donna Camilla Sforza of
Pesaro. The toilettes worn on this occasion were exceptionally rich, as
Teodora relates. "Our Madonna, Duchess Leonora, wore black, as usual,
but was very gallantly adorned with her finest jewels. The Duchess of
Bari had a lovely vest of gold brocade worked in red and blue silk, and
a blue silk mantle trimmed with long-haired fur, and her hair coiled as
usual in a silken net. Duchess Isabella wore gold brocade and green
velvet enriched with crimson cords and silver thread, and a mantle of
crimson velvet lined with grey silk. Both ladies were covered with
jewels. Madonna Anna's _camora_ was of cloth-of-gold with crimson
sleeves, lined with fur and edged with gold fringe. One fine invention
which I noticed was a new trimming made of grey lamb's wool, but there
was no end to the variety of colours and fringes or to the beauty of the
jewels."

After hearing a solemn Te Deum and other canticles very beautifully sung
by the choir of the ducal chapel, the whole party drove to the house of
Count Della Torre, who entertained the dukes and duchesses, ambassadors
and councillors, and all the chief gentlemen and ladies of the court at
a splendid banquet. On the following day the duchesses and princesses
were entertained at a feast given by Niccolo's mother, Madonna Beatrice,
in her rooms in the Castello, and appeared in fresh costumes and still
more splendid jewels. On Friday no _fete_ was given, but most of the
youthful princes and princesses went out hunting in the park, and three
stags were killed in the course of the day. Beatrice appeared in a
riding-habit of rose-tinted cloth, and a large jewel instead of a
feather in her silk hat, and rode on a black horse. Madonna Anna wore
black and gold, with a pearl-embroidered crimson hat, and her sister
Bianca also appeared on horseback, while Duchess Leonora spent the day
with old Duchess Bona in her rooms.

On Saturday a _fete_ was given at the house of Gaspare di Pusterla.
Beatrice looked particularly charming with a feather of rubies in her
hair, and a crimson satin robe embroidered with a pattern of knots and
compasses and many ribbons, "after her favourite fashion," adds Teodora.
It is these very ribbons that we still see to-day, both in the few
portraits that we have of the short-lived duchess, and in the marble
effigy upon her tomb. Isabella of Aragon appeared on this occasion, in a
gown embroidered with books and letters, a favourite device of
Renaiss