diff options
Diffstat (limited to '2742-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 2742-8.txt | 1696 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1696 deletions
diff --git a/2742-8.txt b/2742-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 757af3f..0000000 --- a/2742-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1696 +0,0 @@ - - - - -THE CENCI--1598 - - -This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. If you are not located in the United -States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are -located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Cenci -Author: Alexandre Dumas, Pere -Release Date: September 22, 2004 [EBook #2742] -Reposted: November 27, 2016 [corrections made] -Language: English -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CENCI *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger. - - - *THE CENCI* - - _By_ - - *Alexandre Dumas, Pere* - - _From Eight Volumes of "Celebrated Crimes"_ - - - 1910 - - - - -CONTENTS - - - THE CENCI--1598 - *THE CENCI--1598* - - - - -*THE CENCI--1598* - - -Should you ever go to Rome and visit the villa Pamphili, no doubt, after -having sought under its tall pines and along its canals the shade and -freshness so rare in the capital of the Christian world, you will -descend towards the Janiculum Hill by a charming road, in the middle of -which you will find the Pauline fountain. Having passed this monument, -and having lingered a moment on the terrace of the church of St. Peter -Montorio, which commands the whole of Rome, you will visit the cloister -of Bramante, in the middle of which, sunk a few feet below the level, is -built, on the identical place where St. Peter was crucified, a little -temple, half Greek, half Christian; you will thence ascend by a side -door into the church itself. There, the attentive cicerone will show -you, in the first chapel to the right, the Christ Scourged, by Sebastian -del Piombo, and in the third chapel to the left, an Entombment by -Fiammingo; having examined these two masterpieces at leisure, he will -take you to each end of the transverse cross, and will show you--on one -side a picture by Salviati, on slate, and on the other a work by Vasari; -then, pointing out in melancholy tones a copy of Guido's Martyrdom of -St. Peter on the high altar, he will relate to you how for three -centuries the divine Raffaelle's Transfiguration was worshipped in that -spot; how it was carried away by the French in 1809, and restored to the -pope by the Allies in 1814. As you have already in all probability -admired this masterpiece in the Vatican, allow him to expatiate, and -search at the foot of the altar for a mortuary slab, which you will -identify by a cross and the single word; Orate; under this gravestone is -buried Beatrice Cenci, whose tragical story cannot but impress you -profoundly. - -She was the daughter of Francesco Cenci. Whether or not it be true that -men are born in harmony with their epoch, and that some embody its good -qualities and others its bad ones, it may nevertheless interest our -readers to cast a rapid glance over the period which had just passed -when the events which we are about to relate took place. Francesco Cenci -will then appear to them as the diabolical incarnation of his time. - -On the 11th of August, 1492, after the lingering death-agony of Innocent -VIII, during which two hundred and twenty murders were committed in the -streets of Rome, Alexander VI ascended the pontifical throne. Son of a -sister of Pope Calixtus III, Roderigo Lenzuoli Borgia, before being -created cardinal, had five children by Rosa Vanozza, whom he afterwards -caused to be married to a rich Roman. These children were: - -Francis, Duke of Gandia; - -Caesar, bishop and cardinal, afterwards Duke of Valentinois; - -Lucrezia, who was married four times: her first husband was Giovanni -Sforza, lord of Pesaro, whom she left owing to his impotence; the -second, Alfonso, Duke of Bisiglia, whom her brother Caesar caused to be -assassinated; the third, Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, from whom a -second divorce separated her; finally, the fourth, Alfonso of Aragon, -who was stabbed to death on the steps of the basilica of St. Peter, and -afterwards, three weeks later, strangled, because he did not die soon -enough from his wounds, which nevertheless were mortal; - -Giofre, Count of Squillace, of whom little is known; - -And, finally, a youngest son, of whom nothing at all is known. - -The most famous of these three brothers was Caesar Borgia. He had made -every arrangement a plotter could make to be King of Italy at the death -of his father the pope, and his measures were so carefully taken as to -leave no doubt in his own mind as to the success of this vast project. -Every chance was provided against, except one; but Satan himself could -hardly have foreseen this particular one. The reader will judge for -himself. - -The pope had invited Cardinal Adrien to supper in his vineyard on the -Belvidere; Cardinal Adrien was very rich, and the pope wished to inherit -his wealth, as he already had acquired that of the Cardinals of Sant' -Angelo, Capua, and Modena. To effect this, Caesar Borgia sent two -bottles of poisoned wine to his father's cup-bearer, without taking him -into his confidence; he only instructed him not to serve this wine till -he himself gave orders to do so; unfortunately, during supper the -cup-bearer left his post for a moment, and in this interval a careless -butler served the poisoned wine to the pope, to Caesar Borgia, and to -Cardinal Corneto. - -Alexander VI died some hours afterwards; Caesar Borgia was confined to -bed, and sloughed off his skin; while Cardinal Corneto lost his sight -and his senses, and was brought to death's door. - -Pius III succeeded Alexander VI, and reigned twenty-five days; on the -twenty-sixth he was poisoned also. - -Caesar Borgia had under his control eighteen Spanish cardinals who owed -to him their places in the Sacred College; these cardinals were entirely -his creatures, and he could command them absolutely. As he was in a -moribund condition and could make no use of them for himself, he sold -them to Giuliano della Rovere, and Giuliano della Rovere was elected -pope, under the name of Julius II. To the Rome of Nero succeeded the -Athens of Pericles. - -Leo X succeeded Julius II, and under his pontificate Christianity -assumed a pagan character, which, passing from art into manners, gives -to this epoch a strange complexion. Crimes for the moment disappeared, -to give place to vices; but to charming vices, vices in good taste, such -as those indulged in by Alcibiades and sung by Catullus. Leo X died -after having assembled under his reign, which lasted eight years, eight -months, and nineteen days, Michael Angelo, Raffaelle, Leonardo da Vinci, -Correggio, Titian, Andrea del Sarto, Fra Bartolommeo, Giulio Romano, -Ariosto, Guicciardini, and Macchiavelli. - -Giulio di Medici and Pompeo Colonna had equal claims to succeed him. As -both were skilful politicians, experienced courtiers, and moreover of -real and almost equal merit, neither of them could obtain a majority, -and the Conclave was prolonged almost indefinitely, to the great fatigue -of the cardinals. So it happened one day that a cardinal, more tired -than the rest, proposed to elect, instead of either Medici or Colonna, -the son, some say of a weaver, others of a brewer of Utrecht, of whom no -one had ever thought till then, and who was for the moment acting head -of affairs in Spain, in the absence of Charles the Fifth. The jest -prospered in the ears of those who heard it; all the cardinals approved -their colleague's proposal, and Adrien became pope by a mere accident. - -He was a perfect specimen of the Flemish type a regular Dutchman, and -could not speak a word of Italian. When he arrived in Rome, and saw the -Greek masterpieces of sculpture collected at vast cost by Leo X, he -wished to break them to pieces, exclaiming, "Suet idola anticorum." His -first act was to despatch a papal nuncio, Francesco Cherigato, to the -Diet of Nuremberg, convened to discuss the reforms of Luther, with -instructions which give a vivid notion of the manners of the time. - -"Candidly confess," said he, "that God has permitted this schism and -this persecution on account of the sins of man, and especially those of -priests and prelates of the Church; for we know that many abominable -things have taken place in the Holy See." - -Adrien wished to bring the Romans back to the simple and austere manners -of the early Church, and with this object pushed reform to the minutest -details. For instance, of the hundred grooms maintained by Leo X, he -retained only a dozen, in order, he said, to have two more than the -cardinals. - -A pope like this could not reign long: he died after a year's -pontificate. The morning after his death his physician's door was found -decorated with garlands of flowers, bearing this inscription: "To the -liberator of his country." - -Giulio di Medici and Pompeo Colonna were again rival candidates. -Intrigues recommenced, and the Conclave was once more so divided that at -one time the cardinals thought they could only escape the difficulty in -which they were placed by doing what they had done before, and electing -a third competitor; they were even talking about Cardinal Orsini, when -Giulio di Medici, one of the rival candidates, hit upon a very ingenious -expedient. He wanted only five votes; five of his partisans each offered -to bet five of Colonna's a hundred thousand ducats to ten thousand -against the election of Giulio di Medici. At the very first ballot after -the wager, Giulio di Medici got the five votes he wanted; no objection -could be made, the cardinals had not been bribed; they had made a bet, -that was all. - -Thus it happened, on the 18th of November, 1523, Giulio di Medici was -proclaimed pope under the name of Clement VII. The same day, he -generously paid the five hundred thousand ducats which his five -partisans had lost. - -It was under this pontificate, and during the seven months in which -Rome, conquered by the Lutheran soldiers of the Constable of Bourbon, -saw