threatened the Duke on every side, and which he finally surmounted
by the aid of the French. His affairs once reestablished, he grew weary
of relying on France and other foreign allies, and he resolved for the
future to rely alone on artifice and dissimulation--a course in which
he so well succeeded that the Orsini were reconciled to him through the
intervention of Signor Paolo, whom he had gained over to his interests
by all manner of rich presents and friendly offices. And this man, being
deceived himself, so far prevailed on the credulity of the rest that they
attended the Duke at an interview at Sinigaglia, where they were all
put to death. Having thus exterminated the chiefs, and converted their
partisans into his friends, the Duke laid the solid foundations of his
power. He made himself master of all Romagna and the duchy of Urbino, and
gained the affection of the inhabitants--particularly the former--by
giving them a prospect of the advantages they might hope to enjoy from
his government. As this latter circumstance is remarkable and worthy of
imitation, I cannot suffer it to pass unnoticed.

After the Duke had possessed himself of Romagna, he found it had been
governed by a number of petty princes, more addicted to the spoliation
than the government of their subjects, and whose political weakness
rather served to create popular disturbances than to secure the blessings
of peace. The country was infested with robbers, torn by factions, and a
prey to all the horrors of civil commotions. He found that, to establish
tranquillity, order, and obedience, a vigorous government was necessary.
With this view, he appointed Ramiro d'Orco governor, a cruel but active
man, to whom he gave the greatest latitude of power. He very soon
appeased the disturbances, united all parties, and acquired the renown of
restoring the whole country to peace.

The Duke soon deemed it no longer necessary to continue so rigorous and
odious a system. He therefore erected in the midst of the province a
court of civil judicature, with a worthy and upright magistrate to
preside over it, where every city had its respective advocate. He was
aware that the severities of Ramiro had excited some hatred against him,
and resolved to clear himself from all reproach in the minds of the
people, and to gain their affection by showing them that the cruelties
which had been committed did not originate with him, but solely in
the ferocious disposition of his mi