As soon as the Duke knew this, he failed not to repair to his wife's
apartment. There, as soon as he saw the maiden, he said to his wife,
"So such-a-one has returned," and turning to his gentlemen, he commanded
them to arrest her and lead her to prison.

At this the poor Duchess, who by the pledging of her word had drawn the
maiden from her refuge, was in such despair that, falling upon her knees
before her husband, she prayed that for love of herself and of his
house he would not do so foul a deed, seeing that it was in obedience to
himself that she had drawn the maiden from her place of safety.

But no prayer that she could utter availed to soften his hard heart, or
to overcome his stern resolve to be avenged. Without making any reply,
he withdrew as speedily as possible, and, foregoing all manner of trial,
and forgetting God and the honour of his house, he cruelly caused the
hapless maiden to be hanged.

I cannot undertake to recount to you the grief of the Duchess; it was
such as beseemed a lady of honour and a tender heart on beholding one,
whom she would fain have saved, perish through trust in her own plighted
faith. Still less is it possible to describe the deep affliction of the
unhappy gentleman, the maiden's lover, who failed not to do all that
in him lay to save his sweetheart's life, offering to give his own for
hers; but no feeling of pity moved the heart of this Duke, whose only
happiness was that of avenging himself on those whom he hated. (4)

4 That Francesco-Maria was a man of a hasty, violent
temperament is certain. Much that Guicciardini relates of
him was doubtless penned in a spirit of resentment, for
during the time the historian lived at Urbino the Duke