ecina, which were now
invested by his troops.

When the alarming news of this swift action reached Bologna it caused
Bentivogli to bethink him at last of Louis XII's advice, that he should
come to terms with Cesare Borgia, and he realized that the time to do
so could no longer be put off. He made haste, therefore, to agree to the
surrender of Castel Bolognese to the duke, to concede him stipend for
one hundred lances of three men each, and to enter into an undertaking
to lend him every assistance for one year against any power with which
he might be at war, the King of France excepted. In return, Cesare
was to relinquish the captured strongholds and undertake that the Pope
should confirm Bentivogli in his ancient privileges. On April 29 Paolo
Orsini went as Cesare's plenipotentiary to Bologna to sign this treaty.

It was a crafty arrangement on Bentivogli's part, for, over and above
the pacification of Cesare and the advantage of an alliance with him, he
gained as a result the alliance also of those famous condottieri Vitelli
and Orsini, both bitter enemies of Florence--the latter intent upon
the restoration of the Medici, the former impatient to avenge upon the
Signory the execution of his brother Paolo. As an instalment, on account
of that debt, Vitelli had already put to death Pietro da Marciano--the
brother of Count Rinuccio da Marciano--when this gentleman fell into his
hands at Medicina.

Two days before the treaty was signed, Bentivogli had seized four
members of the powerful House of Marescotti. This family was related to
the exiled Malvezzi, who were in arms with Cesare, and Bentivogli feared
that communications might be passing between the two to his undoing.
On that suspicion he kept them prisoners for the present, nor did be
release them when the treaty was signed, nor yet when, amid public
rejoicings expressing the relief of the Bolognese, it was published on
May 2.

Hermes Bentivogli--Giovanni's youngest son--was on guard at the palace
with several other young Bolognese patricians, and he incited these to
go with him to make an end of the traitors who had sought to destroy the
peace by their alleged plottings with Bentivogli's enemies in Cesare's
camp. He led his companions to the chamber where the Marescotti were
confined, and there, more or less in cold blood, those four gentlemen
were murdered for no better reason--ostensibly--than because it was
suspected they had been in communication with their r