cope to make war upon an ally of France; and they sent word to
Cesare of their resolve to enter into no schemes against him.

The Venetians would gladly have moved to crush a man who had snatched
the Romagna from under their covetous eyes; but in view of the league
with France they dared not. What they dared, they did. They wrote to
Louis at length of the evils that were befalling Italy at the hands of
the Duke of Valentinois, and of the dishonour to the French crown which
lay for Louis in his alliance with Cesare Borgia. They even went so
far--and most treacherously, considering the league--as to allow their
famous captain, Bartolomeo d'Alviano, to reconduct Guidobaldo to Urbino,
as we shall presently see.

Had the confederates but kept faith with one another Cesare's knell
had soon been tolled. But they were a weak-kneed pack of traitors,
irresolute in their enmity as in their friendships. The Orsini hung
back. They urged that they did not trust themselves to attack Cesare
with men actually in his pay; whilst Bentivogli--treacherous by nature
to the back-bone of him--actually went so far as to attempt to open
secret negotiations with Cesare through Ercole d'Este of Ferrara.

CHAPTER XV. MACCHIAVELLI'S LEGATION

On October 2 news of the revolt of the condottieri and the diet of
Magione had reached the Vatican and rendered the Pope uneasy. Cesare,
however, had been informed of it some time before at Imola, where he was
awaiting the French lances that should enable him to raid the Bolognese
and drive out the Bentivogli.

Where another might have been paralyzed by a defection which left him
almost without an army, and would have taken the course of sending
envoys to the rebels to attempt to make terms and by concessions to
patch up a treaty, Cesare, with characteristic courage, assurance, and
promptitude of action, flung out officers on every side to levy him
fresh troops.

His great reputation as a condottiero, the fame of his wealth and his
notorious liberality, stood him now in excellent stead. The response to
his call was instantaneous. Soldiers of fortune and mercenaries showed
the trust they had in him, and flocked to his standard from every
quarter. One of the first to arrive was Gasparo Sanseverino, known as
Fracassa, a condottiero of great renown, who had been in the Pontifical
service since the election of Pope Alexander. He was a valuable
acquisition to Cesare, who placed him in command of the hor