"She draws me to her
As much as her Duke Ercole repels me."

VITTORIA.

"Then the devout and honorable women
That grace her court, and make it good to be there;
Francesca Bucyronia, the true-hearted,
Lavinia della Rovere and the Orsini,
The Magdalena and the Cherubina,
And Anne de Parthenai, who sings so sweetly;
All lovely women, full of noble thoughts
And aspirations after noble things.

* * * * *

With these ladies
Was a young girl, Olympia Morata,
Daughter of Fulvio, the learned scholar,
Famous in all the universities:
A marvellous child, who at the spinning-wheel,
And in the daily round of household cares,
Hath learned both Greek and Latin; and is now
A favorite of the Duchess and companion
Of Princess Anne. This beautiful young Sappho
Sometimes recited to us Grecian odes
That she had written, with a voice whose sadness
Thrilled and o'ermastered me, and made me look
Into the future time, and ask myself
What destiny will be hers."

JULIA.

"And what poets
Were there to sing you madrigals, and praise
Olympia's eyes?" ...

VITTORIA.

"None; for great Ariosto is no more."

* * * * *

JULIA.

"He spake of you."

VITTORIA.

"And of yourself, no less,
And of our master, Michael Angelo."

MICHAEL ANGELO.

"Of me?"

VITTORIA.

"Have you forgotten that he calls you
Michael, less man than angel, and divine?
You are ungrateful."

MICHAEL ANGELO.

"A mere play on words."

The Duca and Duchessa of Ferrara invited the most distinguished persons
in Venice and Bologna and Lombardy to meet their honored guest. Bishop
Ghiberto of Verona besought her to visit that city. Vittoria accepted
and was for some time the Bishop's guest in his palace, and she took
great interest in the historic city. With the Bishop she visited the
ancient Duomo, which in 1160 had been restored by Pope Urban II, and
reconsecrated. It was a strong desire of the Marchesa at this time to
make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; but the journey was then so perilous and
so long--none too easy, indeed, at the present time--that she was
dissuaded from the attempt.

Verona, to do her honor,