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diff --git a/2741-8.txt b/2741-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 235867d..0000000 --- a/2741-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8195 +0,0 @@ - THE BORGIAS - - -This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. If you are not located in the United -States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are -located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Borgias -Author: Alexandre Dumas, Pere -Release Date: September 22, 2004 [EBook #2741] -Reposted: October 04, 2018 [corrections made] -Language: English -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BORGIAS *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger. - - - *THE BORGIAS* - - _By_ - - *Alexandre Dumas, Pere* - - _From Eight Volumes of "Celebrated Crimes"_ - - - 1910 - - - - -CONTENTS - - - *THE BORGIAS* - PROLOGUE - CHAPTER I - CHAPTER II - CHAPTER III - CHAPTER IV - CHAPTER V - CHAPTER VI - CHAPTER VII - CHAPTER VIII - CHAPTER IX - CHAPTER X - CHAPTER XI - CHAPTER XII - CHAPTER XIII - CHAPTER XIV - CHAPTER XV - CHAPTER XVI - EPILOGUE - - - - -*THE BORGIAS* - - - - -PROLOGUE - - -On the 8th of April, 1492, in a bedroom of the Carneggi Palace, about -three miles from Florence, were three men grouped about a bed whereon a -fourth lay dying. - -The first of these three men, sitting at the foot of the bed, and half -hidden, that he might conceal his tears, in the gold-brocaded curtains, -was Ermolao Barbaro, author of the treatise 'On Celibacy', and of -'Studies in Pliny': the year before, when he was at Rome in the capacity -of ambassador of the Florentine Republic, he had been appointed -Patriarch of Aquileia by Innocent VIII. - -The second, who was kneeling and holding one hand of the dying man -between his own, was Angelo Poliziano, the Catullus of the fifteenth -century, a classic of the lighter sort, who in his Latin verses might -have been mistaken for a poet of the Augustan age. - -The third, who was standing up and leaning against one of the twisted -columns of the bed-head, following with profound sadness the progress of -the malady which he read in the face of his departing friend, was the -famous Pico della Mirandola, who at the age of twenty could speak -twenty-two languages, and who had offered to reply in each of these -languages to any seven hundred questions that might be put to him by the -twenty most learned men in the whole world, if they could be assembled -at Florence. - -The man on the bed was Lorenzo the Magnificent, who at the beginning of -the year had been attacked by a severe and deep-seated fever, to which -was added the gout, a hereditary ailment in his family. He had found at -last that the draughts containing dissolved pearls which the quack -doctor, Leoni di Spoleto, prescribed for him (as if he desired to adapt -his remedies rather to the riches of his patient than to his -necessities) were useless and unavailing, and so he had come to -understand that he must part from those gentle-tongued women of his, -those sweet-voiced poets, his palaces and their rich hangings; therefore -he had summoned to give him absolution for his sins--in a man of less -high place they might perhaps have been called crimes--the Dominican, -Giralamo Francesco Savonarola. - -It was not, however, without an inward fear, against which the praises -of his friends availed nothing, that the pleasure-seeker and usurper -awaited that severe and gloomy preacher by whose words all Florence was -stirred, and on whose pardon henceforth depended all his hope for -another world. - -Indeed, Savonarola was one of those men of stone, coming, like the -statue of the Commandante, to knock at the door of a Don Giovanni, and -in the midst of feast and orgy to announce that it is even now the -moment to begin to think of Heaven. He had been born at Ferrara, whither -his family, one of the most illustrious of Padua, had been called by -Niccolo, Marchese d'Este, and at the age of twenty-three, summoned by an -irresistible vocation, had fled from his father's house, and had taken -the vows in the cloister of Dominican monks at Florence. There, where he -was appointed by his superiors to give lessons in philosophy, the young -novice had from the first to battle against the defects of a voice that -was both harsh and weak, a defective pronunciation, and above all, the -depression of his physical powers, exhausted as they were by too severe -abstinence. - -Savonarola from that time condemned himself to the most absolute -seclusion, and disappeared in the depths of his convent, as if the slab -of his tomb had already fallen over him. There, kneeling on the flags, -praying unceasingly before a wooden crucifix, fevered by vigils and -penances, he soon passed out of contemplation into ecstasy, and began to -feel in himself that inward prophetic impulse which summoned him to -preach the reformation of the Church. - -Nevertheless, the reformation of Savonarola, more reverential than -Luther's, which followed about five-and-twenty years later, respected -the thing while attacking the man, and had as its aim the altering of -teaching that was human, not faith that was of God. He did not work, -like the German monk, by reasoning, but by enthusiasm. With him logic -always gave way before inspiration: he was not a theologian, but a -prophet. Yet, although hitherto he had bowed his head before the -authority of the Church, he had already raised it against the temporal -power. To him religion and liberty appeared as two virgins equally -sacred; so that, in his view, Lorenzo in subjugating the one was as -culpable as Pope Innocent VIII in dishonouring the other. The result of -this was that, so long as Lorenzo lived in riches, happiness, and -magnificence, Savonarola had never been willing, whatever entreaties -were made, to sanction by his presence a power which he considered -illegitimate. But Lorenzo on his deathbed sent for him, and that was -another matter. The austere preacher set forth at once, bareheaded and -barefoot, hoping to save not only the soul of the dying man but also the -liberty of the republic. - -Lorenzo, as we have said, was awaiting the arrival of Savonarola with an -impatience mixed with uneasiness; so that, when he heard the sound of -his steps, his pale face took a yet more deathlike tinge, while at the -same time he raised himself on his elbow and ordered his three friends -to go away. They obeyed at once, and scarcely had they left by one door -than the curtain of the other was raised, and the monk, pale, immovable, -solemn, appeared on the threshold. When he perceived him, Lorenzo dei -Medici, reading in his marble brow the inflexibility of a statue, fell -back on his bed, breathing a sigh so profound that one might have -supposed it was his last. - -The monk glanced round the room as though to assure himself that he was -really alone with the dying man; then he advanced with a slow and solemn -step towards the bed. Lorenzo watched his approach with terror; then, -when he was close beside him, he cried: - -"O my father, I have been a very great sinner!" - -"The mercy of God is infinite," replied the monk; "and I come into your -presence laden with the divine mercy." - -"You believe, then, that God will forgive my sins?" cried the dying man, -renewing his hope as he heard from the lips of the monk such unexpected -words. - -"Your sins and also your crimes, God will forgive them all," replied -Savonarola. "God will forgive your vanities, your adulterous pleasures, -your obscene festivals; so much for your sins. God will forgive you for -promising two thousand florins reward to the man who should bring you -the head of Dietisalvi, Nerone Nigi, Angelo Antinori, Niccalo Soderini, -and twice the money if they were handed over alive; God will forgive you -for dooming to the scaffold or the gibbet the son of Papi Orlandi, -Francesco di Brisighella, Bernardo Nardi, Jacopo Frescobaldi, Amoretto -Baldovinetti, Pietro Balducci, Bernardo di Banding, Francesco -Frescobaldi, and more than three hundred others whose names were none -the less dear to Florence because they were less renowned; so much for -your crimes." And at each of these names which Savonarola pronounced -slowly, his eyes fixed on the dying man, he replied with a groan which -proved the monk's memory to be only too true. Then at last, when he had -finished, Lorenzo asked in a doubtful tone: - -"Then do you believe, my father, that God will forgive me everything, -both my sins and my crimes?" - -"Everything," said Savonarola, "but on three conditions." - -"What are they?" asked the dying man. - -"The first," said Savonarola, "is that you feel a complete faith in the -power and the mercy of God." - -"My father," replied Lorenzo eagerly, "I feel this faith in the very -depths of my heart." - -"The second," said Savonarola, "is that you give back the property of -others which you have unjustly confiscated and kept." - -"My father, shall I have time?" asked the dying man. - -"God will give it to you," replied the monk. - -Lorenzo shut his eyes, as though to reflect more at his ease; then, -after a moment's silence, he replied: - -"Yes, my father, I will do it." - -"The third," resumed Savonarola, "is that you restore to the republic -her ancient independence and her former liberty." - -Lorenzo sat up on his bed, shaken by a convulsive movement, and -questioned with his eyes the eyes of the Dominican, as though he would -find out if he had deceived himself and not heard aright. Savonarola -repeated the same words. - -"Never! never!" exclaimed Lorenzo, falling back on his bed and shaking -his head,--"never!" - -The monk, without replying a single word, made a step to withdraw. - -"My father, my father," said the dying man, "do not leave me thus: have -pity on me!" - -"Have pity on Florence," said the monk. - -"But, my father," cried Lorenzo, "Florence is free, Florence is happy." - -"Florence is a slave, Florence is poor," cried Savonarola, "poor in -genius, poor in money, and poor in courage; poor in genius, because -after you, Lorenzo, will come your son Piero; poor in money, because -from the funds of the republic you have kept up the magnificence of your -family and the credit of your business houses; poor in courage, because -you have robbed the rightful magistrates of the authority which was -constitutionally theirs, and diverted the citizens from the double path -of military and civil life, wherein, before they were enervated by your -luxuries, they had displayed the virtues of the ancients; and therefore, -when the day shall dawn which is not far distant," continued the monk, -his eyes fixed and glowing as if he were reading in the future, "whereon -the barbarians shall descend from the mountains, the walls of our towns, -like those of Jericho, shall fall at the blast of their trumpets." - -"And do you desire that I should yield up on my deathbed the power that -has made the glory of my whole life?" cried Lorenzo dei Medici. - -"It is not I who desire it; it is the Lord," replied Savonarola coldly. - -"Impossible, impossible!" murmured Lorenzo. - -"Very well; then die as you have lived!" cried the monk, "in the midst -of your courtiers and flatterers; let them ruin your soul as they have -ruined your body!" And at these words, the austere Dominican, without -listening to the cries of the dying man, left the room as he had entered -it, with face and step unaltered; far above human things he seemed to -soar, a spirit already detached from the earth. - -At the cry which broke from Lorenzo dei Medici when he saw him -disappear, Ermolao, Poliziano, and Pico dellaMirandola, who had heard -all, returned into the room, and found their friend convulsively -clutching in his arms a magnificent crucifix which he had just taken -down from the bed-head. In vain did they try to reassure him with -friendly words. Lorenzo the Magnificent only replied with sobs; and one -hour after the scene which we have just related, his lips clinging to -the feet of the Christ, he breathed his last in the arms of these three -men, of whom the most fortunate--though all three were young--was not -destined to survive him more than two years. "Since his death was to -bring about many calamities," says Niccolo Macchiavelli, "it was the -will of Heaven to show this by omens only too certain: the dome of the -church of Santa Regarata was struck by lightning, and Roderigo Borgia -was elected pope." - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -Towards the end of the fifteenth century--that is to say, at the epoch -when our history opens the Piazza of St. Peter's at Rome was far from -presenting so noble an aspect as that which is offered in our own day to -anyone who approaches it by the Piazza dei Rusticucci. - -In fact, the Basilica of Constantine existed no longer, while that of -Michael Angelo, the masterpiece of thirty popes, which cost the labour -of three centuries and the expense of two hundred and sixty millions, -existed not yet. The ancient edifice, which had lasted for eleven -hundred and forty-five years, had been threatening to fall in about -1440, and Nicholas V, artistic forerunner of Julius II and Leo X, had -had it pulled down, together with the temple of Probus Anicius which -adjoined it. In their place he had had the foundations of a new temple -laid by the architects Rossellini and Battista Alberti; but some years -later, after the death of Nicholas V, Paul II, the Venetian, had not -been able to give more than five thousand crowns to continue the project -of his predecessor, and thus the building was arrested when it had -scarcely risen above the ground, and presented the appearance of a -still-born edifice, even sadder than that of a ruin. - -As to the piazza itself, it had not yet, as the reader will understand -from the foregoing explanation, either the fine colonnade of Bernini, or -the dancing fountains, or that Egyptian obelisk which, according to -Pliny, was set up by the Pharaoh at Heliopolis, and transferred to Rome -by Caligula, who set it up in Nero's Circus, where it remained till -1586. Now, as Nero's Circus was situated on the very ground where St. -Peter's now stands, and the base of this obelisk covered the actual site -where the vestry now is, it looked like a gigantic needle shooting up -from the middle of truncated columns, walls of unequal height, and -half-carved stones. - -On the right of this building, a ruin from its cradle, arose the -Vatican, a splendid Tower of Babel, to which all the celebrated -architects of the Roman school contributed their work for a thousand -years: at this epoch the two magnificent chapels did not exist, nor the -twelve great halls, the two-and-twenty courts, the thirty staircases, -and the two thousand bedchambers; for Pope Sixtus V, the sublime -swineherd, who did so many things in a five years' reign, had not yet -been able to add the immense building which on the eastern side towers -above the court of St. Damasius; still, it was truly the old sacred -edifice, with its venerable associations, in which Charlemagne received -hospitality when he was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III. - -All the same, on the 9th of August, 1492, the whole of Rome, from the -People's Gate to the Coliseum and from the Baths of Diocletian to the -castle of Sant' Angelo, seemed to have made an appointment on this -piazza: the multitude thronging it was so great as to overflow into all -the neighbouring streets, which started from this centre like the rays -of a star. The crowds of people, looking like a motley moving carpet, -were climbing up into the basilica, grouping themselves upon the stones, -hanging on the columns, standing up against the walls; they entered by -the doors of houses and reappeared at the windows, so numerous and so -densely packed that one might have said each window was walled up with -heads. Now all this multitude had its eyes fixed on one single point in -the Vatican; for in the Vatican was the Conclave, and as Innocent VIII -had been dead for sixteen days, the Conclave was in the act of electing -a pope. - -Rome is the town of elections: since her foundation down to our own -day--that is to say, in the course of nearly twenty-six centuries--she -has constantly elected her kings, consuls, tribunes, emperors, and -popes: thus Rome during the days of Conclave appears to be attacked by a -strange fever which drives everyone to the Vatican or to Monte Cavallo, -according as the scarlet-robed assembly is held in one or the other of -these two palaces: it is, in fact, because the raising up of a new -pontiff is a great event for everybody; for, according to the average -established in the period between St. Peter and Gregory XVI, every pope -lasts about eight years, and these eight years, according to the -character of the man who is elected, are a period either of tranquillity -or of disorder, of justice or of venality, of peace or of war. - -Never perhaps since the day when the first successor of St. Peter took -his seat on the, pontifical throne until the interregnum which now -occurred, had so great an agitation been shown as there was at this -moment, when, as we have shown, all these people were thronging on the -Piazza of St. Peter and in the streets which led to it. It is true that -this was not without reason; for Innocent VIII--who was called the -father of his people because he had added to his subjects eight sons and -the same number of daughters--had, as we have said, after living a life -of self-indulgence, just died, after a death-struggle during which, if -the journal of Stefano Infessura may be believed, two hundred and twenty -murders were committed in the streets of Rome. The authority had then -devolved in the customary way upon the Cardinal Camerlengo, who during -the interregnum had sovereign powers; but as he had been obliged to -fulfil all the duties of his office--that is, to get money coined in his -name and bearing his arms, to take the fisherman's ring from the finger -of the dead pope, to dress, shave and paint him, to have the corpse -embalmed, to lower the coffin after nine days' obsequies into the -provisional niche where the last deceased pope has to remain until his -successor comes to take his place and consign him to his final tomb; -lastly, as he had been obliged to wall up the door of the Conclave and -the window of the balcony from which the pontifical election is -proclaimed, he had not had a single moment for busying himself with the -police; so that the assassinations had continued in goodly fashion, and -there were loud cries for an energetic hand which should make all these -swords and all these daggers retire into their sheaths. - -Now the eyes of this multitude were fixed, as we have said, upon the -Vatican, and particularly upon one chimney, from which would come the -first signal, when suddenly, at the moment of the 'Ave Maria'--that is -to say, at the hour when the day begins to decline--great cries went up -from all the crowd mixed with bursts of laughter, a discordant murmur of -threats and raillery, the cause being that they had just perceived at -the top of the chimney a thin smoke, which seemed like a light cloud to -go up perpendicularly into the sky. This smoke announced that Rome was -still without a master, and that the world still had no pope; for this -was the smoke of the voting tickets which were being burned, a proof -that the cardinals had not yet come to an agreement. - -Scarcely had this smoke appeared, to vanish almost immediately, when all -the innumerable crowd, knowing well that there was nothing else to wait -for, and that all was said and done until ten o'clock the next morning, -the time when the cardinals had their first voting, went off in a tumult -of noisy joking, just as they would after the last rocket of a firework -display; so that at the end of one minute nobody was there where a -quarter of an hour before there had been an excited crowd, except a few -curious laggards, who, living in the neighbourhood or on the very piazza -itself; were less in a hurry than the rest to get back to their homes; -again, little by little, these last groups insensibly diminished; for -half-past nine had just struck, and at this hour the streets of Rome -began already to be far from safe; then after these groups followed some -solitary passer-by, hurrying his steps; one after another the doors were -closed, one after another the windows were darkened; at last, when ten -o'clock struck, with the single exception of one window in the Vatican -where a lamp might be seen keeping obstinate vigil, all the houses, -piazzas, and streets were plunged in the deepest obscurity. - -At this moment a man wrapped in a cloak stood up like a ghost against -one of the columns of the uncompleted basilica, and gliding slowly and -carefully among the stones which were lying about round the foundations -of the new church, advanced as far as the fountain which, formed the -centre of the piazza, erected in the very place where the obelisk is now -set up of which we have spoken already; when he reached this spot he -stopped, doubly concealed by the darkness of the night and by the shade -of the monument, and after looking around him to see if he were really -alone, drew his sword, and with its point rapping three times on the -pavement of the piazza, each time made the sparks fly. This signal, for -signal it was, was not lost: the last lamp which still kept vigil in the -Vatican went out, and at the same instant an object thrown out of the -window fell a few paces off from the young man in the cloak: he, guided -by the silvery sound it had made in touching the flags, lost no time in -laying his hands upon it in spite of the darkness, and when he had it in -his possession hurried quickly away. - -Thus the unknown walked without turning round half-way along the Borgo -Vecchio; but there he turned to the right and took a street at the other -end of which was set up a Madonna with a lamp: he approached the light, -and drew from his pocket the object he had picked up, which was nothing -else than a Roman crown piece; but this crown unscrewed, and in a cavity -hollowed in its thickness enclosed a letter, which the man to whom it -was addressed began to read at the risk of being recognised, so great -was his haste to know what it contained. - -We say at the risk of being recognised, for in his eagerness the -recipient of this nocturnal missive had thrown back the hood of his -cloak; and as his head was wholly within the luminous circle cast by the -lamp, it was easy to distinguish in the light the head of a handsome -young man of about five or six and twenty, dressed in a purple doublet -slashed at the shoulder and elbow to let the shirt come through, and -wearing on his head a cap of the same colour with a long black feather -falling to his shoulder. It is true that he did not stand there long; -for scarcely had he finished the letter, or rather the note, which he -had just received in so strange and mysterious a manner, when he -replaced it in its silver receptacle, and readjusting his cloak so as to -hide all the lower part of his face, resumed his walk with a rapid step, -crossed Borgo San Spirito, and took the street of the Longara, which he -followed as far as the church of Regina Coeli. When he arrived at this -place, he gave three rapid knocks on the door of a house of good -appearance, which immediately opened; then slowly mounting the stairs he -entered a room where two women were awaiting him with an impatience so -unconcealed that both as they saw him exclaimed together: - -"Well, Francesco, what news?" - -"Good news, my mother; good, my sister," replied the young man, kissing -the one and giving his hand to the other. "Our father has gained three -votes to-day, but he still needs six to have the majority." - -"Then is there no means of buying them?" cried the elder of the two -women, while the younger, instead of speaking, asked him with a look. - -"Certainly, my mother, certainly," replied the young man; "and it is -just about that that my father has been thinking. He is giving Cardinal -Orsini his palace at Rome and his two castles of Monticello and Soriano; -to Cardinal Colanna his abbey of Subiaca; he gives Cardinal Sant' Angelo -the bishopric of Porto, with the furniture and cellar; to the Cardinal -of Parma the town of Nepi; to the Cardinal of Genoa the church of Santa -Maria-in-Via-Lata; and lastly, to Cardinal Savelli the church of Santa -Maria Maggiore and the town of Civita Castellana; as to Cardinal -Ascanio-Sforza, he knows already that the day before yesterday we sent -to his house four mules laden with silver and plate, and out of this -treasure he has engaged to give five thousand ducats to the Cardinal -Patriarch of Venice." - -"But how shall we get the others to know the intentions of Roderigo?" -asked the elder of the two women. - -"My father has provided for everything, and proposes an easy method; you -know, my mother, with what sort of ceremonial the cardinals' dinner is -carried in." - -"Yes, on a litter, in a large basket with the arms of the cardinal for -whom the meal is prepared." - -"My father has bribed the bishop who examines it: to-morrow is a -feast-day; to the Cardinals Orsini, Colonna, Savelli, Sant' Angelo, and -the Cardinals of Parma and of Genoa, chickens will be sent for hot meat, -and each chicken will contain a deed of gift duly drawn up, made by me -in my father's name, of the houses, palaces, or churches which are -destined for each." - -"Capital!" said the elder of the two women; "now, I am certain, all will -go well." - -"And by the grace of God," added the younger, with a strangely mocking -smile, "our father will be pope." - -"Oh, it will be a fine day for us!" cried Francesco. - -"And for Christendom," replied his sister, with a still more ironical -expression. - -"Lucrezia, Lucrezia," said the mother, "you do not deserve the happiness -which is coming to us." - -"What does that matter, if it comes all the same? Besides, you know the -proverb; mother: 'Large families are blessed of the Lord'; and still -more so our family, which is so patriarchal." - -At the same time she cast on her brother a look so wanton that the young -man blushed under it: but as at the moment he had to think of other -things than his illicit loves, he ordered that four servants should be -awakened; and while they were getting armed to accompany him, he drew up -and signed the six deeds of gift which were to be carried the next day -to the cardinals; for, not wishing to be seen at their houses, he -thought he would profit by the night-time to carry them himself to -certain persons in his confidence who would have them passed in, as had -been arranged, at the dinner-hour. Then, when the deeds were quite ready -and the servants also, Francesco went out with them, leaving the two -women to dream golden dreams of their future greatness. - -From the first dawn of day the people hurried anew, as ardent and -interested as on the evening before, to the Piazza of the Vatican, -where; at the ordinary time, that is, at ten o'clock in the -morning,--the smoke rose again as usual, evoking laughter and murmuring, -as it announced that none of the cardinals had secured the majority. A -report, however, began to be spread about that the chances were divided -between three candidates, who were Roderigo Borgia, Giuliano -dellaRovera, and Ascanio Sforza; for the people as yet knew nothing of -the four mules laden with plate and silver which had been led to -Sforza's house, by reason of which he had given up his own votes to his -rival. In the midst of the agitation excited in the crowd by this new -report a solemn chanting was heard; it proceeded from a procession, led -by the Cardinal Camerlengo, with the object of obtaining from Heaven the -speedy election of a pope: this procession, starting from the church of -Ara Coeli at the Capitol, was to make stations before the principal -Madonnas and the most frequented churches. As soon as the silver -crucifix was perceived which went in front, the most profound silence -prevailed, and everyone fell on his knees; thus a supreme calm followed -the tumult and uproar which had been heard a few minutes before, and -which at each appearance of the smoke had assumed a more threatening -character: there was a shrewd suspicion that the procession, as well as -having a religious end in view, had a political object also, and that -its influence was intended to be as great on earth as in heaven. In any -case, if such had been the design of the Cardinal Camerlengo, he had not -deceived himself, and the effect was what he desired: when the -procession had gone past, the laughing and joking continued, but the -cries and threats had completely ceased. - -The whole day passed thus; for in Rome nobody works. You are either a -cardinal or a lacquey, and you live, nobody knows how. The crowd was -still extremely numerous, when, towards two o'clock in the afternoon, -another procession, which had quite as much power of provoking noise as -the first of imposing silence, traversed in its turn the Piazza of St. -Peter's: this was the dinner procession. The people received it with the -usual bursts of laughter, without suspecting, for all their irreverence, -that this procession, more efficacious than the former, had just settled -the election of the new pope. - -The hour of the Ave Maria came as on the evening before; but, as on the -evening before, the waiting of the whole day was lost; for, as half-past -eight struck, the daily smoke reappeared at the top of the chimney. But -when at the same moment rumours which came from the inside of the -Vatican were spread abroad, announcing that, in all probability, the -election would take place the next day, the good people preserved their -patience. Besides, it had been very hot that day, and they were so -broken with fatigue and roasted by the sun, these dwellers in shade and -idleness, that they had no strength left to complain. - -The morning of the next day, which was the 11th of August, 1492, arose -stormy and dark; this did not hinder the multitude from thronging the -piazzas, streets, doors, houses, churches. Moreover, this disposition of -the weather was a real blessing from Heaven; for if there were heat, at -least there would be no sun. Towards nine o'clock threatening -storm-clouds were heaped up over all the Trastevere; but to this crowd -what mattered rain, lightning, or thunder? They were preoccupied with a -concern of a very different nature; they were waiting for their pope: a -promise had been made them for to-day, and it could be seen by the -manner of all, that if the day should pass without any election taking -place, the end of it might very well be a riot; therefore, in proportion -as the time advanced, the agitation grew greater. Nine o'clock, -half-past nine, a quarter to ten struck, without anything happening to -confirm or destroy their hopes. At last the first stroke of ten was -heard; all eyes turned towards the chimney: ten o'clock struck slowly, -each stroke vibrating in the heart of the multitude. At last the tenth -stroke trembled, then vanished shuddering into space, and, a great cry -breaking simultaneously from a hundred thousand breasts followed the -silence "Non v'e fumo! There is no smoke!" In other words, "We have a -pope." - -At this moment the rain began to fall; but no one paid any attention to -it, so great were the transports of joy and impatience among all the -people. At last a little stone was detached from the walled window which -gave on the balcony and upon which all eyes were fixed: a general shout -saluted its fall; little by little the aperture grew larger, and in a -few minutes it was large enough to allow a man to come out on the -balcony. - -The Cardinal Ascanio Sforza appeared; but at the moment when he was on -the point of coming out, frightened by the rain and the lightning, he -hesitated an instant, and finally drew back: immediately the multitude -in their turn broke out like a tempest into cries, curses, howls, -threatening to tear down the Vatican and to go and seek their pope -themselves. At this noise Cardinal Sforza, more terrified by the popular -storm than by the storm in the heavens, advanced on the balcony, and -between two thunderclaps, in a moment of silence astonishing to anyone -who had just heard the clamour that went before, made the following -proclamation: - -"I announce to you a great joy: the most Eminent and most Reverend -Signor Roderigo Lenzuolo Borgia, Archbishop of Valencia, Cardinal-Deacon -of San Nicolao-in-Carcere, Vice-Chancellor of the Church, has now been -elected Pope, and has assumed the name of Alexander VI." - -The news of this nomination was received with strange joy. Roderigo -Borgia had the reputation of a dissolute man, it is true, but -libertinism had mounted the throne with Sixtus IV and Innocent VIII, so -that for the Romans there was nothing new in the singular situation of a -pope with a mistress and five children. The great thing for the moment -was that the power fell into strong hands; and it was more important for -the tranquillity of Rome that the new pope inherited the sword of St. -Paul than that he inherited the keys of St. Peter. - -And so, in the feasts that were given on this occasion, the dominant -character was much more warlike than religious, and would have appeared -rather to suit with the election of some young conqueror than the -exaltation of an old pontiff: there was no limit to the pleasantries and -prophetic epigrams on the name of Alexander, which for the second time -seemed to promise the Romans the empire of the world; and the same -evening, in the midst of brilliant illuminations and bonfires, which -seemed to turn the town into a lake of flame, the following epigram was -read, amid the acclamation of the people: - - "Rome under Caesar's rule in ancient story - At home and o'er the world victorious trod; - But Alexander still extends his glory: - Caesar was man, but Alexander God." - -As to the new pope, scarcely had he completed the formalities of -etiquette which his exaltation imposed upon him, and paid to each man -the price of his simony, when from the height of the Vatican he cast his -eyes upon Europe, a vast political game of chess, which he cherished the -hope of directing at the will of his own genius. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -The world had now arrived at one of those supreme moments of history -when every thing is transformed between the end of one period and the -beginning of another: in the East Turkey, in the South Spain, in the -West France, and in the North German, all were going to assume, together -with the title of great Powers, that influence which they were destined -to exert in the future over the secondary States. Accordingly we too, -with Alexander VI, will cast a rapid glance over them, and see what were -their respective situations in regard to Italy, which they all coveted -as a prize. - -Constantine, Palaeologos Dragozes, besieged by three hundred thousand -Turks, after having appealed in vain for aid to the whole of -Christendom, had not been willing to survive the loss of his empire, and -had been found in the midst of the dead, close to the Tophana Gate; and -on the 30th of May, 1453, Mahomet II had made his entry into -Constantinople, where, after a reign which had earned for him the -surname of 'Fatile', or the Conqueror, he had died leaving two sons, the -elder of whom had ascended the throne under the name of Bajazet II. - -The accession of the new sultan, however, had not taken place with the -tranquillity which his right as elder brother and his father's choice of -him should have promised. His younger brother, D'jem, better known under -the name of Zizimeh, had argued that whereas he was born in the -purple--that is, born during the reign of Mahomet--Bajazet was born -prior to his epoch, and was therefore the son of a private individual. -This was rather a poor trick; but where force is all and right is -naught, it was good enough to stir up a war. The two brothers, each at -the head of an army, met accordingly in Asia in 1482. D'jem was defeated -after a seven hours' fight, and pursued by his brother, who gave him no -time to rally his army: he was obliged to embark from Cilicia, and took -refuge in Rhodes, where he implored the protection of the Knights of St. -John. They, not daring to give him an asylum in their island so near to -Asia, sent him to France, where they had him carefully guarded in one of -their commanderies, in spite of the urgency of Cait Bey, Sultan of -Egypt, who, having revolted against Bajazet, desired to have the young -prince in his army to give his rebellion the appearance of legitimate -warfare. The same demand, moreover, with the same political object, had -been made successively by Mathias Corvinus, King of Hungary, by -Ferdinand, King of Aragon and Sicily, and by Ferdinand, King of Naples. - -On his side Bajazet, who knew all the importance of such a rival, if he -once allied himself with any one of the princes with whom he was at war, -had sent ambassadors to Charles VIII, offering, if he would consent to -keep D'jem with him, to give him a considerable pension, and to give to -France the sovereignty of the Holy Land, so soon as Jerusalem should be -conquered by the Sultan of Egypt. The King of France had accepted these -terms. - -But then Innocent VIII had intervened, and in his turn had claimed -D'jem, ostensibly to give support by the claims of the refugee to a -crusade which he was preaching against the Turks, but in reality to -appropriate the pension of 40,000 ducats to be given by Bajazet to any -one of the Christian princes who would undertake to be his brother's -gaoler. Charles VIII had not dared to refuse to the spiritual head of -Christendom a request supported by such holy reasons; and therefore -D'jem had quitted France, accompanied by the Grand Master d'Aubusson, -under whose direct charge he was; but his guardian had consented, for -the sake of a cardinal's hat, to yield up his prisoner. Thus, on the -13th of March, 1489, the unhappy young man, cynosure of so many -interested eyes, made his solemn entry into Rome, mounted on a superb -horse, clothed in a magnificent oriental costume, between the Prior of -Auvergne, nephew of the Grand Master d'Aubusson, and Francesco Cibo, the -son of the pope. - -After this he had remained there, and Bajazet, faithful to promises -which it was so much his interest to fulfil, had punctually paid to the -sovereign pontiff a pension of 40,000 ducats. - -So much for Turkey. - -Ferdinand and Isabella were reigning in Spain, and were laying the -foundations of that vast power which was destined, five-and-twenty years -later, to make Charles V declare that the sun never set on his -dominions. In fact, these two sovereigns, on whom history has bestowed -the name of Catholic, had reconquered in succession nearly all Spain, -and driven the Moors out of Granada, their last entrenchment; while two -men of genius, Bartolome Diaz and Christopher Columbus, had succeeded, -much to the profit of Spain, the one in recovering a lost world, the -other in conquering a world yet unknown. They had accordingly, thanks to -their victories in the ancient world and their discoveries in the new, -acquired an influence at the court of Rome which had never been enjoyed -by any of their predecessors. - -So much for Spain. - -In France, Charles VIII had succeeded his father, Louis XI, on the 30th -of August, 1483. Louis by dint of executions, had tranquillised his -kingdom and smoothed the way for a child who ascended the throne under -the regency of a woman. And the regency had been a glorious one, and had -put down the pretensions of princes of the blood, put an end to civil -wars, and united to the crown all that yet remained of the great -independent fiefs. The result was that at the epoch where we now are, -here was Charles VIII, about twenty-two years of age, a prince (if we -are to believe La Tremouille) little of body but great of heart; a child -(if we are to believe Commines) only now making his first flight from -the nest, destitute of both sense and money, feeble in person, full of -self-will, and consorting rather with fools than with the wise; lastly, -if we are to believe Guicciardini, who was an Italian, might well have -brought a somewhat partial judgment to bear upon the subject, a young -man of little wit concerning the actions of men, but carried away by an -ardent desire for rule and the acquisition of glory, a desire based far -more on his shallow character and impetuosity than on any consciousness -of genius: he was an enemy to all fatigue and all business, and when he -tried to give his attention to it he showed himself always totally -wanting in prudence and judgment. If anything in him appeared at first -sight to be worthy of praise, on a closer inspection it was found to be -something nearer akin to vice than to virtue. He was liberal, it is -true, but without thought, with no measure and no discrimination. He was -sometimes inflexible in will; but this was through obstinacy rather than -a constant mind; and what his flatterers called goodness deserved far -more the name of insensibility to injuries or poverty of spirit. - -As to his physical appearance, if we are to believe the same author, it -was still less admirable, and answered marvellously to his weakness of -mind and character. He was small, with a large head, a short thick neck, -broad chest, and high shoulders; his thighs and legs were long and thin; -and as his face also was ugly--and was only redeemed by the dignity and -force of his glance--and all his limbs were disproportionate with one -another, he had rather the appearance of a monster than a man. Such was -he whom Fortune was destined to make a conqueror, for whom Heaven was -reserving more glory than he had power to carry. - -So much for France. - -The Imperial throne was occupied by Frederic III, who had been rightly -named the Peaceful, not for the reason that he had always maintained -peace, but because, having constantly been beaten, he had always been -forced to make it. The first proof he had given of this very -philosophical forbearance was during his journey to Rome, whither he -betook himself to be consecrated. In crossing the Apennines he was -attacked by brigands. They robbed him, but he made no pursuit. And so, -encouraged by example and by the impunity of lesser thieves, the greater -ones soon took part in the robberies. Amurath seized part of Hungary. -Mathias Corvinus took Lower Austria, and Frederic consoled himself for -these usurpations by repeating the maxim, Forgetfulness is the best cure -for the losses we suffer. At the time we have now reached, he had just, -after a reign of fifty-three years, affianced his son Maximilian to -Marie of Burgundy and had put under the ban of the Empire his -son-in-law, Albert of Bavaria, who laid claim to the ownership of the -Tyrol. He was therefore too full of his family affairs to be troubled -about Italy. Besides, he was busy looking for a motto for the house of -Austria, an occupation of the highest importance for a man of the -character of Frederic III. This motto, which Charles V was destined -almost to render true, was at last discovered, to the great joy of the -old emperor, who, judging that he had nothing more to do on earth after -he had given this last proof of sagacity, died on the 19th of August, -1493; leaving the empire to his son Maximilian. - -This motto was simply founded on the five vowels, a, e, i, o, u, the -initial letters of these five words - - "AUSTRIAE EST IMPERARE ORBI UNIVERSO." - -This means - -"It is the destiny of Austria to rule over the whole world." - -So much for Germany. - -Now that we have cast a glance over the four nations which were on the -way, as we said before, to become European Powers, let us turn our -attention to those secondary States which formed a circle more -contiguous to Rome, and whose business it was to serve as armour, so to -speak, to the spiritual queen of the world, should it please any of -these political giants whom we have described to make encroachments with -a view to an attack, on the seas or the mountains, the Adriatic Gulf or -the Alps, the Mediterranean or the Apennines. - -These were the kingdom of Naples, the duchy of Milan, the magnificent -republic of Florence, and the most serene republic of Venice. - -The kingdom of Naples was in the hands of the old Ferdinand, whose birth -was not only illegitimate, but probably also well within the prohibited -degrees. His father, Alfonso of Aragon, received his crown from Giovanna -of Naples, who had adopted him as her successor. But since, in the fear -of having no heir, the queen on her deathbed had named two instead of -one, Alfonso had to sustain his rights against Rene. The two aspirants -for some time disputed the crown. At last the house of Aragon carried -the day over the house of Anjou, and in the course of the year 1442, -Alfonso definitely secured his seat on the throne. Of this sort were the -claims of the defeated rival which we shall see Charles VIII maintaining -later on. Ferdinand had neither the courage nor the genius of his -father, and yet he triumphed over his enemies, one after another he had -two rivals, both for superior in merit to him self. The one was his -nephew, the Count of Viana, who, basing his claim on his uncle's -shameful birth, commanded the whole Aragonese party; the other was Duke -John of Calabria, who commanded the whole Angevin party. Still he -managed to hold the two apart, and to keep himself on the throne by dint -of his prudence, which often verged upon duplicity. He had a cultivated -mind, and had studied the sciences--above all, law. He was of middle -height, with a large handsome head, his brow open and admirably framed -in beautiful white hair, which fell nearly down to his shoulders. -Moreover, though he had rarely exercised his physical strength in arms, -this strength was so great that one day, when he happened to be on the -square of the Mercato Nuovo at Naples, he seized by the horns a bull -that had escaped and stopped him short, in spite of all the efforts the -animal made to escape from his hands. Now the election of Alexander had -caused him great uneasiness, and in spite of his usual prudence he had -not been able to restrain himself from saying before the bearer of the -news that not only did he fail to rejoice in this election, but also -that he did not think that any Christian could rejoice in it, seeing -that Borgia, having always been a bad man, would certainly make a bad -pope. To this he added that, even were the choice an excellent one and -such as would please everybody else, it would be none the less fatal to -the house of Aragon, although Roderigo was born her subject and owed to -her the origin and progress of his fortunes; for wherever reasons of -state come in, the ties of blood and parentage are soon forgotten, and, -'a fortiori', relations arising from the obligations of nationality. - -Thus, one may see that Ferdinand judged Alexander VI with his usual -perspicacity; this, however, did not hinder him, as we shall soon -perceive, from being the first to contract an alliance with him. - -The duchy of Milan belonged nominally to John Galeazzo, grandson of -Francesco Sforza, who had seized it by violence on the 26th of February, -1450, and bequeathed it to his son, Galeazzo Maria, father of the young -prince now reigning; we say nominally, because the real master of the -Milanese was at this period not the legitimate heir who was supposed to -possess it, but his uncle Ludovico, surnamed 'il Moro', because of the -mulberry tree which he bore in his arms. After being exiled with his two -brothers, Philip who died of poison in 1479, and Ascanio who became the -cardinal, he returned to Milan some days after the assassination of -Galeazzo Maria, which took place on the 26th of December 1476, in St. -Stephen's Church, and assumed the regency for the young duke, who at -that time was only eight years old. From now onward, even after his -nephew had reached the age of two-and-twenty, Ludovico continued to -rule, and according to all probabilities was destined to rule a long -time yet; for, some days after the poor young man had shown a desire to -take the reins himself, he had fallen sick, and it was said, and not in -a whisper, that he had taken one of those slow but mortal poisons of -which princes made so frequent a use at this period, that, even when a -malady was natural, a cause was always sought connected with some great -man's interests. However it may have been, Ludovico had relegated his -nephew, now too weak to busy himself henceforward with the affairs of -his duchy, to the castle of Pavia, where he lay and languished under the -eyes of his wife Isabella, daughter of King Ferdinand of Naples. - -As to Ludovico, he was an ambitious man, full of courage and astuteness, -familiar with the sword and with poison, which he used alternately, -according to the occasion, without feeling any repugnance or any -predilection for either of them; but quite decided to be his nephew's -heir whether he died or lived. - -Florence, although she had preserved the name of a republic, had little -by little lost all her liberties, and belonged in fact, if not by right, -to Piero dei Medici, to whom she had been bequeathed as a paternal -legacy by Lorenzo, as we have seen, at the risk of his soul's salvation. - -The son, unfortunately, was far from having the genius of his father: he -was handsome, it is true, whereas Lorenzo, on the contrary, was -remarkably ugly; he had an agreeable, musical voice, whereas Lorenzo had -always spoken through his nose; he was instructed in Latin and Greek, -his conversation was pleasant and easy, and he improvised verses almost -as well as the so-called Magnificent; but he was both ignorant of -political affairs and haughtily insolent in his behaviour to those who -had made them their study. Added to this, he was an ardent lover of -pleasure, passionately addicted to women, incessantly occupied with -bodily exercises that should make him shine in their eyes, above all -with tennis, a game at which he very highly excelled: he promised -himself that, when the period of mourning was fast, he would occupy the -attention not only of Florence but of the whole of Italy, by the -splendour of his courts and the renown of his fetes. Piero dei Medici -had at any rate formed this plan; but Heaven decreed otherwise. - -As to the most serene republic of Venice, whose doge was Agostino -Barbarigo, she had attained, at the time we have reached, to her highest -degree of power and splendour. From Cadiz to the Palus Maeotis, there -was no port that was not open to her thousand ships; she possessed in -Italy, beyond the coastline of the canals and the ancient duchy of -Venice, the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Crema, Verona, Vicenza, and -Padua; she owned the marches of Treviso, which comprehend the districts -of Feltre, Belluno, Cadore, Polesella of Rovigo, and the principality of -Ravenna; she also owned the Friuli, except Aquileia; Istria, except -Trieste; she owned, on the east side of the Gulf, Zara, Spalatra, and -the shore of Albania; in the Ionian Sea, the islands of Zante and Corfu; -in Greece, Lepanto and Patras; in the Morea, Morone, Corone, Neapolis, -and Argos; lastly, in the Archipelago, besides several little towns and -stations on the coast, she owned Candia and the kingdom of Cyprus. - -Thus from the mouth of the Po to the eastern extremity of the -Mediterranean, the most serene republic was mistress of the whole -coastline, and Italy and Greece seemed to be mere suburbs of Venice. - -In the intervals of space left free between Naples, Milan, Florence, and -Venice, petty tyrants had arisen who exercised an absolute sovereignty -over their territories: thus the Colonnas were at Ostia and at Nettuna, -the Montefeltri at Urbino, the Manfredi at Faenza, the Bentivogli at -Bologna, the Malatesta family at Rimini, the Vitelli at Citta di -Castello, the Baglioni at Perugia, the Orsini at Vicovaro, and the -princes of Este at Ferrara. - -Finally, in the centre of this immense circle, composed of great Powers, -of secondary States, and of little tyrannies, Rome was set on high, the -most exalted, yet the weakest of all, without influence, without lands, -without an army, without gold. It was the concern of the new pope to -secure all this: let us see, therefore, what manner of man was this -Alexander VI, for undertaking and accomplishing such a project. