BIANCA SFORZA 



Eight days afterwards a solemn requiem for the repose 

 of her soul was chanted in the Duomo, in the presence 

 of the whole Court, as well as of the College of 

 Physicians and other Orders, " as is the custom in the 

 case of princes of the lamented Madonna Bianca's high 

 degree," and a funeral oration was delivered by Matteo 

 Bossi. 



The Duke's first thought, in his own overwhelming 

 grief, had been for his son-in-law, whose sorrow at his 

 young wife's sudden death would he knew be excessive, 

 and he charged the Archbishop and Castellan, Benedetto 

 da Corte, to go to Messer Galeaz' immediately after 

 the funeral, with a message of consolation and hope. 



" Tell him," he wrote, " that since human aid is of 

 no avail in this bitter and unexpected loss, we implore 

 him to restrain the violence of his sorrow and try and 

 bear this cruel blow with the patience that we ourselves 

 are striving to attain. And tell him, what he knows 

 already, that he will always remain most dear to us, 

 and that we shall never cease to regard him as a most 

 beloved son." 



Galeazzo's grief was indeed terrible. He shut him- 

 self up in his room, refusing to eat and drink, or take 

 any air or exercise, and gave way to such violent 

 paroxysms of despair, that fears for his life and reason 

 were entertained. In vain the Archbishop and Castellan 



tried to rouse him from his stupor, telling him that the 

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