e Great Captain, and the truth of whether or not he was
guilty of so base a treachery has never been discovered. These rumours
had been abroad since May, and, if not arising out of, they were
certainly stimulated by, an edict published by Valentinois concerning
the papal chamberlain, Francesco Troche. In this edict Cesare enjoined
all subjects of the Holy See to arrest, wherever found, this man who had
fled from Rome, and whose flight "was concerned with something against
the honour of the King of France."

Francesco Troche had been Alexander's confidential chamberlain and
secretary; he had been a diligent servant of the House of Borgia, and
when in France had acted as a spy for Valentinois, keeping the duke
supplied with valuable information at a critical time, as we have seen.

Villari says of him that he was "one of the Borgias' most trusted
assassins." That he has never been so much as alleged to have murdered
anyone does not signify. He was a servant--a trusted servant--of
the Borgias; therefore the title of "assassin" is, ipso facto, to be
bestowed upon him.

The flight of a man holding such an intimate position as Troche's was
naturally a subject of much speculation and gossip, but a matter upon
which there was no knowledge. Valentinois was ever secret. In common
with his father--though hardly in so marked a degree, and if we except
the case of the scurrilous Letter to Silvio Savelli--he showed a
contemptuous indifference to public opinion on the whole which is
invested almost with a certain greatness. At least it is rarely other
than with greatness that we find such an indifference associated. It was
not for him to take the world into his confidence in matters with which
the world was not concerned. Let the scandalmongers draw what inferences
they pleased. It was a lofty and dignified procedure, but one that was
fraught with peril; and the Borgias have never ceased to pay the price
of that excessive dignity of reserve. For tongues must be wagging, and,
where knowledge is lacking, speculation will soon usurp its place, and
presently be invested with all the authority of "fact."

Out of surmises touching that matter "which concerned the honour of the
King of France" grew presently--and contradictorily--the rumour that
Troche was gone to betray to France Valentinois's intention of going
over to the Spanish side. A motive was certainly required to account for
Troche's action; but the invention of motives does not