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -RODERIGO LENZUOLO was born at Valencia, in Spain, in 1430 or 1431, and -on his mother's side was descended, as some writers declare, of a family -of royal blood, which had cast its eyes on the tiara only after -cherishing hopes of the crowns of Aragon and Valencia. Roderigo from his -infancy had shown signs of a marvellous quickness of mind, and as he -grew older he exhibited an intelligence extremely apt for the study of -sciences, especially law and jurisprudence: the result was that his -first distinctions were gained in the law, a profession wherein he soon -made a great reputation by his ability in the discussion of the most -thorny cases. All the same, he was not slow to leave this career, and -abandoned it quite suddenly for the military profession, which his -father had followed; but after various actions which served to display -his presence of mind and courage, he was as much disgusted with this -profession as with the other; and since it happened that at the very -time he began to feel this disgust his father died, leaving a -considerable fortune, he resolved to do no more work, but to live -according to his own fancies and caprices. About this time he became the -lover of a widow who had two daughters. The widow dying, Roderigo took -the girls under his protection, put one into a convent, and as the other -was one of the loveliest women imaginable, made her his mistress. This -was the notorious Rosa Vanozza, by whom he had five children--Francesco, -Caesar, Lucrezia, and Goffredo; the name of the fifth is unknown. - -Roderigo, retired from public affairs, was given up entirely to the -affections of a lover and a father, when he heard that his uncle, who -loved him like a son, had been elected pope under the name of Calixtus -III. But the young man was at this time so much a lover that love -imposed silence on ambition; and indeed he was almost terrified at the -exaltation of his uncle, which was no doubt destined to force him once -more into public life. Consequently, instead of hurrying to Rome, as -anyone else in his place would have done, he was content to indite to -His Holiness a letter in which he begged for the continuation of his -favours, and wished him a long and happy reign. - -This reserve on the part of one of his relatives, contrasted with the -ambitious schemes which beset the new pope at every step, struck -Calixtus III in a singular way: he knew the stuff that was in young -Roderigo, and at a time when he was besieged on all sides by -mediocrities, this powerful nature holding modestly aside gained new -grandeur in his eyes so he replied instantly to Roderigo that on the -receipt of his letter he must quit Spain for Italy, Valencia for Rome. - -This letter uprooted Roderigo from the centre of happiness he had -created for himself, and where he might perhaps have slumbered on like -an ordinary man, if fortune had not thus interposed to drag him forcibly -away. Roderigo was happy, Roderigo was rich; the evil passions which -were natural to him had been, if not extinguished,--at least lulled; he -was frightened himself at the idea of changing the quiet life he was -leading for the ambitious, agitated career that was promised him; and -instead of obeying his uncle, he delayed the preparations for departure, -hoping that Calixtus would forget him. It was not so: two months after -he received the letter from the pope, there arrived at Valencia a -prelate from Rome, the bearer of Roderigo's nomination to a benefice -worth 20,000 ducats a year, and also a positive order to the holder of -the post to come and take possession of his charge as soon as possible. - -Holding back was no longer feasible: so Roderigo obeyed; but as he did -not wish to be separated from the source whence had sprung eight years -of happiness, Rosa Vanozza also left Spain, and while he was going to -Rome, she betook herself to Venice, accompanied by two confidential -servants, and under the protection of a Spanish gentleman named Manuel -Melchior. - -Fortune kept the promises she had made to Roderigo: the pope received -him as a son, and made him successively Archbishop of Valencia, -Cardinal-Deacon, and Vice-Chancellor. To all these favours Calixtus -added a revenue of 20,000 ducats, so that at the age of scarcely -thirty-five Roderigo found himself the equal of a prince in riches and -power. - -Roderigo had had some reluctance about accepting the cardinalship, which -kept him fast at Rome, and would have preferred to be General of the -Church, a position which would have allowed him more liberty for seeing -his mistress and his family; but his uncle Calixtus made him reckon with -the possibility of being his successor some day, and from that moment -the idea of being the supreme head of kings and nations took such hold -of Roderigo, that he no longer had any end in view but that which his -uncle had made him entertain. - -From that day forward, there began to grow up in the young cardinal that -talent for hypocrisy which made of him the most perfect incarnation of -the devil that has perhaps ever existed; and Roderigo was no longer the -same man: with words of repentance and humility on his lips, his head -bowed as though he were bearing the weight of his past sins, disparaging -the riches which he had acquired and which, according to him, were the -wealth of the poor and ought to return to the poor, he passed his life -in churches, monasteries, and hospitals, acquiring, his historian tells -us, even in the eyes of his enemies, the reputation of a Solomon for -wisdom, of a Job for patience, and of a very Moses for his promulgation -of the word of God: Rosa Vanozza was the only person in the world who -could appreciate the value of this pious cardinal's conversion. - -It proved a lucky thing for Roderigo that he had assumed this pious -attitude, for his protector died after a reign of three years three -months and nineteen days, and he was now sustained by his own merit -alone against the numerous enemies he had made by his rapid rise to -fortune: so during the whole of the reign of Pius II he lived always -apart from public affairs, and only reappeared in the days of Sixtus IV, -who made him the gift of the abbacy of Subiaco, and sent him in the -capacity of ambassador to the kings of Aragon and Portugal. On his -return, which took place during the pontificate of Innocent VIII, he -decided to fetch his family at last to Rome: thither they came, escorted -by Don Manuel Melchior, who from that moment passed as the husband of -Rosa Vanozza, and took the name of Count Ferdinand of Castile. The -Cardinal Roderigo received the noble Spaniard as a countryman and a -friend; and he, who expected to lead a most retired life, engaged a -house in the street of the Lungara, near the church of Regina Coeli, on -the banks of the Tiber. There it was that, after passing the day in -prayers and pious works, Cardinal Roderigo used to repair each evening -and lay aside his mask. And it was said, though nobody could prove it, -that in this house infamous scenes passed: Report said the dissipations -were of so dissolute a character that their equals had never been seen -in Rome. With a view to checking the rumours that began to spread -abroad, Roderigo sent Caesar to study at Pisa, and married Lucrezia to a -young gentleman of Aragon; thus there only remained at home Rosa Vanozza -and her two sons: such was the state of things when Innocent VIII died -and Roderigo Borgia was proclaimed pope. - -We have seen by what means the nomination was effected; and so the five -cardinals who had taken no part in this simony--namely, the Cardinals of -Naples, Sierra, Portugal, Santa Maria-in-Porticu, and St. -Peter-in-Vinculis--protested loudly against this election, which they -treated as a piece of jobbery; but Roderigo had none the less, however -it was done, secured his majority; Roderigo was none the less the two -hundred and sixtieth successor of St. Peter. - -Alexander VI, however, though he had arrived at his object, did not dare -throw off at first the mask which the Cardinal Borgia had worn so long, -although when he was apprised of his election he could not dissimulate -his joy; indeed, on hearing the favourable result of the scrutiny, he -lifted his hands to heaven and cried, in the accents of satisfied -ambition, "Am I then pope? Am I then Christ's vicar? Am I then the -keystone of the Christian world?" - -"Yes, holy father," replied Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, the same who had -sold to Roderigo the nine votes that were at his disposal at the -Conclave for four mules laden with silver; "and we hope by your election -to give glory to God, repose to the Church, and joy to Christendom, -seeing that you have been chosen by the Almighty Himself as the most -worthy among all your brethren." - -But in the short interval occupied by this reply, the new pope had -already assumed the papal authority, and in a humble voice and with -hands crossed upon his breast, he spoke: - -"We hope that God will grant us His powerful aid, in spite of our -weakness, and that He will do for us that which He did for the apostle -when aforetime He put into his hands the keys of heaven and entrusted to -him the government of the Church, a government which without the aid of -God would prove too heavy a burden for mortal man; but God promised that -His Spirit should direct him; God will do the same, I trust, for us; and -for your part we fear not lest any of you fail in that holy obedience -which is due unto the head of the Church, even as the flock of Christ -was bidden to follow the prince of the apostles." - -Having spoken these words, Alexander donned the pontifical robes, and -through the windows of the Vatican had strips of paper thrown out on -which his name was written in Latin. These, blown by the wind, seemed to -convey to the whole world the news of the great event which was about to -change the face of Italy. The same day couriers started for all the -courts of Europe. - -Caesar Borgia learned the news of his father's election at the -University of Pisa, where he was a student. His ambition had sometimes -dreamed of such good fortune, yet his joy was little short of madness. -He was then a young man, about twenty-two or twenty-four years of age, -skilful in all bodily exercises, and especially in fencing; he could -ride barebacked the most fiery steeds, could cut off the head of a bull -at a single sword-stroke; moreover, he was arrogant, jealous, and -insincere. According to Tammasi, he was great among the godless, as his -brother Francesco was good among the great. As to his face, even -contemporary authors have left utterly different descriptions; for same -have painted him as a monster of ugliness, while others, on the -contrary, extol his beauty. This contradiction is due to the fact that -at certain times of the year, and especially in the spring, his face was -covered with an eruption which, so long as it lasted, made him an object -of horror and disgust, while all the rest of the year he was the sombre, -black-haired cavalier with pale skin and tawny beard whom Raphael shows -us in the fine portrait he made of him. And historians, both chroniclers -and painters, agree as to his fixed and powerful gaze, behind which -burned a ceaseless flame, giving to his face something infernal and -superhuman. Such was the man whose fortune was to fulfil all his -desires. He had taken for his motto, 'Aut Caesar, aut nihil': Caesar or -nothing. - -Caesar posted to Rome with certain of his friends, and scarcely was he -recognised at the gates of the city when the deference shown to him gave -instant proof of the change in his fortunes: at the Vatican the respect -was twice as great; mighty men bowed down before him as before one -mightier than themselves. And so, in his impatience, he stayed not to -visit his mother or any other member of his family, but went straight to -the pope to kiss his feet; and as the pope had been forewarned of his -coming, he awaited him in the midst of a brilliant and numerous -assemblage of cardinals, with the three other brothers standing behind -him. His Holiness received Caesar with a gracious countenance; still, he -did not allow himself any demonstration of his paternal love, but, -bending towards him, kissed him on the forehead, and inquired how he was -and how he had fared on his journey. Caesar replied that he was -wonderfully well, and altogether at the service of His Holiness: that, -as to the journey, the trifling inconveniences and short fatigue had -been compensated, and far more than compensated, by the joy which he -felt in being able to adore upon the papal throne a pope who was so -worthy. At these words, leaving Caesar still on his knees, and reseating -himself--for he had risen from his seat to embrace him--the pope assumed -a grave and composed expression of face, and spoke as follows, loud -enough to be heard by all, and slowly enough for everyone present to be -able to ponder and retain in his memory even the least of his words: - -"We are convinced, Caesar, that you are peculiarly rejoiced in beholding -us on this sublime height, so far above our deserts, whereto it has -pleased the Divine goodness to exalt us. This joy of yours is first of -all our due because of the love we have always borne you and which we -bear you still, and in the second place is prompted by your own personal -interest, since henceforth you may feel sure of receiving from our -pontifical hand those benefits which your own good works shall deserve. -But if your joy--and this we say to you as we have even now said to your -brothers--if your joy is founded on ought else than this, you are very -greatly mistaken, Caesar, and you will find yourself sadly deceived. -Perhaps we have been ambitious--we confess this humbly before the face -of all men--passionately and immoderately ambitious to attain to the -dignity of sovereign pontiff, and to reach this end we have followed -every path that is open to human industry; but we have acted thus, -vowing an inward vow that when once we had reached our goal, we would -follow no other path but that which conduces best to the service of God -and to the advancement of the Holy See, so that the glorious memory of -the deeds that we shall do may efface the shameful recollection of the -deeds we have already done. Thus shall we, let us hope, leave to those -who follow us a track where upon if they find not the footsteps of a -saint, they may at least tread in the path of a true pontiff. God, who -has furthered the means, claims at our hands the fruits, and we desire -to discharge to the full this mighty debt that we have incurred to Him; -and accordingly we refuse to arouse by any deceit the stern rigour of -His judgments. One sole hindrance could have power to shake our good -intentions, and that might happen should we feel too keen an interest in -your fortunes. Therefore are we armed beforehand against our love, and -therefore have we prayed to God beforehand that we stumble not because -of you; for in the path of favouritism a pope cannot slip without a -fall, and cannot fall without injury and dishonour to the Holy See. Even -to the end of our life we shall deplore the faults which have brought -this experience home to us; and may it please God that our uncle -Calixtus of blessed memory bear not this day in purgatory the burden of -our sins, more heavy, alas, than his own! Ah, he was rich in every -virtue, he was full of good intentions; but he loved too much his own -people, and among them he loved me chief. And so he suffered this love -to lead him blindly astray, all this love that he bore to his kindred, -who to him were too truly flesh of his flesh, so that he heaped upon the -heads of a few persons only, and those perhaps the least worthy, -benefits which would more fittingly have rewarded the deserts of many. -In truth, he bestowed upon our house treasures that should never have -been amassed at the expense of the poor, or else should have been turned -to a better purpose. He severed from the ecclesiastical State, already -weak and poor, the duchy of Spoleto and other wealthy properties, that -he might make them fiefs to us; he confided to our weak hands the -vice-chancellorship, the vice-prefecture of Rome, the generalship of the -Church, and all the other most important offices, which, instead of -being monopolised by us, should have been conferred on those who were -most meritorious. Moreover, there were persons who were raised on our -recommendation to posts of great dignity, although they had no claims -but such as our undue partiality accorded them; others were left out -with no reason for their failure except the jealousy excited in us by -their virtues. To rob Ferdinand of Aragon of the kingdom of Naples, -Calixtus kindled a terrible war, which by a happy issue only served to -increase our fortune, and by an unfortunate issue must have brought -shame and disaster upon the Holy See. Lastly, by allowing himself to be -governed by men who sacrificed public good to their private interests, -he inflicted an injury, not only upon the pontifical throne and his own -reputation, but what is far worse, far more deadly, upon his own -conscience. And yet, O wise judgments of God! hard and incessantly -though he toiled to establish our fortunes, scarcely had he left empty -that supreme seat which we occupy to-day, when we were cast down from -the pinnacle whereon we had climbed, abandoned to the fury of the rabble -and the vindictive hatred of the Roman barons, who chose to feel -offended by our goodness to their enemies. Thus, not only, we tell you, -Caesar, not only did we plunge headlong from the summit of our grandeur, -losing the worldly goods and dignities which our uncle had heaped at our -feet, but for very peril of our life we were condemned to a voluntary -exile, we and our friends, and in this way only did we contrive to -escape the storm which our too good fortune had stirred up against us. -Now this is a plain proof that God mocks at men's designs when they are -bad ones. How great an error is it for any pope to devote more care to -the welfare of a house, which cannot last more than a few years, than to -the glory of the Church, which will last for ever! What utter folly for -any public man whose position is not inherited and cannot be bequeathed -to his posterity, to support the edifice of his grandeur on any other -basis than the noblest virtue practised for the general good, and to -suppose that he can ensure the continuance of his own fortune otherwise -than by taking all precautions against sudden whirlwinds which are want -to arise in the midst of a calm, and to blow up the storm-clouds I mean -the host of enemies. Now any one of these enemies who does his worst can -cause injuries far more powerful than any help that is at all likely to -come from a hundred friends and their lying promises. If you and your -brothers walk in the path of virtue which we shall now open for you, -every wish of your heart shall be instantly accomplished; but if you -take the other path, if you have ever hoped that our affection will wink -at disorderly life, then you will very soon find out that we are truly -pope, Father of the Church, not father of the family; that, vicar of -Christ as we are, we shall act as we deem best for Christendom, and not -as you deem best for your own private good. And now that we have come to -a thorough understanding, Caesar, receive our pontifical blessing." And -with these words, Alexander VI rose up, laid his hands upon his son's -head, for Caesar was still kneeling, and then retired into his -apartments, without inviting him to follow. - -The young man remained awhile stupefied at this discourse, so utterly -unexpected, so utterly destructive at one fell blow to his most -cherished hopes. He rose giddy and staggering like a drunken man, and at -once leaving the Vatican, hurried to his mother, whom he had forgotten -before, but sought now in his despair. Rosa Vanozza possessed all the -vices and all the virtues of a Spanish courtesan; her devotion to the -Virgin amounted to superstition, her fondness for her children to -weakness, and her love for Roderigo to sensuality. In the depth of her -heart she relied on the influence she had been able to exercise over him -for nearly thirty years; and like a snake, she knew how to envelop him -in her coils when the fascination of her glance had lost its power. Rosa -knew of old the profound hypocrisy of her lover, and thus she was in no -difficulty about reassuring Caesar. - -Lucrezia was with her mother when Caesar arrived; the two young people -exchanged a lover-like kiss beneath her very eyes: and before he left -Caesar had made an appointment for the same evening with Lucrezia, who -was now living apart from her husband, to whom Roderigo paid a pension -in her palace of the Via del Pelegrino, opposite the Campo dei Fiori, -and there enjoying perfect liberty. - -In the evening, at the hour fixed, Caesar appeared at Lucrezia's; but he -found there his brother Francesco. The two young men had never been -friends. Still, as their tastes were very different, hatred with -Francesco was only the fear of the deer for the hunter; but with Caesar -it was the desire for vengeance and that lust for blood which lurks -perpetually in the heart of a tiger. The two brothers none the less -embraced, one from general kindly feeling, the other from hypocrisy; but -at first sight of one another the sentiment of a double rivalry, first -in their father's and then in their sister's good graces, had sent the -blood mantling to the cheek of Francesco, and called a deadly pallor -into Caesar's. So the two young men sat on, each resolved not to be the -first to leave, when all at once there was a knock at the door, and a -rival was announced before whom both of them were bound to give way: it -was their father. - -Rosa Vanazza was quite right in comforting Caesar. Indeed, although -Alexander VI had repudiated the abuses of nepotism, he understood very -well the part that was to be played for his benefit by his sons and his -daughter; for he knew he could always count on Lucrezia and Caesar, if -not on Francesco and Goffredo. In these matters the sister was quite -worthy of her brother. Lucrezia was wanton in imagination, godless by -nature, ambitious and designing: she had a craving for pleasure, -admiration, honours, money, jewels, gorgeous stuffs, and magnificent -mansions. A true Spaniard beneath her golden tresses, a courtesan -beneath her frank looks, she carried the head of a Raphael Madonna, and -concealed the heart of a Messalina. She was dear to Roderigo both as -daughter and as mistress, and he saw himself reflected in her as in a -magic mirror, every passion and every vice. Lucrezia and Caesar were -accordingly the best beloved of his heart, and the three composed that -diabolical trio which for eleven years occupied the pontifical throne, -like a mocking parody of the heavenly Trinity. - -Nothing occurred at first to give the lie to Alexander's professions of -principle in the discourse he addressed to Caesar, and the first year of -his pontificate exceeded all the hopes of Rome at the time of his -election. He arranged for the provision of stores in the public -granaries with such liberality, that within the memory of man there had -never been such astonishing abundance; and with a view to extending the -general prosperity to the lowest class, he organised numerous doles to -be paid out of his private fortune, which made it possible for the very -poor to participate in the general banquet from which they had been -excluded for long enough. The safety of the city was secured, from the -very first days of his accession, by the establishment of a strong and -vigilant police force, and a tribunal consisting of four magistrates of -irreproachable character, empowered to prosecute all nocturnal crimes, -which during the last pontificate had been so common that their very -numbers made impunity certain: these judges from the first showed a -severity which neither the rank nor the purse of the culprit could -modify. This presented such a great contrast to the corruption of the -last reign,--in the course of which the vice-chamberlain one day -remarked in public, when certain people were complaining of the venality -of justice, "God wills not that a sinner die, but that he live and -pay,"--that the capital of the Christian world felt for one brief moment -restored to the happy days of the papacy. So, at the end of a year, -Alexander VI had reconquered that spiritual credit, so to speak, which -his predecessors lost. His political credit was still to be established, -if he was to carry out the first part of his gigantic scheme. To arrive -at this, he must employ two agencies--alliances and conquests. His plan -was to begin with alliances. The gentleman of Aragon who had married -Lucrezia when she was only the daughter of Cardinal Roderigo Borgia was -not a man powerful enough, either by birth and fortune or by intellect, -to enter with any sort of effect into the plots and plans of Alexander -VI; the separation was therefore changed into a divorce, and Lucrezia -Borgia was now free to remarry. Alexander opened up two negotiations at -the same time: he needed an ally to keep a watch on the policy of the -neighbouring States. John Sforza, grandson of Alexander Sforza, brother -of the great Francis I, Duke of Milan, was lord of Pesaro; the -geographical situation of this place, on the coast, on the way between -Florence and Venice, was wonderfully convenient for his purpose; so -Alexander first cast an eye upon him, and as the interest of both -parties was evidently the same, it came about that John Sforza was very -soon Lucrezia's second husband. - -At the same time overtures had been made to Alfonso of Aragon, heir -presumptive to the crown of Naples, to arrange a marriage between Dana -Sancia, his illegitimate daughter, and Goffreda, the pope's third son; -but as the old Ferdinand wanted to make the best bargain he could out of -it; he dragged on the negotiations as long as possible, urging that the -two children were not of marriageable age, and so, highly honoured as he -felt in such a prospective alliance, there was no hurry about the -engagement. Matters stopped at this point, to the great annoyance of -Alexander VI, who saw through this excuse, and understood that the -postponement was nothing more or less than a refusal. Accordingly -Alexander and Ferdinand remained in statu quo, equals in the political -game, both on the watch till events should declare for one or other. The -turn of fortune was for Alexander. - -Italy, though tranquil, was instinctively conscious that her calm was -nothing but the lull which goes before a storm. She was too rich and too -happy to escape the envy of other nations. As yet the plains of Pisa had -not been reduced to marsh-lands by the combined negligence and jealousy -of the Florentine Republic, neither had the rich country that lay around -Rome been converted into a barren desert by the wars of the Colonna and -Orsini families; not yet had the Marquis of Marignan razed to the ground -a hundred and twenty villages in the republic of Siena alone; and though -the Maremma was unhealthy, it was not yet a poisonous marsh: it is a -fact that Flavio Blando, writing in 1450, describes Ostia as being -merely less flourishing than in the days of the Romans, when she had -numbered 50,000 inhabitants, whereas now in our own day there are barely -30 in all. - -The Italian peasants were perhaps the most blest on the face of the -earth: instead of living scattered about the country in solitary -fashion, they lived in villages that were enclosed by walls as a -protection for their harvests, animals, and farm implements; their -houses--at any rate those that yet stand--prove that they lived in much -more comfortable and beautiful surroundings than the ordinary townsman -of our day. Further, there was a community of interests, and many people -collected together in the fortified villages, with the result that -little by little they attained to an importance never acquired by the -boorish French peasants or the German serfs; they bore arms, they had a -common treasury, they elected their own magistrates, and whenever they -went out to fight, it was to save their common country. - -Also commerce was no less flourishing than agriculture; Italy at this -period was rich in industries--silk, wool, hemp, fur, alum, sulphur, -bitumen; those products which the Italian soil could not bring forth -were imported, from the Black Sea, from Egypt, from Spain, from France, -and often returned whence they came, their worth doubled by labour and -fine workmanship. The rich man brought his merchandise, the poor his -industry: the one was sure of finding workmen, the other was sure of -finding work. - -Art also was by no means behindhand: Dante, Giotto, Brunelleschi, and -Donatello were dead, but Ariosto, Raphael, Bramante, and Michael Angelo -were now living. Rome, Florence, and Naples had inherited the -masterpieces of antiquity; and the manuscripts of AEschylus, Sophocles, -and Euripides had come (thanks to the conquest of Mahomet II) to rejoin -the statue of Xanthippus and the works of Phidias and Praxiteles. The -principal sovereigns of Italy had come to understand, when they let -their eyes dwell upon the fat harvests, the wealthy villages, the -flourishing manufactories, and the marvellous churches, and then -compared with them the poor and rude nations of fighting men who -surrounded them on all sides, that some day or other they were destined -to become for other countries what America was for Spain, a vast -gold-mine for them to work. In consequence of this, a league offensive -and defensive had been signed, about 1480, by Naples, Milan, Florence, -and Ferrara, prepared to take a stand against enemies within or without, -in Italy or outside. Ludovico Sforza, who was more than anyone else -interested in maintaining this league, because he was nearest to France, -whence the storm seemed to threaten, saw in the new pope's election -means not only of strengthening the league, but of making its power and -unity conspicuous in the sight of Europe. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -On the occasion of each new election to the papacy, it is the custom for -all the Christian States to send a solemn embassy to Rome, to renew -their oath of allegiance to the Holy Father. Ludovico Sforza conceived -the idea that the ambassadors of the four Powers should unite and make -their entry into Rome on the same day, appointing one of their envoys, -viz. the representative of the King of Naples, to be spokesman for all -four. Unluckily, this plan did not agree with the magnificent projects -of Piero dei Medici. That proud youth, who had been appointed ambassador -of the Florentine Republic, had seen in the mission entrusted to him by -his fellow-citizens the means of making a brilliant display of his own -wealth. From the day of his nomination onwards, his palace was -constantly filled with tailors, jewellers, and merchants of priceless -stuffs; magnificent clothes had been made for him, embroidered with -precious stones which he had selected from the family treasures. All his -jewels, perhaps the richest in Italy, were distributed about the -liveries of his pages, and one of them, his favourite, was to wear a -collar of pearls valued by itself at 100,000 ducats, or almost, a -million of our francs. In his party the Bishop of Arezzo, Gentile, who -had once been Lorenzo dei Medici's tutor, was elected as second -ambassador, and it was his duty to speak. Now Gentile, who had prepared -his speech, counted on his eloquence to charm the ear quite as much as -Piero counted on his riches to dazzle the eye. But the eloquence of -Gentile would be lost completely if nobody was to speak but the -ambassador of the King of Naples; and the magnificence of Piero dei -Medici would never be noticed at all if he went to Rome mixed up with -all the other ambassadors. These two important interests, compromised by -the Duke of Milan's proposition, changed the whole face of Italy. - -Ludovico Sforza had already made sure of Ferdinand's promise to conform -to the plan he had invented, when the old king, at the solicitation of -Piero, suddenly drew back. Sforza found out how this change had come -about, and learned that it was Piero's influence that had overmastered -his own. He could not disentangle the real motives that had promised the -change, and imagined there was some secret league against himself: he -attributed the changed political programme to the death of Lorenzo dei -Medici. But whatever its cause might be, it was evidently prejudicial to -his own interests: Florence, Milan's old ally, was abandoning her for -Naples. He resolved to throw a counter weight into the scales; so, -betraying to Alexander the policy of Piero and Ferdinand, he proposed to -form a defensive and offensive alliance with him and admit the republic -of Venice; Duke Hercules III of Ferrara was also to be summoned to -pronounce for one or other of the two leagues. Alexander VI, wounded by -Ferdinand's treatment of himself, accepted Ludovico Sforza's -proposition, and an Act of Confederation was signed on the 22nd of -April, 1493, by which the new allies pledged themselves to set on foot -for the maintenance of the public peace an army of 20,000 horse and -6,000 infantry. - -Ferdinand was frightened when he beheld the formation of this league; -but he thought he could neutralise its effects by depriving Ludovico -Sforza of his regency, which he had already kept beyond the proper time, -though as yet he was not strictly an usurper. Although the young -Galeazzo, his nephew, had reached the age of two-and-twenty, Ludovico -Sforza none the less continued regent. Now Ferdinand definitely proposed -to the Duke of Milan that he should resign the sovereign power into the -hands of his nephew, on pain of being declared an usurper. - -This was a bold stroke; but there was a risk of inciting Ludovico Sforza -to start one of those political plots that he was so familiar with, -never recoiling from any situation, however dangerous it might be. This -was exactly what happened: Sforza, uneasy about his duchy, resolved to -threaten Ferdinand's kingdom. - -Nothing could be easier: he knew the warlike notions of Charles VIII, -and the pretensions of the house of France to the kingdom of Naples. He -sent two ambassadors to invite the young king to claim the rights of -Anjou usurped by Aragon; and with a view to reconciling Charles to so -distant and hazardous an expedition, offered him a free and friendly -passage through his own States. - -Such a proposition was welcome to Charles VIII, as we might suppose from -our knowledge of his character; a magnificent prospect was opened to him -as by an enchanter: what Ludovica Sforza was offering him was virtually -the command of the Mediterranean, the protectorship of the whole of -Italy; it was an open road, through Naples and Venice, that well might -lead to the conquest of Turkey or the Holy Land, if he ever had the -fancy to avenge the disasters of Nicapolis and Mansourah. So the -proposition was accepted, and a secret alliance was signed, with Count -Charles di Belgiojasa and the Count of Cajazza acting for Ludovica -Sforza, and the Bishop of St. Malo and Seneschal de Beaucaire for -Charles VIII. By this treaty it was agreed:-- - -That the King of France should attempt the conquest of the kingdom of -Naples; - -That the Duke of Milan should grant a passage to the King of France -through his territories, and accompany him with five hundred lances; - -That the Duke of Milan should permit the King of France to send out as -many ships of war as he pleased from Genoa; - -Lastly, that the Duke of Milan should lend the King of France 200,000 -ducats, payable when he started. - -On his side, Charles VIII agreed:-- - -To defend the personal authority of Ludowico Sforza over the duchy of -Milan against anyone who might attempt to turn him out; - -To keep two hundred French lances always in readiness to help the house -of Sforza, at Asti, a town belonging to the Duke of Orleans by the -inheritance of his mother, Valentina Visconti; - -Lastly, to hand over to his ally the principality of Tarentum -immediately after the conquest of Naples was effected. - -This treaty was scarcely concluded when Charles VIII, who exaggerated -its advantages, began to dream of freeing himself from every let or -hindrance to the expedition. Precautions were necessary; for his -relations with the great Powers were far from being what he could have -wished. - -Indeed, Henry VII had disembarked at Calais with a formidable army, and -was threatening France with another invasion. - -Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, if they had not assisted at the fall of -the house of Anjou, had at any rate helped the Aragon party with men and -money. - -Lastly, the war with the emperor acquired a fresh impetus when Charles -VIII sent back Margaret of Burgundy to her father Maximilian, and -contracted a marriage with Anne of Brittany. - -By the treaty of Etaples, on the 3rd of November, 1492, Henry VII -cancelled the alliance with the King of the Romans, and pledged himself -not to follow his conquests. - -This cost Charles VIII 745,000 gold crowns and the expenses of the war -with England. - -By the treaty of Barcelona, dated the 19th of January, 1493, Ferdinand -the Catholic and Isabella agreed never to grant aid to their cousin, -Ferdinand of Naples, and never to put obstacles in the way of the French -king in Italy. - -This cost Charles VIII Perpignan, Roussillon, and the Cerdagne, which -had all been given to Louis XI as a hostage for the sum of 300,000 -ducats by John of Aragon; but at the time agreed upon, Louis XI would -not give them up for the money, for the old fox knew very well how -important were these doors to the Pyrenees, and proposed in case of war -to keep them shut. - -Lastly, by the treaty of Senlis, dated the 23rd of May, 1493, Maximilian -granted a gracious pardon to France for the insult her king had offered -him. - -It cost Charles VIII the counties of Burgundy, Artois, Charalais, and -the seigniory of Noyers, which had come to him as Margaret's dowry, and -also the towns of Aire, Hesdin, and Bethune, which he promised to -deliver up to Philip of Austria on the day he came of age. - -By dint of all these sacrifices the young king made peace with his -neighbours, and could set on foot the enterprise that Ludavico Sforza -had proposed. We have already explained that the project came into -Sforza's mind when his plan about the deputation was refused, and that -the refusal was due to Piero dei Medici's desire to make an exhibition -of his magnificent jewels, and Gentile's desire to make his speech. - -Thus the vanity of a tutor and the pride of his scholar together -combined to agitate the civilized world from the Gulf of Tarentum to the -Pyrenees. - -Alexander VI was in the very centre of the impending earthquake, and -before Italy had any idea that the earliest shocks were at hand he had -profited by the perturbed preoccupation of other people to give the lie -to that famous speech we have reported. He created cardinal John Borgia, -a nephew, who during the last pontificate had been elected Archbishop of -Montreal and Governor of Rome. This promotion caused no discontent, -because of John's antecedents; and Alexander, encouraged by the success -of this, promised to Caesar Borgia the archbishopric of Valencia, a -benefice he had himself enjoyed before his elevation to the papacy. But -here the difficulty arose on the side of the recipient. The young man, -full-blooded, with all the vices and natural instincts of a captain of -condottieri, had very great trouble in assuming even the appearance of a -Churchman's virtue; but as he knew from his own father's mouth that the -highest secular dignities were reserved for his elder brother, he -decided to take what he could get, for fear of getting nothing; but his -hatred for Francesco grew stronger, for from henceforth he was doubly -his rival, both in love and ambition. - -Suddenly Alexander beheld the old King Ferdinand returning to his side, -and at the very moment when he least expected it. The pope was too -clever a politician to accept a reconciliation without finding out the -cause of it; he soon learned what plots were hatching at the French -court against the kingdom of Naples, and the whole situation was -explained. - -Now it was his turn to impose conditions. - -He demanded the completion of a marriage between Goffreda, his third -son, and Dada Sancia, Alfonso's illegitimate daughter. - -He demanded that she should bring her husband as dowry the principality -of Squillace and the county of Cariati, with an income of 10,000 ducats -and the office of protonotary, one of the seven great crown offices -which are independent of royal control. - -He demanded for his eldest son, whom Ferdinand the Catholic had just -made Duke of Gandia, the principality of Tricarico, the counties of -Chiaramonte, Lauria, and Carinola, an income of 12,000 ducats, and the -first of the seven great offices which should fall vacant. - -He demanded that Virginio Orsini, his ambassador at the Neapolitan -court, should be given a third great office, viz. that of Constable, the -most important of them all. - -Lastly, he demanded that Giuliano della Rovere, one of the five -cardinals who had opposed his election and was now taking refuge at -Ostia, where the oak whence he took his name and bearings is still to be -seen carved on all the walls, should be driven out of that town, and the -town itself given over to him. - -In exchange, he merely pledged himself never to withdraw from the house -of Aragon the investiture of the kingdom of Naples accorded by his -predecessors. Ferdinand was paying somewhat dearly for a simple promise; -but on the keeping of this promise the legitimacy of his power wholly -depended. For the kingdom of Naples was a fief of the Holy See; and to -the pope alone belonged the right of pronouncing on the justice of each -competitor's pretensions; the continuance of this investiture was -therefore of the highest conceivable importance to Aragon just at the -time when Anjou was rising up with an army at her back to dispossess -her. - -For a year after he mounted the papal throne, Alexander VI had made -great strides, as we see, in the extension of his temporal power. In his -own hands he held, to be sure, only the least in size of the Italian -territories; but by the marriage of his daughter Lucrezia with the lord -of Pesaro he was stretching out one hand as far as Venice, while by the -marriage of the Prince of Squillace with Dona Sancia, and the -territories conceded to the Duke of Sandia, he was touching with the -other hand the boundary of Calabria. - -When this treaty, so advantageous for himself, was duly signed, he made -Caesar Cardinal of Santa Maria Novella, for Caesar was always -complaining of being left out in the distribution of his father's -favours. - -Only, as there was as yet no precedent in Church history for a bastard's -donning the scarlet, the pope hunted up four false witnesses who -declared that Caesar was the son of Count Ferdinand of Castile; who was, -as we know, that valuable person Don Manuel Melchior, and who played the -father's part with just as much solemnity as he had played the -husband's. - -The wedding of the two bastards was most splendid, rich with the double -pomp of Church and King. As the pope had settled that the young bridal -pair should live near him, Caesar Borgia, the new cardinal, undertook to -manage the ceremony of their entry into Rome and the reception, and -Lucrezia, who enjoyed at her father's side an amount of favour hitherto -unheard of at the papal court, desired on her part to contribute all the -splendour she had it in her power to add. He therefore went to receive -the young people with a stately and magnificent escort of lords and -cardinals, while she awaited them attended by the loveliest and noblest -ladies of Rome, in one of the halls of the Vatican. A throne was there -prepared for the pope, and at his feet were cushions for Lucrezia and -Dona Sancia. "Thus," writes Tommaso Tommasi, "by the look of the -assembly and the sort of conversation that went on for hours, you would -suppose you were present at some magnificent and voluptuous royal -audience of ancient Assyria, rather than at the severe consistory of a -Roman pontiff, whose solemn duty it is to exhibit in every act the -sanctity of the name he bears. But," continues the same historian, "if -the Eve of Pentecost was spent in such worthy functions, the -celebrations of the coming of the Holy Ghost on the following day were -no less decorous and becoming to the spirit of the Church; for thus -writes the master of the ceremonies in his journal: - -"'The pope made his entry into the Church of the Holy Apostles, and -beside him on the marble steps of the pulpit where the canons of St. -Peter are wont to chant the Epistle and Gospel, sat Lucrezia his -daughter and Sancia his son's wife: round about them, a disgrace to the -Church and a public scandal, were grouped a number of other Roman ladies -far more fit to dwell in Messalina's city than in St. Peter's.'" - -So at Rome and Naples did men slumber while ruin was at hand; so did -they waste their time and squander their money in a vain display of -pride; and this was going on while the French, thoroughly alive, were -busy laying hands upon the torches with which they would presently set -Italy on fire. - -Indeed, the designs of Charles VIII for conquest were no longer for -anybody a matter of doubt. The young king had sent an embassy to the -various Italian States, composed of Perrone dei Baschi, Brigonnet, -d'Aubigny, and the president of the Provencal Parliament. The mission of -this embassy was to demand from the Italian princes their co-operation -in recovering the rights of the crown of Naples for the house of Anjou. - -The embassy first approached the Venetians, demanding aid and counsel -for the king their master. But the Venetians, faithful to their -political tradition, which had gained for them the sobriquet of "the -Jews of Christendom," replied that they were not in a position to give -any aid to the young king, so long as they had to keep ceaselessly on -guard against the Turks; that, as to advice, it would be too great a -presumption in them to give advice to a prince who was surrounded by -such experienced generals and such able ministers. - -Perrone dei Baschi, when he found he could get no other answer, next -made for Florence. Piero dei Medici received him at a grand council, for -he summoned on this occasion not only the seventy, but also the -gonfalonieri who had sat for the last thirty-four years in the Signoria. -The French ambassador put forward his proposal, that the republic should -permit their army to pass through her States, and pledge herself in that -case to supply for ready money all the necessary victual and fodder. The -magnificent republic replied that if Charles VIII had been marching -against the Turks instead of against Ferdinand, she would be only too -ready to grant everything he wished; but being bound to the house of -Aragon by a treaty, she could not betray her ally by yielding to the -demands of the King of France. - -The ambassadors next turned their steps to Siena. The poor little -republic, terrified by the honour of being considered at all, replied -that it was her desire to preserve a strict neutrality, that she was too -weak to declare beforehand either for or against such mighty rivals, for -she would naturally be obliged to join the stronger party. Furnished -with this reply, which had at least the merit of frankness, the French -envoys proceeded to Rome, and were conducted into the pope's presence, -where they demanded the investiture of the kingdom of Naples for their -king. - -Alexander VI replied that, as his predecessors had granted this -investiture to the house of Aragon, he could not take it away, unless it -were first established that the house of Anjou had a better claim than -the house that was to be dispossessed. Then he represented to Perrone -dei Baschi that, as Naples was a fief of the Holy See, to the pope alone -the choice of her sovereign properly belonged, and that in consequence -to attack the reigning sovereign was to attack the Church itself. - -The result of the embassy, we see, was not very promising for Charles -VIII; so he resolved to rely on his ally Ludovico Sforza alone, and to -relegate all other questions to the fortunes of war. - -A piece of news that reached him about this time strengthened him in -this resolution: this was the death of Ferdinand. The old king had -caught a severe cold and cough on his return from the hunting field, and -in two days he was at his last gasp. On the 25th of January, 1494, he -passed away, at the age of seventy, after a thirty-six years' reign, -leaving the throne to his elder son, Alfonso, who was immediately chosen -as his successor. - -Ferdinand never belied his title of "the happy ruler." His death -occurred at the very moment when the fortune of his family was changing. - -The new king, Alfonso, was not a novice in arms: he had already fought -successfully against Florence and Venice, and had driven the Turks out -of Otranto; besides, he had the name of being as cunning as his father -in the tortuous game of politics so much in vogue at the Italian courts. -He did not despair of counting among his allies the very enemy he was at -war with when Charles VIII first put forward his pretensions, we mean -Bajazet II. So he despatched to Bajazet one of his confidential -ministers, Camillo Pandone, to give the Turkish emperor to understand -that the expedition to Italy was to the King of France nothing but a -blind for approaching the scene of Mahomedan conquests, and that if -Charles VIII were once at the Adriatic it would only take him a day or -two to get across and attack Macedonia; from there he could easily go by -land to Constantinople. Consequently he suggested that Bajazet for the -maintenance of their common interests should supply six thousand horse -and six thousand infantry; he himself would furnish their pay so long as -they were in Italy. It was settled that Pandone should be joined at -Tarentum by Giorgia Bucciarda, Alexander VI's envoy, who was -commissioned by the pope to engage the Turks to help him against the -Christians. But while he was waiting for Bajazet's reply, which might -involve a delay of several months, Alfonso requested that a meeting -might take place between Piero dei Medici, the pope, and himself, to -take counsel together about important affairs. This meeting was arranged -at Vicovaro, near Tivoli, and the three interested parties duly met on -the appointed day. - -The intention of Alfonso, who before leaving Naples had settled the -disposition of his naval forces, and given his brother Frederic the -command of a fleet that consisted of thirty-six galleys, eighteen large -and twelve small vessels, with injunctions to wait at Livorno and keep a -watch on the fleet Charles VIII was getting ready at the port of Genoa, -was above all things to check with the aid of his allies the progress of -operations on land. Without counting the contingent he expected his -allies to furnish, he had at his immediate disposal a hundred squadrons -of heavy cavalry, twenty men in each, and three thousand bowmen and -light horse. He proposed, therefore, to advance at once into Lombardy, -to get up a revolution in favour of his nephew Galeazzo, and to drive -Ludovico Sforza out of Milan before he could get help from France; so -that Charles VIII, at the very time of crossing the Alps, would find an -enemy to fight instead of a friend who had promised him a safe passage, -men, and money. - -This was the scheme of a great politician and a bold commander; but as -everybody had come in pursuit of his own interests, regardless of the -common agreemnent this plan was very coldly received by Piero dei -Medici, who was afraid lest in the war he should play only the same poor -part he had been threatened with in the affair of the embassy; by -Alexander VI it was rejected, because he reckoned on employing the -troops of Alfonso an his own account. He reminded the King of Naples of -one of the conditions of the investiture he had promised him, viz. that -he should drive out the Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere from the town of -Ostia, and give up the town to him, according to the stipulation already -agreed upon. Besides, the advantages that had accrued to Virginio -Orsini, Alexander's favourite, from his embassy to Naples had brought -upon him the ill-will of Prospero and Fabrizio Colonna, who owned nearly -all the villages round about Rome. Now the pope could not endure to live -in the midst of such powerful enemies, and the most important matter was -to deliver him from all of them, seeing that it was really of moment -that he should be at peace who was the head and soul of the league -whereof the others were only the body and limbs. - -Although Alfonso had clearly seen through the motives of Piero's -coldness, and Alexander had not even given him the trouble of seeking -his, he was none the less obliged to bow to the will of his allies, -leaving the one to defend the Apennines against the French, and helping -the other to shake himself free of his neighbours in the Romagna. -Consequently he, pressed on the siege of Ostia, and added to Virginio's -forces, which already amounted to two hundred men of the papal army, a -body of his own light horse; this little army was to be stationed round -about Rome, and was to enforce obedience from the Colonnas. The rest of -his troops Alfonso divided into two parties: one he left in the hands of -his son Ferdinand, with orders to scour the Romagna and worry, the petty -princes into levying and supporting the contingent they had promised, -while with the other he himself defended the defiles of the Abruzzi. - -On the 23rd of April, at three o'clock in the morning, Alexander VI was -freed from the first and fiercest of his foes; Giuliano della Rovere, -seeing the impossibility of holding out any longer against Alfonso's -troops, embarked on a brigantine which was to carry him to Savona. - -From that day forward Virginio Orsini began that famous partisan warfare -which reduced the country about Rome to the most pathetic desolation the -world has ever seen. During all this time Charles VIII was at Lyons, not -only uncertain as to the route he ought to take for getting into Italy, -but even beginning to reflect a little on the chances and risks of such -an expedition. He had found no sympathy anywhere except with Ludovico -Sforza; so it appeared not unlikely that he would have to fight not the -kingdom of Naples alone, but the whole of Italy to boot. In his -preparations for war he had spent almost all the money at his disposal; -the Lady of Beaujeu and the Duke of Bourbon both condemned his -enterprise; Briconnet, who had advised it, did not venture to support it -now; at last Charles, more irresolute than ever, had recalled several -regiments that had actually started, when Cardinal Giuliano della -Rovere, driven out of Italy by the pope, arrived at Lyons, and presented -himself before the king. - -The cardinal, full of hatred, full of hope, hastened to Charles, and -found him on the point of abandoning that enterprise on which, as -Alexander's enemy, della Rovere rested his whole expectation of -vengeance. He informed Charles of the quarrelling among his enemies; he -showed him that each of them was seeking his own ends--Piero dei Medici -the gratification of his pride, the pope the aggrandisement of his -house. He pointed out that armed fleets were in the ports of -Villefranche, Marseilles, and Genoa, and that these armaments would be -lost; he reminded him that he had sent Pierre d'Urfe, his grand equerry, -on in advance, to have splendid accommodation prepared in the Spinola -and Doria palaces. Lastly, he urged that ridicule and disgrace would -fall on him from every side if he renounced an enterprise so loudly -vaunted beforehand, for whose successful execution, moreover, he had -been obliged to sign three treaties of peace that were all vexatious -enough, viz. with Henry VII, with Maximilian, and with Ferdinand the -Catholic. Giuliano della Rovere had exercised true insight in probing -the vanity of the young king, and Charles did not hesitate for a single -moment. He ordered his cousin, the Duke of Orleans (who later on became -Louis XII) to take command of the French fleet and bring it to Genoa; he -despatched a courier to Antoine de Bessay, Baron de Tricastel, bidding -him take to Asti the 2000 Swiss foot-soldiers he had levied in the -cantons; lastly, he started himself from Vienne, in Dauphine, on the -23rd of August, 1494, crossed the Alps by Mont Genevre, without -encountering a single body of troops to dispute his passage, descended -into Piedmont and Monferrato, both just then governed by women regents, -the sovereigns of both principalities being children, Charles John Aime -and William John, aged respectively six and eight. - -The two regents appeared before Charles VIII, one at Turin, one at -Casale, each at the head of a numerous and brilliant court, and both -glittering with jewels and precious stones. Charles, although he quite -well knew that for all these friendly demonstrations they were both -bound by treaty to his enemy, Alfonso of Naples, treated them all the -same with the greatest politeness, and when they made protestations of -friendship, asked them to let him have a proof of it, suggesting that -they should lend him the diamonds they were covered with. The two -regents could do no less than obey the invitation which was really a -command. They took off necklaces, rings, and earrings. Charles VIII gave -them a receipt accurately drawn up, and pledged the jewels for 20,000 -ducats. Then, enriched by this money, he resumed his journey and made -his way towards Asti. The Duke of Orleans held the sovereignty of Asti, -as we said before, and hither came to meet Charles both Ludovico Sforza -and his father-in-law, Hercules d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. They brought -with them not only the promised troops and money, but also a court -composed of the loveliest women in Italy. - -The balls, fetes, and tourneys began with a magnificence surpassing -anything that Italy had ever seen before. But suddenly they were -interrupted by the king's illness. This was the first example in Italy -of the disease brought by Christopher Columbus from the New World, and -was called by Italians the French, by Frenchmen the Italian disease. The -probability is that some of Columbus's crew who were at Genoa or -thereabouts had already brought over this strange and cruel complaint -that counter balanced the gains of the American gold-mines. - -The king's indisposition, however, did not prove so grave as was at -first supposed. He was cured by the end of a few weeks, and proceeded on -his way towards Pavia, where the young Duke John Galeazzo lay dying. He -and the King of France were first cousins, sons of two sisters of the -house of Savoy. So Charles VIII was obliged to see him, and went to -visit him in the castle where he lived more like prisoner than lord. He -found him half reclining on a couch, pale and emaciated, some said in -consequence of luxurious living, others from the effects of a slow but -deadly poison. But whether or not the poor young man was desirous of -pouring out a complaint to Charles, he did not dare say a word; for his -uncle, Ludovico Sforza, never left the King of France for an instant. -But at the very moment when Charles VIII was getting up to go, the door -opened, and a young woman appeared and threw herself at the king's feet; -she was the wife of the unlucky John Galeazzo, and came to entreat his -cousin to do nothing against her father Alfonso, nor against her brother -Ferdinand. At sight of her; Sforza scowled with an anxious and -threatening aspect, for he knew not what impression might be produced on -his ally by this scene. But he was soon reassured; for Charles replied -that he had advanced too far to draw back now, and that the glory of his -name was at stake as well as the interests of his kingdom, and that -these two motives were far too important to be sacrificed to any -sentiment of pity he might feel, however real and deep it might be and -was. The poor young woman, who had based her last hope an this appeal, -then rose from her knees and threw herself sobbing into her husband's -arms. Charles VIII and Ludavico Sforza, took their leave: John Galeazzo -was doomed. - -Two days after, Charles VIII left for Florence, accompanied by his ally; -but scarcely had they reached Parma when a messenger caught them up, and -announced to Ludovico that his nephew was just dead: Ludovico at once -begged Charles to excuse his leaving him to finish the journey alone; -the interests which called him back to Milan were so important, he said, -that he could not under the circumstances stay away a single day longer. -As a fact he had to make sure of succeeding the man he had assassinated. - -But Charles VIII continued his road not without some uneasiness. The -sight of the young prince on his deathbed had moved him deeply, for at -the bottom of his heart he was convinced that Ludovico Sforza was his -murderer; and a murderer might very well be a traitor. He was going -forward into an unfamiliar country, with a declared enemy in front of -him and a doubtful friend behind: he was now at the entrance to the -mountains, and as his army had no store of provisions and only lived -from hand to mouth, a forced delay, however short, would mean famine. In -front of him was Fivizzano, nothing, it is true, but a village -surrounded by walls, but beyond Fivizzano lay Sarzano and Pietra Santa, -both of them considered impregnable fortresses; worse than this, they -were coming into a part of the country that was especially unhealthy in -October, had no natural product except oil, and even procured its own -corn from neighbouring provinces; it was plain that a whole army might -perish there in a few days either from scarcity of food or from the -unwholesome air, both of which were more disastrous than the impediments -offered at every step by the nature of the ground. The situation was -grave; but the pride of Piero dei Medici came once more to the rescue of -the fortunes of Charles VIII. