the cenci-第3章

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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