The Old Yellow Book Part 9

And when it was shown, etc., she responded: "I have seen and carefully examined the letter shown me by the order of your Honour, which begins--_Carissimo Sig. Cognato, sono con questa_--and ends _Francesca Comparini ne Franceschini_, and having examined it, it seems to me, but I cannot swear to it as the truth, that it is one of the letters written by me to Abate Franceschini, my brother-in-law, in conformity to my husband's wishes, etc."

And after a few intervening matters, etc., when questioned, etc., she replied: "I have never sent letters of any sort by the said Maria to any one."

[Sidenote: L.

Another lie about the arrival at the tavern of Castelnuovo.]

In all truth, I arrived at Castelnuovo at the blush of dawn.

We shut ourselves in there at the tavern of Castelnuovo for the s.p.a.ce of more than an hour. During that time we stayed in a room upstairs.

[Sidenote: M.

New lies that she did not lie down to sleep at the Inn of Castelnuovo.]

And after a few other matters, when questioned, she replied: "I did not go to sleep, nor lie down to rest in the tavern at Castelnuovo during the time I stopped there, as above."

I know that your Honour tells me that the authorities pretend further that I slept all night in the abovesaid tavern of Castelnuovo in an upstairs room, in which Canon Caponsacchi also slept. And I say and respond that no one can truly say so, because I did not rest at all in the said tavern, and stopped there only for the time stated above.

[The letter of Pompilia to Abate Franceschini occurs both here and in the summary of the Defence. It is translated on pp. 56, 57.]

No. 4.--_A letter of Francesca written to Abate Franceschini._

Outside: To Abate Paolo Franceschini, Rome; but inside:

My very dear Sir and Brother:

I have received the fan which you sent, which has been most welcome to me. I accept it with pleasure and thank you for it. It displeases me that, without reason, my parents wound the honour of our house. I for my part am well and am happy in not having them now to stir me to evil. I wish well to all our house, in the sacred fear of G.o.d. In fact you may well laugh at the maledictions of my parents. Command me, who reverence you from the bottom of my heart.

Your deeply obliged servant and sister-in-law, FRANCESCA COMPARINI FRANCESCHINI.

AREZZO, _July 19, 1694_.

No. 5.--_The examination of Canon Caponsacchi._

I had to go to Rome on my own business, and as I told my secret to Giovanni Battista Conti, a relative of Franceschini, who frequented the home of the latter, Francesca might have learned about it from the same Canon, although there was talk about town of my coming to Rome, which was to follow soon. Hence a letter, sent to me by the said Francesca, was brought one day by a certain Maria, then a servant of the Franceschini. In it she told me that she had heard of my going to Rome, and that, as her husband wished to kill her, she had resolved to go to Rome to her father; and not knowing with whom she might intrust herself, she asked me to do her the service of accompanying her as above. I answered her that I was unwilling to do anything of that kind, or to expose myself to such a risk; and I sent her a reply by the same servant. I do not remember the precise time that she sent me the above letter. Thereafter, when I pa.s.sed the house, she continued making the same request to me, by flinging from time to time from the window a note that repeated the request. And I replied to her, sending the response by the same servant, and telling her that I did not care to involve myself in such affairs. And therefore she finally cast me another note from the window, which, as I learned, was seen by a working-woman living across the street, whose name I do not know, and she carried it to the husband. The same servant was then commissioned to tell me that there had been a great commotion in the house because of it, and that the sister of Guido, who had been married into the house of Conti, had declared furthermore that that servant had carried the letter to me. She also told me that Guido said he was going to kill his wife in some way after a little while, and that he would also be avenged on me. Accordingly, with this purpose, to free myself from every difficulty and danger, and also to save from death the said Francesca, I resolved to leave for Rome and to accompany her thither, conducting her to her father. And so one evening--I do not remember the exact time--as I was pa.s.sing their house I gave her a letter, which she drew up to the window with a string. In it I told her that to free her from death I would accompany her as above. Another evening she threw to me from the window a letter in which she renewed the above insistence, declaring to me that her husband was always threatening to kill her; she would therefore have to receive the favour of my company as above, of which I had spoken. And finally, the last Sunday of the past month of April, while I was going by their house and she was standing at the window, I told her that I had secured the carriage for early the following morning, and that I would have it await her at the gate of San Clemente. Accordingly, at about one o'clock in the morning, she came alone to the said gate. We entered the carriage and turned along outside of the city wall to go to the gate of San Spirito, which is in the direction of Perugia.

This carriage belonged to Agostino, tavern-keeper in Arezzo, and a driver, surnamed Venarino, the servant of the said Agostino, drove it.