holy things subjected to the most frightful profanations, that -Francesco Cenci was born. - -He was the son of Monsignor Nicolo Cenci, afterwards apostolic treasurer -during the pontificate of Pius V. Under this venerable prelate, who -occupied himself much more with the spiritual than the temporal -administration of his kingdom, Nicolo Cenci took advantage of his -spiritual head's abstraction of worldly matters to amass a net revenue -of a hundred and sixty thousand piastres, about f32,000 of our money. -Francesco Cenci, who was his only son, inherited this fortune. - -His youth was spent under popes so occupied with the schism of Luther -that they had no time to think of anything else. The result was, that -Francesco Cenci, inheriting vicious instincts and master of an immense -fortune which enabled him to purchase immunity, abandoned himself to all -the evil passions of his fiery and passionate temperament. Five times -during his profligate career imprisoned for abominable crimes, he only -succeeded in procuring his liberation by the payment of two hundred -thousand piastres, or about one million francs. It should be explained -that popes at this time were in great need of money. - -The lawless profligacy of Francesco Cenci first began seriously to -attract public attention under the pontificate of Gregory XIII. This -reign offered marvellous facilities for the development of a reputation -such as that which this reckless Italian Don Juan seemed bent on -acquiring. Under the Bolognese Buoncampagno, a free hand was given to -those able to pay both assassins and judges. Rape and murder were so -common that public justice scarcely troubled itself with these trifling -things, if nobody appeared to prosecute the guilty parties. The good -Gregory had his reward for his easygoing indulgence; he was spared to -rejoice over the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. - -Francesco Cenci was at the time of which we are speaking a man of -forty-four or forty-five years of age, about five feet four inches in -height, symmetrically proportioned, and very strong, although rather -thin; his hair was streaked with grey, his eyes were large and -expressive, although the upper eyelids drooped somewhat; his nose was -long, his lips were thin, and wore habitually a pleasant smile, except -when his eye perceived an enemy; at this moment his features assumed a -terrible expression; on such occasions, and whenever moved or even -slightly irritated, he was seized with a fit of nervous trembling, which -lasted long after the cause which provoked it had passed. An adept in -all manly exercises and especially in horsemanship, he sometimes used to -ride without stopping from Rome to Naples, a distance of forty-one -leagues, passing through the forest of San Germano and the Pontine -marshes heedless of brigands, although he might be alone and unarmed -save for his sword and dagger. When his horse fell from fatigue, he -bought another; were the owner unwilling to sell he took it by force; if -resistance were made, he struck, and always with the point, never the -hilt. In most cases, being well known throughout the Papal States as a -free-handed person, nobody tried to thwart him; some yielding through -fear, others from motives of interest. Impious, sacrilegious, and -atheistical, he never entered a church except to profane its sanctity. -It was said of him that he had a morbid appetite for novelties in crime, -and that there was no outrage he would not commit if he hoped by so -doing to enjoy a new sensation. - -At the age of about forty-five he had married a very rich woman, whose -name is not mentioned by any chronicler. She died, leaving him seven -children--five boys and two girls. He then married Lucrezia Petroni, a -perfect beauty of the Roman type, except for the ivory pallor of her -complexion. By this second marriage he had no children. - -As if Francesco Cenci were void of all natural affection, he hated his -children, and was at no pains to conceal his feelings towards them: on -one occasion, when he was building, in the courtyard of his magnificent -palace, near the Tiber, a chapel dedicated to St. Thomas, he remarked to -the architect, when instructing him to design a family vault, "That is -where I hope to bury them all." The architect often subsequently -admitted that he was so terrified by the fiendish laugh which -accompanied these words, that had not Francesco Cenci's work been -extremely profitable, he would have refused to go on with it. - -As soon as his three eldest boys, Giacomo, Cristoforo, and Rocco, were -out of their tutors' hands, in order to get rid of them he sent them to -the University of Salamanca, where, out of sight, they were out of mind, -for he thought no more about them, and did not even send them the means -of subsistence. In these straits, after struggling for some months -against their wretched plight, the lads were obliged to leave Salamanca, -and beg their way home, tramping barefoot through France and Italy, till -they made their way back to Rome, where they found their father harsher -and more unkind than ever. - -This happened in the early part of the reign of Clement VIII, famed for -his justice. The three youths resolved to apply to him, to grant them an -allowance out of their father's immense income. They consequently -repaired to Frascati, where the pope was building the beautiful -Aldobrandini Villa, and stated their case. The pope admitted the justice -of their claims, and ordered Francesco, to allow each of them two -thousand crowns a year. He endeavoured by every possible means to evade -this decree, but the pope's orders were too stringent to be disobeyed. - -About this period he was for the third time imprisoned for infamous -crimes. His three sons them again petitioned the pope, alleging that -their father dishonoured the family name, and praying that the extreme -rigour of the law, a capital sentence, should be enforced in his case. -The pope pronounced this conduct unnatural and odious, and drove them -with ignominy from his presence. As for Francesco, he escaped, as on the -two previous occasions, by the payment of a large sum of money. - -It will be readily understood that his sons' conduct on this occasion -did not improve their father's disposition towards them, but as their -independent pensions enabled them to keep out of his way, his rage fell -with all the greater intensity on his two unhappy daughters. Their -situation soon became so intolerable, that the elder, contriving to -elude the close supervision under which she was kept, forwarded to the -pope a petition, relating the cruel treatment to which she was -subjected, and praying His Holiness either to give her in marriage or -place her in a convent. Clement VIII took pity on her; compelled -Francesco Cenci to give her a dowry of sixty thousand crowns, and -married her to Carlo Gabrielli, of a noble family of Gubbio. Francesco -driven nearly frantic with rage when he saw this victim released from -his clutches. - -About the same time death relieved him from two other encumbrances: his -sons Rocco and Cristoforo were killed within a year of each other; the -latter by a bungling medical practitioner whose name is unknown; the -former by Paolo Corso di Massa, in the streets of Rome. This came as a -relief to Francesco, whose avarice pursued his sons even after their -death, far he intimated to the priest that he would not spend a farthing -on funeral services. They were accordingly borne to the paupers' graves -which he had caused to be prepared for them, and when he saw them both -interred, he cried out that he was well rid of such good-for-nothing -children, but that he should be perfectly happy only when the remaining -five were buried with the first two, and that when he had got rid of the -last he himself would burn down his palace as a bonfire to celebrate the -event. - -But Francesco took every precaution against his second daughter, -Beatrice Cenci, following the example of her elder sister. She was then -a child of twelve or thirteen years of age, beautiful and innocent as an -angel. Her long fair hair, a beauty seen so rarely in Italy, that -Raffaelle, believing it divine, has appropriated it to all his Madonnas, -curtained a lovely forehead, and fell in flowing locks over her -shoulders. Her azure eyes bore a heavenly expression; she was of middle -height, exquisitely proportioned; and during the rare moments when a -gleam of happiness allowed her natural character to display itself, she -was lively, joyous, and sympathetic, but at the same time evinced a firm -and decided disposition. - -To make sure of her custody, Francesco kept her shut up in a remote -apartment of his palace, the key of which he kept in his own possession. -There, her unnatural and inflexible gaoler daily brought her some food. -Up to the age of thirteen, which she had now reached, he had behaved to -her with the most extreme harshness and severity; but now, to poor -Beatrice's great astonishment, he all at once became gentle and even -tender. Beatrice was a child no longer; her beauty expanded like a -flower; and Francesco, a stranger to no crime, however heinous, had -marked her for his own. - -Brought up as she had been, uneducated, deprived of all society, even -that of her stepmother, Beatrice knew not good from evil: her ruin was -comparatively easy to compass; yet Francesco, to accomplish his -diabolical purpose, employed all the means at his command. Every night -she was awakened by a concert of music which seemed to come from -Paradise. When she mentioned this to her father, he left her in this -belief, adding that if she proved gentle and obedient she would be -rewarded by heavenly sights, as well as heavenly sounds. - -One night it came to pass that as the young girl was reposing, her head -supported on her elbow, and listening to a delightful harmony, the -chamber door suddenly opened, and from the darkness of her own room she -beheld a suite of apartments brilliantly illuminated, and sensuous with -perfumes; beautiful youths and girls, half clad, such as she had seen in -the pictures of Guido and Raffaelle, moved to and fro in these -apartments, seeming full of