The face was covered with a waxen mask, and by this
means was the condition of the corpse concealed. This
separation of the members seems to be the usual effect of
this poison, and is said to occur as soon as the body is
cold."
The infernal work had therefore proved successful, the vengeance was
complete--Ganganelli was no more, and upon the papal throne sat Braschi,
the friend of the Jesuits and of Cardinal Albani, to whom he had
promised the crowning of the improvisatrice Corilla.
And as this cost nothing to the miserly Pope Pius, he this time found no
inconvenience in keeping his sacred promise, though not so promptly as
Corilla and the passionate cardinal desired.
Not until 1776, almost two years after Braschi had mounted the papal
throne, took place the crowning of the improvisatrice in the capitol at
Rome.
She had therefore attained the object of her wishes. She had finally
reached it by bribery and intrigue, by hypocritical tenderness, by the
resignation of her maiden modesty and womanly honor, and by all the arts
of coquetry.
But this triumph of hers was not to be untroubled. The _nobili_ shouted
for her, and the cardinals and princes of the Church, but the people
accompanied her to the capitol with hissing and howling.
Pages:
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463