liad maffes read ; ordered liar-gazers and prophets to be 

 fetched from every quarter : all to no purpofe ! She there- 

 fore at length took up the refolution, in order that fhe 

 might have her deflre, to feign herfelf pregnant, and then 

 to fubftitute a foreign child. Intending thus, at leaft, to 

 have the honour of a mother. A bare-foot friar of the 

 monaftery of Ogni Santi, was ealily perfuaded by 

 bribes to take the execution of the project upon hirru 

 The grand duchefs now began to be indifpofed : fhe 

 was taken with unaccountable longings : fhe com- 

 * plained of tooth-achs, head-achs, qualms, indigef- 

 tions, &c. She took to her chamber ; and at length to 

 her bed : Ihe acquainted the court with her fituation, 

 and no one was more rejoiced at the news than the grand 

 duke himfelf. 



When, according to her reckonings the time of her? 

 delivery mull: be come, lhe fuddenly made a great 

 alarm at midnight ; rouzed her attendants ; com- 

 plained of the firft pangs, and ordered, with great im- 

 patience, her confeffor (the bare-footed Carmelite) to bp 

 called. 



The cardinal, who was not unacquainted with the 

 cunning of his lifter -in-law, had for a long time paft 

 caufed her to be fo clofely watched, that he was per- 

 fectly informed of the plot. He no fconer got intelli- 

 gence that the confeffor was fent for, than he haftened 

 to the ante-chamber of the grand dutchefs ; where lib 

 walked Up and dowri, and kept reading his breviary* 

 The grand duchefs, on hearing that he was there, 

 ordered him to be told $ that fhe begged him, for God's 

 fake to be gone, as fhe could not endure the thought of 

 a man being fo near her in her prefent circumftances. 



Vol. n* o q The 



