commanding, as it did, the road from Imola to Faenza.
He had the good sense, however, to compromise the matter by returning
Cesare an offer of accommodation for his men with victuals, artillery,
etc., but without the concession of Castel Bolognese. With this Cesare
was forced to be content, there being no reasonable grounds upon which
he could decline so generous an offer. It was a cunning concession on
Bentivogli's part, for, without strengthening the duke's position, it
yet gave the latter what he ostensibly required, and left no cause for
grievance and no grounds upon which to molest Bologna. So much was this
the case that on February 26 the Pope wrote to Bentivogli expressing his
thanks at the assistance which he had thus given Cesare in the Faenza
emprise.

It was during this sojourn of Cesare's at Imola that the abduction took
place of Dorotea Caracciolo, the young wife of Gianbattista Caracciolo,
a captain of foot in the Venetian service. The lady, who was attached to
the Duchess of Urbino, had been residing at the latter's Court, and in
the previous December Caracciolo had begged leave of the Council of Ten
that he might himself go to Urbino for the purpose of escorting her to
Venice. The Council, however, had replied that he should send for her,
and this the captain had done. Near Cervia, on the confines of the
Venetian territory, towards evening of February 14, the lady's escort
was set upon by ten well-armed men, and rudely handled by them, some
being wounded and one at least killed, whilst the lady and a woman who
was with her were carried off.

The Podesta of Cervia reported to the Venetian Senate that the abductors
were Spaniards of the army of the Duke of Valentinois, and it was feared
in Venice--according to Sanuto--that the deed might be the work of
Cesare.

The matter contained in that Relation of Capello's to the Senate must
by now have been widespread, and of a man who could perpetrate the
wickednesses therein divulged anything could be believed. Indeed, it
seems to have followed that, where any act of wickedness was brought to
light, at once men looked to see if Cesare might not be responsible,
nor looked close enough to make quite sure. To no other cause can it be
assigned that, in the stir which the Senate made, the name of Cesare
was at once suggested as that of the abductor, and this so broadly that
letters poured in upon him on all sides begging him to right this
cruel wrong. So much do you