Excerpt from Edward Wortley Montagu, Vol. 2 of 3: An Autobiography Yes, she was indeed most beautiful! The pencil of Raffaele - I have seen its masterpieces but none was fair as she. The forms of Titian and Giorgione, the bright creations of Rubens and Lely, the life-like women Of Vandyke, ah! They please, indeed, the passing eye; but to me they typify a loveliness far inferior to that of Francesca. She was but thirteen when first I sought protection among the Gitano S. I saw her not for upwards of a year after. She was secluded from all vulgar Observation; the sun was not permitted to shine upon her. Some strange, dark mystery seemed to hang around her very tent. My friend and tutor knew nothing of her the old Queen of the Encampment was silent as the grave on all that appertained to the lone recluse. She was guarded like the apple of the eve. Accident alone revealed her to me, and it happened in this way. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.