ic of Ferrara, by decree of the
consistory, and certain other concessions. He told me that the Pope
had offered a hundred thousand, and as to the rest--your Excellency
should trust to him, for he would grant them in time and would
advance the interests of the house of Este so that everyone would
see how high in his favor it stood. In addition, he told me that he
was instructed to ask his most Christian Majesty to write to the
illustrious cardinal to advise your Excellency to agree. As your
Excellency's devoted servant I mention this, although it is
superfluous; for if this marriage is to take place, you will
arrange it in such a way that "much promising and little
fulfillment" will not cause you to regret it. I informed your
Excellency in an earlier letter how his most Christian Majesty had
told me that his wishes in this affair were the same as your own,
and that if the marriage was to be brought about, you might derive
as much profit from it as possible, and if it was not to take
place, his Majesty stood ready to give Don Alfonso the lady whom
your Excellency might select for him in France.

Your ducal Excellency's servant,

BARTOLOMEO CAVALERI.

LYONS, _August 7, 1501_.

Alexander did not wish to send his daughter to Ferrara with empty hands,
but the portion which Ercole demanded was not a modest one. It was
larger than Blanca Sforza had brought the Emperor Maximilian; moreover,
one of the duke's demands involved an infraction of the canon law, for,
in addition to the large sum of money, he insisted upon the remission of
the yearly tribute paid the Church by the fief of Ferrara, the cession
of Cento and Pieve, cities which belonged to the archbishopric of
Bologna, and even on the relinquishment of Porto Cesenatico and a large
number of benefices in favor of the house of Este. They wrangled
violently, but so great was the Pope's desire to secure the ducal throne
of Ferrara for his daughter that he soon announced that he would
practically agree to Ercole's demands, which Caesar urged him to do.[99]
Nor was Lucretia herself less urgent in begging her father to consent;
she was the duke's most able advocate in Rome, and Ercole knew that it
was due largely to her skilful pleading that he succeeded in carrying
his point.

The negotiations took this favorable turn about the end of July or the
beginning of August, and the earlies