fealty from the Anziani in the Church of San Mercuriale, the duke
marched his army out of Forli and took the road to Pesaro.

Caterina Sforza Riario went with him. Dressed in black and mounted upon
a white horse, the handsome amazon rode between Cesare Borgia and Yves
d'Allegre.

At Cesena the duke made a halt, and there he left the countess in the
charge of d'Allegre whilst he himself rode forward to overtake the main
body of his army, which was already as far south as Cattolica. As for
Giovanni Sforza, despite the fact that the Duke of Urbino had sent some
foot to support him, he was far more likely to run than to fight, and
in fact he had already taken the precaution of placing his money and
valuables in safety and was disposing, himself, to follow them. But
it happened that there was not yet the need. Fate--in the shape of his
cousin Lodovico of Milan--postponed the occasion.

On the 26th Cesare lay at Montefiori, and there he was reached by
couriers sent at all speed from Milan by Trivulzio. Lodovico Sforza
had raised an army of Swiss and German mercenaries to reconquer his
dominions, and the Milanese were opening their arms to receive him back,
having already discovered that, in exchanging his rule for that of the
French, they had but exchanged King Log for King Stork. Trivulzio begged
for the instant return of the French troops serving under Cesare,
and Cesare, naturally compelled to accede, was forced to postpone the
continuance of his campaign, a matter which must have been not a little
vexatious at such a moment.

He returned to Cesena, where, on the 27th, he dismissed Yves d'Allegre
and his men, who made all haste back to Milan, so that Cesare was left
with a force of not more than a thousand foot and five hundred horse.
These, no doubt, would have sufficed him for the conquest of Pesaro, but
Giovanni Sforza, encouraged by his cousin's return, and hopeful now of
assistance, would certainly entrench himself and submit to a siege which
must of necessity be long-drawn, since the departure of the French had
deprived Cesare of his artillery.

Therefore the duke disposed matters for his return to Rome instead,
and, leaving Ercole Bentivogli with five hundred horse and Gonsalvo de
Mirafuente with three hundred foot to garrison Forli, he left Cesena
with the remainder of his forces, including Vitelli's horse, on January
30. With him went Caterina Sforza-Riario, and of course there were not
wanting those who all