Mantua dismissed by the Venetians--He incurs Duke
Lodovico's displeasure by his intrigues--Isabella d'Este's
correspondence with the Duke of Milan--Leonardo in the Castello--Death
of Charles VIII.--Visit of Lodovico to Mantua--Francesco Gonzaga
appointed captain of the imperial forces--Isabella of Aragon and
Isabella d'Este--Chiara Gonzaga and Caterina Sforza--Lodovico's will.

1497-1498

While Lodovico was building sanctuaries and raising memorials to his
dead wife, his brother-in-law of Mantua had excited the suspicions of
the Venetians by his French sympathies, and in April, 1497, was suddenly
dismissed from his post of captain-general of the Signoria's armies.
Isabella d'Este was deeply distressed, and Francesco Gonzaga declared
loudly that this disgrace was the result of Galeazzo di Sanseverino's
jealousy and of the Moro's intrigues. In September the marquis and
Messer Galeazzo met at a tournament held at Brescia in honour of the
Queen of Cyprus. Fracassa was also present with his wife, Margherita
Pia, in a chariot driven by twelve fine horses, and both he and the
marquis entered the lists with their followers, but the hero of the day
was Galeazzo, who appeared suddenly at the head of forty horsemen, all
in deep mourning, with hair dyed black, and black and gold armour, and a
herald bearing a black pennon with gold griffins. When the joust was
over, the queen entertained Fracassa's wife, and all the cavaliers, at
supper, and the next day Galeazzo escorted her home over the hills to
Asolo. But this meeting did not improve the strained relations between
the princes of Milan and Mantua, and the secret intrigues which
Francesco Gonzaga carried on both with France and Florence soon came to
Lodovico's ears. In November the duke wrote a strong remonstrance to
Isabella, complaining bitterly of her husband's ingratitude, and
declaring that he would have exposed his fraudulent conduct in the eyes
of the Venetians, and of all Italy, had it not been for the love and
regard which he had for her. Isabella was seriously alarmed at the tone
of her brother-in-law's letter, and did her best to effect a
reconciliation between him and her husband. Her efforts were seconded by
her father, Duke Ercole, and his sons, who were often at Milan, and kept
up friendly relations with Lodovico after their sister's death. Alfonso
and his wife, Anna Sforza, were at the Castello in June, and Galeazzo di
Sanseverino himself accompanied the heir