ns. So stimulated was he that he prepared at once to go, himself,
into the Romagna, and obtained from the Pope, from d'Amboise, and
from Soderini, letters to Florence desiring the Signory to afford him
safe-conduct through Tuscany for himself and his army.

The Pope expressed himself, in his letter, that he would count such
safe-conduct as a great favour to himself, and urged the granting of it
out of his "love for Cesare," owing to the latter's "great virtues and
shining merits."(2) Yet on the morrow of dispatching that brief, this
man, who was accounted honest, straightforward, and imbued with a
love of truth, informed Giustiniani--or else Giustiniani lied in his
dispatches--that he understood that the Venetians were assailing the
Romagna, not out of enmity to the Church, but to punish the demerits of
Cesare, and he made it plain to Giustiniani that, if he complained
of the conduct of the Venetians, it was on his own behalf and not on
Cesare's, as his aim was to preserve the Romagna, not for the duke, but
for the Church.

2 "In quo nobis rem gratissimam facietis ducis enim ipsum propter ejus
insignes virtutes et praeclara merita praecipuo affectur et caritate
praecipua complectimur."--Archivio di Stato, Firenze. (See Alvisi, Doct.
96.)

With the aim we have no quarrel. It was laudable enough in a Pontiff.
But it foreshadows Cesare's ruin, in spite of the love-protesting letter
to Florence, in spite of the bargain struck by virtue of which Julius
had obtained the pontificate. Whether the Pope went further in his
treachery, whether, having dispatched that brief to Florence, he sent
other communications to the Signory, is not ascertainable; but the
suspicion of some such secret action is inspired by what ensued.

On November 13 Cesare was ready to leave Rome; but no safe-conduct
had arrived. Out of all patience at this, he begged the Pope that the
captain of the pontifical navy should prepare him five galleons at
Ostia, by which he could take his foot to Genoa, and thence proceed into
Romagna by way of Ferrara.

Macchiavelli, at the same time, was frenziedly importuning Florence to
grant the duke the desired safe-conduct lest in despair Cesare should
make a treaty with Venice--"or with the devil"--and should go to Pisa,
employing all his money, strength, and influence to vent his wrath upon
the Signory. But the Signory knew more, perhaps, than did Macchiavelli,
for no attention was paid to his urgent advice.