new duke reached the French camp
before the Tuscan castle of Sarzana, he found to his surprise that Piero
de' Medici, who up to this time had been the staunchest ally of Naples,
had arrived there the day before, to make his submission to King
Charles. Sanuto relates how this craven son of the magnificent Lorenzo
threw himself at the feet of the French monarch, and promised to accept
whatever conditions he chose to impose. Not only did he agree to give
the army of Charles free passage through Tuscany, and to dismiss the
Florentine troops which he had levied, but he actually promised to
surrender the six strongholds of Sarzana, Sarzanello, Pietra Santa,
Librafratta, Leghorn, and Pisa. Thus, without a single blow, the city
and state of Florence was placed at the mercy of the invaders. Even the
French councillors who negotiated the terms of the treaty, were amazed
at the readiness with which their demands were accepted, and told
Commines afterwards that they marvelled to see Piero de' Medici settle
so weighty a matter with so much lightness of heart, "mocking and
jeering at his cowardice as they spoke." Lodovico, on his part, received
the news of Piero's disgraceful concessions with ill-concealed disgust.
Now that he had attained his own objects, and had nothing to fear from
Alfonso, whose armies were in full retreat, he would willingly have seen
the progress of the French delayed, and the king forced to winter in
Tuscany, and was bitterly annoyed to find that the passes of the
Apennines were in the hands of Charles, as well as the castles and ports
which he had hoped to obtain for Milan as the price of his alliance.
Guicciardini relates how he met Piero de' Medici that day in the camp,
and how his old friend's son, anxious to ingratiate himself with the
powerful duke, made excuses for not having given him an official welcome
into Florentine territory, saying that he had ridden out to meet him,
but had missed his way. "One of us certainly missed the way," replied
the duke, with a bitter meaning under his courteous phrases; "perhaps it
is you who have taken the wrong road."

But he hid his vexation as best he could, when he entered the French
king's presence, and boldly asked Charles to give him the castles of
Sarzana and Pietra Santa, which had formerly belonged to Genoa. When the
king replied that he preferred to keep these forts in his own hands
until his return from Naples, Lodovico once more disguised his feelings,
and