n captured by the
French, gorgeously apparelled in gold trappings. Among the spoils sent
to Mantua were a magnificent set of embroidered hangings from the royal
tent, and a curious book of paintings, containing portraits of the chief
Italian beauties who had fascinated King Charles. These, together with
the hilt of the broken sword with which the marquis himself had fought
in the _melee_, were joyfully received by Isabella, who counted these
trophies among her proudest possessions. She was, accordingly, a good
deal annoyed when, a week later, her husband desired her to send back
the French king's hangings, as he wished to give them to her sister
Beatrice. Her protest on this occasion is very characteristic.

"MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD,

"Your Excellency has desired me to send the four pieces of drapery that
belonged to the French king, in order that you may present them to the
Duchess of Milan. I of course obey you, but in this instance I must say
I do it with great reluctance, as I think these royal spoils ought to
remain in our family, in perpetual memory of your glorious deeds, of
which we have no other record here. By giving them to others, you appear
to surrender the honour of the enterprise with these trophies of the
victory. I do not send them to-day, because they require a mule, and I
also hope that you will be able to make some excuse to the duchess and
tell her, for instance, that you have already given me these hangings.
If I had not seen them already, I should not have cared so much; but
since you gave them to me in the first place, and they were won at the
peril of your own life, I shall only give them up with tears in my eyes.
All the same, as I said before, I will obey your Excellency, but shall
hope to receive some explanation in reply. If these draperies were a
thousand times more valuable than they are, and had been acquired in any
other way, I should gladly give them up to my sister the duchess, whom,
as you know, I love and honour with all my heart. But, under the
circumstances, I must own it is very hard for me to part with them.

"Mantua, July 24, 1495."

In this case Beatrice showed herself, as she habitually was, the more
generous of the two. The marquis had his way, and sent the four hangings
to Milan, followed by a fifth belonging to the suite, which he had in
the mean time recovered.

On the 25th of August, Beatrice, having duly received and admired her
brother-in-law's gift, sent them all ba