of Bologna riding his mule and followed by a hundred light horse.  Nevertheless Urbino, with only a small retinue, galloped up to him, plunged a dagger into his stomach and fled before the soldiery could intervene.  From these examples it will be seen that, although history has preserved no record of the affair related by Queen Margaret, her narrative may well be a true one.—­Ed.

Thus, in spite of every law of honour, was the innocent maiden put to death by this cruel Duke, to the exceeding sorrow of all that knew her.

“See, ladies, what are the effects of wickedness when this is combined with power.”

“I had indeed heard,” said Longarine, “that the Italians were prone to three especial vices; but I should not have thought that vengeance and cruelty would have gone so far as to deal a cruel death for so slight a cause.”

“Longarine,” said Saffredent, laughing, “you have told us one of the three vices, but we must also know the other two.”

“If you did not know them,” she replied, “I would inform you, but I am sure that you know them all.”

“From your words,” said Saffredent, “it seems that you deem me very vicious.”

“Not so,” said Longarine, “but you so well know the ugliness of vice that, better than any other, you are able to avoid it.”

“Do not be amazed,” said Simontault, “at this act of cruelty.  Those who have passed through Italy have seen such incredible instances, that this one is in comparison but a trifling peccadillo.”

“Ay, truly,” said Geburon.  “When Rivolta was taken by the French, (5) there was an Italian captain who was esteemed a knightly comrade, but on seeing the dead body of a man who was only his enemy in that being a Guelph he was opposed to the Ghibellines, he tore out his heart, broiled it on the coals and devoured it.  And when some asked him how he liked it, he replied that he had never eaten so savoury or dainty a morsel.  Not content with this fine deed, he killed the dead man’s wife, and tearing out the fruit of her womb, dashed it against a wall.  Then he filled the bodies both of husband and wife with oats and made his horses eat from them.  Think you that such a man as that would not surely have put to death a girl whom he suspected of offending him?”

5 Rivolta or Rivoli was captured by the French under Louis XII. in 1509.  An instance of savagery identical in character with that mentioned by “Geburon” had already occurred at the time of Charles viii.’s expedition to Naples, when the culprit, a young Italian of good birth, was seized and publicly executed.—­Ed.

“It must be acknowledged,” said Ennasuite, “that this Duke of Urbino was more afraid that his son might make a poor marriage than desirous of giving him a wife to his liking.”

“I think you can have no doubt,” replied Simon-tault, “that it is the Italian nature to love unnaturally that which has been created only for nature’s service.”