joy and happiness: these were the ministers -to the pleasures of Francesco, who, rich as a king, every night revelled -in the orgies of Alexander, the wedding revels of Lucrezia, and the -excesses of Tiberius at Capri. After an hour, the door closed, and the -seductive vision vanished, leaving Beatrice full of trouble and -amazement. - -The night following, the same apparition again presented itself, only, -on this occasion, Francesco Cenci, undressed, entered his daughter's -roam and invited her to join the fete. Hardly knowing what she did, -Beatrice yet perceived the impropriety of yielding to her father's -wishes: she replied that, not seeing her stepmother, Lucrezia Petroni, -among all these women, she dared not leave her bed to mix with persons -who were unknown to her. Francesco threatened and prayed, but threats -and prayers were of no avail. Beatrice wrapped herself up in the -bedclothes, and obstinately refused to obey. - -The next night she threw herself on her bed without undressing. At the -accustomed hour the door opened, and the nocturnal spectacle reappeared. -This time, Lucrezia Petroni was among the women who passed before -Beatrice's door; violence had compelled her to undergo this humiliation. -Beatrice was too far off to see her blushes and her tears. Francesco -pointed out her stepmother, whom she had lacked for in vain the previous -evening; and as she could no longer make any opposition, he led her, -covered with blushes and confusion, into the middle of this orgy. - -Beatrice there saw incredible and infamous things.... - -Nevertheless, she resisted a long time: an inward voice told her that -this was horrible; but Francesco had the slaw persistence of a demon. To -these sights, calculated to stimulate her passions, he added heresies -designed to warp her mind; he told her that the greatest saints -venerated by the Church were the issue of fathers and daughters, and in -the end Beatrice committed a crime without even knowing it to be a sin. - -His brutality then knew no bounds. He forced Lucrezia and Beatrice to -share the same bed, threatening his wife to kill her if she disclosed to -his daughter by a single word that there was anything odious in such an -intercourse. So matters went on for about three years. - -At this time Francesco was obliged to make a journey, and leave the -women alone and free. The first thing Lucrezia did was to enlighten -Beatrice an the infamy of the life they were leading; they then together -prepared a memorial to the pope, in which they laid before him a -statement of all the blows and outrages they had suffered. But, before -leaving, Francesco Cenci had taken precautions; every person about the -pope was in his pay, or hoped to be. The petition never reached His -Holiness, and the two poor women, remembering that Clement VIII had on a -farmer occasion driven Giacomo, Cristaforo, and Rocco from his presence, -thought they were included in the same proscription, and looked upon -themselves as abandoned to their fate. - -When matters were in this state, Giacomo, taking advantage of his -father's absence, came to pay them a visit with a friend of his, an abbe -named Guerra: he was a young man of twenty-five or twenty-six, belonging -to one of the most noble families in Rome, of a bold, resolute, and -courageous character, and idolised by all the Roman ladies for his -beauty. To classical features he added blue eyes swimming in poetic -sentiment; his hair was long and fair, with chestnut beard and eyebrows; -add to these attractions a highly educated mind, natural eloquence -expressed by a musical and penetrating voice, and the reader may form -some idea of Monsignor the Abbe Guerra. - -No sooner had he seen Beatrice than he fell in love with her. On her -side, she was not slow to return the sympathy of the young priest. The -Council of Trent had not been held at that time, consequently -ecclesiastics were not precluded from marriage. It was therefore decided -that on the return of Francesco the Abbe Guerra should demand the hand -of Beatrice from her father, and the women, happy in the absence of -their master, continued to live on, hoping for better things to come. - -After three or four months, during which no one knew where he was, -Francesco returned. The very first night, he wished to resume his -intercourse with Beatrice; but she was no longer the same person, the -timid and submissive child had become a girl of decided will; strong in -her love for the abbe, she resisted alike prayers, threats, and blows. - -The wrath of Francesco fell upon his wife, whom he accused of betraying -him; he gave her a violent thrashing. Lucrezia Petroni was a veritable -Roman she-wolf, passionate alike in love and vengeance; she endured all, -but pardoned nothing. - -Some days after this, the Abbe Guerra arrived at the Cenci palace to -carry out what had been arranged. Rich, young, noble, and handsome, -everything would seem to promise him success; yet he was rudely -dismissed by Francesco. The first refusal did not daunt him; he returned -to the charge a second time and yet a third, insisting upon the -suitableness of such a union. At length Francesco, losing patience, told -this obstinate lover that a reason existed why Beatrice could be neither -his wife nor any other man's. Guerra demanded what this reason was. -Francesco replied: - -"Because she is my mistress." - -Monsignor Guerra turned pale at this answer, although at first he did -not believe a word of it; but when he saw the smile with which Francesco -Cenci accompanied his words, he was compelled to believe that, terrible -though it was, the truth had been spoken. - -For three days he sought an interview with Beatrice in vain; at length -he succeeded in finding her. His last hope was her denial of this -horrible story: Beatrice confessed all. Henceforth there was no human -hope for the two lovers; an impassable gulf separated them. They parted -bathed in tears, promising to love one another always. - -Up to that time the two women had not formed any criminal resolution, -and possibly the tragical incident might never have happened, had not -Frances one night returned into his daughter's room and violently forced -her into the commission of fresh crime. - -Henceforth the doom of Francesco was irrevocably pronounced. - -As we have said, the mind of Beatrice was susceptible to the best and -the worst influences: it could attain excellence, and descend to guilt. -She went and told her mother of the fresh outrage she had undergone; -this roused in the heart of the other woman the sting of her own wrongs; -and, stimulating each other's desire for revenge, they, decided upon the -murder of Francesco. - -Guerra was called in to this council of death. His heart was a prey to -hatred and revenge. He undertook to communicate with Giacomo Cenci, -without whose concurrence the women would not act, as he was the head of -the family, when his father was left out of account. - -Giacomo entered readily into the conspiracy. It will be remembered what -he had formerly suffered from his father; since that time he had -married, and the close-fisted old man had left him, with his wife and -children, to languish in poverty. Guerra's house was selected to meet in -and concert matters. - -Giacomo hired a sbirro named Marzio, and Guerra a second named Olympio. - -Both these men had private reasons for committing the crime--one being -actuated by love, the other by hatred. Marzio, who was in the service of -Giacomo, had often seen Beatrice, and loved her, but with that silent -and hopeless love which devours the soul. When he conceived that the -proposed crime would draw him nearer to Beatrice, he accepted his part -in it without any demur. - -As for Olympio, he hated Francesco, because the latter had caused him to -lose the post of castellan of Rocco Petrella, a fortified stronghold in -the kingdom of Naples, belonging to Prince Colonna. Almost every year -Francesco Cenci spent some months at Rocco Petrella with his family; for -Prince Colonna, a noble and magnificent but needy prince, had much -esteem for Francesco, whose purse he found extremely useful. It had so -happened that Francesco, being dissatisfied with Olympio, complained -about him to Prince Colonna, and he was dismissed. - -After several consultations between the Cenci family, the abbe and the -sbirri, the following plan of action was decided upon. - -The period when Francesco Cenci was accustomed to go to Rocco Petrella -was approaching: it was arranged that Olympio, conversant with the -district and its inhabitants, should collect a party of a dozen -Neapolitan bandits, and conceal them in a forest through which the -travellers would have to pass. Upon a given signal, the whole family -were to be seized and carried off. A heavy ransom was to be demanded, -and the sons were to be sent back to Rome to raise the sum; but, under -pretext of inability to do so, they were to allow the time fixed by the -bandits to lapse, when Francesco was to be put to death. Thus all -suspicions of a plot would be avoided, and the real assassins would -escape justice. - -This well-devised scheme was nevertheless unsuccessful. When Francesco -left Rome, the scout sent in advance by the conspirators could not find -the bandits; the latter, not being warned beforehand, failed to come -down before the passage of the travellers, who arrived safe and sound at -Rocco Petreila. The bandits, after having patrolled the road in vain, -came to the conclusion that their prey had escaped, and, unwilling to -stay any longer in a place where they had already spent a week, went off -in quest of better luck elsewhere. - -Francesco had in the meantime settled down in the fortress, and, to be -more free to tyrannise over Lucrezia and Beatrice, sent back to Rome -Giacomo and his two other sons. He then recommenced his infamous -attempts upon Beatrice, and with such persistence, that she resolved -herself to accomplish the deed which at first she desired to entrust to -other hands. - -Olympio and Marzio, who had nothing to fear from justice, remained -lurking about the castle; one day Beatrice saw them from a window, and -made signs that she had something to