The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-03-18
Beatrise de- Genet.
ny ISABEL BLAIR.

BY ISABEL Dbaih.
In the picture gallery ofthe Bar
bcrini Palace, at Rome, hangs por-
trait of Young Roman girl, painted
by Guido. 1t is beautiful but mel
ancholy face, whose, south look OF
sweet. sorrowful eyes, reproduced IN
chrome. are so frequently seen in par
lor.and shop window. For of all the
famous painters in Rome, none is bet
ter known or more copied than this.
! II derives peculiar interest from the
history of her whose features 1t is
said to represent.
Francesca Cenci, the head Of one
of the oldest and wealthiest families
of Rome, was a man of violent tenn
per. and, in his household, intolerably
cruel. Two of his sons were assassi-
mated at his instigation. At length,
unable longer to endure his cruelties
and tyranny, bis family appealed to
the Pope, Clement VIII, for protec-
ton. The petitions miscarried. and
remained, of course, unanswered.
On the night of the 18th Of Septem-
Der, 1898, Francesca was murdered.
He was found with an enormous nail
driven into each of his eyes mode
of assassination which indicated that
at least two persons were engaged in
the work. One of them was finally
captured, and upon examination,
charged the wife, a son, and the
daughter, Beatrice, with having
prompted to the deed. They bad, be
testified put the victim to sleep by
administering narcotic draught, and
then had introduced himself and bis
accomplice into Francesco's chamber
They were arrested and imprisoned
in the Castle of st. Angelo, where
they We're from time to time, as was
the practice during the middle ages
subjected to the tortures ofthe racE
to force them to confess TO the crime
AS was frequently the case with the
accused, whether guilty or not, pre-
fering death to this lingering agony
the mother and brother made confes
sion. But for nearly a year Beatric'
continued firm in her declaration o
innocence. AT last a new method o
torture was devised, to infict whicl
would make it necessary to cut o.
:, her hair, which is described as beinI
the most silken, the longest, the mos
: marvellous in color ever seem A
: this she turned pale. Touch not m,
. hair she cried. Let me die withou
: mutilation And to save her tres
l. ses she too yielded.
Her beauty, the belief in her limo
cence, the courage and frmness sh
: had shown, had won the sympath
and compassion of the whole Roma
: populace, and the Pope was besiege
with petitions to grant her pardon
g This he was nearly persuaded to d
when at the trial her cause was mos
: eloquently pleaded by the counse
appointed for the defense, and it wa
shown how probably a man so gcnel
ally disliked and dreaded as Frances
co, should have had enemies outsid
his own household to plot against hi
life. Other murders of similar char
acter occurring about this time, how
ever, induced him TO refuse pardon
and it is thought his decision was in
:. fuenced by the considerations that j
the event of their condemnation tn
property Of the prisoners would com
into the possession of the church
They were therefore publicly execu
ted On the piazza of the bridge of 81
Angelo, September 9Th 1899. Al
the windows, roofs and balconies i
the neighborhood were filed wit
people assembled to witness tn
scene, so great was the interest fel
for the beautiful young heroine.
The portrait by Guido is said t
have been painted just before her e,
{ ecution, and during her con6nemen
in the prison. Her story has furnish
= ed food for many a romance, and ha
often been represented upon th'
: : stage She is still generally suppos
> ed to have been innocent of connec
ton with the crime, and for every on
recalling this passage of history
the picture has strange fascination