which
the subject dropped for a while, until it was revived by a visit which
his brother, Gaspare Fracassa, paid to Mantua in the summer with his
wife, Margherita Pia, a great friend of the Marchesana and Duchess of
Urbino. Isabella could not resist the opportunity of returning the
charge, and sent Messer Galeazzo, by his brother's hands, a challenge to
battle, couched in approved terms, and indicating her choice of arms and
of the scene of action. Galeazzo replied in the most courteous language,
declaring himself absolutely at the service of his fair challenger, and
assuring her that her coming is awaited with the utmost impatience by
Signor Lodovico, the Duchess of Bari, and her humble servant.

Meanwhile Isabella prepared herself for the fray by collecting all the
information on the subject that she could possibly obtain. In that same
month of August, when Galeazzo sent her the last-named letter from his
villa at Castelnuovo, near Tortona, the Marchesana wrote to the Mantuan
ambassador at Venice, desiring him to send her all the poems and
romances concerning French paladins at the court of Charlemagne which he
could discover. At the same time she addressed a letter to her old
friend, Messer Matteo Boiardo, at Ferrara, requesting him to send her
the concluding cantos of his poem, the "Orlando Innamorato," which had
not as yet been given to the world. The poet replied that, to his great
regret, he was unable to comply with her wish, since the cantos in
question were not yet written; and Isabella could only beg him to let
her have a copy of the two earlier books, in order that she might
refresh her memory by reading them once more.

But the Marchesana's intended visit to Milan was, after all, put off,
and Messer Galeazzo was called away to more arduous duties in camp and
field. The debate, which had been prolonged with so much wit and
ingenuity on both sides, came to an abrupt ending. It was left to the
Florentine poet, Bellincioni, in whose verses the smallest incidents
that took place at court were faithfully reflected, to celebrate this
"praiseworthy and memorable duel of intellect between these two august
personages." At Beatrice's command Bellincioni wrote three sonnets
illustrating the arguments brought forward on either side. In the first,
he adopts Isabella's standpoint, and is all in favour of Rinaldo. In the
second, he sees a vision of Roland with the saints in Paradise, and
declares almost in the same langua