Lorenzo in Dámaso, we find the following record which serves to fix approximately the date of birth: "Feb. 12, 1577, Beatrice, daughter of Signer Francesco Cenci and of Ersilia Santa Croce, his wife." This and the fact, none too well authenticated, that she was educated at the convent of Montecitorio, constitute our entire knowledge of her early life. Her mother had borne twelve children, five of whom died in infancy. The survivors were Giacomo, Cristoforo, Rocco, Antonia, Beatrice, Bernardo and Paolo. Cristoforo and Rocco perished in duels prior to their father's death. Paolo, the youngest, died at the age of fourteen, subsequent to the latter event and prior to the trial. These may therefore be eliminated from considera tion. Of Antonia, something remains to be said. It is claimed that, driven to despera tion by paternal cruelty, she succeeded in forwarding a petition to Clement VIII. the reigning pontiff, praying that she be placed in- a convent. The Pope, however, taking pity upon her defenceless condition, gave her in marriage to a certain Signor Savelli, a nobleman of Gubbio, and compelled Fran cesco to grant a dowry of some 20,000 crowns. It is but justice to observe that this is extremely doubtful, as no trace of the petition has been found, and the marriage contract, yet in existence, indicates the freest consent to the match on the part of the Count. Her death without children occurred prior to that of her father. Ersilia Santa Croce died in 1584 and nine years thereafter Count Cenci married Lucrezia Petroni. The family therefore, in the year 1598, if we except Paolo, consisted of five persons, who with a certain Monsignore Guerra or Querrá, a distant relative, consti tute the chief actors in the tragedy which was to follow. Monsignore Guerra was an ecclesiastic in the employ of Cardinal Montalto, a man of most dissolute life and a boon companion of Rocco and Giacomo Cenci. With the former he was arrested for a burglary committed at
the Count's residence in March, 1594, when it is charged they made away with a num ber of valuable articles. At the time of the murder, he is described on the Police Regis ter as being " a man of middle size, red haired, about forty or over." That he had incurred the bitter enmity of Beatrice is shown by the records of the burglary trial which disclose the fact that she testified strongly against him, frequently taking oc casion to express a belief in his guilt. Readers of romance will no doubt experience a poignant shock on being informed that Guerra was not the Adonis-like lover of their heroine as he is often pictured, but a rather vulgar individual with not even youth in his favor. The urban residence of the Cenci family — the Palazzo Cenci — was situated' close to the Ghetto. It was of great extent and from the upper part could be seen the im mense ruins of Mount Palatine, half hidden under their profuse overgrowth of trees. Shelley, whose language is of course colored by the peculiar views which he took relative to the innocence of Beatrice, says ( and his description is in the main, quite accurate) : It is an immense, gloomy and deserted pile of massive architecture, without doors, or win dows or any sign of human habitation and tells as forcibly as a building can, the record of crime. It seems stricken with the curse of which Beatrice Cenci was the victim. It con tains a noble courtyard, surrounded with granite columns and adorned with antique friezes of fine workmanship built up according to the ancient fashion of Italy, with balcony over bal cony of open work. I was greatly struck by one of the gates formed of immense stones and leading into gloomy subterranean chambers, through dark, narrow and lofty passages.
It was here that Beatrice was probably born. The Cenci led a most turbulent existence and passed their lives in continual bicker ings with the head of the family. The plain facts of the case seem to have been that fault existed on both sides. Nor was Beatrice by
