File:Great pictures, as seen and described by famous writers (1899) (14761823166).jpg

Identifier: greatpicturesassx00sing (find matches)
Title: Great pictures, as seen and described by famous writers
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Singleton, Esther, d. 1930, ed. and tr
Subjects: Painting
Publisher: New York : Dodd, Mead and Company
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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rs to havebeen one of those rare persons in whom energy and gentle-ness dwell together without destroying one another: hernature was simple and profound. The crimes and miseriesin which she was an actor and a sufferer are as the maskand mantle in which circumstances clothed her for herimpersonation on the scene of the world. The Cenci Palace is of great extent; and, though inpart modernized, there yet remains a vast and gloomy pileof feudal architecture in the same state as during the dread-ful scenes which are the subject of this tragedy. Thepalace is situated in an obscure corner of Rome, near thequarter of the Jews; and from the upper windows you seethe immense ruins of Mount Palatine, half hidden undert^eir profuse overgrowth of trees. There is a court in onepart of the palace (perhaps that in which Cenci built thechapel to St. Thomas) supported by granite columns, andadorned with antique friezes of fine workmanship, andbuilt up, according to the ancient Italian fashion, with bal-
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Portrait of Beatrice Cenci. Gut do Rent. BEATRICE CENCI 241 cony over balcony of open work. One of the gatewaysof the palace, formed of immense stones, and leadingthrough a passage dark and lofty, and opening into gloomysubterranean chambers, struck me particularly. . . . The most wicked life which the Roman nobleman,Francesco Cenci, led in this world not only occasioned hisown ruin and death, but also that of many others and broughtdown the destruction of his house. Concerning his religion,it is sufficient to state that he never frequented any church;and, although he caused a small chapel, dedicated to theApostle St. Thomas, to be built in the court of his palace,his intention in so doing was to bury there all his children,whom he cruelly hated. He cursed (his sons) and oftenalso struck and ill-treated his daughters. The eldest ofthese, being unable any longer to support the cruelty of herfather, exposed her miserable condition to the Pope andsupplicated him either to marry her accor

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