Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/213

Rh alive at Bologna, where she made an authentic declaration of every thing she knew of this affair, and of the violent death of all those who had any knowledge of it. She declared, that she took her murderers for banditti, hired by Bianca, who, fearing lest she should reveal her secret, had determined upon her assassination. This deposition was forwarded to Cardinal Ferdinando, who during Bianca's life never made use of it against her.

Other suspicions had before arisen; but Francesco could not think of the possibility of a deception; and his joy in having a son was so great, that he never made the least inquiry into the business; but, on the contrary, publicly acknowledged the little Don Antonio as his offspring. Bianca, on her part, used every effort to endear the child to him. Letters are yet extant in the archives of Florence, which she caused him to write to his supposed father, when he was scarcely two years old. This is indeed but a trifling circumstance in itself, but it evidently shews, how artfully she seized upon every opportunity of courting the prince's affections for the boy.

It was at this period, that a reconciliation took place between Bianca and her family. Her father, in 1576, paid her a visit at Florence, and was loaded with presents from the grand duke and his daughter; but this reconciliation was not considered in a very favourable light at Venice. He was never afterwards received in the senate, notwithstanding he was permitted to attend at the grand council. His connections with Bianca brought Francesco, that same year, into several disagreeable situations: they had not only become the subject of general satire and ridicule to all the courts of Italy, but likewise threatened to bring on a very serious rupture