l pay him our dutiful
respects, and, after delivering your credentials, by virtue of them will
proceed to tell him how immediately after this death the chiefs of the
State and of the people of this city approached me to offer their
condolences in the customary manner, and signified their fears and
anxieties as to the succession. One and all, speaking in the name of the
State, declared that they would have no lord but ourselves, and
entreated us with earnest words to accept this dignity, saying that if
we refused they would not be content and would have to consider some
other mode of action. After this has been explained to the king, you
will tell him that, seeing on the one hand the conditions imposed by his
Majesty respecting the privileges, which we do not intend to infringe,
and on the other the dangers that might arise if the State were left
without a lord until the time fixed for the promulgation of the
privileges, and being further aware that the people of Milan set the
example and draw after them all the rest of the State, we have chosen to
accept the burden they offer us, and have ridden through the town in
order to satisfy the wishes of the people. And this we have done, in
order not to leave the State and city in doubt as to the last duke's
successor, without taking either title or armorial bearings, lest we
should incur the same blame as that illustrious lord our father. Thus,
solely to prove that the State is not left without a lord, and at the
same time not to infringe the conditions attached to the privileges, we
have taken this name of duke, and will inscribe our name as _Ludovicus
Dux_ in letters and other documents, without specifying of what place we
are duke, so as to observe the commands laid upon us by his Majesty not
to publish the privileges before the feast of St. Martin. The full form
which we intend to adopt at the said feast will be signified to him
after this feast, when we shall adopt the style of _Dux Mediolani_ in
accordance with this command. But we will abstain from publishing the
privileges until we have the approval of the said Majesty, which we hope
to obtain as soon as the term which he fixed shall expire.

"And you will also tell his Majesty that the publication of these
privileges carries with it the investiture and enjoyment of the temporal
possessions of the duchy, and therefore, as our procurator, you will ask
for this investiture with all respect and submission. And you will beg