place and at that time
which he may be pleased to indicate.

"The same confederates promising moreover, all and each, that if any
project directed against any one of them come to their knowledge, to give
warning thereof, and all to prevent such project reciprocally.

"It is agreed, over and above, between the Duke of Romagna and the
confederates aforesaid, to regard as a common enemy any who shall fail to
keep the present stipulations, and to unite in the destruction of any
States not conforming thereto.

"(Signed) CAESAR, PAOLO ORSINO.
"AGAPIT, Secretary."

At the same time, while Orsino was carrying to the confederates the
treaty drawn up between him and the duke, Bentivoglio, not willing to
submit to the arbitration indicated, made an offer to Caesar of settling
their differences by a private treaty, and sent his son to arrange the
conditions: after some parleying, they were settled as follows:--

Bentivaglio should separate his fortunes from the Vitelli and Orsini;

He should furnish the Duke of Valentinois with a hundred men-at-arms and
a hundred mounted archers for eight years;

He should pay 12,000 ducats per annum to Caesar, for the support of a
hundred lances;

In return for this, his son Hannibal was to marry the sister of the
Archbishop of Enna, who was Caesar's niece, and the pope was to recognise
his sovereignty in Bologna;

The King of France, the Duke of Ferrara, and the republic of Florence
were to be the guarantors of this treaty.

But the convention brought to the confederates by Orsino was the cause of
great difficulties on their part. Vitellozza Vitelli in particular, who
knew Caesar the best, never ceased to tell the other condottieri that so
prompt and easy a peace must needs be the cover to some trap; but since
Caesar had meanwhile collected a considerable army at Imala, and the four
hundred lances lent him by Louis XII had arrived at last, Vitellozzo and
Oliverotto decided to sign the treaty that Orsino brought, and to let the
Duke of Urbino and the lord of Camerino know of it; they, seeing plainly
that it was henceforth impassible to make a defence unaided, had retired,
the one to Citta di Castello and the other into the kingdom of Naples.

But Caesar, saying nothing of his intentions, started on the 10th of
December, and made his way to Cesena with a powerful army once more under
his command. Fear began to spread on all s