en if she had not completely disarmed him.
Not wholly without reason had the gallant burghers of Foligno awarded
the apple of Paris to Lucretia. Speaking of this meeting, one of the
chroniclers of Ferrara says, "The entire people rejoiced greatly, as did
also the bride and her own followers, because his Majesty had shown a
desire to see her and had received her so well--an indication that she
would be accepted and treated still better."[153]

Probably no one was more pleased than the Pope. His daughter immediately
informed him of her reception, for she sent him daily letters giving an
account of her journey; and he also received numerous despatches from
other persons in her train. Up to this time he had felt some misgivings
as to her reception by the Este, but now he was relieved. After she had
left Rome he frequently asked Cardinal Ferrari to warn the duke to treat
his daughter-in-law kindly, remarking, at the same time, that he had
done a great deal for her, and would do still more. He declared that the
remission of Ferrara's tribute would, if paid for in money, require not
less than two hundred thousand ducats, and that the officials of the
chancellery had demanded between five and six thousand ducats merely for
preparing the bulls. The kings of France and Spain had been compelled to
pay the Duke of Romagna a yearly tribute of twenty thousand ducats for
the remission of the taxes of Naples, which consisted only in the
payment of a single white horse. Ferrara, on the other hand, had been
granted everything.[154]

The duke replied to the cardinal January 22d, assuring him that his
daughter-in-law would meet with a most affectionate reception.[155]

FOOTNOTES:

[146] Lucretia's colors were yellow and dark brown (morrelo aperto),
while Alexander's were yellow and black.

[147] Spogli di Giambattista Almerici. i, 284. Ms. in the Oliveriana in
Pesaro.

[148] Si per attendere a lavarse il capo, como anche per essere assai
solitaria et remota di soa natura. Despatch from Rimini, January 22,
1502.

[149] Ferrante to Ercole, Rimini, January 23, 1502.

[150] The expression is lavarsi il capo.

[151] Ferrante to Ercole, Imola, January 27, 1502.

[152] Gianluca to Ercole, January 31, 1502.

[153] Bernardino Zambotto. See Monsignor Giuseppe Antonelli's work,
Lucrezia Borgia in Ferrara, sposa a Don Alfonso d'Este, Memorie
storiche.... Ferrara, 1867.

[154] The ambassador Beltrando Costabili to Duke Ercole, Rome, Ja