f the two first she quarrelled, and separately besought each
to murder the other. They were friends, and frustrated her plans by
communicating them to one another. The third loved her with the insane
passion of a very young man. What she desired, he promised to do
blindly; and she bade him murder his two predecessors in her favor. At
this time she was living at Milan, where the Duke of Bourbon was acting
as viceroy for the emperor. Don Pietro took twenty-five armed men of his
household and waylaid the Count of Masino as he was returning, with his
brother and eight or nine servants, late one night from supper. Both the
brothers and the greater part of their suite were killed; but Don Pietro
was caught. He revealed the atrocity of his mistress; and she was sent
to prison. Incapable of proving her innocence, and prevented from
escaping, in spite of fifteen thousand golden crowns with which she
hoped to bribe her jailers, she was finally beheaded. Thus did a vulgar
and infamous Messalina, distinguished only by rare beauty, furnish Luini
with a St. Catherine for this masterpiece of pious art! The thing seems
scarcely credible. Yet Bandello lived in Milan while the Church of St.
Maurizio was being painted; nor does he show the slightest sign of
disgust at the discord between the Contessa's life and her artistic
presentation in the person of a royal martyr.

A HUMANIST'S MONUMENT.

In the Sculpture Gallery of the Brera is preserved a fair white marble
tomb, carved by that excellent Lombard sculptor Agostino Busti. The
epitaph runs as follows:

En Virtutem Mortis nesciam.
Vivet Lancinus Curtius
Saecula per omnia
Quascunque lustrans oras,
Tantum possunt Camoenae.

"Look here on Virtue that knows naught of Death! Lancinus Curtius shall
live through all the centuries, and visit every shore on earth. Such
power have the Muses." The time-worn poet reclines, as though sleeping
or resting, ready to be waked; his head is covered with flowing hair,
and crowned with laurel; it leans upon his left hand. On either side of
his couch stand cupids or genii with torches turned to earth. Above is a
group of the three Graces, flanked by winged Pegasi. Higher up are
throned two Victories with palms, and at the top a naked Fame. We need
not ask who was Lancinus Curtius. He is forgotten, and his virtue has
not saved him from oblivion; though he strove in his lifetime, _pro
virili parte_, for the palm that Busti carved