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -PIERO DEI MEDICI had, as we may remember, undertaken to hold the -entrance to Tuscany against the French; when, however, he saw his enemy -coming dawn from the Alps, he felt less confident about his own -strength, and demanded help from the pope; but scarcely had the rumour -of foreign invasion began to spread in the Romagna, than the Colonna -family declared themselves the French king's men, and collecting all -their forces seized Ostia, and there awaited the coming of the French -fleet to offer a passage through Rome. The pope, therefore, instead of -sending troops to Florence, was obliged to recall all his soldiers to be -near the capital; the only promise he made to Piero was that if Bajazet -should send him the troops that he had been asking for, he would -despatch that army for him to make use of. Piero dei Medici had not yet -taken any resolution or formed any plan, when he suddenly heard two -startling pieces of news. A jealous neighbour of his, the Marquis of -Torderiovo, had betrayed to the French the weak side of Fivizzano, so -that they had taken it by storm, and had put its soldiers and -inhabitants to the edge of the sword; on another side, Gilbert of -Montpensier, who had been lighting up the sea-coast so as to keep open -the communications between the French army and their fleet, had met with -a detachment sent by Paolo Orsini to Sarzano, to reinforce the garrison -there, and after an hour's fighting had cut it to pieces. No quarter had -been granted to any of the prisoners; every man the French could get -hold of they had massacred. - -This was the first occasion on which the Italians, accustomed as they -were to the chivalrous contests of the fifteenth century, found -themselves in contact with savage foreigners who, less advanced in -civilisation, had not yet come to consider war as a clever game, but -looked upon it as simply a mortal conflict. So the news of these two -butcheries produced a tremendous sensation at Florence, the richest city -in Italy, and the most prosperous in commerce and in art. Every -Florentine imagined the French to be like an army of those ancient -barbarians who were wont to extinguish fire with blood. The prophecies -of Savonarola, who had predicted the foreign invasion and the -destruction that should follow it, were recalled to the minds of all; -and so much perturbation was evinced that Piero dei Medici, bent on -getting peace at any price, forced a decree upon the republic whereby -she was to send an embassy to the conqueror; and obtained leave, -resolved as he was to deliver himself in person into the hands of the -French monarch, to act as one of the ambassadors. He accordingly quitted -Florence, accompanied by four other messengers, and on his arrival at -Pietra Santa, sent to ask from Charles VIII a safe-conduct for himself -alone. The day after he made this request, Brigonnet and de Piennes came -to fetch him, and led him into the presence of Charles VIII. - -Piero dei Medici, in spite of his name and influence, was in the eyes of -the French nobility, who considered it a dishonourable thing to concern -oneself with art or industry, nothing more than a rich merchant, with -whom it would be absurd to stand upon any very strict ceremony. So -Charles VIII received him on horseback, and addressing him with a -haughty air, as a master might address a servant, demanded whence came -this pride of his that made him dispute his entrance into Tuscany. Piero -dei Medici replied, that, with the actual consent of Louis XI, his -father Lorenzo had concluded a treaty of alliance with Ferdinand of -Naples; that accordingly he had acted in obedience to prior obligations, -but as he did not wish to push too far his devotion to the house of -Aragon or his opposition to France, he was ready to do whatever Charles -VIII might demand of him. The king, who had never looked for such -humility in his enemy, demanded that Sarzano should be given up to him: -to this Piero dei Medici at once consented. Then the conqueror, wishing -to see how far the ambassador of the magnificent republic would extend -his politeness, replied that this concession was far from satisfying -him, and that he still must have the keys of Pietra Santa, Pisa, -Librafatta, and Livorno. Piero saw no more difficulty about these than -about Sarzano, and consented on Charles's mere promise by word of mouth -to restore the town when he had achieved the conquest of Naples. At last -Charles VIII, seeing that this man who had been sent out to negotiate -with him was very easy to manage, exacted as a final condition, a 'sine -qua non', however, of his royal protection, that the magnificent -republic should lend him the sum of 200,000 florins. Piero found it no -harder to dispose of money than of fortresses, and replied that his -fellow-citizens would be happy to render this service to their new ally. -Then Charles VIII set him on horseback, and ordered him to go on in -front, so as to begin to carry out his promises by yielding up the four -fortresses he had insisted on having. Piero obeyed, and the French army, -led by the grandson of Cosimo the Great and the son of Lorenzo the -Magnificent, continued its triumphal march through Tuscany. - -On his arrival at Lucca, Piero dei Medici learnt that his concessions to -the King of France were making a terrible commotion at Florence. The -magnificent republic had supposed that what Charles VIII wanted was -simply a passage through her territory, so when the news came there was -a general feeling of discontent, which was augmented by the return of -the other ambassadors, whom Piero had not even consulted when he took -action as he did. Piero considered it necessary that he should return, -so he asked Charles's permission to precede him to the capital. As he -had fulfilled all his promises, except the matter of the loan, which -could not be settled anywhere but at Florence, the king saw no -objection, and the very evening after he quitted the French army Piero -returned incognito to his palace in the Via Largo. - -The next day he proposed to present himself before the Signoria, but -when he arrived at the Piazza del Palazzo Vecchio, he perceived the -gonfaloniere Jacopo de Nerli coming towards him, signalling to him that -it was useless to attempt to go farther, and pointing out to him the -figure of Luca Corsini standing at the gate, sword in hand: behind him -stood guards, ordered, if need-were, to dispute his passage. Piero dei -Medici, amazed by an opposition that he was experiencing for the first -time in his life, did not attempt resistance. He went home, and wrote to -his brother-in-law, Paolo Orsini, to come and help him with his -gendarmes. Unluckily for him, his letter was intercepted. The Signoria -considered that it was an attempt at rebellion. They summoned the -citizens to their aid; they armed hastily, sallied forth in crowds, and -thronged about the piazza of the palace. Meanwhile Cardinal Gian dei -Medici had mounted on horseback, and under the impression that the -Orsini were coming to the rescue, was riding about the streets of -Florence, accompanied by his servants and uttering his battle cry, -"Palle, Palle." But times had changed: there was no echo to the cry, and -when the cardinal reached the Via dei Calizaioli, a threatening murmur -was the only response, and he understood that instead of trying to -arouse Florence he had much better get away before the excitement ran -too high. He promptly retired to his own palace, expecting to find there -his two brothers, Piero and Giuliano. But they, under the protection of -Orsini and his gendarmes, had made their escape by the Porto San Gallo. -The peril was imminent, and Gian dei Medici wished to follow their -example; but wherever he went he was met by a clamour that grew more and -more threatening. At last, as he saw that the danger was constantly -increasing, he dismounted from his horse and ran into a house that he -found standing open. This house by a lucky chance communicated with a -convent of Franciscans; one of the friars lent the fugitive his dress, -and the cardinal, under the protection of this humble incognito, -contrived at last to get outside Florence, and joined his two brothers -in the Apennines. - -The same day the Medici were declared traitors and rebels, and -ambassadors were sent to the King of France. They found him at Pisa, -where he was granting independence to the town which eighty-seven years -ago had fallen under the rule of the Florentines. Charles VIII made no -reply to the envoys, but merely announced that he was going to march on -Florence. - -Such a reply, one may easily understand, terrified the republic. -Florence had no time to prepare a defence, and no strength in her -present state to make one. But all the powerful houses assembled and -armed their own servants and retainers, and awaited the issue, intending -not to begin hostilities, but to defend themselves should the French -make an attack. It was agreed that if any necessity should arise for -taking up arms, the bells of the various churches in the town should -ring a peal and so serve as a general signal. Such a resolution was -perhaps of more significant moment in Florence than it could have been -in any other town. For the palaces that still remain from that period -are virtually fortresses and the eternal fights between Guelphs and -Ghibellines had familiarised the Tuscan people with street warfare. - -The king appeared, an the 17th of November, in the evening, at the gate -of San Friano. He found there the nobles of Florence clad in their most -magnificent apparel, accompanied by priests chanting hymns, and by a mob -who were full of joy at any prospect of change, and hoped for a return -of liberty after the fall of the Medici. Charles VIII stopped for a -moment under a sort of gilded canopy that had been prepared for him, and -replied in a few evasive words to the welcoming speeches which were -addressed to him by the Signoria; then he asked for his lance, he set it -in rest, and gave the order to enter the town, the whole of which he -paraded with his army following him with arms erect, and then went down -to the palace of the Medici, which had been prepared for him. - -The next day negotiations commenced; but everyone was out of his -reckoning. The Florentines had received Charles VIII as a guest, but he -had entered the city as a conqueror. So when the deputies of the -Signoria spoke of ratifying the treaty of Piero dei Medici, the king -replied that such a treaty no longer existed, as they had banished the -man who made it; that he had conquered Florence, as he proved the night -before, when he entered lance in hand; that he should retain the -sovereignty, and would make any further decision whenever it pleased him -to do so; further, he would let them know later on whether he would -reinstate the Medici or whether he would delegate his authority to the -Signoria: all they had to do was to come back the next day, and he would -give them his ultimatum in writing. - -This reply threw Florence into a great state of consternation; but the -Florentines were confirmed in their resolution of making a stand. -Charles, for his part, had been astonished by the great number of the -inhabitants; not only was every street he had passed through thickly -lined with people, but every house from garret to basement seemed -overflowing with human beings. Florence indeed, thanks to her rapid -increase in population, could muster nearly 150,000 souls. - -The next day, at the appointed hour, the deputies made their appearance -to meet the king. They were again introduced into his presence, and the -discussion was reopened. At last, as they were coming to no sort of -understanding, the royal secretary, standing at the foot of the throne -upon which Charles viii sat with covered head, unfolded a paper and -began to read, article by article, the conditions imposed by the King of -France. But scarcely had he read a third of the document when the -discussion began more hotly than ever before. Then Charles VIII said -that thus it should be, or he would order his trumpets to be sounded. -Hereupon Piero Capponi, secretary to the republic, commonly called the -Scipio of Florence, snatched from the royal secretary's hand the -shameful proposal of capitulation, and tearing it to pieces, -exclaimed:-- - -"Very good, sire; blow your trumpets, and we will ring our bells." - -He threw the pieces in the face of the amazed reader, and dashed out of -the room to give the terrible order that would convert the street of -Florence into a battlefield. - -Still, against all probabilities, this bold answer saved the town. The -French supposed, from such audacious words, addressed as they were to -men who so far had encountered no single obstacle, that the Florentines -were possessed of sure resources, to them unknown: the few prudent men -who retained any influence over the king advised him accordingly to -abate his pretensions; the result was that Charles VIII offered new and -more reasonable conditions, which were accepted, signed by both parties, -and proclaimed on the 26th of November during mass in the cathedral of -Santa Maria Del Fiore. - -These were the conditions: - -The Signoria were to pay to Charles VIII, as subsidy, the sum of 120,000 -florins, in three instalments; - -The Signoria were to remove the sequestration imposed upon the property -of the Medici, and to recall the decree that set a price on their heads; - -The Signoria were to engage to pardon the Pisans, on condition of their -again submitting to the rule of Florence; - -Lastly, the Signoria were to recognise the claims of the Duke of Milan -over Sarzano and Pietra Santa, and these claims thus recognised, were to -be settled by arbitration. - -In exchange for this, the King of France pledged himself to restore the -fortresses that had been given up to him, either after he had made -himself master of the town of Naples, or when this war should be ended -by a peace or a two years' truce, or else when, for any reason -whatsoever, he should have quitted Italy. - -Two days after this proclamation, Charles VIII, much to the joy of the -Signoria, left Florence, and advanced towards Rome by the route of -Poggibondi and Siena. - -The pope began to be affected by the general terror: he had heard of the -massacres of Fivizzano, of Lunigiane, and of Imola; he knew that Piero -dei Medici had handed over the Tuscan fortresses, that Florence had -succumbed, and that Catherine Sforza had made terms with the conqueror; -he saw the broken remnants of the Neapolitan troops pass disheartened -through Rome, to rally their strength in the Abruzzi, and thus he found -himself exposed to an enemy who was advancing upon him with the whole of -the Romagna under his control from one sea to the other, in a line of -march extending from Piombina to Ancona. - -It was at this juncture that Alexander VI received his answer from -Bajazet II: the reason of so long a delay was that the pope's envoy and -the Neapolitan ambassador had been stopped by Gian della Rovere, the -Cardinal Giuliano's brother, just as they were disembarking at -Sinigaglia. They were charged with a verbal answer, which was that the -sultan at this moment was busied with a triple war, first with the -Sultan of Egypt, secondly with the King of Hungary, and thirdly with the -Greeks of Macedonia and Epirus; and therefore he could not, with all the -will in the world, help His Holiness with armed men. But the envoys were -accompanied by a favourite of the sultan's bearing a private letter to -Alexander VI, in which Bajazet offered on certain conditions to help him -with money. Although, as we see, the messengers had been stopped on the -way, the Turkish envoy had all the same found a means of getting his -despatch sent to the pope: we give it here in all its naivete. - -"Bajazet the Sultan, son of the Sultan Mahomet II, by the grace of God -Emperor of Asia and Europe, to the Father and Lord of all the -Christians, Alexander VI, Roman pontiff and pope by the will of heavenly -Providence, first, greetings that we owe him and bestow with all our -heart. We make known to your Highness, by the envoy of your Mightiness, -Giorgio Bucciarda, that we have been apprised of your convalescence, and -received the news thereof with great joy and comfort. Among other -matters, the said Bucciarda has brought us word that the King of France, -now marching against your Highness, has shown a desire to take under his -protection our brother D'jem, who is now under yours--a thing which is -not only against our will, but which would also be the cause of great -injury to your Highness and to all Christendom. In turning the matter -over with your envoy Giorgio we have devised a scheme most conducive to -peace and most advantageous and honourable for your Highness; at the -same time satisfactory to ourselves personally; it would be well if our -aforesaid brother D'jem, who being a man is liable to death, and who is -now in the hands of your Highness, should quit this world as soon as -possible, seeing that his departure, a real good to him in his position, -would be of great use to your Highness, and very conducive to your -peace, while at the same time it would be very agreeable to us, your -friend. If this proposition is favourably received, as we hope, by your -Highness, in your desire to be friendly towards us, it would be -advisable both in the interests of your Highness and for our own -satisfaction that it should occur rather sooner than later, and by the -surest means you might be pleased to employ; so that our said brother -D'jem might pass from the pains of this world into a better and more -peaceful life, where at last he may find repose. If your Highness should -adapt this plan and send us the body of our brother, We, the above-named -Sultan Bajazet, pledge ourselves to send to your Highness, wheresoever -and by whatsoever hands you please, the sum of 300,000 ducats, With -which sum you could purchase some fair domain for your children. In -order to facilitate this purchase, we would be willing, while awaiting -the issue, to place the 300,000 ducats in the hands of a third party, so -that your Highness might be quite certain of receiving the money on an -appointed day, in return for the despatch of our brother's body. -Moreover, we promise your Highness herewith, for your greater -satisfaction, that never, so long as you shall remain on the pontifical -throne, shall there be any hurt done to the Christians, neither by us, -nor by our servants, nor by any of our compatriots, of whatsoever kind -or condition they may be, neither on sea nor on land. And for the still -further satisfaction of your Highness, and in order that no doubt -whatever may remain concerning the fulfilment of our promises, we have -sworn and affirmed in the presence of Bucciarda, your envoy, by the true -God whom we adore and by our holy Gospels, that they shall be faithfully -kept from the first point unto the last. And now for the final and -complete assurance of your Highness, in order that no doubt may still -remain in your heart, and that you may be once again and profoundly -convinced of our good faith, we the aforesaid Sultan Bajazet do swear by -the true God, who has created the heavens and the earth and all that -therein is, that we will religiously observe all that has been above -said and declared, and in the future will do nothing and undertake -nothing that may be contrary to the interests of your Highness. - -"Given at Constantinople, in our palace, on the 12th of September A.D. -1494." - -This letter was the cause of great joy to the Holy Father: the aid of -four or five thousand Turks would be insufficient under the present -circumstances, and would only serve to compromise the head of -Christendom, while the sum of 300,000 ducats--that is, nearly a million -francs--was good to get in any sort of circumstances. It is true that, -so long as D'jem lived, Alexander was drawing an income of 180,000 -livres, which as a life annuity represented a capital of nearly two -millions; but when one needs ready money, one ought to be able to make a -sacrifice in the way of discount. All the same, Alexander formed no -definite plan, resolved on acting as circumstances should indicate. - -But it was a more pressing business to decide how he should behave to -the King of France: he had never anticipated the success of the French -in Italy, and we have seen that he laid all the foundations of his -family's future grandeur upon his alliance with the house of Aragon. But -here was this house tattering, and a volcano more terrible than her own -Vesuvius was threatening to swallow up Naples. He must therefore change -his policy, and attach himself to the victor,--no easy matter, for -Charles VIII was bitterly annoyed with the pope for having refused him -the investiture and given it to Aragon. - -In consequence, he sent Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini as an envoy to -the king. This choice looked like a mistake at first, seeing that the -ambassador was a nephew of Pius II, who had vigorously opposed the house -of Anjou; but Alexander in acting thus had a second design, which could -not be discerned by those around him. In fact, he had divined that -Charles would not be quick to receive his envoy, and that, in the -parleyings to which his unwillingness must give rise, Piccolomini would -necessarily be brought into contact with the young king's advisers. Now, -besides his ostensible mission to the king, Piccalamini had also secret -instructions for the more influential among his counsellors. These were -Briconnet and Philippe de Luxembourg; and Piccolomini was authorised to -promise a cardinal's hat to each of them. The result was just what -Alexander had foreseen: his envoy could not gain admission to Charles, -and was obliged to confer with the people about him. This was what the -pope wished. Piccolomini returned to Rome with the king's refusal, but -with a promise from Briconnet and Philippe de Luxembourg that they would -use all their influence with Charles in favour of the Holy Father, and -prepare him to receive a fresh embassy. - -But the French all this time were advancing, and never stopped more than -forty-eight hours in any town, so that it became more and more urgent to -get something settled with Charles. The king had entered Siena and -Viterbo without striking a blow; Yves d' Alegre and Louis de Ligny had -taken over Ostia from the hands of the Colonnas; Civita Vecchia and -Corneto had opened their gates; the Orsini had submitted; even Gian -Sforza, the pope's son-in-law, had retired from the alliance with -Aragon. Alexander accordingly judged that the moment had came to abandon -his ally, and sent to Charles the Bishops of Concordia and Terni, and -his confessor, Mansignore Graziano. They were charged to renew to -Briconnet and Philippe de Luxembourg the promise of the cardinalship, -and had full powers of negotiation in the name of their master, both in -case Charles should wish to include Alfonso II in the treaty, and in -case he should refuse to sign an agreement with any other but the pope -alone. They found the mind of Charles influenced now by the insinuation -of Giuliano della Rovere, who, himself a witness of the pope's simony, -pressed the king to summon a council and depose the head of the Church, -and now by the secret support given him by the Bishops of Mans and St. -Malo. The end of it was that the king decided to form his own opinion -about the matter and settle nothing beforehand, and continued this -route, sending the ambassadors back to the pope, with the addition of -the Marechal de Gie, the Seneschal de Beaucaire, and Jean de Gannay, -first president of the Paris Parliament. They were ordered to say to the -pope-- - - (1) That the king wished above all things to be admitted into Rome - without resistance; that, on condition of a voluntary, frank, and - loyal admission, he would respect the authority of the Holy Father - and the privileges of the Church; - (2) That the king desired that D'jem should be given up to him, in - order that he might make use of him against the sultan when he - should carry the war into Macedonia or Turkey or the Holy Land; - (3) That the remaining conditions were so unimportant that they could - be brought forward at the first conference. - -The ambassadors added that the French army was now only two days distant -from Rome, and that in the evening of the day after next Charles would -probably arrive in person to demand an answer from His Holiness. - -It was useless to think of parleying with a prince who acted in such -expeditious fashion as this. Alexander accordingly warned Ferdinand to -quit Rome as soon as possible, in the interests of his own personal -safety. But Ferdinand refused to listen to a word, and declared that he -would not go out at one gate while Charles VIII came in at another. His -sojourn was not long. Two days later, about eleven o'clock in the -morning, a sentinel placed on a watch-tower at the top of the Castle S. -Angelo, whither the pope had retired, cried out that the vanguard of the -enemy was visible on the horizon. At once Alexander and the Duke of -Calabria went up on the terrace which tops the fortress, and assured -themselves with their own eyes that what the soldier said was true. -Then, and not till then, did the duke of Calabria mount on horseback, -and, to use his own words, went out at the gate of San Sebastiana, at -the same moment that the French vanguard halted five hundred feet from -the Gate of the People. This was on the 31st of December 1494. - -At three in the afternoon the whole army had arrived, and the vanguard -began their march, drums beating, ensigns unfurled. It was composed, -says Paolo Giove, an eye-witness (book ii, p. 41 of his History), of -Swiss and German soldiers, with short tight coats of various colours: -they were armed with short swords, with steel edges like those of the -ancient Romans, and carried ashen lances ten feet long, with straight -and sharp iron spikes: only one-fourth of their number bore halberts -instead of lances, the spikes cut into the form of an axe and surmounted -by a four-cornered spike, to be used both for cutting like an axe and -piercing like a bayonet: the first row of each battalion wore helmets -and cuirasses which protected the head and chest, and when the men were -drawn up for battle they presented to the enemy a triple array of iron -spikes, which they could raise or lower like the spines of a porcupine. -To each thousand of the soldiery were attached a hundred fusiliers: -their officers, to distinguish them from the men, wore lofty plumes on -their helmets. - -After the Swiss infantry came the archers of Gascony: there were five -thousand of them, wearing a very simple dress, that contrasted with the -rich costume of the Swiss soldiers, the shortest of whom would have been -a head higher than the tallest of the Gascons. But they were excellent -soldiers, full of courage, very light, and with a special reputation for -quickness in stringing and drawing their iron bows. - -Behind them rode the cavalry, the flower of the French nobility, with -their gilded helmets and neck bands, their velvet and silk surcoats, -their swords each of which had its own name, their shields each telling -of territorial estates, and their colours each telling of a lady-love. -Besides defensive arms, each man bore a lance in his hand, like an -Italian gendarme, with a solid grooved end, and on his saddle bow a -quantity of weapons, some for cutting and some for thrusting. Their -horses were large and strong, but they had their tails and ears cropped -according to the French custom. These horses, unlike those of the -Italian gendarmes, wore no caparisons of dressed leather, which made -them more exposed to attack. Every knight was followed by three -horses--the first ridden by a page in armour like his own, the two -others by equerries who were called lateral auxiliaries, because in a -fray they fought to right and left of their chief. This troop was not -only the most magnificent, but the most considerable in the whole army; -for as there were 2500 knights, they formed each with their three -followers a total of 10,000 men. Five thousand light horse rode next, -who carried huge wooden bows, and shot long arrows from a distance like -English archers. They were a great help in battle, for moving rapidly -wherever aid was required, they could fly in a moment from one wing to -another, from the rear to the van, then when their quivers were empty -could go off at so swift a gallop that neither infantry or heavy cavalry -could pursue them. Their defensive armour consisted of a helmet and -half-cuirass; some of them carried a short lance as well, with which to -pin their stricken foe to the ground; they all wore long cloaks adorned -with shoulder-knots, and plates of silver whereon the arms of their -chief were emblazoned. - -At last came the young king's escort; there were four hundred archers, -among whom a hundred Scots formed a line on each side, while two hundred -of the most illustrious knights marched on foot beside the prince, -carrying heavy arms on their shoulders. In the midst of this magnificent -escort advanced Charles VIII, both he and his horse covered with -splendid armour; an his right and left marched Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, -the Duke of Milan's brother, and Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, of whom -we have spoken so often, who was afterwards Pope Julius II. The -Cardinals Colonna and Savelli followed immediately after, and behind -them came Prospero and Fabrizia Colonna, and all the Italian princes and -generals who had thrown in their lot with the conqueror, and were -marching intermingled with the great French lords. - -For a long time the crowd that had collected to see all these foreign -soldiers go by, a sight so new and strange, listened uneasily to a dull -sound which got nearer and nearer. The earth visibly trembled, the glass -shook in the windows, and behind the king's escort thirty-six bronze -cannons were seen to advance, bumping along as they lay on their -gun-carriages. These cannons were eight feet in length; and as their -mouths were large enough to hold a man's head, it was supposed that each -of these terrible machines, scarcely known as yet to the Italians, -weighed nearly six thousand pounds. After the cannons came culverins -sixteen feet long, and then falconets, the smallest of which shot balls -the size of a grenade. This formidable artillery brought up the rear of -the procession, and formed the hindmost guard of the French army. - -It was six hours since the front guard entered the town; and as it was -now night and for every six artillery-men there was a torch-bearer, this -illumination gave to the objects around a more gloomy character than -they would have shown in the sunlight. The young king was to take up his -quarters in the Palazzo di Venezia, and all the artillery was directed -towards the plaza and the neighbouring streets. The remainder of the -army was dispersed about the town. The same evening, they brought to the -king, less to do honour to him than to assure him of his safety, the -keys of Rome and the keys of the Belvedere Garden. Just the same thing -had been done for the Duke of Calabria. - -The pope, as we said, had retired to the Castle S. Angelo with only six -cardinals, so from the day after his arrival the young king had around -him a court of very different brilliance from that of the head of the -Church. Then arose anew the question of a convocation to prove -Alexander's simony and proceed to depose him; but the king's chief -counsellors, gained over, as we know, pointed out that this was a bad -moment to excite a new schism in the Church, just when preparations were -being made for war against the infidels. As this was also the king's -private opinion, there was not much trouble in persuading him, and he -made up his mind to treat with His Holiness. - -But the negotiations had scarcely begun when they had to be broken off; -for the first thing Charles VIII demanded was the surrender of the -Castle S. Angelo, and as the pope saw in this castle his only refuge, it -was the last thing he chose to give up. Twice, in his youthful -impatience, Charles wanted to take by force what he could not get by -goodwill, and had his cannons directed towards the Holy Father's -dwelling-place; but the pope was unmoved by these demonstrations; and -obstinate as he was, this time it was the French king who gave way. - -This article, therefore, was set aside, and the following conditions -were agreed upon: - -That there should be from this day forward between His Majesty the King -of France and the Holy Father a sincere friendship and a firm alliance; - -Before the completion of the conquest of the kingdom of Naples, the King -of France should occupy, for the advantage and accommodation of his -army, the fortresses of Civita Vecchia, Terracina, and Spoleto; - -Lastly, the Cardinal Valentino (this was now the name of Caesar Borgia, -after his archbishopric of Valencia) should accompany the king in the -capacity of apostolic ambassador, really as a hostage. - -These conditions fixed, the ceremonial of an interview was arranged. The -king left the Palazzo di Venezia and went to live in the Vatican. At the -appointed time he entered by the door of a garden that adjoined the -palace, while the pope, who had not had to quit the Castle S. Angelo, -thanks to a corridor communicating between the two palaces, came down -into the same garden by another gate. The result of this arrangement was -that the king the next moment perceived the pope, and knelt down, but -the pope pretended not to see him, and the king advancing a few paces, -knelt a second time; as His Holiness was at that moment screened by some -masonry, this supplied him with another excuse, and the king went on -with the performance, got up again, once more advanced several steps, -and was on the point of kneeling down the third time face to face, when -the Holy Father at last perceived him, and, walking towards him as -though he would prevent him from kneeling, took off his own hat, and -pressing him to his heart, raised him up and tenderly kissed his -forehead, refusing to cover until the king had put his cap upon his -head, with the aid of the pope's own hands. Then, after they had stood -for a moment, exchanging polite and friendly speeches, the king lost no -time in praying His Holiness to be so good as to receive into the Sacred -College William Bricannet, the Bishop of St. Malo. As this matter had -been agreed upon beforehand by that prelate and His Holiness, though the -king was not aware of it, Alexander was pleased to get credit by -promptly granting the request; and he instantly ordered one of his -attendants to go to the house of his son, Cardinal Valentino, and fetch -a cape and hat. Then taking the king by the hand, he conducted him into -the hall of Papagalli, where the ceremony was to take place of the -admission of the new cardinal. The solemn oath of obedience which was to -be taken by Charles to His Holiness as supreme head of the Christian -Church was postponed till the following day. - -When that solemn day arrived, every person important in Rome, noble, -cleric, or soldier, assembled around His Holiness. Charles, on his side, -made his approach to the Vatican with a splendid following of princes, -prelates, and captains. At the threshold of the palace he found four -cardinals who had arrived before him: two of them placed themselves one -on each side of him, the two others behind him, and all his retinue -following, they traversed a long line of apartments full of guards and -servants, and at last arrived in the reception-room, where the pope was -seated on his throne, with his son, Caesar Borgia; behind him. On his -arrival at the door, the King of France began the usual ceremonial, and -when he had gone on from genuflexions to kissing the feet, the hand, and -the forehead, he stood up, while the first president of the Parliament -of Paris, in his turn stepping forward, said in a loud voice: - -"Very Holy Father, behold my king ready to offer to your Holiness that -oath of obedience that he owes to you; but in France it is customary -that he who offers himself as vassal to his lord shall receive in -exchange therefor such boons as he may demand. His Majesty, therefore, -while he pledges himself for his own part to behave unto your Holiness -with a munificence even greater than that wherewith your Holiness shall -behave unto him, is here to beg urgently that you accord him three -favours. These favours are: first, the confirmation of privileges -already granted to the king, to the queen his wife, and to the dauphin -his son; secondly, the investiture, for himself and his successors, of -the kingdom of Naples; lastly, the surrender to him of the person of the -sultan D'jem, brother of the Turkish emperor." - -At this address the pope was for a moment stupefied, for he did not -expect these three demands, which were moreover made so publicly by -Charles that no manner of refusal was possible. But quickly recovering -his presence of mind, he replied to the king that he would willingly -confirm the privileges that had been accorded to the house of France by -his predecessors; that he might therefore consider his first demand -granted; that the investiture of the kingdom was an affair that required -deliberation in a council of cardinals, but he would do all he possibly -could to induce them to accede to the king's desire; lastly, he must -defer the affair of the sultan's brother till a time more opportune for -discussing it with the Sacred College, but would venture to say that, as -this surrender could not fail to be for the good of Christendom, as it -was demanded for the purpose of assuring further the success of a -crusade, it would not be his fault if on this point also the king should -not be satisfied. - -At this reply, Charles bowed his head in sign of satisfaction, and the -first president stood up, uncovered, and resumed his discourse as -follows. - -"Very Holy Father, it is an ancient custom among Christian kings, -especially the Most Christian kings of France, to signify, through their -ambassadors, the respect they feel for the Holy See and the sovereign -pontiffs whom Divine Providence places thereon; but the Most Christian -king, having felt a desire to visit the tombs of the holy apostles, has -been pleased to pay this religious debt, which he regards as a sacred -duty, not by ambassadors or by delegates, but in his own person. This is -why, Very Holy Father, His Majesty the King of France is here to -acknowledge you as the true vicar of Christ, the legitimate successor of -the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and with promise and vow renders -you that filial and respectful devotion which the kings his predecessors -have been accustomed to promise and vow, devoting himself and all his -strength to the service of your Holiness and the interests of the Holy -See." - -The pope arose with a joyful heart; for this oath, so publicly made, -removed all his fears about a council; so inclined from this moment to -yield to the King of France anything he might choose to ask, he took him -by his left hand and made him a short and friendly reply, dubbing him -the Church's eldest son. The ceremony over, they left the hall, the pope -always holding the king's hand in his, and in this way they walked as -far as the room where the sacred vestments are put off; the pope feigned -a wish to conduct the king to his own apartments, but the king would not -suffer this, and, embracing once more, they separated, each to retire to -his own domicile. - -The king remained eight days longer at the Vatican, then returned to the -Palazzo San Marco. During these eight days all his demands were debated -and settled to his satisfaction. The Bishop of Mans was made cardinal; -the investiture of the kingdom of Naples was promised to the conqueror; -lastly, it was agreed that on his departure the King of France should -receive from the pope's hand the brother of the Emperor of -Constantinople, for a sum of 120,000 livres. But--the pope, desiring to -extend to the utmost the hospitality he had been bestowing, invited -D'jem to dinner on the very day that he was to leave Rome with his new -protector. - -When the moment of departure arrived, Charles mounted his horse in full -armour, and with a numerous and brilliant following made his way to the -Vatican; arrived at the door, he dismounted, and leaving his escort at -the Piazza of St. Peter, went up with a few gentlemen only. He found His -Holiness waiting for him, with Cardinal Valentino on his right, and on -his left D'jem, who, as we said before, was dining with him, and round -the table thirteen cardinals. The king at once, bending on his knee, -demanded the pope's benediction, and stooped to kiss his feet. But this -Alexander would not suffer; he took him in his arms, and with the lips -of a father and heart of an enemy, kissed him tenderly on his forehead. -Then the pope introduced the son of Mahomet II, who was a fine young -man, with something noble and regal in his air, presenting in his -magnificent oriental costume a great contrast in its fashion and -amplitude to the narrow, severe cut of the Christian apparel. D'jem -advanced to Charles without humility and without pride, and, like an -emperor's son treating with a king, kissed his hand and then his -shoulder; then, turning towards the Holy Father, he said in Italian, -which he spoke very well, that he entreated he would recommend him to -the young king, who was prepared to take him under his protection, -assuring the pontiff that he should never have to repent giving him his -liberty, and telling Charles that he hoped he might some day be proud of -him, if after taking Naples he carried out his intention of going on to -Greece. These words were spoken with so much dignity and at the same -time with such gentleness, that the King of France loyally and frankly -grasped the young sultan's hand, as though he were his -companion-in-arms. Then Charles took a final farewell of the pope, and -went down to the piazza. There he was awaited by Cardinal Valentino, who -was about to accompany him, as we know, as a hostage, and who had -remained behind to exchange a few words with his father. In a moment -Caesar Borgia appeared, riding on a splendidly harnessed mule, and -behind him were led six magnificent horses, a present from the Holy -Father to the King of France. Charles at once mounted one of these, to -do honour to the gift the pope had just conferred on him, and leaving -Rome with the rest of his troops, pursued his way towards Marino, where -he arrived the same evening. - -He learned there that Alfonso, belying his reputation as a clever -politician and great general, had just embarked with all his treasures -in a flotilla of four galleys, leaving the care of the war and the -management of his kingdom to his son Ferdinand. Thus everything went -well for the triumphant march of Charles: the gates of towns opened of -themselves at his approach, his enemies fled without waiting for his -coming, and before he had fought a single battle he had won for himself -the surname of Conqueror. - -The day after at dawn the army started once more, and after marching the -whole day, stopped in the evening at Velletri. There the king, who had -been on horseback since the morning, with Cardinal Valentine and D'jem, -left the former at his lodging, and taking D'jem with him, went on to -his own. Then Caesar Borgia, who among the army baggage had twenty very -heavy waggons of his own, had one of these opened, took out a splendid -cabinet with the silver necessary for his table, and gave orders for his -supper to be prepared, as he had done the night before. Meanwhile, night -had come on, and he shut himself up in a private chamber, where, -stripping off his cardinal's costume, he put on a groom's dress. Thanks -to this disguise, he issued from the house that had been assigned for -his accommodation without being recognised, traversed the streets, -passed through the gates, and gained the open country. Nearly half a -league outside the town, a servant awaited him with two swift horses. -Caesar, who was an excellent rider, sprang to the saddle, and he and his -companion at full gallop retraced the road to Rome, where they arrived -at break of day. Caesar got down at the house of one Flores, auditor of -the rota, where he procured a fresh horse and suitable clothes; then he -flew at once to his mother, who gave a cry of joy when she saw him; for -so silent and mysterious was the cardinal for all the world beside, and -even for her, that he had not said a word of his early return to Rome. -The cry of joy uttered by Rosa Vanozza when she beheld her son was far -more a cry of vengeance than of love. One evening, while everybody was -at the rejoicings in the Vatican, when Charles VIII and Alexander VI -were swearing a friendship which neither of them felt, and exchanging -oaths that were broken beforehand, a messenger from Rosa Vanozza had -arrived with a letter to Caesar, in which she begged him to come at once -to her house in the Via dellaLongara. Caesar questioned the messenger, -but he only replied that he could tell him nothing, that he would learn -all he cared to know from his mother's own lips. So, as soon as he was -at liberty, Caesar, in layman's dress and wrapped in a large cloak, -quitted the Vatican and made his way towards the church of Regina Coeli, -in the neighbourhood of which, it will be remembered, was the house -where the pope's mistress lived. - -As he approached his mother's house, Caesar began to observe the signs -of strange devastation. The street was scattered with the wreck of -furniture and strips of precious stuffs. As he arrived at the foot of -the little flight of steps that led to the entrance gate, he saw that -the windows were broken and the remains of torn curtains were fluttering -in front of them. Not understanding what this disorder could mean, he -rushed into the house and through several deserted and wrecked -apartments. At last, seeing light in one of the rooms, he went in, and -there found his mother sitting on the remains of a chest made of ebony -all inlaid with ivory and silver. When she saw Caesar, she rose, pale -and dishevelled, and pointing to the desolation around her, exclaimed: - -"Look, Caesar; behold the work of your new friends." - -"But what does it mean, mother?" asked the cardinal. "Whence comes all -this disorder?" - -"From the serpent," replied Rosa Vanozza, gnashing her teeth,--"from the -serpent you have warmed in your bosom. He has bitten me, fearing no -doubt that his teeth would be broken on you." - -"Who has done this?" cried Caesar. "Tell me, and, by Heaven, mother, he -shall pay, and pay indeed!" - -"Who?" replied Rosa. "King Charles VIII has done it, by the hands of his -faithful allies, the Swiss. It was well known that Melchior was away, -and that I was living alone with a few wretched servants; so they came -and broke in the doors, as though they were taking Rome by storm, and -while Cardinal Valentino was making holiday with their master, they -pillaged his mother's house, loading her with insults and outrages which -no Turks or Saracens could possibly have improved upon." - -"Very good, very good, mother," said Caesar; "be calm; blood shall wash -out disgrace. Consider a moment; what we have lost is nothing compared -with what we might lose; and my father and I, you may be quite sure, -will give you back more than they have stolen from you." - -"I ask for no promises," cried Rosa; "I ask for revenge." - -"My mother," said the cardinal, "you shall be avenged, or I will lose -the name of son." - -Having by these words reassured his mother, he took her to Lucrezia's -palace, which in consequence of her marriage with Pesaro was unoccupied, -and himself returned to the Vatican, giving orders that his mother's -house should be refurnished more magnificently than before the disaster. -These orders were punctually executed, and it was among her new -luxurious surroundings, but with the same hatred in her heart, that -Caesar on this occasion found his mother. This feeling prompted her cry -of joy when she saw him once more. - -The mother and son exchanged a very few words; then Caesar, mounting on -horseback, went to the Vatican, whence as a hostage he had departed two -days before. Alexander, who knew of the flight beforehand, and not only -approved, but as sovereign pontiff had previously absolved his son of -the perjury he was about to commit, received him joyfully, but all the -same advised him to lie concealed, as Charles in all probability would -not be slow to reclaim his hostage: - -Indeed, the next day, when the king got up, the absence of Cardinal -Valentino was observed, and as Charles was uneasy at not seeing him, he -sent to inquire what had prevented his appearance. When the messenger -arrived at the house that Caesar had left the evening before, he learned -that he had gone out at nine o'clock in the evening and not returned -since. He went back with this news to the king, who at once suspected -that he had fled, and in the first flush of his anger let the whole army -know of his perjury. The soldiers then remembered the twenty waggons, so -heavily laden, from one of which the cardinal, in the sight of all, had -produced such magnificent gold and silver plate; and never doubting that -the cargo of the others was equally precious, they fetched them down and -broke them to pieces; but inside they found nothing but stones and sand, -which proved to the king that the flight had been planned a long time -back, and incensed him doubly against the pope. So without loss of time -he despatched to Rome Philippe de Bresse, afterwards Duke of Savoy, with -orders to intimate to the Holy Father his displeasure at this conduct. -But the pope replied that he knew nothing whatever about his son's -flight, and expressed the sincerest regret to His Majesty, declaring -that he knew nothing of his whereabouts, but was certain that he was not -in Rome. As a fact, the pope was speaking the truth this time, for -Caesar had gone with Cardinal Orsino to one of his estates, and was -temporarily in hiding there. This reply was conveyed to Charles by two -messengers from the pope, the Bishops of Nepi and of Sutri, and the -people also sent an ambassador in their own behalf. He was Monsignore -Porcari, dean of the rota, who was charged to communicate to the king -the displeasure of the Romans when they learned of the cardinal's breach -of faith. Little as Charles was disposed to content himself with empty -words, he had to turn his attention to more serious affairs; so he -continued his march to Naples without stopping, arriving there on -Sunday, the 22nd of February, 1495. - -Four days later, the unlucky D'jem, who had fallen sick at Capua died at -Castel Nuovo. When he was leaving, at the farewell banquet, Alexander -had tried on his guest the poison he intended to use so often later on -upon his cardinals, and whose effects he was destined to feel -himself,--such is poetical justice. In this way the pope had secured a -double haul; for, in his twofold speculation in this wretched young man, -he had sold him alive to Charles for 120,000 livres and sold him dead to -Bajazet for 300,00 ducats.... - -But there was a certain delay about the second payment; for the Turkish -emperor, as we remember, was not bound to pay the price of fratricide -till he received the corpse, and by Charles's order the corpse had been -buried at Gaeta. - -When Caesar Borgia learned the news, he rightly supposed that the king -would be so busy settling himself in his new capital that he would have -too much to think of to be worrying about him; so he went to Rome again, -and, anxious to keep his promise to his mother, he signalised his return -by a terrible vengeance. - -Cardinal Valentino had in his service a certain Spaniard whom he had -made the chief of his bravoes; he was a man of five-and-thirty or forty, -whose whole life had been one long rebellion against society's laws; he -recoiled from no action, provided only he could get his price. This Don -Michele Correglia, who earned his celebrity for bloody deeds under the -name of Michelotto, was just the man Caesar wanted; and whereas -Michelotto felt an unbounded admiration for Caesar, Caesar had unlimited -confidence in Michelotto. It was to him the cardinal entrusted the -execution of one part of his vengeance; the other he kept for himself. - -Don Michele received orders to scour the Campagna and cut every French -throat he could find. He began his work at once; and very few days -elapsed before he had obtained most satisfactory results: more than a -hundred persons were robbed or assassinated, and among the last the son -of Cardinal de St. Malo, who was en his way back to France, and on whom -Michelotto found a sum of 3000 crowns. - -For himself, Caesar reserved the Swiss; for it was the Swiss in -particular who had despoiled his mother's house. The pope had in his -service about a hundred and fifty soldiers belonging to their nation, -who had settled their families in Rome, and had grown rich partly by -their pay and partly in the exercise of various industries. The cardinal -had every one of them dismissed, with orders to quit Rome within -twenty-four hours and the Roman territories within three days. The poor -wretches had all collected together to obey the order, with their wives -and children and baggage, on the Piazza of St. Peter, when suddenly, by -Cardinal Valentino's orders, they were hemmed in on all sides by two -thousand Spaniards, who began to fire on them with their guns and charge -them with their sabres, while Caesar and his mother looked down upon the -carnage from a window. In this way they killed fifty or perhaps sixty; -but the rest coming up, made a charge at the assassins, and then, -without suffering any loss, managed to beat a retreat to a house, where -they stood a siege, and made so valiant a defense that they gave the -pope time--he knew nothing of the author of this butchery--to send the -captain of his guard to the rescue, who, with a strong detachment, -succeeded in getting nearly forty of them safely out of the town: the -rest had been massacred on the piazza or killed in the house. - -But this was no real and adequate revenge; for it did not touch Charles -himself, the sole author of all the troubles that the pope and his -family had experienced during the last year. So Caesar soon abandoned -vulgar schemes of this kind and busied himself with loftier concerns, -bending all the force of his genius to restore the league of Italian -princes that had been broken by the defection of Sforza, the exile of -Piero dei Medici, and the defeat of Alfonso. The enterprise was more -easily accomplished than the pope could have anticipated. The Venetians -were very uneasy when Charles passed so near, and they trembled lest, -when he was once master of Naples, he might conceive the idea of -conquering the rest of Italy. Ludovico Sforza, on his side, was -beginning to tremble, seeing the rapidity with which the King of France -had dethroned the house of Aragon, lest he might not make much -difference between his allies and his enemies. Maximilian, for his part, -was only seeking an occasion to break the temporary peace which he had -granted for the sake of the concession made to him. Lastly, Ferdinand -and Isabella were allies of the dethroned house. And so it came about -that all of them, for different reasons, felt a common fear, and were -soon in agreement as to the necessity of driving out Charles VIII, not -only from Naples, but from Italy, and pledged themselves to work -together to this end, by every means in their power, by negotiations, by -trickery, or by actual force. The Florentines alone refused to take part -in this general levy of arms, and remained faithful to their promises. - -According to the articles of the treaty agreed upon by the confederates, -the alliance was to last for five-and-twenty years, and had for -ostensible object the upholding of the majority of the pope, and the -interests of Christendom; and these preparations might well have been -taken for such as would precede a crusade against the Turks, if -Bajazet's ambassador had not always been present at the deliberations, -although the Christian princes could not have dared for very shame to -admit the, sultan by name into their league. Now the confederates had to -set on foot an army of 30,000 horse and 20,000 infantry, and each of -them was taxed for a contingent; thus the pope was to furnish 4000 -horse, Maximilian 6000, the King of Spain, the Duke of Milan, and the -republic of Venice, 8000 each. Every confederate was, in addition to -this, to levy and equip 4000 infantry in the six weeks following the -signature of the treaty. The fleets were to be equipped by the Maritime -States; but any expenses they should incur later on were to be defrayed -by all in equal shares. - -The formation of this league was made public on the 12th of April, 1495, -Palm Sunday, and in all the Italian States, especially at Rome, was made -the occasion of fetes and immense rejoicings. Almost as soon as the -publicly known articles were announced the secret ones were put into -execution. These obliged Ferdinand and Isabella to send a fleet of sixty -galleys to Ischia, where Alfonso's son had retired, with six hundred -horsemen on board and five thousand infantry, to help him to ascend the -throne once more. Those troops were to be put under the command of -Gonzalvo of Cordova, who had gained the reputation of the greatest -general in Europe after the taking of Granada. The Venetians with a -fleet of forty galleys under the command of Antonio Grimani, were to -attack all the French stations on the coast of Calabria and Naples. The -Duke of Milan promised for his part to check all reinforcements as they -should arrive from France, and to drive the Duke of Orleans out of Asti. - -Lastly, there was Maximilian, who had promised to make invasions on the -frontiers, and Bajazet, who was to help with money, ships, and soldiers -either the Venetians or the Spaniards, according as he might be appealed -to by Barberigo or by Ferdinand the Catholic. - -This league was all the more disconcerting for Charles, because of the -speedy abatement of the enthusiasm that had hailed his first appearance. -What had happened to him was what generally happens to a conqueror who -has more good luck than talent; instead of making himself a party among -the great Neapolitan and Calabrian vassals, whose roots would be -embedded in the very soil, by confirming their privileges and augmenting -their power, he had wounded their feelings by bestowing all the titles, -offices, and fiefs on those alone who had followed him from France, so -that all the important positions in the kingdom were filled by -strangers. - -The result was that just when the league was made known, Tropea and -Amantea, which had been presented by Charles to the Seigneur de Precy, -rose in revolt and hoisted the banner of Aragon; and the Spanish fleet -had only to present itself at Reggio, in Calabria, for the town to throw -open its gates, being more discontented with the new rule than the old; -and Don Federiga, Alfonso's brother and Ferdinand's uncle, who had -hitherto never quitted Brindisi, had only to appear at Tarentum to be -received there as a liberator. