Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/211

Rh of his attachment. Every body, even her avowed enemies, allow, that to the most uncommon beauty she united the art, still more uncommon, of dispensing pleasure and contentment, and of destroying the seeds of distrust and suspicion; qualities which could not fail to render her company daily more and more valuable to the prince. He was unhappy in his marriage, and the dissentions, which constantly prevailed between him and his brothers, afforded him but little satisfaction in his family. Unpleasant and severe in her manners, the prince soon conceived an unfeigned aversion for his wife. He shunned her company, and took refuge with Bianca. She became the object of universal admiration; for her the most splendid entertainments were given, whilst the grand duchess sunk into total oblivion and neglect. I'his exasperated her to such a degree against Bianca, that, having once met her with Francesco on the bridge of La Trinita, she was fully determined to have her thrown into the Arno. She was just giving one of her servants orders for that purpose, when Count Heliodoro Castelli, who attended her, had the good fortune to deter her from the attempt, by representing, that this notion of hers was a temptation of the devil, which she ought to resist. The religious princess startled at the idea, retired penitent, and Bianca was saved, who found means sometime afterwards to mitigate the hatred of her rival, and even for a short time to obtain her favour.

On every occasion that had hitherto occurred, Bianca had shewn her skill and artifice. Yet all her undertakings, during the first ten years of her residence at Florence, had not exceeded the bounds of that influence, which every handsome and artful favourite may have on the heart of a weak and blinded sovereign. The great plans which she had conceived from the very moment Rh