y by folk addicted to the pursuits which
he and others attribute to the Borgias. Can you surmise any better
reason? For observe that Giovio describes the Cantarella for you--a
blunder of his which gives the lie to his statement. "A white powder of
a faint and not unpleasing savour," says he; and that, as you know, is
nothing like cantharides, which is green, intensely acrid, and burning.
Yet who cares for such discrepancies? Who will ever question anything
that is uttered against a Borgia? "Cantarella--a white powder of a faint
and not unpleasing savour," answers excellently the steady purpose of
supporting a defamation and pandering to the tastes of those who like
sensations in their reading--and so, from pen to pen, from book to book
it leaps, as unchallenged as it is impossible.

Whilst Cesare's troops were engaged in laying siege to Ceri, and, by
engines contrived by Leonardo da Vinci, pressing the defenders so
sorely that at the end of a month's resistance they surrendered with
safe-conduct, the inimical and ever-jealous Venetians in the north were
stirring up what trouble they could. Chafing under the restraint of
France, they but sought a pretext that should justify them in the eyes
of Louis for making war upon Cesare, and when presently envoys came
to lay before the Pope the grievance of the Republic at the pillage by
Borgian soldiery of the Venetian traders in Sinigaglia, Cesare had no
delusions concerning their disposition towards himself.

Growing uneasy lest they should make this a reason for assailing his
frontiers, he sent orders north recommending vigilance and instructing
his officers to deal severely with all enemies of his State, whilst he
proceeded to complete the provisions for the government of the Romagna.
To replace the Governor-General he appointed four seneschals: Cristoforo
della Torre for Forli, Faenza and Imola; Hieronimo Bonadies for Cesena,
Rimini, and Pesaro; Andrea Cossa for Fano, Sinigaglia, Fossombrone, and
Pergola; and Pedro Ramires for the duchy of Urbino. This last was to
find a deal of work for his hands; for Urbino was not yet submissive,
Majolo and S. Leo still holding for Guidobaldo.

Ramires began by reducing Majolo, and then proceeded to lay siege to
S. Leo. But the Castellan--one Lattanzio--encouraged by the assurances
given him that the Venetians would render Guidobaldo assistance to
reconquer his dominions, resisted stubbornly, and was not brought to
surrender until the en