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -CHARLES learned all this news at Naples, and, tired of his late -conquests, which necessitated a labour in organisation for which he was -quite unfitted, turned his eyes towards France, where victorious fetes -and rejoicings were awaiting the victor's return. So he yielded at the -first breath of his advisers, and retraced his road to his kingdom, -threatened, as was said, by the Germans on the north and the Spaniards -on the south. Consequently, he appointed Gilbert de Montpensier, of the -house of Bourbon, viceroy; d'Aubigny, of the Scotch Stuart family, -lieutenant in Calabria; Etienne de Vese, commander at Gaeta; and Don -Juliano, Gabriel de Montfaucon, Guillaume de Villeneuve, George de -Lilly, the bailiff of Vitry, and Graziano Guerra respectively governors -of Sant' Angelo, Manfredonia, Trani, Catanzaro, Aquila, and Sulmone; -then leaving behind in evidence of his claims the half of his Swiss, a -party of his Gascons, eight hundred French lances, and about five -hundred Italian men-at-arms, the last under the command of the prefect -of Rome, Prospero and Fabrizio Colonna, and Antonio Savelli, he left -Naples on the 20th of May at two o'clock in the afternoon, to traverse -the whole of the Italian peninsula with the rest of his army, consisting -of eight hundred French lances, two hundred gentlemen of his guard, one -hundred Italian men-at-arms, three thousand Swiss infantry, one thousand -French and one thousand Gascon. He also expected to be joined by Camillo -Vitelli and his brothers in Tuscany, who were to contribute two hundred -and fifty men-at-arms. - -A week before he left Naples, Charles had sent to Rome Monseigneur de -Saint-Paul, brother of Cardinal de Luxembourg; and just as he was -starting he despatched thither the new Archbishop of Lyons. They both -were commissioned to assure Alexander that the King of France had the -most sincere desire and the very best intention of remaining his friend. -In truth, Charles wished for nothing so much as to separate the pope -from the league, so as to secure him as a spiritual and temporal -support; but a young king, full of fire, ambition, and courage, was not -the neighbour to suit Alexander; so the latter would listen to nothing, -and as the troops he had demanded from the doge and Ludavico Sforza had -not been sent in sufficient number for the defense of Rome, he was -content with provisioning the castle of S. Angelo, putting in a -formidable garrison, and leaving Cardinal Sant' Anastasio to receive -Charles while he himself withdrew with Caesar to Orvieto. Charles only -stayed in Rome three days, utterly depressed because the pope had -refused to receive him in spite of his entreaties. And in these three -days, instead of listening to Giuliano della Rovere, who was advising -him once more to call a council and depose the pope, he rather hoped to -bring the pope round to his side by the virtuous act of restoring the -citadels of Terracina and Civita Vecchia to the authorities of the -Romagna, only keeping for himself Ostia, which he had promised Giuliano -to give back to him. At last, when the three days had elapsed, he left -Rome, and resumed his march in three columns towards Tuscany, crossed -the States of the Church, and on the 13th reached Siena, where he was -joined by Philippe de Commines, who had gone as ambassador extraordinary -to the Venetian Republic, and now announced that the enemy had forty -thousand men under arms and were preparing for battle. This news -produced no other effect on the king and the gentlemen of his army than -to excite their amusement beyond measure; for they had conceived such a -contempt for their enemy by their easy conquest, that they could not -believe that any army, however numerous, would venture to oppose their -passage. - -Charles, however, was forced to give way in the face of facts, when he -heard at San Teranza that his vanguard, commanded by Marechal de Gie, -and composed of six hundred lances and fifteen hundred Swiss, when it -arrived at Fornova had come face to face with the confederates, who had -encamped at Guiarole. The marechal had ordered an instant halt, and he -too had pitched his tents, utilising for his defence the natural -advantages of the hilly ground. When these first measures had been -taken, he sent out, first, a herald to the enemy's camp to ask from -Francesco di Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, generalissimo of the -confederate troops, a passage for his king's army and provisions at a -reasonable price; and secondly, he despatched a courier to Charles VIII, -pressing him to hurry on his march with the artillery and rearguard. The -confederates had given an evasive answer, for they were pondering -whether they ought to jeopardise the whole Italian force in a single -combat, and, putting all to the hazard, attempt to annihilate the King -of France and his army together, so overwhelming the conqueror in the -ruins of his ambition. The messenger found Charles busy superintending -the passage of the last of his cannon over the mountain of Pontremoli. -This was no easy matter, seeing that there was no sort of track, and the -guns had to be lifted up and lowered by main force, and each piece -needed the arms of as many as two hundred men. At last, when all the -artillery had arrived without accident on the other side of the -Apennines, Charles started in hot haste for Fornovo, where he arrived -with all his following on the morning of the next day. - -From the top of the mountain where the Marechal de Gie had pitched his -tents, the king beheld both his own camp and the enemy's. Both were on -the right bank of the Taro, and were at either end of a semicircular -chain of hills resembling an amphitheatre; and the space between the two -camps, a vast basin filled during the winter floods by the torrent which -now only marked its boundary, was nothing but a plain covered with -gravel, where all manoeuvres must be equally difficult for horse and -infantry. Besides, on the western slope of the hills there was a little -wood which extended from the enemy's army to the French, and was in the -possession of the Stradiotes, who, by help of its cover, had already -engaged in several skirmishes with the French troops during the two days -of halt while they were waiting for the king. - -The situation was not reassuring. From the top of the mountain which -overlooked Fornovo, one could get a view, as we said before, of the two -camps, and could easily calculate the numerical difference between them. -The French army, weakened by the establishment of garrisons in the -various towns and fortresses they had won in Italy, were scarcely eight -thousand strong, while the combined forces of Milan and Venice exceeded -a total of thirty-five thousand. So Charles decided to try once more the -methods of conciliation, and sent Commines, who, as we know, had joined -him in Tuscany, to the Venetian 'proveditori', whose acquaintance he had -made when on his embassy; he having made a great impression on these -men, thanks to a general high opinion of his merits. He was commissioned -to tell the enemy's generals, in the name of the King of France, that -his master only desired to continue his road without doing or receiving -any harm; that therefore he asked to be allowed a free passage across -the fair plains of Lombardy, which he could see from the heights where -he now stood, stretching as far as the eye could reach, away to the foot -of the Alps. Commines found the confederate army deep in discussion: the -wish of the Milanese and Venetian party being to let the king go by, and -not attack him; they said they were only too happy that he should leave -Italy in this way, without causing any further harm; but the ambassadors -of Spain and Germany took quite another view. As their masters had no -troops in the army, and as all the money they had promised was already -paid, they must be the gainer in either case from a battle, whichever -way it went: if they won the day they would gather the fruits of -victory, and if they lost they would experience nothing of the evils of -defeat. This want of unanimity was the reason why the answer to Commines -was deferred until the following day, and why it was settled that on the -next day he should hold another conference with a plenipotentiary to be -appointed in the course of that night. The place of this conference was -to be between the two armies. - -The king passed the night in great uneasiness. All day the weather had -threatened to turn to rain, and we have already said how rapidly the -Taro could swell; the river, fordable to-day, might from tomorrow -onwards prove an insurmountable obstacle; and possibly the delay had -only been asked for with a view to putting the French army in a worse -position. As a fact the night had scarcely come when a terrible storm -arose, and so long as darkness lasted, great rumblings were heard in the -Apennines, and the sky was brilliant with lightning. At break of day, -however, it seemed to be getting a little calmer, though the Taro, only -a streamlet the day before, had become a torrent by this time, and was -rapidly rising. So at six in the morning, the king, ready armed and on -horseback, summoned Commines and bade him make his way to the rendezvous -that the Venetian 'proveditori' had assigned. But scarcely had he -contrived to give the order when loud cries were heard coming from the -extreme right of the French army. The Stradiotes, under cover of the -wood stretching between the two camps, had surprised an outpost, and -first cutting the soldiers' throats, were carrying off their heads in -their usual way at the saddle-bow. A detachment of cavalry was sent in -pursuit; but, like wild animals, they had retreated to their lair in the -woods, and there disappeared. - -This unexpected engagement, in all probability arranged beforehand by -the Spanish and German envoys, produced on the whole army the effect of -a spark applied to a train of gunpowder. Commines and the Venetian -'proveditori' each tried in vain to arrest the combat on either side. -Light troops, eager for a skirmish, and, in the usual fashion of those -days, prompted only by that personal courage which led them on to -danger, had already come to blows, rushing down into the plain as though -it were an amphitheatre where they might make a fine display of arms. -For a moment the young king, drawn on by example, was on the point of -forgetting the responsibility of a general in his zeal as a soldier; but -this first impulse was checked by Marechal de Gie, Messire Claude de la -Chatre de Guise, and M. de la Trimauille, who persuaded Charles to adopt -the wiser plan, and to cross the Taro without seeking a battle,--at the -same time without trying to avoid it, should the enemy cross the river -from their camp and attempt to block his passage. The king accordingly, -following the advice of his wisest and bravest captains, thus arranged -his divisions. - -The first comprised the van and a body of troops whose duty it was to -support them. The van consisted of three hundred and fifty men-at-arms, -the best and bravest of the army, under the command of Marechal de Gie -and Jacques Trivulce; the corps following them consisted of three -thousand Swiss, under the command of Engelbert der Cleves and de Larnay, -the queen's grand equerry; next came three hundred archers of the guard, -whom the king had sent to help the cavalry by fighting in the spaces -between them. - -The second division, commanded by the king in person and forming the -middle of the army, was composed of the artillery, under Jean de -Lagrange, a hundred gentlemen of the guard with Gilles Carrone for -standard-bearer, pensioners of the king's household under Aymar de Prie, -some Scots, and two hundred cross-bowmen on horseback, with French -archers besides, led by M. de Crussol. - -Lastly, the third division, i.e. the rear, preceded by six thousand -beasts of burden bearing the baggage, was composed of only three hundred -men-at-arms, commanded by de Guise and by de la Trimouille: this was the -weakest part of the army. - -When this arrangement was settled, Charles ordered the van to cross the -river, just at the little town of Fornovo. This was done at once, the -riders getting wet up to their knees, and the footmen holding to the -horses' tails. As soon as he saw the last soldiers of his first division -on the opposite bank, he started himself to follow the same road and -cross at the same ford, giving orders to de Guise and de la Trimouille -to regulate the march of the rear guard by that of the centre, just as -he had regulated their march by that of the van. His orders were -punctually carried out; and about ten o'clock in the morning the whole -French army was on the left bank of the Taro: at the same time, when it -seemed certain from the enemy's arrangements that battle was imminent, -the baggage, led by the captain, Odet de Reberac, was separated from the -rear guard, and retired to the extreme left. - -Now, Francisco de Gonzaga, general-in-chief of the confederate troops, -had modelled his plans on those of the King of France; by his orders, -Count de Cajazzo, with four hundred men-at-arms and two thousand -infantry, had crossed the Taro where the Venetian camp lay, and was to -attack the French van; while Gonzaga himself, following the right bank -as far as Fornovo, would go over the river by the same ford that Charles -had used, with a view to attacking his rear. Lastly, he had placed the -Stradiotes between these two fords, with orders to cross the river in -their turn, so soon as they saw the French army attacked both in van and -in the rear, and to fall upon its flank. Not content with offensive -measures, Gonzaga had also made provision for retreat by leaving three -reserve corps on the right bank, one to guard the camp under the -instruction of the Venetian 'provveditori', and the other two arranged -in echelon to support each other, the first commanded by Antonio di -Montefeltro, the second by Annibale Bentivoglio. - -Charles had observed all these arrangements, and had recognised the -cunning Italian strategy which made his opponents the finest generals in -the world; but as there was no means of avoiding the danger, he had -decided to take a sideway course, and had given orders to continue the -match; but in a minute the French army was caught between Count di -Cajazzo, barring the way with his four hundred men-at-arms and his two -thousand infantry, and Gonzaga in pursuit of the rear, as we said -before; leading six hundred men-at-arms, the flower of his army, a -squadron of Stradiotes, and more than five thousand infantry: this -division alone was stronger than the whole of the French army. - -When, however, M. de Guise and M. de la Trimouille found themselves -pressed in this way, they ordered their two hundred men-at-arms to turn -right about face, while at the opposite end--that is, at the head of the -army-Marechal de Gie and Trivulce ordered a halt and lances in rest. -Meanwhile, according to custom, the king, who, as we said, was in the -centre, was conferring knighthood on those gentlemen who had earned the -favour either by virtue of their personal powers or the king's special -friendship. - -Suddenly there was heard a terrible clash behind. It was the French -rearguard coming to blows with the Marquis of Mantua. In this encounter, -where each man had singled out his own foe as though it were a -tournament, very many lances were broken, especially those of the -Italian knights; for their lances were hollowed so as to be less heavy, -and in consequence had less solidity. Those who were thus disarmed at -once seized their swords. As they were far more numerous than the -French, the king saw them suddenly outflanking his right wing and -apparently prepared to surround it; at the same moment loud cries were -heard from a direction facing the centre: this meant that the Stradiotes -were crossing the river to make their attack. - -The king at once ordered his division into two detachments, and giving -one to Bourbon the bastard, to make head against the Stradiotes, he -hurried with the second to the rescue of the van, flinging himself into -the very midst of the melee, striking out like a king, and doing as -steady work as the lowest in rank of his captains. Aided by the -reinforcement, the rearguard made a good stand, though the enemy were -five against one, and the combat in this part continued to rage with -wonderful fury. - -Obeying his orders, Bourbon had thrown himself upon the Stradiotes; but -unfortunately, carried off by his horse, he had penetrated so far into -the enemy's ranks that he was lost to sight: the disappearance of their -chief, the strange dress of their new antagonists, and the peculiar -method of their fighting produced a considerable effect on those who -were to attack them; and for the moment disorder was the consequence in -the centre, and the horse men scattered instead of serrying their ranks -and fighting in a body. This false move would have done them serious -harm, had not most of the Stradiotes, seeing the baggage alone and -undefended, rushed after that in hope of booty, instead of following up -their advantage. A great part of the troop nevertheless stayed behind to -fight, pressing on the French cavalry and smashing their lances with -their fearful scimitars. Happily the king, who had just repulsed the -Marquis of Mantua's attack, perceived what was going on behind him, and -riding back at all possible speed to the succour of the centre, together -with the gentlemen of his household fell upon the Stradiotes, no longer -armed with a lance, for that he had just broken, but brandishing his -long sword, which blazed about him like lightning, and--either because -he was whirled away like Bourbon by his own horse, or because he had -allowed his courage to take him too far--he suddenly found himself in -the thickest ranks of the Stradiotes, accompanied only by eight of the -knights he had just now created, one equerry called Antoine des Ambus, -and his standard-bearer. "France, France!" he cried aloud, to rally -round him all the others who had scattered; they, seeing at last that -the danger was less than they had supposed, began to take their revenge -and to pay back with interest the blows they had received from the -Stradiotes. Things were going still better for the van, which the -Marquis de Cajazzo was to attack; for although he had at first appeared -to be animated with a terrible purpose, he stopped short about ten or -twelve feet from the French line and turned right about face without -breaking a single lance. The French wanted to pursue, but the Marechal -de Gie, fearing that this flight might be only a trick to draw off the -vanguard from the centre, ordered every man to stay in his place. But -the Swiss, who were German, and did not understand the order, or thought -it was not meant for them, followed upon their heels, and although on -foot caught them up and killed a hundred of them. This was quite enough -to throw them into disorder, so that some were scattered about the -plain, and others made a rush for the water, so as to cross the river -and rejoin their camp. - -When the Marechal de Gie saw this, he detached a hundred of his own men -to go to the aid of the king, who was continuing to fight with -unheard-of courage and running the greatest risks, constantly separated -as he was from his gentlemen, who could not follow him; for wherever -there was danger, thither he rushed, with his cry of "France," little -troubling himself as to whether he was followed or not. And it was no -longer with his sword that he fought; that he had long ago broken, like -his lance, but with a heavy battle-axe, whose every blow was mortal -whether cut or pierced. Thus the Stradiotes, already hard pressed by the -king's household and his pensioners, soon changed attack for defence and -defence for flight. It was at this moment that the king was really in -the greatest danger; for he had let himself be carried away in pursuit -of the fugitives, and presently found himself all alone, surrounded by -these men, who, had they not been struck with a mighty terror, would -have had nothing to do but unite and crush him and his horse together; -but, as Commines remarks, "He whom God guards is well guarded, and God -was guarding the King of France." - -All the same, at this moment the French were sorely pressed in the rear; -and although de Guise and de la Trimouille held out as firmly as it was -possible to hold, they would probably have been compelled to yield to -superior numbers had not a double aid arrived in time: first the -indefatigable Charles, who, having nothing more to do among the -fugitives, once again dashed into the midst of the fight, next the -servants of the army, who, now that they were set free from the -Stradiotes and saw their enemies put to flight, ran up armed with the -axes they habitually used to cut down wood for building their huts: they -burst into the middle of the fray, slashing at the horses' legs and -dealing heavy blows that smashed in the visors of the dismounted -horsemen. - -The Italians could not hold out against this double attack; the 'furia -francese' rendered all their strategy and all their calculations -useless, especially as for more than a century they had abandoned their -fights of blood and fury for a kind of tournament they chose to regard -as warfare; so, in spite of all Gonzaga's efforts, they turned their -backs upon the French rear and took to flight; in the greatest haste and -with much difficulty they recrossed the torrent, which was swollen even -more now by the rain that had been falling during the whole time of the -battle. - -Some thought fit to pursue the vanquished, for there was now such -disorder in their ranks that they were fleeing in all directions from -the battlefield where the French had gained so glorious a victory, -blocking up the roads to Parma and Bercetto. But Marechal de Gie and de -Guise and de la Trimouille, who had done quite enough to save them from -the suspicion of quailing before imaginary dangers, put a stop to this -enthusiasm, by pointing out that it would only be risking the loss of -their present advantage if they tried to push it farther with men and -horses so worn out. This view was adopted in spite of the opinion of -Trivulce, Camillo Vitelli, and Francesco Secco, who were all eager to -follow up the victory. - -The king retired to a little village on the left bank of the Taro, and -took shelter in a poor house. There he disarmed, being perhaps among all -the captains and all the soldiers the man who had fought best. - -During the night the torrent swelled so high that the Italian army could -not have pursued, even if they had laid aside their fears. The king did -not propose to give the appearance of flight after a victory, and -therefore kept his army drawn up all day, and at night went on to sleep -at Medesano, a little village only a mile lower down than the hamlet -where he rested after the fight. But in the course of the night he -reflected that he had done enough for the honour of his arms in fighting -an army four times as great as his own and killing three thousand men, -and then waiting a day and a half to give them time to take their -revenge; so two hours before daybreak he had the fires lighted, that the -enemy might suppose he was remaining in camp; and every man mounting -noiselessly, the whole French army, almost out of danger by this time, -proceeded on their march to Borgo San Donnino. - -While this was going on, the pope returned to Rome, where news highly -favourable to his schemes was not slow to reach his ears. He learned -that Ferdinand had crossed from Sicily into Calabria with six thousand -volunteers and a considerable number of Spanish horse and foot, led, at -the command of Ferdinand and Isabella, by the famous Gonzalva de -Cordova, who arrived in Italy with a great reputation, destined to -suffer somewhat from the defeat at Seminara. At almost the same time the -French fleet had been beaten by the Aragonese; moreover, the battle of -the Taro, though a complete defeat for the confederates, was another -victory for the pope, because its result was to open a return to France -for that man whom he regarded as his deadliest foe. So, feeling that he -had nothing more to fear from Charles, he sent him a brief at Turin, -where he had stopped for a short time to give aid to Novara, therein -commanding him, by virtue of his pontifical authority, to depart out of -Italy with his army, and to recall within ten days those of his troops -that still remained in the kingdom of Naples, on pain of -excommunication, and a summons to appear before him in person. - -Charles VIII replied: - - (1) That he did not understand how the pope, the chief of the league, - ordered him to leave Italy, whereas the confederates had not only - refused him a passage, but had even attempted, though - unsuccessfully, as perhaps His Holiness knew, to cut off his - return into France; - (2) That, as to recalling his troops from Naples, he was not so - irreligious as to do that, since they had not entered the kingdom - without the consent and blessing of His Holiness; - (3) That he was exceedingly surprised that the pope should require his - presence in person at the capital of the Christian world just at - the present time, when six weeks previously, at the time of his - return from Naples, although he ardently desired an interview with - His Holiness, that he might offer proofs of his respect and - obedience, His Holiness, instead of according this favour, had - quitted Rome so hastily on his approach that he had not been able - to come up with him by any efforts whatsoever. On this point, - however, he promised to give His Holiness the satisfaction he - desired, if he would engage this time to wait for him: he would - therefore return to Rome so soon as the affairs that brought him - back to his own kingdom had been satisfactorily, settled. - -Although in this reply there was a touch of mockery and defiance, -Charles was none the less compelled by the circumstances of the case to -obey the pope's strange brief. His presence was so much needed in France -that, in spite of the arrival of a Swiss reinforcement, he was compelled -to conclude a peace with Ludovico Sforza, whereby he yielded Novara to -him; while Gilbert de Montpensier and d'Aubigny, after defending, inch -by inch, Calabria, the Basilicate, and Naples, were obliged to sign the -capitulation of Atella, after a siege of thirty-two days, on the 20th of -July, 1496. This involved giving back to Ferdinand II, King of Naples, -all the palaces and fortresses of his kingdom; which indeed he did but -enjoy for three months, dying of exhaustion on the 7th of September -following, at the Castello della Somma, at the foot of Vesuvius; all the -attentions lavished upon him by his young wife could not repair the evil -that her beauty had wrought. - -His uncle Frederic succeeded; and so, in the three years of his papacy, -Alexander VI had seen five kings upon the throne of Naples, while he was -establishing himself more firmly upon his own pontifical seat--Ferdinand -I, Alfonso I, Charles VIII, Ferdinand II, and Frederic. All this -agitation about his throne, this rapid succession of sovereigns, was the -best thing possible for Alexander; for each new monarch became actually -king only on condition of his receiving the pontifical investiture. The -consequence was that Alexander was the only gainer in power and credit -by these changes; for the Duke of Milan and the republics of Florence -and Venice had successively recognised him as supreme head of the -Church, in spite of his simony; moreover, the five kings of Naples had -in turn paid him homage. So he thought the time had now come for -founding a mighty family; and for this he relied upon the Duke of -Gandia, who was to hold all the highest temporal dignities; and upon -Caesar Borgia, who was to be appointed to all the great ecclesiastical -offices. The pope made sure of the success of these new projects by -electing four Spanish cardinals, who brought up the number of his -compatriots in the Sacred College to twenty-two, thus assuring him a -constant and certain majority. - -The first requirement of the pope's policy was to clear away from the -neighbourhood of Rome all those petty lords whom most people call vicars -of the Church, but whom Alexander called the shackles of the papacy. We -saw that he had already begun this work by rousing the Orsini against -the Colonna family, when Charles VIII's enterprise compelled him to -concentrate all his mental resources, and also the forces of his States, -so as to secure his own personal safety. - -It had come about through their own imprudent action that the Orsini, -the pope's old friends, were now in the pay of the French, and had -entered the kingdom of Naples with them, where one of them, Virginio, a -very important member of their powerful house, had been taken prisoner -during the war, and was Ferdinand II's captive. Alexander could not let -this opportunity escape him; so, first ordering the King of Naples not -to release a man who, ever since the 1st of June, 1496, had been a -declared rebel, he pronounced a sentence of confiscation against -Virginio Orsini and his whole family in a secret consistory, which sat -on the 26th of October following--that is to say, in the early days of -the reign of Frederic, whom he knew to be entirely at his command, owing -to the King's great desire of getting the investiture from him; then, as -it was not enough to declare the goods confiscated, without also -dispossessing the owners, he made overtures to the Colonna family, -saying he would commission them, in proof of their new bond of -friendship, to execute the order given against their old enemies under -the direction of his son Francesco, Duke of Gandia. In this fashion he -contrived to weaken his neighbours each by means of the other, till such -time as he could safely attack and put an end to conquered and conqueror -alike. - -The Colonna family accepted this proposition, and the Duke of Gandia was -named General of the Church: his father in his pontifical robes bestowed -on him the insignia of this office in the church of St. Peter's at Rome. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -Matters went forward as Alexander had wished, and before the end of the -year the pontifical army had seized a great number of castles and -fortresses that belonged to the Orsini, who thought themselves already -lost when Charles VIII came to the rescue. They had addressed themselves -to him without much hope that he could be of real use to there, with his -want of armed troops and his preoccupation with his own affairs. He, -however, sent Carlo Orsini, son of Virginio, the prisoner, and -Vitellozzo Vitelli, brother of Camillo Vitelli, one of the three valiant -Italian condottieri who had joined him and fought for him at the -crossing of the Taro: These two captains, whose courage and skill were -well known, brought with them a considerable sum of money from the -liberal coffers of Charles VIII. Now, scarcely had they arrived at Citta -di Castello, the centre of their little sovereignty, and expressed their -intention of raising a band of soldiers, when men presented themselves -from all sides to fight under their banner; so they very soon assembled -a small army, and as they had been able during their stay among the -French to study those matters of military organisation in which France -excelled, they now applied the result of their learning to their own -troops: the improvements were mainly certain changes in the artillery -which made their manoeuvres easier, and the substitution for their -ordinary weapons of pikes similar in form to the Swiss pikes, but two -feet longer. These changes effected, Vitellozzo Vitelli spent three or -four months in exercising his men in the management of their new -weapons; then, when he thought them fit to make good use of these, and -when he had collected more or less help from the towns of Perugia, Todi, -and Narni, where the inhabitants trembled lest their turn should come -after the Orsini's, as the Orsini's had followed on the Colonnas', he -marched towards Braccianno, which was being besieged by the Duke of -Urbino, who had been lent to the pope by the Venetians, in virtue of the -treaty quoted above. - -The Venetian general, when he heard of Vitelli's approach, thought he -might as well spare him half his journey, and marched out to confront -him: the two armies met in the Soriano road, and the battle straightway -began. The pontifical army had a body of eight hundred Germans, on which -the Dukes of Urbino and Gandia chiefly relied, as well they might, for -they were the best troops in the world; but Vitelli attacked these -picked men with his infantry, who, armed with their formidable pikes, -ran them through, while they with arms four feet shorter had no chance -even of returning the blows they received; at the same time Vitelli's -light troops wheeled upon the flank, following their most rapid -movements, and silencing the enemy's artillery by the swiftness and -accuracy of their attack. The pontifical troops were put to flight, -though after a longer resistance than might have been expected when they -had to sustain the attack of an army so much better equipped than their -own; with them they bore to Ronciglione the Duke of Gandia, wounded in -the face by a pike-thrust, Fabrizia Colonna, and the envoy; the Duke of -Urbino, who was fighting in the rear to aid the retreat, was taken -prisoner with all his artillery and the baggage of the conquered army. -But this success, great as it was, did not so swell the pride of -Vitellozza Vitelli as to make him oblivious of his position. He knew -that he and the Orsini together were too weak to sustain a war of such -magnitude; that the little store of money to which he owed the existence -of his army would very soon be expended and his army would disappear -with it. So he hastened to get pardoned for the victory by making -propositions which he would very likely have refused had he been the -vanquished party; and the pope accepted his conditions without demur; -during the interval having heard that Trivulce had just recrossed the -Alps and re-entered Italy with three thousand Swiss, and fearing lest -the Italian general might only be the advance guard of the King of -France. So it was settled that the Orsini should pay 70,000 florins for -the expenses of the war, and that all the prisoners on both sides should -be exchanged without ransom with the single exception of the Duke of -Urbino. As a pledge for the future payment of the 70,000 florins, the -Orsini handed over to the Cardinals Sforza and San Severino the -fortresses of Anguillara and Cervetri; then, when the day came and they -had not the necessary money, they gave up their prisoner, the Duke of -Urbino, estimating his worth at 40,000 ducats--nearly all the sum -required--and handed him over to Alexander on account; he, a rigid -observer of engagements, made his own general, taken prisoner in his -service, pay, to himself the ransom he owed to the enemy. - -Then the pope had the corpse of Virginio sent to Carlo Orsini and -Vitellozzo Vitelli, as he could not send him alive. By a strange -fatality the prisoner had died, eight days before the treaty was signed, -of the same malady--at least, if we may judge by analogy--that had -carried off Bajazet's brother. - -As soon as the peace was signed, Prospero Colonna and Gonzalvo de -Cordova, whom the Pope had demanded from Frederic, arrived at Rome with -an army of Spanish and Neapolitan troops. Alexander, as he could not -utilise these against the Orsini, set them the work of recapturing -Ostia, not desiring to incur the reproach of bringing them to Rome for -nothing. Gonzalvo was rewarded for this feat by receiving the Rose of -Gold from the pope's hand--that being the highest honour His Holiness -can grant. He shared this distinction with the Emperor Maximilian, the -King of France, the Doge of Venice, and the Marquis of Mantua. - -In the midst of all this occurred the solemn festival of the Assumption; -in which Gonzalvo was invited to take part. He accordingly left his -palace, proceeded in great pomp in the front of the pontifical cavalry, -and took his place on the Duke of Gandia's left hand. The duke attracted -all eyes by his personal beauty, set off as it was by all the luxury he -thought fit to display at this festival. He had a retinue of pages and -servants, clad in sumptuous liveries, incomparable for richness with -anything heretofore seen in Rome, that city of religious pomp. All these -pages and servants rode magnificent horses, caparisoned in velvet -trimmed with silver fringe, and bells of silver hanging down every here -and there. He himself was in a robe of gold brocade, and wore at his -neck a string of Eastern pearls, perhaps the finest and largest that -ever belonged to a Christian prince, while on his cap was a gold chain -studded with diamonds of which the smallest was worth more than 20,000 -ducats. This magnificence was all the more conspicuous by the contrast -it presented to Caesar's dress, whose scarlet robe admitted of no -ornaments. The result was that Caesar, doubly jealous of his brother, -felt a new hatred rise up within him when he heard all along the way the -praises of his fine appearance and noble equipment. From this moment -Cardinal Valentino decided in his own mind the fate of this man, this -constant obstacle in the path of his pride, his love, and his ambition. -Very good reason, says Tommaso, the historian, had the Duke of Gandia to -leave behind him an impression on the public mind of his beauty and his -grandeur at this fete, for this last display was soon to be followed by -the obsequies of the unhappy young man. - -Lucrezia also had come to Rome, on the pretext of taking part in the -solemnity, but really, as we shall see later, with the view of serving -as a new instrument for her father's ambition. As the pope was not -satisfied with an empty triumph of vanity and display for his son, and -as his war with the Orsini had failed to produce the anticipated -results, he decided to increase the fortune of his firstborn by doing -the very thing which he had accused Calixtus in his speech of doing for -him, viz., alienating from the States of the Church the cities of -Benevento, Terracino, and Pontecorvo to form, a duchy as an appanage to -his son's house. Accordingly this proposition was put forward in a full -consistory, and as the college of cardinals was entirely Alexander's, -there was no difficulty about carrying his point. This new favour to his -elder brother exasperated Caesar, although he was himself getting a -share of the paternal gifts; for he had just been named envoy 'a latere' -at Frederic's court, and was appointed to crown him with his own hands -as the papal representative. But Lucrezia, when she had spent a few days -of pleasure with her father and brothers, had gone into retreat at the -convent of San Sisto. No one knew the real motive of her seclusion, and -no entreaties of Caesar, whose love for her was strange and unnatural, -had induced her to defer this departure from the world even until the -day after he left for Naples. His sister's obstinacy wounded him deeply, -for ever since the day when the Duke of Gandia had appeared in the -procession so magnificently attired, he fancied he had observed a -coldness in the mistress of his illicit affection, and so far did this -increase his hatred of his rival that he resolved to be rid of him at -all costs. So he ordered the chief of his sbirri to come and see him the -same night. - -Michelotto was accustomed to these mysterious messages, which almost -always meant his help was wanted in some love affair or some act of -revenge. As in either case his reward was generally a large one, he was -careful to keep his engagement, and at the appointed hour was brought -into the presence of his patron. - -Caesar received him leaning against a tall chimney-piece, no longer -wearing his cardinal's robe and hat, but a doublet of black velvet -slashed with satin of the same colour. One hand toyed mechanically with -his gloves, while the other rested on the handle of a poisoned dagger -which never left his side. This was the dress he kept for his nocturnal -expeditions, so Michelotto felt no surprise at that; but his eyes burned -with a flame more gloomy than their wont, and his cheeks, generally -pale, were now livid. Michelotto had but to cast one look upon his -master to see that Caesar and he were about to share some terrible -enterprise. - -He signed to him to shut the door. Michelotto obeyed. Then, after a -moment's silence, during which the eyes of Borgia seemed to burn into -the soul of the bravo, who with a careless air stood bareheaded before -him, he said, in a voice whose slightly mocking tone gave the only sign -of his emotion. - -"Michelotto, how do you think this dress suits me?" - -Accustomed as he was to his master's tricks of circumlocution, the bravo -was so far from expecting this question, that at first he stood mute, -and only after a few moments' pause was able to say: - -"Admirably, monsignore; thanks to the dress, your Excellency has the -appearance as well as the true spirit of a captain." - -"I am glad you think so," replied Caesar. "And now let me ask you, do -you know who is the cause that, instead of wearing this dress, which I -can only put on at night, I am forced to disguise myself in the daytime -in a cardinal's robe and hat, and pass my time trotting about from -church to church, from consistory to consistory, when I ought properly -to be leading a magnificent army in the battlefield, where you would -enjoy a captain's rank, instead of being the chief of a few miserable -sbirri?" - -"Yes, monsignore," replied Michelotto, who had divined Caesar's meaning -at his first word; "the man who is the cause of this is Francesco, Duke -of Gandia, and Benevento, your elder brother." - -"Do you know," Caesar resumed, giving no sign of assent but a nod and a -bitter smile,--"do you know who has all the money and none of the -genius, who has the helmet and none of the brains, who has the sword and -no hand to wield it?" - -"That too is the Duke of Gandia," said Michelotto. - -"Do you know;" continued Caesar, "who is the man whom I find continually -blocking the path of my ambition, my fortune, and my love?" - -"It is the same, the Duke of Gandia," said Michelotto. - -"And what do you think of it?" asked Caesar. - -"I think he must die," replied the man coldly. - -"That is my opinion also, Michelotto," said Caesar, stepping towards him -and grasping his hand; "and my only regret is that I did not think of it -sooner; for if I had carried a sword at my side instead of a crosier in -my hand when the King of France was marching through Italy, I should now -have been master of a fine domain. The pope is obviously anxious to -aggrandise his family, but he is mistaken in the means he adopts: it is -I who ought to have been made duke, and my brother a cardinal. There is -no doubt at all that, had he made me duke, I should have contributed a -daring and courage to his service that would have made his power far -weightier than it is. The man who would make his way to vast dominions -and a kingdom ought to trample under foot all the obstacles in his path, -and boldly grasp the very sharpest thorns, whatever reluctance his weak -flesh may feel; such a man, if he would open out his path to fortune, -should seize his dagger or his sword and strike out with his eyes shut; -he should not shrink from bathing his hands in the blood of his kindred; -he should follow the example offered him by every founder of empire from -Romulus to Bajazet, both of whom climbed to the throne by the ladder of -fratracide. Yes, Michelotto, as you say, such is my condition, and I am -resolved I will not shrink. Now you know why I sent for you: am I wrong -in counting upon you?" - -As might have been expected, Michelotto, seeing his own fortune in this -crime, replied that he was entirely at Caesar's service, and that he had -nothing to do but to give his orders as to time, place, and manner of -execution. Caesar replied that the time must needs be very soon, since -he was on the point of leaving Rome for Naples; as to the place and the -mode of execution, they would depend on circumstances, and each of them -must look out for an opportunity, and seize the first that seemed -favourable. - -Two days after this resolution had been taken, Caesar learned that the -day of his departure was fixed for Thursday the 15th of June: at the -same time he received an invitation from his mother to come to supper -with her on the 14th. This was a farewell repast given in his honour. -Michelotto received orders to be in readiness at eleven o'clock at -night. - -The table was set in the open air in a magnificent vineyard, a property -of Rosa Vanozza's in the neighbourhood of San Piero-in-Vinculis: the -guests were Caesar Borgia, the hero of the occasion; the Duke of Gandia; -Prince of Squillace; Dona Sancha, his wife; the Cardinal of Monte Reale, -Francesco Borgia, son of Calixtus III; Don Roderigo Borgia, captain of -the apostolic palace; Don Goffredo, brother of the cardinal; Gian -Borgia, at that time ambassador at Perugia; and lastly, Don Alfonso -Borgia, the pope's nephew: the whole family therefore was present, -except Lucrezia, who was still in retreat, and would not come. - -The repast was magnificent: Caesar was quite as cheerful as usual, and -the Duke of Gandia seemed more joyous than he had ever been before. - -In the middle of supper a man in a mask brought him a letter. The duke -unfastened it, colouring up with pleasure; and when he had read it -answered in these words, "I will come": then he quickly hid the letter -in the pocket of his doublet; but quick as he was to conceal it from -every eye, Caesar had had time to cast a glance that way, and he fancied -he recognised the handwriting of his sister Lucrezia. Meanwhile the -messenger had gone off with his answer, no one but Caesar paying the -slightest attention to him, for at that period it was the custom for -messages to be conveyed by men in domino or by women whose faces were -concealed by a veil. - -At ten o'clock they rose from the table, and as the air was sweet and -mild they walked about a while under the magnificent pine trees that -shaded the house of Rosa Vanozza, while Caesar never for an instant let -his brother out of his sight. At eleven o'clock the Duke of Gandia bade -good-night to his mother. Caesar at once followed suit, alleging his -desire to go to the Vatican to bid farewell to the pope, as he would not -be able to fulfil this duty on the morrow, his departure being fixed at -daybreak. This pretext was all the more plausible since the pope was in -the habit of sitting up every night till two or three o'clock in the -morning. - -The two brothers went out together, mounted their horses, which were -waiting for them at the door, and rode side by side as far as the -Palazzo Borgia, the present home of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, who had -taken it as a gift from Alexander the night before his election to the -papacy. There the Duke of Gandia separated from his brother, saying with -a smile that he was not intending to go home, as he had several hours to -spend first with a fair lady who was expecting him. Caesar replied that -he was no doubt free to make any use he liked best of his opportunities, -and wished him a very good night. The duke turned to the right, and -Caesar to the left; but Caesar observed that the street the duke had -taken led in the direction of the convent of San Sisto, where, as we -said, Lucrezia was in retreat; his suspicions were confirmed by this -observation, and he directed his horse's steps to the Vatican, found the -pope, took his leave of him, and received his benediction. - -From this moment all is wrapped in mystery and darkness, like that in -which the terrible deed was done that we are now to relate. - -This, however, is what is believed. - -The Duke of Gandia, when he quitted Caesar, sent away his servants, and -in the company of one confidential valet alone pursued his course -towards the Piazza della Giudecca. There he found the same man in a mask -who had come to speak to him at supper, and forbidding his valet to -follow any farther, he bade him wait on the piazza where they then -stood, promising to be on his way back in two hours' time at latest, and -to take him up as he passed. And at the appointed hour the duke -reappeared, took leave this time of the man in the mask, and retraced -his steps towards his palace. But scarcely had he turned the corner of -the Jewish Ghetto, when four men on foot, led by a fifth who was on -horseback, flung themselves upon him. Thinking they were thieves, or -else that he was the victim of some mistake, the Duke of Gandia -mentioned his name; but instead of the name checking the murderers' -daggers, their strokes were redoubled, and the duke very soon fell dead, -his valet dying beside him. - -Then the man on horseback, who had watched the assassination with no -sign of emotion, backed his horse towards the dead body: the four -murderers lifted the corpse across the crupper, and walking by the side -to support it, then made their way down the lane that leads to the -Church of Santa Maria-in-Monticelli. The wretched valet they left for -dead upon the pavement. But he, after the lapse of a few seconds, -regained some small strength, and his groans were heard by the -inhabitants of a poor little house hard by; they came and picked him up, -and laid him upon a bed, where he died almost at once, unable to give -any evidence as to the assassins or any details of the murder. - -All night the duke was expected home, and all the next morning; then -expectation was turned into fear, and fear at last into deadly terror. -The pope was approached, and told that the Duke of Gandia had never come -back to his palace since he left his mother's house. But Alexander tried -to deceive himself all through the rest of the day, hoping that his son -might have been surprised by the coming of daylight in the midst of an -amorous adventure, and was waiting till the next night to get away in -that darkness which had aided his coming thither. But the night, like -the day, passed and brought no news. On the morrow, the pope, tormented -by the gloomiest presentiments and by the raven's croak of the 'vox -populi', let himself fall into the depths of despair: amid sighs and -sobs of grief, all he could say to any one who came to him was but these -words, repeated a thousand times: "Search, search; let us know how my -unhappy son has died." - -Then everybody joined in the search; for, as we have said, the Duke of -Gandia was beloved by all; but nothing could be discovered from scouring -the town, except the body of the murdered man, who was recognised as the -duke's valet; of his master there was no trace whatever: it was then -thought, not without reason, that he had probably been thrown into the -Tiber, and they began to follow along its banks, beginning from the Via -della Ripetta, questioning every boatman and fisherman who might -possibly have seen, either from their houses or from their boats, what -had happened on the river banks during the two preceding nights. At -first all inquiries were in vain; but when they had gone up as high as -the Via del Fantanone, they found a man at last who said he had seen -something happen on the night of the 14th which might very possibly have -some bearing on the subject of inquiry. He was a Slav named George, who -was taking up the river a boat laden with wood to Ripetta. The following -are his own words: - -"Gentlemen," he said, "last Wednesday evening, when I had set down my -load of wood on the bank, I remained in my boat, resting in the cool -night air, and watching lest other men should come and take away what I -had just unloaded, when, about two o'clock in the morning, I saw coming -out of the lane on the left of San Girolamo's Church two men on foot, -who came forward into the middle of the street, and looked so carefully -all around that they seemed to have come to find out if anybody was -going along the street. When they felt sure that it was deserted, they -went back along the same lane, whence issued presently two other men, -who used similar precautions to make sure that there was nothing fresh; -they, when they found all as they wished, gave a sign to their -companions to come and join them; next appeared one man on a dapple-grey -horse, which was carrying on the crupper the body of a dead man, his -head and arms hanging over on one side and his feet on the other. The -two fellows I had first seen exploring were holding him up by the arms -and legs. The other three at once went up to the river, while the first -two kept a watch on the street, and advancing to the part of the bank -where the sewers of the town are discharged into the Tiber, the horseman -turned his horse, backing on the river; then the two who were at either -side taking the corpse, one by the hands, the other by the feet, swung -it three times, and the third time threw it out into the river with all -their strength; then at the noise made when the body splashed into the -water, the horseman asked, 'Is it done?' and the others answered, 'Yes, -sir,' and he at once turned right about face; but seeing the dead man's -cloak floating, he asked what was that black thing swimming about. -'Sir,' said one of the men, 'it is his cloak'; and then another man -picked up some stones, and running to the place where it was still -floating, threw them so as to make it sink under; as soon, as it had -quite disappeared, they went off, and after walking a little way along -the main road, they went into the lane that leads to San Giacomo. That -was all I saw, gentlemen, and so it is all I can answer to the questions -you have asked me." - -At these words, which robbed of all hope any who might yet entertain it, -one of the pope's servants asked the Slav why, when he was witness of -such a deed, he had not gone to denounce it to the governor. But the -Slav replied that, since he had exercised his present trade on the -riverside, he had seen dead men thrown into the Tiber in the same way a -hundred times, and had never heard that anybody had been troubled about -them; so he supposed it would be the same with this corpse as the -others, and had never imagined it was his duty to speak of it, not -thinking it would be any more important than it had been before. - -Acting on this intelligence, the servants of His Holiness summoned at -once all the boatmen and fishermen who were accustomed to go up and down -the river, and as a large reward was promised to anyone who should find -the duke's body, there were soon more than a hundred ready for the job; -so that before the evening of the same day, which was Friday, two men -were drawn out of the water, of whom one was instantly recognised as the -hapless duke. At the very first glance at the body there could be no -doubt as to the cause of death. It was pierced with nine wounds, the -chief one in the throat, whose artery was cut. The clothing had not been -touched: his doublet and cloak were there, his gloves in his waistband, -gold in his purse; the duke then must have been assassinated not for -gain but for revenge. - -The ship which carried the corpse went up the Tiber to the Castello -Sant' Angelo, where it was set down. At once the magnificent dress was -fetched from the duke's palace which he had worn on the day of the -procession, and he was clothed in it once more: beside him were placed -the insignia of the generalship of the Church. Thus he lay in state all -day, but his father in his despair had not the courage to come and look -at him. At last, when night had fallen, his most trusty and honoured -servants carried the body to the church of the Madonna del Papala, with -all the pomp and ceremony that Church and State combined could devise -for the funeral of the son of the pope. - -Meantime the bloodstained hands of Caesar Borgia were placing a royal -crown upon the head of Frederic of Aragon. - -This blow had pierced Alexander's heart very deeply. As at first he did -not know on whom his suspicions should fall, he gave the strictest -orders for the pursuit of the murderers; but little by little the -infamous truth was forced upon him. He saw that the blow which struck at -his house came from that very house itself and then his despair was -changed to madness: he ran through the rooms of the Vatican like a -maniac, and entering the consistory with torn garments and ashes on his -head, he sobbingly avowed all the errors of his past life, owning that -the disaster that struck his offspring through his offspring was a just -chastisement from God; then he retired to a secret dark chamber of the -palace, and there shut himself up, declaring his resolve to die of -starvation. And indeed for more than sixty hours he took no nourishment -by day nor rest by night, making no answer to those who knocked at his -door to bring him food except with the wailings of a woman or a roar as -of a wounded lion; even the beautiful Giulia Farnese, his new mistress, -could not move him at all, and was obliged to go and seek Lucrezia, that -daughter doubly loved to conquer his deadly resolve. Lucrezia came out -from the retreat where she was weeping for the Duke of Gandia, that she -might console her father. At her voice the door did really open, and it -was only then that the Duke of Segovia, who had been kneeling almost a -whole day at the threshold, begging His Holiness to take heart, could -enter with servants bearing wine and food. - -The pope remained alone with Lucrezia for three days and nights; then he -reappeared in public, outwardly calm, if not resigned; for Guicciardini -assures us that his daughter had made him understand how dangerous it -would be to himself to show too openly before the assassin, who was -coming home, the immoderate love he felt for his victim. