ost of her
contemporaries, the duchess was very fond of _scartino_ and other
fashionable card-games, and had the reputation of being exceptionally
lucky. In the course of the year 1494, Lodovico informed Girolamo
Tuttavilla, who was at one time treasurer to the duchess, that his wife
had won no less than three thousand ducats, all of which she declared
had been spent in alms. "When I remarked that this seemed a very large
sum, the duchess confessed she had paid some of it to embroiderers and
other craftsmen. Even then I fail to see how she could have disposed of
more than a few hundred ducats. At this rate I fear she will be unable
to buy lands or build new houses, but when you return from Naples, we
must try and carry out some plans better worthy of your name."

On this occasion Beatrice seems to have won a considerable sum of money
at the game of _britino_ during her journey to Chioggia, and had
apparently informed her husband of her good luck, for he writes in
reply--

"MY DEAREST WIFE,

"It has given me the greatest pleasure to hear from your last letters
that you have been winning your companions' money, and since I conclude
you have been playing at _buttino_, I hope you will remember to keep
account of your winnings, so that you may keep the money for yourself.
But I only say this in case you win, as if you lose, I do not care to
hear about it. Commend me to the illustrious Madonna Duchessa, our
common mother, as well as to Don Alfonso and Madonna Anna, and salute
all the councillors for me.

"Your most affectionate husband,
LODOVICUS MARIA SFORTIA.[41]

Belriguardo, 26th of May, 1493."

The first of Beatrice's letters that we have was written on the evening
of her arrival at her father's house in Venice and is dated May 27.

"MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE AND EXCELLENT LORD, MY DEAREST HUSBAND,

"I wrote to you yesterday of our arrival at Chioggia. This morning I
heard mass in a chapel of the house where I lodged. The singers
assisted, and I felt the greatest spiritual delight in hearing them,
Messer Cordier as usual doing his part very well, as he did also
yesterday morning. Certainly his singing is the greatest consolation
possible. Then we breakfasted, and at ten we entered the bucentaur,
dividing our company between the middle-sized and small bucentaur and a
few gondolas, which were prepared for us, as being safer, since the
weat