same, your Highness will, I hope, accept
this proof of my good-will, and believe that I am ready and anxious to
gratify your wishes, not only in respect to the portrait, but in any
other way that I can, since I am ever Your Highness's most devoted slave
and commend myself to you a thousand times.

"Your Highness's servant,
CECILIA VISCONTA BERGAMINA,[3]

From Milan, the 29th of April, 1498."

Since that day when the great Florentine first painted her, Cecilia
Gallerani had developed into a handsome matron, and as Lodovico Sforza's
recognized mistress she enjoyed a position of great honour at court. For
some years she occupied a suite of rooms in the Castello of Milan, where
her lover constantly visited her and took the greatest delight in her
company. His passion for this beautiful and intellectual woman only
seemed to increase 108 with years. She had already borne him one son,
the Leone, whom he was known to love so well that his courtiers did not
dare tell him the sad news when the child died suddenly in 1487. The
Duke of Bari, it was even said, intended ere long to make her his lawful
wife, and thus to render her future issue legitimate.

Under these circumstances, it can hardly be wondered if Lodovico Sforza
showed some reluctance in keeping the troth which he had plighted to the
young princess of Este, while Duke Ercole's vexation was the more
pardonable. For a time it seemed as if a rupture between the two houses
was inevitable, and all thought of a union between them must be
abandoned. But soon a change came over Il Moro's dream. The difficulties
in the way of a closer union with Cecilia Gallerani were great, and must
invariably lead to jealousies and quarrels of a serious order. His own
position in Milan would be endangered, and fresh hindrances placed in
the way of his future designs. At the same time, the alliances with
Ferrara and Mantua were both of great importance to the state, and could
not be lightly thrown away. So he determined to sacrifice his
inclinations to political exigencies, and make Beatrice d'Este his wife.

Accordingly, at the end of August he sent another ambassador, Francesco
da Casate, to Ferrara with a magnificent gift for his bride, in the
shape of a necklace of large pearls set in gold flowers, with a very
fine pear-shaped pendant of rubies, pearls, and emeralds. This costly
jewel was duly presented to Beatr