BIANCA SFORZA 



is always with His Imperial Majesty, who seems very 

 fond of him." 1 



In the following year Galeazzo was sent to Paris by 

 the Emperor to conduct negotiations for the release of 

 Lodovico with the French King, and exerted himself 

 actively on the captive prince's behalf. But on this 

 point Louis XII was inflexible, and when all efforts to 

 obtain the unhappy Duke's deliverance proved vain, 

 the good offices of Cardinal di San Severino obtained 

 leave for his brother to return to Milan. Here 

 Galeazzo quickly won the friendship of the powerful 

 Viceroy, Georges d'Amboise, Cardinal de Rouen, who 

 in 1505 gave him back the houses and lands which he 

 had formerly owned, including his wife's dower-city of 

 Voghera. A year later he followed the Cardinal to the 

 French Court, where he soon rose high in the King's 

 favour, and was appointed Grand Ecuyer, and Knight 

 of the Order of S. Michel. In 1507, he accompanied 

 Louis to Milan, and was a conspicuous figure in the 

 tournament that was held on the Piazza del Castello, 

 the scene of his former exploits. Here he met many 

 old friends whom he had known at Lodovico's Court 

 the painter Leonardo and the Marchioness Isabella, 

 who was herself present at the banquet in the Rocchetta, 

 and with the strange callousness that marked the men 

 and women of this age, danced with King Louis in the 



1 Diarii, iv. 129. 

 197 