communicate to them. The same night -Olympio, who having been castellan knew all the approaches to the -fortress, made his way there with his companion. Beatrice awaited them -at a window which looked on to a secluded courtyard; she gave them -letters which she had written to her brother and to Monsignor Guerra. -The former was to approve, as he had done before, the murder of their -father; for she would do nothing without his sanction. As for Monsignor -Guerra, he was to pay Olympio a thousand piastres, half the stipulated -sum; Marzio acting out of pure love for Beatrice, whom he worshipped as -a Madonna; which observing, the girl gave him a handsome scarlet mantle, -trimmed with gold lace, telling him to wear it for love of her. As for -the remaining moiety, it was to be paid when the death of the old man -had placed his wife and daughter in possession of his fortune. - -The two sbirri departed, and the imprisoned conspirators anxiously -awaited their return. On the day fixed, they were seen again. Monsignor -Guerra had paid the thousand piastres, and Giacomo had given his -consent. Nothing now stood in the way of the execution of this terrible -deed, which was fixed for the 8th of September, the day of the Nativity -of the Virgin; but Signora Lucrezia, a very devout person, having -noticed this circumstance, would not be a party to the committal of a -double sin; the matter was therefore deferred till the next day, the -9th. - -That evening, the 9th of September, 1598, the two women, supping with -the old man, mixed some narcotic with his wine so adroitly that, -suspicious though he was, he never detected it, and having swallowed the -potion, soon fell into a deep sleep. - -The evening previous, Marzio and Olympio had been admitted into the -castle, where they had lain concealed all night and all day; for, as -will be remembered, the assassination would have been effected the day -before had it not been for the religious scruples of Signora Lucrezia -Petroni. Towards midnight, Beatrice fetched them out of their -hiding-place, and took them to her father's chamber, the door of which -she herself opened. The assassins entered, and the two women awaited the -issue in the room adjoining. - -After a moment, seeing the sbirri reappear pale and nerveless, shaking -their heads without speaking, they at once inferred that nothing had -been done. - -"What is the matter?" cried Beatrice; "and what hinders you?" - -"It is a cowardly act," replied the assassins, "to kill a poor old man -in his sleep. At the thought of his age, we were struck with pity." - -Then Beatrice disdainfully raised her head, and in a deep firm voice -thus reproached them. - -"Is it possible that you, who pretend to be brave and strong, have not -courage enough to kill a sleeping old man? How would it be if he were -awake? And thus you steal our money! Very well: since your cowardice -compels me to do so, I will kill my father myself; but you will not long -survive him." - -Hearing these words, the sbirri felt ashamed of their irresolution, and, -indicating by signs that they would fulfil their compact, they entered -the room, accompanied by the two women. As they had said, a ray of -moonlight shone through the open window, and brought into prominence the -tranquil face of the old man, the sight of whose white hair had so -affected them. - -This time they showed no mercy. One of them carried two great nails, -such as those portrayed in pictures of the Crucifixion; the other bore a -mallet: the first placed a nail upright over one of the old man's eyes; -the other struck it with the hammer, and drove it into his head. The -throat was pierced in the same way with the second nail; and thus the -guilty soul, stained throughout its career with crimes of violence, was -in its turn violently torn from the body, which lay writhing on the -floor where it had rolled. - -The young girl then, faithful to her word, handed the sbirri a large -purse containing the rest of the sum agreed upon, and they left. When -they found themselves alone, the women drew the nails out of the wounds, -wrapped the corpse in a sheet, and dragged it through the rooms towards -a small rampart, intending to throw it down into a garden which had been -allowed to run to waste. They hoped that the old man's death would be -attributed to his having accidentally fallen off the terrace on his way -in the dark to a closet at the end of the gallery. But their strength -failed them when they reached the door of the last room, and, while -resting there, Lucrezia perceived the two sbirri, sharing the money -before making their escape. At her call they came to her, carried the -corpse to the rampart, and, from a spot pointed out by the women, where -the terrace was unfenced by any parapet, they threw it into an elder -tree below, whose branches retained' it suspended. - -When the body was found the following morning hanging in the branches of -the elder tree, everybody supposed, as Beatrice and her stepmother had -foreseen, that Francesco, stepping over the edge of the 386 terrace in -the dark, had thus met his end. The body was so scratched and disfigured -that no one noticed the wounds made by the two nails. The ladies, as -soon as the news was imparted to them, came out from their rooms, -weeping and lamenting in so natural a manner as to disarm any -suspicions. The only person who formed any was the laundress to whom -Beatrice entrusted the sheet in which her father's body had been -wrapped, accounting for its bloody condition by a lame explanation, -which the laundress accepted without question, or pretended to do so; -and immediately after the funeral, the mourners returned to Rome, hoping -at length to enjoy quietude and peace. For some time, indeed, they did -enjoy tranquillity, perhaps poisoned by remorse, but ere long -retribution pursued them. The court of Naples, hearing of the sudden and -unexpected death of Francesco Cenci, and conceiving some suspicions of -violence, despatched a royal commissioner to Petrella to exhume the body -and make minute inquiries, if there appeared to be adequate grounds for -doing so. On his arrival all the domestics in the castle were placed -under arrest and sent in chains to Naples. No incriminating proofs, -however, were found, except in the evidence of the laundress, who -deposed that Beatrice had given her a bloodstained sheet to wash. This, -clue led to terrible consequences; for, further questioned she declared -that she could not believe the explanation given to account for its -condition. The evidence was sent to the Roman court; but at that period -it did not appear strong enough to warrant the arrest of the Cenci -family, who remained undisturbed for many months, during which time the -youngest boy died. Of the five brothers there only remained Giacomo, the -eldest, and Bernardo, the youngest but one. Nothing prevented them from -escaping to Venice or Florence; but they remained quietly in Rome. - -Meantime Monsignor Guerra received private information that, shortly -before the death of Francesco, Marzio and Olympio had been seen prowling -round the castle, and that the Neapolitan police had received orders to -arrest them. - -The monsignor was a most wary man, and very difficult to catch napping -when warned in time. He immediately hired two other sbirri to -assassinate Marzio and Olympio. The one commissioned to put Olympio out -of the way came across him at Terni, and conscientiously did his work -with a poniard, but Marzio's man unfortunately arrived at Naples too -late, and found his bird already in the hands of the police. - -He was put to the torture, and confessed everything. His deposition was -sent to Rome, whither he shortly afterwards followed it, to be -confronted with the accused. Warrants were immediately issued for the -arrest of Giacomo, Bernardo, Lucrezia, and Beatrice; they were at first -confined in the Cenci palace under a strong guard, but the proofs -against them becoming stronger and stronger, they were removed to the -castle of Corte Savella, where they were confronted with Marzio; but -they obstinately denied both any complicity in the crime and any -knowledge of the assassin. Beatrice, above all, displayed the greatest -assurance, demanding to be the first to be confronted with Marzio; whose -mendacity she affirmed with such calm dignity, that he, more than ever -smitten by her beauty, determined, since he could not live for her, to -save her by his death. Consequently, he declared all his statements to -be false, and asked forgiveness from God and from Beatrice; neither -threats nor tortures could make him recant, and he died firm in his -denial, under frightful tortures. The Cenci then thought themselves -safe. - -God's justice, however, still pursued them. The sbirro who had killed -Olympio happened to be arrested for another crime, and, making a clean -breast, confessed that he had been employed by Monsignor Guerra--to put -out of the way a fellow-assassin named Olympio, who knew too many of the -monsignor's secrets. - -Luckily for himself, Monsignor Guerra heard of this opportunely. A man -of infinite resource, he lost not a moment in timid or irresolute plans, -but as it happened that at the very moment when he was warned, the -charcoal dealer who supplied his house with fuel was at hand, he sent -for him, purchased his silence with a handsome bribe, and then, buying -for almost their weight in gold the dirty old clothes which he wore, he -assumed these, cut off all his beautiful cherished fair hair, stained -his beard, smudged his face, bought two asses, laden with charcoal, and -limped up and down the streets of Rome, crying, "Charcoal! charcoal!" -Then, whilst all the detectives were hunting high and low for him, he -got out of the city, met a company of merchants under escort, joined -them, and reached Naples, where he embarked. What ultimately became of -him was never known; it has been asserted, but without confirmation, -that he succeeded--in reaching France, and enlisted in a Swiss regiment -in the pay of Henry IV. - -The confession of the sbirro and the disappearance of Monsignor Guerra -left no moral doubt of the guilt of the Cenci. They were