; Shelley's says that this part of the sentence was remitted.]

_The Massimi_.

The tragedy of the Cenci, about which so much has been written in
consequence of the supposed part taken in it by Beatrice, seems to me
common-place compared with that of the Massimi.[202]

[Footnote 201: The author of De Stendhal's MS. professes to have known
the old Cenci, and gives a definite description of his personal
appearance.]

[Footnote 202: Litta supplies the facts related above.]

Whether this family really descended from the Roman Fabii matters but
little. In the sixteenth century they ranked, as they still rank, among
the proudest nobles of the Eternal City. Lelio, the head of the house,
had six stalwart sons by his first wife, Girolama Savelli. They were
conspicuous for their gigantic stature and herculean strength. After
their mother's death in 1571, their father became enamoured of a woman
inferior at all points, in birth, breeding, and antecedents, to a person
of his quality. She was a certain Eufrosina, who had been married to a
man called Corberio. The great Marc Antonio Colonna murdered this
husband, and brought the wife to Rome as his own mistress. Lelio Massimo
committed the grand error of so loving her, after she had served
Colonna's purpose, that he married her. This was an insult to the honor
of the house, which his sons could not or would not bear. On the night
of her wedding, in 1585, they refused to pay her their respects; and on
the next morning, five of them entered her apartments and shot her dead.
Only one of the six sons, Pompeo Massimo, bore no share in this
assassination. Him, the father, Lelio, blessed; but he solemnly cursed
the other five. After the lapse of a few weeks, he followed his wife to
the grave with a broken heart, leaving this imprecation unrecalled.
Pompeo grew up to continue the great line of Massimo. But disaster fell
on each of his five brothers, the flower of Roman youth, exulting in
their blood, and insolence, and vigor.--The first of them, Ottavio, was
killed by a cannon-ball at sea in honorable combat with the Turk.
Another, Girolamo, who sought refuge in France, was shot down in an
ambuscade while pursuing his amours with a gentle lady. A third,
Alessandro, died under arms before Paris in the troops of General
Farnese. A fourth, Luca, was imprisoned at Rome for his share of the
step-mother's murder, but was released on the plea that he had avenged
the wounded honor of hi