r bodily over the battlements--he was
removed to the fortress of Medina del Campo, and kept well guarded by
orders of the Pope.

Rumours that he had been liberated by the King of Spain overran the
Romagna more than once, and set the country in a ferment, even reaching
the Vatican and shaking the stout-hearted Julius into alarm.

One chance of regaining his ancient might, and wreaking a sweet and
terrific vengeance upon his betrayers came very close to him, but
passed him by. This chance occurred in 1505, when--Queen Isabella being
dead--King Ferdinand discovered that Gonzalo de Cordoba was playing him
false in Naples. The Spanish king conceived a plan--according to the
chronicles of Zurita--to employ Cesare as a flail for the punishment of
the Great Captain. He proposed to liberate the duke, set him at the
head of an army, and loose him upon Naples, trusting to the formidable
alliance of Cesare's military talents with his hatred of Gonzalo--who
had betrayed him--to work the will of his Catholic Majesty.

Unfortunately for Cesare, there were difficulties. Ferdinand's power was
no longer absolute in Castille now that Isabella was dead. He sought to
overcome these difficulties; but the process was a slow one, and in
the course of it, spurred also by increased proofs of his lieutenant's
perfidy, Ferdinand lost patience, and determined--the case having grown
urgent--to go to Naples in person to deal with Gonzalo.

Plainly, Cesare's good fortune, which once had been proverbial, had now
utterly deserted him.

He had received news of what was afoot, and his hopes had run high once
more, only to suffer cruel frustration when he learnt that Ferdinand had
sailed, himself, for Naples. In his despair the duke roused himself to a
last effort to win his freedom.

His treatment in prison was fairly liberal, such as is usually measured
out to state prisoners of consideration. He was allowed his own chaplain
and several attendants, and, whilst closely guarded and confined to the
Homenaje Tower of the fortress, yet he was not oppressively restrained.
He was accorded certain privileges and liberties; he enjoyed the faculty
of corresponding with the outer world, and even of receiving visits.
Amongst his visitors was the Count of Benavente--a powerful lord of
the neighbourhood, who, coming under the spell of Cesare's fascination,
became so attached to him, and so resolved to do his will and effect his
liberation, that--says Zurita--he