I had had him leave the city Sunday evening at the Ave Maria. Then we pursued our journey without stopping to spend the night anywhere, and we paused only as it was necessary for refres.h.i.+ng ourselves and changing horses, until we reached Castelnuovo on Tuesday evening, the last day of the said month of April. Then because Francesca said that she was suffering some pain, and that she did not have the fort.i.tude to pursue the journey further without rest, she cast herself, still clothed, upon a bed in a chamber there, and I, likewise clothed, placed myself on another bed in the same chamber. I told the host to call us after three or four hours, for resuming our journey. But he did not call us, and the husband of the said Francesca arrived in the meantime, and had both of us arrested by the authorities, and from there we were taken to Rome.

I have not spoken in Arezzo to Francesca at other times than those I have recounted above to yourselves.

[Sidenote: E.

The lover is not related to Count Guido.]

The husband of the said Francesca is not related to me in any degree whatsoever.

I have no profession at all, but am a Canon of the Pieve, of Santa Maria of Arezzo, and am merely a subdeacon.

When I was imprisoned at Castelnuovo certain moneys, rings, and other matters were found, of which a memorandum was made by the authorities.

I have never written any letter to the said Francesca, except as stated by me above.

The letters sent to me as above by the said Francesca were burned by me in Arezzo.

Although in the prison of Castelnuovo, where I was placed, a diligent search was made by the authorities and also by the husband of the said Francesca, nothing at all was found there.

The said Francesca when leaving Arezzo carried with her a bundle of her own clothing and a box, in which she said there were some trinkets, but I did not see them. And she had it in a handkerchief with certain coins, which were then described at Castelnuovo by the Treasurer.

I do not know precisely by whom the letters sent to me by the said Francesca were written, but I suppose that they may have been written by her, but I do not know whether she knows how to write.

In the chamber of the inn at Castelnuovo where we stopped, as I said in my other examination, there were two beds. Only one of these was provided with sheets by the servant of the tavern, that it might serve for Signora Francesca. I did not have sheets placed on the other, because I did not care to undress myself. Nor did she undress herself, as I said in my other examination.

If I should see one of the letters written by me to Signora Francesca, I would know it very well.

I have seen and I do see very carefully these two letters which have been offered as evidence in this suit and have been shown to me by the order of your Honour. One of them begins _Adorata mia Signora, vorrei sapere_, etc., and ends _mi ha detto il Conti_. Having well considered this letter, I declare that it was not written by me, though the handwriting of the same has some resemblance to my own. I have also seen the other letter, which begins _Amatissima mia, Signora, Ricevo_, etc., and ends _questa mia_, and having well examined it I say that the same was not at all written by me, and is not in my handwriting.

Furthermore, it has not the slightest resemblance to my handwriting.

I have never spoken in Arezzo to Signora Francesca, except when I spoke to her at the window, as I said in my other examination.

I have never received other letters from the said Signora Francesca concerning other matters than her flight to Rome, as I have said in my other examinations.

I marvel that the Fisc pretends that, before the flight, several other love-letters had been sent to me by the said Signora Francesca; for she was a modest young woman and such actions would be out of keeping with her station and her birth. And therefore I declare that the abovesaid pretence is false and without foundation.

I turn back to say to your Honour that in the prison of Castelnuovo there was not found by the authorities anything whatsoever. And if your honour tells me that certain love-letters were found, which the Fisc pretends are those sent me by Signora Francesca, I say and respond that it is not at all true.

No. 6.--_Letter of the Most Reverend Bishop of Arezzo._

Outside: To the Most Ill.u.s.trious and Most Respected Signor Paolo Franceschini, Rome.

And inside:

My Most Ill.u.s.trious and Respected Signor:

I understand why you desire to tell me about the quarrels which have arisen between Signor Guido, your brother, and Signor Comparini. And I cannot but pity you for the trouble you have had in a case so rare, and indeed so unprecedented. The Signora, your sister-in-law, had some recourse to me, but her great excitement, taken along with the excessive pa.s.sion of her mother, revealed to me that the daughter had taken this step entirely by instigation. So I tried to make peace between them, thinking that when the instigations of the parents were removed she might be brought to right reason. I believed this the more readily, as she was of tender age. And the more she spoke, and the more she made outcry, that much the more had she been urged thereto by the instigation of her mother. And that she might not be excited even more, I had her taken home in my carriage twice. I have some knowledge of this because Signor Senator Marzi-Medici, who presides over the laic government of this town for our Most Serene Grand Duke, has told me all. And I need only add that I reaffirm what I have written with entire sincerity. Wis.h.i.+ng for new chances to serve you, I affirm myself to you, Sir,

Your Most Obedient Servant, THE RIGHT REVEREND BISHOP OF AREZZO.

AREZZO, _September 15, 1694_.

No. 7.--_Reciprocal love-letters._

My dear Sir:

I do not multiply my a.s.sertions for the purpose of proving my love to you, because my resolution and your desert is enough proof of it. My affection no longer has any rein, etc. May grace be to him who gives grace.

My own Signor: