eged that, during the few days at Cesena he
had carried his conquest of her further than the matter of her
territories(1)--a rumour whose parent was, no doubt, the ribald jest
made in Milan by Trivulzio when he heard of her capture.

1 "Teneva detta Madona (la qual e belissima dona, fiola del Ducha
Galeazo di Milan) di zorno e di note in la sna camera, con la
quale--judicio omnium--si deva piacer" (Sanuto's Diarii).

He conducted her to Rome--in golden chains, "like another Palmyra," it
is said--and there she was given the beautiful Belvedere for her prison
until she attempted an escape in the following June; whereupon, for
greater safety, she was transferred to the Castle of Sant' Angelo. There
she remained until May of 1501, when, by the intervention of the King of
France, she was set at liberty and permitted to withdraw to Florence
to rejoin her children. In the city of the lilies she abode, devoting
herself to good works until she ended her turbulent, unhappy life in
1509.

The circumstance that she was not made to pay with her life for her
attempt to poison the Pope is surely something in favour of the Borgias,
and it goes some way towards refuting the endless statements of their
fierce and vindictive cruelty. Of course, it has been urged that they
spared her from fear of France; but, if that is admitted, what then
becomes of the theory of that secret poison which might so well have
been employed in such a case as this?

CHAPTER IV. GONFALONIER OF THE CHURCH

Although Cesare Borgia's conquest of Imola and Forli cannot seriously be
accounted extraordinary military achievements--save by consideration of
the act that this was the first campaign he had conducted--yet in Rome
the excitement caused by his victory was enormous. Possibly this is to
be assigned to the compelling quality of the man's personality, which
was beginning to manifest and assert itself and to issue from the shadow
into which it had been cast hitherto by that of his stupendous father.

The enthusiasm mounted higher and higher whilst preparations were being
made for his reception, and reached its climax on February 26, when,
with overpowering pomp, he made an entrance into Rome that was a
veritable triumph.

Sanuto tells us that, as news came of his approach, the Pope, in
his joyous impatience and excitement, became unable to discharge the
business of his office, and no longer would give audience to any one.
Alexander had ever