r herself a secure place
at the court.

Alexander was greatly pleased by her reports, especially those
concerning her relations with Alfonso. He never for a moment supposed
that the hereditary prince loved his daughter. All he required was that
he should treat her as his wife, and that she should become the mother
of a prince. With great satisfaction he remarked to the Ferrarese
ambassador on hearing that Alfonso spent his nights with Lucretia,
"During the day he goes wherever he likes, as he is young, and in doing
this he does right."[180]

Alexander also induced the duke to grant his daughter-in-law a larger
allowance than he had agreed to give her. The sum stipulated was six
thousand ducats. Lucretia was extravagant, and needed a large income.
The amount she received from her father-in-law did not, however, exceed
ten thousand ducats.

In the meantime Caesar was pursuing his own schemes, the success of which
was apparently insured by his alliance with Ferrara and the sanction of
France. The youthful Astorre Manfredi having been strangled in the
castle of S. Angelo by his orders, Valentino set out for Romagna, June
13th, where he succeeded in ensnaring the unsuspecting Guidobaldo of
Urbino and in seizing his estates, June 21st. Guidobaldo fled and found
an asylum in Mantua, whence he and his wife eventually went to Venice.

Caesar now turned toward Camerino, where he surprised the Varano,
destroying all but one of them. He reported these doings to the court of
Ferrara, and the duke did not hesitate to congratulate him for a crime
which had resulted in the overthrow of princes who were not only
friendly to himself but were also closely connected with him. From
Urbino Caesar wrote his sister as follows:

ILLUSTRIOUS LADY AND DEAREST SISTER: I know nothing could
be better medicine for your Excellency in your present illness than
the good news which I have to impart. I must tell you that I have
just had information that Camerino will yield. We trust that on
receiving this news your condition will rapidly improve, and that
you will inform us at once of it. For your indisposition prevents
us from deriving any pleasure from this and other news. We ask you
to tell the illustrious Duke Don Alfonso, your husband, our
brother-in-law, at once, as, owing to want of time, we have not
been able to write him direct.

Your Majesty's brother, who loves you better than he doe