ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 



from Vigevano, she told her sister Isabella the sad 

 news in these touching words : 



" Although my lord Duke will no doubt himself 

 inform you of the premature death of Madonna 

 Bianca, his daughter and the wife of Messer Galeaz, 

 I must write a few lines with my own hand, to tell 

 you how great is the distress and trouble which her 

 death has caused me. The loss indeed is greater 

 than I can express, because of the place which she 

 held in my heart. May God have her soul in His 

 keeping." 1 



The same lamentations were heard on all sides. 

 Niccol6 da Correggio, Beatrice's loyal courtier, wrote 

 an elegy on Bianca's death, in which he gave ex- 

 pression to the general sorrow that was felt for the 

 dear maid who had gone to join the blessed spirits, 

 in the flower of her youth, and for the gallant 

 husband whom a cruel fate had so early robbed of 

 his bride. Even the dull, cold Empress Bianca was 

 deeply moved, and in a letter which she wrote to 

 her uncle, expressed the greatest regret for the loss 

 of " this beloved cousin and sister." Her imperial 

 lord showed heartfelt sympathy for the bereaved 

 father, when Lodovico and Beatrice met him at 

 Pavia, clad in deep mourning. All the festivities in 

 honour of his visit were countermanded, and Lodo- 



1 Luzio-Remier in Archivio St. Lomb.^ xvii. 639. 

 194 



