he following letter:

UNTO MY BELOVED SONS: Greeting and the Apostolic Blessing.
Our beloved daughter in Christ, the noble lady Catarina Sforza, is
on her way to you. She, as you are aware, having for good reasons
been held a prisoner by Us for a time, has again become the object
of Our mercy. We, according to Our custom and to Our pastoral
duties, have not only exercised mercy with regard to this Catarina,
but also, so far as We with God's help were able, have looked with
paternal solicitude after her welfare; therefore We deem it proper
to write you for the purpose of commending this Catarina to your
protection, so that she, having full confidence in Our good will
towards you, and returning, so to speak, into her own country, may
not be deluded in her expectations and by Our recommendation. We,
therefore, shall be glad to learn that she has been well received
and treated by you, in gratitude to her for having chosen your city
for her abode, and owing to your feelings toward Us. Given at Rome,
in S. Peter's, under the Apostolic seal, July 13, 1501. In the
ninth year of our pontificate.

HADRIANUS.

Catarina Sforza died in a convent in Florence in 1509. In her fatherland
she left a son of the same mettle as herself, Giovanni Medici, the last
of the great condottieri of the country, who became famous as leader of
the Black Bands. There is a seated figure in marble of this captain, of
herculean strength, with the neck of a centaur, near the church of S.
Lorenzo in Florence.

FOOTNOTES:

[74] In the Gonzaga archives.

[75] In questa mattina ho hauto lo adviso de la morte del Rmo Card.
Borgia _mio fratre_ passato de questa vita in Urbino. Forli, January 16,
1500. Archives of Modena.

[76] A. 1500, Jan. 22 (this is incorrect), mori il Carle Borgia fiolo de
Papa Alexo a Orbino. Silva Cronicarum Bernardini Zambotti. Ms. in the
library of Ferrara.

[77] La bona memoria del Cardinale Borgia mio fratre. Rome, July 30,
1500. Gonzaga archives.

[78] Cittadella's opinion that Giovanni Borgia, junior, was a son of
Pierluigi, Alexander's brother, is also incorrect.

[79] Femina quasi virago crudelissima et di gran animo. Venuta di Carlo
VIII, p. 811, Ms. Virago here means amazon.

CHAPTER XVI

MURDER OF ALFONSO OF ARAGON

After the fall of the Riario, of Imola, and Forli, all the tyrants in
the domain of the Church tre