us
duchess is going to sup."[109] Lucretia regarded it as a relief when, a
few days later, the Pope went to Civitacastellana and Nepi. September
25th the ambassadors wrote to Ferrara, "The illustrious lady continues
somewhat ailing, and is greatly fatigued; she is not, however, under the
care of any physician, nor does she neglect her affairs, but grants
audiences as usual. We think that this indisposition merely indicates
that her Majesty should take better care of herself. The rest which she
will have while his Holiness is away will do her good; for whenever she
is at the Pope's palace, the entire night, until two or three o'clock,
is spent in dancing and at play, which fatigues her greatly."[110]

About this time occurred a disagreeable episode in connection with
Giovanni Sforza, Lucretia's divorced husband, which the Pope discussed
with the Ferrarese ambassadors. What they feared from him is revealed by
the following despatch:

ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE AND MASTER: As his Holiness the Pope
desires to take all proper precautions to prevent the occurrence of
anything that might be unpleasant to your Excellency, to Don
Alfonso, and especially to the duchess, and also to himself, he has
asked us to write your Excellency and request that you see to it
that Lord Giovanni of Pesaro--who, his Holiness has been informed,
is in Mantua--shall not be in Ferrara at the time of the marriage
festivities. For, although his divorce from the above named
illustrious lady was absolutely legal and according to prescribed
form, as the records of the proceedings clearly show, he himself
fully consenting to it, he may, nevertheless, still harbor some
resentment. If he should be in Ferrara there would be a possibility
of his seeing the lady, and her Excellency would therefore be
compelled to remain in concealment to escape disagreeable
memories. He, therefore, requests your Excellency to prevent this
possibility with your usual foresight. Thereupon his Holiness
freely expressed his opinion of the Marchese of Mantua, and
censured him severely because he of all the Italian princes was the
only one who offered an asylum to outcasts, and especially to those
who were under not only his own ban, but under that of his Most
Christian Majesty. We endeavored, however, to excuse the marchese
by saying that he, a high-minded man, could not close his