Fano,
which, however, he did not attempt to enter as an enemy--an idle course,
seeing how loyally the town held for Cesare--but as a ducal condottiero.

Fired by Orsini's example, Bentivogli also took the offensive, and began
by ordering the canonists of Bologna University to go to the churches
and encourage the people to disregard the excommunications launched
against the city. He wrote to the King of France to complain that Cesare
had broken the Treaty of Villafontana by which he had undertaken never
again to molest Bologna--naively ignoring the circumstance that he
himself had been the first to violate the terms of that same treaty, and
that it was precisely upon such grounds that Cesare was threatening him.

Thus matters stood, the confederates turning anxious eyes towards
Venice, and, haply, beginning to wonder whether the Republic was indeed
going to move to their support as they had so confidently expected, and
realizing perhaps by now their rashness, and the ruin that awaited them
should Venice fail them. And fail them Venice did. The Venetians had
received a reply from Louis XII to that letter in which they had heaped
odium upon the Borgia and shown the king what dishonour to himself dwelt
in his alliance with Valentinois. Their criticisms and accusations were
ignored in that reply, which resolved itself into nothing more than a
threat that "if they opposed themselves to the enterprise of the Church
they would be treated by him as enemies," and of this letter he sent
Cesare a copy, as Cesare himself told Macchiavelli.

So, whilst Valentinois in Imola was able to breathe more freely, the
condottieri in Urbino may well have been overcome with horror at their
position and at having been thus left in the lurch by Venice. None was
better aware than Pandolfo Petrucci of the folly of their action and of
the danger that now impended, and he sent his secretary to Valentinois
to say that if the duke would but reassure them on the score of his
intentions they would return to him and aid him in recovering what had
been lost.

Following upon this message came Paolo Orsini himself to Imola on the
25th, disguised as a courier, and having first taken the precaution of
obtaining a safe-conduct. He left again on the 29th, bearing with him
a treaty the terms of which had been agreed between himself and Cesare
during that visit. These were that Cesare should engage to protect the
States of all his allied condottieri, and they