enjoining the people to surrender
peacefully to the duke.

What matters Cesare may have found in Cesena to justify the arrest of
his Governor-General we do not know to the full with absolute certainty.
On December 22 Ramiro de Lorqua, coming from Pesaro in response to his
master's summons, was arrested on his arrival and flung into prison. His
examination was to follow.

Macchiavelli, reporting the arrest, says: "It is thought he [Cesare] may
sacrifice him to the people, who have a very great desire of it."

Ramiro had made himself detested in Romagna by the ruthlessness of his
rule, and a ruthless servant reflects upon his master, a matter which
could nowise suit Borgia. To all who have read The Prince it will be
clear that upon that ground alone--of having brought Valentinois's
justice into disrepute by the harshness which in Valentinois's name he
practised--Macchiavelli would have approved the execution of Ramiro.
He would have accounted it perfectly justifiable that Ramiro should
be sacrificed to the people for no better reason than because he had
provoked their hatred, since this sacrifice made for the duke's welfare.
He does, as a matter of fact, justify this execution, but upon much
fuller grounds than these. Still, had the reasons been no better than
are mentioned, he would still have justified it upon those. So much
is clear; and, when so much is clear, much more will be clear to you
touching this strange epoch.

There was, however, more than a matter of sacrificing the
Governor-General to the hatred of the people. There was, for one thing,
the matter of that wheat which had disappeared. Ramiro was charged with
having fraudulently sold it to his own dishonest profit, putting
the duke to the heavy expense of importing fresh supplies for the
nourishment of the people. The seriousness of the charge will be
appreciated when it is considered that, had a famine resulted from
this peculation, grave disorder might have ensued and perhaps even a
rebellion against a government which could provide no better.

The duke published the news of the governor's arrest throughout Romagna.
He announced his displeasure and regret at the harshnesses and corrupt
practices of Ramiro de Lorqua, in spite of the most urgent admonishings
that he should refrain from all undue exactions and the threat of grave
punishment should he disobey. These frauds, corruption, extortion, and
rapine practised by the governor were so grave, continuo