The Papal court meanwhile kept urging her either to retire to a monastery or to accept another husband.

She firmly refused to embrace the religious life, and declared that she was already lawfully united to a living husband, the Duke of Bracciano.

It seemed impossible to deal with her; and at last, on November 8, she was released from prison under the condition of retirement to Gubbio.

The Duke had lulled his enemies to rest by the pretense of yielding to their wishes.

But Marcello was continually beside him at Bracciano, where we read of a mysterious Greek enchantress whom he hired to brew love-philters for the furtherance of his ambitious plots.