conquest of the kingdom of Naples, the King
of France should occupy, for the advantage and accommodation of his army,
the fortresses of Civita Vecchia, Terracina, and Spoleto;

Lastly, the Cardinal Valentino (this was now the name of Caesar Borgia,
after his archbishopric of Valencia) should accompany the king in the
capacity of apostolic ambassador, really as a hostage.

These conditions fixed, the ceremonial of an interview was arranged. The
king left the Palazzo di Venezia and went to live in the Vatican. At the
appointed time he entered by the door of a garden that adjoined the
palace, while the pope, who had not had to quit the Castle S. Angelo,
thanks to a corridor communicating between the two palaces, came down
into the same garden by another gate. The result of this arrangement was
that the king the next moment perceived the pope, and knelt down, but the
pope pretended not to see him, and the king advancing a few paces, knelt
a second time; as His Holiness was at that moment screened by some
masonry, this supplied him with another excuse, and the king went on with
the performance, got up again, once mare advanced several steps, and was
on the point of kneeling down the third time face to face, when the Holy
Father at last perceived him, and, walking towards him as though he would
prevent him from kneeling, took off his own hat, and pressing him to his
heart, raised him up and tenderly kissed his forehead, refusing to cover
until the king had put his cap upon his head, with the aid of the pope's
own hands. Then, after they had stood for a moment, exchanging polite
and friendly speeches, the king lost no time in praying His Holiness to
be so good as to receive into the Sacred College William Bricannet, the
Bishop of St. Malo. As this matter had been agreed upon beforehand by
that prelate and His Holiness, though the king was not aware of it,
Alexander was pleased to get credit by promptly granting the request; and
he instantly ordered one of his attendants to go to the house of his son,
Cardinal Valentino, and fetch a cape and hat. Then taking the king by
the hand, he conducted him into the hall of Papagalli, where the ceremony
was to take place of the admission of the new cardinal. The solemn oath
of obedience which was to be taken by Charles to His Holiness as supreme
head of the Christian Church was postponed till the following day.

When that solemn day arrived, every person important in Rome, noble,
cl