at the duke's bidding, the Milanese
ambassador, Battista Sfondrati, bought the finest blocks of Carrara
marble that he could find in Venice, and the brothers of the Certosa
sent seven loads more from their vast stores to Solari's house in Milan.
Out of these marbles the sculptor carved a noble bas-relief of the Dead
Christ and the two admirable effigies of the duke and duchess, which now
adorn the Certosa of Pavia. His task was probably finished before the
close of the following year, and the tomb was set up in the _Cappella
maggiore_ of S. Maria delle Grazie, at a cost of upwards of 15,000
ducats. At the same time Lodovico placed a slab of black marble on the
walls of the same chapel, in memory of the dead child whose birth had
cost his mother her life, with the following proud inscription:--

"Infelix partus: amisi ante vitam quam in
Lucem ederer; infelicior quod matri
Moriens vitam ademi et parentem con
-sorte sua orbavi in tam adverso fato.
Hoc solum mihi potest jocundium esse
Quod divi parentes me, Ludovicus et
Beatrix Mediolanenses duces genuere,
M.C.C.C.C.LXXXXVII. Tertio Nonas Januarii."

The ill-fated child had died before he had ever seen the light of day,
and, still more unfortunate in this, he had deprived his mother of life,
and left his father widowed and alone; but this at least he could
proudly say, "Lodovico and Beatrice, Duke and Duchess of Milan, were my
parents."

The walls of the chapel were decorated with rich marbles and gilding,
and new altars were set up in honour of Saint Louis and Santa Beatrice,
the patron saints of the duke and duchess. Cristoforo was employed to
carve reliefs for the high altar, and the duke gave the friars a
jewelled crucifix and marvellously wrought set of chalices, patens,
candelabra, paci of _niello_, engraved with Beatrice's name and arms.
Among other costly gifts, he also presented them with a magnificent
_pallium_ and richly embroidered hangings for the altar, and a set of
illuminated choir-books with enamelled and jewelled bindings, while the
Marchesino Stanga gave an organ to the church. Bramante was ordered to
complete the cupola as soon as possible, and was employed later to add a
new sacristy to the church.

But there was one thing more which lay still nearer to Lodovico's heart.
Leonardo's great wall-painting for the convent refectory was well-nigh
completed. Cardinal Perault de Gurk, when he visited his friend the
Dominican prior towards the end of Jan