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -Caesar remained at Naples, partly to give time to the paternal grief to -cool down, and partly to get on with another business he had lately been -charged with, nothing else than a proposition of marriage between -Lucrezia and Don Alfonso of Aragon, Duke of Bicelli and Prince of -Salerno, natural son of Alfonso II and brother of Dona Sancha. It was -true that Lucrezia was already married to the lord of Pesaro, but she -was the daughter of a father who had received from heaven the right of -uniting and disuniting. There was no need to trouble about so trifling a -matter: when the two were ready to marry, the divorce would be effected. -Alexander was too good a tactician to leave his daughter married to a -son-in-law who was becoming useless to him. - -Towards the end of August it was announced that the ambassador was -coming back to Rome, having accomplished his mission to the new king to -his great satisfaction. And thither he returned on the 5th of -September,--that is, nearly three months after the Duke of Gandia's -death,--and on the next day, the 6th, from the church of Santa Maria -Novella, where, according to custom, the cardinals and the Spanish and -Venetian ambassadors were awaiting him on horseback at the door, he -proceeded to the Vatican, where His Holiness was sitting; there he -entered the consistory, was admitted by the pope, and in accordance with -the usual ceremonial received his benediction and kiss; then, -accompanied once more in the same fashion by the ambassadors and -cardinals, he was escorted to his own apartments. Thence he proceeded -to, the pope's, as soon as he was left alone; for at the consistory they -had had no speech with one another, and the father and son had a hundred -things to talk about, but of these the Duke of Gandia was not one, as -might have been expected. His name was not once spoken, and neither on -that day nor afterwards was there ever again any mention of the unhappy -young man: it was as though he had never existed. - -It was the fact that Caesar brought good news, King Frederic gave his -consent to the proposed union; so the marriage of Sforza and Lucrezia -was dissolved on a pretext of nullity. Then Frederic authorised the -exhumation of D'jem's body, which, it will be remembered, was worth -300,000 ducats. - -After this, all came about as Caesar had desired; he became the man who -was all-powerful after the pope; but when he was second in command it -was soon evident to the Roman people that their city was making a new -stride in the direction of ruin. There was nothing but balls, fetes, -masquerades; there were magnificent hunting parties, when Caesar--who -had begun to cast off his cardinal's robe,--weary perhaps of the colour, -appeared in a French dress, followed, like a king by cardinals, envoys -and bodyguard. The whole pontifical town, given up like a courtesan to -orgies and debauchery, had never been more the home of sedition, luxury, -and carnage, according to the Cardinal of Viterba, not even in the days -of Nero and Heliogabalus. Never had she fallen upon days more evil; -never had more traitors done her dishonour or sbirri stained her streets -with blood. The number of thieves was so great, and their audacity such, -that no one could with safety pass the gates of the town; soon it was -not even safe within them. No house, no castle, availed for defence. -Right and justice no longer existed. Money, farce, pleasure, ruled -supreme. - -Still, the gold was melting as in a furnace at these Fetes; and, by -Heaven's just punishment, Alexander and Caesar were beginning to covet -the fortunes of those very men who had risen through their simony to -their present elevation. The first attempt at a new method of coining -money was tried upon the Cardinal Cosenza. The occasion was as follows. -A certain dispensation had been granted some time before to a nun who -had taken the vows: she was the only surviving heir to the throne of -Portugal, and by means of the dispensation she had been wedded to the -natural son of the last king. This marriage was more prejudicial than -can easily be imagined to the interests of Ferdinand and Isabella of -Spain; so they sent ambassadors to Alexander to lodge a complaint -against a proceeding of this nature, especially as it happened at the -very moment when an alliance was to be formed between the house of -Aragon and the Holy See. Alexander understood the complaint, and -resolved that all should be set right. So he denied all knowledge of the -papal brief though he had as a fact received 60,000 ducats for signing -it--and accused the Archbishop of Cosenza, secretary for apostolic -briefs, of having granted a false dispensation. By reason of this -accusation, the archbishop was taken to the castle of Sant' Angelo, and -a suit was begun. - -But as it was no easy task to prove an accusation of this nature, -especially if the archbishop should persist in maintaining that the -dispensation was really granted by the pope, it was resolved to employ a -trick with him which could not fail to succeed. One evening the -Archbishop of Cosenza saw Cardinal Valentino come into his prison; with -that frank air of affability which he knew well how to assume when it -could serve his purpose, he explained to the prisoner the embarrassing -situation in which the pope was placed, from which the archbishop alone, -whom His Holiness looked upon as his best friend, could save him. - -The archbishop replied that he was entirely at the service of His -Holiness. - -Caesar, on his entrance, found the captive seated, leaning his elbows on -a table, and he took a seat opposite him and explained the pope's -position: it was an embarrassing one. At the very time of contracting so -important an alliance with the house of Aragon as that of Lucrezia and -Alfonso, His Holiness could not avow to Ferdinand and Isabella that, for -the sake of a few miserable ducats, he had signed a dispensation which -would unite in the husband and wife together all the legitimate claims -to a throne to which Ferdinand and Isabella had no right at all but that -of conquest. This avowal would necessarily put an end to all -negotiations, and the pontifical house would fall by the overthrow of -that very pedestal which was to have heightened its grandeur. -Accordingly the archbishop would understand what the pope expected of -his devotion and friendship: it was a simple and straight avowal that he -had supposed he might take it upon himself to accord the dispensation. -Then, as the sentence to be passed on such an error would be the -business of Alexander, the accused could easily imagine beforehand how -truly paternal such a sentence would be. Besides, the reward was in the -same hands, and if the sentence was that of a father, the recompense -would be that of a king. In fact, this recompense would be no less than -the honour of assisting as envoy, with the title of cardinal, at the -marriage of Lucrezia and Alfonso--a favour which would be very -appropriate, since it would be thanks to his devotion that the marriage -could take place. - -The Archbishop of Cosenza knew the men he was dealing with; he knew that -to save their own ends they would hesitate at nothing; he knew they had -a poison like sugar to the taste and to the smell, impossible to -discover in food--a poison that would kill slowly or quickly as the -poisoner willed and would leave no trace behind; he knew the secret of -the poisoned key that lay always on the pope's mantelpiece, so that when -His Holiness wished to destroy some one of his intimates, he bade him -open a certain cupboard: on the handle of the key there was a little -spike, and as the lock of the cupboard turned stiffly the hand would -naturally press, the lock would yield, and nothing would have come of it -but a trifling scratch: the scratch was mortal. He knew, too, that -Caesar wore a ring made like two lions' heads, and that he would turn -the stone on the inside when he was shaking hands with a friend. Then -the lions' teeth became the teeth of a viper, and the friend died -cursing Borgia. So he yielded, partly through fear, partly blinded by -the thought of the reward; and Caesar returned to the Vatican armed with -a precious paper, in which the Archbishop of Cosenza admitted that he -was the only person responsible for the dispensation granted to the -royal nun. - -Two days later, by means of the proofs kindly furnished by the -archbishop, the pope; in the presence of the governor of Rome, the -auditor of the apostolic chamber, the advocate, and the fiscal attorney, -pronounced sentence, condemning the archbishop to the loss of all his -benefices and ecclesiastical offices, degradation from his orders, and -confiscation of his goods; his person was to be handed over to the civil -arm. Two days later the civil magistrate entered the prison to fulfil -his office as received from the pope, and appeared before the -archbishop, accompanied by a clerk, two servants, and four guards. The -clerk unrolled the paper he carried and read out the sentence; the two -servants untied a packet, and, stripping the prisoner of his -ecclesiastical garments, they reclothed him in a dress of coarse white -cloth which only reached down to his knees, breeches of the same, and a -pair of clumsy shoes. Lastly, the guards took him, and led him into one -of the deepest dungeons of the castle of Sant' Angelo, where for -furniture he found nothing but a wooden crucifix, a table, a chair, and -a bed; for occupation, a Bible and a breviary, with a lamp to read by; -for nourishment, two pounds of bread and a little cask of water, which -were to be renewed every three days, together with a bottle of oil for -burning in his lamp. - -At the end of a year the poor archbishop died of despair, not before he -had gnawed his own arms in his agony. - -The very same day that he was taken into the dungeon, Caesar Borgia, who -had managed the affair so ably, was presented by the pope with all the -belongings of the condemned prisoner. - -But the hunting parties, balls, and masquerades were not the only -pleasures enjoyed by the pope and his family: from time to time strange -spectacles were exhibited. We will only describe two--one of them a case -of punishment, the other no more nor less than a matter of the stud -farm. But as both of these give details with which we would not have our -readers credit our imagination, we will first say that they are -literally translated from Burchard's Latin journal. - -"About the same time--that is, about the beginning of 1499--a certain -courtesan named La Corsetta was in prison, and had a lover who came to -visit her in woman's clothes, a Spanish Moor, called from his disguise -'the Spanish lady from Barbary!' As a punishment, both of them were led -through the town, the woman without petticoat or skirt, but wearing only -the Moor's dress unbuttoned in front; the man wore his woman's garb; his -hands were tied behind his back, and the skirt fastened up to his -middle, with a view to complete exposure before the eyes of all. When in -this attire they had made the circuit of the town, the Corsetta was sent -back to the prison with the Moor. But on the 7th of April following, the -Moor was again taken out and escorted in the company of two thieves -towards the Campo dei Fiori. The three condemned men were preceded by a -constable, who rode backwards on an ass, and held in his hand a long -pole, on the end of which were hung, still bleeding, the amputated limbs -of a poor Jew who had suffered torture and death for some trifling -crime. When the procession reached the place of execution, the thieves -were hanged, and the unfortunate Moor was tied to a stake piled round -with wood, where he was to have been burnt to death, had not rain fallen -in such torrents that the fire would not burn, in spite of all the -efforts of the executioner." - -This unlooked for accident, taken as a miracle by the people, robbed -Lucrezia of the most exciting part of the execution; but her father was -holding in reserve another kind of spectacle to console her with later. -We inform the reader once more that a few lines we are about to set -before him are a translation from the journal of the worthy German -Burchard, who saw nothing in the bloodiest or most wanton performances -but facts for his journal, which he duly registered with the -impassibility of a scribe, appending no remark or moral reflection. - -"On the 11th of November a certain peasant was entering Rome with two -stallions laden with wood, when the servants of His Holiness, just as he -passed the Piazza of St. Peter's, cut their girths, so that their loads -fell on the ground with the pack-saddles, and led off the horses to a -court between the palace and the gate; then the stable doors were -opened, and four stallions, quite free and unbridled, rushed out and in -an instant all six animals began kicking, biting and fighting each other -until several were killed. Roderigo and Madame Lucrezia, who sat at the -window just over the palace gate, took the greatest delight in the -struggle and called their courtiers to witness the gallant battle that -was being fought below them." - -Now Caesar's trick in the matter of the Archbishop of Cosenza had had -the desired result, and Isabella and Ferdinand could no longer impute to -Alexander the signature of the brief they had complained of: so nothing -was now in the way of the marriage of Lucrezia and Alfonso; this -certainty gave the pope great joy, for he attached all the more -importance to this marriage because he was already cogitating a second, -between Caesar and Dona Carlota, Frederic's daughter. - -Caesar had shown in all his actions since his brother's death his want -of vocation for the ecclesiastical life; so no one was astonished when, -a consistory having been summoned one morning by Alexander, Caesar -entered, and addressing the pope, began by saying that from his earliest -years he had been drawn towards secular pursuits both by natural -inclination and ability, and it had only been in obedience to the -absolute commands of His Holiness that he entered the Church, accepted -the cardinal's scarlet, other dignities, and finally the sacred order of -the diaconate; but feeling that in his situation it was improper to -follow his passions, and at his age impossible to resist them, he humbly -entreated His Holiness graciously to yield to the desire he had failed -to overcome, and to permit him to lay aside the dress and dignities of -the Church, and enter once more into the world, thereto contract a -lawful marriage; also he entreated the lord cardinals to intercede for -him with His Holiness, to whom he would freely resign all his churches, -abbeys, and benefices, as well as every other ecclesiastical dignity and -preferment that had been accorded him. The cardinals, deferring to -Caesar's wishes, gave a unanimous vote, and the pope, as we may suppose, -like a good father, not wishing to force his son's inclinations, -accepted his resignation, and yielded to the petition; thus Caesar put -off the scarlet robe, which was suited to him, says his historian -Tommaso Tommasi, in one particular only--that it was the colour of -blood. - -In truth, the resignation was a pressing necessity, and there was no -time to lose. Charles VIII one day after he had came home late and tired -from the hunting-field, had bathed his head in cold water; and going -straight to table, had been struck down by an apoplectic seizure -directly after his supper; and was dead, leaving the throne to the good -Louis XII, a man of two conspicuous weaknesses, one as deplorable as the -other: the first was the wish to make conquests; the second was the -desire to have children. Alexander, who was on the watch for all -political changes, had seen in a moment what he could get from Louis -XII's accession to the throne, and was prepared to profit by the fact -that the new king of France needed his help for the accomplishment of -his twofold desire. Louis needed, first, his temporal aid in an -expedition against the duchy of Milan, on which, as we explained before, -he had inherited claims from Valentina Visconti, his grandmother; and, -secondly, his spiritual aid to dissolve his marriage with Jeanne, the -daughter of Louis XI; a childless and hideously deformed woman, whom he -had only married by reason of the great fear he entertained for her -father. Now Alexander was willing to do all this for Louis XII and to -give in addition a cardinal's hat to his friend George d'Amboise, -provided only that the King of France would use his influence in -persuading the young Dona Carlota, who was at his court, to marry his -son Caesar. - -So, as this business was already far advanced on the day when Caesar -doffed his scarlet and donned a secular garb, thus fulfilling the -ambition so long cherished, when the lord of Villeneuve, sent by Louis -and commissioned to bring Caesar to France, presented himself before the -ex-cardinal on his arrival at Rome, the latter, with his usual -extravagance of luxury and the kindness he knew well how to bestow on -those he needed, entertained his guest for a month, and did all the -honours of Rome. After that, they departed, preceded by one of the -pope's couriers, who gave orders that every town they passed through was -to receive them with marks of honour and respect. The same order had -been sent throughout the whole of France, where the illustrious visitors -received so numerous a guard, and were welcomed by a populace so eager -to behold them, that after they passed through Paris, Caesar's -gentlemen-in-waiting wrote to Rome that they had not seen any trees in -France, or houses, or walls, but only men, women and sunshine. - -The king, on the pretext of going out hunting, went to meet his guest -two leagues outside the town. As he knew Caesar was very fond of the -name of Valentine, which he had used as cardinal, and still continued to -employ with the title of Count, although he had resigned the -archbishopric which gave him the name, he there and then bestowed an him -the investiture of Valence, in Dauphine, with the title of Duke and a -pension of 20,000 francs; then, when he had made this magnificent gift -and talked with him for nearly a couple of hours, he took his leave, to -enable him to prepare the splendid entry he was proposing to make. - -It was Wednesday, the 18th of December 1498, when Caesar Borgia entered -the town of Chinon, with pomp worthy of the son of a pope who is about -to marry the daughter of a king. The procession began with -four-and-twenty mules, caparisoned in red, adorned with escutcheons -bearing the duke's arms, laden with carved trunks and chests inlaid with -ivory and silver; after them came four-and-twenty more, also -caparisoned, this time in the livery of the King of France, yellow and -red; next after these came ten other mules, covered in yellow satin with -red crossbars; and lastly another ten, covered with striped cloth of -gold, the stripes alternately raised and flat gold. - -Behind the seventy mules which led the procession there pranced sixteen -handsome battle-horses, led by equerries who marched alongside; these -were followed by eighteen hunters ridden by eighteen pages, who were -about fourteen or fifteen years of age; sixteen of them were dressed in -crimson velvet, and two in raised gold cloth; so elegantly dressed were -these two children, who were also the best looking of the little band, -that the sight of them gave rise to strange suspicions as to the reason -for this preference, if one may believe what Brantome says. Finally, -behind these eighteen horses came six beautiful mules, all harnessed -with red velvet, and led by six valets, also in velvet to match. - -The third group consisted of, first, two mules quite covered with cloth -of gold, each carrying two chests in which it was said that the duke's -treasure was stored, the precious stones he was bringing to his fiancee, -and the relics and papal bulls that his father had charged him to convey -for him to Louis XII. These were followed by twenty gentlemen dressed in -cloth of gold and silver, among whom rode Paul Giordano Orsino and -several barons and knights among the chiefs of the state ecclesiastic. - -Next came two drums, one rebeck, and four soldiers blowing trumpets and -silver clarions; then, in the midst of a party of four-and-twenty -lacqueys, dressed half in crimson velvet and half in yellow silk, rode -Messire George d'Amboise, anMonseigneur the Duke of Valentinois. Caesar -was mounted on a handsome tall courser, very richly harnessed, in a robe -half red satin and half cloth of gold, embroidered all over with pearls -and precious stones; in his cap were two rows of rubies, the size of -beans, which reflected so brilliant a light that one might have fancied -they were the famous carbuncles of the Arabian Nights; he also wore on -his neck a collar worth at least 200,000 livres; indeed, there was no -part of him, even down to his boots, that was not laced with gold and -edged with pearls. His horse was covered with a cuirass in a pattern of -golden foliage of wonderful workmanship, among which there appeared to -grow, like flowers, nosegays of pearls and clusters of rubies. - -Lastly, bringing up the rear of the magnificent cortege, behind the duke -came twenty-four mules with red caparisons bearing his arms, carrying -his silver plate, tents, and baggage. - -What gave to all the cavalcade an air of most wonderful luxury and -extravagance was that the horses and mules were shod with golden shoes, -and these were so badly nailed on that more than three-quarters of their -number, were lost on the road For this extravagance Caesar was greatly -blamed, for it was thought an audacious thing to put on his horses' feet -a metal of which king's crowns are made. - -But all this pomp had no effect on the lady for whose sake it had been -displayed; for when Dona Carlota was told that Caesar Borgia had come -to France in the hope of becoming her husband, she replied simply that -she would never take a priest for her husband, and, moreover, the son of -a priest; a man who was not only an assassin, but a fratricide; not only -a man of infamous birth, but still more infamous in his morals and his -actions. - -But, in default of the haughty lady of Aragon, Caesar soon found another -princess of noble blood who consented to be his wife: this was -Mademoiselle d'Albret, daughter of the King of Navarre. The marriage, -arranged on condition that the pope should pay 200,000 ducats dowry to -the bride, and should make her brother cardinal, was celebrated on the -10th of May; and on the Whitsunday following the Duke of Valentois -received the order of St. Michael, an order founded by Louis XI, and -esteemed at this period as the highest in the gift of the kings of -France. The news of this marriage, which made an alliance with Louis XII -certain, was received with great joy by the pope, who at once gave -orders for bonfires and illuminations all over the town. - -Louis XII was not only grateful to the pope for dissolving his marriage -with Jeanne of France and authorizing his union with Anne of Brittany, -but he considered it indispensable to his designs in Italy to have the -pope as his ally. So he promised the Duke of Valentinois to put three -hundred lances at his disposal, as soon as he had made an entry into -Milan, to be used to further his own private interests, and against -whomsoever he pleased except only the allies of France. The conquest of -Milan should be undertaken so soon as Louis felt assured of the support -of the Venetians, or at least of their neutrality, and he had sent them -ambassadors authorised to promise in his name the restoration of Cremona -and Ghiera d'Adda when he had completed the conquest of Lombardy. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -Everything from without was favouring Alexander's encroaching policy, -when he was compelled to turn his eyes from France towards the centre of -Italy: in Florence dwelt a man, neither duke, nor king, nor soldier, a -man whose power was in his genius, whose armour was his purity, who -owned no offensive weapon but his tongue, and who yet began to grow more -dangerous for him than all the kings, dukes, princes, in the whole world -could ever be; this man was the poor Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola, -the same who had refused absolution to Lorenzo dei Medici because he -would not restore the liberty of Florence. - -Girolamo Savonarola had prophesied the invasion of a force from beyond -the Alps, and Charles VIII had conquered Naples; Girolamo Savonarola had -prophesied to Charles VIII that because he had failed to fulfil the -mission of liberator entrusted to him by God, he was threatened with a -great misfortune as a punishment, and Charles was dead; lastly, -Savonarola had prophesied his own fall like the man who paced around the -holy city for eight days, crying, "Woe to Jerusalem!" and on the ninth -day, "Woe be on my own head!" None the less, the Florentine reformer, -who could not recoil from any danger, was determined to attack the -colossal abomination that was seated on St. Peter's holy throne; each -debauch, each fresh crime that lifted up its brazen face to the light of -day or tried to hide its shameful head beneath the veil of night, he had -never failed to point out to the people, denouncing it as the off spring -of the pope's luxurious living and lust of power. Thus had he -stigmatised Alexander's new amour with the beautiful Giulia Farnese, who -in the preceding April had added another son to the pope's family; thus -had he cursed the Duke of Gandia's murderer, the lustful, jealous -fratricide; lastly, he had pointed out to the Florentines, who were -excluded from the league then forming, what sort of future was in store -for them when the Borgias should have made themselves masters of the -small principalities and should come to attack the duchies and -republics. It was clear that in Savonarola, the pope had an enemy at -once temporal and spiritual, whose importunate and threatening voice -must be silenced at any cost. - -But mighty as the pope's power was, to accomplish a design like this was -no easy matter. Savonarola, preaching the stern principles of liberty, -had united to his cause, even in the midst of rich, pleasure-loving -Florence, a party of some size, known as the 'Piagnoni', or the -Penitents: this band was composed of citizens who were anxious for -reform in Church and State, who accused the Medici of enslaving the -fatherland and the Borgias of upsetting the faith, who demanded two -things, that the republic should return to her democratic principles, -and religion to a primitive simplicity. Towards the first of these -projects considerable progress had been made, since they had -successively obtained, first, an amnesty for all crimes and -delinquencies committed under other governments; secondly, the abolition -of the 'balia', which was an aristocratic magistracy; thirdly, the -establishment of a sovereign council, composed of 1800 citizens; and -lastly, the substitution of popular elections for drawing by lot and for -oligarchical nominations: these changes had been effected in spite of -two other factions, the 'Arrabiati', or Madmen, who, consisting of the -richest and noblest youths of the Florentine patrician families, desired -to have an oligarchical government; and the 'Bigi', or Greys, so called -because they always held their meetings in the shade, who desired the -return of the Medici. - -The first measure Alexander used against the growing power of Savonarola -was to declare him heretic, and as such banished from the pulpit; but -Savonarola had eluded this prohibition by making his pupil and friend, -Domenico Bonvicini di Pescia, preach in his stead. The result was that -the master's teachings were issued from other lips, and that was all; -the seed, though scattered by another hand, fell none the less on -fertile soil, where it would soon burst into flower. Moreover, -Savonarola now set an example that was followed to good purpose by -Luther, when, twenty-two years later, he burned Leo X's bull of -excommunication at Wittenberg; he was weary of silence, so he declared, -on the authority of Pope Pelagius, that an unjust excommunication had no -efficacy, and that the person excommunicated unjustly did not even need -to get absolution. So on Christmas Day, 1497, he declared that by the -inspiration of God he renounced his obedience to a corrupt master; and -he began to preach once more in the cathedral, with a success that was -all the greater for the interruption, and an influence far more -formidable than before, because it was strengthened by that sympathy of -the masses which an unjust persecution always inspires. - -Then Alexander made overtures to Leonardo dei Medici, vicar of the -archbishopric of Florence, to obtain the punishment of the rebel: -Leonardo, in obedience to the orders he received, from Rome, issued a -mandate forbidding the faithful to attend at Savonarola's sermons. After -this mandate, any who should hear the discourses of the excommunicated -monk would be refused communion and confession; and as when they died -they would be contaminated with heresy, in consequence of their -spiritual intercourse with a heretic, their dead bodies would be dragged -on a hurdle and deprived of the rights of sepulture. Savonarola appealed -from the mandate of his superior both to the people and to the Signoria, -and the two together gave orders to the episcopal vicar to leave -Florence within two hours: this happened at the beginning of the year -1498. - -The expulsion of Leonardo's dei Medici was a new triumph for Savonarola, -so, wishing to turn to good moral account his growing influence, he -resolved to convert the last day of the carnival, hitherto given up to -worldly pleasures, into a day of religious sacrifice. So actually on -Shrove Tuesday a considerable number of boys were collected in front of -the cathedral, and there divided into bands, which traversed the whole -town, making a house-to-house visitation, claiming all profane books, -licentious paintings, lutes, harps, cards and dice, cosmetics and -perfumes--in a word, all the hundreds of products of a corrupt society -and civilisation, by the aid of which Satan at times makes victorious -war on God. The inhabitants of Florence obeyed, and came forth to the -Piazza of the Duoma, bringing these works of perdition, which were soon -piled up in a huge stack, which the youthful reformers set on fire, -singing religious psalms and hymns the while. On this pile were burned -many copies of Boccaccio and of Margante Maggiore, and pictures by Fra -Bartalommeo, who from that day forward renounced the art of this world -to consecrate his brush utterly and entirely to the reproduction of -religious scenes. - -A reform such as this was terrifying to Alexander; so he resolved on -fighting Savonarola with his own weapons--that is, by the force of -eloquence. He chose as the Dominican's opponent a preacher of recognised -talent, called Fra Francesco di Paglia; and he sent him to Florence, -where he began to preach in Santa Croce, accusing Savonarola of heresy -and impiety. At the same time the pope, in a new brief, announced to the -Signaria that unless they forbade the arch-heretic to preach, all the -goods of Florentine merchants who lived on the papal territory would be -confiscated, and the republic laid under an interdict and declared the -spiritual and temporal enemy of the Church. The Signoria, abandoned by -France, and aware that the material power of Rome was increasing in a -frightful manner, was forced this time to yield, and to issue to -Savonarola an order to leave off preaching. He obeyed, and bade farewell -to his congregation in a sermon full of strength and eloquence. - -But the withdrawal of Savonarola, so far from calming the ferment, had -increased it: there was talk about his prophecies being fulfilled; and -some zealots, more ardent than their master added miracle to -inspiration, and loudly proclaimed that Savonarola had offered to go -down into the vaults of the cathedral with his antagonist, and there -bring a dead man to life again, to prove that his doctrine was true, -promising to declare himself vanquished if the miracle were performed by -his adversary. These rumours reached the ears of Fra Francesco, and as -he was a man of warm blood, who counted his own life as nothing if it -might be spent to help his cause, he declared in all humility that he -felt he was too great a sinner for God to work a miracle in his behalf; -but he proposed another challenge: he would try with Savonarola the -ordeal of fire. He knew, he said, that he must perish, but at least he -should perish avenging the cause of religion, since he was certain to -involve in his destruction the tempter who plunged so many souls beside -his own into eternal damnation. - -The proposition made by Fra Francesco was taken to Savanarola; but as he -had never proposed the earlier challenge, he hesitated to accept the -second; hereupon his disciple, Fra Domenico Bonvicini, more confident -than his master in his own power, declared himself ready to accept the -trial by fire in his stead; so certain was he that God would perform a -miracle by the intercession of Savonarola, His prophet. - -Instantly the report spread through Florence that the mortal challenge -was accepted; Savonarola's partisans, all men of the strongest -convictions, felt no doubt as to the success of their cause. His enemies -were enchanted at the thought of the heretic giving himself to the -flames; and the indifferent saw in the ordeal a spectacle of real and -terrible interest. - -But the devotion of Fra Bonvicini of Pescia was not what Fra Francesco -was reckoning with. He was willing, no doubt, to die a terrible death, -but on condition that Savanarola died with him. What mattered to him the -death of an obscure disciple like Fra Bonvicini? It was the master he -would strike, the great teacher who must be involved in his own ruin. So -he refused to enter the fire except with Savonarola himself, and, -playing this terrible game in his own person, would not allow his -adversary to play it by proxy. - -Then a thing happened which certainly no one could have anticipated. In -the place of Fra Francesco, who would not tilt with any but the master, -two Franciscan monks appeared to tilt with the disciple. These were Fra -Nicholas de Pilly and Fra Andrea Rondinelli. Immediately the partisans -of Savonarola, seeing this arrival of reinforcements for their -antagonist, came forward in a crowd to try the ordeal. The Franciscans -were unwilling to be behindhand, and everybody took sides with equal -ardour for one or other party. All Florence was like a den of madmen; -everyone wanted the ordeal, everyone wanted to go into the fire; not -only did men challenge one another, but women and even children were -clamouring to be allowed to try. At last the Signoria, reserving this -privilege for the first applicants, ordered that the strange duel should -take place only between Fra Domenico Bonvicini and Fra Andrea -Rondinelli; ten of the citizens were to arrange all details; the day was -fixed for the 7th of April, 1498, and the place the Piazza del Palazzo. - -The judges of the field made their arrangements conscientiously. By -their orders scaffolding was erected at the appointed place, five feet -in height, ten in width, and eighty feet long. This scaffolding was -covered with faggots and heath, supported by cross-bars of the very -driest wood that could be found. Two narrow paths were made, two feet -wide at most, their entrance giving on the Loggia dei Lanzi, their exit -exactly opposite. The loggia was itself divided into two by a partition, -so that each champion had a kind of room to make his preparations in, -just as in the theatre every actor has his dressing-room; but in this -instance the tragedy that was about to be played was not a fictitious -one. - -The Franciscans arrived on the piazza and entered the compartment -reserved for them without making any religious demonstration; while -Savonarola, on the contrary, advanced to his own place in the -procession, wearing the sacerdotal robes in which he had just celebrated -the Holy Eucharist, and holding in his hand the sacred host for all the -world to see, as it was enclosed in a crystal tabernacle. Fra Domenico -di Pescia, the hero of the occasion, followed, bearing a crucifix, and -all the Dominican monks, their red crosses in their hands, marched -behind singing a psalm; while behind them again followed the most -considerable of the citizens of their party, bearing torches, for, sure -as they were of the triumph of their cause, they wished to fire the -faggots themselves. The piazza was so crowded that the people overflowed -into all the streets around. In every door and window there was nothing -to be seen but heads ranged one above the other; the terraces were -covered with people, and curious spectators were observed on the roof of -the Duomo and on the top of the Campanile. - -But, brought face to face with the ordeal, the Franciscans raised such -difficulties that it was very plain the heart of their champion was -failing him. The first fear they expressed was that Fra Bonvicini was an -enchanter, and so carried about him some talisman or charm which would -save him from the fire. So they insisted that he should be stripped of -all his clothes and put on others to be inspected by witnesses. Fra -Bonvicini made no objection, though the suspicion was humiliating; he -changed shirt, dress, and cowl. Then, when the Franciscans observed that -Savanarola was placing the tabernacle in his hands, they protested that -it was profanation to expose the sacred host to the risk of burning, -that this was not in the bond, and if Bonvicini would not give up this -supernatural aid, they for their part would give up the trial -altogether. Savonarola replied that it was not astonishing that the -champion of religion who put his faith in God should bear in his hands -that very God to whom he entrusted his salvation. But this reply did not -satisfy the Franciscans, who were unwilling to let go their contention. -Savonarola remained inflexible, supporting his own right, and thus -nearly four hours passed in the discussion of points which neither party -would give up, and affairs remained in 'statu quo'. Meanwhile the -people, jammed together in the streets, on the terraces, on the roofs, -since break of day, were suffering from hunger and thirst and beginning -to get impatient: their impatience soon developed into loud murmurs, -which reached even the champions' ears, so that the partisans of -Savonarola, who felt such faith in him that they were confident of a -miracle, entreated him to yield to all the conditions suggested. To this -Savonarola replied that if it were himself making the trial he would be -less inexorable; but since another man was incurring the danger; he -could not take too many precautions. Two more hours passed, while his -partisans tried in vain to combat his refusals. At last, as night was -coming on and the people grew ever more and more impatient and their -murmurs began to assume a threatening tone, Bonvicini declared that he -was ready to walk through the fire, holding nothing in his hand but a -crucifix. No one could refuse him this; so Fra Rondinelli was compelled -to accept his proposition. The announcement was made to the populace -that the champions had come to terms and the trial was about to take -place. At this news the people calmed down, in the hope of being -compensated at last for their long wait; but at that very moment a storm -which had long been threatening brake over Florence with such fury that -the faggots which had just been lighted were extinguished by the rain, -leaving no possibility of their rekindling. From the moment when the -people suspected that they had been fooled, their enthusiasm was changed -into derision. They were ignorant from which side the difficulties had -arisen that had hindered the trial, so they laid the responsibility on -both champions without distinction. The Signoria, foreseeing the -disorder that was now imminent, ordered the assembly to retire; but the -assembly thought otherwise, and stayed on the piazza, waiting for the -departure of the two champions, in spite of the fearful rain that still -fell in torrents. Rondinelli was taken back amid shouts and hootings, -and pursued with showers of stones. Savonarola, thanks to his sacred -garments and the host which he still carried, passed calmly enough -through the midst of the mob--a miracle quite as remarkable as if he had -passed through the fire unscathed. - -But it was only the sacred majesty of the host that had protected this -man, who was indeed from this moment regarded as a false prophet: the -crowd allowed Savonarola to return to his convent, but they regretted -the necessity, so excited were they by the Arrabbiati party, who had -always denounced him as a liar and a hypocrite. So when the next -morning, Palm Sunday, he stood up in the pulpit to explain his conduct, -he could not obtain a moment's silence for insults, hooting, and loud -laughter. Then the outcry, at first derisive, became menacing: -Savonarola, whose voice was too weak to subdue the tumult, descended -from his pulpit, retired into the sacristy, and thence to his convent, -where he shut himself up in his cell. At that moment a cry was heard, -and was repeated by everybody present: - -"To San Marco, to San Marco!" The rioters, few at first, were recruited -by all the populace as they swept along the streets, and at last reached -the convent, dashing like an angry sea against the wall. - -The doors, closed on Savonarola's entrance, soon crashed before the -vehement onset of the powerful multitude, which struck down on the -instant every obstacle it met: the whole convent was quickly flooded -with people, and Savonarola, with his two confederates, Domenico -Bonvicini and Silvestro Maruffi, was arrested in his cell, and conducted -to prison amid the insults of the crowd, who, always in extremes, -whether of enthusiasm or hatred, would have liked to tear them to -pieces, and would not be quieted till they had exacted a promise that -the prisoners should be forcibly compelled to make the trial of fire -which they had refused to make of their own free will. - -Alexander VI, as we may suppose, had not been without influence in -bringing about this sudden and astonishing reaction, although he was not -present in person; and had scarcely learned the news of Savonarola's -fall and arrest when he claimed him as subject to ecclesiastical -jurisdiction. But in spite of the grant of indulgences wherewith this -demand was accompanied, the Signoria insisted that Savonarola's trial -should take place at Florence, adding a request so as not to appear to -withdraw the accused completely from the pontifical authority--that the -pope would send two ecclesiastical judges to sit in the Florentine -tribunal. Alexander, seeing that he would get nothing better from the -magnificent republic, sent as deputies Gioacchino Turriano of Venice, -General of the Dominicans, and Francesco Ramolini, doctor in law: they -practically brought the sentence with them, declaring Savonarola and his -accomplices heretics, schismatics, persecutors of the Church and -seducers of the people. - -The firmness shown by the Florentines in claiming their rights of -jurisdiction were nothing but an empty show to save appearances; the -tribunal, as a fact, was composed of eight members, all known to be -fervent haters of Savonarola, whose trial began with the torture. The -result was that, feeble in body constitutionally nervous and irritable, -he had not been able to endure the rack, and, overcome by agony just at -the moment when the executioner had lifted him up by the wrists and then -dropped him a distance of two feet to the ground, he had confessed, in -order to get some respite, that his prophecies were nothing more than -conjectures. If is true that, so soon as he went back to prison, he -protested against the confession, saying that it was the weakness of his -bodily organs and his want of firmness that had wrested the lie from -him, but that the truth really was that the Lord had several times -appeared to him in his ecstasies and revealed the things that he had -spoken. This protestation led to a new application of the torture, -during which Savonarola succumbed once more to the dreadful pain, and -once more retracted. But scarcely was he unbound, and was still lying on -the bed of torture, when he declared that his confessions were the fault -of his torturers, and the vengeance would recoil upon their heads; and -he protested yet once more against all he had confessed and might -confess again. A third time the torture produced the same avowals, and -the relief that followed it the same retractions. The judges therefore, -when they condemned him and his two disciples to the flames, decided -that his confession should not be read aloud at the stake, according to -custom, feeling certain that on this occasion also he would give it the -lie, and that publicly, which, as anyone must see who knew the versatile -spirit of the public, would be a most dangerous proceeding. - -On the 23rd of May, the fire which had been promised to the people -before was a second time prepared on the Piazza del Palazzo, and this -time the crowd assembled quite certain that they would not be -disappointed of a spectacle so long anticipated. And towards eleven -o'clock in the morning, Girolamo Savonarola, Domenico Bonvicini, and -Silvestro Maruffi were led to the place of execution, degraded of their -orders by the ecclesiastical judges, and bound all three to the same -stake in the centre of an immense pile of wood. Then the bishop -Pagnanoli told the condemned men that he cut them off from the Church. -"Ay, from the Church militant," said Savonarola, who from that very -hour, thanks to his martyrdom, was entering into the Church triumphant. -No other words were spoken by the condemned men, for at this moment one -of the Arrabbiati, a personal enemy of Savonarola, breaking through the -hedge of guards around the scaffold, snatched the torch from the -executioner's hand and himself set fire to the four corners of the pile. -Savonarola and his disciples, from the moment when they saw the smoke -arise, began to sing a psalm, and the flames enwrapped them on all sides -with a glowing veil, while their religious song was yet heard mounting -upward to the gates of heaven. - -Pope Alexander VI was thus set free from perhaps the most formidable -enemy who had ever risen against him, and the pontifical vengeance -pursued the victims even after their death: the Signoria, yielding to -his wishes, gave orders that the ashes of the prophet and his disciples -should be thrown into the Arno. But certain half-burned fragments were -picked up by the very soldiers whose business it was to keep the people -back from approaching the fire, and the holy relics are even now shown, -blackened by the flames, to the faithful, who if they no longer regard -Savonarola as a prophet, revere him none the less as a martyr. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -The French army was now preparing to cross the Alps a second time, under -the command of Trivulce. Louis XII had come as far as Lyons in the -company of Caesar Borgia and Giuliano della Rovere, on whom he had -forced a reconciliation, and towards the beginning of the month of May -had sent his vanguard before him, soon to be followed by the main body -of the army. The forces he was employing in this second campaign of -conquest were 1600 lances, 5000 Swiss, 9000 Gascons, and 3500 infantry, -raised from all parts of France. On the 13th of August this whole body, -amounting to nearly 15,000 men, who were to combine their forces with -the Venetians, arrived beneath the walls of Arezzo, and immediately laid -siege to the town. - -Ludovico Sforza's position was a terrible one: he was now suffering from -his imprudence in calling the French into Italy; all the allies he had -thought he might count upon were abandoning him at the same moment, -either because they were busy about their own affairs, or because they -were afraid of the powerful enemy that the Duke of Milan had made for -himself. Maximilian, who had promised him a contribution of 400 lances, -to make up for not renewing the hostilities with Louis XII that had been -interrupted, had just made a league with the circle of Swabia to war -against the Swiss, whom he had declared rebels against the Empire. The -Florentines, who had engaged to furnish him with 300 men-at-arms and -2000 infantry, if he would help them to retake Pisa, had just retracted -their promise because of Louis XII's threats, and had undertaken to -remain neutral. Frederic, who was holding back his troops for the -defence of his own States, because he supposed, not without reason, -that, Milan once conquered, he would again have to defend Naples, sent -him no help, no men, no money, in spite of his promises. Ludovico Sforza -was therefore reduced to his own proper forces. - -But as he was a man powerful in arms and clever in artifice, he did not -allow himself to succumb at the first blow, and in all haste fortified -Annona, Novarro, and Alessandria, sent off Cajazzo with troops to that -part of the Milanese territory which borders on the states of Venice, -and collected on the Po as many troops as he could. But these -precautions availed him nothing against the impetuous onslaught of the -French, who in a few days had taken Annona, Arezzo, Novarro, Voghiera, -Castelnuovo, Ponte Corona, Tartone, and Alessandria, while Trivulce was -on the march to Milan. - -Seeing the rapidity of this conquest and their numerous victories, -Ludovico Sforza, despairing of holding out in his capital, resolved to -retire to Germany, with his children, his brother, Cardinal Ascanio -Sforza, and his treasure, which had been reduced in the course of eight -years from 1,500,000 to 200,000 ducats. But before he went he left -Bernardino da Carte in charge of the castle of Milan. In vain did his -friends warn him to distrust this man, in vain did his brother Ascanio -offer to hold the fortress himself, and offer to hold it to the very -last; Ludovico refused to make any change in his arrangements, and -started on the 2nd of September, leaving in the citadel three thousand -foot and enough provisions, ammunition, and money to sustain a siege of -several months. - -Two days after Ludovico's departure, the French entered Milan. Ten days -later Bernardino da Come gave up the castle before a single gun had been -fired. Twenty-one days had sufficed for the French to get possession of -the various towns, the capital, and all the territories of their enemy. - -Louis XII received the news of this success while he was at Lyons, and -he at once started for Milan, where he was received with demonstrations -of joy that were really sincere. Citizens of every rank had come out -three miles' distance from the gates to receive him, and forty boys, -dressed in cloth of gold and silk, marched before him singing hymns of -victory composed by poets of the period, in which the king was styled -their liberator and the envoy of freedom. The great joy of the Milanese -people was due to the fact that friends of Louis had been spreading -reports beforehand that the King of France was rich enough to abolish -all taxes. And so soon as the second day from his arrival at Milan the -conqueror made some slight reduction, granted important favours to -certain Milanese gentlemen, and bestowed the town of Vigavano on -Trivulce as a reward for his swift and glorious campaign. But Caesar -Borgia, who had followed Louis XII with a view to playing his part in -the great hunting-ground of Italy, scarcely waited for him to attain his -end when he claimed the fulfilment of his promise, which the king with -his accustomed loyalty hastened to perform. He instantly put at the -disposal of Caesar three hundred lances under the command of Yves -d'Alegre, and four thousand Swiss under the command of the bailiff of -Dijon, as a help in his work of reducing the Vicars of the Church. - -We must now explain to our readers who these new personages were whom we -introduce upon the scene by the above name. - -During the eternal wars of Guelphs and Ghibelines and the long exile of -the popes at Avignon, most of the towns and fortresses of the Romagna -had been usurped by petty tyrants, who for the most part had received -from the Empire the investiture of their new possessions; but ever since -German influence had retired beyond the Alps, and the popes had again -made Rome the centre of the Christian world, all the small princes, -robbed of their original protector, had rallied round the papal see, and -received at the hands of the pope a new investiture, and now they paid -annual dues, for which they received the particular title of duke, -count, or lord, and the general name of Vicar of the Church. - -It had been no difficult matter for Alexander, scrupulously examining -the actions and behaviour of these gentlemen during the seven years that -had elapsed since he was exalted to St. Peter's throne, to find in the -conduct of each one of them something that could be called an infraction -of the treaty made between vassals and suzerain; accordingly he brought -forward his complaints at a tribunal established for the purpose, and -obtained sentence from the judges to the effect that the vicars of the -Church, having failed to fulfil the conditions of their investiture, -were despoiled of their domains, which would again become the property -of the Holy See. As the pope was now dealing with men against whom it -was easier to pass a sentence than to get it carried out, he had -nominated as captain-general the new Duke of Valentinois, who was -commissioned to recover the territories for his own benefit. The lords -in question were the Malatesti of Rimini, the Sforza of Pesaro, the -Manfredi of Faenza, the Riarii of Imola and Forli, the Variani of -Camerina, the Montefeltri of Urbino, and the Caetani of Sermoneta. - -But the Duke of Valentinois, eager to keep as warm as possible his great -friendship with his ally and relative Louis XII, was, as we know, -staying with him at Milan so long as he remained there, where, after a -month's occupation, the king retraced his steps to his own capital, the -Duke of Valentinois ordered his men-at-arms and his Swiss to await him -between Parma and Modena, and departed posthaste for Rome, to explain -his plans to his father viva voce and to receive his final instructions. -When he arrived, he found that the fortune of his sister Lucrezia had -been greatly augmented in his absence, not from the side of her husband -Alfonso, whose future was very uncertain now in consequence of Louis's -successes, which had caused some coolness between Alfonso and the pope, -but from her father's side, upon whom at this time she exercised an -influence more astonishing than ever. The pope had declared Lucrezia -Borgia of Aragon life-governor of Spoleto and its duchy, with all -emoluments, rights, and revenues accruing thereunto. This had so greatly -increased her power and improved her position, that in these days she -never showed herself in public without a company of two hundred horses -ridden by the most illustrious ladies and noblest knights of Rome. -Moreover, as the twofold affection of her father was a secret to nobody, -the first prelates in the Church, the frequenters of the Vatican, the -friends of His Holiness, were all her most humble servants; cardinals -gave her their hands when she stepped from her litter or her horse, -archbishops disputed the honour of celebrating mass in her private -apartments. - -But Lucrezia had been obliged to quit Rome in order to take possession -of her new estates; and as her father could not spend much time away -from his beloved daughter, he resolved to take into his hands the town -of Nepi, which on a former occasion, as the reader will doubtless -remember, he had bestowed on Ascanio Sforza in exchange for his -suffrage. Ascanio had naturally lost this town when he attached himself -to the fortunes of the Duke of Milan, his brother; and when the pope was -about to take it again, he invited his daughter Lucrezia to join him -there and be present at the rejoicings held in honour of his resuming -its possession. - -Lucrezia's readiness in giving way to her father's wishes brought her a -new gift from him: this was the town and territory of Sermoneta, which -belonged to the Caetani. Of course the gift was as yet a secret, because -the two owners of the seigneury, had first to be disposed of, one being -Monsignore Giacomo Caetano, apostolic protonotary, the other Prospero -Caetano, a young cavalier of great promise; but as both lived at Rome, -and entertained no suspicion, but indeed supposed themselves to be in -high favour with His Holiness, the one by virtue of his position, the -other of his courage, the matter seemed to present no great difficulty. -So directly after the return of Alexander to Rome, Giacomo Caetano was -arrested, on what pretext we know not, was taken to the castle of Sant' -Angelo, and there died shortly after, of poison: Prospero Caetano was -strangled in his own house. After these two deaths, which both occurred -so suddenly as to give no time for either to make a will, the pope -declared that Sermoneta and all of her property appertaining to the -Caetani devolved upon the apostolic chamber; and they were sold to -Lucrezia for the sum of 80,000 crowns, which her father refunded to her -the day after. Though Caesar hurried to Rome, he found when he arrived -that his father had been beforehand with him, and had made a beginning -of his conquests. - -Another fortune also had been making prodigious strides during Caesar's -stay in France, viz. the fortune of Gian Borgia, the pope's nephew, who -had been one of the most devoted friends of the Duke of Gandia up to the -time of his death. It was said in Rome, and not in a whisper, that the -young cardinal owed the favours heaped upon him by His Holiness less to -the memory of the brother than to the protection of the sister. Both -these reasons made Gian Borgia a special object of suspicion to Caesar, -and it was with an inward vow that he should not enjoy his new dignities -very long that the Duke of Valentinois heard that his cousin Gian had -just been nominated cardinal 'a latere' of all the Christian world, and -had quitted Rome to make a circuit through all the pontifical states -with a suite of archbishops, bishops, prelates, and gentlemen, such as -would have done honour to the pope himself. - -Caesar had only come to Rome to get news; so he only stayed three days, -and then, with all the troops His Holiness could supply, rejoined his -forces on the borders of the Euza, and marched at once to Imola. This -town, abandoned by its chiefs, who had retired to Forli, was forced to -capitulate. Imola taken, Caesar marched straight upon Forli. There he -met with a serious check; a check, moreover, which came from a woman. -Caterina Sforza, widow of Girolamo and mother of Ottaviano Riario, had -retired to this town, and stirred up the courage of the garrison by -putting herself, her goods and her person, under their protection. -Caesar saw that it was no longer a question of a sudden capture, but of -a regular siege; so he began to make all his arrangements with a view to -it, and placing a battery of cannon in front of the place where the -walls seemed to him weakest, he ordered an uninterrupted fire, to be -continued until the breach was practicable. - -When he returned to the camp after giving this order, he found there -Gian Borgia, who had gone to Rome from Ferrara and was unwilling to be -so near Caesar without paying him a visit: he was received with effusion -and apparently the greatest joy, and stayed three days; on the fourth -day all the officers and members of the court were invited to a grand -farewell supper, and Caesar bade farewell to his cousin, charging him -with despatches for the pope, and lavishing upon him all the tokens of -affection he had shown on his arrival. - -Cardinal Gian Borgia posted off as soon as he left the supper-table, -but on arriving at Urbino he was seized with such a sudden and strange -indisposition that he was forced to stop; but after a few minutes, -feeling rather better, he went an; scarcely, however, had he entered -Rocca Cantrada when he again felt so extremely ill that he resolved to -go no farther, and stayed a couple of days in the town. Then, as he -thought he was a little better again, and as he had heard the news of -the taking of Forli and also that Caterina Sforza had been taken -prisoner while she was making an attempt to retire into the castle, he -resolved to go back to Caesar and congratulate him on his victory; but -at Fassambrane he was forced to stop a third time, although he had given -up his carriage for a litter. This was his last halt: the same day he -sought his bed, never to rise from it again; three days later he was -dead. - -His body was taken to Rome and buried without any ceremony in the church -of Santa Maria del Populo, where lay awaiting him the corpse of his -friend the Duke of Gandia; and there was now no more talk of the young -cardinal, high as his rank had been, than if he had never existed. Thus -in gloom and silence passed away all those who were swept to destruction -by the ambition of that terrible trio, Alexander, Lucrezia, and Caesar. - -Almost at the same time Rome was terrified by another murder. Don -Giovanni Cerviglione, a gentleman by birth and a brave soldier, captain -of the pope's men-at-arms, was attacked one evening by the sbirri, as he -was on his way home from supping with Don Elisio Pignatelli. One of the -men asked his name, and as he pronounced it, seeing that there was no -mistake, plunged a dagger into his breast, while a second man with a -back stroke of his sword cut off his head, which lay actually at his -feet before his body had time to fall. - -The governor of Rome lodged a complaint against this assassination with -the pope; but quickly perceiving, by the way his intimation was -received, that he would have done better to say nothing, he stopped the -inquiries he had started, so that neither of the murderers was ever -arrested. But the rumour