see assumed, upon no more evidence than
was contained in that letter from the Podesta of Cervia, which went no
further than to say that the abductors were "Spaniards of the Duke of
Valentinois' army." The envoy Manenti was dispatched at once to Cesare
by the Senate, and he went persuaded, it is clear, that Cesare Borgia
was the guilty person. He enlisted the support of Monsieur de Trans (the
French ambassador then on his way to Rome) and that of Yves d'Allegre,
and he took them with him to the Duke at Imola.

There, acting upon his strong suspicions, Manenti appears to have taken
a high tone, representing to the duke that he had done an unworthy
thing, and imploring him to restore the lady to her husband. Cesare's
patience under the insolent assumption in justification of which Manenti
had not a single grain of evidence to advance, is--guilty or innocent--a
rare instance of self-control. He condescended to take oath that he had
not done this thing which they imputed to him. He admitted that he had
heard of the outrage, and he expressed the belief that it was the work
of one Diego Ramires--a captain of foot in his service. This Ramires, he
explained, had been in the employ of the Duke of Urbino, and in Urbino
had made the acquaintance and fallen enamoured of the lady; and he added
that the fellow had lately disappeared, but that already he had set on
foot a search for him, and that, once taken, he would make an example of
him.

In conclusion he begged that the Republic should not believe this thing
against him, assuring the envoy that he had not found the ladies of the
Romagna so difficult that he should be driven to employ such rude and
violent measures.

The French ambassador certainly appears to have attached implicit faith
to Cesare's statement, and he privately informed Manenti that Ramires
was believed to be at Medola, and that the Republic might rest assured
that, if he were taken, exemplary justice would be done.

All this you will find recorded in Sanuto. After that his diary
entertains us with rumours which were reaching Venice, now that the
deed was the duke's, now that the lady was with Ramires. Later the two
rumours are consolidated into one, in a report of the Podesta of Cervia
to the effect that "the lady is in the Castle of Forli with Ramires, and
that he took her there by order of the duke." The Podesta says that a
man whom he sent to gather news had this story from one Benfaremo. But
he omits to say