ting. Another time, Gaspare Visconti composed
the masque with the chorus of Turks, to which we have already alluded,
for representation before the duke and duchess. On one occasion a piece
called _La Fatica_ was acted at the house of Antonio Maria Sanseverino,
whose wife, Margherita of Carpi, was the sister of Elizabeth Gonzaga's
beloved companion, Emilia Pia, and herself a learned and cultivated
princess. On another a representation described as _La Pazienza_ was
given before the court, in honour of a visit which Cardinal Federigo
Sanseverino paid to Milan.

Music, as Calmeta tells us, was another art that flourished in an
especial manner at the Milanese court. Both Lodovico and his wife were
passionately fond of music, and the delicious melodies that daily
resounded through their palace halls were the theme alike of chronicler
and poet. When first Lorenzo de Medici had sent Leonardo to his friend's
court to charm the Moro's ears with the surpassing sweetness of his
playing, he had brought with him a well-known musician and maker of
instruments, Atalante Migliorotti, who stood high in Lodovico's favour,
and spent much of his time at Milan. We find Isabella d'Este writing to
her friend, Niccolo da Correggio, in 1493, begging him to procure her
the loan of a silver lyre, given him by Atalante, that she may learn to
play this instrument; and in the following year the marchioness herself
stood godmother to the Florentine musician's infant daughter, who was
called Isabella after her illustrious sponsor. And in 1492 we find
Lodovico writing to thank Francesco Gonzaga for allowing a certain
Narcisso, who was in the Marquis of Mantua's service, to visit Milan,
and saying what exquisite pleasure this singer's voice has afforded him.
The following summer, Isabella, in her turn, begged her sister to allow
her favourite violinist, Jacopo di San Secondo, to spend a few weeks at
Mantua; and on the 7th of July Beatrice wrote to desire his return.
"Since you are back at Mantua, I think you will not want Jacopo di San
Secondo much longer, and beg you to send him back to Pavia as soon as
possible, since his music will be a pleasure to my husband, who is
suffering from a slight attack of fever." This Jacopo was a famous
violin-player of his day, who had settled at the Moro's court, and who
after Lodovico's fall left Milan for Rome, where he became the friend of
Raphael and Castiglione, and is said to have served as model for the
laurel-c