CARDINAL BEMBO AND HIS VILLA 



approval. Or else Luigi da Porto, the gallant young 

 soldier who wrote the story of Romeo and Juliet, 

 and who could handle the sword as skilfully as the 

 pen, would ride over with his brother Bernardino from 

 their Villa in the Berici hills, to read Bembo his latest 

 romances. Sometimes Bembo and Cola would take 

 horses and ride through the fair Trevigiana to visit 

 M. Luigi Priuli in his fine house at Treville, or seek 

 out Messer Alvise Cornaro in his Villa at Este in the 

 green Euganean hills, and see the splendid gardens 

 which Giangiorgio Trissino was laying out round his 

 new country-house at Cricoli. All these places were 

 within easy reach of Villa Bozza, and presents of choice 

 fruit and early vegetables often passed between their 

 different owners. Messer Luigi da Porto would send 

 Bembo a basket of superb strawberries, or a brace 

 of quails and a young kid. Another time a swift 

 retriever for his use out hunting, or a bundle of 

 fine asparagus, would arrive from Vicenza. " Com- 

 mend me to our dear Marc Antonio Silvestri and 

 his fine garden," wrote Bembo to the poet Cappello, 

 " and beg him to send me some roots of his excellent 

 artichokes." 



Bembo's love of good things was well known to his 



friends, and all manner of delicacies found their way 



to the Villa. Costanza Fregoso, the wife of Count 



Landi of Piacenza, whose son came to study at Padua 



149 



