self, and Lucretia, in an undated
letter, showed her servant how pleased she was because everything had
turned out better than she had expected. This is the only letter in
which the signature, "The unhappy Princess of Salerno" is not stricken
out.

We do not know how long Lucretia remained in Nepi, where, in summer,
the moisture rising from the rocky chasms caused deadly fevers, and
still renders that place and Civitacastellana unhealthful. Her father
recalled her to Rome before Christmas, and received her again into his
favor as soon as her brother left the city. Only a few months had passed
when Lucretia's soul was again filled with visions of a brilliant
future, before which the vague form of the unfortunate Alfonso sank into
oblivion. Her tears dried so quickly that, on the expiration of a year,
no one would have recognized in this young and frivolous woman the widow
of a trusted consort who had been foully murdered. From her father
Lucretia had inherited, if not inexhaustible vitality, at least the
lightness of mind which her contemporaries, under the name of joy of
living, discovered in her and in the Pope.

FOOTNOTES:

[80] Over the Porta Romana and on the bastions may still be seen the
colossal arms of Paul III and those of his son carved in stone. The
inscription reads:

P. ALOISIVS FARNESIVS DVX I. CASTRI ET NEPETE MVNIMENTVM HOC AD TVTELAM
CIVITATIS EXSTRVXIT. MDXL.

CHAPTER XVIII

CAESAR AT PESARO

Towards the end of September, Caesar entered Romagna with seven hundred
heavy men at arms, two hundred light horsemen, and six thousand foot
soldiers. First he advanced against Pesaro for the purpose of driving
out his former brother-in-law. Sforza, on hearing of the terrible fate
of his successor as husband of Lucretia, had good reason to congratulate
himself on his escape. He was literally consuming with hate of all the
Borgias, but, instead of being able to avenge himself for the injury
they had done him, he found himself threatened with another, a greater
and almost unavoidable one. He had been informed by his representative
in Rome and by the ambassador of Spain, who was friendly to him, of the
preparations his enemy was making, a fact proved by his letter to
Francesco Gonzaga, the brother of his first wife, Maddalena.[81]

September 1, 1500, he informed the Marquis of Caesar's intention to
attack Pesaro, and asked him to endeavor to interest the Emperor
Maximilian in his behalf. On the t