consequently -sent from the castle to the prison; the two brothers, when put to the -torture, broke down and confessed their guilt. Lucrezia Petroni's full -habit of body rendered her unable to bear the torture of the rope, and, -on being suspended in the air, begged to be lowered, when she confessed -all she knew. - -As for Beatrice, she continued unmoved; neither promises, threats, nor -torture had any effect upon her; she bore everything unflinchingly, and -the judge Ulysses Moscati himself, famous though he was in such matters, -failed to draw from her a single incriminating word. Unwilling to take -any further responsibility, he referred the case to Clement VIII; and -the pope, conjecturing that the judge had been too lenient in applying -the torture to, a young and beautiful Roman lady, took it out of his -hands and entrusted it to another judge, whose severity and -insensibility to emotion were undisputed. - -This latter reopened the whole interrogatory, and as Beatrice up to that -time had only been subjected to the ordinary torture, he gave -instructions to apply both the ordinary and extraordinary. This was the -rope and pulley, one of the most terrible inventions ever devised by the -most ingenious of tormentors. - -To make the nature of this horrid torture plain to our readers, we give -a detailed description of it, adding an extract of the presiding judge's -report of the case, taken from the Vatican manuscripts. - -Of the various forms of torture then used in Rome the most common were -the whistle, the fire, the sleepless, and the rope. - -The mildest, the torture of the whistle, was used only in the case of -children and old persons; it consisted in thrusting between the nails -and the flesh reeds cut in the shape of whistles. - -The fire, frequently employed before the invention of the sleepless -torture, was simply roasting the soles of the feet before a hot fire. - -The sleepless torture, invented by Marsilius, was worked by forcing the -accused into an angular frame of wood about five feet high, the sufferer -being stripped and his arms tied behind his back to the frame; two men, -relieved every five hours, sat beside him, and roused him the moment he -closed his eyes. Marsilius says he has never found a man proof against -this torture; but here he claims more than he is justly entitled to. -Farinacci states that, out of one hundred accused persons subjected to -it, five only refused to confess--a very satisfactory result for the -inventor. - -Lastly comes the torture of the rope and pulley, the most in vogue of -all, and known in other Latin countries as the strappado. - -It was divided into three degrees of intensity--the slight, the severe, -and the very severe. - -The first, or slight torture, which consisted mainly in the -apprehensions it caused, comprised the threat of severe torture, -introduction into the torture chamber, stripping, and the tying of the -rope in readiness for its appliance. To increase the terror these -preliminaries excited, a pang of physical pain was added by tightening a -cord round the wrists. This often sufficed to extract a confession from -women or men of highly strung nerves. - -The second degree, or severe torture, consisted in fastening the -sufferer, stripped naked, and his hands tied behind his back, by the -wrists to one end of a rope passed round a pulley bolted into the -vaulted ceiling, the other end being attached to a windlass, by turning -which he could be hoisted, into the air, and dropped again, either -slowly or with a jerk, as ordered by the judge. The suspension generally -lasted during the recital of a Pater Noster, an Ave Maria, or a -Miserere; if the accused persisted in his denial, it was doubled. This -second degree, the last of the ordinary torture, was put in practice -when the crime appeared reasonably probable but was not absolutely -proved. - -The third, or very severe, the first of the extraordinary forms of -torture, was so called when the sufferer, having hung suspended by the -wrists, for sometimes a whole hour, was swung about by the executioner, -either like the pendulum of a clock, or by elevating him with the -windlass and dropping him to within a foot or two of the ground. If he -stood this torture, a thing almost unheard of, seeing that it cut the -flesh of the wrist to the bone and dislocated the limbs, weights were -attached to the feet, thus doubling the torture. This last form of -torture was only applied when an atrocious crime had been proved to have -been committed upon a sacred person, such as a priest, a cardinal, a -prince, or an eminent and learned man. - -Having seen that Beatrice was sentenced to the torture ordinary and -extraordinary, and having explained the nature of these tortures, we -proceed to quote the official report:-- - -"And as in reply to every question she would confess nothing, we caused -her to be taken by two officers and led from the prison to the torture -chamber, where the torturer was in attendance; there, after cutting off -her hair, he made her sit on a small stool, undressed her, pulled off -her shoes, tied her hands behind her back, fastened them to a rope -passed over a pulley bolted into the ceiling of the aforesaid chamber, -and wound up at the other end by a four lever windlass, worked by two -men." - -"Before hoisting her from the ground we again interrogated her touching -the aforesaid parricide; but notwithstanding the confessions of her -brother and her stepmother, which were again produced, bearing their -signatures, she persisted in denying everything, saying, 'Haul me about -and do what you like with me; I have spoken the truth, and will tell you -nothing else, even if I were torn to pieces.' - -"Upon this we had her hoisted in the air by the wrists to the height of -about two feet from the ground, while we recited a Pater Noster; and -then again questioned her as to the facts and circumstances of the -aforesaid parricide; but she would make no further answer, only saying, -'You are killing me! You are killing me!' - -"We then raised her to the elevation of four feet, and began an Ave -Maria. But before our prayer was half finished she fainted away; or -pretended to do so. - -"We caused a bucketful of water to be thrown over her head; feeling its -coolness, she recovered consciousness, and cried, 'My God! I am dead! -You are killing me! My God!' But this was all she would say. - -"We then raised her higher still, and recited a Miserere, during which, -instead of joining in the prayer, she shook convulsively and cried -several times, 'My God! My God!' - -"Again questioned as to the aforesaid parricide, she would confess -nothing, saying only that she was innocent, and then again fainted away. - -"We caused more water to be thrown over her; then she recovered her -senses, opened her eyes, and cried, 'O cursed executioners! You are -killing me! You are killing me!' But nothing more would she say. - -"Seeing which, and that she persisted in her denial, we ordered the -torturer to proceed to the torture by jerks. - -"He accordingly hoisted her ten feet from the ground, and when there we -enjoined her to tell the truth; but whether she would not or could not -speak, she answered only by a motion of the head indicating that she -could say nothing. - -"Seeing which, we made a sign to the executioner, to let go the rope, -and she fell with all her weight from the height of ten feet to that of -two feet; her arms, from the shock, were dislocated from their sockets; -she uttered a loud cry, and swooned away. - -"We again caused water to be dashed in her face; she returned to -herself, and again cried out, 'Infamous assassins! You are killing me; -but were you to tear out my arms, I would tell you nothing else.' - -"Upon this, we ordered a weight of fifty pounds to be fastened to her -feet. But at this moment the door opened, and many voices cried, -'Enough! Enough! Do not torture her any more!'" - -These voices were those of Giacomo, Bernardo, and Lucrezia Petroni. The -judges, perceiving the obstinacy of Beatrice, had ordered that the -accused, who had been separated for five months, should be confronted. - -They advanced into the torture chamber, and seeing Beatrice hanging by -the wrists, her arms disjointed, and covered with blood, Giacomo cried -out:-- - -"The sin is committed; nothing further remains but to save our souls by -repentance, undergo death courageously, and not suffer you to be thus -tortured." - -Then said Beatrice, shaking her head as if to cast off grief-- - -"Do you then wish to die? Since you wish it, be it so." - -Then turning to the officers:-- - -"Untie me," said she, "read the examination to me; and what I have to -confess, I will confess; what I have to deny, I will deny." - -Beatrice was then lowered and untied; a barber reduced the dislocation -of her arms in the usual manner; the examination was read over to her, -and, as she had promised, she made a full confession. - -After this confession, at the request of the two brothers, they were all -confined in the same prison; but the next day Giacomo and Bernardo were -taken to the cells of Tordinona; as for the women, they remained where -they were. - -The pope was so horrified on reading the particulars of the crime -contained in the confessions, that he ordered the culprits to be dragged -by wild horses through the streets of Rome. But so barbarous a sentence -shocked the public mind, so much so that many persons of princely rank -petitioned the Holy Father on their knees, imploring him to reconsider -his decree, or at least allow the accused to be heard in their defence. - -"Tell me," replied Clement VIII, "did they give their unhappy father -time to be heard in his own defence, when they slew him in so merciless -and degrading a fashion?" - -At length, overcome by so many entreaties, he respited them for three -days. - -The most eloquent and skilful advocates in Rome immediately busied -themselves in preparing pleadings for so emotional a case, and on the -day fixed for hearing appeared before His Holiness. - -The first pleader was Nicolo degli Angeli, who spoke with such force and -eloquence that the pope, alarmed at the effect he was producing among -the