ABOUT that time the Duke went on a journey, attended by all his court
and all his sons, except the prince, who was in Spain. They travelled
through the Sienese Maremma, and by this route he reached Pisa. The
poison from the bad air of those marshes first attacked the Cardinal,
who was taken with a pestilential fever after a few days, and died at
the end of a brief illness. He was the Duke’s right eye, handsome and
good, and his loss was most severely felt. I allowed several days to
elapse, until I thought their tears were dried, and then I betook myself
to Pisa.