was circulated that Caesar, in the short stay -he had made at Rome, had had a rendezvous with Cerviglione's wife, who -was a Borgia by birth, and that her husband when he heard of this -infringement of conjugal duty had been angry enough to threaten her and -her lover, too: the threat had reached Caesar's ears, who, making a long -arm of Michelotto, had, himself at Forli, struck down Cerviglione in the -streets of Rome. - -Another unexpected death followed so quickly on that of Don Giovanni -Cerviglione that it could not but be attributed to the same originator, -if not to the same cause. Monsignore Agnelli of Mantua, archbishop of -Cosenza, clerk of the chamber and vice-legate of Viterbo, having fallen -into disgrace with His Holiness, how it is not known, was poisoned at -his own table, at which he had passed a good part of the night in -cheerful conversation with three or four guests, the poison gliding -meanwhile through his veins; then going to bed in perfect health, he was -found dead in the morning. His possessions were at once divided into -three portions: the land and houses were given to the Duke of -Valentinois; the bishopric went to Francesco Borgia, son of Calixtus -III; and the office of clerk of the chamber was sold for 5000 ducats to -Ventura Bonnassai, a merchant of Siena, who produced this sum for -Alexander, and settled down the very same day in the Vatican. - -This last death served the purpose of determining a point of law -hitherto uncertain: as Monsignore Agnelli's natural heirs had made some -difficulty about being disinherited, Alexander issued a brief; whereby -he took from every cardinal and every priest the right of making a will, -and declared that all their property should henceforth devolve upon him. - -But Caesar was stopped short in the midst of his victories. Thanks to -the 200,000 ducats that yet remained in his treasury, Ludovico Sforza -had levied 500 men-at-arms from Burgundy and 8000 Swiss infantry, with -whom he had entered Lombardy. So Trivulce, to face this enemy, had been -compelled to call back Yves d'Alegre and the troops that Louis XII had -lent to Caesar; consequently Caesar, leaving behind a body of pontifical -soldiery as garrison at Forli and Imola, betook himself with the rest of -his force to Rome. - -It was Alexander's wish that his entry should be a triumph; so when he -learned that the quartermasters of the army were only a few leagues from -the town, he sent out runners to invite the royal ambassadors, the -cardinals, the prelates, the Roman barons, and municipal dignitaries to -make procession with all their suite to meet the Duke of Valentinois; -and as it always happens that the pride of those who command is -surpassed by the baseness of those who obey, the orders were not only -fulfilled to the letter, but beyond it. - -The entry of Caesar took place on the 26th of February, 1500. Although -this was the great Jubilee year, the festivals of the carnival began -none the less for that, and were conducted in a manner even more -extravagant and licentious than usual; and the conqueror after the first -day prepared a new display of ostentation, which he concealed under the -veil of a masquerade. As he was pleased to identify himself with the -glory, genius, and fortune of the great man whose name he bore, he -resolved on a representation of the triumph of Julius Caesar, to be -given on the Piazzi di Navona, the ordinary place for holding the -carnival fetes. The next day, therefore, he and his retinue started from -that square, and traversed all the streets of Rome, wearing classical -costumes and riding in antique cars, on one of which Caesar stood, clad -in the robe of an emperor of old, his brow crowned with a golden laurel -wreath, surrounded by lictors, soldiers, and ensign-bearers, who carried -banners whereon was inscribed the motto, 'Aut Caesar aut nihil'. - -Finally, on the fourth Sunday, in Lent, the pope conferred upon Caesar -the dignity he had so long coveted, and appointed him general and -gonfaloniere of the Holy Church. - -In the meanwhile Sforza had crossed the Alps and passed the Lake of -Como, amid acclamations of joy from his former subjects, who had quickly -lost the enthusiasm that the French army and Louis's promises had -inspired. These demonstrations were so noisy at Milan, that Trivulce, -judging that there was no safety for a French garrison in remaining -there, made his way to Navarra. Experience proved that he was not -deceived; for scarcely had the Milanese observed his preparations for -departure when a suppressed excitement began to spread through the town, -and soon the streets were filled with armed men. This murmuring crowd -had to be passed through, sword in hand and lance in rest; and scarcely -had the French got outside the gates when the mob rushed out after the -army into the country, pursuing them with shouts and hooting as far as -the banks of the Tesino. Trivulce left 400 lances at Navarra as well as -the 3000 Swiss that Yves d'Alegre had brought from the Romagna, and -directed his course with the rest of the army towards Mortara, where he -stopped at last to await the help he had demanded from the King of -France. Behind him Cardinal Ascanio and Ludovico entered Milan amid the -acclamations of the whole town. - -Neither of them lost any time, and wishing to profit by this enthusiasm, -Ascanio undertook to besiege the castle of Milan while Ludovico should -cross the Tesino and attack Navarra. - -There besiegers and besieged were sons of the same nation; for Yves -d'Alegre had scarcely as many as 300 French with him, and Ludovico 500 -Italians. In fact, for the last sixteen years the Swiss had been -practically the only infantry in Europe, and all the Powers came, purse -in hand, to draw from the mighty reservoir of their mountains. The -consequence was that these rude children of William Tell, put up to -auction by the nations, and carried away from the humble, hardy life of -a mountain people into cities of wealth and pleasure, had lost, not -their ancient courage, but that rigidity of principle for which they had -been distinguished before their intercourse with other nations. From -being models of honour and good faith they had become a kind of -marketable ware, always ready for sale to the highest bidder. The French -were the first to experience this venality, which later-on proved so -fatal to Ludovico Sforza. - -Now the Swiss in the garrison at Navarra had been in communication with -their compatriots in the vanguard of the ducal army, and when they found -that they, who as a fact were unaware that Ludavico's treasure was -nearly exhausted, were better fed as well as better paid than -themselves, they offered to give up the town and go over to the -Milanese, if they could be certain of the same pay. Ludovico, as we may -well suppose, closed with this bargain. The whole of Navarra was given -up to him except the citadel, which was defended by Frenchmen: thus the -enemy's army was recruited by 3000 men. Then Ludovico made the mistake -of stopping to besiege the castle instead of marching on to Mortara with -the new reinforcement. The result of this was that Louis XII, to whom -runners had been sent by Trivulce, understanding his perilous position, -hastened the departure of the French gendarmerie who were already -collected to cross into Italy, sent off the bailiff of Dijon to levy new -Swiss forces, and ordered Cardinal Amboise, his prime minister, to cross -the Alps and take up a position at Asti, to hurry on the work of -collecting the troops. There the cardinal found a nest-egg of 3000 men. -La Trimouille added 1500 lances and 6000 French infantry; finally, the -bailiff of Dijon arrived with 10,000 Swiss; so that, counting the troops -which Trivulce had at Mortara, Louis XII found himself master on the -other side of the Alps of the first army any French king had ever led -out to battle. Soon, by good marching, and before Ludovico knew the -strength or even the existence of this army, it took up a position -between Navarra and Milan, cutting off all communication between the -duke and his capital. He was therefore compelled, in spite of his -inferior numbers, to prepare for a pitched battle. - -But it so happened that just when the preparations for a decisive -engagement were being made on both sides, the Swiss Diet, learning that -the sons of Helvetia were on the point of cutting one another's throats, -sent orders to all the Swiss serving in either army to break their -engagements and return to the fatherland. But during the two months that -had passed between the surrender of Navarra and the arrival of the -French army before the town, there had been a very great change in the -face of things, because Ludovico Sforza's treasure was now exhausted. -New confabulations had gone on between the outposts, and this time, -thanks to the money sent by Louis XII, it was the Swiss in the service -of France who were found to be the better fed and better paid. The -worthy Helvetians, since they no longer fought for their own liberty, -knew the value of their blood too well to allow a single drop of it to -be spilled for less than its weight in gold: the result was that, as -they had, betrayed Yves d'Alegre, they resolved to betray Ludovico -Sforza too; and while the recruits brought in by the bailiff of Dijon -were standing firmly by the French flag, careless of the order of the -Diet, Ludovico's auxiliaries declared that in fighting against their -Swiss brethren they would be acting in disobedience to the Diet, and -would risk capital punishment in the end--a danger that nothing would -induce them to incur unless they immediately received the arrears of -their pay. The duke, who had spent the last ducat he had with him, and -was entirely cut off from his capital, knew that he could not get money -till he had fought his way through to it, and therefore invited the -Swiss to make one last effort, promising them not only the pay that was -in arrears but a double hire. But unluckily the fulfilment of this -promise was dependent on the doubtful issue of a battle, and the Swiss -replied that they had far too much respect for their country to disobey -its decree, and that they loved their brothers far too well to consent -to shed their blood without reward; and therefore Sforza would do well -not to count upon them, since indeed the very next day they proposed to -return to their homes. The duke then saw that all was lost, but he made -a last appeal to their honour, adjuring them at least to ensure his -personal safety by making it a condition of capitulation. But they -replied that even if a condition of such a kind, would not make -capitulation impossible, it would certainly deprive them of advantages -which they had a right to expect, and on which they counted as -indemnification for the arrears of their pay. They pretended, however, -at last that they were touched by the prayers of the man whose orders -they had obeyed so long, and offered to conceal him dressed in their -clothes among their ranks. This proposition was barely plausible; for -Sforza was short and, by this time an old man, and he could not possibly -escape recognition in the midst of an army where the oldest was not past -thirty and the shortest not less than five foot six. Still, this was his -last chance, and he did not reject it at once, but tried to modify it so -that it might help him in his straits. His plan was to disguise himself -as a Franciscan monk, so that mounted on a shabby horse he might pass -for their chaplain; the others, Galeazzo di San Severing, who commanded -under him, and his two brothers, were all tall men, so, adopting the -dress of common soldiers, they hoped they might escape detection in the -Swiss ranks. - -Scarcely were these plans settled when the duke heard that the -capitulation was signed between Trivulce and the Swiss, who had made no -stipulation in favour of him and his generals. They were to go over the -next day with arms and baggage right into the French army; so the last -hope of the wretched Ludovico and his generals must needs be in their -disguise. And so it was. San Severino and his brothers took their place -in the ranks of the infantry, and Sforza took his among the baggage, -clad in a monk's frock, with the hood pulled over his eyes. - -The army marched off; but the Swiss, who had first trafficked in their -blood, now trafficked in their honour. The French were warned of the -disguise of Sforza and his generals, and thus they were all four -recognised, and Sforza was arrested by Trimouille himself. It is said -that the price paid for this treason was the town of Bellinzona; for it -then belonged to the French, and when the Swiss returned to their -mountains and took possession of it, Louis XII took no steps to get it -back again. - -When Ascanio Sforza, who, as we know, had stayed at Milan, learned the -news of this cowardly desertion, he supposed that his cause was lost and -that it would be the best plan for him to fly, before he found himself a -prisoner in the hands of his brother's old subjects: such a change of -face on the people's part would be very natural, and they might propose -perhaps to purchase their own pardon at the price of his liberty; so he -fled by night with the chief nobles of the Ghibelline party, taking the -road to Piacenza, an his way to the kingdom of Naples. But when he -arrived at Rivolta, he remembered that there was living in that town an -old friend of his childhood, by name Conrad Lando, whom he had helped to -much wealth in his days of power; and as Ascanio and his companions were -extremely tired, he resolved to beg his hospitality for a single night. -Conrad received them with every sign of joy, putting all his house and -servants at their disposal. But scarcely had they retired to bed when he -sent a runner to Piacenza, to inform Carlo Orsini, at that time -commanding the Venetian garrison, that he was prepared to deliver up -Cardinal Ascanio and the chief men of the Milanese army. Carlo Orsini -did not care to resign to another so important an expedition, and -mounting hurriedly with twenty-five men, he first surrounded Conrad's -house, and then entered sword in hand the chamber wherein Ascanio and -his companions lay, and being surprised in the middle of their sleep, -they yielded without resistance. The prisoners were taken to Venice, but -Louis XII claimed them, and they were given up. Thus the King of France -found himself master of Ludovico Sforza and of Ascania, of a legitimate -nephew of the great Francesco Sforza named Hermes, of two bastards named -Alessandro and Cortino, and of Francesco, son of the unhappy Gian -Galeazza who had been poisoned by his uncle. - -Louis XII, wishing to make an end of the whole family at a blow, forced -Francesco to enter a cloister, shut up Cardinal Ascanio in the tower of -Baurges, threw into prison Alessandro, Cartino, and Hermes, and finally, -after transferring the wretched Ludovico from the fortress of -Pierre-Eucise to Lys-Saint-George he relegated him for good and all to -the castle of Loches, where he lived for ten years in solitude and utter -destitution, and there died, cursing the day when the idea first came -into his head of enticing the French into Italy. - -The news of the catastrophe of Ludovica and his family caused the -greatest joy at Rome, for, while the French were consolidating their -power in Milanese territory, the Holy See was gaining ground in the -Romagna, where no further opposition was offered to Caesar's conquest. -So the runners who brought the news were rewarded with valuable -presents, and it was published throughout the whole town of Rome to the -sound of the trumpet and drum. The war-cry of Louis, France, France, and -that of the Orsini, Orso, Orso, rang through all the streets, which in -the evening were illuminated, as though Constantinople or Jerusalem had -been taken. And the pope gave the people fetes and fireworks, without -troubling his head the least in the world either about its being Holy -Week, or because the Jubilee had attracted more than 200,000 people to -Rome; the temporal interests of his family seeming to him far more -important than the spiritual interests of his subjects. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -One thing alone was wanting to assure the success of the vast projects -that the pope and his son were founding upon the friendship of Louis and -an alliance with him--that is,--money. But Alexander was not the man to -be troubled about a paltry worry of that kind; true, the sale of -benefices was by now exhausted, the ordinary and extraordinary taxes had -already been collected for the whole year, and the prospect of -inheritance from cardinals and priests was a poor thing now that the -richest of them had been poisoned; but Alexander had other means at his -disposal, which were none the less efficacious because they were less -often used. - -The first he employed was to spread a report that the Turks were -threatening an invasion of Christendom, and that he knew for a positive -fact that before the end of the summer Bajazet would land two -considerable armies, one in Romagna, the other in Calabria; he therefore -published two bulls, one to levy tithes of all ecclesiastical revenues -in Europe of whatever nature they might be, the other to force the Jews -into paying an equivalent sum: both bulls contained the severest -sentences of excommunication against those who refused to submit, or -attempted opposition. - -The second plan was the selling of indulgences, a thing which had never -been done before: these indulgences affected the people who had been -prevented by reasons of health or business from coming to Rome for the -Jubilee; the journey by this expedient was rendered unnecessary, and -sins were pardoned for a third of what it would have cost, and just as -completely as if the faithful had fulfilled every condition of the -pilgrimage. For gathering in this tax a veritable army of collectors was -instituted, a certain Ludovico dellaTorre at their head. The sum that -Alexander brought into the pontifical treasury is incalculable, and some -idea of it may be gathered from the fact that 799,000 livres in gold was -paid in from the territory of Venice alone. - -But as the Turks did as a fact make some sort of demonstration from the -Hungarian side, and the Venetians began to fear that they might be -coming in their direction, they asked for help from the pope, who gave -orders that at twelve o'clock in the day in all his States an Ave Maria -should be said, to pray God to avert the danger which was threatening -the most serene republic. This was the only help the Venetians got from -His Holiness in exchange for the 799,000 livres in gold that he had got -from them. - -But it seemed as though God wished to show His strange vicar on earth -that He was angered by the mockery of sacred things, and on the Eve of -St. Peter's Day, just as the pope was passing the Capanile on his way to -the tribune of benedictions, an enormous piece of iron broke off and -fell at his feet; and then, as though one warning had not been enough, -on the next day, St. Peter's, when the pope happened to be in one of the -rooms of his ordinary dwelling with Cardinal Capuano and Monsignare -Poto, his private chamberlain, he saw through the open windows that a -very black cloud was coming up. Foreseeing a thunderstorm, he ordered -the cardinal and the chamberlain to shut the windows. He had not been -mistaken; for even as they were obeying his command, there came up such -a furious gust of wind that the highest chimney of the Vatican was -overturned, just as a tree is rooted up, and was dashed upon the roof, -breaking it in; smashing the upper flooring, it fell into the very room -where they were. Terrified by the noise of this catastrophe, which made -the whole palace tremble, the cardinal and Monsignore Poto turned round, -and seeing the room full of dust and debris, sprang out upon the parapet -and shouted to the guards at the gate, "The pope is dead, the pope is -dead!" At this cry, the guards ran up and discovered three persons lying -in the rubbish on the floor, one dead and the other two dying. The dead -man was a gentleman of Siena called Lorenzo Chigi, and the dying were -two resident officials of the Vatican. They had been walking across the -floor above, and had been flung down with the debris. But Alexander was -not to be found; and as he gave no answer, though they kept on calling -to him, the belief that he had perished was confirmed, and very soon -spread about the town. But he had only fainted, and at the end of a -certain time he began to come to himself, and moaned, whereupon he was -discovered, dazed with the blow, and injured, though not seriously, in -several parts of his body. He had been saved by little short of a -miracle: a beam had broken in half and had left each of its two ends in -the side walls; and one of these had formed a sort of roof over the -pontifical throne; the pope, who was sitting there at the time, was -protected by this overarching beam, and had received only a few -contusions. - -The two contradictory reports of the sudden death and the miraculous -preservation of the pope spread rapidly through Rome; and the Duke of -Valentinois, terrified at the thought of what a change might be wrought -in his own fortunes by any slight accident to the Holy Father, hurried -to the Vatican, unable to assure himself by anything less than the -evidence of his own eyes. Alexander desired to render public thanks to -Heaven for the protection that had been granted him; and on the very -same day was carried to the church of Santa Maria del Popalo, escorted -by a numerous procession of prelates and men-at arms, his pontifical -seat borne by two valets, two equerries, and two grooms. In this church -were buried the Duke of Gandia and Gian Borgia, and perhaps Alexander -was drawn thither by some relics of devotion, or may be by the -recollection of his love for his former mistress, Rosa Vanazza, whose -image, in the guise of the Madonna, was exposed for the veneration of -the faithful in a chapel on the left of the high altar. Stopping before -this altar, the pope offered to the church the gift of a magnificent -chalice in which were three hundred gold crowns, which the Cardinal of -Siena poured out into a silver paten before the eyes of all, much to the -gratification of the pontifical vanity. - -But before he left Rome to complete the conquest of the Romagna, the -Duke of Valentinois had been reflecting that the marriage, once so -ardently desired, between Lucrezia and Alfonso had been quite useless to -himself and his father. There was more than this to be considered: Louis -XII's rest in Lombardy was only a halt, and Milan was evidently but the -stage before Naples. It was very possible that Louis was annoyed about -the marriage which converted his enemy's nephew into the son-in-law of -his ally. Whereas, if Alfonso were dead, Lucrezia would be in the -position to marry some powerful lord of Ferrara or Brescia, who would be -able to help his brother-in-law in the conquest of Romagna. Alfonso was -now not only useless but dangerous, which to anyone with the character -of the Borgias perhaps seemed worse, the death of Alfonso was resolved -upon. But Lucrezia's husband, who had understood for a long time past -what danger he incurred by living near his terrible father-in-law, had -retired to Naples. Since, however, neither Alexander nor Caesar had -changed in their perpetual dissimulation towards him, he was beginning -to lose his fear, when he received an invitation from the pope and his -son to take part in a bull-fight which was to be held in the Spanish -fashion in honour of the duke before his departure: In the present -precarious position of Naples it would not have been good policy for -Alfonso to afford Alexander any sort of pretext for a rupture, so he -could not refuse without a motive, and betook himself to Rome. It was -thought of no use to consult Lucrezia in this affair, for she had two or -three times displayed an absurd attachment for her husband, and they -left her undisturbed in her government of Spoleto. - -Alfonso was received by the pope and the duke with every demonstration -of sincere friendship, and rooms in the Vatican were assigned to him -that he had inhabited before with Lucrezia, in that part of the building -which is known as the Torre Nuova. - -Great lists were prepared on the Piazza of St. Peter's; the streets -about it were barricaded, and the windows of the surrounding houses -served as boxes for the spectators. The pope and his court took their -places on the balconies of the Vatican. - -The fete was started by professional toreadors: after they had exhibited -their strength and skill, Alfonso and Caesar in their turn descended to -the arena, and to offer a proof of their mutual kindness, settled that -the bull which pursued Caesar should be killed by Alfonso, and the bull -that pursued Alfonso by Caesar. - -Then Caesar remained alone an horseback within the lists, Alfonso going -out by an improvised door which was kept ajar, in order that he might go -back on the instant if he judged that his presence was necessary. At the -same time, from the opposite side of the lists the bull was introduced, -and was at the same moment pierced all over with darts and arrows, some -of them containing explosives, which took fire, and irritated the bull -to such a point that he rolled about with pain, and then got up in a -fury, and perceiving a man on horseback, rushed instantly upon him. It -was now, in this narrow arena, pursued by his swift enemy, that Caesar -displayed all that skill which made him one of the finest horsemen of -the period. Still, clever as he was, he could not have remained safe -long in that restricted area from an adversary against whom he had no -other resource than flight, had not Alfonso appeared suddenly, just when -the bull was beginning to gain upon him, waving a red cloak in his left -hand, and holding in his right a long delicate Aragon sword. It was high -time: the bull was only a few paces distant from Caesar, and the risk he -was running appeared so imminent that a woman's scream was heard from -one of the windows. But at the sight of a man on foot the bull stopped -short, and judging that he would do better business with the new enemy -than the old one, he turned upon him instead. For a moment he stood -motionless, roaring, kicking up the dust with his hind feet, and lashing -his sides with his tail. Then he rushed upon Alfonso, his eyes all -bloodshot, his horns tearing up the ground. Alfonso awaited him with a -tranquil air; then, when he was only three paces away, he made a bound -to one side and presented instead of his body his sword, which -disappeared at once to the hilt; the bull, checked in the middle of his -onslaught, stopped one instant motionless and trembling, then fell upon -his knees, uttered one dull roar, and lying down on the very spot where -his course had been checked, breathed his last without moving a single -step forward. - -Applause resounded an all sides, so rapid and clever had been the blow. -Caesar had remained on horseback, seeking to discover the fair spectator -who had given so lively a proof of her interest in him, without -troubling himself about what was going on: his search had not been -unrewarded, for he had recognized one of the maids of honour to -Elizabeth, Duchess of Urbino, who was betrothed to Gian Battista -Carraciualo, captain-general of the republic of Venice. - -It was now Alfonso's turn to run from the bull, Caesar's to fight him: -the young men changed parts, and when four mules had reluctantly dragged -the dead bull from the arena, and the valets and other servants of His -Holiness had scattered sand over the places that were stained with -blood, Alfonso mounted a magnificent Andalusian steed of Arab origin, -light as the wind of Sahara that had wedded with his mother, while -Caesar, dismounting, retired in his turn, to reappear at the moment when -Alfonso should be meeting the same danger from which he had just now -rescued him. - -Then a second bull was introduced upon the scene, excited in the same -manner with steeled darts and flaming arrows. Like his predecessor, when -he perceived a man on horseback he rushed upon him, and then began a -marvellous race, in which it was impossible to see, so quickly did they -fly over the ground, whether the horse was pursuing the bull or the bull -the horse. But after five or six rounds, the bull began to gain upon the -son of Araby, for all his speed, and it was plain to see who fled and -who pursued; in another moment there was only the length of two lances -between them, and then suddenly Caesar appeared, armed with one of those -long two handed swords which the French are accustomed to use, and just -when the bull, almost close upon Don Alfonso, came in front of Caesar he -brandished the sword, which flashed like lightning, and cut off his -head, while his body, impelled by the speed of the run, fell to the -ground ten paces farther on. This blow was so unexpected, and had been -performed with such dexterity, that it was received not with mere -clapping but with wild enthusiasm and frantic outcry. Caesar, apparently -remembering nothing else in his hour of triumph but the scream that had -been caused by his former danger, picked up the bull's head, and, giving -it to one of his equerries, ordered him to lay it as an act of homage at -the feet of the fair Venetian who had bestowed upon him so lively a sign -of interest. This fete, besides affording a triumph to each of the young -men, had another end as well; it was meant to prove to the populace that -perfect goodwill existed between the two, since each had saved the life -of the other. The result was that, if any accident should happen to -Caesar, nobody would dream of accusing Alfanso; and also if any accident -should happen to Alfonso, nobody would dream of accusing Caesar. - -There was a supper at the Vatican. Alfonso made an elegant toilet, and -about ten o'clock at night prepared to go from the quarters he inhabited -into those where the pope lived; but the door which separated the two -courts of the building was shut, and knock as he would, no one came to -open it. Alfonso then thought that it was a simple matter for him to go -round by the Piazza of St. Peter's; so he went out unaccompanied through -one of the garden gates of the Vatican and made his way across the -gloomy streets which led to the stairway which gave on the piazza. But -scarcely had he set his foot on the first step when he was attacked by a -band of armed men. Alfonso would have drawn his sword; but before it was -out of the scabbard he had received two blows from a halberd, one on his -head, the other on his shoulder; he was stabbed in the side, and wounded -both in the leg and in the temple. Struck down by these five blows, he -lost his footing and fell to the ground unconscious; his assassins, -supposing he was dead, at once remounted the stairway, and found on the -piazza forty horsemen waiting for them: by them they were calmly -escorted from the city by the Porta Portesa. Alfonso was found at the -point of death, but not actually dead, by some passers-by, some of whom -recognised him, and instantly conveyed the news of his assassination to -the Vatican, while the others, lifting the wounded man in their arms, -carried him to his quarters in the Torre Nuova. The pope and Caesar, who -learned this news just as they were sitting down to table, showed great -distress, and leaving their companions, at once went to see Alfonso, to -be quite certain whether his wounds were fatal or not; and on the next -morning, to divert any suspicion that might be turned towards -themselves, they arrested Alfonso's maternal uncle, Francesco Gazella, -who had come to Rome in his nephew's company. Gazella was found guilty -on the evidence of false witnesses, and was consequently beheaded. - -But they had only accomplished half of what they wanted. By some means, -fair or foul, suspicion had been sufficiently diverted from the true -assassins; but Alfonso was not dead, and, thanks to the strength of his -constitution and the skill of his doctors, who had taken the -lamentations of the pope and Caesar quite seriously, and thought to -please them by curing Alexander's son-in-law, the wounded man was making -progress towards convalescence: news arrived at the same time that -Lucrezia had heard of her husband's accident, and was starting to come -and nurse him herself. There was no time to lose, and Caesar summoned -Michelotto. - -"The same night," says Burcardus, "Don Alfonso, who would not die of his -wounds, was found strangled in his bed." - -The funeral took place the next day with a ceremony not unbecoming in -itself, though, unsuited to his high rank. Dan Francesca Borgia , -Archbishop of Cosenza, acted as chief mourner at St. Peter's, where the -body was buried in the chapel of Santa Maria delle Febbre. - -Lucrezia arrived the same evening: she knew her father and brother too -well to be put on the wrong scent; and although, immediately after -Alfonso's death, the Duke of Valentinois had arrested the doctors, the -surgeons, and a poor deformed wretch who had been acting as valet, she -knew perfectly well from what quarter the blow had proceeded. In fear, -therefore, that the manifestation of a grief she felt this time too well -might alienate the confidence of her father and brother, she retired to -Nepi with her whole household, her whole court, and more than six -hundred cavaliers, there to spend the period of her mourning. - -This important family business was now settled, and Lucrezia was again a -widow, and in consequence ready to be utilized in the pope's new -political machinations. Caesar only stayed at Rome to receive the -ambassadors from France and Venice; but as their arrival was somewhat -delayed, and considerable inroads had been made upon the pope's treasury -by the recent festivities, the creation of twelve new cardinals was -arranged: this scheme was to have two effects, viz., to bring 600,000 -ducats into the pontifical chest, each hat having been priced at 50,000 -ducats, and to assure the pope of a constant majority in the sacred -council. - -The ambassadors at last arrived: the first was M. de Villeneuve, the -same who had come before to see the Duke of Valentinois in the name of -France. Just as he entered Rome, he met on the road a masked man, who, -without removing his domino, expressed the joy he felt at his arrival. -This man was Caesar himself, who did not wish to be recognised, and who -took his departure after a short conference without uncovering his face. -M. de Villeneuve then entered the city after him, and at the Porta del -Populo found the ambassadors of the various Powers, and among them those -of Spain and Naples, whose sovereigns were not yet, it is true, in -declared hostility to France, though there was already some coolness. -The last-named, fearing to compromise themselves, merely said to their -colleague of France, by way of complimentary address, "Sir, you are -welcome"; whereupon the master of the ceremonies, surprised at the -brevity of the greeting, asked if they had nothing else to say. When -they replied that they had not, M. de Villeneuve turned his back upon -them, remarking that those who had nothing to say required no answer; he -then took his place between the Archbishop of Reggia, governor of Rome, -and the Archbishop of Ragusa, and made his way to the palace of the Holy -Apostles, which had been, got ready for his reception. - -Some days later, Maria Giorgi, ambassador extraordinary of Venice, made -his arrival. He was commissioned not only to arrange the business on -hand with the pope, but also to convey to Alexander and Caesar the title -of Venetian nobles, and to inform them that their names were inscribed -in the Golden Book--a favour that both of them had long coveted, less -for the empty honour's sake than for the new influence that this title -might confer. Then the pope went on to bestow the twelve cardinals' hats -that had been sold. The new princes of the Church were Don Diego de -Mendoza, archbishop of Seville; Jacques, archbishop of Oristagny, the -Pope's vicar-general; Thomas, archbishop of Strigania; Piero, archbishop -of Reggio, governor of Rome; Francesco Borgia , archbishop of Cosenza, -treasurer-general; Gian, archbishop of Salerno, vice-chamberlain; Luigi -Borgia , archbishop of Valencia, secretary to His Holiness, and brother -of the Gian Borgia whom Caesar had poisoned; Antonio, bishop of Coma; -Gian Battista Ferraro, bishop of Modem; Amedee d'Albret, son of the King -of Navarre, brother-in-law of the Duke of Valentinois; and Marco -Cornaro, a Venetian noble, in whose person His Holiness rendered back to -the most serene republic the favour he had just received. - -Then, as there was nothing further to detain the Duke of Valentinois at -Rome, he only waited to effect a loan from a rich banker named Agostino -Chigi, brother of the Lorenzo Chigi who had perished on the day when the -pope had been nearly killed by the fall of a chimney, and departed for -the Romagna, accompanied by Vitellozzo Vitelli, Gian Paolo Baglione, and -Jacopo di Santa Croce, at that time his friends, but later on his -victims. - -His first enterprise was against Pesaro: this was the polite attention -of a brother-in-law, and Gian Sforza very well knew what would be its -consequences; for instead of attempting to defend his possessions by -taking up arms, or to venture on negotiations, unwilling moreover to -expose the fair lands he had ruled so long to the vengeance of an -irritated foe, he begged his subjects, to preserve their former -affection towards himself, in the hope of better days to come; and he -fled into Dalmatia. Malatesta, lord of Rimini, followed his example; -thus the Duke of Valentinois entered both these towns without striking a -single blow. Caesar left a sufficient garrison behind him, and marched -on to Faenza. - -But there the face of things was changed: Faenza at that time was under -the rule of Astor Manfredi, a brave and handsome young man of eighteen, -who, relying on the love of his subjects towards his family, had -resolved on defending himself to the uttermost, although he had been -forsaken by the Bentivagli, his near relatives, and by his allies, the -Venetian and Florentines, who had not dared to send him any aid because -of the affection felt towards Caesar by the King of France. Accordingly, -when he perceived that the Duke of Valentinois was marching against him, -he assembled in hot haste all those of his vassals who were capable of -bearing arms, together with the few foreign soldiers who were willing to -come into his pay, and collecting victual and ammunition, he took up his -position with them inside the town. - -By these defensive preparations Caesar was not greatly disconcerted; he -commanded a magnificent army, composed of the finest troops of France -and Italy; led by such men as Paolo and Giulio Orsini, Vitellozzo -Vitelli and Paolo Baglione, not to speak of himself--that is to say, by -the first captains of the period. So, after he had reconnoitred, he at -once began the siege, pitching his camp between the two rivers, Amana -and Marziano, placing his artillery on the side which faces on Forli, at -which point the besieged party had erected a powerful bastion. - -At the end of a few days busy with entrenchments, the breach became -practicable, and the Duke of Valentinois ordered an assault, and gave -the example to his soldiers by being the first to march against the -enemy. But in spite of his courage and that of his captains beside him, -Astor Manfredi made so good a defence that the besiegers were repulsed -with great loss of men, while one of their bravest leaders, Honario -Savella was left behind in the trenches. - -But Faenza, in spite of the courage and devotion of her defenders, could -not have held out long against so formidable an army, had not winter -come to her aid. Surprised by the rigour of the season, with no houses -for protection and no trees for fuel, as the peasants had destroyed both -beforehand, the Duke of Valentinois was forced to raise the siege and -take up his winter quarters in the neighbouring towns, in order to be -quite ready for a return next spring; for Caesar could not forgive the -insult of being held in check by a little town which had enjoyed a long -time of peace, was governed by a mere boy, and deprived of all outside -aid, and had sworn to take his revenge. He therefore broke up his army -into three sections, sent one-third to Imola, the second to Forli, and -himself took the third to Cesena, a third-rate town, which was thus -suddenly transformed into a city of pleasure and luxury. - -Indeed, for Caesar's active spirit there must needs be no cessation of -warfare or festivities. So, when war was interrupted, fetes began, as -magnificent and as exciting as he knew how to make them: the days were -passed in games and displays of horsemanship, the nights in dancing and -gallantry; for the loveliest women of the Romagna--and that is to say of -the whole world had come hither to make a seraglio for the victor which -might have been envied by the Sultan of Egypt or the Emperor of -Constantinople. - -While the Duke of Valentinois was making one of his excursions in the -neighbourhood of the town with his retinue of flattering nobles and -titled courtesans, who were always about him, he noticed a cortege on -the Rimini road so numerous that it must surely indicate the approach of -someone of importance. Caesar, soon perceiving that the principal person -was a woman, approached, and recognised the very same lady-in-waiting to -the Duchess of Urbino who, on the day of the bull-fight, had screamed -when Caesar was all but touched by the infuriated beast. At this time -she was betrothed, as we mentioned, to Gian Carracciuola, general of the -Venetians. Elizabeth of Gonzaga, her protectress and godmother, was now -sending her with a suitable retinue to Venice, where the marriage was to -take place. - -Caesar had already been struck by the beauty of this young girl, when at -Rome; but when he saw her again she appeared more lovely than on the -first occasion, so he resolved on the instant that he would keep this -fair flower of love for himself: having often before reproached himself -for his indifference in passing her by. Therefore he saluted her as an -old acquaintance, inquired whether she were staying any time at Cesena, -and ascertained that she was only passing through, travelling by long -stages, as she was awaited with much impatience, and that she would -spend the coming night at Forli. This was all that Caesar cared to know; -he summoned Michelotto, and in a low voice said a few words to him, -which were heard by no one else. - -The cortege only made a halt at the neighbouring town, as the fair bride -had said, and started at once for Forli, although the day was already -far advanced; but scarcely had a league been covered when a troop of -horsemen from Cesena overtook and surrounded them. Although the soldiers -in the escort were far from being in sufficient force, they were eager -to defend their general's bride; but soon some fell dead, and others, -terrified, took to flight; and when the lady came down from her litter -to try to escape, the chief seized her in his arms and set her in front -of him on his horse; then, ordering his men to return to Cesena without -him, he put his horse to the gallop in a cross direction, and as the -shades of evening were now beginning to fall, he soon disappeared into -the darkness. - -Carracciuolo learned the news through one of the fugitives, who declared -that he had recognised among the ravishers the Duke of Valentinois' -soldiers. At first he thought his ears had deceived him, so hard was it -to believe this terrible intelligence; but it was repeated, and he stood -for one instant motionless, and, as it were, thunderstruck; then -suddenly, with a cry of vengeance, he threw off his stupor and dashed -away to the ducal palace, where sat the Doge Barberigo and the Council -of Ten; unannounced, he rushed into their midst, the very moment after -they had heard of Caesar's outrage. - -"Most serene lords," he cried, "I am come to bid you farewell, for I am -resolved to sacrifice my life to my private vengeance, though indeed I -had hoped to devote it to the service of the republic. I have been -wounded in the soul's noblest part--in my honour. The dearest thing I -possessed, my wife, has been stolen from me, and the thief is the most -treacherous, the most impious, the most infamous of men, it is -Valentinois! My lords, I beg you will not be offended if I speak thus of -a man whose boast it is to be a member of your noble ranks and to enjoy -your protection: it is not so; he lies, and his loose and criminal life -has made him unworthy of such honours, even as he is unworthy of the -life whereof my sword shall deprive him. In truth, his very birth was a -sacrilege; he is a fratricide, an usurper of the goods of other men, an -oppressor of the innocent, and a highway assassin; he is a man who will -violate every law, even, the law of hospitality respected by the veriest -barbarian, a man who will do violence to a virgin who is passing through -his own country, where she had every right to expect from him not only -the consideration due to her sex and condition, but also that which is -due to the most serene republic, whose condottiere I am, and which is -insulted in my person and in the dishonouring of my bride; this man, I -say, merits indeed to die by another hand than mine. Yet, since he who -ought to punish him is not for him a prince and judge, but only a father -quite as guilty as the son, I myself will seek him out, and I will -sacrifice my own life, not only in avenging my own injury and the blood -of so many innocent beings, but also in promoting the welfare of the -most serene republic, on which it is his ambition to trample when he has -accomplished the ruin of the other princes of Italy." - -The doge and the senators, who, as we said, were already apprised of the -event that had brought Carracciuolo before them, listened with great -interest and profound indignation; for they, as he told them, were -themselves insulted in the person of their general: they all swore, on -their honour, that if he would put the matter in their hands, and not -yield to his rage, which could only work his own undoing, either his -bride should be rendered up to him without a smirch upon her bridal -veil, or else a punishment should be dealt out proportioned to the -affront. And without delay, as a proof of the energy wherewith the noble -tribunal would take action in the affair, Luigi Manenti, secretary to -the Ten, was sent to Imola, where the duke was reported to be, that he -might explain to him the great displeasure with which the most serene -republic viewed the outrage perpetrated upon their candottiere. At the -same time the Council of Ten and the doge sought out the French -ambassador, entreating him to join with them and repair in person with -Manenti to the Duke of Valentinois, and summon him, in the name of King -Louis XII, immediately to send back to Venice the lady he had carried -off. - -The two messengers arrived at Imola, where they found Caesar, who -listened to their complaint with every mark of utter astonishment, -denying that he had been in any way connected with the crime, nay, -authorising Manenti and the French ambassador to pursue the culprits and -promising that he would himself have the most active search carried on. -The duke appeared to act in such complete good faith that the envoys -were for the moment hoodwinked, and themselves undertook a search of the -most careful nature. They accordingly repaired to the exact spot and -began to procure information. On the highroad there had been found dead -and wounded. A man had been seen going by at a gallop, carrying a woman -in distress on his saddle; he had soon left the beaten track and plunged -across country. A peasant coming home from working in the fields had -seen him appear and vanish again like a shadow, taking the direction of -a lonely house. An old woman declared that she had seen him go into this -house. But the next night the house was gone, as though by enchantment, -and the ploughshare had passed over where it stood; so that none could -say, what had become of her whom they sought, for those who had dwelt in -the house, and even the house itself, were there no longer. - -Manenti and the French ambassador returned to Venice, and related what -the duke had said, what they had done, and how all search had been in -vain. No one doubted that Caesar was the culprit, but no one could prove -it. So the most serene republic, which could not, considering their war -with the Turks, be embroiled with the pope, forbade Caracciualo to take -any sort of private vengeance, and so the talk grew gradually less, and -at last the occurrence was no more mentioned. - -But the pleasures of the winter had not diverted Caesar's mind from his -plans about Faenza. Scarcely did the spring season allow him to go into -the country than he marched anew upon the town, camped opposite the -castle, and making a new breach, ordered a general assault, himself -going up first of all; but in spite of the courage he personally -displayed, and the able seconding of his soldiers, they were repulsed by -Astor, who, at the head of his men, defended the breach, while even the -women, at the top of the rampart, rolled down stones and trunks of trees -upon the besiegers. After an hour's struggle man to man, Caesar was -forced to retire, leaving two thousand men in the trenches about the -town, and among the two thousand one of his bravest condottieri, -Valentino Farnese. - -Then, seeing that neither excommunications nor assaults could help him, -Caesar converted the siege into a blockade: all the roads leading to -Faenza were cut off, all communications stopped; and further, as various -signs of revolt had been remarked at Cesena, a governor was installed -there whose powerful will was well known to Caesar, Ramiro d'Orco, with -powers of life and death over the inhabitants; he then waited quietly -before Faenza, till hunger should drive out the citizens from those -walls they defended with such vehement enthusiasm. At the end of a -month, during which the people of Faenza had suffered all the horrors of -famine, delegates came out to parley with Caesar with a view to -capitulation. Caesar, who still had plenty to do in the Romagna, was -less hard to satisfy than might have been expected, and the town yielded -on condition that he should not touch either the persons or the -belongings of the inhabitants, that Astor Manfredi, the youthful ruler, -should have the privilege of retiring whenever he pleased, and should -enjoy the revenue of his patrimony wherever he might be. - -The conditions were faithfully kept so far as the inhabitants were -concerned; but Caesar, when he had seen Astor, whom he did not know -before, was seized by a strange passion for this beautiful youth, who -was like a woman: he kept him by his side in his own army, showing him -honours befitting a young prince, and evincing before the eyes of all -the strongest affection for him: one day Astor disappeared, just as -Caracciuolo's bride had disappeared, and no one knew what had become of -him; Caesar himself appeared very uneasy, saying that he had no doubt -made his escape somewhere, and in order to give credence to this story, -he sent out couriers to seek him in all directions. - -A year after this double disappearance, there was picked up in the -Tiber, a little below the Castle Sant' Angelo, the body of a beautiful -young woman, her hands bound together behind her back, and also the -corpse of a handsome youth with the bowstring he had been strangled with -tied round his neck. The girl was Caracciuolo's bride, the young man was -Astor. - -During the last year both had been the slaves of Caesar's pleasures; -now, tired of them, he had had them thrown into the Tiber. - -The capture of Faenza had brought Caesar the title of Duke of Romagna, -which was first bestowed on him by the pope in full consistory, and -afterwards ratified by the King of Hungary, the republic of Venice, and -the Kings of Castile and Portugal. The news of the ratification arrived -at Rome on the eve of the day on which the people are accustomed to keep -the anniversary of the foundation of the Eternal City; this fete, which -went back to the days of Pomponius Laetus, acquired a new splendour in -their eyes from the joyful events that had just happened to their -sovereign: as a sign of joy cannon were fired all day long; in the -evening there were illuminations and bonfires, and during part of the -night the Prince of Squillace, with the chief lords of the Roman -nobility, marched about the streets, bearing torches, and exclaiming, -"Long live Alexander! Long live Caesar! Long live the Borgias! Long live -the Orsini! Long live the Duke of Romagna!" - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -Caesar's ambition was only fed by victories: scarcely was he master of -Faenza before, excited by the Mariscotti, old enemies of the Bentivoglio -family, he cast his eyes upon Bologna; but Gian di Bentivoglio, whose -ancestors had possessed this town from time immemorial, had not only -made all preparations necessary for a long resistance, but he had also -put himself under the protection of France; so, scarcely had he learned -that Caesar was crossing the frontier of the Bolognese territory with -his army, than he sent a courier to Louis XII to claim the fulfilment of -his promise. Louis kept it with his accustomed good faith; and when -Caesar arrived before Bologna, he received an intimation from the King -of France that he was not to enter on any undertaking against his ally -Bentivoglio; Caesar, not being the man to have his plans upset for -nothing, made conditions for his retreat, to which Bentivoglio -consented, only too happy to be quit of him at this price: the -conditions were the cession of Castello Bolognese, a fortress between -Imola and Faenza, the payment of a tribute of 9000 ducats, and the -keeping for his service of a hundred men-at-arms and two thousand -infantry. In exchange for these favours, Caesar confided to Bentivoglio -that his visit had been due to the counsels of the Mariscotti; then, -reinforced by his new ally's contingent, he took the road for Tuscany. -But he was scarcely out of sight when Bentivoglio shut the gates of -Bologna, and commanded his son Hermes to assassinate with his own hand -Agamemnon Mariscotti, the head of the family, and ordered the massacre -of four-and-thirty of his near relatives, brothers, sons, daughters, and -nephews, and two hundred other of his kindred and friends. The butchery -was carried out by the noblest youths of Bologna; whom Bentivoglio -forced to bathe their hands in this blood, so that he might attach them -to himself through their fear of reprisals. - -Caesar's plans with regard to Florence were now no longer a mystery: -since the month of January he had sent to Pisa ten or twelve hundred men -under the Command of Regniero della Sassetta and Piero di Gamba Corti, -and as soon as the conquest of the Romagna was complete, he had further -despatched Oliverotto di Fermo with new detachments. His own army he had -reinforced, as we have seen, by a hundred men-at-arms and two thousand -infantry; he had just been joined by Vitellozzo Vitelli, lord of Citta, -di Castello, and by the Orsini, who had brought him another two or three -thousand men; so, without counting the troops sent to Pisa, he had under -his control seven hundred men-at-arms and five thousand infantry. - -Still, in spite of this formidable company, he entered Tuscany declaring -that his intentions were only pacific, protesting that he only desired -to pass through the territories of the republic on his way to Rome, and -offering to pay in ready money for any victual his army might require. -But when he had passed the defiles of the mountains and arrived at -Barberino, feeling that the town was in his power and nothing could now -hinder his approach, he began to put a price on the friendship he had at -first offered freely, and to impose his own conditions instead of -accepting those of others. These were that Piero dei Medici, kinsman and -ally of the Orsini, should be reinstated in his ancient power; that six -Florentine citizens, to be chosen by Vitellozzo, should be put into his -hands that they might by their death expiate that of Paolo Vitelli, -unjustly executed by the Florentines; that the Signoria should engage to -give no aid to the lord of Piombino, whom Caesar intended to dispossess -of his estates without delay; and further, that he himself should be -taken into the service of the republic, for a pay proportionate to his -deserts. But just as Caesar had reached this point in his negotiations -with Florence, he received orders from Louis XII to get ready, so soon -as he conveniently could, to follow him with his army and help in the -conquest of Naples, which he was at last in a position to undertake. -Caesar dared not break his word to so powerful an ally; he therefore -replied that he was at the king's orders, and as the Florentines were -not aware that he was quitting them on compulsion, he sold his retreat -for the sum of 36,000 ducats per annum, in exchange for which sum he was -to hold three hundred men-at-arms always in readiness to go to the aid -of the republic at her earliest call and in any circumstances of need. - -But, hurried as he was, Caesar still hoped that he might find time to -conquer the territory of Piombino as he went by, and take the capital by -a single vigorous stroke; so he made his entry into the lands of Jacopo -IV of Appiano. The latter, he found, however, had been beforehand with -him, and, to rob him of all resource, had laid waste his own country, -burned his fodder, felled his trees, torn down his vines, and destroyed -a few fountains that produced salubrious waters. This did not hinder -Caesar from seizing in the space of a few days Severeto, Scarlino, the -isle of Elba, and La Pianosa; but he was obliged to stop short at the -castle, which opposed a serious resistance. As Louis XII's army was -continuing its way towards Rome, and he received a fresh order to join -it, he took his departure the next day, leaving behind him, Vitellozzo -and Gian Paolo Bagliani to prosecute the siege in his absence. - -Louis XII was this time advancing upon Naples, not with the incautious -ardour of Charles VIII, but, on the contrary, with that prudence and -circumspection which characterised him. Besides his alliance with -Florence and Rome, he had also signed a secret treaty with Ferdinand the -Catholic, who had similar pretensions, through the house of Duras, to -the throne of Naples to those Louis himself had through the house of -Anjou. By this treaty the two kings were sharing their conquests -beforehand: Louis would be master