ime and attention to the details of administration, to be able
to accompany his wife as a rule. But she had a devoted comrade in her
husband's son-in-law, whom he deputed to escort the duchess on her more
distant expeditions. Since his betrothal to Lodovico's daughter,
Galeazzo had enjoyed all the privileges of a son, and was already, what
the Moro had promised to make him, the first man in the state. He
assisted at all state audiences, and was the only person present when
Lodovico received foreign ambassadors. He shared the Moro's private
life, and always dined alone with the duke and duchess when there were
no other guests at their table. His letters to Isabella d'Este give
lively accounts of the expeditions which he took in Beatrice's company
during the first few months of her married life.

"This morning, being Friday," he writes on the 11th of February, 1491,
"I started at ten o'clock with the duchess and all of her ladies on
horseback to go to Cussago, and in order to let your Highness enter
fully into our pleasures, I must tell you that first of all I had to
ride in a chariot with the duchess and Dioda, and as we drove we sang
more than twenty-five songs, arranged for three voices. That is to say,
Dioda took the tenor part, and the duchess the soprano, whilst I sang
sometimes bass and sometimes soprano, and played so many foolish tricks
that I really think I may claim to be more of a fool than Dioda! And now
farewell for to-night, and I will try to improve still further, so as to
afford your Highness the more pleasure when you come here in the
summer."

But Messer Galeazzo's story does not end here. A day or two later he
takes up the thread of his discourse again, and describes the pleasant
day which the duchess spent at Cussago, one of Lodovico Sforza's
favourite villas on the sunny slopes of the Brianza, six miles from
Milan, on the way to Como.

"Having reached Cussago," he goes on, "we had a grand fishing expedition
in the river, and caught an immense quantity of large pike, trout,
lampreys, crabs, and several other good sorts of smaller fish, and
proceeded to dine off them until we could eat no more. Then, to make our
meal digest the better, directly after dinner we began to play at ball
with great vigour and energy, and after we had played for some time we
went over the palace, which is really very beautiful, and, among other
things, contains a doorway of carved marble, as fine as the new works at
the Ce