[102] Autografi di Principi: Sforza. Archivio di Stato, Milan. [103] F. Roddi, "Annali di Ferrara" (Harleian MSS. 3310). [104] E. Gardiner, "A King of Court Poets," 355. [105] Crowe and Cavalcaselle, "Titian," i. 355. [106] P. Aretino, "Lettere," i. 214. [107] A. Campo, 107. [108] Gaye, "Carteggio," iii. 531. [109] Autografi di Principi: Sforza, Archivio di Stato, Milan. [110] Burigozzo, 521. [111] Autografi di Principi: Sforza, Archivio di Stato (see Appendix I.). [112] Lanz, i. 419. [113] H. Thomas, 310. [114] Altmeyer, "Relations Commerciales," etc., 317; Lanz, ii. 120. [115] H. Thomas, 328. [116] Henne, vi. 132. [117] H. Thomas, 350. [118] Lanz, ii. 659. [119] H. Thomas, 350. [120] "Zimmer'sche Chronik," iv. 145. [121] Burigozzo, 525. [122] G. Ghilino, "Annali di Alessandria," 141. [123] Potenze Sovrane, Archivio di Stato. [124] Burigozzo, 525. [125] _Ibid._, 529. [126] M. Guazzo, 312. [127] P. Aretino, "Lettere," i. 43. BOOK V THE WIDOW OF MILAN 1535-1538 I. Christina's short married life was over. At the end of eighteen months she found herself a widow, before she had completed her fourteenth year. But the brief interval which had elapsed since she left Flanders had sufficed to turn the child into a woman. From the moment of the Duke's death, her good sense and discretion won golden opinions from the grey-headed statesmen around her. The senators and Ambassadors, the deputies from Pavia and the other Lombard cities, who came to offer their condolences, were deeply moved at the sight of this Princess, whose heavy mourning and widow's weeds contrasted strangely with her extreme youth. The dignity and grace of her bearing charmed them still more, and all the Milanese asked was to keep their Duchess among them. By the terms of the late Duke's investiture, if he died without children, the duchy of Milan was to revert to the Emperor, but the city of Tortona was settled on the Duchess. By Francesco's will the town and Castello of Vigevano, which he had done so much to beautify, were also bequeathed to her. Immediately after the Duke's funeral, in obedience to his dying lord's order, Stampa hoisted the imperial standard on the Castello of Milan, but refused to allow Antonio de Leyva to take possession of the citadel until he received orders from Cæsar himself. This was faithfully reported to the Emperor by Christina, who gave her uncle a full account of the steps which she had taken to administer affairs as her lord's representative, adding: "If I have failed in any part of my duty or done anything contrary to Your Majesty's wishes, I beg you to excuse my ignorance, assuring you that I have acted by the advice of my late husband's Councillors, and with no regard to my own interests, but with the sole object of promoting Your Majesty's honour and service, and remain