n King Federico of Naples had
felt when he was placed in a similar position. His pride rebelled. His
daughter, the noble Marchioness Isabella of Mantua, and her
sister-in-law Elisabetta of Urbino, were literally beside themselves.
The youthful Alfonso objected most vigorously. Moreover, there was a
plan afoot to marry the hereditary duke to a princess of the royal
house of France, Louise, widow of the Duke of Angouleme.[85] Ercole
rejected the offer absolutely.

Alexander had foreseen his opposition, but he felt sure he could
overcome it. He had the advantages of the alliance pointed out more
clearly, and also the disadvantages which might result from a refusal;
on one hand was Ferrara's safety and advancement, and on the other the
hostility of Caesar and the Pope, and perhaps also that of France.[86]
Alexander was so certain of his victory that he made no secret of the
projected marriage, and he even spoke of it with satisfaction in the
consistory, as if it were an accomplished fact.[87] He succeeded in
winning the support of the French court, which, however, was not
difficult, as Louis XII was then very anxious for the Pope to allow him
to lead his army out of Tuscany, through the States of the Church, into
Naples, which he could not do without the secret consent of his
Holiness. Above all, the Pope counted on the help of Cardinal Amboise,
to whom Caesar had taken the red hat when he went to France, and whose
ambitious glances were directed toward the papal throne, which, with the
aid of his friend Caesar and of the Spanish cardinals, he hoped to reach
on the death of Alexander.

It is, nevertheless, a fact that Louis XII at first was opposed to the
match, and even endeavored to prevent it. He himself was not only
determinedly set against everything which would increase the power of
Caesar and the Pope, but he was also anxious to enhance his own influence
with Ferrara by bringing about the marriage of Alfonso and some French
princess. In May Alexander sent a secretary to France to induce the king
to use his influence to effect the alliance, but this Louis declined to
do.[88] On the other hand, he was anxious to bring about the marriage of
Don Ferrante, Alfonso's brother, with Lucretia, and secure for her, as
portion, the territory of Piombino.[89] He had also placed a check on
Caesar's operations in Central Italy, in consequence of which the
latter's attempts against Bologna and Florence had miscarried.

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