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. 
Niccolo 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. 
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