most sedulous in watching over me, even from my childhood, although he
reposed more confidence in my sentiments of honour than in the guards he
had placed around me. In short, kept thus between walls and in perfect
solitude, having no other company than that of my attendants, I grew to
womanhood, and with me grew the reputation of my loveliness, bruited
abroad by the servants of my house, and by such as had been admitted to
my privacy, as also by a portrait which my brother had caused to be
taken by a famous painter, to the end, as he said, that the world might
not be wholly deprived of my features, in the event of my being early
summoned by Heaven to a better life.

"All this might have ended well, had it not chanced that the Duke of
Ferrara consented to act as sponsor at the nuptials of one of my
cousins; when my brother permitted me to be present at the ceremony,
that we might do the greater honour to our kinswoman. There I saw and
was seen; there, as I believe, hearts were subjugated, and the will of
the beholders rendered subservient; there I felt the pleasure received
from praise, even when bestowed by flattering tongues; and, finally, I
there beheld the duke, and was seen by him; in a word, it is in
consequence of this meeting that you see me here.

"I will not relate to you, Signors (for that would needlessly protract
my story), the various stratagems and contrivances by which the duke and
myself, at the end of two years, were at length enabled to bring about
that union, our desire for which had received birth at those nuptials.
Neither guards, nor seclusion, nor remonstrances, nor human diligence of
any kind, sufficed to prevent it, and we were finally made one; for
without the sanction due to my honour, Alfonso would certainly not have
prevailed. I would fain have had him publicly demand my hand from my
brother, who would not have refused it; nor would the duke have had to