audience, passionately interrupted him. - -"Are there then to be found," he indignantly cried, "among the Roman -nobility children capable of killing their parents, and among Roman -lawyers men capable of speaking in their defence? This is a thing we -should never have believed, nor even for a moment supposed it possible!" - -All were silent upon this terrible rebuke, except Farinacci, who, -nerving himself with a strong sense of duty, replied respectfully but -firmly-- - -"Most Holy Father, we are not here to defend criminals, but to save the -innocent; for if we succeeded in proving that any of the accused acted -in self-defence, I hope that they will be exonerated in the eyes of your -Holiness; for just as the law provides for cases in which the father may -legally kill the child, so this holds good in the converse. We will -therefore continue our pleadings on receiving leave from your Holiness -to do so." - -Clement VIII then showed himself as patient as he had previously been -hasty, and heard the argument of Farinacci, who pleaded that Francesco -Cenci had lost all the rights of a father from, the day that he violated -his daughter. In support of his contention he wished to put in the -memorial sent by Beatrice to His Holiness, petitioning him, as her -sister had done, to remove her from the paternal roof and place her in a -convent. Unfortunately, this petition had disappeared, and -notwithstanding the minutest search among the papal documents, no trace -of it could be found. - -The pope had all the pleadings collected, and dismissed the advocates, -who then retired, excepting d'Altieri, who knelt before him, saying-- - -"Most Holy Father, I humbly ask pardon for appearing before you in this -case, but I had no choice in the matter, being the advocate of the -poor." - -The pope kindly raised him, saying: - -"Go; we are not surprised at your conduct, but at that of others, who -protect and defend criminals." - -As the pope took a great interest in this case, he sat up all night over -it, studying it with Cardinal di San Marcello, a man of much acumen and -great experience in criminal cases. Then, having summed it up, he sent a -draft of his opinion to the advocates, who read it with great -satisfaction, and entertained hopes that the lives of the convicted -persons would be spared; for the evidence all went to prove that even if -the children had taken their father's life, all the provocation came -from him, and that Beatrice in particular had been dragged into the part -she had taken in this crime by the tyranny, wickedness, and brutality of -her father. Under the influence of these considerations the pope -mitigated the severity of their prison life, and even allowed the -prisoners to hope that their lives would not be forfeited. - -Amidst the general feeling of relief afforded to the public by these -favours, another tragical event changed the papal mind and frustrated -all his humane intentions. This was the atrocious murder of the Marchese -di Santa Croce, a man seventy years of age, by his son Paolo, who -stabbed him with a dagger in fifteen or twenty places, because the -father would not promise to make Paolo his sole heir. The murderer fled -and escaped. - -Clement VIII was horror-stricken at the increasing frequency of this -crime of parricide: for the moment, however, he was unable to take -action, having to go to Monte Cavallo to consecrate a cardinal titular -bishop in the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli; but the day following, -on Friday the 10th of September 1599, at eight o'clock in the morning, -he summoned Monsignor Taverna, governor of Rome, and said to him-- - -"Monsignor, we place in your hands the Cenci case, that you may carry -out the sentence as speedily as possible." - -On his return to his palace, after leaving His Holiness, the governor -convened a meeting of all the criminal judges in the city, the result of -the council being that all the Cenci were condemned to death. - -The final sentence was immediately known; and as this unhappy family -inspired a constantly increasing interest, many cardinals spent the -whole of the night either on horseback or in their carriages, making -interest that, at least so far as the women were concerned, they should -be put to death privately and in the prison, and that a free pardon -should be granted to Bernardo, a poor lad only fifteen years of age, -who, guiltless of any participation in the crime, yet found himself -involved in its consequences. The one who interested himself most in the -case was Cardinal Sforza, who nevertheless failed to elicit a single -gleam of hope, so obdurate was His Holiness. At length Farinacci, -working on the papal conscience, succeeded, after long and urgent -entreaties, and only at the last moment, that the life of Bernardo -should be spared. - -From Friday evening the members of the brotherhood of the Conforteria -had gathered at the two prisons of Corte Savella and Tordinona. The -preparations for the closing scene of the tragedy had occupied workmen -on the bridge of Sant' Angelo all night; and it was not till five -o'clock in the morning that the registrar entered the cell of Lucrezia -and Beatrice to read their sentences to them. - -Both were sleeping, calm in the belief of a reprieve. The registrar woke -them, and told them that, judged by man, they must now prepare to appear -before God. - -Beatrice was at first thunderstruck: she seemed paralysed and -speechless; then she rose from bed, and staggering as if intoxicated, -recovered her speech, uttering despairing cries. Lucrezia heard the -tidings with more firmness, and proceeded to dress herself to go to the -chapel, exhorting Beatrice to resignation; but she, raving, wrung her, -hands and struck her head against the wall, shrieking, "To die! to die! -Am I to die unprepared, on a scaffold! on a gibbet! My God! my God!" -This fit led to a terrible paroxysm, after which the exhaustion of her -body enabled her mind to recover its balance, and from that moment she -became an angel of humility and an example of resignation. - -Her first request was for a notary to make her will. This was -immediately complied with, and on his arrival she dictated its -provisions with much calmness and precision. Its last clause desired her -interment in the church of San Pietro in Montorio, for which she always -had a strong attachment, as it commanded a view of her father's palace. -She bequeathed five hundred crowns to the nuns of the order of the -Stigmata, and ordered that her dowry; amounting to fifteen thousand -crowns, should be distributed in marriage portions to fifty poor girls. -She selected the foot of the high altar as the place where she wished to -be buried, over which hung the beautiful picture of the Transfiguration, -so often admired by her during her life. - -Following her example, Lucrezia in her turn, disposed of her property: -she desired to be buried in the church of San Giorgio di Velobre, and -left thirty-two thousand crowns to charities, with other pious legacies. -Having settled their earthly affairs, they joined in prayer, reciting -psalms, litanies, and prayers far the dying. - -At eight o'clock they confessed, heard mass, and received the -sacraments; after which Beatrice, observing to her stepmother that the -rich dresses they wore were out of place on a scaffold, ordered two to -be made in nun's fashion--that is to say, gathered at the neck, with -long wide sleeves. That for Lucrezia was made of black cotton stuff, -Beatrice's of taffetas. In addition she had a small black turban made to -place on her head. These dresses, with cords for girdles, were brought -them; they were placed on a chair, while the women continued to pray. - -The time appointed being near at hand, they were informed that their -last moment was approaching. Then Beatrice, who was still on her knees, -rose with a tranquil and almost joyful countenance. "Mother," said she, -"the moment of our suffering is impending; I think we had better dress -in these clothes, and help one another at our toilet for the last time." -They then put on the dresses provided, girt themselves with the cords; -Beatrice placed her turban on her head, and they awaited the last -summons. - -In the meantime, Giacomo and Bernardo, whose sentences had been read to -them, awaited also the moment of their death. About ten o'clock the -members of the Confraternity of Mercy, a Florentine order, arrived at -the prison of Tordinona, and halted on the threshold with the crucifix, -awaiting the appearance of the unhappy youths. Here a serious accident -had nearly happened. As many persons were at the prison windows to see -the prisoners come out, someone accidentally threw down a large -flower-pot full of earth, which fell into the street and narrowly missed -one of the Confraternity who was amongst the torch-bearers just before -the crucifix. It passed so close to the torch as to extinguish the flame -in its descent. - -At this moment the gates opened, and Giacomo appeared first on the -threshold. He fell on his knees, adoring the holy crucifix with great -devotion. He was completely covered with a large mourning cloak, under -which his bare breast was prepared to be torn by the red-hot pincers of -the executioner, which were lying ready in a chafing-dish fixed to the -cart. Having ascended the vehicle, in which the executioner placed him -so as more readily to perform this office, Bernardo came out, and was -thus addressed on his appearance by the fiscal of Rome-- - -"Signor Bernardo Cenci, in the name of our blessed Redeemer, our Holy -Father the Pope spares your life; with the sole condition that you -accompany your relatives to the scaffold and to their death, and never -forget to pray for those with whom you were condemned to die." - -At this unexpected intelligence, a loud murmur of joy spread among the -crowd, and the members of the Confraternity immediately untied the small -mask which covered the youth's eyes; for, owing to his tender age, it -had been thought proper to conceal the scaffold from his sight. - -Then the executioner; having disposed of Giacomo, came down from the -cart to take Bernardo; whose pardon being formally