SFORZA.

Catherine Sforza, grand-daughter of Francis Sforza, duke of Milan, was a lady of great courage, but she did an action which savoured much more of a man’s boldness than of a woman’s modesty. Her subjects having made themselves masters of the castle of Rimini, she gave them her children as hostages to recover it, and then she threatened with death those who had occasioned the insurrection. They answered her that they would kill her children; thereupon she turned up her shift, and said, “here is wherewithal to get others: barbarously destroy the innocent hostages that are in your hands, I consent to it, provided my justice inflict upon you such a punishment as your wickedness deserves.” Balthasar Bonifacius Historiæ Ludicræ, lib. v. cap. iv. pag. 127. ⁹¹ The author from whom I have this, and whom I have quoted in the margin of this article, had been relating the action of a Lacedemonian woman, who seeing her sons run away from

a fight, shewed them her nakedness, and asked them whether they would get again into the same womb out of which they came when they were born, or whether they expected she should put them under her gown, that the enemies who pursued them might not see them.” She added to this question such a smart reprimand for their want of courage, that they returned to the fight and got the victory.

Catherine was the natural daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, and was married to Jerom Riario, lord of Forli, and of Imola, by whom she had, among other children, Octavio Riario, who was lord of the same states which he held of the holy see. She had the government in her hands, as being her son’s guardian, and knew well how to advance her interest during the tumults occasioned by the French expedition into Italy in 1494, and the years following. She defended herself with great courage in the fortress of Forli, against the duke of Valentinois, son of Alexander VI, in the year 1500; but not being able to resist the violent assaults of his troops, she was made a prisoner and sent to Rome, where she was confined to the castle of St Angelo, but was set at liberty soon after by the intercession of Ives d’Allegre, and was privately married to John de Medicis, which was one of the reasons why she did great services to the Florentines, and to Ludovic Sforza, duke of Milan, who was well affected towards the Medicis. Catherine had by that second husband, John de Medicis, who was the father of Cosmo de Medicis, the first great duke of Tuscany. Boccalini has a witty conceit about it. He feigns that Catherine Sforza having declared that she had the courage to shew the mould wherein she took upon herself to form other children, desired, that since she had been very much commended by all historians for that action, Apollo would be pleased to assign her a proper place upon Parnassus. The judges were divided in their opinions; some of them

looked upon it as brutishly immodest. “Ad alcuni atto di sfcacciatezza, e di bruta impudicitia parve quello, che cosi nobil signora haveva raccontato.” Apollo judged that a regular observation of modesty belonged to private women; but that princesses were obliged upon some occasions to shew their virility. A counsellor gave his opinion in this manner: “the place, whence John de Medicis, father of the great Cosmo, sprang, certainly deserved to be exposed to the public view.—Ben degno di esser veduto da ogn’ uno era quel luogo, donde era uscito il famoso Campione Giavan’ de Medici padre di quel gran Cosimo, &c.”

A French historian commends her very much; he says, “she was very handsome, and a widow at twenty-two years of age, having one only son in the cradle, and that the inhabitants of Imola and Forli were so happy under her administration, that they had no occasion to lament the loss of her husband.” He observes “that this only son of her’s was but fourteen years old in 1494, and enlarges upon the military qualities she discovered during the siege of Forli. Take notice that she never recovered her states; the duke of Valentinois was invested with them, and they were re-united to the holy see after the death of Alexander VI.—Art. Sforza.