of Naples, of the town of Lavore and -the Abruzzi, and would bear the title of King of Naples and Jerusalem; -Ferdinand reserved for his own share Apulia and Calabria, with the title -of Duke of these provinces; both were to receive the investiture from -the pope and to hold them of him. This partition was all the more likely -to be made, in fact, because Frederic, supposing all the time that -Ferdinand was his good and faithful friend, would open the gates of his -towns, only to receive into his fortresses conquerors and masters -instead of allies. All this perhaps was not very loyal conduct on the -part of a king who had so long desired and had just now received the -surname of Catholic, but it mattered little to Louis, who profited by -treasonable acts he did not have to share. - -The French army, which the Duke of Valentinois had just joined, -consisted of 1000 lances, 4000 Swiss, and 6000 Gascons and adventurers; -further, Philip of Rabenstein was bringing by sea six Breton and -Provencal vessels, and three Genoese caracks, carrying 6500 invaders. - -Against this mighty host the King of Naples had only 700 men-at-arms, -600 light horse, and 6000 infantry under the command of the Colonna, -whom he had taken into his pay after they were exiled by the pope from -the States of the Church; but he was counting on Gonsalvo of Cordova, -who was to join him at Gaeta, and to whom he had confidingly opened all -his fortresses in Calabria. - -But the feeling of safety inspired by Frederic's faithless ally was not -destined to endure long: on their arrival at Rome, the French and -Spanish ambassadors presented to the pope the treaty signed at Grenada -on the 11th of November, 1500, between Louis XII and Ferdinand the -Catholic, a treaty which up to that time had been secret. Alexander, -foreseeing the probable future, had, by the death of Alfonso, loosened -all the bonds that attached him to the house of Aragon, and then began -by making some difficulty about it. It was demonstrated that the -arrangement had only been undertaken to provide the Christian princes -with another weapon for attacking the Ottoman Empire, and before this -consideration, one may readily suppose, all the pope's scruples -vanished; on the 25th of June, therefore, it was decided to call a -consistory which was to declare Frederic deposed from the throne of -Naples. When Frederic heard all at once that the French army had arrived -at Rome, that his ally Ferdinand had deceived him, and that Alexander -had pronounced the sentence of his downfall, he understood that all was -lost; but he did not wish it to be said that he had abandoned his -kingdom without even attempting to save it. So he charged his two new -condottieri, Fabrizio Colonna and Ranuzia di Marciano, to check the -French before Capua with 300 men-at-arms, some light horse, and 3000 -infantry; in person he occupied Aversa with another division of his -army, while Prospero Colonna was sent to defend Naples with the rest, -and make a stand against the Spaniards on the side of Calabria. - -These dispositions were scarcely made when d'Aubigny, having passed the -Volturno, approached to lay siege to Capua, and invested the town on -both sides of the river. Scarcely were the French encamped before the -ramparts than they began to set up their batteries, which were soon in -play, much to the terror of the besieged, who, poor creatures, were -almost all strangers to the town, and had fled thither from every side, -expecting to find protection beneath the walls. So, although bravely -repulsed by Fabrizio Colonna, the French, from the moment of their first -assault, inspired so great and blind a terror that everyone began to -talk of opening the gates, and it was only with great difficulty that -Colonna made this multitude understood that at least they ought to reap -some benefit from the check the besiegers had received and obtain good -terms of capitulation. When he had brought them round to his view, he -sent out to demand a parley with d'Aubigny, and a conference was fixed -for the next day but one, in which they were to treat of the surrender -of the town. - -But this was not Caesar Borgia's idea at all: he had stayed behind to -confer with the pope, and had joined the French army with some of his -troops on the very day on which the conference had been arranged for two -days later: and a capitulation of any nature would rob him of his share -of the booty and the promise of such pleasure as would come from the -capture of a city so rich and populous as Capua. So he opened up -negotiations on his own account with a captain who was on guard at one -of the gates. Such negotiations, made with cunning supported by bribery, -proved as usual more prompt and efficacious than any others. At the very -moment when Fabrizio Colonna in a fortified outpost was discussing the -conditions of capitulation with the French captains, suddenly great -cries of distress were heard. These were caused by Borgia, who without a -word to anyone had entered the town with his faithful army from Romagna, -and was beginning to cut the throats of the garrison, which had -naturally somewhat relaxed their vigilance in the belief that the -capitulation was all but signed. The French, when they saw that the town -was half taken, rushed on the gates with such impetuosity that the -besieged did not even attempt to defend themselves any longer, and -forced their way into Capua by three separate sides: nothing more could -be done then to stop the issue. Butchery and pillage had begun, and the -work of destruction must needs be completed: in vain did Fabrizio -Colonna, Ranuzio di Marciano, and Don Ugo di Cardona attempt to make -head against the French and Spaniards with such men as they could get -together. Fabrizia Colonna and Don Ugo were made prisoners; Ranuzia, -wounded by an arrow, fell into the hands of the Duke of Valentinois; -seven thousand inhabitants were massacred in the streets, among them the -traitor who had given up the gate; the churches were pillaged, the -convents of nuns forced open; and then might be seen the spectacle of -some of these holy virgins casting themselves into pits or into the -river to escape the soldiers. Three hundred of the noblest ladies of the -town took refuge in a tower. The Duke of Valentinois broke in the doors, -chased out for himself forty of the most beautiful, and handed over the -rest to his army. - -The pillage continued for three days. - -Capua once taken, Frederic saw that it was useless any longer to attempt -defence. So he shut himself up in Castel Nuovo and gave permission to -Gaeta and to Naples to treat with the conqueror. Gaeta bought immunity -from pillage with 60,000 ducats; and Naples with the surrender of the -castle. This surrender was made to d'Aubigny by Frederic himself, on -condition that he should be allowed to take to the island of Ischia his -money, jewels, and furniture, and there remain with his family for six -months secure from all hostile attack. The terms of this capitulation -were faithfully adhered to on both sides: d'Aubigny entered Naples, and -Frederic retired to Ischia. - -Thus, by a last terrible blow, never to rise again, fell this branch of -the house of Aragon, which had now reigned for sixty-five years. -Frederic, its head, demanded and obtained a safe-conduct to pass into -France, where Louis XII gave him the duchy of Anjou and 30,000 ducats a -year, on condition that he should never quit the kingdom; and there, in -fact, he died, an the 9th of September 1504. His eldest son, Dan -Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria, retired to Spain, where he was permitted to -marry twice, but each time with a woman who was known to be barren; and -there he died in 1550. Alfonso, the second son, who had followed his -father to France, died, it is said, of poison, at Grenoble, at the age -of twenty-two; lastly Caesar, the third son, died at Ferrara, before he -had attained his eighteenth birthday. - -Frederic's daughter Charlotte married in France Nicholas, Count of -Laval, governor and admiral of Brittany; a daughter was born of this -marriage, Anne de Laval, who married Francois de la Trimauille. Through -her those rights were transmitted to the house of La Trimouille which -were used later on as a claim upon the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. - -The capture of Naples gave the Duke of Valentinois his liberty again; so -he left the French army, after he had received fresh assurances on his -own account of the king's friendliness, and returned to the siege of -Piombino, which he had been forced to interrupt. During this interval -Alexander had been visiting the scenes of his son's conquests, and -traversing all the Romagna with Lucrezia, who was now consoled for her -husband's death, and had never before enjoyed quite so much favour with -His Holiness; so, when she returned to Rome she no longer had separate -rooms from him. The result of this recrudescence of affection was the -appearance of two pontifical bulls, converting the towns of Nepi and -Sermoneta into duchies: one was bestowed on Gian Borgia , an -illegitimate child of the pope, who was not the son of either of his -mistresses, Rosa Vanozza or Giulia Farnese, the other on Don Roderigo of -Aragon, son of Lucrezia and Alfonso: the lands of the Colonna were in -appanage to the two duchies. - -But Alexander was dreaming of yet another addition to his fortune; this -was to came from a marriage between Lucrezia and Don Alfonso d'Este, son -of Duke Hercules of Ferrara, in favour of which alliance Louis XII had -negotiated. - -His Holiness was now having a run of good fortune, and he learned on the -same day that Piombino was taken and that Duke Hercules had given the -King of France his assent to the marriage. Both of these pieces of news -were good for Alexander, but the one could not compare in importance -with the other; and the intimation that Lucrezia was to marry the heir -presumptive to the duchy of Ferrara was received with a joy so great -that it smacked of the humble beginnings of the Borgian house. The Duke -of Valentinois was invited to return to Rome, to take his share in the -family rejoicing, and on the day when the news was made public the -governor of St. Angelo received orders that cannon should be fired every -quarter of an hour from noon to midnight. At two o'clock, Lucrezia, -attired as a fiancee, and accompanied by her two brothers, the Dukes of -Valentinois and Squillace, issued from the Vatican, followed by all the -nobility of Rome, and proceeded to the church of the Madonna del Papalo, -where the Duke of Gandia and Cardinal Gian Borgia were buried, to render -thanks for this new favour accorded to her house by God; and in the -evening, accompanied by the same cavalcade, which shone the more -brightly under the torchlight and brilliant illuminations, she made -procession through the whole town, greeted by cries of "Long live Pope -Alexander VI! Long live the Duchess of Ferrara!" which were shouted -aloud by heralds clad in cloth of gold. - -The next day an announcement was made in the town that a racecourse for -women was opened between the castle of Sant' Angelo and the Piazza of -St. Peter's; that on every third day there would be a bull-fight in the -Spanish fashion; and that from the end of the present month, which was -October, until the first day of Lent, masquerades would be permitted in -the streets of Rome. - -Such was the nature of the fetes outside; the programme of those going -on within the Vatican was not presented to the people; for by the -account of Bucciardo, an eye-witness, this is what happened-- - -"On the last Sunday of the month of October, fifty courtesans supped in -the apostolic palace in the Duke of Valentinois' rooms, and after supper -danced with the equerries and servants, first wearing their usual -garments, afterwards in dazzling draperies; when supper was over, the -table was removed, candlesticks were set on the floor in a symmetrical -pattern, and a great quantity of chestnuts was scattered on the ground: -these the fifty women skilfully picked up, running about gracefully, in -and out between the burning lights; the pope, the Duke of Valentinois, -and his sister Lucrezia, who were looking on at this spectacle from a -gallery, encouraged the most agile and industrious with their applause, -and they received prizes of embroidered garters, velvet boots, golden -caps, and laces; then new diversions took the place of these." - -We humbly ask forgiveness of our readers, and especially of our lady -readers; but though we have found words to describe the first part of -the spectacle, we have sought them in vain for the second; suffice it to -say that just as there had been prizes for feats of adroitness, others -were given now to the dancers who were most daring and brazen. - -Some days after this strange night, which calls to mind the Roman -evenings in the days of Tiberius, Nero, and Heliogabalus, Lucrezia, clad -in a robe of golden brocade, her train carried by young girls dressed in -white and crowned with roses, issued from her palace to the sound of -trumpets and clarions, and made her way over carpets that were laid down -in the streets through which she had to pass. Accompanied by the noblest -cavaliers and the loveliest women in Rome, she betook herself to the -Vatican, where in the Pauline hall the pope awaited her, with the Duke -of Valentinois, Don Ferdinand, acting as proxy for Duke Alfonso, and his -cousin, Cardinal d'Este. The pope sat on one side of the table, while -the envoys from Ferrara stood on the other: into their midst came -Lucrezia, and Don Ferdinand placed on her finger the nuptial ring; this -ceremony over, Cardinal d'Este approached and presented to the bride -four magnificent rings set with precious stones; then a casket was -placed on the table, richly inlaid with ivory, whence the cardinal drew -forth a great many trinkets, chains, necklaces of pearls and diamonds, -of workmanship as costly as their material; these he also begged -Lucrezia to accept, before she received those the bridegroom was hoping -to offer himself, which would be more worthy of her. Lucrezia showed the -utmost delight in accepting these gifts; then she retired into the next -room, leaning on the pope's arm, and followed by the ladies of her -suite, leaving the Duke of Valentinois to do the honours of the Vatican -to the men. That evening the guests met again, and spent half the night -in dancing, while a magnificent display of fireworks lighted up the -Piazza of San Paolo. - -The ceremony of betrothal over, the pope and the Duke busied themselves -with making preparations for the departure. The pope, who wished the -journey to be made with a great degree of splendour, sent in his -daughter's company, in addition to the two brothers-in-law and the -gentlemen in their suite, the Senate of Rome and all the lords who, by -virtue of their wealth, could display most magnificence in their -costumes and liveries. Among this brilliant throng might be seen Olivero -and Ramiro Mattel, sons of Piero Mattel, chancellor of the town, and a -daughter of the pope whose mother was not Rosa Vanozza; besides these, -the pope nominated in consistory Francesco Borgia, Cardinal of Sosenza, -legate a latere, to accompany his daughter to the frontiers of the -Ecclesiastical States. - -Also the Duke of Valentinois sent out messengers into all the cities of -Romagna to order that Lucrezia should be received as sovereign lady and -mistress: grand preparations were at once set on foot for the fulfilment -of his orders. But the messengers reported that they greatly feared that -there would be some grumbling at Cesena, where it will be remembered -that Caesar had left Ramiro d'Orco as governor with plenary powers, to -calm the agitation of the town. Now Ramiro d'Orco had accomplished his -task so well that there was nothing more to fear in the way of -rebellion; for one-sixth of the inhabitants had perished on the -scaffold, and the result of this situation was that it was improbable -that the same demonstrations of joy could be expected from a town -plunged in mourning that were looked for from Imola, Faenza, and Pesaro. -The Duke of Valentinais averted this inconvenience in the prompt and -efficacious fashion characteristic of him alone. One morning the -inhabitants of Cesena awoke to find a scaffold set up in the square, and -upon it the four quarters of a man, his head, severed from the trunk, -stuck up on the end of a pike. - -This man was Ramiro d'Orco. - -No one ever knew by whose hands the scaffold had been raised by night, -nor by what executioners the terrible deed had been carried out; but -when the Florentine Republic sent to ask Macchiavelli, their ambassador -at Cesena, what he thought of it, he replied: - -"MAGNIFICENT LORDS,-I can tell you nothing concerning the execution of -Ramiro d'Orco, except that Caesar Borgia is the prince who best knows -how to make and unmake men according to their deserts. NICCOLO -MACCHIAVELLI" - -The Duke of Valentinois was not disappointed, and the future Duchess of -Ferrara was admirably received in every town along her route, and -particularly at Cesena. - -While Lucrezia was on her way to Ferrara to meet her fourth husband, -Alexander and the Duke of Valentinois resolved to make a progress in the -region of their last conquest, the duchy of Piombino. The apparent -object of this journey was that the new subjects might take their oath -to Caesar, and the real object was to form an arsenal in Jacopo -d'Appiano's capital within reach of Tuscany, a plan which neither the -pope nor his son had ever seriously abandoned. The two accordingly -started from the port of Corneto with six ships, accompanied by a great -number of cardinals and prelates, and arrived the same evening at -Piombina. The pontifical court made a stay there of several days, partly -with a view of making the duke known to the inhabitants, and also in -order to be present at certain ecclesiastical functions, of which the -most important was a service held on the third Sunday in Lent, in which -the Cardinal of Cosenza sang a mass and the pope officiated in state -with the duke and the cardinals. After these solemn functions the -customary pleasures followed, and the pope summoned the prettiest girls -of the country and ordered them to dance their national dances before -him. - -Following on these dances came feasts of unheard of magnificence, during -which the pope in the sight of all men completely ignored Lent and did -not fast. The object of all these fetes was to scatter abroad a great -deal of money, and so to make the Duke of Valentinois popular, while -poor Jacopo d'Appiano was forgotten. - -When they left Piombino, the pope and his son visited the island of -Elba, where they only stayed long enough to visit the old fortifications -and issue orders for the building of new ones. - -Then the illustrious travellers embarked on their return journey to -Rome; but scarcely had they put out to sea when the weather became -adverse, and the pope not wishing to put in at Porto Ferrajo, they -remained five days on board, though they had only two days' provisions. -During the last three days the pope lived on fried fish that were caught -under great difficulties because of the heavy weather. At last they -arrived in sight of Corneto, and there the duke, who was not on the same -vessel as the pope, seeing that his ship could not get in, had a boat -put out, and so was taken ashore. The pope was obliged to continue on -his way towards Pontercole, where at last he arrived, after encountering -so violent a tempest that all who were with him were utterly subdued -either by sickness or by the terror of death. The pope alone did not -show one instant's fear, but remained on the bridge during the storm, -sitting on his arm-chair, invoking the name of Jesus and making the sign -of the cross. At last his ship entered the roads of Pontercole, where he -landed, and after sending to Corneto to fetch horses, he rejoined the -duke, who was there awaiting him. They then returned by slow stages, by -way of Civita Vecchia and Palo, and reached Rome after an absence of a -month. Almost at the same time d'Albret arrived in quest of his -cardinal's hat. He was accompanied by two princes of the house of -Navarre, who were received with not only those honours which beseemed -their rank, but also as brothers-in-law to whom the, duke was eager to -show in what spirit he was contracting this alliance. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -The time had now come for the Duke of Valentinois to continue the -pursuit of his conquests. So, since on the 1st of May in the preceding -year the pope had pronounced sentence of forfeiture in full consistory -against Julius Caesar of Varano, as punishment for the murder of his -brother Rudolph and for the harbouring of the pope's enemies, and he had -accordingly been mulcted of his fief of Camerino, which was to be handed -over to the apostolic chamber, Caesar left Rome to put the sentence in -execution. Consequently, when he arrived on the frontiers of Perugia, -which belonged to his lieutenant, Gian Paolo Baglioni, he sent -Oliverotta da Fermo and Orsini of Gravina to lay waste the March of -Camerino, at the same time petitioning Guido d'Ubaldo di Montefeltro, -Duke of Urbino, to lend his soldiers and artillery to help him in this -enterprise. This the unlucky Duke of Urbino, who enjoyed the best -possible relations with the pope, and who had no reason for distrusting -Caesar, did not dare refuse. But on the very same day that the Duke of -Urbina's troops started for Camerino, Caesar's troops entered the duchy -of Urbino, and took possession of Cagli, one of the four towns of the -little State. The Duke of Urbino knew what awaited him if he tried to -resist, and fled incontinently, disguised as a peasant; thus in less -than eight days Caesar was master of his whole duchy, except the -fortresses of Maiolo and San Leone. - -The Duke of Valentinois forthwith returned to Camerino, where the -inhabitants still held out, encouraged by the presence of Julius Caesar -di Varano, their lord, and his two sons, Venantio and Hannibal; the -eldest son, Gian Maria, had been sent by his father to Venice. - -The presence of Caesar was the occasion of parleying between the -besiegers and besieged. A capitulation was arranged whereby Varano -engaged to give up the town, on condition that he and his sons were -allowed to retire safe and sound, taking with them their furniture, -treasure, and carriages. But this was by no means Caesar's intention; -so, profiting by the relaxation in vigilance that had naturally come -about in the garrison when the news of the capitulation had been -announced, he surprised the town in the night preceding the surrender, -and seized Caesar di Varano and his two sons, who were strangled a short -time after, the father at La Pergola and the sons at Pesaro, by Don -Michele Correglio, who, though he had left the position of sbirro for -that of a captain, every now and then returned to his first business. - -Meanwhile Vitellozzo Vitelli, who had assumed the title of General of -the Church, and had under him 800 men-at-arms and 3,000 infantry, was -following the secret instructions that he had received from Caesar by -word of mouth, and was carrying forward that system of invasion which -was to encircle Florence in a network of iron, and in the end make her -defence an impossibility. A worthy pupil of his master, in whose school -he had learned to use in turn the cunning of a fox and the strength of a -lion, he had established an understanding between himself and certain -young gentlemen of Arezzo to get that town delivered into his hands. But -the plot had been discovered by Guglielma dei Pazzi, commissary of the -Florentine Republic, and he had arrested two of the conspirators, -whereupon the others, who were much more numerous than was supposed, had -instantly dispersed about the town summoning the citizens to arms. All -the republican faction, who saw in any sort of revolution the means of -subjugating Florence, joined their party, set the captives at liberty, -and seized Guglielmo; then proclaiming the establishment of the ancient -constitution, they besieged the citadel, whither Cosimo dei Pazzi, -Bishop of Arezzo, the son of Guglielmo, had fled for refuge; he, finding -himself invested on every side, sent a messenger in hot haste to -Florence to ask for help. - -Unfortunately for the cardinal, Vitellozzo's troops were nearer to the -besiegers than were the soldiers of the most serene republic to the -besieged, and instead of help--the whole army of the enemy came down -upon him. This army was under the command of Vitellozzo, of Gian Paolo -Baglioni, and of Fabio Orsino, and with them were the two Medici, ever -ready to go wherever there was a league against Florence, and ever ready -at the command of Borgia, on any conditions whatever, to re-enter the -town whence they had been banished. The next day more help in the form -of money and artillery arrived, sent by Pandolfo Petrucci, and on the -18th of June the citadel of Arezzo, which had received no news from -Florence, was obliged to surrender. - -Vitellozzo left the men of Arezzo to look after their town themselves, -leaving also Fabio Orsina to garrison the citadel with a thousand men. -Then, profiting by the terror that had been spread throughout all this -part of Italy by the successive captures of the duchy of Urbino, of -Camerino, and of Arezzo, he marched upon Monte San Severino, -Castiglione, Aretino, Cortone, and the other towns of the valley of -Chiana, which submitted one after the other almost without a struggle. -When he was only ten or twelve leagues from Florence, and dared not on -his own account attempt anything against her, he made known the state of -affairs to the Duke of Valentinois. He, fancying the hour had came at -last for striking the blow so long delayed, started off at once to -deliver his answer in person to his faithful lieutenants. - -But the Florentines, though they had sent no help to Guglielmo dei -Pazzi, had demanded aid from Chaumont d'Amboise, governor of the -Milanese, on behalf of Louis XII, not only explaining the danger they -themselves were in but also Caesar's ambitious projects, namely that -after first overcoming the small principalities and then the states of -the second order, he had now, it seemed, reached such a height of pride -that he would attack the King of France himself. The news from Naples -was disquieting; serious differences had already occurred between the -Count of Armagnac and Gonzalva di Cordova, and Louis might any day need -Florence, whom he had always found loyal and faithful. He therefore -resolved to check Caesar's progress, and not only sent him orders to -advance no further step forwards, but also sent off, to give effect to -his injunction, the captain Imbaut with 400 lances. The Duke of -Valentinois on the frontier of Tuscany received a copy of the treaty -signed between the republic and the King of France, a treaty in which -the king engaged to help his ally against any enemy whatsoever, and at -the same moment the formal prohibition from Louis to advance any -further. Caesar also learned that beside the 400 lances with the captain -Imbaut, which were on the road to Florence, Louis XII had as soon as he -reached Asti sent off to Parma Louis de la Trimouille and 200 -men-at-arms, 3000 Swiss, and a considerable train of artillery. In these -two movements combined he saw hostile intentions towards himself, and -turning right about face with his usual agility, he profited by the fact -that he had given nothing but verbal instructions to all his -lieutenants, and wrote a furious letter to Vitellozzo, reproaching him -for compromising his master with a view to his own private interest, and -ordering the instant surrender to the Florentines of the towns and -fortresses he had taken, threatening to march down with his own troops -and take them if he hesitated for a moment. - -As soon as this letter was written, Caesar departed for Milan, where -Louis XII had just arrived, bringing with him proof positive that he had -been calumniated in the evacuation of the conquered towns. He also was -entrusted with the pope's mission to renew for another eighteen months -the title of legate 'a latere' in France to Cardinal d'Amboise, the -friend rather than the minister of Louis XII. Thus, thanks to the public -proof of his innocence and the private use of his influence, Caesar soon -made his peace with the King of France. - -But this was not all. It was in the nature of Caesar's genius to divert -an impending calamity that threatened his destruction so as to come out -of it better than before, and he suddenly saw the advantage he might -take from the pretended disobedience of his lieutenants. Already he had -been disturbed now and again by their growing power, and coveted their -towns, now he thought the hour had perhaps come for suppressing them -also, and in the usurpation of their private possessions striking a blow -at Florence, who always escaped him at the very moment when he thought -to take her. It was indeed an annoying thing to have these fortresses -and towns displaying another banner than his own in the midst of the -beautiful Romagna which he desired for his own kingdom. For Vitellozzo -possessed Citta di Castello, Bentivoglio Bologna, Gian Paolo Baglioni -was in command of Perugia, Oliverotto had just taken Fermo, and Pandolfo -Petrucci was lord of Siena; it was high time that all these returned: -into his own hands. The lieutenants of the Duke of Valentinois, like -Alexander's, were becoming too powerful, and Borgia must inherit from -them, unless he were willing to let them become his own heirs. He -obtained from Louis XII three hundred lances wherewith to march against -them. As soon as Vitellozzo Vitelli received Caesar's letter he -perceived that he was being sacrificed to the fear that the King of -France inspired; but he was not one of those victims who suffer their -throats to be cut in the expiation of a mistake: he was a buffalo of -Romagna who opposed his horns to the knife of the butcher; besides, he -had the example of Varano and the Manfredi before him, and, death for -death, he preferred to perish in arms. - -So Vitellozzo convoked at Maggione all whose lives or lands were -threatened by this new reversal of Caesar's policy. These were Paolo -Orsino, Gian Paolo Baglioni, Hermes Bentivoglio, representing his father -Gian, Antonio di Venafro, the envoy of Pandolfo Petrucci, Olivertoxo da -Fermo, and the Duke of Urbino: the first six had everything to lose, and -the last had already lost everything. - -A treaty of alliance was signed between the confederates: they engaged -to resist whether he attacked them severally or all together. - -Caesar learned the existence of this league by its first effects: the -Duke of Urbino, who was adored by his subjects, had come with a handful -of soldiers to the fortress of San Leone, and it had yielded at once. In -less than a week towns and fortresses followed this example, and all the -duchy was once more in the hands of the Duke of Urbino. - -At the same time, each member of the confederacy openly proclaimed his -revolt against the common enemy, and took up a hostile attitude. - -Caesar was at Imola, awaiting the French troops, but with scarcely any -men; so that Bentivoglio, who held part of the country, and the Duke of -Urbino, who had just reconquered the rest of it, could probably have -either taken him or forced him to fly and quit the Romagna, had they -marched against him; all the more since the two men on whom he counted, -viz., Don Ugo di Cardona, who had entered his service after Capua was -taken, and Michelotto had mistaken his intention, and were all at once -separated from him. He had really ordered them to fall back upon Rimini, -and bring 200 light horse and 500 infantry of which they had the -command; but, unaware of the urgency of his situation, at the very -moment when they were attempting to surprise La Pergola and Fossombrone, -they were surrounded by Orsino of Gravina and Vitellozzo. Ugo di Cardona -and Michelotto defended themselves like lions; but in spite of their -utmost efforts their little band was cut to pieces, and Ugo di Cardona -taken prisoner, while Michelotto only escaped the same fate by lying -down among the dead; when night came on, he escaped to Fano. - -But even alone as he was, almost without troops at Imola, the -confederates dared attempt nothing against Caesar, whether because of -the personal fear he inspired, or because in him they respected the ally -of the King of France; they contented themselves with taking the towns -and fortresses in the neighbourhood. Vitellozzo had retaken the -fortresses of Fossombrone, Urbino, Cagli, and Aggobbio; Orsino of -Gravina had reconquered Fano and the whole province; while Gian Maria de -Varano, the same who by his absence had escaped being massacred with the -rest of his family, had re-entered Camerino, borne in triumph by his -people. Not even all this could destroy Caesar's confidence in his own -good fortune, and while he was on the one hand urging on the arrival of -the French troops and calling into his pay all those gentlemen known as -"broken lances," because they went about the country in parties of five -or six only, and attached themselves to anyone who wanted them, he had -opened up negotiations with his enemies, certain that from that very day -when he should persuade them to a conference they were undone. Indeed, -Caesar had the power of persuasion as a gift from heaven; and though -they perfectly well knew his duplicity, they had no power of resisting, -not so much his actual eloquence as that air of frank good-nature which -Macchiavelli so greatly admired, and which indeed more than once -deceived even him, wily politician as he was. In order to get Paolo -Orsino to treat with him at Imola, Caesar sent Cardinal Borgia to the -confederates as a hostage; and on this Paolo Orsino hesitated no longer, -and on the 25th of October, 1502, arrived at Imola. - -Caesar received him as an old friend from whom one might have been -estranged a few days because of some slight passing differences; he -frankly avowed that all the fault was no doubt on his side, since he had -contrived to alienate men who were such loyal lords and also such brave -captains; but with men of their nature, he added, an honest, honourable -explanation such as he would give must put everything once more in statu -quo. To prove that it was goodwill, not fear, that brought him back to -them, he showed Orsino the letters from Cardinal Amboise which announced -the speedy arrival of French troops; he showed him those he had -collected about him, in the wish, he declared, that they might be -thoroughly convinced that what he chiefly regretted in the whole matter -was not so much the loss of the distinguished captains who were the very -soul of his vast enterprise, as that he had led the world to believe, in -a way so fatal to his own interest, that he could for a single instant -fail to recognise their merit; adding that he consequently relied upon -him, Paolo Orsino, whom he had always cared for most, to bring back the -confederates by a peace which would be as much for the profit of all as -a war was hurtful to all, and that he was ready to sign a treaty in -consonance with their wishes so long as it should not prejudice his own -honour. - -Orsino was the man Caesar wanted: full of pride and confidence in -himself, he was convinced of the truth of the old proverb that says, "A -pope cannot reign eight days, if he has both the Colonnas and the Orsini -against him." He believed, therefore, if not in Caesar's good faith, at -any rate in the necessity he must feel for making peace; accordingly he -signed with him the following conventions--which only needed -ratification--on the 18th of October, 1502, which we reproduce here as -Macchiavelli sent them to the magnificent republic of Florence. - -"Agreement between the Duke of Valentinois and the Confederates. - -"Let it be known to the parties mentioned below, and to all who shall -see these presents, that His Excellency the Duke of Romagna of the one -part and the Orsini of the other part, together with their confederates, -desiring to put an end to differences, enmities, misunderstandings, and -suspicions which have arisen between them, have resolved as follows: - -"There shall be between them peace and alliance true and perpetual, with -a complete obliteration of wrongs and injuries which may have taken -place up to this day, both parties engaging to preserve no resentment of -the same; and in conformity with the aforesaid peace and union, His -Excellency the Duke of Romagna shall receive into perpetual -confederation, league, and alliance all the lords aforesaid; and each of -them shall promise to defend the estates of all in general and of each -in particular against any power that may annoy or attack them for any -cause whatsoever, excepting always nevertheless the Pope Alexander VI -and his Very Christian Majesty Louis XII, King of France: the lords -above named promising on the other part to unite in the defence of the -person and estates of His Excellency, as also those of the most -illustrious lords, Don Gaffredo Borgia , Prince of Squillace, Don -Roderigo Borgia , Duke of Sermaneta and Biselli, and Don Gian Borgia, -Duke of Camerino and Negi, all brothers or nephews of the Duke of -Romagna. - -"Moreover, since the rebellion and usurpation of Urbino have occurred -during the above-mentioned misunderstandings, all the confederates -aforesaid and each of them shall bind themselves to unite all their -forces for the recovery of the estates aforesaid and of such other -places as have revolted and been usurped. - -"His Excellency the Duke of Romagna shall undertake to continue to the -Orsini and Vitelli their ancient engagements in the way of military -service and on the same conditions. - -"His Excellency promises further not to insist on the service in person -of more than one of them, as they may choose: the service that the -others may render shall be voluntary. - -"He also promises that the second treaty shall be ratified by the -sovereign pontiff, who shall not compel Cardinal Orsino to reside in -Rome longer than shall seem convenient to this prelate. - -"Furthermore, since there are certain differences between the Pope and -the lord Gian Bentivoglio, the confederates aforesaid agree that they -shall be put to the arbitration of Cardinal Orsino, of His Excellency -the Duke of Romagna, and of the lord Pandolfo Petrucci, without appeal. - -"Thus the confederates engage, each and all, so soon as they may be -required by the Duke of Romagna, to put into his hands as a hostage one -of the legitimate sons of each of them, in that place and at that time -which he may be pleased to indicate. - -"The same confederates promising moreover, all and each, that if any -project directed against any one of them come to their knowledge, to -give warning thereof, and all to prevent such project reciprocally. - -"It is agreed, over and above, between the Duke of Romagna and the -confederates aforesaid, to regard as a common enemy any who shall fail -to keep the present stipulations, and to unite in the destruction of any -States not conforming thereto. - -"(Signed) CAESAR, PAOLO ORSINO. - -"AGAPIT, Secretary." - -At the same time, while Orsino was carrying to the confederates the -treaty drawn up between him and the duke, Bentivoglio, not willing to -submit to the arbitration indicated, made an offer to Caesar of settling -their differences by a private treaty, and sent his son to arrange the -conditions: after some parleying, they were settled as follows:-- - -Bentivaglio should separate his fortunes from the Vitelli and Orsini; - -He should furnish the Duke of Valentinois with a hundred men-at-arms and -a hundred mounted archers for eight years; - -He should pay 12,000 ducats per annum to Caesar, for the support of a -hundred lances; - -In return for this, his son Hannibal was to marry the sister of the -Archbishop of Enna, who was Caesar's niece, and the pope was to -recognise his sovereignty in Bologna; - -The King of France, the Duke of Ferrara, and the republic of Florence -were to be the guarantors of this treaty. - -But the convention brought to the confederates by Orsino was the cause -of great difficulties on their part. Vitellozza Vitelli in particular, -who knew Caesar the best, never ceased to tell the other condottieri -that so prompt and easy a peace must needs be the cover to some trap; -but since Caesar had meanwhile collected a considerable army at Imola, -and the four hundred lances lent him by Louis XII had arrived at last, -Vitellozzo and Oliverotto decided to sign the treaty that Orsino -brought, and to let the Duke of Urbino and the lord of Camerino know of -it; they, seeing plainly that it was henceforth impossible to make a -defence unaided, had retired, the one to Citta di Castello and the other -into the kingdom of Naples. - -But Caesar, saying nothing of his intentions, started on the 10th of -December, and made his way to Cesena with a powerful army once more -under his command. Fear began to spread on all sides, not only in -Romagna but in the whole of Northern Italy; Florence, seeing him move -away from her, only thought it a blind to conceal his intentions; while -Venice, seeing him approach her frontiers, despatched all her troops to -the banks of the Po. Caesar perceived their fear, and lest harm should -be done to himself by the mistrust it might inspire, he sent away all -French troops in his service as soon as he reached Cesena, except a -hundred men with M. de Candale, his brother-in-law; it was then seen -that he only had 2000 cavalry and 2000 infantry with him. Several days -were spent in parleying, for at Cesena Caesar found the envoys of the -Vitelli and Orsini, who themselves were with their army in the duchy of -Urbino; but after the preliminary discussions as to the right course to -follow in carrying on the plan of conquest, there arose such -difficulties between the general-in-chief and these agents, that they -could not but see the impossibility of getting anything settled by -intermediaries, and the urgent necessity of a conference between Caesar -and one of the chiefs. So Oliverotto ran the risk of joining the duke in -order to make proposals to him, either to march on Tuscany or to take -Sinigaglia, which was the only place in the duchy of Urbino that had not -again fallen into Caesar's power. Caesar's reply was that he did not -desire to war upon Tuscany, because the Tuscans were his friends; but -that he approved of the lieutenants' plan with regard to Sinigaglia, and -therefore was marching towards Fano. - -But the daughter of Frederic, the former Duke of Urbino, who held the -town of Sinigaglia, and who was called the lady-prefect, because she had -married Gian della Rovere, whom his uncle, Sixtus IV, had made prefect -of Rome, judging that it would be impossible to defend herself against -the forces the Duke of Valentinois was bringing, left the citadel in the -hands of a captain, recommending him to get the best terms he could for -the town, and took boat for Venice. - -Caesar learned this news at Rimini, through a messenger from Vitelli and -the Orsini, who said that the governor of the citadel, though refusing -to yield to them, was quite ready to make terms with him, and -consequently they would engage to go to the town and finish the business -there. Caesar's reply was that in consequence of this information he was -sending some of his troops to Cesena and Imola, for they would be -useless to him, as he should now have theirs, which together with the -escort he retained would be sufficient, since his only object was the -complete pacification of the duchy of Urbino. He added that this -pacification would not be possible if his old friends continued to -distrust him, and to discuss through intermediaries alone plans in which -their own fortunes were interested as well as his. The messenger -returned with this answer, and the confederates, though feeling, it is -true, the justice of Caesar's remarks, none the less hesitated to comply -with his demand. Vitellozzo Vitelli in particular showed a want of -confidence in him which nothing seemed able to subdue; but, pressed by -Oliverotto, Gravina, and Orsino, he consented at last to await the -duke's coming; making concession rather because he could not bear to -appear more timid than his companions, than because of any confidence he -felt in the return of friendship that Borgia was displaying. - -The duke learned the news of this decision, so much desired, when he -arrived at Fano on the 20th of December 1502. At once he summoned eight -of his most faithful friends, among whom were d'Enna, his nephew, -Michelotto, and Ugo di Cardona, and ordered them, as soon as they -arrived at Sinigaglia, and had seen Vitellozzo, Gravina, Oliveratta, and -Orsino come out to meet them, on a pretext of doing them honour, to -place themselves on the right and left hand of the four generals, two -beside each, so that at a given signal they might either stab or arrest -them; next he assigned to each of them his particular man, bidding them -not quit his side until he had reentered Sinigaglia and arrived at the -quarters prepared for him; then he sent orders to such of the soldiers -as were in cantonments in the neighbourhood to assemble to the number of -8000 on the banks of the Metaurus, a little river of Umbria which runs -into the Adriatic and has been made famous by the defeat of Hannibal. - -The duke arrived at the rendezvous given to his army on the 31st of -December, and instantly sent out in front two hundred horse, and -immediately behind them his infantry; following close in the midst of -his men-at-arms, following the coast of the Adriatic, with the mountains -on his right and the sea on his left, which in part of the way left only -space for the army to march ten abreast. - -After four hours' march, the duke at a turn of the path perceived -Sinigaglia, nearly a mile distant from the sea, and a bowshot from the -mountains; between the army and the town ran a little river, whose banks -he had to follow for some distance. At last he found a bridge opposite a -suburb of the town, and here Caesar ordered his cavalry to stop: it was -drawn up in two lines, one between the road and the river, the other on -the side of the country, leaving the whole width of the road to the -infantry: which latter defiled, crossed the bridge, and entering the -town, drew themselves up in battle array in the great square. - -On their side, Vitellazzo, Gravina, Orsino, and Oliverotto, to make room -for the duke's army, had quartered their soldiers in little towns or -villages in the neighbourhood of Sinigaglia; Oliverotto alone had kept -nearly 1000 infantry and 150 horse, who were in barracks in the suburb -through which the duke entered. - -Caesar had made only a few steps towards the town when he perceived -Vitellozzo at the gate, with the Duke of Gravina and Orsina, who all -came out to meet him; the last two quite gay and confident, but the -first so gloomy and dejected that you would have thought he foresaw the -fate that was in store for him; and doubtless he had not been without -same presentiments; for when he left his army to came to Sinigaglia, he -had bidden them farewell as though never to meet again, had commended -the care of his family to the captains, and embraced his children with -tears--a weakness which appeared strange to all who knew him as a brave -condottiere. - -The duke marched up to them holding out his hand, as a sign that all was -over and forgotten, and did it with an air at once so loyal and so -smiling that Gravina and Orsina could no longer doubt the genuine return -of his friendship, and it was only Vitellozzo still appeared sad. At the -same moment, exactly as they had been commanded, the duke's accomplices -took their posts on the right and left of those they were to watch, who -were all there except Oliverotto, whom the duke could not see, and began -to seek with uneasy looks; but as he crossed the suburb he perceived him -exercising his troops on the square. Caesar at once despatched -Michelotto and d'Enna, with a message that it was a rash thing to have -his troops out, when they might easily start some quarrel with the -duke's men and bring about an affray: it would be much better to settle -them in barracks and then come to join his companions, who were with -Caesar. Oliverotto, drawn by the same fate as his friends, made no -objection, ordered his soldiers indoors, and put his horse to the gallop -to join the duke, escorted on either side by d'Enna and Michelotto. -Caesar, on seeing him, called him, took him by the hand, and continued -his march to the palace that had been prepared for him, his four victims -following after. - -Arrived on the threshold, Caesar dismounted, and signing to the leader -of the men-at-arms to await his orders, he went in first, followed by -Oliverotto, Gravina, Vitellozzo Vitelli, and Orsino, each accompanied by -his two satellites; but scarcely had they gone upstairs and into the -first room when the door was shut behind them, and Caesar turned round, -saying, "The hour has come!" This was the signal agreed upon. Instantly -the former confederates were seized, thrown down, and forced to -surrender with a dagger at their throat. Then, while they were being -carried to a dungeon, Caesar opened the window, went out on the balcony -and cried out to the leader of his men-at-arms, "Go forward!" The man -was in the secret, he rushed on with his band towards the barracks where -Oliverotto's soldiers had just been consigned, and they, suddenly -surprised and off their guard, were at once made prisoners; then the -duke's troops began to pillage the town, and he summoned Macchiavelli. - -Caesar and the Florentine envoy were nearly two hours shut up together, -and since Macchiavelli himself recounts the history of this interview, -we will give his own words. - -"He summoned me," says the Florentine ambassador, "and in the calmest -manner showed me his joy at the success of this enterprise, which he -assured me he had spoken of to me the evening before; I remember that he -did, but I did not at that time understand what he meant; next he -explained, in terms of much feeling and lively affection for our city, -the different motives which had made him desire your alliance, a desire -to which he hopes you will respond. He ended with charging me to lay -three proposals before your lordships: first, that you rejoice with him -in the destruction at a single blow of the mortal enemies of the king, -himself, and you, and the consequent disappearance of all seeds of -trouble and dissension likely to waste Italy: this service of his, -together with his refusal to allow the prisoners to march against you, -ought, he thinks, to excite your gratitude towards him; secondly, he -begs that you will at this juncture give him a striking proof of your -friendliness, by urging your cavalry's advance towards Borgo, and there -assembling some infantry also, in order that they may march with him, -should need arise, on Castello or on Perugia. Lastly, he desires--and -this is his third condition--that you arrest the Duke of Urbino, if he -should flee from Castello into your territories, when he learns that -Vitellozzo is a prisoner. - -"When I objected that to give him up would not beseem the dignity of the -republic, and that you would never consent, he approved of my words, and -said that it would be enough for you to keep the duke, and not give him -his liberty without His Excellency's permission. I have promised to give -you all this information, to which he awaits your reply." - -The same night eight masked men descended to the dungeon where the -prisoners lay: they believed at that moment that the fatal hour had -arrived for all. But this time the executioners had to do with -Vitellozzo and Oliverotto alone. When these two captains heard that they -were condemned, Oliverotto burst forth into reproaches against -Vitellozzo, saying that it was all his fault that they had taken up arms -against the duke: not a word Vitellozzo answered except a prayer that -the pope might grant him plenary indulgence for all his sins. Then the -masked men took them away, leaving Orsino and Gravina to await a similar -fate, and led away the two chosen out to die to a secluded spot outside -the ramparts of the town, where they were strangled and buried at once -in two trenches that had been dug beforehand. - -The two others were kept alive until it should be known if the pope had -arrested Cardinal Orsino, archbishop of Florence and lord of Santa -Croce; and when the answer was received in the affirmative from His -Holiness, Gravina and Orsina, who had been transferred to a castle, were -likewise strangled. - -The duke, leaving instructions with Michelotto, set off for Sinigaglia -as soon as the first execution was over, assuring Macchiavelli that he -had never had any other thought than that of giving tranquillity to the -Romagna and to Tuscany, and also that he thought he had succeeded by -taking and putting to death the men who had been the cause of all the -trouble; also that any other revolt that might take place in the future -would be nothing but sparks that a drop of water could extinguish. - -The pope had barely learned that Caesar had his enemies in his power, -when, eager to play the same winning game himself, he announced to -Cardinal Orsino, though it was then midnight, that his son had taken -Sinigaglia, and gave him an invitation to come the next morning and talk -over the good news. The cardinal, delighted at this increase of favour, -did not miss his appointment. So, in the morning, he started on -horseback for the Vatican; but at a turn of the first street he met the -governor of Rome with a detachment of cavalry, who congratulated himself -on the happy chance that they were taking the same road, and accompanied -him to the threshold of the Vatican. There the cardinal dismounted, and -began to ascend the stairs; scarcely, however, had he reached the first -landing before his mules and carriages were seized and shut in the -palace stables. When he entered the hall of the Perropont, he found that -he and all his suite were surrounded by armed men, who led him into -another apartment, called the Vicar's Hall, where he found the Abbate -Alviano, the protonotary Orsino, Jacopo Santa Croce, and Rinaldo Orsino, -who were all prisoners like himself; at the same time the governor -received orders to seize the castle of Monte Giardino, which belonged to -the Orsini, and take away all the jewels, all the hangings, all the -furniture, and all the silver that he might find. - -The governor carried out his orders conscientiously, and brought to the -Vatican everything he seized, down to the cardinal's account-book. On -consulting this book, the pope found out two things: first, that a sum -of 2000 ducats was due to the cardinal, no debtor's name being -mentioned; secondly, that the cardinal had bought three months before, -for 1500 Roman crowns, a magnificent pearl which could not be found -among the objects belonging to him: on which Alexander ordered that from -that very moment until the negligence in the cardinal's accounts was -repaired, the men who were in the habit of bringing him food twice a day -on behalf of his mother should not be admitted into the Castle Sant' -Angelo. The same day, the cardinal's mother sent the pope the 2000 -ducats, and the next day his mistress, in man's attire, came in person -to bring the missing pearl. His Holiness, however, was so struck with -her beauty in this costume, that, we are told, he let her keep the pearl -for the same price she had paid for it. - -Then the pope allowed the cardinal to have his food brought as before, -and he died of poison on the 22nd of February--that is, two days after -his accounts had been set right. - -That same night the Prince of Squillace set off to take possession, in -the pope's name, of the lands of the deceased. