which he was proceeding; that Cesare Borgia be delivered into his hands
as a hostage to ensure the Pope's friendliness; and that the Castle of
Sant' Angelo be handed over to him to be used as a retreat in case of
need or danger. Further, he demanded that Prince Djem--the brother of
Sultan Bajazet, who was in the Pope's hands--should be delivered up to
him as a further hostage.

This Djem (Gem, or Zizim, as his name is variously spelled) was the
second son of Mahomet II, whose throne he had disputed with his brother
Bajazet on their father's death. He had raised an army to enforce his
claim, and had not lacked for partisans; but he was defeated and put
to flight by his brother. For safety he had delivered himself up to the
Knights of Rhodes, whom he knew to be Bajazet's implacable enemies.
They made him very welcome, for d'Aubusson, the Grand Master of Rhodes,
realized that the possession of the prince's person was a very fortunate
circumstance for Christianity, since by means of such a hostage the
Turk could be kept in submission. Accordingly d'Aubusson had sent him to
France, and wrote: "While Djem lives, and is in our hands, Bajazet will
never dare to make war upon Christians, who will thus enjoy great peace.
Thus is it salutary that Djem should remain in our power." And in France
Djem had been well received and treated with every consideration due to
a person of his princely rank.

But he appears to have become a subject of contention among the
Powers, several of which urged that he could be of greater service to
Christianity in their hands than in those of France. Thus, the King of
Hungary had demanded him because, being a neighbour of Bajazet's, he
was constantly in apprehension of Turkish raids. Ferdinand of Spain had
desired him because the possession of him would assist the Catholic King
in the expulsion of the Moors. Ferrante of Naples had craved him because
he lived in perpetual terror of a Turkish invasion.

In the end he had been sent to Rome, whither he went willingly under
the advice of the Knights of Rhodes, whose prisoner he really considered
himself. They had discovered that Bajazet was offering enormous bribes
to Charles for the surrender of him, and they feared lest Charles should
succumb to the temptation.

So Prince Djem had come to Rome in the reign of Pope Innocent VIII, and
there he had since remained, Sultan Bajazet making the Pope an annual
allowance of forty thousand ducats for his brother'