im with the utmost cordiality, and conducted him
immediately to see the queen, whom he presented with a magnificent
Spanish robe in Lodovico's name, together with choice specimens of
Milanese armour, jennets from his own famous breed, and several handsome
silver flagons filled with fragrant perfumes, in which Charles took
especial delight. The French king fell an easy victim to this brilliant
cavalier's personal charm. He insisted on seeing him ride in a tilting
match before the court, and could talk of nothing but Messer Galeazzo's
feats of horsemanship, whether in council or at table, and even when he
went to bed. He bestowed the order of St. Michel upon his guest, and,
among other marks of favour, he invited Galeazzo to his private rooms,
where he sat with a few of his favourites, and, taking one of the
fairest maidens by the hand, presented her to his visitor. Then the king
himself sat down by another, and so they remained for some hours in
pleasant conversation."

In his reply to Belgiojoso, who duly reported these events to his
master, Lodovico dwells with infinite satisfaction on the great honours
which have been paid to his dear son, and rejoices to hear that his
Majesty has introduced him into his private apartments, and even shared
his domestic pleasures with him. The presence of Galeazzo di Sanseverino
at Lyons had, no doubt, the effect of counteracting the intrigues of the
Duke of Orleans and the Aragonese party at the French court, and the
confidence with which he inspired Charles dissipated any doubts which
the king may have entertained of Lodovico's honesty. "The mission of
Signor Galeazzo," wrote Belgiojoso, "has been crowned with success.
Without his coming, the enterprise would have been utterly ruined."

Another and still more powerful advocate of the expedition now appeared
at Lyons in the person of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, who, in
Guicciardini's opinion, "was the fatall instrument of all the miseries
of Italy." This bitter enemy of the Borgias had been repeatedly
threatened with assassination by the Pope's creatures, and, feeling that
Ostia was no safe place for him, he embarked one night in a fisherman's
bark and fled first to Savona and thence to Genoa. Here, with Lodovico's
assistance, he managed to proceed on his journey to France, and on the
1st of June reached Lyons, where his vehement invectives against the
Pope and urgent entreaties helped to hasten the king's preparations. At
the sa