rry munitions
to the fortress outside, whose black guns grimly overlook the dead
lagoon. A sense of desolation had crept over the sight-seers, with
that strange sickness of heart which one feels in the presence of ruin
not to be lamented, and which deepened into actual pain as the Custode
clapped his hands and the echo buffeted itself against the forlorn
stucco, and up from the trees rose a score of sullen, slumberous owls,
and flapped heavily across the lonesome air with melancholy cries. It
only needed, to crush these poor strangers, that final touch which the
Custode gave, as they passed from the palace through the hall in which
are painted the Gonzagas, and in which he pointed out the last Duke of
Mantua, saying he was deposed by the Emperor for felony, and somehow
conveying the idea of horse-stealing and counterfeiting on the part of
his Grace.

A very different man from this rogue was our old friend Lodovico, who
also, however, had his troubles. He was an enemy of the Ghibellines,
and fought them a great deal. Of course he had the habitual wars with
Milan, and he was obliged to do battle with his own brother Carlo
to some extent. This Gonzaga had been taken prisoner by Sforza; and
Lodovico, having paid for him a ransom of sixty thousand florins of
gold (which Carlo was scarcely worth), seized the fraternal lands, and
held them in pledge of repayment. Carlo could not pay, and tried
to get back his possessions by war. Vexed with these and other
contentions, Lodovico was also unhappy in his son, whose romance I
may best tell in the words of the history [Volta: _Storia di Mantova_.],
from which I take it:

"Lodovico Gonzaga, having agreed with the Duke of Bavaria to
take his daughter Margherita as wife for his (Lodovico's)
first-born, Federico, and the young man having refused her,
Lodovico was so much enraged that he sought to imprison him;
but the Marchioness Barbara, mother of Federico, caused him to
fly from the city till his father's anger should be abated.
Federico departed with six attendants [The _Fioretto delle
Cronache_ says "persons of gentle condition."]; but this flight
caused still greater displeasure to his father, who now
declared him banished, and threatened with heavy penalties any
one who should give him help or favor. Federico, therefore,
wandered about with these six attendants in diverse places, and
finally arrived in Naples; but having alrea