een shrewdly planned and timed, and if anything can
condone the treachery by which Guidobaldo was lulled into his false
security, it is the circumstance that this conduct of the matter avoided
bloodshed--a circumstance not wholly negligible, and one that was ever
a part of Cesare Borgia's policy, save where punishment had to be
inflicted or reprisals taken.

Guidobaldo, seeing himself thus beset upon all sides at once, and
being all unprepared for resistance, perceived that nothing but flight
remained him; and that very night he left Urbino hurriedly, taking with
him the boy Francesco Maria, and intending at first to seek shelter in
his Castle of S. Leo--a fortress that was practically impregnable. But
already it was too late. The passes leading thither were by now in
the hands of the enemy, as Guidobaldo discovered at dawn. Thereupon,
changing his plans, he sent the boy and his few attendants to Bagno,
and, himself, disguised as a peasant, took to the hills, despite the
gout by which he was tormented. Thus he won to Ravenna, which was fast
becoming a home for dethroned princes.

Urbino, meanwhile, in no case to resist, sent its castellan to meet
Cesare and to make surrender to him--whereof Cesare, in the letter
already mentioned, gives news to the Pope, excusing himself for having
undertaken this thing without the Pope's knowledge, but that "the
treachery employed against me by Guidobaldo was so enormous that I could
not suffer it."

Within a few hours of poor Guidobaldo's flight Cesare was housed in
Urbino's splendid palace, whose stupendous library was the marvel of
all scholars of that day. Much of this, together with many of the
art-treasures collected by the Montefeltri, Cesare began shortly
afterwards to transfer to Cesena.

In addition to publishing an edict against pillage and violence in the
City of Urbino, Cesare made doubly sure that none should take place
by sending his soldiers to encamp at Fermignano, retaining near him in
Urbino no more than his gentlemen-at-arms. The capital being taken,
the remainder of the duchy made ready surrender, all the strongholds
announcing their submission to Cesare with the exception of that
almost inaccessible Castle of S. Leo, which capitulated only after a
considerable resistance.

From Urbino Cesare now entered into communication with the Florentines,
and asked that a representative should be sent to come to an agreement
with him. In response to this request, the Re