communicated to him, -he took off his handcuffs, and placed him alongside his brother, -covering him up with a magnificent cloak embroidered with gold, for the -neck and shoulders of the poor lad had been already bared, as a -preliminary to his decapitation. People were surprised to see such a -rich cloak in the possession of the executioner, but were told that it -was the one given by Beatrice to Marzio to pledge him to the murder of -her father, which fell to the executioner as a perquisite after the -execution of the assassin. The sight of the great assemblage of people -produced such an effect upon the boy that he fainted. - -The procession then proceeded to the prison of Corte Savella, marching -to the sound of funeral chants. At its gates the sacred crucifix halted -for the women to join: they soon appeared, fell on their knees, and -worshipped the holy symbol as the others had done. The march to the -scaffold was then resumed. - -The two female prisoners followed the last row of penitents in single -file, veiled to the waist, with the distinction that Lucrezia, as a -widow, wore a black veil and high-heeled slippers of the same hue, with -bows of ribbon, as was the fashion; whilst Beatrice, as a young -unmarried girl, wore a silk flat cap to match her corsage, with a plush -hood, which fell over her shoulders and covered her violet frock; white -slippers with high heels, ornamented with gold rosettes and -cherry-coloured fringe. The arms of both were untrammelled, except far a -thin slack cord which left their hands free to carry a crucifix and a -handkerchief. - -During the night a lofty scaffold had been erected on the bridge of -Sant' Angelo, and the plank and block were placed thereon. Above the -block was hung, from a large cross beam, a ponderous axe, which, guided -by two grooves, fell with its whole weight at the touch of a spring. - -In this formation the procession wended its way towards the bridge of -Sant' Angela. Lucrezia, the more broken down of the two, wept bitterly; -but Beatrice was firm and unmoved. On arriving at the open space before -the bridge, the women were led into a chapel, where they were shortly -joined by Giacomo and Bernardo; they remained together for a few -moments, when the brothers were led away to the scaffold, although one -was to be executed last, and the other was pardoned. But when they had -mounted the platform, Bernardo fainted a second time; and as the -executioner was approaching to his assistance, some of the crowd, -supposing that his object was to decapitate him, cried loudly, "He is -pardoned!" The executioner reassured them by seating Bernardo near the -block, Giacomo kneeling on the other side. - -Then the executioner descended, entered the chapel, and reappeared -leading Lucrezia, who was the first to suffer. At the foot of the -scaffold he tied her hands behind her back, tore open the top of her -corsage so as to uncover her shoulders, gave her the crucifix to kiss, -and led her to the step ladder, which she ascended with great -difficulty, on account of her extreme stoutness; then, on her reaching -the platform, he removed the veil which covered her head. On this -exposure of her features to the immense crowd, Lucrezia shuddered from -head to foot; then, her eyes full of tears, she cried with a loud -voice-- - -"O my God, have mercy upon me; and do you, brethren, pray for my soul!" - -Having uttered these words, not knowing what was required of her, she -turned to Alessandro, the chief executioner, and asked what she was to -do; he told her to bestride the plank and lie prone upon it; which she -did with great trouble and timidity; but as she was unable, on account -of the fullness of her bust, to lay her neck upon the block, this had to -be raised by placing a billet of wood underneath it; all this time the -poor woman, suffering even more from shame than from fear, was kept in -suspense; at length, when she was properly adjusted, the executioner -touched the spring, the knife fell, and the decapitated head, falling on -the platform of the scaffold, bounded two or three times in the air, to -the general horror; the executioner then seized it, showed it to the -multitude, and wrapping it in black taffetas, placed it with the body on -a bier at the foot of the scaffold. - -Whilst arrangements were being made for the decapitation of Beatrice, -several stands, full of spectators, broke down; some people were killed -by this accident, and still more lamed and injured. - -The machine being now rearranged and washed, the executioner returned to -the chapel to take charge of Beatrice, who, on seeing the sacred -crucifix, said some prayers for her soul, and on her hands being tied, -cried out, "God grant that you be binding this body unto corruption, and -loosing this soul unto life eternal!" She then arose, proceeded to the -platform, where she devoutly kissed the stigmata; then leaving her -slippers at the foot of the scaffold, she nimbly ascended the ladder, -and instructed beforehand, promptly lay down on the plank, without -exposing her naked shoulders. But her precautions to shorten the -bitterness of death were of no avail, for the pope, knowing her -impetuous disposition, and fearing lest she might be led into the -commission of some sin between absolution and death, had given orders -that the moment Beatrice was extended on the scaffold a signal gun -should be fired from the castle of Sant' Angelo; which was done, to the -great astonishment of everybody, including Beatrice herself, who, not -expecting this explosion, raised herself almost upright; the pope -meanwhile, who was praying at Monte Cavallo, gave her absolution 'in -articulo mortis'. About five minutes thus passed, during which the -sufferer waited with her head replaced on the block; at length, when the -executioner judged that the absolution had been given, he released the -spring, and the axe fell. - -A gruesome sight was then afforded: whilst the head bounced away on one -side of the block, on the other the body rose erect, as if about to step -backwards; the executioner exhibited the head, and disposed of it and -the body as before. He wished to place Beatrice's body with that of her -stepmother, but the brotherhood of Mercy took it out of his hands, and -as one of them was attempting to lay it on the bier, it slipped from him -and fell from the scaffold to the ground below; the dress being -partially torn from the body, which was so besmeared with dust and blood -that much time was occupied in washing it. Poor Bernardo was so overcome -by this horrible scene that he swooned away for the third time, and it -was necessary to revive him with stimulants to witness the fate of his -elder brother. - -The turn of Giacomo at length arrived: he had witnessed the death of his -stepmother and his sister, and his clothes were covered with their -blood; the executioner approached him and tore off his cloak, exposing -his bare breast covered with the wounds caused by the grip of red-hot -pincers; in this state, and half-naked, he rose to his feet, and turning -to his brother, said-- - -"Bernardo, if in my examination I have compromised and accused you, I -have done so falsely, and although I have already disavowed this -declaration, I repeat, at the moment of appearing before God, that you -are innocent, and that it is a cruel abuse of justice to compel you to -witness this frightful spectacle." - -The executioner then made him kneel down, bound his legs to one of the -beams erected on the scaffold, and having bandaged his eyes, shattered -his head with a blow of his mallet; then, in the sight of all, he hacked -his body into four quarters. The official party then left, taking with -them Bernardo, who, being in a state of high fever, was bled and put to -bed. - -The corpses of the two ladies were laid out each on its bier under the -statue of St. Paul, at the foot of the bridge, with four torches of -white wax, which burned till four o'clock in the afternoon; then, along -with the remains of Giacomo, they were taken to the church of San -Giovanni Decollato; finally, about nine in the evening, the body of -Beatrice, covered with flowers, and attired in the dress worn at her -execution, was carried to the church of San Pietro in Montorio, with -fifty lighted torches, and followed by the brethren of the order of the -Stigmata and all the Franciscan monks in Rome; there, agreeably to her -wish, it was buried at the foot of the high altar. - -The same evening Signora Lucrezia was interred, as she had desired to -be, in the church of San Giorgio di Velobre. - -All Rome may be said to have been present at this tragedy, carriages, -horses, foot people, and cars crowding as it were upon one another. The -day was unfortunately so hot, and the sun so scorching, that many -persons fainted, others returned home stricken with fever, and some even -died during the night, owing to sunstroke from exposure during the three -hours occupied by the execution. - -The Tuesday following, the 14th of September; being the Feast of the -Holy Cross, the brotherhood of San Marcello, by special licence of the -pope, set at liberty the unhappy Bernardo Cenci, with the condition of -paying within the year two thousand five hundred Roman crowns to the -brotherhood of the most Holy Trinity of Pope Sixtus, as may be found -to-day recorded in their archives. - -Having now seen the tomb, if you desire to form a more vivid impression -of the principal actors in this tragedy than can be derived from a -narrative, pay a visit to the Barberini Gallery, where you will see, -with five other masterpieces by Guido, the portrait of Beatrice, taken, -some say the night before her execution, others during her progress to -the scaffold; it is the head of a lovely girl, wearing a headdress -composed of a turban with a lappet. The hair is of a rich fair chestnut -hue; the dark eyes are moistened with recent tears; a perfectly farmed -nose surmounts an infantile mouth; unfortunately, the loss of tone in -the picture since it was painted has destroyed the original fair -complexion. The age of the subject may be twenty, or perhaps twenty-two -years. - -Near this portrait is that of Lucrezia Petrani