CHAPTER XLII

1531-1537

Relations of Isabella with Ferrara-Stabellino's letters-Duchess Renée and her child Anna d'Este-Death of Duke AlfonsoIsabella's trip to the Lake of Garda-Her favourite dwarfs— The government of Solarolo-Leonora of Urbino-Her son Guidobaldo's marriage—Manufacture of embroidered stuffs and caps at Mantua-Isabella's majolica dinner services-Plates in the Museo Correr and British Museum-Cardinal Gonzaga sends his mother a medal of Aristotle-Her interest in gardening-The gardens at Porto-Trissino begs the help of her gardener at his villa of Cricoli,

THE strong family affection which was so striking a feature in Isabella's character became deepened and intensified in her declining years. Nothing is more remarkable than the warmth and constancy with which she clung to her old home and friends at Ferrara, in these last days. She still paid frequent visits to her brother's court, and received weekly letters from Girolamo da Sestola, while the witty novelist Stabellino kept her fully informed of everything that happened at Ferrara. Now that Duke Alfonso had at length recovered Modena and Reggio, a new era of peace and prosperity set in, and the court resumed its old gaiety. Stabellino's letters abound in descriptions of the fêtes that were held at the Schifanoia, and of the costumes worn by Duchess Renée and her ladies. Isabella, as usual, was anxious to hear every detail, and the novelist

RENÉE'S COURT

359

did his best to satisfy her curiosity. He tells her how one evening the Duchess entertained the ladies of the court at the Schifanoia, and appeared in a blue satin robe with a high collar in the French fashion, but with sleeves slashed to "show the white chemisette, such as our ladies wear," a gold fillet, little black velvet cap with a white feather on her head. Six of her ladies wore black satin, and six were robed in crimson, with the same velvet caps and gold fillets, while the Queen of Naples's daughters were clad in Italian fashion with low-cut bodices and bare necks. A week afterwards Renée appeared in the park at Belfiore, wearing a black satin robe in the French style, but a gold cap of Mantuan cut, which, not being a French fashion, greatly exercised the tongues of her guests, although Stabellino remarks: "It is said she wore this cap to hide her ears, or perhaps from fear of cold." A few months later he reports that Madame de Soubise has, it is plain, persuaded the Duchess to give up the Portuguese fashion then in vogue in Italy, and return to the French style of dress. "All our ladies," he adds, "are on the tip-toe of expectation to see what fashions she adopts, and are ready to follow her." Unfortunately the influence of Madame de Soubise extended to other matters besides dress, and became the cause of serious troubles, which ended in her disgrace and return to France. But, as long as Duke Alfonso lived, Renée remained comparatively tranquil, and in November 1533, the birth of a son, who received his grandfather's name, and had Pope Clement VII. for his sponsor, was the cause of great rejoicings. Two years before this, the Duchess had given birth 1 Fontana, op. cit., i. 144.

360

ANNA D'ESTE

to a daughter, who was christened Anna, after her grandmother, Anne de Bretagne, and was said to bear a striking resemblance to her great-aunt, Isabella.

On the 24th of January 1532, that kindly old gossip, Sestola, wrote to Isabella: "As our Lady Duchess rode to-day in her litter, to see the tournament at the Schifanoia, she called me to walk by her side, and asked me what I thought of her baby, who is indeed a beautiful child. She told me that our Signor had said that she was a little like Your Excellency when you were a child. I replied that I thought so too, and that I had seen a portrait of Your Signoria at Mantua which certainly resembled the little girl. The Duchess immediately told me to write to Your Excellency, and beg you to send her this portrait, which is one that I saw in the house of la Brogna, when we went to see her babe christened. The portrait is one of Your Highness as a child, if I remember right, wearing a garland or wreath on your brow, with a clasp in the centre of the forehead. I think that you must have given the picture to Brogna, because you showed it to me when we were at her house. Will Your Excellency kindly ask Brogna for the portrait, and let me have it? and when the Duchess has seen it, I promise to send it back safely. The Duchess never lets the baby go out of her sight, and she is certainly a very fine child."

"1

Isabella sent the portrait by the next courier to Ferrara, with the following note: "I send my portrait to gratify the Duchess, and think this must be the one you mean, because it was taken when I was about three years old. You will be able to judge if it bears any resemblance to Her Excellency's 1 Luzio in Emporium, 1900, p. 345.

HER LIKENESS TO ISABELLA

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little daughter, and if, please God, she is at all like me in the Duke's opinion, I shall be greatly delighted. I have given another portrait, which was taken after my marriage, to the court painter here, to be restored, and will send it to you as soon as this is done, but should be glad to have both of them back again. Commend me to the Duchess."

On the 8th of February, Girolamo wrote to say that both the portraits had reached him safely. "I took them at once to the Duchess, who was more delighted with them than I can say, and we went to look at the child directly. Certainly, my dear lady, the portrait of you is very like her-from the nose downwards, her face is exactly your own. Every one who has seen your portrait says that it bears the strongest resemblance to the child, and so Her Excellency has begged to be allowed to keep it for this carnival."1

Before the portraits were returned, the Duke ordered them both to be copied, so that some likeness of the Marchesa should remain at Ferrara, and that he should keep these recollections of his sister before his eyes. Isabella was highly gratified, and took especial interest in this little Anna d'Este, who was, one day, to become the wife of Duke Francis of Guise, and hand down the yellow locks of Lucrezia Borgia and the charm of the Este princesses to the heirs of the house of Lorraine.

In May 1534, Alfonso d'Este went to Milan for the wedding of his nephew Francesco Sforza, accompanied by his favourite master Titian, who, on this occasion, painted portraits of the bridegroom and of his youthful bride, the Emperor's niece, Christina of 1 Luzio, op. cit.

362

DEATH OF ALFONSO D'ESTE

Denmark. In the following autumn, Duke Alfonso died very suddenly, on the 31st of October 1534, only three months after his enemy, Pope Clement VII. But the loss of this brother, to whom Isabella had been so tenderly attached from her earliest childhood, made no difference in the ties which bound her to Ferrara. The Marchesa's relations with his children remained as intimate as before, and when in the winter of 1536 Renée was ill, and suffering after the birth of her second daughter Lucrezia, Duke Ercole wrote to his aunt, begging her to spend carnival at Ferrara, and amuse his sick wife. Isabella gladly responded to his appeal, and on the 30th of January, wrote to tell her son Duke Federico of her safe arrival at Ferrara. "To-day I arrived here half-an-hour after nightfall, and was received by the Archbishop [her nephew Ippolito] four miles from Ferrara, and found the Duke and many nobles and ladies awaiting me on the banks of the river. They escorted me with lighted torches to my lodgings in the Corte Vecchia of the Castello, opposite the Church of San Domenico. Soon afterwards I visited the Duchess, who has had a touch of fever, but nothing very serious, and then went into the hall to see the dancing begin." A few days later she wrote again, and spoke of enjoying the company of the Duke and Duchess, and of a supper given by Ercole in the new rooms of the palace, "which was followed by a concert of varied and excellent music, and afterwards by dancing till bed-time."1

Isabella, it is evident, had lost none of her powers of enjoyment with advancing age, and the high spirits and keen interest with which she entered into Fontana, op. cit.