ed of. Together with that office it was the
Pope's avowed intention to bestow upon Cesare the palace of the late
Cardinal of Mantua, and with it, no doubt, he would receive a proportion
of the dead cardinal's benefices.

Cesare was twenty-two years of age at the time; tall, of an athletic
slenderness, and exceedingly graceful in his movements, he was
acknowledged to be the handsomest man of his age. His face was long and
pale, his brow lofty, his nose delicately aquiline. He had long
auburn hair, and his hazel eyes, large, quick in their movements, and
singularly searching in their glance, were alive with the genius of the
soul behind them. He inherited from his father the stupendous health
and vigour for which Alexander had been remarkable in his youth, and
was remarkable still in his old age. The chase had ever been Cesare's
favourite pastime, and the wild boar his predilect quarry; and in
the pursuit of it he had made good use of his exceptional physical
endowments, cultivating them until--like his father before him--he was
equal to the endurance of almost any degree of fatigue.

In the Consistory of June 8 he was appointed legate a latere to go to
Naples to crown King Federigo of Aragon--for in the meanwhile another
change had taken place on the Neapolitan throne by the death of young
Ferdinand II, who had been succeeded by his uncle, Federigo, Prince of
Altamura.

Cesare made ready for his departure upon this important mission, upon
which he was to be accompanied by his brother Giovanni, Duke of Gandia.
They were both to be back in Rome by September, when Gandia was to
return to Spain, taking with him his sister Lucrezia.

Thus had the Pope disposed; but the Borgia family stood on the eve of
the darkest tragedy associated with its name, a tragedy which was to
alter all these plans.

CHAPTER IV. THE MURDER OF THE DUKE OF GANDIA

On June 14, 1497, the eve of Cesare and Giovanni Borgia's departure
for Naples, their mother Vannozza gave them a farewell supper in her
beautiful vineyard in Trastevere. In addition to the two guests of
honour several other kinsmen and friends were present, among whom were
the Cardinal of Monreale and young Giuffredo Borgia. They remained at
supper until an advanced hour of the night, when Cesare and Giovanni
took their departure, attended only by a few servants and a mysterious
man in a mask, who had come to Giovanni whilst he was at table, and who
almost every day for about