ummoned Michele da Corella, who was at Rocca Soriana with his
foot, and Taddeo della Volpe (a valiant captain and a great fighter, who
had already lost an eye in Cesare's service) and Baldassare Scipione,
who were in the Neapolitan territory with their men-at-arms. He was
gathering his sinews for a spring, when suddenly the entire face of
affairs was altered and all plans were checked by the death of Pius III
on October 18, after a reign of twenty-six days.

Once more there was an end to Cesare's credit. No man might say what the
future held in store. Giustiniani, indeed, wrote to his Government
that Cesare was about to withdraw to France, and that he had besought
a safe-conduct of the Orsini--which report is as true as many another
communication from the same Venetian pen, ever ready to write what
it hoped might be true; and it is flatly contradicted by the
better-informed Macchiavelli, who was writing at the same time:

"The duke is in Sant' Angelo, and is more hopeful than ever of
accomplishing great things, presupposing a Pope according to the wishes
of his friends."

But the Romagna was stirred once more to the turbulence from which it
had scarcely settled. Forli and Rimini were lost almost at once, the
Ordelaffi succeeding in capturing the former in this their second
attempt, whilst Pandolfaccio once more sat in his palace at Rimini,
having cut his way to it through a sturdy resistance. Against Imola
Bentivogli dispatched a force of two thousand foot; but this was beaten
off.

The authority of France appeared to have lost its weight, and in vain
did Cardinal d'Amboise thunder threats in the name of his friend King
Louis, and send envoys to Florence, Venice, Bologna, and Urbino,
to complain of the injuries that were being done to the Duke of
Valentinois.

CHAPTER III. JULIUS II

Giuliano della Rovere, Cardinal of S. Pietro in Vincoli, had much in his
character that was reminiscent of his terrible uncle, Sixtus IV.
Like that uncle of his, he had many failings highly unbecoming any
Christian--laic or ecclesiastic--which no one has attempted to screen;
and, incidentally, he cultivated morality in his private life and
observed his priestly vows of chastity as little as did any other
churchman of his day. For you may see him, through the eyes of Paride de
Grassi,(1) unable one Good Friday to remove his shoes for the adoration
of the cross in consequence of his foot's affliction--ex morbo gallico.
But wit