t with the
princes of Italy. In their train was always found a man of letters
whose poetic Muse was dedicated to laureate duties, and was valued in
proportion as it recorded the triumphs of the protecting court. For
this patronage of art and letters no court was more distinguished than
that of Ferrara.

"Whoe'er in Italy is known to fame,
This lordly home as frequent guest can claim."

The family of Este was the most ancient and illustrious in Italy. The
house of Brunswick, from which our own royal family is descended, was
a shoot from this parent stock. It intermarried with the principal
reigning families of Europe. Leibnitz, Muratori, and our own great
historian, Gibbon, have traced the lineage and chronicled the family
incidents of this ducal house. Lucrezia Borgia and the Parasina of
Byron were members of it. For several generations the men and women
were remarkable for the curious contrasts of a violent character and
the pursuits of the arts of peace which they displayed. Poisonings,
assassinations, adulteries, imprisonments for life, conspiracies, were
by no means uncommon incidents in their tragical history. And yet
under their government Ferrara became the first really modern city in
Europe, with well-built streets, a large population, and flourishing
trade, attracting wealthy settlers from all parts of Italy. Nearly all
the members of the reigning house were distinguished for their
personal attractions and their mental capacities. They were also
notorious for their love of display. We have books, such as the
_Antiquities of the House of Este_ by Muratori, the _Chivalries of
Ferrara_, the _Borseid_, and the _Hecatommiti_ of Giraldi, which were
written almost to order for the purpose of gratifying this vanity.
Borso, the first duke, caused his portrait to be painted in a series
of historical representations in one of his principal palaces;
Hercules I. kept the anniversary of his accession to the throne by a
splendid procession, which was compared to the festival of Corpus
Christi; an Order, which had nothing in common with medieval chivalry,
called the Order of the Golden Spur, was instituted by his court, and
conferred upon those who reflected lustre by their deeds or their
literary gifts upon the house of Este; while, to crown all, we read at
this day on the tower of the cathedral of Ferrara the dedicatory
inscription beginning with "To the god Hercules II.," which the
complaisant inhabitants had put