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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