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -The Duke of Valentinois had continued his road towards Citta di Castello -and Perugia, and had seized these two towns without striking a blow; for -the Vitelli had fled from the former, and the latter had been abandoned -by Gian Paolo Baglione with no attempt whatever at resistance. There -still remained Siena, where Pandolfo Petrucci was shut up, the only man -remaining of all who had joined the league against Caesar. - -But Siena was under the protection of the French. Besides, Siena was not -one of the States of the Church, and Caesar had no rights there. -Therefore he was content with insisting upon Pandolfo Petrucci's leaving -the town and retiring to Lucca, which he accordingly did. - -Then all on this side being peaceful and the whole of Romagna in -subjection, Caesar resolved to return to Rome and help the pope to -destroy all that was left of the Orsini. - -This was all the easier because Louis XII, having suffered reverses in -the kingdom of Naples, had since then been much concerned with his own -affairs to disturb himself about his allies. So Caesar, doing for the -neighbourhood of the Holy See the same thing that he had done for the -Romagna, seized in succession Vicovaro, Cera, Palombera, Lanzano, and -Cervetti; when these conquests were achieved, having nothing else to do -now that he had brought the pontifical States into subjection from the -frontiers of Naples to those of Venice, he returned to Rome to concert -with his father as to the means of converting his duchy into a kingdom. - -Caesar arrived at the right moment to share with Alexander the property -of Cardinal Gian Michele, who had just died, having received a poisoned -cup from the hands of the pope. - -The future King of Italy found his father preoccupied with a grand -project: he had resolved, for the Feast of St. Peter's, to create nine -cardinals. What he had to gain from these nominations is as follows: - -First, the cardinals elected would leave all their offices vacant; these -offices would fall into the hands of the pope, and he would sell them; - -Secondly, each of them would buy his election, more or less dear -according to his fortune; the price, left to be settled at the pope's -fancy, would vary from 10,000 to 40,000 ducats; - -Lastly, since as cardinals they would by law lose the right of making a -will, the pope, in order to inherit from them, had only to poison them: -this put him in the position of a butcher who, if he needs money, has -only to cut the throat of the fattest sheep in the flock. - -The nomination came to pass: the new cardinals were Giovanni Castellaro -Valentine, archbishop of Trani; Francesco Remolini, ambassador from the -King of Aragon; Francesco Soderini, bishop of Volterra; Melchiore Copis, -bishop of Brissina; Nicolas Fiesque, bishop of Frejus; Francesco di -Sprate, bishop of Leome; Adriano Castellense, clerk of the chamber, -treasurer-general, and secretary of the briefs; Francesco Boris, bishop -of Elva, patriarch of Constantinople, and secretary to the pope; and -Giacomo Casanova, protonotary and private chamberlain to His Holiness. - -The price of their simony paid and their vacated offices sold, the pope -made his choice of those he was to poison: the number was fixed at -three, one old and two new; the old one was Cardinal Casanova, and the -new ones Melchiore Copis and Adriano Castellense, who had taken the name -of Adrian of Carneta from that town where he had been born, and where, -in the capacity of clerk of the chamber, treasurer-general, and -secretary of briefs, he had amassed an immense fortune. - -So, when all was settled between Caesar and the pope, they invited their -chosen guests to supper in a vineyard situated near the Vatican, -belonging to the Cardinal of Corneto. In the morning of this day, the -2nd of August, they sent their servants and the steward to make all -preparations, and Caesar himself gave the pope's butler two bottles of -wine prepared with the white powder resembling sugar whose mortal -properties he had so often proved, and gave orders that he was to serve -this wine only when he was told, and only to persons specially -indicated; the butler accordingly put the wine an a sideboard apart, -bidding the waiters on no account to touch it, as it was reserved for -the pope's drinking. - -[The poison of the Borgias, say contemporary writers, was of two kinds, -powder and liquid. The poison in the form of powder was a sort of white -flour, almost impalpable, with the taste of sugar, and called -Contarella. Its composition is unknown. - -The liquid poison was prepared, we are told in so strange a fashion that -we cannot pass it by in silence. We repeat here what we read, and vouch -for nothing ourselves, lest science should give us the lie. - -A strong dose of arsenic was administered to a boar; as soon as the -poison began to take effect, he was hung up by his heels; convulsions -supervened, and a froth deadly and abundant ran out from his jaws; it -was this froth, collected into a silver vessel and transferred into a -bottle hermetically sealed, that made the liquid poison.] - -Towards evening Alexander VI walked from the Vatican leaning on Caesar's -arm, and turned his steps towards the vineyard, accompanied by Cardinal -Caraffa; but as the heat was great and the climb rather steep, the pope, -when he reached the top, stopped to take breath; then putting his hand -on his breast, he found that he had left in his bedroom a chain that he -always wore round his neck, which suspended a gold medallion that -enclosed the sacred host. He owed this habit to a prophecy that an -astrologer had made, that so long as he carried about a consecrated -wafer, neither steel nor poison could take hold upon him. Now, finding -himself without his talisman, he ordered Monsignor Caraffa to hurry back -at once to the Vatican, and told him in which part of his room he had -left it, so that he might get it and bring it him without delay. Then, -as the walk had made him thirsty, he turned to a valet, giving signs -with his hand as he did so that his messenger should make haste, and -asked for something to drink. Caesar, who was also thirsty, ordered the -man to bring two glasses. By a curious coincidence, the butler had just -gone back to the Vatican to fetch some magnificent peaches that had been -sent that very day to the pope, but which had been forgotten when he -came here; so the valet went to the under butler, saying that His -Holiness and Monsignors the Duke of Romagna were thirsty and asking for -a drink. The under butler, seeing two bottles of wine set apart, and -having heard that this wine was reserved for the pope, took one, and -telling the valet to bring two glasses on a tray, poured out this wine, -which both drank, little thinking that it was what they had themselves -prepared to poison their guests. - -Meanwhile Caraffa hurried to the Vatican, and, as he knew the palace -well, went up to the pope's bedroom, a light in his hand and attended by -no servant. As he turned round a corridor a puff of wind blew out his -lamp; still, as he knew the way, he went on, thinking there was no need -of seeing to find the object he was in search of; but as he entered the -room he recoiled a step, with a cry of terror: he beheld a ghastly -apparition; it seemed that there before his eyes, in the middle of the -room, between the door and the cabinet which held the medallion, -Alexander VI, motionless and livid, was lying on a bier at whose four -corners there burned four torches. The cardinal stood still for a -moment, his eyes fixed, and his hair standing on end, without strength -to move either backward or forward; then thinking it was all a trick of -fancy or an apparition of the devil's making, he made the sign of the -cross, invoking God's holy name; all instantly vanished, torches, bier, -and corpse, and the seeming mortuary chamber was once more in darkness. - -Then Cardinal Caraffa, who has himself recorded this strange event, and -who was afterwards Pope Paul IV, entered boldly, and though an icy sweat -ran down his brow, he went straight to the cabinet, and in the drawer -indicated found the gold chain and the medallion, took them, and hastily -went out to give them to the pope. He found supper served, the guests -arrived, and His Holiness ready to take his place at table; as soon as -the cardinal was in sight, His Holiness, who was very pale, made one -step towards him; Caraffa doubled his pace, and handed the medallion to -him; but as the pope stretched forth his arm to take it, he fell back -with a cry, instantly followed by violent convulsions: an instant later, -as he advanced to render his father assistance, Caesar was similarly -seized; the effect of the poison had been more rapid than usual, for -Caesar had doubled the dose, and there is little doubt that their heated -condition increased its activity. - -The two stricken men were carried side by side to the Vatican, where -each was taken to his own rooms: from that moment they never met again. - -As soon as he reached his bed, the pope was seized with a violent fever, -which did not give way to emetics or to bleeding; almost immediately it -became necessary to administer the last sacraments of the Church; but -his admirable bodily constitution, which seemed to have defied old age, -was strong enough to fight eight days with death; at last, after a week -of mortal agony, he died, without once uttering the name of Caesar or -Lucrezia, who were the two poles around which had turned all his -affections and all his crimes. His age was seventy-two, and he had -reigned eleven years. - -Caesar, perhaps because he had taken less of the fatal beverage, perhaps -because the strength of his youth overcame the strength of the poison, -or maybe, as some say, because when he reached his own rooms he had -swallowed an antidote known only to himself, was not so prostrated as to -lose sight for a moment of the terrible position he was in: he summoned -his faithful Michelotto, with those he could best count on among his -men, and disposed this band in the various rooms that led to his own, -ordering the chief never to leave the foot of his bed, but to sleep -lying on a rug, his hand upon the handle of his sword. - -The treatment had been the same for Caesar as for the pope, but in -addition to bleeding and emetics strange baths were added, which Caesar -had himself asked for, having heard that in a similar case they had once -cured Ladislaus, King of Naples. Four posts, strongly welded to the -floor and ceiling, were set up in his room, like the machines at which -farriers shoe horses; every day a bull was brought in, turned over on -his back and tied by his four legs to the four posts; then, when he was -thus fixed, a cut was made in his belly a foot and a half long, through -which the intestines were drawn out; then Caesar slipped into this -living bath of blood: when the bull was dead, Caesar was taken out and -rolled up in burning hot blankets, where, after copious perspirations, -he almost always felt some sort of relief. - -Every two hours Caesar sent to ask news of his father: he hardly waited -to hear that he was dead before, though still at death's door himself, -he summoned up all the force of character and presence of mind that -naturally belonged to him. He ordered Michelotto to shut the doors of -the Vatican before the report of Alexander's decease could spread about -the town, and forbade anyone whatsoever to enter the pope's apartments -until the money and papers had been removed. Michelotto obeyed at once, -went to find Cardinal Casanova, held a dagger at his throat, and made -him deliver up the keys of the pope's rooms and cabinets; then, under -his guidance, took away two chests full of gold, which perhaps contained -100,000 Roman crowns in specie, several boxes full of jewels, much -silver and many precious vases; all these were carried to Caesar's -chamber; the guards of the room were doubled; then the doors of the -Vatican were once more thrown open, and the death of the pope was -proclaimed. - -Although the news was expected, it produced none the less a terrible -effect in Rome; for although Caesar was still alive, his condition left -everyone in suspense: had the mighty Duke of Romagna, the powerful -condottiere who had taken thirty towns and fifteen fortresses in five -years, been seated, sword in hand, upon his charger, nothing would have -been uncertain of fluctuating even for a moment; for, as Caesar -afterwards told Macchiavelli, his ambitious soul had provided for all -things that could occur on the day of the pope's death, except the one -that he should be dying himself; but being nailed down to his bed, -sweating off the effects the poison had wrought; so, though he had kept -his power of thinking he could no longer act, but must needs wait and -suffer the course of events, instead of marching on in front and -controlling them. - -Thus he was forced to regulate his actions no longer by his own plans -but according to circumstances. His most bitter enemies, who could press -him hardest, were the Orsini and the Colonnas: from the one family he -had taken their blood, from the other their goods. - -So he addressed himself to those to whom he could return what he had -taken, and opened negotiations with the Colonnas. - -Meanwhile the obsequies of the pope were going forward: the -vice-chancellor had sent out orders to the highest among the clergy, the -superiors of convents, and the secular orders, not to fail to appear, -according to regular custom, on pain of being despoiled of their office -and dignities, each bringing his own company to the Vatican, to be -present at the pope's funeral; each therefore appeared on the day and at -the hour appointed at the pontifical palace, whence the body was to be -conveyed to the church of St. Peter's, and there buried. The corpse was -found to be abandoned and alone in the mortuary chamber; for everyone of -the name of Borgia, except Caesar, lay hidden, not knowing what might -come to pass. This was indeed well justified; for Fabio Orsino, meeting -one member of the family, stabbed him, and as a sign of the hatred they -had sworn to one another, bathed his mouth and hands in the blood. - -The agitation in Rome was so great, that when the corpse of Alexander VI -was about to enter the church there occurred a kind of panic, such as -will suddenly arise in times of popular agitation, instantly causing so -great a disturbance in the funeral cortege that the guards drew up in -battle array, the clergy fled into the sacristy, and the bearers dropped -the bier. - -The people, tearing off the pall which covered it, disclosed the corpse, -and everyone could see with impunity and close at hand the man who, -fifteen days before, had made princes, kings and emperors tremble, from -one end of the world to the other. - -But in accordance with that religious feeling towards death which all -men instinctively feel, and which alone survives every other, even in -the heart of the atheist, the bier was taken up again and carried to the -foot of the great altar in St. Peter's, where, set on trestles, it was -exposed to public view; but the body had become so black, so deformed -and swollen, that it was horrible to behold; from its nose a bloody -matter escaped, the mouth gaped hideously, and the tongue was so -monstrously enlarged that it filled the whole cavity; to this frightful -appearance was added a decomposition so great that, although at the -pope's funeral it is customary to kiss the hand which bore the -Fisherman's ring, not one approached to offer this mark of respect and -religious reverence to the representative of God on earth. - -Towards seven o'clock in the evening, when the declining day adds so -deep a melancholy to the silence of a church, four porters and two -working carpenters carried the corpse into the chapel where it was to be -interred, and, lifting it off the catafalque, where it lay in state, put -it in the coffin which was to be its last abode; but it was found that -the coffin was too short, and the body could not be got in till the legs -were bent and thrust in with violent blows; then the carpenters put on -the lid, and while one of them sat on the top to force the knees to -bend, the others hammered in the nails: amid those Shakespearian -pleasantries that sound as the last orison in the ear of the mighty; -then, says Tommaso Tommasi, he was placed on the right of the great -altar of St. Peter's, beneath a very ugly tomb. - -The next morning this epitaph was found inscribed upon the tomb: - - "VENDIT ALEXANDER CLAVES, ALTARIA, CHRISTUM: - EMERAT ILLE PRIUS, VENDERE JUKE POTEST"; - -that is, - - "Pope Alexander sold the Christ, the altars, and the keys: - But anyone who buys a thing may sell it if he please." - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -From the effect produced at Rome by Alexander's death, one may imagine -what happened not only in the whole of Italy but also in the rest of the -world: for a moment Europe swayed, for the column which supported the -vault of the political edifice had given way, and the star with eyes of -flame and rays of blood, round which all things had revolved for the -last eleven years, was now extinguished, and for a moment the world, on -a sudden struck motionless, remained in silence and darkness. - -After the first moment of stupefaction, all who had an injury to avenge -arose and hurried to the chase. Sforza retook Pesaro, Bagloine Perugia, -Guido and Ubaldo Urbino, and La Rovere Sinigaglia; the Vitelli entered -Citta di Castello, the Appiani Piombino, the Orsini Monte Giordano and -their other territories; Romagna alone remained impassive and loyal, for -the people, who have no concern with the quarrels of the great, provided -they do not affect themselves, had never been so happy as under the -government of Caesar. - -The Colonnas were pledged to maintain a neutrality, and had been -consequently restored to the possession of their castles and the cities -of Chiuzano, Capo d'Anno, Frascati, Rocca di Papa, and Nettuno, which -they found in a better condition than when they had left them, as the -pope had had them embellished and fortified. - -Caesar was still in the Vatican with his troops, who, loyal to him in -his misfortune, kept watch about the palace, where he was writhing on -his bed of pain and roaring like a wounded lion. The cardinals, who had -in their first terror fled, each his own way, instead of attending the -pope's obsequies, began to assemble once more, some at the Minerva, -others around Cardinal Caraffa. Frightened by the troops that Caesar -still had, especially since the command was entrusted to Michelotto, -they collected all the money they could to levy an army of 2000 soldiers -with Charles Taneo at their head, with the title of Captain of the -Sacred College. It was then hoped that peace was re-established, when it -was heard that Prospero Colonna was coming with 3000 men from the side -of Naples, and Fabio Orsino from the side of Viterbo with 200 horse and -more than 1000 infantry. Indeed, they entered Rome at only one day's -interval one from another, by so similar an ardour were they inspired. - -Thus there were five armies in Rome: Caesar's army, holding the Vatican -and the Borgo; the army of the Bishop of Nicastro, who had received from -Alexander the guardianship of the Castle Sant' Angelo and had shut -himself up there, refusing to yield; the army of the Sacred College, -which was stationed round about the Minerva; the army of Prospero -Colonna, which was encamped at the Capitol; and the army of Fabio -Orsino, in barracks at the Ripetta. - -On their side, the Spaniards had advanced to Terracino, and the French -to Nepi. The cardinals saw that Rome now stood upon a mine which the -least spark might cause to explode: they summoned the ambassadors of the -Emperor of Germany, the Kings of France and Spain, and the republic of -Venice to raise their voice in the name of their masters. The -ambassadors, impressed with the urgency of the situation, began by -declaring the Sacred College inviolable: they then ordered the Orsini, -the Colonnas, and the Duke of Valentinois to leave Rome and go each his -own way. - -The Orsini were the first to submit: the next morning their example was -followed by the Colonnas. No one was left but Caesar, who said he was -willing to go, but desired to make his conditions beforehand: the -Vatican was undermined, he declared, and if his demands were refused he -and those who came to take him should be blown up together. - -It was known that his were never empty threats so they came to terms -with him. - -[Caesar promised to remain ten miles away from Rome the whole time the -Conclave lasted, and not to take any action against the town or any -other of the Ecclesiastical States: Fabio Orsino and. Prospero Colonna -had made the same promises.] - -[It was agreed that Caesar should quit Rome with his army, artillery, -and baggage; and to ensure his not being attacked or molested in the -streets, the Sacred College should add to his numbers 400 infantry, who, -in case of attack or insult, would fight for him. The Venetian -ambassador answered for the Orsini, the Spanish ambassador for the -Colonnas, the ambassador of France for Caesar.] - -At the day and hour appointed Caesar sent out his artillery, which -consisted of eighteen pieces of cannon, and 400 infantry of the Sacred -College, on each of whom he bestowed a ducat: behind the artillery came -a hundred chariots escorted by his advance guard. - -The duke was carried out of the gate of the Vatican: he lay on a bed -covered with a scarlet canopy, supported by twelve halberdiers, leaning -forward on his cushions so that no one might see his face with its -purple lips and bloodshot eyes: beside him was his naked sword, to show -that, feeble as he was, he could use it at need: his finest charger, -caparisoned in black velvet embroidered with his arms, walked beside the -bed, led by a page, so that Caesar could mount in case of surprise or -attack: before him and behind, both right and left, marched his army, -their arms in rest, but without beating of drums or blowing of trumpets: -this gave a sombre, funereal air to the whole procession, which at the -gate of the city met Prospero Colonna awaiting it with a considerable -band of men. - -Caesar thought at first that, breaking his word as he had so often done -himself, Prospero Colonna was going to attack him. He ordered a halt, -and prepared to mount his horse; but Prospera Colonna, seeing the state -he was in, advanced to his bedside alone: he came, against expectation, -to offer him an escort, fearing an ambuscade on the part of Fabio -Orsino, who had loudly sworn that he would lose his honour or avenge the -death of Paolo Orsina, his father. Caesar thanked Colanna, and replied -that from the moment that Orsini stood alone he ceased to fear him. Then -Colonna saluted the duke, and rejoined his men, directing them towards -Albano, while Caesar took the road to Citta Castellana, which had -remained loyal. - -When there, Caesar found himself not only master of his own fate but of -others as well: of the twenty-two votes he owned in the Sacred College -twelve had remained faithful, and as the Conclave was composed in all of -thirty-seven cardinals, he with his twelve votes could make the majority -incline to whichever side he chose. Accordingly he was courted both by -the Spanish and the French party, each desiring the election of a pope -of their own nation. Caesar listened, promising nothing and refusing -nothing: he gave his twelve votes to Francesco Piccolomini, Cardinal of -Siena, one of his father's creatures who had remained his friend, and -the latter was elected on the 8th of October and took the name of Pius -III. - -Caesar's hopes did not deceive him: Pius III was hardly elected before -he sent him a safe-conduct to Rome: the duke came back with 250 -men-at-arms, 250 light horse, and 800 infantry, and lodged in his -palace, the soldiers camping round about. - -Meanwhile the Orsini, pursuing their projects of vengeance against -Caesar, had been levying many troops at Perugia and the neighbourhood to -bring against him to Rome, and as they fancied that France, in whose -service they were engaged, was humouring the duke for the sake of the -twelve votes which were wanted to secure the election of Cardinal -Amboise at the next Conclave, they went over to the service of Spain. - -Meanwhile Caesar was signing a new treaty with Louis XII, by which he -engaged to support him with all his forces, and even with his person, so -soon as he could ride, in maintaining his conquest of Naples: Louis, on -his side, guaranteed that he should retain possession of the States he -still held, and promised his help in recovering those he had lost. - -The day when this treaty was made known, Gonzalvo di Cordovo proclaimed -to the sound of a trumpet in all the streets of Rome that every Spanish -subject serving in a foreign army was at once to break his engagement on -pain of being found guilty of high treason. - -This measure robbed Caesar of ten or twelve of his best officers and of -nearly 300 men. - -Then the Orsini, seeing his army thus reduced, entered Rome, supported -by the Spanish ambassador, and summoned Caesar to appear before the pope -and the Sacred College and give an account of his crimes. - -Faithful to his engagements, Pius III replied that in his quality of -sovereign prince the duke in his temporal administration was quite -independent and was answerable for his actions to God alone. - -But as the pope felt he could not much longer support Caesar against his -enemies for all his goodwill, he advised him to try to join the French -army, which was still advancing on Naples, in the midst of which he -would alone find safety. Caesar resolved to retire to Bracciano, where -Gian Giordano Orsino, who had once gone with him to France, and who was -the only member of the family who had not declared against him, offered -him an asylum in the name of Cardinal d'Amboise: so one morning he -ordered his troops to march for this town, and, taking his place in -their midst, he left Rome. - -But though Caesar had kept his intentions quiet, the Orsini had been -forewarned, and, taking out all the troops they had by the gate of San -Pancracio, they had made a long detour and blocked Caesar's way; so, -when the latter arrived at Storta, he found the Orsini's army drawn up -awaiting him in numbers exceeding his own by at least one-half. - -Caesar saw that to come to blows in his then feeble state was to rush on -certain destruction; so he ordered his troops to retire, and, being a -first-rate strategist, echelonned his retreat so skilfully that his -enemies, though they followed, dared not attack him, and he re-entered -the pontifical town without the loss of a single man. - -This time Caesar went straight to the Vatican, to put himself more -directly under the pope's protection; he distributed his soldiers about -the palace, so as to guard all its exits. Now the Orsini, resolved to -make an end of Caesar, had determined to attack him wheresoever he might -be, with no regard to the sanctity of the place: this they attempted, -but without success, as Caesar's men kept a good guard on every side, -and offered a strong defence. - -Then the Orsini, not being able to force the guard of the Castle Sant' -Angelo, hoped to succeed better with the duke by leaving Rome and then -returning by the Torione gate; but Caesar anticipated this move, and -they found the gate guarded and barricaded. None the less, they pursued -their design, seeking by open violence the vengeance that they had hoped -to obtain by craft; and, having surprised the approaches to the gate, -set fire to it: a passage gained, they made their way into the gardens -of the castle, where they found Caesar awaiting them at the head of his -cavalry. - -Face to face with danger, the duke had found his old strength: and he -was the first to rush upon his enemies, loudly challenging Orsino in the -hope of killing him should they meet; but either Orsino did not hear him -or dared not fight; and after an exciting contest, Caesar, who was -numerically two-thirds weaker than his enemy, saw his cavalry cut to -pieces; and after performing miracles of personal strength and courage, -was obliged to return to the Vatican. There he found the pope in mortal -agony: the Orsini, tired of contending against the old man's word of -honour pledged to the duke, had by the interposition of Pandolfo -Petrucci, gained the ear of the pope's surgeon, who placed a poisoned -plaster upon a wound in his leg. - -The pope then was actually dying when Caesar, covered with dust and -blood, entered his room, pursued by his enemies, who knew no check till -they reached the palace walls, behind which the remnant of his army -still held their ground. - -Pius III, who knew he was about to die, sat up in his bed, gave Caesar -the key of the corridor which led to the Castle of Sant' Angelo, and an -order addressed to the governor to admit him and his family, to defend -him to the last extremity, and to let him go wherever he thought fit; -and then fell fainting on his bed. - -Caesar took his two daughters by the hand, and, followed by the little -dukes of Sermaneta and Nepi, took refuge in the last asylum open to him. - -The same night the pope died: he had reigned only twenty-six days. - -After his death, Caesar, who had cast himself fully dressed upon his -bed, heard his door open at two o'clock in the morning: not knowing what -anyone might want of him at such an hour, he raised himself on one elbow -and felt for the handle of his sword with his other hand; but at the -first glance he recognised in his nocturnal visitor Giuliano della -Rovere. - -Utterly exhausted by the poison, abandoned by his troops, fallen as he -was from the height of his power, Caesar, who could now do nothing for -himself, could yet make a pope: Giuliano della Rovere had come to buy -the votes of his twelve cardinals. - -Caesar imposed his conditions, which were accepted. - -If elected, Giuliano della Rovere was to help Caesar to recover his -territories in Romagna; Caesar was to remain general of the Church; and -Francesco Maria della Rovere, prefect of Rome, was to marry one of -Caesar's daughters. - -On these conditions Caesar sold his twelve cardinals to Giuliano. - -The next day, at Giuliano's request, the Sacred College ordered the -Orsini to leave Rome for the whole time occupied by the Conclave. - -On the 31st of October 1503, at the first scrutiny, Giuliano della -Rovere was elected pope, and took the name of Julius II. - -He was scarcely installed in the Vatican when he made it his first care -to summon Caesar and give him his former rooms there; then, since the -duke was fully restored to health, he began to busy himself with the -re-establishment of his affairs, which had suffered sadly of late. - -The defeat of his army and his own escape to Sant' Angelo, where he was -supposed to be a prisoner, had brought about great changes in Romagna. -Sesena was once more in the power of the Church, as formerly it had -been; Gian Sforza had again entered Pesaro; Ordelafi had seized Forli; -Malatesta was laying claim to Rimini; the inhabitants of Imola had -assassinated their governor, and the town was divided between two -opinions, one that it should be put into the hands of the Riani, the -other, into the hands of the Church; Faenza had remained loyal longer -than any other place; but at last, losing hope of seeing Caesar recover -his power, it had summoned Francesco, a natural son of Galeotto -Manfredi, the last surviving heir of this unhappy family, all whose -legitimate descendants had been massacred by Borgia. - -It is true that the fortresses of these different places had taken no -part in these revolutions, and had remained immutably faithful to the -Duke of Valentinois. - -So it was not precisely the defection of these towns, which, thanks to -their fortresses, might be reconquered, that was the cause of uneasiness -to Caesar and Julius II, it was the difficult situation that Venice had -thrust upon them. Venice, in the spring of the same year, had signed a -treaty of peace with the Turks: thus set free from her eternal enemy, -she had just led her forces to the Romagna, which she had always -coveted: these troops had been led towards Ravenna, the farthermost -limit of the Papal estates, and put under the command of Giacopo -Venieri, who had failed to capture Cesena, and had only failed through -the courage of its inhabitants; but this check had been amply -compensated by the surrender of the fortresses of Val di Lamane and -Faenza, by the capture of Farlimpopoli, and the surrender of Rimini, -which Pandolfo Malatesta, its lord, exchanged for the seigniory of -Cittadella, in the State of Padua, and for the rank of gentleman of -Venice. - -Then Caesar made a proposition to Julius II: this was to make a -momentary cession to the Church of his own estates in Romagna, so that -the respect felt by the Venetians for the Church might save these towns -from their aggressors; but, says Guicciardini, Julius II, whose -ambition, so natural in sovereign rulers, had not yet extinguished the -remains of rectitude, refused to accept the places, afraid of exposing -himself to the temptation of keeping them later on, against his -promises. - -But as the case was urgent, he proposed to Caesar that he should leave -Rome, embark at Ostia, and cross over to Spezia, where Michelotto was to -meet him at the head of 100 men-at-arms and 100 light horse, the only -remnant of his magnificent army, thence by land to Ferrara, and from -Ferrara to Imola, where, once arrived, he could utter his war-cry so -loud that it would be heard through the length and breadth of Romagna. - -This advice being after Caesar's own heart, he accepted it at once. - -The resolution submitted to the Sacred College was approved, and Caesar -left for Ostia, accompanied by Bartolommeo della Rovere, nephew of His -Holiness. - -Caesar at last felt he was free, and fancied himself already on his good -charger, a second time carrying war into all the places where he had -formerly fought. When he reached Ostia, he was met by the cardinals of -Sorrento and Volterra, who came in the name of Julius II to ask him to -give up the very same citadels which he had refused three days before: -the fact was that the pope had learned in the interim that the Venetians -had made fresh aggressions, and recognised that the method proposed by -Caesar was the only one that would check them. But this time it was -Caesar's turn, to refuse, for he was weary of these tergiversations, and -feared a trap; so he said that the surrender asked for would be useless, -since by God's help he should be in Romagna before eight days were past. -So the cardinals of Sorrento and Volterra returned to Rome with a -refusal. - -The next morning, just as Caesar was setting foot on his vessel, he was -arrested in the name of Julius II. - -He thought at first that this was the end; he was used to this mode of -action, and knew how short was the space between a prison and a tomb; -the matter was all the easier in his case, because the pope, if he -chose, would have plenty of pretext for making a case against him. But -the heart of Julius was of another kind from his; swift to anger, but -open to clemency; so, when the duke came back to Rome guarded, the -momentary irritation his refusal had caused was already calmed, and the -pope received him in his usual fashion at his palace, and with his -ordinary courtesy, although from the beginning it was easy for the duke -to see that he was being watched. In return for this kind reception, -Caesar consented to yield the fortress of Cesena to the pope, as being a -town which had once belonged to the Church, and now should return; -giving the deed, signed by Caesar, to one of his captains, called Pietro -d'Oviedo, he ordered him to take possession of the fortress in the name -of the Holy See. Pietro obeyed, and starting at once for Cesena, -presented himself armed with his warrant before Don Diego Chinon; a -noble condottiere of Spain, who was holding the fortress in Caesar's -name. But when he had read over the paper that Pietro d'Oviedo brought, -Don Diego replied that as he knew his lord and master was a prisoner, it -would be disgraceful in him to obey an order that had probably been -wrested from him by violence, and that the bearer deserved to die for -undertaking such a cowardly office. He therefore bade his soldiers seize -d'Oviedo and fling him down from the top of the walls: this sentence was -promptly executed. - -This mark of fidelity might have proved fatal to Caesar: when the pope -heard how his messenger had been treated, he flew into such a rage that -the prisoner thought a second time that his hour was come; and in order -to receive his liberty, he made the first of those new propositions to -Julius II, which were drawn up in the form of a treaty and sanctioned by -a bull. By these arrangements, the Duke of Valentinois was bound to hand -over to His Holiness, within the space of forty days, the fortresses of -Cesena and Bertinoro, and authorise the surrender of Forli. This -arrangement was guaranteed by two bankers in Rome who were to be -responsible for 15,000 ducats, the sum total of the expenses which the -governor pretended he had incurred in the place on the duke's account. -The pope on his part engaged to send Caesar to Ostia under the sole -guard of the Cardinal of Santa Croce and two officers, who were to give -him his full liberty on the very day when his engagements were -fulfilled: should this not happen, Caesar was to be taken to Rome and -imprisoned in the Castle of Sant' Angelo. In fulfilment of this treaty, -Caesar went down the Tiber as far as Ostia, accompanied by the pope's -treasurer and many of his servants. The Cardinal of Santa Croce -followed, and the next day joined him there. - -But as Caesar feared that Julius II might keep him a prisoner, in spite -of his pledged word, after he had yielded up the fortresses, he asked, -through the mediation of Cardinals Borgia and Remolina, who, not feeling -safe at Rome, had retired to Naples, for a safe-conduct to Gonzalva of -Cordova, and for two ships to take him there; with the return of the -courier the safe-conduct arrived, announcing that the ships would -shortly follow. - -In the midst of all this, the Cardinal of Santa Croce, learning that by -the duke's orders the governors of Cesena and Bertinoro had surrendered -their fortresses to the captains of His Holiness, relaxed his rigour, -and knowing that his prisoner would some day or other be free, began to -let him go out without a guard. Then Caesar, feeling some fear lest when -he started with Gonzalvo's ships the same thing might happen as on the -occasion of his embarking on the pope's vessel--that is, that he might -be arrested a second time--concealed himself in a house outside the -town; and when night came on, mounting a wretched horse that belonged to -a peasant, rode as far as Nettuno, and there hired a little boat, in -which he embarked for Monte Dragone, and thence gained Naples. Gonzalvo -received him with such joy that Caesar was deceived as to his intention, -and this time believed that he was really saved. His confidence was -redoubled when, opening his designs to Gonzalvo, and telling him that he -counted upon gaining Pisa and thence going on into Romagna, Ganzalvo -allowed him to recruit as many soldiers at Naples as he pleased, -promising him two ships to embark with. Caesar, deceived by these -appearances, stopped nearly six weeks at Naples, every day seeing the -Spanish governor and discussing his plans. But Gonzalvo was only waiting -to gain time to tell the King of Spain that his enemy was in his hands; -and Caesar actually went to the castle to bid Gonzalvo good-bye, -thinking he was just about to start after he had embarked his men on the -two ships. The Spanish governor received him with his accustomed -courtesy, wished him every kind of prosperity, and embraced him as he -left; but at the door of the castle Caesar found one of Gonzalvo's -captains, Nuno Campeja by name, who arrested him as a prisoner of -Ferdinand the Catholic. Caesar at these words heaved a deep sigh, -cursing the ill luck that had made him trust the word of an enemy when -he had so often broken his own. - -He was at once taken to the castle, where the prison gate closed behind -him, and he felt no hope that anyone would come to his aid; for the only -being who was devoted to him in this world was Michelotto, and he had -heard that Michelotto had been arrested near Pisa by order of Julius II. -While Caesar was being taken to prison an officer came to him to deprive -him of the safe-conduct given him by Gonzalvo. - -The day after his arrest, which occurred on the 27th of May, 1504, -Caesar was taken on board a ship, which at once weighed anchor and set -sail for Spain: during the whole voyage he had but one page to serve -him, and as soon as he disembarked he was taken to the castle of Medina -del Campo. - -Ten years later, Gonzalvo, who at that time was himself proscribed, -owned to Loxa on his dying bed that now, when he was to appear in the -presence of God, two things weighed cruelly on his conscience: one was -his treason to Ferdinand, the other his breach of faith towards Caesar. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -Caesar was in prison for two years, always hoping that Louis XII would -reclaim him as peer of the kingdom of France; but Louis, much disturbed -by the loss of the battle of Garigliano, which robbed him of the kingdom -of Naples, had enough to do with his own affairs without busying himself -with his cousin's. So the prisoner was beginning to despair, when one -day as he broke his bread at breakfast he found a file and a little -bottle containing a narcotic, with a letter from Michelotto, saying that -he was out of prison and had left Italy for Spain, and now lay in hiding -with the Count of Benevento in the neighbouring village: he added that -from the next day forward he and the count would wait every night on the -road between the fortress and the village with three excellent horses; -it was now Caesar's part to do the best he could with his bottle and -file. When the whole world had abandoned the Duke of Romagna he had been -remembered by a sbirro. - -The prison where he had been shut up for two years was so hateful to -Caesar that he lost not a single moment: the same day he attacked one of -the bars of a window that looked out upon an inner court, and soon -contrived so to manipulate it that it would need only a final push to -come out. But not only was the window nearly seventy feet from the -ground, but one could only get out of the court by using an exit -reserved for the governor, of which he alone had the key; also this key -never left him; by day it hung at his waist, by night it was under his -pillow: this then was the chief difficulty. - -But prisoner though he was, Caesar had always been treated with the -respect due to his name and rank: every day at the dinner-hour he was -conducted from the room that served as his prison to the governor, who -did the honours of the table in a grand and courteous fashion. The fact -was that Dan Manuel had served with honour under King Ferdinand, and -therefore, while he guarded Caesar rigorously, according to orders, he -had a great respect for so brave a general, and took pleasure in -listening to the accounts of his battles. So he had often insisted that -Caesar should not only dine but also breakfast with him; happily the -prisoner, yielding perhaps to some presentiment, had till now refused -this favour. This was of great advantage to him, since, thanks to his -solitude, he had been able to receive the instruments of escape sent by -Michelotto. The same day he received them, Caesar, on going back to his -room, made a false step and sprained his foot; at the dinner-hour he -tried to go down, but he pretended to be suffering so cruelly that he -gave it up. The governor came to see him in his room, and found him -stretched upon the bed. - -The day after, he was no better; the governor had his dinner sent in, -and came to see him, as on the night before; he found his prisoner so -dejected and gloomy in his solitude that he offered to come and sup with -him: Caesar gratefully accepted. - -This time it was the prisoner who did the honours: Caesar was charmingly -courteous; the governor thought he would profit by this lack of -restraint to put to him certain questions as to the manner of his -arrest, and asked him as an Old Castilian, for whom honour is still of -some account, what the truth really was as to Gonzalvo's and Ferdinand's -breach of faith, with him. Caesar appeared extremely inclined to give -him his entire confidence, but showed by a sign that the attendants were -in the way. This precaution appeared quite natural, and the governor -took no offense, but hastened to send them all away, so as to be sooner -alone with his companion. When the door was shut, Caesar filled his -glass and the governor's, proposing the king's health: the governor -honoured the toast: Caesar at once began his tale; but he had scarcely -uttered a third part of it when, interesting as it was, the eyes of his -host shut as though by magic, and he slid under the table in a profound -sleep. - -After half a hour had passed, the servants, hearing no noise, entered -and found the two, one on the table, the other under it: this event was -not so extraordinary that they paid any great attention to it: all they -did was to carry Don Manuel to his room and lift Caesar on the bed; then -they put away the remnant of the meal for the next day's supper, shut -the door very carefully, and left their prisoner alone. - -Caesar stayed for a minute motionless and apparently plunged in the -deepest sleep; but when he had heard the steps retreating, he quietly -raised his head, opened his eyes, slipped off the bed, walked to the -door, slowly indeed, but not to all appearance feeling the accident of -the night before, and applied his ear for some minutes to the keyhole; -then lifting his head with an expression of indescribable pride, he -wiped his brow with his hand, and for the first time since his guards -went out, breathed freely with full-drawn breaths. - -There was no time to lose: his first care was to shut the door as -securely on the inside as it was already shut on the outside, to blow -out the lamp, to open the window, and to finish sawing through the bar. -When this was done, he undid the bandages on his leg, took down the -window and bed curtains, tore them into strips, joined the sheets, table -napkins and cloth, and with all these things tied together end to end, -formed a rope fifty or sixty feet long, with knots every here and there. -This rope he fixed securely to the bar next to the one he had just cut -through; then he climbed up to the window and began what was really the -hardest part of his perilous enterprise, clinging with hands and feet to -this fragile support. Luckily he was both strong and skilful, and he -went down the whole length of the rope without accident; but when he -reached the end and was hanging on the last knot, he sought in vain to -touch the ground with his feet; his rope was too short. - -The situation was a terrible one: the darkness of the night prevented -the fugitive from seeing how far off he was from the ground, and his -fatigue prevented him from even attempting to climb up again. Caesar put -up a brief prayer, whether to God or Satan he alone could say; then -letting go the rope, he dropped from a height of twelve or fifteen feet. - -The danger was too great for the fugitive to trouble about a few -trifling contusions: he at once rose, and guiding himself by the -direction of his window, he went straight to the little door of exit; he -then put his hand into the pocket of his doublet, and a cold sweat -damped his brow; either he had forgotten and left it in his room or had -lost it in his fall; anyhow, he had not the key. - -But summoning his recollections, he quite gave up the first idea for the -second, which was the only likely one: again he crossed the court, -looking for the place where the key might have fallen, by the aid of the -wall round a tank on which he had laid his hand when he got up; but the -object of search was so small and the night so dark that there was -little chance of getting any result; still Caesar sought for it, for in -this key was his last hope: suddenly a door was opened, and a night -watch appeared, preceded by two torches. Caesar for the moment thought -he was lost, but remembering the tank behind him, he dropped into it, -and with nothing but his head above water anxiously watched the -movements of the soldiers, as they advanced beside him, passed only a -few feet away, crossed the court, and then disappeared by an opposite -door. But short as their luminous apparition had been, it had lighted up -the ground, and Caesar by the glare of the torches had caught the -glitter of the long-sought key, and as soon as the door was shut behind -the men, was again master of his liberty. - -Half-way between the castle and the village two cavaliers and a led -horse were waiting for him: the two men were Michelotto and the Count of -Benevento. Caesar sprang upon the riderless horse, pressed with fervour -the hand of the count and the sbirro; then all three galloped to the -frontier of Navarre, where they arrived three days later, and were -honourably received by the king, Jean d'Albret, the brother of Caesar's -wife. - -From Navarre he thought to pass into France, and from France to make an -attempt upon Italy, with the aid of Louis XII; but during Caesar's -detention in the castle of Medina del Campo, Louis had made peace with -the King of Spain; and when he heard of Caesar's flight; instead of -helping him, as there was some reason to expect he would, since he was a -relative by marriage, he took away the duchy of Valentinois and also his -pension. Still, Caesar had nearly 200,000 ducats in the charge of -bankers at Genoa; he wrote asking for this sum, with which he hoped to -levy troops in Spain and in Navarre, and make an attempt upon Pisa: 500 -men, 200,000 ducats, his name and his word were more than enough to save -him from despair. - -The bankers denied the deposit. - -Caesar was at the mercy of his brother-in-law. - -One of the vassals of the King of Navarre, named Prince Alarino, had -just then revolted: Caesar then took command of the army which Jean -d'Albret was sending out against him, followed by Michelotto, who was as -faithful in adversity as ever before. Thanks to Caesar's courage and -skilful tactics, Prince Alarino was beaten in a first encounter; but the -day after his defeat he rallied his army, and offered battle about three -o'clock in the afternoon. Caesar accepted it. - -For nearly four hours they fought obstinately on both sides; but at -length, as the day was going down, Caesar proposed to decide the issue -by making a charge himself, at the head of a hundred men-at-arms, upon a -body of cavalry which made his adversary's chief force. To his great -astonishment, this cavalry at the first shock gave way and took flight -in the direction of a little wood, where they seemed to be seeking -refuge. Caesar followed close on their heels up to the edge of the -forest; then suddenly the pursued turned right about face, three or four -hundred archers came out of the wood to help them, and Caesar's men, -seeing that they had fallen into an ambush, took to their heels like -cowards, and abandoned their leader. - -Left alone, Caesar would not budge one step; possibly he had had enough -of life, and his heroism was rather the result of satiety than courage: -however that may be, he defended himself like a lion; but, riddled with -arrows and bolts, his horse at last fell, with Caesar's leg under him. -His adversaries rushed upon him, and one of them thrusting a sharp and -slender iron pike through a weak place in his armour, pierced his -breast; Caesar cursed God and died. - -But the rest of the enemy's army was defeated, thanks to the courage of -Michelotto, who fought like a valiant condottiere, but learned, on -returning to the camp in the evening, from those who had fled that they -had abandoned Caesar and that he had never reappeared. Then only too -certain, from his master's well-known courage, that disaster had -occurred, he desired to give one last proof of his devotion by not -leaving his body to the wolves and birds of prey. Torches were lighted, -for it was dark, and with ten or twelve of those who had gone with -Caesar as far as the little wood, he went to seek his master. On -reaching the spot they pointed out, he beheld five men stretched side by -side; four of them were dressed, but the fifth had been stripped of his -clothing and lay completely naked. Michelotto dismounted, lifted the -head upon his knees, and by the light of the torches recognised Caesar. - -Thus fell, on the 10th of March, 1507, on an unknown field, near an -obscure village called Viane, in a wretched skirmish with the vassal of -a petty king, the man whom Macchiavelli presents to all princes as the -model of ability, diplomacy, and courage. - -As to Lucrezia, the fair Duchess of Ferrara, she died full of years, and -honours, adored as a queen by her subjects, and sung as a goddess by -Ariosto and by Bembo. - - - - -EPILOGUE - - -There was once in Paris, says Boccaccio, a brave and good merchant named -Jean de Civigny, who did a great trade in drapery, and was connected in -business with a neighbour and fellow-merchant, a very rich man called -Abraham, who, though a Jew, enjoyed a good reputation. Jean de Civigny, -appreciating the qualities of the worthy Israelite; feared lest, good -man as he was, his false religion would bring his soul straight to -eternal perdition; so he began to urge him gently as a friend to -renounce his errors and open his eyes to the Christian faith, which he -could see for himself was prospering and spreading day by day, being the -only true and good religion; whereas his own creed, it was very plain, -was so quickly diminishing that it would soon disappear from the face of -the earth. The Jew replied that except in his own religion there was no -salvation, that he was born in it, proposed to live and die in it, and -that he knew nothing in the world that could change his opinion. Still, -in his proselytising fervour Jean would not think himself beaten, and -never a day passed but he demonstrated with those fair words the -merchant uses to seduce a customer, the superiority of the Christian -religion above the Jewish; and although Abraham was a great master of -Mosaic law, he began to enjoy his friend's preaching, either because of -the friendship he felt for him or because the Holy Ghost descended upon -the tongue of the new apostle; still obstinate in his own belief, he -would not change. The more he persisted in his error, the more excited -was Jean about converting him, so that at last, by God's help, being -somewhat shaken by his friend's urgency, Abraham one day said-- - -"Listen, Jean: since you have it so much at heart that I should be -converted, behold me disposed to satisfy you; but before I go to Rome to -see him whom you call God's vicar on earth, I must study his manner of -life and his morals, as also those of his brethren the cardinals; and -if, as I doubt not, they are in harmony with what you preach, I will -admit that, as you have taken such pains to show me, your faith is -better than mine, and I will do as you desire; but if it should prove -otherwise, I shall remain a Jew, as I was before; for it is not worth -while, at my age, to change my belief for a worse one." - -Jean was very sad when he heard these words; and he said mournfully to -himself, "Now I have lost my time and pains, which I thought I had spent -so well when I was hoping to convert this unhappy Abraham; for if he -unfortunately goes, as he says he will, to the court of Rome, and there -sees the shameful life led by the servants of the Church, instead of -becoming a Christian the Jew will be more of a Jew than ever." Then -turning to Abraham, he said, "Ah, friend, why do you wish to incur such -fatigue and expense by going to Rome, besides the fact that travelling -by sea or by land must be very dangerous for so rich a man as you are? -Do you suppose there is no one here to baptize you? If you have any -doubts concerning the faith I have expounded, where better than here -will you find theologians capable of contending with them and allaying -them? So, you see, this voyage seems to me quite unnecessary: just -imagine that the priests there are such as you see here, and all the -better in that they are nearer to the supreme pastor. If you are guided -by my advice, you will postpone this toil till you have committed some -grave sin and need absolution; then you and I will go together." - -But the Jew replied-- - -"I believe, dear Jean, that everything is as you tell me; but you know -how obstinate I am. I will go to Rome, or I will never be a Christian." - -Then Jean, seeing his great wish, resolved that it was no use trying to -thwart him, and wished him good luck; but in his heart he gave up all -hope; for it was certain that his friend would come back from his -pilgrimage more of a Jew than ever, if the court of Rome was still as he -had seen it. - -But Abraham mounted his horse, and at his best speed took the road to -Rome, where on his arrival he was wonderfully well received by his -coreligionists; and after staying there a good long time, he began to -study the behaviour of the pope, the cardinals and other prelates, and -of the whole court. But much to his surprise he found out, partly by -what passed under his eyes and partly by what he was told, that all from -the pope downward to the lowest sacristan of St. Peter's were committing -the sins of luxurious living in a most disgraceful and unbridled manner, -with no remorse and no shame, so that pretty women and handsome youths -could obtain any favours they pleased. In addition to this sensuality -which they exhibited in public, he saw that they were gluttons and -drunkards, so much so that they were more the slaves of the belly than -are the greediest of animals. When he looked a little further, he found -them so avaricious and fond of money that they sold for hard cash both -human bodies and divine offices, and with less conscience than a man in -Paris would sell cloth or any other merchandise. Seeing this and much -more that it would not be proper to set down here, it seemed to Abraham, -himself a chaste, sober, and upright man, that he had seen enough. So he -resolved to return to Paris, and carried out the resolution with his -usual promptitude. Jean de Civigny held a great fete in honour of his -return, although he had lost hope of his coming back converted. But he -left time for him to settle down before he spoke of anything, thinking -there would be plenty of time to hear the bad news he expected. But, -after a few days of rest, Abraham himself came to see his friend, and -Jean ventured to ask what he thought of the Holy Father, the cardinals, -and the other persons at the pontifical court. At these words the Jew -exclaimed, "God damn them all! I never once succeeded in finding among -them any holiness, any devotion, any good works; but, on the contrary, -luxurious living, avarice, greed, fraud, envy, pride, and even worse, if -there is worse; all the machine seemed to be set in motion by an impulse -less divine than diabolical. After what I saw, it is my firm conviction -that your pope, and of course the others as well, are using all their -talents, art, endeavours, to banish the Christian religion from the face -of the earth, though they ought to be its foundation and support; and -since, in spite of all the care and trouble they expend to arrive at -this end, I see that your religion is spreading every day and becoming -more brilliant and more pure, it is borne in upon me that the Holy -Spirit Himself protects it as the only true and the most holy religion; -this is why, deaf as you found me to your counsel and rebellious to your -wish, I am now, ever since I returned from this Sodom, firmly resolved -on becoming a Christian. So let us go at once to the church, for I am -quite ready to be baptized." - -There is no need to say if Jean de Civigny, who expected a refusal, was -pleased at this consent. Without delay he went with his godson to Notre -Dame de Paris, where he prayed the first priest he met to administer -baptism to his friend, and this was speedily done; and the new convert -changed his Jewish name of Abraham into the Christian name of Jean; and -as the neophyte, thanks to his journey to Rome, had gained a profound -belief, his natural good qualities increased so greatly in the practice -of our holy religion, that after leading an exemplary life he died in -the full odour of sanctity. - -This tale of Boccaccio's gives so admirable an answer to the charge of -irreligion which some might make against us if they mistook our -intentions, that as we shall not offer any other reply, we have not -hesitated to present it entire as it stands to the eyes of our readers. - -And let us never forget that if the papacy has had an Innocent VIII and -an Alexander VI who are its shame, it has also had a Pius VII and a -Gregory XVI who are its honour and glory. - - - - - ---- - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BORGIAS *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2741 - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so -the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. -Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this -license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works to protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and -trademark. 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