DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36839#0426
882 COUNT BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE
two superb gold cups as a parting gift from the
Signory. Now he was going to pay his respects to
Pope Clement at Orvieto before he returned to
France, and stopped at Urbino on the way, to see the
haunts of his youth once more. Since his last visit
three years before, the good Duchess had passed away,
and only Madonna Emilia was left to welcome her
old friend. The Bishop was shocked at the melan-
choly change which he found in this once brilliant
lady, and grieved to hear from the physicians that
there was little hope of her recovery. But the sight
of Count Eodovico revived the invalid's spirits, and
she welcomed him with her old charm and brightness.
Together they talked of this wonderful book in which
Count Baldassare had told the story of the court of
Urbino, and made the past live again. They recalled
each familiar incident of his story, laughed over the
old jokes, and sighed as they thought of the faces
that were gone. And they spoke of their absent
friends—of Bembo in his pleasant Paduan villa, and
of Castiglione himself far away in Spain, while in
the Duchesss gardens the birds sang and the roses
blossomed as in the gay days of old. One afternoon
—it was May 20—this grave and reverend Mon-
signore took the book in his hands and read Madonna
Emilia some passages from Count Baldassare s work.
As she listened, the colour rose to her cheek and the
light sparkled in her eye. But it was only for a
moment. Suddenly she fell back, and with the old
names on her lips and a smile on her face she died.
Canossa went his way with a sad heart, and never
saw Urbino and its ducal halls again. And the
gossips in Rome whispered that Madonna Emilia
had died without the sacraments of the Church, dis-
cussing passages from the ' Cortegiano' with Count
two superb gold cups as a parting gift from the
Signory. Now he was going to pay his respects to
Pope Clement at Orvieto before he returned to
France, and stopped at Urbino on the way, to see the
haunts of his youth once more. Since his last visit
three years before, the good Duchess had passed away,
and only Madonna Emilia was left to welcome her
old friend. The Bishop was shocked at the melan-
choly change which he found in this once brilliant
lady, and grieved to hear from the physicians that
there was little hope of her recovery. But the sight
of Count Eodovico revived the invalid's spirits, and
she welcomed him with her old charm and brightness.
Together they talked of this wonderful book in which
Count Baldassare had told the story of the court of
Urbino, and made the past live again. They recalled
each familiar incident of his story, laughed over the
old jokes, and sighed as they thought of the faces
that were gone. And they spoke of their absent
friends—of Bembo in his pleasant Paduan villa, and
of Castiglione himself far away in Spain, while in
the Duchesss gardens the birds sang and the roses
blossomed as in the gay days of old. One afternoon
—it was May 20—this grave and reverend Mon-
signore took the book in his hands and read Madonna
Emilia some passages from Count Baldassare s work.
As she listened, the colour rose to her cheek and the
light sparkled in her eye. But it was only for a
moment. Suddenly she fell back, and with the old
names on her lips and a smile on her face she died.
Canossa went his way with a sad heart, and never
saw Urbino and its ducal halls again. And the
gossips in Rome whispered that Madonna Emilia
had died without the sacraments of the Church, dis-
cussing passages from the ' Cortegiano' with Count