THE FIRST BOOK OF THE COURTIER
and virtuous a lady; whose highest qualities I do not now purpose to recount, they not being my theme and being well known to all the world, and far more because I could not express them with either tongue or pen; and those that perhaps might have been somewhat hid, fortune, as if wondering at such rare virtue, chose to reveal through many adversities and stings of calamity, so as to give proof that in the tender breast of woman, in company with singular beauty, there may abide prudence and strength of soul, and all those virtues that even among stern men are very rare.39
5.— But leaving this aside, I say that the custom of all the gentlemen of the house was to betake themselves straightway after supper to my lady Duchess; where, among the other pleasant pastimes and music and dancing that continually were practised, sometimes neat questions were proposed, sometimes ingenious games were devised at the choice of one or another, in which under various disguises the company disclosed their thoughts figuratively to whom they liked best. Sometimes other discussions arose about different matters, or biting retorts passed lightly back and forth. Often "devices" (imprese), as we now call them, were displayed;40 in discussing which there was wonderful diversion, the house being (as I have said) full of very noble talents; among whom (as you know) the most famous were my lord Ottaviano Fregoso, his brother messer Federico,41 the Magnifico Giuliano de' Medici, messer Pietro Bembo,42 messer Cesare Gonzaga,43 Count Ludovico da Canossa,44 my lord Gaspar Pallavicino,45 my lord Ludovico Pio,46 my lord Morello da Ortona,47 Pietro da Napoli, messer Roberto da Bari,48 and countless other very noble cavaliers. Moreover there were many, who, although usually they did not dwell there constantly, yet spent most of the time there: like messer Bernardo Bibbiena, the Unico Aretino,49 Giancristoforo Romano,50 Pietro Monte,51 Terpandro,52 messer Niccolo Frisio;53 so that there always flocked thither poets, musicians and all sorts of agreeable54 men, and in every walk the most excellent that were to be found in Italy.
6.— Now Pope Julius II, having by his presence and the aid of the French brought Bologna under subjection to the apostolic see in the year 1506, and being on his way back to Rome, passed
