interesting details commemorated by an eye-witness. These pomps are, however, unfortunately curtailed by the poet, anxious to resume the dull recital of little wars. He describes the bride as "A maiden With every grace and virtue rare endowed, That heaven at intervals on earth vouchsafes, In earnest of the bliss reserved on high." [Footnote 102: See p. 41 above. The extreme inaccuracy of Frenchmen, in speaking or writing of names and persons, is proverbial; and Sismondi, a French writer, although no Frenchman, has fallen into manifest errors regarding the family of Urbino. We have already detected one as to the birth of Federigo. In chap. LXXI. he calls Battista daughter of Francesco Sforza, and in chap. LXXXI. falls into the still more gross blunder of making Sigismondo Malatesta father-in-law (_beaupère_) of Federigo. This may be a misprint for _beaufrère_, which he would have been had Battista been a daughter of Francesco, as well as Polissena, whom Malatesta had married; but this was not the case. See notes at p. 91 and above.] [Footnote 103: Urb. Vat. MSS., No. 1236, her funeral oration.] [Footnote 104: Archivio Diplomatico di Firenze, original dispensation.] Muzio most unaccountably omits all notice of the marriage; we, however, learn from Betussi that she was tiny in person, but inherited the gifts and eloquence of her grandmother, Battista di Montefeltro. These she publicly exercised at Mantua, in an oration addressed to Pius II., and answered in a compliment dictated either by his gallantry or critical acumen. Bernardo Tasso has pleasingly embodied the testimony of her contemporaries:-- "The first of them in equal favour holds Demosthenes and Plato; reading, too, Plotinus, while, in wisdom as in words, Arpino's orator she well shall match; Consort of one unconquered, Frederick, Urbino's Duke and long-tried champion."[105] [Footnote 105: _Amadigi_, canto XLIV., st. 57. Cicero was born at Arpino.] [Illustration: CLARVS INSIGNI VEHITVR TRIVMPHO QVEM PAREM SVMMIS DVCIBVS PERHENNIS FAMA VIRTVTVM CELEBRAT DECENTER SCEPTRA TENENTEM _Alinari_ ALLEGORY _After the picture by Piero della Francesca in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence_] [Illustration: QVEMODVM REBVS TENVIT SECVNDIS CONIVGIS MAGNI DECORATA RERVM LAVDE GESTARVM VOLITAT PER ORA CVNCTA VIRORVM _Alinari_ ALLEGORY _After the picture by Piero della Francesca in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence_] Yet much learning distracted her not from the practical affairs of life. During her husband's ever-recurring absences, she administered his state with singular propriety, besides bringing him many children. On the fourth day after the ceremony, Federigo left his capital to visit the Pope at Siena, where he was magnificently entertained, returning home to pass the carnival with his bride.