BIANCA SFORZA 



started on his journey to meet the Emperor at Pavia. 

 But on the 22nd of November, the very day that he 

 arrived at the Castello of Vigevano, Galeazzo was 

 hastily summoned back to Milan, by the news of 

 his wife's sudden illness. Lodovico himself was so 

 much alarmed that he put off his departure for Pavia, 

 and sent a courier to Milan to bring back the latest 

 accounts of his daughter. 



" I know," he wrote to his son-in-law, " that since 

 you are back in Milan, Bianca will have every possible 

 care and attention. But as Maestro Ambrogio and the 

 other doctors are with you, you might send Maestro 

 Luigi here to-night, to bring me full particulars." 



An hour later a servant arrived at Vigevano to tell 

 the Duke that all was over. The poor child never 

 recovered from the fainting-fit which had alarmed 

 her attendants on the previous morning, and died 

 at five o'clock on the 23rd of November. Beatrice 

 met the messenger at the Castle gates, and in her 

 grief and dismay sent for Cardinal Ascanio Sforza 

 to break the news to his brother. But it was too 

 late to hide the sad event from Lodovico, and all 

 the Duchess could do was to beg the Archbishop to 

 come and comfort him. 



When the first shock was over, Lodovico displayed 

 his usual fortitude and spent the night in writing 

 letters and giving orders for the funeral. A few 

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