of a Christian's duty. If by any chance (and it was a rare one in a
house thus governed) a quarrel arose between any of the servants, she
was always ready to come forward, appease angry passions, and reconcile
differences. If, in so doing, she had occasion to speak with what she
considered undue severity to one of the parties, she would immediately
apologise with tears, and in the humblest manner entreat forgiveness.
This extreme sweetness of disposition, however, did not degenerate into
weakness; and she could testify the utmost displeasure, and reproved
with energy when offences were committed against God. It was intolerable
to her that His Divine Majesty should be insulted in her abode; and
she, the gentlest and most unassuming of women, could display on such
occasions the greatest firmness.

One day, it is recorded, several gentlemen had been dining with Lorenzo;
and one of them after dinner drew from his pocket a book which contained
a treatise on magic. Lorenzo took it up, and was examining it with some
curiosity, when his wife stole noiselessly behind him, took it out of
his hands, and threw it into the fire. Nettled by this proceeding, her
husband reproached her in rather bitter terms for her incivility to
their guest; but she, who was habitually submissive to his least word,
only replied that she could not regret the destruction of what might
have proved to many an occasion of sin. She inexorably consigned to the
flames in the same manner every bad book that came in her way.

Her tender charity was evinced when any of the inmates of the palace
were ill. She was then the affectionate nurse of the sufferers, and
spent whole nights by their bedside. Nothing ever discouraged or wearied
her; the lowest servant in the house was attended to, as if she had been
her own mother or sister. More anxious still for their soul's health
than their body's, she was known to go out herself alone at night in