t it was granted exclusively of the rights and authority
of the Holy Roman See over Bologna, and that the king could not embroil
himself with the Pope. With such a shifty message went M. de Seyssel
to make it quite clear to Bentivogli what his position was. And on the
heels of it came, on September 2, a papal brief citing Bentivogli and
his two sons to appear before the Pontiff within fifteen days for the
purpose of considering with his Holiness the matter of the pacification
and better government of Bologna, which for so many years had been so
disorderly and turbulent. Thus the Pope's summons, with a menace that
was all too thinly veiled.

But Bentivogli was not taken unawares. He was not even astonished. Ever
since Cesare's departure from Rome in the previous spring he had been
disposing against such a possibility as this--fortifying Bologna,
throwing up outworks and erecting bastions beyond the city, and levying
and arming men, in all of which he depended largely upon the citizens
and particularly upon the art-guild, which was devoted to the House of
Bentivogli.

Stronger than the affection for their lord--which, when all is said,
was none too great in Bologna--was the deep-seated hatred of the clergy
entertained by the Bolognese. This it was that rallied to Bentivogli
such men as Fileno della Tuate, who actually hated him. But it was a
choice of evils with Fileno and many of his kidney. Detesting the ruling
house, and indignant at the injustices it practised, they detested the
priests still more--so much that they would have taken sides with Satan
himself against the Pontificals. In this spirit did they carry their
swords to Bentivogli.

Upon the nobles Bentivogli could not count--less than ever since the
cold-blooded murder of the Marescotti; but in the burghers' adherence he
deemed himself secure, and indeed on September 17 he had some testimony
of it.

On that date--the fortnight's grace expiring--the brief was again read
to the Reggimento; but it was impossible to adopt any resolution. The
people were in arms, and, with enormous uproar, protested that they
would not allow Giovanni Bentivogli or his sons to go to Rome, lest they
should be in danger once they had left their own State.

Italy was full of rumours at the time of Cesare's proposed emprise
against Bologna, and it was added that he intended, further, to make
himself master of Citta di Castello and Perugia, and thus, by depriving
them of their tyra