Wife of Guido Ubaldo de Montefeltro, Duke d'Urbino, was aunt •) Eleonora Gonzaga, who married the successor of her husband, Hiis lady is celebrated for her conjugal fidelity and attachment, ier husband who was sick and infirm, was driven from his lominions by Caesar Borgia. In his distress, he implored the Bsistance of Louis the Twelfth of France ; but he dared not com- )ly with this request, lest he should draw on himself the resent- nent of the house of Borgia. The duke then intimated to the King of France, that, in consequence of his infirm health, he was HlUng to enter into holy orders, and divorce Isabella, whom a ceremony only made his wife. The duchess was powerfully solicited, in consequence of this declaration of her husband, to make another choice, but she resolutely refused. She devoted herself to the duke ta his adversity with the- tenderest nffection. Aftei his death, she ibandoned herself to an excessive and unfeigned sorrow. She had been married twenty years, and devoted the rest of her life to the memoiy of her husband.

Ajc illustrious Italian lady of the sixteenth century, was as rcmarkable for her wit and learning, as for high birth. She wrote snch beautiful letters, that the utmost care was taken to preserve them; and a collection of them was printed at Venice in 1552. There is no learning in her letters, yet we perceive by them that ?he was learned ; for, in a letter to Robertellus, she says, that his Commentaries had shewn her the true meaning of several obscure passages in Aristotle and ^schylus. All the wits of her time wanmended her highly ; and Hortensio Lando, besides singing her pndfles, dedicated to her a piece written in Italian, "Upon moderating the passions of the soul." They corresponded, and more than thirty of her letters to him have been printed.

We learn fi-om these letters that her marriage with John Paul Manfrone was unhappy. She was not fourteen when she was married to him against her consent; yet she treated him with dae respect and obedience, though his conduct gave her great nneasiness. He engaged in a conspiracy against the Duke of Fernira; was detected and imprisoned by him; but, though con- demned, not put to death. She did all in her power to obtain his release ; applied to every man of importance in Christendom to intercede for him; and even solicited the Grand Seignor to uake himself master of the castle where her husband was kept. Bm her endeavours were vain, for he died in prison; after having shewn snch impatience under his suflferings as made many persons "oagine that he had lost his senses. She lived afterwards in honour- ible widowhood, though several men of rank were her suitors; but she resolutely rejected all such offers, declaring frankly on one occasion, that she had suflTered too much in a conjugal state again to subject herself to the yoke, from which God had ft^ed her, even though a husband richer than Croesus, wiser than Lelius, or handsomer than Nireus, should offer himself. Of four daughters which Lucretia bore to her husband, two only survived, whom he dedicated to a conventual life.

Her writings were held in so much esteem, for the graces of her