five or six red and grey
feathers, and with all that on her head, sat up on horseback as straight
as if she had been a man. And with her came the wife of Seigneur Galeaz'
and many other ladies, as many as twenty-two, all riding handsome and
richly apparelled horses, and six chariots hung with cloth of gold and
green velvet, all full of ladies. They had intended to visit the king in
his lodgings, but this he would not allow, and, in order to appear
gracious, said that he would visit them, but he did not go to their
lodgings that day, feeling unwell. The next day, after dinner, he went
to see this lady, whom he found magnificently arrayed, after the fashion
of the country, in a green satin robe. The bodice of her gown was loaded
with diamonds, pearls, and rubies, both in front and behind, and the
sleeves were made very tight and slashed so as to show the white chemise
underneath, and tied up with a wide grey silk ribbon, which hung almost
down to the ground. Her throat was bare and adorned with a necklace of
very large pearls, with a ruby as big as your 'Grand Valloy,' and her
head was dressed just the same as yesterday, only that instead of a hat
she wore a velvet cap with an aigrette of feathers fastened with a clasp
made of two rubies, a diamond, and a pear-shaped pearl, like your own,
only larger. After that the king had paid her a visit, he returned to
his house, but first he had some conversation with her, and made her
dance in the French fashion, with some of her ladies. And I can assure
you, madame, that she danced wonderfully well in the French fashion,
although she said she had never danced in this manner before. If the
king were not going to send you her picture, to show you the fashion of
her dress, I would have endeavoured to obtain one to send you myself."

A grand _fete_ was arranged for the following day, but the king fell
suddenly ill of small-pox, and had to call in Messer Ambrogio da Rosate
to attend him. All his plans were altered, and more than a fortnight
elapsed before he was able to leave his room. This delay discouraged the
French, who suffered from the great heat, and complained, as Commines
tells us, of the sourness of the country wine, the last vintage having
been a bad one. All Lodovico's smooth words and tact were needed to keep
the leaders in good humour in these trying circumstances. On the other
hand, Alfonso of Naples, taking courage, boldly announced that the
approach of winter and want o