A       Strain       Of      Originality,  MEDALLION  OF  GIOVANNI  PICO  BELLA  MIRANDOLA

bordering    on    the    fantastic,

distinguished  all  the  members  of  this  cultured  family.  Lucrezia  Pico,
wife  of  Count  Claudio  Rangoni  of  Modena  (another  patron  of  learning,
eulogised  by  Bernardo  Tasso,  Bandello,  and  Aretino),  was  a  passionate
admirer  of  sacred  oratory,  and  like  the  Countess  of  Guastalla,
had  dreams  of  the  perfectibility  of  the  human  race.  She  is
remarkable  as  the  authoress  of  a  letter  in  defence  of  her  sex,  which
gives  her  a  place  among  the  pioneers  of  those  who  uphold  the  rights  of
1  Hearing  the  lamentations  of  Italy,  how  should  I  sing,  who  can  scarcely  breathe  ?


I4  ANTONIO    DA   CORREGGIO

women.  Culture  of  the  most  serious  and  solid  quality  distinguished
Gian  Francesco,  who  was  permitted  to  govern  in  consideration  of
having  sworn  fealty  to  Julius  II.,  assailant  and  conqueror  of  Miran-
dola.  He  was  gentle,  honest,  and  pious,  wrote  a  number  of  Latin
theses  on  a  variety  of  questions,  and  frequently  attacked  the  doctrines
of  Aristotle,  defending  the  memory  of  Savonarola,  and,  like  his
famous  uncle,  ridiculing  the  contemporary  belief  in  witchcraft  and
kindred  superstitions.  To  be  brief,  it  may  be  said  of  him  that  his
nobility  of  soul  equalled  the  loftiness  of  his  genius  ;  but  such  qualities
did  not  avail  to  save  him  from  the  ferocity  of  one  of  his  nephews,
who  murdered  him  at  the  foot  of  a  crucifix.  He  left  a  son,  Gian
Tommaso,  who  in  his  turn  sought  consolation  for  his  misfortunes  in
the  pursuit  of  letters.  Lilio  Gregorio  Giraldi  was  long  a  sojourner
at  his  Court.
