^f the almond-foup, though the grand duchefs preiTed 

 it upon him with all the politenefs imaginable. Well, 

 faid the grand-duke, though the cardinal will have none 

 of it, yet I mall take fome. And immediately took a por- 

 tion of it on his plate. (Here the lituation of the grand 

 duchefs will be more ealily imagined than defcribed.) 

 Unable now to prevent him from eating it, without ma- 

 king an entire difcovery of her horrid purpofe, me faw 

 that fhe was undone ; therefore, in order to efcape the 

 vengeance Hie had to expect from her brother-in-law, 

 fhe ate up all that remained of the almond-foup. The 

 confequence was, that fhe and her hufband died, both 

 on one day, namely the 21ft of October, 1587. The 

 cardinal fucceeded to the grand-ducal dignity, under 

 the name of Ferdinand I. and reigned till the year 

 1608/ 



This narrative which is faid to be taken from an an- 

 tient MS. is not indeed perfectly conformable to hiftory ; 

 for Moreri fays, that. Francifcus Maria had abfolutely a 

 legitimate fon, of his fecond marriage, named Antonius 

 de Medicis, who lived till 1621. 



However, on the fide of the narrative, it is again 

 certain, that really no fon of the grand duke Francis 

 Maria, but that this very cardinal Ferdinand did fuc- 

 ceed him ; which would fcarcely have been the cafe if 

 a legitimate fon had then been living. Farther, this cir- 

 cumftance alfo agrees with it, that, according to the 

 fame author, they both did die on. the fame day,, namely 



002 the 



