Fortunately for Margaret, the funereal portents proved true.

Her husband, within the first year of their wedded life, fell a victim to his own profligacy, and was assassinated by his kinsman, Lorenzino de Medici.

Cosmo, his successor in the tyranny of Florence, was desirous of succeeding to the hand of Margaret, but the politic Emperor, thinking that he had already done enough to conciliate that house, was inclined to bind to his interests the family which now occupied the papal throne.

Margaret was accordingly a few years afterwards united to Ottavio Farnese, nephew of Paul the Third.

It was still her fate to be unequally matched.