with her whole household, her whole court, and more than six hundred
cavaliers, there to spend the period of her mourning.

This important family business was now settled, and Lucrezia was again a
widow, and in consequence ready to be utilized in the pope's new
political machinations. Caesar only stayed at Rome to receive the
ambassadors from France and Venice; but as their arrival was somewhat
delayed, and consider able inroads had been made upon the pope's treasury
by the recent festivities, the creation of twelve new cardinals was
arranged: this scheme was to have two effects, viz., to bring 600,000
ducats into the pontifical chest, each hat having been priced at 50,000
ducats, and to assure the pope of a constant majority in the sacred
council.

The ambassadors at last arrived: the first was M. de Villeneuve, the same
who had come before to see the Duke of Valentinois in the name of France.
Just as he entered Rome, he met on the road a masked man, who, without
removing his domino, expressed the joy he felt at his arrival. This man
was Caesar himself, who did not wish to be recognised, and who took his
departure after a short conference without uncovering his face. M. de
Villeneuve then entered the city after him, and at the Porta del Populo
found the ambassadors of the various Powers, and among them those of
Spain and Naples, whose sovereigns were not yet, it is true, in declared
hostility to France, though there was already some coolness. The
last-named, fearing to compromise themselves, merely said to their
colleague of France, by way of complimentary address, "Sir, you are
welcome"; whereupon the master of the ceremonies, surprised at the
brevity of the greeting, asked if they had nothing else to say. When
they replied that they had not, M. de Villeneuve turned his back upon
them, remarking that those who had nothing to say required no answer; he
then took his place between the Archbishop of Reggia, governor of Rome,
and the Archbishop of Ragusa, and made his way to the palace of the Holy
Apostles, which had been, got ready far his reception.

Same days later, Maria Giorgi, ambassador extraordinary of Venice, made
his arrival. He was commissioned not only to arrange the business on
hand with the pope, but also to convey to Alexander and Caesar the title
of Venetian nobles, and to inform them that their names were inscribed in
the Golden Book--a favour that both of them had long coveted, less far
the empt