ry, although it was willing to
care for it while in the city or to make a handsome present.[123]

In the meantime preparations were under way in Ferrara for the wedding
festivities. The Duke invited all the princes who were friendly to him
to be present. He had even thought of the oration which was to be
delivered in Ferrara when Lucretia was given to her husband. During the
Renaissance these orations were regarded as of the greatest importance,
and he was anxious to secure a speaker who could be depended upon to
deliver a masterpiece. Ercole had instructed his ambassadors in Rome to
send him particulars regarding the house of Borgia for the orator to use
in preparing his speech.[124]

The ambassadors scrupulously carried out their instructions, and wrote
their sovereign as follows:

ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE AND MASTER: We have spared no efforts
to learn everything possible regarding the illustrious house of
Borgia, as your Excellency commanded. We made a thorough
investigation, and members of our suite here in Rome, not only the
scholars but also those who we knew were loyal to you, did the
same. Although we finally succeeded in ascertaining that the house
is one of the noblest and most ancient in Spain, we did not
discover that its founders ever did anything very remarkable,
perhaps because life in that country is quiet and uneventful--your
Excellency knows that such is the case in Spain, especially in
Valencia.

Whatever there is worthy of note dates from the time of Calixtus,
and, in fact, the deeds of Calixtus himself are those most worthy
of comment; Platina, however, has given an account of his life,
which, moreover, is well known to everybody. Whoever is to deliver
the oration has ample material, therefore, from which to choose.
We, illustrious Sir, have been able to learn nothing more regarding
this house than what you already know, and this concerns only the
members of the family who have been Popes, and is derived chiefly
from the audience speeches. In case we succeed in finding out
anything more, we shall inform your Excellency, to whom we commend
ourselves in all humility.

ROME, _October 18, 1501_.

When the descendant of the ancient house of Este read this terse
despatch he must have smiled; its candor was so undiplomatic that it
bordered on irony. The doughty ambassadors, however, apparentl