Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/219

Rh, which the cardinal himself was pleased to bestow upon her.

She did every thing in her power to obtain his confidence, and strove to accomplish his most secret wishes; for she hoped, through this conduct, to gain the affections of the Florentines, who were extremely pleased with the unexpected concord of the two brothers.

But nothing could conquer the hatred which they had conceived against her. They could not bear the idea of seeing a person rule over them, whose private character was so obnoxious, and whom they looked upon as the chief cause of the dissent ions which had prevailed between their sovereign and his late consort. They compared the liberality which he had shewn at her coronation, with his avarice towards the first princess and his brothers; and in every circumstance found sufficient matter for scandal and invective. She was fond of curious machinery; and partly perhaps from this cause was esteemed a witch.

But an additional cause of the implacable hatred, which the Florentines bore her, was the protection she gave to spies; a reproach she stands charged with in every historical record. She had always a number of these wretches in her pay, and is said, by that means, to have made some very important discoveries, of which, however, history gives us no farther particulars.

In this manner she actually secured herself and the grand-duke against all machinations; but, at the same time, lost the good opinion of the people. Nor did the good understanding between the court of Florence and the republic of Venice prove of long duration. Though they had hitherto, at least in appearance, shewn selves