DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42863#0063
ISABELLA AND HER SON
41
here. These caps, which make women look like
boys, and this fashion of laying the breast bare, will
never please foreigners, and if those French who
have been in Italy praise them, they only do so
out of flattery. I have not tried to deny this,
because, after all, honesty is the best policy. So
prepare yourself, dear Madonna, if Her Majesty
comes, to do honour to the Latin name.”1
Isabella, on her part, expressed great delight to
hear of His Christian Majesty’s intention to visit
Italy, and confidently expected the King’s presence
at Milan would lead to the release of her husband,
“ even,” she adds, “ if it should be necessary to have
recourse to arms.” In a postscript she thanked
D’Atri for the portrait of the court-jester Triboulet,
and renews her request for a French vocabulary,
evidently desiring to improve her defective French.
But Louis had grown indifferent to the war against
Venice, and took no active steps to obtain the release
of his ally. Both he and the Emperor had learnt to
look with suspicion on Francesco Gonzaga’s intrigues,
and asked the Marchesa to place her eldest son Fede-
rico as a hostage in their hands before they approached
the Republic on behalf of her husband. The mere
idea of parting from her darling boy filled the poor
mother’s heart with anguish, and when Maximilian
renewed his proposal, Isabella sent this indignant
answer to Donato di Preti, her envoy at the imperial
court:—
“ As to the demand for our dearest first-born son
Federico, besides being a cruel and almost inhuman
thing for any one who knows the meaning of a mother’s
love, there are many causes which render it difficult
1 Luzio, Nuova Antologia, 1896.
41
here. These caps, which make women look like
boys, and this fashion of laying the breast bare, will
never please foreigners, and if those French who
have been in Italy praise them, they only do so
out of flattery. I have not tried to deny this,
because, after all, honesty is the best policy. So
prepare yourself, dear Madonna, if Her Majesty
comes, to do honour to the Latin name.”1
Isabella, on her part, expressed great delight to
hear of His Christian Majesty’s intention to visit
Italy, and confidently expected the King’s presence
at Milan would lead to the release of her husband,
“ even,” she adds, “ if it should be necessary to have
recourse to arms.” In a postscript she thanked
D’Atri for the portrait of the court-jester Triboulet,
and renews her request for a French vocabulary,
evidently desiring to improve her defective French.
But Louis had grown indifferent to the war against
Venice, and took no active steps to obtain the release
of his ally. Both he and the Emperor had learnt to
look with suspicion on Francesco Gonzaga’s intrigues,
and asked the Marchesa to place her eldest son Fede-
rico as a hostage in their hands before they approached
the Republic on behalf of her husband. The mere
idea of parting from her darling boy filled the poor
mother’s heart with anguish, and when Maximilian
renewed his proposal, Isabella sent this indignant
answer to Donato di Preti, her envoy at the imperial
court:—
“ As to the demand for our dearest first-born son
Federico, besides being a cruel and almost inhuman
thing for any one who knows the meaning of a mother’s
love, there are many causes which render it difficult
1 Luzio, Nuova Antologia, 1896.