused to embrace the religious life, and declared that she was already lawfully united to a living husband, the Duke of Bracciano.  It seemed impossible to deal with her; and at last, on November 8, she was released from prison under the condition of retirement to Gubbio.  The Duke had lulled his enemies to rest by the pretense of yielding to their wishes.  But Marcello was continually beside him at Bracciano, where we read of a mysterious Greek enchantress whom he hired to brew love-philters for the furtherance of his ambitious plots.  Whether Bracciano was stimulated by the brother’s arguments or by the witch’s potions need not be too curiously questioned.  But it seems in any case certain that absence inflamed his passion instead of cooling it.

Accordingly, in September 1583, under the excuse of a pilgrimage to Loreto, he contrived to meet Vittoria at Trevi, whence he carried her in triumph to Bracciano.  Here he openly acknowledged her as his wife, installing her with all the splendor due to a sovereign duchess.  On October 10 following, he once more performed the marriage ceremony in the principal church of his fief; and in the January of 1584 he brought her openly to Rome.  This act of contumacy to the Pope, both as feudal superior and as Supreme Pontiff, roused all the former opposition to his marriage.  Once more it was declared invalid.  Once more the Duke pretended to give way.  But at this juncture Gregory died; and while the conclave was sitting for the election of the new Pope, he resolved to take the law into his own hands, and to ratify his union with Vittoria by a third and public marriage in Rome.  On the morning of April 24, 1585, their nuptials were accordingly once more solemnized in the Orsini palace.  Just one hour after the ceremony, as appears from the marriage-register, the news arrived of Cardinal Montalto’s election to the Papacy.  Vittoria lost no time in paying her respects to Camilla, sister of the new Pope, her former mother-in-law.  The Duke visited Sixtus V. in state to compliment him on his elevation.  But the reception which both received proved that Rome was no safe place for them to live in.  They consequently made up their minds for flight.