ations
of joy than anywhere else outside of Rome, for not only did the
signors of the city, as the officials of the commune are called,
clad in red silk, come on foot to meet her and accompany her to her
inn on the Piazza, but at the gate she was confronted by a float
upon which was a person representing the Roman Lucretia with a
dagger in her hand, who recited some verses to the effect that her
Majesty excelled herself in graciousness, modesty, intelligence,
and understanding, and that therefore she would yield her own place
to her.

There was also a float upon which was a cupid, and on the summit,
with the golden apple in his hand, stood Paris, who repeated some
stanzas, the gist of which was as follows: he had promised the
apple to Venus, the only one who excelled both Juno and Pallas in
beauty; but he now reversed his decision, and presented it to her
Majesty as she, of all women, was the only one who surpassed all
the goddesses, possessing greater beauty, wisdom, riches, and power
than all three united.

Finally, on the Piazza we discovered an armed Turkish galley coming
toward us, and one of the Turks, who was standing on the bulwarks,
repeated some stanzas of the following import: the sultan well knew
how powerful was Lucretia in Italy, and he had sent him to greet
her, and to say that his master would surrender everything he had
taken from the Christians. We made no special effort to remember
these verses, for they were not exactly Petrarchian, and, moreover,
the ship did not appear to us to be a very happy idea; it was
rather out of place.

We must not forget to tell you that all the reigning Baglione came
from Perugia and their castles, and were waiting for Lucretia about
four miles from Foligno, and that they invited her to go to
Perugia.

Her Majesty, as we wrote your Excellency from Narni, persists in
her wish to journey from Bologna to Ferrara by water to escape the
discomfort of riding and traveling by land.

His Holiness, our Lord, is so concerned for her Majesty that he
demands daily and even hourly reports of her journey, and she is
required to write him with her own hand from every city regarding
her health. This confirms the statement which has frequently been
made to your Excellency--that his Holiness loves