S.

Pozzi's letter shows how anxious were the duke and his son, even up to
the last. It must have been a humiliation for both of them to have to
confide their suspicions to their ambassador in Rome, and to ask him to
find out what he could regarding the character of a lady who was to be
the future Duchess of Ferrara. The very phrase in Pozzi's letter that
there was nothing "sinister" to be suspected of Lucretia shows how black
were the rumors that circulated regarding her. His testimony, therefore,
is all the more valuable, and it is one of the most important documents
for forming a judgment of Lucretia's character. Had she been afforded a
chance to read it, her mortification would, no doubt, have outweighed
her satisfaction.[133]

The Ferrarese princes took up their abode in the Vatican; other
gentlemen occupied the Belvedere, while the majority were provided for
by the citizens, who were compelled to entertain them. At that time the
popes handled their private matters just as if they were affairs of
state, and met expenses by taxing the court officials, who, in spite of
this, made a good living, and even grew rich by the Pope's mercy. The
merchants likewise were required to bear a part of the expense of these
ecclesiastical functions. Many of the officials grumbled over
entertaining the Ferrarese, and provided for them so badly that the Pope
was compelled to interfere.[134]

During the Christmas festivities the Pope read mass in S. Peter's. The
princes were present, and the duke's ambassador described Alexander's
magnificent and also "saintly" bearing in terms more fitting to depict
the appearance of an accomplished actor.[135]

The Pope now gave orders for the carnival to begin, and there were daily
banquets and festivities in the Vatican.

El Prete has left a naive account of an evening's entertainment in
Lucretia's palace, in which he gives us a vivid picture of the customs
of the day. "The illustrious Madonna," so wrote the reporter, "appears
in public but little, because she is busy preparing for her departure.
Sunday evening, S. Stephen's Day, December 26th, I went unexpectedly to
her residence. Her Majesty was in her chamber, seated by the bed. In a
corner of the room were about twenty Roman women dressed _a la
romanesca_, 'wearing certain cloths on their heads'; the ladies of her
court, to the number of ten, were also present. A nobleman from Valencia
and a lady of the court, Niccola, led the dance. They