the small head indicates -a person below the middle height; the attributes are those of a Roman -matron in her pride; her high complexion, graceful contour, straight -nose, black eyebrows, and expression at the same time imperious and -voluptuous indicate this character to the life; a smile still seems to -linger an the charming dimpled cheeks and perfect mouth mentioned by the -chronicler, and her face is exquisitely framed by luxuriant curls -falling from her forehead in graceful profusion. - -As for Giacomo and Bernardo, as no portraits of them are in existence, -we are obliged to gather an idea of their appearance from the manuscript -which has enabled us to compile this sanguinary history; they are thus -described by the eye-witness of the closing scene--Giacomo was short, -well-made and strong, with black hair and beard; he appeared to be about -twenty-six years of age. - -Poor Bernardo was the image of his sister, so nearly resembling her, -that when he mounted the scaffold his long hair and girlish face led -people to suppose him to be Beatrice herself: he might be fourteen or -fifteen years of age. - -The peace of God be with them! - - - - - ---- - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CENCI *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2742 - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so -the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. -Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this -license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works to protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and -trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be -used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific -permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, -complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly -any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances -and research. They may be modified and printed and given away - you may -do practically _anything_ in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - - -The Full Project Gutenberg License - - -_Please read this before you distribute or use this work._ - -To protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or -any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg(tm) License available with this file or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use & Redistributing Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works - - -*1.A.* By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the -terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all -copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in your possession. If -you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -*1.B.* "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things -that you can do with most Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works even -without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph -1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -*1.C.* The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of -Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works. Nearly all the individual works -in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and -you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent -you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating -derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project -Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the -Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting free access to electronic -works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg(tm) works in compliance with -the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg(tm) name -associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this -agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full -Project Gutenberg(tm) License when you share it without charge with -others. - - -*1.D.* The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg(tm) work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -*1.E.* Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -*1.E.1.* The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United - States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with - almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away - or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License - included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org . - If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to - check the laws of the country where you are located before using - this ebook. - -*1.E.2.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain -a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright -holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United -States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or -providing access to a work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" -associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with -the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission -for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark as set -forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -*1.E.3.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is -posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and -distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and -any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg(tm) License for all works posted -with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of -this work. - -*1.E.4.* Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project -Gutenberg(tm) License terms from this work, or any files containing a -part of this work or any other work associated with Project -Gutenberg(tm). - -*1.E.5.* Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg(tm) License. - -*1.E.6.* You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg(tm) web site -(http://www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or -expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a -means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include -the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -*1.E.7.* Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg(tm) works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -*1.E.8.* You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works -provided that - - - You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg(tm) works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - - - You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg(tm) - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) - works. - - - You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - - - You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) works. - - -*1.E.9.* If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm) -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3. below. - -*1.F.* - -*1.F.1.* Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg(tm) collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your -equipment. - -*1.F.2.* LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg(tm) trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. -YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, -BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN -PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND -ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR -ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES -EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. - -*1.F.3.* LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -*1.F.4.* Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS,' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -*1.F.5.* Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -*1.F.6.* INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg(tm) -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg(tm) work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg(tm) - - -Project Gutenberg(tm) is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg(tm)'s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg(tm) collection will remain -freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and -permanent future for Project Gutenberg(tm) and future generations. To -learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and -how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the -Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org . - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state -of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue -Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is -64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf . Contributions to the -Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the -full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its volunteers -and employees are scattered throughout numerous locations. Its business -office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, -(801) 596-1887, email business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at http://www.pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - - -Project Gutenberg(tm) depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where -we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any -statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside -the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways -including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, -please visit: http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic -works. - - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg(tm) -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg(tm) eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg(tm) eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's eBook -number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, -compressed (zipped), HTML and others. - -Corrected _editions_ of our eBooks replace the old file and take over -the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed. -_Versions_ based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving -new filenames and etext numbers. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg(tm), -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |