of Nepi, they were more numerous and
denser than they are to-day; in the direction of Sutri and
Civitacastellana they are well cleared up; but there are still many fine
groves. From the top of the castle may be seen a magnificent panorama,
which is even more extensive than that which greets the eye from the
castle of Spoleto. There on the horizon are the dark volcano of
Bracciano and Monte di Rocca Romana, and here the mountains of Viterbo,
on whose wide slopes the town of Caprarola, which belonged to the
Farnese, is visible. On the other side rises Soracte. Towards the north
the plateau slopes gently down to the valley of the Tiber, across which,
in the misty distance, the blue chain of the Sabine mountains stands out
boldly, with numerous fortresses scattered about the declivities.

August 31st Alfonso's young widow went to the castle of Nepi, taking
with her part of her court and her child Rodrigo. These knights and
ladies, all generally so merry, were now either oppressed by a real
sorrow or were required by court etiquette to renounce all pleasures. In
this lonely stronghold Lucretia could lament, undisturbed, the
taking-off of the handsome youth who had been her husband for two years,
and together with whom she had dwelt in this same castle scarcely a
twelve-month before. There was nothing to disturb her melancholy
brooding; but, instead, castle, city, and landscape all harmonized with
it.

Some of Lucretia's letters written during her stay at the castle of
Nepi are still in existence, and they are especially valuable, being the
only ones we have which date from what is known as the Roman period of
the life of the famous woman. Lucretia addressed them to her trusted
servant in Rome, Vincenzo Giordano; some are in her own handwriting, and
others in that of her secretary, Cristoforo. She signs herself "the most
unhappy Princess of Salerno," although she herself afterwards struck out
the words, _principessa de Salerno_, and left only the words, _La
infelicissima_. In only a single letter--and this one has no date--did
she allow the whole signature to stand.

The first letters, dated September 15th and October 24, 1500, "in our
city of Nepi," are devoted to domestic affairs, especially clothes, of
which she was in need. Two days later she states that she had written to
the Cardinal of Lisbon, her godfather, in the interest of the bearer of
the letter, Giovanni of Prato. October 28th she directs Vincenzo to have
ce