JULIA GONZAC m 



of contemporary writers, who uniformly agree,- that 

 £he happily efcaped uninjured from this danger. The 

 anecdote-hunter Varillas tranfcribes this fiction with- 

 out hesitation, as an undoubted truth, and improves 

 upon it by a palpable chronological error, by placing 

 it in the year 1537 # . Such anecdotes can pafs ealily 

 with none but carelefs readers. Julia Gonzaga had at- 

 tracted univerfal attention, as well by her princely 

 rank as her perfonal merits. An occurrence that fo 

 nearly concerned her honouiy would not, if the inha- 

 bitants of Fondi had certain accounts of it, have been 

 concealed between the walls of that town, till Brantome 

 came there fo long afterwards. 



The cardinal Ippolito de Medici was lately returned 

 from Germany, whither he had been fent by his uncle 

 pope Clement VII. As foon as the news of the land- 

 ing of the Turks was brought to Rome, the pontif fent 

 him, with a chofen body of foldiers, to drive them 

 back-}-. We may ealily imagine that this brave war- 

 rior would not neglecl: a moment to avenge himfelf of 

 thefe robbers, who had not only plundered the pof- 

 feflions of his dear friend, , but had likewife laid wait 

 for her perfonal liberty and honour. . The Turks, how- 

 ever, got intimation of his coming, and made off with 

 all poflible fpeed. The cardinal had the fatis faction, 

 which to him was perhaps of more value than a roman 

 triumph, of carrying Julia back with him to Fondi. 



Amongft the courtiers that accompanied him, were 

 the poets Molza and Porrino ; who, captivated with 



* Hiftoire de Frar^oisl. lib. viii. ann. 1537. p. 255 

 t JoVius, hift. lib. xxxiiL 



Julias 



